Alanna: But how many black Lamborghinis are in Manhattan?
Adrian: Alanna is it them, baby I love you and I hope that one day, this will all be a distant memory. However, for now I need to stay in London and you need to stay in that house, okay.
Alanna: Okay, I guess if I do not have a choice.
Adrian: I hate doing this to you, I hate that I have all the control and I wish things were different.
Alanna: You know no one else would stand for this.
Adrian: I know that, I do not deserve you.
Alanna: I love you,
Adrian: Until next time baby,
“Miss Hart dinner,” I hear Maggie at my door I close my laptop and head out into the kitchen. I see that Maggie has made a special effort tonight. She has lit candles and set the huge dining table for two. There are silver platters of food and grand vases filled with white and red roses. I see Michael sitting at one side of the table, dressed in a white shirt and dark blue jeans his usually messy hair is slicked back. If I did not know any better, I would say this looks like a date. I walk over and Michael gets up and pulls out a chair for me. I look at him as sit and cannot help but say,
“What’s all this?”
“Maggie thought you looked a little down and you needed cheering up, so she put this evening together.” I smile over at her and she smiles back pretending that all this was her idea.
“Well thank you Maggie.”
“Would you like a glass of champagne?” Michael says as he opens a bottle of Cristal champagne.
“Sure but what are we celebrating?”
“Nothing I just thought it was your favorite drink.” I smile again at him not holding in my laugh.
“What’s funny Alanna?”
“Nothing,” I quickly straighten my face.
“Have you heard from Adrian?” Michael says as he takes a bite of his food.
“Yes I was just talking to him a few moments ago.”
“Really what was he saying?”
“Just the usual,”
“What’s on your mind?”
“There is a lot on my mind right now.”
“What has you bothered Alanna?”
“Studying, Adrian, the killing and you this house, shall I go on?”
“Me?”
“There has been something I have wanted to talk to you about,” I say and my heart begins to race.
“Good, but can I go first?” Michael says jumping in and not giving me time to protest. Instead, I agree I feel a little cowardly right now anyway.
“Sure,” I say and my heart begins to race less rapidly.
“Alanna, in London you received a single red rose and I am pretty sure you think it was from Adrian, but it wasn’t, it was from me.” I look at him I can see that he is as nervous about this as I am.
“I know, Adrian told me,” I say in a sympathetic voice.
“He did?” Michael says looking shocked and a little embarrassed.
“He did and it is okay, I understand.”
“I am different to Adrian, I love him he is my brother for life but I can’t begin to express my feelings about all this.”
“About what,”
“You in danger, it kills me seeing you here like this.”
“It’s hard on everyone.”
“It’s especially hard on me.” I do not like the way this is going, I was about to tell him everything. How I feel about him and how I feel about Adrian. Now that he is about to say it, how he feels out loud I cannot listen, I get up from the seat and Michael looks at me.
“What’s wrong Alanna?”
“I can’t do this,”
“Do what, you never let me finish.” My head is spinning so I sit back down.
“Alanna I feel things for you, I have for a while and I have tried to put it off and out of my mind, but I can’t.”
“Michael I really care about you and I want you in my life, but I will always love Adrian.” The guilt is pouring from my voice as I say it, I cannot bear to look at him and to see his reaction, have I lost my friend?
“Alanna how can you love him? After all, he is putting you through. If you were with me, you would never be in danger.”
“I know that but even if I die, I will still love Adrian.”
“I can’t be hearing this, are you for real?”
“Yes Michael I really like you and I need you, please can you accept this and carry on being my friend?”
“Come away with me, we can leave and never come back.”
“No Michael you not hearing me,”
“Yes I hear, but this is real Alanna and you can’t feel this way.”
“I do Michael, please understand.” I see him roll his eyes; he gazes at me with the piercing iciness of them.
“Okay Alanna, but know this I will always be here waiting for you, I will never give up on you.”