| General Fiction posted April 20, 2024 | Chapters: |
...4 5 -6- 7 
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Michael and Kara spend the day hanging out with friends.
A chapter in the book I Found My Heart In San Francisco
Hanging With Michael
by LoniLove
I Found My Heart In S.F. Ch3 Pt.1
"Hanging with Michael" Get To Know Ya.
Friday, February 13, 1984. 1:15 p.m.
The next day, Kara sat at her desk in her office of Rave Magazine. He co-worker and friends, Brianne Warren and Amya Jefferson were in the office talking to her.
Amya and Brianne were among the few friends that Kara had at the office. They always ate lunch together and they went out and a had a drink on occasion. Amya worked the Make-up Tips column in the magazine, and Brianne worked the Fashion and Wardrobe beat.
Both women were the same age as Kara, and attractive, well dressed, and single. Amya was an attractive blonde, athletically built, cute spirited, and funny. She slightly resembled Brittney Spears a little, both in looks and in personality. Brianne was a little more like the R&B singer Ciara. She was tall, brown skinned, slim, and sexy. She had medium length wavy black hair with brown highlights. She had a friendly and outgoing personality.
"So, what do you have planned for Valentine's Day tomorrow? I know that you don't have a boyfriend right now, but you must have somebody around to share it with." Amya asked.
"I have a date tomorrow night. I've met a wonderful new guy and he's taking me to the Valentine's Day party that my friends in the Crew are throwing." She answered.
"Oh really? That sounds good. I'm glad to see that you're dating again." Amya was happy for her friend. So was Brianne.
"I knew you wouldn't be sitting at home all alone for Valentine's Day. There are too many nice, attractive men out there for you to meet. You need to be getting your romance on with somebody." Brianne said. "So, who is this new guy?"
Kara hesitated to tell them exactly who he was. She had promised Michael that she wouldn't.
"I just met him. His name is Mikey." Kara told them. She purposely left off telling them his last name.
"Mikey, he sounds cute." Said Brianne.
"He is cute, and he's very nice. We met at my friend Chey Kirkland's parent's house. He came and introduced himself to me and we talked for a couple of hours. I didn't have a date for the Valentine's Day party and my friends were trying to think of someone to fix me up with. Chey must have invited him to the party, so he came and asked me to be his Valentine's date. I thought he was very sweet, so I accepted."
"Aw, was nice." Said Amya. "Do you like him?"
"Yes. I kind of get butterflies in my stomach when I'm around him. I think we have a little instant attraction going on. I look forward to going out with him tomorrow evening anyway." Said Kara.
"Well, we hope you have a wonderful time. We want details when you come back to work on Monday." Brianne said.
"What do you two have planned for tomorrow night? Brianne, are you still going out with Trey Monte?" Kara asked.
"Yes. Trey is my boo. He's taking me out to dinner and a stage play downtown. After that... who knows what we may get into." Brianne answered.
Oh oh, that sound serious." Kara grinned. "Amya, what about you?"
"I have a date. I met a new guy too, and his name is Tim Reeves. He is a law student, and he works as a Legal Assistant right now. He is a very clean cut and handsome man with piercing green eyes, and the cutest dimples. We're supposed to go to Cisco's Night Club downtown. He has a friend playing in a band there." Amya told her.
"Cool. It sounds like everybody is going to be having a wonderful Valentine's Day. We'll all get together at lunch time on Monday and tell each other how our dates went, okay?" Said Kara.
"Okay." The girls agreed.
"I wonder if Kathy has plans for a hot date tomorrow?" Said Amya.
"I don't know. We'll have to ask her." Said Brianne. "She's been working so hard lately. She hasn't had a lot of time for dating anyone. This magazine is her life, you know."
Kathy Portero was the Editor of Rave Magazine. She was their boss and a friend. She always took an interest in the girl's love life, although she was 10 years older than they were.
At that moment, Kara's cellphone rang. She didn't get too many personal calls on the job unless it was important. Kara picked up the phone and looked at it. She didn't recognize the phone number. It wasn't one of her family members or friends. It had a 213 area code on it. Their area code in San Francisco was 415. The Los Angeles area? Who would be calling her way from L.A.? She thought to herself.
"Excuse me for a minute." She toled her friends, and she pressed the talk button. "Hello." She spoke into the phone.
"Hello Kara. It's me Michael. How are you?" Michael's light soft-spoken voice came back over the phone.
Kara was surprised. She recognized his voice right away. She remembered that she had given him her phone number, but she really hadn't expected him to call her. Not so soon anyway.
"Mikey! Hi, I'm fine."
The other two women looked at her when she said his name.
"Did I surprised you?" Michael asked.
"Yes, you did. How are you doing?"
"I'm fine. I'm just hanging out with a few of my friends." Mikey said. "I know that you're a work right now, so I won't keep you long. I was just calling to see if you had any plans tonight?"
"No. I don't have any particular plans. What's going on?"
"I was wondering if you would like to come and hangout with me and some of the Crew at my hotel suite this evening?" Michael asked.
"Yeah sure. I'd love to." Said Kara smiling to herself.
"Great! I know that we have a special date tomorrow night, but I just wanted to see you again. I enjoyed talking to you last night." Said Michael.
"I enjoyed talking to you too." Kara told him.
"I was serious about wanting to get to know you better. So, what time are you coming by?"
"I get off work at 5:00. I'm already Downtown, so I'l be there around 5:15."
"Okay. You know what hotel I'm staying in, right?" He asked.
"Yes. I remember where you told me you were staying." She answered.
"Good. I'll see you soon then baby girl."
"Yes. See you soon." Said Kara. she was blushing like crazy.
They hung up.
"Oh my God! You're blushing like a schoolgirl!" Said Amya. "You should have seen your face during that whole conversation."
Kara smiled. They just didn't understand. This wasn't just some average guy standing on the corner that was saying all of these sweet things to her. It was Michael Jackson. A guy who she was totally crazy about, and who she never thought would ever be talking to her like this.
"Yeah, you really must like this guy a lot." Said Brianne.
"I do really like him. I just can't believe that he called me so soon. He sounds so cute and sexy. He was like "I just wanted to see you again. I really enjoyed talking to you last night." I'm tripping out because that means he has been thinking about me. I've been on his mind all night long. Then he was like "I'll see you soon baby girl." He is such a charmer."
"Wow, it sounds like you have made quite an impression on him. He has definitely made a huge one on you" said Brianne.
"I suppose so. I blush every time I talk to this man. I guess it's because I never expected to meet anyone like him." She said.
Kara supposed that once she got used to Michael, and the initial shock of meeting him wore off she would calm down and react normally to him. Right now, she was awed. The very thought of being around him sent her pulse racing.
"Are you going to see him tonight?" Amya's voice broke into her thoughts.
"Um..Yeah." She answered. "That's actually why he called me. He wanted to invite me to come over and hang out with him and a few of his friends after work."
"Sounds like fun." Said Amya. "Well, we'd better get back to work before Kathy comes looking for us and catches us goofing off."
"Yeah. We'll see you later Kara. Have a good time tonight with your new boyfriend." Said Brianne.
The two women quickly got up, left Kara's office, and went back to work.
Kara turned around and stared out of the window. Her mind wandered.
Boyfriend? Ha! She wished. She shouldn't even be thinking that she would be seeing Michael beyond the Valentine's Day party.
He was just being kind because Chey and everybody else told him what a huge fan she was of his.
He was a well-known celebrity. He has probably met more beautiful women than her before. He has probably met, and dated some who were more glamorous than she was too. A man like him could have any woman in the world that he wanted. She would be kidding herself to think she could be anything more to him than a mere aquaintance. Besides, she wasn't expecting to fall in love with anybody right now. She was just beginning to bounce back from the pain Donnie caused her. If she fell for Michael right now, she would be making herself vulnerable to getting hurt again if he wasn't really interested in her in that way.
With that thought in mind Kara turned around and went back to answering another letter from one of her readers from the emails listed in the inbox on her computer. This one was from a woman who wrote. . .
Dear Kara,
I am a 25 year old Sales Clerk living in South Carolina. A very attractive man who comes to the Department Store where I work frequently to shop, has just recently approached me and asked me out on a date. I have a bit of a crush on him, but I am very shy. I've never considered myself to be any kind of a raving beauty.
In fact, I'm pretty much a Plain Jane, only passing attractive. I never have been that popular, and I've never been the one to attract the really cute guys in school. Now I'm being asked out on a date by one of the hostest , most eligible bachelors in my town. I don't know what I should do! I don't know why he wants to date me when there are so many more beautiful women out there who he could easily have. I'm attracted to him, and he seems like a really nice guy, but I don't want to risk getting my heart broken again. I've been hurt by love before. Men like him just don't usually go for women like me. I'm scared to say yes because I don't want to get hurt, but yet I'm scared to say no because another man like him may never come into my life again. Help, I am so confused!"
Signed Eva. South Carolina.
Damn! Kara thought to herself. She was not usually taken by surprise at a the things that her reader told her, but she was taken by surprise at this letter. Was this a coincidence? Or was God trying to tell her something? How was she supposed to answer this letter? This woman's dilemma sounded so much like her own. She decided she should start by approaching this problem from the outside looking in.
Eva was a woman who was attracted to and was being pursued by a very attractive man who is sought after my many other women. Her Prince Charming was standing right in front of her face, a once in a lifetime opportunity. One that if she let it slip away, she may not ever get it again. She was afraid to take a chance on him because she had been hurt by love before, and she was afraid to allow herself to believe that someone like him could really fall in love with her. She didn't think she had what it took to get him or to keep him, but they were obviously attracted to one another.
Her problem, and Eva's was similar. She didn't feel like she had what it takes to get Michael or keep him either. Not when he could have so many other women. Yet, she needed to follow her heart, and take a chance on love. Eva needed to do the same. What should she advise this young woman to do? How did she think Eva should handle the situation? How did she think that she should handle her own attraction to Michael?
Kara pondered over these questions seriously for a moment before she began to type up her response on the computer. Helping Eva with her problem helped her to examine her own feelings and come to a conclusion that would help them both.
I Found My Heart In S.F. Ch 3 Pt. 2
At 5:00 p.m. on the dot, Kara left her job and went straight over to the Hyatt Regency Hotel. Michael had already informed the Hotel Manager that she would be coming and to look out for her. He gave him instructions to send Kara right up to the Penthouse Suite. The Hotel Manager, Mr. Norris noticed Kara the moment that she walked into the hotel lobby and stopped at the front desk.
"May I help you, Miss?"
"Yes. I'm supposed to meet a special guest staying here, Michael Jackson. My name is LaKara Rhodes. Can you call his suite and tell him that I am in the lobby?" Kara told him.
"I'm afraid we don't have anyone registered under that name Ms. Rhodes." Said Mr. Norris.
Kara was momentarily confused. What did he mean there was no one registered under that name? She didn't understand. Certainly he should know if a big celebrity like Michael Jackson was staying at his hotel or not.
"Are you sure about that? Can you check your registry again for me please?" She asked.
"I certainly can, but I assure you that there is no one registered here by that name. I would remember it. He said and he turned to speak to the receptionist who was sitting at the desk. "Miss James, would you check our registry and see if we have anyone by the name of Michael Jackson staying here?"
"Yes, Mr. Norris." The Receptionist replied.
She pulled up the hotel registry on her computer screen and appeared to be honestly checking for Michael's name. It was the oldest trick in the book to discourage eager young fans from mobbing the hotel so see famous celebrities like Michael when they were staying in town and causing a disturbance. She looked up from her screen a few minutes later.
"No, we don't have anyone by that name registered with us Mr. Norris." She said with a little smile. Somehow, Kara didn't quite buy it.
"This is The Hyatt Regency Hotel, right?" Kara asked.
"Yes Ma'am it is." Said Mr. Norris.
It didn't make sense to Kara. He had to be registered here. This is where he told her he was staying. She gave him directions to her house from here.
"Then he has to be registered here. He came with a large group of people. His entourage. This is the hotel that I was told he is staying in."
"I'm sorry Miss. There is no Michael Jackson registered at this hotel. I don't know what else to tell you."
"I don't understand. I was told specifically that he is staying here in this hotel. I just spoke to him personally on the phone today, and he asked me to meet him here at this location. There has to be some mistake!" Kara was beginning to get frustrated. She didn't like the games these people were playing with her. She knew she couldn't be wrong.
She reached into her purse and pulled out her cellphone and flipped it open. Michael had called her on it earlier today, and his phone number was still registered in it. She was going to call him and find out what the hell was going on. Somebody was going to tell her something. She found the number and pushed dial.
Suddenly, Mr. Norris remembered the instructions that were given to him. He hastened to stop Kara from making that call.
"Excuse me Miss. What did you say your name is again?" Mr. Norris asked.
"LaKara Rhodes." She said impatiently. "I have Michael's phone number in my cellphone. I'm about to call him up right now and get to the bottom of this."
"I don't think that will be necessary. I think we may have a miscommunication problem after all. We do not have anyone named Michael Jackson registered to stay here, however, I do have a special client by the name of Jackson Michaels registered to stay here. He did tell me that he was expecting a young lady matching your description to visit him. He gave me instructions to look out for her, and to have her sent up to his suite as soon as she arrived."
"Jackson Michaels? Who the hell. . ." Kara stopped in mid-sentence as soon as she caught onto the name switch.
Jackson Michaels. . .Michael Jackson. It finally made sense to her. It was Michael. He didn't register under his real name since he didn't want anybody to know that he was here in town. He switched it around. Why didn't he just tell her that? She was getting frustrated and angry because she thought these people running the Hotel were playing games with her head.
"Yes Ma'am. I apologize for the mix-up and the delay. If you will please, come this way, I will show you to the elevators." Said Mr. Norris.
Kara followed him over to the elevators. Mr. Norris pushed the button for the elevator going to the Penthouse suite, and an attendant stepped out.
"Jimmy, will you please take the young lady up to the Penthouse Suite? Mr. Jacksons Michaels is expecting her."
"Yes sir." Said Jimmy the Attendant.
Kara stepped into the elevator and was escorted up to the top floor. When they got there, Kara stepped off and walked down the hall to Suite 1016. Before she could knock at the door, Michael himself opened it. A big smile lit up his face when he saw Kara. Kara was completely captivated.
"Hey Kara, you made it!" He said happily
"Hi Michael. Yes, I made it."
He gave her a warm hug.
Kara nearly melted inside. That hug felt so wonderful. He gave nice hugs. She could smell the scent of his cologne. God he smelled great! She thought to herself.
"Come on inside." He said.
She stepped inside the suite and Michael closed the door behind them. Inside, Michael did indeed have a room full of company. His friends Tyshaun, Antonio, Dawnte, DeMario, Darius b.k.a. Day Day, Chris Hayes, Mikki, and Cameron were all there with their girlfriends. Of course, Cameron didn't have a girlfriend there.
"Hey Kara." They all greeted her.
"Hello." Kara spoke.
"Kara, you remember everybody from the gathering last night don't you? Tyshaun, his girlfriend Ray Ray, Antonio, Karrie, Dawnte, Charm, DeMario, Quett, Day Day, my sister Breenie, Chris Hayes, Shey Patterson, Mikki Calhoun, Cupcake Michelson, and Cameron."
"Yes, I remember them." Said Kara. "I couldn't remember everyone's name, but I remember meeting them and talking to them."
"I know you remember my name." Said Cameron.
"Yes Cameron. I definitely remember your name."
He grinned.
"We never did get to finish our little conversation yesterday." He said. "Maybe we'll get to finish it today."
"Maybe we will." She answered.
"Come and sit down over here with us Kara." Breenie offered.
She went and sat down beside Breenie. Day Day got up to make room.
"So, tell us a little bit about yourself. All we know about you is that you're a close friend of Chey Kirkland's." Said Antonio.
"What do you want to know?" Kara asked.
"Everything." Cameron said.
"Cameron behave." Shey Patterson said in a warning tone.
"What?" Cameron said innocently.
"Stop flirting with the girl." She said knowingly.
She had a feeling that Mikey had a thing for Kara, and she was pretty sure that Kara liked him too. Cameron obviously liked Kara himself, but he shouoldn't be trying to steal her from Michael. They were supposed to be friends, he knew better, and he was supposed to be seeing Monet Desai.
"Yeah Cameron, stop flirting." Mikey repeated with a warning glance of his own. Better bring your A game brother. The girl is practically mine already. All I need to do is kiss her lips one time and it's over. He thought to himself.
"I'm not doing anything. I'm just being friendly." He said playing innocent.
"It's okay." Kara said with a smile.
She was used to it. Many guys acted just the way Cameron did when they were attracted to her. They were always competing for her attention.
"Go ahead Kara, don't pay him any mind. Tell us a little about yourself." Quett encouraged her.
"We'll, I'm 22 years old, I'll be 23 in October." Kara began.
"October what?" Asked Mikey. He was definitely taking in as much about her as he could.
"October 18th." She told him.
"Three days after my brother Tito." He said.
"Yes, and a week and a half before Randy." She smiled and continued on. "I'm originally from Miami, Florida. My family moved here to California about five years ago. We lived in San Jose for about a year before my dad's job transferred him here to San Francisco, and we've been here every since. I'm a graduate of U.C. San Francisco. I majored in Journalism and Psychology and got my Bachelor's Degee. I plan to get my Master's Degree soon. I'm currently working for a local magazine called Rave. I don't know if any of you have ever heard of it in L.A."
"I have." Said Mikki.
"Yeah, me too." Said DeMario.
"Same here." Said Chris H.
"I've read it before. It's just like Essence or Ebony Magazine." Said Ray Ray.
"Exactly." Kara replied.
"I've read it too." Said Charm. "I read it every month. In fact, I've read you column a few times. You're the Love Advice Girl!"
"Yeah, that's me." Kara grinned.
"You go girl! You're pretty good at your job, and you're fair." Charm told her.
"I try to be open minded and fair as much as I can." Said Kara.
"Did you know that she was a journalist , Mike?" Karrie asked.
"Yes. She told me yesterday." Mikey replied.
"Mikey's been dodging the Media while he's away." Said Chris H. "He wants to keep a low profile so he can enjoy his vacation without the Paparazzi bothering him."
"He told me, and I promised him that I would respect his wishes." Said Kara.
"Are you a Jacksons fan Kara?" Asked Cupcake M.
"A very big fan." Said Kara. "I grew up on their music."
"I'll bet Mikey is your favorite one in the group ain't he?" Quett gave her a wink.
"Definitely. He always has been." Kara blushed and she looked over at Michael. Their eyes met and he smiled.
Cameron caught the little exchange between them.
"My girl." Said Mikey.
"What did you like to do for fun, Kara?" Cameron asked. He had to get back in the game. He was losing this little competition. Kara was a huge Michael Jackson fan.
"When I'm not working, I like to dance most of the time. That's my thing. I also like to sketch pictures, do photography, and write short stories, poems, and songs. Sometimes I talk on the internet to a group of friends." She answered.
"How long have you and Chey K been friends?" Breenie asked a question of her own.
"About three years now. I met the rest of the Crew through her and Chris M." Kara told them.
"How come we've never met you before? We come to town every so often to visit Chey. All but Mikey." Said Dawnte. "She hadn't see him in a couple of years. He's been so busy."
"I don't know, I've probably been a little busy myself." Said Kara. "She had told me all about you guys, and her cousins too. I'm aware that you come to San Francisco from time to time and I know that you came to town about six or seven months ago. Usually, I and the rest of the Crew just give her some space to spend some time wit you all when you're here. This is the first time that we have all gotten together like we did last night, including the Crew from Tucson and the Crew from New York. You saw how huge that gathering was, and that wasn't even half of the people that we know. She never even mentioned to me that she knew Michael or his family."
"She didn't?" Said Mikey.
"No, and she knew that I was a big fan of yours." She replied. "I don't think anyone knew except maybe her boyfriend Chris."
"I'm really surprised to hear that. We should have met much sooner. I've kept in touch with Chey from time to time. I just never managed to come to San Francisco to visit. Chey and Cupcake both are like family to me." Said Michael.
"See, I'm just finding all of this out. She has never mentioned anything about you to me. But I'm glad I got the opportunity to meet you now."
"Me too." Said Michael.
Breenie and Day Day both looked at each other and grinned. They could sense the attraction between Michael and Kara. Breenie wondered if this was going to turn into a major romance between them.
Michael had already told his sister that he asked Kara to the Valentine's Day dance tomorrow, but she suspected that he wanted much more than that. Her big brother was definitely very attracted to this girl. She was going to have to keep an eye on the situation and talk to Mikey. She wanted to find out what was really going on.
Mikey's friends talked and go aquainted with Kara for a little while longer, getting to know her. Breenie and Day Day were not the only ones who were aware of the growing attraction between Michael and Kara. The rest of his friends were too. A couple of Michael's friends decided to play a video game on the T.V., and Kara went and sat by Michael and talk to him.
"Thanks for coming over today, Kara. I really wanted to see you today." Said Mikey.
"I'm glad that you invited me. I'm enjoying hanging out with you and your friends." She replied.
"We definitely should do this again during the week, spend some time together. Just you and me. Are you down with that?" Michael asked.
She looked at him. He was serious. Her heart skipped a beat. They were already going to the Valentine's Day party together, but he wanted to spend some time with her after that.
"Yeah, I'm down with that." She told him.
"Good, just keep your schedule open for me. I want to come and see you sometime, okay?"
"Okay." She agreed.
"Can I get you something to eat or drink? You came straight over here from work, so I know you must be hungry." Said Michael.
"Yeah, I'm am a little hungry actually." Kara felt her stomach rumble a little.
"What would you like to eat? I can order something from the kitchen or a couple of the guys can go get some take-out. Don't be shy, it's my treat."
"I would like a cheeseburger and some French Fries, but I think I'll just settle for a salad and some macaroni and cheese or something." Said Kara.
"Why?" Michael asked.
"I know you're a vegetarian. I don't want to turn you off by eating all of that meat." She answered.
"Get whatever you want. You won't turn me off by eating meat. I'm used to other people eating meat around me. Most of my friends eat meat, they're not vegetarians." Mikey told her. "Besides, you were eating barbecue ribs and chicken yesterday, that didn't bother me."
"Yeah, you're right." She agreed.
"And Kara. . ."
"What?"
"You could never turn me off baby girl." He said.
Kara blushed. God, this man just oozed sex appeal! She had to get a grip before she did something stupid like pass out and faint.
"Hey Chris, would you and Day Day mind making a food run? Everybody should be getting hungry right about now." Mike said to his friend.
"Sure man, we can make a food run. There's an Applebee's nearby. Is that okay?" Said Chris H.
"That's fine with me if it's okay with everybody else." Said Mikey.
"That's fine with the rest of us too." Said Tyshaun.
"I'll call and place the order." Antonio offered. "Just tell me what you want."
Everybody told Antonio what they wanted to eat, and he placed their orders. Then they gave Day Day and Chris Hayes the money for the food, and they left to go pick it up.
In the meantime, Cameron took the opportunity to sit next to Kara and chat with her for a minute while Michael's attention was distracted.
"So, what's up girlfriend? Are you enjoying yourself?" Cameron asked.
"Yes, I'm enjoying myself." Kara answered him.
"What's up with you and Mikey?
He asked.
"Nothing, we're just talking." Said Kara.
"Good, then when can I get some one-on-one time with you? I'd really like to get to know you better." He said.
"I don't know Cameron. It depends." Kara told him.
"Depends on what?"
"It depends on whatever other plans I have this week." She answered.
What she really wanted to say is, "It depends on what Michael has in mind for me." She had already promised Michael that they could spend some time together. She wanted to see where things were going to go with him. She was looking forward to it, but she didn't want to hurt Cameron's feelings. He was obviously attracted to her, and he seemed like a nice guy, and she liked him.
"Oh. Well, why don't you make a little time for me? I wanna be down with you. Tell me how I can make that happen." Said Cameron.
"Cameron. . ." Kara started to speak. She had to be honest with him. She thought that she and Mikey had something going on between them.
"Since you like to dance, there's a Valentine's Day party tomorrow night. I don't have a date. Why don't you come with me?"
"Cameron. . ." She said again.
"Come on Kara, say yes. I really don't want to go alone." Cameron cut her off."
Cameron I can't. I'm sorry, but I already have a date for the party. Michael asked me yesterday." She told him.
"Oh, he did?" Said Cameron.
"Yes, he did."
Damn! Cameron thought to himself. Why didn't I think of that yesterday as soon as I heard about the party. He beat me to the punch.
"I'm sorry." Kara said again. "I've already told him yes. I have to be honest with you Cameron, I think you are a really nice guy, and under different circumstances I would go out with you, but it's no secret that I have a bit of a crush on Michael. I've always been crazy about him since I was a little girl. I think he's kind of attracted to me too, and he wants to see me."
"I see." Said Cameron feeling a little disappointed. "So, what are you going to do?"
"I'm going to follow my heart and see where things are going to go with him. You're his friend. I can't see both of you at the same time."
"So, you choose him?"
"Yes. I choose Michael." Kara said.l
"It's the celebrity thing ain't it?" Cameron said wistfully.
"Yes and no. It is the celebrity thing because yes, I am a little awed by him right now. I've grown up watching him and feeling like I've know him forever. It seems like I have been waiting for this moment all of my life. And then, it's not the celebrity thing, it's him period. I really am attracted to him. I get butterflies every time I look at him, and I blush every time he says something to me. That's a physical thing. Michael is the kind of man that I would still want even if he wasn't a celebrity that I've had a childhood crush on. Am I making any sense?"
"Yeah, what you're saying makes sense. I get it, you really like Michael. He's a hell of a lucky guy." Cameron gave her a half smile.
"Thanks for being understanding. I didn't know any other way to put it."
Michael came back at that moment. He noticed that Cameron had moved in on Kara as soon as he was distracted for a minute. He didn't like that one bit. It made him feel a little jealous. He made a counter move to reclaim Kara's attention back from him.
"Sorry Cameron, but I'm going to have to steal the lady back away from you." Michael said. He was not about to let Cameron have Kara.
"I've got to go make a phone call anyway." Cameron smiled wryly. He stood up. "Congratulation Homes. She likes you. You're a lucky man." He said in Mike's ear when he got close enough for only him to hear.
Michael looked at him questioningly. Cameron walked off and went into the kitchenette to call his girl Monet. He was going to try one more time to see if she could make it to San Francisco tomorrow. He really didn't want to be alone for Valentine's Day. Mikey sat down next to Kara.
"What was that all about?" He asked.
"He wanted to take me out to the Valentine's Day party tomorrow night." Kara told him the truth.
"Oh, he did?" Said Michael.
"I told him that I was going with you. He likes me. He wanted to spend some time with me. I gently turned him down and told him that I was seeing you."
Mikey smiled. He could have kissed her he was so happy.
"Thanks for being honest. Yes, we are going to be seeing a lot of each other. I would definitely like that." He held Kara's hand in his, then he raised it to his lips and kissed it sending her pulse racing again.
"Don't worry about Cameron. He'll be alright. He's a good man, and he's still my boy, but he has a girl back home waiting for him. He's just feeling lonely because she couldn't be here with him. She couldn't get away from her job. She's a model. I, on the other hand, don't have a girl at home waiting for me. I am completely free to date anybody I want."
"Seriously, you have no other girlfriends?" Kara asked.
"Honestly, I have no other girlfriends anywhere." Said Mikey. "The only girl that I'm interested in seeing right now is you, if that's alright with you."
"It's fine with me" Kara smiled at him. Her answer just made Michael's day, as well as the fact that she had chosen him over Cameron.
Michael and Kara talked for a little while longer, then they got up and went to play a video game with the rest of the group. They laughed and had a good time playing Super Mario Brothers against each other. Michael won one game, but Kara won the other. Just as they were finishing up, Chris H and Day Day returned with the food, everybody came and got their food and sat down to eat. Kara got her burger and her French Fries, and a coke. Michael, being a vegetarian had vegetables and rice, and a large Iced Tea.
Cameron was in much better spirits when he came to sit down and eat. He had spoken to his girl Monet on the phone, and she managed to talk her employer into giving her some time off. She was going to catch an early plane and arrive in San Francisco by 8:30 in the morning. She was going to get to spend Valentine's Day with Cameron after all, so he was happy about that.
Kara stayed with Michael until 11:00 p.m., then she had to leave. Everybody said their good nights to her and to Michael and headed back to their own suites. Michael walked Kara down to her car.
"Thanks for inviting me to hang out with you today, Michae. I had a wonderful time." Said Kara.
"You're welcome. I'm happy that you came. I enjoyed spending some time with you too. Next time, it's going to be just you and me." He smiled. "I'm looking forward to our date tomorrow night."
"Me too Michael. See you at 8:00 tomorrow evening." Kara replied.
"See you then." He said.
Kara got into her car and fastened her seatbelt. Then she started her car's engine and drove off headed for home. Michael watched her until she was gone.
Yes. Cameron was right. He was a lucky man indeed. He thought to himself.
With that thought in mind, he turned and went back into the hotel and went back upstairs to his Penthouse suite.
I Found My Heart In S.F. Ch3 Pt.1
"Hanging with Michael" Get To Know Ya.
Friday, February 13, 1984. 1:15 p.m.
The next day, Kara sat at her desk in her office of Rave Magazine. He co-worker and friends, Brianne Warren and Amya Jefferson were in the office talking to her.
Amya and Brianne were among the few friends that Kara had at the office. They always ate lunch together and they went out and a had a drink on occasion. Amya worked the Make-up Tips column in the magazine, and Brianne worked the Fashion and Wardrobe beat.
Both women were the same age as Kara, and attractive, well dressed, and single. Amya was an attractive blonde, athletically built, cute spirited, and funny. She slightly resembled Brittney Spears a little, both in looks and in personality. Brianne was a little more like the R&B singer Ciara. She was tall, brown skinned, slim, and sexy. She had medium length wavy black hair with brown highlights. She had a friendly and outgoing personality.
"So, what do you have planned for Valentine's Day tomorrow? I know that you don't have a boyfriend right now, but you must have somebody around to share it with." Amya asked.
"I have a date tomorrow night. I've met a wonderful new guy and he's taking me to the Valentine's Day party that my friends in the Crew are throwing." She answered.
"Oh really? That sounds good. I'm glad to see that you're dating again." Amya was happy for her friend. So was Brianne.
"I knew you wouldn't be sitting at home all alone for Valentine's Day. There are too many nice, attractive men out there for you to meet. You need to be getting your romance on with somebody." Brianne said. "So, who is this new guy?"
Kara hesitated to tell them exactly who he was. She had promised Michael that she wouldn't.
"I just met him. His name is Mikey." Kara told them. She purposely left off telling them his last name.
"Mikey, he sounds cute." Said Brianne.
"He is cute, and he's very nice. We met at my friend Chey Kirkland's parent's house. He came and introduced himself to me and we talked for a couple of hours. I didn't have a date for the Valentine's Day party and my friends were trying to think of someone to fix me up with. Chey must have invited him to the party, so he came and asked me to be his Valentine's date. I thought he was very sweet, so I accepted."
"Aw, was nice." Said Amya. "Do you like him?"
"Yes. I kind of get butterflies in my stomach when I'm around him. I think we have a little instant attraction going on. I look forward to going out with him tomorrow evening anyway." Said Kara.
"Well, we hope you have a wonderful time. We want details when you come back to work on Monday." Brianne said.
"What do you two have planned for tomorrow night? Brianne, are you still going out with Trey Monte?" Kara asked.
"Yes. Trey is my boo. He's taking me out to dinner and a stage play downtown. After that... who knows what we may get into." Brianne answered.
Oh oh, that sound serious." Kara grinned. "Amya, what about you?"
"I have a date. I met a new guy too, and his name is Tim Reeves. He is a law student, and he works as a Legal Assistant right now. He is a very clean cut and handsome man with piercing green eyes, and the cutest dimples. We're supposed to go to Cisco's Night Club downtown. He has a friend playing in a band there." Amya told her.
"Cool. It sounds like everybody is going to be having a wonderful Valentine's Day. We'll all get together at lunch time on Monday and tell each other how our dates went, okay?" Said Kara.
"Okay." The girls agreed.
"I wonder if Kathy has plans for a hot date tomorrow?" Said Amya.
"I don't know. We'll have to ask her." Said Brianne. "She's been working so hard lately. She hasn't had a lot of time for dating anyone. This magazine is her life, you know."
Kathy Portero was the Editor of Rave Magazine. She was their boss and a friend. She always took an interest in the girl's love life, although she was 10 years older than they were.
At that moment, Kara's cellphone rang. She didn't get too many personal calls on the job unless it was important. Kara picked up the phone and looked at it. She didn't recognize the phone number. It wasn't one of her family members or friends. It had a 213 area code on it. Their area code in San Francisco was 415. The Los Angeles area? Who would be calling her way from L.A.? She thought to herself.
"Excuse me for a minute." She toled her friends, and she pressed the talk button. "Hello." She spoke into the phone.
"Hello Kara. It's me Michael. How are you?" Michael's light soft-spoken voice came back over the phone.
Kara was surprised. She recognized his voice right away. She remembered that she had given him her phone number, but she really hadn't expected him to call her. Not so soon anyway.
"Mikey! Hi, I'm fine."
The other two women looked at her when she said his name.
"Did I surprised you?" Michael asked.
"Yes, you did. How are you doing?"
"I'm fine. I'm just hanging out with a few of my friends." Mikey said. "I know that you're a work right now, so I won't keep you long. I was just calling to see if you had any plans tonight?"
"No. I don't have any particular plans. What's going on?"
"I was wondering if you would like to come and hangout with me and some of the Crew at my hotel suite this evening?" Michael asked.
"Yeah sure. I'd love to." Said Kara smiling to herself.
"Great! I know that we have a special date tomorrow night, but I just wanted to see you again. I enjoyed talking to you last night." Said Michael.
"I enjoyed talking to you too." Kara told him.
"I was serious about wanting to get to know you better. So, what time are you coming by?"
"I get off work at 5:00. I'm already Downtown, so I'l be there around 5:15."
"Okay. You know what hotel I'm staying in, right?" He asked.
"Yes. I remember where you told me you were staying." She answered.
"Good. I'll see you soon then baby girl."
"Yes. See you soon." Said Kara. she was blushing like crazy.
They hung up.
"Oh my God! You're blushing like a schoolgirl!" Said Amya. "You should have seen your face during that whole conversation."
Kara smiled. They just didn't understand. This wasn't just some average guy standing on the corner that was saying all of these sweet things to her. It was Michael Jackson. A guy who she was totally crazy about, and who she never thought would ever be talking to her like this.
"Yeah, you really must like this guy a lot." Said Brianne.
"I do really like him. I just can't believe that he called me so soon. He sounds so cute and sexy. He was like "I just wanted to see you again. I really enjoyed talking to you last night." I'm tripping out because that means he has been thinking about me. I've been on his mind all night long. Then he was like "I'll see you soon baby girl." He is such a charmer."
"Wow, it sounds like you have made quite an impression on him. He has definitely made a huge one on you" said Brianne.
"I suppose so. I blush every time I talk to this man. I guess it's because I never expected to meet anyone like him." She said.
Kara supposed that once she got used to Michael, and the initial shock of meeting him wore off she would calm down and react normally to him. Right now, she was awed. The very thought of being around him sent her pulse racing.
"Are you going to see him tonight?" Amya's voice broke into her thoughts.
"Um..Yeah." She answered. "That's actually why he called me. He wanted to invite me to come over and hang out with him and a few of his friends after work."
"Sounds like fun." Said Amya. "Well, we'd better get back to work before Kathy comes looking for us and catches us goofing off."
"Yeah. We'll see you later Kara. Have a good time tonight with your new boyfriend." Said Brianne.
The two women quickly got up, left Kara's office, and went back to work.
Kara turned around and stared out of the window. Her mind wandered.
Boyfriend? Ha! She wished. She shouldn't even be thinking that she would be seeing Michael beyond the Valentine's Day party.
He was just being kind because Chey and everybody else told him what a huge fan she was of his.
He was a well-known celebrity. He has probably met more beautiful women than her before. He has probably met, and dated some who were more glamorous than she was too. A man like him could have any woman in the world that he wanted. She would be kidding herself to think she could be anything more to him than a mere aquaintance. Besides, she wasn't expecting to fall in love with anybody right now. She was just beginning to bounce back from the pain Donnie caused her. If she fell for Michael right now, she would be making herself vulnerable to getting hurt again if he wasn't really interested in her in that way.
With that thought in mind Kara turned around and went back to answering another letter from one of her readers from the emails listed in the inbox on her computer. This one was from a woman who wrote. . .
Dear Kara,
I am a 25 year old Sales Clerk living in South Carolina. A very attractive man who comes to the Department Store where I work frequently to shop, has just recently approached me and asked me out on a date. I have a bit of a crush on him, but I am very shy. I've never considered myself to be any kind of a raving beauty.
In fact, I'm pretty much a Plain Jane, only passing attractive. I never have been that popular, and I've never been the one to attract the really cute guys in school. Now I'm being asked out on a date by one of the hostest , most eligible bachelors in my town. I don't know what I should do! I don't know why he wants to date me when there are so many more beautiful women out there who he could easily have. I'm attracted to him, and he seems like a really nice guy, but I don't want to risk getting my heart broken again. I've been hurt by love before. Men like him just don't usually go for women like me. I'm scared to say yes because I don't want to get hurt, but yet I'm scared to say no because another man like him may never come into my life again. Help, I am so confused!"
Signed Eva. South Carolina.
Damn! Kara thought to herself. She was not usually taken by surprise at a the things that her reader told her, but she was taken by surprise at this letter. Was this a coincidence? Or was God trying to tell her something? How was she supposed to answer this letter? This woman's dilemma sounded so much like her own. She decided she should start by approaching this problem from the outside looking in.
Eva was a woman who was attracted to and was being pursued by a very attractive man who is sought after my many other women. Her Prince Charming was standing right in front of her face, a once in a lifetime opportunity. One that if she let it slip away, she may not ever get it again. She was afraid to take a chance on him because she had been hurt by love before, and she was afraid to allow herself to believe that someone like him could really fall in love with her. She didn't think she had what it took to get him or to keep him, but they were obviously attracted to one another.
Her problem, and Eva's was similar. She didn't feel like she had what it takes to get Michael or keep him either. Not when he could have so many other women. Yet, she needed to follow her heart, and take a chance on love. Eva needed to do the same. What should she advise this young woman to do? How did she think Eva should handle the situation? How did she think that she should handle her own attraction to Michael?
Kara pondered over these questions seriously for a moment before she began to type up her response on the computer. Helping Eva with her problem helped her to examine her own feelings and come to a conclusion that would help them both.
I Found My Heart In S.F. Ch 3 Pt. 2
At 5:00 p.m. on the dot, Kara left her job and went straight over to the Hyatt Regency Hotel. Michael had already informed the Hotel Manager that she would be coming and to look out for her. He gave him instructions to send Kara right up to the Penthouse Suite. The Hotel Manager, Mr. Norris noticed Kara the moment that she walked into the hotel lobby and stopped at the front desk.
"May I help you, Miss?"
"Yes. I'm supposed to meet a special guest staying here, Michael Jackson. My name is LaKara Rhodes. Can you call his suite and tell him that I am in the lobby?" Kara told him.
"I'm afraid we don't have anyone registered under that name Ms. Rhodes." Said Mr. Norris.
Kara was momentarily confused. What did he mean there was no one registered under that name? She didn't understand. Certainly he should know if a big celebrity like Michael Jackson was staying at his hotel or not.
"Are you sure about that? Can you check your registry again for me please?" She asked.
"I certainly can, but I assure you that there is no one registered here by that name. I would remember it. He said and he turned to speak to the receptionist who was sitting at the desk. "Miss James, would you check our registry and see if we have anyone by the name of Michael Jackson staying here?"
"Yes, Mr. Norris." The Receptionist replied.
She pulled up the hotel registry on her computer screen and appeared to be honestly checking for Michael's name. It was the oldest trick in the book to discourage eager young fans from mobbing the hotel so see famous celebrities like Michael when they were staying in town and causing a disturbance. She looked up from her screen a few minutes later.
"No, we don't have anyone by that name registered with us Mr. Norris." She said with a little smile. Somehow, Kara didn't quite buy it.
"This is The Hyatt Regency Hotel, right?" Kara asked.
"Yes Ma'am it is." Said Mr. Norris.
It didn't make sense to Kara. He had to be registered here. This is where he told her he was staying. She gave him directions to her house from here.
"Then he has to be registered here. He came with a large group of people. His entourage. This is the hotel that I was told he is staying in."
"I'm sorry Miss. There is no Michael Jackson registered at this hotel. I don't know what else to tell you."
"I don't understand. I was told specifically that he is staying here in this hotel. I just spoke to him personally on the phone today, and he asked me to meet him here at this location. There has to be some mistake!" Kara was beginning to get frustrated. She didn't like the games these people were playing with her. She knew she couldn't be wrong.
She reached into her purse and pulled out her cellphone and flipped it open. Michael had called her on it earlier today, and his phone number was still registered in it. She was going to call him and find out what the hell was going on. Somebody was going to tell her something. She found the number and pushed dial.
Suddenly, Mr. Norris remembered the instructions that were given to him. He hastened to stop Kara from making that call.
"Excuse me Miss. What did you say your name is again?" Mr. Norris asked.
"LaKara Rhodes." She said impatiently. "I have Michael's phone number in my cellphone. I'm about to call him up right now and get to the bottom of this."
"I don't think that will be necessary. I think we may have a miscommunication problem after all. We do not have anyone named Michael Jackson registered to stay here, however, I do have a special client by the name of Jackson Michaels registered to stay here. He did tell me that he was expecting a young lady matching your description to visit him. He gave me instructions to look out for her, and to have her sent up to his suite as soon as she arrived."
"Jackson Michaels? Who the hell. . ." Kara stopped in mid-sentence as soon as she caught onto the name switch.
Jackson Michaels. . .Michael Jackson. It finally made sense to her. It was Michael. He didn't register under his real name since he didn't want anybody to know that he was here in town. He switched it around. Why didn't he just tell her that? She was getting frustrated and angry because she thought these people running the Hotel were playing games with her head.
"Yes Ma'am. I apologize for the mix-up and the delay. If you will please, come this way, I will show you to the elevators." Said Mr. Norris.
Kara followed him over to the elevators. Mr. Norris pushed the button for the elevator going to the Penthouse suite, and an attendant stepped out.
"Jimmy, will you please take the young lady up to the Penthouse Suite? Mr. Jacksons Michaels is expecting her."
"Yes sir." Said Jimmy the Attendant.
Kara stepped into the elevator and was escorted up to the top floor. When they got there, Kara stepped off and walked down the hall to Suite 1016. Before she could knock at the door, Michael himself opened it. A big smile lit up his face when he saw Kara. Kara was completely captivated.
"Hey Kara, you made it!" He said happily
"Hi Michael. Yes, I made it."
He gave her a warm hug.
Kara nearly melted inside. That hug felt so wonderful. He gave nice hugs. She could smell the scent of his cologne. God he smelled great! She thought to herself.
"Come on inside." He said.
She stepped inside the suite and Michael closed the door behind them. Inside, Michael did indeed have a room full of company. His friends Tyshaun, Antonio, Dawnte, DeMario, Darius b.k.a. Day Day, Chris Hayes, Mikki, and Cameron were all there with their girlfriends. Of course, Cameron didn't have a girlfriend there.
"Hey Kara." They all greeted her.
"Hello." Kara spoke.
"Kara, you remember everybody from the gathering last night don't you? Tyshaun, his girlfriend Ray Ray, Antonio, Karrie, Dawnte, Charm, DeMario, Quett, Day Day, my sister Breenie, Chris Hayes, Shey Patterson, Mikki Calhoun, Cupcake Michelson, and Cameron."
"Yes, I remember them." Said Kara. "I couldn't remember everyone's name, but I remember meeting them and talking to them."
"I know you remember my name." Said Cameron.
"Yes Cameron. I definitely remember your name."
He grinned.
"We never did get to finish our little conversation yesterday." He said. "Maybe we'll get to finish it today."
"Maybe we will." She answered.
"Come and sit down over here with us Kara." Breenie offered.
She went and sat down beside Breenie. Day Day got up to make room.
"So, tell us a little bit about yourself. All we know about you is that you're a close friend of Chey Kirkland's." Said Antonio.
"What do you want to know?" Kara asked.
"Everything." Cameron said.
"Cameron behave." Shey Patterson said in a warning tone.
"What?" Cameron said innocently.
"Stop flirting with the girl." She said knowingly.
She had a feeling that Mikey had a thing for Kara, and she was pretty sure that Kara liked him too. Cameron obviously liked Kara himself, but he shouoldn't be trying to steal her from Michael. They were supposed to be friends, he knew better, and he was supposed to be seeing Monet Desai.
"Yeah Cameron, stop flirting." Mikey repeated with a warning glance of his own. Better bring your A game brother. The girl is practically mine already. All I need to do is kiss her lips one time and it's over. He thought to himself.
"I'm not doing anything. I'm just being friendly." He said playing innocent.
"It's okay." Kara said with a smile.
She was used to it. Many guys acted just the way Cameron did when they were attracted to her. They were always competing for her attention.
"Go ahead Kara, don't pay him any mind. Tell us a little about yourself." Quett encouraged her.
"We'll, I'm 22 years old, I'll be 23 in October." Kara began.
"October what?" Asked Mikey. He was definitely taking in as much about her as he could.
"October 18th." She told him.
"Three days after my brother Tito." He said.
"Yes, and a week and a half before Randy." She smiled and continued on. "I'm originally from Miami, Florida. My family moved here to California about five years ago. We lived in San Jose for about a year before my dad's job transferred him here to San Francisco, and we've been here every since. I'm a graduate of U.C. San Francisco. I majored in Journalism and Psychology and got my Bachelor's Degee. I plan to get my Master's Degree soon. I'm currently working for a local magazine called Rave. I don't know if any of you have ever heard of it in L.A."
"I have." Said Mikki.
"Yeah, me too." Said DeMario.
"Same here." Said Chris H.
"I've read it before. It's just like Essence or Ebony Magazine." Said Ray Ray.
"Exactly." Kara replied.
"I've read it too." Said Charm. "I read it every month. In fact, I've read you column a few times. You're the Love Advice Girl!"
"Yeah, that's me." Kara grinned.
"You go girl! You're pretty good at your job, and you're fair." Charm told her.
"I try to be open minded and fair as much as I can." Said Kara.
"Did you know that she was a journalist , Mike?" Karrie asked.
"Yes. She told me yesterday." Mikey replied.
"Mikey's been dodging the Media while he's away." Said Chris H. "He wants to keep a low profile so he can enjoy his vacation without the Paparazzi bothering him."
"He told me, and I promised him that I would respect his wishes." Said Kara.
"Are you a Jacksons fan Kara?" Asked Cupcake M.
"A very big fan." Said Kara. "I grew up on their music."
"I'll bet Mikey is your favorite one in the group ain't he?" Quett gave her a wink.
"Definitely. He always has been." Kara blushed and she looked over at Michael. Their eyes met and he smiled.
Cameron caught the little exchange between them.
"My girl." Said Mikey.
"What did you like to do for fun, Kara?" Cameron asked. He had to get back in the game. He was losing this little competition. Kara was a huge Michael Jackson fan.
"When I'm not working, I like to dance most of the time. That's my thing. I also like to sketch pictures, do photography, and write short stories, poems, and songs. Sometimes I talk on the internet to a group of friends." She answered.
"How long have you and Chey K been friends?" Breenie asked a question of her own.
"About three years now. I met the rest of the Crew through her and Chris M." Kara told them.
"How come we've never met you before? We come to town every so often to visit Chey. All but Mikey." Said Dawnte. "She hadn't see him in a couple of years. He's been so busy."
"I don't know, I've probably been a little busy myself." Said Kara. "She had told me all about you guys, and her cousins too. I'm aware that you come to San Francisco from time to time and I know that you came to town about six or seven months ago. Usually, I and the rest of the Crew just give her some space to spend some time wit you all when you're here. This is the first time that we have all gotten together like we did last night, including the Crew from Tucson and the Crew from New York. You saw how huge that gathering was, and that wasn't even half of the people that we know. She never even mentioned to me that she knew Michael or his family."
"She didn't?" Said Mikey.
"No, and she knew that I was a big fan of yours." She replied. "I don't think anyone knew except maybe her boyfriend Chris."
"I'm really surprised to hear that. We should have met much sooner. I've kept in touch with Chey from time to time. I just never managed to come to San Francisco to visit. Chey and Cupcake both are like family to me." Said Michael.
"See, I'm just finding all of this out. She has never mentioned anything about you to me. But I'm glad I got the opportunity to meet you now."
"Me too." Said Michael.
Breenie and Day Day both looked at each other and grinned. They could sense the attraction between Michael and Kara. Breenie wondered if this was going to turn into a major romance between them.
Michael had already told his sister that he asked Kara to the Valentine's Day dance tomorrow, but she suspected that he wanted much more than that. Her big brother was definitely very attracted to this girl. She was going to have to keep an eye on the situation and talk to Mikey. She wanted to find out what was really going on.
Mikey's friends talked and go aquainted with Kara for a little while longer, getting to know her. Breenie and Day Day were not the only ones who were aware of the growing attraction between Michael and Kara. The rest of his friends were too. A couple of Michael's friends decided to play a video game on the T.V., and Kara went and sat by Michael and talk to him.
"Thanks for coming over today, Kara. I really wanted to see you today." Said Mikey.
"I'm glad that you invited me. I'm enjoying hanging out with you and your friends." She replied.
"We definitely should do this again during the week, spend some time together. Just you and me. Are you down with that?" Michael asked.
She looked at him. He was serious. Her heart skipped a beat. They were already going to the Valentine's Day party together, but he wanted to spend some time with her after that.
"Yeah, I'm down with that." She told him.
"Good, just keep your schedule open for me. I want to come and see you sometime, okay?"
"Okay." She agreed.
"Can I get you something to eat or drink? You came straight over here from work, so I know you must be hungry." Said Michael.
"Yeah, I'm am a little hungry actually." Kara felt her stomach rumble a little.
"What would you like to eat? I can order something from the kitchen or a couple of the guys can go get some take-out. Don't be shy, it's my treat."
"I would like a cheeseburger and some French Fries, but I think I'll just settle for a salad and some macaroni and cheese or something." Said Kara.
"Why?" Michael asked.
"I know you're a vegetarian. I don't want to turn you off by eating all of that meat." She answered.
"Get whatever you want. You won't turn me off by eating meat. I'm used to other people eating meat around me. Most of my friends eat meat, they're not vegetarians." Mikey told her. "Besides, you were eating barbecue ribs and chicken yesterday, that didn't bother me."
"Yeah, you're right." She agreed.
"And Kara. . ."
"What?"
"You could never turn me off baby girl." He said.
Kara blushed. God, this man just oozed sex appeal! She had to get a grip before she did something stupid like pass out and faint.
"Hey Chris, would you and Day Day mind making a food run? Everybody should be getting hungry right about now." Mike said to his friend.
"Sure man, we can make a food run. There's an Applebee's nearby. Is that okay?" Said Chris H.
"That's fine with me if it's okay with everybody else." Said Mikey.
"That's fine with the rest of us too." Said Tyshaun.
"I'll call and place the order." Antonio offered. "Just tell me what you want."
Everybody told Antonio what they wanted to eat, and he placed their orders. Then they gave Day Day and Chris Hayes the money for the food, and they left to go pick it up.
In the meantime, Cameron took the opportunity to sit next to Kara and chat with her for a minute while Michael's attention was distracted.
"So, what's up girlfriend? Are you enjoying yourself?" Cameron asked.
"Yes, I'm enjoying myself." Kara answered him.
"What's up with you and Mikey?
He asked.
He asked.
"Nothing, we're just talking." Said Kara.
"Good, then when can I get some one-on-one time with you? I'd really like to get to know you better." He said.
"I don't know Cameron. It depends." Kara told him.
"Depends on what?"
"It depends on whatever other plans I have this week." She answered.
What she really wanted to say is, "It depends on what Michael has in mind for me." She had already promised Michael that they could spend some time together. She wanted to see where things were going to go with him. She was looking forward to it, but she didn't want to hurt Cameron's feelings. He was obviously attracted to her, and he seemed like a nice guy, and she liked him.
"Oh. Well, why don't you make a little time for me? I wanna be down with you. Tell me how I can make that happen." Said Cameron.
"Cameron. . ." Kara started to speak. She had to be honest with him. She thought that she and Mikey had something going on between them.
"Since you like to dance, there's a Valentine's Day party tomorrow night. I don't have a date. Why don't you come with me?"
"Cameron. . ." She said again.
"Come on Kara, say yes. I really don't want to go alone." Cameron cut her off."
Cameron I can't. I'm sorry, but I already have a date for the party. Michael asked me yesterday." She told him.
"Oh, he did?" Said Cameron.
"Yes, he did."
Damn! Cameron thought to himself. Why didn't I think of that yesterday as soon as I heard about the party. He beat me to the punch.
"I'm sorry." Kara said again. "I've already told him yes. I have to be honest with you Cameron, I think you are a really nice guy, and under different circumstances I would go out with you, but it's no secret that I have a bit of a crush on Michael. I've always been crazy about him since I was a little girl. I think he's kind of attracted to me too, and he wants to see me."
"I see." Said Cameron feeling a little disappointed. "So, what are you going to do?"
"I'm going to follow my heart and see where things are going to go with him. You're his friend. I can't see both of you at the same time."
"So, you choose him?"
"Yes. I choose Michael." Kara said.l
"It's the celebrity thing ain't it?" Cameron said wistfully.
"Yes and no. It is the celebrity thing because yes, I am a little awed by him right now. I've grown up watching him and feeling like I've know him forever. It seems like I have been waiting for this moment all of my life. And then, it's not the celebrity thing, it's him period. I really am attracted to him. I get butterflies every time I look at him, and I blush every time he says something to me. That's a physical thing. Michael is the kind of man that I would still want even if he wasn't a celebrity that I've had a childhood crush on. Am I making any sense?"
"Yeah, what you're saying makes sense. I get it, you really like Michael. He's a hell of a lucky guy." Cameron gave her a half smile.
"Thanks for being understanding. I didn't know any other way to put it."
Michael came back at that moment. He noticed that Cameron had moved in on Kara as soon as he was distracted for a minute. He didn't like that one bit. It made him feel a little jealous. He made a counter move to reclaim Kara's attention back from him.
"Sorry Cameron, but I'm going to have to steal the lady back away from you." Michael said. He was not about to let Cameron have Kara.
"I've got to go make a phone call anyway." Cameron smiled wryly. He stood up. "Congratulation Homes. She likes you. You're a lucky man." He said in Mike's ear when he got close enough for only him to hear.
Michael looked at him questioningly. Cameron walked off and went into the kitchenette to call his girl Monet. He was going to try one more time to see if she could make it to San Francisco tomorrow. He really didn't want to be alone for Valentine's Day. Mikey sat down next to Kara.
"What was that all about?" He asked.
"He wanted to take me out to the Valentine's Day party tomorrow night." Kara told him the truth.
"Oh, he did?" Said Michael.
"I told him that I was going with you. He likes me. He wanted to spend some time with me. I gently turned him down and told him that I was seeing you."
Mikey smiled. He could have kissed her he was so happy.
"Thanks for being honest. Yes, we are going to be seeing a lot of each other. I would definitely like that." He held Kara's hand in his, then he raised it to his lips and kissed it sending her pulse racing again.
"Don't worry about Cameron. He'll be alright. He's a good man, and he's still my boy, but he has a girl back home waiting for him. He's just feeling lonely because she couldn't be here with him. She couldn't get away from her job. She's a model. I, on the other hand, don't have a girl at home waiting for me. I am completely free to date anybody I want."
"Seriously, you have no other girlfriends?" Kara asked.
"Honestly, I have no other girlfriends anywhere." Said Mikey. "The only girl that I'm interested in seeing right now is you, if that's alright with you."
"It's fine with me" Kara smiled at him. Her answer just made Michael's day, as well as the fact that she had chosen him over Cameron.
Michael and Kara talked for a little while longer, then they got up and went to play a video game with the rest of the group. They laughed and had a good time playing Super Mario Brothers against each other. Michael won one game, but Kara won the other. Just as they were finishing up, Chris H and Day Day returned with the food, everybody came and got their food and sat down to eat. Kara got her burger and her French Fries, and a coke. Michael, being a vegetarian had vegetables and rice, and a large Iced Tea.
Cameron was in much better spirits when he came to sit down and eat. He had spoken to his girl Monet on the phone, and she managed to talk her employer into giving her some time off. She was going to catch an early plane and arrive in San Francisco by 8:30 in the morning. She was going to get to spend Valentine's Day with Cameron after all, so he was happy about that.
Kara stayed with Michael until 11:00 p.m., then she had to leave. Everybody said their good nights to her and to Michael and headed back to their own suites. Michael walked Kara down to her car.
"Thanks for inviting me to hang out with you today, Michae. I had a wonderful time." Said Kara.
"You're welcome. I'm happy that you came. I enjoyed spending some time with you too. Next time, it's going to be just you and me." He smiled. "I'm looking forward to our date tomorrow night."
"Me too Michael. See you at 8:00 tomorrow evening." Kara replied.
"See you then." He said.
Kara got into her car and fastened her seatbelt. Then she started her car's engine and drove off headed for home. Michael watched her until she was gone.
Yes. Cameron was right. He was a lucky man indeed. He thought to himself.
With that thought in mind, he turned and went back into the hotel and went back upstairs to his Penthouse suite.
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