An Old Friend: Version B Part 15

Eric stood in front of Lisa, looking at her expectantly.  He was wearing a pair of jeans with a t-shirt and a jacket, and his expression had an almost stern tinge to it.  Once he caught sight of the obvious distress in her face, however, his countenance softened a bit.
 
“Wh…what are you doing here?” she said in nearly a whisper, finally able to find her voice again.
 
“Er…” Eric began awkwardly, averting his eyes.  “Lisa, I…I noticed you’ve been avoiding me of late.” He looked back up at her, in time to catch her incredulous look.

“What on earth are you talking about? Avoiding you??” she returned, her tone a mix of confusion and exasperation.
 
“Alright, look…I…I suppose you don’t want to have anything to do with me, especially after what occurred several nights ago and early yesterday, but I have a confession to make,” he blurted out.
 
Lisa furrowed her brow in confusion and watched him as he began fidgeting with his hands.
 
“I recall our earlier conversation, in which you told me that you were Mike’s girl and that we could never be more than friends,” he nearly mumbled as he began to blush madly and averted his eyes once again.
 
Lisa shut her eyes as a knot began to form in her stomach.  She knew full well what was coming.
 
“I wanted to apologize for my behavior,” he said somberly as he looked up at her with apologetic eyes.
 
Lisa opened her eyes and looked at him curiously.  This was what he needed to tell her at 6 am?  He merely wanted to apologize for his behavior?  She took a deep breath and a smile twitched at her lips.  She had been worried for nothing. “Well, I suppose I accept your apology, Eric,” she said, giggling sheepishly as she was still relieved it was nothing more than that.  “I admit that I wasn’t sure you understood, and I was quite embarrassed when you saw me changing out of my costume.  But, did you have to wake me at 6 am to tell me?”
 
“Oh…er…well, we’re going to start filming at 8, 8:30, so I wanted to make sure I would have time to tell you personally.  I reckon you’re heading back to London today, right?”
 
“Oh…yes,” she nodded, still a bit stunned.
 
Eric smiled. “Well, anyway, that’s my apology… oh, and there’s something else,” he suddenly stated as he removed something from his jacket pocket.
 
Lisa’s eyes widened as he produced a tiny, red velvet bag with a drawstring closure and presented it to her.
 
“Perhaps this will make amends?” he said hopefully.
 
Lisa dumbly took the bag from him and when she opened it, her mouth gaped open.  Inside was a ring, set with two small diamonds in a delicate pattern. “Oh, my God,” Lisa muttered, her voice wavering.
 
Eric’s eyes shone brightly and his smile widened as he watched her reaction.  She slipped it on her ring finger and studied it.  Apart from being a bit too large, something didn’t seem right and her brow wrinkled in confusion.  It was almost as if it didn’t belong on her finger, as if it was somehow out of place. 
 
Suddenly, realization shone in her eyes as she figured it out. 
 
Eric took hold of her hands and held them in his own. “Lisa…I suppose this may seem a bit too forward, I may be overstepping my bounds and all that.  I realize we’ve only known each other for a little over two days, but I know what I’m feeling is right,” he said as he looked into her eyes.
 
Lisa stared back at him, her face nearly expressionless but her eyes revealing that she was terrified. 

Eric didn’t seem to notice, however, as he continued his declaration. “From the moment I first laid eyes on you, I was attracted by your beauty.  Then, when you revealed your devotion to Mike, I was attracted by your loyal, caring nature.  I suppose there isn’t any other way to say this, but… I really love you and I’d like to be more than friends.”
 
Lisa’s mouth dropped to the floor.
 
“Not quite the reaction I was hoping for,” Eric chuckled sheepishly.
 
“Oh, my…is this what I think it is?” she asked, her voice wavering once again.
 
Eric looked at her and nodded shyly.
 
Lisa gasped in disbelief.  “I…I just cannot believe this,” she exclaimed in as low a voice as she could, careful not to wake up the other guests in the hotel.
 
Eric gave her a look of pity.
 
“I hoped I wouldn’t have to tell you again how I feel about Michael,” she continued as her eyes began to glisten with unshed tears.
 
She saw Eric’s chest heave as he took in a deep breath and slowly let it out.
 
“And yet, the fact that you went to all the trouble to buy me a ring…” she trailed off as she looked once again at the diamond ring on her finger; a very pretty ring, but yet a ring that still felt out of place on her finger.
 
Lisa squeezed her eyes shut and sunk to the floor.  She sat with her back up against the wall, feeling as if she was caught between a rock and a hard place. “Oh, my God, I…I can’t believe this is happening,” she blurted out before her voice was swept away by the flood of tears.
 
Eric sat down next to her, looked at her sadly and began to massage her right shoulder.
 
“I just spent one of the most incredible nights with Michael, and now you’ve put me in the awkward position of choosing between him and you,” she sobbed.
 
Eric sighed heavily as he continued massaging her shoulder. “Yes, I know,” he blurted out, blushing immediately as he realized he may have stuck his foot in his mouth.
 
Lisa’s sobbing stopped abruptly and she whipped her head around. “You know?? How the hell do you know?” she asked, her voice eerily quiet.
 
“I…I followed you to the beach and I witnessed every bit of your incredible night,” Eric replied, his voice thick and his blush deepening.
 
Lisa’s eyes narrowed angrily. “You WHAT?!  You actually followed us?? You were STALKING us???” she spat out, raising her voice a bit more than she would have liked.
 
“Shh!” Eric immediately shushed her. 
 
“I don’t believe this,” she hissed, lowering her voice.  “How the hell did you know where we went? Did you secretly implant some sort of bug in Michael’s car so that you’d be able to track our every move?” she said in a very biting way.
 
For a moment, Eric was very stung by what she said.  Somewhere, deep down inside, he knew that following Michael was the most ridiculous thing he could ever do, but he forced himself to go along so he could get a taste of what might have been if Lisa was his girl.  He couldn’t admit that he was jealous of his good friend. 
 
“I’m just so shocked…we can’t do anything without you stumbling upon us.  We can’t do anything alone in private, because you’ll always be there.  Is that how it is?” she said bitterly, her tears resurfacing.
 
Eric opened his mouth as if he was about to say something, but changed his mind and shut it. “Alright,” he sighed.  “The only explanation I can give you is that I wanted to see for myself what I would be doing if you were my girl.”  Now his voice was beginning to waver.
 
Lisa studied his face before looking back down at the ring which sat awkwardly on her finger.  She knew deep down that Michael was the only one for her, or at least she thought she did.  How could she sit there and destroy Eric, though, after what he had initially said and after he had actually given her a ring?  And especially after Michael had told her he'd just gone through a divorce and was obviously still hurting? She had never been in such a complicated position in her life. She felt Eric stroking her hair, and it was actually a comforting gesture.  She sighed and shut her eyes.
 
They reopened quickly as she heard shuffling feet and the sound of someone clearing his throat. 
 

 
Lisa slowly looked up to her left and her heart felt sick as she witnessed Michael standing just outside the door to their hotel room, casting a wary eye down on her and Eric.  As she slowly stood up, she noticed that he was fully dressed in a light blue buttoned-down shirt and jeans.
 
Eric eased up off the floor himself and stared at Michael like a deer caught in headlights.
 
Michael took notice of the ring on Lisa’s finger, and he fixed Eric with a hard glare. “Having a little heart-to-heart, are you,” he spat out, his anger beginning to flare up.
 
Lisa’s eyes became intensely apologetic, and at that moment she wanted to rip the ring off her finger, run into his arms, and apologize a hundred and one times to him.  Eric beat her to it, though.
 
“Mike!  Um…this isn’t what it looks like,” he said nervously.
 
Michael ceased his glare for a moment to roll his eyes. “Oh, please, Eric, I see the damn ring on her finger.  How daft do you think I am?” He folded his arms over his chest and stared hard at Eric, waiting for a more suitable explanation.
 
“Alright, Mike, I’ll give you the best explanation I can,” Eric said quickly, trying as hard as possible to avoid Mike’s glare.  “I…I know you love Lisa, but I love her as well and I tried to make her understand that I wanted to be more than just friends, and…”  Eric trailed off and looked at Michael worriedly.  For a while, Michael just glared at him, his eyes shooting daggers.
 
“Piss off, you stupid git.  I already proposed to her,” Michael finally spat out.
 
For a split second, both Lisa and Eric looked at Michael with wide eyes.  Michael turned once again to Eric and fixed him with a deadly glare.  He then turned toward Lisa and his glare softened a bit before he abruptly turned around and went back into his room, slamming the door behind him.
 

 
Lisa stared at the door which Michael had gone through only seconds before.  Her mouth was gaping open, and her eyes blinked furiously as the tears were beginning to work their way to the surface once again. She felt Eric put a hand on her shoulder and she flinched slightly.  She didn’t bother looking at him to see how her movement seemed to hurt him somewhat.
 
“Lisa…”
 
Lisa didn’t answer him, but merely sniffled and reached into her pocket for a tissue.
 
“Lisa, Mike proposed to you?” Eric asked her, his voice full of pity for her and thick with sorrow.
 
Once again, she didn’t reply.  She had been caught a bit off-guard by Michael’s comment, as he hadn’t proposed to her, at least not formally.  She wasn’t about to tell Eric that, though, because she didn’t know where it would lead.
 
Finally, she looked back at him and when she saw the sadness in his eyes, she felt as if she would cry again.  She knew she loved Michael more than anything, but she did care for Eric and she didn’t like to see him hurting either.  For a moment, his clear blue eyes pierced her bluish-gray ones, and time seemed to stop...
 

 
Lisa blinked and looked around at the huge dining hall she found herself in.  It was the first day of her very first term – her very first year – at Oxford.  The room was bustling with students and faculty alike, some of them with a keen familiarity of the place that it just seemed natural for them to be there, and others who were new like she was and perhaps a bit nervous but didn’t have any problems making friends.
 
Lisa shut her eyes for a fleeting moment and sighed.  This place was so different from the rather small secondary school she had just graduated from the previousspring. She hadn’t started university in the autumn term as most of the other students had because she had applied late.  She had also been working full-time and was not able to give up her job at the time.  Oxford seemed so overwhelming and she was never very good at making friends, due to her extreme shyness.  With her eyes shut, she tried to conjure up memories of her small school and her close friends, hoping it would make her feel better.
 
“Are you alright?”
 
Her eyes flew open and she caught sight of a young man standing in front of her, holding a lunch tray and looking concerned.  He was not too tall – about five foot ten, thin but with a slightly stocky frame, had short, dark brown hair parted on the side and greenish-grayish eyes.  He wore a crisp, button-down white shirt with a black jacket and matching trousers.
 
He looked at her expectantly and she was unaware she had been staring at him.
 
“Oh…I’m sorry,” she said apologetically in a very soft voice.  “I...”
 
He gave her a kind smile, and it made her feel warm inside.
 
“…It’s my first day here,” she continued as she worked up the courage to speak to him.  “I went to a very small secondary school and this place is a bit…overwhelming,” she giggled sheepishly.
 
He giggled softly, almost affectionately.  Again, it made her feel very warm inside.  “I understand how you feel.  It’s a very common reaction amongst many first-years round here,” he said.  “Would you like to sit down?”
 
She looked at him and nodded timidly.  The kind smile returned, and he gestured to an empty table in front of a window overlooking one of the gardens.
 
Lisa set her lunch bag down and began to remove her sandwich.  He picked up his knife and fork, about ready to plunge them into his chicken when he made direct eye contact with her.  She blushed faintly and allowed a small smile to form on her lips as she averted her eyes.  It resulted in another affectionate smile from him. She looked back up at him and could see the question that was apparently plaguing him.  She began to blush again as she realized how stupid she was for not introducing herself in the first place.
 
“I’m Lisa Dobson,” she said, clearing her throat and offering her hand to him.
 
“Michael Palin,” he said softly as he reached out and shook her hand.
 
She felt a tingling sensation as her hand gripped his and she smiled at him. “So, what are you studying?” she asked, attempting to make conversation.
 
Michael looked up from his chicken.  “Oh…er, Modern History,” he said shyly.
 
She nodded thoughtfully. “Oh, modern history…nothing medieval or anything?” she asked as she blushed a bit.  She thought she must have sounded a bit too forward asking something like that.
 
“Not exclusively,” he replied.  “It is one of my interests and I have studied it a great deal, though.  My friend is really big on medieval history.  Sometimes I think he’s a bit too obsessed with it,” he giggled nervously.
 
She smiled broadly and giggled a bit.  She found herself relaxing with him, and was glad she was making a new friend on only her first day.
 
Michael smiled at her and seemed to be really enjoying her company.  He had dated a few girls at Oxford before, but most of them were quite aggressive and boisterous.  He would arrive back from excursions with them, wishing that for once he would meet a girl who was shy, sweet and unassuming. 
 
She seemed to fit the description.
 
Suddenly he blushed inwardly and scoffed at himself.  Why was he thinking like this already? He’d only known her for about half an hour now, and he was thinking of seriously dating her?  “Uh…so, how about you?” he asked as he cleared his throat.
 
She opened her mouth and looked at him blankly.
 
“Oh, what am I saying?” he berated himself softly.  “It’s only your first day.  I should know better than to ask something like that,” he giggled sheepishly.
 
“No, that’s alright,” she said softly.  “I’m aiming toward the sciences.”
 
Michael looked at her expectantly.
 
“Um, Earth sciences…you know, Geology, Geophysics,” she elaborated, blushing.
 
“Ah,” he nodded, a small smile twitching at his lips.  “That’s quite interesting.  I’ve never met a girl who was into strict sciences before.  Most of the ones I knew were into theater arts, even cosmetology,” he giggled.
 
She giggled back nervously.
 
“I had to take a general Earth science course a while back, and it wasn’t actually a bad experience,” he continued.
 
She beamed at him.  No one had really ever taken an interest in anything she was interested in.  Michael seemed to be very sincere and it made her take even more of a liking to him. She finished her sandwich and took one last sip of milk as she watched him eat the last bit of his chicken and wash it down with a cup of tea.
 
“Well, it was very nice meeting you,” he smiled as he moved to get up out of his chair.
 
Lisa looked at him and seemed a bit sad that he was going to be leaving.  She wanted to say something to him, ask him if he usually ate in here around this time, or give him her dorm phone number or something.  At the moment, she felt too numb to say anything, though.
 
He paused as he picked up his tray, an idea suddenly coming to him. “Um…Lisa…” he began hesitantly.
 
She looked at him questioningly and felt as if she was going to melt as he referred to her by her first name for the very first time.
 
“What are you doing now? Do you have any lectures or otherwise to attend?” he asked softly as he looked into her eyes.
 
She felt the warm feeling return as she pondered the question. “No, I only have an Introduction to Geology lecture at 3 pm,” she replied as she shook her head.
 
Michael smiled shyly.  It was only about 1:15 and he hadn’t spent enough time with her.  He thought he would show her around the campus, so that he would get more of an opportunity to get to know her better and make her feel more at home. “Would you like to walk with me?  I’ll take you on a little tour of the campus so it won’t seem as overwhelming to you, and we can talk a little more,” he said gently.
 
A smile spread across her face.  She realized that this guy really cared for her, and it made her feel really good. “I would love that,” she replied softly.
 
His smile broadened, and after they deposited their trash, he offered his hand to her.  She took it and they exited the dining hall.
 
That day of the 18th of January, 1964, was one Lisa would never forget in her heart of hearts.  Michael showed her around the campus to help her gain some familiarity with it, and it really helped.  It took very little time for her to walk around by herself without feeling lost, although whenever she was with him, she never felt lost.  She would meet with him on many occasions, mostly to help each other study, but also for lunch or dinner, and even breakfast.  Sometimes they would just meet in each other’s dorms to talk.  Unfortunately, he was due to graduate that May,and she tried not to think about it.  They spent as much time together as possible before that day arrived.  When it did arrive, she hoped he would never forget about her…
 

 
“Does my hair look alright?” Lisa asked her mother as she fixed her cap upon her head.
 
Lisa’s mother giggled affectionately at her daughter.  She really could be a funny girl, even unintentionally.   “Lisa, darling, you look beautiful,” she assured her.
 
Lisa made a face and wrinkled her nose. “Of course you have to say that, Mum,” she retorted.  “I want a real opinion.”
 
“You look marvelous, alright?” her friend Tricia Hardy broke in, grinning widely.
 
“Thank you,” Lisa said smugly.
 
Tricia giggled and shook her head.  Lisa had met her in her Geophysics lecture only about two months into their first term and they had become good friends. Now, it was four years later and they were both graduating.  She couldn’t believe the time had flown by so fast.  Four years ago, she was a first-year undergraduate, living by herself in a rather small, drab dorm.  Now, she was moving up a bit, as her parents were moving out of their old house and into a block of flats, and she would continue to live there.  Four years ago, she was a bit uncertain as to what she wanted to study, although she knew what she was generally interested in.  Now, she was one hour away from receiving a bachelor’s degree in Earth Sciences. 
 
Four years ago, she was a very shy, frightened girl, overwhelmed with the size of the university, but had met a nice, young man, who really seemed to care about her and had become very good friends with him.  Now...
 
A wistful look formed on Lisa’s face and she blinked a few tears.
 
“Lisa, darling?”
 
“Lisa, are you okay?”
 
She turned and saw her mother and Tricia looking at her, concerned.  She then realized how foolish she must have looked.  “Oh, um…yeah, I’m fine,” she said with an air of false confidence as she brushed a strand of hair back off her shoulder.  She was embarrassed by the way her voice croaked, and she blushed furiously as she cleared her throat.
 
“No, you’re not, Lisa,” Tricia insisted as she fixed her cap upon her head, flattening her teased blonde hair a bit.  “What’s wrong? Please, tell us.”
 
Lisa sighed heavily.  She didn’t think they would understand how much she missed Michael.  She was already very good friends with him when she first met Tricia, so she was well aware that they were something of an “item.”  When he graduated and assured Lisa that he would stay in touch with her as well as make sure to attend her graduation, Tricia had told her not to get her hopes up.  She had been involved with a few older boys herself, and none of them had been faithful to her after they graduated.  In her mind all guys were alike, making false promises and never intending to keep them.  Lisa refused to believe it, though, and insisted that Michael was not like other guys.  He was genuinely considerate and she knew he really cared about her.
 
As time went on, however, she began to wonder if Tricia was right.  He did call her occasionally at first, but as the months and years wore on, the calls became less frequent.  He had mentioned to Lisa at one point that he had landed a job writing for television and was going to be very busy.  Lisa tried to assure herself that this was what was keeping him from calling her, but Tricia would always insist the contrary.  Either he didn’t care for her as much as she thought and forgot all about her, or he had found happiness with another girl and may even be married now. On one occasion, Lisa was so upset she became very short with Tricia and stopped talking to her for nearly a week.  She felt really bad as the girl was her very good friend, but she felt that she was almost teasing her about Michael’s lack of correspondence…and, quite possibly, she may have been right and Lisa just didn’t want to entertain the possibility.
 
“Alright,” she finally blurted out, her voice wavering slightly.  “I was just thinking about Michael…”
 
Tricia shook her head. “Tut tut, Lisa what did I tell you?  You haven’t heard from him in ages and I told you not to keep your hopes up!”
 
“But he told me he was writing for television! You saw that ‘Do Not Adjust Your Set’ program he appears in!  He’s just busy, that’s all, Tricia.  I wish you would stop trying to dampen my spirits,” she insisted.
 
“Lisa…”
 
“And he promised me he would attend the graduation ceremony!” she continued.
 
“But how long ago was that – four years ago?  Lisa, please, stop fooling yourself,” Tricia said to her.
 
“I’m sorry, Tricia, but I refuse to believe that Michael would lie to me.  I refuse to believe that he won’t show up because he doesn’t like me anymore and is seeing another girl.  I just…”  Lisa shook her head and stopped talking as her eyes began to fill with tears and she couldn’t find the words to continue.  She began to wonder if Tricia was right, if Michael wasn’t going to show up after all.
 
Lisa’s mother looked at her sadly before she walked up to her and pulled her into a hug. “Oh, Lisa darling, it’s alright,” she cooed as she rubbed her back in large, circular motions.  “Please, darling, it’s going to be alright.”
 
She patted down Lisa’s hair and stepped out of the embrace slightly as she thought she saw a young man heading over in their direction from a distance.  He wasn’t in a cap and gown, so she was hard-pressed to identify him. “Shh, it’s okay, darling,” she reassured her one last time.  “Look, who’s that there?” She pointed to the young man who was about 30 yards away, exiting one of the car parks and heading straight in their direction.
 
Lisa sniffled and turned in the direction her mother was pointing.  As the man drew closer, she thought he looked familiar.  She allowed a small ray of hope to enter her heart that Michael had indeed remembered her graduation. Just in case it was him, she quickly turned her back to him, pulled out a tissue and began drying her eyes and blowing her nose.  When she turned back around, he was standing right in front of her.
 
She needn’t have worried.  It was Michael. She looked up at him with wide eyes and a huge, grateful smile broke out on her face.  It seemed to amuse him and he chuckled affectionately. “Michael…” she said, almost breathlessly.
 
He said not a word, but grabbed her and hugged her tightly.  She felt the tears would return and she sniffled loudly to drive them back. “Oh, Michael, you’ve come,” she said in nearly a whisper. 
 
He patted her on the back and gave her a kiss on the cheek.  As she stepped out of his embrace, she got a good look at him.  He was wearing a black suit and a tie, and a nice pair of dress shoes.  He looked much like he had the last time she saw him, but his hair was a bit longer – including his sideburns – and, it seemed, a bit wavier.  The twinkle in those familiar greenish-grayish eyes reminded her that he was the same sweet boy who she’d met here four years ago and had shared so much time with.
 
She turned toward Tricia and stuck her tongue out at her playfully, earning a bewildered look from Michael until she explained the proverbial hell Tricia had put her through for almost four years.  She introduced Michael to her mother, and kind words were shared until the ceremony was set to begin.
 
She and Michael went dancing afterwards, and she thought over and over again about how lucky she was to have such a loyal, sweet, trustworthy person for a friend.  She had worried more than was healthy that he had forgotten about her, and all her worrying was for naught. 
 

 
Lisa smiled to herself as she quickly got ready, preparing to make a long drive up to Scotland to see her beloved Michael again.  It had been six years – five if their little run-in at the supermarket was counted – since she had seen him.  Now she thought that she was just as guilty for forgetting about him.  Two years after she graduated from Oxford, her grandmother moved in with her.  She wasn’t in the best of health and Lisa took care of her until her death in the summer of 1972.  On top of that, she had gotten a new job at the library and was just so preoccupied.  Every so often, she would reminisce about old times and about the wonderful man she once knew, but they seemed to be few and far between. 
 
The whole drive up to Stirling seemed like a blur.  She remembered how nervous she felt as she entered the hotel and asked the old man at the desk about Michael. 
 
“Is Mister Michael Palin staying here?” she asked in a quiet voice so as not to excite any of the patrons sitting in the lounge area.  Michael had told her that they had made a name for themselves in Flying Circus, stage shows, and were now working on a second film.  She didn’t want there to be some stampede of excited fans asking to see him and his friends.
 
The man told her he was expecting her and he would be down shortly.  Lisa had a seat on the sofa and nervously picked up a magazine.  She hardly paid much attention to its contents and she passed the time mostly by staring at the old picture of herself, her friends and Michael from her graduation in order to familiarize herself with him again so she could be sure to recognize him.  Of course, this was six years later and he was certain to look a bit different, but viewing the picture seemed better than reading the boring magazine.
 
She heard someone coming down the stairs, and, from her faraway position, she caught a glimpse of a young man holding a jacket and wearing jeans and a sweater.  She couldn’t tell if it was Michael as he was too far away and she didn’t know if she could recognize him.  She became aware that she was staring at the chap, so she quickly averted her eyes and looked at the floor.
 
Soon she was aware that he was standing in front of her, and when she heard him speak her name, she recognized his voice immediately.  She looked up at him and thought she was looking at a whole other person on first glance.  His hair was much longer than it had been previously, spilling a bit over the collar of his shirt.  He no longer had sideburns, and had thick bangs which framed his eyebrows.  Once she caught a glimpse of those twinkling greenish-grayish eyes, though, she knew this was Michael.
 
They had had a wonderful dinner together, and the way they spent the evening just reaffirmed her belief that he really cared for her, loved her even, and she knew her heart belonged to him…
 

 
Lisa’s eyes refocused and she became aware that Eric was kissing her.  She didn’t know how long she had been out of it, but she remembered staring at him helplessly.  At some point he must have grabbed her and made it so that she would willingly lock lips with him. 
 
As she kissed him, though, every single memory and thought of Michael rushed forward, as if tapping her on the back to remind her who she really belonged with.  As those last memories from a few days ago hit her, she began to think clearly and her lips parted from Eric’s.
 
Eric’s eyes pierced hers once again, but she was finally immune to his stare. “Eric,” she began, clearing her throat.  “I’ve been through a lot the past few days.  Michael and I have reaffirmed our commitment towards one another, but there have been some roadblocks at every turn.  Every time we’ve tried to be alone, you’ve taken it upon yourself to try to show me that I belong with you instead of Michael.”
 
She took a deep breath as she noticed Eric averting his eyes and nodding slightly.  She couldn’t have been more sure of what she was telling him. “And yet, you say that you love me.  Well, if you really love me, can’t you show it by not trying to compromise my happiness of being with Michael?” she continued.
 
Eric drew up the corners of his mouth tensely.  He was clearly not happy with what she was saying. 
 
“I really want to make you understand,” she said as she touched his arm.  “You are a very sweet man.  You’re genuinely funny, and you do seem to care quite a bit for me.  But, I don’t think you understand the depth of my relationship with Michael.  I welcome your friendship, but what I have with Michael is something unique and cannot be matched.  I really, really, hope that you understand that.”   She finished her declaration with a slight, sad smile as she removed the ring from her finger and placed it in the palm of his hand.
 
Eric looked back up at her and met her eyes.  He gave her a sad smile in return. “I suppose I can,” he said resignedly.  “I’m really sorry for what I’ve put you though, Lisa.  I understand now.  Mike is lucky to have someone as wonderful as you and he truly deserves your love.  And I would be honored to have your friendship.”
 
Lisa’s smile broadened and she leaned over to give him a little hug.  She stepped away from him and glanced at the door. “Um…I have to get back in there.  I just hope Michael doesn’t hate me,” she said, her voice trembling a bit.
 
“Naw, I don’t think he hates you,” Eric said, trying to cheer her up.  “I know Mike well and I don’t think he could ever hate you.  You heard what he said before.  If anything, it means he loves you.”
 
Lisa felt her throat tighten as she nodded.  She gave him one last hug before he headed down the corridor to his room. 
 

 
Michael sat on the edge of the bed, looking dejectedly at the small box in his hand.  It was a green, felt-covered box, and it contained a beautiful little ring.  The ring featured a diamond surrounded by two amethysts, Lisa’s birthstone.  Michael sniffled to drive the tears that threatened to surface.
 
He couldn’t believe what he had just witnessed outside in the hallway.  Eric had given Lisa a ring, and, at least it seemed, proposed to her as he encroached on his relationship with Lisa once again.  Michael had been pissed off with Eric for what he had done the other night, but he eventually cut him some slack once he realized Eric was harmless, probably just acting out due to the pain of his recent divorce. 
 
He had only heard bits and pieces of their conversation out there, but he wasn’t totally sure how Lisa felt about him.  He knew she hadn’t been particularly happy with him over the past few days and was even at the point where she was afraid to run into him.  Nevertheless, he was worried that Eric might have actually charmed her to the point where she was having second thoughts about her relationship with Michael.  Deep down inside he knew he wasn’t giving her enough credit, and that she loved him no matter what.  What he saw just before threatened to nullify it all, though.  He sighed heavily.
 
He lifted his head slightly as he heard the doorknob turn.  'It must be Lisa, about to tell me that she decided she wants Eric,' he thought.  He berated himself for thinking in such an irrational way, but he couldn’t help it.
 
Lisa entered the room slowly, almost a bit fearfully, as she didn’t know how he would react.  She was sure that he was angry with her as well when he witnessed her out there with Eric and the ring on her finger.  Why hadn’t she just gotten rid of Eric after he knocked? This whole thing could have been avoided.  She felt like she wanted to kick herself in the teeth, if such a thing were even possible.
 
She saw Michael sitting on the end of the bed holding the open box, and her heart became wrenched.  The look on his face was unbearable, as if he’d lost his best friend.  Funny that that seemed to be the case, especially with the way he was thinking now.  She immediately averted her eyes, not able to face him. “Michael, I gave him the ring back,” she said, her voice tired and nearly emotionless.
 
Michael didn’t react.
 
Lisa knew he was angry with her…either angry with her or too upset to say anything, as he must have gotten the idea that she wanted Eric instead of him.  She slowly advanced toward the bed and sat down next to him. 
 
He still didn’t move.  She looked down at the box, and when she saw the dainty diamond ring with the amethysts, her eyes began to tear. “Michael, please, say something to me,” she pleaded, her voice wavering.
 
He turned his head toward her, but still said not a word.  The look he gave her was the result of a mixture of emotions: sadness, rejection, and even a bit of anger.
 
Lisa’s tears became steadier as it seemed she would not be able to get through to him. “Michael, I gave him back the ring.  I don’t mind telling you that he forced himself on me.  I was quite angry that he woke us up this early to force all this on me.  At first I thought he was apologizing for what he’d done.  Then he showed me the ring.  And then he admitted that he followed us to Loch Tay last night.”
 
Michael seemed to break his stare momentarily and she saw a bit of anger flash in his eyes.
 
“Believe me, I gave him both barrels over that,” she continued.  He seemed to relax visibly upon that assertion.
 
“You don’t know what I went through out there.  Here I knew that you were the only one I wanted to spend my entire life with, and here is another person I care for, trying to make me believe that I would be better off with him…despite the fact that my heart was telling me otherwise.”
 
At that moment, Michael’s eyes became apologetic.
 
“For a moment I just stared at him and all the memories of all the moments we’ve shared came flooding back to me.  From the moment we met at Oxford and all the times we shared as students there, the time you attended my graduation after I had almost lost hope that I would never see you again, and everything else up until we were reunited a few days ago.  It was like a gentle tap on the back to remind me that I really loved you, and no relationship with Eric would ever come close to that.  I’m sorry if what you saw outside there made you think otherwise.  I would never do anything to hurt you, Michael,” she finished, her words becoming choked off in a sob. 
 
Michael looked at her sadly, put the ring down on the edge of the bed, and hugged her tightly. “Oh, my darling, you have no idea how good it feels to hear you say that,” he said, his own voice wavering as if to fight back tears. He patted down her hair as her sobs became muffled against his shoulder.  He fell out of her embrace and looked at her lovingly as she sniffled. 
 
She looked down at the box on the other side of him and back up at him. “What was that you said out there…you already proposed to me?” she asked slowly, her lips edging up into a faint smile.
 
Michael blushed somewhat. “Oh…er…I reckon I jumped the gun a bit there,” he said, giggling sheepishly.
 
Lisa smiled at him.  He reached for the ring and presented it to her.  She accepted it and slid it onto her ring finger, where it sat comfortably.  She began to blink tears once again.
 
“I suppose you know what I’m going to say,” he said solemnly as his eyes met hers.
 
“And I suppose you know what the answer is going to be,” she smiled.
 
A smile spread across Michael’s face, and he appeared grateful. “Say it anyway, please,” he said softly.
 
“Only if you will,” she returned.
 
Michael chuckled good-naturedly.
 
“Alright.  Lisa, darling, from the moment I first met you, I knew I never wanted to be with anyone else.  I reckon you know how I feel about you, and I would be the luckiest man alive to have you as my wife,” he said.
 
A single tear worked its way down Lisa’s cheek, but it was clearly a tear of joy.  She touched the ring which sat newly on her finger and sniffled. “Yes,” she said, her voice wavering.
 
“Er…yes, what?” Michael asked, smiling playfully.
 
Lisa giggled through her tears and embraced him. “Yes, I will marry you!” she exclaimed as she hugged his fiercely.
 
“That’s my girl!” he returned.
 
After a moment they stepped out of their embraced and looked into each other’s eyes. “You know one reason why I knew I couldn’t be with Eric?” she asked him as she looked down at the ring.
 
Michael looked at her curiously.
 
“That ring he offered me was so ill-fitting,” she replied jokingly, a large grin spreading across her face.
 
Michael began to laugh.  “Oh, don’t knock him, Lisa,” he giggled.
 
“No, seriously!” she said, pulling a sober face.  “It’s like a modern-day version of Cinderella.”
 
“You know, you’re right,” Michael said thoughtfully before grinning at her.
 
“And I’ve got my Prince Charming right here,” she grinned back, hugging him around the waste.
 
“Oh, I don’t know about Prince Charming,” Michael said in spite of himself.  “Sir Galahad, maybe, but no Prince Charming.”  He gestured toward his costume, which was hanging up on the wardrobe door.
 
“Ah, such modesty.  I admire that in a man,” she said before kissing him on the cheek.
 
Michael looked into her eyes and giggled before they embraced once more, kissing tenderly.

THE END ...?