An Old Friend: Version B Part 19

Letting out a shaky breath, Lisa sniffled and blotted away the tears on her cheeks with her thumbs. She'd lost track of how long she had been in this little lounge area inside the main building. The atmosphere was airy and light, with a ceiling fan spinning overhead. The softly-cushioned wicker chair she'd sat upon was more comfortable than she'd expected, although that didn't do much to ease her frustration.

Her mood turned dark as she recounted what had just happened. After she'd caught those fans harassing Michael once again and one had tried to physically attack her, she ran back to the main building in pursuit of the hotel staff. She was not about to let these obnoxious, brazen cows get away with their behavior and end up completely ruining her honeymoon with Michael.

She'd tried hard to calm and compose herself before seeking out the manager and cursed to herself when it turned out he wasn't immediately available. The staff member apologized to her and said he would fetch the man. Lisa had looked all about the room hoping none of those women had followed her in hopes of continuing the scuffle. 'Of course not,' she scoffed to herself. 'They're probably tormenting Michael even more. Perhaps they've tied him up to a chair inside their room, and …'

“Stop thinking this way,” she'd muttered aloud, gritting her teeth. The manager finally appeared and she'd told him about all that had happened. The man seemed to feel very badly and, once she'd told him where they were staying, said he would look into it. This did little to make Lisa feel confident, though. Feeling quite cynical, she supposed she couldn't blame them. If they tried to apprehend the girls, it would be her word against theirs. If only she'd had some sort of proof.

Michael. Just this morning he'd told the manager about what had happened and asked for his help in delivering the note to them. That had to account for something, right? Her cynicism took over once again as she assumed they'd only encouraged this behavior by offering the note and the sweets. And again, it'd only be his and Lisa's words against the girls'. Given their duplicitous behavior, she wouldn't put it past them to make up some ridiculous yarn about Michael or Lisa starting the whole thing.

Feeling completely lost, she felt her eyes fill with tears once again and shook her head. She couldn't decide whether she was more angry or frustrated by these girls harassing both Michael and herself to such an extent. She almost began to entertain the ridiculous notion of whether Michael even felt attracted to any of them. Before thinking on it further, she shook herself out of it. That was just silly; he especially didn't seem taken to them after all the trouble they'd caused. She really should know better and give him more credit than that.

More than anything, she was upset by how much it was intruding on their special time together. Was it just some unfortunate coincidence that they'd found crazed Python fans in Barbados on their honeymoon? Or was this part and parcel of being related to a Python and something she'd have to get used to wherever they'd go? God, she really hoped not.

She finally really paid attention to the music playing softly in the background. It was some reggae song with lyrics proclaiming 'no woman no cry.' She uttered a brief, humorous laugh, scoffing at the irony and how she couldn't help but cry at the moment.

She had no idea what to do next. She supposed she'd head back to their room, especially if Michael was there. But was that such a good idea? What if those girls were still there? She really wanted to avoid any further confrontations with them, not only due to the physical nature in which they'd reacted, but she wasn't certain she could keep her temper in check if she'd see them again. Feeling utterly defeated, she heaved a sigh and folded her arms across the table, resting her head atop them. She felt like she wanted to cry again, but was just too emotionally exhausted to do so.

She suddenly heard the sound of a chair being moved and someone sitting down next to her. Raising her head, she lifted her gaze to see Michael, just sitting there and staring at her. He said not a word, but looked at her sadly. He appeared as if he didn't know what to say. Lisa merely stared back at him, still so lost and unsure of what to say herself.

Michael simply reached out and caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. Lisa automatically shut her eyes and sighed, feeling herself relaxing into his touch. She then allowed him to gather her into his arms and hug her. She didn't know how long they'd stayed like that, but she felt more relaxed than she had in what seemed like ages and, for just a little while, she was able to forget the insanity that had just taken place.

Finally she separated from Michael and, gazing into his eyes, could see the sadness and pain reflected in them. “Love, I am so sorry,” he said. “I hate that this is what's become of our honeymoon. I never expected there to be such bold Pythons fans here in Barbados, Actually I never expected there to be such bold Python fans anywhere.” She regarded him curiously on that last statement and he smiled sheepishly. “I mean, yes, we have a following, but we've rarely had to deal with fans that are as bold as this.”

Lisa nodded and admitted to herself he had a point. The way those girls were acting was almost to Beatles fans' level of hysteria. She supposed there were always a few bad apples in any group of fans. Still, the way Michael was talking made it sound as if he were blaming himself. The very thought made her sad.

“It's not your fault, Michael. You didn't know this was going to happen. You had no idea there would be fans like this in a ...” She stopped, making a sweeping gesture around the room and the tropical atmosphere. “... A lovely, lush paradise such as this. If anyone is to blame for this, it's those girls. They have no decency or respect and they have no right to call themselves fans.” She was suddenly reminded of the way she'd found them and had nearly taken a swing at one of them. “Perhaps I overreacted a bit myself. I didn't want to seem possessive of you in front of them.”

Michael quirked an eyebrow at her. “Well, you're my wife, Lisa. Of course you're allowed to act possessive.” He chuckled affectionately.

Lisa chuckled back. Still feeling slightly embarrassed, her gaze flew down to her lap. She felt Michael softly touch her arm and she looked back at him. “I'd spoken to the manager when I came back here, but I didn't get anywhere. He said he felt badly and that he would look into it, but that was it. As far as the physical confrontation, I suppose I don't have much to go on as it's literally my word against that one fans'.”

“Well, I should probably tell you that I spoke to him as well. In fact that's where I was just now. Perhaps this will make you feel a little better,” he began. She regarded him curiously and allowed him to continue. “I did manage to get a bit of evidence.”

This struck Lisa as odd. How on Earth was he able to get any evidence? Everything had happened so quickly. “What?”

She watched as a faint blush reddened Michael's face. “Well, I … er … managed to grab my camera and snap a photo.” He looked at her, appearing almost ashamed. “God, what you must think of me, Lisa. I should have made more of an effort to defend you and keep that girl away, not act like I'm some starved photojournalist trying to get my work in the papers.”

“No, Michael, I'm glad you did!” she exclaimed, relieved that he'd got something that could help prove their case. “As I told you, all they had was my word to go on. This changes everything.” Feeling an immense relief wash over her, a smile spread across her face. “Do you have the photo?”

“Er, not yet, no. I just dropped the film off to be developed,” he replied, hooking his thumb toward the opposite end of the building.

Lisa stared at him, confused until she remembered the hotel had a small kiosk for photo developing services. “So you told the manager about this?”

“Yes, and I'd planned to show him the photo to prove it but he said there was no need. I think he was near convinced before I mentioned this anyway. Don't forget, I'd already told him about my unfortunate encounter with those ladies this morning. He himself gave me the supplies for that note of apology.”

Lisa nodded, conceding this was true.

“I have to say he was quite nice about it. He told me they're leaving tomorrow morning, headed back to England, but he was going to send someone over to their room to speak to them. He also mentioned having another staff member – perhaps a security guard – near the room until they leave, lest they try anything else. I'd hate for them to feel as if they're in prison and being watched, but at this point I'd do anything that would make them leave us be.”

“Agreed. I really hope this will be the end of it.”

“Mm, I have a feeling it will be. They won't be here much longer.”

Lisa nodded again and looked away, just a bit of awkwardness tickling at her. She then felt Michael cup his hand over her chin and turn her face towards his own. “Once again I'm so sorry for putting you in this position, Lisa.”

His statement broke her heart. He was still blaming himself for this. Goodness, he had no reason to do so. She wished he could understand that. “Michael, no,” she replied softly. “Stop saying that. You did nothing of the sort.”

She seemed to convince him as a smile slowly spread across his face. “Still, I want to make it up to you. The manager felt so bad about all the trouble, they offered us a complimentary dinner for two in our room.”

Lisa's jaw went slack. “What? Tonight?”

Michael's smile widened into a grin as he nodded. “Yes. Tonight. At six o'clock sharp.” He turned briefly to look at his watch. “And it's just gone past twenty minutes to six, so let's head back there, shall we?” Before she could answer, he leaned forward and kissed her lips tenderly.

“And so we shall,” she replied, her heart feeling so much lighter than it had only moments ago. She returned his kiss as they stood up and began heading back to the west building, hand in hand. Lisa had no idea who could have been watching them at this moment, and she certainly didn't care.

*********************************************

“Well! That was quite good, wasn't it?”

Lisa smiled. “Yes, it was.”

Michael returned her smile and gave her arm a little squeeze. They had just finished dinner, which was indeed quite good. Lisa had duck in a brown wine sauce with mushrooms while Michael opted for some local fresh fish with crab meat and conch fritters. They'd complemented the dinner with a lovely red wine and then for dessert had mango and papaya sorbet, sort of like a rich water ice. Michael was quite impressed with the meal and service, perhaps feeling a little guilty for such indulgence but Lisa seemed very happy and that was all that mattered. He really wanted to make it up to her and the management couldn't have provided a better way. They'd even provided them a small, round table for two covered with a nice lace tablecloth.

After they'd eaten, the staff had returned to clear the plates and take back the table. Finally being assured they were now completely alone, Michael edged closer to Lisa on the bed and began nuzzling her neck.

Right on cue she giggled. “Damn you! You know I'm ticklish.”

“Oh, do I? I don't ever recall you telling me that before,” Michael teased, continuing it.

Lisa only laughed more before putting up a hand to his face to stop him. She'd succeeded and then nearly made him gasp in surprise as she suddenly grabbed him and kissed his lips hard.

“Oh!” Michael exclaimed, finally separating from her to catch his breath. “Well, if that's the way you're going to react perhaps I should keep this up --”

He lunged for her again when a loud knock on the door suddenly made them freeze. Who on Earth could that be? Perhaps the staff who had cleared away everything from dinner had left something? A quick glance around the room proved that to be false. A tiny bit of dread welled up inside Michael when he thought back to those so-called 'fans', but the manager had promised they'd have a guard outside to keep things in check. Well, there was only one way to find out …

He made his way to the door and, squinting into the peephole, breathed a sigh of relief upon the sight of the man from the photo developing kiosk in the main building.

He quickly turned back to Lisa and saw her gazing at him questioningly. “No worries, love. It's about the photos.” He smiled upon seeing the relief written on her face before turning back to the door. The man delivered the photos to Michael with a smile and wished them a good night.

Sitting back down on the bed, he removed the photos from their envelope and studied them. He felt a smile tug at his lips as he looked through them. They were mostly photos he'd taken throughout the day: at the gardens and then during their tour of the cave. He had to admit they'd turned out quite well and he was looking forward to sharing them with everyone back home. His smile broadened as he came upon one in particular: Lisa with her back to him but glancing at him over her shoulder with an affectionate smile. He felt Lisa scoot closer to him and saw her looking at them over his shoulder.

“They're beautiful, Michael. You really have a knack for photography, don't you?” she purred, leaning in to give him a kiss on the cheek.

“Ah, photography, eh? She asked him knowingly!” Michael grinned and waggled his eyebrows. He suddenly frowned, realizing he'd completely fluffed his turn on Eric's “Nudge Nudge” sketch. Lisa didn't seem to mind, however, judging from the way she giggled and gave him another kiss.

“Whatever do you mean --” she'd started and then stopped abruptly as Michael placed the current picture behind the others and a new one revealed itself. He felt an uncomfortable blush rise into his cheeks as he got a good look at the photo. It was the last one he'd taken of the altercation between Lisa and one of those rude 'fans'. Quickly turning to her, he found her looking almost stricken with a bright red blush across her cheeks.

“Oh, God,” she muttered, looking away for a moment. The expression on her face broke Michael's heart. It was as if those unpleasant memories of what had occurred just hours ago had resurfaced. Here he was, trying to make it up to her and they'd succeeded in putting it out of their minds. Now it was back, staring them in the face.

“Michael, please put it away,” Lisa groaned. She gazed at the photo again and shuddered. “I can't believe what I'd almost done. I feel absolutely awful.”

Michael threw the photos down on the bed and took her into his arms. “Lisa darling, don't talk like that. There's no reason for you to feel that way. More than anything it shows how rude those girls were. And I reckon I'm risking my manhood by admitting this, but I'm right glad you arrived when you did.” The corner of his mouth twitched upward into a wry grin as he said this. He briefly looked away, realizing it was probably the wrong thing to say.

He suddenly heard Lisa giggling gently at him and risked a glance in her direction. “Oh, you silly boy. Here I am, allowing myself to feel so awful and you make me realize how pointless it is in your unique, Michael Palin way.”

“Oh? Would you rather I change it up some and do it in a more John Cleese way?” He felt her lean against him and start stroking his hair, acting as if she weren't even listening. “Shall I take that as a 'no', then?”

“Of bloody well course you can!” she replied, giving him a mock indignant look. She giggled again and hugged him. “You're absolutely right, though. We've put this behind us and there's no point in dwelling on it any longer. We've still got a great deal of our honeymoon left and I refuse to let it get spoilt in any way.”

“That's my girl!” Michael exclaimed, grabbing her and hugging her tightly before covering her lips with his in a tender kiss.

He felt her running her fingers through his hair and deepened the kiss. God, how he loved her and ached to be close to her as much as possible. He couldn't be more relieved that those troublesome girls were leaving tomorrow and they could spend the rest of their honeymoon together without any worries.

Finally moving back slightly so they could come up for air, Michael gazed into her eyes lovingly. “Well, hello there, Missus Palin,” he said softly with an affectionate smile as he traced her jawline with his finger.

“Hello there yourself, Mister Palin,” she replied, a playful grin on her face as she winked at him.

Michael chuckled fondly at her. “Would you mind if we spent some time getting to know each other all over again?”

“Of course not,” she smiled.

“So, what would you like to start with?” Before she could answer, he looked off to the corner of the room just beyond the bed where something had caught his eye. It turned out to be an old record player that he'd barely noticed when they first arrived at the room. Rising to get a better look at it, it seemed it had caught Lisa's eye as well. “Shall we have a look?” he asked.

Catching her nod, he walked over to the player which sat on top of a cabinet of sorts. In a shelf underneath Michael spied a short stack of records. Picking them up, he sorted through them as he heard Lisa approach. Most of them were of groups with which he was unfamiliar. He surmised they were some sort of local reggae bands. The last one however stuck out like a sore thumb. It was a Van Morrison record. Turning the cover over, he read the song titles thoughtfully. He then gazed out the window and found the sun had set and the large, full moon brightly shone in the sky, glistening brilliantly off the water below. Michael was suddenly struck with an idea.

“Would you like to listen to it?” he asked, showing the record to Lisa.

She must have read his mind. As soon as she looked at it, a smile spread across her face. “Oh, yes, Michael. I love Van Morrison.”

“Then your wish is my command,” he declared, removing the record and setting it atop the turntable.

****************************************

“Well it's a marvelous night for a moondance ...”

Lisa's smile widened as one of her favorite Van Morrison tunes started playing. Gazing out the window, she couldn't think of the perfect atmosphere for it. She felt Michael take her hand as he placed his other hand on her waist, getting them in position to start slow dancing. Following his lead, she glided across the floor in time with him, gazing into his sweet face the entire time. Finally she relaxed into him and rested her head against his shoulder. If this wasn't Heaven, it was certainly close to it.

She suddenly felt him caressing her hand and she raised her head, meeting his gaze. Saying nothing, Michael lowered his head ever so slightly to meet her lips and kissed her tenderly. Lisa felt her arms come up and reach the back of Michael's head, running her fingers through his soft hair. She was so consumed by the feeling of ecstasy coursing through her body that she barely realized their dancing had slowed and they found themselves next to the bed. It was then that Michael dipped her slightly and then lowered her onto the bed, at which point she felt him deepening the kiss.

Lisa had suddenly noticed that the song had ended or, rather, Michael had slowly inched away from her, reached over and switched off the turntable, never taking his eyes off her. He then cupped her face with his other hand and planted another tender kiss on her lips. The combination of love and passion reflected in his gaze once he separated from her was intoxicating. God, she had loved him so much for so long. Even when they had barely known each other long back at Oxford, something had stirred within her and she wished more than anything they could be together. Now, over ten years later, her wish had been granted.

Something else suddenly popped into her mind as she gazed at him. She longed to become one with him in both mind and body, although the latter was something she'd never been fortunate to experience before and was, truth be told, something that both excited and terrified her. She then noticed Michael sitting up slightly on his elbows, gazing at her as if he were trying to read her mind.

He had apparently succeeded. “If you're thinking what I think you're thinking … Would you perhaps be interested in pursuing exactly what I think you might possibly be thinking in a rather thinky way ...”

Her eyes widened as she really listened to what he was saying and then burst into laughter. She had grown a bit nervous just thinking about this and there he was again, making her feel more at ease (whether intentionally or not).

She shook her head slightly and allowed herself to calm down. “Why, yes, I do believe you are correct in that assumption,” she grinned. She suddenly felt a bit of anxiety well back up inside her and her gaze fell upon the bed sheets. “I just have to admit something to you now, Michael. I really hope it won't put a damper on anything.”

His smile faded and he eyed her seriously. “What is it?”

Sighing, she returned her gaze to him. “The truth is … I've never actually slept with a man before.” She found Michael's eyes widen briefly before his thoughtful expression returned. She then uttered a short, humorless laugh. “I know, it's rather unbelievable, right? Being a virgin at twenty-eight, especially in this day and age. Perhaps I should phone the Guinness Book of Records people. Gain a bit of notoriety.”

She gazed at Michael worriedly, anticipating his reaction. He merely gazed at her for a short while and then chuckled softly, a fond smile tugging at his lips. “It's not a problem, love. You just hadn't found that special person yet.”

She returned his smile as her heart cried out in relief. Thank goodness he didn't find her crazy to admit this. It only made her love him even more. “You know, you're right. I hadn't.” She then softly squeezed his arm. “But I have now.”

Michael's smile broadened for a moment and then faded. She could make out the concern in his eyes as he traced her jawline with his finger. “The fact that you haven't had sex yet doesn't change the way I feel about you, you know,” he told her quietly. He stopped and then briefly avoided her gaze. “I … I don't know quite how to put this without sounding like a right bloody dimwit, but … I suppose I'm just a bit concerned about hurting you. After all, the first time comes with its share of pain as well as pleasure. And … er … you're fairly petite ...”

Lisa felt the corner of her mouth twitch into an amused grin as she watched Michael blush and trail off muttering. Her grin faded as she admitted to herself that he was right. She was on the small side, but at five-foot-three she was only a little more than seven inches shorter than he was. Was her husband trying to imply something about a part of his anatomy, then? She noticed his blush deepening and realized he'd picked up on her thought process.

She answered him with a gentle laugh. “Michael, please. It's alright. I am quite aware that it can hurt, but I love you so much and I really want to experience this with you more than anything. I can take whatever pain you dish out.”

He appeared surprised by her reply for just a split second before his sweet smile returned and he chuckled again. “Well, I'll have you know I'm no sadist, unless you're into that sort of kinky thing of course ...”

Before he could finish she glared at him in jest and swatted him across the chest.

“I'll take that as a 'no', then,” he joked, holding his hands up in surrender. Once they calmed down he gazed into her eyes and smiled. “We'll just take it slow, alright? I want to make this an experience you'll never forget.”

“That's what I'm counting on,” she replied, undoing the buttons on his shirt and pulling it back to reveal his nicely sculpted chest.

Michael reciprocated by grabbing the halter straps of Lisa's top and undoing them, sliding it down and exposing her breasts. Cupping them, he laid a trail of kisses between them and down her rib cage to her belly button. Lisa arched her back as she reveled in the pleasure of his touches. They felt like hot, pin pricks of desire that gathered into one and warmed her body like a campfire on a winter evening.

She'd done her fair share of fondling and caressing nearly every inch of Michael's naked body once she'd undone his belt and helped remove his trousers. Goodness, this was something she'd held back on for so long. She nearly worried all this desire at once would kill her, but decided then and there that she didn't care at all.

She then felt Michael straddling her hips as he climbed on top of her and, knowing what was about to happen, she tangled her fingers into his hair, as if to keep him against her.

And then it happened. She'd felt a momentary jolt of pain but the immense pleasure that followed was well worth it. It ignited like a small firecracker deep within her and then grew into something resembling a rocket. She cried out in pure happiness as she felt herself become joined with Michael.

Their love-making was slow, gentle and rhythmic, and Lisa realized that she'd been wrong earlier. Being in Michael's arms as they danced might have felt like Heaven, or been close to it. But this feeling of ecstasy that overtook her right now was indeed Heaven.

In response to his love-making, Lisa arched her back and cried out his name over and over. She didn't think she could experience greater pleasure until he brought her to climax. At that moment, she felt a tingling sensation overtake her entire body. It was as if he'd hit some hidden, secret, sweet spot inside her and the feeling it gave her was unrivaled. Another spark of passion grew inside her and she threw her head back, crying out Michael's name even louder. If she was in her right mind she'd probably be mortified, but the fire was still ravaging inside her and drowned out any rational thought.

This was what Michael's love felt like.

Finally, she collapsed back onto the now clammy bed sheets, Michael right alongside her. She was barely cognizant at this moment, but she felt him gather her into his arms and she rested her head on his shoulder.

“Lisa?” Michael spoke softly.

She lifted her head off his shoulder slightly and gazed at him. He was gazing back at her and she could see the overwhelming love and desire for her in his eyes, but they also seemed to be tinted with concern.

“Are you alright?”

She felt her lips lift slowly into a satisfied smile as she nodded weakly.

Michael still looked quite concerned. “Any pain?”

Feeling her breathing become labored, Lisa gave him another weak nod. “Yes … but that's alright.”

Michael must have been just as drowsy as she was as he barely uttered an affectionate chuckle. “But it's a good pain.”

She nodded again, feeling her smile widen.

Michael's smile widened as well and he lifted his hand to her cheek, stroking it softly. “My God, I love you,” he said, barely above a whisper before he edged up slightly and gave her a kiss on the forehead.

“And I, you,” she whispered as she felt the last bit of her energy ebb away and her eyes drooped shut. Over time she had wondered just amazing this experience could be. She'd had some ideas, but none of them had ever come this close. Michael's love for her was the most wonderful gift she had ever received.

That beautiful thought stayed with her as she drifted off into a deep sleep.

*****************************************

Slowly raising his head from his pillow, Michael blinked and gazed around the room. He'd felt overcome by a pleasant, languid feeling and, gazing down to his right, found Lisa still sound asleep. The memory of their love-making resurfaced and he smiled. After all the ecstasy he'd experienced, he was nearly surprised to find out he'd already awoken. Something however had nagged at him.

Gazing at the clock on the bedside table, he realized it was just after midnight. He must have been asleep for at least a few hours, then. What on Earth could have dragged him from this peaceful slumber?

His gaze wandered back to the bag sitting just in front of the chair beyond the bedside table. Sticking out of it was his diary. And then it hit him.

Careful not to disturb Lisa, he quietly got up off the bed and padded across the room, grabbing the diary and a pen. Another thought occurred to him: How could he write in it without switching on a light? Surely that would wake her up and that was the last thing he wanted to do.

Looking toward the window, he realized the moonlight filtering in gave him just enough light to see as he wrote. Sitting down in the chair, he opened the book to the next blank page and began writing …

10 June 1974 12.10 AM Barbados

I've just had the most wonderful experience to date. Yes, reuniting with Lisa after five long years was quite wonderful, as was getting married to her in hopes of spending the rest of our lives together. But this tops them all.

We've finally become one. I suppose it's a bit silly for me to devote an entire entry to the diary to this, but the feeling has been nagging at me. In fact, it pulled me out of a sound sleep. Why on Earth would it do this?

Perhaps because it's something I have been dying to share with Lisa almost since I first met her back at Oxford in January of 1964. She hasn't said as much but I can only assume that she has shared this desire (even if it's rather presumptuous of me to do so).

It's finally happened. And I hope it will be the first of many.

More tomorrow. Or whenever I get half a chance ….