An Old Friend: Version B Part 20

The ever persistent sunlight streaming through the curtains finally managed to rouse Lisa from a sound sleep. Its pursuit had begun much earlier, but she had been overtaken by such a peaceful, languid feeling that she silently pleaded for it to let her stay in bed just a little while longer.

Finally she felt she was ready and slowly sat up, stretching. She was nearly surprised by how rested and relaxed she was until the memory of her love-making with Michael, still fresh in her mind, had nudged her. Recalling how amazing it was, she felt her face crack open in a large smile. She still felt a bit sore, but that feeling was completely overshadowed by one of exhilaration. It made her more than anxious to share this experience with him over and over. She was now filled with a new sense of determination and energy, ready to take on whatever awaited them today. It was as if she could actually feel the endorphins coursing through her body. The realization that those pesky fans would now be gone made that feeling only better.

Turning to her right, she was about to lean over and kiss Michael when she found a heap of tangled bed sheets instead.

Lisa's brow furrowed in confusion. Where had he gone? She didn't hear the shower running and, gazing in the direction of the bathroom, she found the door open and no one inside.

Finally she edged over to his side of the bed and glanced at the clock on the table. Her eyes widened in shock when she discovered it was about ten minutes past eight o'clock. She couldn't believe she had slept so long! Granted, she probably needed it after that whole stressful situation yesterday, but she hadn't been planning on sleeping past seven.

Affording another glance at the bunched-up sheets where Michael had previously lain, she rolled her eyes and snorted. He just couldn't wait to get up and start the day, could he? She almost couldn't believe he'd do this – up and leave after they'd experienced something so wonderful together. At the very least she was hoping for a lovely good-morning kiss from him.

Throwing on a dressing gown, she approached the window and peered outside. The view that greeted her gave the promise of another glorious day. The sun was shining ever so brightly and the sparkling, turquoise water looked as inviting as ever. Blinking, she discovered a new sight: a couple of small boats with several people water-skiing behind them. She admitted it looked interesting, perhaps even fun. Despite this new sense of determination that filled her, it wasn't quite her cup of tea. She could think of a few other activities that might fit the bill.

Her thoughts returned to Michael and where on Earth he could possibly be. Perhaps he had gone outside for an early morning walk and didn't wish to wake her. Yes, that was certainly within the realm of possibility. She knew how much he enjoyed walking and there was no question how sweet and considerate he was. Yes, that had to be what he had done. Smiling, she grabbed some fresh clothes and headed for the bathroom where she quickly showered.

Humming to herself, she dressed and, throwing on her sunglasses, she exited the room and headed downstairs. She passed the room which had belonged to those rude girls and saw a cart with luggage piled on top. Glancing to her right, she found the security guard nodding and offering her a kind smile. She returned his greeting and left to find Michael.

Traversing the well-manicured path which led to the beach, she gazed appreciatively at the lush flowering plants and stopped only to take a deep breath, inhaling their intoxicating perfume. The water-skiers caught her eye once again and she bent to remove her sandals before making her way across the white, powdery sand.

She'd only made it several feet when she was frozen at the sight in front of her.

One of the water-skiers was Michael.

Michael, her husband.

Lisa was quite certain her jaw was hanging down to the ground as she watched him, hanging on to a tow rope attached to the small boat, his feet attached to a pair of water skis, the water glistening off his well-toned body and his wet hair being blown about in back while stuck to the sides of his face in front. The thing that struck her the most was the grin on his face. It seemed to be a combination of excitement and perhaps a bit of fear.

She suddenly shook her head as if to clear it. Michael water skiing? He hadn't even mentioned it to her the whole time they'd been here. This was a side of him she'd never thought existed. It was intriguing but at the same time a bit off-putting that he'd never told her about it.

After a few minutes of watching him she noticed the ride come to an end and he had climbed aboard a larger boat with several other skiers. The boat seemed to be heading toward a dock where they would disembark. Lisa began walking in that direction, her goal to meet up with him by the dock but still hold back a little so as not to startle him.

Stopping parallel to the edge of the dock, she remained off in the distance among a small group of spectators and watched as Michael and the other two water-skiing men ungracefully hopped off the boat and onto the deck. She moved back slightly from the group of people, not wanting Michael to see her right away. The two other men had reached the end of the dock and had joined two other women, most likely their girlfriends or wives. Michael had trailed behind them, appearing to be catching his breath somewhat, but the smile on his face spoke of the enjoyment he must have had.

As he got nearer, Lisa took in his appearance. He seemed to have a bit of a tan, unless the rush of the experience had just brought some color to his face. The water dripped from his chest and down to his navy blue swim trunks. His hair was still stuck to the sides of his face and his fringe was hanging in his eyes.

Finally others in the crowd around her had dispersed, leaving her standing in front of him. He didn't seem to notice her until she stepped a bit closer and touched his arm.

“Well! Hello there, stranger,” she greeted him with a cheeky grin and a flirtatious wink.

She watched as Michael's content expression suddenly contorted into a startled frown, his eyes widening. “Lisa!” he blurted. He looked much like a little boy who had been caught doing something naughty.

Lisa tried hard not to laugh as she watched his face turn bright red and he sputtered. “I … I thought that … Blimey, what time is it?”

“Oh, it's only about …” she started casually before turning to glance at her watch, “... Fifteen to nine.”

“WHAT?” he exclaimed. He must have realized there were still other people close by and he blushed even more. “I mean … Already? Oh.”

She could no longer hold back and started laughing. Michael flashed an indignant glare at her as his fringe dangled into his eyes and he reached up to brush it away. His stomach apparently added insult to injury as it growled audibly.

“My goodness! Have you had any breakfast?”

“Erm … No. I didn't really have time.” Lisa quirked an eyebrow at him. “Well, you know what they say: You shouldn't swim less than one hour after eating.”

“One hour after eating? How long have you been out here?” she asked incredulously. Michael was now looking away and appeared embarrassed, perhaps even ashamed. Lisa didn't want it to seem as if she were angry or interrogating him. “I'm sorry, Michael. I was just … surprised to see this, I suppose.” She reached out to brush a wet lock of hair away from his cheek. She quickly turned to make sure no one else was around and then smiled coyly at him. “Especially after what we did last night,” she said, barely above a whisper.

That did the trick. His shamefaced expression had melted and in its place was an affectionate smile. He cupped his hands around her face and gave her a soft kiss on the lips.

“Sorry I'm a bit soggy there,” he muttered sheepishly as he moved back.

“I don't care if you're soggy,” she returned with a smile. “What I do care about is you leaving me in bed to come out here and water ski … and not even say two words about it!”

“I'll explain later.” He suddenly held his stomach. “I'm feeling quite peckish now. Alright if we have some breakfast now?”

She laughed gently. “Alright, but if you think I'm letting you off easy, you've got another think coming,” she joked.

“Yes, Mum,” he answered in meek little boy's voice, causing her to lightly swat him across the chest.

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

Taking another bite of the fruit salad garnish that came with her breakfast, Lisa gazed fondly at Michael as he ate. She chuckled inwardly at the way he devoured his breakfast. It was as if he hadn't eaten in months. He certainly wasn't joking when he said he was hungry.

Once they'd left the beach, he'd decided to run up to their room, have a quick shower and change into fresh clothes. He'd asked Lisa to go and get a table for the two of them. While he was still there, a waiter had arrived and Lisa had gone ahead and ordered her own breakfast, telling the man her husband would be down shortly.

Michael had ordered another hearty breakfast and seemed to relish every bit of it. Lisa found she couldn't stop staring at him. He looked quite happy and she was sure the absence of the stress perpetrated by those 'fans' had done him much good. It had certainly brought her a lot of relief. Concentrating on his face, she noticed his freckles seemed more pronounced around his nose and cheeks. He'd forgone blow drying his hair, probably opting to let it dry naturally with the help of the outdoor warmth. She'd grown fond of the way his hair sort of curled and flipped up on the ends as it dried and the way his fringe curled up a bit as well.

He'd taken a last bite of food and swallowed it before reaching across the table and taking her hands into his own. “I apologize for not being there when you woke up, love,” he told her softly. “I suppose you think this sounds quite daft, but … I had had such a wonderful experience with you, I'd woken up feeling so refreshed. I'd woken just after seven and the sun was just brilliant coming through the window. Looking outside I'd seen people in the water already and I'd felt as though I really wanted to go for a swim or something to that effect.” He took a deep breath and gazed at his lap for a moment. “I felt so much determination and energy, I can't really describe the feeling. I suppose the word for it is 'exhilaration.'”

Lisa nodded and felt a smile spreading across her face. It was a feeling she'd known all too well herself. Michael seemed to notice her smile and she caught a blush across his cheeks.

“Anyway, the jet skiing was something I'd once entertained, although not too seriously. Something just made me go and decide to do it this morning.” He seemed to grow even more awkward. “And I realize this is a pretty bad cock-up so I'll just shut up before I insert my foot even further down my throat. I'm really sorry, Lisa. I lost track of the time. And I'll admit the reason I got up and left without telling you is that … I was a bit self-conscious about the very idea of you seeing this. Er … you didn't actually see me doing it, did you?”

Lisa felt her heart breaking as she gazed at him and noticed the almost fearful look in his eyes. Before she could say anything, she'd heard him snort. “Oh, what a stupid question. Obviously you had seen me as you were out there and seemed to be waiting for me, it's not as though you were just taking a leisurely, early morning seaside stroll and by happenstance saw your silly husband on jet skis …”

“Michael, please, stop it,” she pleaded gently, effectively cutting off his embarrassed mumbling. “I'm not angry and yes, I did see you, but you had no reason at all to be self-conscious about it. Truth be told I enjoyed seeing you do it. You looked like you were having a grand time. Anytime you're happy, I'm happy.” Her grin suddenly turned flirtatious. “Plus it gave me another excuse to appreciate your gorgeous body.”

Michael's blush deepened and he shyly gazed at his lap once more. Finally he looked back up at her, still appearing rather shamefaced. “I still regret leaving without telling you, love. But … You looked so beautiful and peaceful, I didn't wish to wake you.”

She smiled again. “Well, that is very considerate of you, Michael. I can't argue about that.”

“Thank you.” He briefly looked around, as if to confirm they were the only ones in the immediate area. “I have to admit … What we'd done last night … It was the best experience of my life.”

He was proudly beaming and she found it infectious, feeling herself beaming right back at him. “I hope you know I feel the same.”

His smile appeared to turn grateful for a moment before she saw what appeared to be a hint of shame coloring his eyes. “Thinking on this leads me to confess something else. I hope you won't be upset, love.”

She regarded him in confusion. What could he possibly have to admit that would make her upset? “Try me,” she replied, giving a little shrug.

Michael edged closer to her, his eyes never leaving her. “Well, I've never shared with you that you weren't my first … er, the first woman I'd slept with, that is.”

Lisa admitted to herself she wasn't expecting this revelation, but she didn't immediately feel any pangs of betrayal. She nodded, prompting him to go on.

Michael gazed down at his hands and sighed before meeting her eyes once again. “Quite a bit of time had passed since I'd graduated from Oxford. Terry and I had been writing together and filming The Late Show towards the end of 1966. One evening I'd met a girl at the BBC canteen. She was there alone and wanted to chat. I found her to be quite nice, but very bold. We'd gone out for a drink together that night, but she ended up totally off her face and I didn't want her to be alone in that state. I took her back to her flat and she invited me in. We got to talking some more, which somehow led to her taking advantage of me and forcing me to have sex with her.” He appeared quite ashamed by this and seemed to be avoiding her gaze.

Lisa reached over and gently laid a hand upon his shoulder, forcing him to look at her. He did for a brief moment and it seemed to instill within him the courage to continue.

“I'd stayed the night on her sofa. The next morning she was quite ill – a hangover I'd assume – and threw me out. So it was essentially a one night stand. I'd seen her a few times later on but she wouldn't give me the time of day. I soon found that she'd hooked up with another bloke, an actor from a BBC 1 production.” Michael sighed again and looked away from her. “I'm so sorry, Lisa. I should have been honest about this.”

Lisa felt her heart breaking again. It was as if he believed he was being unfaithful to her during that time. She reacted the only way she could. Laughing gently, she stroked his hair. “Michael, don't be so silly. We weren't exclusively dating back then. It wasn't as if you were cheating on me. If it makes you feel any better, I'd had a few dates with several chaps back then myself.”

Michael's eyes suddenly widened. “Lisa!” he exclaimed with fake indignation. “How could you not share this with me?! Here I am, pouring my bloody heart out to you, and you'd deigned to share this information with me only now? After, what, eight years?” He folded his arms across his chest and scowled at her, causing her to laugh and swat him on the chest.

“Silly, it never went beyond one or two dates.” Calming down, she gazed at him and felt her lips lifting into an affectionate smile. “They were nice, but they weren't you, Michael. I suppose, deep down, I was waiting for you. I knew you had my heart, even if it might have seemed an unrealistic goal at the time.”

Michael seemed quite emotional upon hearing this and didn't speak for several moments. “Well I should admit to you that I felt the same about you, Lisa,” he told her softly. “I even felt a bit dirty for a time after that experience with that girl. It sort of turned me off to dating and once I got together with Terry and Eric and the others for Do Not Adjust Your Set, they'd brag about their latest conquests and would take the piss out of me for not having scored any dates of his own. This continued once we started getting together to brainstorm ideas for Python. Finally, I just had it out with them one day.”

Lisa listened intently, feeling quite badly that Michael had endured such teasing, but she didn't say anything and allowed him to continue.

“Several days after Once Do Not Adjust Your Set finished its run, I was already feeling badly about it but was trying to move on and console myself with the fact that we were getting this new project started and the new excitement that came with it. Actually, now that I think of it, this was that same day I'd run into you at the supermarket. I don't suppose you remember that, do you?”

Lisa felt her eyes widen and she smiled, that memory still being fresh in her mind after more than five years. She nodded. “Oh yes, of course. That fateful day when I near ran you over with my trolley.”

Michael giggled. “Yes, that's right. I'd returned to Terry's house and tried to cook up a story about why I was getting back late and one of the Pythons – I can't remember if it was Eric or John – had joked that it obviously wasn't to chat up a girl.”

Lisa caught him blushing faintly, as if recounting the memory still bothered him. It only made her feel sad for him all over again. “What? I can't believe they said that. Once we get back, I'll be sure to have words with them,” she said, only half joking.

“Don't bother. I reckon they no longer even remember. Anyway, after they said that I lost it. I told them off and remained very sullen and standoffish for a while. Leave it to Terry Gilliam to smooth things over by making some joke that had us all corpsing very badly. After that, we finally got back into our rhythm.”

He'd laughed again and she joined him, although she still felt quite badly about it. “The teasing continued for a bit after that but it wasn't near as bad. It was almost as if they saw me in a different light. I suppose that, after being thought of as 'the nice one' it was the last thing they were expecting.”

Lisa nodded sympathetically. She recalled him telling her after he'd returned from filming Holy Grail about the day he had to eat mud and had lost it once he'd realized he was barely on camera and had to do yet another take to satisfy Terry Gilliam. And, of course, there was this whole unfortunate situation that took place yesterday. Michael losing his temper was indeed a rare occurrence so it wasn't surprising that it would shock anyone.

She realized her mind had wandered as Michael's touch brought her back to the here and now. She lifted her gaze to find him looking at her with affection and a leftover hint of shame. “Lisa, darling, what I'm trying to say is I love you more than life itself. Although you weren't the first girl I'd ever been with, you will be the last. That first experience I had meant nothing and I'd never felt so wonderful as I did last night when we made love.”

Lisa felt as if she would cry as he spoke these words. Her eyes filled with tears and she blinked to wish them away. “You probably already know this, Michael, but I feel the same about you. I know we were apart for quite a few years, but I'm so thankful that we found each other again. I am the luckiest woman in the world to be sharing a life with you.”

“And I am the luckiest man,” he returned quietly just before he leaned forward and captured her lips in a deep kiss.

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

Michael hummed softly to himself as he flitted about the kitchen, washing the dishes and straightening things up in preparation for Eric's visit. He and Lisa had returned home to London late yesterday afternoon and were trying to get back into their normal routine.

They had a splendid time over the rest of their honeymoon, touring a few other caves and some sites of historical importance, while other days they were quite content to spend just bumming on the beach. Michael especially recalled how Lisa seemed to be infused with a new sort of energy and boldness, in a way. He'd always loved how shy and sweet she was, but he was enjoying this new side of her as well. On their very last day, she seemed to be feeling a little sick to her stomach but just assumed it was something she had eaten.

Having straightened up the kitchen, Michael moved to the lounge and gathered the photos they'd both taken, almost excited to share them with Eric. He'd found a fresh layer of dust covering some of the furniture and had cleaned it up, as well as run the vacuum over the rugs. Satisfied that everything looked presentable, he sighed happily and his gaze wandered toward the staircase. Lisa was currently napping, still feeling a little under the weather and quite tired. Michael couldn't help being a bit concerned, although she didn't seem too ill. Perhaps she still had the stomach bug and needed the rest after all the excitement of the past two weeks.

The sound of the doorbell rudely interrupted his thoughts and he headed for the door, assuming it was Eric. A quick glance out the window proved his assumption correct and he opened the door.

There in front of him stood his good friend, smiling cheekily.

“Well. Look who it is,” Michael exclaimed, smiling.

“That's right, your friendly welcoming party. And how is the bridegroom feeling after his two weeks in a tropical paradise only to return to stuffy, old foggy London?”

Michael gazed outside, confused as the weather looked perfectly fine this mid-June day. He briefly rolled his eyes but smoothed it over with a sheepish smile. “I'm alright. We had a lovely time but it's always good to get back home and back into that familiar routine.”

Eric rolled his eyes and scoffed. “Oh of course it is, slave to routine that you are. How utterly boring.” He grinned and gave Michael a wink.

Michael chuckled. “Come on in, Eric,” he said, opening the door further to allow Eric entrance.

Eric nodded, walking past him into the lounge and taking a seat on an armchair while Michael sat himself down on the sofa.

“So, really, how was it?” Eric asked.

Michael recounted to him most of the activities of which they partook, as well as the situation with the fans. Eric seemed slightly amused at first, but it was soon easy to tell he was slightly pissed off on Mike's behalf. As he was wont to do, he then covered it up with a joke. “A shame you didn't have an entourage of bodyguards with you. Like five of them.”

Michael reached over and swatted him, realizing he was talking about himself and the other Pythons. “You silly git. Why on Earth would I want you lot along for our honeymoon?”

“Why not?” Eric asked, shrugging innocently.

Michael simply rolled his eyes. His gaze then fell upon the photos he'd placed on the coffee table. He picked them up and handed them to Eric who browsed through them, seemingly impressed as Mike gave him some background information on them.

Eric had finally come to the last photo in the pile that Michael himself had taken, which depicted the confrontation between Lisa and the female fans. Michael felt his cheeks grow warm and he briefly looked away. He finally turned back to find Eric with a furrowed brow, eyeing him questioningly.

“Oh, er … that's what I was on about. I had captured it on film so as to have some evidence in case the hotel management needed it.”

Eric nodded thoughtfully. “Smart, actually.” He looked again at the photo, raising his eyebrows. “I have to say Lisa's got a hell of a swing on her.”

Michael reached out to swat him again and then took the photo back. “Please. It's something I'd rather not dwell on any longer. I didn't realize we'd acquired such a fanatical group of … fans. It nearly reminds me of the Beatles.”

“I don't think it's quite in that territory if you ask me,” Eric grinned. “You just happened to run into some nutters whilst in Bardados on your honeymoon. The odds of that happening are practically nil. Personally I'd blame the Palin charm. You're a nutter magnet, Mike.”

“Oh, yes, this 'nice' persona of mine is to blame. Damn you, Palin. Why can't you be a mean, cantankerous bastard like John Cleese?” Michael joked dryly. Upon hearing Eric laugh, he was unable to stop the dimples from peeking out of the corners of his mouth.

“Well, anyway, I'm glad you had a splendid time despite all that. You look quite good and rested.” Eric stopped and squinted at him, as if he were scrutinizing his appearance. “Although not as tanned as I'd expected. You're palin', Palin.”

Michael rolled his eyes at the feeble pun. “I used a lot of sun cream this time, alright? My freckles just happened to darken some.”

Eric quirked an eyebrow at him. “Nice to see your hair is finally growing out of that pre-wedding scalping you got.”

Michael blinked at him. “Idle, I only got a trim. I looked the same as I did during our second week of filming Grail in Scotland.”

Eric shrugged. “Well, it was a scalping back then as well, although that was the fault of the two dictators – er, directors.”

Mike rolled his eyes. “Right. Anything shorter than your Rapunzel locks is a scalping to you. I like my hair this way and so does Lisa.”

Eric laughed and gave Michael a little nudge. “I'm only taking the piss out of you, Mike.” He calmed down and his grin faded. “How is Lisa doing? Has she managed to get back into her routine as well?”

“Yes, she's alright. She went back to work at the library this morning but she got off early. She's upstairs napping at the moment. She feels as if she's got a little stomach thing.”

Eric's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “Really. I wonder if … nah.”

“What?”

“You don't suppose she could be pregnant, do you?”

Michael felt his jaw drop to the floor. “Wh – What?? Why would you think that?”

Eric shrugged again. “Dunno. I'm not saying that's what it is, but I couldn't help thinking it as soon as you mentioned her napping and the stomach thing. Let's face it, you did just return from your honeymoon and … Y'know what I mean? Eh?” He grinned and nudged Michael again, reenacting his famous 'Nudge Nudge, Wink Wink' sketch.

Michael sighed, beginning to feel very irritated. He was really caught off guard by Eric's suggestion and now he was making sport. He looked away. “Eric, please. I'm not in the mood for this joking of yours,” he said quietly, an angry edge to his tone.

Eric stopped laughing abruptly and appeared almost insulted. “Sorry, Mike. I didn't mean to piss you off. I didn't think it was such a big deal.”

Mike turned back to Eric, eyeing him contritely. “That's alright. I shouldn't have bitten your head off like that. I suppose it isn't a big deal. It's just isn't something I'd ever thought about … seriously, anyway.” He sighed again. “And now I can't stop thinking about it.”

Eric chuckled with what sounded like sympathy. “Sorry, mate. Tell you what, I'll head off now. You probably need some more time to readjust to being back home. I just wanted to drop by and see how you were getting on and how the honeymoon was.” He patted Michael on the shoulder. “Please tell Lisa I said hello and I hope she's feeling more herself soon.”

Michael felt his lips draw into a faint smile as Eric moved toward the door. “Well, I really do appreciate that. I'll tell Lisa you were asking for her as well. 'Bye, Eric.”

“Bye, Mike. I'll ring you one of these days, alright?”

Michael nodded and waved to him as he saw himself outside. Once Eric was gone, he climbed the staircase and headed for the bedroom. Opening the door and quietly slipping in, he found Lisa sound asleep, stretched across the bed. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Michael watched as her chest slowly rose and fell. She had such a peaceful look on her face. Michael smiled as he reached over and smoothed some of her hair back from her cheek. Her lips lifted into a faint smile as if in response to his touch.

Michael felt his mind wandering again, Eric's earlier words haunting his thoughts. Could she really be pregnant? Maybe, maybe not. It was something he didn't really want to agonize over. At the moment he was quite content to just sit here, watching her sleep peacefully and think about how very lucky he was to have her.