Sweep Me Off My Feet

*****

Michael spent the day dodging press for most of the day because he did not feel like answering any questions that pertained to his alleged racism, and while he might have rushed his relationship with Angela for his own selfish reasons, he was not ready to answer any questions about her. He had decided that he was going to offer her the courtesy of deciding how their story was going to be told. He owed her that much.

When he got back to the penthouse, he could already see the difference in being a married man. Angela had prepared a feast, and when he sat down, he found himself wondering just how much time she had spent cooking. She’d made grilled beef and served it with baked vegetable and a garden salad. It was simple but perhaps one of the most delicious meals he had ever had. After dinner, he played with Brandon for a while before Angela took him to bed. Michael was sipping on his whiskey as he always did after dinner when his phone rang. He looked at the phone and smiled when he saw Jackson’s name.

“Hello, Doctor. Someone has been busy,” he said when he picked up.

“Really? You are one to talk. Last time we talked, I made a joke, and the next thing I see, you are all over the news that you eloped in Hawaii?”

“Yeah… things kind of moved a lot faster than I anticipated.”

“Yeah, no kidding. Bro, seriously… did you just do this for the publicity or are you being for real?” Jackson asked, and he got up. He exhaled deeply as he walked towards the stairwell to make sure that Angela was still out of earshot.

“Well, I do really like her, J.J., that’s for sure, but as for the marriage, maybe I did get into it to help me out with my problem… I am killing two birds with one stone here. I got a great woman and the world is no longer calling me a confederate. I mean, you cannot be a racist in a blended family, can you?” he said before he sipped on his whiskey.

“I guess not,” Jackson said. “Well, I am pretty hurt that I did not get to be the best man but, hey… guess life happens.”

Michael laughed.

“My ratings are all the way up right now… and The Big O is back in the running with the who’s who of the fashion industry and this time with models of all colors,” he said proudly. “I did exactly what I do best. I handled my business.”

As Michael spoke to Jackson, he did not realize that their talk was longer than anticipated and that Angela had heard the most incriminating details of their conversation.