Eyes Of Muniz

Chapter 40

 Michael sped to the ranch house. Mauro had insisted he drove him but he had refused. The imagination of Marisa sitting alone on a table of four in a room filled with total strangers for an hour was haunting him. He could have done better. Michael could only imagine how she had felt when he had disappeared for a whole hour. Lonely and sad. Michael ran upstairs as soon as he got to the ranch house. He stopped at the door when he got upstairs. What was really going on with him? What was he rushing there to do? Michael knew that the woman in that room mattered to him more than he had known. He was in love with her. Michael also knew that it was something he was not ready to tell her that because he was scared of being vulnerable. He knew she felt something for him but he did not know if she felt exactly the same way he felt for her. He opened the door and walked into the room. Marisa was in bed, asleep. Michael shook her gently waking her up. She slowly opened her eyes and he couldn't tell if they were a bit swollen with sleep or she had cried herself to sleep.  

  "Muniz, I'm sorry" Michael said when she looked at him. 

      "It's okay," Marisa said turning away from him. She wanted to avoid eye contact with him.

"I know it is not, I shouldn't have left you there alone for that long", Michael said. He was desperate for her to be cooperative right now.

   "You don't owe me any explanation, Michael" Marisa said gently. She had no need to ask him where he had went to, she did not have the rights. They were not even married, she was not even Mrs. Howard. 

"I feel like we need to talk about this" Michael said.

   "There is not anything much to say, I know my place", Marisa said turning to him. She became aware that she was still in her evening gown. She slipped out of bed and unzipped her dress. Marisa took off the dress and hung it in the closet. Michael felt defeated as he watched her change into her night wear and slid back in bed.

"What do you mean?" Michael asked. 

  "I think you need to wipe those lipstick stains off your mouth" Marisa said. She had only notices the dark red lipstick stains on Michael's lips when she had looked straight at him. Her heart sank. She turned her back from him and tried to sleep. She heard Michael walk to the bathroom door and close it. Marisa felt her heart break, Olivia had won.

Marisa was awoken by the sound of the door shutting. She struggled to open her eyes. Michael was walking in into the bedroom holding a glass of water. The morning light hit Marisa's eyes and she quickly covered them with her palm. 

"Morning," Michael said. He had been awake since midnight. 

   "You look like you did not even sleep a wink", Marisa replied him.

"Hebert is getting released from prison today", Michael said coldly. It had kept him awake all night. The call had came midnight from one of his father's old friends. He had kept himself away from his appeals and any of his attempts to reach out. He wondered what he would want from him now that he was coming back. The empire was now his but he knew that his father had a fortune stashed in some Swiss bank.

    "Are you okay?" Marisa asked him. He walked to the bed and sank in it.

"I don't know Muniz, I don't know how to feel" He said putting the water glass he had in his hand on the chest of drawers next to the bed. Marisa's face was washed with genuine concern.

   "Do you think he would want to see you?"

     "He has been trying to see me these past years so I'm sure he will. I am not ready to see him", He replied her. 

"You do not need to worry about this. Take your time, you can see him when you want to see him", Marisa said. Michael gave her a weak smile.

   "Thank you", He said. There was an awkward silence between them. Marisa got out of bed and went to shower. She could not help but think about how her life had changed since she had first met Michael. She stood in the shower as she tried not to cry. Marisa knew that she could no longer stay with Michael. She loved him too much to share a bed with him every night knowing that he was in love with another woman.

Michael sat on the bed whilst Marisa showered. He was fighting a deep urge to go in that bathroom and make love to her. He wanted to so bad. Michael knew that he had messed up any kind of thing they had going on last night. Marisa came in from the bathroom and changed into sweat pants and a tee shirt. She paced around casually before turning to Michael.

  "Michael, I need to leave", Marisa said slowly. 

"What do mean", Michael hid his shock.

   "I have to leave, I am sure my job here is almost done. We can tell anyone that this 'marriage' did not work out", Marisa said.

"Why? None of us can afford the consequences of that decision you know that", Michael said. 

   "What consequences Michael?"

"Do you know what the media will do to you? Those people will destroy you, they will demand answers and will never leave you alone", Michael knew he was hurt she was asking to leave. He was also being genuinely honest with her.

   "I will try to manage", Marisa said. She did not know why she was scared Michael will agree.

"Why?"

   "I helped you, you got what you wanted..."

"What did Olivia say to you?" Michael asked.

  "She did not say anything. I want to be on my own, can't I do that?"

"I can not let you out of my sight and you know that. You are carrying my child, Muniz" Michael said as his last resort excuse.

  "You can get someone to keep an eye on me, I don't...."

     "You seem to want to get away from me specifically", Michael said. Marisa folded her arms and stared at him. 

"Shouldn't I?" 

    "I don't see why you should", Michael said.

"You are living your life, Michael. You're building empires, meeting great people and you are becoming a great person who can get whatever they want or whomever they want..."

   "I can't get whomever I want.."

"You know what I mean. You have heard me, Michael. I want to leave when we get back to L.A", Marisa said and headed for the door.

   "Sure, I can let you do that", Michael said firmly. Marisa left the room after he replied. She did not know why she had wished so badly for him to disagree. She went to the kitchen and ate her breakfast. Monica, one of the maids at the ranch walked in with a bouquet of flowers.

"They are for you", Monica said handing them to Marisa.

  "From whom?" Marisa asked. She took the note that had come with it. She read it slowly. My dear, Marisa.. I love you. Love Ned.

Michael walked into the kitchen almost immediately and saw the flower on Marisa's lap.

"And who are those from?"