ODYSSEY

Dawn of Odyssey(Fifteen)

Dancing as a form of expression and movement had been around since the dawn of time.
It was used for celebration, mourning and story telling.
From the earliest recorded history, humans took to dancing.
And the practice could be found in almost every culture and corner of the globe.

At it's simplest, dancing could be described as an act of moving the body in time with rhythm.
This rhythm came from music or from a person's own body.

Michael loved to dance. And like the history of dancing itself, his body had began to move at a very tender age to different sounds. Evolving from group routines to an elaborate solo performance.
He had been fortunate to perform in a variety of styles and genres. Rich, varied and fascinating.

Using it to tell stories, express emotions, entertain or simply for enjoyment.
Not much of a talker, whenever words became insufficient, he would turn to dance, in order to deal with whatever he had going on.
To his astonishment, he found the perfect environment for that expression while shooting in new York.
Studio 54_ was a ferociously popular place where you could go dance and people watch.
Deeply cavernous, revealing it self little by little only as the night wore on.
All humans from different works of life had equal opportunity to be granted access.
It didn't matter if you were king or pauper.
As long as you loved to dance and have a good time. And also if you caught the owner's eye, with a little bit of crazy in your style of fashion.

Once you were able to venture all the way to the velvet rope, you automatically became part of a large sea of bodies, gyrating in synchrony to the music as it came alive on the gigantic speakers.
Diana loved to dance too. It was one of the many things they had in common.
She would tease him about his habit of staying indoors.

"Let go of your work and the rules...baby. Let's take a walk or dance"

Twirling, she would pull him along until he gave in. And when they hit the dance floor, they instantly became magic.
A perfect match that he could hardly replicate with another.

But dancing at studio 54 had been just that_ Dancing.
They were much more different now. Not too complicated for him to understand yet, not too specific to put a lid on.
A slow tango of limbs and kisses, whenever she needed help preparing for her concerts or when he needed a friend to lean on.
They could talk about anything and everything.
Laughing his eyes out, he would squeal gleefully at her silliness.
Watching as she tried to copy his moves to no avail.

Other times, he would hold her, explaining at length or turning her in time to match the beats.
But most times, he preferred their quiet moments. When he would observe the warmth with which she nurtured her kids while maintaining a high level of elegance, pious and beauty.

_________________________

Diana clasped her fingers together, doing her best to relax.

They were on their first official date to the Oscars.

Feelings of dread left her nearly incapacitated as the distance between their car and the venue dwindled rapidly.
Her anxiety was eerily similar to their first outing to the AMA's.

Which she had managed to handle rather calmly.
Thanks to Suzanne Depasse who had attended with them.
A perfect cover.

Her friendship with Suzanne spanned all the way back to the early days when Michael and his brothers first signed to Motown.
Suzanne had worked closely with the boys and gotten attached to Michael just like every one who had ever crossed paths with him.

Any observer would see nothing but three good friends having a nice time at an awards show.
It was also what gave her confidence, while he publicly displayed his affection for her.
But she knew a time would come when it would just be the two of them.
A time when her inability to hold on firmly to her reservations about their situation would compel her to reciprocate the special attention he was paying to her.

But much as she dreaded the public's perception, when the opportunity presented itself on the set of her television special, she took a chance. Flirting wildly with him, without a care and much to his delight.

Dressed in similar outfits_ A pair of white tuxedo and black sequined shirts to match, She took the lead, calling him sexy and watching with gusto as he mirrored her every move.
In words and actions much to every one's delight.

And when she introduced him as her baby to the live audience, she felt a huge weight lift from her shoulders.

She could feel it in her laughter and her voice. And also in her movements as she danced for him.

It wasn't perfect_ not like him, no.

But she could tell he liked every bit of it, because he hugged her tightly, declaring his love over and over.

"Your steps were great, I don't know why you keep saying they aren't".

He said as they sat in her car outside his Encino mansion later that night.

"You really have no idea how intimidating you are on the dance floor do you?"

She reiterated, causing his cheeks to heat up.

"Thank you for everything"

"I didn't do anything."

"Oh...you did plenty" she insisted.

"The audience loved you."

Moving closer, she used her lips to further express her gratitude.

When she pulled away, he grabbed her waist.

"Don't stop."

He whispered in a quivering voice, for her ears only.

His hands combing through her hair, while she squirmed around, looking for a comfortable position, before making her way into his lap.

Their intense interactions at the special, the discreet kisses back stage and their bold declarations had set the ball rolling.

"Stay with me tonight....I love you"

He persisted, as his pants bulged at the contact she was making.

Diana tried to form words when they came apart for air, but all she was able to do was wonder about the presence of his family, only separated by the thick concrete of the mansion.

But he wasn't about to let the opportunity pass him by so easily.

He had been patiently going along with her pace of uncertainty, without a fuss.
So when he suggested a new option, she knew that what he was asking was long overdue.

The fire he had kept alive within her, was burning brightly in the best way, and nothing, no matter how hard she tried, could stop the intensity of the flame as it prepared to consume them both.