Eyes Of Muniz

Chapter 14

Michael was sitting in his study for hours. Maurisio's call had disturbed him. He had told him that he was coming in two weeks time. He obviously expected to see Marisa there with him. What was he going to do? Michael knew he'd have figured something out by then. He left his study and went to sleep.

Marisa felt sick. She hadn't left her apartment for three days. She dragged herself out of bed when she heard a knock on the door. Marisa brushed her teeth and fixed her hair ignoring the knock. She quickly changed into a summer dress and went to the door. She saw Ned standing on the doorway.
" Hie" he said with a smile.
" Hey" Marisa replied. She didn't want to appear sick. She let him in.
"You haven't been going to work for three days are you alright?" Ned asked her.
" Umm yeah. I just wanted to rest for a bit. Pressure from shifts. Coffee?"
" Coffee is fine" Ned accepted. He could see she looked pale. He resolved that it could be from lack of sleep or adequate rest.
" So how have you been holding up these days?" Marisa attempted a conversation.
" I have been missing you" Ned told her. She didn't know how to answer that. Marisa just smiled.
" I have a peach cobbler would you take it with coffee?"
" I can eat anything you make" Ned said with a smile. Marisa laid the slice of peach cobbler and a mug of coffee in front of Ned. She didn't want to have anything. She was glad he hadn't turned down the peach cobbler, she wasn't going to eat it. She watched him eat as they talked. He was telling her about his patients. Marisa felt really faint but she struggled to concentrate.
" Hey, are you sure you are okay?" Ned asked her.
"Yes I'm fine" she lied. She was seeing double. Marisa wanted Ned gone. She wanted to rest.
Ned's phone rang. He looked at the caller ID. It was Michael. He answered the call.
"Yes, how are you? Good..sure I'll be there" Ned was done with the call.
" I assume you have to go somewhere" Marisa said a bit thrilled.
"Yes, I could come back to check up on you. You don't look okay" Ned said. He stood up and walked to her. He put his fingers on Marisa's forehead.
"What are you doing?"
" Your temperature is a bit higher. You're sick aren't you?" Ned asked her.
"I'm not sick" Marisa said. She watched him smile.
"It's okay, everyone gets sick" Ned said. He gave her a hug.
" I'm sure it's something else" she said. She relaxed a bit in his arms. He broke the hug and smiled again. He was tempted to kiss her but he knew better. Marisa led him to the door and he left.

Michael waited for Ned as he sat on his mini bar stool. He wanted to think. Maurisio was going to be there in a few weeks time and he had to think fast. Michael heard the door bell ring and the door finally opened. Ned walked in and walked to the bar.
" That was fast enough" Michael said gulping down his glass of beer.
" Come on, I didn't take long" Ned said taking a glass and a bottle of beer.
" What was up" Michael asked him.
" Nothing, just work" Ned lied. He was not going to tell him about Marisa. He didn't trust Michael with her. He was slowly getting her to warm up to him and he wouldn't risk that. Ned did not know why he was worried, she did not look like Michael's type. Ned also knew Michael, he was always better than him at everything. He secretly envied him and was jealous of him.
" Just work. I have tags on you, Ned" Michael said to him.
" What? Dude?!"
" I know what you did all day"
" Are you kidding me?" Ned asked.
"I'm joking with you, what are you? My girlfriend?" Michael laughed patting Ned's shoulder.
" You scared me, you know" Ned said taking a sip from his glass.
"Yeah, yeah".
" So what was so urgent that you called me?"
" Well I need your brains. Do you remember Maurisio?" Michael asked him. He did not want Ned to remember him as his father's friend like he was but rather a businessman. He did not want to hear anything about his father.
" Yes, the Italian tycoon with the golden deal?" Ned asked as he walked to the bar to take a bottle of wine, he didn't want to be here. He wanted to go back and check on Marisa.
  " Exactly. I got the golden deal" Michael saw the shock on his friend's face. He felt impressed.
''How? Did he finally realised you were a good Casanova after all!'' Ned exclaimed as he gulped down his glass. he did not ant to get really drunk, Marisa would kick him out.
  ''No, i gave him what he wanted. A drama free Michael Conor Howard. I got married and who is more serious in business than a married man. Not just a married man but a man who's head over heels in love with the idea of having a family'' Michael said proudly.
  '' You mean you got married and you did not tell me?'' Ned asked Michael.
''I faked a marriage. I got someone to play my wife and Maurisio was impressed. We are now business partners but now his wife wants to do business with my 'wife' and he is coming here in a few weeks'' Michael explained to Ned.
  ''So just ask the girl who played your 'wife' to do it again, that is if you did not sleep with her and broke her heart'' Ned broke into laughter. He knew Michael would sleep with models he'd have taken to charity event and they wouldn't want to see him again after they realise that he wasn't the one to commit to anyone.
'' That's the problem. I don't know where she is''  Michael said. He knew he could have Marisa tracked and found in a nick of time but he knew she wouldn't want to be any part of that show again and his pride forbade that.
  ''Find her then, it's easy'' Ned suggested.
''It was the housekeeper, Marisa'' Michael said. He heard the sound of breaking glass. Ned had thrown a bottle on the wall.
  ''What the hell, man? You knew I was interested in her. Why didn't you tell me?'' Ned fumed. Michael knew he had broken their part, no one was to take any action towards the woman one of them had interest in or had been with. He also had known Ned was going to be mad.
''Nothing happened, she just did what I had told her to do that was all. Relax'' Michael said taking a sip of beer. He realised Ned had taken this very had when Ned grabbed his by the collar.
''Did you sleep with her?''
''What?''
  ''Did you sleep with her, damn it? Ned said tightening his grip. Michael vigorously freed himself.
''No! If I wanted to I would have done it first time she set foot here. She is not my type'' Michael lied.
   ''Guess I will never know, you think you are better than anyone. You're just a sorry rich lonely bastard who took after his father'' Ned was finally saying what he thought of Michael. All the best friend act was starting to annoy him. Michael was always better than him and he hated him for that.
''Don't you dare mention Hebert. Get out of my house, I won't stoop low and fight with you. Leave!'' Micheal said. He watched Her kick his bar stool.
'' This is not over, good luck with the deal! loo