Beth & Michael: Challenges

"Yes. Me too."

For the next 30 minutes, she explained her ideas for the marketing and global positioning of Michael's "Scion" series. Scion is an old word of French or Gallic derivation. It refers to a child or progeny. In Michael's story, the main character, Alain, is the French Foreign Minister. He is the progeny of the leader of an ancient race of warriors who were the ancestors of humans. Alain had been secretly whisked to Earth to hide him from the Commune, a league of insect-like creatures manically focused on destruction and domination. When Alain's true identity is revealed to him, he also learns that he holds the key to the survival of his entire race. But, in order to save his people, he may have to destroy Earth.

Peter rushed in, full of apologies, and they laid out the plan for the next six months. It seemed as if Michael would be spending a great deal of time in New York. Beth listened to the scheduling with a blank smile on her face. Sam explained that the firm kept a string of furnished apartments within a couple of blocks of the office for the use of writers and others working on long-term projects for the publishing house. Michael could use one of those since he would be new to the city.

Their heads were spinning when they returned to the hotel after lunch. "So," he finally said to her. "What do you think?"

"I don't know if I can think," Beth answered. "48 hours ago, we were making love in the lake house, and today you are on the cusp of a new career as a published writer and are about to become a millionaire. Getting run over be a truck would be child's play in comparison."

"Yeah. I think Sam is driving that truck."

"She certainly has lots of energy," Beth added. "Peter seemed to do a good job of handling her, though. I think you lucked into a good agent."

"I think so. Beth, does it bother you that we may have to be apart quite a bit for the next few months?"

She sighed deeply. "I can't say I'm crazy about that part. Michael, you have no idea how much I look forward to seeing you every day. It's always the high point of my day."

"What about me? Remember, I'm the one who's been in love with you since 7th grade. I don't know how crazy I am about all of this. I mean, I know the money's great, and the opportunity's ridiculous, but God ... Do you have any idea how happy I was just driving around and gathering all your favorite things for breakfast Saturday morning? It was more a present for me than for you. I don't know what to do," he said, anxious and confused.

Beth smiled at him and rubbed his hair. She saw how much anguish he was in and decided she could put up with anything if it was good for Michael. "You know what, mister? You just won the lottery. Michael, you HAVE to do this. If you gave up this opportunity, you'd never be able to live with yourself. After all, it's not like you'll never be home, and it's not like you're moving to New York. You'll just be going there to make your dream come true."

He looked at her very seriously and said, "My dream already HAS come true," he said putting her hand over his heart.

"Okay, you're other dream. By the way, since when did becoming a writer mean you have to give me up, goofy? I can be married to a writer as easily as I can to an engineer. I don't plan on letting you go either, Mr. Barrett."

He smiled. "Okay, but I'll only do this as long as you know that no matter WHAT happens, you are the most important thing I will ever have in my life. All this fancy stuff and the money, without you, it's just shit."

She arched an eyebrow. "Yeah, but it's very rich shit."

"That it is."

"Okay. Now that we know you're going to become the next Michael Crichton, and we're in New York. Let's go celebrate!"

Michael punched in Sam's office number and asked Günter what kind of things they could do on a Monday night to celebrate. He informed them that Broadway was off on Monday, but Pendant could arrange for tickets to "The Late Show" and could probably arrange green room passes. Michael was put on hold. In ten minutes, Günter came back on and laid out an itinerary for dinner at Sam's favorite Little Italy restaurant following the Letterman taping. Günter also arranged for a car service for the evening for them. Letterman had Tom Hanks and the Plain White Ts on that night, and the Beth and Michael got to meet all of them, as well as Letterman himself.

They went home on Tuesday in a fog.

----------

Keith and Kelly wanted to know all about the trip. They were as blown away as everyone else by the whirlwind. Michael was to leave on Thursday to go back to flesh out the outline for books two and three and to work on the revisions Sam wanted to make in the first book. She said he should plan on staying a month.

Michael spent most of Wednesday arranging for a leave of absence from the University and talking on the phone with Peter and his uncle. Beth went to class and tried to concentrate, but it was very, very difficult. She thought in some ways it was good Michael would be working in the City so she could get some school work accomplished.

Pendant sent one of their private jets for Michael this time because they would also be picking up his uncle to finalize the contract. The next couple of weeks were like a blur. Beth and Michael decided to call each other at 9:00 pm each night so they could catch up on the news.

"Then, Sam suggested setting what was supposed to be a harmless virus loose, and that opened up a whole new realm of possibilities. It turned the town into an instant desert. She's got an amazing imagination. I don't know why she isn't a writer," Michael gushed.

"Yeah, sounds it," Beth replied in a less than enthusiastic tone. "So, how are you doing?"

"I'm great. Sam's taking us to a Save-the-Rainforest party at the Met on Saturday that's going to be hosted by Sting. My head's exploding. I'm really starting to understand the allure of New York. The energy of the city is like a 24/7 adrenaline rush," he said.

"It certainly sounds stimulating," she said, trying to sound happy for him.

Michael had been talking non-stop for thirty minutes, and he finally realized she was not as pumped as he was. "Hey, beautiful, are you okay?"

"Me? Sure. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Maybe because I'm not there, and you're not here?"

"It's just hard, you know? Until this happened, we hadn't spent an entire day apart since that afternoon at your house by the pool. I miss your gorgeous face staring at me with those dark eyes. I miss your hands stroking me. I miss feeling safe and warm because you're holding me so close to you in bed I can feel your heart beat. I miss making love to you so many times in a row we're both too sore to touch each other. There's just this big giant aching hole in my chest right now," she said as a tear rolled silently down her cheek.

Michael got choked up listening to her voice. "Why don't you come up this weekend? I got my first check in the bank, so money's not a problem anymore. It'd be great! You could go to the party with us! What'd you say?"

"I can't, Michael. I promised Cindy and Elise that I'd help coordinate the Make-A-Wish carnival this weekend. I can't bail on them, and it runs through Sunday afternoon. Why don't you come here?" she asked in a voice tinged in faint hope.

He sighed. "I can't. Some bigwigs from Hollywood are going to be at the party, and Sam has set up a meeting with them to pitch the movie idea."

"Yeah, well, that's our Sam, huh?" she said, unable to hide the disappointment.

"Yeah, that's our Sam," Michael replied, equally distressed.

"I-I better let you go. I know how busy you are," she said, suddenly eager to get off the phone.

"Beth, I love you with ALL my heart. ALL my heart," he said.

"I know you do, sweetheart. That's what makes this so hard. I love you too. We'll talk tomorrow," she said, hanging up the phone before she broke into tears.

The next day, Beth had lunch with Kelly, who had become her closest friend, next to Michael. Kelly seemed wise beyond her years, and Beth needed to talk.

"How's Wonderboy handling the City?" Kelly asked as she dug into her salad.

"He's having an amazing time. You wouldn't even believe the people he's meeting. Actors, directors, writers ... it's like living in a comic book."

Kelly laid down her fork and turned her chair so she was facing Beth. "Okay, kiddo, what's up with you?"

Beth looked up from stabbing aimlessly around in her plate. "Me?"

"Yeah, you."

"I just miss Michael, you know?"

"Yeah, I know. I miss him too. But that's not what this is about. Talk to me."

"I'm scared, Kel. He's taken off on a rocket ship to a completely different planet, and he spends 90% of every conversation talking about Sam. I feel like I'm losing him."

Kelly studied Beth's face before answering. She took Beth's hands and said, "Beth, this is a little like Michael Jordan being worried about the appearance of Kobe Bryant. You are one of the most amazing women on this planet, and Michael knows that more than anyone. You don't have anything to worry about."

"Kel, you haven't seen Sam. She is the most beautiful woman I've ever seen in person. She's like some sort of Greek goddess. She's tall, got a perfect body -- perfect. She honestly looks a lot like Heidi Klum. Plus, she's brilliant and this force of nature. And, they're spending all this time together. And ..."

"Look at me -- right here," Kelly said pointing to her eyes. "I have never seen any man look at any woman the way Michael looks at you, and believe me, there's a lot to look at with you. You know how much I love Keith and vice versa, right?"

Beth nodded.

"Do you know why he hardly ever walks around naked in our house any more?"

"Because of that whole deal with Scott and almost getting raped?"

Kelly smiled. "Nope. It's you. He can't hardly walk into a room where you're at without getting hard as granite. I know he loves me, and I'm not even slightly worried or jealous, so you don't have to be concerned about any of this. It's just that he's a guy and you're you. He finds you unbelievably attractive."

"Me?"

"Yeah, Miss Perfect. You. It's not just because you're drop-dead gorgeous, although that doesn't hurt. It's because you are smart and funny and kind and caring and sensitive AND drop-dead gorgeous. You've become one of my dearest friends, Beth. You are an extraordinary woman. And, if there's one thing I'm sure about it's Michael's love for you. Hell, if I was into chicks, I'd be in love with you too, Babe!"

Beth laughed. "Thanks, Kel. Aside from Michael, you are my best friend too. But ..."

"But, what?"

"I still have a gut instinct that Sam is trouble."

Kelly thought for a moment. "Tell you what. I'll take over for you with the carnival this weekend. You go to New York. Surprise Michael. Meet Sting. Make love all weekend long. Learn why I'm so brilliant!"

"You mean it?" Beth said, her voice full of excitement. "But, wait, how can I get there. Last minute airfare will kill me."

"My aunt works at American Airlines. Let me handle the airfare. You just worry about how you're going to walk after spending the entire weekend in bed!" Beth hugged Kelly and started making plans for the weekend.

----------

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Günter asked Sam.

"Have I ever been wrong?" she countered.

"No, but Michael is different. He's really in love with Beth. Capital L love, not Hollywood or New York love."

"She's a sweet girl, but she's holding him back. If he was free to just work, who knows where his talent could take him ... or us," she added with a smirk.

"It doesn't feel right," Günter replied.

"This body has never let me down, Günter, and it's not going to let me down now. Once I lure him into my trap, he'll forget all about his hometown honey."

"I hope those aren't famous last words."

"Günter, your trouble is you need to come over to the dark side," Sam said as she draped a long perfect leg over his lap.

"Unless you plan on growing a dick, my princess, I'm afraid I'm not interested."

"You're missing the point, Günter. I've already got a bigger dick than anyone you know!!"

----------

Michael was working away at his laptop when there was a knock at the door. "Oh, hi, Sam. Come on in. I'm just going over the summaries for the 4,000th time before the party tonight."

"Good, boy," she said with a smile entering the apartment. She walked over and set a couple of bottles down on the bar. "Care for a real drink?"

"No, thanks. I'll stick with sparkling water for now." Sam poured herself a brandy.

"Michael, I was wondering if you would help me with something. I need a man's opinion."

"Sure. Anything. I need a break anyway," he said stretching his arms and shoulders.

Sam walked over to the middle of the room with her back to Michael and removed her trench coat. Underneath, she was only wearing stockings, garters and shoes.

"I know this may seem a little strange, but I've been thinking about plastic surgery, and I wanted your opinion on whether I need it," she said turning around to face Michael.

"Uhh ..."

"I know my stomach is tight, but what do you think of my breasts?"

Michael was speechless as he stared at feminine perfection. "Uhm ... Sam, what on earth would a doctor do to improve on those?" Michael asked, growing red but also feeling his dick start to swell.

"I was thinking of making them bigger. What do you think, Michael?" she asked as she walked toward him. "Do they need to be bigger?"

Michael guessed she was either a C or D cup with perfect gumdrop shapes. Her nipples were milk chocolate brown and jutted out from almost the dead center in erotic perfection. "Sam, in my opinion, there isn't a surgeon on the planet that could ever improve your breasts."

"You're sweet." She placed a leg on the arm of the sofa and asked, "What about my thighs, Michael? Do you think I could use liposuction?"

Michael felt beads of sweat form on his forehead as he stared at her sleek upper leg and at her wet, open, hairless pussy. "Uhhh ... No. Nothing there to suck."

"Really, Michael? There's nothing worth sucking?" she asked as she moved her close enough to his face so he could breathe in her aroma.

"Oh, God, no, Sam. That's not what I meant. There's a lot worth sucking."

"Where, Michael? Show me the best places to suck," she said as she pushed her dripping pussy into his lips. Michael threw his arms out so he wouldn't accidentally touch her. He also tried to move his head back away from her succulent sex.

"Surprise!!" Beth shouted as she burst through the door. Her mouth dropped as she stared at the naked Sam pushing her pussy lips onto Michael's lips.

"Beth?!" Michael shouted in alarm.

"Michael, how could you?!" she shouted as she ran into the hallway in tears.

"What the fuck are you doing?" he screamed at Sam, pushing her out of the way and scrambling to his feet.

"Michael, wait! You're making a big mistake!"

"I already made one trusting you!" he shouted as he ran for the door.

"Spielberg, Michael! That's the surprise for tonight!" she shouted is desperation.

"Then, maybe you can fuck him! If not, Sam, you can always go fuck yourself!" he yelled as he raced out the door.

"Michael!" Sam shouted in vain.

"Come on! Come on!" he shouted at the elevators. Finally, he ran for the stairs and ran all the way down to the lobby. He burst out onto the street searching for Beth but couldn't find her. He ran back to the desk clerk and asked if he had seen a beautiful brown-haired woman run out the door, probably in tears.

"Uh, no, sir. We just changed shifts, though, so I may have missed her."

"FUCK!!" he screamed.

Beth remembered that Michael said there was a terrace on the 25th floor, and she stopped there to try and regain her composure. She called her mom in hysterics and explained where she was and what she saw. Her mom got the details of her return flight and called American to find the next flight out of New York. She paid the difference to change the ticket and told Beth where to go to catch the flight. Beth never saw Michael, hailed a cab, and went to the airport.

Michael raced back to his apartment. When he walked in, Sam was on the phone with Günter explaining what happened.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Michael screamed when he saw Sam. "Get -- the -- fuck -- OUT!!"

"Michael ..."

"NOW!!" he screamed at the top of his voice. She saw the intense anger in his eyes and actually feared for her safety. She grabbed her purse and coat and raced for the door. She stopped to say something, but Michael cut her off. "OUT!!"

Michael sat down on the sofa running his hands through his hair trying to figure out what to do. He called his parents house to get some guidance. Therese, his mom, answered the phone. Michael exploded with details of what just happened. Therese tried to keep pace with what he was saying.

"Michael, tell me the absolute truth. Are you having an affair with Sam?"

"Mom, are you crazy? Have we met? This is Beth I'm talking about! How can you even ask such stupid fucking question?"

Therese ignored the profanity. "Michael, I believe you ... 100%. I just wanted to hear it in your voice."

"I don't know where she is, Mom. I can't get her to answer her cell. I know she's hysterical. Mom, I've never been this scared of anything before. I don't know what to do," he said breaking down into tears.

"I've got an idea. Just stay by the phone," she said as she hung up and raced across the street to the Anderson house. As she walked up the front steps, Karen was on the phone and waved for her to come in.

"Okay, honey. Are you sure you have all that? Flight 1277. It leaves in 90 minutes from LaGuardia. Call me when you're on the plane so I know you made it. I'll be at the airport waiting to pick you up. Okay, honey. I love you too. Be safe."

"So, you know," Therese said.

"Yes, my Lord, what a mess. Have you heard from Michael?" Karen asked.

"That boy is going to have a stroke. He's beyond hysterical." Therese filled Karen in on the events of the afternoon. Karen did likewise.

"Beth will be arriving at the airport at 9:15, so we will be here by 10:00."

"Alright. I've got a couple of ideas, and with a little bit of luck and a little bit of Dan, Michael should be here before then!" Therese explained her plan.

About 30 minutes later Michael was in a cab on his way to the private air terminal at LaGuardia. Dan had been filled in and was dialing Günter's cell number.

"Listen, young man, this is Colonel Daniel Barrett. I'm Michael's father, and I need you to do something for me. I need you to arrange to have one of Pendant's private jets meet Michael at LaGuardia."

"Sir, I don't have the authority to ..."

"You listen to me, you Candyass, and you listen real good. Michael will be at the private air terminal in LaGuardia in 45 minutes. I know that's where Pendant houses it fleet. Either you or your slut of a boss better arrange for a plane to be fueled and ready with a top notch crew when he arrives or my next call will be to RJ Stone (Pendant CEO). Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir," Günter said swallowing.

"Do you have any questions?"

"No, sir."

"Good! That's what I like to hear! You've got 10 minutes to make the arrangements and call me back. Otherwise, Mr. Stone and I will be discussing your's and Sam's severance packages. Understand?"

"Yes, sir."

Since Beth's plane had a layover in Philadelphia, Michael would be able to beat her home by a more than an hour. By the time he arrived at home with the two Dads, both Moms were gone to pick up Beth. Michael filled both Dads in on all the missing details.

Beth practically collapsed into her mother's arms at the airport. Karen held her tight and kept her walking to the car with Therese driving. Karen spent most of the ride in the back seat just holding Beth and letting her cry it out.