Mike worked all day on the song. The words came easily and then it was only a matter of cleaning it up. He hated to admit it but he was a perfectionist and he wanted this song to be nothing less than perfect. He showered, dressed, grabbed his guitar and headed over to Renee’s apartment stopping at the flower shop on the way. He stood outside her door and took a deep breath before knocking.
Renee opened the door and saw him. “I don’t want to see you.” Then she slammed the door in his face before he had a chance to say anything.
Mike knew this wasn’t going to be easy and that she wasn’t going to exactly welcome him with open arms, but he never expected that she would do that. He knocked again, louder this time. “Renee, please open the door.”
“Go away!” She yelled through it.
“I’m not leaving until you let me talk to you!” He yelled back, pounding on the door again.
“Leave me alone!” The frustration in her voice was peaked.
“Fine, if you won’t let me in, then I’ll have to do this out here!” He set the flowers down and strapped on his guitar. “I wanted to show you how much I care about you, but I’m not so good with words, at least not the right words.” He sighed. “I wrote this for you.”
By the time Mike played the first cord of the song, some of Renee’s neighbors had begun poking their heads into the hallway.
“Know that something very strange is happening to my brain. I’m either feeling very good or else I am insane. The seeds of doubt you planted have started to grow wild but feel that I must yield before the wisdom of a child. And it’s love you bring, no that I can’t deny. With your wings, I can learn to fly, sweet young thing.”
Slowly, Renee opened the door.
“People try to talk to me their words are ugly sounds but I resist all their attempts to try and bring me down. Turned on to the sunset, like I’ve never done before. And I listen for your footsteps and you knock upon the door.”
She wiped away haphazardly at the tears rolling down her cheeks. His sweet voice was making her heart melt.
“And it’s love you bring, with dreams of bluer skies. All theses things, when I see them in your eyes, sweet young thing.”
All the neighbors starting clapping and whistling as Mike and Renee stood there, their eyes locked on each other. There were whoops and hollers and someone even yelled out “Kiss him!”.
Mike took off his guitar and set it down, his eyes never leaving hers. He reached out and cupped her cheek as his thumb wiped away a tear. She leaned into his hand. “That was beautiful.” She managed to choke out.
“You’re beautiful, Ray.” He stepped closer. “I’m sorry I hurt you.”
“No, no.” She waved her hand. “I’m the one who should be apologizing. I never should have tried to trick you into falling in love with me.”
“It worked.” He brushed his thumb over her lips.
“What?” She tried not to sound hopeful, she couldn’t risk getting hurt again.
“Could we do this inside?” He had just realized that about a dozen eyes were watching them.
“Yeah, sure, of course.” She took his guitar and went inside.
Shutting the door behind him, he handed her the flowers. “These are for you.”
“Daisies…you remembered.” She all but gushed at him.
“Yeah, I remembered…if fact, there isn’t anything about you I’ve forgotten.” He walked over and took the flowers out of her hands and set them on the coffee table. “Believe me, I’ve tried, but I can’t get you out of my head…or my heart.”
“Michael…” She started
“No, please Ray, let me get this out.” He took her hands in his own. “Until you came along, I had my whole life planned out. And it didn’t include love, much less marriage or kids. But lately that’s all I can think about. I want all that with you. Someday. I can’t give you all you deserve right now. I have to make this music thing work first.” He brought her hands to his lips and kissed them. “I have no right to ask you to wait for me.”
“You don’t have to ask. I’ll wait for as long as it takes.” She smiled up at him. “I love you, Michael.”
He brought her into his arms burying his face in her hair. “I love you too, Ray.”
----------------------------------------
Back to Miscellaneous Stories
Storybook of You - FanFiction Page
Aimee's Shades of Monkees