Chapter 4

JC finally got back to his room around midnight. He threw off his suit coat and sprawled across the bed. God, I'm tired, he thought. Wearily he reached for a pillow and propped it under his head, closed his eyes, fell into a blissful sleep, and dreamed of Liesel.

*********

A knock was heard at Liesel's door. She jumped, surpried. "Who is it?" she asked, pulling on a bathrobe and heading to the door.

A tall man with graying hair stood at the door. Liesel forced herself to smile. "Morning, Dad," she said, trying to sound remotely happy to see her father.

"Morning sweetie. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, I did. How about you?"

"Fine, dear. Did you enjoy the party last night?" Mr. Cameron came into the room and closed the door.

"It was nice, I guess."

"Isn't that a little vauge?"

Liesel nodded. "I had a good time." In reality, the parties bored her. Everything about her family's life bored her. Though most people would sell their souls, even kill to be as rich as she was, it meant absolutely nothing to her. Not the expensive jewelry, the sports cars, the designer clothes.... it just didn't matter. But if she tried to explain that to her father, she might as well have a death wish.

"I'll bet you did. Where did you go off to at the end of it?" Mr. Cameron inquired. "You disappeared and didn't get back 'til late."

"I just went out for a walk on the beach, Daddy," she said, calling her father "Daddy" to sound more innocent.

"For two and a half hours? You don't know who could have been out there, looking for you!"

"Dad, come on, who's going to think that you'd come to this obscure island and vacation? If they were looking for you they would have gone to Nassau or a major island. Not here," Liesel explained.

"Really? How would you explain what happened with David? Liesel, you could get kidnapped, or far worse if you don't watch yourself!" Now Mr. Cameron was yelling.

"Dad, will you stop yelling at me! It's not my fault that you got wrapped up in the Agency's crap...."

"Don't talk to me that way!" he bellowed. "For the rest of the time we are here, you are to stay in our suite, and you may not go anywhere else unless you have my permission."

Liesel was shocked. "You can't do that to me!" she screamed. "I'm nineteen, for God's sake!"

"You are to stay here," he said, his voice harsh. "I'll have security see that you don't leave. That is all." With that, Mr. Cameron walked out the room.

Liesel dropped to the bed. "I can't believe he's doing this to me," she moaned. Now how am I supposed to see JC?

*********

JC paced around in the lobby. Where was she? She should have been here 20 minutes ago, he thought. Earlier that morning Liesel had called him and told him to meet her in the hotel's lobby at nine forty-five. It was now five minutes past ten, and he was starting to think he'd been stood up.

"Screw this," he muttered to himself. He began to walk to the elevator. As he did, he heard the sound of someone playing piano from the ballroom. Wonder who that is? His curiousity got the best of him, and he turned back around and walked into the partially dark room. As he walked further in, he saw a lamp aglow on top of something. In the dim light, he saw the top of a woman's head, leaning over and extremely focused on the keys. He just stood in silence, listening, watching her play, mezmerized.

After what seemed to be hours, she stopped and looked upward. Her eyes looked a bit glazed over, as if she'd been crying. A small smile crossed her face when she saw JC.

"Hi," she said softly.

"You said to meet me in the lobby, and the last time I checked, this wasn't the lobby," JC said sarcastically.

"I was? Oh damn, I'm sorry. It completely slipped my mind."

"What were you playing?"

"Something I wrote," she said, getting up and walking over to him. "It's called 'Memories Never Gone'. I wrote it a few years ago."

"It was amazing."

"Thank you. I'm really sorry I forgot about meeting you. It's just that, I had this arguement with my dad, and he basically put me under house arrest. I'm not even supposed to be here right now. He thinks I'm in the dining room."

"Whoa.... what'd you do?"

"I didn't do anything," Liesel explained. "If anything, it's all his fault."

"Care to explain?" JC asked.

"It's a long story.... hey, I better go. Security might be after me in a minute," Liesel explained. "I'll see you around, JC."

"Wait," JC said as she headed to the door.

"What?" she walked back towards him.

JC stammered, "I... just wanted...."

"Wanted what?"

Without thinking, JC pulled her into his arms and gave her a quick kiss. Startled, Liesel pulled away.

"I've.... really gotta go," she said. She quickly dashed out, once again leaving JC alone with his thoughts, and also swimming in regret at kissing her. Why'd I do that? he thought. He sighed heavily, wondering when he would see her again.

*********

Back in her room, Liesel was shaking uncontrollably, feeling a mix of fear and excitement go through her. He kissed me, oh God, he really kissed me, she thought. He really likes me.... I can't keep him off of my mind.... Dad will kill me if he finds out about him. What do I do now? She was now feeling sick with fear, fear at her father finding out about JC, fear that JC would be heartbroken when she told him that she couldn't see him, and fear that she was beginning to fall in love with him, even after knowing him for less than 48 hours. Is that even possible?

chapter 5
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