A Pair of Star Crossed Lovers, chapter 9
Mike woke up to loud 'Shakira' music being blasted over the radio. He looked to his left to see Juliet mouthing the words and tapping her hand on the steering wheel. He smiled to himself and tried to stifle a laugh. Juliet turned her head to the side and he quickly shut his eyes so she would think he was still asleep. He turned his head slowly to become more comfortable in the brown deteriorating car seat. His nose pressed against the seat and his nostrils were filled with a strong musty smell. Closing his eyes it was only a matter of minutes before Mike fell back to sleep.
***
"Mike", Juliet whispered shaking Mike from his slumber. "We're here."
Mike opened up his eyes and quickly shielded them with his hands. The bright sun was shining directly through his window, nearly blinding him. He propped himself up with his hands so he was sitting in an upright position. Not only were they at the border but they were at the security guard booth.
"Sir can I see your passport please", The officer stated.
Still half asleep Mike fumbled around in his suitcase until his fingers wrapped around the smooth plastic booklet.
"Uh...here.", Mike mumbled leaning across Juliet to place the passport in the hands of the officer.
"And are you transporting any fruits or vegetables", the officer asked in between a yawn.
"No", Mike said rubbing his eyes.
"Okay", The officer passed the two passports back to Juliet. "You can drive on"
The car moved forward and Mike looked up to a giant sign that took up four lanes of the highway. "Bienvenido a México"
"So how far till we reach Verona?", Mike yawned.
"About fifteen minutes, its not far", Juliet replied keeping her eyes on the road. "We're going to go to my house first before we go to pick up Adi... ok."
"Yeah sure whatever", Mike put his head back down on the car door. "I don't think I've been this tired... .ever!"
Juliet laughed to herself.
"You can crash at my house for a bit," she said not taking her eyes off the road. "While I get Adi and the boys."
"Sure," Mike responded.
***
Just like Juliet had said the ride took roughly fifteen minutes. Verona was a large city positioned in a dry, arid valley. It reminded Mike of L.A except with a lower class twist. He could tell the cities economy had seen better days, but still high rises dotted the skyline. The hills surrounding the massive city were covered in large homes and mansions which Mike could only guess belonged to the Montague family. Driving out of the valley and up the hill was like leaving a desert and coming upon an oasis. The air seemed fresher and well manicured lawns lay in front of every home. Large steel gaits with high brick walls and security cameras were positioned at the end of each drive.
"We're here," Juliet grinned pulling up in front of a ten foot high cast iron gate with the words Montague welded into the frame.
"Do you live alone?" Mike asked.
"No," Juliet smiled. "I live with my four year old daughter Mika."
Mike stared at her stunned for a moment.
"Y...you have a daughter?" Mike stuttered.
"Yeah," Juliet beamed. "But don't you tell Adi this alright, I want to tell her myself."
"May I ask where the father is?" Mike asked his eyes never leaving Juliet.
She looked down at her hands for a moment before looking back up at Mike. When her eyes met his it looked as though she had aged five years.
"Dead," She whispered. "Died before Mika was born."
"I'm sorry," Mike said draping his arm around Juliet's shoulder.
Juliet stared out of the window for a moment before shaking her head.
"Don't worry about it," she smiled as she drove the car up the driveway.
When they stopped in front of the house Mike had to crane his neck back to see the top. It was one of the largest homes he had ever seen. And here he was worried about trying to fit everyone in her home. Hell they could through a party for two hundred people and he was pretty sure everyone would have plenty of room to sleep.
"Nice house", he smiled grabbing their bags out of the trunk.
"Yeah...it's okay", she winked.
***
The two stepped into the house and dropped their bags on the cool marble floor. The cool, air conditioned house felt so nice compared to the sticky humid air outside.
"MOMMMMY!", a young girl yelled running full speed toward Juliet.
Mike couldn't help but laugh as the girl did a flying leap into Juliet's arms. Mika was a tiny girl even for her age. She had long curly blond hair and just like her mother, piercing green eyes.
"Mika esto es Mike," Juliet said to her daughter as she cradled her in her arms.
Mika looked at Mike before burying her face in Juliet's shoulder.
"She's a little shy," Juliet whispered.
"Hey there," Mike said stretching out his hand.
Mika looked at it cautiously before taking it in her own.
"Pl... .pleased to meet you," she said looking up at Mike.
"Where's Maria," Juliet asked putting Mika back down on the ground.
"In the kitchen," Mika said before running off.
Juliet smiled as she watched her daughter scamper away before turning to Mike.
"You can go upstairs to get some sleep if you want Mike," Juliet said putting her hand on his shoulder.
Mike's breathe got hitched in his throat as he felt the warmth of her hand.
"Which room can I stay in," he asked, smiling nervously.
"Anyone before the last two on the right," she laughed. "You got quite a selection to choose from. I can help you carry up the bags if you want."
"Thanks," Mike said picking up his duffel bag.
The two walked up the stars until they reached a long hallway with a dozen doors to choose from.
"May I suggest this one," Juliet said opening up a large oak door. "It's one of my personal favorites; the view is to die for."
Mike opened up the door and walked into the room. It was beautiful just like Juliet had said. There was a large four poster bed in the middle and a balcony to the right. The room smelled like roses as there was a fresh bouquet on the night stand. It was nice and cool and the smooth hard wood floor felt good on his weary feet. Mike walked towards the bed and fell back onto it.
"Wait," Juliet giggled pulling his arm. "Before you fall asleep you have to see the view."
He followed her over to the terrace and stepped out onto the balcony. Juliet put her hands over Mike's eyes and he smiled as she led him to the railing. In a quick fluid motion she pulled her hands away and Mike opened his eyes. The sun was just starting to set and it illuminated all of Verona. It was a truly spectacular sight.
"Isn't it beautiful," Juliet sighed leaning against Mike.
"Yeah, it's the most beautiful things I've seen," Mike whispered.
"Well I don't know if it's that beautiful of a city", Juliet laughed.
"I wasn't talking about the city", Mike whispered into her ear as he put his hand over
hers.
Juliet could feel her face go red as she turned to look at Mike. He leaned forward and she could feel his warm lips brush against hers. Putting her hand behind his neck Juliet pulled him tighter and deepened the kiss. Mike snaked his arm around her back and held her close.
***
The sun set on Verona and Mike and Juliet stood on the balcony together watching it in each others arms. Juliet closed her eyes and listened to the quietness that she had missed so much. Thinking back on that moment Juliet would always refer to it as her last moments of true happiness. It was in essence the calm before the storm
***
"Mike", Juliet whispered shaking Mike from his slumber. "We're here."
Mike opened up his eyes and quickly shielded them with his hands. The bright sun was shining directly through his window, nearly blinding him. He propped himself up with his hands so he was sitting in an upright position. Not only were they at the border but they were at the security guard booth.
"Sir can I see your passport please", The officer stated.
Still half asleep Mike fumbled around in his suitcase until his fingers wrapped around the smooth plastic booklet.
"Uh...here.", Mike mumbled leaning across Juliet to place the passport in the hands of the officer.
"And are you transporting any fruits or vegetables", the officer asked in between a yawn.
"No", Mike said rubbing his eyes.
"Okay", The officer passed the two passports back to Juliet. "You can drive on"
The car moved forward and Mike looked up to a giant sign that took up four lanes of the highway. "Bienvenido a México"
"So how far till we reach Verona?", Mike yawned.
"About fifteen minutes, its not far", Juliet replied keeping her eyes on the road. "We're going to go to my house first before we go to pick up Adi... ok."
"Yeah sure whatever", Mike put his head back down on the car door. "I don't think I've been this tired... .ever!"
Juliet laughed to herself.
"You can crash at my house for a bit," she said not taking her eyes off the road. "While I get Adi and the boys."
"Sure," Mike responded.
***
Just like Juliet had said the ride took roughly fifteen minutes. Verona was a large city positioned in a dry, arid valley. It reminded Mike of L.A except with a lower class twist. He could tell the cities economy had seen better days, but still high rises dotted the skyline. The hills surrounding the massive city were covered in large homes and mansions which Mike could only guess belonged to the Montague family. Driving out of the valley and up the hill was like leaving a desert and coming upon an oasis. The air seemed fresher and well manicured lawns lay in front of every home. Large steel gaits with high brick walls and security cameras were positioned at the end of each drive.
"We're here," Juliet grinned pulling up in front of a ten foot high cast iron gate with the words Montague welded into the frame.
"Do you live alone?" Mike asked.
"No," Juliet smiled. "I live with my four year old daughter Mika."
Mike stared at her stunned for a moment.
"Y...you have a daughter?" Mike stuttered.
"Yeah," Juliet beamed. "But don't you tell Adi this alright, I want to tell her myself."
"May I ask where the father is?" Mike asked his eyes never leaving Juliet.
She looked down at her hands for a moment before looking back up at Mike. When her eyes met his it looked as though she had aged five years.
"Dead," She whispered. "Died before Mika was born."
"I'm sorry," Mike said draping his arm around Juliet's shoulder.
Juliet stared out of the window for a moment before shaking her head.
"Don't worry about it," she smiled as she drove the car up the driveway.
When they stopped in front of the house Mike had to crane his neck back to see the top. It was one of the largest homes he had ever seen. And here he was worried about trying to fit everyone in her home. Hell they could through a party for two hundred people and he was pretty sure everyone would have plenty of room to sleep.
"Nice house", he smiled grabbing their bags out of the trunk.
"Yeah...it's okay", she winked.
***
The two stepped into the house and dropped their bags on the cool marble floor. The cool, air conditioned house felt so nice compared to the sticky humid air outside.
"MOMMMMY!", a young girl yelled running full speed toward Juliet.
Mike couldn't help but laugh as the girl did a flying leap into Juliet's arms. Mika was a tiny girl even for her age. She had long curly blond hair and just like her mother, piercing green eyes.
"Mika esto es Mike," Juliet said to her daughter as she cradled her in her arms.
Mika looked at Mike before burying her face in Juliet's shoulder.
"She's a little shy," Juliet whispered.
"Hey there," Mike said stretching out his hand.
Mika looked at it cautiously before taking it in her own.
"Pl... .pleased to meet you," she said looking up at Mike.
"Where's Maria," Juliet asked putting Mika back down on the ground.
"In the kitchen," Mika said before running off.
Juliet smiled as she watched her daughter scamper away before turning to Mike.
"You can go upstairs to get some sleep if you want Mike," Juliet said putting her hand on his shoulder.
Mike's breathe got hitched in his throat as he felt the warmth of her hand.
"Which room can I stay in," he asked, smiling nervously.
"Anyone before the last two on the right," she laughed. "You got quite a selection to choose from. I can help you carry up the bags if you want."
"Thanks," Mike said picking up his duffel bag.
The two walked up the stars until they reached a long hallway with a dozen doors to choose from.
"May I suggest this one," Juliet said opening up a large oak door. "It's one of my personal favorites; the view is to die for."
Mike opened up the door and walked into the room. It was beautiful just like Juliet had said. There was a large four poster bed in the middle and a balcony to the right. The room smelled like roses as there was a fresh bouquet on the night stand. It was nice and cool and the smooth hard wood floor felt good on his weary feet. Mike walked towards the bed and fell back onto it.
"Wait," Juliet giggled pulling his arm. "Before you fall asleep you have to see the view."
He followed her over to the terrace and stepped out onto the balcony. Juliet put her hands over Mike's eyes and he smiled as she led him to the railing. In a quick fluid motion she pulled her hands away and Mike opened his eyes. The sun was just starting to set and it illuminated all of Verona. It was a truly spectacular sight.
"Isn't it beautiful," Juliet sighed leaning against Mike.
"Yeah, it's the most beautiful things I've seen," Mike whispered.
"Well I don't know if it's that beautiful of a city", Juliet laughed.
"I wasn't talking about the city", Mike whispered into her ear as he put his hand over
hers.
Juliet could feel her face go red as she turned to look at Mike. He leaned forward and she could feel his warm lips brush against hers. Putting her hand behind his neck Juliet pulled him tighter and deepened the kiss. Mike snaked his arm around her back and held her close.
***
The sun set on Verona and Mike and Juliet stood on the balcony together watching it in each others arms. Juliet closed her eyes and listened to the quietness that she had missed so much. Thinking back on that moment Juliet would always refer to it as her last moments of true happiness. It was in essence the calm before the storm
