~**~
Gage
I stare at the fire pushing aside the darkness that seeps in at this time of day. The dreams, the memories, they all flood back at night, haunting me. I take a hit off my cigarette and wash it down with the brandy trying to numb the emptiness before returning my gaze to the flickering fire.
Without warning, I feel a presence. I turn in confusion. What the hell? Eve’s just standing there with a look of lost confusion as I take her in.
“Eve?” I question, wondering where the hell she came from and why she’s just standing in my loft, in the middle of the night, in her pajamas. Damn she’s stunning.
“Gage, nice to see you again.” She smiles awkwardly.
Is she seriously talking to me like we just bumped into one another at the market? Out of instinct, I scan my apartment, looking for danger. Is this a set up?
“What are you doing here?” I ask her while assessing the situation.
“Um, where is here exactly?”
“Here is in my home, in the heart of the Marais area of Paris,” I answer, bewildered. Is she playing dumb, or does she really have no idea what’s happening.
Eve smiles uncomfortably. “I see.”
I’m taken aback. “You see? How did you get into my loft, Eve? Is your protector with you?” I watch her, waiting. The St. Michaels know better than to show up unannounced.
“No. I realize this is going to sound crazy but I’m not sure how I got here,” she answers.
What the hell? She’s right, it does sound crazy. She doesn’t know how she got here? I turn back to the fire and flick my cigarette into it. For fucks sake, they haven’t taught her anything. It’s like leaving a cute bunny, with long amazing legs, in the meadow and waiting for the lions to pounce on her.
When I turn back around, Eve’s sitting on my couch making herself at home. Her eyes are closed so I flash in front of her, knowing she didn’t hear me. All the times I’ve been near her, I’ve never fully realized just how breathtaking she is. I study her features bathed in the fire’s amber light for a moment.
“What the hell are you doing?” she shouts and pulls away, causing me to laugh.
“Funny, that’s actually my question for you.” I swallow my brandy and scold myself for my lack of manners. “Can I get you a drink, love?”
Eve shakes her head. “No, thank you,” she answers and starts to relax.
I sit in the chair across from her, because I’m uncomfortable. She seems at ease in my personal space. I don’t like women in my home, let alone, in my personal life. Especially this one.
“Well?” I question.
“Well, what?” she repeats back. Cute. She’s a bit strong-willed. I like that about her.
“What are you doing here, Eve?” I ask again. She seriously has no clue. Hell, they’re keeping her in the damn dark. Then again, secrets are typical of the St. Michael clan.
She rolls her eyes. “I’m not sure. One minute I was sleeping in my bed at my aunt’s house and the next I was looking out your rather large, picturesque windows of Paris.”
Interesting. “My guess is you’re either dream walking or astral projecting. Most likely, you’re astral projecting. You don’t know that you’re doing it?” I ask because I’m not so sure I believe her. I don’t trust easily these days, especially anyone tied to The London Clan.
“Why are you convinced I’m not dream walking?”
I clear my throat in annoyance with her lack of knowledge. Is no one planning to enlighten this girl? Her lack of understanding is going to get her killed.
“Dream walking is when you enter someone’s mind, intrinsically manifesting in some form in a dream. Normally, it’s used as a way to communicate with that person. Whoever initiates the dream walk can manipulate it to their will. Some even trap themselves in their own dream. The fact that you’re here and I’m not in a sleep state signifies that you’re able to travel outside your physical body which is astral projection,” I answer. Why I am the one providing her this information is lost on me.
“So am I really here with you?” Eve asks, confused.
“Yes and no. Your body is still in your bed at your aunt’s but for whatever reason, you’ve subliminally sought me out.” I’m curious as to why she did seek me out. Experience suggests I should turn her over to Deacon, immediately. However, I’m fascinated by her innocent nature, so I won’t, at least not tonight. Besides, her physical body isn’t near her.
“No offense but I wasn’t even thinking about you tonight,” Eve answers and I laugh internally. She has no idea that she had to be thinking of me on some level in order to project to me. The real question is why.
I decide to push my luck and lean into her space. “Actually, love, your subconscious was thinking of me. It’s the only way you’d be able to project to me.” She blushes and then begins to look around my home, trying to divert the uncomfortable attention.
“So you live in Paris?”
I smile and sit back in my chair. “When not in Massachusetts, yes.”
“You just fly back and forth?”
I laugh internally, wondering if they’ve told her about our wings. “Something like that.”
“Your home is very...grey. You like concrete?”
I never really thought about it. It’s a loft. “I’m a gargoyle. I prefer dark, cool, stone-like places,” I answer not giving her the full truth.
“So is your stone concrete?” Eve queries.
“Hematite. I see The London Clan is finally providing full gargoyle disclosure to you.”
“As I said, I believe I have all the facts now,” Eve states. Poor girl has absolutely no fucking clue. She’s blindly placing her trust in them.
“Hardly, especially noted by your lack of knowledge regarding dream walking and astral projection.”
“So, this visit has been a blast. If you would be so kind as to instruct me how to get back to my body, that would peachy.” Eve is getting annoyed.
I have to laugh. She’s adorably in the dark. “It’s normally done intuitively. I can’t send you. You pull yourself back once whatever it is you need has been taken care of. Since you’re still here with me, you obviously still have needs when it comes to me,” I offer seductively to push her buttons a bit. For some reason, I’m starting to enjoy making her feel nervousness. I find her company interesting and my reactions to her, even more so.
“So you’re saying I’m having an out of body experience near you because of unfinished business or something?” Eve inquires.
Ah hell, she’s so innocent. “Most women say they have an out of body experience with me. Rest assured, love, I always finish my business.”
She rolls her eyes. “You know what I am saying. So I can send myself back?”
“Yes, you’ve astral projected yourself here. You should be able to do it to return.”
There’s a harsh knock at my front door. I smile internally and just stare at Eve, unmoving. They’ve interrupted my evening. A few moments won’t kill the Archangel on the other side of it.
Read the rest of Eve’s story in Revelation by Randi Cooley Wilson.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Randi Cooley Wilson was born and raised in Massachusetts where she attended Bridgewater State University and graduated with a degree in Communication Studies. After graduation, she moved to California where she lived happily bathed in sunshine and warm weather for fifteen years. She recently moved back to Massachusetts with her husband and daughter. You can reach her via Twitter: @R_CooleyWilson or at www.randicooleywilson.com.
Riley’s First Kill
A young adult paranormal romance by Sharon Rose Mayes
“Riley, where were you this afternoon?” My mom asked me as I worked on my homework at the bar in our kitchen.
I glanced up at her but didn’t look her in the eyes. I knew she knew.
“Where were you,” She asked again when I didn’t answer.
I looked back down at my math paper that was
filled with basic equations and geometric symbols. “With friends,” I told her and swallowed, “At the library.”
She sighed, “Riley, you were supposed to be in training today.”
“I know,” I looked at her, “But I go every day,” I shrugged, “Lucy and Karen wanted to hang out with me today. So I did that instead.”
“I understand how you feel, and how you would rather have fun. But this is important. Taylor, Sam and the boys will depend on you one day.”
“I’m thirteen, I just want to do what all of my friends do,” I threw my pencil down onto the bar.
“You didn’t even tell anyone where you were at.” She folded her arms over her chest, covering up whatever band logo was on the t-shirt she was wearing. “I only found out because Phillip came by my office this afternoon to make sure you were okay.”
“So,” I looked at the blue kitchen wall behind her, “It’s my business.”
“Young lady,” She said taking on an angry tone that I had hardly ever heard come out of her mouth, “what you do, is my business.”
It got my attention.
“From now on, I will pick you up from school and personally and take you to all of your lessons.”
“But,” I started to protest.
She shook her head, her long dark hair flowing around her shoulders, “No more buts.”
“I’ll just leave,” I said because I felt as if she was treating me unfairly.
“I’m serious,” she said.
“I just want to hang out with my friends.”
“Only when I say that you can.”
“It’s not fair!” I screamed at her. “I just want to do normal stuff. No more weapons training, no more fighting.”
“I’m sorry,” She said with a remorseful look in her eyes, but she kept her face straight, “life’s not fair. Believe me, and you have an important job to do in the future. And your team is going to need you to be prepared.”
“Vampires are probably not even real.”
“I wish they weren’t,” Was the only thing that she said.
“Go to your room, and get some sleep,” She told me, “Don’t forget that I will be picking you up from school tomorrow.”
“You’re so mean.”
“Just go to bed,” she said calmly as she cleaned up a pizza box from the dinner we had just eaten.
I was too wound up, angry, emotional to just listen to her, “I’m going to go find my dad,” I told her, “and live with him.” I stood from my stool.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” she said, “just sleep this off.”
And I knew I was being ridiculous, but I couldn’t control myself. I didn’t even know the man and even if he was alive or not.
“I don’t care,” I said, “he would let me have fun and have friends,” Tears were now streaking my cheeks.
“Riley, just calm down and go to bed,” she rubbed her temples, “we will talk about this when you are calm.”
“No,” I shook my head, in my mind there was no going back, “I’m leaving.” I told her and ran for the back door.
“Riley,” My mom shouted.
But I was faster than and quickly made it around our house.
I started running down the sidewalk that as barely lit up from the street lights. I had no idea where I was going. It was autumn, so the air was getting chilly in the evenings. I only had on a t-shirt and shorts that I had worn to school that day.
Two or three streets away from our street I made it to a park. It was a large park full of jungle gyms and swings where all of the neighborhood mothers would gather in the afternoons with their young children. When I was younger my mother would bring me here to play when she wasn’t working.
“Crap,” I stumbled over a discarded stick while walking through the park. Kids had probably left it after having a play sword fight.
Over at the swings I sat down and put my face in my hands. I tried to clean up the tear streaks that were now dry on my face.
The swing I sat on swayed back and forth as I shivered. I had no idea what I was going to do. At thirteen, years old I had run away from home and yelled at my mother.
We never fought, and now she would probably never let me go back.
“What’s a little lady like you doing out here all alone in a place like this?” A distinctly voice cut through my thoughts.
The voice caused me to almost jump out of my skin. I looked up to find a young man standing a few front of me.
“I’m sorry,” he said, and he wore a smile that gave me chills on his face.
“Excuse me,” I said and slowly stood, “I’m just going home.”
“Would you like a ride home?”
“Uh no thanks,” I said and slowly backed around the swing that I had been seated on.
“I insist,” he told me holding his hand out.
He was handsome with closely cropped blonde hair and wild brown eyes. He looked safe enough, but there was just something about him that made me uneasy.
I shook my head and turned away and started running in the direction of my home.
He cursed in frustration, and I could hear him chasing after me.
“Help me,” I screamed to anyone that could hear me. “Help me.”
“Oomph,” I felt the impact of the man’s body colliding with my back. We rolled across the damp dew covered grass of the park until we stopped rolling with the man on top of me.
He had me pinned down, and I was unable to move my arms.
“Please,” I said, “let me go.”
He laughed.
“My mom is going to be looking for me.”
He laughed even harder, “little girls in the park at night never have anyone looking for them,” He said.
My eyes widened.
“I think it’s time for a little snack.”
And then I saw it, his canine teeth were extended to points. He was a vampire.
“No, no,” I started thrashing around as hard as I could.
“Stop moving around,” he said and slammed my back harder into the hard ground.
“Help!” I screamed, “Help!” I thrashed my head back and forth while he tried to expose my neck.
His sharps glistening fangs scraped my neck.
“Ouch,” I complained but I had stopped him from biting me.
He tried again.
Something inside of me snapped.
I wasn’t going to be his food.
This is what I had been training for my whole life.
Instinct kicked in, and I stopped all movements.
It surprised the teenage vampire on top of me, and he looked confused. I guess he was used to playing with his food.
Running on pure instinct, I brought my knee up as hard as I could.
“Little bitch,” he hissed as he rolled off of me.
Without even thinking I jumped to my feet and started running through the park.
I ran as fast as I could and struggled to run across the park away from the vampire whose footsteps weren’t far behind me. I was always the fastest in my group, but I didn’t think I could outrun a vampire.
“Oomph,” I stumbled over the same branch from earlier. Oh crap, I slipped down onto my knees. He was right behind me now. Stupid branch.
Branch?
Stake.
My training kicked in and picked up the stick.
“You won’t get away, little girl,” he snickered.
“No,” I said lowly.
“No, what?” He asked a smile forming on his face his fangs shining in the moonlight shining throughout the park.
I didn’t say anything and just lunged at him, my makeshift stake raised into the air.
He jumped back taken by surprise. I continued my assault on him, slashing back and forth.
“Grrr,” he growled at me and tried to avoid my weapon.
I decided to play the same game I had played before with him, and I raised my foot up and kicked him between his legs
again.
He fell down onto his knees.
I raised the stake, and he looked up at me aware of what I was about to do.
With no thought of the fear in his eyes, I brought my stake down like I had been taught.
With a quick strike, it went through his chest and penetrated his heart.
I watched as the light went out of his eyes.
“Oh my god,” I swallowed and brought my hands up to my mouth in shock.
His body fell over to the ground, and I watched as it seem to age in minutes before it was blowing away in the light night breeze.
Tears started streaming down my cheeks, I had killed someone. No, I corrected myself. Not someone. Something. It was a vampire.
Not even an hour earlier I had been cursing them and claiming to my mother that they didn’t even exist.
Now I knew. They were extremely real.
“Riley,” I could hear someone shouting in the distance.
“Riley,” another voice shouted, I recognized as my mother.
“Over here,” I yelled back. My arms wrapped around my body while I shivered in the chilly night air.
Within moments, my mom and Phillip my trainer were standing beside me.
“What happened?’ my mom said when she saw my face.
“I, uh, I,” I threw my arms around her. “I killed one.”
“Oh sweetie,” she said.
Phillip patted me on the shoulder and looked at the area where the vampire's body had been. All that remained was a light dusting of ash on the grass and the stick that I had used to kill him.
“Are you okay?” She asked me wiping the tears from my eyes.
I nodded, “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.” She held my face in her hands, “we were bound to have a fight like that sooner or later.” She looked over at the spot on the ground, “it must have been scary for you.”
“I’m okay.”
“Don’t brush it off like that,” she said looking at me again, “you were all alone and had to face your first vampire.”
“Really,” I told her even though my stomach was still churning on the inside.
“Let’s get you home and cleaned up,” she said wrapping her arm around my shoulders, “I’m going to get her home, thanks for helping me find her,” she told Phillip.
“You will be at training tomorrow,” Phillip said.
“Yes, sir,” I told him as my mother led me away.
Read the rest of Riley’s story in Blood Pact by Sharon Rose Mayes
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sharon lives in Lufkin, Texas with her two sons. She chronicles her daily life at her personal blog Not Your Mom Blog and has been active in the blogosphere for seven years. When she is not chasing her kids and playing soccer mom she writes and dreams of all of the places she can't wait to travel. Visit her at www.sharonrosemayes.com or on Twitter @sharonrose
Step, Step, Step
A new adult contemporary romance by Susan Burdorf
Alison Petway stepped inside the dance studio and wondered, for the thousandth time, why her best friend, Evie, ever thought she would want to do this. She would have run her hands through her hair, but the newly done braids, with their pretty white beads on the ends made it impossible. The hairdo had been a gift from Evie, too. Her brown eyes teared up at the thought of what Evie was doing to help her get over this divorce. She didn’t deserve a friend like that. She could never repay her for the thoughtfulness, but still, she had to wonder if her friend had gone mad.
What about me ever made her think this was a good idea? Alison thought as she walked to the back of the room toward the registration desk. At twenty four she had never thought to step foot in a dance studio, and especially not one that specialized in this type of exercise, but Evie had insisted she give a try.
Behind the waist high, horseshoe shaped desk stood a woman, tall and svelte without an ounce of fat on her slender frame which was encased in a tight black leotard. Her blond hair was pulled off her face in a tight bun from which a few tendrils of hair hung down the sides of her face. She was twirling one of the strands while talking to a shorter, stockier woman, also dressed in a tight black leotard that showed a good figure as well. Her thighs looked powerful, and Alison couldn’t see an ounce of fat on her even though she was heavier than the other woman.
“Hi, can I help you?” asked the woman behind the desk. Her smile was genuine, warm and welcoming. It set Alison’s mind at ease almost immediately.
“I can do this,” Alison encouraged herself, “it is only one class and then I can go and never come back and Evie will be proud of me for trying it, at least. That is, after all, all she asked me to do.”
“I’m Alison, Alison Petway,” she said as she made her way to the two of them.
“Okay, then, I will talk to you later Sherry,” said the other woman as she moved off. She picked up a towel and wiped the sweat off her face as she wandered to the other end of the room. Fiddling with her gym bag she watched as Alison and Sherry faced each other. Giving Alison an encouraging smile she nodded and walked through a curtain to the back room where Alison guessed the changing rooms were.
Alison looked around the clean gym that smelled of freshly squeezed oranges and carried a slight tinge of sweat that was not unpleasant at all. It smelled like how she had expected it to, but the layout was slightly different than she had expected.
That is when Alison gulped. Gleaming in front of her, and how she had missed them when she had first entered she had no idea, but blamed it on her nervousness, were eight shiny brassy looking poles. Anchored to the floor and covered with a dark grey felt matting that looked like a tree skirt, they reached up, up, up into the ceiling where they were anchored by a brass colored cup and some screws. Their thin pencil-like tube shape made her wonder how they could ever hold up anyone, let alone her 200 pounds…okay, 210 pounds.
And the nervousness returned full force. This was a mistake. A very large mistake. She needed to leave immediately. She would find a way to refund the fee her friend had paid on the discount shopping site she had purchased the trial offer from, but there was no way those poles would support her…um…ample and lush form.
Shaking her head she started to turn away, but stopped when the woman at the registration desk laughed softly and said, “Kind of intimidating, aren’t they?”
Alison, in spite of her resolve to beat a hasty, yet dignified retreat, just nodded. Her eyes wide, Alison took in the sight of all those poles reflected in the mirrors that lined two of the walls.
Thank God the front windows were blacked out so no one could see her make a fool of herself. And also, thanking whatever heavenly providence had intervened, she was grateful that no one else was in the room to see her make a fool of herself.
Because, somewhere between the “hello no,” she had just been thinking, and the kindness and understanding in the eyes of the woman in front of her, she decided to stay and give it a go.
Pole dancing couldn’t be all that hard, and her friend was right, judging by the toned and fit shapes of the two women she had met so far, she could probably benefit from a little toning and she might as well start now.
Since her husband of two years, Rudolph the Mattress King, had left her six months ago for a younger, firmer woman, she had been moping around, eating anything that came within grasping distance, and gaining weight and proving him right. She was undesirable as she was. Since skydiving was out—she had a deathly fear of flying—it looked like pole dancing would be her deliverance.
She could only hope the poles were sturdier than they looked.
The woman at the counter held out her hand and introduced herself.
“Hello, my name is Sherry and I want to welcome you to “Poles Apart”, yeah, I know it is a little corny, but I like it…” she chuckled at what Alison assumed was a private joke. Alison raised an eyebrow in confusion.
“Okay, so let’s see, I think I have you down for three private less
ons, right?” Sherry tapped the book in front of her.
Alison blinked in confusion, “I think there is some mistake. My friend, Evie, got me this as a gift and I am pretty sure she told me it was only good for one lesson, kind of like a trial…” Alison’s voice faded as Sherry wrinkled her brow and looked down again.
“Oh, yes, I remember now,” Sherry snapped her finger and chuckled, “your friend purchased one of those discounts we put on that internet shopping site, but then when she called to redeem it she said that she wanted two other visits and paid for those, also. I gave her the discounted price by the way, because she felt you would not ever go if you thought she had paid full price.”
Alison grinned in spite of herself, Evie knew her so well. Nothing ever got by her. She was surprised Evie wasn’t hiding somewhere in the building just to make sure she did it.
Alison fought back the tears that evidence of Evie’s love and support through everything that had been going on the last six months had brought out in her. What did she ever do to deserve such a wonderful friend?
“I’m sorry,” Alison said, realizing that Sherry had asked her something.
“I asked if you are ready to start or do you need to change?”
Sherry looked at Alison who had come dressed casually in black leggings and a large printed tank top.
“Um, this is it,” Alison said pointing to herself. “Am I dressed okay?”
“Are you comfortable?” Asked Sherry as she moved out from behind the desk. On her feet Alison noticed the other woman was wearing a stretchy sock that left her toes and heels bare like the athletic brace that you wore when your ankles hurt. Alison made a mental note to pick up some of those to wear, all she had with her were a pair of white socks, but noticing that both women had worn those kinds of socks she thought she would need those too.
“That is fine, then,” said Sherry. She squeezed Alison’s arm reassuringly, and Alison relaxed. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad.
An hour later, sweaty and sore, Alison thought better of her first impression. This was hard work! Just the warm up exercises had exhausted her. Sherry had taken her through the paces of warming up every part of her body and for thirty minutes she did jumping jacks, and scissor kicks, and sit ups and pushups until she felt her body would explode from all the torture.
“Okay,” Sherry said with a wide smile, “you did great, Alison. Why don’t you get some refreshments? There is lemon water or cucumber water on the table over there. Save the coffee for afterward,” she cautioned as Alison automatically reached for the hot beverage.
Blushing with embarrassment she got the water and poured a large glass which she sipped slowly as Sherry had instructed her to do. It did feel good going down and within minutes she could feel the sweat starting to ease and her body to stiffen, but not too uncomfortably.
“Okay, ready for the next step?” Sherry asked. She was holding one of the poles with her hands slightly above her head and her hips and legs aligned with the pole.
“This is a basic move, one that all beginners need to learn. Why don’t you grab that pole across from me and watch how we do it?”
Alison nodded and made her way to the suggested spot. She watched as Sherry positioned herself, breathed deeply, closed her eyes as if centering herself and lifted her body up into a position where she was gripping the pole while her legs were held straight out in front of her in a pike position that Alison remembered from her diving days in high school.
Sherry held that position for a count of thirty and then lowered her legs to the ground, sliding her hands down the pole lovingly before grinning at Alison.
“That didn’t look so hard, now did it?” Alison smiled back a little less enthusiastically than Sherry had.
“Now, why don’t you try it?” Sherry walked over to Alison and helped position her hands.
“Ready?” Sherry asked, looking Alison straight in the eyes. “You can do it,” she said to Alison, confidence rang out in her voice. “Just envision your body doing it.”
Alison closed her eyes, breathed deeply and willed her body into the position she had just witnessed Sherry achieve. And for just a second, one tiny little second, her body obeyed and leaped off the ground, but then gravity took over and she fell to the floor.
“That is okay, Alison,” Sherry said gripping her hand and pulling her up. Alison was shocked at how strong Sherry was. For someone so petite she had a grip like a vise, and Alison winced in pain when Sherry released her hand.
Sherry looked up at the clock as the front door opened and a couple of women came in laughing and playfully pushing each other as they joked and chatted. Alison envied them their slender forms and swinging ponytails.
She thought back to all the wigs she used to wear before she was married to Rudolph and remembered her own once slender body with regret. Someday, maybe today, she was going to work to get back to that. And this pole was the start of that resolve. She would not let Rudolph take from her the only thing she had left, her self-respect.
“So,” Sherry said when Alison joined her at the front desk, the other women who had just came in smiled at her without any rancor. They did not seem to mind that she probably weighed twice what they did, as a matter of fact one of them nodded to her encouragingly.
“Welcome,” said one of the women. “I am Leila, and how did you like your first lesson?”
“How did you know…?” Alison started to ask before being interrupted.
“Oh, I was here when your friend, Evie is it?” She continued speaking when Alison nodded, “Evie came in and got your class set up. Are you coming back? I hope you will. See that picture there?”
She pointed behind the desk where pictures of women of various shapes, sizes, and colors were posted. In every one of them the women were smiling and in some they had the thumbs up sign going.
“That’s me, well, it used to be me,” said Leila with a grin.
Alison looked at her in surprise. The picture she pointed to showed a shy looking girl with about forty extra pounds from the girl who stood before her.
“And that was me,” said the other girl, a pretty Asian girl with long black hair and a devilish smile. She looked about twenty or so pounds lighter now than the girl in the picture did, but what really impressed Alison was how outgoing she appeared now, compared to the shy girl in the picture.
“Okay, girls, don’t scare her away,” Sherry said laughing as she shooed them to the back. “Your class starts in ten minutes, you better get ready.”
“Yes, Ma’am,” said Leila with a wink at Alison she saluted Sherry before hurrying to the back room with the Asian girl.
Sherry chuckled and turned back to Alison. “Okay, so do you want to schedule your next lesson?”
“I’m not too sure about that…” Alison said rubbing her behind which was sore and was certain would have a huge bruise on it before long.
“Falls are part of any recovery,” Sherry said kindly, “you cannot let a little pain stop you from reaching your goals.”
Sherry paused, biting her lower lip as she considered her next words, “Alison, don’t be mad, but Evie told me a little bit about your circumstances.”
Alison wasn’t surprised. Evie was her biggest supporter, but she was also a horrible gossip. Alison just hoped she hadn’t told her everything. There were some things best left buried.
“I hope you know that not one of us here is without a story of our own just as tragic in its own way as yours is. We always support and encourage here, it is my mantra. If you want a pity-party this is not the place to be.”
This last was said with kindness and delivered in a voice that had slipped into a soft southern drawl that took the sting from the words.
Alison appreciated the kick in the pants, she was beyond the pity-party stage herself. She looked at Sherry and straightened her shoulders, this was the easiest decision she had ever made.
“So, what does next Saturday morning look like?” Alison asked Sherry.
> Sherry’s smile could have lit up the darkest night because it sure lit up the darkness that had been hovering in Alison’s heart, between the two of them settled on one more lone student class at 8am the next Saturday and then Sherry said the dreaded words.
“Now Alison, we need to talk about a few things before we proceed with any more classes.”
Sherry came around the desk and pulled on Alison’s arm, bending it until her palm faced Sherry and the wrist was pointed up.
“We have to increase your wrist and ankle strength. If I give you some suggested exercises and a diet plan, will you follow until the end of the lessons? They will help you in more ways than just pole dancing…”
Alison found herself nodding. She had avoided the word “diet” for a long time, finding that blaming her weight for Rudy’s leaving her took some of the sting of the guilt she felt for her lack of self-confidence that had helped destroy her marriage. What man wanted to be married to a woman with her problems? Between weight, lack of self-esteem and the hopelessness that had come with the doctor’s announcement that she would never have children, their marriage had been doomed almost from the start. She could hardly blame Rudy from looking elsewhere for that happy life he had envisioned for himself.
After a few more minutes of conversation Sherry handed out a diet plan and exercise suggestions. Alison nodded at everything Sherry said and read the diet plan over. It did not look so hard, she could do this.
Evie met her at the door to the Free Will Baptist Church and asked her how it had gone.
“Three lessons? What are you, some kind of sadist?” Alison started then laughed at Evie’s apologetic expression.
“The woman said you really needed to try it more than once for it to have any effect…” she started to explain.
“It’s okay,” Alison said laughing and patting her best friend’s arm, “I actually enjoyed all the pain.”
“Hmmmm…” Evie said with a twinkle in her eye, “that worries me a little.”
“Ladies,” said a deep voice from behind them.
Both women turned in shock when Rudy walked by them with his mistress, Sadie Grover, on his arm.
Sadie shot Alison a smug look and gripped Rudy’s arm tighter. She was already pregnant Alison had heard last week and her dress, tight and a bright red like a hooker’s lips, showed a small baby bump in front.
Alison’s good mood faded away as she watched her ex-husband and the woman who had broken up their marriage sashay into the church and greet her friends as if she were not there.
“Hey,” Evie said with a concerned look on her face, “remember this, ‘once a cheater, always a cheater’…do you think for one minute either one of them will be happy? She just wants his money, and he just wants…well, he is a man, we all KNOW what he wants.”
“Good riddance to bad rubbish, I know…” Alison sighed, regret still in her voice. She wasn’t sure if it was the loss of her husband that bothered the most, or the loss of the dream that made it worse. She could never be a mother, never know the joy of having a child in her arms that she had made.
And in the middle of that melancholy thought she misstepped as she walked into the church and nearly knocked down a man standing in the doorway talking to the preacher.
She felt a strong hand on her arm keeping her from falling.
“Are you okay, miss?” his voice was gentle and his brown eyes worried about her as he held her arm a little longer than he needed to.
“Oh…ummm…yes, I’m okay. Thank you…” Alison found herself lost in the beautiful smile and soulful eyes of her rescuer.
“Oh, Alison,” said the preacher as he smiled at her, “let me introduce you to my cousin, Clarence Gilliam. Clarence just moved to town this week. He is opening a law office on Main Street this week. I wonder if it wouldn’t be too much of an imposition, if you could possibly show him around, don’t you still work for the real estate office?”
Alison nodded, Preacher Gilliam knew very well that she was a real estate agent. She sensed a set up here and looked back at Evie who returned her look with an innocent one of her own.
“I would love to. Do you know what part of town you and your wife would like to live in?”
“Oh, I’m not married,” he said laughing pleasantly as he walked into the church with Alison and Evie. Evie stayed behind them and when Alison slipped into her usual pew she noticed Evie sat behind her and Clarence sat down next to her.
Turning to look at Evie she was not surprised to see her friend engrossed in the hymnal as the organist began playing the first song. Clarence drew her attention away before she could speak to Evie. He tapped her arm and pointed to the hymnals in front of her in the pocket they rested in. She reached in to get one for him. As she handed it to him he brushed her hand and the warmth his touch brought to her with her on her bare skin was pleasant and unexpected.
Looking to the front as the preacher invited the congregation to stand she noticed Rudy looking back at her with confusion. Clarence leaned over and whispered something in her ear that made her smile and Rudy’s expression darkened before Sadie, catching sight of him looking at Alison, tugged on his arm and put her hand protectively over her gravid belly.
They were lost to her vision as Alison lost herself in the music as she always did. One thing she had never lost her desire for was singing. She loved to sing and wasn’t ashamed to let others know it.
Alison was pleased when Clarence’s deep bass joined her soft soprano as she sang the opening hymn.
After church as they exited Clarence made arrangements with her to meet to look for a house. Already her mind was on several homes she thought he might like and one, in particular, that was still on the market was one she thought would be perfect for him. It was one she had always hoped she and Rudy could purchase, but he had not wanted to live in that part of town and had told her no, in no uncertain terms would he ever live there. It was the perfect house for a family with its wraparound porch, large fenced in front yard, four bedrooms and large backyard with a tree and a swing just waiting for a child to enjoy.
The owners, an elderly couple, had put it on the market a year ago and then mysteriously withdrew it from sale. But Alison had noticed just last week that it was back for sale. She had wanted to go see it anyway.
Making a mental note she decided to call to set up an appointment to take Clarence there first. After a few minutes more of conversation with some other members of the church, Alison made her way to the parking lot.
When she reached her car she was disappointed to see Rudy leaning against it. Looking around she did not see Sadie anywhere. Wondering what Rudy was up to she made her way reluctantly to the car. Taking out her keys she clicked the unlock as a hint to him that she had no time to talk.
“Alison,” Rudy said leaning away from the car as she approached.
“Rudy,” Alison stopped a good six feet from him and looked around the parking lot. Shockingly she realized no one was there, she was alone with Rudy. Turning she started to make her way back toward the church when Rudy, hurrying behind her, caught up to her. Taking her by the arm roughly he forced her to stop.
“Let me go,” Alison said, her voice cold hoping he would get the hint.
“Alison,” he spoke softly, rubbing her arm where he held it firmly in his grip, “now, honey, don’t be like this.”
“Don’t be like, what?” Alison asked him as she jerked her arm away.
“We can still be friends, can’t we?” he was whining now.
Alison looked at him in disbelief. What game was he playing at, now? He was the one who left her for that…that…woman…and yet here he was acting like he wanted to be with her again. What was he up to?
“Where’s Sadie?” she asked him, stepping away.
She would have walked back to the church but he was blocking her from leaving. Flanking her on both sides were cars, and he was standing between her and the entrance to the building. She could step back and around the cars to g
et away if she needed to, but she did not imagine Rudy was much of a threat right now.
“She went home, she isn’t feeling well,” Rudy grimaced, “this baby thing may not have been such a brilliant idea on my part.” He confessed, and Alison had a feeling she was about to find out more than she wanted to about the relationship between Sadie and Rudy.
“Well, you wanted a family,” Alison looked up the path hopefully, but no one was coming yet.
“Yeah, well, it is really just not what I expected,” Rudy finished lamely.
“Oh? Sorry to hear that. If you will excuse me, Rudy, I have to go find Evie.”
Rudy didn’t move.
“Who was that you were sitting with in church today?” Rudy finally blurted out.
For a minute Alison was confused, what difference did it make to Rudy who she sat with?
“Not that it is any of your business, but that was the preacher’s cousin, and he is looking to buy a house. I am a real estate agent you know.”
“Oh, yeah,” Rudy still didn’t move.
“I don’t like him,” Rudy said as he moved closer to Alison, “he seems shifty to me.”
“Seriously?!” Alison said laughing, “you have the nerve to talk about someone being ‘shifty’ after what you did?”
“That was different,” Rudy said sidling closer to her, Alison could smell his cologne, and for just a moment she was back in time, back to when they were together.
And that was when Rudy made his move, “Come on, baby, you know you want me back. I see how you look at me. We could make it work again,” and he leaned over so close that she could smell Sadie’s perfume on him, and before she could protest, he grabbed her and pulled her closer and began kissing her. Big, wet, sloppy kisses that disgusted and repulsed her instead of exciting her.
Pushing him away she tried to release his hold on her, but he suddenly seemed to have grown eight arms because every time she loosened one grip he grabbed her someplace else.
“Stop it!” She gasped out.
And then, suddenly as if a light had been switched off, he was off her and lying on the ground. Straddling his prone body was Clarence. He wore a murderous expression and behind him several other parishioners were staring at her and Rudy with shocked expressions.
Alison straightened her clothes and closed her eyes. A second later Clarence was holding her up and asking if she was okay.
She felt the hardness of the parking lot beneath her, and the softness of Clarence’s comforting arms around her as he fanned her with something. She opened her eyes and looked up at him in consternation.
“Well, this is a little embarrassing,” Alison said with a nervous giggle as she accepted his help up. He was stronger than his slight frame had made him appear as he easily lifted her from the ground to a standing position.
Rudy was nowhere to be seen.
“Are you okay, sugar?” said Evie as she pushed Clarence out of the way to hug her.
“I am now,” Alison said with a quiver. She looked gratefully at Clarence who returned her smile with a brilliant one of his own.
“Preacher is talking to Rudy right now. I hope he is telling him to stay away from church for a while. The nerve of him, attacking you like that! And he has a pregnant wife at home who needs him!”
“Okay, well, I will see you tomorrow then?” Clarence asked as Evie led Alison away.
Alison looked at him with confusion…oh, yes, the house.
“Yes, I am looking forward to it. And thank you,” Alison said as Evie opened the car door and helped Alison in.
“Just call me your knight in shining armor,” he said with a courtly bow, “rescuing damsels in distress is my second job…”
Alison laughed and he joined in as she started the car and drove off with a jaunty wave.
She was thrilled to realize he was not disgusted by what he had witnessed. Instead, he wanted to see her—just as she was now—damaged and broken she was still a whole person in his eyes.
That interest gave her the confidence she needed to change.
And so, for the next week Alison followed the instructions Sherry had given her. She cleaned out her refrigerator and shopped for healthy food. She joined the local gym and started an exercise program to build up the strength in her arms and wrists as well as the rest of her body.
And it paid off. She felt her confidence rising, her weight dropping, and her love for life returning. Of course, spending time with Clarence didn’t hurt any of that either.
They were visiting houses several times a week with a dinner afterward that they always ate in places that suited her diet. Alison was feeling more and more beautiful the more time she spent with Clarence.
The only disappointment had been the house she had wanted to show him had sold before they could visit it. She had driven by it on the way to another house in the neighborhood and had stopped to look at the sign with its large red SOLD letters on it.
After the third class Alison had found herself enjoying the classes so much that she decided to continue. She was now able to do several tricks on the pole and as the weight kept dropping off she found her strength made it possible for her to do more.
She always started her routines with the Step, Step, Step move to get her into the swing of things and found it was a good philosophy for her life. She was taking each change in her new world with a step in the right direction, a step into her new abilities with confidence and a step into the unknown without fear.
Rudy had not bothered her since his attempt to convince her to rekindle their sex life in his crude way, and kept a healthy distance from her in church.
About three months after starting her lessons Alison walked into the studio to see Sherry hanging up some banners and flyers.
“What is that for?” she asked as she set her bag down. She flexed her shoulders and put on her outfit to begin her classes.
“Oh, we are having a studio contest for a possible entry into the Regionals competition.”
“Really, when are the try outs?”
“A month, you want to enter? They have a beginners’ classification.”
“Oh gosh, do you think I could?” Alison stopped her warm ups to look at Sherry with interest. It might be fun, even if she didn’t do well, she could at least give it a go. She had already, between the diet suggestions, the exercises Sherry had suggested, and her workouts at the studio lost about forty pounds, with only around twenty more to get to her goal weight.
Sherry stopped to consider Alison’s comments. “I think you could, but we would have to up the difficulty of some of your moves, the stuff you are doing now is pretty basic. We would have to add some higher moves…”
Alison gulped. The one thing they had shied away from was putting Alison any higher on the pole than she already was because of her fear of heights, Alison was afraid she wouldn’t be able to do it and might hurt herself trying.
“I think you are ready to do it, Alison,” Sherry said, “You have come so far already.”
Alison nodded. It was true, she was already doing more than she had ever thought she might be able to do. She had wrestled with a lot of demons, both real and imagined, since starting this class. What was one more?
“But, you have to want to do it, Alison, or it will not be any fun. And if it is not fun, then you will not work at it the way you will need to. We will have to add a few more classes too, to help you and we will need to come up with a costume for you. Something glittery, I know you will hate that…” Sherry’s eyes twinkled with merriment at that last comment. They both knew Alison was the glitter queen, and anything sparkly always caught her eye.
“I think I am going to do it!” Alison said.
Working hard over the next few weeks Alison found she was braver than she thought. The last practice class before the competition which was in two days, found her in the middle of an intricate move higher on the pole than she had ever been before. She was exhilarated at the freedom she felt as she moved and twiste
d into the pretzel shape she and Sherry had been working on. Then she made the mistake of looking down. She lost her grip as her vertigo set in, and she fell onto the floor, hard, onto her ankle which she heard pop.
“Alison!” Sherry rushed over and lifted her up from the floor and helped her to a chair at the other end of the room.
Alison groaned when Sherry touched the ankle and tried not to cry.
The door opened and in walked Clarence. Alison looked at him with such a pitiful look that he rushed to her side and picked her up, cradling her close he let her cry against his nice suit. Alison finally gulped her tears back and said that she was okay.
“I think she needs to see a doctor,” Sherry told him. “I heard it pop from across the room so I know it has to hurt.”
When they got to the emergency room they x-rayed then taped her ankle.
“Stay off it for a few days,” the doctor told her when the x-rays came back, “It is not broken, so we will just leave the tape on it, but it will be swollen for a while. And pretty sore to walk on.”
Alison, trying to keep the disappointment from her face, nodded at the doctor’s words.
Several days off the ankle meant she would miss out on the competition. And she had worked so hard on it.
Clarence, sensing her mood, helped her out to his car without a word. He squeezed her arm when he set her in the car and closed the door. When he got into his side of the car he started the engine and then turned off the car.
“Have I told you lately how much I love you?” he said quietly not looking at her while he spoke.
“I know you are disappointed that you cannot compete this time, but there will be other chances, and I know you will do it when the time is right.”
Alison let the tears fall at his kind words. The love he felt for her was returned tenfold by her to him and she was not sure she could say it.
But then, somehow she found the words, “I love you, too.” She whispered.
And he took her in his arms, kissing her with such a depth of emotion that she wondered how she had ever thought Rudy was the man of her dreams, because it was obvious that Clarence was the one her heart had been waiting for.
When they finally left the hospital Clarence took the long way home. Holding her hand they drove in silence. Their proclamations of the love they felt for each all they needed to say for now.
They turned onto the street with the house she had wanted to sell to him and he pulled across the street from it. The sign in the front yard said SOLD and Alison sighed in regret.
“I wanted to sell that house to you, for your family.”
“I know.” Clarence smiled at her.
How had he known, Alison wondered. Then Evie popped into her head and she blessed her friend for her gossipy ways.
“I can’t have children.” Alison confessed.
“I know, and it doesn’t matter to me,” Clarence turned to her with a tiny glittering diamond in his hand, “I don’t need a big family if I have you. Will you marry me?”
Alison looked from him to the ring in disbelief, she couldn’t have children and he still wanted to marry her?
“Yes, Oh yes!” She found herself crying out as more tears fell. He put the ring on her finger, it caught the light in its many facets sending out a glittering rainbow to surround her.
“Now,” said Clarence as he opened the car door, “do you want to see your new home?”
“What? You bought it? But how…?”
“I am a very good lawyer,” Clarence said with a laugh as he leapt from the car and walked to the other side to help her out.
As he carried her across the threshold of their new house Alison marveled at the way of the world.
Step one, make a plan; step two, put that plan into motion; step three, let God do the rest.
Read more about these characters in Clementine, My Darling set to be released late 2014.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Susan Burdorf hails from the Nashville area of Tennessee where she can often be found walking the trails on the greenways, chasing her grandchildren, or looking for the next elusive story line! Releasing this year will be several books including A Cygnet's Tale, The Last Talisman, Summer Boy, and several more without firm release dates. Susan loves to hear from her fans and hopes they will come speak to her at any of her scheduled appearances. Visit her at www.facebook.com/susan.burdorf or on Twitter @susanburdorfauthor
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