Earthbound Angels Part 1: The Heartthrob Fallen Celestial Stories Collection (11 page)

Simon saw his chance slipping away. "Dreama, let
me walk you out," he said.

"Oh, Simon, that's not really necessary," she
said but then she caught a look from Holli. "However, that would be
nice. Thank you."

After hugging Hollianne and Erick, she and Simon
headed back down the large, long hallway. Eli was waiting at the
front door with her coat. Dreama never could understand how Eli
knew these things. It was almost as if he was psychic at times.

Simon helped her into her coat and they walked
outside to her car.

Just before he opened the car door for her to
get inside, Simon turned to face Dreama.

"I know you need to leave," he said, almost
panicking as he felt his throat constricting in his nervousness.
"But I wanted to ask you if you might be free some evening this
week. I thought we might go out for dinner or something. If you're
really busy, maybe we can meet for a drink." By the time he
finished, he was already wincing. It wasn't the best delivery he
had ever done. What must she think?

But Dreama's smile was brilliant as she looked
up at him. "I would love that, Simon," she said. "Let me just check
my calendar and see what my schedule is like. Also, I've got to see
how things go with my new patient, but I should at least be able to
manage a drink, if nothing else."

"Great!" Simon smiled back. "I'll wait to hear
from you."

Opening the door for her, he stepped back as she
got into the driver's seat.

"Be careful going home," he said. "And I really
enjoyed getting to see you tonight."

"Me, too," Dreama said. "I'll call you
tomorrow."

"I look forward to it," he said just before
shutting the car door.

After she started the car engine, she gave him a
little wave before driving away.

Simon watched her as she drove down the long
driveway until she was out of sight. He was kind of glad that she
couldn't see him now because he didn't want her to see the huge,
goofy smile that he was wearing as he returned to the house.

AFTER THE INCREDIBLE evening that Simon had
spent with Dreama the night before at Erick and Hollianne's, he was
more convinced than ever that she was the woman he was meant to
have.

Of course, Holli had pumped him for details when
he had re-entered the house after seeing Dreama to her car. Since
he knew it would do no good to try to ignore her, he confessed that
he had asked Dreama out and that she had said yes. They just needed
to figure out how to work it around her schedule right now, and
whether that schedule would allow her time for dinner or only a
drink. Either way, he was happy that she seemed interested. Holli
couldn't almost contain her excitement, telling him that if he
hadn't made his move that night she would have made sure there
would be another dinner as soon as she could arrange it, to give
both of them their chance.

He had also made another decision, now that
Dreama had agreed to go out with him.

There was going to be no sneaking around. He was
proud to be seen with Dreama and wanted the world to know that he
was dating her.

Of course, he might be putting the cart before
the horse here, but somehow he didn't think so.

That's why he had thought through the whole
thing about Raven and had reached a conclusion.

Simon had decided to tackle the problem of
telling Raven that she wouldn't be his date for Erick and
Hollianne's wedding as soon as possible.

He figured that it would be simpler to do this
in a very non-public venue so he had invited her over to his house
for dinner that night.

KARL, EVER THE perfect chef, had created a meal
using many of Raven's favorite dishes.

When she arrived, dinner itself went well and
was, of course, delicious. Karl had prepared a particularly
flavorful seafood casserole with a salad and freshly baked bread as
sides. For dessert, they had strawberry shortcake made with fresh,
newly picked ripe strawberries and topped with homemade whipping
cream.

But when he finally decided to tell her the
unwelcome news, he never expected her to react quite the way she
had.

Raven started screaming at the top of her lungs
right in the middle of his living room. He was stunned at the
bizarre tantrum before he finally realized that he had to stop
her.

Standing up, he crossed the room to where Raven
stood still ranting and raving and put his rather hands on her
shoulders. She moved to throw herself at him but his arms were like
steel.

He looked her directly in the eyes.

"Raven, stop this right now," he calmly
commanded. "You are behaving like a child. You're only embarrassing
yourself. What would your father think when he sees you like
this?

Raven was momentarily struck silent. The
expression on her face was a combination of outrage and anger. She
had been used to getting her way and was enraged that nothing was
going to plan.

She was sure that once that bitch of a sister
had the opportunity to be with Simon, she would grab it with both
of her greedy hands. Why did she get everything that Raven wanted?
It never occurred to Raven that she only felt desperate of wanting
something when she saw that Dreama wanted it, too, or that if it
had been a person, that someone liked her more than Raven.

Glaring at Simon, she did at least manage to
stop yelling. But Simon had heard more than enough of the words she
had yelled at him in her rage.

"I cannot understand why you would think Holli had
a way with this when you're not even in the arrangements to begin
with. And you don't even
like
the woman. You have made that fact abundantly clear ever
since you met her. Why do you even dislike her so much? You don't
even know her before she became Erick's fiancee. Was it because
Erick fell in love with someone like her, instead of someone like
you?"

Raven looked like she had been slapped. "How
dare you?"

He shrugged his shoulders "I've known you enough
time to find this reason logical. Maybe you wanted Erick for
yourself. I don't know. But whatever reason that you're so angry
over this, you must get a grip. Do you hear me?"

Slowly, Raven nodded while still staring at
Simon in complete amazement. He had never spoken to her that way.
They both know that everything that he'd said was true. Raven knew
for a long time that her behavior had become unwelcomed in many
circles, and that it was just her father's clout that was
protecting her from the backlash. But no one had ever faced her and
told her exactly how bad she was.

She wasn't sure that she liked it, but
strangely, she appreciated Simon more because of it. She had never
met a man who could measure up to her. It made the possibility of
losing him to Dreama more intolerable.

And therefore, unacceptable. She had to find a
way to turn things around her way. This wasn't over by a long shot.
But for now, she would have to drop it.

She plastered the most pitiful expression on her
face. Looking tearful helped, too. "I... I'm sorry," she finally
whispered. "I'm not sure what got into me. You're right, of course.
I was making a big deal out of something that really isn't."

Simon was looking at her strangely. "Good," he
said. But he still looked... unconvinced. How could he not be? This
expression had never failed her before. "You must know that I don't
enjoy speaking to you that way, but it was necessary that you know
the truth."

"I still don't know why Hollianne wouldn't want
me at the wedding," Raven pouted.

Instead of following that thread, he asked,
"What's so wrong with her that you act this way?"

"I honestly don't know what it is," Raven
replied. "She just grates on my nerve."

"But that makes no sense, Raven. There has to be
a reason that you don't like her."

"She's just so perfect or something. No one is
that sweet!"

"Maybe Hollianne is that sweet simply because
all the things she's been through had made her realize that being
bitter will not change anything but make things worse for her."

"Oh no, I don't believe that. By acting sweet, I
believe she'd set a trap for Erick!"

He actually looked disagreeable. She couldn't
understand that he could still be so ignorant after being such a
smart lawyer!

"You can't actually believe she's not putting an
act!"

"He fell in love with her, Raven, all on his
own. If you know Erick as I do, you would also know that he will
never fall for a trap. Hollianne is a great person, that's it. And
it's time that you try to accept that."

And that was when Raven realized that after all
his politeness, Simon Draco hadn't liked her at all; and that her
hope that he would one day see that she was the perfect woman for
him would be an almost impossible feat.

Who is it,
she seethed.
Who is the woman that he's in love with? It is the
only explanation. There is someone else, and she's the reason why I
can't seduce him. She's the reason why he can't see how great we
are together!

RAVEN REMAINED SULLEN and silent throughout
Simon's admonishment. He could tell that she hadn't totally caved,
but at least she had calmed down. But he had a hunch that he would
not like whatever thoughts were racing through her head at the
moment.

He was right.

Raven was thinking that her sister would be at
Erick and Hollianne's wedding, too. She had noticed lately that
Simon had been looking at Dreama the way she had been hoping he
would look at
her.
Aside from
that, Raven had once been so sure that once she got Simon in a
wedding environment, she could make him turn to her in a different
way. Finding out that he would walk the isle with Dreama holding on
to her arm had made her realized that her sister would be reaping
what she had planned to reap for herself!

Dreama was not going to get Simon. Raven had
decided that a long time ago. If Raven couldn't have him, her
sister certainly wasn't going to walk off into the sunset with
him.

It wasn't as if Dreama had actually been looking
at Simon that way, though. Raven had to admit that Dreama didn't
show any interest in Simon at all other than as maybe an older
brother or something. But who knew what could happen at a wedding
where they would both be looking gorgeous with so much romance
around them?

Well, Raven might shut up for now, but she was
more determined than ever to get into that wedding. She just had to
figure out how.

"Fine, Simon, I said that you're right. I over
reacted and I apologize. Now, please, can we talk about something
else?"

"I would love to talk about anything else,"
Simon said. "But I need you to promise me that you're not going to
do anything stupid regarding this wedding."

"What on earth are you talking about?"

"You know what I'm talking about. I don't want
you to show up at that wedding and cause a scene. If you do
anything to ruin Erick and Holli's special day, believe me, you
will be sorry. And this isn't even about you anymore. Remember that
your father had been working hard to get Erick to support a big
event that will help a lot of people in grief-stricken areas for
the Holidays?"

"He's only doing this to promote the firm," she
said nonchalantly, and knew she had made a mistake because of the
way Simon was looking at her. "I m-mean, it's part of the
promotional campaign for Christmas. Dad's not really serious about
it."

Simon had been with Raven's father when the
project had been discussed. Raven didn't know it, but a friend's
passing due to a storm while he was out of the country and into one
that had been severely devastated had affected the older man so
much that he'd decided to use his clout to raise funds for disaster
stricken areas in the globe. Had Raven even known about the dead
family friend? It just seemed that she didn't.

"I'm just telling you -- don't cause trouble on
Holli's special day. Do you understand?"

"How can you choose her over me?"

"I'm not choosing anyone here, Raven. I'm just
telling you that if you hurt Holli in any way, you're going to have
to contend with Erick Angell. I mean what I say. If you want us to
remain friends, then you'll stay away from that wedding. Promise
me."

"Okay, Simon, I promise," Raven replied
petulantly as she crossed her fingers behind her back.

She could see that she had a lot of work to do
to get Simon to see her way -- and a lot to make sure her sister
would not be able to snatch him under her nose. She had to let
things go for now to be able to start making plans about what to do
in the next several days. She needed to ensure she would have her
future with this man by her side.

She could not stand by if Dreama gets him! She
absolutely could not!

She would kill before she would let that bitch
get away with taking what's rightfully hers again!

"THIS IS AMBER Barrows with Channel 13, and I'm
standing in front of the courthouse where we're told that Andrew
Martin, just found not guilty of a near deadly assault on his
ex-girlfriend, Pamela Stevens, will be coming out to talk to us.
He's coming out now with his attorney, Simon Draco, who seemed to
dazzle the jury and the court with evidence that Andrew could not
have possibly assaulted Pamela Stevens. Not only that, but he
proved that another man had committed the crime even though that
man had been questioned and crossed off the list of suspects. We've
been instructed not to release the name of this man due to the
arrest not having been made. Mr. Draco, how did you discover that
your client wasn't guilty?"

Simon smiled directly into the camera before he
replied.