It was a hot day, more so than usual. I preferred slightly cool air. I was at the office at six. Nobody was in. I sat at the computer, typing in all possible keywords, trying to solve a frustrating case. The solution, I knew, was just around the bend. I just needed to walk a little further.
And I was right. There was a clause that stated a way out for my client. And this shot was foolproof. There was no way those idiots opposing me were going to throw back on this.
"Hah!" I stood up, hands in the air as I tasted my victory. I printed out the page I needed, and rushed downstairs. The others were just beginning to come in. I had my keys in one hand and the briefcase in the other. I got out, running to my car. I had just an hour to prep my client.
It happened when I was a little away from my car. I was running, and I bumped into a man. He was walking in opposite direction to me, and I didn't see him until he was too close. I ran headlong into his shoulder, tripping. I steadied myself, but dropped my keys. I bent down, picked them up and turned to look at the man. I hoped I didn't hurt him.
"Sorry, I'm in a hurry," I looked at the guy, fleetingly apologized and ran back to my car. I drove like a maniac to my client's apartment.
The case turned out to be just what I had thought. Although I didn't expect the opposing counsel to slow bleed to death. Metaphorically, of course!
I don't usually like sympathizing with anybody in the courtroom. They are either there because they have the power to hurt people, or because they were stupid enough to get hurt. Rarely there are genuinely hurt ones. But then again, it's not the place for mercy show.
I know, I sound like hard-hearted cruel bitch. But I don't like emotion in the courtroom, that's all. I try my best to help out everybody if they deserve it.
I love being a lawyer. The thrill and the mental excitement are my kicks. But at times, too much of a thing is bitter. This case had been on trial for months. After working straight through the night, I had cracked this. Now I just wanted NO discussion on that topic.
I walked down the street of my office, my stomach rumbling. I was running on endless cups of coffee and one burger last evening. I was about to walk into the hotel where all my coworkers and I usually ate, when I saw my colleague, Dennis sitting inside. I knew he would track me down in there and talk loudly about the case until the whole café, filled with lawyers and paralegals would badger me for a detailed walk-through.
I quickly walked past the doors, hoping no one would notice me.
There was another café down the road, after a turn. I remembered suddenly that they served nice pancakes, so I took my hungry stomach there.
I sat at a corner table, waiting for the waiter to come take my order. Just then, a waitress arrived, carrying a nice, syrupy pancake, to MY table. She laid it down, just as I said, "excuse me, but I didn't order yet." She just pointed at the pancake. I looked at it.
And written on the pancake with chocolate syrup, was a number, with a smiley. I looked back at her, and she pointed to a man, siting at the breakfast bar. He flashed me a smile; I felt like it was one of the most real smiles I had ever seen.
Oh God! What was I to do? And how did he know I wanted pancakes? I mean I hadn't even ordered, or spoken a word in that place.
I looked him over. You couldn't call him short, but he wasn't tall either. Just perfect height. I couldn't make out the color of his eyes, he sat too far for that, but they were bright. He was wearing a deep green shirt, and a pair of blue jeans. His smile, as I said earlier, made me feel happy. Like singing songs and dancing madly happy, for no apparent reason.
In that moment, I just decided to roll with whatever was happening. I smiled back at the guy, took out my phone and took a picture of the cake. And then, I started digging in.
Hmm. The pancake was awesome. I looked back at the guy, who was eating Pancake too, perched on a high stool. He looked at me; we smiled at each other; and we continued eating.
We stole glances at each other throughout the meal. He was cute; there was certain sexiness in his body language. His movements were graceful. I wanted to keep on staring at him.
I had never felt like this. Happy. Good. Peaceful. If I ever admired a guy, or even checked him out, I kept the admiration secret. But this one, I wanted to get closer and closer. That bewildered me a little. And I don't like confusion. I'm usually very decisive.
When we finished, (together, incidentally) he got up, and walked over. I was suddenly a little nervous. I hadn't talked to guy like this for a long time.
"Hello there."
"Hey." I smiled. A real smile. Not one I flashed to scare people away, OR make them less afraid.
"May I sit with you?" he waved towards the empty seat across me. "Sure, why not."
He slipped in the seat in one smooth fluid motion. Now that he sat close, I saw his eyes were a warm fuzzy brown. He looked bright. I don't know why said that, but he did.
"Did you like the Pancake?" He asked me.
"Yeah, uh, yeah. It was delicious. I have never tasted one that good. And that decorative either." I winked at him.
"Yeah, well, I always had a good sense of aesthetics. If only I had time to do the whole café," he laughed. I laughed with him. It was infectious, and free.
"Good for you that I like chocolate syrup. And how did you know I would order Pancakes, and that I liked them? It was a chance. Like coffee is universal, most people like it. Not all people like Pancakes. What if I didn't like them?" I asked him. I was surprised. I didn't talk so much. Not anymore, anyway.
"Oh, I just read your mind as you entered the café. You look like a pancake person anyway."
"Yeah right. You read my mind. That is the line I haven't heard. You're something new, uh – "Gabriel. My name is Gabriel."
"Gabriel. My name is- why don't you read it in my mind. I'll think it." I said, trying to be funny.
"Okay. You're on." He simply said.
I was a little intrigued. I decided to play a trick. I kept repeating the name Hannah in my head. Hannah was my neighbor.
"Hmm, okay, so you want to play it like that." He said. "Like what?"
"Tricking me. Your name is Margaret Beth Greene. But for some reason you're repeating 'Hannah' in your head. Who by the way, is- Um, wait a minute," he closed his eyes and screwed his face in concentration, "who is your Neighbor. Ha!"
I was shocked. Thoroughly. I just stared at Gabriel, my mouth threatening to fall open. "How the hell did you know that? Do you know me?" I was half scared; but I asked him very calmly, and with what I hoped was a tad threatening face.
"Hey. Don't get scared. Or call 911."
"Stop reading my mind!" I almost had raised my voice. But I didn't. "Who are you? How do you know my full name, and my neighbors? What do you want from me?"
"Okay, okay, one question at a time. I'm Gabriel. I know your name because I can truly read minds. Not just what you are thinking right now. But whatever you have ever known or thought. Like a book, that's being written in present time. And all I want with you is another Date." He answered, very calmly.
"That's bull." I don't know why, but Gabriel's calmness had calmed me down too. I wasn't a hysterical person anyway. "People can't read minds; at least not the way you say. It's possible to fathom the train of thought. But you need to know the person extremely well. I don't know you. So it makes sense that you, somehow, know more about me then you are letting on."
"You are right. People can't read minds, at all. Perhaps psychics, very powerful ones. But I am not like People at all. Neither am I psychic. Also I do know more about you than I let on, because I just read your mind."
"You're not like people? What are you, if not human?"
"I'm an angel, love. An Archangel at that." He stated, simply, as though it was as common a fact as the sun rising in east and setting in the west.
"Yeah. Right. Angel. Archangel, you said?" he nodded. I found it hard to believe this. "It's not every day the Seraphim come to you with pancake with their number on it." I knew my bible well enough to know that Gabriel was indeed one of the four Archangels' names. "I really admire the trick. But I'm not convinced." I said, as I angled to get up.
"Then maybe I should show you another trick." He said, extending his hand toward me. I froze in my seat, not knowing what he would do. His hand rested on my hand which lay on the table.
And in the next minute, we both were sitting on MY couch, in MY living room, of MY Apartment! I just stared at the surrounding for a minute. "Hey! What the- well, definitely not Hell, Heaven perhaps?" I looked at him, half bewildered, half excited. I chuckled. "Is this Real?"
"Yeah. Very much so. There's something else I could show you that might make you believe."
"What?" "My Wings."
I definitely dropped my jaw this time.
He stood up in front of me. I stood up with him. He laid his hands on my shoulder. They were warm. Just perfectly warm.
And suddenly the room flooded with bright white light.
My eyes were blinded for a moment, and then as they adjusted, I saw three pairs of glorious, shining, white Wings. They were spread in full glory; the light was warm in eyes.
I looked at Gabriel. He shone too; I now understood the extraordinary light in his eyes, and his being. I had to admit now. "You're really Gabriel. The Gabriel." His hands on my shoulder tightened. I found it a little hard to look him in the eye, he was so bright. I lowered my gaze, my cheeks becoming too red.
And suddenly everything was too hot; like sunlight on my naked back. I looked up to see the wings cover me from either side.
"So, I remember, I did ask for another Date. Do you think you could, um, well go for a dinner with me tonight?" He asked, slightly shy.
My hands found their way to his face. I barely recorded their movements as they caressed his smooth cheek, and bound the fingers in his straight, blond hair.
I nodded as I raised myself on my toes, and pressed my lips to his.
And there was light, everywhere. Sensations were more than any brain could ever have handled. It was like fire made into liquid that flew through my blood in every moment that our lips drank from each other.
Gabriel rocked me, side to side, his wings balancing us as he tipped me back, tracing a pattern of kisses down my neck, and on my throat…His hands were holding my back, and then lifting my legs, as I wrapped them onto his waist. And then, he drew back, looking in my eyes with pure fire and love.
What followed was bliss, as I had never known.
"Hey," Gabriel lay by side. I felt calm. I smiled at him.
"You are beautiful." "Thank you. You're not that bad yourself." I cocked my face at him.
"Yeah. Your soul smells differently to me, you know. I had a whiff of that in the morning, but you ran away, and I couldn't see you. I would have followed you, but I had to be elsewhere."
"Did you- bump into me this morning?" "um-hum," Gabe nodded. "I came back to the street, when I had finished my other job. I traced that scent, to that café, just as you entered inside. I looked at you, and I knew I had to go in there behind you."
"So I can say that you stalked me to the café." I said.
"Technically- I tracked you. But whatever fits your bill, darling." Gabe smiled back at me, squeezing me nearer. I rolled into his embrace, tucking my face in his neck, breathing him in.
I chuckled as I remembered something. "What's so funny?" He asked me, his hands wrapped around me, our toes entangled. "I just realized that I don't really need that number you spelled out so 'Sweetly'," I said. "You can hear me, anywhere, without a phone if I pray to you, can't you?"
We looked at each other, and began laughing. I've said before, his laughter is extremely infectious. I don't remember having laughed so much before.
"I do believe I'll fall in love with you Gabriel." I told him.
"I know I already am, love. In Sugary, Syrupy, love with you."