"Harry! I'm not calling you again. Get up or you'll be late!" Her familiar voice rang in my ears. My foggy head spun as I sat up in the large plush four post king sized bed. I threw back the down comforter and turned to slip my feet into my fake-fur lined slippers.
"I'm up sweetie, could you pop some toast in the toaster for me please?" I yelled as I slipped the pajama top over my head and walked into the marble bathroom.
I grabbed a new towel from the linen closet and enjoyed the feeling of the soft cloth in my fingers as I slid it over the brass rail attached to the outside of the glass shower. The glass was already steamy from its last occupant. I opened the door and felt the warmth hit me in the face as I pushed the brass handle up to an immediate rush of steamy water.
The water was a little too hot but felt good as I moderated it by lifting the other handle and ducked my head under the stream.
The dream from the night before began to replay in my head. "How odd that I'd dream I was a wizard." I thought to myself. I used to imagine myself as a lone wizard against hordes of monsters when I was young but hadn't given it a thought in years. After all things like wizards don't exist in the real world.
I lived a quiet life and liked it that way. I had a beautiful wife and a semi-normal daughter, who honestly scared me at times, but that's how teenagers are I suppose. If I weren't allergic to pets we'd have a dog or a cat. Then again, honestly pets don't do anything so what's the point? No, I had my TIVO, wife and drink waiting for me at 5:30 Monday through Friday and then yard work or my honey do list on Saturday. Then Sunday when the wife and daughter were off to church I'd slack off and watch sports and drink. It doesn't get much better than that.
I finished bathing and shaved. Then I brushed my teeth and hair, finding clean clothes set out for me at the foot of the bed I got dressed.
As I went down the stairs I had to chuckle to myself. In the dream my wife had been a hard boiled, tough as nails cop. Right my wife all 105 lbs of her, if she shot a 45 it'd knock her on her butt. Then again she detested guns and violence of any kind, such a sweet and unassuming woman. I got luck when I met her and try to tell her so every day.
"Dad, try watch where you're going!" my teen daughter spouted off as she ran into me.
"Molly, you better get going or you'll be late for school! I can't drive you today, I have a meeting." I said as the black, red and blue haired child whisked into the kitchen and stole my toast.
"So can I take the mustang?" She asked with a devilish smile.
"Ask you mother, it's her car." I said dangling the key ring that said BMW in front of her, eliciting a scowl.
"I have some errands to run today Molly, but I can drop you at school on the way." She said handing me a croissant with egg, sausage and cheese.
"You're the best Karin." I said giving her an elaborate kiss and squeezing her tight.
"Go upstairs if you're going to do that!" Molly groaned disgustedly.
"Did you want a little brother?" I asked giving Karin another quick smooch before turning to grab my briefcase.
"As if, like I want to be surrounded by rug rats." Molly said flipping her hair.
"Don't forget, we are having the Butters over for dinner tonight." Karin said with a smile.
The Butters were our neighbors, Waldo and Fae. They were nice enough but if I had to listen to one more war story from him I think I'd shoot him myself.
"Okay sweetie, but remember my quarterly meeting is this afternoon and it may run long. I'll try to call and let you know if Mr. Carpenter runs long. You know how he loves to talk insurance." I said jostling my briefcase.
I pushed out the door nibbling on my sandwich. It was good but I was trying to watch the fat and cholesterol, after all I was heading to middle age. I didn't want to turn into one of those round chubby guys you see. With my height I could hide a lot but still, better safe than sorry.
I drove to work, mostly on auto-pilot, checking my blackberry to make sure that my first appointment hadn't canceled. When you sell insurance to large companies, a lot of meetings get postponed or canceled outright. But it put the bread on the table and I actually enjoyed getting out and meeting new people. No messages, good. That meant the meeting was on and I may exceed my monthly projections half way through the month! Mr. Carpenter could choke on that!
Mr. Carpenter was nothing if not unforgiving. I understand being aware of the bottom line and pushing people to perform, but this guy loved to micro-manage and prod people like nobody I'd ever seen. I guess that's why he's middle management and I'm top sales. I sell to keep him off my back and pestering other like Leanna Shae. There was a girl who had her head in the clouds. She thought everything was rose blossoms and pony's. That girl couldn't hard sell without breaking into tears, honestly, I've seen it happen. But she was young and pretty so she met her quota on lip gloss and low cut tops.
As I pulled into the customers' parking lot I saw a car I recognized and my heart sank. It was the new guy. Old man Carpenter must have sent him here to sit in on my meeting. Wasn't that just the shit!
"Hi Mac. What are you doing here?" I said as the balding heavyset man bustled over to me.
"Oh hi Harry, I mean Mr. Dresden. I was told to come and shadow you today." He said in all one sentence. This guy could talk for twenty minutes without taking a breath. I mean honestly, how am I supposed to work with that?
"You are? Who sent you?" I asked pretty sure of the answer.
"Well it was my choice between you and Miss Fae, between you and me there's no way I could duplicate her selling techniques so I chose to follow you. After all you are the top seller and I could learn a lot from a guy like you, Harry. May I call you Harry?" He said looking a little flustered.
"Harry is fine, but during the meeting I want you to be my shadow. My very silent shadow. This is a very important sale for me. Watch and listen in there. These guys are looking to buy but aren't sold yet so it's going to be touch and go so I don't need any distractions. We good?" I said giving him my patented, "You really want to buy this", smile.
…
"Mother…" Maeve said impatiently as Mab leaned over the head of her prey.
The air was charged with magic as Mab pushed deeper into his mind. Sweat beads formed on his brow as she pushed more magic into his head, directing it like a scalpel. Harry just stared into her murky blue eyes, unable to move or look away, lost in the dream she was driving into his consciousness.
"Quiet child! This is going better than I had thought. Very soon we may not only have the Wizard Dresden, but his soul as well…" she cackled and Maeve threw her head back and let out a sinister laugh.