Hey everyone....Thanks for not flaming me over that last chapter! And....the plot thickens....
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A horrific storm brewed outside as Rachel stared blindly out the huge bay window in the bedroom. 6:00 pm, read the alarm clock on her nightstand. Reluctantly, wiping away tears, she got up. She got up and put on her party face. Getting dressed, she stood in front of the huge, tri fold mirror. To look at her, you would never imagine she worked in a traveling circus and fostered an illegitimate child in her womb. She looked every bit the part of an American Socialite. Her dark hair was elegantly swept up in a French twist, secured with golden combs. Her skin glowed against her short, black cocktail dress. Her legs even more shapely in her stiletto heels. Make up covered the circles under her eyes. Idly, she wondered how many other people here were not what they seemed?
Seeing her ex fiance as she walked into the foyer was almost enough to make her scamper back up the stairs and hide in her room. Ben Gammon was the embodiment of the 'most eligible bachelor.' He was the kind on man you find on the cover of "GQ." Never a blond hair out of place. Blue eyes, always twinkling. But there was a darker side of him. He was self serving, quick tempered and violent when he didn't get his way. Rachel had called off their engagement a week before the wedding. It had been in the Society section all the papers. The columnists were completely baffled at what happened to this dream couple. They never saw the shiner he left on her right eye after an argument over dinner reservations.
She mingled for a little while, then went to sit down. Ben Gammon. There was a blast from the past.
"Mind if I join you?" Came a smooth, deep voice.
Speak of the Narcissist....Rachel nodded. She sat alone at the bar, nursing her ginger ale, wishing it was a bourbon on the rocks. Ben pulled up a stool next to her. His tuxedo was exquisitely tailored to the finest detail. Tonight was the official 'kick off,' as it were. There had already been an elegant, extravagant dinner, which Rachel didn't even bother going to since she couldn't hold anything down. Now, it was followed by drinks, which Rachel couldn't enjoy, and dancing, which took a partner Rachel didn't have.
"You used to be the first one on the dance floor." Ben smiled. "Are you feeling all right?" His voice was genuinely concerned.
"Yes, I am just tired." She lied with a smile on her face.
"Come on," he offered her his hand, "Dance with me....for old time's sake."
She stared at his hand for a moment, then daring herself, she took it. 'Why not?' she told herself, 'It's just a dance.'
One dance turned into several dances, which turned into a long walk down memory lane, in one of the many lounges, talking about old times and remembering how much fun they used to have. It seemed to Rachel, that Ben had changed. He wasn't the arrogant, self-centered, child she remembered. He had grown up. And, to her surprise, Rachel was having a good time with him. The turmoil of her life in the Munich Circus and the decision she faced tomorrow was at bay, at least for the moment. Rachel found herself laughing. Outside, the wind howled and rain poured down mercilessly.
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Miles away, in Erfut, Germany, Kurt paced restlessly. Finally, he threw on a jacket and went to talk to Lumi. He found her sitting in a chair outside, her fingers laced tightly in front of her, staring towards the south, out over a dark horizon. A troubled frown creased her already wrinkle brow. She seemed to be - miles away.
"Lumi?" He asked crouching next to her. "Are you alright?"
"It's the wrong time of year for storms like this." She murmured, her eyes never leaving the ominous clouds. "It's a bad omen."
They sat quietly for a moment. The air tense around them.
"Jemaine told me." He finally spoke, broaching the subject. He stared intently at the ground, as he drew figures in the dirt with his finger.
"Of course, she did." Lumi broke her gaze away from the sky and smiled at him. "Jemaine can't keep a secret - never could."
They laughed for a moment. Then Lumi became deadly serious. "They're in trouble, Kurt."
"What kind of trouble??" Kurt felt his pulse quicken. "What have you seen?" Lumi was a seer. Her predications were almost always dead on.
Lumi shook her head frustrated. "I had a dream last night. I saw Rachel and a serpent. And a storm." She stared back over the horizon. "That storm." In the distance, lightening flashed angrily.
"What does it mean?" Kurt was a devout Catholic, but had a great respect for Lumi's gypsy ways.
"The Serpent is the deceiver, the false friend...." she seemed to be talking as much to herself as to Kurt. "The storm....." She didn't even want to speak out loud what the storm had screamed in her dream.
"What do we do?" He laid his hand on her arm rest and gripped it tightly
Lumi patted his unique, tri fingered hand, her frown deepening.
"Pray."
Kurt bent his head down and touched his crucifix. The wind picked up fiercely, as front of the storm bore down on them.
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And I bet you thought there was going to be some kind of resolution in this chapter, didn't you?? Sorry...Stay tuned......
Thanks again for all the reviews....it keeps me encouraged. :-)
Hit the review button and let me know what you think!!!
********************
A horrific storm brewed outside as Rachel stared blindly out the huge bay window in the bedroom. 6:00 pm, read the alarm clock on her nightstand. Reluctantly, wiping away tears, she got up. She got up and put on her party face. Getting dressed, she stood in front of the huge, tri fold mirror. To look at her, you would never imagine she worked in a traveling circus and fostered an illegitimate child in her womb. She looked every bit the part of an American Socialite. Her dark hair was elegantly swept up in a French twist, secured with golden combs. Her skin glowed against her short, black cocktail dress. Her legs even more shapely in her stiletto heels. Make up covered the circles under her eyes. Idly, she wondered how many other people here were not what they seemed?
Seeing her ex fiance as she walked into the foyer was almost enough to make her scamper back up the stairs and hide in her room. Ben Gammon was the embodiment of the 'most eligible bachelor.' He was the kind on man you find on the cover of "GQ." Never a blond hair out of place. Blue eyes, always twinkling. But there was a darker side of him. He was self serving, quick tempered and violent when he didn't get his way. Rachel had called off their engagement a week before the wedding. It had been in the Society section all the papers. The columnists were completely baffled at what happened to this dream couple. They never saw the shiner he left on her right eye after an argument over dinner reservations.
She mingled for a little while, then went to sit down. Ben Gammon. There was a blast from the past.
"Mind if I join you?" Came a smooth, deep voice.
Speak of the Narcissist....Rachel nodded. She sat alone at the bar, nursing her ginger ale, wishing it was a bourbon on the rocks. Ben pulled up a stool next to her. His tuxedo was exquisitely tailored to the finest detail. Tonight was the official 'kick off,' as it were. There had already been an elegant, extravagant dinner, which Rachel didn't even bother going to since she couldn't hold anything down. Now, it was followed by drinks, which Rachel couldn't enjoy, and dancing, which took a partner Rachel didn't have.
"You used to be the first one on the dance floor." Ben smiled. "Are you feeling all right?" His voice was genuinely concerned.
"Yes, I am just tired." She lied with a smile on her face.
"Come on," he offered her his hand, "Dance with me....for old time's sake."
She stared at his hand for a moment, then daring herself, she took it. 'Why not?' she told herself, 'It's just a dance.'
One dance turned into several dances, which turned into a long walk down memory lane, in one of the many lounges, talking about old times and remembering how much fun they used to have. It seemed to Rachel, that Ben had changed. He wasn't the arrogant, self-centered, child she remembered. He had grown up. And, to her surprise, Rachel was having a good time with him. The turmoil of her life in the Munich Circus and the decision she faced tomorrow was at bay, at least for the moment. Rachel found herself laughing. Outside, the wind howled and rain poured down mercilessly.
-------------------
Miles away, in Erfut, Germany, Kurt paced restlessly. Finally, he threw on a jacket and went to talk to Lumi. He found her sitting in a chair outside, her fingers laced tightly in front of her, staring towards the south, out over a dark horizon. A troubled frown creased her already wrinkle brow. She seemed to be - miles away.
"Lumi?" He asked crouching next to her. "Are you alright?"
"It's the wrong time of year for storms like this." She murmured, her eyes never leaving the ominous clouds. "It's a bad omen."
They sat quietly for a moment. The air tense around them.
"Jemaine told me." He finally spoke, broaching the subject. He stared intently at the ground, as he drew figures in the dirt with his finger.
"Of course, she did." Lumi broke her gaze away from the sky and smiled at him. "Jemaine can't keep a secret - never could."
They laughed for a moment. Then Lumi became deadly serious. "They're in trouble, Kurt."
"What kind of trouble??" Kurt felt his pulse quicken. "What have you seen?" Lumi was a seer. Her predications were almost always dead on.
Lumi shook her head frustrated. "I had a dream last night. I saw Rachel and a serpent. And a storm." She stared back over the horizon. "That storm." In the distance, lightening flashed angrily.
"What does it mean?" Kurt was a devout Catholic, but had a great respect for Lumi's gypsy ways.
"The Serpent is the deceiver, the false friend...." she seemed to be talking as much to herself as to Kurt. "The storm....." She didn't even want to speak out loud what the storm had screamed in her dream.
"What do we do?" He laid his hand on her arm rest and gripped it tightly
Lumi patted his unique, tri fingered hand, her frown deepening.
"Pray."
Kurt bent his head down and touched his crucifix. The wind picked up fiercely, as front of the storm bore down on them.
**************
And I bet you thought there was going to be some kind of resolution in this chapter, didn't you?? Sorry...Stay tuned......
Thanks again for all the reviews....it keeps me encouraged. :-)
Hit the review button and let me know what you think!!!