Jessie looked down at her hunter green colored gown. The dress was a lovely slip style gown.  When she'd gone shopping with her mother almost a year ago.  Jessie had spotted the dress hanging in the display window.  She remembered when she first tried it on, she felt as though she were trying to sneak into someone else's skin.  The beautiful material and the stunning image in the mirror, did not reflect the tomboy everyone knew.  The 'tomboy' Jessie had always been satisfied being until then.

      'Nothing wrong with being different once in a while.' Jessie repeated to herself as her mother gladly paid for the dress.

     The clerk carefully wrapped the dress, pulling the plastic bag over the hanger and tied it neatly at the bottom. For the next year that's where the dressed stayed.

Sometimes she would take it out and look at the foreign garment. She at first tried to image the look on Hadji's face if he were to ever see her in it.  But her mind always wandered to the person in the shadows. The bleach trademark hair and big blue eyes.  It made her heart skip a beat.

      'Stupid Jonny.'  Jessie came back to reality and continued to fix her thick red hair.  'He probably would say something ignorant or nothing at all.'

 Jessie froze and looked at her reflection.  It hurt. Hurt in a way she didn't think it would. What if he never said anything to her?

      'It doesn't matter.' Jessie straightened herself and smiled.  She wasn't wearing the dress for Hadji or Jonny. She never imagined the first chance she would have to wear it, would be for a dinner with a

Count.

     "All right Bannon," Jessie spoke cooly. "It's just a dinner.  Have fun. For once you're around a guy that sees you as a woman and not one of 'The' guys."

      'A woman?' Jessie smiled.





"Hello?" Jonny picked up the phone a servant had brought him.

     "Hey Jonny," Race's voice came through the receiver loud and clear. "How's it going?"

     "Good, how are you and dad?" Jonny asked curiously.

     "All right," Race's voice had a slight edge in it. " I don't know why it was such a big rush for the doc to come here. Seems things are running kind of slow. His friend Dr. Mathews, has been keeping him busy but it doesn't feel right."

     "You think there's something else?" Jonny sat in a nearby chair. "Let me know if you need any help."

     "We're fine kid." Race almost laughed. "It isn't that. I don't think anything will happen.  I guess I'm just a little anxious.  Been kind of slow lately."

     "I don't know," Jonny replied. "I have a feeling that may be changing soon."



" What do you have?" Race's voice became low.

     "Count Marcus from Spain." Jonny looked up and down the room. No one was near.  He lowered his voice even further. " I don't like this guy.  I tried to get information on him but nothing came up."

     "Hmmm, Count Marcus?" Race repeated.

     "Alleyah doesn't seem to be a fan of his either.  I don't know what their history is but I bet it's interesting. He calls her Leyah."

     "I'll see what I can do on my end." Race replied. "Just keep your eyes pealed and play it cool."

  "Thanks Race," Jonny paused for a moment. He decided not to tell Race Jessie was having dinner with Marcus. It was something she should do. If he was wrong, Jessie would never forgive him for jumping the gun and running to her dad.

     "I'll call you later." Race hung up and Jonny sat in silence.

 

      'Any minute now.' Jonny thought to himself. 'Any minute now, Jessie's going to come down the stairs to meet that jerk in the garden and there isn't anything I can do about it.'