"Thank you, Mr. Winn—"
"Call me Quatre, please." He caught her chin in his hands and gently lifted her face to meet her gaze. "Did it hurt, Meilin?"
Startled, thinking Quatre knew more than he let on, she asked, "What?"
"The fall from heaven."
Those words, paired with his amazing aquamarine eyes, made Meilin melt into her seat.
"Oh, Quatre…"
"Shh…" He smiled. "Please, trust me. I would like nothing more than the chance to make you feel happy and welcome here. Please, go to the ball with me?"
Mei looked into those soul-searching eyes and found herself nodding.
"Yes…I'll go with you."
Angel pulled back from the door, trying hard not to let her tears show. She could almost feel her heart splintering.
Oh, what are you blubbering about? she told herself firmly. You knew there wasn't a chance, anyway! That's why you weren't supposed to get your hopes up.
Eric touched her shoulder, offering quiet sympathy. His eyes went to the door, his face unusually somber.
"Let me guess, you're head over heels in love with him," he said quietly.
"No, no, that's not it at all…I…" But hearing it put like that, from someone else's lips, proved it. Her shoulders sagged. "Yes. Head over heels."
"I think I fell in love with her at first sight."
"Oh…I'm so sorry. Quatre tends to be terribly romantic and…ooohhh, when I get my hands on that Louie O'Malley!"
"Did I hear my name?"
Angel and Eric spun to face Louie. He appeared as if from nowhere, frowning at the door.
"So this is all my fault, eh?"
"Yeah! You brought her here!" Angel quieted. "And I really like her, too. She's my little sis. I'm so glad she's here, but…damn it all—she's some kind of Asian supermodel, isn't she?!" She slammed her fist against the wall. "And I'm so cute and adorable and sister-like." She sighed.
Eric remained silent, then shook his head and headed for the door.
"See you tomorrow, Lou!" he called over his shoulder.
"Bright and early! And what did I tell you about calling me Lou!" the little man shouted back. He turned to Angel. "Oh, sweetheart, I'm sorry. You know I hate to see one of my girls in such pain."
Angel smiled and shook her head, wiping the tears from her face. "Don't you fret, Louie. I'm okay. I knew better than to hope anyway."
She got to her feet and went to grab her keys. "I'll be at the estate if you need me."
Louie nodded, not fooled for a second. He sighed and turned to head back up to his room, when he heard Quatre say a sweet goodbye, and then leave.
"3...2...1 and-" He whispered, and right when zero should have been said, Meilin burst into the kitchen, a wide smile on her face.
"Mr. O- I mean.... Louie!! He's-"
"Gorgeous?"
"Yes and-"
"Romantic?"
"Definitely and-"
"Perfect?"
"Of course!... How did you...???" Mei looked at him funny for a moment, then smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck digging her face into his shoulder. "Wow! I cant believe how amazing it is here!! No problems! Nothing! And everyone is so happy and they all like me!! Oh Louie this is fantastic!"
Louie smiled, though there was a sad twist in it. "I'm very glad for you Meilin."
"I'm going to go finish un packing! I have to call Angel!!"
"No!" Louie replied loudly. "... no..." Mei looked at him a little puzzled. "Unpack first... then we are going to eat dinner.... and I think she has other things to do. You can call her later." He smiled as best he could. Meilin hesitated, then smiled back.
"Oh, okay."
"Call me Quatre, please." He caught her chin in his hands and gently lifted her face to meet her gaze. "Did it hurt, Meilin?"
Startled, thinking Quatre knew more than he let on, she asked, "What?"
"The fall from heaven."
Those words, paired with his amazing aquamarine eyes, made Meilin melt into her seat.
"Oh, Quatre…"
"Shh…" He smiled. "Please, trust me. I would like nothing more than the chance to make you feel happy and welcome here. Please, go to the ball with me?"
Mei looked into those soul-searching eyes and found herself nodding.
"Yes…I'll go with you."
Angel pulled back from the door, trying hard not to let her tears show. She could almost feel her heart splintering.
Oh, what are you blubbering about? she told herself firmly. You knew there wasn't a chance, anyway! That's why you weren't supposed to get your hopes up.
Eric touched her shoulder, offering quiet sympathy. His eyes went to the door, his face unusually somber.
"Let me guess, you're head over heels in love with him," he said quietly.
"No, no, that's not it at all…I…" But hearing it put like that, from someone else's lips, proved it. Her shoulders sagged. "Yes. Head over heels."
"I think I fell in love with her at first sight."
"Oh…I'm so sorry. Quatre tends to be terribly romantic and…ooohhh, when I get my hands on that Louie O'Malley!"
"Did I hear my name?"
Angel and Eric spun to face Louie. He appeared as if from nowhere, frowning at the door.
"So this is all my fault, eh?"
"Yeah! You brought her here!" Angel quieted. "And I really like her, too. She's my little sis. I'm so glad she's here, but…damn it all—she's some kind of Asian supermodel, isn't she?!" She slammed her fist against the wall. "And I'm so cute and adorable and sister-like." She sighed.
Eric remained silent, then shook his head and headed for the door.
"See you tomorrow, Lou!" he called over his shoulder.
"Bright and early! And what did I tell you about calling me Lou!" the little man shouted back. He turned to Angel. "Oh, sweetheart, I'm sorry. You know I hate to see one of my girls in such pain."
Angel smiled and shook her head, wiping the tears from her face. "Don't you fret, Louie. I'm okay. I knew better than to hope anyway."
She got to her feet and went to grab her keys. "I'll be at the estate if you need me."
Louie nodded, not fooled for a second. He sighed and turned to head back up to his room, when he heard Quatre say a sweet goodbye, and then leave.
"3...2...1 and-" He whispered, and right when zero should have been said, Meilin burst into the kitchen, a wide smile on her face.
"Mr. O- I mean.... Louie!! He's-"
"Gorgeous?"
"Yes and-"
"Romantic?"
"Definitely and-"
"Perfect?"
"Of course!... How did you...???" Mei looked at him funny for a moment, then smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck digging her face into his shoulder. "Wow! I cant believe how amazing it is here!! No problems! Nothing! And everyone is so happy and they all like me!! Oh Louie this is fantastic!"
Louie smiled, though there was a sad twist in it. "I'm very glad for you Meilin."
"I'm going to go finish un packing! I have to call Angel!!"
"No!" Louie replied loudly. "... no..." Mei looked at him a little puzzled. "Unpack first... then we are going to eat dinner.... and I think she has other things to do. You can call her later." He smiled as best he could. Meilin hesitated, then smiled back.
"Oh, okay."