PART FIVE
After eating a hearty meal of sausages, bacon and oatmeal, Gabriel let Dianna help put the dirty dishes into the dishwasher. Together they picked out what Dianna would wear and laid them out on the bed. Gabriel then went into the bathroom and fixed the child a warm bubble bath.
"Think you can handle it from here Princess?" He asked, with hands on his hips.
"Of course I can." She smiled brightly. "I'm almost eight years old you know."
"Okay then." Smiling he mussed her hair playfully. "Then you take your bath and get dressed while I go in the other room and make some phone calls. Okay?" She nodded happily. "Good. I'll keep the door open in case you need something."
"I'll be all right." She skipped toward the bathroom. "You worry too much."
"Yeah I do." Turning he left the bedroom and headed back to his desk to pick up the phone. Within minutes, he was able to cancel all but one of his appointments. Placing the receiver back on it's cradle, he listened to Dianna splashing and singing to herself from the other room and wondered how wet the floor would be when she finished. "Doesn't matter." He whispered to himself, grinning. He picked up the phone again and dialed a number by heart and waited for someone on the other end to pick up. "Mario?" He listened. "Yeah it's me. Look I have a special young lady I would like to get some clothes for, and a coat." He looked puzzled as he listened. "What size? I don't have any idea." He paid attention then added, "Look she's almost eight." Shaking his head and laughing he continued. "Not a size eight, eight years old." Holding the phone from his ear slightly he waited. "Look, it's a long story. I'll tell you some of it when we get there." He nodded as he looked toward the open bedroom door. "Yeah, we'll be there in a few hours. Thanks." Hanging up he stretched and looked over the order form for the customer that would arrive later that evening as a knock came from the door. Looking suspiciously at it, then at his watch, he looked through the peephole. "Damn, I forgot!"
Opening the door, he let Sly in. "Man I totally forgot you were supposed to come over. You would not believe the stuff that has happened."
"I got that delivery for you today Gabe." Sly sauntered through the room, picking up random objects. "When did you get this one?" He held up a small ornate knife. "This is so cool."
"About two weeks ago." He took the blade from Sly and placed it back on the shelf. "What was it you were supposed to deliver again?"
"You're joking right?" Sly looked at his friend unbelievably. "Those statues to the Hilton downtown?"
"Yeah, that's right." Gabriel began to move through the clutter when he heard Dianna. Turning he smiled as the little girl came into the room bare footed with wet hair. "Finished so soon Princess?"
"Who's that?" She asked standing in the bedroom's doorway, eyeing the newcomer suspiciously.
"Hey little dudette." Sly smiled and crouched down as he threw Gabriel a glance. "Little young four you ain't she?"
"Is he for real?" Dianna stared at Gabriel with a strange look.
"I'm afraid he is Princess." Gabriel laughed and gave Sly a look to tone down which his friend either didn't see or simply ignored. "She's staying with me till her family can get here." Gabriel rolled his eyes and he moved to Dianna. "What's up Princess?"
"Can you fix my hair?" She handed him a comb. "I want it braided."
"Yeah sure." He took her hand and let her to the couch where he sat behind her and began trying to work with her long blond hair. After a moment or two, both men knew that Gabriel didn't know what he was doing.
"Man you are gonna knot that up so bad." Sly began to laugh.
"You think you can do better?" Gabriel glared at his friend and was surprised when he came over and shooed him away. "What do you say Princess, should I let him try?"
"Is he safe?" Dianna looked at the two with wide eyes.
"Yeah, he's safe." Gabriel couldn't help but laugh He stood and made room for the other to sit behind the child as Sly glanced at him pretending to have his feeling hurt.
"Can you fix it really nice Mr. Sly?"
"Mr. Sly? That is so cool." Sly started by brushing out the mess that Gabriel had made, then began to work with her hair and soon had the locks twisted in a loose French braid. Gabriel was stunned. "What, you don't like it?" He offered Dianna his hand. "Let's go look in the mirror little Princess dudette."
"Where in the world did you learn how to do that?" Gabriel followed the two into the bedroom as Sly picked up a silver hand mirror from one of the shelves. "Dude, be careful with that." Sly simply rolled his eyes and held Dianna up to a large mirror, turning their backs and raising the smaller mirror so that she could see the back of her head.
"If you must know, I learned it from a Stewardess I dated with humongous…." Sly saw the warning in Gabriel's eyes and added quickly, "…eyes. She had humongous eyes, yeah that's it." He looked back at Dianna with a blush. "See." He was rewarded with a smile and a hug. "Aww, does that mean you like it?" He put Dianna on the floor and crouched as he handed her the mirror.
"You done almost better than Mommy." She sat on the edge of the bed, looking at herself. "Mr. Sly thanks."
"You're welcome little Princess dudette." He straightened and moved to Gabriel, whispering out of the side of his mouth. "What's the story?"
"Dianna, why don't you go on and unpack your clothes. I want you to do me a big favor." Gabriel placed the suitcases near the child. "We're going to go get you some new clothes. So I want you to go through these and make a big pile of the clothes you don't like." He watched as she placed the mirror carefully on the dresser and opened the first case. "I'm going with Sly real fast to show him what I need him to take to someone. Okay?"
"Okay." She busied herself with the task given to her. "Thanks again Mr. Sly. I really like the way you fixed my hair."
"No problem little Princess." Sly followed Gabriel out of the room and into the back of the shop where the statues were waiting. "So, what gives with the kid?"
"Sly, you can't tell anyone, understand?" He waited till Sly nodded. "Okay, her mother was murdered and I have been allowed to take care of Dianna until her Aunt and Uncle can come and get her. Might be a week."
"That the woman in news?" Gabriel simply nodded. "Dude, that is so wrong."
"Dianna was wandering around the park by herself, scared of her own shadow." Gabriel looked down and sideways toward the bedroom. "Sara thinks it's best that it doesn't get out who she is or where she is staying."
"Well, she's a sweet kid." Sly tried to hide his concern. "Hey, listen, just let me know what I can do for you while she's here."
"Thanks, I knew I could count on you." He slapped Sly across the shoulder lightly. "Come on, let's get those things ready to go."
After eating a hearty meal of sausages, bacon and oatmeal, Gabriel let Dianna help put the dirty dishes into the dishwasher. Together they picked out what Dianna would wear and laid them out on the bed. Gabriel then went into the bathroom and fixed the child a warm bubble bath.
"Think you can handle it from here Princess?" He asked, with hands on his hips.
"Of course I can." She smiled brightly. "I'm almost eight years old you know."
"Okay then." Smiling he mussed her hair playfully. "Then you take your bath and get dressed while I go in the other room and make some phone calls. Okay?" She nodded happily. "Good. I'll keep the door open in case you need something."
"I'll be all right." She skipped toward the bathroom. "You worry too much."
"Yeah I do." Turning he left the bedroom and headed back to his desk to pick up the phone. Within minutes, he was able to cancel all but one of his appointments. Placing the receiver back on it's cradle, he listened to Dianna splashing and singing to herself from the other room and wondered how wet the floor would be when she finished. "Doesn't matter." He whispered to himself, grinning. He picked up the phone again and dialed a number by heart and waited for someone on the other end to pick up. "Mario?" He listened. "Yeah it's me. Look I have a special young lady I would like to get some clothes for, and a coat." He looked puzzled as he listened. "What size? I don't have any idea." He paid attention then added, "Look she's almost eight." Shaking his head and laughing he continued. "Not a size eight, eight years old." Holding the phone from his ear slightly he waited. "Look, it's a long story. I'll tell you some of it when we get there." He nodded as he looked toward the open bedroom door. "Yeah, we'll be there in a few hours. Thanks." Hanging up he stretched and looked over the order form for the customer that would arrive later that evening as a knock came from the door. Looking suspiciously at it, then at his watch, he looked through the peephole. "Damn, I forgot!"
Opening the door, he let Sly in. "Man I totally forgot you were supposed to come over. You would not believe the stuff that has happened."
"I got that delivery for you today Gabe." Sly sauntered through the room, picking up random objects. "When did you get this one?" He held up a small ornate knife. "This is so cool."
"About two weeks ago." He took the blade from Sly and placed it back on the shelf. "What was it you were supposed to deliver again?"
"You're joking right?" Sly looked at his friend unbelievably. "Those statues to the Hilton downtown?"
"Yeah, that's right." Gabriel began to move through the clutter when he heard Dianna. Turning he smiled as the little girl came into the room bare footed with wet hair. "Finished so soon Princess?"
"Who's that?" She asked standing in the bedroom's doorway, eyeing the newcomer suspiciously.
"Hey little dudette." Sly smiled and crouched down as he threw Gabriel a glance. "Little young four you ain't she?"
"Is he for real?" Dianna stared at Gabriel with a strange look.
"I'm afraid he is Princess." Gabriel laughed and gave Sly a look to tone down which his friend either didn't see or simply ignored. "She's staying with me till her family can get here." Gabriel rolled his eyes and he moved to Dianna. "What's up Princess?"
"Can you fix my hair?" She handed him a comb. "I want it braided."
"Yeah sure." He took her hand and let her to the couch where he sat behind her and began trying to work with her long blond hair. After a moment or two, both men knew that Gabriel didn't know what he was doing.
"Man you are gonna knot that up so bad." Sly began to laugh.
"You think you can do better?" Gabriel glared at his friend and was surprised when he came over and shooed him away. "What do you say Princess, should I let him try?"
"Is he safe?" Dianna looked at the two with wide eyes.
"Yeah, he's safe." Gabriel couldn't help but laugh He stood and made room for the other to sit behind the child as Sly glanced at him pretending to have his feeling hurt.
"Can you fix it really nice Mr. Sly?"
"Mr. Sly? That is so cool." Sly started by brushing out the mess that Gabriel had made, then began to work with her hair and soon had the locks twisted in a loose French braid. Gabriel was stunned. "What, you don't like it?" He offered Dianna his hand. "Let's go look in the mirror little Princess dudette."
"Where in the world did you learn how to do that?" Gabriel followed the two into the bedroom as Sly picked up a silver hand mirror from one of the shelves. "Dude, be careful with that." Sly simply rolled his eyes and held Dianna up to a large mirror, turning their backs and raising the smaller mirror so that she could see the back of her head.
"If you must know, I learned it from a Stewardess I dated with humongous…." Sly saw the warning in Gabriel's eyes and added quickly, "…eyes. She had humongous eyes, yeah that's it." He looked back at Dianna with a blush. "See." He was rewarded with a smile and a hug. "Aww, does that mean you like it?" He put Dianna on the floor and crouched as he handed her the mirror.
"You done almost better than Mommy." She sat on the edge of the bed, looking at herself. "Mr. Sly thanks."
"You're welcome little Princess dudette." He straightened and moved to Gabriel, whispering out of the side of his mouth. "What's the story?"
"Dianna, why don't you go on and unpack your clothes. I want you to do me a big favor." Gabriel placed the suitcases near the child. "We're going to go get you some new clothes. So I want you to go through these and make a big pile of the clothes you don't like." He watched as she placed the mirror carefully on the dresser and opened the first case. "I'm going with Sly real fast to show him what I need him to take to someone. Okay?"
"Okay." She busied herself with the task given to her. "Thanks again Mr. Sly. I really like the way you fixed my hair."
"No problem little Princess." Sly followed Gabriel out of the room and into the back of the shop where the statues were waiting. "So, what gives with the kid?"
"Sly, you can't tell anyone, understand?" He waited till Sly nodded. "Okay, her mother was murdered and I have been allowed to take care of Dianna until her Aunt and Uncle can come and get her. Might be a week."
"That the woman in news?" Gabriel simply nodded. "Dude, that is so wrong."
"Dianna was wandering around the park by herself, scared of her own shadow." Gabriel looked down and sideways toward the bedroom. "Sara thinks it's best that it doesn't get out who she is or where she is staying."
"Well, she's a sweet kid." Sly tried to hide his concern. "Hey, listen, just let me know what I can do for you while she's here."
"Thanks, I knew I could count on you." He slapped Sly across the shoulder lightly. "Come on, let's get those things ready to go."