Gotta love Sharon's stuff!
Columbia grinned delightedly as she looked over at her friend. "Frank, I'm so glad you invited me to meet you for lunch. I haven't gotten the chance to talk to you since the party at the club!"
Frank laughed. "I wanted to thank you properly for the invitation. It turned out to be quite a…memorable evening for Eva and me."
Columbia giggled. "Yeah, I bet! Geez, nobody saw the two of you for hours!"
John snickered to himself. Well, almost nobody…
Frank laughed again. "I also wanted to thank you for the use of the VIP room. Had you not offered us that sanctuary, there is no way to tell what might have happened out there on that dance floor."
She nodded, smiling wickedly. "Yeah, I know. Why do you think I did it? I didn't want you two doing anything too dirty in front of all those cameras!" She paused to take a sip of her soda, and her expression grew more serious. "You really do love her, don't you?"
Frank matched her new tone. "More than I ever would have believed possible. She has changed my entire life. More importantly…she has changed me."
Columbia put down her sandwich and drink, leaned forward, and gave him a hug. "You aren't kiddin'! I never imagined you could be such a good person…and I never thought you could be so happy. No matter what you were doin', you never seemed happy."
Frank looked thoughtful. "I never was happy. I don't even think I was happy back home."
Columbia was amazed. "You can't be serious! How could you not be happy? You were royalty!"
John almost choked. Royalty?? How was that possible? Although John wasn't exactly a fan of the British Royal Family, he was sure he would have recognized Frank had he been one of its members. It wasn't like the media didn't shove the whole damn bunch of them down everyone's throat at the slightest opportunity.
Frank shrugged. "It was a superficial pleasure. It didn't bring me true happiness."
Columbia smiled. "Does that mean you'd never think about leaving Earth and goin' back to your planet to take the throne?"
With that revelation, it was all John could do to remain standing. Surely she was joking…
But when he heard Frank's response, he realized her statement was no joke. "I don't see that ever happening. I certainly wouldn't go back without Eva and Faye, and I can't imagine Eva being willing to abandon Earth on a permanent basis. I would never ask her to make such a sacrifice. Taking the throne isn't important enough to me for that." He paused a moment, reaching into his pocket and taking out a velvet box. "However, that is not to say Eva will miss out on all the privileges of royalty." He smiled and handed the box to Columbia, who opened it eagerly.
"Ohhhhh, Frank…it's gorgeous!!!" She was staring, open-mouthed, at the most indescribably beautiful necklace she'd ever seen. The chain was a glittering rope of finest gold, from which hung a large, teardrop-shaped gemstone of – literally – unearthly beauty. It was a rich, bright royal blue color, with no internal flaws to mar its clarity and brilliance. Its countless facets flashed rainbows all around as it captured the sunlight. She looked over at Frank, her eyes as big as saucers. "Where on earth did you get it?
His smile widened. "I didn't get it on Earth. It was a somewhat belated wedding gift from my mother. It is an extremely rare and valuable stone called an azurite, and may only be worn by members of the Royal Family. It has been in my family for countless generations. Once my mother came to terms with my marriage, she wanted me to give it to Eva. She gave me some other pieces as well, for which I have found another use. This one, however, is special."
Their conversation continued, but John heard none of it. As a matter of fact, he'd heard nothing after he'd taken in Frank's response to Columbia's inquiry about the possibility of his return to his home planet. His thought processes had, at first, been paralyzed by shock…but once that shock wore off, he was thinking harder and faster than he ever had in his life.
He smiled slowly as he realized what had just happened. Frank may not have known it, but he'd just handed John the means for his own destruction. Surely Eva didn't realize who…or, more to the point, what…she had married. It would be John, her knight in shining armor, who would tell her the truth she so badly needed to hear. Oh, he could just see it now…Eva, in tears but still amazingly beautiful, throwing herself into his arms, thanking him for saving her. Asking him how she could ever repay him. Gradually, her tears would stop, the expression in her eyes changing from grief to desire. Desire for him, her protector, her champion. His fantasy, the most vivid one yet, washed over him. He could feel Eva's lips force his own apart in a wanton kiss. He could feel them rip off each other's clothes in a lust-fueled frenzy. He could feel their bodies unite in an orgy of violent passion. Oh, God, she was so incredible….
Suddenly, the sound of crinkling paper jarred him out of his heavenly daydream. He stood, fuming, as Frank and Columbia gathered the remains of their lunches and walked away. Damn him, he even manages to ruin my dreams of being with Eva! John realized that as gratifying as it would be to get Eva, it wouldn't be enough. He had to insure Frank was completely destroyed, both personally and professionally. A malicious smile crept across his face. Eva wouldn't be the only one interested in knowing what Frank really was…certainly his employer would value that information as well. Mentally reviewing his schedule for the afternoon, he realized there was nothing urgent forcing him to return to the office that day.
For the first time in weeks, he was genuinely happy. He looked around at the sunshine, at the clear blue sky, at the green grass, at the tall trees swaying in the warm, gentle breeze. Ah, yes…the perfect day to make a couple of dreams come true…