~Chapter 12
::: one night, one flash of brilliant light . I pray that you come soon . strong words, strange hands . I pray I get through to you :::
----------------------------------------------
Maria was driving, when it so happened that driving the car that pulled up next to hers at the stoplight was the guy she'd met at the café: Gabriel Winston. He looked over and saw her. He smiled. "Heading my way?" He asked, as he rolled down the passenger window with a click of a button.
"I don't know. Where are you headed?" -Maria.
"A friend suggested the Crashdown Café. Said it had awesome burgers. What do you think?" -Gabriel teased.
"Well, I think I've been there a time or two and that would probably be a fact." Maria said playfully.
"Well maybe I'll see you around." -Gabriel said.
Maria smiled and he sped off. Maybe sooner than you think, she thought aloud as she watched his killer car turn a corner. Because that was exactly where she was headed, to start her evening shift after school.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Victoria just closed the door on a visitor. She glanced at the large envelope in her hands. It was from an attorney of Adam Winthrop. He had come on business about Adam's will. He had none, but as Victoria was his closest living relative: it was explained to her that she was entitled to an inheritance. The man had said he'd tried to find and contact her for quite some time. The inheritance included the land that the mansion had been on, but Victoria had refused it immediately. She was never going back there. The attorney had then told her of the several accounts that Adam Winthrop had in U.S. and international banks. He had explained numbers and accounts, but she hadn't really cared. She was going to refuse it, and then she thought that she and the others might need it some time. So she signed on the dotted line and there you have it. Not quite that simple, but to her it was, because she didn't really care about Winthrop's money. And she wasn't sure that she wanted to live the wealthy, privileged life as 'Princess Winthrop' again.
Victoria was sitting on the couch not long after when she had another visitor. It was Saelar. She gestured him inside silently.
"Acquired your inheritance?" -Saelar.
"How did you know?" Victoria asked half serious, half bemused.
"I know a lot of things." -Saelar.
"Max is not here . - if you wanted us to meet tonight or something. He's still working, I think." Or with Liz, Victoria was about to say. But she didn't, because she didn't want to upset or concern Saelar.
Saelar said, "I came for a different reason." He continued, "I must be leaving for a while, yet I will return as soon as I can. I make a suggestion as to your living arrangement." He glanced around the small apartment before sitting down and continuing, "You may use my rooms at the hotel. It is much larger, nicer, and safer."
"You're leaving? And you want me to live there while you're gone?" -Victoria.
"Max may do so as well of course." -Saelar.
"I don't think he would want to do that. Even if so, I'm not sure about it. But I will give it serious thought." -Victoria.
"You do that." Saelar said. He wanted to tell her to definitely move there with Max as well, but he could not command her to do anything, which was not a great thing in these times, because he knew better than her and better than Max at this point.
"So we're through with the sessions?" -Victoria.
"No. You and Max must continue connecting. But you do not need my help any longer to do so. You can do it now by yourselves." -He said and stood.
Victoria stood too. "You're leaving already?"
"Soon." -Saelar.
"Is something wrong." -Victoria asked, worried.
"Nothing for you to concern yourself with." He walked to the door. "You may move in as soon as you would like. I will be gone tonight."
Victoria nodded and walked to the door with him. He inclined his head to her and then left. He just left. So like him. After he left, she was momentarily concerned. He hadn't said why he was going, but then she comforted herself in that he didn't seem worried. Perhaps it was not alien related. For surely he would have informed her or Max, right?
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
At the café, Maria walked in not too long after Gabriel had arrived. Liz was already serving him, when Maria walked over. Liz gave her best friend a sly look as she came over. And she knowingly let Maria take over the table - citing an excuse before walking off.
Gabriel Winston looked up at her from the booth he sat at alone. He smiled and Maria's heart jumped into her throat. His eyes were too mesmerizing. She forced herself to say calmly, "So I see you are trying the burgers here. You don't seem like a burgers and fries kinda guy."
"Really?" He said, "What do you think I eat?" -Gabriel.
"Oh I don't know. maybe shrimp and caviar." - Maria.
He laughed. "Yeah. You got it. But everything has its place and time." He took a bite of the burger and said, "As a matter of fact, this tastes better than a $350.00 dinner back home."
"So what's it like 'back home'?" -Maria asked, sliding into the seat across from him.
"Huge, bright, distant, lonely, beautiful." He looked over at her. "You've never been to New York?"
Maria shook her head. "Nope. In fact, I haven't been out of Roswell much."
"That's a shame. You should travel." -Gabriel.
"Why?" -Maria.
"I think you would like it." -Maria.
"I know I would. Roswell is not for me forever." -Maria.
"This is an amusing little place." He said, glancing around at the alien memorabilia everywhere.
"Come on, do you not believe in aliens, Mr. Winston?" Maria asked in mock surprise, but she was also wanting to hear his answer. He didn't answer for the longest time as he looked down. And then he looked back at her and said, "Gabriel. And no... I don't believe I do."
Maria looked around and hadn't noticed that the café was filling up and Liz was doing her best to handle it all by herself. Maria stood up, although reluctantly and said, "Well, 'Gabe' - I'd better get busy. If you want anything let me know."
She turned and he said, "I'm leaving tonight, but -"
Maria turned back around and waited for him to continue.
He said, "-But if you want to contact me sometime, you may do so." He handed her what looked like a personal or business card.
She looked down at it and then him and said, "Oh I may?" Only a bit sarcastic.
He nodded, amusement in his eyes again, "Yes. I never do this, but there's something about you." He continued, "And don't get me wrong - I'm not hitting on you, it's just-"
Maria took the card. "Don't worry, I somehow don't think you need to be hitting on backhill Roswellian girls for a date anyway. I think you would have your pick back in NYC."
"Maria!" Liz called. ".Ummm. I need you over here."
Maria glanced behind her quickly and then back to him. "Agh.. gotta go." She flashed him a smile and hurried over to Liz.
When the crowd got under control, Gabriel Winston was gone. But he'd left another twenty dollar tip. She smiled and pulled his card from her apron pocket where she had slipped it a little earlier. It read:
Gabriel Winston Biotek Pharmaceuticals
It gave his address and phone number and personal number as well. Maria looked at the card a long time. And she decided then and there, that she *would* contact him. There was something about him too. Something she couldn't place a finger on. And then of course to top off that nameless feeling, he was incredibly handsome.. no, beautiful - and he seemed very interesting to her. Not a dull rich boy at all, but an intriguing man. ..
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
::: one night, one flash of brilliant light . I pray that you come soon . strong words, strange hands . I pray I get through to you :::
----------------------------------------------
Maria was driving, when it so happened that driving the car that pulled up next to hers at the stoplight was the guy she'd met at the café: Gabriel Winston. He looked over and saw her. He smiled. "Heading my way?" He asked, as he rolled down the passenger window with a click of a button.
"I don't know. Where are you headed?" -Maria.
"A friend suggested the Crashdown Café. Said it had awesome burgers. What do you think?" -Gabriel teased.
"Well, I think I've been there a time or two and that would probably be a fact." Maria said playfully.
"Well maybe I'll see you around." -Gabriel said.
Maria smiled and he sped off. Maybe sooner than you think, she thought aloud as she watched his killer car turn a corner. Because that was exactly where she was headed, to start her evening shift after school.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Victoria just closed the door on a visitor. She glanced at the large envelope in her hands. It was from an attorney of Adam Winthrop. He had come on business about Adam's will. He had none, but as Victoria was his closest living relative: it was explained to her that she was entitled to an inheritance. The man had said he'd tried to find and contact her for quite some time. The inheritance included the land that the mansion had been on, but Victoria had refused it immediately. She was never going back there. The attorney had then told her of the several accounts that Adam Winthrop had in U.S. and international banks. He had explained numbers and accounts, but she hadn't really cared. She was going to refuse it, and then she thought that she and the others might need it some time. So she signed on the dotted line and there you have it. Not quite that simple, but to her it was, because she didn't really care about Winthrop's money. And she wasn't sure that she wanted to live the wealthy, privileged life as 'Princess Winthrop' again.
Victoria was sitting on the couch not long after when she had another visitor. It was Saelar. She gestured him inside silently.
"Acquired your inheritance?" -Saelar.
"How did you know?" Victoria asked half serious, half bemused.
"I know a lot of things." -Saelar.
"Max is not here . - if you wanted us to meet tonight or something. He's still working, I think." Or with Liz, Victoria was about to say. But she didn't, because she didn't want to upset or concern Saelar.
Saelar said, "I came for a different reason." He continued, "I must be leaving for a while, yet I will return as soon as I can. I make a suggestion as to your living arrangement." He glanced around the small apartment before sitting down and continuing, "You may use my rooms at the hotel. It is much larger, nicer, and safer."
"You're leaving? And you want me to live there while you're gone?" -Victoria.
"Max may do so as well of course." -Saelar.
"I don't think he would want to do that. Even if so, I'm not sure about it. But I will give it serious thought." -Victoria.
"You do that." Saelar said. He wanted to tell her to definitely move there with Max as well, but he could not command her to do anything, which was not a great thing in these times, because he knew better than her and better than Max at this point.
"So we're through with the sessions?" -Victoria.
"No. You and Max must continue connecting. But you do not need my help any longer to do so. You can do it now by yourselves." -He said and stood.
Victoria stood too. "You're leaving already?"
"Soon." -Saelar.
"Is something wrong." -Victoria asked, worried.
"Nothing for you to concern yourself with." He walked to the door. "You may move in as soon as you would like. I will be gone tonight."
Victoria nodded and walked to the door with him. He inclined his head to her and then left. He just left. So like him. After he left, she was momentarily concerned. He hadn't said why he was going, but then she comforted herself in that he didn't seem worried. Perhaps it was not alien related. For surely he would have informed her or Max, right?
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
At the café, Maria walked in not too long after Gabriel had arrived. Liz was already serving him, when Maria walked over. Liz gave her best friend a sly look as she came over. And she knowingly let Maria take over the table - citing an excuse before walking off.
Gabriel Winston looked up at her from the booth he sat at alone. He smiled and Maria's heart jumped into her throat. His eyes were too mesmerizing. She forced herself to say calmly, "So I see you are trying the burgers here. You don't seem like a burgers and fries kinda guy."
"Really?" He said, "What do you think I eat?" -Gabriel.
"Oh I don't know. maybe shrimp and caviar." - Maria.
He laughed. "Yeah. You got it. But everything has its place and time." He took a bite of the burger and said, "As a matter of fact, this tastes better than a $350.00 dinner back home."
"So what's it like 'back home'?" -Maria asked, sliding into the seat across from him.
"Huge, bright, distant, lonely, beautiful." He looked over at her. "You've never been to New York?"
Maria shook her head. "Nope. In fact, I haven't been out of Roswell much."
"That's a shame. You should travel." -Gabriel.
"Why?" -Maria.
"I think you would like it." -Maria.
"I know I would. Roswell is not for me forever." -Maria.
"This is an amusing little place." He said, glancing around at the alien memorabilia everywhere.
"Come on, do you not believe in aliens, Mr. Winston?" Maria asked in mock surprise, but she was also wanting to hear his answer. He didn't answer for the longest time as he looked down. And then he looked back at her and said, "Gabriel. And no... I don't believe I do."
Maria looked around and hadn't noticed that the café was filling up and Liz was doing her best to handle it all by herself. Maria stood up, although reluctantly and said, "Well, 'Gabe' - I'd better get busy. If you want anything let me know."
She turned and he said, "I'm leaving tonight, but -"
Maria turned back around and waited for him to continue.
He said, "-But if you want to contact me sometime, you may do so." He handed her what looked like a personal or business card.
She looked down at it and then him and said, "Oh I may?" Only a bit sarcastic.
He nodded, amusement in his eyes again, "Yes. I never do this, but there's something about you." He continued, "And don't get me wrong - I'm not hitting on you, it's just-"
Maria took the card. "Don't worry, I somehow don't think you need to be hitting on backhill Roswellian girls for a date anyway. I think you would have your pick back in NYC."
"Maria!" Liz called. ".Ummm. I need you over here."
Maria glanced behind her quickly and then back to him. "Agh.. gotta go." She flashed him a smile and hurried over to Liz.
When the crowd got under control, Gabriel Winston was gone. But he'd left another twenty dollar tip. She smiled and pulled his card from her apron pocket where she had slipped it a little earlier. It read:
Gabriel Winston Biotek Pharmaceuticals
It gave his address and phone number and personal number as well. Maria looked at the card a long time. And she decided then and there, that she *would* contact him. There was something about him too. Something she couldn't place a finger on. And then of course to top off that nameless feeling, he was incredibly handsome.. no, beautiful - and he seemed very interesting to her. Not a dull rich boy at all, but an intriguing man. ..
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-