THREE
"Well, it's about time you two showed up," Piper said as Phoebe and Cole
came in the front door. "We're going out for dinner. We have reservations for
seven."
"Great," said Cole. "Where are we going?"
"Quake," said Paige, coming out of the kitchen. "Piper used to work
there."
"Quake, huh?" questioned Phoebe. "Not afraid you might be disappointed
that it's gone down hill since you left?"
"No," said Piper, laughing. "I'm sure it's just as good as ever. Well,
nearly as good. Besides, it was always one of the best restaurants in town even
before I went to work there. It will be nice to see some of my old friends
again."
"Well, if we have to be there at seven I'd better get started," said
Phoebe. "I want to look my very best if we're going out."
"Get started?" questioned Cole. "It's only four thirty."
"Then I'd better get started right now," said Phoebe. "I only two and a
half hours to get ready."
"Only two and a half hours?" questioned Cole as Phoebe went upstairs. "It
takes her two and a half hours to get ready to go out to dinner?"
"It takes a long time to get that natural look," said Paige.
"I guess so," said Cole. "Guess I could read a good book while I'm
waiting for her."
Piper and Paige just smiled at Cole. Upstairs Phoebe was looking through
her closet for something to wear to Quake. It wasn't like she didn't have
anything to wear. She had plenty of clothes. It was one of her weaknesses.
But she wanted something special. It would be the first time they had all gone
out to dinner together since Paige has joined the family.
As she flipped through her dresses looking for just the right dress, a
slight headache threatened her. She went into the bathroom and got some
aspirin. No headache was going to ruin this evening. She took a double dose of
the aspirin just to make sure it was gone before they went out to dinner.
"Need any help?" asked Piper, sticking her head in the bedroom door.
"No, I'm doing okay," said Phoebe. "Hey, mind if I borrow those diamond
earrings of yours for tonight? They'll look great with my red dress."
"You're asking to borrow my earrings?" Piper asked, smiling slightly.
"That's a first."
"Ha, ha, very funny," said Phoebe. "It's been a long time since I
borrowed something without asking."
"Sure, you can borrow them," said Piper, noticing the aspirin bottle in
Phoebe's hand. "I guess I can trust you won't loose them with me sitting there
with you. You feeling okay?"
"Oh, just a headache," said Phoebe. "Actually just the start of a
headache. Hopefully this will take care of it before it develops."
"I know the feeling," said Piper. "I had one earlier. That should fix
you right up."
"Hey, as long as you're loaning me those earrings," said Phoebe coyly.
"You'd like to borrow the matching necklace?" questioned Piper. "Sure, I
guess that will be okay. After all, what good is wearing the earrings if you
don't have the necklace to go with it."
"Thanks," said Phoebe, kissing Piper on the cheek. "This is going to be a
very special night."
"I hope so," said Piper. "Leo hasn't been home yet so I haven't had a
chance to tell him. I hope he gets here in time. I'd hate to have to go
without him."
"You'd go out without him?" Phoebe asked.
"A night with a good meal and I don't have to cook or clean up?" asked
Piper. "You bet I'd go out without him. Besides, you know how he has that bad
habit of orbing out at all hours. It's not like he has a regular nine to five
job."
"Well, he does have other charges, you know," said Phoebe. "Kind of like
being married to a doctor, I guess. Like accidents and injuries, evil doesn't
wait for the middle of the afternoon. You know that as well as I do."
"I suppose," said Piper. "Let me go get that jewelry for you. And you're
right. They're going to look great with your red dress."
Piper went to her room to get the jewelry for Phoebe as Phoebe went to put
the aspirin bottle back in the medicine cabinet. As they did, a shadow
separated from the dark corner in the back of Phoebe's room. As before, it
hovered in the room for a moment and then simply faded from view leaving no
indication it had ever been there.
"Well, it's about time you two showed up," Piper said as Phoebe and Cole
came in the front door. "We're going out for dinner. We have reservations for
seven."
"Great," said Cole. "Where are we going?"
"Quake," said Paige, coming out of the kitchen. "Piper used to work
there."
"Quake, huh?" questioned Phoebe. "Not afraid you might be disappointed
that it's gone down hill since you left?"
"No," said Piper, laughing. "I'm sure it's just as good as ever. Well,
nearly as good. Besides, it was always one of the best restaurants in town even
before I went to work there. It will be nice to see some of my old friends
again."
"Well, if we have to be there at seven I'd better get started," said
Phoebe. "I want to look my very best if we're going out."
"Get started?" questioned Cole. "It's only four thirty."
"Then I'd better get started right now," said Phoebe. "I only two and a
half hours to get ready."
"Only two and a half hours?" questioned Cole as Phoebe went upstairs. "It
takes her two and a half hours to get ready to go out to dinner?"
"It takes a long time to get that natural look," said Paige.
"I guess so," said Cole. "Guess I could read a good book while I'm
waiting for her."
Piper and Paige just smiled at Cole. Upstairs Phoebe was looking through
her closet for something to wear to Quake. It wasn't like she didn't have
anything to wear. She had plenty of clothes. It was one of her weaknesses.
But she wanted something special. It would be the first time they had all gone
out to dinner together since Paige has joined the family.
As she flipped through her dresses looking for just the right dress, a
slight headache threatened her. She went into the bathroom and got some
aspirin. No headache was going to ruin this evening. She took a double dose of
the aspirin just to make sure it was gone before they went out to dinner.
"Need any help?" asked Piper, sticking her head in the bedroom door.
"No, I'm doing okay," said Phoebe. "Hey, mind if I borrow those diamond
earrings of yours for tonight? They'll look great with my red dress."
"You're asking to borrow my earrings?" Piper asked, smiling slightly.
"That's a first."
"Ha, ha, very funny," said Phoebe. "It's been a long time since I
borrowed something without asking."
"Sure, you can borrow them," said Piper, noticing the aspirin bottle in
Phoebe's hand. "I guess I can trust you won't loose them with me sitting there
with you. You feeling okay?"
"Oh, just a headache," said Phoebe. "Actually just the start of a
headache. Hopefully this will take care of it before it develops."
"I know the feeling," said Piper. "I had one earlier. That should fix
you right up."
"Hey, as long as you're loaning me those earrings," said Phoebe coyly.
"You'd like to borrow the matching necklace?" questioned Piper. "Sure, I
guess that will be okay. After all, what good is wearing the earrings if you
don't have the necklace to go with it."
"Thanks," said Phoebe, kissing Piper on the cheek. "This is going to be a
very special night."
"I hope so," said Piper. "Leo hasn't been home yet so I haven't had a
chance to tell him. I hope he gets here in time. I'd hate to have to go
without him."
"You'd go out without him?" Phoebe asked.
"A night with a good meal and I don't have to cook or clean up?" asked
Piper. "You bet I'd go out without him. Besides, you know how he has that bad
habit of orbing out at all hours. It's not like he has a regular nine to five
job."
"Well, he does have other charges, you know," said Phoebe. "Kind of like
being married to a doctor, I guess. Like accidents and injuries, evil doesn't
wait for the middle of the afternoon. You know that as well as I do."
"I suppose," said Piper. "Let me go get that jewelry for you. And you're
right. They're going to look great with your red dress."
Piper went to her room to get the jewelry for Phoebe as Phoebe went to put
the aspirin bottle back in the medicine cabinet. As they did, a shadow
separated from the dark corner in the back of Phoebe's room. As before, it
hovered in the room for a moment and then simply faded from view leaving no
indication it had ever been there.