FOUR
Piper, Phoebe, and Paige stood on the landing of the stairs. Phoebe was
wearing her red dress, Piper was dressed in blue, and Paige was in green. And
these were no ordinary dresses. They were the slinkiest, most form fitting
dresses the girls had. Cole and Leo stood at the bottom of the stairs looking
up at the girls.
"Leo, are you looking at what I'm looking at?" asked Cole.
"Only if you're looking at the three most beautiful women on the face of
the Earth," said Leo.
"Then I guess we're looking at the same thing," said Cole. "I have to say
I have rarely seen such a vision as I'm looking at right now."
"Oh, go on," said Phoebe.
"I guess we're embarrassing them," Leo said to Cole.
"No, I mean it," said Phoebe, smiling. "Go on. Do you have any idea how
long it's been since any of us got compliments like that?"
"Girls," said Piper, "I think we may have just outdone ourselves. If I
look half as good as the two of you do, then I must look pretty good."
"Pretty good doesn't begin to cover it," said Leo. "Piper, the only time
you looked better than this was on our wedding day."
"Nicely played," said Cole. "But he's right, Piper. Where's the camera?
If we don't get a picture of this you guys will never forgive yourselves."
"It's in the desk in the living room," said Phoebe. "I put some fresh
film in it just the other day."
"Great," said Cole, heading to the living room.
"I think I need some of that aspirin," said Paige, rubbing her head.
"Headache?" Leo asked.
"Yeah," said Paige. "Just the beginning of one. A little aspirin and it
should be okay."
"What is this, an epidemic?" Piper asked. "First me, then Phoebe, and now
you."
"All three of you?" questioned Leo. "Maybe there's more going on here
than we thought."
"For crying out loud," said Paige, "it's just a headache. It's not like
it's a demon attack or anything. People get headaches, that's all."
"Got is," said Cole, coming back into the entryway. "Now, if the three of
you will squeeze together some I think I can get a real good shot of you."
"Take a couple of pictures," said Phoebe. "Just to make sure you get a good one."
"Okay," said Cole, smiling.
He squeezed off several pictures before they decided to leave. Paige, of
course, had to get her aspirin before leaving. Which only made Cole and Leo a
bit aggravated making remarks about always having to wait for women and such.
They finally stopped when Piper nudged Leo in the ribs and smirked at him.
As they left the manor and headed for the car, a shadow once again
separate from the dark corner in the entryway. It hovered in the entryway for
several moments, making sure they had left the manor. Then, just as before, it
simply faded from sight leaving the entryway totally deserted.
"That was so much fun," said Piper as the five entered the manor. "I
hadn't realized so many people still worked there from when I worked there. It
was good to see them again."
"Even that waiter who dropped our order the first time?" giggled Phoebe.
"That's Jeremy," said Piper. "He always had sort of a crush on me. You
should have seen him the first day he was a waiter. He dropped the order all
over one of our best customers rather than on the floor."
'Boy, I'll bet that was embarrassing," said Paige.
"It could have been," said Piper. "But Mr. Walker was really sweet about
it. He knew Jeremy had a crush on me and understood completely. I can't
believe Jeremy is now the headwaiter. He must not be so clumsy when I'm not
around."
"I noticed you had to remind him you were married now," said Leo. "Not
once, but four times."
"He's harmless," said Piper. "I guess he just hasn't gotten over his
crush yet."
"Crushes don't usually last this long," said Cole. "If he still feels
that way, it might be something more than just a boyhood infatuation."
"Well, he has very good taste," said Leo, putting his arms around Piper.
"He's very sweet," said Piper. "Besides, Paige seemed to hit it off
pretty well with him."
"Oh, don't try to palm him off on me," said Paige, smiling. "He's your
stalker."
"He's not a stalker," said Piper. "He's just a little attracted to me.
There's no harm in that."
"Better watch her, Leo," said Phoebe. "You spend a lot of time orbing
around. Jeremy could become some competition for you."
"I'm not worried," said Leo.
"Okay, that's enough," said Piper. "Jeremy is a sweet boy and I'm glad
he's doing so well."
"Okay, okay," said Cole, laughing. "We were just having some fun. It's
been a long time since we were able to do that. It was nice for a change."
"You got that right," said Paige. "Well, it was fun dressing up for a
change but these shoes are killing me. If no one minds, I think I'll slip into
something a bit more comfortable."
"Good idea," said Phoebe. "This may be my sexiest dress but I think it's
shrunk since I last wore it. It's a bit tighter than I remember."
"Shrunk, yeah, that's the explanation," smirked Piper.
"Watch it," joked Phoebe, as the girls went upstairs to change.
"Well, at least their headaches seem to have gone away," said Leo.
"What headaches?" Cole asked.
"Oh, they all had slight headaches a while ago," said Leo. "They took
some aspirin and it seems to have done the trick."
"All three at the same time?" Cole asked.
"No, not at the same time," said Leo. "Why? You think there's something
to it?"
"Probably not," said Cole. "It's just curious that they should all have
headaches so close together."
"You might be right," said Leo. "But they were just headaches. There
were no demon attacks or anything like that. It was probably just like they
said. Just headaches. They have been through a lot lately, you know? I guess
there has to be some kind of repercussions from it."
"I guess so," said Cole.
Leo went into the kitchen to put on some coffee. Cole sat thinking about
the girls' headaches. He wasn't as convinced as Leo apparently was. One of
them, even two, could be coincidence. But all three at the same time? That was
too coincidental to be coincidence. He began to mentally go over the demons he
knew that had a reputation for causing headaches.
Piper, Phoebe, and Paige stood on the landing of the stairs. Phoebe was
wearing her red dress, Piper was dressed in blue, and Paige was in green. And
these were no ordinary dresses. They were the slinkiest, most form fitting
dresses the girls had. Cole and Leo stood at the bottom of the stairs looking
up at the girls.
"Leo, are you looking at what I'm looking at?" asked Cole.
"Only if you're looking at the three most beautiful women on the face of
the Earth," said Leo.
"Then I guess we're looking at the same thing," said Cole. "I have to say
I have rarely seen such a vision as I'm looking at right now."
"Oh, go on," said Phoebe.
"I guess we're embarrassing them," Leo said to Cole.
"No, I mean it," said Phoebe, smiling. "Go on. Do you have any idea how
long it's been since any of us got compliments like that?"
"Girls," said Piper, "I think we may have just outdone ourselves. If I
look half as good as the two of you do, then I must look pretty good."
"Pretty good doesn't begin to cover it," said Leo. "Piper, the only time
you looked better than this was on our wedding day."
"Nicely played," said Cole. "But he's right, Piper. Where's the camera?
If we don't get a picture of this you guys will never forgive yourselves."
"It's in the desk in the living room," said Phoebe. "I put some fresh
film in it just the other day."
"Great," said Cole, heading to the living room.
"I think I need some of that aspirin," said Paige, rubbing her head.
"Headache?" Leo asked.
"Yeah," said Paige. "Just the beginning of one. A little aspirin and it
should be okay."
"What is this, an epidemic?" Piper asked. "First me, then Phoebe, and now
you."
"All three of you?" questioned Leo. "Maybe there's more going on here
than we thought."
"For crying out loud," said Paige, "it's just a headache. It's not like
it's a demon attack or anything. People get headaches, that's all."
"Got is," said Cole, coming back into the entryway. "Now, if the three of
you will squeeze together some I think I can get a real good shot of you."
"Take a couple of pictures," said Phoebe. "Just to make sure you get a good one."
"Okay," said Cole, smiling.
He squeezed off several pictures before they decided to leave. Paige, of
course, had to get her aspirin before leaving. Which only made Cole and Leo a
bit aggravated making remarks about always having to wait for women and such.
They finally stopped when Piper nudged Leo in the ribs and smirked at him.
As they left the manor and headed for the car, a shadow once again
separate from the dark corner in the entryway. It hovered in the entryway for
several moments, making sure they had left the manor. Then, just as before, it
simply faded from sight leaving the entryway totally deserted.
"That was so much fun," said Piper as the five entered the manor. "I
hadn't realized so many people still worked there from when I worked there. It
was good to see them again."
"Even that waiter who dropped our order the first time?" giggled Phoebe.
"That's Jeremy," said Piper. "He always had sort of a crush on me. You
should have seen him the first day he was a waiter. He dropped the order all
over one of our best customers rather than on the floor."
'Boy, I'll bet that was embarrassing," said Paige.
"It could have been," said Piper. "But Mr. Walker was really sweet about
it. He knew Jeremy had a crush on me and understood completely. I can't
believe Jeremy is now the headwaiter. He must not be so clumsy when I'm not
around."
"I noticed you had to remind him you were married now," said Leo. "Not
once, but four times."
"He's harmless," said Piper. "I guess he just hasn't gotten over his
crush yet."
"Crushes don't usually last this long," said Cole. "If he still feels
that way, it might be something more than just a boyhood infatuation."
"Well, he has very good taste," said Leo, putting his arms around Piper.
"He's very sweet," said Piper. "Besides, Paige seemed to hit it off
pretty well with him."
"Oh, don't try to palm him off on me," said Paige, smiling. "He's your
stalker."
"He's not a stalker," said Piper. "He's just a little attracted to me.
There's no harm in that."
"Better watch her, Leo," said Phoebe. "You spend a lot of time orbing
around. Jeremy could become some competition for you."
"I'm not worried," said Leo.
"Okay, that's enough," said Piper. "Jeremy is a sweet boy and I'm glad
he's doing so well."
"Okay, okay," said Cole, laughing. "We were just having some fun. It's
been a long time since we were able to do that. It was nice for a change."
"You got that right," said Paige. "Well, it was fun dressing up for a
change but these shoes are killing me. If no one minds, I think I'll slip into
something a bit more comfortable."
"Good idea," said Phoebe. "This may be my sexiest dress but I think it's
shrunk since I last wore it. It's a bit tighter than I remember."
"Shrunk, yeah, that's the explanation," smirked Piper.
"Watch it," joked Phoebe, as the girls went upstairs to change.
"Well, at least their headaches seem to have gone away," said Leo.
"What headaches?" Cole asked.
"Oh, they all had slight headaches a while ago," said Leo. "They took
some aspirin and it seems to have done the trick."
"All three at the same time?" Cole asked.
"No, not at the same time," said Leo. "Why? You think there's something
to it?"
"Probably not," said Cole. "It's just curious that they should all have
headaches so close together."
"You might be right," said Leo. "But they were just headaches. There
were no demon attacks or anything like that. It was probably just like they
said. Just headaches. They have been through a lot lately, you know? I guess
there has to be some kind of repercussions from it."
"I guess so," said Cole.
Leo went into the kitchen to put on some coffee. Cole sat thinking about
the girls' headaches. He wasn't as convinced as Leo apparently was. One of
them, even two, could be coincidence. But all three at the same time? That was
too coincidental to be coincidence. He began to mentally go over the demons he
knew that had a reputation for causing headaches.