6. Man In The Middle

"It's hard to imagine a better private collection." said an aristocratic woman, who stood in the middle of the City's latest art exhibit. Soft piano music played as the guest gathered into the gallery. Sarah and some of her friends were amongst those guests, admiring the paintings, and the man who had donated them to the museum. His name was Jon Dyer, a man beyond anyone's imagination, the finest painter in New York. Every woman in the room flocked around him, each on of them trying to catch his attention... But it was Sarah who he seemed enthralled by. Her effortless grace and natural beauty seemed to capture his soul. They locked eyes, instantly fascinated with one another.

A reporter approached Jon. "Mr. Dyer, what is the estimated value of your collection, and what prompted you to donate it to the museum?"

"Can you put a price tag on magic? The true value of great art lies in its ability to influence and enhance the quality of humanity, and contrary to popular opinion, I believe New Yorkers still qualify." Flash bulbs from photographers went off as he spoke, bedazzling the artist's eyes, but the whole time his eyes fixated on Sarah. Feeling a little uncomfortable she shyly turned away to examine more of Dyer's art pieces.

"Excuse me, Mr. Burch, could you look this way... Just one more picture, please." the reporters were saying. Jon stayed for a few photos, then approched Sarah from behind, who was studying a rather inspirational oil painting.

"Incredible isn't it? Everything happening at the same time: passion, humor, danger." Jon spoke with such passion and inspiration as he too stood and admired his own creation.

"A little like life." joked Sarah, startled by the painter's attention. She had no idea why she was being approached by such a handsome and prestigious figure.

"More than a little, I'm Jon Dyer." Jon held out his hand. Sarah began to shake it but Jon lifted her arm and planted a small but soft kiss on it. Sarah heard women sigh from all over the room. She couldn't help but enjoy the attention, the edges of her lips twitching into a smile.

"Of course you are. I'm sorry, but you are the reason we're all here." she told him, flickering her eyes from the painting to Jon. He was tall and dark, with a slender build, and whenever he spoke his eyes widened and glistened, as if he was trying to hypnotize and inspire everyone he approached.

"I suppose I am." he stated, modestly.

"And I'm Sarah Williams." She introduced herself politely, still waiting for a catch.

Jon smiled. "I know." Sarah burrowed her brow in confusion. "I asked one of your friends."

Her cheeks blushed. "I guess it's my turn to be a little flustered."

"Yes, it's only fair. Do you know that it has been a very, very long time since I've been good and flustered?"

A sharply dressed man walked up to the pair, interrupting their conversation. "Jon . . . ah . . . I need a word with you."

"Well, do you know I really don't have a moment to spare? Roger is my lawyer, he's a professional worrier and I will be in the office very early . . . Sarah, come on." Jon held out his arm to which Sarah took hold and they both walked over to the other side of the room, leaving the lawyer staring after them in exasperation. "Your father must have been very disappointed when you left his firm." Robert continued, as if he hadn't just shunned what may have been a very important conversation with his lawyer.

"He was, but he wants me to be happy." she claimed, trying to disguise the sorrowful tone in her voice.

"Are you?" he asked.

Sarah thought about it for a second. "The work is relentless, exhausting, but sometimes . . . it feels like . . . somehow, in someway I make a difference. That's a good feeling."

"Yeah, it's no fun starting at the bottom." he sympathized.

"Nobody cuts me any slack, but when I do get a kind word it's because I'm doing the job, not because I'm the boss's daughter."

"You know, you kids who grew up rich, you got just as much to prove as those of us who grew up poor. We spend our whole lives trying to prove to the whole world that we're worth something; you have to prove it to yourself. If your father isn't proud of you, he damn well should be."

She smiled at him fondly, gazing into heis eyes. Jon smiled back. They seemed to share a bond... When the gallery closed, Sarah and Jon exited the building together, and were once again surrounded by reporters and photographers. They headed for a waiting limo, entered the vehicle and drove away.

At exactly the same time Jareth strolled through a tunnel underground and stopped as if he had heard or felt something...

The night was seductive and peaceful when Jon's limo pulled up in front of Sarah's apartment building. He stepped onto the sidewalk and helped Sarah out. They faced each other. "Well, thank you for the ride" said Sarah, finding it hard to pull away from his gaze. Eventually, she smiled and began to turn away, before Jon stopped her.

"Sarah, when can I see you again?" he questioned.

Sarah took a business card out of her purse and handed it to him. "Call me." They were obviously very attracted to each other. Mounting the stairs to her building, she turned to smile at him as he entered the limo and lowered the window to watch her... But Jon was not the only one who admired the beauty that was Sarah in the dark of the cool night.

Jareth peered out into the shadows as he gazed sorrowfully at the woman he loved so deeply.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Sarah and Eddie were walking together towards Sarah's desk the next day. Sarah had just asked Eddie if she could access the security area of a building she was currently investigating. "No, because you need special authorization just to gain access…Whoa, ho,ho!" exclaimed Eddie, who had just spotted the dozen roses on Sarah's desk. "Girlfriend, you must be a great first date. This vase alone has to cost about a thousand bucks. Who's this guy? Come on, what's the story? I expect all the juicy details at eleven."

Sarah opened the card that came with the flowers. "There are no juicy details…yet." Eddie grinned at her, and began to walk away. "Not so fast. Could you check out this guy for me? I also need particulars of any real estate transactions in that area in the last year. Looks like someone's trying to buy themselves a whole blockndown there; I want to know who."

"Well, it's gonna take a minute; they got me swamped here."

"You know I wouldn't ask…"

"If it wasn't important, I know...I'm so good to you."

Sarah sat down at her desk and opened a file when the suddenly phone rang. "Hello...Yes. Yes I got the flowers they're beautiful...Tonight? No, I don't have any plans. I'd like that...Ok, eight o'clock then. See you later."

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Jareth sat with Abe in his chamber, deep in thought. Abe sighed at his misery. "Jareth, what weighs so heavy? Hmm . . . please tell me?"

Jareth got up out of his chair, walking away from Abe, going to a sideboard with a figurine of a girl on it. He touched it and, with his back to Abe, explained his melancholy state. "She met a man…she's falling in love."

"Let her. Let her fall in love, Jareth."

"My mind tells me to rejoice for her . . . that she deserves the happiness . . . but my heart . . . is dying. I'm poisoned by feelings . . . I've never felt before." He turned, leaning against the sideboard with his head bowed. "Abe . . . it hurts."

"I've always . . . dreaded . . . this moment . . . for you." He rose from out of his chair, walking toward Jareth, placing a hand on his shoulder. "And I . . . I suppose I've . . . always known it would come . . . the day when your heart . . . would lead you to long for a life . . . that can never be, Jareth."

"Yes, a life that can never be." Jareth repeated, sadly. Abe stroked Jareth's head. Jareth pulled away from his touch and slowly left the chamber.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Sarah and Jon were walking arm in arm down a sidewalk. Two saxophonists were playing a duet. Jon laughed. "I do love the city. The thing is you can't walk a block without seeing somebody or something that just absolutely knocks you out, stuns you."

"The good, the bad and the utterly absurd." Sarah chuckled, linking her arm with his.

"Yeah, yeah, you know it's constantly changing. It's constantly transforming itself, reinventing itself; it's unbelievable. It's always expanding."

"With a little help from you."

"I've been lucky enough to realize some of my dreams."

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Back in Jareth's tunnel, a piano was being played and the Goblin King had stopped in his nightly wanderings to listen. He was leaning against the brick wall of a building, standing between two garbage cans. His eyes were closed as he hearkened to the notes of Beethoven's piano sonata "Pathetique". The piano was being played by an old man in the basement of an apartment building opposite from where Jareth was standing... Suddenly Jareth heard the squeal of tires as a car entered the alleyway. He crouched down, hiding behind the garbage can and watched as two men got out of the car and lit firebombs. The old man stopped playing when he heard the car and switched off the light. The two men threw their firebombs through the basement window and drove away.

"My God!" cried the old man, staring in horror as the basement ignited. "Help! Somebody help me!" He began coughing as the smoke became thick. Jareth, using his feet, crashed through the window, took off his cloak and began beating out the flames. The old man succumbed to the smoke and sank to the floor... Jareth succeeded in smothering the flames and had donned his cloak, which was left magically untarnished. He watched as the old man regained consciousness then backed away, preparing to leave. "Wait! I owe you my life."

"Come no closer." warned Jareth, who stood in shadow, only his eyes lit by the light coming through the basement window.

"Why do you hide? Let me see you...Without your help, those punks would have killed us all."

"All?"

"The other tenants, those who refuse to be chased from their apartments."

"These men that did this, why do they try to drive you from your homes?"

"Because we're old and there's a dollar to be made...Please, won't you come in and have a cup of tea? You must be shaken too."

"No...I must leave, now." Jareth explained as he fled off back into the night... But Jareth halted in his tracks when he caught sight of Sarah and Jon, who had their arms around each other as the walked towards a fountain. They stopped, looked at each other, and then kissed... Jareth stood in front of the drainage pipe looking forlorn.