“Pardon? Oh, yes ... yes it is...” Cal said, still blundering through the random items on his desk.
“Favors you quite a bit ... does she attend the University?” Xavier inquired.
“Oh no, not quite yet ... she still has another year at Chelsea...” Cal noticed that Xavier whispered along with his last word. “Yes... Chelsea – how did you know that?” Cal asked, suspicions rising.
“My apologies, Sir, if I have caused you alarm – but it's really quite simple and harmless, even. I just assumed that a man of your likeness would have someone who was so special to him one of two places ... here, underneath his own personal thumb, or a place such as Chelsea – a place with such pristine surveillance and guardship...” Xavier explained, his eyes never leaving Cal.
“Very observant, Xavier, you’ve done your research...”
“Yes, Sir, I have...”
“You must have had some rare sort of upbringing ... your father must be very proud...” Cal stated.
“You could say that, Sir...” Xavier added, allowing a villainous smirk to crawl across his face.
* * * * *
Coralie took one last look in the mirror. She continued taking inventory of her charcoal colored blouse, which was hiding underneath a black cropped leather jacket, her black fitted pencil pants, complete with a pair of black peep-toe wedges … just for good measure.
She grabbed her outing bag from the red, comfy chair that rested aside her bedroom window. She took a deep breath and started out of the door.
Knock. Knock.
She heard as she descended the last step of the staircase. “I got it.” She said, stepping in front of her Dad, who reached the door at the exact moment she did, smiling. He mouthed the words, okay, and backed away from the door, in a dramatically joking manner.
She opened the door to Court's smiling face. “Are you ready to go?” he asked.
“Yes,” she replied.
Court grabbed ahold of her hand. Her breath caught in her chest. Never failing. They descended the steps together and he walked her over to a black Jeep.
She grinned. “Where's the death trap, I mean ... the motorcycle?”
“Hey now, take it easy ... I love my bike ... but you on the other hand ... you'll learn to...” he grinned, “... so, for tonight's outing, we have...” giving a waving motion, “option two...”
“I have to admit, I like this option...” she said, grinning back at him, as he helped her in.
He closed the passenger side door, then casually walked to the driver's side. Before sliding into the driver’s seat, Court looked back at the house, only to see Cal Collier standing in his office window looking down at them. Court nodded at him, and then slid into his seat, closed the door and cranked the engine.
“So, where are we going?” Coralie asked with nervous excitement.
Court smiled. “You'll see...” he said, as they pulled down the driveway.
* * * * *
Cal strolled out into the foyer. He called out, not knowing exactly where his wife was hiding, but he thought surely she could hear him if he spoke loud enough. “Honey, the weirdest thing happened today – well, I guess I wouldn't say the weirdest thing … I mean, we've seen some pretty crazy stuff … but –” he stopped in mid-sentence, eyeing Katelyn, who sat in the den, caught his eye.
She was sitting in the bay-window seat and staring out into the night, watching the tail-lights leave the driveway. Cal quietly entered the room. “You okay?”
“I just worry about her ... that’s all...”
“She's with Courtland...”
“I know, and I trust him ... it's just I want to make certain that we are the ones that tell her...”
“Honey, we will...”
“I'm just afraid that if she finds about any of this ... if she realizes what's actually going on ... she'll hate us for it, she'll never trust us again.” Katelyn kept her stare directed outside the window.
Cal tried to keep the frown from spreading across his face. He was unsuccessful, because he knew there was a chance she was right.
Chapter 13
Court held the door for Coralie as they walked into the restaurant, Patras Place. Coralie watched as Court leaned into the waiter, whispering something to him. The waiter nodded and motioned for them to follow as he turned away.
Court took Coralie's hand with one of his, and rested his other on the small of her back, escorting her across the room.
They were seated in a private area of the restaurant. Coralie looked around. The restaurant was decorated in Grecian decor. An old wooden wine cellar storage had been placed in the natural stone walls behind the bar area. The beautiful architecture left her with an almost longing feeling, though she hadn’t the fondest idea from where it came.
“I love this place ... but I never realized how nice it was ... come to think of it, I don’t think that I’ve ever been back here before...” Coralie spoke with wonderment.
“They like to keep their most recurrent patrons happy ... they tend to allow a favor or two...” he said, smiling at her from across the table.
The waiter approached the table. He was dressed in a black and white guise. “May I get you started with something this evening, Sir?”
Court kept his gaze upon Coralie, but started, “I'll have a glass of your finest soda, of course, and she'll have water with lemon and lime ... and we'll both have the usual...” he arched his eyebrows at her, adding to his smile.
“Yes, Sir, Mr. Cumberlin...” said the waiter, dismissing himself.
“The usual?”
Court arched his eyebrows again. “Yes ... the usual, my usual, I guess...” letting a chuckle escape him.
“Which is?”
He stared at her for a moment, with a wistful aching in his heart.
“What?”
“Maybe you should wait for it … enjoy the surprise...”
“Or you could tell me … you know, just so that I know what I’m in for...”
“You don't like surprises, do you?” he questioned her playfully.
“Not exactly ... and how did you know –”
“Water with lemon and lime...” he leaned in closer to her, “I know more about you than you think...”
“Research, huh? ... Have you ever carried the name 'stalker'? “
“No, why ... are you passing out name tags?” Court playfully teased.
“No, just wondering how would you know something like that...”
“I know a lot about you, Coralie Collier...”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes, really...”
“Like what?”
“Aside from the uncommonly desired citrus water concoction … I know that you love cold spaghetti for breakfast, and that though you’d hate to admit it to Ms. Sieve at Chelsea, Jane Austen is truly your favorite author because you love her wit and romanticism.” Court leaned in closer, taking her hand in his, his eyes never leaving hers. “I know that you always aspire to be more than you are, but you never want anyone to know...”
“Okay, so you do know a lot about me...”
“I also know that you love to dance...” He nodded toward the center of the restaurant.
Coralie looked around the room. “I do … but, I don’t know … not here, not now...”
“Why not?”
“Because there's no one dancing...”
Court took her hand, guiding her up from her chair. “That's only because we're not up there yet...” She followed his lead, as he led her to the middle of the floor. She looked nervously around at the tables.
Court's eyes never left her face, as he escorted her out into the middle of the surrounding tables.
They danced together in a surrounding embrace. Suddenly, the entire world around them faded into the background.
* * * * *
Court looked at her, her hair blowing all around her face. The wind was nice up on the terrace of the restaurant.
Patras Place was beautifully decorated o
n the inside, but the outside upstairs terrace was the real gem of the place. The view was magnificent. Coralie could see almost the entire city from where she stood. The University's lights - as usual, left on - were so striking at night. They seemed to illuminate the entirety of Thessla . She wondered why she'd never noticed.
Court was not paying attention to the lights. He could only see her.
“It's ... It's ... I don't even know what to say ... I've never been up here before ... the view is absolutely –” Coralie stammered her words.
“Breathtaking –” Court said, finishing her sentence.
When Coralie turned to look at him, Court was not taking in the backdrop as was she. He was staring directly at her.
“Yes ... I think that is an excellent word for it ...,” was all she managed to get out.
“I wasn't speaking of the view of the city...”
“Oh ... right...” she replied shyly.
He took her hand slowly. “Coralie, Thank you...”
“For what?”
“For accepting my invitation tonight...” he continued, “I just wanted everything to be really great, you know ... I just wanted to … I wanted to show you something wonderful...”
“Well, really, I think that I should be the one thank you for tonight ... it has been great and wonderful and beautiful and –” she stopped.
“What? Go on...” he said, pining for her to continue.
She took a deep sigh. “That's it ... This is all a dream, I just know it...”
“What?” he asked with laughing confusion.
“This, all of this ... it has to be a dream ... it's all too perfect ... and in about an hour, I'm going to wake up and all of this, you, of course, especially you ... it will have all vanished...”
He let out his ever so handsome, bellowing laugh, that it seemed only she could stir. “Coralie ... you are one funny girl...”
Coralie beamed red at his compliment.
He continued, first pausing to gently lift her chin towards him with the calmness of his hand, “This is … I mean, tonight is ... as I am ... very real, Coralie ... there’s nothing that will change that and nothing that can take that away...”
Coralie smiled with bright eyes. Court could always make her feel safe. No matter what she said, or did, he never made her feel out of place.
“So what now, may I ask, are your plans? You know … what comes next for Coralie Collier?”
“I don't know ... why do you ask?”
“Because, I have a feeling that you and I, Miss Collier, are going to be spending a lot of time together...”
Coralie smiled again, and then stared off into the night from the terrace.
“I should probably get you home...” he said, still holding her hand in his and with his eyes still on her face.
“Yeah, you don’t want the parents sending out a search party on the first date…”
“True … but what a story to tell the grandkids, huh?”
“Yeah...” she said, with a smile.
Court gave her hand a light squeeze, and gently pulled her towards the terrace door.
“Wait –” Coralie said, stopping him in his tracks.
“What is it?”
“What if I said that I wanted you to prove it?”
“Prove what?” Court asked, caught by surprise in her question.
“Prove it to me ... that this, you ... everything ... that it's all real ... You're right. I know that you know more ... more about me than I know about myself…”
“Cor –”
“I want to know what you know...”
Court turned his entire frame to face her now, holding her body close to his. “I promise you, Coralie, I will show you all that you ever needed or wanted to know ... you have my word...”
And with that, only those few words from Court's lips, Coralie realized something. Something overwhelming.
Court had feelings for her ... he had made that perfectly clear. And she knew exactly to the depths of which those feelings ran. She knew only because she felt them. Every time he touched her hand or the small of her back or looked deep into her eyes. She felt the feelings that dwelled in Court’s heart and resided in his soul.
But it was also in that very moment that she realized something else. Coralie realized that he was not the only one that had these feelings.
She felt the same. Down to the depths of her soul.
Even from the very first moment they had spent together, she had felt like herself. Like the real Coralie had suddenly emerged, materializing before the world.
“Let's get you home...” Court said, extending his hand, and backing away slowly.
Coralie stared into Court’s eyes and smiled as she took his hand, knowing that she would follow him anywhere.
Chapter 14
The two of them pulled up into the drive of the Collier’s house. The house was dark, aside from the foyer light shining through the side light panels of the front door. Her parents must be out, Coralie realized.
Court opened his door and quickly made his way to the passenger side door. He opened it and helped her out of the car.
Coralie felt the night air surround her. It was warm enough to still be comfortable but still cool enough to give her a chill. But suddenly, she was not quite sure if the chill was from the night air.
Something didn't feel right.
Pushing her feelings aside, she took Court's extended hand and followed him toward the front steps. As they ascended each step, side by side, she became very aware of his every breath against the night air. So calm, so at ease, not even the tiniest sign of acceleration, anxiousness, or nervousness.
She couldn't say the same for herself, feeling her breath skip, along with her heart, as the warmth of Court's hand sent electricity coursing through her. As they stopped in front of the door, Coralie's breath caught in her chest. Again, never failing.
Court leaned in close. “I had a very nice time tonight, thank you...”
“Me, too ...,” This was all Coralie could manage to get out in response.
“Coralie?”
“Yes...”
“I promise...” he started, as he gently shifted her hair back away from the side of her face. He let his fingers gently linger behind, resting along the side of her cheek. “I promise you, that I will be here for you – whatever you need, whenever you need it – I'm here ... Always...” Then he leaned in closer to her. So close, she could feel his breath on her lips. “And I promise,” he paused, “that I will not rest until you know the truth...”
And with those words, he leaned in, breathed in deep and paused, leaving a kiss on her forehead. He, then, tilted her face toward his and leaned in, kissing her cheek softly. “I will see you tomorrow, okay...”
“Okay...” she managed to say aloud. Coralie could feel herself slowly becoming like jelly. She felt that she could just as easily seep through the cracks of the wooden porch slats as she was standing there.
She fumbled around with the door, not tearing her eyes from Court who was descending the steps. She watched him for as long as she possibly could; slowly closing the door.
She peered through the side panel windows and watched as the taillights of Court's Jeep trailed down the driveway. She watched them until the little red lights faded into complete darkness.
Still feeling flutters in her stomach, she sighed taking her eyes away from the window and forcing herself to shift her body in the same direction. She leaned her back against the door, took another deep breath inward, and then decided to make her way into the kitchen for a glass water.
With one step undergone, the next was disrupted by a knock at the door. Startled, Coralie turned around at the sound. “Court?”
She asked herself, could Court have forgotten something? Could he have turned around that quickly?
Or her parents … Could they have forgotten their key? “Mom? Dad?”
Suddenly, her mind took a turn. Jacques ... her thoughts traveled to her do
g. Where was he? Coralie's mind raced as she tried to recall if she had heard him since she'd been home. She'd been so wrapped up within the 'butterflies' in her stomach that she couldn't remember hearing him bark, growl, or whine.
All of the sudden, something did trigger a memory. The feeling... The feeling she felt when she and Court had gotten out of the car.
Something felt wrong. Something felt strange. Strange, like someone was … watching. Watching her ...
Could someone have been there? Watching her? Could they have waited until Court left her? Alone?
She walked slowly to the door, and peered out of the side light panel windows.
Strange, Coralie thought to herself. There was absolutely nothing in the darkness. Nothing. No one. Not even a sign.
Coralie started to back away from the door, but she heard another knock, startling her again.
She walked back to the door and cautiously began to open it, nervous as to what may be on the other side. She swallowed hard, pushing her fears aside, and opened the door about the width of her own body. The light from the foyer only illuminated a fraction of the body that stood before her.
Tall. Wide-Framed. Dark.
Coralie felt fear catch in the pit of her stomach, as she began trying to pull some sort of recognition of the being that stood in front of her.
* * * * *
Beep. Beep.
“You got a sec?” Criston heard, as soon as she plucked her phone from her back pocket and answered it.
“Well, Brother, I'm actually a little busy right now,” she said, gripping another side of timber and hoisting herself onto the rafters.
“Just give me enough time for you to listen – I've got an idea...”
“Try not to hurt yourself –”
“I'm being serious –”
“Okay, go on if you must...”
Empyreal: Awaken - Book One Page 8