* * *
The first thing he noticed was the cold air. Not so much on his body or actually making him feel uncomfortable, but the dry coolness of the air moving through his nose and lungs. It meant he was here, back on Earth. It was exciting and wonderful, and even though there was snow on the ground, he could tell spring was on its way.
Rudolph stood beside a large tree and allowed himself just a moment to get his bearings. He’d been told what Chicago was like today and briefed on current social customs. But to actually be here living it was a bit overwhelming. He hadn’t realized how loud it would be, with the vehicles whooshing by on the nearby streets, and how tall the buildings would feel. Even standing where he’d been deposited, in the middle of an urban park, it was obvious the city was bustling and alive with people and movement and history and possibilities.
And then he realized he was beginning his first assignment. Finally.
Right now, he would begin to do what he’d been trained for and make a difference in someone’s life. Right now. Right here. Finally.
An unfamiliar pride welled up on the inside, and he pulled himself up to his already impressive height. It was time to find his assignment. This woman needed a guardian angel, and he’d been sent to help her.
Rudolph stepped away from behind the tree.
Fortunately, no one seemed to notice that a man had suddenly appeared next to a tree. No one at all was even looking in his direction. The people nearest him were all looking in the same direction, and now he could see why.
All eyes were on one woman.
She was strutting toward a park bench. An absolute vision in motion, she walked with confidence, her stride hard and fast. She was tall, even without the incredibly high heels which drew attention to the sleekest, most shapely legs Rudolph had ever had the privilege to observe.
Her coat flapped open, and Rudolph was certain every male eye in the park was observing swell of her breasts bouncing and straining against the thin dress. With her light olive skin and a shock of wild black hair, she exuded not just ferocious beauty, but a sense of energy. She looked like she could tame wild beasts, encourage birds to sing, and bring flowers back to life. All at the same time.
This had to be Julie.
How he hoped it was her.
How he feared it might be her.
He began strolling in her direction, very slowly, and as casually as possible. Rudolph needed as much time as possible to get the literal lay-of-the land under his feet. It’d been a long time since he walked on anything other than the perfectly flat surfaces where he’d trained — even if they were often obscured by puffs of rolling clouds. (That would be the chief’s doing — he tended toward the dramatic at times.) The sloping ground, bristly dead grass, and assorted rocks and pebbles were certainly different than what he’d become accustomed to. Different in a wonderful, genuine, alive way.
The park had a good dozen cement benches set in a ring around a fountain that had been shut down for the winter. Cement walkways covered most of the area, with bits of the dried out grass poking through dirty melting snow. Further out from the fountain, there were more grassy areas, and a nice mix of little trees planted in a line and scattered, big old trees that looked like they had always been there.
The woman in question selected a cement bench with absolute purpose, as if it was an adversary to be defeated. She never hesitated about where she would land. She owned the bench. Even her upturned chin told the world to lookout.
As if posturing for an audience — which was somewhat accurate given the many pairs of eyes following her — the woman crossed her legs, arched her back and angled her face up to the sun. The classy black trench coat she wore flapped open again when the next gust of wind whipped through the park, showing off her barely covered body in a small black dress.
As she stretched her hands toward the back of the bench, a bit of a smile came through on her face and the short length of skirt crawled up nearly to her hips. Her whole presence screamed of an unspoken challenge to anyone who might be looking.
And “looking” was a modest term.
Three men who’d been hovering nearby watched the woman with naked ambition. If she was indeed his assignment, he’d have to distinguish himself from them in some way to attract her attention. This aspect of the situation certainly hadn’t been part of his training.
Rudolph selected a bench near the woman, crossed his long legs, and pretended to be simply sitting and enjoying another day of life on Earth. Just like everyone else.
But how to get the woman’s attention? Assuming she was his assignment, he’d need to approach her, meet her in some logical way. He made a point of looking away from her instead of staring at her like all the other hungry beasts waiting to make the figurative kill.
Over in the grassy area of the park—the part that would be grassy come summer, anyway—a man with a dog on a leash stooped to pick up something with a bag over his hand. Dog poop. The man was picking up his dog’s poop.
Rudolph had a sudden flash-remembrance of the smell of manure and the feel of sweat trickling down his face. It was a pleasant, though tiny fragment of a memory of a feeling. Of doing something useful, working hard, and accomplishing something tangible. Something that needed to be done. Something that he must have done when he’d walked the Earth as a man.
What would these unassuming, normal people do if they were suddenly aware that an actual guardian angel was sitting in their midst? What would he have thought — when he lived amongst them — if he had discovered such a thing was true? Not to mention the notion that one day he might be selected to join them — at least once his life reached its natural conclusion.
Every once in a while, Rudolph noticed the woman glancing in his direction. It’d be helpful if she was actually looking at him, but that seemed unlikely. A little too good to be true.
A squirrel with a particularly shiny tan coat and dark gray muzzle, walked up to Rudolph. Something about the sheen of its fur reminded Rudolph of the trainer’s leisure suit.
“Hello Rudolph,” the squirrel chittered at him. He heard the squirrel-sounds, yet at the same time, Rudolph clearly heard the trainer’s voice. This had to be the trainer, in the form of a squirrel, doing a site visit.
That wasn’t a good sign.
“Throw me a nut, so it looks like there’s a reason for us to be interacting,” the squirrel said.
Rudolph glanced around. Even though he wasn’t sure how to approach the beautiful woman on the bench, he knew it’d be rather unnatural for a man to be speaking to a squirrel. “Nuts?” he quietly grunted through closed teeth.
“In the picnic basket, on your right,” the trainer said.
Rudolph located the basket, opened the lid and removed the small handful of nuts that he found inside. He tossed one to the trainer.
“You need to interact with Julie Winters,” the trainer said between nibbles.
“How? Is that her?” Rudolph grunted again. At least that’s what he tried to say. It came out more like Huh, ih had hr?
The trainer scampered up on the bench next to Rudolph saying, “I appreciate the effort on the grunting and all, but you’re hard to understand, Rudolph.”
“Sorry,” Rudolph whispered. He handed the trainer another nut.
“Well, we don’t exactly cover this in training. And yes, that is her — assuming that is what you were saying.” The trainer made sort of a funny expression, which looked to Rudolph like a squirrel-smile.
“It’s time to get in there and meet her,” he continued. “You’re in the right place, and it’s certainly the right time. Go get ‘er, tiger.”
Julie Winters — now he knew it was actually her — stood up from her bench. Her skirt remained scandalously scrunched up near her hips as she strolled in his direction.
And though Rudolph wasn’t feeling much like a tiger at the moment, the analogy certainly made sense what with the way she was displaying herself for her potential captors.
> She stood a couple of yards away with her back to him, bent down to remove one spiked pump, and in the process showed Rudolph the wisp of black lace that served as an undergarment these days. Yet another detail that wasn’t covered in training. But really, what would they say? Look out for tiny, sexy lace underwear? Very tiny, very sexy underwear.
When Julie stood up, it looked like she picked a tiny pebble out of her shoe. Then she turned and faced him, bent down to put her shoe back on, and in the process inadvertently revealed a lot of cleavage.
Rudolph did his best to look away. He hoped she hadn’t seen his blatant staring. He was fairly sure he hadn’t been caught. It was rather ungentlemanly to take advantage of woman accidentally exposing herself.
A puffy white butterfly fluttered around Julie’s ankles. Something about the oversized, billowy wings reminded Rudolph of something. No, some one. The chief.
As Julie slid her shoe back on she wobbled and it looked like she might fall. Just as her shoe was about to reconnect with the pavement, the chief landed right where she was about to step. In less than a second, he would be crushed into butterfly pulp.
Rudolph jumped up and scooped Julie into his arms.
“Oof,” came out of her mouth. She looked startled, but not upset to find herself hoisted into the air by a stranger.
“The butterfly,” Rudolph said, trying to explain his actions. “You were about to crush it.”
Julie didn’t say anything. She seemed to be observing him. He was certainly observing her. Her eyes were a deep, warm brown, and something about the way she held his gaze said she knew things — she was intelligent, gentle and strong at the same time, and sort of mysterious.
“Oh,” she said, blinking. Rudolph tried to focus on the task at hand, but he couldn’t help but think about how her lips were mere inches away from his. He could lean down and touch those soft pink lips, taste her, inhale her very soul. That was definitely not part of guardian angel training. He needed to focus on her needs, not his.
Their eyes connected once again, and Rudolph knew his cheeks flushed. He smiled, embarrassed at his thoughts, and wondered what she’d think if she knew the effect she was having on him.
He also wondered where his hands were touching her. At that thought, he finally, carefully, lowered Julie to her feet.
The big white butterfly moved off with the breeze, and then seemed to disappear. Apparently, it’s job was complete.
“I have my balance now,” Julie said. Her voice was strong and confident, if not a little bit too loud. Maybe she was still a bit startled what with nearly tripping, crushing the chief, and being lifted off the ground into some strange man’s arms.
“Thank you.” She sounded softer now and glanced up at Rudolph. “You’re a big one, aren’t you?”
A big one what? Rudolph pondered what that could possibly mean. “Sure, I guess,” he replied, even though he wasn’t certain at all.
Fortunately, Julie elaborated. “It’s just that there aren’t that many men who are taller than me when I’m in heels, let alone tower over me. What are you?”
“What am I?” He actually said it out loud this time.
“Yeah.”
What could she be talking about? He was her guardian angel, but there was no way she could be asking that — no way she could be thinking it. What else was he? He couldn’t even make a guess.
“What six-four, more or less?”
What in the world did those numbers mean? Rudolph was sure he’d never been so under-prepared. What was worse, he had an important job he’d been entrusted with, and he could not fail. It would be a disservice to his Julie, to the trainer and the chief, and to his entire new profession.
“I’m sorry. You’re probably sick of being asked how tall you are all the time.”
“Oh, yes, my height. I really can’t say. I am rather tall.” He blushed a little bit again. Maybe he was over thinking things a bit.
Julie kept looking at him, as if she could learn something by staring into his eyes. “Wow, you have the most interesting eyes I have ever seen. They are so blue… they… are…” She trailed off, finally saying, “What color exactly would you say they are?”
Mirrors weren’t part of the accoutrements on the training grounds. Besides, guardian angels were outfitted in every way to suit their missions. Every way — including their appearance.
“I honestly couldn’t say.”
She smiled at him, then seemed to think of something. “I’m Julie, by the way. Julie Winters.” The way she said it sounded like she was waiting for something.
“Yes, of course.”
“And you are?”
“Oh, yes. I’m Rudolph.” He really had to learn to go with the moment. That, they had discussed in training.
“Rudolph...”
“Yes, Rudolph.”
He could do this. Conversations, meeting people, dealing with things. He knew he had the tools to master this guardian angel scenario. Except it wasn’t a scenario anymore.
“Are you okay? You seem a little confused,” Julie said.
Of course he was fine. Why would she ask that? Weren’t things going well okay now that they’d finally met?
At that moment, the chief presented himself as a white butterfly again. He circled around Rudolph and Julie, flapping about and trying to hover next to Rudolph’s ear.
“You’re almost there. Act with confidence, and you’ll find you become confident.”
Rudolph nodded.
“Take the initiative. Treat her like a woman.”
Rudolph nodded again.
“People expect reciprocity,” the chief said. “So give her your last name.”
At that, Rudolph finally said, “Oh. I’m sorry.”
He looked at Julie and worked on concentrating on her rather than the interaction with the chief.
“Rudolph Jones.”
Julie’s face relaxed. Gone were the little stress lines around her eyes, the tightening on the edges of her perfect lips. She even smiled a bit.
“Maybe we should sit down Rudolph Jones?”
“Alright. I think that’s a good idea.” A great idea.
They sat on the bench where Rudolph had left his picnic basket.
“Would you like some lemonade?” He thought it would sound gentlemanly, casual, yet confident.
“I...” Julie paused. “I would love some.”
Rudolph pulled a bottle of lemonade out of the small picnic basket, removed the screw top, and handed it to Julie.
“You’re like magic,” Julie said. She seemed surprised about something. Surely these twist-tops weren’t new to her.
“The top just screws right off,” Rudolph explained.
Staying current with everyday objects was always part of the training — as much as social customs and modern-day speech.
“This is amazing stuff. Aren’t you going to have some?”
“Oh, sure. Of course.”
Rudolph reached into the small picnic basket for another bottle of lemonade and took a sip. Fortunately, Julie didn’t notice that the basket held a lot more than its size would imply. Obtaining small objects and making them appear in closed basket was easy compared to speaking to his first assignment.
Rudolph sipped the lemonade. It was so clean and sweet and tart, it was just wonderful in his mouth. As soon as the first drink slid down his throat, he was eager to feel the sensation again. “You’re right. This really is good,” finally said.
“You sound like you’ve never had lemonade.”
“I, well,” Rudolph hesitated and simply told her, “I haven’t had any in a very long time.”
“You are an odd man, Rudolph Jones. I don’t suppose you’ve ever been told that?”
Rudolph thought about that a moment and replied, “Well, no, I haven’t.”
Julie smirked. He could tell she was about to say something, then changed her mind.
“So what do you do?”
Rudolph took an
other long drink. It was just so good. Maybe anything that served as his first taste back on Earth would have produced this amazing feeling. But he couldn’t help but be glad it was indeed lemonade.
“Ummm, I help people.”
He had a cover story, of course. But it always felt wrong, even during situation training to lie. Especially to the very person he was here to help. Yet, he’d practiced — extensively — on this topic. He certainly couldn’t admit the truth.
The trainer scampered over to him again, ostensibly looking for more nuts. Rudolph reached into the picnic basket and tossed him a few. As the trainer chittered at receiving each nut, he also reminded Rudolph of how they’d overcome this scenario during training.
This time when the squirrel ran off, Rudolph was determined it would be the last he’d see of his mentors. No more site visits. He had to prove to them he was up to the task.
Rudolph turned to Julie and said, “So, tell me about you, Julie Winters. I’m much more interested in hearing about you.”
Julie blossomed under the attention. It was as if she took joy in the simple fact someone was interested in her life, even though for the most part, she focused on why she pursued her dreams rather than self-indulgent puffery. Rudolph had to wonder about the support she was (or wasn’t) receiving from her friends and family.
“I’ve always lived in Chicago, which I think is one of the reasons I went into real estate. I think there’s a right place for everyone in this city. Someplace. No matter who you are or what you do,” Julie said.
And just like that, he now had a legitimate reason to be familiar with her, and continue being familiar with her.
“So, you like to help people, too?” he asked.
“Yes. I guess I do.”
Her face shifted from almost being embarrassed at the pronouncement to proud. She was obviously contemplating something. Of that, Rudolph was certain. He’d always performed well when tested on reading people’s emotions and scored very high on empathy.
“Do you like being a real estate agent?” He asked. The words felt awkward on his tongue. He’d have bet real estate agent was not a profession in his time. And he was even more certain he’d never uttered those words before.
“It can be fulfilling,” she said.
There it was again. That shift that indicated her thoughts didn’t line up with what she was saying. Even though she wasn’t lying, she was certainly being evasive. “Most of my clients tend to be rather...demanding. But I enjoy the challenge.”
“I happen to be looking for a home. I’m new in town. Maybe you could help me?”
Julie dug into her evening bag for a business card.
And here, his briefing said she was on her way home from her birthday party from the previous evening. But perhaps it had been a work function, too? After all, if she was carrying business cards in an evening bag, that would only make sense. Then again, given all she’d said she may have trouble separating work and play.
Julie produced a card. “Call me anytime.”
Their hands touched briefly when he received the card. Maybe even longer than necessary, but that may have been wishful thinking on his part. He’d have liked it to last longer. Not an appropriate feeling for a guardian angel toward his assignment, he knew. But perhaps it was just the excitement of reacquainting himself with Earth. Feeling alive again. Feeling like a man again.
Julie smiled a deep, genuine smile at him. Not that professional face she’d put on for a moment when they started talking business. It struck him in his heart. She was so beautiful. So delicate and charming. He’d do anything for her. But he had to be careful. She was his assignment, not a woman he was allowed to fall in love with. And he knew, he could so easily fall in love with her.
He’d have to be very careful. Back to the business of being her guardian angel. No more thoughts about her Earthly attributes.
“And what about your free time?”
There it was again. That spark of joy in her deep brown eyes that seemed to say, You really are interested, aren’t you? The fulfilled look remained, enhancing the already lovely, truly lovely, face.
“I don’t really know. I work a lot, which is fine with me. I read and watch TV when I’m alone, but most of the time I work, or go out with friends, or do research for clients, or take clients to view homes. It’s surprisingly time consuming.”
If only he could meet her under other circumstances. He’d love to shower her with the attention she needed, and teach her just how fulfilling a personal life could be. Life shouldn’t be just about work.
“What if you could do anything. Right now.”
“Wow. No one ever asks me things like that.” She looked directly into his eyes as if she was searching for something.
“I have to say, I’ve never had a day quite like today. And, I’m really enjoying it. I tend to live in the moment—and this is a pretty good moment.”
Did she feel it too? Their connection? He had to remember his role here. It’d do no good to serve as her guardian angel, have her fall for him, then inexplicably disappear from her life.
He looked at the squirrels again. The trainer was still keeping an eye on him, but not approaching.
“You must share a few things with me. It’s only fair,” Julie said. “Do you often sit in the park and chat up strange women?”
They locked eyes at the words strange woman and laughed. It felt good and honest.
“Not to say that I am necessarily strange,” she added with a smirk.
“I can truthfully say I’ve never sat in this or any other park and chatted up a woman. Strange or otherwise.”
They shared a grin again. Rudolph felt the urge to hold her hand. He was falling for her, and there wasn’t a thing he could do about it. It didn’t matter that it wasn’t allowed.
“That’s good to know. I’d hate to think I was a conquest, or one of long string of women that fall for this naive man in the park routine.”
“I assure you it’s not a routine,” Rudolph paused and smiled again. “But, I think you just called me naive.” He pretended to act injured at the insult.
Oh hell, he was so falling for her. It was a simple fact, and he couldn’t turn it off. So long as the chief and trainer didn’t notice — and they were still at a distance and didn’t seem to be coming back.
He didn’t care if he ended up hurting for her, feeling a desperate ache at remembering his first assignment, so long as she didn’t return the feelings. He couldn’t allow her to be saddened when he moved on to his next assignment.
After some time, a young woman in white Capri pants walked by. She held hands with a young man and they smiled at each other. How lucky they were to be young and in love, and allowed to be in loved.
Julie looked at them too, her eyes tracking their movement down the paved walkway. Then, in an odd gesture, as if she was suddenly uncomfortable, she wrapped her coat tightly around her and starred at her evening bag.
“What is it?” Rudolph asked.
“I suddenly feel quite overdressed.”
“You look beautiful.”
He probably shouldn’t have said that. But it was honest, and it seemed to be what she needed to hear.
He wasn’t sure, but he thought she was on the verge of crying. Just at being told she was beautiful? Again, he had to wonder at her friends and family.
She walked over to the fountain, and Rudolph thought he’d best give her a moment to compose herself.
She really did need a guardian angel.
And not one that would unexpected leave her only to make her feel abandoned.
So long as he was the only one falling in love, it didn’t matter. He’d consider it a reminder to never, ever fall for one of his assignments again. He’d carry the sad joy of knowing the longing for another human being once again. The joy of feeling something — so long as she didn’t feel it too.
He needed to get his feelings under control.
He took a quick look ar
ound the park, saw that no one was looking in his direction, and returned to one of the training rooms until Julie needed him again.
At the Right Time Page 3