His Angel: The Angel Trilogy Book One

by Kimberly Blalock

  “Ok, we're on a mission because we're having guests for dinner this evening and we need to look presentable,” she says as we arrive at the shopping center that is thirty minutes from my mom and dad’s house.

  “Guest? What guest?” I sulk.

  I’m not in the mood to have an ole’ fashioned Hayes dinner party. I truly want nothing more than to have dinner with my parents, take a hot bath and try to get a signal to call Evan. That would be the perfect night.

  She looks at me questionably. “Abigale, I told you! Dr. Carlson and his date will be visiting from Los Angeles. They are in town for the children’s gala benefit that we are attending tomorrow and I asked that he come for a visit.”

  Oh great some old family friend I’m sure. “Great!” I paint on my good girl smile as we head inside.

  “Abby, this is the dress!” My mother holds up a beautiful silver gown that sits way too low in the front, like you need tape on your boobs low, and a floor length flow that is actually kind of perfect.

  I put my hands on my hips. “Mother, I can’t believe you would pick something like that for your own daughter,” I joke.

  “Oh, honey this one is for me, but we will find you something nice with lots of little flowers or something,” she says as she focuses on the delicate lining.

  “Mother!” I hiss.

  “Oh Abigale! I’m kidding! I found this little hot number for myself.” She smiles as she pulls out a conservative black gown, way more my mom’s taste.

  “Oh good, geez, I thought you were having a mid-life crisis or something.” We look to each other and burst out into a fit of laughter. I’ve missed these times with my mother. She’s always so much fun to hang out with. I smile.

  “Miss? My daughter needs a fitting room, she would like to try this on,” my mom announces to the sales girl.

  “Right this way.” We approach the dressing rooms and I begin to slip the soft material over my curves in front of the body length mirror.

  My phone buzzes. “My phone, my phone!” I hop to my bag with the silver dress hanging halfway on my body. If this call is Evan I’m not missing it. The screen is lit up with Amy’s picture.

  “Hey!” I’m so happy to talk to someone from civilization. “Oh my God I miss you! I’m bored out of my mind.” I sigh.

  Amy laughs. “Well, when are you coming home doll? I have some news for you.” She sounds very serious and a little excited all at the same time.

  “Well, I am due to arrive on Saturday, so three more glorious days,” I say sarcastically. “Wait! What news, spill this minute,” I beg. I need gossip or anything that the city can offer me. Anything.

  She laughs again. “I got the job at channel thirteen!” She can’t contain herself.

  She’s so excited and I’m excited for her. “Amy, I am so happy for you!” I gasp.

  “I know, I can’t believe it. I will start out doing the ground work, but in no time I will be where I want to be.” I can picture the smile on my best friend’s face. “What are you doing? I have been calling you for two days,” she asks.

  “Well right now I’m in the dressing room trying on a gown for a charity event,” I sulk.

  My mother and father have been dragging me to these ever since I was sixteen and it has been nice not to attend with my parents living in Colorado. But when Evan told me I should come out to visit I didn’t think to ask if there would be an event while I visited.

  “Oh my God do you need the fashion police? Your mother isn’t picking out your gown is she?” she ask as she sucks in a terrifying breath.

  “Well surprisingly she did pick a gown, but I know you would approve.” I laugh.

  “Ok, but Abby please don’t go dressed in a gown with a collar up to your jaw line for crying out loud,” she sulks now.

  “I’m sorry you aren’t here to be my stylist,” I tease.

  “Yeah I’ll bet! I have great taste.”

  “Hey have you seen Evan?” I ask, curious since I haven’t spoken with him since Monday morning.

  “Well, I haven’t, but I think Dominic did a few days ago.” She sounds off when she speaks now.

  “Amy? What aren’t you telling me?” I demand.

  “Nothing I swear!” She seems to be telling the truth.

  “Ok, I haven’t talked to him since Monday and I miss him so much. If you see him please tell him that I don’t have a signal at my mom’s and apparently they had a line fall and their landline isn’t working,” I sigh.

  “Weird, you would think being that high in the mountains you would be closer to the satellite,” she says.

  “Oh my God that’s what I said!” We laugh again. I’m really homesick, now.

  “Abby what are you thinking of wearing for dinner tonight?” my mom asks through the door.

  “Hold on mom,” I say.

  “Hey I’ve got to go, but when I get home it’s a pizza and wine night.” I smile.

  “Ok doll, have a BLAST!” She can be such a sarcastic bitch sometimes. I hang up and smile at my crazy friend.

  “What do you think?” I ask my mom as I walk out of the dressing room.

  “Oh Abigale, you are so beautiful!” she gasps.

  “Aw thanks mom. I hate it! I think I’m going to go for that short number over there.” I turn around with an evil grin on my face. My mother turns her head as horror fills her eyes. The dress that I had pointed out isn’t quite the formal dress that you wear to a charity event, more like a corner kind of event.

  “Abigale Hayes you will not be wearing that kind of…dress, and that’s the end of it,” she says in her quiet yell.

  I laugh. “Gotcha!” I turn and point to her.

  She looks at me, placing her hand on her heart. “Are you trying to kill me or something?” She lays the guilt trip on thick now.

  “Oh mother, yes I love this gown too.” I go back into the dressing room and change as my mom brings me a few more things she thinks I might like to wear to her formal dinner she’s preparing--well that her chef Frankie is preparing.

  I only brought a few dresses and really nothing my mom thought appropriate for a ‘formal’ function. She’s so picky. I roll my eyes.

  “Here Abigale, I saw this and thought you would be beautiful in it.” She hands me a white off the shoulder bandage dress.

  I slip into it and it seems to be a perfect fit. “Mom I need you to get the zipper please,” I say. She walks into the dressing room and squeezes my shoulders, staring at me in the mirror as she sweeps my hair to the side.

  “You are a beautiful woman, do you know how proud of you I am?” She smiles.

  “Mom, don’t cry,” I say as a tear begins to fall down her cheek.

  “I can’t help it. I look at you and see this brave girl taking on the world and I know your sister would be so proud of you. She’s watching you and cheering you on every step of the way.” We both cry now.

  “I miss her so much,” I cry.

  “I know baby, I miss her too, but she’s still with us, here.” She pats my chest where my heart sits.

  I sit on the bed thinking of Evan and wishing I could talk to him. I tried again in the dressing room, but he still didn’t answer, so I left another message. I never want to be without him again, this is killing me. I lay back on the bed staring up at the ceiling, wishing it was emerald green and he was lying next to me.

  “Fifteen minutes, be in the foyer Abigale.” My mom knocks on my door.

  I stand, smoothing out my white dress and pop some pink lip gloss to my lips. I slip on my pink pumps, take another look in the mirror to check my curls, wondering if I should have put my hair up.

  “I give up.” I really don’t care what I look like; I miss Evan so much. What do I need to look beautiful for? Some old friend of my parents’ isn’t going to care what their twenty-two-year-old daughter looks like. I roll my eyes.

  “Frank, are we ready?” my mother asks over the intercom.

  “Yes, Mrs. Hayes,” he answers.

  “Baby
girl you look so beautiful.” My dad kisses me on the cheek as we wait in the foyer for our guests to pull up the half-mile driveway.

  My mother is a stickler for appropriate welcoming of guests. My father has been surprisingly warm during this visit. I wondered why the sudden change, but who am I to question him being loving? I’m just grateful it isn’t awkward this visit.

  “Smiles, here they come,” she announces.

  My father rolls his eyes and we laugh together. Ah so refreshing, like the good ole days.

  “Hey,” my mother teases.

  I miss Evan, but I’m so happy that he talked me into coming here.

  “Hollister! How was your trip?” my mother asks.

  “It was great, and how are you Alison? Alfred? This is a friend of mine, Becky.”

  The man that walks into my parents’ home has to only be maybe in his early thirties, about six feet tall, messy dark curly hair, beautiful grey eyes, and a dark suit. His date is tall and beautiful. Short, dark hair to her shoulders, and a blue form-fitting dress. My mother hugs him and his friend and then he shakes my father’s hand. Hollister’s eyes catch mine and a smile breaks onto his lips.

  “This is our daughter Abigale, she’s visiting from LA this week,” my father announces.

  Hollister steps towards me extending his hand. “Abigale, it’s lovely to meet you.” He kisses my extended hand.

  “Hollister…Becky, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  “Sue will take your things and we will head this way.” My mom smiles, gesturing for the housekeeper to hurry up.

  My mom is a lovely woman, but has little patience for her employees being slow. She demands perfection from everyone. My father and I play along because we adore her and this is the one thing she asks of us.

  Sue hurries back into the sitting area as drinks need to be handed out. Poor Sue, she has been our housekeeper since I was a little girl and she followed my parents here out of loyalty. Despite my mother’s harsh tone during an important dinner, she loves Sue.

  “I’ll have a bourbon,” Hollister announces as Sue asks the guests what they would like. Apparently Hollister and my father share the same taste.

  “And you Miss?” Sue asks.

  “My name is Becky not Miss. I’m a woman not a child,” Becky announces to Sue.

  A sudden ping of fire pierces through my belly. I would never say anything to anyone in my parents’ home that may be offensive, but that is uncalled for and bullying is not something I put up with.

  “Yes, Becky, I apologize,” Sue says, shaking.

  “It’s fine. I will have a glass of red wine.” Becky waves her hand at Sue.

  I glance to my mother and then to Hollister. Shock swims in both of their eyes. Oh, she must be a gold digger. I want to laugh. Ladies with real class do not behave in this manner.

  “Sue let me help.” I stand, smoothing down my white dress and assist Sue with the drinks that are clearly too heavy for her.

  She passes me a kind smile and a wink. Sue kept Addie’s and my secrets when we were teenagers. I adore her, she’s a very kind soul. I reach for Becky’s glass before Sue can and I hand it to her.

  “Here you go Becky.” I provide a kind smile. I don’t plan to let her speak to Sue like that again, however.

  “So, Abigale, tell me about yourself,” Hollister says and Becky fidgets in her seat on the sofa.

  “She’s getting ready to start medical school in the fall at UCLA,” my father answers.

  “Alfred,” my mother scolds. “She can speak for herself.” She winks at me.

  “Well, there isn’t a lot to tell. I just graduated with my undergrad from UCLA and now I am just trying to find my way.” I smile.

  “Well that is some accomplishment, congratulations,” he bows his head.

  Becky rolls her eyes. She doesn’t know that I caught that. I should have fun with this bitch.

  If Addie were here we would silently torture her all night, making her think she’s going crazy. We did that a lot with my parents’ guests at their dinner parties, as we were expected to sit there and behave as young girls. An evil grin crosses my face as I remember the fun times Addie and I had at those functions. Of course we got caught by our mother every time, but it was still fun.

  I glance to my mother and she shakes her head, knowing exactly what I’m thinking and her lip curls up into a nonchalant grin that only I notice.

  “Becky tell us about yourself,” my father says. She smiles at the attention.

  “I am Miss Ohio.” She preens.

  I want to spit out the wine I have just taken a drink of. She just threw a fit saying she wasn’t a miss.

  I catch Hollister watching me as I try to hold back the laughter and he smiles. Becky and my parents talk about the life of a pageant girl and I’m finding it really difficult to stay awake at this point.

  “I need to use the gentlemen’s room,” Hollister announces. “Abigale would you mind showing me the way?”

  I glance to my mother and she smiles brightly. Oh dear... “Um sure.”

  My parents’ home is ten thousand square feet and even I can’t find the bathroom here. I stand, glancing to Becky who gives a fake smile.

  Hollister follows me as we walk through the sitting area and then through the hallway to the left. There are his-and-hers bathrooms down the hall.

  “Here you go,” I announce, waving my hand in front of the bathroom.

  “Thank you.” He smiles, brushing his hand against mine as he passes. I don’t know if he has done this on purpose or if it was an accident. I blow it off.

  “Would you mind waiting a few seconds so that I can follow you back?” he asks.

  Really? “Sure.” I sigh. A few minutes later Hollister emerges from the bathroom.

  “Abigale?”

  “Abby, please,” I say. He eyes me questionably. “I prefer Abby.” I answer his silent question.

  He smiles. “May I ask, do you have a boyfriend?”

  Oh dear, is he hitting on me? Oh no you don’t. “I do, yes.” I smile. The look of rejection doesn’t come though and I’m grateful. I don’t want the rest of the night to be awkward.

  “He’s a lucky guy. Shall we?” He gestures for us to go back to the party.

  “There you are baby,” Becky says as we enter the sitting room.

  “Dinner is served,” Frankie announces.

  My father takes mine and my mother’s hands as we head for the dining room.

  “How long will you be in town Abby?” Hollister asks.

  My mom and dad catch the shortened name he uses and look to each other. My mom seems pleased for some strange reason. Becky has her arms all over Hollister. Who taught this poor girl proper etiquette for crying out loud? I thought beauty queens were supposed to be refined.

  “I leave Saturday morning,” I answer.

  “Oh? Are you attending the charity event tomorrow?” he asks.

  “Yes I am.” I take a large gulp of my wine. I think I’m going to need a drink that’s a bit stronger.

  “Sue?” I call.

  “Yes, Miss Abby?”

  “Do you know how to make a blue martini?” I really need some blue in my life. If I can’t look into Evan’s eyes then I need a blue martini.

  “Actually, yes ma’am I do. Would you like me to prepare that for you?”

  “Please! And please keep them coming,” I say as she’s leaving the room.

  “Mom, do you still want me to tell dad that I’m not going to medical school since we now have guests?” I whisper to my mother sitting next to me. She shakes her head now telling me that it isn’t the appropriate time.

  My mother and father talk with Hollister about medical stuff and I’m so terribly bored I could scream.

  I finish my dinner and remove the white cloth napkin from my lap. Four blue martinis later, I’m feeling relaxed.

  “Excuse me Sue, I don’t believe that you asked if I would care for something. I have been sitting here with an empty glass for
three minutes,” Becky says as she rolls her eyes. That is the limit for me. Becky has been rude to Sue all evening and I’m done watching it happen.

  “Oh Becky, I apologize for Sue. Let me get you a fresh glass of wine.”

  “Oh thank you, good help is so hard to find,” she sighs.

  I excuse myself to the kitchen.

  “Oh Miss Abby, please don’t. I do not want you to get into trouble.”

  “Sue, whatever do you think I’m going to do?” I snicker with the evil grin back in full force.

  “Oh dear Miss Abby.” Poor Sue knows what I’m about to do, because I have done it before. I have been hurt too many times in my life. I can never sit back and watch while someone is abusing another person. Not in my home or my parents’ home; hell it doesn’t really matter where it is because it’s not right anywhere.

  I carry the red wine to Becky. “Becky here is the wine that you so desperately deserve.”

  “Abigale Hayes!” my mother calls. She knows what I’m planning as well. I ignore her and pour the red wine all over Becky and her beautiful dress.

  “OH MY GOD, you BITCH,” she spits as she jumps up from her seat.

  “Oh dear God Abigale,” my father says as his head shakes and falls. I think he wants to laugh, but he thinks better of it. Hollister does laugh.

  “Let me tell you something. In this home we speak to each other with respect. And hired help? Do you even have the money to hire ‘good help’ Becky? Sue is a wonderful woman who will have respect in this home from anyone that is lucky enough to be a guest.”

  She stands in front of me with her eyes wide open. She wants to rip my hair out, but I don’t care, I just want my bed and Evan wrapped around me.

  “I’m really tired, I think I’m going to call it a night. It was a pleasure to meet the both of you.” Hollister and my father both stand as I excuse myself.

  “Abby it was a pleasure to meet you and I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow during the charity gala.”

  “Hollister!” Becky hits him on the arm.

  “I look forward to seeing you both there.” I laugh.

  “Oh Becky will not be attending as my date, or at all.” His voice echoes.