Shopping had helped to make the week pass by more quickly and Emily found that she had actually enjoyed it. It was somewhat difficult at first, because it reminded her of times spent with her mother. But, it was yet another step in healing and moving forward.
Emily’s father was pleasantly surprised to see her come home with shopping bags in her hands. She knew he was thinking that it was all because of the date she had had with Rob. Emily didn’t feel like she needed to set the record straight, not yet.
After dressing she glanced at the clock. There were only ten minutes left. Just enough time to get down to the street with a minute or two to spare. Carefully hiding that she was in a rush, Emily gave her father a quick kiss and left. She had told him that her plan was to spend the day with Candice. Again, she was lying and she hated it, but she wasn’t ready to tell her dad about Alexander, she couldn’t. Her father had seemed more than happy to let her go and did not ask any further questions.
Emily could feel her heart begin to pound as she rode the elevator down to the lobby. Once outside it only took a quick glance before she spotted him. Alexander was leaning against the building about fifteen feet away.
He had a fitted crème v-neck sweater on with a dark washed pair of jeans and a gray wool coat that stopped at the middle of his thigh. He looked just as solid and strong as the stone building he was leaning against. She was glad she had decided to go shopping this week. She would have looked quite drab walking next to Alexander wearing some of her older clothes. His dark wavy hair seemed to be perfectly in place, yet still sported a slightly disheveled look. As always, Emily’s eyes centered on his; she wondered if she would ever get used to that bright green color.
Alexander took a few big strides and was beside her within seconds.
“Hello Emily.”
“Hi.” She was grinning from ear to ear and tried to remind herself not to seem overly excited. “I hope you weren’t waiting long.”
“No, you are right on time. But you would have been worth any amount of waiting.”
Emily instantly felt her cheeks go red and hot against the cold crisp air.
“Well, ummm,” Emily was struggling with her words as she tried to get her blush under control. “My violin isn’t ready yet, so I’m not sure what you want to do.”
“That’s excellent. I figured it wouldn’t be ready,” Alexander said with enthusiasm.
“Did you have something planned already?” Emily wondered if he had ever intended to pick up the violin at all today. It seemed as though he was hoping for a date with her.
“Actually I do have somewhere I wanted to take you.” Alexander’s eyes were shining bright. She could see the excitement behind them.
“Well I’m up for anything.” Emily was being truthful. She really was willing to do whatever, as long as Alexander was with her.
“Do you mind walking? The place I had in mind is only a mile from here.”
“Nope, not at all. Actually I prefer it.” Emily’s apartment was located next to Central Park.
When it was warmer in the spring and summer she always enjoyed walks through Central Park and the surrounding area. Luckily, an unseasonable heat wave brought it up to forty-five degrees already and the high was supposed to be in the fifties. Quite unusual for February.
“That’s good news. Since the cold weather seems to be taking a temporary break we should take advantage of it.” Alexander gestured with his hand in the direction they were to go.
“I agree. It’s perfect timing to venture out on foot.” Emily fell in line next to Alexander as they began walking. “So where are we going?”
Alexander flashed a big grin. “It’s a surprise. I think surprises are always more fun.”
“That’s okay with me.” She was satisfied to wait and see; she liked surprises.
“So, when will your violin be ready? Do you know yet?”
“Actually I talked with Mr. Hunt this morning, and he said Tuesday.”
“May I still accompany you to pick it up?” Alexander asked.
“I was hoping you would.” Emily shoved her hands into her pockets, seeking warmth for her chilled fingertips. However, it was also a nervous habit, like hiding her hands would mask her fake and shaky confidence.
“I’m very excited to see what the old gentleman has done with it… That really is a special violin.”
“Yeah, I wish I knew a little more about it, but I guess there is no way to tell. It’s not like old violins have VIN numbers or anything.”
“Yes I guess they don’t, do they?” Alexander chuckled.
“Will you be able to go Tuesday? Does that conflict with your work schedule?”
A smile began to slowly creep across Alexander’s mouth, like he knew something amusing but didn’t want to tell. “You would be surprised how flexible my job is. I’m really only needed for big events, other than that I just hang around and wait for things to happen.”
“Are you a bodyguard for just one person then?” Emily was truly curious about what he did. At the concert he said that he could be referred to as a bodyguard, but had not said that was it exactly. She knew there was more to it.
“Yes, for right now I guard one person. But there have been times I have guarded whole families.”
“How long have you been doing this?”
“Oh, it seems like eons.”
“Really, you don’t look like you could be a day over twenty-five.” Emily looked down at the ground suddenly embarrassed. It wasn’t her business how old he was.
“Well, yes it is. I need to know. There is no way I can be hanging out with a thirty-year-old. Daddy would never approve.”
“It just feels like I’ve been doing it forever. I guess you could say it’s what I was born to do. It’s in my blood.” Alexander leaned in and hunted to meet Emily’s downward gaze. “And you’re right. I seem to be perpetually stuck below the age of twenty-five, so no worries there.” He smiled reassuringly, like he knew what lay behind Emily’s question.
Relief washed over her even though Alexander still hadn’t given a specific answer about his age. She was beginning to notice that he seemed to answer questions differently, never being completely direct, but at the same time totally honest.
“Do you enjoy what you do?” Emily was now looking up with regained confidence.
“I do. I can’t imagine doing anything else really. The only down side is that it gets a bit lonely at times.”
“Why is that?” Emily had caught the hint of hurt in the last part of his sentence.
“Well, as I said the other night, for the most part I am supposed to stay in the shadows, not be seen. I also am not required to have much contact with those I guard. So at times I feel very isolated.” Alexander looked away for a moment as if to make sure he had his emotions in check.
“I guess that would make someone feel lonely, wouldn’t it.” Emily knew the feeling of loneliness. Her isolation was self-inflicted, but still they shared that common thread.
“What about you. Do you like living here in New York?” Alexander changed the subject.
“I do. It’s the only place I’ve ever lived, so I like it for the most part. There are times that being in the city can be a little overwhelming. My family has a place up north by Cooperstown that I like to escape to every now and then. It’s quiet and I feel like I can think. I’ve spent a lot of summers there and I really enjoy it.”
“It’s always nice to have a retreat.” Alexander commented.
“Yeah, I’m lucky I have one.” Emily had always felt blessed that her family had two homes. She tried not to take it for granted.
“Will you stay in New York the rest of your life?”
“Umm I’m not sure. I’ll have a chance to go to some colleges out of state after I graduate this May. But I am not sure I want to go very far.” Emily let her sentence trail off. She realized she just disclosed her age and that she was still in high school. For all she knew Alexander assumed she was older. She waited for h
is shock or disapproval at the announcement of her age. But it didn’t come; he didn’t flinch or skip a beat.
“Why don’t you want to go far?”
“My mother passed away two years ago, so it’s just me and my dad. I’m not sure I’m ready to be apart from him. I hate the idea of him being lonely.”
Alexander stopped in his steps and turned toward Emily.
“Losing a loved one, especially a parent has to be one of the most difficult trials in this life. I’m sorry you had to experience that.” Alexander’s eyes showed absolute empathy, his remark full of kindness.
Emily tried to keep tears from welling up in her eyes. “It’s been the most difficult thing I’ve faced so far. And in all honesty I’m not sure I am over it yet… I know I should be, it’s been two years but I still feel like I have a hole in my heart.”
Alexander took a deep breath. “Healing takes time. It can take longer for some people and I don’t believe there is anything wrong with that.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” was all Emily could say.
She was lost in her own thoughts and could tell Alexander was as well. They walked in silence for a few minutes, and then Emily decided to use the opportunity to learn more about Alexander before he had the chance to ask her more questions.
“Do you have any family nearby?”
“Yeah they come and go. But that is a subject that can get quite complicated.” Alexander gave a little laugh.
Emily didn’t want to push for information, but she was curious. “Oh really.” She decided that was an appropriate response. Alexander could share more if he wanted.
“I’ve got a lot of brothers and sisters, but technically none of them are related by blood. As for parents…I guess you could say I have five parental figures. Hence its complexity.”
Emily assumed that Alexander was from a divorced family and his parents must have remarried creating a lot of stepbrothers and sisters.
“Well that isn’t too complex. Lots of families are like that nowadays.”
“That doesn’t sound too complicated,” she said.
“Oh, you don’t even know the half of it.” Alexander gave a light-hearted sigh.
They continued to talk about little insignificant things as they walked. Emily enjoyed hearing Alexander talk, his voice was soft and carried a sweet melody to it, almost as though he sang his words. Their conversation flowed easily and time passed quickly. It wasn’t long before they arrived at their destination.
“Well, we’re here,” Alexander announced.
Emily looked up at the building in front of them and instantly recognized it. It was the Morgan Library and Museum.
She had visited this place when she was very young, but really didn’t remember much about it. They stood in front of the entrance of the McKim Building which was the original library built for Pierpont Morgan back in the early nineteen-hundreds. Emily had forgotten what it looked like inside and was anxious to go in.
After all she was a history nut, especially when it came to historical documents and literature, which was exactly this museum’s specialty.
“Shall we?” Alexander motioned with his arm toward the entrance.
“Oh, I thought you couldn’t enter through these doors,” Emily questioned.
“Most people can’t, but today you have VIP status and can enter through any door you like.” Alexander placed his hand on the small of Emily’s back and gently escorted her forward through the iron gate.
His touch sent a rush through Emily’s body, she attempted to control her feelings of complete exhilaration.
When they arrived at the giant door Alexander gave one soft knock and it was immediately opened.
“Thank you Carl,” Alexander said as they walked past an older gentleman in a dark navy suit.
“No problem,” he replied.
The place was quiet and deserted as they entered the hall that was known as the Rotunda. Emily’s eyes were drawn to the artwork painted on the ceilings. It was breathtaking. The architecture of the hall was amazing as multifaceted arches and pillars adorned each wall and reached all the way to the ceiling. Gold accented much of the custom molding. Marble pillars and flooring completely surrounded them.
Alexander allowed Emily the time she needed to take it all in and then escorted her into the room directly to their right.
It was impossible for Emily not to audibly gasp as they walked into the room. It was the library that was built specifically for Mr. Morgan to house all of his rare and collectible literature. The entire building had an Italian Renaissance theme that made Emily feel as though she were visiting Italy. The arches and artwork visible in the Rotunda continued on in this room. The wooden bookcases were built into every wall and must have stood at least thirty feet tall.
“It’s amazing,” Emily breathed, as she spun around trying to take in every detail. There was no way to even guess how many books decked these walls.
“It is quite exquisite, isn’t it?” Alexander watched Emily instead of letting his eyes explore the room. He was behaving as if he had seen all of this hundreds of times and that the most interesting thing in the room was Emily’s childlike adoration, rather than the historical artifacts or the sheer magnificence of the room.
Emily walked closer to one of the shelves so that she could examine the books. “There are so many.”
“Most all of it is European literature ranging from the sixteenth to twentieth century.”
“Absolutely amazing,” Emily stated again. “How could one person collect all of this?”
“I’m sure Mr. Morgan had some help. But I think when you have a true passion for something, as he did, it can be quite easy to get carried away.”
“Thank you so much for bringing me here Alexander, this is perfect. I came here as a little girl, but I really don’t remember it all being so glorious.” Emily finally turned her attention to Alexander, who was watching her the whole time.
“I’m glad you like it. Not everyone would be so excited about a bunch of old books, and you’ve only viewed a small portion of the museum so far. There is more if you would like to see it.”
“Of course!” Emily felt like a kid in a candy store. She loved books and she loved history. To be completely surrounded by two of the things she treasured was almost too much.
The next few hours Alexander and Emily explored the museum and looked at each and every artifact. Many things on display were books and scrolls, which were fun to try and read through the protective glass cases. There were also many drawings and prints and even artwork from the Medieval and Renaissance eras as well.
Alexander proved to be quite the history buff, commenting on almost every piece they viewed. It made for a unique tour, one Emily absolutely loved. She was astounded with his knowledge and insight concerning the items and their history.
For the most part their conversation was kept to the details of the artifacts they were viewing. Some of the conversation was about Emily’s childhood as she shared a few of her favorite memories. Alexander only asked questions, mostly wanting to know how she felt about things. He acted as though dates and times and places were facts he already knew. He wanted to know what was going on inside Emily’s heart and mind.
She wasn’t bothered by the personal questions, and surprisingly, she did not hesitate to honestly share her emotions.
After they visited what Emily thought was every corner of the museum Alexander indicated he had one last surprise and took her to the lower level. They walked through a lobby to a set of closed doors. Emily glanced up at him with a questioning look.
“Remember, I said you could enter any door you like today; even if they’re closed.”
She slowly pushed one of the heavy wooden doors in front of her, and then Alexander stepped in and opened it the rest of the way. Emily was taken back a little; she wasn’t expecting the sight that was now before her.
In front of her was a long theatre-style room that, besides the red-clothed chai
rs, was completely covered in wood. The floors were wood, as well as the walls, ceiling and stage. A solitary grand piano and bench stood in the center of the stage.
“What is this room for?”
“It’s the performance hall. They have readings and lectures and other live events here. Right now it looks like it is set up for a piano concert.” Alexander began to walk down the steps toward the stage and motioned for Emily to follow.
Son of Eden, a Paranormal Romance (Tales of the Guardian) Page 7