by S S Bazinet
Turning around in a slow circle, he noted some of the details of the carefully planned space. Elegant, narrow-wood paneling made for a contemporary but cozy atmosphere. It also made the walls an excellent backdrop for the large pieces of modern and traditional artwork. The well-chosen paintings exhibited the best when it came to expressing color and form. But there was even more to admire. When he looked down, he was standing on plush, light-colored tan carpeting. It transformed a floor that had once been covered by gray tile.
The furniture was tastefully chosen too. Twin sofas sat at ninety degree angles in the center of the room. They were liberally overstuffed for comfort and covered in a pleasing, pale green and yellow plaid fabric. A circular glass-topped coffee table with a wrought iron base added to the elegance. It sat on a large, exotic, tiger print area rug.
Arel approached a sofa and ran his hand over the back of the couch, enjoying the feel of the soft chenille. “What a wonderful place to relax.”
William walked to one end of the room and pressed a button over a self-contained fireplace. A panel over its mantel responded. It disappeared into the built-out wall, revealing a very large, flat screen television.
When Arel returned a broad grin, William smiled too. “I might have gone a little overboard with the entertainment center, but what the heck, Annabel loves it all.”
“I’m sure she does.” Arel said. “What you’ve done is incredible. You turned this space into a showcase for one of those interior design magazines.”
Arel continued his inspection, going over to one of the pieces of art. “Rolphe did a great job with this painting, but he couldn’t capture your true splendor on that battlefield, Will. I’ll never forget seeing you on that big, angelic mare. Your soul was shining through, and your face was as radiant as any angel’s.”
William joined him and stood silently staring at himself. After a moment, he sighed. “Yes, but those days are over. I’m not commanding Michael’s legions anymore. I’m ordering speakers and the latest in sound equipment.”
Arel hesitated when he heard the heaviness in William’s tone. “Will, is everything okay?”
“Of course, look around. I live in luxurious surroundings. I have an ex-angel for a wife. My life is great.” William waved to Arel and started for a sofa. “And now you’re here. So let’s sit down and talk about what you’ve been up to. You’ve talked about dating a writer, correct?”
Arel had to fight back an urge to question William further. Instead, he took a seat and concentrated on William’s inquiry. “Yes, I went out with Elise. She writes romance books.”
“Romance? Then she probably enjoys the sensual aspects of life.”
“I wouldn’t know. Elise is a bitter woman who guarded her body like a holy relic. I barely got to kiss her cheek.”
“Count your blessings.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re lucky you didn’t get a taste of her. She probably has tainted blood.”
Arel returned a look of surprise. “Tainted blood?”
“Yes, during my early ‘vampire’ days, I was still young and inexperienced. I knew a couple of women who were like the person you dated. Their bitterness spoiled them. When I got a taste of their blood, I spat it out immediately. It was vile stuff.”
“I don’t know about tainted blood, but Elise is a difficult person to say the least.” He glanced over at the painting of William. “But like you said, the past is past. I’m ready for a new chapter in my life. That’s one reason I’m here. I need some guidance when it comes to relationships.”
William grimaced as he twisted at the band on his finger. “Just make sure to get a ring that fits if you tie the knot.”
“I saw Annabel put that band on your finger when you were married. It seemed to fit just fine.”
William continued to tug on his wedding ring. “Maybe, but it’s not fine now. It’s cutting off the circulation in my finger.”
Arel got up and went over to where William was sitting. “If that’s true, don’t keep agitating it.” He paused and gave William’s hand a closer look. “I think your finger is swollen. That’s the problem.”
William let his hand drop to his side. “It’s the blood thing. You know what I mean. When the stuff gets stirred up inside, the heat that’s generated can affect the body.”
Arel did know about such matters. He’d often experienced high fevers and other physical problems when his negative emotions got out of control. He grabbed William’s hand and examined it. “William, your finger doesn’t look too good. You have to get this ring off.”
“That’s what I was trying to do,” William said as he pulled his hand out of Arel’s grasp. He started twisting the ring again.
Arel stared back with curiosity. William was usually adept and calm. So why would he get so agitated over such a simple problem? “Do you have any cooking oil?”
“Annabel uses olive oil on her salads.”
Arel headed for the stairs. “Great, let’s go get it and use it on your finger. We’ll have that ring off in a snap.”
A few minutes later, William found some oil in a kitchen cupboard and handed it to Arel. “Thanks for helping.”
Arel smiled. “Put your hand over the sink, and I’ll douse your finger with the oil.”
William’s eyes brightened. “Very practical idea. I should have thought of it myself.”
Arel poured a generous amount of the lubricant on William’s finger. “There you go. Try taking off the ring again, but this time, don’t tug on it. Twist it slowly.”
William did as he was told, but the ring still resisted his efforts. “It’s not working. The blasted thing won’t budge.”
Arel reached for William’s hand. “This is ridiculous. I can use my powers to help.”
William tried to pull back. “Something always seems to go wrong when you try to help.”
Arel held on to William’s hand and laughed. “That was before. I’m much more competent. In fact, look at this.” He held up William’s ring triumphantly.
William frowned. “How did you do that?”
“I don’t know. Maybe you relaxed,” Arel said as he flipped the ring in William’s direction.
William’s hand went up to catch it, but his fingers were so oily and slick that the ring ended up bouncing off and landing in the sink. After a couple of spins, the ring slipped down the drain.
Arel’s face went instantly flush. “Oh no! Your wedding band!”
William studied the sink with furrowed brows, but his tone was composed. “It’s okay. That’s the side with the garbage disposal.”
Arel let out a gasp of relief and started to reach a hand down the drain. “I’ll get it.”
William immediately pushed Arel back from the sink. “Are you crazy? Do you want to lose some fingers? With your powers, what if you set off the disposal?”
Arel glanced at his hands. “I never thought about that. Do you think I could affect an electrical appliance?”
“With your powers, anything is possible.”
“No, that’s taking it too far. I’ll be fine. Just let me retrieve your ring.”
“At least let me unplug the disposal,” William said in an insistent voice.
“Stand back,” Arel said as he opened the lower cabinet door and crouched down. “I’ll do it. Your hand is all greasy.”
“Fine, the plug is to the left, but just be careful.”
Arel peered under the sink and soon discovered an electric cord connected to the disposal. He began to smile as he thought about the situation he was in. He was visiting his best friend, a friend who was still trying to look out for him. It had always been that way in their relationship. William was truly a brother who was always there, trying to keep him safe.
The thought made his chest respond with an expansive feeling of gratitude. As he reached for the electric cord, the feeling expanded even more, filling his entire body with a sudden surge of happy energy. He’d been keeping his powers contained for
months. It was a relief to let his powers have a joyful outlet. But the unexpected happened. As soon as he grabbed hold of the plug, the disposal came alive. A terrible grinding noise followed. It stopped when he’d pulled the plug out of the socket, but he knew it was too late.
Four
ANNABEL STOOD IN front of William and Arel, looking at one, then the other. Both men were seated at the counter in the kitchen. A short time before, when she heard a loud, disagreeable sound coming from the kitchen, she’d rushed in to find Arel half-hidden under the sink. William stood over him with his eyes wide and his face pale and bloodless. After explanations were made and both men were free of greasy hands, they both went speechless. Annabel didn’t know what to say to either of them. However, she did feel the need to clarify a few things.
“William, why didn’t you tell me your ring was too tight? We could have gone to the jeweler and had it adjusted.”
“I didn’t want to upset you.”
“Why would I be upset?”
“You place a lot of importance on what our wedding bands signify. I didn’t want you to get the wrong idea.”
Annabel smiled. “A ring is simply a symbol. The only thing that’s really important is the love that we have for each other.”
Arel’s hand shot up. “As for the ring, I promise to have a duplicate made ASAP.”
Annabel walked over to where Arel sat and kissed his cheek. “Arel, you were trying to help William. I’m just happy that you thought of using oil to get the ring off.”
Arel’s eyes had been mostly downcast since the unfortunate incident with the disposal. He glanced up and eyed Annabel anxiously. “I’m truly sorry about the disposal turning on. Nothing like that has ever happened before.”
“Then maybe it’s fortunate that you found out about your ability in a way that wasn’t dangerous.”
“That’s a good point,” Arel said. “Thank you for being so understanding.” He gave Annabel another grateful smile. “William is a lucky guy. You are such a treasure. After dating a very unpleasant woman back in Chicago, I can only hope to find someone half as nice as you.”
“What a sweet thing to say,” Annabel said as she moved to the doorway. She gestured for Arel to follow her. “Would you like to see what I made for you?”
Arel quickly vacated his seat. “Of course.”
“Then come back to my studio.” She looked at William next. “You too, sweetheart.”
With both men joining her in her studio, Annabel went to a cupboard and took out two gift boxes. She handed one to Arel and one to William. “Actually, I have a surprise for each of you, but Arel’s our guest, so he can open his first.”
Arel accepted her present and quickly lifted off the top of the box. “Isn’t this exciting? I’m going to be the proud owner of a piece of an artist’s early work.”
Annabel corrected him. “Actually, it’s my second piece! William’s is my first.”
Arel stiffened. “Oh, Annabel, are you sure you don’t want to hold on to your second piece? It must be very special to you.”
Annabel gave him a reassuring smile. “I know how much you value art, so I know you’ll appreciate it as much as I do.”
Arel’s face drifted into a sort of awkward smile as he removed a small object from the box. “Thank you, this is quite an honor.”
Annabel clapped her hands. “What do you think?”
Arel held up the six inch figure and studied it carefully. “It’s very unique. It’s a little . . . mouse, right?”
Annabel shook a finger in his direction. “Oh no, it’s not a mouse. Guess again. I know you’ll get it.”
Arel tugged at his collar with his free hand and glanced at William. “Will, my mind is so scattered today, especially after the incident with your ring. Take a look at Annabel’s amazing piece of art and tell me what you see.”
William let out a heavy breath. “It’s a rat. Can’t you tell? Look at the long nose.”
Arel turned the small figure around and smiled. “You’re right. I missed that detail.”
Annabel gave William a squinty-eyed scowl. “It is not a rat or mouse. They have long tails. I made Arel a bear.”
Arel’s eyes widened as he continued to stare at the small figure. “Oh, yes, it is a bear. How could I have thought otherwise?”
Annabel let her frown soften. “You seemed to love buying stuffed bears for Carol and Peggy’s children. I thought you might like a keepsake one for yourself.”
Arel’s head bobbed up and down a number of times. “I love it. It’ll have a place of honor in my home.”
Annabel’s shoulders relaxed as she turned to William. “Now, open your gift, William.”
William sucked in a breath. “I can’t wait,” he said. After he retrieved a small clay sculpture from its box, he held it up and smiled. “Annabel, thank you. It was sweet of you to make me a fox.”
“A fox?” Annabel asked.
Arel stepped forward and laughed. “William, look at those long legs. That’s a deer.”
Really, a deer?” William asked.
Annabel snatched it out of his hand. “You’re both wrong. It’s a horse. It’s Boda, the horse in Rolphe’s painting!”
William paused. “I guess my brain is as addled as Arel’s after what happened to my wedding band. Can you forgive me?”
Annabel laughed. “Of course. And don’t worry. If you want a fox, I’ll make that my next project.” She looked at Arel. “And I’ll make you a mouse.”
Annabel realized what great fun she was having. She knew that her skills were still at the beginner’s stage, but William and Arel were trying very hard to appreciate her efforts. She experienced a wonderful feeling of support until she caught a glimpse of William’s face. When he thought she wasn’t looking, he gave Arel a quick, furtive look. It was the kind of look a desperate animal has when it’s caught in a trap.
It was also the look William often had when she surprised him with her presence. He covered it up by pretending to be figuring out some problem with his remodeling project. Annabel had gone along with the ruse. She hadn’t wanted to think that his unhappiness had anything to do with their relationship. And even if there was trouble in paradise, she figured it would work itself out eventually.
As she allowed herself to see the truth, she knew she was in denial. William was slipping away from her. Just the thought sent a chill through her body. On the other hand, she also felt determined to do something about the situation. And perhaps, she had an ally. Arel was standing a few feet away. More than anyone in the world, he understood William. She had to reach out to him. She needed to talk to him privately and get his advice.
As Arel was putting his small bear back in the gift box, she gave him her most earnest smile. “Arel, you had some time with William. Now, I’d like you to accompany me to the pet store. I need some supplies for the mice.”
William spoke up at once. “What supplies? I went to the shop a couple of days ago.”
Arel frowned. “Where are the mice? I didn’t see them downstairs.”
Annabel smiled. “The neighbor boy has them. He watches them for us when we’re gone. He’s grown to love them so much that he sometimes asks to keep them at his house for a couple of days.”
“Exactly, Annabel,” William said. “So you don’t need to visit the pet store.”
Annabel gave him a dismissive wave and took hold of Arel’s arm. “Whatever, William, Arel needs some fresh air, and so do I.”
* * * * *
Arel felt uneasy the moment Annabel insisted that he take a walk with her. His instincts told him that she wanted something. The ex-angel had changed a lot after she gave up her wings. If her fears took over, she could be very intense, even demanding.
Once they were on their way, Arel gave her a questioning glance. “Annabel, is something wrong?”
“Yes, I think there is. You have to tell me why William is so upset. And don’t spare my feelings if you think I’m at fault.”
Arel
avoided Annabel’s intimidating eyes. “Please, if William has something he wants to talk to me about, he’ll tell me. Otherwise, it’s not my business. As you know, I’ve interfered too many times in the past. I refuse to interfere again.”
“I’m not asking you to interfere. I just want to know what’s going on. Today, seeing you two together, I realized that I’ve had blinders on.”
“What kind of blinders?”
“After that episode in Paris when you and William were battling it out in that alternate world, I was so happy to come back home to London. It was such a relief to think that William and I were finally going to have time to be a normal couple. But I don’t think William felt the same way.”
“But he married you. That says something about his feelings.”
Annabel stopped abruptly and batted her long, dark lashes at him. “Maybe so, but William’s problem with his wedding band was an obvious indication of how he feels now. He couldn’t stand having it on his finger.”
Arel smiled. “That’s ridiculous. There’s a much simpler explanation. His body is still adjusting to all the changes that come with having angelic blood in his veins.”
Annabel stared back with a look that was anything but appeased. “You don’t really believe that, do you?”
“Why shouldn’t I?”
“Stop trying to ignore the truth. You and William are very close. You could feel that something wasn’t right as soon as you got here, couldn’t you?”
Arel thought about William’s twitching eye and the way he gritted his teeth when he was trying to remove his ring. “Look, Annabel, as I just explained, I can’t interfere. If you think William has a problem, talk to him. After all, you’re man and wife.”
“And you think that makes it easy to understand one another?”
Arel blinked back. His mind was getting more muddled by the moment. “I guess I do. When people are in love—”
“Being in love doesn’t solve anything!”
“Annabel, please, why are you dismissing everything I say?”