„It was awfully nice of her to think of me.“ It was a strain to control her voice. „But to tell you the truth, Henry, I don’t think I’m going to need a partner. Not right away. Not for several years, if then. I’m feeling pretty confident that I can handle the whole business on my own, once I weed through it.“
„I have no doubt that you can.“ Henry looked let off the hook. He could at least tell his wife he’d tried. „But it’s something to keep in mind, down the road a bit. Working alone can get lonely.“
„I know. Thanks, Henry.“ She stood, slipped the strap of her purse over her shoulder and picked up her briefcase with the same hand, leaving the other free for the rest of her coffee. „If you think it might help, have him call me when he gets settled. I’ll give him the names of the companies I’ll be cutting loose. They’ll be looking for good accountants very soon.“
He beamed at her. „You’re a sweet girl, Charlotte Gibson.“
She smiled and felt heat in her cheeks. „I’ll see you next month, Henry.“
„I always look forward to it.“
„Me, too. Thanks for the coffee.“
„Good night, Charlotte. Hurry home. I think it’s going to rain.“
The moment she stepped out of the front door onto the sidewalk, he called to her. „Well, it’s about time. I thought you forgot about me again.“
Charlotte took a deep breath. She was nonconfronta-tional by nature, but everyone had their limit. She glanced at the traffic, then marched across the street to deal with him.
Three
„Who are you? And why are you following me?“
He gave her a charming smile and slipped his hands into the pouches on his jacket. But the man walking on the sidewalk behind him, stopped short and frowned at her.
„Who me?“ the second man said, surprised and annoyed by her accusation. „I’m not following you.“
„No. Sorry. Not you.“ She held up her cup and spread her last three fingers. „Sorry.“
She watched the second man stomp away, then curled all but her index finger around her coffee cup and directed it at her target. „You!“
„It’s a long story,“ he said, calm and mildly amused. He spoke in a smooth, deep baritone that seemed to vibrate in the nicest way at the base of her spine. „Let’s walk or we’ll get caught in the rain.“
Turning to his right, he started to walk, confident that she’d follow. She only did so, however, because he was aimed in the direction of her apartment – she might need to know if he knew where she lived.
„This part is always so much harder when you’re dealing with adults who don’t believe in anything anymore. But you, I’m pleased to say, are a rare and wonderful exception, Charlotte. Deep down, you still believe.“
„In what?“
„In all the good stuff.“ He inhaled deeply through his nose as if he could smell it. „Peace. The power of hope. Love. The Spirit of Christmas. Happily ever after. All of it. Most of the time you are a True Believer.“
„That’s very nice, but who are you?“
He thought a moment. „I know you like to add things together and come up with a sum total at the end. But in this case I think we should use a little algebra. You were always good at math. I’ll give you the answer, if you promise to stay and listen to the solution for X. You won’t have a clear answer to your question until you have all the components.“
„Okay. Shoot.“ She was proud that she sounded braver than she felt. How did he know so much about her? It was creepy… and fascinating. Mentally she kept track of the shops ahead that were still open for business, and possibly sanctuary if she needed it.
„We’ve been friends a long time, you and I.“
„No, I – “
„Better friends when you were four and five, and for a while when you were six, but that doesn’t mean we’ve forgotten each other or that I didn’t exist all this time. I’ve always been here; you just wouldn’t let yourself see me.“
„Well I see you now, but I still don’t know who you are.“
„I am a figment of your ingenuity, the aggregate of your resourcefulness, a compendium of your dreams and wishes. In layman terms, I was once your imaginary playmate, and now I’m your – “ Her feet took root in the sidewalk. He stopped to look back at her. „Oh, see? You’re not going to believe me, are you?“
She stared at him. He gave her a smug smile and lifted his brows. „I do look familiar though, don’t I? And how else would I know you had a make-believe friend if I didn’t exist?“ He walked back to her, took the lax arm hanging from her left shoulder and looped it over his. „Come on. I’ll explain everything. It’s not as complicated as you might think.“
She allowed him to pull her along, taking careful note of the very real-feeling arm under her hand and the strange scent he had that remind her of winter holidays. Some sort of drug that oozes through his skin like garlic? Doesn’t cyanide smell like almonds?
There was a convenience store three blocks up – she could call the police from there. For now, she needed to keep him calm, keep him talking.
„I’ve changed some, I admit.“ His tone was so casual it sounded like truth. „But, like you, I couldn’t remain a child forever. So, I grew up with you. I changed when you changed.“ He laughed – not manically, but in a humorous way. A wonderful way. She liked his laugh. „I remember once, when you were fifteen, I looked like Kirk Cameron and Patrick Swayze in the same week. It was terrifying.“ He glanced down at her and turned sober. „You don’t need to be afraid, Charlotte. If you really don’t want me here all you have to do is stop thinking about me. I’ll disappear again. Naturally, the reverse is true, as well. The more you think about me, the more real I’ll become… to you.“
How was she to not think about him when he stood right in front of her?
„To me.“ She recalled the viewing and the way no one else seemed to notice him – and the second man on the sidewalk a few minutes ago. „I’m the only one who can see you.“
„That’s right. I’m all yours.“ He winked at her. Her knees wobbled and she tripped on a crack in the sidewalk, staggering against him – against his solid and very real body.
He used his other hand to catch her and she looked up into his handsome face while he held her close by her upper arms. Her mouth went dry. He didn’t feel imaginary. His out-of-this-world-blue eyes gazed into her soul and became soft and content with what he found there. He had the nicest mouth… a full, soft-looking lower lip that she suddenly ached to taste.
He frowned, looked puzzled, then set her back at arms length. „Uh-ah. Careful. You can’t wish for things like that. I’m not real, remember?“
„You look real. You feel real.“
„Only because you want me to.“ Suddenly his head and face faded in and out with the head, face and muzzle of a gray and black donkey. She made a startled noise and stepped back, and his image settled into place again. He raised a brow in censure and spoke sternly. „I am not a jackass.“
„You can read my mind?“
„No. Not exactly.“ He collected himself and turned sympathetic. „I know. It’s confusing at first, but you’ll get the hang of it. Just… be careful what you wish for.“
„So then… you’re what I wish for?“
„And what you dream of and admire. What you think you need. I’ve been a long time in the making, I can tell you.“ He turned and started walking again. „Physically, I am now an accumulation of many men. You started putting me together, in this form, when you were in college… once you got over that Kevin Costner thing… and the, ah… Oh! Watch this.“ He stopped to assume a more distinguished pose. The shape of his eyes altered minutely and the color grew darker as he said, „Miss Bennet, for many months now I have considered you to be one of the handsomest women of my acquaintance.“