She kissed him lightly on the cheek, whispering into his ear, «I shall be waiting for you in my boudoir, my prince.»
The breath gushed out of him. She pirouetted daintily, then waltzed to the door that connected to her own bedroom. Opening the door, she turned back toward him and blew him a kiss.
As she closed the door behind her, he took a deep, sighing, shuddering breath. Brimming with excited expectation, he went directly to his closet, unbuttoning his tuxedo jacket as he strode purposefully across the thickly carpeted floor.
He yanked open the closet door. A man was standing there, directly under the light set into the ceiling.
Smiling, the man made a slight bow. «Please do not be alarmed, sir. And don’t bother to call your security guards. They won’t hear you.»
Still fumbling with his jacket buttons, he stumbled back from the closet door, a thousand wild thoughts racing through his mind. An assassin. A kidnapper. A newspaper columnist!
The stranger stepped as far as the closet door. «May I enter your room, sir? Am I to take your silence for assent? In that case, thank you very much.»
The stranger was tall but quite slender. He was perfectly tailored in a sky-blue Brooks Brothers three-piece suit. He had the youthful, innocent, golden-curled look of a European terrorist. His smile revealed perfect, dazzling teeth. Yet his eyes seemed infinitely sad, as though filled with knowledge of all human failings. Those icy blue eyes pierced right through the man in the tuxedo.
«Wh… what do you want? Who are you?»
«I’m terribly sorry to intrude this way. I realize it must be a considerable shock to you. But you’re always so busy. It’s difficult to fit an appointment into your schedule.»
His voice was a sweet, mild tenor, but the accent was strange. East coast, surely. Harvard, no doubt.
«How did you get in here? My security …»
The stranger gave a slightly guilty grin and hiked one thumb ceilingward. «You might say I came in through the roof.»
«The roof? Impossible!»
«Not for me. You see, I am an angel.»
«An… angel?»
With a self-assured nod, the stranger replied, «Yes. One of the Heavenly Host. Your very own guardian angel, to he precise.»
«I don’t believe you.»
«You don’t believe in angels?» The stranger cocked a golden eyebrow at him. «Come now. I can see into your soul. You do believe.»
«My church doesn’t go in for that sort of thing,» he said, trying to pull himself together.
«No matter. You do believe. And you do well to believe, because it is all true. Angels, devils, the entire system. It is as real and true as this fine house you live in.» The angel heaved a small sigh. «You know, back in medieval times people had a much firmer grasp on the realities of life. Today …» He shook his head.
Eyes narrowing craftily, the man asked, «If you’re an angel, where are your wings? Your halo? You don’t look anything like a real angel.»
«Oh.» The angel seemed genuinely alarmed. «Does that bother you? I thought it would be easier on your nervous system to see me in a form that you’re accustomed to dealing with every day. But if you want …»
The room was flooded with a blinding golden light. Heavenly voices sang. The stranger stood before the man robed in radiance, huge white wings outspread, filling the room.
The man sank to his knees and buried his face in his hands. «Have mercy on me! Have mercy on me!»
He felt strong yet gentle hands pull him tenderly to his feet. The angel was back in his Brooks Brothers suit. The searing light and ethereal chorus were gone.
«It is not in my power to show you either mercy or justice,» he said, his sweetly youthful face utterly grave. «Only the Creator can dispense such things.»
«But why… how …» He babbled.
Calming him, the angel explained, «My duty as your guardian angel is to protect your soul from damnation. But you must cooperate, you know. I cannot force you to be saved.»
«My soul is in danger?»
«In danger?» The angel rolled his eyes heavenward. «You’ve just about handed it over to the enemy, gift-wrapped. Most of the millionaires you dined with tonight have a better chance to attain salvation than you have, at the moment. And you know how difficult it is for a rich man.»
The man tottered to the wingback chair next to his king-sized bed and sank into it. He pulled the handkerchief from his breast pocket and mopped his sweaty face.
The angel knelt beside him and looked up into his face pleadingly. «I don’t want to frighten you into a premature heart seizure, but your soul really is in great peril.»
«But I haven’t done anything wrong! I’m not a crook. I haven’t killed anyone or stolen anything. I’ve been faithful to my wife.»
The angel gave him a skeptical smile.
«Well …» He wiped perspiration from his upper lip. «Nothing serious. I’ve always honored my mother and father.»
Gently, the angel asked, «You’ve never told a lie?»
«Uh, well… nothing big enough to …»
«You’ve never cheated anyone?»
«Um.»
«What about that actor’s wife in California? And the money you accepted to swing certain deals. And all the promises you’ve broken?»
«You mean things like that—they count?»
«Everything counts,» the angel said firmly. «Don’t you realize that the enemy has your soul almost in his very hands?»
«No. I never thought—»
«All those deals you’ve made. All the corners you’ve cut.» The angel suddenly shot him a piercing glance. «You haven’t signed any documents in blood, have you?»
«No!» His heart twitched. «Certainly not!»
«Well, that’s something, at least.»
«I’ll behave,» he promised. «I’ll be good. I’ll be a model of virtue.»
«Not enough,» the angel said, shaking his golden locks. «Not nearly enough. Things have gone much too far.»
His eyes widened with fear. He wanted to argue, to refute, to debate the point with his guardian angel, but the words simply would not force their way through his constricted throat.
«No, it is not enough merely to promise to reform,» the angel repeated. «Much stronger action is needed.»
«Such as… what?»
The angel got to his feet, paced across the room a few steps, then turned back to face him. His youthful visage brightened. «Why not? If they can make a deal for a soul, why can’t we?»
«What do you mean?»
«Hush!» The angel seemed to be listening to another voice, one that the man could not hear. Finally the angel nodded and smiled. «Yes. I see. Thank you.»
«What?»
Turning back to the man, the angel said, «I’ve just been empowered to make you an offer for your soul. If you accept the terms, your salvation is assured.»
The man instantly grew wary. «Oh no you don’t. I’ve heard about deals for souls. Some of my best friends—»
«But this is a deal to save your soul!»
«How do I know that?» the man demanded. «How do I know you’re really what you say you are? The devil has power to assume pleasing shapes, doesn’t he?»
The angel smiled joyfully. «Good for you! You remember some of your childhood teachings.»
«Don’t try to put me off. I’ve negotiated a few tricky deals in my day. How do I know you’re really are an angel, and you want to save my soul?»
«By their fruits ye shall know them,» the angel replied.
«What are you talking about?»
Still smiling, the angel replied, «When the devil makes a deal for a soul, what does he promise? Temporal gifts, such as power, wealth, respect, women, fame.»
«I have all that,» the man said. «I’m on top of the world, everyone knows that.»