Coffeehouse Angel (27 page)

Of course he was with me.

"You look nice," Malcolm said, squeezing my hand. "You smell good too."

"Thanks." I looked down, to hide my blush. "So, where have you been?"

"Doing my job," he said.

"Where's your satchel?"

"I'm not on duty. Tonight, I'm all yours."

All mine. That really sounded weird. And nice.

Heidi Darling stood in the entryway of the Sons of Norway Hall. She looked really beautiful in a long peach gown. "Hi, Katrina," she said, not unkindly. Her gaze fixed on Malcolm.

"Hi," I said.

"That's a nice dress."

"Oh, thanks. Your dress is nice too."

"Are you two here together?" She raised her eyebrows.

"I'm escorting Katrina this evening," Malcolm said.

I looked around. Where was Vincent? I had hoped to see him and smooth things out.

"Tickets?" Heidi held out her hand, performing another one of her volunteer jobs.

Oh crap! The evening's momentum came to a screeching halt. I had forgotten to tell Malcolm that we needed tickets to get in. They sold out every year. My heart sank into my stomach. But Malcolm let go of my hand and reached into his coat. "Here you be," he said, handing over two white tickets.

Heidi tossed them into a basket. "Have fun," she said.

"Hello, Katrina." Officer Larsen blocked our entry to the hall. "Good to see your friend is feeling better. Have you sorted out the passport issue?"

"Yes," Malcolm said. "I'll be leaving tonight."

"I see." Officer Larsen relaxed and stepped aside. "Well, have a safe trip."

It would end tonight. I put on a brave face.
Enjoy the evening,
I told myself.

Remember every second of it.

Tables stood end to end, stretching the length of the Sons of Norway Hall. The waiter seated us near the musicians, a local quartet, which made it impossible to have a conversation, but I didn't really mind. I was totally focused on not spilling food on my dress. A butter lettuce salad with baby shrimp came first. I worried that I might get a green bit caught between my teeth, so I just nibbled. Malcolm ate everything as if it was his last meal. Our last meal. Our date would end with a /
wish you a long and
healthy life, Katrina Svensen.
I'd never see him again. I pushed the inevitable from my mind.

The main course was salmon, prepared by members of the Suquamish tribe. It came with roasted potatoes and green beans. I stopped worrying about my appearance and ate the whole thing. Risking every last cent of somebody else's money works up an appetite. Just as I ate my last bean, I noticed Heidi sitting a few tables down. A guy named Jordan sat next to her. Where was Vincent?

The quartet took a break while Nordby's mayor made a speech. "And we all owe a huge round of thanks to the Darling family and Java Heaven for sponsoring this year's festival." Mr. and Mrs. Darling and Heidi took a bow and Mr. Darling said, "Giving back to the community is what it's all about." Everyone applauded. I didn't even grimace at his hypocrisy because I was having so much fun sharing a heaping bowl of apple streudel with Malcolm.

The waiters stacked the chairs and pushed the tables against the walls to make room for dancing. The quartet came back. The overhead lights dimmed. Ropes of snowflakes, strung across the ceiling, sparkled with little white lights. The dance began with a slow song.

"Would you do me the honor of dancing with me?" Malcolm asked.

"Yes."

YES! YES! YES!

I had avoided school dances ever since middle school, when I'd been the tallest girl and the only boys desperate enough to ask me were total sex maniacs who tried to press their faces into my chest. And the idea of standing in the corner at a high school dance, the tall girl, unwanted, never appealed to me. So I approached the dance floor anxiously. Did I even know how to slow dance? Malcolm took my hand, pressing his other hand against my back, and began to move easily, gracefully. I'm pleased to report that we didn't step on each other's feet. He didn't jab me with his knees or cling to me with sweaty hands. His body melted into mine in all the right spots. His shoulder just happened to be at the perfect height for me to rest my head. His scent made me drowsy.

"Katrina?"

"Hmmm?"

"I stopped in today to see your grandmother. She's looking better."

"That was nice of you to see her."

"I wanted to say good-bye."

I held my breath. Was it going to end right then and there?

"Now that the message is delivered, I can't keep coming back. I've broken all the rules by getting to know you, by meeting your friends and family. I've got to give you that reward and then be on my way." He pulled me closer. "But I don't want to go."

Don't cry, don't cry. You knew this was going to happen.

Of all the things that had happened that week--almost losing the coffeehouse, almost losing my grandmother, the fight with Vincent, facing Mr. Darling, learning the truth about Irmgaard, and risking everything on the Emporium-- Malcolm had been a bright spot. He'd been...an angel.

I looked into his eyes. "I guess we have to say good-bye."

And that's when it happened. He leaned forward and kissed me. It was the last thing I had expected to happen. And it was my first kiss. And first kisses, from what I've been told, are usually awkward. You have to figure out which way to tilt your head, how not to smack your teeth together, and what to do with your tongue. It's a lot to think about.

But there wasn't time to think about any of that because the moment his lips touched mine, an electric jolt ran all the way down to my toes, as if I had stuck my lips into a socket.

This is not a metaphor. I'm being literal. It was an actual electric jolt. We both jumped. "Ouch," I said, pulling away.

A little thread of smoke rose off his lower lip. He frowned and rubbed it. "I guess I'm not supposed to do that."

"I guess not." I rubbed my lower lip too. "That really hurt."

As the other couples danced around us, we stood there, smelling like singed flesh. My first kiss had nearly liquefied my face. What would happen next? Would the floor open up and swallow us in another sinkhole?

"Katrina," he said sadly.

"I know. You have to go."

We left the hall. Snow was still falling, casting its silent charm on everything it touched. Even the fire hydrants looked magical with their snow hats. St. Nicholas handed us each a candy cane as we walked by the blue spruce, its branches heavy with pinecones and lights. A circle of shoes wound beneath to bring harmony to the town. Malcolm took my hand and we walked to the waterfront park. A caroling group sang in the gazebo. We sat on a bench and looked out over the bay. Snow fell on my shoulders and clung to Malcolm's hair.

"I've got a confession to make." His satchel appeared on the bench, the golden letters glittering once again. He pulled out the little black law book. "There's actually nothing in here. I made it all up."

"Made it all up?"

"The bit about rewarding the good deed. You see, I was sent here to deliver Irmgaard's message. I'm not authorized to grant wishes. But I wanted to get to know the one girl who had noticed me. I wanted to spend a
wee
bit of time with you, to see what your life was like, and then maybe I'd understand why you, of all people, had noticed me. So I made you that promise, to reward your good deed. It's got me in a lot of trouble. I'll be getting--"

"Let me guess," I said. "You won't be getting that promotion."

He smiled. "You've been paying attention."

"So all of this, the fortune, the fame, was just to get to know me?"

"Yes."

A gust of wind whooshed over us, sending our hair into a flying spin. Malcolm reached into his satchel again and pulled out the packet of chocolate-covered coffee beans I had given him, then tipped the last bean into his palm. "An angel never breaks a promise. What you most desire, Katrina. It's yours." He handed me the bean.

"I already got what I most desired," I said. "I found out that I was good at something."

"But you did that on your own. I still need to grant you a wish. Surely you have a new desire?" The wind came again, stronger this time. It nearly knocked me off the bench.

The ends of Malcolm's hair whipped against his face.

"Can I wish for you to stay?" I asked loudly, wind roaring in my ears.

"Messengers can't stay," he said. The bench began to tremble. The wind came stronger. Malcolm grabbed my waist to keep me from being swept off. "I've got to be going. Hurry, Katrina. Make your wish now."

I closed both hands around the bean. "What do I do?" I yelled.

"Just wish it. But remember, it will only work if it's what you most desire. Do it now.

We're running out of time."

What I most desire. What I most desire.

I looked right into his electric eyes and made my wish. Then I popped the bean into my mouth and swallowed it whole.

For a moment, the world stood still. We sat in a silent bubble, just us two, insulated from the snow and the wind. His eyes widened. "But, Katrina, that wish was supposed to be for you."

"It's what I most desire."

And it was.

The bubble burst. Another gust of wind came, picking up fallen snow as it swept its way toward our bench. It blew over us and before I could say anything else, Malcolm's hand tightened on my waist, and then he dissolved into a swirl of glittering snowflakes.

He was gone.

I reached into the empty space. Cold pierced my blue velvet dress. I'd never see him again.

That's when a voice called out my name.

V
incent's dad, dressed in his security uniform, walked toward me. "What are you doing out here alone?" he asked. "Hey, you're shivering." He took off his gray coat with its silver badge and wrapped it around my shoulders. Then he sat in the place where an angel had sat only moments before. "Katrina? What's the matter?"

I didn't want to explain. Losing someone is the worst feeling. Loss carves out a deep, hollow pocket. There's no magical way to fill it, no medicine or Band-Aid or surgery to cure it. I suppose that over time you get used to it, the way I had gotten used to not having my parents around. But the feeling never totally goes away. And the more time you spend on earth, the more pockets you'll collect. But it's part of living. It's life.

Some of us are lucky enough to be alive.

"Where's Vincent?" I asked through chattering teeth.

"He's on the deck behind the booth, watching the Solstice ships." Mr. Hawk buttoned the top button so the coat wouldn't slip off my shoulders. "How come you're not with him? He's been moping around lately. You two been fighting?"

Moping around? Did Vincent feel as bad as I felt?

"Thanks for the coat, Mr. Hawk," I said, jumping to my feet. Then I ran past the gazebo as carolers sang "Frosty the Snowman." The snowfall had eased. Soft little flakes floated from the sky, glittering like sequins. I ran to the dock. The Solstice ships had lined up in the marina. Colored lights wound around masts and along deck rails. Canned holiday music drifted from the lead boat.

Vincent sat on the bench behind the security booth, looking out over the water. I didn't worry about rejection or embarrassment or pride. I wiped snow off the bench and sat right down. "I didn't want to break our tradition," I said.

He pushed back his knit hat, his eyes widening with surprise. "Uh, me neither."

I took a big breath and looked into his brown eyes. "I'm sorry I got so mad. I went a little crazy. I had no right to tell you not to go into Java Heaven. And it's stupid of me to be mad just because you're dating Heidi. I think I got so used to having you all to myself, I wasn't ready to share you. Which is ridiculous, when you think about it." I blew on my fingertips.

"It's not ridiculous." He took off his gloves and gave them to me. They were toasty warm inside. "I felt the same way. When I saw you with that guy, it made me feel kind of sad." He fidgeted. "Look, Katrina, I never went inside Java Heaven. I want you to know that. Heidi lied at the assembly. I never agreed to help with those snowflakes. And when Mr. Darling put my name on that billboard, I should have complained. I guess I kind of liked seeing my name on a billboard. Weird, huh?"

The bad feelings felt like a snakeskin that I just wanted to shed and leave behind.

"You were helping the swim team. And Heidi's your girlfriend. I'm fine with it.

Really. I don't care about Java Heaven anymore."

"Heidi's not my girlfriend. She just wanted to be featured in all those interviews I was doing." He sighed and slumped forward, resting his arms on his knees. "She wanted to go out with Vincent the hero."

"I'm sorry it didn't work out." I was. Truly sorry. My best friend had gotten his heart broken and I could feel his hurt almost as deeply as I could feel my own. "Really, really sorry."

He sat back. "It's okay. I'll get over it. She would have killed me, anyway, with all her extra activities. Her dad makes her do all that stuff. He really pushes her hard. I feel sorry for her. What about you? Are you still going out with that guy?"

"No. He left town."

"Oh. I'm sorry it didn't work out."

"Me too." My jaw trembled, partly from the cold, but mostly because sadness was creeping all over me.

Vincent reached under the bench and pulled out a blanket, then draped it over our legs. People gathered along the docks to watch as the ships slowly motored out of the harbor. St. Nicholas waved from the lead boat. For one magical night, all the people of Nordby gathered to pay homage to the season, to remember times past and to dance to the old music. To eat weird Old World food, drink New World coffee, and to pet a giant mutant stuffed rat. The two of us, as it had been for so long, sat on that bench, knowing that it would never be quite the same again. We'd go our separate ways, pulled by our desires like ships sailing out of the harbor. But for that moment, as the festival swirled around us, we could pretend that it would always be the same.