Earthbound Angels Part 1 (3 page)

It was over this dinner that Erick delivered what Hollianne could only call a dream job proposal.

After outlining what he would like to see accomplished with his book, he started to talk money.

“Now, given that there’s a number of different areas I want to reflect on, we’d be looking at eight to ten chapters, so what I would like to see is a finished book of at least 350 pages, no less. It can, of course, exceed that number if needed, at which time we would renegotiate the terms of payment.”

He was very serious, she observed, just like a real businessman would behave in an important business deal.

So how could there be any doubt that this offer, whatever really lay behind it, could be dishonest?

“For now, though,” Erick continued, “I would like to offer you $100,000 for a 350 page book.” He paused for just long enough to let the figure sink in, dropping it into the conversation as casually as if he were discussing the weather. “Half of that will be paid upon the signing of the contract, and the other half upon completion of the book. You will be awarded royalties from the book sales in the amount of 45 percent. Are those terms acceptable to you?”

Hollianne couldn't speak. All the arguments inside her head ceased.

All the voices inside there were just as speechless, like a garrulous audience struck dumb by the highest C ever uttered by a human voice, sitting there stunned and blinking in the silent darkness of the auditorium.

The thing that was truly astounding to her was his offer of 45 percent. That never happened in any book deal! So either this man was much unschooled in business negotiations which she highly doubted, or he simply had money to burn and didn’t need to make a lot of money off of this book. There was also the chance that he wasn’t sure of how well the book would be received and wanted her to gain some money from it even if it wasn’t a lot. Well, whatever he was thinking, she wasn’t about to turn down a deal like this if he was seriously offering it to her.

Finally, seeing that his face gave no hint that he was anything but serious, she was able to conceal her shock as she sipped her wine, gatheringher thoughts and thought of an excuse for not responding instantly.

In her mind, Hollianne had already accepted the deal and was thinking of just how drastically it could change her life. It would go a long way towards helping her get back on her feet; that was for sure. This kind of money might just help her to put Adam’s shocking death in the past as much as anyone could ever move on from something of that magnitude. She could finally plan her life from this moment on and escape the prison in which she had existed since the night the police turned up at her home with life altering news. So, yes, there was no doubt that she would be accepting Mr. Angell’s very, very generous offer.

He had just given her the most unexpected blessing, and here, she was still dumbstruck. She must seem so gauche and awkward to him, whereas deals like this must be perfectly normal to him.

She finally managed to speak; or rather, she heard a voice speaking in a detached and professional tone, and was surprised to find that it was her own.

“Well, Mr. Angell, I have to say that those terms sound exceedingly fair. I have no issues with any of what you’ve said so far.”

She wanted to laugh. It was crazy, completely inexplicable, but if it was a dream; it showed no signs of ending.

“Excellent then!”

Erick flashed his dazzling smile again, and she tensed involuntarily, sensing that something was coming.

“There's one more condition that I have, and I hope that it won't change your mind.”

No, it wouldn't, whatever it is. A meteor falling on Earth would not change my mind.
It would be considered the highest rate of crazy to change her mind! But, nevertheless, she felt that this was to be the crucial point; the one he had been leading up to all along.

“As I like to work at various hours throughout the day and night, I'm going to need you close by at all times. You'll be on call, so to speak.”

She stared at him, confused.

“To that end, I will need you to take up residence in your own private suite within my home. It's a large estate with live-in help, so you needn't worry about any improprieties.” He dropped the word so casually that not even a more suspicious mind than hers could have detected anything behind it. “You could look at it as one of the perks while you're writing my biography.”

That was it? She would just have to change her plans to accommodate his and that was it? Hollianne had not expected this, but she made up her mind instantly.

Even though she'd be able to pay Jackson and keep her townhouse, she also knew it was time to move away from her memories of Adam, especially given the latest of them, which tended to cast a long and grim shadow on the other times they had shared. Though she had clung to the happier times of the past with him, those memories had unavoidably dragged her down. She knew it was time to break free of the past, both good and bad, so that she could make her own way unburdened by it. She needed this opportunity.

It was almost too good to be true. She couldn't help but wonder if there wasn't some hidden agenda somewhere.

“Mr. Angell,” she finally said, “I have to ask you something. Are you an angel that just dropped to Earth?”

At first Erick was stunned at the question. She had startled him for the first time this evening. This was also one of the very few occasions during his sojourn here on Earth that he was genuinely unable to form a response, thinking for a brief instant, however ridiculous it seemed, that somehow she had managed to discover his secret and that somehow that meant the end of everything…

But just as he was forming an answer to the question, or trying to, Hollianne spoke again with a giggle.

“The reason I say that is because you have offered me a job that is absolutely perfect for me.”

“Oh, is that so?” he replied innocently, while inwardly allowing a feeling of relief to flow through him.

She nodded. “I'm in a transitional period in my life and this couldn't have come at a better time. I'm happy to accept your job and all of the terms that you've outlined here tonight. So, when would you like me to start?”

Knowing that things couldn’t be moving along more perfectly, Erick dazzled her once more with his high wattage smile.

They agreed that she would be packed and ready to move into his home by tomorrow evening.

He offered to send someone to help her pack and move out but she declined, saying that she tended to dislike strangers handling her things.

“That sounds pretty bad, doesn’t it,” she said, a little embarrassed. “I just... it's something I've had since I was a kid. Something about changing nannies. I don't remember much; just that I loved this nanny, but she died. Since then, I can't bear anyone else touching my things.”

“What about your mother?” he asked, looking very curious.

“She died when I was a baby,” she answered awkwardly. “My father was a very busy man so without a mother, I was raised by nannies.” She found herself staring out at the view, or at least the part which did not show his reflection, because it was much easier. For some reason, she could not lie to him. She could not make up a story that was less painful or embarrassing to tell than the real one. “And then he died when I was sixteen, and my stepmother got everything. I was left only with the money I inherited from my mom. It was deposited in a tight trust fund that she couldn't touch. I have lived independently since then.”

She tried to summarize her life as succinctly as possible. There were so many things left unsaid, and she normally didn't divulge her life to somebody else. This was a very private part of her life that she guarded from everyone. Of course, she had told Adam all about it but to open up to a stranger was unheard of, especially to a stranger who had just offered her a dream job. Now it occurred to her to glance at his face to see how he was taking this little bit of her life story. She was relieved to find that his face held nothing but an understanding expression. There was no pity there nor was there any type of judgment. Allowing herself to return to her former feeling of comfort with this man, she smiled a bit wryly. “I guess you just got a bit more than you bargained for,” she said.

“Oh please don’t feel that way!” Erick replied quickly. “If I had not been interested, I would not have asked. I do feel bad that you had to live what must have been a rather difficult life. I assure you that things are well on their way to improving dramatically for you.”

She wondered again how this man could make her open up so easily. Well, she certainly had not met anyone like him, she thought. That must be it. He had this effect on her, and she would guess that it must be how he affected other people, too. He would not be this wealthy without this rich of an influence.

Hollianne quickly completed their goodbyes before he could ask further personal questions that she would feel bound to answer. In her current mood, her defenses weakened by Erick’s direct and uncomplicated manner and the wine, of which she had unknowingly consumed three glasses; she might have started talking about her past love life, and that wouldn’t have ended happily.

Having concluded the meeting, Erick walked Hollianne to the elevator.

“Thank you so much for this opportunity, Mr. Angell,” she said as she shook his hand. “And also for such an amazing meal.”

They both laughed at that last comment.

“One more thing, Ms. Talbot,” Erick added as she stepped into the elevator car. “Now that we're going to be working together so closely, I insist that you call me Erick.”

She smiled at him. “Anything you say, Erick, but only if you call me Hollianne.” She could not believe herself. Here she was smiling warmly as if she had known him for months, without affectation or mannerism. She knew all too well how that might come across to a man less respectful of propriety than he clearly was.

“Wonderful, Hollianne. I'll see you tomorrow.”

Smiling at him as the doors closed, she waited until the car started moving down.

Suddenly, she pumped her fist into the air.
“Yes! Yes! Yes!”
She stage-whispered with each fist pump.

And he was so
nice!
How happy she was that she did not need to use her pepper spray; In fact, she had completely forgotten about it. She could not believe she would have an employer like that for the next few weeks. But it was going to happen. It was all
true!
Somebody must be watching over her from up above. Her guardian angel, of course, she thought.

It did not matter that she was grown up now, and that she had stopped believing in such things when she was twelve. How could she not believe in a guardian angel after an experience like this?

By the time she arrived in the lobby, she had composed herself enough to walk without skipping all over the place like a lunatic, and she exited the elevator. As she crossed the lobby towards the doors leading out onto the sidewalk, a porter stopped her.

“Ms. Talbot?” he asked.

“Yes?” Hollianne replied.

Her heart had stopped. Had the other shoe now dropped?

But the porter was smiling. “I have a cab waiting for you, Ma'am.” He escorted her through the doors and opened the door of the waiting vehicle. “Have a good night.”

Once she was inside, he closed the door, and waved.

Erick poured himself another glass of wine once Hollianne had departed. He needed it. Meeting the woman up close and personal had left him feeling very unsettled. She was so beautiful, her gorgeous emerald-green eyes fringed in long lashes holding him captive from the time she appeared before him on that elevator. How could she not be aware of their effect?

Her body was small but not frail. She had pert little breasts, a cinched-in waist, and slightly-flared hips. He couldn't tell a lot about her legs because they had been encased in a pair of navy blue dress slacks, but she moved them as gracefully as she had the rest of her body. The lime-green lightweight sweater she wore complemented her body nicely and had a V-neck that revealed just enough cleavage that made him want to see more.

He was definitely uncomfortable right now and had no idea why.

His thoughts turned to his self-imposed isolation and the reasons for being cast out of Heaven. He had never cared much for humans and continued challenging the Father on why He allowed the human race to make mistakes and drastically unbalance the universe while angels weren't given any room for error at all.

Clearly, Erick had argued one time too many and suddenly found himself on earth as a human. It could not be denied that the Father had a perverse sense of humor.

His only instruction:
Be human, and find the answers to your questions.

But he only had one question:
Why are they worth saving?

Why did he have to become human to get the answer to that one question?

Granted, he lived in a palatial mansion surrounded by acres of manicured land, forests, and gardens.

But that's not what he was supposed to be doing.

He missed lounging around on clouds and walking golden streets with his wings fully unfurled, not limited or bound by physical or temporal chains, free to roam the landscapes of celestial beauty and enjoy the bliss of the highest music imaginable, the music that only specially chosen mortals were allowed to hear a whisper of in their last moments – Bach, Mozart and Milton had been among these lucky few.

Now, here he was among the very same beings he held in contempt, and worst of all; he actually was one of them.

He still hadn't found the answer to his question. In fact, the longer he stayed here, the more he realized how weak humans were, how prone they were to make trouble for themselves and their fellow men.