Weaver of Dreams (12 page)

Maggie sat in her office at school, staring sightlessly out the window. She’d become a local celebrity. Throughout the morning people stopped her to mention the press conference. The principal and the faculty praised her. The students teased her. Apparently fame earned her a page on one of the social networking sites. One of the girls said it was titled, “The No Comment Counselor” and someone had posted the video of her talking.

Nothing like being known as the
No Comment Counselor
. Now none of the kids would probably ever want to talk to her again.

Great. Just great.
Yet another mess to ruin her life thanks to Mark and his fabulous ideas. That stupid lawyer wasn’t any better. Maggie felt sure Jennifer Lawler had been the one to decide she should be the spokesperson.

Maggie pushed from behind her desk and paced the room. Her feet quickly ate up the small amount of carpet.

Mark had messed up her life once again. It wasn’t enough he’d made her feel ugly and unwanted as a woman. He had to ruin her self-esteem about her job too.

She’d always loved her job as a guidance counselor. Working with the students to fix their problems and helping students who would otherwise not go to college get accepted was one of the highlights of her position with the District.

Now with her new celebrity, she doubted any student would seek her help.

The walls closed in. She needed some air. Needed to get out of here.

She grabbed her purse from the top drawer of her filing cabinet, slung the strap over her shoulder, and reached the door in two strides. Just turning the knob and opening the heavy door made things seem a little better.

Maggie took a deep breath and marched forward. Out of the guidance building and into the front office she trekked, heading straight for her principal’s administrative assistant.

Peggy looked up at her. The lines at the corners of her eyes deepened from the genuine smile on her aged face. “Hi, Maggie. I saw you on TV this morning. You did great.”

“Thanks.”

“So when do you get to be on TV again?”

“Never. I hope.” Maggie crossed her arms over her chest, watching as the elderly woman’s brown eyes widened in surprise.

“Never? But you looked like a natural. The TV really loves you.”

“Pbbbbbbbtttt!" She blew a very loud, juicy raspberry.

“You didn’t like being on TV?” Peggy asked, not bothering to keep the incredulousness from her tone. “I’d love to be on TV.”

“Great, then next time you can do it. I’m done. I hated it. I never want to be the spokesperson for the District ever again.”

“You sound upset,” Peggy observed, tapping the tip of her pencil on her desk.

Maggie blew out a heavy sigh. “Just tired and cranky.”

“You still not sleeping, hun?”

“No.”

“I’ve got a friend who swears by her sleeping pills. You ever try some?”

Her only respite from the nightmares came in the form of a pill. In fact, a bottle of them sat on the counter at home, but she didn’t like them.

“Yeah, but I’m not a fan. Too many people have incidents of sleep walking after taking them. Sleep driving, sleep working. I don’t even want to think about what might happen if I try to do my job asleep.”

Peggy chuckled. “I know what you mean. Working with teenagers keeps you on your toes. You have to be on top of your game.”

Maggie smiled. “Exactly. But you know, I think I’ll take the rest of the day off. I desperately need a mental health day.”

“Okay. I’ll debit your sick leave for the rest of today.”

“Thanks, Peggy.” Maggie turned to leave.

“Maggie?”

She turned back around to the administrative assistant at the sound of her name. “Uh-huh.”

“I hope things get better, dear.”

Maggie gave the woman a feeble smile. “Thanks. I’m sure they will.”
They couldn’t get any worse.

“And try to get some sleep. Okay?”

“I will,” Maggie promised and headed outside, knowing that would most likely be a promise she’d break.

As Maggie sat in her assigned parking space, a dilapidated car with faded green paint pulled into their parking lot. The high school was located in an affluent area of their city. A Lexus or a BMW she would expect, but a green car so rusted through she could see the interior through the base of the driver’s door—seemed strange.

Her eyes tracked the vehicle, watching it pull up to the front of the large high school. A man got out, dressed in a pair of raggedy jeans and a jacket. The hood of his gray hoodie obscured much of his face, but she could see he sported a rough beard. It looked thick and heavier than the typical fashion, as though he couldn’t be bothered to keep the thing trimmed.

His clothes appeared soiled. His jeans caked with grime and what may have been grease. Whatever it was, it looked oily. His awkward gate made for unsure steps, as if he sported a limp leg.

Maggie started her engine when the man grabbed the handle of the door to the front office. He stopped and turned in response to the purr of her engine. His eyes locked with hers. They looked cold. Distant.

Vacant was really the best way to describe them, she decided. Unease crept up her spine, prickles of concern blanketed her skin.

Maggie put the car in reverse, and eased from her spot. As she drove away her eyes tried to find the man in her rear view mirror, but she could not see him. Like a phantom, he had disappeared from sight.

She turned and looked over her seat. His car still sat in front of the school, but where was he? Had he gone inside?

Of course. He must have gone inside the office once she pulled away. He probably only looked in her direction because he heard her car start. Maggie shook her head as she turned onto the road in front of the school grounds.

“You’re becoming paranoid, Maggie,” she chastised herself aloud. “I definitely need a little shopping therapy.”

And she knew just where to start.

Sixteen miles later, she stood in one of her favorite stores at the mall. The clothes in there were expensive. While she might not be able to buy them on her meager salary, they couldn’t stop her from trying a few on and fantasizing about owning them.

“Long time no see,” Maggie called to her friend, as Leigh joined her.

Really, it had only been about two weeks since she’d seen her friend, but sometimes fourteen days could feel like a lifetime.

“Hey, stranger. How ya been?”

Leigh embraced her in a strong hug. Friends since high school, Maggie counted on Leigh for support. Maggie called her first when things got rough because she knew her friend would be there.

“I’m fine, Leigh. How about you?”

“You don’t look fine. You look tired.”

The ladies entered the shop as Maggie spoke. “Yeah. What else is new?”

Leigh gave her a sympathetic nod, knowing all too well how the night terrors had plagued Maggie throughout her life. “So, I saw you on TV.”

A groan pushed from Maggie’s throat. “I don’t want to talk about it. Why do you think I needed a little shopping therapy?”

Leigh smiled, and held up a dress in each hand. “Well, I think these are just what the doctor ordered. Take two and call me when you’re ready.”

Maggie smiled as she took the dresses to the changing room. Good old Leigh. She could always count on her friend. When she called, Leigh had dropped everything to meet her on the spur of the moment. Not every company bigwig would clear her schedule for a friend, but Leigh did. While she dressed, Maggie contemplated how fortunate she was to have a friend like her.

“Leigh, I’m dressed,” she called, making her way to the full-length mirror next to the changing room.

“Look at you,” Leigh exclaimed. “You look beautiful.”

Maggie stood in front of three mirrors, turning from side-to-side to admire how the emerald sequin gown she wore hugged her curves. Smoothing her hands over her hips, she enjoyed the feel of the sparkly crystals under her fingers.

“The dark green of the gown complements your red hair,” a salesclerk informed her.

Maggie spun before the mirror, watching the way the strapless gown hung on her body. The material flowed around her legs when she twirled, dusting the floor. A jeweled detail gathered the emerald-colored material under her bosom to create an empire waist which emphasized her breasts. This designer gown made her look good—even if she did say so herself.

“Nothing like couture to make a gal feel better about herself.” Maggie’s eyes briefly met Leigh’s in the mirror.

“I couldn’t agree more, Maggie.”

If only she went places that called for this type of a dress. An inelegant snort of incredulity left her throat. If only she could afford this type of a dress. Maybe her dream man would become real and buy it for her.

A smile took her face at the absurdity of the thought. Maggie knew Zane wasn’t real, but a girl could dream couldn’t she?

And what dreams she had been having lately! Her nightmares seemed to be gone, replaced by sensual dreams about that handsome Zane.

Her body warmed at the thought of him. Maggie watched her cheeks blush in the mirror when memories of the dream from the previous night flooded her mind’s eye.

In the dream, he had brought her pleasure unlike she’d ever experienced in the real world. She could still feel the water of the tub lapping over her skin in waves he created when he entered the tub to wash her. If only the dream hadn’t ended before they’d made love. She would bet good money he would have been fantastic in bed. Unfortunately, her alarm clock going off pulled her from the dream before she could find out. Such a shame.

Holy crap, she had it bad for a guy who wasn’t real.

“What’s the look for, Maggie?”

“Huh?” Maggie’s eyes met her friends in the mirror. Leigh sported a wide grin.

“What were you just now thinking?”

Images of the dream flashed in her mind’s eye bringing another blush to Maggie’s cheeks.

“Nothing.”

“My butt it was nothing. Look at your cheeks. You better fess up. I want to know what has you so hot and bothered, woman.”

Zane.
The answer came unabated into her mind. An amazing man with azure blue eyes and a body to die for. An attentive man with a sweet personality. A dream man who wooed her in her dreams and won her heart.

She couldn’t love him. Didn’t love him, she assured herself. And Maggie wasn’t about to admit to her friend what had brought the flush to her cheeks. Leigh would think her crazy.

Needing to distract her inquisitive friend, Maggie said, “I think I’ll go try on the red number.”

Leigh eyed her suspiciously for a moment, like she knew Maggie tried to sidetrack her. “All right. I bet it will look incredible with your eyes.”

When she headed to the dressing room to change into the next dress, a spot of dark gray drew her gaze. Maggie glanced at the window of the shop. People walked by outside, going about their busy lives, oblivious to her or the shop.

It must have been her imagination. Before heading for the dressing room, she glanced over her shoulder at the image of herself in the mirror one last time. Her eyes were met by the reflection of a vacant stare.

This time it wasn’t her imagination. The man in the gray hoodie stood outside, watching her. Maggie spun and grabbed the dress to raise the hem, before she took off for the door. Determination to confront the man quickened her steps.

“Miss. Miss, stop,” the sales attendant called after her when she increased her speed.

Just as her fingers closed around the handle of the door to the shop, a hard hand landed on her bare shoulder.

“Where do you think you’re going?” a deep voice asked her.

Maggie looked up into the face of a big burly man, noting the security uniform he wore. “Outside. There’s a man out there.”

“Yeah, there are a lot of men out there, lady.”

“No. You don’t understand. This man is following me.”

It may have been the desperation in her voice, but something convinced him to believe her for he demanded, “Stay here.”

Relief poured through her when the security guard pulled open the door to the shop. “The guy’s wearing a gray hoodie,” she cried out as he walked through the door.

Leigh stopped beside her, and peered out the glass pane in the door. “Someone is following you? Who in the hell would do such a thing?”

Now that she heard her friend’s questions, she must admit maybe it was a little hard to believe. Who would want to follow her? She wasn’t anyone special.

“I don’t . . . I’m not sure what I saw,” Maggie admitted, peeking out into the mall. “I thought I saw someone staring at me through the window.”

“Why would you think he was following you?”

“I thought I saw the same guy at school earlier.”

A few minutes later the security guard returned with a rather foul look on his face. “There is no one out there.”

Maggie ran to the window, with Leigh in pursuit. Sure enough, she did not see the man in the gray hoodie. “Did you see where he went?”

“Lady, I don’t know what you thought you saw, but there isn’t anyone out there peering into the window. Hell, there isn’t anyone out there in a gray hoodie.”

“But I saw him.” Maggie’s voice sounded unsure, even to her.

“Sure you did.” Maggie heard the disbelief in the guard’s captious tone.

“Maybe your mind played a trick on you,” Leigh offered, giving her hand a friendly squeeze.