fending off an attack. “No, no, no. You don’t understand. The favor I need is not quite so personal.”
“What a shame.” They pouted prettily.
“Do you want the steaks or not?” He already knew their answer. Fairies craved red meat, but they never got enough. They could really be a pain in the ass; they were almost as bad as termites or fleas. His dad had to spray the restaurant for them monthly.
“We want the meat!” the entire group answered together.
“Good. Then this is all I need you to do.” He picked up the thick art book and then hesitated before he opened it to one of the three pages he’d marked earlier. “Do you know the teacher who lives in the cabin right there?” He pointed through the trees at Candice’s house.
As a group the fairies nodded.
“You know what she looks like?”
They nodded again, causing their long, shining hair to sparkle and glisten and float around them like slightly tarnished, then glittered, haloes.
“Excellent. Here’s what I need you to do…” Justin opened the book. The fairies flocked around him, making curious little cooing noises as he gave them their orders.
Candice was going to be totally surprised!
Candice was sitting in her wicker chair sipping an excellent glass of chilled chardonnay when he stepped out of the forest and onto the grass of her backyard. There was just enough light left in the dusky sky to see that his smile was reflected by the sparkle in his amber eyes.
“Hello, Ms. Cox,” he said mischievously.
“Hello, Justin,” she said in her best teacher voice. “Did you stop by for a little detention?”
“I don’t know.” His grin widened. “I think I’ve been a pretty good boy lately.”
“Yes, you certainly have,” she said, feeling suddenly very warm.
“Not that I wouldn’t like being locked in a room alone with you.”
“So my surprise has to do with locks?”
“No, Miss Impatient. Nothing like that.” He climbed the deck stairs and leaned down to kiss her lightly. “You look beautiful tonight. Love the short skirt.”
Candice didn’t think she’d ever been so grateful for having good legs.
“Thank you. Wine?” she offered.
“I’d love some, thanks.”
She poured him a glass of sun-colored wine. Just before hesat in the empty wicker chair across from her he looked out toward the forest, raised his hand, and yelled, “Action!”
Instantly, the sky over the trees began to glitter like Fourth of July sparklers, and the breeze carried the sound of silly feminine laughter to them.
Candice scowled. “Fairies. What are they up to?”
“Keep watching,” Justin said, sipping his wine.
“I do not like fairies,” she grumbled. Still frowning, she looked back at the sparkling sky and gasped. A picture was forming from the glistening fairy dust.
“Oh, my God! It’s the
Mona Lisa
!”
“Keep watching,” Justin repeated.
Mona Lisa’s face changed. Candice’s mouth fell open. “It’s me!”
Justin laughed and lifted her hand from where it rested on the little table. He kissed her palm. “Yep, it is.”
Candice was still staring at the glowing portrait when the picture shifted and changed. Now she was looking at a hauntingly beautiful woman with long red hair who was sitting in a small boat.
“Waterhouse’s
Lady of Shalott
!” Then it, too, changed and she was watching herself frozen in time as the lady who was cursed to sing her last song as she floated down to Camelot.
Entranced, she watched the picture dissipate and begin to form again as another famous woman. This time it wasn’t apainting the fairies were reproducing. It was the eternally graceful statue of the winged Nike. And then, as if the Greek gods had ordered a miracle, Candice’s face and neck, even her long blonde hair, appeared to complete the glorious statue. Candice laughed and clapped her
“What a shame.” They pouted prettily.
“Do you want the steaks or not?” He already knew their answer. Fairies craved red meat, but they never got enough. They could really be a pain in the ass; they were almost as bad as termites or fleas. His dad had to spray the restaurant for them monthly.
“We want the meat!” the entire group answered together.
“Good. Then this is all I need you to do.” He picked up the thick art book and then hesitated before he opened it to one of the three pages he’d marked earlier. “Do you know the teacher who lives in the cabin right there?” He pointed through the trees at Candice’s house.
As a group the fairies nodded.
“You know what she looks like?”
They nodded again, causing their long, shining hair to sparkle and glisten and float around them like slightly tarnished, then glittered, haloes.
“Excellent. Here’s what I need you to do…” Justin opened the book. The fairies flocked around him, making curious little cooing noises as he gave them their orders.
Candice was going to be totally surprised!
Candice was sitting in her wicker chair sipping an excellent glass of chilled chardonnay when he stepped out of the forest and onto the grass of her backyard. There was just enough light left in the dusky sky to see that his smile was reflected by the sparkle in his amber eyes.
“Hello, Ms. Cox,” he said mischievously.
“Hello, Justin,” she said in her best teacher voice. “Did you stop by for a little detention?”
“I don’t know.” His grin widened. “I think I’ve been a pretty good boy lately.”
“Yes, you certainly have,” she said, feeling suddenly very warm.
“Not that I wouldn’t like being locked in a room alone with you.”
“So my surprise has to do with locks?”
“No, Miss Impatient. Nothing like that.” He climbed the deck stairs and leaned down to kiss her lightly. “You look beautiful tonight. Love the short skirt.”
Candice didn’t think she’d ever been so grateful for having good legs.
“Thank you. Wine?” she offered.
“I’d love some, thanks.”
She poured him a glass of sun-colored wine. Just before hesat in the empty wicker chair across from her he looked out toward the forest, raised his hand, and yelled, “Action!”
Instantly, the sky over the trees began to glitter like Fourth of July sparklers, and the breeze carried the sound of silly feminine laughter to them.
Candice scowled. “Fairies. What are they up to?”
“Keep watching,” Justin said, sipping his wine.
“I do not like fairies,” she grumbled. Still frowning, she looked back at the sparkling sky and gasped. A picture was forming from the glistening fairy dust.
“Oh, my God! It’s the
Mona Lisa
!”
“Keep watching,” Justin repeated.
Mona Lisa’s face changed. Candice’s mouth fell open. “It’s me!”
Justin laughed and lifted her hand from where it rested on the little table. He kissed her palm. “Yep, it is.”
Candice was still staring at the glowing portrait when the picture shifted and changed. Now she was looking at a hauntingly beautiful woman with long red hair who was sitting in a small boat.
“Waterhouse’s
Lady of Shalott
!” Then it, too, changed and she was watching herself frozen in time as the lady who was cursed to sing her last song as she floated down to Camelot.
Entranced, she watched the picture dissipate and begin to form again as another famous woman. This time it wasn’t apainting the fairies were reproducing. It was the eternally graceful statue of the winged Nike. And then, as if the Greek gods had ordered a miracle, Candice’s face and neck, even her long blonde hair, appeared to complete the glorious statue. Candice laughed and clapped her
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