Heavenly Lover (11 page)

Claire willed herself through to the top of the stairs and watched as Daniel sauntered up. He staggered a bit, but he was dancing, humming a Latin tune and moving his hips, turning a fantasy partner. The sight of him took her breath away. The sound of his gentle singing set up a buzzing in her ears.

Off came his shirt. A wave of strong cigar and whiskey smell overtook her. He laid his pants over a chair and then removed everything else. He warmed the shower as he danced naked in the room. Claire watched his reflection in the floor length mirror. Steam entered the bedroom from the readied shower, fogging up her view.

Under the warm water’s splash, he continued singing. Claire poked her invisible head through the shower curtain and watched him soap himself then let the water sluice the white bubbles down his skin. She loved the smell of the spicy gel he used tonight, a hint of cinnamon and orange. He shampooed his hair. She followed ripples of water over the natural tan of his smooth muscular body as his hands scrubbed at his scalp.

Daniel toweling off intensified the smells for Claire. Mixed with the fading scent of the cigars, soap, and shampoo was the smell of his clean skin, and something else she was beginning to recognize as well as feel and almost smell: the passion of his soul. The emergence of this scent was usually a good sign; it meant the charge’s recovery was well underway. Claire was pleased.

A lingering doubt crept in when she realized he hadn’t painted today. Perhaps a little change of pace was all it was, since the passion was returning to his soul. That couldn’t be bad.

But of the most concern to her was Josh’s reoccurrence in Daniel’s life. She was going to need to do more research on this. She remembered the white stones Mother had shown her and hoped that once she separated Josh from Daniel permanently, she would never think of those cold stones again.

Chapter 12

When Daniel went off to a meeting with a client, Claire put in a voucher for money so she could wear something other than what she’d brought in her duffel. At night, when she was at work, she wore her beautiful eyelet lace gown, which resembled a man’s nightshirt. Claire assumed this was Father’s design; he seemed to prefer his Guardians be dressed in clothes that did not show off their curves when they were working in case they became visible in their exuberance. But what they wore on their off days was up to them. She hadn’t had time to properly pack. Except for her favorite pair of jeans, her wardrobe was simply lacking.

Doris drove her to Macy’s and tossed a purse of money over the cab seat. When she looked at the amount, Claire had no idea how much it would buy.

“He wants receipts, you know.”

“I know.”

“And, Doll, nothing flashy.”

“Oh, I know.” She grinned. She’d done this before.

“Usually you go for the sporting goods stuff, Claire. Macy’s today?” She gave her a wink. “And don’t even try submitting a receipt from Victoria’s Secret.”

They both laughed. What a picture that would have been, Mother Guardian looking over the receipts and seeing one from a lingerie shop.

Claire needed shoes so she could ditch the black slippers. She had an affinity for light colors, but being late fall, there weren’t any. Everything was black, maroon or shades of brown. On the back wall of the shoe department, a display of Crocs caught her eye and she was immediately attracted to the bright colors. She picked out a yellow pair in Mary Jane style, and placed them on her feet.

Perfect.

With her slippers in one hand, she found some plastic charms in various shapes and sizes. Someone had placed these inside the holes of the display Crocs. They called them “jewels.”

Too good to be true.

She picked out several: pink daisies, yellow and gold stars, a couple of red hearts, and a couple of gem-like stones in purple and green.

A separate holder had jewels with logos she didn’t understand, including a red bird with a topknot, a shark, and a bull’s head. She liked the one that was a letter “A” with a halo over it.

Get that one for Angela. She found one with a stylized “C” for Claire and went to the checkout.

The charms cost more than the Crocs, which surprised her.

Oh well. She had to have them.

She told the saleslady she would wear her yellow Crocs out.

“Go Cubbies,” the lady said as she handed Claire the bag. Curious. What could she possibly mean?

She gave the lady a smile, but had not a clue.

Claire was aware of the makeup and fragrance counter to her left. Although she needed neither of makeup nor fragrance, the brightly lit display cases, track lighting, and music attracted her. She touched the silver and gold trimmed gift sets wrapped in cellophane, loving the sensation and sound as they crinkled under her fingers. She overloaded on scents as she walked around the aisles, sampling the fragrances on her human “skin.” Soon, however, her nose started to itch.

One of her favorite things to do in the human world was to spray the scent in the room and then walk through it, something an older guardian taught her. That’s what they did in Heaven with their dust, but there it was a multisensory experience. Dust brought forth emotions. Perfume was a faint imitation.

Just for fun, Claire occasionally liked to wear a little makeup, something she wasn’t allowed in Heaven. It did commit her to staying in human form, because the makeup couldn’t disappear like the rest of her body. A made up face walking down a mall without a body attached to it scared humans. It had only happened to her once before and she was loath to repeat it. A woman had fainted, then woken and made the sign of the cross, which Claire had found ironic.

Risky or not, one of her most favorite things was to have her make-up done at Macy’s. The counter girl bounced in like a brightly colored flag on the end of a ship. Her jet-black hair spiked out in tufts at the back and sides of her head behind her ears. She was short, Claire’s height. She was probably in her twenties, with a flawless, pale face with large brown eyes done brightly in shades of green and fuchsia. These were not colors Claire would have thought to wear together on her eyes.

“Can I try something on you?” the girl asked in a perky manner.

Claire agreed, and placed herself on a white and chrome stool. Peering into a mirror, she noticed her short blond hair had spun out of control but glistened under the overhead lights. She wasn’t used to seeing herself. Her blue eyes were lighter than she remembered. A young man wearing lots of eye makeup with streaked blond and black hair asked her if she wanted some sparkling water.

“Perfect,” she said. Though she didn’t usually drink anything, she liked the way the bubbles felt on her tongue.

The makeup artist started the process of showing her the cleansing products. She pouted a bit when her cotton square revealed not a speck of dirt on Claire’s face.

“Your skin is exceptional.” Counter girl scrunched up her face as if deep in thought. “You must have just showered. There’s not a trace of anything on here.” She held up the brilliant white pad, flicking it back and forth with a small wrist action. Claire nodded, since there was no way she could explain the truth.

She enjoyed the sensuous experience: the gentle facial massage, the warm water rinse, the application with the pads of the artist’s fingers as she applied moisturizer. The girl possessed a cheerful disposition and bantered on about what she was doing and why. It was background noise, like the music in the store. Claire loved the whole experience. She wondered why there never was a place in Heaven where angels could enjoy this kind of happy pampering.

Maybe someday Father will let me open a spa in Heaven.
She almost giggled at the thought.

The girl wore a very flowery scent Claire liked as well. She thought the tattoo on the girl’s forearm of a small frog was out of place on her delicate white skin.

“Can you make me look sexy?” Claire surprised herself when these words came out of her mouth. She blushed a bit, but that was what she wanted.

Countergirl gave a devilish giggle. “Right on. Hot date tonight?”

“You have no idea.”

Countergirl sighed. “Okay, Let’s knock his socks off and make you a real sex siren.”

I’m thinking about him taking off more than his socks.
She wished she could show Daniel that side of her. Perhaps she would chance it and appear to him just once this way. She wanted to see the reaction in his eyes as he beheld her painted face. What other parts of his body would respond?

Now was time for the dramatic eye paint. Claire watched with a hand-held mirror as the girl applied each layer of color, starting with a pale green, going darker in the crease of her eyes. She added the fuchsia to the ends and a bit in the crease, blending the color. Claire had to admit, with the dark eyeliner, blackened lashes and bright eye shadow she looked completely different—completely desirable, she hoped.

The woman Claire saw in the hand-held mirror at the end of the session did not resemble the girl who’d walked in. She was shocked at the change. Her face was as bright as one of Daniel’s canvases. Her eyes were mysterious and dark, and she practiced flashing them. But her lips were luscious and pink, the lip-gloss plumping them up. She could wear them like this every day, she thought.

“Oh, honey, you are sexy. And your skin is fabulous!” Fabulous was a word they hardly ever used in Heaven, but Claire loved the way humans said it. Several of the other helpers came over and admired the canvas that was Claire’s face.

Countergirl gave her more of the light pink lip color, glazed over with gloss that tasted like cherries. Claire had to have it.

“Now just one more thing.” Claire was trying to imagine what could possibly be missing as she looked at her transformation in the mirror.

The girl brought out a small silver can and shook it. “Close your eyes.” There was a hissing sound that lasted only a second. “Ok, now open them.”

On Claire’s forearm were tiny sparkling particles that caught the bright lights of the counter. In the mirror, she saw this sparkle had fallen all over her hair, her forehead, nose, and shoulders. Countergirl held up the little metal can, her big smile showing large white teeth.

“What is it?” Claire asked, halfway expecting her to say “Dust.”

“Seasons Sparkles. They make it every holiday. ‘A Spray To Add Sparkle To Your Day!’” It was a perky advertisement, and it worked. Claire had to have it as well.

She was finishing the sale when she noticed a woman so beautiful she looked dangerous enter the area two counters over. It took a moment for Claire to realize why she knew her. Audray! Her long blond curls fell and bounced in mid-air as she leaned into the counter to examine something. She sprayed perfume on her wrists and smelled it with eyes closed. She seemed to enjoy mesmerizing the sales clerk, who was a young man. She held up her wrist to him.

“What do you think?” She flashed him a smile.

“Uh, nice. Very nice. Good on you,” he responded with a blush and quickly looked down.

Audray looked back at him as if to say, “Of course it’s nice.” Even Claire had a hard time pulling her eyes off her beautiful face and slender body.

Audray purchased the bottle and then wandered off. Claire watched her stroll the counters, salespeople feigning friendship with broad smiles as she passed, especially the men. Claire suddenly felt a bit challenged. Something boiled inside her stomach. The taste in her mouth was slightly sour. Did this woman know the effect she was having on everyone around her?
Of course she knows
. Does she think about Daniel at all? Claire decided she did not. She hated this woman, a very unpleasant emotion for an angel, and not one she often felt.

The pink bottle Audray sprayed on her wrists called to Claire. She applied one spray and rubbed the other wrist on top. She liked the fragrance, an infusion of sweet flowers including jasmine, and a little orange spice. The bottle read Pink Passion.

A poor substitute.

She took the offered sample and added it to her bag, then went in search of Audray, who had entered the Men’s department.

Audrey stood with the hairy man from Daniel’s dream. She held up a blue and white striped long-sleeved shirt. He gazed at it from behind her, chin on her shoulder. His hands found their way under her shirt. One was on her breast, the other headed down under the front of her skirt. A couple nearby gawked in disbelief, then moved away, whispering. Audray watched them leave with a sultry smile, like she relished making waves. She stepped back, pressing into the man’s crotch and threw her head back in a laugh. The man’s mouth was on her neck. She turned her head to do a quick scan of the area, when her green eyes rested briefly on Claire. Her eyes narrowed, as if to say Claire was not worthy of her attention.

Claire stood her ground and stared back without a smile. She truly despised this woman and tried to say so with her eyes.

Audray raised her chin, and then abruptly turned to face the man, whispering in his ear. They walked arm in arm to the dressing room area, grabbing a fistful of shirts right before they disappeared around the corner. Audray released a hard steely stare that was predatory and vicious.

Claire shivered. She was not afraid of them, but repulsed. By the look on the dressing room monitor’s face, even she knew they were going to have sex. Probably happened all the time. If Claire had respect for the couple, and she didn’t, she would leave them to it. She showed a sweater to the monitor as she took the room next door to the couple.

As soon as the door closed, she went into disappear mode. She heard sighing followed by the soft shifting of material and the metallic clinking of a belt buckle. Claire stood on the vinyl-covered bench and peered over the top of the partition.

It actually excited her to see him with his pants down around his ankles, his engorged cock seeking to enter Audray from behind. They had not bothered to remove her skirt, which was bunched up tightly around her waist. Her blouse was unbuttoned. Her hands were stretched out in front of her, pressing onto the glass of the mirror where she was watching herself. The man pushed aside her white lace thong underwear. She bent her knees and extended her ass toward him as he entered her from behind.

“Oh, baby, yes,” she said. “Oh, give it to me, give me that fat cock. Ram it hard.”

The man grunted, his hairy legs jerking to the actions of his groin. He reached forward, grabbed one breast, and squeezed. He yanked her body roughly to him, impaling her deeper, a large hairy hand buried in her lower belly. Her long locks bounced in time to his thrusting as she raised her face to the ceiling.

Claire was hoping to dampen the couple’s pleasure just as Audray looked up and their eyes met. Of course, their eyes couldn’t really meet, because there were just dark pockets where Claire’s eyes would be, carefully outlined in black by Countergirl, shaded in beautiful hues of green and pink. What Audray saw was only the makeup. No neck or body attached to it, either.

Audray shrieked.

Claire’s made up face, with the wide Cheshire cat grin, lowered back down to her side of the wall. She shifted back to human form before she left the dressing room as whispers, protestations, and the sound of arms and knees knocking into the tiny booth came flying behind her. With her keen angel senses, she heard the door to the cubicle swing open, but Claire was already around the corner and well out of sight.

Claire couldn’t remember when she had felt so completely satisfied.

She walked past the salesmen in the cologne section and batted her eyes seductively. The younger one of the two blushed and looked down. Good. The makeup was working.
There’s more than one siren in this store
.

Doris was waiting for her outside Macy’s, but looked at her in confusion when she waved her down. “I wish I had a camera! They just won’t believe this at the transport station,” Doris said. “I didn’t recognize you!”