In Love with the Prince (of Darkness, That Is)
Chapter Eleven: Good Morning Beautiful
"You're up early," Nathaniel said when Dreama came out of her room at six in the morning.
"Couldn't sleep.”
"I'm just about to wake Craig. Do you want some coffee?”
"You're an angel, Nate." Dreama poured herself a mug-full and gulped some down. "Ah, that's gorgeous. What time are you off?”
"I have a dinner meeting with a new client. I'm going to be home late. Sorry.”
"Don't worry about it.”
"How come?”
"Jess is having a friend over for dinner, and I just need to know how many I'm cooking for.”
"What kind of a friend?”
"Not sure. He just asked if he could invite someone.”
"Damn, I hope it's a girl.”
"Why's that?”
"He's been so down lately, I think it would do him some good to have a girlfriend.”
"What about you?”
"I'll settle down once I get rid of you three," Nathaniel joked.
"I'm serious, Nate.”
"I know. I just haven't found the right girl yet. Besides, I can't leave you guys on your own, a bigger place is out of the question with our income, and I sure as hell can't ask a woman to come live here.”
"Yeah, I guess so," Dreama sighed.
Nathaniel put an arm around her shoulders and squeezed at the base of her neck. "Dray, it'll happen when we can afford for it to happen, all right? You guys are the most important thing in my life right now, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I just wish I could be around more.”
"You sound like Dad," Dreama responded, a little choked up.
"He loved you.”
"He was disappointed in me.”
"He was proud that you had the guts to put yourself out there. He just didn't want you to get your hopes up. He knew it would crush you to get accepted without a scholarship.”
"He didn't think I was good enough for one," Dreama retorted, shrugging off Nathaniel's arm.
"That's not true.”
Dreama picked up her mug and headed for her room. "I don't know, Nathan. Sometimes I think it is.”
*~*~*
"Hello?”
"Good morning.”
"It's two o'clock in the afternoon.”
"Is it?”
"How did you get my number, anyway?”
"Last name and reverse address search. It wasn't hard—the Internet has come a long way.”
Dreama chuckled. "Hi, Taylor.”
"Hey, little darling.”
"Couldn't wait until tomorrow, huh?”
"You're just irresistible.”
Dreama laughed. "So, you free today?”
"It's possible. How come?”
"Jesse's bringing his girlfriend over for me to meet.”
"That's going to be awkward.”
"Yeah, a bit, I think.”
"Maybe I could come over and dazzle her with my wit and charm.”
"I believe that's the exact reason she's not supposed to meet my other brothers.”
"Then in that case, I'll dazzle you with my wit and charm.”
"Now that I could go for.”
"Fabulous. What time should I be there?”
"How's four sound?”
"Not bad.”
A purple bolt of lightening forked across the blackened sky, immediately followed by a large rumble of thunder that shook the floor. "Maybe you should come earlier to avoid the rain.”
"That might be a good idea.”
"I'll see you later, then.”
"Couldn't sleep.”
"I'm just about to wake Craig. Do you want some coffee?”
"You're an angel, Nate." Dreama poured herself a mug-full and gulped some down. "Ah, that's gorgeous. What time are you off?”
"I have a dinner meeting with a new client. I'm going to be home late. Sorry.”
"Don't worry about it.”
"How come?”
"Jess is having a friend over for dinner, and I just need to know how many I'm cooking for.”
"What kind of a friend?”
"Not sure. He just asked if he could invite someone.”
"Damn, I hope it's a girl.”
"Why's that?”
"He's been so down lately, I think it would do him some good to have a girlfriend.”
"What about you?”
"I'll settle down once I get rid of you three," Nathaniel joked.
"I'm serious, Nate.”
"I know. I just haven't found the right girl yet. Besides, I can't leave you guys on your own, a bigger place is out of the question with our income, and I sure as hell can't ask a woman to come live here.”
"Yeah, I guess so," Dreama sighed.
Nathaniel put an arm around her shoulders and squeezed at the base of her neck. "Dray, it'll happen when we can afford for it to happen, all right? You guys are the most important thing in my life right now, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I just wish I could be around more.”
"You sound like Dad," Dreama responded, a little choked up.
"He loved you.”
"He was disappointed in me.”
"He was proud that you had the guts to put yourself out there. He just didn't want you to get your hopes up. He knew it would crush you to get accepted without a scholarship.”
"He didn't think I was good enough for one," Dreama retorted, shrugging off Nathaniel's arm.
"That's not true.”
Dreama picked up her mug and headed for her room. "I don't know, Nathan. Sometimes I think it is.”
*~*~*
"Hello?”
"Good morning.”
"It's two o'clock in the afternoon.”
"Is it?”
"How did you get my number, anyway?”
"Last name and reverse address search. It wasn't hard—the Internet has come a long way.”
Dreama chuckled. "Hi, Taylor.”
"Hey, little darling.”
"Couldn't wait until tomorrow, huh?”
"You're just irresistible.”
Dreama laughed. "So, you free today?”
"It's possible. How come?”
"Jesse's bringing his girlfriend over for me to meet.”
"That's going to be awkward.”
"Yeah, a bit, I think.”
"Maybe I could come over and dazzle her with my wit and charm.”
"I believe that's the exact reason she's not supposed to meet my other brothers.”
"Then in that case, I'll dazzle you with my wit and charm.”
"Now that I could go for.”
"Fabulous. What time should I be there?”
"How's four sound?”
"Not bad.”
A purple bolt of lightening forked across the blackened sky, immediately followed by a large rumble of thunder that shook the floor. "Maybe you should come earlier to avoid the rain.”
"That might be a good idea.”
"I'll see you later, then.”
♠ ♠ ♠
Title credit to Steve Holy off the album Blue Moon.Shout-out to Courtney and Aimée -- Writer's Craft is going to be so amazing!