Glorious Sunset (5 page)

“My friend, if my pride is inflated it is because you made it so. I didn't get to be this way myself. Now, all of a sudden I am too proud? What do you expect? I was but a child when you came to me and spoke to me. You were aware of what the village would think when they discovered I had your ear. They would feel I was blessed. You treated me thus and it is no fault of mine. It is only natural I be a proud man. I am a king and a warrior and the best in all the land. The best our Father ever put on this earth. You did that. You made me who I am.”

Ani smiled slightly and Taka knew his argument was a good one. But his friend didn't fall into the trap, either.

“Our Father put only one ‘best' on this earth and that was His blessed Son. Maybe a distant second best. And while I take credit in the gifts you have learned from me, the inflated pride is yours alone. Its misuse does you a disservice.”

Taka frowned. “Alas, it seems disservices abound for me. The agreement is no good. That woman is not my Zahara.”

“Violet does, indeed, possess the spirit that was once contained in the woman you knew as Zahara.”

“She is not the same.”

“You were told she would have no memory.”

“That woman is a greedy, shallow, whining shell of my wife. She is a bottom-feeder. She is petty and simple. She is not my wife!”

“Are you preparing another tantrum, Taka? Did not spend quite enough time in your stone, you need a few more centuries to figure out how to speak without sounding like a horse's backside?”

“What, precisely, have you come to me for, Ani?” Taka twisted in his seat to glare at the man who, as always, seemed unmoved by his emotion. “Are you here to gloat? Are you here to laugh at the foolish king? Well, I have not heard your voice in centuries; maybe I do not wish to hear it now. How about that? Maybe you tire me with your lectures and sermons and recriminations. Maybe you should tell Him that. What more punishment can He mete out? He's already done His worst.”

“Oh, not quite. He can leave you here for centuries more. Or He can throw you into limbo or hang you in oblivion. Or He can let the evil one spend the rest of eternity pulling you apart limb by limb, putting you back together only to do it over again. You do not want to experience that. Unpleasant, very unpleasant.”

“I don't care. When will you realize I mean what I said? I am weary, Ani, but my weariness is nothing compared to my love for Zahara. If I cannot have my wife an eternity of torture would be blessing enough.”

Ani blew out a breath of exasperation, as if Taka were the one being obtuse. “You infuriate me with this single-mindedness. I suppose I should be impressed by your allegiance to your idea of love but as with everything, you go too far and misconstrue.”

“My idea of love is the only idea worth speaking of; for if a man is not willing to do whatever he needs to be with his love than he is not truly in love, nor is he truly a man. Which brings me back to the subject at hand: I do not know that woman. She has the face of my heart's blood, but she is not the same.”

Ani was quiet a moment, putting his thoughts into words. “Zahara had a beautiful face but it was not her face you fell in love with, was it?”

“What are you saying, Ani?”

“I am saying He gave her Zahara's face only so you could find her. Her spirit, that is the true gift. She has the same spirit; you just have to reach it. Reach her.”

“Hmm, and if I don't want to muddle through the muck to get to it, what, then? I will burn for eternity?”

“Well, yes, there is that. But there would also be another tragedy. You would miss getting to know this kind and gentle person called Violet.”

“Kind? Gentle? Are you speaking of the woman in that restaurant?”

“And you would miss your one chance to say good-bye to the wife you claim to love. You would sacrifice all these years of confinement for fear of a little work. Don't do it again, Taka. Don't give up when you have a possible future looming before you.”

Taka looked at the doorway of the restaurant. 400 years and that was what waited for him. 400 years and this woman was all he had to show for it.

His shoulders sagged in defeat. “Is this life ever to be fair to me, Ani? Will I ever smile with joy again? Will Zahara ever look at me and remember the love I held for her? Will I ever be able to love my wife on earth again?”

But as was all too common, when he looked to Ani for answers his friend was gone.

Violet was glad when Brenda finally left but smiled sardonically when the server brought the bill. Apparently her friend had helped herself to a bottle of the most expensive champagne before Violet and Taka even got there. And despite the fact it was the rich girl's turn to pick up the tab, Brenda had conveniently forgotten that, as well.

Violet frowned at the amount but pulled out her credit card anyway. When she finally left with a bag in her hand, she spotted her genie across the street on a bench looking bereft.
Must be hard for him,
she thought. She'd pranced him out like a show horse when he'd already admitted it had been awhile since he'd been out of his stone.
Hah!
That sounded crazy, even to her.

She wondered if she'd made a mistake telling Brenda the truth, but excitement had gotten the better of her. It was so rare for good luck to come her way. And good luck by way of a large, grouchy man, well, who could have seen that coming?

“Thought you might be hungry,” she said, handing him the bag.

He looked up at her, surprise on his features. He reached inside to pull out the container, looking at it speculatively. “You brought me food?”

“It's no big deal, okay, just food. I don't want you dropping dead of hunger before you can get me my wishes. And it's just . . . I'm sorry we got so abusive. Normally there's no one around to see Brenda and me go at each other. People usually don't understand our love-hate relationship.” She sat down next to him and smiled. “She's so jealous she could spit.”

“Is that right? She is jealous of you and me together?”

“She's jealous that I have a genie. You thought she was jealous of me with you?” Violet wrinkled her nose at the silly notion.

“It is not an illogical assumption. I am a handsome man, you are a beautiful woman; we obviously make a striking pair. And in the short time I have known her she seems an incredibly insecure and shallow sort. Much like yourself.”

Violet's face scrunched in confusion at that last statement but she went on to set him straight about Brenda. “She's engaged to be married.”

“And that is supposed to mean something? You believe she cannot be jealous of you and me together simply because she is betrothed?”

“Boy, I thought I had conceit cornered, but you take the cake. No, Brenda is happily engaged to Gary, my ex. She's not interested in you or what we look like together.”

“Ex what?”

“My ex-boyfriend. The man I used to be with. She stole him from me. Now they're getting married. Ain't that a crock?”

“I don't understand, she stole . . .”

“She stole him.”

“Stole him from . . .”

“Me.”

“Stole him from you?” Taka grew confused. “Why would any man want her over you? I admit, your personality leaves much to be desired but it is comparable to hers at least. Physically you are much more attractive. A curvaceous body, beautiful skin, hair shining with health, the smile of an angel; there is no contest. All things considered you would be a much better mate. It's preposterous that a man should leave you for her.”

Violet ignored the insult and accepted the compliment with a flurry of pleasure. She had to take them where she could get them.

“That's my feeling exactly. God only knows what I was thinking with Gary. But amazingly, they seem to be happy together. Go figure.”

Taka was silent for a moment, then: “How does one handle such a betrayal in these times?”

Violet shrugged. “You just have to go on, you know? You have to move forward. I was mad as spit for a while, but Brenda and I are joined at the hip. And it's not like I wanted him. I was holding out for a man worthy of me”.

“Spoken like the words of a queen.”

“Ooh, I like that. Spoken like a queen. Maybe I'll use that in advertisements. Hey, you better eat that before it gets cold. Their Eggs Benedict is incredible.”

“I do not have money to pay for this.”

“Did I ask you for money? Hey, it's the least I can do for the man granting me three wishes. Heck, I just bought Brenda a bottle of champagne for giving me indigestion.”

He softened with gratitude, opening the container to flip one half onto the other and ate the meal as a sandwich, nodding in appreciation. Violet seemed to remember the cup in her hand and handed that over as well. “Doesn't work without the coffee.”

He set the box on his lap and pulled the coffee lid off, taking a big swig. He then looked at Violet with a mischievous glance of appreciation that made her laugh out loud.

“I should probably go to work today, but it kind of feels like a holiday.”

“I would say you should definitely take some time from work so we can talk.” He finished his food and brushed the crumbs from his lap.

“Talk about what? I thought you wanted me to get my wishes in as soon as possible so you could get back into your rock.”

Taka frowned remembering his rudeness before he knew he was in the presence of his queen. “I was hasty earlier.”

“I don't see that it'll take three days. I could probably knock them out in an hour or two.”

“No, no. I . . . You . . . It is not good to rush your wishes. Give it at least a day.”

“Mhmm.” Violet looked at Taka suspiciously. His face was undergoing all sorts of strange contortions. There was certainly a story with this man. Shame he most likely wouldn't be around long enough to share it, but at least he'd leave her plenty to remember him by. “Okay, I just need to make a stop in to work to check my messages.”

“Your leader will allow you to leave?”

“Leader,” she smiled. “You're funny, genie. We call them bosses these days and yes, my leader will allow me to do whatever the heck I darn well please.”

He looked at her blankly.

“My leader is me, genie. I work for myself.”

“And how does one work for oneself?”

“I own a company. A business.”

His eyebrows went up. “You are a vendor?”

“I suppose you can call me that, but my product is a service. I'm an interior decorator. I decorate homes and offices.”

“They pay you to do that?”

“Oh, they pay me top dollar, mister,” she sputtered resolutely, using a finger to make her point. Not that he should care, but as far as reputations went, she had no problem spreading her good one among the genie crowd. “I can do any home, any business, anytime. I make palaces out of dumps. Homes out of pits. There is no one better than me, so if you ever decide to retire or . . . oh, oh! If one of your wishees should happen to wish for a beautiful home, you tell them they don't need to burn a wish. Just give them my name. Violet Jackson. J-a-c-k-s-o-n.”

He looked at her for a moment, stunned by her pitch, she was sure, before moving on.

“So, people pay you and you pay yourself?” he clarified.

“Exactly. And I pay my assistant. The others just work there for free.”

“Free? Apprentices?”

“You got it.”

“Hmm, free labor. Very clever.”

He didn't know the half of it, which was why Violet felt compelled to show him her shop. Okay, maybe she wanted to show off a little. Sue her.

 

 

“Here it is. Shades of Violet. What do you think?”

Taka looked around the showroom at the array of fabrics and upholstery, the color charts and swatches, the rooms into which he could glimpse stacked chairs, vases, small tables, linens, rugs, and every manner of accessory. On the wall were panels of silk fabric in every shade of the rainbow and he was struck by how much just the colors alone reminded him of the central meeting venue of Jaha. Could it be that a part of her remembered their Great Hall? Could it be that Zahara truly was just waiting to be released?

His heart revved at the thought but he knew he could not let her feel his excitement. He could not make her nervous or uncomfortable. He needed three days and he would never get them if he rushed her.

“Your business is impressive. I like how you've used the accents. I like the beads.”

“Sort of retro, I know, but they kind of grabbed me, you know? Carol. I'd like you to meet my cousin.”

Her assistant looked up lackadaisically from her phone conversation and then did a double take on seeing Taka. She put her hand over the mouthpiece and tossed a seductive glance his way. “Good morning, stranger.”

Taka continued to look at the interior. “This is very attractive. And you run this place completely? No man involved?”

“Well, there are men involved. There's Eric and Ralph. They're involved in making sure we have coffee and doughnuts.”

Taka swallowed a smile. He knew women had come a long way in earning rights over the years, but he had to admit it was still a shock, albeit a pleasant one. His society would never have allowed a woman to be a leader over men, even if she ran a business for herself. Why, Zahara had been just as intelligent and courageous as his men, more so than most. But in their time, despite honor of their women, they did not look kindly upon a woman taking a role traditionally held by men. He wondered if, perhaps, Zahara would have wanted to be more than just his wife. If, perhaps, someday she would have grown tired of his constant inattention, and decided to focus her energy elsewhere. She could surely have run a business. She could have done anything she wanted.

She has.

Taka stilled as Ani's voice encroached upon his thoughts. He looked at the happy face of Violet as she saw her business through his eyes.

He had been selfish with Zahara. So much life, so much enthusiasm. He would have smothered it with his own desires. She would have had to bend, as his queen. He would have had to make her bend or lose the respect of his men. He was glad that had not come to pass before the end. And he was glad to see her enjoying her own, now.

“I admire your use of color and space. I like it a great deal.”

“Why thank you. I've been mocked for my taste and style but I think it reflects me, don't you?”

“Who makes fun of you? Give me their names,” he said, dryly.

Violet laughed at his perfectly timed comedic delivery, complete with deadpan expression. “You are so funny.” She turned to her assistant. “Listen, Carol, I'm just going to take care of a few things in my office and then I'm leaving. I'll be showing my cousin around town today.”

Carol muttered under her breath, “Must be nice.”

“What was that?”

Carol did not respond but Taka said, “Your assistant is insolent. In my day that would be rewarded with a missing digit on the hand or foot.”

Carol looked at him with eyes no longer clouded by lust. “What are you, some kind of freak?”

“Time out, you two,” Violet said. “Taka, please, in my office. Carol, no calls.” She closed the door behind them. “You're supposed to blend in, genie. No more remarks like that.”

“I've been watching her,” he said in a low voice, peering out through the blinds at Carol under hooded eyes, nearly invisible in a squint. “She slips little pads of paper into her purse. She took two doughnuts from that plate when everyone else takes one. She switches behind you and mocks your conversation when you are turned.”

Violet smiled. Darned if the genie wasn't showing a decent amount of concern for her. No one ever stuck up for her or watched her back; she'd had to watch her own for most of her life. She almost didn't know what to do about the warm flush of affection she suddenly felt for the big man.

“It's okay, genie, I know she filches office supplies. Everyone does. And I know she makes fun of me behind my back,” Violet said, cutting off eye contact as a flash of hurt from her experience walking in on her own staff doing an overblown impression of her reemerged. They had her right down to her fast walk and hair flip. But they also caught her nervous facial itch, her shrill tone, her paranoia over being outplayed by Brenda, and a mini hyperventilating jag she'd thought she had in the privacy of her office with the door closed after Gary told her if she called again he would file a restraining order. She laughed it off at the time but it hurt more than she cared to admit. “It's no big deal, really.”

“No big deal?” The big man looked offended as he began to pace, alternately looking at the floor and back out the glass window to Carol, his source of ire. “Treachery is a big deal. Betrayal, disrespect, those are all big deals. If a person betrays you once they will betray you again.”

“Not always.”

“Always and a day. A snake is a snake is a snake. And if ever I've seen a snake it is that woman out there.” He finally stopped pacing to face Violet again, arms folded obstinately and his face fierce with his conviction.

Violet envied his certainty. She wished things were so cut and dried but she knew the truth; love hurt and loyalty faltered. She looked down to shuffle some papers on her desk into a neat pile.

“Not always,” she said again. “And if it happens, so what? No one cares anyway. In the large scheme of things you should know better than to rely on anyone or anything other than yourself. It's your own fault if you forget that.”

Taka barely heard her mumble, but felt her pain from across the room. She'd been hurt, somehow, by something or someone. He would bet it was Carol, the snake. “She does not like you. Not only does she not like you, she would like to do you harm.”

“What, are you a psychic, now?”

“It doesn't take a psychic to feel the negative vibrations she puts off. You are a perceptive person; you must feel it.”

“So what? She's a secretary. It's hard to find one who's not disgruntled these days.”

“A secretary, an assistant, a right-hand man: they all have the power to do serious damage, from the inside out.”

“And what should I do? Get rid of her? The next one won't be any better. I know; Carol's my fifth in four years.”