Hellen, Eric's Angel

Chapter Three

As he promised, the man came back. His touches and kisses the next night were just as kind, careful, soft and gentle as they were the night before. As much as he touched her, she felt a driving need to touch him. Although she didn't know him, she felt that when he was there, he made her job worth working. From the moment she had laid with him the night before, she was familiar with him. Perhaps it was his kindness, but she felt that there was something about this man that seemed to tell her she had known him for a very long time, though they had just met.

She didn't live very far from the tavern. Just a couple of blocks away. Of course, she lived in a shabbier part of town than where the tavern was located. And her house was just as shabby and run-down as the rest of the neighborhood. Shutters were falling off their windows, shingles from the roof. The house itself was very small, and in very bad want of a coat or two of new paint. Soot clung to the bricks from other people's chimneys.

Any other person's day was like her night. She went to her room, and slept as soon as her head hit the pillow. She awoke hours later, happy and well-rested. She remembered that the man had told her last night that he would come again. The sky was turning dusky outside, the last of the pink and purple clouds turning grey as dusk started to fall. She got up, readying herself for the night. She slipped herself into a black satin dress, with lace at the top, covering the upper half of her breasts. She then dabbed perfume on her neck, wrists and temples and walked out the door to work.

He came regularly for about a month. He came so regularly that she thought it silly to not give him her name. But then she would think better of it, thinking that each time would be the last. And she would always find herself surprised to hear him say that he would return. A few times, he had presented her a white rose. These she took delicately in her hand, and as she held it, the man would move a strand of hair from her face behind her ear. Needless to say she looked ahead to his coming, and his touch. But it wasn't just his touch. She enjoyed the man's company overall.

The night did come however, when the man did ask her for her name.

"What is your name?" he asked, taking her fingertips of her right hand, kissing them; and placing them on his chest.

The moment she'd longed for.

The moment she'd dreaded.

"I have no name." she answered in a barely audible whisper.

"Of course you do. Everything has a name. Tell me yours."

"I tell you again that I have none."

How she wished she could tell him her name. She wished that she could lean down and whisper her name into his ear. Perhaps if she did, he would whisper it back to her in his deep, soft voice.

But no. She had already grown so close to him that it would be dangerous to get any more attached to him. He had been so silent and still for so long that she thought she'd disappointed him in some way. Perhaps it would have been better to give him her name after all.

Just as she reached down to rub his chest, he reached up and put his hand behind her head. He ran his fingers through her hair as he said aloud,

"Angel,"

She was shocked.

"What?"

She leaned back a little, taking pleasure in feeling his fingers trail down her neck as he told her,

"You will be my Angel until I learn your name."

She looked into the eyes of this man, his eyes full of concern and determination.

"What is your name?" she whispered against his neck, and wrapping her arms around him. His response was low laughter before saying,

"That you will not know until I know your name."

She thought for a moment while the man placed her hand on his chest. She could feel the steady beating of his heart against her palm.

"I know who you are." She told him.

"Who?" he asked, briefly pressing his lips against hers.

"As I am your Angel until you know my name, you are Prince Charming until I learn yours."

He smiled. The calm and patient smile that calmed her yet excited her. She couldn't help but smile back at him.

As he leaned against her, she fell onto the bed, his lips pressing carefully and warmly on hers. He had just wrapped his arms around her when the alarm sounded. Both drew a long sigh as she silenced it. They dressed quickly. He had to leave. Surely others noticed how he had come only to see her. She...well, she had other customers to attend to. They walked to the door as they always did. He opened the door, and looked back at her. A small smile crossed his lips as he said,

"I'll come back tomorrow, my Angel."

She allowed herself a smile. Something no other man she was forced to be with, ever saw.

"I'll be waiting for you, dear Prince."

She straightened her face as she walked down the old wooden steps. When she found her prince, he was holding the door open for himself, and was smiling at her.