by Shawn James
“Er…You can give me the cure for that sedative you gave John.”
I reach into the bag on the side of my chair and pull out a tube of lip balm. When I toss it to her she gives it a curious look. “Lip balm?”
“Hypercaffinated lip balm.” It’ll wake him right up when you kiss him.”
“If I kiss him it’s going to wake up a lot of other things.”
“If you’re afraid of arousing him, I could step in…”
E’steem gives me a disapproving look on hearing about my plans to atone for my misdeeds. If I kiss her boyfriend this whole mess may start all over again. “I think I’m up for the task. E’steem tells me. “Couldn’t you have just made it into a dissolving tablet?”
Dissolving tablets are so 2000. “The Prince always kisses princess to wake her up after defeating the evil queen.” I continue. Besides, shouldn’t the Princess enjoy the same reward at the end of the fairy tale?”
“Only you would try to try to make fairy tales fair for women.”
“The guys shouldn’t have all the fun.”
“I’ll see you later.”
E’steem is about to disappear in a flash of light. I grab her arm. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“I’m gonna go wake up my prince.”
“Er…We still have a meeting.” I say as a flash of light changes my green velvet gown back into a tailored Italian business suit.
“We may have to reschedule.” E’steem says looking down at herself in her underwear. “I’m not exactly dressed for business.”
“I can fix that. Restoreus Raimentus Anewus!”
I gesture and the ashes lying on the cobblestones re-form themselves into E’steem’s dress and her shoes put themselves back together. After she gets dressed, I flash her a friendly smile. “Come on, let’s give this faerie tale a happy ending.”
Chapter 9
A flash of light takes Morgan and I from the Castle above the Clouds back to the executive suite of the Morris Phillips tower. As stroll over to the sofa we find John dozing away. He looks so peaceful there, I hate to wake him up. But we’ve got to get back to work.
As I smear the lip balm on, Morgan realizes she’s missing something. “Do you think it’ll be okay to have me walking around?”
“He’ll understand.”
“Understand? I was in a wheelchair when he met me-”
“Trust me, this kind of thing is just another day at the office for us.”
“So he knows about…”
“He’s got his own struggles with our kind.”
Morgan gives me an understanding look as I lean over the sleeping John. When I kiss him, it jolts him out of the somnolent state he’s been in. On seeing my smile, John smiles back at me. “Little early in the morning for an afternoon delight isn’t it Ms. Katious?” John quips.
“You were sleeping on the job.” I retort.
“Maybe I am working too hard.”
I think I’ve convinced him to go on vacation after our business with Morgan is over. John eases up off the sofa and stretches. As he comes to his senses, he tries to make sense of what just transpired.
“The last thing I remember was sampling one of Miss Fae’s cookies.” John continues. “ And Loren here was in a wheelchair. What happened?”
Morgan’s face falls into a worried look as she nervously kneads her hands. “I-I kind of baked a sedative into them.”
“Let me guess. You’re one of E’steem’s old enemies.”
“You are as deductive as they say on the web.”
“You don’t get on Lucifer’s enemies list by being daft.”
Please don’t be cross with me.”
John gives Morgan a forgiving smile. “I can’t be cross with the legendary Morgan Le Fay.”
“How did you deduce…”
“I read a lot of comic books.” John replies. “Why’d you use a sedative on me instead of sorcery?”
“Magic doesn’t work on Christians.”
John files that little tidbit of information in his head as he continues his inquiry of Morgan. “And here I was thinking you actually liked me.”
“I-I do like you John.” Morgan stammers. “I just was so mad at E’steem I wasn’t thinking straight.”
“Seems like all your bitterness led into this recipe for disaster.” John says picking up the package of cookies off the floor. You could have taken your products to the next level with this deal.”
Morgan’s face winces as she realizes the consequences of her actions. “Oh my God, I’ve cost myself everything!”
John smiles at Morgan. “…But the mortal employees of your company don’t need to suffer for your mistakes.”
“You’re giving me another chance?”
“If you’ve learned your lesson about holding a grudge I think I can work with you.”
“My real products are much better than those samples you tried. I’d love to share them with you and the people of the States.”
“Then I’d love to welcome you to the Morris Phillips family.”
Final Chapter
I smile getting a look at my bikini clad self in the full-length mirror. If the sight of me in this sexy little outfit can’t turn John’s head away from the screen of his tablet computer, I don’t know what will.
A flash of light takes me from the guest bedroom of the beach house to the white sands on the shores of the Island of Solitude. As I stroll down the beach I’m surprised to see John sitting under a palm tree looking out at the Pacific Ocean crashing into the shore and not his tablet. As I approach him he greets me with a smile that makes it worth all the money I paid for this designer swimsuit.
“Hello Sexy.” John greets.
“Hey Handsome. Internet run out of content?”
“I can go online anytime. Views like this are once in a lifetime.”
“The Ocean or me?”
“Both. Thought I’d take the time to appreciate the great views the real world has to offer.”
Glad to see he’s enjoying himself. Time I started enjoying myself too. I ease down on the beach towel next to John and he gives me a quizzed look as I rest my head on his shoulder. “Let me guess you brought me here to break up with me?”
I give him a piqued look on the inquiry. “What would make you think that?”
“One of your old enemies coming to get me.”
I take his hand in mine. “This is just another bump in the road.”
“So we’re not breaking up?”
He’s not getting rid of me that easy. “If you can handle the hordes of demons, and other assorted spirits and principalities that work at Morris Phillips, I think you can handle a relationship with me.”
“I didn’t think you could handle one with me.”
In between the pantsings, wardrobe incinerations, and other public humiliations I’ve encountered, I think I’m developing a thick enough skin to be his girlfriend. “I’d like to think you’re made up of stronger stuff than Gregory.”
“So you’ve overcome your fears about your enemies?”
Maybe I have. “You’re strong in some areas and I’m strong in others. I’d like to think we compliment each other. When things get hard you can lean on me, and I can lean on you.”
“Just like a good business relationship.”
“We’ve still got work to do. And I plan on being here until it’s finished.”
“But until then I think I could take some time to play.”
“So you’re starting to learn to enjoy the little things in life?”
“I’d like to think you’re having a positive influence on me.”
“Positive enough to see me as part of your future after our work is done here?”
“I’d like to think we have a chance at living happily ever after.”
The E’steem Series
E’steem: No Good Deed
Bad girl gone good! No longer a member of Lucifer’s Legion, former She-demon E�
�steem is now on the side of the angels. Starting her journey down the straight and narrow path, she runs afoul of some stick-up kids while shopping on Madison Avenue in this action packed short. Can Hell’s former harbinger scare them straight?
E’steem: Deadly D’lilah
Bad girl gone good! Good girl in peril! Six months after events transpiring in The Temptation of John Haynes, former She-demon E’steem is now on the side of the angels. Further down the down the straight and narrow path, she’s attacked by D’lilah a young ambitious she-demon out to move up the ladder in the Hierarchy of Hell. And the only way she can do that is by killing E’steem.
Isis: My Sister, My Frenemy
Frenemies! Things come to a head as Isis tells her estranged sister E’steem she still doesn't trust her. But when E’steem is kidnapped by the demon D’lilah, Isis realizes that she has to move their relationship past the frenemy zone to save her former archenemy from a fate worse than death.
E’steem: Demons Anonymous
Bad Girl gone good! Good girl needs help! Approached by the handsome rogue demon Claudius, E’steem is asked to speak at Demons Anonymous, his support group for demons who have left Lucifer’s Legion. But when Lucifer and D’lilah hear about her plans to speak to his demons about Christ they plan to crash the party and crucify Claudius. Can’ Hell’s former harbinger save Claudius’ soul form the wrath of her former lord?
Catch up on the E’steem series in eBook at your favorite online bookseller!
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