Finding Midnight

by T. Lynne Tolles

  “But it’s also these emotions that, I think, intrigue Father and my fellow angels so much. It’s fascinating how they can rule a human’s life. Some of my brothers have even adopted emotions into themselves,” Daniel said.

  “But you said that angels didn’t have emotions,” Summer said.

  “No, I said, angels don’t have emotions like humans. We have them; they aren’t as deeply embedded in us and they don’t rule our decisions, but when you have been around humankind for as long as my brethren and I have, the propensity to adopt a more emotional posture is hard to repel.

  “Lucifer, for example, has found anger to feed on and uses it to his advantage, for his cause. Others have found love and compassion as addicting,” Daniel explained.

  “And you? Have you found love?”

  “No. I’ve had friends I cared a great deal about and humans I found quite fascinating, but not this ‘head over toes’ in love humans talk about in books and poems.”

  “You mean ‘head over heels’,” Summer corrected.

  “What? Your heels are behind you. Humans can’t bend that way—no, ‘head over toes’ though quite painful, is much more plausible.”

  “Though you make a good argument, the saying is ‘head over heels,’” Summer said, trying not to laugh out loud.

  Daniel stood. She got the feeling he was about to leave.

  “Wait. You’re going?”

  “Yes. I think I’ve answered all your questions, at least the ones I could.”

  “Yes, but will I ever see you again?” she asked the handsome angel.

  “I couldn’t say,” Daniel said.

  “Is it possible for me to call on you? Like if I needed advice? Or if I had a question?”

  “Well, it’s not usually the way things are done, but, yes. I suppose I could be called upon if you need instruction,” he said, a little intrigued by her tenacity.

  “Good…and how would I go about doing that—calling you, that is?”

  “I’m always watching…just call my name and I will appear,” he said.

  “Thank you. Thank you for saving me from the dragon and for always being there…watching,” Summer said.

  “It’s my job, there is no need for thanks,” he corrected.

  “Your job or not, I’m thankful—very thankful,” she said and hugged him tightly.

  He didn’t seem to know how to react. He stood with his arms still at his sides, seemingly incapable of movement. When she withdrew, he looked confused but fascinated too. A tiny smile appeared on his lips, and then he vanished. The sight of his strong features etched in her mind like a picture negative in the darkness of her room.

  The concept that she had her own personal “Watcher” angel filled her with a comfort she had never felt. The kind of comfort a child finds in the arms of a parent—at least, she guessed this would be the feeling. Or was it something else, something deeper?

  Chapter 5

  The next day she floated to work; that is, she didn’t really remember getting dressed, eating breakfast or driving to work. It all seemed to be a fog—a fog in which only Daniel could be seen (his eyes, his mouth, his hair, the way his eyebrows moved when he talked). She entered the office with a silly smile plastered on her face and moved about her duties in auto-pilot mode.

  “What’s with you?” Tori asked as Summer floated by.

  “Nothing…why?”

  “Because you seem to be in another world this morning, and that grin on your face, I’m not sure if I want to laugh or run away screaming in terror.” Tori pushed a stray stripe of newly dyed green hair from her black-lined eyes. “I think the paint fumes have made you loopy.”

  “Naw. It’s nothing like that. I just had an interesting night, that’s all,” Summer confessed.

  “You mean after we left things got interesting?” Tori said, disappointed.

  “We’ll talk at lunch. Peanut is waiting for me in surgery.”

  “Right,” Tori said, on the edge of her seat, “but can’t you give me a little hint?”

  “You wouldn’t believe me. I’m not sure you’ll believe me even after I explain all the details.”

  “Ah geez, now an hour and a half will seem like an eternity,” Tori whined.

  “Sorry,” Summer said, deviously loving that she finally had a captivating story to tell when usually it was Tori that had all the fun.

  As Tori predicted, the next hour and a half were mind-numbingly slow. When the second hand hit twelve noon, Tori had the “out to lunch” sign up, phones forwarded, door locked, and was helping Summer clean up the last of the instruments so she could get on to the story.

  Walking to the park as they always did, Tori said abruptly, “This better not be like the time you told me something great happened and it turned out to be you got your membership card to PetsRUs.”

  “It was to the California Veterinary Society, not PetsRUs, and that was a big deal.”

  “Yeah, yeah, big deal.”

  “No, this is definitely up your alley,” Summer said.

  “Well, then, get on with it. What happened?” Tori said impatiently.

  Summer then relayed what happened with the dragon shadow, Daniel pulling her into a dark corner to save her, and his explaining about himself. Tori was so engrossed in the story, she forgot to eat. She just stared at Summer as she divulged all the riveting details.

  “That is so cool. You saw a real live dragon AND were saved by a hunky fallen angel? Wow. I knew living by that graveyard was going to be the coolest thing ever.”

  “What’s the graveyard got to do with anything?” Summer asked.

  “Nothing, it just makes everything even better. So this Daniel, he watches you?”

  “Yeah. I guess he’s been watching over me since I was born,” Summer said, taking a sip of soda as she threw her silken red-gold braid of hair back over her shoulder to keep it out of her bite of sandwich.

  Tori’s eyes widened. “Then…he’s seen every embarrassing thing you’ve ever done…and he’s seen you naked.”

  Summer’s usually milky white face went beet red at the thought of Daniel checking her out in her ‘birthday suit.’ She could barely swallow as her mouth went dry and every embarrassing thing she’d ever done in her life passed before her eyes. “Oh, God. I think I’m going to be sick,” Summer said, putting her head in her hands.

  Tori laughed and laughed. “So you kind of like this bad boy, don’t you?”

  “Bad boy? He’s an angel,” Summer insisted.

  “A ‘fallen’ angel—defying daddy. That’s a bad boy in my book, though I will admit on a scale of bad boys, he’d be pushing the gray line into good boy territory,” Tori explained.

  “You do have a unique way of looking at things, Tori,” Summer said, shaking her head.

  “That’s why you love me,” Tori said. Summer couldn’t deny the point but the logic behind it was a bit muddled in her brain. “But you do like him, don’t you?”

  “What’s not to like? He’s handsome. He saved me from a dragon…and he’s an angel watching over me, but I get the impression he’s not interested in anything beyond watching over me.”

  “Why do you say that?” Tori asked, adjusting her black skirt over her Doc Martens.

  “We touched on the subject of emotions and being in love, and he said he’d never really been in love and it didn’t sound like he’d be trying it anytime soon.”

  “That doesn’t mean he CAN’T fall, it just means he hasn’t found the right girl,” she said, picking at her bright green fingernail polish that Summer noticed matched her new green streaks of hair exactly.

  “I guess, but I don’t think I should hold my breath,” Summer admitted.

  “Good. Then you should come with me to the Mausoleum Bar tonight. Nick’s training a new guy and he’s really cute.”

  “You’ve tried fixing me up with guys before, Tori, and it never works out. The last guy you set me up with had more holes in him than a pin cushion and the guy before that thoug
ht he was a Klingon.”

  “I thought you liked Star Trek?”

  “I do, but I don’t want to live it. You try going on a date with someone who only speaks Klingon and see how much fun you have,” Summer explained.

  “He spoke Klingon? How cool.”

  “I suppose, but it’s not easy to learn and I could do without the full time mask.”

  “To each his own. You like Nick, don’t you?”

  “Sure, I do. He’s the coolest vampire I’ve ever met—of course, he’s the only vampire I’ve ever met, but he seems really nice.”

  “Well, this is a friend of Nick’s. His name is Jackson. I guess they’ve known one another for a very long time. He’s cute in a boring kind of way. No Klingon mask, no piercings, no tats. He doesn’t even wear black much,” Tori said with a touch of disappointment.

  “Hmm. Sounds nice, but if he’s known Nick for a ‘very long time,’ does that mean he’s a vampire?”

  “Ummm. Yes.”

  Summer shook her head. “I don’t know, Tori.”

  “Oh, come on—at least meet him,” Tori whined.

  “Just because it’s been your life pursuit to fall in love with a vampire, doesn’t mean it’s mine.”

  “You used to get on me all the time about making quick assumptions about people, so don’t make me throw that in your face. You can’t make a decision about him without even meeting him. I know I’ve steered you wrong with a couple previous dates, but I think you and Jackson might have a lot in common.”

  “I guess you’re right,” Summer said. “I’m sorry. It just makes me a little nervous to be meeting a vampire.”

  “But you’ve met a vampire before—Nick. AND you like him, so just say you’ll come and meet him and decide for yourself.”

  “I don’t know…”

  “Oh, come on. Live a little. It’s been months since you’ve gone on a date.”

  “Okay. What time?” Summer asked, gathering up her trash.

  “Nine?”

  “Fine. I’ll meet you there.”

  “Oh, no. Nick and I will pick you up. You are not going to scare off a potential boyfriend with that dog car.”

  “He might find it endearing.”

  “Or NOT.”

  “Fine,” Summer relented as they headed back to the office to finish the day.

  *****

  Dr. Stuart, carrying a canvas bag, stopped by the kennel area of the office on his way out.

  “There you are, Summer,” he said, spying her petting a small cat with a bandaged leg. “How’s Oscar doing?”

  “Much better, aren’t we Oscar?” she said, nuzzling the cat and causing him to purr. “I’m just waiting for Mrs. Hamilton to pick him up, and then I’ll close up. No overnighters to worry about.”

  “That’s good. I brought you a couple of books I thought might help you identify some of the plants in your garden.”

  “Thank you, Dr. Stuart, but it’s not really MY garden, it’s just my job to get it back into shape for Ms. Midnight,” Summer explained.

  “Either way, here they are,” Dr. Stuart said, setting the books on the examining table. “I’m heading out. See you tomorrow.”

  “Have a nice night, Dr. Stuart,” Summer said as she heard the bell in the front office. “I’ll bet that’s your mommy,” she said to the cat as she made her way to the front of the building.

  Soon after, she locked up the office and headed home, looking forward to a little time in the garden before going off for a blind vampire date.

  “How she talks me into these things, I’ll never know,” Summer said out loud in the car. But when she got in the garden on her hands and knees in the soil, the scents of the plants around her and the earthy smell of the rich dirt below her washed away the thoughts of the day. Her mind wandered as she worked and hummed a song from long ago. It was interesting how when she was in this mode, it was as if her mind was untangling knots.

  Though she thought about problems she needed to fix or of something that had been stressful during the day, in this state, her mind seemed to map out what she needed to do with such ease she wondered why she had been stressed about it in the first place. It had something to do with the garden and working it, she thought. It somehow gave her a peace she’d never experienced.

  After an hour or so, she stood and admired the progress she’d made with great satisfaction. She took off her gloves, turned to wave at the always present, scowling Ms. Midnight, and went to the cottage to take a shower before Nick and Tori came to pick her up.

  *****

  The Mausoleum was always an interesting place to go, even if Goth was not your cup of tea. You could tell by the detail in the decorating that the owners enjoyed it. The inside was done up like a stone dungeon. Fake torches for lighting, and dusty, ornate, web-cluttered urns stood proudly in memorial markers on pewter plaques, proclaiming funny epitaphs of the supposed interred residents.

  The music was loud and pounding; the lights were dim with the occasional flash of fake lightning, but it was a fun place. Though Summer often felt incongruous at first, she never went home without having enjoyed herself. The nice thing about the club was no one cared what you wore, they were there to have a drink, dance and enjoy themselves—you could be yourself, no matter who that was.

  Nick led Tori and Summer through the small crowd to the bar, seating them both, then kissed Tori and made his way behind the bar, grabbing an apron on the way.

  “So Nick has to work?” Summer yelled over the music to Tori.

  “Yeah, but it will start to clear out around ten. That’s why Nick’s training on a Sunday. It won’t be as loud either.”

  Summer nodded, looking around the room at the few still dancing. It wasn’t very crowded. She’d been there when there was barely room to stand, let alone dance. A few minutes later, a handsome guy was shadowing Nick, behind the bar. Aside from height, the two men seemed opposites in most every way—where Nick had dark, spiky hair, the other had smooth, shiny light hair; where Nick had on a black shirt and tie, his friend wore a white shirt and red tie. Nick was outgoing and talked to everyone, whereas his friend seemed quiet and shy.

  “Summer, this is Jackson, my best friend in all the world.” Nick had his arm around Jackson’s shoulder. He then fake punched him in the stomach. Jackson seemed embarrassed by his friend’s brashness, but very politely held out his hand towards Summer.

  “Hi, Jackson. It’s nice to meet you,” Summer yelled across the bar as she took his offered hand in a quick shake.

  Jackson seemed to blush, but it was hard to tell in the lighting. “It’s my pleasure to meet you,” he shouted back genuinely, tossing his hair a bit to get it out of his dazzling green eyes.

  As Tori said, the crowd dispersed within the hour, the music was turned down to a level where people could talk without shouting, and only a handful of people were scattered about. Summer and Tori chatted while Nick showed Jackson the ropes, teaching him how to make a few of the popular drinks and how to change a keg. In between lessons, Nick smooched and cuddled with Tori, and Jackson made awkward small talk with Summer. Noting his shyness, Summer tried to help him along.

  “Where are you from, Jackson?” she asked.

  “All over, really, but most recently Colorado,” he said.

  “I’ve heard it’s beautiful,” she said.

  “You’ve never been there?” he asked.

  “No. I’ve never been anywhere, really.”

  “You should go. You’d like it. The climate is very similar to California, just a little bit less predictable—and, of course, there’s no ocean.”

  “Right. So what made you decide to move out here?”

  “Nick, mostly. I didn’t have much keeping me in Colorado and he’s been bugging me for years to come here, so I figured, why not?”

  “That’s nice. Tori said you’ve been friends for a long time?”

  “Yes, we have. Nick’s like a brother to me. I don’t have any family…any more.”

&
nbsp; “Me neither,” Summer said.

  “Oh, right, Nick said you and Tori grew up together in the orphanage.”

  “Yes. She’s like a sister to me. The other girls used to tease us because we were so different, but I never saw it that way. She was my voice when I was too shy to say something and I was her conscience telling her to back off when she’d gone over the edge.”

  “That’s neat,” he said with a heart-melting smile.

  “How did you and Nick meet?” Summer asked. Jackson went a little pale.

  “Uhh,” he said nervously, looking to Nick for help, but he was mid-smooch with Tori and too far away to hear the conversation.

  “Are you okay? You look sick,” Summer asked with concern.

  “No, I’m uhh…” he said, fidgeting with his apron and shifting his weight behind the bar.

  “Oh, does it have to do with your secret?” Summer said quietly with her hand cupped around her mouth.

  “My secret?” Jackson said with a squeak in his voice, still hoping to gain Nick’s attention, to no avail.

  “Being a vampire, I mean,” she whispered.

  Jackson went white as a sheet, which Summer thought was pretty impressive since he was so pale already. He stammered before he distraughtly whispered, “You know about that?”

  “Yes.”

  “How?”

  “Tori, of course.”

  “Tori knows? About Nick?” Puzzled, he looked at Nick but still couldn’t get his attention. “And me?”

  “Yes.”

  “And you are both okay with that?” he asked, voice a little shakily.

  “Are you kidding? She’s thrilled. She’s wanted to date a vampire since she could read,” Summer said.

  He laughed nervously then downed just about the entire glass of beer in front of him. “And you?”

  “I have to admit I had my reservations about Nick in the beginning, but he seems to be a really good guy,” Summer said.

  “He is. He really is a good guy, but what I meant was how do you feel about ME being a…one,” he said.

  “I was a little nervous about meeting you, but I know Tori would never introduce me to anyone who would hurt me. Very strange men, yes, like the guy she set me up with who thought blowing green Jell-O out his pierced nose made him look like a really cool alien character from some graphic novel he’d read.”