The Dreamer, Her Angel and the Stars

by Linda S. North

  She spun to confront him, her voice oozing sarcasm. "Sure, things will work out. What if she's not interested? You have another one lined up? Am I going to wake up one morning and hear all the news channels broadcasting, 'Coming up next is our exclusive story on Kiernan O'Shay. Money won't buy her love'?"

  "You know that's not going to happen. Why, you're the most wanted woman on the availability list. When she hears what you're preparing to offer, she will agree to marry you. Who wouldn't?"

  "And I suppose you've devised a feasible plan, Uncle?"

  "I have and I believe it's feasible, very feasible. Joanna Thorsen, her mother, is an intelligent woman with an impeccable work ethic and has had two promotions since being in our employ. I think it's time we promote her to a junior executive position, one she deserves. As a celebration and a getting to know you by the powers that be, you will take her and her family out to dinner. This will present you the opportunity to meet Ariel Thorsen and decide whether or not she fits your criteria."

  "I have introductory dinners with senior executives, not junior executives."

  "My dear, you'll be setting a new precedent. When someone promotes to a junior executive position, you'll take them to dinner and meet the family."

  Kiernan rubbed the bridge of her nose while thinking over what her uncle proposed. Why entertain this idea? She found the woman appealing, and from all accounts she thought Ariel Thorsen would make the ideal wife to fill the stipulations in her grandmother's will. Did she have any other prospects? She couldn't think of any.

  "Very well," Kiernan said. "Do it. Now, you've worn out your welcome, and I've reports to go over."

  After Theodore exited, Kiernan returned to her desk, opened her desk drawer, and withdrew an electronic notebook. She clicked it on, a flicker of excitement appearing as she viewed the image of Ariel Thorsen. She certainly wouldn't mind sitting across the dinner table from her for the next five years.

  Chapter Three

  TWO TOW-HEADED ten year olds greeted Ariel as she opened the front door and entered the foyer of her home. Excitement was evident in their voices, their barely contained energy, and in the brightness of their light blue eyes.

  Seth wiggled like a happy puppy. "Mom got promoted, and she's celebrating by taking us out to eat."

  "Yeah, and I vote we go to the Pizza Palace," Leigh said.

  "And I vote we go to the Bamboo Garden." Her brother challenged with a pugnacious stare.

  Ariel hung her helmet on the hat peg over the foyer console table and her jacket on the coat rack, before directing her attention back to the twins. "And I vote we let Mom decide, since it's her celebration. Where is she anyway?"

  "Getting ready," the twins said in unison.

  Ariel glanced from one to the other. "Okay, what do you two know about this promotion?"

  Shrugging, Seth said, "The only thing I know is Mom said she got a promotion to junior executioner."

  Leigh fixed a disparaging stare on him. "Nanobrain, that's a junior executive position."

  Ariel laughed. "I think I like junior executioner better. Off with their heads!" This sent the two youngsters into a fit of giggles.

  "Off with whose heads?" Joanna asked as she came into the living room.

  Ariel regarded her mother with affection. "I hear congratulations are in order for your promotion to the position of junior executioner. I'm proud of you, Mom." She hugged her mother and placed a kiss on top of her honey blonde head.

  "Thank you, sweetheart. The senior exec in charge of my department called me into her office and informed me that Milton Adams was promoted to senior executive, so I'm filling his old position. I get a twenty-five percent pay increase, so the food and drinks are on me tonight." She paused briefly. "Oh, on Friday night, Ms. O'Shay is picking up the tab."

  This surprised Ariel. "You mean Ms. O'Shay, as in the O'Shays of Stellardyne?"

  "The one and only, Ms. Kiernan O'Shay, President of Stellardyne, is treating all of us to dinner Friday night at Le Pierre's in celebration of my promotion."

  "Mom," Leigh whined, "that's the night of Michelle's slumber party." She wrinkled her nose in disgust. "That place serves you dead snails to eat."

  Hearing his sister remark on the menu at Le Pierre's, Seth scrunched up his face in distaste. "Yucky! Dead snails! Nasty! I'll retch-up. Mom, you promised I could go to the movies with Larry Jacobs and Joel Stanley."

  Joanna sighed. "Oh, all right. I'll find a nice way of making excuses for you two. You would probably embarrass me anyway. And it's escargot, not dead snails."

  Leigh lolled her head to one side. "Mom, that's just a fancy French word for dead snails."

  Chuckling, Ariel crossed her heart. "I promise I'll be on my best behavior, but I'm not eating dead snails."

  "I'm sure they'll have other things on the menu. Is everyone ready to go out and celebrate?"

  "Mom, let's go to the Pizza Palace," Leigh said.

  Seth glared at his sister. "We went there the last time. It's my turn to pick."

  "Kids, since it is my celebration, I'm picking Salty Dog's. For those who don't want to go, there are always peanut butter and jelly sandwiches." This was effective in stopping further bickering about where to eat.

  Ariel shot her siblings a smirk before saying to her mother, "I can't answer for those two, but Salty Dog's beats peanut butter and jelly sandwiches any day. Besides, you're treating."

  Chapter Four

  "GEEZ, MOM, DO we tip these guys?" Ariel viewed the three valets as she pulled up and stopped in front of the entrance to the Chattanooga Grand Hilton.

  "I'll take care of it," her mother replied. The valet opened the passenger door and assisted her out of the car.

  Ariel exited the car and handed the electronic ignition key card to a young man who adroitly slid into the driver's seat and drove off toward the parking garage. Joining her mother on the walk in front of the imposing glass double doors, Ariel tilted her head and said, "Shall we?"

  "We're a few minutes early, so let's find the restroom and," Joanna said in a faux-haughty tone, "avail ourselves of their accommodations."

  Ariel gallantly motioned with her hands toward the doors. "After you, my lady."

  A uniformed door attendant opened the doors and greeted them. "Welcome to the Chattanooga Grand Hilton."

  Ariel glanced around the grandiose lobby with its gold and dark red décor. "Geez, it's absolutely royal in here." Gazing up, she saw an immense, bowl-shaped chandelier and thought she could easily fit her car into it with room to spare. The Chattanooga Grand Hilton, constructed in 2019 and touted as the premier hotel in the Southeastern region of the United States, was the location of Le Pierre's, a five-star French restaurant with a staff of five world-class chefs. Ariel was certain a person probably couldn't buy a bottle of water for less than fifty dollars. She couldn't even imagine how much the dinner would cost--not that the price would matter to Ms. O'Shay.

  They made their way through the wide expanse of lobby, past the opening to the restaurant, and down a wide hall until they came to their destination. Ariel opened the door for her mother and followed her into the lounge. The room's decor consisted of an elegant sofa in wine-and-gold brocade, two matching chairs, and a floor-length mirror on one wall.

  "I'll wait out here," Ariel said as she inspected her reflection in the mirror, checking her appearance, and making sure the black raw silk jacket she wore over a red blouse fell in place for the proper fit. Next, she checked the matching black trousers, and glanced down at her new, black pumps to see whether she had scuffed them.

  Her mother said she wanted to impress Stellardyne's president, and one way to accomplish this was by wearing quality clothes, which also meant expensive clothes. Ariel was never fashion conscious, and shopping for clothes wasn't her favorite pastime, but for her mother she made the sacrifice and accompanied her to one of the better class malls. Her mother insisted on paying for Ariel's outfit and shoes.

  She saw her mother's reflection in the
mirror. Joanna stopped behind her and said, "You're beautiful, sweetheart."

  Ariel turned away from the mirror, checking her mother's blue long-sleeve dress. "Thanks, Mom, so are you."

  "Thank you." Joanna's dark blue eyes sparkled with excitement. "Are you ready to meet one of the richest and most famous people in the known universe?"

  Ariel assumed an expression of mock enthusiasm. "Geez, you think she'll autograph my arm?"

  ARRIVING AT LE PIERRE'S a few minutes early for dinner, Kiernan surveyed the private dining room she'd reserved, checking to see that the orders she'd given a week earlier were followed. The maitre d' seated her at a table with an immaculate white tablecloth, three place settings, and a centerpiece of delicate pink and lavender miniature orchids.

  For the past two weeks, Kiernan had been anticipating this day and wanted everything to be perfect. She took particular care in selecting her outfit for this occasion, picking a forest green pantsuit that enhanced her eyes. The cut lent her the appearance of being taller than her petite five feet five inches.

  Movement at the entrance caught her attention. The maitre d' escorted in two women. At once, her eyes riveted on the elegant figure of the beautiful young woman with pale-gold hair. Kiernan promptly stood in greeting, feeling her face beaming. The two women stopped a few feet from the table, and Kiernan forced her attention on her main guest, Joanna Thorsen. She did notice Joanna was a lovely woman, but not possessing the same beauty as her daughter.

  She held out her hand and introduced herself. "I'm Kiernan O'Shay."

  Joanna took the offered hand and shook it. "I'm Joanna Thorsen, and this is my daughter, Ariel."

  Kiernan gazed up into the loveliest blue eyes she thought she had ever seen. They appeared almost lavender in the subdued light. Ariel was far more beautiful than in her photographs. Ariel's warm hand was in hers for a shake and all Kiernan could manage to say was, "Hello."

  "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. O'Shay." The soft alto voice with its slight Southern accent was easy on the ears.

  Kiernan said, "The pleasure is mine."

  ARIEL TOOK ANOTHER bite of her appetizer, a crabmeatstuffed mushroom, while listening to the conversation between her mother and Ms. O'Shay. She tried to study her host discreetly, without appearing rude. The first word she'd use to describe the head of Stellardyne was vibrant. Her compact, wiry form was a dynamo of barely contained energy, showing in the way she moved and carried herself, as well as reflecting in her smoky voice. Her eyes, set off by olive skin and in a shade of light green with a dark line circling the outside of the irises, were what Ariel thought her best feature. She could easily imagine those eyes belonging to an enigmatic creature from some mythical forest. She found herself the focus of those eyes on more than one occasion. Their intensity seemed to see right through her, bringing a glow of embarrassment to her cheeks that she attempted to disguise by directing her attention to what she was eating.

  Those eyes centered on her again, seeming to smolder with an inner light that brightened the green and stopped Ariel's breathing for a second. The heat of a blush flooded her face, but she couldn't drop her gaze from those eyes.

  "Ms. Thorsen," Kiernan said, "I think I heard somewhere you're a physics professor."

  "Yes, at Missionary Ridge Junior College," Ariel said, promptly regaining her poise.

  "That seems like a fascinating profession."

  "I'm not sure how fascinating it is, Ms. O'Shay, but it is interesting."

  "Please, call me Kiernan." She faced Joanna. "And you also, Ms. Thorsen. It's Kiernan when we're in a social setting like this." She winked. "We'll reserve Ms. O'Shay for the office and in business settings."

  "I'm Joanna."

  Green eyes, still smoldering, fixed once again on Ariel, and Ariel's body reacted with a rush of heat. "I'm Ariel."

  "Your name is lovely and suits you well."

  "Thank you." Ariel glanced at her mother. "I've my mother to thank for the name. She could have chosen Gertrude or Matilda."

  Both Kiernan and Joanna laughed.

  Joanna said, "I named her after Ariel the mermaid from

  Disney's movie The Little Mermaid."

  "That's an old classic I remember seeing when a child." Kiernan returned her attention to Ariel. "Is that one of your favorite movies?"

  "I like the movie, but my favorites are the old classic Star Wars trilogy."

  Kiernan said, "You know, they're over a hundred years old and still remain at the top of the list of most favorite movies of all time--mine included."

  "They're your uncle's favorite movies as well."

  "Oh, that's right. You've met Uncle Theodore. I seem to recall him saying he assisted you when you had problems with your motorcycle."

  "Yes, he did. He was very pleasant and charming."

  "He's one of the remaining few of the generation still maintaining the old school southern charm."

  "I agree," Ariel said and changed the subject to a topic that interested her. "Ms. O'Sh--Kiernan, I would like to know your opinion of Dr. Hakira's experiments with matter-antimatter that he's conducting at the Tokyo Science Institute. Has Stellardyne an interest in developing light-speed engines utilizing his research?"

  "Oh my, you are up on all the current research. Of course Stellardyne has an interest."

  "Has Stellardyne a plan for developing such an engine?"

  With a touch of humor, Kiernan said, "Now, Ariel, I can't comment on our ongoing research. For security reasons."

  "Theoretically speaking, how soon do you think a ship will have the capability to travel at light-speed utilizing the research Dr. Hakira has to date?"

  "Speaking theoretically, of course, there's a good possibility of that occurring within the next four to five years."

  "Wow. That's a relatively short period. What concept of spaceship design do you envision? I--"

  "Oh, no," Joanna said, "don't start her on that subject, or you'll be here all night. Creating spaceship designs is one of Ariel's hobbies"

  Kiernan regarded Ariel. "Oh? Why aren't you working for Stellardyne?"

  "My mother is exaggerating. I sometimes assemble plastic models of spaceships."

  Joanna glanced at her daughter with affection before saying to Kiernan, "Ariel also built spaceships in the back yard when growing up."

  Kiernan said to Ariel, "You mean model rockets with solid fuel propulsion engines?"

  "No. I pretended I was a space adventurer and built my own ships out of cardboard boxes and plywood. They never left the ground, except in my imagination."

  Kiernan's expression and voice were soft. "That's where all the great accomplishments originate--in the imagination, and dreams. As a child I imagined I'd one day fly a spaceship to different planets. I had a lot of adventures on the imaginary spaceships I drew."

  "Have spaceship. Will travel," Ariel said. "That was my motto as I zoomed about saving the universe." She felt her cheeks heat up and hoped Kiernan wouldn't think that trite.

  Kiernan's laugh was low. "That's an excellent motto for a swashbuckling space hero."

  That low sound caressed the back of Ariel's neck, sending a pleasant shiver down her spine. "I thought so. I've read articles on your spaceship, Celeste, and I was wondering whether you would answer some questions about her?"

  CELESTE WAS ONE topic Kiernan could talk about all night. It thrilled her that Ariel was intently listening to her accounting of the ship's specifications. Apparently Ariel had done her homework. She asked intelligent questions pertaining to Celeste's hydrogen fusion thrust engines and the state-of-the-art force field shielding system.

  Hunger drove Kiernan to pause and take a bite of her food before resuming the conversation. She glanced at Joanna, seeing amused indulgence. Kiernan knew she wasn't being a good host to her employee, but she couldn't refrain from taking this opportunity to have Ariel's undivided attention.

  Ariel said, "Kiernan, I understand some of your ideas went into Celeste's design."

  "Tha
t's right. When Grandmother informed me she was building her, I rushed to my drawing board. A month earlier, I'd earned my bachelor's in aerospace design from Embry-Riddle and wanted to prove myself. Of course, as far as my grandmother was concerned, my business degree from Harvard mattered most. She indulged me, but as it happened my ideas impressed her enough that she instructed her engineers to incorporate them into the design. Some of my design concepts were not feasible, so Celeste's hull and interior are only thirty-seven percent my creation."

  "Thirty-seven percent is a considerable amount. From the pictures I've seen, she's a beautiful ship."

  "Oh, she is, and I would love to give you a tour of her," Kiernan said with pride and barely controlled eagerness.

  "I would love to see her." The excitement in Ariel's reply also reflected in her eyes.

  The prospect of showing Celeste to Ariel drew out a current of excitement in Kiernan, but before she could invite her for a tour, the beep of an IMP interrupted the conversation.

  Joanna reached in her purse, retrieved her IMP, and answered it while Kiernan and Ariel sat silently. After a moment she said, "I'll be over right away to pick him up." Joanna dropped the IMP back in her bag. "That was the mother of my son's friend. He has a stomachache. I apologize--"

  Waving the apology aside, Kiernan said, "I completely understand. It was a pleasure meeting you, Joanna." The three women rose.

  Kiernan took a last appreciative view of Ariel and bestowed her most winsome smile. "And you as well, Ariel. I'm certain we'll meet again."

  KIERNAN TOOK A stroll around the garden, enjoying the profusion of colorful flowers her gardeners had planted. Surrounded by all this beauty, she recalled dinner from the night before, or to be more precise, she recalled the blonde-haired angel who had captivated her attention so much that she had not even been aware of what she was eating.

  During dinner, she had to force herself to focus on the supposed guest of honor, Joanna Thorsen, but like a compass needle, her attention would swing, and once again point north to Ariel.