And it's dream.
Somebody new.

He'd never liked the name Demetrius. Thus, once of legal age, he changedit to something else, a name he'd always admired. Reuben. Such a nice soundingname, it rolled off the tongue a lot easier that Demetrius. Demetrius madehim sound like some try-hard mafia member, Greek instead of Italian. Demetrius,the used car salesman. Demetrius, the ex-con. Not Demetrius, son and heirto billionaire, new employee of his fathers most prized investment, theCentre.

Now he would be working side by side with his old friend Miss Parker.He didn't know her very well, hadn't seen her for years, but her beautyhad always mesmerised him. He supposed that was why he was forty-two andnever married. Not for a lack of looks, he considered himself to be a sortof distinguished handsome man, and not because of his personality, he hadmany friends and had had many girlfriends, and of course money wasn't aproblem. No, the problem was her, Parker, and her beauty, no woman measuredup against her.

And secretly he knew that she was the reason he had changed his name.Demetrius. She obviously hated it, felt his name to throw him into another,lower class. Reuben was much better.

Our Palace, called the Middle.
Or something like that.

Miss Parker stood gaping at her father, the announcement he had justmade making her completely forget about looking cool, calm and collectedin front of the rooms other occupant, a certain beaming Reuben.

"You what?" she asked still stunned, and her father sighed in annoyanceand repeated his statement.

"I said, now that Reuben is working here, it would be a good opportunityfor you two to start dating!" he murmured, and smiled jovially. Miss Parkerturned her stare of shock to the son of her father's oldest friend, Reuben,staring without comprehension. Sure, they had always been friends, butthey had never been close, and she saw no reason for them to start datingall of a sudden. But apparently he was quite pleased with her father'sidea, which immediately aroused the suspicion that it wasn't her father'sidea at all.

"But Daddy, Jarod...; " she turned pleading eyes on her father, whofrowned in disapproval.

"If you could find time out of the chase for Jarod for that carpenterfellow, then you can certainly find time for Reuben!" he grumbled, andshe began to feel more and more like a rabbit in headlights as she stumbledon...;

"Daddy I wasn't really looking for a relationship right now, not witheverything going on with Jarod and-"

"Sure you are, everyone's always looking for a relationship, wetherthey realise it or not, why just look at me and Brigitte, to be marriedsoon...;" he cut her off before she had a chance to finish, and, feelingdefeated she nodded slowly, turning to the door and walking out as herfather reminisced. It wasn't until she was halfway down the hall that sherealised Reuben was following her, jogging along to keep up with her longstride. She stopped suddenly, causing him to run past her, and she waitedas he jogged back to where she stood.

"So shall I pick you up tonight at, say, seven?" he asked pleasantly,and Miss Parker took a few minutes to study him. Early forties, a streakof gray touching the well groomed locks of blond hair at his temples, hisbody, although a bit on the thin side, generally healthy and muscular.His skin was a light golden colour, a few freckles sprinkled across hisnose, his eyes a clear blue. No, not a single sign that he was mentallychallenged, she thought to herself, feeling slightly disappointed, at leastthat would explain his question.

"No, you will not pick me up at seven." She hissed angrily, and he lookedtaken aback.

"What's wrong Parker? Have you got something else on?" he asked, andshe made a sound a bit like a growl and stomped off, leaving Reuben staringafter her in surprise.

Pretending to not like people,
When really we like them,
Because they don't like us,
But really they're just Pretending,
Not to like us,
So actually we're not sure what is going on.

"He really expects you to just go out on a date with someone you barelyknow?" Jarod's incredulity was soaked into his warm voice, assuring Parkerthat she wasn't crazy for thinking the whole idea was ridiculous.

"Exactly! It's horrible! I mean, we're friends and everything, but Idon't want to be just shoved into a relationship with him!" she wasn'tsure when their daily phone conversations had turned into friendly gossips,wasn't sure and didn't care. It was her cell phone, from his cell phone,and couldn't be tapped.

"So what are you going to do?" he asked gently, trying not to let onhow much he cared that she didn't date this Reuben person.

"I think I might head out of town for a while, head to the family apartmentin New York, hope everything is better when I get back...; maybe Reubenwill have mysteriously disappeared...;" she mused, and Jarod chuckled.

"So whereabouts is this apartment...;?"

Somebody else new.

"You are SO lucky!" the blonde bombshell who exploded into her officemoments after she ended her phone call to Jarod was Helen, Miss Parker'snew secretary. Most surprising to Parker was the fact that the somewhatditzy girl had appealed to Parker, and the two had become fast friends.Although overly concerned with herself, Helen had her moments, momentswhen she gave the truest advice or the greatest insight, and Parker likedher.

"And would you mind explaining to me exactly why I'm so lucky?" askedParker, quirking one eyebrow at her secretary.

"That gorgeous hunk Reuben is after you! I think I'm in love!" criedHelen dramatically, and Parker smiled.

"You can have him, I'm not in the least interested." She explained,and Helen sighed.

"I wish, he wouldn't even look at me! He's too busy drooling after you...;"she murmured, somewhat unhappily, and Miss Parker had a moment of pityfor her, Helen never seemed to have much luck in her love life.

"Helen, listen, I'm going to New York for a few days, why don't yougo with me? We can go shopping, or clubbing, and spoil ourselves rotten,what do you think?" Parker asked, and Helen gave a delighted cry.

"That would be wonderful! Oh, I can't wait, I'd better go pack...;"Helen rushed out of the room, still chattering about what she'd take.

*****

Urban jungle.
Or forest.
Otherwise known as New York.

Robin liked her job. Oliver, her employer, was not a normal employer.And she was not a normal employee. Sitting in the club alone, she spiedanother of her kind. You could tell them easily, if you knew what to lookfor. The slight sharpness of the ears, the brilliant green of the eyes,the lightly pointed teeth. Invariably they were small people, with finebone structure and small faces. Her kind had learned, over the centuries,how to blend in, and no longer needed to hide, but instead played withthe humans in full view, modern day scepticism preventing their discovery.

Robin tossed a wave to the handsome male who wove his way through thecrowd towards her, and he wove back, smiling cheerfully.

"How are you?" she asked him, and he nodded happily.

"Went to a party which absolutely went off. But I gotta go, Tiarna andher friends come, and I must prepare." These words caused Robin to chokeon her drink.

"Oliver has plans to visit this club! If he sees her with her latestlover he'll go ballistic!" Robin cried, and the male across from her furrowedhis brow as he studied her.

"Aren't you...; Robin? The trickster I've heard so much about?" he asked,and Robin nodded.

"Good guess. I serve Oliver, make him smile. The tricks I play on mortalsare for him, though I admit sometimes just from temptation." She murmured,smiling, but her smile faded moments later when she saw two people enterfrom opposite sides of the room. "Damn, I was hoping Oliver's arrival wouldnot be so hasty."

"And my mistress Tiarna. I must go attend." The male sighed, and eachwove their separate ways to their employers. And as much as they each triedto persuade their employers not to, the two approached for a confrontation.

"How annoying Tiarna." Oliver said, his body stiff with pride as hesearched the crowd for her young lover.

"Indeed. But I won't stay long, I won't bother you for your companyor your bed!" the beautiful woman scorned, and Robin winced at this insult.

"And yet our joint bank account still sees your touch. Perhaps thatsuggests I am still your man."

"But I am not your lady. I suppose you're in town for the whole Centrething?"

"Of course. I never miss a chance to poke fun at humans."

"Just as long as you have no interference with Parker and Brigitte'swedding." Tiarna snifffed, which further enraged Oliver.

"How can you condone such a joining? When I know you have taken theParker father to your bed on many occasion?" Oliver accused.

"Jealous Oliver? Just be sure you have no interference with my sport.It is all I ask."

"Play away then, all I ask is that you relinquish your young lover intomy service!"

"I did promise the child's mother that I would watch over him afterher death, a promise I would not, and will not break!" Tiarna replied disapprovingly,and Oliver sighed in resignation, turning instead to another matter.

"How long will you stay in New York?"

"Till the wedding. Shall you be kind and play among us, or shun us,upon which I will spare your haunts?"

"Give me the boy and I will play...;" replied Oliver slyly, and furyfilled Tiarna's fair face.

"Not for all your riches. Come attends, away. If I stay any longer I'llpuke." And with these callous words Tiarna swept away, leaving Oliver andRobin staring after her.

"Bitch." Muttered Oliver, and beckoned Robin to him. "Do you recallthe time we sat upon the ocean, the wind fierce and the stars bright?"he asked, and Robin nodded.

"I recall."

"What I saw that day comes in handy now, Cupid, rather drunk, aimingfor a young lass. But in his inebriation he missed, his arrow ran straightpast her, piercing a small rose in the fields beyond. Before, white andpure, now purple with love, fetch me that flower, gentle Robin, for ifthe juice on sleeping eyes laid, shall cause the creature true love onthe next thing it sees. Go forth, Robin, and find me this flower." He requested,and Robin smiled, wondering what tricks her liege was up to.

"Back in ten." She replied, and scooted out of the club with haste,leaving Oliver to contemplate his ideas to his self.

"I'll teach my once loved Tiarna a lesson, with this juice I'll seeher in love with a beast, but for now I play!' he muttered, and headedonto the dance floor.
 
 
 

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Part 2