Chapter Eight
Xolani
“Love sought is good, but given unsought, is better.”
– William Shakespeare
Xolani stared up in awe at the building that housed the Once Upon a Dream Fantasy Club. She knew she was gawking. Then the one thing she had noticed as she drove up to the gated building was that it was right next to Dima Valdez’s club. It made her wonder if he frequented the place a lot.
She’d already parked and handed her key to the valet. So now she stood in front of the building.
A guard also stood in front of the place with a clipboard and a red rope that barred people from entering. A couple came up and spoke to the man. He then checked his papers and let them in.
The red rope was nothing compared to the muscles on the male standing in front of the place.
She swallowed hard and pulled her purse strap back onto her shoulder. Demurely, she moved to stand before him. Damn, am I really doing this? Squaring her shoulders as a yes reverberated in her mind, she went up to him with a smile on her face.
“Hello, name please?” he asked.
“Xolani Coleman,” she replied.
Like before with the couple, the muscled guard checked his clipboard. “Here you are,” he said like he was talking to himself. He gave her a quick nod and opened the rope, then the door. “Have a good evening, Ms. Coleman.”
“Thank you,” she said as she moved past him into the foyer.
She stood there a few moments, scanning the area and wondering where she should go when she heard a voice just off to the right of her.
A handsome black man with a fade and kind brown eyes that looked as if they had seen many things smiled at her. “You must be Dr. Xolani Coleman. I’m Dante and I’m here to take you to Flora’s office, so you can get started.”
“A pleasure. You can call me Xolani.”
“Xolani it is. If you’re ready?”
“Oh, yes.” She followed him through the lobby towards some offices. There were people milling about or heading into different rooms, as well as the club’s employees. It resembled a well-oiled machine.
They stopped at a door and Dante tapped lightly, then opened it for her to go through. “I’ll be back to take you to your suite when you’re finished, Xolani,” he said.
“Thank you, Dante,” she told him and turned to the woman at the desk. She heard the door close behind her.
The blonde woman stood and came around the desk to shake her hand. “Hello, Dr. Coleman. As Dante said, I’m Flora. Come sit down and we will get you started.” Flora pointed her towards the chair in front of her desk.
As Xolani settled down in the comfortable office chair she glanced around and smiled at the homey office that had pictures of Flora and who she assumed was the other woman’s wife or girlfriend.
Flora noted she was looking at the pictures and smiled. “That’s my wife, Drusilla.”
“Very nice pictures of you both.”
“Thank you.” Flora grabbed a laptop and pushed it in front of her with the top open.
When Xolani glanced at the screen, she saw a form for her to fill out.
“Just read and answer the questions,” Flora instructed. “It will allow us to work quickly on your fantasy wish. Also, if you can, hand me the health screening from your doctor and we can put it in your file. The form won’t take too long and by noonish, we can start.”
Xolani reached into her purse and pulled out the folded paper from her doctor’s office. She handed it to Flora then settled in to fill out the form. The sooner she got this done; the sooner she could have her fantasy fulfilled.
****
Dima
Dima made his way into the Fantasy club and headed up to Felipe’s office, tapping on the door.
He’d given Xolani a bit of a reprieve the last few days after she’d made the appointment to come to the club but of course, he’d kept his eyes on her.
It hadn’t helped that the Maker had been making sure he was kept busy with several funerals.
He knew Xolani was in Flora’s office at this very moment, filling out the form to make her fantasy come true.
He would be that fantasy.
He’d worked hard to be that fantasy.
Felipe told him to come in.
Dima entered, closing the door behind him.
“So what do we owe the honor of seeing you, Dirge?” Felipe asked as he walked over to the bar in his office and poured a finger of whiskey into two tumblers then handed one to Dirge.
“Thank you.” He took a drink. “I’ll get right to it. Dr. Xolani Coleman is here to make her fantasy come true. I need to make sure that I am that dream come true.”
Felipe’s smile widened. “Does she know what you are?”
“No. I need this, Felipe. I really need this to happen. I need to get her out of my system.”
At those words, Felipe frowned. “Now Dirge, you know we don’t advocate harm to anyone, no matter who they are in this club. We have a peaceful truce here, so that supers and humans get along.” He finished his whiskey and set the tumbler back on the bar.
“I’m not going to hurt her. I just want to fuck her.” If he had to be blunt, he would. “You and I have a perfect relationship. I would not fuck that up. But I need her.”
Felipe crossed his arms. “Hmm need, demon? Are you sure this is just lust?”
“Just make it happen, Felipe,” Dima growled.
Felipe raised his hand. “All right, remember the truce I spoke of. What name will you be using this time?”
Dima smirked. He had used many names and many human skins when he was in his player mode. “Dima Valdez.”
The stunned look on Felipe’s face was comical. “Really? That’s the name you use for the bar and your other businesses? Are you sure this isn’t more serious than you think?”
Dirge scowled at him. “Just because you found love and wishes for others. Doesn’t mean that’s what I’m looking for. But if you must know, I have not been able to seduce anyone else since she came into my life. I need to purge her from my system, so I can go back to business as usual.”
Felipe continued to watch him as silence filled the room and
If this had been anyone else, Dima would probably feel uncomfortable. He settled back in his chair as if he hadn’t a care in the world as time ticked by.
“All right. This is just to get her out of your system, nothing more.” Felipe looked like he still didn’t believe him and was just repeating what he’d said.
“That’s what I’ve been saying.” He didn’t need to convince him. He needed him to be willing to match him with Xolani.
“As long as everything you do with her has her consent,” Felipe warned him. “Then we’re fine. That goes for in dreams and when she is awake.”
With a smirk, Dima noted the hard edge to his voice. “You sound like Michael. But you can be assured that I will get her consent whether she is asleep or not.”
Felipe nodded. “Fine, then I will make sure you are matched with her.”
Dima sat his now empty glass down and adjusted his tie. “Sounds like a plan.” He moved towards the door, stopping before opening the door. “I take it Dante is out there and will give me the details of her wish to go over?”
Once again, Felipe nodded.
Dima opened the door to see Dante already waiting for him.
In the room he led him to, he’d be allowed to read over Xolani’s wishes so he could play them out accordingly.
****
Felipe looked towards the balcony situated off his office and turned as Michael entered. The angel had been there the whole time Felipe had been speaking to Dirge.
“I suppose you heard everything?”
“I did.” Michael dipped his head in acknowledgement.
“Tell me again, what was done to Dirge?” Felipe asked.
“The Maker just made it so his charms only work on Xolani. He wants him to realize she is the one for him and no one else.”
“But Dirge is an incubus. How will that work?”
“She’s his mate.” Michael shrugged. “I expect only the Maker knows about anything that happens.”
Felipe turned to look at his computer screen. He typed in a few things on the keyboard and brought up the application for Xolani Coleman. He read it quickly. “Understood. But from the looks of Xolani’s application so far, she is requesting him amongst other things.”
“It’s the mate pull. She won’t understand it as she is human, but hopefully Dirge won’t mess this up. Do not tell me the other things.” Michael raised his hand as if he were warding something off. “I don’t need to know what else she wants. Being his mate, I can only imagine.”
“You don’t sound as if you believe it will be all right.”
“He is a demon.” Michael shrugged. “It could go either way.”
“But so was Caj and look at him and Mercy now. Both are doing so well.”
“They knew they loved one another. Xolani is sleep deprived and the demon Dirge... well, as usual, he’s thinking with the other head.”
“He seemed pretty obsessed with her, just to be in stalker mode and not love.”
“We shall see,” the angel said, his voice resolute. “Peace be with you, Felipe.” Then the angel vanished.
Felipe swung his gaze back to the screen to see what else Xolani requested.
Just then, Dr. Fairee entered with a short knock on the door.
Felipe smiled at the old doctor and waited while he sat down. “Just in time to work your enchantments.”
Calmly, Godwin used a handkerchief to clean his glasses.
Felipe turned the computer monitor towards the fairy, so he could read what needed to be done.
The only indication that this was a tough call was the slight frown flitting across his face. Godwin pushed his specs back up his nose and then turned the computer back to Felipe. “Don’t be afraid to dream big, because this is all possible. It’s just time for a little magic!”
Felipe nodded to the enthusiastic Godwin. He understood that Dr. Fairee knew what was at stake with every wish and fantasy that came before them. It might get a little bumpy, but it would work the way it was supposed to. “I love your enthusiasm.”
Dr. Fairee adjusted his vest over his dress shirt and then his spectacles as he glanced over the rim at Felipe. “Let us begin...”