DREAMS
by Raine

.script by Binha.

|story visited times|

-oOo-

“Who are you?”

The question made the man turn to face me… but it was too late. I woke up with the sunlight flooding through my window. It’s seven in the morning. Damn it, I muttered under my breath. I have been constantly dreaming of that man. His broad shoulders, his lean muscles, his neat hair matched with the neat gray suit he's wearing and most of all, the soft melody he has been playing over and over on his sax. I shook off the thought of him and got out of bed. It’s Wednesday – and Wednesday is my most-hated day of the week! Too much office work, too much rubbish needs to be edited. I sometimes wonder why publishers hire such brainless writers in the company. The reason why I hate it the most, though, is because my snooty big boss comes to my office every Wednesday! I wonder if he ever smiles. He’s über sarcastic, über strict, über brainy, über perfectionist and – I hate to admit this – über handsome! I wonder if he’s married. Geesh I’m having a little crush on the dragon. I shook my head off again and went inside the bathroom.

“GOOD morning, Miss !” A cheerful greeting from my secretary put a smile on my face. “Good morning, Tasha! So, how many papers do you think are on my table now?” I asked her with the broadest smile I could ever manage. Natasha grimaced, “I’m afraid there’s none, ma’am.” I knew it. He’s early. I hope he didn’t toss them all out the window just like what he did last week. Before I could even react, the door of my office flew open and – guess what – the dragon appeared.

“Be ready in fifteen minutes. We have a breakfast meeting.” That’s it and he pressed the button of his personal elevator and left.

I glared at the closed elevator. “What is the meeting for? Where are the papers I have to edit?”

“I don’t know what the meeting is for. And as for the papers, ma’am, Sir read them all this morning and… uhhhh…. He just put them into the paper shredder.”

“Whattt?!?!?!” Aaarrrgggghhhh that dumbass!, my brain shouted. “What would the writers say?! They would think that I was the one who shredded their works!”

“Don’t worry much, Miss . He frankly announced to the writers that he shredded their works…”

Awww… Just when I thought my secretary’s greeting made my day, that dragon, ruined it! Few moments later, the telephone in my office rang. I pressed the speaker button and… “Meet me at the lobby, Miss . Pronto.” Rrright. I almost forgot about the meeting.

-oOo-

“YES! Can you believe that!? For three years of working in that company, this would be my first time to go on an out-of-the-country business trip!" I told my best friend happily. Ah, my best friend . She’s always there to listen to whatever rants and raves I blab.

We’ve known each other since we were five. Well, that’s pretty well twenty years ago. is married but she has no kids, so she and her hubby have been pampering me when they go out of town. They said I’m their grown-up baby... oh whatever.

“That’s great, ! And it’s not just a country. Darn, it’s France! I wish John and I could go to France but we cannot pass the IELTS. Shame shame.”

“You could always give it a second shot. Oh and about my trip, I’m not that excited to go to France. Just the thought of spending three weeks with the dragon makes me wanna throw up.” Yes, I’ll be spending three weeks with no one but the dragon himself, . The breakfast meeting went well by the way. He was calm and - well, he didn’t actually talk to me… he talked to his cup of coffee. Vis-à-vis his attitude at the office, I can tell he was calm when we had the breakfast meeting. Oh and he occasionally smiled when he was greeted by the waiters by the way. I wish I were one of them so I can experience his smile. Awww the cutest dragon ever.

“Hmmm , are you sure that it is a business trip? Or you and your so-called dragon will just go on a romantic trip instead?” asked chuckling over the phone. “Duh! As if! I could never see myself with . And hell, for three years, this morning was our first tête-à-tête conversation!” I said shouting on the phone… suddenly, I felt as if my head turned upside down. For some reason I felt the urge to sleep. “Awww . I’m sorry, I suddenly feel sick. Maybe all my blood went to my head. Anyways, I’ll hang up. Catch you tomorrow. Bye.”

“All right. Bye, .”

I was standing in a grand ball room. It was him again. Standing across the room was the man. Again, with his back on me. He’s playing that melody again. The same old melody he’s been playing since the first time he visited me in my dreams. I watched his fingers artistically move while playing his saxophone. I walked towards him but I felt my knees get weak. I was about to touch his shoulder but then I changed my mind. I closed my eyes. It was so quiet, so peaceful and the only thing I heard was the melody. The soft melody caressed my senses. It lifted up all my inhibitions… and to my horror, there was thunder and lightning. My eyes flew open and I realized I was just alone standing in the grand ball room. The man disappeared.

Panting, I woke up at three – fifteen in the morning. I downed the full glass of water on my bedside table. I almost jumped out of bed when my mobile phone rang. “Hello?”

“Hello, . I can’t sleep,” the voice on the other line sounded pitiful. It was my ex-boyfriend, . and I both decided to end the relationship last month… or was it two months ago? Anyways, since the break-up, and I have been really good friends. “Did I wake you up?”

“No, . I actually just woke up… you know the dream I’ve been telling you since then?”

“Yah… is it still bothering you?”

“I actually dreamt about it almost every night. I just dreamt of it earlier that’s why I’m awake.” I said leaning onto the headboard of my bed.

“Sounds like too much bothering. Um, would you like to go on an early-morning drive? We could go watch the sunrise on the hilltop.” suggested as if asking me for our first date again. It was just funny. I liked his idea though.

“Oh. Great, okay. Let me just call you back. I’ll just put on my jeans and your wooly shirt. The morning breeze is cold.” I answered him in an amusing way. He chuckled and said ‘okay’ and hang up. I put on my faded blue jeans and put on ’s wooly shirt. He gave it to me when I was cold almost half a year ago when we were still together. After brushing my teeth and putting on my fisherman’s cap, I dialed ’s number and asked him to come pick me up.

packed us a thermos of hot honeyed black coffee, two slices of an extra large pizza and a bag of pretzels. We reached the hilltop at four-thirty. We sat on the roof of his car while waiting for the sun. I told him about my trip to France and he said that he’s happy for me. We talked. Laughed. Ate. Talked. Laughed. Ate. Talked, laughed and ate! Few moments later we saw the dawn breaking… it was so beautiful and so romantic that I felt the urge to cuddle up with him. To my surprise, pulled me closer, tucked my head under his head and whispered “I’ve missed you… , please take me back.” I felt my body tensed up. I pulled away from … “, I… You don’t understand… I mean, you know –” He cut off my words with a kiss. Again, I pulled away from him and got down on the ground. “Take me home, .”

“You’ve been keeping me awake every night! I still love you, !”

“Take me home.”

-oOo-

We were about to land in Paris in about three hours and my boss, who was just sitting beside me, had not said a word since we sat there eleven hours ago. His nose was just stuck in a book while my eardrums seemed to give up with my iPod. It was actually low on battery already but I kept the phones in my ears so I could pretend that I was busy listening to  my songs. I heard cleared his throat. “Miss …”

My heart skipped a beat… “Sir?”

“I’ll be very straight with you. Since we’re already out of the country and out of the other employees’ sight, let us just call each other on name basis, all right? No need to be professional on this trip unless we’re in front of my business associates. So, … I’m .” He handed me his hand for a handshake… but his facial expression was blank. At least he spoke… finally! I took his hand, “All right… .”

It was 5°C in Paris when the plane landed. A freezing night. I thought my blood would freeze. I was literally following when we were about to enter the hotel. I realized I wasn’t wearing my winter gloves on so I stopped for a moment to wear them. sneered at me and shook his head. I heard him muttered “women”… He then pulled my hand and led me inside the hotel restaurant. He ordered hot mushroom soup, grilled beef with hickory sauce and some French dish I haven’t heard of, all for two. I was glad to see that they actually serve the soup in a bread bowl. It made me feel like I was actually eating Rachael Ray’s dishes. In the midst of my daydream mode, ’s voice ruined it… Grrr.

“I didn’t know you’re married. Your office record says you’re single.”

“Sir? Um, excuse me?”

“,” he corrected. “I saw you one morning with this guy – which If I’m not mistaken, your husband. You were kissing. You wouldn’t watch the dawn and share a good morning kiss with a guy who isn’t your husband. I was intently watching you that morning and you were so happy together.” He continued while eating. Ewww so unethical – talking with food in his mouth.

Oh now he’s trying to make me unleash my personal life to him. He saw me with that morning… so what? It’s none of his business anyway. “I believe I should not be answering some personal questions, sir.”

He looked at me intently with narrow eyes… “.”

“Okay, .” Oh damn those eyes! I realized I was closely watching him and I hadn’t touched my dinner when he pointed it to me with his fork. “Oh…” and I started eating.

-oOo-

I could hear it again. The same soft melody… but it was so dark. I couldn’t see a thing. The melody just kept on playing and playing… and then I felt something… someone… someone got hold of my hand. Just then, the melody stopped. I still couldn’t see a thing but I knew the melody stopped because the man who was actually playing it moments earlier was the man holding me right now. He pulled me closer and put his hand on my waist. We swayed gently… no melody… but the moment seemed so perfect. I touched his face and I felt his light stubbles. They tickled my fingers and it felt wonderful. So perfect. His hand perfectly fits on my waist. It’s as if we were made perfectly for each other. “Who are you?” I asked. A familiar voice answered but I couldn’t understand the words he said. “Tell me who you are… please…” I begged… a familiar voice answered again. He might not have answered my question but his answer was clear – he said, “I’ve loved you for so long…” he kissed me. It was gentle. Soft. Warm. Then he finally let go of me… suddenly, I heard the melody again.

It’s been two weeks since we landed here in France. Everything seemed to be okay. I’ve been dealing okay with . On our first week here, he introduced me to his business associates as “Miss , the greatest editor in my company,” but now as the days passed, he’s been introducing me as “, a friend and also my company’s editor,” I wonder what’s wrong with him. Whatever it is, I’ll find it out in one way or another. In the meantime I have to prepare for ’s business associates’ party tonight.

I was startled to find in my hotel room. “What are you doing here?”

“Well, I just dropped by to see if you’ve been preparing for the party tonight. I brought you something.” He dropped some paper bags on my couch. “These are all yours so you can choose what to wear later tonight.” He smiled

I smiled back at him. “Now where is that bossy attitude, Mr. ? You’ve been so different while we’re here in France huh,” I teased him. And all I got was his shrug and a simple “this is just who I really am”… so I just smiled and said “All right…”

“Now, prepare yourself. We’re not going to the party together. I’ll be there earlier because we have something to discuss. Just let me know once you get there… I have a surprise for you, my little friend.”

“Interesting…” he made me feel all tingly now! Damn, I hope I wasn’t blushing! I laughed softly and said my goodbye and take care before he stepped out of my room. But few moments later, he came back…

“One more thing, …”

“What?”

“Ummm… are you married or not?”

That definitely made me laugh out hard! “I’m not! What made you think I was?”

“The dawn guy on the hilltop…” he mumbled like a child…

“Nah… that was an ex boyfriend.”

“Okay!” He managed to say before closing the door behind him.

It was seven in the evening when I arrived at the venue. There were flashes of cameras… aside from all the professional business people – there was a large orchestra with talented and well-uniformed musicians playing the Celine Dion – Andrea Bocelli song The Prayer. It was wonderful. Just when I was walking down the grand staircase, I felt all eyes on me… I felt a sudden Jennifer Lopez moment in Maid in Manhattan when she was walking through the party hall with a stunning gown and a bling on her neck… well, at least I wasn’t wearing a stunning gown. I’d be overdressed if I was. I’d chosen to wear the vintage above-the-knee peach dress that had given me.

All of a sudden, came up to me and held my hand… he led me to the middle of the room and introduced me to the people. A very pretty old woman stood up and smiled at me… “Come with me, my child.” She said in a tone almost a whisper. I sat with her on the table and introduced myself. “It is good to see you on my son’s birthday. I am , ’s mother.” That got me confused. It is ’s birthday? It is his party? What happened to the business-associate’s-party he’s been telling me the whole week? All I had to do was smile at the woman and said “It is good to see you too, Mrs. .”

And all of a sudden, I heard it… the familiar melody I’ve been hearing in my dreams for the longest time. I felt my whole body went cold and I saw that my skin lost its natural color when I heard it playing. Yes, “it”… the melody I’ve been hearing in my dreams… I turned around… and to my surprise, – who was wearing the exact gray suit that I saw in my dreams – was also playing the saxophone… with fingers artistically moving…

When the song was over… the orchestra started playing another great song. This time, it was Michael Ruff’s More Than You’ll Ever Know. walked towards me… held my hand and led me to the middle of the dance floor… we swayed gently… I knew it… it was him… the stubbles… the perfect hand on my waist… the perfect man.

He pulled me closer… and whispered… “I’ve loved you for so long…”

The End