| A Dream Within a Dream! By Sharon Holtz Chapter Three |
Elliot stood for a moment, as he looked at Catherine. The woman who he considered to be the love of his life... the one he still loved, and the love...he had lost.
He could not begin to count the hours he had spent regretting his answer that fateful day. All he would have had to say was, he would forget about building the tower, and Catherine would have married him.
However he couldn't! As much as he loved and wanted Catherine, he could not set that dream aside. It was the one accomplishment he had hoped would make his Father proud of him, and perhaps one day, pave the way to acquire his Father's forgiveness, and gain back his love.
However, because of some of the underhanded tactics he used in his material quest to construct this architectural marvel...he lost Catherine.
As he cautiously stepped closer, he stopped him self, as he was uncertain how Catherine would feel about seeing him again. So from where he stood, he longingly looked at her, and softly said, "I thought it was you coming in here. I asked my driver to stop...I had to know for sure..."
As Catherine weakly smiled at him, he then seized the moment, and stepped closer to her still, and as his eyes traveled and traced every feature of Catherine's beautiful face, he said, "You are even more stunning than I remembered."
Bashfully Catherine looked downward, and said, "You could always make me blush Elliot."
Catherine remembered the first time they had met, and of how his compliment that night, had unsteadied her heart.
He was so gallantly suave and good-looking! Their beginning bared all the requirements, of any exciting new romance. A romance that could have developed into something more, if it had not been cut short, not only by his business methods, and his badly chosen acquaintances, but also by Catherine's realization, she was connected heart and soul...to Vincent.
As an awkward silence fell between them, Elliot playfully squinted, and shaking his finger at her he said, "You know Cathy, I should still be very angry with you."
Catherine looked up at him remembering the last time they had spoken. It marked the beginning of his downfall.
Catherine knew it was because she had so relentlessly, delved into the dealings surrounding the Burch Tower, that she alone was instrumental in the halting of the construction.
It was because of her professionalism executing the law, that he had lost his tower...and because of her talent, that he had lost the court case destroying his pride...and ultimately, it was because of her courage to stand up for the elderly, he ended up losing her too.
Catherine grasped all Elliot had lost, and it pained her still, that she hurt him so badly, so as she lowered her eyes, she softly said, "I understand Elliot..."
Elliot tried desperately to hold back a smile as he shook his head in wonderment, he then helplessly said, "But I can't!"
Softening his voice, he whispered, "I can't...how can I be angry, when I look you...you take my breath away..."
Elliot then admitted, "...and I know...I know you were just doing your job. Unfortunately for me, you were too good at it."
Catherine looked downward, finding no words to convey what she was feeling. Sorrow, regret, guilt...even to some degree, affection. It is true she was doing her job, fulfilling her duties at the DA, but her main motivation was Vincent. She had to do all she could to save his world for him. She was even willing to marry Elliot, if it would change his heart, but Elliot could not let go of his driving dream. So ultimately there was no other way, she had to find a way to terminate the construction.
Catherine sorrowfully said, "Elliot I...I don't know what to say, I..."
Kindly, he interrupted her and said, "Please...Cathy, no pity. I only hope that one day when you think of me...you will not despise me...but rather, you will fondly remember our good times, and smile."
Catherine raised her eyes, and said, "I don't despise you Elliot. I too hope one day...when we have established a trust between us again...maybe then we can be friends."
Elliot smiled, and said, "I would like that Cathy."
Just then Jennifer entered Harvey's and before she saw Elliot, she excitedly said, "There you are! Wait until I tell you about the great sale...Oh..."
Catherine smiled at her friend, and said, "Jen, I don't believe you had ever met Elliot. Elliot Burch."
Catherine then turned to Elliot, and said, "This is my friend Jennifer Aranson." Jennifer extended her hand to accept Elliot's, and they both said they were glad to finally meet one another, and they had both heard a lot about one another, through Catherine.
Jennifer then politely offered to step aside, as she said, "Well I will just be over there looking at the paint samples. Excuse me."
Graciously, Elliot said, "No, no, I was just leaving." As Elliot looked at Catherine, he tenderly said, "Take care of yourself."
Catherine in reply softly said, "You do the same."
And as he opened the door to leave, he turned once more to look back at Catherine, and with a sadness, he smiled.
Jennifer ecstatically said, "Oh my God! Elliot Burch?"
Catherine softly said, "Yes Jen, that was Elliot Burch."
Pensively she stood for a moment, and as she then looked at her friend, she asked, "Now what was it you had to tell me?"
Just then, a bird flew over them, and left some droppings right on Jennifer's head! The girls squealed, and laughed all at the same time, because of the irony, and the grossness of this happenstance!
Exasperatedly, Jennifer shook her head, and in resigned wonderment said, "This could only happen to me! I'll wash my hair at your apartment!"
As they were walking down the sidewalk, they were both laughing hysterically at her poor luck, when they passed Lisa, who was just heading into work.
Warmly, she stopped and said, "Catherine, Jennifer, how are you both today? I missed you at breakfast."
Sweetly, Catherine greeted Lisa, and said, "We had to go to the police station and give our depositions early this morning."
Jennifer smiled and as she said hello, trying her best to tip her head upward to conceal the bird droppings on her head.
Catherine feeling Jennifer nudge her to get moving, nervously said, "Well we better scoot, I hope you have a good day at work Lisa."
Lisa smiled and said, "Thank you Catherine."
Lisa then peeked around Catherine at a slinking Jennifer, and asked, "Jennifer? Is everything all right?"
Jennifer keeping her head tilted back, said, "Yes I am fine Lisa, I am just trying to avoid a nose bleed! I usually get one this time of the year."
With a quizzical look, Lisa said, "Oh, I see. I am sorry to hear that...well I better run, or I shall be late. Perhaps I should not have enjoyed that last cup of tea with Father!"
Even though Catherine knew that Jennifer was in a hurry, she just had to ask about Vincent. She asked, "How is Vincent this morning Lisa?"
Lisa smiled coyly, and said, "Well, he is missing you terribly Catherine. We did our best to fill your void, but it was to no avail. However, Ronald has plans to keep him busy. This afternoon after Vincent's class with the children, they are going to work on Peter's chamber."
Catherine's face fell, hating to hear Vincent was missing her so much, and said, "I'll return as quickly as I can then Lisa. Thank you for telling me."
She smiled elegantly, and said, "Of course. See you soon Catherine...Jennifer."
They both replied in unison, "Goodbye Lisa."
As soon as Lisa was out of earshot, Jennifer, embarrassingly asked, "I don't think she noticed the bird poop, do you?"
Catherine giggled, and said, "No Jen, you did a great job of hiding it."
It was as if Jennifer had not even heard Catherine as she continued watching Lisa walking away from them down the sidewalk. Looking very befuddled, Jennifer asked, "How can anyone be so perfect? She is like a perfect rose, and she makes me feel like a portly petunia!"
Catherine bolstered her friend and said, "Now Jen, you have no reason to feel inferior, and you shouldn't allow anyone else to make you feel that way either! You are just as pretty as Lisa, just in a different way."
Jennifer huffed and said, "I know, I know, it's like my Grandma would always tell me when I was growing up, "Jennifer..." she'd say, "...You have such a unique beauty, it cannot be defined!"
Jennifer then grabbed her friend's hand and said, "Come on, let's go so I can wash that bird's %$& out of my hair!
Entering her apartment was a very strange sensation for Catherine. It had been nearly a week since she had been there. It was as if she had entered another dimension, and everything was in a state of suspended animation!
And so as Jennifer washed her hair, Catherine anxious to get a moving day set, called her friends moving company, asking for the soonest possible appointment. Luckily they had an opening for tomorrow, but it would have to be at 7:00 in the morning! She agreed to the time, conveying her gratitude for squeezing her in.
She no sooner hung up the phone, when it began ringing! Catherine said, "Hello? Hi Peter, we just walked in."
The good doctor was calling to remind her of her check up, and he is expecting her tomorrow afternoon!
Catherine agreed saying, "I won't miss this one. I will be in the city anyway, to finish moving out of my apartment. Jen is very anxious to move in. So...I will see you around 2:00 then."
Excitedly, she also relayed, "Oh yes, Peter, I wanted to let you know I heard through Lisa, both Vincent and Ronald will be working in your chamber this afternoon!"
Happily, he said, "Ah that is great! Maybe I will go below and help. I was going to go golfing, but hey, I have all summer right? Thanks for letting me know. Have a good day Kiddo!"
Catherine hung up the phone, and saw her answering machine light was blinking. As she hit the play button to listen to her messages she lamented, "This might take me a while!"
To be continued
Chapter Four
