The Velvet Box

The iron torches flickered as a handsome couple strolled down the castle’s stone hallways. Tom and Josie’s fingers intertwined under the meandering orange glow. Josie grasped a small leather briefcase. Cascading black hair concealed her face, but he caught a glimpse of the elusive shy smile. Tom recalled the first time they met and the heart-rending smirk. His left hand grazed the ancient stone archway, and it glowed fluorescent green. A swirling magical whirlpool appeared between the arch. He turned to her.

“I am going to miss you,” Tom said, “you have been my rock in these turbulent times.”

Josie pushed him against the portal arch and kissed him. While he breathlessly recovered, she whispered in his ear, “Maybe one last romp before I leave would be fun.”

Tom gulped, “In the hallway? Everyone in the castle would hear us.”

“To the fire and the pit with everyone else.” She kissed his neck. Josie glided away and caressed his bicep, “But duty calls, my king.”

“My brother thinks I’m crazy for sending you to Bermuda as the ambassador of Atlantis. But I know you can be trusted with our homeland, and will stick to our plan.”

“Thank you for your vote of confidence. I will not let you down, my liege.” She sat on a cushioned bench next to the portal. She snapped open the briefcase. “I have the documents.”

“Josie, we’re in a private area, you can use my first name.”

She patted the cushions. The king reclined next to her.

“Tom, once I go through the portal, I will not be returning. Ever.”

“What? But I thought...”

“I will remain Atlantis’ ambassador until my last breath, but I can’t remain here or stay with you. It is better for you if I go.”

“Josie, I love you. I want to be with you forever.”

With the perfect slight of hand, Tom revealed a small velvet box from behind her briefcase. He went to one knee.

Josie slid away, “Oh boy. Don’t open that box.”

A stunning diamond ring glittered emerald in the glow of the portal door.

“Joselyn Hemingway Zinger, will you…”

Josie blocked his words with an index finger to his lips.

“Oh, Tom,” She sighed, “is this our first engagement ring? It’s gorgeous.”

“Yes, my love. I kept it safe for you. This is our second...”

“I adore you,” She interrupted, closed the box and lowered her eyes, “but this is not what you want. I’m not the person you want. These past few weeks have been incredible. Spending my days and nights with you has been exhilarating and exhausting. You have been wonderful, but I’m not your dream girl.”

“I think of only you, day and night.”

“You talk in your sleep. I realize now, I may have your beautiful mind under my spell, and your strong, desirous body in my arms, but your heart belongs to another; that stupid blonde elf.”

“Josie, it’s not true. My heart is yours completely. I know nothing of the elf princess. She means nothing to me. She is the nightmare, you are my dream.”

Josie stood and walked toward the portal.

“Decades ago, when we first fell in love, that was true, but too much time has passed, and I have become a desperately wicked person. After you came out of the coma, I wanted you all for myself. It was another opportunity with a terribly wonderful man.” She paused and fiddled with her long hair. “I bewitched you. I am the reason you can’t remember the pointy-eared witch.”

“What do you mean? You have been repressing my memories?”

“Sorry? Just a little.” Josie squirmed.

“When life in Atlantis and the world hung in the balance, you were playing games with my mind? Using me? Manipulating my every move?”

“Not all things. I thought you would catch on because you remembered almost everything: Dudley, Ginny, Woof, the Castle, the earthquake, and me.”

“This is unbelievable! I trusted you.” Tom walked away from the bench.

“I am truly sorry. Every time I blocked a memory of Blondie, a new one would surface.”

“You plugged the leaks of my mind with false memories of you!”

“It was exhausting. The dam was going to break sooner rather than later. Yet you kept loving me.”

Tom rubbed his chin, “Love covers a multitude of sins.” He pulled his hair, “I fell more in love! Again!”

“Exactly. You forgave me over and over again, day after day. I clung to the hope you would forget that straw-haired prude. A girl can take only so much. I had this feeling...”

“It’s called guilt. You are despicable. You haven’t changed at all.”

“That’s not true. I felt…”

“Guilt.”

“Yeah, that. I don’t want to hurt you anymore. You are a good man. You have a life here. You found your family without me. It’s past time that I discover my own. If I remain here, you will be under my spell. The temptation is too great to turn back to the old me. I have changed because of you. I have to remove the flame, so the moth can be free. Even right now, you are forgiving me again.”

He walked over and held her hands.

“I want to hate you, but I do forgive you. So, what does this mean for us?”

Josie stared into his kind brown eyes.

“I remain your friend, dance partner, former lover, mother to our child, and trusted...”

“I will always…”

The ambassador stopped him with a lingering kiss.

She moaned, “Pure as the driven snow. I must depart, my king.”

“One last dance, for old time's sake. Please.”

He guided her hands to his shoulders.

“Sure, but we have no music,” Josie said.

Tom made his smartphone instantly appear and he scrolled to a music app. “Just a moment. Here it is.” He placed it on the bench. Sweet music filled the dark halls.

Josie raised her eyebrows, “Your skill has improved.”

“Thanks,” He winked, “I had a good teacher.”

Josie swayed to As Time Goes By as Tom placed his hands on Josie’s smooth hips. She played with his hair.

Josie smiled and said, “Our first slow dance.”

“You are more beautiful now.”

Josie blushed, “Also, our first kiss.”

“Did you know Emmy and Mario danced to this song on their first date?”

“Our girl has good taste.”

“When I first gave you that ring…”

“It was the happiest day of my life,” Josie frowned, “until it all changed.”

He gave her a twirl and caught her back in his arms, “I don’t blame you for ending it.”

The ambassador replied, “I blame myself.”

Tom said, “You know I’m not perfect either. I fell for you twice.”

“Actually, three times. Oh, what a fall it was, my love.”

“I’m really going to miss how you make blueberry muffins.”

“So, you’re gonna miss my muffins.” Josie winked.

“Yes and no.” Tom smirked. “You always over-whipped and over-baked them. Yuck.”

Josie hit him in the chest,“What! You always said you loved them.”

“I’m sorry I lied to spare your feelings. But I loved how you danced while cooking.”

“Really,” Josie smiled and replied, “I didn’t know you were watching.”

“Always.”

“Tom, I do regret one thing.”

“One thing?”

“My biggest regret is keeping you and Emmy apart.”

“She is just like you in so many ways. Despite that, she is great.”

“Hey!” Josie replied, “It wasn’t easy. Especially teenage Emmy. She had so many questions about her father.”

“Was she a handful?”

“Sometimes. But the boys were all horny losers,” Josie laughed, “I had to rearrange a few minds.”

“I would have killed them. I almost killed Mario.”

“Anyway, she deserved to get to know you and love you like…”

Tom kissed Josie. The song ended and the couple separated.

Josie said, “Tell Emmy, I will reach out when she is back in the States.”

“She’s in Bermuda. You’ll see her before me.”

“I forgot.” She smirked and picked up her briefcase at the bench. “Please let the fairy princess know I hate her, but she is the luckiest woman on earth.”

“I won’t. Check on Jak and Angelica when you get a chance,” Tom said, “their next assignment in New York is critical. We have to dismantle GEMS.”

“After the meeting with the ambassadors, I’m on it.”

“Josie, won’t you please reconsider?” He kissed her hand.

She caressed his right cheek and gently kissed him.

“You have already given me what I need.”

“What’s that?”

Josie teared up and walked into the portal.

“My second chance.”

Tom watched her disappear and the portal return to stone. He kicked the bench, and then he plopped down on the stone floor. The king screamed into his hands and sobbed. He snatched up the velvet box and whipped it at the stone wall. The box splintered and landed next to the portal, but it did not open. Tom leaned his head back on the hard basement wall. He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. He remained there for thirty minutes until he heard the butler calling out for him.

The king snagged the broken box and dragged himself to the cellar door. He reached the iron handle with his box-filled hand and stopped. No noise or rattling came from the damaged gift. He opened the tattered lid.

The ring was gone. A folded note sat in its place. Tom removed the paper and read it aloud.

“Be free my moth. 😘 Love ya. P.S.- Sorry, I couldn’t resist.”

The note sparkled and vanished.

A flood of memories entered Tom’s mind. He grabbed the sides of his head and shut his tear-filled eyes. He glared at his palm and a magical blue orb incinerated the box. He hoisted the solid oak bench and launched it against the rock wall. Splinters and cushion feathers filled the air. An immeasurable rage filled him.

“JOSIE!” The king screamed, “TO THE FIRE AND THE PIT!”