"Earl!" One woman asked, "Who is that man you have with you? I have to know his name!"

"Alisha, there are the right moments for a proper introduction," Edward whispered to her after he rushed over. "Everyone, please welcome Henry. He's now a senior editor. Ask him anything—anything—and he'll know the answer."

Henry sheepishly retorted it wasn't entirely true, and Edward was blowing it out of proportion. They served tea in porcelain cups and teapots, and the biscuits and hors doeuvre on tiny fragile plates. Edward and Henry sat picking at their food with the plates in hand.

||| "How'd you and Henry meet?" Alisha prodded Edward. Henry was at another table co-mingling with Dan and his husband.

"He's a senior analyst at the new company I work for."

"Oh! I see. There's a forbidden romance to it, isn't there." She smirked.

Edward's lips turned to a quick smile then back. "No, it's not like that, per-say. We've actually known each other longer than that." He looked down.

||| "Henry, was it?" Dan draped his arm over another man.

"Yes, that's right." Henry took a small sip of tea, letting it touch his lips before resting back in the cup.

"I bet you're wondering about this party?" Henry nodded nonchalant. "Well," Dan shifted in his chair to sit up. "We're not your normal group of people as you can see." Henry kept nodding, "We're fostering a community—a safe haven if you will—for lovers such as yourself that can't be seen in public. I can't be seen with Evan here because of my Catholic Church. Well, sure my parent and his parents are indifferent, but society isn't."

Henry licked his lips, "No, certainly not at all." It had gotten worse briefly for a moment in history, rights for everyone, but he saw it slowly taking its course in gaining momentum.

||| "Outside of work?" Alisha was a pale woman, and Edward almost wanted to ask if she was a vampire. Maybe she was in spirit given her gothic look from her short black pixie hair.

Edward sighed, "Yes, but we didn't start dating until—Well, it's hard to say." He shook his head to rid of the crazy thought.

"But you know it's a for-sure-thing?" She leaned close.

"Well, why do you think I invited him to this function?" Edward let out a nervous laugh.

"Oh." Alisha gasped. "Right."

||| "How long have you and Earl been together?" Dan bounced his foot as it dangled in the air, propped against his knee.

"Would you believe me if I said two hundred years?" Henry said it in a serious manner but smiled indifferently.

Dan smiled, "Ah, I see," He reached for another biscuit. "How poetic. God, how I love poetry." He looked up at the open windows, starring out wistfully into the beautiful butterfly garden.

The air was cool. The air was fresh. One could take a deep breath in and feel its calming powers clean the dust from one's lungs.

"Lovers that were meant to be together have been together in spirit and soul for thousands of years, and for thousands of years more shall they love on for the rest of eternity."

Henry smiled, "Something like that."

Dan laughed as he faced Henry again, "Something like that? Are you sure?"

"Yes, I think so." He kept his smile thin.

||| Prancing across the vast lawn, Veronica in a frilled dress from her 1790's era, dragged a beautiful Cherry in a nice yellow summer dress to the bottom of the wide windows. Edward saw her and watched with amazement as Veronica easily lifted Cherry into the room.

"Hello Edward." Veronica smiled as she walked up.

"Earl," Alisha said in awe. "Do you know this woman?"

"I—I—once upon a time ago. . ." He nervously gulped.

"This here is Cherry." Veronica held onto her hand, swinging it childishly.

"Hai." Cherry smiled. Edward and her shook hands.

"What are you doing here, Earl?" Veronica asked as she pulled a chair out for Cherry. Her short dress bloomed out as she sat and fixed it, so it sprawled like a flowing waterfall over the edges of the cushion.

"I'm a part of this organization as much as you seem to be now. I was meeting a client that would like to merge." Edward put his cup of tea down and stood up. He watched as an old man in his early fifties walked into the hallway, turning around slow as if he were lost. "Speaking of which, I believe he just walked in."

"Goodness!" The man was taken aback at Edward's enthralling appearance.

He saw a sharp glow radiating off of Edward, and it was not because of his bright cream-colored clothes that fixed him as a well-to-do man, it was from the glow of his immortality that made the old man's knees weak in reverence.

"You remind me of my daughter! She is a feisty young woman as I was when I was a young lad. I have a lot to look forward to your journal being published under my company."

"Well," Edward and the man, "You can count on my writers being on their game to publish for a grand name such as yourself, sir."

"Much appreciated, much appreciated." He smiled.

"Well, great, then. I'm excited to meet you all in the new office."

"You'll love the office suite I have for you. It'll go well with your looks." They walked together, the man with a finely groomed white beard and thin suit leaned close to Edward's ear. He talked on and on about the office space and where the writers would be working and what his expectations from Edward's people were. How picturesque it all was.

Henry was still with Dan and a few other people. The breeze from the open window ruffled his hair so every strand could be soaked in the coolness of the afternoon. Veronica sat on the other side, watching Edward and Cherry exit a corresponding room.

"Henry, I have great news." Edward rested his hands on Henry's shoulders, stalking him from behind. Henry craned his neck to peer at Edward who leaned close to his face. "Our writers are going to be published from now on in the New York Times."

"That's wonderful!"

"We're moving next week."

"So soon?"

"The Times has an office space for all of us in the building off of tenth street. It sounds like a grand place."

"I can't wait!"

Veronica narrowed her eyes. "Your fly's down, Mr. Jones."

Surprised, Edward reached down and zipped his pants. He was partly embarrassed.

~~~~~~~~~

The morning of the following week, Edward walked in to see everyone packing up with an angry undertone. He took off his sunglasses and hat from his morning walk in the sun. "Why is everyone so testy? I thought we were happy that everyone is getting raises from the times."

He pulled a young blonde man aside who carried his belongings in a box out the door. That man was abruptly stopped short of leaving as quickly as he tried. "What is going on?"

"That New York Timesman, he fired over half of your writers including me!"

"That wasn't supposed to happen. Everyone was supposed to be included in the merge. We're all moving up in the world of writing!"

The man snarled. "Yeah, some of us are at least." And promptly left.

The office space, once filled with commotion and excitement about the daily stories or fun things to do on a night out in 1984 New York, was now dumbed to a dull disappointment.

"Angela, why is everyone so upset?" Edward rushed to her as she finished placing her pens into her box.

She gave an incredulous sigh, "We all thought you were better than letting our competition buy us out."

"But everyone's salaries will be raised. Everyone is going to be writing for the New York Times! Isn't that what you always wanted?"

"I had growing up, but then I realized that writing for something so popular is like going to Harvard. It's not worth the hype when I have a perfectly sound job and living my life to the fullest. I know I won't be happy at the New York Times because I was happy being here and working for you."

"I'll still be around. Things will be just the same as it was just with less people and now writing for the New York Times. I'll still be the one reviewing everything and sorts as your director, and it's not like our name will be completely deleted."

"Right. Just owned by someone who calls the shots that's all."

"I guess."

"What about Henry?" She softly nudged, wondering if it was a touchy subject to be bringing up since she knew she didn't want to prod or imply anything of the sorts of his blatant relations with him.

"He's been promoted several weeks ago by me to senior editor, but I don't know what will become of him. He refused the promotion, but I still have him the work and pay for it."

"Against his will?" Angela raised her eyebrow.

Edward sighed, "Yeah."

"He didn't get cut?" She touched his tie as to fix it. Edward flicked it.

"Not that I know of. Actually, I never knew they would be cutting anyone! It's outrageous, but I've already signed in blood pretty much, so there's no negotiating anymore." Edward tensed at his shortcomings. "How could I have been so blind as to not see they were going to undercut me!"

Angela held to his arms fast. "Listen, even the best editors would have glossed over that. You're too naive and they took advantage of that." She kissed him on the cheek.

He tensed and pulled away. "I hate being that." Edward, clutching his jaw, said between his teeth. He took one inhale and turned to his old office to pack up.

He threw out most of the stuff that he had accumulated: his books, his journals, his first pieces of writing, and even some decorative mantle pieces so all that was left was his computer and his pens which he carried out to his car.

"Angela! Get me Henry!"

Chapter 21

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