Dream Angel : Heaven Waits Read Online Free PDF Page A

with an unobstructed view, I parted my lips to let out a fittingly smart remark, but as I looked up it died on my tongue. My smile faded. My heart sank deep into my chest, and it wouldn’t have taken much at that moment to make me cry. I had, indeed, wanted the fantasy to be true so badly that I had tricked myself. The figure was definitely there, but it was only a life-size headless replica, smartly dressed in Elvis’ signature style.
    “ Phantom Illusion Startles Fan to Death ,” the morning headlines should read, I thought with a sad sigh.
    Brought abruptly back to reality, I decided to not risk being singled out as straying from the herd. I turned back to the tour group, now in deep conversation near Graceland’s formal living room.
    “Did you see that?” Murmured the genteel-looking woman I had met earlier in the plaza.
    “He’s here, all right, Sue,” her friend confirmed with an excited nod.
    The two women huddled together, whispering words of awe and wonder. Their faces brightened like giddy school girls with a secret. They were clearly good friends, and I couldn’t help but overlay an image of Heather and I twenty years into the future. I wondered if they, too, had entirely different backgrounds that were bridged by a common interest. For Heather and I, the love of flying had brought us together. For these two lovely ladies, it was obviously Elvis.
    Clearly, from the time of his earliest concerts to all of these years later after his passing, one of the biggest marvels about Elvis has been how his fans accept one another unconditionally. A fan welcomes a fellow fan regardless of social or economic differences.
    As I approached the two women’s excitement had escalated, and I noticed they were gesturing toward the room beside us. Having already been fooled once, I nonchalantly glanced into the living room, and my heart took a wild leap inside my chest.
    “Oh, God!” I slapped my hand to my mouth.
    A room full of startled eyes turned my way.
    “Are you okay?” Sue rested her hand on my shoulder.
    Still stifling a shriek, I glanced at Sue and then back to the image before us. She followed my gaze.
    Like a sleek jungle cat, Elvis lounged on the sofa with his long legs stretched out before him. He gave a slow, knowing nod with an easy smile.
    “Sure, I’m okay.” I squinted at Elvis while patting Sue’s hand as it rested on my shoulder.
    My understanding grew by the minute, and like a raging river the urge to run to him rushed over me, but I did not move. Instead, I distracted myself by admiring his well-tailored white slacks. As tall as he was, Elvis still didn’t take up the entire wall-length couch. The effect of his slacks against the white fabric of the sofa gave him a definite Cheshire-cat effect.
    He was knee-weakening gorgeous. His exotic features, flattered by a red shirt that only a supremely confident man could successfully wear, aroused every cell in my body. Motionless, I stared questioningly at his intense expression and felt my face flush with suffused heat.
    “Do you need to sit down?” Sue asked.
    “No, thank you. I… I was startled by… uh….” I scanned the room, looking for something to blame for my hesitancy. “…that!” I pointed to yet another headless statue near the fireplace. This time dressed in black, the lifeless Elvis seemed to be laughing at me through his absent lips.
    “You see it too, don’t you?” Sue asked as she narrowed her eyes and leaned toward me.
    In wide-eyed surprise, I considered the thought of someone else participating in this lunacy. Is she seeing what I am seeing? I glanced back at Elvis, who smirked devilishly at me, his blue-black hair glistening with as much shine as his boots. His feet were crossed at the ankles and kept time with his inner drumbeat. I turned back to Sue.
    “I…” My mouth hung open from an undecided thought.
    “Careful now, honey,” said Elvis.
    Smirking, I sighed deeply.
    “She’s a-waitin.” Elvis urged me