Erik swiftly pulled into the parking spot and was about to call Khan to tell him he was there when he saw her.

     On the few times Erik went to town, he went, as often as he could, at night, so people wouldn't see him, and so he could avoid them. The few he saw always interested him and mocked him unintentionally with their normality. This was his first trip to town during full daylight hours, and there were people bustling around all over the place. He observed the people with a detached interest... until he saw her.

   He had never seen her before, and viewed it as a crime that he had for so long withheld the indulgence that was her person from himself. She was the embodiment of perfection, and he, as a lover, seeker, and creator of all perfect things, instantly adored her with an intense fascination.

   Had he been normal, he realized with an immense pain and pang of self hatred, he would have been able to approach her and say hello, possibly become friends with the angelic creature. But he was not normal and had to hold her on the same pedestal he held every other person. He had to admire from a far.

   Her hair was a caramel color, a mixture between blonde and brown, though it was frizzy and pulled carelessly back into a low bun. Her eyes were a warm green that glistened like emeralds that were on fire. Her lips were thin but pink and pressed into a frown. The rest of her fave was symmetrical and beautiful, complete with dainty features and graceful curves and arches. Her skin was a bit too pale, in an unhealthy way, for his liking, but then he was a hypocrite. She received more sun in a single five minute walk than he did in an entire day. She was small and lithe, with long legs and an overall slender body. Her curves were almost nonexistent but Erik would never like anything merely for eye pleasing or sexual appeal. She was truly beautiful. But there was a kindness and hidden fear in her face, in those bright eyes that he did not understand.

   She turned abruptly as if she could feel his gold stare burning into her. He froze. He knew she couldn't see him, but felt deep down that something within her was gazing at something within him. His hand drifted to his face, checking to make sure his covering was in place, just in case. Less than a few seconds later she looked away.

   A friendly tapping at his window jolted him from his musings.

    Khan grinned and waved from the other side of the glass.

   Erik waited until the girl was out of sight before getting out of his car. He, under no circumstances, could allow her to see him, even if his revolting face was covered.

   "Hello Erik! How are you?" Khan chuckled happily. How the man always seemed to be in such a good humor, Erik did not know.

    "Hello Khan. I am quite well, thank you. And you appear to be equally healthy."

   "Thank you. Shall we go in?"

    "If we must."

   "We must."

    Erik sighed and followed his companion into the diner.

   He had not wanted to see Khan today, but Khan had threatened to keep calling him and eventually show up at his house unless Erik agreed to meet him. Why Khan wanted to see him, he did not know.

    Between Erik's mask and Khan's bright red and orange tunic, the pair drew attention in the small diner. However, this was a town that attracted many strangers who were just passing through, and after several minutes the place calmed and the masked man and his colorful friend were soon forgotten and mashed into the  background.

     Their waitress acted relaxed and was very warm towards Erik. He knew she saw him as a very handsome man, and loathed it. He amused himself with the thought of showing her what was under the mask and watching her horror. Sadly, he would probably get arrested for disrupting the peace and possibly even undecent exposure. His amusement at the little fantasy remained though, as a malicious, sadistic joke.

     "Stop thinking about tormenting someone," said Khan after they ordered. He, to Erik's  discontent, could read him too well.

   "But tormenting and torturing is such fun."

     Khan raised an eyebrow.

  Erik changed the subject. "How did you know what car I was driving."

     "It was black and the windows were tinted and after five minutes you didn't get out. Darkness and contemplation sounds just like you."

     "Yes," Erik agreed. He remained silent while Khan began to babble about what he'd been up to. Erik only half listened. He so hated being out in public, just as much as he hated people telling him mindless, rambling things about their lives that did not matter to him in the least. He didn't care what Khan had been doing for work recently or why he kept pestering his girlfriend about moving in together. This wasn't vital information, nor was it even entertaining.

     Erik's thoughts breifly travelled back to the angel he had seen crossing the street. She ran around looking like a Greek Muse in a baggy green sweater and loose jeans held up by a braided belt that didn't match her shirt. Heavenly creature.

    Erik was thankful when their food came and Khan stopped talking for a nearly blissful moment.

    The waitress set down Khan's pancake platter and looked skeptically at Erik's little fruit bowl.

   "Is there anything else I can get you?"

   Erik gave a very good impersonation of a deaf person. Khan gave her the negative.

"Still eating less than a nineteenth century debutante in front of a group of suitors?" Khan asked when she had left.

   "Stop trying to make me like your humor by using crude historical references."

    "Eating so little is not healthy."

      Trying not to give in to the childish impulse of rolling his eyes, Erik asked a question he actually wanted to know the answer to.

    "Why did you bother me into coming here?" Erik's voice thundered.

    "May I be frank?"

    "No, I want you to make up a fantastic lie and sugar coat everything until I have type 2 diabetes, a sugar rush greater than any bratty toddler's, and my glucose levels skyrocket."

   "Fine Mr. Sarcasm. I wanted to see you because I want you to stop living unhealthily and actually get out of your house and away from that blasted piano once in a while."

   "Why?"

   "Because I'm your friend."

   "You are my agent. Why?"

    "Because I suddenly care about you and Raina cheated on me so I dumped her and now I have a lot of free time on my hands."

    "Liar. Why?"

    "Because I want to atone for my sins and forcing your sorry behind to get a life is the only thing I came up with."

   "Come on, you can do better than that."

   While Erik only grew calmer, Khan grew more and more annoyed.

   "Because I just got a million dollar offer from Hollywood except they want you to come to a function and show up to your concerts for once. Excuse me, their concerts where other musicians play your compositions because you are too crowd shy."

    "I'm antisocial, not shy. And I already have three million in the bank, what do I need four for? Give some other pour soul a turn on the millionaire wheel."

    "Erik, I hate you."

    "That is the greatest compliment you have ever given me, thank you."

   Khan decided to approach the subject later. "What have you been doing recently. Anything interesting happen?"

   Erik immediately thought back to the angel of beauty. Her brilliant eyes haunted his mind. "Well, before you interrupted..."

                           ✖

   It was six o'clock when Erik finally was able to free himself of Khan's presence.

   He repeatedly found himself thinking of the girl as he walked out to his car and began the drive back to his home. He looked across the street and around corners on his way, searching for her over and over again. But he did not see her.

    Quite displeased with himself for stooping to such a level of behavior, he did not pay as much attention to the road as he should. Of course, the girl shouldn't have been reading the books in her arms, she should have been looking where she was going. As Erik put his foot on the gas when his light turned green and turned a corner, a girl stepped into the street, right in front of him.

    He floored the break, and both his and her eyes went wide.

   Erik nearly hit his angelic muse.