chapter 6
Uri asked to meet with the Boss today, so here he was at downtown diner of the Boss’s choosing. He was sitting in a back booth, waiting, as the waitress came up to bring him a menu.
“You waiting on someone, Hon?” She asked around a mouthful of gum.
“Yes. Thank you.”
As soon as she left, the Boss appeared in the booth across from Uri, wearing a canary yellow zoot suit with a skinny red tie, startling Uri, who stifled a smirk at His appearance. The Boss didn’t go out in human form very often, but when He did, He liked to think He was making an impression. Although in this part of town, people tended to embrace individuality, so He didn't stand out too much. Uri preferred His natural state.
“How are you Uriel?”
“I’m blessed, as usual. And you?”
“Couldn’t be better. How’s your assignment coming?”
“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.” Uri fidgeted with the napkin dispenser sitting on the table. “Women these days don’t trust strange men. There’s no faith. I don’t know how to get her to talk to me, and I'm not sure what to say to her.”
“This isn’t your first rodeo, Uriel.” Colloquialisms made The Boss happy, and Uri caught himself smiling indulgently.
“I know, but for some reason, this one’s really hard. I don’t even know what I’m supposed to do with her. She’s a stripper, for goodness’ sake! What is her destiny? She’s a superb classical dancer, but she doesn’t think she can do that, and frankly, I think I’m barking up the wrong tree there, anyway.”
The Boss studied him, silently. The waitress came to take their order, and Uri ordered a short stack of blueberry pancakes, while the Boss declined anything to eat.
After the waitress left, He looked at Uri. "She's different from the others, you'll agree?"
Uri nodded, as he ignored the flash of heat at the memory of Heather dancing. He felt something around her that was so totally foreign to him. Uri wasn't supposed to feel, he just followed orders.
The Boss's eyes roamed the diner before resting on Uri. "You've sacrificed for me, Uriel."
"No, I haven't. It's the nature of the job. I've only done what you've created me to do, Father."
"Yet, you haven't really lived your life, you've only done my will. That takes sacrifice." Uri was silent, studying Him, looking for some sort of clue to the answers he was seeking. “You’ve been working for me a long time.”
Swallowing hard, Uri nodded again, a slight trepidation tingeing his limbs.
“I appreciate the job you have done for all of us, but aren’t you tired?”
Shocked at the question, Uri replied defensively, “Aren’t you?”
The Boss laughed, a deep belly-laugh filled with mirth.
“Son, I will never get tired of this. But I sense a weariness in you boys, and I realize that you’re not boys anymore.” He stopped Himself from continuing, and Uri knew better than to question Him. There was something else that was bothering him, though.
"The Deceiver. He's here. What does he want with her?"
The Boss looked at Uri long and hard, a sternness in His gaze. "He knows of my plan for you, and he's trying his usual tricks. Don't worry about him. She's an intelligent woman. One of the many reasons I chose her." Leaning forward, the Boss grasped his hand. “Just get to know her, you'll see that she's made sacrifices as well. Like you, she doesn't see them as sacrifices, she wouldn't have done anything differently, given options. You’ll find the destiny. I promise.” His index finger tipped His eyebrow, and He disappeared.
Uri sighed heavily, defeated, and waited for his pancakes.