Deity Arms & Bridget

by Barbie Lee
© Dec. 2001

 

Part 3

 

"Are we going to go through life like this?"

I opened my eyes as someone was shaking me. I recognized the voice. "Time again, Donna?"

"You got it, sleepy head. I have your bath water running. We have the two o'clock flight and it's after twelve. You have to hustle again, girl."

I rolled out of bed, stood up and gave Donna a hug. "Jim is going to set it up for me."

She backed out of my hug as she pushed me off. "Bath, dress, plane, talk later."

"I have to call Mike and let him know so Morgan can let Robert know there will be a meeting." I gathered up underclothes as I headed for the bathroom.

"Morgan has already talked to Robert. She let him know. Morgan told him, he and Nancy are one of the few to see your Core Bore Company before stock is opened to the public." Donna took my uniform off the hanger and laid it on the bed.

I stopped in the door to the bathroom. "Morgan has already told him? I thought she was out of this as of yesterday?"

"There is out and then there is out. Morgan won't help you reel them in, Bridget. She won't be there to coax you when you do your sting as you try to get Robert and Nancy to invest." Donna picked up my suitcase and tossed it on the bed.

"Will you be there?" I waited for an answer.

"Me? You gotta be joking. Why would you want me there? I can't help you." Donna turned to look at me as she put her hands on her hips.

"Flaming red hair, green eyes, fun in everything you do, tell me you aren't a Leprechaun."

"Okay..., I'm not a Leprechaun. They are funny little men from Ireland and are a myth. Now get a bath, you stink like old cabbage." A smile crept across her face as she watched me.

"Yeah, and I'm the Easter Bunny too." I closed the door behind me, dropped my panties, walked over, and slid into the hot bath.

Vivian was checking tickets as Donna and I approached the boarding tunnel. "Ladies, you are late. I'm going to have to mark this on your report."

Donna picked up the passenger manifest. "It's all Bridget's fault. She wants to sleep her life away. Mark her report twice."

Looking up sharply at Donna, Vivian frowned. "Don't get smart with me. I'll flag your report with an attitude mark also."

Donna glanced over at me. I was wondering if Donna was going to keep talking and get both of us fired? "Donna was only joking. I'm sorry, it was my fault we were late. I didn't set my alarm and Donna came to get me. Please don't dock Donna too."

Vivian looked satisfied with the apology. "Both of you get a late report. Don't let it happen again."

Donna winked at me and then held up the manifest. "We promise. Well, surprise, guess who is in first class? Bridget is serving our first class passengers..., again. I have the also rans in coach. I guess that should make our pilots happy to know Miss Tonue is their hostess on this flight."

"It sure makes me happy." Came from behind us.

"Hello Captain." I recognized the voice before I turned my head to my right to look.

He leaned up over my shoulder and gave me a kiss full on the lips before I had a chance to respond. "I expect appropriate service for the pilots on this trip."

A smirk curled up the corners of Donna's mouth. "And that includes kisses from the stewardess? I'm afraid you have taken the meaning of hostess too literally, Captain."

Sam reached up with his left hand and cupped Donna's chin as he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. "Can it Donna, like I said, jealousy isn't your best feature. And that is MISTER Captain to you."

"Listen, MISTER Toad, I'm not jealous. You are sadly mistaken if you think I see anything of value in you I could be jealous of." She turned and walked into the boarding tunnel as she was talking.

"Toad? Hey, have you forgot who's flying this bird? Let's show the Captain a little respect here. This sounds like mutiny to me. And who conveniently left their purse and money at home and made me buy that last dinner? And..." Sam was lost as he followed Donna onto the plane.

Vivian looked like she had been smacked. She pointed her finger at me. "This doesn't change anything. You could know the president and I would still mark you late."

"Yes ma'am. Only fair, ma'am." I followed Sam and Donna onto the plane.

Before takeoff, Donna handed me a cell phone. "Keep it handy, Robert is wanting to fly down to Houston to find out about Core Bore. He will be calling you shortly for an address so he can look over the company."

I took the phone and made a pretense of sliding it into the non existent pockets our flight uniforms didn't have. "Silly me, I seem to have left my pocket in my closet when I dressed this morning. Where would you suggest I carry it while I'm serving our passengers?"

Donna pointed between my breasts. "I would suggest there but I can only imagine the pandemonium it would cause on the plane when it started ringing and you reached in to pull it out. Adjust the ringer to high and leave it on the counter in the galley. And you didn't get dressed this morning. It was afternoon before I managed to drag you kicking and screaming from your bed."

I wrapped my arms around her and gave her a heartfelt hug. "No matter what happens. No matter how this works out. No matter if I have to sell pencils on the corner after this, I want you to know I will forever be in your debt. I owe everyone so much I can never repay all of you. Thanks, I'm glad I met a Leprechaun."

Donna hugged me back before she backed up and looked me in the eyes. "I'm glad I know you. It's an experience I'll never forget."

"Let's get this bird loaded and into the air." She turned and picked up the passenger list out of the seat as people started up the tunnel toward the plane.

Pat was the Atlantic stewardess who was assigned to first class with me. A strikingly attractive petite, blonde, she was so cheerful and quick I immediately thought of her as a pixy. She was all of five four and if she weighed a hundred pounds then I was monkey's uncle. She was amazing to watch as she bounded (that's the only way I can explain it) down the aisle to serve a passenger and then back to check on someone up front. There was a family traveling with two small boys on the port side six seats back. Less than an hour into our flight the boys started bickering, fighting, and screaming. The mother and dad tried to hush them but to no avail. When the boys started standing up in their seats to annoy the other passengers I figured it had gone on long enough. I headed over to see if I couldn't reason with the two monsters when Pat hustled by me.

She admonished the two tiny terrors. "Please sit down in your seats. Do you climb all over the furniture at home like this?"

"My dad doesn't care." The oldest one piped up as he turned in the seat to see who had questioned his right to be a little snot.

"I see. Okay, would you like to see a movie or go look for treasure?" Pat put her fists on her hips and stood as straight and tall as her petite frame would allow.

I almost laughed it was so funny. It would be like Peter Cotton Tail trying to act tough.

"Treasure!" They both shouted in unison.

Pat nodded. "Okay, follow me and let's go see if we can find that treasure."

I watched in amazement as Pat walked off toward the back of the plane with the two terrors following. I was positive she would be back in minutes with the little devils crying they had been tricked. As far as I knew, Atlantic didn't carry treasure on its planes to pacify the kiddie parade that might happen to be flying.

The phone Donna had loaned me was ringing and I walked up to the galley to answer it. "This is Bridget."

"Bridget, this is Robert Drake. I met you at a party a couple nights back." It answered me.

"I remember." I swallowed as my nerves tightened up. I was praying I didn't mess this up.

"Your friend Morgan mentioned something about a revolutionary new concept in energy production. She said you had bought the idea from the inventor. She mentioned you might be looking for investors."

"That's correct, and you know someone who might be interested in investing?" I hoped my voice didn't give me away as my throat went dry.

"Possibly but I need to have something to tell him. Can you send me some information?"

"Mr. Drake you have to understand this is really confidential information. It wouldn't be possible to send out any information before we release it for public shares." How hard do I try to hold back to make him think it was a real insiders dream? If I hold back too much do I lose his interest?

"......, I see. Then there isn't a chance to look this business over before it goes public?"

"Uh, I didn't say that. I said I couldn't send out printed information. I can get you an on sight visit but no cameras, no friends. You have to understand if the Securities and Trade Commission finds out I had let someone outside the company look at this before public trading I could lose it all." I felt faint as I had bet my whole future on Robert wanting a look.

"Um...., yeah. I'll call you back." There was a click as the phone went dead.

My stomach did a flip flop. Had I lost him? Should I call Jim and tell him to stop now before he spent any more money? I was shaking all over as I found a seat and laid the phone down. What do I do now? What was Robert doing? I realized Jerry didn't know Robert as well as I had thought. Hell, the guy had taken my life and I never saw it coming. What made me think I could figure Robert out now?

The light was blinking for passenger number twenty four. I rose out of the chair and put on my best smile as I headed back to see what he wanted. My smile must have been on crooked because he looked at me kind of funny as I asked him what he wanted.

I didn't realize when Pat made it back with the two tiny terrors but at some point she must have because they were in their seats and acting like little angels as they colored in their coloring books.

By the time the plane landed in New York I was strung out tighter than a banjo string. I was praying for Robert to call me and at the same time wondering if I should call him. Had I lost him? Would calling him scare him off?

After Sam parked the plane at the terminal I put on my coffee, tea, or me smile and bid each and every passenger a 'thanks for flying Atlantic' farewell at the door.

Donna was walking up from the back, Pat was waiting for someone to help get her luggage down from the overhead, the crew had come out of the cockpit, and Sam walked up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist.

"Bridget, ho.....,"

It was the last thing I heard as things turned black.

"Bridget..., BRIDGET!..., BRIDGET! CALL MEDICAL!" Sam picked up the limp body in his arms.

"DONNA, CALL MEDICAL!" Sam was headed down the boarding ramp at a trot as he carried Bridget in his arms.

"GET OUT OF THE WAY! OUT OF MY WAY!" He was trying to make the crowds move over as he trotted through the concourse and headed toward the nurses' station.

The nurse checked for pulse and then dropped a stethoscope on Bridget's left chest. "Symptoms?"

Sam shook his head as Donna crowded into the little examination room behind him. "None. We just arrived from Los Angles. She seemed fine the whole flight. She collapsed on the plane after all the passengers had left."

The nurse pushed on the stomach of the woman lying on the table before taking a second pulse. "She have anything to eat recently?"

Sam turned around to look at Donna. "She eat lunch before she got on board?"

"No." Donna was shaking her head.

"Did anyone see her eat anything on the plane?" The nurse took the woman's blood pressure.

"We usually don't eat on the plane. It's pretty hectic waiting on passengers most of the time." Donna edged up closer to the table to look at Bridget.

The nurse examined the arms of the woman and then walked over to the medicine cabinet to get a vial. "I get one or two of these in here each week. I keep telling the airlines you girls are not zombies. You don't eat so you can look like models and then you work your asses off running all over those planes keeping everyone happy. No food means the body can't make energy. No energy means something has to give when you keep working."

She pointed to the woman lying on the table. "This is exactly what happens when you keep punishing your bodies to fit into those damn little nothing uniforms the airlines wants you to wear."

She broke the vial in her fingers and swept it back and forth under the woman's nose. "This will get her back to life but she has to eat or she will be back on my table or someone else's table the next flight or the flight after that."

I coughed as something terribly pungent wrecked my smell. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Donna laid her hand on my shoulder. "Lay still for a minute until you get your bearings back. When was the last time you ate?"

I wanted to put a fire hose up my nose and get rid of that terrible smell. "I don't remember. Yesterday noon when I had lunch with Mike, I guess. Why? I passed out didn't I?

Donna shook her head as she looked over at Sam. "Did the nurse nail it or did the nurse nail it?"

The nurse waved her hand toward the door. "Out, everyone out. I have real people come in here with real problems. I don't have time to hold someone's hand because they want to fit in some damn little Atlantic stewardess's uniform. Go!"

Sam took my arm and then wrapped his arm around my waist as I sit up. I swung my legs off the table and stood up. The world rocked for a little bit before it settled back down.

"We are going out to Alfonzos over on one thirty forth before I let either of you ladies go back to where ever you are staying." Mike was guiding me toward the door.

Donna pointed back toward the plane. "Our luggage is still there. I'll go find someone to make sure it gets home. Sam, you still live up on Twins Addition?"

"I'm still there. My luggage has my name and address on it. Tell delivery to drop it in the lobby." Sam had stopped as he was talking to Donna.

"Why don't we go back and get our luggage? Seems the simplest solution." I tried to push Sam off in the direction of the plane.

He looked at Donna and she nodded okay. "Fine. Then it's Alfonzos and dinner. Momma Severto will make us a meal that will make your stomach thank you."

We picked up our suitcases, found a cab, and Alfonzos in that order. Sam was right, the food was great but better than Tricks? I didn't think so. We were enjoying the meal when Donna's cell phone rang.

Tentatively I answered it. "Bridget."

"Listen, Bridget, I've been thinking. I need to see this operation you have talked about. When can I see it?"

I thanked god for Robert's lust for money as I worked a plan through my mind. "They aren't letting any outsiders in so I'll have to fly you down or meet you in Houston and then take you out to the location. I have a day off tomorrow. Does that fit your schedule?"

"Well, I had hoped for a little quicker than that but I guess if that's the earliest you can arrange a looksee."

Robert must really be cooking if he wanted a look tonight. I could visualize Jim still setting up the location as I was talking. "Can you meet me at Clear Lake Airport north of Houston at ten tomorrow morning?"

"Does that airport take private jets? I'll see if my pilot knows it."

Jim told me we were working on a four hour window. He would have the business operation up and going first as that was the easiest part. The location would be up and drilling at twelve noon tomorrow. By six tomorrow evening the whole operation would be nothing but a ghost in someone's imagination.

"It's big enough to accept private jets. I'll meet you there at ten and we will go down and look over the company offices. If agreeable then we will go look at one of the test locations where they are running drill string." I had no idea what I was talking about. I hoped Robert didn't either. Lies and deception are a house of cards, one mistake or one little light of truth and it all comes tumbling down.

"Ten, Houston time?"

"Yes, central or Houston time. Ten o'clock." Was Robert buying what I was shoveling or was he going to smell a rat?

"I'll be there."

There was a click and my phone went dead. I remembered Robert seemed to be able to talk on the phone for hours about nothing to women customers. I hoped because he was short with me didn't mean he was baiting me while I was trying to bait him.

Sam looked at me with a puzzled look. "Houston, location, private jets, company offices? What are you into, Bridget?"

Donna reached over and laid her hand on Sam's arm. "Listen, Mr. Nosey, people who poke their nose in other people's business shouldn't be surprised when it's cut off. Bridget has a life other than flying hostess. If you want to know about other people's affairs, why don't you come over to my apartment tonight and I'll let you in on my deepest darkest secrets."

Sam tried not to but he couldn't stop them, he started laughing. "Donna, love of my life, you don't have any deep dark secrets. You are an open book. If I wanted to hear about any of your unusual excursions I would buy a supermarket tabloid and read about you."

"Sam, you know what your problem is? You don't take me serious enough. Just for that, I'm not telling you any of my secrets and Bridget being my friend isn't telling any either. So there mister smarty pants, you blew it by being so uppity." Donna ducked her head and gave me a wink, Sam couldn't see.

I had no idea if these two were brother and sister or not. They sure needled each other like siblings.

Sam was right about the food. The problem was, I felt like a stuffed turkey by the time we left the restaurant. I ate more than two grown men would. Sam kept looking at me wondering where it was all going. He didn't know I was wondering the same thing but it sure felt nice and wonderful down there by the time we split up outside the restaurant and took separate cabs home.

My cab dropped me at the curb and left after I paid him. I waved at the gargoyles up on the parapet before I walked in the building. One of them waved back.

"What are you thinking?" Garmon shook his head.

"I like her." Grimcost looked about nonchalantly.

"Mr. Logan said we could sit here as long as we didn't wave to the guests. You are going to get us banished to the back of the building." Garmon was certain their days were numbered.

"Bridget is not a guest. She's a nice girl and I like her and she tells us stories. I'm going to go over to her window and see what she's doing." Grimcost spread his wings and stepped off his post.

"That girl is nothing but trouble." Garmon followed his friend over to Bridget's apartment.

I was already working on how to get down to Houston before I ever walked in the lobby of Deity Arms. Horace looked up from behind his desk as I pulled my suitcase through the front doors. "Good evening, Bridget, it's good to see you home again."

"Thank you Horace. It feels good to be home. I'm afraid it is only for a few hours though. I need to get up and fly to Houston after a few hours sleep."

"I know. Mr. Logan has arranged for a private jet. It will max out your Bank Ameri Card though. You will want to be there before six to familiarize yourself with your business, Miss Tonue. Then a few minutes before ten, your private jet will take off, and come back to land a few minutes after Robert and Nancy arrive. I'll have Mr. Luk give you a wake up call at three A.M. You can catch up on part of your sleep on the flight to Houston." Horace was watching for a reaction from me.

"Morgan..."

"Morgan had nothing to do with this, Miss Tonue. Mr. Logan offered to get you in position is all. He won't help with selling the idea to Robert Drake. Scheduling the private jet was Mr. Logan's contribution to your plans."

I set my suitcases down and walked up to the mountain of a man in front of me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him. "Thanks Horace. Tell Mr. Logan, I appreciate the help."

He hugged me back as he whispered in my ear. "Three is going to come awfully early, Bridget. I suggest you get a little sleep before then."

I backed up and picked up my suitcases. "You are right."

I was wired as I was thinking of what tomorrow might bring. After I laid out my clothes and repacked my bags for the trip, I was thinking I would never sleep after a bath. I was wrong. As soon as my head hit the pillow I was out.

"Miss Tonue, please wake up. Miss Tonue."

I licked my lips and spit my hair out of my mouth. "Thank you, Mr. Luk. I'm awake. Is it time already? Seems as if I just closed my eyes."

"Yes ma'am. Are you awake enough to get up if I leave now?" He had moved over by the door away from the bed.

"I think so. Would you mind waiting in the other room for a few minutes? If I'm not out in a few minutes come back in and get me." I tried to keep my eyes open but they wouldn't co-operate.

"Certainly, no problem, Miss Tonue." He closed the door behind him as he stepped out of the room.

I made it but I don't know how. I slipped out of bed and into nylons, bra, slip, a lurlux, shimmering red dress that hugged every curve of my body and five inch red patent leather heels. The front of the dress was a deep plunging vee. The short hem was thigh high and it was sleeveless. Robert liked his women to be almost dressed and I was. There was a whole lot more of me out of that dress than there was in it. I was positive if I bent over my breasts would fall out. I had repacked my necessities in a matching red patent leather purse.

I picked up my cosmetics case and overnighter. I would be back tonight either very very broke or maybe on my way to being very rich. Robert and I were going to trade wealth if I had my way. I was going to take everything he owned the same way he did..., Actually it wasn't me he screwed. He stole everything from Jerry. I looked in the mirror before I left the room. I definitely was no longer Jerry. Look out Robert, here comes Bridget and she's gonna do to you what you did to Jerry.

Mr. Luk carried my case down to the cab. Before sliding in I waved to the gargoyles. All four of them were up there this time. "Wish me luck guys." I slid into the cab without hearing them answer.

"Good luck, Bridget." Grim responded as she slid into the cab.

"Good luck, Bridget." Mr. Logan had his hands behind his back as he watched from inside the foyer.

"Goes for me too." Horace reached up and put his right arm around Logan's right shoulder.

Horace took a deep breath and sighed. "We aren't going to help?"

"No my friend, we don't help. Bridget does this by herself. Win or lose, she's on her own. No magic, no gentle persuasions in someone's ear, no cheating. I hope she accomplishes what she's going after." Logan turned and walked back to his office.

Horace watched the taillights of the cab disappear into the night. "So do I."

The cab drive took me out to a private jet and we were soon airborne headed toward Houston. I was asleep before the wheels left the runway.

The squeal of tires on the runway woke me. I looked at my watch as I ran my tongue across my lips to moisten them. "Houston?"

"Yes, Miss Tonue." Came from the pilot up front.

We wheeled up to a hanger. There was a pickup waiting out front. It had big Core Bore Drilling Company signs on the sides. I recognized Jim Castle in the pickup. I dropped the landing door before the wheels on the jet stopped rolling. "Thank you for the ride Captain. Do I need to sign for the fare now or what's the plan?"

"Sign for it when you get back to New York, Miss Tonue. I'll be here waiting for you at nine thirty. We will take off and come back after Mr. Drake's jet lands or that's the information I was given." Came from the cockpit.

"That's the plan so far. Thank you, Captain. I'll see you in a few hours then." I stepped down off the plane and headed for Jim's pickup.

Jim was shaking his head as I opened the passenger door and tossed my purse up in the seat before I climbed in. I never realized a pickup being so high up off the ground before. I literally had to step up on a railing and then step up into the pickup. "It's a long ways up to the seat in this puppy."

"Fasten your seatbelt, Miss Tonue. I don't need a ticket. It isn't the cost of the ticket I mind, we don't have time to stop and gossip. Your Core Bore Drilling Company is getting the finishing touches as we speak.

Jim broke the speed limit as he headed north of Houston. It was a short time later we pulled up in front of a spiffy new building with a sign out front and another huge sign on the front of the building. Core Bore Drilling Company was the name. There were a couple dozen new cars and trucks out front with Core Bore Drilling Company signs on them.

I couldn't believe it could happen in two days. "How did you manage this?"

There are two things that make things happen in this world Miss Tonue, money and knowledge. Money wasn't a problem and I know people who know where and how to make almost anything happen. The vehicles are all from a dealership. They can't be traced with tags once this day ends. The building belongs to a company that has no idea we are using it for one day. If anyone comes back here after today wanting to know who was here and where they went, no one will know. The people, the equipment, virtually everything will be gone by five. You are the owner of a one day business only."

He stopped the pickup in front of the building. "Come on in and get acquainted with your employees, Miss Tonue."

"Jim, you and I were friends a long time and I never remember you calling me Mr. Rands. I would appreciate it if you would stop calling me Miss Tonue and call me Bridget." I opened my door to step out of the truck.

Jim met me at the front of the pickup. He gave me the once over which left nothing out. "If I remember right, Jerry never dressed like you do. I think I would remember something like that. If you don't mind, I'll call you Miss Tonue and so will your employees. When your fish shows up he will be a little more impressed as everyone addresses you in a more formal respectful manner. I remember Robert real well. He's an egotistical bastard. I never did understand why Jerry ever hooked up with him."

Jim held up his hand before I could say anything. "Let me finish my little speech since we are soul cleansing here. I checked on Robert after your visit. Overnight, Robert became worth a small fortune. Jerry has disappeared and he owes a small fortune in debt. I can swallow all of that up to that point. Robert screwed Jerry and ran with Jerry's live in. The problem was, Jerry's live in was Robert's wife. Kelli was Nancy Drake two months before she went to work as Kelli Stalwart. She never worked for the IRS but was an accountant for National Cable for a few years."

Jim shook his head. "If you are Jerry then I'm the president of the United States. However, since you plan on getting even for what Robert did to Jerry then I'm in. I hated that son of a bitch before I learned what he had done to my friend. What I feel now is way beyond hate. If your scheme doesn't pull him in then he better be making out his will. If I decide what Robert did caused Jerry's death in any way then I'll ask a friend to settle the score."

I knew Jim was a friend but the depth of his friendship with Jerry was beyond comprehension. Would Jerry have done the same if the situation had been reversed? I honestly couldn't answer that. I started to give Jim a kiss.

He saw it coming and held out his hand to hold me back. "Not that I don't relish your kisses, Miss Tonue but I'm not allowed right now. You are undoubtedly the prettiest woman I laid eyes on and any man would have to be insane or gay to not want to hold you in his arms or be kissed by you but we are strictly business for the rest of the day. Maybe tomorrow I'll ask you for a date but not today, Miss Tonue."

"I'm sorry, Jim. I didn't mean to be so forward. It's hard for me to adjust to being Bridget. I get emotional so easily now." I stepped away out of his space.

"We are wasting time, Miss Tonue. Let's go check out your business. Then we need to drop over by your shop before going out to your location where they are punching down a well with your new invention." He motioned toward the door as he was talking.

At nine we were headed back to the airport and Jim passed through a drive thru to pick us up some breakfast before dropping me off at the plane. The jet had Core Bore Drilling Company signs on the fuselage in front of the jet engines. I slid up into the co-pilots seat after getting an okay from the pilot. He was listening to air traffic and when it was mentioned Robert's jet was a hundred miles out we took off. We made a loop sixty miles out and headed back.

Robert's jet had pulled up to the hanger where Jim had parked earlier. Now there was a big stretch limousine in his place and it had Core Bore Drilling Company on its side. I had no idea how much all this was costing me. Donna had been right when she said it would take everything and max out my credit cards. And that wasn't going to cover the cost by a long shot. I was going to be paying for this until the day I died if Robert didn't take the bait.

Our jet pulled up beside Robert's jet. The limo driver walked up and opened the landing door. I stepped out carrying my red shoulder purse, and an attaché case, hoping I looked like everything Robert ever dreamed of in a woman.

When the limo driver saw me he got a shocked look on his face but quickly recovered. He tipped his hat and then held up his hand in assistance. It was a thick British accent when he spoke. "Miss Tonue, good to see you again. I hope you had a pleasant trip?"

I glanced at his name tag. "Yes it was pleasant enough, Seth. Kind of boring but I had the Core Bore numbers faxed to me on a secure line this morning. It seems it's working a lot better than everyone thought."

"Yes, Miss Tonue, I've heard rumors to that effect." He walked over to the limo and opened the door.

"You've heard rumors? I'll have to check into this. It's totally unacceptable someone is leaking out information about our operations before we go public." As I looked in the limo I realized it was wasted dialog. Robert hadn't deboarded yet.

The landing door on Robert's jet was opening. I put my left hand on the door frame Seth was holding open, reached up with my right hand and adjusted my hair. I never looked as I heard someone stepping off Robert's jet but it was time for a little more pizzaz. I twisted around as I leaned over and ran my hand up the back of my right leg. "Thank goodness, I thought I had a run in my nylons."

"Probably caused by not shaving your legs." Was the sarcastic remark behind me.

I recognized the voice as I straightened up and turned around to greet her. "You are probably right, Ms. Drake. So good to see you again."

"And you too, Mr. Drake." Robert was behind Nancy with his eyeballs hanging out. I was elated to notice the red dress and heels had the desired effect on Robert's weak little mind.

I backed up from the limo. "Please, after you."

Nancy stepped into the limo and tossed another barb in the process. "But of course. We should be first."

The only thing that kept me from strangling that woman was the idea I was going to hurt her a lot worse if I was nice and she agreed, along with Robert, to buy into my scheme.

The ride out to the office gave me an opportunity to prime Nancy and Robert with the graphs, charts, and numbers Jim had made up for me. Jim gave me the basics but I was winging it from the word go. I pulled out a projected cost analysis, and income graph. "My manager tells me our project is working out much better than expected which is unusual for an initial pilot project. If we stick to selling our design to the oilfield and water well drilling companies, the graph you are holding represents the projected cost verses the projected income factoring in material increases over a five year period."

Robert nodded as he looked at the graph. "That's unbelievable. You are projecting a hundred thousand percent income the third year."

"Yes, I know the figures are low. My engineers plotted the conservative estimates due to unforseeable events such as a slow down in the economy, recession, drop in energy costs, and world wide market glut of oil and gas once our equipment becomes available world wide." I sighed in disgust. "Sometimes, it can be too much of a good thing."

I handed Robert some more graphs. "My engineers went on to widen our projected distribution base from oil, gas, and water drilling to thermal energy resources. As you can see, as an energy glut of oil and gas floods the market our secondary sales to thermal energy resources becomes our mainstay in the manufacturing business."

Reaching into my attaché case I pulled out a thick folder and handed it over to Nancy. "We will have to diversify to keep from shooting ourselves in the foot with our own design. My engineers came up with a plan to put a thermal energy source in every commercial building that has more than two hundred thousand square feet."

I put my fingers together absentmindedly as I spun my web of lies. "Our drilling equipment is so versatile, we can set up in the basement of any commercial building and drill a hole twenty thousand feet into the ground. We drop a pipe loop into the hole and hook it up to a thermal generator. We pump a silicone based fluid down into the pipe loop and get back steam. That drives the thermal generator which provides electricity, heat, and air conditioning for the building. Every commercial building becomes a steady source of residual income as they purchase the equipment, and buy our service contract. We replace the utility companies. Even the nuclear power plants can't compete with what we will be providing."

Robert's mind jumped on the idea he could be the power king of the world if he bought into Core Bore Drilling Company before it became public. He wanted more. He wanted the world, not just the commercial businesses. "What about residential customers?"

My mind faltered for a second. I hadn't planned on explaining individual home power plants. I started to say it would be the same in smaller size but really it wouldn't. I was scared I would give Robert a lie he could see through and it would be all over. "Uh, but of course. My engineers looked at the aspect of selling energy to individual homes but it wasn't feasible with the equipment we have."

Robert looked disappointed. He wanted more than a slice. He wanted the world. "You have no plans for residential power plants then?"

"I didn't say that. It has to be like a block of homes going on the same system rather than individual homes." I brought up my old reserve of coffee, tea, or me smile as I struggled to grind a plan out of my mind.

"We looked at the aspect of individual homes and the numbers couldn't be justified. However if we could talk owners into going in as a collective on each square block the concept would be..., uh..., a doable situation." If one holds a lie up and looks at it, the transparency becomes evident. Like cobwebs over a window, lies have no substance.

Robert's eyes lost their focus as his mind fed his ego. He could visualize himself becoming the most powerful man in the world. Controlling everyone's lives through energy supply. If people wanted to stay comfortable they would have to buy Robert's energy plan. Of course there was one little hitch. So far it was not Robert's business but he knew he would soon rectify that little glitch.

Nancy knew that look also and she was bound and determined to squelch Robert's ambitions. "Honey, this is all speculation. The lady hasn't shown us anything yet besides a few paper ideas. This is nothing more than a wild idea. She has shown us nothing yet, Robert."

Robert was brought back to earth by Nancy's doubts. He held up the sheets I had gave him. "My wife is right, not much here besides pretty numbers on a sheet of paper."

My mind was going into overdrive. Do I tell Robert I didn't care if he bought in or should I ask him to think about it? "Mr. Drake, you are right and I certainly don't blame you for being suspicious. The whole idea sounds preposterous. Why don't we turn around and take you back to your plane? You can forget this whole day ever happened."

I turned my attention toward the driver. "Seth, please take Mr. Drake back to his plane."

"Certainly, Miss Tonue." Seth pulled the limo over to the side of the road and stopped as he prepared to go back to the airport.

Silently I was dying. Thanks to Nancy, Robert hadn't swallowed the bait. I would be paying for this for the rest of my life and then some.

"Uh, Seth is it? I've changed my mind. Take us on out to Core Bore offices." Robert was looking at the charts again. His curiosity had got the best of him. He wanted to see if this item was real and what this technology was?

"Miss Tonue?" Seth was waiting for me to okay the second change in plans.

"I guess. Okay, take us to headquarters, Seth." My heart was pounding as I tried to put a disgusted look on my face.

"Mr. Drake, my time is too valuable to be running aimlessly about. You wanted this meeting not me. I canceled a lot of appointments and changed plans to accommodate you and your wife. If you aren't serious enough to look at our operation then please let me know now and we will go back to the airport. I need to see other people who are willing to throw their financial weight behind this business to get it into world wide production." By now, I was positive Robert was hooked. I wanted to make sure he understood next time he hesitated someone else would step in and take up the golden opportunity to invest.

Nancy leaned over and wrapped her hands around Robert's right arm. "Let's go home hon. I don't think we need to look at this whatever it is."

Robert's eyes were fixated on the papers as he was counting his billions from his investment. "No, let's take a look first. We owe it to Bridget to at least look at it."

Nancy glared daggers at me. She had the five hundred and sixty one million they had stole from Jerry and Hot Topics. She was positive she didn't want to invest it even if it made her more money then she could count. "I'm sure we don't owe Bridget anything."

Nancy sat back in the seat sulking as Robert stared at the graphs and discussed percentages with me.

Seth turned off the highway into the Core Bore Drilling Company parking lot. Everything from the brand new pavement we were driving on to the brand new cars and trucks with Core Bore Drilling signs on them spoke of money and lots of it. The brand new building gleamed in the noon sun. People were busy coming and going from the building and inside the building.

Seth parked the limo in front, got out and opened our door. "Miss Tonue."

"Thanks Seth. I slid out and waited for Robert and Nancy to catch up as I straightened my skirt and checked my hem. All for the benefit of Robert of course. "You wanted to see me..., my operations."

Nancy glared daggers at me. "He is married, doll. Turn off the estrogen."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to imply I was trying to hustle your husband, Ms. Drake." I looked hurt she could accuse me of such a thing.

Robert took Nancy by the arm. "Don't ruin this before we get a chance to see what it is or I'll ship you off to China as a slave girl."

Nancy picked up her pace as she and Robert headed for the office. "Don't you threaten me you bastard. I was the one who managed to get all his records so you could move his money."

Robert looked sharply at his wife. "Later dear, let's discuss our business affairs in private instead of out here in front of the whole world."

As we stepped into the office of mass confusion a man wearing Core Bore Drilling Company on his jacket met us. He held out his hand to Robert. "I'm Ed Reach. You must be Mr. Drake? Miss Tonue said she was bringing someone by to look us over."

I rolled my eyes as I looked at Jim shaking hands with Robert. Ed Reach indeed.

Ed held onto Robert's hand. "I'm afraid there isn't a whole lot to explain here. This is our main office. The staff does all the contacts and financial dealings here. Our machine shop is down the road a half mile. Come on back to my office and I'll get one of the contracts for you to look over. Then we will head over to the machine shop and look at the core bore itself. Quite a revolutionary idea to say the least."

Ed put his hand up on Robert's shoulder and led him down the hall to the back of the building. They passed a couple dozen offices jammed with people, computers, faxes, ringing telephones, copiers, and high end color copiers and printers. The place was a veritable anthill of production.

A man was in Ed's office talking on the phone as they walked in. He motioned to Ed he would be through in a minute. "No, we have the financial capital to carry us for another week. You have to tell them they will have to have the financial papers drawn up by Monday or they are out of the picture. I don't give a shit if they don't want to move that quick. Listen, I have a dozen more companies wanting in and they will be knocking on my door come Tuesday. Your clients want in then they better have the five hundred million transferred by Tuesday."

He hung up as he looked up at Ed. "Sorry, I thought you were gone to the shop. It was Jack Silvers, he said Canadian Bank and BankOne wanted to wait until Wednesday to look over the test from the location you are drilling."

"Monday? Tuesday? When is Core Bore going public? I thought it would be a few weeks yet?" Robert looked at the man who had been on the phone.

"We have the okay from Securities to launch our offering on Monday. Seems as if information has been leaking out about our project and everyone is tossing money in our direction wanting in. And by the way, who are you?" The man looked at the new comer standing beside Ed.

Ed shook his head as Robert started to answer. "He's a friend of Miss Tonue. Just passing through. Miss Tonue had to stop at the office for a second. He is only visiting."

Ed picked up a briefcase by the desk and ushered Robert out the door.

"Well tell Miss Tonue's friend he isn't to repeat anything he heard here. That is privileged information and not to be repeated." The voice drifted through the door behind them.

Ed urged all of us out the door as he brought Robert back up front. "Let's go over to the shop. This is getting out of hand. If Mr. Drake buys any of the company and Securities and Exchange gets wind of this we could end up in prison for insider trading."

All of us slid into the limo for the short ride over to the machine shop. Another new building with a fancy Core Bore Drilling Company sign on the front. There was a heavily armed guard who met us inside the front entry. "Miss Tonue, Ed, who are your friends?"

Ed stepped up in front of the guard. "It's okay, Jack. These are guests of Miss Tonue."

Jack looked doubtful for a few seconds. "I guess it's okay."

Ed took us to the back part of the shop where there were rows and rows of tubing, heavy machinery, test equipment and large spools of electric cable, steel cable, and motors stacked all over the shop. Men were busy everywhere as Ed took us over to where a man was plugging some wires into the upper end of a cylinder approximately ten feet long and two feet in diameter. It had fins on the sides.. There was a drilling bit on the other end.

I counted a couple dozen men in that shop and all of them had on bright red coveralls with Core Bore Drilling embroidered on the back. I could see thousands of dollars in uniforms much less what all that equipment might have cost. I was going to be paying for this for a mighty long time.

The man by the cylinder looked up at Ed. "I've finished this one. We will be able to make them smaller with the new motors. Just a sec and you can see it run."

He walked over to the bench and plugged in the wire leading from the cylinder. Flipping a switch, a high pitched whine filled the air as the bit on the opposite end begin to spin.

Ed leaned over toward Robert. "The whole concept is built on the idea of drilling with a revolving bit on the end of a stationary guide. If you ever saw a drilling rig you know they need lots of pipe, lots of men, and big rigs to drill an oil well. With Core Bore we send a self guided bit into the ground attached by an electric cable. The new permanent magnet motors are powerful enough to make this technology work and we are the only ones who have this right now."

Ed put his arm over Robert's shoulder and pulled him in closer as if he was an old friend sharing a secret. "Before, when using the old way of drilling, it took several million to drill a six thousand foot hole whether it was productive or not. With this invention we can drill a hole for less than a hundred thousand. Dry hole, wet hole we don't care. We will be drilling down to twenty thousand feet and tapping into earth's thermal core. If we hit gas and oil along the way and it still pays to move it to the surface, we will do so but I wouldn't put any of my money on oil royalties from now on. Oil is going to be good for lubricating your door hinges in a few years as thermal energy and electricity will be the thing that makes the world turn."

"Let's go out to the location and I can show you how it works." Ed moved us toward the door and the limo.

I don't remember all the BS Jim (Ed) was pumping into Robert and Nancy on the drive but it was good. I was ready to buy a few thousand shares of Core Bore myself. Seth pulled into a location that had a couple dozen buildings, a huge drilling tower, and miles of pipe stacked by the tower. That wasn't counting the batteries of tanks and the large sludge pit off to the back.

Ed pointed toward the equipment and the couple dozen men in front of the car. "This is how it's done the old way. The logistics of moving all the equipment and men in to this place before they even begin to drill is a huge hundred thousand dollar expenditure. Then they will sit out here for four months to a year and half drilling a hole whether it's dry or not. That's millions of dollars of expense and finally they have to pick all this up and move it to another location to do it all over again. That costs another hundred thousand or more."

"Let's go out to our site, driver." Ed turned his attention back to Robert and Nancy and ran the comparison costs between our Core Bore operations and the operations we had witnessed.

At the location, Seth parked about fifty yards back from a small drilling rig mounted on the back of a huge truck. Ed continued to carry the ball for me as he put his arm over Robert's shoulder after we stepped out of the limo. Ed pointed off toward the rig with his left hand. "Look at the small black line going down into the hole. That's the power line feeding the electric motor at the other end of that bore. They started this two weeks back and they are down to eleven thousand feet now. We got this site for test only. Most of the wildcaters wrote this section off as unproductive years back.."

Ed waved a man over. Again the guy was wearing red coveralls with Core Bore Drilling embroidered on the back. "This is Carl, our tool pusher and geological engineer." What do the tailings look like?"

"Ed I think we might bring one in. Good petroleum spotting in the tailings. Sure looks like we might be flooded with oil. I hope not. I had rather not mess with it before we reach twenty thousand and do our thermal test..., Uh oh...." The man looked frightened.

"What?" Robert jumped and Ed stepped off to the side.

The ground started trembling and I was thinking earthquake.

"GET IN THE CAR!" Ed was screaming to make himself heard over the terrible roar coming from the direction of the well.

All of us dove for the car as a jet of black stuff blew up out of the hole pushing a cylinder before it. The cylinder few up in the air and embedded itself in the ground less than fifty feet from the car.

"Seth, get us the hell out of here. One spark and this whole place will look like Dante's Inferno." Ed had his face pressed to the side window watching as a black plume poured out of the hole and into the drilling tower of steel above it.

Seth had traveled a mile down the road before Ed looked over at me. "I'm sorry, Miss Tonue. I know you didn't want to hit any oil. There wasn't supposed to be any there. Carl will get it capped with a Christmas Tree and get to drilling again in a week or so."

"A week? Ed, our investors might not wait a week. This is going to be a problem with Securities and Exchange people. We promised them a thermal well by the end of the week not an oil well. I don't know how we can keep our financial base going until our thermal well is finished. I hate to tell you this but I'm out of funds. My bank has told me they won't loan me any more until they see some results." I was distraught as I wrung my hands together.

Robert looked over at Nancy. He had been handed the opportunity of a lifetime. "Bridget, maybe I might be able to help."

Nancy looked back at Robert. The same idea had struck her too. "We can help."

Puzzled I looked up. "I don't see how."

"I can give you that needed operating capital for ninety six percent of your company." Robert had a gleam in his eyes like a cat in the cream.

I was surprised he didn't ask for the whole company but I didn't tell him that. "Ninety six percent....? No, it's not possible. This company will be worth billions in a few months. All I need is half a billion to keep it going until we bring up the thermal well."

"From where I sit, you seem to have run out of options, Bridget. Unless you sell to me you are going to loose it all. I'm not that cold or insensitive, I'll let you keep four percent." An evil smile crossed his face as he knew he had me.

"Ed...?" I looked over at Ed for help.

"I'm afraid he's right, Miss Tonue. You are going to lose it all. The finance people will shut you out without a good day to you." Ed shrugged his shoulders in resignation.

I was a beaten woman. I had lost a billion dollar company when I was so close to having it all. "All right then but we must have an immediate influx of funds or you will have nothing also. We need five hundred million to keep this company from closing its doors."

"I have three hundred and sixty million in liquid funds. You sign the company over to me now and I'll write you a check." Robert knew he has won, he was pulling a checkbook out of his pocket.

Nancy looked doubtful. "Robert, that's most of our money. Are you sure about this?"

"Sure I'm sure. In a month you can count billions instead of millions." He was esstatctic.

Ed opened up the briefcase he had retrieved from his office. "I planned on writing up a contract but this wasn't exactly what I had in mind. Mr. and Ms. Drake you are about to own ninety six percent of Core Bore Drilling Company and the world's next energy source."

Ed filled out a contract and handed it to me. "Miss Tonue, I know this hurts but you would have lost everything if Robert hadn't bailed you out. At least you get to keep four percent this way."

"And that is supposed to make me happy?" I took the contract and signed it.

Robert reached for the contract and Ed pulled it back. "The check, Mr. Drake."

"Sure." Robert wrote out a check for three hundred and sixty million dollars and handed it to Ed as he took the contract with his left hand.

Robert showed the contract to Nancy where they owned Core Bore Drilling Company. "We are rich beyond our wildest imagination."

Nancy held out her hand as she visualized the diamonds, and rubies, and other jewels dripping off her fingers. "I can imagine a lot."

The ride back to the airport and jets was in dejected silence on Ed's and my part. Robert and Nancy went on and on about all the money they were going to have in a month or less. They never acknowledged Ed and I existed as they climbed aboard their jet and it took off.

I watched the jet leave the runway before I turned around and threw my arms around Jim's neck. "I'm ruined. They stole my company."

Jim could feel me shaking. He pushed me back to see if I had lost my mind and was crying. I was dying laughing. I leaned up and gave Jim a kiss on the lips he wouldn't ever forget.

"I can never repay you for what you did. Can you get those funds transferred before they figure it out?"

Jim looked over at our driver, Seth. "Pete, you get that money moved yet?"

Pete stood up and took off his chauffeur's cap and jacket. "As of about three minutes ago, Mr. Drake has a zero bank balance."

Reaching down to the company sign on the limo, Pete slid his fingers under the edge and peeled it off. "I quit. Miss Tonue, I want you to know I loved working for you. You are the best employer anyone could want but I refuse to work for Mr. Drake. The man is a mean bastard and besides that, he's broke. I'm going back to my old company."

Pet walked around the car and pulled the company sign off the passenger side.

As Pete walked back around to get in the car I met him and held out my hand. "Pete, it's Bridget and I thank you for everything you did for me."

Pete looked down at my hand and then back into my eyes. "Bridget, I want one of them hugs you gave Jim. I've never held a beautiful woman who looked like you and I want to know what it's like."

I laughed before I leaned into Pete and wrapped my arms around his neck and gave him a heartfelt hug. He put his arms around me and pulled me in softly and gently as he hugged me back.

"Thanks for your help, Pete." I remembered from being around Jim and his crew they were rock solid, hard working men who would give you their last dime. They never sidestepped a meaning or feeling. If they liked you they were your friend for life. If they didn't like you then they would never be your friend. Unlike Cal Baker, Pete didn't have any hidden meaning in wanting to hold me in his arms. Pete really did want to hold a beautiful woman if only for a few seconds.

Smiling, Pete backed up as he stared. "You are an awful lot of woman, Bridget. You need anything, anytime, anyplace, you call me and I'll be there." He got in the limo and drove off.

Jim shook his head. "Bridget, where do I send your money?"

"Give it back to the people Robert stole it from. I imagine it will take anything that's left over and then some to pay for what it cost you to set all this up. What about that oil well we came from. They going to be able to shut that off and clean it up?"

A smile spread clear across Jim's face. "That oil well was less than three hundred barrels of Saudi Black Crude purchased with your money. Mix in a lot of water, pump it up to four hundred pounds, mix in a little oil and send it into a swirl chamber before jetting it out of the casing and it looks like a million gallons of raw oil. Your oil well is an engineering marvel sunk thirty feet down in the ground so it will have the right look and force as it gushes riches up into the air."

"But, the ground was shaking and all that noise...?" I couldn't believe Jim and his engineers could fake everything we had left behind.

"Ground shaking was a thumper. It's a seismograph truck that is designed to shake the ground so the engineers can get echo readings back from deep in the earth. At one time we used dynamite and blew holes in the ground. Now we use thumpers." Jerry didn't tell you a whole lot about our business did he? The corners of Jim's mouth curled up as he knew he had out guessed me.

I closed in on his personal space, put my hands on his shoulders, and looked him in the eye. "Remember, six years back on November the eighteenth when you and Jerry went hunting up in Montana near Cold Creek? You and Jerry had been out most of the day walking the woods without seeing a single deer. Lots of tracks but no deer."

Jim slightly nodded his head. "So? That don't mean nothing. Jerry told you that much."

"I'm not finished. About sundown you made a bet with Jerry you could write your name in the snow in piss and he couldn't. Jerry said that wasn't a fair bet as his name had two more letters in it than yours did. You told him to pull out his pecker and write Jer if he could and you would write Jim."

Jim's eyes closed to slits as he studied my face. "Jerry told you that too."

"You pulled your peter out and Jerry started laughing telling you he would be ashamed if that had been his, it was so small. You said it was the cold and it had shriveled up but you could still write your name in the snow. Jerry then did the same and you looked and asked him where all of his went if he had such a big wiener? You started peeing and at that instant both of you looked up and standing less than twelve feet away in the brush was a twelve point buck with a huge rack. You got so excited as you reached for your rifle, you stuck your peter back in your pants and peed all over yourself. You kept pulling the trigger on the rifle as the buck turned and walked off but you forgot to take the safety off. Jerry was laughing so hard I fell down in the snow and peed all over myself." I was looking Jim in the eyes and was seeing doubt.

He shook his head. "Jerry told you that story."

"You both made a pact you would never tell the story to another living human being. Now do you honestly think Jerry would tell anyone that story? Would you?" I waited for an answer from my best friend.

"jerry? my god..., jerry...," Jim looked like I had whacked him with a two by four.

"It's Bridget now. Are we still best friends? Let's do it again this fall. Only some things have changed. I'll bring a camera and a scope to shoot my deer. I don't think I can shoot any deer with a gun." I backed up to give Jim a little room.

Still in shock, Jim nodded. "I would like that very much. I'll bring a camera too. I don't think I will want to shoot any deer either this time."

"Jim, I honestly don't know how I can ever repay you for all you have done for me. The money from Robert probably won't be enough to cover everything and I really don't have much any more. My old software company had to fold when Robert and Kelli..., I mean Nancy stole all the money out of it. They cleaned out my personal account at the same time. Send me a bill and I'll try to pay it but you may have to wait for me to pay it out a little at a time." I looked over at the jet where someone was removing Core Bore signs off the fuselage.

"It will be a cold day in Hell before I send you a bill for getting even with Robert and Nancy for what they did to Je..., you. You were a good friend once, I hope that never changed. It's going to be a little difficult adjusting to the new look you have but deep down inside I think it's still the same ol Jerry. Take care, Bridget Renee Tonue. You call me if you need anything and let's make a date for that hunting trip." Jim held out his hand for a handshake.

Handshakes were great for Jerry but I needed more. I closed in and gave Jim a hug. "Soon. We will get together soon."

I turned and walked over to the jet. As I climbed onboard and was closing the landing door, I looked and Jim was waving bye. I waved back as I heard a familiar voice from the cockpit.

"You want this bird off the ground then you better get up here and drive."

Squealing, I rushed up to the cockpit to find Donna in the copilot's seat. "What's going on? Where's our pilot? How did you get here?"

Donna started bringing the jet to life. "You're the pilot. The one that flew down here had another job to do. Are you going to talk or you going to get this bird in the air? You know, Robert could have second thoughts and want to check over his Core Bore business and come back."

I slid over in the pilot's seat and helped Donna bring the jet to life. "You file the flight plan already? Are we legal?"

"Legal as we will ever get with two women playing like jet jocks. Hello Clear Lake Tower, this is Alpha, Widow, Susan Charley requesting permission to taxi to end of the runway for takeoff." Donna was on the radio

It had been a long time since I had flown out of a small airport like Clear Lake. I had forgot they didn't tell you when to taxi and what taxi way to use. We were quickly airborne and Donna was efficient as she brought up flaps and gear. At thirty one thousand we leveled off headed toward New York.

I put on the autopilot. "Robert won't quit looking for me. I know him well enough he will kill anyone he thinks may have helped me if he can find them. Morgan is in danger for being close to me. Mike will be on Robert's death list because he was at the fashion show with me. I think Jim can cover his tracks well enough Robert won't be able to find out Jim helped. I need to move out of Morgan's apartment as everyone in the building is in danger if Robert finds where I live."

A smile spread across Donna's face as she glanced in my direction. "Morgan can handled Robert if he goes after her. Mike is in France with Morgan. I sure wouldn't take any bets Robert could hurt Mike either. You don't think Jim could be connected with your sting and Robert could never find him. I agree with that. I guess that leaves you."

"Yes it does. I'll move out tomorrow so it won't endanger the rest of the residents in Mr. Logan's apartment." I had no idea where I would go but I figured I could keep moving to stay ahead of Robert.

"You're moving tomorrow but it's on a flight to Saint Louis and then to Chicago and back to New York. I think Mr. Logan would be very upset if you moved out at this time. Plan on hanging around a little longer."

She changed the radio frequency after we were told to switch.

We dropped into New York and parked the jet next to the hanger where I had boarded this morning. I picked up my overnighter and purse as we stepped off the jet. "It felt good to fly again, Donna. I had forgot how much I enjoyed it at one time."

Donna put her fingers in her mouth and whistled. A taxi pulled out from inside the hanger. "We will have to do it more often then won't we."

"I'd love to but on fight attendant's pay, I don't think it will happen again. Where do I pay for this trip at? The pilot told me he would have a bill for me when we returned." I looked inside the hanger but there wasn't an office in there.

I recognized Kemel as the taxi pulled up. "You are always there when we need a ride. Are you that fast or are there dozens of you who look just like you?"

Laughing, Donna opened the cab door. "You ask too many questions. The company will invoice Jim Castle and he can deduct it out of the money Robert gave him."

"But..." Before I could complete my sentence, Donna pushed me in the cab.

"Tomorrow morning at eight, your flight to Saint Louis, try and not be late." She tapped the window by Kemel and we left Donna and the airport behind.

At the apartment, Kemel let me out and then speed off before I could pay him.

"I'm so in debt I'll never see daylight again." I waved at the gargoyles on the roof before I walked into the apartment. "Hi guys."

Garmon looked down without moving his head. "It's little miss trouble maker again. Don't move."

Grimcost already had his paw up. "But I like her. She's nice."

Garmon closed his eyes and shook his head. "You are going to get us fired. Between you and miss troubles waving at each other Mr. Logan is going to banish us for sure."

Inside the door I dropped my cosmetic case. Horace could see it coming as I ran toward him. For the first time he smiled as he held his arms out and accepted me as I wrapped my arms around his neck.

"I did it. I made him pay it back. Or everyone else did it for me. I'm sure Donna helped but it's hard to tell with a leprechaun. Horace, life is so wonderful."

I wiggled back out of his arms and got serious. "I'm afraid I put you and Mr. Logan, and everyone here in jeopardy by coming back. Donna told me not to worry but I can't help but worry. Robert is dangerous. He will be willing to kill everyone he thinks may have had a hand in me taking the money back. I will pack my things..., I don't have anything to pack do I? It's all Morgan's things and her apartment."

The tears came unexpectedly and without warning. "I don't mind now though. I may not have any more than Jerry had but I gave Robert a taste of the same. I only wish he knew it was Jerry who paid him back."

Horace started to reach out. I wanted solitude instead and ran for the elevator. I was crying my heart out as I reached the top floor. The lock was difficult through the tears but I made it. Slamming the door behind me I ran to the bedroom and threw myself down on the bed as I cried.

"She sure does cry a lot." Grim had his nose pressed up against the window.

"She's sensitive and caring, the world is cold and insensitive. It's a clash of emotions." Gorm pushed Grim over to the side so he could look in at Bridget crying.

"I think she's spoiled. She had everything and now she has nothing. She's crying because she wants it back." Grim turned his back to the window.

"Did I ever tell you, you have a heart of stone?" Gorm glanced over at Grim in disgust.

"Takes one to know one." Grim retorted as he looked out across the New York landscape.

Grimcost came in too fast. He hit the ledge and then bounced up against the glass. "Awww, she's crying. I wanted her to tell us where she's been. She tells such nice stories."

Mr. Logan and Horace were standing at the edge of the bed as Bridget cried herself to sleep. She was sobbing in little hiccups as her breathing came in gasps.

"I tried to tell her not to worry but she ran away." Horace reached down and brushed Bridget's hair back out of her face.

"She's had an emotional day. She thinks she has put all of us in danger by her actions. I don't remember when we had one like her. She's unique for sure. Morgan make a wise choice in her." Mr. Logan reached over and picked up one of the tears Bridget had on her cheek. As he held it up, it glittered and cast a rainbow of colors though out the room before it disappeared.

"So much emotion in a tiny little tear. Don't worry Bridget, we have plans for Robert and Nancy." Mr. Logan looked out the window to see four gargoyles looking back in. A hint of a smile touched his mouth. He shook his head as he left the room.

"How many times are we going to have to go through this? Bridget? Get your butt up out of bed and let's go. I swear girl, you are going to get both of us fired for constantly being late."

Licking my lips I raised my head up and looked into an upside down face of Donna. She was bent over looking back into my face. "It's morning?"

"Yes, and you look like shit! You slept in your clothes. You sure don't look like someone who got their money back yesterday. Were you out drinking or partying all night?" Donna straightened up and backed up to look for my suitcase and overnighter.

"Donna, I can't do this anymore. I have to leave before Robert tracks me back to this apartment. You don't know him like I do. He will kill everyone he thinks had anything to do with him losing his money." I rolled over and sit up, pushing my hair back out of my face.

"Go take a shower and jump into your uniform. I'll help you put on your face in the cab. We are definitely going to be late." She was pulling clothes out of the closet and folding them into the suitcase.

"Donna...," I was trying to make her understand Robert was not the kind of person they could reason with.

Donna stopped and pointed her finger at me. "Listen to me. Robert is in Clear Lake this morning looking for Core Bore which we both know he won't find. He is going to go ballistic by the time he drives from the empty office, to the empty shop, and out to the location which will be empty also. I imagine Robert will be on the phone trying to stop payment on the check only to find out the money has already moved out of his account. Not only that but virtually all the money Robert owned has moved out. That includes the millions he kept in reserve to live on for a week until Core Bore made him a few billion."

She dropped her hands down to her hips and curled them into fists. "At the location Robert will find a notebook obviously left behind and missed in the haste of cleaning up the site. In that notebook will be names of associates who helped you set up your sting."

"Oh no, it's not possible. I didn't have any such notebook. Who would do that to me? Robert...,"

"Of course it's not your notebook but Robert will believe it is. Fell out of the limo as you and him were inspecting the location yesterday. In the confusion of the well blowout it was dropped and left behind. In a few days, Robert will have traveled over a large part of the country chasing those names and addresses in the notebook. All of them freshly empty like the places he is looking at in Clear Lake. Everything he finds will be pointing back toward New York. Sooner or later he will figure out he will have to start looking here if he's ever going to find you and get his millions back."

"I have to end it then. I'll let him take his hate out on me. I can't involve anyone else in this. It has to stop before Robert kills someone besides me." I was headed for the door.

Donna wrapped her hand around my left arm and stopped me. "You innocent, naive, thing you. Bridget, don't you understand? Robert has been invited up here. Mr. Logan wants him to come. Jeeze girl, look in the mirror for god's sake. You think someone who can do what has been done to you is scared of some clown with a gun and a grudge?"

That stopped me in my tracks. Thinking of it rationally, Donna was right. I better than anyone should have thought of it from that angle. I turned and headed for the bathroom and a shower. "Give me five minutes. Did you call a cab?"

I couldn't believe it when Donna and I walked up to Atlantic's terminal. Vivian was the one checking boarding tickets. She frowned as Donna and I approached. "Ladies, this has to stop. As usual, you are late. What is there about schedules you don't understand? I imagine this will be your last time flying as hostesses with Atlantic or any other airline. Too many infractions does get one terminated."

Donna lowered her head and I thought she was crying before she turned her back to Vivian and wiped the tears out of the corner of her eyes. The lines on her face told a different story, she had been laughing instead. I put my arm around Donna's shoulder to keep her from looking or talking to Vivian as I was praying Donna didn't giggle out loud.

Donna straightened up as she sniffed and wiped her eyes. She dead panned as she reached for the duty roster on Vivian's desk. "Let's see who is up in first class? Oh dear me, Bridget is on the entertainment schedule for our illustrious crew and passengers."

Shaking her head, Donna looked at Vivian in amusement. "That girl isn't on the rotation schedule. I wonder why she never has to take care of those back in coach? I wonder why first class seems to sell more tickets when Bridget is flying? Do you possibly think management has figured out Bridget is drawing in first class fares?"

Donna looked at her watch and sighed. "Bridget is sixteen minutes late..., again. That girl has no sense of time. She wastes too much time looking after the passengers, too much time running refreshments up to the pilot and crew, and way too much time wasted on each individual passenger as they board and later as they get off."

Slowly Donna raised her head and took a measured look at Vivian. "You really aren't too bright are you, or you would have noticed the same thing everyone else working or flying Atlantic has noticed. Bridget not only sells tickets, she has infected everyone around her with her enthusiasm."

Donna laid the schedule back on Vivian's desk. "I wouldn't be too hasty in filling out that late slip if I were you. Management might think you have a grudge against Bridget. But then, you do what you think is best."

In shock, I followed Donna into the boarding tunnel. "Donna, that's not fair. Vivian wasn't the one who was late, and I'm sorry for making you late also."

Picking up the passenger manifest, Donna ran her finger down the list. "Bridget, paying for one's tardiness doesn't have to be in pay with held, shortened working schedule, or job termination. You make your payment in the extra service you provide for passengers and crew. Besides, you haven't ever had a schedule sheet handed to you, have you? If you think anyone besides Miss Hardnose cares if you are a few minutes late then you are sadly mistaken."

"Smile hon, we have passengers headed our way."

The smile was sincere as I looked into the tunnel and heard footsteps. "Welcome aboard Atlantic Airlines, Sir. I hope you enjoy your flight with us. If there is anything you need please let me know. May I see your ticket please?"

Atlantic's Hooters was back to business.

The flight to St. Louis was quick and a lot of fun. David and Randy were the pilot and copilot. Jimmy was the navigator. Trish was the stewardess up front with me in first class. We worked our little tails off but since the flight was short we didn't get a chance to get tired. Donna went on with the plane to Albuquerque and then to Las Vegas, and I switched planes headed to Chicago.

I had a two hour lay over before heading back to New York on yet another plane. I wasn't interested in waiting inside the plane. I wandered through the concourse in absent minded direction. Most everyone took a second and third look at the Atlantic hostess in her short little pink nothing uniform. One little five year old pointed at me. "Look, a pilot."

His mother took his hand to lead him on. "No dear, that's not a pilot."

"But she has wings on her chest." The little boy turned completely around and walked backwards to make sure he was right.

"She is not a pilot. She's only a waitress." The mother said it with disgust.

Only a waitress? What's wrong with being 'only a waitress'? I had no problem with being 'only a waitress'. I'd like to see that mother go to a restaurant or ride a train, or ship, or fly without those like me who were 'only a waitress'. Let her find her own meals, her luggage, help entertain her child when she was too tired to care if he ran wild on the public carrier.

Someone wrapped their arm around my waist and laid their head up over my shoulder as he whispered in my ear. "You're my favorite waitress."

Of course I jumped out of my skin. Robert was on my mind as I dropped my purse, grabbed the arm, and was rolling the owner of that arm up and over my shoulder as I leaned forward and dropped to my knees. About halfway through the toss, the voice registered in my mind but it was too late to stop him from coming over and landing on his back.

Sam was lying there on his back, looking up at me with a surprised look on his face. "Remind me never to sneak up on you from now on. Or was it something I said?"

Virtually everyone for a hundred feet or more stopped and was pointing and staring. I was embarrassed to death. I know my face turned beet red.

"I'm so sorry, Sam. You startled me. I didn't mean to hurt you." I offered my hand to help him up.

Sam rolled over on his side and rested on his elbow as he laid his head down on his left hand. He was looking up at me. "I think I'll stay here. I don't want you to hurt me no more.

"SAM! Get up! People are looking at us." I wanted to hide my face.

"Not until you apologize." Sam smiled from ear to ear.

"Okay, I apologize. I'm sorry. Now get up. People are staring." I was thinking about walking off and leaving him lying there on the floor to get away from the embarrassment he was causing me.

"And a dinner date. Donna said you own a red dress that will make grown men cry and young ones wish they were grown." Sam waited for me to capitulate to his demands.

I was thinking it had to be the dress I wore yesterday in Texas. It was one of Morgan's gosh, gee, wow, dresses I had borrowed. "Okay. Now get up and stop embarrassing me."

"And..."

"SAM...!" I started to pick up my purse where I had dropped it.

He jumped up and swept up my purse in his left hand. He held it out to me. "I had a few other demands in mind. As long as I was on the gravy train, I was going to milk it for all it was worth."

I took the purse and slid the strap up on my shoulder. Sam walked off down to where the mother and boy had stopped along with everyone else when I tossed Sam down on the floor.

Sam crouched down where he was eye level with the boy. Sam pointed toward the wings on his own jacket. "I'm a pilot but you know what? That lady down there your mother called a waitress is more than that. I take care of one job and that's fly an airplane from one airport to another but she takes care of dozens of jobs. The airplane would never leave the ground if it wasn't for her and thousands of others like her. She makes sure you have a ticket, she makes sure you have a seat, she makes you and me and all the other people on that plane comfortable. She makes sure you understand what to do if anything goes wrong and she makes sure all of us don't worry when we feel frightened. And when that plane lands she makes sure you don't leave any of your things behind you brought with you."

Sam stood up as he looked at the young boy. "I'm just a pilot but she's more, a lot more than that. That woman your mother called a waitress can fly the airplane if something happened to me. I couldn't do her job if something happened to her. She's one of our angels in the skies. I sure wouldn't want to be up there without her and all those like her."

Sam took a quick look at the mother before he walked back over where I was standing. He slipped his arm in mine as he gave me a wink. It had been nothing but dead silence when Sam was giving his speech. A spontaneous applause erupted along with a few cheers and whistles from the crowd around us.

I leaned into Sam as we walked back down the concourse toward our terminal. "I really couldn't fly your plane, you know."

"That's not what Donna told me. She said you were a full fledged, honest to god, jet jockey, and could fly anything that had wings and a lot of things that didn't have wings. Donna may be a lot of things but one thing she's not is a teller of falsehoods."

"Why aren't you sitting where I normally sit when that bird takes to the air?" Sam had stopped and turned me so I had to look at him.

I sighed. "Impossible to believe story but the funny part is, I really do enjoy waiting on the crew and passengers. I love my job more than anything I have ever done in the whole wide world and..., Everyone should have a job they like as much as I like mine."

Sam put his fingers under my chin and lifted so I was looking up at him. He bent over and kissed me. I went off the emotional charts as my heart and mind raced into oblivion. I wrapped my arms around him and returned the passion as my whole world stopped in time and space. Seconds? Minutes? A lifetime? Time ceased to exist and there was only..., the kiss.

Whistles, hoots, and laughter brought me back to earth as those passing around us, and those who had stopped to watch, shouted encouragement.

I pushed back from Sam as my world came back into focus and reality struck home. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean...,"

He put his fingers over my lips. "I won't accept an apology because you did mean it. I mean it too. Bridget, I love you with all my heart. Marry me and give me some relief. Twenty four hours a day, you are all I can think about. I've become the world's worse pilot since the first time I met you. I take off thinking not of the passengers and plane but of you. I land without ever thinking of what I did. I don't remember if I went through a landing list or not. Ask any of the crew that flies with me and they will tell you, I'm not there any more. They ask me questions and they say I answer, Bridget. They ask me what flight I'm on and I answer, Bridget."

The tears started. I hid my face on his chest as I cried. I couldn't involve Sam in my life. I had no life except getting up everyday and flying. I owed Morgan, and Logan, and Horace, and Donna, and Jim, and Mike, and dozens of others. I owed them money and Bridget owed them her life. If Robert found me then that would be the end of my life. I knew Robert and he wouldn't quit until he did find me be it today or ten years from today.

Sam rested his chin on the top of my head as he held me with tender love. "You have my heart, my mind, and my soul, Bridget Renee Tonue. Please don't cry. I didn't mean to hurt you or make your cry."

"I can't, Sam. I love you too but I can't. It's not possible. My life is so messed up I refuse to involve you in my mess. Please don't ask me again. My heart won't stand it. I want more than life itself to marry you but I can't. Please, please, don't ever ask me again." I was crying with my face buried in his jacket.

Sam never answered as he wrapped his arms around me and held me in his strong embrace, protecting me from my world.

Patti was at the boarding desk when Sam and I walked up. She took one look at me and held out her hand toward me. "Captain, you take over here. Bridget, you come with me onto the plane and let's straighten up your face."

I was hustled into the boarding tunnel by Patti. "What's going on, Bridget? Do you want to talk about it?"

"I'm sorry, Patti, it's a personal problem but I have it under control now. I can take care of my makeup." I was trying to explain as Patti led me to the bathroom.

She didn't take no for an answer as she helped me clean up my makeup. She dropped some eye drops in my eyes to get rid of the red. "You pregnant? Did Sam tell you to get lost after you told him you were going to have his baby?"

That shocked me. "No, it's nothing like that. I've never been to bed or had sex with Sam..., or any other man for that matter. It's...,"

"You're a virgin!" Patti backed up to take a good look at me. Her eyes were two egg whites.

"Well..., yes. I am. Is that difficult to believe?" I wondered why that surprised her?

"Hell yes it's hard to believe. You have the face, the looks, a body that drives men insane and you haven't been to bed with anyone. I'm having a hard time swallowing that story. So if you aren't pregnant, what did Sam say that made you cry?" She was rapidly blinking her eyes in disbelief.

"He asked me to marry him." I rolled my lips in and held my breath to stop the tears I felt coming again.

"Patti looked shell shocked as she stared. Then it hit home and she screamed in hysterics as she held her stomach with her left hand and slapped her right knee with her right hand. She was laughing so hard, unable to stand; she plopped down on the floor. She finally stopped laughing long enough to stand up. She did okay until she looked at me and that was all it took. She staggered out the of the bathroom laughing.

Billy, our copilot stepped on the plane, a look of puzzlement on his face as he watched Patti stagger toward him laughing. She looked up, tried to speak, pointed back toward me, and doubled over in hysterics again. She staggered down the boarding ramp like a drunk as she laughed. About every ten feet she would get her laughter under control until she pointed back toward the plane, and then unable to speak, she would start again.

After Patti took over, Sam came onboard with a puzzled look on his face. I shook my head. "Don't ask."

Sam nodded and walked up to the cockpit without saying anything.

I imagine our passengers thought Atlantic had hired the happiest go lucky hostess in the whole world or they thought Patti was crazy. Patti would look at their boarding pass and point back toward the plane and giggle most of the time. Other times, she would be talking to them and giggle right in the middle of a sentence. Laughter is infectious. As the passengers boarded the plane, most of them would have a big smile on their faces or they would be laughing not understanding nor caring why.

I didn't try to avoid Sam on the flight back to New York. It would only have made matters worse. I had lost my heart to him but the fact was, I didn't deserve him. He deserved a nice normal relationship with a woman who had an honest to goodness background, not some spook like me. There would be too many complications in a relationship with someone like Sam. I could imagine all the questions I could never answer. "Let's visit your family, Bridget." "Let's go to your school reunion, Bridget." "Who was your best friend when you were growing up, Bridget?" "Where are your family photos, Bridget?" "You were flying for whom and when was that, darling?"

At New York I was giving the customary departure speech and the last passenger had deboarded when Sam walked up behind me and wrapped his arms around me. He pulled me back into his chest and rested his chin on my head.

"I've given it some thought and decided no is not an option. You're not married or Donna would have told me. You're not going with anyone or she would have warned me. You aren't lesbian. That only leaves one answer."

He turned me around to face him as he looked into my eyes. "I can not take no for an answer. That's too painful for me to contemplate. The only answer that's possible is yes."

He studied me as I had nothing to reply. Shaking his head, Sam sighed. "You promised me a date and I'm holding you to your promise. Tomorrow, it has to be tomorrow. I'll pick you up in the morning at nine."

"Nine? In the morning? But I couldn't possibly...," I was running through my mind how we could start a date at nine in the morning?

"I said, no is not an option. Where do you live?" He was needing an address to come and get me.

"I don't know." I could see doubt register in his eyes and I held up my hand. "I honestly don't know. The apartment is called Deity Arms but I've always taken a cab and never thought much about the streets getting there."

"Okay, I'll take a cab. You will wear the red dress Donna was telling me about?" He waited for an answer.

"I haven't sent it to the cleaners since I last wore it. I'll check and if it doesn't have any spots or stains on it then I'll wear it just for you." I noticed the crew had gathered up behind Sam to hear our conversation.

"Tomorrow then, it's a date." Sam leaned up and gave me a light kiss on the cheek before he walked off the plane.

Billy and the rest of the crew were smiling like kids on the playground who had just seen their first kiss between a boy and girl. I waved my hand in their direction. "It's only a date. Grow up, people."

Patti walked past me smiling as she nodded in agreement. "Sure just a date. He asks you to marry him and now he asks for a date. Don't tell us to grow up. We aren't the ones who have the situation all turned around backwards. We date and then ask for marriage, not the other way around."

Billy pointed toward the disappearing Patti. "I agree with her. You and Sam are coming at this from the wrong direction."

Raising their voices in unison, the rest of the crew agreed. I could only shake my head in disgust as I left the plane.

At the apartment I paid Kemel for the fare but he shook his head when I asked him about the fare for the other times I didn't pay. After he drove off, I counted my money and it was getting down to nothing. Two dollars and fifteen cents. I gave Jim all the cash Mike had endowed me with in Los Angeles when I set up the sting. I didn't figure I would get a paycheck from Atlantic, I never filled out an employment form. I was the person who showed up in one of their hostess uniforms, took a flight, and disappeared when it was all over. I needed to find a real job and soon but that was going to be iffy. Anything that paid a decent wage would want a history which was one thing I didn't have. I still had the credit cards but had no idea what amount was allowable to be charged and then there was the payback when I used one of those cards.

I took a deep breath and promised I would pick up the help wanted classifieds tomorrow and call all the employment agencies. Sam's date was interfering with me finding a job. I waved at the gargoyles before I walked in the building. "Hi guys. Meet me by the window and I'll tell you about my day."

"Don't answer." Grimcost whispered out of the side of his mouth.

Garmon looked down as she walked into the building. "But I like her."

Grimcost looked at his friend. "Weren't you the one who called her Little Miss Troubles?"

"Yeah, but she's cute and I still like her." Garmon backed away from the front and spread his wings. "I'm going over to her window. She promised to tell us a story."

"Mr. Logan ain't gonna like this. Wait for me." Grimcost followed Garmon over to Bridget's apartment window.

Grim watched them fly by. "What's up? She's back isn't she? Leave room for me, I'm coming too."

Gorm leaped off the side of the building. "Dibbs on the middle spot."

Horace was watching as I walked into the building. I walked up to his desk and slid my purse up on top. "Horace, I need a job. You know of any job where they don't ask too many questions and pay enough to live on?"

"A job! Uh, I thought you had a job as a stewardess for Atlantic Airlines. Is there something wrong with that job? You quit or you don't like it?" Horace looked puzzled.

"Oh no, I love flying for Atlantic. I couldn't ask for something I enjoyed more but I need to find one that pays. I have a couple dollars from what Morgan initially gave me and..., well, I'm broke again."

A serious look crossed his face. "You aren't...,"

"Thinking of suicide? No, the thought never entered my mind until you brought it up. I'm not the suicidal type. Jerry only wanted to because his life was over and prison wasn't an option." I shrugged my shoulders.

Relief showed on his face. "I'll see what can be done. Don't worry about it, Bridget. These things have a way of working themselves out."

I had to chuckle as I leaned over and gave him a hug. "Easy for you to say, you have a place to call home and a job. Thanks Horace, I'll go see what my friends know about a job."

He had his hands on my waist and I felt him hesitate. "Friends?"

"Sure, I've told them all about me and they are fun to talk to. I would give them something to eat but I don't know what they do eat. Well, provided I had anything in my..., Morgan's apartment to eat that is." I backed up and slid the purse strap up on my shoulder as I moved my hair out of the way.

"You're talking about the gargoyles?" He was looking to see if he had nailed it.

I nodded yes as I headed for the elevator before I stopped and turned to look at him again. "Sam O'Donald is a pilot for Atlantic. He said he would be by to pick me up around nine tomorrow morning. If he can find the place that is. And provided I'm not flying tomorrow. I guess if he doesn't show and I don't fly it will give me time to look for a job."

Logan stepped into the lobby as the elevator doors closed behind Bridget. Horace turned to look at his old friend. "You heard?"

"Yes, it's time to send her on. I'll miss her."

"Me too. Sometimes being a god isn't any fun." Horace sighed centuries of living.

Logan nodded in agreement as he stepped back into his office and closed the door.

Walking into the apartment I saw four noses pressed up against the window. I waved at them as I tossed my purse over into a chair. "Hi guys, wait till I tell you what I did today."

I raised the window and rubbed one behind the ears with my right hand while I rubbed another under the chin with my left hand. "There was the businessman who was got on in New York and went on to Albuquerque with Donna's flight. You remember her from my last story. Donna is the Leprechaun I was telling you about. She has the prettiest flaming red hair and the brightest emerald green eyes and...,"

"I'm beginning to believe I am going to spend my life getting you out of bed."

I opened my eyes to look at those emerald green eyes I was telling the gargoyles about last night. "Hi Donna, morning again? We flying? I need to call Sam and tell him our date is canceled."

"No, we aren't flying. Not for Atlantic anyway. Get up and get dressed You're leaving." She picked up a suitcase and opened it up in a chair.

"Leaving? They are throwing me out aren't they? I can't blame them. Not my apartment, I'm not paying them anything." I rolled over and sit up in bed as I pushed my hair back out of my face.

"Take a shower and let's pack your things. You won't be back." Donna walked over to the closet.

"I don't have anything to pack. This is all Morgan's things. I'm not even sure if Atlantic's uniforms are mine. Don't put anything in that suitcase, the suitcase is Morgan's too." I looked around the room. There was nothing there that belonged to me.

Donna took the red dress out of the closet I wore to Houston. She held it up. "Bridget, look at these clothes. Who do you think besides you could possibly wear these dresses? Morgan? She has a darling figure but it's not um..., She isn't a forty four, hon. Let's get you packed with some necessities and the rest can come later. A few dresses, a couple of those damn heels you seem to be able to wear without complaining, and underclothes."

I was confused as I headed for the shower. Not Morgan's clothes? But it was Morgan's apartment. After the shower and drying off I walked back into the bedroom. Underclothes and the little nothing red dress were spread out on the bed. The front door opened and shut after I finished dressing.

"Bridget, I asked Mr. Luk to carry your suitcases to the cab. You ready?" Came from the living room.

Looking around the apartment I picked up the red purse and checked. Donna had moved all my contents from my other purse into the red one. I slipped into the five inch red heels, smoothed out my skirt, slid the purse strap up on my shoulder, and walked into the room where Donna was waiting.

"You ready?" Donna opened the door.

"I guess. Where we going?" I followed her out the door and closed the door and that part of my life behind me.

"Find you someplace to live. Sam called me last night wanting your address. He told me he had a date with you this morning. I kind of canceled your date until tonight. We had to get you moved today. Morgan called and said Mr. Lsuka Quinn is going to meet us at the courthouse in an hour. I believe you have the opportunity to close your option on Hot Topics."

Donna handed me a PDA and a schedule book before we got on the elevator. "Here's your flight schedule log. I can't keep coming to get you for every flight. You fly from Atlanta to LAX two days from now. Morgan told the CEO of Atlantic to give you a light schedule because you had a photo op with Fashion Trends, Guys and Dolls, Modeling Designs, and a host of others too numerous to mention. You will be on Good Morning America and the Tonight Show on the eighteenth."

The elevator opened up. In shock I stepped on as Donna held up her left hand and counted silently on her fingers. "Um..., no, yes, yes..., Oh, did I mention I talked to Jim Castle? He has your money. Didn't you say Robert and Nancy stole eighty six million dollars from Jerry? No...,? Wonder where I heard that at then? Jim has it and he said he would make sure it was safe this time. No one besides you will be able to get their hands on it."

Horace looked up and smiled as Donna and I stepped off the elevator. I started crying as I walked over and slipped into his arms.

Donna headed for the door. "I'll wait in the cab."

"I wish I didn't have to go. I'll never forget you. Thank you for everything." I cried as I laid my head against the chest of this huge mountain of a man.

He held me in his arms, gently, tenderly. "I'll never forget you, Bridget. It's been many centuries since I have seen anyone like you. It was kind of you to drop by and share a little of your life with us."

I rose up on my toes and gave him a kiss, mixed with tears, on the cheek. "I love you, Horace."

Mr. Logan was waiting by the front door. I walked over and wrapped my arms around his neck. "Will I ever see you again?"

Logan put his hands around the back of my head and pulled me in to his chest as he rubbed the back of my neck. "Ever is a long time, Bridget. We will have to wait and see."

Through the tears and sniffles I tried to smell him one last time to lock the memory in my mind. "Forever is a long time. Please don't wait forever."

I backed up and then leaned up to kiss him. I had to see what it was like to kiss a deity. The kiss? Impossible to explain. Explain light to a blind person who has never seen. Wiping the tears I backed up. "I love you too, Logan. Thanks for everything. Thanks for my life."

"It is Morgan you should thank. I only gave you a place to stop for a little while." Logan cocked his head and smiled.

"I will, I'll thank her next time I see her. Please don't let this goodbye be a final goodbye." I was wiping tears as I took one last look around at Deity Arms, Horace, and Logan, before I walked out the door.

Before I slid into the cab I waved at the four gargoyles sitting on the roof. "Come see me."

"Well, Little Miss Troubles is finally gone." Garmon watched the cab drive off.

"You liked her as much as the rest of us did." Grimcost admonished his friend.

"I didn't like her." Grim stuck his nose up in the air in disgust.

"Yeah, and your mother was a cat." Gorm shook his head as he backed up to go find his perch on the other side of the building.

Logan stood at the door with his hands clasp behind his back. "She's one of a kind."

Horace walked over and put his hand on his friend's shoulder. "She's certainly that. I wanted her to stay."

"You know as well as I it wasn't possible. Human's are like butterflies, they are prettiest when in the wild on their own. She would have grown tired of us in time."

"I wonder if humans know we have as much pain and sorrow as they do? Being a god and living for centuries isn't all it's cracked up to be." Horace shook his head sadly.

"Sometimes, it's more than fair. Look alive, here they come." Logan turned and walked into his office closing the door behind him.

Horace walked back to his desk and waited. The evil could be felt before the cab pulled up to the curb. The man and woman reeked of evil as they got out and argued with the driver about the fare. "You stupid bastard, you don't think I know what you were doing? You drive all over the city to run up the meter. You ignorant bastards come over here to America and take our jobs, and you're nothing but stupid savages."

The man pulled a twenty off a roll of bills. "Here, this is all I'm paying you. You tried to screw me and now I'm screwing you. Fuck off you little bastard. Go home. Go back to the sewer you popped out of."

The driver said something, before giving the man the finger and driving off.

The man kicked the cab door as it pulled out. "Fucking foreigners. Come over here and take over the country."

"You told him, honey. He didn't get away with cheating us." The woman patted the man on the back for a job well done.

"Fucking A." The man agreed.

He looked up at the name on the building. Deety Arms? "I think that fucking little weasel dropped us off at the wrong building. This is Deety Arms and I definitely told him Deity Arms. Asshole can't even understand English. Let's go see if these bozos know where Deity Arms is?"

He pushed the door open to the lobby and they walked in.

Horace winced as the evil that flooded the lobby was almost over whelming. "May I help you?"

"Yeah, where's the fucking Deity Arms Apartments. Driver dropped us off at the wrong building." The man sneered as he wiped his nose with his coat sleeve.

"Maybe it would be of some help if you told me who you were looking for, sir." Horace was ready to air out the place before the stench became over powering.

"Yeah, maybe you heard of her. Bridget..., Bridget Tonue. Young bitc..., Young woman. Has big melons clear out to here." The man held his hand way out in front of his chest.

"But they are false. She doesn't have real ones. You can tell they are fake a mile away." The woman added.

"Yes, we have a tenant by that name. Beautiful young lady with long silky, black hair reaches to her hips and black eyes?" Horace was baiting the trap.

"Yeah, that's her. What apartment is the bi..., woman in?"

"I'm afraid I can't give you that information, sir. I'll buzz her if you will tell me who's calling?" Horace picked up the phone.

The man moved his right hand inside his jacket. "Give us the apartment number!"

"What's the problem here?" Mr. Logan stepped out from his office. He almost raised his hand to sweep the evil away from his face, but he resisted.

"This gentleman and lady wish to see, Miss Tonue," Horace pointed in the man's direction.

"I see. Do you know Miss Tonue?" Mr. Logan clasp his hands together in front of his chest.

"Yeah, we're good friends. In fact we are better than good friends. We are business associates. The bitc..., uh, she has something for us and we stopped by to pick it up." The man slipped his hand out of his jacket.

"I see, I don't guess it there would be any harm in letting them go up to Miss Tonue's apartment if they are business associates. Horace, please guide Miss Tonue's guests." Mr. Logan smiled and nodded his head.

Horace smiled as he waved toward the elevator. "Miss Tonue's apartment is six oh nine."

The man motioned for Horace to stay where he was. "We can find it. Don't call her, we want it to be a surprise."

"As you wish, sir. I'm sure someone is going to be surprised." A smile spread across Horace's face and he almost laughed.

"They sure the fuck are. The bitch is going to get what's coming to her." The man mumbled as he and woman stepped on the elevator.

"Call the fumigators, open the doors, and air this place out." Mr. Logan was waiving his hands back and forth as he walked to the front door to hold it open.

"Shall we go up to Morgan's apartment and wait?" Horace was smiling from ear to ear.

"But of course. Let the games begin. Robert and Nancy Drake are about to find out what happens to those who threaten one of our guests. After you my old friend." Logan pointed up.

Logan and Horace stepped into the room the same instant someone else did. Logan smiled as he looked at her. "Morgan, you look stunning beautiful as always."

Smiling, Morgan looked around the apartment. "You always were a smooth talking devil, Logan. You did send everything along didn't you? Bridget will need her full wardrobe to keep up with her schedule."

"Mr. Luk packed everything as you requested. Shall we open the window and let Bridget's friends in? I don't think Mr. and Mrs. Drake had the chance to meet them before they came into the building. I'm positive Bridget's friends wouldn't approve of Mr. Drake threatening Bridget with a gun."

There was a heavy knock on the door. As Morgan walked over to open it, Horace opened the window. Four shadows slipped into the room snarling and growling.

Mr. Logan put a finger to his lips. "ssssssss"

Morgan opened the door. "Robert, Nancy, please do come in. We have been expecting you. I'm afraid, Bridget is unavailable right at the moment but..."

"Unavailable my ass! Get out of the way, bitch! Where's that little cunt hiding? She's gonna be sorry she ever fucked with me." Robert gave the woman a hard push with his left hand as he stormed into the apartment and pulled a thirty eight out from under his coat.

Nancy followed Robert into the apartment and slammed the door behind her. "We got her now. Get Miss Tits out here! I'm going to beat the living shit out of her. She will beg us to take the money back before I'm through with her. She fucked with the wrong people this time."

Smiling, Mr. Logan stepped into the room. "Actually someone 'fucked' as you say, with the wrong people but it wasn't Miss Tonue."

Robert pointed his gun at Mr. Logan. "Who the hell are you and where's the fucking bitch at?"

"Such language. More appropriate for a prostitute working in an S&M brothel, wouldn't you say?" Mr. Logan glanced over at Horace who had walked up beside him.

"Listen asshole, I asked you a question and I don't intend to ask again. In case it has escaped your attention I have a gun and I will use it." Robert waved it back and forth for emphasis.

Mr. Logan blinked in shock. "Did the gentleman just call me 'asshole'? I fear he has threatened me with his weapon also. I'm not sure I approve of his language nor his manners. Boys....,"

A cold chill run up Robert's back as a low ominous growling rumble came from several places around the room. Four monsters stepped into view, drooling, lips pulled back exposing long fangs, the hackles raised on their backs.

Something impossible to believe takes awhile to register on the brain even when the eyes are looking at it. Robert and Nancy were looking at four gargoyles who were not stone but alive. Screams of sheer terror escaped from apartment six oh nine, followed by the sound of gunshots mixed in with hideous screams, growling, and the crash of furniture being destroyed.

Horace looked over at Logan. The room destructed in front of them as Nancy and Robert fought with the gargoyles. "He was right. It was a surprise."

Stepping around the raging fight, Morgan walked over beside Logan and Horace. "I'm afraid this is getting a little messy for me. I'll be going. You have plans for Bridget's guests?"

Logan watched as Grimcost clamped his teeth down on Robert's ankle. "Oooooh, that's gotta hurt. Yes, I'll take care of them after Bridget's friends give them a little attitude adjustment. What did Nancy call Bridget? Miss Tits? And Robert called Bridget a bitch? I'm sure something appropriate can be reciprocated, with interest of course."

After Donna and I left the apartment I managed to get my emotions under control. I had to know. "Donna, why me?"

"Why you, what?" Donna didn't understand the question.

"Why was I chosen? Why didn't they let me kill myself? People die all the time. Why me?" I was curious why I had been chosen to be saved from death.

"Game of chance. It was fate if you believe in such things. Chance if you don't." Donna opened up the makeup kit and took out cascading diamond earrings and a necklace. "Here, the dress you're wearing demands it."

"You're kidding! I wasn't chosen because of some reason or another?" I couldn't believe the life I was living was pure chance. Absentmindedly I slipped the earrings in my pierced ears before I put on the necklace. It never dawned on my mind I was wearing half a million dollars worth of Morgan's jewelry.

Donna reached up and tapped the driver on the shoulder. "Kemel, why did you pick Jerry up that night?"

The driver glanced up in the rearview mirror at me. "I was coming back from that part of town after a delivery. The guy was standing on the curb and I thought why not make a few extra bucks. So I stopped and gave him a ride. That was it. When he handed me a twenty and told me to take him as far is it lasted that raised my curiosity. I saw him ditch his watch and billfold down in the seat before we had gone two blocks. That told me the guy had either stole it and wanted to get away from the crime scene or he was on his last leg and wanted to disappear from life. I decided to run him by Mr. Logan and see if he wanted to play with him."

"Play, with him? It wasn't all planned days, months, years before?" I was desperately trying to understand.

Donna pulled out the eyeliner. "Hold your head up and look at me. Be still now. No planing. Morgan was there and she wanted you. That's really all there is to it, hon. You think they plan everything? Morgan and the others are deities, not omnipresent beings. They don't know everything and they make mistakes like you and me."

"You and me? But you're one of them."

"I said hold still. No I'm not one of "them". I know a lot about them and understand a lot but they hold a lot of secrets back from me. There, now your eyes look like the model you are." She put up the eyeliner and took out a blush.

"Kemel is one of them then. He's always there when we need a cab." I glanced up front at our driver.

"Yes, Kemel is one of them. He really enjoys meeting people and giving them rides. You will find out, them, are like us in a lot of ways. There are good ones, bad ones, and they have good days and bad days too. Now lean over here again and let me bring up your cheeks although Morgan blessed you with so much beauty, I don't know why I bother trying to improve it."

I looked at my long slender fingers and dark red painted fingernails. "So this is only chance? Donna you aren't going to leave me are you? I need your help to find my way. Besides, you're my best friend and the only one I can talk to now that I no longer have an apartment where my life begin."

Kemel pulled up to the curb and stopped. "We're here. How long you gonna be? I need to pick up a guy in queens and run him back to Tricks. He's the guy who stole Bridget's mink jacket. Trick is going to make sure they guy looks good in it."

Donna opened her door and slid out, motioning me to follow her. "This is going to take awhile. Bridget should get her Hot Topics back after the judge gives the okay for transfer of ownership from bankruptcy. Drop her suitcases off at the plane. We will catch a cab to the airport."

I opened the front door and leaned in. I held out my hand. "Kemel, thank you for everything. Thank you for picking me up that night. I don't have any money but I have a credit card Morgan gave me. Can you run it through?"

Kemel took my hand, leaned across the seat, and kissed the back of it. "Bridget, never have I enjoyed a passenger as much as I have you. When you come back to New York, I'd like to be your driver if you don't mind. As for the money?" Kemel held out his arm and showed me Jerry's watch on his wrist. "A three thousand dollar watch pays for a lot of rides. More than twenty dollars worth. Take care, Bridget. When you need a New York cab, I'll be there."

Donna edged me back out of the way and closed the door. Kemel was gone. She pointed toward the courthouse. "I know they have never had a client dressed like you so let's go see if we can talk them out of Hot Topics while their minds are fried."

I glanced over at Donna and shook my head. She was wearing a lime green dress. The full skirt was as short or shorter than mine. The top had a scalloped neckline and full length sleeves. The light played tricks as the dress seemed to be a flowing liquid even when she wasn't moving. Her sensible heels were two inch and her purse matched her dress. Her gold earrings and necklace were perfect with her dress. There was no doubt in my mind she was one of "them" even if she denied it. She was a Leprechaun for sure.

It was two sixteen before we left the courthouse. The men seemed to have trouble keeping their minds on the bankruptcy case. I honestly thought the judge was going to call us prostitutes and toss us out of court but he didn't. He probably stared at us harder than any of those five corporate lawyers who were trying to block the sale of Hot Topics. In the end the little lawyer Donna had hired for me, Mr. Lsuka Quinn, convinced the judge I had a prior claim on Hot Topics. When I said little, I meant little. The guy was Indonesian or some such and stood about five six. If I wasn't wearing heels we would have been looking each other in the eye. I don't think he weighed a hundred and twenty pounds soaking wet. But his mind was sharp and his understanding of law was second to none.

Donna and I caught a cab and headed out to the airport after the judgment. I was wondering how I was ever going to get Hot Topics back into production as we pulled up to a private jet. I was seriously out of funds. It takes money to put a business back into business even if all the pieces are already in place. I was positive the kind of money I was making..., as I had yet to see any, would never pay the light bill for Hot Topics much less any of the other overhead. So far, I had been living on other people's graces. I was up to my eyeballs in dept to Morgan. I owed the lawyer, Mr. Quinn, who we just left at the court house. Jim Castle's bill had to be a couple hundred thousand or more. I was going to be working for nothing for the rest of my life to pay off my debts but at least Robert and Nancy didn't have it either. Donna said Jim cleaned out Robert and Jim had the money they stole from me but I found that hard to believe. Robert didn't write that kind of check.

Donna pointed to the jet as she slid out of the back seat. "The guy onboard has a briefcase for you. It has your flight plans and your apartment address in Atlanta. I'll see you around, Bridget Renee Tonue. Have a good life hon."

That wasn't what I wanted to hear. Donna had told me goodbye in her own way. I started bawling as I walked over and wrapped her up in my arms. "Please Donna, please don't leave me."

She pushed me back as tears gently fell from her eyes. "Not forever, Bridget. We will fly together some day. Even Leprechauns have friends."

I pulled her back in and held on for dear life as I cried on her shoulder. "You're my best friend. I love you Donna. Please don't wait too long before you come back."

"That's so you can steal my pot of gold isn't it. You think if I hang around long enough you will figure out where I'm hiding it."

Donna's wise crack had made it possible to let her go. I kissed her on the cheek. "We are best friends. Friends don't steal from one another. Don't make me wait too long or I'll call up Sam to find where you live."

"I promise. Go find the life that was supposed to be yours, Bridget. It won't be all sunshine but I'm betting you make the days with lemons into lemonade." She gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

Biting my lips so I wouldn't cry any more, I walked over to the plane and climbed aboard. I turned to close the landing door. Donna was standing there by the cab waving. That ripped my heart apart. I was crying again as I waved bye to her.

As the door closed the world off between us, someone wrapped his arm around my waist and he nuzzled in my ear. "She always pops up whenever you need her. It's what she's best at."

I reached back and wrapped my hands around his head. "I don't want her to pop up when I need her. I want her to be there to share a joke only she understands. I want her to be there when we greet the passengers. I want her to be there when we enjoy an evening after a hard day. Life is more than sharing needs, Sam. Life is also sharing fun. That's a different kind of need but it's the same."

He turned me around to face him. "I know. I also know I want to share those things, and the person I want to share with I'm holding in my arms."

He gave me a kiss between my tears and held me for a long time in his strong comforting arms. Finally he led me up to the cockpit. "Donna showed me your pilot's license. You really do fly everything with wings and a lot of things without don't you."

I started to sit down in the copilot's seat and Sam steered me over to the pilot's seat. "Hey, no free rides this time. On Atlantic you make me do all the flying, this time it's my turn to take care of the passengers while you fly."

I glanced in back. "We don't have any passengers."

"Not my fault it turned up empty on your flight, Captain. What say we kick the tires, light the fires, and get this buggy off the ground? I'm dying to see that apartment north of Atlanta Donna found for you. It's within walking distance of the airport. She said all you have to do is hop down to Atlanta for your flights out on Atlantic Airlines."

I slid into the pilot's seat and started bringing the little Lear to life as Sam slid into the copilot's seat. "Sounds good to me. You have the flight plan filed?"

"The Captain is supposed to do that but since you were late, as I knew you would be, yes, I filed it." A self satisfied smirk spread across his face.

"Then let's see about getting this bird in the air." I inched the throttles forward and we stared rolling.

Sam turned to stare at me as we sit at the end of the runway before our turn for liftoff. "Is that the uniform you're going to wear when flying for Atlantic? Not that I mind or am I complaining. Quite the opposite, I think it's the uniform all female pilots should be made to wear."

"I'm not flying for Atlantic except as a hostess." I heard the okay for takeoff from the tower and inched the throttles forward to full power. We were quickly picking up speed headed down the runway.

"Not what I heard. American and Southwest has sent over headhunters to see if they can hire you over to their airlines. Atlantic decided to see if they were really serious and upped the ante. Donna said next week you fly out to LAX and back as a copilot."

"WHAT!" I know the controllers in the tower thought we were dunk as the little Lear wallowed all over the place on takeoff.

I finally managed to get the plane leveled out again. "I love being a hostess. I meet a lot of interesting people. I really don't plan on being a pilot."

"You're going to be the only hostess with pilot's wings on her chest. Is it true you're worth millions and own a software company making millions every year?

"Do you honestly think I would be working my little tail off as an Atlantic Hooters Hostess if I had THAT kind of money?"

"That raised my suspicions too. I guess Donna does lie about some things."

"You can't trust a Leprechaun."

"Who said she was a Leprechaun? They are little men from Ireland and only a myth."

"That's what I thought too. Don't bet your life on it. Are you her brother?"

"If I were her brother I would be a Leprechaun. I'm six foot five. Leprechauns are little people in Ireland."

"oh my god..., you are, aren't you....,"

"I didn't say that."

"What are our babies going to look like?"

"Miss Tonue did you just propose to me?"

"Are we going to have real babies?"

"They will be real babies but they will be happier when we put a pot of gold under their cribs."

".........oh my god.........."

 

 

 

*********************************************
© 2001 by Barbie Lee. All Rights Reserved. These documents (including, without limitation, all articles, text, images, logos, compilation design) may printed for personal use only. No portion of these documents may be stored electronically, distributed electronically, or otherwise made available without express written consent of the copyright holder.