CHAPTER 204: R.I.P.

 

"It was a beautiful service, Francesca" said Julia, trying to find the right thing to say to her best friend.

"Hmm?  Oh yes.  Everything's been....well....as good as it could have been.  Thank you for staying after the wake and helping Stefanie and me home."

"It's no trouble at all...I'm here to help in whatever way I can.  Did your parents catch their flight home OK?"

Francesca sighed.  "Yes...got them to the airport in good time.  It was good of them to fly out here; Mom's health is really declining.  I told them not to make the trip if it would put her back in hospital but...well...you know how parents are."

"I certainly do" said Julia with a wry smile.  If Central Casting had to choose people to play an archetypal, middle aged Jewish couple who doted on their daughter they could do no better than to hire Julia's parents.

Francesca was trying her best not to burst into tears but Rodney's death now left a bigger gap in her life than she had expected.  They'd been high school sweethearts, married at 20 and she had never looked at another man in a desirous manner ever since.  She also recoiled in horror at the image of him being caught in the fire in the kitchen...

The investigators said it was an electrical fault in the stove that caused it.  Due to the cramped design of the kitchen the fire had quickly spread and soon Rod's escape route was blocked.

Francesca whisked Stefanie out of the house and then ran back inside to phone the fire department, hoping they would arrive in time to save Rod but they got held up and arrived too late.  He had passed out from smoke inhalation before the flames engulfed him.

"Can I get you anything, Francesca?" asked Julia, wanting to give practical help.

"Oh what?  No, no thank you...I'm taking up way too much of your time, Julia. If you need to go..."

"You're not.  I'm here to help you and Stefanie...and, well, the dog as well..."  she said, noticing that little Boris the bulldog was sitting right next to her and watching her intensely.  

"I really appreciate it but you don't have to..."

"Your parents live far away and your mother's health isn't great and you don't have any other family in Sim City:  But I like to think I'm a close friend..."

"You're more than that, Julia.  Your my best friend...after...Rod...." and at that moment the tears began to stream again.  Francesca got up to her feet and went to Julia for a hug.  Even though Julia was awkward with physical shows of affection she overcame her resistance this time.  Francesca cried and smiled at the same time.

"I miss him so much already!" she gasped.

"I know..." said Julia, in consolation.  Once they had stopped hugging they went to sit down on the couch and continued their discussion.

"How's Stefanie doing?" asked Julia.

Francesca drew a deep breath "She's struggling...understandably...but there's a lot of anger there, Jules.  Every so often she just blows her top"

"Does she know who's she's angry at?" asked Julia.

Francesca shook her head.  "The Fire Department...God...me...she's not like that all the time but every so often she just flares up."

Julia thought hard about this; she had come to think of the little girl almost as a relative and was very fond of her.  "Do you think it might help if I spent some time with her?  Just talking, helping her process her grief?" she said.

"I'm sometimes at my wits end so, yes, please do...she likes you very much and I'm sure she'll listen to what you have to say"

"I'M SICK OF PEOPLE TELLING ME TO CALM DOWN!" Screamed the little girl at Julia.

"Well...it might help if you did..." 

"HOW?  HOW IS IT GOING TO HELP?  DAD'S DEAD!  The stupid Fire Department killed him!"

"That's not true, Stefanie.  They tried..."

"NO THEY DID NOT!  They didn't come!  Not until...." and she clenched her fists tightly until they turned white.

Julia knew Stefanie didn't need to complete that sentence.  By the time the firemen had arrived Rod was already dead.  Julia processed what she was seeing and hearing from Stefanie and had a thought:  There's no point right now in trying to get her to calm down and act the part of the sweet, dutiful little girl when there was real anger there.  Although Julia had only done one small course in child psychology she had always had a knack for understanding children that went beyond her training.  

"Do you know something, Stefanie?  You're right.  They didn't do their job properly that day and it cost you and your mother dearly.  You shouldn't just 'calm down'; you should let it out." Julia said.

"Really?"

"Yes.  Tell me what you're really thinking right now..."

Stefanie paused before she suddenly started stamping her feet and shouting again "That's it's NOT FAIR!  Why MY daddy?"

"Of course it's not fair.  I'll tell you a true story...last week we had a little girl, similar age to you, in the hospital and she was really sad and angry as well.  Her dad was a pilot and he was killed on a mission in Vietnam so she's really frightened, angry and missing him so much as well.  You're not alone, even if you sometimes think you are."

Stefanie looked up at Julia and said "How is she now, this little girl?"

"Well, she's joined a group of families who have lost a mother or father recently and who need support.  Now this girl realised that there's one other person who is grieving and very sad and who needs her help as much as she does."

"Who is that?"

"Her own mom and I think your mom needs a lot of help as well.  I can give a little but you can give a lot.  You must help each other...."

Stefanie went quiet and gave Julia a questioning look.

"Think about your mom for a moment...right now she has to organise everything, look after you and your dog and on top of that she's going to have to go back to work soon.  She would really welcome your help...that doesn't mean you can't be sad or angry and it might mean your mom will get really sad and angry some days but you have each other; you need to give each other support."

"And if you want to let it all out and just scream....give me a call" Julia added.

The little girl was moved by Julia's compassion and understanding.  There was a boy whose dad was in Vietnam and he worried about whether he was going to make it home so Julia's words struck a chord.

Stefanie went back to the lounge and saw her mother standing there, ostensibly filling Boris' food bowl up but she could see sadness on her face.  "Hi, Mom...you OK?" she said.

Francesca turned to look at her daughter and said "I heard you shouting, earlier.  Are you being nice to Julia?"

"Yes Mommy...I just lost my temper a little"

"A little?"

"OK, maybe more than just a little..."

Francesca's scowl turned to a smile as she beheld the sweet honesty of her daughter.  "Come here, poppet" she said as she crouched down to give the little girl a hug.  "We'll get through this together...the two of us"

Boris let out a little yelp.

"The three of us, Mom?" said Stefanie.

Julia watched mother and daughter hugging one another and said, softly.  "I'll leave you two to it.  If you need to call me, just do so anytime."

"Thanks, Julia" said Francesca with a kindly wink.

Julia grabbed her shoulder bag and left the house to make her way back to Willow Creek.  There was some hope there; on the day of Rod's death she seriously worried about Francesca's state of mind, as if she was capable of self-harm, but now the grieving process had begun she knew that Fran would focus her attention on helping Stefanie.  However, Julia felt completely drained and needed some company.

She headed down to the Blue Velvet.  She wasn't expected to perform today but she just wanted to go there and see if there were any of her friends present.  

Down over at the bar was one of them:  Jeremy.  She walked over to him and saw he was struggling to place a drinks order as it was getting very crowded there.  He noticed her approaching and waved.

"Hi Julia...it's really crowded in here tonight.  Say, you look all smart..." 

"I've just come from a funeral" she replied, sombrely.

"Oh...I'm sorry, I forgot that was today.  How did it go?"

Julia breathed in before answering.  "Well, better than I expected.  Francesca's bearing up although there were times when I could detect she was on the edge of breaking down but she's tough:  We've seen death before at work..."

"I tell you what...I'm buying this round so let me include you.  What are you having?"

"A large glass of red wine, please."

"OK..." he said and, again, he waved his $10 bill towards the barman to attract their attention.  In the meantime Suzy had spotted Julia and came over to where she and Jeremy were standing.

Suzy didn't say much, she leant in and gave Julia a hug and whispered "How's your friend?"

"It's so difficult for her and her daughter but I think she'll come through" replied Julia.

Suzy nodded and said "good, good...well, why don't you hang out with us and unwind for a bit?"

Julia gladly agreed to stay on and switch off from the tragedy for just a brief moment, even playing a song on the piano not for her own personal gain but to celebrate Rod's life.  The patrons even dug deep into their pockets to donate to his widow and child.

The sun was setting late, around 10pm when Julia got home, tired but hopeful for her friend.  Her feet were aching in the smart shoes she wasn't used to wearing as well.

She was just about to kick off her shoes, take off her dress and hang it up to take to the dry cleaners when there was a knock at the door.  

"Who's this at this hour?" she sighed to herself, before going to the door.  To her surprise it was Francesca, who had changed out of her mourning dress and into something more casual.

"Fran...what's the matter?  Are you OK?  Is Stefanie alright?"

"Yes, she's fine...we're all doing OK given the circumstances.  Some neighbours who have a child the same age are looking after her.  I really wanted to swing by and say thank you for all your support."

"You didn't have to come all the way down here to tell me that."

"I know, I know...but some things are best said face to face....I hope I'm not keeping you awake; it's been a long day for all of us."

"I was going to go to get changed and soak in the bath before bedtime but I don't mind you visiting at all.  Anytime, Francesca, I mean that."

"Thanks, Jules.  Sometimes it just hits me...Rod isn't here anymore!  I'm 28 years old, years ahead of me, Stef's got at least another 10 years of education to get through and I'm going to have to look after her...and me...and keep my mid-level paying job, and fulfil the role of two parents and...and...the thing is, Jules, Rod and me were intertwined:  We'd known each other since we were teenagers.  We could finish each other's sentences, I've never loved another man in my life and that love has gone!  It's like a part of me has gone!"

Julia didn't respond immediately and she didn't know where to begin...certainly not with a facile piece of encouragement.  "Come inside, talk to me about it some more..." she said, gently touching Francesca on the arm and guiding her inside.

CHAPTER 203: All Dressed Up

With Julia's latest promotion she could afford to purchase a stereo record player.  Now she could enjoy fine recordings of her favourite classical composers plus her growing interest in progressive jazz.  As she listened to one of latter her thoughts turned to how she was going to enjoy her day off from work.  She was wearing her newest, most fashionable outfit:  One that she was nervous purchasing at first because it was the height of Mod fashion and attracted attention from onlookers and that made her uncomfortable but now, wearing it for the third time, she felt something she often didn't feel...feminine and alluring.  The latter emotion being almost unknown to her, she definitely wasn't used to feeling that and didn't know if she liked the feeling either...but as she smoothed her miniskirt and stroked her long, loose hair she was aware that, like it or not, she felt a desire to succumb to these sensations.

This afternoon she was due to play a set at The Blue Velvet nightclub...her talent for playing the piano had now secured her a semi-professional residency there and she was making some decent additional money as well.  This was one of the reasons she was dressed in her latest threads but there was something else going on in the recesses of her mind as well:  Maybe impress a guy or two with more than just her brains?  Not any guy, lounge lizard or barfly she might encounter but a smart, well educated man like Dr Vincent Bledsoe or her recent acquaintance, Blair Herrick.  As Vincent was still in the Congo he was a non-starter but after her set she thought about doing some medical research up at Britechester University so maybe Blair had some free time to meet up?  Maybe...

But she didn't want to be couped up indoors this morning either.  She decided to get out and about and see what adventures she would have along the way...if there were such adventures.  Maybe not grand ones but little ones, mini ones, easily handled ones...that was more to Julia's liking.  She stepped out of her house and as soon as she turned the corner she met little Stefanie Griffiths...daughter of her good friend, Francesca.  Stefanie took a shine to Julia after she had cured the little girl of a particularly nasty illness and ever since then she talked about how, when she grew up, she wanted to be a great doctor like her "Auntie" Julia.

"Good morning, Stefanie, are you off to school?" asked Julia.

"Yes...today we've got art; that's my favourite lesson" the little girl replied.

"No wonder you look happy.  How are mum and dad?  Are they doing anything special today as I know your mummy has a day off as well as me?"

"No, they're at home...we got a new puppy and Dad's trying to train him and later he's going to cook us all his favourite meal.  He doesn't cook often and knows two recipes but he treats us once in a while."

Julia laughed.  "Your dad's so much fun...I might call around and see them for a bit.  You have fun at school, learn lots of things and be good."

"See you later, Auntie Julia!"  said Stefanie, waving enthusiastically at Julia before walking off.  Julia smiled and wondered what it would be like to raise a good girl like Stefanie...before checking that thought as it involved husbands, settling down and...ugh...'woohoo' to coin the popular term.

Julia made her way over to Francesca's house and saw her husband, Rodney, out front playing with a little dog.  She remembered that Francesca had mentioned getting a new dog about a couple of months ago but it didn't really register at the time as Julia was very indifferent to dogs and pets in general.

"Hello, Rodney...so is that your dog?" she said on greeting him.  The dog was a squat little thing; possibly a pug or a bulldog, Julia didn't know much about breeds, who was sitting there and watching with fascination as a slug slithered by on the front driveway.

"Yep...this is Boris and I'm trying to teach him to sit, come here and bring back this rubber ball when I throw it.  I've achieved about a 50% success rate with that so far." said Rodney.

"I...see..." said Julia, attempting to make some small talk about dogs.  "He seems...nice"

"Oh he is; overall he's a good puppy if you don't mind the odd hurt hand when he play-bites or his muddy paw prints all over the carpet or on your clothes...oh, look, he's noticed you talking to me and wants to meet you.  Look at his little tail wagging!"

"Is that what it's doing?" said Julia, noticing that the tail was so short it wasn't so much wagging and more like Boris' entire bottom wobbling.

Boris sniffed Julia's feet, which made her wince, before attempting to leap up on his back legs with his front paws flailing at her legs.

"No!  Stop that, doggy!  I don't like the claws!  These are brand new tights!" she exclaimed, backing away.

"He wants to hold hands with you, Julia" said Rodney, calmly.

"I...don't think I can do that!" she replied, nervously.

"OK, just be firm...but kind...with him.  Just say 'sit' in a firm voice and point upwards."

"Oh...uhm...SIT!  Oh, he's done it..." she said, surprised that her stern tone of voice had worked first time.

"There you go, you're a natural at this.  And little Boris likes you as well..." said Rodney.

"I'm not sure he likes me" replied Julia.

"He definitely respects you.  Who's a good dog?  You are!  Come here, Boris, I have a treat for you for being a good, obedient doggie!" said Rodney, reaching into a pocket in his suit jacket and pulling out a little dog biscuit.  Then he crouched down, patted the ground before him and Boris came trotting over to get the treat.

"I tell you, Julia.  He's been a little blessing in our lives and it's only been a couple of months." said Rodney, patting little Boris.  "I never knew he'd be so much fun when we got him.  Stefanie loves him, of course, and he treats Fran like a mother.  Speaking of Fran, she's inside and would love to have a gossip with you."

Julia smiled and said thank you but before she went inside the house she turned to Boris and said to him "good dog".

Inside the small, but immaculate, house they lived in she found Francesca; who had just turned off the TV so she could greet her friend.

"Julia, so nice to see you.  Is this a social call?" 

"Yes.  I have a free morning before I play a set down at the Blue Velvet club this afternoon so I thought I'd come and visit you.  I've just chatted with Rodney and met your dog."

"Ha, Boris.  I hope he was a good dog to you"

"I don't know much about them but he seemed to be reasonably well behaved." said Julia.  Francesca motioned towards the couch for Julia to sit down.

"Lately at work it's been so busy we can only talk shop...now we can catch up on what's happening.  So the piano playing is going well, is it?"

Julia nodded.  "Yes...I have two sets a week now.  On my wages I don't really need the extra money but it's nice for my nest egg and I really enjoy playing."

Francesca looked Julia up and down.  "It looks like some of that extra money is going on your wardrobe.  You look fabulous and I love the long hair look; it suits you" she said.

"I should say so!" said Rodney, who had entered the room with little Boris trotting beside him.  "Dare I say it; are you seeing a special someone later on?"

Francesca shot him a cross look.  "Rodney!  Looking nice and fashionable isn't just about attracting a date...Julia's a lot more sophisticated than that!"

"Oops, I'm sorry!" he grimaced.

"That's alright..." interjected Julia.  "Both of you are basically correct.  I want to look nice for my set this afternoon and...well...I've met a man who is...interesting."

"Oh do tell!" exclaimed Francesca.  "Is he nicer than that louche city guy you went on a date with?"

"He's a PhD student, his name is Blair and he seems intelligent, polite, generous..."

"Yes, but is he a dish?" said Francesca, rolling her eyes at Julia's primness.

"By all reasonable metrics he is attractive for a man" said Julia, maintaining that primness in her conversation.  "I think he's good looking, not that I base my judgement on men by attractiveness..."

"No, of course not" said Francesca, only half believing her.  After all, Julia had a massive crush on Vincent Bledsoe who was an absolute hunk of a man.

"Well, I hope you have fun this evening, Julia.  I must confess my knowledge of the dating scene is out of date:  Rod and I were high school sweethearts and we've been together ever since."

"And now you've got a wonderful daughter and...that dog" said Julia, still wary that Boris will leap up on her at any moment.

The two of them talked for a couple of hours about work, Dr Murakami in particular, music and how Stefanie was getting on at school.  Rodney made some lunch for them whilst they nattered...one of the two recipes he knew was sandwiches.  After some time spent at the Griffiths' house Julia had to move on to the Blue Velvet for her piano set.

The place was busy for a weekday afternoon, which was a good sign in that it usually led to more tips for Julia.  The set went without a hitch; Julia's confidence was growing with each gig she did and even though she didn't work a crowd, like her friend Joelene did when they did one of their duets, she made up for it with her smooth playing style.  Her choice of outfit to wear put her more in line with the other female patrons there and she didn't feel so out of place.  She was blending in so well, in fact, that even her neighbour and friend, John Action, didn't spot her among those lining up at the bar to get a drink.

 "Hello, Action.  Did you catch my set?" she asked, tapping him on the shoulder.

"Wait?  What?  Who's that?" he said, spinning around and seeing Julia.  "Never approach me from my gun side, woman!" he exclaimed.  He looked around the room for a moment, tilted his head slightly to the left to loosen the pinched nerve in his neck and looked her up and down.  "Dang it, I almost didn't recognise you, Julia.  Looking more with it than you normally do...was that you playing back there?" he said, jerking his thumb towards the piano.

"It was...did you like my playing?" 

"Yeah, pretty damn fine.  Hey, let me get you a drink while you're here:  On a day like this you need a bit of bar presence to get served and they know me well enough to know not to keep me waiting too long." He said, producing a $5 bill from his pocket and brandishing it towards the barman.

His tactic worked and he ordered drinks for them both.  Handing Julia a gin and tonic he raised his glass and said "here's to a great set...so, what's the lowdown in your life?"

Julia took a sip of her drink before answering.  "Here...the hospital...and not much else to be frank"

"Well that's a shame; you shouldn't be all work and no play"

"What about you, Action?  You seem very dedicated to your job"

"I am...but I play as hard as I work.  I need to switch off from all the stuff I have to see and deal with or else I'll jump off the deep end.  I have my fitness drills, enjoying the company of some cool cats and the love of a fine woman to keep me on the even keel..." he said, holding his hand out flat and motionless in front of Julia.

"I have my music and a few good friends...I was seeing some of them this morning as a matter of fact and I love to research the latest medical breakthroughs as well.  I take it that when you say 'cool cats' you don't actually mean cats?"

Action laughed "No...it's just street slang for the kind of people you want to hang out with."

Julia did her laughing snort at that in self-deprecation.  "Well, Action, I think I'm done here for this afternoon; I want to get to the University library for some research...I will see you later."

"Hang loose, Jules.  That means be relaxed and not..."

"I think I know what hang loose means" she replied with a smile.

From Willow Creek she headed to Britechester and their extensive medical library.  Fortunately for her, it wasn't crowded at all there; just one student at a far away desk scribbling into a notebook and a very bored looking serving woman at the refectory counter were the only others present.

Julia made some notes from a book she was particularly interested in when she noticed someone enter the library:  Someone who she hoped would make an appearance eventually...her new friend, Blair Herrick.  He was smartly dressed in a lounge suit and turtleneck sweater and walked over to a desk, produced a journal and a pen, and started to write frantically.

"Oh hello, Blair...it's me, Julia.  We met last week..."

"I remember.  Hello.  What brings you here?" he said, putting down his pen.

"Research.  This library has many very good medical books." she replied, nodding and trying to peek at his journal to see what he was writing.  "And you?  Is that coursework?"

"Yes.  I have a presentation to give at 4pm as part of my doctrinal studies.  I'm just amending the final section...I'm a perfectionist that way." he said, with a thin smile.

Julia liked to hear that he was someone who took his coursework seriously, as she had done when she was studying to become a doctor.

"I never asked you:  What's your doctorate about?" she queried.

"Oh, it's in chemistry...I'm researching the effect of different compounds on the human taste sensors and how that can be applied in the creation of food and sustenance.  Everything from TV dinners to food astronauts can consume in space." he said with a hint of pride in his voice.

"So there's commercial possibilities with your study then?" she asked.

"Yes...plenty of scope for when I leave this place" he replied.  "Now what are you researching at the moment?"

That was a tricky one for Julia to easily respond to as it involved rare tropical fungal infections that affected men's genitals.  "Oh, disease related stuff..." she awkwardly replied.

She was also struggling with the small talk and it was somewhat of a relief that members of the debating society had now turned up to discuss some proposition about immediate withdrawal from Vietnam.  

"They're always here around this time" said Blair.  

"I see...I never got involved in the debating society whilst I was in medical school."

"No...I'm not either; it's more for the political types."  He looked at his journal and tapped his pen on side of the desk as he was checking something he had written.

"Oh, I'm sorry Blair, I hope I haven't disturbed you!" said Julia with concern that she was doing the wrong thing in her voice.

"No...it's a pleasant distraction seeing you here.  But I have one last correction I have to make so I hope I'm not being rude if I ask you..."

"To leave you to that for a bit?  Not a problem, I understand" she said, feeling guilty for not leaving him in peace earlier.

She stood up and went to watch the debate.  The young woman was proposing that the US should immediately withdraw from Vietnam and the man was arguing the counter point.  Julia was only half listening as she was going through in her mind when would be the right time to sit near Blair and talk to him again?

Eventually she heard the sound of a book being shut firmly and she turned around to see Blair leaning back in his chair with the journal that he was writing in was closed.  He turned to face Julia.

"And that's all done and dusted" he said with satisfaction in his voice.  "Just the presentation now.  How's the debate going?"

"Con's second rebuttal; citing the Domino Effect" replied Julia.  She stopped paying attention to the debate and sat back down at the long oak table.

Blair shrugged and leant into the table, resting his elbows on it.  "I've got to go and give this presentation soon but I'm free from six onwards...say you and me get a drink over at Pepper's Pub then?"

Julia looked taken aback by this offer.  This was what she had hoped would happen but it was nice to hear it being said to her.

"That sounds great.  I've got some more research to do first but I will see you at six" she said, perkily.

"Look forward to it" replied Blair, standing up and giving her a little wink.

Julia arrived at Pepper's Pub at 5:45pm but was too nervous to enter on her own.  She didn't like going to bars on her own anyway, felt it was not a place for single women on their own, so she waited outside the pub, in the street, waiting for Blair to show up.

Blair showed up not long afterwards but he had changed his outfit since she had last seen him in the library.  He was now wearing a casual shirt and dark, moleskin pants and walked in an easy going swagger about him.

"Hey, you made it" he said with a smile.

"Yes, well, my research was fairly straightforward and as I don't know this part of town very well I thought I'd leave a bit of extra time to find this place...turned out I left too much time, SNORT" she said with a laugh.

"Shall we go inside?" he said, motioning her towards the entrance of the pub.

They sat at the bar and Blair asked Julia what she wanted to drink and then motioned to the barman that they wanted two.  Julia was still a bit nervous about meeting Blair here and going for drinks so she started with some small talk.

"How did your presentation go?" she asked.

"Fine...I think.  The panel are pretty tough with their questions but I think I got my main points across.  You know, you fit in well around here; this is a student bar and you look the part."

Julia raised an eyebrow "Do you think I look immature?" she said.

"No, no, please don't take offence.  I mean, here I am in the company of an actual medical doctor who's working in the real world but observers would think I'm talking with a fellow student.  I'm observing the dichotomy."

"Ah, I see." she said, nodding.  "That can be a problem at work; some patients, and other doctors, don't take me seriously because they think I'm younger than I actually am.  I'm 22."

"22?  Wow, I'm actually 25!" said Blair with a chuckle.  "I started college later because I did two years in the army, then did my undergraduate degree and now I'm working on a PhD.  You left school before I have!"

The two talked some more about their backgrounds but, unbeknownst to Julia, an acquaintance of hers had entered the bar.  Scott Urban had just finished a postal round in Britechester and needed a drink so he came to Pepper's Pub to unwind after a long, day, made unpleasant by all the assholes he had to deal with at the mail depot and on the street.  He brooded over the kind of idiot he usually had to deal with. Why did they all have to blame him when they didn't get their mail on time? He just gets given a bag with post in it and trudges around the neighbourhood...he isn't personally responsible for lateness or when letters go missing.

He looked across the bar and saw Julia talking with some guy.  He sighed; she looked so pretty in that outfit...although he did like her hair in pigtails but she was so smart, learned and good looking he was happy to see her however she dressed.  But she was way out of his league...he could tell by the way she was focussed on College Boy there and she hadn't noticed he was in the bar as well.

Julia was having a nice time with a civilised young man who, apparently, didn't have any baggage.  He clearly had an eye on the future the way he talked about using his PhD research in business after he completed his doctorate.  But now she felt happy and comfortable in Blair's presence, what next?  She wasn't a flirt, she couldn't flirt even if she tried so she had now hit a brick wall in trying to develop this friendship with the guy.  What to do next?  What to say?  It would be easier if he made the next move, she thought...

Blair finished a second drink and put the glass down firmly on the counter.  "I've had a really good time tonight, Julia, but I've got to go.  I've got another presentation to give tomorrow morning..."

"And you've got to finish your notes, I get it?" she replied.

"Actually I have to start them...but, seriously, we must do this again sometime.  All the best with your medical research."

"Oh...that....I nearly forgot.  Thanks.  I had a nice time too and we should definitely meet up again."

He took out his wallet and pulled out a business card.  "My phone number, if you want to call it."

Julia took it and reached for her shoulder bag.  "I should give you mine too..." she said, producing her own card.  Blair read it.

"Dr Julia Epstein, M.D. F.A.C.S....very impressive." said Blair.

Julia blushed and let out a little nervous snort.  "Anyway" he continued "I will see you soon" he said, putting her card in his wallet before walking out.  She watched him casually stroll out into the evening and sighed.  

Then she felt her pager go off so she took it out and looked at who was calling.  It was Francesca.  Maybe it was a question she had about tomorrow's shift so she asked the barman where the payphone was and went to call her friend.

Almost immediately after phoning the number, Francesca answered it and it was clear she was crying.

"Francesca?  What's the matter?" asked Julia.  Francesca was trying to speak whilst holding back the sobs.

"Oh Julia, thank God you called!  It's...it's Rodney...Rodney....he's...DEAD!"

CHAPTER 147: Feminine Wiles

 Jeremy Saint was currently living like a 20th Century Warrior Monk:  With precision he would wake up precisely at 6am and then put on his athletics clothes so he could join Geoffrey Landgraab on a 5 mile run in the mornings.  Then he would return promptly and deal with all the business of the household including paying the bills.  His girlfriend, Barbara, would wake up more leisurely at between 6:15 and 6:30am, have a shower, carefully put on her make up, clothes and style her hair.  Then she was ready for breakfast.  Jeremy was like a single minded dynamo.  She saw him dealing with the bill payments and went outside to greet him.

"Hello, darling" she said.  "Did you have a nice run?"

"Yes thank you.  I feel most invigorated." he replied.

"You know, one of these days I'd like to join you for your daily run"

"No need to put yourself out.  I go for pretty punishing runs these days.  The boss says that he wants his young executives to be in tip top physical condition.  He says that inactivity is the curse of modern American businessmen."

"Who said that, Geoffrey?"

"Yes, Geoffrey:  The kindest, bravest, warmest..."

"...most wonderful human being you've ever known in your whole life.  I know" said Barbara, finishing off the mantra Jeremy would say whenever Geoffrey Landgraab's name was mentione. 

"Do I say that a lot?" asked Jeremy.  Barbara nodded earnestly.  "Oh, well, I'm famished:  Let's have a power breakfast!" he continued, gleefully clapping his hands.

"Power....breakfast?" replied a confused Barbara.

They both went inside where Jeremy served up the breakfast and sat down to eat it enthusiastically.

"I tell you, these early morning calisthenics do build up an appetite!" he said.

"I can imagine" replied Barbara.  "It looks like the Landgraab Corporation sure keeps you busy.  You know, you talk quite a bit about what it's like to work there and your interviews but you've barely mentioned that day you went in for that 'assessment'.  What was that like?"

She wanted to draw some more information out of him so she adopted an attitude of gentle curiosity, as you would expect a close, intimate partner who is interested in their other half to be.  Jeremy put down his knife and fork and thought for a moment before speaking.

"Well, the assessment was....well...I went in, reported to one of the personnel department secretaries and...and..." his voice trailed off and he looked out the window as his eyes became dreamy and vacant.

"...and what?" asked Barbara, on the edge of her seat.  "What happened next?"

"...I...can't...remember" he replied, vaguely.  "Is that the time?  I must have a shower and get dressed for work" he said, all of a sudden and with that he stood up and left the room.  Barbara was dismayed:  Clearly there was some kind of mental block in Jeremy...but what was causing it?  His own reticence or the creeping fear he'd been brainwashed.

A little while later they had said their goodbyes for the day and headed off to their respective jobs.  Barbara couldn't dwell on what was going on with her boyfriend as there was always plenty to do at the shop.  At some point she'd have to hire some permanent staff but the budget didn't stretch to that right now.

Today it was menswear that was selling fast and why that was so was another mystery of retail Barbara still had to learn.  Fortunately Pack's Clothing was well stocked at the moment.  Her first two customers were two vastly different characters:  One was a man who wasn't just trendy and with it, he was well beyond all that...he might just have been the Look of '67 just a year earlier.  Barbara struggled to find him something that was beyond the truly mod black and white polka dot shirt he was wearing.  Fortunately he wanted something a bit more toned down for some event he was attending.

The contrasting customer was an old man who at first was worried that he'd entered the wrong shop.  

"Oh my" he said "I think this place might be a bit...what's the phrase?  'Way out' for me"

"Well, sir, let's see if I can find something for you" replied Barbara.

"I can already tell that you're a smart kind of man, but not overly conventional..." she continued.  "Are you looking for something casual, smart, everyday wear or a special occasion?"

"Well, between you and me..." said the man, softly so that no one else could hear them "...it's for a date!  First one I've been on in over 30 years since my beloved Sheila passed away two years ago now."

"Oh, sorry to hear that but I think I know what might be just right for your special date, Mr?"

"Jacobsen, Daniel Jacobsen and you are most kind..."

"Barbara Dubois.  Let's try this lounge suit...double breasted, velvet with the option of wearing a shirt or turtleneck sweater underneath"

"I like the look of this!  And I like the colour" he said.

"Burgundy, a great choice.  It shows you're with it, but not overly so.  Reflecting both a traditional look with a nod to the future"

"Well, I hope my future is rosy when I go on this date!"

"I'm sure she will be impressed" replied Barbara.  She liked being helpful and engaging with the customers.  And when you had a nice one like the gentlemanly Mr Jacobsen it made running the shop just that little bit nicer.

Other customers, on the other hand, were a bit more difficult...

"You smell AND you're ugly!" came the voice from a little boy, who was around 9-10 years old.  He was pointing to and snarling at a little blonde girl who was around the same age.

Barbara walked over and intervened in the dispute.  "Now, now, you two...this is a shop, not a playground.  What's the matter?"

"He's mean and nasty!" said the girl.

"Well you're dumb, smelly and ugly!" said the boy...."and she borrowed my soccer ball and then lost it!"

"I said sorry!"

"Well if you weren't so dumb you wouldn't have lost it!"

"Are either of you here to buy any clothes?" Barbara interrupted.  "I mean, this is a clothes boutique"

"I'm here with my mom when I saw her!" said the boy.

"Well, let's find your mom and end this dispute" said Barbara, looking around for a mother who looked like she'd lost her son.  Once mother and son were reunited calm soon returned, but there was still another sad little girl to attend to.

"Now where's your parents?" asked Barbara.

"Oh they're not here; I was on my way home from school and I just wanted to have a look around...and then I saw him!" she said, pointing at the boy, accusatorially.  

"I see..." said Barbara. "Well, it's best to ignore him; you certainly don't smell and you're very pretty but be careful about who you borrow a soccer ball from in the future"

Daniel Jacobsen came over to Barbara and noticed the little girl.  "I do declare that it's young Stefanie Griffith.  What have you got into now?" he said, smiling benevolently at her.  

"Mr Jacobsen!  Oh it's just a boy from my school who's being mean.  It's sorted now"

Jacobsen laughed and turned to Barbara.  "Children, eh?  You're probably too young to have any, Miss Dubois."

She chuckled.  "I don't have any...well, yet.  I've got to get around to getting married first but my boyfriend and I aren't quite ready for that."

Jacobsen shook his head.  "If you keep putting things off, they'll never happen.  I was like that with my late Sheila:  I'd be saying 'not this year, next year' or finding other excuses.  Sheila used all her feminine wiles to get me to where I should have been.  Maybe you should try that with your beau?"

Hmmm, maybe thought Barbara.  That's a good idea but not for the purposes of getting married, but getting to the truth!  Maybe also marriage as well but first things first...

At the close of business, Barbara went home and considered her plan of action...

By the time she got home she found Jeremy there and changed into his sports kit.

"Don't tell me you went to work like that?" she said.

"No...I've changed so I can go for my evening run" he replied.

"Another one?  Aren't you going too far with this fitness kick?"

"Inactivity is..."

"I know, inactivity is the curse of the modern American businessman but let me get you something nice to eat and we can spend a bit of time...together...I want to know how your day went" she said, caressing his cheek.  Jeremy went weak at the knees when she did that.

"OK, I'll put off my constitutional until after dinner then" he said.

"So we've decided to use the money from the sale of the old goods yard and will invest it in a new housing complex near Newcrest..." he was saying over dinner.  Barbara looked at him with keen interest, batting her eyelashes at him every so often.

"That sounds...fascinating" she said in a sultry voice.  

"Wow, do you think so?  You've never sounded so interested in my work before" he replied.

"That's because I now see you're really going places...I want to know...EVERYTHING" she said, her voice a purr in his ears.

"Well, I work on the third floor...that's where most of the junior managers have their offices.  I get an office all to my own, which is nice because I'm spared Fanshawe's long winded stories about what he got up to the night before, I'm currently assigned to looking at commercial property acquisitions..."

"Anything involving our neighbourhood?" said Barbara, leaning in with keen interest and fixing her gaze at Jeremy.

"No, nothing for around here" he replied.

"And do you have a key to the executive bathroom yet?" she teased.

"No, I'm not that important!" he laughed.  "I mean, I can't even get into half the rooms in the building!"

Barbara took her cue.  "Now that sounds intriguing!  What do you think goes on in those?"

"Well, some are senior executive boardrooms, some are purely for maintenance and then....there's....downstairs..." his voice suddenly trailed off as he said those words.  "Sorry, what was I talking about again?"

"The downstairs of the Landgraab Corporation building.  You make it sound mysterious"

"It's not, really.  You go in, there's the lobby, the old file storage room, some bathrooms and...and..." again, his voice trailed off.

"and what?  Come on, Jeremy, you can tell me...we don't have any secrets and I am very interested." she said, gently stroking under his chin like he was a cat.

"There's the pump room where...there's...an...elevator and...you...go...down....dark room..."

"A dark room?  Like for photography?"

"No...a dark room....where...Mother...Friend...Enemy...Suzy Kent is my enemy..." Jeremy shook his head and suddenly came to.  "Wow, Barbara...that feels amazing, hmmm, more please" he said, cooing at her attention but Barbara suddenly stopped when she heard what he had said about 'the dark room'.  Now this was a breakthrough.  A suppressed memory, perhaps?

"Is everything alright?" asked Jeremy.  "Why did you stop?"

"Oh, no reason...so you like the attention do you?" she said, returning to her playful mood.

"Oh certainly!"

"Well, lover...I hope you don't waste all your energy on your evening run!" she said.

"I might put that off if you have something else in mind?"

"Oh I do" said, Barbara, seductively.  "Just let me slip into something...well, you'll see"

She wandered off down the hall to the bedroom whilst Jeremy quickly poured himself a glass of water which he gulped down.  This was good, very good, he thought.  He had spent too much time obsessed with work that he forgot about spending time with his...mo...his mot...his moth....NO!  He thought, supressing the image of Nancy Landgraab that suddenly popped into his mind.  No...Barbara was his girlfriend, his love.  "I'm not thinking straight today!" he muttered to himself.

When he had finished with his water, he put the glass down next to the sink and jogged to the bedroom to see a heavenly sight:  Barbara had mostly undressed and was wearing...well, he didn't know the technical name for the piece of lingerie she was wearing but she sure looked magnificent in it.

They sat next to each other on the bed and began playful intimacies with one another.  "I can't remember the last time we did this..." Barbara whispered in Jeremy's ear.

"Neither can I...we're foolish for not making more time for each other" he replied.  "I'm sorry I've let work preoccupy me lately"

"That's alright...but if something is bothering about your work, you will tell me?"

"I promise" he said, warmly.

"Now let's get rid of those silly sunglasses" she said, taking them off him "get out of your shirt and shorts and let's get comfortable...."