CHAPTER 50: Odd Encounters

 

Always a restless soul in search of self-improvement, Julia Epstein decided that a bit of high culture was in order so, on a recommendation from Suzy Kent, she decided to spend her day at the Casbah Gallery.

Modern art was something she wanted to appreciate more but had often struggled to. Her tastes were generally classical in music, literature and art but she was impressed by the scale of some of the canvasses on display in the main gallery...even if she couldn't understand much of the subject matter.

She was taken aback by what she found on the 3rd floor...a music room complete with a grand piano. Julia loved playing the piano and as well as classical pieces, recently she'd been learning some modern, progressive jazz. If she made a concession to popular culture, it was an appreciation for jazz. She sat down at the piano, and with no one around to bother her, she let rip with a piece she'd just learned.

"Here...you can't just play that in here, lady!" said a voice from behind her. She turned and saw it was an older gentleman who was pointing an accusatory finger at her.

"And why ever not?" replied an indignant Julia.

"Because Roy Reece and his Ragtime Rascals practice here every Sunday, that's what!"

"And who is Roy Reece?" Julia asked, getting bothered by this man's tone.

"I'M Roy Reece! And here are my Ragtime Rascals band" he said, pointing to a group of older people who had entered the room and were now taking up the various instruments lying around the room.

"Well how was I to know this was your special practice time?" said Julia, standing up and offering the piano to Mr Reece.

"It's tradition. We're always here. You young people don't know what it's all about these days...I fought in two foreign wars for you!"

"I don't think I had much to say in either matter" said Julia, indignantly, as she left.

As she wandered through the galleries she was approached by someone who looked familiar to her.

"Pranksters dolis ludere vestri usque in sempiternum" said the familiar lady.

"iocus est ne vincat nec divinos" replied Julia, recognising the greeting. "I see you're a Prankster too" she said.

"My husband is but I remember seeing you at some of the Prankster Lodge meetings" said the lady. "I'm Nancy Landgraab"

"Of course, Geoffrey's wife" said Julia, finally recognising her.


"It's good to see young people joining the Dishonourable Company of Pranksters; you know we can do wonders for people's careers...especially those who are just starting out" said Nancy.

"I sometimes think I need a little help getting through to my boss" Julia joked. Nancy's face was serious.

"Oh I'm sure we can pull some strings in that direction" she said, with a mischievous smile.

Nancy Landgraab said her goodbyes and Julia was left to wonder just how a fellow Prankster could influence the Sim City Hospital Chief Surgeon but she didn't have time to ponder the matter before when someone called to her.

"Sandor 21, repeat" said a man, looking straight at her.

"What?" said Julia.

"Sandor 21...repeat the phrase. Then we can proceed to the next level"

"Sandor 21?" said a puzzled Julia.

"Sandor 21, confirmed. Next level, Sandor 22...repeat"

"Wait, what?"

"Do you not understand your instructions?" said the man.

"I have no idea what you're talking about" said Julia.

"Oh...wait....sorry, wrong person" and with that the man left the gallery leaving Julia confused.

Julia decided that the gallery was host to too many odd people today so she decided to leave. Stuck for an idea she browsed the notice boards in the main food and market quarter until she saw a sign for free entry at the Narwhal Arms. "Oh what the heck...I should get with the zeitgeist once in a while" she thought to herself.

"So this song is interesting...a syncopated beat with judicious use of a Hammond B3 organ, I think" she said to the man dancing next to her.

"Yeah, whatever" he replied.

"I must make an effort to learn some of these dance moves" she said, but the man wasn't listening. As she did more of an indifferent bop she recognised one of the dancers...Candy Behr, sister of her patient Yuki Behr.

"Excuse me, is your sister here tonight?" asked Julia. "I know her a little"

"No...she's at home. This place is strictly over 21s" replied Candy.

"And is she doing well? The last time I saw her she was a bit upset about things in general...I wondered how she was doing?"

"She mopes a bit...who are you?"

"Oh, I'm Julia Epstein. You can ask her about me...I helped her out recently. Listen, give her my regards when you see her"

"Sure...look, I'd like to get back to the dance floor if that's OK" said Candy.

Julia sighed. She didn't seem to care about her kid sister all that much. The music was too loud and Julia felt she should leave. She made ehr way to a cafe and flopped down in a chair to have a coffee. Soon she was joined by a man she didn't recognise.

"Oh no...look...I'm not interested in dancing right now, I don't want to move along for some Ragtime Jazz band, I have no idea what Sandor 21 means and I don't want to start a joke war either" she said, sighing.

"Actually there's no available seats here except this one and I was just going to ask if I could sit here....you look like it's been a frustrating day for you"

Julia laughed "I'm sorry...too much randomness in one day for my tastes" she said, offering the seat to the man.

"My name's Beau"

"Julia"

"I'm not going to ask you what any of that stuff you said means but if it were me that had to deal with all that I think I'd want to run away from it all" he joked.

"Sometimes I feel like the world is just that little bit crazy...not in a scary, cataclysmic way but just offbeat and oddball"

"If you ask me it's all this drop out culture" he said.

"Exactly! You would think people would be grateful for all the good things we have right now...instead they just fill their heads with pop art, pop music, weird buzzwords..."

"...popping strange pills"

"That too. Why can't people just have a nice cup of coffee and a chat?"

"My thoughts exactly" said Beau. "Look, it gets crazy these days and I don't pretend to understand the youth of today compared with what I was like 10 years ago and I think all it takes is for someone to say 'no, slow down everyone'"

"I like the way you think, Beau" she said, raising her glass to him.

CHAPTER 49: Case Closed

 

"Hey, mister!" said the little boy to John Action one morning "is it true you're a cop?"

"Well yes I am, little man" said Action.

"Cool! Can I see your gun?"

"Not today...it's against police procedure...so, do you want to become a policeman when you grow up?"

"Yeah....either a cop or an astronaut; I haven't made up my mind yet"

"Well that's a good couple of choices there...now get along to school; it's important you listen and learn if you want to be either" said Action, smiling that at least this kid had a good opinion of the police; unlike a lot of teenagers and young people these days.

When Action arrived at 13th Precinct headquarters a little while later he was irritated that no one had made any further progress on the art robbery case.

"What's going on here? We've got fingerprints, witness statements, a partial description of the suspects....why are you lot sitting around here for? Let's get out there and nail this perp?" said Action, pointing straight at the case board.

"But Action, we can't because it hasn't been authorised by the Chief, the Commissioner and the D.A. We need back up for this assignment...and we need back up for the back up, and paperwork...." said his colleagues.

"To heck with paperwork and backup! I'm going after this punk...my way!" said an angry Action, storming off.

Municipal Muses, Crawdad Quarter, Willow Creek....9:50am

Action sauntered into the garden area of the museum...he figured that he'd scout around the outside first; the perp might want to steal something at the museum and make their way out of the rear entrance. He was looking for a suspect, male, 20s, red hair, T-shirt and shorts. That was a very detailed description, courtesy of his three lovely witnesses, and he was sure to find someone who matched that description.

Staying in the garden paid off for through one of the entrance arches strode an effete looking young man who matched the description....he walked in a slightly feminine manner...which went against the description of a fast moving, gun wielding art theif.

"Excuse me, sir" said Action, stopping him in his tracks.

"Could you tell me where you were on the 19th of this month? Around 2pm?" said Action.

"Hmmm....let's see....I might need a little reminding, if you know what I mean" said the man, flirtatiously.

"Cut that out, pal" said Action "you're wasting your time...I tell you what, how about we continue this conversation down at the station?"

"Will you escort me, personally?" said the man, posing provocatively.

"Just get in the squad car"

Back at headquarters, the suspect was booked and led to a cell for a short time whilst Action filed his report with Sergeant Kitchen. When he returned to the cell to check on the suspect, he found a changed man from the flirt he had encountered.

"Oh man....this is real, isn't it?" said the suspect.

"It certainly is...come on, it's time to ask some questions" said Action.

"You know....will you hold my flirting with you against me?" said the man, nervously.

"That is the least of your worries right now" Action replied.

In the interrogation room, Action turned the lamp into the suspect's face.

"So you like art, then?" he said.

"It's a hobby" replied the suspect.

"Enough to steal some? We have your fingerprints on the frames of some pieces that were stolen from the Solar Flare club on the 19th"

"I did touch the frames but I didn't steal anything"

"And we have three witnesses who saw you escape and can identify you...one of them described how you pointed a gun straight at them."

"Impossible...I was wearing a ski mask! Oops!" the suspect fell into the trap and then slumped his shoulders in resignation.

Action smiled and said "You'd better call your lawyer now".

He got praise from his superiors on a job well done but he didn't want to rub it in that he didn't wait for higher approval before going out and arresting the suspect. The rest of the shift was an anti-climax as he had to deal with stuck kittens up trees, minor domestic strife and a report of a flasher in Newcrest.

The end of the shift came and Action wasted no time in heading down to the Blue Velvet to meet his girlfriend, Katherine.

"Busy day at the office?" she asked.

"A wild one....I caught the Oasis Springs art thief today...he was an interesting character; he tried hitting on me to get off a charge"

"Was he your type?" joked Katherine.

"I didn't like his hair or legs" said Action, smiling.

"So are we just going to sit here or are you going to show me some of your groovy moves?" said Katherine, standing up.

"If you put it like that...let's do it!" said Action.

CHAPTER 48: Artistic Impression

 

"Why do the Landgraabs think this tree is more important than any of the others around here? What mysteries are contained here?" Suzy Kent thought to herself, while she looked at the tree that stood at the end of the road she lived on. The other day she felt this sudden compulsion to sing and dance whenever she was near it and again, looking at it today she could feel something emanating from it that went straight to her soul. This tree was alive in more ways than one.

She shrugged, thinking it all silly that a tree could be somehow mystical or magical. Time was marching on and she had a date....more accurately...a meet up with her new friend, Neil Humphries.

They met up outside the Casbah Gallery. Neil had offered to take Suzy on a personal tour of the place as it was one of his favourite locations in Sim City and Suzy was keen to see the place and spend time with him. She was growing fonder of this shy, sometimes awkward artist who she suspected had hidden depths to him.

"Hello Suzy....you...erm...look great. I like your...ahm...dress" said Neil, awkwardly.

"Thank you, and thank you for inviting me here today; I'm looking forward to it" she said, graciously.

"Well, let me be your guide" he said, breaking into a smile.

"Now this is something I find fascinating..." said Neil, showing Suzy a large canvass showing a pop art scene. "I've not worked on such a canvass as large as this but I'm always impressed by the scale."

"Would you one day want to try something like this?" asked Suzy.

"Maybe...at the moment I prefer painting landscapes and my studio's not that big...it's more a spare room in my apartment at the moment" he chuckled. "I think we should move upstairs and check out the sculptures" he added.

They walked through the gallery, looking at the modern and classical pieces on show. Neil gave commentary along the way but at one point said "I hope I'm not boring you"

"Not at all" Suzy replied, warmly. "Shall we sit and enjoy this gallery for a while?" she added, indicating a couple of soft benches. Neil agreed and they sat down next to each other. Suzy noticed that Neil had shed his gawkiness the longer they chatted.

As they were chatting, a fashionably dressed and heavily made up blonde girl in her late teens approached them.

"Allo" she said in a heavy French accent. "I 'ope I'm not disturbing you but are you ze Suzy Kent from 'Ey Wow' magazine?"

"I am" replied Suzy. "I didn't know I was well known to be recognised"

"Oh for sure" replied the French girl. "I and my friends, we all love your column on ze fashion and ze muzeek. I particularly like your article on Bella Goth...will you be doing more interviews with famous people?"

"Oh yes!" said Suzy, thinking about her expose series. "I'm glad you like my work"

"My name is Michelle and can I send you some of my fashion ideas to you?"

"Of course....address them to the magazine but put 'For Suzy Kent's Attention' on the evelope"

The girl giggled in excitement and said farewell.

"I didn't know I was in the company of someone so famous" joked Neil

"Neither did I" said Suzy.

They walked on, up another level, where they found a music room complete with pianos, violins and guitars. Suzy picked up an acoustic 6 string and began to strum it.

"Do you play?" asked Neil.

"A little" replied Suzy...their eyes met and held their gaze...the first time that had happened today. Suzy checked to see if the guitar was in tune and began to play a song she knew.

"I'm impressed" said Neil.

"I'm still learning really" said Suzy, self-deprecatingly.

They toured the rest of the gallery and then stepped outside to get some food.

"Thank you for agreeing to come down here with me" said Neil.

"It was great; I've had a lovely time" said Suzy. "So...."

"So would you like to meet again sometime soon?" asked Neil.

"I'd love to"

Neil checked his watch. "Dang it, I have to get to work now...let's get together sooner rather than later" he said. As he got up to go, his hand brushed Suzy's accidentally but both felt a little zing of excitement as it happened. He took one last look at her before he left and smiled. Suzy thought Neil had melted and really liked her, but couldn't put his feelings into words yet. Patience is the key here, she thought.

As Neil headed off, Suzy wasn't alone for long as Bakko Jang came along to say hello.

"Well hello there Suzy" said Bakko. "Was that the artist cat we met at the Romance Festival not that long ago?"

"It sure is" she replied.

"Now look at you, Miss Kent...the last time we spoke you said you couldn't find a nice guy to go out with and yet here you are" he said, teasing her.

"Yes, here I am" she sighed. "I like him"

"Good for you...I told you to have some faith" said Bakko

As the sun was setting, Suzy now felt her personal life had taken a turn for the better.

CHAPTER 47: Office Surprise

 

"I'll see you later, darling" said Jeremy Saint, kissing Barbara Dubois on the cheek before she headed for work. She was staying over at Jeremy's house more and more these days and he loved it. She was such a sweet, joyful girl who brought out so much more of him when they were together. He felt less uptight, more confident and, well, the woohoo was incredible.

As he waved Barbara goodbye, he noticed a woman...a policewoman no less judging by her prominently displayed SCPD badge on her belt...hanging around at the end of the road he lived on. He'd seen her a couple of times before, usually here to meet John Action before their work shift. Jeremy grabbed his briefcase and headed off to work but along the way he stopped and chatted with the policewoman.

"Are you here for Action?" said Jeremy.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" said the lady with a scowl.

"Oh, sorry, I meant are you here to meet John Action? I assume you're a colleague" said Jeremy, correcting himself.

"Ah, I see, yes, I'm here to meet John Action"

"Well he's running a bit late this morning you see he didn't get in from his date until late last night and...well....she's still there with him so...."

"OK, buddy, spare me the details" she said, putting up her hand to stop him from saying more.

Jeremy looked back towards Action's house and he saw the front door open and out stepped Action, in uniform, and his girlfriend. They too kissed and walked off in separate directions. Yes, Jeremy thought, love was in the air around Foundry Cove these days.

Jeremy made it in to Dewey, Cheathem & Howe's offices on time and he went to his desk, where his colleagues were gathered having a conspiratorial chat.

"Hey, Jeremy" said one of them. "Have you checked out J.J. Gotcha's new secretary yet?"

"No I haven't...is she nice?" Jeremy replied.

"Oh man.....nice doesn't begin to describe her. She's F.A.B. hot!" said his colleague, enthusiastically.

"What I wouldn't give to go on a date with her!" said another.

"Hubba hubba!" said a third. "You should DEFINITELY check her out!"

"Alright, alright...settle down guys! She's probably nearly 60, weighing 250lbs and eats junior staff for breakfast and you're setting me up for a joke. Now I've got to get these reports to Gotcha so, ha, I'll be prepared for anything his new secretary has got." Jeremy picked up the files and shook his head in disbelief at how his workmates had tried to fool him about Gotcha's secretary.

But he wasn't prepared for what happened next.

"Bianca?" said an incredulous Jeremy.

"Yes Jeremy...or should I say, Mr Saint?" she replied. She was wearing a blue skirt suit which hugged the contours of her body...no wonder his colleagues were all ga-ga for her.

"Erm...what? Do you work here now?"

"Yes. I responded to an ad I saw in the newspaper and landed the job" she replied matter of factly.

"But you knew I worked here?"

"Yes. Is that a problem? I thought we were both level with each other now...unless?" she asked, probing him.

"No unless....I'm just surprised at seeing you here, that's all. You made it clear how you felt about me and I told you I'd moved on"

"And are you still seeing her? This new woman?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact...we're doing great, thank you" he said, a little defensively.

"I'm glad. But I want to let you know I'm approaching things here strictly professionally. So there should be no awkwardness from either of us."

"Agreed. Erm...this is for Mr Gotcha" he said, indicating the file. She walked to him to take the file...her perfume wafted intoxicatingly towards him and her hands brushed against his as she took the file. Jeremy cursed under his breath...she said she was being "strictly professional" but he suspected she was acting provocatively towards him.

He went back to his office where his friends were all having a laugh. "So" said one of them. "250lbs and nearing 60, eh?"

"You're welcome to her" said Jeremy, sitting down at his desk.

"C'mon man, you can't turn your nose up on that goddess upstairs, can you?"

"I can...remember, I've got a steady girlfriend who...incidentally...is way, way hotter than Bianca"

"Wooo, you're on first name terms with her now?" said his colleague, teasing him. Damn...why did Bianca have to come and work here?

He put Bianca out of his head for the rest of his work day and was relieved when it was time to leave. He had a date with Barbara at one of their favourite events...the Spice Festival. He raced to San Myshuno as he wanted to spend as much time with her as he could.

"Hmmm so good to see you!" said Barbara, giving him a big hug. She didn't want to let go.

"You too" he said, grateful to be in her arms. "Let's get some food!" he said, enthusiastically.

They headed off to the festival and tried out various dishes. "How was work?" asked Barbara.

Jeremy froze for a moment...he'd forgotten about Bianca's presence at the office until now but he didn't want to bring her name up at this point.

"Oh, same old stuff...and you?"

"Busy...we had a kid's party to cater for today....oh boy, the cleaning up we had to do afterwards but the kids were so happy and joyous so I didn't mind that much" she said, smiling. Jeremy looked at Barbara and thought "there's no contest here....Barbara is the best!"

They ate, talked and laughed...then Jeremy said, "hey, let's have a sing-song! I've been practicing..."

"Oh no, what is it now?" said Barbara, then she yawned. "It's been a long day and I don't think my voice is up to it tonight but you go ahead...I'll watch and cheer you on"

Jeremy belted out the song with gusto, but he was no Frank Sinatra. "I thank you" he said at the end and he looked to Barbara...who had fallen asleep.

He looked at her laid out on the couch, looking so peaceful there, that he didn't resent her falling asleep during his performance. As a matter of fact, he wasn't great but he didn't appreciate how tired she was. He sat down next to her and stroked her hair as she dozed until a couple burst in to the room.

"Oh sorry, man" said a trendily dressed young man in the company of his hippie girlfriend. "Are you using this room as we'd like to have a sing?"

"Oh sure, go ahead, we were just resting and need to get going....Darling" he said to Barbara "we need to go. These people want to sing now"

"What? Wait...oh no, I missed you singing!" said a disappointed Barbara as she woke up.

"No matter...let's get you home" said Jeremy.

"No....I feel so bad! Let me make it up to you" she insisted.

"But you're tired"

"I feel better now I've had a little rest....in fact, good enough for this night not to end....yet" she said, coquettishly.

"Did you have anything in mind?" said Jeremy, taking the bait.

"Well....I think I left my earrings at your place last night...maybe we could go and look for them?"

"I think I saw them next to our bed...." he stopped himself. He'd said "our" bed. His mind was projecting. Barbara picked up on this.

"Oh it's our bed, is it?" she said, putting her arms around him.

"Let's go look for your earrings" he said, taking her by the hand and taking her back home with him.

CHAPTER 46: Natural Healer

 

A day off for Julia Epstein...she hated them but she also respected the Sabbath so she begrudgingly went along with it. But what to do? Julia took her glass of water to drink and stood on her front porch watching the world go by as she pondered how to spend her free time.

"Good morning, lovely day" said a woman walking by Julia's house.

"Yes, it is" replied Julia.

"This house is new...I haven't been for a walk around the Cove for a while so I hadn't noticed this place before" said the lady, looking with keen interest at Julia's house.

"Yes, it's a new build...I've been here a couple of weeks." replied Julia.

"Oh nice....by the way, my name's Katrina"

"Julia"

"Nice to meet you, Julia, and I hope you like it here...I mustn't linger; I have a hairdresser appointment soon because later on my boyfriend is taking me somewhere special! I'm so excited...I love it when men spring surprises, don't you?"

"Not particularly. I hope you have a pleasant time..." said an unimpressed Julia....ugh, boyfriends, girlfriends, dating, lovey dovey stuff...Julia treated them with disdain.

Julia went back into her home and wondered what to do next. She turned on the TV.

"Oh Brad...how could you leave me for HER?"

*CLICK*

"Oh darling....I can't live another day without you!"

*CLICK*

"In these ever changing times we look into the hot topic of today: The pill, mini skirts and the sexual revolution"

*CLICK* and off. Ugh, everywhere there's sex and romance...Julia couldn't stand it.

She had to find somewhere to spend this day that was the least sexy, least flirtatious place in Willow Creek.

Willow Creek Archive

Julia entered the library and approached the librarian.

"Well hello there" said a rather over enthusiastic young man who was the librarian.

"Hello. Would you tell me where your medical and science section is?" she asked.

"Sure...it's right over here" he said, guiding her to the correct bookshelf. "And if you need any further assistance, then just call for Kengo"

"Kengo?"

"Yes, that's my name"

"I don't think I will require assistance"

"If you change your mind...I'll be right over there" he said, with a wink.

Julia sighed and proceeded to scan the shelves for any books on medicine, taking them and putting them in a pile on a nearby desk. She was satisfied she had quite a bit to be getting on with after a few minutes perusal.

There were some items of interest in the books she chose, but a lot was what she already knew but on the other hand the library was a refuge from all the romantic talk that seemed to be doing the rounds right now....or at least she thought it was a refuge.

"Hello again" said Kengo "I hope you've found what you're looking for"

"What I've found has been satisfactory" she replied.

"Can I just say that's it's a pleasure to have a young, intelligent, attractive lady around here" said Kengo, trying to flirt.

"Why?" came Julia's deadbatted reply.

"Well....you see....it brightens the place up for one thing" said an awkward Kengo.

"Maybe you should open the curtains more" replied Julia.

"Erm...I'm just going to put these books away now" said an embarrassed Kengo now and he got up to leave.

Julia sighed again...she couldn't focus on these medical books so she put them away and went for a walk down the road to Municipal Muses, the museum. She walked around some of the general exhibition but nothing was grabbing her attention.

However, she noticed a piano outside and felt a little tinkling of the ivories could lift her mood. Sitting down at the piano she started on a few warm up pieces before launching into Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata.

The music soothed her and she enjoyed the feeling of being able to make music...shutting her eyes to the world, she became lost in the piece.

"So anyway the husband walks in and Barry's there with his pants around his ankles" came a man's voice.

"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" came some laughter.

"Well, it's not the first time Barry's gotten himself into trouble with a woman he just met in a bar" came the voice again. Julia opened her eyes and saw a group of people having a ribald chat right near her. "And can you keep the noise down, lady, I'm trying to tell a story here!"

"That 'noise' as you call it, is Beethoven"

"Well tell Beethoven to knock it off!" said the man, laughing at his own joke, and his friends all joined in as well.

Every time Julia tried something today, it backfired. The rowdy group got noisier and noisier whenever she tried to play so she gave up and began to walk off. The group of rowdies went and sat down in the museum garden and as she was about to leave, Julia saw a little boy sitting on the ground, looking at a book and with a tear in his eye. She felt awkward but something inside her stirred and she couldn't leave this sad little boy on his own without finding out more.

"Excuse me, boy, what is the matter?" she said, rather formally.

"I'm sorry, lady, I didn't mean to disturb you...I'll go" said the boy.

"No need...that's not what I meant. I mean, what troubles you? I am a doctor by the way so if it's something medical I could help?

"Oh, actually...I'm not sick or hurt...actually it's my homework. There's so much of it, it's due in tomorrow and I don't understand any of it! My teacher says if I get this wrong again I'll be put on detention all week."

"Surely the extra time you spend in detention will help you understand your work better?" said Julia who, when she was at school, would welcome any opportunity for extra study time.

"But I don't learn anything in detention...it's full of rough kids who flick rubber bands at me, or kick the back of my chair..."

Julia was moved, by her standards, to the boy's plight. She hated seeing education go to waste. "Hmmm, well, can I help you understand your homework a bit better?"

"I dunno lady, there's an awful lot of it!" said the boy.

"I see your first problem...you look at your homework as one huge pile. What you need to do is break it down into easier to manage sections. Math first, then English, then science and so forth. Tackle each part individually and don't worry about the rest for now."

"I see" said the boy, who could see the wisdom in Julia's words.

She found a place for them to sit and she helped him with each bit of his homework, prompting him to think, breaking down the problems bit by bit so he could understand better and making small suggestions here and there. After an hour, his homework was finished and he seemed as if his cares had been lifted from him.

"Thank you so much!" he said, his face beaming. "Are you really a doctor?"

"I am" said Julia.

"Gee, you're the prettiest doctor I've ever met!"

Normally Julia would recoil in horror at someone complimenting her on her looks but this kid was innocent and was trying to say thank you in his own way. She smiled.

"Well, you're a very smart kid...now remember, break down your problems bit by bit in future"

"Thanks, I will, I got to meet my mom now...bye!"

She felt a bit better for helping the boy and she went home more encouraged. Just before she went into her house, she saw Jeremy Saint wave to her so she walked over to see what he wanted.

"Hi, Julia, I've got a question to ask you and would like your input" he said.

"Sure, what is it?"

"Well, as you know I've got a girlfriend now..."

Julia's heart sank...not more relationship issues!

"...and anyway" Jeremy continued. "I want to treat her this weekend to something special. You know, something a bit romantic"

"Jeremy, you should know by now that I DON'T do romantic. Maybe Summer would be a better person to ask."

"Oh no, that's not what I meant....I want to take her to a concert...a classical concert and as you're a fan of classical music I was wondering if there was something on in town that you'd recommend so I can book tickets"

Julia felt relieved. She smiled and said "of course...well, I'd recommend the Dropov Ballet Company's production of Prokoviev's Romeo & Juliet"

"Provocative Ballet Company?" said a slightly puzzled Jeremy.

"No, Prokoviev...I'll write the details down for you" she said.

Jeremy said thanks and after they had a coffee and a chat Julia went home. As soon as the door shut, her phone rang.

"Hello Julia? It's Francesca here. I'm going to head down to Desert Bloom Park with Rod and Stefanie, I wonder if you're free and want to come down with us?"

"Actually, yes, I could do with a more wholesome scene. I'll meet you there" said Julia.

She met with the Griffith family soon afterwards and it was nice to meet Francesca's husband, Rod, and their daughter, Stefanie. The latter rushed to play on the monkey bars and the play equipment and Rod was happy keeping an eye on her and giving her a push on the swing or a lift to reach up to the higher play areas, leaving Julia and Francesca to talk.

"Let's get some food on the grill because they're going to be very hungry!" said Francesca. Julia and she got some chicken and sweetcorn cobs from out of a cooler box and began to grill them for the family dinner.

"So how's it going?" asked Francesca.

"Awful...just everyone playing fast and loose romantically everywhere I go! I can't get a minute's peace! Is it just me or is this the most sex obsessed generation in history?"

Francesca laughed. "I suppose there might have been a time in Ancient Rome..." she said.

Once they'd finished cooking, they put the plate down and a very hungry Griffith family tucked in and invited Julia to join them. As soon as she'd finished eating, young Stefanie wanted to hare around the park, dragging her dad along. This left the two women to talk some more. They decided to head for the little library area to continue their conversation.

However they were soon joined by a teenage boy followed a few minutes by a teenage girl...one Julia had met before at work; Yuki Behr. The boy seemed uptight and upset.

"Oh don't mind us, we're just chatting" said Francesca, trying to put the boy at ease.

"What's wrong?" said Julia, picking up on the boy's distress.

"It's nothing much...well, it's everything really...I...well....I worry that I'm not popular, with girls" he said, awkwardly.

Instead of getting uptight, Julia was instead moved by the boy's sincerity.

"Well, it's natural for a boy of your age to feel everything is more emotionally charged. It's just your body trying to adjust to the changes going on. Would you like me to expand on this topic? Don't worry, I'm a doctor and she's a nurse" said Julia, matter of factly.

"Geez....well....I mean, from a woman's perspective...and a Doctor's....erm...do I stand a chance with the girls at school?"

"I've learned something in these matters" said Julia. "Work on being the best you can and the rest falls into place. If you're good, and show you're capable, the girls will come to you"

"Wow, thank you Doctor!" said the boy, cheering up. Yuki, on the other hand, was standing by the fire place, sobbing. Julia and Francesca looked at each other and Julia decided to go on point on this one.

"What's the matter, Yuki? Did that rash return? Will I need to book another appointment at the hospital?" she said.

"No...it's not that, Doctor Epstein....It's just that I'm such a failure! My sister, she's doing so well with her music career, she's got all these guys who are into her, she's Miss Popular and she's been approached by Alan Cuffe of Lothario magazine to become a member of the Kitten Club! That's like the hottest, most exclusive club in town!"

"I'm well aware of the Kitten Club, Yuki" said Julia with disdain. She definitely did not like Alan Cuffe, Lothario magazine and young women running around in skimpy kitten costumes. "But why waste your time comparing yourself to your sister? Look at you, I've heard you play the guitar, you are generally what is considered to be attractive to the opposite sex..."

"And did you see the way that boy looked at you! He was trying to say hello" said Francesca.

"Precisely. What I said to him, I'll say to you: Be the best you can. You are not your sister and, frankly, you shouldn't bother with trying to become one of Alan Cuffe's kittens! Ugh!"

The girl cheered up and said thank you to Julia and Francesca. Alone, the two women finished off their dinners.

"You know, Julia" said Francesca "you're a natural healer"

CHAPTER 45: Where Is This Going?

 

John Action stepped out of the Movers & Shakers Gym, ready for the day. It was a rare day off for him; he'd been putting in extra shifts down at the 13th Precinct but now he needed some quality down time. As someone who lived up to his name, he found it difficult just switching off and doing nothing. Sitting around reading or going fishing didn't appeal to him but he'd spent a lot of time already running, boxing and lifting weights that he needed some more stimulation...preferably in the form of a beautiful woman.

His little black book had plenty of names in it and he'd been on dates with Liberty Lee and Jade Rosa but nothing was serious with them. The woman who intrigued him most was the socialite, Katherine Bowie. There seemed to be a deeper connection with her than with his other dates and he was keen to see Katherine again. Using the gym's telephone he gave her a call.

"Hey Katherine...it's me, Action. I have one of my rare days off today and I was wondering if you had one too? You have? How about you and me go somewhere real nice and spend some time together? Well I had in mind going over to the Lykke Centre down in Windenburg....sounds good? Excellent, shall we say meet in an hour?"

Putting down the phone, John smiled at the prospect of spending a day with Katherine.

Down at the Lykke Centre, Katherine was already waiting for him.

"You're a punctual girl, I like that" he said.

"Life's too short to waste time" she replied.

"The very words I live by" said Action, kissing her on the cheek.

They went inside the cafe and grabbed Italian espressos and cannolis to eat.

"Do you think Sim City can cope without you on the case for one day?" said Katherine, teasingly.

"They're going to have to...I have more important things to do today"

"Do I count as more important?" she said, again teasing him with her banter.

"Definitely" he said. The conversation was soon turning flirtatious.

They drank their excellent espressos and were enjoying the playful banter when a woman entered the cafe and, without saying a single word, shot them a disapproving look. Katherine picked up on this.

"What's her problem?" she said.

"Could be many things...maybe she recognises me as a cop?" said Action, dismissively.

"Or it could be I'm white and you're black"

Action shrugged his shoulders. "Does that bother you?"

"It bothers me that people think like that" she replied. "Doesn't it you?"

Action pushed his coffee cup away from him and took a deep breath. "Sure. But do I let it dictate to me? No. I do what I want to do...I'm with who I want to be with and I don't give a hill of beans for what other people think. And I don't think you care much for other people's judgmental opinions either"

"That I don't....it's a nice day, let's walk along the bay." said Katherine.

They left the cafe to head on to the embankment of Windenburg Bay. Katherine was right; it was a beautiful day and they walked along, taking in the sights of the sailing boats moored at the marina and the views that went on for miles.

"Well, it looks like just the two of us here" said Katherine.

"We're all alone" said Action, smiling.

"No one looking on" she said.

"No one to catch us" he replied. He took a couple of steps towards her and held her hands.

"Catch us doing what?" said Katherine, in expectation.

"Oh something like this...." said Action as they lent in towards each other until their mouths met to kiss.

After breaking apart to come up for air, Katherine smiled at Action "That was worth waiting for" she said, sighing.

"There's more where that came from" said Action.

"I don't know about you but I'm done sight seeing" said Katherine.

"Depends on what sights you want to see?" responded Action, flirtatiously.

"How about?....."

"Your place or mine? Why not mine? I make pretty good coffee" said Action.

"But didn't we just have some?"

"I meant morning coffee" he said, raising his eyebrow. Katherine smiled and understood exactly what he meant. They left Windenburg and headed back to Foundry Cove to enjoy each other's company some more.

"I've been here enough times to know the way here by heart" said Katherine when they arrived in the Cove.

"That'll be handy in future" said Action. "Shall we?"

They went inside where Action poured a couple of glasses of wine and they sat together on his couch to begin their intimacies again.

Naturally and instinctively one thing led to another...

The next morning they sat and had breakfast...and Action was good to his word by making a fine cup of coffee for Katherine.

"Last night was wonderful" she said.

"It certainly was...and not just the night, but the day as well. So how do you feel about you and me being together?" he replied.

"I want it more than ever before" she said, resting her head in her hands and leaning on his kitchen table.

Action smiled. "More coffee?"