Part 4 - Chapter 1 - The New Receptionist

"We're home," Amanda called out as she and Andrew arrived home from their honeymoon.

They set their luggage down by the door and found Alma sitting at the desk in the living room and Mrs. May on the sofa watching television.

Alma jumped up when they entered the room. Amanda was pleasantly surprised that her sister was so eager to welcome them home, but that feeling faded as soon as Alma spoke.

"It's about time. I've been wondering when I can start working."

Amanda sighed, "I'll give my two week notice first thing Monday morning."

"Good," Alma replied and started back to the desk.

"Wait. Don't you want to hear about our trip?" Amanda asked.

Reluctantly Alma came back and their mother joined the group as Amanda and Andrew talked about their honeymoon, the places they visited, and how relaxing it was to spend time at the beach.

When Alma seemed disinterested in everything they said and their mother voiced her disapproval of every place they went and everything they did, Amanda wondered why in the world she had been looking forward to coming home.

Lucy shook her head in disbelief as she and Jordan went over the household records. "I don't believe it. You are a miracle worker, Jordan. I don't think things could be running more smoothly. How do you do it?"

"It's nothing miraculous, Ms. Stuart. I'm just doing my job," Jordan replied, slightly embarrassed at the praise.

"Modest," Lucy accused as she rose from her chair, and Jordan followed. "Really, you do a spectacular job and I really don't know how I would manage without you."

"Do you think you could manage without me for a few days?" Jordan asked. "I have some family business to take care of."

"Of course," Lucy agreed. "It's nothing bad, I hope."

"No. My sister is flying in from England to live with me and I could use some extra time to help her settle in."

"Take all the time you need. You've earned it."

"Thank you, ma'am, but I'll only need a day or so."

As they started to walk out of the dining room Lucy realized that she knew almost nothing about Jordan's personal life, even though she talked with him every day. So she asked, "What's your family like, Jordan? Are you married?"

"No," Jordan started to answer, but was interrupted by the doorbell. He excused himself to go answer it.

"What's going on? What the hell are you thinking, Lucille?" Arthur demanded as he stormed into the dining room, with Jordan following closely behind him.

Lucy was bewildered. She had never seen Arthur so furious.

"I just got a call from Ms. Boroughs this morning and she said that you've dropped the lawsuit. I said that can't be true, that you wouldn't do something crazy like that and if you had lost your mind, you would have at least told me first. So what's gotten into you?"

"I just didn't see the point anymore," she cried. "So, what if we win a lawsuit? What good is it going to do for anyone? I don't want the money. I don't want any of this anymore."

"How could you do that without even telling me?"

"I'm sorry. I should have told you, but I wasn't thinking about that."

"Were you thinking at all?" Arthur asked. "Maybe you should take some time and really think this over."

Lucy shook her head firmly. "No, I have thought it over. I've made my decision and I'm not going to change my mind."

Arthur grunted in reply and pushed past Jordan as he walked out without a goodbye.

Jordan stepped cautiously into the room. "Are you alright, Ms. Stuart? Can I get you anything?"

"No," Lucy pouted and looked up at Jordan with sad eyes. "Do you think I messed up?"

"I think you know what's best."

Next

Part 4 - Chapter 2 - The New Receptionist

It was a late autumn night and she was hurrying through a darkened forest. If the head priestess found out that she had sneaked out of the temple for this rendevous, she would certainly be thrown out of the order. But it was worth the risk.

When she had seen him pass by the temple with his regiment, returning from the battle, she knew she had to meet him. It had been so many months since she had seen him last and she had spent all that time waiting for this day.

She heard a twig snap and was startled. But her fears vanished when she saw him emerge from behind a clump of bushes. She ran forward to greet him with a passionate embrace, happy that this moment had finally arrived.

Eileen tried to keep her eyes closed and hold on to the dream she was having, but it was no use. The morning sunlight was already shining brightly through her window and whether she wanted to be or not, she was awake now.

Groggily, she stretched and pulled herself out of bed. She was having the best dream, but she couldn't remember what it was about exactly. For a moment, Lawrence's face crept into her mind, but she quickly dismissed the thought. The dream hadn't been about Lawrence, had it?

As she crossed the room to get dressed, she looked at the clock. She had overslept again.

Eileen was too late to make it to her first class, but she decided to head over to the campus anyway to make sure she arrived on time for her second class of the day. She had some time to spare, so she dropped by the student union.

"Hey, Eileen. Where have you been hiding? I haven't seen you around lately?" her friend Joseph asked.

"I've been busy," she replied vaguely with a teasing smile.

"Too busy to talk to me?" another guy asked with a pout as her male friends started to gather around.

Eileen laughed. "Yes, I've really been that busy."

"Hey, the Kappas are having a big party this weekend. You'll make time for that right."

"I'll try," Eileen promised.

When Eileen saw Lucy walk in, she said goodbye to her admirers and crossed the room to say hello to her friend.

"I see you're not lacking for company," Lucy teased.

Eileen just smiled and shrugged and waved at one of the guys who was leaving. "What else is new?"

"I'm on my own this week," Lucy sighed. "I gave Jordan some time off to help his sister move. It's odd, all this time he's been working for me and I just realized I don't really know anything about him other than the great work he does. I'm so glad I found him."

"It was Craig's idea to hire someone, wasn't it?"

"Yeah," Lucy said slowly, wondering why Eileen would mention that.

"How are things Craig?" Eileen asked.

"Fine. He's still touring for his music, but we talk on the phone a lot."

"I was just wondering. You haven't said much about him. Lately it's been all about Jordan."

"So?" Lucy asked, defensively. "Why wouldn't I talk about someone who I see on a daily basis? He's just been very helpful."

"Alright," Eileen said, letting the subject drop.

"Anyway, I'm glad someone was there when your dad decided to come over to yell at me on Saturday."

"What?" Eileen asked, surprised.

"He was mad that I decided to drop the lawsuit against the hospital. But I don't want any money. I just want to see whoever is responsible pay for what they've done."

"Are there any new leads?" Eileen asked. When Lucy shook her head, Eileen had a suggestion. "Maybe there's something I can do to help."

Lucy laughed. "Are you going to become a detective now?"

"No, I've just been reading about how psychics can help solve crimes. I was thinking that we should try a seance. If we can contact your father's spirit maybe he can tell us how he died."

Lucy paled, feeling very uncomfortable with the idea. "No," she shook her head. "I don't want to do anything like that."

"Thank you for meeting with me today," Arthur greeted Reese. "I'm sorry that our case was dropped."

"It's alright," Reese replied. "That happens all the time."

"Have there been any new leads in the investigation?"

"Not really. The police have some fingerprints taken at the scene of the crime. There's one set that's unaccounted for, but without any suspects to match them to, they aren't very helpful."

"I suppose not." Arthur agreed. "There was something else I wanted to ask you. Is there any possibility of going ahead with the lawsuit without Lucy?"

Reese thought it over a moment. "I suppose it's possible, but given the situation, I don't think it's likely that we could win."

Arthur shook Reese's hand as she walked to the door. "Well, thank you anyway, Ms. Boroughs."

As Reese walked through the lobby, she heard someone call her name. She turned around to see Blaine walking towards her.

"Hi," he greeted her with a smile. "I'm glad I caught you before you left."

"It's nice to see you again," she responded politely.

"I wanted to tell you I had a nice time the other night."

"So did I. It was fun."

"Great," Blaine smiled nervously. "Maybe we could do it again sometime."
"Oh," Reese said hesitantly. She was worried this would happen. "I appreciate the offer, but I don't think that will be possible. I'm sorry."

"Oh, ok," Blaine replied, trying not to seem disappointed. "I guess I'll just see you around then . . .at the office."

"Sure. Goodbye," Reese said before she turned and left.

Next

Part 4 - Chapter 3 - The New Receptionist

Amanda submitted her resignation first thing on Monday morning as promised. Although Arthur was sad that she was leaving the company, he knew she was eager to start a new chapter of her life, and he had the vacancy posted right away.

The response to the job advertisement was even better than they had anticipated, so Arthur and Amanda kept busy for the rest of the week as they reviewed applicants' resumes.

Amanda had worked hard at her job for several years and knew the job better than anybody, so Arthur trusted her judgement and asked her to help chose the right candidate for the job.

After the first round of interviews, they were down to two possibilities, Audrey and Lauren.

At the interviews, Audrey was poised and confident. She seemed knowledgeable and capable and left Amanda and Arthur with no doubts that she would be able to handle the job. But when they tried contacting her references and previous employers, they were unable to find anyone to vouch for her. Her work history seemed sketchy at best.

Lauren was just the opposite. Her credentials were impressive on paper. She had an excellent work history and strong grades in the business courses she was taking, but her interview left Arthur and Amanda with doubts. She came off as childish and unprofessional.

They decided to call both women back for one more interview before they made their final choice.

When she received the call about the interview, Lauren asked for it to be scheduled later in the afternoon, claiming she had another appointment earlier in the day. She arrived at the offices early that afternoon and waited outside.

When she saw Audrey approach, she jumped out in front of her.

Audrey flinched back. "What's your problem?"

"You're my problem. I'm not going to let you steal this job from me! It's mine!" Lauren cried out, before shouting a list of threats at the frightened woman.

"You're insane! Stay away from me!" Audrey shouted as she backed away from Lauren and ran down the street.

Lauren smiled to herself as she watched her competition disappear.

When it was time for her interview, Lauren walked calmly into the office building and greeted Arthur with a handshake.

"Hello, Lauren. I'm glad you came." He explained, "I was expecting another applicant this afternoon, but she never showed up."

"That's odd," Lauren replied.

"I thought so too. She seemed interested in the job when I last spoke to her," Arthur mused before changing the subject. "Well, why don't we step into the conference room and start the interview. I think Amanda's already waiting on us."

Thirty minutes later, Lauren walked out of the interview, confident that the job was hers. Now that the position was secured, she could focus on the reason she had been so desperate to get the job.

Instead of leaving the office, she decided to wander around and take a look at the place where she would be working. She didn't wander long before she found what, or rather who, she was looking for.

"Hi there, Lawrence," she grinned as she leaned over his cubicle.

Lawrence practically jumped out of his chair in surprise. "Hello, Lauren," he said tersely. "What are you doing here?"

"You'd better get used to seeing me here. I'm going to be the new receptionist," she said with a giggle. Then she quickly crossed her fingers in front of her not to jinx herself and added, "I hope."

Lawrence barely managed to nod a reply. He was at a loss for words.

After Lauren left the office, and Lawrence started to recover from the shocking news, Arthur called him into his office.

"I noticed you were talking to Lauren awhile ago. She's one the applicants for Amanda's job."

"She mentioned that."

"We're still trying to make our final decision, so I was wondering how you know Lauren."

"We're both in the same night class," Lawrence answered.

Arthur nodded, as he took in the information. "I hesitate to say this . . .Amanda and I have both shared some concerns about hiring Lauren, but right now she seems to be our top choice. Since you know her, do you have any opinions about Lauren? Anything we should take into account when we make our final decision?"

Lawrence hesitated. He wanted to tell Arthur not to hire her, but he couldn't say that, not when his opinion was based solely on personal reasons. "No, there's nothing I have to add."

Next

Part 4 - Chapter 4 - The New Receptionist

"Two weeks. Less than two weeks," Alma kept reminding herself. She even had the date marked down on the calendar so she could count down the days until she would be free to teach again.

She couldn't stop thinking about it and caught herself daydreaming about those few years she had spent as an elementary school teacher.

The first time she started teaching had been by necessity, not by choice. After their father died, when Amanda was just a baby, their mother had been left to support the family on her own. Growing up, Alma and Amanda were both taught the importance of getting a good education, working hard, and contributing to the household.

To help the family, Alma took up teaching after she finished school. At first it had just seemed a sensible career choice, but it quickly turned into the love of her life. She loved standing in front of a classroom, having students listen to her, and actually seeing them learn from what she taught them.

She was most surprised to discover that she enjoyed being around children. Her students were so energetic and full of curiosity and life. She found herself fascinated with how everyday there was something new and interesting to discover when you looked at life through a child's eyes.

She would still be doing what she loved, if Momma hadn't gotten sick. Both she and Amanda were working then, but one of them had to stay home and take care of Mother. Mrs. May was the decision maker in the family and she was always practical about her choices. When it was time to decide who would quit work, she looked at her daughter's paychecks, found Alma's smaller, and decided she would be the one to stay home.

"But not anymore," Alma smiled to herself.

"ALMA!" Mrs. May called out, breaking Alma out of her daydream. "What do I have to do to get a little help around here?"

"I'm coming, Mother," Alma grumbled as she stood from her seat at the desk.

Her mother was carrying on with her usual complaints, but Alma blocked out her out. Pretty soon, this would all be Amanda's problem, and she would have the chance to actually do things, and not just daydream about them.

Alma hurried towards the door as soon as she heard Amanda and Andrew come home from work.

"Have you found someone to take over your job yet?"

"Yes, Alma," Amanda replied in a tired tone. "We just decided today."

"Good. It's about time. I wanted to make sure you weren't going to take longer than you said you would."

"No, everything's on schedule," Amanda said in a patronizing tone that only infuriated Alma.

"I don't want you to change your mind and think you're going to get out of taking care of Mother all day," she snapped.

"I wouldn't do that!" Amanda objected, taking offense. She was tempted to say more, but decided it was pointless. "Look, I'm tired. I just got home. I'm going upstairs to change."

Amanda slammed the dresser drawers open and shut as she searched for something to wear.

"Honey, relax," Andrew said, touching her on the arm. "Don't let her get to you."

"I know I shouldn't," she replied as she turned to face him "But I can't help it. She's my sister and she just . . .Oh, it's just always like this."

"It won't always be this way. Someday, soon I hope, it will just be you and me in a house of our own."

Amanda smiled slightly. "That does sound nice," she admitted. "But I don't see how that can happen as long as Momma's still around and I hope she will be for a long time."

Blaine was working at his second job, helping students at the university's new computer lab, when he sensed someone standing behind him. He looked up from the computer screen and saw a familiar woman standing behind him."Reese! Hi," he greeted her with surprise.

"Hello, Blaine," she replied. "I thought that was you."

"Yeah. I'm surprised to see you here."

"I just dropped in to look up some information."

"Well, do you need any help with anything? I'll be off the clock in a few minutes, so now would be the time to ask."

"Thanks for the offer, but I'm already finished."

"Doesn't your law firm have their own computers?"

"Yes, but this isn't for work. I was looking up some personal information and I didn't want to use the company's resources."

"I see."

"I come here all the time. I can't believe I didn't know that you worked here."

"I'm not here very often. It fills the extra time I have between classes and my work for Stuart-Townsend."

"Your extra time sounds about like mine."

Blaine shrugged. "It keeps the tuition bills paid." When Reese nodded, Blaine asked, "I suppose you're busy now?"

"Actually, I'm not."

"I was going to head over to the coffee shop to grab a bite to eat. Do you want to come along?"
Reese hesitated a moment and then agreed.

When they ordered something to eat at the counter, Blaine paid for both of them.

"You really didn't need to do that," Reese objected.

"It's no big deal," Blaine replied and then added confidentially, "I get a student discount anyway."

They sat down at one of the tables to eat. As they talked they discovered that they had a lot of things in common. Their interest in computers and technology being just one of them.

Before long they had both lost all track of time. When Reese finally looked at her watch, she jumped out of her chair. "It can't be that late. I've really got to go."

"Wait, before you go, I want to ask you something," Blaine started.

When he didn't continue, Reese said, "Ok. What is it?"

"I hope I'm not being too personal, if I am just say so, but I think we get along well and have a lot in common. I don't want to be a pest, but I'm just wondering. Why did you say you wouldn't go out with me the other day? Do you have a boyfriend or something?"

"No, it's nothing like that," Reese said, lifting her gaze from the floor in front of her. "I think you're a nice guy, but I have a policy. I don't get involved with guys that I work with."

Blaine nodded and tried to play it cool and hide his disappointment, "Ok. I understand. Do you think maybe we could be friends?"

Reese shrugged, "Sure. I don't see why not."

Next

Part 4 - Chapter 5 - The New Receptionist

On Lauren's first day at work, Amanda showed her around the offices and told her about the duties of the job. Lauren listened attentively and kept her responses short. The job details seemed straight forward and nothing that she hadn't done before.

"So that's it really," Amanda said once she had finished giving Lauren the tour and telling her everything she needed to know. "If you come across anything I forgot to tell you about, don't be afraid to ask for help."

"I don't think I'll have any problems," Lauren said, starting to sound bored.

"Do you have any questions about anything?"

"Yeah, actually," Lauren replied. "What can you tell me about Lawrence?"

"Oh," Amanda said, slightly taken aback. "He's a junior executive and he's been working here for a few months."

"I already knew that," Lauren laughed with a dismissive wave. "I mean what's he like. Do you know if he dates much?"

Amanda replied sternly, "You're here to work, not flirt."

"Hmm," Lauren replied thoughtfully. "But aren't you leaving this job because you married a guy who works here?"

Amanda flushed and quickly changed the subject.

"So, how's the old love life going?" Hector asked Lawrence during lunch. When Lawrence didn't reply, he took the frown that formed on his co-worker's face as the answer, instead of a sign that he didn't want to discuss his personal life. "No luck, huh? Sorry things didn't work out with Sal, but I'll find someone better for you next time, I promise."

"No. There's not going to be a next time," Lawrence replied. "I shouldn't have agreed to it in the first place."

"Don't be like that," Hector insisted. "It's just a matter of finding the right girl . . .How about the new receptionist?" Hector asked in a lowered voice as Lauren entered the break room to make a fresh pot of coffee. As she worked, Hector noticed that she frequently stole glances at Lawrence. "She seems to have her eye on you."

"No. Absolutely not," Lawrence said firmly, but Hector paid no attention.

Hector rose from his chair to approach Lauren and a panicked Lawrence followed closely behind. "Hello, I don't believe we've met. I'm Hector and this is Lawrence," he said with a smile.

Lauren grinned back, but kept her eyes mostly on Lawrence. "I'm Lauren. And I already know Lawrence. Will I see you tonight?"

"Tonight?" Hector asked with a raised eyebrow as he looked from Lauren to Lawrence.

"We're in the same night class," Lawrence explained shortly.

"You never told me that," Hector said to Lawrence. "Hey, I've got a crazy idea. Why don't you have Lawrence give you a ride to class?"

Lauren's expression turned gleeful, but Lawrence felt panicked. "I'm afraid that won't work out," he said and quickly exited the room.

Lauren sighed and Hector patted her on the shoulder. "Don't give up on him."

"I won't," she grinned wickedly before walking away.

Hector was about to leave the break room to return to work when he ran into Andrew.

"There you are, Burgess. I should have known. Maybe you should spend less time worrying about other people's business and more time doing your own work."

Hector shrugged off the barb. "What can I say? Some people just know how to get their jobs done. Besides I thought I'd give someone else a shot before you went after the new secretary."

Andrew's face reddened as he tried to control his anger. "Enjoy it while you can, Burgess, because when I'm put in charge of this company, things are going to change for you."

When Lawrence arrived at class that night, he tried to take a seat by himself without being noticed, but Lauren jumped up the moment he walked in and blocked his path.

"Hey there, stranger," she said with a giggle.

Lawrence nodded in acknowledgment and tried to step past her, but she dodged in front of him.

"Hey, your friend Hector seems really nice and I think he had a good idea about riding to class together. Maybe we could give it a try next week."

"I don't think so," Lawrence said as he searched for an escape.

"Oh, but it's such a good idea. We should really start a carpool. Where do you live anyway?"

The last thing Lawrence wanted was for Lauren to know where he lived. Luckily, he was saved from answering when the instructor entered and started class.

As soon as class was over, Lawrence ducked into the hallway to avoid Lauren. He had seen more of Lauren that he could stand for one day and wanted to get out of there before she could approach him again. The way things were going, she'd probably find some excuse for him to take her home or to follow him home. He didn't want that to happen so he hurried out of the classroom before she had the chance.

In his haste, he nearly bumped into Eileen in the hallway.

"Hi, Lawrence. What's your hurry?" she asked.

"I'm trying to avoid someone," he explained briefly.

Eileen grinned and then motioned toward the door. "Then let's get out of here before she finds you."

Lawrence was surprised that Eileen would including herself in his escape, but there was no time to waste, so when she opened the door, he followed.

As soon as they were outside Eileen stepped off the sidewalk, walked towards a group of trees in front of the building, and motioned for Lawrence to follow. A few seconds later, when the front door opened, Eileen and Lawrence ducked back into the shadows of the foliage. They peeked through the cover of leaves and watched as Lauren came outside and looked up and down the sidewalk with a confused expression before shrugging and walking away.

"Looks like the coast is clear," Eileen whispered. Then with a laugh she added, "That was kind of fun."

"You think so?" Lawrence asked skeptically.

Smiling, Eileen turned to face Lawrence, but before she could speak she was overcome with the feeling of deja vu. Something about seeing Lawrence standing in front of her in the dark wooded scenery seemed familiar, but she couldn't place her finger on why.

An awkward moment of silence passed before Eileen remembered where she was and asked, "So who was she?"

Lawrence, too, had been lost in a moment, but Eileen's question had brought him back to his senses. "Lauren, the company's new receptionist. She's in my business class." Eileen nodded blankly, so Lawrence reluctantly explained, "We went out once after class. She seems to think we should do it again, but once was more than enough."
"That must have been some date."

Lawrence frowned, "It wasn't really a date. Just drinks."

"I had no idea you were so magnetic," Eileen remarked.

"What do you mean?" Lawrence asked, confused.

"One drink and the woman can't get enough of you," Eileen teased. "You must be hiding something."

Lawrence shrugged off the remark. He tried to remind himself that this woman he was talking so intimately with was a another man's girlfriend. "It's a nice night," he remarked, changing the subject.

Eileen looked up at the sky. "Yes, it is . . .It's like that night we ran into each other when I was on my way to a concert."

"Yes, that was a nice night," Lawrence said his voice heavy with something below the surface. "I'm glad I had trouble sleeping that night."

Eileen turned towards Lawrence, a question to that remark on her lips, when someone came running towards them.

"Cassandra? What's wrong?" Eileen asked.

"A phone. I need to find a phone," Cassandra panted. Her eyes darted wildly and she started to lose her balance. Lawrence stepped forward to steady her, but he was too late. Cassandra collapsed to the ground.

Next

Part 4 - Chapter 6 - The New Receptionist

"Good morning, Eileen," Veronica greeted her step-daughter as she entered the kitchen. "Breakfast is on the counter. Oh and there's a letter for you, too. It's from the college."

Eileen stopped in her tracks. A letter from her school couldn't be good news. "Has Daddy seen it yet?"

"I don't think so."

Eileen hurried towards the counter and tore open the envelope. As she scanned the pages inside the sense of dread she felt only worsened. The news was even worse than she had expected. She sighed and then stuffed the papers back into the envelope.
When she heard her father's footsteps approaching, she looked for a place to hide the letter, but she didn't have time. Her father was already walking into the room, so she casually picked up the letter from the counter.

"Good morning," Arthur greeted his wife and daughter in a tired voice.

Veronica looked up long enough to cheerfully return the salutation before hiding behind her newspaper again. She knew something unpleasant was about to take place and she didn't want to get in the middle of it.

"You were out late last night, Eileen," he remarked.

"I had to take my friend Cassandra to the hospital."

"Cassandra? I don't remember you mentioning her before. Is she alright?"

"Yeah, they think so. She just fainted."

Arthur could tell that Eileen was nervous about something, but it took him a moment to notice the letter she was gripping tightly in one hand. "What do you have there?"

"Just a letter, Dad," Eileen replied innocently, but Art was not convinced.He held out his hand and, with a sigh, Eileen gave him the letter.

Arthur removed the letter from its envelope and started reading. He had only read half of it before he decided he had seen enough. He folded the letter back up and took a deep breath before he finally spoke. "Well, Eileen, what do you have to say about this? Can you explain to me how an intelligent girl like yourself can be failing every one of her classes?

Eileen shrugged. "No, but I'll try to do better."

"Do you realize how serious this is, Eileen?" Arthur asked sternly. "If you don't get these grades up before the end of the term, they won't let you come back next semester. This is your last chance."

"Maybe it's for the best," Eileen mumbled. "I'm not learning anything useful there anyway."

"Oh really? Maybe if you spend less time running around, having fun with your friends and a little more time on your classes, you'll see things differently."

Arthur didn't arrive at the office in good spirits. Eileen had argued and protested, but he stuck with his decision. It was high time that Eileen take things more seriously and learn some responsibility. He knew he was partly to blame for spoiling her when she was growing up, but maybe a few weeks at home without parties and friends to distract her would do some good.

I have a message for you, Mr. Townsend," Lauren greeted him. As she sorted through the notes on her desk, Arthur wondered what bad news he could be getting next. "Here it is. Jerry Keller wants you to call him back as soon as you can. He said he has some big news."

Arthur perked up immediately. "Thanks, Lauren."

Cassandra had been admitted into the hospital overnight for observation. The doctor had told her to rest, but she had trouble following that order. She dozed in and out of a fitful sleep. There was something on her mind that she knew was important to remember, but for some reason she couldn't recall what it was.

When Lucy came in to check on her as she was doing the rounds on her internship, Cassandra was muttering in her sleep. The patient gasped and awoke with a start.

"How are you feeling?" Lucy asked professionally.

"Tired," Cassandra replied.

"I have good news for you. Your sister is waiting for you in the reception area. There are a few papers that you need to sign, but other than that you're free to go home. Maybe you'll sleep better in your own bed."

"Maybe, but I doubt it," Cassandra replied and crawled out of bed.

As she started across the room to get dressed, she stopped suddenly in her tracks.

"Are you ok?" Lucy asked.

Cassandra spun around quickly. "It has to do with you."

"What does?" Lucy asked.

"I don't know. I can't remember," Cassandra struggled. "Before I fainted I knew something bad was going to happen. I can't remember what it was now or who I had to warn, but it has something to do with someone close to you. I can feel it."

Lucy had no idea how to reply to that, she wasn't even sure what she should make of the assertion. Cassandra had bumped her head when she fainted, maybe that was affecting her thinking. "I need to check on some other patients," Lucy said as she nervously backed towards the door. "Just stop by the nurse's station when you're ready to leave."

While Cassandra was filling out her paperwork, Lucy spoke to Zara, privately to let her know that her sister had made some strange remarks and if they continued, to bring her back in for another check-up. Zara nodded, but said little.

"Ok, I'm ready," Cassandra announced.

As the sisters left the hospital Zara said, "You had another premonition, didn't you?" When Cassandra said she had, Zara sighed. "You've got to stop telling people things like that, Cass."

"I know, but I had to do something."

"You have got to be more careful. You don't want end up like Mom, do you?"

Lucy was still shaken by Cassandra's statement when she got home. As she walked into the house she was greeted by the sound of soothing music. She followed it's source to the foyer where Jordan was listening to a record.

"Good evening, Miss Stuart," Jordan greeted her as he moved to turn off the music.

"Don't turn it off," Lucy insisted. "What are you listening to?"

Jordan told her the name of the song and explained, "I was finalizing the plans for the country club's next charity event and I thought it might be a good song to use."

"It's lovely."

"It's a very popular song at events like these, especially when there is dancing. As I recall there was a particular dance my previous employers would dance to this song. It was a beautiful sight to watch."

"Oh, really?" Lucy asked with interested. "Would you show it to me?"

Jordan was reluctant. "Do you think that's a good idea, Miss Stuart?"

"Of course, I do. I've had an difficult day and I could use a dance."

It was in Jordan's job description to fulfill his employer's requests, so he took Lucy in his arms and lead her in a dance.

As they glided across the floor, Lucy became aware of how strong and graceful Jordan was and, seeing him up close, how handsome he was. But as soon as she realized what she was thinking, she tried to put those kind of thoughts out of her mind.

As the song ended, Jordan lowered Lucy until a final dip. They held that position for an extended moment, before Jordan pulled Lucy back to her feet.

"That was very nice. Thank you," Lucy said quietly.

"The pleasure was mine," Jordan replied.

They were spared from the awkward moment that passed by the ringing of the telephone. Jordan moved to answer it, but Lucy stopped him. "Don't worry, I'll get it."

"Hello?"

"Can I speak to Lucy Stuart, please?"

"This is her."

"This is Gloria Churchill from Earhart Memorial Hospital. A friend of yours, Craig Sexton, was in an accident this evening. He was just admitted a few minutes ago and he gave us your name as the person we should contact."

"I'll be right there," Lucy said and quickly hung up the phone.

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