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Queen Elizabeth and James Bond parachute into the Olympic Opening Ceremony — sort of
Chris Chase
Fourth-Place Medal July 27, 2012, 8:45 PM UTC
The Queen of England made her film debut in style, getting escorted to the Olympics by James Bond and parachuting into Olympic Stadium from a helicopter in a short film shown at Friday night's Opening Ceremony.
Movie magic was responsible for the death-defying jump -- both Bond actor Daniel Craig and the 86-year-old monarch were portrayed by stunt doubles for the live shot, of course. But that was indeed Queen Elizabeth sitting in her quarters, welcoming James Bond and accepting his invitation to the Olympics in Danny Boyle's three-minute film.
[ Related: What to watch for: Olympics first weekend ]
It was believed to be the queen's first-ever appearance in a movie. Boyle and his crew were given unprecedented access to her quarters for the one-day shoot in April.
Nitpickers will point out that the film showed Bond and the queen leaving in daylight and arriving at nightfall. And you'll notice that the queen never was shown in the helicopter, only in Buckingham Palace with her corgis in tow. But, come on. The queen parachuted out of a helicopter! They could have left in a Mini Cooper and arrived in a rickshaw and it wouldn't have mattered.
Bond wasn't the only character of film and literature to make an appearance at the Opening Ceremony. Mary Poppins, Lord Voldemort and Mr. Bean were all featured prominently in Danny Boyle's abstract salute to England.
More London Olympics content on Yahoo! Sports:
• London Olympics gaffe: Culture secretary nearly hits woman with broken hand bell
• Gambling site wins battle with London Olympics over sneaky advertisements
• Eight stories to watch out for during Olympic gymnastics
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Amsterdam to Keep Priceless Scythian Gold From Crimea as Russia and Ukraine Continue Legal Battle
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Amsterdam Court of Appeal said on Tuesday that it had postponed a final verdict in the Russian-Ukrainian row over the collection of Scythian gold for six to nine months and tasked the sides with providing additional information within two months.
In recent weeks, the German chancellor has experienced three tremor episodes during meetings with various foreign leaders. However, Angela Merkel’s shortness of breath while speaking during France’s Bastille Day celebrations in Paris had nothing to do with the previous shaking episodes, a government spokesman has said.
Six Medieval Ships Unearthed in 'Archaeological Adventure' in Norwegian Capital (Photos)
The finds are in fantastic condition, given that they are at least 500 years old, archaeologists say.
'Tasteless': Swedes Disturbed by 'Mafia Movie' Pistol Dance at Immigrant Wedding Party (Video)
An unapologetic display of unholstered guns during a dance at an immigrant wedding party in the Swedish town of Filipstad has rocked the peaceful Nordic nation, sparking a debate.
US State Dept Urges Sweden to Treat Arrested ASAP Rocky 'Fairly and With Respect'
A$AP Rocky, born Rakim Mayers, was arrested by the Swedish police on 2 July following a street fight in Stockholm. His detention and conditions of detention have since triggered an international commotion.
UK Minister Reaffirms Assange Will Not Be Extradited to Any Country With Death Penalty
Assange is now serving a 50-week sentence in Britain for skipping bail after he spent seven years in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London in order to flee what he said was a politically motivated case against him. The WikiLeaks founder faces extradition to the US for alleged computer hacking, accusations that he denies.
Boris Johnson Jokes Amber Rudd Should Win Love Island as People Cheer for Her Namesake
Love Island is a reality dating show that has been a huge success both in the US and the UK. Boris Johnson has recently admitted to watching the show and being “baffled” by it.
Everyone in Ukraine Understands That Vyshinsky's Case Is Absurd - Russian FM Spokeswoman
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Everyone in Ukraine, except for extreme nationalists, understands that the case against RIA Novosti Ukraine portal head Kirill Vyshinsky is absurd, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.
Pregnant Luxury-Loving Beauty Therapist Imprisoned For Hauling $1.8 Mln Worth of Cocaine - Report
The judge said the woman knew what she was doing, because, judging by the amount of drugs found by police, she must have been trusted by her accomplices.
‘Amazon’s a Job Killer’: Tech Giant Shrewdly Using Strikes, Layoffs to Prepare for Automation
Trillion-dollar e-commerce company Amazon’s “Prime Day” has become a major digital holiday over the years, but employees at the company’s Minnesota and German facilities used the internet craze to amplify their grievances with the company. By the looks of Amazon’s plans for automation, however, their outrage may already be accounted for.
Huge Fire Engulfs Forest Near Fresh Island Music Festival in Croatia, Prompts Evacuation - Reports (Videos)
Festivalgoers took to social media filming huge blaze close to the Fresh Island festival at Zrće beach, on the island of Pag, in Croatia.
Assange Masterminded 2016 Clinton Leaks from Ecuadorian Embassy, Report Claims
On Monday, CNN published a report based on “exclusive documents”, said to have been obtained by the media outlet, claiming that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange worked with alleged Russian hackers and other intelligence officials in a bid to damage Hillary Clinton’s reputation and ruin her 2016 presidential run.
EU Renews Sanctions on North Korea in Response to Pyongyang's Nuclear Program
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The European Union has renewed sanctions on North Korea in response to the latter's nuclear weapon and ballistic missile programs, a statement from the US council said. Currently, at least 57 persons and 9 entities fall under new EU sanctions imposed on North Korea.
World War 2 Codebreaking Hero Alan Turing To Be New Face Of £50 Note
Many celebrated Brits have made their appearance on banknotes issued in Scotland and Northern Ireland. New art brandished on £5 and £10 notes began circulation in Northern Ireland in February.
12-Year-Old Boy Boards LA-Bound Flight at Heathrow Airport Without Ticket (Video)
Police at Heathrow Airport in London, UK, are currently investigating how an unaccompanied 12-year-old boy managed to board a British Airways flight bound for Los Angeles, California, without a ticket.
Ukraine Foreign Ministry Accuses Hungary of Meddling in Kiev's Affairs Ahead of Election
KIEV (Sputnik) - The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry on Monday accused Hungarian authorities of interfering in Kiev's domestic affairs and called on Hungarian officials to refrain from further visits to Transcarpathia until the Ukrainian parliamentary election is completed.
EU Suspends High-Level Dialogue With Turkey 'For the Time Being' - Statement
The European Council said in a Monday statement that in light of "Turkey’s continued and new illegal drilling activities, the Council will suspend negotiations on the Comprehensive Air Transport Agreement and agree not to hold the Association Council and further meetings of the EU-Turkey high-level dialogues for the time being".
UK Women Demand Removal of ‘Disgusting’ Muslim Men in Islamophobic Rant (Videos)
A flight from Dalaman, Turkey, to Gatwick, England, was delayed nearly three hours after two women claimed they felt unsafe in the company of three Muslim men wearing religious attire and requested their removal. Soon after, a tense series of verbal altercations ensued.
Court Hearing on Vyshinsky Case Postponed to 19 July
KIEV (Sputnik) - The Podolsky district court of Kiev postponed until 19 July the hearing of the case of RIA Novosti Ukraine portal head Kirill Vyshinsky.
A Sense of Relief? UK Digital Minister Apologises for Porn Block Delay
The age verification system to be set up by the UK government is likely to be one of the most expansive among Western countries, creating a sense of unease among those who believe that it is not the government’s business to regulate the public’s access to adult pornography.
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Common man feels the heat of new taxes
Khalid Malik
LAHORE - The common man has started feeling the heat after the announcement of Rs 40 billion in extra taxes with merchants and manufacturers already imposing big price increases.
Opportunist shopkeepers started fleecing the citizens by increasing the prices of mostly daily use commodities immediately after new taxes were levied by the federal government, a survey of city markets divulged.
The shopkeepers put up prices of items already in stock and on the shelves. New products arriving from the manufacturers also bore higher mark-ups.
Prices of the products that have been increased by the shopkeepers and general stores’ owners include watered bottles, shampoos, soaps, toothpastes, toothbrushes, cigarettes, food items like ketchup, jams, breads, cooking oils, ghee and dozens of other daily use products.
The manufacturers may not have increased the prices yet but the shopkeepers have already done so in anticipation of price increase. For example the price of a 20-cigarette pack of Gold Leaf was being sold at Rs 115 before the announcement. Now it is being sold for Rs 125. Price of bottled water was Rs 25 but now it is being sold for Rs 20.
Some of the 61 items that have attracted fresh duties of 5-10pc are: live poultry, frozen fish including fillets and fish meat, coconuts, brazil nuts and cashew nuts, almonds, preserved meat including offal or blood, cocoa paste and cocoa butter, ground nuts, pineapples, citrus fruit, pears, apricots, cherries, peaches, strawberries, tea and coffee essences and concentrates, trunk and suit cases-brief cases apparel and clothing accessories of leather, men’s, women’s and boy’s overcoats, jackets, baby garments and clothing accessories, garments like ties, shawls, scarves, mufflers, curtains and interior blinds, tarpaulins and tents, footwear and their parts, imitation jewellery, watches, diapers and sanitary towels.
Some of the 289 items on which regulatory duty was increased from 10 to 15pc are: yogurt, butter, dairy spreads and others, cheese, curd, grated or powdered cheese of all kinds, natural honey, pineapples, avocados, guavas, mangoes, frozen mango, mango pulp, oranges, chewing gum, whether or not sugar- coated, white chocolate, cocoa powder, containing added sugar or other sweetening matter, chocolate preparation, malt extract, preparations other than in retail packing, not containing cocoa, containing eggs, vermicelli, stuffed pasta, whether or not cooked or otherwise prepared, other pasta, couscous, corn flakes, prepared foods obtained from unroasted cereal flakes or from mixtures of unroasted cereal flakes and roasted cereal flakes or swelled cereals, bulgur wheat, crisp bread, gingerbread and the like, sweet biscuits, waffles and wafers, rusks, cucumbers and gherkins, pickles, tomatoes, whole or in pieces, tomatoes paste, mushrooms of the genus agaricus, potatoes and other vegetables and mixtures of vegetables.
The already over-taxed general public views the new taxes as a burden especially the low income segment of society.
Mussarat Inayat, a school teacher and resident of Anarakali area, was visibly disturbed. “It is becoming very difficult to manage things and the news that ghee, cooking oil, yogurt and other essential items of kitchen has come as a shock. The grocery that we brought for Rs 5,000 for one month will now cost a lot more,” she was of the view.
Abid Butt, a resident of Baghbanpura who runs a garments shop, said that instead of giving relief the government is burdening people with indirect taxation. “It is hard to pay the utility bills and this taxation means that so many items will now be out of the access of middle class people like us,” he maintained.
“Who will think about labouring class, especially those having no permanent source of income and are working on daily wages if government is not going to take care of them like other countries of the world?” said Malik Ayaz, a social worker of Kot Khawaja Saeed. “We are planning development like a developed country but are not able to give relief to the masses already reeling under high inflation and no price control,” he was of the view.
A shopkeeper Sheikh Waseem of Chah Miran said this was not something new. “We will not be making money but those who knew about the increase in this mini budget will make millions by holding the items at old rates and selling them at higher rates. We the shopkeepers will continue to get the same profit margin,” he explained.
PTI rally against new taxes: PTI yesterday staged a protest rally against the new taxes imposed by the federal government which they named ‘Mini-Budget’ of Rs 40 billion.
Punjab Assembly Opposition Leader Mian Mehmood-ur-Rasheed led the rally with PTI members of the provincial assembly. The rally launched from Punjab Assembly and culminated at Chief Minister House (Aiwan-i-Wazire Ala). The protestors were holding banners and placards inscribed with slogans against Federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and the IMF with demands to withdraw the new taxes.
“The rulers should cut their expenditures instead of imposing Rs 40 billion Mini Budget on the poor masses. The one-day expenditure of President, Prime Minister and Chief Minister Punjab is Rs 1 million, 1.7 million and 1.3 million respectively,” said PA Opposition Leaders addressing protestors.
He also demanded to summon the Punjab Assembly session to discuss this serious matter.
Earlier, Mehmood-ur-Rasheed submitted a resolution in Punjab Assembly secretariat concerning the issue of target killing of two Military Police personnel in Karachi at M.A. Jinnah Road the day before yesterday. The resolution said the opposition strongly condemns the act of terror and demands of the Federal and Sindh Government to arrest the culprits at the earliest for awarding them stringent punishment.
The opposition through the resolution also condoled with the families of the martyred soldiers of Military Police and prayed for the departed souls.
SC orders cellular network companies to stop charging additional taxes
Common man feels betrayed by PTI govt
Indirect taxes on common man ‘a great injustice’
Country can’t be run without taxes: Firdous
NEW TAXES WILL NOT AFFECT COMMON MAN OPPOSITION DO NOT DISTURB BY COMMON MAN HE MEANS RULING PARTY, ppp, BUREAUCRATS, CHAMCHAAS.....
Irtiza Shafaat Bokharee
The dissonant waltz of proportional representation
Iftikhar Ahmad
FATA reforms
Local government elections: time to rejoice
Success Finally?
The Executions Begin
Afghan Aggression
Shaheen Air accident
Mass protest
Punjab Pharmacy Council endangering health
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Webber's Monaco triumph sparks Ferrari talk
LONDON - Mark Webber did his CV and his future employment prospects a power of good last Sunday when he claimed his second masterful Monaco victory in three years.
The 35-year-old Australian, emerging from the long shadow cast by his Red Bull team-mate and defending double world champion Sebastian Vettel, swiftly became one of the names tipped for a switch to Ferrari for 2013.
Webber did not deny he would be interested in joining his friend Fernando Alonso at the Italian team, but he also did little to indicate he was doing anything other than listening to the rumours with a smile on his face.
"This always happens around this time of year," said Webber.
"Drivers are linked with moves for the following year, but only rarely does anyone do anything now, or make any major decisions. I am just racing to win the title for now."
The idea of Webber enjoying a glamorous and well-paid Indian summer to his career in F1 was given solid support, however, from one of Australian motor racing's biggest names, when former world champion Alan Jones urged him to take the chance -- if he receives an offer.
Jones, the last Australian to win the drivers' title, said that Webber had already achieved one of the two great ambitions of any F1 driver by winning Monaco and should now consider adding Ferrari's name to his list of teams.
Jones said: "Mark has already done one of the two things that most Formula 1 drivers would like to do, and that's win Monaco. The other one is to drive for Ferrari.
"I'm sure he'd have a look at it. If he goes to Ferrari, it could be a breath of fresh air -- it's very prestigious and something really good to have on your CV.
"He gets on extremely well with Alonso, so maybe that could be a good way for him to go."
Webber's contract with Red Bull runs out at the end of this season, and his strong form in the opening part of this campaign has ignited speculation that he is on Ferrari's radar as a potential replacement for struggling Brazilian Felipe Massa.
Jones added that he believed Webber would cope well with a direct scrap against Alonso because he has endured similar experience with Vettel at Red Bull.
He said: "Personally, I think that Mark is with a good team (but) having said that, if he signed on with Red Bull next year, he's still going to have Vettel as his team-mate, which is a pretty hard task."
Webber revelled in his Monaco win -- celebrating with a backwards dive into the Red Bull swimming pool in the harbour in his full racing suit -- but said claims that he had deliberately tried to help Vettel in the race were wide of the mark.
While Webber started on pole, Vettel started from 10th with a very different strategy in order to gain places, but Webber insisted he had done nothing to aid his team-mate.
"I heard afterwards people had been speculating that I was 'backing up' Nico (Rosberg), Fernando and Lewis Hamilton, who was also behind me, to help my team-mate Sebastian Vettel gain places, but that's absolute rubbish," he wrote in a blog for the BBC. "You just cannot be that fancy around Monaco.
"Ultimately, Seb ran out of tyres and he had to pit because the rest of us started to go quicker, but if they'd kept going, he would have been pushing for the win.
"If we had been trying anything on, I could have been even cuter. I cleared Seb by quite a lot. If I'd wanted to slide him in among other people, I could have slowed down and it would have been even better for the team.
"But it just wasn't part of the plan."
Webber had nothing to say in his blog about Ferrari, whose list of fancied drivers is now reported to include both of the Red Bull men, Briton Lewis Hamilton of McLaren, his compatriot Paul Di Resta of Force India, and Mexican Sergio Perez of Sauber.
Vettel delivers Ferrari 1-2 at Monaco
Vettel, Webber ready for one last battle
Ricciardo may replace Webber at Red Bull
Teresa Palmer engaged to Mark Webber
Painting a villain as martyr
The USA’s failed Afghan campaign
Akif Abdulamir
Navigating the academic boat
Motorway Police fails to keep it up
Commercial chicken farming
Council of Common Interest
Cruel and unjust
A picture of urban mismanagement
Some questions for Bilawal
Pakistan’s controlled economic collapse
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[ July 16, 2019 ] Suspected killers of Funke Olakunrin, Afenifere leader Fasoranti’s daughter in police net •How they are arrested Top Stories
Dangote fetiliser coy signs gas supply agreement with Chevron Nigeria
March 13, 2019 UD Business Comments Off on Dangote fetiliser coy signs gas supply agreement with Chevron Nigeria
By Yusuf Yunus
Lagos – Dangote Fertiliser Ltd., said on Wednesday that it had entered into a long-term agreement with Chevron Nigeria Ltd. (CNL) for the supply of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) to its blending plant.
A statement by Mr Tony Chiejina, Dangote’s Head of Corporate Affairs Department in Lagos on Wednesday, said that the fertiliser blending plant was poised to begin operations soon.
Chiejina said that the contract, under the Gas Sale and Aggregation Agreement (GSAA) was part of International Oil Company’s (IOC’s) gas obligation to the domestic market through Gas Aggregation Company Ltd. (GACN).
According to the him, Dangote Fertiliser Ltd., will be commissioned before the end of the year.
He added that the company would produce 3.0 million tonnes per annum (mmtpa) of Urea when operational.
The fertiliser plant, which consists of twin trains, with each train having an installed capacity of 1.5 million tonnes per annum of Urea and Ammonia, sits on an area of 500 hectares.
Speaking at the agreement-signing ceremony, Mr Devakumar Edwin, the Group Executive Director, Strategy, Capital Projects & Portfolio Development of Dangote Industries Ltd. (DIL), praised the Managing Director of GACN for his role in the business relationship.
Edwin said that the company was looking forward to establishing a long-term relationship with Chevron Nigeria Ltd., including working closely with it in the upstream and other areas of operation in the oil and gas sector.
Responding, the Managing Director, CNL, Mr Jeffrey Ewing, commended GACN and DPR for their roles in the signing of the gas supply agreement.
He said: “We are looking forward to working with Dangote Fertiliser and maintaining a good relationship with the company.
“This agreement is very important for the country and Chevron is committed to Nigeria’s economic development.”
Also, the Managing Director of GACN, Mr Morgan Okwoche, expressed delight to be part of the gas supply agreement.
“This is the beginning of a fruitful relationship between Dangote Fertiliser Limited, Chevron Nigeria Limited and other parties.
“I am excited that this is happening during my term in office. You cannot imagine my satisfaction in having this contract signed at this time,” he said.
Mr Sanya Bajomo, the Head, Gas Monitoring & Regulation Division, DPR, said that he was glad that GACN, Chevron, and Dangote had signed the gas supply agreement.
Bajome said: “I want to say that this gas supply agreement is an issue of national interest and what happened today is going to be transmitted to the presidency.
“I believe everybody is going to benefit from this agreement when the fertiliser plant starts operation.” (NAN)
Dangote fetiliser coy
signs gas supply agreement
Makinde appoints Oyelade as Executive Chairman of BCOS July 15, 2019
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Around Sarah's Table
Ten Hasidic Women Share Their Stories of Life, Faith, and Tradition
Zakutinsky, Ruth
A sweet story for someone you love to the sky and back.
You know what I love?
That every morning, no matter what, you always say:
#147;Today is going to be a beautiful day."
So begins one doll's tender tribute to her little girl. From playing dress up to finding hidden treasures, these two always have fun because it turns out that what they love most of all is each other.
Mimicking the close relationship between a parent and child, this is the perfect #147;I love you book" for the one nearest and dearest to you.
Publisher: New York : Free Press, c2001.
Characteristics: x, 239 p. ;,22 cm.
Additional Contributors: Gottlieb, Yaffa
Read more reviews of Around Sarah's Table at iDreamBooks.com
Bible. Genesis — Commentaries.
Jewish Women — New York (State) — New York — Biography.
Hasidim — New York (State) — New York — Biography.
Jewish Women — Religious Life — New York (State) — New York.
Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.) — Biography
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Blog | Nov. 21, 2014
End Rant #104: Food for Thought
I've pulled together a collection of recent thoughts I've had about the recording process. You can agree or not agree. The important thing is to use your ears, mind, and creativity to make great recordings.
Recording equipment matters, but it doesn't really matter.
It may take you years to learn, or outgrow, some of your gear.
At a certain level of recording gear, every $500 step buys you tiny, incremental benefits.
Vintage gear is a mirage; not something you really need, but maybe something to conceptually strive for.
Some random chain of vintage equipment isn't what really made those records worth listening to 40 years later.
Considering every possibility in front of you is paralyzing.
Just because you came up with a new overdub or part doesn't mean it's good.
Percussion overdubs are 90 percent unnecessary.
Backing vocals are 75 percent unnecessary.
It's not possible to steal someone's recording tricks; they never work the same for you.
Fidelity means everything and nothing, at the same time.
Sources that sound natural might not be natural at all.
"It was recorded live" doesn't indicate anything about the quality.
A simple recording is not a bad recording, nor is it underproduced or lo-fi.
Recorded simply does not mean recorded poorly.
Using more mics doesn't always equal great sound.
Anything that "looks" in time is likely not really in time.
Anyone casting doubt on the way another person records is a fool.
Great songs sound better, no matter what happens next.
Excellent arrangements make the instruments and vocals sound better.
Quality instrumentalists make their parts sound great and fit together better.
The best singers make the mic sound better and the song more compelling.
A great engineer can make a recording sound better, but they usually can't affect the five scenarios above.
A great producer can put the right people in the right situations and make them shine.
A bad producer can make everyone uncomfortable, pick the wrong people, choose the wrong takes, and still make great recordings despite all this.
Recording equipment doesn't make records; people make records.
Nothing else matters when people get to enjoy the music.
NAMM 2004 Report
Part One - by Larry Crane 1/13/04It's been snowing and frozen here in Portland for a week - not something this town is used to. Many businesses were shut down and traffic wasn't moving, even though it wasn't that much snow. I feel dumb as my town...
How Did Tape Op's Owners Meet? Find Out!
So here it is. The fateful letter that relentless talent scout and A&R honcho John Baccigaluppi sent to my band Vomit Launch back in 1988. Little did we know that soon we'd be holed up in his studio making records, and less than a decade later...
Gurf Morlix and a tribute to a friend
Gurf Morlix (Tape Op # 76) recently released a 15 song collection of songs written by his longtime friend and runnin' buddy, Blaze Foley - Blaze Foley's 113th Wet Dream. The CD has been released in conjunction with the...
So You're Broke and You expect the Music Biz to Provide an Income?
I've received a few pretty odd emails recently. I know times are tough, unemployment sucks, but really, expecting any sort of "bailout" from the music biz has got to be the most delusional crap I've come across. Making a living in music requires hard...
Tape Op editor's book reading and signing in Portland!
Tape Op editor Larry Crane to do book reading and signing in Portland Friday, August 15th @ 7:30PM at Powell's City of Books on Burnside, 1005 W Burnside (800) 878-7323 http://www.powells.com/info/places/burnsideinfo.html Featuring readings from...
A Studio that Looks like a pile of logs?
Check this joint out. Wow! Thanks to Alex Maiolo for the link!
Jim Morrison Didn't Want to be a Producer!
Here's a clip of a rare Rolling Stone interview with the Lizard King talking about making records around 2 1/2 minutes in. “I could never produce ... because I don’t have the patience for it. I think that’s the main thing. Who's...
"A Recording Studio is No Place For Democracy"
I couldn't have said it better myself. In fact, I say this all the time. Drop by Jim Powers' Music Shrink website and read his articulate post on the subject.
Readers Respond to "Building Troubleshooting Skills" in Tape Op #84
When we ran a page featuring senior contributor Garrett Haines' "Building Troubleshooting Skills" in Tape Op #84 I never expected to get the kind of replies we did below. The Letters section for upcoming issues was too full, so I'm posting these...
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New cycle routes
We're expanding the cycle network to connect people and places all over London. This will make walking and cycling easier and safer in people's local communities, town centres and high streets.
We're developing four new cycle routes with the London boroughs of Barking & Dagenham, Camden, Hackney, Haringey, Islington, Redbridge and Tower Hamlets. We'll run full public consultation on these routes later in 2019.
In 2017 we published the Strategic Cycling Analysis which sets out proposals for 25 new cycle routes across London. In 2018 the Mayor announced that we would begin design work on six of these.
Route options shown in these maps of the first routes are not decided - they will be refined based on comments and feedback we received during the engagement period we held from February to March.
Between Camden and Tottenham Hale
At approximately 12km, this route would connect the town centres of Tottenham Hale, Seven Sisters and the Nag's Head, making it easier for people to make local journeys and use local services. The route would use both main roads and quieter back streets.
We'll consult on this route in 2020.
Cycle route between Camden and Tottenham Hale
PDF 1.14MB
Between Lea Bridge and Dalston
This 3km route would fill the gap between Lea Bridge and the existing cycle route between the City and Tottenham at Dalston. From Lea Bridge the proposed route heads towards Lea Bridge Road to Lea Bridge roundabout, after which it joins quieter back streets including Downs Park Road and Sandringham Road to connect through to Dalston.
Cycle route between Lea Bridge and Dalston
Between Hackney and Isle of Dogs
This 7.5km route would stretch from Hackney to the Isle of Dogs via Westferry, Mile End and Victoria Park. It would connect with the cycle routes between Stratford and Aldgate and Barking to Tower Hill, as well as the proposed Rotherhithe to Canary Wharf crossing. There are currently two options in Hackney we're considering.
We're consulting on this route. See our plans and give your views.
Between Ilford and Barking Riverside
This 7km route will link Ilford to Barking Riverside via Barking town centre using mostly quieter back streets. It would include key connections to the cycle route between Barking and Tower Gateway, Ilford Elizabeth line station and Barking Riverside Development - this includes more than 10,000 new homes and a new London Overground station.
How to have your say
Your ideas, comments and suggestions will help us develop our designs. We ran an engagement period earlier in the year. In late 2019, we'll run a consultation which will explain how your comments have been worked into our proposals. You'll also see details of the expected impact on journey times and changes to bus services.
Why we're building more cycle routes
These four new routes will give people safe cycling options to reach key destinations, and make the most of their local area, while connecting to the London-wide cycle network. More routes will be developed, with the aim of creating a unified cycle network.
These routes will be on both TfL-managed and borough roads - we're working closely with several London boroughs to design and plan them.
We will also use our new cycle routes quality criteria to design these routes. These criteria use six indicators to determine the most appropriate designs for new cycle routes, depending on the roads they are using:
Total volume of motor traffic
Speed of motor traffic
Appropriate width for cycling
Kerbside activity with a minimal impact on people cycling
Interaction minimised between heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) and people cycling
Collision risk minimised between people cycling and turning vehicles
New cycle routes will support the Mayor's Transport Strategy, helping us to meet the Mayor's target of 80% of journeys being made by walking, cycling and public transport by 2041.
Health, economic and community benefits from cycling and walking include:
Better connections: The cycle network will link more local people with schools, workplaces, local destinations, town centres and public transport hubs
Reduced congestion: Improved cycling and walking infrastructure encourages people to change how they travel and move away from vehicles. This frees up space for public transport, freight and service vehicles
Increased safety: Our new routes will reduce road danger by making streets safer for cyclists and pedestrians, and cut the dominance of motor vehicles
Better business: In town centres where there's more cycling and walking, research shows people want to spend more time and money on shopping and relaxing
Improved health: Physical activity reduces rates of stroke and dementia, and manages the impact of depression. Research suggests that if Londoners walked or cycled for just 20 minutes each day it would prevent one in six early deaths and save the NHS £1.6bn per year
Less toxic air: Fewer people in cars improves the air we breathe, cutting down on respiratory illnesses and conditions
Enhanced local areas: Where we're building these routes, we're looking at ways to make local spaces safer and more enjoyable
Stronger communities: Safe cycling infrastructure will encourage more of London's diverse communities to cycle and walk. Well-designed neighbourhoods and street planting can help reduce crime
The Cycling action plan sets out two further ambitious targets:
We plan to almost double the number of cycle trips made every day in London (from 0.7 million in 2017 to 1.3 million in 2024)
We will increase the proportion of Londoners living within 400 metres of the London-wide cycle network to 28% by 2024 (from 8.8% in 2017)
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Elements in existing London schemes could be used on these routes.
Cycle route features Street open to cyclists and pedestrians only
Cycle route features Segregated cycle lane and bus stop bypass
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Cycle route features Parallel zebra crossing
Cycle route features High street improvements for walking and cycling
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/ The Edgar Broughton Band
/ BBC In Concert (11th May 1972)
BBC In Concert (11th May 1972)
The Edgar Broughton Band
Preview BBC In Concert (11th May 1972)
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Side By Side (BBC In Concert) (BBC In Concert)
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Gone Blue (BBC In Concert) (BBC In Concert)
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℗ 2010 Parlophone Records Ltd, a Warner Music Group Company
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Preview Live at Rockpalast (Live at Rockpalast, Bonn, 2006)
Live at Rockpalast (Live at Rockpalast, Bonn, 2006) The Edgar Broughton Band 2018 From £5.49
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Preview The Fabrik Concert 1973 (Live in Hamburg)
The Fabrik Concert 1973 (Live in Hamburg) Edgar Broughton Band 2013
Preview The Harvest Years (1969-1973)
The Harvest Years (1969-1973) The Edgar Broughton Band 2011
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BBC Sessions (1970) The Edgar Broughton Band 2010 From £3.49
Preview BBC In Concert (25th February 1971)
BBC In Concert (25th February 1971) The Edgar Broughton Band 2010 From £9.49
Preview Whatever Turns You On
Whatever Turns You On West, Bruce & Laing 2008 From £8.91
Preview Victims Of Circumstance
Victims Of Circumstance Barclay James Harvest 1984 From £8.49
Preview Make Up
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Preview Made In Japan (for INT'L release)
Made In Japan (for INT'L release) Flower Travellin' Band 1998
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Ring Of Changes Barclay James Harvest 1983 From £8.99
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Cannock Park
Castle Ring Scheduled Ancient Monument
Council Owned trees
Countryside Service
Countryside Volunteer Group
Elmore Park
Fair Lady Coppice
Friends of Hednesford Park
Hazelslade Local Nature
Heath Hayes Park
Hednesford Hills Local Nature Reserve & Site of Special Scientific Interest
Hednesford Park
Mill Green and Hawks Green Valleys Local Nature Reserve
Old Brickworks Nature Reserve
Old Hednesford Park, Heath Hayes
Opening Times - Parks
Ravenhill Park
UrbanForestryStrategy
Elmore Park is located just a short distance from the Rugeley Town Centre.
This small town park has a number of features with a fenced play area, grass landscaped areas, formal annual bedding display, skateboard facilities [with larger facilities for "Skateboarders"] in the adjacent Hagley Fields site, the site also contains the very popular pets corner.
The site is dominated by the pool in the centre of the park, its "Horseshoe" shaped island and the mix of newly planted trees and mature trees offering a landscape feature to the local community and vistors to the site.
The park is constrained by the private properties and roads on Crossley Stone, Elmore Lane and the main Western Springs Road [A51] on the remaining boundary. There are access gates in to the park loacted on Crossley Stone and Elmore Road with the remaining gates accessed of the Western Springs Road.
The components of the site are Park 1.405 hec. Lake 0,5578 hec and the island is 0.0842 hec.
The Pets Corner on the site is extremely popular with the community and vistors to the park, it has four seperated sections, in section one we have chickens, section two has Guinea Pigs Canaries, Zebra and Bengalese Finches, in section three there are Budgies and Quails and in the last section we have Rabbits and Guinea pigs.
The lake is feed by the Rising Brook stream, this stream has its origins at Brindley Heath and follows the glacial valley through the middle of Cannock Chase to emerge at Hagley Playing Fields where it is culverted beneath the Western Springs Road to emerge in to the park. The water exit's the lake in the park via a small weir and sluice gate near Elmore Lane enterance, from here its culverted underground all the way through the centre of the town of Rugeley.
Fishing is not permitted in the lake, as there are a helathy population of the native White Clawed Crayfish which is nationally protectedspecies, the following species of fish have been identified in the lake i.e. Brown Trout, Common Carp, Eel, Gudgeon, Perch and Pike along with our resident Terapins.
Feeding the ducks and birds on the lake espeacillay for young children makes for a pleasent visit to the park, unfortunatly not processed bread is not the idea or correct food or natural and for the birds its not a helathy diet in large amounts.
The above leaflet offers information on the Elmore Tree Trail a mix of 18 diffrent species of trees making the park a mini-arbouetum for the area.
Elmore Park was awarded the prestigious Green Flag Award for quality parks in 2010, 2011, 2012,2013, 2014 , 2015, 2016, 2017 and again in 2018.
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Two Brothers Weblog
The annals of the remarkable Duncan Brothers. With contributing articles by biochemist Fazale Rana
Categories: »
Science•Apologetics
The Cell’s Design with Fazale Rana
Tag: god’s design
Frog Choruses Sing Out a Song of Creation
BY FAZALE RANA – JUNE 12, 2019
My last name, Rana, is Sanskrit in origin, referring to someone who descends from the Thar Ghar aristocracy. Living in Southern California means I don’t often meet Urdu-speaking people who would appreciate the regal heritage connected to my family name. But I do meet a lot of Spanish speakers. And when I introduce myself, I often see raised eyebrows and smiles.
In Spanish, Rana means frog.
My family has learned to embrace our family’s namesake. In fact, when our kids were little, my wife affectionately referred to our five children as ranitas—little frogs.
Image: Five Ranitas. Image credit: Shutterstock
Our feelings about these cute and colorful amphibians aside, frogs are remarkable creatures. They engage in some fascinating behaviors. Take courtship, as an example. In many frog species, the males croak to attract the attention of females, with each frog species displaying its own distinct call.
Male frogs croak by filling their vocal sacs with air. This allows them to amplify their croaks for up to a mile away. Oftentimes, male frogs in the same vicinity will all croak together, forming a chorus.
Image: Male Frog Croaking to Attract a Female. Image credit: Shutterstock
As it turns out, female frogs aren’t the only ones who respond to frog croaks.
A research team from Japan has spent a lot of time listening to and analyzing frog choruses with the hopes of understanding the mathematical structure of the sounds that frogs collectively make when they call out to females. Once they had the mathematical model in hand, the researchers discovered that they could use it to improve the efficiency of wireless data transfer systems.1
This work serves as one more example of scientists and engineers applying insights from biology to drive technology advances and breakthroughs. This approach to technology development (called biomimetics and bioinspiration)—exemplified by the impressive work of the Japanese researchers—has significance that extends beyond engineering. It can be used to make the case that a Creator must have played a role in the design and history of life by marshaling support for two distinct arguments for God’s existence:
The argument from beauty
A new variation on the Watchmaker argument, dubbed the converse Watchmaker argument
Frog Choruses: A Cacophony or a Symphony?
Anyone who has spent time near a pond at night certainly knows the ruckus that an army of male frogs can make when each of them is vying for the attention of females.
All the male frogs living near the pond want to attract females to the same breeding site, but, in doing so, each individual also wants to attract females to his specific territory. Field observations indicate that, instead of engaging in a croaking free-for-all (with neighboring frogs trying to outperform one another), the army of frogs engages in a carefully orchestrated acoustical presentation. As a result, male frogs avoid call overlap with neighboring males on a short timescale, while synchronizing their croaks with the other frogs to produce a chorus on a longer timescale.
The frogs avoid call overlap by alternating between silence and croaking, coordinating with neighboring frogs so that when one frog rests, another croaks. This alternating back-and-forth makes it possible for each individual frog to be heard amid the chorus, and it also results in a symphonic chorus of frog croaks.
The Mathematical Structure of Frog Choruses
To dissect the mathematical structure of frog choruses, the research team placed three male Japanese tree frogs into individual mesh cages that were set along a straight line, with a two-foot separation between each cage. The researchers recorded the frog’s croaks using microphones placed by each cage.
They observed that all three frogs alternated their calls, forming a triphasic synchronization. One frog croaked continuously for a brief period of time and then would rest, while the other two frogs took their turn croaking and resting. The researchers determined that the rest breaks for the frogs were important because of the amount of energy it takes the frogs to produce a call.
All three frogs would synchronize the start and stop of their calls to produce a chorus followed by a period of silence. They discovered that the time between choruses varied quite a bit, without rhyme or reason, and was typically much longer than the chorus time. On the other hand, the croaking of each individual lasted for a predictable time duration that was followed immediately by the croaking of a neighboring frog.
By analyzing the acoustical data, the researchers developed a mathematical model to describe the croaking of individual frogs and the collective behavior of the frogs when they belted out a chorus of calls. Their model consisted of both deterministic and stochastic components.
Use of Frog Choruses for Managing Data Traffic
The researchers realized that the mathematical model they developed could be applied to control wireless sensor networks, such as those that make up the internet of things. These networks entail an array of sensor nodes that transmit data packets, delivering them to a gateway node by multi-hop communication, with data packets transmitted from sensor to sensor until it reaches the gate. During transmission, it is critical for the system to avoid the collision of data packets. It is also critical to regulate the overall energy consumption of the system, to avoid wasting valuable energy resources.
Image: The Internet of Things Made Up of Wireless Sensors. Image credit: Shutterstock
Through simulation studies, the Japanese team demonstrated that the mathematical model inspired by frog choruses averted the collision of data packets in a wireless sensor array, maximized network connectivity, and enhanced efficiency of the array by minimizing power consumption. The researchers conclude, “This study highlights the unique dynamics of frog choruses over multiple time scales and also provides a novel bio-inspired technology.”2
As important as this work may be for inspiring new technologies, as a Christian, I find its real significance in the theological arena.
Frog Choruses and the Argument from Beauty
The grandeur of nature touches the very core of who we are—if we take the time to let it. But, as the work by the Japanese researchers demonstrates, the grandeur we see all around us in nature isn’t confined to what we perceive with our immediate senses. It exists in the underlying mathematical structure of nature. It is nothing short of amazing to think that such exquisite organization and orchestration characterizes frog choruses, so much so that it can inspire sophisticated data management techniques.
From my vantage point, the beauty and mathematical elegance of nature points to the reality of a Creator.
If God created the universe, then it is reasonable to expect it to be a beautiful universe, one that displays an even deeper underlying beauty in the mathematical structure that defines the universe itself and phenomena within the universe. Yet if the universe came into existence through mechanism alone, there isn’t any real reason to think it would display beauty. In other words, the beauty in the world around us signifies the divine.
Furthermore, if the universe originated through uncaused physical mechanisms, there is no reason to think that humans would possess an appreciation for beauty.
A quick survey of the scientific and popular literature highlights the challenge that the origin of our aesthetic sense creates for the evolutionary paradigm.3 Plainly put: evolutionary biologists have no real explanation for the origin of our aesthetic sense. To be clear, evolutionary biologists have posited explanations to account for the genesis of our capacity to appreciate beauty. But after examining these ideas, we walk away with the strong sense that they are not much more than “just-so stories,” lacking any real evidential support.
On the other hand, if human beings are made in God’s image, as Scripture teaches, we should be able to discern and appreciate the universe’s beauty, made by our Creator to reveal his glory and majesty.
Frog Choruses and the Converse Watchmaker Argument
The idea that biological designs—such as the courting behavior of male frogs—can inspire engineering and technology advances is also highly provocative for other reasons. First, it highlights just how remarkable and elegant the designs found throughout the living realm actually are.
I think that the elegance of these designs points to a Creator’s handiwork. It also makes possible a new argument for God’s existence—one I have named the converse Watchmaker argument. (For a detailed discussion, see my essay titled “The Inspirational Design of DNA” in the book Building Bridges.)
The argument can be stated like this:
If biological designs are the work of a Creator, then these systems should be so well-designed that they can serve as engineering models for inspiring the development of new technologies.
Indeed, this scenario plays out in the engineering discipline of biomimetics.
Therefore, it becomes reasonable to think that biological designs are the work of a Creator.
In fact, I will go one step further. Biomimetics and bioinspiration logically arise out of a creation model approach to biology. That designs in nature can be used to inspire engineering makes sense only if these designs arose from an intelligent Mind.
In fact, I will go one step further. Biomimetics and bioinspiration logically arise out of a creation model approach to biology. That designs in nature can be used to inspire engineering makes sense only if these designs arose from an intelligent Mind. The mathematical structure of frog choruses is yet another example of such bioinspiration.
Frogs really are amazing—and regal—creatures. Listening to a frog chorus can connect us to the beauty of the world around us. And it will one day help all of our electronic devices to connect together. And that’s certainly something to sing about.
God and the World of Insects (see chapter 8), edited by Josh Shoemaker and Gary Braness (book)
Building Bridges: Presentations on RTB’s Testable Creation Model by Fazale Rana, Anjeanette Roberts, and Jeff Zweerink (book)
“Get Smart about Synthetic Spider Silks” by Katie Galloway (article)
“The Road Less Traveled Is Not for Ants” by Katie Galloway (article)
“Spider Silk Inspires New Technology and the Case for a Creator” by Fazale Rana (article)
“Beetles Inspire an Engineering Breakthrough” by Fazale Rana (article)
“Fireflies Inspire Better LEDs” by Jeff Zweerink (article)
“Earwax Discovery Gives New Hearing to the Case for Intelligent Design” by Fazale Rana (article)
“Hagfish Slime Expands the Case for a Creator” by Fazale Rana (article)
“Engineers’ Muse: The Design of Biochemical Systems” by Fazale Rana (article)
“Fatty Acids Are Beautiful” by Fazale Rana (article)
“Whale Vocal Displays Make Beautiful Case for a Creator” by Fazale Rana (article)
Ikkyu Aihara et al., “Mathematical Modelling and Application of Frog Choruses As an Autonomous Distributed Communication System,” Royal Society Open Science 6, no. 1 (January 2, 2019): 181117, doi:10.1098/rsos.181117.
Aihara et al., “Mathematical Modelling and Application.”
For example, see Ferris Jabr, “How Beauty is Making Scientists Rethink Evolution,” The New York Times Magazine, January 9, 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/09/magazine/beauty-evolution-animal.html.
Reprinted with permission by the author
Original article at:
https://www.reasons.org/explore/blogs/the-cells-design/read/the-cells-design/2019/06/12/frog-choruses-sing-out-a-song-of-creation
Douglas Duncan The Cell's Design with Fazale Rana Leave a comment June 13, 2019 June 13, 2019 7 Minutes
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In case of emergency during normal business hours, please call us immediately. If you have an emergency outside of our normal business hours, please contact a local emergency animal hospital.
VCA Parkway Animal Hospital
14107A Pacific Avenue, Tacoma, WA, 98444
Our hospital offers routine radiology services. Radiology is the study and science of x-rays. X-rays are used to help your veterinarian diagnose a problem or a disease in your pet. X-rays are capable of detecting arthritis, fractures, bony tumors and other forms of cancer; heart enlargement and congestive heart failure; bladder and kidney stones; stomach or intestinal foreign bodies; pneumonia and other lung diseases and much more.
X-rays are part of a diagnostic work-up if your pet is having a problem or as part of a general wellness examination in an older pet to detect potential problems early.
Our hospital offers dental radiographs (x-rays) as part of our dental care services. Specifically designed dental radiology equipment allows... More
Our hospital offers thorough ear exams as one of our many services. Symptoms like head shaking, scratching and pawing at the ears, rubbing... More
End of life decisions for our pets are never easy. Our staff understands the pain that comes with this choice, and we are here to help you... More
Our hospital is proud to offer our clients a complete diagnostic laboratory. Our in clinic laboratory machines can perform complete blood... More
Our hospital offers many general surgery services that include a variety of common and elective procedures performed under general... More
Our hospital offers geriatric (senior wellness) medicine services for your older pet. When your pet reaches his or her “golden... More
Our hospital offers hospitalization services. Hospitalization involves admitting your pet into the hospital for monitoring or necessary... More
Our hospital is equipped with an In-House Laboratory that enables our veterinarians to quickly perform diagnostic tests on a variety of... More
For your convenience, our hospital has an in-house pharmacy, enabling you to pick up your pet's medications at the time of your... More
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Our veterinarians offer periodontics to help slow periodontal disease and tooth loss. Periodontal disease is a major cause of tooth... More
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Maya "Underworld" Observatory Revealed
December 14, 2012—In a cave in Mexico's Yucatán, a National Geographic explorer reveals what is believed to have been an underground observatory for… more
December 14, 2012—In a cave in Mexico's Yucatán, a National Geographic explorer reveals what is believed to have been an underground observatory for witnessing the zenith passage of the sun.
In an isolated region on Mexico's Yucatán peninsula, National Geographic explorer Don Slater came across a remarkable finding inside a cave he was studying: the Maya apparently used a platform inside the cave as an astronomical observatory.
If you watch this time-lapse video from inside the cave, you'll see the nearby pyramid... the largest of its kind in the area, stands in alignment with the sunrise on a very special day that only occurs twice a year: the zenith passage.
The top of the pyramid is partially collapsed, so the view is not exactly as the Maya saw it.
SUPER: Don Slater, Archaeologist, Brandeis University
"It appears that when the Maya built the city around that particular area, they aligned their largest pyramid with the cave mouth, so that when you stand inside on a special platform inside of the cave mouth, and look out and have this view of the city, the view is dominated by the pyramid, and it aligns with the sunrise on the day of the zenith passage, which is a very important day on the solar calendar for the Maya people.
While standing inside the cave, which follows a staircase descent from its entrance, an observer can see what the Maya saw. The zenith passage, the time in the tropics, twice a year at noon, when the sun passes directly overhead, is believed to have been used in maintaining the Maya agricultural calendar.
Due to the cave's special location at the heart of the ancient settlement of Ikil, regular access, let alone on the day of the zenith, would not have been for just anybody.
"I would say this is something that would have been particularly for a small group of elite people, the cave entrance is not very large, and it's located in an area that would have been controlled specifically by the elite people."
"The way they perceived the caves on an ideological scale is so different from the way we perceive them. It's almost like a church. It's a sacred space, but there was a certain amount of fear involved, because the deities that lived inside of these caves, according to their beliefs, wouldn't all have been benevolent. So, you would be approaching these spaces where you could upset deities, you could upset ancestors, you're putting your life at risk by going into these places, not just because of the heights, and because of the tight spaces, but because of the spirits that live inside of these caves. "
The Ikil cave with the zenith passage observatory is just one of a hundred caves Slater and his team have explored and studied in the Yucatan.
They have rappelled and crawled through tiny spaces, going where no outsider has ever ventured.
The primary purpose of Slater's research, partially funded by a National Geographic/Waitt grant, is to determine if control of the caves was a source of power within ancient Maya communities.
Slater says bringing lights into these caves allows his team to view these caves like no other humans had seen it before.
"When people would go in the past, of course all they had was torches. And using a torch to light up a cave certainly has its interesting aspects, with the flickering light, but it's going to be a very dim light... when we go in and light up a cave, it just completely and totally reveals all of the nooks and crannies and features inside of the cave, we get to see it in a way that nobody else had ever seen it in the past."
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A Beautifully Ugly Win
April 2, 2018 April 2, 2018 Alex Kirkham 0 Comments Champions League, Crystal Palace, Firmino, Klopp, Lallana, Liverpool, Man City, Mané, Premier League, Salah, Wijnaldum
Making a return after the international break, the Reds had to fight to get the three points. Here’s The Anfield Talk’s Alex (@Kirkham92) with his take on the game and the week ahead.
Felt good that didn’t it?
After an international break on the back of Liverpool’s 5-0 demolition of Watford, the international break felt that little bit longer, with two weeks of pointless friendlies spent hoping for no injuries on the horizon. Despite a slight knock to Andy Robertson and an ankle injury to Joe Gomez, Liverpool came out of the international break pretty unscathed, before heading to Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace. Trent Alexander-Arnold came in at right back, whilst Joel Matip was given the nod to partner Virgil Van Dijk in the heart of the defence, whilst Liverpool old boys Mamadou Sakho, Martin Kelly and Christian Benteke lined up for Palace against their former employees. And it was Benteke Who played a role in the games first key moment, as he flicked on a long ball into the path of Wilfried Zaha, who beat the onrushing Lorius Karius to the ball, his chip dropping wide of the goal, but referee Neil Swarbrick had adjudged Karius had fouled Zaha, and Luka Milivojevic sent the German, who was booked due to his collision with Zaha, the wrong way from the penalty spot and Liverpool found themselves trailing after seventeen minutes.
Liverpool began to dominate proceedings, with Sadio Mane being booked for what was seen as simulation in the box, however replays showed James McArthur’s trailing leg had made contact with Mane, and Liverpool’s strong appeals was justified. Moments later Mane had the ball in the Palace net, as he glanced in Firmino’s header, but the Senegalese international was in a offside position. Apart from that Liverpool was restricted to long range efforts and went into the break with the feel of ‘one of those days’.
Liverpool started the second half on the front foot, and took them just four minutes to get back on level terms. James Milner’s low cross from the right found Mane, who put the ball beyond Wayne Hennessy. Liverpool continued to pile on the pressure, but the two best chances fell to Christian Benteke moments apart, but the Belgian blazed the ball high and wide on both occasions. Mane was then involved in another flashpoint in the game, as he felt he had been fouled on the edge of the box, he grabbed the ball expecting to hear the referees whistle, but no whistle was forthcoming and Liverpool’s goalscorer had been penalised for handball. With the crowd calling for Mane’s dismal, he escaped further punishment, with the resulting free kick forcing Karius to punch over the bar from Patrick Van Aanholt’s fierce free kick. Moments later Mane, along with Wijnaldum, where subbed off with Adam Lallana and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain replacing the pair. However Lallana’s afternoon was over not soon after, as he hobbled off with some discomfort in his hamstring following a challenge, and Dejan Lovren was on as Liverpool’s final substitute. Liverpool continued to push, with Roberto Firmino and Mohammed Salah both inches away from connecting with crosses on separate occasions.
But Liverpool’s pressure paid dividends with five minutes left. Andy Robertson’s low cross found Mohammed Salah, who took a touch and slotted the ball into the bottom corner to send the travelling Kop into raptures. Four minutes was added on as Liverpool was bombarded with long balls, but Liverpool held on, and gained a huge three points in their chase for a top four spot come May.
It wasn’t the prettiest of wins as some have been in previous weeks, but it was a win, a huge, huge win. Liverpool found a way to win, when at half time a win didn’t look on the cards. This Liverpool side has a knack of finding ways to win football matches, one that they’ve not had for a very long time, and today was one of them wins that the top teams always seem to win, despite never playing well. But once again, it was Mo Salah who was Liverpool’s hero. The Egyptian’s thirty seventh goal of the season, it probably won’t make the top five, maybe even ten goals he’s scored this season, but in terms of importance this one was huge, especially the way he’d not had a sniff all afternoon, and still had the calmness to take a touch, steady himself and slot it with his right foot into the corner.
Focus now turns to a massive run of fixtures for Liverpool, two make or break Champions League ties against runaway Premier League leaders Manchester City, with a Merseyside Derby at Goodison sandwiched in the middle next Saturday lunchtime. Liverpool will fancy their chances against Manchester City Wednesday, especially after their meeting in January at Anfield. And after comments made about the planned coach welcome outside Anfield, they could well of made Wednesdays Anfield atmosphere the best since Chelsea in 2005. It promises to be another special Anfield European Night.
Allez Allez Allez
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Match Report: Liverpool 7 Spartak Moscow 0
December 6, 2017 Sam Turner 0
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Pink 47 Gin
Distillery: G&J Greenall
Base Spirit: Grain
Known Botanicals: Almond, Angelica, Cassia, Coriander, Cubeb Pepper, Juniper, Lemon, Licorice, Nutmeg, Orange, Orris Root
Available from: In the UK from Amazon
Old St. Andrews’ Pink 47 Gin pushes the envelope in a couple of novel directions. Featuring 12 botanicals (including almond, cassia, nutmeg and juniper), I caught an interesting note about it which indicates that it features TWO(!) different kinds of coriander and angelica among its ingredients.
Yes, while garden angelica is the most common angelica in gin (Angelica archangelica), it’s far from the only edible kind of angelica- and the floral character can vary from species to species. Angelica Lucida is a coastal plant which is eaten as if a celery. Wild Angelica (Angelica sylvestris) is an edible, pernicious weed, run rampant in the Canadian maritimes. There’s others two, so clearly plenty of candidates for a second angelica ingredient….
Pink 47 Gin is based on a neutral grain spirit and bottled in a faceted pink diamond bottle.
Nice, bright juniper nose, with a modicum of leafy herbs and a some clear coriander mixed in there as well. Very classic, with the herbs and minty notes a bit lower in the mix, coming through more clearly as the spirit warms.
Overall, the spirit feels thinner than expected on the palate. Lots of crisp, juniper reveling in its herbaceous side. Towards the back end, the herbal touches come through again shades of sweetened angelica, nutmeg, and bitter orange. The taste is quick and short, without much evolution on the palate. The finish is short and dry, with heat primarily present and a slight back note of herbs.
Simple and classic, Pink 47 Gin has potential as a mixing ingredient. On its own however, it’s a bit underwhelming. Although the flavor will appeal to fans of classic style gin, the thin spirit, with a rough and somewhat hot finish means that for the price, there’s better , more balanced, options available.
5 thoughts on “Pink 47 Gin”
June 28, 2015by David Schofield
It’s a shame the spirit inside doesn’t live up to the packaging on the outside. This is a nice bottle and unusual when compared to the sea of similar bottles we are used to. It is a shame the Gin is not as good as it could have been, there is nothing bad about it but there is nothing great about either. Given the packaging I had built up my anticipation ready for sampling it only to be left with a feeling of mediocre. Oh, well…plenty more Gin in the sea!
Regards, David.
June 28, 2015by Aaron
Investment in packaging at the expense of the product is folly. You sell a first taste with marketing, bottles, and campaigns and the like. But you sell that second taste only with the taste of the product. It might bring short term benefits (hey! that looks novel!), but it’s not a formula for a winning, long-term brand whose name people will call for behind a bar.
I think it might be wise advice to all teams launching a new product to cut corners somewhere and settle for an off-the-shelf bottle if it means spending more time crafting, testing with prospective gin drinkers, and refining the product.
Agreed, and a great tip for all distillers out there. I had a similar experience with “The King of Soho” Gin (currently available in the UK) where the beautiful bottle design outdoes the spirit within. Of course, it’s easy for us sitting at our computer screens to say this, it’s a whole other thing to be standing in front of a still and making the Gin and defining the marketing strategy (including bottle design) to go along with our creation!
Kind regards, David.
Though I might disagree with you on the notion that it’s easy sitting at our computer screens.
Ultimately in the world of gin, with the rare exception of things like Gin 1495 (more Art than Product) we’re creating something that relies on reception, and the role of healthy criticism and journalism is highly important. I do have a lot of experience in the world of product design, so perhaps I’m biased. I don’t think it’s easy to do either (far from it, I’ve met/worked with distillers before); however, unless you’re putting your gin in a museum, you must attend to these details!
December 25, 2016by Peter Clay, Legs Wine Bar, Ilkeston, Derbyshire
Hey there?! My customers love this product. Yes, the packaging draws the eye initially , but my customers like the higher alcohol content coupled with the lighter, less “cloying ” taste. A great stepping stone as an introduction to encourage customers to trade up to more premium gins. Pink 47 is what it is – a good starting point to better gins. Legs Wine Bar. Ilkeston Derbyshire.
Our Rating: 2.5/ 5 stars
Buy Pink 47 Gin
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It’s Official: Jordan Peele to executive produce CBS ‘The Twilight Zone’ reboot
(Getty Images)
We first heard that The Twilight Zone was going to be brought back when CBS CEO Les Moonves announced the plan during an earnings call a couple of weeks ago. The plan is to put it on their All Access streaming app and that in itself is exciting, but we now know that Jordan Peele will be co-executive producing the reboot.
The Twilight Zone will be produced by CBS Television Studios and other executive producers are Marco Ramirez, Win Rosenfeld, Simon Kinberg and Audrey Chon. The first episode will see Peele, Ramirez and Kinberg collaborating.
— ‘We on the scene of this b***h’: Citizen reporter goes viral after reporting fire live —
“Too many times this year it’s felt we were living in a twilight zone, and I can’t think of a better moment to reintroduce it to modern audiences,” Peele stated.
CBS’ All Access already got a boost from Star Trek Discovery in addition to other already streaming shows, No Activity, and The Good Fight and with this new show, they are sure to get even more viewers.
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Slovak wine
Slovakia (European Parliament constituency)
Coordinates: 48°40′N 19°30′E / 48.667°N 19.500°E / 48.667; 19.500
Slovakia ( i/sloʊˈvækiə, slə-, -ˈvɑː-/;Slovak: Slovensko [ˈsloʋensko]), officially the Slovak Republic (Slovak: Slovenská republika, listen ), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south. Slovakia's territory spans about 49,000 square kilometres (19,000 sq mi) and is mostly mountainous. The population is over 5 million and comprises mostly ethnic Slovaks. The capital and largest city is Bratislava. The official language is Slovak, a member of the Slavic language family.
The Slavs arrived in the territory of present-day Slovakia in the 5th and 6th centuries. In the 7th century, they played a significant role in the creation of Samo's Empire and in the 9th century established the Principality of Nitra. In the 10th century, the territory was integrated into the Kingdom of Hungary, which itself became part of the Habsburg Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. After World War I and the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Slovaks and Czechs established Czechoslovakia. A separate Slovak Republic (1939–1945) existed in World War II as a client state of Nazi Germany. In 1945, Czechoslovakia was reestablished under communist rule as a Soviet satellite. Slovakia became an independent state on 1 January 1993 after the peaceful dissolution of Czechoslovakia.
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - https://wn.com/Slovakia
Slovak wine is produced in the southern part of Slovakia, which is divided into 6 wine-producing areas. Although Slovak wines except Tokaj are not well known internationally, they are popular domestically and in neighbouring countries.
During the time period when the Jagiellonian dynasty ruled the area as part of the Kingdom of Hungary and shortly thereafter, Hungary and Slovakia had similar levels of wine quality and were integrated in terms of production. Moreover, they were also connected to vineyards in France as part of an economy. According to David Gass, owner of Fleurs de Gas Vineyards and one of thousands of direct descendants of Janos Wass, King Louis II's illegitimate son – after Budapest fell and King Louis II died at the Battle of Mohács, Janos (In Hungarian) was granted vineyards to produce wine in Bratislava. Some of the Wass family subsequently migrated to France, joining the wine country economy there.
Malokarpatská - "Lesser Carpathian wine region"
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - https://wn.com/Slovak_wine
In European elections, Slovakia is a constituency of the European Parliament, currently represented by fourteen MEPs. It covers the member state of Slovakia.
Current MEPs
As of October 2007
The 2004 European election was the sixth election to the European Parliament. However, as Slovakia had only joined the European Union earlier that month, it was the first European election held in that state. The election took place on June 13.
The 2009 European election was the seventh election to the European Parliament. The number of seats was reduced to thirteen.
European Election News by European Election Law Association (Eurela)
List of MEPs europarl.europa.eu
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - https://wn.com/Slovakia_(European_Parliament_constituency)
Radio Stations - Slovakia
TvojeRadio Gold 80/90 90s,80s Slovakia
Fun Radio Cafe del Fun Dance Slovakia
Fun Radio 80-90 90s,80s Slovakia
Rádio LOGOS Christian Slovakia
Rádio Regina BB Public Slovakia
Europa 2 Movin' Dance Slovakia
Rádio Patria Public Slovakia
Rádio Litera Talk Slovakia
Rádio Sever 94.5 Varied Slovakia
Fun Radio Pre Deti Kids Slovakia
Europa 2 Pop,Dance Slovakia
Radio Hit FM Contemporary Slovakia
TvojeRadio Repete Oldies Slovakia
Fun Radio Top 20 Top 40 Slovakia
Rádio Aligátor Rock Slovakia
Rádio VIVA (SK) Adult Contemporary Slovakia
Rádio WOW Pop Slovakia
Rádio Devín Varied Slovakia
Europa 2 Top22 Pop Slovakia
Radio Slovakia International Varied Slovakia
Radio Max (SK) Pop Slovakia
Rádio Yes Contemporary Slovakia
Rádio Piešťany Varied Slovakia
Mixing of Particulate Solids Radio1 Ambient Slovakia
Europa 2 Dance Exxtravaganza Dance Slovakia
Dobré rádio Prešov Contemporary Slovakia
Rádio 7 (SK) Christian Contemporary,Religious,Christian Slovakia
Fun Radio Danubius Dance Slovakia
Jemné Melódie Adult Contemporary,Top 40,World Slovakia
Rádio Rock 94.7 Banská Bystrica Rock Slovakia
Rádio Kiss Košice Top 40 Slovakia
Rádio Lumen Religious Slovakia
Rádio One Contemporary Slovakia
Rádio Beta Adult Contemporary Slovakia
Rusyn FM Varied Slovakia
Rádio Regina KE Public Slovakia
Rádio Expres Pop Slovakia
Rádio SiTy Bratislava Rock,Pop Slovakia
Fun Radio BA Pop Slovakia
Fun Radio Dance Dance Slovakia
Fun Radio Hip Hop Rock Slovakia
Radio GO DeeJay Dance Slovakia
Rádio _FM Varied Slovakia
TvojeRadio SK/CZ 80s Slovakia
Rádio HEY! Contemporary Slovakia
Rádio Košice Adult Contemporary Slovakia
JankoHrasko.sk Folk Slovakia
Fun Radio Novinky Pop Slovakia
Radio Dychovka Folk Slovakia
Rádio Slovensko News Talk Slovakia
Foetal Orange Compilation, Volume 1 released: 2008
Foetal Orange Compilation, Volume 1
Totul porneste de la bunul sim
Madcap
Hatred and the North
Soul Disturbance
Theoneyouwanted
Wrong Colour
Dog With Wooden Teeth
Don't Do It, Don't Freak Out!
slovakiaparadise.com
forumslovakia.com
slovakiabusinessnews.com
informationslovakia.com
slovakialive.com
slovakiamobile.com
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mountainviewparadise.com
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slovakiafoods.com
slovakiatelevision.com
tvslovakia.com
slovakiaexport.com
slovakiataxi.com
slovakiacountry.com
slovakiastar.com
mapslovakia.com
slovakiasport.com
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Here’s Video Of A Clearly Concussed Eugenie Bouchard Arriving At The US Open Before Withdrawing
Ross Bentley 09.06.15 4 years ago
On Saturday, 25th ranked Eugenie Bouchard was forced to withdraw from doubles competition in the US Open after she slipped and fell in the locker room and injured her head.
Coming into Sunday, Bouchard still had not withdrawn from singles competition, where she had advanced to the fourth round and was set to take on Italian Roberta Vinci. Prior to her arrival, no details about her injury had been made available other than this statement from US Open Tournament Director David Brewer.
Genie Bouchard "slipped and fell in the locker room and sustained a head injury" after last night's win. pic.twitter.com/CLk2ZjYptt
— Bryan Armen Graham (@BryanAGraham) September 5, 2015
But when Bouchard arrived at the stadium, she looked completely out of it and it certainly appeared as though symptoms of a concussion were apparent. Bouchard was wearing sunglasses and a hood and appeared disoriented, even needing one of her handlers to guide her into the correct entrance. Soon after she arrived, word came down that she had in fact withdrawn from the competition with a concussion.
UPDATE: Eugenie #Bouchard has withdrawn from women's singles competition due to a concussion. #Vinci into the QFs. pic.twitter.com/NWRDXO0Ded
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 6, 2015
The fact that Bouchard even got that close to trying to give it a go when she was so clearly not able to walk on her own, much less play tennis, is scary. Thankfully, it didn’t quite get to the point where they allowed her to get back onto the court.
It’s an unfortunate scenario for the 21-year-old Canadian, who had been working on a revamped effort in the Open after a disappointing 2015 thus far. She is perhaps most-well known for advancing to the Finals of the 2014 Wimbledon, where she was defeated by Petra Kvitova.
(Via Vice Sports)
TAGS2015 US OpenCONCUSSIONSEugenie Bouchard
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All Games > Action > Attack on Titan 2 - A.O.T.2 - 進撃の巨人２
Attack on Titan 2 - A.O.T.2 - 進撃の巨人２ Steam Key
Attack on Titan 2 - A.O.T.2 - 進撃の巨人２
Abandon all fear. Attack on Titan 2 is the gripping sequel to the action game based on the worldwide hit anime series "Attack on Titan".
(6) $59.99 $59.99 To the Shop-Page
February 15, 2018 - CraigBGP Team
Attack on Titan 2 gets a new Gameplay Trailer
The crazy hack and slash world of Attack on Titan 2 comes to PC and consoles next month on March 20th. Get a look at some of the new gameplay coming to the sequel with this new trailer!
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpSb1nnU3n4
Score: 0 Like Like Like Like Like Dislike Dislike Dislike Dislike Dislike
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INCOGNiTO VPN ‣
VPNpro ❯ VPN Reviews ❯ INCOGNiTO VPN Review
INCOGNiTO VPN Review
Unfortunately, this VPN is not active at the moment.
Despite bold claims about security and performance, INCOGNiTO hides some major flaws which make it a tough VPN to recommend.
As the name suggests, the VPN specializes in providing an anonymous VPN experience. In fact, their website promises 100% anonymity – a bold assertion in a world where totally watertight security is extremely tough to achieve.
This INCOGNiTO VPN review will put that claim to the test. But there’s more to this software than anonymous browsing, and we’ll chat about some of those aspects as well.
For instance, INCOGNiTO claims to keep no logs, unblock a huge array of websites – all while providing 99.99% network uptime over more than 30 servers located across the world.
Offering apps for iOS, Android and Windows phones, as well as desktop clients for Linux, Mac, and Windows, it certainly offers a wide variety of ways to protect your identity online. But with some issues around performance and transparency, all may not be what it seems.
So let’s dive right in and kick off this INCOGNiTO review with the number one question: is INCOGNiTO VPN safe to use?
Is INCOGNiTO VPN safe to use?
On the face of things, security is the number one priority of INCOGNiTO VPN, who offer a range of features for privacy-conscious web users. These include:
Secure encryption
Zero monitoring
No logs
Special features to prevent external tracking of users
Web browsing via HTTP proxies
“Industry leading” protocols
All of that sounds great, although there’s not much here that you won’t find other reputable VPNs claim to offer. The good news is that INCOGNiTO seem to deliver on their promises. You can rely on their VPN to effectively mask your IP address from snoopers and ISPs… Or so they would have you believe – it is not known what ciphers this VPN uses to encrypt your data.
The Security Protocols on offer include most of the important titles: OpenVPN, IKEv2, IPSec, and PPTP. L2TP/IPSec and SSTP are also soon to become part of the package, so experienced users have a lot of room to customize their experience to suit their security needs.
Moreover, while we were skeptical of their “no logs” policy, a close reading of INCOGNiTO’s Terms and Conditions didn’t throw up any red lights. Thus you can be confident that they aren’t keeping track of your online activity.
So, from a security perspective, we don’t have too many criticisms. With that said, we do have a couple of big ones: INCOGNiTO doesn’t have a kill switch and is based in the United States. The kill switch is an essential part of any VPN service, and no app without one can ever claim they are 100% secure. Meanwhile, the United States is not a great jurisdiction to run a VPN due to surveillance issues, the 5-eyes agreement, copyright laws, and other things.
As such, the answer to the question ‘is INCOGNiTO VPN safe?’ is highly ambiguous – ‘yes, unless…’ So, let’s find out what else our INCOGNiTO VPN review is holding for you.
Speed is one area where INCOGNiTO VPN has attracted a fair share of criticism. Some users have found that no servers provide a workable level of speed, while others have found that speeds fall away after initially-impressive results. Reading testimony like that doesn’t inspire confidence, but we ran our own analytics to be sure.
The results weren’t great. INCOGNiTO’s servers vary a great deal in terms of performance, with some really encouraging peak download speeds that generally average out on the low end. That’s just not good enough for a top VPN – no matter how strong their security procedures are.
On the plus side, their servers were reliable and the claims of 99.99% uptime seem to be accurate. But what use is a perpetually available network if it runs at 30% efficiency? And even then, we had a couple of glitches where servers lost connection for no apparent reason. In short, our INCOGNiTO VPN review can’t recommend this service on this basis. It’s just too sluggish.
How to download and install INCOGNiTO VPN
If you’re a new user, you may have some issues downloading INCOGNiTO VPN. That’s because their website has been temporarily limited, preventing any downloads. According to the VPN’s developers, this is to allow them to make amendments to their service and software. However, it also makes the VPN much less accessible.
However, you can still download the client and create an account. The software is available from app stores, like Google Play, as well as software libraries, like Softonic and Cnet. Most of these feature the 2016 version of INCOGNiTO’s client, and the more recent updates are hard to track down. So it’s probably worth holding on until newer versions are available, or going for a different VPN provider altogether. After all, INCOGNiTO offer very little that others don’t.
If you do choose to give INCOGNiTO a try, you shouldn’t have to look around for answers about how to install it. Just download the relevant piece of software and follow the installation instructions. It should automatically unpack and set up the client.
Ease of use is one of the strong points of INCOGNiTO’s interface, and we have had no problems navigating its windows and menus. Some VPN clients can get overly technical or cluttered, but that’s not the case with this one.
When you fire up the app, it just presents you with a short list of all the INCOGNiTO servers that are currently available, from Australia to Romania. Just pick one near you and with one click you can make the connection. Everything clearly explained and well designed, with flag icons to add a decorative touch.
When you first load the app, you’ll be asked to complete an INCOGNiTO VPN sign up. In the past, this was a formality, and you would only need to submit an email address and name. But now, as INCOGNiTO remodel their services, it might not be possible to create a new account. We had created one a few months ago, but newbies might not be so lucky.
And then, there are the security implications of submitting a name and email address. We are never happy about having to provide personal information to VPN providers, regardless of how transparent they are. So if you feel the same, you might want to give INCOGNiTO a wide berth.
In short, don’t worry about how to use INCOGNiTO VPN. It’s all fairly intuitive and user-friendly.
Apps and Extensions
Our INCOGNiTO VPN review has found that this VPN offers all of the most necessary apps – Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android. Unfortunately, there is no Router app, but you can still use it on routers if you set it up manually. There isn’t much more you can expect of a VPN’s app roster – most angles are covered. Apps are similar across the board.
Using INCOGNiTO VPN for Netflix
If you are lucky enough to gain access to an INCOGNiTO VPN account and have the client set up, is using it for Netflix a viable option?
Actually, given the reservations we’ve expressed in other areas, streaming is one area where INCOGNiTO deliver. While their speeds in general aren’t particularly stellar, their servers are reliable and just fast enough to extract decent performance from apps like YouTube or Netflix.
And, more importantly, their client manages to route traffic successfully around Netflix geo-blocking measures – at least in most cases. We found it easy to find servers with access to locked Netflix content, and speeds were more than adequate, as long as we weren’t running huge amounts of activity in the background.
So, yes, if you have access to INCOGNiTO VPN, it does seem to have useful features for Netflix users.
INCOGNiTO VPN for Torrenting
Does the same apply to torrenting? Many VPNs struggle to deliver for torrenters, and some actively discourage P2P sharing over their networks. But INCOGNiTO don’t do this, which is refreshing and encouraging.
Their premium packages offer unlimited bandwidth (when they are available), and our INCOGNiTO VPN review has found that they never let us down when it comes to accessing torrents and other file sharing sites. Sure, speeds aren’t amazing. But they aren’t a disaster, either, and we could live with them if no better options were available.
Unfortunately, there are better options, and the shortcomings in other areas mean that using INCOGNiTO VPN for torrenting doesn’t make sense.
Does it work in China?
Many VPNs make a point of offering a way to work around government censorship in repressive regimes. The INCOGNiTO website isn’t one of them, though, and there’s hardly any mention of an idealistic approach to their operations.
While they offer strong encryption, DNS leak protection, and secure protocols, they don’t seem capable of stopping the Great Firewall of China. Our contact in Shanghai has repeatedly tried to use their client and has had no luck at all.
So, if you are living in a country whose government restricts internet usage, other VPNs will be preferable. Using INCOGNiTO VPN in China just doesn’t make sense as our review concluded.
As you might expect from a company undergoing a transition, INCOGNiTO have dropped the ball when it comes to support. While they do offer plenty of documentation in the form of a support library, and there’s also a Live Chat function, we couldn’t get the latter to work. It’s also worth noting that the chat is only for “technical” enquiries – somewhat of a disappointment for everyday customers.
And there isn’t a “contact us” section with a postal address, email address or telephone number. This is a bit worrying, even for VPN providers.
Our INCOGNiTO VPN review wouldn’t be full without presenting the pricing plans. However, at the moment, you can’t sign up for any of INCOGNiTO’s payment packages, although they do still provide information about them.
The three packages were given names related to the “incognito” theme, running from the basic “Cloak” package through to “Disguise” and the premium “Anonymous” package.
All packages had unrestricted bandwidth and data transfer, but the Cloak package limited users to 7 servers and just 1 device. We signed up for Disguise, and added a couple extra devices with no noticeable problems.
The INCOGNiTO VPN price numbers aren’t great, running from $6.30 per month for the Cloak package, to around $9.40 for the Anonymous package. There’s no great value to be had here, so as far as the INCOGNiTO price goes, it’s just average.
In 2016, INCOGNiTO made waves with its fresh advertising and strong focus on providing genuine anonymity for internet users. Nowadays, after a rocky couple of years, its flaws are becoming much clearer and the future of the VPN is uncertain.
While we commend the security features that formed the core of the initial offering, there are too many problems – this INCOGNiTO VPN review cannot recommend it. So much is lacking – at least until a new version arrives.
Excellent security protocols and features
Good selection of servers
Suitable for Netflix
Great features for torrenters
Slow speeds
Lack of recent updates
Poor value for money
Won't work around government blockers
Difficulty downloading client
78Elly April 28, 2019 at 9:28 pm
Another so and so VPN so no thank you. I’ll stick to my good old NordVPN any day of the week. It’s so good and inexpensive that there’s never a need to go looking for a different option. Never had any issues with speed, security or support.
Thiago Fernandes Pereira March 22, 2019 at 2:09 pm
I’m not disappointed that this VPN is down because it sounds like a waste of money. However, it’s still good to look at reviews and see how products compare to others. I like to know what to look for in a VPN so even though INCOGNito is defunct, its review is useful.
hayleywells March 5, 2019 at 9:05 am
Huh. Sorry to see that I missed this one. It seems like it had some potential, especially for somebody like me who torrents…everything haha. Unlimited bandwidth would have been nice.
It does worry me that they didn’t have any contact info, though…maybe it’s best I missed it, there’ve got to be other options that do work around government blockers for travel.
King Fisher January 25, 2019 at 6:46 am
Is this the same service that is available in Chrome browser? I’ve been using Incognito Mode extension in Google Chrome, and it is really cool! I love the private browsing feature!
tricky.tom February 14, 2019 at 6:59 am
No, It’s not same. Incognito mode in Chrome is just disables tracking by browser. Here we are talking about VPN service which goes by name of Incognito. The service though in now no longer available for new clients.
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Sloane Martin
Highly-anticipated 'Hamilton' starts in Minneapolis Wednesday
It's finally here. The biggest Broadway blockbuster to hit the Twin Cities in a long time, HAMILTON, opens its much-anticipated run at the Orpheum Theater tonight. Hennepin Theater Trust President Mark Nerenhausen says there's a reason why the show is staying for six weeks, rather than just the...
Entercom
Waiting in line for tickets? The cost may vary, depending on where you buy
Tickets for big-time events are typically expensive or not easy to find, especially when it comes to Hamilton.
Hamilton fans line up overnight for tickets
Hamilton fans were discouraged to camp out overnight for tickets to the show when it comes to Minneapolis in August. That didn't stop some 200 die-hards from showing up late Wednesday night, long before the ticket kiosks open at 10 Thursday morning. "When the wife says go get tickets, you go get...
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Firstly Take The N81…
Full title: A Guide to West Wicklow
Creator / Author: Research by Caoimhín de Líon, Doirin Doyle, Comdt. T. Maher & Kenneth McGowan
Item Type / Page count: Booklet / 48p
Publisher / Place of Publication: Kamac Publications / 3 St. John’s Terrace, Mount Brown, Dublin 8.
About: A whistle-stop tour around West Wicklow and some neighbouring places. The booklet can only give a flavour of what the area is like, but helps to whet the appetite to delve deeper into local history and heritage. The booklet could be seen as an effort to tempt Dubliners to forget the eastern side of the county and to explore the unspoilt countryside in the west.
Chapters: Dunlavin — Blessington — Ballyknockan — Poulaphuca — Ballymore Eustace — Lacken — Donard — Hollywood — Burgage — Cilín Chormaic — Tinahely — Baltinglass — Ballinclea — Glenmalure — The Military Road — Glen of Imaal — Aughrim — Shillelagh — Kiltegan — Tullow — Hacketstown — Rathvilly.
WW Connection #1: The co-researcher, Caoimhin de Líon, served at various times, as parish priest of Blessington, of Dunlavin and of Donard.
Extra #1: Contains several photographs and a map.
Extra #4: Link to the Author’s website http://www.kevinlyon.info/index.html
Posted in Books / Booklets, West Wicklow Studies and tagged Aughrim, Ballinclea, Ballyknockan, Baltinglass, Blessington, Blessington Writers, Burgage, Caoimhín de Líon, Donard, Donard Writers, Dunlavin, Dunlavin Writers, Glen of Imaal, Glenmalure, Guidebooks, Hollywood, Kevin Lyon, Killeen Cormac, Kiltegan, Lacken, Parish Priests, Poulaphuca / Pollaphuca, Shillelagh, The military road, Tinahely
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Talent Scoop Hire Perspective
As We Heard It: Lessons Learned From Today’s Talent Shortage
24seventalent
In Hire Perspective
24 Seven and PerfectCorp recently sponsored the Global Beauty Tech Forum; the event drew hundreds of professionals in Beauty to explore technology’s impact on beauty brands, the retail experience, and the future of work. In a panel discussion on talent management, Karen Moon of Trendalytics and Erin Russell of Spotlyte/Allergan discussed hiring tactics for securing well-matched professionals to advance strategic goals, despite today’s talent scarce economy:
Rising role of freelancers:
To keep critical initiatives moving forward whilst searching for full-time additions to the team, companies rely heavily on freelancers to fill the talent gap – whether truly temporarily or as a freelance to full-time hiring strategy. This has been an effective tactic for both panelists, and one they foresee pursuing.
Erin: “We found that freelancers were a really great approach especially on the creative, design, and digital side. It was a great way to get things done, while we were able to all try each other out, and to see if it’s a fit all around.”
Aim for the best hire, no matter the worker classification:
Expanding on the freelance tip, the panelists discussed the notion that due to talent scarcity, their companies are taking a hybrid approach to recruiting. The aim is to find the best hire for the role, regardless whether the person across the hiring desk is a freelancer or someone looking for full-time work. Their advice: companies need to be flexible with their attitude and remember the most important thing is to find the most talented or most skilled individual to move the ball forward.
Erin: “Taking a hybrid approach started out of necessity because we were trying to build a team from scratch so quickly. Twenty percent of our current team started out as freelancers. It’s been a really successful, great approach. If I have an open position, I will consider candidates who are full-time candidates, but also will look at freelancers. To us, it’s about finding the right person, and it doesn’t matter to me whether it’s full-time or freelance.”
Rewire hiring techniques:
To keep the hiring process moving most efficiently and effectively, the panelists spoke about rethinking their company’s conventional hiring process. What parts of it are slowing down the process or not adequately identifying talent? What parts should be handled by HR, and what parts are better managed by the direct hiring manager?
Karen: “If you have a huge HR team, you may miss some good people during screening. Sometimes it’s about giving an opportunity to someone who might not meet a specific screening profile. We try to open up our approach to find people that we might not have realized would be a good match. We also try to change the hiring conversations to include open ended questions to get a sense of how the person thinks or how passionate they are. We are trying to get at the things that don’t come through screening a resume.”
Erin: “We directly conducted the phone screening process instead of HR. Those conversations and setting them up is super telling about the candidates. Inspired by the edit test from publishing, we also applied practical testing techniques to functional roles: if you were being hired for development, we asked you to white board something, if you were being hired to write, we asked you to edit something. It was really about finding the best talent for the role.”
Sell the opportunity:
With competition for talent so cut-throat today, the panelists agreed that it’s critically important to prepare a well-honed pitch about the complete employment opportunity – not just the job at hand, but the overall employment experience. It’s never been more important to make sure there’s a meaningful match between the candidate’s values and the company’s mission and vision. Career development and continued learning are highly sought after by job seekers today. Listening to what the candidate is saying about their values and aspirations, and ensuring that those desires are woven into the career plan for that individual will help with their retention once an employee.
Karen: “I personally think a lot about career development for the people we hire, and how we move someone within our organization as they grow. It’s about understanding why this person is coming into the role, and staying active in figuring out how to develop this person and how they expect to grow. In order to get and retain great talent, I don’t have the resources of a large company, so I need to be sure we are able to move them where they want to go in their professional development.”
Admit Recruiting isn’t a core competency:
Talent fuels the organization and is thus too valuable to risk losing out on the best candidates. Recruiting and securing the right individuals takes strategy, enormous effort, and specialized expertise that does not always exist in most organizations. The panelists admitted that most often it’s best to rely on experts like 24 Seven to take the reins so that company leaders can focus on the business, while the recruiting partner fills the talent funnel.
Karen: “You realize to do recruiting right it takes so much time and care. We wasted a lot of time not having a process or a partner. For one open role, we could have 250 applicants.”
Hire future leaders not skill sets:
While functional skill sets are important, most can be taught or filled with freelance talent to propel an initiative forward. If you find yourself with a candidate that shows signs of exceptional promise, don’t miss out on the opportunity to bring on a potential major contributor to the team because of a few job requirement shortcomings.
Karen: “We are always hiring future leaders. We look at candidates and envision what it will be like to bring them along for our growth ride and make it positive. So as an executive team, we actively think about what does the future of this organization look like now, and what will it be in 12 months, and how do we bring in people that we can develop as we scale.”
For more Beauty talent insights and job market trends, download the 2019 Beauty Job Market Study.
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Copyright© 2019 24Seven Talent. All rights reserved.
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Lost In the Swamp of Terror
Tracey Turner
Publisher: A&C Black Childrens & Educational
Stranded in the swamps of the Everglades, with no one left to help you, danger can creep up on you when you least expect it. Can you avoid the powerful jaws of a hungry alligator, and keep out of reach of the noisy yet deadly rattlesnake?
Packed full of fascinating facts and essential information to get you to safety, Lost in… is an amazing new interactive, adventure-packed series in which the reader must choose their own path to survive to the end of the story.
Can you get alive?
Tracey Turner is a former editor and author of many non-fiction books for children, including Hodder's Disgusting Dictionary and titles for the Dead Famous series and 101 Things You Need To Know....
Walk on Earth a Stranger
Rae Carson
A New York Times bestseller and National Book Award longlist selection
The first book in a new trilogy from acclaimed New York Times–bestselling author Rae Carson. A young woman with the magical ability to sense the presence of gold must flee her home, taking her on a sweeping and dangerous journey across Gold Rush–era America. Walk on Earth a Stranger begins an epic saga from one of the finest writers of young adult literature.
Lee Westfall has a secret. She can sense the presence of gold in the world around her. Veins deep beneath the earth, pebbles in the river, nuggets dug up from the forest floor. The buzz of gold means warmth and life and home—until everything is ripped away by a man who wants to control her. Left with nothing, Lee disguises herself as a boy and takes to the trail across the country. Gold was discovered in California, and where else could such a magical girl find herself, find safety?
Rae Carson, author of the acclaimed Girl of Fire and Thorns series, dazzles with the first book in the Gold Seer Trilogy, introducing a strong heroine, a perilous road, a fantastical twist, and a slow-burning romance, as only she can.
Seasons of Joy - Every Day is...
Claudia Marie Lenart
Immerse Your Child in the Wonder of Nature in Every Season The pure and simple delight of children playing outside is captured in needle-felted wool paintings created by Claudia Marie Lenart in Seasons of Joy: Everyday is for Outdoor Play. The picture book pairs dreamy images of multi-cultural children, animals, flowers and trees with verse that expresses the joy young children experience in nature's seasons. Children can see themselves in the diverse characters and can be inspired to spend more time playing outdoors and connecting to nature. "Young children learn through imitation and movement. If that movement is filled with imaginative pictures, they are able to take it up in their whole being and express it outwardly in their play. Claudia Lenart's book Seasons of Joy uses the artistic medium of needle-felted wool to express the joy of children in movement at every season of the year." --Barbara Patterson, retired Waldorf Extra Lesson teacher in private practice, author of Beyond the Rainbow Bridge: Nurturing Our Children from Birth to Seven "In Seasons of Joy, Claudia Lenart uses her beautiful rhyming prose to tell a classic tale of the changing of the seasons and the carefree pleasure of playing outside all year around. The details in every scene are meticulous and refined, down to the distinct wing pattern of a butterfly and the catchlight in a squirrel's eye. This book is exactly what it sets out to be - a joy to read and an inspiration for nature play for children everywhere." --Linda Akeson McGurk, journalist, blogger at Rain or Shine Mama, author of There's No Such Thing As Bad Weather "What a treat to meander through the seasons with these wonderful words and beautiful wool paintings. Claudia is an extraordinary fiber artist who has the special talent of bringing magical scenes to life. A delight for adults and children alike." --Donni Webber, www.TheMagicOnions.com, author of Magical Miniature Gardens and Homes Juvenile Fiction: Concepts - Seasons Learn more at www.ClaudiaMarieFelt.com From Loving Healing Press www.LHPress.com
Bone Gap
Laura Ruby
National Book Award Finalist * Printz Award Winner for Best Young Adult Book of the Year
“Ruby’s novel deserves to be read and reread. It is powerful, beautiful, extraordinary.”—School Library Journal
Everyone knows Bone Gap is full of gaps.
So when young, beautiful Roza went missing, the people of Bone Gap weren’t surprised. But Finn knows what really happened to Roza. He knows she was kidnapped by a dangerous man whose face he cannot remember.
As we follow the stories of Finn, Roza, and the people of Bone Gap, acclaimed author Laura Ruby weaves a tale of the ways in which the face the world sees is never the sum of who we are.
Treacherous Love - The Diary Of...
Beatrice Sparks
Fourteen-year-old Jennie's life is turning upside down. Her father has walked out, and her anguished mother seeks solace in pills. Her best friend practically abandons her to be with a boyfriend. It seems like Jennie's real best friend is her diary. Then she meets Mr. Johnstone, the substitute math teacher. Jennie has never met such a charismatic teacher. She feels honored when Mr. J. seems to single her out for special attention, and begins to fantasize about him as her boyfriend. When Mr. J. first reveals his feelings for her, she is thrilled by the relationship that grows outside the classroom walls. Then, slowly, Jennie's diary becomes a record of her loneliness, pain, and confusion. Will it also offer her a way to escape from this treacherous love?
Then He Ate My Boy Entrancers -...
Louise Rennison
Let the overseas snogfest begin!
Georgia and Jas are off to Hamburger-a-gogo land! Georgia plans to track down Masimo, the Italian-American dreamboat, but after a long week in America, she only succeeds in learning importantish things -- like how to ride a bucking bronco. Will Georgia reel in the Italian dreamboat? Or is she destined to live forever all aloney on her owney?
Sophie Jordan
The first book in an addictive, romantic trilogy from New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan is perfect for fans of Laini Taylor, Tahereh Mafi, and Claudia Gray.
With her rare ability to breathe fire, Jacinda is special even among the draki—the descendants of dragons who can shift between human and dragon forms.
But when Jacinda’s rebelliousness forces her family to flee into the human world, she struggles to adapt, even as her draki spirit fades. The one thing that revives it is the gorgeous, elusive Will, whose family hunts her kind. Jacinda can’t resist getting closer to him, even though she knows she’s risking not only her life but the draki’s most closely guarded secret.
Mythical powers and breathtaking romance ignite in this story of a girl who defies all expectations and whose love crosses an ancient divide, from New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan.
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US military and DARPA team up to develop tech to uncover fake news
By Matthew Griffin Intelligence and the Senses 16th June 2018
The advent of powerful AI tools, adaptable neural networks and the democratisation of hi definition rendering have taken fake news to a new level and this program aims to unmask the fakes.
We’ve all seen that video where Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered algorithms make it seem like Barack Obama is giving a speech by synthesising his voice and facial movements into a believable, and more importantly, credible, video clip, and depending on which side of the fence you sit it’s both amazing and thought provoking all at the same time. But if you thought you were the only one that felt that way then you weren’t, as it turns out it’s also provoked some similar thoughts within the ranks of the US Department of Defense’s (DOD) bleeding edge research organisation DARPA too.
OpenAI develops curious AI's that learn for themselves
Over the course of the summer DARPA have announced that they will fund a contest where participants will compete to create the most believable, fake AI generated photos, videos, and audio recordings, collectively referred to as “Deepfakes,” like the examples in the video below. However, the competition is also designed to go one step further and try to discover and develop new advanced tools to detect these Deepfakes which are becoming increasingly cheap and simple to make, and more sophisticated, as people, from regular researchers through to cyber criminals, get better at creating AI algorithms that are made to fool us, like in the video below.
We’ve already moved way beyond this crude technology…
In particular, DARPA is concerned by a relatively new class of AI’s called Generative Adversarial Networks (GAN’s), which are types of sophisticated algorithms that pit two neural networks against each other to eventually hone in on the ability to create something indistinguishable from those made by people, hence the inclusion of the word, adversarial. In this case, a world leader being made to say something in an AI generated fake news video versus something they actually said in a speech.
That said one of the ways to detect fakes might come from academia, specifically MIT, who a few years ago found a way to use AI to take someone’s heart rate from video, seen below. While using this technique might at first sound odd Deefakes don’t have a heart beat so this “old” and odd technique could, in the near term help to quickly weadle fakes out.
One way to root out the fakes, from an unexpected source
It’s easy to see why the DOD is concerned, right now the president of the US boasts about the nation’s nuclear arsenal over social media while the US and Korea inch towards talks of disarmament. What would definitely not help anyone right now would be having a believable, fake video of President Trump or Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un saying they’re planning to launch missiles go viral. But it’s not just internet pranksters or malicious enemies of the state who are making these videos.
Microsoft wants to democratise Artificial Intelligence
A quick scan through the libraries of Facebook and Google’s published AI research shows that both companies invested in learning how to develop algorithms that can process, analyze, and alter photos and videos of people, and if DARPA wants to nip this potential threat in the bud, maybe they should look into what the tech giants are doing.
Even though some of these research projects are relatively benign they could still be used to smooth out the glitches of an altered or fake video, or like another of Google’s AI projects designed to reduce the noise of videos and make them more realistic. And some projects though are, well, creepier, like Google’s AI algorithm that creates a neutral, front facing photo of a person by analyzing other pictures of them.
The problem is that AI researchers often take a “Can we?” instead of a “Should we?” approach to making the coolest stuff possible. This is particularly relevant for a Facebook research project that found a way to animate the profile photos of its users. The researchers behind the project said that they did not consider any ethical issues or potential misuse of their work while they were building it, they just wanted to create as sophisticated a product as possible.
The problem for DARPA is that fixing this problem requires a change in attitude towards how technology is developed, and inevitably as they find ways to detect and combat it, just like any war, their opponents, whether it’s sovereign states or bedroom criminals, will continue to find a way to out do them. Arguably it’s a race they won’t win.
Aerospace and Defence IndustryArtificial IntelligenceDARPADeep LearningDeepFakesFacebookFake NewsFake News DetectionGoogleMachine LearningMedia and Entertainment IndustryMITPublic Safety IndustryPublic SectorUS Department of DefenseUS MilitaryUSA
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Our news in your mail
News frequency *
New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Atlanta's own Lil Baby is having a monster year and has released his eagerly anticipated project Street Gossip via Quality Control Music / Wolf Pack Global Music / Motown Records / Capitol. The 13-track studio album features an incredible lineup of heavy-hitters such as Offset, Gunna, Meek Mill, Gucci Mane, Young Thug, 2 Chainz, Rylo Rodriguez and Nocap. Full Track-listing below. The project is described as a show of appreciation to the fans for propelling his meteoric ascent to stardom. Just last night Lil Baby played his 3000 capacity sold out 'Lil Baby & Friends' show which was live streamed across YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram where special guests hit the stage including Young Thug, Yo Gotti, 2 Chainz, Moneybagg Yo, Lil Durk, 21 Savage, City Girls, Nbayoungboy, Marlo, Hoodrich Pablo Juan, Skooly.
The rookie of the year is already all-star status. In just a year and a half Lil Baby has exploded onto the scene by releasing four solo mixtapes including his critically acclaimed Harder Than Ever which debuted at #3 on the Billboard Top 200 chart and included the RIAA Certified Platinum "Yes Indeed" featuring Drake. This year he also collaborated with fellow Atlanta native Gunna on their stellar joint project Drip Harder, which also debuted at #3 on the Billboard top 200 chart, boasting the RIAA Certified Platinum single "Drip Too Hard".
In the short time he has been active since his release from prison, Lil Baby has racked up more than 2.6 BILLION streams across platforms and recapped his compelling story on film from incarceration to finding his penchant for music in his 'Preacherman' documentary below.
He was also brought out as a special guest on Drake's 'Aubrey and the Three Migos Tour.' After performing and being nominated for Best New Hip Hop Artist at this year's BET Hip-Hop Awards, signing a deal with Reebok, and completing his first ever solo tour, there is no question that Lil Baby's Street Gossip is the icing on 2018.
LISTEN TO STREET GOSSIP:
https://qualitycontrol.lnk.to/StreetGossip
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"A force in hip-hop as just a neophyte" - BILLBOARD
LIL BABY STREET GOSSIP FULL TRACK LISTING:
"GLOBAL"
"PURE COCAINE"
"CRUSH A LOT"
"TIME" featuring Meek Mill
READY featuring Gunna
"WORD ON THE STREET"
"THIS WEEK"
"ANYWAY" featuring 2 Chainz and Gucci Mane
"NO FRIENDS" featuring Rylo Rodriguez
"REALIST IN IT" featuring Gucci Mane and Offset
"SECTION 8" featuring Young Thug
"CHASTISED"
"DREAMS 2 REALITY" featuring Nocap
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Palestine is Still the Issue
2003, Military and War - 53 min 81 Comments
This is a huge bluff of the Israeli establishment, that every criticism of its' policy is anti-semitism. In 1977, the award-winning journalist and film-maker, John Pilger, made a documentary called Palestine Is Still The Issue (1977). He told how almost a million Palestinians had been forced off their land in 1948, and again in 1967. In this in-depth documentary, he has returned to the West Bank of the Jordan and Gaza, and to Israel, to ask why the Palestinians, whose right of return was affirmed by the United Nations more than half a century ago, are still caught in a terrible limbo -- refugees in their own land, controlled by Israel in the longest military occupation in modern times.
"The fate and struggle of the Palestinians," says Pilger, "are not just critical to the overdue recognition of their basic human rights, but are also central to whether the region, and the wider world, are plunged into war. Israel is now one of the biggest military powers in the world. While nothing changes, the dangers become greater. This is a film about a nation of people, traumatized, humiliated and yet resilient. In trying to liberate less than a quarter of historic Palestine, they have had no army, no air force, and no powerful friends -- and have fought back with slingshots and now with the terrorism of the suicide bombers."
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Leave a Reply to buck fush Cancel reply
Diego - 01/14/2017 at 06:53
They can thank Fatah and Hamas for their misery. There is a reason every Muslim country is dysfunctional.
Giulia S. - 11/25/2015 at 14:39
A documentary full of half truths... this is not a serious treatment of the issue.
EvilZion - 01/28/2015 at 00:02
Zionist ideology needs to be exterminated immediately.
akshay - 01/12/2015 at 19:50
Boy every drop of my blood boils when I see this documentary.. I do hope the day will come when the Israelis are pushed to the see and the conflict resolved.
HaydenG - 09/18/2014 at 15:34
America stands with Israel. Send Hamas back to hell and if the Palestinians don't want peace they don't have to have it. Its up to them. The walls come down when the suicide vests do. Personally I think the Palestinians are lucky to be facing the worlds most moral military. Any other country would had wiped them out after the first few rockets.
ThinkBeforeYouSpeak - 01/04/2015 at 16:13
If someone came into your country, kicked you out of your home, and then governed you in a way that you were less then them, would you not fight back? Of course you would "DONT TREAD ON ME"... You sir/mam are a hypocrite...
ObjectiveWesterner - 11/17/2012 at 17:21
Walter's full time job appears to be in line with the Zionist directive which advised agents to monitor and respond to Internet criticism of their preposterous propaganda. Though judging from his spelling errors and cartoon book grasp of history, he needs a long spell in further education before being able to properly fulfill his "noble" mission of defending the indefensible.
walterr44 - 05/02/2013 at 16:03
To so called objective westerner.
Lacking any sustentative answers to the specific issues I've
raised you resort to ad hominem attacks, which I will not waste my time answering, except to say that when on this site I find so many one sided thoroughly disingenuous videos and
faced with a limited time to answer them with the facts I am not wasting my time proofing my comments
for spelling
Why don't you address the facts, Also look up the meaning of objective because simply calling yourself objective is amounts
to a deceptive misnomer
James Robert Edwards - 09/11/2012 at 18:04
The Israeli's have to come to a compromise; if they want to do the Godly correct thing
joseph - 06/01/2013 at 21:50
hardly so, mate. see Israel really tried, but the Palestinians are a hopeless case:
The Oslo accord granted them autonomy - which resulted in a many fold increase of terror, suicide bombers in civilian buses, gunmen in restaurants .
Israel and America have trained and given arms to the Palestinian police, they turned the arms toward Israel.
helped Gaza to a free elections, the result was that Hamas rose to power, first thing they did was throwing their PLO rivals from buildings tops (really).
next, they shoot rockets, war head filled with iron pellets into civilian centers.
make no mistake, they want to destroy Israel, they want Jihad.
Islam never made peace with anybody, they fight, they lose,
they will forever try again, they accept peace only on their
terms, total control.
Jerusalem is not mentioned in the Kura'n even once,
but the Jews were living there thousands of years ago.
Even an Atheist must accept the Bible as genuine Jewish history,
any small opening you grant the Muslim, they will resort to violence, see,
on every Arab killed by Israel since 48, there were 400(!)
Arabs killed by other Arabs, nowadays its syria and iraq,
but it was never different,
this is the people who believed (this is in the Kura'n) that
the Muslim live in the house of peace, while the Kafirs (we)
in the house of sword - according to the Sharia laws
(currently installed in Saudi, Iran and Gaza,
soon unfolding in the Arab spring in Egypt, Syria, later france, England, Sweden) - a muslim killing
a non-muslim is non-punishable.
I am acquainted with few Asian people that worked in Arab countries, they are often terribly treated there.
wake up you guys, this noble savage is not noble but savage indeed
Jaabir Yasin - 08/15/2013 at 06:03
its not bout Israels safety did the forgot about hitler and what he did
Israel will not stop until it controls the world
mu slims or Christin
and it keeps building more land by the day
it talks about peace and for fact Israel doesn't need peace
the only way to get that land back is by fight
fight it is for ever until Israel is out of the map .
Ahmet Dizioglu - 07/18/2015 at 09:40
You think everybody is stupid just jews are cleaver, we know that Israil kill Israil president Yitzhak Rabin whom wanted real peace with Palestinians, this is game of killing Palestinians, Palestinians paid price for Germans and Eurepeans Holocaust.
MarkW99 - 09/05/2012 at 08:40
Compounding the problem was that Arafat and the PLO were about as corrupt as they could get. Set back any peace process considerably. For a long time it would have been a coin flip as to whether the Israelis or PLO were a greater detriment to the average Palestinian. Pilger glosses over this a bit, but overall a good documentary.
Efritt - 07/07/2012 at 04:44
walter stop distorting the truth. its not about making peace with israel' its about israel coming to be as a colony of european white man by force.
paranguaricutirimicuaro - 06/29/2012 at 02:06
Very interesting documentary, it is very sad to see how soon the israeli goverment has forgotten how they were treated by Hitler now they are doing the same thing to the Palestinians.
Don't forget it is written in the bible that Israel will never be in peace and so far is has been proved now they have Iran to worry about.
Rafal F - 10/20/2012 at 18:13
Why do they have to worry about Iran
RealMenDontHitWomen - 04/15/2012 at 09:03
This infuriates me.............I can easily see how people will sacrifice themselves for their family and friends.
I don't kow why my answer to Mickbo is now gone, I hope it was only accidently removed. There was nothing offensive in it
I could suggest to mickbo that he research the facts and then he'll find
that everything I said can be substantiated. But I know that would be futile.
So I make these requests to anyone reading this and wants to know the truth.
Look up what Yassir Arafat said about Amin Huysani
Look up Amin Huysani, the grand mufti of Jerusalem
Look up the Palestinian charter of 1968 and the Hamas charter of 1988,
especially article 7 determine if these documents are seeking peace with Isrsael
Look at the offer Olmert made to Arafat to see who is serious about peace.
Look up how the Palestinians are treated in Arab countries.
Compare that with Arabs were treated in Israel and decide who really
engages in apartheid.
There is so much more but this is a start. Israel is the good guy
Funny how you make the victim(palestine) the bully, just like hitler did to the jew
In 1947 The Jewish agancy accepted the partition plan. the Arabs rejected
it and the newpapers of that era are replete with reports on how
the Arab officials bragged how they will annihilate the Jews. Most arabs left the area onthe request of the arab states so the massacre can vbe carried out.
A million jews were forced out of Arabian lands penniless. Israel was settled almost as much by refugees from arab countries as from europe. But unlike the so called Palestinians they were not subject to apartheid. They were not prmanently confined to refugee camps for sixty years. they were not second class citizens inIsrael. But the so called Palestinians were so treated that way in their Arab host countries. The arabs living in Israel are citizens of Israel.
From 1949 to 1967 Jordan controlled the West Bank and Egypt
controlled Gaza. why wasn't a palestinian state created then??
Where were the "human rights" advocates protesting the apartheid
treatment of so-called palestinians in Arab countries?
Where were the so called palestinians protesting their treatment?
Where were the so called human rights activists when Jews were being
persecuted in Arab countries?
This documentary is a huge distortion.
mickbo - 03/01/2012 at 04:13
my god, where did u get this rubbish from did you make it up, at least try some lies that might be creditable and those last 3 questions, is that to back up the rubbish u wrote before
They gave 56% of the land to Israel who had 1/3 rd of the population and they were all illegal immigrants. Yes thats right the UN gave Arab land to some? European Jews.So in your country if a load of illegal immigrants turned up and the UN gave them 56% of your land would you be happy?Well why expect the Arabs to just stand by and see their land stolen?
850.000 Jews in Arab countries were forcibly expelled.
About 600, settled in Israel. The irony is that Arab prejudice
helped populate Israel almost as much as the Nazis.
A good portion of the Arabs living in what was to become Israel came there after the Ottoman empire collapsed in 1918.
After 1922 the births restricted Jewish immigration into
the mandate but did not restrict Arab immigration.
While the Arab population was greater than the Jewish, because
Jewish immigration was also limited during the ottoman empire
these restrictions exacerbated the population discrepancy.
Until 1947 no Jew could drive any Arab off their land. The power rested with the British. All land acquired by Jews before 1948
was lawfully purchased, much of it from Arab absentee landlords.
On the other hand violent anti-Semitic programs drove many Jews from
from lands rightfully theirs. Hebron and Gaza in 1928 for example.
The Jews coming in from Europe were no more illegal than Arab migrants pouring into the mandate. The British just declared them illegal. When the Arabs rejected the partition, the Arab war cry was to kill or evict all Jews, even the ones living there for centuries.
The Arabs set the standard. What happened to them is what they
wanted to do to the Jews. Nevertheless, 300,000 Arabs remained in Israel and were given full Israeli citizenship. Almost all the Jews in Arab countries were forced out. And the Arabs who fled Israel were forced to live in refugee camps built by their fellow Arabs . In every Arab country these refugees who call themselves "Palestinians" were treated as second class citizens and in many cases, as in Jordan
1970, they were forcibly expelled. But of course no one is really interested in these refugees except as an excuse to bash Israel.
Casandra Johnson - 05/27/2013 at 14:37
Thanks for the history lesson but im wondering if its at all possible for you to answer one simple question: regardless of how palestinians or jews were treated in other arab countries, or that a group of palestinians who were not part of the governing body of the country the jews invaded and occupied with backing from the U.S. and U.K. wrote nasty things about pushing the jews into the sea back in the 70's or 80's...do you really think that justifies israel to evict palestinian families from their home, tear the house down and claim the land for israels own? Palestinians may be citizens but a rose by any other name...why add insult to injury by not using the same judicial system for both jews n palestinians or letting them get building permits so they can hav a roof over their heada?
Roger l - 01/31/2012 at 15:06
I am so grateful for being able to see the other side of the coin. One now begins to understand why the west is so despised when it turns a blind eye to the atrocities being committed by Israel. It is heartening to see that in spite of the actions of the Israeli govt, that some people on both sides want peace and respect....what century are we living in again?
Good Documentary. John Pilger is amazing. Interesting comments too but I disagree with the notion of Atheism being equal to Peace.
Peace and Tc.
Michael Danger Gee - 11/01/2011 at 23:44
obviously takes a unbalanced approach...but an interesting doc. I am currently writing a paper on the rise of Palestinian nationalism, if any one can point me to a doc on that topic i would greatly appreciate it!
the destruction of cultural centers demonstrated in this film is an obvious attempt to halt such a thing
Naseem Habib - 10/01/2011 at 06:52
An amazing and well written documentary on the Palestinian struggle! I highly recommend it!
Captain_Mannering01 - 06/16/2011 at 15:20
Well the U.S is slowly running out of wealth, so their propping up of Israel with billions of dollars each year will sooner or later have to be reviewed.
It's hard to fathom a people that went through a terrible Holocaust, is now responsible for a form of ethnic cleansing and illegal occupation of another people's land.
0zyxcba1 - 04/26/2011 at 04:56
a t h e i s m = p e a c e
atheism=theism
peace is in the middle
i like to call it energetic spirituality
but the name is unimportant
What is "energetic spirituality?"
atheists believe that the GOD of all religions is non existant
theists believe the GOD of their religion is the ONE
I believe that each and every one of us is GOD and that science will point to it in a way that religion will have no choice but to say amen!
Life is energetic, your perception, what you see and think is invented by autocreated humans, you, me and the rest of us.
Energy was is will for ever.
@ Azilda
One fine Spring morning, I'm whistling down a garden path only to find myself interrupted by someone self-introduced as Azilda.
Azilda is bursting with glad tidings(this is not at all what I had expected from my garden stroll). During this unwelcome, slightly annoying, interruption, I listen politely to what this person, Azilda, has to say.
Afterwards, I pose a few simple question and, based upon the response I get, conclude that Azilda's interruption to my garden stroll brings with it nothing, of even the slightest interest.
I bid farewell and continue whistling along.
Apparently, Azilda is well known in town, and I later learn through the grapevine that Azilda is going about telling anyone who will listen that our encounter in the garden is some kind of belief that I hold!
More than a few of the town's residents think Azilda is a crackpot; but, There but for fortune,... besides, we ought none of us ever indulge in mocking the afflicted.
And so nothing more is said, until, that is...
Ozy....will reply to your kind letter after i turn the dirt in my plot.
My folks are visiting from Quebec and this leaves me little time for replying on this site. But i will.
Do you know what i do with cracked pots in my garden, i plant flowers in them.
soon...az
There are people who chose to walk on beaten paths and there are people who prefer the get lost in order to find themself.
The road may be rough and full of animals making fun of you but what is that to a real crazy person?
I have found in my life that to be called crazy means that i am curious in a weird way.
I have learned that to not have learned makes me someone who should sit in the back and shut those ideas never heard of before.
I have lost and refound the way to be peaceful but i have always stopped longer to play with the latest.
I have been tempted to defend myself with weapons of words but i have chose to unite within the polarity of you and i, who ever we are.
I have chosen to be here because no matter what i say, i can say it, and anyone can skip easily at the bush of a button.
I have planted that no matter what you think or say what your reality is, then it must be.
I have discovered that what i was a few months ago has changed, thanks to TDF and it's gardeners.
I have all those phrases flowing in my mind like the notes of a cheap song composer, untapped, unleashed, unbounded.
behave and do give love
do magic with simple verbs
why wait to be dead to be an angel
when you can be alive
a free poet for your free time
Now back to energetic spirituality
energetic spirituality is some middle ground i am trying to define for myself at the moment, no one has told me to use the idea and i haven't asked anyone to adhere
what would it take for the fusion of science and spirituality
one side wants the extermination of the idea of a god while the other side wants the extermination of all gods other than theirs
I figure lets define what god COULD be that he is not
And then the only thing i concluded in the quiet of my mind is that i am GOD and so are you, we just don't know it or we are afraid to say so
that's the only thing that all the written spiritual books agree on and no one sees it
what does it mean to science
we are about to find out
one day sooner than later
the kettle is boiling
Peace is the absence of war
Love is the absence of hate
The energy flows from the right
And we wish it were not so
can call it Buddhism, the middle path
Gary V - 05/17/2011 at 04:57
More people have died in the name of religion than for any other cause. This $hit has got to go.
Rainmaker - 09/11/2011 at 14:09
Don't think too narrow.
Religion is merely just a particular case of IDIOLOGY, and it's the clash of two opposite ideologies and ideas that lead to a conflict and even violence.
Without religion, people will still be killing each other, because of human passions and the human nature.
Neil_deGrasse_Tyson - 09/21/2011 at 21:53
People use religion as a PR ploy to get people to support wars. Religion, mostly, is not the reason governments go to war; Money (and or power) holds that candle. You know I'm right. It's very simple but that's the way truth usually is.
Omar - 04/12/2011 at 14:13
it is about religion but we can not to deside the rigth religion .the only allah{god} to do the things that is whey beture we do peaceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Lary9 - 03/03/2011 at 13:56
Israel has several new generations of "God's chosen people" jackbooting around in silly desert army hats. This latest generation, like many young people, is behaving badly... like every other insulated tribal group of fanatical youths with a criminal sense of religious entitlement.
Just think of Israeli youth as hordes of medieval, Mongol barbarians in absurd military garb, deluded by religious missionary zeal but armed with modern weapons --- and you've got it. [Except that on the other side is another equally fanatical group... equally certain that God is backing their 'play'.]
If ever there was a tragic, self-destructive impulse in man, religions of the fertile crescent must be it. Funny how the three main Abrahamic faiths arose in one dessicated place, sharing the same rudimentary dogmas, and went on to unhinge the sanity of civilization for thousands of years... A pox on all three houses!
Bravo! and ditto.
imagine waking up to a middle east devoid of ALL religions -- bliss!
atheism = peace
Jonathan - 04/21/2011 at 14:11
atheism = Russia .... it did not work
@ Jonathan
Jonathan, you are right. Stalinism did not work. Stalin was supposed to have taken over from Lenin in carrying on with the revolution. But Communism was never a revolution to begin with. Right from the get-go, the so-called 'revolution' was nothing more than the oldest form of government in the world: 'Do what I say or I kill you!'
But then what do you expect from religion?
Religion is based upon four pillars:
- System of Core Beliefs
- Faith
- Community
- Ritual
Dogmas which the whole community agrees on. Rejection by a member of any one of these beliefs automatically results in self-imposed exclusion from the community, usually followed up by excommunication, ostracization and even, sometimes, by execution.
Unquestioning, absolute adherence to the set of core beliefs absent any supportive evidence. To whatever extent supportive evidence may be available, to that extent faith is rendered, by definition, impossible.
Religion is a group phenomenon. Religion cannot be private. Spirituality is often labeled, incorrectly, 'religion'. Most religions do include some form of 'spirituality', but spirituality, itself, is not a religion.
Group practice of predictable or repetitive activities or ceremonies at regular, periodic intervals. Religions might encourage, or even demand, private ritualistic practices, but such practices, by themselves, are neither necessary for, nor sufficient to, the requirements for religion. In the religious context, ritual must be communal.
Examples of Religion:
-- System of Core Beliefs: Marxist-Leninism.
-- Faith: Believing in the ‘Rock-Candy Mountains of the Future’, when the day-to-day realities are fear and deprivation, requires a faith of such strength that most Christians could not match it!
-- Community: The very word ‘communism’ covers that one!
-- Ritual: Red flags all aflutter in perfect unison in an exquisitely orchestrated parade in celebration of 'May Day' and endless state sponsored rallies more than qualify as ritual amidst communion of the faithful.
--Most supernatural sects(though not all) of Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, etc., qualify as religions.
Other Examples of Religion:
Nazism:
NAZI-ism was a religion. Regardless as to whether Hitler was Catholic, or not, Nazism was a religion. On the belt buckle of every SS officer was stamped "In God We Trust."
In North Korea, the worship of Jong-Il and his father, the late Kim Il-Sung, is structured in such a manner as to fulfill all four requirements for religion (see 'Welcome to North Korea', documentary #156 under 'Society').
Maoism
The cult worship of Mao Zedong just previous to his death(and shortly thereafter) serves as yet another example of religion.
Implicit to their very nature, all religious apologetics are self-referential, i.e., tautological.
It is incomprehensible how religion could possibly serve any beneficial purpose.
Jonathan, I will not sit back and listen to that old theist drivel that atheism is a religion. You should be ashamed of yourself. You know full well that atheism is not a religion. To blame the despotic religions of COMMUNISM, NAZISM, MAOISM, and the CULT RELIGION in NORTH KOREA on atheism simply because these religions(and others like them) center about core beliefs void of theism, and to slip your slimy way from this fact to the ridiculous lie that atheism is a system of beliefs, is disgraceful. And you are not going to get away with it! Atheism is exactly what the word implies: not-of-theism. PERIOD.
Non-theism is not a belief(forget 'system of beliefs'). To the contrary! Absence of belief in the supernatural defines 'a-theism'.
Atheism has NEVER been at the center of ANY religion. ATHEISM IS NOT A RELIGION, and you know it!
Marxist-Leninism lies at the core of the Communist religion, not the absence of a belief in spooks and goblins.
The religion of Communism under Stalin was bad enough, but just think of the horror of a religion like Christianity. At the heart of Christianity lies a passionate belief in a sky-daddy, a physical, in-the-flesh male offspring of said sky-daddy who, currently, is lost-in-space, AND, a holy spook!
From 325 AD, at the Council of Nicene, whence Emperor Constantine decreed his Holy Roman and Apostolic Catholic Church be both the embodiment of all Christendom as well as supreme and absolute sovereign over the ensuing 'Holy' Roman Empire's first and only ever state religion, right up to October 31, 1517, when Martin Luther nailed his "Ninety-Five Theses" to a church door, if you were Christian, you were Catholic! And if you were Catholic, you were a SLAVE. The religions of Communism and Nazism, combined, pale into insignificance on the misery thermometer when pitted against the first twelve hundred years of Christendom. And what followed was almost as bad. And let us not forget Islam.
When I hear people like you blame the existence of religions like Communism on the absence of belief in the supernatural, it makes me want to vomit.
You have no decency.
Think of the hundreds of thousand of people torched and burned alive; of those shot in the gulags; of those who perished in Nazism camps.
That you, Jonathan, should dare to desecrate the haunting memory of these hapless religion-victims via a twisted attempt to shift the responsibility for religious atrocities to the nowhere of non-belief in spooks is despicable. You will succeed in laying down at the doorstep of sanity blame for religion's ruthlessness over my dead body.
You have demonstrated once again the depths of depravity to which theists like you are capable of descending.
But then, again, such is to be expected from superstitious slobs.
atheism = Peace .... it DOES work! (It's called reason.)
Atheism = new "granfloons" will soon be needed
[A granfalloon, in the fictional religion of Bokononism (created by Kurt Vonnegut in his 1963 novel Cat's Cradle), is defined as a "false karass." That is, it is a group of people who outwardly choose or claim to have a shared identity or purpose, but whose mutual association is actually meaningless.]
By its very definition, atheism cannot be an organization, claimed, fictional, or otherwise.
It's not meant seriously. "Cat's Cradle" is pure Vonnegut satire as are the ideas in the novel like 'Granfalloons' and 'Foma' and 'Wampeters'. Among other things, the book parodies those who would form stupid, meaningless groups.
@ Lary9 :-)
Lary9, I am illiterate, obviously.
If you'd had shoved into your face but a chunk of the excrement being shoved of late into mine, by theists(you know, those rectums tearing apart the Middle East, dangling Damocles' sword over the whole of the world), you would understand my outrage.
I believe firmly that a time for action is long overdue. Call theists out at every turn. Let nothing slide. Nothing. Theists have had thousands of years to make their case. They have failed, miserably, leaving in their wake misery, ignorance, death and destruction. And they are at it again.
Theists will never stop. But theists can BE stopped. They can be stopped, and they can be forced to answer for their crimes.
Any and all freedoms from theists are due solely to people like me having put a stop to people like them. And we all of us can do it again. Join us in standing up to these bullies or, mark my words, you will wish you had.
Atheist=Anti-Theist... which you obviously are. You don't sound like much of a peacemaker to me.
@ David Foster
"Atheist=Anti-Theist" is nonsense!
Atheism, itself, has nothing to do with liking people, or disliking people. Non-theists have a problem with theism, not theists.
The kind of theist I oppose is most likely the very same kind you oppose: Fred Phelps, the pope, many a televangelist,...
And, anyhow, truly savage theist-haters are other theists! Muslims, Christians, Jews,...
I do confess, I am not much of a peacemaker, but I can assure you, I was ever so much worse than even now, when I was a theist, like you.
I am finished picking apart what you said and conclude by pointing out that, while not all atheists may be peaceful, atheism is.
domino22 - 02/28/2011 at 01:30
love you palestine !!!
my heart will be always with you, arabs are the best, they are not terrorists, my arab boyfriends made me see another part of arab countries
Pyrrhus - 02/18/2011 at 05:45
It's all about religion. Get rid of religion, get rid of the problem!
Atheism alone will not bring peace to the world, what is needed is Secular Humanism.
Search Our Souls - 02/07/2011 at 06:47
Those of us who watch (even in horror), and do nothing are equally contributing.
Very true my friend, we all need to stand up & say that enough is enough. Only by enough of us denouncing all wars will we ever get peace in this world.
Whatever Man - 02/07/2011 at 06:37
The whole world is made victimized by occupation most evident by the suffering of these people and the people of Africa by those who think themselves entitled by religion, race and so called civilization. They are Incapable of reason, justice or equality. There is no "struggle", there is only violence and oppression.
garry - 01/17/2011 at 00:41
When hitler come to power the jewish population were expelled from their homes and land, persecuted and murderd. And yet still, Israel only replicates with the blessing of several countries,the very same perpitrations.When will America stop providing arms and money to any war intent country for thier own political ends. Cambodia, rhwanda,and several other genocides have seen no intervetions. Why,because there are no ill gotten gains to be had from these war torn communities.Never in all my 42 years,except for jews in the last war, have I seen people so abandoned as the palestinions.
Samir S. Halabi - 12/11/2010 at 12:39
So you want all the arabs of the former British Mandate of Palestine to convert to Judaism.
I they do that would mean they would all be loyal to Judaism, they would all fight to protect Israel, they would all be loyal citizens of Israel. I am sure you don't really mean that, what you mean is that they should through the art and cunning of 'TAQIYYA' all convert en-masse to Judaism just like the 'Trojan Horse' through trickery. Do you really believe it's as easy as that to convert to Judais, it could take years to convert and to show the Rabbinical authorities that you are sincere in your conversion, unlike converting to Islam where the induction to that religion is far quicker.
You refer to the Naqba of the Arabs of palestine 1948, what about the Naqba of the Jews including my family who were all forced out of our comfortable lives in the arab world just after the inception of The state of Israel in May 1948. We the Jews of the arab world outnumbered the arabs of Palestine, We numbered almost 1,000,000 and that was not including Jews from Iran and Turkey, The arab armies ordered those poor wretched souls out of Palestine so as not to hamper their progress in annihiting the newly declared state of Israel together with her Jewish population, so when they the arab legions succeeded in their operation of liquidating the newly formed state at it's inception, those arabs of palestine could return to their former homes and also inherit the homes of the fleeing or dead Jews.
How about that? Such a nice religion to have so many loopholes designed for misrepresenting the Quran to infidels....
"Taqiyya" allows lying and "abrogation" allows dismissing earlier suras to invoke the newer, more violent 'suras of the sword'...what a scam!
aki - 12/03/2010 at 02:49
@faith..
it was never God.
ccf. - 10/30/2010 at 07:04
It's amazing how we play God with the lives of others.Even the devil isn't this cruel,he knows his limits,I've watched this film for the second time and it sickens me to think that there are people without a conscious.Basic human decency and compassion are not found in them.Shame on a nation as powerful as Israel and further shame on the governments who gives it full support,I could never respect these people who call themselves our leaders.Man has no right to govern another man,we are all free to decide and choose for ourselves,this is our human right.What we want for ourselves we should want for others,it's time for those of us who are sleeping to wake up,speak up and do the right thing.Otherwise what is really the purpose of this life.In my opinion,a Palestian is not an arab,speaking a language and practicing a religion doesn't define a people.Jesus was a palestian,what is a jew.Someone who obeys the laws of god,if the prophets of the torah were present today,they would condemn the nation of Israel and the policies they practice in the name of god and the right to this land.If that's the case of anyone who can prove that he's a jew to inherit the land,then I say to the palestians convert to judaism, problem should be solved then.
These jews in my opinion are the remnants of Hitler's regime.Their policy towards the Palestians are the same,like the saying,"the apple doesn't fall far from the tree".They say that they were treated so badly,well why are they subjecting other human beings to the same cruelty.The same god whom they claim gave this land to them also said to love your neighbours as yourself and thou shalt not kill.I don't think I need to say any more.Amen!!
Diana Rayan - 06/26/2010 at 17:33
The solution for having two countries is not accepted! Palestine land belongs to Palestinian people and the Israeli came and stole it and started to build in y=their settelment so its nt fair to say then its their country! If US and UK believe in them, then they can have them in their countries, yes why not? Lets be realistic!!
jodee - 06/24/2010 at 09:06
they are occupying and building on there land illegally,get the facts straight,they will go to far and world war three will begin,did you ever ask yourself when you were young why do people kill each other why doe we have wars,look at ther in humane treatment ,extreme brings out the extreme responce isreal will never live in peace,because peace is not in them,hatred is and the all want us to hate like them ,the same people,they are nullifying there own trajic past with there behaviour and bullying here and over seas,nothing explains the truth more then the quran,about isreal and there history with god, read and you will understand both sides.
thow shall not kill,thow shall not bear false witness,thow shall not steal ect. the latest news ia 78 senators agree to defend themselfs againts what people who are trying to defend themselves against oppression and military ocuupation ,what would you do,if your land was invaded,how did everything get so twisted that main stream media makes right wrong and wrong right,why is when any one runs for office,first question is what his thoughts on isreal policies and right to exist,and if aposed,or critical they are discredited why are revolving around isreal and not our own standards human right standard we onced believed,we are not suposed to swear aliance to any foriegn government ,forieng or abroad,we have to quit voting for those who are bought and sold to us for there special interest,and they lastest divide and conqure politics.
bob - 06/06/2010 at 10:33
obama is doing something and againts the israel occupation and land expansion.. but his not hard about implementing his belief maybe because israel is a long time ally or domestic affair is his immidiate attention..
personally if US just stop giving them military aid(US mostly gave israels weapon they dont usually buy them) isreal will definitly fold.
also US is not a christian country or ruled by the jews(well its mostly ruled by protestant) its a DEMOCRATIC COUNTRY! US doesnt just mean united state but also united people, and race.. everyone can relaite to this country and everyone is accepted the wrter of the independence, abraham lincon, and rev. king make sure this happens..
the only problem of US is its foreign policy its mostly historically dictated and control by the hardliners.. in the past maybe the hardliners see israel as a democratic country againts a dictatorship countries and in circle specially in the capital vs communist era..
well all in all the only way too stop the violence in that region is to forgive and forget.. and the countries around it including israel should stop calling their coutry a religious country(jews state, muslim state). if they dont know religion is a race term. cause its a description of a group of people. so if they call their country a state of that 1 religion then its a racist state.. so most jew will side with israel ignoring the main issue disame with the muslim.. maybe thats the reason the US hardliners are protecting them maybe they think without their help israel my face two genozide in the 20th century..
but all of that are in the past since now the arabs are willing to forgive and forget and willing for long term peace if israel free palestain and stop land expansion.. israel have no more moral grounds anymore. they should know the pain of being cage in the getto and persecuted as a whole people so they should free palestian
Hardy - 05/06/2010 at 12:23
@Tyler: Fine, replace "Palestinian" with "Arab living in the Gaza-Strip and West-Bank" - does that change anything?
Tyler520 - 05/06/2010 at 10:40
Silly - every educated person knows that there is no such thing as a "Palestinian," and there never has; anyone who says otherwise is simply stupid or a liar.
staszekgobi - 09/26/2011 at 18:00
did you even bother watching this documentary? jews are not the problem it is the zionists who are the nazi muffins.
you are one of those victims of propaganda who blindly follows what you are told, you are unable to see or to think for yourself.
over the past few decades we've been forced to watch and feel pain for jewish it is time that you start watching the reality of what is taking place today and if you can't do that than do us all a favourite and shut the hell up.
crista - 05/05/2010 at 16:52
"The suicide bomber was a victim the same as my girl was." If the father of this girl can get it, the whole world should probably try to understand..
Rafael - 04/16/2010 at 02:05
At last a documentary pro Palestine.
I cannot understand this foolish belief of the jews, a promised land from God Himself. History radicaly changes but how can a diaspora come after WW2 and demand a soil that has been in Arab hands for a thousand years. The one day its Arab, the next day its not. They are just lucky that the States is being run by Jews. (dont get me wrong i dont have anything against Jews as human individuals but their politic and fanatic beliefs irritates me sometimes) ..
FREE PALESTINE AND CYPRUS!
buck fush - 02/20/2010 at 23:39
I equally blame US for this. US sends 3 billion dollars to Israel despite the fact Israel is a rich country. They also organization like AIPAC. I believe US and Israel are the roots to all the problems in the world.You don't have to be a rocket scientist to understand that US is biggest terrorist .
Faith - 01/03/2010 at 21:24
The whole issue is, the bible says that God gave the land to the Jews, this is where people don't get it, Even Christians are divided about this problem, This cannot be normal, but we see how God told the sons of Israel to kill other nations and take their land since they were his people, and most Christians think it's normal, how can God do something like this? This why you see all the Christians nations supporting this while , we all know that this is evil doing, The US just doing what the bible says, since it is a Christian nation. With no religion, there will be peace on earth.
@ Faith
Faith, your entire comment is predicated upon the existence of something you refer to as 'God'. What is this 'God' thing you refer to?
From you comment, I gather that whatever this 'whatever' might be, it somehow can serve, functionally, as a kind of real estate agent.
Using your words, I am further able to extrapolate that this 'God' thing(let us provisionally label it as 'X') is able, somehow, to 'speak' to the male offspring of something(or someone) called 'Israel'(not to be confused with the modern nation state of the same name -- let us provisionally label this 'Israel' thing as 'Y').
So far, I am able to ascertain that X is capable of communicating with the male offspring within a hitherto unknown(to me) species, Y.
(I should be fascinated to learn something about the nature of this new-to-me 'Y' species.)
Faith, I gather, directly from what you say, that males of species Y are able to kill 'nations'. Either you must be using the term 'nation' metaphorically or 'nation' is a homonym which means... what?
I am confused.
Whatever you mean by the sound and spelling of 'nation', it must be something capable of dying, unless, of course, your use of the word "killing" is also derived from some homonym derived from the commonly understood verb 'to kill'. This 'nation' thing(let us provisionally label it as 'Z') seems capable of land ownership. (Might this not hearken back to that real estate functionality, or aspect, of X?)
Faith, your mention of "his people" really has me baffled.
Whose people? Owned by whom? Does this "his people" refer to slaves of some sort? I am running out of provisional label letters. In addition, I do not know what 'bible', 'Jew', 'Christian', and 'evil' mean. I do know the definition of the word 'religion' but, given so many discrepancies, I'd like to run that by you, too, at your convenience.
Now, Faith, to recap, you are, are you not, saying the equivalent of:
"The whole issue is, the 'bible' says that X gave the land to the 'Jews'[.]
[T]his is where people don't get it[.] Even 'Christians' are divided about this problem[.] This cannot be normal, but we see how X told the sons of Y to kill other Zs and take [the] land [of the other Zs] since they were '[someone's(or something's) people(slaves?)]', and most 'Christians' think it's normal[.] [H]ow can X do something like this? This why you see all the 'Christian'[] Zs supporting this[,] while[] we all know that this is 'evil'
doing[.] The US [is] just doing what the 'bible' says, since it is a 'Christian' Z. With no 'religion', there will be peace on earth."
Until we can reach some common agreement as to appropriate definitions for 'X', 'Y' and 'Z', in addition to 'bible', 'Jew', 'Christian', 'evil'(and even 'religion'), I fear your entire remark comes off as mere gibberish, at least to my ear.
Oh, one last observation:
You say, Faith, that "With no religion, there will be peace on earth." Since there is no peace on earth, are you therefore claiming that there has been no religion on earth?
Neox - 09/12/2009 at 00:41
Hope all arab country will help those people and help them to have settlement atleast give them half of theyre original land.US invade iraq n afgan for rumor intel.why they cant do anything about this prob.its like Israelies have the rights to kill whenever they want,Saudi are also have a good relationship w/ US n 1 of d rich country n yet they dont do anything bout this prob. maybe its because Israel buy more weapon frm US goverment thats why theyre protecting n not even asking them to stop what theyre doing,btw im not even a muslim but im a human that knows what Israel doing are violating d human right law and as what i know US originate that law,hope Obama n all UN officials make some action bout this n if they wont its better for them to ask d whole world that its ok to kill children n conquer others country cause thats what Israel doing for so long,Palestine must have theyre rights as human n they should have it now.(Watch Dead in Gaza)american journalist was shot by a Israel souldier n still US goverment did nothing shame on them for being d worlds Super Power n cant handle Israel cause of MONEY that only few gaining...Peace All :)
Molly - 07/16/2009 at 23:54
Obama promised change then he started recycling the same old faces in Washington. I don't hold out much hope of him taking a stand against Israel. And since when is constructive criticism against a Jewish State anti-semitism? The more things change.......
If only it WAS the hidden truth,sadly it is plain to see and only the truly ignorant or willfully blind and deaf will not acknowledge it.Palestinians have been subjected to what is far and away the longest and most brutal military occupation in modern history.This occupation could be brought to an end almost overnight if the US stopped providing economic,military and diplomatic succour to this rogue state and joined the rest of the world in Demanding an end to occupation and a return to the June 4 1967 borders,which still "gives" Israel 78% of a land which at the declaration of independence,the mainly immigrant Zionist Jews only represented 30% of the population,owning a mere 3% of the land.I believe[and so do many others]that Palestine represents the most terrible injustice perpetrated on a people out of Western guilt over the European holocaust of Jews[and Gypsies,homosexuals,mentally and physically handicapped,Communists etc] to which the native Palestinians-Semites to the last man,woman and child-bare absolutely no responsibility.
Sonmar - 02/04/2009 at 19:55
This is the hidden truth.
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Wauwatosa West Boys Varsity Football
Multiple Teams · Jul 11 2019 Fall Sports Meeting & Athletic Registration Info
Attention Fall Sport Athletes and Parents/Guardians, Happy Summer! As we prepare for our fall sports, we wanted to share some important information with you. In order to participate in Tosa West Athletics, athletes are required to show proof of a physical exam as well as WIAA eligibility, complete a concussion agreement, provide emergency information and pay $50
Multiple Teams · Jun 20 Tosa West Athletic Department 8th Annual Golf Outing – 9/29/19
To register, click here for the form. To be a sponsor, click here.
Multiple Teams · May 21 7th Annual Recognition Breakfast
The Recognition Breakfast is a highlight of the year for our athletic department. It allows us to honor all Wauwatosa West athletes who have committed to competing in their sport at the collegiate level including Division I, II and III. We also announce the Male and Female Scholar Athletes of the Year along with the
Multiple Teams · Feb 20 2-19-19 Athlete Signings – A. Johnson-Moorer, L. Nemitz, J. Simmons & S. Whitlock
Congratulations to Aaron Johnson-Moorer! Aaron Johnson-Moorer (A.J.) has signed to play football at Carroll University in Waukesha, Wisconsin in the fall of 2019. Celebrating with A.J. is his grandmother Brenda Moorer, father Aaron Johnson, mother Anisha Moorer-Carter, step-father Dunte Carter and brother Dunte, Jr. Best of luck, A.J.! Congratulations to Lauren Nemitz! Lauren Nemitz has signed to
Multiple Teams · Jan 9 2018-19 Fall Awards Summary
2018-19 Fall Awards Summary
Multiple Teams · Dec 21 Congratulations Andy Kolstad – New Head Football Coach
Wauwatosa West High School is excited to announce Andy Kolstad as it’s new Head Football Coach. On December 20, 2018, Andrew Kolstad was named the new Head Football Coach at Wauwatosa West High School. Kolstad has been an assistant coach on staff as well as a mathematics teacher at Wauwatosa West since 2015. Kolstad said “I cannot
Multiple Teams · Dec 19 12-19-18 Athlete Signings – J. Larson & A. Ertl
Congratulations to Julia Larson! Julia Larson has signed to swim at Bryant University in Smithfield, Rhode Island in the fall of 2019. Julia is pictured with her parents Paul and Karen Larson, and Girls Swim Head Coach Heidi Hegwood. Best of luck, Julia! Congratulations to Austin Ertl! Austin Ertl has signed to play football at Miami University in
Multiple Teams · Nov 28 Wauwatosa School Board Recognizes Fall State Student Athletes
On Monday, November 26, 2018, the Wauwatosa School Board recognized West and East Fall State Athletes. The West Athletes acknowledged were: Rachel Kauflin – Girls Golf – State 3rd Place, 1st Team All-State, Greater Metro Player of the Year Chloe Beaudoin – Girls Cross Country – State 10th Place, 1st Team All-State Julia Larson – Girls Swim – State Qualifier
Boys Varsity Football · Oct 15 Varsity Football Honors their Seniors on 10/12/18
The Varsity Football Team celebrated their Seniors on Friday, October 12th during their final game of the season:
Multiple Teams · Oct 11 Athlete of the Week #5 – M. Williamson
Week #5 MARCELIS WILLIAMSON Football Last Friday during our Homecoming Game, Marcelis Williamson rushed the ball 25 times for 129 yards, a 5.2 yard per carry average. He also scored one of the Trojans three touchdowns. Marcelis set the Trojans up for a game winning TD with a crucial 15 yard run on 3rd down
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Source: IntenseDebate
Vania, Dukes, and Neal’s Mother
Is [Vania] named after someone?
Tammy: I think it’s a classic name from Thayet’s family.
SOURCE: [MR:FT:2]
Tammy: It is possible to be a duke without being royal–you just have to have a really powerful, wealthy, old family.
I wonder what Neal’s mother is like?
Tammy: Tired. Very tired. :p
SOURCE: [MR:FT:7.1, 7.2]
March 11, 2014 Len Source: IntenseDebate
PotS Cast Based On…
Tammy: Actually, I didn’t think I described either Joren or Ralon as effeminate. They’re also both based on real guys. Ralon was a guy I knew in high school who was seriously twisted, though his return after being scarred was fiction, and Joren was based on a guy I knew in college who liked to go hunting “high school chicks” with his dope dealer friends. I didn’t know enough to do anything about it, though I’m not sure what I could have done. Fortunately someone told the dorm advisor they were dealing pot and they had to flee. Good riddance. My Joren-seed gave me the chills. And thus a character was born. The fact that he was so angelically beautiful made it worse, somehow.
Tammy: I was basing Kel in part on the women who were the first to enter the military schools, folks. Y’all might be interested in reading their accounts of their plebe years at places like Annapolis, West Point, and the Citadel. They did not dare show emotion in the face of “hazing,” because it got so much worse if they did. Kel understands that, and the etiquette that she learned among the Yamanis–that it’s rude to show extreme emotion–is saving her grits here.
Tammy: Did I ever mention that I based Dom on actor Jerry O’Connell? When I wrote these books he was in a series called Sliders, and he was the right age for Dom. I had a picture of him coming up out of the water in a swimming pool. Blue water, blue eyes, big grin . . . Dom.
SOURCE: [MR:LK:14]
Tammy: I based [Wyldon] on Assistant Director Skinner from the X-files, but it’s not a requirement.
Unicorn District, ‘Dogs’, Beka Reflecting Tammy, and Slavery in Tortall
Tammy: Unicorn District is so named because the wealthy live there.
And it’s Mat-TESS.
People started calling them “dogs” as a sneer, and they turned it around with terms like “kennel” and “puppy” and in other ways, to show they take pride in being dogs.
“…it’s interesting how Beka is the shyest of the Tortall protagonist yet has the most people oriented position…”
Tammy: She reflects her author.
Tammy: But I wasn’t writing to preach: I was writing what Beka encountered as she and her partners pursued the Hunt. These are the conditions she lived with every day, compounded by the fact that her quarry was using the slave transport system to torment their victims. I was writing the natural effects of a slave culture. (I was also writing to explain why there is no slavery in the “modern” era of that universe!)
SOURCE: [MR:T:P2, MR:T:P3, EW:MS]
Alexander Siddig as Zaimid, Junai to the Greater Cause, and Topabaw
Tammy: Re: Zaimid: At the time I used Alexander Siddig, then on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and currently on Atlantis (he’s older now).
Tammy: Sarai’s cause, and you have sworn your life to it–your life is no longer yours to dispose of. It’s the same as being in the military. Your life is no longer your own; it belongs to your superior officers. Call it privilege, and perhaps it is, but it is the privilege of an officer of the greater cause to which Junai promised her body and her life, not that of the daughter of a noble house.
Tammy: No, [Topabaw]’s a thug and a punk who relies on fear. He’s lazy, relying on the terror built up by the generations of his predecessors to do his job for him. Aly got lucky with Topabaw. He’s the direct reference to the tactics of the Gestapo and the apartheid intelligence service, ruling with a club rather than his head.
Those who are training as knights aren’t in the palace–they don’t have the facilities to train there.
Tammy: And Topabaw does too have a spy among the Balitangs — he has Aly!
SOURCE: [MR:TQ:4; MR:TQ:5.1, 5.2]
Yamani Immortals and the God of Dreams
Tammy: Immortals were in the Yamani Islands. They were a pain in the ass, because the country’s so mountainous it was easy for them to hide. That includes the bad ones.
Is the God of Dreams from the Tortall verse in any way, shape, or form based on Neil Gaiman?
Tammy: Yup! It’s my total fangirl moment.
SOURCE: [audio file: DragonCon 2008]
TRANSCRIPT DONE BY: Len
Daine’s Social Life, Love Magic, and Roger’s Charisma
Tammy: I couldn’t show Daine’s casual life and her other friends, though y’all should know some of them — and most of them are older. The Queen, Buri, Sarge, members of the Riders, Onua, Kuri, the children at Pirate’s Swoop and the palace, Maura of Dunlath and her guardian Douglass of Veldine, Stefan, George and Alanna, members of the palace staff, Raoul and members of the Own, members of the army, people in assorted fiefdoms, all kinds of animals and immortals, Lord Imrah of Legann and his lady . . . . Come on, people! Honestly, all these months and years covering Tortall far and wee, and you think she doesn’t have friends and she didn’t date before Realms? And they did a couple of trips to Carthak, Tusaine, Galla, and the Copper Isles in goodwill journeys for the Crown. She’s a popular young woman with plenty of correspondents and open hospitality invitations wherever they go!
Tammy: There is love magic in this world — hedgewitches make their living off of it, and even the higher-up mages learn not only love spells but counters to them — but like lighting a candle, it’s delicate stuff.
“…did Roger use some kind of (not romantic) love magic to make everyone like him?”
Tammy: No, not at all. Think of the amount of work he’d have to put in to keep touching up such spells for years for a number of people. Since people’s emotions change so often, love spells have to be maintained more than other kinds, unless you want to put a really heavy one on someone — and that kind of spell is really easy to spot, unlike the amorphous veil spell he used on the royals.
He didn’t need love spells. He was very attractive; he’d learned all the tricks to make people feel he cared deeply for them (like attending to no one else but them when they were talking, and soliciting their opinions on important issues), and he knew how to make people feel important. He’d’ve made a great politician.
SOURCE: [MR:LK:7.1, 7.2, 7.3]
Marriages and Naming in Tortallan vs. Raka Cultures
Tammy: But not all marriages are going to be the same; it’s a world where most people of the middle and lower classes begin to marry at fifteen and sixteen and many young women marry around 18; and not everyone is going to go into marriage with a solid and sedate marriage plan or way of dealing with one another in their relationship. Some of us–most of us–make it up as we go. Remember, we haven’t seen the Contes or the Coopers in their married life before the kiddos arrived.
Also, if you look at post-war populations, marriages and childbirths skyrocket. People want to prove they’re alive; they want to prove they survived. They want to get married and they want to have children. That’s what Aly and Nawat did. They lost three people they were close to, and they were still alive. Also, they weren’t exactly counting on having three kids at once. No, Nawat didn’t do things as we think people should do them. He is what? Three years old? He’s still learning.
Tammy: A word about people getting named.
In Tortallan culture, it is considered very bad luck to name a child after someone who is still alive. In our culture, plenty of people name their children after someone who is alive or someone who has passed. I got the idea for the Tortallan/Eastern Lands bias from Quaker belief, actually. People name their children for someone who has died because there is something about that person they miss or they want to honor. This is particularly true in families that have fought in wars, like the royal family and the household at Pirate’s Swoop. The familes at Mindelan and at Trebond, with one or two exceptions, have chosen different names.
Raka belief is stricter. You may not name a child exactly for one who is passed until three generations have gone by, for fear of bad luck. You may only refer to the lost one if the name is changed to a masculine or feminine variant. Thus the names of the Crow children.
Other faiths believes different things, but I haven’t gotten to them yet.
SOURCE: [MR:N.1, N.2]
On Aly
Tammy: What if it’s not privilege and just the private, internal comment of a highly gifted brat who works differently?
Tammy: Working with Aly was extremely difficult for me. We are not at all alike; she has that smugness in her own cleverness that drives me wild even with my closest friends. […] I would quite literally come out of my office at the end of the day and bang my head against the wall. Only knowing that she works beautifully kept me going.
I am more like her mother than I ever realized.
SOURCE: [MR:TQ:19, MR:TQ:20]
Jaguar Goddess/Kyprioth and Prophecies
Tammy: Well, [the Jaguar Goddess] is, sometimes. And she remains captive because she is a chaotic element (not as in Uusoae-chaotic, but as in destructive chaos), a goddess of the jungle run riot, and of destruction without redemption. Just think what Kyprioth’s married life is like! Every now and then, when he’s thinking too well of himself, someone lets her out.
Tammy: The Jaguar Goddess doesn’t get along well with anyone. Particularly not her husband.
Tammy: What if Dove has been the Chosen One all along? Prophecies are murky things and, if those of you who read Lioness Rampant will recall, things get murky the closer we get to a crossroads in time. Who is who and what is what become impossible to predict, let alone outcomes.
Tammy: Visions sent by the gods may always be hard to interpret, depending on the ability of the person who receives them. That’s a lot of power going from the mind of the god into the mind of the human. The more visions the human receives, the more overload in that human’s brain. By the time she got to that particular prophecy, the Prophet of the Chosen Promise was kinda wonky.
Not all prophets go wonky, but they are deemed wonky because they are far more accustomed to conversing with gods than with human beings. They always have one ear tuned elsewhere, and one eye.
SOURCE: [MR:TQ:12; MR:TQ:21; MR:TQ:13.1, 13.2]
Sarai and Zaimid, Queen of Scots, and Graveyard Hag
Tammy: Oh, no, Sarai’s character didn’t change at all. I just introduced Zaimid and went from there. He’s a wonderful guy who knows about working uphill for change — he’s one of Emperor Kaddar’s close friends, remember. So he understands her frustrations perfectly. And there will be work for her to do for change in Carthak, plus a very lonely young empress to befriend!
“Sarai’s well-intentioned, she’d make a wonderful symbol to rally around, but the idea of trying to tell her she literally can’t do what she thinks is right the moment she thinks of it would be a disaster. “
Tammy: Think Mary, Queen of Scots — all heart, very little head. And that was before the execution.
“I think Sarai might have left with Zaimid even if she’d known about the raka conspiracy and their plans for her.”
Tammy: How do you know the Graveyard Hag didn’t tell her? It’s just the kind of thing the old bat would do, meaning no disrespect.
SOURCE: [MR:TQ:12.1, 12.2, 12.3]
Raka Names, Men of Probity, and Plot Devices
“Maybe I’m projecting, but the Raka names seem very Indonesian to my eye…”
Tammy: This would be because that’s where I stole most of the raka names, fashions, language, etc., from. 😉
Tammy: I always referred to the picture I used to based Mequen on as A Man of Probity, and that’s who he always was to me. Men of probity can do well in peacetime and in a stand-up fight, but in a dirty one? It’s so much harder, particularly when the enemy wears the face of a friend. Julius Caesar wasn’t even a man of probity, and he never saw the Ides of March coming.
Tammy: Mequen’s death is strictly “shit happens,” as was Lokeij’s (a blow to that circle of the revolution). I would have happily kept both alive if the impetus of the story hadn’t demanded it. (My editor, Mallory Loehr, and my writing buddy, Bruce Coville, have both mentioned the issue that in my books people will die, and Mallory preens herself for showing me a story arc in which Sarai lives.)
Bronau, like Tom Seymour, is out of control at this point with frustration and greed for power, and he knows Rubinyan is hard on his tail, with prison keys, if not the executioner’s axe, in hand. The only way he can survive is to get his hands on Sarai.
And this is the point where the mortal events do tumble forward, out of any god’s control. It’s taken decades for things to build to this. Now the explosive reaction needs only the Balitangs to return to Rajmuat to begin. After that, Kyprioth will control elements — I had to do some fast talking with Bruce, on whom I based Kyprioth, when the god decided to intercede and take care of the boys, because Bruce, a kids’ writer, loves kids — but he has no more control over the greater picture than Aly at that point.
SOURCE: [MR:TC:2, MR:TC:16]
Gary’s ‘Desk’ Squire and Blayce
Tammy: And as Gary’s “desk” squire, none of the gang realizes that he travels all of the time and ends up in some hot spots. Yes, there’s loads of paperwork involved, but I, like so many of you, kinda like paperwork. (Duh)
SOURCE: [MR:S:5]
Tammy: Blayce is common-born, and left his family behind him long ago. They’re just well-to-do farmers who know very well he was ashamed of them. They thought he had notions above his station, as well as understanding he thought himself too good for his family now that he had an education. They would be bitterly ashamed if they knew what he had done. Someday the word will get to them (they live on the far side of Galla), but by then the story will be so overblown they’ll think it just a Player’s tale.
SOURCE: [LJ 4173770]
Tammy: I based [Blayce] on a historical person — I won’t tell until after the book is done — and physically I based him on Woody Allen.
Tammy: I was definitely mindful of Arendt. Also Jeffrey Dahmer, and a very nasty little man named Ed Gein — only look these guys up if you can deal with serial murderers. Both seemed mild-mannered and boring to everyone who knew them. Plenty of very bad people are like that — it’s protective coloration.
I wanted to make that point, that some of the worst criminals are the ones you don’t see coming, as opposed to the gigantic, bejeweled, self-indulgent monster that was Gilles de Rais. This book actually helped me to free myself of him, mostly.
SOURCE: [MR:LK:1, MR:LK:18]
Queenscove and the Crown
Tammy: Command is trying to leave Duke Baird a son to inherit his title — it was often done, even when having a son near the front was unavoidable. Neal understands it, and he understands his duty to his family; he also understands his duty to the crown and the realm. Talk about a dilemma. Kel helps as she can, but she needs him more as a healer, and she’ll risk taking him from the camp if he can learn more from his father.
Tammy: Not considerate, exactly: Queenscove is one of the great houses of the realm, and it’s to the Crown’s interest to continue the line of inheritance and any connections that can be forged between the members of the family and the Crown. That’s the way it’s always been, and both Queenscove and the Crown work hard to maintain and increase those bonds.
SOURCE: [MR:LK:8.1, 8.2]
Terms of Endearment, George’s Ear Collection, and Delia’s Fate
Tammy: And the sexism thing — that’s still part of [Jon’s] time. If it were a male squire before him, he’d say “my lad,” or “my boy.” He actually likes what he knows of Kel — “my dear” was a real slip from what would have been “my girl” normally. He only usually refers to his daughters as “my dear,” or his wife.
“Are [the ears George used to collect] in a box somewhere”
Tammy: In a specially locked storage room under the eaves, after Nyl found it in the last storage room and unlocked the box.
Tammy: [Delia]’s been in a tower prison since the coronation–all the mod cons, visitors (family only) under surveillance, all outgoing and incoming mail and packages searched, any servants and guards very carefully vetted by the Whisper Man and some of each chosen by him. She is very lucky to have her life. They are never, ever going to let her live among family or anywhere else again. One little misstep on her part and the delay on her writ of execution will be removed. They take treason very seriously in this world.
“Also, her house arrest is probably magicked!”
OOOHHH, yes!
SOURCE: [MR:S:9, MR:S:10, MR:S:16]
Respecting Lalasa’s Choice and Vinson’s Victim Blaming
TW: sexual assault, abuse
Tammy: But isn’t the situation vis a vis Kel and Lalasa on this issue an illustration of what you say here? Lalasa tells Kel, when Vinson first attacks her, of the consequences to her and even her uncle Gower if she or Kel reports; she begs Kel not to, and Kel does as Lalasa asks. She’s deeply conflicted, but she listens to the survivor.
Regarding your prediction of what would happen if Kel had reported it, this is what happens too often in our modern world, the few coins being a settlement if the survivor sues in civil court.
I’m happier that Kel respected Lalasa’s choice.
Tammy: The Chamber made it clear to [Vinson] that, should his ideas truly change, the manifestations will stop. Should he stop believing his attacks were justified, should he stop victim blaming, the beatings will end. But he has to realize that what he did to his victims was what he wanted to do and had nothing to do with their behavior.
SOURCE: [MR:S:13.1, 13.2]
Raven Armory, the Social Contract, and Royal Messages
Tammy: I was pretty sure about the master and the people working under him using his brand, and Raven is a long-enduring family forge and armor-forging business in Corus, but Raven Armory is also my salute to my absolute favorite smithy in the world, located in England, swords going for fifteen hundred pounds (2500-3000 dollars, depending on the exchange rate) and up. Just to hold one of their blades in your hand is to swoon. I saw their work at the New York Knife Show years ago, and I have never been the same.
Tammy: But guys in palaces have been known to get run through with swords and other pointy things.
Locke and Thomas Paine haven’t come along yet, but when it comes to his people, Jonathan understands the social contract very well. He and Thayet rule with the consent, and the taxes, of the governed. To get anything done, he must have some kind of consensus with his nobles and his merchants.
Folks, monarchs aren’t all-powerful. If they are wealthy enough, if they are canny and/or brutal enough, if those who enforce their will are invested enough, they can live absolutely, but their heirs inherit the mess. If they aren’t, their people turn on them, those who enforce their will leading the way. Jonathan and Thayet are doing a lot fast, but they have to follow the law even while they work to dismantle parts of it. And in and around all this is the added threat of magic. It keeps everyone on their toes.
Elizabeth I of England did so well that James I did okay–but look what happened to Charles I. Louis XIV of France was one of the great absolute monarchs. Louis XV skated along on the remains of grandpa’s state–and Louis XVI reaped the whirlwind. Japan’s emperors got to thinking they ruled the country, and Japan’s shoguns–the generals-in-chief–locked them up and paid them tiny allowances for more than 500 years.
I could go on, but I’ll stop here. (The Russians are a whole `nother kettle of snakes.) In Protector I’m trying to show a king and queen scrambling to repair the damage of the Old King, who nearly ruined the treasury with his wars, and the don’t-upset-anyone attitude of King Roald. You may not like Jon as a person (and as a man of a feudal time, he doesn’t even know from sexism when he says “my dear”), but he is fast becoming a great king, as Thayet is becoming a great queen.
“Kel forgot to ask Raoul why their majesties attended the trial.”
Tammy: Because they wanted to make the very official point that their eyes were on this particular case; that a legal matter between two squires had drawn their attention; that they were most displeased with the squire who had offended and those who supported him, and they wanted that message sent. By Jon meeting with Kel privately afterward he also sent the unmistakable message that the Crown’s favor was with Kel, in case anyone was feeling stupid.
Turomot was cranky because he thought they were saying they did not trust him to uphold the law, until he realized that they were there for the plaintiff and defendant.
SOURCE: [MR:S:6; MR:S:9.1, 9.2]
Eda Bell and Wyldon as a Commander vs. Hero
“I wonder if Wyldon has an easier time dealing with the Wildcat because she isn’t part of his culture. She isn’t a knight, she isn’t noble, she isn’t trying to change the way he does things or how his part of Tortall is run, so he might see ‘the rules’ as different for her (and other women in Shang).”
Tammy: To him Eda Bell is an anomaly from an institution that has been around for centuries. He knows what the Shang warriors put themselves through to become named, and he respects it. Beyond that, he just doesn’t deal. It doesn’t fit his world view.
And Shang warriors come from all over the Eastern and Southern lands, as well as the ocean islands.
Tammy: Wyldon is an okay commander — he lacks that touch of warmth that inspires loyalty. He is actually — don’t laugh — a hero. Remember why Jonathan felt he owed Wyldon to the point of allowing Wyldon to dictate how Kel would be handled as a page. If all of life were a pitched battle, Wyldon would cut a far better figure than he did as Kel’s training master.
SOURCE: [MR:P:7, MR:S:6]
Sons of Great Men
“I suspect Roald thinks that it’s outside the scope of what he’s allowed to do as a page. Which is interesting, compared to what Jon was doing when he was a page.”
Tammy: Ah, the sons of great men. Look at the difference between Henry VIII and Edward VI. Or Warwick and Dudley (who married Lady Jane Grey) around the same time period. Or Edward II and his son. Or the first Tokugawa shogun and his entire line of descendants. How about Henry V and his sons, Richard the Lionheart, Geoffrey, and John Lackland? Even in everyday life, most kids you know struggle to be different from their parents or, in the more extreme scenario, to defy their parents utterly. In Roald’s case, it must be really hard to grow up in the shadow of two such dynamic, attractive, active parents, don’t you think? He has to figure out who he is on his own.
March 8, 2014 Len Source: IntenseDebate
Wyldon and Piers on Kel’s Probation
Tammy: Actually, [Wyldon] didn’t want Kel dragging Joren down. He wants Joren to succeed, not to get involved in the clusterf**k he is certain Kel’s time will be. Since he knows already that Neal is a screw-up, it’s okay if Neal gets her.
Tammy: Piers A) understands that he doesn’t have the influence at court to buck the conservative bloc, Yamani accords or no (Wyldon is just the tip of the conservative iceberg), B) parents aren’t allowed to interfere in knighthood training, and C) the king agreed to it and Piers is a servant of the crown. Piers also has a very good idea of what Kel will face and won’t be sad if she decides to quit. He has other daughters and sons to marry off, which will be harder if Kel goes for her knighthood.
IOW, he can’t win. Either he betrays his youngest daughter, or he makes things much, much harder at court for the the rest of his children. Letting Kel choose and keeping his mouth shut is his best path.
Tortallan Court Politics
Tammy: In To Kill A Mockingbird Jem describes the legal term entailment to Scout as the condition “of having your tail in a crack.” That’s where Jon is right at this point in time with his conservative faction. He has to keep them happy–not only did they supply knights and men-at-arms during the (3 months ago) Immortals War, but they have been supplying funds and labor for the subsequent repairs. Jon is having to be far nicer than usual. (And no, this has nothing to do with anything later in the book or series; it’s just political backstory.)
Tammy: If Wyldon’s womenfolk knew the kind of trash he’d been talking at court, they would make his life a living hell.
Tammy: Alanna didn’t deal with a large portion of Tortallan society. She was usually with the prince and his friends, or George and his friends. And she was disguised as a boy. By the time she came out as a girl, she was on the road. When she came home, events went quickly–we didn’t see her interact with the court at large, or I might have shown you the greater picture. And in Daine’s quartet she only appeared briefly, among people who were used to her.
SOURCE: [MR:FT:1.1, 1.2, 1.3]
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Noll Family
in one of the Keladry books one of the convicts who kidnapped Lalasa was named Noll. Would he be any realtion to the Noll family of Terrier?
Tammy: Sometimes these things run in families. }8-D
And sometimes not! But yes, as I’m working on Beka’s story, I am trying to have some names recur. Nice catch!
SOURCE: [LJ 19169]
October 16, 2008 Len Source: LiveJournal
SotL Crew Appearances in Upcoming Books (March 2008)
Will I ever see my beloved Alanna and the rest of the crew from the original quarter again?
The Song of the Lioness quartet is the favorite for many of us.
Tammy: Actually, you’ll get to see them in Numair’s book, which I will write when I am finished with the Beka Cooper trilogy. And you will see them in Maura of Dunlath’s book, which follows Numair’s. And in the Kel books I mean to write after that. So if you can be patient with me, there will be more Alanna and her friends!
I don’t plan any books which will be about the Lioness characters alone, though. I prefer to write about young heroes, because they are still finding their way in the world. I love to write about people who are just seeing the world and learning who they are and what place they will fill in it!
SOURCE: [LJ 8192]
George, Parental Nature, Aly, and Spying
If George didn’t want Aly to become a spy, why on EARTH did he teach her so thoroughly to be one? From the inserts in TC about lessons in spying, the letters with advice about spying from Myles and George, and the fact that she reads as if she’s VERY practiced at spying, I find it a little hard to believe that George wasn’t teaching her deliberately. And why, if he taught her so well and she was so good at it, did he not want her to continue doing it?
Tammy: George would have been very happy if Aly had chosen to stay and be his executive assistant, as it were. See, he had a bit of a shock when she was twelve. He took her along to a meet with one of his spies, as he’d been doing over the last couple of years, and this time the meeting went south. It turned into a knife fight with uninvited parties dropping in. Aly, who was supposed to hide, took care of herself quite nicely, thanks to Da’s teaching, but George sustained a dreadful shock. He’d almost gotten her killed. It was the thought of his little girl getting killed in the field that set him back. If she’d been happy with a nice desk job, decoding things, tracking agents on maps, and helping her old dad with paperwork, he wouldn’t have twitched.
Parents get twitchy like this. It’s all fun when you teach the kids in play, or when you live your own life without realizing the kids are soaking it all in, but when the kids want to do the risky stuff, the parental nature kicks in. Other people’s kids can do that, but not their kids. Their kids are supposed to be safe. Except most of the time it’s not possible to be safe, as George learned, the hard way. If he’d been sensible, maybe now he wouldn’t be staring across the strait at his greatest competitor. I don’t think their Majesties are pleased–do you?
Bloodhound Progress Report #2
Tammy: So I have a confession to make–this book isn’t coming as easily as some of the others. I suspect that counterfeiting just doesn’t appeal to me as much as murder, epidemic disease, war, forest fires, and earthquakes do as plots. There’s so much explaining to do with counterfeiting to do. I have to come up with a ring of counterfeiters (colemongers, in the book), and hide them where you won’t spot them so easily. (Coles are fake coins.) I have to figure out who’s making the coles (colesmiths), and hide them even deeper. How do you know a coin is fake? And how do you set out a major hunt for the counterfeiters without tipping off the whole country?
Because you see, that’s the last thing Lord Gershom wants, and it’s the last thing the Dogs who know there are false coins making their way into Tortall’s moneystream want. There are always a few coles about, but this is a lot of them, which could turn the whole national economy on its ear. A search for the colemongers and the colesmiths has to be done quietly, by Dogs who can be trusted to keep it close. And how many Dogs would that be?
The hard Dogs of the Lower City have assembled some information, and all of it’s bad. They know gamblers from Port Caynn are losing a lot of false silver coins in games in Corus and on the riverboats. Lord Gershom decides to start a quiet search within Corus for the fakes, and to send word to the Deputy Provosts of the cities, to warn them and to get them started on their own searches for colemongers. He sends Dogs out on the riverboats.
And to Port Caynn he sends two Dogs who just happen to be free. Remember that riot? Tunstall got both his legs broken. Yep. Both. And the problem with all those healings in the past is that he’s built up an immunity. Healing now only takes him so far. The rest he has to do the hard way. That means Beka and Goodwin have each other. Goodwin is familiar with Port Caynn, as it happens, and she worked on the report about the colemongers for Lord Gershom. So did Beka. She also has the powerful Duke of Queenscove screaming for her hide because she talked back to his drunken son. Lord Gershom thinks Goodwin and Cooper are just the pair to send to Port Caynn to snoop around off the leash.
On the surface, they are there under the guidance of Sergeant Nestor Haryse, Gershom’s cousin, posted to the Day Watch in Deep Harbor District in the port city to learn the way Dog work is done Port Caynn. They wander the city during the day, talking to people and looking around. At night, they’re supposed to party in the gambling dens, losing money, winning coles, being sociable, making friends, and keeping their eyes open for the colemongers. Because all threads lead so far to Port Caynn.
Beka has already made friends in Port Caynn, too, it seems. It happened while she was still in Corus. One is a limber, laughing gambler named Dale, another is a hulking, hard-handed caravan guard named Hanse, and the third is his fellow guard, the slab-like Steen. (They all met during the riot.)
The problem is that Beka’s and Goodwin’s hunt may be over before it begins. Port Caynn’s Rogue, Pearl Skinner, just had them kidnapped and brought to her. Pearl is a very nasty piece of work, and she doesn’t like having strange Dogs in her city. She really doesn’t like them interfering with her pickpockets, as Beka has already done. And she suspects that Beka may be a spy for Rosto, and that Rosto may be planning a move against her. Pearl’s not as cool-headed as Rosto. She’s thinking that now that she has these two Dogs, she might just send them back to Rosto in a box.
SOURCE: [Official LJ]
January 1, 2008 Len Source: LiveJournal
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State Bill Would Limit Ammunition Purchases For Certain Firearms
May 31, 2019 Rory Pollaro Government, News 2
James Case / CC BY 2.0
ALBANY – Assembly Bill A-01724 would, if it becomes law, limit the amount of ammunition a person could buy for certain firearms and limit the purchase to once every 120 days.
The bill, sponsored by Jo Anne Simon, 52nd Assembly District, would prohibit owners of so-called assault weapons from buying more than twice the firearm’s capacity.
The bill states “the sale of ammunition for assault weapons, as defined by subdivision twenty-two of section 265.00 of this title, shall be limited to two times the capacity of an authorized weapon over a one hundred twenty day period. ”
The bills has 14 co-sponsors and five others as supporting multi-sponsors.
In the entirety, the bills reads as follows “Sales of ammunition not prohibited. Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to prevent, or interfere in any way with, the sale of ammunition for revolvers or pistols of any kind, or for rifles, shot guns, or other arms, belonging or which may belong to any persons whether as sporting or hunting weapons or for the purpose of protection to them in their homes, or, as they may go abroad; and manufacturers are authorized to continue to manufacture, and wholesalers and dealers to continue to deal in and freely to sell ammunition to all such persons for such purposes., however the sale of ammunition for assault weapons, as defined by subdivision twenty-two of section 265.00 of this title, shall be limited to two times the capacity of an authorized weapon over a one hundred twenty day period. For purposes of this subdivision, “authorized weapon” shall mean a weapon registered in accordance with subdivision sixteen-a of section 400.00 of this chapter. Not with standing any law, rule or regulation to the contrary, the violation of this subdivision shall constitute a class E felony. This act shall take effect immediately.”
Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the WNYNewsNow app now on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Have a news tip? Email newsdesk@WNYNewsNow.com, send us a message on Facebook, or Twitter.
Joe Gagliano
Not surprised this is coming from the city. This shit needs to stop.
Gene Rey
The commie state. Nobody’s fault but the sheeple’s for allowing it to continue!
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Salary and Compensation»
The Salaries of Clinic Billing Specialists
by Eric Strauss
Health-care workers in clinics often include personnel specializing in billing and medical record-keeping and paperwork.
1 How Much Do Gastroenterologists Get Paid?
2 How Much Does a Claims Representative Get Paid?
3 Job Description for a Reception Clerk in a Rehab Clinic
4 Where Can Licensed Professional Counselors Work?
A health-care clinic is a place where patients can go for outpatient treatment of disease or injury. This can include doctor's offices or walk-in treatment centers, and cover anything from standard medical care to mental health treatment. Unlike a hospital, it is not designed for in-patient care -- that is, care necessitating the patient stay overnight or longer. Even though some of these clinics are intended to treat low-income populations, they almost all have personnel working in a billing capacity.
Medical billing specialists need to understand medical terminology and know how to use medical billing systems; they also need to know codes for specific procedures and the proper way to fill out claim forms for insurance companies. Colleges and technical schools offer courses in medical billing and medical terminology.
Billing Clerks
According to the BLS, 143,990 people worked in clinics as billing clerks, compiling and calculating billing data and preparing bills and invoices. These clerks earned an average annual wage of $33,490, or $16.10 an hour.
Similarities in Industry
Working in a clinic does not necessarily mean a drastically different salary from working in a hospital. For instance, billing specialists in doctors' offices were paid an average annual wage of $33,570, and those medical diagnostic laboratories earned $34,310. Billing specialists working in general hospitals -- as opposed to clinics -- earned a similar amount, $33,840.
Bill Collectors
Some medical billing specialists are actually bill collecting specialists, who follow up with patients after the billing or claims specialist works with the insurance company. They may also handle billing questions or disputes, depending on circumstances. Clinics employed 44,180 bill collectors, paying them a mean annual wage of $34,400, or $16.54 an hour, according to the BLS.
Bureau of Labor Statistics: Ambulatory Health Care Services
Dictionary.com: Clinic
Medical-Careers.org: Medical Billing Specialist
Bureau of Labor Statistics: Billing and Posting Clerks
Bureau of Labor Statistics: Outpatient Care Centers
Everything Medical Billing: Medical Billing Collecting Specialist
Eric Strauss spent 12 years as a newspaper copy editor, eventually serving as a deputy business editor at "The Star-Ledger" in New Jersey before transitioning into academic communications. His byline has appeared in several newspapers and websites. Strauss holds a B.A. in creative writing/professional writing and recently earned an M.A. in English literature.
Strauss, Eric. "The Salaries of Clinic Billing Specialists." Work - Chron.com, http://work.chron.com/salaries-clinic-billing-specialists-5931.html. Accessed 16 July 2019.
Strauss, Eric. (n.d.). The Salaries of Clinic Billing Specialists. Work - Chron.com. Retrieved from http://work.chron.com/salaries-clinic-billing-specialists-5931.html
Strauss, Eric. "The Salaries of Clinic Billing Specialists" accessed July 16, 2019. http://work.chron.com/salaries-clinic-billing-specialists-5931.html
What Salary Do Health Care Receptionists Tend to Make?
The Average Pay for a Receptionist in a Veterinary Office
How Much Do Dermatologists Get Paid?
National Average Salary of Call Center Reps
How Much Does a Medical Biller at a Hospital Get Paid?
National Average Income for a Garbageman
The Average Salary of a Claims Processor
Medicare Biller Salaries
What Degree Is Needed to Get a Job as a Medical Biller?
Medical Practice Clerk Salary
A Career As a Psychiatrist
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DK – Ch 284
By MadSnail March 3, 2017
The Dark King – Chapter 284
I would like to thank MrMartinke & KageMugen for doing an awesome job by editing the chapter!
Gwyneth’s cheeks had gone pale because of the frightened state she was in as she ran in front. She didn’t look back at the monsters, but looked up at Dudian who was on the hill. There was doubts and curiosity in her mind about Dudian’s plan. Moreover, she wanted to see how he was going to use that strange weapon to fight. However, she didn’t expect to see an unforgettable horror scene.
Dudian didn’t falter, but quickly stuffed the second shell into the cannon. He lit the lead, aimed at the first mutated crocodile and shot again.
Smoke burst out of the muzzle of the cannon.
After the first had missed shot, Dudian had mastered the usage of the cannon. The second shot hit the first mutated crocodile.
The mutated crocodile was about to chase after Gwyneth when the second shell fell from the sky and hit its neck. Although the hard armored skin protected its neck, but the shell had successfully hit and damaged it. Crocodile’s body twitched in pain as it slowly tried to climb. Blood oozed out from its body.
Dudian pulled arrows which he had prepared in advance. There were two quivers full of arrows close to cannon. One of them was full of high-quality iron arrows while the other quiver was full of arrows with mercury heads. He used the arrows with mercury to shoot at mutated crocodile’s eyes. There was about one hundred and fifty meters distance between them and Dudian’s accurately aimed at his target.
Puff! The arrow pierced the mutated crocodile. It began to howl and shake its head in pain.
Gwyneth was relieved as she saw the first crocodile was injured, but when her eyes fell onto the body of the third crocodile, she panicked again. This one wasn’t injured at all, and it was about to run after her.
Gwyneth turned around and began to run around the hill. She was afraid that the moment she went too far the crocodile would be out of Dudian’s shooting range. In that case, she would have to fight the crocodile by herself.
Dudian aimed the arrow and shot.
The arrow couldn’t pierce through the armor of the crocodile.
Dudian continued to shoot without stopping.
One after another arrows were hitting the crocodile’s body. Finally, one of them pierced the crocodile’s eye. It began to roar and grimace in pain.
All of them sighed in relief after spectating the scene. However, a burst of shrill screams echoed out from the distant grasses. Gwyneth, Scar, and Jin were startled as they listened to the roar that seemed to belong to a mutated crocodile.
Dudian looked at the bushes as he thought of the previous monster that smelled like the soil of the earth. There was a small difference between that odor and the smell of earth. At the moment this odor was mixed with a bloody smell. The odors were mixed into the air and drifted into his nose. The source of the odors was the place where the roars sounded.
Dudian’s face turned ugly as he thought about the possibility of his misunderstanding about the mutated crocodiles. Although they had evolved from normal beasts, but no doubt that they were fiercer than normal ones hundreds of times. Previously, when they were provoking the mutated crocodiles from the shore, they thought that crocodiles didn’t want to consume them…But…it wasn’t because they didn’t want to, it was because they were afraid to come onto the shore because of the predator waiting for them.
Now, this monster has appeared.
After they had used the flame to force the mutated crocodiles out of the swamp, this thing also dived out to hunt.
Dudian sucked in cold air as he shouted at Gwyneth in a hurry: “Come here! Hurry! Don’t wait over there!”
Gwyneth recovered her eyes from a distance and saw the anxious expression on Dudian’s face. She rushed up the hill.
Dudian loaded the last shell into the canon as Gwyneth climbed the hill. He was staring at the bushes in front. The smell of the blood began to disappear and be covered with the odor of the soil. However, the monster seemed to be staying at the same place without movement.
“Is it eating?” Dudian didn’t dare to relax as he stared at the bushes. Occasionally he would look at the three seriously injured crocodiles. They were slowly gathering around the hill.
“How should we deal with them?” Jin asked as his body slightly trembled. Previously, as a Knight of light, he had always despised hunters who wandered outside the giant wall. He would never imagine that a hunter would live and fight in such a dangerous place and deal with such monsters all day long.
Dudian slowly shook his head as he stared at the bushes. He couldn’t help but glance at the three crocodiles as they suddenly quietened down. His pupils shrank as he saw three of them round together and shiver. They were looking straight at the bushes.
It would be difficult to imagine these monsters will show such a cowardly and helpless gesture if Dudian personally didn’t see it.
Dudian vigilantly looked around. Suddenly he saw a glimpse of a thing, and he saw shocked at the sight. A monster poked through the bushes. Its body was nearly thirty meters long. It had short limbs, but the claws were extremely long and sharp. A terrifying thing about the monster was that it had two heads!
“Twin headed snake lizard!” Dudian was stunned as he saw the level 27 existence in front of the bushes.
He had hunted a level 26 black weaver with Glenn, but at that time Glenn was almost killed. Moreover, the only senior hunter in their crew who had experience in fighting against monsters was Sergei. However, he was not necessarily Glenn’s opponent. After all, because of several years spent in prison, he had become ‘rusty.’
“It turned out to be this monster. No wonder it dares to capture mutated crocodiles as food …” Dudian clutched onto the cannon as he intensely stared at the newcomer.
Jin and Scar also noted the monster which lurked within the grass. It was similar to a prehistoric beast. Jin also shouted out loud because of fear.
The crocodiles were uneasy, and one of them began to growl. This low roar wasn’t meant to scare the twin headed snake lizard, but it seemed to convene message to its companions.
Dudian stood on the highest hill as he looked at the twin-headed snake lizard. There were nervousness and fear in his heart, but at the same time an inexplicable excitement burst out.
The twin-headed snake lizard rushed out from the bushes.
It was like a tiger preying a rabbit. There were about hundred meters of distance between the bushes and the crocodiles. In less than a second, it had crossed over 50 meters. The next moment it was in front of the three mutated crocodiles. Dudian’s pupils shrank as he observed the predator in action.
The mutated crocodiles roared in horror as they saw the twin-headed snake lizard appear. One of them used its tail while the other two used their mouths and claws to attack it.
Twin-headed snake lizard was extremely flexible. It easily resolved the first wave of attacks and its two large snake heads bit onto the mutated crocodile. One of the heads grabbed onto its neck while the other bit its forelimb. The next moment the second head let go of the claw and began to wave right and left in front of a crocodile’s head to attract its attention.
Furrryyyyyy road!
PumpKing says:
Can Dudian ever have a plan that doesn’t go arwry?
I think there has never been any plans without interruptions.
Aion says:
indeed. There is always something that screw him up.
N0xiety says:
But somehow mc always manages to gain something out of every misfortune… Even if the author makes it seem like he’s constantly hard on his mc, at this point it’s not fooling anyone… How many times this happened? Getting too repetitive really…
Itsutsu Kami says:
Really what do you expect? Constant failure? For him to die? To get nothing after risking his life? Easily beat monsters and level up last minute?
AnimeLover says:
Your right that’s why I’m always worried… Sigh I hope we see more happier days now
The best plans are simple ones that leave you open to react to anything. In that environment a concrete plan doesn’t exist. The variables are unknown.
Zuward says:
RaiShun says:
I almost forgot to say Thanks =)
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Chinese school principal suspended over outdoor exam in dangerous smog
12:11pm Dec 22, 2016
A concerned local took photos of the children while they were forced to sit an exam outside in extreme smog.
The principal of a primary school in China has been suspended after endangering the lives of 400 students by forcing them to sit an outdoor exam in potentially harmful, thick smog.
Schools in the country's north had been sent a "red alert" notice to cancel classes and close early to protect its young students from the spreading smog, the New York Times reports.
However, a series of photos which have surfaced online, show students sitting or kneeling in front of tiny desks on a sports oval while answering questions about maths, English, Chinese and science while cloaked in a smoky haze.
The students, some wearing masks over their mouths, are believed to be from Linqi No.1 Middle School.
A reporter from Dahe News, a local newspaper which first broke the story, told The Times when he asked the school's principal about why the exam went ahead he was told it was because "all the organisation had been done".
"At the time, the smog wasn't bad," the reporter claims the principal, Feng Jisheng, told him.
Mr Feng was official suspended from duties this week.
China holds drills in Taiwan Strait, calls for sanctions against US companies
China’s economy slumps as US trade war continues
Beijing bikini ban: China cracks down on male toplessness
"He didn't follow our notice to suspend classes at school," a local education official, who gave his name as Zhang, told The Times.
"Our notice said all school activities must be suspended from noon on December 19 until the day the red alert is gone."
The smog in the region is so bad, the pollution reading from nearby city Shijiazhuang hit 1000 micrograms per cubic metre on Monday. The reading is based on PM2.5 – tiny airborne particles of hazardous soot and dirt.
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French police officer charged with investigating massacre takes own life
By Lachlan Williams
9:45am Jan 13, 2015
French police officer Helric Fredou (Supplied)
A French police commissioner charged with investigating the Charlie Hebdo massacre has reportedly shot himself hours after speaking to families of those slain in the attacks.
Forty-five-year-old Helric Fredou, who had been a police officer since 1997, shot himself in the head with his police-issue pistol last Wednesday night, after terrorists massacred 12 people at the offices of the weekly magazine, according to reports.
The French police union released a statement offering condolences to Fredou's family and colleagues.
"It is with great sadness that we were informed this morning of the death of our colleague Helric Fredou, assigned as Deputy Director of the Regional Service Judicial Police in Limoges," the statement read.
"On this particular day of national mourning, police commissioners are hit hard by the tragic death of one of their own.
"The Union of Commissioners of the National Police would like to present its most sincere condolences to the relatives of Helric.
"In these difficult times, we have especially think of all his colleagues and classmates, many of whom have expressed their emotion and grief."
British Airways jet narrowly misses holidaymaker’s heads
Colleagues told French media that Fredou, who was single and had no children, had suffered depression and was over-worked.
He was charged with investigating the killing of 12 people at the Charlie Hebdo offices last Wednesday.
Brothers Cherif and Said Kouachai carried out the attack before leading a two-day manhunt. They were killed on Friday by French police, as was their alleged accomplice Amedy Coulibaly, who took hostages and staged a siege, killing four people, inside a kosher delicatessen on the same day.
It is the third police casualty in the series of terror attacks. The Kouachai brothers also gunned down Muslim police officer Ahmed Merabet in a chilling execution that was captured on video, and Coulibaly killed a female officer who stopped his car the following day.
About 200 people attended a rally in Sydney's Martin Place in support of the Charlie Hebdo massacre victims. (9NEWS) (9NEWS)
Mr Merabet's brother Malik appealed for tolerance and calm during a news conference at the weekend.
"'I am addressing myself to all racists, the Islamophobes and the anti-Semites," he said. "You must not mix up extremism with Muslims.
"The madmen have no colour nor religion."
Charlie Hebdo have said they will continue to publish, printing one million copies of the next edition rather than the usual 45,000. The surviving staff have said the next issue will include pictures of the prophet Mohammed.
A lawyer for the publication said that to refrain from publishing such images would be to give in.
"We will not give in otherwise all this won't have meant anything. A 'Je Suis Charlie' banner means you have the right to criticise my religion, because it's not serious," he said.
"We have never criticised a Jew because he's a Jew, a Muslim because he's a Muslim or a Christian because he's a Christian.
"But you can say anything you like, the worst horrors – and we do – about Christianity, Judaism and Islam, because behind the nice slogans, that's the reality of Charlie Hebdo."
Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467
France terror
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Canada confirms 14th case of diplomat falling mysteriously ill in Cuba
By Patrick Oppmann, CNN
(CNN) -- Canada has confirmed a 14th case of unusual health symptoms experienced by some Canadian diplomatic staff and their family members posted in Havana, Cuba, according to a government statement Wednesday.
The country has also decided to reduce by up to half the number of Canadian employees posted to Havana.
"The health, safety and security of our diplomatic staff and their families remain our priority," the statement said. "The Canadian government continues to investigate the potential causes of the unusual health symptoms experienced by some Canadian diplomatic staff and their family members posted in Havana, Cuba. To date, no cause has been identified."
The statement said that after the last confirmed case of unusual health symptoms in November 2018, a number of Canadian diplomatic staff in Cuba underwent additional medical testing.
"These tests confirm that an additional employee has symptoms consistent with those of previously affected employees. This brings the total number of affected Canadian employees, spouses and dependents to 14. All affected people will continue to receive medical attention, as required."
Cuba is investigating the cases and Cuban officials have said repeatedly they have not carried out or permitted any third countries to attack foreign diplomats on Cuban territory.
The Canadian government said Wednesday there is no evidence that Canadian travelers to Cuba are at risk. Canada had previously pulled out all family members and nonessential staff from Cuba.
The US Embassy has also cut staffing after its diplomats suffered mysterious illnesses that some US officials initially thought were the result of "sonic weapons" that emitted a powerful beam of energy causing neurological problems.
According to a study published in the medical journal JAMA in March 2018, a majority of 21 affected patients reported problems with memory, concentration, balance, eyesight, hearing, sleeping or headaches that lasted more than three months. Three people eventually needed hearing aids for moderate to severe hearing loss, and others had ringing or pressure in their ears.
In early January, a British and an American scientist released research theorizing that the sound stemmed from noises made by the Indies short-tailed cricket. The research has not been peer-reviewed.
The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2019 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.
Trial begins for soldier accused of helping murder her husband
Today 85° Thunderstorms
Wet today then turning HOT and humid
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Agency workers regulations
We consider the implications of the regulations to agency workers, looking at various aspects from payment and holiday entitlement, to working conditions.
Under the Agency Workers Regulations workers supplied to a company (or to any other entity) by an agency become entitled to receive pay and basic working conditions equivalent to any directly employed employees after a 12 week qualifying period. If you are an employer in the Kent area we, at AJM Accountancy & Taxation Ltd, can advise you the implications of the regulations.
Regulations which took effect from 1 October 2011 mean that workers supplied to a company, or to any other entity, by an agency will become entitled to receive pay and basic working conditions equivalent to any directly employed employees after a 12 week qualifying period.
Guidance for businesses and other employers
Under the Agency Workers Regulations workers supplied to a company (or to any other entity) by an agency will become entitled to receive pay and basic working conditions equivalent to any directly employed employees after a 12 week qualifying period.
Where an agency worker is at the entity for less than 12 weeks, a minimum break of more than six weeks between assignments with the same employer will be necessary for the rights not to be available.
Supporting guidance
Guidance can be found on the GOV.UK website.
Impact of the Regulations
As explained below, most of the additional work, and much of the risk and liability, will be the responsibility of the agencies but it seems certain that they will pass the cost on by way of higher fees.
More directly, where the ‘Employer’ (see below) hires staff for more than the 12 week period, typically the costs of hiring staff will be greater. The Employer will also need to monitor the period of time the ‘Agency Worker’ has been at their premises and there may be additional risks and costs as a result.
Terms used in the Regulations
Much of the guidance uses terms such as ‘Temporary Work Agency’ (the Agency supplying the workers), the ‘Agency Worker’ and the ‘Hirer’ (being the entity or business where the Agency Worker is working). In this summary we have generally used the term ‘Employer/Hirer’ when we mean the ‘Hirer’ although it is not strictly the correct legal term. We have also used the word ‘Agency’ rather than ‘Temporary Work Agency’.
Rights of Agency Workers under the Regulations
Under the Regulations, from their first day working at the Employer/Hirer, the Employer/Hirer will be required to ensure that the Agency Worker can access what are called ‘collective facilities’ such as canteens, childcare, transport services, car parking, etc and that they are able to access information on all job vacancies.
The Agency Worker’s rights are to ‘no less favourable treatment’ in relation to these facilities , than that given to a comparable worker. A comparable worker is an employee or worker directly employed by the employer.
Then, after 12 weeks in the same job, the ‘equal treatment entitlements’ described below come into force.
Equal treatment entitlements and the ‘Qualifying Clock’
After completion of the 12 week qualifying period the Agency Worker is entitled to the same basic terms and conditions of employment as if they had been directly hired by the Employer/Hirer. These would include:
key elements of pay
duration of working time
night work
rest periods
annual leave
pregnant workers will be entitled to paid time off for antenatal appointments.
If a particular entitlement commences only after a period of service, for example, additional annual leave arises after one year of employment, then the entitlement would only start after one year plus 12 weeks.
The term ‘Qualifying Clock’ is used to illustrate the working of the guidance.
The guidance refers to extensive anti-avoidance provisions preventing a series of assignments being structured in such a way as to prevent an Agency Worker from completing the qualifying period and describes when the Qualifying Clock can be reset to zero, where the clock ‘pauses’ during a break, and where it continues to ‘tick’ during a break.
The examples given are extensive but include, for example:
the clock is reset to zero where an Agency Worker begins a new assignment (and a new Employer/Hirer for this purpose is closely defined) or there is a break of more than six weeks
the clock would be paused for a break of no more than six weeks and the worker returns to the same Employer/Hirer, or a break of up to 28 weeks because the worker is incapable of work because of sickness or injury
the clock continues to tick as a result of breaks to do with pregnancy, childbirth, maternity or paternity leave.
There are many more examples given in the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) guidance.
Identification of basic working and employment conditions and pay
Equal treatment covers basic working and employment conditions included in the relevant contracts of direct recruits, which would normally mean terms and conditions laid out in standard contracts, pay scales, collective agreements or company handbooks. Where available this would be the same pay, holidays, etc as if the Agency Worker had been recruited as an employee or worker to the same job. There does not have to be a comparable employee (called a ‘comparator’) but it would be easier to demonstrate compliance with the Regulations where such a person is available.
Pay is defined as including and excluding a number of elements, most of which are shown below.
To be included in pay for this purpose:
basic pay based on an annual salary equivalent
overtime payments
shift / unsocial hours allowances
payment for annual leave
bonus or commission payments
vouchers or stamps with monetary value which are not salary sacrifice schemes.
Not to be included:
occupational sick pay
occupational payments (agency workers will be covered by auto-enrolment which started to phase in from October 2012)
occupational maternity, paternity or adoption pay
redundancy pay / notice pay
majority of benefits in kind
payments requiring an eligibility period of employment.
Working time and holiday entitlements
In addition to an agency worker’s existing rights under the Working Time Regulations 1998, after 12 weeks, the worker becomes entitled to the same rights for working time, night work, rest periods and rest breaks, annual leave and overtime rates, as directly employed employees.
The guidance recognises that some Agency Workers already receive these benefits from the date they join the Employer/Hirer and mention as an example that Employers/Hirers often offer a lunch hour rather than the minimum 20 minute rest under the Working Time Regulations. The guidance also includes a reminder that the statutory entitlement to paid holiday leave is 5.6 weeks per year.
Pregnant workers and new mothers
After the 12 week qualifying period pregnant workers will be allowed paid time off for antenatal appointments and classes and if they can no longer carry out the duties of their original assignment they will need to be found alternative sources of work. If no such alternative work is available from either the Employer/Hirer or the Agency, the Agency should pay the pregnant woman for the remaining expected duration of the assignment.
The provisions of the Equality Act also apply, meaning that there is a risk that either an Agency or the Employer/Hirer could be guilty of discrimination if a worker were to receive less favourable treatment as a result of their pregnancy or maternity.
If the nature of the assignment is such that there is a risk to the worker’s health and safety, the Agency will need to ask the Employer/Hirer to carry out a workplace risk assessment, which they will need to do.
Permanent employment contract with the Agency
If the Agency Worker has a permanent contract of employment with the Agency then the equal treatment provisions do not need to be complied with by the Employer/Hirer.
Information likely to be requested by an Agency
To comply with these Regulations, agencies may need to collect certain information from the Employer/Hirer before an assignment begins. This is in addition to their existing obligations under what are known as the Conduct Regulations 2010 and the Gangmasters Licensing Regulations (for the food, agricultural and shellfish sectors).
Where an assignment is likely to last for more than 12 weeks, it will probably be good practice for the Agency to ask for information at an early stage though the Regulations do not refer to any particular timescale.
Existing regulations require information about:
hirer’s identity, business and location
start date and duration
role, responsibilities and hours
experience, training, qualifications etc
health and safety risk
expenses.
The details now required to comply with the Agency Workers Regulations after the 12 week period are:
basic pay, overtime payments, shift/unsocial hours allowances and any risk payments
types of bonus schemes
vouchers with monetary value
annual leave entitlement.
It is likely that the Agency will also ask for information about any day one entitlements which may be available, even though they are the responsibility of the Employer/Hirer.
Liability and remedies
The responsibility lies with the Employer/Hirer to provide day one entitlements and claims would probably be against the Employer/Hirer.
Claims with regard to basic working and employment conditions could be against either the Employer/Hirer, or the Agency, or against both, depending on the nature of the breach and whether, for example, the Employer/Hirer had failed to provide information to the Agency. Claims would be made to an Employment Tribunal if not resolved through grievance procedures and/or possibly through the involvement of ACAS.
Employment Tribunals would be able to award financial compensation or recommend action that should be taken.
If you are an employer in the Kent area and you would like to discuss the implications of the new Agency Workers Regulations for your business in more detail please contact us at AJM Accountancy & Taxation Ltd.
Age discrimination Agency workers regulations Annual leave Dismissal procedures Legal working in the UK Managing absence National Minimum Wage Recruitment procedures - employment law Recruitment procedures - seven steps for good procedures Redundancy procedures Statutory sick, maternity and paternity pay
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Blog› Divinity
"The function of Visionary Sacred Art is to empower a community, drawing people toward their own divine potential." - Alex Grey
Exploring the luminous ground, artists everywhere are finding new and creative ways to express the ineffable. Every moment is a unique opportunity to connect to the Divine Imagination and share new visions to inspire a more artful world. Celebrating creativity as a spiritual practice, the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors co-creates CoSM Journal of Visionary Culture to support its Core Mission to build an enduring sanctuary of visionary art to inspire every pilgrim's creative path and embody the values of love and perennial wisdom.
http://cosm.org/journal-volume/cosm-journal-volume-9-divinity/
In the new special edition, number 9, ‘Divinity’ volume of CoSM journal, we asked the question: What is your experience of Divinity? Spiritual Leaders, Artists and Futurists from a wide variety of disciplines offer their perspective and share their personal stories of God contact.
This new edge publication features numinous inspirators like Joanna Macy, Rupert Sheldrake, Vandana Shiva, Christopher Alexander, Luis Eduardo Luna, Rabbi Jonathan Kligler, Barbara Marx Hubbard, Ralph Metzner, Michael Singer and Jeffrey Bromfman and many more. It glows with visionary art features including A. Andrew Gonzalez, Luis Tamani Amasifuen, Oleg Korolev, Vibrata Chromodoris, Michael Divine, Andrew Jones, Damon Soule, Alex Grey, Allyson Grey, Sequoia Emmanuelle, Mugwort, Xavi, and Judy Chicago.
Follow our global arts journal online, download free web editions of past issues and order limited edition hard copies at http://cosm.org/journal/.
Follow on Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/JournalOfVisionaryCulture/
The Chapel of Sacred Mirrors honors the creative spark in each of us as our reflection of Divinity, celebrating art that evokes the visionary mystic dimensions. Art practiced in service of Divinity weaves together the global Visionary Arts Movement.
Chief Editors : Alex Grey, Allyson Grey
Creative Director and Designer : Eli Morgan
Senior Designer : Sijay James
Senior Managing Editor : Delvin Solkinson
Media Team : Jon Ohia, Joness Jones
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2008 MIT Sloan MBA Waitlist Chat with Jennifer Burke Barba
Please feel free to let us know if you would like to be informed of future chats by sending e-mail to chat@accepted.com. We would also be interested in knowing if you would prefer a different format or different topics.
Linda Abraham (Feb 20, 2008 12:58:23 PM)
Hello. My name is Linda Abraham. I am the founder of Accepted.com and the moderator of today’s chat. First I want to welcome you all to Accepted.com’s MIT Sloan waitlist chat. I also want to welcome Sloan’s Jen Burke Barba, Associate Director and Waitlist Manager. Thanks to everyone for joining.
JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 12:58:55 PM)
Thanks Linda! I'm so happy that we could participate.
Please post your questions, and I will choose as many as possible from the ones you post and our guest will respond. You can also post follow up questions.
Sherwin (Feb 20, 2008 12:59:15 PM)
Do you review Round I waitlisted candidates during Round II? If so, in years past, what percentage of students accepted off the waitlist were notified during Round II? Also, in years past, what percentage of students were accepted off the waitlist?
JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:00:07 PM)
Hi Sherwin, Yes, we hope to review round 1 WL applicants during the Round 2 process. I don't have data on how many people have been accepted from R1 WL during R2, typically not a lot.
Chris Mather (Feb 20, 2008 1:00:21 PM)
Is this year's round 1 waitlist larger or smaller than last year's?
Chris, this year's waitlist is about the same as in previous years, we have about 75 people.
A. Hartman (Feb 20, 2008 1:00:46 PM)
How does financial aid work if you are accepted very late in the process?
Everyone is still considered for financial aid, that is loans. But if you are admitted late in the process there most likely will not be any fellowships left.
Subu (Feb 20, 2008 1:01:36 PM)
What can we do as waitlisted applicants to increase our chances of admission?
Subu, the best thing to do is stay in touch with us. We want to know of any updates that could impact your candidacy (promotions, volunteer work, etc) and that if we were to extend you an offer, that you would accept.
lovesloan (Feb 20, 2008 1:02:32 PM)
What % of all the waitlisted applicants have NOT been interviewed?
More than 50% of the WL have not been interviewed.
Saurabh & Ananya (Feb 20, 2008 1:03:13 PM)
Hi, we have both received a waitlist without an interview invite. How do we go forward from there? Can we expect an interview?
An interview is required for admission. We hope to get some WL candidate interviews in during the round 2 interview process (Taking place in March), otherwise I intend to interview people throughout the months of May/June, as needed. Interviews are by invitation only.
Hamid (Feb 20, 2008 1:04:11 PM)
How early will the R1 waitlisted candidates be contacted from the Admissions Committee with an update? Thank you.
Patience (Feb 20, 2008 1:04:31 PM)
Will candidates who were not interviewed before being placed on the waitlist only be considered once the candidates who have already had an interview are offered admission?
Hamid, we won't have any updates until we make decisions for Round 2.
What sort of updates are you looking for as a part of the process?
Patience, no.
CL (Feb 20, 2008 1:04:51 PM)
Is it recommendable to get support letters in addition from the recommender letters of the application?
Saurabh, updates that are relevant to our process. Like I mentioned before, professional accomplishments, extra curricular accomplishments, possibly additional recommendation letters - as long as they are telling us something we have not already seen.
Carsten, yes, it's great to to get support letters, especially from people from our community (current students, alums, professors).
Tony (Feb 20, 2008 1:06:13 PM)
How many more do you expect to waitlist in Round II? Typically, how many are ultimately admitted off the WL?
Tony, I wish I had that answer. We hope to keep the WL # under 100 people. But people are constantly dropping off (they decide to go to another program), so it's very hard to say now.
Injae (Feb 20, 2008 1:07:22 PM)
How many or what proportion of wait-listed applicants "finally" got accepted last year?
Oh... last year we did not admit anyone from the WL, but that was the first time that had ever happened in school history. The year before that we admitted about 35 off the wl.
Chris_R (Feb 20, 2008 1:07:58 PM)
At this time, how much of an effect will a Sloan professor's recommendation help our chances of being accepted? Or in other words, how much "pull" do professors have in the admissions process (in general)?
Chris, a recommendation letter does not make the decision. But for candidates like yourself, on the WL, an extra letter especially from a Sloan faculty member can really help show your commitment and fit with the program.
If I am waitlisted without an interview, will I be invited to interview during round II, or most likely after round II is finished?
Lovesloan, depends... basically if space allows I hope to get some wl interviews done during round 2, otherwise, during May/June.
How is the list prioritized?
A. Hartman - the list is not prioritized or ranked. Basically the wl is a collection of candidates that we see fit to enter the program, but we just did not have space at the time decisions were made. So we take people off the list dependent on those who drop off.
Lets assume we had a bad day in the interview. Is there any chance for a second interview, e.g. if we visit campus and drop by at the admissions office?
Hi Carsten... I don't think you had a bad interview :-). If you visit campus you might be able to chat with me or someone else. It all depends on our availability. We do not make appointments to meet with WL candidates.
Ivan (Feb 20, 2008 1:12:07 PM)
What does it mean to be waitlisted without having been interviewed? Is that better or worse than having been waitlisted after an interview?
Ivan, it doesn't mean anything. Basically we are only able to interview a small portion of applicants, about 25%, and out of those we are only able to admit about 40%. So sometimes we're just not able to interview everyone we'd like all at once.
Minsook (Feb 20, 2008 1:13:10 PM)
Till when would the admissions office be receiving such updates (e.g. essays. recommendations)?
Minsook, we will take updates at any time. Just email them to mbawaitinglist@sloan.mit.edu.
Anjum Malik (Feb 20, 2008 1:13:41 PM)
You said that the wait list currently has about 75 people. By how much do you expect this number to grow after Round II?
Anjum, we hope to keep the number below 100.
LocoJohnny (Feb 20, 2008 1:14:32 PM)
Regarding keeping you updated on our candidacy, how often is too often to stay in touch?
Loco... use your best judgment. Not every day, and probably not every week.
cassie (Feb 20, 2008 1:15:20 PM)
Are those waitlisted without an interview at a disadvantage to those who have been interviewed?
Cassie, no.
Linda Abraham (Feb 20, 2008 1:15:32 PM)
I would say not more often than when you have something to say, Loco.
What does it say about your chances if you were interviewed and then waitlisted?
Tony, your chances are equal to that of someone who was not interviewed.
quant08 (Feb 20, 2008 1:16:21 PM)
In regard to Sherwin's question: Since a few R1 WL candidates might be accepted during round 2, is there a suggested deadline for submitting additional materials for Round 2?
quant 08, the decision date for r2 is April 7, so about a week before that would be best.
Jennifer, if we feel we could add information that would answer potential questions in the application is it appropriate to submit via email? For example, if one (like say me) wanted to get more specific in certain areas?
Yes, but please be respectful of our time. Nothing too long.
I was waitlisted after being interviewed. Do you offer any feedback that we can address before a final decision is made?
Subu, unfortunately we cannot give feedback to those that were interviewed.
Scott Edinburgh (Feb 20, 2008 1:18:34 PM)
Will a waitlisted candidate be contacted during the process or will this occur only when a decision is made on acceptance to the program?
Scott, sometimes I'll reach out to waitlisted candidates. Especially to invite for an interview or possibly to gain clarification on something.
Ok thanks Jennifer.
gongarda (Feb 20, 2008 1:19:23 PM)
Hi Jennifer, as per the waitlist invitation, waitlisted applicants are not ranked. Then, how does the process work? Each time a vacancy arrives, you scan all waitlisted applications?
Gongarda, vacancies are filled based on the profile of the student who dropped. So if an international woman decided not to accept our offer, we might look for another int'l woman on the wl to fill that spot. Although as time continues, especially into the summer months, we look for people who would 100% accept our offer, and profile is not as important.
TimFisher (Feb 20, 2008 1:21:05 PM)
If we are not accepted from the waitlist this year, will we be able to get feedback on how to strengthen our application if we want to apply again next year?
Tim, no promises. If you were interviewed you might be able to get some advice form your interviewer.
Is there any value to an additional campus visit at this point?
A. Hartman, only if you feel as though you did not show a commitment to the school in your initial application.
VeronicaM (Feb 20, 2008 1:22:34 PM)
I have already submitted a letter of intent to enroll if accepted off the Sloan waitlist. Would it be helpful for me to submit an additional update on my professional and personal accomplishments in early March?
Veronica, only if there is something else to add/tell us about, that you have not already shared.
Brian (Feb 20, 2008 1:23:08 PM)
Hi Jen, where does the line get drawn between keeping Sloan up-to-date on our lives/jobs and annoying you with too many communications?
Brian, use your best judgment. This is all part of the evaluation process.
Daniel Mazor (Feb 20, 2008 1:23:51 PM)
If we applied for a specific program (E&I or LFM), does this affect our approach to advocating for our candidacy?
Daniel, I'm not sure what you're asking. If you are a wl candidate and applied for LFM, you'll still be considered for LFM. Same with E&I.
Is there a capacity for the E&I program and, if so, does that factor into admission decisions?
Giancarlo, not necessarily. You want to be adding information to your file, not just repeating thing that we already have.
Brian, at this time we have not been given any restrictions for E&I. Although that could change depending on how many people are admitted to E&I in round 2.
Dante Cassanego (Feb 20, 2008 1:25:52 PM)
I really believe that Sloan is the right place for me. How best can I communicate this to the committee? Would it be appropriate to schedule a visit to Sloan?
Dante, just tell us this in an email, explain why it's the right place, using specifics. You do not need to visit.
The last date MIT provides as decision date is Aug 29th. Does this date take into account visa delays for international applicants or is just a last date from MIT logistics point of view?
Gongarda, actually for international students the last possible date I could take you off the wl would be in early July.
Are there Sloan student ambassadors who were waitlisted themselves and could share their experiences with us?
Brian, yes there are, but everyone has a very different experience with the wl and each year the need/numbers are different, so I'm cautious to have them on a chat like this because there is no "typical" path from wl to admit.
It is my understanding that the E&I program is selected in a secondary round of review. When does that round occur? And will waitlisted students be eligible for review if accepted late in the process (say, September 1st as an extreme)?
Chris, it is my understanding that yes, wl candidates can still be considered for E&I, all the way through the end of the summer.
If candidates have additional specifics that might help round out an application (e.g. more details on goals) is it appropriate to send in an email or should we only email new updates.
Are all waitlisted R1 applicants considered for available R2 admission spots?
Chris, details on your goals are good, but our entire evaluation process is based on past performance. We actually don't put too much weight on future goals, because we have evidence that shows most likely those goals will change once you start our program. It is important for you to communicate why MIT Sloan is the best fit for you.
Would all future interviews be on-campus? Or are there still regional options?
A. Hartman, there are still regional options, especially through out the R2 process. After that, I'll figure out travel for interviews based on the geographic spread of where people are.
Are people on the R1 waitlist bound to the same timeline as those who applied R2? Is it likely to hear anything before the R2 decision date?
Loco, no, round 1 applicants should not expect a decision on the round 2 deadline day. Most likely you will not hear anything until after round 2 decisions are made.
Qwerty (Feb 20, 2008 1:32:52 PM)
If we were to visit the Sloan campus while on the waitlist, would you like to know when we are visiting?
Qwerty, it's not necessary to tell me when you're coming. There's always admissions officers on campus, and if you do visit you're welcome to stop in and say hello. But, we cannot guarantee that someone could meet with you.
I applied to the E&I program - are E&I waitlisted candidates considered separately from the rest of the waitlisted applicant pool?
Hamid, no E&I candidates are considered the same.
WY Tan (Feb 20, 2008 1:34:27 PM)
As international applicants, if we are not invited for interviews during Round II process, would we still be given a chance to interview in May/June - given the logistical difficulties? Would you conduct phone interviews then?
WY Tan, it depends, we're always traveling, even during the summer. So potentially you could still be interviewed closer to home in May/June.
EMW (Feb 20, 2008 1:35:22 PM)
Jennifer, how early were you able to notify waitlist candidates last year when you realized that the class was full and no waitlist candidates were admitted?
Not until August. Basically we will tell wl candidates that the class is over subscribed (if it is), but we will always keep an active wl up until the end because we need to make sure we have students to fill our spots. Sometimes another school will go to their wl and admit several of our incoming students... if that happens, we need a wl to pull from. Even if it's on Sept. 1.
tina (Feb 20, 2008 1:36:51 PM)
If we are not 100% that we would accept the offer from Sloan, should we take ourselves off the waitlist?
Tina, it's up to you. But if you do decide that you would not accept our offer, please let me know.
Gabriel Ho (Feb 20, 2008 1:37:27 PM)
This is Gabriel. I think I had a bad interview and I would like to meet with you or someone from the Adcom personally. What is usually the best time to visit Sloan?
Gabriel, we cannot meet with you again. We do not schedule second interviews or meetings with wl candidates. If you decide to visit campus, you can stop in our office, but we cannot guarantee that someone can talk to you.
Sherwin (Feb 20, 2008 1:38:37 PM)
Why does Sloan have a waitlist policy that involves a lot of, what seems like, "sucking up"? Why doesn't the school use a more fair process like Wharton's, where applications are reconsidered in the next round?
Sherwin, we don't use a process of "sucking up". We want to allow the candidates on the wl the freedom to update us with anything they find relevant to their candidacy. I'm not aware of how other schools conduct their wl.
To me this process is not about "sucking up," it's about showing genuine interest. In my mind, while more effort, it is also more fair. It gives you the opportunity to keep the Adcom informed of your latest achievements. It is also a process that requires more effort on the adcom's part and forces them to process more information, invest more in the process of choosing a class, and base their decisions on more complete information.
If we are already in a "good" GMAT range (e.g. 700), could we improve our chances by a significantly stronger GMAT score?
Carsten, please do not retake the gmat if your score is 700. The gmat is only one very small piece of what we consider.
Can we assume that the admissions committee refers to our application when reading our correspondence, or should we provide context?
Dan, yes we will review the entire application when looking at wl candidates.
Hi Jennifer, I am very excited about the E&I program. If I were so fortunate to be accepted, would it still be possible to participate in the program?
Dante, yes, I believe it is still possible.
Is there a way for applicants to identify themselves as being willing to be considered for atypical "acceptances" such as an acceptance into the Class of 2011, or an acceptance pending 2 more years of work experience?
Chris, we don't allow for deferrals, so we would not really pursue that. Last year was different, because we could not take anyone off the wl, so we did offer a few people who were on the wl a spot in this year's class. But that is the only time that has happened, and I hope we won't have to do that again this year.
The proposed decision dates when MIT might offer the WL applicant a place go as far as Aug 29. Does that mean that R1 WL's can be passed to R2 WL? Or are they just dropped? Is there any priority between R1 and R2 WL's?
Gongarda, there's only one wl... we just add to it with round 2 candidates. In the past we've held round 1 wl candidates all the way until Aug. 29.
PierreYves (Feb 20, 2008 1:45:23 PM)
Hi Jennifer, is there value to indicate we would 100% accept your offer at this point ?
Yes, but I'd like to see why.
BIS (Feb 20, 2008 1:45:49 PM)
Hi Jen, thanks for doing this. Would our interviewers be able to tell us what area of our application is weakest-- so we could use an update to comment on that topic? Either way, how can we get in touch with our interviewer? Thanks.
BIS, we cannot give feedback to waitlisted candidates at this time.
Hi Jen, what about international students already in the US? Will the July deadline apply to us as well?
Lovesloan, the problem is we need to allow time for you to get a student visa. If you have a green card, then you could be admitted all the way up until Aug. 29
josh (Feb 20, 2008 1:47:59 PM)
When requesting an additional letter of rec, am I to provide my recommender the same set of questions my original recommenders received? If so, how do I go about acquiring them?
Josh, it's up to you. The recommendation letter questions can be downloaded from our website. But have the letters sent via mbawaitinglist@sloan.mit.edu, not submitted via the online application.
Jen, if a WL changes her/his goals (or at least its approach to them) during the WL period, I suppose s/he has to update MIT asap. Will this hurt her/his chances to be admitted?
Gongarda, if you think it can help your candidacy we'd like to see it. But not sharing will not hurt your chances.
Gerard (Feb 20, 2008 1:49:54 PM)
Did you receive in 2008 more applications than in 2007?
Gerard, yes, our applications are up by 30%.
Given your busy schedule, I would imagine that one complete "update" might be preferable to frequent and potentially repetitive correspondences. However, I'm wondering if candidates who reach out with multiple correspondences would be viewed as more interested or committed. Do you have a view on this based on your prior experiences with wait list candidates?
Anjum, thanks for asking this! One update is perfect. You do not need to email once a week.
How many total people are going to be accepted into MIT Sloan this year?
Tim, we are looking to have an MBA class of 325 students.
Are MIT-owned housing options still available in May/June, or should those of us looking to move to Boston make alternate plans?
Brian, sometimes. Usually you can find something, but it might not be your 1st choice.
Will there be any future meetings of this sort to clarify this year's particular changes of WL admittances?
A. Hartman I hope to do something similar after we admit people for round 2.
When submitting an additional recommendation, would you prefer a shorter recommendation so as not to bombard you, as opposed to the longer standard form?
Scott, either is fine. If your recommender has a lot to say, then a long letter is fine.
Given that application numbers are up this year, is it likely that this will be another year when few (or zero) people will be admitted off the WL?
Tony, I hope not. We've adjusted the number of people we accept as our yield has increased each year. It just means it is a more competitive year over all.
What applicant behavior detracts from a waitlisted applicant's chances?
Thanks Linda. If an applicant is disrespectful of our time, that is bad. For example, sending long emails, very frequently, telling me nothing new.
If a waitlisted applicant stays on the waitlist and doesn’t get accepted this year, does he or she have a better chance when reapplying next year?
Re-applicants are typically very successful in our process.
You mentioned that applications are up 30% this year. Is the number of seats you're looking to fill (325 in total) higher than it was last year?
Anjum, no the # of seats has stayed the same.
For those of us with significant others, do any significant other oriented events happen over the summer that would be missed due to a late waitlist admission?
Brian, yes unfortunately, SO events are happening all the time, along with admit events.
Thank you again all for participating today. Special thanks to Jen for taking the time to virtually meet with you, provide this information, and make this process as transparent and humane as possible.
Have a very good day! Good luck with your applications!
Thanks Linda!
Information about Accepted.com's consulting and Editing Services
MBA Chat Transcript Index || Chat Room
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Premier Andrews – please explain what you mean by ‘gay conversion therapy’
Dan Flynn | February 15, 2019
On Sunday 3 February, Daniel Andrews the Premier of Victoria attended the Midsumma Pride March. He used the march as a platform to announce in an Australian first, that his Labor government would be introducing legislation to ban what he called ‘gay conversion therapy’.
He labelled it “an evil practice...practices from the dark ages...a most personal form of torture, a cruel practice that perpetuate the idea that LGBTI people are in some way broken.”
Unfortunately, he forgot to mention what conversion therapy means. The term originated from the LGBT movement and seems to have never properly been defined. This has left me sitting here wondering – with some concern – what Daniel Andrews means exactly when he says “gay conversion therapy”.
If Andrews means practices that are coercive, abusive or in any way involuntary or include things like electric shock therapy then I think we can all agree that this kind of treatment is both inhumane and must be condemned.
By any means, such abhorrent practices would not be part of any acceptable faith community in Australia.
But if comments made by the Victorian Health Complaints Commissioner are anything to go on, the label of ‘gay conversion therapy’ could be used to refer to things such as counselling, prayer, and support groups. In fact, the Health Complaints Commissioner’s definition of gay conversion therapy includes “any efforts to change gender expression”.
So, what if this new legislation banning conversion therapy impacts on Christian teaching?
Or the ability for parents to model biblical values in the home?
What of parents who seek to affirm their child’s biological sex if that child is confused about gender identity?
Victoria’s Education Department allows for school principals to transition children at school without parental knowledge or consent. If a parent finds out about such transitioning and attempts to confirm the child in his/her biological sex, on my reading of the Premier’s announcement, that parent may be guilty of “gay conversion” and subject to penalties.
Or what about those who voluntarily and of their own free will seek guidance or help regarding their sexual orientation or gender identity? Nicholas Cummings, a former President of the American Psychological Association, contends that counselling should be available for people experiencing unwanted same-sex attraction on the principle of patient choice.
Lane Anderson (a pseudonym), is a psychotherapist who resigned from clinical practice citing disagreement with the dominant transgender narrative, says:
“I am suddenly … discouraged from exploring the underlying causes and conditions of my patients’ distress (as I was trained to do), and instead forced to put my professional stamp of approval upon a prefab, one-size-fits-all narrative intended to explain the complexity of my patient’s troubles … It’s as if I am being held hostage.”1
Anderson comments on the impact of this transgender identity ideology the counselling of children:
“We used to treat kids with mental health problems, but now it’s all about validating their emerging and shifting identities. As professionals, if we don’t loudly prioritise their identities as being the most important thing about them (and identities do shift constantly in kids and teens), we risk coming across as unsupportive and even immoral.”2
Premier Andrews is using imagery of torture from the dark ages to frighten off anybody that would take issue with this proposed legislation.
The truth is the legislation may be seeking to embed the primacy of sexual orientation and sexual identity as the truth about human identity. He has, perhaps unwittingly, become a champion for the queer revolution which seeks to deconstruct the nuclear family and heteronormativity.
And this is incredibly concerning.
What will happen to a parent, pastor or counsellor who expresses disagreement with gay or trans identity, under this new law?
Will there be a state-imposed penalty?
At this stage it’s anyone's guess.
Because we don’t know what the Andrews government means by conversion therapy, we really don’t know what’s at stake.
It’s time we called on Premier Andrews to explain what he means by “gay conversion therapy”.
lgbt victoria gay conversion therapy
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Unenthused Fairgoers or is it the Pictures?
Pictures are worth a 1000 words as the worn expression goes. But nah, not always. Sometimes they’re actually worth about 20. Sifting through these WCP pictures from the Arlington County Fair makes a person want to avoid the fairgrounds entirely.
As freelancer Eddie Scarry put it, “I know people without fingers that could take a better picture.”
To be sure, aside from meaningless balloons and people who look like they’d prefer to die rather than be there, a few photographs jump out. There’s the one that could depict pedophilia — simply frightening. There’s also a shot of a pig and even he looks to be saying, “Seriously? What are you doing down here shooting your lens up my brother’s rump?”
See the album here.
http://adweek.it/2kXq40V
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Updated information for passengers travelling from Washington DC (IAD)
Due to aircraft preflight service and lengthy check-in handled by Swissport, the ground service company, Aeroflot has to revise previous information and specify that flights SU533 (previously SU123) and SU539 (previously SU103), delayed due to weather conditions, are expected to take off at 14:30 and 15:30, respectively.
New departure date and time
SU123 (operated as SU 533)
Washington — Moscow (SVO)
SU103 (operated as SU539)
* All times local
Passengers holding tickets for flights operated under the SU code (direct and transfer flights) with departure dates of 4, 5 and 6 January 2018 may (at no additional cost):
- rebook for departure dates up to 08.01.2018 inclusive, including on connecting flights to/from New York operated by other airlines; return flights may also be rebooked at the same time to retain the original visit length (plus/minus three days)
- receive a full refund at the point of sale of the ticket
Ticket changes can be made without any penalties provided that the new travel date is not later than 12 January; the departure date for the return leg can be changed at the same time provided that the length of the stay does not exceed the originally scheduled period.
More information is available from Aeroflot’s 24-hour call centre : +7 495 223 5555, 8-800-444-5555 (free call in Russia), via the contact centre's global free-call numbers (available on the website: https://www.aeroflot.ru/ru-en/offices/free_numbers) and at Aeroflot sales offices
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Chinese home buyers cautious over foreign investment rules
Su-Lin TanReporter
Updated Aug 24, 2015 — 5.23pm, first published at Aug 23, 2015 — 11.12am
Federal Treasurer Joe Hockey's get-tough tactics with foreign investments in residential property are making an impact on foreign investors who are "too afraid to break the law".
While Chinese investors, the largest group of foreign investors in property, are still coming to Australia in droves many are more cautious about foreign-investment rules and are no longer thinking "just because we have money, we can buy anything", Asian property agent, House 18's Michael Zhu said.
"The rules have always been there. In the past, there were fewer Chinese investors and so the control of investments were not as tight. Now people especially the smaller investors are very worried," he said.
Tighter controls around foreign investments come at a time when residential property prices are rocketing. Craig Sillitoe
The Australian Tax Office call centre has seen the greatest volume of calls at 44 last week, since it took responsibility for the Foreign Investment Review Board 'report a breach' hotline, a Treasury spokeswoman said.
"There has been a gradual increase in the volume of calls received in the last four weeks. The average number of community referrals is between 100 to 200 per month," she said.
Mr Hockey transferred all residential property monitoring to the ATO in May and the government is investigating 195 possible breaches.
ACproperty.com.au, the largest Chinese property website in Australia has had a 40 per cent increase in queries from buyers seeking clarification on investment rules.
"Some have no visa, on a student visa or are waiting for visa approval are looking to buy but are holding back until they get a clear understanding of the law," ACproperty director Esther Yong said.
"Unlike what most people think, the majority of Chinese buyers are happy to follow regulations. Recent crackdowns on breaches have definitely raised awareness among Chinese buyers.
"But a lot of buyers are calling us to clarify the regulations instead of FIRB because of the language barrier. They can speak basic English, but when it comes to understanding the law, they would much prefer to speak to someone in Chinese."
Mr Fang, a Chinese investor from Suzhou said he has postponed an investment in a house in Melbourne.
"I don't want to break the law. I am happy to get a lawyer but it costs money so I have to think about it more carefully," he said.
"I am buying to support my only child who may go to Australia to study but now I am not sure if I want to do it."
Many agents including Asian concierge, Black Diamondz's Monika Tu and CBRE's Mark Wizel have advised their foreign clients to engage lawyers before buying properties.
No demand yet
While anxiety is mounting, lawyers in residential transactions have not seen a spike in investors looking for advice.
"I have not had a surge of FIRB enquiries. I had one FIRB enquiry – a mainland Chinese person – in the last four weeks. I think most of the potential buyers are still consulting only their selling agents," lawyers and migration agents Comasters' Jeffrey Lee said.
The Real Estate Institute of Australia said residential property demand from foreign investors has not fallen.
"The new penalties won't become law until December 1. Basically there hasn't been any change in demand yet," chief executive Amanda Lynch said.
"The onus is on foreign investor to abide by the rules. The rules that they [are] concerned about are no different to other countries. We actually ask foreign investors to get legal advice. You need to spend money to earn money."
Penalties likely to increase
Mr Hockey introduced draft laws in parliament last Thursday to increase criminal penalties for individuals and companies caught breaching foreign investment rules. Property agents, migration agents, conveyancers and lawyers who knowingly assist a foreign investor in breaching the rules will also face penalties.
Mr Hockey demonstrated his tough stance on foreign investments by ordering the divestments of properties including the high profile $39 million Point Piper mansion Villa de Mare, formerly owned by Chinese billionaire Xu Jiayin, earlier this year. Foreign investors can only buy new properties not used dwellings.
Tighter controls around foreign investments come at a time when residential property prices are rocketing. Sydney prices have leapt 20 per cent in the last 12 months, and Melbourne prices nearly 12 per cent.
The inter-governmental body, The Financial Action Task Force identified property as a "high risk" sector for laundering in Australia and noted AUSTRAC had no power over real estate agents, accountants and lawyers.
"Australian housing is viewed across Asia as an attractive vehicle for parking illicit funds, particularly among corrupt officials," its latest assessment has found.
Su-Lin Tan reports on housing, commercial real estate and property finance. She also covers China and Asian business, trade and politics. Connect with Su-Lin on Twitter. Email Su-Lin at stan@afr.com.au
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AIT Themen Institutional Change & Policy Instruments Projects ERA-LEARN
ERA-LEARN
ERA-LEARN is a support platform for the Public-Public-Partnerships (P2P) community, funded as a support action (CSA) by Horizon 2020. The project is a 4-year initiative (2018-2022), following up on its predecessor ERA-LEARN 2020. On behalf of the European Commission, ERA-LEARN operates a unique database of P2P networks, their calls and funded projects and provides studies and analyses on thematic clustering, internationalization, alignment and much more.
The specific objectives of ERA-LEARN are:
increase the visibility of ERA-LEARN by intensifying the close interaction of ERA-LEARN with the P2P community to make it more user-friendly and attractive to the P2P community;
increase the relevance by applying a more thematic approach in tackling the issues and challenges identified by P2Ps;
support P2Ps with evidence in view of the next EU Framework Programme;
support impact assessments by offering trainings and real, full scale pilot assessment exercises as well as special tool-kits to provide guidance and advice addressing also the development of key performance indicators (KPIs).
identify and spread good practise for specific common P2P challenges such as widening of participation and inclusiveness of less research intensive countries, internationalisation of P2P networks, reaching out to industry and innovation;
engage the P2P community in a dialogue with other stakeholders or initiatives such as Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs).
facilitate the identification and handling of emerging issues in relation to P2P strategic development, operation and performance.
closer interaction of ERA-LEARN with the P2P community
Key Words: European Research Policy, Joint Programming, Alignment
Start: 07/2018
Funded by: European Commission – H2020
Website: https://www.era-learn.eu/
Contact: Michael Dinges
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Sun 23 Apr 2017 09:35 AM
Dubai mulls plan to turn organic waste into energy
All new Dubai properties must fit LED lightbulbs by end-2017
Masdar, Bee'ah to develop waste to energy plant in Sharjah
The UAE's road to sustainability
Going green: Diamond Developers CEO Faris Saeed
Enviroserve (www.enviroserve.ae/)
UAE firm plans electronics recycling plant in Dubai
Enviroserve UAE signs agreement with Dubai Wholesale City for the construction of facility
(Photo for illustrative purposes only)
Enviroserve UAE has signed an agreement with Dubai Wholesale City for the construction of a 228,000 sq ft electronics and specialised waste recycling plant at Dubai Industrial Park.
Backed by the Swiss Government Export Finance Agency, the AED120 million project represents one of the largest foreign direct investments in the field of environmental management in the UAE, a statement said.
It added that the facility will serve as the region’s largest centre of expertise for electronic waste management in the Middle East.
The plant will recycle the entire range of end-of-life electrical and electronic equipment ranging from consumer and industrial to commercial and military appliances, such as air conditioners, batteries, IT equipment, household appliances, military avionics and mobile phones.
In addition, it will recycle specialised waste material, such as aerosol cans and lightbulbs, to become the only dedicated refrigerant reclaim facility in the UAE.
Expected to start operations by end-2017, phase 1 of the plant will comprise state-of-the-art equipment to process 39,000 tons of electronic waste annually.
The signatories included Abdulla Belhoul, CEO of Dubai Wholesale City, and Stuart Fleming, Group CEO of Enviroserve UAE.
Belhoul said: “With a growing number of business partners setting up operations in our integrated mega hub, this innovative recycling facility will add significant value to advancing sustainable and organic development in our community.”
He added: “Our partnership with Enviroserve UAE demonstrates how our world-class infrastructure and allied services help our clients seamlessly adapt to new market conditions and opportunities. We are confident the project will spearhead the development of a sustainable electronic waste management market in the region.”
Fleming added “Our new integrated recycling plant will be a true game-changer in electronic and specialised waste recycling for Dubai and the wider Middle East region.”
Enviroserve’s decision to set up the recycling facility at Dubai Wholesale City comes at a time when a UN-sponsored research project has indicated that the average UAE resident produces 17.2 kilograms of e-waste each year.
Amounting to nearly 600,000 tons in 2015, e-waste generation in the GCC region is expected to reach 900,000 tons in 2020.
For all the latest tech news from the UAE and Gulf countries, follow us on Twitter and Linkedin, like us on Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube page, which is updated daily.
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County Board Signs Off on New Ballston Childcare Center, Despite Local Opposition to the Project
Alex Koma January 30, 2019 at 10:00am
The location of a new childcare center at 4001 Fairfax Drive in Ballston (via Arlington County)
A map for a new playground at a new childcare center in Ballston (via Arlington County)
Arlington officials have given the green light for a new childcare center to set up shop in Ballston, in a debate that forced the County Board to weigh its years-long effort to expand access to childcare in the county against the vocal opposition of neighbors to the project.
The Board voted unanimously last night (Tuesday) to award the Bright Horizons Children’s Center with the permits it needs to open a new location on the first and second floors of a building at 4001 Fairfax Drive.
The new center will have room for about 145 kids in all, and include a 4,700-square-foot playground in the small courtyard between the building and an adjacent set of condos at 1001 N. Randolph Street.
The playground, in particular, worried neighbors. Matt Nyce, a board member at the nearby EastView Condos, told ARLnow via email that the location was a “totally inappropriate” place for a playground, given its proximity to two exhaust fans and how close it would be located to homes on the first floors of the two buildings.
But Board members were convinced that some of those concerns were a bit overblown — as Erik Gutshall put it, the Board judged the childcare center unlikely to be “an overwhelming detriment” to quality of life in the area, or to property values.
Officials would acknowledge that the playground would be a bit of a tight fit in the courtyard, and that it would occupy some of Ballston’s very limited open space. But, as the Board weighs a comprehensive overhaul of its zoning regulations governing childcare centers, members also said that they were willing to allow designs that may not be absolutely perfect if it means expanding options for Arlington parents.
“This is not a willy nilly one-off, but consistent with a direction the county seeks to go,” Gutshall said. “This is an evolution as we rethink what is acceptable for our ground floor uses.”
The Board did not make the decision lightly, however. Board member Katie Cristol, a lead backer of the county’s childcare overhaul, said she even considered pushing for a deferral of any decision on the matter, particularly after the Ballston-Virginia Square Civic Association decided to oppose the project.
Collier Cook, the group’s president, told the Board that he worried that dropping a playground on the site would rob the nearby residents of some crucial open space.
And, as an EastView resident himself, Cook said he understood the concerns of his neighbors. One, Andres Delgado, told the Board that the prospect of additional noise was particularly concerning for people who live in the building and work from home.
“We have neighbors who live on the first floor and it goes right into their living room,” Delgado said. “Noise is a big concern for them.”
Similarly, he said neighbors are worried about smoke from the nearby parking garage impacting the kids’ health.
But Zach Williams, an attorney representing Bright Horizons, said the company made every effort possible to address those playground concerns. The childcare center plans to pay for a timer to ensure the exhaust fans aren’t operating while children are outside, and Williams said they even agreed to shrink the playground by 200 square feet to give residents some more breathing room.
Yet, with the county’s ordinances requiring that the center add 75-square-feet of playground space for each child outside at any given time, Williams said Bright Horizons can’t do much more to address those issues.
“We don’t have a lot of flexibility, but we’ve tried to do as much as we can,” Williams said.
Board members commended those efforts and made another point for neighbors worried about noise — considering the way the area is zoned, a new bar or nightclub could easily move into the space instead and set up outdoor seating, which could prompt even more substantial noise concerns than the childcare center.
“It would be completely irresponsible for us, I believe, to suggest we can prevent change from happening,” said County Board Chair Christian Dorsey. “The other ways in which this property could change could be all manner of degrees more intense.”
With this approval in hand, Williams said the center plans to open by January 2020. Bright Horizons is also on the cusp of opening another childcare center in Courthouse, which also faced its fair share of pushback from neighbors last year.
Ballston child care County Board daycare playground
Cook Bros.
Home Services( 2 ) >> Home Remodelers( 1 )
County Plans Detour on Four Mile Run Trail Near Sewage Plant
Arlington Launches New Transparency Tool to Help Taxpayers Navigate County Budgets
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Destination Kohler Releases 2018 ‘Dye-Abolical’ and ‘Golf Kohler’ Stay-and-Play Packages
Guests are Invited to Pair with New Inn on Woodlake Multi-Bedroom Suites to Create Exceptional Group Golf Experience
KOHLER, Wisc. – Destination Kohler – Wisconsin’s golf leader and home to four acclaimed Pete Dye-designed courses across Whistling Straits and Blackwolf Run – is now taking 2018 reservations for the popular “Dye-Abolical” and “Golf Kohler” stay-and-play packages. Destination Kohler is the Midwest’s only Forbes Five-Star and AAA Five-Diamond resort-hotel and recently selected by Conde Nast Traveler as the #1 resort in the Midwest.
The three-night “Dye-Abolical” features four rounds of golf per person, one each on The Straits and The Irish courses at Whistling Straits and The River and Meadow Valleys layouts at Blackwolf Run. Cart, caddie and forecaddie fees are included along with a 30-minute golf lesson and gift pouch with logoed items. Complimentary replays are available on The Irish and Meadow Valleys and golfers receive a 20% discount at the Forbes Five-Star Kohler Waters Spa.
Rates (based on double occupancy) start at $987 for accommodations at the AAA Three-Diamond Inn on Woodlake and $1,116 at The American Club, Wisconsin’s only Forbes Five-Star property.
“Golf Kohler” differs only in terms of stay (two nights versus three) and rounds of golf (three versus four). Play on The Straits – three-time PGA Championship host and 2020 Ryder Cup venue – and The River – recently ranked among Dye’s greatest golf course designs by GOLF.com – is included. Rates begin at $761 at the Inn on Woodlake and $851 at The American Club.
“We’re the only resort in the world featuring four golf courses by Mr. Dye, who is widely regarded as the greatest architect of his generation,” says Dirk Willis, PGA, GM & Group Director – Golf, Kohler Co. “Given the rising popularity of buddy trips and our team’s unrivaled focus on guest service, it’s the perfect time to lock-in one of the Inn on Woodlake’s 10 new multi-bedroom suites.”
Destination Kohler opened the new two- and four-bedroom suites on Jan. 1, after a year-long expansion project. All feature a central common area with a large flat screen TV and fireplace, plus kitchenette with beverage refrigerator, dishwasher, microwave, coffee maker and sink. Bedrooms are configured with either two twins or one king bed and feature a large flat screen TV, minifridge, coffee maker and private bathroom with double vanity and walk-in KOHLER© shower. A patio extends the floor plan of some of the four-bedroom models.
The boutique Inn on Woodlake also boasts an updated and more spacious lobby. The central common space, or Atrium, will continue to offer complimentary breakfast to guests, and has been expanded to now include a cocktail bar and a patio with direct access to the popular putting green overlooking Wood Lake.
To book, please call 866.446.5170. Groups of 12 or more are invited to ask about Ultimate Buddy Trip options. Favorites include Ryder Cup-inspired tournaments and pairing parties, special happy hours, 19th hole celebrations, team shirts, locker room name plates, and logoed tee gifts.
For more information: DestinationKohler.com, 866.446.5170.
The Kohler Co. Hospitality & Real Estate profile includes The American Club, boasting the first and only Forbes Five-Star hotel property in Wisconsin, and world-renowned championship golf courses Whistling Straits and Blackwolf Run. Acquired in 2004, its sister property, The Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort & Spa in the birthplace of golf, St. Andrews, Scotland, is a AA Five Red Star property and recognized as one of the most luxurious resorts in the world.
Herb Kohler created Kohler Co.’s Hospitality & Real Estate Group with the reclamation of The American Club, the first and only Forbes Five-Star hotel in Wisconsin, and then built world-renowned championship golf courses, The Straits at Whistling Straits and The River at Blackwolf Run. The resort is named one of the three best golf resorts in North America by Golf Digest. Kohler Waters Spa is the only Forbes Five-Star spa in Wisconsin and one of only 56 in the world. The resort features 12 dining establishments from the Four-Star Immigrant to traditional pub fare at Horse & Plow and rustic country gourmet at River Wildlife. The resort is located in the Village of Kohler, Wisc., one hour north of Milwaukee and two-and-a-half north of Chicago.
Todd Weber, Communications Director-Product Public Relations
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Equilibrium – Moment of Force
by Jules Mills
Part One – Impulse and Momentum
“I guess I’ll see you around?”
Grace looked up through misty eyes from her packing, the quiet words bringing her out of some silent debate. It had not yet occurred to her that leaving would mean leaving her new friend. She stopped and looked up at the tall, beautiful, mahogany-haired woman filling her doorway.
“Are you heading out to sea?”
“Probably, after I check out those two companies with Rachel.”
Grace nodded, the urge to cry pressing against her chest. What a terrible ending to the best week of her life, she thought. Dana’s thoughts were traversing the same lines.
“When will you be back?”
Dana shrugged. “I haven’t thought that far ahead.”
“Oh.” She turned her attention to the zipper on her suitcase.
“Here, let me help with that,” Dana said, walking over and grabbing the handle. She waited by the front door while Grace made a survey of the house. She checked the windows, and the stove, even though it had not been used in a week–anything that could go wrong. She felt as if she were forgetting something and then, looking at the woman holding her suitcase, she realized what it was, and wanted to cry even more.
The jet-black bird dog was sitting on the front stoop when they came out, and followed them to Grace’s Jeep. “You’re welcome to stay here if you need to.”
“No, thanks, we’ll be fine.”
“Can I give you two a lift?” Dr. Wilson asked, fidgeting with her keys, hesitant to leave.
“Grace, you need to get going. We’re not in a hurry.” Dana looked at her watch. Goodbyes were foreign to her, and she could tell they were not something she was going to like much. “Have a safe trip. And I hope everything works out for your dad.” Dana opened the car door for her and bit her lip while she waited for the young woman to climb in.
Grace nodded and climbed up into the Jeep. Dana hoped that she had said all the right things. She felt horrible about having kept Grace away from her family all week, and an ache began to form in her heart.
Grace told herself it was way too early in the relationship to expect Dana to want to come with her, especially under such awful circumstances. Still, she longed for her company, her companionship. And now, knowing that the time she had with her friend was ending and that she might not see her again, she needed her even more. Bravely, she put the keys in the ignition and slipped her driving glasses out of the visor and onto her face. Dana slammed the door closed as Grace started the engine.
“You should fill up your tank with ethanol–you’re low.” Dana pointed to the gauge.
The fact that the tall con was looking out for her only made the angst grow stronger. Dana leaned forward and placed a gentle, lingering kiss on Grace’s lips. They stared at each other for a moment.
“Goodbye, Grace,” Dana said and pulled back.
Grace backed her car out onto the dirt road. She held up a hand to wave, a lump forming in her throat. My God, she thought, I think I’m going to die.
She would have, too–run off the road into a ditch–as tears filled her eyes, if Rip had not started running after the Jeep, barking ferociously. Dana ran after the dog, watching her nip at the tires. Grace slammed on her brakes, coming to a skidding halt, a dusty cloud flying into the air.
Rip was sitting by the car door, panting up at the bewildered doctor, when Dana reached the vehicle. Grace opened the door to get out, but before she could, the dog had jumped up across her lap and settled herself into the back seat next to the suitcase.
“Looks like I lost both of my sailing mates.”
Grace slid out of her seat and stood in front of her tall, dogless friend. “I would hate to split you two up.”
“A better offer was bound to surface sooner or later.”
“Will you miss her?”
“Of course. I don’t sail with just anyone. They have to be pretty special, and, well, that bitch surely is special.”
Grace was sure Dana was not speaking entirely about the dog by the way her eyes darted around, especially when Grace took the weathered hands into her own.
“Is that what I am, a better offer?” She caught Dana’s pale blue eyes with her Crayola greens and held her gaze like a serpent its prey.
Dana had no idea how to explain her feelings at that moment, had anyone asked. The dread and the impending double loss were draining her soul, and she would drop to her knees in the next few seconds if Grace did not drive away soon.
“Have you ever been to Kentucky, Dana?”
She shook her head. “No.”
A quirky smile. “Do you want to join us?”
I would go anywhere with you, she thought. Her “yes” was returned by a brilliant smile.
After picking up some things for Dana from the boat–her computer, decent music, and clothes–they headed West. They drove through the dwindling Appalachians, across Jersey, Pennsylvania, the tip of West Virginia, and Ohio, through the Bluegrass and horse farms of Eastern Kentucky, across half of the state to a small town southeast of Louisville called Cox’s Creek.
They had taken turns driving through the night, despite the fact that Dana did not have a license. Being in the DMV database was like giving away your firstborn, Dana had explained. Dana picked the music, even allowing a few Madonna tracks into the lineup once in a while. Other than the moments she sensed Grace slipping into deep worry, Dana enjoyed the trip, as well as the company.
Nineteen hours later they pulled into the small town. The deciduous trees lining the road had given up their leaves, which speckled the yards with reds, oranges, and yellows. When they pulled into the driveway of the doctor’s childhood home, it appeared that the Wilson home was a daycare center.
“Good, Joy’s here!” Grace exclaimed. A blue extended van filled the driveway, and four boys of various ages–all blond, blue-eyed, and impish–scampered across the front yard, whipping what appeared to be acorns at each other. One acorn thrown high pelted the windshield, startling Grace.
“Little shit,” Grace said. She had barely turned off the ignition before flying out of the car. Swiping a handful of seeds from the grass, she began pelting the oldest of the boys.
“Yippee! Aunt Grace is here!” one of the boys screamed. “Get her!” another yelled, and all of the boys converged on her at once, whipping her with the little demon seeds in the back and ass. Joy trounced out the front door to find out what all of the commotion was about. When she saw it was her sister, she stooped to the ground and picked up a handful of acorns and began whipping her as well. Rip was soon in the middle of the pack, barking at the boys, but they ignored her persistent yapping. Dana whistled, pulling the dog back to her by the car.
Soon the boys were out of ammo and resorted to wrestling. Grace was on the ground, with all four little squirts giving her noogies and pinches, giggling all the while.
“Okay, boys, that’s enough. You know Aunt Grace will pee her pants if she laughs too hard.”
That merely gave the boys incentive, and they started to tickle her. Grace squirmed until she felt the uncomfortable pressure and began to panic. “Get them off, Joy–quick!”
Joy pulled the boys off like ticks, one by one, until Grace lay drained, breathing heavily.
“Never do that to a woman who hasn’t had a pit stop in four hours.” She took Joy’s extended arm and pulled herself to her feet. “That was so close.”
Joy laughed and then hugged her sister, pulling her into her plump body and kissing her on the cheek. They whispered inaudibly so that Dana, who was beginning to remove their bags from the Jeep, could not hear.
“I want you to meet someone,” Grace said, leading her sister by the hand to the car. “Dana, this is my sister, Joy,” she said when they reached the tall outsider.
Dana turned, wiping her damp palm on her pants leg before offering it. Instead of taking her hand, Joy pulled her into a welcoming hug.
“Anyone that Chipmunk actually brings home has got to be special…ah, shee-it, Matthew, put Grandma’s flowers back in that pot right now,” she scolded the youngest of the blonde elves.
“Chipmunk,” Dana mouthed at her friend. She received a swat in return.
“Mom should be here any minute. Then we’re going to the hospital. You can ride along with us–there’s plenty of room.”
“Okay.” Grace was tired of driving. “Where is Daddy?”
“Aubudon.”
“But he prefers Jewish.”
“I know, but his doctor prefers Humana.”
“What do you think about his doctor?”
“Grace, I wish you had called. Dad’s not as bad as Mom lets on. He’s coming home tomorrow.”
“But Mom said–”
“–Gracie, come on. Mom wants you home.”
“I was so worried. Shit.” She was about to cry. “I hate when she does this.” Tears of relief and anger were collecting in her eyes. Joy put her arm around her sister’s shoulder and squeezed.
“Where’s Mom now?”
“Having her hair done.”
“Ah, shit,” Grace said, laughing and crying at the same time, wiping the tears from her cheeks with her hand. “I can’t believe I fell for it again.”
Dana examined the sisters in detail. They were very similar physically, yet different. Joy was at least fifty pounds heavier than Grace but with the same blonde hair, green eyes, dimples, and laugh. Joy smiled more and had an easy confidence that came, perhaps, with her elder status, or simply from accepting herself. Grace was confident, but it stemmed more from accomplishment and competition. She had a scrappy confidence, Dana decided.
She followed the women into the house and realized they had the same walk, except that Joy wobbled a little. Both talked with their hands and touched when they spoke to a person. Dana found herself liking Joy immediately and sat with her, talking, while Grace made a much-needed trip to the bathroom.
“I take it you’re the reason Grace finally took a vacation,” Joy said, placing a tall glass of iced tea in front of Dana.
Dana nodded, and then, uncontrollably, pulled a face when she tasted the bitter liquid.
Joy laughed. “Mom likes it strong. I think she brews it in one of Daddy’s old Army boots.”
Grace came into the kitchen behind Dana, who was sitting at the kitchen table, and rested her hands on the wide shoulders.
“You didn’t warn her,” Joy said pointedly to her sister.
Grace saw the tall glass of brown liquid. “Sorry, forgot about that stuff.” She rubbed the shoulders under her hands, then went to the sink and filled a glass with tap water and handed it to Dana. “Go ahead. You can drink the water here, and it’s always good and cold.”
Dana took a sip. She was surprised that it tasted as good as any bottled water she had had. Grace filled a glass for herself and sat down between the two women. Joy was watching both her sister and Dana closely, smiling all the while, yet staring mischievously.
Then she chuckled. “This is going to be such an interesting visit, Chipmunk.”
“Somethin’ caught your eye, dear?” Faith Wilson asked the bewildered Greek woman who had been staring out the front passenger-side window.
“I’ve never seen so much road kill in my life.”
“That ain’t road kill in these parts, Dana–that there’s dinner,” Joy explained as she drove. The four children in the back seat giggled.
“Keep your eyes on the road, Crashly,” Grace chastised, clearly embarrassed by the joke. Dana had noticed that since her mother had arrived, Grace had barely spoken more than one- or two-word sentences, if you could call them that. Dana wrote it off as one of those family-dynamic things. Still, she looked back at her friend and noticed a crease burrowing between her eyes, serious contemplation occurring in that brilliant mind. Losing a family member, especially someone Grace regarded so highly, would be devastating. Dana knew this.
“Hey, Ma, that one’s a possum.”
“Yum-yum. Remember where it is, Mark, so we can stop on the way home,” Joy teased.
“Knock it off,” Grace said crossly as the boys giggled. “We don’t really eat road kill,” she explained to Dana.
“Don’t mind Grace,” Joy said. “I got the sense of humor, she got the brains, and, well, Dick got all the testosterone. Most of it, anyway,” she added with a giggle.
Faith gave her older daughter a warning look, the one where her left eye drooped and her upper lip curled up. Quite frightening, by Joy’s sudden sullenness.
“What do you do for a living?” Faith asked Dana. “You aren’t a peace officer as well, are you?”
“No, ma’am, I am most definitely not a peace officer.”
“That’s a relief.” Faith looked at Grace before turning back to Dana. “What do you do?”
Dana could see that Faith had found her focus, and she was going to have to answer her sooner or later.
“She’s a seafaring ocean bum,” Grace offered, to tick her mother off, which was most unhelpful to Dana.
Dana shot her a look. “Lately, I’ve been designing software applications that simulate how certain compounds react with the human body in order to replace animal testing in drug research.”
“Oh, I like her,” Joy said with an appreciative smile.
“You’re a computer programmer.” Faith sighed.
“Sometimes. It’s not my specialty.”
“You should see the program, Joy. It’s fabulous.” Grace had decided to help.
“Me too,” Mark said, and then the other three boys repeated their big brother’s response.
A few minutes later, the van pulled into the crowded parking lot of Audubon Hospital. Joy made three trips through the aisles until she found a spot close enough to satisfy her mother. When she finally stopped, the kids grabbed their coloring books and crayons and clamored out of the car.
“Look, Gracie–Richard’s truck.” Faith pointed to a large, white, dual-tired Dodge pickup truck with red pinstripes, a few spaces over from the van. “Richard’s here!” she said with a wide smile.
“Whee,” Joy muttered, as her feet dropped to the pavement.
“Richard is your brother?” Dana asked quietly.
“Yeah, and a word of warning: I love my brother, but he has about as much charm as a skunk’s ass.”
Dana volunteered to wait in the lobby with the four boys, who behaved remarkably well–for four boys. Matthew, the three-year-old and the one with the shortest attention span, was, understandably, the hardest to keep entertained. Luke and Jonah, the six-year-old twins, played Tic-Tac-Toe several hundred times, while the oldest read a Hardy Boys mystery. Dana kept Matthew busy by drawing cartoon figures and then letting him color them in. Bugs Bunny was completely lime-green, and Sylvester was pink and purple. When she ran out of pictures, she showed him how to make paper airplanes, which wound up all over the lobby. The other boys joined in after the first few flights. When Joy returned, an hour later, Matthew was babbling about wanting to be a fighter pilot when he grew up. Most of the adults waiting in the lobby simply wanted him to grow up somewhere else.
“Thanks for entertaining the kids,” Joy said, not having expected to be able to spend time with her father. The fact that none of the boys had a single injury impressed her immensely. “Grace wants to stay and talk to the doctors, so Dick is going to drive her and Mom home.” She entwined Dana’s arm within her own and began walking them toward the hospital exit. “Come on, boys, we have to go find that possum.”
“Can I pop it this time, Mommy?” Luke asked.
Oh, my God, Dana thought, as the automatic doors whooshed open.
Faith Wilson bluntly told Dana to stay out of the kitchen. Only she herself, Joy, and Grace were allowed in during dinner preparation. That made Dana suspicious as to what exactly the meat at dinner was going to be and where that opossum had ended up. The isolation also left Dana with Dick and Noah, Joy’s husband. Noah was as tall as Dana. Fair-haired and blue-eyed, he had freckles peppering his fair skin, and he wore tortoise-shelled glasses.
“So, how are tricks?” Dick, a male version of Grace and Joy, asked his brother-in-law.
Noah sipped at a green bottle of Rolling Rock beer and reclined on the couch. “Same as always.”
“What do you do?” Dana asked the tall man the question of the day.
“I teach chemistry at County High School.”
“What are your chances this year?” Dick interrupted.
“I coach the boys’ varsity basketball team,” Noah explained in his soft-spoken way. He turned to his brother-in-law. “I won’t know until after tryouts next week.”
“That Chapman kid’s a senior this year.”
“Yes, but he’s ineligible.”
“He can’t pass math.”
“So what! I couldn’t pass math either, but I played.” Dick stood up and shook his head with disgust as he walked into the kitchen for a beer.
“I can’t believe you won’t let him play,” he said when he returned.
“Don’t you think being able to add is more important than basketball?” Dana inquired.
“Nooooh. He can hire an accountant for that. This is basketball country,” he explained to Dana, “not algebra land.”
“I like your truck,” Noah said, changing the subject. “Who did the paint job?”
“I did it, two weekends ago.” He turned to the tall woman, who wanted desperately to be somewhere else. “What do you think about it?”
“It’s big. Do you use it for towing horses or a boat?”
“Nooooh. Geez, where’d Grace find her?” he asked the schoolteacher.
“What are those extra wheels for, then? Are they training wheels?”
Noah spit out his beer and began to choke while Dick’s face turned red.
“Nooooh,” he said irritatingly slowly. “It’s a dooly.”
“A dooly?” she repeated as slowly. “And you have it for what, killing two opossums with one pass?”
Noah choked again. “Excuse me,” he squeaked out before escaping into the kitchen.
A second later, Grace came out of the kitchen, drying her hands with a dishtowel. She looked at Dana and smiled. “Dana, I need you to go Krogering with me.”
“Okay,” Dana said, jumping to her feet with enthusiasm, even though she had no idea what the hell Grace was talking about. She hoped it did not have anything to do with road kill or monster trucks.
The patriarchless family sat around the dining room table eating what Faith Wilson claimed was Southern fried chicken and corn bread. Dana was trying to decide when exactly would be the best time to feign illness when Mark, the oldest boy, who was sitting next to her, spoke.
“Why do you have numbers on your hand?”
Dana looked down at the tattoo, as did everyone else at the table. She was about to answer him when Grace answered for her.
“They’re her phone number, Mark, so she doesn’t forget it.”
Dana looked at her friend, stunned.
“What if she moves?” Luke asked.
Dana looked at Grace for the answer to that one. Didn’t think this through, did you, Doctor? she thought to herself.
“Then she has this one crossed out and another one put on.”
Dana rubbed her forehead, hoping that this would not go on much longer.
“What, is she stupid or somethin’?” Mark said and began to work a bone with his mouth.
Again, Dana looked to Grace.
“No, Mark, Dana is not stupid,” Joy said, giving her sister a wary look. “But she does pick stupid friends sometimes.”
Dana cleared her throat. “It’s an identification number for a place where I lived with lots of other people. It’s how they kept track of me.”
“Like at Wal-Mart,” Mark chirped, as he snapped the cartilage of the chicken leg with his teeth.
“Wal-Mart?” his father asked.
“Yeah, Billy Huffy’s mom works at Wal-Mart, and she says that everything has its own number and that’s how they know which shelf to put it on.”
Dana smiled at the boy. “Yeah, Mark, it’s just like at Wal-Mart.”
Noah patted his eldest on the head. “Dana, Joy tells me you’re a computer programmer.”
A nod as she ate her salad.
“What language do you write in?”
“IDNO, mostly, but it depends on the project and the graphics.”
“Do you free-lance? Or are you corporate?”
“Free-lance.”
“I teach TBD to some kids after school.”
“Maybe after dinner, dear, you can show Noah some of your work,” Faith offered, looking at Dana.
Dana did not like the way Faith had said “dear.” It gave her the eerie sensation that Faith might be meaning “deer” and fantasizing herself behind the wheel of Dick’s Dodge dooly with Dana caught in her headlights.
After dinner Dana placed her laptop on the dining room table with the adults gathered around the screen while Noah tried out the Imma program. “Wow, what a network you must have created,” he said.
Dana reached over and opened up a parallel window showing the program workings past the user interface. The visible code scrolled on its own while the program ran.
“I took the normal chemical reactions necessary to sustain a healthy body and fused them based on statistical characterizations and probabilitical reasoning to create the basic algorithms for the program. Then I introduced the abnormal chemistry of illness and labeled the evidence as active or passive inside this statistical framework of the algorithms I had created. Then the active and passive data are combined in the Bayesian network. A probabilistic reasoning program interprets the data over a time frame and makes decisions as to what reactions the body may have.”
“So it’s crucial that you have the proper belief propagation?”
“Absolutely. But microbiologists have chronicled most illnesses, at least the ones I have incorporated into the program, so that’s not a real problem.”
“Ha, it’s only as good as modern medical science,” Dick said.
“Maybe not even that good, because I have to interpret the chemistry and then write the variable and algorithm properly to describe the reaction as a function for the computer to understand.”
“Where do you get your information?” Joy asked.
“The Net and books, primarily. The Merck Company has several online databases for microbiologists and organic chemists.”
“Let me try,” Joy said, nudging her husband slightly. He moved off the chair, and Joy slipped into it. Dana showed her the animal programs, and she spent the rest of the evening exploring them, cooing at the accuracy of the veterinary programs. When Dana left the room to snatch a beer, Joy leaned toward her sister and told her bluntly, “I don’t know where you found her, but with that body and those breasts…brains, you’d be a fool to let her get away.”
Part Two – Conservation of Momentum
The next morning, as the family prepared for Dr. Wilson’s homecoming, relations between mother and daughter headed south.
“Look, Mom, I’m not ready for this!” Grace yelled.
“But your father expects you–”
“–But I don’t know if I want to take over Daddy’s practice.”
Faith’s lips began to purse and her right eye began to twitch.
Grace grunted angrily. I hate that fucking look, she thought to herself. Joy walked through the doorway to the living room, caught one look of her mother’s conniption, and abruptly turned back into the kitchen.
“Chipmunk’s in big trouble now,” she whispered to Dana. “Let’s go for a walk,” she said, grasping Dana by the arm and leading her out the screen door to the back yard.
“Will they be okay?” Dana looked over her shoulder in concern.
“They do this all the time. Seems like since the day Gracie popped her head out of Mom’s uterus, they’ve been arguing ’bout somethin’.”
“Grace can be determined when she wants something.”
Joy chuckled and smiled knowingly. “So, how did you two meet?”
“Grace picked me up one night off the side of the road.”
“No way. Gracie was cruising?”
“Oh, yeah, I think she does it all the time, although she’ll deny it. She met her last girlfriend in the car too. She tries to claim it was a speeding ticket that brought the two together.”
Joy stared at Dana, completely stunned, a bit of fear for her sister lingering in that look.
“Actually, Joy, I was bleeding from a fight I had been in in a bar, and she stopped to administer me first aid.”
“Now that sounds like Chipmunk.”
Dana chuckled.
“How’s her bedside mannah?”
“Good, I guess. I haven’t had that many doctors.”
Joy began to laugh at the innocent answer. Dana stopped walking when she realized Joy’s actual question. Her new private life–what little there was–was not something she was used to talking about. “What has Grace told you?”
“That it’s none of my business and that I am a latent homosexual who lives vicariously through her woman-woman relationships.”
Dana laughed, picturing her friend saying just such a thing. “Well, then, considering Grace’s current position, I will have to decline any further conversation on the matter.”
“Good answer,” Joy said, bending over to pick up a twig from the yard.
“What are they arguing about?”
“Grace doesn’t want to come back and take over Daddy’s practice. The problem is that it’s a family duty. She’s the doctor and gets the dubious honor. Besides, they paid for her degree; they think it’s their right to demand how she uses it.”
“But she doesn’t want the practice.”
“Gracie is not ready. She’s not even thirty yet. And on top of it, she has a bit of a reputation in Cox’s Creek that Mom and Daddy aren’t ready to accept.”
“A reputation?”
“Yeah, she had an affair with the prom queen and several of the cheerleaders when she was in high school. A lot of people knew about that, and in a Bible Belt that hasn’t loosened a notch in the past fifty years, it’s a problem. Mom still thinks it’s a phase. And you’re an anomaly. Grace has never brought home any of the women she’s involved with.”
The slap of the back door screen drew the women’s attention to the house. Grace had stormed out, angry and cursing under her breath.
“Watch your mouth, Grace,” Joy scolded. “There’s young ‘uns around.”
“Sorry,” Grace said as she reached Dana and her sister. “She just makes me so pissed.”
“You do the same to her, you know,” Joy said plainly. “Why don’t you take Dana down to the frog pond,” she suggested, pointing with her stick into the woods. “Show her how beautiful the country is.”
“Frog pond!” little voices cheered from the swing set. Then came the patter of sneakers across grass. “Can we go with you too, Aunt Gracie?”
Aunt Gracie looked to her friend, who shrugged. It did not matter to her if they came along.
“Yahoo! Let’s go get the gigs.”
“Gigs?” Dana asked.
“Long forks to spear the frogs with,” Joy explained.
“Why would they do that?”
“They’re going to catch us dinner,” Joy said as she patted the long arm next to her.
Grace spent the next two weeks meeting her father’s medical obligations by keeping his office functioning, reviewing the insurance paperwork, and seeing his patients. Richard Wilson did not venture to the office until his third week home and stayed only a few hours at a time. During this period, Dana kept to herself in her room or went for walks with the boys. While Joy was tending to sick cows, sheep, cats, dogs, and birds in her office or on surrounding farms, Faith watched the boys. Only Matthew was home all day; the others were at school. Matthew had a tendency to break anything nice that Grandma left within reach. This included her Siamese cat, who scatched him several times. Dana did not care much for the cat and kept her door closed as much as possible to keep it away.
When the older boys came home, it became Dana’s responsibility to keep them occupied outside so as not to upset Poppy until Joy or Noah arrived to take them home.
When she was alone, she stayed in her room away from Faith, working on her simulation programs as well as searching the Net for new technical postings. Every day there were new theories or studies being shared or offered for help or critique. Like most techs, she was always interested in new perspectives. Lately she had noticed a series of postings, all written by the same author, which on one level explained new theories and proposed results. However, underneath the style of the writing, Dana found inconsistencies in the physics as well as serious mathematical errors. She knew that many research facilities used the postings when they themselves were stalled, much like the Yale group, and many times found answers to their problems. This writer was calculating and subtle about the misinformation he or she was posting, and this irritated Dana. When she untangled the erroneous calculations, she would post her own counter findings. The total over the past six months had been thirteen faulty theories by this author, and over the past six months, none of the postings had been retracted.
Grace returned later each night, as more patients began to come to her. But the first thing she did each evening was to seek out Dana, whom she usually found in the room that Faith had assigned to the dark-haired woman. Dana usually sat by the wall phone jack for her downloads and remained there with her back to the wall, the only light coming from her screen. Sometimes Dana was sleeping or stretched out on the bed thinking about a problem or equation, or what it would be like to get past her sexual insecurities and take Grace to town.
They would talk for a few minutes; however, any sexual connection or prolonged kissing would be interrupted by a beckoning from Faith. After dinner Grace and her father would retire to his study to talk shop. By the fourth week, Dana was so desperate to spend time with Grace, she took up jogging in the morning just to be with her. She thanked her long legs for making the sacrifice bearable. But Grace barely spoke when she ran, some inner turmoil keeping her mind elsewhere. Dana was afraid to come out and demand time, despite the need. She had learned early that she had no right to demand anything from anyone. She was determined to be happy with what was offered.
So, when Grace showed up that Wednesday at noon, Dana was startled out of a deep thought pertaining to a certain blonde doctor in her underwear in the cabin of her boat. Her eyes were closed, and Grace was not sure if she was sleeping, long fingers entwined behind a thick, dark head of hair. Grace closed the door softly behind herself, but the noise caused Dana to open her eyes and face the sound.
“Shhh,” Grace said, holding her finger to her lips. She tiptoed over to the bed and climbed astride the long legs.
Dana let her hands roam up the strong thighs that were wrapped around her hips, the daydream controlling her actions. Grace leaned forward and let her upper body barely brush the one below her.
“What are you thinking about?” Grace whispered, their mouths close. Dana let her hands roam up to the top of the blonde’s inner thighs.
“You,” she whispered back before reaching up to capture the lips of the elusive doctor. Her prize was pulled back and out of reach.
Dana growled her frustration. I’m going to die, she thought, unconsciously quickening the strokes.
Grace looked down at the beautiful features and dark hair sprawled out on the quilt. Her own hair was pulled away from her face in a professional manner, but still she could have passed for no older than twenty.
Dana continued the caresses, watching the movement of her hands intensely. All she had to do was go a little higher, unfasten the button of the slacks, and….
“Gracie?” Faith called loudly from the kitchen. Dana’s hands slid off the warm slacks and fell to the bed.
“Yes, Mom!” she bellowed back through the door and down the hallway.
“Y’all want some lunch?”
“No, Mom, we’re going out for lunch.” Grace turned to Grace and whispered, “How does she know I’m here? I parked three houses down and snuck in the back door.”
“Are we really going out?” Dana could barely contain her glee. She sat up and gave Grace a long, deep kiss.
“Wow!” Grace smiled, noticing the sudden glimmer in the pale blue eyes. Then it dawned on her how little time they had spent together over the past month. “You aren’t having much fun, are you?”
Dana looked at her quizzically, wondering if she was supposed to be enjoying it.
“It’s blue.”
Grace looked up over her plate, her small mouth stuffed with food. Dana waited for her to chew and swallow.
“It’s supposed to be blue.” They were seated at a window table of the Brown Bag, just a half-mile from the University of Louisville. A seemingly endless line of patrons slid past them, ordering sandwiches and homemade potato chips. The lunch crowd had not yet thinned, and it was already two-thirty.
Dana’s dark eyebrows shot up into her bangs. “In prison, if your food was blue, it usually was a good idea not to eat it.”
“You ain’t in prison no more, Doc,” Grace drawled.
Warily, after having been fed frog legs, she bit into the sandwich.
“Well, do you like?”
Dana wiped her lips with a napkin. She could not quite decide if she liked the tangy concoction. “It’s different.” Then she downed most of a bottle of water, trying to rid her mouth of greasy bacon residue.
“Is there anything you actually like to eat besides asparagus?”
Dana scratched her chin to emphasize that she was thinking hard. “Peppermint-stick ice cream, but it’s been a few years.”
“Never had it, but I bet I would find it ‘different.'”
“And I would like to get you flat on your back for a few hours,” Dana said, deciding that she would try the chips and leave the sandwich to live its own life.
Grace looked around to see how many people had heard Dana’s uncharacteristic remark. “I want to take you somewhere tonight,” Grace said as she finished Dana’s sandwich. “I think you’ll really like it. Live music, great beer, and it’s very dark.”
“It’s not flute music?”
“Would I do that to you, Dana?”
“In that case, it sounds great.”
“I invited my brother and sister to join us.”
“You invited Dick-uh?” she complained, rolling her eyes. “Do I have to go?”
Grace scowled, truly upset.
“It’s just that….” How do you tell someone that you hate their beloved brother, their twin?
“Stay home, Dana. My mistake.”
Boy, could Grace hold a grudge. She had changed her mind about spending the afternoon together in Louisville and dropped Dana off at the house after driving home in impenetrable silence. She spent the afternoon at the office with her father, who was back at work three-quarters time. Dana found the corner of her room and downloaded an old file she had put away for several months, and spent her lonely hours playing out scenarios in the Nanoverse.
The doctors returned at dinnertime. Dana was still planted on the floor, her back against the wall, silver-rimmed glasses halfway down her nose, when she heard the muffled noises. She had not noticed the room darken, having engrossed herself in debugging a new self-replication program she had finally finished. She could hear Grace and her father laughing with the same deep belly laugh. The house smelled of freshly baked bread and a roasting chicken, but Dana was not hungry. And it hurt that Grace had not come immediately to find her.
Dana had been wondering for some time if she had worn out her welcome with all of the Wilsons. She missed the ocean; that was something she could have told Grace she liked. Why was communicating so difficult? She forced her thoughts to her boat. It needed scraping and painting, and the inboard was due for an overhaul. She began to plan the hard physical work that would give her something to do when Grace finally sent her away.
She listened closely to the familiar sound of her friend padding down the hallway, past her door, and into the bathroom. The water hissed through the pipes in the wall, and off-key humming came from the shower just beyond the drywall and tiles.
“Dana, you in here?” Grace poked her wet head into the dark room.
“Over here,” she said, trying to stand on comatose legs.
“Why is it so dark in here?” Grace flipped on the overhead.
The bright light made Dana’s eyes ache and water. She pulled the glasses off her face and put them in her shirt pocket, all the while trying to blink into focus.
“It’s dinnertime.”
She was going to beat Grace to the punch. “I was thinking that you don’t plan to head back soon. I should head home.”
Grace stared at her for a moment. “Dinner’s ready,” she answered curtly and walked out of the room.
Dana picked at her food, her stomach twisted up in more knots than a two-year-old’s slinky. No words passed between the two young people. Grace still talked, conversing with her father, and even her mother, but she would not even look in Dana’s direction. Then, after dinner, Grace left.
“What the hell are we doing here?” Dana asked Rip as the two walked down the road. Rip looked at her with round, sad eyes. “Do you want to go home?” The dog looked up again. By nine-forty-five she had finally made her decision.
By ten-thirty Richard Wilson had dropped her off in downtown Louisville. Dana thanked him quickly and headed to the entrance of the gray stone building. “I hope I’m doing the right thing,” she mumbled to herself as she trudged up the stone steps.
She filtered in with a group of young men dressed in red sweaters and white turtlenecks, their hair cropped short. Once in, she was forced to choose to go up more stairs or to the left and down another set. She decided to follow the pack and went to the left, ending up in the right place.
Joy was giggling at the debate between her siblings. Grace was trying to explain to Dick that being a gynecologist for the reasons he proposed would go against the Hippocratic Oath. He vehemently disagreed, claiming that one should thoroughly enjoy one’s work. Noah was working his way to the bar for refills and losing the battle against the river of red and white.
Dana spied the golden heads at a table up front by the musician, a pasty woman with long red ringlets and metallic gold pants. She was playing a keyboard and singing sad, moody blues tunes.
Grace’s back was to her, but Dana could tell she was talking, her hands moving for emphasis. It was Joy who spied the tall ex-con first. Their eyes met, and then an endearing smile slid to Joy’s face. A moment later, Dick’s eyes, the same green as his sisters’, met hers, but his expression, as expected, was not one of welcome. Finally, the young doctor turned to see what had stolen their attention from her. Dana would not describe it as the glee she had hoped to see, but it was not the disgust she had imagined. She took a deep breath and exhaled. Grace was headed her way.
“Dana? What are you doing here?”
“I have to talk to you.”
“Did you come to say goodbye?”
Grace’s stomach unclenched. “You changed your mind?”
Dana nodded. Grace automatically touched her arm.
“But I have to tell you something, and I think I have to do it now before I lose my nerve.”
Grace’s stomach tightened again. “What?” she inquired when her friend paused. Since Dana appeared hesitant to answer, Grace led her to a space by the wall, out of the sea of people.
“Grace, it’s…I mean….” Suddenly she realized she had no idea how to discuss her feelings.
Grace was confused and concerned, and trying to read Dana’s stoic expressions for clues was a waste of time. “You’re giving me an ulcer making me wait. What’s up?” she demanded impatiently, and a little roughly.
“This is hard for me, Grace,” Dana explained defensively, biding her time. God, she wanted to kiss those pouting lips. Actions did speak louder than words, right? Grace crossed her arms to cover her anxiety. “I do want to go home, Grace, but I don’t want to go anywhere without you. And I don’t want to be the reason you leave your family.”
“Dana,” Grace said, shaking her head and averting her eyes.
“And it’s killing me, not getting to be with you.”
Grace continued to shake her head from side to side.
“Say something. Tell me to get lost or that you don’t want to have anything to do with me.”
“No! I’m not going to ever tell you that.” She tightened her grip on Dana’s arm. Tears were filling the corners of her eyes, making them dark emerald-green.
“Can I stay?”
“Hell, yes, you big dumb nano tech.” Grace beamed at her, and Dana’s heart fluttered.
“Will you buy me a beer too?”
“Come on.” She took the larger, calloused hand of her emotionally fumbling friend and led her to the table.
This was going better than she had ever imagined it could, she thought, letting the young doctor guide her. She decided to test her momentum. Dana leaned in to her friend’s ear. “Can I punch your brother if he pisses me off?”
“We’ll see,” she replied, smiling softly with her eyes and lips.
“Hey, it’s tall, dark, and–”
“–Joy!” Grace snapped. “Behave.”
Joy giggled and grabbed an empty chair from a neighboring table, setting it next to the end for her husband for when he finally returned.
Eventually he did, with four yards of ale. When his lovely wife asked him to wade back into the crowd for another he did so with only a roll of his eyes.
“God, he’s pussy-whipped,” Dick said in disgust.
“He’s in love,” Grace told her brother. “You should try it sometime.”
“Love’s bullshit. It’s a convention of royalty, developed to give aristocratic women a goal in their otherwise meaningless existence.”
“Oh, God.” Joy rolled her eyes.
“Roll your eyes all you want, but the whole courtly love thing of soulmates and forever is a big sham thought up by poets and minstrels to seduce women while their lords and knights were away at war.”
“Dick.”
“Yes, Chipmunk.”
The twins challenged each oher for a few seconds, then Dick looked away. “What about you, Nada Papasfritas, what do you think?”
“You’re asking the wrong person.”
“Come on, no prison romances? Ya never snuck a little nooky in a dark corner of the shower room?”
“Shut up, Dick!” Grace snapped.
Dana resisted the urge to kick the chair he was teetering backwards on backwards. “No,” she replied evenly.
“You’re telling me that you went eleven years with no deep-tonguing. Yeah, right.”
“You’re really a pig, Dick,” Joy commented angrily.
“I’m only asking the questions everyone else wants to know but is afraid to say aloud.” He turned to Dana, expecting an answer.
Dana had tensed when she realized Grace had told him about her imprisonment. She knew that Mark’s question about her tattoo had led to more questions among the adults, but she had not been expecting the direct confrontation. He was right; most people were afraid to ask her, and for good reason. The fury was building in her, and he was becoming a target. Then she felt a hand brush her left knee. Grace glared at her brother.
“Shut up, and I mean it!” Grace growled.
Noah came back with his yard of ale and sat next to his wife, draping his free arm around her shoulders. Grace’s hand had begun a gentle stroking of Dana’s thigh for support. Now she knew why Dana had not wanted to come that evening. She did not like Dick too much herself at that moment.
“It’s awfully quiet at this table,” Noah commented. “Did I miss something?”
“I was asking Dana about love, penitentiary-style.”
“Oh.” He looked to his wife and they shared a knowing look that communicated that Dick was living up to his namesake.
“She’s refusing to answer.”
“Good for her,” the schoolteacher replied. “Maybe we should change the subject.”
“To what, Noah? Maybe you want to tell us about the Bible.”
“Only if everyone else does.”
“How about the story of Sodom and Gomorrah?” Dick directed his evil look at Grace.
Noah straightened his glasses.
“Never talk about religion in a bar, Dick,” Joy said.
“Oh, Christ, I can’t decide what I like more when I go to dinner at your house–the Bible-thumping or the plastic dinosaur that gets wedged up my ass every tme I sit down.” He lifted the long yard to his lips and began to spin and drink until it was empty.
Grace leaned in to her friend’s ear. “I’m sorry.”
He put his empty yard down on the table and wiped his mouth with his hand.
“What the hell is wrong with you, Dick?” Grace asked the man whom she no longer recognized. He had changed over the ten years they had been separated when she left for undergraduate school at Yale and he went to the University of Kentucky.
Dick belched. “Let’s talk about religion.”
“Let’s not,” Grace interjected.
“No, no, and let’s start with, oh, let’s see…Nada. Nada, are you Christian?”
“I think we’re going to leave,” Grace said, beginning to stand.
Here was Dana’s chance. Dick had made a big mistake when he had decided to take Dana on in the theology/philosophy department. You don’t hang out with the prison priest for a year without learning a thing or two. “I’m a Basic Transcendentalist.”
“What’s that?” Joy asked.
“Do you know what that is, Dick-uh?” Dana asked.
Dana turned to Joy. “I believe that we are all part of this collective spirit that binds all living things together. This spirit flows through us, and when you shut it out and don’t allow it to flow through you, then you lose the truth and focus, and you become mean and hateful and do bad things.” She looked directly at Dick. “And you make it hard for anyone to love you. But if you have clarity of heart and mind, your actions will only follow, and that allows us to perform miracles of thought and body. Of course, this spirit ebbs and flows through everything, and it is very easy to lose that clarity and shut off the spirit or distort it.”
“Sounds like electricity,” Noah said.
“Sounds like bullshit.”
“I think it’s energy. The driving force of life is based on the electron.”
Joy smiled. “This spirit could be God.”
“Well, sure, Christianity is transcendentalism with the energy personified, although nowadays the personification of God has been thrown by the wayside by many cultures.”
Dick laughed. “Is this your idea?”
“No, I read about it in seventh grade. Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson. Don’t they teach them to English majors down here?”
Grace smiled.
“A transcendentalist believes that moral guidelines exist outside of the mind, as opposed to contrivances of the mind. I think Christ lived exactly the type of life that epitomizes letting the spirit flow and enhancing human existence.”
“Gee, Chipmunk, and I thought you might have found yourself a fellow atheist,” Dick burbled.
Grace looked at her friend and explained, “I’m in that contrivance group.”
“Been an atheist since the Big Wave,” Joy explained. “She wrote an essay about it that got her into Yale.”
“I’m an empiricist, not an atheist,” Grace clarified. “I believe that the reason societies have morals is due to genetic moral propensity passed down generationally based on the pressures of survival. Those people with moral conscience tended to create larger communities where the payoffs were money, status, sex, comfort, health, and food. Basically longevity.”
She sighed, having explained this a million times, it seemed. “All animals live through cycles guided by elaborate instinctual algorithms. Why should we be any different? We need leaders, just like a pack of dogs or nonhuman primates. But humans are emotional, symbol-forming creatures and are not satisfied with raw pack life. They strive to build communities and cultures that are completely rewarding. Luckily, moral sentiment is carried on an identifiable gene on the seventh chromosome. Religion is a derivative of that particular gene and is passed on genetically. Morals are our leaders, providing something to guide the development of human society. We create religion to justify these genetically-instilled ideas of morality. Religion also helps us deal with grief, explain the inexplicable, and commune with the rest of what exists. A similar gene on chromosome three carries one’s tendency toward altruism and has survived throughout human evolution for the same reasons. When people with the genetic propensity to sacrifice themselves for the greater good do so, their genes are more likely to live on in their offspring because of their sacrifice. The loss of the one is offset by the survival of the group.
“So you see, what guides–and has guided–our creation and survival is not some transcendental energy or spiritualism, it is biology.”
A moment of silence.
“I like Dana’s view a lot better,” Joy said.
“Yeah, Gracie, you need to let that energy flow through you,” Noah said.
“Dick, you’re simply a lost cause,” Joy added.
He growled. “So, Nada, I take it you haven’t always practiced what you preach.”
“That’s true.”
“What did you do to land in prison?”
The moment had arrived.
“I killed a man.”
Dick began to laugh uncontrollably. “My God, Chipmunk, Mom’s gonna shit a cinderblock when she gets a hold that you’re shacking up with a freakin’ murderer.”
Dana’s leg began to tremble. Grace slipped her hand to the shaking leg, and it was the only thing restraining Dana from lunging across the table and breaking his windpipe. “I have to go to the ladies’ room,” she finally said through gritted teeth. She stood and quickly left the table so disoriented from opening herself up to Dick’s potshots, she was surprised she had not knocked anyone down on the way. But instead of going to the restroom, she slipped outside, away from people.
Grace looked at her sister.
“Go!” her older sister mouthed.
“Damn,” Dick said, still laughing. “That Dana sure knows how to take the fun out of dysfunctional.”
Part Three – When a body is acted upon by any number of coplanar forces, the forces can always be reduced to two.
Grace panicked when she did not find Dana in the bathroom. She pushed her way through the crowd to the doorway and broke out onto the sidewalk. She saw Dana across the street, a silhouette against the dark sky. She was tall and imposing, even from a distance, standing on the concrete flood wall overlooking the dark Ohio River below.
“I thought you had to take a leak.” Grace approached cautiously from behind.
Dana was lost in her anger, memories of violence so raw and ugly she cringed at them. She had left because she was not sure she could control her rage. If she could have seen her own face, she would not have recognized the deep-violet eyes or the hard expression used to hide the turbulent emotions. Every muscle was tensed and poised for confrontation.
“I hate your brother.”
“That’s okay, as long as you don’t hate me for emotionally bullying you into enduring that fiasco.”
Dana turned, and her face softened. “I could never hate you, Grace.”
Grace strained to look up at the towering woman. Slowly she reached up and ran feather-light touches up Dana’s shins, until she had her fingers wrapped around her knees.
“Come down from there,” she beckoned, gently pulling her forward.
Dana set her large hands on the shoulders below her and eased herself down, brushing the sturdy body as she moved. Grace wrapped her small arms around her protectively and rested her face in her chest. Eventually the tension left Dana’s body and she relaxed into the embrace, resting her own face in the golden hair. They stayed like that a long time.
“I wanted to kill Dick.”
Grace stiffened, then relaxed. “But you didn’t.”
“Too many witnesses.”
“Dana!”
Dana smiled wickedly into the hair. “Maybe just hurt him, then.” Her ass received a slap. Dana hugged her more tightly.
Grace looked up at her friend lovingly. They stood holding each other by the bed in Grace’s room. “Ready for bed, or do you want to talk?”
“I want to hold you, Dana,” she stated plainly.
“You can do that with either option.”
So they held each other and talked for a few hours, and then slept. Old Doc Wilson’s snoring on the other side of the wall was loud enough to vibrate the books off the shelves in Grace’s room and was a constant presence keeping Dana off Grace.
Grace awoke with her arm around the larger woman’s waist and her head resting in the crook of a meaty shoulder. Dana awoke to the gentle stroking of her hair as Grace fingered a loose strand from her eyes. Dana rolled herself onto her side so that she could see her friend’s face. I could wake up to that every morning, she thought to herself. Her young blonde friend’s eyes were slightly puffy but beautiful in the most natural of ways. Grace couldn’t help smiling as she ran her fingertips lightly along Dana’s jaw. Dana let her hand run down the smaller woman’s side, over the faded denim of her Levi’s, until it cupped a round, firm buttock. You can do this, she told herself as Grace moved her body over Dana’s, forcing her onto her back. She slid a thigh between Dana’s legs. The smaller woman arched herself so that she could monitor the reactions of her touches on her soon-to-be lover’s face.
“I’m not going to throw up,” Dana promised softly. She had begun to feel a distancing from those memories. Her hands slid under the back of the doctor’s shirt, and her fingers rode up the deep valley of Grace’s spine until they rested between her shoulder blades. Gently, she pulled the trim body down against her own chest.
Grace lowered her lips to the full ones below hers, her mouth beginning to water at the first brush of softness. She pressed into the lips, sliding and sucking lightly. She felt the hands on her relax and contract, a slight urgency mixed with tenderness. She drifted up for a moment and watched a smile creeping across the lips she had possessed. Satisfied, she was lowering herself to explore more when a knock came at the door. She rolled off the bed to the floor in the blink of an eye and was standing facing the window when her mother walked into the room.
“Grace Louise,” she whispered across Dana, who was feigning sleep. “I want to talk to you–right now.” And she left the room.
“Shit!” Grace mumbled.
Dana sat up and yawned. “Better go see what kind of trouble you’re in now, Chipmunk.”
Chipmunk looked like a naughty pre-teen reluctantly following her mother.
Dana stretched out on the bed, arms and legs sprawled to all four corners. Lazy and relaxed, she felt content. Then Grace stomped back into the room and slammed her door, startling her lazy roommate.
Dana rolled onto her side to watch the rabid Chipmunk pull out her suitcase and toss clothes and shoes into it. She sat up.
“Grace?” she implored.
Fiery eyes flashed to her face and then back to the job of packing. Dana gulped with nervousness. Had Faith freaked when Dick told her about Dana’s crime? She folded and unfolded her fingers several times, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt while she watched.
Finally, Grace sighed in defeat and dropped down on the bed next to Dana. Gingerly, Dana wrapped her arm around the drooping shoulders, and Grace leaned to rest her head against her.
“Are you going to tell me what happened?”
“Double standard.” She patted Dana on the knee. “Get your stuff. We’re hitting the road.” She stood abruptly and emptied her underwear into her bag.
Dana thought it peculiar that both old Doc Wilson and Faith Wilson were nowhere to be found. When they loaded their belongings into the Jeep, she noticed that the Lincoln was gone. Dana whistled for Rip, who came bounding around the corner of the house. She looked eager to take a ride.
“Tired of chasing squirrels already?” Dana asked the smiling dog. She placed Grace’s bag in the small back compartment and zipped the cover closed.
“I have to make one phone call and grab some munchies,” Grace explained to her tall friend as she jogged back into the house. Rip was taking one last sniff around the large magnolia tree in the front yard. Dana was waiting, trying not to worry about Grace’s sudden evacuation drill. She fidgeted with a pocket knife while she leaned against the fender of the Jeep. She’ll tell me when she’s ready, she told herself. Be patient.
Grace returned with a paper sack of food, which she placed on the back seat. “Let’s go, Rip!” she hollered, holding the seat forward for the dog. “You too, beautiful,” she told Dana.
“Not until you tell me what’s going on,” Dana stated. So much for being patient.
Sun shimmered across the golden head as she approached the powerful brunette. She straddled the long legs and slid her arms under the black leather bomber, the smell making her nostrils flare and her head spin. Hooking her thumbs into the back loop of Dana’s jeans, she pulled her body against the warm body of her companion.
“Are you trying to be tough with me, Doc?”
“Only if I have to be.”
“My mom’s being unreasonable.”
“About us?”
“Us. You, me, the bedroom, together.”
“Ahhh, you mean this kind of thing.” Dana grabbed Grace’s hips and spun her against the fender, reversing their positions. She bent down to possess the plump lips with a harsh and passionate kiss. Pulling Grace up on her tiptoes, she ground her hips into the blonde. Urgently, her tongue pressed for entrance into the hot mouth, and Grace welcomed her with a throaty growl as the hot muscle entered and reached for the roof of her mouth. Their tongues played a game of tag while their hands groped and kneaded. They broke apart only long enough to breathe in the dry November air. The dark head dipped again to reclaim her lover’s mouth. Pulling Grace’s right thigh around her, Dana pressed herself harder into her lover.
“We have to stop,” Grace gasped as she turned her head away from the kiss, lips landing on her ear. Her groin burst into flames.
But Dana did not want to stop. She met Grace’s neck with nipping bites and felt Grace’s hips thrust back.
“I don’t want to stop,” Doc groaned desperately, filled with a desire she had never before experienced in all her years.
Grace shivered and tingled with each bite. But it had to stop before it got any more out of hand and old Mrs. Lee next door got more than an eyeful. With her hands on the front of taut abdominal muscles, she moved her lover slowly back. “Get in the car, Doc.”
“I take it we’re heading somewhere specific,” Doc groused while they gained entrance to I-65.
“Have you ever been to Chicago?”
“If it isn’t on the East Coast, I haven’t been there.”
“You’ll love it. They have great food and….” Lips found her neck. “And hotels with big bathtubs and….” She sighed.
The lips stopped. “I think you have a food obsession, Grace.”
Grace laughed.
“And it’s getting worse lately.”
“That’s because I haven’t been laid in over four weeks.”
Dana peered at her over her new Ray-Bans, then took off her leather jacket. It was getting warm in the little car.
“And with the rules my mom set down this morning, I wasn’t going to get any in that house anytime soon. My mom told me that she didn’t mind that I brought you, but if I,” she slipped into a gentle Southern drawl, “intended on carrying on under her roof, I would have to leave. Which really pissed me off because when Joy and Noah were first married, they lived with my folks and were humping like two roaches in a dirty drainpipe.”
“I can’t thank you enough for that image, Grace.” That quenched the fire that had been smoldering in her belly.
“Which? Joy and Noah going at it, or the roaches?”
“I like your sister.”
“Me too, but I don’t want to think about her riding Noah.”
“How far until Chicago?”
“Eight hours.”
Dana moaned. “Please, let’s not talk about sex or food until we’re within ten minutes of the city.”
“Wow! Is this what New York used to be like before the Big Wave?” Dana gawked in wonder as the highway cut through the towering buildings of the city.
“Take this exit.” Grace pointed for Dana, who had commandeered the driver’s seat after much whining. “Why don’t I drive so you can stare without driving us into a semi, huh?”
Dana leered at her, Grace catching a bit of blue iris from the side. She pulled the Jeep to the curb, then climbed out. Walking around the front, she met Grace and bumped her shoulder as a jesting challenge. Grace chuckled as she climbed behind the wheel.
“We’ll just see how tough you are, Doc,” she threatened as she peeled out into traffic.
Grace had chosen the Palmer House to stay in because of its elegance and its location in downtown Chicago. She did not want her seduction of Dana to occur in an ordinary place, because nothing about their situation was ordinary.
Dana strolled through the lobby, craning her head in awe at the architecture and extravagance. She wandered from one corner to the next while Grace checked in at the desk. She had made a phone call while she was raiding her mother’s pantry, securing them a room. It had been a stroke of luck, or destiny perhaps, that she and her mother had had a falling out the night after the Hot Pepper Growers of America Conference had convened, and a day before the Peptic Medicine Convention opened.
“And here’s your key, Dr. Wilson,” the desk clerk added cordially. She rang a bell for the baggage man to take their belongings to their room. Dana looked up from a brochure on Chicago when she heard the ding. Grace remarked to herself how incongruous those spectacles looked on such a virile, statuesque woman; yet, they signified a hidden intellect. Dana slipped the brochure and the glasses into the coat pocket of her leather jacket and hastened over to the bellman to take her computer case away from him.
They followed him into the elevator, Grace sliding behind Dana while the bellman was occupied with pressing the floor button. Standing in back of her, Grace let her eyes roam over the lanky legs of her prey. She memorized the way the faded jeans hugged the round muscles of her rear, contoured to the muscled thighs, loosened at the knees, and grabbed the calves again. Her eyes wandered back up to the bulky leather jacket and the long, dark hair cascading down. Dana turned around, a smile broadening as she shook her head from side to side in amusement. At least the drive had been too long for Grace as well.
They were led to their room and then given a tour around the suite. Bob the Bellman opened the closet doors for them and then the drapes, and turned down the bed covers in the bedroom without batting an eyelash. He pointed out the bathroom, the entertainment facility, and the phone-link system, and…Grace handed him a twenty-dollar bill and closed the door behind him.
“Like I care what channel we can…oomph.” Dana’s lips had smashed against hers, stopping all conversation as well as any thoughts about television. She found herself pressed against the heavy oak door, a tongue desperately insisting upon entering her mouth. She allowed entrance and it slipped in hot and quick. An involuntary groan rumbled in her chest, and she draped her arms around Doc’s neck. She caught the tongue between her teeth and sucked hard, drawing a throaty groan from her lover.
Long, dexterous fingers traced the plump, firm breasts through the rag sweater. Finding that unsatisfactory, the hands slid under the hem of the obtrusive clothing and inched up the taut torso over ribs and muscles until they cupped the rounded breast. She rubbed the nipples insistently with her palms. Grace gasped as index fingers came down to thumbs and pinched and tugged her nipples.
Dana did not want to give up the warm mouth she was exploring, but she consoled herself with the fact that she could always return after tasting all of the other places she had craved for weeks–her whole lifetime, for that matter. Grace took the opportunity to breathe, heady from the scent of leather and the assailment of her body. Dana began to suck her way down the tasty neck, marveling at the throbbing of the woman’s pulse against her tongue and the vibrations as Grace moaned. When Doc reached the collar of the sweater, she pulled back, grabbed the hem of the obstacle with both hands, yanked it over the doctor’s head, and tossed it to the floor. Stepping back to admire the uncovered flesh, she froze.
“What?” Grace whispered timidly.
“I feel kind of lightheaded.” She swallowed, nervously glancing up from the naked body to the green eyes gazing at her.
“Oh, shit, Dana, please don’t get sick now,” she pleaded.
Dana smiled. “Not that kind of lightheaded. You’re just so beautiful. I’m afraid that once I start, I won’t be able to stop if you want me to.”
Grace took a dangerous, idle hand into hers and brought it to her mouth. “Good.” She nibbled at the palm. Dana closed her eyes at the sensation. “I need you to touch me,” Grace mumbled asher nibbles alternated with soft sucking. She pressed the moist palm against her own breast and slowly moved it in small circles. “And I have no intention of stopping you.”
Dana’s lips opened as her breathing became as ragged as Grace’s. The blonde took hold of Dana’s
free hand and led it across her belly to the buttons of her jeans. Neither woman could take her eyes off the other. Dana licked her lips unconsciously as two fingers slid between the smooth skin and the rough fabric at her waist. Slowly her eyes left Grace’s, and she dropped to her knees, her mouth level with the most perfect belly button she had ever seen. Her tongue darted into it, causing a shudder and moan from its owner.
Grace sighed as Dana drew her other hand down to the edge of her jeans. Slowly Dana unhooked each button of the button fly until the pants were opened and pink silk underpants were visible. Dana knew she had to add Levi’s 501s to the list of great American contributions, especially when being removed from such a gorgeous body. She became dizzy from the scent of her aroused lover, and she was determined not to throw away this chance. She ravenously yanked the jeans and panties to Grace’s ankles and buried her face in the moist red curls in front of her. Grace yelped as teeth raked down the coarse hair, and then a tongue found the crease and dampness. They both moaned as the hot tongue slid over the most sensitive spot of Grace’s being.
Grace used her heels to pull off her shoes, then her freed toes to shrug off her jeans. Once unhindered, she opened her legs enough so that Dana could duck her shoulder under a thigh, causing Grace to fall back against the door. And from that point Dana let her fantasies of the previous weeks control her actions. Grace tried to hold back but could not fight the insistent touches, and she trembled with pleasure. Her body gently shook the door with each movement, and she glistened with perspiration that desperately tried to cool her overheated flesh.
Dana stroked her inner thighs with the same rhythm as her tongue. As she was driven closer to ecstasy, Grace’s grunts became long, deep moans, and her eyes glassed over in passion. Desperate hands clung to dark hair, and then, able to take no more, every muscle in her body clenched and she screamed Dana’s name.
But Dana did not stop. It had been too long a wait, and Grace had succumbed much too quickly. But most of all, Dana wanted to hear her name again, in that same desperate tone. Her reward came again with too little effort, and she continued until Grace begged her to stop.
Exhausted, Grace slipped her leg from her lover’s shoulder and slid down, wrapping her arms around the leather-covered shoulder.
“Jiminy Cricket, Dana, where did that come from?”
“I’ve been reading. I guess I found the right resource.” She smiled into the languid face of her spent partner.
“Stuff I find on the Net.”
“Remind me to renew your internet account for Christmas.”
Dana placed a lingering kiss on the damp forehead. They rested against each other for a few cycles of heartbeats. Dana’s white T-shirt was soaked with sweat, and her jeans clung to her thighs.
“I didn’t know you had a tattoo.” Dana fingered a small green-and-yellow caduceus low on the doctor’s right buttock. She leaned to read the banner. “‘Yale Med-2013.’ Seems you have some numbers of your own.”
“I was really drunk on grad night.”
“Gee, that’s my excuse too. Say, if I get you drunk enough, will you have my name tattooed on your–”
“–Shut up!” she said, playfully swatting a shoulder.
“Maybe just my initials.” Another swat. Dana hugged her closer, and Grace laid her head on the leather.
“Grace, I’m boiling,” the con muttered to closed eyes.
Grace lifted herself off the shoulder and smiled. She pushed the bomber off her, a sexy smile playing across her lips. It was her turn now, finally. The soaked white T-shirt conformed to well-developed shoulder muscles, and round breasts, and shadows of red nipples. She leaned in and gently took Dana’s mouth, tasting her own salty-sweet juices as well as the wonderful taste of her lover’s mouth. She pulled off the T-shirt and then took the strong hands to pull the tall brunette to her feet. Turning away, she led her lover to the bedroom, and the plump mattress.
Dropping the warm, calloused hands, she crawled to the middle of the bed, letting Dana admire her from a different angle before facing her and sitting, her small feet dangling over the edge of the bed.
“Take your pants off, Doc,” she commanded softly.
Dana could not understand why she still felt shy, especially after she had had her nose buried in this woman’s most intimate of places, yet she did.
“Don’t be afraid. You know I would never hurt you.”
Nervously Dana nodded and began to unzip her pants. She pushed them to the floor and stepped out.
“Those too,” the doctor said, nodding at the gray bikini underwear.
“I was kind of hoping you would tear ’em off with your teeth,” Dana said with a wry smirk, taking Grace by surprise.
Grace clicked her teeth at her and squinted devilishly. “Something you read about?”
Dana blushed.
“Come here,” the young doctor whispered, curling a seductive finger.
Dana followed her cue, crawling up the naked body stretched out below her and planting a row of kisses from the bottom of a pedicured foot, to the shin, to the inside of the knee, plowing the inner thigh.
“Oh, no, you don’t.” Hands grasped the side of her head and led her up quickly until they were face-to-face. Dana kissed her lightly, sucking in a lip, then releasing it. A whisper and a nudge, “Keep going.” Long legs straddled the body under hers, and Grace’s hands slipped from hips to the muscled backside, fingernails slowly grazing the tight hamstrings of long thighs. Nipping as skin and body marks passed her mouth, she pressed onward until the top edge of Dana’s Hane’s were at her lips.
“Oh, right there,” she said, her lips tracing a gray scar low on Dana’s abdomen. Turning slightly, she found another longer, deeper scar and several healed puncture wounds. Her hand glided across the large shark bite on the front of the leg. Then her teeth caught the thin edge of the damp panties and tugged downward. One of her hands grabbed and caught a breast above her head, and another slid along the right abductor to rest on the hot, sensitive point between Dana’s legs. Gently the blonde began to stroke her through the cotton. Dana’s arms were shaking as Grace’s teeth worked to pull the clothing lower. Dana moaned when a hand found bare, slick skin. Grace’s hand dropped from the breast to her lover’s backside and removed the obtrusive garment, flinging it across the room. She pulled her lover onto her face and began her gentle, but long and thorough exploration, until Dana finally let go with a gasp. Grace released the sensitive flesh and held her exhausted lover, waiting for the heartbeat against her ear to slow.
“I love you, Grace,” Dana mumbled, a crooked smile creeping to her lips.
Grace rolled onto her side to face her recuperating lover and grinned broadly. “Good, because I hate unrequited relationships.” She leaned over and kissed the full lips. Dana’s hand caught her head before she moved off, allowing her to deepen the kiss and renewing desire in both women.
“Anybody ever tell you what a pistol you are?” Dana asked, braking for oxygen.
“No, but you wanna pull the trigger a few more times?”
Grace awoke with the fingers of Dana’s tattooed hand laced with hers, the dark head resting low on her belly where exhaustion had finally overtaken her lover. She was hungry for pancakes, the mini-bar having barely sustained the prolonged physical exertions. She looked down and discovered a long arm still wrapped under her thigh and a shoulder gently wedged in between her legs. A tingle of desire began as she shifted to look for a clock. Sun was streaming through the open blinds they had never closed.
“Owwww.” Doc groaned at the movement. “Don’t move, please don’t move.” A desperate plea. “I can’t move my head. I think I sprained my neck.”
Grace began to laugh.
Dana took hold of her head with both hands and rolled off the flat belly onto her back.
“You’re just out of shape, that’s all.”
Dana groaned.
Grace laughed even harder. “That’s what you get for taking the expert trail when you should be on the bunny slope.” She slid down so that her thighs were on either side of Dana’s head. Strong, nimble fingers began to knead the spazzing muscles.
“Sometimes you have to push past your perceived limitations.” Blue eyes curled into a smile. Golden hair tickled her face as upside-down green eyes laughed back.
“Was it worth the pain?”
“Yep, but I think I’ll have to approach our lovemaking from a different angle for a day or two. But don’t worry, I’ll be creative.”
“I’m afraid we’re going to be in the car for a while.”
Dana groaned. “Where to now?”
“Home. After breakfast and a little sightseeing.” She smacked her lips. “Dana?”
“Hmmm.” She kept her eyes closed, enjoying the massage.
“Have you ever thought of having that tattoo removed? I mean, it seems to bring on a lot of questions and maybe some of your problems.”
Gingerly Dana lifted herself to a sitting position. That was not a question she had expected at the moment. “Does it bother you?”
“A little. Not the tattoo so much as having to explain it, or….”
“Or the stares it draws?”
“It’s not like you have to keep it. Lasers will take it off.”
“Why do you have your little yellow-and-green snakes, Grace?”
“To mark my accomplishment.”
Dana nodded.
“But mine was positive. I want to be reminded of it.”
“So do I.”
“I don’t understand that. It would be so much easier if–”
“Dana….”
“I said no!” She climbed to her feet and began to hunt down her clothes. She should have known that Grace would get around to this. She would never fit into the doctor’s life unless she hid who she was, but sooner or later she would become an embarrassment.
“What’s the matter?” Grace stood up and whispered a kiss to the scarred shoulder.
“I can’t pretend to be something I’m not.” Grace pulled the dark hair off the long neck and, standing on tiptoe, kissed the exposed earlobe. She took the flesh in her teeth and began to suck softly. The moist heat from her breath made Dana shudder. Smooth hands slid down her muscular arms, then up again to her sore neck. “You’re so tense.”
“I should take Rip for a walk,” she said, moving away and leaving Grace empty-handed. She whistled for Rip and left the room without a second glance at the bed.
After a moment of bewilderment, the woman who always came away with what she wanted set out to reclaim the person she had held only minutes before. Grace gathered up her clothes from the floor of the suite and followed her heart out the door.
She spotted her lover and Rip across the street, heading for a small park. Setting out at a trot, she crossed the street, catching them at the edge of the grass. Don’t be too rough, Grace; she’s emotionally inexperienced and overreacting.
“Anything in those stories you read describe how to say goodbye to the person you just had an incredible sixteen hours of sex with?”
Dana turned to her, the look in her eyes so sad it stole Grace’s ability to breathe.
“No,” she mumbled, her eyes returning to the dog. She whistled for Rip when she wandered too close to a group of playing children. The dog came bounding. “Good girl,” Dana said with a pat.
“Do you want to talk about what has upset you?”
“God, you’re like Jekyll and Hyde!” she yelled in frustration. “One minute you’re telling me you love me, the next it’s like you can’t stand the sight of me.” She threw up her hands at the emotionless look she received. “Or you didn’t mean it. You were using me.”
Dana looked away at the wandering dog. “I meant what I said.”
“Past tense? Dana, I don’t think you even understand how to love someone,” she added sharply and abruptly walked back to the hotel.
“You’re probably right,” Dana whispered to the retreating figure.
She was washing her hair in the shower when she heard the jingle of Rip’s tags and the door close. Rip came into the bathroom for a drink from the toilet. Then she heard the door close again.
Although she knew what she would find–or would not find–when she came out of the bathroom, she still could not believe it. Both Dana’s duffel bag and computer case were gone. Finally the tears broke from her eyes and flooded her face. Rip heard the weeping and tried to comfort her by placing her wet chin on the crying woman’s knee. Absently, Grace stroked the silky black head and sobbed. “Stupid nano tech,” she mumbled as she packed her belongings and checked out of the hotel. It was going to be a long ride home.
Continued in Nano #3: The Carnot Cycle
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Someone’s Justice
by Anne Reagin
The elaborate furnishings were probably all part of the plan to intimidate Josh Lowry’s business associates. The sofa was Italian leather, as were the club chairs surrounding it. The largest salt-water aquarium Sam had ever seen boasted exotic fish of brilliant colors; shades of vibrant yellow and blue undulating constantly against a backdrop of textured lava rock.
The receptionist was stationed at a sleek desk of burled walnut, the finest example she had ever seen. That was saying something, since Samantha Hilliard had been searching out and collecting beautiful old furniture all of her life. Plush carpets and gilded oriental wallpaper screamed the richness of the office décor.
“May I help you?” The chilly tone in the receptionist’s voice garnered the sought after effect. Thoroughly intimidated, Sam wrapped her arms around herself in a subconscious effort to protect her person. She had not been able to understand why her deposition was to be given here, in the offices of the man she was suing. Her attorney had explained that it was simply a matter of convenience, but it seemed to the young real estate broker that it only served to put her at a disadvantage.
“I’m here to give a deposition. My name is?.”
“Miss Hilliard, it’s nice to meet you.” It was suddenly as if the aging but well maintained receptionist had come upon a celebrity. “The conference room is set up for your group. If you’ll just follow me, please, I’ll show you the way.” The smile was not overly warm, but it held sincerity. Sam was amazed at the turn around in attitude from moments before.
While she followed the woman at a rapid pace down several hallways, she declined the offer of coffee, learned the location of the ladies room and studied closely the expensive outfit the woman was wearing.‘He obviously pays his receptionist well. I saw that jacket at Phipps Plaza and it was over three hundred dollars as I recall. You’d think he would just write me a check for the damages to the office and be done with this whole fiasco.’
They arrived at a non-descript door which did indeed open into a conference room. It was less pretentious than the reception area, but still richly appointed. The conference table was teak and could seat twenty comfortably. Sam selected a chair that allowed her to identify the occupants of the room as they entered. She had assumed her lawyer would arrive first and be available to greet her. Thus far, there was no sign of him. The door opened and a man in a starched shirt and expensive tie came hurriedly through it. There was a woman behind him, Sam’s age, who was dressed in a severe business suit and hanging on every word the young man said.
Engrossed in his own dialogue, several seconds passed before he suddenly became aware of Sam’s presence. “I’m Mike Epson and this is Jenny our stenographer. She’ll record the session today. Can I get you anything Miss Hilliard?” He gave the young woman a long look. Samantha had a disarming quality about her that put him immediately at ease until he realized that this was the woman suing his client.
Samantha didn’t always do well with strangers. Outgoing as a general rule when Sam found herself in certain circumstances she became amazingly bashful. This was one of those times.
“Is your attorney here?” The young man waited for her reply. Sam assumed that the attorneys had worked this out amongst themselves, only notifying her of their decisions at the last possible moment.
“I thought you might answer the same question for me? I just got a message to be here, today at ten-thirty. I assume Mr. Long will be here shortly if he isn’t already,” she offered. He smiled brightly at her as if she had just solved a world crisis. The young woman he had introduced as the stenographer began to untangle a series of wires and plugs, all protruding from a flat, notebook shaped device of beige plastic. She sat a single microphone on the table, held erect by its own plastic easel. The push of a button brought a red light to life on top of the recording device. Looking up, she discovered Sam watching her and offered a reserved smile before announcing her intent to seek out coffee.
Sam found herself alone at the long table once again. ‘This must be how Alice felt, down the rabbit hole. I’m completely dwarfed by this table but I bet that’s the whole idea. ‘ Her nerves were kicking into high gear and she picked up one of the pens from the table in front of her and began tapping it absently on the table surface. ‘It might be a good time to review my notes, ‘ she thought and placed the sheets on the table before her.
The door swept open again and assuming it would be the stenographer returning, she didn’t look up. In fact, the deep, rich timbre of an unknown voice startled her from her task. Sam’s eyes swept up and up and still slowly up the extraordinary countenance of a tall, dark-featured woman dressed impeccably in a creamy silk skirt and jacket that subtly flattered the sleek form beneath them. Mahogany hair cascaded to a line well below wide shoulders. The dark tresses obscured most of a filmy blouse that was the color of the heavens on a cloudless day in the fall of the year. Sam raised her gaze yet again to see eyes that matched its color looking back at her. Uncertain of whom she was staring at and amazed at the overall effect; the young Realtor drew in a steadying breath.
Sam thought she must have been witnessing an apparition. The woman before her possessed the beauty and assurance of a goddess. The graceful movement of her tall frame as she walked toward Samantha and offered her hand in greeting mesmerized the woman seated at the table. Sam took it, amazed at the warmth and gentleness of the woman’s touch. Flesh on flesh was brief but enough to disprove the possibility of a hallucination. This was the real thing.
“Ms. Hilliard, I assume?” The richness of her voice resonated across the short space between them. Sam nodded, unsure of her own voice at the moment.
“I’m Sterling Hayes. I represent Josh Lowry. I’ll be handling the deposition today.” Her eyebrow crept up at the look of confusion on the younger woman’s face.
“I thought Mr. Epson was doing that.”
“He’s a trainee. Officially, we refer to him as my assistant on this particular case.” She leaned closer and amended her statement in a conspiratorial tone. “The primary purpose of that title is to salvage his ego, though. I’m in charge. You may rely on that.” Surprisingly, her smile held no warmth and it made Samantha uncomfortable.
Jenny, the recorder, returned now with a steaming Styrofoam cup and offered a pinched greeting to the tall attorney. There was apparently no love lost between the two. Sam thought there was probably an interesting story there.
Sterling took the seat directly across from Samantha, with her back to the door. She sorted through the documents in her briefcase and removed the ones she would be needing. Meanwhile, Sam ran her fingers nervously through her thick blonde hair and wished a myriad of things.
‘I should have stopped in the powder room to freshen up. My hair must be a mess the way the wind is blowing out there. Why did I wear this outfit today, it makes me look fat? God, this woman looks like she could eat us all for brunch.’
Even though Sam might not have thought that she looked her best, only Sterling’s extraordinary poker face had saved her from visibly reacting to the attractive woman now seated across from her. The young woman’s face held all innocence above a body created for sinful purpose. Her wholesome features wore an open smile and an awareness that made Sterling uncomfortable. She felt that her character was being examined and the lawyer could ill afford scrutiny in that area.
They studied each other discreetly, the two main characters in the little drama playing out in Lowry’s conference room. Samantha acknowledged the wild and snarling creature that lived just beneath the polished surface of Sterling Hayes. That was it. The two women contrasted so completely that the young blonde could see herself reflected clearly as the antithesis of this enigmatic woman. The rich differences between the brooding darkness of the magnetic lawyer and the earnest openness of the charming young Realtor created a magnetic pull. Light was meeting darkness for the first time. Self-damnation was courting forgiveness. Fear of feeling ran headlong into love at first glance.
The attorney, who had been accepting Sam’s money in exchange for representation, came through the door winded and disheveled. Thank goodness he had sent her a video the previous week explaining the workings of a deposition, as apparently he had made no time allotment for counseling her now. The brief film had cautioned her against losing her temper, or giving answers before she took the time to carefully consider a question. Sam had also learned that she could be asked for a lot of personal information that would seem unrelated to the case. By law, she was obliged to answer any and all questions put before her.
“If everybody is ready now, I think we can get started. Are you ready Jenny?” A frigid blue gaze defied all present to deny her authority. Getting a general nod in response, the intense barrister began. “This is a deposition in the case of Hilliard versus Lowry, taken in the offices of Mr. Joshua Lowry on the tenth of May, nineteen hundred ninety-nine. Present are Samantha Hilliard, her attorney Ron Long, Mike Epson and Sterling Hayes of Hayes, Stern and Hayes. Ms. Hilliard, will you kindly state your full name and permanent address for the record.”
Sam answered the first half dozen questions easily, giving her a chance to overcome her nervousness somewhat.
“Are you married?” Sam looked up into the ice blue eyes of her interrogator and answered evenly.
“No, I am not.”
“Have you ever been married?” Once again Sam looked at Ms. Hayes to see if she was being asked a serious question. She couldn’t imagine what her marital status had to do with the case.
“No, I haven’t.” Clearly perturbed, she settled back into her chair.
“Do you live alone Ms. Hilliard?” Now Sam looked to her attorney to see if he could do anything about this invasion of her privacy. He waved the back of his hand toward the dark haired attorney sitting opposite them, letting Sam know that she not only needed to furnish the requested information, but he expected her to do it as quickly as possible.
“Yes, I live alone.” Exasperation was evident in her tone.
Sterling looked positively mischievous as she posed the next question. “For how long?” She was betting that the comely young blonde had a short temper and that prying into her personal life would trigger it.
Samantha blew out a breath in irritation. The attorney studied her briefly, issuing a self-congratulatory pat on the back.
“Almost two years I believe,” Sam offered.
“Do you enjoy an active social life?”
Now, obviously offended and befuddled by the current line of questioning Samantha threw a look of disbelief at all of the faces around the table. None granted her sympathy, save that of the mousy court reporter who could appreciate the embarrassing nature of airing the details of one’s social life or lack thereof.
In a grand gesture, Sterling, posturing as if she was bestowing a gift, withdrew her question and moved on. The sleek attorney was amused. Now that she had met Samantha in person, her instincts told her that the information she had procured about her from an investigative firm was accurate. The attorney would take all bets that the young woman staring daggers at her from across the table preferred the company of women, as did she.
Sterling’s amusement was short-lived however when her questioning turned to less personal questioning. Twenty-nine 4 x 6 glossy photographs were produced from Sam’s briefcase upon request. She leaned forward and handed them across the table for Sterling’s perusal.
The top picture showed the charming reception area of Sam’s realty office. It was decorated with beautifully restored antique furniture. The sofa with matching arm chairs, carved Larken desk, and glass-front bookcase would have made a nice magazine ad in the Antique Monthly, except for the pool of coffee colored water that the grouping stood in. Every damning photo included three inches of muddy water or the scummy deposits it had left in its aftermath when it receded.
All nine offices had been flooded. Every inch of carpeting had been underwater. The furnace, located in a storage area, had been partially submerged, as had the hot water heater.
Sterling studied the pictures trying not to visibly react but she couldn’t help but wonder what her client had been thinking. Lowry had advertised for fill dirt on his land, which adjoined Sam’s without bothering to get the proper permits. By raising the ground level, he had created the potential for a flood in her offices. Samantha had contacted the county and they had cited him for the violation but he made no attempt to rectify the situation. As the realtor had predicted, the first big rain flooded her office building and she was suing Lowry to recover the cost of damages.
‘This is a no-brainer. Lowry should have just written the poor woman a check. Hell, he’s lucky she didn’t go after punitive damages or throw a class action suit at him and the county for not following up on the citation.’ For the third time in as many days, Sterling Hayes found herself wishing desperately that she had started dumping her shadier clients long ago.
The charismatic lawyer had been forewarned about the pitfalls of letting this particular petitioner testify in a courtroom before jurors. The tip had been on target, too. Samantha Hilliard had the angelic countenance of a child and the regal demeanor of a seasoned monarch. This deadly combination would be lethal in a courtroom.
Sterling studied the blonde as she spoke in detail about the process that had been required to clean up the muddy mess. The barrister was particularly intrigued by the contrast of intense green eyes against the young woman’s alabaster skin. ‘Natural blonde for sure. Probably burns after ten minutes in the sun. Wouldn’t she look great wearing nothing but a tan line?’ Her lascivious thoughts were cut short by a question directed her way, which Sterling had to ask Ron Long to repeat.
Sam left the deposition two hours later feeling slightly drunk from all the tension. The questions had been deliberately posed in such a way as to trip her up or make her say something untrue. Several times she had found her temper building and the blonde had spent the better part of the meeting scowling at Ms. Hayes.
The inept lawyer who represented Sam caught up to her as she exited the building and suddenly wanted to talk. He had sat quietly through the entire deposition, obviously awestruck by the imposing figure of Sterling Hayes. The young Realtor dismissed the man with a wave of her hand and continued walking toward her car.
Fishing her cell phone from her purse, Sam pushed AutoDial to get Peter. The blast of heat when she opened her car door prompted her to crank the engine, set the air-conditioning on high and stand outside while the car’s interior cooled off.
“It was a lot like a trip to the principal’s office, Peter. Everything I said made me feel like I was sinking deeper and deeper.”
He related several messages but the Realtor didn’t consider any of them to be an emergency. As she was giving instructions about a project she needed Peter’s help with, Sam noticed a tall figure approaching in her periphery. Closer inspection identified none other than ‘Sterling Hayes of the ice blue eyes’.
“I’ll be in by two Peter. I need to grab some lunch and drop off these contracts in Tucker. See you then.”
Sterling was definitely coming in her direction and the younger woman automatically stiffened when she heard her name pronounced.
“Miss Hilliard.” The attorney wasn’t sure at first that she had Sam’s attention, but when she was close enough to see Sam’s face she knew that hers was not a welcome interruption.
“I just wanted to talk to you for a moment off the record.” A brilliant smile was her peace offering, but it didn’t make a dent in the stone face watching her.
“I’m going to recommend a settlement to my client. If I had known about the existence of those photographs, this thing would have never gotten this far.” She smiled again, feeling magnanimous in her attempt at fairness.
Samantha’s face clouded up even more. “I suppose you think I should be grateful. It would have been nice if you had done this a year ago or even six months ago. It might have been a welcomed development if you had counseled your client to settle because it was the right thing to do from the very beginning.” She took a deep breath and the lawyer thought she might get a word in, but was wrong. As it was, while Samantha continued her diatribe, the attorney could not tear her eyes from the young woman’s lips. Sterling imagined how it might feel to draw the firebrand into her arms and kiss her senseless.
“I’ve paid that jackass,” she pointed to her attorney’s departing car, “over two thousand dollars to extract justice from you and your client.” The Realtor’s tide of anger started to subside and her breathing slowed a little until she realized that Sterling was standing within inches of her. Sam began to back away and lost her balance as a hand shot out to steady her. There was no mistaking the jolt of fire that ran across the connection of the attorney’s fingers to Sam’s arm. It startled them both, but only Sam, frightened by the effect this stranger was having on her, reacted by lashing out.
“My attorney is as effective as a hat in a hurricane against a high priced looter like you.” The words hung in the air between them.
It was a verbal slap and Sterling felt it. The blood began to rise up the slender column of her neck, an emotional thermometer. The barrister’s eyes, no longer the color of a cloudless sky, began to storm in earnest. She spoke up while there was a momentary break in Samantha’s condemnation.
“Perhaps it would be best if we continued this conversation at another time.” Sterling’s smile was full of acid, now. Unaccustomed to having her defense skills desert her, the attorney instinctively responded with a retreat. “I’ll call your lawyer in a few days.”
“Don’t bother! He won’t be my lawyer any longer once I get to my office and get him on the phone. I’m not about to keep paying that ineffectual idiot to do nothing more than be intimidated by and drool over you.” Sam ducked her head and slid behind the wheel of her car. The arc of the slamming door barely missed a surprised Sterling. Squealing tires followed Sam’s car the short distance out of the parking lot.
Sterling stared after her, clenching and unclenching her fists in anger for a full minute before calm began to settle over her. The lawyer had always been able to find the truth, even in the sea of trash that had made up her client list over the years. Sam was right about Lowry. There were many innocent bystanders just like Samantha Hilliard that were harmed daily by wealthy bastards. Sterling had made a lucrative living representing them whether they were right or wrong, but all concerned were aware that most often, they were wrong. The lawyer’s life had been reduced to choosing lesser evils, both professionally and personally.
Samantha Hilliard had no way of knowing it but she the stunning attorney had already decided that she didn’t want to practice this kind of law anymore. Sterling had sacrificed two of her largest retainers in an effort to see what it felt like to practice on the right side of the law. She would have liked to defend her position to the alluring young woman who had just squealed out of the parking lot. For some unnamed reason, it mattered what Samantha Hilliard thought of her. Shaking her head at the verbal beating she had just taken, survival instincts long buried began to surface. The beautiful barrister was soon surprised to find a smile creeping onto her face. ‘It’s never over till it’s over.’
It was bitterly cold. The wind cut through the thin jacket she wore. Sterling had chosen it over a heavier one hanging in her closet because it looked tough and that took precedence over practicality. ‘Of all days for the son of a bitch to be running late. My teeth are chattering for Christ’s sake but what am I gonna do, just walk away? He knows I can’t do that. Everybody within five miles of where I’m standing knows I can’t do that that.’
It was true. Sterling was waiting for a drop. At almost seventeen, she was the senior pick-up person for her area, which meant that she had been doing her job the longest without screwing up or overdosing. Her job entailed standing at a pre-appointed place, usually on a busy street corner and waiting for a punk named Slick to come by and exchange brown paper bags with her. Money for drugs.
As long as she reliably gave Slick the bag of money and turned the bag she received over to the dealer on her block, there was no trouble. Once she had been plagued by curiosity and had looked inside the ‘money’ sack. Rolled up wads of twenty dollar bills stared up at her. The temptation had only lasted a minute. Sterling had a good memory and she kept getting an image of her predecessor slumped against a brick wall down an alley. He had been covered with blood, unconscious and his right arm had been at too odd an angle not to be severely broken. No, she couldn’t afford to get greedy and stir up the wrath of the powers that be.
At seventeen Sterling Hayes walked down the street and men stopped to stare at her. Even wearing her standard uniform of torn and faded blue jeans under cast off men’s dress shirts from the thrift store, she could not hide her striking good looks. Sarah Hayes had insisted on keeping her daughter’s hair long. As a little girl, often wild and always in need of bathing, Sterling had complained about the sessions of brushing and patient untangling that she’d had to endure. Now, with her mother long dead, Sterling maintained the thick, dark tresses hanging down around her shoulders as a reminder of her mother’s patience and gentleness. It was the only gentleness she had ever experienced in her world.
Unsure of her family background, Sterling had no clue as to the source of her dark good looks but didn’t feel out of place in a neighborhood where fully half the population descended from Italian ancestry. She moved with a feline grace and maintained a proud posture bordering on arrogance. The fact that she seemed totally unapproachable was no accident. She had cultivated that demeanor most of her life as a defense.
Dressing in clothing chosen from the racks at the Salvation Army had never bothered the young tough. She had a good eye and knew instinctively what worked on her tall frame and what did not. Her years in High School had taught her that having a lot of money didn’t necessitate good taste. Many rich girls came to school in outfits that she considered laughable and many more watched Sterling closely so they could imitate her style.
Everyone had a different way of trying to describe the startling quality of Sterling’s eyes. She remembered her mother telling her that her eyes held the promise and color of the summer sky.
The door was standing part way open when she got home. ‘We’ve been robbed!’ Panic flooded her until the thought sunk in, then she laughed aloud at the possibility. ‘What have we got that anybody would possibly want? Roach Motels and Empty Liquor Bottles? The lanky teenager tried to push the door open, but there was something heavy behind it, something that groaned.
‘Great! He missed work again.’ Sterling knew her father might have been on his way out. Sometimes he did that when she wasn’t around to run to the liquor store on the corner for him. Just as likely though, he had been on the way in when he passed out, because Sterling had not seen him the previous evening. She thought that a shame, too since she had dreaded his arrival in their apartment all evening. At midnight, she closed her bedroom door and went to bed fully clothed.
This peculiar habit had become a nightly ritual since her father had started drinking again. Sterling had seen too much and refused to be his punching bag. Five foot ten inches tall and solidly built, she didn’t have to be. The young woman knew that she could easily defend herself against the pathetic shell that had once been her father. She had signed up for a self-defense course at the “Y” and liked it so much that she had been attending martial arts classes ever since. Her fear was that she would not be able to stop herself from killing him if she ever got started in a physical scuffle. It was just easier to go into the night and find someplace to hang out until sunrise.
A young cop patrolled the beat that held most of her hiding places. She called him by his last name, Samson. He had helped her once, when she was new to the neighborhood and just turned twelve years old. He had come upon her, probably about to be beaten and possibly raped by three thugs in an alley. The policeman had no trouble convincing them to back off, his reputation for impatience with teenage mob brutality preceded him. Sterling nodded uncomfortably while he explained to her that she should avoid the alleyways in the area at all costs.
“Are you sure that you’re OK?” he asked, but remarkably Sterling had shed no tears. She had raised her face then, to whisper her thanks, and the eyes that held too much to be so young, captivated him. Completely taken with her, Samson watched over her from a discreet distance after that but Sterling made herself a promise that night and didn’t need his intervention again for many years.
Harry Hayes hadn’t always been a drunk and he certainly had not always been abusive. In fact, at one time in his life, he was a loving father, husband, and successful businessman. Then his wife had gotten sick and he became afraid. Falling into a liquor bottle helped when she was in terrible pain. He could not watch, he simply could not see her hurting and himself helpless. The accounting firm in which he had been made a partner could not use the services of a man who often came to work still half-drunk or hung over. His partner had a long talk with him and Harry straightened up for a while.
Twice, during her long battle with lung cancer Sara Hayes rallied and seemed to be on the road to recovery. At those times, Harry was a different person. He cleaned up his act, took care of their modest house in the suburbs and worked hard at his job. Then Sterling would come home from fifth grade and find her mother in bed and her Aunt Audrey busying about the kitchen, fixing dinner. Harry would fall to pieces then. Losing her mother had broken Sterling’s heart, too, but Harry had always acted as if it was his loss alone.
Disgusted, she threw her shoulder against the door and pushed him out of the way enough for her to enter. He moaned again but didn’t even look up at her. It was practically an everyday occurrence for him to regain consciousness in a strange place. The teenager went into the kitchen to discover unidentifiable spills and an overflowing ashtray. She carefully collected the shards of broken glass in the sink where her father had dropped a glass. Filling the percolator, she lit a burner on the stove and started coffee. “I ought to just let him lay there and die.” She shook her head in disgust. How many times had she picked him up? How many pots of coffee had she put on? How many mornings after had she witnessed and how many more could he survive?
As it happened, Harry Hayes was experiencing his very last hangover. Later in that same day, he stepped, unsteadily off the curb while taking a pull from a bottle in the brown bag he carried. The bus driver couldn’t stop in time to avoid hitting him and Sterling arrived home from her evening drop, an orphan.
While other teenagers were concerned with getting a date for the prom, Sterling had managed to keep the rent paid on their shabby apartment in the projects. Harry had lost the house soon after his wife’s death. Sterling learned quickly what it took to survive in her new neighborhood. Assuming she would be better off the teenager slowly built trust between her self and the local drug franchise. That was how she’d gotten the job that paid enough to cover rent, food and other expenses. She had even paid for her father’s booze for a while.
It had now been four months since her father’s death and Sterling had a real problem. She borrowed money to bury him and it would soon be time to repay it. In addition, her landlord was suspicious about Harry’s whereabouts. She never notified him of her father’s death, fearing that the lease would be suspended. Sterling was a very old seventeen, but seventeen just the same and not of legal age to sign a lease.
Slick, the dealer she worked with, had spoken to the higher ups on her behalf and secured the loan for the funeral expenses. Now she owed her soul to the franchise and everybody involved knew it. A proposition had been presented to her the previous day and her deadline for answering it was looming a short two hours away.
There was to be a party at the country estate of Gino Bertilini, the most powerful crime boss in the city, on Saturday. He was hosting dignitaries whose identities it was dangerous to even know. Mr. Bertilini’s son Alex was in charge of entertainment and having a hard time finding an acceptable group of young women to attend. The usual fare was too rough for this particular group of guests, according to his father. Alex had to admit he was pretty tired of some of them himself. He needed new faces and put the word out through the family network. Slick made some inquiries and found out that Sterling could pay her entire debt to the family by attending. He thought the news would make him a hero, but the look in her eyes told him otherwise.
“I’m a lot of things you prick, but ‘whore’ is not one of them!” She spat the words at the young man sitting on the sofa. He had tried every trick her knew to get this girl to give him a tumble. He had offered a free supply of drugs, but she had strict rules about staying a non-user. At twenty-four to her seventeen, he supposed it would be a simple accomplishment to bed her, but for the past year she had fought him on every front. The loan arrangement had been a nice gesture, but not enough to get him there. They had been talking all week about possibilities for repaying the debt. Nothing either of them could come up with would yield Sterling twenty-five hundred dollars in time.
“I never said you was a whore, but you need the money and this is an opportunity to get it.” Slick hung his head, sincerely hurt by her attitude.
“I know you’re just trying to help me man, but selling my body ? well that’s pretty low down. Besides, I can’t pull this off. I don’t have the clothes for this shit. Even if I did, I’d be clueless how to act and stuff. This is crazy!” She paced the carpet directly in front of him. Her tight young ass was just at eye level for him and he couldn’t help taking a look each time she turned away from him. It was getting harder for him to concentrate. He licked his lips and made a suggestion.
“Maybe I can get Joey to have one of the other girls talk to you and tell you what all goes on.” Joey was the boss’ youngest son. He was, in fact, one of several extra sons in line for the ascendancy of power and felt better about himself when he surrounded himself with underlings like Slick. ” You’re smarter than all those broads that hang out at his club are. I know you could pull it off if somebody could give you a little help. The clothes thing ain’t no problem. All of that is provided. No way Alex would trust some of them girls he hires to dress themselves. They’d all look like sluts and floozies if he did.”
No matter how long they talked about it and how hard the dark beauty fought against the inevitability, in the end it was the only salvation offered her and she took it.
‘RITZ’ proclaimed the pink neon reflecting up at Sterling from the puddled sidewalk. She had walked by the front of the club four times so far and couldn’t make herself go in. ‘It’s not that I’m better than anybody, God knows I work for them already, sort of. I just don’t want to have more than a passing acquaintance with any of these guys. Slick can try to sell me that line of shit all day long but I know better. I’ll be expected to screw these old goats. She closed her eyes and clenched her jaw. ‘I just need to get past that. The who and the how often are what I have to find out.’
Sterling had learned not to have expectations. She also understood that she had a debt to pay and she had no money. That meant that she would have to sell the only thing of value she had remaining. Resigning herself to her fate, the young woman took a deep breath and reached for the brass door pull, entering the cool interior of the sleazy joint with the classy name.
A large man with a face like a caricature came over to her immediately. “Sterling Hayes, here to see Alex Bertilini about a job next weekend? I may be a little late, sorry.”
He grunted and motioned for her to follow him through a door into a brightly-lit office. It was tastefully furnished and so drastically different from the sordid interior of the club she’d just walked through, Sterling began to wonder if she was dreaming. An overly made up brunette with huge breasts that were spilling out of a scoop necked tee shirt greeted her. The woman’s voice was so high and squeaky; it was all Sterling could do not to laugh.
“Come on with me and I’ll tell you the drill. If the interview goes OK I’ll send you over for the clothes you’ll need.”
There were four women all together, riding in the back of the black sedan toward the estate in Newport. Sterling had never met any of them, but they had at least a passing acquaintance of each other. After two or three attempts at drawing her into their conversation, they just left her alone to stew. The other women were only slightly offended by her rebuke.
Sterling began to pick up bits and pieces of the conversation between them. When she put together the facts and realized that one of them was actually a several months younger than she, it made her slightly nauseous. Apparently this was a business that aged women quickly.
‘What have I gotten myself into?’ Sterling had long since been divested of her virginity, but by her choice. Outside the realm of her sexuality, the irresponsibility and cowardice of her father had sacrificed her worldly innocence. Now she dreaded her first experience as part of the sex for hire team being whisked to a Mob chieftain’s social affair. ‘If it’s possible to go lower than this, I would like to know how.’She closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against the cool glass of the car window. As the primitive coastal landscape sped by, the young tough allowed herself a moment of self-pity, but only one. Any more than that would have proved disastrous. If she had any options, Sterling wouldn’t be on this road, in this predicament.
The car that transported them was a late model stretch Lincoln. Valuable to Gino for his sharp mind, Alex had decided that it would look like he was offering his father’s guests cheap goods if he had the women delivered in anything else. Every detail had been seen to, and the first guests had arrived a few hours ago. The boss’ son seemed to be in complete control but his palms were sweating and his stomach was on fire. Early that morning, Joey had beaten the hell out of a housemaid he’d been banging for the past few days. Gino detested low class scenes and it had been all Alex could do to clean up the details before his father found out. He was dog-tired of sweeping up after his little brother.
Gino Bertilini had come from nothing to become the head of the largest drug syndicate in Boston. It was no accident that he was a man accustomed to adaptation. Gino had exposed himself to all kinds of humanity on his way up the ladder and had learned a great deal about the motivations and weaknesses of men. He prided himself on his rise above his humble upbringing and insisted on surrounding himself with things of beauty and rarity.
Alex would catch particular hell if his old man found the party girls he had chosen to be low class. “The girls are here, boss,” announced a heavyset man a distinct bulge under his jacket where his shoulder holstered weapon resided. Alex gave instructions for them to be shown upstairs immediately. His father and their guests were poolside. The four women would be given a chance to unpack their personal belongings. The clothes selected for them arrived that morning in the van that also brought the expansive liquor supply.
A trip poolside was not mandatory, but Sterling’s three protégés hurried to get into swimsuits and join their host and his guests. Each was afraid that the others would latch onto the best catch. Sterling, meanwhile, used the time to study her surroundings. She had been cautioned about wandering the grounds without an escort, but nobody had established any restrictions about the interior of the house.
She changed into a deep burgundy silk lounging suit. The feel of the fabric against her skin was seductive. Although the outfit looked like a pair of men’s pajamas to her, the cut of it was very flattering to her muscled, lean form. She brushed her long hair for several minutes before the repetitive motion brought memories of her mother. Knowing how ashamed Sarah Hayes would be to see her daughter in this current predicament, Sterling put the brush away and tried to empty her head of all thoughts.
The young woman barely recognized her own reflection as she passed a mirror in the upstairs hall. Alex had stationed men at strategic locations throughout the house for security reasons. Their presence was necessary, but it was important to The Boss that it be as discreet as possible. Sterling figured that if she ventured anywhere she wasn’t supposed to be, they would let her know.
She walked slowly through the downstairs hallway, studying the paintings on the walls. They were undoubtedly expensive, but she had seen priceless paintings before in the museums of Boston. Samson had even accompanied her once, amazed at the focus of the young woman on something so far removed from the ugliness of her everyday existence. As he watched her he was quietly reminded of a child, nose pressed against a toy store window, dreaming of things unobtainable. Gino’s collection was exquisite. It was a representation of timeless beauty and drew her magically from one canvas to the next.
The door to the study stood open and Sterling followed her eyes to a still life by Stinsky. She could almost smell the aroma of the apples that she knew to be a favorite subject of his. Hands clasped behind her back, the tall beauty lingered before the canvas, paying tribute to the painter with her eyes.
A silent alarm began clanging inside Sterling’s head. The tiny hairs on the back of her neck prickled as she realized that she was being watched. Scanning the room, she quickly spotted a distinguished man seated behind a desk near the center of the vast space.
“Sorry. I had no idea anyone was using this room.” Sterling spoke quietly, and turned to beat a hasty retreat.
“No harm. I am impressed with your appreciation of fine paintings.” His smile was sincere, but his overall countenance was that of a predator. Sterling sensed danger. He stood and moved to greet his guest, extending his hand for her to shake.
“Gino Bertilini, your host for the weekend. I am enchanted.” He bowed over her hand and kissed it. Sterling had to remind herself that this was an infamous mobster and evil drug lord even though he was doing one heck of a Cary Grant impersonation.
“I’m pleased to meet you Mr. Bertilini?”
“No, no, no. You must call me Gino, otherwise I will feel like the antiquity that I am.” His dark eyes crinkled into a charming smile and Sterling felt herself begin to relax a bit. “I don’t know how my son happens to know a beautiful young woman like you, but I am grateful that he has invited you here this weekend. Normally, his female friends aren’t particularly interested in art or beauty beyond their link to monetary value.”
Sterling studied the barrel-chested Italian. He was disarmingly handsome at fifty. Barely as tall as she, he carried himself in such a way that he seemed like a giant standing before her. Gino had dark eyes and hair, beginning to show a hint of gray at the temples. Dressed impeccably in steel gray slacks and a black silk shirt that mirrored his every move, he might have been any businessman. His body was muscular, broad shoulders funneling into a trim waistline. The thin white line of a scar running up the curve of his right jaw was the only visible reminder of the dues he must have paid to get to his current station in life.
Sterling was immobilized by her reaction to his presence. His eyes were penetrating and showed her his power, revealing the feral beast within him. Gino still had hold of her hand and showed no signs of releasing it. “I have some special paintings in my private study that I would like to show you. Perhaps after dinner?” Sterling nodded her assent, too captivated by her sophisticated host to realize his real intentions.
“Shall we join the others by the pool? We can sit on the veranda in the shade if you like and at least seem sociable.” He smiled at her, released her hand and pointed the way.
“What are we going to do Jake?” Pregnant in her senior year of high school, Samantha was in serious trouble and pleaded for Jake’s attention as his eyes scanned the other students loitering in the gym.
“Look Sam, it’s not such a big deal. I know someone who can give us a name.” He looked at her now. “You don’t want to have this baby do you? I’m too young to be a father.”
‘Apparently not,’ she thought to herself but she didn’t need to remind him or herself that they had been foolish having unprotected sex. Sam was maddest at herself, because she had not been blinded by love or anything. It was just a spur of the moment decision to try sex with Jake, mostly out of curiosity and she was going to have to live with the consequences.
Making sure she had his attention, Samantha made a request. “See what you can find out and how much it costs by this weekend. I don’t really know how much time we have, but I think the sooner we take care of it the better off we’ll all be.”
Jake assured her that he would call her that night and give her all the information.
He didn’t call that night of course or the next night either. Samantha knew that he had started dating a cheerleader, which was why he was looking around the whole time she was with him in the gym that day. He couldn’t afford to make his new girl mad by being seen publicly with her. ‘God, I am so stupid.’ She let go a huge sigh just as her mother turned through the doorway and invaded the privacy of Sam’s bedroom.
“Have you made any decision about the Prom?”
Sam just shook her head and tried not to laugh in her mother’s face. ‘Maybe I could meet this ‘doctor’ at the hotel where the prom is being held. I could have the abortion and then just go on downstairs to the dance.’ She was really out there with her thoughts these days. A dozen scenarios had been invented, all involving a masked and gloved doctor. They accomplished the abortion on a roller coaster, in an elevator, in a parked car at the mall and now at the prom. The young woman needed to talk to somebody because she was losing it.
“Aunt Jane, it’s Samantha. Do you have a minute?” Her father’s sister was the only one in the family she could trust with this information. Fortunately Jane was willing to listen and didn’t start hurling judgements right away, like her own mother would have. Jane needed some time to let all of it sink in, before sitting down with her favorite niece. They made plans for Sam to spend the weekend. Jane would come up with the appropriate lies to tell Sam’s mother, Mattie.
It was a good plan, all in all. Unfortunately the abdominal pains that started while Sam was at the mall Friday night, rendered that plan useless and necessitated another, more urgent one.
“Mrs. Rogers, I need you to fill out these forms for me, front and back. As soon as the doctor has examined her, I’ll come out and get you.” The emergency room nurse’s smile seemed genuine enough, but it was wasted on Jane. Her brother and sister-in-law were at Calloway Gardens for a golfing weekend and she was in the emergency room at Northside Hospital helping her niece have a miscarriage. The staff hadn’t questioned her maternity. She had the same deep green eyes as her niece, and the same abundance of dirty blonde hair. She thanked God over and over that she had been at home when Sam called her.
The young woman propped up in the hospital bed looked tired and unfamiliar. Her eyes fluttered open for a moment and she recognized her aunt standing beside the bed, holding her hand. Samantha had wanted to be rid of her pregnancy, but she could not help but shed some tears now that she was. Jane cried with her for a while, then pulled up a chair and propped her feet on the lower rails of the hospital bed to watch Sam sleep.
***********Christmas vacation was only a week away. Mattie Hilliard had been on one for over a month, trying to get her daughter to commit to a dance and two parties over the holidays. Samantha had dodged the bullet so far, but her mother had stepped up her campaign. “Phone Sam! I think it’s your Mom!”
“God! Will she never give it up? I don’t know what it will take.”
“Sure you do. You know exactly what it’s gonna take, but I don’t recommend that you go through with it.” Sally Farrell was Sam’s best friend. They had started their freshman year together at Auburn University and were still roommates in their junior year. The coeds had helped each other through shattered romances. Each had held the other’s head over the commode on more than one drunken occasion. They had suffered their academic agonies together as well. Sally had met Sam’s mother on only two occasions but knew from all the late night talks she’d had with her roommate that Mattie Hilliard was not going to take the news well.
“I want to tell her Sally. I’m really tired of this charade and she won’t stop cramming me down the throat of every available man in Metro Atlanta. What is the worst thing that can happen?”
“She’d never speak to you again. HMMMMmmm. There’s no loss there, though is there?” Sally laughed.
“I better go grab the phone. She’s on hold long distance and besides costing her money, it’s giving her time to polish up her arguments for the Christmas Dance.” Sam rolled her eyes heavenward and started down the hall.
*****”Merry Christmas Daddy! I’m so glad to see you!” Sam threw her arms around her father in a heartfelt hug, which he gratefully returned. The young woman turned to her mother who briefly wiped her lips against Sam’s hair in lieu of a real greeting.
“You’re late Samantha and we have so many things to do tonight,” Mrs. Hilliard scolded. “Sam, get her luggage upstairs will you?” He saluted sarcastically and turned to his appointed duty. Samantha loved it when her dad fought back, even if he only did it with humor. “Sam!” Samantha and Mr. Hilliard both responded.
“What?” They looked at each other and laughed. “It’s your own fault,” Samantha nudged him in the ribs. “You shouldn’t have named me after yourself.” It hadn’t been a problem until she went away to school and encouraged everyone on campus to call her just ‘Sam’. Now she was used to answering to the shortened version of her name and it drove her mother crazy when she was at home.
“I wasn’t speaking to you SAMANTHA.” She deliberately exaggerated the pronunciation. Mrs. Hilliard rattled off her instructions to her husband. “Come on in the kitchen Samantha while I check on dinner. We need to talk about the party tomorrow night.”
‘We sure do,’ Sam thought. She had made a big decision; one she knew was not going to go over well. In fact, she feared that it might cause a serious rift between herself and her parents. After a great deal of soul searching and self-examination, Samantha Hilliard had discovered that she loved women and one woman in particular. Hating confrontation, Sam had spent the last three months getting up her nerve to announce this fact to her folks. She didn’t want to ruin the holidays for her family, but her Mother wouldn’t take no for an answer and Sam had no intention of being pawed by some country club gigolo at the Christmas dance just to please her mother. Besides, it was hard enough spending so much time away from Sharon. Sam wasn’t about to tell the love of her life that she’d spent several evenings over Christmas being hit on by local studs. Sharon would break somebody’s arm.
Sharon had, in fact, wanted to spend Christmas with Sam so badly that she asked to come home to Atlanta with her lover. In a panic, that involved several late night strategy sessions with her friend Sally, Sam came up with several reasons she could give Sharon why it was a bad idea. In reality, she could just see how her mother would react to Sharon’s masculine mannerisms and her butch appearance. It would be hard enough to confess her sexual preference in concept. Meeting the object of her daughter’s affection would finish Mattie Hilliard off. The second time a goodbye kiss with Sharon had resulted in passionate lovemaking, Sam knew this trip home would be hard to handle for everyone.
“This is the last of it.” Depositing the last dinner plate in the sink, Sam Hilliard came up behind his wife and put his arms around her waist. He nuzzled her neck, causing her to stiffen and pull away from him. He shrugged his shoulders and moved into a chair at the kitchen table, beside his daughter.
“I’m glad you’re here Dad. There’s something I’ve been trying to tell Mom for a while and she doesn’t seem to get it. I’ve tried to say this in so many ways?” she stared at the floor hoping for some miraculous message to reveal itself there. He nodded, encouraging her to go on. The love he felt for his daughter was obvious and it gave her the strength to speak.
“Mom, Dad, I’m in love with a woman.” Samantha waited, expecting the ceiling to fall in at minimum. She searched her father’s face and detected no change from the previous minute, which relieved her. Her mother’s face however was changing shades, light to darker red, then almost purple. Her mouth opened and closed, just like the goldfish that Sharon had in a bowl at her apartment.
“We’ll need to send you somewhere so that you can get help” were the first words out of Mrs. Hilliard’s mouth.
“I’m not ill Mother, I’ve just made a choice about how I want to live my life and it wasn’t an easy one either.” Sam looked from her mother to her father, waiting.
“Ridiculous! I have never heard anything so disgusting in my life!” That was the expected reaction and Mattie did not disappoint her daughter.
“I know you don’t understand Mother and I’m sorry if it hurts you.” Trying to remember some of the things she had rehearsed with Sally she grasped for something to say. “It has nothing to do with the way you and daddy raised me.”
“I should say not! We did everything for you, gave you everything?” Mrs. Hilliard could only sputter. Her vocabulary seemed to be lost somewhere.
“Now Mattie, she’s our daughter first and anything else comes after that.” Sam loved her father at this moment more than ever before and that was considerable.
“Don’t try to appease me Sam. It’s an abomination! Our only child is a queer! That’s going to be fine news for her grandparents now isn’t it?”
It was the first of many low blows. Samantha hadn’t seen it coming though and tears popped into her eyes as if she had been slapped. Mattie was concerned with what the people at the club would think. Suddenly she thought about the parents of the young men she had matched Samantha up with for various holiday festivities. What could she tell them? If the word got out, she would be mortified! She struck out at her daughter, wanting to deal her the kind of earth shattering blow she had been dealt. She sagged against the countertop, her back to the rest of her family.
“You’re upset Mother and this is startling news for you. Why don’t I just go upstairs to bed and we can talk about this some more when we’ve all had some rest and a little time to adjust?”
Her mother spun on her. “I have a better idea ‘Missy’. Why don’t you just get your luggage and get out of this house?!” The demonic look in Mattie’s eyes shocked both her husband and her daughter.
“Mattie, you don’t mean that and you know it!” Sam Hilliard protested, but his fear was realized when she delivered her ultimatum.
“You go, or I go. Do you understand me? It’s as simple as that.” Mattie Hilliard was five foot eight to her daughter’s five foot five and had to lean down to do it, but these damning words were delivered eye to eye. Sam stared at her, letting the full flush of anger rise into her cheeks while words formed in her mind.
“I will not let you make me feel ashamed of who I am Mother. I realize that you’re upset, but if you would let me tell you how happy I am now that I’ve found out?”
Mrs. Hilliard waved both of her hands in Samantha’s face to stop her. “No! I don’t want to know any of it. You can keep your perverted little stories to yourself.” She exited the kitchen and swept up the stairs, slamming the door to the master bedroom.
Samantha and her father looked forlornly at each other. When the tears started streaming down his daughter’s face, Sam Hilliard opened his arms and took her into his embrace. They held on to each other, trying to think, to understand what had just transpired. He would fight his wife over his daughter’s happiness if that was what Sam needed from him. “I’ll speak to her.” He started after his wife, but his daughter caught hold of his arm and stopped him.
“No dad. There’s gonna be enough hell for you to pay around here as it is. Don’t do that to yourself, too.” She hung her head and a single teardrop fell onto the toe of her trendy workboot. “I think I’ll call Aunt Jane and see if she’ll take me in for a few days. I want to believe that some part of Christmas can be salvaged. Maybe if I give her a little time and some space, she can come to terms with it.” Sam smiled for her father, because she knew that he knew that both of their hearts were breaking. Her smile was the only gift she could give him at the moment.
“So, how’s my favorite niece? You sounded terrible on the phone. What are you and Mattie fighting about now? She trying to put you in a prom dress again?” Jane’s laughter died out when she saw the tears start trailing down Sam’s face. “Whoa there. Why don’t you come into the kitchen and tell me what this is about?” She steered Samantha by the arm and yelled to her husband as they went by the den. “Sam and I are gonna have a little girl talk in the kitchen, Al.” They had been married long enough for him to realize that meant the kitchen was off limits and he wasn’t expected to help entertain his wife’s niece. He turned the volume for the football game up a notch.
“OK, talk to me girl.” Jane moved around the kitchen, putting the kettle on for tea and setting out cups and saucers. Sam smiled; thinking that offering her a soothing cup of tea was a very ‘Aunt Jane’ thing to do in a dilemma.
“After the way my mother reacted, I’m not sure I want to share this information with you. If you go off the deep end too I won’t have any family left.”
Jane squeezed her shoulder and gave her a warm smile. “Honey, nothing you could ever tell me would change the way I love you. P.S. Never, ever, compare me with your mom or expect parallel reactions. She is your mother and my brother’s wife and as much as I love her, we are two very different people.” ?and don’t like each other most of the time.’
Samantha was feeling braver and ready to spill it when the teakettle started to whistle. With her back to her niece Jane went about pouring the water into mugs and dunking the tea bags. She encouraged Sam to continue. “I’m listening. Go ahead.”
She would have and could have, but it was a help that Sam didn’t have to watch her Aunt’s reaction. Sam readied herself, but still found herself in total shock when she realized that Jane was laughing.
“Is that all you’re worried about? My gosh Sam, I figured that out long ago. The fact that your mother hasn’t tells me how hard she works at not seeing reality.”
“You knew? But you never said anything, or let on at all.” Sam was stunned.
“It’s no big thing. In fact Sam and I talked about it once, briefly.” The young woman was truly agog now. “He said that he has always considered it a part of his role as you father to protect your innocence. Your dad told me that it would be easier for him to accept in some ways if you chose to give yourself to another woman. I understand that and I told him so.”
The shock on her face was beginning to fade, but the young woman’s emotions were adrift in a serious storm. “I want to believe that he isn’t disappointed in me.” Sam listened as Jane gave her the reassurance that they both realized she needed.
“Honey, your daddy loves you to no end! I don’t have to tell you that. Anyway your mama will come around. Let me tell you something.” She set the cups in their saucers before them and began stirring sugar into her own tea. “Your mother was a very beautiful woman once, like you are now. She was always kind of spoiled by it. See, in those days, a beautiful woman wasn’t expected to be anything else. The world has changed, but she won’t and it bothers her to see anybody playing by a different set of rules. Oh, she loves my brother and make no mistake, he has been crazy about her since he laid eyes on her twenty-nine years ago, but he accepts her without condition. Of course, in this case, he’s gonna have to choose between her and what is right. That will be hard for Sam, but he’ll manage it. Don’t give up on your daddy.”
Samantha listened and grew calmer as her Aunt talked on. Jane told Sam about the days when her parents had been younger and so obviously in love. She might have been trying to convince Sam that her mother had been a real human being at one time. She couldn’t explain when asked how Mattie Hilliard had evolved from that person to her present day self. Finally as midnight approached, Jane led her niece up the stairs to the guestroom.
They found an extra blanket for the bed and Jane encouraged her to call her friend if she needed to. It was the most touching of a large group of kindnesses and Sam could hardly contain her emotions. As Jane was pulling the door closed so that Samantha would have some privacy for her call, she stopped. “If I had ever been blessed with a daughter Sam, I would have wished with my whole heart to have one like you. I mean that, honey.” The door closed and she was gone.
Six years went by before Samantha and her mother had a real reconciliation. Even then, there was often an iciness between mother and daughter that made things difficult. Sharon had long gone from Samantha’s life and she had moved on. The Bachelors degree in English that she carried away from Auburn with her was a far cry from a meal ticket. Having focused on graduation day for the first twenty-one years of her life, Samantha studied the rolled parchment in her hand and wondered what on earth she was supposed to do next.
A number of false starts and side trips had led her into the real estate business. Sam, least of all, would have ever believed she could be good at something that involved so much confrontation and negotiation. Unshakable integrity, a low-key approach and her meticulous attention to details made her a trusted realtor in the re-emerging Atlanta neighborhood where she had chosen to specialize.
“Of course I’m disappointed that you can’t come down this weekend, but I can look forward to your abuse next month instead. Give me a call when the smoke settles Sally.” Samantha’s college roommate came to visit her often in Atlanta. Wife and mother of two small boys, Sally welcomed any opportunity to escape her home for a few days of Southern hospitality. The current trip had been planned for months, but at the last minute one of the boys had come home with measles. His brother was sure to follow suit and Sally didn’t have the heart to “leave the little monsters” with their dad.
Samantha pictured the tow headed brothers, who might have been twins to look at them, tearing through the house armed with imaginary guns and raising a ruckus. A picture of Sally and her family hung on the wall of Sam’s office in a place where she could easily glance up and see it. Through most of the last ten years, it represented the only family she had known, except her Aunt Jane and of course Janet.
“Line one, boss.” Peter studied her closely, which was nothing new. Sam wondered if she was guilty of a fashion faux pas. He was always quick to let her know if anything about her appearance was either good or bad. “One of the advantages of working with a queen,” he told her.
“What? You’re looking me over like a prize heifer.”
“I noticed your lights on late last night. I was just trying to determine if you got any. Finally.”
She pitched a pencil at him, which he caught handily before pivoting gracefully and leaving her office. Sam loved Peter although he could be very nosy and overprotective of her. It had been three years since she had sold him a house across the street from her own. They had grown very close almost immediately, and the vibrant young man took an interest in everything Sam did. When he lost his secretarial job in Midtown, she had hired him. While he sometimes got on her nerves, Peter was tremendously efficient and had been a real find where business was concerned.
“Hello. Oh, hi Steve. I’ve got some great news for you guys. Your offer has been accepted.” She went on to give her client the details of the contract she had negotiated for him and his partner. Sam had shown them over twenty houses before they found the one that they couldn’t live without. Not all of her deals had as happy an ending as this one promised to have, but she would be glad to welcome these young professionals to the neighborhood.
As soon as she hung up her phone, Peter re-appeared in the doorway of her office. “Don’t forget, Rob is doing your hair in a half hour. He can be a real bitch if you’re late.” Samantha made a face. She couldn’t recall why she had promised Peter that she would subject herself to this, although in fleeting moments, she admitted that a new look might be nice.
“Why don’t you go with me and divert some of the criticism? I hate it when he starts in about my split ends and un-tweezed eyebrows.” Trying to look pitiful sometimes had the desired effect where her secretary was concerned.
“OK, but I’m not coming back here after that. You can straighten out your own voice mails tomorrow morning. Deal?”
Forty minutes later she sat, caped and ready for the stylist’s scissors to do their magic. Unfortunately Rob and Peter had been arguing for ten minutes about what the appropriate cut should be. They compromised by deciding on something short for Rob, and something blonder to please Peter.
“I guess nobody is interested in my opinion, right?” The two men never even acknowledged her remark, but were busily selecting a shade of blonde. Two hours later, Rob spun the chair around and Sam saw her image in the huge mirror for the first time. The change was fairly drastic, but very flattering. She touched her neck where her shoulder length tresses had hung earlier that day, in an effort to get used to the bareness of it. The color change was subtler, leaving her undeniably blonde instead of her natural borderline shade.
Peter and Rob waited, getting more nervous as the silent seconds ticked by. Only now did either of them entertain the possibility that they had made a mistake in their judgement.
“Wow!” Sam’s face lit up. “I suppose you’ll start with the blonde jokes now, huh?” She studied first one profile and then the other before giving both of the men a kiss on the cheek. “Thanks, guys.” Samantha glanced at her watch and realized that she was going to be late meeting Janet for dinner. “Gotta go, but thanks, really.”
Sam caught her own reflection in the glass front of a shop in Virginia Highlands as she made her way down the sidewalk to the TapRoom. It was one of her favorite places to eat in the whole city, and her ex-lover Janet had grudgingly agreed to join her. Janet loved Sam’s company but always groused about eating in nice places. She really had no appreciation for good food and said they were wasted on her.
‘Janet’s going to be surprised when she sees the new hairdo. I can’t wait to see what she says. Apparently I needed a change and didn’t know it, because I like it a lot!’ The vivacious young woman smoothed her skirt and went into the restaurant.
As soon as Sam entered the crowded bar she recognized Janet’s back at a high top table in the corner and automatically smiled in response. Her course dark hair was cut short and she was dressed, as always, in a sedate blazer over dress slacks. Sam knew that she had dozens of outfits, all basically the same in her closet. There was an unused glass sitting on the table next to a half empty bottle of beer. “I see you still prefer to drink straight from the bottle. I never could teach you any manners, could I?” Sam’s ex looked at her for a few seconds before recognition lit up her countenance.
“Well hello! My gosh, what have you done to yourself?” Janet stood and accepted a warm hug from her friend. “You look fantastic! Now I’ll REALLY never stop kicking myself for giving you up.”
“It’s always nice to hear you speak the truth. Thanks for the compliment, do you really like it?” She reached up and fluffed the back of her hair.
“You’re fishing now. I’ll never understand why you’re insecure about how gorgeous you are.” Sam’s friend took her seat again, explaining that there was a short wait to get a table for dinner.
The truth Sam spoke of had to do with the fact that Janet had never gotten over their break up and probably never would. Even though it had been her fault, she realized when it was too late just how much she felt for Samantha. The hurt between them was deep by then and the damage irreparable. When enough time had gone by for Sam’s hurt to start healing, she realized that they were simply destined to hang on to their seven years as friends and let go of their four years as a couple. She loved Janet too much to simply let her go altogether.
They caught up on the happenings of the past few weeks. Both of them had been swamped with work. In fact, Janet had been in Washington representing the software-marketing firm she worked for all week. When they finally got to a short lull in the conversation, the young computer executive interjected, “I heard through the grapevine that you’re seeing somebody?”
“The grapevine extends all the way to Washington, huh?” Sam countered, but blushed slightly as well. It was impossible for her to hide anything from this woman who had shared so much of her life. “I’ve been out a couple of times, yes.”
“Who are you seeing? Spill it, Sam.” The dark haired woman smiled, inviting her friend’s confidence, until Sam finally caved in.
“The people in this town need to find something more interesting to gossip about than my social life. I go out occasionally. I have dated a couple of women more than once, but I’m not interested in anything serious.”
Janet sighed deeply and took a long pull on the bottle in front of her.
Sam knew her too well and couldn’t let her friend’s reaction pass without comment. “You gave up the right to be relieved by that news a long time ago, you know.” Janet tried to look as if she didn’t know what her friend was talking about. “You needn’t worry on any account because I’ve about reconciled myself to living alone. I’m getting too old to tolerate anyone else’s bad habits or to compromise by giving up any of mine.” They were approached by the hostess, letting them know that their table was ready. The two friends went in to dinner.
Gino Bertilini had developed a real appreciation for art in his life. In fact, the years of increasing his vast power and wealth had become a boring proposition until he realized that he could use both to surround himself with objects of beauty. Sterling soaked up the benefits of Gino’s wealth as if they were rays of sunshine. After that weekend in Newport, she never went back to the pitiful apartment in the projects. He gloried in her transition from street punk to sophisticated young woman and reveled in the opportunity to share what he revered with so appreciative an audience.
The lessons she learned were lasting. Another individual might have been afraid of the power that allowed Gino to order the death of a man as casually as he might order dinner in a restaurant, but it was what drew Sterling to him.
A sexual novice compared to a man of Gino’s experience, the young woman had a patient teacher in her fifty-year-old lover. Gino had been amazed at the seductive allure of such a tantalizing female. He could only wonder what her youth had been like and congratulated himself on finding her for himself.
The two lovers were well suited. He was the stable older man she had always needed in her life. Sterling was his midlife brush with mortality. She was spirited enough to challenge him and he taught her everything about the good life. They traveled and dined out at restaurants mostly belonging to his friends. They even occasionally went dancing which was something she had ever done before. Sterling was surprised to find that she not only enjoyed the latter, she was good at it.
The ringing phone seemed more urgent than usual. She debated whether to abandon the stair stepper and answer it or not. Sterling hated for her exercise routine to be interrupted but instinctively felt that she should answer the phone. “Hello!” Left breathless by the sprint it took to get there before the machine picked it up, all she could do was smile at the voice that greeted her.
“Hang on a second.” She carried the phone on her shoulder as she grabbed a towel from her bathroom and moved into the den. Sterling half-sat on the corner of the priceless Empire desk that had been her most recent birthday present. “Now, I can talk. What’s up with you today Gino?” As he spoke, she realized where she was sitting in her sweaty work out clothes and jumped up, chastising herself.
It had been three and a half years now since that day he had spotted her in the hallway outside his office in Newport. Sterling was his equal now, capable of feeling comfortable in practically any social situation. She was sleek and sophisticated in every way. Both of them were capable of being bright and witty or stoic and intense. Fortunately, they rarely occupied the same end of the spectrum. It was a good match.
“I’ve been orchestrating the takeover of a dry cleaning chain in New Jersey all day. Pretty boring stuff, compared to your Asian history exam. How did you do?”
It always amazed Sterling that he could head a business that employed hundreds, run a family that included a sick wife, six sons, a daughter plus three grandchildren and still keep accurate track of what was happening in her day to day life.
“I probably should have done better, but I hate essay questions and this guy just insists on having us write volumes. You’d think he’d be tired of our bullshit by now.”
Gino cleared his throat. A real study in contradiction, the crime boss had made a project of policing his young mistress’ language and this was his way of exhibiting his displeasure with her choice of words. “Sorry. It just slipped out. Sometimes you just have to call them like you see them though, Gino.” He laughed.
Sterling ceaselessly amused and amazed him. Over time, the physical relationship that had been their beginning changed into something closer. He had been in love with the young beauty from the first moment he had laid eyes on her. It was his most carefully guarded secret. He could never tell her or anyone else for that matter. A man like Gino Bertilini could not afford to love anything.
“You feel like going out to dinner tonight? I’m kind of restless and I hear there’s a great new place over near the track.”
She laughed at him. The man had so much class and polish that he could hold his own with foreign dignitaries, yet his love for gambling made him by his own admission, just another thug. The excitement he displayed while watching his horse cross the finish line in first place was rivaled only by the passion he displayed when he was with her.
Law school had been his idea and a good one. Gino could have given her money and did, but education was a gift that she could keep even when he was gone. At fifty-three to her twenty-one, it was an inevitability that she would outlive him.
She surprised everyone, especially herself, with her academic abilities. Often commended by her professors for hard work, she was frequently snubbed by her classmates for the same reason. No matter, a bright mind and tenacious will had been turned loose.
Upon graduation, Sterling asked for and received a job in the offices of Gino’s attorney. Stanley Reed’s firm had represented the Families’ interest for Gino’s entire career. Reed had, in fact, ridden the mobsters’ coattails for thirty-five years. The two men had mutual trust, a rarity in their respective businesses. Stan understood his boss’ attraction to the dark beauty of his new law associate. He would have liked to pursue Sterling for himself, but it would cost him his practice and probably his life. No woman was worth that in his estimation, was she?
“Come in.” Stan was hanging up the phone when he heard the tap on his door. “Sterling, hello. I have something I need to speak with you about.” The head of the firm was the complete antithesis of Gino. Overweight and pasty complected; even the twelve hundred-dollar suits he wore couldn’t make him look presentable. Reed’s piggy eyes ran over her in a way that made the young woman feel dirty. He had made his career out of accurate character judgement and he knew that the flawless beauty before him was way outside of his grasp. Reed silently acknowledged the fact and shook his head in regret before getting down to business.
“I’m assigning you to the Sartori case. I think it would be good experience for you and at the same time it will show me what you’re made of.”
The young attorney stared wide-eyed at the man behind the desk. The Sartori trial would have very high visibility and any mistakes would happen in front of the media opening the firm up to attack from the opposition. Offering this assignment showed a lot of trust in the novice attorney. “I don’t know what to say Mr. Reed.”
“No need to thank me. You’ll be cursing me before it’s over. There’s a lot of grunt work in this one and you’ll be doing most of it. I don’t want to hear it from Gino either. Maybe you should talk to him before?”
“I don’t need permission Mr. Reed. I realize I got this job because of him, but I intend to earn my keep and then some. All I expect is a chance to prove myself.” As soon as Stan Reed recognized this as the beginning of a potentially long speech, he raised his hands to quiet her.
“Ok, OK. I meant no offense. Report to Jeffries and see where you’re needed the most.” As she left his office, Stan Reed reflected on the reaction of his fellow lawyers to his generosity in giving Sterling such a plum assignment. He knew for sure that some of them would assume she was screwing him behind Gino’s back. The thought had a certain appeal. Having people believe it was almost as good as if it were true.
O’Hara was scum. He was the kind of man who could not keep his hands off the teenaged girls he busted on his beat. It was well known among the kids in the neighborhood that when he nabbed one for possession of drugs he would accept sexual favors as payment for letting her go free. His perversion drove him to patrol the neighborhood steadily looking for offenders.
Samson had graduated from being a beat cop years ago, but he still had connections in the neighborhoods where O’Hara patrolled. The detective started to hear rumors and made it a point to talk to some of the old contacts from the projects to see if there was any truth in them. When the detective walked through the door into the sour smelling apartment to meet the young girl for the first time, he was shocked. Her eyes were hazel, not blue like Sterling’s, but there was a definite resemblance, a haunting one. Samson had set up an interview with what might have been a beautiful fourteen-year-old, if she didn’t have the drug habit. Now, she also carried the demons of submitting to forced sex with a pig. One nightmare was feeding the other in this miserable young woman’s life.
It might have been Sterling. It could have been her fate, to spiral downward one day at a time. Much as Samson disagreed with the path she had chosen, at least she hadn’t been subjected to this. Had he not been the officer patrolling the projects, willing to look the other way while she supported her drunken father and herself, this burned out fourteen-year-old staring coldly into his eyes could be Sterling. It helped him make up his mind. It gave Samson the added incentive he needed to go after that dirty bastard O’Hara. He couldn’t do much about the wave of crime and corruption that was sweeping across the city that he had once loved, but by God, he could sweep up the city’s own trash by taking O’Hara off the street.
Several underage girls came forward once the investigation began. The department tried to keep the matter quiet and let internal affairs handle it, but it was too good a story for the local reporters. O’Hara was in deep shit. He was going to jail for a long time. His wife was leaving him, his career was over and he was guaranteed a prison stay. The rotten cop had heard the stories for years about what inmates do to child molesters.
Gino had been funneling money to O’Hara for years to keep his eyes closed and his mouth shut. It was standard practice and certainly not limited to one beat officer, but things were getting hot for the cop and the Bertilinis were watching the situation closely. There were no surprises when one of the mobsters’ trusted sources sent word that O’Hara had offered to cooperate with the district attorney in exchange for ratting out the Bertilinis. He had decided that the only chance he had was the promised help of a distant physiological clinic and a new beginning in the witness protection program. O’Hara knew better, that the mob’s justice would not be so easily avoided, but the pressure got to him and he accepted what was offered.
The business meetings in Miami were important. Gino had decided that he had to attend, leaving Alex, his oldest in charge. Every few hours, a telephone would be handed to the powerful man and he would nod and speak in abbreviated sentences. The messages were becoming urgent, but Gino warned his sons to stay calm and wait the situation out. He hoped that O’Hara would keep his mouth shut at least until he concluded his business in Miami.
Joseph Bertilini was reminded daily that he was the youngest son. He grew into an angry adolescent very early and though he aged, Joey never became anything else. At twenty-four, he remained an angry adolescent. He resented Alex and his handling of the situation with O’Hara. He thought the family should take him out right away to control the amount of damage that the dirty cop could do. The majority of his brothers agreed with his sentiments but none would go along with his plan to hire an assassin. Gino was very much in charge, and would not like interference.
That is why Joey made the mistake of hiring an unknown gunman. No one else would take the job, unless the offer came from Gino himself.
Al Sartori flew into town to commit a murder. A killer for hire for the past three years, Al Sartori was determined to make a name for himself with this hit. Unfortunately, when he reached the Boston airport, his was the suitcase x-rayed and opened to reveal his forty-five automatic. Custom made, it bore no manufacturer’s markings, which raised enough suspicion to practically start a riot among the airport security guards. They waited anxiously in the baggage claim area to see who would come forward to claim the cheap battered suitcase containing a weapon worth several thousand of dollars.
Sartori would have been insulted by their conservative estimate. The killer was intercepted by a Bertilini employee who informed him of the development in the baggage claim area and spirited him away from the uniformed army waiting there.
Although grateful that he had been ticketed under an assumed identity, the gunman was just sick about the loss of his lucky automatic. Angelo, his driver told him “there’s something in the trunk that will take care of your headache.” Angelo pulled over on the corner of a street lined with abandoned warehouses, handed Sartori the keys and stepped out of the car. Just then a silver sedan pulled up. The heavyset man got in and was gone.
Angelo would not have been Gino’s choice to handle an important mission. He just wasn’t very smart. Joey on the other hand, had his complete loyalty for the same reason. Angelo hadn’t asked where the gun in the trunk had come from; he just assumed it to be another of the typical, untraceable variety that were abundant among the various offices and automobiles that the Bertilinis worked out of. He only knew that it was there in the first place because he’d had to change a flat tire the previous month and it had fallen out of the case that held the jack assembly. The gun had in fact been a present to Joey’s spirited new wife, who surprised him by refusing to have it in the house. The forty caliber Glock, a legal, registered purchase, had been residing in the boot of a company car ever since.
Al Sartori found a discreet hotel within walking distance from the jail where O’Hara was being held. Within twenty-four hours O’Hara was mysteriously murdered as he was being transported to a facility for mental evaluation. No one was surprised that the high powered security promised O’Hara had failed. No one much cared that he was dead, except the DA. He was devastated at losing his key source of evidence against Gino Bertilini. Imagine the pleasure he took in the news that O’Hara’s murderer had been identified to subway security by two witnesses and brought in for immediate questioning. Imagine his further delight at discovering that the murder weapon had been dropped at the scene. Even that was nothing compared to the ecstasy he experienced when he found out that the murder weapon was a gun registered to none other than Joey Bertilini.
All hell broke loose. The media went on full alert, Gino flew home in a fury at the fumbling and bumbling that had gone on under the noses of his older sons. Business was never discussed in the presence of Gino’s family, but when he arrived home, frustrated, angry and stung by his wife’s accusations concerning their youngest son sitting in jail, he exploded. Alex the oldest, had been left in charge as always and suffered his father’s wrath. He was sporting an angry cut at the corner of his mouth within minutes of Gino’s arrival. Gino had lost it and hit him in front of the entire family, including Alex’s wife. It was not the first time Alex was being blamed for the stupidity and inadequacies of his younger brother. It didn’t help matters that Joey, who had been questioned and released, had walked in at precisely that moment; smiling and cocksure that he would come out of the whole situation unscathed.
The beep had sounded and Gino was supposed to be leaving a message for her, but he always felt so damned stupid doing that. This was the third time in as many days that he had tried to contact Sterling and make plans. Stan hadn’t been kidding when he’d said that Sterling would be very busy on the case. It was beginning to be a source of irritation for the powerful man, not to mention the eternal bickering from his wife whenever his mistress’ photo was published in the papers. Gino was discreet with his affair and shared an unspoken agreement with his wife that as long as he kept it under wraps, she would be tolerant. It only became a sore spot between them when Sterling became involved in defending Joey.
He frowned as he broke the connection on his cell phone, picturing her pouring over law books at the library. Gino had never known anyone with such ambition and drive. She reminded him very much of himself as a younger man.
Stan Reed’s defense team needed to get Sartori off. His guilt would provide the link between Joey and O’Hara’s death, a plausible scenario of hired murder to defend the family honor. If they could prove his innocence and get the trial out of the papers, a strong alibi and Joey’s story of an unreported gun theft might fly in conjunction with enough well placed bribes.
The key was in exposing O’Hara as a greater evil than the crime being tried. The defense team needed all of the dirt on the slain policeman that they could find. Young Sterling had donned ragged blue jeans and a tee shirt, an outfit reminiscent of her days living in the projects, and gone in search of testimony that her team could use to assassinate the character of the dirty cop. People were glad to slam O’Hara. Having to live on trash littered streets that teemed with dope dealers and in project apartments infested with rats was bad enough without having to deal with the likes of him.
It had been too easy, almost. Sterling had a series of tapes that had been made during interviews with various people in the neighborhoods where the scummy cop worked. Many hours had gone into the project. Some of the doors she knocked on opened to screaming babies and the stench of garbage. Her past came flooding back with each siren that screamed by the stoops that she sat on, asking questions.
Samson got wind of her questioning and followed her at a discreet distance. Only once had he felt his hand tighten around the grip on his 45 automatic.
“What’s in it for me mama? You gonna give me some of that pretty pussy if I tell you what you want to know?” As soon as the street punk opened his mouth Sterling realized that he was high as a kite. That made him useless to her and dangerous at the same time. Backing away she felt the accustomed tension of her younger years on the street flood into her body. Sterling put her mouth on automatic.
“Sorry, ain’t got no time right now. I gotta see a man about a party.” She smiled and turned to go, leaving her back unprotected. The punk reached in his pocket and Samson, undetected from his hidden vantagepoint, brought his gun smoothly out of its shoulder holster. The punk threw a scrap of paper onto the sidewalk and folded a piece of chewing gum into his mouth. Samson’s hands shook. ‘I almost killed that kid over a stick of gum. Christ! I am losing it!’
The young attorney’s tenacity paid off and she ended up with hours of tape that held many corroborated accounts of O’Hara’s lawbreaking. For once in her life, Sterling was honestly pleased with herself so naturally she was devastated when she returned home late one evening from the office to find her apartment ransacked and the tapes missing.
Mad as she was, Gino was angrier. Someone had the nerve to invade the inner sanctum of his world. Knowing that it was possible infuriated him.
“I’ll just have to begin again. It’s not the end of the world.” Sterling was delivering her progress report to the defense team the Monday morning after the burglary. She could only hope she could, in fact, duplicate the evidence that had been lost. “Its not as if the facts have changed now is it?” She was studying the faces of the people around the table as she spoke. Why were they so unconcerned about losing an important body of evidence?. The young woman’s instincts were screaming that somebody in the group before her was responsible for the theft.
“The facts are the same, but one of your witnesses, a store owner, has died.” Jerry Wilson reported this. Studying the paper in his hand, he read the name of the man in question from a copy of the police report he had obtained through his usual contacts. “Rahid Patel is the man’s name. He was the victim of a freak accident day before yesterday. Says here that the brakes went out on a beer truck. It jumped the curb and crashed through the glass storefront. He died at the scene, before he was able to give the cops much information.”
Sterling was upset that she was hearing this news second hand. She would have to speak with Samson and decided to visit him in person.
“Hello gorgeous.” It was his standard greeting. Sterling had always been a rare beauty against the backdrop of the neighborhood she grew up in. Standing in the grimy station house, surrounded by tired office furniture and stale cigarette smoke, she was breathtaking. She had dressed with purpose in wide belted, tailored slacks and a filmy blouse, knowing full well her effect on Samson.
“Hey yourself, ugly.” It was also a standard greeting and it made them both smile. “I’m hearing things from other people that I should be hearing from you.” Samson wasn’t the least bit interested in helping the cause of the local drug franchise but often, by helping Sterling, he did just that.
“I haven’t had a chance to fill you in yet, is all. Besides, you shouldn’t take this kind of thing personally, Sterling.” He was hedging and they both knew it. Samson was never thrilled with the prosecution of a fellow police officer. Even if he was dirty, everybody knew that Sterling’s boss was dirtier. The detective met her gaze and transmitted an unspoken plea. He had been trying for some time to make her understand that she needed to get out of Gino Bertilini’s life before she wound up dead.
“I have put a lot of hours into this case Samson and I DO take it personally when witnesses that I’ve located and interviewed show up at the local undertaker.” She was pissed at the situation and at the detective’s attitude. “I liked you much better when you were a beat cop.”
“Yeah, well, I liked you much better before you became the mob’s whore.” The words were in the air between them before he could censor them. His face showed alarm, hers showed hurt, something Samson had never seen there before. Seconds ticked past and he began to stumble over his words, trying to take back that which could not be taken back. “Listen, I didn’t…”
“Sure you did,” Sterling commented bitterly. “I see you’ve gotten into the judgement business, too. Well, go to hell then! I’ve taken enough shit for having a cop as a friend anyway, not to mention a loser.” She turned quickly to leave, afraid that she could not control the angry tears that threatened to fall. Samson had to stop her and grabbed her arm as she crossed the cubicle in front of him.
Sterling jerked away from the detective and gave him a venomous look. “If you ever put your hands on me again, you’ll lose them.” Her eyes flashed cold fire. Samson had been in love with her for a while and she had used his feeling for her to extract information on more than one occasion. Part of his judgement now stemmed from jealousy she was sure.
“Sterling, you know I didn’t really mean that. Come on! Let’s start this conversation over again.” He was speaking to the back of her departing head. “Damn! Damn! Double Damn! I have screwed up now.”
It was counterproductive for the Bertilinis to kill witnesses who could strengthen the case against O’Hara and yet one was dead and another had lost his nerve and left town. It didn’t fit and on top of everything else, now Sterling was pissed at him. A ringing phone on his desk demanded his attention.
It was true of course. Sterling could kid herself all she wanted, but she was in fact, Gino’s mistress. ‘Whore’ was also an accurate word since he had put her through law school, paid for her apartment, living expenses and automobile. A throw of the dice had put her together with the powerful man and she wasn’t about to trade her life now with what she’d had when she met him.
The couple spent many evening hours discussing the details of her career. Gino wanted her to remain with Stan Reed’s law firm. Sterling wanted no part of that. The man gave her the creeps. She assumed that Gino could send enough business her way to establish her in the legal profession easily. He wasn’t so sure, and didn’t know how many of his business associates would hire a freshly graduated female lawyer who looked like a goddess. He, himself, sometimes had trouble remembering just how bright Sterling really was.
He stroked her hand in a fashion that generally constituted foreplay. Sterling began to dread the impending sexual encounter. “Stan gets it done. He has always acted in my best interest and I believe in rewarding that kind of loyalty.” Gino turned her hand over and kissed her pulse.
“Something is not right with the whole set up and I’ll prove it to you one day.” He laughed appreciatively at her determination as he led her by the hand to her bedroom.
By the time the Sartori trial actually began, Sterling Hayes had been pushed to the forefront many times. Confident in her research and painstaking preparation, the young attorney found herself presenting many of the early motions for the defense team. After the first dozen were denied, she began to question, Jasper Wells. He was a full partner in the firm, but in the beginning stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Once brilliant, his only purpose now was to provide an experienced front man for the young woman’s court appearances.
Stan Reed seemed the logical one to answer her questions. “What the hell is going on here? That old codger you keep sending into court with me tells me that all of these motions are crap, invented to stall for time. Why do we need more time?” Her eyes blazed, her question clearly an accusation.
“If we hold things up as long as possible, facts are forgotten, evidence gets watered down and people change sides.”
“All those things will hurt us, not help us.”
Reed dismissed her logic. “Look Sterling, I know you are used to running on the inside track, but?”
She cut him off in mid sentence. “If you are insinuating that I don’t carry my share of the work load around here, you are mistaken. If you are saying that I don’t know what I’m talking about it’s obvious that you are misinformed.” Sterling took a deep breath and tried to steady her shaking hands by leaning onto the edge of Reed’s desk.
“It’s my ass in the library at midnight when they run me out to lock up. It’s my throbbing head sleeping on my desk blotter three times a week when your staff arrives for work. My witness interviews are a large part of this defense. Nobody handed them to me, I went out and squeezed every word out of those people with no help from anyone in this office. I don’t appreciate being kept in the dark about crucial tactics.”
“Now, now. I didn’t intend to question your dedication to the case.” His tone was patronizing, but his desire was barely contained. Stan Reed enjoyed displays of force, especially from women.
“No, you just pointed out in your typical underhanded way that you think I’m here due to my abilities between Gino’s sheets, which is total bullshit!”
The debate was halted by Reed’s sudden grab for Sterling. She had anticipated everything but this. In the moment that it took her to react, Reed pulled her to him by her shoulders and started spouting nonsense about how much he could do for her if she would only consider accepting his help. His meaning would have been crystal clear, except that Sterling wasn’t listening. Instead, she dropped into a horse stance and slammed her fist into his mid section. Her target should have been lower, but Stan Reed was two inches shorter than she was. Her second punch got the reaction she had hoped for and doubled him up, his face immediately turning red.
“Why the hell did you do that, you bitch?” He was gasping for air and holding solidly onto his injured privates.
“I just saved your life and this is the thanks I get.” She glowered down into his eyes. “If you had laid a hand on me, Gino would have your guts for garters. What were you thinking?” Her gaze was cold and her question superfluous. She knew exactly what the slime had been thinking and it made her stomach lurch. “Mind your business and stop bullshitting me. Otherwise I’ll go to Gino with a full report on this little incident.” His eyes widened.
The trial had been hard on the young barrister. Sitting at the defense table without allowing herself to react visibly to some of her colleague’s foibles took all of the self-discipline Sterling possessed. Each day, at the end of the court session, she would close her briefcase and trail the other members of the defense team to the cars that waited at the base of the courthouse steps. The more the events of the trial escalated, the harder the media tried to get the defense team to answer questions.
Sterling was shocked one Friday afternoon at the end of the third week when Reed’s lead attorney revealed crucial evidence during an interview. The defense’s tactics included several motions to suppress the very evidence that was being discussed on the five o’clock news! She looked around her, to see if the faces of the other members of the firm were equally affected. They all maintained their posture, not reacting at all. That’s when she knew the leak had been deliberate.
Gino had not wanted to believe her. Sterling held all along that something was wrong within the circle of the defense effort. He had been on the phone in her den when she arrived home that day. The veins on his neck stood out like earthworms and his voice was loud enough to permeate every corner of her apartment. Fortunately, the young lawyer didn’t speak or understand Italian. Otherwise, she would have been getting an earful of serious threats peppered liberally with profanity. He had seen the broadcast of the news minutes before and had reacted much as she had.
He slammed the phone into the cradle and took a minute to compose himself before turning to face her. “Reed swears that he didn’t know anything about this.” He didn’t have to explain what ‘this’ was.
Sterling walked to the sofa and situated herself. “Do you believe him?” She waited, knowing a man’s life hung in the balance.
Gino looked at her for a long time, seeking the truth in the depths of her startling blue eyes. He stood and walked toward her. His face suddenly lost all of its tension. His eyes went cold. “No, I don’t believe him.” His deep voice was suddenly unfamiliar. The young woman might have understood another reaction, but he looked totally menacing as he approached her.
Sterling had seen enough in her youth to temper her character against the existence of fear, but what was in Gino’s eyes at that moment caused her mouth to go dry. He jerked her to her feet and crushed her body against his. His embrace felt like an act of desperation at first but it quickly metamorphosed into an assault.
Sterling was astonished at the viciousness of his need. He tore at her clothing and tangled his fingers in her long hair, jerking on it to force her to look directly at him. Their coupling happened so fast that she barely realized what was happening before it was all over. Certainly there had been no concern for her desire or lack thereof.
Dazed and confused, the young woman might have been angry had she had the time to fully consider Gino’s actions before he returned his focus to business. That and the cryptic statement that Gino made to her when his breathing finally returned to normal.
“You are never to reveal your suspicions to anyone and I mean anyone. Do you understand?” Gino had hitched up his expensive trousers and stood buckling his belt. Sterling still lay supine on the carpet where he had brutally taken her. She nodded her understanding as she sat up, wide-eyed and began collecting her clothing. Unsteadied by the events of the last few minutes, she waited for Gino to explain, but instead he picked up the phone and dialed a number. His fingers tapped impatiently on the library table he stood beside until his call was apparently answered and he barked an order into the receiver in Italian.
Mind racing with planning and calculating he spoke to her in an offhanded manner. “I want you to continue with business as usual. Leave the rest to me. Carry all your case notes home with you each night and anything else having to do with the trial. I don’t want any trouble for you when the smoke settles.” Gino turned to her and his face softened now. She looked so vulnerable, standing in the center of the room, naked. The bundle of her clothing was clutched in front of her, but she made no attempt to hide her perfectly proportioned body behind it.
A knock on the door drew Gino’s attention. He opened it a few inches and accepted the pistol that was passed through the crack. Turning to her he commanded. “Here, take this. Never go anywhere without it. You remember how to shoot one don’t you?” He handed over the automatic pistol and she nodded as it was added to the items she was already juggling. The torn lapel of her silk blouse now hung down under the gleaming gun barrel, threads straggling almost to the carpet.
Suddenly Gino’s expression changed. It was if he had just rejoined reality. He looked sadly at his beloved, knowing that he had startled and possibly hurt her. “I believe I owe you a new blouse.” He was trying to apologize, something they both knew he was incapable of.
“I have plenty of others.” Sterling accepted his attempt. Her confusion and concern were evident in her expression. Gino suddenly went to her and embraced her tenderly, taking the clothes from her and dropping them on the carpet again. This Gino she recognized.
Sterling waited for him to explain and finally he found the words. “Sometimes I need to be in complete control. I have to be certain in my soul that I am capable of gaining and keeping control even within the savagery of this business. There is no trust left, and yet you trusted me enough to let me commit an act with you that was brutal and unspeakably cold.” Gino looked deep into the clear pools of her eyes and was sure he saw her understanding burning there. “I only have real trust in one thing and that is the way I feel about?” His voice trailed off. He had come too close to making a declaration. “I’m sorry.” The last of his words were whispered tenderly into her ear as he held her.
For days afterward Gino would cringe at the sight of the dark bruises on Sterling’s body. He could not believe he had been so primitive in his lovemaking. Little gifts were offered by way of apology, followed by not so little gifts. For her part, she tried to dismiss the entire experience from her mind, knowing the depth of his guilt when he presented her with the keys to a new Mercedes convertible.
A week went by and then another, with no ripples in the daily doings of the trial. Sterling did as she was told, but offered nothing extra by way of effort or opinion. She did as Gino had bid her and made sure that she secured her case documents at all times. The two lovers had not seen each other in several days. He had called to say that he was in Miami on business and would be back after the weekend. The young woman was pondering her situation, both as Gino’s mistress and as a member of a Mob Operated law firm when her doorbell rang.
She wasn’t expecting company and the whole cloak and dagger thing with Stan Reed had her edgy. Life in the Projects had taught her to be wary, a lesson she never forgot. Sterling leaned over and watched out the peephole until she could focus on the figure standing in front of her door. “Mary, Mother of God,” she breathed, recognizing Gino’s daughter standing in the hallway.
Sterling ushered the young woman into the entry foyer of her apartment where the two women studied each other cautiously. Sterling had seen the young woman from a distance at a restaurant once when she had been dining out with Gino. The gangster had spirited her out of the establishment before he had to explain his mistress’ presence to his daughter.
“My name is Anna and you are very beautiful. I don’t blame Papa for wanting to be with you.”
Sterling was dumbstruck at the dark beauty standing before her. Enormous brown eyes captured her. They were her father’s eyes, except that they held warmth and compassion that Sterling had not realized was missing in Gino’s eyes until now.
“Forgive me, please come in.” Sterling motioned toward the sofa in the center of the sunken den. Anna moved slowly towards it, looking around her and absorbing her surroundings as she went.
“I know that you are called Sterling. Papa has never said your name in my presence, but I asked Carlos. He didn’t want to tell me, but I made him.” Sterling suspected that this young woman was very good at getting whatever she liked out of people, especially men. “He likes you. Did you know that? He doesn’t like many people either. You should be flattered.” Carlos was the bodyguard that accompanied Gino everywhere he went. Sterling had never heard him utter more than a grunt, but made a point to treat him with the same respect he showed her.
Still tongue-tied, Sterling enjoyed the ease with which Anna held her one sided conversation. Fascinated by the sway of the young woman’s straight, dark hair as she talked, her eyes followed its movement. “This is a nice place but not as fancy as I thought it would be. My Papa likes a lot of European junk. This is much better.” She indicated the clean lines of the apartment’s furnishings. Sterling acknowledged the compliment, waiting patiently to discover the purpose of the visit.
“Can I get you anything? Are you hungry or thirsty?” Sterling was accustomed to her lover coming in famished. A never-ending supply of food and drink made its way magically into her refrigerator. All she had to do was make a list and stuff it in the mailbox on the wall outside her door. This particular luxury would spoil her later in life.
“I’m not allowed to drink. Can you imagine? I’m past twenty-one and they treat me like a baby. Unfortunately I have six older brothers all of whom think it is their duty to protect my innocence.” She rolled her eyes and made Sterling laugh.
Sterling was surprised that Gino’s daughter was practically the same age as she was. “Wine it is then.” The attorney gave her a conspiratorial smile and rose from the sofa to fetch it. When she returned to the den, Anna was scrutinizing the books on the desk and the shelves lining the walls behind it.
“You read a lot. I suspected you were very smart. My brothers think a woman is good for only one thing, but I know my Papa and he wouldn’t waste his time on a dummy.” She smiled with obvious pride in her father as she accepted the glass of white wine.
“I’m very pleased that you came here and that you felt comfortable doing so Anna. Your father is a very special friend to me.” Before she could add anything more, Anna launched into another energetic monologue. Sterling settled back into the sofa cushions and enjoyed listening.
The crisp linen of the peasant blouse Anna wore contrasted with the deep bronze tones of her complexion. Like Gino, she had a year round suntan. Sterling found herself focusing on the lace that covered the soft swell of breast barely visible above the top button. Shocked at her own outrageous curiosity, she shook her head to clear it and returned her attention to the conversation.
Anna’s slender body was total motion as she spoke, expressing every syllable as if it were critical to do so. Anna’s hands mesmerized the young attorney as she waved them for emphasis to make a point about her brothers’ ignorant and backward attitudes. A half-hour later, Anna had her hostess laughing out loud with her sarcastic slams on her Catholic upbringing and her family’s double standard. Anna was charming and charismatic, much like her father. Sterling was amazed at the presence of a woman so young.
“Well, before I take up any more of your time, I guess you are wondering why I am here. I should get to the point. Papa asked me to give you a message. He would not let me write it, or call. He said that I must bring it in person. I knew when he said that how important it must be because my father has always separated his family from his friends.”
Sterling nodded her understanding, trying to make it obvious that she felt no slight at Gino’s policies regarding this.
“I am to tell you that you will hear from Papa when he returns next week, but in the meantime he wants you to go away for a few days. He suggested a place at the Cape. It’s all in the letter I think.” Now she reached into the leather shoulder bag next to her and handed Sterling a thick white envelope. It bore no markings at all.
“I know where he means.” Sterling voice was solemn. This visit from Gino’s daughter was puzzling and his mysterious banishment was truly disturbing. Each was lost in thought, grasping for some reasonable explanation of Gino’s motivation. The two young women were, oddly, comfortable enough in each other’s company to silently sip their wine. When Anna’s glass was empty, Sterling offered to refill it but was refused.
Anna laughed as she stood up. “I certainly can’t show up at home tipsy, now can I? My mother watches like a hawk. I don’t know what she thinks will happen if I’m given a little freedom, but she says that I’m too much like my Papa.” The young beauty shook her head and laughed again. Sterling thought it was the most carefree laughter she had ever heard and found herself laughing a little with her guest.
“It was very nice meeting you Sterling.” The attorney shook the hand that was offered her. Its warmth sent a small tingle through her. At close range Anna’s eyes were her father’s exactly and Sterling was drawn to them, unable to look away.
“I appreciate you delivering the message. I would like to think that I will see you again some time, but I know the chances of that are pretty slim.” She smiled sadly and studied the envelope she now held.
“Never say never Sterling.” Anna hesitated a moment before turning to depart. “My father didn’t tell me that you are such an intriguing woman or that you are so beautiful. In fact, the only thing about you that doesn’t surprise me is the hint of danger that I see in your eyes. That is something prerequisite for a friend of Gino Bertilini.” There was no time for a response. Anna was gone.
The rustic country store was the only place to buy groceries for twenty miles. Sterling studied the limited selection, trying to decide on something simple that she could have for dinner. Cooking was definitely not her strong suit, but she could heat something up. She was studying the label on a soup can, her back to the counter where the ancient proprietor sat, watching the five o’clock news on a large portable television.
“It was a veritable ‘Who’s Who’ of underworld celebrities today at the graveside service for Stan Reed, Attorney to the Mob.”
Sterling’s eyes grew wide and she spun around just in time to see the screen fill with Anna Bertilini, hooking her arm through that of her father’s stoic figure. Gino’s eyes were unreadable through dark glasses but Anna seemed stricken. Sterling thought she looked glamorous in the simple black dress that she wore and totally out of place against the backdrop of funeral flowers.
“Thus far the ongoing investigation of the explosion that caused fire to sweep through the law offices of Reed has yielded nothing. The other four victims are also being buried today in private services. The very public case pending in Federal court that was being handled by the Reed law firm has been postponed. A source close to Gino Bertilini, notorious crime boss, says that several attorneys have been contacted, but no decision will be made until those close to Stan Reed have had an opportunity to recover from their loss.”
She could not think clearly, but Sterling knew she had to get the hell out of that store. Paying for the contents of her shopping basket she quickly exited and climbed into the all terrain vehicle she had rented for her stay at the beach. ‘He knew.’ The single thought echoed through her and made her weak with nausea. ‘He didn’t want me to be caught in the crossfire. What will happen now, though? There will be repercussions surely. I still don’t understand what Reed hoped to gain by selling Gino out. It must have been something very big to risk so much after thirty-five years of friendship.’
Thoughts were careening off corners of her mind as she drove the short distance to the cottage she had rented. It sat on a remote tip of coastline, which is why she and Gino had chosen it for a getaway once before. The house was nothing special, but high fencing and electronic gates insuring privacy, secured the grounds. A spectacular view of the ocean from each of the five rooms in the house was a bonus that Sterling could not appreciate at the moment. In fact, as her paranoia blossomed she found herself pulling draperies closed for the first time in her three-day stay. The young attorney was imagining all sorts of scenarios that involved murders of retaliation. If Gino had considered her a target because of her relationship with him, she wondered who else might be in danger.
Sterling pulled the threadbare quilt from the back of the sofa and wrapped herself in it. Huddled in an overstuffed armchair she stared out the only window that she had left uncurtained and cast about in her conscious mind for answers. The intense young barrister didn’t dare entertain any of the dark answers that were stacking up in her subconscious.
Gino’s letter had said that someone would come for her when the smoke settled, he just hadn’t said how long she should be prepared to wait. A week had gone by without much sleep or appetite. In fact, she sat staring out at the breaking waves as the tide rushed in only to watch it recede and begin the process over again. Lost in a dark tangle of imagined atrocities, she was currently trying to convince herself that her discoveries of disloyalty in the law firm had not resulted in the mass murder of the defense team. Sterling was trying to convince herself that she would live to see thirty when she heard the soft ‘thunk’ of a car door closing.
In an instant, Sterling had reached between the cushion and arm of the chair she was sitting in to retrieve the 45 automatic secreted there. The metallic sigh of a round being chambered was audible above the breaking of the waves. The attorney slid on sock feet to the front windows but didn’t get an opportunity to peek through the curtains before she heard the sound of a key in the door lock. Slipping behind the door, Sterling drew her breath in as the door swung open slowly. When the shadowed figure was far enough into the room she reached out with her foot and kicked the door closed with all her might. This left her hands free, one of which held the gun at eye level while the other grabbed an outstretched hand and twisted it behind the back of the unsuspecting intruder.
“Don’t move or I swear I’ll blow a hole through?”
“Sterling, it’s me!” came the shrill cry. The attorney pulled the gun barrel away from the temple it rested against and leaned around to check the profile of her prisoner. Still unable to identify the interloper in the dusky dark, she maintained the painful hold on the twisted arm. In fact, she raised it higher and heard her captive’s intake of breath as the pain of her action hit home.
“It’s me, Anna. Don’t shoot for God’s sake!” The plea was genuine. Gino’s daughter did not doubt that the woman behind her was capable of pulling a trigger. Sterling reached her gun hand over and hit a switch, bathing the room with light. It was indeed Anna who’s arm she had almost broken and she released it immediately, taking a step backward at the same time.
“What in the hell are you doing here? I damn near killed you!” Sterling was feeling the panic now, realizing that she had very nearly murdered Gino’s only daughter. Then she remembered that she could trust no one, not even Anna and did a visual check for weapons. The silky outfit she wore was sheer. It clung to Anna’s body in a way that revealed everything, including the fact that she could not possibly be hiding a weapon on her person. She carried nothing in her hands except the ring of keys that had gained her entry. Sterling recognized the chunky brass of Gino’s key ring and knew that Anna was not there to kill her.
Still breathless with fear, Anna took a moment to calm herself before finding her voice and offering an explanation for her presence. Gino’s daughter explained that she hadn’t seen Sterling’s car anywhere and assumed the attorney was gone. Otherwise, she would have announced her presence by calling Sterling’s cell phone number, which her father had given her. No one else had that number. The younger woman had hoped it would be enough assurance to allow the attorney to calm down and wait with her.
“Papa will call us here in a little while. I don’t know much more than you, but something big has happened. I hope you don’t mind the intrusion.” Anna was so sincere in her apology that Sterling felt guilty for suspecting her of participating in any wrongdoing.
“No, it’s fine. I just wasn’t expecting to see you again so soon and I’m still uncertain as to why Gino has me hiding here.” She noticed Anna noticing the pistol protruding from her jeans. Her face was all apologies. “Sorry, as I said, I’ve been a little uneasy about this whole situation.” Sterling ran her fingers through her dark hair and took a deep breath. “Come on in and tell me what you know.”
Anna had little to tell. Carlos had come to the house and dispatched her, by Gino’s orders to find Sterling and wait for his call. The fact that Carlos had left his boss’ side was unprecedented and said a great deal about the seriousness of the situation. There had been little time for discussion or conjecture when Sterling’s cell phone rang.
“How are you my sweet?” It was Gino’s voice, but Sterling knew immediately that something was terribly wrong. “I don’t have much time and I have a great deal to tell you, so please forgive me for getting straight to the point.”
Anna had crossed the tiny den of the cottage. Even so, the confines of the small room didn’t afford much privacy to Sterling and her caller. “Francis and Michael are dead. My sons are dead!” Gino’s voice was momentarily stolen by a quiet sob. “I needed Anna to be with someone strong when I tell her, Sterling. I couldn’t trust anyone but you.”
Sterling tried not to visibly react when she heard the next statement. “They were working with Reed to take over the business. Alex is the brain in this, I am almost certain, with his mother’s voice always in his ear. She doesn’t approve of?” He hesitated, uncertain how much detail he wanted to give her. “Let’s just say she disapproves of almost everything I do and has pitted three of our sons against the rest of us.” Gino sounded tired. “Needless to say, when I find Alex, he will join his brothers.” Gino made it clear that it boiled down to a tug of war between him and is oldest son. Whoever was left standing when this was over would hold the job that had been Gino’s for over twenty-five years. That job for Alex as his new retainer, coupled with a promise of Sterling Hayes for himself, had been the prize that Stan Reed had been willing to risk his life for.
“I have no intention of retiring. At least, not on anyone else’s terms.” The power was returning to his voice making it completely familiar again. “I wish I could be with you, but it is dangerous now. My family is being torn apart and I can trust no one with your safety. Anna and you are my heart and so the greatest threat they can use against me. Please take care of each other for a short while and I will get you to more permanent safety.” His brief endearments warmed her. It was Anna’s turn.
Sterling braced for the outpouring of anguish she expected from Gino’s daughter when she heard the news. Surprisingly, a sharp intake of breath was the only signal that it had been done. Anna turned to look at her father’s mistress and nodded briefly her acceptance of his plan. Her eyes, large and tremendously expressive under any circumstances, were enormous now and filled with recognizable pain.
The conversation ended and the young crime heiress looked stricken. She stood staring into Sterling’s cool blue eyes, looking for a lifeline, an explanation, and some salvation. When the tears finally started it was sudden and by the time the attorney could get to Anna, she was near collapse. Sterling guided her to the worn sofa and held the younger woman tightly. She whispered nonsensical words in an effort to soothe her charge and was shocked to find herself crying along in empathy for the young woman’s loss and the loss Gino must be feeling. Sterling had no siblings, but she been visited by death. The day her mother died she’d felt a trap door open beneath her feet and she’d been falling ever since.
Daylight turned to dusk then total darkness before Anna had cried herself out. Sterling kept wondering how a woman so young could have so much pent up sadness and emotion in her. It made her wonder if Gino was capable of the same depth of feeling. If so, she had certainly never been witness to anything that caused her to suspect it.
“Time to rest now. Come on and I’ll find you something to sleep in.” Anna mechanically did as she was told. Not bothering with modesty she threw off the skirt and blouse she’d been wearing and slipped into the nightshirt offered her. It was huge on her slight figure. Sterling had packed a few of Gino’s things, not knowing if he would be joining her. “It belongs to your papa.” Anna looked at her and smiled a little. She gathered the fabric near the button closures and brought it up to her nose.
“Yes. It most definitely belongs to my Papa. Thank you.” Her arms went around Sterling’s neck and she pulled her face down the short distance required to plant a kiss on her lips. The expression of gratitude was a great deal more than was necessary. When she was finally released, the older woman flushed deeply but it went unnoticed as Anna stripped the top coverings of the bed down and climbed between the sheets.
“Try to sleep,” was all the confused barrister could choke out as she started from the room.
Anna’s voice cut like the sharpest of knives. “Surely you won’t leave me tonight. I need someone close. Please Sterling.” A slight pain rushed across her consciousness, shallow but promising a bloom of anguish. The taller woman could not deny such a request, especially after promising Gino that she would watch over his daughter.
Pulling her own pajama shirt from the dresser, Sterling disappeared into the bathroom to change. She extinguished the bedside lamp and slipped into bed, careful to stay on her side. It shocked the attorney when she felt a shifting of weight and a warm body pressed firmly against the length of her back. An arm snaked itself under her own and a hand rested on her abdomen.
Neither of the women was able to sleep, each for their own reasons. Caught in a net of silent misery Sterling tried to remain perfectly still. The warm breath on the back of her neck was reminiscent of the exhausted slumber Gino always fell into when they had finished making love. During those times she generally felt a sense of relief. Now she felt a growing sense of unaccustomed desire.
Sterling Hayes had never wanted physical intimacy with anyone before although she accepted it as a part of her relationship with Gino, and exhibited some genuine enthusiasm at times. As Anna began to circle her navel with feather light strokes of her fingertips, Sterling felt a stirring she could not comprehend. Alarmed and confused she spoke quietly; hoping a return to the mundane would somehow ground her.
“Are you OK? I mean, do you need anything?”
Sterling received no response except a widening of the circle pattern Anna traced. When fingers came into contact with the soft underside of her breast she quit breathing and let the electric jolt run the length of her body before inhaling again. Anna gently but firmly succeeded in rolling the older woman over so that she could see her face. The chaos that she saw there was appealing. Finally, someone was in some ways, more naïve than ‘Gino’s Baby Girl’.
It dawned on Anna that she was caressing the same body that her father revered. Somehow that did not matter. With death’s shadow hovering so close, she was instinctively seeking an affirmation of life and might have found any body in her arms.
No words were spoken between them. Sterling was frankly amazed at her own responses. Never prudish, this experience still managed to catch her unaware. Her breathing was labored as she fought to keep from crying out into the night. Sterling could not help but wonder how the young woman who caressed her knew where to touch and how to stimulate the body of another woman. All of the questions that formulated in Sterling’s mind as she lay there were quieted as she gave herself over to guilty pleasure.
Anna, all those years ago had shown Sterling a path, the only path that ever made sense to the beautiful young attorney. The intimate incident was never mentioned again or even acknowledged when it was over.
As suspected, Alex had been the leader of Gino’s malcontent sons. Within days the mob boss knew this with certainty and once again his heart was broken. It all could have belonged to them soon enough, but they would not wait and now he had three less sons. To spare his grandchildren, the murders of all three had been made to look like retribution from a rival family, but all the other local leaders were called together for a brief meeting with Gino.
He candidly revealed the plot that Alex had set in motion with Stan Reed’s help. With Joey on trial, Michael and Francis, Gino’s two remaining loyal sons would be murdered as a means to start a war with one of the families represented at the table. During the course of it, Gino would die and Alex would be left in charge. Joey’s stay in jail would end at the hands of some inmate and the way would be clear.
The crime leaders of Boston listened wide-eyed at the man who had survived the plot of his own family. Gino had not hesitated in the killing of his own flesh and blood, so all of them knew exactly where they stood if they chose to cross him. In awe of his cold cruelty, the six men around the table also all felt compassion for the aging leader. Any of them could easily find themselves in the same position and not all of them were sure they could have done what was necessary to survive the situation.
Sterling and Anna were brought out of hiding in time for Anna to attend her fallen brother’s funerals. She was never made aware of their disloyalties.
Gino’s young mistress reeled as the tale unfolded over the next few weeks. It had been her instincts that had originally uncovered the plot and Gino was alive as a result of the doubt that Sterling had planted in his mind. Her loyalty had not and never would be questioned, but the mobster would now spend the rest of his days looking over his shoulders to see what his remaining three sons were doing.
Things changed drastically after that. Sterling opened her own firm. Sartori, found hanging in his cell as soon as Gino uncovered his part in the plot against him, no longer needed representation, but the young woman quietly and effectively cleared Joey’s name.
Gino sent clients to her, the majority of which were wealthy, unsavory types, trying to operate outside the law. Sterling demanded justice for each of them and soon gained the reputation as a legal gladiator, walking out into the courtroom arena regularly and doing the bidding of the rich and powerful.
The firm grew quickly and Sterling worked long hours. Gino might have missed her company, but he didn’t complain. His own time was taken up with increased vigilance and soul searching. The strain of heartache over recent events contributed to his failing health and in the spring of Sterling’s first year in practice, he had a stroke. It left him partially paralyzed and in a wheel chair. His sons were asked to take over the business and Gino quietly retired.
The loss of physical mobility ended the already dwindling sexual relationship between Sterling and her mentor. Gino had lost his zest for life on the day he buried Alex. Now, his best days were spent guiding Sterling in the building of her reputation. They shared dinner in her apartment often where he taught her every ruthless trick he knew to help her succeed.
His second stroke put him in a nursing home, unable to recognize anyone. Years ago the proud man had struck a deal with Carlos, his bodyguard. Carlos had protected Gino against assault for twenty-seven years, taking a bullet himself on two occasions to spare Gino’s life. Now, it was the silent servant’s obligation to his boss and friend to relieve Gino of the burden of living without dignity. When the once great man was found dead by the morning shift nurse, everyone suspected a third stroke had ended his life.
The demise of any figure in the underworld is an interesting event. The funeral of the deceased is a yardstick by which their power may be measured. The number of dignitaries present at Gino’s funeral showed clearly that he had been a great and powerful man indeed.
There were no rules governing the attendance of ex-girlfriends or jealous enemies. Sterling was torn about attending the service. She wanted to stay away out of respect for his family, but she was burying more than a benefactor. She was losing her constant friend and the only person who had treated her honestly. Her tall figure stood stoically at the back of the deep crown of mourners and was the first to leave when the service was complete.
A light touch on her arm as she was getting into her car, spun her around as Sterling fought her instinct to punish the invasion of her space. She was surprised to see the calm countenance of Anna, unafraid but obviously in great pain.
Sterling had no trouble getting Anna to meet her gaze, but was unprepared for the effect the sad brown eyes had on her. Even after all that had happened and the passage of time, Sterling felt the touch of the young woman’s fingers on her skin and electricity pricked the flesh of her forearms, bringing gooseflesh.
“I am sorry about the loss of your father, Anna. He was a great man and a good friend.” The offer of condolences was automatic from the attorney.
Anna finally spoke. “He loved you. I was jealous of that, because I believed that his love was something I shared with you and no other. He talked to me about that once.”
Blue eyes narrowed.
“He told me how much of himself he saw in you. When he realized he loved you it frightened him for many reasons, but it showed him too that he was capable of that.” The young woman wept quietly.
“I don’t know what to say to you Anna, except that I owe everything I am to Gino and I feel an obligation to honor his memory and his trust with great accomplishment.” Tears pooled in her eyes, but she kept them from falling by a tremendous act of will. She had now heard Gino’s love for her confirmed for the first time by his daughter.
“Good luck to you Sterling. You were a large part of the small beauty in my father’s life. I thank you for giving him that.” Anna wiped a hand across the attorney’s face and turned to go. Sterling could find no words to stop her. She simply watched her until she rejoined the group of mourners near the funeral tent by Gino’s grave.
“Charlie, this is Sam. Please plan for a short meeting on this Sanders contract tomorrow. Call Peter and set up a time. We need to discuss the financing and the special stipulations before you present this to your co-op agent. Thanks.”
Sam had seven agents working in her firm at the moment. Some of them were highly successful, organized and easy to work with. Then there was Charlie. He had the contacts to be a tremendous seller, but he wouldn’t do his homework. This would be the broker’s third meeting with him in as many months. Sam had been lucky to catch this particular contract. It had been left with her for presentation to the listing agent while Charlie was away for a long weekend. One glance and the astute Realtor had smelled a rat.
‘He is definitely up to something with this five day closing thing. No legitimate mortgage application could be processed, approved and closed in five days, especially on people who are new to the area.’ Sam shook her head. It wasn’t the first time Charlie had put together a less than totally above board deal. The problem with Sam was that she would not look the other way like a lot of Brokers even though Charlie was a high volume producer. Shaking her head, she reached for the stack of mail that had been staring at her all morning.
The young woman was tired today. Unable to sleep, she had spent most of the previous night reading the latest Harry Potter adventure. All that was remaining for her to do at the office was look at the stack of mail spilling across the corner of her desk and she would go home early.
‘Bills, junk, caravan flier. Hmmmmm. I may go to see that listing. I’ve always wondered what the inside of that house looks like.’ The creamy paper of an expensive envelope looked out of place among the sales mailers and windowed envelopes that carried Sam’s bills. ‘Hayes & Simpson, Attorneys at Law’ it proclaimed. ‘That woman said she would be calling me. I was wondering what happened to her.’
Sam tore open the envelope and unfolded the single page it contained. As she read down the paragraphs she became more and more agitated by the language and then the message it conveyed. The signature at the bottom was that of the junior lawyer she had met at her deposition. Her case was apparently no longer of great enough importance for the high and mighty Sterling Hayes to address personally. Additionally, she was being offered a settlement sum far less than what she had asked for in the suit.
Tossing the letter onto her desk, Samantha balled up her fist and pounded it once on her desktop. Peter, who had been coming through the door at just that moment, pivoted on his heel as if to leave, but looked back over his shoulder to check his boss’ expression before making a choice to stay or go.
“What on earth is that? Are you being jilted, audited or proposed to by an inmate?” His attempt at lightening up the situation failed miserably.
“It’s from Lowry’s lawyer, or more specifically from some flunky who works for her!” The anger in her eyes was something Peter had only witnessed on one previous occasion and that was when Sam had been handed proof of Janet’s infidelities for the first time.
“Apparently this is a bad thing, yes?”
“Yes, a very bad thing. She made it sound like she was going to get Lowry to settle this right away. I was hoping to put the whole thing behind me. It has done nothing but keep my blood pressure up since it started.” Sam scanned the letter again; hoping she had misunderstood its contents, but there was no question that she was being screwed by the offer they were putting on the table.
The broker punched the numbers printed on the letterhead and asked for Mike Epson, prepared to give him a piece of her mind. She was completely surprised when it was Sterling Hayes’ voice that came on the line instead. In the moment it took for Sam to make the mental adjustment, the attorney offered a warm greeting, visualizing the sexy young woman.
The young Realtor’s response was a good deal less than friendly. “I see you’ve lost your stomach for cheating me yourself and have put one of your underlings back on the case. More like, this paltry sum isn’t worthy of your attention, right Miss Hayes?” There was a bitter hiss when Sam pronounced the Miss.
“On the contrary, I personally oversee each aspect of every case pending in my office. My reputation is at stake.” Sterling paused to let that information do the damage she intended for it to do. “I tried to contact your attorney, but you were true to your word and fired him. That necessitates someone from my office contacting you personally. Since you and I seem to have a conflict I assumed it would be more comfortable for both of us if Mike took over the negotiations.”
“Negotiations!? This is insulting! You’re offering me half of what I paid out to restore my office and the tone of the letter suggests that this is your final offer.”
“Miss Hilliard,” the hiss was there when Sterling pronounced it, too. “Surely you weren’t expecting a blank check. I believe you yourself are in a profession where negotiation is a large part of the process. The correspondence you received was a standard offer format.”
“So you did see the letter that was sent to me?”
“I had a copy brought to me when the receptionist told me that it was you on the phone.” Sterling remarked as a smile formed on her lips. “I didn’t suppose you were calling me to invite me out for lunch, not after the last conversation we had.” ‘I bet you look beautiful right now with your eyes flashing fire and the flush of anger on your cheeks. How much would I love to kiss you senseless and make you forget everything, including your name.’
Clear blue eyes were slightly amused. Unpleasant confrontation was a daily diet for Sterling. She was getting a kick out of the Realtor’s impassioned response. “Since you are without legal council and possibly unaccustomed to the workings of a law suit, please allow me to explain how this game is played. This is strictly off the record of course.”
“We make a lowball offer assuming that you will send a counter-proposal, stating just what you are willing to accept to settle this case.”
“I told you up front what my expenditures were,” Sam interjected.
Sterling chuckled. “Nobody asks for what they really want. It is a standard procedure to cushion your demands and then settle for something less than the amount named in the suit.”
“Wouldn’t it just be simpler if everyone started out making honest disclosures and reasonable requests? It seems unfair to penalize people for showing integrity in their business dealings, don’t you think?” Samantha paused for effect and then turned the verbal knife she’d just stuck in Sterling’s back. “Of course, if everyone shared that point of view I suppose there would be no need for lawyers.”
This snipe finally cracked Sterling’s cool exterior. The attorney was no longer having fun. “Miss Hilliard, my client pays me well to represent his interests.”
“So your job is to help wealthy clients avoid obeying the law. That’s a worthy undertaking.” The sarcasm was dripping in her voice.
“I practice law not law enforcement. My clients deserve able representation the same as anyone else. Should I discriminate against them because they are rich? I’m not some sinister character, I am only doing my job.” Sterling’s knuckles were white on the telephone receiver as she continued. “Like you, Ms. Hilliard, I live to serve. After all, most peoples’ worlds can not continue to spin without the acquisition of the perfect Decatur bungalow.” Her own sarcastic rebuttal made the attorney feel slightly better.
Sam took a deep breath and delivered the final blow. “I’m not out to save the world Sterling, I’m just trying to make a living, same as you. I just don’t happen to make it by walking over the bodies of the beaten or assisting people in carrying out deliberate cruelty.” Sam’s face was flushed and her eyes were positively flaming.
Sterling had rarely been the target of such anger and passion and was having a difficult time adjusting to the intensity of the electrically charged situation as was evidenced by her weak response. “I think this conversation is over. I will tell Mike to expect your counter-proposal in the near future. If you develop some personality conflict with him, perhaps I can keep sending opponents at you until you find a worthy adversary. Good day.”
The steady sound of a dead phone line hummed in Samantha’s ears for a few seconds before she reacted and hung up.
Sterling’s hand shook as she replaced the telephone in its cradle. ‘Ooohhhh! That Hilliard woman infuriates me! She acts like all of this is news to her when we’ve been playing by these rules in the grown up world for decades.’ Sterling clenched her jaw, reacting to the on target assessment of her clients and their legal needs. Granted, there were a lot of money grubbing, looters among them, but there were some ruthless individuals in the real estate world, too. The brooding attorney was irritated with herself for not mentioning that on the phone and for allowing herself the little fantasy she’d enjoyed only minutes ago. ‘She is a pompous, self-righteous, cold bitch. I’ll definitely pass.’
The e-mail draft took less than a minute to complete. ‘Mike. Expect a counter from the Hilliard woman on the flood of her office building. Prepare Lowry for settling. Write him a letter, telling him the damning nature of the photos we saw at the deposition and recommend he settle quickly and quietly. Copy to me on that.’ She signed her usual lower case ‘s’ with a period behind it and touched the send button.
‘That takes care of that.’ Sterling focused her attention on the research synopsis before her.
Sam was fuming. This encounter left her angrier than the last one with Sterling Hayes. The Realtor made a mental note to write a letter to the Atlanta Bar Association condemning these unsavory practices in the legal community. ‘That woman has a hell of a lot of nerve!’ Somehow, she detected no tone of condemnation in her thought and it occurred to her that she was mostly making an observation.
Glancing at her watch, Samantha realized that she wouldn’t be getting home early after all.
It was a charity event and she felt obligated to attend. Most of her neighbors and many of her clients would be at the Western Hoe Down to help raise money for Aid Atlanta. Sam had talked herself into and out of going a half dozen times in recent weeks. She had been in the ‘I’m not going’ mode when an attractive VP from her bank had called and invited her to go.
Samantha had noticed the appeal of Beverly’s clothing first. The beautiful brunette wore conservative, tailored garments of unquestionably good taste, something Sam had an appreciation for. On one of the Realtor’s frequent trips to the bank, the VP had made a point to greet her and they spoke briefly. They had crossed paths several times since then, once while having lunch in midtown, twice attending the same house party and finally, during intermission at the Fox.
Beverly Andrews had noticed Samantha come into the lobby during intermission. She kept an eye on her for several minutes, nodding her understanding when Peter and a friend brought the attractive blonde a drink. ‘She is here with her friends, a perfect opportunity to ask her to lunch.’ The sleek banker had been planning to make a date with Sam for some time. Bev walked over to the group, but turned her back at the last moment, waiting to see if Samantha would recognize her.
Much to Bev’s relief, Sam tapped her on the shoulder and greeted her with a warm smile.
“How are you? How do you like the show so far?” ‘Brilliant Sam, very original.’ The Realtor introduced her friends who discreetly excused themselves and left the two women standing alone.
Beverly picked up the conversation; “I love it! That lawyer playing his armpit was hysterical!” They were attending the live broadcast of a national radio show, something neither had done in the past. They talked and laughed for the few remaining minutes before flashing house lights signaled the need to return to their seats.
Sam had agreed to come with Peter and his friend because she loved the Fox Theater and took every opportunity afforded her to go there. She considered her enjoyment of the broadcast a bonus and now she had been treated to a warm exchange with Beverly Anderson who mentioned having lunch together the next day.
The two women sat in the trendy atmosphere of a new restaurant in Decatur. They agreed that the food didn’t live up to the rave reviews the establishment had gotten in the Weekender. Since both of the women dealt with mortgages and finance on a daily basis there was no shortage of things to talk about. Beverly, it turned out had a terrific sense of humor outside the bank and regaled her new friend with stories of bizarre loan applications and some of the collateral she had been offered over her years in banking.
They had finished lunch and were just enjoying a companionable conversation when Sam’s pager vibrated against her midriff. “Oh! This darn thing always manages to surprise me. Sorry.” Fishing her cell phone out of the purse on the spare chair next to her, she called the office. Peter was beside himself. Her afternoon appointment had arrived an hour early. “Don’t be so dramatic. You can stall them for the ten minutes it will take me to get there. Make them a cup of tea. Knit them an afghan. Do anything, but calm down!” Sam hung up the phone laughing and shaking her head. “My secretary has a tendency to lose it in stressful situations. She smiled and brought out her wallet to pay their check.
“No way, I invited you to lunch Samantha. Besides, my expense account is hardly ever used and it should be.” Sam thanked the brunette and apologized for the necessity of a hasty exit, but rose to leave. Bev agreed to wait for the check to arrive.
The banker placed a hand gently on Sam’s arm, stopping her for a moment where she stood by the table. “The bank reserved a table at the western dance next Saturday night. I’d love for you to go with me if you like that sort of thing.”
The hostess was leading a group of patrons to their seats and Sam allowed herself to be swept in front of them. “I’ll call you,” Bev called after her.
Samantha dismissed the mention until the call from Beverly came three days later. There had been a roundabout discussion that involved Beverly’s cautious admission of her interest in dating Sam, followed by a confirmed acceptance of her invitation to the upcoming charity event.
Now, dressed in snug black jeans, a black leather vest, belt and black western boots, the curvaceous blonde sat at a reserved table waiting for Bev to arrive. Sam and Peter had argued about the white tee shirt with its sleeves rolled up to expose Sam’s subtly muscled upper arms. He agreed that it was a touch masculine, but convinced her that it was an appropriate look for a hoe down. She hated to admit it, but the look on Beverly’s face when she first spotted Sam proved Peter was right.
“Wow! You look incredible tonight.” Sam accepted the abbreviated hug of greeting from where she sat. “Why don’t I brave the bar before I sit down and get too comfortable. What’s your poison this evening little lady?” Sam requested a scotch and water and Bev left her alone at the table.
“That outfit is sinful,” said an unidentified voice. The remark was quickly followed by a kiss on Sam’s cheek. A flirtatious cowgirl in leather chaps and a felt Stetson grinned widely. “Save a dance for me later?” The cowgirl squatted beside the realtor and dropped a proprietary arm around the back of her chair. Sam agreed to the dance and chatted briefly with the extremely young woman who was a regular at the bars Sam sometimes frequented to two-step.
“Amy and Donna are here and Stephanie. You know her don’t you? The red head who wears all the jewelry.” Sam shook her head, recalling the woman in question. “You do look incredible tonight by the way.” A wolfish smile curled the lips that were inches away from Sam’s face and closing fast.
“You already told me that, but thanks.” Sam was a little uncomfortable with the forwardness of the woman beside her.
“I’ve told her that a dozen times myself, haven’t I Hon?” Beverly stood behind Sam’s chair with their drinks, smiling icily down at the woman who was so obviously cruising her date.
As the banker sat the glasses on the table, the cowgirl stood, studying the brunette. “Beverly Andrews,” she extended her hand in greeting. Bev’s appearance cut the visit short and the youngster moved off after reminding Sam of the promised dance.
Sam thanked her date for the rescue but Beverly just waved it off. “Can’t blame her for trying but you better watch out. She may be back when she grows up!” They both laughed while Bev gauged the effect of her compliment.
The women enjoyed watching the pairs on the dance floor. Their movements were complex and had obviously required many hours of practice to master. Sam loved to two-step. Some of the couples were incredibly graceful and the banker, who had no experience in Western dancing, grew more and more intimidated. She began to drink heavily.
Samantha turned down the first two requests for a dance, but by the time the third one was made, Beverly realized that her date would love to be on the floor, instead of sidelined, looking on. The banker insisted that Samantha accept the offered hand and take the dance floor.
The VP came a little unglued watching Sam move rhythmically with her nameless partner through the intricate steps of a line dance, clearly designed to be provocative for participants as well as spectators. Enjoyment shone in Sam’s eyes as she twirled and stomped in perfect time to the blaring music. When the blonde returned to the table, face flushed and grinning widely she sat watching Bev’s face for a reaction to the spectacle she had just witnessed.
“Whew! That one should have a warning from the Surgeon General that comes along with it. My heart almost stopped twice.” Sam blushed at Bev’s compliment.
After a couple of drinks, Sam convinced her date that all she needed was a little coaching and Beverly finally acquiesced. They made their way around the crowded dance floor for several songs before retiring back to the relative quiet of their table. Beverly excused herself and headed to a quiet corner to return a page on her cell phone. “I’m really sorry Samantha, but they wouldn’t be calling me from the computer department at the bank unless something serious was going on.” Sam waved her away and settled back to enjoy watching the crowd.
A dark hat floated above the mostly bare heads on the dance floor. It moved fluidly in time to the music and Sam watched it intently, waiting for the wearer to come into view. Her curiosity peaked at long legs that did great justice to the snug fit of new Levis. The dull gleam of well worn boots slid seamlessly over the floor, their owner an obvious master of western dance. The arm that reached around the back of the mystery dancer belonged to a woman with a long blonde mane and spilling cleavage. This Sam had determined when the couple came by her for the second time, the blonde clinging to her partner’s chest, eyes closed and obviously enjoying the sensual contact provided by the movement of her graceful partner.
As the couple moved away, green eyes curiously surveyed the subtle curves of the tall dancer’s shapely ass. Sam caught herself smiling a little in appreciation and began anticipating the next turn around the dance floor. She hoped to get a glimpse of the face that went with the body under the black Stetson.
The drink in front of her was mostly melted ice. Sam had never been much of a drinker and knew with certainty that she would be the designated driver for the evening. Still, as she sat watching and fidgeting with the energy of the evening, the young blonde unconsciously lifted the glass to her lips several times. Sam was in the process of swallowing the last sip when the black hat glided into view once more. ‘Oh good! They’ve moved over to this side of the floor. They should be close enough for me to get a good look when they come by.’
Later Samantha would wish they hadn’t been quite so close. As the realtor’s eyes rose slowly up the denim column, past the flames that patterned the western shirt, she got a funny feeling in the pit of her stomach. It took a few moments for the crowd to part and reveal the sparkling blue eyes of Sterling Hayes. Recognition dawned on the attorney’s face just as the music stopped and the dance ended. It was necessary for Sterling to reach behind her neck and pry loose her partner’s hands before peeling the blonde woman off the front of her body. The barrister’s gaze never wavered, it remained locked on Samantha as she gave her dance partner brief instruction and the woman moved off unsteadily towards a table in the furthest corner of the room.
Sam tried to look away. Several beats went by as they simply stared at each other. Finally Sterling’s lips formed into a subtle smile and she touched the brim of her hat in salutation before moving off after her date. The realtor looked after the attorney, confused by her own reaction to the incident. She didn’t have time to analyze it much though before Beverly returned to their table with a fresh round of drinks. Sam took hers and for the first time all evening swallowed a healthy portion of it before sitting the glass on the table.
The drink handed her had been accompanied by a meaningful look. It was the third or fourth such look in the past hour and Sam nervously noted that the frequency was increasing in direct proportion to the amount of alcohol Bev was consuming.
The crowd was beginning to thin and Sam suggested that they go out for breakfast. It was her hope that some food might help sober Bev somewhat. The banker was just about to agree to the plan when Patsy Cline’s voice came over the speakers at the dance floor’s perimeter and the VP leaned in to request a last dance with her date. Sam accepted with enthusiasm, gratified to find that Beverly was very accomplished at waltzing. The banker held Sam tight as they moved around the floor. Fortunately the Realtor was experienced at following a strong lead, because her attention was diverted by the recent image of Sterling Hayes.
The first thing she became aware of was the western shirt neatly hanging on the chair by the desk. It was the very one Beverly had been wearing at the dance. Sam closed her eyes and felt the shift of a body on the bed beside her. It wasn’t her bed, it wasn’t her house and she was about to experience that uncomfortable morning after thing, which she dreaded.
Not that her evening had been anything but pleasurable. Beverly had invited her to her home for a late night breakfast instead of going out, which the banker had prepared and served to Sam with a distinct flair.
They talked over their meal and the VP’s proclamation that she was ‘in like’ with Sam produced an uncomfortable moment between them. Sam, ever honest, admitted her attraction, but told Bev she was mostly enjoying being pursued and relishing the romantic attentions of the otherwise conservative banker. She also told Beverly that she had avoided physical closeness in her life for a long time, hoping candor would somehow discourage the VP. Before Sam got a chance to explain her reluctance to get deeply involved, the lovely brunette leaned closer and gave Samantha a searing kiss.
The banker was a considerate and gentle lover. This morning Samantha replayed the previous evening’s activities and was surprised that her recollection consisted mostly of a warm safety. Her green eyes opened slowly and found Beverly watching her.
“Good morning Sam. How did you sleep?” There was a Cheshire smile playing across the face of Sam’s attractive bedmate.
“Great, how ’bout you.” She stretched lavishly; watching in growing alarm as the sheet, which remained caught up under them, pulled off of her shoulders, revealing her nude body underneath.
“MMmmm, thanks. Talk about your morning inspirationals,” Beverly purred. The color rose in Sam’s face. She’d had no idea that she’d fallen asleep in the buff. It was just not something she would do. Bev sidled up to smaller partner and wrapped warm arms around her. She began kissing Sam’s neck lightly and casually caressing whatever was reachable with her free arm.
The thing with the sheet hadn’t been an invitation; it certainly must have appeared differently to Beverly. Knowing hands were moving over Sam’s breasts, causing involuntary responses. A moan vibrated against her ear, sending its little tickles deep inside. Tightening her own hold on the banker, Sam relished the feel of soft skin against her. She was thinking that maybe she had been too long without companionship, when insistent fingers found there way to her lower regions and wiped out the possibility of further thought.
Sam felt doubly guilty for missing church due to the reason for her absence. Peter was going to give her a hard time about this, as was Janet, but it was worth it. The steam rose off the tub she was soaking in and her head was resting against the rim, almost sleeping. She and Beverly had talked over coffee. Sam wouldn’t allow the preparation of another breakfast stating that she’d put the banker to that trouble the previous night.
Parts of the conversation played over in her head. Beverly’s invitation to dinner had been turned down and the banker had shown her obvious disappointment. “I really enjoy your company and I’d like to spend time with you Bev.” The dark face watching Sam lightened perceptibly. “I have a lot of obligations, personally and professionally, as I’m sure you do, but we can work around that, huh?”
Bev had been in banking long enough to read between the lines effectively. “You’re saying that you don’t want anything serious between us, aren’t you?”
Samantha’s smile softened what was coming next. “Its like I told you Bev, I’m not in the market for a serious commitment, but you’re a real temptation.”
‘She is too’ Sam thought as she swirled the cooling water with her hand, pretending it was smooth rounded flesh beneath her fingers instead. A seductive smile appeared as Sam considered the gentle gifts her new friend had to offer.
‘RRRiiiinnnnnggggg!!!’ The shrill cry startled Sam and she half-leapt from the tub before she identified it. She snatched the portable from her dressing bench by the tub, annoyed with herself for her speeding heartbeat. Peter’s voice, chastising her flowed from the ear piece before she even got a chance to speak a greeting. ‘Here we go,’ she thought and sighed loudly.
The table was perfect. Peter had insisted on taking care of it himself while Sam finished up in the kitchen. He had even pirated a bouquet from the abundant flower garden in his back yard. He joined her, casting a critical eye towards the pots on the stove. “You’re all set out there. What time is Beverly due to arrive?”
“About seven she said. There was something going on at the bank that she had to stay for. I hope she isn’t late; this casserole will dry out if it has to stay in the oven too long.”
“Maybe you’ll just skip dinner and get right to the important stuff.” Sam spun around to toss a dishtowel at him where he stood, hands on hips, smiling suggestively.
“Just because you are a sex maniac Peter, that doesn’t mean the rest of us are.”
“Right. I’m out of here. If you need help with anything, send up a flare.” He kissed her on the offered cheek and was gone.
Samantha tried not to be nervous, but it wasn’t working. She had offered to cook dinner for Beverly, thinking it might be nice to stay home for a change. They had been out to eat three times in the past two weeks, always at the banker’s expense and Sam did not want to begin feeling a sense of obligation.
The time they spent together was always enjoyable. Bev had season tickets for the Atlanta Braves and although Sam wasn’t a huge fan of baseball they would be attending a game together the following week. There was a plan in the works to attend an LPGA golf tournament together as well.
‘It’s nice to have somebody to do things with. Gosh! I sound like someone seventy years old! I don’t think I’m supposed to appreciate companionship this early in life.’ Sam had a lot of acquaintances and many invitations to various functions and events, but had fallen into the habit of refusing most of them. The social whirl of life in Midtown Atlanta had grown tiresome. Until Beverly came along, a quiet evening at home had become a steady diet.
The doorbell rang and Sam took one last look at her table before going to answer it. Beverly stood grinning with a bottle of wine extended in her hand.
Sterling would never have anticipated the dread she now felt as she waited at the gate for Samson’s plane to land. Things had begun to heal between them when Sterling opened her own practice. Their phone calls had been uncomfortable at times, but since then they had spent long hours talking through problems, and sharing the details of their diverse lives.
Her move to South Carolina and ultimately to Atlanta had not affected their rekindling friendship. The long distance calls were just a little more expensive than the local ones had been. They had not met face to face since she left Boston.
Now, Samson was coming into Atlanta to attend a training session with forensics expert, Joseph Burton. He had never traveled more than a hundred miles away from home and Sterling had convinced him to turn the trip into a mini-vacation.
This man knew her like no one else living. He knew her past, her dreams, even her fears, but there were things Sterling was not comfortable telling Samson. At times, she had felt an obligation to enlighten Samson about her preference for women, but didn’t know how he would take it. Both of them knew that he had always been not so secretly in love with her. It had taken two years for her to finally come clean, but somehow Samson had been the most relieved by the news.
In his heart he had always known that Sterling was unobtainable and now there was good reason for him to accept the finality of that. At that point, they had become friends, betting on the outcome of football games, razzing each other about ‘hot dates’ turned bad and sharing camaraderie usually reserved for his fellow police officers.
A head of dark hair bobbed above the crowd. She watched it, waiting for the face beneath it to become visible. It was Samson all right, but he had aged twenty years in seven. Sterling smiled and waved so that he would spot her own tall figure.
“My God, you’re more beautiful than I remembered.” It was not an idle compliment. The detective looked positively awestruck. Sterling threw her arms around him and held him tight.
“My protector has finally come to Atlanta.” She patted him on the back before releasing him. The comfort of his presence flooded back from her years in the projects. Sterling didn’t often dredge up those memories, because all of them were unpleasant but Samson had always been a strong male role model in her life. He had filled those empty spaces that Gino could not. Between them, they had taught the young woman right and wrong and how fine the line was between the two.
Obviously embarrassed, the detective muttered, “I only have one bag. Do you know where we go to get it?”
They went arm and arm to the luggage claim area, catching up along the way. Each was the closest thing to a close friend that the other possessed. Loners by nature, it felt unnatural to form bonds, but they had the common thread of history between them. Samson knew things about the young attorney that no one else did or would. Likewise, she had a clear picture of the detective and the torments of a job that he both loved and hated.
“You have to stay with me! I have FOUR empty bedrooms, two extra vehicles and besides, I know where the best topless joints are.” Samson knew she was probably serious, too.
********As promised, the prime rib was delectable. Samson pushed his chair back a little to make room for his expanded waistline. Sterling was treating him to Atlanta’s legendary cuisine, one restaurant at a time. It was her hope that she would fatten him up a bit in the process.
“Surely you don’t eat like this all the time. You’d be as big as a house!”
She laughed at him.” I forget to eat as often as I remember, so when I do chow down, I chow down.” The young woman studied the barely graying temples of her dinner partner. “What’s up with the gray hair? You’re not that much older than me.” She was only partially kidding with her inquiry. Samson was just the other side of forty. She had researched his background thoroughly once upon a time and Sterling never forgot anything unless she wanted to.
“The job does that to you, it makes you old before your time. I’m really twenty-seven.” He smiled, but had a far away look in his eyes. She knew he was back in his city, focusing on some horror-story case that needed solving.
“I can get good tickets to the Braves game tomorrow afternoon. Are you done with your meetings and crap? I can sneak away from the office if you can go.” Samson confirmed that he would be free to make the pilgrimage to watch his favorite baseball team play. The sudden excitement in his eyes was heartwarming for Sterling. She couldn’t remember ever seeing it before.
They were like truant children the next day. Blue jeans and sneakers were enough of a departure from her usual dress that Sterling’s secretary openly stared at her as she was leaving the office. “Something wrong?” The attorney was in an ebullient mood. “You didn’t know that I was this human, did you Sally?” Sterling laughed and tossed her long dark hair. Sweeping it into a ponytail, she threaded it through the hole at the back of her brand new Braves hat. The matching one with its easily recognizable Atlanta ‘A’ was in the backpack that she slung over her shoulder. Samson had resisted every offer of a gift up until now, but he would readily accept this one she was sure.
“I’m out of here Sally. If the sky starts to fall, prop it up until the game is over, ok?” She was whistling as the outer office door swung closed behind her.
The beer was cold and the game was close although the two friends were enjoying eyeing the scantily clad women as much as the action on the field. Sterling was really thawing out, glad to be away from haughty judges, indignant clients and richly appointed conference rooms.
‘I’m just another rabid baseball fan, ditching work and living in the moment. God, why don’t I do this more often?’
“Hey! Gotta go pee. You want anything else to eat while I’m up there?” Sterling grimaced as she glanced at the crumpled hotdog wrappers, trays of both ketchup (from french fries) and mustard (from soft pretzels), mini pizza boxes and a popcorn box. Her stomach gurgled as she drained the plastic cup of her fourth beer and she accepted Samson’s refusal without pressing.
Sterling strode purposefully up the steps, two at a time. The bad thing about good seats was the long walk up from the field level to the bathrooms. Just as she reached the tunnel leading out to the mezzanine a roar went up from the crowd and she spun around to see what had happened on the field. Before either of them had a chance to react, Samantha Hilliard stumbled into her arms.
“Sorry! I should have looked where I was going.” Sam began to apologize, clearly shaken.
“I shouldn’t have stopped with no warning like that. Are you OK?” Sterling countered.
Both had rendered the immediate apology that good manners dictated. Now they stood at arms length, studying each other. Two pairs of eyes narrowed.
“We could be civil. After all, this isn’t a work -related outing. I’m not even supposed to be here. My boss would have a fit,” Sterling offered in an effort to keep the accidental meeting as light as possible. She didn’t want her ebullient mood spoiled by a nasty scene right now.
Stiffening and backing up a step Sam started to react. Unfortunately in her effort to physically remove herself from Sterling’s reach, she almost backed off the concrete riser. Losing her balance, she teetered precariously, realizing her mistake too late. The attorney reached out to grab Sam, pulling her back to safety on the top tier and into her arms.
Sam looked a little pale as the lawyer released her. The two women watched each other wide eyed. As the realization struck her of how long the aisle of steps was behind her and the kind of damage she could have suffered, Sam became paler still. There were patrons collecting behind the two women, trying to get through the tunnel and Sterling pulled Sam out of their way. Taking her by the elbow, the taller woman led her to a quiet corner under the exit ramp.
“You don’t look so hot. Can I get you some water or something?” Her concern was so sincere that Sam forgot to be angry with her rescuer.
“I’ll be fine. It scared me, that’s all.” She swallowed hard and looked up into Sterling’s face. “You’re right, I should be civil at least, especially since you kept me from falling down those stairs. I’d have broken something at least.” Fear had subsided enough to allow Sam’s embarrassment at her clumsiness to creep up from the neckline of the golf shirt she wore. A deep flush of red accompanied it.
The organ music announcing the seventh inning stretch was a prelude to the press of bodies streaming past them to the concession stands and restrooms. Sam was forced to stand closer to Sterling and found herself mesmerized by the hum of something unnamed that seem to emanate from the enigmatic attorney.
Sterling shifted from foot to foot, not knowing what was coming next. Finally she decided to breach the silence herself. “I know I said we’re both skipping work today, so I hate to bring up work-related subjects, but Mike should be sending you another settlement proposal, if he hasn’t already. I think you’ll be happier with this one.”
Samantha nodded and breathed a quiet “thanks” that could not be heard, but was clearly interpreted anyway.
“Well, I guess I better go get in line.” The barrister jerked her head in the direction of the line snaking out of the women’s bathroom. “Are you sure you’re going to be alright?” Sam nodded. “See you later, then. Enjoy the game.” Long legs carried Sterling quickly to her goal. Sam had to think a minute about why she had been coming up the stairs to begin with.
‘I can’t walk over there and get in line behind her, she’ll think I’m loony for not following her in the first place. Or else she’ll think I’m rude and don’t want to make any further conversation with her. Probably thinks that anyway. I’ll just walk around to another bathroom.’
All the way back to her seat, Sterling thought about the feel of Samantha Hilliard as she’d caught her in her arms. The openness of her expression and the intensity of her eyes had been disarming. The tall beauty shook her head. ‘I’m losing it. Just because we exchanged a few words without her cussing me out for once doesn’t mean anything. Does it?’
Samson was a little hoarse from yelling at various misdeeds by players on both teams. Sterling had thoroughly enjoyed watching her friend enjoy himself. It was a rare occurrence, she was sure and a day they would both remember for a long time.
They walked from the bus to the MARTA station enjoying a haze of content that the day spent together had produced. The train would drop them at Eastlake where Sterling had left her car. She looked over at her usually intense friend and hardly recognized the carefree, smiling stranger walking beside her. The lawyer had never thought of him in these terms before.
“When do you think you’ll settle down Samson. There has to be a good woman out there dying to get her hands on you, my man.” The question came from nowhere, but it was one Sterling had been meaning to pose for the past two days.
“I have my outlets. I don’t need anything more permanent than that.” She knew he was speaking of the two women he occasionally dated. Both were divorced, lonely and crazy about Samson. Whenever one would get too serious he would withdraw and go back to the other one. It was not a perfect arrangement, but it worked for all of them.
The lawyer laughed at his flushing face. “You could make an honest woman of one of them you know. You’re not too old to have some kids and stuff.”
“It’s the and stuff that scares me shitless. Besides, you’re one to talk. I don’t see any evidence of a steady squeeze in your life, much less a serious commitment. You’re getting older too Sterling. Maybe you should start thinking about starting a family.”
A family. Their conversation would haunt her in days to come. The progression of relationships in her life generally went from a tease to pursuit, then on to conquering where they inevitably ended. Observation had shown her that it was possible to have something beyond that, but Sterling had never put a name to what that might be. ‘Family. I wonder if there’s a class I could take to teach me about having a family? I don’t know if I could make the compromises.’ At the center of her own little universe, she wasn’t sure that she could share her life.
There was also the issue of a city teeming with beautiful women tempting her at every turn. Sterling had to admit if she was honest, though, that the chase was beginning to get tedious. ‘Maybe it’s time to at least start thinking about it. ‘ The conversation turned to less serious talk.
The two friends sat on stools in Sterling’s ultra-modern kitchen, eating sandwiches they had picked up at a deli around the corner. Samson chewed and made a face that wrung an immediate apology from his hostess.
“The deli down here is not what you’re used to, I know…”
He shook his head and explained. “No, no, it’s pretty good, really.” The detective studied her gearing up for his confession. ” I never thought I’d say this, but I hate to go home tomorrow.”
“Don’t go then. You’re welcome here as long as you want to stay.”
Samson protested. “No, it’s not the geography. I hate to go back to that dirty city and that twisted job of mine. Funny, I hate to leave you, this has been real different. I never had a friend before.”
“Neither have I Samson. It is kind of nice isn’t it?” They ate in companionable silence for a while before deciding to catch a movie on Sterling’s wide screen TV.
She dropped him off at the baggage check-in counter outside the airport. Sure it was nothing more than hormones, Sterling was feeling sentimental and didn’t want to embarrass herself with tears by accompanying Samson to the gate. He lifted his bag from the trunk of her BMW and slammed the lid. They had managed to avoid saying anything personal but both realized that they only had minutes and the detective would be gone.
“I really appreciate everything and in case I forgot to tell you, I’m real proud of what you’ve done with your life. You should be, too.” Samson looked a little embarrassed by his declaration. Neither of these two had much experience at expressing their feelings.
Sterling felt tears behind her eyes and hurried to hug him so that she could get out of there. She placed the softest of kisses on his lips before spinning around and quickly folding into her car. He watched the hand waving to him out the window until the silver BMW made the curve at the end of the sidewalk and carried his friend out of sight.
Blinded by the tears that were finally allowed to fall, the now vulnerable young woman drove mechanically towards her office. ‘I don’t know what my problem is. It’s just Samson and he’s only going home to Boston, it’s not like he’s dying or anything.’ She tried to console herself, but the emotion continued to bubble up and out of her and Sterling had to dig deeper to figure out why so that she could calm herself.
To begin with, it WAS like he was dying. Samson was returning to a place and a life that had been killing his soul by degrees for all the time she had known him. Their lives had run a parallel course in some respects. The young beauty knew that she had been feeding chunks of her own soul to the devil’s fire all along as well.
The differences between the friends were less dramatic. He had seen the filth and decay in the community where he had been born and dedicated his life to changing it. In the process he had only dirtied his own heart and soul. Sterling had crawled out of the same miasma of scum as soon as she discovered the means to do so and never looked back, but the method by which she accomplished this act of will had created their own stains on her conscience. Both of them thought themselves too soiled by the life they led to deserve the love of another human being. The two of them had seen too much death, disease, corruption and greed. It was hard not to examine motive in the actions of everyone around them and harder to witness the decay.
Sterling Hayes had always been alone. Suddenly, that mattered very much to her.
Sterling had to get out of Boston if she ever intended to build any self-respect. Gino’s two remaining sons treated her as if she was a part of their inheritance from their father and nothing could be further from the truth. Joey and Sal were little boys compared to Gino and probably always would be. The rest of Gino’s friends and contacts weren’t sure what her position was now that he was gone and Sterling had access to a lot of damning information. She made them nervous.
It seemed best for everyone in her world when an opportunity arose and the lawyer decided to follow a big client to Charleston South Carolina. In a lot of ways it would mean starting over, but maybe that was a good thing.
Zachary Taylor, sixty-two year old shipping magnate, was the man who’s business lured Sterling to the southern capital of social graces. His name was one of the oldest on the social register and his introduction opened doors that would have remained closed for decades without his help. Sterling found herself immediately caught up in the social whirl of parties, receptions and afternoon teas.
The high and mighty of Charleston society recognized same-sex preferences among some of its own and oddly enough had no problem accepting Sterling’s new, but increasing appetite as long as she was somewhat discreet. It is safe to say that the women of Charleston were particularly intrigued with the dark beauty and gaining her attention became something of a competition. Zachary chided her at every opportunity, having been quite the stud around town in his younger days, himself.
“You look like you spent the night face down in a thicket.” The grey eyes scanning the documents held a barely contained merriment in them.
“Ha, Ha. It’s your fault, you bastard. That Singleton woman told Harriette that I was seeing somebody else on the side and she went psycho.”
“I see. So you spent the evening trying to soothe her ruffled feathers from the inside out and that’s my fault.” He lifted an eyebrow.
“Mrs. Singleton saw me at dinner with you last Friday. I told you it was a bad idea for me to bring a date downtown!”
“Yes, well. It may have been my suggestion that we all have dinner, but you might have urged that young woman to keep her hands to herself while in public. What is it with you and these nymphomaniacs?”
Sterling grinned in embarrassment and shrugged her shoulders. Zachary smiled and continued scanning the contracts he held on his lap. He knew damned well what the attraction was, he had made a ridiculous play for her himself while in Boston. The woman was brilliant, wealthy, incredibly easy on the eye and the most sensuous person, man or woman, he had ever known. She fairly radiated sexual energy now that she was in Charleston and freer than ever to pursue her own interests without fear of insulting Gino’s legacy.
That pursuit took more of her energy if not more of her time than rebuilding her practice. Fortunately, most of the women seeking her company either had legal needs of their own, or husbands who blindly accepted the suggestions of their wives and sent their business to Sterling for handling. In truth, most of the men married to the high profile women of Charleston had done so out of social or financial necessity and were too busy with their own extra-marital affairs to care what their wives were involved in.
The contracts perfectly expressed the reservations and restrictions Zachary wanted attached to his offer. As always, Sterling understood him and his thought process with very little communication. “This will do” he offered in an off hand fashion, trying not to show the depth of his satisfaction with her work.
“That document is a prize-winning script for your take-over of that factory and you know it.” He would not acquiesce enough to praise her except in his customary fashion.
“I’m sure your billing will be proportionate to the brilliance of the nomenclature in this.” He hefted the hundred-page document and waved it in her direction. Both of them laughed, knowing he was exactly on target. Zachary also understood her thought process and it had allowed them to become friends to the extent that they were allowed to in polite society. She was after all, a newcomer. Anyone who had not had family residing in Charleston for at least one hundred years was a newcomer and consequently on the outside. Sterling and Zachary ignored some of the rules and lunched together at his country club occasionally. They had played a few sets of tennis there too, until it brought attention to Sterling’s athletic prowess and another barrage of not-so-discreet inquiries as to her availability.
Zachary realized that her protests were only half-true when she began begging off on their tennis matches. She was awfully busy at the office, that was true, but mostly, Sterling was reaching saturation point with the women in her life and felt the need to slow down for a while.
By the time Sterling made her move to Atlanta, she had grown up a lot in that respect. Still taken by the occasional thrill of pursuing some elegant beauty or obvious hellcat, the attorney had learned that quality over quantity was a safe and steadfast bet. She was tired, too of waking up in strange places with even stranger people.
Atlanta had afforded her yet another fresh start, at least in her private life. She had managed to avoid the pitfalls of the highly visible social calendar until now.
“We’ve got two more to look at. One is just around the corner. It’s been completely updated and an upstairs study added.” Sam would be finishing up with her prospects ahead of schedule. They had toured nine houses during the course of the afternoon and she was confident that they would make a choice by day’s end. The young couple had made an offer on a house with another realtor who had misled them. The sale had fallen through when the appraisal came back way too low. Samantha had worked hard to rekindle some trust with them and knew instinctively that they had finally relaxed into a building rapport with her. The three of them had researched the available properties carefully and now her clients were under pressure to move out of the leased apartment where they had been living.
Sam used her lock box key to gain entry to the property. She sat in the window seat of the bow window in the living room and let the couple walk through the rooms on their own. Never pushy, the Realtor always tried to give people some privacy to react to what they were looking at. Buying a house, the single largest purchase in most people’s lives, shouldn’t be treated like a trip to Kmart.
She heard the couple’s footfalls echoing through the room upstairs and smiled, knowing he was picturing the study he wanted and she was seeing a playroom for the baby they were working on.
There had been a time in Sam’s life when she knew what it was like to plan a future with someone. Those plans had been the product of immaturity until she learned to focus on building a relationship first and a dream later. Sam’s first grown up plans for a future with someone she loved were shattered against the harsh reality of Janet’s infidelities and their resulting breakup. A deep sigh escaped the young blonde as her clients came through the hall into the living room where she had waited.
“And this house is how much?” the young man asked. Sam furnished the information and watched his face for a reaction. He seemed pleased and his wife smiled up at him.
‘We have a winner folks!’
“I think we can skip the last house. We want to make an offer on this one.” He beamed at her and she nodded her head.
“We need to go to my office and fill out the papers. It won’t take very long and hopefully by this time tomorrow, you will have bought yourself a home.” Sam was genuinely thrilled for the young people.
“It’s Sterling Hayes on the line boss.” Samantha pushed down the intercom button thinking she would simply refuse the call and avoid another confrontation. A visual memory of the attorney’s body moving seductively around the dance floor at the Western dance floated into her mind and she became so distracted by it that she took the call.
“This is Samantha. Can I help you?” Sam gave her the best business voice she had.
“Sterling Hayes, Ms. Hilliard. I have the settlement offer you requested and wondered if you could stop by my office to sign the release.” She waited.
Sam was prepared to do battle, to decry the plight of the less than wealthy. She was prepared for almost anything except what she had just gotten.
“I don’t understand. Are you saying that Mr. Lowry has simply decided to pay me my money after all of this time?”
Sterling blew out a long sigh before offering the sought explanation. “I sent over a few pictures from the flood. He didn’t respond, so I went to see him in person and advised him to settle the matter immediately.” Sterling didn’t say that she had threatened Lowry, read him the riot act and ultimately been prepared to pay the damages herself, if necessary, just to show Samantha Hilliard that she did recognize the right thing to do when she saw it. The barrister leaned onto her desktop and waited for the nasty sarcasm that was the usual fare from the blond realtor.
Samantha was uncustomarily at a loss for words. “I.. well. . . thank you Ms. Hayes. I appreciate you intervening on my behalf. ”
“No problem, I’m just sorry it took so long. The process has flaws. Would it be convenient for you to come by later this week?”
“How about tomorrow?” Sam was thrilled at the prospect of recouping the funds she had been out for over a year.
“Sure, what time is good for you?”
Sterling had her secretary cancel the conflicting appointment she had with a client and made a note on her calendar that Samantha Hilliard would be expected at four o’clock.
“Come in, please. Have a seat.” The sleek attorney met Sam halfway across her office. Placing a warm hand on the back of Sam’s shoulder, she guided her to one of the comfortable leather armchairs that faced her desk. Sterling sat down in the other one. There was a lot of tension between them. Each seemed to be on their best behavior, but both women knew what the other was capable of, if angered.
“Can I get you anything?” the attorney offered, but Sam declined. She was anxious to get the transaction completed. She was meeting Peter and Janet for a celebration at six and wanted to go home and change clothes first.
“I need your signature in the places indicated. This is a document saying that you will not initiate another suit arising out of the same circumstances.”
“What if my office floods again?”
“No, no. You won’t sue based on this particular incident again. If there is another flood, that’s a separate matter and he can get another attorney I might add.” She smiled at Samantha who instinctively responded in kind. The scratch of a pen filled the next few moments. Sterling reviewed the documents and added her signature, then reached across her desk and handed Sam a check made out for one thousand dollars more than her suit demanded. Sam’s eyes grew wide.
“I told the bastard it was the least he could do, under the circumstances. I reminded him how much money I’ve saved him over the years and told him he would either do as I asked or I wouldn’t accept his retainer.”
Suddenly, Samantha remembered the previous conversations she’d had with this woman and she filled with remorse. “Listen, I’m really sorry that this whole thing got so unpleasant…”
Sterling interrupted immediately. “Don’t ever apologize for being right.” She stood and extended her hand. “Sorry to rush off, but I have another appointment shortly.”
“That’s too bad. I was going to meet some friends for a celebratory drink and I was going to ask you to join us.” It was the truth, too.
“Maybe another time Ms. Hilliard.”
“Oh, you have to call me Samantha, please, or Sam. I answer to either.”
“Thanks. I’m Sterling.” Sterling was walking the younger woman to her office door. “I gave you your copies, right?” Sam nodded and stopped just short of their goal.
“Sterling, people don’t often surprise me, but you have and in a very nice way. You risked the wrath of your rich employer, you went against common practice, and you went to bat for a near stranger. I could go on, but I know you’re in a hurry.” Sterling was in the process of opening the door for her visitor when Sam stood on her tiptoes and planted a kiss on Sterling’s cheek. “Thanks,” was followed by a sincere smile, and Samantha was gone.
Sterling, on the other hand, stood unmoving, watching the departing figure. She was smiling until she realized that her secretary was staring at her open mouthed at having witnessed the breach of her untouchable boss. Color began to flood Sterling’s face and she quickly retreated into her office, closing the door behind her. She leaned back, feeling the substantial slab of oak behind her and re-summoned the image of a figure walking toward the elevator. The attorney lit up inside.
******”I thought you said she was a bitch, a demon spawn from hell and a scum sucking slick city lawyer who eats babies for breakfast. Did I forget any of your favorite descriptive passages?”
Janet walked up to the bar and kissed Sam’s offered cheek. “Who in the world are you describing, Peter? Someone you’re dating, Sam?” Janet gave her old friend the appropriate smile to accompany her smart-ass remark.
“No, no, just the attorney who settled the law suit. Sterling Hayes is her name.” Sam sipped her wine and waited for Janet to settle on the empty stool beside her. Peter went in search of the hostess to let her know their party was ready to be seated.
“Never heard of her. Is she new in the area?” Janet waved at the barkeep and pointed to Sam’s glass, mouthing her order.
“I don’t know much about her. During the brief time I’ve been around her, I have mostly managed to deliver fire and damnation speeches about members of her profession and the rich scavengers that they serve.” Sam paled a little, realizing once she’d said it, that it was a fair assessment.
“How charming and she hasn’t asked you out, yet?” Janet deadpanned.
Sam was obviously distracted by her own thoughts, but her immediate response was “no” to Janet’s question. Peter and Janet asked in perfect unison. “Huh?” They were astonished that Sam had taken the question seriously and answered it in kind. When Samantha realized what had transpired she joined her friends in laughter and all of them were amazed at the subconscious confession the Realtor had just made.
Peter was elated. He had waited a long time for his boss and friend to show any interest in a relationship. Janet was less enthused. She was struggling, watching Sam’s features change in recognition of her interest in the unlikely choice of Sterling Hayes. Janet had once been the target of that hungry look she was seeing on Sam’s face.
**********Sterling hadn’t been lying; she did have an appointment. She had been suffering remorse for some time about the nature of the work she was doing. Lowry made the third client she had dropped in as many months. Even before Samantha Hilliard pointed out the irreputable, dishonest dealings of some attorneys, Sterling had decided to clean up her practice. Removing the stain of dirty work from her hands would take some doing.
The offices of Aid Atlanta were only minutes away during normal circumstances, but in the afternoon traffic, it was anybody’s guess how long she would need to make the trek. Grabbing her keys out of the desk drawer, she stood to leave, but caught her reflection in the class front of her bookshelves. ‘I don’t think the six hundred dollar suit is appropriate for pro bono work. Maybe I’ve still got those clothes stashed in the dressing room.’ She hurried through the door of her private powder room and did in fact locate the jeans and Tina Turner tee shirt she was seeking. A quick change and Sterling Hayes, high priced lawyer, turned into any typical Mid Town dweller on the way to the grocery store or dry cleaner.
“There are four appointments set up for you today. I spaced them forty-five minutes apart, hoping that would give you time.” The volunteer was being overly solicitous. Sterling had overheard the middle aged woman named Vicky describe their new pro bono lawyer to her co-worker as gorgeous. The attorney had remained in the corner stall in the ladies room and waited for them to exit, to avoid embarrassment for all concerned. Now the woman was definitely all in Sterling’s face and it was beginning to annoy the dark beauty.
“I’ll work with that this time because this is just the initial planning session. The follow up visit will probably take an hour, or more, depending on how complex the case is. I can give you some guidelines after I’ve talked to the clients today.” She dismissed Vicky by entering the temporary office that had been assigned to her and closing the door.
Sterling had volunteered her legal services to the clients of Aid Atlanta. Most of the people she would serve were gay men who were sick and needed estate planning to protect a partner or make arrangements for their own care should they become unable to care for themselves. This was her first afternoon of appointments and a knock on the door signaled the arrival of her first client as a volunteer.
Saturday mornings were quite busy for most realtors. While the rest of the Midtown world was sleeping late, Samantha Hilliard had a portable phone hanging on her shoulder. She was wrapped in her favorite, well-worn chenille bathrobe, pouring her first cup of coffee. It was not quite eight-thirty and Peter was on the phone, reporting a scheduling screw up.
“Calm down Peter. I’ll take the client to look at properties today. I don’t have any appointments this afternoon and I can handle this easily. Just pull up the listings Harry planned on taking her to see and fax me a copy. I’ll look it over while I’m getting dressed. They’re all in the area aren’t they?”
Peter confirmed that the homes were all in the same general area as her own home. She probably had previewed at least some of them, and could fake her way through the rest, if Peter could find the information she needed on Harry’s computer. ‘Just another day in Paradise.’ She smiled to herself and went down the hall and straight through her bedroom to examine the contents of her spacious walk-in closet. ‘Hmmmm. What kind of a mood am I in today? It’s going to be a long one, with lots of getting in and out of the car. I should go for comfortable, definitely, but casual comfortable or sexy comfortable?’ Sam sipped her coffee and started the water for her shower so that it could be heating up while she pondered the question.
Deciding on sexy comfortable turned out to be the wrong choice. She knew it the minute she walked through the back door and looked up the hallway, through her open door to see Sterling Hayes lounging in her office. The barrister had propped herself on the edge of Samantha’s desk and was flipping through a copy of Architectural Digest. Sam ducked into one of her agent’s offices before she was spotted and dialed Peter’s extension.
In hushed tones she began firing questions at him. “Did you know who this appointment was with? How did Harry happen to be showing her property? Has Miss Hayes been waiting long? Come in here and check my make-up for me!” She hung up the phone before he had the opportunity to comment. Within moments, he came through the door and shut it behind him.
“What is the deal boss? You act like this is your date for the Prom or something!” He began fluffing her hair. When he completed that task he pulled a tissue from the box on the desk and started blending her already perfectly blended foundation.
“That’s the attorney!” It did not register with Peter. “You know, the one that that represented Lowry against me.”
“No! My God, she’s gorgeous and she’s single, right?” He was letting his critical eye roam over her outfit and accessories now. “Solid choice on the outfit, even if it is a little trampy for broad daylight.”
A stricken look appeared on her face. If she looked trampy by Peter’s standards, she probably looked outright whorish in reality. The tan leather skirt she had on was a little short by her own admission. Sam realized that the dark green sweater she had chosen was a little on the tight side, too. Her favorite western boots matched the midriff hugging western jacket that completed her outfit.
“Shit! OK, I’m a professional. I need to get it together here. I can’t do anything about my appearance, now.”
Peter smirked. “What you see is what she gets. Or at least you hope she does.” Sam’s answering stare shut him up immediately. He held out several sheets of letter-sized paper. “The computer printouts on all of the properties. I used the color printer since they all had pictures.” He turned sharply to leave then remembered something and turned to face her again. “You came in the back door, didn’t you? Well there’s a limo out front waiting for the two of you I presume.” He smirked again, turned and left, considering himself to be the victor when he saw her jaw drop open.
Samantha took several deep breaths and scanned the sheets she held. Fortunately, just as the broker had guessed, most of the homes were familiar to her already. Peter had made the necessary phone calls to let the agents know that they would stopping by the properties. In this price range all of the homes they would be seeing had security systems, one even had a security staff. Calmer now, she started down the wide hall to her own office and her waiting client.
“Morning,” Sam offered her brightest smile. “I hope you don’t mind my filling in for Harry, he seems to be out of pocket this morning.”
“No, not at all. It’s kind of nice to go straight to the top and deal with the owner.” Sterling had to keep the smug expression off of her face. She had finally made the decision that she wanted a home. Harry Wells was a friend of a client of hers and Sterling had asked for his help in locating one. Then she had literally run into the beautiful realtor at the baseball game and decided that she would kill two birds with one stone. Sterling had admitted to herself that she was interested in Samantha Hilliard, for whatever reason. It would be a challenge to change the woman’s low opinion of her.
Samantha would never know about the deal the attorney had made to get Harry into a foursome playing golf at Eastlake Country Club with Tom Rivers, two time winner of the Masters Tournament. Harry had hardly asked any questions at all in his eagerness to accept Sterling’s offer. Now, the usually stern attorney was grinning widely at the prospect of a day spent with the captivating Realtor.
“I have several properties to show you. Harry made these selections to meet your requirements.” She handed the sheets across her desk to Sterling who now took a seat in one of the chairs facing it.
The attorney took a few minutes to study the print outs carefully. “My needs are simple.” Her eyes looked up and caught Samantha in their gaze, causing her heart to skip several beats.
Before the lawyer could continue, Sam changed the subject. “Coffee, Miss Hayes?”
“Please call me Sterling. We know each other well enough, don’t you think? Besides, we may well be neighbors before too long. Coffee would be great. Black with sweetener.” She returned to her task while Sam buzzed Peter and made her request for coffee.
Sam, trying not to stare openly, admired the casual attire her client had chosen for their Saturday of house hunting. The pale peach blouse she wore was tucked into caramel colored slacks. A rich leather jacket that matched her slacks was slung over the arm of the sofa. Despite her resolve not to be caught staring again, Samantha was watching her client’s face as she digested the information on the printouts before her.
Peter’s knock shocked Sam out of her dreamy state and she rose to take the tray he held. The realtor could tell that Peter really wanted to come in and serve them, but he couldn’t be trusted not to say something outrageous. Samantha took the tray and blocked his entry, leaving him no choice but to retreat.
Sterling never looked up or acknowledged Peter’s presence so it came as a surprise a few minutes later when she commented. “Likeable fellow, but I imagine he loves to meddle, doesn’t he?” She looked up and captured Sam’s gaze. They stared into each other’s eyes with an intensity that disturbed them both and they looked away at the same moment.
“Ha! That’s an understatement. He’s my mother, my father, my sibling, my confessor and my unsolicited critic all rolled into one.”
“You two are cute together.” Sterling sipped and read while Sam tried to figure out what had been meant by her last remark.
“These three, for sure and maybe this one here. Do you know if it has a pool?” Sam punched the listing up on her computer and confirmed that it did indeed have a free form graphite pool beyond the formal garden in the back yard.
“Peter, I’ll need another set of print outs on these properties for Miss Hayes, please. We’ll be leaving shortly.” Her meaning was clear; he was to produce the needed documents in all possible haste. The silences between them were getting uncomfortable for Sam. Her normally endless supply of small talk had deserted her for the moment.
Once Sterling had handed the list of addresses to the driver he opened the door for the two women. “Just the highlighted ones, Jack, and in no particular order. You decide buddy, OK?” She winked at him and followed Sam into the dark interior of the limo.
By early-afternoon they had previewed several homes, two of which were not on the original list but the Lawyer’s unfolding requirements brought them to the Realtor’s mind. Even though Sam hadn’t made appointments to show them, a quick call to Peter on her cell phone remedied the situation. ‘She’s really good at this’,’ Sterling thought as Sam excused herself and returned an important call to bail out one of her agents. ‘She certainly has confidence and charm, and wit. She seems so trusting, it inspires me to trust her, too.’ The lawyer casually studied the exposed thigh next to her. Sterling’s gaze began to track a path upward toward the hem of the very short skirt Sam was wearing but the attorney soon realized her unconscious intent and halted it. Refusing to yield to the temptation, Sterling eyes instead followed the lovely legs down until they disappeared into Sam’s boots.
The barrister had suggested lunch and they were sitting in a booth at ‘Moe and Joe’s’, one of Sam’s favorite local joints. “The burgers are great here,” Sam offered. She was shuffling the listing sheets, trying to determine which properties Sterling was interested in.
“No doubt. Places with this kind of atmosphere always have the best food.” Sterling was looking around her absorbing the details of the décor. “Would it be tasteless to have one of those with lunch?” She pointed at the line of brightly labeled, imported beer bottles on the ledge above the row of booths opposite them.
“I don’t see why it could hurt anything. It’s not as if either one of us will be driving, huh?” The blonde realtor had brought up the subject of the car and driver three times now, hoping for some explanation. None was forthcoming this time either. Sam ordered her beer based on the colorful appeal of the label. Sterling asked the waiter for a suggestion, which proved the better way to choose.
“This is pretty good.” The dark haired woman drank thirstily from the bottle. “Want to try it? You don’t look too enthused about your choice there.” In truth, Sam could barely sip the thick, dark liquid that she had poured into her glass. She planned to ask for water with her lunch in order to avoid drinking it.
“It’s OK, I don’t have any diseases or anything,” Sterling laughed. In truth Sam was simply too distracted by her lunch companion to follow the conversation closely.
Samantha accepted the bottle offered her and sipped. She was pleasantly surprised at both the taste and at the pair of baby blue eyes that watched her intensely while she drank. “Not bad at all.” She smiled and returned the bottle to Sterling. Their fingers brushed lightly in the transfer causing an electric exchange. Both were aware of it and the attorney was considering boldly reaching across the table to cover Sam’s hand with her own when their lunch arrived. The moment was lost. Sam took several deep breaths to help her get her concentration back while Sterling glared at the waiter, silently cursing him for his timing.
The conversation returned to talk of the homes that they had investigated on their morning trek. “I like that one in Morningside and the one in Brookhaven but I can’t muster any enthusiasm for the two in Buckhead.” Sterling was mentally going down the list.
“You seemed to like the Windsor Lane property.”
“Which one was that again?” The attorney was not the least bit confused in reality but liked watching Sam in her Broker Mode. A woman who knew how to be all business when it was called for was someone Sterling could relate to.
Lunch was pleasant. The food was plain and good as promised. Talk returned to talk of the properties they had visited on the ride back to Sam’s office.
“You commented several times about the grounds. It had that huge sunken den with the European fireplace.”
“I did like that one.” Sterling shuffled the fliers again. This is so complicated.” She feigned confusion. “You’ve given me too many to choose from. I’ll tell you what, why don’t we talk about all of this over dinner? You can help me narrow my choices down objectively. What do you say?”
Sam was caught off guard. She scrambled mentally, trying to remember if she had any previous commitments. ‘Damn! I promised Kenny I’d go to that reunion with him’. “Actually, I have a prior engagement that I really can’t get out of.”
“Sounds serious.” Sterling was unhappy with the turn-down, but more unhappy that her information might prove to be incorrect. She had checked around pretty thoroughly and had been informed that Ms. Samantha Hilliard was very single. Now, she was beginning to wonder.
“Not really, I just promised a friend of mine that I’d accompany him to a reunion. He has done the same for me a couple of times.” Sam was very interested to see relief register on the attorney’s face.
“I see. I was hoping my information was accurate.” Although it had not been presented as a question, clearly Sterling was asking for confirmation that Sam considered herself to be single and available.
“I’ve been seeing someone, but we have an understanding.” A dark eyebrow was raised, inviting further explanation but for some unknown reason Sam could not meet her client’s gaze and a faint blush rose up her neck. “It’s a very casual thing, more like a new friendship.”
‘Except that you are sleeping together.’ Sterling was amazed at how much the thought bothered her, especially since she had never tried to find out if any of her own faceless conquests of the moment were unattached or not.
“Sounds like a very healthy approach to me. Here we are.” The car pulled up at Sam’s office and the driver hurried around to open the door. Sterling threw out a suggestion. “Maybe we could get together tomorrow. Why don’t you give me a call this evening? I’ll be up late.”
Sam nodded as she took the driver’s hand and made as graceful an exit as her short skirt would allow. She noticed that the he discreetly turned his gaze away and she smiled automatically at his kindness. “I won’t get home until ten or eleven. Will it be alright?”
Sterling’s smile made it clear that the late hour was no problem.
“Until later then. Have a good evening Samantha.” Sterling flashed her disarming smile at the realtor who stood on the sidewalk with her hand in the air, waving.
The blonde didn’t even hear his approach, so Peter’s question startled her on two levels. “Is she hot or what?”
Sam was trying to quiet her racing heartbeat, and felt very unsteady. “Peter! You scared me to death sneaking up on me like that!” The young woman turned and headed into her office, leaving him standing on the sidewalk.
“Which house did she like? I bet the Morningside was her favorite.” He waited until Sam was settled at her desk and he had her full attention before asking the question he really wanted answered. “Are you going to show her anything else?” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
“You need to get a life of your own!” Sam acted affronted, but forgave Peter immediately and they shared a laugh. “I think we will probably review two or three of the properties tomorrow. Sterling has narrowed her choices that much already.”
Peter plopped down and began firing questions about the mysterious attorney, most of which Sam could not answer. She was trying to determine if there had been an insinuation in Sterling’s interest concerning her dating status. The young realtor hoped so but scolded herself for wishful thinking. When Sam realized that Peter was not going to shut up any time soon, she decided she might as well get his opinion and repeated the conversation as accurately as possible.
When she was done, she waited for a response. “What do you think?”
He met her eyes and nodded his head. “She’s definitely interested.” He clapped his hands, excited by his assessment of the situation. “You need to come up with something divine to wear tomorrow. Maybe I should come over and pick something.”
“I think I can dress myself, thanks. I’ve done just fine so far.” Having checked her messages and deciding there was nothing that required her immediate attention, Sam began collecting her things. She had errands to run and it would take some time in the Saturday traffic. “I need to get going. Kenny is picking me up at seven which means seven-thirty in Kenny Time. I could really use a nice long soak in the tub before that.”
“Cold shower sounds more appropriate to me.” Peter ducked out the door before she had an opportunity to respond.
The ride home was brief, but peppered with flashbacks of her hours with Sterling. The woman had a tremendous presence without a doubt. She was intelligent, sexy and obviously had money to be out looking at properties in the high six figures. ‘And she is absolutely gorgeous! My gosh! Those eyes seem to look right into my soul. They make me feel naked in more ways than one!’ Sam laughed at her own observation, realizing that she had entertained a steamy thought or two herself. An irritated driver’s honking horn reminded Samantha that she was operating a vehicle and needed to focus a bit more on the present. The enticing visuals would have to be continued at home, later.
The ringing phone woke Sterling from the light doze she had fallen into.
“I hope I didn’t wake you. If it’s too late to call, I can ring you back in the morning,” Sam apologized.
As soon as Sterling recognized the voice, it drove her pulse up a notch. “No, it’s fine. I must have fallen asleep reading. I’m glad you called. Otherwise I’d have slept all night in my glasses.” She sat up and adjusted a pillow behind her back “Enjoy your evening?”
Sam sighed. “It was pretty boring, but Kenny is grateful and it’s another year before he has to go to one of those things again.”
“Do you think you could help me out sometime?” Sterling had no idea why she had made such a request. Her only relative in the world was her mother’s sister who resided in a luxurious home for the elderly. There were no family reunions likely in her future.
“Sure, anytime. Just give me some warning and let me know what part you want me to play.” Pretending to be Kenny’s girlfriend was not too complicated a request. Sam wasn’t too clear though on who the attorney could possibly want her to pose as.
The two women talked for a few minutes and made arrangements to meet for brunch the following day as a prelude to choosing one of three houses for the attorney’s permanent residence. Sterling returned the telephone to its cradle on the night stand and readied for sleep. She thought of the young blonde readying for bed too and imagined what it might feel like to hold her.
Samantha was locking her car door when she noticed the silver BMW convertible pull in two spaces away. The navy top was up against the chill of the cloudy day. A dark head of hair emerged first as Sterling stepped out. Stretching to her full height the lawyer smiled her most winning smile at Sam who hesitated a moment in reaction before returning it.
“Where’s your big car?” Sam inquired, thinking the sports car that Sterling had just stepped out of suited her much better than the limousine they’d ridden in the previous day.
“The limo isn’t mine. It belongs to a grateful client who insists that I use it periodically. He can be pretty persuasive and pretty sneaky. Sometimes I just find it parked at the curb in front of my house. You happened to catch me on one of those days yesterday.”
“I like that one better.” Sam indicated the sleek convertible. “It’s more your style.”
Sterling shoved her hands deep into the pockets of her leather jacket and waited for her lunch date to start towards the restaurant. Before they even made it to the door, Sam was talking about houses and escrow accounts. The beautiful barrister laughed quietly as she held the door open.
They had left the BMW parked in the lot at Samantha’s office while they toured what Peter had termed the ‘final three contestants’ for Sterling’s new home.
“Some factor MUST make one of the three a stand out. Of course, you have lots of time to decide. It’s not like you’re under pressure to find something.” Sam’s voice trailed off as she watched her passenger glad for the opportunity to study her profile with good reason.
“You’re right.” Sterling’s succinct answer was geared to frustrate and it had. She had revealed virtually nothing about her motivations or her personal life in all of the time the two women been together. Years of reading jurors and judges had taught her to assess people’s motivations so that she could manipulate them accordingly. The predator instincts rose up in her now, as she weighed the situation. Always decisive and sometimes impulsive, she had made her choice of properties the previous afternoon but didn’t care to relinquish the opportunity for spending time with the provocative blonde Realtor. On the other hand she didn’t want to seem too anxious, either and she had spent time with Sam two days in a row already.
“This is going to be a killer week at the office. I’m expected to present a case for a new client on Wednesday and I really need to spend some time preparing if I’m going to dazzle her.” Sterling paused for a moment for effect. “Why don’t I have my secretary give you a call mid-week and let you know my decision. I could sign the papers on the weekend for you.”
Sam’s disappointment was obvious which pleased Sterling greatly. “You could just send the papers over to the office if you would rather,” Sterling suggested.
“No, no. The weekend is fine. There isn’t any great rush.” ‘I hoped she might want to see me sooner than the weekend. I must be reading her signals wrong altogether.’ Sam was usually more on target about these things and was a little disturbed.
The attorney now knew that her Realtor wasn’t pressing just to get her client’s signature on a contract. Samantha was interested, and it was only a matter of finding out how interested. Sterling smiled as she pulled her key ring from her jacket. Samantha leaned against Sterling’s car and blocked her getaway. Blue eyes boldly studied the attractive young woman, running her gaze appreciatively up and down Sam’s petite figure, but neither of them spoke.
Later, she would wonder what possessed her to do it, but in a surprising show of will, Sam stood her ground and stared right back. She considered beginning a lame conversation that would explain her reluctance to allow Sterling’s departure but decided against it. A minute went by and then two.
Sterling’s bravado was beginning to sag now and she was shifting from one foot to the other, her discomfort growing. She made a living by being confrontational but was unaccustomed to personal candor and fought to keep from admitting anything with her response. Totally disappointed at herself, she finally dropped her eyes to study the asphalt of the parking lot.
The soft bleat of a pager broke the silence and Sam automatically pulled the device from her pocket, studying the numbers. “Gotta go. See you later.” She apologized and went up the sidewalk to her office leaving Sterling looking off balance.
As soon as she opened the glass door into the lobby, Peter grabbed her hand and sat her down on the sofa before sitting close to her. “Tell all!”
“I need to return this call first. I don’t recognize this number though.” She checked the readout again and Peter burst into laughter.
“It’s my friend Randy’s number, silly. The two of you looked positively miserable out there. It was the only thing I could think of.”
Now it was Sam’s turn to laugh.
Sterling sat at one of the many traffic lights that caught her on the drive to her rented house. Examining her reaction over and over, she tried to determine exactly where her attempt at playing it cool had backfired. Sam had made her so uncomfortable with nothing more than a look. Something in her gaze had demanded that she be honest about their attraction to one another and Sterling just wasn’t in the habit of vocalizing how she felt.
The whole situation was wearing on Sterling’s nerves. She leaned her elbow on the ledge inside the car window and dropped her head over into the palm of her hand. ‘I’ll just draw up the contracts myself and have them couriered over to her.’ It was a good plan and one that would free up some time for her to focus on her clients but Sterling knew when she came up with it, that it would never be implemented. She wanted to spend time with Samantha Hilliard and would do whatever was necessary to accomplish it.
“This is Christine and obviously you have my number. Why don’t you leave me a message and I’ll get back to you.” It had been a long time since she had dialed this particular number, but Sterling would have recognized the soft, seductive voice anywhere. She couldn’t help but smile as she summoned visions of Christine in the black lace teddy she had given her the last time they got together.
The lawyer had come home to a quiet house. Television bored her anytime and tonight screamed for a diversion. Sterling opened her briefcase and pulled out her case notes. ‘Homework. I will never stop hating it.’ Reading the first paragraph for the third time, she realized that she couldn’t concentrate. ‘Why on earth am I so restless? I’ve been gone virtually all weekend.’ That thought brought her mental images of the delectable blonde she’d been with and Sterling realized what her problem was. She needed a little female companionship.
“Hello Chris, it’s Sterling. I thought you might…”
She was interrupted by a breathless voice greeting her. “Hello stranger! It’s been a long time Sterling.”
“I see you still screen your calls Chris. How are you besides beautiful?”
“Available. Anytime. Anywhere. Where you’re concerned anyway.”
***********She was immediately aware of a possessive arm wrapped around her waist, holding her against a warm body. Beverly, even in her sleep, had begun to cling to Sam. Their relationship was getting to be a problem. Most women would have simply accepted the attention and good sex, biding their time until something more exciting came along. Sam thought it was dishonest to allow it to continue. She felt trapped, in a relationship that didn’t give her what she really needed. Beverly was a wonderful, loving woman, but she was not the one and Sam had been trying to fight that for some time.
Breakfast, as always, was prepared by the banker. Samantha sat at the table, drinking her coffee and falling over words that were hard to say to such a tender, caring woman. “You know Bev, in every relationship one of the people seems to have a greater emotional investment than the other. For the first time in my life, I am the party that is less involved. Even though we agreed in the beginning that this would be a casual arrangement, I can’t help but feel like it’s getting to be more than that.”
“For me, you mean.” Beverly looked contrite as she turned to face her guest. Sam was telling the truth and they both knew it, but Bev didn’t want to give up. “Maybe we need to back off a bit and try this again. We’re both adults after all and should be able to manage something this simple.” Her expression was earnest.
Sam looked at her, not wanting to deliver the blow that would sever their arrangement. It would hurt Beverly and that was not something Samantha could not do lightly. Although it was a mistake, she agreed to Beverly’s terms.
“You won’t be sorry, Sam. I promise I’ll do better.” Bev had Sam wrapped in her arms during her entire little speech, evidencing its inaccuracy.
The blond made a mental note to address the issue again in the near future.
The prediction of a busy week had been an accurate one. In addition to the usual fare, Sterling managed a major coup by dazzling Kim Dahan, her new client. The woman was an entrepreneurial genius who had developed a franchise package for single women seeking self-employment opportunities. It had been sold and successfully utilized by fifty-eight women already. Unfortunately, someone had decided to clone Dahan’s idea illegally and had scammed three unsuspecting women. One of them was planning to sue Kim until Sterling took over the case and convinced her of Dahan’s innocence in the matter. As a gesture of good faith, Sterling had recommended that Kim offer the woman a discounted deal on the genuine package which she willingly did.
Although it had taken the greater part of two days, Sterling had retired the problem with ease, convincing Kim Dahan that she needed full time representation to guard against re-occurrences of this type in the future and protect her rapidly growing empire. Sterling was pouring over the contractual documents she had roughed out for the new account when the phone rang. It was after hours and her secretary had gone for the day. Sterling had forgotten to re-route the phone to the voice mail after her last outgoing call. Irritated with the interruption and with herself for causing it, she continued to read as she answered. “Hello.”
“It’s Samantha Hilliard. I’m sorry to bother you.” Sam recognized the aggravation in the attorney’s voice.
Sterling put down the papers and focused her attention on her caller. The brilliant smile on her face had appeared without her knowledge. “You’re not bothering me in the least. How have you been? How is the house hustling business?”
“I manage to stay fairly busy, the same as you I imagine. Have you given any more thought to which property you would like to make an offer on?” Sam had called to invite the dark beauty to attend a casual gathering at Peter’s house the following Saturday night but now she wasn’t so sure it was a good idea. She had fallen back into her Realtor routine at the last minute to save face.
“I think I’ve made a decision, but I really wanted to go back one more time if you don’t think that’s inappropriate. I know the owners will be reluctant to negotiate the price if they realize I’m interested enough to return a third time but I have decorating issues that might affect my choice.”
They discussed which house Sterling had an interest in returning to and made a tentative appointment to look at it on Thursday evening. Their business concluded Sterling waited, wondering if she should invite the attractive young woman to dinner following their appointment. Before she had a chance to do so, Sam regained her confidence somewhat and extended the invitation for the following Saturday. “It’s nothing fancy or anything and you may already have plans. Peter and I just thought it might be an opportunity to meet some of the people who live in the community, you know, since you’re probably going to be moving here.” Her voice trailed off, nervously awaiting Sterling’s response.
The lawyer suspected how difficult it had been for Sam to ask. It made the invitation even more irresistible. “I wouldn’t dream of letting a chance like this go by. It’s so thoughtful of you to include me.” They talked for a few moments.
Sterling hung up the phone and opened the bottom drawer of her desk. Using it as a footrest, she leaned way back in her desk chair and put her hands behind her head. ‘So, she wants me to come to her party. How interesting.’
All intensity and concern over the legal affairs of her clients had vanished. Sterling considered the attraction she felt for Samantha Hilliard. At first she had misidentified it as the challenge of making someone like her even when they were obviously trying hard not to. Sterling wasn’t sure what either of them was after; she only knew she felt good knowing that she had plans that included the beautiful blonde twice within the next three days. ‘Mmmm. Yes, this could get very interesting.’
Sam buzzed Peter’s desk immediately. “Yes, Master.” He affected his best ‘Igore’ voice except that he added a slight lisp. The young woman just shook her head and laughed before reporting her latest news.
“We have one more mouth to feed next Saturday night.” She waited.
“Who are you dragging over now? I thought Janet couldn’t make it.”
“She can’t, but Sterling Hayes can.” The clunk of a telephone receiver striking a desktop was the only response. Sam hung up her phone and watched the doorway, knowing Peter would fill it momentarily. He did not disappoint her.
“When did all of this happen? You’ve been holding out on me haven’t you?” Peter neated up stacks of papers, clearing a sizable portion of Sam’s desktop, then took a seat in the space he’d created. He asked a dozen questions in rapid fire most of which required lengthy answers, but would not yield the floor long enough for her to provide them.
“Calm down will you? I have no idea what her favorite foods are. She drank beer the day we had lunch together and didn’t eat much of anything.” Sam hadn’t realized until now that she had been paying that much attention at the time. “I’m sure just about anything will do. Sterling has probably eaten a truckload of finger food in her life. Her practice represents some pretty wealthy people. She’s mentioned attending social events for business reasons…”
Peter was all in a whirl of plans to impress the attorney in Sam’s behalf, which the Realtor found amusing. “You sound like my mother trying to fix me up with one of the boys at the Country Club, Peter.”
“Your mother will never see the day she has the style that I have, so please don’t insult me by drawing that comparison. Besides, your friend may be a member of the Country Club set, but she is definitely not a boy.”
“She certainly isn’t.” Now it was Peter’s turn to be amused at the wistful expression on his friend’s face. He knew even if she didn’t just how gone she was on the mysterious lawyer and had every intention of playing matchmaker between them.
Sam offered to help with food preparations and Peter accepted, attesting to her high rating in cooking acumen. Under normal circumstances, only his professional chef friends were allowed within the sacred confines of his kitchen. She shooed him off her desk announcing her intention to get some work wrapped up. Sam knew that there would be a dozen calls from Peter both at work and home before the gathering on Saturday. There was no immediate need to concentrate on the details of the party.
She’d been put on hold by a county clerk in Covington while the woman looked up some information for Sam on the tax maps. The young realtor ran her fingers through her hair and mentally went over the contents of her closets considering outfits for her Saturday meeting with Sterling. Sam had definitely liked the way the older woman looked at her the day she wore the short leather skirt. The memory of hungry blue eyes was on pause inside her thoughts when the clerk returned to the phone with the needed information.
Sam found herself at the mall trying on clothes later that afternoon. Nothing that was currently hanging in her closet could give her the confidence in her appearance that she was seeking. The sales woman at Neiman’s was overly solicitous and terribly snobby. It would have been much easier to find what she was looking for if she had brought Peter along. They would have been shunned, as usual, due to his flamboyant behavior.
“I have that in a larger size. Let me get it for you.” The sales woman left the fitting area with a sniff. That was all the reassurance Sam needed to believe that the fit of the outfit was perfect. The scoop neck of the red knit top was low enough to show some cleavage and the hounds tooth wool shorts were snug across her backside. Sam considered a long vest with lapels and slash pockets made of thin black polished cotton. It didn’t obscure the cut or fit of her outfit but a person would have to look a bit more closely to enjoy her feminine curves. The vest was totally impractical against the chill of the season, but it added a little extra dramatic effect so she decided to go with it.
By the time the surprised sales woman returned, Sam was dressed and ready to pay for her purchases. Driving home, the young woman tried to think what the real attraction was, other than the obvious. Sterling was darkly brooding, potentially ruthless, definitely predatory. In other words, she was all the things that Samantha didn’t care for in a friend or lover.
“Shit!” A tall figure paced menacingly on the shoulder of the road. Darkness was falling and the beacon of the blue light was becoming more and more noticeable. Sterling looked at her watch for the third time in as many minutes, angry at herself for smarting off at the police officer who had pulled her over. ‘If I had been polite and showed her some respect I’d be on my way right now. I am such an ass sometimes.’ She shook her head and chastised herself over and over as her stress level continued to climb.
It had been a long wait for Thursday evening and the attorney had left her office early so that she could go home to shower and change before meeting Sam. She had made the mistake of answering the phone and Christine delivered an angry speech in reaction to the message Sterling had left, breaking their date on Saturday. It would have been less than polite not to give the breathy vamp an opportunity to vent her passionate nature, so the tall attorney lounged against the vanity in her bathroom and let the tide of malcontent wash over her.
With that behind her, a glance at the bedside alarm clock assured her that there was still plenty of time to make her six-thirty appointment. Humming a tune that she couldn’t identify, Sterling grabbed her keys from the kitchen counter and walked to the BMW she had left in the driveway. She hadn’t been planning to be home more than the twenty minutes it usually took her to bathe and dress. Chris’ phone call had extended that to almost forty which was time enough for some vandal to slit the rag top of her car and rifle through the contents of her glove box.
The phone call reporting the incident to the police was merely a formality. They didn’t even want to send a patrol car over to take the report, but took the information on the telephone instead. Sterling pulled the sportscar into the security of her three-car garage and went into the house to get keys for the Rangerover that stood in the adjacent slot. She rarely drove the vehicle, but when she went to the mountains or the beach to get away, she preferred a primitive setting, accessible only in a four-wheel-drive .
“Damn!” A glance at her watch told the lawyer that she would never make it on time in the mid-town traffic. Sterling tried to relax and convince herself that it might perpetuate her attempt to play it cool if she showed up fashionably late. The problem with that theory was that she was really looking forward to spending the evening with the charming young blonde.
‘Now this! I couldn’t keep my mouth shut’ The brooding woman was still punishing herself when the policewoman came over to return her license and registration. She wrote in the ticket book on her clipboard, occasionally looking up into the offender’s face. It occurred to the fuming attorney that the officer was checking her out pretty closely, but she was too angry to respond.
“Thanks a load,” she growled before ripping her copy of the speeding ticket out of the policewoman’s hand and getting back into her car. Sterling had committed the number for Hilliard Realty to memory weeks ago and dialed it now while simultaneously pulling out into traffic.
She recognized Sam’s voice immediately and tried to sound less perturbed than she in fact was. “Samantha, I’m going to be a little late.” The lawyer glanced at her watch. ‘A lot late is more like it’. “Can we still get into the house without disturbing the owners you think?”
“As luck would have it, they’re out of town, so don’t worry about it. Take your time, I’ll be here waiting.” The voice was pleasant and instantly forgiving. Sterling’s mood lightened immediately and she relaxed her death grip on the steering wheel. ‘I like the sound of that. She’s waiting for me.’
It was full dark when the Range Rover pulled to a stop in the parking lot of the realty office. The tall brunette gracefully stepped down to the pavement and headed up the walkway. The entire building was lit up, but only Sam’s car occupied a space outside. Sterling pushed the door open.
A buzzer, soundless to the attorney, announced her arrival to the waiting woman. Sam went out to meet her client and was delighted with the image that greeted her. Dressed casually in winter white slacks and a wool blazer, Sterling was a stylish picture. Hands shoved into jacket pockets she held them out as she apologized again, revealing the classic cashmere shell and alligator belt that she wore around her slim waist. Always understated, the lawyer had been dressed impeccably every time Sam had seen her.
“Please don’t apologize. If you do, then I am obligated to do the same every time I’m late, which I often am. It’s no big deal.” Samantha offered a sincere smile to punctuate her sentiment and the attorney bowed slightly signaling her acquiescence. “Let me grab my jacket and we’re on our way.”
Samantha stood and looked around the parking lot for the anticipated BMW. “I’m driving that.” She indicated the Range Rover. It’s a long story that I can tell you over dinner, but I need the time between now and then to adjust to the tale myself. Come on.” The taller woman held the door open for Sam and assisted her with a slight push on her elbow as she climbed up into the high passenger’s seat.
“Does this come with an escalator?” It was unlike Sam to make light of her own height, but she sensed that her client could use a little humor at the moment.
The two women drove most of the way in silence. Traffic was still heavy and Sterling needed to concentrate to get them to their destination. They pulled down the long driveway through the trees and around the semicircle of stone pavers to the front of the dwelling. The stucco façade was impressive with its intricately detailed trim cast in contrasting plaster. An abundance of windows and spans of fixed glass blended well into the offsets of the exterior. A series of breaks and direction changes in the roof line gave the house the specific character and curb appeal that had drawn Sterling back to it for the third time.
The tall woman stood on the drive, slowly scanning the length of the house and its grounds before moving to Sam’s side where she was waiting to usher them in. Once inside the normally quiet attorney began a running commentary.
“I like the height of the ceilings in here. I don’t feel confined at all and the light is wonderful. It’s a shame to curtain those windows.” Sterling pointed to the second story windows in the foyer. “I think those window treatments will have to come down. They’re too fancy for my taste anyway.”
“So you don’t like formal decorating, huh?” Sam was determined to find out all she could on this evening’s outing. Somehow she had fallen into the trap of talking about herself on their previous appointments and knew very little about the enigmatic woman who stood before her, studying the spindles of the hand railing that led up the steps.
“I like elegant just fine, but formal is just not me.” Sterling moved through the rooms downstairs, showing little interest in the dining room, but taking her time studying the wall space in the study and the large den behind the kitchen.
‘Elegant. Good word and one that describes Madame Attorney perfectly.’
“The longest lasting relationship in my life is with a leather sofa that I lounge on all the time in my den. It would have a perfect home right over there.” Samantha smiled at the image of the graceful figure, reclining on a well worn sofa. She was in the process of adding her own figure to that equation when Sterling continued her train of thought.
“I have a collection of paintings that were gifted to me a long time ago. Many of them are quite beautiful. There are plenty of walls for those. The rest is pretty much negotiable. It can stay, or go.” Sterling’s voice held no emotion.
“You don’t get into interior design I see.” It was a question; it just didn’t have a question mark behind it.
“I like to be comfortable and my tastes are conservative. I tend to buy what my eye goes to and work with it. This will be my first permanent home though. I may consider getting a professional decorator. Do you know any?”
Before the Realtor had a chance to answer, Sterling walked on ahead of Samantha into the walnut paneled study. It was a very masculine room, meant to exude authority by design. Sterling matched its presence with her own.
“You are in the decorating capital of Georgia.” Samantha laughed easily, thinking of the last dinner she had attended at Peter’s house.
“Are you being facetious?” Sterling didn’t know exactly how to take the younger woman’s response.
Sam explained that she had met no less than three interior designers during one recent afternoon. “Your only problem will be choosing only one and they will undoubtedly fight over you.” This earned Sam another questioning look.
“It’s a beautiful house and will become a real showcase of good taste, I have no doubt.” Sam enjoyed the effect of her compliment as the tall attorney dipped her head in acknowledgement of it.
Sterling’s cool blue eyes continued to scan the study, feeling the cold hand of Gino’s approval drop onto her shoulder from his grave. ‘I’m home. Finally.’ She looked to where Samantha stood studying her and relaxed into the open appraisal. It was not an uncommon experience for the enigmatic lawyer, but something in the gaze that fell on her now made her want to measure up to Sam’s expectations. This had never proven to be an issue in the past and unnerved Sterling slightly. She changed her tactic, pulling her attention away from Sam.
“Yes, this will do very nicely. I have the contracts in my briefcase, if you will look over them for me.”
“Don’t you want to go upstairs to the bedrooms?” Sam was surprised at the swift inspection.
“Do you?” Sterling eyebrow raised perceptibly as did the flush in Sam’s cheeks. The attorney apologized. “Just kidding. Sorry, I have a warped sense of humor.” ‘Gotcha didn’t I?’
The offer was fair. It wasn’t quite full price, but Sterling was willing to handle the title search through her firm as well as the filing of the warranty deed. All the sellers needed to do was have their own lawyer look over the paperwork. It was no surprise to Samantha when the listing agent called back within a few hours of receiving the contracts with the news that the offer was accepted.
Sam felt a rush of elation as she hung up the telephone in her den. She started to dial the lawyer’s office number from memory, a fact that she was suddenly aware of and a little shocked by. Staring at the portable phone as if it held the answer to the multitude of questions whirling through her mind, Sam slumped into the leather armchair that was her favorite.
‘Is Peter right? Is there something about this woman that I am drawn to on some level?’ Sam asked herself why she was so excited and relieved to have news that legitimately required a conversation with the barrister. It was if she needed some feasible excuse to allow herself the pleasure of hearing the deep, seductive voice. Trying to dismiss the whole concept, Sam once again pushed the numbers on the telephone that would connect her with the lawyer’s office.
“Hayes and Foster,” The clipped professional voice that answered informed the Realtor that Ms. Hayes was in court for the remainder of the day. Sam deliberated leaving a message, but decided that her news was too big to be coldly transmitted through a voice mail.
“Just tell her that I called, please.” Samantha gave her name and was gratified when the secretary’s tone warmed immediately.
“Oh, hello Ms. Hilliard. I was told that you might be calling. I’ve been instructed to give Ms. Hayes a page and let her know. Is there a number I can give her, where you can be reached?”
Sam hung up the phone, and headed into the kitchen to fix herself a snack. She’d missed lunch and had promised to meet Beverly for dinner at seven. Looking at her watch, Sam calculated that to be too far in the future for her to wait for food.
She had barely sat down at the table to tackle the raw vegetables and ranch dip when the phone rang and interrupted. Assuming it would be Peter or one of the agents at the office, Sam answered in mid-chew.
“I understand you’re looking for me.” Sterling’s unmistakable voice came over the line.
“Hang on a second,” the Realtor managed to say around the mouthful of celery. Embarrassed, Sam covered the phone with her hand while she hastily finished crunching and swallowed.
“Sorry. My mouth was full. I …” Sam realized she was rambling and started over. “I wasn’t expecting to hear from you so soon.”
“Coincidentally the judge called it a day soon after I got the page. He’s been a grumpy bastard all week. I suspect he’s fallen off the wagon.” Sterling waited expectantly for the news she supposed Sam had for her.
“I just wanted to let you know that your offer was accepted.” Samantha grinned, practically feeling Sterling’s reaction across the miles. “Congratulations, you have a new home.”
Sterling was elated and surprised at her own reaction to the news. She let out a long breath. “Ha! Well what do you know?”
Sam didn’t speak, wanting the other woman to have a moment to savor her good news.
“We have to celebrate of course. Be my friend? Go out to dinner with me tonight?” Suddenly Sterling realized how much she wanted acceptance of her invitation.
Deciding quickly that it was a business related invitation and therefore a legitimate excuse for standing Beverly up, Sam didn’t hesitate. “That would be great. I can give you your copies of everything.” ‘There, that makes it official enough.’ “What time, and where?”
The attorney suggested a restaurant around the corner from Sam’s house. Insisting that she pick the younger woman up instead of meeting her there, Sam decided it would be fun to see Sterling’s face when she realized that the establishment was within walking distance from her front door and agreed.
Sam felt no remorse about breaking her date with her banker friend until she actually heard the disappointment in Beverly’s voice. “I understand, really Sam. After all, it’s your job. We’ve been lucky there haven’t been conflicts before now.” They agreed to see each other later in the week and Sam hung up the phone feeling relieved to have the matter over with.
Two hours later, as she stood studying the contents of her closet, Samantha wondered if her client would be driving her little car. Sam preferred the closeness of its passenger space. Her mind worked with her nose to jump-start her scent memory and conjure the subtle fragrance that the realtor now associated with Sterling Hayes. Sam could picture the attorney’s strong hands on the steering wheel and wondered at the softness of them, placed on her shoulder to guide her through a door. Something was happening between them that frightened and at the same time elated her.
The doorbell rang at precisely seven o’clock. Samantha checked her face in the beveled mirror of a beautiful old hall tree in her entry foyer. Meanwhile Sterling fidgeted on the front porch, wondering if she had made a fool of herself in the course of her dinner invitation. ‘Be my friend? What was I thinking? She must think I’m an idiot.’ Her self-chastisement session was cut short when the door swung open.
“Hi.” Samantha’s voice was soft and sounded unfamiliar to her own ears. The two women stood smiling earnestly at each other. “Do you want to come in for a minute?” She stepped back to allow Sterling to pass closely in front of her before shutting the door after them.
“I hope I’m on time. I had a little trouble finding the house.” Suddenly bashful, a first in her life, Sterling tried to avoid Sam’s eyes. That led her to look at the simple black dress that hugged the young woman’s curvaceous form, revealing her many attributes. Staring at the creamy offering above the deep veed neckline, Sterling swallowed hard and met Sam’s eyes willingly now. “Beautiful home you’ve got here.” It was an automatic slice of small talk, but in glancing around her, the lawyer realized it was a sincere observation.
“Thanks. We can have a drink if you like, before we go.” Samantha was amused by the flustered attorney and enjoying the reaction to her choice of outfits.
“That would be nice if it isn’t any trouble.” Sterling took a cautious look at her hostess and was comforted by a warm smile.
“Any preference? I have scotch, bourbon, vodka or maybe you would prefer wine?” Sam waited.
“Whatever you’re having will be fine, thanks.” Sterling began to gain some control over her nervousness in Sam’s absence. She looked around the cozy den, just off the central hall of the house and tried to calm her elevated heart rate.
‘Steady old girl. You’ve been in the presence of many beautiful women in your life. There’s no need to fall apart over this one, although she does look ravishing in black.’ Sterling immediately allowed her imagination to replace the stylish dress with a black lace nightie she had admired in a Victoria’s Secret magazine earlier that day. The attempt at calming herself failed all out at the thought.
Forcing composure, the lawyer glanced around the room and admired the beautiful antiques it was furnished with. The enormous sofa, upholstered in rich fabric of burgundy and forest green held an even dozen pillows, perfect for a cozy evening before the fireplace it faced. A pair of matching pie crust tables stood at each end of it, their tops painted with magnolia blossom designs. The Persian rug underneath the leather topped, oval coffee table was an unusual pattern, even to Sterling, who was quite expert at identifying them. She had learned an appreciation of such things at Gino’s side. Before the attorney had a chance to investigate further, Samantha returned and handed her a stemmed wine glass.
“I hope Chardonnay is alright.” When Sterling had nodded her assent, Sam offered her glass in a toast. “To your new home. Congratulations.”
The words caught the attorney off guard and moved her deeply. Sam could not have suspected just how long her guest had wanted to hear them. ‘Your home. My God, I would never have believed it possible.’ Sterling felt an uncomfortable assault of emotion and fought to keep it in check. As their glasses clinked and each took a sip, Sam was aware of an internal struggle being waged by her quiet guest.
“Home means many different things to people. What does it mean to you Sterling?” A typical question, posed previously by the Realtor, but now the answer seemed important beyond reason to Sam. She waited.
“I have a vague memory of peacefulness and warmth. I guess that’s what I’m trying to replicate.”
Samantha wanted to ask a dozen questions, but understood the danger in prying into the dark stranger’s past. Sterling looked as if she was ready to run with little provocation. “We all need a safe place, that’s for sure. I hope your new house will provide that for you. It’s really beautiful, you know.”
“I’m hoping …” Sterling dropped her head and let out a short laugh. “Actually, I’m afraid I have too many hopes for one poor house to fulfill. My expectations may be a little high.” She drank deeply from the glass she clung to.
Sam caught her eye and held it, not allowing her an easy out. “You have every right to expect great things. You’re bright, charismatic and extremely successful. Why wouldn’t you deserve a sanctuary to comfort you against life’s harshness? Who could deny you a safe haven for your heart and a gathering place for the ones you love?”
Sterling looked stricken. “You don’t know what you’re saying. Those are thoughtful and sincere words, but you couldn’t possibly know where I’ve come from.” The dark beauty drained her glass and handed it to Sam, signaling the end of the conversation.
Unwilling to close the subject, but willing to postpone it, Sam offered a compromise. “I’ll let you off the hook, because I don’t want to be late for our dinner reservation, but I want to know what you mean by that remark. You sound positively cryptic.” She took the empty glasses to the kitchen and returned with her purse. “Shall we?”
The elegant interior of ‘The Doves’ restaurant was welcome. Its candlelit tables were graced with fresh flowers and beautiful settings of heavy silver and fine linen. The aroma of baking bread greeted them as Sterling shook the hand of the proprietress, Chloe. She showed them to an intimate table in the rear room of the beautiful old house.
When they were seated and alone Sterling explained that Chloe and her husband Claude had come to Atlanta during the Olympic games of 1996 and had loved it so much that they stayed and opened ‘The Doves’. A waiter stood at Sterling’s elbow and waited to be acknowledged before interrupting.
“Good evening Ms. Hayes. What can I get you and your guest to drink this evening?” Sterling greeted him by name and ordered something that Sam didn’t recognize. As he turned to go a short, stout man in a chef’s double-breasted coat approached.
“Claude, how are you?” She stood and accepted his handshake.
“I am wonderful, Sterling and so glad to see you this evening. It has been a long time.” The entire time he spoke to Sterling he was looking Sam over. His appreciation was evident before he spoke. “You have found the loveliest creature in the city to be your companion this evening.” Sam reached out to shake his hand and had hers kissed instead. It was a charming gesture, and one she had never experienced before.
There was a quiet conversation that followed. Sterling turned to her and asked if she liked veal. Sam nodded yes and watched the two, fascinated, as they argued good naturedly over the proper entrée to offer Sterling’s dinner guest. A decision was reached and both parties shook on it.
Claude returned to his kitchen to work his magic. Sam laughed. “You two look like co-conspirators in a neighborhood plot to take control of a treehouse, not a high powered attorney and an obviously respected chef.” She sipped from the water goblet that had been discreetly filled by a tableboy.
“This is a very nice place. I can’t believe I’ve never been here before, especially when I have heard how good it is.”
Sterling was pleased that she had managed to impress the younger woman with her choice of restaurants. Although she didn’t really understand it, the attorney wanted Sam’s acceptance. Unfortunately, that would require her to reveal more about herself than she was comfortable with. Her dinner companion was already hell bent on using their evening meal as a backdrop for her fact finding mission.
“Where did you say you grew up?” The waiter arrived with the selection of wine and offered to let Sterling taste it before he poured. She waved her acceptance and returned to the conversation before she remembered that she had been asked a question.
“On the outskirts of Boston.” Sterling sipped and nodded her appreciation to the waiter who vanished as quietly as he had come.
“How many siblings do you have?” Sam was being very direct, as no other approach had yielded her any information.
“I’m an only child. My parents are both dead, in fact I lost my mother when I was nine.”
“I’m so sorry. I can’t imagine how that must have felt, although I must admit that I have often wished to be motherless.” Sam chuckled half-heartedly as she saw the question form in Sterling’s expression. “We don’t get along. I am also an only child, but Mother disagrees with my choice of lifestyles and I seem to be an embarrassment to her.” The tone of sadness in her confession was hard to hear.
“How horrid that must make you feel.” Sterling had almost commented aloud that Mrs. Hilliard must be a total bitch not to take great pride in the young woman seated across from her. “It doesn’t seem possible when considering your character, intelligence and flawless reputation. If none of that wows her there’s always your compassionate nature and then there is the thing about how beautiful you are.” It was all stated plainly, as if her observations were the obvious consensus among those who knew Sam.
The younger woman sat, awestruck to have been complimented so highly. It should have been more embarrassing than it was, but praise had always been a missing element in Sam’s life and she soaked it up now.
“Gosh! No wonder you make a zillion dollars an hour. You sure know how to win somebody over in a hurry.”
“I meant every word.” The pale blue of the gaze that held her was incredibly beautiful in the flickering candlelight.
Sam realized that once again the conversation was being steered away from the subject of Sterling’s background and she renewed her efforts to get to know the attorney better. Before long, Sterling found herself comfortably revealing the facts of her past. “I moved my practice to Charleston for three years when I left Boston. I really needed a change of scenery and I had enough contacts to make a go of it there. Last year my biggest client relocated in Atlanta and I followed. As you know, I’ve decided to make it my permanent home.”
“I’m glad you like it here. It is a beautiful city, even if I am slightly prejudiced.” Sam sipped her wine appreciatively. “It’s funny that in all the time you have been in Atlanta our paths haven’t crossed, don’t you think?”
“I haven’t been a very social creature I’m afraid. Most of the people I know, I have met through clients.”
“Maybe that’ll change now.” There was a hopefulness in Sam’s remark that Sterling liked very much.
The waiter appeared and placed salad before them. Both of the women nibbled on romaine and black olives, but were clearly more interested in the conversation than the food.
“Your practice seems to have flourished here. You must be very good at what you do.” Sam never took her eyes from Sterling’s face as she speared a tomato wedge and brought her fork to her mouth.
Sterling smiled at the remark and considered her reply. “I have served a lot of powerful clients in the past, as you well know, but I am finding that there are a lot of honest business people who need representation as well. My practice is changing in a good way, I think.”
“I sincerely hope you can forgive my repeated and very vocal opinions on the subject.” Sam felt that the apology was overdue.
“Please.” Sterling held up her hand to stop Sam. “You never said anything to me that wasn’t absolutely true. I may not have liked some of it, but I could not honestly say that you weren’t accurate in your observations.”
Sam’s offered a weak explanation. “I just tend to hold class on people sometimes. It’s a bad habit of mine.”
“On the contrary, I think that it’s part of a passionate nature. I admire that.” Sterling’s smile fairly melted the beautiful young blonde.
“You seem like a fairly passionate person yourself. I’ve never heard prettier speeches.” Sam cocked her head and grinned.
“When driven to it, yes, I can preach on any subject. It is, after all, what I was trained to do.” Sterling lifted the wine bottle chilling in the bucket beside her and refilled their glasses.
‘I better watch out or I’ll be tipsy before dessert,’ Sam cautioned herself. Ignoring the now full glass the Realtor decided to cut to the chase with her questioning. After all, Sterling had asked for and received certain information of a personal nature at their deposition, months ago. It seemed like time to expect reciprocation.
“So, have you ever been married?” Sam tried to maintain the same stern face she remembered seeing on the lawyer that day in Lowry’s office.
Sterling, in the process of sipping her wine, almost spewed it across the table. “Excuse me?” she managed when she had safely swallowed.
“I just wanted to know if you have ever been married. After all, I had to answer that question for you a while ago. Don’t you believe in…”
“No. I have never been married. Please, don’t even start on me about what I believe in.” Blue eyes sparkled. Sterling was obviously enjoying the mischievous nature of her dinner companion. “You already know where I live and how long I’ve been there from my loan application. What else did you want to know?”
“Are you seeing anyone?” Sam was suddenly serious and Sterling responded in kind.
“No one that matters, no.” Samantha’s relief was obvious and pleased the attorney mightily.
The moment was intense, but passed soon enough. The waiter whisked away the barely touched salad plates and place the main course before them. Samantha turned her full attention to dinner.
Samantha placed her napkin on the table, signaling an end to her dining experience. “I’ve never had such delicious food in my life. You must tell your friend when you speak with him next time.”
“Maybe you’ll come back here with me and tell him yourself.” Sterling let the statement stand as an open invitation. She handed the numbered ticket to the valet and they stood in the brisk night, waiting for the car to be brought around for them.
The questions had come in a steady stream since they left the restaurant. Now, they were parked in front of Sam’s house, both reluctant for their evening to end. “Will you move in right away?”
“I don’t know how long the bank needs to approve me.”
Sam laughed. “I don’t think it will take very long to get you in the house.”
“I guess I need to get into the bank and fill out a loan application. I’ll try to squeeze that in tomorrow. What about the current owners? Don’t they need some time to move?” Sterling had turned in her seat and was facing her young passenger.
“I’m sure they could vacate in the next three or four weeks without any problem. I don’t think they have spent much time in the house in the past few years anyway. They seem to travel a lot.” Sam didn’t realize that she had responded in kind.
“I need to buy some furniture and stuff, I guess. Can you get those decorators you know to call me? They could do that for me I bet.” Sterling sounded hopeful.
“Buying furniture shouldn’t be a job you get paid for. It seems unfair to me.” Sam laughed, thinking of her own penchant for shopping.
“Would you do it, then?” Realizing how forward the request was, Sterling backed up a step. “I mean, I know you’re busy and all, but would you allow me to hire you, instead of a stranger?”
Sam studied the woman beside her. “I’m not a professional, but I will help you. No money of course, but you can compensate me in another way.” She thought for a full minute. “How about if you let me use your pool in the spring?”
“Well, sure. That goes without saying though. You’re the closest thing to a friend I have in Atlanta. If you don’t use my pool, who will?”
“I doubt that you’ll have any problems making friends, now that you have decided to try.” Sam searched her face for clues. Sterling responded fluidly by leaning toward her and placing the softest of kisses on her waiting lips.
They watched each other across the mere inches separating their faces. There was no protest to be found on either face. Meeting half way the next kiss was somewhat less chaste. A sigh rose up between them, but neither knew who had uttered it. The third meeting of mouths had turned more urgent and tongues began to seek introduction. Sterling’s hands came up and caressed Sam’s face as their lips parted.
Awash in confusion over the avalanche of emotion she was feeling, the lawyer backed off. “I guess I better get going. I have an early appointment tomorrow.” Sam was clearly unhappy about the abrupt departure but said that she understood. She stepped from the car and started up the sidewalk. Before she had closed the front door behind her, the telephone was ringing. In an automatic gesture she picked it up.
“The two of you sat out front quite a while. What’s up with that?” Peter’s curiosity was in full flame.
“It’s illegal to be a Peeping Tom you know. I have repeatedly asked you to get a life, Peter.” Sam should have known it would be him.
“Did you have a good time with her? Where did you go?” He knew that Sam had agreed to the impromptu celebration.
“We had dinner at The Doves. It was fabulous.” Sam remembered the beautiful color of Sterling’s eyes in the candlelight.
“Wow! That place is expensive, but I hear it’s great. Tell me about the food.”
She did, in elaborate detail, hoping that would satisfy his curiosity about her evening. Alas, Peter was not letting her off the hook.
“So give with the information. Did she kiss you? How was it?”
“One question at a time please.” Sam laughed at his enthusiasm. As much as she hated to admit it, she was glad to have the opportunity to discuss her evening with Peter. “Yes she did and it was great. Actually, it was better than great.” The young woman grew quiet.
Peter distinctly remembered asking his friend the same question regarding Beverly’s kisses. Sam had deemed the banker a good kisser, but couldn’t muster any more enthusiasm than that. “Better than great? Sounds pretty hot, girlfriend.”
“Beyond description Peter.” Samantha sounded totally serious, all joking gone from her tone.
‘Wow! Something is going on with this story. I’ll have to stay tuned in for sure.’ Peter’s call holding beeped and he quickly excused himself, promising to talk with Sam the following day.
“Beverly is on the phone, boss. You want I should put her through?” Peter affected his best impersonation of Ricky Ricardo’s impossibly Cuban accent.
“Please Peter.” Sam hit the blinking button on her phone and greeted her friend. “Hello Bev. How are things?”
“Everything’s great. By the way, I met a friend of yours a while ago and have been trying to find a minute to call you. She applied for a loan and the contract she gave me was one of yours.”
‘Sterling. Has to be. Of all the lending institutions in the city, I can’t believe she ended up in Beverly’s bank.’
“Sterling Hayes is her name.” The banker waited for a response of recognition.
“Yes, I just got her offer accepted yesterday. How does the application look?” Sam already knew the answer to that one.
“Triple A credit. Plenty on deposit both personally and professionally. Actually, I don’t think she really needs a loan, but wants the tax break. We’ll have her approved in about ten days I imagine, unless the information she gave us is completely fictitious.”
Samantha laughed at the prospect. “No, Bev. I’ve been around her enough to know that she has resources, I just didn’t know how extensive they were.”
“It’s confidential of course, but how about a salary in the high six figures and over four million dollars in Mutual Funds? There’s no telling what else she’s sitting on.”
Sam was a little surprised. She had supposed the woman to be well off, but it sounded like her financial situation took her off the charts. The realtor didn’t want to let on to Beverly that she had any interest in Sterling beyond her professional one and changed the subject. “Do you still want to come over and watch a movie tonight?” It had been the consolation prize offered Beverly for the last minute ditch the previous evening.
“Sounds great. Do you have popcorn, or should I bring some?” The banker laughed.
“You don’t need to bring anything. I should be home around six. See you later.” Sam hung up her phone, wishing she could respond to Beverly’s affection on a deeper level. It would be such a simple situation to find herself in, unlike the one with Sterling Hayes. She knew virtually nothing about the woman and most of what she did know had come from third party sources. The attorney obviously had a problem revealing the details of her past.
Samantha tried to rationally determine what the source of her attraction for the dark lawyer was and found that she could name many attributes that drew her. ‘Strong and silent, intelligent, beautiful, sexy…the only thing I can think of that’s bad about her is her need for secrecy.’ Warmth started to spread through the young blonde and Sam recognized it as desire, plain and simple. ‘This is not a good thing. You can’t base a relationship on lust, not that Sterling has really demonstrated that she wants that with me. That last kiss seemed to scare her to death. I hope I get an opportunity to ask her to explain that reaction.’
A light knock on her door brought her attention back to the scheduled meeting with her newest agent. “Come on in Anna and let’s take a look at that contract.” She smiled warmly at the nervous agent, who relaxed a little in response.
Her evening with Beverly had been as expected. The banker had been all cuddly during the movie. An offer to massage Sam’s feet turned into an obvious seduction and Samantha had to hurt her guest’s feelings to stop it. “I thought we agreed about this Bev.”
“We’re not supposed to get emotionally dependent on each other, I thought. Are you saying you don’t want to be intimate either?” She was unhappy at the prospect.
“I just don’t think you should make assumptions.” Sam’s response was equally aggravated.
“What exactly are you saying Sam?” Beverly hadn’t meant to ask for clarification, it had slipped out and she wasn’t sure she was going to like what was coming.
“I’m saying that just because we’ve slept together a few times, that doesn’t mean you should assume we are going to fall into bed every time we see each other Bev. I never agreed to anything like that and I never would. I believe in a bit more spontaneity.” It was an accusation and they both knew it.
“Forgive me for wanting to be close to you, it obviously presents a problem.” Beverly had swallowed her pride more than once to keep from losing Samantha, but she was wounded now and struck back. “Maybe it would be best if I stop having expectations altogether where you are concerned.” She stood and looked down into beautiful green eyes as she fought to believe that she wasn’t in love with the enchanting creature behind them. “I’m really tired of apologizing for caring about you, Sam.” Beverly lifted her jacket up from the coat hook in the entry foyer and went out the door.
Sam sat, staring after her, sorry for having caused hurt, but relieved in a way that the impossible situation had been remedied. Janet would tell Sam later that she was a heartbreaker, but the realtor thought she had been honest and straightforward from the beginning. ‘I can’t make Beverly understand that you simply can not make someone love you. Wouldn’t it be great if you could?’
She had Samantha by the hand and was leading her into the darkest part of the abandoned factory. The dozens of broken panes of glass let the cold wind howl through the expanse of the ground floor. Water from the leaky roof had collected into small lakes and frozen, creating an additional obstacle for Sterling to skirt on their journey.
They came to a wide staircase and ascended it to a much warmer second floor. Vandals’ rocks had done less damage to the higher windows, but the wooden floor was rotting in places and Sterling picked around those areas with practiced ease. A dim glow of light in the distance was the destination of their wordless journey. As the two came closer to it, Sam recognized the shape of a massive canopied bed. The rich carving on the heavy wooden posts and velvet hangings were an absurd contrast to the crumbling factory surrounding it.
The light grew brighter as they approached the banks of candles that sat on every surface in a circle around the bed. Overturned buckets, a rusty wheelbarrow, and a rickety workbench among other things all served as candlesticks for the forest of flaming tallow.
Sterling stopped when they were within the circle of the light and drew Samantha to her. She kissed her chastely once and then once again before lifting the smaller woman and carrying her to the huge bed. There, Sterling placed her charge gently on the lavish satin of an eiderdown comforter and lay down beside her.
Propped on her elbow Sterling stroked Sam’s cheek and watched her eyes for permission to begin the timeless dance that had brought them. Granted instantly, clear blue eyes closed with the intensity of her first coveted touch on tender skin. Samantha began to move slowly, writhing in the pleasure of the strange hands that somehow knew her intimately. Sterling moaned as she draped her leg over one of Sam’s and felt the mutual pressure at warm centers.
Dark hair hung down, curtaining the warm glow of the candlelight and forcing Sam to rely on her sense of touch alone. Eager lips feasted as clothes were thrown aside. The two rolled over and over, sampling the press of flesh, each wanting to lead but willing to follow. Finding herself in the perfect position, Sterling let her fingertips brush downward across the tight belly beneath them. She lingered a moment, investigating the slight dip of Sam’s navel before moving on towards her target below…
“GOOD MORNING ATLANTA. RISE AND SHINE SLEEPYHEADS! HERE’S YOUR TRAFFIC UPDATE FROM THE SKYCAM!” The annoying voice of the radio announcer startled Sterling awake as it did every day. Unfortunately this morning, that voice had exercised extremely bad timing. The lawyer hit the appropriate button to shut the clock radio up and groaned at the loss of the wonderfully erotic dream now lost in her wakefulness. She considered trying to go back to sleep, but felt certain that she could not realistically expect the exotic images to reappear.
‘Damn! I hate to start out my day with a cold shower.’ She considered briefly and accepted the alternative of managing matters herself and was well on her way to her much needed release when her telephone rang. A string of expletives greeted her six-thirty caller, a client who Sterling had always sincerely believed to be teetering on the brink of sanity. This call provided conclusive evidence.
Once she had explained to the agitated man that she could not answer his question without his files in front of her and that she would be in the office at eight o’clock, he abruptly hung up. Wondering how he had attained her private number Sterling made a mental note to question her secretary as she rolled out of bed. The stimulating scenes from her dream were lost in her aggravation. The attorney decided she might just as well start her day. By mid morning she had insulted practically everyone whose path she had crossed and the stern expression on Sterling’s face had intensified. Little did her staff know that her wake-up call had produced Sterling’s cranky, caustic mood.
Sterling sat daydreaming at her desk. Sally, her secretary made a discreet entrance, having been verbally assaulted by her boss once already in the course of the day.
Sally was loyal, trustworthy and extremely good at the job she had been doing for over twenty years. She had agreed to take the secretarial position when Sterling opened her office the previous year under certain conditions. Sally would work late hours when necessary to fulfill her duties, but as a norm expected to be out of the office by six thirty each day. She would not under any circumstances take orders or instructions from anyone in the office other than Ms. Hayes and would not run errands. Sterling valued her opinions, judging her correctly to be a cool head and a quick mind.
“Ms. Hayes, your two o’clock has arrived. I’ve settled them in the conference room and ordered coffee.” Sterling had her back to the office and seemed to be studying something in the fantastic view of the city spread out before her. When she didn’t respond to the announcement, Sally hesitated, uncertain what to do next. Finally she decided to be direct. “Will that be all, Ms. Hayes?”
Sterling slowly turned in her lavish leather desk chair and faced her secretary. “I need your advice Sally. Could you come in please and close the door?”
The odd request made the secretary uneasy. Ms. Hayes had been acting strangely for the past few weeks. Sally was concerned about her boss, whom she had grudgingly grown to like. She waited.
“How long have you been married, Sally?”
‘What an odd question,’ the secretary thought. “Nineteen years Ms. Hayes.” She stood quietly.
“Does your husband ever do anything romantic for no real reason?”
Sally bit off a laugh. “Once upon a time he did but those days are good and gone. After so many years we have settled into a comfortable companionship.” Again, she stood quietly and waited.
“I’ve made a new friend, my first in Atlanta and I want to do something to thank her for the help she has given me.” Sterling watched her secretary expectantly.
Sally still couldn’t help but react to the confession she was hearing. Ms. Hayes had begun by questioning her about romantic gestures and moved straight into seeking an expression of thanks for a new woman in her life.
“I assume that the customary flowers won’t convey your message.” Sally was trying to get more information without direct questioning.
“Too mundane and jewelry…well let’s just say jewelry is inappropriate.” Sally was fairly certain that in the past, jewelry had been her boss’ gift of gratitude for particularly invigorating sexual encounters. Sterling always appeared to be exhausted but content on the days when she had Sally send jewelry. This new friend then, was not a sexual conquest.
“What are her interests?”
“She reads and likes to dance.” Sterling was going over the short list of things she knew about Sam in her mind. “She cooks too, I think and collects antiques.” Sterling threw in at the last. The attorney waited while her secretary digested this information.
“There is an excellent shop near Lenox, just off Peachtree or you could always research a gift for her on the internet. I understand that there is quite a large range of antiques available for sale there.”
“Excellent! Great idea Sally. I knew you would know what to do.” She smiled brightly at her secretary who was obviously pleased that she had been helpful. “By the way. I owe you an apology for this morning, Sally. I woke up in a bear of a mood, but I shouldn’t have reacted that way over a missing file. It’s my fault in the first place for losing it.” She expected Sally to accept her apology immediately, but her secretary’s reluctance to do so told Sterling several things. She had been intolerable and undoubtedly had hurt Sally’s feelings or there would have been no hesitation to accept the apology as she had so many times.
“I understand Ms. Hayes, we are all subject to having a bad day occasionally.” The final word had a load of emphasis on it.
“A good point Sally. Did I mention that I want you to take tomorrow off? I don’t plan to be in the office since our judge is on vacation.” Sterling looked at her desk.
A few moments passed in silence. “Very well then. Thank you Ms. Hayes.” Everything had been set right between them and Sterling was pleased. Most of the people in her office she could have cut down with a word or a glance and never felt any remorse over it, but Sally was different. Sterling respected her.
She stood and stretched her back a bit, trying to organize her thoughts. The clients waiting for her in the conference room were filing a professional negligence case against a cardiologist who had neglected to render a diagnosis to the wife. She subsequently suffered a heart attack and a thirty day stay in the hospital. Now the woman, in her mid-forties, was unable to walk and in all likelihood, would have a permanent disability. As far as Sterling was concerned, it was a no-brainer, but she would have to get a doctor on the medical review panel to go over the case history and agree with her before she could begin.
Gathering the various sheafs of papers from her desk, she patted her blazer pocket to locate her Mont Blanc and finding it there, went to interview her new clients.
It had been three days since their dinner at The Doves and Sam had received no communication from Sterling. Disappointed, she regretted having issued the invitation to the upcoming party at Peter’s house, thinking it might turn uncomfortable for both of them. Apparently the beautiful barrister had elected to deny the heat generated by their good night kisses, something Sam had tried unsuccessfully to do herself.
Peter buzzed her on the intercom. “There’s a delivery her for you, boss.”
“I’m going over this listing agreement, Peter. Just bring it on back.” She was just a bit short with him.
“If I were that strong there would be men lined up to marry me.” Sam, now thoroughly curious, rose from her desk and went to the lobby to investigate.
Standing in the center of the floor was a beautiful mahogany etagere. The front was covered by doors, with shallow shelves running back at an angle on each side of them. Decorative carving adorned the skirt and legs of the unusual piece and the gold veined, marble top was exquisite. Sam walked around it, admiring the craftsmanship and condition.
“There’s a card, boss.” Peter was practically hyperventilating, waiting to find out what it said.
‘Samantha, I saw this and thought of you. I know it will look terrific in your office and is one way of thanking you for all of your efforts on my behalf. It’s been a while since I’ve had a friend. S.’
She read it again, trying to quiet her pulse so that the words would register in her mind. Peter was having a duck. Sam looked at him, rolled her eyes and read him the note.
“Oh my God! It is gorgeous, she must be gonzo on you. Me, well I hate your guts.” He knelt to open the doors and investigate the inside of the etagere.
“I can’t accept this,” Sam said to no one in particular. “This is a very expensive piece and an inappropriate gift from someone I hardly know.” She was on Southern auto-pilot, saying what good manners dictated. Doing the right thing was going to be tough though. Sam ran her hand over the cool marble. “She could have sent a card or a plant just as well and I could have kept either of those.” Disappointed, the young woman went into the privacy of her office to call Sterling and make arrangements to return her generous gift.
Sitting at her desk, Sam pressed her fingertips together and swiveled in half-circles, trying to decide what to say before she dialed the number. ‘It’s such a beautiful gift, but I can’t allow you to …No. I can’t tell you how sorry I am to tell you that I really can’t accept so extravagant…That’s not it either. What I want to ask her is why. Why can’t she acknowledge that she cares about me with a phone call, or a kind word. Every time we’re on the same wave length, she panics.’ In the end, Sam decided to dial the number and improvise.
“Sterling Hayes.” The voice was unmistakable. It sent a small tingle down Sam’s spine.
“Hello friend.” Sam took a deep breath. “I’ve had the loveliest surprise this afternoon. I wish I could allow you to make such a generous gesture, Sterling, but I really can’t accept this.”
The attorney was stunned. Her face went hot and tight with embarrassment. ‘This is all wrong! I wanted her to see how much she means to me!’ Her tone was casual when she had recovered enough to respond. “I don’t understand, Sam. I thought you would like the etagere. Since when does the extravagance of a gift make any difference?” The last she tried to keep light, but there was challenge in her voice as it dropped an octave.
“This is Atlanta, my dear. If I were to accept a token of your friendship of this magnitude, it would set tongues to wagging all around me.” She laughed a little, realizing that what she said was funny, but on target.
“I’m not sure I understand. Don’t people here give presents?”
“Sterling, I happen to know what a thing of this quality is worth. A woman doesn’t give presents like to this to someone unless she’s sleeping with them. It’s a common assumption.” Sam waited.
“Do you care so much what people think, that you would hurt my feelings by refusing it? Besides, I figured diamonds made the statement you are referring to, not furniture.” This she knew to be true. It had been her own method in the past.
She had Samantha there, but there was still the issue of a gift worth at least two thousand dollars. “Let me think about it Sterling. Please understand, I think this is the dearest thing anyone has ever done for me, but I’m not sure I can get comfortable with it.”
“Am I still invited to Peter’s house on Saturday?” The lawyer didn’t know how she felt at the moment, but was compelled to ask the question.
“Of course!” Sam sighed loudly. “I can’t think why you would wonder. We need to have a long talk in the near future and straighten some things out. Are you game?”
Sterling was elated at the prospect and fearful at the same time. “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to clear up the guide lines a bit. Maybe we’ll have a chance on Saturday.”
She sounded defeated and Sam wanted very much to comfort her somehow and tell her things would be alright if they could learn to communicate with each other a little better. “Thanks again for the lovely gesture, Sterling. It means a great deal to me. See you Saturday.” She replaced the receiver.
Meanwhile, Sterling sat, cradling hers. That soft voice, pronouncing her name was food for her soul. It would be worth the risk of caring to hear it again. Of course, caring was no longer the issue. The next step was admitting it and the attorney was wrestling with that one.
“Thank goodness you closed the office today. There is no way I could have done this without you. I want everything perfect.”
The assistant pastor and his friend had agreed to attend Peter’s little soiree. It was a major coup among Peter’s male friends to have them at a function and had almost turned into a competition. Sam thought it comical.
“That arrangement is too large, Peter. Can’t you tone it down a little. This isn’t a visit from the Queen Mother, you know.”
Hand on hip, lacey bibbed apron askew, pointing with a wooden spoon, Peter made quite a picture. “Today you are my friend, not my boss. I need moral support and help, not criticism, OK?”
Sam had her own reasons for being nervous. In a few hours she would be seeing Sterling. They had a lot to talk about, beginning with what was going on inside that beautiful head of hers. She’d never known anyone more cautious about their emotions. Sam herself had suffered several heartaches in her life and could understand reluctance to get involved. The problem as the Realtor saw it was that a bond had already formed between them and she needed help to determine exactly what that bond was. Sterling was the only one who could help her.
“Can I borrow that depression glass cake plate of yours? I think it would be a nice touch on the antique lace don’t you?” She wasn’t even hearing him.
Preparations completed, Sam headed home for a short rest and a long bath.
“Give him my cell number and tell him I’ll only available for the next ten minutes.”
It was her answering service and the message was one she would rather not have received. Sterling pulled over into the parking lot of a grocery store and waited. Bob Hall was one of the clients she was trying hard to cut loose from her practice. His tenacity had come as a real surprise to the attorney. Hall was a friend of a friend of a friend of Gino’s and one of the very few people left who could connect her to her past.
Sterling suspected that whatever Bob Hall needed, she was not going to enjoy either providing it, or refusing him. The bleat of her telephone brought her back into the minute.
“Sterling.” The gravelly voice made her tense up as always.
“What is so important that it rates interrupting my Saturday, Bob?” She had always made a point of being blunt with this client.
“Always the kidder, huh? Listen, my son is in a little trouble and I need you to get him out of jail.”
“Bob, you know I don’t do criminal law anymore.” She sighed deeply.
“Please, Sterling. His mother’s having a cow.”
“Where is he?”
Hall supplied the information. Sterling checked her watch and decided that she could probably manage this for her client and still make the party on time. She promised to touch base with him as soon as she reached the county jail and drove out of the parking lot.
The usual collection of riff raff greeted her in the stronghold on Memorial Drive. Sterling had been to the facility on previous occasions, but effectively avoiding such places was one more reason why she was changing the face of her practice.
“I’m Sterling Hayes. I represent Ricky Hall. I’d like to talk to my client please.” The attorney passed her business card through the circular hole in the glass. She had no desire whatsoever to talk to him, but needed to find out the formal charges as quickly as possible. “You’re holding him for DUI,” she offered as the booking officer read down the ‘guest list’ of inmates.
“Yeah.” He smirked. “Among other things.” He handed her the clipboard that held all of Ricky’s charges and pertinent information. Scanning the notations quickly, Sterling’s demeanor began to change before the officer’s eyes. She looked up and found him staring at her. Arms folded across his chest, a look of total disgust on his face, Sterling understood his judgment. He could not know that she wasn’t a dirty lawyer who accepted guilty clients as standard fare. Not until she told him, anyway.
The sheet noted that Ricky Hall had been busted leaving a party the night before. He was in fact, driving under the influence, but more importantly several thousand dollars worth of cocaine were found on his person. Additionally, he was without a license due to previous arrests and at twenty-six had three minor females in the car with him. One of the young girls had been beaten severely and had later been taken to the hospital to be treated. She told emergency personnel that she was pregnant. All three of the young women tested positive for alcohol and cocaine in their bloodstreams.
“His arraignment is Monday morning. He’s not leaving here until then.” The officer stared defiantly at her.
“He can stay or go for all I care. I’m resigning from this case. Let the little bastard rot.” She turned on her heel as the clipboard clattered onto the formica countertop. The uniformed policeman watched her walk away as a knowing smile crept onto his face.
Once she had reached the parking lot, Sterling dialed the hastily scribbled numbers. She was trying to control the anger in her voice when Bob Hall came on the line. “I shouldn’t wonder that your wife is heartbroken over the situation with Ricky.”
“What do you think? Can you have him out today?” Hall sounded casual.
“You do realize that they have him on possession felony, contributing to the delinquency, possible rape in addition to the DUI?” She waited, knowing what was coming before the words left Hall’s mouth.
“Boys will be boys, huh?” The little laugh at the end caused Sterling to lose all control.
“That is the most disgusting thing I’ve ever heard from you and I’ve heard some pretty sick things. I am not in the business of bending the law to save junior pricks like Ricky.”
Hall interrupted. “Hey, wait a minute. That’s my son you’re calling a prick.”
“Yes, it is and it’s an accurate description I would say. Get yourself another lawyer Bob. I’m done with you and all of your dirty dealing.” She hung up on him before he even had a chance to protest.
Sterling dialed her answering service and instructed them to hold all of her calls until further notice. A police cruiser was pulling into the lot as she was leaving. The prisoner in the back seat caught her eye. He was young, probably in his late teens. Sterling was saddened by his plight, remembering her own crime filled youth. Providence alone had kept her from ever having seen the inside of a jail cell until she did so during a client interview.
She stopped to let the patrol car pass and as it did, the young prisoner moved to within a few feet of her window. Her eyes followed him, full of compassion until he stuck his tongue out, flicking it, snakelike in an obscene gesture.
Sterling chided herself for having been so gullible. She knew better.
The doorbell rang again before Peter could even introduce the last group of guests. Samantha offered to greet the new arrivals for him. When the door swung open, her breath caught at the sight of the figure that filled it. The smile drew her in first. It was crooked, warm and sensual.
Sterling had chosen tailored slacks with deep pleats. Her leather jacket was open to reveal a collared shirt of deep burgundy teasing with the preview of deep cleavage it offered. Sam’s mouth went dry at the raw attraction she immediately felt.
“Hi. Come on in.” Sam stood back and allowed Sterling entrance while she struggled for something to say.
“Looks like a good crowd.” The attorney scanned the high ceilinged living room before removing her jacket and asking where she should put it. Sam offered to show her and Sterling followed down the hallway.
“In here.” There was a beautiful old iron bed in the center of the room, piled high now with every conceivable type of winter wrap. Sterling tossed her coat among them before turning to compliment Sam.
“You look incredible Samantha.” The glance was casual but made Sam feel naked. Their eyes met and held for a moment before Sterling broke the contact by speaking. “Shall we?”
They joined the other guests and Sam played hostess. “This is my friend Sterling Hayes.” The graceful beauty looked directly into their eyes as she spoke to each one remembering names and oozing charm. Several appraising stares caused Sam to assume a proprietary attitude. She didn’t allow her friend to linger very long with any of the other guests.
Peter appeared in front of the couple and extended a limp hand for Sterling to shake. “We’ve already met at the office, but it’s very nice of you to join us today.” She was only inches taller than he, but he felt like a kid in the principal’s office until her face lit up. Peter was rendered speechless, and stood pumping the handshake until Sam cleared her throat.
Sterling went to find herself a drink and Peter began his appraisal for Sam. He fanned himself. “My God, what a presence. Her eyes are incredible and she is so…”
“Electric? Unnerving? Erotic?” Sam supplied.
Peter was all concern. “Are you sure you can handle this one?”
Sam let a small smile creep onto her face. “I think it would be a great challenge. I hope I get the opportunity.”
“Are you kidding? The way she is looking at you, I’m surprised she didn’t molest you in the coat room. You better watch out.” He grinned, knowing his observation would make his friend happy.
‘I should be so lucky.’ Samantha watched the dark head of hair approach her, slightly above most of the others in the gathering. Sterling handed her a wine glass and offered a toast.
“To new friends.” Their glasses clinked and they drank.
Seated side by side at dinner the two women lingered at the table after the others and talked about the neighborhood and Sterling’s new house. The attorney found that she was anxiously awaiting the opportunity to move into it and explained to Sam that this was a new feeling for her. “I’ve never really had that home base you spoke of when I was younger and never wanted it after that. Until now.”
“I know you lost your parents early.” Sam’s comment was the perfect lead in for Sterling to explain some things about her past. Neither of them knew if she would grasp the opportunity or not until she spoke.
“I’ve had an unusual life, Sam. I haven’t been too quick to tell you much about myself, because I wasn’t sure you would want a friend with a past like mine.”
Her voice was soft and the invitation in it was impossible to refuse. “Talk to me.” Sam reached over and took Sterling’s hand, pulling her up and out of the dining room. The realtor knew Peter’s house as well as her own, having spent many hours there, visiting her friend. She led her captive into the cozy den at the end of the hall and closed the door.
Sterling, afraid to begin, stalled for time. “Get comfortable. This may take a while.” Sam kicked off her shoes, pulled her feet up under her and nodded for the other woman to begin.
Samantha listened spellbound to the tale. Sterling watched a spot on the carpet the entire time, unable to look at her listener. At one point, the attorney began to tear up, but she stopped to take several deep breaths, then continued. In all, the story took less than an hour. ‘It doesn’t take very long to screw up a last chance does it?’ Sterling sat quietly, waiting.
“I don’t think I’ve ever known anyone so courageous.” Sam breathed the words.
Blue eyes snapped around to see if Sam was kidding. Surely, she had to be.
“How can you say such a thing? It doesn’t take much courage to turn a blind eye to what’s going on around you. Being an adulteress doesn’t exactly qualify me as a good candidate for friendship either.”
“That was a long time ago, Sterling. You did what you had to do to survive. Why do you insist on beating yourself up about it?” Samantha took the hand that rested on the sofa arm into both of hers. She looked it for a long moment before bringing it to her lips.
Amazement weakened Sterling’s defenses. A single tear escaped and tracked down her cheek. “I tell you that I have done terrible things, slept with a criminal for money, defended known murderers and you show me tenderness that I never knew existed. Who are you?” Deadly serious in her question, Sterling brought her face close to Sam’s, and waited for an answer.
Sam was confused and the nearness of this breathtaking woman, made it difficult for her to form thoughts at the moment, but she concentrated hard and found a response. “I’m someone who could be falling in love with you.” The risk factor of her confession equaled the one Sterling had exhibited moments before. Now it was Sam’s turn to stare at the floor and wait.
Sharp movement on the couch in her periphery swung Sam’s attention around. Sterling was on her feet, pacing rapidly in the minimal space of the room. “I’ve explained it all wrong, I must have. Did you understand that I’m wealthy at least in part because of the blood money Gino left me? Do you think you could walk through my house now and admire the works of art that adorn the walls, knowing that drug deals paid for them?”
“It sounds to me like you’re asking yourself these questions. I’m not in the judgement business.”
Those words were so familiar. Sterling grimaced at the memory of hurling the accusation at Samson during the trial, all those years ago. ‘“I see you’re in the judgement business now,” Sterling had flung the words at him like a dagger. She found herself in the present day again. ‘Yeah, I guess I’ve always been afraid of judgement by the people who really count in my life. Here I am again,..’
“It’s up to you to forgive your own past actions. You are the one that perceives them to be sins. I say again, I admire your instincts for survival and your obvious ability to rise above the circumstances of your youth. Why do you carry so much blame on your shoulders? Surely you could divide it among the other people whose business it was to protect you and provide for you.” Sam harbored a deep rooted anger for a man she would never meet, Sterling’s father. He was the real coward in this scenario as was her aunt. How could they let a vulnerable young woman, a teenager, live that way?
The pacing stopped abruptly as the tall beauty’s suddenly boneless body slumped onto the sofa next to Samantha. Sterling leaned her head back and closed her eyes hoping this ready acceptance was not a dream. She felt warm lips on her eyebrow and resisted the urge to open her eyes. An arm went around her shoulder as Sam pulled her into an embrace and kissed her again, this time on the lips.
Reaching out the attorney returned the embrace with an unexplained urgency and initiated a series of kisses herself, each longer than the last. Finally, each needing a breath of air, they broke apart. Samantha felt the gentle caress of fingertips against her cheek. “Where did you learn to be so tender?” Sam asked involuntarily.
“I’m improvising, believe me.” Sterling smiled and leaned in, closing her eyes at the last possible second, and kissed welcoming lips again and again.
Laughter in the hallway reminded them both that they had been a tad rude to their host and his other guests. Disappearing in the middle of a party was not quite respectable. Sam realized the faux pas and blushed a little as she broke away from warm, searching hands. “We really ought to resurface before everyone leaves. Peter is going to give me a very hard time already.” Sam’s tone was apologetic. Neither of them wanted to be anywhere except where they already were.
“You’re right. We have been incredibly rude. I should go and apologize for monopolizing your time. Maybe I can get you off the hook. After all, that is what I do.” Sterling smiled warmly and stood, extending her hand to help Samantha up from the sofa.
It was unplanned, but as soon as Sam was on her feet, Sterling pulled the young beauty to her again, this time with all of her considerable strength and found her mouth immediately. The invasive velvet tongue was welcomed and Sam sucked on it gently.
“Ungh,” Sterling’s lips vibrated with her response as her hands dropped low on Sam’s back pulling the willing hips into her own. All gentleness vanished as Sam sought urgently to devour Sterling’s lips and tongue. In answer the attorney dropped her large hands, lower still and pulled a remarkably firm ass to her.
A whimper rose up as Samantha backed Sterling up two steps so that the attorney was wedged between her own body and the door. Her breathing quickened as her hands rested on Sterling’s rib cage, just beneath the swell of her breasts. The blonde could feel the evidence of her building lust at her moist vortex.
“Where did you get to Sam?” Peter’s distinct voice was echoing down the hall. It brought Samantha crashing back down to earth as she quickly broke contact and stepped back. Straightening her clothes unnecessarily, green eyes searched Sterling’s face for clues as to what had just transpired between them.
Trying to make her voice sound as casual as possible under the circumstances, Sterling broke the silence with a lame suggestion. “Maybe we could continue this at a later date, huh?” Her wistful request was answered with eager agreement.
“Absolutely. Sorry things got a little crazy there.” Sam blushed which only served to embarrass her more.
Sterling placed a finger under Sam’s chin and raised it up so that their eyes met and held. “Don’t dream of apologizing to me. I have never wanted anyone so much in my life.” Sterling’s eyes were burning with heat generated elsewhere.
“Me either.” Sam’s confession brought another flush to her face. Peter’s approaching footsteps prompted her to call out to him. “In here, Peter.” As she opened the door she spoke to him, while looking at Sterling. “We were just sharing some deep dark secrets.” The smile that lit her face rendered the big, bad attorney defenseless.
“Fasten your seat belts please. We will begin take off momentarily.” The disembodied voice floated through the airplane cabin. Sterling hated to fly. It had always seemed unnatural and no matter how much of it she was forced to do, that never changed. This short trip to Dallas had been promised to a good client for months. Otherwise the attorney would never have left Atlanta. Not now.
Sterling had hated to leave home and Samantha Hilliard. Now that she thought about it, they were pretty much one and the same. Their parting on Saturday night had been perfectly respectable. With Peter keeping an eye on the two women, it couldn’t be anything else and remain within the parameters of good taste. Sam had promised to stay and help clean up and was stuck. Sterling had used every excuse in the book to stall, but it was two in the morning and she had an early flight out of the city.
They had been forced to settle for a fairly chaste kiss and a very long hug. Now Sterling, normally the picture of confidence and control looked so distraught that the flight attendant had twice asked if she was all right. “I just hate to fly,” the attorney had finally told her. It seemed to satisfy the flight attendant for the time being.
Sterling closed her eyes and tried to sleep, thinking that might help pass the flight time quicker. She went over in her mind the offer her client was going to be considering. It was fairly simple and she didn’t understand why it couldn’t have been accomplished with a phone call, but she had made a promise. ‘My appointment is at ten. I’ll be out of there by mid-afternoon. What’s the big deal? In thirty-six hours I’ll be back in Atlanta.’ The big deal was that she wanted to brush aside everything in her life. Her practice and its clients, business obligations and personal ones had become an inconvenience.
‘Samantha Hilliard.’ Just her name started the wanting again. Sterling had never experienced this kind of feeling and wasn’t sure what to do about it. She couldn’t just take Sam hostage and lock her indoors for the next three weeks, making love to her over and over, but it was what she wanted to do. Sterling’s rational mind told her to drop the ‘what if’ and try to get a grip on what she could do about the situation.
‘I guess the first step is to call her and ask her over to my house. I could hire someone to come in and cook for us. God knows, I can barely burn steaks on the outdoor grill.’ It seemed like a good plan and had a calming effect for about ten minutes. Then the panic started up again, the urgency to hear her voice. Sterling lifted the receiver of the air phone in front of the vacant seat beside her. Dialing the number she had memorized the attorney grew impatient waiting for the call to connect to the phone lines on the ground. It seemed like forever, but in truth was only a couple of minutes when the familiar but sleepy voice came on the line.
“Hello. Hello? Anybody there?” Sam started to hang up but her instincts stopped her.
‘I woke her up. I am such an idiot. Of course I woke her up, it’s only eight thirty and it’s Sunday!’ “Hi, it’s Sterling.” Sam’s heart rate increased noticeably. She sat bolt upright in bed, eyes wide.
“It sounds like I woke you. I’m really sorry.” She wasn’t though. The mental image of Samantha curled up in bed, all warm and soft made Sterling close her eyes and fight to control her imagination.
“I thought you were leaving for Dallas this morning. I certainly didn’t expect to hear from you. What a nice surprise.”
“Do you always say exactly what you mean?” Sterling laughed. “There are women in the world who would not admit under torture what you just freely told me.”
“They must be idiots. I have no intentions of playing games with you. Not now and not ever.” There was no trace of amusement in her tone.
“Remember you said that. You may regret it later.” Sterling laughed again. “I am on my way to Dallas. In fact the captain just announced that we are arriving on time in another forty minutes. I tried to wait to call you, but…”
“Now who’s being totally frank? You missed me, huh?” Sam was kidding, but only just.
“In fact, I do miss you.” The admission startled them both.
“How nice,” the blonde breathed and pulled the pillow beside her to her chest, an unconscious comfort. “You didn’t really say when you would be back.”
Sterling did not tell Sam that she had been scheduled to stay in Dallas until Wednesday. “I’ll be home tomorrow afternoon if I can get a flight out. Will you come to my house for dinner? I’d really like to see you.”
“I didn’t know you could cook.” It was a stall tactic. Sam knew her answer, but needed to pull herself together before she agreed. She was fairly certain that more than dinner was involved in this invitation. Otherwise they would be going out somewhere. Wouldn’t they?
“I can’t cook, but I know people who can. I promise you won’t go hungry.” Sterling waited, afraid that she was about to be turned down.
Samantha decided there was no point in being coy and took the plunge. “I’d love to have dinner at your house Sterling. It’s about time you allowed me into the lion’s den. You can learn a lot about people from the space they live in.”
“So I am told. I am not totally comfortable with another expose’ so soon, but I don’t guess it can be avoided. I’ll call you when I get in tomorrow and we can decide what time, ok?”
Sam readily agreed and let out a deep sigh as she replaced the telephone in its cradle. ‘This is bad. This is really bad. I’d go along with any plan she could come up with right now. Any plan.’ The realtor rolled over and out of bed just as her alarm sounded. Normally she would have slept late, but Peter had extracted a promise of her company at the early church service this morning. It was her punishment for being rude last night he said. In point of fact, he would probably grill her for information the entire time that they were together. Sam laughed and headed for the shower.
‘I feel better now. At least I know I’ll see her tomorrow. In the meantime, I need to get some work done and pull myself together. I’m way too old for a school girl crush.’ Sterling shook her head in disbelief. ‘Wait until I tell Samson.’ She smiled at the prospect anxious for an opportunity to introduce him to Samantha. Maybe they could take a trip to Boston together.
The papers on the fold down tray before her were no longer her enemy and the attorney was able to give them her undivided attention. With the proper attitude, Sterling had the facts committed to memory before the landing gear touched down in Dallas.
Slidell had sent a driver to pick her up in the baggage claim area. The young man held a sign that bore her name with a Stetson hat sitting askew atop the letter ‘H’ in Hayes. Sterling could not stop herself from laughing. “You’re looking for me and I see Ralph still has his sense of humor. The driver broke into a shy grin and took the baggage claim ticket handed to him.
The ride from the airport was pleasant enough. Sterling had never been west of the Mississippi River and the flat, arid land of Texas was quite a change from the lush green of Atlanta. She settled back into the deep seat cushions and watched it fly past her window, an unending stream of browns and beiges. The next thing she remembered was waking up at the extravagant entrance of the Slidell ranch. Ralph had insisted over her protests that his guesthouse would be considerably more comfortable than a hotel room. He also claimed that his best thinking was done during the chauffeured commute to the city each morning. If Sterling was his guest at the ranch, she could join him for the ride.
The car pulled into a circular drive fronting an imposing structure of cypress and stone. The sprawling u-shaped house was surrounded by lush gardens of exotic plants and magnificent greenery. The intercom came alive with her driver’s voice. “Here we are. I’ll take your bag in and leave it with the maid to unpack. Would you like to freshen up or shall I take you on up to the house?”
“I would like to change, please. Can I walk from here so that you don’t have to wait for me?” His laughter was loud enough to penetrate the privacy window between the front and rear seats. His voice came over the speaker again.
“Sorry Ma’am, but its six miles to the main house. I don’t think you want to go that far on foot. I can return for you, or you can take one of the guest cars in the garage if you prefer.”
Sterling opted to drive herself and the chauffeur quickly came back to open the door for her. He smiled and escorted her to the front door, opening it without any announcement. A beautiful young woman with dark eyes and hair greeted Sterling and showed her down a long hallway to the master suite. “I’d like to take a quick shower before facing Mr. Slidell. It’s been quite a long day, considering that it’s only breakfast time here.”
By the time she stepped back into the bedroom wearing a fluffy terry bathrobe she’d found hanging on the outside of the shower doors, her suitcase had been emptied and the young woman waited by the door. “All you have to do is buzz me if you require anything at all,” she offered and was gone.
Finally alone, Sterling looked around her at the luxurious appointments of ‘the guest house’. It could have been home to a family of five with no trouble. She toweled her freshly shampooed hair and pulled back the floor length curtains to reveal a picturesque vista. Moving to the bed, she sat and then lay back, wishing she had the time for a short nap. The cool satin of the comforter was a sensuous embrace on the exposed skin of her legs and she closed her eyes. A ringing off in the distance startled Sterling. She lifted the phone to her ear and recognized the drawl of Ralph Slidell, admonishing her for being late to breakfast.
“Sorry Ralph, but I’m practically on my way. I assume I simply follow the drive?” He laughed and made a comment about ‘the yellow brick road’ that made no sense. Sterling laughed politely, too and hung up. Grabbing her hair dryer from the marble vanity top in the dressing area, Sterling started getting ready to greet the Slidells.
Brunch at the Flying Biscuit was a welcome treat after church and one Sam always looked forward to. She and Peter had arrived early enough to beat the crowd and were anxiously awaiting the scrumptious sounding menu items they had ordered.
The conversation was mostly a rehash of events from the dinner party. Peter had already asked Sam twice where she and Sterling had disappeared to during it. Both times Samantha truthfully told him that they had been talking in the den. When Peter made his third inquiry on the same topic, she realized he was testing her to see if she told the same story every time.
“I feel like I’m being questioned by the police. My story’s not changing, Peter. We were talking.”
“Ah, but were you using a spoken language or some other means of communication?” His eyebrows moved up and down in a suggestive manner.
Sam swatted his arm, but had to laugh at her friend too. “I realize that you have a great deal of experience with sluttly behavior, but don’t try to initiate me into your club.” Sam tried to keep a straight face, but the look of righteous indignation on Peter’s face caused her to lose her battle. He helplessly joined her in laughter. An attractive woman at the neighboring table was eyeing Sam’s shapely legs. Peter watched, expecting his friend to be miffed, but instead she smiled at the woman and re-crossed her legs to afford a better view.
“You’re certainly in a great mood today,” he observed as the waiter placed their food on the table. “Why so flirtatious?”
“I feel good. Yes, I feel really good.” She beamed at him, stirring his endless curiosity once again.
“Do you have plans with her later or something?” He took a bite of a multi-grain pancake and closed his eyes briefly to savor its taste.
“No, but I’m having dinner at her house tomorrow night. I can’t wait to see where she lives.” Sam’s dreamy expression told Peter a great deal. He only hoped his friend’s expectations weren’t too high.
“I suppose taking some pictures of her house would be out of the question? Yes, that would be tacky.” He answered his own question. “Don’t forget a single detail, though. I want to hear all about this art collection, especially.”
The art collection. Sam knew that Sterling was ashamed to own it on some level but couldn’t make herself be rid of it. ‘Just another enigma. The woman is a smorgasbord of intrigue. I can’t wait until tomorrow night.’
“Who was that handsome guy in the green shirt you had cornered in the kitchen during dessert last night?” Peter launched into a full-scale biography.
Ralph Slidell was tall and leathery. To Sterling he was a perfect representation of what a Texas millionaire should look like. He had made his money in oil like many of his fellow statesmen, but Ralph had made the decision to distribute his own product. So far, he had opened seven gas stations around the Dallas area and the idea was working well for him. Ralph was ready to try his concept in other states, which is why he needed Sterling’s legal expertise.
Slidell had liked the young woman the moment they met at a party in Charleston. He recognized something of himself in her demeanor. Sterling was a rainmaker.
“Where the hell have you been? We start the day early here! ” Slidell chided her good naturedly.
“Of course you do. It takes an hour just to get to the end of your driveway.” Sterling shook the hand offered her. She sincerely liked Ralph and his open manner.
“Leave her alone dear. Sterling is probably not in the mood for your antics this early.” Robyn Slidell glided across the room and took her seat at the breakfast table. “Good morning my dear. I trust you found everything alright at the guest house.” Robyn graced the dark haired attorney with a smile. She had been a stunning woman in her younger days, no doubt and she still possessed a timeless beauty of sorts. Her eyes crinkled as she appraised the younger woman sitting beside her.
“That’s quite a guest house. You must be accustomed to entertaining oil sheiks and their harems.” Sterling shook out the linen napkin and placed it on her lap. An elderly woman in a starched white uniform poured coffee for her.
“My husband still believes in tasteless displays of wealth. After all of these years you would think that I would have taught him to do things differently.” The look that Robyn gave Ralph belied a deep devotion between the two.
“Robyn grew up filthy rich and wild, with a true disdain for wealth. I grew up scrapping for my next meal I was so poor. She has learned to forgive my vulgarities when it comes to spending money.” His affectionate glance also spoke volumes about the feeling between these two improbable lovers of twenty years.
Sterling sipped the rich coffee and studied them before remarking. “I suspect that you have required a truckload of forgiveness from this lovely woman Ralph. It appears to me that her only character flaw is this inexplicable fondness for a certain weather beaten cowboy.” Robyn met Sterling’s eyes for a moment before nodding.
Ralph started to protest the charge, but was quieted by his wife. “Your breakfast is getting cold and Matilda will chastise you harshly if you don’t eat dear.”
As the three were finishing up their leisurely breakfast, Robyn announced her plans to head into town later in the day for some shopping. She extended an invitation to Sterling, merely as a courtesy. “No thanks. I suspect Ralph has other plans for me. I was ordered to bring riding apparel but after pointing out that I have never been on a horse, he agreed to show me around the place in a car.”
“Don’t be fooled. He probably plans to take you out in that ratty little jeep of his. I hope you have a good chiropractor back home. You will need it.” She laughed and swept out of the room.
Slidell looked after her. “She is the most amazing woman.”
“Yes, Ralph, she truly is.” Sterling could not help but agree. Robyn had a self-possessed zest for life about her.
“Everything was put on this earth for her amusement you know, most especially me.” He smiled the smile of a smitten teenaged boy. “I am the luckiest man I know,” he said as he turned to Sterling. “We can head out now, if you’re ready.” She nodded and they were off on their excursion.
By late afternoon Sterling was exhausted. They were on the skeet range out behind the main house when she finally admitted to Ralph that she had under slept a little the previous night and was all in. He suggested a rest, explaining that Robyn had planned a Texas barbecue and invited a few friends for dinner. The lawyer raised an eyebrow at the mention of ‘a few’ friends.
“Nothing elaborate, really. Just twenty people or so, don’t worry. Pull!” He cleanly broke his next three targets, beating her score by a close margin. His competitive nature satisfied, he allowed Sterling to slip away for some much-needed rest.
The cool darkness of the bedroom in the guesthouse was a welcome contrast to the bright Texas day in progress. Sterling had stripped down to her underwear and donned a well-worn tee shirt that she slept in often. Comfortable under the light sateen sheets the attorney expected sleep to claim her immediately, but was pleasantly surprised to find her mind inhabited with a flock of ‘Samantha memories’. More and more the attorney found her thoughts wandering back to the shining eyes, peeking seductively from underneath blonde bangs.
‘I’m not supposed to miss her this much. What in the devil is so different about this woman that I can’t think her off of my mind?’ The dark beauty rolled over onto her stomach and pulled the pillow into her face, willing herself to think of something else, or better yet, think of nothing at all. She pondered the deal she was putting together for Ralph Slidell for a few minutes until she felt herself getting sleepy.
Sterling never even realized that she was once again remembering a smiling Samantha, kissing her goodnight the previous evening when she finally succumbed to sleep. “Goodnight,” she mumbled.
Monday was a busy day at Sam’s office, which was not generally the case. Everything that could go wrong did. “The inspector is on the line about the Elm Street checklist.” Sam dropped her head into her hands in an effort to wish away the beginnings of a headache.
With the inspector taken care of, Sam made her way into the kitchen, swallowed two aspirin and drank an entire glass of ice water to chase them down. ‘Surely to God I am not getting sick. Please tell me this is just a sinus thing or something.’ She would allow nothing, under any circumstances to interfere with her dinner plans. ‘I’ll go in an ambulance if I have to.’ Sam laughed at the mental image her thought inspired. She heard a faint announcement on her intercom and realized that Peter was transferring a call to her desk. Sighing deeply the realtor headed back into her office to put out the next fire.
“This is Samantha, can I help you?” Sam shuffled the papers on her desk into a neater pile.
“How about forgiving me long enough to have dinner with me.” Beverly’s voice registered and Sam was immediately uncomfortable.
“It’s good to hear from you, Bev. Everything going to suit you?” Small talk was not really called for. Sam had no intention of agreeing to dinner, but wondered if she should mention her reasons. By the time Beverly gave her a synopsis of her life’s events since their last meeting, Sam had decided to confront the problem head on.
“About dinner, Bev. I would be glad to meet you somewhere.” Samantha was trying to clearly offer friendship and nothing more without causing the further pain of saying so in exact terms.
“Not eager to go out with me are you? Maybe you would change your mind if we spent some time together. I heard your message the last time Sam.” Beverly sounded sincere, but the realtor had no intention of letting any misconceptions take root.
“I enjoy your company immensely, Bev, you know that. I’m glad you do understand how I feel, because I’m seeing someone and I wouldn’t want there to be any misgivings on anybody’s part.”
Beverly’s spirits crashed to earth. She tried to control the disappointment in her voice. “Congratulations. Is it anyone I know?”
“Yes, you took her loan application.”
Suddenly, Beverly knew who the object of her ire was. “Sterling Hayes. You never mentioned that you were interested in her.” Her voice held an accusatory tone.
“Well, I didn’t really know I was at the time,” Sam responded defensively. “It’s just one of those things Beverly. Don’t take it so personally.”
“You’re sleeping with her aren’t you?” The outburst was a surprise to both parties.
“That’s none of your business Beverly.” Samantha’s response was clipped.
“I guess I have my answer then. I hope you two are very happy.” The banker was being sarcastic of course. Sam decided to pretend that Beverly’s good wishes were sincere and return them, but the line suddenly went dead. She felt a sinking feeling as she hung up the phone. Fortunately the chaos of her office didn’t allow her to dwell on it for long.
Ralph’s office was appropriately lavish in its furnishing. The décor, although very masculine, had a real flair and Sterling told him so. Slidell attributed it to his wife’s influence, explaining that she had fired the decorator on the third day and taken over the considerable task herself. She smiled and passed through the door to the conference room ahead of him to begin their meetings.
Ralph had been disappointed to learn that Sterling would be flying out that same afternoon but he admitted that they could conceivably handle the necessary paperwork by mail. As long as things went smoothly at the conference table this morning, Sterling would be home in time for her much anticipated dinner date. Nothing on the planet could have deterred her from her course as she plunged into the explanation of the documents she was presenting to the conference attendees.
Driving home in the rush hour traffic had left Sterling’s nerves frazzled. She sent a prayer of thanks skyward for having had the presence of mind to call Sally earlier. The lawyer had planned on use of the “Three B’s”, bullshit, bribery and begging if necessary. To her surprise, Sterling’s secretary had willingly taken on the task of planning dinner at home for Ms. Hayes and her guest.
Finding a willing chef on short notice had been less of a challenge than expected. It turned out that a number of qualified men and women worked in restaurants that were closed for business on Monday. Sally chose a consultant for a national catering concern who was a graduate of the prestigious Chicago Cooking Institute. His fee equaled two weeks salary for the secretary, but she had been instructed to hire the best.
Sterling’s housekeeper, a diminutive woman of very few words, coordinated the arrival of the grocer, florist and ultimately the chef. By the time the barrister swung through the rear door of the kitchen, the house was filled with delicious smells.
A handsome young man turned to greet the new arrival and realized that she was not a part of the service group. Wiping his hands on his apron, the chef greeted Sterling and assured her that everything would be perfect for her evening. She had to walk through the dining room to reach the stairs and stopped in her tracks when she saw the table.
Elegant floral arrangements adorned the table and sideboard. The Waterford crystal that Gino had insisted on buying for her in her law student days shot reflections of blue light from the chandelier at her. The china and linen, she didn’t recognize but approved of instantly. ‘Does this make me look good or what?’ Rubbing her hands together in excitement, she continued through the entry foyer and swung herself up the stairs using the banister to help launch each leap of three steps. Only when she turned the hot water handle in the shower room did she realize she was whistling.
The housekeeper was about to open the front door in response to the ringing doorbell when Sterling stopped her. “No! Let me get that, please.” The quiet woman shrugged and headed to check on things in the kitchen.
Samantha stood in the warm glow of the porch light, an absolute vision. She wore a Navy pea coat that hung open to reveal a midnight blue, lacey camisole over threadbare blue jeans and sneakers. “You look about sixteen years old. Thank God you’re not, I could get arrested for my reaction to that outfit.” Sterling smiled her most winning smile, took Sam’s hand and pulled the blushing young woman through the door, into a brief hug.
Taking her coat and hanging it on a coat rack in the entry, Sterling led her guest into the den where a fire was blazing on the hearth. They decided on a glass of wine before dinner.
“The trip was a success, I assume.” Sam sipped the dark vintage and approved with a nod.
“Yes, I got Ralph squared away in record time. I was glad to get out of there. The wide open spaces of Dallas really didn’t appeal to me much.” They made polite conversation until the housekeeper announced dinner and they went in to enjoy it.
Samantha closed her eyes and savored the delicious blend of flavors in the delicate sauce. “I don’t know who you had prepare this meal, but it is heavenly.”
Adhering to her new policy of total honesty with Sam Sterling confessed. “My secretary hired the chef. He took care of all the rest.”
Sam was astonished and flattered that so much care had been given to a simple dinner at home. “I feel underdressed for such a grand gesture. I wish you had told me what you were up to.”
Sterling started to protest but decided against it. “Tell me about your day, why don’t you?”
The two women talked together over the elegant dinner. The subtle flirtation between them overshadowed the food. Sterling would never be able to recall tasting a single bite of it. Samantha was animated in the telling of her day’s events. The attorney sat back and enjoyed every syllable from the vibrant young woman.
Just when Samantha became aware that she was monopolizing the conversation, Sterling spoke up. “You are positively beautiful.” The remark was stated as an indisputable fact. Sam colored with embarrassment. “It can’t be a surprise to hear that.”
Stumbling suddenly for words, Sam reluctantly answered. “No, I admit that I’ve heard that a few times. It sounds so different when you say it though.”
“That’s because I understand and appreciate beauty. I’m not just making conversation when I make such a pronouncement. If you’re done with dinner I’ll show you what I mean.” Sterling waited for the shake of Sam’s head and pushed her chair back from the table. She took the smaller hand in hers and guided Sam through the archway and up the winding stairway to the gallery above.
As soon as they reached the top step, the lighting changed and Sam was disappointed at the loss of the warmth as Sterling freed her hand. There, on the walls, each under its own mini-spot light hung the art treasures Samantha had heard about. She studied the portraits and still life’s, occasionally asking questions that Sterling answered in a low voice. The attorney stood behind Sam, allowing her to focus totally on the art.
“Phillip Pearlstein.” The tall beauty named the artist for Sam, who stood spellbound. The study of a young woman lounging in an oversized chair dressed only in a half-open Kimono was powerfully seductive.
Sam turned a corner and exclaimed over the grouping she found. “Oh. This is incredible.” Sam admired a charcoal sketch by John Ottis and another by Beardsley.
“I’m afraid the collection of styles is a bit eclectic,” Sterling apologized. Sam faced her hostess, wide eyed. She opened her mouth to speak but spotted another grouping over Sterling’s shoulder. The realtor moved past the tall figure as if Sterling was not even present and studied each of these new discoveries.
When Samantha finally ran out of wall and art, she found herself in front of the open door of a beautifully appointed bedroom. She realized that not only was she staring, she was being watched.
“Too fancy for me. It’s a guest room, although I don’t think it has ever been used,” Sterling explained. “I sleep over there.” Sam’s eyes followed as she pointed across the gallery to a closed door at the very top of the stairs. An uncomfortable silence followed as both of the women entertained thoughts they dared not share.
Sam was the first to beat a hasty retreat down the staircase and into the den. Confused with her own feelings of reluctance, she refused the brandy offered her. Instead, she shed her shoes and curled her feet under her on the leather sofa. “This must be the couch you told me about.” The young blonde ran her fingers over the well-worn surface.
Sterling laughed. “Yeah. That’s the one. How could you tell?” She moved to sit opposite her guest and swirled the dark liquid in the glass she held. “You sure?” She held the snifter up to indicate that the offer of brandy was still open.
“No thanks.” Sam turned her attention to the dancing flames in the fireplace. She was struggling to maintain some kind of composure. Having Sterling so close to her made it hard to focus.
The attorney was experiencing similar problems. She gulped, rather than sipped her brandy. “I’ve been wanting to ask you…” Sterling hesitated. She looked up and found Sam studying her intently. “…How you felt about the other night.”
Sam’s gaze dropped to her hands immediately. This was a topic her mind had worn out for the last two days, but she was not comfortable opening the conversation about their mutual combustion in Peter’s den. Her eyes came up to confront Sterling’s again. “I guess I’m a little uncertain. I’ve been replaying it over and over.” A blush rose up her cheeks with this admission. Sterling smiled and came to her rescue.
“Don’t feel badly. I, myself, have re-played it non stop and have only come to one conclusion.”
“There is definitely some chemistry between us, Sam. Surely you feel that, too.” Samantha studied the beautiful face as if she had never seen it before either in reality or in her dreamscape.
“I feel it. I feel it so much it scares me.” Sam’s voice was a whisper. Her eyes were huge with honesty under shaggy blonde bangs. The attorney thought that Sam had never looked more beautiful.
Sterling reached her hand out and waited. It was the barest of moments before a smaller hand responded and locked fingers with her own.
Sterling sat her glass on the table and scooted over, closing the distance between them. She slowly reached out her free hand and caressed Sam’s cheek, causing the green eyes to close slowly. A soft murmur rose up as their lips met gently again and again. This was different than what had gone on in Peter’s den. Instead of the rush of heat, steady warmth began to tingle inside both of them.
Still sitting with her knees pulled up, Sam laid her head against Sterling’s shoulder and felt completely at home with the steady, deep throb of the heartbeat she both felt and heard beneath her ear. Sterling circled Sam’s shoulder with her arm and pulled her close.
Together they watched the flames wordlessly. Small fingers stroked the fine, dark hair on Sterling’s forearm where it rested on top of Sam’s knees. Unknowingly, Sterling circled Sam’s shoulder with light caresses over and over. Their breathing was somehow synchronized and a perfect content settled over the two figures.
They sat together just like that for a long while. The logs in the fireplace burned down to nothing more than undulating red coals that spilled across the hearth inside the fire screen before Sterling stirred and broke the spell they were under.
“It’s getting late.” Long legs stretched out, but Sam did not move. Sterling looked down into the upturned face, expecting a question or the demand of more kisses.
Samantha didn’t hesitate in her reply. “It is. We should get to bed.”
Here were two women who made their living by their command of language and the concepts it represented. A total of ten words had expressed everything necessary between them. The irony of the situation struck Sterling. They stood and approached the stairs again. Sterling stopped Sam on the fourth riser.
“Are you sure about this?” Clear blue eyes were pleading for the truth.
“My head answers no, but all of my instincts cry out in favor of it. Let’s not put ourselves under too much pressure by analyzing this, OK?” Sam smiled and started up the steps again.
Trembling fingers struggled with the simplest of button closures. Slowly, the pile of clothing on the floor began to grow. Soon Sam wore nothing except the dark blue camisole and a whisper of brief satin panties in the same hue. Sterling took a step backward to take in the entire vision before her. “Wow,” was the only response she could manage before running her fingers over ample curves of soft skin.
Sam had been able to peel away slacks and shirt to reveal a black lace bra and high cut matching panties. “Who buys your underwear?” she murmured into Sterling’s neck as she nipped and sucked gently on the hollow of her throat. “I’d like to send them a thank you note.” A low rumble of laughter answered her remark, but the attorney was too busy with her exploration to respond further.
The two women found themselves stretched out on top of the satin comforter that covered Sterling’s bed. Naked skin broke into Goosebumps at first contact with the chilling fabric. Soon enough they generated enough heat to counteract the effect. Sterling rolled them over so that Samantha was stretched out on top of her own long frame. The smaller woman briefly raised herself up to study the face beneath her own and smile. “I’m going to let you think you’re in control of this situation for the moment.” The hand that cupped the back of her head drew her down and into a searing kiss that literally stole her breath.
“What makes you think anybody is in control of this situation?” Sterling returned the smile now with a very sexy smile of her own. Thinking herself clever, she reached for the firm roundness of Sam’s butt and pulled to intensify the contact of pelvis on pelvis. The soft moan that broke from her own lips surprised Sterling, as did the wash of heat that rose up her torso from the place where their bodies met.
Sterling wove arms and legs around her partner and pulled Sam fiercely into her own body, needing all the touch of skin they could produce. The mind numbing kisses started up, accompanied by a subtle rocking of lower regions. Sam thought she might pass out from the intensity of feeling flashing over her nerve endings, through her body and to her malfunctioning brain. “God, that feels so good,” was all she could think, not even realizing that she was whispering the thought into Sterling’s ear simultaneously.
Just as the hooks on Samantha’s bra gave way to skilled fingers and its satin straps began to slip from her shoulders an explosion of glass could be heard on the first floor. The instincts of her youth intact, Sterling rolled both of them off the bed and positioned Sam’s smaller body behind her own. Squatting between the bed and the wall, she quietly slid the drawer of her nightstand open and produced a pistol. Its dark surface reflected very little light, but Sam was sure of its identity none the less.
“Stay here.” Hot breath accompanied Sterling’s whisper as it reached Sam’s ear in the darkness. A blonde nod was unseen as the attorney, pulling on her discarded slacks and blouse Sterling once again hefted the weight of the pistol and stepped stealthily out of the room onto the landing.
The flicker of light was immediately identifiable as fire in the lower level of the house. Sterling threw on the light in the upstairs hall and located the panic button on the alarm pad. Pushing the fire button, she retreated swiftly into her bedroom to collect Sam.
“Come on, there’s a fire downstairs!” Sterling waited impatiently until Sam stood by her at the bedroom door. The taller woman took Sam’s hand then and led her quickly down the curving stairs to the entry foyer. “Wait here!” Sterling commanded and flew to the arched opening that led into the living room. Thick smoke was beginning to roll out onto the marble floor. The threat of intruders forgotten, Sterling jammed the pistol into the waistband behind her.
“I’ve got to get you outside. We can go through the kitchen!” Sterling took Sam by the arm and propelled her through the house and out the back door into the dark night.
“The fire department will be here in a minute. You wait out front for them, OK? I’m going to make sure the flames don’t spread to the gallery.” She pointed to the second floor, indicating the collection Sam had been shown earlier. The thought of fire consuming the treasures that she had immediately come to appreciate made her slightly nauseous. Sterling didn’t wait for her reply, but ran back into the house and began jerking open doors in search of a fire extinguisher.
Sam stumbled down the steps, clutching her thin camisole to her naked chest. She had just turned the corner and managed to put it on when the motion detectors of the spotlights responded to her presence and flooded the front yard with yellow light. A siren in the far distance began its grinding scream. Sam jumped when the heavy drapes on one front window crashed down inside the dining room. Billowing smoke subsided long enough for her to recognize Sterling’s powerful body stomping out the flames on the curtains, then using them to extinguish the fire that had claimed an armchair.
She watched, terrified as flames licked across the rug and onto a sofa positioned in the center of the room. The unmistakable whoosh of a fire extinguisher filled the window casement temporarily with a cloud of flame choking chemical. When it cleared a little, Samantha could no longer see her friend, but the flames seemed to be scattered now about the room.
The closing siren turned the corner near Sterling’s house and screeched to a halt at the curb. An immediate assessment of the situation called for the huge truck to pull down the lengthy drive while several firemen sprinted across the lawn and through the front door. Within a few minutes, glass began to shatter as flat fire hoses were passed through the openings. A signal from the fireman standing at Sam’s elbow started the opening of gleaming chrome valves on the side of the pumper truck and the hoses jerked as they filled with water to quench the fire. A pair of unidentified hands wrapped her shivering body in a blanket and disappeared into the night before she had a chance to offer her thanks.
Anxious minutes went by. Samantha tried to stay out of the firemen’s way as she waited for a glimpse of her tall friend.
Sterling came from around the side of the house limping, her face smudged with soot. In her rush to get Sam to safety, the attorney had forgotten to grab her shoes. The shards of broken glass on the living room floor had cut up her unfeeling feet. When she was close enough to be certain that Samantha was all right, the pain finally penetrated her brain and she sunk to the lawn. Samantha was immediately by her side, covering Sterling with her own blanket and reassuring her. An emergency medical technician ran from the curb carrying a large black satchel. She knelt in the damp grass beside her patient and began her assessment of Sterling’s condition. “Allergic to anything?” she wanted to know. Pulling medical supplies from the bag beside her, the young woman tried not to notice the looks passing between the two women on the lawn.
Clear blue eyes darted over Sam’s face momentarily, closing for an instant of pain as a jagged piece of glass was plucked from her right heel. “Thank God we heard it,” she said softly, grasping the smaller hand offered her and holding it to her blackened cheek. Sterling suddenly realized that Samantha was wearing nothing but her silky camisole and struggled to free the blanket tucked around her. “You must be freezing, not to mention how distracting that outfit has to be for the firemen. No time for underwear, huh?” The EMT added her agreement with a subtle smile as she worked to stop the flow of blood from the wound.
They had been in the emergency room for over an hour and no one had told her anything about Sterling’s condition. Worry was wearing out her judgement as she paced, the blanket now falling loosely from her shoulders, like a cape. Sam was just about ready to storm the treatment rooms to find the object of her affection. The double doors that Sterling’s stretcher had disappeared through swung open now and the young EMT who had allowed Samantha to ride with Sterling in the ambulance walked toward her.
“Your friend is fine. She has some pretty nasty burns and needed a few stitches in the worst of those lacerations on her feet.” The uniformed woman fought to keep her eyes from drifting to Sam’s partially exposed cleavage.
Samantha, obviously relieved, became preoccupied almost immediately. “I don’t know how I’ll be able to keep her in bed until she heals,” she said softly.
The EMT emitted a short burst of laughter and smiling eyes confronted Sam. “Somehow I don’t think that will be a problem. You take care of yourself, too.” She bade Samantha a good evening and walked away shaking her head in amused appreciation for Sam’s predicament.
“Miss Hilliard?” The sound of her name spun Sam around and she almost collided with a woman in pale green scrubs. “Come with me, please.”
“Is Sterling alright? Can you tell me anything about her condition?”
“The doctor has seen and treated her. She inhaled a good deal of smoke but is going to be fine. We really need her to stay here overnight.” The woman turned to face Sam now who was so relieved she went limp. “Dr. Redmond asked me to see if you would help us convince her. She has asked for you a dozen times in the last hour. We assume you have a powerful influence with her.” Sam could read nothing in the woman’s expression.
“I’ll try, but I don’t know that she’ll listen to me either.” Sam blinked, wondering if she did in fact have any influence with her ‘almost’ lover. The question started up a mental newsreel of the minutes that preceded the fire. Samantha’s breath came a little quicker and she pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders when she realized that her nipples were plainly visible in their suddenly aroused state.
“Room number three. Right behind that curtain.” The woman pointed at a huge curtain that covered the exposed opening of a glass-fronted cubicle. Sam made the trip in three quick steps and pulled aside the curtain cautiously. Sterling was lying, still and pale under the bright light of the raised examination table. Samantha instinctively reached out beside her for the light switch that was indeed at her fingertips and shut it off. Dark eyelashes fluttered as the attorney, instantly alert, struggled to focus in the sudden brightness around her.
“It’s me.” Samantha reassured her friend as she moved to take Sterling’s hand in her own. “How are you feeling?”
The dark head of hair was in total disarray as it fell back onto the pillow of the exam table. “I’m fine. I just wish they would hurry up and let me out of here. I need to take care of the fire damage. The house is sitting there wide open to burglary or another attack.”
Sam’s eyes opened wider. “Is that what happened? I wondered if it was the fire from the den fireplace, but I couldn’t see how it would spread so fast.”
The clear blue of the sky was mimicked in the eyes that gazed down at the fragile looking young woman. “Somebody did it on purpose. The arson expert from the fire department has been called in on the case.” She waited a moment to let the information sink in. “I’ll be hiring us a body guard right away. Do you mind?”
Sam shook her head but she was frightened. “Who would want to harm us Sterling?”
“Not us. Me. Unfortunately, plenty of people would just love to hurt me.” Her face was all apologies as she told Sam the grim truth. She raised the hand that she held to her lips and kissed the knuckles. “I am so sorry to involve you in this.”
There were a host of questions that the realtor wanted to ask and intended to do so, but the woman in green scrubs came into the room. “Did you make any progress convincing her to stay with us tonight?”
“Not yet, I haven’t gotten that far. Surely she wouldn’t do something to jeopardize her health though. Not when she knows that it would upset me terribly.” Sam gave Sterling a searing look and leaned in closer to whisper to her. “I need you to get healthy as soon as possible. We have some unfinished business.”
A slow burn started in Sterling’s nether regions while she stared hungrily at Sam’s mouth, willing the nurse to leave them alone. Samantha plainly read the look. “I need a minute alone with my friend,” Sam requested. She turned and thanked the departing nurse with a nod of her head. Her voice dropped low as the woman passed close to her. “Let me see what I can do. I’ll be out in a few minutes and let you know.” The woman in green nodded and whisked past the curtain.
“Now, where were we?” Sam asked innocently. She leaned down for a much needed kiss and was surprised at the urgency with which it was answered.
“Yow! I thought you were supposed to be injured there, hot stuff.” They both laughed but a grimace formed on Sterling’s chiseled features from the effort and she coughed deeply.
“What is it?” Sam was frightened by her friend’s sudden reaction.
“Nothing to worry about.” Her argument was not convincing and she knew it. “I just need to rest for a day or two.”
“Don’t think so friend. Miss Congeniality there,” she indicated nurse in green, “says they need you to stay here tonight. The smoke, the stitches, the burns…well, you’re just a mess.” Sam laughed. “I think it’s time to consider a mandatory vacation. What do you say?”
The green eyes that held hers were only inches away. Sterling could feel Sam’s warm breath against her neck. The gentle rhythm of it was lulling the attorney into a trance. Her voice formed words without bothering to consult her mind. “Whatever you think, but I’m not staying if you don’t stay with me.” Sam kissed her softly and grinned at her success.
“You are a very big baby aren’t you?” Sam squeezed Sterling’s hand and went looking for someone who could arrange the transfer of her friend to a room for the night. When she returned, Sam was surprised to find Sterling awake and watchful.
“I thought you might be resting by now. Are you sure you’re comfortable? Are you cold?” Sam started to pull the blanket from her shoulders but Sterling stopped her.
“I’m not cold at all, besides you’d start a riot in that outfit.” She touched the hem of the silky top, then grasped it and used it to pull Samantha close to her. Sterling placed her hand against the fabric that covered the taught skin of Sam’s abdomen and closed her eyes in appreciation of the feeling. Massaging gently with her fingers, the attorney felt the young woman lean into her touch and moaned, involuntarily. “I’m suddenly in favor of getting the hell out of here and finding a private place to do some ‘healing’.” Sterling’s wistful face studied Sam.
“You’re not supposed to over-exert yourself, remember?” Sam leaned closer as not to be overheard. “I’m not about to settle for less than your full potential when we finally get to make love.”
The injured woman opened her mouth to speak, but the chance was lost as the curtain swept aside and the nurse re-appeared. A young man pushing a gurney came up behind her.
“You’re transferring to 206. He’ll take you there.” The curt woman placed Sterling’s clipboarded records in a basket at the gurney’s end and left.
“Thanks for taking care of my friend,” Sam said sarcastically to the back of the woman who was already retreating way down the hall.
“She’s a bitch.” Sterling’s automatic response caught the young man off guard. He spat out the breath he didn’t know he had been holding and introduced himself.
“I’m Steve. Welcome to Piedmont Hospital.” He smiled at both of the women respectively. “She better hope she never gets sick. There are a number of people who work here who would like the opportunity to see her on the receiving end of some customer service.” Sam laughed and gathered her friend’s clothing from where it had been tossed under the exam table.
“Can you help me move you over here, or should I call for some help?” Steve studied Sterling trying to assess her injuries.
“We can manage.” Sterling started the painful process of shifting her weight onto the mobile stretcher. Samantha walked quietly beside her down the long corridors and into the elevator that would carry them to their accommodations for the evening. A friendly blonde nurse met them at the assigned room and helped Steve settle her patient.
Watching Sterling swallow the plastic cup full of pills and chase them with water the nurse promised to check up on them both throughout her shift, which ended at 8 a.m.
Once Steve had brought Sam a hospital scrub shirt and had told them where the ice machine was hidden, they were finally alone.
Sterling lay with her eyes closed, breathing evenly. Sam, nesting in the room’s one uncomfortable chair, assumed she was asleep and so was startled when the deep voice resonated from the close walls. “I should have handled Ricky Hall differently.” She looked to Sam who shifted under the weight of her hospital blanket and waited for an explanation.
“A client’s son. Last Saturday his father called me to get him out of jail. Bob’s been a client of mine since I came to Atlanta. His son needs to be in jail, for a long time.” Sterling shook her head to eradicate the memory of the charges she had read on his sheet at the jail.
Looking up to capture Samantha’s gaze she went into detail, feeling that her friend deserved a candid explanation of why her life had been threatened earlier in the evening.
“He was just trying to scare you, right?” Sam’s face had paled considerably. Intellectually she knew the kind of clients Sterling had become involved with over the years, but it was hard for her to understand a business vendetta that included firebombing. Her only frame of reference was the monthly Board of Realtors luncheon, which involved nasty gossip, and backbiting from some of its participants, hardly enough to prepare for the blackened shell of Sterling’s elegant living room.
“Probably so. I assumed Bob would just call another lawyer. He was probably pissed because he had to tell his wife that her precious son would have to sit tight in his cell until he could figure something out.”
“This attack took you by surprise, didn’t it?” Sam waited.
“Totally. It’s been a very long time since I’ve even thought about this kind of violence and retribution and several lifetimes since I’ve been this close to it personally.” Sam had a question mark on her face and Sterling figured she might as well tell the troubled young woman the whole story.
She quietly explained the circumstances of the explosions that left Gino without a lawyer and Sterling without a job. She related the tale of hiding out in a remote beach house while her lover struggled with his sons for control of the family business. She left out nothing except her tryst with Gino’s daughter Anna. That was something that the dark woman had almost convinced herself was imagined anyway and definitely not anything she wanted to share with the current object of her affection. Her sexual involvement with Gino for all of those years was enough for Sam to have to digest.
The attorney settled her head back into the bank of pillows behind her head and closed her eyes. Breathing a heavy sigh she finally spoke again. “I started looking over my shoulder when dad moved us to the projects and I’ve never really stopped. This time, I simply let myself be lulled to sleep by time and distance. I could have gotten you killed Sam and I’m sorry.” She looked at the beautiful young woman sitting at her bedside. Her face smudged with soot, and her blond hair tousled, Samantha looked like a kid who had spent the afternoon playing and was due for her nightly bath. Sterling voiced her thought and Sam leaped up to see herself in the mirror above the inset sink.
“Why in the heck didn’t you tell me I looked like a prisoner of war?” Sterling laughed richly and raised her arms to protect herself from the playful jabs Sam threw at her.
“I thought you were going for the innocent waif look. It’s mighty appealing to me.” The attorney grabbed the hand that once again teased at hitting her. She held it to her cheek and studied the mysterious green eyes that watched her. “I really am sorry I brought you into all of this, but I am going to take care of it. I promise you that no one else will threaten your safety.” She kissed the palm, letting her lips linger a moment before releasing the warm hand.
Reaching for the telephone, Sterling punched the digits of a memorized number and talked in low tones for several minutes. “That was a private investigator I use for my law practice sometimes. Charlie’s an ex-low life, but good at his job. I’ve asked him to line up some protection for us temporarily. He’ll put his ear to the ground, too and try to verify that this was Bob or Ricky Hall’s doing.” The tall body stretched under the sheets, bringing a grimace to Sterling’s face. “Guess I’m a little sore.” Sam nodded and scraped her chair closer to the bedside so that she could hold the long, slender fingers of the hand that rested on top of the sheets.
A yawn escaped from Sterling’s surprised mouth. “Apparently they have sedated me? That wasn’t your idea was it?” she accused Sam.
“No, but I wish it had been. You need to rest. We both do.” She leaned over the lowered bed rail and kissed Sterling’s grateful lips twice. A third kiss would have prevented sleep instead of heralding it. Sam settled beneath her blanket again and propped her feet up on the bed platform. Within minutes, both women were sleeping soundly.
As promised, Sterling woke to a multitude of aches and pains, not the least of which emanated from a burn on her forearm. Covered with bandages, the attorney had never even had the opportunity to see the wound that was causing so much pain that her teeth were on edge. She reached for the button to summon the nurse, but her movement woke Sam who was instantly on her feet.
“What do you need? What can I do?”
Unable to resist, Sterling assumed a painful countenance. “I think it’s my heart!”
Samantha stared, wide-eyed on the verge of panic, until she realized that Sterling was being a smart-ass. Embarrassed by her response, she balled her fists and beat them against the mattress at the tall woman’s feet. “You are so exasperating sometimes! My God, you scared me half to death!”
Realizing that she’d gone too far with her joke, the attorney apologized before summoning the nurse. The sting of an injection in her hip was a small price to pay for relief from the pain she was experiencing. Sam watched with great interest as Sterling’s hospital gown was lifted to reveal the dark, sexy panties she had seen earlier in the evening. The nurse obscured Sam’s view just as the fabric was pulled aside for the injection, disappointing the realtor. Sterling noticed the look on her face and raised a dark eyebrow. As soon as the nurse left the room she commented.
“Pervert! I saw you trying to look up my dress! How can you take advantage of a pitiful, injured woman that way?”
Samantha laughed quietly.
Twenty minutes later, the injection kicked in and Sterling’s pain faded enough for her to return to sleep. Sam stayed seated in her chair, but now lay her torso across the mattress and rested her head on Sterling’s shoulder. That’s the way the nurse’s aide found them the following morning.
Charlie Stevens had almost gone down the wrong road in his life. A punk from his high school days on, he got involved with a ‘bad element’ as his father called it and nearly spent his twenties serving time. Fortunately the old man didn’t give up on him and Charlie had managed to turn himself around. He still had a penchant for women, who were on the sleazy side, but his work was legitimate and he was good at his job.
Finding Sterling Hayes a bodyguard was easy enough. Unlimited funds, one home and her own office made the job simple. He scrolled through the list of possibilities and began the elimination process. A brief knock on his door announced the entry of his secretary.
“You never wait for me to say ‘come in’. What if I was in here naked or something?”
“Well, I can always use a good laugh chief. Watch your ashes.” As soon as she said it, the long ash of Charlie’s cigarette fell into the keyboard under his fingers.
He looked up sheepishly, knowing that he would now receive another scolding. He had ruined three keyboards with cigarette ash and spilled coffee in the last nine months. Cheryl was forever cautioning him about his sloppy work habits.
“I’m not even going into the ninety-sixth lecture about that.” She indicated his ash-covered keyboard. I’ve talked to the Security Company.” She read the notes she had scribble on the pad in her hand. “Constant taping, starting over every six hours, two hundred and thirty five degree pan on both corners. He’ll leave the paperwork here and go over it all with you in the morning.” Upgrading the security system in the rental house would cost Sterling a bundle, but she had no choice now.
“Good work. Now, if I can find an appropriate bodyguard, we’ll be all set.” He returned to the names listed on his screen and double clicked on one of them. Scanning the qualifications, Charlie felt Cheryl’s presence behind him as she came around his desk to read over his shoulder.
“Not that one, boss. He’s too hot tempered. Miss Hayes said on the voice mail she left that she specifically wanted someone low key.” Charlie had talked to Sterling the previous evening, but she had called his office twice during the wee hours before dawn with additional instructions. Both of the additional calls pertained to security precautions at Sam’s home and office, which were probably unnecessary, but Sterling was taking no chances.
“How about this woman? I know one guy she worked for…that wrestling celebrity.” Charlie struggled for a name while Cheryl vetoed his applicant.
“Not! She’s not classy enough for this job, boss. She had a plum rinse on her hair and a pierced eyebrow the last time I saw her! Must think she’s a teenager or something,” Cheryl mumbled.
“Where do you hang out that you ran into somebody fitting that description?” Cheryl ignored him as her eyes read quickly down the page.
“This guy!” She put her finger on the name of her pick for the job. “He’ll be OK with the girlfriend, too.” Sterling had been candid about that part of her situation, wanting to be sure Charlie hired someone who would not have a problem with her romantic interest.
“Yeah. I remember him. It says that he’s available. Why don’t you see if you can get him on the phone for me?” Cheryl picked up the receiver by his hand, letting out a huge sigh.
“Right. I can see that you’re disabled.” She punched the numbers and waited.
“I thought you might go to your desk and make the call. No need to maintain a level of professionalism now, is there?”
“I don’t know, is there?” She pointed at the overflowing ashtray and littered desktop around his computer terminal. “John Warren, please.”
Samantha was less than cheerful when she awoke the next morning. Having slept a few scant hours sitting in her hospital chair with her upper body draped over the lowered bed rail onto the hospital bed by Sterling’s side, her compact frame was screaming. “Ughhh!” was all that she could manage.
“Good morning.” Sterling’s smile snapped Sam to attention. It was hard to believe that the twinkling blue eyes belonged to the same woman who had voiced grave concern for their welfare a few hours previously. There was no evidence of physical pain or discomfort either. Sam was amazed.
“How come I seem to feel worse than you do?” The realtor stretched her back and loosed a major yawn.
Sterling laughed and threw back the covers, revealing her fully dressed figure. “I had the bed, you had the chair. Sometimes it pays to be the sick one.” She swung her legs over the side of the bed as a look of growing alarm appeared on Sam’s face.
“Hold it! You can’t get up yet! Where do you think you’re going anyway?”
“The doctor is expected here on rounds in the next few minutes. I’m going home as soon as I get his signature on my release.”
Samantha noticed the crutches leaning against the wall between the bed and rolling nightstand. Before she could question her friend, Sterling explained that the nurse had brought them at the barrister’s request.
“I never even heard her.” Sam looked sheepish. “Here, I’m supposed to be looking out for you and I must have just passed out.”
“Well, you’ve been through quite a lot, young lady and you were sleeping soundly. There was no need to wake you for a trip to the bathroom.” The brilliant smile distracted Sam from the content of the message she had just received.
“Wait. You mean you called the nurse who brought you crutches, got out of bed and went into the bathroom all while I was sleeping?”
“Then I got dressed.”
A smirk formed on Samantha’s face. “Sorry I missed that.” She stretched again and stood up, pushing the uncomfortable chair back against the wall. “Gosh, I really need to brush my teeth.”
Sterling opened the drawer of the rolling stand beside her bed and handed Sam the miniature toothpaste tube and damp toothbrush she had used earlier. “If you don’t mind using mine…” Sterling offered.
“It seems foolish to object under the circumstances.” Sam was studying the lawyer’s mouth when a soft knock announced the young doctor, complete with lab coat and stethoscope who walked through the door.
“Charlie, I want you to find out who did this.” Sterling was seated in her second story home office, talking to her now full time private detective. She smiled at her memory of the conversation she had enjoyed a few hours earlier. In her naiveté, Sam had expressed horror when she considered what might have happened if Sterling had not been there when the explosion took place. Her home and all the possessions that she valued would have been lost.
Sterling had almost said aloud what she was thinking. Thankfully, she had not voiced her suspicion that the bomber specifically waited for the attorney to come home. Sam probably would not have been comfortable with the knowledge that they were being watched. Nor would she like hearing what Charlie was confirming with the opinions he expressed.
“Would have tossed it through the upstairs window if they wanted you dead, boss. It’s a simple enough target to hit.” He lounged gracelessly in a chair that faced her desk.
“What worries me is that I never saw it coming. I used to better at spotting a tail.” The barrister shook her head slowly, disturbed at her inability to protect Samantha. ‘I know she thinks she understands what I used to be, but there is no way I can tell her how evil that world was. Maybe I should back off for a while until Charlie can confirm my suspicions about that crazy bastard, Ricky Hall.’
Sterling was well aware that Ricky’s father, Bob was probably still slightly burned by her refusal to get Ricky out of jail, but now that she’d had time to think about it, her instincts decried their innocence. It was too radical a retaliation and not many people had as good a read on criminal activity as the dark beauty did.
“When does the bodyguard start?”
“John will be by to talk to you this afternoon at five. I told him you had final approval, in case you have a personality conflict with him.” Sterling gave Charlie a questioning look. “He’s a good guy, boss, but I wasn’t taking any chances hiring him without your seal of approval.” He grinned sheepishly. Charlie was a good detective partly because he was such a great judge of character. He understood, too well the way this woman he was working for clicked.
Her eyelids closed as she concentrated on a plan of action that might guarantee some modicum of safety to her lovely young friend. Her stalker would have to be aware of her attachment to Sam and that placed the realtor in danger. “Call in some favors Charlie. I have to know if it was Hall. If it was, I’ll sit down with him and straighten this out. My gut tells me that it isn’t that simple, though.” Charlie was inclined to agree with his employer. Uncovering the identity of her attacker among all of the clients she had opposed or lately, dropped would be tough.
The police conducted a half-hearted investigation. Even though she had taken drastic measures to disassociate herself with the entire criminal breed, many of the detectives in the downtown division were not convinced that her turnaround was legitimate. They were patiently waiting for the other shoe to drop. Meanwhile they weren’t about to expend any extra effort on her behalf.
Sally, Sterling’s secretary, had raised an eyebrow a time or two, upon meeting clients of the firm. Fiercely loyal to her employer, Sally would never have voiced an opinion of the crass individuals that had occupied the waiting area outside Sterling’s office periodically. Now, she was being asked to think back over the past six months and isolate any incident or individual that might had led to Sterling’s weekend arson attack.
A staff meeting had been called immediately. Sterling had decided to make her people aware of the situation and enlist their help in solving the mystery of her attacker. “I know I can trust your discretion in this matter. It is important to determine the source of this vendetta before it effects you in any permanent way.” Sterling watched as some of her staff members blanched at this remark. Apparently they hadn’t considered themselves to be in any danger up to that point. She realized that some of them might quit when the full weight of the realization registered. It had amazed the barrister over the years, that her people could work closely with her and take their paychecks without examining the source of the income her practice generated. It had represented some dangerous and powerful individuals since coming to Atlanta. Although she had striven to ‘clean up’ her client list, her staff would have to be blind not to recognize the larcenous mentality of many.
“The police are investigating, but I suspect we will be more successful in uncovering the source of this problem. You all need to give some thought to the events of the past few weeks and months. If anyone recalls anything unusual, anything at all out of the ordinary, please bring it to me, even if you doubt the significance of the information. We have nothing to go on here.” Sterling dismissed the meeting.
All of the individuals leaving the conference room seemed deep in thought. Sterling retreated to her office to catch up on the work that had accumulated in her absence. Sam had been adamant that she remain at home for an additional day before reporting back to her office. Sterling had used the time to make a dozen inquiries among her remaining contacts in the less than legitimate world.
Samson hadn’t heard about the incident until Sterling related it to him in sketchy detail. “How did you keep it out of the local papers?”
“The cops here wouldn’t give them any information and I denied all interviews. It’s not big news unless you know the official charge of arson and the papers don’t.” Sterling doodled on the pad lying on her desk.
“It’s good that the department is clamming up for you.” That relieved Samson at least. He understood too well how hard it would be to solve the case if what little evidence they had became public.
“They’re not doing it for me. They don’t want anyone to see me as a victim. That might gain me some public sympathy. What they would LIKE to see is me crucified on the courthouse steps.” Sterling chuckled and continued to draw bold strokes.
“I still think you should let me come down there. I’ve got months of vacation time saved up and maybe I could…”
Sterling interrupted him. “There’s nothing you can do here Samson. I promise you that if I need you, I’ll call. I started not to tell you about this at all. I was afraid this would be your reaction. You can’t be my protector all my life, man. Besides, I’m a big girl now and I have a good private detective on the case.” She could hear Samson heave a lengthy sigh.
“OK, for now. But you had better keep me informed or you’ll find me on your doorstep.”
She returned her phone to its cradle and let her mind wander over the events of the last few days, never quite consciously acknowledging the name written and re-written on the paper before her. It seemed a travesty to Sterling that she had finally found something worth fighting for in her life and could not discover who her opponent was. Her secretary buzzed and announced a much-awaited call from Bob Hall. “Put him through, Sally.” She shifted into her most businesslike persona and retrieved the telephone from her desk.
“Bob, how are you?” Sterling gave him an opportunity to respond to the question with more than a cursory reply.
“I’m doin’ great Sterling, and you?” Hall sounded confused.
“Listen, Bob. I ought to come right out with it. I’m not much good at beating around the bush anyway.”
“That’s an understatement don’t you think?” Hall laughed quietly on the phone line.
“I know I probably pissed you off when I walked away from Ricky, sitting in jail, but…”
“Hey, I was hot for a while, but the little shit deserved worse than he got if you ask me. You were right, Sterling. His mother will scratch your eyes out on sight if she ever sees you again, but as for me, I think you were right to walk away.”
Sterling was relieved and surprised at Hall’s candor. “Thanks, Bob. We’ve known each other a while and I know you draw a line on the dirty stuff.”
“That’s all behind me, kiddo. I’m too old for all that.” Sterling considered his response and decided to go with her instincts. They were telling her that he was sincere in his lack of malice.
“I guess I’m asking for a favor then.” The barrister told Hall the sketchy details of the attack on her house. A low whistle was his only reply for a few moments, before he began offering council to her.
“Nobody does that kind of thing anymore. High drama gets you too much publicity and besides, they can screw you eighteen different ways with this new technology so why risk it?” Hall grew quiet.
“It was supposed to be a message, I’m sure, but I don’t know what message. Somebody has to know something about this Bob. Can you help me out for old time’s sake?” Sterling waited, knowing it could go either way.
“I can be a son of a bitch kiddo, but an attack like this reminds me that we’re all vulnerable. I don’t like it.” ‘My family is only a couple miles away from where this happened,’ He thought to himself before making his offer. “I’ll ask around and let you know. Give me a couple of days, huh?”
Sterling offered him her gratitude but hung up feeling no better about the situation. It would have been obvious, but logical for Hall to come after her. Convinced of his innocence in the matter, she now had to determine who else was suspect.
The office had been a mad house for the past two days. It was near the first of the month and all of the real estate company’s clients were trying to close on property at the same time. ‘It never fails. We’re always swamped just when I could really use some time off. This self-employed stuff is not what it’s cracked up to be.’ Sam grimaced as her phone rang. She was already holding for a mortgage company loan officer on another line. Instructing Peter over the intercom to get the needed information, she pressed the blinking button to connect her caller.
“I’ve missed you.” The greeting was met with silence. Sam recognized the banker’s tone as much as her voice and it took a second to recover and respond.
“Hello Beverly. How have you been?” Sam tried to be casual.
“I’m fine, but I hear you’ve had some lumps and bumps. Are you alright?”
Sam wondered how the banker could know about the incident at Sterling’s home. “Sure, just great,” was all she offered.
“One of the paramedics is dating our head teller. I just heard about it.” Beverly paused, giving Sam a chance to add details.
“There wasn’t that much damage, really. It was probably just kids or something.” Sam knew she sounded lame.
“The tough kids in that neighborhood use credit cards, not bombs, Sam. What have you gotten yourself into?” Bev’s concern sounded genuine enough, but it irritated Samantha none the less.
“Nothing I can’t handle, Bev. The police are looking into it and Sterling has a private agency investigating as well. It’s fine, really.” Her reassurance was a bit too emphatic.
The banker backed off a little. “I was worried about you, that’s all. I just hope you’re being careful, Sam. How much do you know about this woman, anyway?”
“Enough,” was Sam’s only response. They talked briefly. The realtor shook her head as she hung up, unable to understand Beverly’s refusal to let go of a hopeless situation. Peter’s voice woke her from her revelry.
“Line two boss. It’s tall, dark and gorgeous!” His laugh was infectious and Samantha matched it with her own.
Sam was aware of her quickened heartbeat as she murmured a breathless “Hello.”
“Whatever you’re selling this morning, I’m buying.” Sterling’s rich voice gave Sam as much of a tingle as her remark did.
Three days into a new month, the smoke had finally settled at Hilliard Realty. Samantha had a late lunch date with her Aunt Jane and looked forward to spending the remainder of the afternoon shopping with her. It had been almost four months since Jane had visited Atlanta and a year since Samantha had trekked to Savannah to visit her favorite aunt. The young woman checked her hair in the mirror above the bathroom sink and satisfied that she looked fine, started down the hall to retrieve her purse. One of her agents spotted her and told her about a caller holding for her.
‘Great. This always happens when I’m already running late. I don’t want Aunt Jane to panic and she will if I’m late. She always assumes that I forgot or something, which is ludicrous. I’ve never forgotten a meeting with her in my life.’ Sam laughed a little to herself as she picked up the phone.
“Hello beautiful. I thought you might like to spend the afternoon at the new house with me. I understand it’s vacant as of this morning.” Sterling had tried to cool down her relationship with Samantha until she could determine the source of the violent attack on her home. Although she had called several times a day for the past 5 days, they had not actually seen each other and Sterling was missing Sam in a big way.
“Gosh, I don’t believe this. You’ve been too busy to get together all week and now you’re free just when I have plans with Aunt Jane.” Her disappointment was overwhelming, but she could not cancel on her aunt at the last minute. Jane was only in town for the day.
“Oh yeah. I forgot about that. Sorry Samantha. I just thought it might be nice to spend some time together.” Sterling was crestfallen, too. “Maybe tomorrow evening? I can call you.”
Both of the women were reluctant to hang up, but finally were forced to when Sterling’s secretary summoned her to a telephone conference.
“You look like you just got bad news on a loan application…or a pregnancy test.” Peter was in her doorway studying her expression.
The realtor picked up her purse absently without even responding to his jibe. “Conflicting plans. It seems like my timing is lousy these days.” She looked up at him with a half-hearted smile and patted his shoulder as she swept by him and out the door to meet her Aunt Jane.
As much as she had hated sacrificing an afternoon with Sterling, Samantha lit up when she recognized her aunt, waiting for her in the lobby of the agreed upon restaurant. “My gosh, you are as beautiful as ever!” Jane was truly impressed with the vibrant appearance of her niece.
Sam was blushing a little. Never one to mince words her aunt often overwhelmed Sam with her praise and appraisals. “So are you Aunt Jane. How have you been?”
Small talk occupied them until the waiter arrived and took their lunch order. Jane studied her niece, as they talked, aware of some subtle change in Samantha, but unable to pinpoint what it was. “Yes, they are all fine. Your uncle is still watching football, basketball and baseball on his television in the den.” They laughed at the never changing patterns of Sam’s uncle Al. “I talked to your father this morning. Sam says he hasn’t seen you in a while but that the two of you talk often.” Jane knew that the relationship between her brother and Samantha was tenuous at best. She hurt for what both of them had lost as a result of Mattie Hilliard’s stubborn refusal to accept the facts.
“Dad met me for dinner last month. Although it’s nice to talk to him, nothing replaces seeing him in person. I wish he could come to the house more often.” Sam shook her head in confusion. Jane knew that her brother would have liked nothing better and would have risked the ire of his judgmental wife. It was the young woman across the table who would not create trouble for her father by allowing his visits to her home.
The table conversation needed a subject change, as both women were beginning to feel a bit down. “So, how’s your love life?” Jane was half-kidding until she noted the startled look on Samantha’s face. Slowly the realtor’s features formed into a glacier-melting smile.
“Actually, I do have a bit of news on that front.” Sam fingered the unused silverware beside her plate nervously. “I’ve met someone, Aunt Jane.” The older woman waited. “Her name is Sterling Hayes. She’s a lawyer.” Nothing Sam could say to her aunt would reveal her feelings any more than the expression on her face when she pronounced Sterling’s name.
“I met her a while back, during that law suit about the office?” Sam waited until her lunch partner nodded, indicating her recollection of the matter in question. “Anyway, later on, she came to my company to look at houses and I happened to be the only one available to show her.”
Jane still said nothing. She wanted this confession to unfold, unaided by her own conjecture. Samantha, less embarrassed now that the ice was broken, began to speak in earnest about her new friend. “She is so incredible, Aunt Jane. She is brilliant and beautiful and so strong. You wouldn’t believe what she went through when she was young. At least I had parents, even if we couldn’t agree on who I was to become.”
The older woman couldn’t wait any longer to make the remark that kept replaying in her mind. “You’re in love with her.” It wasn’t a question and they both knew it. Sam, however, had never actually allowed herself to consider her feelings in those terms. It was too frightening even now, coming from someone else’s lips.
Samantha stammered, obviously shaken by the statement from her aunt. “I…I guess I…I must …be.” She felt relief when the admission was made, then fear overtook her. Jane was the closest thing to a mother this young woman had and could read her face like a book.
“You’re not sure how she feels about you are you?” Sam shook her head, eyes wide with this new admission. “You could ask her Sam. I’m sure you could just ask her. If she wasn’t a principled person, you wouldn’t be drawn to her. And I’m sure you have nothing to fear. After all, you are pretty wonderful yourself.” Jane reached for her niece’s hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “I’d love to meet her, dear. Can you arrange that?”
“Sure, Aunt Jane. I’ll bring her to Savannah as soon as she gets settled in the new house.”
“I take it the two of you found one then.”
Sam grinned. “Yes, in fact she’s there this afternoon, taking a good look around. The previous owners moved out yesterday.” The young woman remembered the food in front of her and picked up her fork to address it.
“I don’t suppose it’s nearby?” Jane smiled at the speed with which Samantha’s gaze flew up to meet hers. “Yes, I’m serious. I’d really like to meet this mystery woman and it would be nice to see her new house, too. I presume you’ll be spending some time there in the future.” Jane laughed and attacked her lunch with vigor, now, too.
A quick call on her cell phone confirmed that Sterling was indeed out of the office and enroute to the new house. Sally promised to contact the attorney and tell her to expect guests shortly. Sam was beaming when she put away her phone. “All set. I can’t wait for you to meet her.”
Samantha was so busy chatting that she never noticed the silver-grey Oldsmobile following them. The man behind the wheel had been in the restaurant for two hours when they arrived. The hundred-dollar bill he handed the proprietor covered the booth rental and made up for lost business through the latter part of the lunch rush. Besides, the owner had no intention of crossing the man with the coldest eyes he had ever seen by asking him to relinquish his table.
The afternoon traffic wasn’t bad at all, and the two women pulled into the drive within fifteen minutes. Sterling’s convertible was parked in front of the massive entry bringing a smile to Samantha’s face.
Sterling heard them pull up and greeted them at the door just as the Oldsmobile passed in front of her house. It had been moving at a crawl until she appeared on the stoop. It sped away before she had time to get a good look. Trying to convince herself that she was wrong, Sterling shook her head. Her instincts were on full alert and the fine hair on the back of her neck was standing at attention. She wished that she was wrong, but knew that she wasn’t.
The lawyer shifted gears mentally, quickly turning her attention to Sam and her Aunt Jane. They were totally unaware of her concerns and she felt no desire to open the subject. Samantha greeted and surprised her with a strong embrace and a kiss on the cheek. Sterling recovered enough to extend her hand to the older woman who waited with an amused expression on her face.
“Sterling Hayes. You have to be Sam’s Aunt Jane.” The lawyer radiated an obviously heartfelt smile. “I’ve heard rave reviews about ‘Aunt Jane’ and nothing else.” They all laughed as they went inside. Sterling entered the house last, giving one last look over her shoulder for the suspicious automobile.
Samantha showed her aunt around the first floor of the spacious home. The lawyer followed at a discreet distance, pretending to study the various rooms, but in fact watching the interaction between the two women. Their connection went way beyond the obvious love they felt for one another. The ease with which they communicated and made each other laugh fascinated Sterling, who had never had that kind of relationship with a woman. She felt a rush of envy.
“Sterling has asked me to help her decorate.” The young blonde turned now and smiled at her friend, bringing the barrister into the here and now.
“Yes, I need all of the help I can get.” She returned Samantha’s smile and locked gazes with her. Jane looked from one to the other and discreetly walked ahead to the staircase and up to the second floor.
Sterling continued to stare hungrily at the young woman posed in the doorway before her. She approached slowly, shoving her hands deep into the pockets of her slacks, knowing that if she answered temptation they would do something inappropriate of their own accord. Besides, Aunt Jane was only a few feet away… or at least she had been.
“You look very professional,” Samantha remarked. Her eyes took a slow tour of the figure before her. The attorney stopped with several feet of space remaining between them.
“I wish I could say the same, but you don’t look professional at all, more like irresistible.” The color that rose in Sam’s cheeks made her more so and Sterling acknowledged the fact. They talked quietly, unaware of the straining ears at the top of the landing. Jane smiled to herself, recognizing the bite of the love bug.
‘It’s less of a bite than a munching, actually.’ Jane laughed, amused at her observation and continued toward the line of open doors that needed investigating. She thought that a few minutes alone might be welcomed.
Samantha berated herself for wanting to rush into Sterling’s un-offered arms. The dark beauty rocked slightly on her feet, fighting her own internal battle. Finally, they spoke at once.
“You go,” the attorney insisted.
“I just wanted to …”. Sam hung her head and released a huge sigh. “No. The truth is, I neither appreciate, nor understand this small talk we’re feeding to each other. I thought we were past this, Sterling.”
The attorney stammered, mentally scrambling for an acceptable response to the candid confession. “Your aunt. I thought we ought to maintain some proprieties for her sake.”
“Aunt Jane would react if we started going at it like weasels on the carpet but it’s like we’re on a blind date or something. We can’t manage to communicate suddenly.”
Sterling had to laugh at the imagery of her friend’s first remark, but she was bothered by the accuracy of the last one. “I’m sorry. I guess I’m preoccupied with your safety and this whole business with the fire. I feel lousy about it, Sam. I seem to have put you in danger and I am disgusted with myself for doing that.” She pulled her fists from her pockets and pounded one against the nearest doorjamb.
Samantha slowly approached and began to weave her arms around the taller woman’s slim waist. Sterling tried to turn away, but Sam wasn’t having that and tightened her hold. “Wait just a minute, here. What do you hope to accomplish by pulling away from me? That’s what this is all about isn’t it?” She waited, green eyes narrowing.
Finally, the dark head nodded and the arms surrounding her jerked away angrily. “Don’t you think it might be nice to consult me about MY life? Where do you get off making those decisions for me?” Her hands went to her hips, accentuating her anger among other things.
“You’re berating me for trying to protect you, for caring about what happens to you. Is that really fair?” Sterling was a tiger when on the defensive in a courtroom. Here, she was warring with herself, wanting to keep Sam safe by pushing her away and at the same time wanting to bring her close in answer to her own need.
“I’m a fully grown woman. I realize there are some unusual circumstances surrounding your past, but you can’t deny us a chance Sterling. Besides, this is a decision we should make together. You won’t even talk about it, or what you have found out. Don’t you think I realize how careful you have been to avoid the topic?”
Sterling looked contrite. Even for an attorney with her talent for argument, there was no defense against Sam’s remarks. “I’m not dealing with this very well, Sam. It’s not something I’ve had any experience with, but I promise that we will sit down together and talk about it in the very near future.”
They each took a step to close the distance between them. The kiss they shared was deep and full of passion. The solid presence of the warm body she held against her left Sterling breathless. Heat began to build in her belly and she knew she had to be careful not to let it consume her. Quick images, a slide show of Sam, half naked and lying on the satin comforter of her bed caused the barrister to pull the smaller woman closer and begin again the assault on her mouth. When they broke apart, Sterling automatically looked up the stairs to see if Sam’s aunt was anywhere around. The blonde laughed.
“Don’t want to get caught, huh?” She pulled Sterling’s solid body to her for another embrace, laying her head on the taller woman’s chest.
“Who is doing the decorating for you Sterling?” Aunt Jane’s voice preceded her down the staircase. She had carefully timed the question as a warning, having stumbled into plain view of her niece a few moments previously, she had witnessed the women kissing. Jane had been surprised at herself for lingering a second to watch. She had often wondered what it must be like for Samantha to live outside the norm and love a woman. Now, she had seen first hand that love had no defining parameters. It was simply love radiating in waves between the two figures downstairs.
The barrister’s amused reply surprised Jane. “Your niece has graciously agreed to handle that for me.”
Samantha was quick to amend that she had only agreed to help out, not take on the entire project herself. Aunt Jane offered her services to Sam as an assistant’s assistant. In fact, the afternoon shopping trip that had been planned was expanded to include Sterling and adjusted from random shopping to seeking out furnishings for the attorney’s new home. Three very happy women set out together.
It was very nearly dark when they returned to drop Sterling at her car. Jane stepped out of the car too. Extending her hand, Sterling said her good-byes. She was startled when Jane bypassed the offered hand and pulled the tall woman into her arms. Once she finally let Sterling go she spoke in a low voice to the bewildered woman.
“I suspect that you are going to become a fixture in Samantha’s life. She is my daughter for all practical purposes and I want her happiness above everything. You seem genuine enough in your affection for her and I like you on your own merits.” Sterling was feeling a bit embarrassed by the praise when Jane continued. “Don’t be lulled to sleep by my calm exterior, however. I will hunt you down if you don’t treat her well. She deserves to be happy in her life. If you take on the responsibility of loving her, you had better not stand in the way of her happiness.” Jane smiled sweetly as she completed her lightly veiled threats and backed away. Sterling could only wave as they drove towards Sam’s office to retrieve Jane’s car.
Sterling’s shoulders were slumped with fatigue when she returned to her office from court. She hadn’t slept well since the incident and it was taking its toll. Everyone had long since gone home and the halls were dark. Half way across the room her feet stopped, sensing a presence. Her eyes widened in anticipation as the high backed desk chair began to turn and reveal its occupant.
“Hello Sterling.” The voice was soft but unmistakable. The lawyer sucked in great volumes of air trying to counteract the effect of the apparition before her. The low burn of her desk lamp was all that illuminated the office interior. It mimicked subtly the amber glow of the setting sun that day on the Cape. The years fell away and Sterling felt her pulse rate getting stronger. Her lips finally formed the only word her mind could locate among its massive stores of vocabulary.
“Anna.” It was a benediction.
“Anna Bertilini.” When the attorney said it this time it was an accusation.
“Yes, it’s me. The years have befriended you.” Her voice softened. ” You are as lovely as I remembered.” Anna’s dark eyes roamed over the lines of the powerful body before her. The seated woman folded her hands in her lap and rocked backwards a little, perfectly at home in her strange surroundings.
Sterling was trying to guess what this visit could be about. Her mind raced over scenarios finding none that made any sense. ‘Why?’ she wondered, alternating with ‘Why now’?
Anna’s smile was pulling the dark attorney closer, luring her as Gino’s had done once upon a time.
“I didn’t realize how much I have missed you. You apparently made your mark on me all those years ago.” Only Anna knew how accurate her statement was.
“I can assure you Anna, YOU marked ME. I never understood why you did it.” Sterling slowly approached her desk and the seated woman. The surprise of finding Anna in her office was slowly subsiding. She approached the desk cautiously, trying to analyze the situation.
Anna chuckled before a cloud of seriousness settled over her features. “You have no idea what I felt for you, what I feel for you now. You are the kind of careless beauty who careens through life, a string of broken hearts in your wake.”
“I don’t have any idea what you’re talking about, Anna. Actually, I’ve been on my own since Gino.” Her eyes fell to the carpet. The accuracy of her statement confounded her. Was it true? It had been, until Samantha came along. Sterling’s gaze flew to Anna. Some deep instinct told her that this had something to do with Sam and it sickened her. Sterling swallowed back the rising bile and struggled not to tip her hand.
“Oh, I know where you’ve been believe me. I’ve paid an army of spies to let me know. Charleston was easier than Atlanta. It’s so wrapped up in tradition, including gossip. It’s probably best that you left when you did. Honestly, Sterling. Sleeping with the governor’s daughter was foolish.”
Sterling’s face grew hot with embarrassment as questions began forming inside her head. ‘Why were you watching me? I was no longer representing your family or any of its far reaching businesses. I left all of that in Boston. What did you hope to gain?’ Suddenly the facts flew at her. The bomb had been tossed into her living room by a member of Anna Bertilini’s organization.
“Can’t link it up can you? Why should I give a damn what you were up to? It’s so simple and that analytical brain of yours can’t solve the riddle.” Anna was smug as she folded her arms across her chest.
“I suspect that you’re about to tell me. Why don’t I sit down?” Sterling looked a little shaky all of a sudden so Anna acquiesced and indicated the chair facing the desk.
“On second thought. Why don’t you fix us a drink first? This could take a while.”
The tall attorney pressed the panel that hid a small refrigerator and its door swung open. Tossing ice cubes into two glasses, she raised the scotch bottle from the shelf above it, in unspoken question. Anna nodded then turned her attention to the plush office surrounding her.
“I was admiring your taste. This is impressive, particularly considering where you came from. But then, the people here in Atlanta probably don’t know your history.” Her smile turned sinister and Sterling felt a trickle of sweat start to slowly descend down the ridges of her spine.
“My background wouldn’t inspire much confidence in my client list, that’s true. Is that what you want, my practice?” Sterling eagerly hoped it was as simple as that.
Anna’s laughter was musical. “Heavens, no. You’re a fine lawyer and I admire your decision to move away from a dark past. It was lucrative in Boston, but so dirty, wasn’t it?” Anna paused, but not long enough to let the woman across the desk from her answer.
“I want a clean start, too and you’re going to give it to me.” Anna’s eyes scanned the ceiling briefly then came swiftly down to ground level to meet and hold Sterling’s. She continued. “I’m tired of my bumbling brothers and of the traditional aspects of running the family business. It’s all so old fashioned and I’m pretty tired of gun toting goons with broken noses who can’t understand words of more than three syllables.”
“You’re still not allowed to take control because you’re a woman.” Sterling didn’t realize she was saying it out loud.
Anna reacted visibly to the observation. “That’s one of many problems,” she snapped. My father at least had some class about him. Sal and Joey act like nouveau rich hoods with all that goddamned tasteless jewelry and high-priced toys. Sal thinks he’s the picture of success because he has an entire wall of big-screen TV’s to watch the WCW on. Joey… well, Joey always was stupid. Between his drug habit and the cheap women he surrounds himself with, he proves daily that he’ll never be a grown up.”
Sterling waited for Anna to continue. Nothing in the remarks she had just spoken gave the attorney any hint as to the purpose of the fire or this visit.
“I’m tired of it. I want a better life, a fresh start, like you got by coming here.” Anna studied Sterling’s face to see if she understood before continuing. “I will need legal council that I can trust.” Brown eyes shone, giving the attorney a moment to digest her proposal in small bites. “I want a confidante and advisor that understands my business and you certainly do.”
Sterling was silenced by disbelief. It gave Anna time to formulate the correct wording for her next statement. “My father loved you above all others. No amount of therapy will ever make me accept that gracefully. Believe me, I have tried.” She emptied the glass of its amber liquid and walked across the office to refill it. The distinct walk with its sultry movement of Anna’s hips caught Sterling’s attention. The lawyer could not help but cast an appraising eye from the glossy hair cascading to a slim waist, then flaring hips over shapely legs. Anna had chosen her dress with care. It revealed every physical asset that she possessed.
“I feel your eyes on me.” The dark menace’s voice spoke, unnerving Sterling. “I always could. Did you know that?” In her state of shock, Sterling hadn’t even realized she had been staring and could not comment. Anna swung around and rested her backside against the counter top of the bar, studying her adversary.
“What do you want from me Anna?” Tired now of the cat and mouse game, Sterling came straight to the point.
“I told you once that I was jealous of the love my father felt for you.” Sterling remembered the afternoon in her apartment when Anna had brought her the message from Gino that had instructed her to flee to Cape Cod. She confirmed her remembrance with a nod.
Anna spoke so quietly that the attorney had to strain to make out her words. “I didn’t really know how deep that went until after he died.” Gino’s daughter assaulted Sterling with her eyes now. “I was so angry and my desires kept revolving around that anger like the ball around a roulette wheel. Finally my needs dropped into that little slot and came to settle, on you.” The last was spoken almost as a curse. Anna raised her glass in a mock toast and Sterling automatically mirrored her actions.
The attorney seized the moment and spoke. “You know your father loved you, Anna. He loved his family above all else.” She entreated Gino’s daughter to believe what she knew to be true.
“Yes, but only out of a sense of obligation. It is the way of our ancestors. You, he loved with his whole heart and I can’t forgive you that.” She waved away further objections. “I’ve been patient for a long time. I’ve watched and listened and now I’m told that you have found someone.”
Blue eyes clearly registered panic. Sterling tried to counter her facial expression by bluffing. Her laughter was pretty convincing to her own ears. “You’re kidding, right? I’ve peopled my bed with a lot of meaningless toys. That has never changed.” They stared each other down. “Besides, why do you really care so much?” Anna smiled quietly, ignoring Sterling’s bluff.
“I didn’t know which of my many motivations took precedence for a long time.” Anna continued her explanation. “I seduced you long ago to punish my father, to vindicate my mother, to prove that my brothers were wrong about you. They said you cared about Papa, but you fell into bed with me easily enough. I almost told him in anger once, but it would have hurt him deeply.”
Desperate to connect with this mad woman on some personal level, Sterling gambled with her next statement. “I was there and there was something genuine in your eyes when you made love to me.”
“Oh, yes. It was very real, what I was feeling, but not in the way that you thought. My Papa saw himself in you, Sterling. He saw the core of his soul mirrored in yours. It is why he loved you so.”
Sterling whispered. “So you wanted me because I was his prize?”
“No, I wanted you because you were the closest thing to Gino Bertilini that I could bed and live with myself afterwards.” Shock and understanding bloomed together on the attorney’s features. Anna’s face was a mask of pain. Sterling began to recognize the depth of disturbance in this woman’s twisted mind. The realization doubled her fear.
Anna seemed amused. “It was years before I understood how pivotal that one night, that one incident really was in my life. I had his whore, his love and his twin in my bed, all at once.”
Until now, Sterling didn’t understand why Anna thought she would be interested in any of this outrageous proposal. The Bertilinis had shed no tears when she left Boston. She had thought herself an embarrassment to them after Gino’s death. Expecting Sterling to sacrifice her career was ludicrous. The lawyer was unclear as to the rest of it. “It seems that you are already seeking professional psychiatric help. I should think that would be the best course for you. What on earth do you expect me to do about all of this. Gino is lost to both of us now.”
“Professionally, I want you to help me re-invent my family’s business here in Atlanta. Your brilliant mind will make a vast difference in the length of time it takes me to get established here. You also have some valuable contacts that I can make use of.” Anna sipped from her glass. “Personally, I want you to shrivel up inside and watch the one you want love someone else. I want you to think of her in another’s bed and writhe in the agony of it.” Anna paused for effect. ” I want you to walk away from Samantha Hilliard.”
The name hung between them like a prize suspended on invisible wires. Sterling made the mistake of rushing to it.
“If you hurt her Anna, I’ll…”
“Don’t forget…” dark eyes interrupted. “My family invented threats of violence generations ago.” Laughter spilled from the twisted features before her and Sterling clenched her fists.
Struggling to maintain her composure, Sterling spoke in an even voice. “How can I convince you not to do this? What will it take to make you leave us in peace?”
“As long as you leave her alone, she will not be harmed. I will be totally relocated here in a few weeks. I expect you to be at my disposal twenty-four hours a day. If you don’t agree to my terms I will make one phone call and your little friend will be dead within the hour. If my technician doesn’t hear from me shortly to call it off, he has orders to kill her now. You see, it will do no good to kill me, although I know you are capable of it. Remember too, that my spies are everywhere, so don’t consider duplicity. You are to stay away from this woman.” Anna smiled a contented smile.
Sterling was stricken. Associating herself with criminals again would be paramount to losing her practice but she could easily manage that in order to protect Samantha. The real problem was the hurt she would be inflicting by walking away from Sam with only some lame explanation. The irony of the situation did not escape Sterling. In order to protect the only person she had ever really loved, she had to give her up. She swallowed the emotion that threatened to spill over into her voice. Without hesitation, her answer sprang from her lips. “I’ll do as you ask.” It was a solemn promise.
“You love her as much as that then?” Anna was surprised.
Her question got no response. “I am sorry for you Sterling. I know what it is to suffer such a fate.”
Sterling had given the sick twist seated before her the only thing she had ever valued and she felt nausea rush through her. “I’d like you to get the hell out of my office now, Anna. I have nothing more to say to you.”
Anna rose and eyed the barrister closely. “Yes, I believe I am finally getting what I have wanted for so long.”
The taller woman spat acidly. “Take it and get out then! Leave me in peace.”
Anna left quietly.
Eyes closed, Sterling threw her head back and tried to think. ‘What in the hell just happened here? I must be dreaming.’ She reached for the telephone and dialed two digits before replacing it on the receiver. It had suddenly occurred to the lawyer that her phones were tapped. Her computer had probably been compromised, too. Deciding the calls could wait, Sterling moved to her desk and sat down in the chair that Anna Bertilini had so recently vacated. She pressed her fingers to her temples where a dull throbbing had begun.
Pulling a sheet of heavy stationery from her desk drawer, Sterling began a letter, a very important letter to Samantha.
You have encouraged me to let go of my past, and I honestly have made tremendous strides in that direction, until now. I have found out tonight that someone I knew long ago is trying to hurt us. More specifically, they are threatening to hurt you if I continue to see you. The why’s and the how’s are too complex to go into now, but believe me, this is a serious threat, coming from a seriously sick individual.
I considered keeping the truth from you Sam, but my heart wouldn’t let me. I don’t want to scare you with all of this. I only want you to know that I would not walk away if there was any other choice left to me. I realize it is a very poor time to say so, but I love you. In the parallel world that I used to inhabit, that’s a dangerous liability.
I’m making no sense, but I’m still reeling from the blow of losing you. The hardest part is realizing that my motivation for seeking decency is the very thing that will drive me back into the blackest corner of my past. Don’t worry. I am still a survivor, Sam.
You may hear things about me from time to time. Believe them and try to get on with your life. I say again what I should have been whispering in your ear over and over again. I love you with all that I am.
The lawyer sealed the note in an envelope and placed it inside a bubble mailer with instructions for Charlie to send it to Peter. Sterling wanted no traceable tie from herself to Samantha. She grabbed the mailer and pulled her keys from her desk drawer. During the short drive to the post office, Sterling concentrated on the road, not trusting herself to think quite yet. Once the bulky envelope had been dropped down a chute inside the building, Sterling assumed her message to Sam would be delivered unmolested and could breath again.
Sterling gripped the steering wheel of her stationary BMW. She had parallel parked in front of a line of retail shops in Decatur two hours previously. The sky was beginning to lighten as she recapped her plan of action and checked it for flaws. It was risky on many levels, but a plan that would work, she believed. Her mind made up; she turned the key on the steering column and started her journey.
Sam had waited all evening for Sterling’s call. It never came nor did she call the next morning. Finally, the realtor caved in and called the law office. She was informed that Ms. Hayes was in court at the moment. Sam left a message but the unfamiliar voice reported that Sterling was leaving town on business by day’s end and might not pick up her messages for several days.
Puzzled, Sam hung up the phone. ‘Why didn’t Sally answer the phone? She always picks up Sterling’s private line.’ Cold crept slowly up her spine. Something was wrong. ‘I need to drop all of this cloak and dagger stuff. She’s just very busy. After all, the fire, the new house and her practice all require her attention. She’ll call when she can.’
Sterling had showered and changed before heading back to her office. Stopping at a phone booth, she dropped some change in and waited for Charlie to come on the line. The detective was obviously groggy from sleep. Sterling rattled off instructions for several minutes before allowing him to speak. “You are getting all of this, aren’t you? I can’t call you from the office until you arrange for a sweep. Even then it’s probably best if I move around some. Have your electronic whiz check the old house and the new one, too. Be sure that bodyguard understands that he has to maintain a discreet distance. I don’t want Sam to know anyone is watching her.”
“I want you to contact an old friend of mine. His name is Samson.” Sterling gave Charlie the numbers he would need and told him to ask for anything Samson could uncover regarding Anna’s takeover of the Bertilini family business. Next, she placed a call to her secretary’s voice mailbox and left instructions for Sally to meet her at a diner within walking distance of the office. She was sitting in the corner booth drinking coffee when the older woman spotted her.
Once Sally had been seated and served coffee, too Sterling began her explanation of the clandestine meeting. “I don’t have time to go into everything Sally, but I’ve got a serious problem. I’m fairly certain that someone has bugged the office, so I couldn’t talk to you there.” The lawyer explained some of her needs without going into the ‘why’ of the situation. Sterling had wrestled with herself over how much information she should impart to the woman across the table. Sally was trustworthy without a doubt, but involving her could place her in danger, too. The attorney didn’t want to risk that for the time being.
“I’ll be putting the canvases into storage for now and moving what little furniture that actually belongs to me into the new house as soon as the papers are signed. I need to push my caseload hard and try to clear up most of the ones I’m working on personally. Anything new coming in, I will try to assign.”
Sally watched her boss’ eyes, hoping to achieve some glimmer of understanding. Sterling’s features changed noticeably as she issued her next instructions. “I’ve disassociated myself with Ms. Hilliard. Suffice it to say that we have nothing further to communicate about at this point. I don’t want her calls put through. In a few days, I imagine they will stop altogether.” The secretary made no comment, but she was saddened immeasurably by the news.
“What shall I tell her as to your whereabouts?” Sally would never have asked this question under normal circumstances. She’d have made up some viable story to tell. The fact that she had posed it made Sterling aware that her secretary must like Sam very much.
“You aren’t much of a liar Sally.” Sterling smiled for the first time. “I planned on having someone else answer my personal line for a few days. They can tell her that I’m leaving town on business, some emergency or another.” The attorney reached into her pocket and tossed some folded bills onto the tabletop to pay for their coffee. “There will be some security people sweeping the office regularly. Charlie will clear everything with you. No one is to be left unattended there. If you don’t recognize the technician, you don’t let them in, just call me.”
Sally had been nodding continuously. “Any questions?” Sterling waited for her secretary to respond.
She had many, many questions, but none that it was her right to ask. Sally shook her head again. “OK. I’ll see you in the office shortly.” She reached out and placed her hand lightly on Sally’s arm, stopping her. “I know this makes no sense, but I appreciate your help and your trust. Everything will work out, I assure you.” Sally smiled her slow, special smile that was reserved for the rare occasion when she allowed herself to be less than professional with her boss.
“I have no doubts,” she said softly. Those words spoke volumes to Sterling and brought tears to her eyes. Until now, she had allowed nothing to evoke the bubbling emotions in her to the surface. The tall woman nodded and followed Sally out of the establishment.
Samson asked a lot of questions when he was contacted. He ultimately insisted that Sterling call him directly, needing to know for certain that she was unharmed. No one was to know about Anna’s visit except the detective and Sterling. The attorney placed the necessary call.
“What is this all about?” Samson was irritated. He hated the mysterious way in which he had been approached for his help.
“Sorry. I’m pretty sure someone’s watching and I’m moving around a lot.” Tonight she was staying in a hotel on the fringes of the city. “Did Charlie tell you what I need?”
“Hell yes, but I want to know why the sudden interest in that family? Please don’t tell me that you’re getting involved with the Bertilinis again, Sterling.” The pain in his voice touched her deeply.
“Nothing like that. I’m trying like hell to get uninvolved with that family. I just need some information to figure out how to go about it.” Over twenty minutes of her protests, Samson insisted that he would collect what he could and deliver it to her personally within a week. Sterling hung up the phone knowing that she would have to tell him everything when he arrived, or she couldn’t expect him to help her.
Checking her watch, Sterling chastised herself for being awake at a late hour. Knowing that she had a court appearance the following morning, she buried her head in the flat hotel pillow and tried to relax. She hadn’t slept much since Anna’s visit and there didn’t seem to be any help for it.
The image of glistening green eyes formed in her mind’s eye. She groaned at the sensory assault that accompanied the picture. ‘How on earth am I going to do what I have to do to her? What would I give to be holding her right now instead of this pillow?’ Nothing she could think of in association with Samantha brought her anything but heartache, so she shifted her train of thought to the unfinished details of a plan she was formulating. It was going to be a long night.
“Councilor! Have you any questions for this witness?” The judge was addressing her. Her assistant on the case nudged her arm, bringing her mind into the courtroom.
“Sorry, your honor. I would like to hear that last statement again, please.” The court reporter read the words of testimony back to her and she automatically responded in full attorney mode. Sterling stood slowly, unbuttoning her jacket as she approached the witness stand. The sleaze that waited there for her was obviously lying and more obviously unconcerned with anything except eyeing her breasts. The attorney deliberately stretched to her full height, bringing them close to eye level for his perusal.
‘You slime. As if I would ever let you lay a finger on me.’ His concentration on her caused him to fumble his rehearsed testimony. Sterling managed to catch him in one lie, which led to another. Before he stepped down off the stand, his character had been assassinated.
When the judge called for a lunch break, Sterling went rapidly to the bank of public phones at the end of the marble hallway. Punching numbers, hurriedly, she was relieved to find Sally still at her desk. “I was afraid you would be at lunch. Anything from Charlie, yet?” She listened while here eyes scanned the people milling about in the hallway and wondered which one might be reporting to Anna.
“Nothing yet, but they were in here this morning. Everything is fine.” Sterling was relieved that the second sweep had uncovered nothing. When the initial check had turned up a listening device near her desk, she had arranged with Charlie for someone to search her offices for electronic bugging devices every few days. They had also installed a closed circuit camera system that filmed her office interior twenty-four hours a day. The monitors had been set up in a basement room with someone on duty, watching them.
Hearing that everything had come up clean, Sterling felt that she could speak freely with her secretary. “Has she tried to reach me?” They both knew that the attorney was referring to Samantha. The written message had been delivered to her over a week ago, but she still called Sterling’s office daily.
“Yes, early this morning. No one was here but me and I made the mistake of picking up the phone. Reflex I guess.” Sally hesitated to tell her boss how Sam had sounded. The concern in her voice had been rivaled by hurt. The message she had given to Sally needed to be conveyed, but the secretary wavered. Sam was right to feel the way she did, but something told Sally that Sterling had her reasons, too.
Sighing heavily, Sally decided to just plunge in. “She wanted me to tell you that you shouldn’t make these kinds of decisions for her. She’s ‘worried and aggravated’ I believe she said.” Sterling smiled, able to hear Sam say the words, then realized the desperate nature of the situation and her spirits fell once again.
“I hesitate to ask, but did she say anything else?”
“She mentioned coming to your house looking for you.” Sally waited.
“Yeah, well, she won’t find me there. Neither will anybody else. I need you to get the rest of my clothes picked up and brought to the office. I won’t be going back to the rental house.” Sterling thought for a moment then made a request that surprised Sally.
“Call for me and RSVP that cocktail reception at the Dixon’s would you. I’ll be bringing a guest.” Sterling hung up thinking about who she could call to go with her. She had often attended social events that related to her business. Some of them required her to appear with the traditional male escort. Others, like this one at the Dixon’s were less rigid and allowed her to openly bring a female date with her. Sterling knew there would be a lot of people at this event and it was important that she create a stir.
The room went quiet, which was quite a feat considering that there were over a hundred people in it. The crowd had automatically responded when the beautiful pair of women came through the door and paused in the raised entryway. Sterling was stunning in oriental silk the color of old ivory. The pants, cut in flawless lines to fit her tall frame were covered to the knees by a long shirt, split high enough on the sides to reveal her midriff. The bear claw closures that held it together in the front were designed to lie on top of an underblouse, which Sterling had elected not to wear. Instead, the satin cord did little to reveal the fact that she was wearing no bra. This point was stressed further when the strikingly beautiful woman with Sterling turned to her and ran her hand up the attorney’s arm while whispering in her ear. The warm breath contacting the skin of her neck, causing Sterling’s nipples to tighten reflexively.
Sterling’s mystery date caused quite a stir. She looked familiar to many of the other guests, but it took over an hour for the pasty-faced wife of a wealthy stockbroker to place her face. Once she realized the sultry beauty was the soon to be ex-wife of a local real estate magnate she had the attention of every gossip in the place. Although the guests at this gathering prided themselves on being open-minded enough to accept a same sex couple, they couldn’t ignore the juicy twist of a thwarted millionaire losing his wife to another woman. This was too good an opportunity for the jealousy of the lesser rich to be vindicated.
The attorney’s choice of women had been no accident. She’d specifically wanted someone high profile. It would get the word out and help convince Anna that she was carrying out her part of the bargain. It would hurt Sam, as would her many future phantom couplings. The thought sobered Sterling who had been enjoying the effect she and Jeri were having on the crowd until then.
Throughout the evening Sterling was attentive to her date, bringing her drinks before her glass had a chance to be emptied. Although they had made a fashionably late entrance at ten o’clock, by midnight Jeri was slightly slurring her words and Sterling recognized the need to get the woman out of there. Getting her to her house was no problem, as Jeri fell asleep soon after leaving the party and only woke up when they were pulling up to her house.
Sterling should have predicted the woman’s behavior. Jeri took Sterling’s hand and pushed it underneath her shamelessly short cocktail dress, into her crotch. This entire evening had been about pissing her husband off and although Sterling was not flagrant with her sexuality, her penchant for beautiful women was public knowledge. Jeri felt obligated to offer herself to the woman beside her and since Sterling had shown no evidence of interest in that vein, the drunken woman elected to do something about it herself.
The attorney gently tried to withdraw her hand, while reaching across Jeri to open her car door.
Jeri looked stricken. “Don’t you find me attractive?” That was one scenario she hadn’t figured on in her quest for vengeance against her husband.
“You’re breathtaking, believe me, but you’re also a little high and I don’t think it would be a good idea to take advantage of you in that way.” Sterling turned her charm up another notch as she helped the woman from the car.
Jeri, in a whiskey fog felt the need to make one more attempt before allowing Sterling to leave her at her door. She locked her hands behind Sterling’s neck, hitting the attorney in the back of her head with the beaded purse she was holding. Oblivious to the fact she pulled Sterling’s mouth within reach and proceeded to deliver a kiss that would have incited a riot in the attorney’s body had it been the right tongue in her mouth, the right breath, sounding ragged and irregular. Jeri was all over the taller woman, pressing herself against Sterling’s body all along its considerable length.
“Whoa there,” Sterling was having trouble remembering who was in her arms. It was too easy to fantasize that it was Sam and she couldn’t afford to let that happen. “I think I better get out of here before your neighbors call the police on us for indecent behavior.” Jeri laughed a little. Having enjoyed an evening of public humiliation for her husband she decided to let Sterling off the hook for the time being. She had to admit she was a little high and more than a little tired. Jeri also suspected a roll in the hay with the incredibly sexy attorney would be something she would need all of her faculties to really enjoy.
“I want to voice my objection for the record councilor, but I concede your point. I am a little out of it. Next time for sure though?”
Sterling quickly nodded her agreement, knowing full well there would be no next time. Jeri had been the initial name on a long list of women who would be seen in public with Sterling Hayes over the weeks to come.
The obnoxious hum of the alarm clock eventually forced Sam’s eye open. She couldn’t believe it was time to get up when she felt that she’d only been sleeping a few minutes. Then she remembered that she HAD only been sleeping a few minutes.
For weeks, the young blonde had been unable to rest, to eat, to concentrate on work. Sam had tried to contact Sterling at first, but even she had too much pride to continue that effort after days and days of listening to lame excuses and recorded messages. Besides, rumors had been circulating for a while that Sterling was seeing someone, several someone’s in fact.
Sam kept the note that Peter had relayed to her close at hand. She still read it several times a day, believing less and less its declaration of love. ‘Why won’t she just talk to me? Is that so damned much to ask? If she could just tell me, if I could hear her voice…Uugghh! Why won’t she talk to me?’ The anger and frustration had built in direct proportion to the lessening of belief.
The previous week Samantha had attended the closing on Sterling’s new house, assuming incorrectly that the lawyer would have to be there. She had nervously anticipated seeing the beautiful barrister for several days only to be disappointed when the paperwork was handled by another lawyer in the firm, using a limited power of attorney to sign for Sterling. He handed Samantha a pile of papers that included her commission check before shaking her hand and rising from the closing table. The young man’s next order of business was to confirm Sterling’s absence from the meeting to Anna Bertilini.
‘She looks so tired. My God, what am I doing to her with all of this insanity?’ Sterling had dismissed the security guard in the basement an hour ago. She sat before the monitors watching Sam as she had been from the moment she entered the law firm lobby. Per her instructions, Sally had greeted the young woman and situated her in the conference room where one of Sterling’s new associates had met them and handled the paperwork on the purchase of the new house. Sterling couldn’t take her eyes off the young woman. ‘I knew this was a mistake.’ The attorney scolded herself, pounding her clenched fist on the arm of the chair she occupied. Sterling had debated for several days whether it would be better or worse to see Sam on the newly installed monitors. Now she knew for certain that it was worse. Much worse.
As Samantha was being escorted out of the law offices Sally, who had never left her side shook the young woman’s hand, holding it a bit longer than was necessary. Sam searched the secretary’s eyes for understanding, knowing that any question she asked would be rebuffed, as all of her calls and inquiries had been. It was Sterling’s wish apparently and Samantha was well aware of Sally’s loyalty to her employer.
The blonde seemed to hesitate and look around her briefly as she turned to leave, giving the lawyer a close up of her cherubic face. Sterling realized that Sam must be feeling the pull of being watched and she was ashamed of herself for being such a coward. There were no safe circumstances under which the lawyer could confront Sam and talk with her. Anyone could be watching them at almost any time, regardless of the precautions that had been taken. It went beyond the lawyer’s concern for safety. Sterling was feeling guilty for her weakness in needing to see Samantha in any form available to her, even on a black and white security monitor.
Sterling stretched out in the chair, letting her head fall to one side, as if she had been struck. She HAD been assaulted after a fashion. Sam’s eyes were vivid, even without the benefit of color on the monitor. Sterling could see so many emotions swirling in them and the longing that she, herself, had worked so hard to conquer rose up within her again. Her breath caught as the realtor took one last look around the lobby and went through the door.
Closing her eyes against the surge of despair rising in her, Sterling emitted a sob, a half-howl of undiluted agony as the closing door obscured Samantha’s image. In her entire life she had wanted nothing so much as she wanted now to hold Samantha in her arms and murmur assurances, apologies, declarations of feeling. The rush of emotion translated itself into physical pain as Sterling’s body tensed, tendons straining to contain the raw energy that burned through her.
She rose to leave her basement vantage point, knowing that the one camera located in the parking lot behind the building would afford her no further view of her love. It was a mixed blessing that the young blonde had chosen to park her car on the street. Sterling didn’t have any way of knowing that Samantha had consciously done so to avoid spotting the lawyer’s BMW thereby verifying her fear. She suspected that Sterling was not out of town, as she had been told. No, she very much imagined that Sterling was in Atlanta, if not sitting upstairs in her office, casually avoiding Sam.
Sally returned to her desk, shaking her head. She had been briefed by her boss concerning the closing. The secretary had anticipated the presence of the seller and Sam as his representative. What she couldn’t have known, was that the young realtor would be so lovely, that she would like her immediately, or that the pain in her face would be so obvious. Sally’s immediate response was the need to take her boss by the shoulders and shake her until she had her attention. The secretary would like to tell ‘Miss tough as nails attorney’ that she was blowing a chance that not many people ever got. Sally would like to cry, heartbroken for both of them.
Sam’s mouth was drawn into a thin, grim line when she returned to her office. Peter knew her well enough to read her face and her body language. He simply put her message slips on her desk, asked if she needed anything and left her alone in her office. As soon as the door closed behind him, Sam dropped her head to her desk. Shoulders shaking she cried, her body a broken column of frustration and anger. She was fighting an invisible enemy and it was killing her.
A soft knock on her door a half-hour later brought her into the present. Her tears had already dried; her resolve was firmly back in place when she responded. “Come on in Peter.” There was no doubt as to her visitor’s identity. He placed a mug of tea on her desk and searched her face. Sam avoided looking at him, aware that she must look haggard after her emotional outburst of a few minutes earlier.
“You OK? Want to go to lunch with me later? Or maybe you’d like to go home early today and rest, huh? I can handle things here easily enough. Just hand over your whip and chair.”
She laughed softly in spite of herself. Samantha recognized what a treasure she had in a friend like Peter. “That last suggestion sounds pretty good, actually. If I’m gonna have an emotional breakdown, I’d at least like to have it in private. Everybody that walks by my door acts as if they’re looking at an exhibit.”
“They care about you, too, Sam. Frankly I don’t think anyone around here realized that you were capable of such total devastation and unhappiness.” He smiled, hoping she had taken his remark as the joke he had intended it to be. “You ought to consider going out dancing tonight. Why don’t I get hold of Janet and…”
“Not yet Peter. Soon maybe, but please, not yet. I just need a little time.”
Samson had been in town for three days before he actually got to see Sterling in person. She was still moving around quite a lot, staying in hotels, which she paid for in cash. Gino had taught her many things in her youth. The strapped stacks of cash in her office safe had come in very handy. Anna and her goons couldn’t trace her whereabouts through credit card receipts at least. It would give her an opportunity to research her opponent without Anna’s knowledge. It would also allow Sterling to get reports on Sam without placing her in jeopardy.
The sky was just turning pre-dawn pink when the Boston detective entered the institutional interior of the Waffle House Sterling had dictated. She stood as soon as she saw him and waited patiently for him to approach. When he got close enough to see the trouble in her eyes his footsteps faltered, but she went the last steps to meet him and circled his slim shoulders with her arms.
Samson’s eyes closed involuntarily at the feel of the woman he held against him. Chastising himself for his reaction, he tried to pull away but was surprised to find that Sterling would not allow it just yet. When she was able to, she backed away, staring at the floor, embarrassed by her need. The detective made a lame joke to ease the tension between them, before talk turned serious.
“You look like shit,” he threw at her. She laughed in response.
“Yeah, well, you always look like shit. I guess we’re on even ground here, huh?” She smiled at him and the emotions evident in her eyes broke his heart. Samson had known that Sterling was in a bad situation, he just hadn’t realized how bad, until now.
Samson waded right into the problem. “She’s crackers.” It was the simplest of statements, but it confirmed her suspicions and her head dropped.
“When the old man died, Joey and Sal took over the business. Joey was, well… you know Joey. He’s still an idiot and Sal isn’t much better. Neither of them had any real aptitude for business. Anna quietly began running things from the shadows. When the old lady died, Anna stopped the pretense by declaring herself the head of the family.”
Sterling’s only reaction thus far had been a slight grimace when Samson referred to Gino as ‘the old man’. The detective had meant no disrespect, but it still elicited an automatic response from the attorney.
There was more information. The two old friends ordered breakfast and drank many cups of coffee, while Samson related the rest of his news.
“Her dead brothers’ widows have splintered off and moved away. Joey and Sal are still on the scene. Anna’s got free rein and no sounding board. No husband, no boyfriend…nothing.”
“You might try looking for a girlfriend.” Sterling was matter of fact in the delivery of the information, which surprised Samson. He would have thought that Anna’s preference for women would have surfaced in his investigation of the Bertilini matriarch.
“Charlie told me she was after you. I don’t get it, though.” Samson was running every possible scenario through his brain and coming up blank.
“It’s complicated, but she has a personal vendetta against me. More accurately, she refuses to allow me my happiness.” Sterling was concentrating on some unspoken idea. Samson studied her features, unnoticed.
“If she planned to kill you, you would be dead.” Samson’s statement caused a chill in her.
Her years of association with the Bertilinis seemed a lifetime ago. This thing with Anna was most frightening when she considered that the woman did not want her life, only her misery.
Samson scanned the scribbled notes in his palm-sized notebook. “She’s moving some of their operation down here. They bought a restaurant in town somewhere. There’s a condo on Lenox Road that is titled to one of her dummy corporations. The Feds still keep a pretty close eye on that whole bunch. They’re setting up a sting, in fact. Maybe you could help out?”
Sterling was very unhappy to hear that Anna was local, at least part of the time. Working with the Feds to put her behind bars was her only option besides murder. Even that might not solve her problems. There was always the possibility of retribution. Sterling could only hope that Anna had pissed off enough people on her rise to power.
“They found one bug at the office,” she related. I’ve moved out of the rental house, but I’m staying in a different hotel every third day or so and it’s getting old. Once I get a plan in place, there won’t be as much of a need for secrecy. I want you to supervise the security people. They’re supposed to beef up the system that’s already in the new house.” She shook her head, upset and confused by what he had told her. “I’m playing by her rules, but this whole thing is scary as hell.”
Samson had heard about Samantha soon after her first dinner with Sterling. In his conversations with the attorney since then, Sam’s name came up with increasing frequency. It didn’t take a detective, although he was one, to see Sterling’s growing feelings for the blonde realtor. He had looked forward to meeting her on his next vacation trip to Atlanta.
“You can’t even see her for a few minutes?” He could see that the separation was killing his friend.
“No, they’re following her all of the time.” She looked up at him for a long time before pulling a stack of newspaper clippings from her pocket and dropping them on the table. “I also have a bodyguard following her, but she doesn’t know it. I wish you would check on that for me while you’re here. I can’t let them find anything out.”
Samson nodded his understanding as he glanced at the photos of Sterling in the clippings. She was joined in every one by a different beauty. He realized immediately what she was doing to protect her friend.
“By the way, there is no ‘while I’m here’. I’m here until this thing is over, one way or the other.” In a rare show of emotion, Samson reached across the table and covered her large hand with his larger one.
“Thanks,” she breathed. ” This whole business is scary as hell. I have to say, I feel a lot less alone with you here.”
“You are a lot less alone, and don’t you forget it.” His smile was reassuring.
Beverly was holding on line one. She was probably calling to report another ‘sighting’ as Sam had come to think of them. Every time Sterling appeared in public with some stunning woman the banker couldn’t seem to wait to let Sam know about it.
‘I don’t know why she won’t give this up. It wouldn’t matter if Sterling was determined to be an ax murderer, it wouldn’t change my feelings…about either one of them.’ The thought surprised her. Somehow in spite of the pain she felt, a part of her had already started to forgive the dark attorney for her disappearing act. Each incident caused less pain as the numbness in her heart spread.
“Hi Bev. What’s up?” ‘Straight to the point might get this over with a little quicker.’
“I’m fine thank you. Thanks for asking,” the banker responded sarcastically.
“Sorry, just a bit rushed today. How are you?” They both knew it was a moot point now.
“I’m great. I just heard through the grapevine that your lawyer friend has her picture in Southern Voice this week. Thought you might want to check it out.” ‘For your scrap book’ Beverly thought to herself.
“Oh yeah I heard,” Sam lied. “You get the idea that she has hired a publicist what with that thing last weekend and now this.” Sam was referring to the photograph in the Atlanta papers. A big color picture shot at the ‘Aids Walk’ had been reproduced on the front page of the Lifestyles section. Sterling, arm draped casually over the shoulder of a drop-dead gorgeous brunette made quite an image to go with her quoted remark in the news article. Samantha had seen the photo despite Peter’s efforts to keep her from it. She had caught him sneaking down her driveway with her Sunday newspaper and demanded an explanation. He sheepishly showed her the offending item. Sam had gritted her teeth and turned on her heel in retreat, Peter following quietly behind her into the house.
Samantha became aware of Beverly’s voice droning on. She hadn’t heard a word, but just as she was rejoining the conversation caught something about a dinner date.
“Sorry Bev, I’m not going out much anymore.” Having lost patience with the banker’s attempts at villainizing Sterling, Samantha added to her response. “To tell you the truth Bev, I’m trying to decide between joining a convent or dating men. You just don’t figure into that at all.” Samantha excused herself, feigning an early arrival of her two o’clock appointment and hung up. ‘I’m too old and too tired to work so hard at sparing that woman’s feelings when she obviously damned and determined to hurt mine.’
She buzzed Peter and requested a copy of the newspaper Bev had mentioned. Peter started objecting immediately, and her request turned into an order. Within ten minutes, he was standing in front of her desk with a copy, garnered from the lobby of a local restaurant.
“You asked for it. Just remember that,” he said before dropping the offending article on her desk and leaving her office.
Slowly, Samantha opened the paper and began scanning it. There, on page seven was a beautiful likeness of Sterling, seated at a benefit. She was accompanied by a high maintenance woman who looked familiar. It took a second for Sam to realize that she was an actress of some celebrity who had been born and raised locally. The woman returned to Atlanta for a visit at Sterling’s behest the article said, to help raise money for charity. Sam didn’t even bother to read the details. It didn’t matter why she was there. What mattered was the look on her face as she gazed up at Sterling. The attorney was looking away, unaware of the worshipful glance targeting her. Sam’s stomach clenched as she studied the two women in the picture and thought about how their evening might have progressed. She crumpled the paper hurriedly and tossed it into her wastebasket.
She held out her hand to cut off the questions and/or conversation Peter was obviously about to hurl at her. “Going home. I’m not feeling well. Cancel my appointments. I’ll call you about tomorrow.” This last was literally said over her shoulder as the door swept closed behind her. Worried and dejected, Peter sat down heavily at his desk to do his boss’ bidding.
Sterling was finally sleeping soundly, but it had taken hours of tossing and turning. Exhaustion had finally pulled her down into unconsciousness. Thoughts of Samantha and what she might be doing haunted her thoughts.
During the day, Sterling had plenty to do to occupy her mind. Between overseeing her office and the periodic appearances in court that were required of her, the attorney had little time to enjoy the wide expanses of her new home. In fact, nothing about the house gave her any feeling of comfort except the battered sofa downstairs in the den. Even the bed she slept in was new, picked out by Sam and her Aunt Jane on the shopping afternoon the three enjoyed just weeks before.
The dark head stirred, some thought or dream was again plaguing the sleeping woman. Rolling over in the pre-dawn greyness of her bedroom, Sterling opened one eye to check the time. ‘Five o’clock? I need to sleep a while longer.’ She pulled the sheet over her head and the softness of both pillows to her face. Relaxing into the feel of full arms, the semi-conscious attorney had a smile playing across her lips. Then she remembered and it came crashing down on her.
Sterling threw back the covers in anger and pulled her long legs over the side of the bed. The tee shirt she’d slept in was twisted around her torso and she fought to pull it from underneath her. Stretching for a moment, she stared at the empty space around her. The bedroom furniture had been ordered and was due for delivery in another few days. Sterling winced at the memory of the fun and laughter she had enjoyed the day it was selected. Shaking her head to dissolve the memory, she stood, considering the events of the day ahead of her.
All of the attorney’s considerable wardrobe had now been moved into the new house. She absently selected a tailored trial suit in charcoal grey with a red pinstripe. Tossing it onto the bed, she made her way into the bathroom to start the shower. While it was getting hot, Sterling picked up her toothbrush and started her morning routine. She glanced at the mirror and caught her own reflection, stopping her stock still. ‘What are you doing? Are you crazy? You’re actually going to take on the Mob for the sake of a woman who probably wouldn’t speak to you now if you were literally dying!’ The pain of the last part wounded her. The attorney knew it was probably true, although she had little to go on except the reports coming back to her from the bodyguard following Sam. Even those were filtered through Charlie and held very little information of a personal nature.
Her head dropped in defeat, the foaming toothbrush in her mouth forgotten. Weeks of this charade had taken a huge toll on the attorney. Sterling’s work was lackluster at best. She had apologized to a half-dozen clients, refusing them the expected personal handling of their business, naming illness as her excuse. They accepted the situation graciously, all but Ralph Slidell. Sterling had to tell him more than she had wanted to in order to make him understand her need for a hiatus from her practice.
“Why don’t you go to the police?” Ralph cared for the woman on the other end of the secured telephone line.
“It’s too complicated to go into on the phone, but believe me, I have considered that and discarded it as a viable possibility for the time being. Look, just treat this as a medical leave of absence, call it a mental illness. I promise I’ll be back at work full time as soon as it’s settled.” Sterling had in fact, gone to the FBI but could not tell Ralph Slidell that and endanger him.
When she had offered him all of the reassurance she could muster, she hung up the phone, closed her eyes and whispered a prayer. The latter was not a customary practice for Sterling who only recently reacquainted her intellect with the existence of a higher being. The years of her youth left her faithless and later she had been guilty of so much darkness that she assumed no god would claim her. Many things changed with the introduction of Samantha Hilliard into her life. Now, she often found herself asking God for help, strength and understanding on a regular basis. Mostly she entreated him to maintain Sam’s safety through this current mess she had involved the beautiful young woman in.
Anna flew home to Boston each weekend to handle various details of the move. Sterling had refused to accompany her on these trips. The lawyer never really knew how long Anna would be gone and simply anticipated her return with dread through her entire absence.
When Sally buzzed her on the intercom and identified the caller on line one, Sterling let go a lengthy sigh. Her luck had just run out.
“I just got into town. How about meeting me for dinner?” Anna Bertilini had started making a habit of these short-notice invitations. It pleased her to have Sterling at her beck and call. The attorney had no life outside the office anyway and at least it eliminated the necessity of an ongoing string of women, who it was getting harder to fend off at the end of the evening. By now, Anna was perfectly sure that Sterling was not seeing Sam. The realtor, Anna assumed, had heard or seen enough of Sterling’s escapades to move on. Of course, Anna Bertilini could not understand the depth of the love Sam felt for Sterling since she, herself had never experienced anything close to it.
“Sure, why not?” Sterling sounded more enthusiastic than she felt. Maintaining the charade was wearing her down.
“Plan on staying at the townhouse for a few days.” It was a statement, not a question and the lawyer felt her temper flare. Anna seemed to sense through the silence that she had overstepped and softened the command. “I’d really appreciate it, Sterling. I have a lot to talk with you about and it would be so much easier if you were with me in the evenings.”
Some of the matters Anna was working on didn’t bear public discussion, even in the restaurant that she herself owned. Her suggestion made sense, but it still riled Sterling to be ordered about like an employee.
‘Hell, I AM an employee. Who am I kidding? Why shouldn’t she treat me any way she wants to? What difference does it make anyway? I have no life anymore.’ The dark attorney had fought depression from her loss of Samantha. That coupled with this alliance had her drowning in despair. ‘I have to go along, it’s the only way I’ll get the information the bureau needs for the sting. I can spend a few more evenings with her even if it does make my skin crawl.’
“Whatever. I’ll meet you at eight. I have a lot to finish up here first.” Sterling hung up the phone without saying goodbye.
Anna fairly beamed when she saw Sterling’s tall figure enter the intimate dining room where they usually met. It was apparent that she was still deluding herself and believed that something personal was possible in the relationship between them.
Seeing Anna’s reaction to her arrival made Sterling wonder many things. ‘Maybe she’s just lonely. Certainly a woman in Anna’s line of work wouldn’t have a lot of close friends. Then too, she IS crazy. That probably runs people off in droves.’ The attorney let go a twisted laugh as she made her way between the sparsely scattered tables to the corner of the room.
“Hello.” Dark eyes glittered in the light of a candle burning on the table between them. Their server appeared within minutes with a generous scotch on the rocks for the lawyer and smiled at her as he sat it on the table. “Thanks Tony. You’re the best. How did you know that I really needed this?” She lifted the glass and saluted him with it before taking a substantial drink.
“How are things in the Land of Oz?” Sterling had relaxed into her role and took great liberties with her attitude towards her dinner partner.
Anna began a half-hour monologue that covered the events of her recent trip to Boston. She claimed that it would be her last one for a long while, since everything was now in place for the Atlanta office. Sterling listened, but just barely as she moved salad around on her plate. Soon the waiter would take it away and she could move something different around on the next plate.
A judgement had been reached in Sterling’s last case earlier in the day. The calendar pages on her desk held little now in the way of legitimate business. Sterling Hayes had begun her descent into darkness once again. She wondered if Samantha knew what was going on, that she had begun representing the Bertilinis again. The attorney wondered, too, if Charlie would have anything interesting in his next report about her. A new wave of misery swept through the attorney at the thought and Sterling raised the glass of scotch to her lips again.
Dinner was finally over and the two women left the establishment. Anna arranged for one of her people to drive Sterling’s car to the townhouse so that the two of them could ride together. Anna’s car and driver stood waiting. As always, he parked illegally at the front door. The short ride was quiet and neither passenger’s cell phone rang for a change. They entered the dimly lit foyer and Sterling sat her briefcase at the base of an entry table. A glance in the mirror above it reflected a stranger. She turned away, just as Anna came up behind her and pulled her into a kiss.
Startled, Sterling stiffened and backed away. Anna laughed and began to embrace the taller woman again, but the lawyer was having none of it. Anna smiled seductively. “I just wanted to greet you properly.” Anna’s smile was reminiscent of Gino the predator’s. “I thought a seduction scene was in order.”
“Let’s get something straight between us right now Anna.” Sterling held her hands out in front of herself, clearly indicating that an invasion of her space was unwelcomed. “I’ll give up Sam, ruin my business, present a united front to the world between you and me, but I won’t sleep with you. Ever.” She let the words hang between them for a moment. “You are already getting my soul, Anna, leave me my body, please.” The taller woman went into the living room to pour herself another stiff drink before hurling herself onto the sofa.
Anna studied her while she processed her own reaction to the rebuff. ‘She just needs a little time to get used to the idea,’ the younger woman thought. ‘I’m in no hurry. I can wait.’
Samantha was late for a closing. She alternated between glancing at her watch, willing the hands to move slowly and studying the red light hanging over the intersection. Neither object was cooperating. Motion in her periphery drew the young woman’s attention and she casually looked over to check out the car moving up beside her. Sam instantly recognized the sleek body of a silver BMW. Sterling was at the wheel, but was concentrating on something and had not seen her. The realtor started to touch the pad on the steering column to sound the horn, then lost her courage.
‘My God, she looks terrible,’ was all the reaction that Sam allowed herself. A wave of sympathy crashed over her as she studied the tired features of the familiar face. As Sam’s face twisted in anguish, Sterling suddenly looked up and recognized her. The attorney’s mouth dropped open to let a breath escape as her eyes searched Sam’s. To her surprise she found no hatred there, only hurt. Sterling had an automatic and overwhelming need to mouth three words across the distance separating them, but knew that they would blow Sam’s world apart and start the processing of pain over again. Instead, Sterling watched helplessly while Samantha responded to the honking horn behind them and drove away.
The realtor made a sharp left at the next intersection, insuring that Sterling couldn’t follow her. Sam had no reason to believe that the attorney would even try, but she was taking no chances. At the moment, her pulse was throbbing triple time and tears were starting to track down her face, taking her mascara with them.
Samantha pulled to the curb and struggled with the knob that would start her emergency flashers. Taking deep breaths, she tried to order her thoughts, but nothing helped. After five full minutes, chaos still prevailed and she called Peter. Sam told him to relay the message to the closing attorney that she had been in a collision, but would be arriving shortly. Peter went berserk, assuming she was hurt. She explained that it wasn’t that kind of a collision, but wouldn’t go into details.
He was reluctant to accept her story, but promised to do as she had bid him. Sam put her cell phone back into her purse and pulled out a wadded kleenex to wipe her face. As she strained to see the damage to her makeup and repair it in the rear view mirror, Sam’s mind raced. She had wished for weeks, just to see Sterling’s face again. She had convinced herself that it would be enough, just to look into her eyes one more time. Samantha now knew that theory for the total lie that it was. Her heart was beyond broken and she hadn’t thought it possible to want something so much as she wanted to understand what had happened between them.
‘I can’t! I simply CAN NOT think about this right now. I have to walk into that attorney’s office in twenty minutes and act like a professional business woman.’ Sam scolded herself until she was able to regain control of her emotions.
The barrister was stricken. She pressed the accelerator and steered her little car toward her office, but remembered none of the trip later. Sterling’s imposing figure crashed through the outer offices of her firm, looking neither left nor right. Sally, who had been expecting the arrival knew instantly that something was terribly wrong. She watched her employer storm by, her face pale and drawn. No words were exchanged as Sterling swept through the massive door to her office and hurriedly pushed it closed behind her.
She rested there, her back against the solid wood, some kind of comfort in her reeling world. Sterling could not close her eyes, because each time she did, a picture of Sam’s face as it had looked at the stop light came screaming back at her. ‘I thought I was past this. My God, but she is beautiful. I thought my heart would stop.’ Random thoughts flashed through her quick mind as Sterling stood there, trying to regain some control. The barrister had recognized several things in Sam’s eyes during their brief encounter and chief among them was pain. It was one thing for Sterling to endure suffering, but she could not allow Samantha to be subjected to it any longer.
Slumping into her desk chair, Sterling understood with perfect clarity what she had to do. The plan that she had so carefully implemented wasn’t set to go into action for several more weeks, but the attorney knew that she couldn’t perpetuate her charade with Anna any longer. Sterling would have to convince her new friends at the bureau that they had to move on the Bertilinis immediately.
It no longer mattered whether Sterling survived the sting and its aftermath. Even death was preferable to her current predicament.
****Showered, dressed and impeccably groomed, it was time to go into the theater of Sterling’s world and give the performance of her lifetime. Background music floated from the open top of an ebony grand piano. It wasn’t the kind of music that distracted or evoked thought but the pianist producing it caused a stir. A shimmering cape of white-blond hair covered the shoulders of a black cutaway tail coat. The traditional black pants were in evidence as were the cummerbund and bow tie adorning her torso, but no shirt. Instead, she had onyx studs and cufflinks attached to skin in the appropriate places by some unidentifiable means. Her bare breasts were in easy view and many in the crowd were amused by this fact. Others were appalled.
Judging by the reaction, Sterling determined the crowd to be a standard mix of progressive and conservative art lovers. This was an important show for a new artist and many among the gallery’s regular patrons were in attendance. The people at this gathering represented a huge amount of wealth and did not want to fend off entrepreneurs looking for investors all evening. Nor did they feel comfortable with the unknown commodity of novice collectors.
Sterling had worked with Sally to pepper the relatively small guest list with enough of her own supposedly distant relatives and ‘European art critics’ to explain away the presence of the unfamiliar faces belonging to the FBI agents in attendance. The attorney had carefully rehearsed the four men and two women on the finer points of the art show they were pretending to attend. Surprisingly, most of them displayed an aptitude for understanding the subtle themes of the exhibit. The artist was unaware of her participation in a government sting. She had been thrilled at the opportunity to show her work, and willing to demonstrate for Sterling just how much. The attorney had extricated herself from the young woman twice already and looked up from sipping the pale liquid in her glass to see the artist bearing down on her again.
That was the moment that Samson chose to appear in front of her. Sterling hooked her arm through his and led him into the gallery office which had been secured for her private use for the evening. She gratefully led him inside and closed the door, silencing the sounds of talk, music and laughter.
“I am so nervous man. Has everything been checked out with the microphones?” Samson nodded, amused that she had slipped back into the vernacular of her youth. He lifted the glass the lawyer sat on the edge of the desk to sniff its contents. He made a sour face and put it back.
“Everything has been double and triple checked. Are you OK with everything?” She nodded and sat down behind the desk. “Anna call you tonight?”
Sterling indicated with a nod that she had in fact. “Yes, she’s going to be fashionably late, but she wouldn’t miss this opportunity for the world. The woman wants to rub shoulders with the acceptable wealthy so badly that she is walking into this blind.” Sterling leaned forward to snag her glass and drained the champagne from it in one gulp. “Hopefully they can get enough tonight to wrap this up. I’m ready for this to be over, if it ever can be.”
There was a plan in place to arrest and prosecute Anna Bertilini on a list of Federal charges. Sterling and Samson had worked together to collect documents, tape conversations and locate witnesses willing to testify against the powerful woman. Anna, in her flight from her home base of Boston, had stepped on a lot of toes. Additionally, she had been so eager to establish herself quickly in the south that she had treated her employees badly, showing no respect for their loyalty to the family. Some had begun to doubt her abilities at first and later, her capability to make decisions that effected all of them.
More than anything else, Sterling’s survival would depend on the help of Carlos, Gino’s bodyguard for almost three decades. He was hard to locate, secreted as he was in his Florida retirement retreat. Sterling had prevailed, though and asked permission to meet with him. The lawyer had been surprised to see that Carlos looked younger with the passage of time instead of older. He recognized her reaction immediately and laughed as he shook her hand, inviting her to sit in the cozy conditioned air of his den.
His smile seemed genuine and Sterling realized that she had never seen it before today. The retired mobster’s explanation was brief. “I have no stress in my life since I retired. Not many of us get an opportunity to walk away from all of that.” The obvious question from this man of few words had to come. “Why would you go back to it after you made a clean getaway?”
She studied him carefully, knowing that her respect for him and his respect for Gino might be the only thing to keep her alive after their meeting. “I need your help and I have no right to ask for or expect it. That puts me in a bad position to negotiate.” He studied her without interrupting. “Gino’s daughter has decided to relocate in Atlanta and is using me to get her foot in the door.” She hesitated for only an instant before continuing. “I’m helping her only because I have no choice. She’s blackmailing me, Carlos and I have to come up with enough evidence to get her put away.”
The attorney was asking Carlos to give somebody up to the authorities, something that totally violated the moral code of a man who had managed to leave the mob while still alive. Not only that, but Sterling was delivering Gino’s daughter to the FBI and wanted him to help carry the tray.
“I’ve heard things. She’s made a lot of people unhappy.” He nodded his head, agreeing with his own statement. Carlos was weighing something in his own mind. “What’s she got on you?”
He had asked casually, used to the exchange of this kind of information just as other people conversed about the items on their grocery lists.
“She’s threatened to kill someone very dear to me…” Sterling looked him squarely in the eye and added “…someone I love.” There was silence as Carlos considered this new information.
The aging bodyguard ran his fingers through his now greying hair, thinking hard. “I thought she might still be pissed about you and Gino. She was you know.”
“She only told me recently, but …”
Carlos assured the young woman that she needn’t go into details. He had been well aware of Anna’s unnatural attachment to her father and the jealousy that Sterling caused when she came into the picture. Sterling had hoped to spare the loyal man these truths, rightly fearful that he would interpret them as a slur on Gino’s memory.
“He wouldn’t see it, although it was plain enough. It’s no wonder she got bent in here.” He touched his chest. “Her mother was always harping and damning Gino. Her brothers were torn between worshipping the man and wanting him dead. None of them could see her in the role of a partner in the business even though she’s really smart.” He watched his feet as he passed the only judgement on Gino Bertilini he had made in his entire lifetime. “The Boss spoiled her, I think.”
The attorney was experiencing pain right along with Carlos. The whole situation was so bizarre and related to a lifetime they had both purposefully but not successfully forgotten. “I’ll make some calls. You better not come here again, though.” The attorney realized that to do so would place Carlos in danger. Just then, two of his three grandchildren ran through the room, chasing each other. The old man shouted for them to stop, then demanded they apologize before he introduced them to his guest. Sterling looked at him in amazement. It had never even occurred to her that he had ever married much less spawned grandchildren. He smiled as he granted permission for the children to go outside and play.
“I do know what it is like to love someone and to fear for their safety. It has always been an unbendable rule to leave a man’s family and loved ones out of the affairs of the business. She has broken it.”
Later, he stood looking out at the rolling surf and remembered the promise he had made to Sterling as she left. “I will not allow her to dishonor what my friend stood for.” Carlos didn’t kid himself, Gino Bertilini had been a gangster, but a gangster with a modicum of integrity and a man who valued and understood loyalty. Carlos would have to stop Anna somehow.
A passing tray slowed long enough for the attorney to lift a crystal flute from it. The champagne was expensive, she noted and wondered how much it had cost her. It didn’t matter, really. If tonight’s events didn’t unfold as she predicted, her wealth would be meaningless as would her life.
Samson knew as well as Sterling did that Anna might not go quietly when the sting started and that this could be the last hours of their lives or their friendship. The detective winced at the thought of having to bury the woman before him. He would gratefully give up his life instead. Light tapping on the door interrupted the hushed conversation between the two old friends. “Showtime,” she whispered and giving her friend a long, meaningful look, she swept from the office.
An overly enthusiastic kiss was planted on her jaw before she could back up enough to avoid it. “You look lovely, as always,” she greeted Anna and took her coat. “I’ll be right back,” and she was, carrying with her two full flutes of champagne. Handing one to her guest, Sterling turned to study the crowd and give Anna a chance to acclimate. The attorney needed for her guest to be comfortable tonight.
Sterling hooked her arm loosely around Anna’s back and steered her through the exhibit, introducing her to the other guests as they went. Occasionally Anna would glance at the paintings she was actually here to see, but she made no comment. The young artist came over, interested in this new guest and obviously close friend to her patron. Anna spoke briefly with the young woman, distracted the entire time by the people moving about the gallery.
“They don’t dress formally for this kind of thing?” Sterling had answered a multitude of questions for her tormentor in the past weeks. Anna still had trouble understanding the principle of millionaire’s eccentricities as well as the casual grace that substituted for formality here in the south.
“Not unless the spirit moves them. There is everything here from fur coats to painter’s paints.” The combination of stress and the press of bodies around her made Sterling start to perspire. She whispered into Anna’s ear, the need to get some air and started to move away from the younger woman.
Anna took Sterling’s hand, an inappropriate gesture, and commented that she would go along for the ride.
‘She went for it.’ The lawyer enjoyed relief as Anna followed her into the office and sat down. “I’m having a wonderful time.”
The attorney bit back the sarcastic remark before it sprang from her lips. This was the moment when Sterling needed to make a believer out of Anna, not antagonize her. Sterling stretched out her long legs and appeared to relax into the upholstery of the desk chair she sat in. “How is everything going with the distribution set up?” It was a casual inquiry but it pleased Anna that she had asked it. More and more lately, Sterling seemed to be taking a genuine interest in the details of her family’s business.
“It’s not developing as fast as I would like, but then I’m interviewing a lot of new people. I don’t want this product handled by thugs.”
“You think there’s such a thing as a white collar drug dealer, huh?” The attorney chuckled then turned to face the young mob boss head on. Her smile melted Anna’s irritation at the remark.
Anna had angered a lot of the usual distribution people by either cutting them out all together or minimizing their involvement. Most of the staff that she had relocated with her was relegated to less profitable undertakings or plain old grunt work. A lot of people were pissed off and no amount of talk could persuade Anna to detour from her course. Her attitude about the situation had yielded yet another hand full of individuals willing to talk to the FBI.
“I don’t worry too much about the color of their collars, but I would like bring people into my organization with IQ’s that are in triple digits at least.” Sterling waited, less amused by the exchange than she appeared to be, and hoping that Anna would continue to talk.
“The nice thing about being in the south is that I am so much closer to the entry site. I can be in Savannah in five hours if I am needed and I might just oversee all the deliveries personally. Savannah is, after all, a beautiful city. Maybe you can find the time to let me show it to you?” She reached for Sterling’s hand and stroked its palm in a gesture of intimacy. When the attorney swallowed hard, Anna assumed her response was based on desire. It was in fact an effort not to vomit and blow the whole set up.
Gino’s daughter began to lean across the desk and Sterling quickly knocked a ledger to the floor with her elbow. While retrieving it, she brought the conversation back to business. “How often will you be going to Savannah?”
“Once every six weeks should be adequate. I need to keep the money moving, but I’m not greedy like my brothers.”
Sterling straightened up and placed the ledger back on the edge of the desk. She laughed convincingly. “Who’s really taking care of things in Boston now that you’re gone? I know damn well Sal and Joey aren’t capable.”
Anna reeled off a list of names that had the FBI agents in the recording booth below them laughing and high-fiving each other. It wasn’t enough. Sterling wanted this woman buried deep. More questions were forthcoming and her feigned interest in Anna’s work swelled the mobster with pride. A steady stream of incriminating information began to pour forth. Talk of crimes old and new went on for a half hour before the rude interruption of a fire horn caused both women to jump.
“What the hell…?” Sterling was confused as she rose quickly from her chair. She hadn’t even made it to the office door when one of the female agents posing as an art critic burst through it. Her eyes communicated panic to the attorney and together, they raced down the hallway to find the source of the problem. The FBI had planned a diversion to separate the two women but it involved a call on Anna’s cell phone. Few people had the number or would dare to call it when she had issued orders not to except in an emergency.
Anna had remained behind. She reached into her clutch bag and retrieved her phone. A single digit activated the speed dial and her personal bodyguard, whom she had asked to remain outside, was on the line.
The patrons quickly filed out of the building onto the sidewalk across the street, chattering noisily among themselves. No smoke was evident, but they assumed they would be notified if and when it was safe to return to the gallery. While they sipped champagne and made jokes about the panic of the previous minutes, Sterling rushed through the empty maze of half walls and rooms that comprised the facility. Fearful for the paintings and other art treasures collected under the same roof as she brought a certain feeling of déjà vu. As the attorney was reliving the terror she had felt that night at her house with the smoke rolling towards she experienced a sudden shattering of light inside her eyelids and then nothing.
Voice were mumbling unintelligible words off to her right side. Sterling lifted her head a little and was rewarded for her effort with a shock of nauseating pain. She fell back into the rough cot she had been placed on.
“She’s waking up. Bring her over here and put her on this chair.” It was Anna’s voice, calm and in charge, issuing orders as Sterling was lifted and half dragged across a dirty concrete floor and dropped carelessly into a ramshackle wooden chair. A monumental headache was throbbing behind her squinting eyes as she held her hand up to shield them from the bright light. Looking around her for the first time, the attorney tried to pinpoint her whereabouts but did not recognize her surroundings.
Anna finally completed her conversation with the distinguished looking man she was speaking to. Surprisingly it was him and not Gino’s daughter that approached her.
“My name is Shawn.” His smile was sincere and Sterling began to respond in kind when a lightening fast fist came up from his side and caught her under the chin. Light exploded in her head once again and she slumped forward. The sticky warmth of blood ran down the attorney’s jaw from her split lip to the top of her collar in seconds. The man who had introduced himself as Shawn carefully propped her up and broke a capsule under her nose to rouse her to full consciousness.
Sterling jerked awake and started to rise reflexively out of the chair to defend herself. He pushed her down with a warning look. She decided to cooperate for the moment and give herself a chance to get her bearings. The attorney could not stop the question that sprang from her lips.
“What in the hell is going on here?” Anna laughed loudly and Sterling noted that the woman had taken a seat at a table just outside the wash of light her own chair was located in.
“You are once again my entertainment for the evening dear.” The dark eyes danced as she raised a toast to the lawyer before continuing. “I am disappointed in you Sterling. I thought you were a worthy adversary until you brought in the FBI. They are so crude in their techniques and execution. I can’t imagine why you wouldn’t expect me to find out about your little plot to hand me over.” Anna was acting. The attorney had played the game well and Anna had learned of the plan only hours ago. She had very nearly walked right into the trap laid for her.
Sterling was trying to think, which was difficult with the cloud of pain hovering above her shoulders. She wished now that she had agreed to a microphone hidden on her person, but had refused the FBI team, unsure if Anna might try to put her hands on Sterling and discover it. ‘You’re on your own, kid. Think!’ She tried to focus her eyes into the darkness and ascertain the number of people present at this little soiree. Besides Shawn and Anna, there seemed to be only two other attendees, one standing at attention on each side of their boss. The three men were definitely armed but Anna usually carried her 380 automatic in her purse, which was not in view.
Shawn was talking to Sterling now in low tones. The attorney studied his features and tried to concentrate on his words.
“You are a beautiful creature. It is such a shame that you have sacrificed yourself.” He rammed his fist into her face, and turned to watch a satisfied smile spread over Anna’s countenance with the crunch of Sterling’s breaking nose.
Blood ran in ropes down the attorney’s chin and stained the front of her elegant outfit. Sterling fought for consciousness as waves of pain threatened to take her out. Almost everyone had the tendency to bleed freely above the shoulders, but even as a teenager she had been a copious bleeder when hit in the face. She hoped that would work in her favor now.
Her assailant stepped back to give Anna a better view of her prey. She studied Sterling, her head cocked to one side as if trying to determine if the damage was acceptable. “Yes, I think we are almost ready to start asking questions now.” The dark eyed woman rose from her chair and strolled with casual grace to where Sterling sat.
“It is a forgone conclusion that your life is forfeit. I will give you a chance to spare the lives of your little blond cunt and that moth eaten remnant of a cop you have befriended. Don’t toy with me though, my dear. I have run out of patience with you.”
The lawyer reached up and wiped at the mess on her face, succeeding only in smearing the blood over a greater area. It was the first step in her emerging plan.
The first question came from behind Sterling as Anna circled her chair. “How much information have you given them?” When the attorney hesitated to answer, Shawn stepped up. He was holding something down beside him which Sterling did not recognize until it smashed into her right knee cap. The well used Louisville Slugger did its job and the attorney cried out for the first time.
“Let’s try this one more time my dear. What do they know?” Anna watched as Sterling breathed slowly trying to control the shock of unbearable fire running through her knee. At that moment, she could not speak. Knowing or not knowing wasn’t even an issue.
Sterling’s tormentor was already walking towards her. He looked to Anna for instruction and was surprised when she waved him off. “Give her a moment to think about what she is about to sacrifice.” She turned to the lawyer and narrowed her eyes. “The next pain will be exquisite my dear and will equal the pain your blonde slut will suffer at Shawn’s hands if you do not cooperate.”
There was no reason to assume that Anna was bluffing, Sterling just needed time to think, which was nearly impossible with the twirling cloud of pain that engulfed her. Shawn walked into the light once more and sneered in anticipation of his next action.
The attorney was hurt, but not as badly as her torturer thought. Her survival instincts were in high gear and she remembered that the biggest adversary in the world would go down with a broken knee. When Shawn passed by the side of her chair, Sterling smashed her foot into the side of his knee with all the strength she could muster in her injured leg. It was enough.
Shawn started to go down, but the tall attorney sprang up from the chair and grabbed him from behind. By jerking his right wrist high on his back and positioning her arm under his chin, Sterling was able to hold him in front of her as a shield while choking him just enough to keep him in her control. The two gunmen at Anna’s side drew their weapons instantaneously and started firing.
Bullets caught Shawn’s body right in the chest, splattering blood and turning Sterling’s shield into literal dead weight within seconds. She pushed the lifeless body in the direction of the gunmen as they charged her and managed to knock one down.
Grabbing the chair, she hoisted it over her head and brought it down on the other gunman’s head, knocking him out. Anna’s screaming voice threatened all kinds of retribution to all parties present.
At that moment, Carlos stepped quietly through the door of the warehouse. He stared at Anna, seeing so much of his friend Gino in her features. Ever the professional though, Carlos was able to detach himself as he had done the day he ended Gino’s life out of love for his friend. He was doing the same today. This death was motivated by his love for the friend he had served so faithfully.
Anna recognized him immediately and registered surprise and confusion. The hand that came up holding the gun at eye level brought confusion, but no fear to her face.
“For Gino,” were the only words spoken before the tiny blasts of air sounded from the silencer and Anna slumped in her chair.
Carlos knew from experience that she was dead. He exited the building as quietly as he had entered, needing no further assurance. When the first FBI agent located and entered the abandoned warehouse they immediately recognized Anna sitting in a very ladylike pose, staring wide eyed in the direction of Sterling’s unconscious body. Except for a small icicle of blood on her temple, Anna looked untouched. Frozen by his discovery, the FBI agent was now joined by two of his colleagues who had needed a moment to catch up. They all stood, mouths agape and looked from the dead woman to Sterling and back again.
The lawyer’s hands were empty, yet Anna’s had obviously suffered a mortal gunshot wound. The agents stepped forward and looked closely at the cooling corpse. The dead eyes had an eerie effect on all of them and a chill ran up their spines. More people came rushing into the building then and the scream of a siren closed in the distance.
It had only been two days since Sterling arrived home from the hospital. Several cracked ribs, a broken nose, severe trauma to one knee and various lesser injuries were healing nicely. Sally was running the office in her usual efficient manner and Sterling had only to communicate with her secretary by phone periodically to stay abreast of matters regarding returning business.
Samson, who had barely left her through the entire hospital stay, now slept on the sofa in the downstairs den of the new house. The attorney had made some purchases on the phone and there would soon be a bed in the guest room for him to sleep in.
The Boston detective had refused to go home. It had been his responsibility to watch her back and he had let harm come to his friend. Samson was determined that no one would hurt her further. Unconscious for most of three days, his was the face she saw when Sterling’s eyes fluttered for the first time.
“I really wasn’t sure if I’d wake up dead or not.” A weak smile was all that she could manage before drifting off to sleep again. Samson held her hand and wept. He hadn’t been too sure either.
Charlie tapped on the door casing before entering her bedroom. Sterling sat propped up in her enormous bed and watched him as he rifled through her mail as he crossed the carpet to deliver it. “Bills, junk mail, bills…”
“You know it’s a federal offense to tamper with the U.S. Mail don’t you?” She grinned at the private investigator, noting that he still insisted on wearing his shoulder holstered weapon, even in the house.
“It’s OK boss. I know a good lawyer if I get into any trouble.” A small, square envelope rose to the top of the stack of mail and Charlie studied it closely. He tried not to give anything away with a change in facial expression, but Sterling could tell something was up.
“What have you got? Here, give me that and go make yourself some lunch or something. How can you eat me out of house and home if you’re up here underfoot all of the time?” He handed her the stack of envelopes and quietly left.
Sterling realized immediately that the address on the front of the envelope had been written by Samantha. Samson had already told the barrister of Sam’s daily visits to the hospital. Although Sterling hadn’t been allowed visitors, the realtor refused to stay away and it became routine for Samson to meet her in the downstairs lobby to pass along an update.
Frightened eyes studied the envelope that dangled between her fingers, trying to illogically predict its contents simply by touch. Many scenarios came to mind before the lawyer finally slid her finger under the flap to open it.
“Sterling” it said. She took a deep breath and continued slowly. “I am so relieved that you are home and recovering quickly. Please call me. We need to talk.” The message caused a warmth to spread over her as she continued to read. “I tried my best to stop loving you, to no avail.” It was signed simply “Sam” and why not, the attorney thought. How could you follow a remark like the one preceding Sam’s signature. It said it all.
All kinds of thoughts played through the mind behind blue eyes. So much had happened and so much more unseemly negotiation would be necessary before Sterling could finally put her connections with the Bertilinis behind her for good. Could she make Sam understand that and would she be willing to wait, knowing that Sterling might not be able to make things right and bargain with the underworld to let her live in peace?
“I don’t know what you’re reading, but could you tear off a corner for me? You look like a kid at Christmas.” Samson yawned and stretched a bit. Sterling automatically smiled at her friend.
“It’s a note from Sam.” The smile of content on her face told the detective all that he needed to know.
“It doesn’t surprise me. What are you gonna do about it?” He pointed at the card that now lay on her lap.
“I think I’ll do what she asked and call her. Do you think now would be too soon?” She was seriously concerned and suddenly very nervous about the situation.
“I’d say that could work out just fine.” He picked up the portable phone, laid it in her lap and turned on his heel. The detective closed the door behind him as he left her alone.
“Hello?” It wasn’t enough to determine what frame of mind she might be in, but Sterling recognized Sam’s voice.
“Hi. It’s Sterling.” The barrister heard an intake of breath.
“Thank God you’re alright! I’m so glad you called.” Sam was suddenly out of things to say.
“I got your note just now. It was a wonderful surprise. Frankly, I wasn’t even certain that you would still be speaking to me.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” The subject was dismissed just that simply. “Samson told me some of what happened. I think he was afraid to tell me everything, but I have a friend with the police department.”
“Really? I had no idea. Did you sell him a house?” Sterling was trying to get comfortable enough to talk about things of consequence.
“Actually we went out a few times last year. Turns out that I’m not into uniforms.” Sam laughed easily and Sterling’s heart melted at the sound.
They talked for ten minutes working the conversation in circle after circle until Sterling finally interrupted the realtor in mid-sentence and made her request.
“I don’t suppose you could come over for a little while. I sure would love to see your smiling face.” She waited, prepared for disappointment.
“I’ll be there in fifteen minutes. Make that twenty, I look like hell.” Sam hung up without even saying goodbye. Sterling’s heart soared. She yelled so loud in celebration that Samson and Charlie both came charging into the room. Charlie still had a paper napkin tucked into his shirtfront.
“Calm down fellas, I’m just happy and had to holler about it a little. Can you guys give me a quick hand? I’ve got company coming over in a few minutes.” The two men looked at each other and broke into matching grins. Their palms met in a high five salute that brought laughter to the tall woman as she struggled to get out of bed.
“Either of you ever give a woman a shower without looking?” Both turned sheepish and stepped back. A coin toss earned Charlie the dubious privilege of sitting on the closed lid of the commode in case Sterling became dizzy while bathing. She managed nicely and was dressed in clean pajamas and drying her hair at her dressing table when the front doorbell rang.
Grabbing the crutches propped against the wall, the attorney made a mad dash for her bed, wanting to strike an attractive pose before Samantha entered the room. She had just managed to do so when a small hand reached through the door opening and lightly tapped out a request for entry.
“Come on in!” Sterling said too anxiously. Her voice was unpredictable at the moment, so she went with a smile that was brilliant enough to light the face across the room.
Sam greeted the lawyer shyly. For days she had rehearsed this moment, the one when she would once again be looking into the depths of the blue pools that Sterling possessed for eyes. Every speech left her, every thought flew away and she simply went to Sterling’s bedside and sat in the chair that was obviously there to serve visitors. Sam picked up the larger hand in hers, without ever breaking eye contact. Sterling drew the joined hands to her lips and placed a gentle kiss on Sam’s warm fingers, causing both of them to close their eyes and relish the intensity of the contact for a moment.
“I’ve missed you.” It was Sterling’s voice that finally cut the air. “We have a great deal to talk about.” She waited.
“Yes, but we don’t have to do it all in one visit. Can’t you just be quiet and let me get my fill of looking at you first?” Sterling smiled tenderly at her visitor. Sam had many questions. “Is your leg broken? What about that wound, will it scar you permanently?”
The bedridden woman held out her hands to stem the flow of questions. “One issue at a time, please. Yes, it’s broken, but not badly. No, the scar will disappear in a few months the doctor says. Its not as bad as it looks, you should have seen the other guys.” Sterling hoped Sam would never know the bloody aftermath of her short stay in the warehouse that night.
“I wanted to see the pictures, but Melissa refused. Said she couldn’t get access, but I could tell she was lying to spare me.” Sterling breathed a sigh of relief and sent Melissa a mental thanks, hoping she would have the opportunity to repeat it in person one day.
“It was nothing that warranted studying, Sam. A scene like that could haunt you all of your life. It only matters that it’s over and I survived it. More importantly, you didn’t have to suffer at the hands of that crazy bitch.”
Sam had an expression of deep hurt on her features. “Oh, I suffered alright, friend. I may have suffered silently, but never think that I was unscathed.” A flood of tears swam in Sam’s eyes but she fought them back. She had promised herself that she would keep her emotions in check through this visit.
“I didn’t mean that you didn’t…I just meant…Hell, Sam, I’m not so sure of what I meant or anything else right now except that I am positively aching for you to kiss me.”
The blonde closed the distance between them instantly and delivered a chaste brush across Sterling’s waiting and astonished lips.
Obviously disappointed at the brevity, the barrister scowled. “That wasn’t exactly what I had in mind, but then I am in no position to make demands.” She looked resigned to what she knew to be the truth.
“You can make all the demands you want, but there are too many injuries present to the eye. I’m sure there are even more that I can’t see and I’m not about to risk hurting any of them. Besides, you said yourself that we have a lot of things to talk about. I’m prepared to give the whole situation some time and see what unravels.” Sam squeezed the larger hand that she held and Sterling grimaced, proving the realtor’s point for her.
Samantha was still groggy from sleep. Never a morning person, this particular morning was going to be tough as she had been up most of the night. Seated at Sterling’s bedside, their quiet conversation had gone on for hours, with only the occasional brief interruption of Samson or Charlie, looking in to see that everything was alright, then moving off down the stairs to the rooms below.
There had been so many things to talk about, so many explanations to hear. Sam wondered now, how much she had cried. Her eyes felt like they belonged to someone else, scratchy and swollen. The toneless words that came from Sterling’s mouth were stinging and the crystal gaze that held Sam motionless broke her heart. Samantha would have liked to crawl right into bed alongside the dark beauty who held her heart, but a reluctance born out of the hurt visited on them by circumstance kept Sam still.
The tale was an incredible one, the whole of which Sterling would have to tell over time. Sam could only hear so much of her love’s suffering and she would begin again, the torrential tears. Green eyes closed slowly and Sam’s thoughts drifted. ‘What an amazing woman she is. How very lucky I am to have her.’ The realtor found herself circling her fingers over the back of her hand. Sterling had done that through the hours that they sat, picking their way among the emotional land mines of the last few months.
“Where do we go from here? This is somewhat of an unorthodox beginning, don’t you think?” It had been Sam’s fearful question. She hadn’t been sure when she asked it if she really wanted an answer, but the light in Sterling’s eyes had helped her to form the words.
“As I see it, we have the rest of our lives to figure that out. I only need a bit more time to negotiate the peace with the remaining crime franchises. Carlos, God love him, has intervened on my behalf and begun the talks for me.” Sterling turned her gaze for the first time, and stared past the curtains, into the day beyond them. “Make no mistake, he has done all of this out of love for Gino, not me.”
Sam reacted immediately. “I suspect it had a little more to do with you than you think. After all, he could have stayed in retirement, and given lip service to his loyalty for his friend Gino. No one could have questioned that after all those years of service.”
“I guess I’ll have a chance to ask some questions soon enough. He’s meeting me here in a few days. We will travel together to Boston.”
Sam’s look of alarm came instantaneously.
“He’s offered to stand with me when I ask to be released from all ties with the families. His presence will make all of the difference in the world. He is, after all, one of them and I am not.”
“I think he must have been a little in love with you himself, Sterling. Have you ever considered that?” It was Samson’s voice and both women looked up to see him crossing the room with a tray. “Here’s a snack for the two of you. You do realize that it’s four in the morning, don’t you?” His eyes shone.
“Nuh Uh! Where has the time gone?” Sam looked at her watch and verified this new piece of news. It fell into the miasma of things already swirling inside her overtired brain. “I need to get going and let you rest. After all, you aren’t anywhere near recovered yet.” She started to rise and Sterling took her hand in a firm grip.
“Please, stay a little longer. It’s been so long since I’ve seen you. I’m half way afraid that if you leave, you’ll never come back.” Her entreaty was so touching that Sam sank back into her bedside chair without a thought. Samson left the two women as quietly as he had arrived.
They sat for long, quiet minutes, simply looking at each other. Finally, Sterling picked up an apple slice and began to feed it to her guest. Eventually, it evolved that they were feeding each other from the tray that Samson had prepared. No words could have communicated the tenderness between them, anyway as they watched and waited for the appropriate minute to offer the next bite. Shy smiles laced the ceremony of nourishing that they shared until the feeding tapered off leaving only the soft touch of Sterling’s fingers against Sam’s face.
The bed shifted as Samantha was gently pulled from her chair and seated next to Sterling. “I never thought I’d have the chance again, so forgive me for rushing things.” Sterling pulled the warmth of her love to her and held tightly to the reality. The sky had begun to lighten when Sam finally tore herself away from the tender embrace. She placed a light kiss on the lips of the sleeping woman in her arms before she quietly disentangled herself from Sterling and went down the stairs.
Samson was sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee when she found him. “She’s doing OK physically, I can see that, but is she going to be able to straighten this out with …” Sam’s voice faded and her face remained a question that she could not put words to.
“The mob. That’s who she has to get straight with. The FBI isn’t happy, but they’re the ones who blew the collar on Anna. It was one of their guys that leaked the sting. Sterling is very lucky to be alive.” His face grew pale as he voiced the realization once again.
“Can she do that Samson? Will they let her go, do you think?” Sam had so much fear in her expression that Samson rose and crossed the kitchen to take her in his arms. As soon as her face hit his shoulder, the tears began afresh. Uncontrollable sobs came wave after wave and Samson just stood there, embarrassed at the intimacy of the moment they were sharing, but unwilling to withdraw his support of this woman.
“You know what Samantha? That crazy woman upstairs loves you so much, that I believe she could talk herself out of the devil’s grasp if she had to. There is no way she is gonna let you get away now. I almost feel sorry for you.” He looked down into Sam’s upturned face and smiled warmly at her. Pulling a linen handkerchief from his back pocket, Samson dabbed at the young woman’s eyes in a clumsy gesture. Ultimately, he handed the soft cloth to her so that she could dry her own face and he stepped away, turning his back to hide his emotion.
“I can’t imagine how all of this has effected you Samson. I know that you love her and that you are a good friend. Being a detective, I’m sure that you had a better grasp of the danger she was in than anyone.”
He nodded quietly and finally when he felt more in control he turned to face Sam. “I do love her Samantha and I always have. She deserves to have the kind of love you can give her. I can see it on your face every time you look at her.”
Sam blushed slightly and started to speak, but he quieted her with his next remark. “Don’t give her a chance to get scared and push you away again. Make her accept what she feels for you, Samantha.”
The room was paneled in walnut, its floor of exquisite dark marble was veined with copper looking almost like arteries pumping life to the furnishings that sat upon it. The faces at the conference table were unfamiliar. Sterling thought that might work in her favor. Her stride was off-balance, the pain in her knee rising up, but she had shunned her crutches thinking they might project a weakness she could not afford to exhibit. Opting for a cane instead, the young woman made her way slowly to the table.
Taking the seat offered her, the attorney looked up into the coldest eyes she had ever seen and realized the serious nature of this meeting.
“Carlos has asked us to hear you today Miss Hayes. He is a trusted member of our family and we are willing to accommodate you based on his recommendation.” The man at the head of the table waved his permission for her to speak.
Sterling found her voice and began. “Gentlemen, I am a woman in the debt of this man.” She indicated Carlos, who sat casually in the chair beside her, his solid presence a great comfort as she spoke.
“My association with the Bertilini family started when I was very young. As most of you know, I made a clean break with them after Gino’s death with no wish to create any hardship for his wife and children. My respect for Gino led me to leave the Boston area and start a life elsewhere. The events of three weeks ago, and the months preceding that were none of my doing. Anna Bertilini had some serious psychological problems and I was forced to do her bidding under the threat of death to someone I love very much.”
“All of you know, I am sure, what it is to have your loved ones’ safety threatened. I experienced that at Gino’s side once upon a time.” Sterling paused for effect. “It exposed the only moments of weakness I ever witnessed in the man.” Carlos nodded his agreement and heads around the table began to bob up and down in agreement as well.
“My loyalty was never questioned by Gino Bertilini. I never gave him cause to and even when his own sons went against him, Gino’s belief in me never faltered. He was the only family that I had until now.”
Taking a deep breath, Sterling slid her chair back from the table and used it to pull herself up to her full height. She was well aware of the advantage it gave her to be looking down into the eyes of the men at the conference table.
“My part in the sting of the Bertilini’s southern operation did not extend beyond that. I made it very clear at the outset that I would not dredge up ancient history and I have kept my word. In fact, no one in this room, or elsewhere for that matter, can name a single incident when I have not been above reproach in conducting my business. I will grant you that I have defended some unsavory positions, but it was done honorably.”
“Gentlemen, I ask only that you give me the opportunity to quietly walk away. I promise you on the grave of Gino Bertilini that I will never betray his legacy, or the life I had with him.” Sterling looked from one pair of eyes to the next, holding each man’s gaze in her own for a few seconds. Unlike jurors, these faces were impossible to read. She was grateful when Carlos indicated his desire to speak and she could sit down again.
Carlos was a man of few words, but his message was powerful. “He was my friend. He trusted this woman above everyone in the world and I do too. I ask you to grant her request in his name.” Carlos pulled Sterling’s chair out for her when he stood, signaling their dismissal. The left the conference room and went into a sitting area where they were to await a private audience with Anthony Chioda, the chairman of the group. He would deliver the verdict.
The minutes ticked by slowly and Sterling fidgeted in her uncomfortable chair. “Do you think it will be much longer?” She turned to Carlos, who sat, relaxed with his eyes closed, humming softly to himself.
He looked at her. “The decision was made within five minutes, less if there wasn’t much discussion. They have other business to take care of before the meeting breaks up and Chioda is free to meet with us.”
“Oh.” Her eyes were huge. Following her companion’s example, Sterling sat back into the soft cushions of the sofa and let her head fall back a little. She’d had little sleep the past two days. Between concern for today’s meeting, and spending every possible minute renewing her relationship with Samantha, there had been little time to rest. Now, with her life literally hanging in the balance, the barrister would have never supposed that she could sleep, but she drifted off.
“Wake up Miss Hayes. It’s time to speak with Mr. Chioda.” The voice was unnaturally soft coming from the hulking figure of Carlos as he leaned down to wake her.
The dark head stirred and her eyelids opened slowly. Looking around, she slowly recognized her surroundings. “I’m so sorry. Please forgive me Carlos. You must think me some kind of imbecile, sleeping when my life hangs in the balance.”
He surprised her. Instead of his usual noiseless laugh, his voice burst forth in a belly laugh. When he had composed himself he offered an explanation. “The outcome will be no different whether you twist your handkerchief or sleep soundly, guarded by an old man.” He waited for her to stand and they passed through an incredibly large door into a private office.
Once they were seated Chioda wasted no time in coming to the point. “Miss Hayes, there were no men in that room who did not know Gino Bertilini, at least by reputation. Consequently, they are all aware of the type of retribution he was capable of when confronted with disloyalty. His willingness to trust you and release you from his family business is extraordinary but unfortunately his voice has faded with the passage of time.”
“Your presence however my friend, is as solid as it ever was.” He acknowledged Carlos with a bowed head to show his respect. The business that Chioda headed had been built on the accomplishments of capable men like the one before him. “You must have a great deal of respect and affection for this young woman to come away from your retirement and mingle with the likes of us again.” His smile was genuine, but did not effect the look on Carlos’ face.
“We have no quarrel with you Miss Hayes. The vote was unanimous, something that rarely happens among us I might add. Go and live your life with no fear of interference from us.” Sterling let go the breath she had been holding and Carlos finally looked at her and smiled.
Walking down the hallway to the underground parking garage, Sterling stopped and turned to face the gentle giant beside her. Tall as she was, it required standing painfully on tip-toe to deliver a kiss to the ruddy cheek, which he allowed. A slight blush rose out of the collar of Carlos’ white shirt as she linked her arm through his for support and to show her affection for the man. They stepped through a glass door and found the car she had leased waiting for them.
Carlos stepped back after he helped her into the back seat. Sterling looked at him in question. “I’m gonna stay over a day or two, kind of a reunion I guess. Chioda will speak with Gino’s remaining sons, but I would like to talk to them as well.”
Sterling nodded. “I know you will have a lot of laughs remembering some of the good times.” They both knew that the bad and bloody times would not be brought up. “Thank you for giving me my life back. Twice.” He returned her smile. “Gino had a very good friend in you, Carlos and so do I. If there is ever anything I can do for you…”
“I know. Call you. I will too, believe me. Have a safe trip.” He was gone, just that quick and the car was moving into traffic toward the airport.
A very nervous realtor answered her own office phone. Peter was nonplussed, having been out-drawn in answering the phones all afternoon. He didn’t know exactly what was going on, but understood that it was serious enough to warrant his boss’ silence on the subject.
“Hilliard Realty,” her voice was expectant.
“Hey beautiful.” Sam closed her eyes and offered a silent prayer of thanks.
“Where are you? How are you? Are you coming home?” The questions rolled out like marbles.
Laughing, Sterling did her best to answer all of them. Her tone of voice revealed the outcome of the meeting, but Sam wanted to hear it solidly stated. “Everything is OK then? Nobody is gonna jump out of a bush and snub you out are they?”
“That’s snuff me out not snub me out, but no. They’re happy just to let me be as long as I remain quiet about my sordid past.” Sterling frowned, wishing that it had never touched Sam, but knowing that she could never change what was behind her.
“How about having dinner with me. I should be home by six.” The lawyer was pretty sure that Sam hadn’t made any other plans, but she didn’t want to start this relationship off taking anything for granted.
“I’ll meet you at the door.” Sam was beaming as Peter walked into her office. “Samson will let me in I assume.”
“No doubt. I think he likes you better than me anyway. I’ve never seen him be so gentle and attentive as he is with you. It’s kind of strange. I think he’s going to stay after all, did I tell you?” Sterling had been trying to get the detective to take early retirement and get the hell out of Boston’s inner city. She had discussed setting him up in the investigation business and he had agreed to give it a shot that very morning.
“That’s fantastic! I can’t believe you talked him into it.” Sam was ecstatic. She had liked Samson instinctively from the moment she met him. He was turning into a friend and probably the kind of friend that Sam would have for a lifetime.
“You don’t seem to have much faith in my powers of persuasion. I’m hurt, particularly since swaying peoples’ decisions happens to be what I do for a living.” Sterling pretended to pout, but her heart was bursting with the happiness she felt. There was a chance for her, one final chance to be happy and to have love.
“We’re pulling up at the terminal entrance. I’ve got to scoot if I’m going to make my flight. See you at home.” Sterling was about to hit the disconnect button when she heard a faint declaration. “What did you say?” She asked hoping that Samantha would repeat her remark, which she willingly did.
“I said I love you. I didn’t say be careful, but I should have. You’re already nearly crippled.” She laughed in an effort to negate some of the intensity of the moment.
“I love you too.” The words shot back, then the line went dead. Sam hung up, the light in her eyes shining brightly enough to light Peter’s too.
“You eavesdropping again?” He tried to look contrite, but she laughed at his ineffectual effort.
“I’ve been your dartboard for so long, I was beginning to wonder if I’d ever see you like this again.” He grinned at his dear friend. “I couldn’t be happier for you Sam,” he said in hushed tones. A beat went by before he added, “Now, when can I see her house? Do you have a key yet?”
Samantha cracked up at his blunt request. It was a very ‘Peter’ thing to do. She suddenly realized that no, she did not have a key and picked up the phone to make sure Samson could let her in to await Sterling’s homecoming.
The doorbell rang in the heart of the house. Sam could barely make out the sound, but could tell at least that it had rung. She waited impatiently for Samson to open the door and leaped into his startled embrace as soon as he had accomplished it.
“Can you believe it? God, I am so excited.” Suddenly Sam pulled back and looked into Samson’s eyes. “You don’t think they’ll go back on their word do you?”
The detective laughed and led her through the foyer into Sterling’s den. “They wouldn’t dare. Besides, she could have caused them grief at any time if she had chosen to. Sterling’s not that kind and they know it. If she was that kind, none of this would have ever happened to her.”
Samantha would have liked to ask a dozen questions and she knew that Samson would answer them, but she hesitated. Only one had really been eating at her and she heard herself ask it as she sat down into the welcome comfort of Sterling’s old leather sofa.
“Anna was in love with her, wasn’t she?” The question posed, all the young blonde could do was wait for the answer that she didn’t want to hear.
“In my opinion, yes, she was but no one really knows that answer but your lady friend.”
Sam smiled at the term. It wasn’t a familiar one to her. “I guess she is, isn’t she? My lady friend, I mean. I can’t wait for dad to meet her. Aunt Jane thinks she’s just terrific. Of course, she was a little miffed over that abandonment thing, but I explained it all to her and she’s with the program now.”
Samson sat and listened to the young woman rattle on, her nervousness obvious to his practiced eye. She congratulated him on his decision to move south and quit the job that had been sucking his soul dry for so many years. Finally at a break in her one-sided conversation, he stood and stretched, announcing his intention to leave the house for the evening to meet Charlie for dinner and drinks.
“Now that we know she’s safe from a sneak attack, there’s really no reason to maintain the high security. It will be nice to get out,” he admitted.
She rose from the sofa and hugged him before he could leave the room, surprising and befuddling him. “I guess I’m gonna have to get used to all of this mushy stuff if I’m going to be living here, huh?”
Green eyes looked up into his knowing dark brown orbs. “Absolutely. I refuse to maintain a distance with people that I love.” That remark blew him totally away and he left the room hurriedly.
The blonde realtor checked her watch. ‘Five fifteen. Forty-five minutes to kill. I wonder what’s in the kitchen.’ Sam bent to the task of investigating the refrigerator’s contents. She hoped Sterling wouldn’t mind her helping herself, but the realtor had been so intent on the outcome of the meeting in Boston that she had forgotten to eat. ‘She mentioned dinner, but I don’t feel like going out. Maybe I should just cook something. Hmmmm.’
So it was that Sterling found Samantha, in her sock feet, dishrag tucked into the waistband of her dress slacks, blazer dropped over a chair back. Intent on stirring the contents of a bubbling pot, she did not even see the tall figure come into the kitchen and take up a position directly behind her.
“I had no idea you looked so lovely with a dishtowel wrapped around you.” Startled, Sam didn’t even have time to turn before Sterling placed her hand around the smaller woman’s middle and hugged her from behind.
Turning from the stove, Sam wiped her hands on the dishrag in question and smiled warmly at the sight before her. Sterling hung the cane on the counter top to free both of her hands and once again drew Sam against her for a long, long moment. Finally, able to turn loose at least briefly Sterling investigated the contents of the pots on her stove.
“I heard a rumor that you could cook, but you know how gossip is in this town.” The cool blue of her eyes reflected Sterling’s joy in the simple interaction taking place in her kitchen.
“There are many things that I can do, that you have no first hand knowledge of. We will just have to make a point of going down the list until you are acquainted with all of them.” Sam pulled the smiling mouth within reach and feasted on it for several minutes. When the two separated a few inches Sterling had to reach for her cane to help support her.
“You make me dizzy,” she admitted causing Samantha to blush, then laugh and return to her task at the stove.
“Dinner will be ready in about fifteen minutes. Why don’t you sit down at the table and tell me all about the meeting while I finish it up?” her suggestion was gratefully accepted and the taller woman moved to the nearest chair. There was a familiarity in the scene she was participating in and Sterling liked it.
“There isn’t much more to tell than what you already know. The conference room was imposing, the men around the table had on the most expensive clothes, collectively, that I have ever seen in one place, including at fashion shows. The atmosphere was tense. Carlos was wonderful.” She shook her head, realizing that if she wasn’t careful, she would cry at the memory of his generosity.
Samantha instinctively closed the short distance between them and put her arm around Sterling’s shoulder. The lawyer looked up into her gaze and recognized understanding and compassion there. The realtor leaned down so that their eyes were level and continued to stare.
“There has to be some reason that this Carlos person was willing to go to bat for you. You have neglected to say so, but he must hold you in very high esteem.” Sam tasted the irresistible lips in front of her briefly, before returning again to her task. “You’re very distracting, do you know that.” The remark wafted over her shoulder as she searched the cupboards for dinner plates.
“He loved Gino, that’s all.” Sterling appraised the shapely figure of her chef for the evening. Sam turned and caught her looking, but her smile invited the barrister to look all she wanted.
“And Gino loved you, right?” It wasn’t necessary to get an answer. “You’ve never really admitted that to me. I don’t know why you think I couldn’t understand him loving you. After all, I do, very much. There is no shame in it Sterling.” The blonde crossed her arms over her chest and waited for a reaction.
“He would never say so, but I could feel it. Things turned out all right, that’s all that matters. Fate threw you and me together, Sam and the past is finally agreeing to go down quietly.”
Dinner was brought to the table and both of the friends welcomed the distraction of eating. There were many levels to their feelings at the moment. Sterling particularly wanted to look forward and said so. Sam pondered the request as she chewed and agreed that there was nothing that warranted saving in their past. “With the possible exception of the evening we spent sharing your art collection.” Sam didn’t elaborate by mentioning their interrupted love making.
“And the Saturday at Peter’s when you let me pour out my soul to you.” Sterling smiled in remembrance.
“And of course the afternoon shopping spree with Aunt Jane. You were so funny that day. I never knew you had such a sense of humor until then.” Sterling thought only of the stolen kiss they had shared in the downstairs foyer.
“Most of the house hunting was fun,” Sterling interjected. They both went back to dining quietly, each lost in her own thoughts, and moving food around on their respective plates.
Sam spoke first, breaking the spell of silence. “Actually, we do have some good history don’t we? I just never thought about it until now.” Her expression challenged Sterling to deny it as she laid her fork down on the edge of her barely touched plate.
“Yes, we have shared a great deal, to have never shared a great deal.” Sterling watched her companion to see if she understood the insinuation. Sam looked at her questioningly. The attorney took Sam’s hand and pulled her into her lap. A slight grimace as the blonde came to rest on top of fragile knees reminded them both to be careful of Sterling’s injuries.
Sterling reached up with the trembling fingers of her right hand and stroked Sam’s cheek. Green eyes closed involuntarily at the tender assault. Before long, warm breath on Sam’s collarbone announced Sterling’s nearness as their lips met, then parted to allow the gentle exploration of tongues. There was no need to be coy. These two had waited a long while to reach the place where they could let down their guard.
The two women rose, steadfast in their intent and walked wordlessly through the house and up the magnificent staircase to Sterling’s inviting bed. They stood together, watching, tasting and touching exposed flesh. Each enjoyed the response of the other as they craved a wider range in which to explore and divested themselves of restrictive clothing. When they were both naked, Samantha pushed Sterling back onto the satin comforter she remembered from her last visit to the barrister’s bed. The sensory memory of cold meeting her skin caused her hormones to kick into overdrive and Sam felt herself beginning to lose control. Her kisses became more urgent.
Sterling sensed the escalating desire in her partner and tried to slow things down a bit. “Hey, would you massage my shoulders for a few minutes? I’m so tense and I want this to go well.” She gave her partner a pleading look .
“Of course, here let me see…” Sterling rolled onto her stomach and Sam straddled her hips, reining in her passion in order to bring comfort to her love. It was a good plan, for a short while. Within minutes Sterling began to feel the increased pressure of Samantha’s crotch against her own ass with each rhythmic stroke of the massage. The obvious wetness that accompanied the contact had the lawyer breathing heavily in no time. She tried to concentrate on the loving fingers that were ministering to the roped muscles in her shoulders, but each time the wet heat returned, she fought to withstand it without reacting.
“That better?” Sam leaned down and whispered her question into an available ear and punctuated it with a damp, but not exactly wet kiss. A groan rose up from the pillow that Sterling’s face was smothered in. “Something wrong?” Sam asked, all innocence.
Sterling forgot for a moment that she was still a somewhat injured individual and rolled under Samantha so that she was facing her. She drew the smaller woman into her naked chest and felt the thrill of hardened nipples rubbing against her ribs. Large hands roamed down the curve of Sam’s back and found the willing temptation of firm buttocks just waiting to be caressed. Now it was the blonde’s turn to vocalize her growing excitement and Sterling reacted by drawing Sam’s body closer still.
It took a couple of tries to communicate her intention, since neither woman would let go of the searing kiss long enough, but finally Sterling got Sam to spread her knees. In the moment when her throbbing center contacted the hard thigh between her legs Sam thought she might honestly faint. She grew still, concentrating all her energy on staying in the moment. Finally, reasonably sure that she would not blow apart, the young blonde began to tentatively move her wetness against Sterling, who responded in kind from her place below.
“How long?” came Sterling’s whisper and Samantha knew exactly what her question meant. A rush of want swept over the two figures as they strained and pressed against each other, mouths once again meeting and fusing.
It was Sam who finally pulled back enough to let her eyes focus as she memorized the face of the woman she loved. It was painted with the accumulated longing of a lifetime. She had never seen anything more beautiful.
Sterling was trying to swap positions with her but the realtor had no intention of relinquishing the lead, not tonight. With surprising agility and an iron will, Samantha remained where she was and began trailing kisses across her lover’s collarbone and down the powerful torso beneath her. Sterling’s head rolled slowly from side to side, eyes closed, lost in the sensations that the lips on her skin were causing.
Sam liked the moans and little sighs that rewarded her for her efforts and continued moving downward until she dipped her tongue into the depression of Sterling’s navel and felt the lawyer’s hips rise up sharply off the bed. “You OK?” Sam asked innocently, looking up into pools of deepening blue.
“Yes, but I need you, I want you.” The words were carried by a deep voice that made Samantha’s pulse race.
“You want me to do what?” The blonde was pushing her luck, She had fantasized so many times about hearing Sterling’s voice begging her for relief and now she took the opportunity to tease a little, making that fantasy a reality.
“Touch me, please,” Sterling breathed. Sam retained her position between long legs as she experimented. She ran her thumbs along the vee of tender skin outside the bristling black carpet beneath her chin. Sterling writhed involuntarily as tiny kisses were peppered through her sopping curls. Finally Samantha showed some mercy by snaking her tongue out and letting it flick gently once, then twice at the sensitive skin of her lover’s outer lips.
“Unngghh!” Sterling’s response was totally intelligible to her tormentor. Sam repeated the action and felt the length of her partner’s body stiffen for a moment. Looking up she was being glared at by eyes that were now the color of the night sky. If Sam had been capable of thinking, she would have realized that Sterling was tired of playing. As it was, she continued to lap at the seeping slit before her, drowning in the assault on her senses brought about by taste, smell, sound and sight.
“Ohh! Yesss!” Was the welcomed response when the center of Sterling’s universe finally came into contact with Samantha’s torturous tongue. The blonde gently sucked the hardened button between her lips and flicked her tongue over it, surprised at her partner’s response. The cool, calm and collected Sterling Hayes had vanished leaving a writhing, primal creature.
“My God!!! Please, you’re killing me Sam…I’ll get you for this!” was the last remark Sterling made before letting her head collapse back into the pillows in total frustration. That’s when Samantha realized that she had better cut to the chase, lest Sterling make good on her threat later on.
Working Sterling’s thighs over her shoulders, Sam reached around her lover’s slender hips and grasped the larger hands that were clutching the bedsheets. The squeeze Sam gave them promised that help was indeed on the way as she began in earnest to find the proper tempo and intensity to trigger Sterling’s much needed release. Sterling’s hips began to rise from the bed, rhythmically pumping against Samantha’s knowing teeth and tongue.
Nothing had ever sounded so beautiful to Samantha’s ears as her own name sounded, being shouted over the top of her tousled head. Sterling screamed it over and over as the waves of her release rolled up her body from the place where she and Sam were joined.
Finally, when the lawyer’s breathing had quieted some, Sam climbed the listless body to lay beside her lover and hold her close, reveling in the tiny aftershocks that spasmed through Sterling periodically. Sam cupped her hand over the glistening curls and applied gentle pressure there.
“I love you.” Sterling could manage nothing more, but hoped that Sam understood how deeply she really felt the sentiment.
“Show me then,” Samantha said quietly into Sterling’s neck and the attorney seemed to be instantly infused with energy, her hands and mouth everywhere at once. Samantha for her part, held on for dear life, tingling to her very soul with the feel of loving hands seeking to claim and free her all at once. Long fingers worked through her slickness, leaving her gasping for breath.
Grabbing Sterling behind the neck, she pulled the dark head within inches so that she could whisper her request. “Come inside, please.” The tall woman increased the pressure of her one armed embrace as she slid long fingers into liquid silk. “Oh yes!” Sterling enjoyed the last intelligible words she would hear from her lover for some time and closed her eyes with the intensity of her joy.
Sterling allowed Sam to set her own pace, gauging by the blonde’s response when to increase the depth and speed of her thrusts. Concerned that she would hurt her lover if she allowed things to get too frenzied, Sterling spoke loving nonsense into Sam’s ear to keep them grounded. Long before either of them would have wanted it, Samantha jumped from the ledge of wanting into the dark abyss of orgasm. Tearing through her like electric current, release left Sam paralyzed and crying quietly.
“It’s just so intense,” she was finally able to say into Sterling’s breasts where she had lain her head, seeking solace. They held each other, trying to accustom themselves to the texture of belonging. Finally Samantha apologized, or tried to over Sterling’s protests for her emotional outburst.
“Never, ever apologize to me for feeling deeply about anything,” she told her and Sam responded by kissing the closest part of her partner which happened to be her breast. Before long, one thing had led to two things and the sighs and whispers of her new love drifted down the staircase of Sterling Hayes new home.
*************It might have been two in the morning, could even have been three but the lighted dial of the clock was hidden by the blonde head against her shoulder. Sterling Hayes had no desire to stir and wake the precious woman who slept within her embrace. Exhaustion had overtaken the pair after hours of discovery and reveling in the feel of being in love. Holding, touching, the intense reaction in her soul from the softness of her partner’s sigh, all these things had brought Sterling back into wakefulness. She was afraid to miss even a moment of the bliss that charged through her body.
The dark beauty could not think rationally, nor string together words from her immense vocabulary to express in her own mind, what she was feeling, but she knew that she could never live without this feeling again. Sterling stroked the blonde hair at her fingertips and smiled into the darkness until pink dawn was evident through her bedroom window. Only then did she yield to sleep.
**********Samantha slept the deep slumber of fulfillment. The dark nights of worry and soul searching she had endured along with the separation from her love were gone from her memory. Even in sleep the corners of her mouth curled slightly.
Blinking slowly Sam allowed the sensuous feel of the warm flesh beneath her fingers to penetrate her consciousness and her smile was enhanced. A careful glance up at the face of her partner confirmed the suspicion that Sterling was still asleep. It was a treat to study her undetected.
‘My God, is it possible that she is even more beautiful in this light? I could look at her, honestly just sit and look at this woman for endless hours. The richness of her features, the proud profile of a Greek goddess… I’m gonzo before she ever even opens her eyes and then I am really lost. How can I ever deny her anything? How could anyone?
As if she had read Sam’s thoughts, dark lashes fluttered briefly before raising to reveal the blue eyes in question. A brief kiss was offered and accepted soundlessly. Sterling tightened her hold and sank back into the pillows, letting go another in a growing number of contented sighs between them. Sam snuggled closer, or enjoyed the pretense of trying to do what was not possible.
Wrapped in a cocoon of total content the new lovers greeted their first day together.
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Take A Look Inside The ‘Best Restaurant In The World’
Located in Modena, a small city in northern Italy, lies Osteria Francescana, a restaurant that was named officially the best restaurant in the world at the 2016 World’s 50 Best Restaurant Awards.
Mr Porter, the popular online fashion retailer, recently traveled to Modena to shoot a film that takes you inside this unbelievable restaurant, check it out below.
Don't miss out on UltraLinx-related content straight to your emails. Subscribe here.
Step Inside The $24,000 Suite In The World's Largest Plane
Inside The World's Fanciest McDonald's
New Need For Speed Looks Like The Best Racing Game In A While
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Home › Entertainment › Podcasts
CBS Green Lights “Training Day” Pilot
'King Kong ain't got shit on me!'
By Tatiana Pile
“King Kong ain’t got shit on me!”
You probably know the famous line from one of Denzel Washington’s most popular films, Training Day. The film was released in 2001 and has remained a staple film in our culture since then.
Fast forward to present day, CBS recently OK’d the original director — who also direct the pilot episode and executive produce — Antoine Fuqua to begin creating a pilot for the new TV adaptation.
The show, also titled Training Day, is loosely based off the original movie. Based 15 years after the iconic movie, the film will focus on a young, optimistic African-American police officer who finds himself surrounding by one of the most elite squads in the LAPD. The young cop is then partnered with a seasoned Caucasian detective, who happens to blur the line of morality pretty often.
There is no word yet on when the pilot is set to air, but the show is contending with a few pilots for a spot in CBS’ 2016-2017 season.
As for Antoine, he is also directing an upcoming movie which reunites Denzel and Ethan Hawke, who both received high praise for their portrayal’s in their respective roles. The film, The Magnificent Seven, will also star some major names alongside Denzel and Ethan.
SOURCE: Variety | PHOTO CREDIT: Getty
READ MORE ON THE URBAN DAILY
Tearful Denzel Washington Puts Family Center Stage During Acceptance Speech
Training Day Is About To Become A TV Buddy Cop Series, And It’s About Time
Kevin Hart Takes To Twitter To Clarify He Makes Movies For Everyone, Not Just Black People
Will Smith Says He’s Pleased With Academy’s Response To Diversity Issue & #OscarsSoWhite Campaign
CBS Green Lights “Training Day” Pilot was originally published on www.globalgrind.com
antoine fuqua , Denzel Washington , ethan hawke , training day
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emotive is thrilled to be a sponsor of the PM Society’s Digital Media Awards 2014
emotive is thrilled to announce that we are once again sponsoring the PM Society’s Digital Media Awards.
The PM Society’s Digital Media Awards recognises the best in digital creativity and innovation across the UK healthcare industry and highlights the best tools, campaigns and programs in a wide range of digital activities.
In addition to our sponsorship of the event, we are also excited that some amazing innovative digital projects we have worked on over the last twelve months have been nominated as finalists in five prestigious categories:
Craft Award – Gamification and Innovation Award ‘pushing boundaries’ for Diabetes Voyager (DV)
Healthcare professional educational programme and Digital solution for congress / symposium for Decisions in Time (DiT)
Craft Award – Mobile for OAB Health Economics
Winners of the PM Society Digital Media Awards will be announced on September 25 at the awards ceremony in London.
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AMWA is a leading voice advocating for the promotion of health and professional advancement of those in medicine & health-related fields.
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AMWA members are well informed health care professionals, and are frequently sought after by the media for their expertise on a wide range of topics.
A community of professionals working to promote health encourage the professional and personal development of those in medicine, healthcare and health-related fields and provide a range of mentorship, educational and charitable programs that make a difference.
AMWA can make a real difference for you through our programs and services–AND AMWA membership saves you money too!
Member discount on all AMWA-sponsored meetings, conferences, seminars, online continuing education
A weekly email NewsFlash, a monthly Resident e-publication, AMWA Resident Monthly, & quarterly Connections to keep you current.
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AMWA Resident Members are also Medical Women’s International Association (MWIA-www.mwia.net) members. The MWIA is an association of medical women representing women doctors from all five continents, promoting to actively work against gender related inequalities in the medical profession between female and male doctors including career opportunities & economical aspects.
AMWA encourages professional equity, advancement, and recognition at the local and national levels.
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AMWA’s advocacy emphasizes access to care, with special attention to the underserved.
AMWA works to advance legislation, regulations, and policies on Capitol Hill that benefit our members & improve health care for all.
As an AMWA member, you help shape AMWA’s positions and you represent a highly respected organization whose voice and opinions are sought after by the White House, Congressional leaders, the media and other organizations.
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AMWA has a national awards program specifically suited for residents including:
Susan L. Ivey, MD Courage to Lead Award, Elinor T. Christiansen, MD Altruism Award, Overseas Assistance Grants, Young Woman in Science Award and Charlotte Edwards Maguire, MD Outstanding Resident Mentor
AMWA works closely with members of Congress and the National Library of Medicine to ensure the continuing recognition of outstanding physicians across the country through the Local Legends program.
AMWA’s program of recognition of accomplishment and encouragement of excellence includes a diverse array of awards, grants, and scholarships for those at all levels of professional development and interest.
AMWA members develop these highly valued awards, structure the eligibility, establish qualified application review panels, and manage the selection and awards.
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As an AMWA member, you help to support numerous outstanding charitable programs that provide desperately needed services of exceptional quality for the medically underserved in the U.S. and abroad, including a maternal health clinic in Haiti; a vaccination program for homeless, abused orphans in Vietnam; a clinic for the poor in Calcutta; an inner city clinic for AIDS victims in Washington, D.C.; several family clinics in Appalachia, and many more (see www.amwa-doc.org for details).
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Hundreds of medical students and residents have received training in these clinics worldwide through AMWA’s travel stipends. Members set the criteria, review applications, and award these grants throughout the year.
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AMWA maintains expert-developed and maintained curricula on a range of women’s health topics. These are available with current PowerPoint presentations and slides for use by other AMWA members in professional and public venues.
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AMWA activities include professional development opportunities, helping members develop and sustain a well informed and supportive network across the country.
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As an AMWA member, you open opportunities for knowledge, recognition, advocacy and advancement for yourself and others in the health fields.
Expertise – AMWA members are well informed health care professionals, and are frequently sought after by the media for their expertise on a wide range of topics.
Past issues of the peer-reviewed scientific publication, The Journal of American Medical Women’s Association (JAMWA), are accessible on the AMWA web site.
As an AMWA member, you are a respected representative of an honored organization of health professionals who are continuing our long tradition of authority on a wide range of health topics.
As an AMWA member, you will receive the weekly NewsFlash email that provides updates on advocacy concerns, health and professional information, job and grant opportunities, and local issues with national appeal.
MWIA Centennial Congress hosted by AMWA — July 25 – 28, 2019, New York, NY Learn More!
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The Awkward – But Important – Questions You Should Be Asking Your Female Patients June 5, 2019
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artguide
BOOKFORUM
Select a City All Cities Amherst Antwerp Barcelona Berlin Chicago Cologne Düsseldorf Geneva London Los Angeles Madrid Milan Minneapolis Montreal New York Paris Prato San Francisco Thessaloniki Venice Washington, DC
PRINT October 1993
Rosa Esman Gallery
Looser and more insouciant than anything he has painted, Manny Farber’s most recent amalgams of landscape, still life, and symbolic self-portraiture are at once more relaxed and aggressive, jam-packed and freewheeling than any of his representational pictures from the past twenty years. In the past, straightforward oppositions between figure and ground, abstraction and representation, form and content informed Farber’s cleverly self-referential and often slyly humorous works. In his new pictures, these well-worn formal issues are overwhelmed by an excess of visual energy—bravura brushwork, juicy under-painting, keyed-up colors, jaunty juxtapositions, and expanded scale.
Beginning in the winter of 1991, Farber’s art took a turn to the liquid. The potted plants, gutted fish, cardboard stencils, Post-its, bits of rebar, and bouquets of flowers that hover in the strange, horizon-less space of
— David Pagel
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All rights reserved. artforum.com is a registered trademark of Artforum International Magazine, New York, NY. Terms & Conditions
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2018 World Superbike Calendar Released – Argentina & Brno Added; Jerez & Lausitzring Out
By David Emmett 11/02/2017 No Comments
The FIM today released the provisional 2018 WorldSBK version. Just as last year, the schedule contains thirteen rounds, spread out from February to late October.
Two circuits visited in 2017 are out, Jerez and the Lausitzring, while Brno makes a return to the WorldSBK schedule, and a brand new circuit in the west of Argentina, near the border with Chile.
The schedule starts as ever at Phillip Island in Australia on 25th February, with the WorldSBK and WorldSSP classes competing. As is traditional, the race is preceded a couple of days earlier by a two-day official test.
The start of the series is once again rather fragmented, however, as WorldSBK fans will have to wait four weeks for the second round of the series at the Chang International Circuit in Buriram, Thailand.
The series then heads to Europe, with a back-to-back weekend at Aragon and then Assen. At Aragon, the series is joined by the WorldSSP300 and Superstock 1000 series.
The Assen round is the first clash of the year, running on the same weekend as the Austin round of MotoGP at the Circuit of the Americas, but as they are running in different time zones, the races themselves will not clash.
The spring and summer follows a familiar pattern, with visits to Imola and Donington Park, before heading to Brno, the first time the series has raced there since 2012.
From Brno, the WorldSBK class heads to Laguna Seca for its traditional weekend together with the MotoAmerica weekend, before coming back for the final race before the summer break at Misano.
The summer break this year is a yawning expanse of 10 weeks, before the paddock reconvenes in Portugal for the round at Portimao.
The gap is a result of the loss of the German round and the addition of Brno: with the Czech round of MotoGP in August, it is feared that not enough fans would turn up to a WorldSBK round held there in the same month.
After Brno, the series heads to the traditional last European round at Magny-Cours, before heading overseas again. The first trip is to the brand new El Villicum circuit currently being built just outside San Juan, in the west of Argentina.
The circuit is not far from the border with Chile, and around 500km from the Chilean capital, Santiago. The circuit is yet to be homologated, as it has not seen world championship racing before, but an inspection by the FIM will take place in the coming months.
The final round of the 2018 WorldSBK season takes place in Qatar, as always, a privilege for which the Losail Circuit pays handsomely.
The Qatar round is the second clash with the MotoGP series, but once again, as MotoGP is racing in a completely different timezone at Phillip Island that weekend, there is no clash in race times.
The two circuits missing from the 2018 calendar are Lausitzring and Jerez. The absence of the Lausitzring is easily explained: the circuit is to be transformed into an automotive test facility by the circuit owners DEKRA.
Finding an alternative home for a German round was difficult, with few spectators making the trip to the Nurburgring, where the race was previously held. The loss of Jerez from the calendar is simply down to poor attendance.
Crowds at the Spanish circuit were simply too small to make it viable, and Jerez plays host to plenty of other events throughout the season.
Below is the 2018 World Superbike provisional schedule – Updated November 2nd, 2017:
DATE COUNTRY CIRCUIT WSBK WSS 300 STK
February 23-25 AUS Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit X X
March 23-25 THA Chang International Circuit X X
April 13-15 ESP MotorLand Aragón X X X X
April 20-22 NED TT Circuit Assen X X X X
May 11-13 ITA Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari di Imola X X X X
May 25-27 GBR Donington Park X X X X
June 8-10 CZE Automotodrom Brno X X X X
June 22-24 USA Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca X
July 6-8 ITA Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” X X X X
September 14-16 POR Autódromo Internacional do Algarve X X X X
September 28-30 FRA Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours X X X X
October 12–14 ARG* El Villicum X X
October 25-27 QAT Losail International Circuit X X
*(STH) Subject to homologation
2018 Official Tests
19-20 February, Australia, Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit (WorldSBK & WorldSSP)
23-24 August, Portugal, Autódromo Internacional do Algarve (WorldSBK)
Source: WorldSBK
This article was originally published on MotoMatters, and is republished here on Asphalt & Rubber with permission by the author.
David Emmett
One of MotoGP's most respected journalists, David Emmett is the proprietor of the esteemed MotoMatters. We are very grateful to republish David's work here on A&R...though dread the day we ever again get in a car with him.
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Sure, Ukraine Is Still a Mess, But the Fight Rages On
By Melinda Haring
Bloomberg recently ran an in-depth story titled, “Four Years after Its Revolution, Ukraine Is Still a Mess.” I can’t argue with the headline, but it overlooks the many efforts and individuals who are still fighting to fix Ukraine. Three of those individuals engaged in the fight spent most of July in Washington, DC, as James Denton Transatlantic Fellows at the Center for European Policy Analysis, gaining skills and contacts that will help them continue to press for reform in Ukraine.
“No one is going to do it if I don’t act,” said Mykhailo Zhernakov, director of the Kyiv-based DEJURE Foundation and a Denton fellow. With spiky dirty blond hair and light blue eyes, Zhernakov is one of Kyiv’s most recognized experts on judicial reform. He’s a former judge who quit when the Euromaidan broke out, so he speaks with authority.
“I saw that you can do more for rule of law as an expert than by being on the bench,” Zhernakov said.
A board member at the Reanimation Package of Reforms, the coalition linking more than eighty nongovernmental organizations, Zhernakov has helped lead the fight to transform Ukraine’s courts.
He’s not happy with the outcome. President Petro Poroshenko promised to massively overhaul the country’s judicial system with much fanfare, but so far, the results haven’t been promising. “Much ado about nothing,” Zhernakov said.
The former judge turned activist was joined in Washington by journalist Elena Tribushnaya and Deputy Minister of Justice Sergiy Petukhov as Denton Transatlantic Fellows from Ukraine. The fellowship also brought leaders from the Czech Republic and Hungary to DC.
Zhernakov, thirty-two, praised the fellowship for giving him an opportunity to meet Ambassador Kurt Volker, the US special negotiator on Ukraine, as well as top directors at the United States Agency for International Development and politicians on Capitol Hill. While Zhernakov has been to Washington before, he said the fellowship allowed him more time to have longer meetings and go into greater depth.
Zhernakov worries about the outcome of the 2019 elections. In March, Ukraine elects a new president, and a new parliament will be elected in the fall. He predicts an “ice age” if Ukrainians elect a populist president next year. Much of the progress that has been made over the last four years will be rolled back, and civil society won’t be as effective, he says.
Tribushnaya, thirty-nine, is also concerned about the elections. She says that 2019 will be the year of populism and that there won’t be any great reform breakthroughs. “People are tired of waiting for some breakthroughs, but as history shows, Ukrainians can wait, wait, wait—and then explode,” she said.
In spite of the gloomy prognosis, Tribushnaya reminds me that investigative journalists are breaking stories about corrupt officials that are being referred to the National Anticorruption Bureau of Ukraine.
She’s the chief editor of Channel 24, a television station owned by the family of Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi and influential media manager Roman Andreyko that is normally rated in the top three for Ukrainian news channels, according to Nielsen’s TV ratings. She has been on the job for a year now.
Tribushnaya went from supervising a team of six at the well-regarded magazine Novoe Vremya to a team of sixty at Channel 24. “I never watched TV before,” she said with a laugh. But the station wanted someone with vision who knew the substance of the reform debates, so she got the job.
Tribushnaya likes to master a challenge and then move on. She was a print journalist at Korrespondent for seven years; when President Viktor Yanukovych bought the magazine in 2013, she quit, along with chief editor Vitaliy Sych and most of the team.
“We thought we’d have no place to work,” she said. During the Maidan without a professional perch to write, she took to writing on Facebook, as did many Ukrainian journalists at the time.
After the Maidan, Sych set up Novoe Vremya magazine and a website. Some consider it the gold standard in Ukrainian journalism. It’s fearless, irreverent, and feared by the authorities. The magazine is a project of Tomas Fiala, who owns the investment company Dragon Capital; Fiala doesn’t interfere in content or the editorial line.
Journalism isn’t an easy profession in Ukraine. She hasn’t faced harassment herself, but the situation is difficult for journalists today. She points to the case of Denys Bihus, an investigative journalist with Nashi Groshi (Our Money), who claims that the SBU has been following his staff for a week.
Television is king in Ukraine, and oligarchs own the airwaves. However, Channel 24 is giving space to a number of activists and reform-minded politicians, including Sergiy Leshchenko, Mustafa Nayyem, and Yegor Soboliev. The station also shows Oleksandra Ustinova from the watchdog Anticorruption Action Center and broadcasts Radio Svodoba’s hard-hitting show Schemes, about corruption in Ukraine.
Tribushnaya said that showing the real owners of television stations is the only way to change the oligarch’s control over the media. The average viewer doesn’t know who the owner is, she said.
Sergiy Petukhov, the third Denton fellow, agrees.
Petukhov got his job as deputy minister of justice through an open competition. The slot would normally have been reserved for a political appointee.
The thirty-three-year old lawyer from Donetsk worked on the bilateral agreements that allowed the Netherlands full jurisdiction over the MH17 case, in which Russian-backed separatists shot down a civilian airliner over Ukraine in 2014.
He has also been praised for protecting reforms along the way. In 2016, the Kyiv Post credited him with protecting the e-declaration system, which requires state officials to disclose their income and assets online.
While Petukhov has been to Washington many times before, he praised the Denton fellowship for giving him time and opportunity to exchange views with think tanks, whose staff are connected but “tend to be more open” than politicians.
All three return to Kyiv brimming with ideas and new energy. Zhernakov, for example, has brought back a new idea about how to tame Ukraine’s notorious oligarchs through a new legislative push, and wants to put a full-time staff member in Washington to better communicate Ukraine’s ongoing reforms.
The fight to transform Ukraine may have slowed to a simmer, but these three Ukrainians and thousands of others are committed for the long haul.
Melinda Haring is the editor of the UkraineAlert blog and a fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. She tweets @melindaharing.
Kurt Volker
Melinda Haring
'Russian Propaganda is Really Working,' Warns Crimean Activist
Activist Urges US Government to Step Up Efforts in Crimea Russia has...
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De : Richard Russo
Lu par : Fred Sanders
Précommande : 0,00 € - Offre d'essai
From the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Empire Falls comes a new revelation: a riveting story about the abiding yet complex power of friendship.
One beautiful September day, three men convene on Martha's Vineyard, friends ever since meeting in college circa the 60s. They couldn't have been more different then, or even today - Lincoln's a commercial real estate broker, Teddy a tiny-press publisher, and Mickey a musician beyond his rockin' age. But each man holds his own secrets, in addition to the monumental mystery that none of them has ever stopped puzzling over since a Memorial Day weekend right here on the Vineyard in 1971: the disappearance of the woman each of them loved - Jacy Rockafellow. Now, more than 40 years later, as this new weekend unfolds, three lives are displayed in their entirety while the distant past confounds the present like a relentless squall of surprise and discovery.
Shot through with Russo's trademark comedy and humanity, Chances Are... also introduces a new level of suspense and menace that will quicken the listener's heartbeat throughout this absorbing saga of how friendship's bonds are every bit as constricting and rewarding as those of family or any other community.
For both longtime fans and lucky newcomers, Chances Are... is a stunning demonstration of a highly acclaimed author deepening and expanding his remarkable achievement.
©2019 Richard Russo (P)2019 Random House Audio
“No one understands men better than Russo, and no one is more eloquent in explaining how they think, suffer, and love. At a rough time for masculinity, Russo’s flawed but always decent characters are repositories of the classic virtues of their gender.... [Chances Are...] blends everything we love about this author with something new. Yes, this is a novel about male friendship, fathers and sons, small-town class issues, and lifelong crushes, and it provides the familiar pleasure of immersion in the author’s distinctive, richly observed world and his inimitable ironic voice. But this is also a mystery about a 1971 cold case.” (Kirkus, starred)
“For his first stand-alone novel in 10 years, Russo has written a bewitching tale of male friendship with thriller elements...This is vintage Russo with a cunning twist.” (Carol Haggas, Booklist, starred)
“Russo’s first standalone novel in a decade mixes his signature themes - father-and-son relationships, unrequited love, New England small-town living, and the hiccups of aging - with stealthy clue-dropping in a slow-to-build mystery...In the final stretch, surprising, long-kept secrets are revealed. This is vintage Russo.” (Publishers Weekly)
The Liberation of Paris
The Meritocracy Trap
Arnold Palmer's Success Lessons
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Richard Eriwata Profile
Glen Moffatt
If not for his brother leaving him stranded onstage during a talent quest, a singing career may never have crossed teenaged Richard Eriwata’s mind. As his intended duo partner stalked off and the band launched into their song, Eriwata had a decision to make.
“We laugh about it now, but I owe it to my brother who literally threw me in the deep end,” Eriwata told AudioCulture of his first time singing in front of a crowd. “Sometimes when you take a risk you either pay for it dearly or it pays off. In my case it paid off, and I was grateful for the experience.”
He remained onstage, wowed the audience and came in second. Fewer than 10 years later, Eriwata was in demand around the country, had released his own album and had his own TV variety show. The song Eriwata performed at the 1980 Song For The Pacific Contest went down so well it was released as a single.
In the same prisoner-perspective vein as the country standard ‘Green, Green Grass Of Home’, Merle Haggard’s ‘Sing Me Back Home’ and Chapta’s ‘Say A Prayer’, Eriwata’s ‘Dewdrops And Robins’ ran almost daily on television and struck a chord with provincial New Zealand.
Now based in Australia, he is still performing and loving it. “Music and entertainment are in my blood and will stay that way for many years to come hopefully,” he said.
“One of the greatest thrills of my career is seeing my children succeed in music. It’s in our family blood too.” Eriwata’s son Sam is a singer and songwriter with reggae band Sons Of Zion, whose ‘Drift Away’ was one of 2018’s most-played local songs.
The youngest of 14 children, Richard Eriwata was born Winara Wi Parata Eriwata in the small town of Mangakino in 1954. His mother Hohipera also named him after the doctor who delivered him, Dr Ellis Dick, and enrolled him in school as Ellis Dick Eriwata. His family knew him as Dicky. Later when he got serious about singing he changed his name by deed poll to Richard Winara Eriwata.
When Richard was eight, the Eriwata family moved to Auckland. His father, Tauheke Eriwata, worked as a skilled labourer at the Devonport Naval Base. Besides his father’s penchant for playing Māori songs on the ukulele and his mother’s taste in classical music, the house was often jumping to the sounds of his sisters’ rock and roll and jive.
As a boy, Eriwata became aware of the power and magnetism of rock and roll, albeit now a toned-down version, when he saw Elvis Presley in GI Blues at the cinema. He had a vision of himself before a crowd singing as he listened to Presley’s ‘Hound Dog’ on his father’s wireless radiogram. While at Northcote College, he was influenced by the big voices of ballad singers Tom Jones and Engelbert Humperdinck.
Seeing Bunny Walters perform at a local sports club was like “switching a light on” for Eriwata.
Taking on an apprenticeship as a fitter and turner in 1972, Eriwata found himself singing around the workshop. He had shown no interest in singing until then. It was almost as if a light switched on when he witnessed a Bunny Walters floorshow at a local sports club. He told the NZ Herald in 1980, “I wanted to get up there and do it, and I was sure I could. I just needed a push.”
During a holiday at his brother’s in Nelson in January 1973, Eriwata persuaded his brother to enter the annual Mardi Gras Talent Quest as a duo. When the MC introduced them, his brother turned to Eriwata and said, “You’re on your own.” But he only knew half of the chosen song.
While the crowd started clapping and the band began to play, the youngest Eriwata’s first instinct was to run. “The odds were against me,” he said. “Singing the same verse four times sounded ridiculous, but it was the best decision I ever made. I took the risk, the crowd loved it and I came second, winning $50 in the process!”
He went on to win a number of big talent quests in the mid-1970s before forming three-piece band BBD playing clubs, functions and the Auckland winery circuit. In 1978 he fronted nine-piece funk and R&B outfit Atlantikk, doing covers of acts such as Earth, Wind and Fire, The Commodores, Average White Band and Steely Dan, and packing out Caspers in Otahuhu three nights a week.
Eriwata fine-tuned his craft as a singer and entertainer as Atlantikk backed the cream of New Zealand cabaret artists, among them Billy T. James, Bunny Walters, Frankie Rowles, Ken Lemon and Jodi Vaughan. The band also ventured around the North Island taking in Napier, Gisborne, Hamilton, Tokoroa and other locales, but Eriwata wanted more.
A solo career wasn’t considered until towards the end of 1979 when promoter Armand Crown saw Eriwata in action at his regular musicians’ night at Cleopatra’s in Panmure. Eriwata pulled out all the stops in front of the Tuhi-Tama Band featuring guitarists Tuhi Timoti and Tama Renata and singers Josie Rika and Erana Clark.
A deal was struck between Crown and Eriwata in the middle of a musicians’ rugby match for Eriwata to perform his first cabaret show at the Peppermill Cabaret in downtown Auckland. The show was a hit and Crown became Eriwata’s full-time manager.
Crown had a master plan to get Eriwata to the top of the national music and entertainment industry within six months. He set up big-time auditions and opening slots, flying the singer around the country for guest spots on the same circuit as Billy T. James.
In 1980, Eriwata successfully auditioned for a new TV variety show and was thrust into the living rooms of New Zealand as one of the “new” faces on 12 Bar Rhythm ’N Shoes. The programme featured song-and-dance routines and even contained an old face from the Auckland club scene in the form of Classic Affair bass guitarist Reg Ruka. But Richard Eriwata was its breakout star.
Eriwata was the breakout star of the 1980 TV variety show, ‘12 Bar Rhythm ’N Shoes’.
Other projects included an acting role in a three-week season in stage play Songs To The Judges at the Maidment Theatre, working with and learning from veteran actresses Hemi Rapata and Margaret Blay and playwright and director Mervyn Thompson. Eriwata also scored the support for Australia’s Marcia Hines.
He was in high demand around the country and was invited to sing Blenheim songwriter Grant Miller’s ‘Dewdrops And Robins’ in the Song For The Pacific Contest. It was released as a single on the Tartar label, but perhaps due to TVNZ using the clip as filler almost nightly failed to crack the Top 40.
The album Richard Eriwata was released on Tartar in 1981. Recorded at Radio New Zealand in Wellington and produced by RNZ's Kevin Oliff, session players included The Yandall Sisters, Bruce Lynch, Dave Fraser, Rodger Fox, Martin Winch and Frank Gibson Jr.
The LP contained an eclectic selection of material brought together by Eriwata to showcase his versatility on numbers as diverse as John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’, Michael Jackson’s ‘She’s Out Of My Life’, the Eagles’ ‘I Can’t Tell You Why’, Buffalo Springfield’s ‘For What It’s Worth’ and even Auckland blues stalwart Hammond Gamble’s ‘Should I Be Good Or Should I Be Evil’.
Accolades followed when Eriwata was named 1981 rising star at the NEOA Awards, most promising male vocalist at that year’s New Zealand recording industry awards and male performer and record of the year at the Countrywide Building Society Entertainment Awards.
He performed for the Queen at the 1981 Royal Command Performance and the single ‘Tamaoho’ was released on Polydor in 1982; a tribute to the so-named ancestor of songwriter Toko Pompey, also known by his stage name Sammy Dee.
TVNZ noticed the potential in Eriwata and gave him his own series The Richard Eriwata Show, in which one ongoing skit involved a character he created called Wonder Māori. The musicians on the show featured core members of club band Cairo – guitarist Richard Anaru, drummer Kimi Tupaea and Ernie Semu on keys – as well as saxophonist Walter Bianco and percussionist Peter Morgan. Yet to go on to their own stellar careers, Moana Maniapoto and Annie Crummer were among the backing singers. Crummer even had her own weekly guest spot.
While working on the TV show Eriwata settled down with his family. Later in the decade he returned to sing on variety show With A Bucket On Your Head and the official 1988 Telethon song ‘Love Can Find A Way’ with former 12 Bar Rhythm ’N Shoes co-star Suzanne Lee.
Although continuing to sing, Eriwata was realistic about providing for his new family and worked full-time in sales as a business development manager. In 2010, he moved to Australia as a senior sales consultant selling and marketing to the mining industry.
Eriwata is now living happily with his fiancee Lisa on Lake Macquarie, NSW. With four kids (Juanita, Nathan, Samuel and Selina) and 10 grandchildren, he says life is “very busy now with trying to keep up with them all but it’s great!”
In 2015 he joined forces with another expat, popular club entertainer Peter Paki, in a Tom Jones (Paki) and Engelbert Humperdinck (Eriwata) tribute show that proved a huge success and has since played in clubs in New South Wales and Queensland.
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ImageableImage
Richard Eriwata (right), president of the Nga Hau E Wha Newcastle Maori Club (Australia), with Marsh Tawa, an elder of the Newcastle Maori club, January 2014. This photo accompanied an ABC story about the club's efforts to establish a new cultural centre based in Lake Macquarie for Maori who live in the area.
Photo credit: Ashleigh McIntyre, ABC Newcastle
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Unsung Heroes of Māori Music - Richard Eriwata and Leon Wharekura
Back cover of Richard Eriwata single 'Tamaoho' (Polydor, 1982)
Richard Eriwata in the 2000s - a promotional photo from his agency, StarNow.
Richard Eriwata sings Ain't Misbehaving on 12 Bar Rhythm 'N Shoes (1980)
Richard Eriwata single 'Does She Have A Friend For Me' (Tartar, 1981).
Richard Eriwata single 'Dewdrops and Robins' (1980, Tartar), written by Blenheim songwriter Grant Miller for Eriwata to perform in the Song For The Pacific Contest.
Back cover of the self-titled Richard Eriwata album (Tartar, 1981)
The self-titled Richard Eriwata LP (Tartar, 1981). The album was arranged and conducted by TVNZ music director and jazz saxophonist Tony Baker, and produced by RNZ's Kevin Oliff. The recording was done at RNZ's Studio Two, Broadcasting House, Wellington.
Richard Eriwata single 'Tamaoho' (Polydor, 1982). The b-side was a cover of John Lennon's 'Imagine'.
Richard Eriwata, 'Weekend' (the b-side of 'Drewdrops and Robins'), Tartar, 1980.
Richard Eriwata with the Newcastle Maori Club's waka, which seats 20 paddlers - February 2015. Members of the 30 year old club in Newcastle, NSW, mark Waitangi Day with kapa haka and a hangi, wanting to reconnect the many Maori who live in the Hunter region with their culture.
Photo credit: Robert Virtue, ABC Local
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Bunny Walters
Moana Maniapoto
Annie Crummer
Frankie Price
Billy T James
Ken Lemon
Jodi Vaughan
Hammond Gamble
Frank Gibson Jr
Dave Fraser
Martin Winch
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Maori culture on Lake Macquarie - ABC, 2015
Maori cultural centre proposed for Newcastle, NSW - ABC, 2014
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Here’re our top favourite Pakistani songs of 2018
Aksbandh Review: Pakistani cinema unlocks another genre
Arsalan Ali - May 21, 2016
Chupan Chupai Review: A ‘Paisa Wasool’ film to close the year
Reviews Arsalan Ali - December 29, 2017
Chupan Chupai Review: The reviving cinema of Pakistan has been behaving just as the national cricket team, at least in the month of December. It is one minute down, next minute...
Romeo’s Unconscious interest in Heer finally Increases
Reviews Admin - December 13, 2018
We had been waiting for the double dhamaka episodes of Romeo Weds Heer which exploded last night on Har Pal Geo. The unsaid emotions of Romeo and Heer are yet to...
Ndure: Trendy and comfortable choice of Shoes
Reviews Admin - March 22, 2017
The world of shoe fashion has become more versatile lately, it is important to wear some sort of classy new pair of shoe every day, unless you stay at home all...
This new TVC will definitely touch your heart
Reviews Admin - July 16, 2017
Gone are the days when we just had to rant about our TV commercials for selling almost every products with dance moves. Our advertising industry is surely learning new things and...
Review: SherDil heightens patriotic feels with its power-packed trailer
Reviews Mashal Asad - March 7, 2019
Amidst the entire ruckus caused by Indo-Pak tensions, films with a patriotic theme will surely gain momentum. And ARY and NK Films have decided to weigh in on the circumstances, and...
Ghar Titli Ka Par – A Journey from an Inferiority Complex to A Betrayal...
Reviews Admin - October 9, 2018
The blockbuster drama is hugely popular as it is produced by Abdullah Kadwani and Asad Qureshi’s 7th Sky Entertainment, the creators of “Khaani’’. ‘’Ghar Titli Ka Par’’, not only touched hearts...
Punjab Nahi Jaungi review: Public Cinema ‘Kyun Jaeygi’?
Reviews Admin - August 30, 2017
Punjab Nahi Jaungi Review: Humayun Saeed, Mehwish Hayat and Urwa Hocane starrer Punjab Nahi Jaungi is based on typical story of male chauvinist who happens to be filthy rich to get...
Here’s how Bold resonates to the spirit of Pakistanis
Reviews Arsalan Ali - September 7, 2017
Defense day is one of the most significant days in the history of Pakistan. Had our armed forces, along with civilians hadn’t defended boldly, things would have been different on the...
Romeo Weds Heer – Episode 13 Review
Reviews Admin - January 1, 2019
So the latest episode of Romeo Weds Heer reveals that Romeo’s parents are worried as he is not acting himself and doesn’t talk to them anymore. Heer’s family welcomes Romeo with so...
This essay on why PSL is better than IPL by an Indian is the...
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A cricket fan from India has written a comparison between Indian Premiere League (IPL) and Pakistan Super League (PSL) and told why and how PSL is better than IPL. Below are...
Tamasha by Sajjad Ali feat Bohemia is the best release this new year
Music Admin - January 3, 2017
Mahira Khan may travel India for Raees promotions
Sarfraz believes his last-ball six can’t be compared to Miandad’s
Ainak Wala Jinn’s Bil Batori gets 1M donation assurance from Bait-ul-Mal but …
Arsalan Ali - January 6, 2017
Zainab Chottani launches her first flagship store in Karachi
25 shorts films produced on social and political rights of women
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Home / Resources / “Gender“
Article: Not All Transgender People Have Dysphoria – And Here Are 6 Reasons Why That Matters
by workingitout on November 2, 2015 with No Comments
An informative opinion piece written by Sam Dylan Finch, on why not all trans* identifying people experience gender dysphoria – the medical term for the distress or discomfort that occurs when the gender someone is assigned at birth does not align with their actual gender identity. Sam Dylan Finch a Contributing Writer for Everyday Feminism. He is queer writer, activist, and educator based in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Access the article at everydayfeminism.com:
Not All Transgender People Have Dysphoria – And Here Are 6 Reasons Why That Matters
Gender, Resources dysphoria, gender, gender identity, mental health, transgender
Gender Help for Parents
by workingitout on July 3, 2015 with No Comments
Gender Help for Parents is a website created and maintained by “Australian parents who have struggled to find information about services and support for issues around their children’s gender identity.”
The aim of the website is to make gender identity information easily available for parents and carers. Some good starting pages to have a look at include:
Do you have a young child who is behaving in ways you wouldn’t have expected for their gender?
Has your adolescent/teen told you they want to change gender or don’t feel comfortable with their gender?
Are you the parent of an adult child who wants to or has changed their gender?
The website also contains information on services for parents and young people in Australia, including services in Tasmania.
Children, Families, Gender, Medical Services, Parents, Personal Stories, Websites, Young People families, gender, gender identity, parents, peer support, support, Tasmania, trans, transgender, websites
First Steps: Shared Stories from Parents and Caregivers of Trans* and Gender Diverse Children
First Steps is a collection of personal stories, information and tips written for and by parents and caregivers of Trans* and gender diverse children. Published by Working It Out and the Gender Centre NSW, the booklet includes five stories from parents and a young person about their experiences, a note a about language and and gender identity, links to useful books and resources for talking about gender identity with children, and information about Working It Out support groups for parents, young people and adults in Tasmania.
First Steps was made possible with the generous assistance of many parents and families, the Gender Centre NSW and, Being Proud, a project of Working It Out, initially funded by the Tasmanian Government Department of Premier and Cabinet LGBTI Community Grants program 2014.
Download First Steps [PDF] | [DOC]
Children, Families, Gender, Parents, Personal Stories, Publications, Support Groups, Working It Out Publications children, families, gender, gender identity, groups, inclusive families, mental health, parents, personal stories, questions, transgender
What are the Differences Between Sexuality and Gender Identity?
This video from ‘This Is a Show For Parents of Gay* Kids’ explores the differences between the concepts of sexuality and gender identity.
Families, Gender, Intersex, Sexuality, Videos definition, gender, gender identity, LGBTI, questions, sexuality, transgender
What is Gender Binary?
This video from ‘This Is a Show For Parents of Gay* Kids’ explores the concept of the gender binary.
Families, Gender, Parents, Videos definition, gender, questions, transgender
What’s it like growing up transgender?
‘In My Shoes’ asks five transgender young people what it’s like to be them – the awesome times, the challenges and how they’ve gotten through them.
This short, collaborative documentary film is an initiative of the Transgender Anti-Violence Project at The Gender Centre Inc., NSW and is produced by Tahlia Trijbetz, the Transgender Anti-Violence Project (TAVP) Officer.
It is co-directed by Walkley Award winning journalist, Monique Schafter (Hungry Beast / 7.30 ABC TV) and award winning director/cinematographer, Mat Govoni.
Thank you to development consultant, Kate Doak.
‘In My Shoes’ features the original rap “Spring” by transgender artist, Harri Harding.
We hope that this film will serve as a resource for the wider community to better understand the issues facing young transgender and gender diverse people. We also hope that it encourages transgender and gender diverse people of all ages to come forward and access support if they need it.
Children, Families, Gender, Parents, Personal Stories, Videos gender, LGBTI young people, mental health, personal stories, transgender, videos
Transgender Victoria
Transgender Victoria (TGV) work with and for, the trans* community as well as its allies, to create positive change in areas that impact the human rights of trans* people. They have various resources, projects and a thorough list of definitions.
Education, Families, Gender, Parents, Publications, Support Groups, Websites children, gender, LGBTI, parents, transgender
The Gender Centre
The Gender Centre, NSW
The Gender Centre offers a wide range of services to transgender and gender diverse people, their partners, families and friends in New South Wales. It includes links to current news items related to issues around gender diversity, and a range of fact sheets. They also publish the quarterly magazine Polare, and have an archive containing articles from all past issues. The resources published by the Gender Centre are also relevant to people outside of New South Wales.
Families, Gender, Parents, Publications, Websites children, gender, LGBTI, magazine, parents, Polare, transgender
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As London gears up for a summer of sport, many businesses have still to no plans on how to work through the events....
Time’s Running Out to Get Your Business Fit for the Olympics
There’s still time to get your business fit for the Games, but start planning – now!
There’s less than a month until the start of the Olympic Games! As London gears up for a summer of sport, many of the capital’s businesses have still to plan for the Games. According to a new CBI survey, 46% of London businesses remain nervous about their levels of preparedness for the Games. Only 37% felt confident about dealing with transport and logistics issues during the Games, whilst 43% said they didn’t know enough about the impact Olympic and Paralympic Route Networks.
Whilst larger organisations and Government departments have developed, tested and fine tuned their Olympic plans over the 12-18 months, 80% of CBI’s respondents had yet to plan any special measures for the Games. Most SMEs probably don’t need to plan to the same level as a major bank, but with the Games just around the corner, the time to plan ahead is disappearing fast – even for the smallest business.
The first (and probably most important) step is to understand what impact the Games will have. Businesses located close to an Olympic venue will probably need a more detailed, long-running plan than businesses based further away. Websites such as www.tfl.gov.uk www.london2012.com and are excellent starting points, giving information on venues, dates, maps and transport links for the duration of the Games.
Developing an effective Olympics plan doesn’t need to be complicated or overly detailed. Every plan will be different, but here are some ideas which could be included to keep businesses running smoothly – despite the Greatest Show on Earth taking place on the doorstep!
Working from Home: popular, very effective and relatively simple to implement. 50% of CBI respondents plan to use it as the alternative to office based working during the Games
Flexible Working: using staggered start and end times, flexi-time, time in lieu or adapting working hours and locations can minimise delays, reduce congestion and stress levels!
Remote Working: relocating staff to other company locations, working off-site, at home or client site can reduce travel times and delays whilst providing ongoing client service
Use Technology: video conferencing and Skype are just two of many technologies which allow teams to keep in touch easily and effectively – regardless of their locations
Virtual Offices: provide remote workers online access to all the resources they need, allowing teams to work effectively without travelling. Quick and easy to set up, they are flexible and effective
Relocation: temporarily moving your business to offices outside London is an effective alternative for many companies whose location means significant disruption during the Games
Day Offices: hiring offices in a Business Centre on an “as needed” basis can provide instant offices for half a day, a day or a week. Available with no contracts, this is a flexible way to move offices short-term to avoid the busiest or most congested Olympic days
Alternative Transport: look at using other forms of transport to travel to the office during the Games: consider Walking Routes, cycling, use popular Boris Bikes’ scheme or try Thames water buses and river taxis (just book them now as they are getting busy)
Communicate the Plan: don’t forget to tell everyone about the plan! This includes partners, suppliers, customers and prospects, as well as staff. Ask for feedback too, this will ensure that most eventualities are covered and good ideas aren’t lost
As with most planning, getting started is often the hardest part! There is a great deal of assistance available from information from official organisations, right through to practical services such as video conferencing, virtual offices, day and temporary office packages which have been specifically designed to help companies work around the Games. In recent months, BE has seen a 90% increase in enquiries for virtual offices, whilst its Bristol, Reading and Milton Keynes centres have seen a 120% rise in London based companies seeking to relocate for the Games’ duration.
We”re providing wealth of information about the Games, its impact on the capital, as well as a unique “Ask Steve” button which allows the site’s visitors to ask BE’s team of experts anything about the Olympics – from venue locations and road closures to video conferencing technology and fines for parking on the Olympic route.
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Marcia Tanner
Articles by Marcia
‘There’s something about Larry’: Lawrence Rinder marks 10 years heading up BAMPFA
We talk art, the role of art museums and what the future holds with the director and chief curator of the UC Berkeley-owned Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive.
Nov. 30, 2017 April 29, 2019
A must-see: Hung Liu’s women warriors: ‘Daughters of China’ at Kala
It would be hard to imagine an exhibition more relevant to current events, or one more visually and emotionally stirring, than this stunning show of monumental oil paintings.
A fine bromance: ‘Matisse / Diebenkorn’ at SFMOMA
This is a radiant, revelatory show, tracing the deep, life-long impact of Henri Matisse on a major American artist over 50 years his junior, whom he never met.
Dec. 11, 2015 August 12, 2016
Farewell to a Berkeley visionary — Sonya Rapoport: ‘Final Works’ at Krowswork
Berkeley has nurtured countless visionaries: makers, thinkers, doers and seers who have expanded our understanding of the world. The late conceptual artist Sonya Rapoport — whose Final Works are on view at Krowswork gallery in Oakland through December 19 — was a path breaking and prescient member of this pantheon. Her artistic career spanned 66 years, but only recently, in the last decade of her life, has her pioneering work begun to gain the recognition it deserves. The installation projects in Final Works — Yes or No? and The Transitive Property of Equality — offer an elegiac coda to Rapoport’s lifetime of art making. Together with rarely seen videos documenting some of her most memorable interactive pieces, they present a poetic and often humorous summing up of her complex and fascinating oeuvre. (more…)
March 9, 2015 January 9, 2017
Book Review: ‘The Jewish World: 100 Treasures of Art & Culture – The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life’
Last year, when Alla Efimova stepped down as the Jacques and Esther Reutlinger Director of UC Berkeley’s Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life after ten years at its helm, she left the institution a magnificent parting gift.
Sept. 19, 2014 August 12, 2016
Review: Maya Lin at Berkeley’s David Brower Center
Art/Act: Maya Lin — an exhibition of environmentally themed sculpture and interactive work by the internationally known Chinese-American artist, architectural designer and creator of the Vietnam Veterans War Memorial in Washington, D.C. (1982) — opens at the David Brower Center in Berkeley on Friday, Sept. 19.
Barbara Chase-Riboud in Berkeley: Revelatory, ravishing
Barbara Chase-Riboud: The Malcolm X Steles, is an exhibition not to miss. It’s inspirational, revelatory, ravishing to look at, and a dramatic contrast to The Possible: the experimental, hyper-interactive, buzzing, booming art-making project organized by local artist David Wilson that will occupy most of the Berkeley Art Museum through May 27.
March 18, 2014 October 27, 2018
‘Saved by the Bay’ at The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life explores lives of academic refugees
Saved by the Bay: The Intellectual Migration from Fascist Europe to UC Berkeley, the exhibition currently on view at The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life in Berkeley through June 27, may be a bellwether of that institution’s recent metamorphosis.
Oct. 15, 2013 August 12, 2016
Review: ‘Yang Fudong: Estranged Paradise’ at BAM/PFA
“Estranged Paradise” — the expansive mid-career survey of videos, video installations, photographs and films by contemporary Chinese artist Yang Fudong at the Berkeley Art Museum/Pacific Film Archive — is a compelling personal exploration of what it means to be young, or simply alive, in China today. Through still and moving images, Yang probes the condition of his fellow heirs to an ancient civilization that is transforming itself headlong from Maoist Communist collectivism into the capitalist, consumerist, rapidly urbanizing, still authoritarian country of his birth.
Zarhouie Abdalian: Elegant forms reflect on free speech
Although you might not guess it right away, Zarhouie Abdalian’s spare, enigmatic audio-visual sculptural installation at the Berkeley Art Museum has deep roots here. The Free Speech Movement was born at UC Berkeley in the 1960s, after all, and Abdalian’s elegant, cryptogrammatic forms, once they’re deciphered, add up poetically to a complex meditation on suppression of free speech and its implications for democracy.
July 8, 2013 August 12, 2016
Inspired appropriation redux: Nicole Eisenman in Berkeley
Try to conjure a pantheon of great painters from the 16th through the 21st centuries — the likes of Brueghel, Rubens, Renoir, Munch, Beckmann and Pollock — channeled through the sensibility of a contemporary artist with a diabolical sense of humor, a darkly critical take on culture and society, an eclectic appetite for influences from everywhere and extraordinary painterly skills, and you’d still never imagine the paintings in Nicole Eisenman/MATRIX 248 at the Berkeley Art Museum.
Inspired appropriation: Enrique Chagoya at Kala
In our wired era of ubiquitous information and perpetual image bombardment, all of human history, cultural production included, is online and available for plunder: to sample, remix, recycle and repurpose. This embarrassment of riches has not been lost on artists. In music, film, TV, literature, performance, visual art, you name it, today’s artists steal voraciously from everywhere.
May 7, 2013 April 29, 2019
Berkeley Art Center showcases sculpture in new show
By Marcia Tanner
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These Younger Photos of Actors Will Give Your Goosebumps
by Jay Rajput
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Sometimes, we do not really bother about the earlier pics of our favourite heroes but trust me, it can be so much fun. Yes, that is right. Today, Wheebuzz has brought something awesome about your favourite actors. Really seeing these old photos of actors from ten, Twenty, thirty or in some of the cases forty years back is going to give your goosebumps. So, without wasting much of your time, let us see these.
https://www.notablebiographies.com/Br-Ca/Brando-Marlon.html
http://s.telegraph.co.uk/graphics/projects/marlon-brando/index.html
If you see the Method Acting Genius Marlon Brando from the movies ‘A Streetcar named desire’ of 1951 and ‘The Godfather’ of 1972, the man you would find is an entirely different person altogether. Well, the truth is that the Marlon Brando transformation has been a notorious one. See these pics, it is like a different man has played the roles of Terry Melloy, Johnny Strabler, Don Vito Corleone etc.
https://www.buzzfeed.com/daves4/morgan-freeman-has-always-been-a-60-year-old-man
Though Morgan Freeman is known as a person who remained same all his life in terms of looks, but that notion came out after 1990s. If you have seen his movies before that, then you clearly understand that it was a big transformation. Like, if you see the character of Fast Black and then Detective Lt. Somerset (which was after just 7 years), you will be amazed.
https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/benedict-cumberbatchs-doppelganger-16-year-teen-named-tyler/story?id=29418564
He is one of the most popular and highest paid actors of the current time. His younger photo is going to give your goosebumps. Look at the pic, isn’t it going all different ways? Sherlock, Alan Turing and other roles are different from this photo. I must say, Benedict Cumberbatch has gone a huge transformation.
https://www.providr.com/jim-carrey-daughter-jane-carrey/
Jim Carrey is one of the funniest men on the planet. His movies such as Liar Liar, The Truman show and others established him as an actor that nobody can deny his existence. Well, if there is a term like “puberty hits hard”, growing old also hits hard. Like see the pics and see the difference yourself. But, keeping the transformation or any sort of thing aside, Jim still maintains to be the child you wanna see going random things for fun.
Christopher Walker
https://m.ranker.com/list/young-christopher-walken/brooke-wilson
Christopher Walker is known for his intense roles. He is one of the veteran actors of the time. Apart from acting, he is into other things also such as Playwright, Screenwriter, and director. His transformation is also worth seeing. However no big transformation is there, but still, he has been a master.
http://stantondaily.com/robert-de-niro-then-now/
One of the greatest actors of all time, Robert De Niro has come with a dashing acting and charismatic skills. His role in Taxi Driver will give your a glimpse of a different person, and in ‘The Intern’ you will see a completely different man, not just in terms of looks but also the roles. Truly a classic man he is, isn’t he?
This is one of the most unbelievable transformations. Like, look at these pics. Aren’t they enough proof of the man’s incredible journey. The actor is known best for the role he played in ‘The Ironman’. He was also infamous for being a drug addict, but thankfully his acting career and his personality both shine today.
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Written by Jay Rajput
Jay Kumar is a passionate writer and Conversationalist. He is well versed with niches like sports, travel & tourism, entertainment, and news. He says his biggest hobby is enjoying living. He also likes and does a bit of poetry as well.
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Hundreds of yellow vest protesters clash with police after Bastille Day parade
The boulevard in central Paris was reopened to traffic as soon as the parade finished but a few hundred protesters from the grassroots 'yellow vests' movement tried to occupy it....
Source: globalnews.ca
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Hong Kong: Protesters surround police headquarters, demand resignations Protests erupted in Hong Kong's political center Wan Chai district Friday after the government failed to squash a controversial extradition bill by a Thursday deadline set by protesters...
Tensions simmer between Hong Kong riot police, protesters after day of violence Hong Kong riot police and protesters braced early on Thursday for possible further clashes across the city's financial district after a day of violence over an extradition bill that would allow people...
| WATCH: Violence breaks out as police try to clear Hong Kong protesters Police fight with protesters in Hong Kong, using batons and pepper spray as they try to clear demonstrators from the city's parliament after a massive crowds marched against plans to allow extradition...
Russian police detain Crimean Tatar protesters on Moscow's Red Square Russian police detained seven Crimean Tatars on Moscow's Red Square on Wednesday after dispersing a demonstration that had aimed to draw attention to alleged rights abuses on the Black Sea peninsula w...
Protesters scuffle with Hong Kong police, government offices shut Scuffles broke out between demonstrators and police in Hong Kong on Thursday as hundreds of people persevered with a protest against an extradition law with mainland China, a day after police fired te...
Police on alert as protesters descend on DC for Trump's military-themed July 4th President Trump is gearing up for his military-themed celebration on July Fourth, but the fireworks already are erupting as critics complain about the nature and cost of the event -- and authorities w...
Hong Kong police clear streets as protesters move to park The activists have rejected an apology from Chief Executive Carrie Lam for her handling of the legislation, which has stoked fears of expanding control from Beijing in this former British colony. ...
Toronto police searching for 'person of interest' in Raptors parade shooting Four people suffered non-life-threatening injuries as a result of a shooting near the end of the Toronto Raptors parade route Monday. ...
Hong Kong police attack protesters with tear gas amid political unrest The sharp escalation in law enforcement tactics came on the 22nd anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to China — a city holiday — and reflected mounting frustration with city leader Carrie Lam....
Hong Kong: Police, protesters injured as peaceful march turns violent Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets of Hong Kong's northern town of Sha Tin for a peaceful march that turned violent Sunday after police attempted to disperse demonstrators from a near...
Hong Kong police fire pepper spray at protesters amid scuffles Hong Kong police fired pepper spray at protesters near government buildings on Wednesday as tensions ramped up over an extradition bill that would allow people to be sent to mainland China for trial....
After scuffles, Hong Kong police warn protesters to refrain from violence, leave scene Hong Kong police appealed to protesters on Saturday to refrain from violence and leave the area after scuffles in the town of Sheung Shui, where thousands of demonstrators had converged earlier in the...
Riot Police Fire Tear Gas and Rubber Bullets to Drive Protesters Away from the Georgian Parliament (TBILISI, Georgia) — Riot police fired rubber bullets and tear gas and unleashed water cannons early Friday to drive thousands of protesters away from Georgia’s parliament building and off...
Hong Kong police fire tear gas in running battles after protesters trash legislature Hong Kong police fired tear gas in running battles with hundreds of protesters, some of whom stormed the legislature, destroyed pictures and daubed walls with graffiti, on the anniversary of the city'...
Hong Kong police say they want to begin clearing streets of protesters after letting them stay all night. HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong police say they want to begin clearing streets of protesters after letting them stay all night. . The post Hong Kong police say they want to begin clearing streets of protes...
Police repeatedly fire tear gas on protesters as confrontation turns violent in Hong Kong Hong Kong police fired tear gas on Wednesday with large crowds of protesters gathering around the local legislature as lawmakers postponed debate on proposed legal changes that would allow extradition...
Fate of 24 arrested Hong Kong protesters hangs in balance as anger turns on police Hong Kong protesters have managed to pull off an unlikely victory, forcing the city's Beijing-appointed leader to suspend an extradition bill that would have allowed individuals to be sent to China fo...
Hong Kong police call protesters 'illegal, irrational and unreasonable' over siege of headquarters Hong Kong police on Saturday condemned protesters that surrounded its headquarters as "illegal, irrational and unreasonable" as tensions over the city's relations with mainland China boiled over ...
Hong Kong police say 11 protesters arrested, 22 officers injured in Wednesday demonstration against extradition law HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong police say 11 protesters arrested, 22 officers injured in Wednesday demonstration against extradition law. The post Hong Kong police say 11 protesters arrested, 22 officers ...
Riot police fire rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannons to drive away protesters in Georgia Riot police fired rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannons to drive away hundreds of protesters early today after they tried to storm the Tbilisi parliament....
Protesters storm Hong Kong legislative chamber; police fire tear gas to break siege Combative protesters in Hong Kong oppose a government attempt to change extradition laws to allow suspects to be sent to China to face trial. ...
Portland Police Falsely Accuse Antifa Protesters of Hurling ‘Quick Dry Cement.’ They Were Just Vegan Milkshakes Over the weekend, left-wing and alt-right protesters faced off in Portland, Ore., which, quite frankly, has become a fairly regular occurrence. What makes this particular clash at a Portland Proudboys...
Hong Kong extradition bill debate delayed as police reveal they used over 150 rounds of tear gas on protesters The debate over Hong Kong's controversial extradition bill that has fueled massive and sometimes violent protests was delayed for a second time on Thursday, as authorities revealed the amount of force...
Hong Kong police fire tear gas to evict protesters from parliament building as violent riots intensify Hong Kong police have fired tear gas to disperse hundreds of defiant protesters from the city's legislature just hours after the building was stormed and ransacked on the anniversary of the city's 199...
Someone sent 'Straight Pride' parade organizers glitter. They called police for 'suspicious packages' Organizers of the "Straight Pride" parade planned in Boston this summer say they were sent "suspicious packages" full of glitter. ...
"Flying Soldier" Soars Over Paris For Bastille Day Celebrations ''Flying soldier'' and French inventor Frank Zapata enthraled the crowd gathered for Bastille Day celebrations at the Champs Elysees Avenue in Paris on Sunday, by flying his turbine engine-powered......
Daryl Impey sprints to Bastille Day victory in Tour de France • South African rider wins Tour stage for first time• Alaphilippe stays in yellow, with no change in GC contendersThe 2019 Tour de France reached Brioude, hometown of Romain Bardet, with a career firs...
Japan earns first Group One win in Grand Prix de Paris on Bastille Day • Colt’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe odds widely cut to 9-1• Trainer Aidan O’Brien says ‘We were very happy with him’Japan has the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe firmly on his agenda, after an exploratory tr...
French inventor flies hoverboard over crowd; impresses Macron at Bastille Day celebration. Bastille Day celebrations included a demonstration of a fly-board that could be used as an assault platform. President Macron tweeted video of it. ...
French Inventor Totes Rifle While Flying Turbine-Powered Flyboard at Bastille Day Celebrations European leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron were treated to a demonstration of the Flyboard Air, a sort of gas turbine-powered jetpack/hoverboard/flying platform originally invented by...
Banksy designs stab-proof vest for Stormzy Grime superstar Stormzy has won plaudits for a rip-roaring and history-making headline set at Glastonbury on Friday night, which saw him highlight Britain's knife crime crisis and racial inequality in...
CBOE Makes Majority Investment In Vest Financial CHICAGO and HOLLYWOOD, Fla., Jan. 25, 2016/ PRNewswire/-- CBOE Holdings, Inc. and The Vest Financial Group Inc. announced today at the Inside ETFs Conference that CBOE has made a majority equity inves...
Banksy reveals he made Stormzy's Glastonbury vest Banksy has revealed he designed the Union Jack vest worn by Stormzy during his historic headline performance at the Glastonbury Festival on Friday night....
Wolf Blitzer, Kellyanne Conway and members of Congress celebrate Bastille Day at the French ambassador’s house Despite the potential of, um, awkwardness among the diplomatic core and official Washington, elbows were ripe for rubbing at the French ambassador’s residence....
Patagonia distances itself from tech bros with new branded vest policy The American outdoor company is becoming more selective about who gets its gearIf you’ve ever spotted a young American banker in the wild, you’ll be familiar with the traditional markings of the male ...
JetBlue Flight Delayed After Someone AirDropped an Image of a Bomb Vest A Newark JetBlue flight bound for Tampa was evacuated Monday after someone sent an image of a suicide bombing vest to multiple passengers already boarded as the plane waited for takeoff, according to ...
Stormzy's stab-vest for landmark Glastonbury gig designed by Banksy A Union Jack emblazoned stab-proof vest worn by British rapper Stormzy for his history-making headline performance at the Glastonbury Music Festival was designed by Banksy, the street artist said on h...
Plane makes emergency landing in Newark after suicide vest scare A JetBlue plane at Newark Airport was evacuated Saturday morning after a photo of a suicide vest was seen or someone wearing one was photographed by a passenger, NBC reported. The plane had been about...
JetBlue flight evacuated after image of suicide vest AirDropped to passengers Police have been unable to identify who sent the image to Apple devices before takeoff on a Tampa-bound flightA flight out of Newark was evacuated when someone sent an image of a suicide vest to multi...
New Cboe Vest Fund Targets Distributions of 3.5% Above the S&P 500 with Proportional Price Returns McLean, VA – Nov. 8, 2017 – The newest mutual fund from Cboe Vest Financial LLC (“Cboe Vest”) seeks to track the recently launched Cboe S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats Target Income Index (SPAI), an inde...
Rapper Stormzy hailed for making history at Glastonbury with performance in Union Jack stab vest UK rapper Stormzy has been hailed by fans after making history by becoming the first black British solo artist to headline Glastonbury, performing in a stab vest emblazoned with a Union Jack....
A new man in yellow: Giulio Ciccone The Tour de France has a new leader after Italian rider Giulio Ciccone claimed the yellow jersey on an iconic mountain stage. The Tour rookie moved clear of Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe by just a few ...
| Jumbo win TDF TTT as Teunissen keeps yellow Dutch outfit Jumbo-Visma stormed to victory on the Tour de France team time trial with Mike Teunissen keeping the yellow jersey after the second stage....
Starbucks’ new Tie-Dye Frappuccino is yellow and gross Starbucks’ new Tie-Dye Frappuccino is a confusing miasma of misguided choices. The drink, which launched its five-day limited run Wednesday, looks like someone put the essence of Rainbow Brite into a ...
Yellow taxi bursts into flames in Tribeca A yellow taxi went up in flames Tuesday morning in Tribeca — with dramatic photos showing the car completely engulfed in the inferno as black smoke billowed from the blaze. The sedan caught fire...
Jumbo-Visma TTT victory keeps Teunissen in yellow "The Jumbo-Visma team of Mike Teunissen smashed Sunday’s 27.6-kilometre team time trial in Brussels to deny Team Ineos by twenty seconds and extend the Dutchman’s grip on the yellow jersey."...
Alaphilippe in yellow after swashbuckling Stage 3 win in Epernay "Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe attacked in the rolling hills of the famous Champagne vineyards of Marne, soloing to victory in Epernay with cork-popping panache to seize the yellow jersey in sparkling ...
CBOE Vest Technologies and The Options Industry Council (OIC) Offer Options Strategy Builders Tool on OIC Website CHICAGO -- August 17, 2017 -- CBOE Vest Technologies, a software company enabling users to work with target outcome investment strategies, and the Options Industry Council (OIC), a provider of unbiase...
Guldberg lifts Yellow Jackets past Wolfpack, 9-2 Michael Gulberg hit a three-run homer, his first home run of the season, and Georgia Tech advanced to the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament championship with a 9-2 victory against North Carolina St...
China launches rocket from Yellow Sea platform for first time Blast-off makes China the third country after US and Russia to master sea launch technologyChina has launched a rocket from a mobile platform at sea for the first time, sending five commercial satelli...
NASCAR notebook: Yellow comes at wrong time for Truex With four laps left in Monday's rain-delayed FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway on Monday, Martin Truex Jr. thought he had second place in the bag....
Alaphilippe takes Tour stage three and yellow jersey France’s Julian Alaphilippe lived up to the hype as he snatched the Tour de France overall leader’s yellow jersey by winning the third stage on Monday....
Yellow jersey Alaphilippe brings panache to the Tour In an era where riders are becoming slaves to power meters, earpieces and all sorts of technological gadgets, Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe is bringing a much-needed dose of flair into the Tour de Fran...
Watch the attack that earned Alaphilippe the yellow jersey "Julian Alaphilippe ensured a Frenchman was dressed in yellow following the first French stage of the 2019 Tour de France, and this is the moment that gave him the advantage to secure that General Cla...
Yellow brick road: Lib Dem Jo Swinson wants to lead a new movement As her party's popularity soars, the Jo Swinson tells Susannah Butter about unity, introducing proxy voting and why taking her baby into Parliament isn't the naughtiest thing she's ever done...
China launches 1st rocket from mobile platform in Yellow Sea China has for the first time launched a rocket from a mobile platform in the Yellow Sea, sending a five commercial satellites and two others containing experimental technology into space...
At least 24 Yellow Vests lost eyes in violent protests. Now they're more determined than ever It was a warm afternoon in March. David Breidenstein says he looked on as some of the more radical yellow vest protesters set fire to Le Fouquet's, not just a restaurant but a symbol of wealth and pow...
Ciccone turns blue into yellow on Tour de France debut Giulio Ciccone reached his season's goal when he won the Maglia Azzurra (blue) for the mountains classification at the Giro d'Italia, but little did he know that there was much more to come....
Tour de France 2019: the contenders battling for yellow and green Adam Yates seems the main danger for Geraint Thomas, while this could be the year Peter Sagan loses his grip on greenThibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) France, Age 29 Continue reading......
Alabamans Are Battling Car-Sized Yellow Jacket Nests This Year The Alabama Cooperative Extension System has warned Alabama residents to watch out for “Volkswagen Beetle”-sized yellow jacket nests throughout the state, according to a news release. Read more......
Loophole Allows NYC Uber and Lyft Cars to Pollute More Than Yellow Cabs New York City’s yellow cabs are iconic of the city itself, though many locals like myself prefer the cost and ease of ridesharing apps like Lyft. Turns out, however, that the yellow cabs can keep the ...
Nearly one billion people in Africa to be protected against yellow fever by 2026 Nearly one billion people will be vaccinated against yellow fever in 27 high-risk African countries by 2026 with support from WHO, Gavi – the Vaccine Alliance, UNICEF and more than 50 health partners....
Alabama stung by 'super nests' housing up to 15,000 yellow jackets Massive structures dubbed "super nests" each housing up to 15,000 yellow jackets have again begun appearing in Alabama — and experts warn many more of the car-sized units are likely to pop up througho...
What links the Penguin Cafe with Yellow Magic? The Weekend quiz From the Hays Code to Torque, test your knowledge with the Weekend quiz1 Who burst open in the field he’d just bought?2 What was regulated by the Hays Code?3 What reddish-brown colour is the French wo...
De Gendt wins stage as Alaphilippe attacks to take back yellow "Thomas De Gendt rode to a solo win to take Stage 8 of the Tour de France, while Julian Alaphilippe reclaimed the overall lead and ensured that a French rider will be wearing the yellow jersey on Bast...
| Adam Yates takes Criterium yellow as Froome seriously injured British rider Adam Yates moved in to the overall lead at the Criterium du Dauphine as Chris Froome was seriously injured in a practice run before time trial stage....
Huawei P30 Pro got a big camera update to tame the yellow pixels, did it work? For the first time in smartphone history, Huawei took a chance, and addressed the weakest point of mobile cameras - night and low-light shots - by employing unorthodox color mask in its flagship P30 s...
24 Yellow Vests lost eyes in violent protests. Now they're back for more It was a warm afternoon in March. David Breidenstein says he looked on as some of the more radical yellow vest protesters set fire to Le Fouquet's, not just a restaurant but a symbol of wealth and pow...
| Teuns wins first TDF mountain stage as Ciccone takes yellow Dylan Teuns claimed victory on the sixth stage of the Tour de France on the La Planches des Belles Filles summit finish, as Italy's Giulio Ciccone took the overall lead....
Teunissen pips Sagan in thrilling Stage 1 finale to take yellow "Dutchman Mike Teunissen sprung a huge surprise to deny Slovakia’s Peter Sagan victory and the yellow jersey in the opening stage of the Tour de France in Brussels after a crash-strewn finale."...
Cboe Vest’s New “Dividend Aristocrats” ETF (Ticker: KNG) Combines Quality Dividend Growers with Partial Call Overwriting Strategy, Targeting Income with Growth McLean, VA – March 27, 2018 – Cboe Vest Financial LLC (“Cboe Vest”), a majority-owned asset management subsidiary of Cboe Global Markets, Inc., has launched the Cboe Vest S&P 500® Dividend Aristocrats...
Tour de France: Thomas makes statement but Ciccone takes yellow Thomas passes Alaphilippe on brutal summit finish of stage sixAlaphilippe loses overall lead to Ciccone by six secondsGeraint Thomas reasserted himself among the favourites for this year’s Tour de Fra...
Brussels dresses in yellow to honor Merckx's maiden Tour win Hundreds of thousands of people gathered in downtown Brussels as the Belgian capital turned yellow to celebrate cycling great Eddy Merckx's maiden Tour de France victory half a century ago ...
Sen. Tammy Duckworth says Trump Vietnam deferment should have been for ‘yellow streak’ down his back U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., blasted President Trump on Wednesday over his recent comments about why he didn't serve in Vietnam, saying he used his "wealth and privilege" to avoid being inducted...
Rocket Report: A Yellow Sea launch, SpaceX’s upcoming high-value mission Enlarge / A Falcon 9 rocket launches from Vandenberg Air Force Base. (credit: Aurich Lawson/SpaceX) Welcome to Edition 2.03 of the Rocket Report! We're a week into June, and the small-space race is ...
Groenewegen wins Tour stage seven as Ciccone retains yellow jersey Dutchman Dylan Groenewegen put his nightmare of a Tour de France start behind him when he won the seventh stage in a bunch sprint after a pancake-flat 230 km ride from Belfort on Friday....
This yellow Egyptian glass was forged by a meteorite impact 29 million years ago Visit the right patch of desert along the border of Libya and Egypt, and you could stumble on pieces of pale yellow glass, the traces of a meteorite impact that took place 29 million years ago....
Tour de France: Julian Alaphilippe wins stage three to take yellow jersey • Quick-Step rider makes late solo breakaway to take overall lead• Frenchman wins stage, 26 seconds ahead of Michael MatthewsJulian Alaphilippe, the Tour de France’s king of the mountains last year, w...
Cycling: Unsung hero Teunissen grabs chance, and yellow jersey When Dutchman Mike Teunissen woke up on Saturday morning the last thing he imagined was that a few hours later he would be presented with the Tour de France yellow jersey by the greatest rider in the ...
Cycling: Alaphilippe reclaims yellow and Pinot impresses in French tour de force Julian Alaphilippe reclaimed the Tour de France's yellow jersey and Thibaut Pinot underlined his title credentials as the French pair highly impressed in a spectacular eighth-stage finale on Saturday....
Cycling: Teunissen stays in yellow as Jumbo-Visna win Tour time trial Dutchman Mike Teunissen clung on to the yellow jersey for another day as his Jumbo-Visna team powered to victory in the Tour de France's second stage on Sunday -- a 27.6-km team time trial around the...
Cycling: Teunissen stays in yellow as Jumbo-Visma win Tour time trial Dutchman Mike Teunissen clung on to the yellow jersey for another day as his Jumbo-Visma team powered to victory in the Tour de France's second stage on Sunday -- a 27.6-km team time trial around the...
Ciccone takes yellow from Alaphilippe after Teuns wins at La Planche des Belles Filles "Italy’s Giulio Ciccone was denied victory by Belgium’s Dylan Teuns in Stage 6 at La Planche des Belles Filles but took over the race lead from Julian Alaphilippe in dramatic circumstances on the firs...
Minor clashes break out on 30th weekend of French 'yellow vests' protests Minor clashes broke out on Saturday during the 30th consecutive weekend of "yellow vests" anti-government protests in France, although the numbers of demonstrators remained well below earlier peaks....
Why are the whites of my eyes yellow? Health expert reveals signs you shouldn't ignore EYE health is really important, but often symptoms are overlooked. Here, a health expert and optician explain what it means when the whites of your eyes are yellow....
Ciccone's jaw-dropping power stats as he climbed into yellow on La Planche des Belles Filles "Eurosport\u0027s friends at Cycling Hub have created this terrific video showing the power created by Giulio Ciccone on the final climb of Stage 6 of the Tour de France 2019."...
Women's World Cup: From penalty kicks to yellow cards, basic soccer rules explained Whether you’re watching the FIFA Women’s World Cup, the CONCACAF Gold Cup, or your buddy’s soccer game, keeping all the rules in-check can be frustrating....
Tour de France 2019: Yellow jersey guide – Bernal leads open field "The last of our Blazin\u0027 Saddles pre-race features weighs up the credentials for each of the contenders for the yellow jersey in what is shaping up to be the most open Tour de France in years. Eg...
World-renowned cancer specialist praised by Prince William died of rare reaction to yellow fever jab, inquest finds A world-renowned cancer specialist hailed as a "pioneer" by Prince William died of a rare complication from a yellow fever vaccination, an inquest has found....
| Van Aert clinches back to back Dauphine stages, Yates in yellow Wout van Aert won a second successive stage of the Criterium du Dauphine with victory on day five as Britain's Adam Yates remained in the leader's yellow jersey....
'It was the yellow beak that gave it away': Pennsylvania woman finds dead bird in canned spinach A Pennsylvania woman said she discovered a surprise at the bottom of her canned spinach. Del Monte says it's investigating. ...
Drake is all-in at Raptors’ parade Drake is everything we thought he would be at the Raptors’ parade Monday morning. The rapper was plastered next to Kawhi Leonard throughout some of the event and he was posting live videos on In...
Why is it called a ‘ticker-tape parade?’ As the Women’s World Cup champions bask in the glory – and mess — of a ticker-tape parade Wednesday, many people not born in the Eisenhower administration are scratching their head wonderi...
U.S. celebrates World Cup title with NYC parade The U.S. women’s soccer team won its fourth World Cup title July 7 — and celebrated in style with a ticker tape parade in New York. ...
Pride on parade with events all weekend A weekend of New York City Pride events begins Friday evening with 50th-anniversary commemoration of the Stonewall uprising outside Greenwich Village’s historic Stonewall Inn, now a nationally designa...
Blues celebrate while it rains on their parade Heavy rain didn't dampen the spirits of the St. Louis Blues or their fans Saturday as a crowd estimated in the hundreds of thousands turned out to see the 2019 Stanley Cup champions parade through dow...
Hundreds more reported ill with salmonella Over 220 cases of salmonella have been reported in the past month in outbreaks spanning 41 states, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday, and the agency believes that ba...
Ukraine holds its biggest ever Gay Pride parade Huge crowds, including Western diplomats, have marched through central Kyiv for the city's annual Gay Pride parade. Authorities deployed a heavy police contingent and National Guard members to protect...
‘F–k Pop:’ Who was cursing out Spurs coach during Raptors parade? Raptors guard Fred VanVleet captured the Raptors’ 2019 celebration parade by going live on Instagram. He may have captured something he did not intend. Just before the camera was turned to Kawhi...
How to Stream the U.S. Women's Soccer Team Parade The U.S. Women’s Soccer team has broken records and captured our hearts in its run up to Sunday’s World Cup Finals victory; in return, we owe them a good old fashioned ticker tape parade....
Trump's Independence Day parade in Washington DC – in pictures Donald Trump is overseeing Fourth of July celebrations with a speech about patriotism and a show of military might that critics say is politicising an important holiday and wasting taxpayers’ money. T...
Several Injured In Washington DC Pride Parade After Gun Scare Several people were injured at a gay pride parade in Washington on Saturday when some in the crowd ran to escape what they thought was gunfire, and a man was later arrested when police found a firearm...
San Diego Tops Yankees With a Bullpen Parade Padres Manager Andy Green burned through his bullpen to help his team hold off the Yankees, who got three runs in the seventh inning, in a stretch when Green used four pitchers to face eight batters....
The USWNT Put On A Show At Today’s Victory Parade The United States women’s national soccer team cruised through the World Cup, winning every game all while getting slammed for being too arrogant. They’ve now been celebrating for about three days, in...
The scene during the Women’s World Cup Champions Parade Co-captain Megan Rapinoe and teammates rode on a float with New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, who waved an American flag as the parade made its way through Manhattan....
Rain can't dampen Blues' championship parade Hundreds of thousands of people lined the streets of downtown St. Louis and braved the rain Saturday to cheer on the Stanley Cup champion Blues, who concluded the festivities with a packed rally benea...
USWNT celebrates World Cup title with NY parade The U.S. women’s soccer team won its fourth World Cup title July 7 — and celebrated in style with a ticker tape parade in New York. ...
Several injured in Washington, D.C., pride parade from gun scare Several people were injured at a gay pride parade in Washington on Saturday when some in the crowd ran to escape what they thought was gunfire, and a man was later arrested when police found a firearm...
I'm Musician Dan Boeckner of Operators and Wolf Parade, and This Is How I Eat If you keep up with new music, you probably know Dan Boeckner from Operators, the dark and dance-y synth pop band that consists of him, electro-wiz Devojka, and drummer Sam Brown. (Check out their new...
National Memorial Day parade held in Washington The weather was great for the crowds that came out for the National Memorial Day parade held in Washington. ...
Venezuela marks independence day with military parade President Maduro said he would seek peace with the opposition, one day after a UN report accused the military of extrajudicial killings. Opposition leader Juan Guaido called for an end to Maduro's "di...
Liverpool celebrates Champions League win with bus parade Thousands of people have welcomed Liverpool back to Merseyside after winning the Champions League as the team paraded the trophy through the city center....
US Army specialist comes out on live TV at NYC Pride parade A gay US Army specialist came out on national TV in Manhattan on Sunday while celebrating the Pride march. Spc. Brion Houston was interviewed in the crowds in New York City when he was asked if he had...
Ukraine hosts biggest ever gay pride parade Ukrainian politicians and foreign diplomats joined thousands marching in a gay pride parade in Kiev on Sunday, the biggest and most peaceful ever in the former Soviet country....
Why this country is building hundreds of airports When China's air industry hits the news, stories are typically centered on passengers going rogue, punching each other, trying to wrestle open emergency doors mid-takeoff or dangerously tossing coins ...
Why China is building hundreds of new airports China's high speed ascendance to the jet age has prompted a massive airport building project that will plug millions of its citizens directly into international aviation networks and change the aviati...
An Art Show for Hundreds of Women. And That’s Just the Artists. Like so many good ideas, the Every Woman Biennial was born of a joke. Now it’s in its third edition, displaying the work of over 600 female and nonbinary artists, and expanding to Los Angeles....
Hundreds Pack Downtown For Bluegrass And BBQ LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) – Beer, bourbon, Bluegrass and barbecue all converged this weekend in Lexington. Despite the sporadic rain on both days, hundreds packed downtown for the Bluegrass BBQ Fe...
The Latest: Pride parade begins in New York City NEW YORK (AP) — The Latest on parades and marches throughout the country celebrating Pride (all times local): 12:55 p.m. Thousands of people packed onto Fifth Avenue in Manhattan as the Pride march st...
Shots Fired at Toronto Raptors Championship Parade Two people were shot and wounded at a rally Monday for the NBA champion Toronto Raptors that turned into a stampede. Police said there were two arrests....
Anchor says NY1 refusing to let her cover USWNT parade over lawsuit Veteran NY1 anchor Roma Torre was denied her request to cover Wednesday’s victory parade for the US women’s soccer team in “retaliation” for her and her colleagues’ gende...
Mark Ronson, a Party Boy No More, Tries on Melancholy After a Parade of Hits With seven Grammys, an Oscar and a host of megahits under his belt, the D.J.-turned-super-producer returns with “Late Night Feelings,” a more left-field divorce album....
Thousands march in Romanian capital's pride parade Thousands of people joined a LGBT pride march in Bucharest on Saturday, nearly a year after Romania held a failed referendum to ban same sex marriage....
Shooting Near Raptors’ Victory Parade Leaves 2 Injured The Toronto Police said two people had suffered serious but not life-threatening injuries at the shooting, which took place not far from a celebration event that included Canada’s prime minister....
Thousands gather for Puerto Rican Day Parade along Fifth Avenue Thousands of revelers were living la vida loca along Fifth Avenue on Sunday during the Puerto Rican Day Parade. Parade Grand Marshal and PR native Ricky Martin led the colorful Manhattan party, waving...
Four killed in ambush on Catholic parade in Burkina Faso Four people were killed and a statue of the Virgin Mary was destroyed in an attack on parishioners during a religious procession in Burkina Faso, church officials told CNN on Wednesday....
Tucson Estates holds annual Memorial Day Parade TUCSON – The annual Memorial Day Parade at Tucson Estates was held on Monday, May 27. The parade was put on by the American Legion, American Veterans Post, and Tucson Estates Property Owners Ass...
US Soccer team comes home to huge crowds, parade Fans of the World Cup champion U.S. women's national soccer team chanted "Equal Pay!" as Cordeiro spoke at a celebration of the team at New York's City Hall. (July 10) ...
USWNT ticker-tape parade draws big NYC crowds They’re already champions — and now they’re heroes. The US women’s national soccer team’s victory lap continued Wednesday with a traditional ticker-tape parade in Lower Manhattan, with tho...
NYC will host ticker-tape parade for US World Cup champs The World Cup-winning US women’s soccer team will be showered with ticker tape Wednesday in a parade up lower Manhattan’s Canyon of Heroes. “On and off the field, this team represents what’s best abou...
Man arrested for waving gun at DC Pride parade, sparking stampede A man was arrested for allegedly waving a BB gun during the Capital Pride Parade in Washington DC — sparking a stampede that left several people in the hospital, according to cops. Aftabjit Singh, 38,...
Pride of a Different Sort: Disabled Italians Parade in Rome Now in its fifth year, Italy’s Disability Pride Parade brings an often ignored community onto the streets, which are often tricky for them to navigate....
The Latest: Reports of shots fired at Raptors parade The Latest on reports of shots fired at Raptors parade in Toronto (all times local): 4:40 p.m. Toronto police say two people have been shot and wounded at a rally for the NBA champion Raptors....
NHL notebook: Rain doesn't stop Blues parade Heavy rain didn't dampen the spirits of the St. Louis Blues or their fans Saturday as a crowd estimated in the hundreds of thousands turned out to see the 2019 Stanley Cup champions parade through dow...
Extremely Calm President Trots Out Parade of Staffers to Say How Not Mad He Is President Donald Trump spoke on Thursday about a new plan to bail out America’s farmers to the tune of $16 billion dollars (socialism?) as his ongoing trade war with China continues to impact the agri...
Thousands March in Kiev for LGBTQ Pride Parade (MOSCOW) — Thousands of supporters of LGBT rights have marched through the center of Kiev, the Ukrainian capital, under a heavy police presence to separate them from opponents. Police said Sunda...
Raptors parade trophy through Toronto, uncertainty lingers Two weeks from now, the Toronto Raptors' roster might look as different as Danny Green's combed-out mohawk with looming decisions from Kawhi Leonard, Marc Gasol and Green that brought an air of uncert...
Around two million Canadians cheer Raptors in NBA victory parade Around two million Toronto Raptors fans lined the streets of downtown Toronto to cheer on their hometown heroes in a victory parade on Monday to celebrate their first NBA championship that united Cana...
Blues’ Zach Sanford throws up during Stanley Cup parade Zach Sanford made the Blues’ victory parade on Saturday one St. Louis will never forget. While celebrating his team’s first-ever Stanley Cup championship, the 24-year-old forward was filme...
New York Post proudly marches in Pride parade Posties got pride! A contingent of colorful New York Post staffers marched for the very first time in the annual Pride parade on Sunday. Nearly 150 Posties wore rainbow capes with “PRIDE” ...
AOC turns to DayQuil, VapoRub for Queens Pride Parade WASHINGTON – Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez hopped over the counter to get to the Queens Pride Parade Sunday — turning to cold medicines to get her out of bed after initially calling in s...
Nation's capital holds its Independence Day Parade The nation's capital held its Independence Day Parade along historic Constitution Avenue with the backdrop of the Washington D.C monuments. (July 4) ...
Thousands march in Ukraine’s largest ever Pride parade Ukrainian politicians and foreign diplomats joined thousands marching in a gay pride parade in Kyiv on Sunday, the biggest and most peaceful ever in the former Soviet country....
Hundreds take to Times Square for solstice yoga Hundreds of people came to Times Square on Friday to celebrate the summer solstice despite intermittent rainstorms. (June 21) ...
Hundreds Of Migrants Occupy Paris Landmark Hundreds of undocumented migrants surged into the Pantheon in central Paris on Friday, briefly occupying the vaunted memorial complex to demand talks with the prime minister on regularising their......
U.N. calls for hundreds of millions in more aid to fight Ebola Democratic Republic of Congo's Ebola outbreak could last much longer and cost far more in money and lives unless U.N. member states inject hundreds of millions of dollars now, U.N. humanitarian chief ...
Lincolnshire flooding: hundreds of homes evacuated Military helicopters are drafted in to repair broken bank of River Steeping in Wainfleet Hundreds of homes have been evacuated in a Lincolnshire town following severe flooding as the local MP warned t...
The Huawei fallout continues: ‘Hundreds’ of US layoffs, plus yet another OS name It doesn’t seem like things will be back to normal for Huawei anytime soon, despite President Trump last month seeming warm to a reprieve for the Chinese tech giant. But not only is Huawei still...
HBSC to cut hundreds of jobs by year-end: source HSBC is set to cut several hundred jobs in its investment banking business by the end of the year, according to a source familiar with the matter, as it seeks to improve returns....
Ethiopia: Hundreds arrested over coup attempt More than 260 people have been detained after a militia tried to grab power in the Amhara region. Some are questioning whether the prime minister's policies have inflamed ethnic tensions....
Hundreds of firefighters assigned to Arizona wildfire SUPERIOR, Ariz. (AP) — Hundreds of firefighters are assigned to an Arizona wildfire that incident managers anticipate will be fanned by strong winds and high temperatures. The human-caused fire has bu...
Activision Blizzard is reportedly planning to lay off hundreds Bloomberg reported on Friday that Activision Blizzard, the video game publisher behind blockbuster franchises such as "Call of Duty," "Diablo" and "Warcraft," plans to announce jobs cuts on Tuesday....
Hundreds of new pesticides approved in Brazil under Bolsonaro Many of those permitted since far-right president took power are banned in EuropeBrazil has approved hundreds of new pesticide products since its far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, took power in Jan...
Taiwan gay marriage: Hundreds tie the knot on historic day Hundreds of gay couples in Taiwan have rushed to get married on Friday - the first day a landmark decision that legalised same-sex marriage took effect....
Hundreds of Children Infected With HIV in Pakistani Town Unsafe, but common, practices such as reusing drips and syringes caused hundreds of Pakistani children to be infected with HIV, according to a World Health Organization team investigating a sudden out...
Hundreds marry as Taiwan becomes first in Asia to allow same-sex unions The legislature of the island near the Chinese mainland voted last week, 66 to 27, to recognize same-sex unions, becoming the first in Asia to do so....
Hundreds of orcas hold an annual meeting and now we may know why We may now know why Orcas mysteriously meet near Australian every year. Underwater canyons funnel squid to the area making it a perfect feasting spot...
Hundreds rally in Moscow over journalist case Several hundred protesters gathered in Moscow on Sunday in a small, government-authorized rally supporting investigative journalist Ivan Golunov and decrying abuse of power over his five-day arrest th...
Sierra Vista Police seeks applicants for Citizen Police Academy SIERRA VISTA, Ariz. –Sierra Vista Police Department is seeking interested individuals in its Citizen Police Academy program. These classes give people a glimpse of behind-the-scenes police work. Free ...
A Police Chief Was ‘Concerned’ About How His Department Handled Police Shootings, So He Kept It a Secret A Kansas police chief said that he was so concerned that his department was “contaminating” police shooting probes that he took several steps to address the issue, including continuing to employ alleg...
San Francisco police to return property seized from journalist in raids over leaked police report A San Francisco-based freelance journalist will get back property seized by police during a raid on his home and office earlier this month in relation to his coverage on the unexpected death of Public...
U.S. and Iran set to clash at U.N. nuclear watchdog The United States will use an emergency meeting of the U.N. nuclear watchdog's board on Wednesday to raise pressure on Iran over breaches of its nuclear deal, but diplomats expect no concrete action a...
Cosmologists Clash Over the Beginning of the Universe What happened before the Big Bang? And what happened before that? Stephen Hawking's answer—there was no beginning—is now the subject of intense debate....
| Janine van Wyk on upcoming China clash Banyana Banyana captain Janine van Wyk took time out the team’s training schedule to speak to SAFA.net ahead of the senior women’s national team’s clash again China....
Floor Traders Clash With NYSE The New York Stock Exchange is clamping down on errors among its last remaining floor trading firms, a strict disciplinary push that some traders say could drive them out of business....
Democrats clash over 'Medicare for all' in first debate The issue over health insurance marked the first stark divide among the candidates, and sparked a heated back-and-forth between many of the candidates on stage....
Timbers, NYCFC look for momentum in clash For New York City Football Club, the rise in the Eastern Conference standings can be attributed to a few things, including a hot streak by Maximiliano Moralez....
Steam and Ubuntu clash over 32-bit libs Enlarge / The new icon theme in Ubuntu 19.04. (credit: Scott Gilbertson) It has been a tumultuous week for gaming on Linux. Last Tuesday afternoon, Canonical's Steve Langasek announced that 32-bit l...
Paul Singer Is on the Verge of a Big Win in PG&E Clash The California legislature is primed to deliver a preliminary victory to hedge-fund billionaire Paul Singer and other PG&E bondholders in their monthslong battle with the utility’s shareholders....
Nashville officer killed after 17-year-old driving without a license slammed into his police vehicle while on duty, police say A Tennessee police officer was killed while on duty Thursday when his marked police car was struck by a 17-year-old driver who was driving without a license, according to the Metropolitan Nashville Po...
New York Police Officer Kills Himself, Third Police Suicide in 10 Days The police commissioner urged officers to seek mental health care, reiterating what he said after a deputy chief and detective took their own lives this month....
Pomp, parade marks Queen Elizabeth II’s official birthday Queen Elizabeth II is marking her official birthday with the Trooping the Color parade, a grand occasion and demonstration of Britain’s ability to deploy pomp and circumstance of the highest order...
Washington DC gears up to host Trump's massive military parade The US is preparing for an Independence Day parade that Donald Trump promises will be an "incredible" display from the "strongest military anywhere in the world"....
Follow the Bird Lady! Cinderella costume parade – in pictures Christopher Wheeldon is bringing his in-the-round Cinderella ballet to the Royal Albert Hall in London, complete with 370 costumes. We went behind the scenes for English National Ballet’s final prepar...
St. Louis Blues celebrate Stanley Cup: A parade 52 years in the making The St. Louis Blues won the first Stanley Cup in the franchise's 52-year history and celebrated with fans at a parade and rally. ...
Stanley Cup champion Blues will be honored Saturday with parade and rally A parade 52 years in the making will finally happen Saturday in St. Louis, when the city celebrates the Blues' first-ever Stanley Cup championship ...
Man threatened to ‘kill every gay person’ at St. Louis pride parade: cops A Missouri man was busted by cops for threatening to shoot up a gay pride parade next weekend in St. Louis, according to court documents. Edward Terry of the St. Louis suburb of Overland created a fak...
Panic at DC pride parade sends people running, some injured WASHINGTON (AP) — Officials in Washington, D.C., say several people were injured after a panic at the LGBTQ pride parade sent people running through the streets of the nation’s capital. It happe...
In photos: U.S. women's soccer team celebrates in World Cup parade The U.S. women's soccer team celebrates their World Cup victory win with a ticker-tape parade at the Canyon of Heroes in New York City on July 10, 2019....
US Women’s World Cup champs arrive home ahead of parade NEWARK, N.Y. (AP) — The U.S. Women’s national team has arrived home following their World Cup win against the Netherlands. The soccer team, which won its record fourth Women’s World Cup ti...
Wickens to drive IndyCar Toronto parade lap in adapted Honda NSX Robert Wickens will drive an Acura NSX equipped with hand controls at this weekend's IndyCar round at Toronto, with modifications made by his Schmidt Peterson Motorsports team's partner Arrow Electron...
Tel Aviv runs rainbow colors at jubilant pride parade The summer attire was colorful and rainbow flags billowed with pride in the Mediterranean breeze as revelers flooded the streets of Tel Aviv on Friday for the city's annual lesbian, gay, bisexual and....
Cologne celebrates Germany's largest LGBT+ pride parade Over 1 million people are expected in Cologne for one of Europe's largest pride parades. With homophobic attacks on the rise in Germany, organizers made it clear that this year's event is pushing for ...
The Fiver | Close to becoming the first manager to fall off his team’s victory parade bus Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now!More than half a million people are estimated to have lined the streets of Liverpool (population: 552,000) on Sunday to welcome home Jürgen Klopp and...
Warsaw's pride parade comes amid fears and threats in Poland Thousands of people are expected to join Central and Eastern Europe's largest gay pride parade in Warsaw at a time when Poland is divided over the demand for LGBT rights....
Concerts, fireworks and a military parade mark July Fourth Revelers are flocking to New York’s East River, the West Lawn of the Capitol in Washington and Boston’s Esplanade for fireworks shows and concerts to celebrate America’s Independence Day...
| Tsonga, Kecmanovic rain on German parade in sodden Stuttgart Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Miomir Kecmanovic beatlocal heroes Mischa Zverev and Philipp Kohlschreiber as the grass court season got off to a sodden start in Stuttgart....
World Pride parade preempted by anti-corporate dissidents The world's marquee gay pride parade was preempted by thousands of anti-corporate dissidents who staged their own protest on Sunday, rejecting a uniformed police presence and commercial sponsorship wh...
Several injured at D.C. pride parade after noise mistaken for gunshots causes panic A panic caused by a mistaken belief that a gun had been fired during a pride parade in America’s capital sent people running through the city’s streets, authorities said....
‘Straight Pride’ parade attempt sparks outrage in Boston BOSTON (WBTS) – An attempt at a “straight pride” parade in Boston has sparked outrage days before the city hosts its gay pride parade. Efforts by the group calling itself Super Happ...
De Blasio to ditch Puerto Rican Day parade to campaign in Iowa Mayor Bill de Blasio plans to ditch his own city’s National Puerto Rican Day Parade — so he can campaign in corn country as part of his long-shot 2020 presidential campaign. The 62nd annua...
George, Barbara Bush’s absence noted at Memorial Day parade KENNEBUNKPORT, Maine (AP) — Maine’s Memorial Day celebrations are absent a prominent veteran who died last year. The American Legion has two empty chairs in Kennebunkport’s Dock Square on ...
Warsaw’s pride parade comes amid fears and threats in Poland Thousands of people are expected to join Central Europe’s largest gay pride parade in Warsaw at a time that Poland is exhibiting divisions over the demand for LGBT rights....
De Blasio blasts NY1 for ‘sidelining’ Roma Torre at USWNT parade Mayor Bill de Blasio took NY1 to task on Tuesday for “sidelining” veteran anchor Roma Torre during Wednesday’s coverage of the US women’s soccer victory parade amid a discrimin...
AOC ‘runs away’ from opponent Rich Valdes at Puerto Rican Day Parade US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez "ran away" when potential Republican opponent Rich Valdes tried to confront her at the National Puerto Rican Day Parade in Manhattan, Valdes supporter Curtis Sliwa sai...
Bernie Sanders walks in Iowa Fourth of July parade Senator and presidential candidate Bernie Sanders walked in West Des Moines, Iowa's Fourth of July parade on Wednesday. (July 4) ...
'They're icons': US women's champion team honored with New York parade Women’s World Cup winners to go down ‘Canyon of Heroes’USA beat Netherlands 2-0 to capture second straight titleThe US women’s soccer team, fresh from its second straight World Cup triumph, will retur...
2020 Dems target Trump, and the DNC, as they march in NH July 4 parade The four Democratic presidential contenders marching in this New Hampshire town’s storied Independence Day parade took aim at Republican President Donald Trump over a much larger July 4th celebration ...
FBI investigates ‘glitter bombing’ of Straight Pride Parade organizers The FBI has confirmed that an investigation has been launched after three members of Super Happy Fun America, the organization behind Boston’s upcoming Straight Pride Parade, were sent glitter-filled ...
George, Barbara Bush's absence noted at Memorial Day parade The American Legion has two empty chairs in Kennebunkport's Dock Square on Monday in memory of all of the times former President George H.W. Bush and his wife Barbara watched the Memorial Day parade f...
Parade, rally at the Arch to honor Stanley Cup champ Blues ST. LOUIS (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of people are expected in downtown St. Louis Saturday for a parade and rally to honor the Blues, Stanley Cup champions for the first time in their 52-year histor...
Huge crowds pack downtown Toronto for Raptors parade TORONTO (AP) — Jubilant Raptors fans decked out in team gear are jamming downtown Toronto for a parade for the NBA champions. Crowds packed the route and the square outside City Hall where the march i...
Corporate America gets on the Pride parade, and it's appreciated, but also complicated A growing number of companies have launched LGBTQ-themed ads and products to celebrate Pride month to both gratitude and skepticism. ...
Parade, rally to honor Stanley Cup champion Blues Saturday A parade 52 years in the making will finally happen Saturday in St. Louis, when the city celebrates the Blues' first-ever Stanley Cup championship ...
Both Kawhi Leonards are turning heads at Raptors’ title parade The star of this year’s NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and Toronto Raptors was without a doubt Kawhi Leonard. So, it’s no surprise that the two-time NBA Finals MVP stole the show at Toro...
Zach Sanford Barfs All Over Himself During Blues Stanley Cup Victory Parade The 2019 Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues held their victory parade Sunday, celebrating the franchise’s first ever title. As is usually the case with victory parades, this event featured blissed-...
The Latest: Hundreds of bikers gather after deadly NH crash COLUMBIA, N.H. (AP) — The Latest on a deadly crash between a pickup truck and several motorcycles in New Hampshire (all times local): (all times local): 12:30 p.m. Hundreds of motorcyclists are gather...
Hundreds of puffins are starving to death because of climate change Hundreds of dead seabirds have washed up on an Alaskan island – all apparently starved to death because the warming waters they forage from contain less food...
Missing California mom’s car discovered hundreds of miles from home A California mom vanished a day before her car was discovered abandoned on a bridge hundreds of miles from her home, authorities said. Tiffany Clark, 38, was reported missing Monday after she was last...
Hundreds of U.S. lawmakers ask Trump administration for Syria strategy Hundreds of members of the U.S. Congress signed a letter to President Donald Trump on Monday arguing that the United States should remain engaged with the conflict in Syria, saying they were "deeply c...
Hundreds of endangered vultures mysteriously poisoned in Botswana More than 500 vultures in Botswana have been poisoned after elephant carcasses were laced with chemicals. In a Facebook post on Thursday, the Botswanan government confirmed that the poisoning took pla...
Hundreds protest Louisiana’s passage of ‘heartbeat’ bill BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Hundreds of demonstrators filed into the Louisiana State Capitol a day after lawmakers passed a strict new abortion ban that Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards has signed into la...
A Judge Rules Against One Stem-Cell Clinic. There Are Hundreds of Them. In a long-sought victory for the F.D.A., a federal judge said officials have the authority to regulate stem-cell treatments made from patients’ own fat....
UPDATE: Power restored for hundreds in Tucson Saturday Update: Power has been restored in the area of Broadway and Rosemont. TUCSON – Hundreds are currently without power in Tucson. The Tucson Electric Power outage map showed outages near Broadway a...
Hundreds detained as Kazakhs protest 'rigged' election Police in Kazakhstan's biggest city were put on high alert overnight as protests against what many see as a rigged presidential election continued, resulting in hundreds of people being detained, poli...
Hundreds protest as Indonesia confirms president's re-election Indonesian President Joko Widodo comfortably won re-election in last month's poll, an official count showed on Tuesday, throwing the spotlight on his opponent who refused to concede as his supporters ...
Hundreds of North Korean 'execution sites' identified A human rights group claims to have identified 323 public execution sites in North Korea where the state has carried out its aggressive use of the death penalty. ...
Hundreds attend vigil for slain German politician The town of Wolfhagen has been remembering local politician Walter Lübcke, who was shot dead in an apparent act of right-wing violence. Meanwhile, Chancellor Angela Merkel said Germany had a duty to c...
Pro and anti-Israel protests draw hundreds in Berlin BERLIN (AP) — Hundreds of people including prominent German politicians and members of the Jewish community are protesting against a larger, anti-Israel rally in Berlin. Police in the German capital o...
WannaCry? Hundreds of US schools still haven’t patched servers Enlarge / School IT is old school. And still vulnerable to EternalBlue. (credit: PhotoAlto / Frederic Cirou / Getty Images) If you're wondering why ransomware continues to be such a problem for sta...
Tehran shuts hundreds of restaurants for flouting Islam Iranian police raided and shut hundreds of eateries over a 10-day period for not observing "Islamic principles." Tehran's morality police force was recently bolstered in attempt to enforce strict dres...
“Quacks” blamed for HIV outbreak that infected hundreds of kids Enlarge / A Pakistani paramedic takes a blood sample from a baby for a HIV test at a state-run hospital in Rato Dero in the district of Larkana of the southern Sindh province on May 9, 2019. (credit: ...
Hundreds gather across Nile from Khartoum after deadly clashes Hundreds of people gathered in the Sudanese city of Omdurman across the River Nile from Khartoum on Monday to protest against the ruling military a day after at least seven people died in clashes betw...
Bobby Hundreds Wrote the Book on Streetwear—Literally The longtime streetwear vet talks about his new book This Is Not a T-Shirt, the state of the industry, and why failure can be just as important as success....
Hundreds of IS relatives leave camp in northeast Syria A local official and witnesses in northeastern Syria say hundreds of Syrian women and children related to fighters from the Islamic State group are leaving an overcrowded camp in the country's north t...
Afghanistan releases hundreds of Taliban prisoners without conditions The Afghan government this month released 490 Taliban fighters and commanders from its prisons, as part of a goodwill gesture to persuade the militant group to come to the table for direct talks with ...
Nazarbayev ally set to win Kazakh vote as hundreds protest Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the interim president of Kazakhstan hand-picked by veteran leader Nursultan Nazarbayev as his successor, will confirm his position on Sunday in an election triggered by Nazarbay...
The Latest: Hundreds crowd hearing on California vaccine law SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The Latest on a California Assembly hearing on vaccination legislation (all times local): 3 p.m. Hundreds filed through a committee hearing at California’s Capitol on T...
A Man Died Mid-Flight After Swallowing Hundreds of Cocaine Packets A Japanese man who swallowed 246 packets of cocaine died while on a flight from Bogota to Tokyo on Friday, Agence France-Presse reports. Authorities identified the man only as 42-year-old Udo N in a s...
Hundreds gather for vigil in Memphis neighborhood where man was shot Some 300 people gathered on Friday evening for a candle-light vigil in the Memphis neighborhood where a young black man was shot dead by federal authorities as residents remained on edge following vio...
Hundreds arrested as Kazakhs protest against 'rigged' election Little change expected despite Nursultan Nazarbayev stepping down after 30 years in power Hundreds of people have been arrested in Kazakhstan while protesting against a stage-managed election that the...
Uganda jails hundreds of men for sex offences against women and girls Campaigners applaud move to curb gender-based violence after courts hold special sessions to clear backlog of casesHundreds of men in Uganda have been jailed for sexual offences against girls and wome...
Hundreds Of Rats Removed From North Carolina Home Hundreds rats and an assortment of other animals were removed from a Cary, North Carolina home Tuesday. Several officials in white hazmat suits were seen entering and leaving the home with animal cage...
Hundreds of companies decry tariffs in letter to Trump NEW YORK (AP) — More than 600 companies and trade associations, including Walmart and Target, have signed a letter telling President Donald Trump that an escalating trade war with China will hurt fami...
Turkish court sentences hundreds of coup 'ringleaders' The trial of 224 suspects, which include many former military generals, started almost a year after the July 2016 botched coup against President Erdogan. Ankara has incarcerated thousands of dissident...
Hundreds of Roma 'forcibly removed' from Russian village Governor blames tensions on US after about 650 believed evicted from ChemodanovkaHundreds of Roma people have been forcibly evicted from a village in western Russia, the head of the village council ha...
Facebook stored hundreds of millions of passwords unprotected Company admits to mistake and says it has no evidence of abuse – but the risk was hugeFacebook mistakenly stored “hundreds of millions” of passwords in plaintext, unprotected by any encryption, the co...
Hundreds protest as Indonesia confirms president’s re-election Indonesia’s General Election Commission (KPU) confirmed unofficial counts by private pollsters in the April 17 election, giving Widodo a 55.5 percent share of votes against 44.5 percent for Prab...
Massive Hawaii wildfire forces hundreds to evacuate A massive Hawaii brush fire so large it could be seen from outer space triggered the temporary evacuation of nearly 600 people as it tore through about 10,000 acres of old sugar cane fields and dry ve...
UK PM hopefuls clash over how to win Brexit deal in TV debate Conservative candidates vying to replace Prime Minister Theresa May clashed on Sunday over how to win a deal to leave the European Union, with several saying they could win changes to an agreement the...
Possession key for Cameroon clash, says New Zealand's Longo New Zealand's slim hopes of making it to the knockout rounds of the women's World Cup for the first time will depend on denying Cameroon possession in their last Group E game in Montpellier on Thursd...
Far-right, anti-fascist marchers clash in Portland At least three groups had planned rallies, including members of the so-called Proud Boys and anti-fascist groups. The fights occurred when participants of the opposing groups met....
Democrats clash over health insurance, economy MIAMI (AP) — Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren raised her hand as one of the only Democratic presidential contenders willing to abolish her own private health insurance in favor of a government-run ...
Strycova has no fear ahead of Serena clash Unseeded Czech Barbora Strycova believes she has the weapons to upset seven-times champion Serena Williams in Thursday's Wimbledon semi-final and will walk on Centre Court with no fear....
Nigeria parliament on lockdown after clash with Shi'ite group Nigeria's National Assembly was on lockdown on Tuesday after shots were fired outside during clashes between police and a group of Shi'ite Muslim protesters....
Clash of Clans will have its first World Championship in October Supercell announced today that it will hold the first ever Clash of Clans World Championship at ESL One Hamburg from October 25 to October 27.Read More...
Kelly and Benn appear set for all-British clash at welterweight British welterweights Josh Kelly and Conor Benn remain on a collision course following Benn's latest victory at York Hall The post Kelly and Benn appear set for all-British clash at welterweight appea...
Thiem defeats Djokovic in five to set up Nadal clash "Dominic Thiem defeated Novak Djokovic in five sets on Saturday 6-2, 3-6, 7-5, 5-7, 6-3 to set up a rematch of last year’s clash with Rafa Nadal in the French Open final."...
Dimitrov outlasts Cilic in heavyweight clash Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov twice came from a set behind to outlast 11th seed Marin Cilic in a heavyweight second-round clash at the French Open on Wednesday....
Nadal beats Sugita to set up Kyrgios clash Rafael Nadal has had numerous nasty surprises in Wimbledon's early rounds so when Japan's Yuichi Sugita won the opening two games of their first-round clash on Tuesday he might have felt a pang of anx...
Trump's tweets add heat to U.S. clash with France It is the game which could easily have been the final of the Women's World Cup -- the defending champions and favorites, the United States, against hosts France, seeking their first title....
China and U.S. clash again on trade and regional security China and the United States clashed again this weekend on trade and security, accusing each other of destabilizing the region and potentially the world....
Deputy in clash with Ujiri claims concussion An attorney for a deputy involved in an altercation with the president of the Toronto Raptors said his client suffered a concussion and is on medical leave....
Dilemma for France as potential U.S. clash looms France's last group game against Nigeria at the women's World Cup will be a double-edged sword as a draw will see them advance as top of Group A, but will also send them toward a likely quarter-final ...
Deputy in Ujiri clash has concussion, lawyer says An attorney for a deputy involved in an altercation with the president of the Toronto Raptors said his client suffered a concussion and is on medical leave....
Walmart, Target and Macy's get hit by the trade clash America's top stores and consumer brands have avoided serious damage from the prolonged US-China trade clash. But tariffs are starting to bite the retail sector....
| Bok blow as Dyantyi ruled out of Wallabies clash The Springboks' preparations for the Rugby Championship have hit a hurdle with the news that wing Aphiwe Dyantyi has been ruled out of Saturday's opener with Australia....
| Nadal, Kyrgios to clash in Wimbledon blockbuster Rafael Nadal set-up a Wimbledon second round blockbuster with bitter Australian rival Nick Kyrgios after seeing off Japanese qualifier Yuichi Sugita....
Watch Live: U.S. women's soccer team parade in NYC 'Canyon of Heroes' The U.S. women's soccer team will be honored along New York City's "Canyon of Heroes" Wednesday morning during a ticker tape parade, three days after beating the Netherlands to capture the World Cup t...
Shots fired, four injured during Toronto Raptors' NBA championship parade Shots were fired during the Raptors' NBA championship parade in Toronto on Monday; police say injuries to two victims were "not life-threatening." ...
Thousands of fans flood downtown Toronto for Raptors victory parade The Toronto Raptors victory parade after winning the NBA Championship is set to start at 10 a.m. Monday at the Princes’ Gates and travel towards Nathan Phillips Square for a large celebration that is ...
New York leads Pride parade cavalcade with huge LGBTQ celebration Two marches in Manhattan, many more around USLove and Resistance: priceless pictures of LGBTQ pioneersNew York will stage a massive LGBTQ Pride march on Sunday, as other US cities including San Franci...
Warsaw to Hold Gay Pride Parade Amid Fears and Threats in Poland The largest pride parade in Central and Eastern Europe comes as a government campaign depicts the gay rights movement in Poland as a threat to families....
'The best club': Kompany bids farewell to Man City after open-top bus parade – video Manchester City celebrated their historic domestic treble with an open top bus tour through the heart of their home city. Celebrations culminated with an emotional speech from outgoing captain Vincent...
Billy Porter, the Queer Eye Cast & More Celebs Celebrate the NYC Pride Parade It's time to celebrate, y'all! The NYC Pride Parade has officially kicked off, and thousands of people are flooding the streets for the historic occasion. From Pete Davidson to......
Woody Guthrie’s children named Mermaid Parade king and queen NEW YORK (AP) — Woody Guthrie’s children, Arlo and Nora Guthrie, are king and queen of this year’s Coney Island Mermaid Parade. Saturday’s colorful spectacle of participants in zany ...
Bruins hoping to win Stanley Cup, join Boston's title parade The Boston Bruins are hoping to end the city's (3-month) championship drought with a victory over the St. Louis Blues for the NHL title ...
Two reportedly shot as 1.5m pack Toronto streets for Raptors' title parade Police say two people sustained non-life-threatening injuriesRaptors became first non-US team to win NBA title last weekPolice lift fans seeking safety as overcrowding becomes problemDroves of jubilan...
Kawhi Leonard’s future looms large at Raptors’ championship parade Kawhi Leonard took in the Raptors’ championship parade Monday, cigar in mouth, while hoisting his Finals MVP trophy before the Toronto faithful. Of course it didn’t take long for the topic of his futu...
Reports of a shooting caused chaos at the Toronto Raptors' championship parade via Meagan Fitzpatrick/Twitter There was reportedly a shooting at the Toronto Raptors championship parade on Monday. Police say there were two victims with non-life-threatening injuries. Gun shots an...
Dozens of protestors arrested for blocking Philadelphia Fourth of July parade Protestors participating in a demonstration against ICE were arrested for blocking Philadelphia's Fourth of July parade. ...
St. Louis Blues' Zach Sanford appears to puke on himself during victory parade Partying hard after winning the Stanley Cup can take a toll on the average human let alone and athlete and that notion stayed true during the St. Louis Blues’ victory parade Sunday....
Anti-NYPD activists plan alternate Pride parade without cops Anti-NYPD activists in the LGBT community are planning an alternative Pride parade that will exclude cops. The Reclaim Pride Coalition plans to hold the first Queer Liberation March on June 30, the sa...
Group pushes Boston ‘straight pride’ parade, sparks backlash BOSTON — An attempt at a “straight pride” parade in Boston has sparked outrage days before the city hosts its gay pride parade. Efforts by the group calling itself Super Happy Fun America come amid LG...
Chris Evans Slams "Homophobic" Men Planning Straight Pride Parade After news broke that a group in Boston is trying to host a "Straight Pride" Parade, Chris Evans took to Twitter to slam the event and its organizers. "Wow! Cool initiative,......
Photos: Hillary and Bill Clinton march in Memorial Day parade in New York "Every American needs to observe it," Bill Clinton said at the Westchester, New York, Memorial Day parade. Gov. Andrew Cuomo also attended. ...
Cuomo signs bill at Pride parade banning ‘gay panic’ defense Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Sunday signed a law banning the so-called “gay panic” defense in New York State, saying it “ends the justification of homophobia.” Cuomo scribbled his John...
Queen Elizabeth II Celebrates 93rd Birthday With Massive Military Parade President Donald Trump and his family got the royal treatment from Queen Elizabeth II this past week - and the American president was all in, gushing to Fox News that it was a highlight of his life,.....
Liverpool parade Champions League trophy to ecstatic fans – video Thousands of Liverpool fans celebrated in the city centre as their team paraded the Champions League trophy from an open-top bus. Fans set off flares and sang throughout the day as Liverpool was turne...
Rep. Duncan Hunter Admits He Probably Killed 'Hundreds of Civilians' in Iraq California Rep. Duncan Hunter, previously best known for investigations into his misuse of funds while in office and vaping on the floor of Congress, went on a Barstool Sports podcast last week and in...
Hundreds of Brotherhood supporters mourn Egypt's Mursi in Turkey Hundreds of Muslim Brotherhood supporters took to the streets of Turkey's capital and Istanbul on Tuesday, mourning former Egyptian president Mohamed Mursi and some chanting slogans blaming Cairo auth...
'Colombia's sliding backwards': journalists face hundreds of attacks Last year saw 477 attacks and threats against journalists as factions battle over territory once held by FarcNearly two decades after her ordeal, Jineth Bedoya’s voice still cracks when she describes ...
Ordered Deported, Migrants Hit With Fines Running Into Hundreds of Thousands Immigrants avoiding deportation by living in houses of worship received notices that they would be fined, the latest measure taken in an ongoing crackdown....
Hundreds fall sick after Imelda Marcos's birthday party Guests at celebration for former first lady of Philippines rushed to hospital with suspected food poisoningMore than 200 guests fell ill with suspected food poisoning after a meal at a birthday party ...
Hundreds of dolphins have died along Gulf Coast since February, scientists say At least 279 animals have been stranded, triple the usual figure, and 98% have died, prompting investigationAt least 279 dolphins have become stranded across much of the US Gulf Coast since the start ...
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Wendouree Cabernet Sauvignon 2008
AP Birks Wendouree Cellars produce some of the very few wines I’ll buy without tasting! The wines are something special. A celebration of an incredible old vineyard with plantings from the late 1800s. Tony & Lita are custodians of something truly special!
From 1971 and 2002 plantings.
Some argue that his Cabernet and Cabernet Malbec are not varietal in character. This I don’t care about. What I’m looking for is wine that is good and these are damn good! Both have an incredible core of fruit and strong personalities.
Check out all the Wendouree Wines!
Purchased on release and stored in a climate controlled cellar, all are in pristine condition.
Wines are ready for immediate shipping weather permitting.
About Wendouree
Milton Wordley was kind enough to share many of the photos below with us! He shares wonderful stories of the wine industry and its people on his site ‘People of Wine’. His interview with Tony Brady is well worth a read. You can see a portfolio of his work here.
Wendouree has no cellar door, no fax, no website, it doesn’t need them. The wines have such an incredible history and pedigree, they speak for themselves.
The wines are incredibly long-lived, I’m just starting to drink the wines from the early 00’s.
1958 Wendouree Claret © Milton Wordley
In recent times, the wines have been softened a little. Their pleasures can be released a little earlier. They tend to have a deceptive lightness, that gives way to incredible depth and length of fruit. The overt oak found in some of the wines from the late nineties is no longer present. Layers of aromas and flavours can’t be easily dissected, such is their harmony. The grape tannins have an incredible texture and density.
Visiting Wendouree back in 1999 with a couple of French winemakers, it was clear that Tony Brady, custodian of Wendouree with his wife Lita (who unfortunately wasn’t present, her moreish date biscuits were!) was humble, thoughtful, wouldn’t suffer fools, and incredibly generous. Looking at gnarly bush vines over a hundred years old in the Wendouree vineyards is a rare thing indeed. It amazed me that they still offered fruit.
Tony Brady Wendouree © Milton Wordley
Wendouree © Milton Wordley
Tony Brady & the permanently closed Wendouree sign © Milton Wordery
Having allocated 2 hours for the visit we left over 4 hours later. Having tasted every wine in barrel, we were offered refreshments. Lita’s date biscuits are sensational. Tony offered us tea or coffee. I saw no espresso machine and suggest tea. Tony replied the coffee is good. How could I refuse, it’s just another liquid after all, and, he’s pretty hand with the one he makes and sells. Using a tradition hand grinder for the coffee beans, and, a beaker on a bunsen burner to warm milk, made for another tasty beverage.
We took over a couple of wines we’d made to share with Tony. He was kind enough to return the favour. Taking us to a double wooden door, behind which lay his museum stock, he drew the airtight doors, gestured to us, and, requested that we selected a bottle of our choosing. After some moments, I proclaimed, I can’t do it! There were simply too many treasures. He turned to the French winemakers, asked what year they were born in. Both 1975. Within a couple of seconds, he’d grabbed a 1975 Shiraz for us to devour that night. What a wine!
I’m certainly glad Tony didn’t end up continuing on his early path in the legal profession.
The Vineyards
The list of planting dates for Wendouree’s vineyard is insane. 1893, 1898, 1919, 1920, 1971, 1975, 1989 and few more recent plantings. During our visit in 1999, Tony showed as a new planting a couple of years in the ground. Over the road, Hardy’s had planted a vineyard at the same time. Tony & Lita’s vines, Shiraz, from a selection massale were establishing beautifully and evenly with drunks 15-20mm thick, whilst the neighbours struggled to make pencil thickness and were incredibly uneven. Enough said!
In the image of the old vine below you can see two canes on either side with 8-9 buds on each, and, a number of spurs 7 or 8 in total with 2 buds on each. From each of these buds, a new shoot will grow that may have a bunch of grapes form at the base of the shoot. Managing these old vines is challenging. It’s important that they spread the growth across the entire vine to draw energy and life through the head. If they don’t, parts of the head will die over time. All of that old wood in the head, trunk, and, invisible underground in the root system offers more flavour and finer tannins!
Wendouree Shiraz 1911 Malbec 1989 Cabernet 1971 Front Block © Milton Wordley
Looking at his old bush vines, I could help but think “If only you could talk”. It’s not often you see vines over 100 years old! Whilst the canes and spurs coming from the vines weren’t abundant, each that did was vital. Tony indicated yields that surprised. Yes low, but, not horrifically so. I forget the exact numbers.
Block 24T Shiraz Planted 1893 © Milton Wordley
Technology is employed just because it exists, it must have a purpose. The Wendouree winery is relatively low tech, yet clever. Basket presses, open fermenters, a few tanks & barrels. That’s about it!
Deep understanding of the science of wine doesn’t require that you use every bit of technology available, just that you are aware of what’s around, and, that like Tony you can be a little creative in coming up with solutions to the challenges you face.
Tony completes malolactic fermentation in tank and has added a simple heating belt to each tank to keep the wine warm enough for the bugs to stay happy and do their job. I can’t recall its origin, it’s not from the wine industry directly. Like a tea light candle under a dish of food to keep it warm, very little energy is required to keep a tank of wine warm once it is already at the desired temperature. Simple yet effective.
The most technically advanced piece of kit in the winery is probably the bespoke Carbon Fibre Pitchfork! By all accounts at 800g vs 2.5kg it saves tonnes of lifting during vintage! There’s a nice juxtaposition of having a manual, ratchet driven basket press sitting on a perfectly formed stainless steel juice tray. I laughed when I saw the fermentation data in chalk on the front of the open fermenter. We use a whiteboard marker on the fridge at Wine Decoded HQ!
Tony Brady at the Basket Press, Wendouree © Milton Wordery
Open Fermenter at Wendouree © Milton Wordley
Tony’s Carbon Fibre Pitch Fork
Tony Brady at the Basket Press & an open fermenter at Wendouree © Milton Wordery
Not every wine is made every year. The nature of agriculture determines the fruit available, the winemaker the best use of that fruit.
Tony, Lita, and, there supporting winemaker, Stephen George, are clearly all deep thinkers. Listen carefully and ask the right questions during a visit in this thought comes out. The little things, the 1 percenters that make a difference are hidden in plain sight.
Lita the ‘Brains’ does not seem to find what ever it is Stephen the ‘Palate’ and Tony the ‘Arms and Legs’ so funny © Milton Wordley
The general descriptions of each of the wines below are just that, year and evolution of winemaking will impact the specific wine. Varietal composition is a generalisation based on the numbers provided by Wendouree over a number of years. Beyond the wines below, the epic Pressings pops up once every 20 years or so!
Central vineyard planted in 1898.
The Malbec is the best I’ve ever had from Australia. Malbec is a fickle variety that is a case of feast or famine. When flowering is poor so little fruit is realised that you can barely make a wine from it. When it sets well you get so much fruit you can risk ending up with a dilute wine if the vines aren’t managed carefully. Wendouree’s Malbec never suffers the later issue, it always has great density, opulence and a plush, graceful texture.
Cabernet Malbec
Around 30% Malbec and comes from 1975 Central, 1920 Eastern, and 1989 Western vineyards.
The blend of Cabernet and Malbec is well known throughout the world. Along with Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, they are two of the varieties that make up the Bordeaux blend. Cabernet Malbec blends from Wendouree, Brand’s Laira (the 1978 and 1979 were epic) in Coonawarra and of course Yarra Yering, have been some of the most thrilling Australian wines I’ve ever had.
Shiraz Mataro
Ranges from 80-60% Shiraz and 20-40% Mataro from 1893 Central, 1919 Eastern, and 1920 Eastern bush vines.
His Shiraz Mataro is delicious, more ethereal than the straight Shiraz, with some structure evident from the Mataro. There’s a lift in perfume that follows too! This one of Tony’s favourites!
Shiraz Malbec
Ranges from 80-50% Shriaz and 20-50% depending on the year Malbec from the 1919 and 1920 plantings.
The Shiraz Malbec, it’s a variation on a theme of excellent wines, the opulence of the Malbec providing a twist of difference in comparison with the Shiraz Mataro.
Which leaves the Shiraz. No words required! One of the World’s best, I’d drink it over other Shiraz that is perhaps more well known globally every day of the week and twice on Sunday! The tannins are incredible.
From Muscat vines planted in the 1940s.
For the sake of completeness, although we have none to offer.
I grab a few bottles of this every known and then. It’s a deliciously perfumed, sweet drink. Always vibrant and fresh, a lovely spice, and silvery line of bitterness. Put a few years of bottle age on it and the youth angularity disappears and a harmony settles on the wine.
Tips for Drinking these Wines
If you have a full set of these wines taste at least two of them at a time you’ll get so much from the experience. The different sites, and, tannin structures will stand out more clearly. By drinking in Context (Etna’s from Calabretta) and with Contrast (at least 2 of their wines at a time) you’ll accelerate your understanding of what’s possible and more importantly your enjoyment of the wines.
Temp: 16°C. We tend to drink reds an edge warm. There’s nothing wrong with chucking the bottles in the fridge for 15minutes to drop a few degrees off them. If they end up too cold they’ll warm up quickly in the glass.
Decanting: When young Wendouree’s wines benefit from decanting to help them open up, and, will often drink well over several days, if you can hold off that long! When old they will throw a little sediment. Decanting. It’s worth decanting them to achieve a clear wine for optimal pleasure, the air won’t hurt them either.
⏳Time: I love trying good wines stand alone, with food, and, often the next day. Wendouree’s wines will typically open up over the course of several hours devouring them. Make sure you leave a splash in the bottle to try it 24 hours later, you’ll be rewarded for the experience, particularly when these wines are young.
Cellaring: Known for there longevity, I have not had a Wendouree wine that has been past it. Though the oldest I’ve had is a 1975. Historically they required age to soften the tannins. Over the last 15 years, in particular, we’ve seen an evolution to wines that are more approachable young, whilst still having incredible longevity. In a nutshell, hold of as long as you can. If you have enough experiment to find a drinking window you enjoy them in.
The Clare Valley
The northern most wine region in South Australia. The Clare is home to some of Australia’s great Rieslings. The Clare Valley is no slouch when it comes to reds. Wendouree being home to some of the greatest of all, not just in the Clare, in Australia. The reds of the Clare Valley tend to be vibrant, fresh, and, can have slightly chunky tannins. Wendouree, Taylors and alike have worked hard on texture over the last 15-20 years with the sophistication levels going up year after year.
AP Birks Wendouree Cellars © Milton Wordley
Where in the world does the magic happen?
AP Birk's Wendouree Cellars
Halliday Top 100
Brooding with Sour Cherry and Dark Fruit. Kinda the child to Block 1 and Block 2
Cellar it for a couple of years!
Yabby Lake Block 6 Pinot Noir 2015
From $90ea with any 12 Bottles $100.00
Intriguing Pinot Noir Screw Caps Mornington
Best Under $20
Yet another insanely drinkable sub $20 wine from Spain. Along with some of the Italian Reds, Pizza & Jamon have found some friends!
Valdemoreda Tempranillo 2016
Min. 12 - $156.00 $13.00
Fruit Driven Tempranillo
Is Hamster! No is Mataro! No is Mourvèdre! No is Monastrell! No is one tasty beverage!
The Crazy Windmill is Here!
Molino Loco Monastrell 2014
Rich Spicy Monastrell Yecla
Drink Me!
First produced in 1911, the fruit for Massolino's classic cuvée is selected from seven sites inc. Briccolina, Collaretto, Broglio and Le Turne
Feminine & Stylish!
Massolino Barolo 2012
From $80ea with any 12 Bottles $90.00
Harmonious Nebbiolo Serralunga d'Alba
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#WAybetter
WA is already pretty great. But it could be #WAybetter
The state election in March is a big deal because we all get to have a say in the future of WA.
WA’s enormous resources of sunshine, wind and waves mean we could become a renewable energy superpower of the future. In WA alone, there is enough wind and solar to provide almost 9% of the world’s energy every year. Wowza. In other words, WA has more renewable energy than fossil fuel energy.
Lucky, cos the world is already moving away from polluting fossil fuels. The boom and bust cycles of fossil fuels have hurt WA’s communities and now we need long-term, sustainable jobs, using 21st Century technology that don’t fuel the climate crisis.
To make Western Australia #WAybetter, we need to invest in renewables, not fracking.
At the moment, neither major party have made a commitment to investing in the renewable energy that we need. But young people know better and we want change. Let’s not let WA’s out-of-date politicians hold us back from the solutions we need;
100% renewable energy by 2030
A transition away from fossil fuels
And a statewide ban on fracking
Help us to realise a safe, sustainable future for WA by asking our leaders to back the clean energy of the future over the polluting fuels of the past.
Make WA #WAybetter this state election by telling our politicians that a future powered by 100% renewable energy is way better than polluting fossil fuels
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Guinness Ice Cream Float
By Rachel // March 2, 2012 // 13 comments // Share
Don’t let this fool you. I’m not a fan of beer, at all… unless we’re talking root beer because I can totally get behind that. I may or may not even have a slight addiction to Mug root beer. It’s the best of them all. I’ve tried others and none compare to my precious Mug. I haven’t had a root beer float in ages but it got me thinking, why not make a beer float for St Patrick’s Day. Guinness is pretty much a requirement for many for the holiday so it seems fitting to play around with it and whip up some new tasty treats.
This is so easy to make and requires very basic ingredients. Besides the obvious requirements of a few key ingredients… you must love ice cream floats and you also must love Guinness.
This float is full of creamy flavor from the ice cream and whipped cream (plus optional Bailey’s) then hits you with the very distinct Guinness flavor. A must try for Guinness and ice cream float lovers.
1 can or bottle Guinness draught
chocolate fudge sauce
Bailey's Irish cream, optional
In a large glass, add 1-2 scoops vanilla ice cream.
Top off with hot fudge sauce. Add a splash or two of Bailey's if desired.
Top off with Guinness.
And a final touch of whipped cream.
Stir and enjoy.
Crispy Baked Ravioli
Cake Batter Rice Krispie Treats
Bacon and Barbecue Chicken Pizza
13 Responses to “Guinness Ice Cream Float”
amy @ fearless homemaker — March 2, 2012 at 10:09 am
i love guinness, so this looks fantastic. yum!
Julie @ Table for Two — March 2, 2012 at 10:29 am
oh my gosh. so awesome and i love this. i’m not a huge beer fan but my bf would LOVE this!! I’ll just eat the ice cream :)
Cookin' Canuck — March 2, 2012 at 10:38 am
We love dark beers in our house and this would be such a fun thing to make for my husband on St. Paddy’s Day.
Michelle Collins — March 2, 2012 at 12:46 pm
This is making my mouth water. Looks like such a tasty dessert/drink!
Bertie's Bakery — March 2, 2012 at 1:56 pm
See I DO love Guinness, and I love icecream even more! This looks great!
Lauren at Keep It Sweet — March 2, 2012 at 2:28 pm
Best way to drink beer ever!
Cassie — March 2, 2012 at 2:41 pm
I’m so doing this. And my husband is so falling in love with me all over again. LOVE!
Carrie @ Bakeaholic Mama — March 2, 2012 at 3:17 pm
Oh my! I need to try this for our St. Patty’s Day.
PS. I just read your info your from NH… me too!!
Lauren @ hey, who cut the cheese? — March 2, 2012 at 6:49 pm
My husband just about fell over when I showed him this post. Can’t wait to make this for him!
amanda @ fake ginger — March 3, 2012 at 8:26 pm
YUMMY! I saved a similar recipe a few days ago but I’m not a huge Guinness fan so I wasn’t sure. I’m going to try it now!
Amber | Bluebonnets & Brownies — March 4, 2012 at 9:12 pm
That is a pretty delicious idea. Clever girl :)
Erin — March 6, 2012 at 10:38 am
I’ve had something similar with a chocolate stout – really good!
Charlene — March 11, 2012 at 5:28 pm
I discovered this drink a few weeks ago. It’s awesome!
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Jeremiah44 ESV
Judgement for Idolatry
1The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Judeans who lived in the land of Egypt, at Migdol, at Tahpanhes, at Memphis, and in the land of Pathros, 2“Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: You have seen all the disaster that I brought upon Jerusalem and upon all the cities of Judah. Behold, this day they are a desolation, and no one dwells in them, 3because of the evil that they committed, provoking me to anger, in that they went to make offerings and serve other gods that they knew not, neither they, nor you, nor your fathers. 4Yet I persistently sent to you all my servants the prophets, saying, ‘Oh, do not do this abomination that I hate!’ 5But they did not listen or incline their ear, to turn from their evil and make no offerings to other gods. 6Therefore my wrath and my anger were poured out and kindled in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, and they became a waste and a desolation, as at this day. 7And now thus says the LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel: Why do you commit this great evil against yourselves, to cut off from you man and woman, infant and child, from the midst of Judah, leaving you no remnant? 8Why do you provoke me to anger with the works of your hands, making offerings to other gods in the land of Egypt where you have come to live, so that you may be cut off and become a curse and a taunt among all the nations of the earth? 9Have you forgotten the evil of your fathers, the evil of the kings of Judah, the evil of their44:9 Hebrew his wives, your own evil, and the evil of your wives, which they committed in the land of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? 10They have not humbled themselves even to this day, nor have they feared, nor walked in my law and my statutes that I set before you and before your fathers.
11“Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will set my face against you for harm, to cut off all Judah. 12I will take the remnant of Judah who have set their faces to come to the land of Egypt to live, and they shall all be consumed. In the land of Egypt they shall fall; by the sword and by famine they shall be consumed. From the least to the greatest, they shall die by the sword and by famine, and they shall become an oath, a horror, a curse, and a taunt. 13I will punish those who dwell in the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem, with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence, 14so that none of the remnant of Judah who have come to live in the land of Egypt shall escape or survive or return to the land of Judah, to which they desire to return to dwell there. For they shall not return, except some fugitives.”
15Then all the men who knew that their wives had made offerings to other gods, and all the women who stood by, a great assembly, all the people who lived in Pathros in the land of Egypt, answered Jeremiah: 16“As for the word that you have spoken to us in the name of the LORD, we will not listen to you. 17But we will do everything that we have vowed, make offerings to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her, as we did, both we and our fathers, our kings and our officials, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For then we had plenty of food, and prospered, and saw no disaster. 18But since we left off making offerings to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything and have been consumed by the sword and by famine.” 19And the women said,44:19 Compare Syriac; Hebrew lacks And the women said “When we made offerings to the queen of heaven and poured out drink offerings to her, was it without our husbands' approval that we made cakes for her bearing her image and poured out drink offerings to her?”
20Then Jeremiah said to all the people, men and women, all the people who had given him this answer: 21“As for the offerings that you offered in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, you and your fathers, your kings and your officials, and the people of the land, did not the LORD remember them? Did it not come into his mind? 22The LORD could no longer bear your evil deeds and the abominations that you committed. Therefore your land has become a desolation and a waste and a curse, without inhabitant, as it is this day. 23It is because you made offerings and because you sinned against the LORD and did not obey the voice of the LORD or walk in his law and in his statutes and in his testimonies that this disaster has happened to you, as at this day.”
24Jeremiah said to all the people and all the women, “Hear the word of the LORD, all you of Judah who are in the land of Egypt. 25Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: You and your wives have declared with your mouths, and have fulfilled it with your hands, saying, ‘We will surely perform our vows that we have made, to make offerings to the queen of heaven and to pour out drink offerings to her.’ Then confirm your vows and perform your vows! 26Therefore hear the word of the LORD, all you of Judah who dwell in the land of Egypt: Behold, I have sworn by my great name, says the LORD, that my name shall no more be invoked by the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, ‘As the Lord GOD lives’. 27Behold, I am watching over them for disaster and not for good. All the men of Judah who are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by famine, until there is an end of them. 28And those who escape the sword shall return from the land of Egypt to the land of Judah, few in number; and all the remnant of Judah, who came to the land of Egypt to live, shall know whose word will stand, mine or theirs. 29This shall be the sign to you, declares the LORD, that I will punish you in this place, in order that you may know that my words will surely stand against you for harm: 30Thus says the LORD, Behold, I will give Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies and into the hand of those who seek his life, as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who was his enemy and sought his life.”
Read the Bible Book Club guide to Jeremiah
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Videos | Links | Contact
01What is Transcendental Meditation
02Research and Benefits
03The David Lynch Foundation
04The Beatles' and Celebrities' Meditation
05Maharishi's Teaching
"Yoga" means "Unity", means living the fullness of all in the field of diversity.
What is Transcendental Meditation
Uniqueness of TM
Origin of this meditation technique
CBS: Maharishi School
Humanity In Business
Where to learn TM?
Creating Worls Peace
The first scientific research took place in 1969 and was published in 1970 in Science Magazine (which is one of the world's top academic journals). By my latest count, there have been 340 peer-reviewed articles published on TM, many of which have appeared in highly respected journals. For those unfamiliar with scientific publishing, peer-reviewed means that each article is subjected to scrutiny by independent reviewers who are authorities in their field. - Dr Norman Rosenthal in Transcendence: Healing and Transformation through Transcendental Meditation, 2011, p14.
Evidence Based Meditation
Dr. Norman Rosenthal's book Transcendence
Taxonomy or Classification of meditation techniques
Scientific Bibliography on TM - Dr. Norman Rosenthal explains (video)
Scientific Bibliography on TM and Health Research Overview - Dr. Norman Rosenthal explains (video)
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David Lynch about the benefits of meditation
“John would have been the first one now, if he had been there, to recognise and acknowledge what Maharishi has done for the world and appreciate it" - Yoko Ono (2008) "This is one of the few things that has been given to me in my life that has real value to me." - Paul McCartney (2009)" “That was the main thing through the sixties I got into India. I think that was the ONE thing in my life, I could have done without everything else "- George Harrison (1987) "It gives me great pleasure to be part of this evening. I feel the aims of this charity [David Lynch Foundation which raises funds to teach one million at-risk children to meditate] are wonderful!" - Ringo Starr (2009)
> The Beatles Anthology
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> Katy Perry Interview
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> On 4th April 2009, Press Conference Highlights
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> Sean Lennon
"Everybody has a birthright to enjoy abiding peace and unbounded joy, which is the essential nature of his own soul. And I hold that everybody already possesse the capacity of enjoying it, because it is already there in the innermost recess of everybody's heart." -- Maharishi
Achieving World Peace
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Home > Research and Benefits > Scientific Bibliography on TM and Health Research Overview - Dr. Norman Rosenthal explains (video)
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...if a pharmaceutical company had a pill which was capable of doing all of these things, and they had all these studies that showed how much help it could give - that pill would be a billion dollar blockbuster.
Doctors and Scientists Talk About the Transcendental Meditation Technique
TM Research Publications - David W. Orme-Johnson, Ph.D.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of 107 published studies on stress reduction and high blood pressure found that TM significantly reduced both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, while other methods of meditation and relaxation, biofeedback, and stress management did not produce significant effects. A second meta-analysis by an independent team confirmed that TM leads to clinically important reductions in blood pressure.
Transcendental Meditation (TM), as taught by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, is a simple, effortless technique practised for 15-20 minutes twice daily. TM is taught by qualified teachers who have completed an extensive training programme. It requires no belief, nor any change in life-style or diet, and can be easily learned by anyone regardless of age, education, or culture.
More than five million people have learned the technique worldwide. Since 1970, more than 600 research studies on TM have been conducted at over 250 universities and research institutions in 30 countries. Many have appeared in peer-reviewed journals.
Improved Cardiovascular Health
Improved Quality of Life and Well-being in Women with Breast Cancer
Improved Health and Well-being for Elderly People
Improved Psychological Health and Reduced Substance Abuse
Decreased Health Care Needs and Costs
Deep Rest and Increased Integration of Brain Functioning
Improvements in Education, Occupational Health, and Rehabilitation
Improved Collective Health for Society
Video Transcription:
One of the things about Transcendental Meditation (TM) that i've been particularly impressed with is the amount of quality research that's been done in that area in fact there are over 340 peer review articles.
Now for those who may not understand what a peer review article is, it is sent into a journal where peers, who are experts in the area, look the article over, determine that it's a quality product, make comments and suggestions which the author than has to incorporate - and only after those steps is the article published.
And having been both a journal writer and a journal reviewer, I can attest that it's quite rigorous process. So the fact that there are more than 340 articles in multiple different areas means that there's a very substantial body of research on this particular technique.
A lot of it is very impressive. One area that is particularly interesting is the cardiovascular area, where there as been a repeated reduction in blood pressure, a reduction in cardiac mortality, and a reduction in mortality in general.
It has occurred to me, that if a pharmaceutical company had a pill which was capable of doing all of these things, and they had all these studies that showed how much help it could give - that pill would be a billion dollar blockbuster.
↑ Roger Chalmers « Transcendental Meditation: Health Research Overview », Positive Health Online, January 2013. issue 202, < Positive Health Online >
health_research_overview.pdf
To go further
Ringo Starr 2009 01'34" Communication with God - Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease David Lynch about the benefits of meditation 06'42'' Links Maharishi on the complete meaning of Yoga 02'46'' Part 1: About Meditation and Maharishi 03'00'' Origin of this meditation technique What is war, how to prevent war and create peace without weapons? 08'33'' Uniqueness of TM NBC: TM in a Detroit Middle School 04'55" Change the world 00'54''
Benefits & Science
Improvement of ADHD : the "Quiet Time at School" Conference
David Lynch Foundation: Transforming Lives through Meditation
The Beatles and Meditation
Harrison on The Today Show (1985)
Yoko Ono about John Lennon (2008)
This site is non-commercial, free, independent and without conflict of interest.
Editing: Rameshvar, MD Jean Fortunet
Web hosting: Planet-Work - info@planet-work.com
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Fashion Marketing, Advertising and Promotion
Chelsea Rousso and Nancy Kaplan Ostroff
Paperback + Studio 9781501328350
Rent for 6 months $17.10
Fashion Forward demystifies the exciting career of a fashion forecaster and fosters skills that will benefit any design professional. The book begins with an overview of fashion forecasting theories and concepts and then leads readers through a step-by-step guide to creating and presenting a forecast. The authors reveal the inner workings of global fashion forecasting through real-world examples and interviews with both influential forecasters and the designers who rely upon them. Fashion Forward enables readers to start spotting tomorrow’s trends today and compellingly communicate them—both visually and verbally—to inspire fashion innovators.
- Current images and examples. Updated fashion photos to include current and trending images, professional presentations and forecast examples, plus new interviews and quotes.
- Covers the latest methods and technology. New coverage of social media, technology and data analytics practices in fashion forecasting.
- Enhanced global perspective. New content addressed the global apparel industry, emphasizes international forecasting firms, includes interviews with global forecaster and trend specialists, and more diverse images and examples throughout the book.
- Practical career information and hands-on application. Updated and expanded career opportunities sections and enhanced activities provide real-world simulations and insights.
- New online STUDIO resources offer students self-study quizzes, flashcards, additional projects and online resources.
PLEASE NOTE: Purchasing or renting this ISBN does not include access to the STUDIO resources that accompany this text. To receive free access to the STUDIO content with new copies of this book, please refer to the book + STUDIO access card bundle ISBN 9781501328350.
About the Forecasters
Part I. The Principles of Fashion Forecasting
1. Introduction to Fashion Forecasting
2. Brief History of Contemporary Fashion
3. Fashion Movement
4. Social and Cultural Influences
5. Market and Sales Research for Forecasting
Part II. Developing and Presenting a Fashion Forecast
6. Theme
8. Textiles, Trims, Findings, and Materials
9. The Look
10. Creating and Presenting a Forecast
Appendix Assignment: Develop a Fashion Forecast
Art Credits
Chelsea Rousso is Professor in Fashion Merchandising and Design at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, US, focusing on fashion forecasting, design and textiles. She was a creative force in the New York fashion industry for over 20 years specializing in designing dresses and ladies sportswear.
Nancy Kaplan Ostroff is Associate Professor and Assistant Chairperson in the Fashion Business Management program at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), US, and recipient of the 2011 SUNY Chancellor’s award for Excellence in Teaching. A former childrenswear executive, she is the creator and instructor of Fashion Forecasting for Merchandisers and The Business of Licensing courses.
190 color illus
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The Entertainment Industry’s OTHER Worst Kept Open Secret?
October 24, 2017 The Narrator Leave a Comment
A lot has been happening in Tinseltown lately, with the exposure of Harvey Weinstein’s sexual abuse and sexual harassment allegations mounting up and continuing to grow by the day, with more and more women coming forward as that story continues to expand. Harvey Weinstein has recently finished up his first week of rehabilitation in Arizona, but will still continue his treatment outside group therapy and perhaps outside the facility, altogether
Yes, the man who was the undoubted Hollywood producer-god for more than two decades in La La land, has been hit hard by these allegations. However, with his power spiel of sexual ultimatums onto hopeful actresses, various women in the industry, and to those who are already major stars in Hollywood being plastered all over the press now, there are still many rumours that suggest that he’s just the fall guy of something which is a lot more sinister, which is much more damaging at the heart of the entertainment industry.
That’s the rumour anyway, and so is this Harvey Weinstein scandal just a smoke screen to dissuade any media coverage away from one of Hollywood’s other big open secrets, which is undoubtedly more serious, namely, “Pedophilia”.
Those are the rumours circling through the grapevine out of Hollywood recently, but as we’ve been saying, and for those that are “in the know” about Hollywood’s history, this is seemingly nothing new. This stuff has been spoken about by child stars such as Elijah Wood, Corey Feldman and the now deceased Corey Haim in recent years, but were people really listening to them?
Corey Haim & Corey Feldman in ‘The Lost Boys’. Rest in Peace – Corey Haim. Credit: New York Post
Incidentally, amidst the Harvey Weinstein scandal with actresses like Rose McGowan speaking out over Twitter, among many others, this has now also put the microscope on pedophilia in the entertainment industry, and pushed that into the spotlight as well, somewhat in recent weeks, due to the public awareness of such things existing in the first place within the industry. Just think, Roman Polanski for instance, accused of raping a 13-year old girl, but he was actually brought up on charges, which is a rare occurrence in the industry.
But now back to Corey Feldman, who’s the eighties child star and talented actor who often starred alongside Corey Haim, Tweeted on Thursday that he would never expose any of his sexual abusers, whilst he was a young teen in the film business. Let’s see that Tweet, shall we?
Credit: Corey_Feldman/Tweet
Looks like you’ll have to take his word for it, as there’s absolutely no reason for him to do so in his eyes. He denies that he would ever speak of any of the abuse that he had faced as a young teen in Hollywood. However, ironically, only two days later Corey Feldman was reportedly arrested for marijuana possession in Louisiana on Saturday, whilst with his band, aboard a tour bus.
Corey Feldman had also tweeted this on Thursday, adding to his earlier Tweet, “THAT SAID I AM WORKING ON A PLAN THAT MAY B A WAY FORWARD 2 SHED SOME LITE ON THIS SITUATION! IF I CAN FIGURE OUT A WAY 2 GET ACTUAL JUSTICE.’
Corey later added in another Tweet, ‘NOBODY SHOULD LIV THEIR LIVES IN FEAR EXCEPT THOSE WHO COMMITTED THESE HEINOUS CRIMES IN THE 1ST PLACE! I HAV FAITH GOD WILL C THIS THRU!‘
To clarify what actually happened in Louisiana, was that his band were arrested. Nobody went to jail, but Corey’s band members had two medical marijuana cards from California with them. Corey was not charged (as it was not his), but some band members were. However, it was Corey’s tour bus, so it involved him, plus others on the bus had no prescriptions for some prescription medications on the bus. But, let’s hear it from Corey Feldman’s perspective in another Tweet regarding the incident:
Corey Feldman in 2017. Credit: REXShutterstock
“I RECEIVED A MISDEMEANOR IN LOUISIANA, DUE 2 A MEMBER OF MY CREW HAVING MEDICAL MARIJUANA, WITH A LEGAL CA PRESCRIPTION, I HAD NOTHING ON ME, BUT WAS CHARGED BECAUSE ITS MY BUS. ALSO 5 OTHERS WERE CHARGED DUE 2 HAVING LEGAL MEDICINES WITHOUT THEIR PARTICULAR BOTTLES. NO ILLEGAL OR STREET DRUGS WERE FOUND ON THE BUS AT ALL! WHICH IS Y NOBODY SPENT THE NIGHT IN JAIL. HOWEVER WE WERE PROMISED THAT THESE CHARGES COULD ALL B DROPPED WITH PROOF OF PROPER SCRIPTS!”
We definitely find the timing of this legal trouble “ironic“, and so did Corey Feldman, who later Tweeted, “IT WAS A BIT OF A GOOD OL SHAKEDOWN!. AFTER WE PAID THEM IN CASH, THEY ASKED 4 PICS & AUTOGRAPHS, & THEN CALLED THE LOCAL PAPER 2 DO INTERVIEWS!”
With all this happening over the weekend, you have to remember that Corey Feldman is not a person that is willing to expose anything, nor should he be targeted in any way, shape or form, since he is unwilling to speak out, about any of it.
However, being the eager researchers that we are, a documentary film released in 2014, called ‘An Open Secret’, directed by Amy Berg, is a must watch film. We’ve taken the liberty to link you to this film down below to show how these terrible “open secrets” could still be operating in Hollywood today.
This film should serve as a warning and as a guide for any parents and their children, wishing to enter them into the entertainment industry, by giving the right information about some of the inherent dangers that could face their child or teen, in the hands of some unrevealed predatory circles within the industry. We are sharing Amy Berg’s documentary to spread awareness, so that people can be educated of what could happen to you or you children if they are not careful in Hollywood. A must watch, below!
Very devastating and sickening, right?
Reportedly things like that can be more widespread than first feared. So, hopefully this documentary by Amy Berg will be shared around from here, and hopefully be viewed by more and more people around the world, seen by those that are even hoping to head to Hollywood as young teens with acting aspirations. Now, whilst this sort of thing can go on unchecked in the entertainment business, as this documentary film clearly shows, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it goes on all the time.
The majority of Hollywood is good, but this film is surely a healthy reminder that despite the shocking and devastating stories within the documentary film, it indicates that people must exercise greater caution and be very protective over themselves and their careers, so as not to end up in the wrong circles or hands, within the industry.
The set power structure of the entertainment industry within regard to young actors, can lead to the horrible things as seen in this documentary film, which affects the lives of the many teens and children whom have gone through things like this, and of course their respective families, whom are all preyed upon by these predators in positions of power within the industry.
We share this story because Amy Berg’s work and the stories of the victims needed to be heard further, and so we encourage you to chain email this article far and wide, so as to spread further awareness on this matter. Since, how many teens have had their lives turned upside down by sexual abuse in Hollywood? Nobody really knows and perhaps it’s better that way?
Featured Photo Credit: Marriott Traveler
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Which is the worst bank for dealing with complaints? You may soon find out
Hayne fallout
By Sarah Danckert
Australians will soon know which bank or super fund is the worst to deal with when there are complaints under new rules proposed by the corporate regulator.
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission on Wednesday began consulting with the financial services sector on new standards governing how banks, insurers, superannuation fund and other providers of financial services such as credit issuers handle customer complaints.
ASIC deputy chair Karen Chester says there was "room for much improvement" in the handling of customer complaints. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
The proposals are expected to receive significant resistance from the banking and superannuation sector with many industry experts expected to be concerned about the public rankings of which bank or super fund is the best at handling disputes.
Under the proposed rules, consumers will be able to look up data from June 2021 that compares how quickly financial institutions resolve disputes.
The new rules bring the banks and the regulator into this century, with all financial institutions now expected to respond to serious complaints made by consumers on social media if they are readily identifiable.
Financial groups will also have to drastically reduce the amount of time they take to respond to complaints from 90 days to 45 days for complaints about superannuation entities, while financial firms must reduce the amount of time to respond to complaints from 45 days to 30 days.
"Firm performance in how they handle customer complaints, and their interaction with the Australian Financial Complaints Authority, will increasingly be in plain sight," ASIC deputy chairman Karen Chester said.
"This greater transparency will inform consumer and broader public understanding of how well firms treat their customers," she said.
ASIC will also be able to glean information from the new reporting rules to see how banks are handling so-called non-financial risks and whether they are acting honestly, efficiently and fairly as they are required to under law. ASIC also hopes the process will help financial institutions identify systemic issues with their customers that may point to a breach – including unintentional breaches – of the law.
The new proposed rules stem from the review of internal dispute resolution processes led by respected corporate law academic Ian Ramsay that was conducted before the banking royal commission.
The Ramsay Review found there were serious deficiencies in how financial institutions handle complaints by customers.
Customer complaint handling processes was also of key interest to Commissioner Kenneth Hayne in the banking royal commission, who noted in his final report that "the Australian community expects and is entitled to expect, that if an entity breaks the law and causes damages to customers it will compensate those affected customers".
A report by ASIC in December last year found that 3.2 million people over 18 – or 17 per cent of the adult population – had considered making a complaint to a financial service provider in the proceeding 12 months. Of those, only 1.5 million made a complaint.
The report also found that 18 per cent of surveyed complainants dropped out or withdrew their complaint before it was concluded, with many citing the time it took to resolve the matter.
Almost half of the complaints were about fees and charges, while a quarter related to customer service issues and one-in-five were about a decision made by the company.
Ms Chester said consumers expect and need a fair, timely and effective way to have their complaints dealt with, and to be provided redress where appropriate.
"The absence of such effective redress, and the failure of firms to identify and look into systemic complaints, were key findings of the financial services royal commission and the prudential inquiry into the CBA (Commonwealth Bank)."
AFCA chief ombudsman and chief executive David Locke welcomed the proposed changes.
"Increased transparency is good news. It will help firms to continuously improve, and that will be good for the firms and their customers alike."
Sarah Danckert
Sarah Danckert is a business reporter.
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Thursday, Apr 18, 2019 02:34 PM
Teammates See More ‘Swag’ From Lamar Jackson in Year 2
Comfort level is a feeling, sometimes difficult to explain. With Lamar Jackson, the growth in his comfort level as the team’s franchise quarterback is tangible to teammates, even in the early stages of their offseason program.
That’s a good sign for the Ravens, who are counting heavily on Jackson to take a step forward in his second NFL season – his first as the team’s unquestioned No. 1 quarterback. Different people lead in different ways, but quarterbacks are expected to lead regardless of their personality. Jackson seems ready to continue his growth in that department.
“Yes, I think he has more of an understanding of the offense for sure,” right tackle Orlando Brown Jr. said. “His swag is a lot different, because he knows he’s QB1, and it’s a situation where his confidence and his humbleness is there at the same time. We’re looking forward to getting out there on the field.
“He’s Lamar – he’s outgoing, he’s got a very positive personality about everything – but I feel like this year, you can just kind of tell that he knows what to expect going into the day, and he knows what to expect once we hit the field.”
Jackson’s running ability will be part of the Ravens’ offensive arsenal, and at age 22 his body is still changing. Strength and Conditioning Coach Steve Saunders has been pleased with Jackson’s approach to training, knowing it could help his body deal with the demands of a 16-game schedule.
“Lamar is such a freak athlete,” Saunders said. “We did some good things with him last year, but I really think Lamar is ready to take the next step as a pro and train a little harder and start working out those little things – that five percent with an elite athlete that makes a big difference, even in a guy like that who is already a genetic freak.
“I just got done beating Lamar up 15 minutes ago, and what a great workout. What a great attitude, and just, ‘Give me more. Give me more.’ It was awesome. It was awesome, so much better than even last year. I just got done talking to (Head) Coach [John] Harbaugh about it. It was just really exciting to see a guy like that from, let’s say, a position group that’s historically not really into training, necessarily, and see a guy like that embrace it this early.”
The Ravens were impressed with what they heard about Jackson’s work ethic prior to drafting him, so they are not surprised. Jackson said he threw the ball every Monday-Friday during the three months away from the Under Armour Performance Center, and he worked with his old high school coach, Joshua Harris.
Jackson has enjoyed focusing on football this offseason, rather than being involved in the hectic pre-draft process.
“Yes, it was so exhausting going through the process, having to fly different places, have to be up at certain times,” Jackson said. “I just needed a break, I guess. Now, I’m very comfortable.
“I don’t feel like I’m the best I can be right now. I’ll have to see when the season comes. Still working.”
Teammates are already convinced Jackson is ready to handle the extra responsibility, after winning six of his eight starts as a rookie. What they see during the offseason program only strengthens that belief.
“Lamar is our quarterback,” safety Tony Jefferson said. “It’s his team. We’re following his lead. We know how big of a leader he can be, and how special he can be on the football field. We’re dependent on him, and we know he’s putting in the work that’s needed.”
Eisenberg: The Starting Job Most Up for Grabs
Here’s a scattershooting of Ravens topics as training camp nears, including a look at left guard, punt returner and a team record likely to fall this season.
SociaLight: Matthew Judon, Kenny Young Show Their Style at ESPYS
The NFL dominated the awards and a game some (former) Ravens defenders called ‘disgusting’ won the award for Best Game.
Training Camp Position Breakdown: Defensive Line
Pro Bowler Brandon Williams anchors a deep defensive line, but the competition for playing time will be intense.
Late for Work 7/12: Ravens’ Secondary Named Deepest Position Group in the NFL
Who will step up at edge rusher for the Ravens? Should the Ravens be interested in Melvin Gordon if the Los Angeles Chargers running back ends up on the trading block?
Ravens Training Camp Passes Available Now
Fans can claim passes to one of the Ravens' 14 free and open practices at the Under Armour Performance Center.
Lamar Jackson Got His Receivers Together for an Off-Site Workout
Wide receivers Willie Snead IV and Chris Moore, as well as backup quarterback Robert Griffin III, got together for a workout.
Late for Work 7/11: Excitement Abounds for Ravens’ ‘Triplets’
Earl Thomas and Tony Jefferson are ranked among the NFL’s best safety tandems by Pro Football Focus. Former Ravens wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. recalls how he was informed of his induction into the Panthers' Hall of Honor.
Training Camp Position Breakdown: Wide Receiver
The wide receiver battle is one of the most competitive on the team and there is plenty of opportunity for young players to break out.
Late for Work 7/10: Matthew Judon Believes Ravens' Defense Can Be 'Legendary'
Pro Football Focus ranks the Ravens among the top offensive line groups. Should Baltimore reunite with Michael Crabtree? More oddsmakers say Ravens aren’t favored to win the AFC North.
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Maryland Anne Arundel
Md. Renaissance Festival appeals unfavorable zoning ruling
Pamela Wood, The Baltimore Sun
The Maryland Renaissance Festival organizers have appealed a zoning decision that prevents the festival from moving to a new site in southern Anne Arundel County.
Earlier this month, the county's administrative hearing officer denied requests from the festival for a special exception and variances to allow the festival to operate on a Lothian farm that lacks required "major road" access.
The case now moves to the county's seven-member Board of Appeals. A hearing has not yet been scheduled.
The Maryland Renaissance Festival was founded in Columbia but has operated at a site in Crownsville since 1985. The festival, which replicates life in an English village under the rule of Henry VIII, has grown to its limits on its Crownsville property, and festival operators have been looking for a larger property.
Residents near the Lothian site expressed concerns that the festival would inundate their rural community with traffic and noise.
As the Maryland Renaissance Festival pursues approval to move to the Lothian location, planning is under way for the 2014 festival season, which is scheduled to begin Aug. 23.
pwood@baltsun.com
twitter.com/pwoodreporter
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Test of the Day for IDBI Executive Exam 2018: 4th April 2018
We are providing you with the test of the day which will help you in upcoming exams like IDBI Executive 2018. From this, you can practice questions with the timer that will help you to improve speed. IDBI Executive Exam 2018 is one of the biggest opportunity for you guys to grab on, set you own mark and proceed with full confidence. All the very best for your preparations and All the future exams.
Q1. A boy is facing south direction. He turns 60 degree in anti-clockwise direction and then 120 degree in clockwise direction. In which direction is he facing?
Q2. Five friends A, B, C, D and E are standing in a row facing north but not necessarily in the same order. Only B is between A and E, C is immediate right to E, and D is immediate left of A. On the basis of above information, which of the following statements is definitely true?
B is to the right of E
A is second to the left of C
D is third to the left of E
B is to the left of A
Seating arrangement is as follows: D A B E C
Q3. Prakash’s son is the son-in-law of Rakesh’s father. Puja is Rakesh’s only sister. Prakash has only one grandson Mahesh. How is Mahesh related to Puja?
Nephews
Q4. Kareena who has two children is the mother-in-law of Ravina who is Sister-in-law of Kunal who is a male person in the family. Amitabh is father of Abhishek, the only brother of Kunal. How is Kareena related to Kunal?
Q5. A said to B that B’s mother was the mother-in-law of A’s mother. How is A’s mother related to B’s mother?
If B’s mother is mother-in-law of A’s mother, so, A’s mother is daughter-in-law of B’s mother.
Q6. In the university examination last year, Rajesh scored 65% in English and 82% in History. What is the minimum percent he should score in Sociology, which is out of 50 marks (if English and History were for 100 marks each), if he aims at getting 78% overall?
Q7. A sold a table to B at a profit of 20%. B sold the same table to C for Rs 75 thereby making a profit of 25%. Find the price at which A bought the table from X.
Q8. A pet shop owner sells two puppies at the same price. On one he makes a profit of 20% and on the other he suffers a loss of 20%. Find his loss or gain per cent on the whole transaction.
Gain of 4%
No profit no loss
Loss of 10%
Loss of 4%
Profit of 6 %
Q9. Raju got married 8 years ago. His present age is 6/5 times his age at the time of his marriage. Raju’s sister was 10 years younger to him at the time of his marriage. The present age of Raju’s sister is:
Q10. The vehicle of Mr. Ghosh needs 30% more fuel at the speed of 75 kmph than it needs at the speed of 50 kmph. At a speed of 50 kmph, Mr. Ghosh can go to a distance of 195 kms. At the speed of 75 kmph, what distance he will travel?
The only thing which matters in this problem is mileage or kms per litre of the fuel. At 50 kmph, 195 kms can be covered.
According to given condition, 1.3 times the fuel will be required at 75 kmph.
Hence, distance travelled will be 195/1.3 = 150 kms
Directions (11-15): Rearrange the following five sentences (A), (B), (C), (D) and (E) in the proper sequence to form a meaningful paragraph and then answer the questions given below.
Q11. (A) Rana is one of a growing number of professionals who are channeling their passion into food.
(B) This is not a new phenomenon, of course — we have had IT professionals swapping codes for farms, bloggers hosting secret suppers, and a MasterChef-inspired generation of Instagram chefs.
(C) However, food is not an easy industry to be in.
(D) We talk to a few new foodpreneurs who have switched career paths and are addressing the needs of this evolved, more conscious market.
(E) As the food landscape evolves, newer examples are cropping up.
ACBDE
ABECD
ADCEB
AEDBC
Q12. (A) The era of sharing space for designated slots of time is here.
(B) Then came renting and leasing. But even that is passé.
(C) There were times when properties were bought and companies raised grand edifices to house their offices with paraphernalia.
(D) With nearly two decades of the new millennium behind us today, the new technology is urging compaction of time and space.
(E) The future lies in aggregation of time and space.
EBCDA
ECBDA
EADCB
ECDBA
EADBC
Q13. (A) With the modernization of our homes, cooking is no longer done behind four walls
(B) the kitchen needs to be open to attract attention and is often the hub of the home.
(C) and have transformed into aesthetically pleasing spaces.
(D) In any home, the kitchen is considered as one of the most important spaces.
(E) Our kitchens thereby have moved from being only utilitarian
DCBAE
DCEAB
DBAEC
DEBCA
DABEC
Q14. (A) apart from the potential for upholding human values, is our ability to make choices, to take control of our destiny.
(B) Unless we go with nature, we won’t be able to survive any longer, in Stephen Hawking’s words, “the next thousand years” on this fragile planet”.
(C) It all comes down to karma, what goes around comes around. Humans have committed mass deforestation, nature has rewarded us with climate change, unexpected storms, wildfires and sea levels.
(D) That’s not just why we must be careful in terms of the lifestyle we choose. What differentiates us humans from other species,
(E) Today it all comes down to our lifestyle choices, each of which, corporations have ensured have strong repercussions on nature.
CDAEB
CDEAB
CEADB
CADBE
CBDEC
Q15. (A) The boys have queued up, the overseer has inspected their dhoti-kurtas,
(B) I am at the ashram gate, wondering if the priest will let me in.
(C) I walk in hesitantly, but the monk smiles warmly and points to an empty chair.
(D) and they are now waiting patiently for instructions from the priest, who is on the phone.
(E) Everything is ready for the evening prayer at the ashram.
EDBCA
ECDAB
EBDCA
Download Free Topic-wise and Mock Test PDF
You May Also Like to Read:
Learn more new words and their meaning to improve your vocabulary.
Click here for New Pattern English Language Quiz.
Computer Aptitude Questions for bank exams.
Computer Study Notes for bank exams
Test of the Day for IDBI Executive Exam 2018: 4th April 2018 Reviewed by Kamal Thakur on April 04, 2018 Rating: 5
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Clipper Race: Crowd cheers as fleet leaves Derry
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-foyle-west-44915639
The Clipper Race fleet has left Londonderry after a two week stopover.
The 11 boats left in a Parade of Sail on Sunday afternoon and made their way to Greencastle in County Donegal. Crew members will sail from there to Liverpool in the last leg of the race.
Tens of thousands of people descended on Derry's quay for the nine day Foyle Maritime Festival, according to council.
The Voyages event and fireworks display was the highlight on Friday night.
Thousands visit Derry's Maritime Festival
Welcome home sailor: Derry duo return
BBC Radio Foyle brings you highlights from the Foyle Maritime Festival
Image copyright Derry City & Strabane District Council
Image caption The Peace Bridge was closed for an hour on Friday night to accommodate the Voyages event
Image caption Two firework displays flew into the air in sync over the River Foyle
Derry man Conall Morrison and Roseann McGlinchey, from Donegal, both received a warm welcome home when their boat berthed in the marina on 10 July, after being at sea for the past 11 months.
They finished their penultimate race in seventh place after completing the 3,000 nautical mile journey across the Atlantic Ocean from New York City to Derry.
Mayor of Derry and Strabane John Boyle said: "It was a sad moment as we waved farewell to the Clipper Race fleet today after an eventful week of celebration.
"We have welcomed visitors from all over the world over the past week and it has been fantastic to see Derry and the wider North West region profiled in such a positive way on a global platform.
"Once again we've demonstrated our ability to stage an international event generating substantial revenue for the local economy, and enhancing the region's profile as an exciting and unique visitor destination."
Image caption Family, friends and people from across the north west cheered for the crew members of the 12 boats as they left to finish the final leg of the race
The parade of sailing boats left the Foyle at lunchtime heading for Liverpool.
Race 13 will conclude with a 20 mile sprint up the River Mersey to the Royal Albert Dock, in which the top three teams will be awarded 3, 2 and 1 points respectively.
Commenting on the final stage, Clipper Race director Mark Light said: "The sprint finish will be all out match racing to the line, and with every team on the edge with so much at stake, tensions are already building across the fleet.
"With the competitive racing that's been demonstrated over the past 40,000 nm, I expect this will go right down to the wire. No one knows which way it's going to go."
Londonderry-Derry
Derry City and Strabane District Council
Tens of thousands at Foyle Maritime Festival
Maritime Festival: Thousands visit Derry's quay
Video Yacht race Derry duo return home
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The Hype Ice Cream I’m Willing to Wait in Long, Near-Rioting Lines For
Sarah Jampel
Zucchini Doesn't Have to Be Watery and Sad
Adam Rapoport
Forget the House Cocktail, I Have a House Dip
Christina Chaey
All the Best Amazon Prime Day Deals for Your Kitchen
7 Food Moments That Made You Want to Be a Gilmore Girl
Prepare for the new season of Gilmore Girls on Netflix with a stack of pancakes from Luke's Diner, and more memorable meals.
Andrew Milne
Mitchell Haddad/CBS Photo Archive via Getty Images
The best part about Gilmore Girls was the food. Yes, the show about the mother-daughter/best friend duo also featured insane town functions, lightning-round pop culture banter, and no fewer than three will-they-won't-they love triangles—but the food. THE. FOOD. From Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory-inspired binges, gourmet spreads from Sookie, pancakes at Luke’s, or bougie feasts at Emily and Richard’s, the Gilmores knew how to eat. And eat. And eat. In honor of the Netflix revival this month, we've rounded up seven of the best Gilmore Meals. Because where they lead, we will follow—with a doggie-bag for leftovers.
Popping the question over an edible basket stuffed with cheese. Sounds kind of like web editor Carey Polis.
Sookie's Basket: "A-Tisket, A-Tasket" Season 2, Episode 13
Stars Hollow was hosting a fundraiser basket lunch to raise money for some unspecified cause—I'm guessing for something adjacent to historically important, like repairing a covered bridge John Adams once rode through. Sookie's submission featured four different kinds of pesto, five desserts, and the very basket was actually a goat-cheese stuffed pretzel. If it were possible to live in that basket, I would.
Dirt Nap: "Luke Can See Her Face" Season 4, Episode 20
Not technically a meal, but when four grown adults fall asleep on the ground "A Midsummer Night's Dream"-style to ensure a good harvest to make soup, it's a food moment worth noting. Sookie needed fresh zucchini to whip up her critically-acclaimed soup for the opening of the Dragonfly Inn. In order to ensure the heaters didn't fail during a cold snap, they slept with the zucchini.
Lorelai and Digger at their way-too-intimate restaurant date before they ditch it for snacks in the parking lot.
Lorelai and Digger's First Date: "Ted Koppel's Big Night Out" Season 4, Episode 9
Let's be clear: Jason "Digger" Stiles is Lorelai's worst boyfriend. Neurotic and vaguely self-centered (he tried to sue her father, after all), he was not a match for her. But, their first date was pretty cute and kind of romantic. Bribing a grocery store clerk to ransack the back for Cap'n Crunch, and sour cream and onion chips to munch on in the parking lot? Weirdly: goals. Except my style "Stiles" spells it with a "y" and has a British accent.
The Magic Risotto: "The Deer Hunters" Season 1, Episode 4
Food critic Lucien Mills reviewed the Independence Inn, giving Sookie's cooking a rave review, but remarked that her famous risotto was "fine." Since Sookie had made this dish for her dying mother and she then lived three more years ("She was supposed to be dead. The doctor said she wouldn’t make it through the night"), Sookie determined the tepid response was due to an incorrect wine pairing. She tracks the writer down* with a silver server of risotto in one hand, and a glass of the right white in the other, and implored him to try it again. I won't rest until I've tasted a creamy, cheesy risotto worth that kind of fuss.
*We at Bon Appétit do not endorse this kind of stalker-y behavior towards food writers.
All the Dinners: "Deep Fried Korean Thanksgiving" Season 3, Episode 9
A food marathon for the ages: Lorelai and Rory are expected at four different Thanksgiving dinners. They kick off the day at the Kim's to be force-fed tofurkey (AKA surreptitiously spit it into napkins) and enjoy the Christian-rock strumming of baby Adam Brody, playing Lane's love interest Dave Rygalski. They head to Sookie's, where Jackson's family has decided to deep fry anything not nailed down, before hitting up Luke's party, where he's adorably been waiting all day to eat with the Gilmores (HE IS THE PERFECT MAN YOU CANNOT CONVINCE ME OTHERWISE). The fourth dinner doesn't technically count, since a family fight broke out at Emily and Richard's and Lorelai stormed off into the night before really eating. Still, eating three and a half Thanksgiving dinners without visiting a vomitorium is impressive.
Casual sleigh ride with the man of your dreams. NBD.
The Bracebridge Dinner: "The Bracebridge Dinner" Season 2, Episode 10
Lorelai and Sookie are preparing to host the Bracebridge Dinner at the Independence Inn—a 19th century-themed feast complete with period costumes, Queen Victoria's English, and of course, a decadently bizarre meal—until a blizzard hits. The guests are snowed out of Stars Hollow and can't make it. Because this is Gilmore Girls, they find a silver lining in the quirkiest way possible. The Gilmore Girls invite everyone they've ever met for an over-the-top sleepover, à la 1800s, to gorge on 30 pounds of aged beef, trays of trout, and mountains of prune tarts. Before the meal, the town is treated to a ride on horse-drawn sleighs, nestled two-by-two under the snow: Emily with Richard, Lorelai with Luke, and Rory with Jess (she was dating Dean at the time, but Jess did his best James Dean and hopped in the sleigh to woo her with his charmingly crooked smirk. Be still, our collective 15-year-old hearts). And while the costumes looked less "Best of Times/Worst of Times" and more "Medieval Times Restaurant," the food seemed amazing. We're guessing watching Jackson hike up his squire's tunic to accompany Bootsy's rendition of "Hotel California" on the belly-bongo was a close second.
Pit stop before Rory goes out on the road
Last Meal at Luke's: "Bon Voyage" Season 7, Episode 22
It all ended where it began; Lorelai and Rory at the diner eating eggs, bacon, hash browns, and pancakes—Luke hovering over them with a big pot of coffee—before Rory started a new chapter in her life. This time, she was off to cover Barack Obama's first campaign tour (it was 2007, after all). What will she be now—New York Times reporter, Yale professor, press secretary? We're all going to have to wait until November 25 to find out.
Watch the Gilmore Girls revival with a side stack of pancakes:
BA’s Best Buttermilk Pancakes
To feed a larger group for breakfast, double the recipe and keep pancakes warm in a 250° oven between batches. This is part of BA's Best, a collection of our essential recipes.
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Food Innovation Group
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Interest age: 12+
Reading age: 12+
Topics related to this book
Poetry/rhyme
Personal/social issues
Diversity (BAME)
Author: Kwame Alexander
Publisher: Andersen Press
Twelve-year-old Nick is a star on the football pitch, but at home he's stuck with his linguistic professor father's "dictionary" that he has to read every day, and he hates it... until his prowess with words starts to win over the girl of his dreams.
But it's not all smooth sailing as he has to deal with his parents' separation, school bullies and an injury that takes him off the pitch. Soon Nick is spending more time with books and his rapping school librarian Mr Mac as he makes his way through a rollercoaster year at school.
Booked is an incredible novel. Written in verse, it's instantly readable, will grip a reluctant reader from page one and will improve every reader's vocabulary without them even realising it. The story has something for everyone, from school and family drama to fast-paced, rhythmic football matches. It's a joy to read.
Kwame Alexander is a poet, children's author, playwright, producer, performer, and winner of the Newbery Medal for his novel-in-verse, The Crossover, and shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal with Rebound. He conducts creative writing workshops in middle and high schools, often reaching more than five hundred students monthly. He lives with his wife and two daughters in the Washington, D.C. area.
Best children's books to help talk about divorce and separation
Family break-ups are a sad and delicate time for everyone involved. Here are some of our favourite children's books for easing those difficult conversations, suitable for a range of ages.
BookTrust Represents: Teen
BookTrust Represents is a three-year project created to promote children's authors and illustrators of colour. As part of the project we have put together booklists hightling some of our favourite picture books by authors and illustrators of colour.
Fun back-to-school books for teenagers
The holidays have passed, but here are some books to get you back into the school spirit. These teen books are perfect for capturing the fun, the giggles, the new beginnings and the friendships that will last you a lifetime.
Our favourite poetry books (teens)
Poetry can be great to broaden reading horizons, as well as truly engaging for reluctant readers. Here are some poetry books your teenager is sure to love and want to read out loud.
Books for reluctant readers (12+)
There's a book out there for every teenager, even the most reluctant of readers. Try a few of the books below to see if they click with your teenager and help them love reading.
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The Book That Made Me: Patrice Lawrence
Published on: 17 April 2019 Author: Patrice Lawrence
What's the childhood book that made you who you are today?
As a young girl, the magic of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings put author Patrice Lawrence under a spell. Here's why she thinks she so many children fall for the charms of Middle Earth.
Author Patrice Lawrence as a little girl (left) and the book she loved: The Hobbit by J R R Tolkien
I grew up in a house full of books. My parents were eager for me to inherit their love of reading. My mum was determined that I’d have a grounding in all the classic children’s books – Heidi by Johanna Spyri, Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind In The Willows, Anne of Green Gables, Black Beauty, Little Women, and so many more. Most of them I loved. Some of them defeated me. (I’m looking at you, Ivanhoe and The Children of the New Forest.)
I remember my school library introducing me to Swallows and Amazons and Mary Poppins. (How could there be more than one Mary Poppins book, when there was only one film?)
I found The Hobbit via my school library and suddenly I had entered Middle Earth.
'Like fairy tales made grown up'
I’ve recently been reacquainted with my teenage diary. In dense lines of cursive script, sometimes even written in ink, I detail the travails of my 13-year-old self. Spots, unmanageable hair, the paucity of make up for brown skin in 1980s Sussex and an unbearable crush on a boy in my year – well, a boy, then another boy, then back to the first boy…
Within that maelstrom of yearning (I actually used ‘yearning’ in my diary) and my lists of very uncool music, I had made a note – I was reading The Lord of the Rings.
The books that have made the biggest impact on me are the ones I didn’t know existed until I found them on a shelf and read the blurb at the back. The Lord of the Rings waited as patiently as the "one ring" itself for me to find it on the older children’s shelves of Haywards Heath library.
Then I was hooked.
It was not like anything I had read before. It was like fairy tales made grown up. It was the secret worlds you had played in as a child made real.
It was unconditional friendship, it was hidden bravery, it was talking trees and elves that didn’t make shoes.
I remember the stress of waiting for the inconsiderate reader who had checked out The Return of the King to bring it back so I could finish it…
But, I never did finish it. Not then. I stopped reading as Sam and Frodo were making their final ascent up Mount Doom. I’d rather have the cliffhanger than leave that world.
Words can build worlds
I did re-read them all about ten years ago. To the very end. (Well, not the appendices and footnotes. Even I have my limits.)
I was interested to see how the books compared with the films – I love the films. Is it sacrilege to say that I think the films are better? I lost the patience with the songs in the books. So – many – songs! It doesn’t mean I wouldn’t read them again, though.
Why such a lasting impact? Words build worlds. Words create people. Words make you cry for countries that don’t exist outside of those pages. Inbetween yearning for the boy that would never return my love, I knew that I wanted my own words to be that powerful...
Watch our interview with Patrice Lawrence on her brilliant books
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How a picture book about a cat could help teach children about consent and boundaries
'Black books matter too': Atinuke on the power of stories
'I want to write books that have hope in them': Patrice Lawrence on tackling heavy themes with light
'Books are absolutely crucial in getting us to think about new worlds': we speak to the award-winning author, Onjali Q Rauf
‘For me it’s a rollercoaster of emotions that I’m trying to manipulate the reader into’ - Alex Wheatle on fictional world building, creating new language and seeing yourself in a book
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Frank Cottrell Boyce on why reading for pleasure is the most important thing you can pass on to a child
Rose Robbins: 'Books like this can comfort young carers'
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BookTrust Represents
Our three-year project promotes and supports children’s authors and illustrators of colour, so young readers find the books that represent them.
Learn more about BookTrust Represents
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Kramer: “We will do everything to stay in fourth place”
"I am very excited to play in Europe next season," said Christoph Kramer.
In an interview with Christoph Kramer, the midfielder discussed the important win in Nürnberg, the last game of the season against BVB and his excitement for European football.
Christoph, Borussia beat Nürnberg 4-0 after their top performance in the second half, which wasn’t entirely expected after the first half. What was discussed in the changing rooms at half-time?
Kramer: I think the fact that Stuttgart took the lead against Wolfsburg meant that Nürnberg took the wind out of their sails a bit and that helped us in the match. Of course it helped that that we took the lead. That hasn’t been the case in recent weeks. Then we were able to sit back and counter when they came forward and we are very good on the counter. You can see how big a role the mind plays in football.
You can now get excited about the fact that you will be playing football in Europe next season. Or is there a bigger aim of going for Champions League football?
Kramer:It is good for not only the players and the coaches but the whole club that we will be playing in Europe next season. You could sense a fear that there was a chance that we could throw away everything that we have worked for this season in the past few weeks but now we will give everything to make sure that fourth place is ours.
The whole of Germany will be watching the Borussia game and the game between Bayern and Frankfurt. Will that spur you on?
Kramer: I think that it will be an advantage for us that Frankfurt have something to lose – so do Bayern. BVB who have squandered a nine point lead also still have something to lose. We, on the other hand, although having not been in our best form, the victory in Nürnberg will have taken some pressure off us. Hopefully we can then play good football.
What are you expecting from Borussia Dortmund, who recently haven’t shown the stability they possessed during the Hinrunde this season?
Kramer: If the season still had a couple of the weeks to go, you could probably say that things were not going Borussia Dortmund’s way and the team isn’t as stable as they were earlier this season. However on the other hand, everything is still possible on the final matchday of the season. Everyone knows there are still 90 minutes still to play and anything can happen. This gives everyone a new lease of life to achieve the best thing possible. End of season form simply doesn’t matter.
In the previous meeting between the two sides this season, you scored one of your two goals this campaign. Overall, it hasn’t been an easy season for you. How would you summarise 2018/19?
Kramer: Overall our end of season form, which doesn’t matter, sort of speaks for how my season has played out. In all serious, it was an unusual situation for me as it was the first time I wasn’t an uncontested starter each week. However, I’m someone who tries to find the positives in situations like this and to find strength and battle through. Additionally, with the exception of the world’s very best, no career doesn’t involve bumpy moments. Going through a phase like this is normal. You have to be able to withstand it both on and off the pitch. This is something I was able to do.
What would it personally mean for you to play in the Champions League after these difficult weeks?
Kramer: Without a doubt, playing in the Champions League would be incredible. Nevertheless, if we end up playing in the Europa League, I will be really excited to be playing European football again next season. I was missing these away days during the long training weeks this season. It is exceptional and very special to be sharing this journey with Borussia. This is important both for me and for the club.
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Registration: +49 2161 9293 1525 or +49 1806 181900 (0.20 €/call from German landline, max. 0.60 €/call from German mobile) or send an e-mail to tours( at )borussia.de
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The supporter liaison officers: email fans( at )borussia.de
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‘California Typewriter’ clicks on many levels
By Mark Feeney Globe Staff,September 20, 2017, 10:00 p.m.
Tom Hanks talks about his collection of 250 typewriters in a scene from the documentary “California Typewriter.”(Gravitas Ventures)
“California Typewriter” gets its title by way of a Berkeley, Calif., sales and repair shop. The fate of that establishment, and the very nice and able people who run it, provide the documentary with its narrative spine — or carriage, if you will. But “California Typewriter” is about a lot more.
Smith Corona, Underwood
There are collectors. One is Tom Hanks. He owns 250 typewriters. Another has the license plate QWERTY1. There’s also Jeremy Mayer, a sculptor who makes assemblages out of typewriter parts. He likens the machines’ innards to Fritz Lang’s silent sci-fi epic “Metropolis.” That’s not as crazy as it sounds. We also hear from such user-devotees as singer-songwriter John Mayer, historian David McCullough, and the late Sam Shepard. “So simple and complex,” Shepard marvels of the typewriter.
Royal, Remington
“Marvels”? Yes, as in marvelous. By the time “California Typewriter” is over, you might find yourself thinking the shop belongs near Ollivander’s Wands, on Diagon Alley, rather than across from Chaucer Street (itself a pretty magical location name, too). As the poet Darren Wershler says in the documentary, “In a weird kind of way, typewriting is haunted. There’s this sense the wiring comes to you through the machine. Someone, or something, gives you something to type, and the machine kind of mediates it. Is the typewriter pulling the strings and making the author do the work? The typewriter has to be working even almost before thinking starts happening.” Anyone who’s worked a return lever and heard the ring of the margin bell — as stern as Falstaff’s chimes at midnight — knows Wershler’s on to something.
Olympia, Woodstock (Alger Hiss’s undoing)
Mayer, the sculptor, makes a related point about the typewriter: “It’s such an emotional machine. A lot of memories and a lot of real people put themselves on a piece of paper through a machine, and I understand all that. This is how I choose to appreciate the typewriter, by dissecting it and bringing out the little pieces that are us in it.”
Olivetti, Burroughs (yup, same company as the adding machine)
Along the way, director Doug Nichol offers a brief history. Typewriters were invented in 1869, in Milwaukee. Originally, the word “typewriter” referred not to the machine but those who used one. We see a clip of the novelist Cormac McCarthy’s Olivetti going at auction for $210,000. The Boston Typewriter Orchestra performs. The inspiration for Ed Ruscha’s artist book “Royal Road Test” is somewhat confusingly reenacted — that’s “Royal” as in space bar and platen, not scepter and crown.
Adler, IBM Selectric (though strict constructionists might object)
Most of all, “California Typewriter” is an elegy. “The truth is, no good typewriters are going to be made again,” Hanks laments. There’s a reason that the title of the first tune on the fine musical soundtrack is “Stolen Moments.” Suffusing the documentary is an almost religious reverence for this mundane and obsolete mechanical apparatus. Not that it’s undeserved. As Mayer, the musician, says of the moment in “Don’t Look Back” when the most recent Nobel Prizewinner in Literature is seen to touch-type — not hunt and peck — “Even if you’re Bob Dylan you still have to sit at an altar.”
Hermes, Sholes & Glidden (the daddy of them all)
Unlikely to be in the Bay Area any time soon? Head to Arlington and check out Cambridge Typewriter. Hey, it has the same initials and almost the same number of letters as California Typewriter. Same sort of altars, too.
The 8 p.m. screening on Saturday, Sept. 23, at West Newton Cinema will feature a live performance by the Boston Typewriter Orchestra.
★ ★ ★ ½
CALIFORNIA TYPEWRITER
Directed by Doug Nichol. At West Newton Cinema. 104 minutes. Unrated.
Mark Feeney can be reached at mfeeney@globe.com.
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Shakespeare Survey
Shakespeare in Drama Since 1990: Vanishing Act
Buy the print book
Print publication year: 2005
Online publication date: March 2007
By Jill L. Levenson
Edited by Peter Holland, University of Notre Dame, Indiana
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CCOL0521850746.015
pp 148-159
My topic isolates a small part of the vast subject Shakespeare and modern drama, the title of my latest project. When Virginia Woolf confronted a similarly challenging subject, ‘women and fiction’, for an address at Cambridge University in 1928, she ‘sat down on the banks of a river and began to wonder what the words meant’. I found this eminent example reassuring and tried the same exercise – indoors. With time a few conclusions emerged which led me to notice a group of plays since 1990 using materials from Shakespeare’s life. A brief review of the exercise will follow the logic that situates these dramatic texts.
In the process of wondering what the words meant, the analogy of a map proved helpful, starting with definitions of the title’s co-ordinates. The name ‘Shakespeare,’ with its wide array of meanings, now signifies the historical person, his texts, and attitudes toward both. By comparison, the term ‘modern drama’ has narrower limits. Specialists set its chronology between 1850 and the present, starting with plays created by important dramatists of the nineteenth century who lived into the twentieth century. Consequently, ‘modern drama’ refers primarily to dramatic texts of the period, extant or not, rather than productions or theatre history; but the distinction can blur when the staging of a well-known script like Hamlet appears extreme enough to constitute a new play.
As co-ordinates, Shakespeare and modern drama chart vast, complex and unpredictable terrain. The topography extends, more or less, into every continent; and it covers a period over 150 years long. Substantial evidence, such as published scripts and theatre reviews, indicates that it contains hundreds of modern plays related to Shakespeare. Should our calculations include ephemeral productions, the kinds performed by amateur groups and local theatre festivals, the number might increase to thousands. Not surprisingly, this difficult territory remains largely unexplored.
Recommend this book
Email your librarian or administrator to recommend adding this book to your organisation's collection.
Volume 58: Writing about Shakespeare
Edited by Peter Holland
Online ISBN: 9781139052771
Book DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CCOL0521850746
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Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society
The Genealogical Seal of the Mu...
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April 1999 , pp. 77-140
The Genealogical Seal of the Mughal Emperors of India1
Annabel Teh Gallop
The genealogical seal of the Mughal emperors of India was one of the most potent symbols of Mughal imperial authority. The distinctive design of the seal - a central circle containing the name of the ruling emperor, surrounded by a series of smaller circles, like satellites in orbit, containing the names of his ancestors up to Timūr (1336–1405) each preceded by the filiative ibn - was a self-evident masterpiece of imperial symbolism, in which the authority of the ruling emperor was both legitimised and enhanced by the deliberate reference to his illustrious ancestors. The inscription was designed to be read starting with the ruling emperor's name in the middle, then moving into the outer circle to the name of his immediate predecessor (at 1 o'clock) and, continuing clockwise, finishing up at Timur, who always had pride of place at the top of the seal. In this way, each ruler was expressed as the son of his predecessor, while at the same time, from his central position abutting all the smaller circles, the ruling emperor could be read symbolically as the “son” of each of his ancestors.
COPYRIGHT: © The Royal Asiatic Society 1999
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URL: /core/journals/journal-of-the-royal-asiatic-society
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Early Bible Illustrations
A Short Study Based on some Fifteenth and Early Sixteenth Century Printed Texts
Author: James Strachan
This title is not currently available for examination. However, if you are interested in the title for your course we can consider offering an examination copy. To register your interest please contact collegesales@cambridge.org providing details of the course you are teaching.
Mr Strachan was asked if he could identify or explain the illustrations in an edition of the English Great Bible of 1541. Some were simple, others quite baffling. He set out to discover their meaning and history, and succeeded in tracing their derivation. At each stage a possible influence or explanation pointed a stage farther back; in the end he found that he had to cover virtually the whole history of illustration in printed bibles during their first century. He has set down his findings in this study. There is a considerable detective interest; one sees how successive renderings of a subject produced strange garblings, until certain pictures became apparently meaningless. It is all quite easy to understand, now that Mr Strachan has explained it; but he was working backwards in time, and it was a feat of ingenuity and perseverance to have reached his conclusions. All the more so in that he had to survey the entire range of bible-printing in every important European country.
1. Introduction: The Quest
2. The Earliest Printed Pictures
3. Nicholas De Lyra
4. The Italian Bible of 1490 and its successors
5. The Lübeck Bible: the Czech Bible of 1506
6. Luther's Bibles
7. The German Swiss Bibles
8. French and Dutch Bibles
9. The English Bibles: History
10. The English Bibles: Illustrations.
James Strachan
Christopher Plantin and Engraved Book Illustrations in Sixteenth-Century Europe
Bibliotheca Spenceriana
A Descriptive Catalogue of the Books Printed in the Fifteenth Century and of Many Valuable First Editions in the Library of George John Earl Spencer
Printers, Stationers and Bookbinders of London and Westminster in the Fifteenth Century
Early Printed Books in the Library of St Catharine's College Cambridge
Early English Printed Books in the University Library, Cambridge
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What they’re saying: "All he does is win, he's not the most overpowering, but he wins -- whether it was against Team USA, in the summer on Cape Cod or college ball. He competes." .... Sun Devils Saturday night starter ... 17 BBs, 78 Ks in 101.2 IPs ... 8-1, 3.45 in 14 GS ... Opp. Avg. .271 ... Suffered 1st loss vs. Utah ... Wins over Washington State, Washington, Arizona, Oregon, Oklahoma State, No. 1 TCU, Gonzaga, Stanford ... 24 career wins, 26 quality starts, 9 over ranked teams ... On Cape: 12 BBs, 37 Ks in 41 IP, 4-2, 2.63 in 7 GS ... Drafted in 12th round by Jays ('12) ... First Sun Devil to lead the team in wins in consecutive seasons since Ken Jones in 1978-79. Sterling Slaughter (1962-63), Craig Swan (1970-72) and Floyd Bannister (1975-76) also accomplished the feat ... Could join Swan as the only Devils to lead the team in wins in three consecutive seasons ... Has 11 wins over ranked opponents, including four in 2015, three in 2013 and four in 2014. He has a career record of 27-5, including 19-2 in 27 career Pac-12 starts, and 26 of his 45 career starts have been quality starts ... One of five Sun Devils in the past five seasons to earn repeat First Team All-Conference honors, joining Joey DeMichele (2011-12), Deven Marrero (2011-12), Riccio Torrez (2010-11) and Mitchell Lambson (2009-10). He has not issued a walk in four of his starts this season and 17 career starts. Among Div. I Canadian pitchers, is tied for fourth all-time with 27 wins, and is just two wins from the top three, and all seven pitchers ahead of him played four season for their respective schools.
131st on Baseball America's top 500 combined list.
171st on MLB.com top 200 Prospect Watch
183rd on Perfect Game's top 500 (down from 129th)
5th on Baseball America's top 45 prospects from Arizona.
9th on Perfect Game's top 16 players from Arizona.
59th on PG's top 100 college juniors.
73rd on PG's top 200 prospects on Cape Cod.
2nd Canadian on Perfect Game USA Canadians in college list.
183. Ryan Kellogg, lhp, Arizona State (JR)
L-L, 6-5/225, Whitby, Ontario
Previously Drafted: Blue Jays ’12 (12)
Standing at 6-foot-5, the tall lefthanded Kellogg has been most consistent arm for the Sun Devils this spring, giving Coach Tracy Smith a chance to win every night he takes the ball. Logging the third highest total of innings pitched in the Pac-12 this spring with 108 over 15 starts, which includes two complete games. While his stuff isn’t completely overpowering, Kellogg shows an advanced overall feel on the mound, competing and pounding the strike zone with a full four-pitch mix. Almost always ahead in the count, Kellogg does a nice job of working both sides at the knees while showing the ability to pound in on the hands of hitters. Kellogg is able to work in the 89-92 mph range during the course of an outing, showing a fast arm through the backside while generating late life to his arm side. Just like his fastball, the Ontario native lives low in the zone with the rest of his arsenal, creating ground ball contact early in the count. With an equally strong feel for both his changeup and curveball, Kellogg also shows a shorter and tighter slider throughout a game while varying the shape on his breaking balls. His changeup has served as a quality offering for him throughout last summer and this spring with late diving life to his arm side in the 79-81 mph range.
MLB Prospect Watch
Ryan Kellogg | Rank: 171
School: Arizona State Year: Junior Position: LHP Age: 22 DOB: 2/2/1993 Bats: R Throws: L Height: 6'5" Weight: 225 lb.
Previously Drafted: 2012, 12th (385) - TOR
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 50 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 45
After a huge freshman year at Arizona State in 2013, it looked like Kellogg was pointing toward being one of the better college lefties in the Draft class of 2015. While he's been effective, he hasn't been quite as dominant as hoped.
At the outset, Kellogg looked more like a guy who would pitch in the low 90s with a power breaking ball. He's morphed a bit into more of a pitchability lefty, albeit one with three at least average offerings. His fastball sits more in the 90-91 range with some solid life when he keeps it down in the zone. He can spin a decent breaking ball and he mixes in a changeup that will be at least Major League average as well. Kellogg doesn't hurt himself with walks, but also doesn't miss a ton of bats, pitching to contact.
Even if Kellogg didn't develop into the pitcher scouts thought he would be, he still profiles as a starter who really knows how to pitch, a value especially as Day 2 of the Draft unfolds.
Most wins by a Canadian college pitcher
(Those ahead of Kellogg pitched four seasons.)
Top NCAA Division I Canadian pitcher by wins
Steve Carter, Windsor, Ont., 42-12, 3.74, Coastal Carolina, 2001-04
Shane Davis, Belmont, Ont., 35-12, 4.18, Canisius, 2008-11
Ryan Kellogg, Whitby, Ont. 28-6 3.50 Arizona State 2013-15
Rob Nixon, Welland, Ont. 28-9, 2.61 Adelphi, 2008-11
Kai Tuomi, Sault, Ste. Marie, Ont., 24-10, 3.89 Evansville, 2004-07
Jordan Thomson, Toronto, 24-16, 4.18 Northeastern, 2001-04
Josh Sawatzky, Altoona, Man. 24-17, 3.99 Niagara/Canisius, 2004-08
Ali Simpson, Campbell River, BC, 23-17, 4.76 Bethune-Cookman 2009-2013
R.J. Swindle, Vancouver, 21-13, 3.13, Charleston Southern 2002-04
Kris Dabrowiecki, Toronto, 21-13, 4.22 Northeastern, 2005-08
Devon Stewart, Maple Ridge, B.C. 21-21, 4.31 Canisius, 2012-15
Andrew Albers, North Battleford, Sask. 20-18, 4.48, Kentucky 2005-08
Jason Mandryk, Langdon, Ont., 18-6, 3.41 East Carolina, 1999-2002
Scott Robinson, Ajax, Ont., 18-6, 4.68, Maine, 2002-06
John Axford, Port Dover, Ont. 17-14 4.67 Notre Dame, Canisius, 2002-06
Chris Howay, New Westminster, B.C. 17-7, 4.13 McNeese State, 2000-01
Vid on Kellogg
Jeff Dahn on Kellogg
Bob Elliott April 10, 2015 Comment
Jeff Degano
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HOFer Alomar addresses Blue Jays HOFers
* Gary Wilson (Stoney Creek), left and Jamie Lehman (Brampton) meet for the first time as the pair were inducted into the Ontario Blue Jays Hall of Fame at their fourth annual banquet. RHP Shawn Hill (Georgetown) was also inducted. ....
There were awards like most baseball banquets.
There were zingers like most winter get togethers.
And most of all there were words of advice.
Former infielder turned pitcher turned scout Jamie Lehman, former infielder turned pitcher Shawn Hill and Gary Wilson were inducted into the Ontario Blue Jays Hall of Fame banquet at Fontana Primavera in Woodbridge before a crowd of 600.
The other Ontario Blue Jays Hall of Famers in the crowd were Drew Taylor, Scott Thorman, John Ogiltree, Matt Logan, Tyler Johnstone, Peter Orr and coach Milt Nikkel.
The words of advice call from Hall of Famer Robbie Alomar as well as guest speaker Jack Morris, a Hall of Fame candidate again when the veteran’s committee assembles its next ballot for 2017.
Inductees RHP Shawn Hill (Mississauga, Ont.)
Played: 1998-99 Ontario Blue Jays.
Coaches: Bob Smyth and Gary Wilson.
Drafted: By the San Diego Padres in the 33rd round and scout Tim Harkness in 1999; drafted in the sixth round by Montreal Expos scout Alex Agostino in 2000.
Major-league debut: June 29, 2004 pitching for the Expos at Citizen Bark Park he retired Jimmy Rollins on a ground ball, struck out Placido Polanco and Bobby Abreu in the first; up 3-0 in the second he struck out Jim Thome, allowed a double to Pat Burrell, walked David Bell, Mike Lieberthal and Jason Michaels, retired Eric Milton on a fly ball and Rollins on grounder to end the inning; and leading 3-2 he allowed a homer to Polanco, walked Abreu, allowed singles to Burrell, Bell, retired Lieberthal, allowed a single to Michaels, Milton and a double to Rollins in a 17-7 loss to the Phillies.
First win: July 4, Estadio Hiram Bithorn, San Juan, Puerto Rico, he retired Frank Menechino on a fly ball, allowed a single to Orlando Hudson, who was thrown out attempting to steal second and retired Reed Johnson on a grounder to end the first; allowed a single to Eric Hinske, struck out Chris Gomez and struck out Alex Rios, as Hinske was thrown out to end the second; struck out Dave Berg, retired Kevin Cash on a ground ball and struck out Ted Lilly to end the third; popped up Menechino, then retired Hudson and Johnson on ground ball outs to end the fourth; allowed a single to Hinske, struck out Gomez, allowed a single to Rios and a scoring fly ball to Berg, walked Cash and struck out Lilly to end the fifth in a 6-4 Expos win over the Blue Jays.
Majors: 10-18 with a 4.69 ERA in 44 starts with Montreal, Washington, San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays, 242 IPs, 76 walks, 151 strikeouts.
Minors: In the Expos system in 2000 with the rookie-class Gulf Coast Expos, 2001 with class-A Vermont, 2002 with class-A Clinton; 2003 with class-A Brevard, double-A Harrisburg; 2004 with Harrisburg; in the Nationals system in 2006 with Harrisburg and triple-A New Orleans; 2007 with class-A Potomac and triple-A Coumbus; 2008 with Potomac and Columbus; in the Jays system in 2010 with the Gulf Coast Blue Jays, class-A Dunedin, double-A New Hampshire and triple-A Las Vegas; 2012 with York (IND) and Las Vegas; in the Tigers system in 2013 with triple-A Toledo; in 2014 with the Blue Jays at New Hampshire and triple-A Buffalo; with the White Sox with triple-A Charlotte and with the Tigers with triple-A Toledo.
Numbers in minors: 64-55, 3.69 ERA, 180 G, 174 GS, 975.1 IP, 1023, 235 walks, 576 strikeouts.
Internationally: 2004 Athens Olympics started semi-final game vs. Cuba; 2011 World Cup beat USA; 2011 Pan Ams, beat Mexico in semi-finals; 2012 World Baseball Classic Qualifier beat Great Britain and 2013 WBC.
RHP Jamie Lehman (Brampton, Ont.)
Coach: Dan Bleiwas.
Drafted: By the Expos in the 29th round and scout Alex Anthopoulos in 2003.
Minors: In the Expos system in 2003 with the rookie-class Gulf Coast Expos, in 2004 with the Gulf Coast; In the Nationals system in 2005 with class-A Vermont; in 2006 with class-A Savannah; in 2008 with class-A Hagerstown; in 2009 with Potomac; in the Jays system with class-A Aubrun.
Numbers in minors: 7-12, 5.70 ERA, 115 Games, 3 Starts, 195.2 Innings, 65 walks, 119 strikeouts. Organizational instructor: with the Ontario Blue Jays during the off seasons.
Hired: by the Toronto Blue Jays: After the 2009 season as Canadian director of scouting. Also covers Northeastern United States.
First sign: Nick Purdy.
First draft: Dalton Pompey.
Lehman said he was both humbled and honored to be sitting at the head table alongside both Jack Morris and Robbie Alomar, who he had watched star for the 1992-93 Blue Jays.
“I’d mimic Jack’s delivery in my back yard and slice through American League lineups -- just the way he did,” Lehman told the crowd. “And I’d try to make that jump throw and spin to first just like Robbie ... it turned out that I wasn’t Robbie.”
Lehman said for the past two years he had the privilege of working closely with Alomar organizing Tournament 12 and found out first-hand Alomar’s dedication and passion towards promoting baseball in Canada.
“Shawn Hill proved that an infielder can make the majors as a pitcher and I have found my niche,” said Lehman, who recalled his first day on the job driving to the SkyDome, describing it as “surreal” when he swiped his security card to enter the building on his own. No ticket required.
Lehman praised Danny Bleiwas for building the best amateur program in Canada.
He thanked his mother Monica, who gave up her nights, her weekends to get her son to games and practices on time.
“This honor is as much yours as it is mine,” he said speaking to an audience of one.
He thanked former coach Sean Travers for teaching him so much about the game.
“Shawn took an awkward, skinny kid with a love of the game,” and showed him how to get better even if when things were going poorly Travers became displeased and would “drop a few misplaced adjectives.” Lehman’s voice changed to more serious tone as he said to Travers: “everything I’ve accomplished I owe to you.”
Next up on the thank you list was Lehman’s wife Amanda as he said “every baseball person in here has a good woman with him.”
The message from Lehman to the Ontario Blue Jays 18s, 17s and 16s was straight forward:
“Look at Robbie. Look at Jack. Look at Brett Lawrie and Dalton Pompey. They had the exact same dream you had at your age. They are all proof that it can be done. That’s what makes this game so special, so believe in it.”
Coach Gary Wilson Coach: First coach of the Ontario Blue Jays from 1996-99.
Wilson’s first two teams made the Connie Mack World Series in Farmington, N.M.
Drafts: 1996: 32nd Tigers LHP John Ogiltree (Mississauga, Ont.); 1997: 7th Cubs RHP Paul Vracar (Stoney Creek, Ont.), 35th Twins RHP Craig Hawkins (Burlington, Ont.), 39th Rangers SS Peter Orr (Newmarket, Ont.) 1998: 9th Blue Jays LHP Steve Murray (Ennismore, Ont.), 10th Expos RHP Ryan Grantham (Burlington, Ont.), 18th Orioles RHP Denis Gratton (Kitchener, Ont.), 22nd Blue Jays OF Adam Stern (Port Stanley, Ont.), 28th Giants RHP Chad Ertel (St. Clements, Ont.), 43rd Blue Jays RHP Travis Beckham (Port Dover, Ont.) 1999: 32nd Orioles OF Kevin Virtue (London, Ont.); 37th Blue Jays RHP Robert Findlay (Etobicoke, Ont.); 38th Blue Jays RHP Mike Tisdale (Peterborough, Ont.); 43rd Mets C Ryan Hay (Niagara Falls, Ont.); 46th Orioles C-1B Pat Tobin (Pickering, Ont.); 48th Orioles RHP Mike Roga (Pickering, Ont.).
Honor: Wilson was selected coach of the year by American Amateur Baseball Congress.
More than once Wilson, 64, who last coached in 1999, looked around the room and asked “how did it get this big?” He started with Gene Bartolizzi’s Hamilton Blue Jays in 1995 with 14 players.
Soon the Toronto Blue Jays Canadian scouting director Bill Byckowski sponsored the team, which was an all-star team of the best players in the province (from Ottawa to Chatham). Like Bartolzzi the Ontario Blue Jays were soon banned by the OBA.
“That first year we didn’t have anyone to play so we’d play Stoney Creek Little League and we’d win 20-0, 25-0, but Pat Gillick and Wayne Norton (Baltimore Orioles) would show to scout our kids,” said Wilson.
Wilson was emotional and appreciative of the honor telling about breaking down when seeing former players Peter Orr and Matt Logan.
He did lead the dais in zings -- no easy feat with Morris on the stage.
“We didn’t have anyone to play, we didn’t have a park to practice -- we had the SkyDome,” Wilson said, who credited former Blue Jays Canadian scouting director Byckowski for getting the Ontario Blue Jays into the Four Nations Cup along with Team Australia, Team USA and the Canadian Junior Team.
Team USA had future No. 1 picks Michael Cuddyer, Cory Patterson and Austin Kearns, second-round pick Rick Ainkiel and seventh rounder Matt Holliday still active with the St. Louis Cardinals.
“We played Team USA and beat them,” Wilson stated.
Reliever Gratton came on in relief of starter Tim Goheen (Proctor Station) with two out in the fifth, the score tied at three and the bases loaded, to face Ankiel, who the Cardinals had selected in the second round that June. Gratton got Ankiel to ground out ending the threat. Mike Hook scored the winning run in a 4-3 victory. Wilson’s win came without Peter Orr, a Texas Rangers draft pick out with a swollen foot.
Not that this was serious business but right-fielder Chris Green make his return from a broken bone in his right hand, cutting the cast off before the game.
Then, the Ontario Blue Jays played the Canadian Junior National team.
Now, along about here facts mesh with fiction and memories.
“Our guys couldn’t make the Canadian team ... so they said,” Wilson said. “We played them at the SkyDome and beat them ... beat them easy.”
(Fact is since the Ontario Blue Jays were an outlaws in the eyes of the OBA and Baseball Canada, the players were not eligible. Scott Thorman was the first Ontario Blue Jay to play for Team Canada in 1999.)
Wilson’s team won 8-4.
“Matt Logan hit a home run and rounding first base he yelled at Justin Morneau, gave him what for,” Wilson said.
(Logan homered and hit a two-run double, but it was Trent Kitsch playing first for Canada, while Morneau did not play until 1999. We don’t have any doubt Logan hooted.)
Darin Wahl (Waterloo, Ont.) drove in three runs too with a single, double and a fly ball as Sean Light (Kingston, Ont. -- Canada’s first capital) worked 5 2/3 innings for the win. Reggie Laplante (Beauport, Que.) took the loss. Doug Vandecaveye (Tillbury, Ont.) hit a two-run triple, while Mike Eskilden (Maple Ridge, BC) doubled.
The win bumped the Ontario Blue Jays record to 57-14.
Murray pitched a five-hitter to defeat Detroit Concealed Concrete 4-2 for a return trip to Farmington, N.M. Quinn Peel (Manotick, Ont.) homered while Jon McGinn (Burlington, Ont.) and Chatham’s Paul Brown (Chatham, Ont.) had two hits apiece in the final of the North Central regionals at Kalamazoo, Mich., on the weekend. Adam Brayson (Burlington) and McGinn were the leading hitters as both batted .700 in the six-game tournament.
Murray also beat Ottawa, Ill., 9-1, Light had a pair of victories in the tournament as well, beating Mills, Ohio, 11-1 in the opener and Cleveland 9-1 in the semi-final. Kris Ehmke (Peterborough, Ont.) beat Battle Creek, Mich., 9-8 as Logan had three hits and Hook two. Goheen beat Detroit 11-1.
Craig Hawkins (Brampton) was tagged with the loss against Kalamazoo.
“I really shouldn’t be sitting up here, Bill Byckowski had a vision for this, he deserves the credit -- but I’m not giving him this honor,” said Wilson. “I guess you guys are back in good with the OBA. If I was still running this you wouldn’t be in the OBA.”
Guest speaker Jack Morris gave an excellent speech.
He began by explaining how he awoke that morning in Hartford, Conn. where he was at Pete Walker’s coach’s clinic along with Morris flew into Toronto from Hartford where he spoke at a coaching clinic for Jays pitching coach. Also on hand were former Jays coaches Torey Lovullo (now with the Boston Red Sox) and Kevin Seitzer (now with the Atlanta Braves).
And how he flew into Toronto only to suddenly realize it was his wedding anniversary?
He called home and it went like this:
“Honey I have this commitment, I can’t get out of, I’ll make it up to you, is there anything ... anything at all I can pick up for you?”
“Yes. A divorce.”
“Well, I wasn’t planning on spending that much money.”
As the laughter died down Morris said he heard the joke once before and explained although it wasn’t true, it was too good a story not to tell.
Morris told the young players that should be more appreciative towards their parents. Hand out a few more thank yous to Ma and Pa. And your coaches.
“I didn’t do it enough as a child,” Morris said. “I’d hug my mom and say “I’m going to be a star,’ and she’s say ‘that’s nice, keep working.’ Think about this ... coaches are giving their time. They’re not benefitting themselves by any of this -- so listen to this.”
The Blue Jays first 20-game winner said that young players should aim to be the best teammate they can be.
He asked do they want to be a bad guy who was a great player who fizzled out at the next level?
“Or do you want to be remembered as a guy who was a great teammate for the rest of your life?” Morris asked. “Some of you are going to go on and play pro ball. Some of you are going to go on and play college and some are not going to go anywhere. But everyone has the chance to be a great teammate.”
Morris said he is impressed at how much the game has grown in Canada to the point where Canuck players are getting the same chance as “kids in the states” and asked “where is it going to be in 20 years?”
Having played alongside Hall of Famers like Dave Winfield, Paul Molitor and Alomar, Morris said “God-given talent” can only get a player so far ... and all the great ones are smart players, students of the game.
“You know the guy who is a little better than you ... watch him, watch the best players on the other team, great players,” said Morris, “have the capacity to learn.”
Morris said he knew he was in Toronto when he saw a Wayne Gretzky jersey being auctioned off at a baseball banquet and said “your son has a better future in baseball than he does in hockey. He said if a player can do two things of run, hit, field and throw and do them well, he has a chance.
After pitching two seasons for the Jays, he was back in 2013 to partner with Jerry Howarth in the broadcast booth.
“Everyone would ask ‘so how did you get along with Jerry?’ Jerry and I got along. Jerry and I got along real well, we got along to the point that I think of him as a close friend,” Morris said. He returned to the Twins booth last season.
This year he says he will be doing some Twins games as well as Detroit Tigers and maybe even fill-in with the Jays.
Hall of Famer Robbie Alomar fielded the Q&A’s from coach Dino Roumel, MC and coach of the year.
Alomar said he came to Toronto for the home opener 1991 “and I’m still here,” with his wife Kim and new baby.
It wasn’t an easy path for Alomar even if he was a son of Sandy Alomar, who played 15 years in the majors and grew up with his older brother Sandy Alomar, Jr. hanging around major-league clubhouse in the summer.
“I came to the U.S. when I was 17, I didn’t know how to speak English, I was afraid, I was earning $600 a month, barely enough to pay the rent and eat,” Alomar told the crowd. “But if you want to pursue your dream ... you know your dream is not coming to you -- you have to go where your dream is.”
Pat Gillick, then the Blue Jays general manager dealt Fred McGriff and Tony Fernandez to the San Diego Padres for Joe Carter and Alomar at the 1990 winter meetings.
“I phoned my father to ask for advice,” Alomar said.
Poppy Alomar replied: “It’s a great city, an excellent team, you are going to love it.”
And father knew best.
“It helped,” said Alomar with an impish smile, “that I played good.”
He wandered around clubhouse with future Hall of Famer like Nolan Ryan. His father played with Hank Aaron and Frank Robinson on their way to Cooperstown.
And in 2011 the Hall of Famers sat behind Alomar as he gave his induction speech.
“I was so proud to look out see my mother, my father, sister and brother in the crowd and all the people from Canada and Puerto Rico,” Alomar said. “I was so happy I chose a Blue Jays cap for my plaque.”
Roumel asked if Alomar had seen Dennis Eckersley in Cooperstown. Eckersley struck out pinch hitter Ed Sprague to end the eighth with a man on second and then fired an imaginary six-shooter into the Blue Jays dugout. After Mike Timlin worked a scoreless eighth, Eckersley allowed a lead-off single to Devon White and Alomar launched a no doubter on a 2-2 pitch to right. Alomar flung both hands over his head in celebration ,.. perhaps you’ve seen it on the highlight reels.
“Dennis asked me ‘why did you do what you did? You showed me up,’” related Alomar. “So I asked him ‘why did you do what you did? You showed our team up.’”
Award winners Alumni pro player of the year 2B Malik Collymore (Mississauga, Ont.)
Drafted by: St. Louis Cardinals, 10th round, 2013.
Scout: Charles Peterson.
Coached by: Dan Bleiwas, Sean Travers. 2014: Rookie-Class Gulf Coast Cardinals (.333 59-for-177, seven doubles, eight triples, one homer, 34 RBIs, 9-for-14 stealing bases .883 OPS).
Alumni college player of the year SS Daniel Pinero (Toronto, Ont.)
Drafted by: Houston Astros 20th round, 2013.
Coached by: Dan Bleiwas, Sean Travers.
2014: Earned third-Team All-ACC honoree at shortstop, Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball, All-ACC Academic Baseball Team and Second Team Canadian Baseball Network Second Team honors.
Started 68 of UVa’s 69 games at shortstop, made nine errors in 274 chances (.967 fielding percentage) and was the first UVa freshman to start season opener at shortstop since Mark Reynolds in 2002, hit .250 (13-for-52) in NCAA tournament; was 6-for-12 with team-high six runs scored in super regional vs. Maryland and was 4-for-14 in CWS Finals against Vanderbilt, including three-hit day in Game 1. Hit .261 with six doubles, 22 RBIs, was 10-for-13 stealing bases.
Dedication award RHP Brandon Catena (Mississauga, Ont.), Ontario Blue Jays 18s.
Coached by: Dan Bleiwas.
Finished the season with 28 scoreless innings.
Has committed to Garrett College in McHenry, Md.
Pitcher of the year LHP Riley Hoover (Newmarket, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays 17s.
Coached by: Dino Roumel.
Went 13-0 with a sub 3.00 ERA.
Player of the year INF Zachary Orchard (Cambridge, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays 18s.
Started as a catcher before coming a second baseman.
Batted .414 with two homers, 57 RBIs and 22 stolen bases.
Attending Florida Gulf Coast University Eagles.
Coach of the year Dino Roumel (Guelph, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays 17s. Team went 41-14 and came within an out of making the AAU nationals.
18U White Dan Bleiwas, Mike Steed, Kevin Mitchell, Milt Nikkel, Taylor Fredrick.
18U Red Colin Tyler, Brock Wilimek, Paul McKeegan, Steve Wilson.
17U White Dino Roumel, Doug Dimma, Joe DaCosta, Lawrence Collymore.
16U White Sean Travers, Mike Siena, Pat Visca Richard Clemons
16U Red Joey Ellison, Adam Cholewka, Brandon Dhue, Todd Simmons.
Canadians in MLB, Canadians in the Minors, Major Leagues (MLB), Sandlots, Toronto Blue JaysBob Elliott January 21, 2015 1 Comment
Kellogg a devil of prospect
Canadians in College, SandlotsAlexis Brudnicki January 22, 2015
Tolleson plan$ for future after playing day$
Major Leagues (MLB), Toronto Blue JaysAlexis Brudnicki January 21, 2015
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ACC Championships Coverage: Day 1
By Fritz Metzinger | 03/14/13 5:58pm | Updated 03/15/13 4:15pm
Whether you’re resting at home, engaging in service work, or drinking one of those fruity concoctions with the little umbrellas in them, check “Pulse of the Fan” all weekend for extensive ACC Tournament coverage.
12:12 AM: If you notice a white tinge on the Greensboro Coliseum court when action resumes tomorrow, don’t fret: that will just be the remnants of the chalk from today’s depressingly predictable, favorite-dominated First Round. Although Clemson engendered some intrigue in the day’s final contest thanks to a series of calamitous Florida State fouls and a few big 3-pointers, their desperate comeback bid faltered when Michael Snaer buried two late free throws to secure the Seminoles’ 73-69 win. Florida State plays North Carolina in the nightcap tomorrow.
Ultimately, the enduring memory Day 1 of the 2013 ACC Championships will involve Boston College freshman Olivier Hanlan’s sublime 41-point effort against Georgia Tech, a virtuoso performance that sets the table for a compelling matchup with ACC Defensive Player of the Year Miami guard Durand Scott tomorrow. On a day marred by errant shooting and scarce suspense, Hanlan’s performance underlined why we all keep tuning in to this crazy game of basketball: the potential to witness the spectacular.
Meanwhile, Virginia faces N.C. State tomorrow with its NCAA Tournament hopes in the balance.
That’s all from Greensboro for tonight. Check this blog and @CavDailySports Friday for live updates!
9:23 PM: In a game with only very mild implications for Virginia, Maryland held Wake Forest to two more field goals than you or I managed in the final 10:02 to storm to a 75-62 victory. Dez Wells scored 21 points for the seventh-seeded Terrapins, who will play No. 2 seed Duke tomorrow at 7 p.m.
Since the chances that Maryland advances to the ACC Championship game, the only round in which it could conceivably face the Cavaliers, remain more remote than the chance that the Mexican and Canadian baseball teams hit the town together at the World Baseball Classic, this game should have little bearing on Virginia’s tournament fate. It does sustain the Terrapins’ faint at-large hopes, but they still will likely need to win the ACC Tournament to get to the big dance.
Clemson and Florida State square off next in the final game of the day.
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7:38 PM: When Wolfpack point guard Lorenzo Brown sprained his left ankle in N.C. State’s Jan. 29 visit to Virginia midway through the first half, the Wolfpack were winning and imposing their up-tempo style on the more rugged, half-court oriented Cavaliers. His absence, however, allowed the Virginia defense to settle in and afforded junior guards Joe Harris and Jontel Evans more room to operate on the perimeter, eventually enabling the Cavaliers to squeeze out a 58-55 victory. Brown rested the bum ankle for the next two games, both of which N.C. State lost. And as a result of that three-game swoon in the middle of the ACC season, the Wolfpack finished 11-7 in the conference—giving Virginia the No. 4 seed in the ACC Tournament and a first-round bye by virtue of its January victory.
Beating N.C. State and grabbing the fourth seed wielded a two-fold positive impact on Virginia’s postseason prospects. For one thing, it assures that the Cavaliers can clinch an NCAA tournament at-large bid with two wins and vie for one with a single victory, whereas they would have likely needed to win the conference tournament to advance had they dropped the N.C. State game. Secondly, it means a Virginia squad that has struck most observers as lead-legged in its past three games will benefit from extra rest against a Wolfpack team for which each starter logged at least 34 minutes in Thursday’s 80-63 victory against Virginia Tech.
Still, that N.C. State was missing Brown during the first contest raises grave doubts about the Cavaliers’ ability to cope Friday. The Wolfpack, after all, still present troubling matchup problems on the low-post for Virginia and play with an added panache when a healthy Brown—who averages is in as their maestro.
Virginia and head coach Tony Bennett, simply put, will be hard-pressed to attain the victory they require for a second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. Here are the three major storylines that will determine whether the Cavaliers can do the trick.
1. The front-lines
The N.C. State frontcourt presents the closest thing to a nightmare matchup the Cavaliers will see: big, athletic, and ruthlessly physical. All-ACC First Teamer Richard Howell qualifies as the Harry Potter of the Wolfpack’s super trio and will be brimming with confidence after torching the Hokies for 22 points and 12 rebounds on 11-of-13 shooting and providing, as he has all year, the team’s best post defense. C.J. Leslie and T.J. Warren are no slouches themselves, combining for 28 points and 12 rebounds and helping the Wolfpack amass a staggering 40 to 25 advantage on the boards against Virginia Tech. Featuring tenacious rebounding, savvy floor spacing and active defensive participation, the N.C. State frontcourt possesses the kind of talent that could spell doom against a smaller, finesse-based front-line such as Virginia’s. Sure enough, they confounded the Cavaliers in the team’s first tilt, with Leslie putting up a monster 20 points and 14 rebounds despite suffering from “Michael Jordan in Game 5”-level illness.
Virginia managed to survive the onslaught thanks to one of freshman forward Mike Tobey’s stronger performances as a Cavalier. Tobey notched 13 points and seven rebounds and supplied the needed brawn to contend with the N.C. State behemoths. As he continues to recover from a bout of mono, Virginia will need another gutsy display from him—or from sophomore forward Darion Atkins or freshman forward Justin Anderson, the team’s best close-out shot-blocking threat—to weather the storm again.
Still, the Cavaliers’ post-defense begins and ends with junior forward Akil Mitchell. Leading the ACC in points allowed per 100 defensive possessions, Mitchell also ranks 11th in the league with 1.2 steals per game—an amazing feat for a big man who spends most of his time guarding the opposition’s biggest player. Additionally, he delivers Virginia’s most consistent offensive production by using his full-throttle, speed-based game to wear down opponents and put up an almost automatic 13-to-18 points per game. Mitchell’s invaluable contributions will matters even more Friday, since N.C. State’s starters could fatigue later in the game and depend heaviliy Thursday on Brown’s rail-line passes to wide-open teammates in the post—passes the vigilant, quick-handed Mitchell will be quick to disrupt.
2. Will the real Joe Harris please stand up?
After Harris eviscerated Duke for 36 points on national television Feb. 28, he was riding such a high and playing so well you would have thought the All-ACC First Team choice had an outside shot at election to the papacy. But while his mystique remains as powerful as ever among Virginia fans, his form has dipped quite dramatically in the three games following that breakout showing against the Blue Devils. Ultra-efficient for most of the season, Harris has shot an abysmal 13-of-44 and averaged just 14.0 points per game in his last three outings. His jump-shot has suffered worst of all, with his 25.0 3-point percentage since Feb. 19 feeding fears that the relentlessly competitive Harris is starting to buckle physically.
Whether Harris’ recent swoon results from tired legs or a mere random slump, Virginia’s most valuable player needs to improve offensively for he and his teammates to outlast a team as dangerous as N.C. State. Too often in the last three games, Virginia’s offense has stalled as players watch Harris miss a long perimeter shot, a tactic which Virginia Tech relied on this year to dreadful results. Although Harris has managed to compensate for some of his shooting woes with aggressive lane penetration, he’ll need to rediscover his tidy 17.0 point per game scoring form in order to counteract the production from Brown and Scott Wood.
3. Road blues
For those hoping Virginia will fare better on a neutral court than it has on the road, consider: in the Cavaliers’ lone neutral-court game thus far, they suffered a loss to lowly Old Dominion that remains the most glaring red flag on their NCAA Tournament at-large resume. Overall, Virginia is 3-9 away from John Paul Jones Arena and will play before a heavily-partisan N.C. State crowd at the Greensboro Coliseum Friday.
Pundits have pointed to sundry explanations for Virginia’s road maladies: an inexperienced roster, a general trend toward home dominance in college basketball, sheer bad luck. Whatever the cause, the cure boils down to the Cavaliers simple need to shoot the ball better. Unless they find the basket at a more efficient clip than the 39.7 field goal shooting percentage they’ve registered in their last three home losses, Bennett’s boys will return to Charlottesville next weekend to host an NIT game. As discussed above, offensive improvement necessitates the return of a potent Harris and continued complementary scoring from Mitchell. Other Cavaliers, however, including sharpshooters freshman Evan Nolte and sophomore Paul Jesperson, will need to throw it in the ocean against an N.C. State defense that yielded open perimeter shots aplenty against Virginia Tech Thursday.
4:49 PM: Raise your hand if you’re surprised.
Me, neither.
For the second consecutive year, N.C. State will meet Virginia in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament after the Wolfpack walloped a hapless Virginia Tech 80-63, mercifully ending a humiliating Hokies’ season. And for the second consecutive year, one team’s NCAA Tournament hopes will hang in the balance when N.C. State and Virginia clash—only this time, the Cavaliers are the ones in desperate need of a resume-boosting victory.
Richard Howell led the Wolfpack with 22 points and 11 rebounds, converting several of Lorenzo Brown’s game-high 12 assists into easy lay-ups, dunks and wide-open midrange jumpers. In addition to finishing 11-of-13 from the floor, the All-ACC First Team selection also cemented his triumph over teammate C.J. Leslie as “Best N.C. State Player with a chinstrap beard.” Leslie, Scott Wood and T.J. Warren joined Howell in double figures for a Wolfpack team that outrebounded Virginia Tech 40-25 and outassisted the Hokies 18-10.
Meanwhile, Erick Green—the constructor of virtually all of Virginia Tech’s 13 victories singlehandedly—looked more like a bricklayer in his final collegiate game. The ACC Player of the Year finished 5-of-19 for 15 points, his lowest output since scoring 12 Dec. 29 against BYU. And although Jarell Eddie posted a valiant 21-point effort, Virginia Tech’s dubious shot selection doomed the squad to a woeful 12-of-34 shooting effort in the second half.
Ultimately, discipline proved the distinguishing factor between the two teams; while Brown and Wood orchestrated a crisp if occasionally sloppy offense, most Hokies split their time between watching Eddie and Green operate and running around like Turkeys with their heads cut off on offense and constantly lost focus on defense. As a result, the Cavaliers will have to contend with a disciplined, athletic N.C. State team Friday, one that will have Brown after missing him in a 58-55 Virginia victory in January.
More to come on the Virginia-N.C. State matchup with the next post.
1:58 PM: Greetings from Greensboro! We’ve just arrived at the Coliseum to catch the end of Boston College and Olivier Hanlan’s masterful dismantling of Georgia Tech in the battle of the ACC Tournament’s 8th and 9th seeds, also known as the “Clash Between mediocre ACC squads that both managed to beat Virginia.” Next on the docket is the 5-12 matchup between N.C. State and Virginia Tech, which will of course determine the Cavaliers’ opponent in tomorrow’s quarterfinal bout at 2 p.m. ET. Follow @CavDailySports and this blog for in-depth analysis on today’s games, what Virginia needs to do, and whether the free media food here at the Coliseum meets your Cavalier Daily’s correspondent’s lofty standards.**
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Bishop Eddie Long Scandal: Rally Calls for Embattled Pastor to Resign
By Naimah Jabali-Nash
November 1, 2010 / 1:40 PM / CBS News
Bishop Eddie Long (AP Photo/John Amis) AP Photo/John Amis
NEW YORK (CBS) Dozens of people joined the pastor of a small South Carolina church at a rally on the steps of the Georgia state Capitol Sunday, calling for the resignation of Bishop Eddie Long, who has been accused of luring four young men into sexual relationships when they were teenage members of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, according to a report.
PICTURES: Bishop Eddie Long
Bishop "Prophet" H. Walker of True Light Pentecost Church in Spartanburg, S.C., claimed Long "had no right to continue as a leader of the Christian church," and urged members of Long's congregation to demand that the pastor step down from his position, reports the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Nearly 75 people attended Sunday's rally, with the majority of the attendees being members of Walker's church. National Association for Religious Accountability founder, Minister Adisa Franklin, questioned why no other Atlanta pastors were present at Sunday's rally, reports the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
According to the paper, Walker, who says his church is opposed to homosexuality, said the purpose of the rally was to "support the integrity and character of the Christian faith," and claimed Long was a "bad influence on the Christian church and future generations."
Four young men allege Long, their pastor, first adopted them as his "spiritual sons," then abused his "spiritual authority" and seduced them with cars, lavish trips and jewelry in exchange for sex, which he allegedly justified with Holy Scripture.
"What the parents didn't know was that part of being a son is actually an abusive emotional and physical relationship with the children," plaintiff's lawyer B.J. Bernstein told CBS News. All four teens were older than Georgia's age of consent, which is 16.
COMPLETE COVERAGE OF EDDIE LONG ON CRIMESIDER
Bishop Eddie Long 15 photos
First published on November 1, 2010 / 1:40 PM
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Home » ICO News » $4 Billion: ICO Fundraising Hits New Milestone as Regulators Curtail Hype
$4 Billion: ICO Fundraising Hits New Milestone as Regulators Curtail Hype
Initial coin offering (ICO) fundraising passed another historic milestone this week, surpassing $4 billion just days after U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Jay Clayton issued a statement that, essentially, accused the vast majority of ICO organizers from violating federal regulations governing securities laws.
Source: Autonomous Next
According to fintech research firm Autonomous NEXT, ICOs have now raised more than $4.2 billion in 2017, eclipsing the $265 million raised from 2014 to 2016 combined.
Unlike in previous years, the funds have been distributed to a wide variety of project types, with the most-funded industries being core technology (e.g. new blockchains) and finance.
However, although it has been a record-setting year for ICOs, data indicates that the nascent fundraising model may be entering the latter half of a hype cycle.
According to ICO tracking service CoinSchedule, the fervor reached a peak in September, when — spurred by Filecoin’s $257 million crowdsale — ICOs raised more than $800 million. Approximately $600 million was raised in three different months: June, July, and October, but fundraising made a precipitous decline in November.
Source: CoinSchedule
There are several possible reasons for this. The first is that, given bitcoin’s meteoric Q4 rally, many investors are hesitant to sacrifice the potential gains they can make by holding bitcoin — especially if that means placing bets on assets that may not net them meaningful returns for months or even years.
Another potential factor is that investors are beginning to eye ICOs with more scrutiny. Not only have multiple projects turned out to be scams, but even a much-touted project like Tezos has been beset by management infighting, causing development to lag targets and multiple investors to file class-action lawsuits.
Finally, the SEC has begun cracking down on non-compliant token sales, causing organizers to take a more careful approach when launching ICOs.
Autonomous Next’s Lex Sokolin believes that the reduction in funding is an indication that the ICO marketplace — and its participants — are maturing.
“It is harder than before to get funded, so on average the market is cooler towards any particular project,” Sokolin told Business Insider. “But overall, ICOs are becoming more mature, both in operating models, code and regulatory approach.”
This maturation may mute funding during the short-term, but it will likely yield long-term fruit. Due to increased regulatory oversight, several established companies are building infrastructure to help startups launch ICOs in a compliant manner. Crowdfunding service Indiegogo recently launched an ICO platform that supports both utility and security tokens, and one of e-commerce pioneer Overstock’s portfolio companies is building a compliant token marketplace that will allow startups to sell equity to investors.
Tags: Autonomous NEXTICOinitial coin offering
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Facing Expulsion
Thousands of people – residents of dozens of Palestinian communities located throughout Area C, the West Bank – face imminent expulsion by Israeli authorities on a variety of pretexts. The live blog will pool the regular updates we get from B’Tselem field researchers regarding the communities and any attempts by authorities to expel them. Click on the number of a community cluster and then on the tent icon marked on the map for further information about communities facing the risk of expulsion.
The information in the blog reflects the latest state affairs known to us and is updated as we receive new data from the field. For more on the communities facing expulsion, click here.
Civil Administration confiscates 7 pre-fabs at community of Wadi al-Qatif, rendering 26 people homeless
Yesterday, 5 June 2016, Civil Administration and Border Police forces arrived at the Wadi al-Qatif (Satah al-Bahar) community, which is located along Route No. 1 between the settlement of Mitzpe Yeriho and a-Nabi Musa. They dismantled and confiscated seven pre-fabs donated several weeks ago by a humanitarian aid agency to replace old huts. Six of the pre-fabs were being used as living quarters by six families, totaling 26 individuals, including 13 minors. The seventh pre-fab was being used as a day care center for 12 of the community’s children. The residents of the community live in an area the Israeli military has defined a closed military zone since the early 1980s.
More updates:
Civil Administration bulldozers uprooting trees yesterday in Um al-Kheir. Photo by Ahmad Abu Jundiyeh
Civil Administration uproots some 800 trees over two days in South Hebron Hills
Today, Thursday, 4 July 2019, at around 9:00 A.M., Civil Administration personnel arrived with soldiers, Border Police officers and four bulldozers at Khirbet a-Duqaiqah in the South Hebron Hills. The forces uprooted 500 forest trees planted in a nature reserve in 2014 for the benefit of local residents and destroyed four water cisterns used to irrigate them.
Yesterday, Wednesday, 3 July 2019, at around 8:00 A.M., Civil Administration personnel arrived with soldiers, Border Police officers, four bulldozers and an excavator at the nature reserve between the villages of Um al-Kheir and a-Najada (Humeida) in the South Hebron Hills. The forces uprooted some 300 acacia trees planted about 12 years ago and destroyed a fence that had been put up around the area.
Direct link to this update.
Civil Administration bulldozer destroyed power room after the rest of the home was demolished. Photo by Nasser Nawaj'ah, B'Tselem, 17 June 2019
Civil Administration demolishes homes of four families in Masafer Yatta, South Hebron Hills
At about 8:30 this morning, 17 June 2019, Civil Administration officials came with an escort of soldiers, Border Police and two bulldozers, two Khirbet Khilet a-Dabe' in the South Hebron Hills. The force demolished a structure made out of cement blocks and a tin roof that was home to a family of 12, including 7 children. The force also demolished the family's power room and confiscated a solar panel. The homeowner, who tried to prevent the demolition, was knocked over by police. The troops then went on to Khirbet al-Halawah. At 11:00 A.M. they demolished another three cement block structures with corrugated metal roofs that were home to three families, leaving 21 people, including 11 children, homeless.
Demolition of caravan in Um al-Kheir. Photo by Nasser Nawaj'ah, B'Tselem, 12 June 2019
On 12 June 2019, at around 7:30 A.M., Civil Administration personnel arrived at Khirbet Um al-Kheir, in the South Hebron Hills, with a military and Border Police escort and two bulldozers. The forces demolished a caravan used as a home by a family of ten, including seven minors. From there, the forces proceeded east, to the community of Khashm a-Daraj, where they demolished a shack used as a livestock pen.
This morning, 12 June 2019, at around 7:00 A.M., Civil Administration personnel arrived at Khirbet a-Ras al-Ahmar in the northern Jordan Valley with a military escort and two bulldozers. The forces demolished six tents used as residences by two families with a total of 15 members, including 7 minors. The forces also demolished six tents used as livestock pens as well as a tin livestock pen. The forces then proceeded north, to an area that stretches between the Palestinian villages of al-'Aqabah and Tayasir, where they demolished a water cistern a farmer from Tayasir dug about three months ago for irrigation.
a-Ras al-Ahmar resident next to the contents of his home, after the demolition. Photo by ‘Aref Daraghmeh, B'Tselem, 12 June 2019
Destroyed water cistern. Photo by ‘Aref Daraghmeh, B'Tselem, 11 June 2019
Civil Administration destroys two agricultural water cisterns in the Jordan Valley, 11 June 2019
On 11 June 2019, at around 7:00 A.M., Civil Administration personnel arrived at farmland located south of Khirbet ‘Atuf in the northern Jordan Valley with a military escort and two bulldozers. The forces demolished two water cisterns that were dug six years ago with funding from a humanitarian organization. One of the cisterns was located in an area privately owned by a farmer from Tammun and the other in an area belonging to the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture. The forces also uprooted more than 200 olive and other fruit trees planted by the farmer. The forces declared the area a closed military zone for five hours.
A family evacuating their home in Khirbet Humsah last June. Photo by ‘Aref Daraghmeh, B'Tselem
Even on 'Eid al-Fitr, residents of Kh. Humsah temporarily displaced for military training
This week, again, on Sunday, Monday and Wednesday Civil Administration officials again came with a military jeep escort to Khirbet Humsah in the northern Jordan Valley and ordered the 15 families to vacate their homes pursuant to orders handed out in the community on 8 May 2019. This is the fourth week the families have been temporarily displaced, and the orders were carried out despite the heavy heat in the area, the Ramadan fast and the celebration of 'Eid al-Fitr as of Wednesday. Some of the families left on tractors harnessed to carts or in other vehicles, and others went on foot. On Wednesday morning, when 'Eid al-Fitr began, the forces came to the community at 5:00 A.M., two hours before the time stated in the order, and forced the families to leave unprepared. At 10:30, the military notified the families that they were permitted to return home (instead of at 2:00 P.M. as stated in the order).
Belongings left out in the open after the demolition at Ras al-Ahmar. Photo by ‘Aref Daraghmeh, B’Tselem, 2 June 2019
Israeli Civil Administration demolishes seasonal homes and livestock pens in Khirbet a-Ras al-Ahmar and al-Hadidiyah in the northern Jordan Valley
On the morning of 30 May 2019, at about 8:00 A.M., Israeli Civil Administration personnel came with a tractor and bulldozer to Khirbet a-Ras al-Ahmar in the northern Jordan Valley. They had a military jeep as escort. The troops demolished two tents that served as seasonal dwellings and a sheep pen. One of the residential tents had been donated by the Red Cross and the other had been purchased with aid money from international humanitarian organizations. The troops also slashed and ruined ten canopy tents, some of which had been purchased with international aid funds. Later that morning, at about 10:00 A.M., CA personnel with a military jeep escort arrived at the village of al-Hadidiyah in the northern Jordan Valley. There, too, the troops demolished two tents that were seasonal homes and two tents that served as sheep pens.
The pastureland being consumed by the flames. Photo by Aref Daraghmeh, B’Tselem, 27 May 2019
This week Israeli military continues to harass and temporarily evacuate residents of Khirbet Humsah, despite heat wave and Ramadan fast
Once again, on three days this week – Sunday, Monday and today (Wednesday, 29 May 2019) – Israeli Civil Administration personnel came with a military jeep escort to the Palestinian community of Khirbet Humsah in the northern Jordan Valley. They ordered fifteen families to vacate their homes in accordance with the orders they had been served on 8 May 2019. This is the third week in a row of the temporary displacements, which continue despite the oppressive heat, with temperatures ranging from a high of 36 degrees centigrade (96.8 °F) on Sunday to 42 degrees (107.6 °F) today, and despite the fast of Ramadan. This morning, the troops arrived at Khirbet Humsah at about 5:30 A.M., an hour and a half before the time mandated in the order and compelled the families to vacate their homes, even though they had not yet completed their preparations. The military informed the families that they may return home today at 11:00 A.M., instead of at 2:00 P.M., as written the order.
As a result of the military’s training in the area, a fire started on Monday on lands owned by Tubas residents, east of the region of Khirbet Samrah. The blaze destroyed hundreds of dunams [1 dunam = 1,000 square meters] of pastureland.
Military and Civil Administration vehicles arriving at Humsah this morning. Photo: 'Aref Daraghmeh, B’Tselem, 22.5.19
Military continues to evacuate Khirbet Humsah residents in sweltering heat, Civil Administration confiscates truck in a-Ras al-Ahmar
This week, on Sunday, Monday and today, Wednesday, 22 May 2019, Civil Administration personnel arrived with a military jeep to Khirbet Humsah in the northern Jordan Valley and ordered 15 families to vacate their homes, in keeping with the orders they were given on 8 May 2019. The forcible displacement proceeded despite the extreme heat in the area, with temperatures today reaching 42 degrees Celsius, and despite the Ramadan fast. Some of the families used tractors and trailers to leave, others left on foot. In addition, Civil Administration personnel also arrived at around 6:30 A.M. at nearby Khirbet a-Ras al-Ahmar, where they confiscated a truck owned by a resident of Tammun, on the claim that he was in a closed military zone. The Civil Administration officials told the truck owner to drive to the Saura military base and leave the truck there.
The force dismantling the sheep pen this morning. Photo by Nasser Nawaj'ah, B'Tselem, 16 May 2019
Israeli Civil Administration again demolishes sheep pen in Khirbet Susiya, South Hebron Hills
At around 10:00 o’clock this morning (Thursday, 16 May 2019), Israeli Civil Administration personnel came with a military and Border Police escort to the Palestinian community of Khirbet Susiya in the South Hebron Hills. They brought a bulldozer with them. For the fourth time, they dismantled and confiscated a tent that served as a sheep pen. The seasonal home of the family that owns the pen has been demolished four times over the last month.
Focus on a community: Show all'Ein al-Meyteha-DuqaiqahAbu a-NuwarAbu al-HiluAbu Falahal-'Ajaj (Id'eis)al-'Aqabahal-Burjal-Fajamal-Hadidiyahal-JiftlikAl-Kaabneh Wadi al-Qaltal-Kurshanal-Markezal-Mehtiwishal-MukasarArab a-Ramadin al-JanubiBir al-Maskub ABir al-Maskub BIbziqJabal al-BabaJub a-DibKh. 'Ein al-HilwehKh. 'Ein KarzaliyahKh. 'EinunKh. a-DeirKh. a-Ras al-AhmarKh. a-TabanKh. al-FakhitKh. al-MalihKh. al-TwayelKh. HumsahKh. JenbahKh. SusiyaKh. Tall al-HimmaKh. TanaKh. Um al-JmalKh. YarzaKh.al-HalawahKh.Khilet a-Dabe'Khallet MakhulKhan al-Ahmar schoolKhirbet a-RahwaNab’ al-Ghazal (al-Farisiyah)TublasWadi al-QatifWadi Esneisel
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INJURY UPDATE: NORWICH CITY
NIGEL Clough is hoping that all his players will be ready to go again after the defeat at Leeds when the Brewers travel to Norwich City tomorrow night.
The Brewers manager said: “We need to look at those that haven’t played very much – Brayford, Warnock and Scannell - and see how they are. We will look at it again after training today and see how they feel, bearing in mind we have another game on Saturday and then Wednesday, Saturday next week.
“We have to be mindful of these group of games. We don’t want anyone playing tomorrow and then pulling up and missing the next five games.
“It’s great that Luke Murphy will be back involved and he will certainly play. It will be pretty much the same squad.”
Clough hopes that the Brewers can quickly put the defeat at Leeds to bed and move on.
He said: “We are pleased to have a midweek game. Thinking back to our playing days, when you have had a game like Saturday you just want to play again and get it out of the system and put right some of the things you did wrong on Saturday.”
Norwich City vs Burton Albion on 12 Sep 17
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Home News Ivanka Trump ...
Ivanka Trump tweeted about visiting The Hague, and Twitter lit up with jokes and memes about her going to prison
Donald Trump Junior, Ivanka Trump, and Eric Trump listen to their father, US President Donald Trump, give a joint press conference at the Foreign and Commonwealth office in London on June 4, 2019.
First daughter Ivanka Trump got a scathing response from the internet when she tweeted excitedly that she was “en route to The Hague!”
She was on her way to the famous Dutch city for the Global Entrepreneurship Summit, but her tweet went viral for an entirely different reason.
The Hague is best known as the home of the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court, and Twitter laid into Ivanka with jokes and memes about going to prison.
The reception to Ivanka’s tweet was just the most recent hiccup in a slew of awkward events and encounters she experienced while accompanying her father, US President Donald Trump, on his diplomatic trip to the UK this week.
First daughter and White House adviser Ivanka Trump’s trip to the UK with her father has been rocky, to say the least.
The latest hiccup came when excitedly tweeted that she was “en route to The Hague!”
The first daughter was headed to the Dutch city for the Global Entrepreneurship Summit, but her tweet went viral for an entirely different reason.
En route to The Hague! ????????????????#GES2019
— Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) June 5, 2019
The Hague is best known for being the home of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC). Ivanka’s tweet came at an inconvenient time: Earlier Wednesday, it was reported that the Trump administration is cracking down further on migrants coming into the US and that it has canceled English classes, soccer, and legal aid for unaccompanied minors living in US shelters.
Read more: Trump to be met with rude protest as he flies into Stansted Airport for his UK state visit
Meanwhile, 144,000 migrants were arrested in May, the highest number in 13 years. Trump’s immigration platform, and particularly his controversial “zero-tolerance” policy, has prompted critics to accuse the president of human-rights violations and cruel treatment of migrant families coming to the southern border.
Twitter appeared to reference some of those controversies when it laid into Ivanka’s tweet with jokes and memes.
Well, this one’s a layup. https://t.co/cc8aXKTiCN
— Charles P. Pierce (@CharlesPPierce) June 5, 2019
This will age well. https://t.co/tIyW6m9x7e
— Tufayel Ahmed (@tufayel) June 5, 2019
Walked straight into that one ????♂️ https://t.co/Nm2N8lRmqL
— Hyder Abbasi (@HyderAbbasi) June 5, 2019
Oh you tease.
— Emma Kennedy (@EmmaKennedy) June 5, 2019
Read more: 45 photos of Melania and Donald Trump’s historic state visit with Queen Elizabeth II
This is the funniest thing I’ve ever readhttps://t.co/U344TdZHOM
— Jesse (@Eegah) June 5, 2019
This tweet may be the GOAT. Lmao
— ThisMachineKillsFascists (@BarryLBergman1) June 5, 2019
Voluntarily?
— Matthew Dowd (@matthewjdowd) June 5, 2019
Ivanka’s tweet was the most recent in a slew of awkward events and encounters she experienced while accompanying her father on his diplomatic trip to the UK.
In one instance, Ivanka and national-security adviser John Bolton were loudly booed when they emerged from No. 10 Downing St. to hold a joint news conference. Meanwhile, a photo of Ivanka and her husband, White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, at Buckingham Palace was compared to scenes from horror movies.
And Ivanka’s very presence during the visit – which also included her siblings – was questioned by observers who wondered why the president’s children were traveling with him at all on a taxpayer-funded trip.
Trump himself also received a frosty welcome from the British public when he touched down in London and was met with thousands of protesters and, of course, the famous giant blimp depicting him as a baby.
trump baby balloon
trump uk visit
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Ace Magashule and ANC faction support Jacob Zuma on day two of Zondo commission
On Monday, throngs of Zuma supporters including school pupils and MKMVA members sang pro-Zuma songs and danced
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Post-it notes on ‘Lennon Walls’ in Hong Kong urge giving democracy a chance
Sticky-note mosaics have popped up on walls across Hong Kong as protests against Beijing's handling of a controversial extradition bill go on
11 July 2019 - 14:03 Joyce Zhou and John Ruwitch
A woman walks past protest messages written on Post-it notes on the wall of a stairway near the legislative council building in Hong Kong, on June 17 2019. Picture: GETTY IMAGES/CARL COURT
Hong Kong — During Hong Kong's "Umbrella Movement" of 2014, colourful Post-it notes of support covered a wall near where protesters camped in the streets calling for democracy in the Chinese-controlled city, becoming a symbol of the movement.
Today, similar sticky note mosaics have popped up on walls across the territory amid rolling protests against the government's handling of a controversial extradition bill, highlighting how widespread the demonstrations have become.
Part art, part politics, supporters have dubbed them "Lennon Walls" after the original John Lennon Wall in communist-controlled Prague in the 1980s that was covered with graffiti, Beatles lyrics and messages of political grievance.
For over a month, the former British colony of Hong Kong has been rocked by large and sometimes violent protests against a bill that would allow for the extradition of criminal suspects to China for trial in courts controlled by the Communist Party.
The city's Beijing-backed leader has suspended the bill, declaring it "dead", but opponents want it formally withdrawn, fearing the further erosion of freedoms promised to Hong Kong when it returned to China in 1997.
The movement in recent days has turned to sticky labels.
Lennon Walls have popped up from the financial district to Lantau island, where the airport is situated.
In Tai Po, a district about halfway between the downtown area and the border with China, an underpass was converted into a "Lennon tunnel", with pastel yellow, blue, pink and white messages across the walls.
"Go Hong Kong!" some said. "Free Hong Kong," said others.
"No rioting, only tyranny" was another message, a reference to the government's labelling of actions during a demonstration on June 12 as rioting. Police responded that day by firing tear gas, rubber bullets and bean bag rounds.
Kelly, a 19-year-old political science student, said the wall at Hong Kong University served as a reminder.
"We want everyone in HKU or nearby to understand what happened in Hong Kong in the past month, and we just hope to remind people that this government … can't kill our spirit, our values, what we treasure the most," she said.
Some of the messages went beyond small square notes.
At more than one Lennon Wall, protesters taped pictures of Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam and pro-Beijing legislators to the floor to create "democracy dance pads" — and invited people to stomp on the images to music.
One innovative protester hung a flip-flop on a string, taped it to the wall, encouraging people to fling it at a picture of Lam, according to an image on Facebook.
One pink Post-it note bore a simple personal message: "Marry me, Jess."
The outpouring of wall-borne emotion has spread as protesters organise demonstrations across the territory, including areas that rarely see political activism.
The sticky notes have not been universally welcomed.
On Wednesday night, police intervened when note posters scuffled with men trying to remove them in Yau Tong, a working-class neighbourhood on the eastern side of Kowloon, across the harbour from Hong Kong island.
By Thursday morning, all the hundreds of memos there had been removed. A few notes were left on the ground, including one saying, "Hong Kongers, never give up".
Elsewhere, police said on Thursday they had arrested a man who assaulted another at a Lennon Wall in the Kowloon Bay part of town. The origin of the attack was not immediately clear.
In the face of opposition, protesters have refused to let it be.
Some supporters have mounted 24-hour guard rotations over the walls. In some places, Post-its and messages have been covered over with plastic or tape to preserve them.
In Telegram messaging groups, protesters called for people to come create a Lennon Wall at Yau Tong police quarters on Friday.
Hong Kong activists on Thursday lay sunflowers and white lilies at a memorial site for a man who fell to his death during protests against the extradition bill.
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VIDEO REVIEW: VOLVO-IRIZAR i6S B11R
By: Paul Aldridge, Photography by: Paul Aldridge, Video by: Paul Canaan
When someone says every feature in a bus product’s brochure is the reason they bought it, you know you are dealing with one happy customer. Compass Tours MD Jeff Chalker is one such customer – loving his new Volvo B11R and Irizar i6S combination.
The Volvo B11R-Irizar i6S is a powerful and super-comfortable drive combined with the technology that means drivers, passengers and operators are all winners.
"They are all what they say, no sugar coating," explained Jeff Chalker, of the Volvo B11R brochure features. Living in the Blue Mountains of NSW he was very passionate to do his part in preserving the World Heritage area. For him the Volvo B11R’s Euro 6 capability was the obvious choice, stating: "Compass Tours wants to be part of that change, we want to make a difference."
This is where his new Volvo-Irizar combination comes in. As he recalled, "Here’s a great bit of information – the morning after the Irizar i6S gala launch at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre last year, I can’t remember for what reason but the coach was left running and I came back to it and you couldn’t even smell its exhaust emissions."
At other Volvo launches for two of its chassis I remember exactly the same surprising feature; they had them running while we were watching the demonstration – no smell. Interesting…
Compass Tours is located in Werrington, NSW, and after spending a day there with him it certainly gave a great insight into the man behind the company and why a company that started back in 1966 is sure to have continuing growth and success.
Ironically, he purchased the company in 2009 with his wife, Sharon, after seeing an ad in ABC magazine. So although he says his new Volvo-Irizar i6S has done the promotional rounds and been the star since its launch, this interview is a first for the man that, in his own words, prefers to be behind the scenes and doing what he does best.
He’s quite a humble man with an impressive list of skills that have obviously played a huge part in this company’s growth and success. He says his role within the company is more strategic and an overseeing one. He does all management and driver training, he does bus driver authority training for new recruits, and he is also an engineer and a heavy vehicle mechanic, so he oversees fleet management – we’re unsure what he can’t do?
"I think I have a fairly good name for getting people into our industry, I like to do the training for no more than two at a time. I believe we need to get more people into our industry. I give people that have never had experience a go, but they might possess skills that I think suit our business. I’m trying to get some young blood into the industry; I think it’s what’s missing!" he explained.
He believes we need to keep drawing on the skills from other areas of our workforce, we need to keep attracting people from more diverse backgrounds, and we have become very multicultural. He feels female drivers are another untapped resource that will continue to grow; Compass Tours currently has four female drivers, and the company is currently doing a recruitment drive to hopefully attract more.
This model with Volvo B11R chassis as standard comes with an impressive list of features as long as your arm, including electronic stability program (ESP), EBS 5 (electronic braking system), anti-lock braking system (ABS) and a great hill-start aid.
A unique and new concept to Volvo that this coach has is I-Coaching. A real-time device that captures data of the drive that goes back to Volvo, this system gives instant feedback about the driver on their driving habits and patterns. It shows excessive braking, cornering and acceleration, or if the driver is over-revving the coach. It also shows if the driver is speeding. It is a tool whose aim is to record a driver’s driving patterns and help them correct them and this in turn helps with safety, passenger comfort and fuel efficiency.
From a driver’s perspective this could be seen as ‘Big Brother’, but again as a driver we all know how serious our job is so many wouldn’t mind if their driving was monitored.
Another good feature is the data back-up because, in the case of an accident or incident, there is data there that can show exactly what was happening.
The driver’s area has had a few modifications made to suit their requirements and, sitting there, everything is at your fingertips – no awkward or extended movements. It’s straightforward and doesn’t require constant eye contact to operate. For example, you don’t need to look down from the steering wheel and road; you look left or right so you can keep good visuals with the road at all times.
Easy-to-see gauges suit well and the LCD control panel works really well, too. It has four cameras hooked up: you have a rear passenger camera, two to the side and one for the front passengers, as well. Passenger visuals are perfect and for a driver this is a safety feature that makes our job easier.
Some features that are great for driver fatigue include the adaptive cruise control, though we didn’t get to use this feature, but it’s perfect for long hauls. There’s also lane keeping support and a fuel economy meter, plus the instrument cluster speedometer has a 6.5-inch (16.5cm) digital display in the centre that gives vehicle info like battery voltage, the gear you are in, and all the info you need to know what’s going on.
The Volvo I-Shift AT2412F gearbox is super smooth. Once it gets to second or third gear in auto it gets up and you can feel the torque pulling you along. The B11R is certainly a powerful unit with 460hp (343kW) and 2,200Nm, so it’s what you’d expect from such a combo – certainly no slouch. We did some hills on the drive and it ate them!
Taking off at the lights and the engine shifts from first gear, drops nicely into second, gets to third and it’s pulling really well… we’re already at 60km/h.
When the driving is this good do manual gearboxes have a place in coaches anymore? These gearboxes are so smooth.
Manual gearboxes mean fatigue to the driver and for us long-term or long-haul drivers it has to cause wear and tear on your body.
Irizar claims it has an air conditioner system that really helps with fuel consumption. The system has a higher permissible coolant temperature level and this is meant to provide better cooling and performance.
The day of the test drive was one of those blast-furnace sweltering western Sydney days that you think you’ melt. The thermometer was almost 40 degrees and later it climbed to well over that. It only took a few minutes to totally cool down after we started the coach. The fans were on full speed when we started and we soon had to turn them down. Truthfully, it worked fine on the lower speed and at full speed there was the expected bit of fan noise.
MORE CARLIKE – A WINNER
Passenger comfort is well taken care of, with seating and features as good as they come. The Sege seats are leather and have a place for your phone and gadgets, so we couldn’t imagine any customer complaints about these beauties. There is also carpet for that extra touch of luxury.
Something that was great for me was the passenger headroom; being 6ft 4in it was perfect for me – a definite bonus for us tall people.
Another thing that will be unique to many on a coach is a urinal in the toilet for men. On a moving coach it would make life easier and cleaner. This is an optional extra that Compass Tours has gone for from Irizar, given part of the Compass target market is the corporate traveller, so as with all chosen additional features it’s what suits your target market best. There is also an optional baby change table available – the list of features available on luxury coaches is constantly growing and changing.
Externally, there are design features that help make maintenance and servicing easier, as access is really well thought out.
There seems to be an easy access point for everything. If you were driving and something goes wrong it’s all easy to find. The irizar i6S is certainly well built.
Coaches have become increasingly more car-like than ever before - and this has to be a bonus on so many levels, like driver health and fatigue safety, which in turn immediately impacts positively on passenger safety.
Everyone wins, including the operators – no losers with these advances our industry is making, so 2019 is certainly an impressive time to be driving in.
We’ll always be huge fans of our retro and historic vehicles, but you have to love the advances and changes in the new vehicles we are seeing and what they bring to the table for us all.
The Volvo B11R-Irizar i6S is a powerful and super-comfortable drive combined with the technology behind the scenes that mean drivers, passengers and operators are all winners.
i6S INNOVATION
The i6S is a landmark model for Irizar being the very first coach designed for Australian conditions after 12 years on our shores. When asked why the i6S, he said quite simply, "In one word, innovation!
"I am always looking for something new, a new way to do things, lower running costs, lower lifetime costs. The i6S is Compass Tours’ flagship vehicle. It doesn’t need to go out and work every day, but it does fly the flag for our company. All big companies like Qantas have their Boeings, the i6S is our Dreamliner," he said.
Though the Irizar i6S was launched at a gala ceremony in July 2018, pre-launch the Spanish body-building team had already confirmed orders of 20 units – impressive sales for a coach not yet on the market.
Compass Tours was one of these companies, the very first Australia wide to take delivery of the Volvo B11R chassis combo. Irizar is certainly a successful global company, but what is it about this new model that had operators purchasing it before it hits the Australian roads?
"I think if you ask operators why they chose an Irizar, I think the futuristic looks certainly played a part in the choice," he said.
He adds: "There was a lot of planning from a lot of different people to make that vehicle into what it is."
"We will probably do another generation of this vehicle. We did make a lot of changes, but they were specifically done to suit Compass Tours, and would not necessarily be required by any other operator - and Euro 6 was very important to us."
There are 57 seats on board and Compass Tours chose the Turkish brand Sege for the seating. "I wanted innovation in the seating as well; the Sege seats gave us that.
"I sat down with Lance from Sege and we pondered over different design, we even did seat mock-ups in the company colours. We decided to make the coach appealing, but maintain resale value so we didn’t want to brand it specific to only Compass," he said.
Key features of the seats are the USB ports, tray table and footrest.
He continued: "The black and silver suits a large range of customers. Say it went out and did some work for another company, the internal scheme wouldn’t be throwing our company colours in someone’s face. We put it to the vote with about 50 people, including customers, giving them several options – this design was the majority rules."
So how was he with the ordering and wait times?
"I was very happy. It probably was delayed by me changing my mind too many times," he laughs.
"I chose the Irizar because if I want a coach I don’t want to wait 12 months or two years to get it.
"Our business is so dynamic. We had a previous situation where contractors had let us down and we urgently needed two new vehicles. I went to Irizar and I had a vehicle in about a week, another I had in two weeks. I like to buy buses on demand and if I want something I like to go and buy it. I probably went with Irizar because they have allowed me to do this."
He adds: "Jason Eldred at Irizar has been exceptional and bent over backwards for us. As for Volvo, since Lauren Downs has come on board … we have had some really lengthy discussions. I am a Volvo person and they are starting to work closely with Irizar, that’s why I went for that combo, bringing the two together has really made the difference."
Having the Volvo chassis has meant that the i6S lives up to his priority for innovation.
"Would I like to see Australian buses in my yard? Absolutely! And would I pay more for this? Absolutely. But I feel they need to change things. Things like having split windscreens to make them look more modern," he explained.
"I want to bring innovation to the whole industry, not just my company."
NOBODY LEFT BEHIND
"Compass Tours had a capability gap; that was the initial decision behind purchasing the Irizar.
The seating capacity was important, but it also had to have the legroom for comfort. The only way we could get the legroom was to go to 13.5m. Initially I didn’t want to, but with the steerable tag I am very happy.
"The wheelchair access is a game changer for our company. On the bus side of things Compass Tours fulfilled the wheelchair capability, but we really wanted to meet that on the coach side as well.
"We leave nobody behind.
Making the wheelchair availability on a coach as well as our buses was an important decisions for Compass Tours.
"Having the toilet on board is another bonus, and it has great luggage carrying capacity as well. It’s the add-ons that have made the difference. It ticks all the boxes, so I know it will be a well-utilised vehicle."
Compass Tours has had the i6S for six months.
"The things that impress me with this coach are the very reasons I initially purchased. Everyone who gets on board loves it. It’s there to meet the customers’ expectations and hopefully exceed them. It’s important for the drivers to be happy too. I am happy to please my customers and the i6S certainly does that," he explained.
From a driver’s perspective, he added, "It’s an awesome bit of gear. Driver fatigue is always an important consideration and on long tours and this coach certainly is up there for driver experience and comfort. A driver can get out of a day’s driving in one of the older buses and you know you’ve worked a day; this one you feel like you could go again!"
THE CHASSIS
Volvo says the B11R chassis if used for coach operation can have an oil change interval from 50–80,000km. Economy like this is important as time off the road equals money for bus companies.
Was this important to Compass Tours?
"It is, but we will probably run shorter intervals than that. The filtration system on these vehicles is second to none. There are like five filters. This coach will probably only do 20,000–30,000 kilometres per year and we service our coaches every 15,000km."
"I’d rather see our vehicles too often than not enough, but I guess those features are certainly peace of mind."
So what impresses him most about the chassis? "For me it’s the Volvo Action Service, the Eco-roll for added fuel savings, the steerable tag – this coach turns on a 10-cent piece – the dynamic steering. This was a feature I have been able to test before and it means if you hit a pothole it corrects the steering. The safety is all encompassing."
BODY: Irizar i6s
CHASSIS: Volvo B11R
DIMENSIONS: Length – 13.5m; Width – 2.5m
ENGINE: D11K, six-cylinder, in-line diesel
POWER: 460hp/339kW
TORQUE: 2200Nm
TRANSMISSION: Volvo I-Shift 12-speed
INTERIOR: Sege seats with USB charging ports in the rear; tray tables; sliding blinds; toilet with men’s urinal
MISC.: Leather air-operated seat and electric driver’s window
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Sean Bean's Weird Nicolas Cage Story Involves a Prehistoric Cave Bear Skull & So Many Questions
By Tanya Ghahremani
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images
I honestly have no words for this story other than "I literally have no words." That's how confused, thrown, and mind-boggled this has left me. I have so many questions, and no clue where to start! After reading this, you probably will do, so just be prepared for that. In a Reddit AMA today, former Game of Thrones star Sean Bean told a weird Nicolas Cage story (I realize all Nicolas Cage stories are probably weird in some way, but I mean this one was weird) that involved, I'm serious, a prehistoric cave bear skull, and a frantic burial. I cannot make this up.
Here's Bean's story, straight from the Reddit AMA, which apparently took place when the two filmed 2004's National Treasure together:
Do you have anecdotes about your time filming National Treasure?
There was one where I went back to Nic Cage’s house, and we’d had a few drinks, we were playing pool and he accidentally knocked over his prehistoric cave bear skull and smashed it. And he was really upset about it, and the next day went and buried it in a field.
There is so much going on here. I mean, why did Nic Cage have a prehistoric cave bear skull?! Why did he bury it in a field after breaking it?! Did he win their game of pool?! Would he have displayed it alongside that dinosaur skull he bought last year?! WHO EVEN KNOWS?
More interestingly, a quick Google search actually reveals that this isn't the first time Bean has publicly shared this story — but it doesn't exactly answer any questions. From local Sheffield, UK paper Sheffield Today (Bean was born right outside of Sheffield) all the way back in 2004:
"The poolroom is sort of a prehistoric cave and it's full of fossils and the skulls of different animals," Sean recalls.
"I think we both of us had a few drinks and Nic fell over and his pool cue knocked this bear skull to the ground and it smashed to pieces.
"And he wanted to bury it, to return it to the earth or something but I was like: 'No, just get some glue and I'll stick it back together'."
So, apparently, Cage buried it anyway. Why? We'll never know. Cage clearly operates in strange and mysterious ways.
Image: PerezHilton
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Legal Topic SelectPreparing a WillContesting a WillApplying for ProbateAppointing a GuardianPowers of AttorneyPrepare a Family Trust DeedAdministering an EstateOther
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CLAIMS ON ESTATES
“I can leave my Estate to who I want, it’s my money after all!”
“No, my daughter surely won’t be able to make a claim against my Estate, we have been estranged for 20 years!”
“I will leave my entire Estate to charities, it’s my prerogative to do so and all of my children are billionaires, they can’t bring a claim against my Estate.”
Right? Wrong!
At Butlers, we have heard hundreds of variations of these phrases. While you have a right to determine who benefits from your Estate, it is entirely possible in Western Australia for a certain class of people to make a claim for greater provision out of your Estate, under the Family Provision Act 1972.
The law of family provision allows a Court to vary the provision made by the Will of a deceased person. This legislative framework is designed to enforce the moral obligation of a testator to use testamentary powers for the purpose of making proper and adequate provision after the testator's death for the maintenance and support of the family and financial dependents of a deceased person, out of the assets of the deceased’s Estate.
Formerly known as the Inheritance (Family & Dependants Provision) Act 1972, the Family Provision Act 1972 has undergone more than just a name change. Most significantly, the class of potential claimants against the Estate of a deceased person has now widened.
Depending on the circumstances, an eligible claimant may now include:
Spouses (including de facto spouses);
Children;
Former spouses;
Step-children;
Grandchildren; and
However, recent trends in Family Provision Claims have established that it is becoming more difficult for claimants to succeed in these claims.
Adult children or spouses are being seen by the Court to be able to maintain and support themselves.
Accordingly, adult applicants need to establish some special need or some special claim to justify intervention by the court under the Act.
Keep in mind, the position that the Court takes can change swiftly, so it’s best not to rest on your laurels. In the future, there could be a trend for Courts to be far more generous to adult able-bodied children and spouses.
Generally, a claim under the Family Provision Act 1972 must be commenced within 6 months of the date of the Grant of Probate, or Letters of Administration.
In considering whether the applicant should be entitled to a provision from the Estate, the Court will have regard, among other things, to:
The applicant's financial position;
The size and nature of the deceased's estate;
The cooperation and support given by the applicant in the conduct of the deceased's business and affairs;
The encouragement of the applicant by the deceased to base the applicant's lifestyle on the understanding that the applicant would inherit certain property;
Any service rendered by the applicant to the deceased;
The fact that the applicant has a dependent child;
The totality of the relationships between the applicant and the deceased; and
The totality of the relationships between the deceased and other persons who have legitimate claims upon the estate of the deceased.
Is your Will drafted to effectively reduce the chances of any person making a claim against your Estate? Alternatively, have you been disinherited from a deceased’s Estate?
Contact us to make an appointment with one of our Estate Lawyers for advice regarding the operation of the Family Provision Act 1972.
(c) 2017 Butlers Lawyers & Notaries
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Testimonials about Chabad of Bradenton & Lakewood Ranch
I love belonging to Chabad of Bradenton & Lakewood Ranch. It is family to me. My own family is far away but I don't have to worry because in good times and bad the other members of Chabad are there for me. Helpful, willing, able and always with good cheer. I am very lucky to be in such a warm and willing group. The services and classes are exhilarating, too. An all-around happy place to be.
- Barbara Schur -
My family moved to Lakewood Ranch in 2006. When we came here we were looking for a congregation to go to for our family. We found out about Chabad of Lakewood Ranch and Bradenton and went there for Shabbat services. We were hooked. The people who go there are very welcoming, Rabbi Mendy and his wife Chanie are the most welcoming leaders of any congregation that you could join. The warmth and friendliness as well as the Jewish learning cannot be beat anywhere else. We found our Jewish home and love what it has brought to our lives. We look forward to many years of learning, praying and enjoying being part of Chabad of Lakewood Ranch and Bradenton.
- Brent & Ricki Rubin -
Rabbi and Chanie try to find ways to connect a meaningful Jewish lesson about Jewish history or customs with fun and entertainment. Anytime you make learning interactive it tends to make stronger connections and Rabbi Mendy and Chanie do a great job of not only planning activities during Sunday School but also for the high holidays and in the evenings.
- Jerry & Sherri Braunstein -
Chanie, I enjoy the Torah & Tea Classes so much. Being in a class with just women allows me to learn and question in a warm and Haimish environment. Your ability to impart your knowledge and insight in an engaging manner always leaves me feeling enlightened. Rabbi, both of us are thoroughly enjoying the JLI Classes. Whenever you speak we always take away clear and thought-provoking concepts. We have learned so much and feel encouraged to further pursue the material you both are teaching.
- D & L -
Belonging to the Chabad provides my family with a Jewish synagogue, a congregation where they can be Bar and Bat Mitvahed, a wondrous Hebrew School of the Arts where my children are provided an enriched Jewish education including the opportunities to learn the Hebrew language and delve into their cultural heritage through a variety of creative experiences, the CTeen program which provides meaningful networking adventures with other teens while learning about Jewish values and identity, and Camp Gan Israel where my children continue to learn, while having fun and loving it. All of these opportunities have contributed to a positive and promising future for my family. As for the numerous families that follow in our footsteps, this will lead to brighter prospects for Judaism’s future.
- Natalie Christensen -
Chabad has become a very important aspect of our lives. It is a place where my boys can connect to their heritage by attending various programs and events offered by Chabad. In addition, it is a place where we have created wonderful friendships. - Nina Mahadeo -
To me Chabad is many things. It is acceptance, love, friendship, community, belonging and a sense of purpose and direction. It is a light that helps me to see G‑dliness and illuminate the path I travel in life.
- Bryan Hennes -
Chabad is first and foremost our foundation for our relationship with Hashem. It is a place where we become family with other Jewish families to worship and learn with pride traditional Jewish values. We have become more fulfilled in a spiritual sense with our knowledge presented to us in a fun, educational, and warm feeling our Chabad gives us.
- Allen and Wynna Karpe -
We found two homes in Sarasota: One to live in and one to pray and learn in—Chabad of Bradenton at Lakewood Ranch—a warm and welcoming synagogue, led by a dynamic and inspiring rabbi. We are so grateful that we found Rabbi Mendy and Chanie with their seven sons, who make Yiddishkeit relevant in our lives. Shana Tovah to all of our new friends!
- Sam & Sharon Schwartz -
We moved to Lakewood Ranch in 2012 so we can be close to Chabad and the Jewish community and be able to observe our religion, in Lakewood Ranch . We chose the Chabad in Bradenton because of the warmth and sincerity that was shown to us by Rabbi and Mrs. Mendy Bukiet. This Chabad and the Rabbi always welcomes anyone who would like to visit. Services are fun and enjoyable; lots of singing and some parts in English as well. We have made many friends that are like a second family to us now in this place. The Rabbi and his wife are wonderful people with extremely caring personalities. They always give of themselves. Thank you Rabbi Mendy for being here for us.
- Robert & Pamela Weigert -
Before joining Chabad, I was baking Challah for Shabbat, lighting candles and making a blessing on the wine. But something was missing, it was the the sense of belonging and more depth. I decided to attend services and classes given by our great Rabbi Mendy and his wife Chanie. It taught me about who I am and how I can be a better person. Best thing is that it brought me closer to Judaism, and it gave me a sense of fulfillment.
- Yardena Cohen -
Chabad of Bradenton is an amazing learning center for all who seek to gain knowledge about Judaism and what it means to be a Jew; whether you are, aspire to be, or just want to know. They have wonderful adult classes, Ladies Torah & Tea, CTeen program (for post Bar/Bat Mitzvah kids) and even Mommy & Me (for tots) classes. And, of course, Hebrew School infused with the Arts. I have three children, whom have gone there all their lives, one who is in CTeen now and the other two attend Hebrew School of the Arts. The kids absolutely love going. I think it is mostly due to their hands-on way of teaching; through fun activities such as baking, art, music, theater, and Family Fun Days. They also have a wonderful summer camp program. We have been members for over 10 years and absolutely love our Rabbi, his family, our warm congregation, and strongly suggest you come see for yourself.
- Edward & Evelyn Martineau -
Chabad of Bradenton is an exciting breath of fresh air, located in a countryside setting and surrounded by a paradise of G‑d’s creations. Rabbi Mendy Bukiet is absolutely the most magnificent spiritual leader that we have ever experienced. He is the tireless engine behind the shul, animating the prayer services in such an uncanny way that we, as visitors, cannot wait to return to Bradenton to observe Shabbos, the religious holidays and his innumerable, thought-provoking educational classes. Rabbi Mendy and his congenial wife, Rebbetzin Chanie, warmly welcome and embrace all Jews. Inside the shul, the atmosphere is permeated with sanctity and an authentic love for Judaism. Anyone seeking to observe our faith, or renew their spirituality and connection with the Almighty, should come to pray, learn, laugh and make new friends at Chabad of Bradenton - the ideal House of Worship!
- Fanny & Leonard Elias -
Our Shluchim, Mendy and Chanie are so enthusiastic, warm and inviting that you cannot help having the feeling of belonging to something wonderful. The haimish Chabad community gives me a sense of purpose that I never found in any other Jewish house of worship. As a youngster I always felt it was a chore to go to Shabbos services and now I look forward to my Friday nights at Chabad. Being able to pray as I want is very meaningful to me. Chabad is non-judgmental and that is important to me.
- Alan Boorstein -
I came to Chabad to find a congregation that would accept my diverse family, educate my children and to have a place to go for the Jewish holidays. What we found was so much more - a community and a place to call home.
-Suzanna Stein-
The Bradenton Chabad has provided me with a community of people whose attitudes toward each other could best be characterized as chesed, which reflects the attitude of its spiritual leader and his wife: a chasidic family with a welcoming smile, an empowering kavanah, and its people who cherish each member of the community as if we are family. I feel at home in Bradenton Chabad where I can flourish and continue to blossom along my path.
- Warren Strauss -
I grew up in an orthodox environment but after I left home I got away from "the fold." A year or so ago, a friend invited me to attend High Holiday services at the Chabad. It was there that I was surprised that the Rabbi spoke to us in English explaining the prayers and telling interesting stories related to the holidays. After that I decided to see what else they offered. I now go to Chanie's Torah and Tea, learning about Tanya in a very informal and friendly atmosphere. I also attend Rabbi Mendy's Jewish Learning Institute classes. He has a great sense of humor and makes learning fun. Since I have been involved with The Chabad of Bradenton, it feels like I returned home and back into "the fold." It is a place "where everyone knows your name!"
- Sharon Zawadski -
I am a single woman (with 4 dogs) who moved to this area in 2013. I went to different synagogues but nothing felt like the right fit. From the first time I went to Chabad, I knew I was home. I felt welcome and it was wonderful to be with other Jews, and no judgements. Chabad is my family in Florida.
- Susan Parker –
We are not a religious family. However, we wanted something meaningful and authentic for our son. After participating in services and holidays at the Chabad, we decided to become more involved. We saw how celebrations embrace our Jewish traditions and beautiful heritage with such spirituality, and when appropriate with laughter as Mendy is the funniest Rabbi we ever met! Rabbi Mendy and Chanie welcome the congregation as an extension of their own family celebrating many family simchas. We have never felt judged based on our level of observance and have always been made to feel comfortable with a warm acceptance.
- Hillary Lipman –
From time to time I "feel Jewish", as does every Jew, I suppose. However, I want to express this: whether it's eating kosher food, going to services, going to a class, going to one of the many holiday parties all through the year, or just schmoozing with Rabbi Mendy, Chanie, or other Jews, Chabad of Bradenton and Lakewood Ranch is there. It doesn't matter how knowledgeable I am or how much of a commitment I want to make, Chabad is there every day, all year around, with a friendly, welcoming attitude from everyone.
- Steve Shapiro –
The Chabad of Bradenton has been an integral part of our lives since moving to Florida. It has provided our family with a welcoming, and safe place to learn and worship, as well as celebrate holidays, simchahs, and our overall Jewishness. We are very thankful and appreciative to have such a wonderful resource in our community.
- Aron & Julie Weiner -
“Chabad has taught me so much about understanding the reasons for customs, loving Hashem and His love for us. Chabad has opened my heart, mind & eyes to a beautiful & loving Judaism where all are welcome!”
Rosalie and Joe Slaving
“Chabad makes me feel like I’m returning home. When I think of Chabad I think of the smell of fresh challah, chicken soup, and other traditional delights. I smile to myself when I remember my mother lightning the Shabbat candles and ushering in Shabbat. I feel connected to the wonderful people I have met over the years and some of the friendship that I have made at Chabad. Chabad grounds me in Jewish tradition that makes me feel familiar and safe. I get joy in the services and songs throughout the calendar year. I feel a wonderful belonging to Rabbi Mendy and Chanie. They have successfully embraced the congregation and me with so much love and dedication. That’s what Chabad means for me.”
Sandra Baron
“Many Crossroads lay before me, All at once everywhere entwined, No path or road to follow, There was emptiness behind. Frozen in the stillness, My body told my mind, There's a direction which I could not see, Somehow for me to find. Six years it took to find my way...a blessing came to me, Chabad and Rabbi Mendy showed me to finally SEE.” Elise Bomber
“The moment I moved to Florida, I was blessed to receive an immediate extended family at Chabad of Lakewood Ranch. By valuing unity, kindness, and hospitality; Chabad represents a beacon of light for the entire Jewish community in Bradenton and Lakewood Ranch.”
Nathan Saed
“It has been nothing but pleasure being a part of Chabad of Bradenton and Lakewood Ranch for all these years. It offers wonderful Jewish education to adults and children alike in a welcoming atmosphere. My family always looks forward to Chabad's Jewish Holidays celebrations.”
Nina Mahadeo
“We moved to Lakewood Ranch from Atlanta, where we had developed a close bond with Chabad. We quickly found such a nice sense of belonging at Chabad of Bradenton and Lakewood Ranch that dispelled any apprehension associated with moving to a new city. This congregation has been exceptionally welcoming, and we love the adult education classes. Rabbi Mendy and Chanie are caring, dynamic teachers who have enormous enthusiasm for their programs and are a real gift to this community and to us. We are very grateful for everything Chabad represents.”
Barry & Barbara Dolin
“What this Chabad Center means to me: it’s a place that is accepting, welcoming, warm and loving...non-judgmental...where no level of knowledge, ability to read Hebrew or observance is required...it does so many positive things for this community...and adds greatly to the quality of my life! I encourage you to come, take a look and experience it for yourself.”
Ron Hyatt
“I can't say enough good things about belonging to this Chabad. From day one, Rabbi Mendy and his wife, Chanie, have been so kind and welcoming to my husband, Peter, and I. They are the "real" deal. I come from a background of growing up thinking I was Catholic and recently finding out it was a lie. My family escaped the Nazis by saying they were Catholic. I am learning so much and I don't feel stupid asking any question. Rabbi Mendy and Chanie with their seven boys are truly amazing and I feel safe and loved by them.
Katherine Pike
“The Chabad House is my Jewish Home Away from Home. My friends are there and my wife, Laura, and I feel very close to the Bukiet family. There is a feeling of warmth and spirituality that I do not find at many other institutions. The Rabbi's sermons are very inspirational and are a great guide to help one lead a more holy, Jewish life and increase one's connection to Hashem.”
Steve Weinshel
“My wife and I started going to Chabad of Bradenton for the JLI classes that it offers. The JLI courses are adult college-level courses about Jewish history, philosophy, religion and religious practices. They are challenging, thought provoking, ultimately enlightening and impart a richly rewarding experience. These classes do not disappoint.”
Vic Behar
“Our CTeen chapter has more than doubled in size over the last two years and plans to continue to grow this year too. Monthly events are planned and this past year we had some extreme events like paintball and the escape room that were quite popular for Jewish teens. Other events during the year focus on giving to others or providing smiles to children or seniors. Shabbat dinner at the Rabbi’s house is always full of stories, great food, and one cannot forget lots of laughs. The CTeen International Shabbaton in New York is the experience of a lifetime that should not be missed by any Jewish teen in grades 9-12. It’s a chance to meet Jewish teens from around the world and occurs each year in February. CTeen is an outstanding opportunity for lifetime memories.”
Daniel Braunstein
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Posted by Charlotte Bryant on Jul 14th, 2019 // Comments off
Shutterstock Inc (NYSE:SSTK) saw a large decrease in short interest during the month of June. As of June 30th, there was short interest totalling 3,035,000 shares, a decrease of 9.7% from the May 30th total of 3,359,400 shares. Currently, 16.3% of the company’s stock are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 185,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 16.4 days.
In other Shutterstock news, Director Thomas R. Evans sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.29, for a total value of $100,725.00. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Deirdre Mary Bigley sold 1,592 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $39.41, for a total transaction of $62,740.72. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 46.80% of the company’s stock.
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Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund bought a new position in Shutterstock in the 4th quarter worth approximately $254,000. First Trust Advisors LP boosted its holdings in Shutterstock by 445.7% in the 4th quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 71,562 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $2,577,000 after buying an additional 58,448 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. boosted its holdings in Shutterstock by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 2,725,900 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $98,160,000 after buying an additional 27,149 shares during the period. Texas Permanent School Fund boosted its holdings in Shutterstock by 4.2% in the 4th quarter. Texas Permanent School Fund now owns 12,152 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $438,000 after buying an additional 492 shares during the period. Finally, NumerixS Investment Technologies Inc bought a new position in Shutterstock in the 4th quarter worth approximately $82,000. 57.44% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Several research firms have commented on SSTK. ValuEngine lowered shares of Zumiez from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 2nd. SunTrust Banks reissued a “buy” rating and set a $25.00 target price on shares of Cardlytics in a research report on Tuesday, May 21st. Finally, Zacks Investment Research downgraded shares of W. R. Grace & Co from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 1st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and three have issued a hold rating to the stock. The company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $41.00.
Shares of Shutterstock stock traded up $0.57 on Friday, reaching $38.90. 159,452 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 158,567. Shutterstock has a 52 week low of $31.77 and a 52 week high of $55.76. The business has a 50 day moving average of $38.79. The stock has a market cap of $1.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.05, a PEG ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 1.13.
Shutterstock (NYSE:SSTK) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 25th. The business services provider reported $0.25 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $0.29 by ($0.04). Shutterstock had a net margin of 4.68% and a return on equity of 12.99%. The company had revenue of $163.33 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $166.80 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.92 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 6.8% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts forecast that Shutterstock will post 0.93 EPS for the current fiscal year.
About Shutterstock
Shutterstock, Inc provides digital content, and tools and services in North America, Europe, and internationally. It offers digital imagery services that include licensed photographs, vectors, illustrations, and video clips, which is used in visual communications, such as Websites, digital and print marketing materials, corporate communications, books, publications, and video content; and music services comprising music tracks and sound effects that are used to complement digital imagery.
See Also: Why is the Consumer Price Index (CPI) important?
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First Trump-red paper wristbandsKim meeting scheduled for 9 am on June 12
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WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump and the top leader of the Democratic People"s Republic of Korea (DPRK), Kim Jong-un, are scheduled to meet at 9:00 am Singapore time on June 12, the White House said on Monday.
At a press briefing, White House spokesperson Sarah Sanders also said that the US advance team now in Singapore "is finalizing logistical preparations and will remain in place until the summit begins."
Noting that the US side is "actively" preparing for the meeting, she said that the US delegation in the demilitarized zone (DMZ) along the inter-Korean border continues diplomatic negotiations with the DPRK delegation.
"The discussions have been very positive and significant progress has been made," she said.
Besides the exchanges in Singapore and the DMZ, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last week met with Kim Yong-chol, vice chairman of the DPRK"s ruling Workers" Party of Korea Central Committee, in New York.
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Misconduct and Detailed Assessment Costs
The Court of Appeal has handed down an extremely important decision this month, which has seen a successful Claimant have their Assessment Costs halved due to the issue of misconduct by claiming a higher hourly rate than she was entitled to.
In Gempride Ltd –v- Bamrah & Anor [2018] EWCA Civ 1367 the Claimant commenced Detailed Assessment proceedings following a successful Personal Injury case. The Claimant was herself a Personal Injury Solicitor, and her Firm, Falcon Legal, acted on her behalf. Her claim settled for £50,000.00 against Gempride who owned the block of flats where she tripped over a doorstop while visiting a client.
The Bill of Costs was prepared by an external Costs Draftsman, and was certified by the Solicitor claiming Hourly Rates in excess of those that had been agreed. The Replies to the Points of Dispute also asserted that BTE Insurance was not available, when in fact it was, had the Claimant been willing to accept their terms.
At the Assessment Master Leonard found that there had been misconduct in certifying the Bill of Costs and the Replies, and under the Conduct Provisions of CPR 44.11 limited part of the Claimant’s Bill to the Litigant in Person Rate.
The Appeals:
The Appeal was allowed because the Claimant was held not to be responsible for the acts and mistakes of the Costs Firm, as although they were her Agents, they not only failed to act in accordance with her instructions but in fact acted contrary to them.
On Agency, Lord Justice Hickinbottom said:
“At a time when new business practices mean that Solicitors are more frequently subcontracting work out to the unauthorised, it seems to me to be an important matter of principle that Solicitors on the record – and other authorised Litigators and ‘Legal Representatives’ for the purposes of the CPR – understand that they remain ultimately responsible for the acts and omissions of those to whom they delegate parts of the conduct of litigation, particularly where those to whom such work is delegated are not authorised.
“It is only in that way that the supervisory jurisdiction of the Court can be effectively maintained…
“The reverse side of that coin is that, because the Solicitor has responsibility for the conduct of those to whom he subcontracts work for which he as a Solicitor has been retained, then he is able to charge for that work at an appropriate rate as profit costs (together with any success fee uplift under a CFA) and not simply as a disbursement.”
He went on to decide that in certifying the Bill of Costs as accurate and that “the costs claimed… do not exceed the costs which the receiving party is required to pay me/my firm”, the Claimant’s conduct was unreasonable or improper conduct within the scope of CPR 44.11.
Hickinbottom LJ also held that HHJ Mitchell had misdirected himself in saying that Defendant had to prove that the Claimant had acted dishonesty for an Application under CPR 44.11 to succeed;
“The judge regrettably failed to consider whether Ms Bamrah’s conduct, although not dishonest, was nevertheless ‘unreasonable or improper’. That was an error of law.”
He went on to rule that in certifying the Bill of Costs as accurate and that “the costs claimed… do not exceed the costs which the receiving party is required to pay me/my firm”, the Claimant’s conduct was unreasonable or improper conduct within the scope of CPR 44.11.
He also concluded that HHJ Mitchell’s ruling on the BTE Insurance point was wrong:
“The Judge proceeded on the basis that, in this context, where an actual or proposed litigant has BTE insurance but chooses not to use it because the firm that he wishes to instruct will only do so upon terms that the policy does not cover, it can properly be said that BTE insurance is ‘not available’ to that litigant.
“I am persuaded that the judge erred in finding that the statement was accurate on this basis.”
In his judgment, Judge Mitchell was particularly critical of Master Leonard for proceeding with the CPR rule 44.11 Application without evidence from Ms Bamrah. He said that, although the Court had to proceed on the basis that Ms Bamrah was at no time dishonest, as that was the original finding of Master Leonard, “in my view her conduct was serious even within the parameters of ‘unreasonable and improper’”. Given the finding that Ms Bamrah was not dishonest, he considered that Master Leonard’s Order went too far; it would “do justice” to disallow half of the profit costs in the Bill of Costs for the damages claim.
The Hearing took 13 days and the Claimant also gave evidence. The Claimant’s costs now stood at £950,000.00. The Circuit Judge also ordered the Defendant to pay the Claimant’s costs of attending the Appeal where she had given evidence.
We certainly expect this case to be cited in Detailed Assessments going forwards. The Judgment asserts that Solicitors are ultimately responsible for the actions of their Cost Draftsmen in signing and certifying the Bill of Costs and/or Replies; these documents must be correct and accurate from the beginning, or sanctions will be imposed.
It appears that a stricter approach to Hourly Rates will now also be adopted, and breaches of the Indemnity Principle should not only be corrected, but penalised. Replies to Points of Dispute must therefore provide a full and accurate response and will now more than likely lead to sanctions rather than being resolved in the Receiving Party’s favour if incorrect.
A finding of dishonesty was not open to the Court of Appeal in this matter because the findings of fact in the lower Court stood…but another Court in another case may well find similar behaviour dishonest. It is therefore imperative that great care is taken from the outset.
Lindsay Woolford
By Lindsay Woolford 26th June 2018
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