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Part II - Chapter 8
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2021-08-23 02:43:30Dawn in Manhattan. Rachel stood by her window, mesmerized by the breathtaking mural of fiery shades in orange, radiant blue and luminescent yellow, set against the stark gray buildings of the most famous skyline in the world. A wallpaper of colors only nature’s artistry could paint.
She never tired of the view, but this morning in particular, it looked especially breathtaking. Drinking her third cup of coffee, she watched the world come alive from her kitchen nook, eighteen stories above Central Park. Rachel felt a surge of confidence, strength, and renewal, not only coming from the rays of a brand new sunrise, but from her own feeling of accomplishment radiating from the 127 finished pages of Guilty Pleasures that lay in a neat pile on her kitchen table.
Rachel had typed straight through the night. Dialogue and phrases which had stubbornly eluded her only days before were now flowing effortlessly from her re-ignited creativity, as her fingers typed page
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It was past three when Alex rang the back door buzzer of his former Postoffice. Cynthia looked up from the desk, quickly put away the books and papers she had been reading and opened the door.“Alex! I wasn’t expecting to see you for another few months,”Cynthia sounded a bit nervous and Alex realized it might appear that he was checking up on her, so he explained his surprise visit.“I decided to come home for the weekend and was just going to drive by, but then I saw your car and wanted to see how you were doing. I didn’t know you’d be working late on a Saturday, but I’m glad you were,”Alex began his own tour of the Postoffice. It was all so familiar, yet in a way, a bit strange. He had only been gone a few weeks, yet already he felt as if he had never been here at all. The paperwork was stacked in a neat pile, the counter was perfectly organized and the rest of the office was spotless. At first he hadn&r
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Rachel stretched her long legs in the back of the spacious limousine as it inched along with the flow of heavy rush hour traffic. The interview had gone much better than her previous television appearance. At least this time she was able to answer specific questions about her second novel, now that she really did have more than just the title.Fortunately, the producers had scheduled the taping of three shows before Rachel’s interview, so she had an opportunity to relax on a couch in the green room and catch a few hours of sleep before a staff person came in to take her to make-up. Once awake, Rachel’s natural adrenaline rush had kept her alert for the rest of the afternoon, but now she was in need of a cup of strong, black coffee, which the driver had thankfully been able to supply.Rachel couldn’t wait to tell Alex about her successful interview and how surprised she had been when Larry King showed her his hard copy of Legal Briefs. It was
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The phone rang at eleven thirty, just as Alex was getting out of the shower. Thinking it might be Rachel, he nearly tripped over his shoes getting to the phone, but the voice on the other end belonged to Jack Lawson, who was calling to confirm Alex’s appearance at the reception.“I was just getting ready to leave,” Alex told him.“That’s great, Alex. We’re all really looking forward to this event. See you soon,”“Event? What event?” Alex said into the phone, but it had already gone dead. This is ridiculous, he thought. I hardly even know Mrs. Friedman, I don’t know why they’re making such a big deal about it.He put the t-shirt and jeans he was going to wear back into the drawer and reluctantly put on a casual suit instead. Just before he left, he tried Rachel’s number once again. This time it wasn’t the service that answered, it was Karen.“This is Alex Bentley. Is
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Karen was reading the Sunday New York Times and watching a baseball game simultaneously when Rachel, still in her pajamas walked into the livingroom. In all the excitement of the party, Rachel hadn’t had a chance to tell her roommate how good she looked after returning from her summer excursion. Glancing in the hall mirror at her disheveled appearance, it occurred to Rachel that she could use a vacation herself, but any thoughts of a rest would have to wait. For now, she was simply grateful to have slept undisturbed for most of the afternoon.“I can’t remember the last time I slept past three ,” she yawned loudly. “I don’t suppose there’s any coffee?”“I just made some when I heard you get up,” Karen looked up from her paper. “You look like you could use the whole pot,”“Thanks. It’s nice to have you home. I think. I noticed Gary wasn’t here last night. Does he know you&rsq
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All week long, Rachel’s attempts to phone Alex were constantly thwarted by her demanding schedule. By the end of the week, the strain was becoming visibly apparent and not even the heavy television make-up was able to conceal the darkening circles of exhaustion under her eyes.By Thursday afternoon, Peter agreed a well-rested author would sell a lot more books than one who couldn’t keep her eyes open during an interview. After her signing event at Borders, the driver took her back to Prelude’s office, where Peter told her he was canceling her Friday and Monday appearances. He then practically ordered Rachel to spend the next few days resting. Rachel knew that rest was only one reason why Peter was being so generous. The deadline for the first draft of her second novel was approaching and, with her hectic promotion schedule, she hadn’t had the time or the energy to write a single word.It was close to seven when she finally returne
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“Brad, is this lunch thing really necessary?”“It is if you want to make the higher-ups happy. I just wish I could be there, but someone has to hold down the fort while you’re being wined and dined,”“I’ll trade places with you in a second. I still don’t understand why they’re making such a big deal out of this,”“C’mon, Alex. You know we need some positive press and you’ve become the poster boy for the entire US Postal Service, not to mention inspiring a lot of postal employees to take the CPR course. I’ve been scheduling classes all over the state since the news hit the media. Just smile and enjoy it,”“I’ll smile, but I’m not going to enjoy it. I feel like Dorothy trapped by the wicked witch. I just want to go home,”“Relax, Alex. It will be over before you know it,”As soon as Brad left the office, Alex p
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Flashbulbs ignited the room, causing more confusion as the postal inspector started reading Alex his rights. Rachel forced herself through the crowd and onto the stage where she shoved her New York State Bar membership card into the face of a security guard trying to keep the press off the stage.“I’m Postmaster Bentley’s attorney, let me through,” she screamed over the noise. Seeing Rachel appear at his side, Alex got the second shock of the afternoon.“Rachel? What are you...how did you?”“Alex, I’ll explain later. Don’t say anything. What are the charges?” She demanded of the men who were leading Alex off the stage. But before she got an answer, she was approached by two other men who blocked her way.“Where do you think you’re going, miss?”An attractive man of about forty stood directly in front of Rachel. He had a warm smile, but his eyes were telling her she was de
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Rachel found an empty bench outside the courthouse where she could legally indulge her socially unacceptable habit in peace. She was about to light the cigarette when she heard an irritating whine coming from her purse. The LED display on her cell phone revealed the caller’s identity, but Rachel let it ring four times before answering. She had already been reprimanded once that day and was in no hurry to repeat the experience. Reluctantly, she hit the button and held the phone a few inches from her ear.“Rachel, where are you?” Joan’s voice blared through the small receiver. “The next chapters were due in my office three hours ago!”Fortunately, her editor was a lot easier to handle than the postal police. “I’m sorry, Joan. I should have called, but there was an emergency. The chapters are finished,” she lied. “I’ll have them on your desk first thing Monday morning, I promise,” I hope.
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Rachel’s breathing was beginning to return to normal. “I noticed you were leaving, which is why I just ran the three second dash to catch up to you. There’s been a lot of activity in the past few hours and we need to talk about your case,”“I was going to lunch. Can you join me?”“Absolutely. Let me get my purse and briefcase from the car and I’ll tell the officers to go along without me. I’ll be right back,”As Alex got into his truck and waited for Rachel to return, images flashed through his mind with lightning speed. Tanya flying to West Palm Beach. Cynthia getting arrested on her way to the same destination. Rachel showing up in Crystal Lake.The last mental picture froze his thought process. Rachel was here with him and all the other images were no longer of any consequence. He was about to light a cigarette when he heard the passenger side of the truck open.“Got one of those
