R BAIM

lder and struggled to keep her balance as she braced herself agai

es

e in Dr. Hardesty's pool house next

neliness I often felt. The kind of loneliness that gnaws a hol

to get past me without letting in the who

caught sight of Mrs. Winslow gazing at me from a window. I g

She wore a pea-green raincoat over a white cotton shirt and faded jeans soaked from the knee

, really. What c

looked around as if to see if I wa

'll be glad to go over and take a look if you like. Wou

th hair had six or seven strands of multi-colored beads woven

e other

ed the bottom of her chin on the back of her hand. It had been so lon

." I reached for the umbrel

f place in my house as the aroma of a good home-cooked country dinner. She sh

handle. "Yes, isn't it?" A smile spread wide across her face, but her eyes f

lieved to discover an unopened bottle of Zinfandel that had been tucked in the back some tim

ouldn't agree on whether to keep it or sell it. So for decades it remained unoccupied as the neighborhood grew around it. I got use of it from one of Martha's doctors, a great-grandchild of the builder, who just gave me a key figuring it would be better to have someone in it for free than t

d brushing a strand of wet ha

n stem of crystal. I poured the wine then circled the counter holding the glass out to her. "You said there were two things you neede

love seat nearest the fire holding her glass with both hands. "I'm try

more as I crossed back to the

ome photogra

there was a sharp crack and a loud thump on the deck outside. Ashleigh

or an agent?" I asked cr

y. "Actually... Wha

he couch a

nds. "...is something a little more..." She took a sip

new what she couldn't say

ll.

d the dishes. "If you can't say it, Ashlei

, " she said, her voice sounding confident. But the color i

ly pushed the front of her shirt out. She was definitely intriguing. A flicker of lightning illuminated

es toward me.

looking for a job and the manager asked if you had any nude photographs of yourself

iet, almost drea

ts nude photog

nished the wine in a single gulp, crossed back to t

se body doubl

e, sat back, dropped a loafer, and tucked

the part

hy

lot like Julia Roberts. She's the female lead. So, I think I have a good chance to get

able to rub bellies with

she thought every wom

twenty-five other people stand

ace and stretched her right arm over t

ndation, or climb anything. They want to jump right into a world of fame, fortune, and adve

ing's possible. Why don't we go take a look at your fuse box? Would you like some wine to take with you?" I waited for her

her feelings were hurt, but I refilled my glass and drank from it

, Ashleigh? I don't know you. I don't know th

ou're about his age aren't y

hink." As I took a gulp, she stood and began unbu

Hold on there. W

tail out of her jeans, and worke