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Cover to Cover - Chapter four

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Friday morning I was working on the Skinner job when my doorbell rang. When I opened the door a woman was standing there with a microphone and a man standing behind her with a camera. The woman with the mic was attractive, with long brown hair.

"Mr Conners?" she asked.

"Yes, what can I do for you?"

"My name is Elizabeth Espinosa and I'm a reporter for KTLA, a local news station. If you have a few minutes I'd like to talk to you about the rescue of Alexandra Taylor."

"What? How did you find out about that? I hope that camera is not filming."

She turned and told the cameraman to cut.

"I have a video," she said, "taken by one of the bystanders who saw the accident and took a video of the whole thing. He's been pushing it around and my station was the highest bidder."

"Oh," I said, "you mean one of the people who did nothing to help Alexandra? I'll bet he was going to video the explosion that would have killed her. He's a mercenary."

"He did video the explosion. We have everything recorded, and we don't need your permission to air the story. But I would like to get some comments from you if you'll allow it."

I thought about it for a moment.

"I can't make this decision by myself," I said. "I need to make a phone call. Why don't you come in so the neighbors can relax."

They came in and made themselves comfortable in my living room while I called Alex.

"Alex, I have a reporter in my living room who claims to have a video of me pulling you from the burning car. They are going to air it on KTLA and want to get comments from me. I'm betting they are going to want to interview you also. We can't stop this, and it's going to have a wider local audience than Cosmopolitan. Can you call Jack and find out what this does to your cover opportunity? Since we can't stop it you may as well take the money and run, if it's not too late."

"I don't know Nick," she said, "how much time do I have to decide?"

"My guess is that they want to air this tonight, but I'll find out. Talk to Jack and find out where he stands and give me a call. I'll try to keep them here as long as I can."

I sat in the living room and allowed Ms. Espinosa to interview me on camera, with the stipulation that I could refuse to allow the interview to be aired. She said she also would like to interview Alex.

About 30 minutes later the phone rang.

"Nick," said Alex, "Jack said that this only makes it better. Cosmopolitan will announce on their website that we are going to be featured in the next issue."

"So what do you want to do,” I asked? “This is all your decision, it really makes no difference to me. I'd prefer not to be on television, but it seems there is nothing I can do to prevent it. After that Cosmopolitan makes little difference to me. And by the way, if we do this they are going to want to interview you also."

“Hmmm,” she said, “that won’t be easy if they want to air this tonight. Also, Jack told me that we only have a week to do this because they are coming up on their deadline. I suppose the money would make it a little easier for me to pay for school, I just hope it doesn't cause me any problems with my teaching job."

She was silent for a moment, then said, "Oh Nick, everything about this was so wonderful until all this publicity happened. I'm so confused, I don't know what to do."

"Do what is going to make you happy in the long run, that's the most important thing," I said.

“Well, I guess there is no sense in doing it half way. I agree,” she said. “Give them my address and I’ll get home as soon as I can.”

I made arrangements for them to meet her at her place.

By the time everything was concluded it was early afternoon. I had done some more work on the Skinner job and was closed to wrapping it up. Alex called and suggested we go out for lunch, but keep our plans to have dinner at her place. That way we could watch the news.

I took her to a restaurant near the Santa Monica Pier, then we took a walk on the beach. She seemed care free and happy, and my spirits were high as well. I enjoyed just being with her; it felt so natural. There was no awkwardness or shyness, it was almost like we’d known each other for years.

We came upon a crowd of people and could hear music coming from the center of them. I took Alex’s hand and pulled her through the crowd with me to a spot where we could see who was performing. Because of the tightness of the crowd I put my arm around her and held her close to me, and she in turn put her arm around my waist. We stood there like that, listening to the music, for a couple of numbers. I was conscious of her closeness and realized that there was something happening between us. Where I had previously been against this, I found that I was now eager for it. It wasn’t her beauty or her intelligence that had made the difference, it was because she was sweet and natural and didn’t have an attitude like most of the women I had met who were beautiful. Many of them were arrogant, or expected to be treated like a queen. Alex was nothing like that. She was leaning her head on the side of my chest and holding me as tight as I was holding her. I realized that she was also warm and affectionate.

“We had better be getting along,” I said, looking down at her face.

She looked up at me with a ‘kiss me’ look on her face.

“If you say so,” she said.

We continued to look into each others eyes for another moment before our lips came together in a light kiss. I planned to kiss her quickly then turn to go, but the kiss lingered. Her lips were soft and sensuous and drew me in deeper. Finally, aware of where we were, I pulled back and smiled at her. She smiled back and we turned and threaded our way out of the crowd.

I held her hand as we walked back towards the pier. We had left our shoes in the car and I had rolled up my slacks a little. We walked at the edge of the water and occasionally the tide overtook us and our feet got wet. Suddenly she pulled my hand and we began running down the beach, splashing in the water. As we ran she veered slowly toward the surf, holding her skirt up as she ran. My pants began to get wet but I didn’t care. She kept pulling me farther out into the surf until the water was above my knees. My pants were getting soaked but she was holding her skirt up and keeping it dry. I imagined what she must look like to others on the beach and felt a slight pang of jealousy that she was showing so much of her legs. Finally I pulled back, not wanting to get my slacks any wetter, and she let go of my hand and kept wading through the water. When she was about 10 feet away I could see what everyone else could see.
She had incredible legs and the scene was very sexy. I realized then that I desired her.

“Don’t you think we should be getting along?” I asked. “I have work to do and only a couple of hours left in the day.”

“Kill Joy,” she laughed.

She began to wade toward me and I began to wade toward the beach. When I felt I was safe from any mischief I took her hand and pulled her along with me. When we got back to my car I unrolled my pants. They were wet up to within a foot from my wallet.

"I guess it's a good thing you have leather seats," she laughed, looking at my wet pants.

"Don't think you are going to get away with this unscathed," I said, smiling. "I don't get mad, I get even."

"Oooooh, should I be scared? Are you going to do something terrible to me?"

Alex laughed and I laughed with her.

"I don't know yet, but you better sleep with one eye open from now on."

"Oh really? So your plan is to attack me while I'm in bed I see. I don't know whether to be scared or excited." Alex leaned into me and kissed me lightly on the lips, then gave me a challenging look as she walked around to her side of the car.

I dropped her off at her apartment and drove home. I had a couple of hours to work but I had a hard time taking my mind off of Alex. "I've never met a woman like her," I said to myself. "She is breath takingly beautiful, something I could not have seen the day we met.

She is also very intelligent and when we talk I always feel like I was talking to an equal. I've known intelligent women before, but never one so attractive. And most of the intelligent women I've known were too intellectual and had no personality. Alex has a wonderful personality, and that is what I found most attractive about her. She seems to like me, but I can't be sure that it's not just a feeling born out of gratitude. If so, then this relationship might not go very far.” It dawned on me then that far is exactly where I want this to go.
Published 
Written by WadeMorgan
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