The distraction provided by Alex had been good for me because it had gotten my mind off of my family problems. I went back to work in my home workshop and was focused and efficient. A couple of days later I received a phone call from Alex.

“How would you like to come over for dinner this weekend,” she asked. “A free dinner isn’t much but I feel I have to do something for you.”

“Hi Alex,” I said, “I’m glad you called. I’ve been wondering how you are doing. How’s the head?”

“My head is doing fine, thank you for asking. What about dinner, are you free?”

“Alex, you should know that I’m married and have two kids. I’ve been separated for over 2 months and my wife lives up state. I was coming back from visiting them when I ran into you. I have to tell you that I still love my wife and it’s a real problem for me not being able to see my kids. I think you are terrific in many ways, but I’m just not ready to date yet. Sorry, but I have to pass on dinner. I hope you understand.”

Alex was embarrassed and disappointed, but she did a good job of hiding it.

“Of course I understand Nick, but don’t think this is the end. I still owe you in a big way.”

We hung up and I sat there thinking about Alex. I wondered what she looked like when she was all glammed up for a photo shoot.

About a week later I received a call from a potential new client. His name was Ira Skinner and he owned a company that built movie sets. He lived in a modest home in Beverly Hills and wanted to have it renovated, approximately tripling the square footage.

“I met a beautiful young woman at a party this weekend,” he said, “who told me that you are without question the best architect around and she gave me your number. Are you able to take on my job and if so do you have any references in the Beverly Hills area?”

“I can take the job and I do have references,” I said, “and if you’ll give me an email address I’ll go through my files and pick out a few to send to you. By the way, who referred you to me?”

“I don’t recall her name, but she works for a friend of mine who owns a modeling agency.”

Nick realized it had to be Alex.

“What is the name of that modeling agency, if you don’t mind my asking. I’d like to thank her for the referral.”

I got the name of the agency and Ira’s email address and hung up.

The first thing I did was look up 3 of the biggest jobs I had done and called asking for permission to use them as a reference. I then emailed the references to Ira. Late the next morning I received a call from Ira who said he had checked the references and would like to meet to discuss the project. He invited me to his home and we met that afternoon. We walked around his property and discussed the details of what Ira wanted and I made suggestions here and there. Ira said he was interested and would like a quote. I promised to have it done by the end of the week.

I felt confident that I was going to get the job and decided to contact Alex to thank her. I called the modeling agency to find out where she would be doing her next shoot and arrange my schedule to be there and surprise her. I was told that this was a private shoot and only people involved in the shoot were allowed to be there. I was debating whether I should just show up at her apartment when the receptionist asked for my name.

“I don’t want her to find out, I was trying to surprise her,” I said. “Is there another shoot I could go to?”

“Maybe,” she responded. “If you leave your name I promise I won’t tell her you called.”

I hesitated, and then decided it wasn’t that big of a deal.

“My name is Nick and I just met..”

“You’re Nick? The Nick that pulled her out of her burning car?

“Well yes,” I said slowly, “I guess she told you about that.”

“Nick, this is different. Of course you can go to the shoot. I wish I could be there to see the surprise on her face.”

“By the way,” I asked, “what is Alex’s last name?”

“Taylor, Alexandra Taylor is her name.”

I got the time and location and made room on my schedule to be there. I wondered why this was a private shoot and wished I had asked.

Two days later I arrived at the studio where the shoot was taking place. When I entered I was stopped and told it was a private shoot. I explained that I had been given permission and gave my name.

Once again my name was the magic word and I was ushered in to meet the director of the shoot.

“Nick Connors,” he said, “it’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Jack Carpenter, have you a few minutes to talk?”

“As long as I don’t miss the shoot I do.”

“Don’t worry, they won’t start without me. There is an office over here where we can have some privacy.”

He led me in and offered me a chair while he closed the door.

“Nick,” he said, “we’ve all heard the story of how you saved Alex’s life. I work for a magazine and we would like to do a story on you and Alex, focusing on the event that brought you together but also adding some background information on both of you. This story could be a good thing for both of your careers as I’m sure you can guess. Who wouldn’t be interested in reading about a real American hero?” Jack smiled broadly.

“I don’t know,” I said, “this is a little embarrassing for me. I guess I would have to give it some thought. By the way, what magazine are we talking about?”

“Cosmopolitan,” replied Jack, “and if you agree to do the story, Alex will be on the cover.”

“Holy Christ, you really know how to put the pressure on. Does Alex know she’ll be on the cover?”

“No,” said Jack, “we’re not sure Alex would agree to do the cover on its own, her primary focus is on her business degree. She’s concerned that she might be swayed by the money and give up her business pursuits. She’s a very smart woman in case you hadn’t noticed.”

“I haven’t had a chance to notice,” I said, “but I assume she must have some intelligence since she’s working on a master’s degree.”

“Well if you were to agree to do this story we think she would have a more favorable attitude about it.”

“Christ almighty,” I thought.

“I can’t make this decision without talking to Alex first,” I said. “It wouldn’t be fair to her and she might think we were trying to manipulate her. I’ll watch the shoot and talk to her afterwards.”

“That sounds fine to me,” said Jack. “Then let’s get to it.”

We left the office and Jack told me where to go to watch the shoot without being noticed.

“Where is the model,” yelled Jack as he walked onto the set. Someone ran down a hall while the Jack gave directions to the crew.

A moment later Alex appeared. My mouth dropped open when he saw her. I was expecting a bathing suit but instead she was wearing a low cut evening gown, slit up the side almost to her hip. She carried the skirt as she walked, revealing an ample amount of her legs, which I already knew to be fantastic. The low cut dress revealed how well endowed she was and I suddenly realized why she was a bathing suit model.

Her hair was done in a way to hide the scar on her temple. I found her to be radiantly beautiful and could not take my eyes off of her.

I watched while she talked to the director and the photographer, then she left the stage again. The photographer gave quick instructions to his crew and they swiftly moved into place. A moment later Alex came back and walked toward the camera. She looked left and right, then directly at the camera with a sly smile.

I watched the way she walked, how her hips swayed as she moved and the way she carried herself.

"Wow," I thought, "she really is a model. She knows the moves and how to walk, it's like she was born to this."

At that moment I thought it was very likely that she would probably want to do the cover of Cosmopolitan.

She turned and walked back the way she had come, stopping briefly just before she left the stage, to look back at the camera and smile. All was quiet for a few minutes, then she came back wearing a summer dress. It was a brilliant yellow, cut low at the top and stopping a few inches above her knees. Again she looked incredible. Her eyes twinkled as she looked into the camera lense, that sly smile again on her face.

"She seems so confident," I thought, "she must know how good she looks. She's a smart woman, she's probably more in control here than the director is."

She modeled several dresses, and then the director called a halt. I asked if I could go back to her dressing room and they told me how to get there. A minute later I knocked on her door. She answered and looked at me like she didn't know who I was, then suddenly awareness came on her face and she stepped forward and hugged me.

"Nick," she asked, "what are you doing here?"

"Well, initially I came to thank you for the referral, but now I have to also thank you for the show."

Her eyes grew wide.

"You were watching while I modeled." she said. "What did you think?"

"I think you are a natural born model, and coincidently, very beautiful."

She blushed, looked around the room as if it was a cheap apartment, then invited me in.

"I spoke to the director," I said, "and he told me that they want to do a story about your car accident."

"They want to do a story about a hero" she said, "you. Any woman would have done, it just happened to be me."

"I was told that if I agree to do the story they will put you on the cover of Cosmopolitan," I said. "How can I say no?"

"I know, I heard a rumor. I haven't decided if that's what I want, but the story would be incredible publicity for you and your work. I owe you so much, I don't see how I could refuse."

She said it with a serious face, like she really wasn't sure she wanted to do it, but for my sake she couldn't refuse. At first I thought she was joking. This was a win win situation. But then I realized that she was serious.

"Do you have any plans for dinner tonight," I asked. "Maybe we should talk about it."

She smiled. "I would love to have dinner with you tonight. I just need a minute to change and I'll be right out."

I walked into the hall and leaned against the wall and waited. True to her word she was out in less than 5 minutes.

"Where to," she asked, taking my arm and steering me down the hallway.

“Hmm,” I thought, “I don’t want to take her anywhere romantic, I’m not in the mood for that. I also can’t take her to some cheap restaurant; that would make a nice impression.”

One of the stage hands went by and congratulated Alex on the shoot.

“How much do you like seafood,” I asked.

“I love sea food,” she answered, “what do you have in mind?”

“Well,” I said, “it’s not what you would normally think of when considering restaurants to go out to, but I think you’ll like it enough.”

We got into my Volvo and headed south on the 405, destination, Captain Kidd’s in Redondo Beach. They specialize in fresh seafood, whatever is available. They are located right at the marina where the fishing boats dock, so they get the freshest seafood in the area.

“Just out of curiousity,” I asked, “why was that a private shoot?”

“Well,” she said, “I was supposed to model lingerie, but when I saw what they had I said I couldn’t do it. Fortunately they were prepared and had the other line of dresses ready.”

I made a stop on the way at Manhattan Liquors, where you can find the best selection of fine wine in the area, and it was not far out of the way.

When we reached the Marina I parked in the lot and we walked in the back door of Captain Kids, past people sitting at picnic tables on the back deck, eating freshly cooked seafood.

As we walked inside I said, “Too your right is all of the fresh seafood. On your left is obviously a short order grill. We pick out what we want to eat, we take it over to the grill and they ask us how we want it cooked, and they cook it for us, Then we find a place to sit out side and have dinner.”

I ordered sword fish and giant prawns, while she ordered lobster. While it was cooking we found a place to sit outside, and I went to the Volvo and got wine glasses and the wine.

Our food was ready when I got back and after sitting the wine bottles down I went to get the food.

While the food steamed in front of us I opened the first bottle, a 2008 ZD chardonnay, and poured for both of us.

We sipped.

“Wow,” said Alex, “this wine is really good. Why did you buy two bottles though, do you think we need that much?”

“When the wine is gone, “ I responded, “people generally feel that the party is over. I don’t want you to have that feeling. We don’t have to open the other bottle, it’s benefiting us anyway just being there, but we can open it if we want to.”

She looked at me over the top of her glass while she sipped, but didn’t say anything. I wondered what she was thinking as I dug into my dinner.

We were silent for a moment and I began to feel awkward. I needed to keep the conversation going somehow.

“There is much about you that I don’t know,” I said.

“You know hardly anything about me,” she said.

“And you know little about me either,”

“Oh, I know a lot more about you than you know about me,” she responded.

“You are willing to risk your own life to save the life of a stranger. That tells volumes about you. People write stories about people like you, and reader’s dream of being like you. I’m much closer to it than someone who is reading a story. I had my life saved.”

I couldn’t think of a response, so I focused on my food.

I wanted to change the subject but didn’t want to be obvious. I picked up my glass of wine and swirled it and held it up before the light.

“What are you looking at?” she asked.

“I’m looking at the tear drops running down the inside of the glass. It gives an idea of how much alcohol is in the wine.”

We both held our glasses up before the light and I explained what to look for and what it meant.

The subject safely changed I felt more at ease and decided to broach the subject we were having dinner to discuss.

“What do you want to do about the magazine article?” I asked. “I assume, since you will be on the cover of Cosmopolitan, that this is one offer you can’t pass up.”

“Actually, I can easily say no to this if it was just about me, but it’s not. It’s really more about you. Your story, or rather our story, is what makes me more interesting, and then having me on the cover sells magazines. This would also be very good for your business though. You can’t buy this kind of publicity.”

“That’s true,” I said, “but I’m not sure I need it. My business is doing rather well without it. This will be a much bigger deal for you than it will for me. You’ll make the big leagues in modeling; you’ll be a super model. I guess you were wrong about not being the type.” I smiled at her in a teasing way.

“Well,” she said, smiling back, “as I think I mentioned, I’m not sure that’s the direction I want to go. I’m a little confused right now and I need time to think about it.”

“Good,” I said, “that works for me as well. Why don’t we get together in a few days and discuss it again. Will that be enough time for you?”

“I really can’t say for sure, but it would help to discuss it. Would you like to come over to my place for dinner or did you have something else in mind?” she asked.

“I didn’t have anything in mind,” I responded, “but I may come up with something. Let’s plan on dinner at your place for now and if I have a better idea I’ll give you a call. What’s your number by the way?”

We agreed on Friday night at her place. After dinner I dropped her off back at the studio where she had left her rental car and watched her drive off, then headed home.