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    CHAPTER 6
     
     
     
     
    The meeting with Lucien took its toll on me. I couldn’t turn off the picture of him in my mind’s eye.  He was a strange creature when I knew him at Tulane. Now he was beyond strange. He was a certifiable loony — sad and desperate. I got into bed, but couldn’t sleep. I finally switched on the lamp and took a badly written mystery novel I'd already given up on, and opened it to read, hoping I’d get bored and finally shut my eyes. But it didn’t happen. I couldn’t get my mind off of Lucien. I was so preoccupied with him that I read the same page over and over, without even thinking what was written. At four o’clock I fell asleep, exhausted.
    My clock radio woke me at seven, and I dragged myself into the shower, hoping I could function all day on three hours sleep.
    By 8:15, I made it to my desk at the shop, and found that I could work better than I expected. I guess you do what you have to do.
    It was eleven-thirty when Henrietta at the front desk called to tell me I had a visitor — Gregg Monsell — and could he come back to my office to see me? I sat there for a moment before I answered. I thought, this guy never gives up, does he? Well, I had to admit I'd been tough on him last night. “Sure, send him back,” I said. I wasn’t certain whether to be annoyed or amused. I decided I would simply do my best to be courteous — no easy task for me.
    Just before I hung up the phone, I heard Henrietta whisper, “He’s a cute one, Kit.”
    A moment later, Gregg stood in my doorway, looking contrite. and holding a brown paper bag. “I come bearing a gift,” he said. “I’m trying to make up for being out of line last night. I get things wrong sometimes. Just occasionally.”
    Henrietta wasn’t quite right about him. I wouldn’t call him cute, really. As he stood in the sunlight that streamed into my office through the only window, I had to admit to myself that he was truly more good-looking than cute.  And after the painful episode with Lucien the night before, it felt good to see a handsome man smiling at me. I was actually glad he came. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. You were right about the wine,” I said. “Have a seat.”
    He took the chair opposite me, placing the bag on the desk. “All right,” I said, “what’s this gift you brought me , diamonds or pearls?”
    “Something better.” He opened the bag and took out one of those white styrofoam doggie bag containers restaurants use to pack up leftovers for customers to take home.  Even before he opened it, I knew what would be inside. “Braciola,” he said, displaying a row of meat rolls that filled the container. “I felt badly that you missed out on the specialty of the house, so I had them pack up some to go for you. The sauce is on the side.” He reached into the bag and brought out a covered plastic bowl filled with red sauce. “It’ll make a great lunch. It’s cold from being in my fridge all night, but I figured you must have a microwave in your lunch room.”
    “If you’re trying to bribe me…“ I said.
    “Yes?”
    “ … you are succeeding,” I said. “But you brought so much. That’s a lot of braciole.”
    “Well, I figured you wouldn’t want to eat alone, and as it’s nearly lunchtime, and I’m already here, maybe you’d like to invite me to share your braciole with you. Or am I being too aggressive again?”
    “You are,” I said. “But I feel more forgiving in the light of day.” What I didn’t say was that I’d had a disturbing visitor the night before, that I hadn’t been able to sleep, that now I was feeling tired and troubled — so that Gregg’s arrival was a bright light in the darkness. I also didn’t tell him was that I was just beginning to think he was a good-looking, decent guy. Good looking was obvious. Decent I wasn’t quite sure of yet.  “I’ll go warm up the food in the lunchroom, and we can eat it here. Tongues will wag if I bring you in