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has some nerve! I am yelling as both Lana and Joan enter. Lana looks at me and asks, “Is everything alright?” Throwing my hands in the air I respond, “I wish everyone would stop asking that. Do I sound alright? No everything is not all right! “Look at this thing!” As I stick the journal/book out at them. Being brave, Joan reaches out and removes the reprehensible thing from me.
    “It is beautiful. Charli, look at this cover.”
    “You may think it is beautiful Joan but I think it is horrible. From a man that is just as irritating. Get that thing out of my sight!”
    As straight faced as she could possibly be, Joan handed the thing to Lana. Lana looked at it, turned it over and examined the back of it.  If Lana knew what was good for her, she wouldn’t do what that mischievous grin was preparing me for. She opened her mouth and not a word came out. What did come out was a howl of laughter that broke my barrier down.
    The next thing I knew we were all laughing so hard that if someone had entered the outer office they would have mistaken us for escapees from the happy farm. Wiping the tears away from our faces, I looked at them and suggested we all get back to work. My phone pinged. I ignored it. It pinged again. I ignored it again. My phone rang, guess what I did? I ignored it. I didn’t want to be disturbed so it went to voice mail. I muted it and went back to work. I was putting together the presentation for the Miltman Affair weekend and needed to remain focused.
    As I stuff my laptop into my bag, I look over my desk to make sure I have everything. I look at the book. Jerking it up, I stuff it into my bag, shaking my head in wonderment as to why I am bothering to take it home with me. Knowing those two busy bodies that skulk around the office, I will never hear the end of it. Hopefully, out of sight-out of mind. Who am I kidding? I love those two even if they really do irritate me beyond no end.

Chapter 6
    Escaping the workday out the back door, I walk over to my good old Ford. Well, It’s actually only a couple of years old. Somehow it just sounds right to say that. I suppose that is the Midwest girl that I thought was buried deep down within breaking out. Just about the time I open my car door, the back door to our building closed.
    “Hey.”
    Squeezing my eyes tight I’m willing myself to remain calm.
    “Wait a sec. I have a quick question.”
    Putting my yellow bag in the back seat, I stand there for just about a minute, before I turn around. “What is it Lana?”
    “Did you get your reading material for tonight?”
    “What? What reading material? I’m not taking any work home with me, tonight. My plans are actually vegging out in front of the TV.”
    “You know, your new reading material to help with your communication techniques,” she laughingly replies.
    Sharing my death ray glare with my dear friend, “I tell you what, Missy, when I finish it, how about I loan it to you? We can compare our notes on what revelations we garnered from it.”
    “Ha! Ha! Very funny. I’ve never had a man complain about my communication skills. “As if it just hit her I am standing beside my car,” Hey, I didn’t know you drove today. What’s up with that?”
    She’s managing me again. Nodding my head and patting the roof, “Yep, as you can see I sure did. I just felt like it this morning but now I wish common sense had taken over and prevented me from doing something stupid like driving.”
    Sounding like some kind of broken record, huffing just a little, “That’s about the only thing I dislike here. People are crazy drivers.”
    Putting one hand on her hip, Lana just stood there without saying much. “I don’t drive here so I have no comment. Hey, by the way, feeble attempt at changing the subject.”
    “Seriously, he must be attracted. I doubt he would still be contacting you if he wasn’t.” Walking over to the car as I sit down, “Yeah, I know. Did you see him, Lana? He is