Falling Awake

to the center.”
    “I’m sorry, Ian,” she said, trying to soften the blow. “I thought I made it clear to Randolph that I’m not coming back under any circumstances. I can’t imagine why he thought you would be able to influence me.”
    He gave her a derisive look. “You know why he sent me after you. Obviously someone told him that we dated for a while and that we’re still good friends. He’s hoping you’ll listen to me.”
    “I guess he misunderstood the nature of our relationship, hmm?”
    She took another bite of her sandwich. It was delicious and she was surprisingly hungry. Probably the result of missingbreakfast, she thought. The large, glistening dill pickle on the plate looked quite tasty, too.
    Ian frowned, ignoring his ham sandwich, pickle and chips. “We are friends, Izzy.”
    “Oh, sure,” she said quickly. “We’re definitely friends. By the way, did you hear about Gavin Hardy?”
    “The computer guy? Yes.” Ian grimaced. “Word at the center is that he was killed in a hit-and-run accident somewhere near here.”
    “It’s true.”
    “What was he doing in Roxanna Beach?”
    “He came to see me. He was trying to put together a stake to take to Vegas.”
    “That’s right, he was a gambler, wasn’t he? Everyone said that he had a real problem.”
    “Evidently.” She ate another bite of the sandwich.
    “So.” Ian looked around again. “What’s the big attraction for you here in Roxanna Beach?”
    “A new job. A new career plan.”
    “You’re really going to work for your brother-in-law?”
    “Only until I get my consulting business going.”
    “What consulting business?”
    “I’ll be doing the same kind of thing I did for Martin Belvedere, except that I’m out on my own now.”
    “Why not come back and do it at the center?”
    “Lots of reasons.” She blushed and lowered her sandwich. “Also, if you must know, I’m sort of in a new relationship.”

    It felt good to say that out loud.
    Ian looked baffled. “How can you be in a new relationship? You’ve only been here in Roxanna Beach a few days. You haven’t had time to meet anyone.”
    She picked up the pickle, surveyed the broad, firm, rounded tip and took a dainty bite. “He’s a client.”
    “Izzy, this is crazy.”
    “My life has changed somewhat since I left the center.”
    He scowled. “You’re not acting like yourself. This isn’t you.”
    “Got news for you, Ian, it is me.”
    “But you loved your old job. You were happy at the center. It’s the right environment for you. By the way, did I tell you that Belvedere said that in addition to raising your salary, he’ll let you have a full-time assistant if you return immediately?”
    “That’s nice,” she said around another mouthful of pickle. “But I’ve decided that I’d rather be my own boss.”
    Ian narrowed his eyes. “It’s this new guy you’re seeing. He’s the problem here, isn’t he? What’s he like?”
    She smiled and raised the phallic-shaped pickle to her lips. “I’m told he’s not my usual type.”
    “That sounds like a good reason to step back from the relationship and evaluate it,” Ian said seriously.
    “I have been evaluating it and I’ve come to some conclusions. I’ve decided that no one actually knows what my type is because I’ve been dating men who are not my type for so long that everyone just assumes that they actually are my type. See what I mean?”
    “No.”

    “The problem I’ve had with relationships in the past is that, because men like you found it so easy to talk to me about the important things in their lives, because they were so ready to have serious, in-depth conversations, because they were so ready to share their deepest feelings, I told myself that the relationships must be good because we communicated so well. You know how much emphasis everyone puts on communication these days.”
    “Damnit, this isn’t what I came here to talk about.”
    “Too bad, it’s what I want to talk about.”
    Ian seemed fascinated in a horrified sort of way by the manner in which she was munching on the pickle. “What’s this all about, Izzy? Did you finally get laid? That’s it, isn’t it? Your new client got you into bed. Well, congratulations to him. But if I were you, I wouldn’t go making any long-term career plans based on a couple of orgasms.”
    It wasn’t the crude words that jolted her, it was the pure male petulance, the accusation in his tone.
    “It’s not like you’ve got