Beverly smiled. Go on, eat one, but save the other for your partner next time you get...you know...intimate."

She was serious.

Jill laughed quietly, "I wish! I haven't had sex with anyone in six months, and the cookie would be hard as a rock by the time I have an opportunity to give it to my sex partner."

Beverly lifted her eyes to the ceiling and smiled, shaking her head in a wry all-knowing manner. "Honey, your luck is about to change. Prepare to be swept off your feet."

Jill absorbed what Beverly said and found it hilarious. She laughed uproariously.

"What's so funny?"

Jill paused to pick up a napkin and wipe her eyes. "Nothing. It's really stupid. It's just when you said I would be swept off my feet. I thought I could use a good sweeping."

Beverly joined in laughing with Jill, tears running down their cheeks.

Suddenly, a flash of lighting lit up the gray outside. The lights inside flickered off momentarily, followed by an earsplitting thunderclap and a cloudburst. Jill and Beverly jumped, then laughed at the other's jumpiness.

Beverly put her hand to her chest and took a deep breath. "Dang. That scarred the bejesus out of me. Where did that come from?"

"I know. The weather forecast didn't say anything about rain today.I don't even have an umbrella."

Beverly's hands swung outward, palms up. "Me either."

The rain hadn't diminished one iota by the time they finished and were ready to leave. In fact, it seemed stronger. Outside of the restaurant under the protective overhang of the awning, they said their goodbyes and hugged. Then Beverly dashed back to the office.

Jill had an assignment to complete, so she sat down at the nearby bus stop to wait for a bus. She felt lucky because it was covered, which kept the rain off of her, but that lasted only until Chad showed up.

Jill sat there, reading a Danielle Steele paperback, waiting for the bus, when without warning, a wave of cool rainwater swamped her. She and Danielle Steele were both soaked. Nothing was spared. Not even her hair. Shocked, she glanced up and glimpsed a red Corvette rounding the corner. She noticed the silhouette of a man and cursed his stupidity under her breath. Now, she was going to have to either take a cab home, or go buy a new outfit, which she'd have to charge since she'd just been paid and as usual, was already broke.

A Checker Cab approached and she rose to wave, when suddenly, the same Corvette cut the cab off, and pulled alongside the curb. The driver leaned over, after rolling down the window. His friendly blue eyes twinkled, and he lavished her with the friendliest smile she'd seen in years. He apologized profusely and...he was gorgeous. "I'm so sorry, ma'am. I wasn't thinking, and I drenched you before I realized it. I feel terrible. Please, let me take you somewhere to dry off?' Gorgeous Man's voice, a rich baritone, had a western drawl. She wanted to go, but told him bluntly, "Thanks, but as you can see you've caused enough damage."

"Say, aren"t you that TV reporter? Ah...don't tell me. Jill. That's it! Jill Sinclair. You are re-e-ally good. I can see you're getting cold. Please, let me take you somewhere to change or at least warm up. If nothing else take this Kleenex and dab your eyes. Your mascara is running."

Jill, suspecting he'd been looking at her breasts when he said she was getting cold, confirmed it by sneaking a peek, as she accepted the tissue. Her nipples were showing through her wet blouse and bra, and that wasn't all. She was beginning to feel warm and tingly. She didn't really have time to think about the ramifications of this sensation, because the scheduled bus pulled up and started to honk at the Corvette, for blocking the passenger loading zone. Smiling, Gorgeous Man waved for her to join him but she was worried. She didn't know him. He could have been a Ted Bundy acolyte. The bus's horn kept blaring and Gorgeous Man started to gradually pull away. His beatific smile widened and he shrugged, as if saying, what am I supposed to do? Jill had a good feeling about him, but still she resisted.

The Corvette rounded the corner. That's the end of Gorgeous Man. Disgusted, she closed her eyes and mumbled under her breath, "God, I wish I wasn't such a coward."

Then something weird and wonderful happened.

"Hi, I'm Chad Conroy." A rich baritone voice introduced himself.

Who said that?

Opening her eyes, she almost passed out. Stunned doesn't begin to describe how Jill felt. She was in the Corvette. She started to panic. Short of breath, she screeched, "How did I get in here?"

Gorgeous Man, AKA, Chad Conroy, cut her a warm, endearing and reassuring smile and said, "You rushed over to the car and hopped in."