Amanda, deep in her subconscious, lay on the couch and recited exactly the vision before her. As before, she held the little silver talisman in her hand, the very thing she believed helped achieve that last vivid vision. So much was on her mind when she arrived at Vi's townhouse. There was the inevitable exposure of Kevin's nefarious scheme to frame Brian for embezzlement. There was the film project that was exciting but proved to be so overwhelming. Then there was Brian Dale confessing his love. When he kissed her last night, Amanda began to feel the heavy weight lifted off her shoulders. However, there was that nagging feeling something was amiss. Brian made an odd request: Invite Vi's niece and family to an afternoon party at one of the city's
most posh hotels. At first Amanda thought it was all a lark on Brian's part, but when she pressed him further as to why he was being so generous, he simply explained that he was doing it for her. OK, so he's being overly generous and gracious, out of love and concern for her, but Amanda still felt he was up to something. Maybe the day of feasting, music, and fun was a ruse to trap Kevin. She couldn't be farther from the truth. In fact, Brian was adamant that Tracy Wells bring along husband Kip no matter how busy the man was.
"But don't tell him," read the note Brian sent to Tracy's hotel, "It's a surprise." With so much on her mind, Amanda found it hard to concentrate. The odd little talisman hummed and spun in her hand as the vision became blurry at times. As hard as she could, Amanda focused on the Cretaceous setting, wanting to once again revel with her dinosaurian friends. Finally clearing her conscience of all things negative and extraneous, Amanda at last, in her subconscious, stepped through that door into the mystical paradise. No predators could be heard, and Amanda relaxed as she actually touched the maiasaurus sitting at her feet.
How peaceful to be with the magnificent creatures, although I would love to communicate with them. How do you "talk" to a dinosaur? No matter, for the music is our lone communication. They may not understand the language of the lyrics not the finer points of musical theory, but they know...
Amanda began singing another song, an Italian aria this time, "Musetta's Waltz" from La Boheme,
one of her favorites. Although German lieder was her specialty, Amanda had a
deep love for Italian opera. While it puzzled Amanda why she chose to sing that
aria – about a...well, a flirtatious prostitute – she couldn't get over how the
dinosaur hung on to every word, every note. When she finished, Amanda looked
into the maiasaurus' eyes, trying to detect any depth of emotion. The answers
came all too readily. "You're worried that the predators will come back. Don't
fret so, for I have a plan..."
While Amanda discussed her scheme with her friend, that familiar, faint roar wafted out from the deep forest. They're back, and this time we're ready for them.
°°°°°°
"Mom, when will Daddy be home?" The boy was insistent, although his mother kept him at bay with, "When Daddy is finished with business...Oh, there goes the phone. That might be him."
Tracy Wells, a pretty and petite redhead with big green eyes and of pale complexion, answered the phone. It was her Auntie Vi. So much to do within the span of three days, she thought. Back in Springfield, she barely got the kids ready in time to catch their plane. Now finally settled in a posh hotel suite (courtesy of an as of yet
unknown benefactor), Tracy looked forward to surprising her husband. How long had Kip been gone this time? Several weeks, although he managed to take time from his busy schedule to call home every day and evening. In a way, Tracy wished Kip would quit this traveling job; it took too much time away from her and the children. It's not right for a man to be on the road so much, although he does draw a nice salary, but Kip should be able to find a job that will keep him at home. Many times Tracy suggested that, only to be answered with, "But I have so many important clients, Tracy. Besides, it won't be for long. Once I land this next deal, I'll be able to spend more time at home. And that's what you want, isn't it?"
Well, time will tell. Honestly, thought Tracy, Kip is an enigma in himself. I still don't know much about him, other than he's an orphan raised in a series of foster homes. No wonder he has this insatiable wanderlust...
"Hello, Aunt Vi? Oh, Miss Meade...Hi, this is Tracy Wells. Yes, we had a nice flight out...Yes, the children are
settling in nicely...What's that? What?! Oh my goodness, now that is a treat! What time does Aunt Vi expect us? In about an hour? OK, tell her we'll be there. My husband? I haven't heard from him since we arrived, and I doubt he'll come over with us...Oh, that's fine. We'll be there within the hour. Good-bye."
As soon as she got off the phone, Tracy announced to her children, "Guys, we'll have to finish unpacking when we come back. Right now, we need to head to my Aunt Vi's. She has a surprise for you."
"Aww, Mom," said Nick, a handsome lad of six summers and the splitting image of his mother, right down to the red hair and green eyes, "I thought Daddy was coming to see us."
"Now stop that whining, Nick. You know your father is very busy. He's probably busy with clients. He'll call us today, I promise. Now, come on so we can catch a taxi to Aunt Vi's."
Gathering her daughter Emily and son Nick, Tracy soon herded them into a taxi bound for the Upper West Side, to Vi Mingledorff's townhouse. When was the last time Tracy saw her aunt? Not since before she married Kip. Odd that Vi and Kip hadn't crossed paths, what with the latter's frequent trips to New York. Maybe he was, as always, just too busy. At any rate, Tracy was just too thrilled to be with her favorite auntie again, and what Miss Meade said about the famous Amanda Hardy being there. Tracy was an avid fan of Ms. Hardy and had nearly all her CD's. Too bad she missed Amanda's recital in Cincinnati last spring, and she wished she had brought along the latest CD for Amanda to autograph. Oh well...
°°°°°°
"I'm going to bring you out, Amanda."
"No, not yet. We still have to face down that monster, and I'm curious about the other female."
"All in good time, Amanda. You've been through enough for one session."
Amanda began to count up from one to twenty. As usual, before she reached fifteen, she slowly opened her eyes. The talisman lay still in her hands.
"I don't think we made much progress," she said dejectedly. "We heard the roar in the distance, but the predators have yet to show their faces this time. I told her I had a plan to face down the spinosaurs, but..."
She sighed then leaned back in the chair, totally drained. Something bothered her, such as the choice of song she performed for the maiasaurus.
"Why," Amanda said to Vi, "did I sing Musetta's aria? It's hardly the thing a dinosaur would understand."
She laughed a bit and was joined by Vi in her amusement. Ms. Mingledorff took the talisman from Amanda then wrapped it back in its black muslin bag before returning it to the drawer. After ringing for Miss Meade she said, "Amanda, perhaps it was an attempt to connect further with your dinosaurian persona. Maybe the choice of song – a song about flirting with men – is a sign that you are getting in touch with your sexuality again. Tell Amanda, is there someone you're seeing now?"
Amanda tried not to blush, but she had a feeling Vi would ask her about her current love life.
"Well," she replied, trying not to appear too anxious or needy, "you know I dumped Kevin Williams. I never want to see him again. And Brian Dale has made some overtures...OK, so I'll confess. I'm falling in love with Brian, and he's fallen for me. We're not serious or anything, but that could change. I mean, we work side-by-side on this film project, so it's understandable that we are attracted to each other."
"Hmm," Vi said, "I often wonder about that Jane Eyre musical that Mr. Dale was backing. The rumor is that he wanted you in the lead role because...Well, your talent of course. But word at the time was that he took a fancy to you. I wouldn't bet the man's been in love with you for years, admired you from afar only to stand aside because you were promised to another."
Amanda didn't know what to say. She had a feeling long ago that Brian was interested in her, and not just for her talent. Why didn't he voice this last night? Maybe it had to do with Kevin's hold on her all these years, and Brian was just too much of a gentleman to come between them. Then she thought of something else: That invitation to a swanky party. Tracy and Kip, along with the children, were to be expressly included. Why? It didn't make much sense other than Brian was being so generous. Does this have something to do with trapping Kevin? What role does Vi's niece play in exposing Kevin's plot to frame Brian for embezzlement?
She had to ask.
"Vi, Brian could tell me so much last night, but he suspects my ex-boyfriend is up to no good. He made the oddest request. He wants to give a party and invite your niece and her family. You said you never met Tracy's husband. What do you think he's like?"
Vi replied, "I really don't know other than what Tracy tells me. Kip is an orphan, raised in a series of foster homes all his life. Tracy thinks this is why Kip took the traveling job. Since he was shuttled from this and that home, he's never known what it's like to settle down in one place. Nevertheless, Tracy is so much in love with him, though she wishes he would find another job that will keep him closer to home."
Saying that reminded Vi of Tracy's impending arrival. "She should be here any time. I've instructed Miss Meade to show them in, then we'll have lunch. Amanda, you will love Tracy. She's quite a fan of yours, and the children are adorable."
Amanda smiled, but had this nagging uneasy feeling about meeting Mrs. Wells. Naturally, she had no qualms about meeting the children as she loved kids, but why was she feeling all this negativity towards Tracy? She couldn't shake that feeling as Miss Meade announced the Wells' arrival.
Ever the gracious, tactful servant, she entered the room silently, efficiently and said, "Mrs. Wells and her children are downstairs in the sitting room,
madam. May I show them up?"
Vi shook her head.
"No need for that, Miss Meade. Miss Hardy and I are finished here. Tell my niece we will be down shortly."
The housekeeper nodded, replying, "Very good, madam. When shall I announce luncheon?"
"Is it ready now?"
"Oh yes. Cook has it all prepared."
Turning to Amanda, Vi said, "Then I guess we better go downstairs and receive our guests. Amanda, my niece will be so thrilled to meet you..."
°°°°°°
He had to ever so cautious in this place. Too many people knew his face, thus he could risk the danger of running into an acquaintance. But he had to confirm what he suspected, that the odd note awaiting for him at the hotel was either the real thing or a joke. Hmm...Seems on the up and up. A "client" wants to meet with me at some fancy townhouse on the Upper East Side...
He scanned the handwritten invitation, trying to detect any familiarity in the graphology. Can't be too cautious these days, not since he was within days of wrecking havoc over another's life.
He asked the desk clerk, "When was this delivered?"
The non-descript clerk, not looking up from his computer screen, replied, "Just a few minutes ago, Mr. Wells, as I was coming on shift."
"So you wouldn't know who delivered it."
"As I said, sir, I just came on duty. The clerk before me may be able to tell you who."
"And who would that be?"
"Miss Grant, but she has already clocked out. Won't be back on duty again until tomorrow morning."
He shook his head, still in the dark as to the identity of this client. He thought he had his bases covered, but then again, the mysterious party giver could be one of his many contacts who kept his secret just that: a secret.
"Well, never mind." Then, thinking of someone else, he asked, "Are there any other messages for me? From a Mrs. Tracy Wells, perhaps?"
"No sir, nothing other than what I gave you."
A sigh of relief, then he panicked. Could there be a chance Tracy packed up the kids and came here on a whim? He had to ask, "Is there a Mrs. Wells registered here? Just wondering. You see, my kids are on break, and I had an inkling my wife may have brought them to the city to surprise me."
The clerk smiled, saying, "Ah, nothing like a visit from your loved ones when you're in town on business. Let me see..."
He went through the computer guest files, finding nothing.
"No, Mr. Wells, there is no one here registered under a 'Tracy Wells'. May I be of some assistance, perhaps inquiring at the other hotels?"
Mr. Wells shook his head. "No, that won't be necessary. I'll just call my wife at home later. Thanks."
Kip Wells AKA Kevin Williams left the hotel then checked his watch. Let's see, it's the same time here as in Ohio. What if I call Tracy on her cell phone. She should be out and about with the kids by now, running errands. Without hesitation, he dialed her number. How relieved he was when she answered.
"Hello? Tracy? Hey, it's me. I'm fine, busy as hell though...How's your day so far? Hmm? Oh, I see...I hope the kids aren't missing too much. Huh? When will I be home? Well, I should be able to wrap up my business by tomorrow, maybe the day after, then I'll catch the first plane out...What? Oh, that's nice...Yeah, they're growing up so fast...OK...Say, I have to head for a meeting but I'll call you later, OK? I love you, too. Kiss Nick and Emmie for me. Bye."
°°°°°°
"Aww," said Tracy as she closed her phone, "Kip called just to say 'Hi'. He has no idea we're here, and I want it to stay that way at least until this evening." Tracy Wells, still in awe in Amanda's presence, could not believe her luck. Here she was sitting at her aunt's luncheon table, next to one of the world's most renown bel canto singers. Over a delicious lunch of chicken salad, hot bread, and an assortment of fresh fruits (with kid-friendly chicken nuggets for the children), Vi, Amanda and Tracy became more acquainted. Actually, Amanda couldn't understand why she was so paranoid about meeting Tracy; she found the lady so refreshingly wonderful. Of course, Tracy had to play the 'number one fan' bit.
"I still can't over meeting you, Miss Hardy. Please forgive me for sounding like a starstruck fan, but I have nearly every one of your CD's. I wanted so bad to attend your Cincinnati recital, but I did see you when you performed at my son's school."
Amanda remembered that recital as part of a ten-city young people's concert tour. Naturally Kevin frowned upon Amanda performing 'pro bono', but she insisted that exposing youngsters to classical music fosters appreciation, thus future audiences. "That means they'll grow up to be PAYING customers, Kevin," came the terse retort. Such a remark made Kevin back off, and he didn't even accompany her on this tour much to her relief.
Pushing those thoughts from her head, she turned to Tracy, asking, "How long will you be in New York?"
"We leave Sunday morning. The kids have school Monday. I just wanted to surprise my husband, get him to tear himself away from business long enough to spend time with his family."
"And when will you see your husband again?"
"Hopefully, he'll get an invitation to a party. That's tomorrow afternoon, and I'm sure he can't turn it down as the invitation is supposedly from a client."
Vi Mingledorff smiled, saying, "And won't it just blow Kip away to see not only his wife and kids, but meet the famous Amanda Hardy."
"And," rejoined Amanda, "the equally imminent Brian Dale."
Tracy nearly dropped her fork; she was that shocked. "Do you mean the Brian Dale? The billionaire? Wow, this should be some party! I can't believe all the good luck."
"Mommy," said Nick, "is it true Miss Amanda was a dinosaur? Aunt Vi was saying–"
"Nick!," Tracy admonished, "Don't interrupt."
She turned to Amanda, herself highly curious. "I know that Aunt Vi delves into
past lives and psychic phenomena. What you told me earlier, that you had a past
life as a dinosaur, is so overwhelmingly fascinating."
Miss Hardy nodded, then turned to Nick. "It's all true, Nick. I was a dinosaur a
long time ago. In fact, I'm making a movie about my experiences. Your Auntie Vi
is helping me understand my dinosaur life."
"Oh boy!," said Nick, "you're making a dinosaur movie! Mommy can we go see Miss
Amanda's movie? Please?"
Amanda looked at Nick then at Tracy, saying, "Let me explain. The movie won't be
out for a while. We have to finish writing the story, choose who's going to be
in it, then we have to film it. I'm choosing the music. Do you remember some of
the songs I performed at your school?"
"Uh huh."
"Well, I'm singing some of those same songs."
"Cool!," was all Nick said before digging into his ice cream cake. The ladies
wanted to laugh, knowing that tomorrow should be quite interesting. Amanda
wondered what kind of man Kip was. Has to be a wonderful father to these
adorable children, even though he isn't home half the time. I can't wait to meet
him.
To be continued...Go to chapter 12
Copyright©2004 by P.R. Parker. All rights reserved.