6 comments/ 20177 views/ 4 favorites Miss Love Finds Love By: Egmont Grigor CHAPTER 1 The clerk read out Item 17 on the City Council's agenda. A Miss Augustine Love and three others were petitioning the council to have the city's airport closed between 8:00 pm and 6:00 am 24/7 so their sleep was not disturbed. Heavy jowl Mayor Rogers with narrow eyes sniggered. "Call the chief petitioner." "Miss Love, this approach is wasting out time and if granted would threatened the city's economy. Please withdraw it." "No." "Then in the powers vested in me I dismiss the petition. Please return to your seat." "Very well Mayor Rogers but I shall go to the Governor on this matter." "You'll be wasting your time. I have legislative authority to dismiss any petition that threatens significantly the economic well-being of this city and have so ruled. You may not be aware that Flight 109 each evening at 11:11 flies out the produce from my farms to various destinations for canning. Off you go. Next petition please." In the lobby of City Hall blonde Augustine's three friends, Angie Anderson, Winnie Harris and Isobel Robinson expressed their disappointment and thanked Augustine for leading the charge. "It's failed so we all now return to our homes and sulk." "It isn't over. Just watch this space," said the 30-year old attorney. Her three business clients looked started. "What do you propose doing?" Angie asked their pretty, somewhat stocky leader. "Look for another way. It's that 11:11 flight that is our problem." "Agreed," Winnie said and Isobel echoed that. Back in her office Augustine found Sky Haul Airlines ran the 11:11 flight. The airline was based in New York. Well, that was food for thought. Mid-afternoon a handsome guy in his early thirties called on Augustine and informed the receptionist he was from The Echo. The receptionist slipped him in as a client was leaving Augustine's office. "Hi Miss Love, I'm Dick Talbot from The Echo and would like some quotes from you on the council's handling of your petition." Augustine looked at her diary and saw no Dick Talbot had an appointment with her. She wondered if newspaper reporters were slipped in between patients of surgeons in operating theaters and were unfortunate to have a testicle removed. Still, this interloper could be useful to her cause. "I and my fellow petitioners were unfairly treated by a dictatorial mayor whose heart is made out of his shallots and beetroot. According to my research he is the only user of that night freight flight. Only a weak-ass mayor would hide behind self-interest and a conveniently framed law so after today's ruling by the mayor what does that make him?" Dick said, "Miss Love, you of all people being an attorney know you can't publicly claim our mayor is weak-assed?" "Oh but I haven't. Please read back to me what you have just noted as me saying." Dick read out the sentence and looked up admiringly. "Beautifully and cleverly expressed Miss Love. I shall attempt to convince our editor we should run it. The slur is implied but not stated insomuch." "Thank you. And I wind up by saying we are so disappointed our intransigent mayor did not get off his backside and attempt to find a solution to the problem raised by the right-thinking petitioners. He should have personally attempted to find a solution because it is his farm produce that the aircraft flies in to collect very late at night." "Dick, please call me Augustine. Could we meet later for a drink? I finish here at 6:00." "Yes certainly, is this a date of do you wish to consult me?" "It possibly could interest you more if I did not answer that question Dick." They arranged to meet and the Regal Bar of the Hotel Fairfax. Dick left the room scratching his head. Dick rushed into the bar late. "Sorry. The editor Stan Morris asked me to get the mayor's comment to your comment and the mayor refused to give it over the phone. I had to wait outside his office until he felt ready to talk. His comment was. "I'll sue the bitch and you can print that, so we are." "What old Stan is taking a risk?" "The one thing that gets up Stan's ass is anyone who facetiously threatens to sue anyone, knowing they haven't a leg to stand on and use the opportunity to punch below the belt, especially if the opponent is female." "Yes, Stan is a gentleman." "He told me – and now this is off the record – that for all he knows you are not a slut and definitely never have quite acted like a bitch." "Oh charming. Isn't old Stan a sweetheart?" "I'm staying neutral on this one Augustine." "Would you like to find out if I am a slut Dick?" Augustine had spoken quite loudly and conversations in the bar fell away. Blushing, Dick said loudly, "He had no right to use that word about you Miss Love." Other conversations resumed. "Oh Dick darling," Augustine whispered. "Thank you. My honor remains intact." "Why am I here?" "Almost two years ago when you arrived to work on The Echo I recall you saying you had a sister who worked with one of the TV networks in New York as an assistant producer. Is she still in that position?" "Actually she's Elizabeth Hart, who has become a top behind-the-news program maker." "Dick darling. Would you contact her and invite her to do a program about me, the working title being, Miss Love Goes to New York to Get Her Sleep Back." "I think I can see where this is heading... you intend taking on the airline?" "Oh how clever Dick. Yes. I purchased one hundred shares in the airline today; stockholders are entitled to speak at next month's AGM. Please finish your drink. I'm taking you home to prove, just to you, that the bitch really is a slut when she chooses to be." "Er..." "Dick, please don't lie. I called the chief reporter's executive assistant and she confirmed you were due to finish work at 6:00 today; Come along Dick." * * * Dick had seen Augustine many times but never had they spoken. She had the powerful curvy figure that screamed to a guy to take to bed but her mind were off-putting... very awesome. He'd been in court when she'd cut assistant district attorneys to pieces and on one celebrated occasion she'd cut loose on a judge who when summing up had misquoted a particular point of law that could have had serious consequences for her client, raising in the judge's mind the severity of the assault charge. The judge turned purple and called counsel up to the bench and only when the assistant to the assistant district attorney hurried up with the cited reference open did the judge after reading it ask counsel to return to their seats and he congratulated Miss Love for assistance in defining with greater clarity a fine point of law. When he'd returned to the office Dick reported the incident to the editor and Stan had laughed and said Miss Love was not a person to be fiddled with. He then laughed and said he could talk; years ago he'd fiddled with her mother. That raised a question over Augustine's comment about Stan always being a gentleman: would a gentleman fiddle with one's mother or even talk about it, even years later? Augustine lived in a charming and beautifully restored 1940s cottage surrounded by an old fashion garden. It was one of the notable homes of the city and she loved it and tourists often stopped to take photos of her working in her garden in 1940s-style gardening clothes including having her sunhat with a flimsy white scarf over it tied under her chin. Dick's friend Alice Beach had won a national newspaper photography award for it, entering it in the nostalgia section that rarely received entries. Just as Dick was wondering what Alice would think of him, being alone with Augustine in her home, he heard Augustine say, "Since you have come home with me Dick I assume it is to fuck me?" Heavens, why hadn't the woman used a softer work like seduce? "Er, I guess so." "Oh my Dick, you only guess so. Let me find out by unzipping and freeing Dick's dick. It's temperature and state of arousal will tell me exactly what Dick's answer really is." The dick behaved treacherously. Its temperature soared and it grew in Augustine's hand. "Oooh Dick. You are such a big boy." At that Dick almost shot his wad. Dick rose from the bed, looking down at the memorable body of Augustine. "I'm dressing and then going. Do you want me to... er... fetch a towel for you to clean up?" "No thank you darling. I rarely have men shoot cum all over my body, including my face and hair. I just wish to remain in this position to enjoy being almost in a cum bath. You are certainly a big shot Dick." "Well the excess sometimes draws complaints," Dick said coloring. "But tonight I was aroused to unprecedented heights. You are exceedingly good with your tongue, hands, feet and in your lurid mutterings Augustine. And you squeeze your cunt like no other woman I've met." "Pussy sounds nicer darling. Perhaps we could do this again?" "I'll need a month to recover, Dick joked and she looked ever so pleased. Dick jerked his zip over his buddy at rest. "Good night Augustine. Don't let my cum set like concrete on you. I'll call my sister as soon as I have my phone. It's in my car." "Thank you. What we did here tonight wasn't intended to make you more cooperative because I already knew you recognized a potentially great story. I just felt like a fuck and you were the guy in my sights. Don't mention me to Alice." "You know about me and Alice?" "She's a friend of a friend who talks a lot and I have seen you two walking into the movies and restaurants." "She'd half kill me if I told her." "Goodnight Dick. Just remember this: Never tell a lover you have fucked another woman. They can't bear the thought of being told that. In that instance, women invariably prefer the man to lie to them." "Good night and thanks for that amazing sisterhood tip. I can't wait to get my hands on you again Augustine. Please think about that." "Oooh." * * * Augustine in the bath next morning picked up her phone and smiled. "Good morning Miss Love who is coming to New York from Arizona to take on the country's biggest cargo-container only airlines, or so I'm told. I'm Dick's married sister Elizabeth Hart." "Oh Elizabeth, doesn't a family network work effectively. Please call me Augustine. Yes, I'm coming to New York and my mission is to win my fight so mentioned this to Dick with the thought you might see a mini-documentary in it. You know the sort of thing, 'Feisty young woman takes on billionaire leafy vegetable grower and a mega airline.' "Oooh." "Exactly. That is my thought also. My fight could wilt like a lettuce caught without water but you and I are adults and know you win some, you loose some but unless you fight you loose the damn lot." "Oooh." "Yes exactly Elizabeth. I'm relieved you are so understanding." Elizabeth said, "Augustine, I require an answer to this question: Do you think you have a hope in hell of winning this one." "Hope? What kind of weak-backbone question is that? Elizabeth, I wouldn't be wasting my time going to New York if I thought that. I'm going to New York to win." "Oh goodness, Augustine. You have my heart pounding. I can fly in to Phoenix to see you Thursday, staying overnight. How does that suit you?" "Fly into Lode which is where I live. We have an international airport. Bring light clothes and moisturizer Elizabeth because it's hot and dry here. Are you aware Lode is the winter capital of the world for lettuce?" "Um no. I thought that was my local fruitier or the supermarket." "Very droll Elizabeth. I think I'm going to really like you. Come to Lode and I'll open your eyes. Please stay with me. Give me your email address and I'll send details." * * * Elizabeth Hart arrived in Lode to find the temperature a full 10 degrees warmer than when she'd left JFK. She couldn't believe she was doing this but had always been a sucker for her younger brother's whining. She grinned. Dick believed in this woman and her story but he must also be doing something with her and Big Sister has an idea what that would be. She looked around. Augustine said she'd been wearing white and red sandals. Elizabeth saw an exceedingly attractive hooker in a strapless short white dress and red sandals but no sign of a conservatively dressed attorney. Oh god, the hooker was going to proposition her. "Elizabeth Hart?" "Yes. Oh god, it's you Augustine. Oh you look amazing. I was expecting...ah..." "A legal frump?" "Ah... yes." "So since I look a little sexy I'm now drawing in your mind a much more likely doco? "Ah... yes." "Welcome to hot and dry paradise darling. We must get you out of those clothes. You look too much like a New York TV frump." "These are my light clothes." "Darling, do you want sweat showing under your armpits, between your breasts and something looking suspiciously like a sweat patch between your legs. Wearing shiny brown cotton in this climate is disastrous, believe me." They stopped off at nearby Southgate Mall where Elizabeth, in her late thirties, was bullied into shedding her stockings, cami and bra and packing them away with her old dress and walk out, protesting, in a strapless white dress, the only concession Augustine would allow it could be much lower that hers, going way down to just above the knees. "This is what a plucked goose must feel like," Elizabeth complained. My breasts feel as if they are dancing the waltz." "Neat eh?" Augustine smiled. "Wait until you see guys looking at you, licking their lips." "Oh god." Elizabeth flew out next morning waving goodbye to her exhilarating new friend. The house and garden had enchanted her; she'd also fallen in love with Augustine, but not sexual love because she was married with the almost mandatory two children, a girl and boy. Still the excitement Augustine filled her with came close to competing with sexual excitement. Last night, bloated with fine food and far too much wine, Elizabeth had jumped out of bed, almost crapping herself, thinking Armageddon had arrived. But no, it was 11:11 and the big jet was swinging around on a heading for Chicago. As Augustine said the military jets tended to be far more civic-minded and blasted off into the desert. "Are you awake," Augustine had called. "Yeah, almost scared shitless." "Good girl. I wanted you to have the experience to feel why I'm so passionate about this. Goodnight sweetie." * * * The head of programming argued that it was utterly wrong – professionally immoral –take the side of one woman and place Lode's economy in jeopardy. "Clarence darling, this woman is not out to wreck an economy or to send growers to the wall. All she is seeking is a bit of understanding and to affect a compromise that reads, earlier flights. Think national awards Clarence. This is going to be my best deco ever. This is the most amazing woman I've ever met. She has energy to burn and is passionate about everything." "Oh yeah. A modern day crusader from where is it?" "Lode." Clarence laughed. "Shut up Clarence and listen to this tape of my conversation with her about her house and garden. It's a set up out of a fairytale book. And then we listen to her talking about her passionate mission to New York." Clarence rubbed his jaw at the end of the taping and said, "I have to admit she'd impressive. I'd hate to be opposing her." "And now for my trump card Clarence. This is what she looks like." Clarence's eyes bulged and his one-word delivery was, "Jesus." At 4:30 that afternoon Clarence's PA delivered to Elizabeth her authority to commence the doco and confirmation that funding for it was in place. Screening would be nation-wide at 7:00 on the evening of the airline's AGM. Elizabeth fell across her desk and wept. Christopher Read came bursting into Elizabeth's office, barely managing to knock. "I can't believe this, pulled off directing 'Weekly Fashion', one of most success new shows to do a stupid doco for you." "I can understand your hurt darling but work your butt off and you'll have a national award." "That is crap Elizabeth and you know it." "This is wasting my time Christopher but you are entitled to a full briefing. Come with me over to Kelly's Bar." "At least that's some compensation." After listing to the tapes with a couple of drinks in his belly Christopher's aggression had subsided. And he also said "Jesus" when shown Elizabeth's digital camera shots of a sexpot called Augustine Love. "When can I start?" "You interrupted me working on assembling our team and setting schedules. But let me know as soon as you have a date to extricate yourself from 'Weekly Fashion' and you can take a crew to Lode. The team will need to photograph Miss Love in bed when the aircraft flies over at 11:11. Miss Love sleeps in the raw so be discrete with your direction darling. She is an attorney, not a hooker. You could become confused." * * * Augustine called Dick. "I'd like you to come over." His voice sank to a sexy low and said which spelling of 'come' are you using in this context?" She giggled throatily and the greasy charmer said smoothly, "My question has been answered." Dick came into the house and ripped off her clothes, not that there was much to rip off. Augustine threw herself at him, kissing him and unbuckling him with apparent expertise. They connected, noisily and lustfully and Dick blew inside two minutes. "Don't worry darling," said his temptress, with a pedigree obviously stretching back to the days of ancient Rome and Babylon and other famous locality of whores of old. "You will be recharged within minutes, I just know you will." Then she, with magnificent control, gushed over Dick's deflating cock. His eyes flew open wide and her felt revival coming... er, taking place. As they rested, Augustine sweeping cum off her eyebrows with a finger and sucking up, told her lover to switch on his tape and them brought him up to date with what was happening. Dick agreed to keep everything he compiled secret until the morning. NBC had already been granted permission to have two camera teams at the annual meeting of the airline. The airline's PR team was suspicious but accepted the corporation's explanation that one of its business reporters understood Sky Haul Airlines had made a record profit and would be announcing a special bonus to shareholders." "Who told your man that?" demanded the head of PR. "That was supposed to be our best-kept secret." The NBC PR woman said the secret would remain safe and the authorization to be present at the annual meeting were issued with the proviso that no pre-advance information be televised, which was exactly what NBC wanted. Absolutely thrilled that everything was going so well Elizabeth took her husband Gary to bed as soon as he arrived home that evening and the greatly surprised newspaper executive received the best sex he'd had since their honeymoon. "God, I'll have to take tomorrow off work. I'll be unable to walk." "Darling, let's help the kids with their homework and after they are off watching TV after dinner I want to talk to you about arranging a front page story for me in your Daily News." "I'm head of new business and that's nothing to do with editorial." "Oh silly me darling. But after what I tell you I'd think you will be talking to the Editor-in-Chief of whatever name is given to the God of News." * * * Christopher arrived in Lode with his film crew and set up filming Miss Hart dressed in her traditional manner working in her cottage garden. Augustine rather took to Christopher and took him to bed but insisted he wear condoms because she suspected he appeared to have strong leanings towards been gay. She first suspected that when he sniffed at her garden flowers and predominately gave his attention to pink flowers, as women tend to do if one observes in sharp focus. Miss Love Finds Love The crew filmed her working in her office, eating lunch alone in a café, standing on the steps of city hotel and in her bedroom at night at 11:11 when despite Augustine's warning most of the crew looked scared and ready to flee. The crew packed up and left but Christopher stayed behind to comfort Augustine and that made her wonder that perhaps the young director was redefining his sexuality. He'd chosen a lovely way of doing it. The crew's PR woman Josephine Black checked the local TV station and was able to purchase rights to use its clips of Mayor Rogers presiding at his council meeting and standing in among some of his hundreds of acres of lettuce, picking spinach and lording over stacks of boxed broccoli. Josephine was feted by the film production team on the flight back to New York when she revealed she'd also purchased screening rights to a nighttime clip of market gardener tycoon Mayor Rogers watching containers of lettuce being loaded at the airport on to a Sky Haul jet. A romance was developing between sweet Augustine and earnest Dick. He began calling on her more but not necessarily for sex. For instance he'd arrived with two copies of a Sunday Newspaper and they'd have coffee and read out to each other little bits of text that appealed to them and then they'd have lunch, usually in the garden under the shade shelter and early afternoon he'd go off to work on The Echo and Augustine would clear away and sort out her clothes for the next week, nothing more than kisses having passed between them. Occasionally Dick would drive them 180 miles east to Phoenix for a show and return that night or they'd go over and stay at a resort spa and fuck like rattlesnakes. One afternoon Dick arrived with Alice to take photos of Augustine at work at her office, in her garden and on the steps of City Hall. Initially Alice was very uptight. "Oh god, Dick has told me about you but he didn't tell me you were so beautiful." Augustine gave no sign of being caught in a predicament. She just smiled sweetly and purred, "Oh darling, who is so out of touch these days to be bothered about men." Alice's eyes widened and she smiled at Augustine and from them on treated Augustine with real warmth. Dick was there and had witnessed their encounter and its sudden uplifting change, all managed by Augustine by saying just a few words. He was used to hearing men say they had difficulty understanding women and Dick had never been quite sure about that. But right now he was as confused as any male attempting to understand women. An hour or so later he clicked: Oh no, cunning Augustine had put Alice's claws back in place by suggesting Augustine was a lesbian. What a sly bitch! After a restaurant dinner they returned from the airport after photographing Augustine at the security fence watching Flight 109 arriving. At 11:11 Alice photographed Augustine's alarmed eyes in bed as the aircraft roared overhead on the flight out. "You have lovely breasts," Alice murmured, looking down at the exposed torso. Augustine masterfully completed her deception. "Why don't you send Dick off alone darling and stay?" "Dick," Alice yelped. "We've finished here. Let's go!" Meanwhile Echo publisher-editor Stan Morris had sent a confidential memo to newspaper editors all over America on their communications network about the upcoming story about a beautiful and angry young attorney from Lode, Arizona, going on a one-person mission to New York to take on Big Business. The attached graphic of Miss Love, stuffed into a little black dress and looking as if she should be going to Hollywood rather than New York make newspaper news editors lick their lips. The story was a contradiction to the murders, mayhem, fatal accidents and cheating politicians and business people all doing their best, at home and abroad, to wreck the good life. In their hundreds editor's subscribed to take up the story with the overly long but intriguing title, 'Miss Love Goes to New York to Get Her Sleep Back'. The syndication began in newspapers the day prior to the big event. The 'teaser' written by Dick with Alice's sexy photograph of Augustine in her little black dress. 'This is Augustine Love. Isn't she pretty? But keep out of her way. Tomorrow she goes to New York to rip into Big Business. Miss Love is a feisty attorney and says she intends taking no prisoners. What does this mean? Read all about it in this newspaper tomorrow. We promise you won't be disappointed in this great little story that will make readers, with emotion in their heart and belief in the little guys of this world, cry Good on you Miss Love.' Mayor Rogers riding in his limo to City hall read that 'teaser'. He called his head of security and instructed him to find out what it's about. Ralph called back later and said no one knew where Miss Love was and The Echo editor had told him to get fucked. Mayor Rogers shrugged and said to the caller, "We can't afford to waste time on little people Ralph. Return to your investigation to find if any of the irrigation companies are rorting prices." CHAPTER 2 Augustine was already in New York, staying with Elizabeth and family in their apartment. Her eldest, Carole, a 15-year old, brought in a troupe of friends to 'meet this amazing women from Arizona who's responsible for bringing my mother at last into wearing fashion clothing of the 21st Century'. Carole reminded Augustine how she was at fifteen and the two got along very well. But Timmy, oh so shy Timmy. "What do you think of our children?" Elizabeth asked over after-dinner coffee with Gary. Gary appeared disinterested until Augustine said, "You should know me by now darling. Ask me anything and you get it, both barrels." Elizabeth was defiant. "What do you think of our children?" "Carole is a darkling, with the firepower to develop passion and already she knows firmly who she is and what she's about. You two will have a torrid time with her, I'll bet on that happening. Your only hope is to maintain her respect so she allows herself to be reined in. Then one day she'll find her special guy and lo, you will have a swan gliding around you and being just the perfect young woman you hoped you were destined to have." "Augustine, you should be writing books for weepy women." "My female characters would fuck themselves legless Gary." Poor Gary was not sure where to look so chose the ceiling. "I tried to warn you Gary," Elizabeth laughed, putting an arm around him. "With Timmy you have a problem. He's twelve and will be beginning to go through a difficult period until he toughens up." "We're worried," Gary said, with enough courage back to look at Augustine again. "Christ, don't worry about it. That makes matters worse. Do something, work at it." "Like what?" "Oh Elizabeth, you won't want to hear this." "Please proceed," the hostess gritted. "Well the first thing is you sit down with him. Call it having a family conference which means Carole is there, adding her bit." Elizabeth's voice quavered. "We already have conferences called that to discuss dishes and hovering schedules, answering the phone properly and trying to get better grades at school." "Oh, then you better call it A Defining Moment in the Life of Tim." "Timmy." "No Tim. For fuck sake Elizabeth, the young boy is twelve about to slip into the teenager years. You sit him down at that conference, get him settled and then give him the news." "Oh we couldn't do that," Elizabeth cried. "He's always been my Timmy." There heard someone enter the kitchen and the cookie jar being opened. "Timmy?" "Yes dad?" "Come in here with your cookie. Miss Love wants to ask you something." "No," squeaked Elizabeth. "Okay, I won't do it." "Please do it," Elizabeth squeaked again. "Yes Miss Love?" "Timmy, if you could chose any name in the world what name would you choose for yourself?" "Kirk, after Captain Kirk. I've been watching reruns of Star Trek." "What a lovely name. What is your choice of worst name?" "Boris – he's the school bully." "What about Timmy?" "Yeah, that too." "What about Tim." "That's all right. Some of the teachers are beginning to call me Tim and some of the girls." "Would you like to be called Tim?" "Yeah, can I go now?" "Very well, but before you go do you wish to ask mom and dad if they will call you Tim from now on?" "Yeah." "I'll call you Tim," Elizabeth said, dabbing at her eyes. "Yeah me too," said his father. "Tim sounds lean and mean." Elizabeth sobbed and said she'd tell Carole about the name change. "Don't bother. She's been calling me Tim for the last couple of years unless you guys are around. Can I go now?" "Yes Tim," said his father, sighing. After Tim went to bed Elizabeth called Carole to join them in the TV room. "What you are about to see Gary and Carole is hush-hush until you see it on TV tomorrow night. It's about Augustine. She hasn't seen it either. Pour the champagne Gary – Carole may have half a glass. Head of production believes this will win us a national award even if Augustine fails in her mission because it's a story about the little guy taking on big business, although in this case it's a woman. We do the last of the filming tomorrow and after the screening tomorrow night at 7:00, at 7:30 Miss Love, Christopher the director and me will be interviewed by Diana Parrington for fifteen minutes. The story will be told in some detail in the Daily News tomorrow morning but without the outcome as that won't happen until between 10:00 and noon." "Oh mom, this is so exciting. May I sit beside you Miss Love?" "Yes my beautiful friend and why don't you call me Augustine. You mom won't mind because she knows if she objects I'll thump her." "Do you object mom?" "No dear, it appears Augustine is running the show." "Oh look at you in your garden," Carole cried. "It looks straight out of an old-time story book but at the opening in your little black dress you look like a best dressed woman from here in Manhattan." "I think that's so true darling. And what do you think your mother and her team are attempting to do?" "Display you as a complete character to show you are just not a bunny." "Carole." "No Elizabeth, it's fine. That is a very perceptive observation Carole. Now what should they do?" "Build the story, getting to its heart, captivating what it's all about before the audience drifts." "Do you take drama?" "Yes." "Ooh, here we go," cried Augustine as the big jet near midnight thundered over her house, shaking the camera. Augustine was shown lifting up, a sheet partly over her, and a free hand across her exposed breast. Her eyes looked huge and then her beautiful face curled into a scowl." "Is that drama or is it what," Carole screamed. "Beautifully done mom." Augustine marveled at the way in which shots of her working at the office, standing on the steps of City Hall, Mayor Rogers working at his desk and then shots of him on his farm and then finally the shot of Flight 109 coming into land and then loading of containers were woven in under the Elizabeth's narration. Many years ago Elizabeth as a young journalist had narrated news clips on TV and had decided to do this one herself. The screen showed sunrise over the Arizona desert. Elizabeth comment stated, "In a few minutes we begin a new day as the determined Augustine Love catches her flight to go to New York to battle Big Business. By big business we mean Sky Haul Airlines, the company that sends Flight 109 over several hundred houses at 11:11 24/7, scaring inhabitants from their sleep." "Well that's all for now," Elizabeth said. "We pre-filmed tomorrow's arrival so that will be added tomorrow along with tomorrow's filming of Augustine supposedly arriving at JFK early morning from Chicago where her parents live. She'll have a lonely breakfast in a hotel opposite when the airline's annual meeting will be held. The airline people will be furious when Augustine identifies herself and someone then realizes she is the folk hero they read about in that morning's newspapers. Attempts will be made to clear our cameras from the event, but they our three attorneys will step forth and oppose that illegal attempt to rescind our contract. When Augustine is told she will be prohibited from speaking our attorneys will dispute the airline's right to invoke such restraint and will cite the freedom of speech as protected by the First Amendment. We believe we have everything covered." "I hope you will inform airline officials that if they reach an immediate solution with a compromise over flight times it will receive a big tick from huge public reaction." Elizabeth looked at Carole, mouth open in astonishment. Augustine, hugging the 15-year old, "I told you Carole is very much like me at her age Elizabeth. I had a habit of saying things like that." * * * Next morning it was High Noon at the meeting venue. Actually it was 9:30. Meeting officials when they saw a mobile film crew with a young blonde woman and when she gave her name as Miss Augustine Love, holder of 100 stock units, all hell broke loose, filmed of course. Security was alerted. A beefy woman attempted to grab Augustine by the arm but Augustine said, "Back off bitch. I'm not acting in a disorderly manner and am here legally. Stand off and await your orders." The chief organizer called up the airlines attorneys and the dozen of so people bent over in a huddle. The chief organizer popped up and shouted, "Everyone back to work; this small emergency is over. Welcome to our annual meeting Miss Love. You will be entitled to attend and to be filmed, but you cannot speak. Oh crap." He was pulled back into a huddle. "Miss Love. We are prohibited from preventing your from speaking under our Standing Orders... er Rules of Conduct of our Meeting. Please proceed inside with members of your film crew with ID and their attorneys." Christopher had already reserved a seat where he wanted Augustine positioned. He kissed her politely and she took her seat. The film crew tested cameras and sound. Precisely at 10:00 the chairman of the airline took his seat and called the meeting to order. Smiling Edgar Heath said, "This is the first time in the history of this airline we have had television cameras at our annual meeting. News about our wonderful performance for the year must have leaked. Welcome everyone. Please be aware your movements and other behavior are under my control as chairman of the meeting. A special welcome to our major stockholders and to you Miss Love. We were unaware we were considered Big Business but are flattered by the appellation." The business of the meeting was completed efficiently and reached General Business in fourteen minutes. "Because of this wonderful publicity – or at least I hope it is – I invite Miss Love to speak only on a matter or matters that relate to the business of this airline. Augustine stood and said, "Thank you Mr Chairman." She then nodded to Christopher and he pressed a button and most people in the auditorium ducked as a huge jet appeared to be flying just over their heads. "Mr Chairman, that is the noise approximately people in 330 homes in my neighborhood in the city of Lode, Arizona, awake to at 11:11 24/7. This noise is intolerable and unnecessary. That Sky Haul aircraft is loaded with lettuce and other leaf vegetables from Lode County, a very important element of our region's economy and freighting it out to the markets of America must continue. But not at 11:11. Up to 8:00 pm yes. But flight 109 at 11:11 must stop. I trust Mr Chairman you see reason and will act immediately to remedy this intolerable night nuisance. If you fail to act I shall proceed against you and your airline, taking you all the way to the Supreme Court if necessary. Thank you for listening to me. Your brain must be spinning by now. I had to purchase stock for the right to attend this meeting but feel incline to keep them, what with the results you are about to announce. Thank you." Booming applause followed as Augustine sat down. "I am sure we can look at this and consider if we can do something about it Miss Love. Thank you for your question. "Point of order Mr Chairman." "Oh, Mr Hercules Humphries, representing our largest stockholder. You have the floor Mr Humphries." "Edgar, I admire the guts of this young woman and by the look of the campaign she begun running this morning my feeling she already has you tied and branded. If Flight 109 flew over my house at 11:11 I'd dash out and throw my cowboy boot at it. Miss Love, I feel, is no bunny. She'll have this airline stopped in its tracks if necessary. She's not asking much – just a touch of rescheduling. We can do it and you know that. Edgar, she's indicated she expects an immediate reply. As chairman your first duty is to shareholders over clients and we know from reading this morning's Daily News that Miss Love got the bum's rush from the client when she went through proper channels to have him deal with it. Deal with it now Edgar – you have your senior executives up there with you. Think of the enormous havoc Miss Love will bring down on this airline if you brush her aside. Think of the kudos this airline will receive in helping a community suffering broken sleep. Thank you." The assembly clapped, cheered and stamped their feet on the wood floor as Mr Humphries finish and Edgar turned to the company president and his top aides. The chairman announced the company president was calling the client and executives were on their laptops looking at airline scheduling. Everyone was mindful the airline made its money by having airplanes in the air, not sitting on the ground. He continued with the meeting, announced directors have approved the recommended dividend and he announced the directors had deciding to made a one-off bonus payment of 24c for each stock unit held. The meeting gave the chairman and directors a thunderous standing ovation. Company president Olsen Halliburton then took the rostrum. "Ladies and gentlemen and especially you Miss Love, it is my pleasure to announce that we have successfully negotiated with the client and airport authorities and examined route schedules and we can fill the available 6:50 evening slot with a partial routing interchange between two of our leaf vegetable flights. The pickup of produce at Lode will from this Saturday switch permanently to 6:50 takeoff. Thank you." The cheering stopped when Augustine rose to speak. "Yes Miss Love, you have the floor." "Thank you for heading a good-hearted team at Sky Haul Airlines Mr Chairman. I thank the people who got behind me to give me firepower. I wanted our mayor, a major local grower, to yield on this one but he turned pigheaded. I came to your lovely city of New York, fearful I'd become halfway towards being an old woman before winning this one but amazingly, good sense and goodwill prevailed here today and we all go home happy." Drinks and a light lunch followed at which Augustine turned down the chairman's offer to head either the company's PR and marketing team or the new business team. "No thanks Mr Heath. I have my clients back home to look after. They are loyal to me and I must remain loyal to them. They come to me because I tell them what they must do and they know I won't accept compromises. With me they get solutions that stick. Who else is going to do that for them?" "You are a fine young woman Miss Love. I have been through the business mill for years and cannot recall ever seeing an individual achieve what you achieved today." Augustine stepped up and kissed him. "Aw hec, if my wife sees that on TV tonight I'm history." "Just get her to call me Mr Heath. I'll explain." "You tell her Augustine. She's standing right behind you," laughed the chairman. Miss Love Finds Love * * * Back in Lode Dick Talbot was riding a power boost. His story on Miss Love Goes to New York to Sort out Big Business had been published along with his by-line in newspapers all over America and beyond. The Echo had also sent out the second part of Augustine Love's appearance at the annual meeting and her concluding comments including her 'couth conversation' with the chairman who spoke to her without malice and actually joked. Augustine was quoted as saying, "Mr Heath clearly doesn't believe I've harmed his airline, thanks to excellent behind the scenes interfacing with airline personal, tidy manipulation of flight schedules and effective liaison with clients." Mr Heath was reported in being equally affable in his comment. Professionally Dick was walking 7ft tall. He'd found and cultivated the biggest news story ever to have been generated within The Echo in its 129-year history. His colleagues recognized that, as did the editor who slipped him a big bonus. Emotionally, however, Dick was in a mess. Alice was all over him talking marriage, he was wondering if this was the pinnacle of his career and it would be all downhill from here and in speaking frequently to Augustine in New York he'd found her friendly but distant. "Well, she was for the moment a minor national celebrity. NBC had all day on the day of the airline's annual meeting promoted its mini-doco on the story of the 'beautiful but angry Miss Love who's crossed America to give a major airline a piece of her mind. She'd demanded action and had won the day.' The doco screening attracted a huge audience and all next day TV and radio news bulletins and newspapers celebrated Miss Augustine's Love's incredible achievement. Well, Dick admitted it had been a wondrous day for her. Not many people would be able to single-handedly remove an obnoxious late night interruption to sleep for a section of the community. He'd already spoken to Augustine that morning warning her that although she'd be returning home a celebrity, the green leaf vegetable growers were far from happy with her as their schedules had been shot to pieces and although workers would finish earlier to complete the processing (washing and drying) of produce and packing and delivering it to the airport, pickers would have to start work two hours earlier and that meant working in the heat and greater expense in refrigeration to keep packing sheds and transportation containers cool. "So the growers will be mad at me?" "Perhaps." "I should have thought of that at the outset." "Yes." "You don't agree do you with what I've done although you aided and abetted me?" "That's not true. You were heroic." "Oooh. I have to go. Bye." And that was fairly typical of their conversations in recent days: all business and no flirtation. He didn't like it. In fact what did he like? He thumped his fist on his desk and the vibration tipped over his full coffee mug. He swore and for the rest of that early afternoon fellow journalists on the early shift kept their distance. Just before his shift ended at 6:00 Alice came up and asked did he want to go to a movie. "No, I'm going out to the airport at 8:00 for Augustine's arrival." "Roger and a photographer are covering her arrival home." "I know but she'll be expecting me to be there." "Why?" Dick could have said because he'd been on Augustine's story since it evolved, but he didn't. Instead he shuffled and irritated her by saying just one word, "Because." Alice looked at him steely-eyed. She snarled, "You've been fucking her!" Conversations around them died. Dick was aware he could be safe and lie. Instead he said, "Yes." "You bastard," Alice yelled and thumped him. About 200 people were at the airport to welcome home Augustine Love at 8:50. She came through security wearing her little black dress and pulling a small travel bag on wheels with four plastic shopping bags hooked over the handle. The crowed screamed and she smiled wonderfully and The Echo photographer captured that, as did many people with pocket digital cameras. Mayor Rogers stepped forth from nowhere and the crowd hushed. The crowd hushed and Augustine stopped in her tracks. "Miss Love, being an upset green leaf vegetable grower I cannot call this an auspicious occasion but at Mayor of Lode I declare this is an auspicious occasion because you have represented a small section of citizens of your neighborhood to deal with an environmental problem not of our making. Furthermore, if our fellow Americans mostly hadn't known the existence of the City of Lode a great many of them sure do now. In recognition of your contribution for putting Lode on the map I present you with this medallion that confers on you the Freedom of the City of Lode. Only three others have ever been conferred and they give the holders the right to join without charge or restraint VIPs at all public community gatherings and events and freedom to attend even closed meetings of the City Council. Congratulations Miss Love and please accept my personal thanks for your splendid advocacy on behalf of this city." The crowd went wild and pressed around Augustine. Wearing her medallion, Augustine looked around until making eye contact with Dick. She waved and he waved back. The mayor offered to deliver Augustine home but she said, quickly loudly, "No thank you Mr Mayor – my fiancé is waiting for me." Huh? Miss Love has a boyfriend? Everyone looked around trying to figure out who the guy was but there appeared to be no candidate. "Yoo-hoo Dick." Dick pushed through to claim Augustine Love as his fiancé... his unofficial fiancé. At that moment everyone present knew that Miss Love had a new dimension to her life. Never since her fiancé had been killed in a rock fall almost ten years earlier had she been seen dating a man. The other infrequent sightings appeared to be business-based. In Dick's car Augustine kissed him and said, "You've told her I assume, judging by this developing black eye." "Yes, the opportunity arose so I took it, not even tempted to lie." "Oh good boy." "Let's go Dick. My body is crying out for sex and you have yet to propose marriage." Dick didn't say yes he did have to propose, because no way would he become a yes man. He just grinned, pulled her top down and said, "Nice tits" and drove away with his prize. THE END