Why Blame When You Can Breathe?

DISCLAIMER: 'As Told by Ginger' is a creation of Emily Kapnek and is produced by Anivision, Klasky-Csupo and Nickelodeon/ViacomCBS. This author makes no claim to any properties herein and makes no monetary gain from its production. Please do not flame.

(Chapter 7- In Three Sentences)

Led by Ginger through the house's main hallway, past the den and into what I can only presume is her office, I'm quite taken by how well she and Darren have done to be in a beautiful home and live a comfortable life in Connecticut while they're still relatively young. They work hard, as Mom and Dad told me in past conversations, but they are doing well. 'Quite well,' as emphasized by my father, and I have to agree.

She leads me inside and just as I enter this room I notice the colorful cards hanging from the room by lengths of string. I'm curious, so I ask her, "Ginger, what's the deal with the index cards?"

"So that's an idea I got for how to go through the process of writing my future novels. Let's let that be our little secret, though." Ginger motions for me to take the seat across her desk and I do so without a word.

Part of my unwritten job description, not unlike most people-driven professions, is to read people; comprehend the unwritten communication they're sending my way and ultimately utilize this information to my advantage. It can be a dangerous dance, for sure. Do it incorrectly and you may turn off a potential client from your services. On the other hand, if I make the right read, the other person will open up to you about anything and everything you could imagine. Trust me.

Here's hoping for the latter with Ginger. I wish to relax her like a glass of fine wine after work. The thing is, though, she's been ebbing this sense of giddiness since she knew who arrived at her front door. My job now is to keep that going, but I could afford to temper the mood somewhat by getting down to the business end of our... business.

As I opened up my work bag I began, saying, "So I'm sure Reid gave you a breakdown of the services we offer at Westwood and Beyond when you spoke to him."

She nods, saying "Yes. He's given me a lot of examples of your work. Not specifically your work, but the company's work."

"Okay, so I won't bore you with any of the details other than to say that our company is a marketing and public relations firm and we've promoted talent and entertainment in all its forms for the past 30 years." It is at this point that I pull out several different examples of my work. In a three inch binder with marked dividers, I turn to the first page and show her my personal portfolio displaying more than ten years in the business and the networking I've done along the way.

I do my best to make eye contact with Ginger as I turn the pages featuring press clippings while describing my contributions to each of these items. Why make eye contact right now? Well, if anything catches her eye, I can dive deeper into what the firm can provide. In the binder, there are also photographs, press kit materials, and some examples of my growing expertise in graphic design. "I've been a part of this firm since before graduating from college and have been working with not just the "A" listers of Hollywood, but musicians, athletes and several up-and-comers in those respective worlds. We really run the gamut in the world of entertainment. We even branch out to non-profit causes." Right on time, I turn to a photo that emphasizes that very point. "In fact, this is me in front of a windmill to promote renewable energy. Trust me when I say that it was gigantic. Reid took that photo and in order for the windmill to be fully in the shot, I had to stand more than 100 feet in the foreground.

"In any case, I bring all this up to you to show that we at Westwood are not entering this endeavor as amateurs. This is a unique situation for us, though, for a couple of reasons. Number one, usually people come to us for our services. We're located in the mecca of entertainment, so there's rarely a need for anyone to have an at-home consultation. Number two, we don't often market books to the public. Many of the top publishers are either based here in the tri-state area or in Chicago. A lot of them will collaborate with companies or they have a pipeline up to their parent company that will work with the Hollywood machine to adapt these works for the screen. You told my boss that's what you wanted and that you also wanted a say in how copies of your book get distributed and down the line, how it looks as part of a potential film. Well, if all goes well then you won't have to worry about anyone trying to upend your vision when it comes to your hard work.

Reid thinks the world of what you bring to the table as an author. Not to embarrass you, but he said to me you were like a golden ticket. As I said at the door, your book was a tremendous read. There were several nights that I was up after midnight reading it and I think we can both agree that such is the mark of a great book."

"I know the feeling all too well," Ginger responds. "I'll often find myself pulled into a great book like a magnet and needing to pull back when I find the clock turning to the A.M. At that point, it's back to reality for me... at least until I can flip the pages once more and get back to another great story."

"You know, I envy that in a way," I admit in a moment of personal reflection. "Don't get me wrong, Ginger. I truly love what I do. I work hard for everyone else around me because they deserve that much at the bare minimum. It all comes at a cost, though." And here's where I'll bring it back to how I can best help Ginger on this journey. "When I form a plan of action for a client, I eat, breathe and sleep every minute detail. No stone can be left unturned because otherwise, companies see through it, clients see through it and the reputation of myself and my company can take a nosedive.

"It's worth it if I can be part of making someone's dreams come true, but that leaves me as a constant representative to those with grand visions. I barely have any 'me' time to do what you just said; to get lost in someone else's vision just for the sake of it. I'm crafting for others the path to their destiny. Truth is, though, I do not personally believe in all of their dreams.

"What they may be searching for could just be out of reach or not available for them at the time, but I still work my behind off for them because I'd expect the same if the shoe were on the other foot. Like Reid told me many years ago, 'Work for a stranger no differently than you would for your family or friends. You never know how well it will pay off for them and how much that can matter, both now and down the line.' I never forgot that advice and that's why I'll say to you up front, Ginger, that you will not be treated any differently than any of my other clients. The only difference is that Reid wants you to be my one and only focus so you will get my 100 percent and whatever else I might have in reserve. As far as any questions you have of the direction you want to take this novel, I'm only one phone call or walk to the Gripling house away. How's all of this sounding to you?"

My mind is like one of those super-absorbent sponges right now. I'm taking in all that my old friend has to offer during this part of my writing journey and am more and more convinced that fate brought us together for this moment. Courtney is displaying a command of marketing that I would expect from a chief officer of a Fortune 500 company and, not to be judgmental, I never thought it would come from Courtney Gripling of all people.

Yet, again, here she is showing me all of this highly eye-catching material and firing on all cylinders about ways to make this experience both productive and enjoyable. It's all very promising and has me intrigued, but I can't jump in head first with any plans as of yet.

In any case, Courtney had a question for me and, I have to say, "This is all very encouraging and it certainly is great to know that you and Reid are going all in on my behalf. I have a few questions, though…"

"Absolutely," Courtney replies. "Tell me what's on your mind and please don't hold back in asking me about anything you may not be certain of. If I don't have the answer right in front of me, I will find out for you. We'll figure it out together."

Amazing. I can't help it. I just smile at the fact that Courtney will be taking care of this process and breaking everything down for me. I'm a laywoman when it comes to all of these things, so it's great that she is a resource who will work with me so that I understand not only what's being done but why it's being done as well. "Okay. Courtney, I noticed you had in later pictures a lot of social media. Call me an old-fashioned soul, but I've never really gotten into it. Is that something we have to do to promote my novel?"

Courtney nods, closes her binder and says, "I'll admit it's not my preferred way to promote. It's funny, Ginger. When I started out we had so many young men and women show us what they brought to the table by either showing us their laptops, pulling out their first generation iPhone videos or showing us their MySpace page. Remember those?" She nods. Ah, memories. "Well, from there it evolved to Youtube, Facebook and Twitter. Even for me, that seemed to stretch as far as you needed if you wanted your name out there. Now it's Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat, and TikTok, and those are only some of the more popular ones; it's enough to make your head spin just thinking about that rabbit hole."

"No doubt about that."

"So I like to say to people if you can't explain something in three sentences, it's not too complicated, you just don't have a real grasp of it. So here goes. I've spent enough time with people who use these platforms to make a name for themselves and for some, they see it as a much more personal form of media than radio, television or the movies. It's much more direct as while a single entity can surely broadcast on the social network, they can also tailor messages and direct message people. Also, with so much of 'old media' being dropped or dismissed, especially by younger people, the main idea is about reaching people right where they are instead of bringing them to you, figuratively speaking.

"The possibilities for influencing a generation that's more into reading than their parents and grandparents give credit is out there, as well. We may not get it right away, but you want to create a buzz. As the saying goes, 'You don't buy the steak, you buy the sizzle,' and when people hear that sizzle in the air through word of mouth, it causes a level of excitement you just can't manufacture. You never know the type of fan base you can generate just by getting a single word out to the masses. Now, again, you don't have to go this route. Not every company goes this route, not every entertainer or personality is constantly spewing out that they can follow them on these platforms. At the end of the day, they're all optional. I just put this out there because it can be part of a big and bold multi-tiered effort to promote your book. Hold on a second."

She makes several great points. Darren has made social media more of a priority for his health and wellness clubs. He doesn't go as far as offering medical advice (legally, he cannot), but does refer clients to medical professionals, along with offering encouragement and recommendations as a personal trainer. He's told me that through social media, he's been able to get leads to connected businesses like health food stores, juice and smoothie shops and spas. He was a lot like me in thinking that it would not have much of an impact on his business until he got a crash course on what an online presence would mean in attracting new clients. To make a long story short, he borrowed some library books on the subject, got help from a couple of my relatives and, as I said before, business has never been better for my husband.

Courtney made a move to her work bag. She pulls out a tablet computer, touches the screen a few times and then turns the device in my direction, setting it on top of the stand it comes with. I'm looking at several bullet points relevant to my book. "You know more about your work than anyone else. Before we wrap up, I just want to go over some of the basics of the book. You have a working title of 'Why Blame When You Can Breathe' with a question mark at the end. Why that title, though? I'm curious."

Oh! I grit my teeth for a bit after hearing that question. It would be naive of me to think that this wouldn't come up, but I don't know if I'm quite ready to open up to Courtney about the title's origin.

I was about to say something and then Courtney assured me, "If it's something personal, then you don't have to tell me. I only ask because I want to know where you are coming from when it comes to your book."

Thank heavens for this! I certainly don't want her to throw us a pity party. I do remember in our youth that she could be quite over the top and this might trigger such emotions from her, I don't know. As I looked her square in the eyes, I said, "It's kind of a loaded story. If you think that it needs to be changed, though…"

"Oh, no Ginger. No, no, no!" she immediately interjected. "That's not it. We can wait on that. All I'm saying is if I have the information, we can form a complete picture for how to market the novel. Obviously I won't get all of the details in one session, but no. I wouldn't think of making you change anything just because I thought it would work better. What do I know about your work, after all? Let me move on because there's no sense in me prying. Now, you would consider your novel to be a drama, right?"

"Yes."

"Okay. So based on what I read, you would say that the mood is a dark one with enough of a glimmer of hope to keep the reader inspired?"

I nod. Maybe Courtney missed her calling as a media critic. She's very much on point when it comes to these questions. Quite frankly, she's been on point since the moment she showed up at my door.

"Okay, so I'm not sure if you are aware of the four "P"s of marketing." I give a slight nod as I've learned some elements of marketing from Darren.

I can't recite them all by heart, but I nevertheless said, "Yes. I know the most important one for what we're doing is promotion."

Courtney chuckles. I really like that. She always did have a great laugh. "You're right. While I certainly haven't done much of it, when it comes to bookselling, price, place and product all tend to meld with one another. At most, the book will be twenty-five to thirty-five dollars on release. You'll find it in major bookstores, big named retailers and online physically or as an e-book and...well, it's a book. We've been selling books for centuries now, so that means the most important job I have here and the reason why I relocated across the country to do this is to promote your book.

"I think that I can move on to this last exercise and then we can wrap up and schedule our next appointment. I'll use all this information for our next meeting where we'll talk about how you want people to see your work. This should be fairly simple," Courtney says while giving me a single sheet of looseleaf paper. "Remember when I talked about using a maximum of three sentences for a description?"

"Yes."

"Take as much time as you need and describe the plot of the novel using no more than three sentences. Try to describe it in the form of a teaser where you give someone an idea of the novel without giving away the juicy details. By the way, would you let me know where your bathroom is?"

"Yeah, it's just past the stairs and to the left. If you're having any issues, just ask Kai."

"Thanks, Ginger," Courtney said, "and again, give it a fair amount of thought and I'll come back so we can discuss." After this, she gets up from her seat and opens the door to exit my office.

She closes it behind her and I'm left alone with the simple yet complex assignment of breaking down about 320 pages of work into a bite-size synopsis. Well, like Courtney said no one knows my work the way I do, so I take a few seconds to clear my head and begin jotting down the first sentence.

Then I feel a vibration on my right leg.

Goodness! I got so caught up in my meeting that I forgot to turn off my cell phone completely. Well, I'll just tell whoever it is to call back. I look at the display, chuckle a bit and answer the call.

"Hey, bro! What's up?" I ask the caller. He speaks for a few seconds and I say, "Yeah. I have a business meeting happening right now, but it's almost over. You can head over and get an early start if you want." He speaks for a few seconds and I assure him, "Now stop that. You know you're always welcome in my home. Heck, the only reason you don't have a key is because you refused it. Some bunk about dropping in unannounced even though you always call ahead."

He laughed at that remark and I informed him, "Darren went out for some business earlier but he'll be back this afternoon. Kai is probably watching TV right now." He asks another question and I answer, "Yeah. You'll find out soon. You've seen her before, but it's been a while. She's helping me with my novel. She's my marketing agent from California."

Another question. This time, he wants to know how he knows Courtney and I say, "Like I said, you'll find out sooner than later. If it was a surprise for me, then it's going to be a surprise for you and everyone else. She's gonna be here for at least five months guiding me through this process so you're obligated to treat her like family. Again, if you're not en route, you can head over right now. We're close to wrapping up so I'll just text Kai to let you in. I'll see you very soon. Love you. Goodbye." I hang up the phone and hopefully that takes care of all distractions as I start work on this short homework assignment.

Ginger's directions were sufficient. I didn't even need to bother Kai while she watched television. I only glanced at the screen for a second to see bengal tigers, presumably part of a nature documentary.

So now I'm in the bathroom and to be honest I'm in here for three reasons. One is the fact that I do need to pee. I had a tad too much orange juice this morning and it came back with minor vengeance after I thought I needed a sugar rush to get through this initial consultation.

The second reason is that the exercise Ginger is doing is best done in private. I intentionally leave clients alone with their thoughts for a few minutes. Admittedly, we do go through a lot during our time together and with me in the room, people will understandably put their best foot forward. Most of it is to make a great first impression as they see me and the firm as the gatekeeper to their success. They can be on such a high when they meet me and we go through the planning process that the crash can be quite dramatic as no one can sustain that level of excitement. Not for long, at least. On their own, they get a chance to loosen any inhibitions that might exist, make their vision plain as the day is long and, above all, just be themselves.

I want-no. I need that out of Ginger.

As you might have guessed, this is far from the first time that I've done this exercise. Most of the time I will go to the restroom just like this, other times I'll just step outside claiming that I have to take a personal call or even say that I need to stretch. Either way, I just take myself out of the equation and let them do what they do best.

In any case, I do take care of my business, flush, get up to wash my hands and stay here for a bit to check my phone. It's almost 1:30 in the afternoon and I can see time has just flown by. Hard to believe that we've spent nearly two hours in initial consultation, but here we are and I can now take care of the third and most important reason I've locked myself in the Patterson's restroom.

It's time to give Mack a progress update.

So I scroll down to his number on my contacts page and dial his cell phone. Again it's Saturday and he's usually not at the office on Saturday mornings, Pacific time.

A couple of rings later and I hear the click over to a very familiar voice. "Courtney! It's good to hear from you!"

"Same here, Mack."

"So I presume that the trip back home went off without a hitch?"

I have to shake my head. When it comes to Mack, understand that there's always an inner layer to everything he says. Enough time around him and you figure this out, usually the hard way. "Yes. Let me first say that I apologize for not contacting you once I got to Connecticut. It's been kind of frantic as my folks threw me a surprise party. After mingling with some old friends, dining without wining and then having to clean up, it got quite late."

"Ah, think nothing of it," he says, almost shrugging off my truthful excuse. "I'll cut to the chase. How's the meeting going with Ginger?"

"So you were right," I admit. "Ginger really welcomed me into her home with open arms. I...it's not as if I thought she wouldn't, but we clicked right away the moment she knew who I was. She's very receptive to all of my ideas and what we can contribute to the marketing of her novel. We have a ways to go, but if I can see her vision to the finish line, we'll all be rolling in it."

"Rolling in it to the point that Scrooge McDuck won't have shit on us."

Damn, Mack. He's got me chuckling in this bathroom as I try to balance out this unofficial report. For my sake, and not to end up in a giggling fit, I do my best to ignore that comment and clarify my earlier remark. "Like I said, we do have some bridges we have to cross. She's not as hip to social media as I'd prefer, but is willing to learn and all I ask for is some flexibility with these matters. Some give and take, you know?"

"I know she's already signed a contract for us to represent her," Mack said, "but based on what you're saying, that contract will be the first of many. So the time is coming where you'll need to loosen up your signature hand and get the ink ready. Lots and lots of ink."

Well, it's a cutthroat business. The competition is no different than in major sports or for roles in the entertainment world. I'm sure that goes without saying. Attitude in how you handle success and failure is no different, either. When you fail, you clear your head, learn from your mistakes and move onward to your next challenge. We all should do the same when we succeed, but there's no harm in celebrating success. As the saying goes; work hard, play hard. Trust me, we will party hard if the book does what we all want it to do...and then we'll get back up and keep on working because the profession demands it.

In any case, I think now is the time for me to wrap up my time with Reid on the phone and check Ginger's progress. "Well, Mack, I'll get the ink and work on my signature when I need it. Everything in due time. For now, though, I'll make sure to send you progress reports every week."

"Every Monday morning, Courtney," Reid confirms. "That's noon your time, but there's no need to stress. No more than two pages, even if they're bullet points, will suffice. I just want to know what happened during the week and if there's anything specific I need from you, I'll let you know in a call, text or email."

"That and I'm also sure you'll hear from Ginger periodically, as well."

"She's got my number if need be. Okay, I think that covers just about everything. So if there's anything you need, Courtney, you know who to call.'

"Yes, sir. I'll talk to you soon."

"Bye, Courtney."

"Goodbye, Mack," I say and then hang up the phone. So a few minutes have since passed. I don't want Ginger to think I've gone missing in action, so now is the time for me to check her assignment. I open the door and see, to my surprise, a young man walking down the hall and across the door.

"Whoa!" I exclaim, not meaning to be rude. I shake my head and apologize for that mini outburst. "I didn't expect anyone else to be here during this time. It's just been me, Ginger and Kai since late morning."

"No worries," he says. This guy is just over six feet tall with a skinny to medium build. He has clean cut medium brown hair, is wearing thick-rimmed black glasses and is dressed in a navy blue polo with light brown slacks and white sneakers. "Ginger told me she was wrapping up a business meeting and said I might as well just come over. She and her husband Darren have their date night tonight and I volunteered to babysit my niece for the evening."

"Oh, that's sweet of you. I think it's great that you're stepping up to the plate to help Darren and Ginger...wait a minute. No freaking way!" The pieces to the puzzle came together suddenly for me. I have to get a better look at him and, yes, he really hasn't changed much since I last saw him. I still have to confirm, though. "You're Dr. Dave and Lois' son, Aaron! Wow, you've really grown up since the last time I saw you!"

He's taken aback by the fact that I know who he is. Aaron asks, "Wait. How do you know my name?"

"Well, first of all, you were right about Ginger being in a business meeting. I'm helping her promote her book. Ginger, Darren and I all went to school together and I'm staying with my parents who are good friends with your parents. Does any of that ring a bell?"

I see he's really thinking about it and attempting to connect those thoughts that lead to any past memories. Anything that may trigger who I am. It only takes a few seconds before I hear a noticeable gasp and Aaron asking me, "Miss Courtney?"

"In the flesh and back in Connecticut."

"Oh my goodness!" Aaron said. "The last time I saw you was at Ginger's wedding. I was the ring bearer and you said I was by far the best dancer at the reception. You even pulled me off to the side to warn me not to take the spotlight away from the newlyweds."

"Yeah. I don't know if you know this, but your mom thanked me afterwards for reigning you in that day. Mentioned that drawing the ire of your big sister that day might seal your early doom. By the way, I don't know why I didn't ask Ginger this but how are your folks doing?"

"Doing well," he answers. "Dad says he'll probably practice for at most another five years. Mom will probably follow him into retirement after a year, but from there they are conflicted as to what to do next. They're going back and forth as far as where to go when they stop working. Dad wants to go to New Mexico or Nevada and Mom is interested in either Arizona or Texas. That should give you a clue as to them not wanting to deal with any more Connecticut winters than they have to."

"Sounds great. I know the feeling all too well after moving to California, but what about you? What have you been up to since I last saw you at...I think age nine?"

"Well, I'm now 16 going on 17 this July," Aaron responds. "I've been in the high school honors program since my freshman year and am researching where to go for college next fall. I'm looking into psychology, anthropology or political science and then expanding that to either law or the behavioral sciences. It's been something that's intrigued me since I went to a summer enrichment course on cultures of the world some years back at Yale."

"So you probably don't see yourself getting into emergency medicine like your folks?"

He shook his head and chuckled, admitting, "No, ma'am. The sight of blood gives me severe chills."

"Okay," I said, needing to set one ground rule. "I know your parents raised you right, making sure you say 'Sir' or 'Ma'am' to people you meet and what not, but for me that's not necessary. You can call me Courtney, Aaron."

"Well, okay...Courtney. Look, I don't mean to hold you up for long. I don't know how much time you've interacted with Kai, but..."

"Hey, Aaron," I hear a familiar voice say out of eyesight. Ginger comes around the bend with a sheet of paper, asking, "Have you seen a lady…" Then she looks up and sees me. "Oh, Courtney! I see you've run into my not-at-all-crazy little brother."

I can't argue that, so I don't even bother. "Yeah. Aaron and I have been catching up. We ran into each other after I left the restroom. By the way, how is Carl? Like I told Aaron, I keep forgetting that there's been quite a gap between our last conversation and now."

"He's his ever-amazing self, but shouldn't you know this already? Blake is halfway around the world and yet still finds time to help him with some crazy idea or plan for both of them to collaborate. I get the sense he just can't quit him."

"Oh come now, Ginger!" I say, feigning some offense. I have to put up some defense on behalf of my little brother. "Blake's not that bad."

"I'm only kidding. Part of me would love to jetset to Zimbabwe, Kenya or South Africa, but such is life. Funny how the Foutley and Gripling siblings find themselves working with one another at the same time, isn't it?"

"It must be destiny," I opine, though I do wonder if that is really to be believed.

"Yeah, it could be. In any case, Courtney, I have what you asked for." Ginger folds the paper in half, which I don't think was necessary, and then hands it to me. She may not have wanted Aaron to see any of this, but I saw no issue with him being here especially if he read the novel. It's all inconsequential, though, as Aaron has already left us to our conversation and is walking to the kitchen.

I unfold the paper, read the paragraph and nod. Our launching point is set.

"Okay. I can work with this, for sure," I let my client know. "But, Ginger, I have to be honest with you. I can tell that I'm going to need a minimum of three to four weeks to have our promotional plan ready for you to see in full. In between that time we can schedule another series of meetings that don't have to be in your office, just so that you have an understanding of what I'm doing between then and now and so you can see some of the progress I've made. How's that sound?"

She nods and says, "Maybe we can do a lunch or dinner date next week? Something...not as rigid, you know?"

"Oh, yeah. Of course." For some reason, her answer got me a tad flustered. Nevertheless I recover, reach into one of my suit pockets and proceed to one of the most important aspects of any business. You may wonder why I took all this time without networking, but much of this is according to plan. As I pull out my business card and hand it to Ginger, I leave her with my information; she's getting my last first impression for the day and that is knowing how to get in contact with me. "You can call me whenever to set up something not as formal. Sounds good?"

"Sounds perfect," she says as she pulls out her phone to call my cell number. I hear the vibration and see her number on the screen and say, "Thanks, Ginger." Then I remind her, "Remember, you're in control here. Whenever you're ready to meet, just let me know a place and time and I'll be there."

"Absolutely. Come on, Courtney. Let me walk you to my office."

Ginger leads the way back to the office as we cross paths with Aaron once more. He was holding a tray with trail mix and some juice bottles meant for him and Kai.

Once back in Ginger's office, I gather all of my belongings and we go back out. "You want to say goodbye to Kai and Aaron?"

I shrug my shoulders. I thought we'd do that anyhow, so I said, "Sure." We walk out the office door which Ginger closes behind her and see Aaron and Kai on the couch. The tray is in the middle of a coffee table as they watch television. I now see elephants on the screen. Someone really likes her animals, I see.

"Kai, sweetheart," Ginger says while walking into the den. "Aaron? Miss Courtney is about to leave."

"Oh, already?" Asked Kai, which caused a real throaty chuckle from Ginger.

"Honey, it's been two hours. Besides, she hasn't even been in town a full day. I think she's earned a little rest. She's working for me, but not 24/7. I refuse to have her at my beck and call."

Okay, I won't lie. That was a little odd to hear, especially considering how Ginger seemed to fully embrace me giving my all on her behalf. I dismiss it, though as Kai and Aaron wave goodbye, Ginger assures them that I'll be around sooner rather than later and Ginger offers to walk me outside.

I say that there's no need, but she insists. We walk out the door just in front of it as Ginger closes the door and looks at me eye to eye. I thank her for this and as I reiterate that she didn't need to do this, she envelops me in a big hug.

This was quite the shock. I'm taken aback by this gesture and don't know how to respond except to slowly and gently return it. The first thing I notice, besides her tight grip, is her deep breathing. Then she leans into my ear to say, "Thank you, Courtney."

What she's thanking me for is quite obvious. Why she is showering me with this level of affection is not so clear. She releases the embrace and takes another deep breath. She sniffles and her eyes look a deep red. "Courtney, I'm sorry. I don't mean to get so emotional, but it was great having you here and having someone to talk to for once. Things in life have been rather complicated for me. I never claimed to have all the answers, but so many questions come up and they've got me exasperated. And then I saw you this morning. I don't know what I expected when you came through my door, but I'm happy that we'll be sharing this time together. I think this will be the start of something special...for both of us."

Something's...off about this. I can't call it and I certainly won't try to psychoanalyze, but Ginger is, dare I say it, hiding matters that are weighing on her heavily.

Nevertheless, "You have no need to apologize to me for living life. But as far as something special for us, here's hoping." I bring out my hand. So does Ginger and we shake. We say our goodbyes and I step into my mom's BMW. Driving off, I wave and head back to my parents' house; a sense of confidence flowing through me in this process and the fact that I've made a true connection, more than twenty years after our first encounter.

That's what my job is truly all about; connections. From the bottom, those who seek to take their projects to the stratosphere come to me to get to the top. Then I attempt to connect them with several big wigs. Their job is always trying to find the next big thing to invest in and in most instances, they will know if they're in or out in less than the time it takes to read three sentences.

So I have to be tough in the sense that I can't let emotions rule me and instead present what it is I'm selling as if I don't, food won't be on the table tomorrow. Thankfully, it's not that urgent, but you can never act like it's not all on the line in front of these gatekeepers. They can always find someone else who exudes passion and will go to the ends of the earth, hell and back, and everywhere else to make their dreams come true.

For Westwood, for Ginger and for myself, my humble prayer is that none of us goes to the extremes in the name of accomplishing our goals.

I came back home after a lunch in town to an empty house just after 4pm. A note on the kitchen table informed me that mom took a carpool to the city with some of her friends and would be back late. I already knew dad was out golfing, meaning that the club members won't stop at just golf, so that meant the house would likely be all mine until this evening.

I go up to my room and change out of my outfit. I switched from my blue pantsuit to a red tank top and black leggings. Along with that, I change earrings from gold hoops about half an inch in diameter to rainbow flags that dangle from my earlobes.

Yeah, the professional hat is very much off right now. I even decided to go barefoot for my unwind time. Yes, this is the true me and when I'm at my most comfortable.

Before leaving for the Patterson's, I put a bottle of rosé wine into the freezer. It's something I bought along with a whole New York cheesecake to go with my complete breakfast. I've now pulled that bottle out of the freezer. It's nice and cold, just as I like it. I've also cut two slices of cheesecake with sliced strawberries on the side. I grab two wine glasses, a bottle opener and a fork before making a beeline to the couch.

Mom and Dad have three televisions; one in the master bedroom, another in my temporary room, both of which I'd consider a modest size, and then there's this one in the family room; a 100-inch 8K behemoth with all the bells and whistles. I turn it on and search for something intentionally fun for the sake of it.

Bingo! I've found a channel to stay on for a while. Blame it on Mack's flippant remark, but he's indirectly navigated me towards a marathon of DuckTales. Woo-oo!

I settle in for the evening, open up the rosé and pour some into one glass. Why did I bring two glasses you may be wondering? Well, I kinda hoped for another toast after a successful first meeting, but here I am all on my own.

Doesn't mean that I still can't toast. Show me a rule that says I can't. Also, yes, I'm well aware that my folks toasted me last night. Again, where does it say I can't have two toasts? Leave me to this moment, damn it!

I raise both glasses and toast, this time, "To the utmost of success for all of us. Cheers!" The glasses tap one against the other, I put the empty one down and sip out of the filled one. I taste just the slightest bit of ice.

Oh, what sheer perfection.

Yes, this is my downtime and as I cut a fork full of cheesecake, I know that for now I can rest and relax, but starting Monday morning and beyond it will be time to craft and make the most of the three sentences Ginger left me to paint a picture best suited for her written word.

The ones that I felt described her novel quite succinctly:

Brooke Paulson is a successful lawyer with a wonderful husband and three young children; all together forming the quintessential American dream. But when she sees pieces to a puzzle that she didn't expect or anticipate, she finds herself going down a rabbit hole she would rather not dive into at the expense of the veneer of having it all. Then, in a moment where the desire for revenge supplants a demand for reconciliation, Brooke must put the pieces back together before the walls crumble and she's left with only a proverbial nightmare in her wake.

Yeah. If I can't make something work with that, I really shouldn't be working.

A/N: So, yes. I am back. Any questions as to where I've been, I'll answer in a PM, but I'm back and plan to stay back for a while. Yeah, it's been a while, but the writing bug within me never stopped biting.

So next chapter...we're going back with the boys to see how they handle the Zimbabwe project as they enter the country. I'll do my best to get chapters out regularly, but won't make any promises. I still have to get my feet wet again.

Until next time...