A/N Thank you, PerryLovesDella for betaing.

Apologies in advance.

Some people can get a thrill

Knitting sweaters and sitting still

That's okay for some people

Some people can thrive and bloom

Living life in the living room

That's perfect for some people,

But some people ain't me!

-Stephen Sondheim

Some People

Letting himself in through the backdoor, Seth could hear Jessica on the phone in the kitchen.

"Oh you know that I would love to - really I would - but I couldn't possibly! Not with my schedule as full as it already is!"

Facing in the other direction and preoccupied with her caller, she hadn't even noticed his arrival.

Seeing the half eaten piece of crumb cake on a plate next to her typewriter, Seth was absolutely delighted.

He should have known better.

Not wanting to interrupt, planning to help himself, he put down his coat and crossed to the counter where the cake tin was waiting. Opening it, he was sorely disappointed to find not Jessica's homemade coffee crumb cake, but an obviously store made variety.

"I would love to. I really, really would, but it's just not possible! I'm just so busy right now. I really shouldn't even have answered the phone. I have a deadline today that I simply cannot miss … again."

The typewritten manuscript of her latest book was laid out on the table by chapter. That was why or part of why Seth was here. He had promised the day before to drive Jessica and the only copy of her should have been finished days ago manuscript over to the copy shop so she could run off a duplicate, mail it off to her publisher and then they were going to go have dinner to celebrate it finally being done.

"I'm sorry, Raymond." Jess told the caller as she turned and noticed Seth. She gave him a smile and handed him a slip of paper before continuing to try to put off the caller. "I realize that it is an incredible opportunity that you are offering me and I wish that I could say yes, but really at the moment, I don't have the time to even think about it, never mind do it!"

Ernestine Badderly called. She is convinced her husband, Orville, has appendicitis. Ernestine wants to see you right away.

Seth shook his head. In the few weeks since one of the television stations had started airing repeats of Marcus Welby, M.D. in the afternoons, Orville Badderly's wife had diagnosed him with gliosarcoma, pernicious anemia, caisson disease, sclerosis, and leprosy.

Seth would eat his hat if what Orville had turned out to be anything other than indigestion from Ernestine's cooking.

"Raymond, I'm sorry. I really can't even talk about this right now. I'm on the last chapter of my new book and I have to have it finished in the next hour if I am going to have any chance of getting it out in today's mail."

As the other party on the line spoke, Jessica put her hand over the mouthpiece to tell Seth. "Don't worry about me. Go and take care of Orville. I can call a cab or take my bicycle. As you keep telling me, getting out of here and into the fresh air would do me good."

Seth harrumphed, but kept his voice low as he told her. "It's not just fresh air that you need. You've been cooped up in here so long, you're starting to lose color."

Continuing to neglect her caller, she told him, "Stop by later if you can. We can still have dinner."

Seth nodded and let her get back to her mystery caller.

While picking up the coat he had just put down, Seth couldn't help but continue to overhear. Seth wasn't sure who Raymond was or what he wanted Jessica to do, but whoever and whatever, she did seem genuinely regretful as she again declined.

"Raymond, if I had the time, I would say yes in a heartbeat - I really would - but, I simply don't have the time to commit to something like that."

As he departed, Seth could hear Jessica still trying to get off the phone.

"Raymond, I'll think on it, I promise, but it will have to be later. Really, I have to hang up now!"

tbc