Hi Folks! I'm back with an update of Donna's predicament in Albuquerque. I hope you keep with this one because I have a good story planned. Thank you to the wonderful guest review I received today regarding Little One. I hope that this guest read Back From The FairyTale as well. Anyhow, please R&R. They give me inspiration and motivation to continue. Love - Carebearmaxi

Point Me in the Direction of Albuquerque

Chapter 2 –Jack

New York – 2:00 am

"So, you had dinner with this Jack guy?" Harvey asked as he settled back in his bed to listen to Donna's lament. She was so scared. He could tell by the shaky, panicky, speedy voice she was telling the tale.

"Yes, I agreed to have dinner with him. The club he talked about around the corner from the hotel was terrific. He knew all about the Hot Air Balloon Races and told me he was racing on Saturday!"

"I don't get it, Donna. You're so good reading people. What happened?"

The bar around the corner was not what Donna expected of a club named La Plaza de los Cabarellos. She expected a more western theme, but this was absolutely medieval. Knights of Armor stood at attention as they stood on their pedestals holding their weapons of choice. The knight statue as you walked into the door held a battle-axe. Another knight statue replica further down the path before the dining room held a mace. It looks like something out of a museum. What have I walked into? Donna asked herself.

Donna found her quarry and the maître-d had told them politely that their server would soon be there to take their order.

Jack stood when he saw her approach as any gentlemen in polite society was wont to do.

"Donna, I'm so glad you came. The place is jumping tonight," Jack told her as he pushed in her chair. The music was loud. Playing some type of weird combination of sixteenth century classic and present day rock. It would not have been surprising that a chorus of "Stairway to Heaven" would break out. It would have fit perfectly with the weird vibes being dispersed.

The crowd who dressed up for the occasion by donning chainmail tops and pieces of plastic armor on various places were hooting and hollering and in some instances sounded like they were hollering for someone's execution.

"This place is rather avante garde for this area," Donna said as she settled more comfortably in her high backed chair. "I was expecting Cowboys and Indians and we have Knights and Ladies," Donna looked around as she spoke. She spotted her water glass was filled and took a sip. She was parched. Donna was not sure it was from talking too much or the air was too dry after the moisture of New York.

"It fools a lot of people. This is my favorite hangout when I attend the races," Jack said catching Donna's attention.

Donna flipped a piece of hair behind her ear and then looked up at him shyly. She wanted to examine him a little more because he was handsome with dark piercing eyes and long raven locks. Donna was never one to go for a long hair dude; however, her theater training had coerced a "don't-judge-a-book-by-its-cover" attitude.

"Do you have a picture of your balloon? I have my ticket to attend and I'm really looking forward to it."

"Yes, here it is," Jack said pulling out his phone. He showed her a picture of a large hot air balloon with Native American art painted all over the canvas. The turquoise square shape was that of an eagle with its wings spread.

"That's beautiful artwork. Did you design this yourself?" Donna asked as she gazed on the clear picture. The balloon was elevated into the deep blue sky of a New Mexico day.

"No, my sister did. Her English name is Rose, but her Navajo name is Flies Like an Eagle. She painted it first and then when I graduated college with a degree in Aviation Engineering she gave this to me for my balloon," Jack said proudly putting away his phone in his pocket.

"That's very impressive. You're an engineer? Do you pilot anything beside a Hot Air Balloon?" Donna asked taking a sip of her water when the waiter returned with the drinks that Jack took the liberty of ordering.

"A whiskey straight up for the lady and a tequila on the rocks for the gentlemen," the chain mailed attired waiter stated placing their drinks on the table.

"You know I appreciate a good whiskey every now and then, but I do like other types of alcohol," Donna said amused taking a sip of her whiskey. She was feeling light as a feather. The attention of a new handsome man. She liked bantering and flirting; however, sometimes the best way to know about someone was to have a real conversation with that person. However, in the last few weeks between being fired and Harvey sweetly as he could coaxing her back to the firm, she was not in the mood for real conversations.

"Donna. So, what do you do?" Jack asked.

Evading in answering him, Donna interrupted him and opted to ask the questions to know him a little more. Swigging instead of sipping her whiskey this time, Donna swung her hair over her shoulder and asked, "So, Jack, what is your Navajo name? I don't think we covered that yet."

"Coyote-in-rabbit-hole," Jack stated curtly. He could not wait until she asked, like most women, how he got his name.

"I chased a coyote one night when I was on the reservation with my parents. My grandfather had forbore to give me a Navajo name at birth as there was not anything he saw fit," Jack said with his head hung down almost ashamed of his name. He fingered the tumbler containing his tequila.

"How old were you when you chased this coyote down the rabbit hole?" Donna asked wondering so hard that the crease between her eyebrows became pronounced.

"My grandfather said I was about two years old." He waited for the accustomed shocked look on Donna's face.

"Two years old! Don't coyotes come out at night?" Donna asked. Her face was shocked as Jack had predicted.

"The coyote showed up one night when my parents and I were sitting outside of our home. I just took off after it. That's what they tell me anyway," Jack said laughing. His smile showed a mouth of bright white teeth perfectly straight.

Donna found his deep laugh infectious and his smile almost as brilliant as Harvey's million dollar smile. Jack aka Coyote-in-rabbit-hole was a very charming man.

They ate a good meal of spicy Texas brisket accompanied by pinto beans and small salad. Donna was stuffed. However, she still had room to enjoy an authentic Spanish Flan for dessert. Then, Jack pulled his phone out making arrangements for he and Donna to see his balloon in person and perhaps take a short ride. Jack rose from his chair seeing how sleepy Donna had become and helped her to rise.

"I shall walk you back to your room. I'm on the other side of the hotel and I put my number in your phone if you need me," Jack stated as they stood at the front of Donna's room door.

"Thank you, Jack. I had a nice evening. See you in the morning," Donna said smiling. She unlocked her door and then collapsed onto her bed still dressed in her swingy skirt and black opaque blouse.

Early in the next morning, Donna heard a loud knock on her door. My free executive breakfast! She suddenly remembered.

"Ok! Ok!" Donna said rising. She had changed out of her night outfit eventually into silky pink pajamas. She ran a couple fingers through her hair and imagined it was probably looking like a rat's nest as she had put a lot of hairspray in the previous night to hold it against the wind. Nothing like Aquanet. She lamented to herself as her fingers became caught.

When she came to the door, she swooped an arm forward and moved aside to allow room service and the tray that that the young man pushed into her room.

"Ms. Paulsen, may I present this executive breakfast on behalf of the hotel with our compliments."

"I suppose you are the one who won the lottery?" Donna asked searching in her purse for a good tip for the man.

"Yes, ma'am. That was me," the young blonde haired man stated.

"Well, here you, go," Donna said handing him a good sized gratuity. "I hope you won a reward for yourself. It's only fair."

"I did. Thank you for asking. I actually won a couple of days off…with pay!"

"You must be very valuable to your boss," Donna said meaning it. She had questioned her own value to Pearson Hardman lately especially after she had been fired. However, it turned out that Jessica and Harvey had every intention of her coming back, but they had to make a show of Harvey's innocence by having a scapegoat. Unfortunately, Donna had been the scapegoat and had gone on record of saying she had an attorney should the whole ordeal really been taken to trial.

In the end Harvey was very sweet, in his own emotionally unavailable way, to convince her he wanted, no needed, her back.

The boy took his tip and left closing the door behind him.

Donna sat down at her table and contemplated how she was going to eat all the food in front of her. Just at the moment as if by propinquity she could hear Doug knocking on her door.

"Doug! Would you like to share my breakfast?" Donna said opening the door at his knock and the sound of his voice.

"Sure! I was going to ask if you wanted to take a dip in the pool with me, but, hell, I can wait an hour or two before I do my laps."

"If I'm not mistaken, I thought I saw you in the pool at 2 a.m. when I woke up to change out of my outfit last night."

"You did," Doug said as he came into the room. Doug although not a physical god possessed blonde hair blue eyes and dimples that were hidden in his chubby face until he smiled.

"I swim when I can at least two times a day. It's the only good way for me to stay in shape…or at least healthy," he said with a downward look at his less than prepossessing physique. Doug was not a shy person at all, and he was flattered in a way that Donna, a beautiful red head, was taking the time to be friends with him.

"Well, I like to swim, too, but I do yoga and other exercise to stay in shape and clear my mind after a hard day," Donna said. She really liked Doug. He was so open and did not try to make a pass at her the first time she met him.

Doug sat down at the table with Donna. She had called room service to bring some extra flatware and plates as she needed them. When room service came with the utensils, Donna and Doug shared a nice meal of eggs, sausage, bacon, toast, and any other breakfast food in huge proportions to feed a king or a queen in this instance.

They talked for about two hours while they ate and drank coffee. Donna found Doug's personality to be so fresh and open and with no ulterior motives of getting her into bed. That was refreshing. They talked about their jobs and their dealings with the opposite sex. Eventually the conversation turned to her relationship with Harvey and his similar relationship with his former girlfriend Alice. He even worked for her like Donna did Harvey.

Donna looked at the time on her phone and it had said 10:30am. She was meeting Jack in the lobby of the hotel in an hour to go see his balloon. Donna was looking forward meeting with Jack whom she found entertaining in an entirely different way then Doug, but she was also anxious to see a hot air balloon up close and personal. She was even more excited taking a ride in one.

"This has been so great, Doug. I'm really glad you could share this with me. There would have been no way I could have polished this meal off all by myself," Donna said wiping her mouth on her napkin and rising from her chair.

Doug rose as well and allowed Donna to accompany him to the door of the suite.

"Say, would you like to have dinner with me tonight?" Doug invited.

"Well, I am not sure I will be back in time. I have an appointment in about an hour."

"Really? Okay. I put my number in your phone should you be free around seven tonight," Doug said.

"Great. I will call you if I'm back by then or don't have any plans," Donna said and then closed the door to her suite. She leaned against it for a minute. Two completely different men in two day of this visit. That's a record even for me!

Donna then removed her weight from the door, locked it, and had to decide what would be appropriate to wear on a "date" that may involve a hot air balloon ride.

Back in NY, 2:15 am…

"Donna, slow down, you rode in a hot air balloon with a stranger? What were you thinking?" Harvey asked incredulously.

"I thought Jack was a decent guy. I hadn't read that the guy was going to do what I think he did to get me here!" Donna protested and could not believe she had just told her best friend in fifteen minutes about her predicament.