The day started as it usually did. Gary awoke to the meowing of the ever present cat. It was a very chilly morning.  Gary reluctantly climbed out of bed and headed for the door. He virtually ran on tip toes to avoid the cold floor.

      He opened the door and picked up the paper. He stood there and skimmed through it trying to judge what his day would be like.

     “Holy Moly!”

    Things were picking up now that it was the holiday season was here. There were at least a dozen possible items in the paper. At least a couple of the items were going to occur at the same time, and across town.

     Gary dressed quickly, and headed downstairs to find that Marissa was already there.

     “Want some coffee?” she asked. Gary just grumbled.

     “What’s wrong with you?” she asked.

     “Nothing, except that I have a practically impossible day. There’s no way that I can handle this.”

     “I can help.”

     Gary looked up to see Chuck in the doorway.

     “No. No way, Chuck.”

     They all remembered how things turned out when Chuck tried to help with the paper.

     “Look,   Gary, I can do this. Give me a chance.”

     Gary considered it.

     “Okay, okay, I’ll give you one. Here, here this singer is here for a holiday show and she’s going to be killed, electrocuted, today at ten o’clock.” He gave Chuck the rest of the details and Chuck left.

     He had plenty of time, but, for some reason, he was hurrying. He arrived at the arena just as the roadies were setting up.  Chuck looked around for someone in charge. He finally found someone who fit that description.

     “Excuse me, can I talk to you for a minute?”

     The man, who looked like a bouncer, did not look very helpful.

     “What do you want, and how did you get in here?”

     “Look.  We don’t have time for this. Someone’s going to try to kill Tameka.”

     Before Chuck knew what was happening, the bouncer guy had motioned some others and they were escorting Chuck to the alley.

     “Hey cut it out. I’m just trying to help.”

     “Look, buddy,  Tameka has been getting death threats.”

     Chuck’s eyes went wide.

      “You think that I’m trying to kill this Tameka chick?”  They said nothing.

     “Now, wait a minute.  I’ve never even heard of this woman before today.”

     “It’s okay, guys.”

     Chuck looked up to see the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life.  He assumed that this woman was Tameka.

     The men promptly dropped their hands away from Chuck and went back inside.

     “Come on inside.” Tameka offered. Chuck followed her inside, and they went to her dressing room.

     “John told me that there was some guy here who said that someone would try to kill me.”

     Chuck extended his hand.

     “My name is Chuck Fishman.” Tameka took his hand.

     “How could you possibly know that this could happen?”

     Chuck hemmed and hawed, but couldn’t answer her question.

     “Are you psychic?”  She asked.

     Chuck had to look at her to see if she were actually serious.

     “Uh, yeah, yeah, I’m psychic. I was afraid that you wouldn’t believe me.”

     Tameka seemed to take the psychic thing seriously

     “So, what did you see?” she asked.

     Chuck was feeling extremely warm. Tameka was sitting very close and she was gorgeous.   

     “Uh, you’re going to get electrocuted on stage.  O-One of the lights is going to fall . . . ”

     Her face showed fear, and Chuck longed to reach out and hold her. HE shook his head to clear the image.

     “But, now that you know about it, you can avoid it, right?”

     Tameka still looked worried. Her beautiful hazel eyes and very kissable lips made Chuck swallow hard.

     “I can avoid it this time, but what about the next time?”

     Those beautiful eyes were staring at him now.

     “I can protect you.” Chuck said, barely above a whisper. Tameka smiled. She wasn’t making fun of him; in fact, she looked as if she thought that it
was dear.

     She placed her hand on his cheek, which made him shiver.

     “I’ve got three, big, burly body guards, how are you going to protect me?”

     Chuck realized how silly his statement was. He lowered his head, blushing slightly.

     “However, with your psychic abilities, you could tell if something else were going to happen.”

     Chuck raised his head and was staring at her.

     “Uh, yeah, I could do that.”

     She smiled, and before he knew it, she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

     While he was contemplating the kiss on the cheek, Tameka stood and began moving around the room.

     “Now, if you will excuse me, I need to change.”

     Chuck got up and went to wait outside. He went out and helped himself to some coffee.  No one at all questioned his presence there now, because Tameka had given the okay.

     Chuck, just about, dropped his cup of coffee when Tameka came out of the dressing room.

     It wasn’t that she was scantily dressed, she was fully clothed, but the outfit looked as if it had been painted on in some places.  All the right places, in Chuck’s opinion.

     Tameka smiled as the outfit had its desired effect.

     “So, how do you think I look?” she asked.

     “Uh, uh . . . “ was all that he could manage.

     Tameka just smiled and walked on. She went up to the stage and prepared to rehearse one of her numbers.  She looked apprehensively up at the huge lights above the stage.

     Word had been sent out to check the lights, and, sure enough, one of the cables had been loosened.  This had been promptly tightened, but Tameka still felt uneasy as she began her song.

     The first song was soft and sultry, and very sexy.  Tameka’s voice was very smokey, and Chuck loved it.  AS the song went on, Tameka got more and more comfortable.  Chuck swallowed hard again. God, she was beautiful.

     Chuck’s cell phone rang, and he got a lot of angry looks as he went to the back of the auditorium to answer it.

     “Yeah, Oh Gar, What’s up?”

     “I just wanted to know how everything was going. That article has changed now.”

     “Well, what does it say?”  Chuck asked anxiously.

     There was a pause.

     “She’s supposed to get kidnaped from her hotel room tonight between 10:00 and midnight. She’s still missing – according to the paper.”

     Another silent pause.

     “Hey Chuck, have you thought about this being a publicity stunt? I mean, if she’s missing, she might be in on it.”

     Chuck didn’t want to think about it.

     “Look Gar, I’ll catch you later.”

     Chuck got off the phone just in time to see Tameka come down off the stage. She came straight over to Chuck.

     “Did you like it?” she asked as she came up to him.

     “Yeah, it was great.”

     Chuck looked worried.

     “What’s wrong?”

     Chuck had to tell her about the new development, but he didn’t want to do it where anyone could hear.

     “Come on, Tami.”

     She smiled when he used the nickname. They went back to Tameka’s dressing room. Tameka went behind the dressing screen and began to undress. Chuck was well aware of the fact that she was undressing.  She came out in a white terry cloth robe and, he was pretty sure, nothing else.

     “Uh, I saw something else.” He began.  She came over and sat next to him on the love seat.

     “It said. . .uh, I saw that you’re going to be kidnaped from your hotel room tonight.”

     He watched her face for a reaction. He saw the fear creep into her eyes.

     “Look. Tami, have you ever thought that it might be one of your own people?”

     He had expected her to be upset about that remark, but she wasn’t.

     “I had thought about that.  One of the reasons I wanted you here was because you’re on the outside looking in.”

     She was looking at him, and his voice cracked. Chuck leaned forward slightly.

     “One of the reasons . . . ?”

     They looked at each other for several minutes.  Tameka’s cheeks reddened, and she lowered her head.

     “I want you . . . to stay with me tonight.”

     She looked up at him.  She wanted to trust him.

     “Are you sure you’re not just trying to get me to your apartment?”

     Chuck smiled.  Quite honestly, the thought had crossed his mind; however, he did want her to be safe.

     “Believe me, I find you very attractive, but right now I’m just concerned for your safety.”

     This man was not like any other man that she had known. Most people around her were after something. It was the life. But, this man was different.  He wanted what was best for her.  It made her feel very good.

     “All right Mr. Fishman, I’m all yours.”

*********************************************************************

     Once they arrived at Chuck’s apartment, Chuck showed her the spare bedroom.

     “Anything you need, just let me know. It’s not the Hilton, but I can try to get you what you want.” Chuck blushed, slightly, at the double meaning to
his words. Tameka just smiled. Then she looked as if she were going to cry.

     “Thank you.”  She, again, kissed him on the cheek and disappeared inside the room.

     Chuck was fighting his feelings. He wanted this woman desperately, but he knew that she was extremely vulnerable right now.  He didn’t want to hurt her any more than she was being hurt right now. He decided to just play things out and see where they led.

     They had a wonderful evening.

     Chuck kept his eye on the clock. He wouldn’t feel totally safe until after midnight had come and gone.

     He looked at her now.  She was totally comfortable. He reddish-blond hair was down and curled loosely around her shoulders.  She wore no make up and looked so young.  She was laughing, and Chuck was falling absolutely and completely in love.

     At midnight, just as the current movie that they were watching ended, Tameka stretched and yawned.

     “I’m beat.  I’m going to hit the sack.”

     Chuck nodded, and began clearing away the dished that had accumulated on the coffee table. Tameka stopped and turned and they found that they were face to face, inches away from each other.

     “Thank you.” She said.  Her voice had gone husky again.

     “You said that.” Chuck replied after having to swallow to get his voice to even come out.

     “I know. I just . . . I really appreciate everything that you’re doing for me.” Another double meaning. She placed her red-tipped finger on his lips, and Chuck thought that he would lose his mind. But, before he could contemplate it further, Tameka had turned and was inside of her bedroom.

     “I wonder if she’s going to take a cold shower like I am.” He muttered to himself.

     What Chuck didn’t see was the Diva on the other side of the door with a single tear sliding down her face as she contemplated what could never be.

     I Melt
When you light those candles
Up there on that mantle, setting the mood
Well, I just lie there staring
Silently preparing to love on you
Well, I can feel the heat from across the room
Ain't it wild what a little flame can make you wanna do

[Chorus]
I melt every time you look at me that way
It never fails, anytime, any place This burn in me is the coolest thing I've ever felt
I melt

Don't know how you do it
I love the way I lose it, every time
What's even better
Is knowing that forever you're all mine
The closer you get, the more my body aches
One little stare from you is all it takes

[Repeat Chorus Twice]

Every time you look at me that way
I melt, I melt


*********************************************************************

     He had trouble sleeping.  He couldn’t get Tameka out of his head, from her reddish-blond curls, and toasted almond skin, to her hazel eyes which shone with some unseen light. He thought about how she looked on stage.  He knew that it was only an act, with the tight red dress and enough make-up to choke a horse.  He liked her much better tonight when she was just plain Tami. But, she was far from plain.
 
    He began feeling guilty.  He could tell that she was starting to have feelings for him.  He didn’t deserve those feelings.  He had lied to her about being a psychic, and he felt bad about it. Would she be mad if she found out?
 
    “What am I thinking? Of course she’d be mad. I’d be mad.”
 
    He finally nodded off to sleep and, of course, dreamed about Tami. He tried not to dream about her, but he couldn’t help it. He ached with the want to kiss her. He didn’t dare tell her, or show her how he felt.
 
    Then, in the midst of his dream, he heard the screams. It took him a minute to realize that the screams weren’t part of his dream.
 
    He jumped from his bed, and was across the hall in seconds.  He threw open her door without even knocking. The first thing that he saw was that the window was open, and he immediately thought that Tameka was gone. Then, he heard her whimpering in the corner.  
 
    “Tami . . . ”
 
    He went to her at once, and held her. When she could speak, she finally said,
 
    “A man came through the window. He tried to take me with him. I screamed and fought him.  He heard you coming . . . ”
 
    Chuck quickly picked her up and placed her on the bed.  He, then, closed the window and locked it. He tried not to notice the very skimpy nightgown that she was wearing.
 
    “Chuck, will you stay with me . . . here?” His eyes went wide as he realized what she meant.
 
    “Are you s-sure?” he stammered.
 
    She nodded.
 
    After a very quick decision, Chuck got into the bed and pulled the covers up over both of them.  He couldn’t believe that this was happening. He knew that nothing would happen, but just the thought of sleeping in the same bed with her sent his mind reeling.
 
    She smelled so good.  He could tell that she did take a shower or bath because now she smelled of peach soap. The fragrance almost made him lose consciousness. Then, there was the nightgown. It was a beautiful shade of pink that matched her skin perfectly, what there was of it. He already anticipated that he wouldn’t get much sleep that night.
 
    He wasn’t entirely right.  He had dropped off to sleep somewhere near dawn, and when he awoke, he noticed that Tameka had snuggled close to him. Her hand was resting under his T-shirt on his chest, on his bare skin. His body was doing some reacting of it’s own. He had to get out of there, quick.
 
    But, before he could escape, she hugged him closer.
 
    “Good morning.”
 
    The early morning made her voice husky and sexy. Then, she seemed to see him with new eyes, it seemed.
 
    She reached up and kissed him on the lips. He felt as if he had been electrocuted.  The jolt of electricity seemed to pass between both of them, and passion took control. He had longed for this moment since he had met her.  He expected to awaken from a dream at any moment. But, this was no dream.
 
    “Uh, Tami, I could really get carried away here.” She agreed that this wasn’t really the time or the place. Truth be told, they were both very afraid of their apparent feelings; they were afraid that these feelings would completely consume them.
 
                                                      With Every Kiss
                                       By Stephen Curtis Chapman
Well I remember the first time
I felt the power of your kiss
It hit me like a bolt of lightening
I said I never will recover from this

Like a moth drawn to a candle
this is something I can’t resist
I guess you could say I’m addicted
‘Cause I kept coming back again and again

With every little kiss I’m reminded
How wonderful it is to be in love with you
With every little look
With every little touch
With every little kiss you give me a little taste of heaven
Just one more good gift I’m given
I don’t want to miss one single little kiss

*********************************************************************
 
    “I’m going to go and get dressed.”  She said as she kissed him on the lips.  She, then, took her clothes into the restroom.
 
    Chuck sighed and wished that he didn’t have to put the breaks on things.  He got up, and decided to put on a pot of coffee. When he had finished this, his phone rang.
 
    “Yeah. Oh, hi Gary.”
 
    Gary noticed that Chuck didn’t sound very chipper.
 
    “You don’t sound too happy, even though I know that Tameka spent the night there.”
 
    “How did you know?”
 
    “Well, you gotta get her outta there, and then get away from her.”
 
    Chuck thought that Gary had lost his mind.
 
    “What the hell are you talking about?”
 
    “She’s supposed to die tonight in your apartment and guess who’s the number one suspect.”
 
    Chuck tried to take this all in.
 
    “Gary, I’m falling in love with her.”  Chuck said softly.
 
    “I have to tell her about the paper. I mean, I’m going to kill her, for heaven’s sake!”
 
    “You’re going to kill me?” Chuck turned to see Tameka standing in the doorway.  She had only heard part of what he had said.
 
    “Tami, wait . . . I can explain.”
 
    “Don’t call me that.”
 
    She had loved the way he called her Tami, but now it sounded all wrong.
 
    “I trusted you.”
 
    Chuck watched as she gathered her things and went out the door. He found that he was crying as he tried to stop her. She wouldn’t listen. Gary was still on the phone, and heard the whole thing.
 
    “Chuck, Chuck . . .”
 
    Chuck realized that he had dropped the phone.
 
    “Yeah, I’m here.”
 
    “What happened?”
 
    “She’s gone Gary.  She left.  She thought I was going to kill her. She was afraid of me. Me.” Chuck was near panic.
 
    “Well, at least you won’t be blamed for killing her.  But, just a sec . . . oh, no, it says here that she still dies.”
 
    “Oh, God . . .”

*********************************************************************
 

How Do I Love Her
Stephen Curtis Chapman

Well you know it's not the first time
And it will not be the last
When you find me here on my knees
Praying for the storm to pass
But what I am really needing
Is much more than just relief
I am crying out for wisdom
Only you can give to me
'Cause it's such a mystery
I'm a clueless man when it comesTo knowing how to love a woman
How do I love her
How do I let her know she means more than anything to me
How do I love her

*********************************************************************
 
    Chuck sat at the bar in McGinty’s drowning his sorrows in beer.  He was halfway through his fourth, and he didn’t feel any better.
 
    “Chuck, drinking is not going to help us find Tameka.” Marissa scolded. Gary had been out searching for Tameka since they got the news. He had gone to the hotel where she had been staying in hopes that she returned there. But, not only did they not find her, but they also found that none of her stuff was missing.  This did not look good.
 
    Marissa could tell that her friend was hurting, but she didn’t know what to do to help him.
 
    “The paper didn’t say where she was found.  Everything was blotted out, like a government report.” Chuck said grimly.
 
    Gary came through the door and removed his scarf and jacket.
 
    “She’s disappeared from the planet. No one at the hotel has seen her.”
 
    “Did you go to the arena?” Marissa asked.
 
    “Yeah, she wasn’t there.  I didn’t say anything because if someone from there did take her, I didn’t want them to know we’re on to them.”
 
    The color drained from Chuck’s face.
 
    “It’s okay Chuck, we’re going to find her.”
 
    Gary instinctively took the paper back out.
 
    “Wait a minute, it’s changed.”
 
    Chuck ran over to see what Gary was talking about.
 
    “She’s found in a warehouse downtown.”
 
    Chuck had already grabbed his coat and he and Gary headed for the door.

*********************************************************************
 
    When they arrived at the warehouse, Chuck was disappointed to find that Tami wasn’t there.
 
    “Okay, all this means is that she hasn’t gotten here yet.”
 
    “But Gar, what if she’s killed somewhere else.”
 
    Gary knew what the stakes were. He looked at the paper to see if anything else had changed.  It hadn’t.  They were at a dead end.
 
    “I still say that the answer is somewhere back at the arena.” Gary said.
 
    After picking up Marissa, to see if she could get some extra insight on things.
 
    When they arrived, everyone was doing his or her job.  They didn’t know that anything was wrong.
 
    Suddenly, Chuck got a certain look on his face.
 
    “Gary, maybe the paper’s wrong.  She’s in her dressing room.”
 
    Chuck started running off before Gary or Marissa could stop him.
 
    He burst into the dressing room, fully expecting to see Tameka standing there in that tight, red dress. The only thing there, of hers, was the lingering smell of peach soap.
 
    Gary and Marissa soon caught up to Chuck and found him sitting on the love seat with one of her scarves clutched in his hands. He was weeping.
 
    “Oh, Chuck  . . . ” Marissa said as she went to him.
 
    “It still smells like her.” He managed to say.

*********************************************************************
 
    Gary could tell that his friend was in a lot of pain. He checked the paper one more time to make sure nothing had changed. It hadn’t.
 
    Then, Gary got an idea. He went back out into the melee of the arena. He had to remind himself that no one really knew that Tameka was missing yet, except for the ones who had taken her.  Oh, the others might have thought she was late, or whatever, but they would just chalk it up to her Diva status.
 
    Some of the people were doing their jobs as if nothing was wrong, but then, he noticed that two people were huddled together in what appeared to be a worried discussion.  Voices were raised.  They looked very suspicious.
 
    “Chuck, who are they?” Gary asked as Chuck and Marissa emerged from the dressing room.
 
    “Oh, that’s John the security guy and Janet Tam – uh Tameka’s assistant.”
 
    While they were discussing this, the two people in question started walking toward them.
 
    “Ok, where is she? You were the last one to see her.”
 
    Chuck tried to speak, but couldn’t get his mouth to work properly.
 
    “She left Chuck’s place this morning.”  Gary answered, seeing his friend’s distress.
 
    “How do you know she’s missing?” Marissa asked.  Of course, asking this question also revealed that they knew that she was missing. John and Janet did a lot of hemming and hawing around before answering.
 
    “Well, she’s not here, is she?”
 
    They were still acting way too suspicious, but there was no way to prove that they actually had anything to do with the kidnaping.
 
    Gary walked away from the group and pulled out the paper. More of the words could be seen now, and Gary was distressed to see that Chuck was still going to be implicated in her death.
 
    “Chuck.  You’ve got to get out of here.” Gary whispered as he tried to hustle his friend away. It took Gary a couple of seconds to realize what Gary was saying.
 
    “Chuck, they’re going to say that you had something to do with it.” Marissa joined in as they rushed from the building.
 
    “But, she was alive when she left me.  She was mad, but she was alive.”
 
    “Well, if those two are in on it, then she’s out there somewhere . . .” Gary didn’t finish but Chuck knew that he meant, ‘if she were still alive’.
 
    They were standing in the parking lot, when, who should show up, but the cat. He started meowing obnoxiously.
 
    Gary took out the paper and could see that it was completely filled in now.
 
    “We need to go back to the warehouse.” Gary said.
 
    Just as they were getting ready to rush off, two police cars pulled up, and the officers jumped out.
 
    “Are you Chuck Fishman? We’d like to take you downtown and ask some questions.”
 
    Chuck’s first reaction was to fight them, but Gary calmed him down.
 
    “Chuck you go on down.  We’ll go to the warehouse.”  He emphasized these words to let Chuck know the importance of them getting to the warehouse. Gary knew that Chuck wanted to be there when they found Tameka, but they couldn’t waste any more time.  The paper was not clear when, exactly, she would die, but now that John and Janet knew that they knew, they were bound to go back and get her.  They’d have to kill her then.

*********************************************************************    

Downtown, Chuck sat alone in the interrogation room.  They were making him sweat it out, but all he was worried about was Tameka. He kept thinking that there was still a chance that she could already be dead.

     Finally, the door to the room opened, and in walked Detective Bruce Marks.

     “Mr. Fishman, I have a few questions for you.” Marks said.  Chuck rolled his eyes.  He knew that this would involve two or three hours of repeating the same story over and over. He also worried that part of his story was a lie.

*********************************************************************

     In the meantime, Gary and Marissa made their way back to the warehouse. Everything was as quiet as when Gary and Chuck had come earlier. There was the echo of water dripping somewhere off in the distance.

     “It’s not specific where she was found.”

     Gary’s voice sounded unusually loud in the vast structure.

     “We’ll just have to search it from top to bottom.” Marissa answered.

     They were about halfway through the building, when they heard what sounded like a very faint whimper.

     “She’s here.” Marissa announced.

     They looked behind a stack of crates, and there she was. She was seated on the floor with her hands and feet tied, and a rage tied around her mouth. Tears sprang into her eyes and flowed as she realized that she was being rescued.

      Of course, she had never met Gary or Marissa, but she knew immediately who they were from Chuck’s description.  She spoke as soon as the rag was taken from around her mouth.

     “Where’s Chuck?” she asked. She desperately wanted to melt into his arms and feel safe, but he wasn’t there. She didn’t understand.

      “We don’t have time to explain, but he’s at the police station. We’ve got to get you there so we can prove his innocence.” Gary lifted her from the floor, and they made their way from the building.

*********************************************************************

     “I told you.  I didn’t kill her.” Chuck was in tears, and his throat felt raw from the continual questioning. The detective was trying to get Chuck to tell him where she was.  The fact that Marks was already assuming that Tameka was dead, really upset Chuck.

     He thought about telling the detective that she was in the warehouse. But, if she was already dead, it would look really bad for him. Not to mention the fact that if the police found Gary and Marissa there, it would look bad for all three of them.  He didn’t know what to do.

    Marks kept hammering away. He didn’t like this smug, little man that sat before him, and he was determined to get him.

     Chuck was at the point of losing his mind.  He kept thinking that Tameka could be dying this very minute and he was powerless to stop it. He was breaking.

     “Please, please, stop this. We have to find her. Don’t you see?”

      Marks wouldn’t stop.  He felt that Chuck would crack at any moment. He didn’t know how true that was.

      “You killed her. Where is her body?”

      By this time, Chuck had completely shut down.  He had retreated to somewhat of a fetal position, and was just rocking back and forth sobbing.

     Damn, I’ve pushed too hard, Marks thought. He simply gathered his notes and left the room.

*********************************************************************

     “That’s far enough.” Gary, Marissa and Tameka heard a voice behind them. Tameka immediately Squatted down and covered her face with her hands.  She recognized the voice.

     Gary turned to see John and Janet standing there. John had a gun.

     “Well, it looks like we have three to kill now.” Janet said. They didn’t look happy about it.  They looked annoyed. What had began as a simple embezzlement, had gone all wrong.

     “Get the rope, Jan.” John ordered. Janet went over to a corner where there was more rope.  She came back and began tying them up.

     “I didn’t believe that guy when he said he was a psychic, but I guess he is.” He and Janet had a good chuckle about it.

     “Well, you can laugh all you want, but he’s down at the police station right now telling them everything.”  Gary tried to sound threatening, but it didn’t ring true.

     “Who do you think set that little thing up?” John asked.

     “Honey, don’t you think we should get down there to make him look more guilty?” Janet asked. John’s answer was to kiss her on the cheek. Not the sharpest blades in the tool shed, Gary thought.

      “Now, you all just sit tight here until we get back.” John called back over his shoulder. He and Janet laughed at that as they left.

*********************************************************************

        Marks decided to come back for another try at Chuck, who was still babbling incoherently.  

        “I told you.  I didn’t kill her. Please you gotta let me outta here.”

       Detective Marks just looked at him.  He couldn’t decide whether he believed him or not.  For all he knew this guy really was the sicko that was holding this poor girl captive.

     “So, Mr. Fishman, let’s talk about you. You’ve been following this woman’s career, maybe going to her concerts, and so on. Did you think that, maybe, you and she had a thing going on?”

     Chuck began shaking his head.

     “We do have a thing going on, besides, I didn’t know her before yesterday.”

     Marks definitely didn’t believe that, and he told Chuck so.

     “You expect me to believe that you were involved with a mega superstar and you didn’t know her before yesterday?”

     Chuck had to admit that it did sound unbelievable.

     “Besides, how were you able to get close to her, she has body guards, doesn’t she?”

     “I told you.  She let me in.”

     “Why?”

     Chuck had a dilemma, now. Should he lie and risk himself, or should he not lie and betray his relationship with Tameka if she were still alive. The decision was taken out of his hands. Another detective stuck his head in the doorway.

     “Marks.  There are some people out here to see you.”

     Chuck, thinking that it was Gary, Marissa, and, hopefully, Tameka, thought that he would be getting out of there soon.

     “We’re the ones that reported Tameka missing.” Janet said.

     “Ok, let me ask you some questions.” Mark told them to sit down, and he prepared to write.

     “How did this guy get close to Tameka in the first place?”

     “He said that he was a psychic.” John answered.

     That statement just seemed to hang in the air.

     “He said that he was what?” Marks stifled a giggle – an actual giggle.

      “Tameka believed him, and let him in. I think that he was stalking her and had been getting letters from him.” John continued.

     Oh, this was way too good.  With these statements, Marks could bury Chuck.

     “Can I get you two to make a formal statement?” They both nodded.

     “Anything to help.”

     Chuck’s fate was sealed.

     Marks went back into the room.

     “Mr. Fishman, we have a little problem. You see, Tameka’s assistant and her bodyguard think that you are involved in her disappearance.”

     Chuck was still in the fetal position.  There was no sign that he had even heard Marks.

     “I told you.  I didn’t kill her. Please, it might be too late.”

     “Mr. Fishman, if you know where she is – and I don’t care how you know – you need to tell me.”

       Marks was playing into the fact that Fishman might just think that he was a psychic. As far Chuck, he was tired, and he didn’t care anymore.  She was probably dead anyway.

     “Warehouse district – Water Market – building C.” he said softly. Marks was on the move.

******************************************************************************

     They barely spoke to one another as each contemplated their impending doom.

     Gary held out hope that Chuck would tell the police where they were, but if that were the case, they would have been found hours ago.  All they could do was to wait.

     When they heard sounds and muffled voices, they each perked up, thinking that it was Chuck with the police.  Gary soon realized, as the voices got closer, that it was John and Janet.

     Tameka realized it, as well, and began to sob quietly. Marissa tried to offer comfort, which is hard to do when you’re tied up.

    John and Janet had argued the whole way over. John didn’t want to kill them, while Janet did.

     “If we kill them, there’ll be nobody to accuse us; except him, and who’s going to believe him?”

     John still wasn’t sure. When they had left the Police station, John had the weird feeling that it was all over. He didn’t even want to come back here; he just wanted to get the money and run.

     But, Janet insisted that they had to kill them first. IT was then, that they heard the sirens.  Janet went up and prepared to kill the three. John was determined to stop her. The two began to fight over the gun. They struggled too long, because soon the room was flooded with police officers.

     Once the officers had freed the three, Gary spoke up. “This is Tameka Robinson, the missing woman. Can you take us to our friend Chuck Fishman at the police station?”

*****************************************************************************

     As soon as they entered the station, they went to the desk.

     “We’re looking for Chuck Fishman.”

      Detective Marks came over to them.

     “Who are these people?” he asked.

     Gary and Marissa gently pushed Tameka forward.

     “I’m Tameka Robinson.” she said breathlessly.

     The detective couldn’t hide his look of surprise.  He simply pointed in the direction of the interrogation room.

     Tameka took off like a shot. Her heart broke when she saw him. He was still in the fetal position and was rocking back and forth.  He had thoroughly convinced himself that Tameka was dead.

     “Chuck, Chuck, it’s me Tami.” she held his face in her hands. Chuck thought that he was really flipping out now. He was seeing Tameka and she was dead.

     “Chuck, it’s really me. I love you.”  She hadn’t meant to say the last part, but she noticed that when she said it, tears began to flow down Chuck’s cheeks.

     “Tami. . .” He reached up and touched her face to see if she were real. By this time, she, too, was crying.

     “Let’s go, Chuck.” She said as she pulled him to his feet.

     “I love you, too.” he mumbled.

*****************************************************************************

     It had been two days since their harrowing ordeal. Chuck was feeling better, although, he still couldn’t believe that Tameka actually loved him. The words of Detective Marks kept coming back to him.

     “You expect me to believe that you were involved with a mega superstar that you didn’t know existed before yesterday.”

     He still couldn’t believe it.

     Tameka had discovered that Janet and John were embezzling money from her. When they thought that she was close to figuring this out, they started the stalker story.

     It had been in Janet’s mind all along to kill Tameka, mainly because she was jealous. John had always thought that, at some point, they would just cut and run.

     Tameka had continued staying at Chuck’s house saying, simply, that she wanted to take care of him.

     She had immediately realized the consequences of saying those three little words. It wasn’t that she didn’t mean them, she just didn’t mean to say them. She had never said those words to anyone outside of her family before. Love had always frightened her. For her, it meant giving up her independence. But, there was something about Chuck that made her want to give up that independence. But, at what cost?

     That evening, as they were sitting together watching television, Tameka suddenly turned off the TV.  She had decided to talk to him about what was said.

     “Chuck, I think that we should talk.”

     Chuck became instantly afraid.  He had thought that Tameka had made a mistake when she said that she loved him.

      “About what I said the other day . . . “ she started. Chuck prepared himself for the blow.

     “I meant every word.” she finished.

     Chuck didn’t know what to think. His mouth hung open. Tameka took advantage of his silence by kissing him. At first, the kiss was very sweet and loving. Chaste. Chuck reached up and held her. His heart was pounding thunderously in his chest, and he wondered if this is what it felt like to have a heart attack.

     The more that Chuck clutched helplessly at Tameka, the more impassioned he became. His hands reached up into her hair as he ran his fingers through it. He, again, became aware of the scent of peach soap, and it was making him wild.

     Suddenly, Tameka wanted his hands on her. She wanted him to touch her bare skin. She sat up and pulled off her sweater. Chuck’s eyes went wide when he saw her. Tameka smiled seductively when she saw the look of surprise on Chuck’s  face. The look of surprise quickly changed to a look of lust.

     Tameka’s eyes had turned smokey, which Chuck took to mean that she felt the same way that he did. There was so much that he wanted to say, but he quickly realized that this was not the time to say anything.

     Tameka wanted to touch him, so she took his shirt off.  She ran her hands over the expanse of his chest which only served to make him crazy.

     Chuck reached behind her and unhooked her bra.  Their eyes met, as he silently asked if this was what she wanted.  Tameka gave him the answer with her kiss. He slowly removed her bra.

     Tameka liked the look on his face when he saw her bare breasts.

As for Chuck, he was too far gone now to stop.

     Chuck seized her shoulders and pulled her toward him and began ravaging her mouth desperately. His teeth nipped playfully at her shoulders and then he nuzzled her neck. She groaned with pleasure.

     It was now Tameka’s turn. She undid his belt slowly, and Chuck seemed to be holding his breath. She unfastened his pants, and slowly slid the zipper down.  For Chuck, it was as if time had stood still. It was evident that he wanted her.  He felt a little embarrassed at first, until he saw the reaction on Tameka’s face.

     They slowly removed the rest of their clothing as they each tried to control their emotions. When the time came, Chuck suddenly panicked.

     “I don’t have anything . . .” He looked a little embarrassed. He tried to perpetuate the image of a big bachelor playboy but, in reality, he was far from that.

      “It’s all right, I came prepared.” She reached into her purse and pulled out what was needed. Chuck didn’t have time to think about the fact that this was something that Tameka had planned on doing.

****************************************************************************

     The next morning Chuck awoke to find Tameka curled in his arms.  He had no idea how they finally made it to the bed, but here they were.

     He thought about how happy he was, but a dark cloud remained. Tameka still thought that he was a psychic. He had to tell her the truth. He suddenly became afraid. What if she didn’t want to see him anymore? What if she didn’t believe him? These thoughts kept going through his head as he realized that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.   

     “What’s wrong?” Tameka asked as she sat up and looked at him.

     “Uh, uh . . .” He didn’t want to do this now, but he could see that there was no getting around it.

     “Tami, I need to talk to you. It’s important.”

     Tameka was a little nervous because Chuck sounded so serious.  She got up and put on one of Chuck’s shirts. Chuck tried not to notice how sexy she looked wearing his shirt and nothing else with her hair streaming wildly all over her head.

     Chuck began.

     “I lied to you.”

     Chuck could see her bristling, preparing herself for the worst.

     “I’m not psychic.” He watched her for a reaction. It was, clearly, not what she had expected. He could tell that she couldn’t see where this was leading.

     “I said that because I couldn’t explain how I actually knew what was going to happen to you.”

     She was still waiting in anticipation.

     “My friend Gary . . . gets a newspaper. It’s not an ordinary newspaper. It’s tomorrow’s newspaper.”

     He, again, watched for a reaction. Now that the other shoe had dropped, so to speak, Tameka was at a loss for words. It still was not what she had expected. She had feared that he would tell her about a wife and kids in Hoboken or somewhere. But this, this was definitely out of the realm of her thoughts. She didn’t know what she believed.

     “I don’t know what to say.”

     He could tell that she didn’t exactly believe him. She was probably trying to figure out if he were crazy or not.

     “Okay, I can prove it to you. Let’s get dressed.” he said regrettably.

******************************************************************************

     Chuck opened the door for Tameka at McGinty’s. Things were not yet busy, but they were preparing for the lunch crowd, and, it was Christmas Eve.

     Chuck looked around and saw Marissa at the bar.

     “Marissa, is Gary here?” he asked. Marissa, sensing that Chuck was not alone, said, “Uh, no . . . he’s out . . .” Her vagueness was meant to tell Chuck that Gary was out doing some deed that involved the paper.

     “It’s okay, Marissa. Tameka knows about the paper.”

     Marissa looked shocked. Her first thought was that things had to be pretty serious between Tameka and Chuck for him to tell her about the paper.  Even though Gary had not trusted Chuck, at first, with the knowledge of the existence of the paper, he soon found out that Chuck wouldn’t tell. After all, who would believe him?

     “Oh, well, Gary is out on an assignment from the paper.”

     Chuck translated for Tameka.

     “Gary is on a crazy mission.  He thinks that the paper has chosen him to set things right. He reads about tragedies, and then goes and tries to prevent them.”

     Tameka was trying to take all of this in. She couldn’t help but think that maybe they were all crazy.

     “Chuck, can I talk to you . . . alone?”

      Chuck took her into the office and closed the door.

     “This is . . . very hard to believe.”

     Chuck knew that it was.

     “I love you, Chuck.  You know that.”

    He did, but it still thrilled him to hear her say it.

     “I want to believe you.”

     He could see in her eyes that she did. He came to her and took her into his arms, and kissed her.

     “I know that I lied at first, but I’m telling the truth now. Gary doesn’t let me have the paper, for other reasons, but he was so swamped that he gave me one of the assignments. I’m really glad he did.”

     They were still in an embrace when Gary walked into the office.

     “Oh, sorry . . .” Gary turned to leave when he saw them in the embrace.

     “Gar, wait. I told Tameka about the paper, but she’s having a hard time believing me.”

     Gary wanted to make a joke about believing what Chuck says, but thought that he shouldn’t say it in front of Tameka. Instead, he took the paper from his back pocket and opened it in front of her.  She looked at the date, and briefly looked at the stories on the front page. She looked up at Chuck and fell into his arms again.

     “I’m sorry I doubted you, darling.” He held her tightly, and Gary smiled because of the part that he had played in this.

*****************************************************************************

     The night was fraught with excitement. It was Christmas Eve, and Tameka was preparing for her concert.  She was in her dressing room, and looked over and smiled at the big bouquet of roses from Chuck. She thought about what the card had said:

     I love you desperately
     Will you marry me?

     When she read the not, it had thrilled her. But then, she realized that she had to give him an answer. She tried to analyze her feelings for him. She knew that she loved him, as far as spending the rest of her life with him, well, that was another thing.

     Her career was just starting to take off. And, of course, there was ll of the publicity that would surround them. She didn’t want to subject Chuck to that.

     Then, there was the touring for months on end. All of these thoughts plagued her as she got dressed.

     “Tameka, five minutes.” The stage manager called.  She had no more time to think about her situation; she had a show to do.

     Chuck, Gary, and Marissa sat in the packed audience. The lights had just gone out, and the spotlight had come up. The crowd went crazy as Tameka stepped into the light. She began to sing, and it was as if she were singing to Chuck alone.

     “Gar, I asked Tameka to marry me.”  He whispered. Gary was trying to watch the performance, and was, of course, annoyed that Chuck was talking to him.

      “Gary, if she doesn’t say yes, I don’t know what I’ll do.”

     Gary had about enough.  He took out the paper and showed Chuck the article that he had seen earlier.
    
                   Superstar Tameka has announced
                   That she will wed bar owner Chuck
                   Fishman on New Year’s Eve . . .

     Chuck stood and cheered just as Tameka finished the song.  Tameka smiled, but her smile was only for Chuck.

What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve

Maybe it's much too early in the game
Ooh, but I thought I'd ask you just the same
What are you doing New Year's
New Year's eve?

Wonder whose arms will hold you good and tight
When it's exactly twelve o'clock that night
Welcoming in the New Year
New Year's eve

Maybe I'm crazy to suppose
I'd ever be the one you chose
Out of the thousand invitations
You received

Ooh, but in case I stand one little chance
Here comes the jackpot question in advance:
What are you doing New Year's
New Year's Eve?

Maybe I'm crazy to suppose
I'd ever be the one you chose
Out of the thousand invitations
You received

Ooh, but in case I stand one little chance
Here comes the jackpot question in advance:
What are you doing New Year's
New Year's Eve?

Email the author: nubiangeek@yahoo.com
 

Back Home to McGinty's

Stories by Title

Stories by Author