 
## Written in the Stars

Michelle Tangedal

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2013 Michelle Tangedal

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and you did not purchase it, or if it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank-you for respecting the hard work of this author.

# Chapter One

" _Relations with partners of all kinds- business, romantic, creative- might be somewhat strained today, Pisces. You have felt under pressure lately, and may struggle to keep your emotions in check. If possible, consider rescheduling meetings for another day. If not, try your best to be cordial and cooperative. You'll be happy later that you made the effort."_

Jill read her horoscope as she finished the last bite of her toast and then with a sigh, shut down the laptop and packed it into her briefcase. Under pressure was a major understatement; she couldn't believe that she had been offered such a dismal forecast on today of all days!

At 1:30pm sharp, she was to give the presentation that would decide her future at Hollister Marketing. A junior at the firm, for the past three years, she had dealt with the smaller clients no one else wanted; churning out low budget ad campaigns and radio commercials for everything from laser teeth whitening ("An unforgettable smile makes for an unforgettable first impression"), to dog spa services ("Because man's best friend deserve the best!"), to the local pub ("The best part of your day..."). Now, for the first time ever, she had been given the opportunity to work on a _real_ campaign with a _real_ budget, and, also for the first time ever, she felt totally unprepared.

At first Jill had been ecstatic about the assignment... "Earthen Beauty", an up-and-coming pharmaceutical company wanted a campaign for their new, organic, beauty line. The first product they were launching was an "all-natural" acne cream that promised a clear, chemical-free complexion. Great! God knows she worried about the after-effects of the treatments she had been slathering on her face since the age of twelve. Salicylic _acid?_ Benzoyl _peroxide_? She was genuinely thankful that she hadn't developed cancer of some kind already.

The problem? The stuff didn't work. About a month earlier, she, herself, had tried it in an effort to gain some inspiration, but not only was the cream cakey and foul-smelling (she likened the odor to wet dirt and mildew), she had broken out in epic proportions only two days after starting the regimen. Wanting to believe that her skin was just reacting to the sudden change, she had tried to tough it out. The bottle did, after all, state that it would take two weeks for the formula to take effect. Unfortunately, by the end of Week Two, Jill had looked like she had stepped straight out of her grade 9 yearbook picture and it was then that she had had to admit defeat. She had still managed to come up with a concept and a slogan, but she felt unsure of whether or not she'd be able to deliver the idea with any conviction.

On her way out the door, Jill paused to give herself a once-over in the front entrance mirror. _Too stuffy_ , she suddenly decided and ran back to the bedroom for some last minute adjustments. With long, naturally blond hair and wide-set, round blue eyes, Jill had been told more than once that she looked like Betty Cooper from the Archie comics. As a result, she found that she needed to dress rather formally in order to offset her girlish looks and be taken seriously at work. The challenge as a "creative" in marketing; however, was to look professional, yet somehow fresh and edgy at the same time. Today, she had chosen to wear a traditional button-up white oxford shirt under a simple black sheath dress. Her hair was pulled into an elegant chignon at the nape of her neck and her bangs hung straight across her forehead, framing her face. She definitely had "professional" down, but she worried that the client might think she couldn't identify with the target adolescent market. Suddenly, inspiration hit. For once channeling Betty Cooper, she shook out the chignon and pulled her hair up into a high ponytail; hiding the elastic with a colourful scarf. She gazed at her reflection to consider the effect. _Almost there_. Next, she kicked off her black Mary-Janes and swapped them for some bright red pumps. _Ah... perfect_ , she thought, admiring her handiwork. With only a few small changes, she had transformed herself from a fussy banker to a fresh-faced intern. She looked ready to take on the world, but also like she had very recently relied on acne cream herself- which unfortunately, was true. With renewed confidence, Jill picked up her briefcase and walked out the door.

* * *

"Because the main advantage of your product is that it's all-natural, we'll really want to play up the potential harmful side effects of competing products. We can't actually _say_ that typical acne treatments are dangerous, because that hasn't been supported by research, but we can _imply_ it," Jill explained to the grim-looking faces around the boardroom. "From there, we'll go to a montage of girl-next-door types in natural settings; all with beautiful skin and minimal make-up. Picture a girl with freckles in a meadow on a swing, then a girl with beach-tousled hair jumping onto a surfboard, then a shy snow-white type holding hands with a boy and running down a forest path... you get the idea. After that, we'll finish with the tagline," Jill paused for effect, "Earthen Beauty. The complexion of Mother Nature!"

Jill held her breath as she looked around the room. They were all so hard to read. And they all looked so serious! Maybe she should have stuck with the Mary Janes after all...

"Ahem," Charles, one of the five Earthen Beauty reps seated around the table, cleared his throat and stood up. "Could you excuse us a minute Jill? We'd like a moment to discuss your proposal in private if you don't mind," he finished apologetically.

"Oh! No problem at all!" Jill replied, trying to sound calm. "I've got some emails to send out anyhow. I'll be in the hall; just let me know when you're ready."

Out in the hall, Jill did her best to maintain her composure, but inside, she was a wreck. She knew that the pitch was a little weak, but she just hadn't been able to bring herself to lie about the product's efficacy. "Mother Nature's complexion" had seemed like a good compromise. Unfortunately, many girls would end up with _exactly_ the complexion Mother Nature had intended for them. She also thought that by associating the product with Earth and Mother Nature, it might conjure up better imagery when future customers opened the jar and smelled the stuff for the first time. Now, she was second-guessing herself. Maybe it would have just been better to abandon truth altogether and claim it was a miracle cure. _Ok, enough,_ Jill thought, _too late now._

She took out her phone to distract herself and as promised, start going through her emails. As soon as she turned the phone on, she saw that she had four missed phone calls and three text messages. She opened the texts first. Ugh. They were all from Leslie, a fellow bridesmaid in an upcoming wedding for their mutual friend, Adrianna. A quick look at the phone number on the missed calls told the same story. _Clearly I'm busy,_ Jill thought angrily. _My God! What does the girl want now?_ Leslie had been driving Jill crazy for months, nitpicking over the smallest details and trying to make her feel guilty for not being as enthusiastic over helping out as she was. It seemed that now, Leslie was panicked about hairstyles. Jill glanced down at one of several photos attached to the text. Honestly? Did the bridesmaids' hair really have to match? Maybe she'd get a pixie cut right before the wedding simply out of spite. She found herself smiling as she imagined Leslie's reaction.

"Jill, we're ready for you now," Charles' voice cut through her thoughts.

"OK, I'll be right in," Jill replied nervously. This was it. Her fate at the company would be decided within the next five minutes. She tried to push this morning's horoscope far from her mind.

Once she was in the boardroom, another rep- a stern-looking woman in a navy power suit- stood up to talk. "We've been talking about it, and there are a few things we think you to need work on. First off, we'd like to see a more detailed plan of how you envision the comparison to other products. We're worried that without the right tone, it could come off as an infomercial. Secondly, we think that it's important to actually _show_ Mother Nature within the commercial. Give her a face. We're not sure that customers will make the jump from the fresh-faced girls to her themselves. If we don't feature a young, beautiful Mother Nature, they might picture an old, wrinkly, crone. That is _not_ the message we want to convey."

"Certainly," Jill responded hesitantly, "I can understand your concerns, but I assure you that..."

"What Trudy is trying to say," Charles jumped in before she could finish the sentence, "is that overall, we love it! Just a few small changes and I think we've got gold on our hands. Congratulations, the account is yours!"

Jill was in shock as she shook hands with the reps and packed up her presentation. She couldn't believe it! She had landed a major account! Though she was pleased with herself, somehow, the elation she had anticipated eluded her. Why wasn't she more excited? _Ok_ , she admitted to herself _,_ _so you WILL be convincing fragile girls to buy a product that doesn't work. But face it, NO products work at that age. And you don't know for sure that it doesn't work. Just because it didn't work for you, doesn't mean that it won't work for someone..._

Jill walked out of the boardroom and was greeted by a firm pat on the back from her boss, Joe. As always, Jill found herself cringing a little at his touch. Joe was a few of years older than her -she guessed him to be in his mid-thirties- and she supposed that many women might describe him as attractive. He was just a little too polished for her own liking; the word "slick" coming to mind. He was also sexist, full of himself, and over the years, she had had to thwart several of his advances and endure countless awkward conversations that bordered on the line of inappropriate. He had great business sense though, and over time Jill had developed if not fondness, at least a certain amount of respect for him.

"There's our girl," he said with pride, "I knew that you had it in you. This is only the beginning you know. In a couple of years you'll be managing their entire line. Picture it...hair products, cosmetics... not to mention all the other big-name clients we'll be throwing your way now. The sky's the limit!"

Though she knew that he was praising her, Jill was having a hard time focusing on his words. Instead, she seemed to be hearing them from the other end of a lengthening tunnel. Her collar suddenly seemed too tight and she found herself tugging at it, struggling to breathe. Around her, the walls seemed to be closing in; the room becoming smaller and darker. Recognizing the telltale signs that she was about to faint, Jill frantically reached for a nearby chair and collapsed into it before the dizziness took over. The change in elevation helped. As her vision slowly cleared and her surroundings came back into focus, she became aware of Joe looking worriedly down at her, asking her questions.

"I said... are you alright?" he repeated loudly.

Jill gave her head a little shake as though to clear it and looked back up at him. "Yes. Sorry Joe, I was just feeling a little light-headed for a second there. I probably should have had a bigger lunch. What were you saying?" she asked apologetically.

"I was saying that you were fantastic. I'm really proud of you kid," he replied earnestly.

Again, despite the compliments, Jill found that she just couldn't share in the celebratory mood. _I must just be a little tired_ , she told herself. It had, after all, been a pretty stressful week. Feeling an inexplicable lump forming in the back of her throat, she decided that she deserved a break.

"Thanks Joe!" she forced herself to tell him enthusiastically. "You know, I'm glad it went well, because I haven't been feeling all that great today. Do you mind if I take off a little early?"

"Oh, that's too bad. I was hoping that we might celebrate with some drinks after work; but absolutely, head on out. And thanks for being such a trooper," he said sympathetically.

"Thanks," Jill replied. She didn't even bother to go back to her office. Instead, she walked straight into the elevator and then straight out the building; just as the tears began to fall.

# Chapter Two

Outside the building doors, Jill paused and wiped angrily at the tears, unsure of what to do next. Her small townhouse was located in a trendy neighborhood only 3km away and normally, she packed sneakers and walked; enjoying the twenty minutes outdoors to either mentally prepare for work or to clear her head on the way home. This morning; however, the extra effort that she had put into primping for her presentation had cost her precious minutes and she had been forced to grab a taxi. She looked down at the red pumps on her feet, then looked up at the beautiful blue sky dotted with clouds, and decided that the latter won out. In fact, with the warmth of the sun and the light breeze both playing on her face, she was starting to feel better already. She took a tissue from her purse, dabbed at the mascara running down her cheeks, breathed in deeply, and set off.

As she walked, Jill considered the panic attack that had transpired upstairs. She was loath to call it that; it made her feel weak and flakey, but experience told her that's what it was. She had only ever fainted twice before, but both incidents stood out clearly in her memory.

The first time had been in grade six. She had been assigned a solo in the school Christmas concert, and she had practiced for weeks in preparation. On the big night, standing on the risers with her fellow classmates and waiting for her big moment, she had become more and more anxious. A hundred different worst-case scenarios had run through her head; she could trip on her way to the microphone, the sweat under her armpits could seep through her shirt so that everyone could see it, her voice could crack on the high note... Without any warning, her head had started to swim and the room had gone black. The next thing she knew, she was lying flat on the cold gym floor with a nasty headache and with the quizzical faces of twenty classmates peering down at her. She still had a small scar at the top of her hairline as a reminder of the incident.

The second time that she had fainted hadn't been nearly as dramatic, but was no less memorable. In her first year of university, hoping to be admitted to the Faculty of Business the following year, the stakes had been high. For the most part, she had done well in her courses, but she had struggled with Introductory Calculus; a mandatory entrance requirement. Despite all the hours spent with a patient -if not a little patronizing- tutor, as she had written her final exam, the questions had still all seemed as though they were written in Greek. When the Professor had announced that time was up, Jill had still had two fully unattempted problems staring up at her from the page. As she had stood in line waiting to turn the test in, she had known that she had likely failed. Yet again, panic had seized her and the room had gone dark. Luckily, this time, a fellow student had been able to catch her so that no permanent injury ensued; but Jill was left with the harsh realization that she was prone to panic attacks.

So what had caused this one? Where had those tears come from? She replayed Joe's praise back in her head. _"Hair products, cosmetics... the sky's the limit!"_

Doing so, Jill's stomach felt as though it were tying itself in knots. _Shampoo?_ _Mascara?_ Was this the future she had been working so hard towards? Was this honestly her big break? Selling products that no one really needed? She told herself that she was being ridiculous. It was her job to create demand. She had always known that. Her satisfaction came from the creative part of the process- seeing an idea take shape and materialize. The sales aspect was just an unfortunate side effect. She had always known that too. Jill thought back to her horoscope for the day, " _You have felt under pressure lately and may struggle to keep your emotions in check."_ Huh, major understatement! That must be it though...just a long week getting to her, coupled with her impending monthly visitor.

Satisfied with her self-diagnosis, Jill pushed any more unpleasant thoughts of work aside and started to plan out her evening. It was Friday. Next weekend would be the big wedding, so she might as well take advantage of this one to relax. Taking in her surroundings, she happily realized that she was right near her favourite specialty wine shop; and she pictured herself lounging in a candlelit bubble bath; wine glass in one hand, Sophie Kinsella novel in the other. Perfect! A night to herself was just what she needed to unwind and refocus; she was smiling as she pushed through the door.

Just as she was pulling her favourite red wine off the shelf; however, her cell phone began to ring. _Leslie!_ Jill never had gotten back to her about the hairstyles. Oh well, she might as well answer; the woman was relentless. Better to get it over with now than interrupt a peaceful evening. She sighed as she swiped her finger across the screen. "Hello?"

"Jill! My God, where have you beeeen?" Leslie's plaintive tone filled the airwaves.

"Working," Jill replied patiently. She had learned from experience that there was nothing to be gained from antagonizing Leslie.

"Well honestly, who doesn't have time to return a little text?" Leslie pouted. "That's what they invented the coffee break for. Anyway, did you have time to look at the hairstyles? Which do you like best?"

"They all look great Leslie," Jill responded. "I'm happy with whichever one Adrianna chooses."

"Honestly," Leslie scoffed, "Adrianna doesn't have time to sort out every detail."

_No...Adrianna just doesn't care about details that really don't matter_ , Jill thought bitterly as she endured the scolding in silence.

"She is trusting us, the bridesmaids, to take care of these things for her," Leslie continued, "but, clearly, I am the only one who is taking the job seriously. Don't worry; I'll pick the hairstyle myself. Just like almost everything else."

"I really did look at them- it's just that they were all so pretty..."

"Whatever," Leslie said, cutting her off. "Just make sure that you're on time for the dress fitting tonight."

"Oh, that's tonight?" Jill asked crestfallen; her visions of candlelit bliss dissipating like a puff of smoke.

"Yes! You know this Jill! It was all in the email I sent out on Monday. We're meeting at the dress shop at 4:30pm, and then from there, we're going to the hotel for menu sampling at 6:00pm, and _then_ we're going back to Adrianna's to finish making centrepieces. Don't tell me that you forgot?!" Leslie said incredulously.

"No, no... I knew that it was Friday. I just forgot what day of the week I was on," Jill lied. In truth, Leslie sent out so many emails lately that Jill had taken to skimming the titles and then deleting most of them unread. The title on this one must have failed to relay its importance. "Well, I'll see you at 4:30," she said hurriedly, eager to hang up before Leslie said anything else to irritate her. "Gotta go. Bye!"

Looking down longingly at the bottle of Shiraz in her hand, she reluctantly put it back on the shelf. Her plans for a quiet evening alone would have to wait. She turned to leave the store, but was hit with inspiration. Whirring back around, she grabbed the bottle back off the shelf, along with a buttery Chardonnay from the row next to it. If her evening was going to be spent doing Arts and Crafts, she could at least bring a little life to the party.

Content with her purchases, Jill stepped out of the store and became aware of another problem demanding her attention. Scrunching her nose, and looking down at her heel, she saw the beginnings of a blister forming. _So much for an afternoon stroll_ , she thought, and plunked herself down on a bench to wait for the bus. She glanced down at her watch. 3:00pm. Well, if she was lucky, she might still be able to get home in time to squeeze in a nap before the bridal adventures began.

# Chapter Three

At 4:45 (early by her usual standards), Jill walked into the bridal shop to find Adrianna already in her wedding dress; acting as a human pin-cushion while a seamstress fussed over the pleats in her gown. The two other bridesmaids, Leslie and Marcy, were waiting patiently on an ornate cream-colored sofa with their backs to the door. Jill sighed inwardly as she spied the iPad in Leslie's hand. Even from a distance, she could see the hairstyles alight on the screen. Marcy was obediently making appropriate "uh-hums", and "ah's" as Leslie spoke, but Jill could tell that she was feigning interest. When a little chime announced Jill's arrival, Marcy immediately looked over the back of the sofa and mouthed, "Help me!" Jill had to stifle a giggle.

Although she had been looking forward to the evening alone, now that she was here, Jill was happy to be among friends. The four girls had been "besties" since grade school and despite the fact that they were all very different, each played a special role within the group. Adrianna, timid and demure, was also the most thoughtful and nurturing. She was the one the other girls sought out when they needed a shoulder to cry on. Marcy, on the other hand, was daring and bold. She was the one who had led the expedition for trainer bras in grade six, the one who had always had the courage to dial that cute boy's phone number, and of course, the one who had demonstrated proper French kissing technique as Adrianna had blushed and pretended not to watch. Jill herself, she supposed, was the dreamer of the group. When they had played Barbies as girls, she had always been the one to invent the plot. It was also Jill who would insist that they all get their palms read at the yearly carnival. Leslie, no surprise, had always been their commander. Though she was sometimes brash and annoying, Jill had to admit; if not for her, most of their plans would never get put into motion.

"Adrianna!" Jill exclaimed as she plopped herself down on the sofa. "You look stunning!" And she meant it. Adrianna, who normally might be described by an onlooker as lanky and a little plain, had been transformed into an elegant ballerina by the dress. The tight corset added womanly curves to her somewhat boyish hips and the sweetheart neckline accented her swan-like neck. Jill had never seen her look so beautiful.

"Really?" Adrianna asked shyly. "Are you sure it isn't a little too much?"

"No," Jill reassured her. "It's just enough. You look perfect!"

Just then, the seamstress stood up and clapped her hands. "Done!" she declared in a thick Polish accent. "Now we'll just check the hemlines on the bridesmaid dresses and you girls can start your weekend!"

Obediently, the three bridesmaids disappeared into the change rooms and reappeared in three identical coral dresses. According to "Bridal Monthly" magazine, coral, "the universally flattering color", was the season's hottest trend and Adrianna hadn't even considered another option. Though she would never admit it to Adrianna, Jill abhorred the dresses. First off, they were _short_. Looking over at Leslie and Marcy, she supposed that they looked decent enough, but she was the tallest of the three and couldn't help but feel a little exposed. Secondly, the dresses were strapless. Jill knew that it was probably the most flattering choice for all three of them, but she also knew that she would probably end up tugging at the neckline all night long. Given the choice, she would have preferred sleeves or some kind of halter. Finally, the thing that offended her most about the dresses was the large satin bow that sat happily atop each of their rear ends. Not only did the bow accentuate her less-than-perfect behind, it also made her feel like an oversized doll.

Deftly, the seamstress quickly took Leslie and Marcy's measurements and then made her way over to Jill. To Jill's horror, the woman started pinning up the already revealing hemline. "Oh, no... that's ok Halina!" Jill exclaimed, blocking the seamstress' hands. "I like it the length it is."

"Nonsense!" Halina argued. "You are unmarried, yes?"

Jill unwittingly covered her left hand. After next Saturday, she would be the only one left of the four still single.

Unaware of Jill's discomfort, Halina continued. "Trust me. It will look much better shorter. Look at those long legs. A girl needs to show off her assets!"

Jill blushed but held her ground. "I need to be able to bend over to straighten out Adrianna's train without flashing the congregation!"

Halina shook her head regretfully. "Suit yourself, but it's a shame I tell you, a shame."

Adrianna, always the first to notice when something was amiss among her friends, quickly cut in. "Thanks so much for your help Halina! I just know that the dresses will all fit perfectly! Thanks for taking the time to meet us so late on a Friday!"

Jill made use of the provided distraction to slip back into the vestibule and take the dress off. She took her time and hung it up carefully, hoping that the other girls would be changed and ready to go by the time she finished. She didn't want to have to endure anymore awkward conversation with Halina. Again, the words from her horoscope that day replayed through her mind, _"Try your best to be cordial and cooperative. You'll be happy later that you made the effort."_ Probably good advice.

Walking back into the main room, Jill was relieved to see that the other girls were already in the lobby putting their shoes on. She hurried over to them and did the same. For once, she was even happy to hear Leslie take charge.

"Alright girls, it's 5:35. That should give us just enough time to make it to the hotel for our six o'clock appointment. There's no sense taking four vehicles. Marcy's got the biggest, so she can drive."

"Actually," Adrianna politely interrupted, "I forgot to tell you. I convinced Calvin that food tasting was one job the boys could definitely handle. I think they're going out for drinks afterwards. It's perfect because it gets him out of the apartment while we work on the centerpieces. I picked up some appetizers and some nice cheese and bread. I thought we could graze as we work, if that's ok?"

"Great!" both Marcy and Jill exclaimed in unison. The shorter the "To-do" list, the better.

Leslie gave a meek "Ok", but Jill thought she looked a little put out. _Probably can't stand that a decision will be made without her input_ , she thought wryly.

"Alright," Marcy chimed in. "We might as well all take our own cars then, since we'll all want to go home from Adrianna's. Last one there has to prepare the food!"

With that, all four girls scrambled to be the first into their respective cars and sped out of the parking lot.

* * *

"I brought some inspiration!" Jill singsonged as she walked through the door, holding the wine bottles above her head in a victor's pose.

"Ooh! You read my mind!" exclaimed Marcy. "I almost stopped at a liquor store on my way here, but I didn't want to lose the race!"

As she finished the sentence, as if on cue, Leslie arrived in the doorway panting. "It wasn't my fault!" she cried. "I took Centre Street and had to pull over for an ambulance!"

"Sure, sure," Jill teased.

"Don't worry," Adrianna soothed. "We'll all help. The race was just a joke."

"Was not!" Marcy protested, but even as she said it, she was pulling out knives and a cutting block for the cheese.

Jill quickly busied herself with finding the wine glasses. After the day she had had, she needed a drink.

Fifteen minutes later, an appetizing array of hors d'oeuvres covered the counter, while glue guns, silk flowers and ribbon littered the kitchen table.

"Ok, what exactly is it that we're making?" Jill asked through a mouthful of cracker and seafood dip.

"Gross, Jill! Don't talk with your mouth full!" Leslie scolded, but she was laughing as she said it.

"Ok, it's really quite simple..." Adrianna explained, and proceeded to share her vision with them.

The instructions did seem simple enough. She had purchased some beautiful candle-lit antique lanterns, and each lantern would sit at the centre of a wreath made of leaves and flowers. Unfortunately, she hadn't been able to find wreaths in the right colour, so the girls were going to have to make them from scratch.

"Start with the leaves, then pepper in a few flowers, and finish it off with a bit of ribbon," Adrianna instructed as she demonstrated the technique. Once she was done, she stood back so that the girls could examine the finished product.

Jill was impressed. The centrepiece didn't look homemade at all. Provided that the bridesmaids were all as talented as Adrianna, the lanterns would be the perfect accent for the couple's garden-themed wedding. "And how many do we need to make?" she asked uncertainly, doubting her own artistic skills.

"Well, there will be eighteen tables, plus the two that will sit on the head table." Leslie replied, taking over the operation. "That makes twenty in total, so five each."

"Ok, that doesn't sound so bad," Jill said with a little more confidence.

"Alright," Marcy interrupted, rubbing her hands together, "Let's do this!"

In the end, Jill and Leslie each made six, and Adrianna made eight. It was clear by Marcy's second wreath (and third glue-gun burn) that flower arrangement just wasn't her forte, so Leslie relegated her to official wine re-topper; a job she proved to be much better at. By the time they finished the centrepieces, they had also finished off both bottles of wine and Adrianna had to bring a third one out of her own reserves. Clearly, taxis would be the transport of choice for the evening. Leaving their masterpieces scattered on the table, the girls moved to the living room for a more comfortable chat.

"Ok, ok... enough wedding talk!" Adrianna said, slurring slightly and waving her arms. "I want to hear some gossip! Jill, how are things going with.... what's his name? Bobby!"

Jill felt herself color with embarrassment. She had met Bobby at the grocery store a couple of weeks earlier. They had gone on two mediocre dates and then he had never called her back. "It didn't work out," she answered meekly.

"Oh my God Jill! Enough with the chance meetings! You need to figure out what you want and actively pursue it. It's time that you got online!" Leslie declared authoritatively. It hardly seemed possible, but she tended to get even bossier under the influence of alcohol.

"Ugh... not this conversation again," Jill moaned, "You guys know how I feel about online dating. I just don't think it's very romantic to choose someone out of a catalog. What about destiny?"

"Honey," Marcy replied. "Meeting someone while picking out bananas is NOT destiny. It's _convenience!_ "

"I really do think it's time that you took your love-life into your own hands," Adrianna added seriously.

Around the room, two other heads nodded.

"I'm not ready for that, ok?" Jill pleaded. "It just feels so desperado to me."

After a moment's pause, Adrianna took a deep breath and almost whispered, "I met Calvin online."

"What?!" all three heads now turned in her direction with astonished gazes.

"You told us that you met him at one of your half-marathons?!" Leslie gaped.

"I know. Running is actually just a shared interest of ours," Adrianna explained. "Calvin was embarrassed about having met online. We met almost six years ago. It was before online dating became so common. We've told the lie to so many people; we can't ever come clean now!" Her face was so tormented that the other girls couldn't help but start to giggle.

"Oh, this is good. How much do you guys want to bet that that race gets mentioned in at least three speeches at the wedding?" Marcy mused.

"And to think, I've spent the last six months training for a marathon in the hopes of following in your footsteps," Jill joked (the girls knew that the only sporting event Jill would ever train for was a "Dawson's Creek" marathon). "All that hard work...wasted!"

"Ok, ok... you guys are missing the point," Adrianna protested. "The point is that it works. You can look specifically for someone with the same interests and values, and you get to meet guys from all over the city. Honestly Jill... What are the odds of meeting someone within your daily routine that also just happens to have all the qualities that you're looking for?"

"Listen. I get what you guys are saying," Jill replied, "but I just don't think it's the right venue for me. If in another year, I still haven't met someone, I promise I'll consider it, ok?"

"Fine," Marcy conceded, "but in the meantime, will you pleeease let me finally set you up with the cute guy from my office?" She clasped her hands together as though in prayer and looked up at Jill with big puppy dog eyes. "Please?"

"Ok, fine!" Jill yelled. "But he had better be pretty damn cute!"

# Chapter Four

Jill sat in stunned disbelief. _How is it possible,_ she thought, _for someone so beautiful to be so boring?_ It was Thursday night and she was on the blind date that in her drunken state the previous weekend, she had allowed Marcy to talk her into. She had to admit that Marcy had delivered on her promise. Kaleb Stanley _was_ cute. In fact, if Jill had to physically describe her perfect guy, she would have unknowingly been describing the man who now sat, candlelit, across the restaurant table from her.

He was tall; Jill estimated him to be approximately 6'2", and he had the broad shoulders and narrow hips of a swimmer. His dark hair was kept short, and his straight, dark eyebrows framed startlingly blue eyes. He had perfect, even white teeth, and when he smiled, an adorable dimple appeared in his left cheek. Even the way he dressed was to Jill's liking. He wore dark jeans and a navy sweater over a light blue oxford shirt. The look was saved from being too preppy; however, by the fact that he had casually pushed his sleeves up to his elbows. As Jill looked down at his strong, muscled forearms, she couldn't help but imagine what the rest of him must look like underneath the layers.

The date had started off well enough. At precisely the agreed upon time of 6:30pm, Kaleb had knocked on her door. When she had opened it, he had sweetly offered her a single yellow rose, and the sight of him had taken her breath away. As he had given her a subtle once-over, his relief had been obvious. She guessed that he too had been worried that his night might be wasted on someone he didn't find attractive. On the way to the restaurant, they had kept up comfortable small talk on safe subjects... how they had each met Marcy, what they each did for a living, and how Marcy had talked each of them into the date. Once they hit the restaurant; however, the conversation -for Jill's part anyhow- had hit a major snag.

As they pored over the menu, discussing the various offerings, Kaleb had expressed enthusiasm over the strawberry pie on the dessert menu. Jill had used the opportunity to bring up a funny childhood story about the time that she and Marcy, out at Jill's family cabin, had gone biking through the woods in search of wild strawberries. Although the tale (which concluded with both she and Marcy covered head to toe in poison ivy) never failed to produce laughs, Jill never made it to the tragic ending. Instead, upon hearing the word "bike", Kaleb's eyes had lit up and he had excitedly interrupted her. "Do you like biking?"

"Uhm, yeah, I guess," Jill had responded, a little put out that she wouldn't get to finish her story.

"Wow! Me too. In fact, I'm training for a race right now."

From that point on, Jill's part in the conversation had consisted of "Oh?", "Uh hum" and "Definitely!", repeated in varying order as Kaleb had launched into his love of triathlons. So far, in his fifteen minute monologue, he had described how he had discovered the sport, what his training regimen was, and what his best race times were. Jill felt that she was doing a good job feigning interest, but she was eager to change the subject, as it was quickly becoming a major turn-off. She really had nothing against competitive sports, but she didn't believe in them becoming one's entire life. Adrianna ran marathons all the time, for example, but still had other (more important, in Jill's mind) things to talk about. Jill herself stayed in shape, but she liked much more moderate activity. Aerobics, dance classes... even a hike here and there. She had just never understood how people got so gung-ho over punishing themselves physically.

She was thankful when the waiter arrived to take their order, offering a break in the conversation and a chance to steer it towards another topic. She ordered first. "I'll have the chicken alfredo, please," she politely told the waiter and then waited for Kaleb to take his turn.

"Is the pasta whole-grain?" Kaleb inquired.

"I don't believe so, Sir."

"Hmmm... is it possible to get brown rice instead of risotto with the salmon?"

"I'm afraid that we don't have brown rice. We do however, have a wild rice medley."

"Yes, that will do. I'll have the salmon, no sauce, and wild rice, along with extra veggies please."

"Very good Sir," the waiter carefully wrote down the order and disappeared.

With that, Kaleb turned to Jill apologetically. "I know that I'm picky, but I'm trying really hard to pick the right fuel for my body. Whole grains and lean protein only. I'd like to be ready to try an Ironman in three months' time."

Jill sighed inwardly, but didn't want to be rude. She took the bait. "Oh? What's the difference between a triathlon and an Ironman?" she asked, kicking herself for feeding his frenzy.

"Well, an Ironman _is_ a triathlon, just much longer. What most people refer to as "triathlons" are actually sprint triathlons or Olympic triathlons. I mostly do Olympic triathlons."

Jill's interest momentarily piqued. "Are you training for the Olympics?"

"No, no," Kaleb laughed, "It's just a term used for a triathlon with specific distances. An Olympic triathlon usually has about a 1 mile swim, a 25 mile bike, and a 6 mile run. An Ironman, on the other hand has a 4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike, and..."

Jill checked out. Instead of listening to Kaleb's words, she found herself simply enjoying the view. As he talked, she watched the muscles in his square jaw work, and imagined what the light stubble might feel like as it made its way along her body. Aroused, she decided that it might be worth trying to salvage the date after all. Surely there must be _something_ interesting about this man other than his looks. Abruptly, she cut him off. "So Kaleb, have you done any traveling?"

"Yes, quite a bit."

_Finally!_ Jill leaned in with interest. "Oh? Where have you been?"

"Well, a few years back I went to Vancouver, Canada, for a triathlon, and I was in Europe just last month for the London Triathlon. It wasn't one of my best races, but the course was amazing!"

_So much for that idea_. Sighing inwardly, Jill gave up on the idea of being mentally stimulated and resigned herself to getting through the date without yawning or falling asleep.

Later in the night, as Kaleb walked her to her door, Jill looked him over once more with regret. God, he was gorgeous! She even momentarily considered breaking character and inviting him in for a bit of one time fun, but the fact that he worked with Marcy kept her urges at bay. She had no idea how Kaleb perceived the date to be going, and she didn't want to risk putting her friend in an awkward situation should he develop feelings that she couldn't return. When he paused at the door and leaned in for a kiss, she made sure that it landed it on her cheek, hoping he would get the message.

"Thanks for dinner Kaleb. It was a lovely evening."

He looked disappointed, but composed. "No problem. Hey, and if you ever do want to give a "Try-it Triathlon" a go, let me know. I can show you the ropes."

Jill was actually grateful that he had brought up the dreadful sport yet again, as it firmed up her resolve. "Definitely! Thanks again, and have a good night."

"Good night."

With that, Jill entered her apartment, walked into her bedroom, and let herself fall straight back onto her bed. _Thank God that's over!_ She picked up her cell phone and dialed Marcy's number.

Marcy, eager for news, picked it up on the second ring. "Well, how'd it go?" she asked breathlessly.

"Oh my God!" Jill exclaimed angrily, "You set me up with Robo-Athlete!"

"Let me guess, you got onto the topic of triathlons," Marcy said, her voice falling.

"You knew?! Why would you set me up with him?"

"I thought that maybe he only talked about it at work," Marcy said defensively, then dropped her voice to a suggestive tone. "Besides, I think it's perfectly obvious why I set you up with him."

Despite her anger, Jill giggled. "I'll admit it. He _is_ gorgeous."

Marcy laughed. "I never said that I was trying to find you a soul mate. I just thought I'd help you get out of your dry spell."

At that, Jill moaned. "Well, I wish you had told me that before my date, because I just wasted the opportunity."

"You know that if I had told you beforehand that I only thought he was eye-candy, you would have never gone." Marcy paused and then continued, pouting, "Aww, I was hoping to live vicariously through you!"

Jill giggled again. "Well, no such luck. Can we agree now? No more set-ups?"

"Fine," Marcy conceded, "but I still think that you should get online. Seriously Jill, I worry about you. There really hasn't been anyone in your life since Liam."

"Ugh...you know how I feel about you bringing him up. And no to online shopping. From now on, I'm leaving it up to fate."

"Ok, but I guarantee that fate won't come up with someone more attractive than Kaleb."

Jill laughed. "I'll take my chances."

Smiling as she hung up the phone, Jill started thinking over their conversation. Was she asking too much of fate to deliver her the perfect man? _Well he doesn't have to be perfect,_ she corrected herself, _just perfect for me_. She had to admit; after being single for the better part of almost seven years now, she was starting to have her doubts. As she always did when she felt anxiety creeping in, she reached for her laptop and quickly brought up her favourite astrology website. Instead of finding her regular horoscope (which she had already read that morning anyway), she clicked on the more seldom used "love horoscope" link. She read aloud her romantic forecast:

" _The path to true love is never smooth Pisces; however, the road less travelled is often the more rewarding. Don't let yourself be thrown by obstacles, for your destination is closer than you think."_

_Well, that was heartening_ , Jill thought. She did have a wedding to go to this weekend. Maybe she'd meet someone there. _Someone who thinks a pink bow is sexy!_ She smiled again, then shut down her laptop and got ready for bed. Dozily imagining someone with Kaleb's same looks, but also a great sense of humour, she fell into a deep, content sleep.

# Chapter Five

At work the next day, Jill was still replaying the date with Kaleb over in her mind, wondering if she had been too quick to write him off. Perhaps he had simply been trying to impress her with his athleticism, or maybe he had just been nervous. Perhaps if she were to give him a second date, he would surprise her with hidden depth. He _was_ nice. He had picked her up on time, brought her flowers, paid for the meal _and_ handled her rebuff like a gentleman. _Geez Jill_ , she scolded herself, _you should know better. After all, how many nice, good-looking single guys your age are left out there?_ As if to prove her point, at that moment, her boss came strolling into her office.

"How's my girl today?" Joe asked, winking as he pulled up a chair and sat down. Today, he had chosen to grease back his hair; an unfortunate choice since from her new vantage point, Jill could see his scalp peeking out from between the clumped strands of gelled hair. She judged that it wouldn't be long before his hairline matched that of his father, whose photo hung in various frames around the office.

"Good. Busy, but good," she answered. "Mattress Warehouse needs a campaign for its big clearance event in two weeks, so I'm a little swamped." She had learned long ago to always have an excuse on hand in case she felt the need to cut his visit short.

"Well my dear, I'm here with good news. This will likely be your last clearance event for a while. I've got your next assignment in my hands and trust me; it is _not_ from the bargain bin."

For the first time, Jill noticed the large manila folder sitting in his lap. Although she should have been excited, she was instead hit by a sense of foreboding. "Really? What is it?" she asked.

"Ok, drumroll please..." he said, tapping his hands rapidly on her desk in order to create the desired effect. "The DustMaster 400X!" He brandished the folder with a triumphant flourish.

"Oh! But I thought that was Clark's client?" Jill tried to hide her disappointment.

"Kool Kola is expanding their market, so Clark is going to be pretty busy for the next few months. Besides, we thought that this would be a better fit. You can identify with the target market much better than Clark can."

Jill nodded, but was internally fuming. What a sexist assumption! Even if it were true that more women dusted than men, she herself was hardly a homemaker. Identify with the target market indeed... If only Joe could see her bedroom, he'd realize how wrong he was!

Despite her anger, she forced herself to smile sweetly back at her boss. "Wow Joe! I can't believe you'd trust me with such a big name. Thank-you so much for the opportunity!"

"Well, like I said before, I was very impressed by the work you did on Earthen Beauty. Which reminds me... I'd like to do lunch sometime next week to go over your strategy for follow-up. What day works best for you?"

"Oh, that's ok Joe. You're such a busy man. I'll just schedule an appointment with your secretary." She did _not_ want to have to spend her entire lunch hour dodging come-ons when a fifteen minute meeting would suffice.

"Nonsense, we never did get to celebrate properly when you landed the campaign. Let's make it for Tuesday. It'll be my treat." With that, he winked at her again, and then got up to leave. As he walked towards the door, he paused and turned to address her one more time. "What did I tell you kid? Onwards and upwards! The sky's the limit!"

Jill kept the fake smile plastered on her face. "Thanks again Joe. I truly appreciate it!"

"Alright, back to the old grind then..." Seemingly satisfied, he left her office, closing the door behind him.

At the sound of the bolt clicking into place, Jill put her head down on her desk and groaned. A duster was _not_ her idea of a glamorous product. Still, she reasoned, at least it was something useful. She was sure that there was a busy mom (or dad, for that matter) out there who would be grateful for a quicker way to dust. She gathered herself together and made her way to the samples closet to find the DustMaster 400X, having always found that seeing and using a product was much more inspiring than simply reading about it. She scanned the shelves, looking for anything that resembled a duster.

It took her a while to find, and she missed it several times. When she found the product, she would have burst out laughing were it not for the fact that she would soon have to find a way to sell the thing. The DustMaster 400X was essentially a handheld vacuum. Its "advantage" over its competitors; however, came in the form of an attached "cleaning pad" that extended out past the nozzle. The surface of the cleaning pad was to be covered with a disposable, fuzzy, polishing cloth (sold separately, of course). Looking down at the bulky contraption, Jill grasped the concept quickly. As the consumer pulled the Dustmaster 400X along, the vacuum would pick up crumbs and larger dust particles, while the cleaning pad would then polish the surface left behind. _Hmmm...This might actually be genius!_ She picked up the machine, along with the accompanying box of polishing cloths, returned to her office and scanned the room for something that might need cleaning. _Aha! Perfect,_ she thought, spying the bottom shelf of her bookcase. Though the top three shelves were all covered in various Marketing literature, the bottom shelf sat empty. She tended not to use it as she didn't like having to bend down in the heels and skirts that she often wore to work. Looking at it now, she could see that it was covered in a thick coat of dust. _Well, no time like the present_ , Jill thought and eagerly set to work.

Unfortunately, she was quickly disappointed by the results. Though the vacuum worked well, it was almost impossible to hold it at just the right angle so that the cleaning pad touched the shelf at the same time as the nozzle. Additionally, twice, the polishing cloth came loose off the pad and was sucked into the cleaner. To make matters worse, the cloths were over packaged. Each one was sealed within its own non-recyclable plastic bag and there were only four cloths in a box. In the end Jill concluded that she would have been able to clean the shelf much faster and more effectively using an old-fashioned, environmentally friendly rag. _Great!_ Jill thought. _Another product I'll have to lie about._

Glancing up at the clock, she was significantly cheered by the fact that it was almost 4:30pm; only an hour to go before she was due at the wedding rehearsal. She couldn't believe that after all the months of planning, the big day was tomorrow. Deciding that she might want to work a little on Sunday, Jill packed the "Dustmaster 400X" folder into her briefcase and left for the weekend.

* * *

Later that evening, sandwiched between Adrianna's mom and teenage brother at the dinner table, Jill found herself wishing that she were at home with a good book. The evening had been trying, and that was putting it mildly. Firstly, the rehearsal itself had taken _forever_ , mostly because Leslie had insisted that each part of the ceremony be repeated until she deemed it perfect. Not only had she made Jill walk down the aisle three times before being satisfied that she had "mastered the rhythm", she had also taken the time to carefully mark each bridesmaids' position at the alter with a small masking tape "X". Jill loved Leslie, but between Marcy and Adrianna's weddings, she had secretly promised herself that if she was ever lucky enough to find the man she wanted to marry, she would elope.

Now, sitting at the dinner table, Adrianna's mother was bombarding her with questions.

"So Jill, are you bringing anyone to the wedding tomorrow?" she asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"No Mrs. Huffman. Just me, myself and I. I'll be too busy with bridesmaid duties to attend to a date anyhow."

"Fair enough, but was there anyone to bring? Tell me Jill, are you seeing anyone these days?"

"Not at the moment," Jill replied uncomfortably. "I've been very focused on my career lately. I don't have a lot of opportunity to meet people." It was a tired excuse that she had pulled out many times; several, in fact, with Mrs. Huffman. She knew that it was wearing thin.

"Nonsense Jill. You're in Marketing! You meet new people all the time. Picky! That's what you are."

"I'm just waiting for the right one," Jill said mildly, trying to keep her temper at bay.

"You're the same age as Adrianna right?"

"Yes, Mrs. Huffman, we graduated together."

"29 then. Well, don't wait too long Sweetie. Regardless of what the magazines say, 30 is NOT the new 20 when it comes to your reproductive system; and I know for a fact that your mother is looking forward to grandchildren."

Luckily, Jill was saved from having to respond by the sound of Adrianna clinking her wine class for attention.

"Excuse me everyone," Adrianna started timidly. "I just want to thank everyone for all of the work you've put in to help Calvin and I get to this point. Tomorrow will be an extremely busy day, so I want to make sure that I take the time now to express our appreciation properly. Each and every one of you is very special to us and we are so pleased to have your support. Weddings can be stressful, but Calvin and I are going into tomorrow feeling relaxed and ready, and it's all because of the people sitting around this table. From the bottom of both our hearts... Thank-you!"

Once the meal was done, Jill didn't linger long; taking just enough time to find her coat and hug Adrianna goodbye. Tomorrow was going to be a big day and she needed her beauty sleep. Not only would there be photos, she was certain that she would also have to endure more countless conversations like the one she had just had with Mrs. Huffman. She would at least like to _look_ like she capable of finding a boyfriend; and who knew, with a little luck, perhaps at the wedding she might!

# Chapter Six

In the cramped bathroom of the church basement, Jill looked herself over in the mirror one last time. She supposed the dress wasn't sooo bad... coral was the universally flattering color after all. Still, she couldn't help but think that something was off; she couldn't quite place her finger on it. Staring at her reflection, she pondered what was bothering her. She was having a good hair day, and the cut of the dress showed off her long, slender legs- in her opinion, her best feature. But still... Suddenly, it hit her. In the gloomy fluorescent lighting, she couldn't help but notice all of the miniscule creases that had slowly begun creeping up around her eyes over the past couple of years. Now, set against the pink ruffles, they somehow seemed deeper; more glaring. She had the impression that she looked like an old, wrinkled lady in a little girl's party dress.

"Do you think we're too _old_ to be in the wedding party?" she asked Marcy, whose reflection had just joined hers in the mirror. "After all... they are called brides _maids_. Doesn't the word "maiden" mean a young virgin or something? I'd hardly use the word to describe myself," she finished with a half-hearted laugh.

"You're being ridiculous," Marcy scolded, wielding a mascara wand at her. "The average age for a woman to get married nowadays is 28, and that's _average_. I'd say we're pretty standard issue when it comes to bridesmaids. I mean, think about it- it's not as though Adrianna's exactly a blushing bride either."

"I guess you're right," Jill sighed, "I think I'm just a little self-conscious in this dress. I hardly ever wear anything this tight anymore."

"God! Now you're making me sick!" Marcy rolled her eyes. "You look fabulous. Do you know how many women our age would kill not to have love handles or a pooch? I mean, look at me- I'm so lumpy that I look like a cupcake that's been dropped!"

"Now you're being ridiculous, because you _know_ you look great," Jill soothed. As she said it, she couldn't help but think it was true. Though Marcy had recently delivered her first baby, the pregnancy had, if anything, accentuated her killer curves- the "lumps" she was now referring to. Moreover, Marcy's sleek black hair looked even more exotic than usual against the bright coral of the dress.

"And..." Marcy pressed.

"And I'm sure I look fine too," Jill mumbled.

"Not quite what I was looking for, but I'll take it!" Marcy declared triumphantly.

Just then, Adrianna anxiously burst into the room, the white lace of her dress filling the already limited space. "What are you guys doing?" she hissed. "The music just started playing, and I can hardly walk in before the wedding party!"

"Oh my God! I had no idea we were starting already. I'm so sorry Adrianna!" Jill gushed. Her unease forgotten, she scurried up the stairs, to where Leslie was already waiting, glaring at them.

It was just too much. After months of being bullied by Leslie, Jill couldn't help but think that it was just so _satisfying_ to see her looking so cross. She and Marcy had to suppress their giggles as they solemnly strode up the aisle in time with Pachelbel's Canon. As she reached the altar, Jill was concentrating so hard on not laughing that she forgot to watch where she was going and tripped up the stairs. She heard a snort escape from Marcy behind her and though she managed to remain silent, she felt her eyes tear up with the effort during the ceremony. Afterwards, she composed herself and took her place in the receiving line, only to be retaken by a fit of giggles when Adrianna's Great Aunt Rita planted a sloppy kiss on her cheek exclaiming "Oh! It was just so touching to see you girls crying along with the bride!"

Jill's jovial mood persisted as she posed for the never-ending stream of wedding photos throughout the afternoon; spurred on by glasses of champagne in the limousine between locations. By the time she arrived at the banquet hall, she was admittedly a little tipsy, but excited to get the festivities started. The bridal party once again lined up for their grand entrance, with Jill leading the procession. She had only taken a few steps into the room; however, when she spotted _him_ and stopped dead in her tracks.

* * *

There, seated at a table on the groom's side of the room, was Liam; not an ex-boyfriend, THE ex-boyfriend. "What's _he_ doing here?" Jill muttered under her breath as Marcy stumbled into her, not anticipating the sudden stop. Marcy followed her gaze and spied what had caused the disruption. "He must be friends with Calvin. Don't worry though. Maybe he's over it," she whispered, shrugging her shoulders, and gently nudging Jill forward.

"Maybe," Jill replied meekly, but she secretly doubted it. Things with Liam hadn't ended well. In hindsight, Jill believed that they had never gone all that well to begin with, but she knew that he didn't see it that way. He had been her university sweetheart, and her first serious boyfriend. She was pretty sure that she had been his "first" everything. Though he was witty and intelligent, and often made her laugh, it soon became apparent that they had different priorities in life.

Jill had been very quick to point out their differences. After they had been dating a month (and just about the time that she was considering taking him up on the offer of a sleepover), she had mustered up the courage to ask him when his birthday was. Playing coy, Liam had responded, "September 15th. You're not thinking about my birthday present already are you? I'm not sure I'll keep you around that long..." Though he had said it with a smile, one look at Jill's face had told Liam he had done something terribly wrong. "Oh no, Jill! I was just kidding! Things are going great! I'm so sorry..."

"Oh, it's not that," Jill had been quick to clarify. "It's just that our signs aren't compatible. I'm a Pisces and you're a Virgo," she had continued on, fiddling with the napkin in her lap, "Pisces are dreamers and Virgos are all about practicality. In theory, chances aren't very good for a long-term relationship."

"Man, I'm glad you said the _in theory_ part _._ I was worried for a second there that you took all that stuff seriously. Besides, I think you're wrong about the compatibility thing anyway. _I_ say opposites attract!" With that, he had flashed her a mischievous grin, and grabbed her leg under the table in a way that had made her blush as she glanced around the restaurant to see who was watching. From there, the rest of their meal had been peppered with meaningful glances and suggestive exchanges and by the time they got back to his dorm room, they were already kissing each other with the urgency of those long deprived. He had thrown her onto the bed and then, with a look of pure awe and longing, had proceeded to slowly explore her body. It remained, to this day, one of the best nights of Jill's life.

For two years, they had been inseparable. Though true to their signs, they were opposites, they had fascinated each other. Liam had marvelled at Jill's whimsical outlook on life, and Jill had admired his chivalrous nature and strong work ethic. Their electric physical chemistry had further helped to veil their differences.

Unfortunately, as they had neared convocation and started talking about the future, Jill had felt herself pulling away. Her heart was set on travelling the world, while Liam, a fellow Business student, was eager to join the work force and make his first million in the options market. Slowly but surely, without her realizing it, the things that she had once loved most about him started to be the things that frustrated her most. While she spent her weekends out dancing or simply wandering the city, he spent his meeting with study groups and polishing his resume. They had started having recurring arguments. "I don't know why you waste your time on that trash," he'd scold every time he caught her checking her horoscope online. "I just wish you'd loosen up a little and spend some quality time with me," she'd whine on Sunday nights when he'd refuse to abandon his studies for a movie.

She'd never forget their last fight. It had started out according to routine. She had wanted to go spend the weekend skiing for Valentine's Day, but he had insisted that he had too much work to do so close to midterms. "Just think of it this way Babe... If I graduate with distinction, I'll be able to get a good job with a prestigious company, and then we'll be able to afford to go skiing any weekend that we want to."

With that single sentence Liam had unknowingly delivered her a multitude of realizations. The first was that he didn't understand her at all. She was a _Pisces_ for God's sake; she lived for romance! The fact that he didn't realize how important Valentine's Day was to her spoke volumes. The second thing that she had realized was how exhausted she was in their relationship. She felt like she was always trying to prod him into doing something he didn't want to do. She was tired of what felt like pushing a boulder uphill. Finally, and most importantly, when he had spoken about their future together, she had had the startling realization that she couldn't envision it. When she pictured her life in the years to come, vivid images flashed through her mind- lying on a beach in Thailand, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, dancing in Spain, sipping coffee in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower...but in not one of the snapshots did she see Liam.

"Liam," she had whispered, "It's over."

He had not seen it coming, had not even fathomed the possibility. He had apologized and begged and pleaded, but Jill was sure she had glimpsed the future; Liam was not in it. She had tried over and over again to explain that they were too different, simply "not destined for each other", but Liam had insisted that a relationship wasn't about destiny, it was about work, and that if they worked at it, they could rekindle the spark. In his mind, she had simply given up.

The breakup had been bitter. In the aftermath, there had been petty squabbles over the few items they had collected as a couple, and harsh, regretted words on both sides. Jill hadn't seen or spoken to him since she had picked up her last load of belongings from his apartment. That had been nearly seven years ago, and now she sincerely hoped it was true that time healed all.

Examining him from across the room, it was clear that Liam hadn't expected to see her either. Like a deer caught in the headlights, his eyes were steadily fixed on her, a shocked expression on his face. Jill fought down the urge to run back out of the room and took a breath to gather herself together. _You're being ridiculous Jill_ , she told herself. _It's been seven years. You've both matured since then. I'm sure it's water under the bridge._ With that, she forced herself to meet his gaze with a confident smile. He smiled meekly in return and then turned back to his conversation at the table. Jill exhaled. _See... not so terrible_ , she told herself as she took her spot at the head table.

* * *

Jill managed to push Liam from her mind and focus on being there to support Adrianna for most of the reception. She laughed through the speeches, cheered when the happy couple kissed, and managed not to stumble during the first dance. She had just finished a rather vigorous chicken dance when the DJ called out that it was "men's choice" and she felt a tap on her shoulder.

She turned around and was surprised to see Liam holding out his hand to her. Though she might normally have been wary, the wedding atmosphere (and once again, champagne) had given her rose-coloured glasses and she didn't think twice before accepting his offer with a smile. He hadn't changed much; same tall, lanky build, and the same neat, short haircut. As David Lee Murphy's "Dust on the Bottle" started blasting through the PA system, her smile grew broader as she remembered what a good two-stepper he was.

"You look great!" she shouted above the music, "How have you been?!"

"Good!" Liam shouted back, "But it's so loud! Why don't we catch up after the song's over?"

For the next five minutes, Jill happily twirled around the room as though nothing had changed, and as though they had never shared such cruel words. After the last notes of the melody faded away, Liam held onto her arm and gently led her to a table in the back, away from the speakers. "Stay here," he instructed, "I'm just going to get us some drinks. Vodka and Sprite right?" She nodded, pleased that he still remembered.

As she waited, Jill found herself getting a little nervous. She couldn't help but notice that he wasn't wearing a wedding band. Did he just want to catch up, or was there more to it? More importantly, was _she_ hoping for something more? She shook her head to try and clear the champagne fog that was clouding her thoughts, as he returned and took the chair next to her.

"So," he asked, breaking the ice, "What are you up to these days?"

"Oh, I work for a Marketing firm," Jill replied hesitantly. "I come up with advertising campaigns for new products."

"Wow, sounds pretty glamorous," Liam marvelled.

"Oh, not really," Jill blushed. "When it comes right down to it, I'm just selling household products. Think toothpaste," she finished with a nervous laugh.

"I don't know why, but I never thought you'd actually work in the business world," Liam mused, "I thought if anything you'd end up organizing fundraisers for a charity or something."

Though she was sure it was completely unintentional, he had hit a nerve. Jill felt all of the dark thoughts from earlier in the week come creeping back, and she didn't want to let anxiety about her career path ruin the evening. She quickly tried to change the subject and ward off a full-fledged crisis. "How about you Liam? What do you do these days?"

"Oh, you know me, I stuck to the plan. I'm a junior partner at an investment firm. Hoping to make senior in the next couple of years. It's hard work, but I like it," he replied.

"That's great Liam! I'm glad things worked out for you," she said earnestly. "Of course, I never doubted you'd be successful. You always had that Virgo work ethic."

She regretted her last sentence the second it left her lips. Her belief in the supernatural had always been a pet peeve of his, and she wasn't surprised to see a dark look flash across his features at the mention of the astrological sign. It seemed to be only a flicker of irritation though, as a moment later, he was once again aiming a well-known grin in her direction.

"Oh, Jilly-Bean," he murmured, reverting to his old pet-name for her, "You sure haven't changed much." As he said it, he gave her a once-over that left her wondering whether or not to be flattered. "Tell me, is there a man in the picture these days?"

Jill's stomach knotted up. It was what she had been afraid of (or was it hoping for?). She wasn't sure. He looked so attractive and mature in his suit that she couldn't help but feel some of her old feelings for him stir.

"No, not at the moment," she said, trying to make it sound like a positive, "I've been very focused on my career lately. I just haven't had much time for dating. How about you? I didn't notice a "plus-one" with you at the table."

"You're right," he said, still grinning, "no plus-one tonight. My fiancé, Corinne, had to go to a convention this weekend. She's a paediatrician and she's giving a presentation on new findings regarding the treatment of childhood diabetes."

Jill almost choked on the mouthful of Sprite she had just swallowed. With the way he had been looking at her, she certainly hadn't expected _that_. Determined not to look flustered, she was quick to offer her congratulations. "Wow! That's great! A doctor, no less! Lucky man!"

"I really am. We're getting married this June at the botanical gardens downtown. I'm pretty excited. She's a wonderful girl. Selfless, smart and just so _grounded_. Really down-to-earth, you know?" With the last sentence, he raised an eyebrow and looked pointedly in Jill's direction, making her squirm uncomfortably in her seat.

Surprised at the sudden turn the conversation had taken, she tried to switch gears. "So how do you know Calvin?" she asked, "I don't remember ever meeting him before he and Adrianna started dating."

"He and I went to elementary school together. We don't see each other very often anymore, but we used to be pretty good buddies. A few months ago I ran into him at a softball tournament, and we've gone out for beers a couple of times since. I saw the name on the invitation, but I didn't make the connection that it was _your_ Adrianna."

"You know what they say," she replied, "It's a small world."

"It's kinda cool seeing all you girls together again," he continued. "I see that Marcy and Leslie both got married too. Looks like you're the last gal standing."

Jill wasn't sure that if in her vulnerable state she hadn't imagined it, but she could swear he had been jeering at her just a little as he finished the last comment. Trying to deflect the line of conversation, she turned to the old standby cliché. "Well, you know what they say... you can't hurry love."

"No, no, it's true," he agreed. "You hold out for the man of your dreams. Trust in fate, I'm sure he's out there." Liam paused and took a sip of his drink, looking thoughtful. "Of course, some people just aren't _destined_ to get married," he continued as a slow, cruel smile spread over his face. "You know, I always thought that all that astrology, destiny stuff of yours was bullshit, but now I kind of believe it really was fate that we see each other tonight. See you around Jill!"

With that last blow, he got up and walked away from the table laughing, leaving her in dishevelled bewilderment.

# Chapter Seven

Jill awoke to a pounding headache. She tried to hoist herself up, but was quickly overcome with dizziness and let herself drop back into the pillows. She wasn't sure if the accompanying nausea was yet another side effect of the train wreck that had been last night, or rather, a symptom of her current emotional state.

As she lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, she painfully pieced together the events of the previous evening. The conversation with Liam she remembered clearly. She winced as she recalled his parting words and the triumphant look on his face as he had walked away. From there, things got a little hazy. She remembered the night more as a series of snapshots rather than as a continuous storyline; and the scenes came back to her in succession, each more embarrassing than the one before- downing the rest of the vodka-sprite as she sat at the table alone; telling the bartender to make the rest of her drinks for the night doubles; shooting "Jagerbombs" with the groomsmen; grabbing the DJ's mike to sing along with Beyonce's "Independent Women"; and finally (and most embarrassingly), Marcy finding her sobbing on the floor in a bathroom stall.

She felt so ashamed. How had she let Liam get to her like that? She knew that he was just bitter from their breakup and that there wasn't any truth to what he had said. Or was there? _"Some people just aren't destined_ _for marriage."_ As the harsh words echoed in her ears, she felt fresh tears spring at the corners of her eyes.

The rational side of her brain kept telling her to stop being ridiculous. She would find someone, and even if she didn't, she didn't need a man to be happy. Marriage was just society's idea of the norm, and there was no proof that conforming made anyone happier. Life could be fulfilling in so many other ways; a career, travel, life-long learning...

Unfortunately, no matter how much she rationalized, her brain couldn't overpower her heart. Deep down, she _knew_ that she wanted a husband and children, someone to grow old with, a real _home_. She had dreamed of it her entire life, and the thought that it might not happen terrified her.

_Ok Jill, wallowing in self-pity never helped anyone_ , she scolded, willing herself to swing her legs over the side of the bed. She stood up, steadying herself on a chair as the light-headedness passed, then caught sight of the open manila folder sitting on her desk. The bold, black title "DustMaster 400X" loomed up at her from the crisp white pages and a fresh wave of depression knocked her back down.

"Is this what my life is going to be about?" she moaned. "Dusters? Cosmetics?" This is my spectacular fulfilling career?" Paralyzed with anxiety, she lay in bed for another two hours, trying desperately to block out all of the negative thoughts and fall back asleep.

When she finally got up, although she felt a little better, she was still a far cry from her normal cheery self. After showering and getting dressed, she found herself wandering aimlessly around the apartment. She knew that she should probably start working on her sales pitch, but every time she approached the desk, she felt as though an elephant's foot were being slowly lowered onto her chest; and that if she were to so much as touch the dreaded pages, the full weight of the beast would come crashing down.

Finally, with firm resolve, she strode purposefully over to the desk and opened one of its drawers. Taking a deep breath and squeezing her eyes shut, she reached towards the folder; then, with a swift flick of her wrist, knocked it into the drawer and slammed it shut; scared that the papers might somehow jump back out at her if she didn't close it fast enough. Instantly, she felt better. Sighing with relief, she opened her laptop, sat down at the desk and did what she always did in times of crisis; she checked her horoscope.

" _What is it that you truly desire Pisces? Money? Recognition? Love? You may have lost sight of your priorities lately, but today is a great day for introspection. Once you know what you are looking for, you will find that it is well within your reach."_

Jill scowled at the computer screen. Although she knew that the forecast was meant to be positive, it only added to her mounting sense of panic. She had been working towards a successful career for years; now she finally had it within her grasp and the victory felt hollow. Had she wasted the last ten years of her life chasing the wrong priority?

She tried to calm herself down. Maybe a different astrology website would offer her something more soothing... something less vague. She googled "readings" and clicked on the first link that appeared in the browser.

After hastily scanning the page for the familiar little fish representing Pisces, but failing to find it, Jill was forced to scroll back up and look through the website a little more carefully. It was then that she realized her mistake. She had inadvertently landed on the website of a local Denver business- the "Inner Light Healing Center"; whose specialty, it seemed, was psychic readings, _not_ astrology readings. She was about to hit the "Back" button in order to return to her search results when a sentence at the top of the screen grabbed her attention: _Let the Spirits be your guide to achieving your true potential!_

Truth be told, Jill had always been intrigued by the notion of psychics. She had never taken the plunge and actually visited one; however, out of fear that by doing so, she would be crossing that imaginary line between mild enthusiast of the supernatural and full-fledged believer. She liked to at least pretend she was the former. Now though, she couldn't help but wonder if it had perhaps been fate that had brought her to the website. As she reread the reassuring words on the screen and listened to the calming, hypnotic music emanating from her computer, the temptation was stronger than ever. Potential questions for the psychic filled her mind. Was marriage in her future? Was she pursuing the right career? Without fully realizing what she was doing, she scrolled down to where the ten-digit number was written and picked up her phone.

"Inner Light Healing Center," came a pleasant voice over the line.

It was as though a spell had been broken. Jill looked down at the phone in her hand and suddenly felt ridiculous. "Sorry! Wrong Number!"

She shook her head and laughed at herself. She couldn't believe that she had actually just been contemplating seeing a psychic. _For goodness sake Jill, you are a grown woman, capable of making your own decisions. Are things really that bad?_ It only took her a second to answer her own question. No, they weren't. Work was going well; she would meet someone when the time was right... Honestly, she didn't know what had come over her in the past few days! Aunt Flow must be working overtime this month.

Feeling better, she exhaled deeply and pushed her chair away from the desk, intent on doing some laundry. As she stood up; however, her foot caught on a stray sock and slid out from beneath her. She grabbed at the chair in an attempt to catch her balance; but unfortunately, on rollers, it only added to her momentum. She landed on the floor with a loud thump as the chair went flying in the opposite direction. Adding to the chaos, the chair caught the handle of the desk drawer and pulled it right off its mounts. The drawer landed with a clatter beside Jill, spilling its contents all over the floor. Her eyes squeezed tight in fear, she assessed the physical damage. Moving her body one limb at a time, she eventually relaxed; nothing seemed broken. Relieved, Jill opened her eyes only to be immediately hit by a fresh wave of terror. There, taunting her from a crumpled page next to her hand, were those inescapable words; "DustMaster 400X".

She didn't think twice. Not even bothering to get up from her spot on the floor, Jill fished her cell phone out of her pocket and hit redial. "Yes, Inner Light Healing Center? I'd like to make an appointment."

# Chapter Eight

Arriving fifteen minutes early for her appointment, Jill parked her car, leaned back in the seat, and took in her surroundings. The psychic's address didn't look nearly as sketchy as she had imagined it might. In fact, located in a trendy, bohemian neighborhood; the whimsically painted sign advertising the "Inner Light Healing Center" looked right at home between that of a pottery studio and a French café. _Relax Jill_ , she told herself, _the rent in this neighborhood must be through the roof! Clearly they do a lot of business to be able to locate here, so there are plenty of others out there just as crazy as you!_ Despite her inner pep-talk, she couldn't help but scan the perimeter before getting out of the car, worried that someone she knew might spot her. _Alright_ , she thought. _There's no turning back now; you're already here._ With that, she took a deep breath and walked through the door.

Just as she had been surprised by the building's exterior, Jill was equally surprised by its interior. She could see now that "psychic readings" were in fact only a small part of the business. At the moment, she was standing in a small shop full of books and trinkets, but behind a reception desk, she could see a hallway lined with rooms. A brochure on the desk neatly advertised all of the services offered: Readings, Reiki Healing, Chakra Cleansing, Ionic Foot Detox, Hypnotherapy... the list seemed to go on and on. It reminded Jill of a spa, only instead of beauty treatments, the centre offered spiritual treatments. The spa-effect was further heightened by instrumental music lightly playing in the background. Unfortunately, it did nothing to ease Jill's discomfort. Nervously, she approached the desk.

"Hi, I'm Jill. I have a 2:30 appointment?" she said to the receptionist, whom a delicate gold name-plate identified as "Mila".

Mila started flipping through a large book sitting in front of her. As she did so, Jill eyed her carefully, trying to determine if she was a believer in the new-age products and services offered at the centre, or if she was simply a summer student paying her way through college. In her early twenties, with beautiful ebony skin, the girl wore a clingy, floor-length black dress made of jersey, and her long, curly black hair was elegantly pulled into a twist at the nape of her neck. As far as Jill was concerned, she would fit in just as well behind the counter at Macy's as she did here.

"Ah yes, you're here to see Selwynne?" Mila finally asked, looking up from the book. Just like her appearance, her tone gave nothing away.

"Yes, that's right," Jill replied self-consciously, aware that the receptionist now knew she was here to see a psychic.

"And have you had a reading before?"

"No."

With that, the girl's eyes lit up and her whole demeanor changed. "Oh! Your first time! That's so exciting! Selwynne is amazing! Well, all of our readers are amazing of course, but Selwynne is wonderful! You're lucky you got in. _Everyone_ has been requesting her."

Upon hearing the sincerity in Mila's voice, Jill immediately relaxed. "Well, I'm excited to try it out," she said, smiling for the first time since entering the shop.

"Selwynne is still in with another client," Mila explained. "Please, make yourself at home. Feel free to browse, or to sit down while you wait," she said, pointing to a leather sofa in the corner.

"Thanks," Jill replied, and moved away, deciding to have a look around the store.

She recognized a lot of things on the shelves: incense, tarot cards, aromatherapy oil and candles. A lot of things; however, were new to her. For example, on one shelf, there was a long line of glass jars containing different types of stones, and on another shelf, a wire tree proudly displayed an array of crystals hanging from its branches. At first, Jill thought that the crystal pendants were tacky necklaces, but then she realized that the chains were too short and that they didn't have a clasp. Maybe some sort of decoration? She shrugged and moved on. After browsing a few of the book titles, she decided that she had explored enough, made her way to the sofa and sat down.

As she waited, a few customers came and went. Jill was awed that they all seemed to know exactly what they were looking for and no one left empty-handed. It must be good business indeed.

One woman who came in looked as uncomfortable as Jill had felt. After looking around the store distractedly, the woman approached Mila for help.

"Excuse me," Jill overheard her say. "I'm looking for a birthday gift for a friend of mine. She's really into all this kind of stuff, but I don't know much about it. Can you help me?"

"Of course," Mila answered. "Do you know whether or not she already has a quartz pendulum?"

"I'm not sure what that is," the woman replied uncertainly, "but I've never heard her talk about one, so I don't think she does."

To Jill's delight, Mila led the woman over to the crystal tree, plucked a pendant from its branches, and held it up for the woman to examine.

"Here," Mila continued, "let me show you how it works. Hold out your hand."

Obediently, the woman held out her hand with her palm facing upwards. Mila dangled the pendant over top of it.

"Now, ask it a question that you know the answer is yes to," Mila instructed. "Don't say it out loud. Just ask it in your head and in your heart."

Jill watched the demonstration, fascinated. As the woman focused on it, the pendulum, which had been swinging back and forth, slowly started making small, clockwise circles.

"Ok," Mila told the woman, "That's what a "yes" looks like. Now we need to repeat the process for a "no" question."

As Jill watched on, mesmerized, the pendulum slowly transitioned from the small, clockwise circles, to larger, counter-clockwise circles.

"There, now that's your no," Mila explained. "You can ask it any question you'd like, and it will answer. When it doesn't, it means that the universe cannot answer right now, or that you are not ready to know the answer."

The woman still looked doubtful, but she was smiling. "Thanks. This is perfect. My friend will love it!"

As the woman completed her purchase, Jill pondered the demonstration she had just observed. She didn't think she was quite _there_ yet, but maybe if the psychic didn't offer the clarity she was seeking she'd be desperate enough to consider it...

"Hi there!" An unfamiliar voice startled Jill out of her reverie. "You must be Jill. I'm Selwynne. You're my next appointment. I'm _so_ sorry that I'm running late. My last session was quite intense and I needed a few extra minutes to clear the energy."

Jill looked over at the woman offering her her hand. So it was to be a day of surprises. Jill wasn't sure what she had been expecting the psychic to look like. Perhaps like a gypsy; complete with scarves and rings. Or maybe the movies had led her to expect an aging hippie, with long greying curls. What she certainly _hadn't_ been expecting, was Selwynne.

The petite woman standing before her was probably only a few years older than she was; Jill judged her to be in her early to mid-thirties. Her hair was cropped into a smart pixie cut and stylishly tousled, and it was the kind of perfect red that could only be achieved by a trip to an expensive salon. Her subtle, clean make-up was expertly applied. What surprised Jill most was the psychic's clothing. No frumpy peasant top or broomstick skirt for this one. Instead, she wore grey, pleated, wide-leg dress pants, and a pale yellow silk blouse. A chunky, silver necklace completed the ensemble. _And I thought I do business chic well,_ Jill thought to herself. Selwynne looked like she belonged in a boardroom, not in a "spiritual healing centre".

Nevertheless, Jill took her hand and shook it warmly. "I'm so excited to meet you! I've read only good things."

"Great!" Selwynne replied. "Well come on back. We might as well get started."

The psychic led Jill into a small room and closed the door. The room was very simply furnished with two plush beige chairs and a small coffee table. Other than a couple of paintings on the wall, there were no decorations. On the table, sat an IPad.

Selwynne motioned for Jill to sit, and then did so herself, turning her chair slightly so that she was facing Jill directly.

"Before we get started Jill, I just want to ask you a few questions and explain how my gift works."

"Alright," Jill said, nodding.

"First off, how did you hear about us? We have a referral program and I like to give credit where it is due."

"Just the regular old internet," Jill admitted.

Selwynne looked a little disappointed, but moved on. "Did you bring any photos with you today?"

"No, I didn't," Jill said, slightly confused. She had read online that you should bring photos of anyone you might be trying to contact, but she didn't think they were mandatory.

"Oh, that's ok," Selwynne reassured her. "It's just that I'm extremely visual. I'm sure that you read that I help the police with a lot of missing persons' cases." (Jill hadn't, but she nodded along anyway.) "Well, that's how my gift works. I can look at a person, or even a photograph of a person, and I am inundated with images, words and feelings about them. It's like you're handing me a book but I've already read the contents."

"Ok," Jill said. She wasn't sure if she understood, but she was eager to get started with the reading.

"That's why I like it when my clients bring photos... but don't worry! If something comes up that requires me to see a picture, you can always log into Facebook on the IPad and bring one up that way."

_Interesting_ , Jill thought. _Even the spiritual world has been revolutionized by technology._

"Also, time occurs very differently in the spiritual world. I see snapshots, but they aren't necessarily in chronological order. If I describe a place, a person, or an event to you, even though I won't be able to place it in time, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. If I start talking about something that you aren't familiar with, that's how we know it's a future event and that we should explore that vein a little further... so affirmation during the session is very important. Do you understand?"

"Yes." Again, Jill felt herself nodding.

"Ok," Selwynne continued, "so let's get started. To begin, I'd like you to hold hands with me, close your eyes, and take three big breaths with me. As I breathe in, you breathe in. As I breathe out, you breathe out. Ready?"

"I think so."

"Ok, then, here we go.... One...Two...Three."

Jill opened her eyes to find Selwynne staring at her, or rather, just past her. It looked as though she was focused on an imaginary person seated over Jill's shoulder.

"The first thing that you should know," Selwynne said, "is that you have a very strong female presence surrounding you. I think that she may want to come through at some point during the session."

Jill smiled as her mind immediately went to her Ukrainian grandmother, who had passed away five years earlier. Though all four of her grandparents were now deceased, it was her "Baba" that she had been closest to. They had baked together, watched silly soap operas together and laughed together. Jill missed her dearly.

"Ok, that sounds good," Jill affirmed. "Please continue."

"Ok, let's see... they're showing me quite a few things. I'm not quite sure where to start. Do you have any questions for me that might help direct our time?"

"I don't think so. Not yet." Jill knew that she _did_ have questions, but she worried that by asking them, she might somehow change the reading and taint its validity.

"Ok, I just want to make sure that you leave here with the answers you came for. You can stop me at any time and ask questions, ok?"

"Got it."

"Alright, so let's start with your career." Again, Selwynne seemed to focus on someone Jill couldn't see, sitting just beside her. "It's strange, I see the higher education, but I feel as though your career hasn't really started yet. I feel as though you're unsatisfied with your current work situation." Now Selwynne looked directly at Jill. "It's almost as though you're not sure what you want to be when you grow up yet."

_Probably a pretty safe bet, based on my age and the fact that I'm seeking guidance,_ Jill thought to herself, skepticism starting to replace optimism. "Well, can you see what I'll be when I grow up?" she asked with a laugh, deciding to play along.

"Yes, I can," Selwynne replied with easy confidence. "They're showing me your artwork. You're very creative, correct?"

Jill was a little taken aback. She did like to paint in her spare time. She had even taken Art 101 in university as an option, but she had never told anyone about it, let alone shown anyone her paintings. Again though, the skeptic in her crept in. A person open to the idea of a psychic was also bound to have an artsy side. She chalked it up to a good guess.

"Maybe," Jill admitted, "but I work in advertising... so I'd say my creativity is already in use."

"Definitely," Selwynne agreed. "However, your gift is not meant for advertising. You will find a career that puts your artistic side to even better use, and that is more focused on humanity rather than financial gain."

Again, Jill was thrown. It was almost as if Selwynne were reading her thoughts.

"Now, let's consider your love life. I see a tall man who wears a business suit, but he isn't right for you."

"Liam." The word escaped from Jill's lips before she could stop it.

"Ah, it's already in the past then. Alright, we'll move on. Let's see, family..."

"Wait!" Jill exclaimed, impulsively deciding to break her rule about asking questions. "What about the future? Do you see me meeting someone? Do I get married?"

This time, Selwynne didn't answer right away. Instead, she stared into space for a long minute, and then slowly nodded. "Yes. Yes, you'll meet someone. But not here. Not now. They're telling me you aren't ready yet. They're showing me a place."

Selwynne closed her eyes, as if to better focus on the image in her mind. "Yes, it's all here. They're saying that you aren't done your traveling yet. You still have many places to visit. They're showing me one place in particular, but I'm having trouble figuring out where it is." Selwynne kept her eyes closed and fell silent again, as though still searching for some unseen item.

In the minute of silence, Jill had time to think back to the dreams she had had for herself back in university; dreams of traveling the world and of learning from different cultures. She had managed to take a girls' trip through Europe with Marcy a few months before she had landed her first job, but that had been it. She had started working and then life had gotten in the way. It was one of her biggest regrets.

Suddenly, Selwynne opened her eyes and her head snapped up. "Brazil," she said with finality.

"Huh?" Jill asked.

"They're showing me Brazil. Yes, I'm certain now. You will find your love there. They are saying that true passion lies in Brazil."

Jill smiled and nodded, but in her head she was dumbfounded. _Brazil!_ she thought to herself. _This woman is obviously a fraud._ Brazil had never even been on her list of places to visit. The thought that the cosmos had plans for her to meet her true love there was ridiculous. _Ridiculous!_ she repeated to herself for good measure.

"The female presence," Selwynne interrupted her thoughts. "I think she wants to come through. Is there any chance that you have a picture of her on Facebook?"

Jill didn't think so. Her Baba was gone long before the craze of posting photos online. But wait! Hadn't her cousin just posted that old photo the other day? "Actually, I think I do... but it's a whole family portrait, so I'm not sure that you'll be able to see her features very well."

"I'm sure it will do," Selwynne said, passing Jill the iPad. It only took Jill a couple of minutes to find what she was looking for. Yep, there was her Baba, smiling up at her lovingly from the center of the photograph.

Selwynne took a long look at the photo. "Yes, this is her. She'd like me to pass on a message. Two messages, actually. First, she is happy to see you wearing the ring."

Jill looked down at her hand in shock. Her Baba's wedding ring, a beautiful sapphire set amongst tiny white diamonds, sat on her right ring-finger. How had the woman known? Her grandmother was so far away in the photo; surely, Selwynne hadn't been able to identify the piece in the picture. Had Jill been playing with it absent-mindedly as the psychic spoke of the female presence?

"The second message," Selwynne continued, "Is that God helps those who help themselves."

Tears filled Jill's eyes. Those were the exact words her Baba had always used when any of the grandkids, Jill included, had asked her for help with something she deemed them capable of doing independently. There was simply no way it was a coincidence that the psychic had chosen that particular piece of advice to share.

Selwynne gave Jill a moment to process, and then glanced at her watch. "I've just noticed the time. Our half hour is almost up. Do you have any other questions for me before you leave?"

Jill was still too choked up to say anything so she just shook her head.

"Alright then Jill," the psychic said, standing up. Jill followed her lead. "It truly was a pleasure meeting you. I hope that you got what you were looking for. Please, feel free to come back at any time." With that she gave Jill a hug, and then gestured towards the door.

Jill paid, and walked out of the store in a daze. She may have entered as a skeptic, but there was no question now; she left as a full-fledged believer.

# Chapter Nine

"You did what!?" Marcy practically yelled into the phone.

"I quit my job," Jill repeated, surprisingly calm.

"Stay there. I'm coming over!"

Within ten minutes, Marcy was at Jill's door, bottle of wine in hand.

"Ok... so let me get this straight. The psychic told you that you'd find love in Brazil, so you quit your job? I'm sorry Jill, but I'm not seeing the logical progression here. Couldn't you have just taken holidays? Or a stress leave maybe?"

"I tried!" Jill exclaimed. "I asked if I could take my three weeks holidays, owed to me by the way, to take a vacation, and they said that it wasn't a good time- that after handing over such a big account, the clients needed consistency to reassure them they made the right decision."

"Well, that does seem fair Jill."

The look that Jill shot Marcy's way made it very clear that she was NOT being helpful.

"Don't get mad!" Marcy exclaimed. "I'm just trying to help you process... maybe think it through a little better. Did you think of perhaps postponing the trip? I'm sure Brazil will be just as nice a few months down the road."

"Listen Marcy, I _know_ it was impulsive...reckless even, but the truth is, I've been feeling... well I don't know... _trapped_ at that job for a while now. I think that the psychic's advice was just the push I needed to make me take action."

Marcy sat down beside Jill and started rubbing her back, as if to try to soften the blow of her next words. "Honey, what makes you so sure that this psychic was real?"

"It's ok Marcy. I know that you don't believe in all my New Age craziness, but I'm telling you, she was real! She knew that my ring was my grandmother's."

"I don't want to rain on your parade, but the ring is clearly an antique. Nothing modern has that kind of detail. It could have just been a lucky guess."

"I know. That's what I thought too, but then she quoted my Baba, Marcy. Her last words of the session were _God helps those who help themselves_."

Marcy had spent enough time hanging around Jill's house as a kid to have met her grandmother a time or two. Even she recognized the sturdy woman's favourite saying. "Wow!" she said simply.

"Wow!" Jill agreed quietly.

Marcy fell silent and seemed to be studying Jill, like a scientist examining some exotic specimen that she couldn't quite understand.

"You still think I'm crazy," Jill sighed, disappointed.

"No, that's not what I was thinking at all. I was actually thinking about how jealous I am. You're still single, with no mortgage to pay, and no husband to plan around. You really can just pick up and leave with no one to answer to but yourself. I was just thinking that my own adventures are over."

Jill looked up in surprise. "Marcy, that's not true at all! Your adventures are just starting... only yours will be a thousand times better than mine, because you get to share them with Steve and the kids!"

Marcy laughed. "Ok, I'll admit you do have a point. But I'm just saying... the grass is always greener. And as much as I love my little Callie, I can't help but be jealous when I imagine you in the sun, on the beach in Rio, meeting your sexy Latin lover, Carlos." As she finished the sentence, Marcy dropped her voice to a sultry, suggestive tone.

"Oh, you're too much," Jill sighed and threw a decorative pillow at her. "Besides, they aren't Latin in Brazil." She matched Marcy's suggestive tone and added a foreign accent. "They are Portuguese."

At that, both girls burst out giggling and Marcy got up to pour them another glass of wine.

"So when do you leave?" Marcy asked over her shoulder.

"September 10th."

"What? That's only three days away!" She immediately pulled out her cell phone and started dialing.

"What are you doing?" Jill asked, leery.

"Calling my mother-in-law to see if she can watch Callie tomorrow. If I'm correct, _you_ are unemployed and therefore have the day off, and _we_ have some major shopping to do. I know that if I leave you to your own devices swimsuit shopping, you'll buy some god-awful, old lady one-piece."

Jill laughed. It was probably true.

Marcy raised her glass and tilted it towards her. "To Brazil!" she shouted.

_This is it_ , Jill thought. _I'm actually doing this_. Nearly trembling with excitement, she raised her own glass to meet Marcy's. "To Brazil!" she echoed.

# Chapter Ten

Jill boarded the flight with an uneasy feeling in her stomach. She wasn't quite sure why. It wasn't as if she hadn't travelled before. She and Marcy had done a tour of Europe during the summer of their last year of university, before settling down and joining the "real world", but Europe wasn't South America, and at least then she had had a partner. Now, she was traveling alone for the first time, to a place that had a reputation of sometimes being dangerous; she couldn't help but wonder if she might be making a mistake. _You can't think like that_ , she reminded herself, _"Life lived in fear is not worth living."_ This was a mantra that her mother had often repeated to her when, as a child, Jill had been hesitant to try something new; the examples of gymnastics and downhill skiing springing to mind. But even her mother, who was by no means overprotective, had been a little cautionary about her travel plans. "I don't know, Jilly-Bean. South America? Isn't that where all of the drugs come from?" she had gently questioned.

Jill had managed to ease her mother's fears, but just now she wished that she could ease her own. She had been sitting on the plane for twenty minutes with no sign of movement and the delay in the departure was making her even more anxious about flying than usual. Was there a mechanical problem? Was the runway icy? Was there a suspected terrorist on the plane? In an attempt to distract herself, she pulled out her "Lonely Traveler" guidebook and reviewed her itinerary one more time.

Though the psychic had seemed very sure that the universe had plans for her in Brazil, Jill hadn't been able to resist the temptation to first make a pit stop in Cuzco, Peru to see the legendary Machu Picchu. When she had graduated from high school, one of her aunts had given her a book entitled, "Things to See and Do Before You Die", and the mystical site described within its pages had immediately captured her imagination. Believed to be a sacred religious site of the lost Incan people, it was said that the location was specifically chosen due to its key astrological alignment. The birthplace of the "Virgins of the Suns" and a place of power; Jill had promised herself that someday, she would see the ruins for herself. The thought of spending so much money to fly to South America without fulfilling her dream just seemed like too much of a waste. She had therefore decided to begin the journey in Peru and then hop a small plane over to Brazil a week later; no harm (other than financial) done.

In order to get to Machu Picchu, you could take a train from Cuzco; however, the more traditional route was a four day hike up the "Inca Trail". This too was rather mystical... 42 km of stairs cut into the stone of the mountain side; their creation somehow accomplished in a time before modern mechanics. She hadn't thought twice about booking the trek. She had been extremely lucky too. Only 500 hikers were allowed to be on the trail at a time, and all had to be accompanied by approved guides. During the height of tourist season, you had to book up to three months early to get a spot. Luckily, she was travelling in the off-season (Yay! The nervous breakdown finally had an upside!), and had been able to book only a few weeks in advance. Flipping through the pages of her guidebook, Jill lingered over a sentence she had highlighted, _"One of the seven modern wonders of the world. This experience is not to be missed."_ She had goose bumps just thinking about it.

She was suddenly interrupted from her daydream by a commotion at the front of the plane. A late passenger had boarded and was apologizing profusely to the flight attendant, whom, by the stern look on her face, was not having it. As soon as he started down the aisle, the plane engines started up, and Jill came to the conclusion that he must be the reason for the delay. _Typical_ , she thought to herself, taking in his appearance and immediately sizing him up as an arrogant jerk.

Despite the fact that all eyes in the plane were now on him, he sauntered down the aisle with an easy confidence that seemed to convey the message, "I am important. The world can wait for me." He wasn't particularly well-dressed but seemed well put-together nonetheless. His light wash jeans were torn; however, Jill suspected the holes had been strategically placed there by a designer rather than worn with time. His loose-fitting linen shirt was unbuttoned a little, revealing the promise of a muscular physique, and brown leather sandals completed the carefree look. Jill judged him to be in his early thirties, though, unlike many of his male counterparts of the same age, he still had a full head of wavy, dirty-blond hair. He seemed to be flaunting this particular genetic superiority by wearing it longer than most men his age would ever dare. The tousled locks fell nearly to his chin. _Definitely attractive_ , Jill thought to herself, _but definitely not my type._

Just as she was about to go back to her reading, she was startled to look up and see the latecomer smiling down at her. "Uhm... excuse me Miss," he said apologetically, "but I think you're in my seat."

"Oh!" Jill exclaimed, a little put out, "I was in the middle seat, but since we had been _waiting_ so long, I just assumed that the window seat must be empty. I can move if you like."

"Thanks," the stranger replied cheerily and then stepped to the side, clearly expecting her to vacate the spot.

She couldn't believe it. The nerve! Though she had offered to move, she had never dreamed he would actually make her do it. _He_ was the one who was late after all. God! Where was chivalry these days? Arrogant jerk alright; first impressions seldom lied. She already had her carry-on stowed under the seat, her shoes were kicked off in front of her, and her travel guide was open in her lap. Clumsily, she began packing up her stuff and then awkwardly clutched it to her chest as he squeezed past her to the window.

"Thanks," he said with a smug grin, "I'm Andrew by the way. Andrew Caldwell. It's gonna be a long flight, so we might as well introduce ourselves. Who knows, maybe we'll even be friends!" As he finished, he winked at her, and Jill mentally rolled her eyes.

"It's Jill... Jill Kozak," she replied through gritted teeth, then dramatically made of display of rearranging her belongings in an attempt to convey her irritation.

He looked as though he wanted to say more, but the flight attendant launched into the safety routine right next to them; thankfully cutting any further conversation short. Jill felt the plane straighten out as it took its place on the runway and mentally prepared herself for what was coming; she hated flying. Just as the flight attendant pointed at the safety doors one last time, the plane began picking up speed. Andrew momentarily forgotten, she closed her eyes, gripped the armrests, and gave up a silent prayer as the plane lifted off the runway. She had read once that most airplane accidents occurred during take-off and though she was no longer sure whether or not that fact was even accurate, she hadn't forgotten it. She always felt much better once the ascent was finished.

After a few minutes, having concluded that they must be safely in the air, Jill opened her eyes to find Andrew silently laughing at her. "Nervous flyer?" he mused.

She didn't bother to respond. Determined not to invite any more conversation from her new seatmate, she pulled out her iPod, jammed the headphones into her ears, and opened her travel guide back up.

Unfortunately, Andrew Caldwell was not to be deterred. "South America, hey?" he inquired, pointing at the book. "Is this your first time?"

Though she heard him perfectly well, still annoyed over the seat change, Jill simply shook her head, pointed at the earphones, and then went back to her reading.

Still not getting the hint, he resorted to shouting. "I SAID, SOUTH AMERICA HEY? HAVE YOU BEEN BEFORE?" To Jill's horror, other passengers were now turning around in their seats to look at them.

Sighing, she pulled out the headphones, and turned towards him. "Yeah, I'm going to Peru and then Brazil. I've heard great things."

"Oh? What are you doing in Peru?"

"I'm going to Cuzco, and then hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu." As much as she wanted for him to leave her alone, she couldn't help but let a little excitement seep into her voice.

He seemed to pick up on it. "I've been looking into doing that same trip!" he replied enthusiastically. "You have to go with a tour company right? Which one did you go with?"

"Machu Treks," she answered, abandoning the hope of going back to her reading. "They supposedly treat their porters well. I leave on Wednesday."

"Have you been training?" he asked with a grin as he not-so-subtly looked her over. "I've heard that the hike is really hard... especially if you're out of shape. Are you sure you're up for it?"

_What the hell did that mean!_ Jill was incredibly insulted. She knew that with work being so crazy lately, she had been slacking off in her gym schedule, but his comment was totally uncalled for. She assessed him one more time. The very picture of physical fitness, his shirt was stretched across his broad shoulders and beneath the linen, she could see the definition between his deltoids and biceps. Well, she might not be a gym monkey like he was, but that by no means meant she was out of shape. _What a jerk!_

More determined than ever to shut down the unwelcome exchange, she took a sleep mask out of her bag and yawned. "Man I'm tired," she lied, "I didn't get much sleep last night. Too excited about my trip I guess." She shrugged her shoulders and feigned an apologetic expression.

"Yeah, I think I could use some sleep too," he said still grinning. He took a travel pillow out of his duffel bag, fluffed it ostentatiously and propped it up against the window. "I just find it _sooo_ much easier to sleep on these long flights if you can lean against the wall!"

Jill shot him a dirty look and snapped her sleep mask into place. She lowered her seat down a few notches and silently seethed beneath the mask. Thank God it was only a three hour flight until her first layover in Dallas! She imagined him to be a slick business executive travelling there for a convention; in her experience the cocky attitude usually suited the trade.

It didn't take long; however, for her anger to give way to genuine exhaustion and she realized that she actually hadn't been lying about not sleeping much the night before. She quietly dozed off, only awakening once the plane clumsily touched down on the runway. Even then; however, she remembered that awful Andrew sat next to her and pretended that she was still asleep. It wasn't until she heard the other passengers starting to stir from their seats that she removed the mask. Stretching, she stood up and started gathering her things.

"Sleeping Beauty finally awakens!" Andrew announced, smiling at her.

"Sorry, I hope I didn't bother you. I must have been even more tired than I thought!" She looked over at Andrew, who was studying her carefully. It made her uncomfortable, but now that they would be parting ways, she felt like she could afford to be polite. "Well, it was nice meeting you Andrew!"

"Likewise." He gestured toward the aisle which was now void of other passengers. "After you, my lady."

_So now he was gentleman, was he?_ She couldn't help it... she looked back and rolled her eyes at him before heaving her bag onto her shoulder and exiting the plane. Once inside the airport, she wasted no time finding the terminal for her connecting flight; which, looking at her watch, would be boarding any minute. Hopefully, this time she would be seated next to better company.

# Chapter Eleven

Jill awoke to the sound of a rooster somewhere in the distance. The sun peeked in through the little open hostel window and the soft quality of the light gave Jill the impression that it was still very early in the morning. _Too early to get up_ , she thought, and happily turned over on her pillow, pulling the blankets back up around her. She knew that she had a long week of early mornings ahead, so she decided to enjoy the opportunity to sleep in while she could.

The rooster; unfortunately, had other ideas. A minute later, it crowed again, but this time from much closer by. Jill pulled the blankets up around her ears, willing the creature to go away, but to no avail. Instead, it moved closer still and proceeded to crow regularly at one minute intervals. To Jill, it sounded as though it were perched right on the window sill; its call specifically meant for her. Each time, she could swear it was getting more insistent and more impatient with her for not heeding its advice. She imagined it clearing its throat before the next crow, "Hhmm-hhmmm, I _said_ , COCK-A-DOODLE-DO!!!"

"Ok, ok, I hear you. I'm getting up!" she muttered. "Who needs an alarm clock when you've got a rooster?" Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she angrily pushed herself out of bed.

Still, as she showered and dressed, she couldn't help but feel a tingle of excitement as to what the day would hold. She was eager to explore Cuzco and by the time she stepped out of the hostel onto the cobblestone street, she was glad the bird had woken her. Early morning light cast shadows on the old, stone buildings and she had a flashback of her high school Art teacher trying to explain the concept of photography "Magic Hour". She hadn't understood at the time, but now she knew exactly what he was talking about. Bathed in the golden glow, the little city actually looked magical. It were as if each scratch in each brick had a story to tell. Jill took out her camera and happily began wandering the streets, snapping pictures as she went.

She was so caught up in taking photos that it came as a surprise when she was interrupted by an angry growl from her stomach. She examined her watch and couldn't believe that two hours had already gone by. Looking around, she realized now that the city had come to life. The shop doors were all open, and the streets were teeming with people. Still wanting to explore, but unable to ignore the pleas coming from her mid-section, she decided to head back to the main plaza where she had seen a multitude of restaurants and cafes lining the streets.

As she approached the plaza, a sign over a blue door caught her eye. Beneath the Spanish title of the establishment, she spotted a word that she recognized: "Internet". Jill peeked inside and was delighted to see that the space was divided into two areas. On one side of the room, there was a quaint little café where she could see hearty homemade muffins and oversized cups of coffee adorning the tables of happy patrons. On the other side, there were a couple of rows of computers, where it looked like visitors could pay to connect to the web.

As hungry as she was, Jill was also itching to get online. She had shut her cell phone off at the airport back in Denver and hadn't dared turn it back on for fear of ludicrous roaming charges. She knew that the separation from technology shouldn't be so hard, but at her job she had checked her email at least every ten minutes; a full day without it was practically a world record! Plus, she rationalized, there were a couple of computers free right now; there might be a wait later on. She decided to use the internet first so that she could relax and fully enjoy her breakfast afterwards.

After paying the clerk for fifteen minutes, she chose a computer in the corner and hastily tapped out a quick message. _First things first_ , Jill thought as she hit "send" on the screen, relaying her safe arrival in Cuzco to her parents. Next, she checked her own email. Already, there were half a dozen messages from astonished coworkers and friends demanding an explanation for her behaviour. She began reading the first one, but she only got about halfway through before her hands started to tremble. Though she wouldn't admit it to herself, the words of concern on the screen echoed the words and thoughts rolling around in the back of her mind. _Irrational? Nervous breakdown? Career? Burned bridges?_ She couldn't face them; not today, perhaps not ever. She highlighted all six emails and let out a sigh of relief as she clicked "delete" and watched them disappear. Maybe she could learn to live without technology after all.

Important tasks done, a little timer at the top of the screen told her that she still had six minutes of connectivity left. "Perfect!" she thought, and quickly typed in the URL to her favourite website: horoscopes.com. As she clicked on the ornate little fish, she crossed her fingers hoping for a good omen on the first day of her trip. She had only just begun to read, _"Pisces, today is a day of discovery...."_ when she heard the familiar, irritating voice behind her.

"Does it say that you'll meet a tall, handsome stranger?" Andrew purred.

She swivelled around to face him, narrowing her eyes as she did so. "No, but it does say that I won't be able to shake a nasty thorn in my side," she replied hotly. "How did you get here? You weren't on the rest of my flight to Cuzco!"

"Nah... I booked the cheap seats... longer layovers in both Dallas and Lima. Saved quite a bit of coin though. _And_ I didn't have to pay for a hotel last night. I just got in this morning."

Jill narrowed her eyes. "So what are you doing here, in this coffee shop, right now? Are you following me?" she asked suspiciously.

"Whoa! Easy now! I'm here for the same reason as you. A little bit of grub and a quick check of the ol' email," he replied grinning. "Although, it doesn't look like you're checking emails. Horoscopes? In South America? Come now... it won't be an adventure if you already know what's going to happen!" he finished mockingly.

"I had time left to kill," Jill replied defensively, "Look, if you're here to use the Internet, can't you just go find your own computer and leave me alone?"

Andrew ignored the question completely. Instead, he peered at the screen, leaning in uncomfortably close to her to do so. She could feel his breath on her neck, and she cursed her hormones as she felt a shiver run down her spine. Luckily, it didn't last long. He only took a quick glance and then stepped back away.

"Pisces hey? It figures. I sort of got the impression that you're a "head in the clouds" kind of girl," he said, insulting her, but surprising her with his knowledge at the same time.

"That's just a stereotype. If you knew a little more, you'd know that Pisces are in fact caring and generous," Jill retorted. "Why am I even bothering explaining this to you? What do you know about astrology anyway?" Only after she said it, did she realize that the question was meant more for herself than for him.

"Geez, temper, temper... If I didn't know better, I'd think you were a Taurus," he smirked. "I know that you're already wondering, so I'll save you a little time... I'm a Gemini. Alas! We are _not_ compatible," he lamented, shaking his head.

With his last comment, Jill transitioned from being mildly annoyed by his presence to being genuinely infuriated. Did he think that every woman on Earth was waiting to fall at his feet? Well _she_ certainly wasn't. Good looks could only get you so far, and as far as she could tell, his personality was definitely lacking.

"I actually _wasn't_ wondering," she declared scathingly, "In this case, I didn't need astrology to tell me that you weren't my type."

Rather than look put out, Andrew seemed to be pleased by the comment. "Well that's a relief," he said, wiping his brow and adopting his usual cocky grin, "because you certainly aren't my type either."

Once again, Jill cursed her irrational brain. She hadn't been lying; she wasn't interested in him whatsoever, yet she couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment at the rejection.

Andrew continued, "There! Now that we've established that we are not interested in each other sexually, we can focus on being friends. Is there any chance that the lady would join me for breakfast?"

Jill looked longingly at the muffins across the room, but she didn't want one badly enough to put up with Andrew any longer than she had to. Of all the bad luck, to run into him on her very first day in South America! "Thanks, but no thanks," she said curtly, "I have enough friends." With that, she grabbed her purse and headed for the door.

"Suit yourself, Jillian," he called after her, "but the Lonely Traveler says this place serves the best breakfast in Cuzco! You're missing out! Have fun today. I'll see you later!"

Jill paused. "I doubt it," she said, looking back over her shoulder, and smiling for the first time during their exchange. She turned back around and walked out the door, confident in the knowledge that tomorrow, she was leaving Cuzco to begin her trek of the Inca Trail and the chances of seeing Andrew Caldwell again were slim to none.

# Chapter Twelve

As usual, Jill was running late. The tour bus that would take her to the gates of Machu Picchu was due to arrive at her hostel in less than five minutes and she was still frantically shoving clothes into her backpack. Three minutes later, although she had managed to coax all of the items into the bag, she was faced with a new problem- she couldn't quite get the zipper closed. Worried that she might miss her ride, she waddled down to the street, hugging the open backpack in front of her, and trying to ebb the tide of socks that threatened to spill out. She could keep working on the zipper as she waited, she reasoned, and if worse came to worst she could always repack once she was safely on board. And so it was, that when the rickety, square little "colectivo" labelled _Machu Treks_ pulled up, she was sprawled on the curb in a full wrestling match with the canvas foe; red-faced, with beads of perspiration blurring her vision.

"My God! If you're sweating this much before the hike even starts, I'm really not sure I want to spend the next four days with you!" a mocking voice called out from one of the vehicle's windows.

Jill's head snapped up; panic setting in along with recognition. Momentarily distracted, she lost her grip on the bag and a few articles of clothing broke for freedom, dropping to the ground. "It can't be," she groaned, almost holding her breath as she raised her eyes to confirm her suspicions.

Sure enough, there he was, looking cool and fresh as ever in cargo pants and a white t-shirt, sauntering towards her. "Can I help you, my lady?" Andrew asked, laughing.

As he crouched down beside her, Jill was acutely aware of how dishevelled she must look. She hadn't had time to do her hair or makeup this morning, and she could feel strands of limp hair sticking to her moist forehead. Her first instinct was to bark "No!", as he reached for the bag, but even she knew a hopeless cause when she saw one. She hastily shoved the escaped items back into their prison and passed the bag over, burning with humiliation. Adding insult to injury, Andrew seemed to effortlessly zip up the backpack in one smooth motion, and then offered it to her on bended knee, as if he were a knight offering her his sword.

Pretending not to notice the gallant gesture, Jill grumbled "Thanks," as she roughly heaved it onto her shoulder. She took a second to compose herself, wiping her brow and smoothing her hair back off her face, and then turned to confront him. "What are you doing here?" she asked, bewildered.

"Oh, it seems that we're booked onto the same tour of the Inca Trail. Let's see... Machu Treks, Wednesday, September 12th. Did I forget to mention it on the plane?" he asked innocently.

For a moment, she didn't believe him. There were at least a dozen different companies offering to lead tourists up the trail, and she could have chosen any other day to start the trek. If she didn't know better, she'd almost think he was stalking her. Logic told her though, that with only 500 tourists allowed by the government on the trail at a time, the possibility of him securing one of those coveted spots only two days ago was nonexistent.

As she replayed their conversations over the past few days, the pieces started falling together. "You knew all this time that we'd be hiking in the same group, and you didn't tell me?!" Jill asked incredulously. It was more of an accusation than a question. "I would have...." she trailed off, not quite knowing how to finish.

Andrew seemed amused by her discomfort. "Been a little nicer? Polite even? Nah, I didn't want you to be a decent person out of obligation. Besides, I knew that I'd eventually win you over with my charm," he finished grinning.

Jill glared at him in return. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the driver trying to usher them into the bus, pointing to his watch and felt thankful for the excuse to end the uncomfortable conversation. "Come on, let's go. They're waiting for us," she said to him, quickly spinning around and almost knocking him over with her pack.

But as she placed her foot on the first step to mount the bus, she felt a light tap her on the shoulder. "What now?" she moaned in exasperation.

"Sorry to bother you again Miss, but I wouldn't want you to lose these." Andrew reached up and peeled something off of one of the Velcro tabs of her bag, then offered her the item. He dropped his voice, adopting a seductive tone, "If I'm lucky, you might need them later."

To her horror, in his outstretched hand was a diminutive pair of light purple, satin panties trimmed with lace. Of course, since she knew that she would be spending the majority of her trip on foot, most of the underwear she had packed was sensible, no-nonsense cotton "Granny panties" as Liam had called them. Andrew; however, was holding one of the two pairs of fancier stock she had packed "just in case".

Fighting back a scream, Jill snatched them out of his hand. "Only in your wildest dreams," she snapped and then quickly marched into the bus, leaving him chuckling behind her.

No sooner had she chosen a seat when she felt Andrew plunk down beside her. Though she instinctively knew it was him, she didn't turn to verify, partly because she was so angry, and partly because she thought if she took one more look at his smug, laughing eyes, she might burst into tears. Instead, she kept her eyes glued to the window, pretending to be transfixed by the scenery passing by. Thankfully, Andrew seemed to sense how upset she was, and for once, didn't seem to have anything to say. They rode in silence as the bus made the rest of its stops; picking up the remaining passengers that would be their companions on the trek.

It wasn't until the last buildings of Cuzco were fading into the distance that he finally dared break the silence. "Ok, seriously. We're going to be stuck together for the next four days. Can we please start over? It would be nice to have someone to talk to on the trip."

Despite his sincere tone, Jill answered him with stony silence. He seemed to sense he'd have to make more of an effort before she'd make peace. "Listen, I'm really sorry. I've felt like a jackass ever since I made you change seats on the plane, and I've been trying to melt the ice... but I've obviously been going about it the wrong way. I'm sorry if I've offended you. Can we _please_ start over?" he tried again.

Jill weighed her options. She could stay angry and do her best to avoid him on the hike, but looking around the bus, she realized that might make for a lonely week. Among her fellow passengers, there was one group of three college-age boys, laughing boisterously and speaking what she guessed to be German; four senior citizens, fit for their age, but still leaving her wondering whether the guide's CPR certification was up-to-date; and a young couple so wrapped up in each other that they seemed oblivious to what was going on around them. Jill's gaze lingered on the couple for a moment. Even now, the girl's hand was resting on her boyfriend's thigh as she leaned in to whisper something in his ear, and they both giggled knowingly and exchanged a long kiss. Jill rolled her eyes, and then made her decision.

"Ok, you're right," she sighed, finally turning to face Andrew. "Apology accepted. I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have been so hard on you."

"Truce?" Andrew asked, extending out his hand as if they were closing a business deal.

Jill sighed and took it. "Truce."

They shook on it, but Andrew didn't let go. Instead, he tightened his grip and pulled her in close enough to whisper in her ear, "Anything to get me one step closer to seeing those purple panties again."

Despite the fact that she knew he was joking, Jill quickly pulled her hand away and used it to angrily swat him on the shoulder. It was going to be a long four days.

# Chapter Thirteen

Jill fought hard to stay awake as the "colectivo" rolled along, but she was losing the battle. The tour company had arrived to pick her up just after 5:00am and she was accustomed to sleeping in until at least 7:30. Two early mornings in a row were taking their toll. Given the bus' ancient, worn out suspension, Jill bounced in her seat with every bump and dip in the road; however, she was so tired that what normally would be considered a rough ride felt as though it were gently rocking her to sleep.

"It's alright, you can nap. I won't tell anyone," Andrew leaned over and whispered, his breath lightly tickling her ear. "We've got a long hike today, so you'll need your energy."

"No, no, I want to see Peru," she protested, swatting him away, but even as she said it, she knew that he was right. She would have four days to enjoy the scenery and she didn't want to start this one tired. She held out for as long as she could, mostly so that Andrew wouldn't have the satisfaction of knowing she had taken his advice, but it wasn't long before she gave in and let her heavy eyelids close.

Two hours later, she awoke in a daze as the bus slowly ground to a halt. It took her a second to remember where she was, partly due to the fact that her head comfortably rested on something soft. As she groggily cleared her thoughts, she heard a soft cough from somewhere above her. Suddenly, everything slid into place and she realized the nature of her pillow. She had been resting on, or rather _snuggling_ , Andrew's chest. She snapped her head up in alarm so quickly that it hit him hard in the jaw.

"Ouch! Watch it!" he cried.

"I'm so sorry!" she blurted out, her face turning crimson. She wasn't sure what she was apologizing for, her clumsiness or her overly familiar behavior.

"Man, you've got a thick skull," he said, rubbing his jaw. "I don't know why that surprises me."

His attempt at humor had the opposite effect on Jill. Her embarrassment quickly morphed into fury. "Well, I can hardly control what I do in my sleep! Why didn't you push me off?" she said indignantly.

"Whoa, easy now slugger... I figured this way we'd be even for the plane ride." He opened and closed his jaw tentatively and continued rubbing it. "Way to thank a guy!"

Jill's anger evaporated in an instant. She was being unfair. It was _she_ who had hit _him_ after all. She rubbed her own head which, now that she had calmed down, she realized was quite sore as well. She smiled and made an attempt at humor herself. "I guess we're both a little hard-headed."

Andrew rewarded her efforts with a smile. "It could have been worse. At least you don't drool," he joked.

"I really _am_ sorry," she repeated. "Thanks for letting me sleep. I seriously needed that."

"I could tell. No thanks needed though. It was in my best interest. You were being even crankier than usual."

Jill groaned. Honestly! Why did she even bother with trying to play nice with this man! She tried to think of a smart comeback, but failing, settled for shooting him a dirty look instead.

"Looks like someone still needs a bit more sleep," he said grinning.

"Possibly true, but no such luck. You'd probably be best off just avoiding me for the rest of the day." Jill haughtily pushed past him and started walking towards the entrance of the trail.

In a few easy strides, Andrew caught up with her. "Hey, look!" he said, pointing to a small group of women standing nearby. They were all dressed similarly in colorful skirts and round bowler hats, their dark hair pleated into long, neat braids. "Locals! Let's see what they're selling..." He grabbed her by the hand and started pulling her towards them.

"Andrew! I've got enough stuff to carry. I don't want to buy anything. I just want to start hiking!"

He ignored her and kept tugging.

Like vultures circling impending prey, the ladies descended on them. "Sticks! Walking sticks! For the Inca Trail," one of the women called out, brandishing her goods.

"Oh?" Andrew said, approaching with evident interest, "Are they helpful?"

"Si! Yes!" another woman answered. "Make walking much easy."

Andrew took the stick in his hands and looked it over. Although she had absolutely no intention of buying one, Jill looked it over too. The stick was just exactly that- a stick. It looked like a branch that had fallen off of a tree, complete with the knots where smaller branches had been cut away. It had, however, been hardened and lacquered, and a colorful sash tied tightly around one end formed the grip. To Jill, it looked much more like a souvenir than a useful object.

"No thanks," she said to the woman, shaking her head to be certain that she was understood, and then waited for Andrew to do the same.

Andrew, to her surprise; however, was pulling out his wallet.

"You're not seriously going to buy one?" she asked in disbelief.

"Of course I am," Andrew said smiling. "You heard the woman. It makes walking much easy."

"You're going to carry around a stick for four days?"

"No... I'm going to _use_ a stick for four days." He counted out the money and placed it in the woman's grateful hands. The woman turned to Jill once more.

"You need walking stick. Inca trail muy difficile!"

"See Jill... muy difficile...." Andrew parroted. "I'd buy one if I were you. She seems to know what she's talking about."

"Unlike you, I am _not_ a sucker," Jill said with finality, and again shook her head and walked away. She had to admit that she felt a small pang of guilt knowing that the women likely depended on sales from tourists to support their families, but she just couldn't bring herself to carry that thing around. She took her place in line at the gates, where about thirty other tourists stood waiting to have their passports stamped and be admitted onto the trail.

Andrew sauntered up behind her and gave her rear a light smack with his new walking stick. "I'm liking this purchase already!" he exclaimed, "So useful!"

"Ugh," Jill groaned in exasperation. "You are impossible! Hit me one more time, and I swear to God, I will break that thing in half!"

"Definitely needed more sleep," Andrew mumbled under his breath.

"What was that?" Jill snapped.

"Nothing, my lady, nothing. Shall we?" He had just finished having his passport stamped and held out an arm for her as if they were a couple in an old black and white film about to go for a stroll.

Jill ignored the arm and hooked her fingers into the straps of her backpack. She took a deep breath and smiled as she took in the landscape and dirt path that stretched before her. After years of dreaming about it, at last she was here; the Inca Trail. "Ok," she said. "Let's do this."

* * *

Although it was a long hike, 12 km to be exact, it was pretty smooth terrain. Jill felt like she was exerting herself, but she wasn't winded. She was a little satisfied to see a faint sheen of sweat building up on Andrew's forehead. She figured they were about equal when it came to cardiovascular fitness.

For the first few kilometres, still a little tired and grumpy, she had avoided conversation. As they walked along; however, the crisp mountain air and the lush green scenery cheered her up immensely and she started to feel a little friendlier. She decided to break the ice.

"So, Andrew, what do you do for a living?" she asked, choosing a standard "small talk" topic. _See_ , she told herself, _you can be a decent, polite person when you want to._

"I'm an engineer. I work for an energy company. It's not that glamorous, but it pays the bills."

"Energy company... that's code for oil and gas right?

"You got it."

"You call it an energy company so that people don't realize that you destroy the environment for a living, right?" Again, it was more of an accusation than a question.

Andrew took his time before answering. When he did, he spoke in an even, measured tone, but there was a bit of an edge to his voice. "I guess you could see it that way... but I bet you'd feel a little differently if you couldn't heat your house on a cold winter day in Denver. Affordable, efficient energy- that's what we do. It may not be perfect, but it's the best solution we've come up with so far. When something better comes along, trust me, I'll be the first to jump on board." He seemed to catch himself getting upset. He ran a hand through his hair, and exhaled slowly. When he spoke again, Jill noted that he had resumed his usual playful tone. "And what do you do for a living, Miss Perfect?" he asked.

Jill felt her face redden, and deeply regretted her snide comment. He was going to have a field day with this one. "I work for an advertising agency. Or I did anyway."

"Wow! You convince people to buy things they don't need. Well if that isn't the kettle calling the pot black. Noble work indeed!"

Now it was Jill's turn to be defensive. "We provide an important service! Businesses rely on customers in order to succeed. We help them to attract those customers. Sometimes, we're even helping the consumers by drawing their attention to the product that best meet their needs."

Andrew was listening with his arms crossed, looking skeptical. As Jill spoke, he raised one hand to his chin and rubbed it thoughtfully. "Oh! Well I never thought about it that way before. When you put it like that, why, you're practically Mother Theresa!"

Jill threw up her hands in defeat and let out a little laugh. "Ok, you're right. It's exactly the same thing as you working for the energy company; a less than perfect job for which there is a demand. I don't know why I'm defending it anyhow. Like I said, I don't do it anymore. I quit last week."

"Oh, so you're actually unemployed... much more impressive," Andrew teased.

Jill started to giggle. She hadn't thought about it in that light. "I guess I am."

They continued hiking, passing a small village and quaint farmyards, but eventually, the signs of human population became fewer and fewer and the rural landscape gave way to more rugged mountain terrain. They made small talk, rendered more interesting by Andrew's jokes and witty observations. Now that she knew him a little better, Jill had to admit that he was really funny. More than once, she found herself laughing out loud at something he said. After a time though, the conversation steered back towards her current job situation.

"So I'm intrigued...why did you quit? Lousy hours? Mean boss?"

Jill's smile faltered as she thought about how to answer. At length, she finally said, "No real reason. I think I'm having a mid-life crisis." Her voice broke a little and a sob threatened to escape as she finished her sentence.

Andrew seemed to sense her distress and gave her an encouraging smile. "Unless my estimate of your age is way off, I don't think that's possible."

Struggling to regain her composure, Jill forced herself to smile back. "Well, a third-life crisis then. I don't know what happened. Things were going well... I had actually just been promoted... but suddenly, it just all seemed so _pointless_. I couldn't get excited about the work I was doing, so I just... quit. Does that sound crazy? I've been wondering lately if I'm going crazy."

"It doesn't sound crazy. Impulsive maybe, but not crazy. Crazy would be wasting your life on a career you no longer enjoy."

Jill looked up at him gratefully. She knew that he was probably just being nice, but it was what she needed to hear right now. He was the first person that she had really talked to about her unhappiness at her job. She wasn't sure why she had felt compelled to confide in him. He was practically a stranger (a stranger she didn't even particularly like for that matter), but it felt good to get her feelings off her chest. Though the weight of her backpack remained unchanged, she suddenly felt much lighter in her shoes.

Lost in her own thoughts, she became aware that Andrew was looking at her expectantly, as though she had missed a question. "I'm sorry... I was daydreaming. What did you say?"

"I said...any idea as to what you might want to do instead?"

"Not really. I've got my Bachelor of Commerce, so I suppose I could find some other kind of job in the business field. Maybe human resources or some kind of management... I'm not sure if any of those options appeal to me all that much more than advertising though."

"Well, no rush. I'm sure you'll figure it out. These things have a way of working themselves out."

"I hope so." Jill shifted uncomfortably.

They walked on in silence, with Jill struggling to find something else to talk about. Finally, she said, "Anyway, enough about me. What about you? What made you decide on the Inca Trail? Why in September?"

"It's a bit of a long story..."

"Well we've got nothing but time," she encouraged, gesturing at their vast surroundings. Although they were traveling with a tour group, everyone was allowed to walk at their own pace, and because there were such a limited number of people on the trail, it didn't take long for the hikers to spread out. Their guide had stopped them at various points in the day to point out ruins and interesting facts; however, for the most part, they were free to enjoy the scenery alone.

"I guess that's true," Andrew laughed. "Well, I've been living in Colombia working on a big project for the past year. In a few weeks, I'm handing it off to a colleague and heading home."

"Oh, so you were already down here. But you were on the plane from Denver with me?"

"Yeah... Denver's my hometown. I travel back and forth quite a bit. I really wanted to do the Inca Trail while I was still down here, and since I had to come back to South America anyway, my company agreed to cover the cost of the flight. I'll of course have to pay out of pocket to get myself back to Colombia though."

"So you're on holidays?"

"I guess you could call it that. Like I said, I'm handing off my work project in a couple of weeks, and recently, I realized that although I've been in South America for an entire year, I haven't seen anything other than the city of Bogota and the oil patch. I've _always_ wanted to see Machu Picchu, so I booked the Inca Trail first, but after I'm done prepping my replacement in Bogota, I'm going to spend another couple of weeks touring around Colombia. The little bit of the country I've seen so far is amazing."

"You're going to tour Colombia? Isn't that incredibly dangerous?" When Jill thought of Colombia, she conjured up images of drug compounds guarded by men with machine guns and machetes. It was definitely _not_ her idea of a tourist destination.

"That's just what you see in the movies. Don't get me wrong, the drug trade and the guerrillas are very real, but as long as you stick to the beaten track, you're fine. And there's so much to see! Jungles, beaches, fiestas... I can't wait!"

"Well, when I read in the newspaper that an American has gone missing in Colombia, I'll remember this conversation," Jill joked.

Instead of laughing, Andrew suddenly seemed distracted. "Look!" he said, pointing to a group of tents a little way up the trail.

Jill couldn't believe it. They were already at camp. She looked at her watch and sure enough, they had been hiking for a solid six hours. She had been enjoying both the scenery and the conversation so much that she hadn't even noticed. Still, it was a huge relief when she was able to shrug her backpack off and onto the ground. "Man that feels good!" she exclaimed, rubbing her shoulders with her hands.

"Tell me about it!" Andrew dropped his own bag to the dirt and swung his arms back and forth to stretch his back.

Jill looked around. She had noticed that the porters had pulled away from the group early on in the hike, and now she realized that they had rushed ahead in order to prepare camp. The tents were all up and the smell of roasted chicken was already wafting towards them.

"Come on," Andrew said, picking his pack back up. "Let's go find out where we can dump this stuff. Then we can wash up for dinner."

"Sounds good," Jill agreed, taking his lead. "I'm starving!"

# Chapter Fourteen

Both eager to ditch their packs for the night, it didn't take long for Jill and Andrew to locate their guide.

"Excuse me Juan," Jill asked politely, "Can you tell us which tents are ours? We'd like to get changed for dinner."

Although Jill knew that Juan spoke fairly fluent English, he was currently examining her with a puzzled expression. Thinking that she had perhaps spoken too quickly, she decided to try again. "The tents? Which ones are ours?" she repeated, exaggerating each syllable.

"Yes, yes I understand," Juan replied, still looking a little confused. "But you two are juntos... together, no? The porters... they only set up one tent."

Behind her, Andrew let out a low chuckle, but Jill failed to see the humor in the situation. "No, we are not together," she said curtly. "We signed up for the tour separately. We therefore want two separate tents."

"Yes, I understand. I'm very sorry Miss. Is no problem. We will fix it." Juan whistled and one of the porters hustled over to his side. Juan explained the problem to him in Spanish.

Now it was the porter's turn to look confused. "Juntos!" he insisted pointing back and forth between Jill and Andrew.

Jill could feel her cheeks reddening as her frustration mounted. "No... not juntos," she corrected again. She tried to explain herself to the porter in Spanish, praying that her translation was accurate. She had taken an introductory Spanish course in her first year of university, but that had been nearly ten years ago. "Quiero estar sola."

The porter turned once again to the guide, and began to speak very quickly; his voice rising in agitation.

Looking a little flustered, Juan turned back to them. "He says there are no more tents. The porters think there is extra, so they use it. It's ok though, I will tell them to move."

"But where will the porters sleep?" Jill inquired anxiously. They had at least fifteen porters traveling with them, and looking around at the number of tents that had been set up, she knew that their quarters were likely already crowded.

"In the dining tent," Juan explained, pointing over to a large, open tent where a table was currently being set for the meal.

"But there isn't a floor!" Jill exclaimed.

Juan brushed off her concerns. "Is normal. No hay problema!"

Andrew, who had been silent up until this point, took a step forward and put a commanding hand on Jill's shoulder. "It's ok, really," he told Juan. "We'll share a tent. Neither of us needs that much space." He then turned to Jill. "Listen Jill, it's going to be a cold night and these guys probably don't even have a mat to put underneath them. Let's let them keep the tent. I promise I'll be good. No funny stuff."

A little stunned, Jill silently nodded her agreement.

Turning towards the flustered porter, Andrew repeated his decision in Spanish. "Está bien. Estamos juntos!"

The relief on the porter's face was so obvious that Jill didn't have the heart to disagree. When he looked at her questioningly, feeling deflated, she echoed, "Si, juntos."

With that, Juan motioned for them to follow him and showed them to what would now be their shared accommodations. Jill climbed in first, dropped her backpack, and turned around just in time to see the guide give Andrew a conspiratory wink before waving goodbye. _Great,_ she thought bitterly. _Just great!_

* * *

Later that evening, both having washed up and eaten their fill, Jill and Andrew lay side by side in their sleeping bags. The darkness of night had fallen early in the mountains, and since neither was tired yet, they had propped up a flashlight between them in order to share its glow. Andrew was lying on his back, reading a book, while Jill lay on her side, trying to write in her journal. She purposely had her back to Andrew, even though the position blocked out precious light, so that her words were hidden from his view. It wasn't as though she was writing anything overly personal; it was mostly a detailed description of the landmarks they had seen, but her thoughts just seemed so exposed lying there on the paper.

Struggling to see the lines on the sheet, she suddenly remembered that she had packed a headlamp for just such an occasion. She fumbled through her bag in the darkness, elbowing Andrew twice in the process, but eventually came up victorious. "Aha! Perfect!" she declared triumphantly, as she snapped the band snuggly onto her forehead and switched on the light.

Andrew, who had previously been engrossed in his novel, lifted his head and seemed amused.

"Why Jillian, what a big light you have!" he exclaimed.

Jill recognized the quote from her childhood favorite and decided to play along. "The better to see you with my dear!" she said melodically, as she tilted her head so that his face was fully illuminated by the lamp. It was the first time since forming her initial impression of him on the plane that she had truly looked at him. The results nearly took her breath away. Whether he was her type or not, there was no denying that he was good-looking; _hot_ , her sub-conscious clarified. Despite the fact that he squinted under the glare of the light, what stood out most was the color of his eyes. The edges were a rich chocolate brown, but they became lighter towards the center; brown melding into a light, mossy green. The words, " _Eyes you could get lost in"_ floated, unbidden, through her mind. She felt herself flushing, and quickly pushed the sensual thoughts away.

"You can have the flashlight to yourself now if you want," she offered. "This will be more than enough light for me." She turned back onto her side, intent on finishing her journal entry, but it was too late; she had caught Andrew's attention.

"Whatcha doing?" he asked, trying to peer over her shoulder.

"Nothing," she replied tersely as she tried to push him away.

"It doesn't look like nothing," he countered.

Jill sighed and sat up. "If you must know, I'm writing in my journal. When I travel, I like to record all the important details, so that I can go back and relive the memories all over again."

Andrew sat up too. "Oooh, am I in there?" he asked, lunging for the journal.

"Definitely not!" she cried, clutching the book to her chest, trying to keep it from his reach.

She was of course, no match for his strength, and he easily plucked the book, along with the pen from her hands. "In that case, you're missing the best part!" He flipped to the back cover and began scribbling something down.

"What are you doing?" Jill shrieked as she frantically reached for it.

"Calm down, I'm done." He tossed her back the book.

She quickly flipped to the back page. "Your phone number?" she asked incredulously.

"And email address... You said you wanted the most important details," he said with a grin.

"Trust me, there will be no reason for me to contact you beyond this trip," Jill said through gritted teeth. She ran her fingers over the marred cover. The writing was large and sloppy.

"Ah Jillian, you're hurting my feelings. I thought that we were going to be friends!" he said in mock injury.

"That still remains to be seen," she muttered, turning off the headlamp and shoving it, along with the journal, deep into her backpack. The urge to write had abandoned her, and she didn't want him reading what was already there. Despite what she had said, there were more references to him in the entries than she would care to admit.

"Dependent on..." he mused.

"What kind of roommate you are. You had better keep your promise... hands to yourself!"

"Well that depends too..." he teased.

Jill's curiosity piqued. "On?"

"Whether or not you're wearing those purple panties!"

Despite herself, Jill laughed. "I'm not," she said flatly.

"Well then, we won't have a problem." With that, he turned his back to her and with a small click of the flashlight, plunged them into darkness.

Imagining what exactly "a problem" might look like, Jill was thankful for the obscurity; because were Andrew able to see her face right now, she was certain that he would catch her blushing.

# Chapter Fifteen

Jill and Liam were racing down the ski hill. Neck and neck, each strained against the wind and snow, hoping to gain the lead. Jill knew that she had the edge in terms of skill, but every time she tried to pull ahead of Liam, an obstacle, such as a tree or a beginner skier, appeared in front of her and she once again fell behind. Just when it started to look hopeless; however, Liam caught an edge on a snowdrift and lost one of his skis. Arms and legs flailing, he was enveloped in a white cloud of powder as he crashed to the ground.

Now firmly in the lead and free of Liam's taunting presence, Jill was able to slow down and take note of her surroundings. Listening to the song of the birds in the trees, she inhaled the fresh scent of pine and smiled. Alone at last, she felt as though the beautiful day had been crafted exclusively for her enjoyment.

Suddenly, an enormous grizzly bear appeared from behind a cluster of trees below her. Terrified, she searched for an escape route, but there was no room on the narrow trail to maneuver around the animal. Seized by panic, she stopped dead in her tracks, inadvertently sending a spray of snow over the bear's back and alerting it to her presence. The bear swung its massive head around and its eyes narrowed in on her. Without warning, it charged, grunting heavily with the effort. Jill had no choice. Her only chance was to outrun it. She pointed her skis towards the trees and took off.

Though she was a good skier, the bear was fast. She felt her legs burning as she twisted and hopped from side to side, dodging the pines. She was fatiguing quickly and the bear was gaining ground. She could hear its heavy breath behind her getting closer and closer and she couldn't resist taking a quick glance back at her attacker. It was there that she made her fatal mistake. She turned back around just in time to see the rock protruding from the snow beneath her. She went flying forward and landed face first in the snow. Wiping the blood from her forehead, she flipped herself over only to find herself staring into the muzzle of the beast. She closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable, the bear's rhythmic huffing ringing in her ears...

Jill's eyes flew open and she sat up with a start, her heart pounding in her chest. In the half-light of morning, it took her a few seconds to remember where she was. _It was just a dream!_ she sighed in relief. She was accustomed to the occasional nightmare, but this one had seemed more real than most. Even now, she could still hear the bear's grunts in her mind... or wait a minute... was it in her mind? Frantically, her eyes searched the perimeter of the tent before landing on the sleeping figure next to her. _Andrew!_ She had forgotten about her unexpected roommate. Now she realized that as she slept, her brain must have conjured up the bear in response to his animalistic snoring.

_Ha!_ she thought smugly. _The man does have a flaw (other than being a cocky bastard of course)._ She couldn't wait to use this new info as leverage. Hearing activity outside the tent, she smacked him in the face with her pillow.

"Hey! What the hell?" he asked, groggily rubbing his cheek and propping himself up. "I thought you were working on becoming a nicer person!"

"You started it," Jill replied haughtily. "You woke me up with your snoring! I was just returning the favor. Besides, I think we're the last ones up."

Just as she said it, the tent zipper shot up and a smiling, weathered face appeared in the doorway. Juan was holding two large steaming mugs, which he extended towards them. Eager for her morning caffeine fix, Jill readily took them from his hands and passed one over to Andrew.

"Hey, this isn't coffee!" she heard Andrew complain from beside her.

She peered into the mug skeptically as Andrew did the same. The brew looked to be a mixture of hot water and whole green leaves. Tea filter absent, the leaves simply floated unappetizingly on the water's surface.

"What is it?" Andrew asked, wrinkling his nose.

"It is Coca tea, for the altitude. We will be climbing very high today. Enjoy!" Juan said cheerily before moving onto the next tent.

"You know, I read about this stuff," Andrew said, turning to Jill. "It's made of the leaves of the coca plant; the same plant they make cocaine from."

"Will I get high?" Jill asked; her eyes wide with concern.

"Nah, I don't think so. You'd have to drink _a lot_ for that to happen. If you're planning on taking a drug test anytime soon you might want to pass though."

Jill laughed. "I should be ok; my Olympic trials aren't until next year." She paused. "Well... should we do this?"

Both she and Andrew again looked dubiously down at the tea.

"Ladies first," Andrew said, sweeping his hand towards her.

"Always the gentleman," she retorted, "but I insist. You may have the honour."

"I tell you what. I'll drink it if you will. On the count of three. Ready?"

Grimacing, she nodded.

"One, two, three!" As he finished the countdown, they both took a tentative sip.

"Hey, that's not so bad!" Andrew exclaimed, taking a larger swig.

It really wasn't. In fact, it was actually quite refreshing. The brew had a light, sweet taste, with none of the bitterness of traditional English tea. "I just might have to make teatime a regular part of my day," Jill said, adopting a high-pitched, British accent.

"Oh is that so?" Andrew replied, donning a British accent of his own, and pointing his pinky finger up in the air for good measure. "Well good luck getting it across the border," he continued in character, "I don't image a US customs agent will allow you through with a baggie of cocaine leaves. Too much fun to strip search you." At the last sentence, he dropped the accent and finished instead with a seductive tone; sending her one of his wolfish grins.

Jill was once again angry at the betrayal of her own body as she felt herself blushing. "You are just too much!" she cried throwing her hands in the air. "Every time I think that we might actually be becoming friends, you have to say something to make me uncomfortable and ruin the moment!"

"Oh Jill," he soothed. "I'm just having a little fun with you. You're so cute when you're mad. You know I'm just messing with you."

With that, he leaned towards her and tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. Letting his hand linger on her cheek, he stared into her eyes. Jill felt her blush deepen, and her breath caught in her throat. _Oh my God! He's going to kiss me!_ She knew that she should stop him, but at the same time, he was just so gorgeous, and he smelled so good. His cologne, an enticing combination of cedarwood, citrus, and spice, overwhelmed her senses. Despite her resolve, she felt herself leaning in towards him. He too leaned closer still, his eyes still locked on hers; their noses almost touching. Then, with the hand that gently cupped her face, he lightly brushed his thumb across her cheek.

"There, got it!" he declared, straightening up and grinning from ear to ear. He held his index finger up for her, which now had an eyelash delicately balanced on its tip. "Make a wish!" he instructed.

Jill was internally fuming. She wasn't mad at Andrew (although she suspected he knew perfectly well what effect he had on her); she was mad at herself; because, for a second there, she had wanted him to kiss her. _What is wrong with you_ _Jill?_ she scolded herself. _You are not going to fall for a guy like Andrew. He's arrogant, and mean_ ( _and hot,_ her subconscious butted in) _and you don't even like him. He's a Gemini for God's sake. Pull it together!_

Still, as she pondered her wish, there was an instinctive part of her that knew _exactly_ what to wish for. Decidedly ignoring it, she merely hoped for a week's worth of good weather before she blew the lash from its perch.

"Ok!" Andrew declared, clapping his hands together. "Big day today! Time to get packed up!"

As she rolled up her sleeping bag, Jill vowed to herself that she would keep a safer distance from Andrew Caldwell from that point on.

* * *

Three hours into the hike, Jill understood why the second day of the Inca Trail was considered to be the most difficult. Despite the fact that they had already been trudging uphill all day, a steep stone staircase stretched endlessly before her. She felt like crying just thinking about how far she still had left to climb. "I thought that the Incas were a small people," she whined to Andrew. "These stairs look like they were made for giants!" Though much of the staircase had been rebuilt over time, some of the steps were still the originals crafted by the Incas over 700 years ago. Many of them reached all the way to Jill's knees.

"Aww, toughen up Sport," Andrew responded. "I read that the average Incan woman was only 4'9". I'm sure that if they could do it, you can do it."

"That's easy for you to say!" Jill exclaimed, "You're probably 6 feet tall!"

"6'1" to be exact," he corrected.

Jill looked longingly at his walking stick. Though most tour companies hired porters to carry the tourist's backpacks along with the camp gear, she and Andrew had chosen one of the few that required them to carry their own. She imagined that the walking stick would redistribute some of the pack's weight, thereby making it easier to complete the large steps.

Correctly interpreting her gaze, Andrew vehemently shook his head. "Oh no! I don't think so. You didn't want one, remember?"

"Please... can't I just use if for a little while?" Jill pleaded.

"Nope. You mocked the stick and unfortunately, now you must suffer the consequences. See you at the top!"

Grinning as usual, Andrew turned and disappeared into the mist. They had now passed the tree line and were quite literally ascending into the clouds. The gloomy day, combined with the fog, made it impossible to see more than a hundred yards ahead.

Behind him, Jill trudged on. Panting with effort, she was overcome with relief when she finally spotted the sign announcing an altitude of "4215m". Known as "Dead Woman's Pass", it was the highest point on the trail; and though it meant that she had only covered about half of the day's distance, it also signalled that the rest would be downhill. As she looked around for a place to rest, she spotted Andrew sitting a few feet away, patiently waiting for her. He looked relaxed and refreshed, as though he had been there for hours. She, on the other hand, was still struggling to catch her breath. She flung her backpack to the ground and plunked herself down beside him.

"How's it going?" he asked casually, amusement in his eyes.

"How does it _look_ like it's going?" she replied tersely between ragged breaths.

As if to prove her point, just then a group of men in their late fifties passed by them, talking and laughing easily amongst themselves. "Ugh... even the senior citizens are in better shape than I am!" she moaned.

"Don't be so hard on yourself," Andrew laughed. "They don't have packs. And _you_ my dear; are carrying the largest backpack I've ever seen. You must have at least an extra thirty pounds there!"

Jill examined her bag. It was true. Hers was almost twice the size of Andrew's. She hadn't considered the repercussions of her tendency to over pack.

"I'll tell you what," Andrew proposed. "Let's switch for the rest of the day."

"No, it's ok... I don't need your help," she protested, remembering the promise she had made to herself that morning.

"Look, just for today. You can have yours back tomorrow... but today, you're already exhausted. I'm a lot bigger than you. I'll hardly notice the difference."

Jill eyed him suspiciously. "Why are you offering?"

In response, Andrew rolled his eyes and shook his head in exasperation. "Because, believe it or not, despite your sad lack of social skills, I enjoy your company; and you won't be able to keep up to me lugging that thing around." Putting a hand on her shoulder, he assumed a gentler tone. "Seriously, I'm offering as a friend."

Feeling a little sheepish, Jill looked at the ground. "Fine," she mumbled.

"What's that? I didn't quite hear you."

"I said fine... thank-you for offering." Though her tone suggested that she was anything but grateful, she couldn't quite suppress a smile. Seeing the smirk on Andrew's face, she took a final swig from her water bottle and punched him lightly in the arm. "Yes, you win. Now let's go!"

For the next few miles, they walked along in amiable silence. Though she would never admit it to him, she was extremely thankful for his gesture. Carrying the smaller pack made a remarkable difference. Rather than focusing on the physical difficulty of the hike, she was able to appreciate the previously overlooked scenery.

After descending one particularly steep pass, Andrew broke the silence. "You know, all these stairs remind me of my first year of university."

"Oh? How so?"

"A cute girl in my dorm asked if I would go running with her in the mornings. I wanted to impress her, so I said yes. Her route included "sets" on this huge staircase. I ran those stairs everyday like an idiot for a full month before she let it slip that she had already had a boyfriend."

Jill smiled. "And you wouldn't have gone running otherwise? Come on, I'm not trying to flatter you or anything, but you obviously work out."

"I like my punishment in a much milder form. I do a lot of hiking, and I go for a bike ride now and again. My favourite is inline skating though."

Jill burst out laughing as she imagined him in elbow pads and wrist guards. "Rollerblading! That's like the dorkiest sport ever! Do you wear all of the equipment?"

"I do," he responded coolly. "I've learned the hard way that it's better to protect your noggin' than to look good. Besides, I don't care what people think. It's fun and my Lady loves it."

Jill felt an involuntary surge of disappointment. He wasn't wearing a ring, so she had assumed that he wasn't married, but it occurred to her now that he could have left it at home for safekeeping. She knew that she shouldn't care, but she just couldn't help herself. Trying to keep any hint of emotion out of her voice, nonchalantly, she asked, "Your lady? Are you married then?"

In response, Andrew raised an eyebrow at her and chuckled. "No! "Lady" is my cocker spaniel; named after the one in "Lady and the Tramp". I like to rollerblade with her because it gives her a chance to run." He paused and looked at Jill quizzically. "You weren't jealous for a second there, were you?"

"Of course not!" she replied a little too quickly. "Just curious. I thought that it was odd that you would come on a holiday without your girlfriend or wife, that's all."

Andrew looked unconvinced, but he mercifully let it rest and took up their earlier topic of conversation. "So what's the craziest thing that you've ever done to impress a guy?"

Jill thought it over. There were a lot of antics to choose from. Suddenly she grinned widely, "I read all three books of "The Lord of the Rings"."

Andrew frowned. "How is that crazy? Why would you even think that would impress someone?"

"I met a graphic artist who was really into fantasy, so I pretended that I liked it too. He invited me over for a Lord of the Rings movie marathon, and said that he loved picking out the differences between the books and the movies. I was too embarrassed to tell him that I hadn't actually read the books, so I read them all in four days. I had to pull an all-nighter to get through the last one before our date!"

Andrew looked at her pityingly. "I don't know what's more sad in this story... That you felt the need to go to those lengths, or that you did it for a sci-fi nerd elitist!"

Jill punched him in the shoulder; hard. "I didn't make fun of your story!"

"Mine wasn't nearly as pathetic!" Andrew teased, rubbing his arm. "At least they're good books, I guess."

Jill merely stared back at him blankly.

"What! You didn't like "Lord of the Rings"? _Everyone_ likes those books. _I_ liked those books and I hate fantasy!"

"Are you kidding me?" Jill argued. "With all the long, boring descriptions? Come on... just get on with the story already!"

"I'm guessing that the date didn't go well then."

"I was so tired from my all-nighter that I fell asleep before the end of the first movie. He never called again," Jill recounted, cringing at the memory.

"Probably a good thing," Andrew soothed. "He probably would have made you dress up as an elf in the bedroom."

Jill shuddered at the thought. "You may be right," she giggled.

"I'm definitely right," he revised grimly.

Just as they both burst out laughing, the camp came into view and their laughter turned to whoops of joy. Jill's legs ached, and as much as she was enjoying their conversation, she needed to sit down; badly. With one last spurt of energy, they skipped down the final few steps of the day.

# Chapter Sixteen

Jill surveyed the camp and saw a bustle of activity. Again, the porters had climbed ahead of the group and somehow managed to set up the tents and start dinner before their arrival. Earlier in the day, Jill had reassured their guide that she and Andrew would be happy to share a tent for the remainder of the trip, and now, feeling the cool chill in the air, she was glad that she had. They were camped at a much higher elevation than the night before, and the difference in temperature was noticeable. Not only would the porters be warmer within a fully enclosed structure, but she and Andrew would be a little warmer too; two bodies produced more heat than one.

After Juan informed them that they had about an hour before the meal would be ready, Jill gratefully dropped off Andrew's pack at their tent and then went to find a sunny spot where she could write in her journal. Spying a large rock that she could lean her back against, she made her way over and groaned with satisfaction as she sank to the ground. She looked around. For once, Andrew was nowhere to be seen. She guessed that he had gone for a nap. _At last some peace and quiet_ , she thought as she opened to a clean page.

She started by mentally making a list of the most interesting sights of the day. _Dead Woman's Pass, obviously,_ she thought, _and_ ... ? She racked her brain but nothing came. Instead of the scenery, she found herself remembering little moments with Andrew; the way his nose had wrinkled up at the coca tea; his smug grin as he had waited for her at the pass, the crinkles that appeared in the corners of his eyes when he laughed at her stories... _Oh no!_ she thought. It was happening... she was _falling_ for Andrew Caldwell.

_Of course you're not!_ she protested. _You've just spent a lot of time with him lately, and it's been so long since you've enjoyed a guy's company..._ Yes, of course. That must be it. No one could deny that Andrew was attractive; she couldn't _help_ but notice- it would be unnatural not to! _Lust, not love_ , she told herself firmly. _Easy to ignore_. Andrew Caldwell was not boyfriend material and she didn't want to complicate the rest of her trip with unproductive emotions. She vowed again to keep him at more of a distance.

With difficulty, she managed to jot down a few more memories. She noted the taste of the coca tea, the difficulty she had experienced climbing the great steps, and the thick fog at the top of the pass. She did _not_ mention Andrew.

* * *

By the time that dinner was ready, dusk had already fallen and the temperature had dropped by another few degrees. Jill zipped up her windbreaker and tucked her hands into her sleeves, but still, she was cold. She rushed through her meal, planning to climb into her warm sleeping bag as soon as possible. Unfortunately, Juan had a different plan.

"Cards?" he asked of the faces seated at the table. To Jill's disappointment, all around her, heads nodded. In fact, of the twelve people in their tour group, other than herself, the only ones who declined were the young amorous couple. Even now, Jill noticed the boy slip his hand in between the girl's thighs while she stroked the back of his neck. Clearly, they had plans of their own.

"Awww....Come on Jill, it'll be fun," Andrew coaxed. "I bet we'll get to learn a new game."

Juan chimed in, "Ah yes... I know a Spanish game. I will teach you. It is very fun!"

The peer pressure worked. Jill sat back down on the bench and sighed. "Alright, deal me in."

Juan hadn't lied. The game was fun. At first, the rules seemed complicated; involving trump cards and tricks, but it didn't take long before everyone caught on. Because they were such a large group, they played in teams. Jill was paired with Roger, a charming older gentleman with a British accent and silver hair; while Andrew was paired with a spunky red-headed senior named Shirley. Jill smiled as she noted that every time Andrew played a good card, Shirley took the opportunity to pat him on the knee, muss his hair, or rub his back. _I should take notes,_ she mused.

Although Jill was somewhat enjoying herself, she was still cold and it was a long game. She was glad that her partner couldn't read her thoughts because as it were, she was secretly hoping they would be eliminated so that she could put an end to her icy misery. Unfortunately, it was not to be so. Three hours later, all the other vanquished players warm in their respective beds, she and Roger faced off with the final remaining team; Andrew and his red-headed temptress. Jill rubbed her fingers and blew on them, trying to restore her circulation as the final hand was dealt. By now she had started to shiver and was having a hard time concentrating on the play. As such, she barely even noticed when Andrew turned over the winning card.

"Woo-hoo! We win! Great teamwork Shirley!" he exclaimed, high-fiving his partner.

Next, he turned to Roger and Jill. "Good game guys. Well done." He shook Roger's hand and then extended the same gesture to Jill. When he took her hand; however, he suddenly looked alarmed.

"Jesus Christ, Jill. Your hands are freezing! Are you ok?" Instead of letting go, he pulled her in and examined her closely. As though in response, an involuntary shiver racked her body. "What the hell? You're practically hypothermic!" he cried.

He turned back to Roger and Shirley. "Thanks for the game guys, but looks like it's time for bed." With that, he put his arm around Jill's shoulders and ushered her into their tent.

By the time Andrew undid the zipper on the door, Jill already had her shoes off, and he quickly helped her into her sleeping bag. Even though she clutched the fabric tightly around her chin, she continued to shake. Andrew took in her condition and sighed. "Alright move over," he instructed commandingly as he peeled off his shirt.

"Wha, wha, what are you doing?" Jill stammered between tremors.

"Warming you up." He crouched low beside her and reached for the sleeping bag.

She opened her mouth to protest, but he cut her off.

"No arguments. You can barely get a sentence out!"

Just then, another forceful shudder shot through Jill's body, and she grudgingly moved over to let him in. He helped her to take her jacket off, leaving her in a t-shirt, and slid in beside her. After instructing her to turn onto her side, he pressed his own body flat against hers, wrapping his arms tightly around her; and they lay in silence waiting for the shivering to subside.

As she warmed up, Jill thoughts began to clear, and she became more and more aware of Andrew's presence. His breath tickled the back of her neck and his heavenly woodsy scent surrounded her. Even through her t-shirt, she could feel the tight muscles of his arms and chest, and she couldn't help but envision what he must look like back there without his shirt on. _So much for keeping a safe distance_ , she thought wryly before reluctantly putting an end to their impromptu cuddle session.

"Ok, I think I'm better now," she said, gently pulling away from him.

His grip relaxed and he climbed out of the sleeping bag. She couldn't help but steal one last peek as he put his shirt back on.

"Man, you had me worried for a second there," he said, shaking his head.

Jill was a little embarrassed. "I'm ok... Now we should both probably get some sleep. "

Unfortunately, Andrew wasn't ready to let it go that easily. "What I don't understand, is that if you knew you were getting cold, why you didn't come and put on some extra clothes!"

Jill felt even more sheepish. "I didn't have anything warmer to put on," she mumbled, looking down at her toes.

Andrew looked incredulously at the bulging backpack that sat beside them. "What the hell is in that thing then!?" he exclaimed.

Thankfully it was dark enough that for once he wouldn't be able to see the red flush creeping across her face. "I packed for Brazil ok!? I'll be spending two weeks there, where it's _hot_. That's what I packed for. This was just a small stop along the way, and I didn't realize how much colder it would be!"

"You mean to tell me," Andrew said, his amusement becoming more evident with every word, "That you are carrying 30 pounds of bikinis!"

"Not just bikinis! Pyjamas, and underwear, and shoes, and books!"

"But not one sweater?" Andrew was genuinely chuckling now.

"No," Jill admitted quietly.

Andrew fumbled in his own bag and then tossed something into her lap. She picked it up. It felt like a mangy cat. She looked at him questioningly.

"A gift. From me to you. It's a sweater made from Alpaca's wool; extremely warm. I don't need it, I've got two."

Jill was touched. "Really? You don't mind?"

"No. Just don't scare me like that again, got it?"

"Got it... Andrew?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

# Chapter Seventeen

It was another early morning. Andrew had already gotten up and left to use the facilities, so Jill had a moment of privacy. She pondered what to wear for the day, and settled on simple cargo pants and a soft, baby blue t-shirt. Crawling out of the sleeping bag to change, goosebumps quickly covered her arms as the chill of the crisp morning air hit the exposed skin. She picked up her windbreaker, felt the flimsy material in her hands, sighed and set it back down. She then picked up the fuzzy grey heap that lay at her feet. She slipped the alpaca sweater over her head, looked down, and smiled. It was at least three sizes too big for her, and the faint scent of Andrew's cologne clung to the fabric. Whether she was interested in him or not, she couldn't help but feel like she was wearing her boyfriend's shirt after an overnight stay. It made her a little giddy.

She packed up her stuff, made her way over to the kitchen tent where Andrew was already eating breakfast, and sat down next to him.

"Well don't you look lovely today!" he complimented her jokingly, taking in the sweater.

"It's way too big," Jill said self-consciously, "but it's really warm. Thank-you."

"No problem." He adopted the tone and hand gestures of a teenage girl. "It looks way better on you than it does on me anyway."

Jill laughed. This was the Andrew she was used to.

A few minutes later, Juan came up to the table and clapped his hands. "Alright, we are ready to go?"

"Si!" they answered together.

Juan proceeded with instructions. "You may walk at your own pace today, but we will meet at Runkuracay for food and a tour."

Jill frowned. "If we're ahead of you, how will we know when we've arrived?"

"They are special ruins. A round building. You cannot miss it." Juan reassured her.

"Ok," Jill said, nodding as both she and Andrew got up from the table.

Andrew automatically moved to pick up her backpack.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" she asked, blocking his path.

"Come on Jill. It's not a big deal. You can carry mine. It's way lighter; especially now that you're wearing half of its contents."

"No. That was not the agreement. Today is mostly downhill. I'll be fine. I know that I haven't done a very good job of proving it so far, but I _am_ capable of taking care of myself." Her mouth was set in a grim line of determination and Andrew seemed to sense that she wouldn't be swayed.

"Fine, but you take the walking stick today."

"No, I don't want it. You bought it so that you could use it."

"Come on Jill. You'll be doing me a favor. I'm getting tired of carrying that thing around."

"Ha! I'm not falling for that one."

"Well I'm not using it. If you don't take it, it will just stay right here." He propped the stick up against a tree.

"Fine," she said, crossing her arms.

"Fine," he mirrored her.

They both started walking, leaving the stick in its resting spot.

Two minutes later, Juan caught up to them, panting. "You forgot this," he said, holding out the object of controversy. "You must take it. We cannot leave anything on the trail."

Andrew didn't even acknowledge the comment and simply walked on, leaving a confused Juan staring at his back. Jill groaned and grabbed the stick out of the apologetic guide's hands. _Argh! He always wins!_ Instead of racing to catch up, she let herself fall behind a few more paces so that she wouldn't have to see the smug look on Andrew's face.

She walked on her own for some time, but as usual, the beauty of the scenery and the exertion of the hike soon put her in a better mood and she found herself longing for some company to share it with. She even felt like she might be ready to admit that Andrew was right about the walking stick. Most of the day's hike so far had been a steep descent; and though the previous day's climb had been a cardiovascular challenge, today it was her muscles that were complaining. Her quads ached each time that she had to catch her weight going down one of the large stone steps. She couldn't imagine how hard it would be without the stick to support some of the load. She looked down at Andrew, who by now was a good hundred yards ahead of her, and picked up her pace in order to close the gap between them.

Strangely enough though, no matter how quickly she walked, she couldn't quite seem to catch up. Was it her imagination, or had Andrew sped up as well? Was he actually mad at her? The thought occurred to her that he was perhaps enjoying his time alone and didn't _want_ to talk to her. Rather than deter her, the possibility added to her resolve. She didn't know why, but she couldn't stand to think that he might not want her company. She needed to apologize for her stubbornness and straighten things out; she picked up her pace yet again.

Sure enough, without saying a word, Andrew matched her speed and firmly remained about ten yards ahead of her. Jill began to really worry now. It wasn't like him to hold a grudge. She sprinted a few steps, but under the heavy weight of the backpack, only managed to gain a few more yards. When Andrew heard the rattle; however, he turned his head ever so slightly towards her. Instead of seeing the anger she had been expecting, Jill glimpsed a large grin. She suddenly understood- he wasn't upset; they were racing!

She lengthened her strides. Of course, Andrew did the same, but she was now close enough to be able to hear his heavy breathing. _He might have height on his side, but I have endurance_ , she thought. Although she was sweating, her own breathing remained even. She pushed herself even harder and with a few quick steps, overtook him. No match for Andrew's long strides though, it wasn't long before she was once again staring at his backside. _Not a bad view,_ her sub-conscious whispered. She managed to pull ahead one more time, but she was tiring fast. She was just about to admit defeat when they rounded a corner and a distinctive circular stone structure came into view. She stole a glance back at Andrew and knew that he had seen it too. It was wordlessly understood that this was the finish line. Simultaneously, they both broke into a full-out run.

Andrew was initially much faster of course. This didn't surprise Jill, since he was taller and carrying less weight. He had already used most of his stores though, and halfway to the ruins he had to slow to catch his breath. Jill saw her chance. Tapping into unknown reserves, she blew by. She didn't dare look back as she heard his footsteps closing in from behind. _Just about there..._ As she reached towards the wall with an outstretched hand, she was suddenly yanked backwards off of her feet.

"I win!" Andrew declared; laughing as his own hand hit the wall.

"You cheated and you know it!" she shouted, but she was laughing too.

Jill was so exhausted that she didn't even bother to take her backpack off. Instead, she sank to the ground and reached for her water bottle, leaning back on the bag for support. Recovering quickly, she looked over to find that she was much better off than her counterpart.

Andrew was still doubled over with his hands on his knees, struggling to catch his breath. Just when Jill thought she might need to offer his some water, he stood up, wiped his brow and made his way over to her.

"You're pretty quick for such a small thing," he said smiling.

She held out the water bottle and he gratefully took it from her hands, spraying water in both his mouth and on his face. Jill watched him, amused.

"Not so much quick, as fit," Jill corrected him. "Those aerobics classes really pay off."

Andrew started laughing. "People still do that? My mom used to go to aerobics back in the 80's. Sometimes, she'd do the routines at home in the living room. It was soooo embarrassing! Oh, please tell me that you wear the 80's leotard too!"

"Sorry to disappoint, but nowadays yoga pants are the standard of all women's fitness."

Andrew cocked his head to one side and blatantly checked out her butt. "I don't know why you would think that would disappoint. The only disappointment is that you haven't busted them out on this trip yet."

Jill punched him in the shoulder, but it was more of a playful gesture than a debilitating blow.

"Owww!" he said, rubbing his arm. "You really need to stop that!"

"I barely touched you!" she laughed. "Come on. It looks like most of the group is here. Let's have a look around before lunch."

Although the building was small, Jill couldn't help but marvel at the manpower it must have taken to build it, stone by stone. The structure consisted of two concentric circles, one set inside the other, so that the outer circle formed space for bedrooms, and the inner circle formed a larger courtyard. Windows carved all along the outer wall allowed the occupants a glorious view of the mountains surrounding the site. Juan explained to them that the building would have served as a "tambo"; a resting place for weary travellers. Jill tried to picture it with the original thatched roof and realized that she would have been too tall to stand in it. Again, she wondered at the size of the stairs these small people had carved for themselves. "Just nuts," she said quietly, shaking her head.

"Are you talking to yourself over there?" Andrew asked, moving to stand next to her.

"I was just marvelling at how much work it must have taken to build everything we've seen so far," Jill explained.

"I know," Andrew agreed. "What's even more amazing to me is the amount of patience it would have taken. I mean, they didn't have machines. It would have taken years, if not decades to build. I can't even wait two minutes for a large file to download!"

"Instant gratification," Jill said shaking her head. "You watch. It'll be the downfall of modern society."

Andrew laughed and then took one last look around. "What do you think? Should we hit the road?"

Jill sighed, thinking about all of the steps that still awaited her. "Yeah, I guess so."

"You know, we could still switch backpacks again..."

"No, I'm fine," she said stubbornly.

"Alright, but if you change your mind...."

"I won't."

With that, she set off at a quick pace leaving Andrew scrambling to catch up.

* * *

As they continued making their slow but steady descent, Jill noticed that the temperature was changing. In fact, it was getting quite warm and the thick alpaca wool soon became unbearable. "Hold up!" she called over to Andrew. "I need to lose some clothing."

"You're telling me!" Andrew joked; but as Jill removed the bulky sweater, she saw that he too took the opportunity to remove a layer.

She was then faced with a new problem. She contemplated her backpack, trying to decide which pocket would be the most likely to hold the article without a resulting explosion.

"Give me that thing!" Andrew said, impatiently grabbing the sweater from her hands and stuffing it into his own pack.

"Hey, I thought that was a gift!" she complained.

"It was. Relax, I'll give it back... I'd just rather carry one sweater than the entire contents of your bag when the zipper goes."

"Well, when you put it that way..." Jill giggled.

They resumed their hike. As they went down, not only did it get warmer, but the landscape changed as well. Jill marveled than within the span of fifteen minutes they had gone from rocky terrain and sparse, low-lying vegetation to a tropical rainforest. The ground was now carpeted with lush green ferns, and thick moss hung from the branches of large trees arching over the trail. Jill even caught sight of a hummingbird zipping from flower to flower.

They again proved to be among the fastest hikers of their group and it didn't take long before they were well ahead of Juan. Coming to a large ruin, they debated whether or not to wait for him to explain its significance.

"Well, let's at least sit down and take a break," Andrew proposed.

"Sure, why not," Jill agreed.

They both unpacked the granola bars that they had been provided with and looked around as they snacked. They seemed to be sitting at the bottom of a large terraced garden. Jill looked up to the top level. "I wonder if there's anything up there," she said.

"We're waiting anyway," Andrew replied. "Why don't we climb up and find out?"

"Sure, but I'm leaving my backpack here. We'll be coming back down anyway."

"Good idea."

They both shrugged off the heavy backpacks and started climbing. They had just made it up the first set of stairs when Juan came around the corner.

"What are you doing?" he called up to them accusingly.

"Oh, we thought that we'd explore the ruins!" Jill called back down cheerily; unaware that they were doing anything wrong.

Juan shook his head, his face stern. "There is a red snake. If it bites you, you will certainly die."

Jill looked at Andrew in alarm, who responded by quickly scanning the ground for signs of life. They both scrambled back down.

"Are there really snakes on the trail?" Jill asked Juan as she put her pack back on. Juan merely smiled and walked on ahead of them. _So much for an explanation of the ruins,_ Jill thought.

"Do you think that he was telling the truth?" she whispered to Andrew incredulously.

Andrew looked back at the structure with longing. It was clear that his sense of adventure had been thwarted. "I don't know. I didn't read anything about snakes. Maybe they just don't want traffic on the ruins."

Jill looked back at the gardens too. "I'd rather not risk it. It does seem like we're in more of a tropical climate."

"I guess so," Andrew agreed, and they both pressed on.

They soon came to the day's biggest challenge; a final descent of over two thousand stairs. They had to walk much more slowly as a single misstep could send them tumbling quite a ways, so they let Juan set the pace and followed closely behind. Suddenly, Juan motioned for them to stop and pointed at something on the stairs below.

"Is it a snake?" Andrew asked Jill, who was in the lead and had a better vantage point.

"No," she replied uncertainly. "It's something black and if I didn't know better I'd almost say it was a..."

"TARANTULA!" Andrew finished for her in horror.

Hearing Andrew's panic, Juan turned around and calmly explained, "It will not hurt you unless you bother it. We will just quietly go around." Juan demonstrated his own advice and then patiently waited for them a few steps below.

"It's kind of cool," Jill said, bending down for a better look. She pulled out her camera and zoomed in as close as she dared.

"What are you doing?" Andrew hissed.

Absorbed in her task, Jill missed the note of terror in his voice. "Just taking a few pictures. You heard Juan. It won't bug us if we don't bug it." She looked down at the screen of her camera. "Darn! It's hard to capture the scale on film. Alright, I guess we should keep moving." She looked back at Andrew and was shocked to find him frozen, his hands clenched at his sides, staring fixedly at the spider.

"Oh no, don't tell me... arachnophobia?" Jill asked.

His only response was a tiny nod of his head.

"Well, the sooner we go around it, the less you'll have to look at it," Jill offered helpfully.

"I can't," Andrew said, still frozen; as though any movement might cause the spider to suddenly jump at him.

Jill moved back up a few steps. "Oh boy; why do I get the sense that I've just discovered Superman's Kryptonite?" she mused. "Common, Andrew. You can do it. You're hundreds of times bigger than that thing."

Again, he shook his head.

Jill had an idea. Giving herself a healthy distance from the spider, she extended the walking stick and gently moved its end towards the creature. Fortunately, she didn't even have to nudge it. Upon seeing the approaching hazard, the tarantula quickly scampered off of the trail and into the bushes.

"There. No spider. Now, let's get going before it comes back."

Andrew let out a loud sigh of relief and quickly moved down the steps to catch up with Juan. Jill rolled her eyes and followed. They walked the remainder of the stairs in silence. Though she couldn't see him, she was sure that Andrew was scanning the trail for more tarantulas, and she was busy watching for red snakes. By the time they made it down the last step and started walking towards the tents, her legs felt like jello and she was more than ready for a break.

# Chapter Eighteen

The highlight of Day Three for Jill turned out not to be the magnificent ruins, or the beautiful foliage, or even the tarantula sighting; it was instead the opportunity to have (for a small fee) a hot shower after dinner. Though their own tour group wouldn't be staying in it, a small hostel near the campsite boasted bathroom facilities and a convenience store. The line-up had been extremely long, but as Jill washed off three days' worth of sweat and grime, there was no question that it had been worth it.

As was to be expected, the wait for the women's showers had been much longer than that for the men's; and Andrew had smugly walked in and out of the hostel in the same time that it took Jill to bump up four spots in line. At the time, she had been irritated, but now, invigorated by the smell of soap and shampoo, she held no grudges. She was smiling as she walked up to the picnic table where he, Roger, and Shirley sat, already playing cards.

"It took you long enough!" Andrew exclaimed as she sat down.

"Well, that's just the price you pay for beauty," she responded loftily, motioning to be dealt in.

"Just so you know... I put the extra time to good use," he said, smiling broadly and fishing for something at his feet. "Look what I got!" he announced triumphantly, brandishing an oversized bottle of cheap, South American red wine.

"Oh my God! Where did you get that?" Jill asked in amazement. She had never considered herself a wino, but it really _had_ been awhile since her last girls' night.

"The hostel's convenience store had it. Not a very quality vintage," he mused, "but I imagine it'll hit the spot. El vino, mis amigos?" he asked of the small assembled group.

Shirley blushed a little, as if scandalized by the very proposal. "Oh no dear...we're Mormons. But you go ahead and enjoy."

Jill was surprised by the information. "But I thought Mormons weren't allowed to play cards?" she asked.

Shirley laughed. "Well... we're not the strictest of Mormons. We follow the rules we see the purpose of. Alcohol can lead to bad decisions, so we abstain. Cards on the other hand, unless you're about to gamble your house away, are just plain fun!"

Andrew looked at Jill and shrugged. "You heard the woman... I guess we've got a lot of drinking to do. Might as well get started."

She was just about to ask what they were supposed to drink out of when Andrew also produced two large red cups.

"Classy!" she laughed.

After filling both cups nearly to the brim, he passed one over to her and held up the other. "A toast!" he declared. "To new friends!"

"To new friends!" the other three repeated. They all clinked plastic together; Andrew and Jill with their wine cups, and Shirley and Roger with their water bottles.

Looking around at the cheerful faces, Jill realized that she was the most relaxed that she had been in a long time, and she found herself considering Andrew in a new light. She couldn't help but marvel at his ability to bring people together and put them at ease; she attributed the skill to his easy confidence and charm. It was likely these same qualities that made him a good choice for project manager, particularly one who headed up operations in a foreign country. She speculated that his looks probably didn't hurt either. Tonight he looked extra cute. His hair was still a little damp from the shower and even more tousled than usual, and he was wearing a soft long-sleeved t-shirt that hugged him just enough to give a faint hint at the physique beneath it. Jill felt the warmth of the wine creeping into her cheeks and thought back to Shirley's words, _"Alcohol can lead to bad decisions." Hmmm..._ she thought, picturing her face buried in his strong chest. _Maybe I should abstain as well._

They played cards for quite a while; using a propane lantern to light the table long after the sun had set. With only the four of them playing, they had a lot more games to choose from than the previous night. After Jill and Andrew took turns coming in last in both Crazy Eights and Rummy, they decided they might have more luck teaming up for a game of whist. They were wrong. Shirley and Roger made light work of them, racking up the winning five points in only three hands. Jill wondered if the older two were winning due to better luck, more experience, or the now nearly empty wine bottle that sat between her and Andrew. Probably the latter.

She was about to propose another game, when Shirley abruptly looked down at her watch and exclaimed, "Oh my! Look at how late it is! If we're going to make Machu Picchu by sunrise, Roger and I had better head to bed. We're not spring chickens anymore!"

Roger, always the quieter of the two, simply nodded his agreement and they both got up in unison and disappeared into the darkness, leaving Jill and Andrew alone at the table.

Jill giggled. "I think Shirley realized that we were no longer worthy opponents."

"I'm not sure that we were ever worthy opponents," Andrew retorted, picking up the bottle of wine. "What do you think?" he asked, sloshing around its contents. "We might as well finish it off."

"Why not?" Jill giggled. "I'd hate for it to go to waste."

Alternating between their two cups, Andrew poured until the last few drops trickled from the bottle. Surprisingly, he managed to fill the cups almost halfway, making for a total of almost four full glasses each. Jill counted them up in her head and marveled at the large bottle's capacity.

They took their first sip in silence as Jill struggled to find something to say. Although she had spent nearly every waking moment with this man for the past three days, like the unexpected climate change as they had descended the mountain, the atmosphere between the two of them had somehow shifted as well. Inexplicably, she suddenly found herself nervous.

It was Andrew who broke the silence first. "You know," he said, "I wanted to thank you for not making fun of me when I froze in front of that tarantula today."

Jill smiled, "Well, I thought you might be a little embarrassed about it; although, come to think of it, that never seems to stop you from making fun of any of my shortcomings."

Andrew grinned in return. "Well, none of your quirks seem nearly as shameful as a grown man afraid of spiders."

Jill lifted an eyebrow, "I have to admit; it is a bit unusual. Were you bitten or something?"

"No. It's stupid really... do you remember that movie Arachnophobia?"

"I've heard of it, but I haven't actually seen it. I think I was just little when it came out."

"You were. I was nine, so you were probably five. Well, one of my buddies saw it and wouldn't stop talking about it. So when my parents brought it home on rental I begged them to let me watch it with them."

"And they let you?" Jill asked, horrified.

"Of course not! They said I was too young and that it would give me nightmares. But I wanted to see it so badly that after they put me to bed, I snuck back downstairs and watched it from the stairwell."

"So they were right?"

"Definitely! I've had a phobia of spiders ever since. Not all spiders freak me out though. I can handle the smaller ones; you know... the run of the mill house spider variety. The tarantula today just pushed me over the edge."

"Hmmm..." Jill mused. "You can handle smaller spiders? So the one on the wall behind you doesn't bother you then?"

Andrew turned around sharply to see the small, thumb-sized brown spider perched on the canvas above his head. To his credit, he managed to remain calm, but even in the dim light of the lantern; Jill saw the color drain from his face.

"See, that size I can handle," he said evenly and turned back around.

"What do you think?" Jill asked, amused by his bravado. "Should we take Shirley and Roger's lead and head to bed?"

"Definitely!" he replied eagerly and nearly jumped from his seat.

Jill got up as well, although with much less urgency. As she took her first step, she was surprised to find that she was a little dizzy. She knew that she had had a lot to drink, but she hadn't really felt the effects while she had been sitting down. Now, the tent seemed to blur around her. She struggled to catch up with Andrew, but instead stumbled over a root and nearly toppled over.

He was beside her in an instant. Putting his arm around her waist for support, he walked her to their tent. "Easy there tiger," he coached. "I forgot how much smaller you are than me. If I'm feeling tipsy, you must be full-out wasted!"

"No I'm *hic* not!" Jill said, struggling to talk through the hiccups that always attacked her when she was drunk. In her hazy state, she decided that she liked the feel of his arm around her and she leaned her head onto his shoulder, enjoying the soft warmth emanating from his body.

"Come on, let's get you some water." He helped her down to her sleeping bag, and then fished around in his backpack until he found his water bottle. "Here," he said, offering it to her.

Her clumsy, drunken fingers struggled a little with the cap, but she eventually managed to get it off. She took a quick few slugs. Miraculously, her hiccups ceased.

"Thank-you," she said wiping her mouth. "You're amazing."

As she passed the water back, her hand accidentally grazed his, and their eyes locked. Without thinking, she let the bottle drop and entwined her fingers with his. Gently pulling him towards her, she ran her free hand through his hair; then closed her eyes as he leaned in and softly brushed her lips with his own.

To Jill, the kiss seemed almost to be a question; and both her body and swirling mind answered with a resounding "Yes!" She kissed him back forcefully and he accepted her response as permission to proceed. He kissed her again, this time much more fervently, leaning into it and pushing her back towards the sleeping bag. Starting at her neck, he ran his free hand down her back and then back up under her t-shirt, pausing over the clasp of her bra, which he undid effortlessly in one quick, swift motion.

_Oh God, he's good at this!_ she thought to herself, lost in the sensation of his touch. Many women might find his expertise a little disconcerting; a sign that he had a little too much practice. In Jill's experience; however, it was simply a sign that there were even better things to come.

Now that he had her on her back, Andrew propped himself up on his side next to her, and wrapped a leg around her, pulling her in even tighter towards him. He kissed her neck, and nibbled at her earlobe, as his hand made its way with firm pressure from her stomach up to her breast. Cupping it first and then giving it a hard squeeze, he groaned in pleasure. Kissing her once again on the lips, he raised his head to admire her.

Suddenly, his body froze and his eyes opened wide with panic. _Oh God_ , Jill thought, _What did I do wrong?_

"Spider!" he hissed with a sharp intake of breath, and within an instant was off of her and standing outside the tent.

Dazedly, Jill sat up and looked around. Sure enough, right near where her head had been, sat a miniature version of the tarantula they had seen on the stairs. _Well, not really_ , Jill corrected herself, leaning in for a closer look.

"Be careful!" Andrew cautioned from outside the tent.

Like the tarantula, this spider was dark brown and hairy; however, it was smaller and when it walked, its legs bent at an odd angle, making it seem a little like a crab. Looking down at the ugly creature, Jill could swear it was mocking her. Still, she couldn't bring herself to kill it. Instead, she used a hairbrush to coax the little monster onto her journal. When she emerged from the tent carrying her prize, Andrew jumped out of the way in terror. She smiled, walked (albeit unsteadily) about ten feet away, lowered the journal and gently shook the thing off. Feeling quite proud of herself, she wobbled her way back to Andrew and put her arms back around his neck.

"There, *hic*, no more *hic* spider *hic*!" Damn it! Her hiccups were back.

Andrew regained his composure, but it was as though he had been shaken from a dream. He looked at her with remorse.

"I'm sorry Jill. I don't know what came over me. You're drunk. I shouldn't have taken advantage of the situation."

Jill ran her hands through his hair. "I'm not *hic* drunk."

He took both of her hands in his and pulled them firmly back down to her sides. "You are... and I don't want to be a regret in the morning."

The rejection stung. Wine always made her extra emotional, and Jill felt tears start to prick at her eyes. She quickly ducked back inside the tent so that he wouldn't see them, and climbed into her sleeping bag. She turned her back to him, unwilling to let him to see how hurt and embarrassed she was. Behind her, she heard him zip the tent up, crawl back into his own sleeping bag, and turn over with a sigh.

# Chapter Nineteen

At the ungodly hour of 4:30am, Juan gently knocked on the tent door. Jill groaned, and fought the gravel in her voice to squeak out, "Thanks. We're getting up!" before sinking back into her pillow. Her head was pounding. _How much did I drink last night?_ she wondered as she stared up at the ceiling. Her memories of the previous evening were foggy. The last thing that she remembered clearly was Andrew telling her about his arachnophobia right after Roger and Shirley had gone to bed. From there, the scenes assumed more of a dreamlike quality. Vaguely, she remembered that first kiss with Andrew in the tent and the feel of his hands on her body. The most salient memory; however, was the one that seemed the most unlikely. When she closed her eyes, she kept envisioning the face of a spider, mocking her with a large, goofy grin. Had any of it actually happened, or had she dreamed the entire thing?

Just then, Andrew turned over and opened his eyes. The look of guilt that instantly consumed his face easily confirmed the answer to her question. Her heart fell. Clearly, he regretted the incident. It had merely been a moment of lust under the effects of alcohol. She had practically thrown herself at him for God's sake! Who could blame him?

"Jill, about last night..." he started.

Jill thought fast. Imagining how awkward the day to come was going to be, she made a quick decision about how to handle the situation and cut him off. "That bottle of wine was huge! I drank way too much! I remember Shirley and Roger whooping us at cards, and then everything else after that is a blur. I think I remember something about a spider though. What happened?"

She thought that she caught a glimpse of disappointment (or was it hurt?) in Andrew's eyes, but nevertheless, he chose to play along. "We decided it was time for bed, so we came back to the tent. When we got here though, there was a giant spider on your pillow. You were amazing. You scooped it up and threw it out without batting an eyelash. I was super impressed."

Inwardly, she sighed with relief. They weren't going to talk about it. Physical attraction aside, she genuinely enjoyed Andrew's company and she wasn't sure if their friendship could endure the whole, "It was a mistake...I like you as a friend...we can keep in touch," conversation. It would be sad if their last day together was spent in uncomfortable silence; especially since today was the day that they were finally going to see Machu Picchu. Jill had dreamed of laying eyes on it her whole life, and truth be told, she was looking forward to being able to share the moment with Andrew. She gave herself a mental pat on the back. The convenient lie that she had told would mean that she could still do just that.

She sat up again, intent on getting dressed, but groaned as she did so.

"Whoa! Easy tiger..." Andrew teased. "You really tied one on last night."

"I drank the same amount as you!" she replied defensively.

Andrew chuckled. "Hey, I never force-fed you those drinks. You're the one who decided to keep up to me. Anyhow, here." He handed her his bottle of water and two extra-strength Advils. Jill accepted the offer gratefully.

As usual, Andrew dressed and packed quickly, leaving the tent to allow Jill some privacy to get ready for the day. Alone, she again replayed the events of last night in her mind, now coming a little more clearly to her. What was it that he had said when he had rejected her? _"Jill, you're drunk. I shouldn't have taken advantage..."_ The thought that he considered her in the same light as a drunken girl he might have taken home from the bar cut like a knife. After all the time they had spent together, surely she meant at little more to him than that!

She racked her brain trying to remember the rest of the conversation. She was sure there had been more. _"I don't want to be a regret."_ _There, that was the line_. What exactly had he meant by that? Did he again mean it in comparison to a girl who gets wasted at the bar and goes home with the wrong guy? Or did he mean something else altogether? She felt a spark of hope alight at the possibility that perhaps he really liked her and couldn't bear the thought that she wouldn't have kissed him had she been sober. The two potential explanations competed for validity in her mind. The romantic in her obviously preferred the second one, but if that were the case, wouldn't Andrew have pushed to talk about it? The fact that he had gone along with her lie so easily suggested that it was the first that held more accuracy, and that he'd rather just let it go and save her some embarrassment.

She chose her outfit for the day carefully and smiled to herself as she pulled out the form-hugging yoga pants. Whether he liked her or not, she could at least make him sorry for what he had missed out on. She even dabbed on a little blush and mascara. She felt a little silly doing it, but rationalized her actions with the fact that they would likely be taking a lot of photos today, and she wanted to look good in the pictures. She then packed up her bag, took a deep breath, and emerged from the tent ready to face the day.

Andrew's gaze fell to the yoga pants immediately. "My, my," he whistled, "What have I done to deserve such a treat?"

"Don't flatter yourself," Jill answered flatly. "These are my last pair of clean pants. I'll do laundry when we get back to Cuzco. And if I catch you staring at my butt, you won't make it to see Machu Picchu. Understand?"

Andrew cocked his head to one side and pretended to mull it over. "I don't know... It's a tough call on which I want to see more."

Jill smacked him in the shoulder with the back of her hand, but inside, she was deeply relieved. They were back to their usual banter; almost as though last night had never even happened.

"Ow!" he said, rubbing it. "Has anyone ever told you that you have anger issues? I seriously think that you should look into some therapy when you get back to the States."

Jill looked back at him grimly. "That will still be too late to be of any benefit to you, won't it? Now let's get moving. And no staring!"

She forced herself to keep a straight face as she marched ahead of him, but allowed herself a small smile once she was past. She had all but forced him to take notice of her backside, which she happened to know from the many compliments she had received at the gym, looked fantastic in the pants. _Eat your heart out_ , she thought smugly. _You'll never know what you missed._

* * *

Later, as she laughed at one of Andrew's jokes, Jill was struck by the thought that this would be their last day together. It was funny how much a person's point of view could change in such little time. Four days ago, she had been counting down the hours until she could be rid of Andrew Caldwell, and now the thought of parting left her a little sad. Evidently, Andrew was thinking about it as well, as he shifted the conversation to her future plans.

"So Jill, what's next? After Cuzco, I mean. Are you headed back home?"

"No, not even close. This was only the beginning of the trip. Tomorrow night I catch a plane to Salvador, Brazil and then I've got two weeks to make my way over to Rio."

"Brazil, hey? Why did you pick there? The beaches? The dancing? You know that Carnival isn't until spring right?"

"Yeah, I know..." Jill debated whether or not she should tell him the truth. The only person that she had dared tell about the psychic so far was Marcy. Even when her Mom had asked her why she felt the need to travel to Brazil, Jill had fed her a lame story about once having done up a brochure at work that featured the waterfalls of Foz de Iguacu, and having wanted to see them ever since. She contemplated telling Andrew the same story, but something stopped her. She felt that they had somehow grown close over the last few days. She, after all, knew his embarrassing secret about spiders. Would it be so bad to tell him hers? Even if he thought she was bonkers, she would probably never see him again. Why not just get it off her chest?

"I actually had never even thought about travelling to Brazil until a few weeks ago," she confided. "I still haven't even had time to figure out exactly what I want to see yet."

Andrew looked confused. "So you quit your job and decided to come to South America by yourself on a complete whim?"

"Not exactly a whim..." Jill said hesitantly.

"Well..."

"My psychic told me to!" There, it was out. Jill felt her face flush to beet red and looked at the ground waiting for his reaction.

"Come again?" To his credit, he didn't laugh. He even managed to keep his signature grin off of his face.

"It's so embarrassing. Like I've told you before, I was unhappy at my job, and had just watched the last of my friends getting married, and was maybe a little bit lonely, and I think I may have been having a nervous breakdown." She paused, realizing that she was rambling. "Anyhow, I felt completely lost, so in my desperation for guidance, I went to see a psychic. She told me that I wasn't done my traveling... that I needed to go to Brazil to find true passion."

"And you believed her?" Andrew asked skeptically. Although he was doing a commendable job at holding it back, Jill could see that the grin was threatening to break through at the corners of his mouth.

"I know it sounds ridiculous! But she said that my grandmother had a message for me... and then it was the craziest thing... she quoted something my grandma used to say to me word for word."

"No way! What was it?"

"God helps those who help themselves."

Jill waited for his response, but he just stared at her with an odd expression on his face. "Go ahead, you've been a gentleman long enough, you can laugh now if you want," she coaxed.

"No laughter," Andrew said seriously, shaking his head. "You know, I'm not sure if I believe in psychics, but maybe this woman sensed that you needed a little push to take action in your life. I'm not sure if packing you off to Brazil was the best way to go, but she did get you moving and I _guess_ that's a good thing."

Jill looked up at him. "Do you really think that's all she was doing?"

Andrew answered her question with one of his own. As he asked it, he looked directly into her eyes and Jill could again swear that she saw a faint look of hurt there. "Are you really hoping to find true love in Brazil?"

She shrugged uncomfortably. "I don't know... maybe... I guess so." It sounded even dumber to her aloud.

Instead of laughing at her, Andrew simply looked at her with a worried expression on his face.

"What?" she asked self-consciously.

"I'm just worried about what happens if it doesn't come true."

"Me too," Jill said quietly and they continued on in silence.

As they walked, Jill mulled over their conversation. What would she do if fate wasn't waiting for her in Brazil? The idea of returning to Denver with no job, no boyfriend, and no clue as to what she was going to do next was terrifying. She could already picture Leslie's smug, scolding face. The worst part would be having to admit to herself that the psychic had been wrong, or even a phony, and that she had traveled across a continent on a wild goose chase. She gave a small shudder at the thought. Like she had been doing ever since booking her plane ticket, she blocked out the unwanted thoughts and turned her attention back to Andrew.

"So where are you headed off to next again? I know that you told me, but I can't remember the details," she asked him.

"Tomorrow afternoon I fly back to Bogota, Columbia, where I'll spend a week training my replacement as project manager, and then I'm on my own for two weeks to explore the country before heading back to Denver."

"Right, I do remember that now. How come you're being replaced?"

"I only agreed to live in Colombia for a year. They tried to convince me to stay, but a deal's a deal."

"A year in sunny South America didn't change your mind and make you want to become a more permanent resident?"

"Oh, it's tempting for sure. Like you said, the weather is beautiful, and it would be great to have more time to perfect my Spanish, but I've got more important things back home."

"Oh?" Again, Jill's stomach dropped. So there was a girl after all! She again told herself that it shouldn't bother her, but she felt all of the symptoms of jealous rage creeping in.

Andrew fished through his wallet and pulled out a couple of worn pictures and handed them over to her.

She looked down at the photos expecting to see some gorgeous model, but was surprised at what she found instead. "You have kids?!!!" she asked incredulously.

"Yes, Jill. I have kids and I abandoned them for a year to make my fortune," he said sarcastically while rolling his eyes. "Of course not! These are my nephews. They're two and four. I love them to bits."

Jill eyed the pictures more carefully. She should have known they weren't Andrew's kids. They both had black hair and blue eyes... not at all like Andrew. "They're adorable. I don't see much of a family resemblance though."

"Yeah, they're my sister's kids. She and I look a lot alike, but they both take after their dad."

"Do you spend a lot of time with them?"

"Well I did before I came to South America. I try to visit them whenever I'm back in the U.S., but a trip to the park here and there isn't the same. I miss being there for all the milestones... you know, birthday parties, Easter egg hunts, little league games... all that fun stuff."

"You sound like a pretty good uncle, not to mention a pretty good brother."

"Well, my family is very close. It's actually been really hard being away... every time I talk to them I feel like I'm missing out."

"So, is your sister the oldest?"

"No, that would be me. She's the middle child, and I have one younger brother too. I'm sure my family would tell you that I'm the most immature of the three though," he finished with a grin. "How about you? Do you have any siblings?"

"One older brother. He's a lawyer in New York. No nieces or nephews yet though, and I don't expect them anytime soon. His wife is a lawyer too and they're both very career-focused. I don't think kids are anywhere on their radar yet."

"I bet you'd be surprised... It's amazing how quickly priorities change as you get a little older."

"Oh really?" Jill asked, intrigued. "Have your priorities changed?"

For the first time since they had met, it was Andrew's turn to blush. "Well, I definitely view dating a little differently than I did back in my twenties. Not that I'm opposed to a little fun now and again," he paused and looked at her meaningfully, "but lately I feel like I'm ready for something more. You know... Miss Right, not just Miss Right Now."

Jill's heart sank. There it was; the answer to her question. " _A little fun now and again_ ;" that's how he saw her. She knew that she shouldn't be surprised. Pisces and Gemini were not compatible, especially not for the long-term. She could likely never be his version of "Miss Right". For that matter, a restless Gemini could probably never be anything other than "Mr. Right Now" to her either. If anything, she should be grateful that they were on the same page. So why was she so disappointed?

Glancing over, she again caught Andrew scrutinizing her with a strange look on his face. When she caught his eye, he quickly erased it and cleared his throat. "Jill, I want to talk about last night again."

She chose to pretend not to hear him. She had already gotten the message loud and clear and didn't need the painful embarrassment of having him clarify it for her. Instead, she pointed to the nearly vertical staircase about a hundred yards ahead. "Look! I think that's the climb to the Sun Gate! And just in time!" She glanced at her watch; 6:00am. The sun would be coming up in about a half hour or so. "Come on... I want to make sure that we get to the gate in time for sunrise!"

With that she hurried on ahead of him, quickly putting enough distance between them to quash any further attempts at resuming their conversation.

# Chapter Twenty

Jill climbed the last fifty steps of the Inca trail with mounting excitement. This was it; after years of dreaming about it, she was finally here. She was about to gaze on Machu Picchu; thereby checking off one of the things she needed to see and do before she died. As though by design, when she took her final steps through the Sun Gate, the clouds overhead broke and the early morning sun illuminated the view before her. There it was- the lost city of the Incas. It did not disappoint. She marvelled at ruins' size and complexity and could hardly wait to climb down and explore.

Lost in thought, she hardly noticed Andrew's steps coming up from behind her.

"Jill, what I was trying to tell you was..." Andrew's voice fell away as he too, was mesmerized by the view. "Wow! We're really here."

"We made it," Jill breathed. "Isn't it incredible?"

After giving the moment its proper due, she pulled out her camera and started snapping pictures.

"I have an idea," Andrew said. "Do you want to be in some of the shots? Pass the camera here, I'll take a few."

Jill obediently handed the camera over and then proceeded to strike a pose. As she attempted to send her best smile towards the lens, Juan, having finally arrived along with the rest of their group, approached to offer his services. "Would you like some photos together?" he asked.

Andrew raised his eyebrows questioningly at Jill. "What do you think? Juntos?"

Jill laughed. "I guess so. We did make the hike together, after all. I guess that's how I'll want to remember it."

Andrew passed the camera off to Juan and went to join Jill in front of the lookout point. He put his arm amicably around her shoulders and she instinctively leaned into him. They both smiled at the camera.

After taking only one shot, Juan lowered the camera and started walking towards them.

"Wait! Shouldn't we take a few more?" Jill asked, "To be sure we get a good one?"

"No need." Juan responded surely. "The first is perfect. You both look very happy." He handed the camera back to Andrew, and moved on to help the next set of tourists.

"Can I see it?" Jill asked Andrew, straining to see the screen.

"Of course," Andrew answered, stepping back towards her so that they could view the photo together.

Jill was a little startled at what she saw. Not at the beautiful scenery; that she had expected. What she hadn't expected was how she herself looked in the picture. No matter how hard she tried to correct it, her smile always seemed a little forced in photos. Yet here she was, beaming up from the screen, looking relaxed and happy. In fact, both she and Andrew looked incredibly comfortable, leaning into each other as though it were the most natural thing in the world. _We look like a real couple_ , she thought to herself in amazement. _If a stranger saw this picture, they would assume we had been together for years!_

Looking over, Jill noticed that Andrew too, was staring intently at the photo. _Oh no_ , Jill thought to herself, _he's going to think that I have the wrong impression about our relationship._ He turned towards her and opened his mouth to comment. Fearing what he might say, Jill created a distraction.

"Well? What do you think? Should we go explore the ruins?" she asked cheerily.

Andrew looked disoriented for a second, but quickly recovered himself. "Sure... I mean that's what we came for isn't it? Let's go."

Jill hadn't thought it possible, but the ruins were even better up close. The entire mountain side had been carved into stepped terraces (likely to facilitate irrigation and prevent erosion), with buildings scattered on all levels. Some had clearly been sleeping quarters, others storage huts, and at least three buildings appeared to have been temples. Everything was constructed of stacked rock and it was again staggering to try and imagine how it had all been accomplished without the advent of modern machinery. Looking around, it was easy to imagine a bustling civilization here. In fact, a few alpacas wandering the grounds seemed oblivious to the fact that they were no longer in use. Jill's favorite site was the strategically placed "Sun Temple". Inside the round structure, they found a large stone altar, which Juan explained to them was aligned perfectly with the rising sun of summer solstice. Jill let her imagination run wild with possible ancient uses for this sacred place.

The grounds were large, and by the time they had explored all of them, it amounted to almost as much walking as the hike to get there that morning. Jill was exhausted, but she didn't want Andrew to feel rushed so she did her best not to complain. At last, he too seemed to have had his fill.

"So what do you think? Are you ready to head down?" he asked. "A soak in a hot tub is sounding pretty good right about now." He was referring of course, to the hot springs of "Aguas Calientes", the nearest town to Machu Picchu. Its name translating quite literally to "hot water", they would have to hike there in order to catch the train back to Cuzco.

"Yes!" Jill nearly cried out in relief, before remembering a small detail she had previously forgotten. "Wait a minute... how far is Aguas Calientes again?"

"A little over three and a half miles. Juan told me it takes most people about an hour and a half, but I bet we can do it in under an hour."

"No!" Jill almost sobbed out her response. "I can't do it! I need a break first. Can we just lie here for ten minutes? I promise I won't complain after that."

"Come on Jill. You can do it. Just think of how great it will feel to finally be done."

"I can't... I really can't. Please??? Ten minutes. That's all I'm asking for."

"Well here's the thing. My legs are done. I'm worried that if I take a break, they won't support me when I try to get back up. Not only that... but the last train back to Cusco leaves in a couple of hours and I'd like to have time to make it to the hot springs. After all this walking, they sound amazing."

Jill thought about it, and had to concede that he had a point. If she took a rest, it would be even more difficult to face another hour of hiking, and it truly would be a shame to miss out on the attraction the town was named for.

"Here," Andrew said, taking off his backpack. "We'll switch for the walk down."

"Oh Andrew, I can't make you do that..."

"I insist- really. You can pay me back by sending me those photos we took earlier. My camera battery died on Day Two, and me being the idiot I am, didn't bring a back-up."

Jill knew that he was simply throwing her a lifeline, but at this point, she was so tired that she was ready to take it.

"Ok fine," she said shrugging off the pack and handing it over, gratefully replacing it with his lighter one. "But only because I like you."

He laughed and they set off. Both thoroughly exhausted, they walked in silence, not having the energy left to keep up conversation. As predicted; however, they set a quick pace and hit the town in just under an hour. They made a bee line for the hot springs.

* * *

Jill changed into her swimsuit in a hurry; eager to soak away her aches and pains. On her way out to the pools, she paused at the mirror and self-consciously assessed her appearance. Thankfully, she had showered just the night before, so she was still relatively stubble-free, but sadly, her summer tan had long since faded. She took in her fishbelly white stomach and regretted letting Marcy talk her out of a one-piece. Adding insult to injury, her shoulders were bright red where the weight of her backpack had rested all day. _Oh well,_ she thought _, it'll have to do._ _Who am I trying to impress anyway?_ She took a deep breath and walked out of the changing room.

It didn't take her long to spot Andrew. In fact, other than one older gentleman, it seemed that they had the place to themselves. Jill checked her watch; only forty minutes until the last train. That would explain it then. Most people were probably already lining up to buy their tickets. She debated insisting that they do the same, but looking at the inviting water, decided against it. There were hotels in the village. If worse came to worst, they wouldn't have to sleep in the streets. She walked over to the nearest pool where Andrew already waited in the water and lowered herself in beside him.

The hot springs weren't much to write home about- just a couple of concrete pools fed by the warm river, but they were surrounded by rich foliage; and after four days of intense physical activity, Jill felt as though she were at the world's most luxurious spa. Sitting in the pool with his head back and his eyes closed in satisfaction, it was clear that Andrew felt the same way.

"I think I've died and gone to heaven," he murmured happily.

"Mmmm..." Jill sighed as she sank down further into the water and rubbed her sore shoulders. "Man it feels good to get that weight off my back! I'm telling you... I am going to watch the Biggest Loser with a whole new appreciation. Those people are heroes!"

Andrew laughed and opened his eyes, taking in her appearance. "Look at you! Your backpack straps are practically etched into your skin! Why didn't you tell me it was hurting so much... we could have traded a lot sooner."

"It's ok," Jill replied. "It looks worse than it feels. It's actually my lower back that hurts the most. That and my knees. I feel like I'm sixty!" she finished laughing.

Andrew patted the water directly in front of him. "Com'ere kid."

Jill narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Why?"

He rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Oy! Must you always be so difficult? Why do you always think that I have sinister motives?"

"Because you always do!"

Andrew chuckled. "Ok, fair enough. But seriously, come here. I was just going to massage your back for you. There's nothing worse than a long plane ride when your back is hurting."

"Oh." Jill felt silly. Still a little self-conscious in her bikini, she waded over and planted herself in front of him.

He started with her neck. Gently at first, and then with more pressure, he ran his hands up and down the sides of her spine, using his thumbs to knead out the small knots that Jill hadn't even realized existed. Although she was a bit tense at first, it didn't take long for her to relax into his touch. By the time he reached her shoulders, she had let her head drop forward and had closed her eyes so that she could focus uniquely on the wonderful sensation of his hands on her skin. Andrew had such an elegant grace about him that Jill had expected his hands to feel the same way- slender and smooth. In fact, as he kneaded her sore muscles, she realized that they were large and strong, and surprisingly, calloused.

"Your hands," she panted out after he finished working out a particularly large knot, "They're rough. It feels like you've been doing manual labour."

"Oh yeah... sorry about that," he apologized. "In Colombia, I rent a room from a little old widow. The place is getting pretty run down and it didn't seem like she had anyone to help her, so I've been doing quite a bit of work for her around the house. Last week, I rebuilt the fence and did some landscaping in the front yard."

"For free?" Jill exclaimed. "That's awfully sweet of you."

"Not totally for free," Andrew admitted. "As a thank-you, she started cooking dinner for me. I don't cook, so it saves me having to go out, and she seriously makes the best empanadas I've ever eaten!"

So he was caring and handy! Honestly, couldn't the man have some tragic flaw that made him unlikeable? It would be so much easier to view him as just a friend. _He snores,_ she reminded herself, but as she pictured what he must look like behind her- clad only in swim trunks, with his chest and shoulder muscles working with the effort of massaging her- she knew that one tiny imperfection wasn't going to cut it.

Feeling herself becoming aroused, she again closed her eyes and refocused on his hands and her sore muscles. He had now moved down her back towards the base of her spine, where it hurt the most. As his spread fingers braced her back, he dug in with his thumbs, moving them with firm pressure in slow, deliberate circles.

"Oh!" Jill involuntarily moaned out. She couldn't help it; it just felt so good.

Andrew leaned towards her, so that his lips hovered just behind her ear. "There's the sound I was waiting for," he said in a low voice, as one of his hands made its way from her back around to her stomach and pulled her in closer.

She was so turned on that she could hardly bear it. _Danger, danger!_ the rational side of her brain shouted at her. _You're leaving tomorrow. This will only complicate things!_ The emotional side of her brain; however, was even more insistent. It said only one word; but Jill heard it loud and clear. _Finally!_

# Chapter Twenty-One

Jill's head was spinning, but she was saved from having to sift through her emotions by an interruption from their one-man audience. Forced to walk by them in order to access the stairs, as he passed by, the man paused and cleared his throat loudly in distaste. In a thick French accent, disdain dripping from every word, he said, "I do not know if you care, but if you are planning on taking ze train, it leaves in only fifteen minutes."

Jill blushed deeply and lowered her head, shamed into silence.

Andrew too, seemed uncharacteristically flustered, and stammered out an apology, thanking the man for his warning. After the Frenchman had disappeared, he turned his attention back to Jill. Running his hand nervously through his hair, he assumed a look of guilt. "I'm sorry. I guess I got a little carried away with the moment," he said with a shrug.

Jill couldn't believe what she was hearing. _Apologies! Again!_ As though he were a small boy who had been caught stealing an extra cookie before supper. Honestly, did she mean so little to him? The spell was broken. Trying not to show how much his words had stung, Jill turned her attention to the problem at hand. "Well, we'd better get moving if we're going to catch that train. I'll meet you out front, but if you aren't there in three minutes I'm headed out. I'm making it back to Cuzco tonight with or without you."

Before Andrew could say anything to make it worse, she spun around and hurried out of the pool. Not even taking the time to dry her hair, she stripped off her bathing suit, patted herself down quickly with the towel and threw on the clothes she had been wearing earlier. She would have liked to put on something fresh, but if she really did want to make the train, there simply wasn't time to be fishing around in her backpack.

Impressing even herself with the speed at which she was able to get ready, she walked around to the front of the building, where she was surprised to find Andrew already waiting. He must be just as eager to leave as she was. As she approached, he pointed down the street and simply said, "That way." They set off, practically running in order to make it on time. Both of them winded, they miraculously managed to secure tickets, and stepped onto the platform just as the train pulled up.

* * *

Three hours later, having already exhausted all veins of small talk, Jill found herself sitting across from Andrew in what was now unmistakably awkward silence, and cursed herself inwardly. How did she keep letting this man get to her? She knew that his feelings for her didn't extend past physical attraction and as tempting as it was to take advantage, she knew that at this point it would be too difficult to keep herself from becoming emotionally attached were they to become involved. She reminded herself that she would likely never see him again beyond tomorrow and she simply didn't need anything to distract her from what she had come to South America to find. _In fact,_ a little voice reminded her, _you probably won't see him again beyond this train ride. You'll say goodbye at the station and go to separate hotels and that will be it. No more Andrew._

Her emotions defying all logic, the thought left Jill feeling sick to her stomach. She had known that parting ways was inevitable, but it was only now that it had truly clicked in how quickly the moment was coming. In two and a half hours they would be in Cuzco and that would be it.

She allowed herself a glimpse of Andrew's beautiful face. He deliberately wasn't looking at her and instead stared intently out the window. After four days of hiking, the hint of stubble on his cheeks had become the beginnings of a beard; and his full mouth, which she was so used to seeing fashioned into a playful grin, was set in a hard line. Even his normally expressive hazel eyes now seemed dark and unreadable. _What is he thinking?_ Jill wondered to herself, but she hadn't even a clue as to what the answer might be. Unable to stand the uncomfortable silence any longer, she made an attempt at a joke.

"Wasn't it a little ironic that of all people to get upset by a bit of PDA, it was a Frenchman?"

No answer.

She tried again. "I mean, isn't that what the French are known for? Isn't Paris the City of Love?"

Andrew turned slowly to face her. "Is that what it was?"

"Huh, what do you mean?" Jill wasn't quite following his train of thought.

"In the pool. You called it PDA- Public Display of Affection. Affection? Is that what it was?"

Jill squirmed in her seat. She didn't know how to answer. She was loath to admit that it was affection on her part when it so clearly wasn't on his. Fighting back the lump forming in her throat, she defensively answered, "I don't know. You tell me."

Andrew threw up his hands in exasperation. "I have no idea! I don't know what to make of you. One minute you're hot, and the next you can't stand the sight of me. What am I supposed to think?"

As he talked, Andrew's voice rose with emotion and Jill felt terribly confused. He was clearly getting upset, but why? Surely, not every girl he met was ready to eagerly jump into bed with him. Unless...

"What do you mean?" Jill asked sharply. "You're the one who's been hot and cold... and let me tell you Andrew Caldwell, I don't enjoy being led on."

"What are you talking about?" he cried out. Realizing that they were now attracting the attention of other passengers on the train, he lowered his voice. "I have done nothing but bend over backwards to get your attention for four days. How have I been anything but hot?"

He was now staring directly into her eyes and she was momentarily disoriented by the intensity of his gaze. She shook her head to refocus her thoughts. "What about last night?" she hissed. "I practically threw myself at you, and you rejected me!" Saying it aloud made her realize that she had been even more hurt by the incident than she had thought. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes.

"You said you didn't remember last night!" Andrew yelled, once again garnering looks from around them.

"Because it was so clear that you regretted it!" Jill replied sharply, crossing her arms in front of her, as though daring him to challenge the validity of her statement.

"I did! I still do! I didn't want it to happen that way." He took a deep breath to calm himself down and then reached across the seats to take one of her hands in his. "Listen Jill, I really like you. I didn't want to be some drunken mistake you made. If we were going to be together, you know... that way, well then I wanted to have truly won you over. I wanted to know that you liked me too. It would have been too hard on me otherwise."

Jill couldn't believe how quickly the situation had changed. Within the span of a few sentences, Andrew was now the one who was hurt and vulnerable. She replayed the past two days from his perspective and had to admit that she could understand his confusion. She weighed her options carefully and then took a deep breath.

"Andrew, I like you a lot too. These past few days have been amazing. I was a mess when you first met me. Well, truthfully, I still am... but you somehow managed to make me forget for a while. I have truly enjoyed your company, and I definitely think that we have chemistry. But you're right." She paused and took a deep breath. It was going to take courage to get through the next part. "If we had slept together last night, it would have been a mistake. We're both going our separate ways tomorrow and it would only complicate things if we started something that we couldn't follow through with. I'd really like it though, if we could finish the trip as friends. I'd hate to have such good memories marred by knowing that we had parted on bad terms."

He looked at her for a long time, searching- for what, she wasn't quite sure. It seemed; however, that he had found it, because suddenly, he broke into a large smile. Catching her completely off guard, he gave her hand a squeeze, pulled her roughly towards him and kissed her.

Unlike the night before, this time, there was no hesitation. His kiss was slow, deliberate, and above all, confident. Jill had never experienced anything like it. As she responded to the firm pressure of his lips, it felt as though fireworks were exploding in her chest. When their mouths finally parted, she found that she was quite literally breathless. Andrew, for his part, reclined back into his seat with a smug, satisfied grin on his face. "Friends it is then," he stated, just as the train screeched to a stop.

# Chapter Twenty-Two

Feeling dazed, Jill shuffled along with the crowd as they got off the train and collected their things. The kiss had thrown her completely off-kilter. She had never experienced such strong chemistry before; not even when she had been dating Liam. She had enjoyed herself the previous night to be sure, but this time, with a clear head, it had been different. Their lips had just somehow fit perfectly together, making her heart flutter and sending electricity through her entire body... the only word she could find to adequately describe it, as cliché as it may be, was _magical_.

And now? A few steps ahead, Andrew held the train station door open for her and Jill realized in a panic that they were only seconds away from saying their goodbyes. She had thought it would be tough to walk away from him had they slept together, but this was almost worse. She was sure that she would forever be haunted by the suggestion of what might have been...

Having both now exited the terminal, Andrew turned towards her and cleared his throat. "So I guess this is it..."

"I guess it is..." She wasn't sure what to do next. A handshake? A hug? How exactly did one convey, _Thanks, that was the best kiss of my life, but I doubt I'll ever see you again. Have a nice life!_ She looked at the ground and shifted uncomfortably; unwilling to be the first to let go.

Andrew, for his part, looked mildly amused. "You know..." he said, glancing down at his watch, "It's well past dinnertime, and we both need to eat."

"That's very true," she quickly agreed, immediately grasping his meaning.

"I don't see why we couldn't have dinner together. It would be much more enjoyable," he finished innocently; a mischievous light in his eyes.

"Again, very true," Jill repeated. "I mean, no one likes to sit in a restaurant alone."

Smiling broadly, Andrew held out his hand for her. "So then... Shall we my lady?"

Jill pushed aside the tiny voice still shouting _Danger, danger_ , took his hand and returned the smile knowing full well what she was tacitly agreeing to. "We shall!"

* * *

They walked hand in hand through the streets, looking for something that looked appetizing. As they walked, they made small talk and laughed at shared little jokes, but there was no denying that the air between them was charged. Now and then, Jill would steal a glance up at Andrew and even as her gut warned her that she was getting in too deep, a shiver would run through her body as she imagined kissing his handsome face again.

At last, they settled on a quiet little restaurant serving traditional Peruvian fare. Despite the fact that she had been starving on the train, Jill's stomach now felt as though it were tied up in knots. She forced herself to eat a few bites of chicken, but mostly pushed the food around on her plate as she nervously waited for Andrew to finish his meal. Currently, he was talking about his family back home; but in her anticipation of what might come next, she was having a hard time following the conversation.

Across the table from him, her own thoughts were spinning out of control. Was this really a good idea? Brazil was only a day away and as it were, she would already be pining for him once she got there. Wouldn't sleeping with him just make it worse? The romantic side of her tried to reason that it wouldn't just be physical. After all, they genuinely liked each other, and he lived in the same city as her; it could be the start of something great! Her more cynical side reminded her that it would be almost a month before she would have the chance to see him again, and the spark between them would likely fizzle out long before then. And of course, there was the psychic's advice; Selwynne had specifically said that passion was waiting for her in Brazil, not Peru! What if she missed out on the man of her dreams because she let herself become distracted by Andrew?

When the bill came, he insisted on picking up the tab. They then walked out of the restaurant, and paused in front of the doors; Jill once again finding herself in the awkward pull of indecision.

"You know..." Andrew said, breaking the tension. "We both need to sleep. We've been sharing a tent for the last four days. It almost seems like a waste to pay for two separate hotel rooms..."

Oh, he was good. "Again, very true," Jill agreed, nodding her head, trying to appear calm even though her insides were in turmoil.

"So what do you think? Should we get a room together?" Although he tried to appear indifferent as he said it, Jill noted the hopeful look in his eyes.

"I don't see why not," she replied coolly back, as her stomach did a full somersault.

"Ok... I noticed a nice-looking hotel a few blocks ago. Why don't we head back that way?"

"Sounds good to me," she said.

This time, instead of taking her hand, Andrew was even bolder, slipping his hand around her waist. Pretense over, it was clear where they were heading. If Jill were going to back out, it would have to be soon.

At that moment, she spotted a familiar blue neon sign only a few doors down, and suddenly, felt incapable of making the decision on her own. She quickly formulated a plan. "Oh! There's an internet café!" she exclaimed. "Do you mind if we stop for just a few minutes so that I can email my mom and tell her that I'm ok. She knows that I was supposed to be done hiking the trail today, and if she doesn't hear from me, she'll worry."

"That's actually not a bad idea," Andrew responded. "I should probably do a quick check on my work email too and make sure that everything is in place for next week."

They walked into the café, each paid for ten minutes worth of time and found empty computers. Thankfully, they were on opposite sides of the room so there was no chance of Andrew seeing her screen.

So as to not be a complete liar, Jill did tap out a quick message to her mom. Only a few lines long, it read:

Hi Mom!

I just got back to Cuzco. I had a wonderful time on the Inca Trail, but I'm completely exhausted- I can't wait to hit the sheets! I'll email again in a few days when I've got more time and energy. Say hi to Dad for me,

Love,

Jill

There, two minutes flat. That had to be an email record. She hit send and then quickly got to the real purpose of the stop. She typed in the address of the astrology website and hastily scrolled down to her sign.

" _Pisces, lately you have been operating on autopilot, but is the navigation system taking you where you want to go? Today, trust your instincts and reset your course. Even if you end up lost, at least it will be an adventure!"_

Biting her lip in indecision, Jill tried to decide how the advice might be applied to her current situation. _Darn it!_ It could be viewed either way. Was she on autopilot lusting after Andrew, or on autopilot trying to keep her distance? She looked over at Andrew. He was standing up as he logged off of his computer, offering her a great view of his backside. _Hmmm..._ _"Trust your instincts."_ Well that was easy enough. Right now, her instincts were screaming that she wanted Andrew; the sooner the better. Mind made up, she smiled and quickly shut down the computer as he made his way over.

"All done with the emails?" he asked.

"Yep... I didn't have time to write much, but I covered the important details." Jill thought back to what she had written her mother, and smiled at her Freudian slip. _"I can't wait to hit the sheets!"_ _Oh Mom,_ she thought, _if you only knew._

They walked the final block to the hotel in silence. Once again hand in hand, they both had silly, childish grins on their faces and exchanged the occasional furtive glance. When they arrived at the hotel, Andrew quickly took care of the details at the front desk and then together, they rode the elevator up to the fifth floor. In Jill's rapidly expanding fantasy, she would have pinned Andrew to the wall and started stripping him down right then and there. Unfortunately; however, they were sharing the elevator with a mother and her two small children, so she had to be satisfied with holding his hand and looking innocently forward while he discreetly made circles in her palm with his thumb.

Within seconds of sliding the bolt of their hotel room door into place, Andrew had her pinned against the wall in a reversed version of her fantasy. His hands buried themselves in her hair and his mouth left a trail of hot kisses along the side of her neck. Eagerly responding, Jill wrapped one leg around him, and pulled him even closer towards her. The small act seemed to add to his sense of urgency. Brusquely, he picked her up, carried her over to the bed and roughly tossed her onto it. Stretching himself out next to her, he took a moment to catch his breath and brushed a stray hair from her face. Closing in for another one of those slow, sensuous kisses he had introduced her to on the train, he then leaned back and examined her carefully.

"My God," he said, exhaling slowly, "you are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

Elated, she rewarded the compliment by wrapping her own fingers in his hair and pulling him in for a kiss.

At the same time, he slid his hand downwards until his fingertips tucked under the waistband of her yoga pants. "It's almost a shame to take these off," he murmured as he started to work them downwards. Unexpectedly, he paused, and Jill opened her eyes to see him studying her thighs with a playful grin.

"Well, these aren't the purple ones, but I guess they're sexy all the same," he said, a note of humor in his voice.

Jill's mind snapped to attention trying to remember what underwear she had on. Too late, she came to the horrifying realization that she was still wearing the white cotton granny panties from earlier that day.

"Oh God!" she stammered out, her hands flying to cover the offending garments. "I forgot! These were for hiking! If you give me a minute to freshen up, I'll..." She tried to sit up, but he held her firmly in place.

"No, no... I actually like them," he said giving her an appraising once over. "Really!" He smiled seductively as his eyes rested on the cotton. "They give you an air of mystery. Since they cover so much, I'm even more intrigued to find out what's underneath."

As he finished his last sentence, he ran his hand back up the length of her body until it rested on her cheek as he gave her another slow, breathtaking kiss.

Jill relaxed and let herself melt back into his touch. As he explored her body, she felt like she was back in high school, with all the excitement of her very first time. He progressed slowly and methodically, first teasing her over her clothes, and then under them, and then slowly removing them, all the while taking in the sight of her naked body with pure adoration in his eyes. By the time that she was fully undressed, she was already aching for him, but she forced herself to undress him with the same slow, deliberate care.

When he finally entered her, they both moaned with satisfaction; long awaited desire finally granted. Jill marveled at his restraint as he proceeded to pleasure her with unimaginably slow, even strokes, while at the same time, his mouth teased her breasts; alternating between making slow, deliberate circles with his tongue, and nibbling delicately with his teeth. When it became clear that she was on the edge of losing herself, he quickened the pace. Reaching down at just the right moment, he heightened her pleasure and Jill lost herself to him. As wave upon wave of sensation took her, he too, lost control, burying his head in her shoulder as he finished.

When they had both regained their senses, Andrew rolled off of her and they both lay flat on their backs staring at the ceiling.

"Wow!" Andrew exhaled.

"Wow!" Jill quietly agreed. At the same time, her pesky inner voice scolded her. _Oh Jilly-Bean... What have you gotten yourself into?_

# Chapter Twenty-Three

Jill woke up feeling as though were sleeping on a cloud. The plush white duvet floated around her body, soft light spilled in through the gauzy window curtains, and Andrew's arm was slung carelessly over her. She smiled and rolled over onto her side, wanting to reclose her eyes and draw out the feeling of perfection just a little while longer.

Upon feeling her rouse, Andrew stirred as well. Jill felt his grip tighten as he pulled her in close until they were nestled together like spoons. He took a deep breath into her hair, as though enjoying the very scent of her; and then spoke. His voice, gruff with sleep, tickled her ear. "Come with me," he murmured.

"What?" Jill asked, turning over, unsure if she had understood what he had said.

Andrew smiled upon seeing her face. "Come with me," he repeated more confidently. "To Colombia. I'm not ready to say goodbye yet. I want you to come with me."

Jill's head swam with confusion, as she struggled to find an answer. Could she do it? She had enjoyed their time together. In fact, it had been incredible, but was it enough to abandon her own plans and go trailing after him?

She opened her mouth to speak, but noting her hesitation, Andrew put a finger up to her lips and stopped her. "Don't answer now," he said. "We'll go for a nice breakfast and you can think about it over coffee. I know that it's sudden, but I've been thinking about it for a few days now. You don't really have any plans in Brazil. You're not even sure what you want to see there. I promise you, Colombia is absolutely beautiful. You can experience Bogota this week while I finish up with work, and then we've got two weeks together to explore the country. Not to mention two weeks to see if this could be something between us."

She again opened her mouth to protest, but again, Andrew shushed her. "Picture it. We'll dance the merengue together, we'll sail to Santa Catalina and find our own private beach, and we'll hike through the Amazon jungle. Anything that you were hoping to do in Brazil, I'm sure that we can do in Colombia. Only it will be better- because we'll be together."

Jill swallowed and took a deep breath. "It all sounds wonderful, but it's a big decision. I need a little time, ok?"

Andrew was quick to reply, "Absolutely. Take your time. Not too much time... my flight leaves at 3:00 this afternoon, but like I said, let's go for a nice breakfast and you can mull it over. I won't bring it up again until we get back to the hotel. Until then, I'll pretend I didn't even ask."

"Sounds good," Jill agreed. Then, looking up into his gorgeous hazel eyes, she realized that this could be her last chance to be with him. She replayed the night before in her head and wondered if sex could be like food. Was it possible that after going so long without it, it had seemed exceptionally good simply because she had been so famished? _Hmmm_ , she thought. _Time for a scientific experiment_.

"Do we have to go for breakfast right away?" she asked sweetly, as she peered up at him through her eyelashes and traced a fingernail down his arm, "Because I was hoping that we might be able to lay in bed just a little while longer..."

Andrew grinned as he caught her drift. Entwining his fingers into her tousled hair, he pulled her in for a smoldering kiss. Then, in a low, playful tone, he said, "I suppose that could be arranged."

Half an hour later, Jill lay staring up at the ceiling in complete bliss. There was no doubt about it. Sex with Andrew; whether it followed a year of deprivation or merely a few hours; was the best that she had ever had.

* * *

Jill surveyed the beautiful breakfast set before her and again felt queasy. She and Andrew had returned to the restaurant from the night before and were rewarded with a heaping platter of fresh fruit, pastries fresh out of the oven, and a plate of assorted cheeses. To Jill though, none of it looked appetizing. Even her South American favorite, Café con Leche, failed to tempt her. It was now 11:00am and she was quickly running out of time to make her decision. _Brazil or Columbia? Colombia or Brazil?_ She still had no idea!

When she pictured going to Columbia, a montage of romantic scenes between the two of them filled her head. She imagined dancing the night away at a salsa club, kissing under a waterfall in the jungle, and holding hands as they watched a sunset from the beach. As incredible as it all promised to be, and as much as she wanted to board that plane with Andrew, there was still one question that wouldn't stop running through her mind- _What if?_ What if things between them didn't work out? Would she regret her decision and spend her life wondering what had been waiting for her in Brazil? She had come this far following the psychic's advice- didn't she owe it to herself to at least see it through?

But then there was the other side of the coin. What if Andrew was the one? What if the psychic had been wrong about passion in Brazil and she had already found what she came to South America looking for? What if she chose to go to Brazil and missed out on the chance for something to really take hold between them?

Torn by indecision, she even considered the possibility of going with Andrew to Colombia first and then traveling to Brazil afterwards, but the reality was that she didn't have enough money saved up for that long of a trip. She still hadn't figured out what she was going to do in terms of a job once she got back to the States and she would need some money to get her by until she had a plan.

It was all making her head spin. She needed guidance, and soon!

When the bill came, Andrew insisted on taking care of it. As he took out the wallet, Jill took the opportunity to excuse herself. "Andrew, is it alright if I meet you up in the hotel room?" she asked. "There's just a few things I need to pick up before we head out."

"Oh, I can come with you," he offered.

"No, that's alright... I need to pick up _girl_ things," Jill lied.

To her great relief, Andrew blushed a little and agreed to meet her back in the room. While he paid the bill, Jill rushed out of the restaurant and zipped back into the nearby internet café.

"Come on, come on, come on..." she coaxed the computer, tapping her fingers impatiently as she waited for it to boot up, while at the same time watching the door to make sure Andrew wouldn't spot her as he passed by.

After what seemed like an eternity, the screen finally came to life. Jill quickly tapped in the address, and almost sighed in relief when the horoscope cheerfully popped up. God, she hoped it would help!

" _Pisces, there have been a lot of exciting transitions in your life recently. Be careful though... change does not always signal improvement. Be sure to take some time out for yourself today- time to listen to your mind and heart, in order to avoid embarking on a futile journey."_

Jill put her head down into her hands and groaned. Time was the one thing that she didn't have! Right this minute, Andrew was likely tapping his foot impatiently, looking down at his watch, and worrying whether or not he would make it to the airport on time. Jill tried to calm herself down, taking in a few slow breaths. _Come on Jill_ , _you can do this_ , she told herself. _Which is the futile journey? Is it futile abandoning your plan to trail after a Gemini you are in all likelihood incompatible with? Or is it futile running off to Brazil in search of something you've already found?_

It was hopeless! Clearly she was on her own with this one. She looked down at her watch- almost noon. She couldn't waste any more time. She would just have to meet Andrew and trust her gut once she got there.

* * *

When she opened the hotel room, Andrew, who had been lying on the bed, popped up anxiously. "Good, you're back. I was getting worried there that I'd have to leave without you." His voice faltered as he took in her face, still clouded with uncertainty. "Or that I'd have to leave without saying goodbye..." He paused and took a big breath. "Have you made up your mind Jill? Are you coming with me?"

Jill's heart fell and her stomach turned over. Suddenly, she knew the answer. She started to shake her head slowly, "Andrew...I'm so sorry.... I can't."

"Why?" he asked bewildered.

She felt ridiculous as she gave her answer, but it was the truth. "Because the psychic told me that I have to go to Brazil... and if I don't do it, I'll always wonder what I might have missed out on."

She waited for an answer from Andrew, but when none came, she pressed on. "Look, maybe it was fate and I was meant to meet you on this trip, but if I don't finish it, I'll never know if..."

"If there was something better out there," Andrew finished the sentence for her, his voice falling.

"No, that's not what I was going to say!" Jill protested.

"But it's what you meant," Andrew said flatly. Then, he took note of her empty hands, which she was wringing together nervously. "And where are your shopping bags, by the way? I thought you had to pick up "girl things". Let me guess... you were actually checking your horoscope to see whether or not you should come with me," he accused.

Jill blushed with guilt. "I just felt so confused. I thought it might offer some guidance."

Andrew met her eyes with his own, which now burned with hurt and anger. "Look Jill. It's not the fact that you want to go to Brazil that I'm upset over. It's that you can't even decide for yourself. Call it what you will. A psychic, a horoscope... You're constantly looking for someone or something to make your decisions for you. What is it that _you_ want Jill? Can you answer that for me?"

Jill fell silent and let her gaze drop to the floor. She knew what he wanted to hear, but she just couldn't give it to him.

"Forget it then Jill. If you don't _know_ that you like me, and that this is something, then I don't want to be with you anyway." He paused, but when she still said nothing, he continued. "Because, I for one, am 100% sure. And even if a spirit appeared right this minute to tell me that I should run for the hills, I'd ignore it and fight for us. That's how sure I am."

With that, he picked up his bag, which Jill now realized he must have packed while he had been waiting for her, and walked towards the door. Turning around one last time, he added, "Don't call me unless you know, with all your heart, that you want to be with me. I won't be your backup plan." His voice fell to almost a whisper as he finished and the door clicked shut behind him.

Jill stared at the closed door. Her inner voice was screaming at her to go running after him, but her feet stayed rooted to the floor.

# Chapter Twenty-Four

Jill's flight had gotten into Salvador early the night before; however, on the bus from the airport into the city, she had been warned by other travellers that the hostel she was booked into was infested with bed bugs. It had taken an hour to argue only half of her money back from the stingy owner (the language barrier didn't help), and by the time she had found another reputable place to stay, unpacked and hunted down something to eat, she hadn't made it to bed until almost midnight.

Now, she glanced at her watch and groaned; 4:55am. In the distance, she could hear her old friend the rooster starting to make his rounds. Despite the fact that the sun was still low on the horizon, Jill had already been awake for hours. She was utterly exhausted. As heavy as her eyelids felt, try as she might, she could not drift back to sleep. Though her body longed for rest, her mind was still racing with anguished thoughts of Andrew. The fluffy sheep she conjured up in her imagination were no match for the vivid memories of his kiss, or his hands running through her hair, or the hurt in his eyes before he had left her. She found herself tossing and turning, and when the girl sleeping below her angrily kicked the bunk and whispered, "Knock it off!" she decided to give up. If, by chance, she were to meet her destiny today, it would have to be with dark circles under her eyes.

She rolled out of bed, tiptoed down the hallway to the shared bathroom and did her best to make herself presentable. Fearing that the sound of the shower might wake more foes, she washed her face, brushed her teeth, and was ready to go by 5:15. But where to, so early in the morning? She considered her vacated bed one more time. Unfortunately, as she did so, she caught the eye of her now hostile bunkmate as the girl made a show of fluffing her pillow and rolling over with a loud sigh. Nope. Not an option. Jill grabbed her day pack and left.

Once outside, she started to feel a little better in the crisp, morning air. Maybe this wasn't so bad after all. She could find some breakfast, maybe an internet café. Lord knows that her mother was due for an update on her well-being. In all of her tossing and turning, she had also started to compose an apology email to Andrew in her head and she was anxious to get her thoughts down on paper (figuratively speaking) before she lost her nerve. And of course, she could check her horoscope. Luckily, her hostel was only a block away from a busy square. She felt reasonably safe as she set off to do a little exploring.

Though she had seen the neighborhood from a taxi the previous day, it had been dark already and she hadn't been able to get a true sense of what everything looked like. Now, she was struck by the charm of her surroundings. The buildings were all a little dilapidated, but with their ornate iron balconies, it only helped to give them old-world charm. Many of the buildings were painted in sunny pastels. There didn't seem to be any method to the colours; bright pink and yellow apartments cheerfully propped up a more somber blue one between them. The overall effect reminded Jill of an Easter egg. Once again grateful for the early morning light, she couldn't resist snapping a few pictures before moving on to find a café.

Only intending to stop for a few moments, she took her camera out of her pack and dropped the bag at her feet. As she searched for the perfect angle through the lens; however, she found herself backing up in order to better frame the shot. No sooner had she taken the steps away from the bag when unexpectedly, a child no older than twelve shot out from behind a parked car, grabbed it and took off down the street. Jill shouted out in surprise, and ran a few steps, but the fiend was too quick. At this early hour, there was no one around to help her and the small thief swiftly disappeared around a corner. The last thing that Jill needed to do was chase him into unfamiliar territory, into what could potentially be more dangerous, isolated surroundings.

She quickly set off towards the busier square, scolding herself for forgetting the first rules of travel. They were written on the very first page of her "Lonely Traveler", and she practically knew them by heart- "Always be aware of your surroundings. Walk with purpose and direction, and always keep your belongings close and secure." She really should have known better. Always an optimist, Jill quickly tried to look on the bright side, taking stock of what she had, or rather _hadn't_ , lost. Her camera (and more importantly, the memory card) was still safely in her hand. Her identification, her credit card, and most of her cash were still safely tucked into the money belt sitting around her waist. The only things that had been in the bag were her aluminum water bottle (she could buy another one), her windbreaker (which was starting to get a little worn anyway), her travel journal (okay, that one was a little harder to replace), and about twenty bucks.

Despite her attempts to stay positive, at the thought of losing all of the carefully recorded memories in her journal, Jill felt her eyes prickling with tears. So far, Brazil was proving to be disastrous! For the first time, she found herself genuinely doubting the psychic's advice that this is where she would encounter "true passion". Again, she found herself thinking of Andrew's smile, and her half-composed apology, and became even more anxious to find an internet café. As she quickened her pace, she started imagining his reaction as he read her email, angry at first, but melting by the last line. She imagined herself buying a plane ticket to Bogota and running into his arms at the airport. She could see it now. She had been crazy not to follow him in the first place. By the time she reached the square, she was almost sure that she was making the right decision.

Suddenly, Jill's heart plummeted. The journal! That's where Andrew had written his contact information! She tried to recall what the sloppy handwriting had spelled, but her mind came up blank. She had no idea what his email address was! She supposed that she could try an online directory, but Andrew Caldwell was hardly a unique name, and no one was actually listed in the phonebook anymore. She didn't even know his middle name. Fighting back panic, she nearly sprinted the last few steps into the café.

It's ok, she told herself, as she prepaid for an hour online. I can always look him up on Facebook. Everyone is on Facebook right? She held her breath as she logged into the familiar blue and white page, then held her breath as she hastily typed "Andrew Caldwell" into the search engine. As expected, her screen immediately filled up with a dozen results. Scanning through the pictures, she quickly realized that none were "her" Andrew, so she clicked on "More results" at the bottom of the page. After repeating the process half a dozen times and coming up empty-handed, she realized that perhaps her method was flawed. She retyped "Andrew Caldwell, Denver, Colorado" into the search-engine and was delighted as the faces of three Andrews quickly greeted her. Her happiness was short-lived; however, as one was a boy who looked to be about fourteen, another was a local football hero, and the last one was a man in his sixties. Either _her_ Andrew Caldwell wasn't on Facebook, or she had his name wrong. She tried a multitude of variations- Andy Caldwell, Drew Caldwell, Andrew Kauldwell... all with no luck. She sank back in despair, and this time, the tears started flowing in earnest. How could she have been so stupid?

At a loss of what to do next, Jill stared at the screen vacantly. Without conscientiously thinking about it, slowly, her fingers moved over the keyboard, muscle memory replacing willful thought. With a ping, a little white box popped up on the screen before her:

" _Pisces, if you seek advice today, you need merely look in a mirror. You already know what your heart wants; now is the time to chase after it."_

Jill blinked incredulously at the screen and choked out a sob. _Now you tell me!_ her mind yelled at the little fish.

# Chapter Twenty-Five

The next three days passed by in a blur. After realizing that she wouldn't be able to get in touch with Andrew, Jill was at a loss as to what to do next. She had spent so much time planning their reunion that she hadn't bothered mapping out what she actually wanted to do in Salvador. Luckily, noticing her drifting aimlessly around the hostel, a group of friendly Canadian girls had taken pity on her. Adopting her, they had dragged her reluctantly along with them on their own adventures. Vaguely, Jill recalled a day spent wandering in and out of ancient churches, but the beauty and history of the sites were lost on her. Trying to remember the details, all that she was able to conjure up were indistinct memories of stained glass and incense. At some point, they had also spent time at the beach, but even the beauty of the ocean had failed to dislodge her melancholy. In fact, if anything, it had strengthened it. As she had sat in the sun, sand between her toes, she couldn't help but notice all of the happy couples around her and think that she could have at that very moment been one of them had she only been less stubborn.

Meeting the Canadians had also had another benefit; they had clued her in to the existence of the Brazilian flight pass, which would allow her to fly to up four different destinations for just under $700. Once she had come to terms with the fact that she would definitively be touring Brazil and _not_ Colombia, she had sat down with a map to plan out her trip and had soon realized that she had greatly underestimated the size of the country. Had she been limited to travel by bus, she would have seen a lot more Brazilian roads than beaches.

* * *

As she sat on the plane to her next destination- Foz de Iguacu, home of the world's largest waterfalls; she mulled over her situation. She was well aware that her time in Brazil so far had been wasted and she promised herself that the rest of her trip would be different. She had made her choice, and now she would simply have to make the best of it. It would be unforgivable to let both Andrew _AND_ Brazil pass her by. With renewed resolve, she pushed all thoughts of Andrew to the recesses of her mind and pulled out her Lonely Traveler guidebook. It was time to get excited again. _Ok,_ she admitted to herself, _excited might be reaching_ ; _but at least no more moping!_

* * *

Getting ready to catch her shuttle to the waterfalls, Jill had to admit that she was already failing to keep her promise. It had taken almost all of her will power just to get out of bed that morning, and she would be hard-pressed to find a word that described her current state of mind better than "moping". In an effort to cheer herself up, she reminded herself that she was about to cross off yet another destination in " _Things to See and Do Before you Die"_ , but she couldn't suppress a small sigh as she imagined herself shuffling along with a throng of tourists. She then reiterated to herself why she had traveled to Brazil in the first place... the psychic had promised that she would find passion here. If that were to be true, she would have to embrace the experience. She thus plastered a fake smile onto her face, thinking that if she held it long enough, perhaps she could trick her brain into believing that it was real.

Following the advice of the ever wise "Lonely Traveler", she had booked an "Adventure Tour" which included a ride through the jungle, a speed boat tour, and then time to walk along the paths that surrounded the falls on her own. In true South American style, the vehicle that she boarded for the ride through the jungle was actually a large flatbed truck with rows of benches bolted onto its unenclosed platform. She had to smile at the blatant disregard for safety, but was grateful that there would be no walls or glass to obscure her view. In the span of only four miles, she spotted several colourful toucans flying overhead and a pair of monkeys cuddling in the branches. Even more astounding were the large clusters of butterflies littering the path; she was shocked that the vehicle's passage didn't scare them away.

Further adding to the experience, as they rolled along, their tour guide entertained them with the legend of the waterfalls:

According to folklore, the Iguazu river was once inhabited by a serpent god called M'Boi. Every year, the people who lived near the river would sacrifice a beautiful virgin to the god in order to appease him. One year, M'Boi glimpsed the beautiful Naipi's reflection in the river and demanded that she be made his. Unfortunately, Naipi was already madly in love with a warrior named Taruba and the two had plans to marry. Refusing to accept his lover's fate, Taruba planned their escape. The night before she was to be sacrificed, Naipi and Taruba met at the river and fled in a canoe. Upon seeing Naipi slipping away, M'Boi grew angry and chased after the lovers. Taruba; however, was strong and managed to keep the canoe ahead of the serpent. The serpent god grew so angry that he sank into the Earth and created a great chasm which swallowed the canoe. Rather than let the lovers die, M'Boi transformed Taruba into a palm tree rooted at the top of the waterfalls and then transformed Naipi into a rock at the bottom. The two are thus forever separated, but their love lives on. On a sunny day, a rainbow forms within the mist, bridging the gap between them.

Jill couldn't help but be moved by the tragic romance, and genuinely couldn't wait to see the marvel that had inspired so much imagination.

After stepping off of the truck, she made her way to the boat dock, where she caught her first glimpse of the falls. She was genuinely awestruck. Despite having lived her entire life nestled within the Rockies, she had never seen anything quite like them. They were massive! Nervous excitement filled her stomach as she donned her lifejacket, knowing that she was about to get up close and personal with one of Mother Nature's greatest feats.

Taking a cue from the passengers around her, she sealed her camera into a water-tight bag; sad that she would have to rely on memory alone in order to relive this particular experience. It was a good thing that she had. By the time they were finished jutting in and out of the mist, she was absolutely drenched from head to toe. Luckily, she was wearing quick-dry shorts. Many of the tourists around her had made the unfortunate choice to come dressed in jeans and now had to contend with the discomfort of wet denim.

Although the trails were congested near the docks, further along, the crowd thinned and at times, she even found herself alone. She climbed to the upper paths in order to view the falls from above and was surprised at how different they seemed from the higher vantage point. While she had been struck by the power of the waterfalls when she had stood below them, from above, she was now struck by their incredible beauty.

Surrounded by rushing water and greenery, Jill had the sensation that she was standing in a screensaver. She pulled out her camera and started to shoot; determined to capture every detail. Each time she put her camera away thinking that she couldn't possibly need another picture of the waterfalls, she turned a corner to an even more breathtaking view, and she was forced to pull it back out. When she started running out of space on her memory card, she scrolled through the photos, intent on deleting some of the repetition; but it seemed like every shot had something unique to offer. One shot for example, captured a panoramic view of the falls, while another showcased the rich foliage that framed them. Her favorite shot followed the lines of the wooden walkway; leading the eye into the heart of the mist. She couldn't bring herself to part with any of them.

When Jill reached the final lookout point, her heart caught in her throat. There it was; a beautiful rainbow stemming from a rock at the base of the falls all the way to a palm tree up top. For a second, her mind couldn't help but wander to Andrew, wondering what he might be doing at this moment and whether he might be thinking about her... _Enough Jill_ , she scolded herself. _God helps those who help themselves._ She took one last photo and then filed both the camera and her thoughts of Andrew away.

# Chapter Twenty-Six

The next stop on Jill's itinerary was Florianopolis, or Floripa, as it was called by the locals. Although she had picked the city rather randomly in order to fill in her four-flight pass, now that she had actually had time to do a little research, it was the place that she was most excited to visit. Following the advice of both her guidebook and fellow backpackers she met on route, Jill chose to bypass the sleek, well-to-do heart of the city and travel instead to a small area on the eastern outskirts known as Barra da Lagoa. As promised, here Jill found a veritable haven for travel-weary wanderers. The laid-back little fishing village was nestled around an isolated cove and offered basic services such as restaurants and shops, without having a touristy feel to it. While the local beach was dotted with surf schools catering to the first-time surfer, beaches for more advanced riders were only a bus ride away. Additionally, there was supposed to be a place to go windsurfing nearby. Jill was thrilled by the possibilities.

After securing her belongings in a locker at the hostel, she went out in search of something to eat and an internet café. With a pang of guilt, she realized that in her anguish over Andrew, she had never actually made good on the promise to send her mom a follow-up email. Her parents were probably worried sick by now. She sat down at the computer and tapped out an extra-long, extra-cheery message in an effort to make up for her neglectful behaviour:

Dear Mom and Dad,

How are things back in Denver? Have the leaves fallen yet? Looking out my window today, I can't even imagine such a thing. Today, I am in sunny Florianopolis and everyone is walking around in tank tops and shorts. I know that you are worried about me being in Brazil on my own, but I'm fine. Right now, I am in a little town that's very safe. All of the tourists walk around by themselves (even the girls) and I am told that there are never thefts here. Later on today, I'm going to sign up for surf school for the week. I am determined to look like the girl from "Blue Crush" by the time I leave. I'm also hoping to meet a few other travelers and check out the nightlife. Can you believe that I've been in South America for two weeks and I have yet to dance the salsa? I need to remedy the situation as soon as possible. Anyhow, I hope that all is well, and I'll talk to you soon.

Love,

Jill

Once she had sent it off, she took the time to scan through her own inbox. It was filled with yet more concerned emails from friends and coworkers, and yet again, Jill highlighted them all unread and pressed "delete"- sending them hurtling into cyberspace in one neat little bundle. Vacantly staring at the screen, she felt a little lost; perhaps even a little depressed. Slowly, she realized that she had been looking for something that hadn't been there; a letter from Andrew. But that was ridiculous of course! He didn't have her email address or any way of getting it. Heck, she wasn't even sure if she had ever said her last name more than the one time on the plane. He probably had about just as much a way of getting in touch with her as she did with him. Still... she logged onto Facebook hopefully. Nope. No new friend requests. She quickly closed the window and scolded herself. She would never be able to move ahead if she was constantly looking in the rear-view mirror.

Seeing that she still had 3 minutes of paid time left flashing in the corner of the screen, she seized the opportunity to seek out guidance from the stars. She still hadn't quite forgiven them for their previous betrayal, but she had always been a firm believer in second chances.

" _Pisces, there is a lot of positive energy surrounding you today and those around you can't help but be drawn in like magnets. It is a great day to reconnect with old friends or to strike out and make new ones. Enjoy yourself. It's not every day that you get to be belle of the ball!"_

_Hmmm..._ Jill thought to herself, as she had a flashback of hitting the "delete" button only moments before. Old friends were perhaps not for today. New ones it would have to be then. Smiling to herself, she left the café and set off to sign up for surf lessons.

* * *

Three hours later, she found herself wriggling into an unimaginably tight wetsuit. She felt like Catwoman; however, she felt reasonably certain that her body looked nothing like Anne Hathaway's stuffed uncomfortably into the neoprene. If she wasn't self-conscious enough just wearing the damned thing, the instructor then proceeded to have her class warm-up by doing jumping jacks on the beach. _Come on_ , she silently pleaded as she spied a hot guy on a towel nearby. _Just let us get in the water already!_

Unfortunately, it was only the beginning of her humiliation. The next step in the lesson was to draw a surf board in the sand, lay down on it, and then practice "popping up" on command. The instructor explained that it was to ensure they had proper form prior to trying the real thing, but Jill was doubtful. Perhaps it was necessary to try it a couple of times before going into the water, but she felt relatively sure that the twenty repetitions they did beyond that were purely for the instructor's enjoyment. To make matters worse, she also became aware that the hot towel guy was now openly watching her; his mouth slightly upturned in a smile. Her face burned beet red with both exertion and embarrassment. The last thing that she needed was an audience!

Finally, they were allowed to get into the water. Once she was safely shielded by the waves, Jill felt much more comfortable and actually began to enjoy herself. It didn't matter that she was hopeless; the sun was shining and she was trying something new. Even better, she was trying something that required her full concentration and didn't allow any room for thoughts of Andrew. But hopeless she truly was. Time after time, the instructor patiently steadied her board as she climbed back onto it, and then pushed her forward onto a perfect wave. And time after time, she fell off the board in a matter of seconds; sometimes even less. She was sure that she would be hearing his voice in her sleep tonight. "Paddle, paddle, paddle... pop up!" followed inevitably by "Cover your head!" Oh well, at the very least she was getting a good work out.

By the time the lesson finished, she was famished and she couldn't peel the wet suit off fast enough in order to go in search of food. She settled on the first eating establishment that she laid eyes on- a little taco stand right on the beach, a few buildings down from the surf shop. As she stood in line, mouth already watering with thoughts of melted cheese, she was surprised to feel a gentle tap on her shoulder. She turned around to find none other than "hot towel guy" smiling down at her.

"You looked good out there!" he said, gesturing towards the water.

"Not really," Jill replied grimly. "I'm pretty terrible."

"You really are," he agreed with a small laugh, "but you still looked good. I'm Gabriel." He smiled and extended his hand out towards her.

She was surprised to hear his American accent. Other than Andrew, she had yet to meet any other travelers from the United States. She looked him over more carefully and revised her previous assessment of his looks from hot to cute; very cute in fact. He wasn't quite as tall as Andrew; she estimated him to be about 5'11", but he was broader. His biceps bulged beneath his t-shirts' sleeves and Jill could already picture those beefy arms wrapped around her. He had short dark hair, clear olive skin, and warm brown eyes. His boyish charm was topped off by dimples set deep into his cheeks. Jill wanted to make him smile again just so that she could see them again. She took his hand and shook it, returning his smile. "I'm Jill. Nice to meet you."

"Where abouts are you from Jill?"

"Denver. And yourself?"

"Santa Fe, New Mexico."

_Well, well_ ... Jill thought. _Five and a half hours away. Definitely doable_. Thoughts of Andrew teetered on the edge of her consciousness, but she pushed them safely to the back of her mind. Instead, she allowed the words of the psychic to replay in her ears, _"You will find passion in Brazil."_ Could this be it?

"We're practically neighbors!" Jill exclaimed.

"Well, to celebrate what a small world it is, how about you join me for dinner?" He gestured to the shabby little shack in front of them. "I don't think you really wanted tacos anyway."

Jill looked back at the stand with regret. Actually, she did. Then she took another look at those dimples, waiting patiently for her answer, and blew a kiss to the imagined melted cheese in her mind. _Next time my friend,_ she thought silently, _next time._ "You're right. I guess it is almost 5 o'clock. I'd love to have dinner."

"Great! I know the perfect place."

Shortly afterwards, they were seated at a hole-in-the-wall pub that was decorated with flags from around the world and boasted "The Best Pizza in Brazil!" As the waiter served them a piping hot deep-dish pepperoni masterpiece, Jill was elated. _Oh melted cheese... we meet after all!_ The first bite was pure heaven. She hadn't even realized how much she was missing American food (as unhealthy as it may be) until the grease hit her lips.

"This place is great!" she exclaimed between mouthfuls. "How did you find it?"

"Some guys at my hostel told me about it. Apparently, it's owned by an ex-pat American who used to have a pizza joint in Chicago. I've eaten here almost every night that I've been here. I'm not super keen on Brazilian cuisine."

"Oh. Are you a picky eater?"

"I guess so... or maybe I just have an undeveloped palate. My parents were meat and potatoes kind of folk."

Jill supposed that she could forgive that he was unadventurous when it came to food. One of her favorite things to do was try out new, exotic restaurants; but it was a minor flaw at best.

"I haven't met many Americans here yet. What brings you to Brazil?" she asked.

"I just needed a break from work. Some buddies of mine came a few years ago, and I've always been jealous of their pictures. I kept thinking that I'd meet a nice girl to bring along, but finally got impatient and realized that I'd just have to come alone. Who knows though? Maybe I was supposed to meet a nice girl here." He looked at her meaningfully, and Jill blushed at the obvious advance. Oblivious to her discomfort, he then continued, "And you? What brings you to Brazil?"

"Oh, the same. It was just time for a break from work." She didn't feel like launching into her life story just yet.

"Well then," he replied lifting his beer towards her. "To well-deserved breaks."

"Here, here," Jill agreed tapping her beer against his.

Other than a couple of awkward pauses here and there, the rest of the dinner went smoothly. She learned that he had a twin brother who was already married, that he had wanted to become a doctor until he had realized he couldn't stand the sight of blood; therefore choosing to become a physiotherapist instead, and that he played competitive rugby in his spare time (an odd choice for a sport, Jill pointed out, as the likelihood of seeing blood at some point in the game was relatively high). All in all, he seemed like a pretty great guy. But still...

But still what? Why was she looking for a flaw? _Because he's not Andrew,_ a plaintive, emotional voice answered her. Unbid memories of Andrew flooded her mind; Andrew trading his backpack with hers, Andrew crawling into her sleeping bag to warm her up, Andrew's hazel eyes just before he kissed her... _Enough!_ she stopped herself from allowing the slideshow to continue. This was exactly what she had been afraid of. Here she was, sitting with a nice, good-looking guy, who could potentially be her soul-mate, and she was going to ruin it by dwelling on someone who was probably all wrong for her. She refocused her attention on Gabriel, and realized that he was in the middle of asking her a question.

"I'm having a great time Jill. I already told a few guys back at the hostel that I'd go out with them tonight, but I'd like to see you again. You mentioned that you want to go windsurfing. I wouldn't mind trying it myself. What if we make it a date?"

"That sounds like a lot of fun," Jill answered. "I think it's a bit of a hike to get there. How about we meet at my hostel at 9:00am?"

Gabriel winced a little. "Let's make it 10:30. Have you tried a caipirinha yet?"

"Caipi-what?" she asked, confused.

"Brazil's national cocktail. It packs quite the punch. I'm not sure if I'll be in fighting form yet at 9:00." He smiled, once again drawing her in with those dimples and willing her to forgive the fact that he was putting drinking with the boys above spending time with her.

She smiled back. "Why don't we make it an afternoon event then? 12:30? That way, we don't have to stop for lunch."

"Sounds great. I'll see you then." He leaned in and kissed her... on the cheek.

Infuriatingly, she wasn't even disappointed.

# Chapter Twenty-Seven

For once in her life, Jill was actually running early. As delicious as the pizza the previous night had been, her craving for tacos had lingered and she had headed down to the beach at around 11:30 am to grab some lunch. Now, it was only noon and she still had a half an hour to kill before Gabriel came to get her. She examined her make-up in the mirror and pulled a few more wisps out of her ponytail, then checked her watch again. _Darn! Still 28 minutes to go._ Sighing, she left her bedroom and made her way into the common area, hoping to find a few people to chat with. Unfortunately, it seemed that everyone had already left for the day; likely out soaking up the sun or surfing. Again, she regretted agreeing to such a late start. Pacing restlessly in the lounge, she spied a couple of computers tucked away in the corner; presumably for guest use. She shook her head at the money she had wasted at the café the day before and logged on. Fighting the urge to check her email or Facebook for signs of life from Andrew, she went straight to the horoscope page.

" _Pisces, something in your world today is not moving as quickly as you'd like it to. You are prone to impatience, rushed decisions and snap judgments. Take time to breathe and keep an open mind. Good things come to those who wait!"_

_See!_ Jill told herself. _Just because you weren't dying for Gabriel to kiss you yesterday doesn't mean that there isn't potential there. Isn't that what people always say? That the best relationships start off as friendships and build slowly?_ She promised herself that she would start fresh with Gabriel today and give him a real chance. Marcy told her all of the time that she was too quick to dismiss potential suitors. Well, this time things would be different.

Just then, Gabriel walked in the door and looked around hesitantly. His face lit up when he saw her. If possible, he looked even better today than he had yesterday. He was wearing an emerald green shirt that set off his bronze complexion and he was bright-eyed and clean-shaven. If he had tied one on last night, he hid it well. Jill jumped up from the computer and nervously went to greet him.

"Hi!" she said brightly. "How was your night out? You don't look any worse for the wear."

"Nah, I decided to take it easy. I didn't want to spend my birthday hungover."

Jill's wheels instantly started turning. What was today? September 26th? That made him a Libra. Not her ideal match, but there was definitely potential there. And he had chosen to spend his birthday with her! That must be a sign that things were going well at least on his end. "What? It's your birthday? Well happy birthday! I didn't realize... we should have done something that you wanted to do!"

"But we already are... I get to spend the day with you." His dimpled smile made what would normally have come off as cheesy seem genuine.

Jill laughed nervously. "Well now the pressure's really on. Come on, we might as well get going."

The windsurfing shop proved hard to find. While Jill had expected it to be like the surf camps on the beach- a new one situated every few hundred yards- it turned out that windsurfing wasn't nearly as popular an activity as surfing. They had to walk over a mile to the get to the right area of Florianopolis, and once they got there, none of the locals seemed to be able to give them clear directions on where they might find what they were looking for. Under the heat of the sun, her toes cramping in her flip flops, Jill felt herself getting impatient. She looked up at Gabriel, who still seemed perfectly at ease and remembered her horoscope from that morning. She took a deep breath and calmed herself down. She was with a gorgeous guy in a tropical climate and she should be happy to simply enjoy his company. Acting on impulse, she grabbed his hand and held it as they walked along. In reward, he beamed a dimple-laden smile down at her. She ignored the small voice telling her that holding his hand was strangely unsatisfying and instead chose to be pleased.

At last, they found the small rental shop; thankfully equipped with at least one Brazilian willing to trade lessons for a fee. The only problem was that he didn't speak English, and although Jill had some working knowledge of Spanish, Portuguese was whole different monster. She followed him out to the water; suddenly uncertain as to whether or not this was a good idea. She envisioned a repeat of the failed surf lesson; only this time with the added element of the wind, she worried that she might be carried out to sea. To her great relief and delight; however, she found that they would not be windsurfing in the ocean, but rather in a large saltwater lagoon. Although the body of water was similar in size to the freshwater lakes back home, no matter how far they waded out into the lagoon, its depth remained consistent. At its deepest, the water fell just past her knees. It was the absolute perfect spot for learning! No struggling with waves while trying to get back on the board... all that a person had to do was step on and go.

For Jill, the "go" part turned out to be easy. Even though their guide couldn't speak English, she found it easy to interpret his hand gestures and "splishing" noises. Within no time at all, she was whizzing around in circles, able to turn at will. Unfortunately, Gabriel's communication skills were not so honed. Jill's exhilaration at being able to command the wind was slightly hampered by Gabriel's obvious growing frustration. After he had fallen over for the fifth time trying to execute a turn, Jill jumped off of her own board and waded over, thinking that he might have better luck if she explained the concept in English. To her dismay (and slight annoyance), upon seeing her approach, Gabriel waved her off, angrily muttering, "I'll get it!" She couldn't help but imagine Andrew's reaction if faced with the same scenario. She was sure that he would have found a way to laugh at himself and turn it into a fun day. _Stop it Jill! Comparisons aren't fair._ Nevertheless, after that, the lesson wasn't nearly as fun.

Back on dry land, just as she was trying to figure out how to tactfully ditch her date on his birthday, Gabriel stopped her and took both of her hands in his. "Listen Jill," he said, "I want to apologize for my behaviour back on the water. I know I was being a jerk. Sports are just usually kind of my thing, you know? I guess I'm not used to struggling with anything athletic." He paused and gave her fingers a squeeze. "Especially in front of a pretty girl I'm trying to impress." Then, dropping his head a little, he looked up at her guiltily; both his eyes and dimples pleading for forgiveness. "Would you do a guy a favor on his birthday and give him a second chance? I'd love to take you to dinner."

Jill again remembered her horoscope's warning about making snap judgments and felt her resolve melting. He was just so damned cute! "Ok... but it's your birthday, so I'll take _you_ out for dinner; which also means I get to pick the place!" she declared. "We need to broaden your horizons a little beyond pizza." Jill thought that she saw his face fall a little, but he was a good sport about it.

"Ok. As long as they've got chicken, I guess I'll live."

* * *

Deciding to take advantage of their proximity to the ocean, Jill chose a festive-looking restaurant specializing in seafood. True to his word, Gabriel found the only chicken dish on the menu and ordered it without the sauce or spices; no small feat considering that the waiter only spoke Portuguese. Jill, for her part, chose the house specialty- a spicy shrimp dish that had her reeling with pleasure upon the first bite. Nothing beat seafood fresh from the sea. Feeling flirtatious, she pouted until Gabriel was willing to try some. Face contorted with disgust, he popped the bite into his mouth and chewed carefully, contemplating the flavour.

"It's not bad," he granted, "but I think I'll stick with the chicken."

"Well, I'll give you points for trying." Jill laughed. She had to admit that she was having a good time. Now that they were getting more comfortable with each other, their conversation flowed more easily. He wasn't as funny as Andrew ( _Argh! Enough with the comparisons!)_ , but he was smart and interesting. She was sure that any one of her girlfriends would be drooling over the table right about now.

As they finished their dessert, the lights in the restaurant unexpectedly dimmed and a band took to a small stage at the back of the restaurant. Waiters hustled to move tables, clearing space for a dance floor; and a sultry Latin beat filled the air. Jill smiled at Gabriel, and shouted over the noise. "This is so cool! It must turn into a nightclub in the evenings!"

Gabriel extended his hand out to her. "Would you care to dance?"

Jill was elated. Finally! She was going to get to salsa in South America! She took his hand eagerly and let him lead her out onto the floor. He was an excellent dancer. Although she had never danced to this kind of music before, she had no trouble following his lead. In no time at all, their feet and hips were moving in rhythm and they looked almost as good as the natives. _Ok, not even close,_ Jill admitted to herself, _but pretty damned good for Gringos!_ Still it was strange; even though the atmosphere was incredibly romantic, and even though she was close enough to smell his intoxicating aftershave, she just couldn't equate the experience to anything sexual. To Jill, the vibe between them was more that of friends, or even worse, siblings. She again thought about the horoscope's advice to keep an open mind, but she shook her head at the thought. She didn't need any guidance on this one. There simply wasn't any chemistry between her and Gabriel. She had finally learned to trust her heart; she only wished it had been sooner, back when she had still had the chance to be with Andrew.

When the evening came to a close, Gabriel walked her back to her hostel but she stopped him at the door. "I had a great time tonight. Thanks for taking me out."

"I did too," he replied, leaning in for the goodnight kiss.

Jill looked at the dimples one last time, sighed and dodged it; pulling him instead into a hug and kissing him on the cheek. "Happy Birthday Gabriel! You're a great guy."

He smiled sadly, disappointment clearly in his eyes, but he let her go. "Well, enjoy the rest of your time in Brazil."

"I will. You too."

# Chapter Twenty-Eight

Sitting on the beach in Rio de Janeiro, Jill couldn't believe that it was her last day in Brazil already. The rest of her time had flown by. After the whole Gabriel episode, she had given up on the idea of finding passion in Brazil and instead, had resolved to simply enjoy the days that she had left. It had been silly to believe the psychic in the first place. Why would her destiny lie waiting in a country she had never intended on visiting? And even if it did, the truth was, she was still so hung up on Andrew that she would never recognize it. Perhaps fate had brought her here, but her free-will had irrevocably thwarted it.

Not that she had wasted her chance for adventure. In fact, she had done anything but. Once she had freed herself from the need to look for heavenly signs at every turn, she had had a marvelous time. She had gone back to the surf camp every day until, as much to her instructor's amazement as her own; she was able to consistently ride a wave right in to the beach. She had also made more of an effort to meet other people staying in the hostel. She now had friends from all around the world; and given some cachaça liquor, fresh limes and ice, she could make the national cocktail flawlessly. Yes, it had been a great trip.

Sighing, she adjusted her towel and took in her surroundings. As beautiful as the beach was, she was even more captivated by the people around her; each with his or her own little story and reason for being there. She smiled as she spotted two nuns, in full habits, walking along the beach amongst the scantily clad bronzed goddesses. Near the shoreline, a little boy of about three filled a bucket with sand, only to empty it right back out again and happily start over. To her left, a young couple- clearly on their honeymoon- seemed oblivious to the fact that there was anyone on the beach but them; while only a few yards away, an impromptu soccer game between a throng of teenage boys was in full swing. Jill felt a sudden need to capture it all. As of yet, her camera had sat mostly unused in Rio. She could buy a hundred different postcards that framed the Jesus statue far better than she could, and at the click of a mouse, she could fill her computer screen with fifty different ocean scenes. But this... this life around her, was something different. All of these personal stories would never be replayed in quite the same way again. She pulled out her camera and started shooting.

At first, she worried that she would be caught out at taking pictures of people rather than scenery; however, as she looked around she realized that the beach was so crowded, it would be impossible to take a shot that _didn't_ have at least one person in it. And people were taking pictures everywhere. She relaxed and began to enjoy herself- playing with the angles, trying out her zoom, switching from colour to black and white. She was just focusing in on a sweet couple in their seventies as they stole a kiss on a bench, when she was startled by a voice from behind her. "Excuse me..."

Embarrassed, Jill swivelled around, expecting to see the angry face of one of her recent photo subjects. Instead, standing there and looking rather apologetic, was a young woman in a floaty white dress flanked by a handsome young man in a linen suit.

"We couldn't help but notice you taking pictures," the girl said tentatively. "Are you by chance a photographer?"

Jill blushed and in that moment wished that she were. At least then she could claim that she was taking pictures of strangers in the name of Art. "No, I'm not," she replied self-consciously. "I was just taking some photos as keepsakes."

The girl's face fell and she dug her toe into the sand, clearly feeling uncomfortable in the conversation. "Oh... well you see, my husband and I just got married. We eloped to avoid the cost and fuss of a big wedding." She looked at her husband lovingly before continuing. "We just think a wedding is more about the promise between two people than about the whole production, you know? Anyways... when we planned it out, we kind of forgot to hire a photographer."

"It's such a special day for us," the groom cut in. "We'd like a few pictures to remember it by. I know that you're not a photographer, but would you mind taking a few photos of us anyway? We just don't have anyone else to ask." He dug a camera out of his bag and extended it to Jill. "Please?"

Hesitantly, she took the camera and examined it. It was much larger and clearly more expensive than her own, and included a bulky, zooming lens and pop-up flash. Good or bad, at least the photos would be of high quality. "I'll do my best, but I'm really not a photographer," she finally answered.

"Thank-you so much!" the girl exclaimed excitedly. "I'm Anise, and this is Luc."

"I'm Jill. Congratulations by the way!" After shaking both of their hands, she scanned the beach for a spot where there wouldn't be unwanted guests in the frame. Coming up empty, she pointed down the coastline. "Do you mind if we go for a bit of a walk? I think it will be hard to take good photos here. It's too crowded."

Anise looked at her new husband, who simply shrugged his shoulders. "Sure, why not?"

It took them almost twenty minutes, but eventually they managed to find an unpopulated nook further along the coast; and Luc and Anise happily stood in front of the ocean waiting for their picture to be taken. As she looked at the viewfinder; however, Jill was unsatisfied with the shot. The standard vacation photo of the smiling couple somehow seemed inadequate given the importance of the day.

"Do you mind if we try something?" Jill shouted over the roar of the ocean. "I think I have an idea!"

She skipped over to where Luc and Anise stood and drew a heart around them in the sand, then took a few steps away and looked back through the lens. _Still not right._ She scanned the beach. Spotting a large rock jutting from the sand, she climbed up and balanced herself precariously on it so that she stood at least four feet above the couple. She then instructed them to embrace while gazing at each other rather than at the camera. _There!_ Jill thought as she looked at the screen with satisfaction. _That looks more like a wedding photo!_

"Ok... that's better," she called down to them. "But I think I have a few more ideas."

The photo session lasted almost half an hour. Despite the fact that both bride and groom looked at her skeptically every time she asked them to try a new pose, neither objected. Jill figured that they were probably too polite to complain after having already begged her for the favor.

Looking back through the shots and deleting the ones that she didn't like, Jill was finally pleased with the results. There were at least a few photos worthy of framing, especially if the couple took the time to do a little digital editing; she suspected from the quality of the camera that at least one of the two was a mild photography enthusiast. Among Jill's favorites were one of the happy couple walking hand and hand into the surf and one of Anise with Luc pinned against a rock, leaning in for a kiss.

"Ok, I think we're done!" she called out walking towards them. She handed over the camera with a flutter of nerves, surprising herself at how much she cared what they thought of her work.

Luc took the camera and held it up so that he and his new wife could look at the photos together. As they scrolled, Jill tried to read their expressions; her heart quickening.

At last Anise looked up, a look of pure joy on her face. "These are incredible!" she said, throwing her arms around Jill. "Thank-you so much! I don't know what we would have done without you!"

Luc, for his part, was still scrolling back and forth between the pictures. "These really are amazing. Are you sure you aren't a photographer?" he asked suspiciously.

Jill laughed. "Positive."

"Well you should think about becoming one," he declared. "These photos are better than those of some of my friends who paid a professional thousands of dollars to do the job. We just can't thank you enough."

Jill said her goodbyes and went back to sunbathing for the rest of the day. As she lay on the beach, she thought back to what Luc had said. She did love taking pictures, and she loved talking to new people. She especially loved celebrations. Was it such a crazy idea? Out of the blue, the words of the psychic ran through her mind... " _You will find passion in Brazil_." Perhaps she had.

# Chapter Twenty-Nine

Jill got off the plane in Denver and scanned the crowd. There they were; all three of them- her own personal well-dressed welcome wagon. Leslie was busy checking her Blackberry, but did manage to look up and smile before going back to work; while Adrianna and Marcy waved like frantic lunatics. Ah, it was good to be home. She walked over and gave each of them hugs.

"You guys didn't all have to come to pick me up!" she exclaimed happily.

"Of course we did. We've missed you!" Adrianna declared.

"And we're dying to hear about your trip!" Marcy added.

Jill laughed. "Well, _I_ still need to hear all about Adrianna's honeymoon."

Adrianna blushed. As always, reluctant to be the center of the attention she said, "I'd much rather hear about you. I've had to tell honeymoon stories to every person I've seen for the past two weeks."

"Ok," Jill allowed. "I'll give you a break... but I _will_ want to hear about it eventually. I've always wanted to go to Jamaica."

With Leslie at the wheel, they drove a breakneck speed back to Jill's apartment, where the girls insisted on helping her with her bags.

"It's really ok," Jill protested. "I carried everything all through South America on my own. I think I can handle one flight of stairs." Granted, she had added a couple of bags of gifts to her load at the airport, but it was still manageable. Still, all three girls insisted on grabbing something.

As she walked through the door, Jill smiled and realized why they had been so intent on coming up to the apartment. Hung across the ceiling was a large banner reading "Welcome home Jill!" Beneath it sat a vase of fresh flowers, a platter of heavily frosted cupcakes, a chilled bottle of her favorite wine, and four wine glasses.

"You guys!" she gushed. "How did you do this?"

"Marcy had a key!" Adrianna exclaimed proudly.

Marcy, who was already on her way to the bedroom with Jill's backpack, threw it roughly into the room and closed the door. "You can unpack later. We want to see some pics!"

Marcy poured the wine while Leslie connected Jill's camera to her laptop. A few minutes later, they were all happily snuggled around Jill on the couch; licking frosting from their fingers and ready for the show.

"You know... _I_ haven't even gone through my pictures yet," Jill mused. "I try not to flip back through them too much because it wastes the battery. So this will be as exciting for me as it is for you." She paused to take another sip of her wine. "Hopefully there aren't any in here that I don't want you guys to see!" she joked as she clicked on the icon that read "View Slideshow".

The first few pictures were the ones she had taken that first morning in Cuzco. _The day I met up with Andrew in the coffee shop_ , Jill thought with a pang as she quickly flipped through them. Next up were various ruins along the Inca Trail. She took her time going through these ones; pausing to share a few facts about the Incas that the guide had told her, and to share some anecdotes about what the hike was like. They were all laughing at a photo of one of the trail's seatless toilets when Jill clicked again and there he was. Her breath caught in her throat and it felt as though a fist were tightly clenching itself around her heart. There they both were actually. Arms around each other, beaming up at the camera; it was the picture that Juan had taken of her and Andrew in front of Machu Picchu. The girls honed in on it immediately.

"Ooh... who's that?" Marcy purred.

"Oh, just a guy in my hiking group," Jill said trying to downplay the significance of the picture. She didn't feel like she could talk about Andrew just yet and hoped they would move on.

"He doesn't look like just a guy," Leslie accused. "You guys look downright cozy!"

"He's really cute," Adrianna joined in. "What's his name?"

"Andrew." Just saying it was hard. Jill hoped that they wouldn't hear the waver in her voice, but no such luck.

"Oh my God!" Leslie cried. "You slept with him! We want the full story. Details please!"

Marcy; however, who had always seemed to understand her best, sensed that it was a delicate matter. "Jill, honey. Are you ok? Do you want to talk about it?"

Jill sniffed, letting a little sob escape. "Not right now. Maybe a little down the road, but I don't think I'm ready yet."

"Ok then," Marcy said clicking onto the next picture herself and sending a warning look to the other girls on the couch. "We won't badger you about it, but when you're ready, we're here."

"Thanks," Jill said, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. She looked back at the screen. The next picture was taken in Salvador. She took a deep breath and continued to tell them about the rest of the trip.

The girls "oohed" and "aahed" appropriately over the pictures of the waterfalls, but seemed most impressed by the photos she had taken on the beach that last day in Rio.

"Oh my goodness Jill!" Adrianna exclaimed. "These are beautiful! I didn't know you were into photography!"

"Well, I wasn't really." Jill shrugged. "I just found something about the people on the beach fascinating."

Even Adrianna stopped texting long enough to scrutinize the photos. "These look almost professional... kind of like editorial photos or something."

"On that note..." Jill wrung her hands nervously. "I think I might know what I want to do instead of working in advertising."

Three pairs of eyes turned to look at her expectantly.

"I think..." Jill looked at her lap, afraid of what their reaction might be. "I think that I might want to go back to school and take some photography courses. I think I want to be a photographer."

She peered up through her eyelashes, bracing herself for their reaction.

Adrianna was the first to respond. "That's fantastic Jill!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around Jill's shoulders and squeezing.

Jill looked around to the others. She had expected nothing but support from Adrianna. In fact, she was sure that had she told Adrianna that she wanted to fulfill a lifelong dream of becoming an exotic dancer, she would have been met by the exact same enthusiasm. It was the other two that were the hard sell.

After some deliberation, she saw Marcy slowly nod her head. "I actually think that's a pretty good fit for your Jill. You've always been super creative. There's no question about that. What kind of photography? Like for magazines and stuff?"

"No," Jill shook her head. "I don't think so. I was thinking more like weddings, babies, family portraits..."

Marcy smiled and nodded her head with more conviction. "Well now I think it's perfect! You can combine your artsy side with your gift for putting people at ease. I'm sure that you'll have customers lining up in no time!"

"Actually..." Leslie cut in. Jill readied herself for the reality check that she knew was coming. "I think I might even be able to hook you up with your first client."

Jill grinned from ear to ear, elated that her plan had garnered approval from even her toughest critic. As she waited for Leslie to elaborate, her eyes rested on the full glass of wine that still sat untouched beside her friend.

Her face beaming, Leslie continued, "You can take my baby bump photos in 6 months..." she paused for dramatic effect. "I'm pregnant!"

All at once, all four girls were on their feet, laughing, hugging and crying. Adrianna was the first to break away, and ever the thoughtful hostess, quickly switched out Leslie's wine glass for one filled instead with club soda. Handing the glass back to Leslie, she yelled above the commotion, "Well I propose a toast!" The girls quieted down to hear her immediately; it was rare for Adrianna to raise her voice. "To new beginnings!" she declared gleefully.

"To new beginnings!" they echoed.

As they clinked glasses, Jill put away her anguished thoughts of Andrew for another day. _Who needs men_ , she thought contentedly, _when you have such great women in your life?_

# Chapter Thirty

"I can't believe we're finally doing this!" Marcy trilled as she poured herself a second cup of tea and joined the other three girls on the couch.

Three months had passed since Jill's return from South America and the three of them were once again crowded around her laptop, looking at the screen with anticipation. The only difference in the scene was that out of respect for Leslie-who was now sporting a most definitive baby bump- caramel rooibos tea had replaced their usual red wine. Instead of looking at photos; however, they were building an online dating profile for Jill.

"Ok... I'll do the writing, but I need your guys' help," Jill explained. "I want to sound open to love, but not desperate."

And that was exactly how she felt. It had taken some time to get over Andrew. In fact, she had done all but hang up "Missing" posters in order to try and track him down, but she had eventually realized that she had to move on. If nothing else, the experience had taught her the importance of taking fate into her own hands and trusting her own heart. Whereas she used to view online dating as a final act of desperation, she now saw it for what it was- the decision to be the director of her story rather than to simply play a passive role. She brought the website onto the screen and clicked on "Create Profile" with confidence.

The first step was taking a personality test. That part was easy... fun almost. Granted, the girls had to force her to be a little more honest than she perhaps might have been otherwise, but she reasoned that it was likely for the best as she was more likely to be matched with compatible prospects. Next came the hard part; writing her profile. Here, the girls took over. After three rewrites and even more giggle fits, Jill thought that what they came up with wasn't half bad:

I am a cute natural blonde; and although my hair color in no way reflects my intelligence level, I do like to believe the saying that "Blondes have more fun!" In terms of my ideal night out, I enjoy getting dressed to the nines now and again, but I am far happier at home surrounded by good food and good friends. I also love to travel and can't wait to find someone to share my adventures with. Although I already have a university degree in Marketing, I have recently developed a passion for photography and have gone back to school in the hopes of turning my hobby into something more profitable. I am looking for someone who is confident and caring; I find a keen sense of humor particularly irresistible. I am also a hopeless romantic, so yes... I will expect flowers on Valentine's Day ;) One small warning about my guilty pleasure... I love reading my daily horoscope and have even been known to consult with the occasional psychic. No need to worry though; I know what I want out of life and I am ready to take charge of my own destiny! Perhaps, with some luck, it might include you.

Lastly came Jill's search preferences. "Pictures only?" she read aloud.

"Definitely!" Marcy stated as she grabbed the laptop and checked off the option.

"Now wait a minute," Jill protested. "I don't know if I want to rule out guys just because they don't have their picture posted."

"Trust me," Leslie chimed in. "If they don't have a picture up, it's because they know that they're not good-looking enough to get responses by posting one. I know you're not shallow Jill, but they have to be _somewhat_ attractive."

"I don't know..." Jill pondered. "What if they just don't want the whole world to know that they're dating online? Most people will send a picture if you ask. I'm not going to post _my_ picture for the world to see, and I'm not hideous." She pushed Marcy's hand off of the touchpad and deselected the little box.

"I think that was the last question," Adrianna said excitedly.

"Well then, I think we're done here!" Marcy exclaimed triumphantly as she clicked on the "Submit" button at the bottom of the screen. "Look out men of Denver. Jillian Kozak is coming for you!"

# Chapter Thirty-One

Several days later, Jill was looking over her matches when one profile in particular caught her eye. "Searching for my soul-mate," the title read. There was no picture, but the writer described himself as "tall, easy on the eyes, and funny- some might even say witty." What impressed Jill more than the writer's description of himself was his description of the girl he was looking for _: "I'd like to meet someone who is energetic, confident, and who has a good sense of humor. This girl knows what she wants and isn't afraid to go for it, but also doesn't take life too seriously. Looks are always nice, but above all, I want someone to enjoy the little moments with- a shared cup of coffee in the morning, comfortable silence at the end of a hard day, a knowing smile when we share a private joke. The girl of my dreams isn't perfect; she's just perfect for me."_

Jill read the profile over twice before making up her mind. Attaching a few photos of herself, she wrote and erased several messages before settling on a simple, "Hi!" She hoped that EZgoing32 didn't dismiss her as boring.

To her surprise, she received a response almost immediately. A small box with the words "I think we should meet" appeared on her screen. She looked at the profile again, and realized that EZgoing32 was currently online and chatting with her via instant message.

She thought for a second and then quickly typed back, "Don't you think that's being a little forward?"

The response was again almost immediate, "Well, you contacted me... so I would argue that _you_ are the one who's being forward ;)"

Jill laughed. She couldn't argue with his logic. "Hmmm... why are you so sure you want to meet me?" she asked.

This time, the response took a little longer to arrive. "I like your profile. You sound fun. I especially like the _"I'm ready to take charge of my own destiny"_ part. At this point, I'm really looking for someone who is ready for a mature relationship. Not to mention the fact that you're gorgeous!"

Jill smiled. A girl could never get too many compliments, and he had actually read her profile... She couldn't believe that she was already considering meeting this guy. "Can I at least see a photo of you?" she typed.

"But that will ruin our chance of love at first sight!" he responded.

Jill giggled. "But you've already seen a photo of me..."

"Exactly! The odds are already down by 50%."

Jill thought about it. Could she meet someone sight unseen? What if he was morbidly obese, or sixty years old? "Pleeaaaase ?" she typed back.

"Not now that we've already been talking," he answered. "If you refuse to meet me after I send my photo, I'll forever think that it was because of my horrendous looks!"

Jill thought about it. It was true. If he sent the photo, she would have to meet him anyway because she couldn't bear the thought of hurting his feelings. She made up her mind. _Might as well enjoy the element of mystery!_ "Ok, when and where should we meet?"

They agreed on Starbucks, Saturday, at 2:00pm.

"How will I know that it's you?" Jill asked.

"You don't really need to. I'll know it's you.  But just in case, I'll be wearing a grey wool sweater."

"Ok, sounds good." Jill typed. "See you on Saturday!"

"Until Saturday, my lady."

EZGoing32 logged off, leaving Jill staring at the screen. _My lady_ ... _Why does that sound so familiar?_ she thought to herself. It was an odd thing to say in this day in age. She shrugged it off and tried to imagine what he might look like. It was hard without knowing his real name. _Oops!_ she thought. _I forgot to ask for his name!_ This online dating thing was turning out to be harder than she had expected. _Oh well_ , she thought, _I'll just have to ask on the date. It'll add another fun surprise._ She shrugged again and picked up the phone to call Marcy and tell her the good news.

Between school and homework, Saturday rolled around much sooner than Jill could have imagined. Marcy sat on her bed, with little Callie playing on the floor, as the two contemplated the contents of Jill's closet.

"How about this?" Jill said, holding up a dark blue wrap dress and a chunky gold necklace.

"No, that looks like it's meant more for the office than for a date..." Marcy said, waving a dismissive hand at the outfit.

"Maybe this then?" Jill asked, pulling out a cream sweater dress.

"Hmmm... it's got potential. That dress always looks amazing on you. I don't know though... I think it might be trying too hard. You want to be comfortable. What would you wear if you were going out with me and the girls?"

Jill stood back and surveyed the closet one more time. She snapped her fingers, "I've got it!" She pulled out her favorite pair of skinny jeans, brown riding boots, a soft navy sweater and a bright yellow scarf.

"Now that is you," Marcy said approvingly.

Jill ducked into the en-suite bathroom to change. She had just finished putting on the jeans and had one arm in her sweater when she heard Marcy's muffled voice through the door.

"What's that?" Jill said, walking back out of the bedroom as she finished pulling the sweater over her head. "I couldn't hear you from the bathroom."

Marcy was looking at her with her head cocked to the side, a rueful smile on her face. "Nothing important... Say, isn't that awfully sexy underwear for a first date? Let alone, a first date with a guy you haven't even seen a _photo_ of yet!"

Jill blushed. Marcy must have glimpsed her lavender silk bra when she was pulling on the sweater. Jill would never tell Marcy, but she was wearing the matching panties too. "It's just underwear. It doesn't mean I'm going to _do_ anything!" she said defensively.

"Of course not!" Marcy agreed, but kept smiling that wicked grin of hers to let Jill know that she didn't believe her for a minute.

"Well, you never know I guess... just in case," Jill admitted, turning an even deeper shade of crimson. "I can't explain it, but I just have a good feeling about this one!"

Marcy gave her a worried look. "Just don't get your hopes up too high, ok honey? This is your first time trying the online dating thing. Trust me. I've done it, and I know lots of other girls who have done it. You have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your prince."

"Don't worry," Jill reassured her. "If he turns out to be a total dweeb, I'll still give the online thing another chance."

"Good," Marcy sighed in relief.

"That actually reminds me," Jill said, snapping her fingers. "Can you call me at 2:30? If it's going terribly, I'll tell him that you need an emergency babysitter and that I've got to go."

"You got it. Ooh, can we make up a code so that I know what he looks like?"

"I guess so...what do you have in mind?"

"Hmmm... I'll ask you how the traffic downtown was. If you say, "There was a lot of construction," that will mean he's a lost cause. "Pretty good up until Fourth Street," means that he's good enough for a second date, and "I hit green lights all the way here!" means he's a total babe. Got it?"

Jill giggled. "I think so. If I say "It was the worst I've ever seen it," that will mean I've been kidnapped by a serial killer and you need to call 9-1-1."

"Don't even joke about those things!" Marcy said seriously. "Alright darling, Callie and I are due at baby swim lessons in half an hour. Are you going to be alright without me?"

"I think I'll manage. One last question though...What do you think? Hair up or hair down?"

"Low side-pony," Marcy answered decisively. "It gives the whole outfit a soft, romantic look."

Jill agreed. She thanked her friend, walked her to the door and waved good-bye, then went back to her room to finish her hair and make-up. Once she was ready to go, she glanced at the clock and debated doing a quick check of her horoscope before setting off. _Nope,_ she told herself firmly, _you are taking fate into your own hands. You will decide for yourself whether or not you like EasyGoing32._ Giddy with excitement, she climbed into her car.

* * *

Ironically enough, it turned out that traffic _was_ the worst she had ever seen it. Although she had given herself plenty of time to get there, she parked in front of the coffee shop a good ten minutes after the agreed-upon hour. She hoped that EZGoing32 hadn't given up on her. They hadn't exchanged info, so she couldn't even text to say that she was running late.

She walked into the coffee shop and scanned the crowd for either a grey wool sweater or a friendly face waving her over. Luckily, there was only one grey sweater in the place, and upon seeing the golden curls on the back of the head above it, Jill's heart stopped. Suddenly, it all slid into place. _My lady_ , she thought, and a deluge of memories swept through her mind: Andrew on the airplane, "After you, my lady..."; Andrew tackling the zipper on her backpack, "Can I help you, my lady..."; Andrew talking about rollerblading with his dog, "My Lady loves it..."

Jill approached the table with her heart in her throat. She wasn't sure what she would do if the man in the sweater turned out to be someone else. The closer she got; however, the more clearly she could see the alpaca wool and the more sure she became. "I thought that sweater was a gift!" she said lightly, coming up from behind him.

Beautiful, hazel eyes looked up from the table. "It was, but the girl I gave it to disappeared, so I couldn't give it back to her," Andrew said with a smile. Jill noted; however, that it didn't reach his eyes.

"It's you," she breathed, at a loss for words.

"It's you," he echoed, taking in the sight of her. As she sat down, his smile vanished. "You never called me," he said softly, looking deeply wounded.

"I wanted to!" she said in a rush. "I wanted to email you the very first day I left and say that I had made a mistake, but I was mugged and a kid stole my journal! I tried to look you up, but you're not on Facebook! I even thought about trying to track you down at work, but you never did tell me what company you worked for."

"Really?" Andrew asked, dumbfounded.

"Really," Jill replied quietly. Now it was her turn to be a little hurt. "I kept thinking that you would figure it out and find a way to contact me."

"Jill," Andrew said in disbelief, "the last thing I said to you was "Don't call me unless you know you want to be with me." When I didn't hear from you, I assumed that you must have realized that you didn't; or worse yet, that you actually met that true love of yours in Brazil! I was heartbroken."

Jill smiled. "Well, I did find passion in Brazil..."

Andrew looked aghast.

"In photography Andrew! I realized that I love taking pictures. I've been going to school for the past three months to learn to be a photographer."

"So the psychic was right then?"

"Maybe... about some things at least."

"That's great, Jill. I'm glad you found something you love." Andrew was smiling, and this time it was sincere.

Jill smiled back at him hopefully. "Me too, but now I'm worried that I've lost something I love."

"And what's that?" Andrew asked. A small grin played on his lips, leading Jill to believe that he knew exactly what she meant, but was going to make her explicitly say it.

She let out a big sigh and confessed, "Andrew, I'm crazy about you. I've missed you since that last day in Cuzco. I don't care if you're a Gemini, or if you snore, or if I have to kill all the spiders in our house. I'm willing to work on all of it; on us. I meant what I said in my profile. I'm ready to take fate into my own hands." She looked down as she finished, afraid that she might be too late.

"You think that we'll have a house together? Wow, that's moving a little fast, don't you think?" he chuckled.

Jill's head snapped up in alarm, but she quickly realized that he was joking.

"Jill, I've known I wanted to be with you since you wrinkled your cute little nose at me on the plane. I love the way you blush when you're embarrassed, I love the way you pout when you're mad. I even love that you sweat like a man when you work out."

"Hey!" she said, crossing her arms angrily. "That's not true!"

"See! There's that pouty face I love so much now!" His smile faded and he adopted a more serious demeanor; looking straight into her eyes and taking her hands in his. "I love you Jill. You're my soul-mate. A pain in the ass, but still, my soul-mate. Will you, Jillian Kozak, go on another date with me?"

Jill laughed. "I will."

As soon as she said it, he kissed her fiercely, and somewhere deep within her, fireworks went off. She wrapped her hands around his neck and surrendered into the kiss, the heat between them mounting quickly. Only when the table next to them burst into applause did she remember that they had an audience. She reluctantly pulled away from Andrew and tried to compose herself.

"Maybe we should go somewhere more private to catch up?" she suggested breathlessly.

"My apartment is only a block away." Andrew seemed just as dishevelled as she was.

They quickly cleaned off their table and walked out of the restaurant hand in hand. As they rode the elevator up to his apartment; standing behind her, he wrapped his arms around her and lightly kissed her neck just below her ear. By the time they actually made it to his door, she was already aching for him. He fumbled with the keys, anxiously trying to find the right one. He had just managed to turn the lock when Jill's cell phone rang.

"Oh no!" Jill moaned in agony. "I forgot that I told Marcy to call at 2:30. I have to answer or she'll think that my blind date kidnapped me."

"Hi!" Jill said hastily into the receiver.

Hearing the hurried tone, Marcy wasted no time and went straight to the rehearsed conversation. "How was the drive downtown?"

_Shoot_ , Jill thought in a panic, _I can't remember the code phrase!_ By this time, Andrew had led her to the bed and had managed to quietly unzip her boots and remove them for her. He had also removed his own shirt and stood before her in nothing but faded jeans. Jill could count all six of his sculpted abs. Truth be told, she was so distracted that she would have had trouble remembering her own name were someone to ask her for it. Giving up on finding the right words, she finally exclaimed "Fucking fantastic!" and hung up the phone.

Andrew looked down at her oddly. "Why Jill, this is a side of you I've never seen before."

"Just get over here," Jill nearly growled back at him and he obediently did as he was told. There was no slow exploration this time. Instead, they reached for each other in urgency. As Andrew unzipped his jeans, Jill yanked off her sweater. Andrew was on top of her in a second, making his way deftly but quickly down the length of her body with passionate kisses. He paused for a minute at her breasts, and took a moment to fully appreciate the sight of her in her bra. Suddenly, he got a mischievous glint in his eye. "Your bra... it's purple!" he exclaimed.

Jill was caught off guard and it took her a second to process what he had said. At the same time, Andrew continued with his kisses down her stomach before pausing just above the zipper of her jeans.

"Does that mean..." he asked in wonder as he slowly undid the jeans and wriggled them down her hips, exposing the delicate lavender satin and lace underneath. Andrew looked like he had seen heaven. "Oh my God," he whispered to the panties, stroking them, along with her, lovingly with his fingertips. "After all this time... we meet at last."

###

Thank-you for reading this book. If you enjoyed it, please take a moment to leave a review at your favorite retailer's website. Thanks! _\- Michelle Tangedal_

# About the Author

Michelle grew up in small-town Saskatchewan, Canada. Lured by scholarships to the University of Alberta, she then completed a Bachelor of Commerce and an after-degree in Education. Michelle currently teaches high school math in Calgary, Alberta; but has recently rekindled her passion for writing. After seven years spent encouraging her students to work towards their dreams, she finally decided that it was time to actively pursue one of her own. _Written in the Stars_ is Michelle's first novel.

# Acknowledgements

First off, and most importantly, a big thank-you goes out to my husband who was extremely supportive when I announced out of the blue that I wanted to be an author. Throughout the unlikely process, he always treated it as a serious endeavour and never once complained when he came home to find me editing a chapter rather than preparing dinner. I could not have done it without him.

Another thank-you goes out to Lisa and Matt, my partners in crime during my adventures in South America; who so generously helped me to recall details of the trip when needed.

Thank-you to my high school English teacher, Mr. Greg Digout, without whom I would still make countless pronoun antecedent mistakes.

Finally, thank-you to all of my family and friends; who didn't laugh when I told them that I was writing a novel, but rather seemed certain that I would be successful. Had you all not had so much confidence in me, I would not have had nearly as much in myself.

