Sneak Peak Husbands
Alissa reached out for her chair, but found nothing.  She opened her eyes slowly and glanced around.
"Where am I?" she wondered aloud.
"In your mind.  I thought this would be the best place to discuss my gift," the older man said.  Alissa sat up immediately and looked around.  Sure enough her office was gone.  She found herself in a world of ordered shelves.  Clocks filled any available space between, above, beneath, and even on the shelves.  Yet somehow the clocks were all align and matched perfectly.  Everything about this world was in order, except the ticking of the clocks.  They ticked mercilessly and many were moving much too quickly.  One or two hands seemed to be blurs as they moved around the face.  The young broker sat up and put a hand to her head.  The ticking seemed to drive the throbbing in her head faster and faster.
"What....what gift?" was all she could think to ask.  The man smiled, glad she was not going to ask about her surroundings any more.  He held out his hand for her. Alissa reached up, expecting him to help her up.  Instead she found he patted it gently and crouched down to look into her eyes.
"You're lonely aren't you?  Why haven't you dated anyone?"
"I date people," Alissa said, immediately taking the defensive.
"You know that's not what II meant my child."
"Well...I just want to be sure before I let myself fall in love.  I want someone who will go on to accomplish things.  I  need to be sure."
"And that will make you happy?  To know the future of these boys?"
"Umm, I suppose.  Yes, yes that is what I need, just to have assurance," Alissa said.  The man smiled at her gently and touched her forehead.
"Then so be it.  You shall now be able to see what the future holds for each young man you meet.  Now this future is guaranteed.  Most people are fairly predictable that way, but if they ever do anything too drastic then you'll be able to see that future instead.  Do you understand?"
"I..I think so, but how will I know?"
"You'll see.  Now wake up, your secretary is worried about you," the man said as the room got darker and darker until Alissa realized she her eyes were closed.  She opened them slowly and looked around.  An anxious, care-worn face looked down at her.
"Miss?  Are you...are you okay?  You hit your head pretty hard on the desk.  I've called the ambulance," the secretary said.
"You called the...no, no!  No ambulance," Alissa said standing too quickly.  Her head felt dark as her vision blurred and she sat back down in her chair.
"I'm fine.  I need...I have work to do," she said.
"But Miss...you've been out for an awful long time.  Probably the whole half hour.  Your intern found you just a few minutes ago," said the secretary.  Alissa sat there for a moment letting that register.
"My intern? What time was it when he came in?"
"I'm not sure, it's just after 8:30 now.  He would have to have been early,"
"Early?  But...now...I've been out for a half hour?"
"I just told you that...Oh no!  You have amnesia!" the secretary said, beginning to panic.    She grabbed Alissa's hand and knelt in front of her.
"Miss, what's your name?  Can you remember you name?"
"Yes.  It's Alissa."
"Oh.  What's my name?"
"Umm, I don't know.  Did I ever know?"
"No!  Oh thank goodness you're okay!" the secretary said, hugging Alissa.  As the air left her lungs, she began to remember the man from her dream...
"Did a gentleman leave my office during the past half hour?"
"No Miss!  You've been alone in here the whole time!"  Alissa noticed her secretary needed to file her nails.  Well, at least she wasn't wasting the company's money like other secretaries.  Footsteps in the hall reminded Alissa she needed to ask again about putting in carpets.  Men in uniforms were in the doorway with a stretcher.
"Did she get up on her own?" they asked the secretary.  She nodded.
"I'm fine.  I don't want to..."
"You're going Alissa.  Now be quiet or I'll fire you!" her boss said, entering the room.  Alissa was shocked into silence.  Not because of his statement, but rather because of what she was seeing.  The men in uniforms.  Her boss.  The dream?  Could it be real?  It had to ahve been.  For sure enough above their heads were words.  Bankrupt.  Rich Doctor, retires early.  EMT.  Her boss was going to go bankrupt?  When?  The words changed to 2012.  Alissa was going to faint again, but she found herself being hoisted onto the stretcher.
"It's okay.  Does it hurt anywhere?" the one who would stay an EMT asked.  She shook her head in disbelief.
"I think she's in shock.  She must have hit her head pretty hard," the future doctor said.  The board and straps created a rather uncomfortable sandwich.  Alissa couldn't believe the board was this painful.  Shouldn't they have something better for patients.  She said so and the future doctor laughed.
"Yeah, we get that a lot.  Don't worry.  It will be over soon.  Just stay with us.  No sleeping alright?"  Alissa nodded as she was carted off towards the emergency room.  Her mind was still spinning.  She wasn't about to complain about a chance to think all this through.  On a random thought, she tried to see her intern, but he wasn't around.  She felt disappointed for some strange reason.