Ginger Falls Airport

Devon looked at his watch once more, as he waited for the flight to arrive. There must’ve been a delay in Maui since it was a very short flight and shouldn’t be taking this long.

“Flight seven from Maui is now arriving at gate B.” came over the PA system and got Devon’s attention. He looked around, for someone who looked like a con artist but no one stuck out to him.

“Excuse me, do you know how to get to the Opera House?” asked a young woman, with long blonde hair, about the same age as Devon.

“Yeah, just five blocks east.” He said not really thinking.

She smiled, “You must be Devon, I’m Hope.”

“Oh wow, you could fool me any day. Let’s get you to the hotel and out of sight.” He led her outside to his golf cart, “get in.”

“Is this normal?” she asked.

He nodded, “The island may seem big, but we don’t have cars, just these. Makes life interesting.”

Carmen was sitting in the office typing up yet another novel, though she wasn’t too sure about this one getting published. In the background she had a small television on, airing the last episode of Love and Honor. She stopped typing for a moment to catch the action.

“Who is he?” she asked aloud when she saw some man jump out from nowhere declaring his love to one of the contestants.

The phone rang and she hit the speaker button, “Carlotta are you watching this?”

“Carmen, it’s not Carlotta, it’s Francesca your agent. Listen, Bradley Ballantyne of the Ginger Falls Tribune is trying to set up an interview with you. Are you sure you want to keep this a secret?”

Carmen rolled her eyes, “I’m positive, I don’t want anyone to know that I’m Virginia Covington.”

Carmen could hear Francesca sighing, “Please Carmen, at least think about it. Until then I’ll just tell Bradley you’re caught up in something. It’s going to come out sooner or later, and the sooner it does the less likely it is you’ll out any other writers in the process.”

“Just because I could possibly get outted, doesn’t mean someone else will.”

“Carmen, once a man like Bradley gets moving on this he doesn’t stop. If he can’t uncover you, he’ll uncover someone else.”

Abigail was waiting for Peter to get out of the bathroom so they could go to dinner, as she finished reading the last chapter of Pool House Passion. Eddie came into the room and groaned, “Why do you read that trash.”

“Because it’s a release from all the other things I read for school to better educate my students.” She retorted as she closed the book and left it on the coffee table as Peter came out.

“You ready to go before you and Eddie kill each other?”

Abigail nodded and the two left Eddie alone. He shook his head and picked up the book, noticing that on the cover the older woman was blond and her younger counter part had black hair. “Carmen.” He said softly, as he flipped to the middle of the book and noticed a similarity between him and Carmen.

Eddie continued to read, starting from the first page all the way until the end, wondering how Virginia Covington could mirror Carmen and his relationship so well.

Devon chauffeured Hope into the rented room, “I found her,” he proclaimed.

Legolas lit up like a light at the sight of the beautiful Hope Jacobs, Kate noticed this and hit his leg, “please, put your tongue back in.” She rose and greeted Hope with a handshake, “charmed, I’m sure. Please, sit. How was your flight?”

She groaned, “delayed, I had to wait in the airport lobby forever, but everything worked out for the best, I’m here, and that’s really all that matters.”

“Good attitude, you’ll need it,” Kate paused, gathering her thoughts, “A few months ago, a young diva at our opera, Paula Winslow, attempted to push me to my death, down a the fly rail stairs, as you can see I survived. Such an attack cannot go without a counter, as you well know. Paula will pay for what she did to me, along with what she did to our poor, misguided Devon.” She patted Devon on the back, “The opening of our latest show, The Magic Flute, is coming up, very quickly, we three have devised a bulletproof plan for our dear Paula. In the middle of our new prima donna’s debut performance, the stage with go completely black, and when the lights are brought back up, Paula will have vanished. We will be holding her in the basement of the Opera, until she can be moved. Now for your part, Legolas will suggest to Julian, her fiancée, hiring a private investigator to find Paula, that will be your role. You will tell Julian, after a few days of fake investigating, that she set the entire thing up, it is up to you to make sure he believes it. Got all that?”

She crossed her legs, “easy as pie, if I know one thing, I know how to get a man to believe me.”

Kate leaned towards Legolas and whispered, “don’t you get any ideas.”

The waves crashed against the sand as Jonathan spread a blanket out over the sand, he and Karen sat down. The sun was setting, and seagulls were flying across the horizon.

“I’ve lived in Hawaii almost my entire life, but I still can’t get over these sunsets.” The sight in front of her mesmerized Karen.

“It is amazing, though its nothing compared to you Karen. I know we’ve only known each other for a short amount of time, sometimes though, it’s all it takes to know when you’ve found the one.”

Karen turned and locked eyes with Jonathan, “What do you mean Jonathan?”

Jonathan reached into his pocket and took out a four carat diamond ring, set in platinum, “Karen Montgomery, will you do me the honor and become my wife?”

Karen looked at the ring and then at Jonathan several times before words could escape her mouth, “Yes Jonathan, I would love to marry you!”

Jonathan smiled and slipped the ring on her finger before kissing her momentarily on the lips before whispering in her ear, “I love you Karen.”

Karen wrapped her arms around Jonathan tightly, “I love you too Jonathan.”

Ricky was watching Love and Honor, “This is such a rip off! Both women get men! Oh yeah right, what a asshole.” He yelled to the TV before it went to commercial.

His cell phone began ringing and he looked at the id, “Damnit.” He muttered realizing it was his father, “Hi Dad, what’s up?”

“Ricky, good to know you’re alive. I’m calling to tell you Arnold is getting married next weekend here in Chicago, will you be able to make it?”

Ricky felt ill, “So Arnold finally trapped Ciel huh? Sorry Dad, I have classes, remember I’m doing summer school so I can graduate early and get to law school early.”

“Oh yes, son of course. I’ll send your best wishes to Arnold. Have a fun summer.”

Before Ricky could respond his father had hung up. Ricky pressed the end button and took a deep breath before letting the anger rush through his body.

Carlotta sat alone at the bar, nursing a martini when Bradley came up to her. “Evening Carlotta, it’s been a while. How are you?”

Carlotta looked over to Bradley, “I’m doing wonderfully, and you?”

“Peachy, you’re very good friends with Carmen Montgomery, correct?”

“Yes, why?” Carlotta tried not to show any emotion but was sure it didn’t happen.

“This arrived on my desk this morning.” He tossed a copy of Pool House Passion onto the bar, “She looks remarkably like Carmen, I thought I could ask her a few questions about how it feels to have a similar image of ones self on the cover of a romance novel.”

Carlotta picked up the book, “Bradley, darling, this looks nothing like Carmen, you’re just trying to create a story. Really, it is beneath you.”

Sam and Pam sat on the couch, cuddling, while Jeff lay stretched out on the floor, watching a movie.

The doorbell rang and Sam hopped up to answer it, he opened the door and was surprised to see Ricky, “Ricky, hey, uh, what’s up?”

“Hey man, I brought my PS2 and some video games, I thought we could hang out.”

Sam took the video games, “oh my god, dude, you have Grand Theft Auto! I haven’t played this since I left Pinõn Hallow. Come in.”

Sam and Ricky walked into the living room, “that’s Jeff, he lives across the street.” Jeff and Ricky exchanged nods. “Good thing this movie is over,” Sam walked over to the television and unhooked the DVD player, “hand me the Playstation,” Sam reached out for it.

“Um, Sam, honey, what’s going on?” Pam asked.

“We’re going to play Grand Theft Auto, you don’t mind do you?” He asked, hooking up the game system. “Hey baby, will you order a pizza?”

“Oh, okay, sure.” She walked into the kitchen.

She came back moments later to find all the boys lying on the floor shooting random street people and stealing cars. She sighed, feeling very out of place.

Carmen turned off the television and saved her files in her private password protected folder on the computer before making her way into the kitchen.

She filled the kettle with water and set it on the stove to boil when Alex came in, “Care for some tea?”

“I’d love some, so when do I get to find out what your secret project is?” he sat down at the counter and studied his wife.

Carmen was about to say something as she turned towards him but saw Karen at the backdoor, opening it. “Karen, what are you doing here so late?”

“HI Mom, Dad, I want you to meet Jonathan Claremont.” She was beaming with joy.

Alex smiled, “Nice to meet you Jonathan.”

“Yes, a pleasure.” Carmen replied as the kettle began to sing. “So, what brings you two by this late at night?”

“Mom, Dad, Jonathan and I are getting married. I want it to be on the fourth of July.”

“That’s only a few weeks away, are you sure about this Karen?” Carmen asked as she placed the kettle on the counter.