Miss Love Finds Love

* * *

Back in Lode Dick Talbot was riding a power boost. His story on Miss Love Goes to New York to Sort out Big Business had been published along with his by-line in newspapers all over America and beyond. The Echo had also sent out the second part of Augustine Love's appearance at the annual meeting and her concluding comments including her 'couth conversation' with the chairman who spoke to her without malice and actually joked. Augustine was quoted as saying, "Mr Heath clearly doesn't believe I've harmed his airline, thanks to excellent behind the scenes interfacing with airline personal, tidy manipulation of flight schedules and effective liaison with clients." Mr Heath was reported in being equally affable in his comment.

Professionally Dick was walking 7ft tall. He'd found and cultivated the biggest news story ever to have been generated within The Echo in its 129-year history. His colleagues recognized that, as did the editor who slipped him a big bonus.

Emotionally, however, Dick was in a mess. Alice was all over him talking marriage, he was wondering if this was the pinnacle of his career and it would be all downhill from here and in speaking frequently to Augustine in New York he'd found her friendly but distant.

"Well, she was for the moment a minor national celebrity. NBC had all day on the day of the airline's annual meeting promoted its mini-doco on the story of the 'beautiful but angry Miss Love who's crossed America to give a major airline a piece of her mind. She'd demanded action and had won the day.' The doco screening attracted a huge audience and all next day TV and radio news bulletins and newspapers celebrated Miss Augustine's Love's incredible achievement.

Well, Dick admitted it had been a wondrous day for her. Not many people would be able to single-handedly remove an obnoxious late night interruption to sleep for a section of the community. He'd already spoken to Augustine that morning warning her that although she'd be returning home a celebrity, the green leaf vegetable growers were far from happy with her as their schedules had been shot to pieces and although workers would finish earlier to complete the processing (washing and drying) of produce and packing and delivering it to the airport, pickers would have to start work two hours earlier and that meant working in the heat and greater expense in refrigeration to keep packing sheds and transportation containers cool.

"So the growers will be mad at me?"

"Perhaps."

"I should have thought of that at the outset."

"Yes."

"You don't agree do you with what I've done although you aided and abetted me?"

"That's not true. You were heroic."

"Oooh. I have to go. Bye."

And that was fairly typical of their conversations in recent days: all business and no flirtation. He didn't like it. In fact what did he like? He thumped his fist on his desk and the vibration tipped over his full coffee mug. He swore and for the rest of that early afternoon fellow journalists on the early shift kept their distance.

Just before his shift ended at 6:00 Alice came up and asked did he want to go to a movie.

"No, I'm going out to the airport at 8:00 for Augustine's arrival."

"Roger and a photographer are covering her arrival home."

"I know but she'll be expecting me to be there."

"Why?"

Dick could have said because he'd been on Augustine's story since it evolved, but he didn't. Instead he shuffled and irritated her by saying just one word, "Because."

Alice looked at him steely-eyed. She snarled, "You've been fucking her!"

Conversations around them died.

Dick was aware he could be safe and lie. Instead he said, "Yes."

"You bastard," Alice yelled and thumped him.

About 200 people were at the airport to welcome home Augustine Love at 8:50. She came through security wearing her little black dress and pulling a small travel bag on wheels with four plastic shopping bags hooked over the handle.

The crowed screamed and she smiled wonderfully and The Echo photographer captured that, as did many people with pocket digital cameras.

Mayor Rogers stepped forth from nowhere and the crowd hushed.

The crowd hushed and Augustine stopped in her tracks.

"Miss Love, being an upset green leaf vegetable grower I cannot call this an auspicious occasion but at Mayor of Lode I declare this is an auspicious occasion because you have represented a small section of citizens of your neighborhood to deal with an environmental problem not of our making. Furthermore, if our fellow Americans mostly hadn't known the existence of the City of Lode a great many of them sure do now. In recognition of your contribution for putting Lode on the map I present you with this medallion that confers on you the Freedom of the City of Lode. Only three others have ever been conferred and they give the holders the right to join without charge or restraint VIPs at all public community gatherings and events and freedom to attend even closed meetings of the City Council. Congratulations Miss Love and please accept my personal thanks for your splendid advocacy on behalf of this city."

The crowd went wild and pressed around Augustine.

Wearing her medallion, Augustine looked around until making eye contact with Dick. She waved and he waved back. The mayor offered to deliver Augustine home but she said, quickly loudly, "No thank you Mr Mayor – my fiancé is waiting for me."

Huh? Miss Love has a boyfriend?

Everyone looked around trying to figure out who the guy was but there appeared to be no candidate.

"Yoo-hoo Dick."

Dick pushed through to claim Augustine Love as his fiancé... his unofficial fiancé. At that moment everyone present knew that Miss Love had a new dimension to her life. Never since her fiancé had been killed in a rock fall almost ten years earlier had she been seen dating a man. The other infrequent sightings appeared to be business-based.

In Dick's car Augustine kissed him and said, "You've told her I assume, judging by this developing black eye."

"Yes, the opportunity arose so I took it, not even tempted to lie."

"Oh good boy."

"Let's go Dick. My body is crying out for sex and you have yet to propose marriage."

Dick didn't say yes he did have to propose, because no way would he become a yes man.

He just grinned, pulled her top down and said, "Nice tits" and drove away with his prize.



THE END