Pepper, the Highlander & the Dead Guy

“When will you see him? I don’t want to wait on this. I heard a rumor that he was offered a sizeable modeling venture and Willard Hughes would work wonders for him. And I don’t offer Hughes to just anybody.”

“I’ll run it by him tonight,” I said and realized too late my mistake.

“Then you know about the deal, which means you are seeing Ian Macgregor.” Sylvia yelled. “Eve! Eve! Get in here you have to hear this. Pepper Madison is dating Ian Macgregor.”

That woman could make anyone reveal a secret without even realizing it. I couldn’t have her telling anyone about Ian and me. Whatever it was between us.

“No! No!” I yelled louder than her. “We’re friends, nothing more.”

“Did he kiss you?” Sylvia demanded.

I locked my lips afraid I’d scream, yes he kissed me, and it was fantastic.

“She’s silent that means he kissed her.”

That was Eve speaking and I could just picture the two of them ready to speed dial their friends.

I resorted to begging. “Please, Sylvia, I only met him. It’s all so new. Please, keep it to yourselves for a while. Then if anything comes of it, which I doubt, you’ll be the first to know.”

“You have to give it a chance. Don’t shoot yourself in the foot—in your case the mouth. And have him call me by tomorrow the latest.”

“Are you blackmailing me?” I asked shocked.

“All’s fair in love and war and it’s war out here in the business world, sweetie. How do you think I became so successful? I beat many an agent to the punch. You know what might sweeten the pot with Ian? I know he had that shyster agent Martin Sands and he’s stuck with him representing some of his work. Tell him I can get him out of that deal free and clear.”

“You can do that?”

“When you know the most talented and connected lawyers you can. I’m glad we had this little chat. Now get on that stuff we discussed and get it to me ASAP and tell Ian I look forward to talking with him.”

Sylvia hung up before I could say good-bye, she always did. When she was done talking, she was done and that was that.

Mo ran out as soon as I opened the door.

Good idea, I thought. A walk in the woods would do me wonders after the day I had so far. But it had to be a short one since I had a bunch of work to do.

“When you’re done, Mo, we’ll go for a walk,” I called out and it wasn’t long before he came running.

I didn’t put on Mo’s vest or take a backpack, which let Mo know it wouldn’t be a long walk.

“Sorry, pal,” I said looking down at him. “I’ve got a bunch of work to do, so twenty, thirty minutes tops. I’ll put on a few of the recorded Animal Adventures Series you like when we get back.”

He barked to let me know that would work for him and we took off for a causal walk.

The woods were the one place I found solace. A place where I could clear my head and stop the never-ending stream of thoughts. A place to simply be. It also had been a place I could get away from my brothers when I was young.

They took the job of being big brothers seriously and one of them was forever trailing me and, of course, they teased me non-stop. It actually was because of them that I fell in love with the woods. They had thought to play a trick on me, take me into the woods and make it seem that they had left me there. But even at eight years old I outsmarted them.

I managed to hide without them seeing me and when they called out to me, I didn’t answer them. They panicked and raced around searching for me. I had thought to show myself, but I was having too much fun watching them make idiots of themselves. In the end, however, it didn’t turn out too well for me. One of my brothers ran like the devil was after him and got Dad. He didn’t only show up, most of the police force came with him.

My father never raised a hand to any of us, but he sure looked like he wanted to when he discovered what I’d done. We all got punished that day and my brothers didn’t let me forget it, though they never took me in the woods again. But it didn’t stop me from returning there.

Mo and I had gone a bit farther into the woods than I had planned, the day so beautiful, the woods so calming, not a thought troubling me, that I hadn’t paid attention to time.

“Time to head back, Mo,” I called and saw that he was busy digging.