Chapter 13 ....

It was a bright spring day, the sun was shining in a clear blue sky. Daffodilswere starting to show their warm yellow blooms and a blackbird, on the branch of a lilac tree outside the window, was singing for a mate.Ben Watson had been working at his computer all morning. He had adeadline, his publisher wanted the first draft of his novel by the end of theweek. But he had only just started Chapter Thirteen.* * *"Tom woke early, made a strong coffee, sat down at his computer andstarted to type. The morning passed quickly and it was mid-day before hedecided to take a break. Hoping to meet up with his friends for a latte or two,Tom strolled through the sunshine to the coffee shop on the corner of his streetand settled himself at his favourite table.He hadn't been there long and there was no sign of his friends when thedoor opened and a tall, slim and very attractive blonde entered; looking up hesmiled at her. When she returned his smile her face lit up, she smiled as muchwith her beautiful blue eyes as with her full red lips. Spellbound, he waswondering how he could start a conversation with her, when to his surprise shespoke to him. ″You’re a writer, aren’t you?″Before he could answer she pulled out the chair opposite. ″Do you mind if I join you?″″Please do, yes I am ... a writer, I mean,″ Tom replied, and always a sucker for a beautiful woman, he forgot all about his friends.″Don’t tell me you have read something of mine?″ Tom specialised inerotica and was really hoping she had read some of his work.″I have all of your work,″ she replied, still smiling. ″But I’m not sure thatyou have properly researched some of your ideas.″He couldn’t take his eyes off her, she had the most sensual, come-to-bed

smile he had ever seen.″Don’t you think my ideas are possible, then?″ he asked.″Maybe you should try them out,″ the blonde smiled.Quick to recognise when he was being teased, the author laughed andturned the tables: ″Are you offering to help me with my research?″But his laughter froze on his lips when this beautiful blonde licked her lipsslowly, fixed him with a gaze that spoke volumes of concentrated sensualityand replied, ″Yes, if you would like me to.″Tom was trying to look cool, but he was in a daze as they hurried back tohis apartment. Before the door was properly closed they were entwined in eachother’s arms and tearing clothes off. The rest of the afternoon and throughoutthe night they explored all the positions he had written about and proved thatthey did work, every one.When Tom woke the next morning, she was gone, and he never saw her again."* * *Ben was pleased with this sub-plot of his main story. He stopped typing anddecided to treat himself to a coffee to celebrate. Strolling through the sunshinehe crossed to the coffee shop on the corner of his street and settled himself athis favourite table.He hadn't been there long when the door opened and a tall, slim and veryattractive blonde entered, looking up he smiled at her. She returned his smileand her face lit up, her beautiful blue eyes smiled as much as her full red lips.He was mesmerised and his mind raced, trying to find a way he could start aconversation.But, to his surprise, she spoke first: ″You’re a writer, aren’t you?″She pulled out the chair opposite before he had time to answer. ″Do youmind if I join you?″″Not at all and yes I am ... a writer,″ Ben replied, feeling the cold shiver of déja vu. ″Don’t tell me you have read something of mine?″Ben, like his character, specialised in erotica, and really hoped she had readsome of his work.″I have a copy of everything you've had published,″ she replied, smiling,″but I’m sure you haven’t properly researched some of your ideas.″He couldn’t take his eyes off her, she had the most sensual, come-to-bedsmile he had ever seen. She was everything he had just described in his novel.″Don’t you think they are possible, then?″″Maybe you should try them out,″ the blonde teased him.

He knew what he should say next to turn the tables, and hoping he wasgoing to live out his story asked, ″Are you offering to help me with myresearch?″But he couldn’t believe his luck when this beautiful blonde slowly lickedher lips, fixed him with a gaze that seemed to reach right into his being andreplied, ″Yes, if you would like me to.″They strolled back to his apartment arm in arm and before the door closedBen and the blonde fell against it, entwined in their embrace and greedily pulling each other's clothes off. The rest of the afternoon and throughout thenight they researched all the positions he had written about and proved thatthey did work, every one.Finally they fell asleep in each other's arms, but when he woke the nextmorning, she was gone.Totally infatuated with her, Ben quickly wrote several more chaptersincluding her and Tom, he had them meeting at the coffee shop again. Butwhen he went to look for her she wasn’t there, and it was the same resultwherever he tried to write about a meeting. He even tried to include her callingat Tom’s apartment and moving in with him, but all to no avail. He never sawher again.Eventually forced to admit defeat and give up the search, Ben sadlyreturned to his writing. He finished the book and sent it to the publisher, a littlelater than planned. The beautiful blonde slipped from Ben's mind over thefollowing months, with the publishing and promotional events for his book,and he started to get on with his life.He started his next book and nothing was further from his mind than his brief encounter. But as he reached the time for his character to have aromance, thoughts of the blonde flitted across his mind. He was anxious not toenter the madness of trying to find her again, so decided that the romanticinterlude in this book would take place in a park and the girl would be a petiteredhead. He didn’t really notice the coincidence that the meeting would againtake place in Chapter Thirteen.* * *"Walking through the park, Tom was approaching the war memorial when a