“Opposites Attract”

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Another request

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This requests that people ask of you, and in the same breath tell you they will not think less of you if you don’t want to do it … if you say no, you might as well jump out of the frying pan and into the fire and get it over with.

The grandmother is not a woman to say no to, even if it’s an order to jump off a cliff.  Before she was dying, our boy would have been terrified of her, as would anyone between the ages of 1 and 100.

Now she is, there had to be a limit on the number of deathbed wishes she could ask.

But, irrespective of what the readers may think, our boy knows he’s doing this for the greater good, that it’s Emily’s grandmother, and she would ask him to do anything impossible.

Would she?

Of course, she would.

What’s the one thing he would not want to do?

Find Tim and bring him back so that she can see him one more time before she dies.

Of course, it doesn’t help that Tim despises her as much as everyone else in his family, and most of all, our boy.

And unfortunately, this cannot be put into the too-hard basket.

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Today’s words:  1,704, for a total of 42,574

“Opposites Attract”

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It’s one thing to propose …

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It was another thing entirely to try to apply the brakes on a runaway train.

That whole proposal, saying yes, and finally breathing again thing was probably the second most momentous event in his life, when taken in order.

The first, graduating with the best possible scores was the first, the reward for a lot of hard work, even if he still didn’t know what he wanted to do.

The second, sharing that life with Emily had come to fruition, against all hopes.

He didn’t think he would be able to top it.  Yet.

there’s the wedding, and everything that goes with it, except in this instance, there was not going to be enough time to plan the Hollywood-style wedding that befitted the billionaires that would be attending.

Certainly, it would be the social event of the calendar back home.

So, there was going to be a small event at the hospital for the grandmother to attend, then a later big bash for everyone else.

It was just a matter of keeping it a secret until then.

And we all know about secrets, don’t we?

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Today’s words:  2.045, for a total of 39,795

“Opposites Attract”

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A proposal

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Where in New York can you make a proposal that will be memorable.

That’s what I typed into Google, and it told me there’s a lot of different places.

The one that amused me the most.  Surely, I could work that out for myself instead of asking a heatless thoughtless computer program!

Well, no I couldn’t.

So with a little tweaking and a lot of wishful thinking it ended up in Central Park.

A carriage ride, yes, I’ve been of one of those and nothing spells romantic than a horse drawn carriage ride.  In the snow, under the rug.  Well it wasn’t snowing but it was romantic.

Drop of at one three spots in Central Park that can be booked, and desked out in ribbons, flowers and petals.

Down on one knee and the speech.

Even I teared up a little when I was writing the scene.

Good thing she said yes.

Even I was on the edge of my seat waiting…

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Today’s words:  2.045, for a total of 39,795

“Opposites Attract”

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Plans made, people to talk to

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There’s no time to think about the overwhelming occasion that will soon be upon them.

Our boy has absolutely no idea what our girl is thinking or going to say when he delivers the proposal, he just has to make it memorable.

And, of course, being a boy, that sometimes is harder than it sounds.

That’s why he has the services of the best Personal Assistant in the world.

And she knows his bride to be better than her parents.

She is going to help.  Phew!

A call to his sister is basically to tell her he hasn’t screwed it up yet, but the romance is young, and she knows him better than he does himself.

This train might be going a little fast, but he explains the circumstances.

It’s one of those moments.

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Today’s words:  1,999, for a total of 37,750

“Opposites Attract”

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A proposal for a proposal

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Well, things are getting serious.

I mean when you are waking up next to the girl of your dreams, what conclusions are you going to make?

Don’t be going plucking a flower, saying, she loves me, she loves me not, the petals disappearing one by one.

You know how that works, you get to the last one and she hates you.

Neen there, done that.

Since the grandmother has given the union her blessing, and her time is running out, and she wants to be there for the wedding, does it seem like this whole thing is like a runaway train?

Yup.

But there are protocols to be followed, and going down to tackle Mr Rothstein, who has mysteriously reappeared seems daunting, to say the least.

Let’s hope Mrs Winkle isn’t there.

It seems our boy is living on the edge, but today is the day when Mr Rothstein can’t say no.

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Today’s words:  2,758, for a total of 35,751

“Opposites Attract”

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A small favour

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There’s nothing like trying to impress the new relatives.  Well, maybe that wasn’t our boy’s first intention, he likes the idea of just blending into the background and trying not to make waves.

Of course, he is an aspiring journalist and can recognise overzealous journalists trying to make a name for themselves.

And what is just plain biased reporting?

But here’s the thing…  When you are a celebrity, you don’t get the normal protection a citizen is supposed to get, you are simply a moving target.

Our boy is not moving in completely different circles now– he’s in Emily’s world.

And the grandmothers, and since Mr Rothstein has gone away to make things right, and the fact the grandmother had basically bailed him out, she needs a spokesperson.

Someone the media doesn’t and won’t tear the strips off.  Not initially, anyway.

So, one small favour, go out and explain the situation, don’t answer questions, and get off the stage.

Easy.

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Today’s words:  866, for a total of 32,993

“Opposites Attract”

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Mr Rothstein gets into trouble.

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Everyone lives on that edge of the precipice that can plunge us into a place we don’t want to be, rather than a phone call to try and bail ourselves out.

Mr Rothstein unfortunately found himself at the edge of that precipice.

It doesn’t help when after a few rounds of layoffs and citing that money is tight, you are caught out spending it like water.  Or perhaps that was Mrs Winkle making the most of her opportunities.

The press can be very cruel, especially when they smell blood in the water.

Our problems started went an invoice slipped through the cracks, didn’t get paid, went past the due date and the power, since it is an electricity bill, was cut off.

For the factory that employs 7,000 people.

Nor does it help when the press, or one reporter in particular, gets a hold of the story and puts a menacing slant to it that is, Rothstein’s can afford a private jet but can’t keep the lights on for employees who, yes, the old story, need to keep a roof over the family’s head, and food on the table.

And waiting for our intrepid new friends are the press gang at the front door asking Emily all of those difficult questions, like where is her father to answer them.

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Today’s words:  2,076, for a total of 32,127

“Opposites Attract”

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Mrs Winkle

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There are two things going on here.

The first is the animosity between Emily and her stepmother.  When Emily’s mother died, it was probably expected there would be a period of mourning.  There probably was. 

But some men don’t like the idea of being alone, and either go looking for a suitable partner that might be helpful in helping with the children, or maybe that person decides there is an opening, and makes a move to fill that void.

Mrs Winkle did the chasing.

Mr Rothstein is too good a target for her to pass up, after all, unmarried billionaires, even if only on paper were far and few between.  Besides, she had children of her own that needed money to look after, a lot of money, and to cement the relationship, it’s always wise to have children of their own to be used as bargaining chips and longevity.

The divorce settlement would indeed be very costly.

The second is that our boy knows exactly who Mrs Winkle is, and figures the best policy is to stay as far away from her as possible.

Except when summoned.  They meet, and he can tell she does not consider him suitable.

Maybe someone should tell Mrs Winkle that Emily does not agree with her.

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Today’s words:  2,566, for a total of 30,015

“Opposites Attract”

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Dining with Emily, and a moment of dread

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So aside from the late-night phone calls that hardly address the big issues like how this relationship is going to work, Emily decided to order in dinner, and they talked.

I can remember similar situations early on myself, and it is hard to try and work out how anything is going to work when two people are used to their own lives, families, friends, habits, preferences and dislikes, and amusements.

I remember trying to find all the similarities in things we did.  Certainly, our families were as disparate as it got, and I guess the socio-economic background, and what we did as children was as different as chalk and cheese.

You don’t always start as equals and work from there.

It’s why I decided to have characters so far apart in just about everything.

The thing is, like any relationship that is going to work, you have to be friends.  Well, that didn’t start out that way.  You have to at the very least like the other person.  That was one-sided, to begin with, but deep down, although she thought she hated him, she didn’t.

Or is it that thin line between love and hate we all tread at times.

The thing is, they want to be together, there is this magic between them that neither can define, and being able to talk frankly is going to become a cornerstone.

And they are yet to have an argument.

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Today’s words:  1,944, for a total of 27,485

“Opposites Attract”

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A little time in Emily’s world

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After the meeting with Mrs Bakersfield is over, our boy realises that Emily is going to be staying with her grandmother until the end.

Perhaps he will be too, but nothing is really set in concrete.

Time to spend a little time with Emily in her world of luxury and privilege.

It’s not what he wants, but he didn’t say no to the limousine ride to the airport, or no to the ride in the corporate jet, or no to the suite he was put in in the hotel.

I mean, only a fool would, wouldn’t they?

He calls his sister Darcy and lets her know that he is swilling it up, for the moment, it won’t last, and she says she is jealous, maybe. 

Then, of course, there are the other members of Emily’s family, especially her stepmother, whom Emily despises, and rather niggardly calls Mrs Winkle, her former married name, and not as Mrs Rothstein, and definitely not Mom.

Our boy is going to take a seat on the sidelines and see just how not happy families get along.

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Today’s words:  1,965, for a total of 25,541