Joyce, lololol @ myself, first I had zoe in the wrong book, then I had her first name incorrect, and not her last name. So much for my memory!!!! Thanks

Anne, I love the story so far, but I am hanging on by a thread waiting to hear what Ms Zoe Lambreth wants with our Qwill! I feel like a little kid waiting for Santa Claus to come!

As they sat down for dinner, heads turned in the room. Carol and Larry Lanspeak were dining with their daughter, Dr. Diane and the new head of the MCCC. (Moose County Community College). They nodded at Qwill and he raised a hand and gave a weak wave. Carol responded by raising one eyebrow and smiling. Zoe led the conversation by commenting on how well he looked. Qwill, you look so youthful, so fit. This country air must agree with you. You have not aged at all over the years. Qwill returned the compliment and inquired about her art. How has your career gone since we parted, he said. I heard you moved to CA. Yes, yes I did. And you are not going to believe this Qwill, I changed careers! When I got to CA, I established a relationship in an art gallery, whose owner also owned an interior design studio. She was also part owner in an architect firm, in which her husband was the primary architect. We became fast friends and pretty soon she started using my paintings in her designs and her designs went into the houses her husband designed and so on. It has been satifying creatively for all of us and profitable as well.
Well Zoe, I must say I was quite shocked to hear you were in Moose County. Why are you taking a substitue manager's job for a month, considering your satisfying business ventures in CA? Well, Qwill, this part you are not going to believe.

the suspense is killing me.

OK, what is that expression? Be careful what you wish for? Anne, forget the food!! Don't listen to me! Please don't torture us any more! What the heck does that Ms. Zoe want and why is she tracking down our Qwill? She did not have to take a job in Pickax to find him, unless she needs the money. If Ms Zoe was looking for Qwill, she could have just arrived in Pickax, stay at the MacIntosh Inn and begin her search. There has to be something more here than meets the eye. I think that Art Center job is just a cover.

Is it OK not to trust her? Because I do not. Thank goodness Koko is alive and well in Pickax! He will figure things out spit spot.

Good job, Anne! I am looking forward to reading more.

Anne, I didn't log in today till almost 10:30 PM Arizona time. I keep forgetting about the chat, and that most posters appear to be back East (as we say here - our version of "down below") or on Central time. I will log in earlier tomorrow.

Anne, I am in the Chatroom now, and it is 4:40 PM Arizona time, which would make it 7:40 PM Eastern Daylight Time.

Qwill ordered pork tenderloin medalions served with a blackberry reduction sauce with herbed potatoes, and for an appetizer he chose steamed crab claws served with an garlic butter glaze. Zoe ordered broiled red snapper and baby carrots with a salad for appetizer.
When the waiter had left, Qwill said with a sigh, Zoe, what is this personal purposal. WEll she started. My associates, the interior designer and architect, along with myself, as lead art consultant, want to rebuild your barn. She had his attention now. He sat up and stared at her. He felt a tingling in the tip of the right side of his mustache. You what? How did you.....Zoe interupted him, there were articles in the trade journals about your barn when it was first photographed years ago. My associate had those pictures framed and hand in his offiice. Oh there names are Sven and Maurgerite Svorn. He was such a fan of the architecture. Then we read recently where your barn burned. Sven got this idea that it was his life's new dream to redesign and built your barn back for you. And with maurgerite and I, we would make it a maserpiece once again to be photographed and treasured by all the world. She ended up with triumph and excitement in her voice, as if she were announcing the discovery of ending world hunger. Well , Qwill said,, I have not made a decision about what to do with the property yet. He thought to himself, after Mr. O'dell going on and on about the Trevelyn Curse.
Zoe went on, Qwill you cannot deny the world this magnificent piece of architecture. You must consider rebuilding it. And Sven is just the one to do it. When he and Marugerite foudn out I knew you they said it was great karma, meant to be. the fulfillment of their destiny, she gushed on.
Qwilleran was saved by the arrival of the appetizers.

Corianne, I included the food description for you! lol

Qwilleran and Zoe began eating, and the converstion flowed smoothly. He told her a bit about the "farmers' as she called them , in Moose County. She told him about some of the projects her team had completed. They chatted about people they knew in common "down below". The evening was enjoyable. Several Moose county citizens stopped at their table to speak to Qwill and he introduced Zoe as the temporary Art Center manager. All and all, it was a pleasent evening. As they walked to the lobby, she said, Qwill, would you like to come up to my room and see the portfolio of homes we have created. I could leave it with you if you would rather take it home to study. Qwill was not so sure about going up to her room, but he said yes, he would wait while she got the portfolio. On the drive home, he noted the portfolio had the most pleasent smell. It was the lovely citrus scent Zoe had been wearing. He thought, Zoe certainly held up well. She is a striking woman. He liked the way she had not been pushy about her proposed project, just diccussing her taeam, making sure he understood what she had been doing in her career. And her offer to give him the portfolio to take home was not pushy either, she had dropped him going up to her room quickly. As Qwill walked in the condo, he realized he had been so capitvated by Zoe's conversation, he had forgotten to put left overs in his pocket for the cats. He would give then a little extra in the nightime meal. He went to work dicing a can of salmon and heating it a bit, removing the skin, as the cats sat stonefaced watching him. Koko on the kitchen counter and yumyum at his feet. Their silence was a refuff for forgetting their treat from the resturant. Sorry Koko, so sorry my little princess he said. I won't let it happen again. When he set down their bowls, yumyum begain eating and koko, walked very slowly to his bowl and stared at it for about 10 senconds before eating. Yowwwwwwwwwww he said. I will make up for it, next time Qwill assured them. I will bring home a extra large kitty bag. After eating