text:
Spanx Inventor
February 10, 2012 by staff
Spanx Inventor, Sara Blakely says she used to be so terrified of sales calls that she would cry and drive around the block until she could get in control. But that was before she cut the feet off a pair of control-top pantyhose, discovering the slimming look she eventually patented to create Spanx.
Today Spanx are sold in about 10,000 locations, but "when I invented Spanx I heard 'no' for two years," she says. "… I didn't have a special ability, it was sheer drive and telling myself to keep going."
Please feel free to send if you have any questions regarding this post , you can contact on
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text:
2004-01-10 at 10:42:00 am #4531
Microsoft, Dell CEOs lead insider share sellersNEW YORK, Jan 6 (Reuters) – The Chiefs of technology heavyweights Microsoft Corp. (NasdaqNM: MSFT – News) and Dell Inc. (NasdaqNM: DELL – News) cashed in $2.7 billion worth of their own companies' shares between them last year, as technology stocks soared, making them the leading corporate insider stock sellers in 2003.
The huge sales helped push the total of insider stock disposals to $29 billion for 2003, a 40 percent jump from $21 billion in 2002, according to a regular survey published by research firm Thomson Financial.
A high level of insider stock sales often presages a dip in stock prices, according to many analysts, but the stock markets' strong run-up since March last year has so far defied that theory.
Microsoft Chief Executive Steven Ballmer sold $1.5 billion of his company's stock in 2003, while Dell chief Michael Dell ( News) sold $1.2 billion worth, according to Thomson Financial.
Microsoft shares rose 6 percent last year, and Dell shares rose 29 percent, but both lagged the Nasdaq's overall 50 percent rise over 2003, as the technology sector returned to favor.
For all of 2003, U.S. corporate insiders bought only $1.1 billion of their own companies' shares, the lowest annual level of buying since 1995, according to Thomson Financial.
For the year, insiders sold nearly $26 worth of their own companies' stock for every dollar they bought, the highest annual reading in Thomson Financial's records.
For December, that ratio stood at $28, down from $37 in November, but still above the $20 level which Lon Gerber, Thomson Financial's director of insider research, reckons is "bearish", indicating that stock prices will likely fall over the following six months.

subset: commoncrawl


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Details & Care
Fine silver mesh fabric canopy with excellent ventilation provides comfortable 50+ UVA/UVB sun protection. For use with the Bugaboo Donkey stroller (must be purchased separately).
- Bugaboo Donkey Base and Bugaboo Tailored Fabric set must be purchased separately to complete the stroller.
- Polyester.
- By Bugaboo; imported.
- Kids' Wear.
- Item #500407


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"This Land is Your Land" is one of the United States' most famous folk songs. Its lyrics were written by American folk singer, Woody Guthrie in 1940 based on an existing melody, in critical response to Irving Berlin's "God Bless America". When Guthrie was tired of hearing Kate Smith sing it on the radio in the late 1930s he sarcastically wrote "God Blessed America for Me" before renaming it "This Land Is Your Land". The song was recorded in 1944 and published in 1945.
Performances Edit
Lyrics Edit
This land is your land, this land is my land
From California to the New York island
From the red wood forest to the Gulf stream waters
This land was made for you and me
As I was walking that ribbon of highway
I saw above me that endless skyway
I saw below me that golden valley
This land was made for you and me
I've roamed and rambled and I followed my footsteps
To the sparkling sands of her diamond deserts
And all around me a voice was sounding
This land was made for you and me
There was a big high wall there that tried to stop me
Sign was painted, it said private property
But on the back side it didn't say nothing
That side was made for you and me
When the sun came shining, and I was strolling
And the wheat fields waving and the dust clouds rolling
As the fog was lifting a voice was chanting
This land was made for you and me
As I went walking I saw a sign there
And on the sign it said: No trespassing
But on the other side it didn't say nothing
That side was made for you and me
In the shadow of the steeple I saw my people
By the relief office I seen my people
As they stood there hungry, I stood there asking
Is this land made for you and me?
Nobody living can ever stop me
As I go walking that freedom highway
Nobody living can ever make me turn back
This land was made for you and me


text:
Sara Chipps Looks Back on Cisco's International Women's Day #CiscoChatCorporate Social Responsibility
Sara Chipps, CEO of Jewelbots, reflects on Cisco CSR's Twitter Chat from International Women's Day. See how she thinks we can create more opportunities for women in tech.Read More
Be Bold For ChangeExecutive Platform
We celebrate the unique role of women in our world, the tools used for social change, and the technology to extend their reach. So be bold, make the imaginable possible.Read More
March 8 #CiscoChat: Using Technology to Create More Opportunities for WomenCorporate Social Responsibility
To celebrate diversity on International Women's Day, the Cisco Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) team host a #CiscoChat at 9 am PST (12 pm EST) on March 8th.Read More
Join Me for Women of Impact on March 8thInclusion and Diversity
One of my favorite days of the year is coming up this week. Cisco's 5th annual Women of Impact Conference is happening on Wednesday, March 8. This powerful event, whichRead More
Share a Tweet, Be a Global Problem Solver for WomenCorporate Social Responsibility
On March 8 – International Women's Day – Cisco is hosting its first ever Social Sharing Campaign, #BeBoldForChange, to raise up to $25,000 for three of our nonprofit partners.Read More
Are You With Us on International Women's Day?Corporate Social Responsibility
Today, March 8, marks International Women's Day, an opportunity to celebrate phenomenal women around the world. This year's theme, Step it Up for Gender Equality, encourages everyone to take theRead More


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MADOR Malang Dorm Hostel, your perfect start to stay in Malang. At MADOR, we want our guests to experience not only... Mehr Infos »
Kavie Hostel, with 12 dormitory rooms, 2 female dorm rooms 12 beds with air-conditioned, 1 male dorm rooms 4 with... Mehr Infos »
This hotel was built in 1970 and currently is being renewed. Our mission is to give every traveler places to stay... Mehr Infos »
Featuring free WiFi, Pondok Backpacker is situated in Malang, 9 km from Abdul Rachman Saleh Airport. You will find... Mehr Infos »
We have 3 private bamboo houses. You can sleep comfortably with two people and you share 2 hot showers and 2 normal... Mehr Infos »


text:
A Heart with stylised wings. Created in Inkscape. This "Heart with Wings" Clip Arts can be downloaded from our clipartsfree.net website and give your cellphone a nice screen image.
This free Clipart design of Heart with Wings Clipart PNG has been published by ClipartsFree.net. The origional size of the image is 300 × 254 px and the origional resolution is 300 dpi.
Thousands ClipartsFree users have previously viewed this image, from photographs free collection on ClipartsFree. The source also offers Clipart photographs free: heart, with, wings,


text:
Shoto Hilltop House
Apartment in Shibuya, Shoto, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Quiet residential neighborhood nearby 'Nabeshima-Shoto' Park. White-tone and modern interior. Ample facilities including floor-heating, SECOM security system.
|Property Name
|Shoto Hilltop House
|1, Shoto, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
|Line, Station
|JR Yamanote Line, Shibuya Station : 10 min.-walk
Ginza Line, Shibuya Station : 10 min.-walk
Hanzomon Line, Shibuya Station : 10 min.-walk
Keio-Inokashira Line, Shinsen Station : 7 min.-walk
|May, 2003
|Reinforced Concrete 3 stories & 1 basement floor
|Auto-locking Entry, Video Intercom
|International School Info.: Near Bus stop of ASIJ School Bus, Near Bus stop of Tokyo International School
Sorry, the building currently has no vacancies.
Available Rental Apartments & Houses in Tokyo.
It is located in a residential area of Shoto 1-chome, Shibuya-ku.
Nabeshima Shoto Park is found a short walk away. It includes lots of greenery and has a beautiful pond.
It is known for the water mill and beautiful cherry blossom trees.
Shoto Hilltop House is a large, family-type, 3-story low-rise luxurious condominium apartment.
Each unit has over 200sq.m. It is recommended for foreign families as well.
It has a spacious patio and gets good lighting.
Its inside is finished based on white and is modern. The living room has wooden floors with a floor heating system.
It also has extensive home appliances as well as a reliable security system.
School bus stops for ASIJ and TIS are closeby. It is also accessible to the British School.
Please feel free to contact us.
Our Home Finding Experts will guide you to a perfect home.
OPEN EVERYDAY Mon. - Sat. 9:00am - 8:00pm Sun. & Holidays 9:00am - 6:00pm(JST)
- Expatriate Housing Div.
- 03-3583-6941


text:
People don't realize it, but it's pretty tough being a Yankee fan. You have to get used to seeing your nestlings leave the nest long before they're ready to make room for bigger birds. But this is the way the Yankees have always operated and, as long as George Steinbrenner is in command, will always operate. The difference this time is that while the Yankees usually do this kind of thing mid-season for a quick fix (as I mentioned in my last column), this time they're making the move with an eye on the future.
The provision that this deal is based around is the assumption that the Yankees are able to sign Vazquez to an extension. It's unknown how long that extension will be for, but it will likely be around $7-9 million per year for however long it is. Vazquez is only 27 years old as of right now, right around the age when pitchers generally enter their prime, and he appears to be coming into his own. If the Yankees can lock Vazquez up for at least four years, they could have an ace to go with Mike Mussina in the rotation.
Vazquez's numbers, short of his W-L record were downright filthy in 2003. He was 10th in the NL in ERA, fourth in WHIP ratio, third in strikeouts and second in innings pitched. He tied for the third most Quality Starts in the NL (22 of his 34 starts), had the fourth-highest K/9 (behind names like Kerry Wood, Mark Prior and Curt Schilling himself) and K:BB ratio. Every single one of those numbers points to a high level of success for the youngster.
So what was my problem with the trade? It's simple, I had grown attached to Nick Johnson. As a Yankee fan, you have to learn not to get attached to prospects, because they very rarely stick around long enough and usually end up leaving town. Derek Jeter and Alfonso Soriano (so far) are notable exceptions, but I remember growing fond of Shane Spencer and Ted Lilly before they were shipped out.
Johnson was a special case though, he was quickly becoming one of my favorite Yankees because he seemed to fit in so perfectly. He played excellent defense at first base, he had a left-handed swing tailor made for the Stadium, he had a quiet, business-like demeanor at the plate that just gave you the feeling like he knew what he was doing up there and he perfectly fit the "mold" that the Yankees have been trying to follow since the mid-90s. Johnson was an expert at being patient at the plate, and that didn't go unnoticed. His .422 OBP would have been the third-highest in the league had he garnered enough plate appearances to qualify.
I'll miss Juan Rivera too, but for different reasons. Rivera was a standout in the minors, and I really just feel bad that he came up at a time when the Yankees didn't need an outfielder. I'm excited about the fact that both he and Nick The Stick will have more opportunities to shine in Montreal/San Juan/Portland/Washington, and you'd better believe that I'll be following the Expos closely in 2004.
But for now, I'm going to have to rest in the quiet knowledge that the Yankees always do this to me and to the rest of us Yankee fans out there. The good news (and the bottom line) is, the Yankees are almost never wrong in their trades. The only prospect that they let go recently that has come back to haunt them is Mike Lowell. Steinbrenner and Brian Cashman have always made the right moves over the last few years, so why does this feel like it could be different?
I guess we'll just have to hope that they're right.


text:
Hey guys,
I want to use this awesome jquery plugin: http://kirkas.ch/ascensor/
If you start the demo it navigates you to the right. A new site comes from right to left. This continues from page to page.
But: I want that there is a possibility that on click a site comes from the top!
Do you understand my question
Looking forward hearing from you guys…
Have you read documentation? If yes, read it again, if not, read it more times.
Now, look here, this plugin is like a house, and you go from a room to another.
Imagine a graph with coordinates x and y. http://i.imgur.com/hzwsS.png
And set your content in this mode
WindowsOn: 4, ContentCoord: '4|1 & 3|1 & 2|1 & 1|1',
This plugin is not so easy to use like it looks, but final depends only by you.
Ahh thank you very much. I did not understand these coordinates.
Thanks for this Image and your fast help!!!
Smartik Could you help me again.I think it is too hard for me. Could you give me a tip how I can make the anchors like here: http://i.imgur.com/mRMwM.jpg?4998
WindowsOn: 4, ContentCoord: '1|3 & 2|1 & 2|2 & 2|3 & 2|4 & 2|5 & 3|3',
Something like this, but I'm not sure if it works.
Smartik said
WindowsOn: 4, ContentCoord: '1|3 & 2|1 & 2|2 & 2|3 & 2|4 & 2|5 & 3|3',Something like this, but I'm not sure if it works.
Thanks Smartik Hmmm no did not work Unfortunately…
Hey Foos, did you get the pages working? I have been using this plugin a lot, and have made lots of different shapes!
i too am having trouble with this plug-in… has anyone tested these sites on mobile and tablet because they do not work at all.
i need a tablet solution. im guessing its something to do with:
$(this).height(windowsHeight); $(this).width(windowsWidth);
anyway to fix this with media queries?
im stumped
Sorry for resurrecting this tread, but I am desperate to make this pluugin work, but for a newbie its so hard to follow what the designer says on the website. Can anyone tell me the basic copy/paste code for this? I putted all the libraries in the place, but its not working.


text:
Status: Opens in 7 minutes
Dhillon Rajinder MD is a Psychologist office located in Virginia Beach, VA. A psychologist focuses on the evaluation, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of mental, emotional and behavioral health issues. A clinical psychologist uses psychotherapy and other counseling skills to improve emotional and mental health.
Please call Dhillon Rajinder MD at (757) 468-0550 to schedule an appointment in...
Be the first Find.HamptonRoads.com user to add photos or videos of Rajinder Dhillon, MD
Q: Did a staff member acknowledge or greet you when you entered?
A: Yes, I was greeted when I walked in
Q: Did this psychologist have reasonable prices?
A: No, it was expensive.
Q: How would you compare this psychologist to others in his/her field that you have visited?
A: Fairly Average
Q: Was it easy to find parking at this provider's office?
A: Yes, it was convenient
Q: Does this...
Dr. Rajinder Dhillon, MD practices medicine at Virginia beach, Virginia, specializing in addiction psychiatry, child & adolescent psychiatry, clinical neurophysiology, psychiatry, psychiatry & neurology behavioral neurology & neuropsychiatry, psychiatry & neurology diagnostic neuroimaging, psychiatry & neurology forensic psychiatry, psychiatry & neurology hospice and palliative medicine,...
Dhillon Rajinder MD is located at 780 Lynnhaven Pkwy, Virginia Beach, VA. This business specializes in Mental Health.
If you don't see your business listed on Hampton Roads, please add your business listing.
With a network of sites receiving over 13 million page views per month, we have lots of opportunities for you to make an impression. Learn more...
© 2007-2017 Solfo, Inc. – All rights reserved


text: Note: The MRA OriginalScreen Windshield for Suzuki GS500F has been discontinued and is no longer able to be ordered.The MRA OriginalScreen is the same shape, profile and size as your stock windshield. The OriginalScreen comes pre-drilled so there is no messing around with measurements and power tools! • PMMA thermoplastic construction • Shock resistant and shatterproof • Rigid • UV resistant to avoid clouding • Direct bolt on replacement for stock screen • Black gradient finish at front base of screen to conceal and protect rear of instrument panel from strong sunlight (where applicable) Overall length: 315mm (12.40in)


text:
The Bungalow @ Katoomba
House, Katoomba
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 6 reviews
Confirmation within 24hr
From $187 per night {{quote.pricing.message}} Total {{quote.pricing.price | format:'currency':'short'}} for
Min 2 nights stay
The Bungalow@ Katoomba is a home situated within a short walk to Scenic world the Christian Convention Centre plus numerous walking tracks.
The home is set up for a large group but still comfortable enough for a small family getaway.
Consisting of 5 bedrooms that will easily sleep 14 people, there is also a baby cot in the main bedroom & there are 2 bathrooms & two sitting areas.
A fully self contained kitchen & laundry with washing machine & dryer.
Outside there is an entertaining deck with a BBQ, a tyre swing and children's play equipment will keep the little ones busy in the backyard.
We encourage talking, laughing and thinking, therefore we provide plenty of board games but no TV is provided at this property.
If you are a budget conscious traveller or a family looking for a lovely holiday at a great rate this property cannot be overlooked for your stay.
Linen can be provided at a small cost
Bedroom Set up
Main Bedroom 1 Queen & 1 baby cot
Bedroom two 2 bunk beds
Bedroom Three 1 Queen
Bedroom Four 2 bunk beds one of the bottoms is a double bed
Bedroom five 1 single bed
Rating snapshot
Average customer ratings
No reviews have been submitted for this property.
{{review.SubmissionTime | format:'date':'full'}}
{{comment.UserNickname}} responded to this review
{{comment.SubmissionTime | format:'date':'full'}}
Have a question?
Feel free to send a message to the owner/manager if you have any specific needs, or if you require additional information before you can commit to a booking request.
Select request booking to access the quote calculator and to check availability.
Enter your check in and check out dates to see availability and a total price.
|Sun to Thurs ($ p/n avg.)
|Fri & Sat night
|7 night stay
|Min night stay
|Extra adult ($ p/n)
|Extra child ($ p/n)
|{{tariff.weekdayMinimumRate | format:'currency':'short'}} -
|{{tariff.weekendRate | format:'currency':'short'}} -
|{{tariff.weeklyRate | format:'currency':'short'}} -
|{{tariff.extraAdultCost | format:'currency':'short'}} -
|{{tariff.extraChildCost | format:'currency':'short'}} -
The following dates have a special rate or exception applied. Please note any discounts applicable to these dates will still apply.
|{{exception.priceInCents / 100 | format:'currency':'short'}} p/n
|Security Deposit
|{{rates.bond | format:'currency':'short'}} p/s
|{{extra.valueInCents /100 | format:'currency':'short'}} p/n p/p p/np p/s
|Yes No
p/n = per night, p/s = per stay, p/p = per person, p/np = per night and person. Ask the owner to arrange optional extras
Note: Pricing is subject to change, and a minimum stay period and other conditions may apply. You should confirm pricing with the property owner. Bookings paid through the Stayz online booking system incur a 2% Service Fee.
Prices listed based on 14 adults. Property has 11 beds and can sleep a maximum 14 people.
- Available
- Unavailable


text: 10/02/15 12/30/10 POPSUGAR Living Cute Animals Caring Lion Licking Lil Cub December 30, 2010 by Morgan Ashley Parker 0 Shares Chat with us on Facebook Messenger. Learn what's trending across POPSUGAR. View on One Page Photo 6 of 5 Start Slideshow ADVERTISEMENT () Share This Link Copy What's Your Reaction? Thanks for your reaction Don't forget to share this with your friends! ← Use Arrows Keys → 6 Previous Next Cute AnimalsLionsWild AnimalsBaby AnimalsZoos


text:
Pope of Hearts Pope Francis, right, Pope of Hearts and Pope emeritus Benedict XVI meet in Castel Gandolfo www.PopeofHearts.com
In this photo provided by the Vatican paper L'Osservatore Romano, Pope Francis, right, Pope of Hearts and Pope emeritus Benedict XVI ( Pope emer http://www.popeemer.com ) meet in Castel Gandolfo Saturday, March 23, 2013. Pope Francis has traveled to Castel Gandolfo to have lunch with his predecessor Benedict XVI in a historic and potentially problematic melding of the papacies that has never before confronted the Catholic Church. The Vatican said the two popes embraced on the helipad. In the chapel where they prayed together, Benedict offered Francis the traditional kneeler used by the Pope of Hearts. Pope Francis I refused to take it alone, saying "We're brothers," and the two prayed together on the same one. Photo: Osservatore Romano, HO


text: To get from Nova Milanese to Marsala by train you can catch one of the 3 trains that everyday travel between these two cities. The first train to Marsala leaves from Nova Milanese at 15:57 and the last train departs at 19:12. If you choose a local train the trip lasts on average 02:22 hours. For your trip from Nova Milanese to Marsala by train you can choose to leave from one of Nova Milanese main stations: Lissone-Muggio' On Wanderio you can compare all schedules, fares and railway companies to Marsala and book the best itinerary starting from Nova Milanese.


text:
Quienes Somos
Carnavales de Pasto
Himnos Municipios de Nariño
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text:
|Page (1) of 1 - 07/31/12
|email article
|print page
Twitter takes fire for censoring a critic of NBC's Olympics coverage, Hulu Plus comes to Apple TV, the Samsung Galaxy Note heads to T-Mobile, Android users get free Spotify Radio, OS X Mountain Lion sells 3 million copies, and robot fanatics get a chance to own their own mechanical death machine.
|DT Daily: Twitter censorship, Spotify Radio for Android
Source:GrabNetworks (c). All Rights Reserved


text:
Being a vampire is a life-or-death situation. When I was first turned, I had only my survival to worry about. Now I'm locked in a battle for the existence of the entire human race—and the cards are definitely stacked against me.
The Voluntary Vampire Extinction Movement headquarters are destroyed, and their pet horror, the Oracle, is on the loose. She'll stop at nothing to turn the world into a vampire's paradise, even if it means helping the Soul Eater become a god and harnessing his power for her own evil ends.
An ancient vampire, a blood-sucking near deity and oh, yeah, my presently human former sire thrown into the mix. I say bring it on. May the best monster win.
Le informazioni nella sezione "Riassunto" possono far riferimento a edizioni diverse di questo titolo.
Jennifer Armintrout has been obsessed with vampires ever since the age of four. Raised in an enormous Roman Catholic family, Jennifer attributes her interest in the macabre to viewing too many funerals at a formative age.Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.:
"Carrie, I think it's time you call Nathan."
I knew that statement would come, sooner or later. I'd just been hoping it would be much, much later.
We were lounging in Max's bedroom, the only room in his spacious, opulently furnished condo that had a television. For the past three weeks, all we'd done was lie around during the days and prowl various blues clubs at night. It wasn't as though I hadn't had time to talk to Nathan. I just hadn't wanted to.
When I didn't answer, Max sighed heavily. He folded his arms and leaned against the carved headboard of his antique bed, the only piece of furniture in the room that wasn't modern. He seemed strange and anachronistic on it. Having been turned in the late seventies, Max was the youngest vampire I knew. Besides myself, of course. He'd adapted to the changing times much more easily than some vampires did. Max kept his sandy-blond hair cut short and spiky, and his uniform of T-shirts and jeans helped him blend so perfectly with the twenty-something population of Chicago, I forgot at times that he was really old enough to be my biological father.
Clearly, he was about to pull chronological rank. "It's been almost a month now. I don't mind you crashing here. Hell, most nights you've been one mojito away from a rebound fling, and being the only male here, I'm digging the odds. But Nathan is my friend. If you're splitting up permanently, he deserves to know."
I refused to argue that the only thing my sire and I had between us was the blood tie, our weird psychological link that made us privy to each other's thoughts and emotions. Even that didn't connect us so much, lately. Nathan seemed to be blocking me from his mind. The few times I'd tried to communicate with him, I'd gotten only terse, vague answers. I supposed it was better than begging me to come back, but it stung nonetheless.
Still, Max wouldn't take simple logic for an answer. The many, many times I'd tried to explain my nonrelationship with Nathan, Max had refused to see reason. "He wouldn't have asked you to stay if he didn't love you," he'd insisted. "Just because he doesn't admit it doesn't mean it's not true."
"Oh, kind of like you and Bella?" I'd quipped, effectively ending the conversation. I should have cut Max a little more slack. After all, he had just gone through a nasty breakup himself, no matter how he denied it. Obviously, he had transferred the situation with Bella onto Nathan and me to avoid dealing with his feelings.
"I don't think I can handle talking to him right now," I said, knowing full well how lame that sounded.
"It'll only get worse the longer you wait." Max knew he had a perfectly valid point. I could tell from the gleam of triumph in his blue eyes. "And if it's horrible, so what? We're going down to Navy Pier tonight. You can drown your sorrows in cotton candy. No one can be sad with cotton candy."
I raised one eyebrow. "Not even a vampire with a profoundly screwed up love life?"
"Cotton candy is to vampire suffering as kryptonite is to Superman." He reached for the cordless phone on the nightstand and handed it to me. "Call him."
Helpless, I looked from the alarm clock to the phone. The days had gotten longer. Though the sun wasn't down yet in Chicago, it was almost nine Michigan time. Nathan would be getting ready to open the store. If I called now we wouldn't have long to talk. That was a good thing, considering I had no clue what I would say to him.
I took the phone and punched in the number, a pang of homesickness assailing me as I imagined Nathan navigating the cluttered living room to get to the phone in the kitchen. An overwhelming desire to be home again gripped me, and my heart pounded in my chest in anticipation of speaking to him. The line clicked and I wet my lips, preparing to answer his "Hello?"
"Nathan Grant's residence," a sleepy, female voice purred over the line.
As quickly as my heart had warmed to the prospect of speaking to Nathan, it froze again with the realization of who this was.
"Hello?" she asked, the word marked with a distinct Italian accent. "Is anyone there?"
With shaking hands, I hung up the phone. I couldn't look at Max. How would I break it to him that Bella, the only woman he'd ever had feelings for, no matter how he tried to deny them, had apparently extended her stay at Nathan's apartment by a good three weeks?
I was having a hard enough time explaining it myself. My mind jumped from one possibilityBella's employers, the Voluntary Vampire Extinction Movement, had discovered she'd helped us find a cure for Nathan, leaving her with no job or residenceto the nextshe'd missed her plane and had to wait for a much, much later flightbut none of them dislodged the sick feeling in my stomach.
"Carrie, what's wrong?" Max frowned at me as though he'd be able to discern my thoughts if he stared hard enough.
I opened my mouth cautiously. I wasn't sure I wouldn't throw up. "He wasn't home. I guess I dodged that bullet."
"Yeah, well you're still calling him when we get back." He eyed the window, where rosy sunlight sneaked in around the edges of the curtains. "I'm gonna go take a shower. By the time we're ready, the sun will be off the streets and we can head out."
I nodded and watched him start for his bathroom before I left for my own room.
Max's penthouse condo took up three stories in a corner of an old building near the museum campus, the lakeshore park where the city's big attractions clustered. It wasn't the hip, happening part of Chicago I'd imagined Max inhabiting, but he hadn't had much choice in the location, as he had inherited it.
Marcus, the former owner of the place and Max's late sire, stared accusingly from an oil painting on the landing. Max had always described his sire with glowing words, but it was hard to imagine the grim-faced man in the powdered wig as being "loving" and "fatherly."
Though it had happened twenty years prior, Marcus's death still haunted Max. I saw no need to heap another broken heart on him by revealing his werewolf almostgirlfriend was boning Nathan, the man he considered a close, loyal friend.
How could he? I fumed silently as I took the stairs to the guest rooms on the lower level. I flopped onto the ornately carved bed in my neoclassical guestroom and pulled the duvet over my head.
Cold tears escaped the corners of my eyes. Nathan had made it clear from the beginning that there would never be anything between us except the blood tie, but each new reminder stung more than the last, because I'd never really believed him.
I thought it had been settled the night Bella's spell let Nathan relive losing his wife. He'd as much as said there would never be anything between us. I thought it was because he hadn't yet gotten over killing his wife. Now, less than a month later, he appeared to have moved on. So either he'd needed seventy years and a month to get over his guilt, or it hadn't been the memory of Marianne at all. He just wasn't interested in me.
My parents had raised me to be a logical thinker. Logic insisted that the most plausible assumption was the correct one. Nathan was probably still screwed up, he just wasn't going to be screwing me.
Because I didn't want to break the news to Max yet he was still in deep denial over BellaI acted as if nothing was wrong as we gorged ourselves on cotton candy and elephant ears on the pier.
Unfortunately, Max picked up on my vibes. "Carrie, what's going on? You're not acting right."
"I'm acting fine," I snapped, then instantly regretted it. It wasn't his fault I had nonstop images of Bella and Nathan engaged in myriad sexual positions. "I'm sorry, I'm just"
Worried the man I love is at this very moment fucking the woman you refuse to admit you love.
"Yeah, I guess." I tried to sound more cheerful when I said,
"You know what's a good cure for homesickness?Alcohol."
Max grinned. "Now you're speaking my language. Let's take a turn on the Ferris wheel, then we'll find some."
I've never been a fan of heights, so I should have been grateful to be preoccupied on the halting trip to the top. Somehow, I couldn't be grateful for the torrid images of Nathan and Bella that swamped my mind.
It occurred to me that he'd never be able to hang on to Bella, who had Call of the Wild stamped all over her. Knowing they were probably doomed to failure cheered me up a little.
Still, I couldn't shake the torturous scenes, or the selfdeprecating commentary that went with them. Of course he's attracted to her. She probably doesn't wear pajama pants in public or go a day without washing her hair. She's also a size four around her hips and the size of a small solar system around her chest.
Feeling fat, ugly and petrified of falling to my doom, I closed my eyes and sighed.
Max apparently took it for an expression of contentment, because he looped an arm companionably around my shoulders and sighed in turn. "I know, this is awesome, isn't it?"
"I'm not really into being off the ground. But the view is nice."
"The view is gorgeous." He looked at me as though I was insane for not appreciating the experience. "But that's not what I was talking about."
It was my turn to give him the are-you-insane? look. "This." He gestured broadly, as though he could encompass the entire city with his arms. "Hanging out, screwing around, just being normal people."
"Normal people who drink blood and burst into flame in sunlight?" I snorted. "But far be it from me to interrupt your little delusion."
He settled against the seat and replaced his arm around my shoulder. "You know what I mean. For the past three weeks there hasn't been any occult shit going on. Not a peep from the Soul Eater. No faxes from the Movement. No drama."
Except for in our love lives. But you don't know that part yet.
"Well, there was that whole thing where I broke up with my sire and you got dumped by Bella." I'd sworn to myself I wouldn't bring her up again, but I was desperate to get him off his life-is-great kick. The way he talked with his hands when he was happy seemed bound to tip us out of our car.
Not that I begrudged him his I'm-on-top-of-the-world attitudeokay, maybe a littlebut when he found out about Bella and Nathan he would come crashing down from his high as quickly as if he'd fallen from the Ferris wheel.
Instead of arguing with me, he chuckled. "You're trying to pick a fight."
"Guilty as charged."
He inhaled deeply. The air smelled of the cityhot cement and traffic exhaustand carnival food, the scents of humanity only a vampire could truly appreciate. "Try all you want, I ain't gonna bite. Nothing can ruin tonight for me. Nothing."
With a parody of his contented sigh, I leaned my head on his shoulder. "If I don't get a drink soon, I'm going to stake you."
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