CHAPTER 1
Redman Gallagher and wife Drew kept putting off the decision but finally the twins pressed them for the verdict: Who would go on to college.
The parents argued, shouted, slammed doors and swore at each other.
"You'll be going to college Danny," said his sister. "Dad will wear mom down."
"But Blaze that's not fair. You are my academic superior and dad and mom have to admit that."
"To misquote, nothing is fair in love and war. We agreed not to negotiate with them and to accept their decision Danny."
"But you know dad favors me getting my degree in engineering design to work my way up in the company where he's a draftsman."
"Yes and what's so wrong with that? I'm supposed to graduate high school and go out and work and meet a rich guy eventually who'll support me while I sit at home and sew and read books."
"Yeah living mom's dream instead of being a cashier in the café like she has been for fifteen years."
Their mom came out of the dining room looking exhausted and crying.
"Go to your father please," she sobbed.
Their dad could capably act the role of tough guy and didn't mince words.
"You mother and I regret this decision but I feel we have no choice," he said. "Blaze I'm sorry but Danny goes to college."
"That's fine daddy. One of us was always going to lose."
She ran from the room and locked herself in her bedroom and began phoning her college-bound friends. High school graduation was seven months away.
The day after graduation Drew Gallagher went to her daughter's bedroom to find why Blaze (named Pansy at birth) had not answered the call to breakfast. She ran back to the kitchen waving a piece of paper and cried, "She's gone. She left to catch the night bus coming through at 5:00."
Hands shaking, Redman read out the note:
'Dear family. It's time to say goodbye. I'm off to make a career for myself. I'll be in touch, sooner or later. Thanks for everything guys. Actually mom and dad you made the right choice by sending Danny to college. He'd find it harder to make a success out in the big world alone than I will. Study hard and successfully Danny; mom watch your diet and dad stop drinking so heavily. Bye. I love you all. Blaze.'
"She's one tough female," Danny said. His father nodded and her mother wept.
* * *
A little over two years later Blaze graduated with an online associate degree in basic journalism while working in Minneapolis as a personal trainer in a leading women's gym. She was thoroughly conversant with all the programs the gym delivered to promote women's health and fitness training and dieting and had continued with swimming to build stamina.
Eight weeks later she was called to Chicago a few days after applying for a magazine writer's job on women's fitness and health.
The editor was almost rude to her.
"We don't recognize an associate degree in journalism, regarding a bachelor's as our minimum standard. Why you are being considered is because your involvement in fitness and women's health is rather impressive. Frankly you are the outstanding applicant for the position."
"Then hire me."
Mrs Curtis frowned and said that was rather impertinent.
Blaze made no effort to apologize.
The editor looked at her thoughtfully. "Give me one top reason why this magazine should hire you."
"Because as a writer I'd fit your readership profile. I've noted 27% of your readership falls in the 14-24 age group. That's exceptionally high and reflects the growing trend of younger people, principally females, to prefer power exercise and good nutrition over fad dieting including bad dieting like eating practically nothing."
Rachel Curtis worried about her 24-year old daughter's appalling eating habits, knew only too well was this young woman was on about. She said she couldn't fault that response as a persuasive answer.
"Look read our latest issue about to be distributed while I check with the group editor."
Fergus Hamill listened to Rachel present her dilemma about hiring this applicant who appeared to have everything going for her apart from the required level of education.
"Yeah well ask yourself why we have minimum standards."
"I have and that's why I'm here. It's rare for me to throw a recruitment poser at you."
"True and so handle it. Break the rule and go with instinct if that's how you see it. I must go; I'm late for a meeting."
"Thanks," Rachel said and almost added 'for nothing' but returning to her floor she realized that Fergus had steered her into the decision she should make. She entered the office and the attractive shorthaired blonde looked up.
Rachel smiled and asked, "When can you start?"
Drew Gallagher raced out to meet her husband who on the drive home had diverted to pick up Danny from college swimming training.
"Mom looks excited, she must be pregnant."
"Jesus Danny," snapped his startled father.
"Blaze is on her way home!" Drew yelled. "She'll stay three nights before starting a new job in Chicago as a magazine writer."
Drew soon had the two guys aware that no it wasn't a trashy women's magazine as Redman had alleged. It was an influential magazine on personal living options and she'd be making two contributions for each monthly issue on fitness and nutrition plus assorted articles as assigned. Her pay as a new-start writer would be $33,000 plus annual bonus. Also she'd enrolled to convert her two-year degree into a four-year degree in media communications and might even continue another year for a master's.
The guys were impressed.
For two years Blaze had emailed her mother weekly and called once a month so they'd been aware she was safe and knew what she was doing. They had all gone to the airport to greet her early flight that morning and only Drew recognized her. Initially the guys wondered why Drew was yelling while running to a sweet looking blonde with a great body.
"Jesus," said her twin while her father was more genteel with, "Wow is that my daughter?"
* * *
'Slick Living Magazine' had five other staff writers, all female, and a dozen contributing writers. Still three months away from her 21st birthday, Blaze was the youngest on the payroll by nine years.
Those older people gawked at the racy-looking blonde in a forest green designer-copy dress. Only the fashion editor was better dressed and she smiled approvingly at Blaze.
Editor Curtis told Blaze to call her Rachel and took her around introducing her to the twenty-one people who worked in the office who included sub-editors, layout designers, computer graphic artists, general production people and advertising and accounts personnel. The magazine operated as a self-supporting unit to the point of printing in a complex business that including two radio a TV station, five regional community newspapers and nine magazines.
Blaze spent the first two days reading the office manual, reading articles in the computer archives of recent copies and talking to other people about what they did to familiarize herself with the magazine operation. Three issues were in various stages of production and on Blaze's third day she attended a meeting chaired by Rachel with the other five writers attending plus the chief sub-editor Gloria who was also the magazine's deputy-editor.
Blaze had picked up quite good knowledge of what was involved in an editorial planning meeting from her studies. But she found being in the room during a planning meeting was far more interesting that descriptive detail gleaned from study papers because of all of the interaction that at times became somewhat heated.
"Now Blaze your two assignments," said Rachel. "We have cooking pages of course, heaps of them, but we've not covered nutrition before so the field is wide open for you. Can you tell us what you'll write about?"
"Bananas."
"Pardon me?" Rachel said, lifting her head sharply.
