Blake's 18
th
birthday was today; she had gotten a scholarship to attend the Guirstines School of Cinema in Brooklyn, New York, in the fall. Her best friend and daughter of her mother's friend, Dawn, had graduated last year and was a sophomore at New York State University. She had made the cheerleading squad and talked about it a mile a minute, texting Blake.
The party was set for 8 o'clock that night; her best friend Emilie was flying in for the occasion.
Amber, her mother, was 48 now but looked 32; she had kept herself looking beautiful; it had been fourteen years since she had Gwyneth, Blake's younger sister. But you couldn't tell her mom had ever had children until you saw her beautiful copycat daughters.
Blake's mother had a little exhibitionist in seeing nothing wrong with being nude. Her father, Brian, did not care and ensured no one put their hands on her.
Blake looked out the window, noticing her mom nude again, laying out near the backyard pool, which wasn't unusual but off in the distance saw neighbor Bailey setting up his camera again.
Blake yelled, "Dad, it's Bailey again."
Brian, her father, was watching a baseball game while setting up the party decorations; he did not hear her.
Blake texted Emilie, "Hold on a minute, okay."
She went to the den punching her dad on his shoulder, "Hey Baileys, at it again!"
"Oh, okay, Swan," her dad said; it was a nickname he called her.
Brian casually walked out and into the car, drove over to Berkshire drive walked up to the two-story flat; he did not have to ring the doorbell; Bailey's wife opened the door.
She constantly nagged him, saying," You know this would not happen if your wife would wear something."
Yes, I know Mrs. Bailey. We have talked about it before; you guys have called the police. They can do nothing if it's in a high fence backyard on private property.
Brian walks up to the man, takes the illegal film, shakes the man up, and slaps him around a little with his wife's approval.
Brian told him he could look but don't touch; the camera is touch. He walked out while Bailey's wife threatened to divorce her husband again.
Brian always laughed about it, thinking he could not blame the guy; he and his wife were dumpy looking, while his wife looked better than most females in fashion magazines, saying, "hahaha, those two."
Emilie arrived, and with ten other girls, they swam, played music, did their nails, then settled down for an all-night slumber party; it was sensational.
The next day mother Amber, Brian, and her sisters traveled with Blake and Emilie to O'Hare International for the flight to New York City.
Blake was studying dramatic stage acting, dance, and singing at the school of Cinema in Brooklyn. She was hoping to get work on a Broadway show eventually.
Emilie was majoring in Botany in upstate NY; she started her sophomore year and went out for the cheerleading team making the squad.
Emilie had already obtained an apartment inviting Blake to stay with her.
Blake moved in, all excited about this being the first time away from home, her sisters, and her parents she so loved.
Emilie said, "Blake, you have seen downtown Chicago, right? But you haven't seen anything until you have seen New York and time square. Come on, let's go.
So off both girls went to the curb, then thumbing for a cab.
They took the classic tour seeing all the sights, the Metropolitan Museum, the statue of liberty, the Empire State Building, and Central Park. She ate dinner at Grand Central Station, then finished with the Broadway theater, the place Blake hopes to land a job asap.
53
rd
and Broadway and the Diamond store
There it was. 53
rd
and Broadway, the place Blake dreamed about her whole life; She walked inside to take a private 2-hour tour before her acting class began.
Suddenly as Emilie held out her hand for a cab ride back to her apartment, an alarm rang.
Emilie stood back, watching while traffic stopped. The alert caused a block-wide shut-down. No Cabs, Busses, or Motor vehicles were allowed in the area; there was nothing she could do but wait until the alert ended.
Within minutes police cars and a swat team van showed up at a diamond store across the street. The public was directed to other avenues for rides away from the area.
Finally, Emilie thumbed a cab for a ride back to her apartment, turning on a local TV station to find out more about the robbery she supposed it was.
Blake enjoyed her theater tour, learning about how it grew out of a horse-trading district. The vaudeville palaces of the Great Depression turned into today's theater and dance studios, tips for making it in the business, and other Broadway locales: Sardi's, Shubert Alley, and the Edison Hotel.
She was so excited to get started right away.
Just before her acting class began, she got a text from Emilie with the wild tail of the Diamond Store Robbery and that she was searching for information about it. The acting class required her phone to be off, but she was interested in hearing about it. Blake texted back okay, but the course was about to start.
After class ended, Blake returned to her apartment; Emile was still researching the group credited with the diamond heist.
Emilie said, "Blake look at this?"
The news service said it was a message left at the robbery scene. The police are releasing it to the public as it was so strange that no one could decipher it.
What is sweeter than honey, yet stronger than a lion, cannot be lifted, given away, nor eaten. If you can find out, you will find who I am.
Blake said," What does it mean?"
Emilie replied," I don't know, but the robber sure is eccentric."
Blake said, "Well, I have a lot to study; we have our first test tomorrow."
A week passed, and the two girls settled into the apartment, classes, daily life in New York City, and the colleges they chose.
During acting class at the School of Cinema in Brooklyn, a team from a Broadway theater play was looking for young women for a part supporting an actress.
Looking at Blake, they said we are looking for a natural blonde, asking if she was a natural or dyed blonde.
Blake told them she was natural.
They checked the hair follicles in their heads with only two other natural blondes found; they said," You three meet with us tomorrow on 53
rd
and Broadway at 9:30 am sharp."