CHAPTER 1
Wounded at being divorced by the treacherous bastard she'd stupidly married, and now possessing half of their combined declared assets while knowing he had undeclared hidden assets but decided to let that be, Boston-born Geneva Beggs returned to America to hide in the hope she could recover and become happy again.
Geneva recognized half of the guiltless parties in such collapsed marriages would feel like she did, not that she felt any better in acknowledging that.
She had her passport and name on other official documents changed from Beggs to her maiden name of Graham and in London and transferred her bank accounts to the Bank of America, nominating her branch.
Geneva Graham arrived in Asheville, in in Blue Ridge Mountains in western North Carolina, where her late mother had been born, determined to resume her life on her own terms.
Two days after arriving she leased a two-bedroom apartment in Lexington Ave and, with that done, could almost feel the cloud lift from her.
Geneva worked to regain her 'lost' accent from living abroad to try to fit in better in this more conservative neck of the woods. Well as least the female real estate leasing agent hadn't asked was she English.
With some of her $3.76 million in cash already invested in American stocks and a beach house in a gated community in Florida, the forty-two year old was self-sufficient and decided not to seek work, at least not for a while.
Already two women on the same floor of the apartment block had called to welcome her and Geneva deeply considered that as being homely. The apartment was furnished and she'd arrived with only two carry bags. Her personal effects were in storage in England and would remain there until she relocated to Denver in possibly a year's time.
That afternoon Geneva purchased an Apple Mac 15-inch laptop computer plus printer and back home pulled out the memory stick containing the first eleven chapters of a planned 35-chapter novel with the working title of ' Runaway Drug Heiress'.
Geneva had a masters in English Lit gained in Boston. When in London on a working vacation immediately after leaving college, she was employed by a publishing company and began writing this novel at nights. But when one of the partners, a childless widower, became inflated with her, she ceased writing and didn't resume it after marriage because working and looking after him kept her fully occupied.
The asshole became infatuated with other young women and eventually the penny dropped and Geneva realized he'd married her to be his housekeeper and he blatantly admitted that when confronted.
Her work became her consuming interest and she left her husband largely to his own interests. After nine very unspectacular years of their marriage Charles came to her asking for a divorce because he'd met someone else. Geneva hired a top divorce solicitor and gained a satisfactory exit with a barrow load of cash.
The marriage ended disastrously for both of them (the girlfriend left Charles when she learned how much of his assets the departing wife would exit with) but Geneva had to admit to herself the sex, when she'd managed to get it, had been great but like most women she'd also desired other things from a marriage.
Setting up the computer and establishing the wireless connection to the printer, Geneva read and later watched early evening news while eating an omelet and then returned to working on her draft novel after a two-year break. Only when stopping work at 1:30 did she yawn and say, "Jesus I'm a night writer by choice."
When at a book and stationery supplies store early next morning, Geneva was served by the female proprietor who apologized for the delay for service.
"I'm down two assistants including the woman who managed incoming books and stocking the shelves."
"That must be tough for you," Geneva said.
"Tougher than you think honey because I go home to a husband and two sloth-like teens, but so far I haven yet seen many would-be customers throw their hands in the air and walk out."
"Are you advertising for replacement people?"
"Yes and what a wonderful way to meet deadbeats," the woman said bitterly.
"I could work part-time, 9:00 to 2:00 but would have to leave at 2:00, until you get a permanent replacement. I worked all summer in a bookstore in Boston when an undergraduate and worked for two years in London as an assistant editor for a publisher."
"Omigod, I'm Thelma Cousins. Could you help out and start right now?"
Geneva laughed and said she'd fetch her references before being interviewed.
"That won't be necessary. Incoming stock is piling up at the back and you would have seen the empty shelves. There's no charge for this travel book on Queensland, Australia and this printer paper. Are you writing?"
"Yes."
"Omigod my day is made. My mother will arrive to work behind the counter from 11:00 till closing. I can see daylight."
Geneva introduced herself and was taken to the storeroom as soon as the line-up of customers had cleared.
And so the weekday arrangement of convenience for both women began.
As Geneva returned from placing a carton of new magazines in the racks, Thelma arrived with an attractive woman of thirty-two, Geneva's age.
"Geneva this is Kitty Kennedy, floor manager at a pharmacy from just up the street. She knows about unpacking stock and checking off against invoices and pulling out damaged stock and recording missing items. I went to university with her boss and their initial morning rush is over and yes she can help out till 2:00 each day. Keith will get off his butt and perform her supervisory role of pharmacy staff."
Geneva and Kitty said hi and hugged and the three women laughed when Geneva said, "Wow Thelma, you found yourself in deep crap and have dug your way out of it brilliantly."
Thelma later complimented the two women for what they'd achieved in under four hours and when Kitty left Geneva asked if she could make a suggestion and Geneva listened and agreed to allow a selection of books supplied with the tag of 'possible hot sellers' to be displayed near the entrance alongside best-selling titles.
"I'll get a sign made for the stand but it can't be possible hot sellers because that's a big negative for browsers."
Geneva suggested 'Titles on the Rise'.
"Yes we'll run with that," Thelma said, hugging Geneva and thanking her again. "I'd like you to come home to lunch on Saturday. My sister manages the store at weekends."
Geneva accepted that thought two invitations in one day... Kitty had invited her to dinner on Sunday. Her social life was rocketing! She went home, showered and napped till 6:00 and went to a Thai restaurant and returned home and began her alternative role of night writer.
* * *
Lunch at Thelma's was more or less lunch with Thelma because nothing Geneva said to the 14-year old daughter and son of almost sixteen appeared to interest them, Gregg the husband answered her politely and spent a lot of his time glancing at Geneva's breasts and as soon as eating was done the kids were off to visit friends and Gregg was off to watch TV on sport. Not one of them cleared anything from the table.
Geneva thought Thelma would be better off dumping the lot of them.
"Ah they've gone and we have peace and can enjoy a good chat," Geneva sighed. "I'll make coffee soon."
God Thelma was lonely despite living with a husband and two kids! Geneva thought Thelma would really love setting off to work and chatting to customers about books and the price of printer inks.
