" Regardless," Ashley said, getting us back on track, "The point is, youaren't attracting these things to us. By your own logic she should havecome to...us instead of us accidentally driving into her sphere ofinfluence." Nice terminology," I muttered."Thank you. Anyway, you didn't cause that, she did." But all of that hard work you did healing what they did to my mind," Isaid, feeling tears starting to brim. I'd cried so much these last twodays I didn't think I had any left. Apparently I was. We settled on a time, and I told her where I lived, then we went off to our respective classes.Kari arrived at my house first. I took her up to my room and she said quietly, "You know, I don't mind if you tell Sandy my secret." Really, why not?" I asked."It would be nice to have a friend to share it with," she said. "Plus, I'd bet she'd make a nice little slave for you, too." First of all," I replied, "I am not going to even try to get her to be my slave. I have quite enough slaves already!. My next stop was Nashua for the bi-monthly Board of Aldermen meeting. Again I said very little, but kept my eyes open. By the time I went home, I had a glimmering of a plan. Several of Dean and Dowd's pet companies had locked up bids. However, the big prize was against a company from Manchester, who also had local resources to draw on. If I could spoke the wheels of that wagon, I would.Nashua took only a couple of days. Boston took a couple of weeks. Unlike Concord, I set up the Boston office. He seemed to think about his answer. Perhaps he didn't have one. I knew whatever he said, it would be a lie. "I...I....I dunno...." was all he could mutter out at first."I just thought....we could you know." he stammered out.I thought we had already been through this. I was annoyed now. My tone was not the nicest when I spoke to him. "Thought we could what Jon? I told you this already that can't happen. You don't come up in my bedroom, EVER! You don't spy on women, EVER! What gives you that.