. she... ," Winona struggled to respond, still having trouble figuring this all out."As I said, we have no qualms about letting Alex take the lead. If...he wants to spend time alone with you, he can. If he wants us there with him, we'll be there. In anything that happens, Alex's choices are paramount and his interests are our interests. But we want you to be aware while we're not as opinionated as Cate was, we're not going to meekly step aside for you either. If we can be friends is entirely up. Yet as they moved through the jungle they found increasing evidence that people had once been here and this time the evidence was recent, a path beaten out by feet, forest cut back and at one place steps carved into granite. ‘Damn this!’ the guide exploded as he found an arrowhead in the path they were travelling. Hawk had never heard the guide as angry as this and he looked at the man quizzically. ‘Their playing with us, making us snappy and waiting for the right time to attack ,’ the man. ” John let the sentence hang.“Yes, dearest John, if things were different.”She took s step forward and hugged him to her. Then she sought his mouth and kissed him. It was not really a short platonic kiss. Then she looked guilty.John smiled. “I really enjoyed that, but as I can see from your face, things are not different, are they?”She shook her head, and looked wistful.“You have to do what is right,” he said. “You’ll feel better that way.”She nodded again.The month passed quickly.Two days. She was trying not to brood about this when her phone rang. ‘Hello, who is it?’ asked Mabel dispiritedly. ‘Hello, is that my sexy friend Maybell?’ asked a deep sultry voice. ‘Oh my God, I’d recognise that voice anywhere, Jasmine it’s been five years since Thailand. How are you darling, are you ringing me from Bangkok?’ gabbled Mabel excitedly. Her whole demeanour changed instantly from despair to happiness, at hearing the voice of her once good friend Jasmine. Deep husky laughter bubbled.