Read Online Chances & Choices by Helen Karol - Free Book Online Page A

use any of this in her article, but her talent lay in the fact that she was a natural writer, whose feelings infected her writing - so the reader was aware of a mood rather than bare facts.  If Claire Fitzpatrick saw West as a romantic figure then that is how he would appear.  The readers would lap it up; she had to get Claire to write that article.  She chose her next words carefully; Claire mustn’t know how much she wanted her to persuade West to agree to the profile.
    "One of the reasons I suggested this is because John told me you were looking for something a little more challenging than the usual write-ups.  He seems to have faith in your abilities and I'll have to trust his judgment."  She put the pencil down.  “Why don't you mention it to West, he might be very interested, as I've mentioned the publicity isn't likely to do him any harm.  If he's not interested; we'll drop it.  There's always someone else."  She shrugged.
    The double meaning behind these words was not lost on Claire.  "Alright, I'm seeing him tonight, I'll ask him then.  He may not decide right away, but I'll let you know as soon as he does."
    "Very well, we'll discuss the matter again then."
    Understanding she had been dismissed, Claire rose and left the office, her thoughts whirling around her.  Stella was right - she had wanted a chance at something more challenging.  This series could be just what she had been looking for; the article on Julian especially.  He was an interesting figure.  Not only was he a well-known designer, but he had been married to a famous actress at an early age.  She was aware of the media interest in him but she always ascribed that to his marriage to Susanna. She had never thought about it before, but now she realised he was just the kind of personality in his own right that the public were curious about.  And he’d never been profiled before!
    Would she be wrong to try and persuade him to allow her to do the article?  Would he agree to it just to please her; but secretly hate it?  No.  He had too much self-respect to let her use him that way.  He might do something he found inconvenient or irritating, but no matter how much he cared for her, he would never completely compromise his principles.  She could broach the subject without worrying about taking advantage of their relationship, and she felt sure she could write the article without revealing his privacy.  She would centre it around his work and only refer to Susanna in relation to how she may have influenced his designs. Yes, that approach would work well.  She could give the readers just enough titillation without exposing any intimacies.
    Claire's thoughts strayed away from the prospective article to her and Julian's relationship.  How much he cared for her wasn't really the question.  He made no secret of the fact that he was in love with her and wanted to marry her.  What Claire was unsure of were her own feelings.  She knew she was attracted to him and she spent most of her free time with him, but she wasn't sure if she loved him.
    Their truce ended two weeks ago.  Although they were not lovers in the complete sense, they had become physically intimate to a certain extent.  The occasion that marked the beginning of this change was the Saturday afternoon four weeks after Claire's return.
    She drove over from her apartment to have lunch at his house. Afterwards they settled down to enjoy a game of chess together.  They were both good at the game and usually neither spoke, engrossed with the challenge to their skills.  But this particular afternoon, Claire found it hard to concentrate on anything except Julian as he bent over the chess table.
    At first it appeared he was having no similar problems, until she was sure she caught his eyes on her cleavage instead of the board.  His eyes dropped at once, and remembering their agreement she let the incident pass, until he made a completely ridiculous move that revealed his mind was