When The Runway Went South
When the Runway Went South
By
Lois L. Kasznia
When the Runway Went South
ISBN-13
-
978-1-61258-044-9
ISBN-10
- 1-61258-044-0
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Copyright © 2012 Lois L. Kasznia
Cover art by Bret Poinier
This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, any events or locales is purely coincidental. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination and are not to be construed as real.
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission from the publisher LazyDay, with the exception of quotes used in reviews and critical articles.
Dedication
I want to dedicate this book to my husband, Jim and my daughter, Alexis who put up with my countless hours of writing and revising this story. I would also like to thank my family and friend, Susan who gave me moral support and suggestions. But most of all, I would like to thank the people at Lazy Day Publishing for their help in making a good story even better.
Chapter One
"I have had it with men! I never want to see another man ever again," wailed Ally Duncan as she spoke on the phone with her older sister, Kat.
"Ally, calm down, there is no need for the high drama. Take a deep breath and focus. Now, what happened with Greg? I thought you two were practically hitched by now. Didn't you even introduce him to Mom and Dad?"
Ally stared out the window of her Manhattan condominium; the weather dreary as her mood. "Yeah, I did and they liked him, which should have been my first clue about a problem in the relationship."
"Ally, they have your best interest at heart. You always brought home the bad guys, which drove them crazy. Greg seemed right for you. He's a lawyer and an established member of the community, who headed up numerous foundations and charities."
"Wait, it gets better. Not only did Greg have me, he had a girlfriend in Philly and one in Boston." Ally shook her head in disgust at the male species. Obviously, Greg thought he could get away with something like this, but not anymore.
"What? How could you not know? You've been with him for three years."
"His business always took him out of town. The woman in Boston called me because she found my number on his phone."
"Ally, he had to have left some clues such as a broken date, his extended business trips; none of these sent up red flags for you?"
"You know I'm cursed when it comes to men. Listen, Kat, I know I'm only twenty-four years old and will probably die an old maid, but you know what? I don't care." Ally angrily threw the couch pillow on the floor. "I hate my job, my life and now this. I want to run away from it all." Tank, Ally's pet Rottweiler, dove under the dining room table to avoid any future pillows coming his way.
"When did you start hating your job? As a world famous fashion model, you're making money hand over fist."
"It makes me feel like a piece of meat, you know? It's boring."
"It's not every day my little sister graces the front cover of glamour magazines, Ally."
"Yeah, it made the perfect cover for Greg; eye candy for all of his foundations and charities. I had no idea there were other women."
"Do you have enough money to quit? Do you still have the inheritance from Grandma Gilbert?"
"Of course I do. I've been investing and saving for close to eight years. There's a sizable amount. I might be a model, but I'm pretty savvy when it comes to finance. There's enough in there that I could buy an island in the Caribbean and live all by myself."
"Now you're being melodramatic. You should stick with the modeling gig while it lasts."
"That's just it. I don't want to model any more. I'm sick of it. I want to start my own business and be my own boss. How about if I became a personal detective and track down deadbeat men like Greg? Now I know what to look for."
"Better yet, why don't you move down here with me? You know my catering business has really expanded and I could use your cooking expertise. Living with Mother's lack of culinary skills forced us to learn to cook in order to survive. This way, you can decide what you want to do with your life."
Ally thought hard about what she should do. Her modeling had left her with a lot of business experience, which could easily be transferred to another career.
"Move from New York to Texas? Are you nuts? I don't even know where you live in Texas. Isn't it all farms and ranches kind of like when we lived in Indiana? I like New York."
"And you're unhappy. Anyway, I' m in Argyle, right outside of Dallas and it's a pretty and friendly city. Why don't you give it a try?"
"I don't know." Ally shrugged. "Rumor has it that it is really, really hot there in Texas."
"It's hot only for a while. But you'll love the winter here; very little or no snow at all. C'mon, show a little back bone," urged Kat.
"Before I make any rash decisions, I'm going to fly down there to check it out first hand."
"Good. Make it fast because I really do need your business acumen."