Nice start Denise, not at all what I expected!

Looking forward to more.

Naturally.    (And he's going to need it!) 

Love the addition. Antoine! such a character!

one 'quibble' .. though not really..when Ed is asked what he thinks of the light picture he replies 'its beautiful' but he is looking at Cait. maybe he should say 'Beautiful'.... a bit ambiguous ..her and the picture?

really nice chapter.. loads of little details.'Contemplation'....  lovely title and very evocative. The whole Ed/Cait scene is very natural.

I'm tired.

  need to review this properly tomorrrow at work!

   But loving it.

Ah. Sorry.. Good thought. Me.. being a bit too obvious.. or too tired!

Antoine....?   Hmmm. can't wait!

This is SO lovely. but I bet there are dark parts to come.     

 
It had better end happily though... or I might not let Ed rescue Denise from the aliens! 

Just so glad you decided to do a sequel

Don't worry, Matt.  Louise likes to threaten, but she won't really do it.  She knows I write romances.  They always end happy! 

Beyond Repair ended happily.  He was back on his feet, wasn't he?  He was back at work, wasn't he?  George was gettting married, wasn't he?  What's not happy about that?

And Kid Stuff ended happily too.  He didn't stay dead, did he?  He was still working for Earth, wasn't he?  Things were looking up, weren't they?  That's happy.  What more do you want?

Sheesh. 

What?  So he didn't end up back at his desk in HQ in those.  May I remind you that he didn't end up there in the Devilsgate Saga either.  But I didn't hear any complaints about that!   

I could have been snitchy and not posted this.   (sheesh!  Honestly!)  snigger snigger snigger

But I'll be generous..
About Face
Chapter 1

Well I was hoping for something lively and vibrant in this story, having been warned that Ed meets Cait again, and you did not disappoint!

The first lines.. three-inch stilettos, fluttering long fingered hands.. oh. But that’s not Cait. No.Cait is far too much the country girl, the one who cannot recognise our handsome hunk as he peruses her work.  Not quite a country bumpkin ( her computer skills show us that she is competent in the business world) but she has more important things to do in her life besides drool over  film studio moguls. I love Charlene’s comment ; puddle of lust.... very nice!

Cait’s response; film producers are all dicks (nice double entendre!) is perfect, before she gives in to her friends entreaty to go and talk to Straker.

What a wonderful description of him, seen for the first time. I really like the way you focussed on the hair and compared it to hairstyles of other film producers, making it clear that this man was an enigma. And there was something about him that made her heart beat faster.... well, we know the background don’t we! Nicely handled.. the fact that her mind appears not to know him, but her body betrays her by its reaction to him.

The description of her art work, as viewed by Straker is great. It’s hard to describe a piece of art work in words alone, but you mange it really well here, and one gets the impression that the new mural will be just as pleasing as the old one, if not more so.  And  then they meet. And his body betrays him as well, although his mind remembers her.

What does he see in the mural? ‘Peace’, but of course we know what has happened recently, so it’s a multi-layered answer...peace of mind, peace in his heart, peaceful acceptance of the past, peace in his office when he looks at the mural.

And she knows how important peace is to him  by his answer and also something else..a memory of something?

And a puzzle .. why is the placard missing? And the name of the new piece? Persistence.. again, multi-layered... we get a clue that there may not be easy times ahead for either of them..and that there have been difficult times in the past.. we know about Straker, and his mental turmoil, and that Cait is recently divorced... The Man is going to have to be persistent if he wants to achieve his goal of peace... with her!

And so he buys the pictures, and asks her out for dinner.. to discuss art.  And the perfect gentleman. Doesn’t quibble when she says  she will meet him there.. country girl!

New character; Antoine. Oh Boy he is going to be fun!  I can see him now! Simpering and pert, with just the right amount of naughtiness!  Good old Antoine... remembering the other mural.. Contemplation.

Another title that brings to mind images of Straker,  with steepled fingers, leaning back in his chair and thinking.

So she’s off to the Criterion.. for dinner with The Man ... and has to have a designer dress.. can’t wait to see what it is like!

And Antoine’s last comment...’ honey, he’s a film producer, he’s already seen it all.’ Wonderful. Dry, amusing, cynical, but reassuring!

And what happened to the name tag for Persistence? Will we find out?