Adama

By Alvin Berger

For Dr. Matt Cranston, a visit to New York City always holds a special blend of nostalgia and excitement. But this particular trip to the city has been unlike any other. Thanks to a chance encounter in a bar, he has had the pleasure of meeting Mallory Bartlett, the most breathtaking woman he's ever seen. But Mallory has no idea that Matt is a me

• Language: English
• Publisher: Alvin Berger
• Release date: Mar 22, 2024
• ISBN: 9781960753861

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Dr. Alvin S. Berger

adama

a mind of her own

Copyright © 2024 by Dr. Alvin S. Berger.

ISBN 978-1-960753-85-4 (softcover)

ISBN 978-1-960753-86-1 (ebook)

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual locales, events, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Printed in the United States of America.

Contents

PREFACE 4

CHAPTER 1 5

CHAPTER 2 11

CHAPTER 3 16

CHAPTER 4 27

CHAPTER 5 34

CHAPTER 6 40

CHAPTER 7 47

CHAPTER 8 51

CHAPTER 9 56

CHAPTER 10 59

CHAPTER 11 61

CHAPTER 12 76

CHAPTER 13 78

CHAPTER 14 88

CHAPTER 15 98

CHAPTER 16 102

CHAPTER 16 108

CHAPTER 17 118

CHAPTER 18 125

CHAPTER 19 133

CHAPTER 20 140

CHAPTER 21 144

CHAPTER 22 152

CHAPTER 23 156

CHAPTER 24 165

CHAPTER 25 167

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 170

PREFACE

Three years ago I wrote a loving note to Vera Getz, the love of my life. She melted when she read it and said that I should write a book. Me? Write a book about what? She smiled at me and said with confidence, You can write about anything. I thought about it and said why not!

I sat in front of a blank page and began what was to be a long and arduous trek into the world of writing. It felt like running a marathon without any training. I tried to do an outline of something, anything! Nada! I tried to think of some subject that intrigued me. There were lots of things that I enjoyed but nothing that I thought anyone else would like. One summer day I saw an article about a new type of computer that used DNA, rath er than silicon. Now that intrigued me! I knew that poetic license could allow me to do anything I wanted in writing fiction. So that was the premise that began my thinking and it morphed into international intrigue and some love between characters and a little sex along the way.

It has been a challenge to do the editing and the development of getting this book to the millions of readers who would clamor for it.

I want to send thanks to my sweet Vera, my loving children, Randi and Gary and my grandchildren Lauren, Max and Austin.

So dear readers…. This is my book,

"Adama, A Mind of Her Own"

CHAPTER 1

New York City

He saw her as she walked in front of him. He had no idea who she was but her step was strong and steady. She was just another person who touched one’s life, never to be seen again. She turned toward him as if she knew he was watching, and her face was as lovely as he had imagined. She had an upturned nose, high cheekbones and full lips. He walked by her and gave her no further thought.

Each time he was in that city, it filled him with nostalgia. He loved the din, the smells and the pure excitement of New York. The expressions on each face he saw were unique. Some had passion for their work or contempt for the person selling ties or umbrellas at the corner.

The meeting at the Hilton was often very boring. He entered the room just as the speaker began and he knew it would be a routine review of what he already knew: Examine this, cut here, restore there. He felt guilty about leaving but knew he would be too antsy sitting in the room filled with dentists who were just there to get their licenses renewed.

He needed a drink of anything so down to the bar he went clutching his notebook like a new school kid on his way to class. Clancy’s Bar smelled like a combination of beer, sandwiches and women. He loved them all. It was decorated in muted rose and dark mahogany crown molding with flowered wallpaper. Spring flowers decorated each table. He thought that it was strange to see lilacs and forsythia spread around so there must have been a woman in charge. Who else would do that? There were about nine people scattered in that room but he did not really look at any of them. He just wanted to relax with a glass of wine that was room temperature and had just enough flavor to arouse his palate.

His mind was just a blank. He ventured into his fantasy world and looked at a tumbling ridge of water over high rocks on his left and a pinkish sky with pillows of clouds blooming in the west. He loved that place when he needed some space. He was surprised to smell cigarette smoke from a man two tables away. It must have also shocked the waiter, who quickly walked over to him and politely asked him to smite the smoke. He laughed to himself as he heard him. It seemed so out of place in a city that is known for some crude behavior and frank talk. The poor man was embarrassed by his own ignorance and pushed the cigarette into the water. It was not very pleasant to see.

He went back to his thoughts and tranquility.

He looked into the mirror that was in front of the bar and there she was, the woman he had seen as he walked to the hotel. She was at the table immediately in front of the bar stools. Her hair was perfectly coiffed, the same upturned nose, and her face was filled with a calm beauty that astounded him. As little as he knew about her before, he felt that he could read her every thought without ever talking to her.

His heart bounced in his chest. He was awake! How does he approach her? Ask her to have a drink with him? Make a boneheaded attempt to sidle to her table and ask for directions? She had an aura about her that made him tremble with an anticipation he had not experienced in more years than he cared to remember. He decided to try his first approach. He was certainly not a shy person, but this made him feel like he did when he was fifteen and trying to ask a girl for a date. He got out of his chair and hesitatingly walked those few steps to her table.

May I buy you a drink?

Do I know you? was her reply.

His lips got dry and he blurted, My name is Matt Cranston. I saw you a short time ago as I walked to the Hilton and remembered you. I was surprised to see you again in this city of seven million, but this is a small world. May I sit down?

Happily, she agreed, and that became the beginning of a long and wonderful day. Her name flowed from her mouth like nectar. Mallory. Mallory Bartlett. Mallory Beth Bartlett. Never had a name fit a woman better. The noises in that room became muted. The music stopped in his head and all he could hear was Mallory saying something but he was too focused on her to hear. He asked her to repeat it and she must have seen his eyes glaze over. She looked at him quizzically and asked, So where are you from? Hartford, he said.

He was awkward as he spoke and she was so calm. Her lips moved with such precision, and the words floated from them as in a slow-motion cartoon. She asked why he was in New York and he boldly said, I am a dentist going to continuing education courses and I need them to renew my license. I can get them elsewhere, but I love this city. The plus is that I just met you. She blushed as he said that. He could feel his face blush as she did.

I am here just to see a few shows and then go back to my home in Boston. I come to the city often to smell the city and listen to its sounds. I cannot help but be drawn in by all that is New York. From morning to evening, it has such vibrant excitement that one can never get enough of it. I even love to go to Smilers for a weighed buffet. Not elegant, but filling and fast. You see, my tastes are so varied that I could eat anywhere and enjoy myself.

She seemed interested in him since she kept on talking. What do you do for excitement here besides going to continuing education courses?

He did not want to get into much more since he did not know much about her. He hesitated in his response.

My life is mostly working at this time but I do many things. Tennis, golf, and men stuff. My days are filled all the time and so are my nights with meetings and that sort of thing.

Looking at and talking to a beautiful woman whom he had just met seemed so unusual for him. He was very comfortable with patients because he was in control. With Mallory, he seemed restive and unsure of himself. Maybe it was her beauty or maybe he was just timid. He tried not to dwell on it. This was just a drink with her, nothing more.

Tell me about your family. He said it as an interrogative. His tone was exactly that: blunt. Her eyes narrowed as he finished the last word and she seemed uncomfortable. Did he hit a nerve? That tickled him since he associated it with his root canal dental friends. She smiled gently and her response puzzled him.

My father died four months ago from black lung disease. He was a coal miner in Kentucky and my brother also works in the mines. My mother had had her hands full with my dad for many years. You know, going to the doctors all the time and the company just ignored the injuries of the miners. It was a very bad situation for all of our lives. I finally got out of there when I attended college in this city. NYU is my alma mater.

He thought she would continue but she suddenly stopped as if she had something to hide. His mind was always playing tricks on him when he listened to a speaker. He was wondering what they were thinking. The mind is never silent or on one track. It moves from subject to subject. As she spoke, she seemed to be saying one thing but thinking another. He wondered what was on her mind! He needed to pry.

"What does your brother do when he is not underground?

Why did you ask that?

Now he was embarrassed. He responded casually.

Well, I was just curious about your brother, who should have been out of there when your dad died. It must have been terribly sad for you and your mother to lose your dad and have your brother still down there.

He didn’t have a clue what he said since he fumbled that answer. She was defensive. What could a miner do that would kindle those emotions? Now he was even more curious and that was bad, since he thrived on that curiosity. He went on this quest for answers, which were none of his business in the first place. His other training reared its ugly head but that is another part of this story.

I seemed to have made you uncomfortable with my question and I am sorry if I did…

Forgive me, but my brother has always been the black sheep of the family and has been a thorn in our sides for years. We never knew what he did after work even though he lived in our home. He came home after a hard day, showered and then off he went to do whatever he did. We actually never talked about it much. If we asked, his response was always cloaked in secrecy. If he went to the bar in town, he said he was meeting friends but would not say who. If we wanted to invite him to a party with friends, he would give us an excuse not to attend. That is one of the reasons I moved to Boston. Oh, why am I boring you with this family stuff?

She realized that she was telling him more than she should even with a glass of wine in her. Her face was animated with each word she spoke. There was more to her angst than just a wayward brother. There was much more he wanted to know. As he listened to her, his thoughts became lost in her body. She wore a light green suit with a cream-colored blouse and matching pumps. One shoe was dangling off her left toe as her legs were crossed. One arm hung by her side as the other sat limply on the table of front of them. Her legs were trim yet muscled. He knew from her walk that she had grace and a body that was lean and supple. She was seductive, but knew it and knew how to make it work for her. She could make herself wanted. But now her mood had shifted to a defensive one. He should not have asked those questions so his focus changed back to her and not her body.

I did not mean to pry, so let’s change the subject. Tell me what you do for a living?

"I work for an import export company in Boston. I have been there for three years and love the business. There is always something new and interesting happening.

My job takes me all over the world and they pay for it all so I am happy going outside the country. I look for bargains and have them shipped back to the states for sale to many sources. What better way for a single woman to see the world?"

What’s the name of the company?

Modern Industries. It is a privately held company so I do not know the extent of the holdings but I hear that they have their fingers in many pots.

He liked that answer! It conjured up so many possibilities: intrigue and spies. He laughed at himself for that thought. He was making up stories. Reading too many mysteries must have rattled his brain. She surprised him with a bolt of words.

I have an appointment later in the afternoon but I’d love to continue this conversation with you after my meeting. Are you doing anything for dinner? This was the first time since high school that someone had asked him out. He turned pink at her question. His heart jumped and he felt even more like a schoolchild than before.

I’d love to. How about seven. I can pick you up at your hotel and let me know what you’d like to eat and I’ll make a reservation

I am at the Milford Plaza. Just meet me in the lobby and I’ll be ready. Obviously, he was not going to pick her up at her room. He wondered how she was able to end the conversation with such ease and lure him to dinner. He thought that Matt Cranston still had it or was he was deluding himself? She probably wanted a free dinner. Either way he was going out with a sparkling woman and his thoughts still went to her body. That is what he wanted for that free dinner. Yeah, dream on, Matt.

He offered her his hand as she rose from her chair. They walked to the door and as he opened it, the afternoon sunlight hit him like a flashbulb. The bright rays hurt his eyes. Mallory was by his side and as he said his goodbyes, she leaned over and kissed him lightly on the cheek then murmured into his ear.

That is an appetizer, Matt.

She walked away and his mind was a swirling, adolescent mess.

CHAPTER 2

The Observations

The traffic increased as Dominic Valucci slowly slid into the front seat of the four-year-old Buick. It had a few dents and scratches from many encounters with past jobs. He was a hefty two hundred forty pounds and smoked Camels. His hair was slicked back and sported a ponytail that hung about seven inches. It was inky black, straight, shiny and looked unwashed. He had a dark blue suit on with a light blue shirt that had seen better days and had a few small drops of coffee that had missed his mouth. The tie was actually the nicest part of his attire: pastel blue and pink flowers in the center and white lines down each side. He’d probably gotten it on sale at Macy’s or from a tie man on the street.

His phone rang as soon as he settled into place. The voice on the other end whispered, Did you see her today?

Dominic was annoyed at that question. He was paid big money to do a job and who else would he have seen today? He held his volatile emotions to himself, though. No need to rattle the man who’d hired him.

Yes, I have, Mr. Driscoll. She walked into Clancy’s Bar on 45th Street and stayed in there for about an hour. When she came out, she was with a man I had never seen before. I have no idea what they discussed or what was doing between them. I’ll keep you posted.

Make sure you do not get sidetracked when you follow her, Jack intoned. Also try to put a bug on her.

Dominic’s reply was textbook. How the hell am I supposed to do that? She will spot me in a second. I am not exactly a small man. If she sees me once, it is all over for tailing her! He could hear Jack’s anger.

You are the fucking detective. Figure it out, asshole! With that, Jack slapped the phone down and thought how stupid Dominic was. He gets paid the big bucks and he was supposed to figure it out. With that declaration, Dominic hung up, looked at the phone and swore.

Jack Driscoll