Divine Intervention

\"What happened?\" she questioned Jim, \"all I remember is I was late
for work and the elevator was out of service again, the next thing I
know, I woke up here.\"

\"You mean you really don\'t remember?\"

Philipa shook her head. Jim smiled at her and for the first time it
seemed real. No taunting behind it. No hidden wires.

\"You took a tumble down the stairs,\" he told her as she took another
sip of the mint tea.

\"Why are you helping me?\" she asked. Jim gave her an icy stare.

\"I was trained to help Ms. Nichols.\"

\"What does that....Ahhhh!\" she screamed as she stood on her twisted
ankle and the pain kicked in. He was by her side in a flash. As
Philipa fell back unto the sofa, he sat down infront of it and took
her ankle in a gentle but effective massage.

\"I was a cop,\" he answered.

After a while of sweet enjoyment, he placed her foot on the sofa and
got up, \"you need to get some rest,\" he pointed out, \"I\'ll get you
some blankets. It gets really cold up here at nights.\" As he left
her Philipa felt like a burden. She knew that because of her he had
probably called his girlfriend and canceled their date for the
night. She did not want to impose on him.

Jim returned with the blankets and covered her with them. She pulled
them off and sat up, \"I can\'t stay here,\" she protest.

\"Why not, I don\'t have any plans Ms. Nichols, get some rest,\" he told
her as he covered her again. Jim turned to leave.

\"What will your girlfriend think?\" He stopped short and turned
around to face his guest, \"I don\'t have a girlfriend,\" he walked back
over to her and knelt down.

\"Don\'t lie to me Folte!\" Philipa told him crossly, \"I hear the two of
you up here at nights.\"

A smirked appeared on his face, \"I do believe you\'re jealous!\" he
said as the smirk turned into a smile.

\"I\'m not jealous, I just don\'t want your girlfriend to come and see
me here!\" Philipa countered wishing she could walk just so she could
sock him in the arm.

\"For the last time.....!\" Jim was cut off in mid-sentence by the
panting. The moaning. The screaming. He looked her straight in the
eyes, \"Well, if I\'m not mistaken, my girlfriend is invisible!\"
Philipa tried to hit him. He skillfully dodged her fist and laughed
as the doorbell rang.

He ran out of the room to the door. Philipa listened for the voices
because she was sure that his girlfriend had come. \"Hey buddy!\" came
a cheerful voice. Then she heard Jim\'s voice,\" Ikaika, come on in
man.\" She then hear the door closed. She breathe a sigh of relief
just before the two men entered the room.

\"Why didn\'t you tell me you had a guest?\" Ikaika asked grinning.
\"Don\'t start Ikaika, I am not in the mood.\"
\"Are you going to introduce us then?\"

Jim looked at Philipa then back at his bestfriend, then
sighed, \"Fine,\" he said surrendering, \"Ikaika Gonzales, this is
Philipa Nichols, Philipa this is my best friend Ikaika.\"

Jim watched as they shook hands. \" Nice to meet you,\" Philipa said
with a broad smile. Ikaika smiled back, \"The pleasure is all mine.\"

Jim dragged Ikaika out of the room and now she could just hear their
mumbles.

\"What?\" Jim asked Ikaika as Ikaika stared at him.
\"What\'s the real deal with you and Philipa?\"
\"I told you Ikaika, she fell down the stairs.\"
\"Yes that\'s what you said. Why didn\'t you get the landlord to let you
into her apart ant and you help here there, why here?\"
\"I really don\'t have time to play twenty one questions with you.\"

Jim tried to leave but Ikaika grabbed him by the elbow as he tried to
pass,\" You can lie to me all you want, but don\'t lie to yourself,\" he
told Jim sternly, \"I know why she\'s here and you know why she\'s
here.\" With that Ikaika let go Jim go but he did not leave. Instead
he sat down beside Ikaika. \"How did you know?\" he asked quietly and
not looking at Ikaika. Ikaika only smiled at his friend and flipped
on his jacket.

\"She\'s a beautiful woman Jim,\" he told him, \"you might want to hold
on to this one.\" Ikaika gave Jim a hug, \"Think about what I said.\"