The air in California was chilly that morning. It was late July and still summer, but the mornings were growing cold and the air whipped lightly on Stella's skin. It was barely six in the morning. She was sitting on a bench in a park before the duck pond, dressed in a black sleeveless short gown, a hat above her head and sunglasses over her eyes.
She pursed her lips and glanced at her wristwatch. Where the hell was he? She had been waiting for almost thirty minutes and while she had wanted him to be stealthy, she hadn't wanted him to be late! She glanced at the big brown leather purse in her hands, the only touch of colour she had on her aside from her skin that is, and considered calling him.
"Risky." She muttered to herself and shook her head. She had chosen the place to avoid undue
