Sara's Port, Ch. 25

Chapter 25

It was Sara's survival instinct that guided her actions from that night onward.

The fact that Oliver Lane was a well-known public figure scared her to death. With all the turmoil surrounding her at work, the last thing she needed was to be embroiled in a Hollywood scandal involving Oliver Lane and a witch like Dina Derson. She knew she needed to leave Shannon, Virginia, right away - at least for a while.

The first thing she did was swallow her pride long enough to call her Aunt Lucinda, a wealthy widow who lived on Tybee Island on the Georgia Coast, just outside Savannah.

Lucinda was her father's sole surviving relative. Although brother and sister were estranged for many years, Lucinda repeatedly tried to reach out to Sara, especially after the death of her mother.

At first, Sara was too overwhelmed with grief to respond and then, after the passage of time, she felt awkward. But Aunt Luci said if she ever needed anything to be sure and call. Sara was in desperate need of a place to go, where Oliver couldn't find her.

Briefly, she explained the situation to her aunt, including what was going on with Professor Miller and her job. To Sara's great relief, a shocked and sympathetic Lucinda immediately opened her heart and her home to Sara before she even asked. With no children of her own Luci wanted the opportunity to get to know Sara and deeply regretted her estrangement from her brother and his family.

With just her two dogs and cat, Luci was lonely since her husband's death the year before and she welcomed the company, as well as the chance to get acquainted with her brother's only child.

She even offered to find work for Sara, since there was an opening at the new public library right across from the beach, on the island.

The idea of traveling to a much warmer climate appealed to Sara since she wanted to get away from the winter in Virginia and everything that reminded her of her weekend with Oliver.

The balmy Georgia island seemed like the perfect place to escape long enough to get him out of her system and heal her broken heart. Working at a library within walking distance from her aunt's house and the ocean sounded like the perfect job - It was remote and quiet and far away from everything and everyone that was causing her pain.

Feeling a little better already she called Cindy and explained everything, including the fact that she planned to fly into Savannah, the next day.

Cindy offered to come over and arrived within a half hour to help her friend pack and organize her things.

"That asshole!" she hissed as soon as she was inside the door, and the two friends hugged. "You can sue him if he tries to use you in his book."

"Then I'd have to see him again in court and he'd have an even better story. I never want to see him again," Sara said, her eyes flashing with a fierce determination.

"He's a lawyer isn't he?" Cindy asked with a dark glare of her own, indicating that she didn't think much of the profession.

Sara nodded and as if on cue, the phone rang.

"Want me to get it?" Cindy offered, obviously relishing the idea of telling Oliver Lane off. "Let me at him!"

"No," Sara said quietly, shaking her head. "Don't give him anything else to write about."

With that, she disconnected the phone from the wall so she wouldn't have to hear it ring anymore before leaving.

"I don't want you to leave," Cindy said sadly.

"I have to."

Brightening a little, Cindy offered, "Hey, I'll drive you down there. It would serve Miller right if I call in sick for the rest of the week."

"Don't risk your job too, Cindy. My Aunt said she'd make the arrangements online - I can pick up the ticket at Dulles if you can take me," Sara explained. "Aunt Luci insisted that she wants to pay for it and she said you can come visit me whenever you want. She has a big house on the beach. You can fly down after I'm settled."

"Oh, I'll take off tomorrow and take you to Dulles. And, I'll be down to visit, don't worry," Cindy said, grinning wickedly. "I'll do it right during finals, when they are short handed anyway. Serves him right!"

The two friends explained the situation to the Corbins, then sat up most of the night talking. Sara insisted on continuing to pay them rent as they originally agreed through January - at least until her situation at the university was resolved.

The next morning, Sara left all her dreams of romance in Shannon Virginia, setting off for at least six weeks on Tybee Island, to heal her broken heart and forget Oliver Kelly, once and for all.

The last thing she did before she departed for the airport, was log on to Writing.Com. Without bothering to check Oliver's port or her own e-mail, she marked everything private in her portfolio, except her journal. Marking the journal public, she made all the entries private except for a new one.

It was titled: Tuesday Morning

And it read:

I won't be here for a while so I have marked everything private. And to you - you know who you are - Please just let it be and leave me alone.


Continued in "Sara's Port, Ch. 26"