ON FRIDAY afternoon the office was in full TGIF mode, which did not help to soothe Jana's jangled nerves. Her heart skipped beats and thumped ominously. She'd been hyperventilating all day.

True to his word, Dr. Sanderson had phoned on Tuesday, the very next morning after his support group meeting, to invite Jana to dinner on Friday evening. Even that makes him unique. In her experience, men usually took their time when phoning for dates. Since her divorce, Jana had dated several men, but they all had the same lack of drive as her ex. Ruefully she'd reflected that all the good men were taken, so she'd contented herself with her girlfriends and her home and pets. Scott Sanderson was mature and successful, and the ways they could spend time together excited Jana.

She had fantasized all week about what this evening would bring. A frantic review of her closet contents had turned up a fancy black pant-suit with a faux fur collar that she had forgotten she owned. Together with her red leather boots and a red woolen jacket with black buttons, she thought the outfit would be perfect.

She had spoken to her mother every day on the phone, but had not seen her since Monday evening. Lacey had finished her first round of chemo on Tuesday and was now on daily radiation treatment. She was getting rides to and from the OCC with the Cancer Society so Jana was relieved of that duty.