15 Valentine Place

Dear Leonie: I’m attracted to this guy and I don’t want to be. I’m doing everything I can to avoid running into him, but it’s as if fate keeps putting him in my path. What can I do?

Signed: Wishing I could be invisible

Leonie says: Are you sure you really want to get out of his way?

ONE OF THE THINGS Maddie liked best about living in Leonie’s house was that Leonie made her tenants feel as if they were part of her family. Although Maddie and Krystal both had their own rooms on the second floor, there were many nights when all three women would gather downstairs in Leonie’s living room. It’s where Maddie and Krystal were when Leonie returned from the hospital the following evening.

“How’s Dylan?” Maddie asked when she entered the room.

“He’s doing fine. The doctor says he’ll be able to come home tomorrow,” Leonie said, shrugging out of her coat.

“We were just going to watch a chick flick. Want to join us?” Krystal asked.

Leonie glanced at the big bowl on the coffee table. “Is that popcorn buttered?”

Maddie grinned mischievously. “Yes, and we’re drinking real Coke, not diet. It’s so much fun to be bad.”

“Come on, Leonie. Join us,” Krystal urged. “We’ve rented a romantic comedy starring Joseph Fiennes. He is sooo cute.” She sighed. “And when the popcorn’s gone, we’re going to have hot-fudge sundaes.”

Leonie chuckled. “Oh, you girls do want to be bad, don’t you?” Maddie could see her resolve weakening. “All right. You convinced me, but first I need to take care of a few things. Will you give me fifteen minutes to change my clothes?”

“Take your time,” Maddie called out to her departing figure.

But she didn’t take very long at all. And when she returned, she hadn’t changed her clothes.

“You’re never going to believe who I just talked to,” she said in a breathless voice. “The producer of the Rob Lerner show. He wants me to come to California and tape a Valentine’s Day segment.”

Krystal shrieked. “Oh my gosh, that is so cool! Do you know how many people watch that show?”

Maddie didn’t watch a lot of TV, but she did know that Rob Lerner was a comedian who hosted a late-night talk show that consistently scored high in the ratings. “That is good news, Leonie. What exactly did he say?”

“I’m so stunned I can hardly remember. Luckily I took notes.” Leonie waved a pink slip of paper in midair. “Apparently they’re going to be doing a special segment for Valentine’s Day and they want me to be a part of it. I’m supposed to give tips on how to make the day more special for the one you love.” She paused, pushing her finger to her lips. “Of course, just because I’m there for the taping doesn’t mean I won’t get edited out before the program is aired.”