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Joe Thornridge arrived to break the spell. “Hi, Je
“Not much,” Je
“What’s the matter with you, Chief? You boring this girl? I know a good one. Tell her about the time your knee gave out in the men’s room at Grand Central Station.”
“I think she could live without hearing that one, Joe,” Lee said faintly.
“Aw, come on,” Joe said, not to be dissuaded. “The Chief is, uh, using the facilities, if you know what I mean, when his leg folds up, and he goes crashing down between the sinks, flat out on the floor like a sack o’ corn meal.”
“Joe...” Lee said warningly.
“And so,” Joe went on, warming to his tale, “Lee’s all alone in there, can’t get anybody to help him, and just has to wait for somebody to show.”
Lee rolled his eyes, giving up.
“And guess who the first person to come in is?”
Je
“A cop!” Joe said, chortling. “In he walks and sees old superstar here grovelin’ on the floor, mumbling about some trick knee. Thought it was some new form o’ perversion, didn’t he, Lee ol’ boy?”
“If I killed him right now, how much time would they give me?” Lee said to Je
“Well, excuse me,” Joe said, offended.
“It’s all right, Joe,” Lee said, clapping his friend on the back, “that just reminded me of something I’ve been meaning to tell the little Mrs. over there. About the time you and Carl Danbury got those two stewardesses and—”
Joe interrupted with an observation about some people having no sense of humor and walked off, throwing Lee a black look over his shoulder.
Lee turned to Je
This was a prospect too inviting to be denied. But just as Je
Je
“Come on,” he said softly. “You can’t go back on it now.”
Je
Once they got out on the floor, all her inhibitions left her. Lee was as graceful dancing as he was playing football, and she matched him move for move, never breaking eye contact for a moment. As the music swelled, surrounding them, Je
Je
“What’s the matter, Dolores, you look like you need a drink,” Je
“A drink!” Dolores yelped. “After that little scene, what I need is a cold shower. My God, Jen, what were you thinking of, to dance with him like that? I was ready to phone for the vice squad.”
It wasn’t easy to shock Dolores, but Je
Her chagrin was intensified by the return of Craig and John to their table. John glanced at Je
Je
The reception area was almost empty, as the party was in full swing. The clerk behind the desk glanced at her without curiosity, and one of the hostesses, who recognized her as being with the Freedom, merely nodded and walked on. Je
She had to get a grip on herself. This kind of behavior would never do. She was a mature, responsible, professional woman, not some love-struck adolescent tormented by spring fever. She knew how she felt about Lee, but the rest of the world didn’t have to. If she kept on this way, the state of her affections would remain about as secret as tomorrow’s headline on The New York Times.
She opened her eyes to see Lee standing in front of her, regarding her thoughtfully.
“Go away,” she said and closed her eyes again.
“I intend to,” he answered. “And you’re coming with me.”
Je
“Let’s ditch this place,” he said, “and go for a ride.”
“No.”
“Why not? They’re all getting loaded in there; nobody will miss us.”
“I think Dawn and John might notice the empty seats if we leave, Lee.” And draw their own conclusions after our recent performance, she added silently.
“Then we’ll tell them a lie,” he said simply.
She eyed him suspiciously.
“We’ll say something has come up, that we have some work to do.”
“Lee, anybody who swallows that will be ready to open a wooden nickel depository in the morning.”
He gri
His terminology was appropriate. He sounded exactly like one of her junior high buddies trying to convince her to skip school.
“You know you want to,” he added softly.
Truer words were never spoken, Je
She realized that he didn’t care, and, with some surprise, that she really didn’t, either. Her desire to be with Lee completely overrode the concern with appearances or propriety which might once have influenced her.
When he returned, she followed him wordlessly outside.
* * * *
Lee took her back to his house, switching off a burglar alarm with a key as they entered. It was spotless, as always. He had mentioned that he had a cleaning service come in once a week, and Je
“I want to show you something upstairs,” he said, leading the way. Je
At the end of the hall there was a short staircase, which led to the loft she’d glimpsed from below.
“The builders customized this for me,” he commented as they ascended. “There are a number of artists in the complex, and they use the addition as a studio.” He smiled over his shoulder at her. “I use it as a playroom.”