too much,” she said. “You know how sick it makes you.”
“I didn’t,” I answered. Suddenly I wanted to get off the phone. “I’ll call Chris now and call you right back.”
I put the phone down while her good-bye was still ringing in my ear. As if it were a signal, the bathroom door opened again and Elaine came out.
“You didn’t have to do that,” I said. “It wasn’t private.”
Her eyes were very wide and thoughtful. “I couldn’t stand here and watch you lie.”
I tried to make a joke of it. “No guts, eh?”
A shadow crossed her face. “No guts,” she answered seriously. “I told you that before.”
I reached towards her but she stepped around my outstretched hand. “You have another call to make, haven’t you?” she said pointedly.
“It can keep,” I said, catching up to her. I kissed her mouth. Her body was warm through the towel. Her arms were around my neck. “Brad. Darling Brad.”
I kissed the hollow on her throat where there were still beads of water from the shower. “I love you, Elaine,” I whispered. “Like I never loved before, like I never thought I’d feel.”
I could hear her contented sigh as she snuggled closely against me. “Tell me, Brad, tell me. Make me feel that you’re not lying, not playing with me. Tell me that you love me like I love you. Tell me.”
Chris’s voice was excited when I finally called him. “Where the hell have you been?” “Drinking,” I answered succinctly. “What’s up?”
“I’ve been trying to reach you all afternoon,” he said. “Brady wants to see you at his office in Pittsburgh to-morrow morning.”
His excitement began to run through me. The old pitch had crossed the plate after all. I was a fool to try to outguess the umpire. “I’ll get right out and get plane tickets.” I said.
“I got ’em already,” he replied quickly. “They’re out at the airport in your name. Flight one-oh- four, leaving at eleven-fifteen. And your valise is out there too, in the checkroom.”
I looked at my watch. It was almost ten o’clock, I would have to hurry. “Okay, Chris. I’ll get going.”
A note of relief came into his voice. “Bring home the bacon, boss. Get that job and we’ll all eat high off the hog.”
“Hog meat is for peasants,” I grinned. “Trot out the fatted calf.”
I put down the phone and turned to Elaine. “You heard?” I asked. She nodded. “Better hurry,” she said. “There isn’t much time.”
“You better hurry,” I smiled at her, “and throw some things in a bag. You’re coming with me.” She sat up, startled. “Brad, don’t be a fool. You can’t do that.”
I was already gathering my things together. “Doll,” I said joking, “you don’t know me. I can do anything. You’re my good luck piece, and you’re not getting out of my sight until this deal is signed, sealed and delivered.”
I called home while Elaine was packing her valise. “I’m grabbing the eleven-fifteen plane to Pittsburgh,” I said.
“I was wondering why you didn’t call right back,” Marge replied.
“I couldn’t,” I said hurriedly. “Chris’s line was busy and I just caught him. Brady wants to see me.” “Wonderful,” she laughed into the phone. “I’m so proud of you, Brad. I just know you’ll do good.”
Chris had taken care of everything. There was a note attached to my bag informing me that I had a suite reserved in my name at the Brooke in Pittsburgh. I signed the register and we went up to our room at about two in the morning.
She stood in the centre of the living room while the bellhop checked the suite. At last he came back
to me, the key in his hand. I gave him a dollar and the door closed behind him.
I turned to her and smiled. “Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home.” She didn’t answer.
“Don’t be so grim, doll,” I said. “Pittsburgh can’t be that bad.”
At last she answered. “I must have been crazy to let you do it. What if you run
“I didn’t,” I answered. Suddenly I wanted to get off the phone. “I’ll call Chris now and call you right back.”
I put the phone down while her good-bye was still ringing in my ear. As if it were a signal, the bathroom door opened again and Elaine came out.
“You didn’t have to do that,” I said. “It wasn’t private.”
Her eyes were very wide and thoughtful. “I couldn’t stand here and watch you lie.”
I tried to make a joke of it. “No guts, eh?”
A shadow crossed her face. “No guts,” she answered seriously. “I told you that before.”
I reached towards her but she stepped around my outstretched hand. “You have another call to make, haven’t you?” she said pointedly.
“It can keep,” I said, catching up to her. I kissed her mouth. Her body was warm through the towel. Her arms were around my neck. “Brad. Darling Brad.”
I kissed the hollow on her throat where there were still beads of water from the shower. “I love you, Elaine,” I whispered. “Like I never loved before, like I never thought I’d feel.”
I could hear her contented sigh as she snuggled closely against me. “Tell me, Brad, tell me. Make me feel that you’re not lying, not playing with me. Tell me that you love me like I love you. Tell me.”
Chris’s voice was excited when I finally called him. “Where the hell have you been?” “Drinking,” I answered succinctly. “What’s up?”
“I’ve been trying to reach you all afternoon,” he said. “Brady wants to see you at his office in Pittsburgh to-morrow morning.”
His excitement began to run through me. The old pitch had crossed the plate after all. I was a fool to try to outguess the umpire. “I’ll get right out and get plane tickets.” I said.
“I got ’em already,” he replied quickly. “They’re out at the airport in your name. Flight one-oh- four, leaving at eleven-fifteen. And your valise is out there too, in the checkroom.”
I looked at my watch. It was almost ten o’clock, I would have to hurry. “Okay, Chris. I’ll get going.”
A note of relief came into his voice. “Bring home the bacon, boss. Get that job and we’ll all eat high off the hog.”
“Hog meat is for peasants,” I grinned. “Trot out the fatted calf.”
I put down the phone and turned to Elaine. “You heard?” I asked. She nodded. “Better hurry,” she said. “There isn’t much time.”
“You better hurry,” I smiled at her, “and throw some things in a bag. You’re coming with me.” She sat up, startled. “Brad, don’t be a fool. You can’t do that.”
I was already gathering my things together. “Doll,” I said joking, “you don’t know me. I can do anything. You’re my good luck piece, and you’re not getting out of my sight until this deal is signed, sealed and delivered.”
I called home while Elaine was packing her valise. “I’m grabbing the eleven-fifteen plane to Pittsburgh,” I said.
“I was wondering why you didn’t call right back,” Marge replied.
“I couldn’t,” I said hurriedly. “Chris’s line was busy and I just caught him. Brady wants to see me.” “Wonderful,” she laughed into the phone. “I’m so proud of you, Brad. I just know you’ll do good.”
Chris had taken care of everything. There was a note attached to my bag informing me that I had a suite reserved in my name at the Brooke in Pittsburgh. I signed the register and we went up to our room at about two in the morning.
She stood in the centre of the living room while the bellhop checked the suite. At last he came back
to me, the key in his hand. I gave him a dollar and the door closed behind him.
I turned to her and smiled. “Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home.” She didn’t answer.
“Don’t be so grim, doll,” I said. “Pittsburgh can’t be that bad.”
At last she answered. “I must have been crazy to let you do it. What if you run
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