Read Online Can't Help Falling in Love by David W. Menefee, Carol Dunitz - Free Book Online
Authors: David W. Menefee, Carol Dunitz
Ads: Link
and left them alone and exposed only to God, the sun, and the sky,
Allison could not have been more astonished. “Oh, you can!” she managed to say.
“I feel like I can talk to you. Together, we can take all this in a new
direction, someplace where even I’ve never been before.”
Allison tried to comprehend what he was trying to say, but then Sharon suddenly screamed across the aisle in a
voice so loud that an air raid siren would have had trouble competing with her.
“Why Allison, what a coincidence this is!”
The blast of her verbal intrusion thundered across the aisle like a steam
roller trying to flatten Allison. The tone in her voice seemed galling, but
Allison tried to deny the nonverbal cues that beamed through so clearly: she
had completely leaned over the man sitting beside her and was practically
shouting at her in a volume that utterly obliterated even the clatter of plates
and the din of other voices in the restaurant. All the while, she twirled one
curl around her finger, flirting with Allison’s poise.
Allison shot a glance at her date. She sensed that he, too, was somehow
irritated by Sharon ’s remark, since they had already been
interrupted once by the teenage girl accosting him the very moment they had
taken their seats. Allison thought, If she doesn’t lighten up and mind her own business, the impending consequences
will be more than unpleasant!
Sharon either failed to pick up on the negative
vibes rising from Allison like smoke from a volcano, or she deliberately chose
to antagonize her further by continuing her boorishly intrusive harangue. The man
sitting beside her leaned back even more so Sharon could bend forward a few
additional inches, as if shoving her mouth closer to them with the force of
sledgehammer blows would endear her to them. “I was just telling Phil Samuels
this afternoon that his artists would benefit from some masterful public
relations guidance. What with the growing popularity of television, the
profusion of magazines, plus the tie-in with teen-themed movies that are so
trendy in movie theaters and drive-ins, the national audience for his artist’s
records is unlimited!”
Sharon ’s face took on the expression of a
tennis player lobbing a victorious serve, but Allison looked like Winston
Churchill hearing that the Germans were advancing across the sea toward England . Her hands were still held warmly in
his, which under other circumstances might have been the first step toward
completely losing her heart to him. However, under Sharon ’s penetrating, microscopic gaze, his
simple, normal show of affection that would have been the thrill of the night
suddenly made her feel extremely exposed and uncomfortable. She prayed that he
would release his grasp, and was relieved when he did so. She suddenly realized
that he had no idea in the world who the brazenly forward, rudely aggressive, loud-mouth
shrew across the aisle was, nor why the blatantly antagonistic person, who had
suddenly taken on a strong resemblance to the Creature from the Black Lagoon,
was upsetting the genial atmosphere of the diner and turning the setting into a
podium from which she could broadcast her perception of industry
trends.
Sharon then had the cheeky audacity to bypass
Allison as if she was invisible and ask the man she was obviously on a date
with, “Aren’t you the hot new singer billed as ‘The Memphis Music
Man?’”
“Yes ma’m ,” he said,
“sometimes. I guess we haven’t met. I worked with Mr. Samuels on a couple of
recordings. You’re probably right about what you said, but Allison here is
already on it!” The warmth in his voice would have seduced her into believing
that there was more tenderness behind his speech than the words indicated. In
one fell swoop, he acknowledged Sharon genially, yet sprang to Allison’s
defense by turning the tables and confirming that she was the one he had
Allison could not have been more astonished. “Oh, you can!” she managed to say.
“I feel like I can talk to you. Together, we can take all this in a new
direction, someplace where even I’ve never been before.”
Allison tried to comprehend what he was trying to say, but then Sharon suddenly screamed across the aisle in a
voice so loud that an air raid siren would have had trouble competing with her.
“Why Allison, what a coincidence this is!”
The blast of her verbal intrusion thundered across the aisle like a steam
roller trying to flatten Allison. The tone in her voice seemed galling, but
Allison tried to deny the nonverbal cues that beamed through so clearly: she
had completely leaned over the man sitting beside her and was practically
shouting at her in a volume that utterly obliterated even the clatter of plates
and the din of other voices in the restaurant. All the while, she twirled one
curl around her finger, flirting with Allison’s poise.
Allison shot a glance at her date. She sensed that he, too, was somehow
irritated by Sharon ’s remark, since they had already been
interrupted once by the teenage girl accosting him the very moment they had
taken their seats. Allison thought, If she doesn’t lighten up and mind her own business, the impending consequences
will be more than unpleasant!
Sharon either failed to pick up on the negative
vibes rising from Allison like smoke from a volcano, or she deliberately chose
to antagonize her further by continuing her boorishly intrusive harangue. The man
sitting beside her leaned back even more so Sharon could bend forward a few
additional inches, as if shoving her mouth closer to them with the force of
sledgehammer blows would endear her to them. “I was just telling Phil Samuels
this afternoon that his artists would benefit from some masterful public
relations guidance. What with the growing popularity of television, the
profusion of magazines, plus the tie-in with teen-themed movies that are so
trendy in movie theaters and drive-ins, the national audience for his artist’s
records is unlimited!”
Sharon ’s face took on the expression of a
tennis player lobbing a victorious serve, but Allison looked like Winston
Churchill hearing that the Germans were advancing across the sea toward England . Her hands were still held warmly in
his, which under other circumstances might have been the first step toward
completely losing her heart to him. However, under Sharon ’s penetrating, microscopic gaze, his
simple, normal show of affection that would have been the thrill of the night
suddenly made her feel extremely exposed and uncomfortable. She prayed that he
would release his grasp, and was relieved when he did so. She suddenly realized
that he had no idea in the world who the brazenly forward, rudely aggressive, loud-mouth
shrew across the aisle was, nor why the blatantly antagonistic person, who had
suddenly taken on a strong resemblance to the Creature from the Black Lagoon,
was upsetting the genial atmosphere of the diner and turning the setting into a
podium from which she could broadcast her perception of industry
trends.
Sharon then had the cheeky audacity to bypass
Allison as if she was invisible and ask the man she was obviously on a date
with, “Aren’t you the hot new singer billed as ‘The Memphis Music
Man?’”
“Yes ma’m ,” he said,
“sometimes. I guess we haven’t met. I worked with Mr. Samuels on a couple of
recordings. You’re probably right about what you said, but Allison here is
already on it!” The warmth in his voice would have seduced her into believing
that there was more tenderness behind his speech than the words indicated. In
one fell swoop, he acknowledged Sharon genially, yet sprang to Allison’s
defense by turning the tables and confirming that she was the one he had
Similar Books
