Read Online The Best of Everything by Rona Jaffe - Free Book Online Page B

she had always thought of an office as a place where people came to work, but now it seemed as if it was a place where they also brought their private lives for everyone else to look at, paw over, comment on and enjoy. The typing pool in the center of the thirty-fifth floor at Fabian was like the village square, and the offices that surrounded it were like people's homes. Late in the afternoon she saw something that astonished her. Walking past one of the offices she noticed through its nearly closed door a girl leaning against the wall of the adjoining office with a water glass pressed against the wall and her ear to the other end of the water glass. On her face was a rapt and gloating expression, of an eavesdropper who is hearing what he expected he would hear. Then Caroline realized that the girl was in the office next to Mr. Shalimar's. The girl evidently didn't care who noticed her, since she had not bothered to lock her door, which was probably because she intended to educate everyone in the office later in the day. Caroline wondered whether it was office politics, secrets about the work, or Mr. Shalimar's private life that held her so.
    At five o'clock April came out of Mr. Shalimar's office and began to put her things together. "Where do you want to eat?" she asked Caroline.
    "Where do you?"
    "You know, I'd like to go to Sardi's," April said. "I've heard a lot about it."
    Caroline looked at April. She was wearing that shiny baby-blue gabardine suit again, and tonight because she was going out she was even wearing a hat, a dreadful Httle white felt hat that made her look like Sunday Morning in East Cozyville. Caroline felt a pang of self-consciousness at the thought of being seen with her at a good restamrant. It was bad enough to have to go there without dates, but

    with April in that outfit, with that hair . . . "Hey," CaroKne said, "I'll bet you've never been to the Automat."
    "Wouldn't you rather go to Sardi's?" April said, sounding disappointed.
    "Well, it's a little too expensive for me," Caroline lied.
    "Oh, of course." April's face lighted up with instant sympathy. "I know just what you mean. I shouldn't even go there myself, I have about four dollars to last me till payday. I'm so impractical, I guess I'd starve if people like you didn't look out for me."
    "You'll love the Automat," Caroline said encouragingly.
    Mr. Shalimar came out of his office with his arm thrown around Mr. Rice's shoulder. They were laughing together. As they passed Caroline's and April's desks they paused, "Want to stop downstairs for a short drink, April?" Mr. Shalimar said. He glanced at Caroline. "You too."
    April immediately began to blush. "Oh, we'd love to," she said very softly. "Wouldn't we, Caroline?"
    "See you downstairs at the Unfriendly Irishman," Mr. Rice said. "Step fast, girls." The two men went ofiF together to the elevator and April began stuffing her make-up back into her pocketbook, dropping some of it on the floor in her hmrry.
    "The Unfriendly Irishman," April said. "That's what he calls the bar in this building. Isn't he a cJmracterF'
    It was the first time Caroline had ever been in the bar, and she peered through the gloom looking to see whom she could recognize. The room was about two thirds full, all with people she had noticed in the elevators and halls of the building. This seemed to be the unofficial Fabian Publications bar, refuge, gathering place and five-o'clock social club. Mr. Shalimar and Mr. Rice were seated at a corner table, with drinks in front of them, and they had pulled up two extra chairs for Caroline and April.
    "What'll you have, girls?" Mr. Shalimar said.
    "Scotch," said Caroline. It was the first tiling she could think of.
    April looked as though she was going through a mental battle. "Me too," she said then, very quickly and softly. She nibbled on a pretzel and began to blush again.
    "Well, what do you do around here?" Mr. Rice said to Caroline.
    "I'm working for Miss Farrow this week," she