Read Online The Last Dreamer by Barbara Solomon Josselsohn - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Barbara Solomon Josselsohn
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talking about Hollywood. But that hadn’t happened. The one time he had come close was when he hummed “The Best of Times”—but he had turned the conversation back to business pretty quickly after that.
“Hey, I don’t want to cut this short,” he added. “This article is important, too, and—wait, I have an idea! Why don’t you sit in on that meeting? Those Bloomingdale’s guys love reporters. It’s next Tuesday at eleven. And when they leave, we’ll wrap things up. I’ll even buy you lunch.”
She hesitated. She shouldn’t be coming back here. She had let the misunderstanding about the Times go on too long, and it now felt too late to come clean. She didn’t know how she’d tell Jeff the truth, and whatever she could possibly say, it would be too embarrassing to bear. The best thing would be to leave the office and never come back. She would have to come up with another idea for Stuart, but she could deal with that later. She should disappear from here, just consider this a fun meeting with her onetime crush and call it a day. After a few weeks of not seeing his company mentioned in the paper, Jeff might call the Times asking for her, but by then she’d be long gone and unreachable. She was glad that she hadn’t yet gotten around to adjusting the settings on her cell phone, which came preprogrammed to keep her number hidden when she made calls. There’d be no way to trace her.
And yet, the chance to meet with Jeff again, to pursue this article further and see where it might take her, was too enticing to pass up. She wasn’t ready to say good-bye.
“I would love that,” she said.
“Then it’s a date.” He clapped his hands and stood. Iliana began to slip her notebook and the catalog into her bag, but feeling frazzled at this new turn of events, she couldn’t get the pages to slide in smoothly. Her fingers felt huge and clumsy. After three attempts, she brought the books out, smoothed them on her lap, and finally succeeded. When she stood up, she saw Jeff looking at her, smiling sympathetically. She rolled her eyes and they both laughed as they started walking toward the showroom entrance.
“So do you work out of an office? Or from your home?” Jeff asked.
“My home,” she said.
“Here in the city?”
“No, Westchester.” She knew he was just making small talk, but she wished he’d stop with the questions. She didn’t want to give out any more information about herself, at least not until she got home and had a chance to think this whole morning through.
“No kidding! I live in Westchester, too. What do you know about that? I’m in Mount Kisco.”
He looked at her expectantly, clearly waiting for her to volunteer what town she lived in, but luckily Rose appeared just then with her coat. Jeff took it and held it up for her, and she slipped an arm through a sleeve, acutely aware that it was Jeff Downs— Jeff Downs! —supporting her coat’s weight. She had daydreamed so many times when she was young about Jeff doing simple things—helping her with her coat, opening a door—that having him actually do one felt full of meaning. Suddenly her real life seemed unimaginably remote. If she had found a way to make Jeff Downs real, what else could she do?
“Well, Ms. Iliana Fisher, it’s been a pleasure,” Jeff said, taking her hand in both of his. She felt her face redden. She had expected a simple handshake. “Thanks for coming. See you next Tuesday at eleven.”
Outside the double doors, Iliana turned and looked through the glass as Jeff jogged back through the showroom.
And then she was back in the elevator. She didn’t remember pushing the button to call it. She sensed that the elevator was crowded, but she didn’t see any faces. She was only aware of her black wool coat, which had been almost weightless as Jeff Downs helped her with it. She remembered the way the sleeves slipped on. She could feel how they glided up to her shoulders.
Gazing forward at the mirrored
“Hey, I don’t want to cut this short,” he added. “This article is important, too, and—wait, I have an idea! Why don’t you sit in on that meeting? Those Bloomingdale’s guys love reporters. It’s next Tuesday at eleven. And when they leave, we’ll wrap things up. I’ll even buy you lunch.”
She hesitated. She shouldn’t be coming back here. She had let the misunderstanding about the Times go on too long, and it now felt too late to come clean. She didn’t know how she’d tell Jeff the truth, and whatever she could possibly say, it would be too embarrassing to bear. The best thing would be to leave the office and never come back. She would have to come up with another idea for Stuart, but she could deal with that later. She should disappear from here, just consider this a fun meeting with her onetime crush and call it a day. After a few weeks of not seeing his company mentioned in the paper, Jeff might call the Times asking for her, but by then she’d be long gone and unreachable. She was glad that she hadn’t yet gotten around to adjusting the settings on her cell phone, which came preprogrammed to keep her number hidden when she made calls. There’d be no way to trace her.
And yet, the chance to meet with Jeff again, to pursue this article further and see where it might take her, was too enticing to pass up. She wasn’t ready to say good-bye.
“I would love that,” she said.
“Then it’s a date.” He clapped his hands and stood. Iliana began to slip her notebook and the catalog into her bag, but feeling frazzled at this new turn of events, she couldn’t get the pages to slide in smoothly. Her fingers felt huge and clumsy. After three attempts, she brought the books out, smoothed them on her lap, and finally succeeded. When she stood up, she saw Jeff looking at her, smiling sympathetically. She rolled her eyes and they both laughed as they started walking toward the showroom entrance.
“So do you work out of an office? Or from your home?” Jeff asked.
“My home,” she said.
“Here in the city?”
“No, Westchester.” She knew he was just making small talk, but she wished he’d stop with the questions. She didn’t want to give out any more information about herself, at least not until she got home and had a chance to think this whole morning through.
“No kidding! I live in Westchester, too. What do you know about that? I’m in Mount Kisco.”
He looked at her expectantly, clearly waiting for her to volunteer what town she lived in, but luckily Rose appeared just then with her coat. Jeff took it and held it up for her, and she slipped an arm through a sleeve, acutely aware that it was Jeff Downs— Jeff Downs! —supporting her coat’s weight. She had daydreamed so many times when she was young about Jeff doing simple things—helping her with her coat, opening a door—that having him actually do one felt full of meaning. Suddenly her real life seemed unimaginably remote. If she had found a way to make Jeff Downs real, what else could she do?
“Well, Ms. Iliana Fisher, it’s been a pleasure,” Jeff said, taking her hand in both of his. She felt her face redden. She had expected a simple handshake. “Thanks for coming. See you next Tuesday at eleven.”
Outside the double doors, Iliana turned and looked through the glass as Jeff jogged back through the showroom.
And then she was back in the elevator. She didn’t remember pushing the button to call it. She sensed that the elevator was crowded, but she didn’t see any faces. She was only aware of her black wool coat, which had been almost weightless as Jeff Downs helped her with it. She remembered the way the sleeves slipped on. She could feel how they glided up to her shoulders.
Gazing forward at the mirrored
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