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Authors: Nell Kincaid
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your niece."
"Don't be unwise about this, Miss Churchill," he warned.
She stood up and smiled. "I don't intend to be," she said. "And if you have nothing else on your mind, Mr. Dayton, I do have other business to attend to." J
She turned and left, knowing that he had his usual look of tight-lipped anger on as he sat at his desk. But she did have other things to do. And though she knew it wasn't wise to antagonize a board member, she felt she had acted fairly reasonably under the circumstances. She had been
provoked, and she had responded as calmly as she had been able to.
Later that afternoon, not having heard from Ben about t he rest of the auditions, Kate called his office. But he was out, so she left a message and got back to work. Despite I he fact that the new campaign was beginning to shape up, she still had the daily routine of getting print ads out on time, and she was swamped with work.
By the time it was five o'clock, she still hadn't heard from Ben, and she was a bit annoyed. She had wanted to talk to him about the Alexandra Dayton matter, and though it could wait, it was something she wanted to settle quickly. She tried his office again, but this time was told that he had left for the day.
And, unfortunately, it was time to go down to the selling floors of the store and circulate. At the beginning, a few weeks before, Kate had enjoyed talking to the buying public. Finding out what they liked and hated was interfiling and often fun; customers were generally pleased that someone was actually interested in what they thought, and they responded fully and enthusiastically. But tonight Kate was definitely not in the mood. The picture was on as it had never been before for more customers; and for each person she would see in cosmetics or lingerie or Fifth Avenue fashions, she would be wishing sleep down for ten more.
Before going downstairs, Kate checked herself in the mirror of the ladies' room. She had definitely looked better at nine that morning; but she did the best she could, brushing her hair, reapplying her lipstick and eyeliner, and adding a bit more perfume.
For a moment her heart fluttered as she remembered
what Ben had said about the scent—that it was lovely, subtle, something he had remembered when he was apart from her. And she wished that she were with him, in his arms instead of in some ladies' room putting on makeup under fluorescent lights.
Sighing, she left the ladies' room and went down the hall to the elevators; she'd do what she had done every Thursday night over the past weeks—start at the ground floor, where most of the customers were, and work her way up from there.
When the elevator doors opened, she drew in her breath and started. Ben was standing there, and he smiled and stepped out as if it were the most natural thing in the world that he had come.
"Ah. Just in time," he said, as he put his arms around her and kissed her lightly on the lips. "I rushed to get here."
She smiled and looked into his eyes. "I'm so glad. I was just thinking about you."
"I thought you might like some company." He smiled. "We might even do a better job of it together, you know."
"Great," she said. "Then, let's go. This might not be the most interesting evening you've ever spent, Ben, covering all the floors of this store, but I'm really glad you came." She turned to press the elevator button, but he caught her arm.
"Wait a minute," he said. When she looked into his eyes, they were shining with spirit. "Why do you say something like that? I came to be with you , Kate—and, I hope, to spirit you away afterward if you're not too tired. I'm not here by chance, or because I feel a great need to meet your customers. I'd like to, but that's secondary."
As he leaned downward, his eyes closing as his lips drew near, she wrapped her arms around him, and she tried to quell the small inner voice that wondered if Ben could possibly be real. She had decided to put her doubts aside, decided— finally—to
"Don't be unwise about this, Miss Churchill," he warned.
She stood up and smiled. "I don't intend to be," she said. "And if you have nothing else on your mind, Mr. Dayton, I do have other business to attend to." J
She turned and left, knowing that he had his usual look of tight-lipped anger on as he sat at his desk. But she did have other things to do. And though she knew it wasn't wise to antagonize a board member, she felt she had acted fairly reasonably under the circumstances. She had been
provoked, and she had responded as calmly as she had been able to.
Later that afternoon, not having heard from Ben about t he rest of the auditions, Kate called his office. But he was out, so she left a message and got back to work. Despite I he fact that the new campaign was beginning to shape up, she still had the daily routine of getting print ads out on time, and she was swamped with work.
By the time it was five o'clock, she still hadn't heard from Ben, and she was a bit annoyed. She had wanted to talk to him about the Alexandra Dayton matter, and though it could wait, it was something she wanted to settle quickly. She tried his office again, but this time was told that he had left for the day.
And, unfortunately, it was time to go down to the selling floors of the store and circulate. At the beginning, a few weeks before, Kate had enjoyed talking to the buying public. Finding out what they liked and hated was interfiling and often fun; customers were generally pleased that someone was actually interested in what they thought, and they responded fully and enthusiastically. But tonight Kate was definitely not in the mood. The picture was on as it had never been before for more customers; and for each person she would see in cosmetics or lingerie or Fifth Avenue fashions, she would be wishing sleep down for ten more.
Before going downstairs, Kate checked herself in the mirror of the ladies' room. She had definitely looked better at nine that morning; but she did the best she could, brushing her hair, reapplying her lipstick and eyeliner, and adding a bit more perfume.
For a moment her heart fluttered as she remembered
what Ben had said about the scent—that it was lovely, subtle, something he had remembered when he was apart from her. And she wished that she were with him, in his arms instead of in some ladies' room putting on makeup under fluorescent lights.
Sighing, she left the ladies' room and went down the hall to the elevators; she'd do what she had done every Thursday night over the past weeks—start at the ground floor, where most of the customers were, and work her way up from there.
When the elevator doors opened, she drew in her breath and started. Ben was standing there, and he smiled and stepped out as if it were the most natural thing in the world that he had come.
"Ah. Just in time," he said, as he put his arms around her and kissed her lightly on the lips. "I rushed to get here."
She smiled and looked into his eyes. "I'm so glad. I was just thinking about you."
"I thought you might like some company." He smiled. "We might even do a better job of it together, you know."
"Great," she said. "Then, let's go. This might not be the most interesting evening you've ever spent, Ben, covering all the floors of this store, but I'm really glad you came." She turned to press the elevator button, but he caught her arm.
"Wait a minute," he said. When she looked into his eyes, they were shining with spirit. "Why do you say something like that? I came to be with you , Kate—and, I hope, to spirit you away afterward if you're not too tired. I'm not here by chance, or because I feel a great need to meet your customers. I'd like to, but that's secondary."
As he leaned downward, his eyes closing as his lips drew near, she wrapped her arms around him, and she tried to quell the small inner voice that wondered if Ben could possibly be real. She had decided to put her doubts aside, decided— finally—to
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