Come Fly With Me (69 page)

"And
what
about
the
hydrangeas?"

As
Allison
headed
toward
the
front
door,
she
called
over
her
shoulder,
"Leave
them
on
my
desk,
please."

"Where
are
you
going?"
Emily
asked.
"You
just
got
here."

Allison
turned
to
face
her,
"There's
someone
I
have
to
see,
to
say
thank
you
in
person,"
she
smiled.
She
headed
toward
the
street
to
hail
a
cab.

****

Allison
took
the
elevator
up
to
the
thirty-third
floor
of
1251
Avenue
of
the
Americas
and
tried
to
calm
the
butterflies
in
her
stomach.
She
hastened
to
Alex's
office
before
she
lost
her
nerve.
Her
steps
slowed
as
she
got
closer,
stopping
completely
as
she
peered
through
his
glass
door.
He
was
on
the
phone,
his
back
to
her,
as
he
threw
a
soft
mini-basketball
up
in
the
air.
He
threw
it
behind
his
back
and
caught
it
each
time.
Then
he
started
to
throw
it
against
the
wall.
His
office
was
next
to
Paul's,
and
she
smiled,
realizing
they
couldn't
be
any
more
different.
She
almost
lost
her
nerve,
but
Alex
turned
just
then
and
spotted
her.
He
broke
out
into
a
wide
grin,
waved
her
in,
and
quickly
got
off
the
phone.

"Hi,"
she
said.

"Hi,
back,"
he
said
as
he
sat
down.

"I
love
the
flowers;
hydrangeas
are
a
favorite
of
mine."

"Just
wanted
to
remind
you
of
the
South,
where
they
grow
in
abundance.
We
had
a
good
time
when
we
were
down
there."

She
nodded
in
response.

"And
we
had
a
good
time
when
we
went
up
North,"
he
said.

She
nodded.

"Hell,
it
seems
like
we
have
a
good
time
anywhere
we
go—as
long
as
we're
together."

She
nodded
once
again.
"Well,
I
just
wanted
to
thank
you...
sooo
thanks,"
she
turned
around
to
leave.

"Chicken,"
he
said
from
behind
the
desk.

"Excuse
me?"

"You
heard
me.
You
could
have
called
and
thanked
me.
But
no,
you
came
all
the
way
up
here
from
your
shop,
and
now
you're
too
chicken
to
say
why
you
came."

"Stop
saying
that."

"Chicken,
chicken,
chicken,"
he
taunted.

"Seriously,
Alex,
I
can't
believe
what
a
child
you
are,"
she
straightened
her
back.
"Just
forget
it.
You're
right
I
should
have
called."

"But
you
didn't.
You're
here.
So
spill."

"No,
here
I
am
trying
to
be
nice
and
you're
taunting
me."
She
jumped
to
her
feet
and
flung
out
her
arm
"Like,
like
...I'm
one
of
your
sisters
for
goodness
sakes!"

"You
know
what?
You're
absolutely
right.
I'm
sorry."
He
ran
after
her
as
she
headed
down
the
hallway.
He
leaned
in
and
whispered,
"Please
come
back
and
we'll
have
an
adult
conversation."

She
agreed
and
walked
back
into
his
office
aware
of
the
many
ears
and
eyes
following
them.

"Well,
we
just
caused
quite
a
spectacle,"
she
said,
as
she
stood
near
the
door,
ready
to
flee
at
a
moment's
notice.

He
smiled,
"Maybe
more
like
a
stir,
than
a
spectacle.
Let
me
make
it
up
to
you—how
about
dinner
this
evening?"

"What?
I
was
going
to
ask
you
out!"

"Aha!
So
that
was
the
reason
you
came
up
here.
Well.
I'd
love
to."

She
sucked
in
her
bottom
lip."There's
a
great
restaurant,
Boom,
not
far
from
my
building.
I've
been
meaning
to
check
it
out.
We
could
go
there,"
she
faltered
as
she
spoke.
Her
cheeks
were
blazing—she'd
never
asked
a
man
out
before.

"Who's
paying?"

"What?
Um,
I
don't
know...we
can
split
it
if
you
want."

"I
want
to
know,
because
if
you're
paying,
you
might
think
you're
entitled
to
somethin'—if
you
get
my
drift,"
he
leered
at
her.

She
laughed
aloud
when
she
realized
he
was
baiting
her.
Well,
time
to
bait
him
right
back,
she
thought.
Flashing
him
a
huge
smile,
she
walked
to
where
he
was
seated.
Leaning
into
him
ever
so
slowly,
she
whispered
in
his
ear.
"I'll
be
paying,"
she
said.
"It's
time
we
evened
up
the
score."

He
stood
up
in
a
flash
and
whispered.
"No,
a
gentleman
always
pays."