home, too. The phone rang for a long time. I guess youdon't have anansweringmachine."
"No," Dan said, "I don't," and for the first time his expression softened. He studied the desktop. With sudden understanding, Ford said, "Youwere there, weren't you."
Dan's face shimmered from its cool control to another expression, and Ford saw in that other face the man whom he wanted to reach.
"I wishyouhad answered."
Danshrugged. "I wishyouhadn't writtenthe letter."
Beneath the cool voice lurked another, and Ford answered. "I'msorryI did. I alreadysaid that."
"Well, youmight have to sayit again."
Outside, in the light court, dying breezes tossed potato chip bags idly on the roof below. Ford said, "I'll say it as often as I have to."
"Why? What do youwant?"
He would never have guessed from the brittleness of Dan's tone that this same voice could soothe. Ford concentrated onthe face he had glimpsed, the softness he had reached for a moment. "I want to convince you I'm not a jerk so maybe you'll agree to go to dinner withme tomorrow."
go to dinner withme tomorrow."
Dan absorbed this. "What will that prove? That you're really okay, that you're not a jerk, like yousaid? And that's it?"
"What do youmean, that's it?"
"We go out to dinner, and that proves you're anokayguy. But what about me? Am I okay?" His voice had begun to tremble, but he quickly brought it under control. "I already know you're not a jerk, I don't care about that. One stupid note doesn't make you a jerk. But I don't want to go out with you because you feel sorry for me, or because you feel sorry for something you've done."
Ford stepped closer, sat on the desktop, nearer than before, and when Dan turned each could feel the heat of the other. They watched each other for a while. Ford wet his lips. "So you'll let me take youto dinner,"he said quietly. "Tomorrow."
When Ford went on duty in the Pediatric Emergency Clinic, he focused his concentration. The work absorbed him completely through the day. Near evening, realizing the time, he hurried upstairs for a shower and change of clothes. Dorothy Ballard joined his downward elevator ride, entering on the thirteenth floor and greeted Ford with the carefully casual tone used by medical students when addressing their hierarchical elders.
"You don't look like you're just getting off thirty hours," she said, "youmust have plans for tonight."
"I do,"Ford said. "I'mgoing to dinner with a friend. I've been lookingforward to it allday. Youheaded home?"
"Yes," Dorothy flexed her shoulders, "I'm going to spend the eveningwithmylover for a change."
The elevator stopped, bounced a little, and the doors opened.
The elevator stopped, bounced a little, and the doors opened. The two looked around the cab as if it had suddenly become precarious, thenlaughed.
He found Mr. Franken still in his office, the partly open door revealing several other men in dark suits as well. Dan looked up from a large, bound report and set down his yellow highlighter after carefully capping it. He tried to move casually and to mask his delight, but Ford could see the changes in his face. Ford asked, as a greeting, "Did your secretary tell you I stopped by this morning?"
"She spelled your name McKenzie but I figured out who you were. She said youjust came to sayhello, but I was a little afraid somethinghad come up."
"McKenzie,"Ford said, laughingsoftly. "That's prettygood."
"Ms. Vaughn's eyes aren't that good,"Dansaid.
"She sure scared me to death this morning."Gesturing toward Franken's office, Ford asked, "Canyougo?"
In the dim, quiet parking garage, Ford felt Dan's physical presence acutely. Dan seemed calmly aware of this, but his face betrayed little. "Nice car. I like the smell."
"The smell?"
"Leather seats."
"It's a good car. Mydad drives one."
"Is your dad inAtlanta?"
"No. My folks are from Savannah. So am I, I guess. Though after this Christmas I don't know. You?"
"North Carolina. Fromthe backwater, way down east, where theygrow tobacco."
"You must have
"No," Dan said, "I don't," and for the first time his expression softened. He studied the desktop. With sudden understanding, Ford said, "Youwere there, weren't you."
Dan's face shimmered from its cool control to another expression, and Ford saw in that other face the man whom he wanted to reach.
"I wishyouhad answered."
Danshrugged. "I wishyouhadn't writtenthe letter."
Beneath the cool voice lurked another, and Ford answered. "I'msorryI did. I alreadysaid that."
"Well, youmight have to sayit again."
Outside, in the light court, dying breezes tossed potato chip bags idly on the roof below. Ford said, "I'll say it as often as I have to."
"Why? What do youwant?"
He would never have guessed from the brittleness of Dan's tone that this same voice could soothe. Ford concentrated onthe face he had glimpsed, the softness he had reached for a moment. "I want to convince you I'm not a jerk so maybe you'll agree to go to dinner withme tomorrow."
go to dinner withme tomorrow."
Dan absorbed this. "What will that prove? That you're really okay, that you're not a jerk, like yousaid? And that's it?"
"What do youmean, that's it?"
"We go out to dinner, and that proves you're anokayguy. But what about me? Am I okay?" His voice had begun to tremble, but he quickly brought it under control. "I already know you're not a jerk, I don't care about that. One stupid note doesn't make you a jerk. But I don't want to go out with you because you feel sorry for me, or because you feel sorry for something you've done."
Ford stepped closer, sat on the desktop, nearer than before, and when Dan turned each could feel the heat of the other. They watched each other for a while. Ford wet his lips. "So you'll let me take youto dinner,"he said quietly. "Tomorrow."
When Ford went on duty in the Pediatric Emergency Clinic, he focused his concentration. The work absorbed him completely through the day. Near evening, realizing the time, he hurried upstairs for a shower and change of clothes. Dorothy Ballard joined his downward elevator ride, entering on the thirteenth floor and greeted Ford with the carefully casual tone used by medical students when addressing their hierarchical elders.
"You don't look like you're just getting off thirty hours," she said, "youmust have plans for tonight."
"I do,"Ford said. "I'mgoing to dinner with a friend. I've been lookingforward to it allday. Youheaded home?"
"Yes," Dorothy flexed her shoulders, "I'm going to spend the eveningwithmylover for a change."
The elevator stopped, bounced a little, and the doors opened.
The elevator stopped, bounced a little, and the doors opened. The two looked around the cab as if it had suddenly become precarious, thenlaughed.
He found Mr. Franken still in his office, the partly open door revealing several other men in dark suits as well. Dan looked up from a large, bound report and set down his yellow highlighter after carefully capping it. He tried to move casually and to mask his delight, but Ford could see the changes in his face. Ford asked, as a greeting, "Did your secretary tell you I stopped by this morning?"
"She spelled your name McKenzie but I figured out who you were. She said youjust came to sayhello, but I was a little afraid somethinghad come up."
"McKenzie,"Ford said, laughingsoftly. "That's prettygood."
"Ms. Vaughn's eyes aren't that good,"Dansaid.
"She sure scared me to death this morning."Gesturing toward Franken's office, Ford asked, "Canyougo?"
In the dim, quiet parking garage, Ford felt Dan's physical presence acutely. Dan seemed calmly aware of this, but his face betrayed little. "Nice car. I like the smell."
"The smell?"
"Leather seats."
"It's a good car. Mydad drives one."
"Is your dad inAtlanta?"
"No. My folks are from Savannah. So am I, I guess. Though after this Christmas I don't know. You?"
"North Carolina. Fromthe backwater, way down east, where theygrow tobacco."
"You must have
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