Commitments by Barbara Delinsky Page A

was a fool, but it wasn't a new thought. ' do you buy?' '.' He waited for her to go on, arched both brows, even opened a palm in invitation. When she said nothing more, he coaxed,
    "That's all? just sweaters? ''s enough.' ' quite a collection, do you?' ''ve been upset a lot, lately.' He studied the sweater from hem to collar, making careful note of the curves along the way. '/
    he murmured, then quickly raised his eyes. ' sweater ... it's perky., And you're right about March. Manhattan always was pretty dreary this time of year.' 100 ' -hasn't changed.' She paused, took a breath. '
    -bout it much? ot when I can help it.' ' time, you mentioned reading the paper ... No/ e corrected herself, ' said you'd seen recent es of my husband, so I assumed you read the paper.' , do., ' that bother you?' ' rubbing salt on the wound?' She nodded. , bothers me, but it serves a purpose. Prison life is totally regulated. It's monotonous and boring. It's marking time, going nowhere, doing nothing.' He stopped speaking. His. eyes clouded. Sabrina could see him begin to turn off his thoughts and tune out the world. But she didn't want him to do that. '
    on/ she coaxed. He held, her with a blank stare, for the space of several breaths, before chasing off the cloudiness and resuming. '
    are days when I feel like I'm suspended in time, like my mind is on hold. Reading the paper helps. It's frustrating to see the rest of the world pass me by, but at least I won't be emerging from a total vacuum when I'm released.' Vhen will that be? Three to seven isn't really three to seven, is it?' ''ll be up for parole after serving two-thirds of the mimmum.1 ''s two years. Do they credit you with the time you spent awaiting trial?' ' right.' ' you could be out in eight months."
    "Seven and a half.' ' think about it a lot/ she said unnecessarily. 101 I think about it a lot.' She let her own mind wander seven and a half months ahead and couldn't imagine what her life would ' like then. She couldn't go on as she was now; she knew that. There was Nicky and Nick and the matter of her own identity ... loose pieces that didn't fit into the puzzle, and until they did, she could only plod on. Vhat do you want to do when you get out?, she asked, then sat helplessly by while his features hardened. The hardening took nothing from his handsomeness, but it distanced him from her. ' I want to do is very different from what I will do., ' with what you want.' ' want to go back to doing what I did before., ' Insight was canceled." Abruptly he grinned, that same heart-stopping, halfmischievous grin that brought a dimplelike slash to his cheek, and this time she felt it full force. ''t that greatv he asked. It was a minute before she could rebound enough to gather her wits. She was a yo-yo and Derek held the string; he tossed her away, then brought her close, tossed her away, brought her close. He set her off balance, but she didn't mind as long as he flashed that grin from time to time. Tm, uh, is it ... great? If it's been canceled,'it isn't there for you to go back to.' His grin persisted. ' do you know why it was canceled?' His self-satisfaction was a dead giveaway. She said, '/ and gave a sage nod. ' ratings plummeted/ he went on, savoring the explanation, however superfluous. Page 35
    Barbara Delinsky - Commitments
    "Mind you, I didn't 102 t gobs of supporting mail when I was on trial, but after I was gone, something must have been missing from the show." The grin faded. His voice dropped, and though his words were innocent enough, his tone had an edge. ' stole hot shots from other shows, but it made no difference. The mix wasn't right anymore. It was poetic justice.' ' do you mean?' He shrugged. ' was working on a story for the show when the shit hit the fan. It's kind of nice to know I wasn't the only one soiled.' ' personal revenge?' He looked off, pushed out his lips in contemplative hion, wanted to say, ' yet, baby, not yet, I but '&'t. Particularly in its planning stages,