known Janet?”
“Forever,” she told him. She reached for her milk and sipped it. “She and I started out in acting together. But she decided that security was better and got a job as an assistant fashion designer. She loves it, and she’s very good at it.” She grinned. “Someday she’s going to be as famous as Halston and Bill Blass.”
“I’d like to see some of her work,” he murmured.
“Interested in dresses, are you?” she murmured back with a wicked grin.
He chuckled. “Only in what’s in them, actually.” He looked thoughtful. “But Janet looks pretty good, whatever she wears.”
“Indeed she does,” she agreed.
“Does she go with anyone?”
“No. She hates men.”
“How interesting.” He leaned back in his chair. “Why?”
“Ask her sometime.” She checked her watch. “David, this was delicious, but it’s late and tomorrow’s going to be another long day. The matinee…”
“Yes, I know.” He sighed and got up to pay the bill. “How are you going to hold up?”
She stood, too. “I’m tough,” she assured him, smiling. “Besides, it isn’t like work to me. It’s great fun. And my doctor, your friend, said that as long as I got plenty of rest it won’t hurt me to stay active. He thinks it might actually help when I deliver.”
“Did he tell you what it’s going to be?” he teased.
“I wouldn’t let him if he knew,” she said firmly. “I want it to be a surprise. Ready to go?”
“Whenever you are, lady.”
The apartment was very quiet when David left. She paced around, more concerned for her parents than she was for herself. She hadn’t even considered them until today. It would hurt her mother so much….
She hugged herself, wondering why she hadn’t thought of the consequences when she and Cul were together. She’d been so much in love that she’d been dazed, irresponsible. But now she was paying for that lapse, and despite the fact that she wanted the baby and would love it desperately, her life was in a horrible mess. All because of the new wave of permissive living, she had joined the ranks.
Most of the girls she knew took sex casually. Living with a man these days was nothing so shocking in a city like New York. But Bett hadn’t been that way. She’d been reserved and unyielding, she’d held onto her principles. Until Cul walked back into her life and her mind went haywire. Well, she’d had her fantasy fulfilled. And look where it had led her. Her friends never got pregnant, but wham, a few nights with Cul and she was pregnant.
The worst part of it was what he’d said about wanting to make the arrangement permanent until he found out she was pregnant. The idiot! The
idiot
! As much as he’d wanted to father a child—and now that he had, he wouldn’t accept the fact of its parentage. He thought she’d betrayed him with David. And that was so ludicrous. As if she could have betrayed him with any man, even in her mind. Cul was the only man she’d ever loved, or wanted. And he always would be, despite the fact that, at the moment, she hated him passionately.
It was her own fault, anyway. She could have said no. She could have walked away. She could at least have tried not to give in to her wild passion for the playwright. But she hadn’t. And now she was going to have to pay for it.
The monologue she used in the play came back at her full force, and she lifted her eyes. “Oh, Lord,” she whispered, “if you love little babies, forgive me and show me what to do.”
All at once the weariness washed over her and she went to bed. It was the first night since it all began that she slept.
By the end of the week, she was ready to go back to her accountant with the money for the taxes. He was apologetic, but there had been an error, made by his secretary. She needed to come up with several thousand more dollars. He named an amount, which would barely leave her enough to buy groceries and pay the rent for the next few months.
When she got
“Forever,” she told him. She reached for her milk and sipped it. “She and I started out in acting together. But she decided that security was better and got a job as an assistant fashion designer. She loves it, and she’s very good at it.” She grinned. “Someday she’s going to be as famous as Halston and Bill Blass.”
“I’d like to see some of her work,” he murmured.
“Interested in dresses, are you?” she murmured back with a wicked grin.
He chuckled. “Only in what’s in them, actually.” He looked thoughtful. “But Janet looks pretty good, whatever she wears.”
“Indeed she does,” she agreed.
“Does she go with anyone?”
“No. She hates men.”
“How interesting.” He leaned back in his chair. “Why?”
“Ask her sometime.” She checked her watch. “David, this was delicious, but it’s late and tomorrow’s going to be another long day. The matinee…”
“Yes, I know.” He sighed and got up to pay the bill. “How are you going to hold up?”
She stood, too. “I’m tough,” she assured him, smiling. “Besides, it isn’t like work to me. It’s great fun. And my doctor, your friend, said that as long as I got plenty of rest it won’t hurt me to stay active. He thinks it might actually help when I deliver.”
“Did he tell you what it’s going to be?” he teased.
“I wouldn’t let him if he knew,” she said firmly. “I want it to be a surprise. Ready to go?”
“Whenever you are, lady.”
The apartment was very quiet when David left. She paced around, more concerned for her parents than she was for herself. She hadn’t even considered them until today. It would hurt her mother so much….
She hugged herself, wondering why she hadn’t thought of the consequences when she and Cul were together. She’d been so much in love that she’d been dazed, irresponsible. But now she was paying for that lapse, and despite the fact that she wanted the baby and would love it desperately, her life was in a horrible mess. All because of the new wave of permissive living, she had joined the ranks.
Most of the girls she knew took sex casually. Living with a man these days was nothing so shocking in a city like New York. But Bett hadn’t been that way. She’d been reserved and unyielding, she’d held onto her principles. Until Cul walked back into her life and her mind went haywire. Well, she’d had her fantasy fulfilled. And look where it had led her. Her friends never got pregnant, but wham, a few nights with Cul and she was pregnant.
The worst part of it was what he’d said about wanting to make the arrangement permanent until he found out she was pregnant. The idiot! The
idiot
! As much as he’d wanted to father a child—and now that he had, he wouldn’t accept the fact of its parentage. He thought she’d betrayed him with David. And that was so ludicrous. As if she could have betrayed him with any man, even in her mind. Cul was the only man she’d ever loved, or wanted. And he always would be, despite the fact that, at the moment, she hated him passionately.
It was her own fault, anyway. She could have said no. She could have walked away. She could at least have tried not to give in to her wild passion for the playwright. But she hadn’t. And now she was going to have to pay for it.
The monologue she used in the play came back at her full force, and she lifted her eyes. “Oh, Lord,” she whispered, “if you love little babies, forgive me and show me what to do.”
All at once the weariness washed over her and she went to bed. It was the first night since it all began that she slept.
By the end of the week, she was ready to go back to her accountant with the money for the taxes. He was apologetic, but there had been an error, made by his secretary. She needed to come up with several thousand more dollars. He named an amount, which would barely leave her enough to buy groceries and pay the rent for the next few months.
When she got
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