such beautiful surroundings—I think the hotel might go for it.”
John rubbed his ear for a moment. “They just might.”
“Good. Do me a favor, John. Call them and set up a meeting. I’ll get started on some rough sketches—very rough ones. Be sure to add that, please.” He gave his partner a crooked grin. “Ihope they’re smart enough to realize they’re going to be billed all over again for this.”
“If they ain’t, they soon will be,” John said, and slipped through the door connecting their offices.
As soon as the door closed, Adam reached for the telephone to call Diana. But just as his fingers touched the receiver, the phone rang. Surprised, he lifted the receiver to his ear and said hello.
“Adam? It’s Dan. I can only spare a moment, but I wanted to let you know I’ll be in San Francisco Thursday and Friday on business. Can we get together for dinner?”
Adam grinned. “I can spare a moment to say yes.”
“Great! I’ll call you when I get in and we can pick a spot, okay?”
“Fine.” An image of Diana flitted through his mind, and Adam’s grin widened. “Can I bring a friend?”
“Well … Sure, I guess, if you want to.”
“You don’t sound very enthusiastic about meeting Diana Windsor.”
There was complete silence on the other end of the telephone.
“Dan? Are you there?”
“I think there was something wrong with the phone just then,” Dan finally said. “Did you say Diana Windsor?”
“Yep. You have any objections to that?”
“No, no!” Dan sounded stunned. “Actually, I’d love to meet her. But I thought you were only helping her with her game.”
“I did.” Adam stifled a laugh at taking his brother by surprise. “Anyway, I know she’d like to meetyou. Strictly personal, though, Daniel. And very personal to me. No business.”
“Oh … ah … yes, of course. Adam, is there something going on between you and her?”
“Something. Listen, I won’t keep you. Besides, I’m swamped with work too. Take care, Dan, and call me when you get in. ’Bye.”
He broke the connection before his brother could say his farewells, then called Diana. He was just about to hang up on the twelfth ring when she finally answered.
He heard a faint “Damn! I forgot the answering machine again,” then, louder, “Hello?”
“Hello. This is Adam, a human being who hates to talk to answering machines.”
“Oh! Adam. I’m sorry—”
“I’m the one who’s sorry,” he interrupted gently, “but I’m afraid I can’t make dinner tonight. A hotel we’re designing an annex for just delivered us a disaster. Can we change it to Thursday or Friday?”
“Well … ah …”
He chuckled. “Now you sound like my brother. Actually, that’s why I’d like to know if you’ll be free either of those nights. He’ll be in town then, and I would really like you to meet Dan. I know he’d like to meet you.”
“I see.” There was a long pause, and Adam began to wonder if his phone was broken. At last, her voice came back on the line. “I’m free either of those nights. I think it would be very … appropriate to meet your brother, don’t you?”
He frowned at the stilted coolness of her voice. “Diana, if you don’t want to have dinner with Dan, just say so. I won’t be hurt.”
“Oh, no, Adam. Actually, I’d … love to meet your brother. In fact, I wouldn’t miss it for the world. But I don’t want to intrude. I’m sure you two have a lot to talk about.”
“You’re never an intrusion.…”
When he hung up shortly afterward, Adam couldn’t help grinning. Diana and his brother ought to get along just fine.
Diana hung up the phone and stared at it thoughtfully.
After the confrontation with Jim Griegson yesterday, she’d had enough of her plan. Each time she had thought she’d been starting to make a little progress, she’d run into some unseen barrier. So she’d retreated to her “tower,” knowing she just wouldn’t be capable of
John rubbed his ear for a moment. “They just might.”
“Good. Do me a favor, John. Call them and set up a meeting. I’ll get started on some rough sketches—very rough ones. Be sure to add that, please.” He gave his partner a crooked grin. “Ihope they’re smart enough to realize they’re going to be billed all over again for this.”
“If they ain’t, they soon will be,” John said, and slipped through the door connecting their offices.
As soon as the door closed, Adam reached for the telephone to call Diana. But just as his fingers touched the receiver, the phone rang. Surprised, he lifted the receiver to his ear and said hello.
“Adam? It’s Dan. I can only spare a moment, but I wanted to let you know I’ll be in San Francisco Thursday and Friday on business. Can we get together for dinner?”
Adam grinned. “I can spare a moment to say yes.”
“Great! I’ll call you when I get in and we can pick a spot, okay?”
“Fine.” An image of Diana flitted through his mind, and Adam’s grin widened. “Can I bring a friend?”
“Well … Sure, I guess, if you want to.”
“You don’t sound very enthusiastic about meeting Diana Windsor.”
There was complete silence on the other end of the telephone.
“Dan? Are you there?”
“I think there was something wrong with the phone just then,” Dan finally said. “Did you say Diana Windsor?”
“Yep. You have any objections to that?”
“No, no!” Dan sounded stunned. “Actually, I’d love to meet her. But I thought you were only helping her with her game.”
“I did.” Adam stifled a laugh at taking his brother by surprise. “Anyway, I know she’d like to meetyou. Strictly personal, though, Daniel. And very personal to me. No business.”
“Oh … ah … yes, of course. Adam, is there something going on between you and her?”
“Something. Listen, I won’t keep you. Besides, I’m swamped with work too. Take care, Dan, and call me when you get in. ’Bye.”
He broke the connection before his brother could say his farewells, then called Diana. He was just about to hang up on the twelfth ring when she finally answered.
He heard a faint “Damn! I forgot the answering machine again,” then, louder, “Hello?”
“Hello. This is Adam, a human being who hates to talk to answering machines.”
“Oh! Adam. I’m sorry—”
“I’m the one who’s sorry,” he interrupted gently, “but I’m afraid I can’t make dinner tonight. A hotel we’re designing an annex for just delivered us a disaster. Can we change it to Thursday or Friday?”
“Well … ah …”
He chuckled. “Now you sound like my brother. Actually, that’s why I’d like to know if you’ll be free either of those nights. He’ll be in town then, and I would really like you to meet Dan. I know he’d like to meet you.”
“I see.” There was a long pause, and Adam began to wonder if his phone was broken. At last, her voice came back on the line. “I’m free either of those nights. I think it would be very … appropriate to meet your brother, don’t you?”
He frowned at the stilted coolness of her voice. “Diana, if you don’t want to have dinner with Dan, just say so. I won’t be hurt.”
“Oh, no, Adam. Actually, I’d … love to meet your brother. In fact, I wouldn’t miss it for the world. But I don’t want to intrude. I’m sure you two have a lot to talk about.”
“You’re never an intrusion.…”
When he hung up shortly afterward, Adam couldn’t help grinning. Diana and his brother ought to get along just fine.
Diana hung up the phone and stared at it thoughtfully.
After the confrontation with Jim Griegson yesterday, she’d had enough of her plan. Each time she had thought she’d been starting to make a little progress, she’d run into some unseen barrier. So she’d retreated to her “tower,” knowing she just wouldn’t be capable of
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