mustn't do work every night," her mother had told her several times. 'Tou have to go out on dates too. All work and no play, you know . . ."
"I'd go out all right if anyone called me," she had answered. Well, now someone had called her, and he was waiting for her in front of her office building. She recognized him instantly even though she had never seen him before. He was the one person in the crowd who looked as if he didn't know where he was going, walking nervously in and out of the revolving door, looking anxiously at every girl who came out. He was about tliirty, of medium height and half bald.
"Caroline Bender?" he said in a loud voice as soon as she stopped. "Are you Caroline?"
Several Fabian girls turned to look at him and Caroline curiously at the sound of her name. Caroline wanted to shrink into her skin. *^es," she said quietly. She took his arm and began to lead him down the street to a safe distance.
He was looking at her from head to toe. He had moist, anxious eyes and he seemed terrified. She let go of his arm. "You must be Alvin Wiggs," she said pleasantly.
"That's me."
"Well," she said.
Now he was walking, leading her uptown. "We'll have dinner at SchraflFt's," he said.
Schrafft's? she thought. Where I have lunch with April and Gregg every day? A tomato surprise and a strawberry soda with all tliose ladies and Alvin Wiggs? "Oh, is that one of your favorite restaurants?" she said.
He seemed flustered. "I've . . , never been there. But my mother goes there all the time. Don't you want to go?"
"Well, I'd rather go somewhere a little more—well, darker, with music. If you don't mind."
"I thought girls liked SchraflFt's," he said hesitantly. "You know . . . small portions . . . We'll go anyplace you Uke."
Maybe he has no money, she thought. No, Mrs. Nature said he was in his father's business. They walked east toward Madison Avenue and after passing several restaurants Caroline liked they finally stopped. They were in front of a small, dark restaurant Caroline had heard of, which was supposed to be inexpensive and have good food. "How about this?" she said.
"All right." They went in, walked past the tiny bar, and were ushered to a table. They were the only people in the dining room.
"Cocktail?" the waitress said.
"Oh, no," said Alvin. "Not for me. You don't want one, do you?"
"It's only a quarter past five," Caroline said. "I'd like to have one first, unless you're hungry."
She ordered a Scotch and water and Alvin Wiggs ordered nothing. She felt a little self-conscious drinking alone, but she knew that if she didn't she would never be able to get through an hour with him. She looked at him and smiled brightly. "I should have brought you some of our latest books," she said. "Are you reading anything good lately?"
"I don't like books," he said. "It takes me about seven montiis to get through a novel. I like financial magazines."
She tried again. "It's a shame you haven't found any books you liked. What was the last one you read?"
"I don't remember."
What interesting ice cubes those were in her glass. They had tiny bubbles in them. She had never seen ice cubes that drew her attention so.
"Mrs. Nature is a nice woman, isn't she," he said.
"Yes she is."
"She's very nice. I like her."
"Have you met Francine's husband?"
"No," he said. "I hear he's very nice. I like Francine."
'Tes," she said.
"Francine's nice," he said.
Oh, we forgot Mr. Nature! Caroline thought. She wanted to laugh. It was all of five-thirty. "May I have another Scotch, please?"
"Are those good?"
"Yes, they're very good."
"Maybe I'll try one. I don't drink much."
"You'd better not."
"Well, I'll try one," he said.
Maybe he's just shy, she thought hopefully as Alvin downed his drink as quickly as if it were buttermilk and made a wry face.
"Do you live in Port Blair?" she asked him.
"Yes. I live with my parents."
"Do you like that?" she asked.
"Oh, I don't mind. My parents are very good. They don't even ask me any
"I'd go out all right if anyone called me," she had answered. Well, now someone had called her, and he was waiting for her in front of her office building. She recognized him instantly even though she had never seen him before. He was the one person in the crowd who looked as if he didn't know where he was going, walking nervously in and out of the revolving door, looking anxiously at every girl who came out. He was about tliirty, of medium height and half bald.
"Caroline Bender?" he said in a loud voice as soon as she stopped. "Are you Caroline?"
Several Fabian girls turned to look at him and Caroline curiously at the sound of her name. Caroline wanted to shrink into her skin. *^es," she said quietly. She took his arm and began to lead him down the street to a safe distance.
He was looking at her from head to toe. He had moist, anxious eyes and he seemed terrified. She let go of his arm. "You must be Alvin Wiggs," she said pleasantly.
"That's me."
"Well," she said.
Now he was walking, leading her uptown. "We'll have dinner at SchraflFt's," he said.
Schrafft's? she thought. Where I have lunch with April and Gregg every day? A tomato surprise and a strawberry soda with all tliose ladies and Alvin Wiggs? "Oh, is that one of your favorite restaurants?" she said.
He seemed flustered. "I've . . , never been there. But my mother goes there all the time. Don't you want to go?"
"Well, I'd rather go somewhere a little more—well, darker, with music. If you don't mind."
"I thought girls liked SchraflFt's," he said hesitantly. "You know . . . small portions . . . We'll go anyplace you Uke."
Maybe he has no money, she thought. No, Mrs. Nature said he was in his father's business. They walked east toward Madison Avenue and after passing several restaurants Caroline liked they finally stopped. They were in front of a small, dark restaurant Caroline had heard of, which was supposed to be inexpensive and have good food. "How about this?" she said.
"All right." They went in, walked past the tiny bar, and were ushered to a table. They were the only people in the dining room.
"Cocktail?" the waitress said.
"Oh, no," said Alvin. "Not for me. You don't want one, do you?"
"It's only a quarter past five," Caroline said. "I'd like to have one first, unless you're hungry."
She ordered a Scotch and water and Alvin Wiggs ordered nothing. She felt a little self-conscious drinking alone, but she knew that if she didn't she would never be able to get through an hour with him. She looked at him and smiled brightly. "I should have brought you some of our latest books," she said. "Are you reading anything good lately?"
"I don't like books," he said. "It takes me about seven montiis to get through a novel. I like financial magazines."
She tried again. "It's a shame you haven't found any books you liked. What was the last one you read?"
"I don't remember."
What interesting ice cubes those were in her glass. They had tiny bubbles in them. She had never seen ice cubes that drew her attention so.
"Mrs. Nature is a nice woman, isn't she," he said.
"Yes she is."
"She's very nice. I like her."
"Have you met Francine's husband?"
"No," he said. "I hear he's very nice. I like Francine."
'Tes," she said.
"Francine's nice," he said.
Oh, we forgot Mr. Nature! Caroline thought. She wanted to laugh. It was all of five-thirty. "May I have another Scotch, please?"
"Are those good?"
"Yes, they're very good."
"Maybe I'll try one. I don't drink much."
"You'd better not."
"Well, I'll try one," he said.
Maybe he's just shy, she thought hopefully as Alvin downed his drink as quickly as if it were buttermilk and made a wry face.
"Do you live in Port Blair?" she asked him.
"Yes. I live with my parents."
"Do you like that?" she asked.
"Oh, I don't mind. My parents are very good. They don't even ask me any
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