there will be. I just don’t feel like congratulating you twice.”
He shrugged. “Fair enough.” He leaned his chair back until it balanced on two legs. “So what are you doing here?”
“I want to know more about antiques.”
He set the chair down, rested his chin in his hand and studied her again. “Why?”
“Why do you?”
“Because I want to. You?” He held up a hand. “And you can’t use my reason, it’s already taken.”
She sighed, resigned that he wouldn’t leave her alone. “If you must know, I want to impress somebody.”
He blinked surprised, his eyebrows rising. “What’s his name?”
“Actually, it’s a she.”
He blinked again and cleared his throat. “Oh.”
“She’s an older woman.”
He waved his hands. “Hey, no need to explain. I used to go for older women myself.”
“It’s not like that,” she snapped. “She’s my employer and I want to impress her with my knowledge of antiques so she’ll take me to Europe with her this year.”
Alex grinned. “Why you sly little fox.”
“What?”
“You pretend to be against playing games, yet here you are involved in one of your own.”
“I’m not playing games.”
“Oh really? Then why not just ask your employer to take you with her? Why go through the pretense?”
Isabella opened her mouth then closed it not having a ready reply. When she did finally come up with a response, Alex put his finger to his lips indicating that the class was about to start.
The instructor — Mr. Benjamin Yanders — had no chin, a long, reedy body, thin brown hair and a deep voice that belonged on radio. He readily captured their interest the moment he spoke.
“I’m pleased that you’re all here,” he said. “I hope you all have the two volumes of
An Introduction to the World of Antiquing.
These two books will be your bible in this course, and for those of you who are serious, it will be an excellent lifetime resource. If you don’t have these books, they’re still available for the bargain price of seventy-five dollars.” He lifted several out of a box and set them on the table.
Isabella nearly snapped her pen.
Seventy-five dollars?
She didn’t even have two dollars in her purse. When signing up for the class, she’d hoped that the books weren’t compulsory. She glanced around. Everyone had their pristine volumes on their desks. She wondered if there was a way she could get it on loan. She was so busy worrying that she didn’t notice Alex leaving his seat.
Isabella kept her gaze on the desk until a book slowly moved into her line of vision. She turned to Alex, but Mr. Yanders began the lecture before she could say anything, “If you want to get the most out of this class, you will need to make a 100 percent commitment.” Isabella glanced over the syllabus feeling a little insecure. The lecture topics were listed: Understanding the World of Antiquing; Pricing and Labeling of Antiques; and American Antiques. Weekend assignments included visits to antique shops, assessing period pieces and writing reports about them. The final lesson would involve purchasing an item and presenting it to the entire class. Luckily for those individuals with financial hardship, Mr. Yanders had a personal collection of eclectic antiques he would “loan” out for the final assignment.
By the time the class finished, Isabella was afraid her hand would cramp from all the notes she had taken. She gathered her things then waited for Alex in the hall, but after ten minutes she grew impatient. She glanced inside the classroom and saw him talking to other students — mostly female. He didn’t look as though he would leave soon. She ripped a sheet of paper and scribbled:
Thank you. I’ll pay you back. Izzy.
Then she went out to the parking lot and searched for his truck. Once she found it she slipped the note under his windshield wiper.
“A love letter?” he said coming up behind her.
She paused then turned.
“No, don’t tell me.” He
He shrugged. “Fair enough.” He leaned his chair back until it balanced on two legs. “So what are you doing here?”
“I want to know more about antiques.”
He set the chair down, rested his chin in his hand and studied her again. “Why?”
“Why do you?”
“Because I want to. You?” He held up a hand. “And you can’t use my reason, it’s already taken.”
She sighed, resigned that he wouldn’t leave her alone. “If you must know, I want to impress somebody.”
He blinked surprised, his eyebrows rising. “What’s his name?”
“Actually, it’s a she.”
He blinked again and cleared his throat. “Oh.”
“She’s an older woman.”
He waved his hands. “Hey, no need to explain. I used to go for older women myself.”
“It’s not like that,” she snapped. “She’s my employer and I want to impress her with my knowledge of antiques so she’ll take me to Europe with her this year.”
Alex grinned. “Why you sly little fox.”
“What?”
“You pretend to be against playing games, yet here you are involved in one of your own.”
“I’m not playing games.”
“Oh really? Then why not just ask your employer to take you with her? Why go through the pretense?”
Isabella opened her mouth then closed it not having a ready reply. When she did finally come up with a response, Alex put his finger to his lips indicating that the class was about to start.
The instructor — Mr. Benjamin Yanders — had no chin, a long, reedy body, thin brown hair and a deep voice that belonged on radio. He readily captured their interest the moment he spoke.
“I’m pleased that you’re all here,” he said. “I hope you all have the two volumes of
An Introduction to the World of Antiquing.
These two books will be your bible in this course, and for those of you who are serious, it will be an excellent lifetime resource. If you don’t have these books, they’re still available for the bargain price of seventy-five dollars.” He lifted several out of a box and set them on the table.
Isabella nearly snapped her pen.
Seventy-five dollars?
She didn’t even have two dollars in her purse. When signing up for the class, she’d hoped that the books weren’t compulsory. She glanced around. Everyone had their pristine volumes on their desks. She wondered if there was a way she could get it on loan. She was so busy worrying that she didn’t notice Alex leaving his seat.
Isabella kept her gaze on the desk until a book slowly moved into her line of vision. She turned to Alex, but Mr. Yanders began the lecture before she could say anything, “If you want to get the most out of this class, you will need to make a 100 percent commitment.” Isabella glanced over the syllabus feeling a little insecure. The lecture topics were listed: Understanding the World of Antiquing; Pricing and Labeling of Antiques; and American Antiques. Weekend assignments included visits to antique shops, assessing period pieces and writing reports about them. The final lesson would involve purchasing an item and presenting it to the entire class. Luckily for those individuals with financial hardship, Mr. Yanders had a personal collection of eclectic antiques he would “loan” out for the final assignment.
By the time the class finished, Isabella was afraid her hand would cramp from all the notes she had taken. She gathered her things then waited for Alex in the hall, but after ten minutes she grew impatient. She glanced inside the classroom and saw him talking to other students — mostly female. He didn’t look as though he would leave soon. She ripped a sheet of paper and scribbled:
Thank you. I’ll pay you back. Izzy.
Then she went out to the parking lot and searched for his truck. Once she found it she slipped the note under his windshield wiper.
“A love letter?” he said coming up behind her.
She paused then turned.
“No, don’t tell me.” He
Similar Books
