John Lutz - Single white female

Allie set the bagel back on its plain white plate. What was this about? Had Graham hit the lottery? "I don't mind at all. I like hearing good news, even somebody else's." She smiled, which Graham took as a signal to put on his lopsided grin. He looked like an amiable puppy when he did that. Allie liked this sincere and friendly man with the protruding ears and intent dark eyes.

He did an embarrassed little dance. "It happens I'm a playwright, and I've been working on a script for over a year. Way over a year, actually. And finally it sold. It's going to be produced." He waited a beat or two, then he shrugged, as if, on second thought, having a play produced was no big deal and he shouldn't have mentioned it. "Anyway, that's my good news."

"It's great news!" Allie said. "Congratulations! I mean it."

"The title's Dance Through Life. It'll be onstage at Creative Playhouse down in the Village. Know the place?"

"'Fraid not. I love live theater, though. Especially off-Broadway."

He widened his grin. "This is far enough off Broadway you'll need binoculars and a guide to find it."

"Don't be silly. That is a hell of an accomplishment. God, to come to New York and actually have a play produced. You realize how many people try that and fail?" "Oh, believe me, I do." "I'll go see it when it opens."

"Really? I'll make sure you get free tickets-good seats. For you and your-" He suddenly clamped his mouth shut. "I mean-"

Allie knew who he meant. Hedra. But how had he found out about her?

He glanced around like a conspirator in occupied territory. The big Hispanic kid stared back at him with flat, wary eyes, as if suspecting he was the subject of derision. "It's all right by me if you have a roommate," Graham said softly. "What am I, the police? I noticed her in the Cody lately, saw her a few times with you. Then one day I heard you two talking as you got off the elevator, and you or she said something that revealed she was living with you. That's a major taboo in the Cody. I got out of sight in a hurry so you wouldn't see me. Didn't want to let you know that I knew." "How long have you known?"

"Oh, a couple of weeks. It's okay, though, your secret's safe with me. Honest!"

"I believe it is, Graham." What choice did she have? "But don't mention it to anybody else. Please!"

"My word of honor on that, Allie. In this friggin' city, I never know when I might have to advertise for a roommate myself to share expenses." "Not you, Graham. Not a successful playwright."

She was afraid she'd sounded patronizing, but he didn't seem to think so.

He wiped his hands together as if drying them on an invisible towel. Blushed. "I wouldn't say successful. At least not yet. And there's not that much money in it. Besides, Dance might fold after a week. Maybe after one performance. It happens."

"Don't jinx yourself." Allie spread cream cheese on her bagel, took a bite, and sipped her coffee.

He began to back away, embarrassed. She realized for the first time that he had a crush on her. Well, that was all right. A natural enough phenomenon that happened between men and women. Mature, normal people didn't let it upset their lives, didn't act on those low-level emotions and let them develop into more than friendship, into something that seized control. Then she remembered the obscene phone call. Graham?

No! Ridiculous. I won't let life in this city poison me. Graham Knox was the nicest and least threatening male she'd met in months. She wouldn't let urban paranoia destroy a burgeoning friendship.

He said, "I better get busy or I'll be fired and have to write like crazy." He picked up a catsup bottle from the next table, then walked another table down and picked up a second bottle. A third. Where was he going, into the kitchen to water down the stuff so there'd be enough to last through lunch and dinner? "Hey, I mean it about those tickets, Allie." "You better. I want opening night."

"No, let's make it a few performances later. When all the bugs are worked out." "Okay, you're the playwright." The lopsided grin. "Enjoy your breakfast." "Already have."

After she'd eaten, while she was digging in her purse to pay the check, Allie realized she'd forgotten a disk she wanted to program into the Fortune Fashions computers. No problem. She could hurry back down the street to the apartment and pick it up, then still make Mayfair's office on time.

When she opened the door, she was surprised to find Hedra home. As soon as she saw Allie, she stood up from where she was sitting on the sofa. Her hands hung awkwardly at her sides, fingers working, kneading air.

"Thought you were at work," Allie said, striding to the alcove where her computer was set up.

Behind her Hedra said, "I was just about to walk out the door."

Allie found the floppy disk she was searching for, slid it into a protective hard plastic cover, then stuffed it into her purse.

When she walked out from behind the silk folding screen that formed a fourth wall of the alcove, she said, "I had an interesting conversation with a waiter down at Goya's."

Hedra adjusted the belt of her brown skirt. The skirt's hem hit her at an unflattering angle, Allie noticed. "It's too easy in this city to have interesting conversations with waiters." "This one turned out to be a nice guy."

"Far as you know from talking to him over the soup. You shouldn't mix with strange men that way, Allie." "He's one of our neighbors."

Hedra frowned. She had more makeup on today and looked almost attractive. Allie recognized the eyeshade and lipstick. Colors like her own makeup. "He lives here?" Hedra asked. "In the Cody?" "Right."

"Like I used to," Sam said, walking in from the kitchen. He was using a spoon to scoop low-fat yogurt from a plastic container. Dressed for business today: dark blue pin-stripe suit, white shirt, red tie. It was an outfit the dress-for-success books said was supposed to inspire trust.

Allie realized her mouth was open. She looked at Hedra, who couldn't meet her eyes and seemed to be studying the toe of her black loafer. Hedra mumbled, "I tried to let you know…" Allie glared at Sam. "What are you doing here?" "Came to see you, but Hedra said you'd left." "Hedra-"

"Don't blame her," Sam interrupted. "I sorta forced my way in."

"I wasn't gonna blame anyone but you for being here," Allie assured him. Anger gathered deep in her. "If you think you have the run of this place just because you can notify the landlord I have a roommate, think again, Sam."

He gave her his smile that could melt cold steel. Usually. "I only wanted to see you. I still love you, Allie. I can't help it."

Hedra coughed nervously, then said, "I better get moving or I'll be late for work."

Neither Allie nor Sam spoke as she grabbed up her purse and a light coat and went out, moving jerkily and too fast. "I'm leaving, too," Allie said. "I'll go with you down to the street."

She knew she couldn't stop him from doing that. Not unless she wanted to leave him here in the apartment by himself. "You sure will. You don't think I'd leave you here alone, do you?" "I don't suppose you would," Sam said.

Allie locked the apartment door behind her while Sam stood in the hall, watching. There was the slightest hint of a smile on his face, as if he'd just heard a good joke and it lingered in his mind.

Hedra had already gone down in the elevator. Allie and Sam waited silently while it rose slowly back to the third floor. It seemed to take long enough to rise three hundred floors.

Allie heard the cables thrum as the elevator adjusted to floor level. The doors slid open. Sam stood back like a gentleman to let her enter first. She felt like waiting until the doors were about to close, then stepping into the elevator so he wouldn't have time to follow. The old rattletrap didn't have the kinds of doors that opened automatically if someone stuck a hand between them. But she knew that was foolish and would accomplish nothing in the long run.