Anne Mather - Caroline

‘Indeed. Weren’t you being rather reckless? After all, you don’t know the man. Did you find out his name?’

Caroline hesitated. ‘Well, yes. He’s Adam Steinbeck.’ It came out with a rush and Amanda’s face was a picture, registering astonishment, incredulity and finally disbelief with lightning rapidity.

‘Are you serious?’ she gasped, a hand to her cheek. ‘ The Adam Steinbeck?’

Caroline sighed, feeling slightly overawed herself. ‘Yes. It was a surprise to me too.’

‘Surprise?’ cried Amanda. ‘It’s nothing short of a miracle. No wonder poor old Ron got the cold shoulder. You’re playing for higher stakes.’

Caroline frowned. ‘It’s not like that at all,’ she said irritably.

Amanda shook her head, bewildered. ‘And you were serious that day when you said you didn’t know who he was?’

‘Of course. Good heavens, Amanda, I’ve only been there three weeks. How could I possibly recognise him? Anyway, I didn’t.’

‘It really is fantastic. And you say he’s an attractive man?’

‘He’s fabulous,’ exclaimed Caroline, hugging herself suddenly. ‘By the way, he took me to lunch at a roadhouse called the Copper Kettle.’

If it had been possible for Amanda to look even more shocked she would have done so.’

‘He’s a very nice person,’ went on Caroline. ‘He made me feel at ease. I didn’t get back to work until three-thirty and Miss Morgan was as nice as pie.’ She smiled. ‘Yes, he’s very nice indeed.’

Amanda looked wryly at her. ‘Millionaires couldn’t be anything else in my book,’ she said, sighing. ‘Boy, do you have all the luck!’

‘His money doesn’t particularly appeal to me,’ replied Caroline lazily, flinging herself on the foot of her bed. ‘I’d probably be better pleased if he was just a two-thousand-a-year clerk. At least he might seriously be interested in me then. As it is…’

‘Now, hold on,’ exclaimed Amanda sitting up. ‘Lunch is all right, dinner maybe, but as for getting seriously involved with a man of his age, well, you must be joking!’

Caroline flushed. ‘Don’t say that,’ she said tensely.

Amanda frowned. ‘Why not? Someone’s got to. Think, Caroline! He probably eats girls like you for breakfast. Men like Steinbeck can have their pick of any woman, and I mean any woman. Be your age. Besides, he’s probably married with half a dozen kids.’

Caroline rolled on to her suddenly churning stomach.

‘He said he wasn’t married,’ she muttered quietly. ‘I can easily find out if he’s lying, so why should he lie?’

Amanda shrugged. ‘Okay, he’s not married. That doesn’t make him any younger.’

Caroline clenched her teeth. Amanda was probably right in everything she said, but she still wanted to see him again. She had to see him again! She had never heard anything derogatory spoken about him at the office, but that was no guarantee; money could close a lot of mouths.

‘Well, anyway,’ she said defiantly, ‘I’m having dinner with him tomorrow night.’

Amanda spread her hands, palms upwards. ‘I can’t stop you. I can only say that the Steinbeck Building must have been up about fifteen years and he’s been there probably as the head for most of that time.’

Caroline sighed. ‘I expect he’s in his thirties,’ she said casually.

‘Late thirties,’ corrected Amanda grimly. ‘Hell, you’re really hooked aren’t you? I’m sorry, kid, but you shouldn’t take people at their face value.’

Caroline shrugged. ‘You’re a great one to talk. What about you and that creature who called this evening?’

Amanda frowned. ‘At least he’s in my age and income group,’ she retorted, and Caroline got up off her bed and walked moodily into the living-room.

No matter what Amanda said, she was going.

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