Barbara Taylor Bradford - Remember

‘Yeah, that figures. Congress is still in session through July, and Bush is probably going to be gone in August, either to Camp David or Kennebunkport. And who am I doing after the President and Mrs B?’

‘They have not said, Clee. But they want you for a few specials. I told them I would give them the date of your arrival as soon as possible. They need to confirm with the White House. So, when will you go?’

‘About the fourteenth, I guess.’ Clee walked over to his cluttered desk and sat down. ‘Ask Marc Villier if he can come in early tomorrow, around seven thirty, eight.’

‘I will.’ Jean-Claude crossed the floor to the door, paused before leaving and looked back at Clee. ‘There will not be any problem, he will come whenever you wish. He wants nothing more than to work with you, Clee. You are his … idol.’

Clee merely smiled, made no comment. He knew all about idols and what having one could mean.

Jean-Claude nodded and left.

Clee’s eyes automatically strayed to the photograph of Robert Capa, which hung on the side wall along with a collection of other pictures, and he felt a little stab of familiar sadness, as he often did when he looked at it. His one and only regret in his life was that he had not known Capa. He had been born too late and Capa’s tragic death had been so untimely, far too soon.

After a moment, he swung his gaze and dropped his eyes to the papers littering his desk, shuffled through them without paying much attention, which was quite normal for him. Paperwork was not his strong suit; in fact, it bored him. He clipped the letters together, scrawled across the top one: Louise, please deal with this stuff any way you see fit, and dropped the pile into the tray in readiness for his secretary the following day.

Glancing at the clock he saw that it was almost six. If he was going to cancel the dinner with his close friends Henry and Florence Devon he had better do it immediately. Henry was a writer and worked at the Paris bureau of Time, and Clee dialled his direct line. It rang and rang then was finally picked up and Henry’s gravelly Boston-accented voice was saying, ‘Allo, oui?’

‘Hank, it’s Clee. How’re you, old buddy?’

‘Jaysus, Clee, don’t tell me you’re cancelling!’

‘I have to, Hank. Business, I’m afraid. Look, I’m sorry, but it can’t be helped.’

‘Oh hell, Flo has invited this Lacroix model, whatever-her-name-is. Stunning girl. You wouldn’t want to miss meeting her, would you?’

‘I wish you two would stop trying to fix me up!’ Clee exclaimed a bit impatiently, then he laughed and continued swiftly, ‘There’s really no way I can make it tonight. This meeting just came up and it’s important.’

‘I’ll bet it is. Knowing you, I suspect you’ve suddenly got a hot and heavy date with a beautiful blonde. Or redhead. Or brunette.’

‘If only. From your mouth to God’s ear,’ Clee retorted and chuckled. In a more serious voice he said, ‘Look, I wouldn’t pass up Flo and you and what’s-her-name for some hit-and-run date with a dame. Never. Come on, Hank, surely you know me better than that.’

‘Don’t I just,’ Henry shot back and cackled wickedly down the phone.

Ignoring this, Clee said soberly, ‘Flo usually hedges her bets and invites a couple of single guys as well as me, so I’m sure the Lacroix lady won’t be short of flattering male attention this evening.’

‘That’s quite true. On the other hand, Flo really wanted you to meet her, Clee.’

‘I will. Another time. Tonight I’m stuck. How about lunch tomorrow?’

‘No can do. I’m flying to Nice. I’m working on a piece about the Grimaldis of Monaco, and I have to do some interviews in Monte Carlo.’

‘Then call me when you’re back and we’ll catch up.’

‘It’s a deal. And Clee?’

‘Yes, Hank?’

‘We’ll miss you tonight.’

‘I’ll miss being there. Give my apologies to Flo, and kiss her for me.’ As he hung up Clee made a mental note to send flowers to Florence tomorrow morning. Flowers from Lachaume, no less. That ought to do the trick in the apology department.

Picking up the phone he dialled again. A female voice answered immediately. ‘Is that you, Mel?’

‘Hello, Clee. What’s wrong?’

‘Nothing’s wrong … Mel, I -’

‘You’re cancelling our date tonight.’

‘Listen, honey, I’m sorry, but I have an American picture editor in town, and he -’

‘Must see you tonight, because he’s leaving first thing tomorrow, and it’s vitally important for the agency,’ she finished for him, sounding as if she knew the words by heart.

‘You got it.’

‘Why don’t you come over later, Clee?’

‘It’ll be too late.’

‘I don’t mind.’

There was a small pause. He said finally, ‘I would prefer to see you at the weekend, Mel. If you’re free. We could drive out to the country for dinner on Saturday night. How about it?’

He heard her sigh at the other end of the phone.

She said, after a moment, ‘Oh all right then. But I don’t know why I let you do this to me, Cleeland Donovan. Most other guys couldn’t get away with it.’

‘Get away with what?’

‘Being so elusive.’

‘Ah, but that’s what makes me so very irresistible,’ he retorted flippantly.

‘Sadly, I think that happens to be the truth,’ she answered him in the softest of tones.

‘Okay, so do we have a date for Saturday night?’

‘You know we do, Clee.’

‘I’ll call you tomorrow, honey, and I’m sorry about tonight.’

They murmured their goodbyes and he dropped the phone back in its cradle. Another order of flowers from Lachaume tomorrow, he thought, putting his feet up on the desk, leaning back in the chair and closing his eyes.

Clee felt a sudden and most marvellous surge of relief that he had so easily managed to cancel Flo and Hank, and the conflicting date with Mel as well, by telling a couple of harmless white lies. The truth was he did not have a business date, nor any kind of date, for that matter. On the other hand, he did not have the head for a fancy dinner party at the Devons’; nor was he in the mood to dine alone with Melanie Lowe, bright and lovely as she was, and of whom he was quite fond. He simply wanted to be alone; he had a lot on his mind and a great deal of thinking to do. This was the other reason why he had been so pleased when Jean-Claude had told him he was free, that he had no other assignments before he left for the States to do the work for Life. He was not only going to take it easy for the next week and have a much-needed rest, but he would concentrate on a few personal problems which needed sorting out. One in particular had been at the back of his mind for several weeks.

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