She picked up the receiver of the yellow kitchen wall phone. “Hello?”
“Hello, Autumn.”
Jeff. “Hi,” she said a little too breathlessly, then nodded at Emily to confirm that it was, indeed, him. “If you want to go ahead and get comfortable in the living room, I’ll join you in a few minutes,” she told her grinning friend before turning her full attention back to the telephone call. “How are you, Jeff?”
“You have company?” he asked without answering her perfunctory question. “I can call back another time if it’s not convenient now.”
Noting the displeasure in his voice with mixed feelings, Autumn wound the telephone cord around her finger. “No, it’s okay. I can talk for a few minutes. Emily and Ryan had dinner with me, and we’re going to watch a television special together.”
“Emily and Ryan?”
“My neighbor and her fifteen-month-old son. I thought I’d mentioned them at dinner last week.”
“Yeah, I think you did,” Jeff agreed, his voice suddenly sounding brighter. “What television program are you going to watch?” he inquired, obviously reluctant to end the call.
“The magician Jeremy Kane has his first TV special on tonight. The television guide said he was going to do some pretty spectacular illusions.”
“You like magic?”
“Yes. And Jeremy Kane is one of my favorite magicians. I’d love to see him perform in person someday.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. Actually, though, I called to see if you’d like to go out with me tomorrow night. Unless you have other plans, of course.”
The awkwardness of the invitation was somehow endearing. Autumn tried to steel herself against the softness he brought out in her even as she accepted. “No, I don’t have any other plans for tomorrow night. I’d like to go out with you.”
“Great.” He didn’t try to hide his pleasure. “I thought we’d do something casual this time, so don’t dress up, okay?”
“Fine. Sounds like fun.” She noted absently that the end of her finger was turning purple as the tightly wound telephone cord cut off her circulation.
“Seven o’clock?”
“All right.”
“Autumn?”
“Yes, Jeff?”
“I need your address.”
“Oh, of course.” She gave it to him, listened as he carefully repeated the numbers, then hung up when he did. Unwr
apping her purple finger, she stood absently rubbing it, her gaze unseeingly on the telephone. Funny, she thought, she hadn’t even hesitated to accept the date. After a week of indecision, alternating between never wanting to see him again and fighting the urge to chase him down and drag him into bed, she’d meekly accepted his invitation when he’d finally gotten around to calling her. And she’d quickly explained who was with her when she could sense that he thought he’d interrupted a more intimate evening. If she wasn’t careful, she thought with a weak attempt at humor, Jeff Bradford was going to have her involved with him before she even knew it.
Only the thought wasn’t at all funny. That was exactly what she was worried about.
“Hello in there.” Emily’s voice held amusement as she broke into Autumn’s deep reverie.
Autumn looked sheepishly at the doorway where Emily watched her with a smile. “Uh, that was Jeff.”
“I know. Did he ask you out again?”
“Yes. Tomorrow night.”
“You are going, aren’t you?”
“Yes, I’m going.”
“Good.” Emily’s smile broadened. “I think this man is good for you.”