Change of Heart Read Online Free PDF Page B

leave now that he’d finished her dinner. She said quickly, “Could you tell me what happened the other night?”
    â€œYou don’t remember?”
    Sharlie shook her head. “Just the bus. Then falling.”
    â€œI’d been watching you,” he said, mischief in the crinkles beside his eyes, “trying to figure out how I could get closer to you with all those fat ladies in the way.”
    Her face was thoughtful, but the voice inside her head shouted, Really? Really?
    â€œYou started to look sort of gray,” he went on, “and when I saw you asking for air, I shoved you out the door. When I let go of you for a second to pick up your bags, crash, down you went.”
    He leaned back in the chair, folded his arms, and stretched his legs out in front of him. Sharlie thought she’d never seen anyone quite so graceful.
    â€œAs soon as I saw the bracelet, I flagged down a cab with some poor farm equipment salesman from Oklahoma in the back seat. He’d never been to New York before, and I explained that sometimes during the holidays there’s a shortage of ambulances, and we have to depend on the good sportsmanship of people like him. Once he realized he could still make the curtain for A Chorus Line, he was very generous and paid for the whole trip. You had your head on his shoulder and looked so beautiful I think he kind of enjoyed himself. The driver said he was going to put it in his next book.”
    Sharlie shook her head, trying to absorb it all. It was difficult. Her brain resisted getting past Brian’s words, the phrase playing over and over like a record stuck in a groove. You looked so beautiful, so beautiful, so beautiful …
    â€œThere are lots of slices out of my life,” she said, “that other people remember and I don’t.” She supposed that sounded like self-pity, and when he got up right away, she was certain that she’d put him off.
    But he only reached into his raincoat pocket for the opera glasses. He put them to his eyes and peered out the window. “Nothing much going on in the park,” he said.
    â€œFifth Avenue’s more interesting once it gets dark.”
    He grinned at her. “Spoken like one who knows,” he said, pushing up against the window so he could get a better view of the street below. “Hmm,” he muttered.
    He was silent for so long that Sharlie finally asked, “What is it? What’s going on?”
    Brian walked over and handed her the glasses. “Somebody in a fur coat and sunglasses got out of a limousine and practically broke her ankle sprinting to the front door.”
    â€œAging starlet admitted for secret face-lift,” Sharlie explained. Brian looked impressed. “Spoken like an incurable voyeur,” she said sheepishly.
    Brian waved toward the window. “You do a lot of that?”
    Sharlie nodded. “Sometimes I’ve wondered … it’s not illegal or anything, is it?”
    He smiled. “As long as you don’t open up a blackmail business.”
    â€œ I could,” she said fervently.
    â€œOh? Tell me.” He looked at her expectantly, but she shook her head, and he could see she was regretting her openness. “Sometime,” he murmured, and looked at his watch.
    Sharlie turned the opera glasses over in her hands. The voice inside was pleading, Don’t leave.
    â€œI guess I’d better get out before they throw me out,” he said. He picked up his raincoat and umbrella and stood by the side of her bed. Sharlie’s throat felt clogged with unspoken entreaties.
    â€œCan I come see you again?” Brian asked.
    What? thought Sharlie. But she couldn’t get any words to come out at all.
    â€œTomorrow?” he urged.
    She coughed, trying to clear her throat.
    â€œI’m grateful to you,” she said, and decided to allow herself the luxury of speaking his name aloud this once, “Brian …”
    He