SWF Seeks Same Read Online Free PDF Page A

that can never happen again.”
    “Lisa would disagree with you, I bet.”
    “Maybe. But so what? I only care what
you
think, Allie. That’s all that’s important to me in this crazy world. Honestly. You believe me, don’t you?”
    “No.”
    He made a sound almost like a moan. “I don’t know what I can do about that. I only wish I could do
something
to make you see the facts. The Lisa thing just sort of happened and then ran its course and no longer matters. Please, Allie, accept that as the truth, because it is.”
    “You’re not denying it, only repeating that it doesn’t matter.”
    “I don’t like lying to you. Never did. I admitted I slept with Lisa Calhoun. If you need to hear it again, I’ll admit it again. I can’t see why you don’t realize the rest of what I’m saying’s true.”
    “I don’t
need
to hear it, Sam. Not anymore.”
    “Well, yeah, I guess not. Allie?”
    She knew his wheedling, little-boy voice. Right now it sickened her. Sam was about to ask her forgiveness. She couldn’t handle that. She reached out an arm and hurriedly switched off the lamp.
    “That’s better, Allie.” He’d assumed she wanted to go back to sleep, that their discussion was over at least until morning.
    She said, “Get out, Sam.”
    “What?”
    “Out. Now.”
    “Hey, I know it’s your place, but it’s midnight.” He switched on the lamp on his side of the bed, then glared at her so she could see he was furious. He hadn’t expected this, his look said. Didn’t deserve it. She was being damned unreasonable, and all because of some insignificant one-night stand that had come to light. “Where do you expect me to go at this hour?”
    “Find a hotel. Come back tomorrow for your things. Or the next day. Or don’t come back at all. I don’t care, Sam, not anymore.”
    He appeared puzzled for a while. Injured. Then he tried a smile. It was male mastery time. But he was acting out of desperation and she knew it. “I don’t believe you,” he said, like a line from a movie, as if the script was on his side and their destiny was in the last reel.
    She wasn’t sure if she believed herself, but she looked away from him. “Get out.”
    Sam clutched her arm and she slapped his hand away. She was startled by how loud a sound it made.
    He stood up, naked, his maleness wilted between his legs. He located his jockey shorts and danced into them, yanking them tight. You’ll hurt yourself that way, Sam. He found his pants.
    She turned away from him, watching his madly writhing shadow on the wall as he stormed around, wrestling angrily into his clothes. A button clattered on the floor, bouncing and rolling.
    Then the shadow was still. He’d worn himself out; she could hear his deep and rapid breathing, like right after sex.
    Calmly, he said, “All right, Allie. I’ll send for the rest of my stuff.”
    Allie felt something pointed and sharp swell in her throat; she was afraid if she tried to answer him she might sob. She lay very still, listening to the night sounds of the city, to Sam’s ragged breathing.
    She heard him leave the bedroom. Heard the thump of his rubber heels as he crossed the apartment to the door. The metallic snick and rattle of the locks being worked on the door to the hall.
    The door slammed.
    Allie lost it. She pressed her face deep into her pillow and sobbed.
    At four-thirty A.M. she gave up on trying to sleep and climbed out of bed. She switched on the lamp and put on her white terry-cloth robe.
    She padded barefoot into the living room and to the alcove where she had her desk and IBM-clone computer. It felt good, settling down before the computer; this was a world she knew, a dance whose steps were no mystery. She flipped the computer switch and booted the system.
    At first she’d considered working on the Fortune Fashions job, but she realized this wasn’t the time for that. In the green glare of the monitor screen, she sat idly toying with the keyboard, trying to relax her whirling