Clearly exasperated, she thrust the sack she held toward him. “Hold it, will you?” she asked, and took the bag he held out.
Michael took the small sack in exchange. It felt like it held a picture frame. “What’s this?” he asked, as she untied the bow around the handles of his gift bag.
“It’s just a picture,” she muttered. Michael opened the sack and took the picture out. “Hey!” Leah protested, but he ignored her and stared down at a framed picture of her smiling brilliantly, dressed in camouflage. It looked like some of the still shots the studio had done one day when they were fitting costumes.
“Where’d you get it?” he asked.
She snorted, yanked the handles of his gift bag apart. “Not that it’s any of your business, but Adolfo gave it to me.” She plunged her hand inside, pulled out the tissue-wrapped engraved playbill, unwrapped it, and studied it for a minute. “Oh my God,” she said, a smile lighting her face as she stood up. “Oh dear God.” She looked up at him, her eyes glimmering. “How did you get it?”
“I saw that play,” Michael grudgingly admitted. “Before you even knew I was interested in you.”
“Michael . . .”
But he was stung at the picture this Adolfo-character had taken, put in a very cheap and simple frame. Next to that picture, his gift looked like something a Casanova might come up with. Yet that’s what he was—a Casanova. A guy who jumped from woman to woman, always surprised and delighted to be adored once again, never settling in for the work a true relationship required.
He suddenly felt like a fool. In frustration, he thrust the picture at her. Leah took it awkwardly, trying to hold it and the ridiculous engraved playbill. “Well, looks like you’ve got your course mapped out, Leah. Let me know if you ever figure out where I fit in.”
“Hey, come on, Michael.”
“Come on? You are the one who wants to date around, who can’t trust me, who can’t go back to what we had. Not me. I’m there. So the ball is in your court, baby,” he said, and turned around, walked to the driver side of his car, and got in.
As he drove out of the parking lot, he caught a glimpse of Leah standing at her car, watching him. He looked the other way, pulled out on the road, and hit the gas.
He was reaching the end of his rope.
He just hoped that whatever happened between him and Leah, this Adolfo character was a decent guy and not dangerous like Michael’s instincts were telling him.
Subject: 13 Months and Counting
From: Lucy Frederick <[email protected]>
To: Leah Kleinschmidt <[email protected]>
Time: 6:13 pm
Okay, at the risk of you causing my leap from the Empire State Building here, I have attached a very sexy halter dress in lavender. Surely you cannot have a problem with lavender. And lavender accents would look stunning on me with my dark hair. Don’t write me back if you don’t like it, because I do not want to be disappointed for the hundredth time.
So what’s new with the Big Giant Loser (BGL)?
Subject: Re: 13 Months and Counting
From: Leah Kleinschmidt <[email protected]>
To: Lucy Frederick <[email protected]>
Time: 7:32 pm
Lavender is cool, altho I think I’d go with a softer pastel version instead of something that bold. But yeah, I can definitely do lavender.
So do you think I should go out with Adolfo? He brought me a picture of me in camouflage today, which I thought was sweet, but in a weird kind of way—I mean, I didn’t know the picture was taken, so it had a stalking-ish feel to it. But he’s really sweet and nice. Only he doesn’t give me flutters in my stomach like I get when I see Michael, who, BTW, gave me an engraving of my first Broadway playbill. I didn’t even know he went to that play.
Subject: Re: Re: 13 Months and Counting
From: Lucy Frederick <[email protected]>
To: Leah Kleinschmidt <[email protected]>
Time: 9:58 pm
You’re kidding, right? This is your big cyber joke on me—give me grief about the bridesmaid’s dresses and then tell me you’re going to date someone else? Please tell me you are kidding, because if you aren’t, I’m not sure I can correspond with you anymore. You’re driving me nuts.
P.S. The LAVENDER I picked out is the exact shade of LAVENDER I want. So I guess that means you don’t like LAVENDER either.
Subject: Re: Re: Re: 13 Months and Counting
From: Leah Kleinschmidt <[email protected]>
To: Lucy Frederick <[email protected]>
Time: 7:04 pm
I’m leaving this week for Washington. Maybe we should have this conversation when I get back. I know you are really excited about your wedding, but its starting to get to you and you’re getting a little cranky, Luce. Whatever color you decide is okay with me, I keep telling you that. So just chill out, and I’ll talk to you in a few weeks.
Chapter Twenty-One