And it moved away towards the fund of the corridor. Lou smiled candorosamente at Dana.
- Good, I also am going to continue with my work - he said to him.
It began to walk in the opposite direction in which Coltrain had gone away, but It Damages it continued her.
- I wish you better luck than the one that had I, Louise - it mumbled-. Years ago, when he asked me to marry him it did it because he was wishing me and I him was refusing to give what I wanted ... because beech that to be a list: do you know?, if you give to a man what he loves, as soon as it obtains it lose the interest in you. In end, anyway it did not serve me as much, because he could not compete with his darling Jane - he added with bitterness-. And then your father appeared. It took a fancy of me, and I consented in being a pleasure for him, thinking on that Coltrain like that would put himself jealously...
- Something of that had heard - Lou cut her sharply, disgusted of that he could speak about that one with similar shamelessness.
- Yes, good, he was imagining it. This class of things they run of mouth in mouth - it spluttered It damages-. The case is that Coltrain hated me for it. If there is a man unable to excuse, this is Copper. Your poor mother also should have hated me - it murmured suddenly, surprising Lou-. Your father certainly became furious with me for having been so careless, because I ruined his career here and it had to leave, although I believe that it him was not so bad in Austin...
It was not known it mistaken that was, Lou was said. The certain thing was that, although It Damages he was not liking and had had a reprehensible behavior in the past, he could not throw to her the whole fault of the happened. It stopped in front of the room of the first patient whom he had to visit.
- What have you wanted to say earlier when you have said that you could not compete with Jane Parker? - he asked Dana without being able to avoid it.
- Good, Copper was crazy for Jane, but she ended up by marrying Todd Burke. I believed that he would forget her, now when she is not a free woman, but it seems that still they are seen very often - it pointed with a malicious sheen in the look-, and it is rumored that he continues feeling real adoration for her. In end, I should feel jealous of your good surte, but you to be sincere you give to me a little of a pity; you will always be his second election, although he marries you. It is possible that he wishes you, but it will never stop loving Jane.
And it moved away, leaving Lou depressed and worried. Would it be right It damages? She was sure that Coltrain was wishing it, but up to the moment it had not showed any sign that it loved her. Would it be still really in love with Jane Parker? If it was like that: why should she be asked that should marry him? Would not it be that it had done it only so that it was supporting it, and this way to achieve that It Damages And was Nickie making it calm?.
Although it did not have intentions of seeing it, when it had finished his visits, Lou went to the foyer to wait for it there, since they had matched, and being standing up along with the area of reception, Nickie appeared.
- Congratulations - he said to him with a given up smile-. I suppose that I must have given up when I saw it kissing her in the parking. In end, good luck, Doctor Blakely. For what I have heard, he will need it - he added and moved away for the corridor.
Lou took the morality as the soils, and his expression did not happen unnoticed to Coltrain when it met her.
- To what so long does this face come? he asked him-. You will not Nickie probably be bothering and does It damage?
- Not - she murmured-, I am only a little tired.
Coltrain did not seem very convinced, but he decided that it was better not to insist.
- Do we go away?
- Yes.
Meanwhile they were going to the parking, he said to Lou:
- i have thought to lead you to eating to a place that is going to love you, and then to the center, to buying to you this engagement ring.
Lou did not look at it.
- You do not have why him to pay attention to Dana; I do not need an aniño.
- Surely yes - answered he contradicted-. I am not going to leave that the people think that I am so wretched that I do not want he shares an engagement ring.
- But: why are you going to wear out the money if ...?
- Lou, it is my money - he insisted, cutting her, in a tone that was not admitting discussion-. I want to buy to you this aniño and am going to do it.
She did not say anything any more. If it was not important for him to spend the money in a ring only for a pantomime: why should she worry?
The destination wanted that when they entered one of the jewelery shops of the center of the city, Jane Parker was there, or rather Jane Burke.
She was the most beautiful, thought Lou with the timid heart: blonde, gray eyes, elegant figure...
- Cooper! - Jane exclaimed with a wide smile on having seen Coltrain-. What a surprise! - and I embrace it efusivamente.
He kissed her in the cheek and looked at her with tenderness.
- You are incredible - he said to him.
- You also have a marvellous aspect - she answered.
Only then he seemed to remember Coltrain that was not alone.
- Oh, excuses, Lou... Jane, I present you to Louise Blakely.
- Ah, your assistant: truth? - said Jane with a small smile-. How are you, Louise? Been delighted of meeting.
- Well, thank you, the same thing I say - Lou answered in a very formal tone.
Coltrain, nevertheless, did not notice and continued speaking it with Jane:
- How is it that you are somewhere here?
- I am buying to him a Christmas present my stepdaughter. I thought that he would like a necklace of pearls. Truth that this is beautiful? - he asked him indicating to him one that the saleswoman had placed on the counter so that he saw it-. I take it to myself. Receive it from me, please - he said to him, delivering to him his visa.
- good: and how is Todd?
He seemed to Lou to warn a note of discomfort in his voice, and it was said distressed that it seemed that It Damages it had told him the truth. He was still a lover with her.
- So impossible and large-headed person as always - answered Jane, riéndose-, but between my horses and my line of clothes, and the business that he takes of computers, we cannot complain, us enough good goes. The bad only thing is that lately for the work it has to spend a lot of time it was, of trip, and I feel a little alone - he added. Suddenly, as if an idea had occured to him, it lifted his brilliant eyes towards those of him and smiled-. Do you feel like coming to have this one for dinner to house with me in the night?
- I would love - he answered without thinking-. Oh, not, waits, I cannot, finish of agreeing me that that we have a meeting of the administrative meeting in the hospital.
- Go, what sorrow - Jane murmured-. Good, again it will be - it threw a look to Lou out of the corner of the eye-. Em ... you have gone out to doing the buys of Christmas ... together? - inquirió, as if he was doubting that it was like that.
Coltrain got the hands into the pockets.
- Not, we are looking for an engagement ring - he answered.
Jane looked at it with the eyes as plates.
- For whom?
Lou had become red as the cochineal; he wanted that the ground was swallowing it.
- so ... for Lou - answered Coltrain-. We have committed ourselves.
The hesitancy in his response only did that Lou was feeling even worse, but the stupefaction in Jane's face untied his language.
- It is only to dissuade Nickie and Dana - he said-, they were driving crazy it, chasing it all over.
Coltrain looked at her of milestone in milestone, and it was going to open the mouth, but Jane went forward him.
- Oh, already I understand! - it murmured. It seemed relieved, but at once it gathered the bridge of the nose-. But ...: is not it anything dishonest on your part?
- There was no another way - answered Lou before Coltrain could intervene-, and it wil
l be only until my contract finishes on the first of January. When this date comes I will return Austin.
Coltrain could not give credit to what it heard. Why was he saying that? He had not asked him to marry him to support to streak Dana and Nickie, although in a beginning there had arisen the idea of the average commitment joking. Even had this point misinterpreted it?
Jane was so perplex as he. From the infamous behavior of Dana, years behind, Coltrain had not trusted again in the women, and when it had started hearing comments about his stormy relation with his assistant, and they had told him that thing about the kiss in the holiday of Christmas, Jane had lodged hopes that to the end he had found the love but ... what him was to compara a ring and to feigning that they were compromised to come out of above two women ...! He had never imagined that it was this man's class... Would not it have been an idea of her and not of him? Yes, that one seemed more commendable.
It threw a look angered to Lou and put a hand in the arm of Coltrain.
- Listening, Copper, this is a stupid idea. As soon as she leaves, you will turn into the laughing stock of the whole Jacobsville: do not you realize? It even might damage your reputation ... - he said to him very serious.
Coltrain pressed the jaw.
- I am grateful for your worry - he said to him softly, although he was not comprising that accusing look that had directed him to Lou-, but...
- It is right - Lou interrupted it, deeply aggrieved-, this is stupid. I cannot do it - it stammered with tortured eyes-. Excuse me, I have to go away!
And it went out running of the jewelery shop before Coltrain could see the tears in his eyes. It crossed the street, entered a few department stores and got into the ladies' service crying to alive tear, before the stupor of the dependent one that was going out in this moment.
In the jewelery shop, Coltrain, which had remained of stone after Lou saw leaving, was increpando furiously to Jane.
- For the God's love! Why have you done that? It has taken me days to convince her so that he was accepting to marry me! Damage that thing about and Nickie was only a pretext!
Jane contracted the face, stuned.
- I ... I do not understand - it murmured.
The dejó to escape heavily I sigh.
- Lou is won the love of me, but the marriage of his parents was a disaster and it has dread to marrying - he explained to him.
Jane did not know what to say. It had accused veladamente the young woman, and in addition, probably it had given him a wrong impression of his relation with Coltrain. They were very good friends, but nothing more than that, for much that rumours were covering about the opposite. He asked himself if that gossip had come to Lou's ears, and if he would have believed them. And to think that it had invited Coltrain to have dinner, ignoring her completely ...!
- I have put the paw up to the telephone number: truth?-inquirió, feeling lacking-. I could not know ... he believed that simply you had gone out to doing a few buys making use of the mealtime...
- It will be better that it goes after her - Coltrain said.
- Perhaps you should wait a little - Jane murmured-. It must be aggrieved, and perhaps want to be alone.
But he, ignoring the council of his friend, went out of the jewelery shop and entered the department stores where it had seen her getting.
- A young woman more or less like that has seen entering of high, fair-haired and of chestnut-colored eyes ...? - he asked the first saleswoman who thought, that precisely it was the one that had crossed with Lou-. It takes a suit of jacket and trousers beige.
- Oh, yes ... pobrecilla, it entered the services crying as a Fairy cake, and it already takes there almost ten minutes. It was on the verge of beginning to ask him if he is well.
Coltrain felt as a vile worm. It had made her cry. To imagine someone so strong as Lou crying was dividing the heart. If Jane had supported his beautiful closed boquita! For him she was like a sister, and often it was usually acting as as such, thinking about his life and advising it. In general it was not mattering for him, it even was doing to him grace, but in that occasion it had passed.
- Might it to enter and to ask him to go out?
The woman agreed and entered the Serbians, to return to a few minutes with Lou. The young woman had the red eyes, but it was taking the very high chin, as giving to understand that he did not need the compassion of anybody.
- Vámonos, we will come late to the hospital - it murmured.
Coltrain decided that it was neither the moment nor the place to discuss. They went out of the department stores and it went in silence towards the place where it had made the car parked. Neither they spoke during the short trajectory up to the hospital and when they came, Lou went away directly to his consultation and closed the door after yes.
It was dropped in the revolving chair after his office, without any desire of working. His illusions had stayed made bits. Perhaps he could say to the others that all that had not been any more than a prank and to leave that Coltrain quietara of above to Nickie and to Dana telling them the truth: that was not interested in having a relation with them. This was what it should have done from the beginning. Knowing it, Lou knew for proper experience that it was not a name to which it was difficult to say what he was thinking, without mattering for him the one who could be listening to it.
CHAPTER 10
Jane was feeling so bad for the happened, which he could not stop punishing in it in the whole week, and to ends dela same it called Coltrain to ask him what it could do to arrange it.
- I am afraid that not at all - he murmured with pessimism-. It has not directed the word for me in the whole week, and the day before yesterday he wrote a letter of resignation again and left her to me on the table.
- And if to organize a holiday of farewell for her? - suggested Jane-. This way perhaps, in a more distended ambience, you might speak with her and to make her change idea.
- I do not know, Jane, do not believe that...
- And if I call her?
- Oh, doubted that he wants to speak with you - he answered, allowing to escape a laugh is bitter-. It has put us to the two in his list to deny.
Jane sighed.
- Is there nobody to whom he could listen?
- Good, you might ask Drew Morris to speak with her - he proposed Coltrain-. They are much friends.
- Then I will try it.
- In any case, I who you would not send any invitation before she says to you that yes - him warned Coltrain-. It is very aggrieved.
- I imagine it - she murmured-. Really that I feel, Copper, I only worried about you.
- I know it, Jane - answered Coltrain-. The only problem is that she not.
- I suppose that also he will have listened to the rumours on us, and that...
- What rumours?-inquirió Coltrain, frowning.
- So ... good, that there is something more than friendship between us. The people continue believing it, even after I have married Todd. If it has come to Lou's ears, it is possible that she also thinks that it is true.
Perhaps - it granted Coltrain-, but she better that it has to be known nobody that I ... - suddenly an idea crossed for his mind and remained quiet.
Would it be possible that It Damages had been poisoned Lou's ears? his ancient fiancée had always believed that Jane and not his romance with Fielding Blakely what had done that he was breaking with her. If he had said to him that it was still in love with Jane, it was very probable that the way of acting of his friend in the jewelery shop had given him an impression mistaken to Lou.
- I am in the true thing: is not it like that?-inquirió Jane, interpreting correctly his his silence-. It is possible that Lou believes that you are still a lover with me.
- It is possible - he agreed.
- And what are you going to do?
- I do not know it. I suppose that my only opportunity is that you achieve that Drew interyields and convinces her that goes to this holiday. Perhaps, as you say, achieve that he list
ens to me.
- Then it will call immediately Drew .le his friend said.
- Thank you Jane.
- You do not have to give to me thank you - she restored quedamente-. I am idiotic babbler for whose fault now you are in this situation. Less that I can do is to try to arrange it. I will call you and will tell you what Drew says to me: in agreement?
- In agreement, look after.
Drew invited Lou to eat the following day. It was a Friday, and the following week the building of the hospital that they were using as center of health would close for the Christmas holidays.
- It was doing very much that you were not inviting me to have lunch - Lou said to his friend, while there was getting into the boa a piece of the quiche for that he had asked-. It will not be that you want to ask me for any favor: truth? - inquirió and it outlined a malicious smile.
- So now when you mention it ... - he said, following the prank.
The two burst out laughing.
- The truth is that I am here to interyield for someone - Drew admitted, becoming serious.
Lou became tense.
- For whom?
- Jane Burke.
Lou released the holder on the plate. The memories of that day in the jewelery shop returned to his mind, and his features hardened.
- I do not have anything to speak with her.
- It is known that you do not want anything with her - Drew restored-, and because of it he has asked me to interyield for her. He wants to ask you for excuses. He says that it misinterpreted the situation and that he feels it very much. And also it wants to do something to compensate you - he added-: it wants to celebrate a holiday of farewell in your honor the day of New Year's Eve.
Lou looked at it irritated.
- How can he believe qu are going to have left after how it treated me me desire to go to a holiday organized by her?
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