Charley made a show of being pleased. “Just lucky,” she said.
“Does Chalmers always make snap decisions?” Carol asked. “He told that girl Doris right away that she had the part.”
If Carol wasn’t an actress, she was doing a great imitation of one, Charley thought, noting the anxiety in the woman’s eyes. Usually actors had to sweat it out for days before the phone rang announcing a call-back. Often the phone just remained silent. Carol’s question voiced the curiosity any actress would have about a director’s methods.
“I’ve never worked with him before,” Charley said. “But it seems to be the case. This way, at least the decision is quick and painless.”
“Never painless,” Carol said, shaking her head.
Charley looked around her. Rhonda was pacing in a tight circle at the edge of the group, but Charley’s attention was drawn to a wispy blonde in the corner. Bingo! The blonde’s face matched the photo of the woman Charley was to baby-sit.
Carol followed Charley’s gaze. “That’s Allison Peters,” she said, confirming Charley’s identification. “Doesn’t she look perfect for the ingenue? Just the right touch of innocence about her.”
“Perfect,” Charley echoed, trying hard not to appear as surprised as she was. The woman in the corner had all the features Charley had studied so closely. But somehow Charley had expected more. Some kind of charm, some kind of magnetism. Surely it would take something like that to hurl an upstanding mid-western congressman out of the realm of respectability and turn him into a besotted fool.
The Bureau had thoroughly briefed Charley on the case. Congressman Ethan Graystone had gotten involved with this lovely, waiflike woman. Once captivated by her, he had been drawn into showering her with gifts whose prices grew larger and larger.
Same old story, Charley had thought. The congressman had found himself in deep debt as his simple prairie flower had turned into a woman with an insatiable appetite for the finer things in life. And then, out of the blue, the object of his affections had come up with a “simple” solution to all his money problems. She had “friends” who could help him out of his predicament, erase all his debts. All he had to do was turn over a little document to them at a strategic moment.
Luckily the congressman was only a fool, and not a traitor, too, Charley thought, her gaze sweeping over Allison Peters. He had realized what a dolt he’d been and had brought his story to the FBI. He had given them all the information he had, which was precious little: Allison’s picture and the fact that the document was supposed to change hands in Boston during this play’s trial run.
Carol’s attention was captured by someone else at that moment, and Charley took the opportunity to edge her way closer to Allison. She was sitting on a stool, clutching a copy of the script. Charley could not see how the congressman had been won over in the beginning. She looked like a sweet, lost child instead of a full-grown woman.
Allison looked up suddenly, obviously surprised to see someone standing so near. Charley could have sworn she also saw a flicker of wariness come into the other woman’s eyes, then quickly disappear.
“Hi,” Charley said, giving Allison one of her brighter smiles.
Allison returned it. Her own smile was a dazzler.
“Hello,” Allison said. Although she looked friendly enough, she didn’t offer to make room next to her for Charley. Charley remained standing.
“Is this your first time?” Charley asked. “You look a little nervous,” she explained, nodding toward the mangled pages in Allison’s hands. Nice touch, she thought. She knew Allison’s role, like her own, had been secure from the start. Somehow the foreign agency had made certain Allison would get a part. The blonde had no real reason for nervousness.
Allison nodded. “I’ve done a little theater work back home, but this is my first stab at the big time.”
Interesting choice of words, Charley thought, looking at what appeared to be a totally guileless face. If she hadn’t known any better, she would have thought she was talking to Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm.
“Tremayne!”
The shout cut short any further conversation. “I believe the director is bellowing for me,” Charley said, excusing herself. “Back to work.”
As auditions continued that afternoon, Reese was unable to keep his gaze from Charley. He had known when they’d auditioned together for Skin of Our Teeth that she was a good actress, and he admired her talent again today. Reading the same few parts over and over was tedious, and it was difficult for any actor to keep the energy level high and deliver the lines with great conviction. Still, Charley did just that, doing her best with the part to help the many actresses who were auditioning.
So Charley hadn’t changed in that respect, Reese thought. But she had changed in other ways in the past year. He hadn’t been able to interpret the look in her eyes when she’d first spoken to him, but she had seemed almost afraid of him, as if he posed some threat to her. Yet when they had kissed she had melted in his arms, her lips as responsive against his as before.
He had been surprised, stunned, even, when she had walked out onto the stage earlier. Chalmers had told him that he had cast an actress, sight unseen, under duress. Reese would never have expected that actress to be Charley, would never have expected her to get a part in any underhanded way. Something had happened to her in the past year, and he was determined to find out what.
Allison auditioned last. Rhonda—whom Charley grudgingly admitted was good—and Carol had both gotten parts, as well as a seasoned actress named Lisa. The only role left was that of the ingenue. As she read with Allison, Charley was careful to draw out the best in the woman. For a so-called beginner, she wasn’t bad. But she wasn’t all that good, either, Charley thought. Nonetheless the part was hers. Charley wondered if someone had pressured Chalmers to hire Allison or if he was the missing link she was looking for.
“I got it!” Allison said several times as she and Charley walked backstage to gather their things. “He liked me!” And then her enthusiasm fell a little. “Oh, gosh!”
That, Charley thought, was laying it on a little thick. Nobody said “gosh” anymore. “What’s the matter?”
“I’ve got to find a place to stay.” Allison sank down on a stool, as if the thought drained her.
“Where are you staying now?” Charley asked.
Allison looked up at her, every bit the waif. “At a hotel. I haven’t been away from home long.”
“Where’s home?”
“Iowa. How hard is it to find an apartment?” Allison asked, her blue eyes open wide.
“In New York?” Charley couldn’t resist hooting. “You read the obituary columns and run to the address once occupied by the deceased.”
“But I’ve got to find an apartment,” Allison said a little desperately. “I can’t afford the hotel much longer.”
Not from what I’ve heard, Charley thought. Was she being set up? Did Allison know who she was? Or was she just scrounging for cover, playing the role of the struggling young actress everyone expected her to be? In either case, this was too good an opportunity to pass up. If they were sharing an apartment, Charley would be better able to keep an eye on Allison.
“You can move in with me until you find a place of your own,” she said. “I can always use help with the rent.”
Allison beamed. “I can?” she exclaimed. “Are you sure I won’t be putting you out?”
“I’m positive,” Charley said firmly. So far everything was working out perfectly, she thought, but she couldn’t help wondering if it was going according to her plan or theirs. Still, having the woman around would serve two purposes. It would allow Charley to stick close to her “assignment,” and it would also give her added protection against Reese.
And something told her she was going to need all the protection she could get. The armor plating she was trying to put around her heart would probably turn to aluminum foil at the mere sight of him. She didn’t want to get involved again. Allison wo
uld be her insurance policy against that. Otherwise, if he came to her apartment . . . She didn’t finish the thought.
Charley felt around in her oversized shoulder bag for a pen and a piece of paper. Inside the lining of her purse were several items not usually found in a lady’s handbag, and any one of them might one day save her life. Charley hoped that when that day came, she could find them faster than the pen and paper she was searching for now. Finally she pulled out a dull pencil and a crumpled pamphlet.
“Here,” she said, writing down her address. “This is where I live.”
Allison took the pamphlet from her. “Terrific! I’ll get my stuff, settle up with the hotel, and come on over. Tonight’s okay, isn’t it?”
“Sure,” Charley said, gathering up her things. “Why wouldn’t it be?”
“Well ...” Allison hesitated, as if she were searching for the right words. Charley was sure the right words were never hard for Allison to find. “I . . . um, saw you with that guy. . .”
Her meaning was clear. Had everyone seen them? Charley wondered, beginning to feel as if she had landed on the six-o’clock news.
“And I thought that maybe he’d like to come over ...”
Charley had no doubt that he would. But that was something that wasn’t going to happen. Not if she meant to keep a clear head. Reese did not make for a clear head—or a steady pulse.
She waved away the suggestion. “Don’t worry about that. Reese is just an old friend. He’s—“
“He’s here.”
Charley spun around as Reese announced himself. The smile she had once termed sultry was on his lips. Her heart skipped a beat. The old excitement was back in her veins. How was she ever going to get through this thing if she kept turning into jelly every time he made an appearance? Jelly was not known for its cerebral qualities. It also couldn’t be counted on to hold up very well against enemy agents.
“Are you sure it’s okay?” Allison asked in a low voice.
Charley nodded, trying to pull her gaze away from Reese’s breathtakingly handsome face.
Her eyes refused to obey. “Sure,” she said without looking at Allison.
“Okay, then,” Allison said. “See you tonight.”
Charley heard the sound of receding footsteps, then the slam of a door. Allison was gone. They were alone again.
“Well,” Charley said with a false note of gaiety, “gotta run.” She lifted her heavy purse to her shoulder.
Reese slipped his fingers onto her shoulder, preventing the strap of her bag from landing on it. “What’s the hurry?” he asked.
The strap slipped down to her forearm, yanking the purse along with it. “I’ve got to study my lines,” she said nervously, pulling the purse back up.
“As I recall, you’re a very quick study,” he said. He was watching her closely, his eyes daring her to fabricate more lies. He was drawing her soul away from her, she thought as panic set in.
“Things have changed,” she murmured.
He ran his fingers along the ridge of her cheekbone. “Have they?” he asked.
Yes, she thought. I chase down foreign agents now and keep the world safe for democracy. On weekends I bend steel with my bare hands. Oh, please go away, Reese, and stop cluttering up my mind with things that have nothing to do with this case.
But those were realities she couldn’t reveal to him. The Eastern European operatives she worked to expose were serious thugs, reminiscent of the KGB of the old Soviet Union, or the Gestapo of the Second World War. They posed a threat to national security and the safety of good people everywhere, but the danger she faced was calculated and she’d been trained to deal with it. Reese hadn’t. He was a civilian, and civilians risked being casualties when they got in the way. That was something she had to guard against with all her hard won abilities.
“Everything changes,” she said, trying to sound remote. On a scale of one to ten, that answer was a definite one, she thought, annoyed with herself. Maybe a minus one. She had to get away from him.
Without warning he moved to take her into his arms. She stepped backward and managed to catch her heel on a carelessly dropped coil of rope. She tripped, and Reese caught her, just as she was afraid he would. She almost thought she would have rather fallen on the floor in front of him. Almost.
“Well, here we are again,” he said, grinning. Their bodies were against each other’s, setting off sparks between them.
“Reese,” she said in a voice that was incredibly calm, considering the fact that she felt like jelly again. “I’d rather not start anything.” She tried to create a space between them, pressing her palms against his chest. She might as well have tried to push aside a mountain with her bare hands.
“You already have,” he told her. “Your kiss brought back a lot of old feelings.”
“Some old feelings are best left to fade away,” she said lamely.
“Come have dinner with me,” he said, ignoring her words. “I can afford to pay for both of us now,” he added with a tender smile. In the old days they had usually been forced to go dutch.
Charley caught herself smiling at the memory before she put her guard up again. Or tried to. “Um, Allison is coming over later ...” she began.
“Allison?”
“That little girl who just left.”
He laughed. “That was not a little girl,” he said.
“Oh?” A thread of jealousy wove its way into her consciousness. What was going on here? she wondered. She was supposed to be trying to harden herself against him, not feeling pangs of jealousy.
“That little girl,” he said with a nod toward the exit, “has the makings of a very sexy woman.”
Charley sniffed indignantly. “Men are all alike.” Her initial surprise about Allison had dissipated. She could see how the congressman had been sucked in: he had started out with a waif and ended up with a sexy, demanding woman.
“If we were all alike,” Reese pointed out, ushering her through the door, “you would have found someone else by now.”
Charley let him guide her without fully realizing he was doing so. “Maybe I’m not looking for another man,” she said.
“Why?” he asked. They sidestepped a derelict as they made their way from the Minskoff Theatre on Forty-fifth and Broadway, heading east.
Charley looked up at the sun. It was a red ball dipping behind one of New York’s never-ending construction sites. It played hide-and-seek between the steel girders of the half-constructed building. Why did he have to ask? What was she going to tell him?
“No time for men,” she said blithely. “I told you, I’m involved in my work.”
“Work’s a poor companion in bed,” he said bluntly.
He had her there. How many times had she missed the comforting sensation of waking up to find his lean, muscular frame protectively fitted against hers, his arm curled about her? Charley felt a lump forming in her throat.
“Work usually has me too tired to contemplate having any companion in bed,” she answered.
He slipped his hand up her spine and rested it on her shoulder. The slight breeze had picked up and was swirling a combination of dirt and discarded newspapers before her. Charley sidestepped it, and instantly felt pressure on her shoulder. Reese obviously thought she was trying to pull away again. She only wished she could.
She still cared. No use trying to tell herself anything else.
“I’m really not hungry,” she said, her voice weak. Let me go, Reese. Please, she begged silently.
“Oh, no, you’re not getting away that easily,” he said. “You can’t deny me the pleasure of at least feeding you.”
Food for the soul? she was tempted to ask, remembering his kiss. Instead she tried to put him off one more time. “I have to study my lines, Reese.”
He just shook his head, not accepting her excuse. “Even though he can be an ogre, Chalmers doesn’t expect you to commit your entire part to memory in one night.” He opened the door in front of them for her. They had
arrived at a restaurant without her even realizing it. Some intelligence agent she was, she thought disparagingly. He placed his hand against the small of her back, gently guiding her in. She felt an overwhelming urge to have him encircle her waist and hold her close to him. “You read very well this afternoon,” he said, smiling down at her.
She wished he wouldn’t smile. His smile had always been her undoing. There was something about the way his mouth curved that went straight to her soul. She sighed.
“Do you always receive compliments so halfheartedly?” he asked as a hostess in a peasant dress approached them, carrying an armful of gold menus. “Two,” he said to the young woman, who immediately turned on her heel and led the way back to a table. “I seem to remember a bubblier person.”
“Some of my fizz has disappeared,” Charley said, walking in front of him.
“That I have to see for myself,” he said, ducking his head down to whisper the words to her. His breath tickled her neck. This was going to have to stop! she thought frantically. But how could she avoid him? She couldn’t run this time. She had a job to do.
The hostess left them, smiling brightly, and they were alone. Alone in a room full of people all talking at once. Charley heard nothing except for the wild beating of her heart.
“They serve strawberry ice-cream sodas here,” Reese said.
He remembered, she thought. She had a passion for strawberry ice-cream sodas.
“I try not to indulge too much,” she said, patting her stomach. “Not much call for an out-of-shape actress. And I’m not old enough for character parts yet.”
“Oh, I don’t know. As I remember it, you were quite a character, Charley. Quite a character,” he repeated softly, his gaze caressing her.
She could barely hear him for the din in the restaurant, but she could read his lips. She looked away, not because of what he was saying, but because of the way he made her feel. This was getting way out of hand. All he had done was kiss her once and her whole body was rebelling against her. She wanted him so fiercely, it scared her. She could tell by the look in his crystal-blue eyes that the evening wasn’t going to end with an ice-cream soda or a stroll down memory lane. It was going to end in his apartment, and she just couldn’t allow that to happen. Life was complicated enough right now without the added worry of what might happen to Reese because of his connection to her.
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