Interrupted Romance Read Free

Dafna hurried into the back office and put her shoulder bag into a drawer of her desk.   The invoice for the new consignment of books was on the desk, along with the day's mail.   She skimmed over the invoice, checking titles received.   Some were going to be on back order… damn!   Mrs Hermann wouldn't be pleased; she'd already waited longer than she wanted to for that title.

    Yael entered, sat on the edge of the desk, arms folded.   "Well, how is he?"

    "How is who?"

    "Loverboy."

    "He's not my loverboy.   He's a poor injured man, who has been blinded trying to save me," said Dafna.   She smarted under the stern look from Yael.   Dafna had been going out for over a year with Moshe, the 'boy next door', and an announcement was due very soon… everyone knew it.   Yael obviously disapproved of any competition for Dafna.   "Besides, for all I know, there is a future Mrs Lavan somewhere, although I didn't see any photographs to make me think that."

    "OK.   But right now I need you out the front, talking to customers.   We've had so many enquiries for that new nature book everyone has seen advertised on the television that I can't keep up with demand.   Has it arrived with this consignment?"

    "Yes.   I'll unpack the boxes.   Ask them to wait fifteen minutes and they'll be on the shelves.   Has it been like this all day?"

    "Pretty much.   That TV ad is free business as far as I can see.   They've been coming through the door all morning, asking for it."

    Dafna put a smock over her new slacks and blouse, bought especially to visit Adam, and set about placing the price tags on the new books.   She was kept busy for more than the fifteen minutes, but Ilana rushed out every now and then to take a pile of the books back into the shop.   They really were selling like hot cakes.   If it kept up like this, perhaps they'd under-ordered.   It was close to midday when the total consignment was processed, priced, and on the shelves.   The rush of customers eased off as the citizens of Netanya thought about going home for lunch and a nap.   After all these years, Dafna thought, it is still hard to get used to the idea of a 'siesta' time in the middle of the day.   In Australia, people worked on through the day, well into the late afternoon, before they went home.   Then, there was the late-night shopping in so many areas, with some stores trading twenty-four hours a day, catering for the shift workers and working Mums with limited spare time.

    The office phone was ringing, bringing her out of her reverie.   This was a separate number to the shop, so she knew it was a friend.   It was Moshe.   He knew she was busy this morning, but would she like to go out tonight for dinner?   Dafna was on the point of saying 'no thanks', but quickly changed her mind and accepted gracefully.   He had been out of the country on business at the time of her injuries, only hearing about the atrocity on the radio.   Friends had contacted him to advise that Dafna had been involved.   She ascertained what time Moshe would call for her, and rang off.   He'd been anxious about her ever since her return; the bombing; the hospital recovery.   Perhaps tonight would be the night he proposed to her.   She knew it was only a matter of time.   Not so subtle hints had been dropped when he rang her in Sydney, and now that she was home there was no need to hold back any longer.   For the past four months, there had been a lessening of passion in their relationship.   Dafna put this down to the fact that she'd been in Australia for a long time.   The time in hospital didn't help.   But the more she thought about it, the more the prospect of marriage with Moshe became a dilemma.   Could she spend the rest of her life with this man?   Truly, he was a good man.   Kind, considerate, loving.   He earned a good living as an accountant.   He had his own apartment in Tel Aviv.   His family approved of her.   But there was a nagging