Time After Time Read Free

frowning. "Look at Romeo and Juliet—"
    "That's fiction, It doesn't count." Leah waved the suggestion away with one slender hand.
    "Okay," Shelley said, her face eager as she threw herself into the subject. "What about the Duke and Duchess of Windsor? Ha! I gotcha this time."
    Leah shook her head, grinning. "First, ladies," she said, nodding to her audience, "consider the proposition that maybe he wasn't really keen on the idea of being king in the first place. In that case, abdicating would have been no great sacrifice. He couldn't very well say 'Gee, guys, I don't think I want to be king after all.' No, instead, he latches on to the first ineligible female to come along and claims her as his one true love."
    She took a sip of Chianti, carefully formulating her thoughts. "That's only one of my theories, you un-
    derstand. Let's say it happened just the way everyone believes it did—the man gave up a crown, plus a lot of power and worldly considerations for the woman he thought he loved more than those things. Once he had taken that step, then what? The whole world was watching, for heaven's sake. Think how embarrassing it would have been to admit that they got on each other's nerves, or that her personal habits made him retch," she finished, her eyes gleaming with impudence.
    Everyone except Faith was laughing. She looked a little stunned. "No—no, it couldn't have been that way," she said, her plump face set in belligerent lines. "You don't know anything about it."
    "Of course I don't," Leah agreed without hesitation. "But neither do you. I'm just saying it's a possibility. The fact that they stayed married isn't proof that they had the perfect love. They had no choice but to stay married."
    "I don't believe you. And I'm glad I don't," Faith said softly. "The world would be a lonely place without love."
    "Oh, Faith," Bitty said in exasperation. "Don't take it so seriously. This is just talk—like gossiping about Lester, only on a bigger scale."
    "According to Les, nothing bigger exists," Tanya said dryly.
    All five of them sputtered with startled laughter. Leah knew it was time to change the subject, but for some reason she couldn't let it go. She felt just as protective toward Faith as the others did, and didn't like
    the possibility of the younger woman getting hurt because of her unrealistic dreams.
    "I didn't say love doesn't exist, Faith," Leah said, leaning forward. "I simply said love between a man and a woman lasts by sheer determination and sometimes by force of habit. There is no great plan. By all means, fall in love. But be realistic about it. Don't expect to find something that transcends time and space. Be happy with a man you can bear to face across your cereal bowl every morning."
    Faith grinned, looking suddenly mischievous. "I'll take Mr. Gregory. I would love to wake up to him every morning."
    The resulting hoots and groans caused the people at the surrounding tables to glance curiously in their direction.
    "You innocent," Leah said, her brown eyes sparkling with humor. "The man would chew you up and spit you out, and there would be little bits of Faith all over Dallas."
    "But I would have died happy," Faith said with a silly grin; then she paused, studying Leah. "I really can't believe you don't think he's attractive. You're working with him every day now. Hasn't he ever... well..."
    "Put the make on me?" Leah suggested. "Patted me on the rear and said 'Hey, toots, how's about I jump your bones?'"
    "No," Faith protested, laughing. "Hasn't he ever asked you out? You're beautiful and—well, classy." She glanced down at her own chubby figure. "And
    thin. If I looked like you, I'd go after him in a minute."
    "And you'd fall flat on your face," Leah said, her voice dry. "I doubt if our adorable VP even knows I'm female. I'm a working machine. And if I don't do the work, I'm a dead machine."
    She glanced down at her watch. "Oh, Lord," she groaned, standing abruptly. "I'm supposed to view the tapes of the