Time After Time Read Free Page A

new presentation in five minutes."
    After fumbling in her purse, she threw a ten-dollar bill on the table. "I'll be your best friend if you'll pay for me—someone, anyone. Bless you, my children. Oh, God, I'll never make it. I expect change from that ten," she called over her shoulder as she hurried away.
    She had almost reached the door when she collided solidly with Mr. Gregory. "Excuse me," she muttered breathlessly, giving the man with him a harassed smile as she rushed out the door and broke into a sprint.
    By the time she reached the office building, the luncheon debate was forgotten, but Leah recalled it later and wondered if she had mortally offended the god of love with her impudent monologue. Some strong force was obviously at work, because the rest of the day was an unqualified disaster.
    The proposed presentation was supposed to be shown at a conference that was only two weeks away and was of such substandard quality that even she, who was used to tackling incompetence, couldn't believe it. And as if that weren't enough, the files she needed to compile the figures for Mr. Gregory had
    disappeared into thin air, causing her and Charlotte to spend the rest of the day searching for them.
    Leah had eventually discovered the missing papers under a girlie magazine on Les's desk. And on the floor. And behind the wastebasket. Instead of helping her, he had tried to explore new territory while she was on her hands and knees under his desk. The resulting explosion was probably heard in Houston and had left Lester pale and gratifyingly subdued.
    It was after seven before Leah finally managed to find a stopping place in her work. Shadows were gathering in the corners of her office as she stuffed the files into her battered briefcase and slipped back into her shoes.
    As she walked down the hall toward the elevator, the rest of the building was unnaturally silent, reminding her of a line she had heard years before. The last living cell in a dead body.
    The thought made her laugh aloud, and the sound came back to her as a muffled echo. The emptiness didn't bother her. She loved the place, bustling or dead.
    Since the doors were locked at six she had to call Mr. Timms, the night watchman, to unlock them for her.
    "How many times this week does this make?" he scolded, shaking his head. "You and Mr. Gregory are neck and neck as to who can work the longest hours." He glanced behind her. "See what I mean?"
    Looking over her shoulder, she saw her boss stepping from the elevator. She raised a hand in response to his stiff nod and left the building.
    When she walked into her apartment thirty minutes later, she didn't stop to sit down. She merely tossed her briefcase on the coffee table as she passed it on her way to the bedroom. After carefully hanging up her green linen suit, she headed for the shower.
    Later, when she reentered the living room, she wore a blue nightgown that barely reached her thighs, her feet were bare and her hair was pulled to the back of her head in a less-than-neat ponytail. She walked straight to the kitchen and began pulling things from the refrigerator for a salad.
    On the nights when she brought home work from the office, her routine was always the same. She didn't have to think about it; every movement had become automatic.
    Five minutes later, back in the living room, she placed the salad and a glass of cider on the coffee table and walked to the bookcase opposite it. Opening one door, she exposed a portable television and a VCR.
    On a shelf below the television was a stack of videotapes. She took the top one and inserted it. After playing it, she would remove it and place it in a different stack. Then, when they were all played, she would start over again. She never even knew what movies she inserted. It didn't matter, because Leah never watched them. Although she never admitted it, even to herself, the movies kept the apartment from feeling quite so empty. The sound of a human voice, even in a movie, was