‘So? I like to mix business with pleasure. C’mon! Let’s inspect the talent.’
The Imperial Room took up one corner of the eighth floor. On two sides it had floor-length windows hung with luxurious drapes. A dozen round tables groaned under food and wine. The huge room was already packed. All the big names of Elroys were there, and she could see Jack Dacre, her immediate superior, a hard taskmaster but with a kind heart. He signalled and edged towards her through the crowd.
‘Glad you got here,’ he rumbled above the din.
‘My plane was delayed. I’m sorry I’m a bit-’
‘No sweat. Tell me about your trip tomorrow. I’ve heard good things about your work while you were away. What do you know about this function?’
‘Nothing. It wasn’t even planned when I left.’
‘Right. All thrown together at twenty-four hour’s notice. It’s the Continental Restaurant. The Italian section grew so popular that it’s being hived off into a restaurant of its own. Most of the people here tonight are connected with food. Grab a drink.’
He vanished to do some mingling. Helen obtained a glass of light wine, and edged her way in the direction of Braden Fairley, the Managing Director. He was talking to a handsome giant with light brown, curly hair. Something in the way the young man was standing told Helen that it was taking all his good manners to seem attentive, but the expression of courteous interest on his face never wavered.
Then Fairley’s attention was claimed by another guest, making him turn slightly, giving Helen a better view of the stranger just as he glanced up. Their eyes met. His, she noticed with pleasure, were deep blue and irresistibly merry. She couldn’t help smiling back. He glanced at Fairley, blowing out his cheeks in a plea for sympathy, which she gave him willingly. Then the Managing Director resumed his monologue, and Helen moved along.
From beside her came a soft, appreciate growl. ‘Mmm, he’s yummy, isn’t he?’ Dilys murmured.
‘Who’s yummy?’
‘Who’s yummy? she asks, when she can’t take her eyes off him!’
‘I’m looking at Mr Fairley,’ Helen said stiffly.
‘Sure you are. Between Fairley and a guy who looks like a Greek god, you’re going to look at Fairley. Who wants to waste time on a Greek god?’
‘Don’t be fanciful! Greek god! No way!’
‘All right. Life-guard, then. I like that better. More chance of getting him where you want him.’
‘I don’t want him any way,’ Helen said unconvincingly.
‘Aw, c’mon! He must be six foot two, and look at those shoulders. They should build doors wider to let them through. There’s no fat on him, you can see that, and with those long legs and flat stomach-well, if he isn’t a life guard he ought to be.’
‘You can’t tell about his legs, or his stomach.’
‘You can if you look properly,’ Dilys chuckled. ‘I glided by just now and he winked at me.’
‘He looks as if he’d wink at anything in a skirt.’
‘Hey, you noticed!’ Dilys said with ironic admiration. ‘And you should see the gleam in his eye! One look, and you just know he’s scheming to take you to bed.’
‘Oh, go away!’ Helen said, laughing. ‘Simply standing next to you could ruin my reputation.’
‘See ya!’ Dilys said, and slid away in search of more prey.
It was incredible, Helen thought, how her eyes seemed to be drawn to the handsome young man of their own accord. She tried to ignore him but she kept glancing back in his direction without meaning to. And at last the inevitable happened and she found him looking back. Embarrassed, she tried to assume an air of lofty indifference, but somehow it turned into a smile of pleasure because his presence was like sunshine.
He was dressed informally but expensively in slacks and a silk shirt, and Helen had to admit that everything Dilys said had been true, although ‘Greek god’ was a bit of an overstatement, she thought, giving the matter serious attention. But ‘life-guard’ definitely, and with a look of relish that said the world was there to be enjoyed, and what were they waiting for?
Suddenly she found herself thinking of wine goblets filled to the brim, of golden plates piled high with the fruits of the earth, hot suns, lovers’ meetings, passion, satiation; all the good things, the complete, perfect, richly coloured, overflowing things that spoke of abundance and fulfilment.
No, not spoke. Sang. As she was singing now.
For pity’s sake! she thought in alarm. Pull yourself together.
With an effort she got down to some work. There was glossy literature distributed everywhere, and she scanned it quickly, absorbing everything with her retentive memory until she felt confident of being able to do what was expected of her. Then she plunged into the crowd, at her sparkling best.
After half an hour she took a short breather. Looking around for some refreshment she found a glass of champagne put into her hand by a lean young man with very blond looks and a kind face.
‘You look as if you need it, my darling,’ he said, a tad theatrically.
‘I do, I do,’ she said thankfully. ‘Bless you, Erik.’
He was an under manager at Elroys. They had been to the theatre together a few times and once she had taken him to meet her parents. Their relationship was as much friendly as romantic, but she knew that in the hotel they were considered an item.
‘Back to work,’ she said, finishing the champagne. ‘There’s a mountain to climb yet.’
She returned to the fray for more smiling and shaking hands, until after an hour she felt ready for another breather, and edged to the side of the room.
‘It gets to you, doesn’t it?’ said a voice beside her. She looked up to find the ‘life-guard’ grinning down at her. They laughed together, and it was as though she had been laughing with this charmer all her life.
‘You escaped alive, then?’ she said.
‘At last. He’s a dear old boy but he says everything ten times. My face muscles are frozen at “smile”.’
Close up he was even more overwhelming, towering over her like a friendly giant. Helen was suddenly glad that she looked her best tonight. She knew what the dark red dress could do for her, and if his admiring gaze was anything to go by it was doing it very nicely, thank you!
He gave a hunted glance over his shoulder and took her elbow. ‘Let’s get engaged in deep conversation before anyone else collars me.’
They drifted into one of the window bays and stood looking down the long canyon of Park Avenue, far below, glittering with lights.
‘Wow!’ he said softly.
‘Yes, it’s incredible, isn’t it?’ she said. ‘Is this your first trip to New York?’ She couldn’t quite place his accent beyond the fact that he wasn’t American.
‘It’s my first trip to the States,’ he said. ‘I’ve only been here two days and I’m overwhelmed.’
‘Sit down,’ Helen said, ‘and I’ll get you something to eat.’ She scooped up a collection of savouries from a table, refilled his glass, and settled thankfully on a sofa beside him.
‘That sigh told volumes,’ he said with a smile.
‘I didn’t sigh, did I?’
‘Like a woman who hadn’t sat down for a month. Have you been walking the streets? No! I didn’t mean it like that.’ He struck his forehead in horror, while Helen went into gales of laughter.
‘That’s what you say for ladies of easy virtue,’ he groaned. ‘I didn’t mean that at all, I just-oh, God!’
‘Ladies of easy virtue don’t waste time standing on street corners these days,’ Helen chuckled. ‘Not in New York, anyway. They have penthouses and mobiles. Some of them have social secretaries. Now I suppose you’re wondering how I know that?’
He pulled himself together. ‘Certainly not,’ he said with an attempt at dignity. ‘You’re a modern young woman with a wide knowledge of social conditions. And I wish I’d died before I opened my mouth.’