Will closed the door. “How have you been getting on?”
“Good. My mother's a bit done in; she's happy to be here. My sisters are in a lather to see the sights.”
“Yeah, we were just tossing around some ideas,” Will said.
Gripping the brim of his hat, Robert looked at Laurel. “I was wondering, since the picnic was canceled … I thought maybe you'd like to see a movie? Our badges will get us in free.” He tapped the button pinned to his jacket.
Laurel was taken by surprise. She hadn't expected an invitation. She looked at her parents. “Would it be all right with you?”
Will glanced at Jean. “I thought you and your mother were going shopping.”
“We can go another time,” Jean said.
Still uncertain she even wanted to go, Laurel asked, “Are you sure?”
“Yes. Actually, I'm kind of tired. I think I'd just as soon take a nap.”
Surprised at her mother's sudden change of heart and wondering if it had anything to do with this handsome farmer, Laurel hesitated. She looked at Robert. “Do you know where the theater is?”
“The desk clerk said it's only a couple blocks from here. And the first show starts at one-thirty.” He shuffled his hat from one hand to the other. “Do you like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers?”
“Yes. They're great.”
Robert smiled. “Their new movie, Top Hat, is playing. Plus another one called Mutiny on the Bounty.”
“I heard Top Hat is supposed to be good.” The idea of a Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movie was enough to sway Laurel. She looked at the tall man. He was handsome; his dark brown eyes were gentle, and he'd seemed a gentleman. “Mama, are you sure?”
“Yes. You two go along.”
“All right then. I'll get my coat.” When she returned to the main room, Robert was already standing at the door.
He opened it. “We won't be late,” he promised Will.
“See that you're not.”
Robert followed Laurel into the hallway, escorted her to the lift, and pushed the elevator button. They waited silently, careful not to make eye contact. When the elevator arrived, they stepped inside and stared at the doors as they closed. Neither said a word.
Clutching her purse against her stomach, Laurel cast Robert a cautious smile. She didn't know why she felt awkward. When they'd visited on the train, she'd sensed an easy rapport between them. Of course they hadn't been on a date. This isn't exactly a date, she told herself.
The ride to the lobby felt interminably long, and Laurel was grateful when the doors opened. Robert smiled and allowed Laurel to step out first.
“I'll get directions,” he said and walked to the desk. His stride was stiff and formal, and he looked self-conscious. The clerk was away from the desk, so Robert waited. Finally he touched a bell sitting on the counter, and its sharp chime resonated throughout the lobby.
A man wearing a stylish, dark blue suit and sporting a small mustache appeared. “May I help you?”
Laurel gazed out the window. Rain splattered into shallow puddles on the sidewalk, cascaded into gutters, and rushed to grated drains where it swirled away and disappeared somewhere beneath the city.
The elevator opened with a ding, and Adam Dunnavant stepped out. He smiled and tipped his hat to Laurel. Glancing around the room, he asked, “May I ask why you're standing in the lobby?”
“I'm waiting for Robert.” She nodded toward her date. “We're going to the movies.”
“Oh?” He cocked an eyebrow. “What are you going to see?”
“Top Hat and Mutiny on the Bounty. Have you heard of them?”
“No, can't say I have.” Adam leaned against the wall, took a cigarette case out of his pocket, tapped out a cigarette, and lit it. He inhaled deeply, then slowly exhaled. He glanced at the cigarette. “Nasty habit. I keep planning to quit, but …”
Laurel nodded, wondering why anyone would want to smoke.
Gazing out at the dreary boulevard, he said, “It's a good day for a movie.”
Without thinking, Laurel asked, “Would you like to go?” The moment the words were out, she wished she could take them back. What was she thinking?
“You sure Robert won't mind?” He flicked ashes into a standing ashtray.
“Of course not,” she said, hoping she was right and that it would seem less like a date with Adam along. “Three will be more fun than two.”
Adam took another drag on his cigarette. “All right. You talked me into it. And maybe I can get some information for my story.”
“Please, no story.”
“All right. It'd be hard to take notes in a dark theater anyway.”
Robert returned, and shaking Adam's hand soundly, said, “Nice to see you again. How's your story coming along?”
“Good.”
Laurel touched Robert's arm. “I asked Adam to join us. I hope you don't mind.”
