“Me too. The engines won’t run themselves.”
Jim headed forward, where he’d help the executive officer, Vince Banning, with the deck gang as they hauled up lines for shoving off.
In the narrow space alongside the superstructure, Jim squeezed past Mitch Hadley heading the opposite direction.
“What do you know?” Hadley said. “Jim Avery even floats with the dames.”
The muscles in Jim’s neck went taut. “You don’t know anything about the situation.”
“I know the poor girl had to kiss you, because you don’t have the guts.” He stuck out that thick jaw of his. “You have no initiative at all.”
“Excuse me. I have a job to do.” Jim continued on his way before he took the initiative to sock the jerk in the chin.
His arms swung hard by his side. No initiative? No initiative?
Jim’s lips set in a solid line. That was going to change.
Twirling on the sidewalk in front of the Bunker Hill Monument wouldn’t be mature. Not at all, so Mary indulged in a touristy gaze upward at the white granite obelisk, circling to view the charming neighborhood. There. She’d twirled without twirling.
Why shouldn’t she twirl? Jim had kissed her.
Well, she had kissed him, but he didn’t seem to mind. Her chest expanded, and her eyes drifted shut. Oh, the look of wonder on his face afterward.
Even if he wasn’t falling in love with her, at least he was attracted. Maybe the kiss had awakened something. Maybe that was the first time he’d seen her as a woman, not just as a friend. Either way, it was bliss.
Mary strolled down Monument Avenue toward her apartment. “Bring him home soon, Lord,” she whispered, but guilt pricked her conscience.
Jim had important work to do. If theAtwoodcould scare off the U-boats, the lives of countless merchant marines could be saved, and thousands of tons of valuable supplies could be delivered to Britain.
Her prayer needed editing.Lord, help him dohis job well and bring him home safely—in yourtime.
The tune of the new song “Yours” flowed up inside her and out of her mouth. For once, she didn’t care who heard her singing. An older woman passed by and gave her an appreciative smile. Mary closed her eyes. She refused to let praise do its harm, but she also refused to let fear silence her song.
She climbed the stairs to her apartment and swung open the door.
“Mary! There you are!” A beloved voice, a beloved face, a beloved pair of arms enfolding her in a hug.
“Quintessa?” Mary hugged her back. Relief surged through her that Jim wasn’t there, but how could she be so selfish? Thinking only of herself?
Mary pushed back and held her best friend by the shoulders. “My goodness! What are you doing here? I wasn’t expecting you.”
Quintessa’s golden-green eyes sparkled. “I wanted to surprise you, sweetie.”
“You did. Oh, it’s so good to see you.”
“Don’t you look swell?” Quintessa stroked the sleeve of Mary’s dress. “I’ve never seen you wear red, and it’s marvelous on you. And I love your hair like that. A little longer, isn’t it? So is mine. We have to stay with the times, don’t we?”
“We do.” Mary fingered her friend’s shoulder-length blonde curls. “Oh, it’s good to see you. But what brings you here? How long—listen to me. I haven’t even invited you in yet.”
“I’m already in.” Quintessa raised that infectious smile of hers.
Mary laughed and motioned her to the couch. “When did you arrive?”
“Right before noon.” Quintessa sat and smoothed the skirt of her yellow dress, patterned with swirls of pale green leaves. “Your friend Yvette recognized my name, said you talked about me all the time—you sweetheart—so she let me in. When she said you’d be gone all day, I took the El downtown, looked around, and ... met my new boss.”
Mary blinked. “Your new...”
“Yes.” Quintessa’s shoulders lifted. “Oh, I was miserable in Chicago. Yes, I needed to get away from Vermilion—I can’t stand seeinghimwithher—but I was so lonely in Chicago. I liked my job at Marshall Fields, but I got to thinking. I can do this job in any city in America. Why not with my very best friend in the world? So I applied to Filene’s, and they were impressed with my business degree, and they hired me. I’ll have to work the floor in sales for a year, but then they promised to move me into the business offices.”
