DINNER AT SEVEN - a romance novel
an excerpt - page 99 - 101
It is eleven a.m. Breakfast is over. David and I are both unusually quiet and thoughtful. Tomorrow David will be off to Montreal for a week. Now that we have finally reached an honest understanding, I will miss him while he is away. "It will feel like a year, David," I murmur into his ear. "I am at home in your arms and for an entire week I will feel homeless."
"Marsha, darling, no matter where I am or who I am with, my heart will always be with you. Please remember this always and you will never feel alone again."
The dreaded moment arrives and, as I say good-bye to David, he makes a promise to me that he will call me every evening while he is in Montreal. "I love you, Marsha."
"And I love you, David." It is with reluctance that I leave his apartment and drive home in order to change for my aunt's luncheon.
I arrive back at my apartment. I decide that, instead of brooding about our impending separation, I will bury myself in my work. There are a tremendous number of things to organize. Now that I have leased my office I have a frightening amount of shopping to do for office furniture and fixtures; frightening because money will be tight as a drum for a while and there is so little time.
Working for Derek will not leave me a lot of free time for the running around that will have to be done. I will have to find a versatile assistant who will be willing to work hard for little pay.
I have all these thoughts racing around in my head. I spend the next hour going over and over again my bank records; credit references and, of course, my agency will need a name. I want a name that will inspire confidence in the advertising campaign I intend to launch on my own behalf. Because my financial situation is more than a little shaky, I think maybe I should call the agency Marsha's Madness.
After a while I glance at my watch and I'm surprised to discover that it is one o'clock already. I will have to hurry with my shower and dress if I am going to meet Aunt Iris at two.
I inwardly curse the heavy traffic. Glancing at my watch I realize that I will be a little late arriving at Frederick's. Finally, upon reaching my destination, I park my car and quickly inspect my make-up in the rear view mirror.
I had dressed hurriedly for this luncheon and, although I realize my make-up is not as perfect as I would like it to be, I decide that my appearance isn't that important. After all, I think with a chuckle, the silly old codger will be wrapped up in Aunt Iris and she in him. Neither of them will care what I look like.
With confidence I enter the restaurant. It isn't difficult to spot my aunt and I have to smile when I view the gentleman with her. I can only see his back but at least this one has some hair. I can't count the number of men I've been previously introduced to who had thinning hair or no hair at all.
Even from this distance I can see that Aunt Iris is smartly dressed, as always. This time she is wearing a pale blue silk dress which is further softened by a barely yellow chiffon scarf at her neck. They are seated at a table not far from the entrance.
As I approach their table, Aunt Iris spots me and waves. I raise my hand in return and, as I do so, the gentleman turns in my direction with a smile that quickly fades.
"No!" I scream inwardly. My hand still in mid-air I turn and, blinded by tears, I tear, sobbing, out of the restaurant. I can't get to my car fast enough. With shaking hands I turn the ignition. Then I see him standing in the parking lot. David! My David! My David is my aunt's lover? No! No! No!
You will find it, along with all my books, on my Amazon author's page at https://amazon.com/author/audreyaustin
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