'Good afternoon, sir,' she said. 'Would you like some tea?' The same familiar smile again.
'We know each other, don't we?' said Abel.
Wes, we do, Wladek.'
Abel cringed at the sound of the name and redden ' ed slightly, remembering how the short fair hair had been long and smooth and the veiled eyes had been so inviting.
'Zaphia, we came to America on the same ship. Of course, you went to Chicago. What are you doing here?'
'I work here, as you can see. Would you like some tea, sir?'Her Polish accent warmed Abel.
'Have dinner with me tonight,'he said.
'I can't, Wadek. We're not allowed to go out with the customers. If we do, we automatically lose our jobs.'
'I'm not a customer,' said Abel, 'I'm an old friend!
'Who was going to come and visit me in Chicago as soon as he had settled down, and when you did come you didn't even remember I was here,' said Zaphia.
'I know, I know. Forgive me. Zaphia, have dinner with me tonight. just this once,' said Abel.
'Just this once,' she repeated.
'Meet me at Brundage's at seven o'clock. Would that suit you?'
Zapbia flushed at the name. It was probably the most expensive restaurant in Chicago, and she would have been nervous to be there as a waitress, let alone as a customer.
'No, let's go somewhere less grand, Wladek.'
'Where?'said Abel.
9)o you know The Sausage on the corner of Forty - third?'
'No, I don't,' he admitted, 'but I'll find it. Seven o'clock.'
'Seven o'clock, Wladek. That will be lovely. By the way, do you want any tea?'
'No, I think I'll skip it,' said Abel.
She smiled and walked away. He sat watching her serve tea for several minutes. She was much prettier than he had remembered her being. Perhaps killing time until Monday wasn't going to be so bad after all.
The Sausage brought back all of Abel's worst memories of his first days in America. He sipped a cold ginger beer while he waited for Zaphia and watched with professional disapproval as the waiters slapped the food around. He was unable to decide which looked worse: the service or the food. Zaphia was nearly twenty minutes late by - the time she appeared in the doorway, as smart as a band - box in a crisp yellow dress that looked as if it had been recently taken up a few inches to conform with the latest fashion, but still revealed how appealing her formerly slight body had become. Her grey eyes searched the tables for Wladek, and her pink cheeks reddened as she became conscious of other men's eyes upon her.
'Good evening, Wladek,' she said in Polish.
Abel rose and offered her his chair near the fire. 'I am so glad you could make it,'he replied in English.
She looked perplexed for a moment, then, in English, she said, 'I'm sorry I'm late!
'Oh, I hadnt noticed. Would you like somet1ting to drink, Zaphia?'
'No, thank you.'
Neither of them spoke for a moment, and then they both tried to talk at once.
'I'd forgotten how pretty. . .'said Abel.
'How have you.. .'said Zaphia.
She smiled shyly, and Abel wanted to touch her. He remembered so well experiencing the same reaction the first time he had ever seen her, over eight years before.
'How's George?' she asked.
'I haven't seen him for over two years,' replied Abel, suddenly feeling guilty. 'I've been stuck working in a hotel here in Chicago, and then.
. .'
'I know,' said Zaphia. 'Somebody burnt the place down!
'Why didn't you ever come over and say hello?' asked Abel.
'I didn't think you'd remember, Wladek, and I was right.'
'Then how did you ever recognise me?' said AbeL 'I've put on so much weight.'
'The silver band,'she said simply.
Abel looked down at his wrist and laughed. 'I have a lot to thank my band for, and now I can add that it has brought us back together.'
She avoided his eyes. 'What are you doing now that you no longer have a hotel to run?'
'I'm looking for a job,' said Abel, not wanting to intimidate her with the fact that he'd been offered the chance to manage the Stevens.
'There's a big job coming up at the Stevens. My boyfriend told me!
'Your boyfriend told you?' said Abel, repeating each painful word.
'Yes,' she said, 'the hotel will soon be looking for a new assistant manager. Why don't you apply for the job? I'm sure you'd have a good chance of getting it, Wladek. I always knew you would be a success in America.'