'Allen's at Seventy - third and Third?' he ventured.
'Yes, fine,' said Florentyna, thinking how much better Maisie would have been at handling the whole situation.
'Around eight o'clock suit you?'
'Around eight,' replied Florentyna.
The young man left with a smile on his face. Florentyna watched him disappear on to the street, and suddenly realised that he had left without buying a pair of gloves.
Florentyna took a long time choosing which dress she should wear for her evening out. She wanted to be certain that the outfit didri't scream of Bergdorf Goodman. She had acquired a small wardrobe especially for Bloomingdale's, but the clothes were strictly for daytime use, and she had never worn anything from that selection in the evening. If her date - heavens, she didn't even know his name - thought she was a salesgirl she mustn't disillusion him. She couldn't help feeling that she was actually looking forward to the evening more than she ought to be, She left her flat on East Fif ty - sefenth Street a little before eight and had to wait for several minutes before she managed to hail an empty taxi.
'Allen's, please,' she said to the taxi driver.
'On Third Avenue!
'Yes.'
'Sure thing, miss,' he replied.
When Florentyna arrived at the restaurant, she was a few minutes late.
Her eyes began to search for the young man. He was standing at the bar, waving. He had changed into a pair of grey flannel slacks and a blue blazer. Very Ivy League, thought Florentyna, but very good looking.
'I'm sorry to be late,'she began.
'It's not important. What's important is that you came!
Tou thought I wouldn't?'said Florentyna.
'I wasn't sure! He smiled. 'I'm sorry, I don't know your name.'
'Jessie Kovats,' said Florentyna., determined not to give away her alias.
'And yours?'
'Richard Kanc.' said the young man, thrusting out his hand.
She took it and he held on to her a little longer than she had expected.
'And what do you do when you're not buying gloves at Bloomingdale's?' she teased.
'I'm at Harvard Business School.'
'I'm surprised they didn't teach you that most people only have two hands.'
He laughed and smiled in such a relaxed and friendly way that she wished she could start again and tell hirn they might have met in Cambridge when she was at Radcliffe.
'Shall we order?' he said, taking her arm and leading. her to a table.
Florentyna looked up at the menu on the blackboard, 'Salisbury steak?' she queried.
'A hamburger by any other name,' said Richard.
They both laughed, in the way two people do when they don't know each other, but want to. She could see he was surprised that she might have known his out - of - context quotation.
Florentyna had rarely enjoyed anyone's company mom Richard chatted about New York, the theatre and music - so obviously his first love - with such grace and charm that she was fully at ease. He may have thought she was a salesgirl but he was treating her as if she'd come from one of the oldest Brahmin families. He hoped he wasn't too surprised by her passion for the same things because, when he in., quired, she told him nothing more than that she was Polish and lived in New York with her parents. As the evening progressed the deception became increasingly intolerabbi, Still, she thought, we may never see each other again aftev tonight, and then it will all be irrelevant.
When the evening did come to an end and neither of them could drink any more coffee, they left Allen's and Richard looked for a taxi, the only ones they saw were an full.
'Where do you liveT he asked.
'Fifty - seventh Street,' she said, not thinking about her reply.
'Then's let's w4k)' said Richard, taking Florentyna's hand.
She smiled her agreement. They started walking, stopping and looking at shop windows, laughing and smiling. Neither of them noticed the empty taxis that now rushed past them. It took them almost an hour to cover the sixteen blocks and Florentyna nearly told him the truth. When they reached Fifty - seventh Street she stopped outside a small old apartment house, some hundred yards from her own home.
'This is where my parents, live,' she said.
He seemed to hesitate and then let go of her hand.
'I hope you will see me again,' said Richard.
'I'd like that,' replied Florentyna in a polite, dismissive way.
'Tomorrow?' asked Richard diffidently.
'Tomorrow?'
lies, why don't we go to the Blue Angel and see Bobby Short?' He took her hand again. 'It's a little more romantic than AlleWs.'