'The Register-Guard. I deliver ninety-six papers during the week and a hundred-ten on Sundays.'
'When do you find time to eat and sleep?' he asked.
'When I can. I told you, I have to pay my own way.
This is what it takes to stay in school.'
'That may be, but you sure as hell don't have to ride that thing home in this downpour. Don't be stubborn. Let me load it into my van.'
She accepted gratefully. The radio was on as they drove toward the rambling house off Euclid where Diana lived in a tiny apartment over a garage. They were almost there when the local announcer began a public-service listing of all the functions for that evening that had been canceled or postponed in a show of respect for the slain president.
Among them was the performance of the Youth Symphony scheduled for Robinson Hall.
'Damn.' Diana bit her lip in disappointment and fought back tears.
There went another three bucks she wouldn't have come next payday.
Along with the other two she had missed by not working all afternoon at the department, payday would be very short indeed in a budget that was already tight right down to the last nickel. At this rate, how would she ever accumulate enough money to buy next semester's books?
'That means you're off tonight?' Garrison Ladd was saying.
Not trusting herself to speak, Diana nodded.
'What will you do instead?'
'Study, I guess,' Diana answered bleakly. 'I've got some reading to do.'
'How about dinner?'
'Tonight? Isn't that . .
'Tacky?' he supplied with a wink. 'You think just because somebody knocked off the president, the rest Of us shouldn't eat?'
'It does seem . . . well, disrespectful.'
'From what I hear about JFK himself, he'd be the last one to want us missing out on a good time. Come on. I'll take you someplace special.
How about the Eugene Hotel?
They have terrific steaks there.'
Diana found herself salivating at the very mention of the word steak.
She hadn't tasted one since the previous summer's rodeo-queen supper.
Her school budget seldom made allowances for hamburger, let alone steak.
She let herself be enticed.
All right,' she said. 'But I've never been to the Eugene Hotel. What should I wear?'
'We'll manage,' he said.
Despite Iona's warnings about not inviting men up to her room, it didn't seem polite to leave Garrison Ladd waiting outside in the cold car while she went up to change. After all, he was an instructor at the university. Surely, someone like that was above reproach.
She started having doubts though when, after closing the apartment door behind him, he stopped just inside the threshold and didn't move.
Diana turned back and looked at him. 'Have a seat,' she said. 'I'll go into the bathroom and change.'
He studied her curiously. The undisguised appraisal in the look made her nervous. 'What's the matter?'
'Come here,' he said, crooking his finger at her.
'Just come here.'
Against her better judgment, she did as she was told, walking toward him slowly, woodenly. What was going on? she wondered. Maybe her mother was right. Maybe she shouldn't be here in her room alone with this man.
Diana stopped when there was less than a foot between them. 'What?' she asked.
'Has anyone ever told you how lovely you are?'
'Come on,' she said, shaking her head. 'Don't give me that old line.'
She started to move away from him, but he caught her wrist, imprisoning her hand in his and drawing her closer.
With his other hand, he brushed the hair back from her face and then traced the slender, curving jaw with a gently caressing finger.
'It's not a line,' he said. 'You're beautiful.'
'People in Joseph don't talk to the garbageman's daughter that way,' she said stiffly. Tentatively, she tried to free her hand, but he didn't let it go.
No doubt about it. Her mother was right. She'd made a serious mistake in inviting him up here, and she didn't know how to get rid of him.
