Bright Tomorrow

by Linda Wisdom

  The next few weeks were hectic and tiring for Lisa. It was all she could do to drag herself home to flop into bed each evening.

  One morning began all wrong when her alarm didn't go off. She overslept and had to rush to get ready for work. By the time she reached the office, she had a pounding headache.

  "Keeping late hours, Miss Winters?" Dan asked sarcastically when Lisa sat at her desk.

  "Not lately," she snapped, wishing he would go away and let her suffer in peace.

  "Complaining?" His voice was softly taunting.

  "Look, I've got a pounding headache and—"

  "You're not supposed to admit to those until after you're married, Miss Winters," Dan said over his shoulder as he walked away.

  Lisa gritted her teeth, refusing the temptation to throw something at Dan's broad back. She knew that Dan had been snappish because of a crucial upcoming court case, the outcome of which was very important to him. As usual, he had been working in his office long after she would have left for the day, and he would already be there in the morning when she arrived.

  Lisa was herself too tired to worry about Dan's own overtaxing schedule.

  "Would it be possible for you to come in for a few hours tomorrow?" Dan asked one Friday afternoon. "Ordinarily I wouldn't ask but, as you know, I have to sum up on Monday."

  "Of course I'll come in." Lisa was surprised by the hesitancy in Dan's voice. "You thought I'd refuse, didn't you?"

  "I wouldn't have blamed you," he wryly replied. "I admit I haven't been the most congenial boss the past couple of weeks. I'm surprised I haven't gotten a cup of coffee in my lap."

  "Don't give me any ideas," she said sweetly. "I'll be in at nine."

  "Fine."

  The next day Lisa saw no reason to wear a dress, opting instead for jeans and a blue cotton shirt. Dan dressed casually, too. Lisa found the typing to be done already on her desk so, without a word, she sat down and began working.

  Like a carefully tooled machine, the two worked together in silence, until a stack of papers piled on Dan's desk was proof that the job was done.

  "I really appreciate this." Dan smiled gratefully at Lisa. "Come on, I'll buy you a late lunch." He didn't give her time to refuse.

  At a nearby coffee shop, Lisa could see the lines of strain gradually disappear from Dan's face.

  "I know I haven't been the most amiable of people lately." Dan picked up her hand, idly playing with her fingers. "Am I forgiven?"

  "You know you are," Lisa said softly, letting her eyes meet his intent gaze.

  "Lisa!" Startled, she looked up to find Mark coming swiftly toward her.

  "Mark." At her breathless voice, Dan's eyes narrowed. Lisa was uneasily aware of his studied gaze on her flushed face.

  A curious expression came into Mark's eyes as he focused on Lisa's companion.

  "We worked in the office today," Lisa nervously explained, angry with herself for her faltering voice.

  "How about having dinner with me tonight?" Mark asked her, ignoring Dan completely. "I haven't seen you for weeks."

  "Lisa is busy tonight and any other night," Dan curtly interrupted, rising quickly. "Time to go home, Lee." His voice was an intimate caress that couldn't be misunderstood.

  Lisa looked up with snapping eyes, and a flush rose to her cheeks. Mark looked back and forth between the two with a puzzled expression. Then comprehension slowly dawned. "Oh, I see," he said slowly.

  "No, you don't see," Lisa said angrily, keeping her eyes on Dan.

  "Yes, I do." Mark smiled at her with understanding in his eyes. "Good-bye, Lee. I wish you luck."

  "What makes you think you can—" Lisa turned angrily to Dan after they got outside. She took several deep breaths to control her rapidly rising temper. "How could you do such a terrible thing?"

  "It was easy," Dan replied tautly.

  Lisa sputtered uselessly as Dan practically dragged her toward his Buick. He pushed her inside and walked around to the driver's side.

  "Don't you realize what you let Mark think about us?" she demanded, half-turning in her seat. "He-he thinks we're—" she stopped, unable to continue.

  "Living together," Dan mockingly finished for her. "At least he won't take a chance and call you at home. Now he'll think that I might answer the phone."

  "That's disgusting," Lisa said hotly.

  "He certainly looked happy to see you," he said harshly. "You've walked all over that guy and he still has you on a pedestal."

  "And what's wrong with that? I think it's very sweet. He knows how to treat a lady." Lisa sat back in her seat with a defiant toss of her head.

  Swearing under his breath, Dan turned the car down a quiet side street and turned off the engine. "Good for him," he said sarcastically. "But I know how to treat a woman." Dan gripped Lisa's shoulders and pulled her toward him. She twisted her face away, but Dan's hand took her chin in a bruising grip. "He's too nice and soft-hearted for you," he muttered thickly against her lips. "You snap your fingers and he jumps. Well, lady, you need someone who's more stubborn than you. Who won't put up with it."

  Lisa kept her mouth closed, refusing to yield to Dan's mastery. Her eyes remained defiantly open, shooting emerald sparks at his hard, chiseled features. When he finally lifted his head her face was a frozen mask. "Take me home," Lisa said coldly.

  "With pleasure," Dan snarled, turning back to switch the ignition on.

  Lisa sat back; she had never felt as angry as she did right then at Dan. When he stopped the car in front of her apartment house, Lisa hastily jerked the door open and scrambled out. Just as she began to slam the door shut a thought occurred to her. "My car!" Lisa cried out. "My car is still at the office."

  "Then you know it's safe, don't you?" Dan said mockingly, as he pressed his foot on the accelerator. The car roared off, the tires squealing on the asphalt.

  Lisa watched him go, incredulous. She clenched her fists at her sides, mustering under her breath. She couldn't at that moment think of a fate horrible enough for Dan Nolan.

  Chapter Ten

  Lisa was glad on Monday that Dan would not be in the office. Smiling to herself, she efficiently dealt with any problems that cropped up. The only word she had from Dan was a brief telephone message in which he said that the judge's decision, handed down late that afternoon, had been in his client's favor. He obviously had not forgotten the events of the weekend, either.

  The following morning, Lisa put her plan into effect. She first called the office and, deliberately coughing into the phone, told the receptionist she would not be in that day. Then she replaced the receiver and went back to bed.

  An hour later, when the telephone rang, Lisa knew it was Dan.

  "Hello." She made sure her voice sounded husky.

  "Blast you, you're not sick." Dan's harsh voice was accusing.

  "I have some kind of virus, so I have an idea I'll be out for a few days," Lisa lied glibly. Dan replied with several mildly profane remarks concerning her virus. "I'm afraid I have to hang up now; my head is spinning around and around." She said this faintly, then replaced the receiver.

  It wasn't long before the phone began ringing again. Ignoring the persistent sound, Lisa turned over, pulling her pillow over her ears. She was surprised that she could fall back asleep so easily. During the rest of the day the telephone rang insistently several times but, knowing it was Dan, Lisa refused to answer it. She waited until the next day.

  "As for your illness," Dan growled into the phone, "I want you to bring in a doctor's note when you decide to come back to work." On that note, he slammed the receiver down in her ear.

  "A doctor's note he'll get," Lisa murmured to herself, as she quickly dialed a number.

  Lisa stayed home for three days. After Dan's call demanding a doctor's note, he did not call again. Her face was composed when, returning to work, she walked into Dan's office.

  "I'm glad to see that you finally decided to 'get well,'" he said sarcastically.

  "Here's the doctor's
note you requested," Lisa murmured, handing Dan a folded piece of paper.

  He opened the paper, scanning the scrawled words. "I said a note from your doctor, not from your father." Dan looked up with hard eyes.

  "My father is a doctor," she quietly pointed out. "In case you didn't notice, it's written on his office stationery."

  "He is also an obstetrician," Dan countered.

  "You didn't specify the kind of doctor," she said innocently. "And besides, even though my father has never performed any type of surgery on me because of the medical code of ethics, he has treated me for minor illnesses. He's really the only doctor I have."

  Heaving an exasperated sigh, Dan crushed the note and tossed it into the wastebasket. "You've made your point," he said bleakly. "Now, just get out of here before I lose my temper."

  Lisa mentally chalked up a point for her side as she left Dan's office. She felt very pleased with herself. The days she had spent at home hadn't been wasted. She had filled them by thinking over her feelings for Dan—and his for her. The idea that he might have been jealous of Mark occurred to her, and it pleased her. Secure in her thoughts, Lisa remained impervious to Dan's sarcasm for the balance of the week, smiling sweetly at him whenever he tried to be abusive.

  "Don't patronize me," Dan growled one afternoon as she laid some papers on his desk to be signed.

  "I'm sorry if you feel I'm patronizing you, Mr. Nolan," she said demurely as she left his office, his angry mutterings in her ears.

  Lisa left work Friday evening intending to visit her parents for the weekend. She needed to be away from home and away from a phone that didn't ring any longer. The silence was becoming more than she could bear.

  Lisa enjoyed a quiet weekend working with her father in his garden, helping him tend his roses, and she also helped her mother with her weekly baking. Marianne Winters believed in making her own bread, and it was a weekly task.

  Marianne divided up the dough, placing each section in a pan, ready for baking. "How are you and Dan getting along?" she asked casually, sliding the pans into the hot oven.

  "Fine." Lisa's tone matched her mother's. Her movements were purely mechanical as she mixed the ingredients for a coffee cake. "Except that I'm in love with Dan Nolan," she said quietly.

  "And?"

  "He doesn't believe in love or lasting relationships," Lisa said bleakly. She went on to relate the substance of Dan's talk with her about his mother and to share some of their subsequent fights. She ended by telling of the argument following the meeting with Mark at the coffee shop, and of how she retaliated by pretending to be sick.

  "It seems like Dan's hooked on you and just doesn't realize it," Marianne commented. "He can't understand the feelings he has for you, so he hides them the only way he knows how—under a layer of indifference and arrogance."

  "If that's the only way he can show his love, then I don't think I want any part of it any longer," Lisa said in a choked voice.

  "I think you do. You'll just have to bide your time the same way he is. Continue to be patient with him, Lisa," her mother advised. "Show him that you're not at all like his mother. You could be rewarded in the end."

  Lisa's talk with her mother gave her some confidence. But she still felt more than a little unsure of Dan when she entered the office Monday morning.

  "Good morning. How was your weekend?" Dan asked her as she sat down at her desk.

  "I spent it at my parents'." Her head was bent down as she put away her purse, so she didn't see the subtle relaxation of Dan's features.

  "Lee," he began hesitantly, "I'll be honest. I've never apologized to a woman before, so this is very hard for me. If possible, could we try again?"

  Lisa felt her pulse quicken, but she kept her face composed. "I don't see why not," she said casually.

  "Dinner Friday night?"

  "Fine."

  Lisa and Dan were soon back to their former relationship. Except for one thing: Lisa was puzzled by Dan's new treatment of her when they were alone. He limited himself to holding her hand or to placing a casual arm around her shoulders. Any kisses were equally casual and fell mainly on her cheek, or, if on her lips, they were light pecks. He seemed to act more like an older brother or an old friend than a date.

  "Sometimes I wonder if I've developed some horrible disfigurement," Lisa grumbled to herself one evening after Dan had left her apartment. They had gone out to a movie and dinner. Lisa had deliberately chosen a romantic love story, hoping it would give Dan a few ideas, but they shared no mind-shattering kisses or sensual caresses when they were finally alone.

  One Friday afternoon, Lisa was busily typing a report for Dan when Mark stopped by her desk.

  "You seem to be a very busy lady." He smiled down at her.

  "I've become very good at pretending to be." Lisa's face sobered. "Mark, about that day in the coffee shop, I—"

  Opening his mouth to answer, Mark looked up as Dan appeared in the doorway of his office. The latter's blue eyes narrowed on seeing Mark.

  "Did you want to see me, Connors?" Dan asked crisply.

  "No, I didn't," Mark replied, deliberately keeping his eyes on Lisa's face. "I'll call you this weekend, Lee."

  After Mark left them, Dan turned to Lisa. "He can't keep away from you, can he?" he asked harshly.

  Lisa replied in anger. "You of all people should know better," she said hotly. "You should also remember that I don't appreciate bringing up personalities in the office."

  "Right." Dan walked back into his office, pointedly closing the door behind him.

  Glad when it was past five o'clock, Lisa hurriedly picked up her purse and prepared to leave. At that moment, she wanted only to be far away from Dan. As she walked across the parking lot, her heels clicked on the concrete. She gasped as a figure stepped from the shadow of the building. Then she saw that it was Mark.

  "Oh, Mark, you frightened me." Her hand against her throat was trembling.

  "I'm sorry if I frightened you, Lee. I'd like to talk to you for a moment, though," he said quietly.

  "Right now?" She looked surprised, as she looked around the deserted parking lot. "Couldn't it wait until Monday?"

  "I'm resigning from the firm on Monday," Mark said directly.

  "But… but why?" Lisa was shocked by his pronouncement.

  "I was made an offer I can't refuse." He named a large, well-known firm. "In fact, I'd like you to come with me as my secretary. I can promise you a substantial increase in salary."

  "That's very flattering, Mark, but no, thank you. I'm very happy here."

  "It's because of Nolan, isn't it?"

  "Of course not," she quickly denied.

  "It won't work, Lee. I've seen the way you look at him. And the way he acts so possessively toward you. But that only extends to you as his secretary, no more. Unless, of course, you're having an affair with him."

  "You should know better, Mark," Lisa said angrily.

  "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I don't want you angry at me. I hope we can part as friends."

  "We'll always be friends." Lisa touched his arm.

  "Are friends allowed a parting kiss?" Mark asked her wistfully.

  Lisa smiled, lifting her face. She was unprepared for his hungry kiss, but she could feel none of the stirrings she felt under Dan's touch.

  "Good-bye, Lisa." Mark abruptly released her and walked away.

  She stood watching his retreating figure with a feeling of sorrow, sorrow for the emotions she couldn't feel.

  When Lisa reached home she felt ready to drop from fatigue. After a quick shower, she slipped on a yellow terry cloth wraparound robe. Pouring herself a glass of wine, she turned on the stereo and, humming to herself, walked into her bedroom. She curled up on her bed with a book, but concentration was difficult to achieve. While she was reading one page for the third time, the doorbell rang, disturbing her peace. Wondering who could be calling on her at this time, Lisa padded barefoot to the door, first looking through the peephole. Surprised to see D
an's tall figure outside, she hurriedly opened the door.

  "Dan, what a surp—" Her greeting was cut off as he pushed past her.

  "All alone?" Dan glanced around the room.

  "I'm not exactly dressed for company," Lisa pointed out.

  Dan crossed his arms in front of him, studying Lisa from head to foot in an insolent manner. "There are plenty of men who'd appreciate such a delectable picture."

  Lisa defensively wrapped her robe more closely about her, aware that she wore nothing underneath. Dan was acting like a stranger. "Why are you here?"

  Dan walked slowly toward her, and she backed away. She stiffened as she reached her closed bedroom door. He leaned forward, resting his hands against the wood on either side of her. "Do I need a reason?" he said. Whiskey fumes fanned her face.

  "You're drunk," Lisa said flatly, feeling her stomach churn at his tone.

  "I only wish I were." Dan's eyes were focused on her mouth. "Instead, I sat in a bar trying to get drunk. And trying to figure you out."

  "Oh?" She pretended an indifference she didn't feel.

  "Lady, you take the cake. You really do." Dan shook his head in disbelief. "Take your so-called virginal protests. The way you lead me down the garden path only so far, then turn on the virgin act so I feel guilty enough to draw back."

  "I never did that," Lisa said coldly. "You've been the one who's been so correct and proper these past few weeks."

  "I bet Mark Connors doesn't have to put up with your Little-Miss-Innocent act." Dan bent his face down close to hers.

  In a pure reflex action, happening before Lisa herself even realized it, her hand shot out, making sharp contact with Dan's cheek. The muscles around his mouth tightened, and his eyes narrowed to angry slits. Lisa looked at him in surprised silence, her hand pressed against her mouth.

  "You little—" Dan jerked roughly against her. His kiss was meant to be punishing; he didn't give her time to breathe.

  "Please, Dan," Lisa pleaded, tearing her mouth away from his.

  "Please, Dan," he mocked her, stooping to pick her up in his arms and carry her into the darkened bedroom. Without ceremony, Dan dropped her onto the bed and proceeded to unbutton his shirt, pulling it free from his pants.