Crossroads of Desire by Amos Hatter — page 30: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

CROSSROADS OF DESIRE appeared and looked quizzically at her mistress for instructions as to whether or not the summons should be answered. “It might just possibly be—” said Connie, her eyes narrow. All at once she looked at Larry. “Would you mind waiting in the bedroom?” He frowned, but said, “Why no. I guess not.” When the bedroom door closed behind him Connie told Yvonne to see who it was. The maid opened the door. There, as Connie had guessed, stood Philip. He looked totally abject and woebegone. “I just don’t know where to begin, Connie,” he apologized when he came in. “I shall never get over what happened last night.” “I shouldn’t think you would,” she told him, her chin high. “Somehow or other I lost control. That’s the only way I can figure it out. Mind if I sit down?” “Go right ahead.” Philip let himself down into a chair. He was still pretty badly hung over from his binge and his head throbbed remorselessly. His eyes hurt as he looked up at Connie. “Tll do anything you say, my dear, to make up for it. My failure to keep our date was an unforgivable act, and I know it must have mortified you terrifically. It certainly did me when I woke up this morning and realized what had happened.” Connie’s eyes lit up for a second at his words. All at once she realized the splendid bargaining position she was suddenly in. She suppressed a smile and regarded Philip sternly. “Of course it’s unforgivable. You acted like a cad.” “I know,’ he agreed in dismay. “And youre being very lenient, Connie, not to say anything worse. Isn’t there anything I can do to patch things up, make you know how utterly humble I feel at this point?” “T don’t know.” She picked up a cigarette from a box on the cocktail table and lit it. Like a judge considering a sentence she walked across the room then returned and stood before him, her arms folded. “Ordinarily, Philip, I’d have nothing to do with a man who makes such a spectacle of himself. There’s only one thing in your favor.” 58 CROSSROADS OF DESIRE He looked up at her hopefully and Connie went on. - “TI suspect that.last night was not entirely your fault.” “But it was,” he said, heaping recrimination on himself. “I was entirely to blame.” “Just how did you happen to be with Ginger Doss?” “Well,” Philip winced as his head gave a heavier than usual throb, “I was just leaving my apartment to get something to eat When the phone rang and it was Ginger.” “Just as I thought,” said Connie. “As it turned out she was looking for company for dinner so naturally I invited her to go along with me. I explained to her that I had a date with you after the show. It must have been the champagne that did it, but all at once I began to feel sick. The only thing I ean say is that it was a good thing Ginger, or somebody, was with me. No telling where I might have ended up.” Philip stared gloomily at the rug. Every time he thought about last night his head ached even harder. He sat with his hands folded between his knees and his shoulders hunched. “That snake-in-the-grass!” said Connie. “If you can’t see What she was up to, you're blind.” “She didn’t make me drink the champagne. I did that of my own accord,” said Philip regretfully, “Tl bet she made no effort to get you to stop.” “Wo,” Philip agreed, ‘she didn’t do that.” “Okay. A good deal of it I blame on Ginger.” “Youre being very charitable to me, Connie. Probably more than I deserve.” “That’s what you think!” She shot back. “Don’t get it in your head for an instant that I’m willing to forgive and forget. When I think of how I waited for you a half an hour in the foyer then finally had to go out and eat alone—!” “Connie, please. I’m so terribly sorry and upset. Tell me what I can do to make amends. Is there anything?” She let him suffer for several minutes before answering. “There might be one thing you could do.” “All you have to do is name it, Connie.” By this time he felt so miserable that he didn’t care what happened. He wasn‘t interested in Ginger Doss. AH he wanted was Connie, Last ccomiclooks.co im