A

She was surprised with the unusual phone call. He had never phoned her at the office before nor had he ever suggested meeting for lunch. They worked in different sections of midtown Manhattan.

Still she was excited and quite glad she had worn her new pink and white checked Liz Claiborne suit with the raspberry cami. The snug fitting skirt had a belted jacket and it was one of the recent sale items she had found in Ohrbach’s on the corner of 34th Street.

Ann Kelly, who shared their office space in the Wine and Liquors Department of HAS, had readily agreed to change lunch hours. Ann was several years older and recently seemed to take on the aura of an older sister. Something neither young women ever had.

He was standing in the marble lined lobby when she exited the crowded elevator. The moment she saw him, her heart seemed to take a tumble salt. She wondered if that reaction would last for the eternity they had promised to share.

He waited quietly until she crossed the crowded vestibule and quickly took her hand asking:

“Where can we go and still have time to talk?”

Without a pause, she replied:

“Schrafft’s”

“It is around the corner, and I know we will be seated immediately. I eat there often.”

As they crossed 8th Avenue, his grip seemed to tighten on her hand and yet he never spoke a word.

The popular restaurant that displayed the popular Schrafft's decorated cakes, and various other. items such as wrapped gift baskets of fruit and candy in it’s window, was still relatively empty at noon.

They were quickly seated in the main dining room where mahogany tables were all covered with white cloths expressing an air of gentility typical of any upper middle-class home.

After claiming their seats and quickly giving two orders for grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches to the blue eyed waitress with a charming brogue, he finally said:

“I wouldn’t mind going, if I could bring you with me.”

For a second her heart broke, but then he continued:

“It will only be for twelve weeks. I’ll come back then and we can be married.”

Suddenly realizing their order was being efficiently put on the table accompanied by two cups of black coffee, they sat silently until the food had been set in place.

Then he continued:

“My orders came from DC this morning, and I leave tonight.”

Quickly, she placed her coffee back on the table before dropping the white cup and spilling black liquid onto the immaculate white starched cloth.

But she never forgot that moment until almost 58 years later.

That night as he stood at the foot of the carpeted staircase holding the oak railing, she sat in the adjoining living room watching him carefully.

Neither were any longer beautiful nor young nor lithe, but that was only in other’s eyes. To her, he remained the Adonis she met on a subway, and she always believed he still viewed her as his young love.

That night she heard him repeat the words first heard once before:

“I wouldn’t mind going, if I could bring you with me.”

This time Her heart wouldn’t permit any reply. It wasn’t needed because he already felt her grief knowing this time wasn’t for twelve weeks, but eternity.

However, she knew he would once again return to take her away with him.

Now she only waits for that to happen.