Those Angstrom Men!. by Edwina J White Read Free Book Online Page B

jeans and pullover and run out to pick up a pint of milk.”
    “That could be a nuisance,” admitted Amanda.
    “And what about meeting friends?” said Linda thoughtfully. “If you were being followed by the paparazzi all the time, you couldn’t meet your friends like this for lunch, could you?”
    Maggie, alert after the ambush by those paparazzi Friday outside Cartier, spied the photographers coming in the door before they spied her.
    “I think I’m going to have a chocolate mousse,” she said and buried her head in the menu.
    She peeked out. The two tabloid reporters had scanned the room, not seen her and walked back out the door. She lowered the menu.
    “Do you have time for that?” asked Amanda. “I think we have to get back to work.”
    “Yes, you’re right. I might make my boyfriend one tonight instead...he loves to feed me chocolate.”
    “Still going out with the same chap, Maggie?” asked Elizabeth. “The one who takes you to the Savoy Grill?”
    “Yes, I am,” she smiled. “I had dinner with his family last night. His parents are very nice, and he has a hunky single brother as well.”
    “Oh, what does his brother do?” Amanda was definitely interested.
    “He’s an engineer.”
    “How old?”
    “Twenty eight or twenty nine.”
    “If you ever want to double date, I’d be available,” Amanda said.
    “Just because he has a good job?”
    “Good job and a wealthy family, a girl’s got to think of the future, you know.”
    Maggie grabbed the check.  “My treat, girls. I got a raise.”
    They parted ways outside the bistro. It was raining, just a slight drizzle.
    Maggie saw the reporters across the street before they saw her. She put her umbrella up and angled it so that it blocked their view and hurried to the magazine offices.
    At tea that afternoon, Helen mentioned the same picture that had caught Amanda’s eye.
    “I wonder who the lucky woman is?”
    “Probably someone quite ordinary,” said Maggie.
    She was very glad she’d forgiven Ian. If this barrage of questions was how he’d lived for the two years, the poor man….   
    Perhaps they could take a long break to Devon...it was quiet in Devon.
    It was the first place they’d made love, Devon.
    “Oh, no,” said Susan. “She’d have to be very special. I mean , look at all the beautiful girls he dates.”
    Maggie glanced up.
    Oh, no, there was a photographer at the door to the canteen. Where could she hide? She dropped her spoon and bent down.
    She could see the man’s legs under the table. He walked back out the door. She sat up again.
    This was getting ridiculous!
    She called Ian from her mobile when she was back in her office.
    “Hello, Maggie mine, how are you, baby?”
    “Being followed, Ian. There were two photographers at the bistro at lunchtime, and one just popped into the staff canteen while I was having tea. I managed to hide both times, but...”
    “Oh, baby, I’m so sorry. I can and will put security in the office lobby, so that will stop a repeat of the canteen business, but...the engagement announcement will be in the paper Friday. We’ll have a flurry, and then they’ll leave us alone.”
    “Maybe we shouldn’t announce the engagement, Ian? Maybe we should just wait until we’re married and then announce that. You won’t be an eligible bachelor then, and perhaps they’ll leave us alone.”
    “Good thinking, I’ll tell Mom and Dad.”
    “I might make chocolate mousse tonight, Ian.”
    “I love chocolate mousse, Maggie mine... I may paint you with that chocolate mousse and lick it off you, like I did last week with the strawberry mousse you made then.”
    “I was rather hoping you’d want to do that, Ian.”
    The next morning Amanda noticed Ian Angstrom looked very happy and satisfied with himself and the world in general.
    “Good morning, Mr. Angstrom.”
    “Good morning, Amanda. You’re looking very pretty this morning.”
    Oh, wow, he’d finally noticed her!
    “Oh, do you think so,