"Saundra"

"Hi. I was glad to bump into you last night…"

"Me too. I have the scoop on the weekend."

"That's why I'm calling. I have to work on that presentation I was telling you about this weekend."

"What's going on?"

"My boss wants to have an all-hands brainstorming session on Saturday and then the whole group is supposed to go to dinner and then meet again on Sunday to finish things up."

"Oh."

"Yeah, it was just decided and there's no way I can beg off."

"Well that's too bad."

"I'll call you on Monday. Oh Bob, I'm so disappointed."

"Me too. There will be other times. Take care.

"Bye."

"Bye."

I was disappointed.

I didn't feel like working too much and I decided to take a walk.

I had no particular destination in mind.

"Where are you going?" Ann asked as I walked past her on my way out.

"I am taking a walk. I'll be back." I snapped.

I walked out of the building and headed over toward Fifth Avenue and found myself at Bergdorf's. I thumbed my way through some sale ties and wound up buying a shirt. I saw that it was a few minutes before twelve and I headed back to my office. Ann said that there was only one message. The inn in Litchfield had called to find out if I wanted a reservation for Sunday brunch which, Ann said, they said, sells out.

I told Ann to call them back and cancel the reservation. She looked puzzled. I explained that Saundra-"that's the girl you saw me with"-had called earlier to advise that she had to work this weekend. "Oh I'm sorry" Ann said. Then she brightened. "I'll take care of it-I'll take care of everything."

I returned to my office, leaving the door opened and watched Ann at her desk. Ann knew that I was watching her. Today Ann had come to work wearing a tight navy skirt hemmed above her knee. She was wearing a cream colored blouse buttoned to the neck. As Ann was on the phone, I saw that she was absently tweaking the nipple on her right breast with her left hand. As her nipple stiffened, I experienced a sympathetic reaction.