“Alan!” called his wife as she saw him standing there, briefcase in hand. She sat up suddenly, and seemed to draw back just a little from the girl—for, indeed, they had been rather close. “Come on in and meet Melissa,” she continued smoothly. The two women stood, smiling, as Alan jerked out of his thoughts and hurried over.
“It’s nice to finally meet you, Alan,” the girl said with polite formality. Beaming, she stuck out her slim white hand. Yes, she was very pretty; he could not help but notice… “Janet’s told me so much about you already.”
“Well,” Alan recovered quickly with a sideways smile, “I’m sure we’ll get along fine anyway.” He shifted his briefcase to his left and shook her cool hand, feeling her grip pleasurably firm. “Melissa,” he said, nodding into her great dark eyes.
Alan
