tiny apartment. A flowered scarf draped over the top of the worn dresser hid most of the scratches. She'd arranged their combs and brushes side by side. Placing their toiletries together had seemed so intimate, and she'd flushed at the idea of being alone with Frank now, for al time.
Their clothes were neatly hung in the wide wardrobe. She had picked a few flowers from the back of the garage, certain that Mrs. Sul ivan wouldn't miss them at al . Sitting in a can she'd covered with a piece of tinfoil, they brightened the round table that would serve for their meals.
The door opened and Frank entered, the noon sun silhouetting him in the doorway. "My, this is a pleasant sight for a man. To come into his house and find a pretty woman waiting for him."
He shrugged out of his suit coat. "You are pleased, Frank?" she asked. "We were right to move here?"
He kissed her. "Yes. Now, let's eat the sandwiches I brought home. I have to get back before long."
She showed him the cupboard under the sink where they could store their dry goods. "And we can squeeze an icebox in that corner once we buy one. I don't mind shopping every day until then. I'll have something to do."
She walked back with him after lunch, first careful y locking the apartment door. At the shop, he leaned down to kiss her but she jumped nimbly away. "Too many people, Frank," she murmured.
He laughed and patted her cheek. "I didn't know I'd married such a prude."
She pouted. "We're married now, Frank. We can't be making a scene in public."
A week after their move, she ventured into his father's grocery store. Rebecca and Clara were stocking shelves. Rebecca immediately ran over to Marian, hugging her around the waist.
"Leave her be," Clara said, pushing Rebecca away with an apologetic glance at Marian. "She's only been gone a week."
"Rebecca, go in the back room and sort those boxes that came in." Mr. Robertson's voice was harsh, and Marian's heart sank. She didn't want him angry with her, too.
But his smile was warm when he turned to her. "Settling in al right?"
She nodded. "We want you and Mrs. Robertson to come for supper soon."
"We'll let you have a few more weeks to settle in," he said. "Let me get you some groceries for now."
He wouldn't take her money. "No, Marian. You don't have to tel Frank, though." He gave her a big wink. "Our secret."
That night, Frank dropped into the easy chair Mrs. Sul ivan had unearthed in the attic. She'd sent furniture over to the smal apartment until Marian had reminded her the place wasn't that big.
"Thank you very much," she'd added. "Your furniture has made the apartment so homey."
She kissed the top of Frank's forehead. "Tired?"
He nodded. "The longest day ever. Not a single customer bought anything, Marian, but I swear everyone in town came to browse. I put shoes on little boys' feet al afternoon and helped three young guys try on suits.
Must al be tired of their threadbare outfits and wanted to see what they could look like. I almost told one of
'em to leave but Fred said anyone can come in. Never know who might buy."
He rol ed his head and Marian rubbed his neck. He leaned back against her hands with a sigh.
"Sure could've used you when I traveled the roads. Some nights, I could hardly sleep, I was so sore. Trying shoes on people is harder work, though."
She continued to rub his neck. Supper would keep, and he was in a talkative mood. "Frank, what do you want to do? I mean, do you plan to sel shoes and suits your whole life?"
"Not at al . I'm going to have my own business, first one shop and then two, and pretty soon, shops al over the country. Then you and I can just sit and watch the money fal in."
He pul ed her around until she was sitting on his lap. "And we're going to make it happen before we're too old to enjoy it."
He kissed her and started to unbutton her dress. "Supper wil get cold," she said but her words lacked conviction.
He successful y unfastened the last button and slipped the dress
Their clothes were neatly hung in the wide wardrobe. She had picked a few flowers from the back of the garage, certain that Mrs. Sul ivan wouldn't miss them at al . Sitting in a can she'd covered with a piece of tinfoil, they brightened the round table that would serve for their meals.
The door opened and Frank entered, the noon sun silhouetting him in the doorway. "My, this is a pleasant sight for a man. To come into his house and find a pretty woman waiting for him."
He shrugged out of his suit coat. "You are pleased, Frank?" she asked. "We were right to move here?"
He kissed her. "Yes. Now, let's eat the sandwiches I brought home. I have to get back before long."
She showed him the cupboard under the sink where they could store their dry goods. "And we can squeeze an icebox in that corner once we buy one. I don't mind shopping every day until then. I'll have something to do."
She walked back with him after lunch, first careful y locking the apartment door. At the shop, he leaned down to kiss her but she jumped nimbly away. "Too many people, Frank," she murmured.
He laughed and patted her cheek. "I didn't know I'd married such a prude."
She pouted. "We're married now, Frank. We can't be making a scene in public."
A week after their move, she ventured into his father's grocery store. Rebecca and Clara were stocking shelves. Rebecca immediately ran over to Marian, hugging her around the waist.
"Leave her be," Clara said, pushing Rebecca away with an apologetic glance at Marian. "She's only been gone a week."
"Rebecca, go in the back room and sort those boxes that came in." Mr. Robertson's voice was harsh, and Marian's heart sank. She didn't want him angry with her, too.
But his smile was warm when he turned to her. "Settling in al right?"
She nodded. "We want you and Mrs. Robertson to come for supper soon."
"We'll let you have a few more weeks to settle in," he said. "Let me get you some groceries for now."
He wouldn't take her money. "No, Marian. You don't have to tel Frank, though." He gave her a big wink. "Our secret."
That night, Frank dropped into the easy chair Mrs. Sul ivan had unearthed in the attic. She'd sent furniture over to the smal apartment until Marian had reminded her the place wasn't that big.
"Thank you very much," she'd added. "Your furniture has made the apartment so homey."
She kissed the top of Frank's forehead. "Tired?"
He nodded. "The longest day ever. Not a single customer bought anything, Marian, but I swear everyone in town came to browse. I put shoes on little boys' feet al afternoon and helped three young guys try on suits.
Must al be tired of their threadbare outfits and wanted to see what they could look like. I almost told one of
'em to leave but Fred said anyone can come in. Never know who might buy."
He rol ed his head and Marian rubbed his neck. He leaned back against her hands with a sigh.
"Sure could've used you when I traveled the roads. Some nights, I could hardly sleep, I was so sore. Trying shoes on people is harder work, though."
She continued to rub his neck. Supper would keep, and he was in a talkative mood. "Frank, what do you want to do? I mean, do you plan to sel shoes and suits your whole life?"
"Not at al . I'm going to have my own business, first one shop and then two, and pretty soon, shops al over the country. Then you and I can just sit and watch the money fal in."
He pul ed her around until she was sitting on his lap. "And we're going to make it happen before we're too old to enjoy it."
He kissed her and started to unbutton her dress. "Supper wil get cold," she said but her words lacked conviction.
He successful y unfastened the last button and slipped the dress
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