Draw Me A Picture Read Online Free Page A

weaving among them in the opposite direction as William and his mother. Though no one followed her, she did not stop running until she reached the Waldorf’s back alley. Samuel was not on duty, and Michelle was glad of it; she knew she appeared distraught and didn’t feel like explaining herself at the moment.
    It was not until she’d reached the sanctuary of her room that Michelle fully realized what had taken place. Collapsing on the floor, she caught her breath and began sobbing. Her behavior stuck out as appalling; making a scene was not in her nature, let alone running away like a spoiled child. Michelle felt mortified, in the ultimate sense of the word. Not only did she yell and throw money at the man she’d been hoping to impress, but his mother was there to witness her unhinged behavior. Well, she knew that if William was wondering whether or not she was mental, he knew what to think now.
    Hanging her head, Michelle allowed her tears to flow unchecked.
    “Oh... my... stars. I’m such an idiot,” she said, pressing her fists against her forehead. William wouldn’t want anything to do with her now, she was sure of it, and she’d only just found out his name. Sighing, Michelle wiped her eyes on the corner of her coat. Staring at the edge of the worn garment, she decided to take off her things; she carefully put them away and started the water going in the shower. She got out a towel automatically and stepped into the bathroom. Letting hot water pour over her Michelle was assailed by sobering thoughts.
    She knew she couldn’t go back there; sitting at the same corner would be unwise. Thanks to her brave effort at being seen he blue-eyed man was aware of her presence. If she went back he might yell at her for scaring his mother, or something. Even if he said, or did, nothing, Michelle knew she wouldn’t be able to bear him passing by each day knowing she’d so royally screwed up her chance at making a good first impression.
    “Ah well,” she thought, her eyes shut. “It’s not like he would’ve asked me out anyway. I’ll find another corner.” Enshrined in melancholy, Michelle sank down to the floor. “Hopefully, he’ll forget all about me.”
    She sat in the shower for a long time.
     
     
     
     
    BEHIND HIS mahogany desk William Montgomery stared out the windows of his office. He did not really see the splendid view outside. A pensive look marred his features; his blue eyes appeared troubled. Neat piles of papers sat on his desk, unnoticed. The altercation with the pretty street artist at lunch bothered him and he couldn’t escape the urge to do something.
    Like most people would have been he was startled by the girl’s outburst, but her look of embarrassment struck him like an arrow. For the entire lunch hour following his mother had done nothing but say she hoped the young woman was alright, where was her family, etc; she was mortified that they might have inadvertently caused the “poor girl” additional suffering. She wondered if the girl really had gone to Stanford and if so, what was she doing selling drawings on the street. After seeing his mother to a cab, William returned to the corner; the girl was nowhere to be found.
    Standing, William walked over to a window and stood, his hands clasped behind his back. Grimly, he pondered why he’d assumed the young woman was homeless. The idea apparently insulted her. To be sure she was sitting on the street, but she wasn’t panhandling; her clothes were worn but they were clean and she did look as though she took care of herself. Perhaps it was her jobless condition; once she admitted she’d seen him each day, it was easy to draw the conclusion that the girl was otherwise unemployed. Maybe it was just her stained, drooping hat.
    William smiled, recalling the girl’s lovely eyes looking up from under the brim of it. The sky might as well have opened, and poured a single ray of sunlight down on her face. Though slight, the young woman possessed