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or make you untouchable. You could sacrifice all your principles and have nothing left
except the certainty that the man you worshiped felt justified to treat you like a fast-
food plate."
"A fast-food plate?"
"Something you use to feed yourself from and then throw away."
"Nan!"
"Well, it's true," the black girl said firmly. "You won't catch me risking my life or
my health for the sake of a romantic one-night stand. Not me. I'm saving it all up for
one lucky man who's going to thank God daily, on his knees, that I waited just for
him." She leaned close. "That's romantic."
Shelly grimaced. "You have this nasty way of making me feel like pond scum."
Nan frowned. "Speaking of pond scum, where's Pete?"
"He got on the plane just behind you," Shelly said, chuckling. "Shame on you for
calling him that."
"But he is pond scum," the other woman said seriously. "He seduced one of the
freshman girls and then wouldn't have a thing to do with her the next day."
"You're right. He is pond scum!" Shelly exclaimed.
"So are a lot of other men, whispering sweet nothings so that they can have their
way."
"Not all of them," Shelly said miserably. "There are men who feel protective
toward women with no sense of self-preservation."
"So that's why he looked like that last night," Nan mused dryly.
"How did he look?"
"Frustrated. Confused. Puzzled. Delighted," she added softly. "The way he looked
at you when you didn't see him!" She sighed. "Oh, Shelly. If you'd had another week
together, there would have been wedding bells."
"I'm afraid not. He doesn't want to get married." "What man does?"
Shelly closed her eyes. "Well, it doesn't matter, does it? Spring break is over and
I'll never see him again."
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"He knows that you go to Thorn College," Nan remarked. "And he lives in D.C.,
too."
"It won't matter." Shelly said it with conviction, but deep inside, she hoped she was
wrong... The semester was finally over, and Shelly went home to sweat out her grades
until the registrar notified her on what they were. She felt pretty confident about her
subjects, but she always worried.
"Darling, must you wear that dress?" her mother muttered.
"It's perfectly respectable..."
"It's so old-fashioned, Shelly," Mrs. Astor replied, glaring at the deep blue velvet
gown that covered Shelly from neck to toes, except where it dipped seductively in the
back.
Tonia Astor wore a black silk dress that flattered her still-youthful body, helping
the contrast between her naturally black hair and its streak of pure silver. She looked
elegant and chic, which she was. Shelly despaired of ever having her mother's
unshakable poise at society gatherings.
The Astors were giving a gala party tonight in honor of a new president at one of
the banks where Bart Astor was a member of the board of directors. Shelly had been
persuaded into helping her mother hostess. She had no excuse, because she wasn't
going to attend summer semester at the school.
"You've just been on holiday," her mother reminded her. "This is just a small get-
together, darling. You'll enjoy yourself. It's time you stopped this silly college idea
and got married. Charles is a delightful man, very settled and influential."
"Charles is a bore. He likes to quote stock averages to me."
"He's settled," her mother repeated.
"He should be, he lives with his mother."
"Shelly, really! Oh, there's Ted."
Her mother moved away, dragging Shelly with her across the crowded room where
a full orchestra was playing. With her upswept salon coiffure and discreet but
expensive sapphire choker and matching bracelet, Shelly's subdued elegance matched
the tone of the party.
"Ted Dumaris," Tonia exclaimed, taking both his hands in hers. "So nice to see you
again!" she added, totally unaware of Shelly's shocked expression and sudden panic as
a tall, dark-haired man with a familiar thin brunette in tow made their way through the
crowd to Antonia Astor and Shelly. "And is this the daughter you were telling me
about?" she exclaimed with enthusiasm.
"Yes, this is my Marie and her...our...friend, Faulkner Scott. This is Antonia
Astor."
Faulkner's expression was faintly curious. He hadn't seen Shelly, standing just to
the side and behind her mother. He was obviously connecting the name.
"How lovely of you to have invited us," Marie Shelly closed her eyes. "Well, it
doesn't matter, does it? Spring break is over and I'll never see him again."
"He knows that you go to Thorn College," Nan remarked. "And he lives in D.C.,
too."
"It won't matter." Shelly said it with conviction, but deep inside, she hoped she was
wrong...
The semester was finally over, and Shelly went home to sweat out her grades until the
registrar notified her on what they were. She felt pretty confident about her subjects,
but she always worried.
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Calamity Mum by Diana Palmer
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"Darling, must you wear that dress?" her mother muttered.
"It's perfectly respectable..."
"It's so old-fashioned, Shelly," Mrs. Astor replied, glaring at the deep blue velvet
gown that covered Shelly from neck to toes, except where it dipped seductively in the
back.
Tonia Astor wore a black silk dress that flattered her still-youthful body, helping
the contrast between her naturally black hair and its streak of pure silver. She looked
elegant and chic, which she was. Shelly despaired of ever having her mother's
unshakable poise at society gatherings.
The Astors were giving a gala party tonight in honor of a new president at one of
the banks where Bart Astor was a member of the board of directors. Shelly had been
persuaded into helping her mother hostess. She had no excuse, because she wasn't
going to attend summer semester at the school.
"You've just been on holiday," her mother reminded her. "This is just a small get-
together, darling. You'll enjoy yourself. It's time you stopped this silly college idea
and got married. Charles is a delightful man, very settled and influential."
"Charles is a bore. He likes to quote stock averages to me."
"He's settled," her mother repeated.
"He should be, he lives with his mother."
"Shelly, really! Oh, there's Ted."
Her mother moved away, dragging Shelly with her across the crowded room where
a full orchestra was playing. With her upswept salon coiffure and discreet but
expensive sapphire choker and matching bracelet, Shelly's subdued elegance matched
the tone of the party.
"Ted Dumaris," Tonia exclaimed, taking both his hands in hers. "So nice to see you
again!" she added, totally unaware of Shelly's shocked expression and sudden panic as
a tall, dark-haired man with a familiar thin brunette in tow made their way through the
crowd to Antonia Astor and Shelly. "And is this the daughter you were telling me
about?" she exclaimed with enthusiasm.
"Yes, this is my Marie and her...our...friend, Faulkner Scott. This is Antonia
Astor."
Faulkner's expression was faintly curious. He hadn't seen Shelly, standing just to
the side and behind her mother. He was obviously connecting the name.
"How lovely of you to have invited us," Marie was gushing to Antonia. "I adore
your home. So impressive!"
Shelly wasn't impressed. Marie's fawning made her nauseous. And seeing Faulkner
again wasn't helping.
"Where's Shelly? Oh, there you are, darling, do come and be introduced. She's a
college freshman, you know, at twenty-four! We were absolutely horrified...!"
Her mother rambled on, but Shelly wasn't listening to the explanations or
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