LLP-467 The Watching Husband by Author Unknown


Chapter 1


"Damn ...," Kate thought, fishing in the pocket of her uniform. "Where 
did that pencil go? That's the third one I've lost tonight!" A lock of 
her strawberry blonde hair fell forward into her eyes and her hand went 
up to her forehead to push it back impatiently. She fished in the bowl 
of pencils at the serving counter and pulled out a freshly sharpened 
one, trying to recall which type of dressing Mr. Dagon had just said he 
wanted on his salad.

Oh, yes, she remembered ... just plain oil and vinegar ... that was 
what he always wanted.

With a sigh she marked it down on her pad and headed toward the kitchen 
with the order. Her feet hurt and she thought she was just about to 
pass out from fatigue. It had been a rough Saturday night ... and it 
seemed as if she had waited on thousands of finicky customers at 
Alfie's Steak House. Well, she thought ... at least her tips had been 
good ... almost fifteen dollars that night. And that would be a big 
help toward the rent! After Mr. Dagon had finished, she would be able 
to go home to Tim at last.

As she waited at the counted for the very rare steak that Dagon had 
ordered, her thoughts wandered ... she could see Dagon's neat, 
elegantly clothed figure from where she stood. He was calmly sipping 
his martini, and occasionally he would cast a glance in her direction. 
But Kate knew it was not a look of impatience he was giving her ... he 
never seemed to mind if he had to wait. She knew that he found her 
attractive ... he had told her so several times ... but always in such 
a manner that she couldn't really get insulted or feel as though he was 
taking advantage of her. Even though she had told him that she was 
married ... and newly married at that, he had still continued to let 
his admiration for her be known. She could count on seeing him at the 
same table almost every evening around 9:30 ... and she had come to 
look forward to seeing him. He was so little trouble ... and never 
failed to tip her five dollars ... and some nights even ten. And it all 
came in very handy since Tim still hadn't found a job.

Worry crossed Kate's pert features as she wondered how long it would be 
before Tim found something that suited him. She knew that he could do 
just about anything he set his mind to ... if only he would set his 
mind! She had tried only the night before to persuade him that taking 
the job that had been offered him as a car salesman would not be the 
kind of thing he would have to do forever. His writing was bound to pay 
off one day if he kept it up! But he had insisted that he couldn't go 
out and be a car salesman by day, with all that that entailed ... and 
come home and write at night. Kate guessed that he was right She 
supposed it would be hard to do that ... but then, she thought ... this 
is hard for me to do too!

She was trying to be open about it ... "modern" ... there was no reason 
why a wife shouldn't help out by working in times of need But 
sometimes, like now when she was tired, the whole thing started to get 
to her. Especially when her mother called and brought up the subject.


End of Page 1. See llp-467.txt for full story.