“Well, you know… if you’re not going out with anyone else.”
“Oh, I see.”
There was a long pause while he waited for her to add anything to this, but she didn’t, so he screwed up his courage, and, knowing that he was inviting a direct snub and refusal, said, “Well, do you think you could?”
She still tried to make him pay for causing a bother on the telephone by appearing to be dense. “Could I… what?”
“Could you come out with me? I—I thought we might do a movie and have dinner somewhere.”
“I can’t waste my money on movies,” she said shortly. “But this is my treat. I—I’m inviting you…”
“Oh.”
There was another long pause, then he said, “What would you like to see? There’s a good movie at the Empire… Spencer Tracy.”
“I don’t think I can go to a movie,” she said, a gentler note in her voice. “I’m busy tomorrow.”
It was his turn to say “Oh” now.