“I thought you were anxious to talk with her.”
“I am.”
She laughed. “You’ve taken planes and dashed across the country in order to have this conference, and now you’re sitting around doing nothing.”
“That’s right.”
“I don’t understand it.”
“I’m waiting for Bertha to cool off.”
“Do you think she will? Don’t you think she’ll get more angry than ever?”
“She’s so mad right now she could eat a dish of ten-penny nails without cream or sugar. She’s also curious. Curiosity persists until it’s satisfied. Rage dies down after a while. That’s the secret of dealing with Bertha. Want the funny paper?”
Her laugh was low and nervous. “Not now,” she said. “What’s this?”
She bent forward to read a paragraph in the paper I was holding. I could feel her hair brush against mine.