_Moving Pictures Excerpt #1
The heroine, Magda, meets her first love, Del.
___A week later I was straightening up the counter at The Hat Shop when I was interrupted by the bells jingling on the door. When I looked up, I saw him. I tried to remain calm as was required in my position as a salesgirl, however, I think I may have become quite red.
“Hello.” He began quite simply.
“May I help you sir?”
“I’m looking for a hat,” he stated looking around at our small supply of ready-made hats. “For my sister,” he added.
“We have these few here that are ready made. However, we generally take custom orders. Did you have a particular style in mind.”
As I walked over to the display stand, I felt his eyes following me closely and he followed directly.
“No, I have no thing in mind.” He fingered the hat on the lowest hook. I hardly dared look him in the face. He was so handsome, and uncomfortably near. He looked at me eagerly, seeming almost as nervous as myself. “My name is Del Wolham. Del.”
Flustered, I looked up at him. Yet I still controlled my well-bred manners. “It’s nice to meet you Mr. Wolham. You may call me Miss Santoya.”
“Santoya . . . that is a Spanish name then? They told me you were Dolores’s cousin, but you look so dissimilar.” I am afraid my face flushed red then. I turned away, meaning to put space between us by means of the counter top.
Del Wolham lightly took my elbow so that I couldn’t escape. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be so forward, but I’ve been running in to you for months now and I just had to know who you were.”
“I’m s-s-sorry,” I stammered for no reason at all.
“I saw that you worked here and thought I might be able to introduce myself this way. If I knew where to find your parents, I would introduce myself properly.”
I looked at him then and burst out laughing. He looked so earnest. Bringing my parents into this awkward situation just made it that much more ridiculous. He laughed with me, not quite knowing what to make of my reaction.
“I’m sorry,” this time I meant it. “Let me try again. My name is Magda Santoya.” I felt more confident after my outburst. I gave him a slight curtsy by way of acknowledging our acquaintance.
He bowed as well, then leaned over, took my hand and kissed it. “I’m glad to meet you Miss Santoya. Which hat would you say is your favorite?” He turned again to the hat display.
He must have heard, what I had heard. Footsteps approaching the door between the rooms.
“Do you need any help Miss Santoya?” Miss Tanner asked kindly. She looked at both myself and Mr. Wolham with more than a little anxiety. I assured her that we were getting along fine and after another thorough look at the two of us, she returned to the back room. I knew that she and Miss Jennifer were working on a large order for the Follies company that was in town.
“Which hat is your favorite?” He asked again.
“I like the maroon with the feather,” I answered pointing to a hat Miss Jennifer had made the week before.
“I will take that one.”
Disconcerted once again by his manner, I took the hat and returned to the counter. I wrapped the hat in a nice fitting box and then filled out the bill of sale. He stood behind the counter directly opposite me next to the till. Had he meant to embarrass and fluster me, he could not have chosen a better position.
“That will be five dollars and twenty five cents.”
He pulled out a billfold from his inner pocket and handed me six dollars. As I was making change, he began, “I see that the store closes soon. I would dearly love to take you to and early dinner.”
“I’m sorry?” Again with the apology instead of a proper sentence.
“I know I’m being terribly forward, but I’ve been trying to find a way to talk to you for weeks.” I turned away in embarrassment at the compliment. “I know its not proper etiquette and all, but I’d really like to get to know you.”
“I . . . I . . .,” I stammered unsensibly.
“Okay, you’re right, tonight is too soon. And we wouldn’t even have a decent chaperone.” He spoke as if he could read my mind. Maybe he read my face, but from the way he looked around, his eyes settling on nothing, I don’t think that was the case.
“How about luncheon? Next week? Say Tuesday?” He asked.
“Well,” I hesitated, “I believe I can’t . . .”
He interrupted me, “Perhaps Dolores would consent to chaperone if you are so hesitant.” He looked away, quite embarrassed himself. “Although, I don’t know that she would make the most responsible of chaperones.”
Here I burst out laughing again. The idea of Dolores being responsible for any girl’s safe-keeping was absurd. The awkward nervousness of the situation overcame us and we both laughed heartily. When I got my breath back, I answered him. “Its not a chaperone that I need. I can’t go on a Tuesday because that is one of the days I work here.”
The surprise in his face made him look at once very genuine and even more handsome. “Is that all? Then why not Wednesday.”
I did want to meet him, but then inappropriateness of the situation was not easily overcome. However, I did run away from home to be my own person and in this case it meant stepping out with a gentleman that my parents might never know or approve of. So, after some hesitation, I accepted.
“Luncheon it is then,” he beamed. “I’ll pick you up at. . .:”
This time I interrupted him. “Why don’t we meet on the corner of 7th and Los Angeles?”
His face, flushed with happy smile, made me a bit woozy. Or perhaps it was the strangeness of the situation I had just got myself into. “I will see you next Wednesday at 11:30 at the corner of 7th Street and Los Angeles Street.” He bowed to me slightly and walked to the door.
“Mr. Wolham, you’re package.” I called out after him.
His hand on the door, he turned to look at me. “Call me Del. That package is for you.” With that he left. He left me holding a nicely wrapped hat and a mouth hanging open in a most uncharming fashion.
“Hello.” He began quite simply.
“May I help you sir?”
“I’m looking for a hat,” he stated looking around at our small supply of ready-made hats. “For my sister,” he added.
“We have these few here that are ready made. However, we generally take custom orders. Did you have a particular style in mind.”
As I walked over to the display stand, I felt his eyes following me closely and he followed directly.
“No, I have no thing in mind.” He fingered the hat on the lowest hook. I hardly dared look him in the face. He was so handsome, and uncomfortably near. He looked at me eagerly, seeming almost as nervous as myself. “My name is Del Wolham. Del.”
Flustered, I looked up at him. Yet I still controlled my well-bred manners. “It’s nice to meet you Mr. Wolham. You may call me Miss Santoya.”
“Santoya . . . that is a Spanish name then? They told me you were Dolores’s cousin, but you look so dissimilar.” I am afraid my face flushed red then. I turned away, meaning to put space between us by means of the counter top.
Del Wolham lightly took my elbow so that I couldn’t escape. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be so forward, but I’ve been running in to you for months now and I just had to know who you were.”
“I’m s-s-sorry,” I stammered for no reason at all.
“I saw that you worked here and thought I might be able to introduce myself this way. If I knew where to find your parents, I would introduce myself properly.”
I looked at him then and burst out laughing. He looked so earnest. Bringing my parents into this awkward situation just made it that much more ridiculous. He laughed with me, not quite knowing what to make of my reaction.
“I’m sorry,” this time I meant it. “Let me try again. My name is Magda Santoya.” I felt more confident after my outburst. I gave him a slight curtsy by way of acknowledging our acquaintance.
He bowed as well, then leaned over, took my hand and kissed it. “I’m glad to meet you Miss Santoya. Which hat would you say is your favorite?” He turned again to the hat display.
He must have heard, what I had heard. Footsteps approaching the door between the rooms.
“Do you need any help Miss Santoya?” Miss Tanner asked kindly. She looked at both myself and Mr. Wolham with more than a little anxiety. I assured her that we were getting along fine and after another thorough look at the two of us, she returned to the back room. I knew that she and Miss Jennifer were working on a large order for the Follies company that was in town.
“Which hat is your favorite?” He asked again.
“I like the maroon with the feather,” I answered pointing to a hat Miss Jennifer had made the week before.
“I will take that one.”
Disconcerted once again by his manner, I took the hat and returned to the counter. I wrapped the hat in a nice fitting box and then filled out the bill of sale. He stood behind the counter directly opposite me next to the till. Had he meant to embarrass and fluster me, he could not have chosen a better position.
“That will be five dollars and twenty five cents.”
He pulled out a billfold from his inner pocket and handed me six dollars. As I was making change, he began, “I see that the store closes soon. I would dearly love to take you to and early dinner.”
“I’m sorry?” Again with the apology instead of a proper sentence.
“I know I’m being terribly forward, but I’ve been trying to find a way to talk to you for weeks.” I turned away in embarrassment at the compliment. “I know its not proper etiquette and all, but I’d really like to get to know you.”
“I . . . I . . .,” I stammered unsensibly.
“Okay, you’re right, tonight is too soon. And we wouldn’t even have a decent chaperone.” He spoke as if he could read my mind. Maybe he read my face, but from the way he looked around, his eyes settling on nothing, I don’t think that was the case.
“How about luncheon? Next week? Say Tuesday?” He asked.
“Well,” I hesitated, “I believe I can’t . . .”
He interrupted me, “Perhaps Dolores would consent to chaperone if you are so hesitant.” He looked away, quite embarrassed himself. “Although, I don’t know that she would make the most responsible of chaperones.”
Here I burst out laughing again. The idea of Dolores being responsible for any girl’s safe-keeping was absurd. The awkward nervousness of the situation overcame us and we both laughed heartily. When I got my breath back, I answered him. “Its not a chaperone that I need. I can’t go on a Tuesday because that is one of the days I work here.”
The surprise in his face made him look at once very genuine and even more handsome. “Is that all? Then why not Wednesday.”
I did want to meet him, but then inappropriateness of the situation was not easily overcome. However, I did run away from home to be my own person and in this case it meant stepping out with a gentleman that my parents might never know or approve of. So, after some hesitation, I accepted.
“Luncheon it is then,” he beamed. “I’ll pick you up at. . .:”
This time I interrupted him. “Why don’t we meet on the corner of 7th and Los Angeles?”
His face, flushed with happy smile, made me a bit woozy. Or perhaps it was the strangeness of the situation I had just got myself into. “I will see you next Wednesday at 11:30 at the corner of 7th Street and Los Angeles Street.” He bowed to me slightly and walked to the door.
“Mr. Wolham, you’re package.” I called out after him.
His hand on the door, he turned to look at me. “Call me Del. That package is for you.” With that he left. He left me holding a nicely wrapped hat and a mouth hanging open in a most uncharming fashion.