Excerpt: ...to picture her as tremulous and awed, hanging on his words and flattering him, but he couldn't believe it. She probably wouldn't notice him any more than now. There was nothing he could do to impress her. He had thought Mona had poise, but now he saw that her manner was just an inadequate carbon copy of a completely spontaneous original. The woman, Sheila, managed to be poised, aloof, and yet friendly to everyone, simultaneously warm and unattainable. He desired to be bitingly rude. That, at least, would make ...
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Excerpt: ...to picture her as tremulous and awed, hanging on his words and flattering him, but he couldn't believe it. She probably wouldn't notice him any more than now. There was nothing he could do to impress her. He had thought Mona had poise, but now he saw that her manner was just an inadequate carbon copy of a completely spontaneous original. The woman, Sheila, managed to be poised, aloof, and yet friendly to everyone, simultaneously warm and unattainable. He desired to be bitingly rude. That, at least, would make her admit that he existed. She was smiling at that ridiculous little fat man again. He drained his glass and, completely unnoticed, left the party. Nobody would miss him, he was sure. Outside in the corridor, Roy Pierce, his assistant, was engaged in conversation with two young men and two girls. "There he is now," he heard Pierce say. And one of the young men came toward him laughing. "Is it true that this lunatic cannot go and make up with the lady of his heart because she has had him banned? If we all try to smuggle him in
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