Free Ice Cream Man by Melody Lane Page A

she quickly measured from midpoint of his back and shoulders down to one of his wrists. An estimate was all she could do. She held up the tape measure to the back of his neck and made a guess as to what his neck size was. And fortunately for Janice, she had done this enough that she was an expert at deduction.
    By the time he turned around to her, she had already dropped the tape measure on the end table. She smiled at him. “I’m going downstairs to my shop for awhile. Call me when you’re ready for a run-through of your lines.”
    “Will do.” He grinned and leaned down to kiss her.
    Janice put her hands around his neck as they kissed. Instead of enjoying his luscious lips against hers, she was just confirming the neck measurement guess with her fingers. She was all set for now. “Good luck, sweetie.”
    She waved to him, then left her apartment for the shop. It didn’t take long at all to find the bolt of aqua silk in her sewing room. All her blues were placed together and there it was. Just like at a fabric store.
    Creating the pattern pieces first in her head, then on the tissue in front of her, she cut them out and pinned them together on the beautiful fabric. That was definitely the hardest part. Her sharp scissors took precise care of each piece as the body, sleeves, cuffs and collar took shape.
    She glanced at the clock — it had already been two hours. Then the phone rang.
    She had so much left to do, but tried to sound upbeat. “Hi Antonio. Ready?”
    “Ready as I’ll ever be. What are you doing?”
    “Working,” She smiled. “Always working.”
    “It will be worth it someday. You’re too talented not to make it. Can you come up here and help me now?”
    For the next hour, they ran over the scene, again and again until he knew it perfectly. Janice was astounded at how well he did so quickly. Antonio definitely had a combination of presence and talent that radiated from him in abundance when he was in character. And his smile? That million dollar smile of his would make any woman’s panties wet. It certainly did it for her. Janice hoped the people evaluating Antonio would see what she did in him. How could they not? They were the professionals.
    Antonio shook his head. “I think we’d better call it a night. I plan on getting up early to run through it a time or two again before I get dressed.”
    “Okay.” Janice wrinkled up her nose. “Go ahead and go to bed. Sheets are clean. I never got a chance to take my shower, but I’m working on something I need to get finished downstairs tonight.”
    “You’re going back to work?” He shook his head in amazement at her. “It’s after midnight.”
    Her eyes widened. “Believe me, I know.”
    Janice worked all night on Antonio’s shirt. She only took one break when she panicked that she might not have the buttons she wanted. Going through drawers and boxes quickly, she was elated when she found matching aqua ones that were acceptable. She didn’t mind the time it took, sewing the sleeves, attaching the cuffs, adding the collar, stitching the buttonholes.
    Making it perfect for him.
    When she finally glanced at the clock again, it was after four in the morning. She didn’t feel like going upstairs now. She was too tired to even walk. Curling up on her chair in the sewing room would be fine. Just a little shut-eye was all she needed until the day broke.
    When she heard a knock on the front door of her shop, she quickly woke up. Rubbing her eyes, she realized it was six o’clock and as she straightened herself from her chair, she felt awful. Her body was stiff, sore and feeling every bit of those forty years. She had never taken a shower, never changed her clothes and was exhausted beyond belief.
    It was Antonio at the door. Looking fresh, handsome and oh so right.
    “This is the worst you could possibly see me,” she said, covering her face. “Don’t look.”
    “Janice.” He took her hands and pulled them away from her face. “Stop it.