Carlotta that wart.
'Then I wasn't wrong in thinking you care about Nathan?'
'I'm in love with him.'
Justine smiled again. There was a trace of wistful-ness in it that told Jackie more than words could have. 'He needs someone. He doesn't think so, but he does.'
'I know. And it's going to be me.'
'Then I'll wish you luck. I didn't intend to when I came.'
'What changed your mind?'
'You invited me in and offered me a drink when you wished me to hell.'
Jackie grinned. 'And I thought I was so discreet.'
'No, you weren't. Jack…that's what Nathan calls you, isn't it?'
'Most of the time.'
'Jack, my track record with relationships isn't what you would call impressive-in fact, let's continue to be frank and admit it's lousy-but I'd like to offer you a little advice.'
'I'll take anything I can get.'
'Some men need more of a push than others. Use both hands with Nathan.'
'I intend to.' With her head tilted to one side, Jackie considered. 'You know, Justine, I have this cousin. Second cousin on my father's side. Not Fred,' she said quickly. 'This one's a college professor at the University of Michigan. Do you like the intellectual type?'
With a laugh, Justine set down her glass. 'Ask me again in six months. I'm on sabbatical.'
When Nathan arrived home a few hours later, he knew nothing of Justine's visit or of the conclusions that had been reached in his living room. Perhaps that was for the best.
It was bad enough that he was glad to be home. It was a different sort of glad from the feeling he'd had when he'd arrived from Germany. Then he'd been looking forward to the familiar, to solitude, to the routine he had set for himself over the years. He didn't-wouldn't have-considered it stuffy, just convenient.
Now a part of him, a part he still wasn't ready to acknowledge, was glad to come home to Jackie. There was an anticipation, a surge of excitement at knowing she was there to talk with, to relax with, even to spar with. The unfamiliar, and the companionship, added a new dimension to an evening at home. The challenge of outmaneuvering her had become a habit he hadn't been aware of forming. Somewhere along the line he'd stopped resenting the fact that she'd invaded his privacy.
He heard the music the moment he opened the door. It wasn't the rock he'd grown accustomed to hearing from the kitchen but one of Strauss's lovely and sensual waltzes. Though he wasn't sure if her change in radio stations was something to worry about, he was cautious as he slipped into his office to put away his briefcase and the reinforced tubes that held the blueprints from his project in Denver.
Loosening his tie, he started into the kitchen. As usual, something smelled wonderful.
She wasn't wearing her habitual shorts. Instead, she wore a jumpsuit in some soft, silky material the color of melted butter. It didn't cling to her body so much as shift around it, offering hints. Her feet were bare, and she wore one long wooden earring. She was busy slicing a round loaf of crusty bread. He had a sudden feeling, strong and lucid, that he should turn and run, as fast and as far as he could. Because it annoyed him, Nathan stepped through the archway.
'Hello, Jack.'
She'd known he was there, but she managed to look mildly and credibly surprised when she turned. 'Hi.' He looked so attractive in a suit, with the knot of his tie pulled loose. Because her heart turned to mush, she walked over and kissed his cheek. 'How was your day?'
He didn't know what to make of her. So what else was new? But he did know that her casual greeting kiss was exactly what he'd needed, and it worried him. 'Busy,' he told her.
'Well, you'll have to tell me all about it, but you should have some wine first.' She was already pouring two glasses. The sun hit the liquid as it rushed into the crystal and shot it through with gold. 'I hope you're hungry. It'll be ready in just a couple minutes.'
He accepted the wine and didn't ask why her timing always seemed so perfect. It made him wonder if she'd managed to slip a homing device on him. 'Did you get much done today?'
'Quite a bit.' Jackie began to arrange the bread she'd sliced in a basket. 'I had a little lull this afternoon, but things really picked up afterward.' Her lips curved as she lifted her wine, and once again he had the feeling that there was something he should know, but he didn't want to ask. 'I've decided to concentrate on the first hundred pages for the next week or so, until it's ready to send off to an agent I know in New York.'
'That's good,' he managed, wondering why the idea sent him into a panic. He wanted her to progress, didn't he? The more she did, the less guilty he'd feel about telling her that her time was up. No amount of logic could erase the niggling fear that she would tell him she no longer needed the house to work in and was moving on. 'It must be going well.'
'Better than I expected, and I always expect quite a lot.' The timer buzzed, and she turned to the oven. Fortunately, the move hid her smile. 'I thought we'd eat on the patio. It's such a nice evening.'
The warning bells sounded again, but they were dimmer and less urgent. 'It's going to rain.'
'Not for a eouple of hours yet.' With her hands buried in oven mitts, she drew out a casserole. 'I hope you like this. It's called
There was something very homey and nonthreatening about the pot of browned noodles and ham in bubbling sauce. 'It looks terrific.'
'A very simple Austrian recipe,' she told him. That explained the Viennese waltz, he thought. 'Grab the bread, will you? I've already set up outside.'
Again, she timed it perfectly. The sun was dropping in the sky. The clouds that were gathering to bring rain during the night were tipped with pink and orange. The air was cool, with a catchy breeze from the east that brought just a hint of the sea.
The round patio table was set for two. Informally. Nathan would have to have stretched a point to call it deliberately romantic. Colorful mats she must have bought herself were under his white everyday dishes. She'd added flowers, but they were only a few sprigs of daisies in a colored bottle. The bottle wasn't his, either, so he could only suppose that she'd been foraging in some of the local shops.
He settled back as Jackie began the business of serving. 'I haven't thanked you for all the meals.'
She only smiled as she sat across from him. 'That was the deal.'
'I know, but you've gone to more trouble than you had to. I appreciate it.'
'That's nice. I really like to cook when there's someone to share it with. Nothing more depressing than cooking for one.'
He hadn't thought so. Once. 'Jack…' She looked up at him, her eyes big and round and soft, and he lost track of what he'd planned to say. Groping, he picked up his wine. 'I, ah…I feel like we got off on the wrong foot. Since we're both victims, so to speak, I'd like to call a truce.'
'I thought we had.'
'An official one.'
'All right.' She lifted her glass and tapped it against his. 'Live long and prosper.'
'I beg your pardon?'
Jackie chuckled into her wine. 'I should have known you wouldn't be a fan of
'Thanks.' Unconsciously he loosened his tie a little more. 'Why don't you tell me about your book?'
It was a first, Nathan decided, to see Jackie speechless. Her lips parted, not to smile or to toss a quip, but in utter surprise. 'Really?' she managed after a moment.
'Yes, I'd like to hear what it's about.' He picked up a hunk of bread and began to butter it. 'Don't you want to talk about it?'
'Well, yes, it's just that I didn't think you were interested. You never asked, or even commented, and I know that I usually beat people over the head with whatever I'm doing at the time because I get too involved and lose perspective. So I thought it would be better if I just kept the book to myself since I was already driving you crazy. I figured under the circumstances, counting Fred and six months in Frankfurt, you'd probably hate it anyway.'
