Perfect Partners (21 page)

“Yeah, I know.”

Keith grimaced. “Certain people made sure I heard those rumors yesterday afternoon. Diana and I have been having a few problems lately, so I guess I was more than ready to half believe what I'd heard. I stayed late at the office and then went over to the Anchor and proceeded to get smashed. Then you walked in. I saw red.”

“Forget it,” Joel said. “Bad timing. I can't say I wouldn't have done the same if things had been reversed.

Keith smiled bleakly. “I totally misunderstood the situation. Thought you'd come back to town because you were still carrying a torch for Diana. Copeland encouraged me to think that. But last night after Echler took you away, Letty explained how it was between you and her.”

“Did she?” Joel's brows rose in mockingly polite inquiry.

Keith rubbed the back of his neck. “She told me that the two of you were involved. Told me about the connecting door in this room. Said she'd been in on the meeting between you and Diana and that it was pure business.”

“Ah,” said Joel very softly. His eyes went to Letty. “So she told you we were involved. Interesting.”

“I know I accused you of sleeping with the boss last night,” Keith said. “But I didn't realize you actually were, if you see what I mean.”

“Excuse me,” Letty said in a choked voice.

“What I'm trying to say,” Keith continued, clearly floundering, “is that I didn't realize the two of you were, you know, really involved.”

“I think that's enough,” Letty gasped.

Keith smiled reassuringly. “Don't worry, I won't spread it around.”

Joel nodded seriously. “Yeah, when you're sleeping with the boss, you've got to exercise a little discretion.”

Letty glared at him furiously. “
Joel
. Must you be so crude?”

“Sorry, boss.”

The taunting amusement in Joel's gaze filled Letty with a strong desire to wrap her fingers around his throat. “I think that is enough on that topic,” she said forcefully. “The only reason I said anything at all to Keith was to reassure him that there was no longer anything of a personal nature between you and Diana. Which there isn't, is there, Joel?”

“Nope. Just business. Hasn't been anything personal between Diana and me for fifteen years. Wasn't all that much at the time, when you get right down to it.”

Letty did not trust the expression in Joel's eyes. “All right. Now that that's settled, I would very much appreciate it if you two gentlemen would get out of my room. I would like to finish packing.”

Keith turned to her with a worried frown. “I know I've overstayed my welcome. But can you at least give me your word you'll look at that five-year plan?”

“I'll look at it,” Letty said. “But you know I can't promise any more than that.”

“It's a start.” Keith relaxed visibly. “Thanks. I appreciate it more than I can say. There's a lot riding on this. More than you know, in fact. Call me if you have any questions when you get back to Seattle.”

Letty followed him to the door. “I will.”

She closed the door behind him and leaned back against it. Mentally she braced herself for the scene with Joel. There was bound to be one, she thought. The man did not have the sense to let it drop.

Joel ambled over to stand directly in front of her. He planted his hands against the door on either side of her head and loomed over her.

“Don't ever,” he said, “do that again.”

She licked her lips. “Do what?”

“Don't ever give me a direct order like that in front of someone, especially someone from Copeland Marine. I told you before, if you have something to say, wait until we're alone.”

“Are you talking about that handshake?” Letty's eyes widened in surprise. She had assumed he was going to challenge her on the issue of making their relationship public.

“Yes, I am talking about that handshake.”

“Damn it, Joel, you do work for me, you know. I realize that's hard for you to remember most of the time, but it doesn't change the facts.”

“This is your final warning, Letty. I let you off easy this time. I shook Escott's hand like a good little boy. But if you ever try a trick like that again in front of someone from our staff or Copeland's staff, I won't be responsible for the consequences. Got it?”

Letty's temper flared. “Let's get something straight here. The only reason I made that request—”

“It was an order, not a request.”

“All right, I gave you that order only because you were behaving in an extremely uncivilized fashion. You were way out of line. Furthermore, you are not to threaten me. I am the president of the company. I do not take orders from you; you take them from me. Has it occurred to you that I might fire you if you push me too far?”

Joel's mouth dropped open in astonishment. “Fire me?”

“I can do it, Joel. We both know it.”

“Bullshit. You're not going to fire me. You need me to run Thornquist Gear. You know that as well as I do. If you don't know it, you're not nearly as bright as I've been assuming you are. Now listen up, Letty. As your devoted mentor, I am going to give you your management tip for the day.”

She lifted her chin defiantly. “And just what would that be?”

“Don't make threats you can't carry out,
boss
.” He leaned in closer. A slow, wicked grin slashed across his face. “Did you really tell Escott we were sleeping together?”

“
No
. No, I most definitely did not say that.” Letty ducked under his imprisoning arm. “Not exactly.”

“Not exactly? This gets better and better.”

“I felt sorry for Keith last night.”

“Sorry for him? Are you nuts? He's the one who started that fight.”

Letty began to pace back and forth across the room. “That fight would not have happened if you had not entertained Diana Escott in your room yesterday.”

“I did not entertain her.”

Letty ignored the interruption. “Nor would it have occurred if you had not decided to get real macho and go out drinking to relieve your frustrations last night. I'm not saying the fight was your fault, but you must admit you showed poor judgment.”

“Damn it, what about Escott's judgment?”

“He was hurting because he thought you'd come back to Echo Cove to take Diana away. To make him feel better, I sort of implied that was not likely because you were sort of involved with me.”

“Sort of.” Joel folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the door. His expression was one of complete fascination. “I guess that sort of explains why he thinks we're sleeping together.”

“I didn't exactly spell it out. I just allowed him to make certain assumptions.” Letty stomped into the bathroom and scooped up an armful of toiletries. “I mentioned the connecting door between our rooms, and I also told him I was with you while you were having your
business
meeting with Diana. That's all there was to it.”

Joel moved into the bathroom doorway, trapping her in the small room. “Well, well, well. I guess it sort of doesn't matter how it happened, does it? It's sort of the truth.”

She clutched the toiletries and scowled at him. “What are you talking about?”

“We're sleeping together.” Joel smiled coolly. “We're involved. Wasn't that how Escott put it?”

“Now, Joel…”

“Admit it, Letty. We've started an affair.” Joel took a step into the bathroom. He leaned over Letty's armful of toiletries and kissed her soundly. When he raised his head, his eyes were gleaming. “We're involved. Say it, Letty.”

She stared up at him and licked her lips. “I guess we are. Sort of.”

“Damn, I love it when you use that assertive lady-executive tone.” He grinned. “Come on, Letty, you can do better than that. Say it right out loud: ‘I am having an affair with Joel Blackstone.’”

Letty could hardly breathe. The excitement was rushing through her like a river at high flood. The words came out in a rush, too. She said them before she could give herself a chance to think.

“I am having an affair with Joel Blackstone.”
Omigod, omigod, omigod
. She'd never actually had an affair before.

Yes, she'd been engaged to Philip, and before Philip she'd thought herself in love once or twice, but in each instance there had been the understanding that the relationship was headed toward marriage. There had been a real sense of commitment. At least until both parties involved had realized there was something wrong with her.

An affair was such an open-ended thing, Letty realized. No promises. No guarantees. No commitments.
No future
.

“Yeah, an affair. I like the sound of that.” Joel brushed his mouth lightly across hers. He looked extremely satisfied. “Come on, boss. Let's finish packing and get the hell out of Dodge City. We've been here too long already.” He turned on his heel and walked out of the bathroom.

Letty managed to unstick herself from the floor. “Joel. Joel, wait. There's something we have to talk about.”

“What's that?” Joel was in his room, throwing the last of his things into his carryall.

Letty halted in the doorway, her arms still full of cosmetics and her blow dryer. “Well, the thing is, I don't think we should flaunt our personal lives back at the office, if you see what I mean.”

“Flaunt?” He arched a brow as he zipped up the bag.

“You know what I'm talking about.” She scowled anxiously. “We should maintain a businesslike relationship in front of the staff of Thornquist Gear. We will have to maintain a certain decorum, if you see what I mean.”

“Are you trying to tell me you don't want me strolling into your office during coffee break every afternoon and tossing you over your desk?”

Letty flushed. “There is no need to be crude about it. You know perfectly well what I'm trying to say. I want your promise that you will behave yourself at the office. You said yourself that management must have the respect of the staff. We don't want everyone speculating about us and making off-color jokes. Very bad for the image.”

“Ah, yes. The image.” Joel picked up the carryall and walked toward the outside door. “Mustn't forget the corporate image. Lucky I've got you around to remind me of my duty to Thornquist Gear, Letty. Don't know how I've gotten by for the past ten years without you.”

Letty slumped against the door frame as Joel went out of the room. Her whole world had been turned upside down and sent into a spin lately. Everything felt dangerous, precarious, and just slightly out of control. It was an unsettling sensation.

It was also very exciting.

The sense of being in a tightening spiral of potentially disastrous proportions intensified significantly late that afternoon when Letty walked into her office. Arthur Bigley was blinking at an even faster rate than usual.

“Ms. Thornquist. Thank God you're back.” Arthur leaped to his feet. “I didn't know what to do. He just sort of barged in as if he owned the place. I called Mrs. Sedgewick, and she said Mr. Blackstone was going to be furious. She sounded very happy about that.”

Letty sighed inwardly. “What seems to be the problem, Arthur?”

“That man is in there. The one who kept trying to call you. I tried to stop him, like I said, but he just took over.”

“A man? In my office?”

“He arrived a couple of hours ago.” Arthur's voice dropped to a soft hiss of warning. “Ms. Thornquist, he says he's your fiancé.”

“My fiancé?” Letty felt as if she'd been dropped off a high cliff. “Philip is here? He's inside my office?”

Arthur blinked frantically. “He said his name was Professor Philip Dixon and that he was engaged to you. I didn't know what to do, Ms. Thornquist. I've been so worried. And Mrs. Sedgewick has been no help at all. If you ask me, she's gloating over this whole situation. I think she wants Mr. Blackstone to get annoyed. And if he does, he'll fire me.”

“He will not fire you, Arthur. You work for me.”

“But he'll blame me for letting Professor Dixon get into your office. I know he will.”

“Stop worrying, Arthur,” Letty said firmly. “I will handle Mr. Blackstone. Now, then, let's see what this is all about.” She pushed open the door of her office.

Philip was sitting behind her desk. Letty was stunned by the gall of the man. He was sitting behind her desk just as if he owned the place! She was vaguely surprised to realize how territorial she had become about Thornquist Gear.

“Letty my dear.” Philip got to his feet and came around the desk. He held out his arms. “I was told you were out of town. I've been wondering when you'd get back. We have so much to talk about.”

He was smiling, Letty noticed. It was a classic Philip Dixon smile, graciously condescending, yet imbued with a certain patronizing charm. Philip had perfected that smile for use at faculty teas. It also worked very well, apparently, with graduate students.

The fact that Philip Dixon was extremely good looking in a very patrician style helped.

He was wearing a tweed jacket with flannel trousers, a blue button-down oxford-cloth shirt, and a maroon striped old-school tie, which Letty happened to know was a fake. Philip had graduated from a large California public university, not a private East Coast Ivy League school. One would never know that, however, unless one happened to inquire.