Perfect Partners (4 page)

This was insane, he told himself. The last thing he needed. Where the hell was his common sense? He had to keep his mind on the big picture. He was going to be juggling a lot of firecrackers during the next couple of months. He could not afford to let himself get distracted.

But curiosity was riding him now, Joel realized. There was a mystery lying right in front of him, and he had a thing about solving dangerous puzzles before they exploded in his face. If he had learned one thing over the years, it was to be prepared. The more he knew about Letty Thornquist, the safer his plans would be, he told himself.

“You mentioned earlier this evening that in addition to quitting your job, you broke off your engagement to somebody named Philip,” Joel said carefully.

“Dr. Philip Dixon, associate professor in the department of business administration back at Vellacott College. Several publications in notable journals to his credit, consultant to industry and chairman of important faculty committees.” Letty was not looking at him now. She had her arms behind her head and was staring out the window with half-closed eyes.

So the guy was not in the English lit department, after all. “Sorry to hear it didn't work out.”

“Thank you.”

Joel could see the gentle curves of Letty's breasts outlined against the cotton gown. “Maybe you'll change your mind. Give things another chance or something.”

“I can't see that happening.”

“Who broke it off?”

“I did.”

Joel absorbed that. Now he was more than curious. He had to know what would make Letty break off an engagement to a man who should have been perfect for her. “A misunderstanding?”

“You could say that.”

This was like pulling teeth, Joel decided. He kept prodding. “Did you find yourself interested in someone else?”

“No.”

“Did he, uh, get involved with someone?”

Letty turned her head to look at him. Her eyes were drowsy as she focused on his face. “You want to know what actually happened?”

Joel sensed victory at last. He kept his voice even, noncommittal. “If you feel like talking about it, I don't mind listening.”

“I haven't told a single soul. It was too embarrassing.” Letty switched her gaze back to the moonlit deck. “We were engaged about six weeks. I went to see Philip in his office about ten days ago. He wasn't expecting me. I knocked once and then opened the door. He had someone with him. A pretty graduate student named Gloria.”

“They were in what might be called a compromising position, I take it?”

“Philip was sitting in his chair, his legs spread, his pants unzipped. She was on her knees in front of him, and there was a rather appalling sucking noise. It was”—Letty paused—“quite amazing, really.”

Joel drew a deep breath. “Yeah, I can see where that would have been a little upsetting.”

Letty's shoulders started to shake. She put her hand over her mouth and made a tiny, muffled sound. Joel stared at her, alarmed. Hell, she was going to start crying. He was no good with crying women. He had no idea what to do. “Letty, don't. Christ, I'm sorry I brought up the subject. Look…”

“No, you don't understand.” She glanced at him, but her eyes slid quickly away before Joel could read the expression in them. There was another choked squeak, and then the giggles spilled forth.

Joel realized with a jolt of surprise that she was laughing.

“Oh, I was shocked at first,” Letty admitted as she struggled to catch her breath. “‘Stunned’ would be a better word. But then I realized I had never seen anything so ludicrous in my entire life. He looked so
silly
with his, uh, you-know-what…” She broke off again as words failed her.

“Male member?” Joel suggested dryly.

Letty succumbed to a fresh burst of giggles. She nodded wildly, springy hair bouncing around her shoulders. “Yes, perfect. With his
male member
stuck in her, I mean, inserted between her…her…”

“With his male member inserted between her scarlettinted lips?”

“Exactly. It was the most ridiculous thing you can imagine.”

“I get the picture.”

“Disgusting, actually.”

“Probably depends on your point of view,” Joel temporized.

She finally stopped giggling and gave him an embarrassed smile. “I guess you had to be there.”

“On the whole, I'm glad I missed it.”

“Yes, well, you have to know Philip to really understand just how ludicrous he looked,” Letty confided. “You see, he's so incredibly
professorial
. Tweed jackets, tasseled loafers, button-down oxford shirts, paisley ties, the works. He looks a lot like—” She stopped abruptly.

“A lot like what?” Joel asked.

She made a small, dismissing motion with her hand. “Nothing. It just occurred to me that in some ways Philip dresses and acts a bit like Dad. I wonder if that's why I…Never mind.”

Joel realized that avenue of conversation had just been shut down. “Yeah, well, it doesn't sound like you're carrying a torch for Dixon.”

“No.” Letty sighed. “It was horribly humiliating at the time, of course. But when it was all over, I knew it was for the best. I thought Philip and I had a lot in common. But I guess it was all rather superficial in a way. And he did have the most annoying habit of pontificating about things.”

“Pontificating?”

Letty smiled wryly. “If we went to a film, he'd analyze it to death afterward. If we attended a play, he evaluated each actor's performance. It was embarrassing to go out to a restaurant with him because he always sent something back to the kitchen. And his opinion was always the deciding one. He assumed that because he had more degrees than I did, he was always right. I think it would have gotten to me after about six months of marriage.”

“I'd figure six weeks at the most.”

“You may be right.” She glanced at him. “There was something missing in my relationship with Philip. I think I knew it from the first, but I tried to pretend it didn't matter. Maybe I hoped he just wouldn't notice.”

“What do you think was missing?” Joel asked, curious again.

She scowled intently. “I don't know. Some spark. A feeling of passion. An underlying sizzle. I'm not sure how to describe it. All I know is, never in my wildest dreams could I even conceive of getting on my knees in front of Philip Dixon when he had his pants unzipped.”

“Ah.”

“It seems to me that if there had been a shot of genuine passion in the relationship, I would at least have been able to imagine doing that. I'm not saying I would have actually done it, of course. I mean it is rather…” She floundered.

“Wanton?” Joel supplied helpfully.

“Yes. Wanton.” She appeared relieved by the word. “As I said, if there had been a lot of real passion in our relationship I think I should have at least been able to visualize it. Don't you think so?”

Joel tried valiantly to squash the picture he had conjured up in his own head. He failed. “Yeah. Sure.” Damn. At this rate he was going to need another long run before he would be able to sleep.

“What I have come to realize lately, Joel,” she continued with a burst of earnest intensity, “is that passion is exactly what's been missing in my life. It's missing in every area of my life. My career, my past, my future. Everything seems to have gotten into a rut. I want out.”

“Out. I see.”

“Lately I've begun to feel as though I'm sitting on the sidelines of my own life. Normally I'm a very goal-directed person, but I feel as though I've lost my way or something. I need to revitalize and redirect myself. Great-Uncle Charlie has given me the perfect opportunity to do just that, and I'm going to grab the chance. Thornquist Gear is going to change my life.”

Joel was torn between wanting to insert his male member between her scarlet-tinted lips and the equally strong desire to throttle her.
Thornquist Gear was his
.

“Letty, have you really thought this out? I know the idea of being president of your own company probably sounds exciting, but it's not that easy. You have no background in retailing, let alone in the sporting goods business. Hell, I'll bet you haven't even done much camping.”

She wrinkled her nose. “So?”

“Letty, camping equipment is one of our staple product lines. We cater to campers. We sold over a million and a half dollars' worth of tents alone last year.”

Her eyes widened. “I don't see why I have to be an expert with the product in order to sell it. I'm interested in management and growth and the creation of a thriving enterprise. I'm excited about running a big business, not setting up my own tent.”

Joel swore under his breath. “You don't know what you're getting into, lady. Running a growing corporation is not a game. It's not even a good way to amuse yourself while you get over a broken engagement.”

Her mouth tightened into a mutinous line. “I am fully aware that I am about to embark on a major career change, and I am prepared to devote myself completely to learning everything I need to know to be successful. I am a very fast learner, Joel.”

“You think you can just sit down behind the president's desk tomorrow or the next day and start running things? You think it's going to come naturally?”

“Of course not.” She smiled. “I told you I've done a great deal of research.”

“Oh, great. Research.”

“I am a librarian, you know.”

“Don't remind me.”

“Now, Joel, there's no need to get so intense over this,” she said soothingly. “I think that may be one of your problems, you know. You're very intense. As it happens, I have read several articles on the subject of women in business, and they all point to one component that seems to be crucial to success.”

“What the hell is that?” he demanded.

“A mentor.”

That stopped him in his tracks for an instant. “A mentor? Jesus Christ, what are you talking about?”

“A mentor. You know, a teacher. Someone who takes you under his wing and shows you the ropes. That's how most people make it up the ladder in the corporate world, Joel. They have mentors who guide them and bring them along.”

“I never had a mentor,” he snarled.

“Of course you did. Great-Uncle Charlie was yours. You just didn't think of him that way because you weren't familiar with modern corporate jargon.”

“
Shit
. You think Charlie was a mentor?” Joel's hand clenched into a fist around the towel. “Let me tell you how it was with me and Charlie Thornquist. Ten years ago I walked in off the street looking for a job. He hired me to run the little shop he had on First Avenue in downtown Seattle because he wanted to go fishing more often. He showed me how to work the cash register and how to lock up at night, and then he left town for two weeks.”

Letty fixed him with a fascinated gaze. “Really? What happened next?”

“When he came back to town to check up on me, I told him I thought we ought to start stocking a couple of different lines of sleeping bags. He said fine and took off for a deep-sea fishing trip. I didn't see him for a month.”

“Then what happened?”

“When he got back from that trip, I said the new tents were selling like hotcakes and maybe we should look into renting ski equipment for the season. He told me to do whatever I wanted. After that, I did. I made Thornquist Gear what it is today, damn it.”

Letty gave him a pleased look. “Which makes you the perfect mentor for me.”

“
Me
. Your mentor? Are you out of your mind?” He thought about picking Letty up by one slender ankle and dangling her over the railing. He'd be damned before he'd teach her how to run his company.

“I think it's going to be a perfect partnership, Joel.”

“I think I am going to take a shower and go back to bed.” Joel swung around and stalked down the hall to the bed room. He knew for a fact he was not going to get any sleep tonight.

Letty awoke the next morning with a sense of well-being that she had not felt in a long time. She lay quietly for a while, gazing out the bedroom window as a clear dawn broke over the mountains.

She still could not believe she had conducted such an intimate conversation with Joel Blackstone last night, but in retrospect she was glad she had done so. What she had confided in him was nothing less than the truth.

She was going to find whatever it was that had been missing in her life, and she was going to find it in Seattle running Thornquist Gear.

Letty jumped out of bed and burst into the white tile bathroom. She was feeling so exuberant this morning that she thought she could even find it in herself to be a little more tolerant of Stephanie.

Not that she had much choice, Letty thought. She had a baby brother on the way, whether she approved of it or not.

Matthew Christopher. It seemed strange to know the baby's name and sex before it had even arrived. But, as Stephanie had explained, she'd had certain tests done because of her age. In addition to assuring herself that the baby was healthy, she had also learned it was a boy. Stephanie was thrilled and so was Morgan.