Dancing in the Dark (11 page)

He looked at Jerry, the drummer, a man from his old group whom he’d asked to help him that night. He motioned to Jerry to take over the meeting, then slipped unnoticed out of the circle and made his way through the bushes. Away from the noise around the fire he immediately became aware of other noises—unaccounted rustling in the underbrush, a cough—and
thicker shadows among the trees. A hiss alerted him that someone had noticed his presence.

Furious, Jake lunged toward the sound, but the person raced away. All around him bodies were scrambling and running. He grabbed the first one to pass and found his arms full of woman.

And not just any woman. Charity.

“Dammit!” he muttered, pulling her back against him for a moment. Moonlight bathed her hair and face in soft silver. She’d never looked more beautiful, and he’d never been more angry. He reined in his temper from the brink of explosion and asked, “What the hell are you doing here?”

She struggled against his grip. “Just taking a walk.”

“Here?”

“Walking in the woods is good for you. Robert Frost even recommended it.”

“That was ‘Stopping
by
Woods on a Snowy Evening.’ ”

“So I’m a little short on snow. Can I go now?”

“Oh, you bet.” Jake began walking her away from the area, wanting to get her far from the men so they wouldn’t be embarrassed. And he wanted a private place to yell at her. Whoever had been with her seemed to have vanished. “Who are these people with you?”

“No one,” she said, her voice quavering. “Really, Jake, you don’t have to walk me out—”

“I insist.” He smiled grimly. “I absolutely insist. Any gentleman would.”

“Well, no, not really—”

“Charity,” he said carefully. “I will walk you out and all the way to your house. I can’t believe you did this. After all I told you—”

“I couldn’t help it. What woman could? By the way, was that the mayor in his BVDs?”

“Dammit! How could you …” His voice trailed away as they emerged from the woods and onto the roadway. A whole gaggle of women milled around two cars. He rounded on Charity. “What the hell did you do? Bring every female east of the Mississippi?”

“Jake, you’re talking in cliches,” she said. “And no, of course I didn’t bring
every
female. Just a few friends, mostly wives of the men you brought.” She brightened. “Think of it as a couples night out—”

“A couples night out!” he bellowed.

“Don’t blame Charity,” a voice broke in.

Jake focused on the speaker. “Mary! You came on this … this …?” He couldn’t find words. “I can’t believe it.” In the dim light he recognized several other women from work. “Dammit, half the office is here!” He looked at each woman in turn. “None of you are to say anything to these men about being here. Do you understand? It isn’t easy for men to let their emotions go, but they’ve done that tonight. And maybe now they’ll let their emotions out with you. But not if you humiliate them about it. You’ve all had your private laugh on men, and I have no doubt we deserve it. But now forget it, okay?”

Wide-eyed, all the women nodded.

He took Charity’s arm. “You, I’m driving home.”

“But my car—”

“Give the keys to Mary. She’ll see it gets there.”

“Jake, you’re making a big thing out of—”

“Charity,” he said between clenched teeth, “please give Mary the keys. I would like to talk with you at length and in private.”

To her credit, she finally looked chagrined and
handed over her car keys to Mary. Mary eyed him as she took them. “Ah, Charity, are you sure about this?”

“No,” Charity said. “If I’m not at work on Monday, notify the police to look for my body.”

“Ladies, please,” Jake said, ignoring Charity’s melodrama, “for the sake of your husbands, co-workers, and significant others, go home now.”

The women slowly dispersed and got into the two cars. Jake waited with Charity until the cars were heading back to the main road, then he walked her over to his car. Before she got into the passenger side, she said, “I know I was wrong, and I’m sorry. I never should have done it. But don’t you think you’re making too much of this?”

“Get in the damn car,” he snapped, finally letting loose his anger.

She got in the damn car.

He drove in silence, gripping the wheel tightly and trying to keep his concentration on his driving. He failed miserably. Damn her, he thought. He’d turned to her for advice because he’d thought she was different. He’d truly wanted to share with her, and she brought an audience. No wonder men stayed in their shells like they did. The moment they poked out for a look, a woman was right there ready to lop his pride off, among other parts of his anatomy.

“I really am sorry,” she said finally in a small voice. “I heard the discussion, some of it. I understand better about the problems and pressures men face. So there was some good tonight, Jake.”

“Yes … well …” It seemed senseless to give her the same lecture again. “Why did you do it?”

“Would you be able to resist a bunch of women
throwing their bras onto a bonfire and dancing around naked?”

“You’ve got a point,” he muttered reluctantly. “But that still doesn’t make it right.”

“No, it doesn’t.” She was silent for a moment. The road stretched out ahead of them in the car’s headlights. Far in the distance were pinpoints of red, the taillights of the car in front of them. No cars were driving toward them. “You did trust me,” she went on, “and I’m sorry I couldn’t resist following you. And bringing friends. It was wrong of me.”

The fight slowly went out of him. He should have known the temptation would be too great for her. The movement seemed silly to outsiders, and women did view it as a backlash to feminism. Still, he was annoyed with her. “I guess I understand.”

“Does this mean I’m out of the hair shirt?” she asked.

He chuckled at his own words coming back to him. “Not completely.”

“That figures. I guess you’ll never tell me about another ‘wild man’ again.”

“Maybe after the fact. And only if the mayor strips down to his underwear.”

She laughed. The tension between them was dissipating, and he felt good that they were back to their old ground of semi-friendship. He still was having trouble getting beyond that, though. Yet, in a way, he didn’t want to. He wanted to be friends with Charity. He’d started out viewing her from strictly a man’s point of view, completely physical. Now that he’d seen so much more of her, he wanted more. He wanted an easiness with her, with all women, that he’d never had before. And wasn’t that the point
of the men’s movement? To grow up enough to have a true partnership with the other half of the human species while meeting one’s own basic physical and emotional needs?

“Do you think those women will say anything to the men?” he asked. “It really would humiliate them and negate everything they’ve gained.”

“I doubt it.” She chuckled. “You scared them half to death. Most of them are probably worried for their jobs right now.”

“They’d never lose them for this,” he said quickly.

“I know that, and they’ll realize it soon enough. Are you sure I can’t tell Dave he looks like a beached whale without his shirt on?”

“No, you can’t tell Dave,” he said, grinning. He cast her a quick glance. “Do I look like a beached whale with my shirt off?”

The atmosphere in the car instantly changed from friendly to intimate. Charity said nothing, just stared straight ahead.

“Charity,” he murmured.

“No.”

Her voice was so low, he almost didn’t hear it. Almost. Pleasure seeped through his veins, along with the welcome heat of desire. She shifted in her seat, and he glanced over at her. Her hair was loose and curved around her profile, softening the angles of her face. He wanted to reach out and touch her, feel those silken strands wrap themselves around his fingers. He wanted to gather her hair in his hands and spread it out on a white pillow. Her lips would part slightly, and he would kiss her, tasting her sweetness. Then he would lower himself on top of her, feel her breasts crush against his chest, her
hips cradle his in their softness, her legs raise up and tighten around him, pulling him into the folds of her moist flesh …

“Jake, don’t.”

He blinked. The car came back into focus. She hadn’t turned her head and looked at him, just said the words. She must feel it as much as he did, he realized. He wanted her, right there, right then. And he knew that if he tried, it would be the worst mistake of his life.

They completed the drive to her apartment in silence.

Due to unexpectedly high costs, all employee health benefits will cease as of July 31. The management at Wayans, Inc., regrets this loss to each of you. The personnel office can supply you with alternative ways to receive health care benefits. If you have any questions, contact Jake Halford, vice president
.

Charity read and reread the memo she’d found on her desk with a growing sense of dread. It was signed by Charles Mitchelson, president and CEO of Wayans. People murmured all around her as they came back from lunch and found the innocent-looking paper on their desks. The noise grew louder with exclamations of shock and dismay.

Charity closed her eyes, praying that she was dreaming all this, then opened them, hoping she would find the words completely changed. One glance told her they hadn’t. Her carefully structured finances just took a tailspin into disaster. How would she ever be able to afford private insurance? And how could she do without it?

Jake’s long-ago words about streamlining came back to her. This was major streamlining. He’d never said a word, she thought, anger building up inside her. Not a word.

An irritatingly rational voice reminded her that she’d already betrayed one confidence with him and maybe he didn’t trust her to keep another. She had to admit he certainly couldn’t have trusted her with this. No one could. But why? Why was he doing this? They had just gotten substantial orders, and they had very good prospects now on that government bid. She couldn’t believe he’d pulled the medical insurance. It had to be illegal, she thought, absently crumpling the memo.

“Charity, did you see this?”

Mary shoved the memo under her nose. Charity grimaced. “Yes, I saw it.”

The woman looked scared. “Do you think it’s because of the other night?”

“No!” She gaped at her. “No, I’m sure it’s not. That doesn’t make any sense. Not that this does either.”

“Go talk to him,” Mary said. “He likes you.”

“No, he doesn’t,” Charity said quickly.

“Yes, he does. Go talk to him and get him to change his mind.” Tears welled up in Mary’s normally serene eyes. “Charity, I can’t lose my insurance. Bob has heart problems and no company will take us because of his condition.”

Charity cursed loudly, then got up from her desk and headed straight for Jake’s office. She strode right by his secretary, who squawked but couldn’t stop her before she had his door open.

He was sitting at his desk, shoulders bowed, his head braced in his hands. He looked up at her intrusion,
and the dismay on his face instantly melted her fury.

“Oh, Jake,” she murmured, shutting the door in his secretary’s face. She walked straight around his desk, all her senses bent on comforting rather than confronting.

“Charity, this is the worst thing I’ve ever had to do.” He gazed up at her, and she saw both frustration and concern in his eyes. “I didn’t want to do it. I argued and argued with those idiots, but they absolutely insisted on cutting the health benefits.”

“The board of directors?” she asked.

“Yes. Mitchelson especially.” Jake’s voice hardened as anger replaced his distress. “He never liked it that I was hired essentially to run the company instead of him. The board hit me with this out of nowhere this morning. They had a meeting last night and Mitchelson ramrodded this through.” He sat back in his chair, leaning his head back, his eyes closed.

Charity didn’t know what to say, but she knew what to do. She stepped closer and slid her arm around his shoulders, urging him toward her, to lean on her. He resisted for a moment, then rested his head against her.

“Jake,” she said gently, “it’s not your fault.”

“Yes, it is.” He stiffened, pushing away from her. “I could have done more. I should have done more.”

“You’ve done all you can.” She glanced at the private outside entrance to his office and made a decision. “You’ve had enough today.”

She reached out and pressed the intercom. When his secretary answered, she said, “Mr. Halford is going home for the day. Please call Mr. Ringman and tell him I’ll be out of the office for a while.”

“I ought to work,” Jake said as she straightened.

She snorted in disgust. “Come on, Mr. Macho Man.”

He smiled at her words and got up. She retrieved his suit jacket, then they went out the private door, reaching her car without meeting anyone. Other than giving her directions to his house, he didn’t say another word.

His home was on the outskirts of Milton in an upscale neighborhood. She wasn’t surprised to see that the house was far too large for one person and newly built in a French chateau style. His nearest neighbor was a hundred yards away and hidden behind a natural fencing of pines.

“I had to buy something quick,” he said as they came up the drive. “It’s too big, though.”

“As long as I don’t get lost.”

She watched him carefully as they went inside. He seemed less defeated now that he was home. The house had an empty feeling, no mail tossed on the table, no shoes lying on the floor, no pet running in, not a piece of lint in the place.

“You need some coffee,” she said. “Where’s the kitchen?”

“This way.” He led her down the hall to the back of the house. The kitchen was better, with a cozy breakfast nook and a newspaper sprawled on the tabletop. A beautiful window seat ran under the big back bay window.

She made coffee in silence, allowing him the space he needed. He’d talk to her when he was ready, but if he didn’t, that was okay too. What she wanted him to know was that she was there for him.

Her hand froze as she turned on the burner. She
kept trying so hard to keep her emotional distance from him, but once again he’d pierced her barriers. She’d patch up the breeches later, she decided, glancing over at him. He sat on the wide window seat, leaning back against the glass. He still looked bereft, as though he’d lost his best friend. When the coffee was ready, she brought him a cup and sat next to him.