Switched, Bothered and Bewildered (7 page)

The sun was still bright in the sky, the morning fog having burned off long ago and the summer day lingering on late. Jana Lee gazed at the amazing play of light through the prism-like structure of the Pitman Toy Company office. She'd been such a nervous wreck this morning that she hadn't really appreciated the architecture of the building.

When they reached the outside doors she saw the amazing view of the
Pacific Ocean.
San Francisco
Bay
, to be exact. She'd lived around water all her life, but her town was on a sheltered area of in-

land straits. This was . . . majestic. Humbling. The colors were amazing.

"Jillian? Can I call you Jillian?"

"Sure." She snapped her attention back to
Jackson. Only the
Pacific Ocean could have distracted her, really.
Jackson took up a whole lot of air space. Sure, he could call her Jillian. If she'd answer to it would be pure luck.

"I've borrowed the limo. It's only a few miles, but the parking is insane, as you know. Pops can zip us down there and bring us back later to pick up your car."

Jana Lee realized a rudimentary knowledge of the city would have come in handy. She had only a visitor's sense of the town. "Great, Pops and the limo."

"Oh come on, don't start with the budget tonight. It's take-a-break-from-work night. No work talk, no worrying. From what I've seen lately, you could use a worry break." He opened the door on a white stretch limo that was smack in front of her on the street. She slid in.

Jana Lee thought back to her high school prom and how a bunch of them had rented a big stretch limo. That was the only other time she'd been in one. Not bad for her first day at work. She sat back in the soft white leather and enjoyed herself.

Faster than he would have liked,
Jackson found himself sitting across from Jillian the accounting

executive as she scanned the menu at Ace Wasabi's Rock & Roll Sushi. He'd picked Ace's when she'd gotten excited about sushi, like she'd never had it before. Whatever turned her on, he was game.

She'd shed her leather jacket, and her soft yellow blouse fluttered in the breeze of the overhead fan. She looked a little confused about the menu and was taking a whole lot of time to read it. But he was enjoying the view anyhow.

He ordered them two glasses of chardonnay and sat back, sipping his wine, wondering about her. She was such a mixed bag of a woman. He couldn't quite put his finger on her. Usually he'd have a woman typed and pegged and in his bed in short order. Of course he did have a tendency to steer toward rather stereotypical women: beautiful and less than brilliant. But something about Jil-lian Tompkins today had made him break with his standard pattern.

Ace's was usually loud and full of singles looking to make a connection. But tonight for some reason it was quiet. Still, he hoped he didn't bump into anyone he'd been with before. There was some sort of unwritten rule about not letting on if you'd had an encounter with a person if you saw them out with someone else, but Jackson could think of at least three women he'd dated who wouldn't know an unwritten rule if it bit them in the ass.

"Shall I order for us? I've been here before."

Jillian had on a pair of reading glasses, and now she peered over them at
Jackson. He wondered what he'd been thinking after all. Maybe she was too smart for him. But when he gazed at her revealed cleavage, he remembered. He'd been thinking how much he'd like to get Ms. Tompkins into his bed. A sleepover. A play-date.

"That would be great. I can't decide, and I like everything. Surprise me." She set down her menu.

He planned on it. "More wine?" He tipped the bottle and started to pour more in her glass before she answered, "No,
thanks."
Her hand covered her glass, and he caught the pour just before it splashed over her fingers. He'd need quick reflexes for this woman. He was learning fast.

Jackson
put down the bottle and waved at the waiter, who bee-lined over to their table. It
was
slow.

"Let's do the asparagus tofu salad, the Ahi pot-stickers, and a couple of Ace Wasabi Rolls to start with, for two all around."

"Very good, Mr. Hawks," the waiter took off.

"He knows you. Is this a regular place for you?"

"I've been here. It's really a small town in some ways, don't you think?" he said as he gazed at her, watching her pretty, full lips.

"It seems huge to me . . . most days." She took a big gulp of her wine and looked nervous.

"Are you uncomfortable?"

"A little. You
are
the vice president of the company."

"Don't think about me being vice president. I mean hey, what's vice president? I think your job is more complicated than mine. We're just two people, lost in that big office, looking for someone special." Where had he heard that line before?

Oh brother, who did this guy think he was kidding? She wondered how often he'd gotten away with that baloney. According to Ollie, it had actually worked on quite a few women. He was incredibly good-looking, almost exotic. His suit was sharp, his white shirt spotless, and his vintage-style tie gave him a real
GQ
look.

"Yes, two lost souls," she exaggerated in a swoony voice.

"Okay, that was way corny. I'm sorry,"
Jackson said. "I'm sort of surprised at myself for not taking you up on your interest in me before. Now that I'm with you, you don't seem at all like I thought you'd be."

"You were attracted to me before though, right?"

Jackson
shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "On a purely physical level, yes. But, you have to admit, you did come on rather strong."

She wondered what else Jillian had done besides the Christmas kiss. But the good news was, he did find her sister attractive. She'd just have to

show him the softer side of Jillian. She did have one, didn't she?

The waiter showed up with a strange array of dishes and arranged them between herself and Jackson. It all looked very different, but when was the last time she'd had an adventure—even a food adventure? Let alone a good-looking-guy adventure that might have possibilities for her sister. She thanked the waiter and watched
Jackson for a clue. He took up his chopsticks and skillfully picked up a section of asparagus.

Now, chop stick use was not a skill Jana Lee had ever mastered, despite the fact that she lived near
Seattle and had many Asian friends and families around her. Seabridge was not known for its Asian cuisine. Mostly for their Sons of Norway dances with a nice hunk of ham or roast beef being sliced at the end of the buffet line. Maybe meatballs, and once in a while, salmon.

She and Bill had gone often before ...
before.
She put it out of her mind. It seemed like life had been an endless stream of chicken nuggets and frozen pizzas for the last two years. As she wangled her chopsticks, she felt a pang of guilt for neglecting to introduce her daughter to a wider array of cuisine.

The damn things just wouldn't work. She went for a potsticker, but the little sucker just slipped out of her pinch like an elusive sea creature. It
was
dead, right?

Jackson
smiled at her. "Shall I get you a fork?"

"I think that would be giving up, wouldn't it?"

"I think that would be switching to the tool that can get the job done."

"Sounds practical." She set down her chopsticks as he motioned to their waiter for a fork. Pretty good sign language on his part. She sighed and sat back in the chair, waiting for her fork to arrive.

Now what would Jillian want to know about
Jackson? They seemed similar in many ways. They both had an edge to them. But hopefully, Jil-lian's edge was softening as Jana Lee sat here, having dinner with Jillian's boss.

Her fork came, and she got right back to the elusive Ahi and hamachi potsticker. She dipped it in its sauce, took a nibble and was amazed at how good it was. And spicy. It made her lips tingle, which reminded her of the kiss
Jackson had laid on her.

"So,
Jackson, do you have family around here?"

"Both parents, not together, but still in the city. They divorced when I was about twelve."

"How sad."

"You know, it was. I still don't get it. I have a brother, Marcus, but he doesn't get it either,"
Jackson said.

"Younger brother?"

"Yes. Two years younger. He lives in
Mill
Valley
with his wife. They have two kids."

"And that makes you how old now?"

"God, I forget. Thirty-six?"

"And you've never been married?" She'd take notes, but he'd probably notice. She tried to retain it all, but her head was getting a little fuzzy from the half glass of wine she'd consumed rather quickly.

"You get right to the point, don't you?"
Jackson speared a potsticker with his chopsticks and stopped talking to take a bite. He chewed thoughtfully for a moment, then answered her. "I guess I never met the right woman."

"Not for lack of trying, I hear." Jana Lee felt embarrassed as soon as she'd said it. She hiccupped.

"Office gossip, eh?"

"I apologize. That was rude."

"I tire of the chase."

"No you don't, you love the chase."

"Ouch, woman. Stab that potsticker instead of me."

Why the heck did she keep jabbing him? She felt herself blush. Well, hey, he was dishing some pretty trite reasoning for his behavior. According to Oliver anyway. Maybe his reputation as one of
San Francisco's premier Casanovas was exaggerated.

She looked at him across the table. He had sharp, handsome features, and dark brown eyes that melted right through you. He was well dressed and had an air so smooth it bordered on slick. He definitely elicited a response from the women around them, even her.

Maybe his reputation wasn't exaggerated.

She set down her fork and took another sip of her wine. No wonder Jillian had gone after him. It might be the wine talking, and it'd been a hell of a long time since she'd chased a guy, but she had a feeling Jillian had taken the wrong tack with lover boy here.

Jana Lee giggled to herself. She just
might
be able to leave this better than she found it.

"Did I amuse you?"
Jackson asked.

"I am amused, no doubt about it." She batted her eyelashes, set down her glass and went back to her dinner. Jana Lee felt like she hadn't enjoyed herself so much in years.

They stood in front of the Pitman Toys office as she tried to act cool about inserting her security card in the parking garage. A few fumbled tries and the door light hit green. "I'm a little clumsy," she said.

"I'll walk you to your car. Pops will take me back to my place. I rode the cable car in today."

He walked beside her, their footsteps echoing in the empty underground garage. Her feet were killing her. A girl just can't transition from clogs to skyscraper heels in one day and live to tell about it. She stifled a groan.

"This it?"

Damned if she knew. She dug in her purse and found the key chain with the unlock button and

hoped it would help her find Jillian's car. A tweaky beep-beep came from the left of them.

"There she blows/' she pointed.

"You are very funny you know? I didn't realize you had such a dry sense of humor."

"Funny me." Jana Lee bounced ahead of
Jackson toward the sound of the car. When she'd absolutely claimed Jillian's Honda, she paused and turned to say goodnight. She stumbled back a little over those damned high heels, planting her rear end on the front end of the hood.
Jackson swooped over to steady her. Right. He probably thought she was drunk. But she was cold stone sober. She'd had five cups of green tea and a three-hour dinner to shake off her one glass of wine.

He was as close as a breath. He held her arm where he'd steadied her and tipped her chin up with his other hand. "I've had a lovely evening. Shall we continue it?" he said.

Jana Lee saw his mouth take
the position
and his head angle in for a kiss. She grabbed his wrist and moved her face out of his grasp. She held his hand in midair for a moment.
"No,"
she said.

Jackson
looked more startled than he had when she'd slapped him. He de-angled, de-readied, and stared at her. She dropped her grip on his hand. Jana Lee was surprised at herself.

"
Jackson, I didn't ask for that first kiss today. Well, maybe you didn't ask for my mistletoe kiss either. So we're even. But I'd like to start fresh.

Let's keep this casual and get to know each other slowly." She stuck out her hand. "Thank you for a lovely dinner."