Page 2 of A Girl Like Janet

“Hi, Janny,” he greeted and threw his arms around his sister, squeezing her with all the enthusiasm of his thirteen years.

Joel had the irritating habit of touching her hair and Janet gently lifted the eager fingers from the folds of her long brown

curls. Returning the pressure of his hug, she asked, “Are you ready for our date?”

“Ready,” he said, nodding his head emphatically.

“Let’s go tell Mom and Dad we’re leaving.”

Joel hurried into the house ahead of her.

Leonora Montgomery looked up and laid her needlepoint aside when Janet walked in the house. “Hi, honey.”

“Hi, Mom.”

“Where are you two off to this week?” Stewart Montgomery was working at the dining room table. Bibles, commentaries and several

other volumes littered the surface as he prepared Sunday’s sermon. He was doing a series from the book of Romans.

“I thought we’d go bowling,” Janet answered.

“Yippee,” Joel shouted and ran into his bedroom, returning a minute later. “I want ice cream too,” he said.

“We’ll see,” Janet replied.

“I said I want ice cream,” Joel insisted. “I’ll pay,” he said and held out three dimes in the palm of his hand.

“In that case, little brother, you’ve got yourself a deal.” She looped her arm through his and smiled back at her parents.

“We’ll be home in a couple of hours.”

“Take your time, dear,” her mother said, focusing her attention on the intricate needlepoint pattern.

Joel and Janet were enjoying their ice cream alfresco in the late summer evening when Janet happened to look into the street

and notice the silver Mercedes. The musical laughter of the female occupant of the car drew attention away from the sleek

lines of the vehicle. For a second, Janet almost choked on the praline delight ice cream. It was Reese Edwards and a new blonde.

A chill gripped her, though it had nothing to do with what she was eating. She couldn’t move, couldn’t tear her eyes from

the happy couple. What was the matter with her? What concern was it of hers if Reese Edwards chose to date empty-headed women

with identical looks and personalities? This one seemed pretty enough; they all were. But besides the model’s figure, they

all had a vocabulary so limited that Janet wondered if it went beyond the word “yes.”

Janet had a hard time sleeping that night. Every time she closed her eyes she was haunted with the image of Reese in the arms

of another blonde beauty. Why should she care if he dated and bedded a thousand women? What he shared with these women wasn’t

love, not in the way God intended it to be between a man and a woman. Why should it hurt so much to see him with another woman?

The question seemed to demand an answer, but Janet could find none.

She woke with a headache and downed two aspirins with her juice and toast.

Gail noticed something was wrong almost immediately. “You don’t look so hot. Are you sure you feel like going to work this

morning?”

“I’m all right.” She felt awful but was sure the aspirins would take effect in a short time.

Reese was at his desk when Janet entered the room, and the connecting door between the two offices was open.

“Morning, Janet,” he greeted cheerfully.

Unbuttoning her blue jacket, she turned her back to him and mumbled, “Yes, it is, isn’t it?” Following her usual morning routine,

she put on a pot of coffee and brought him a cup when it had finished brewing.

He didn’t glance up when she set the coffee mug on his desk. A look of total concentration furrowed his brow and Janet could

almost picture his mind, spinning in channels she’d never hope to understand. Last night was the first time she had seen Reese

with one of his women. She was all too aware of his dealings with the opposite sex. She ordered flowers for them, arranged

for theater tickets and several times had purchased gifts. But last night was the first time she had actually viewed Reese

with someone else. She still didn’t understand why it had upset her so much. She thought she knew him so well, yet she didn’t

really know him at all. Janet smiled softly to herself. Ten minutes from now he’d probably look up, notice the coffee and

wonder when she’d brought it.

Still tangled in the web of her thoughts, Janet didn’t hear the door to the outer office open or see the figure emerge until

she almost walked into the elderly gentleman.

“Oh dear, Mr. Edwards, I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you.”

A flickering smile touched the edges of his mouth. “That’s quite all right. It’s been several years since a lovely young woman

threw herself into my arms.”

Her laugh contained a nervous high tone as she stepped aside, but not before noticing Reese’s appraisal of her. He looked

slightly stunned, as if suddenly aware she was a woman. For two years he had seen her as a highly efficient secretary who

oversaw the workings of his office, nothing more. She could have been a robot for all he knew. The headache she had woke with

that morning throbbed with renewed intensity.

When Reese’s father left the office a half hour later, Janet watched him go. Samuel Edwards was a man aged beyond his years.

His hair was completely white and he slouched forward slightly when he walked, as if carrying a heavy load on his shoulders.

His eyes were as dark as his son’s, yet they contained an intolerable sadness. He had established Dyna-Flow in the pre-World

War II era and had made a name for himself by manufacturing small airplane parts. The company still handled several government

contracts, but also sold parts to the major airplane builders.

Although Samuel Edwards was retired, he kept current with Dyna-Flow’s dealings. Janet had never known Reese to hesitate when

needing business advice. He went directly to his father when something was bothering him. She appreciated that about Reese.

He wasn’t so proud that he would not avail himself of his father’s experience and business acumen.

They both were indebted to the elder Edwards. It was because of Samuel Edwards that Janet had the excellent job she did. Fresh

out of secretarial school, she had been hired as a typist, one of many assistants to the vice president, Malcolm Hayes. She’d

been in that position only six months when Mr. Hayes’ secretary had taken a three-month leave of absence to have a baby. Janet

had taken over the lead position in the interim. It was during that time that Reese’s secretary, who had worked with his father

for fifteen years, retired. Reese had gone through a rapid succession of replacements, the longest lasting three days. It

wasn’t that he was ill-tempered or abusive—he was exacting. When he wanted something, he wanted it immediately. One of the

girls who had walked out of his office claimed that Reese needed a psychic, or at least someone who could anticipate his needs.

It had been the elder Edwards who suggested Janet. Betty St. George, Malcolm’s private secretary, had recently returned and

Janet was pleased to have the opportunity.

The first days they’d worked together had not gone well. Twice within the first hour she’d considered handing in her notice.

Reese was gruff and impatient, expecting Janet to intuitively know certain things. He accepted no excuses, not even ignorance.

Several times she’d been tempted to empty the coffee pot over his head but had managed to restrain herself. Gradually she

had learned that if she maintained her temper and presented a calm, cool facade when he made curt demands, she could cope.

At the end of her first two weeks, Reese had called her into his office and given her a large raise. At regular intervals

in the following two years he had increased her salary, and Janet doubted there was any job she could have gotten that paid

as well. It would never be easy to work for Reese, Janet realized, but there were personal rewards and plenty of satisfaction

in knowing she was a vital part of keeping the office running smoothly.

The intercom buzzed, breaking into her thoughts. “I’m ready for you now, Janet.” Her heart quickened at the sound of his voice.

What was the matter with her lately? Their relationship had been cast two years before and remained strictly professional.

She couldn’t be nourishing any secret desire that Reese would notice her as a woman. Such thoughts were self-defeating. She

wasn’t his type; she wasn’t even blonde. Respect and a certain amount of admiration were all she felt for Reese, she told

herself forcefully as she pushed her glasses from the edge of her nose and reached for her pencil and pad.

The high-backed leather chair swiveled around as she entered his office. Again she felt his gaze sweep over her as if he were

seeing her for the first time. Janet knew that at five eight she must look like an Amazon in comparison to the dainty, delicately

boned women he preferred. Her dark hair was pulled away from her face and coiled in a chignon at the base of her neck. Her

blue eyes, the color of the spring sky after a rainfall, were probably her best feature. But even these were disguised behind

glasses with large frames. In deference to her position, Janet wore crisp business suits, linen in the summer and a wool blend

in winter in a variety of blues and grays.

“Here.” He seemed to snap himself from the introspection and handed Janet several cassettes from the Dictaphone. “Have these

ready for me to sign this afternoon,” he said in a curt tone. “See if you can get tickets to the symphony for tomorrow night

and have flowers sent to Bunny Jacobs.” He rattled off an address. “Also get Henry on the phone for me.”

“Did you say the flowers were for Bunny or Bubbles Jacobs.” She didn’t attempt to hide the snicker in her voice. In all the

time Janet had worked for Reese she had never seen him look angrier. His fingers tightened around a pencil until the force

of his grip snapped the wood in two.

“Bunny,” he repeated.

Carefully she wrote down the name. “Is that everything?”