Page 3 of A Girl Like Janet

His eyes seemed to burn right through her; his mouth was pressed in a tight impatient line, as if he was restraining himself

from saying something more.

Walking from the room, Janet paused in the doorway as the room began to spin. Her hand reached out to steady herself. She

felt queasy and sick.

“Janet, are you all right?”

The tender concern in his voice made her want to cry. Numbly she shook her head. “I’m fine, just a little dizzy, that’s all.”

He placed an arm around her waist, lending her his support. “I knew something was wrong,” he chuckled, “you didn’t put any

sugar in my coffee. I can’t remember a time my efficient secretary forgot something as important as sugar in my coffee. Come

on, I’m taking you home.”

“No!” she protested immediately. The feel of his arm against her was doing erratic things to her heartbeat and she broke the

contact. “I’ll be fine in a minute. Really,” she insisted again.

He released her, but helped her into her chair. “Fine or not, I’m taking you home. You shouldn’t have even come in this morning.”

Treacherous tears welled in her eyes. Reese hated weak women. Hadn’t he just told her yesterday how much he detested a woman

who cried? She buried her chin into her shoulder and sniffled. “Please... I’ll take the bus home.”

“Miss Montgomery, you don’t honestly expect me to send you out on the streets looking like this,” he argued. “You’re so peaked

someone’s likely to mistake you for a ghost.”

Lifting her glasses, she blotted the moisture from her cheeks. “If you’re trying to make me feel better, then you’re failing

miserably.”

His soft chuckle brought a weak smile trembling at the corners of her full mouth.

“Here, put this on.” He handed her the jacket she’d worn that morning.

Janet accepted the coat. “What about—” She wasn’t allowed to finish.

“I’ll have someone else type it. As much as you may think otherwise, you’re not completely indispensable.”

Curious stares followed them out of the building. A hand placed protectively at the back of her waist added to the speculation.

In two years Janet hadn’t missed a day of work. Now that she was going to, it was to the amusement of the entire office staff.

She felt her face grow crimson.

Reese unlocked the passenger door of the silver Mercedes. It was the same vehicle she’d seen him in the night before, and

she bit into her upper lip as she climbed inside. Her hand ran over the smooth white seats, the feel of supple leather against

her fingers. Janet couldn’t help asking herself, How many other women have sat in this seat? How many other hearts has Reese

broken? She gave a small gasp when she realized what her mind had questioned.

Reese cast her a worried look. “Are you okay?”

“Fine,” she muttered and quickly turned her head to gaze out the side window. Other women? She wasn’t one of his women, would

never be in that elite group... how could her heart be involved? Quickly she shoved the thought from her mind.

“...your address?” The question came at her unexpectedly. Janet hadn’t been listening, too shocked at what her mind was

saying to her.

She rolled off the street name and sat, hands clenched on her lap, as he manipulated the car through downtown Denver.

He pulled up in front of the apartment building and, before she could protest, climbed out of the car and came around to her

side.

The wind whipped soft wisps of hair about her face as she paused on the sidewalk. “I want to thank you...” she began. The

hand tucked protectively under her elbow shocked her. She was almost lifted from the cement as she struggled to avoid his

touch. “Really... there’s no need to walk me to the door.”

“I have something to discuss with you and I prefer to do it privately.”

Janet conceded ungraciously and led the way to her apartment. The key slipped easily into the lock and she pushed open the

door and stepped inside the tidy room. For the first time Janet was grateful for the arrangement she’d worked out with Gail.

She did all the cleaning and Gail did the cooking and dishes. Gail openly admitted to being a slob, and if it were left to

her, clothes would be littered across every available space of the apartment. If Reese was going to come into their apartment,

at least he’d see it when it was neat and orderly.

His gaze did a sweeping inspection of the room, taking in details of the decor, which the girls called modern antiques.

The amusement in his look brought a questioning glance from Janet.

“Somehow I knew you’d live in a place where everything sparkles from the shine. I think the phrase ‘A place for everything

and everything in its place’ was created with you in mind.”

Janet bristled. “I’m sure you didn’t come here to discuss my housekeeping techniques.”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Then what?” she prompted.

“I’ve noticed a certain reluctance on your part to discuss getting a word processor for the office,” he began uneasily.

Janet shifted her feet, suddenly uncomfortable. “Not reluctance,” she commented with a weak smile. “A gnawing fear would more

aptly describe my feelings.”

“Perhaps this wouldn’t be the best time to discuss the subject.”

“I think we’d better.” Her knees felt unsteady and she lowered herself onto the overstuffed sofa with worn chocolate brown

upholstery.

“I had dinner with a friend of mine yesterday. A computer expert. He was making some amazing statements about the amount of

time that can be saved by one of these machines.”

A prickling of apprehension raised goose bumps on her forearms. “You don’t seem to understand.”

He sat across from her in an olive green wingback chair. “What don’t I understand?”

Janet pushed the stray hairs off her forehead. “It took me five years to learn how to tie my shoes.” She stood and walked

to the other side of the room. “I’m totally unmechanical. I can’t even figure out how to use a hand-operated can opener.”

Amusement formed grooves at the corners of his mouth.

“I don’t find this the least bit funny,” she snapped.

“It’s not.” But the laughter continued to dance in his eyes. “I’m not going to desert you in your hour of need.”

“Am I supposed to find that comforting?”

He arched an arrogant brow. “Some women would.”

“But not this woman,” she denied vehemently.

The laughter died as his eyes hardened. “I’m afraid you’re going to be forced to accept the change.”

Janet’s eyes rounded incredulously as her stomach muscles coiled into a hard knot. She might as well resign right now. There

was no hope for her.