Page 7 of A Girl Like Janet

“You look very prim and proper this morning,” Gail mentioned over the breakfast table.

Janet’s hand tested the hair at the base of her neck. She had tightly twisted it into place this morning and chosen her least

attractive business suit. She didn’t know what was happening between her and Reese, but it had to stop immediately.

He had kissed her three times last night. Each kiss deeper, more demanding, sapping her strength to resist. Breathlessly she

had pulled herself out of his arms and walked to the other side of the room. Reese had come to stand behind her, slowly bringing

her close as his mouth sought the gentle slope of her neck.

“I don’t know what’s happening,” he had whispered. “I don’t want to know.”

“If you leave the notes from class,” she’d said, fighting to keep her voice even, “I’ll look them over before work tomorrow.”

Reese froze, his fingers exerting a slight pressure on her shoulders as he turned her around. “Is that the way you want it?”

His gaze bore into hers, then gradually lowered to rest on lips that felt swollen from his plundering kisses.

“Yes,” she shook her head emphatically. “Yes, please.”

Reese had inhaled deeply, grabbed his jacket from the back of the sofa and stalked out the door.

Janet hadn’t slept, tossing for hours as she struggled with the events of the night. Her working relationship with Reese would

be ruined if she didn’t show more self-restraint. Reese didn’t look as if he was willing to keep things under control. What

had changed? Nothing seemed to make sense, least of all her own feelings. She knew him too well, knew how he treated his women,

knew what would happen to her if this continued.

“You ready?” Gail wore her sweater jacket and had taken her car keys from her purse. They took turns driving each week. If

one was forced to work late, then the other took the bus home.

“Ready.” Janet swung the purse strap over her shoulder and gave an unconscious sigh. Things would be strictly professional

today, and from here on in.

Following routine, she hung up her coat, placed her purse in the bottom desk drawer and made coffee. Reese was already in

his office, the adjoining door closed. Twenty minutes after her arrival Janet took in Reese’s coffee. He didn’t glance up

and she was grateful.

“Good morning, Janet.”

Her heartbeat accelerated briefly. “Good morning, Mr. Edwards,” she responded crisply.

At her brittle tone, Reese diverted his attention from the file he was studying and raised his eyes to her. One brow quirked

upward.

Janet’s gaze avoided his. “Is there anything else?” she questioned with the same chilling politeness.

“Nothing,” he replied, his voice slightly mocking.

Pride dictated that she hold her head high, her chin tilted at a stern angle, as she walked out the door, closing it firmly.

Reese came out of his office midmorning to give her some reports to type, saying he needed them by that afternoon. He left

soon after for a meeting. Their hands brushed as she accepted the folder and a firelike sensation shot up her arm. Janet was

forced to swallow tightly to maintain her poise.

“Janet.”

She pushed her glasses up from the tip of her nose and glanced upward.

“Use the computer, understand?”

She hoped to hide the panic in her eyes and nodded. “If you insist.”

“I do.” The steel hardness in his voice seemed to reach out and assault her.

A half hour later, she wheeled her chair in front of the Simplex. The operating manual rested in her lap. The necessary steps

to turn on the machine and bring up the editing mode were familiar enough for her to work confidently.

The report didn’t contain columns of figures or other complicated data, but it was several pages in length and Janet hadn’t

done anything but the briefest documents on the Simplex.

Glancing at her watch, she noted that she should be able to complete the report by lunch if she was free to work without interruptions.

Her hands felt uncomfortable on the unfamiliar keyboard and her typing speed slowed, but soon her confidence grew and her

fingers flew, setting a regular pace. Perhaps Reese was right, a computer was a miracle of modern technology, not some diabolical

beast. The phone rang several times, but by noon Janet had almost finished. It certainly was easier not to have to stop and

feed paper into the computer, as would have been necessary with a typewriter.

Pausing to flip to the last page of Reese’s almost indecipherable handwriting, Janet looked up and noticed that the screen

was blank.

For a second all she could do was stare at it in bewilderment. What had happened? Where did the report go? Had she typed the

wrong button and caused this? After staring at the empty screen for a full five minutes, Janet reached for the user manual.

Nothing that might be a possible explanation was listed. She pushed and tried every button.

“Is that report ready yet?” Reese sauntered into the office. When she didn’t answer him right away, he asked her again. “Janet,

I need the Phelps report.”

“I don’t have it,” she snapped, while her eyes glinted, ready for battle. “Your precious computer ate it.”

“What do you mean?” he demanded. “What did you do?”

“I didn’t do anything,” she insisted and sharply inhaled a shaky breath to hide the abject frustration. “I was almost done

and suddenly the screen went blank. I’ve tried everything I know to retrieve it, but nothing’s worked.”

“You must have done something wrong.”

“I didn’t,” she stormed. “It... just vanished.” She threw her hands into the air. “Poof, gone...”

The hard line of his mouth tightened impatiently. “Perhaps if you had attended last night’s class you would know how to deal

with situations like this.”

Pressing her lips together to prevent an angry retort, she said as evenly as possible, “If you’ll excuse me.” Extracting her

purse from the desk, she scooted out of the chair and stood. “It’s my lunch hour.”

“What about the report?” The control Reese had on his anger sounded as thin as Janet’s.

“The computer has it,” she stated calmly and walked out the door.

An hour later, her temper under control due to Gail’s calming influence, Janet returned to the office. Reese was sitting in

her chair working at the computer. Resentment flared momentarily. Apparently he persisted in the belief she had done something

wrong.

“Well?” she asked curtly.

He looked up as if surprised she was there. “My apologies, Janet. I phoned the computer store to see if they could explain

what happened. It seems we experienced a power surge. I’ve ordered an adapter that will correct the problem in the future.”

“I didn’t think it was anything I’d done.” Relief thickly coated her words.

“Does that mean you’re willing to admit it may have been your fault?” His smile was potent enough to chum her stomach.

She flushed, feeling the rise of color flow into her cheeks. “Not exactly, but I couldn’t very well deny the possibility.”

She averted her attention by replacing her purse in the desk. “I’ll have the report for you as soon as possible.”

Reese glanced at his watch. “I’ll be out of the office for the rest of the afternoon. Malcolm will take care of it for me

if you see to it that he gets it before five.”

Janet nodded. “Fine.”

“I’ll pick you up at your place tonight at the regular time for class.”

“I’ll be ready.”

Reese returned to his office to place a call. While he was still on the phone Bunny Jacobs came into the office. Dressed in

a loose-fitting shimmering gold dress that looked like silk, she wore an endearing smile that brightened her beautiful blue

eyes.

“Is Reese in?” She purred the question and gently swung the matching stole across one shoulder.

If Janet hadn’t seen it a hundred times before, she could have laughed. The voice, the walk, the way Bunny dressed was so

stereotyped it was unbelievable. Either this woman was genuine, or she was very shrewd. She knew what Reese Edwards liked

and had perfected the role.

“Mr. Edwards is on the phone. Would you care to sit down and wait?” Janet offered politely. “There’s coffee if you’d like

a cup.”

“Oh no,” Bunny said, smiling sweetly. “I only drink natural things like orange juice and Coke. Coffee’s supposed to be terrible

for you.”

“I read that too,” Janet replied, doing her best to keep from making a sarcastic comment. Was this girl for real?

Bunny glanced at the closed door connecting the rooms. “Have you worked long for Reese?”

“Two years,” Janet replied.

“I bet he’s a wonderful boss.” Bunny crossed one beautifully shaped leg across the other.

Janet could see no reason to disillusion Bunny. “Oh, he is.”

“Since I’ve been dating Reese I’ve come to believe in love. It’s just like the song... even the nights are better,” she

said with an exaggerated sigh.

Knowing the way Reese operated, Janet had to bite her lip from commenting that the nights were probably one of the first things

to improve.

“He’s got this dreadful meeting he must go to tonight and just couldn’t bear the thought of a Friday without seeing me. He

insisted on taking me out this afternoon. He is so... so...” She seemed to be searching for the right word.

“Wonderful?” Janet inserted.

“Oh yes, wonderful.”

The extinguished light on the phone indicated Reese had finished his call. “If you’ll excuse me a minute, I’ll let Mr. Edwards

know you’re here.”

“Of course.” Bunny’s perfectly formed mouth curved into an appreciative smile.

Rolling her chair away from her desk, Janet stood and tapped politely on the closed door before entering his office. Reese

looked up expectantly, his gaze lazy and welcoming.

Her eyes met his look, her smile saccharine sweet as she murmured suggestively, “Bubbles Boom Boom is waiting.” She didn’t

wait for his reaction, but turned to exit as quickly as possible.

Janet waited until Reese was in the outer office before stiffly informing him she’d see herself to the computer class. What