Model Attraction

by Sharon C. Cooper

  “Do what?”

  “I don’t know how you deal with the stares everywhere you go. From the moment we walked through the door, you were the center of attention.”

  “How do you know they weren’t looking at you?”

  “Trust me, they were definitely not looking at me,” he muttered and opened the menu.

  Janna studied his handsome face. Austin was fine enough to be on the cover of any national magazine. With his sexy brown eyes, chiseled jaw and full, kissable lips, she’d bet her agent would sign him in a heartbeat if Austin showed an interest. But he hated attention. Always had. As one of the stars of their high school’s basketball team, he’d blown off any accolades and always preferred to keep a low profile.

  “Are you two ready to order? Maybe I can start you with an appetizer?” the server asked when she placed Janna’s white wine on the table as well as Austin’s beer. She gave a quick rundown of their specials and then she really caught Janna’s attention when she leaned over Austin’s menu. While pointing out some of her favorite dishes, she brought attention to her large breasts in her low-cut shirt. Little did she know, Austin was a leg man. That knowledge still didn’t keep jealousy from stirring inside of Janna. Sure she hadn’t been with Austin in years, but witnessing some shameless hussy practically throwing herself at him made her see red...or green. She wanted to grab hold of the woman’s long hair and give it a hard tug.

  Austin closed his menu and looked at Janna. “I think I know what I want. What about you?”

  Janna nodded, trying to ignore his choice of words. She was tempted to tell him exactly what she wanted, and it didn’t include food. What she really wanted had more to do with his tempting lips, his muscular body and those large hands that used to touch her in all the right places.

  She shook her head to free the wayward thought and quickly glanced down at the menu in her hands.

  Okay. Focus, Janna, focus.

  From the moment she’d stepped into Nash’s office and seen him standing there, her body had been on high alert. She really did believe it was fate that they kept running into each other, though she had a feeling he thought she and Nash had set him up to be there when she arrived. Janna wasn’t sure why her brother-in-law hadn’t told her that he was meeting with someone else, but she was glad he hadn’t.

  Janna gave the server her order. Rarely did she eat soul food, but when Austin suggested the historic restaurant, she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try it out. Her first inclination was to order a salad, but she squashed the idea. She was on vacation. Instead, she ordered the restaurant’s famous fried chicken and a side order of broccoli.

  “And for you?” the server asked Austin, batting her fake eyelashes. Janna rolled her eyes and glanced away before she said something she would later regret.

  “I’ll have the catfish entrée and a glass of water.”

  “All right, I’ll get that water out to you right away and your meals will be out shortly.”

  “So does that happen often?” Janna asked.

  “What?”

  “Servers who practically sit in your lap while trying to take your order.”

  Austin shook his head and laughed. “No. I can honestly say that doesn’t often happen, probably because I rarely eat at restaurants. Normally I cook or order carryout.”

  He had always carried himself as if he were much older than his years. They were only a year apart in age, but in high school they were two years apart due to him skipping fifth grade. Cooking was one of his favorite pastimes. He used to prepare elaborate meals even as a teen. He had often told her that he liked cooking for her and had vowed to take care of her once they married.

  Janna sipped from her glass of wine, wondering where to start in regard to their conversation. On the car ride over, small talk flowed between them, but neither had broached the topic that needed to be discussed.

  “Why’d you leave me without a word or without saying goodbye? No note. No call. Nothing.”

  Well, so much for not knowing where to start, Janna thought. She sighed and set her wineglass down on the table, placing her hands in her lap. When she looked up at Austin, his face was expressionless, but his dark eyes bored into her.

  “Austin...everything happened so quickly. I received a call from a modeling agency, offering the opportunity of a lifetime if I agreed to leave for Milan immediately. You and your family were on that two-week cruise to Hawaii and I couldn’t reach you by telephone, which is why I sent you the letter.”

  He leaned forward. “What letter?”

  A sense of dread crawled up Janna’s back. “What do you mean, what letter? I wrote you the day I left, telling you what happened and that I would call you as soon as I could.”

  “Janna, I never received a letter or a telephone call.”

  “I swear to you that I mailed it on my way to the airport. I don’t understand how you didn’t get it. As for the phone call... I tried, but your number was disconnected and I later found out you and your family had moved.”

  “We didn’t move to Atlanta until two months after you left.”

  “I... I.” Janna glanced down and toyed with the black cloth napkin in her lap. She only had one shot to clear the air between them. Austin might’ve been one of the most patient people she knew, but he hated lies, or as she often referred to them, half truths. “When I didn’t hear from you after sending you the letter, I assumed you didn’t want anything to do with me. A few months went by before I swallowed my pride and decided to take my chances and call you.”

  Within seconds, his calm demeanor changed, his jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed. He gripped the side of the table as if trying to rein in his temper.

  Before he could speak, the server returned to their table with their meals.

  Janna’s stomach churned with anxiety. She’d realized the conversation wouldn’t be easy, but it was much harder than she had expected. She had never thought about the fact that he might not have received the letter. When she’d told her family that she hadn’t heard from Austin, Mama Adel said that it was probably for the best and that she should focus on her career.

  “Is there anything else I can get you?” the server asked, her gaze bouncing from Austin to Janna and back as if sensing the tension.

  “No, everything is fine.” Austin’s clipped tone had the server hurrying away.

  “I called you,” Austin said. “As a matter of fact, I called you four times, to be exact.”

  Janna sat stunned.

  “Once we returned from vacation, imagine my surprise when I went by your house and your mother said you were in Milan. Do you have any idea how that made me feel? To find out the girl I’d loved and planned to spend the rest of my life with had left the country without a word?”

  Guilt lodged in Janna’s throat. Her hand went to her chest, making small circles as if the move could release some of the tension that had built from the anguish she heard in his tone.

  “Your mother gave me your manager’s number, saying it was the only way to reach you. I called. The first two times, I left a message with him for you to call me back.”

  “Oh my God, Austin, I didn’t know. He never told me.”

  “The last two times I left messages on his voice mail.”

  Janna was going to kill Nelson. How could he have not told her? He’d known how much Austin meant to her.

  “Austin—” she reached out and placed her hand on top of his “—I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. I would have called you back had I known.” His gaze went to where her hand rested on top of his and he surprised her when he didn’t pull away.

  “Whether your manager gave you the messages or not, that’s no excuse for you not calling me.”

  “I thought you were angry with me after receiving my letter. When I didn’t hear from you, I just assumed...�
�� Her words trailed off. There was nothing else she could say, and no other excuse she could give to explain her actions.

  “How could you think that I wouldn’t try calling? You knew how I felt about you.” He turned his hand over and grasped her hand, squeezing a little as he continued. “I had planned to make you my wife. How could you think I wouldn’t try to find you?”

  Janna lowered her gaze and shook her head, fighting the tears that pricked the back of her eyes. She should have known that Austin would try contacting her. Even at a young age, he was the most responsible, loyal person she’d ever known. He had always been clear about his feelings for her and wasn’t shy about telling her how much he loved her. This...all of this was on her.

  She looked up at him, her vision distorted by unshed tears. “I should have known.” She lifted her napkin from her lap and dabbed at the corners of her eyes, trying hard not to let a tear fall. If one slipped through, more would follow. Thankfully, her back was to the majority of the other patrons.

  “Listen, maybe talking about this out in public wasn’t a good idea.”

  Janna shook her head. “No. I’m glad we’re having this conversation. We should have had it years ago. I’m not happy with my manager, but ultimately, this whole mess is my fault.”

  Austin sighed and picked up his fork. “Why don’t we eat while you tell me how everything played out?”

  The last thing Janna wanted to do was eat, but she was glad he was willing to at least listen to her. Not that she was surprised. He’d had plenty of opportunities to practice patience and tolerance when it came to dealing with her. She hadn’t been the most levelheaded person back in the day, especially considering the number of messes she used to get into. That often led to disagreements with Austin, but he never stayed mad long. He had once told her that his parents had a rule—never go to bed angry at each other. Austin had told her early on that he wanted that to be the case with them.

  “The morning after you and your family left on vacation, I was contacted by Nelson, my current manager. On a whim, months earlier, I had sent him my head shots and a note expressing an interest in modeling.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me you were querying modeling agencies? When we were making plans, you never mentioned modeling.”

  “I didn’t mention it because I knew the chances of me becoming a model were slim. And besides, I was excited about the plans you had made for us.” And she was. Austin was not only the most popular jock at their school, but he was also the smartest man she knew. He was valedictorian of his graduating class and everyone knew he had a promising future ahead of him.

  Janna had known a life with him would be amazing and she couldn’t wait to marry him. But thanks to lack of communication, she would never know what could have been.

  She enjoyed the life she had built for herself, but a sadness swirled around inside her. What if she could have had both, her career and a life with Austin? This sweetheart of a man could have still been hers, had she handled things differently back then.

  * * *

  My plans. Therein lay the first problem, Austin thought. When he was making plans for their future, he had never realized that she saw them as his plans. Not their plans.

  “What was in the letter?”

  As far as he knew, she’d never lied to him. If she had sent the letter, as she claimed, what happened to it?

  She set down her fork and wiped her mouth. It didn’t go unnoticed that she had only taken one or two bites of her meal. If this was any indication how she normally ate, it was no wonder she was so thin.

  “It stated that I loved you and that I hope you could understand that I had to go after this chance of a lifetime. I also mentioned that I wanted you to join me in Milan, maybe attend college there. I even offered to send you plane fare once I received my first check.”

  He would have appreciated the offer had he received it, but there was no way he would have taken money from her. He was old-school like his dad and didn’t believe in letting a woman pay his way.

  “I would have come,” he said quietly. Hell, he probably would have stayed. He had been that in love with her.

  “You would have?”

  “Of course. Janna, you knew how I felt about you. I was serious about us having a life together, no matter where.” He didn’t like seeing the sadness in her eyes, which was so unlike her. Very little got Janna down, and he hated that their conversation had made the twinkle in her eyes disappear.

  Her gaze returned to the plate in front of her. “I know,” she said barely above a whisper. “Despite the way I left, the feelings were mutual. But later when I talked with my mother, she said I wasn’t being fair to you. That you had a promising future and we were too young to be thinking about marriage.”

  His parents felt the same way, but Austin hadn’t cared. He had always accomplished anything he’d set his mind to, and together they could have made it work. Yet he never got the chance. Janna took the option from him when she boarded the flight to Milan and didn’t look back.

  “I’ll never be able to apologize to you enough for the hell I put us both through. I’ve missed you, Austin, and I never meant to hurt you. I was young...impulsive, and I thought... I honestly thought we could make it work. But when I didn’t hear from you...” Her voice trailed off.

  “Yeah, I know. I felt the same way. I’m sorry, too. I’m sorry I didn’t try harder to get a hold of you.” He took a swig of his beer, still a little amazed that he was sitting across from her in the flesh. “Back in Nash’s office, you asked if we could call a truce.”

  “Can we?”

  He nodded. The conversation with his father was at the front of Austin’s mind. “Yeah. Let’s try to put this behind us.”

  “I’d like that.” She smiled for the first time since arriving at the restaurant and his heart constricted. Her smile had always sent a warm heat flowing through his body, and based on the last couple of hours, she still had the same effect on him. The attraction between them was more intense than ever, and that wasn’t a good thing.

  “So why don’t you tell me more about this accountant of yours.”

  They talked and ate. It wasn’t quite like old times, but it was as if a weight had been lifted off Austin. She was still animated when she talked, gesturing with her hands, her voice rising and falling as she explained her disappointment with the financial management company.

  “There’s something else I’d like to talk to you about.”

  “What’s that?” Austin asked, the seriousness of her tone making him wonder if he really wanted to know.

  “My nonprofit organization.”

  Now this surprised him. Janna had always been interested in fashion, makeup and other girly things, but he’d never known her to have any interest in philanthropy.

  “I want to create a nonprofit to benefit children who are aging out of the foster care system. Many end up jobless and homeless once they turn eighteen. I have a plan that can keep some of these kids off the street. I was lucky, but so many don’t end up in a loving home or with a family that looks out for them.”

  She told him more about her plans, and the more she talked, the more interested Austin became. Not just because he could tell the cause was close to her heart, but also because of the emotion in her voice. She’d always been a little quirky, easygoing and out to have a good time. Yet, he couldn’t ever remember her speaking so seriously and passionately about a subject.

  “I have a draft of my business plan back at my hotel if you’d like to see it.” Her eyes held a vulnerability that he had never seen in her before. “I would really appreciate your opinion, and I’m open to any suggestions you have on how to proceed. I know your family has always been active in various causes.”

  Austin nodded. “Yeah, they still are, and I’d be glad to help you in any way that I can.” His only co
ncern was the idea of going back to her hotel room. He wasn’t sure if he trusted himself not to do something crazy when they got there, like taste her sweet lips again or lure her to the closest bed.

  Chapter 6

  “Are you married?”

  Austin sputtered, coughed and choked on his beer, surprised by the question, which seemed to come out of nowhere.

  “Sorry about that. Didn’t mean to catch you off guard,” Janna said, amused the question would shake him up.

  “No. No, it’s fine.” He set his glass down and quickly wiped his mouth. “And no, I’m not married, and I don’t have any children,” he supplied as if knowing that question would be next.

  Janna almost said good, but held back. She knew it was too much to hope that they could pick up where they left off, but knowing he wasn’t married was a start. Her feelings for him were just as strong as they once were and she’d give anything if they could at least be friends.

  “I assume you’re not married.”

  She quirked a smile and shook her head. Something that big would’ve been splashed across various magazines before she could finish saying I do. The media seemed to be able to capture everything about her. Well, almost everything. They still hadn’t figured out her parentage and she prayed she could keep it that way.

  “So did you two leave room for dessert?” the server asked as she collected Austin’s empty plate.

  “None for me,” Janna said and requested a carryout container. Despite the food being good, most of her meal was still on her plate. She couldn’t concentrate on eating. She wanted to focus on reestablishing a friendship with Austin. Yet sitting across from him, staring into his dark eyes, had her longing for more. It might be selfish, but she wanted what they once had.

  “I’ll pass, too. Can you bring us the check?”

  “Sure, I’ll be right back.”

  “I think I’ll take this opportunity to run to the ladies’ room.” Austin discreetly pointed her in the right direction and stood, pulling out her chair. “I’ll be right back.”