Denise frowned. “I thought that was Derek Hamilton’s idea.”
So Derek hadn’t given her credit. No wonder there had been no action on her request for a transfer to advertising. “Well, we sort of brainstormed it together,” she said. “He must have forgotten to mention that.”
Denise steepled her fingers and gazed at Krysta over the tips of her manicured nails. “I guess he must have.”
“I’d really love to work in this department, Denise.”
“Considering that you’re a bundle of innovation, I don’t see why that can’t be arranged. Juliet won’t be happy to lose you in contracts, but Rainier likes to make the most of an employee’s potential.”
“That’s good news. Now I’d better get back to my post.” With a firm handshake, she left Denise’s office and went straight to Derek’s. He was in a meeting, so she left word for him to call her.
By lunchtime she still hadn’t heard from Derek. She went out to a small café with Rosie rather than chance going down to the cafeteria and running into Jack. He had transformed her entire view of the world, but the less she saw of him now, the better. Her wounds were still too fresh.
When she and Rosie returned there was a message on her desk from Derek, who said he’d pick her up at six for dinner. She tried to reach him for the rest of the afternoon to beg off, but he was never available. Finally, she decided to have dinner with him, after all. At least she’d be able to confront him about taking credit for her idea. She’d handle it diplomatically, of course, but she couldn’t just let it go.
At her apartment after work she dressed carefully in a modest black knit and pearls. She’d told Jack she would handle Derek, and Derek himself had given her the means. He probably never imagined she would talk to Denise about the infomercial. Assuming he’d taken credit for her idea, which Krysta was pretty sure he had, she could express disappointment but let him know she hadn’t spilled the beans to Denise. But she’d use his behavior to put him on the defensive so he couldn’t object when she ended their relationship.
Derek arrived promptly at six, every hair in place, his topcoat over his arm and his navy blazer free of even the slightest speck of lint.
Krysta marveled that she’d once found his brand of faultless grooming attractive. She picked up her coat and purse from a hall table near the door. “I’m ready.”
“Before we go, I have something to discuss with you.” Derek moved past her into her small apartment’s tiny living room, which held only two chairs, one lamp and a television set.
“All right.” Krysta put down her coat and purse and closed the front door. “I have something to discuss with you, as well.” Maybe she wouldn’t have to sit through a dinner with him, after all.
He laid his topcoat carefully over the back of a chair. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to go first. I did a little checking and discovered you went to New York City this past weekend.”
She was instantly on guard. She wasn’t sure how he’d found that out, but she’d might as well not deny it. “The spa was outside the city, but I flew in there, yes.”
He gazed at her. “Jack Killigan was on that same plane. Did you know that?”
She tried her best to stay calm. “Really? What a coincidence.”
“Don’t dig yourself in deeper, Krysta.” He approached her slowly, like a cat stalking its prey. “You’ve had lunch with the guy on a regular basis and you told me he comes from your hometown. I’m not going to buy the story that you didn’t know he was on that plane with you. I have only one question. Are you and Killigan having an affair?”
“No.” It was the absolute truth.
He stepped closer. “That was uttered with conviction, which gladdens my heart.” He put his hands on her shoulders and gazed into her eyes. “What happened? Did you discover a common laborer wasn’t the kind of man you wanted in your bed?”
She brushed his hands aside and stepped back. “I demand an apology for that remark, Derek.”
He shrugged. “All right. I apologize. But you’ll have to forgive me for being upset. For weeks you’ve been putting me off every time I tried to get close to you, and then I discover you’ve apparently run away for a weekend rendezvous with one of the dock workers. So if you’re not having an affair with him, what’s the story? How did you two end up on the same plane?”
Fear for Jack roiled in her stomach. Derek wouldn’t hesitate to fire Jack, who could be replaced easily. He might not be so quick to get rid of her, because she was an important part of the daily operation and he knew it. His superiors would demand reasons for her dismissal, but they wouldn’t give a second thought about Jack. Her brain felt like a pan of scrambled eggs.
“Jack had no part in it,” she said, desperate to come up with a plausible story that would take the pressure off the man she loved. “I found out he was going to New York to see a friend from college, and I booked myself on the same plane.” She laughed. “All my life I’ve gone out with brainy guys like you, Derek. But lots of women, me included, have a fantasy about the brawny type. I thought I might talk Jack into satisfying that fantasy. But he turned me down flat.”
Derek came close again and placed his hands at her waist. “You know what? Crazy as that story sounds, I believe you. I’ve always sensed something wild and rebellious in you trying to get out.” His thumbs kneaded her waist.
She tried not to shudder, or worse yet, become sick to her stomach.
“I can satisfy that wildness, Krysta, if you’ll only let me.” In your dreams, Charlie. She tried to ease away, but he gripped her harder.
“It’s time, Krysta,” he murmured, trying to bring her closer. “I can’t have you prowling around after dock workers when I can take care of all your needs.”
“Let go of me!” Unable to stand his touch another second, she wrenched away.
He started after her. “Now, let’s not be shy. We both know what you want.”
She clenched her jaw. This wasn’t going well. “I’m sorry, Derek. I’m not interested in having a physical relationship with you.”
He paused, looking genuinely puzzled. “But I thought we were getting along, you and I.”
“We were—are. Were. But not in that respect. I admired you as a colleague but found that romantically we…just didn’t click. Then today I discovered that you apparently presented the infomercial idea to marketing as yours alone.”
His face turned pink. “So that’s it. You’re mad at me because of that. Okay, I’ll go back and tell them you had some part in it, if that’s all you want. Denise called me today and asked me to approve your transfer to marketing. I’ll recommend you for it. Happy now?”
She took a deep breath. “Thank you.”
He took a step toward her. “You can do a hell of a lot better than a mere thank you, Krysta.”
Jack’s warning rang in her ears. She hadn’t wanted to believe him. “Surely you don’t expect that I’ll go to bed with you because you’re treating me with the consideration every employee deserves?”
“Now, that would be crass of me, wouldn’t it?”
Relief swept through her and she smiled. “I knew you wouldn’t—”
“I expect you to go to bed with me because we belong together. We’re two of a kind, and it’s about time you recognized the fact.”
“I disagree. We don’t belong together. I’m sorry, Derek, but we really don’t.”
He grabbed her before she realized what he intended to do. Holding her with a strength that surprised her, he shoved his face close to hers. “You stubborn little bitch. You obviously don’t know what’s good for you, but I’m going to try and teach you the error of your ways. Either we go into that bedroom now, or your story about chasing to New York after Killigan goes in your file, along with every single mistake you make from here on out. You’ll be gone in three months.”
She curled her hands into fists to keep from scraping her nails across his face. She’d save that for later if she needed it. “I won’t be gone in thr
ee months, Derek,” she said, her voice quivering.
His expression cleared. “Now you’re making sense.”
“I’m gone now.” She pushed with all her might, and the element of surprise freed her from his grip. “I resign.”
He stood and stared at her. “You’re crazy.”
“You’re not the first person to tell me that recently.” She felt a wonderful sense of freedom. Later remorse would probably hit full force, but at the moment she felt glorious.
“I know how much you need this job.”
“Not that much. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out, Derek.”
He snatched his topcoat from the chair and stomped past her. “You’ll regret this.”
“Probably, but right now it feels fabulous.”
His response was to slam the door so hard her living room window rattled.
Krysta gazed at the door and wondered why she didn’t feel grief-stricken at having just sawed off the limb she was sitting on. Jobs weren’t that easy to come by in this neck of the woods. Instead of a bigger paycheck to help pay for her father’s care, she had no paycheck.
Yet something deep inside told her she’d done the right thing, both for her and for her family. Self-annihilation didn’t set a very good example for her brothers. She’d try to get a job that paid better than the one at Rainier, but if she couldn’t, she and her brothers would work things out. Having Stephanie take charge of her life in the same way she’d so often taken charge of her brothers’ lives had been an illuminating experience. Perhaps she needed to allow her brothers the freedom to make their own decisions about their education and helping out with their father.
And if she didn’t get a job, there was another consideration. She’d have plenty of time to go on tour for Candy Valentine.
14
“I STILL SAY IT’S LAWSUIT time.” Rosie stood, feet braced and hands on her hips as she watched Krysta clean out her desk. “In case you haven’t noticed, it’s not quite so easy for men to get away with sexual harassment in the workplace these days.”
“I’ll think about it.” Krysta put her family beach picture into a cardboard box before glancing up at Rosie. “But it was only one incident, and there were no witnesses, so it could turn into a ‘he said, she said’ kind of thing. I went out with him for several months, so building a case might be tough.”
“I still think you should try. I know it’s easy for me to say, but if we don’t stop the Derek Hamiltons of the world, who will?”
“You’re right. I really will think about it.” Krysta regretted telling Rosie that she was quitting because Derek had demanded sexual favors in exchange for a promotion. It was the nearest to the truth she could come with Rosie, who had been a good friend and didn’t deserve to be stonewalled. But Krysta hadn’t made any reference to Jack. A lawsuit against Derek would undoubtedly result in unmasking Jack as the real Candy Valentine. A court case was out of the question under the circumstances, but she couldn’t tell Rosie why.
“I wish Juliet hadn’t picked this week to go over to China and finalize the adoption of her little girl. She’d back you on this, and she’s got clout with the rest of the brass.”
Krysta interwove the flaps on the box. Then she addressed her friend with great care. “Don’t forget that what I told you is confidential. I don’t want anyone else to know about Derek’s behavior.”
“I promised, and I won’t break that promise, but the whole thing stinks, if you ask me.”
Krysta rolled back her chair and stood. “Try looking at it from a different angle. Maybe, now that I’m free of Rainier, there’s a better job waiting for me out there, one with greater chances for—”
“I don’t even want to hear it. I believe if some cloud showed up without a silver lining, you’d have it recalled. Don’t you ever get mad and just want to punch the hell out of someone?”
Krysta remembered vividly the last time that had happened. She’d hit the man she loved. “That doesn’t solve anything, Rosie.”
“Maybe not, but it sure can make you feel better.”
“Not necessarily.” She walked over to the coatrack.
“Then that’s where you and I are different, Mother Teresa. Don’t forget we’re going out tonight for a cholesterol binge. I’ll pick you up right after I blow this miserable joint at five.”
Krysta walked over and gave Rosie a hug. “Don’t let my experience sour you on Rainier. It’s a good company, and except for Derek, the management’s the best.”
Rosie hugged her back. “And we’re gonna get that SOB sooner or later.”
“Yeah.” Krysta decided to leave it at that. “See you tonight.” She was almost out the door with her box when Rosie called after her.
“Are you gonna go say goodbye to Jack Killigan?”
Just the mention of his name almost made her drop the box. She sure hoped Derek hadn’t started rumors about her already. “Why?”
Rosie’s expression was innocent. “Just wondering. He’s a nice guy, and he seems to think a lot of you.”
“Then maybe I will stop by the shipping dock before I leave.” On the way out to her car in the drizzle of a February afternoon, she contemplated the wisdom of going to see Jack. She didn’t intend to tell him she’d quit, just that she’d arranged the time off for his book tour. Because they were avoiding each other these days, he wouldn’t discover her absence at Rainier for quite a while.
By the time he did, she’d be set up in a new job, a better job. The last thing in the world she wanted from Jack was pity.
After depositing the box in the passenger seat of her car, she locked the door and trudged back through the rain to the entrance nearest the shipping dock. On her way in she met the foreman, Bud.
“You’re here to see Jack, I’ll bet,” he said.
“That’s right.”
“I’ll get him for you.”
Wish you could, Krysta thought wistfully as the foreman walked through the door onto the noisy dock. But Jack Killigan was a shooting star traveling at light speed away from her.
Jack came through the door wearing his blue coveralls and yellow hardhat. Of course, she’d known his hair was short now and his glasses had been replaced with contact lenses, but she still blinked at the transformation it made. Even his movements seemed more purposeful, his gaze more direct. And he was so gorgeous she caught her breath.
He walked toward her. “You’ve been out in the rain.”
All I have to offer is a kiss in the rain. She swallowed the lump in her throat and tried to keep her voice steady. “I had to put some things in my car, and then I decided to stop by and tell you that I’m cleared for the book tour.”
“Dammit, Krysta, I didn’t want you to—”
“Nobody knows anything about Candy Valentine, Jack. Not yet, at any rate.”
His eyes narrowed. “Then how did you get Hamilton to give you that much time off?”
“That’s my business.”
A muscle worked in his jaw and he swore softly under his breath as he stared up at the ceiling.
She could almost read his mind. He thought she’d slept with Derek to get this favor. But she wouldn’t stoop to defending herself against the unspoken accusation.
When his gaze returned to hers, it was bleak. “And now you’re all prepared to go on tour for me.”
“This is for the best, Jack.”
His laugh was bitter. “What a typical rose-colored glasses remark.” A pulse throbbed in his temple as he glanced away and his chest heaved. “I had no idea you’d work so fast, but I should have known.” He rubbed a hand over his face. “I just wish to hell you’d waited another twenty-four hours. Maybe you can trade that time off for a promotion, or maybe some company stock.”
“What are you talking about?”
He glanced back at her. “I called Stephanie Briggs this morning. I tried to get her yesterday, but she wasn’t available.”
She felt as if she’d just swallowed a large chunk of ice. “
Why did you call her?” But she knew. He’d abandoned the charade, abandoned her.
“Turns out it’s no big deal, after all, Candy Valentine being a guy,” Jack said. “Stephanie and I had a good laugh over it, and everything’s cool.”
“I see.” She’d known her usefulness to him would end someday, but she hadn’t expected to be discarded quite so soon. She waited for the heartrending pain to hit, but apparently the news had left her numb. She felt nothing.
“Dammit, Krysta, couldn’t you have been a little less efficient?”
At last her anger kicked in. “And couldn’t you at least have notified me of your intentions?”
“Couldn’t you have notified me of yours?”
Fury bubbled in her veins. “You mean my intentions regarding Derek?”
“Yes.” His jaw clenched. “I deserved to know. You can’t convince me he blithely gave you three weeks off, months in advance, for no good reason.”
“Of course he wouldn’t do that.” Suddenly she wanted him to believe the worst because it would hurt him, and she wanted him to hurt. “But don’t think it was all self-sacrifice on my part. I enjoyed every minute of it.”
“Liar! Three days ago we were—”
“I’m not lying.” She didn’t want to be reminded of what had been happening three days ago. And besides, she was telling Jack the truth. Resigning in the face of Derek’s demands had been one of the best experiences of her life. By giving herself more autonomy, she was able to grant more to the members of her family.
Jack looked as if a paper bale had just fallen on him. “I can’t believe it,” he said tonelessly.
“I’m not one of the heroines of your novels, Jack.”
His gaze intensified. “My mistake. Apparently you’re not. And it seems that Hamilton is getting exactly what he deserves.”
“I think he will. Goodbye, Jack. Best of luck with your writing career.” She hurried down the hall and out into the rain.
Mr. Valentine Page 16