Love Is the Drug (4 page)

Hell, he and his dad still hadn’t spoken about the horrible discovery that had come out of the fiasco with Connie Del Mar. And the more time that passed, the more likely it was that they never would.

That suffocating feeling welled up in him again and his heart pounded. He took a deep breath, hiding it by pretending to yawn. Yeah, he and his dad
not
talking about it was fine with him.

But he couldn’t see a way around talking about Connie with her sister. Once.

Jason cocked a brow at her and prodded, “Well?”

* * *

Julie leaned forward, resting her crossed arms on the edge of the table in front of her. She’d been too nervous to eat in front of Jason, so she’d only ordered a Diet Coke. Some sane part of her brain had almost instantaneously known that they’d have to talk about what happened five years ago if they were going to become partners, but the less focused side of her mind hadn’t been listening. Until now. Yes,
now
the reality had truly and totally sunken in. And the uneasy feeling she’d been having since she’d offered the partnership solidified into a hard, painful lump in her stomach.

What on earth had she been
thinking??
She couldn’t be partners with Jason and his dad! How would she ever keep Connie’s secret from them? “Uhhh…uhm, about this partnership thing—I…I think I spoke too hastily.”

He sat forward, but she rushed on, “I want a quiet little upscale restaurant. You know, white linen tablecloths, maître d’s, the whole package, six-month waiting list—how can that coexist with an outdoorsy sports resort? No, the clientele just wouldn’t fit my prospectus.”

She sat back and shook her head, but she kept her eyes focused on her finger as it ran down the edge of her glass, leaving a streak through the condensation, which had formed there like a shroud. “No, no,” she said, forcing her eyes back to his again. “I’m sorry,” she sat forward and placed her hand on his wrist. “
truly
, I
am
, but I just can’t see how it could work.” She sat back again, her pounding heart lodged in her throat as she watched his reaction.

He’d sat back now as well, his arms outstretched, his slightly fisted hands on either side of his plate. The intensity of the look he was giving her made her want to jump right out of her skin.

When she reached for her glass, her hand fluttered a bit, but she grabbed hold of the thing, brought the straw to her lips, and took a big swallow. Then she bit the straw and turned her head, blindly scanning the bar, just to have something to do and to, hopefully, not look as unnerved as she really was.

She heard the sound of rubbed vinyl at the same time that she felt the seat under her dip and the table jiggle when Jason sat forward, pulling his outstretched leg in toward him. For the first time in her life she understood the phrase, ‘eyes that drilled into’, because there was an actual pinpoint of pressure on the back of her head where she felt his sights focused.

“You’re backing out on your offer?
”

She moistened her suddenly dry lips. “Not backing out, exactly.” And then, with a slight shrug and a sigh, she continued, “Well…yeah. I guess I am.”

He plopped back, dropping one arm to rest on his thigh. His eyes narrowed, his jaw tightened and his lips thinned for an infinitesimal moment. But it was long enough for Julie to read the look clearly. It said:
You’re just like your sister.

Well, it couldn’t be helped. And even though she was usually vigilant in keeping her promises and fulfilling her obligations, she simply couldn’t see a way around this current dilemma except for her to backpedal.

“And here I was, ready to do the deal,” he said.

She ignored the pang of guilt and swiveled on her seat to face him more fully. Resting her forearm along the edge of the table next to her with the other tucked up against her side, she said, “Surely you can see why it just wouldn’t work, though, right?”

There was a long pause as he studied her. The desire to squirm was almost stronger than she could withstand. He shook his head. “Actually, not at all. I mean, I get your concern, but there’s no reason why the fishing resort—especially the kind my dad and I have in mind—wouldn’t mesh beautifully with your five-star restaurant prospectus. Actually, I think it’ll bring in
more
clientele. For both operations.”

Julie looked at him with interest and confusion. “Really? How’s that?”

“My dad’s and my vision is to create an upscale resort for executives to use, bring their wives, their families, but also, it will be the perfect location for corporate executive retreats.”

Julie straightened and sat forward a bit. Her ears twitched, perking up with his next words.

“I had already envisioned including a restaurant on the property. So, you see, it all dovetails perfectly.”

Julie ran her finger along her eyebrow and dropped her gaze to his chest. God! How could he be so calm, when she had all this muggy dampness under her arms? Her palms were hot and slimy as well. Even the bottoms of her feet were sweating!

She lifted her gaze to his face again. Totally calm now. Unbelievable. She squinted at him. “And you’re having no qualms, whatsoever, partnering with me? After what happened with my sister?”

Okay, tread lightly here. Filter, girl, filter! Filter before you speak!

His eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched. “Yeah, I’ve got some qualms. A lot, actually.” He sat forward then, leaning so close that his nose was mere inches from her own. “And I warn you: I’m not the same blindly trusting guy I was five years ago; there is no way in hell that I will ever let my dad get hurt again. Understand?”

Julie blinked. “Yes. I understand.” Her heart was doing double time in her chest.

It seemed an eternity before he gave her an abbreviated nod. The anger left his features then, but his brows remained furrowed slightly as he sat back and gazed down at the ring of water collecting on the table at the base of his beer. He grabbed hold of the bottle and moved it a couple of inches away. “Look, this is really about what
he
wants. And I already know how he feels about you—hell!” He glanced up toward the bar and gave a half-laugh. “He’ll get a big kick out of this whole thing, I’m sure. Look at it as one big adventure.”

He turned his gaze back to her, looking directly into her eyes. “I want to do this for him, Julie. And that trumps any other feelings I have about it.”

Oh, dear Lord. What should she do?
Julie swiveled around and slumped against the booth’s backrest. Her brows furrowed as she shook her head. She waved her hand and said, “I don’t know. I don’t know. Let me think about this.” The business side of her brain had been whirling and bobbing, the potential for even greater profit and success giving her a real euphoric rise in her chest, ever since he’d told her his scheme. This could work—and work better than she’d ever dreamed. And quicker, too, because she’d have the additional funds he’d be bringing into this as well. But…this was
Jason Jörgensen.

Could she continue this subterfuge?

Not only would she be bringing a lie into a new partnership, she’d be forced to deal directly with Jason, and his wonderful father, neither of whom deserved what had happened to them, nor would they forgive her for keeping the information about Connie’s treachery a secret, if they ever found out.

She glanced at Jason, who was watching her, waiting for her reply.
How could she do this?
She darted her gaze to the bar and watched the bartender wipe its scarred mahogany surface.

Maybe—she sat forward a bit—what if she promised herself to reveal what her sister had done, in say, two years? By that time, the horror and stigma of Connie’s suicide will have waned, so that, maybe, just maybe, she could present the confessional letter in a better light.

Yeah. Then she could clear Jason’s name
and
keep her sister’s memory from being forever vilified.

Julie nibbled on her lower lip. But could she really do this thing?

She looked back at Jason. “How would this work, anyway? Are you going to stay here over the next few months and help plan this thing with me, or are you thinking that you’ll telecommute?” She hoped like heck it would be the latter, at least as much as possible, because then she knew she could agree to the partnership. And her businesswoman instincts were screaming for her to say ‘Yes! Yes! YES!’

She watched him settle back a bit more in the booth and then take another bite of his hamburger—which had to be cold by now. He chewed and swallowed, keeping his gaze focused on the burger. He took a swig from his bottle of beer before he finally answered her. “I’m going to have to stay up here, at least for a few more weeks, while I line up some local contractors, get the permits needed, etcetera. I’ll have my drafting table and other supplies sent up here as well, so that I can begin designing the lodge. ‘Course, I’ll have to find the best spot for the building and get the surveys done as well. But, as soon as I feel it’s safe to do so, I’ll continue on from my base in Houston.”

“So…you’ll only be here a few weeks then?”

Jason shrugged. “Yeah. If that long.”

She sat forward, resting her crossed arms on the table edge again. “You and I will have to agree on every aspect of this resort before you build it.”

Jason gave her a sharp nod. “Of course.”

Julie’s heart fluttered, and so did the butterflies in her stomach, but she thrust her handshake toward him. “It’s a deal then.”
Please, please, PLEASE, don’t let this be the biggest mistake of my life!

* * *

Jason grinned. He’d tested her and she’d passed—with flying colors. He grabbed hold of her kid-sized hand and gave it a little squeeze. “It’s a deal.” Those huge, brown Elsie the Cow eyes of hers widened, but he had to hand it to her, she returned the pressure. Then she jumped a little when he gave it a firm shake. He was beginning to think it was a good thing his dad wanted this property, because this little brown mouse was too naïve by far to start a business on her own. And as much as his dad liked the girl, he’d no doubt enjoy taking her under his wing.

Which was another good thing, because his dad needed to occupy himself with things more mentally stimulating than reading—and evidently
watching
—the tabloid news. He sat back. “So…how much did you get the property for anyway?”

It was her turn to grin. “Six-hundred and fifty thousand.”

Jason gave her a one-sided smile and shook his head. “Excellent.”

* * *

Julie pretended to scan the scenery as they flew down the farm-to-market road an hour later, but she was really watching Jason. They’d talked about her prospectus, his and his dad’s ideas, and the general concept of how the partnership would work after she’d told him the amount of her winning bid.

However, when she’d reminded him that they still hadn’t ‘cleared the air’ about Connie, he’d brushed the conversation off, saying that he had to get home and spend some time on the phone with his dad and then with his business partner, or rather,
other
business partner, so they’d have to postpone that conversation for another time.

Which was fine and dandy with her. In fact, if she could get away with it, she’d postpone it for, oh, say two years?

“I have to hand it to my dad; he picked one helluva magnificent part of the state to build the resort.” Jason turned and looked at her. “And this was where you grew up?”

Julie combed her fingers through the hair flying around her face and scooped it back, holding it in place with her hand as she answered with a nod, “Yeah. Well, actually, not
here
here. Until I was ten and my parents moved us onto this property”—she glanced at him—“it was inherited—we lived in several places in north Texas. But this was our family’s first permanent home. And I agree; this is gorgeous country around here.”

She felt the car slow as he lifted his foot from the pedal ever so slightly. “Where’d you live after your parents died—or…do you mind my asking?” he said.

Julie was very familiar with answering these types of questions; she’d been well-schooled in the answers by her sister’s publicist, but it never seemed to get any easier. At least, it didn’t for her. Connie had never seemed to mind talking about herself, or her past.

She bit her lower lip and wetted it with her tongue before she answered. “No, I don’t mind. And, I suppose, since we’re partners now, full disclosure”—she was surprised when she didn’t choke on
those
words—“is expected and necessary. Right?” She looked directly at him then.

He shrugged and tipped his head to the side, nodding. “Yep. At least to some degree.”

Julie cleared her throat. This, she could give him the truth about. And she wouldn’t use the publicist’s version, either. Just the raw, dismal, facts. “For—I don’t know—a week or just over, Connie and I were under the care of the local CPS.” She pointed to the right with her thumb. “There’s a facility an hour from here. We were going to be placed into foster care—separate families. But, Connie came up with a plan.” With a shrug, she took a deep breath and blew it out. “Long story short, we ran away, landed in California, and lived on the streets for awhile until Connie got a job washing dishes at the Formosa Café” —she looked at him, one brow lifted—“you know it?” When he nodded, she continued, “We lived with three other starlet wannabes in a dump of an apartment in West Hollywood for two years while Connie went on call after call, trying to break into the business. Then, finally, she got her first good role. After that, she was rarely without a new gig.”