SVH09-Racing Hearts (7 page)

"Sure is." Roger grinned, still proud of his victory. "You can't imagine how happy I am. Just think--me, the new school star! I still can't believe it. I got this new outfit. What do you think, Liv?" He held out his sweat-shirted arms for inspection.

"A little too jockish for my tastes, but I've got to say it looks great on you. Where'd you get it?"

"Can you keep a secret?" Before waiting for her answer, Roger told her, "Chrome Dome gave it to me for winning the race. He called me into his office and--"

"Roger, you're still here!" Lila's gushy voice pierced the air. Not caring that she was interrupting their conversation, she wiggled her way between Roger and Olivia. "I'm so glad I caught you," she purred. "Would you walk me to my next class?"

"I'd love to," Roger answered, forgetting about his new outfit and oblivious to the way Olivia's face fell as he turned his attention to the other girl. Quickly Olivia rose and excused herself. "Um,

I've got to stop at the
Oracle
office before my next class. See you later," she announced.

Olivia might have slipped away without saying anything--Roger hadn't heard her anyway. In a dreamlike daze he walked out of the cafeteria arm in arm with Lila, wondering how long he could make his good fortune last.

Seven

At four-forty in the afternoon Trudy handed Jessica a small stack of documents. "Two copies of each," she barked.

Jessica had been anticipating this moment the entire day. It was the start of phase two of her plan to snag Dennis. Shortly after her arrival at work, when Trudy had been on her coffee break, Jessica had opened up the copier and turned off one of the switches. But Trudy would never know that by the totally innocent gasp that came from Jessica when she pressed the button and the machine wouldn't start.

Before Trudy had a chance to say anything, Jessica glanced behind the unit. "It's plugged in," Jessica reported. Checking the side of the machine, she added, "The paper bin's full, too. I don't understand what's wrong."

"Oh, dear," Trudy fretted. "Your father needs these papers right away. And it's too late to call

for service." She looked up at the wall clock. "Jessica, I'm going to have to ask you to run down to the Copy-Rite on Main Street. I hope they're not too busy."

Jessica picked up the papers and began to leave the room. But before she'd taken more than three steps down the hall, she turned on her heel and ran back into the utility room as if struck with sudden inspiration. "Trudy, if my father needs these right away, why don't I just go across the hall and ask to use their machine? It's only a few pages. I'm sure they wouldn't mind."

"That's a wonderful idea, Jessica," Trudy said. "Good thinking."

Jessica beamed--but not for the reason Trudy thought. So far her plan was going exactly the way she had imagined, and in a few minutes she'd be seeing Dennis Creighton once again.

Fluffing her hair with her fingertips so it lay like spun gold on her shoulders, Jessica entered the reception area of the Creighton-Pawling Agency. "Dennis Creighton, please," she announced in her most businesslike voice.

"Do you have an appointment?" the receptionist asked.

"No," Jessica admitted, "but I'm sure he'll see me. Tell him Jessica Wakefield is here."

The receptionist, an older, very attractive redhead, entered the inner office, returning

almost immediately. "Mr. Creighton will be right out," she said. "Have a seat, miss."

"If you don't mind, I think I'll stand," Jessica told her.

The woman shrugged. "Suit yourself."

Jessica was examining a perfume ad on the far wall when Dennis came out to greet her. "Like it?" he asked. "They're our biggest account."

Jessica turned around and smiled. He was as handsome as she'd remembered, and the conservative dress pants and shirt he wore gave him the air of sophistication Jessica liked in a boy. "It's good," she told him. "It's--it's--" Surprisingly, she found herself at a loss for words.

"Sexy?" he finished the sentence for her. "That's the message we're trying to get across."

"I'd say you've succeeded," Jessica said, referring not only to the ad. She hoped Dennis picked up her meaning.

He moved slightly closer. "Now, what can I do for you?" he asked.

If the receptionist hadn't been eyeing them, Jessica was sure he'd have touched her then. She could feel the electricity building between them. Obviously he had been doing some thinking about her in the hours since they'd last met.

Jessica looked down at the file folder in her hand. "Our copier broke down, and I was wondering--"

Dennis didn't let her finish. "Follow me," he

said, opening the door to the inner office. He led her down a wide hallway lined with offices on one side and framed print ads on the other, stopping when he reached a room with a sign: Copying Center--Authorized Personnel Only. Taking a key from his pocket, he opened the door. "Dad found so many of the staff using the machines for personal reasons, he was forced to put them off limits." After he led her inside, he closed the door behind them. "Pretty smart of him, don't you think?" Leaning against the machine, he looked into her eyes with undisguised desire. "There's plenty of privacy."

"It's certainly helped me out. I can do my work without having to wait in line," Jessica said, starting to feed the documents into the machine. The electricity was crackling now, and she felt the need to keep a little space between them--at least until her work was done.

Dennis picked up the finished copies. "That's not what you really came in here for, is it?" When he handed her the papers, he let his fingers linger on hers just long enough for Jessica to feel a sharp tingle of electricity. "Believe me, no one will bother us in here. It's almost quitting time."

There was no doubt the attraction was there, and if she had wanted to, Jessica could have let herself be wrapped in his arms at that very moment. But she had enough wits about her and enough concern for her father not to let his

work suffer because of her. "Our office is open till six. My father really does need these copies," she told Dennis, "and I have to be getting back. ..." She let her last few words sort of drift off as if she were leaving another thought unsaid.

"Well, what are you doing after work?"

"Oh, I don't know," she said, running her hand up his arm. "What do you have in mind?"

"How about if I meet you at your office, and we could finish this conversation." Among other things, he might well have added.

"Deal," she said. Dennis's pull on her was almost hypnotic, and it took nearly all her strength to turn around and head for the door. "I'll be waiting for you," she said, letting herself out.

Triumphantly Jessica glided into her father's office. Dennis had all the makings of a great catch, and she couldn't wait for six o'clock to arrive. She was glad she'd be meeting him at her father's office. The more she thought about it, the more the idea appealed to her. It was the perfect place for them to spend their first date. They'd have plenty of privacy--something a place like the Dairi Burger certainly couldn't offer--and that was nothing to be sniffed at, especially if Dennis's intentions were anything like her own.

Jessica quickly collated the documents, then

entered her father's office. "Copied and collated, Mr. Wakefield," she said with authority.

"Thank you, Jessica," he said, his fatherly pride showing through as he stuffed the papers into his attache case. "Now I'll be able to make the meeting on time."

"I'm here to do anything I can to help," she said. "But before you go, I have a favor I'd like to ask you. I've got a ton of homework that's due tomorrow, and it'd really help me out if I could stay here for a while and work on it."

"Why can't you do it at home?"

"Oh, Daddy, you know my friends. The phone at home will probably be ringing all night. Here I know I'll have the peace and quiet I need."

"OK, Jess," her father said. "But only on two conditions. One, you don't stay later than nine o'clock, and two, that you ring up the night guard and have him escort you to the car. You can't be too safe around here at night."

"Sure thing, Daddy." She gave him a kiss. "Have a good meeting."

"See you at home," her father said. "I can't tell you, Jess, how happy it makes me to see you becoming so responsible. Just don't work yourself too hard now."

"Don't worry, Daddy, I won't," she assured him. Far from it. If her plan continued to go as she'd envisioned it, she was in for one of the most pleasurable evenings she'd had in a long time.

Jessica arrived home that night at nine-thirty. When Elizabeth came into Jessica's room to find out whether or not her sister was enjoying the working world, she was puzzled by the look of rapture on her twin's face. "I can't believe how two days of work have changed you, Jess. Dad said you actually stayed late to do homework?"

Her twin picked up a nail file from her night table and began working on her nails. In a hushed voice she said, "Please don't tell Dad, but that's not why I stayed. I don't want to get into this with him, Liz, but his office is a mess. Supplies are all over the place, and there doesn't seem to be an orderly system of doing anything."

Elizabeth was perplexed. "That doesn't sound like Dad, Jess."

"Liz, you haven't been in his office since that witch Trudy arrived." She said the name as if it were a plague. "She's awful. I don't know why Dad keeps her on. Anyway, I spent the entire time straightening out the supply room. It'll probably take me a couple of days to finish working it all out. Don't tell Dad, though. I want it to be a surprise."

Elizabeth lowered herself onto a corner of Jessica's unmade bed. "I have to admit I would never have thought you'd take to work the way you have."

"I'm really committed to it," Jessica said, her

mind on the delectable way Dennis's kisses set her neck on fire. Phase two had been a stunning success, even better than she'd planned. "Putting in a few extra hours is the least I can do. Besides, I do have an ulterior motive."

Elizabeth cut in. "I knew there was something else going on. Dad get a new office boy?"

"Elizabeth Wakefield, you've got a one-track mind!" Jessica said petulantly, crossing her legs underneath her as she began to file the nails on her other hand. "I wasn't even thinking about boys," she lied. "What I was
going
to say--before you so rudely interrupted me--is that I'd like to be doing more than office chores. I'm hoping that Dad will see my interest and make me his assistant. You may not believe it, Liz, but for the first time in my life I'm actually anxious to go to work." She put down her file. "I don't even miss going to the Dairi Burger."

"It's only been two days," Elizabeth pointed out.

"Two of the most rewarding days of my life." Jessica got up and pranced toward her desk. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to have to ask you to leave. I really do have some homework for tomorrow, and if it's going to get done, I have to start now." She flung open her French book and began to read it even before Elizabeth left the room.

But Jessica couldn't concentrate on the assignment--not that she had really expected to be

able to. She just wanted some privacy to replay the evening with Dennis in her mind. It hadn't taken them long to dispense with the formalities and take up where they'd left off in Dennis's father's office. His kisses were as satisfying as Jessica could want, and he was eager to please her, though enough of a gentleman to realize when their passions were reaching the point beyond which they would no longer be able to control themselves.

Dennis didn't seem to mind at all when Jessica had suggested spending the entire date in the office. In fact, it was his idea they meet there again the following evening. That suited Jessica's plans for phase three perfectly. The way she figured it, by the end of the week he'd be hooked on her for sure and more than willing to pick her up at her house for a regular date. Then she'd feel justified in quitting her job, which she found to be nothing but drudgery. A week was long enough to serve as a trial period for anyone, and even Elizabeth would be convinced that her attempt at working had been a sincere one. Everybody would be happy, Jessica concluded, looking forward to the day she could stop keeping Dennis a secret and introduce him to the rest of the world.

Two days later, Lila, Jessica, and Cara were standing in line at the cafeteria. Lila seemed

preoccupied, searching the room furtively with her deep brown eyes and hoping Jessica wouldn't notice.

But she should have known better than to think she could keep anything from Jessica. Even though it was twin sister Elizabeth who wrote the school's gossip column, Jessica was a master snoop and always made it her business to know everything that was going on. "Who are you looking for?" she asked Lila as they approached the counter.

"Oh, no one in particular," Lila said breezily.

Jessica lowered an eyebrow. "Could it be Roger, perhaps?"

Lila sighed. "For a guy who's had a crush on me for months, he sure is playing hard to get." Lila paid for her lunch and joined Jessica and Cara at a table on the patio. "I decided to watch him practice yesterday, but he never showed up. When I finally got him on the phone last night, he said some family thing had come up, something he didn't want to talk about. I asked him to join me here for lunch today, and he said he was flattered, but now I'm not so sure he's going to show up."

"That's surprising, considering the way he'd been salivating after you like a hungry puppy." Jessica took a large bite out of her cheeseburger.

Lila looked at her friend with envy. She couldn't see how Jessica could eat so much and never gain an ounce. Lila had to work like crazy

to keep her slender figure. "I wonder where he could be?"

"Maybe he has to practice," Cara pointed out. "The coach might have him making up yesterday's session."

"You're a genius, Cara. That's got to be it," Lila agreed. "We really did have a wonderful talk last night. He's actually a funny guy. Did you know he does an absolutely wicked imitation of Mademoiselle Dalton?"