Tarzan & Janine (5 page)

“What do you mean?”

“Tomorrow during the sale,
act
like it was all planned.” Silence again. Had he pushed her too far? He hoped not. Janine was the best idea he’d had so far as Peschke Motors was concerned. She had to stay in order for his campaign to work. “Your performance could be the best actin’ you’ve ever done if you can make the audience believe you weren’t the slightest bit affected by what happened.”

A very unladylike snort sounded through the door. “You got that straight.”

“So, what do you say?”

“Double the fee?” Her voice strengthened.

“You got it.”
Even if I have to pay for it out of my own pocket.

“I write my own lines?”

He mentally winced and determined he would cross that bridge when it appeared. “You got it.”

She groaned, the sound muffled like she was pressed against the door. “I don’t know.”

“Come on, Janine. Think of this as the first rung in the ladder to your acting career.”

He heard a loud sigh. “Well...okay.” When she’d opened the door, he saw her expression was still a little sullen. “For the sake of my career—not for you.”

“That’s my girl.” He pulled her into his arms and hugged her close. With his arm still draped around her shoulder, he led her out into the deserted showroom. She looked awfully cute in the shirt he’d given her to wear. It was long and hung to mid-thigh, completely covering her little jungle skirt, giving the impression the shirt was all she had on. And it almost was. The monkey had refused to part with the bra. Fortunately, Spunky had returned to his handler, carrying his trophy.

Squeezing her close again, Tanner leaned over and kissed her forehead. “Thanks for stickin’ with me, Janine. You’re a real trouper.” Then he walked her to her car, wondering if it was too soon to ask her out for coffee, maybe dinner. Instead, she’d driven off and Tanner had returned to his apartment for a very cold shower.

“So, whatcha gonna do about all the reporters settin’ up in the showroom?”

Scott’s question brought Tanner back to his present dilemma. Janine didn’t know about the news crews that had started calling for interviews before the store even opened.

“I’ve got that handled, too,” he lied.

“Did you know some of the reporters are from as far away as Houston and Dallas?”

“Yeah. It’s all sensational advertising, and Dad doesn’t have to pay a cent.” Satisfaction puffed out his chest. Sure, his Dad would be over the moon, but Janine Davis was going to give him fits. One thing for her to be humiliated on local television, but the response meant the whole state of Texas wanted in on the story.

Scott glanced around the showroom. “So where is Janine?”

“Don’t know, haven’t seen her yet.” Tanner glanced at his watch. “If you’ll excuse me, I’d better see what’s keepin’ her.” He smiled and clapped his hand against the older man’s shoulder, before pushing his way through the crush of people to enter the showroom.

“Hey, Tanner, loved the commercial last night,” called Rudy, one of the dealership’s best salesmen.

“Thanks, Rudy.”

“So what’s next? Last night will be a tough act to follow.”

He grinned. “Yeah, I know what you mean. I was thinkin’ of maybe buildin’ on the jungle theme and incorporating different animals in each commercial.”

“Sounds good, as long as you have the blonde with them. She’s what made the commercial last night.”

“Yeah, I agree. I’m in the process of negotiating with her to stay with the commercials throughout the summer, longer if possible. I think she’s got something.”

“I’d say she’s got a couple of somethings.” Rudy winked.

Tanner’s smile froze and his chest tightened. He couldn’t blame Rudy for pointing out the obvious, but Janine wasn’t Rudy’s find, she was Tanner’s. And he didn’t like the crude comments from the salesman. This time, he’d let it pass. Nothing could spoil this day. A lot rode on his success. “Speakin’ of Janine, where is she?”

“She’s back in the women’s restroom.” Rudy hooked a thumb over his shoulder. “The animal handler’s back there, too. You might want to see what’s keepin’ them. She’s been in there a long time.”

Tanner squared his shoulders, ready for battle with the lovely Janine and looking forward to every minute. “Yeah, I’m on my way.”

As he strode to the office area where the restrooms were located, he could hear the commotion before he actually saw it.

“Miss Davis, please come out of there. Everyone’s come to see you and Spunky.” The handler stood in the exact same place Tanner had been the evening before, pleading with her from outside the restroom door.

Tanner shook his head.
Men have no pride when it comes to a gorgeous woman.

“I don’t care. I’m not coming out,” Janine said from behind the door. “And you can take away that hairy little psychopath.”

“Look, Janine, honey. I don’t know what got into him last night, but he’s a perfect angel today. He’s not going to give you any problems. Promise.”

Tanner tapped the handler on the shoulder. “Hey, Tommy. What’s the problem?”

The handler’s face relaxed on a wave of relief. “I don’t know. Stage fright, maybe?”

“Let me handle this. Go on into my office and wait there.” Tanner steered him into an office a few doors down. When he turned back to the restroom, he took a deep breath to cool his irritation. “Janine, it’s Tanner. Are you ready?”

“No. You can’t be serious about me wearing the same costume as yesterday after what happened? It’s covered in monkey slobber.”

“Tommy promises Spunky will behave today. It won’t happen again. You just need to tie the straps into knots and the monkey won’t be able to untie it.”

“This thing might as well be sprayed on as it is. I won’t be able to get it off.”

“I’ll help you get it unknotted when the day’s over.” Tanner grinned, waiting for her indignant response . He wasn’t disappointed.

“Oh, I’m sure you will.” She huffed. “And that’s supposed to make me feel safer?”

Tanner’s smile widened. He was figuring out what got Janine fired up. “I’ll find a saleswoman to help you, then. Now, are you gonna come out and behave like the professional you claim to be, or are you gonna stay in there and hide?”

That shut her up, and she opened the door cautiously. “Are you sure this is going to help my career?”

“Guarantee it,” he whispered, caught by the worry in her pretty eyes.

“Sure, and I’m supposed to believe those words from a used car salesman?” She straightened, tossing her hair over shoulders. “You know, I’m almost absolutely positive I don’t even like animals. I only have to play with the monkey today, right?”

Tanner wanted more than anything to slide his lips across her forehead to wipe away the fine frown lines. But then he might be tempted to drop lower and smooth across her pouting lips. Instinctively, he knew a kiss wouldn’t be nearly enough to satisfy him. With a camera crew awaiting their arrival, he couldn’t afford to show up with a hard on.

The little Jungle-Jane outfit she wore looked even more revealing in the light of day. Did the woman have any idea how perfectly made her body was? Staring wasn’t helping stifle his arousal. When he glanced up, he spotted a militant gleam sparkling in Janine’s eyes.

Tanner pasted on a cheery smile. “All you have to do is hold Spunky and say the lines you wrote. Are you ready to face your fans?”

At that statement, her face perked up. “Fans? You mean there’s someone here to see me?”

Glad there was no need to bluff, Tanner grinned. “Honey, there’s a lot of someones here to see you.”

Her smile dropped into a pretty worried frown. “Oh God, I’m not sure that’s a good thing.”

“Hey, at least your face is out there.” He bent his elbow and held it out in her direction. “Like I told you, this could be the beginning of something big.”

Janine curled her hand into the crook of his arm. “All right, I’m sold. Lead the way, salesman.”

After collecting Spunky, they walked down the corridor and into the crowded showroom. Janine’s fingers pinched the inside of his arm. “You could have warned me the media was here,” she said, from behind a tight smile.

He aimed a grin at the crowd and leaned toward her. “Would you have come out of the ladies room if I’d told you?”

She gave him a sideways glare that didn’t dim the brilliance of her smile. “You are a very, very sneaky man, Tanner Pesky.”

“It’s Peschke, ‘pesh-key’. Be sure to get it right for the reporters, honey.”

“Yeah, Pesky. That’s what I said.”

He groaned and rolled his eyes.
Now, I find out she has a speech impediment—and I promised her lines.

“Miss Davis. Mr. Peschke. Miss Davis.” The reporters converged on them, shouting questions all at once.

Spunky let out a screech of panic and jumped from Janine’s arms onto her shoulders.

Tanner felt Janine’s hand tighten into a death grip on his arm. Her smile appeared frozen and he saw the beginnings of panic rising in her eyes.

Raising a hand for silence, Tanner spoke loudly, “Please, folks. Let’s back up. Spunky’s gettin’ a little excited by all the commotion. And the name’s Tanner. Just Tanner.” Then he gave them his most charming smile. “And this lovely lady is Janine—Janine Davis.”

In the quiet that followed, he pulled Spunky from Janine’s shoulders and deposited him back into her arms. He stared down at Janine, refusing to look away until he had her full attention. Then he winked.

Eyes widening a fraction, she responded with a genuine smile of pleasure at the same time as cameras flashed.

Tanner turned to the reporters. “We’ll answer your questions before Janine and Spunky go out to greet the folks who’ve come here to meet them today.” He pointed to a reporter. “Sir, what’s your question?”

“My question is for you, Tanner.”

He nodded. “Shoot.”

“How’d you talk Janine into coming back after the monkey’s antics last night? Janine seemed to have a few choice things to say. Not that any of them were printable.” The crowd laughed.

Despite the corkscrew pinch Janine gave to his arm, Tanner managed a deep chuckle. Janine had used a few words that would make a sailor blush. And she’d been so cute saying them.

“That was live?” she hissed next to his ear.

He leaned close and spoke through his teeth without moving his lips. “Smile, sweetheart. Remember, all part of the plan.” To the reporter, he brandished his most professional smile. “Janine’s a professional actress.” That was for Janine. Hopefully, the plug would appease her. “She understands not everything goes according to the script.”

“Yeah, but losing your top on public television is a little more humiliating than forgetting your lines,” said another reporter, female this time. “How did she feel about that?”

“As I said, Janine is a professional actress, and she took the events all in stride.”

The next questions were for Janine. Pride swelled Tanner’s chest as she fielded every question, even the lewd and outrageous ones that left him scowling and ready to break heads. All the while, she charmed her audience with the breathy, girlish quality of her voice and the artless posing of her voluptuous figure.

Relief unwound the knot in his shoulders. She really was good at this. Maybe she wasn’t Meryl Streep, but she was great in front of a camera. He knew instinctively her platinum hair and cream-colored skin would photograph well. The glossy red color of her lipstick and the tiny black mole beside her lips added a dramatic splash of color against an otherwise cream and gold canvas.

Tanner caught a glimpse of movement through the glass windows of the showroom floor. He searched the crowd of onlookers, his chest tightening when he spied his father and Beans wearing sunglasses and fishing hats in a ridiculous attempt to blend into the crowd. Great. Dad was here to make sure he didn’t screw up things.

Just when Tanner thought the situation couldn’t get worse, he saw another nightmare pushing her way through the crowd of people at the side door, waving for his attention. Barbara Stockton smiled and waved at him as if he was a long-lost lover. He had yet to tell his father about the botched deal, and he wouldn’t tell him today—not if he could help it.

“Look everyone,” he said, flashing a smile, “you’re welcome to stay for refreshments, or join the folks who’re shopping for a vehicle. Janine and I’ll be minglin’ with customers throughout the day.”

Tanner left Janine surrounded by admirers and ducked out the front door, heading for safety among the customers jammed into the parking lot.

“Tanner, darling.”

Barbara Stockton’s drawl stopped him in his tracks. How had she managed to move through the crowd so quickly?

She hooked her arm in his and squeezed. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you since you left in such a hurry from the convention the other day.”

His lips formed a thin line. “You kicked me out.” He kept sight of his father as the older woman leaned close.

Joe Peschke frowned. The man probably thought Tanner was talking to one of Aggie Smithson’s relatives. Irritated at her timing, but wanting a second shot at the deal, Tanner gritted his teeth and smiled at Barbara. “But I can’t think of a lovelier woman who’s ever left her heel marks on my behind.”