After the movie, the foursome returned to Stephanie’s apartment for coffee. Jan offered to help as an excuse to talk to her alone.
“Well, what do you think?”
“Mark’s nice, but he’s in love with his wife.”
“Not about Mark. I’m talking about Mr. Lockwood ... Jonas,” she said correcting herself. “I knew it. From the first, I knew. Lordy, girl, he’s hooked!”
“Oh, hardly. Mr. Lockwood has no feelings for me one way or the other.’’ She filled the basket with coffee and slipped it into place above the glass pot with unnecessary force.
“Don’t give me that,” Jan countered sharply. “I saw the way you two were looking at each other.’’
“I don’t even know why he came.” She busied herself opening and closing cupboards and taking down four matching cups.
“Don’t be such a dope. There’s only one reason he showed up. He wanted to see you again. He’s interested with a capital
I
.” Jan crossed her arms and leaned indolently against the back of the kitchen counter. “He’s so enthralled with you that he can’t look at you without letting it show.”
“You’re exaggerating again.” Stephanie prayed her friend was right, but she sincerely doubted it. Jonas Lockwood wasn’t the kind of man to reveal his emotions as freely as that.
“I’m not exaggerating.”
“Come on,” Stephanie said, refusing to argue, “the guys are waiting.”
“Just do me a favor.’’
“What now?” Stephanie cried, desperate to change the subject. It was bad enough that Jonas had dominated her thoughts all evening. Now Jan was bringing him up as well.
“Just think about it. Jonas Lockwood wouldn’t have stopped by here for any reason other than the fact that he wanted to see you.’’
Jan’s logic was irrefutable, but Stephanie still wasn’t sure she could believe it. “All right, I’ll think about it, but for heaven’s sake don’t tell anyone. The last thing I need is Maureen and the rest to find out about this.”
“I won’t breathe a word of it.” But Jan’s eyes were twinkling. “I’ll give you some time to think things through. You’re smart; you’ll figure Lockwood out.” Jan held the door open for Stephanie, who carried the tray with the four steaming cups of coffee into the living room.
After a half hour of strained conversation, mostly about Mark’s ex-wife, Jan and friends departed. Stephanie sighed as she let them out the door. It was only eleven, but Stephanie hurriedly got ready for bed. Yet, for all the doubts and uncertainty she faced regarding Jonas, she slept surprisingly well.
Sunday morning, Jan was at Stephanie’s front door, smiling broadly and carrying a large stack of romances under one arm.
“What are those for?” Stephanie asked, letting her friend into the apartment. She was still in her housecoat, fighting off a cold with orange juice and aspirin, and feeling guilty for being so lazy.
“Not what—who.”
“All right. Who are those for?” Her sore throat had taken a lot of the fight out of her.
“You.”
“Jan, I’ve told you repeatedly that I’m not into romances. You can’t force me to read them.”
“No, but I thought you might be interested in a little research.” She paused, noticing Stephanie’s appearance for the first time. “What’s the matter—are you sick?”
“No, I’m just fighting off a cold.” And maybe a touch of disappointment, too.
“Great, there’s no better time to sit back and read.”
“Jan...”
Her friend held up her hand to stop her. “I refuse to hear any arguments. I want you to sit down and read. If I have to, I’ll stand over you until you do.”
Muttering under her breath, Stephanie complied, sitting on the sofa with her back against the armrest and bringing her feet up so she could tuck them under a blanket. Jan picked up the romance on the top of the pile, silently read the back cover and nodded knowingly. “You’ll like this one. The circumstances are similar to what’s happening between you and Mr. Lockwood.”
Stephanie bolted to her feet. “Nothing’s happening between me and Mr. Lockwood.”
“You called him Jonas the other day,” Jan said, ignoring Stephanie’s bad mood. “The funny part is, I know that I’ll never be able to think of him other than as
Mr.
Lockwood.”
To the contrary, Stephanie had always thought of him as Jonas, but she wasn’t about to add ammunition to her friend’s growing arsenal.
“But I don’t think we need worry about his name.”
“Thank heaven for that much,” Stephanie muttered, sitting back down.
“Promise me you’ll read these?”
“I would never have taken you for such an unreasonable slave driver.” She fought back a flash of mutinous pride and shook her head. “All right, I’ll read, but I won’t like it.”
“And I bet you a month’s wages you’ll end up loving them the way the rest of us do.”
“I’m reserving judgment.”
Jan left soon after Stephanie opened the cover of the first book. To be honest, she was curious what Jan, Toni, Maureen and Barbara saw in the books that they read with such fervor. What was even more interesting was the fact that these women did more than just read the books; the whole group talked about the characters as though they were living, breathing people. Stephanie had once heard Barbara comment that she’d like to punch a certain hero out, and the others had agreed wholeheartedly, as though it was entirely possible to do so.
The next time Stephanie glanced at the clock, it was afternoon and she’d finished the first book, astonished at how well-written it was. All along she’d assumed that romance heroines were sappy, weak-willed chits without a brain in their heads. From tidbits of information she’d heard among the other women, she couldn’t imagine anyone putting up with some of the things the heroines in the books did. But she was wrong. The woman in the first romance she read and the one she reached for next were modern women with modern problems that they faced on an adult level. Although Stephanie might not have agreed completely with the way the heroines handled their relationships with their heroes, she appreciated why they acted the way they did. With love, she realized, came tolerance, acceptance and understanding.
* * *
First thing on Monday morning, Stephanie stopped at Jan’s desk in personnel. She dutifully placed the three romances in Jan’s Out basket, willing to admit that she had misjudged Jan’s favorite reading material.
“What’s that for?”
“I read them.”
“And?” Jan’s eyes grew round.
“I loved them, just the way you said I would.”
Laughing, Jan nodded, reached for her phone and punched out Maureen’s extension. “She read the first three and she’s hooked.” Once she’d made her announcement, she replaced the receiver and sat back, folding her hands neatly on top of the desk and sighing. “I’m waiting.”
Stephanie groaned and shook her head lightly. “I knew I wasn’t going to get away this easily. You want to hear it—all right, all right—you told me so.”
Jan laughed again. “You look especially nice today. Any reason?”
Stephanie considered a white lie, but quickly changed her mind. Like the heroines in the romances, she was an adult woman, and if she happened to be attracted to a man, it wasn’t a sin to admit as much. “I’ll be talking to Jonas later, and I wanted to look my best.”
“You’ll keep me up to date, won’t you?”
Stephanie secured the strap of her purse on her shoulder, “I don’t know that there’ll be anything to report. Our relationship isn’t like those romances.”
“Maybe not yet, but it will be,” Jan said with the utmost confidence.
“I’m not half as convinced as you are. Just keep this under your hat. I don’t want the others to know.”
“My lips are sealed.”
But Stephanie wondered if Jan was capable of keeping anything a secret. Her co-worker was much too friendly, and much too eager to see something develop between Stephanie and Jonas.
The day went smoothly although Stephanie was constantly on edge, expecting to hear from Jonas. Each time her phone rang, she felt certain it would be the company president, issuing a request to have her join him in his office. He didn’t call, and by five o’clock Stephanie felt both disappointed and frustrated. Jonas had said he’d talk to her on Monday, and she’d taken him at his word.
Jan, Toni, Maureen and Barbara sauntered in together at quitting time. “Well? What did he say?”
Stephanie glared at Jan, who quickly lowered her eyes. “I couldn’t help it,” she murmured, looking miserable. “Toni guessed, and I couldn’t lie.”
“You didn’t have any problem promising me your lips were sealed.”
“She had to tell us,” Maureen insisted. “It was our right. We’re the ones who got you into this.”
Stephanie straightened the papers on the corner of her desk. “I’m not sure I can find it in my heart to thank you. Jonas Lockwood has been a thorn in my side from the moment we met.”
“Perfect,” Barbara announced, her head bobbing once.
“Enough of that. We want to know what he had to say today.”
“Nothing.” Stephanie tried unsuccessfully to hide the disappointment in her voice.
“Nothing!” the others echoed.
“I haven’t seen him.”
“Why not?”
“Good grief, how am I to know?”
Toni paused, and pressed her forefinger to her temple. “You know, in mulling over the events of Saturday night, I don’t think it was necessarily such a bad thing that Jan’s friend was there with Stephanie. It lets Mr. Lockwood know that he’s got some competition.”
“It may be just enough to scare him off, though,” Barbara disagreed.
“Then he isn’t worth his salt as a hero.’’
“Would you four stop!” Stephanie demanded, waving her arms for emphasis. She returned her attention to Jan. “Are they always like this?”
Jan shrugged. “What are you going to do?”
Stephanie hadn’t given the matter very much thought. Jonas had said that he’d talk to her Monday, and several hours remained in the day. It could be that his intentions were to contact her at her apartment. Stephanie quickly dismissed the notion. He wouldn’t be back; she’d seen it in his eyes.
“Steph?”
She looked up to notice that all four of her co-workers were studying her expectantly.
“I’m going to his office,” she said, the announcement shocking her as much as it did the others. The upper floor belonged to Jonas and was well guarded by his secretary, Bertha Westheimer, who was reputed to have slain more than one persistent dragon.
Jan made an O with her thumb and index finger and shook her head. “Didn’t I tell you she was heroine material?”
“The perfect choice,” Maureen agreed.
The four of them followed Stephanie out of her office and to the elevator. Barbara pushed the button for her. Toni and Maureen stood behind her, rubbing her shoulders as though to prepare her for the coming confrontation. For a moment, Stephanie felt as if she was preparing for the heavyweight boxing championship of the world.
“Don’t take any guff from Old Stone Face.”
“Just remember to smile at Mr. Lockwood.”
“And it wouldn’t hurt to bat those baby blues a time or two.”
Armed with this excellent advice, Stephanie entered the waiting elevator. Jan gave her the thumbs-up sign just before the heavy metal doors closed.
Now that she was alone, Stephanie felt herself losing her nerve. She sighed and leaned against the back of the elevator. The others had lent her confidence, but standing alone in the chilly, dimly lit elevator gave her cause to doubt. If there had been any way of disappearing from a moving elevator, Stephanie would have been tempted to try it.
The doors opened, and Bertha Westheimer raised her eyes to frown at Stephanie’s approach. A pair of glasses were delicately balanced at the end of her nose. She was near forty, Stephanie guessed, tall and slender, with a narrow mouth. Just looking at the woman inspired fear.
“Do you have an appointment?” Bertha asked stiffly, giving Stephanie a look that was not at all welcoming.
Stephanie stepped off the elevator and thrust back her shoulders, prepared for this first encounter. “Mr. Lockwood asked to see me.” That was only a partial white lie.
“Your name, please?” With the eraser end of her pencil, Bertha flipped through the appointment schedule.
“Stephanie Coulter.”
“I don’t see your name down here, Ms. Coulter.”
“Then there must be some mistake.”
There was challenge in Bertha’s dark brown eyes. “I don’t make mistakes.”
“Then I suggest you contact Mr. Lockwood.”
“I’ll do exactly that.” Jonas’s secretary sat in her upholstered chair and flipped on the intercom. “There’s a Ms. Coulter here to see you. She claims she has an appointment.” There was enough lilt in her voice to suggest that Stephanie had lied.
“I said,” Stephanie corrected her through clenched teeth, “that Mr. Lockwood had asked to see me.” The hand clenching her purse tightened. “There’s a difference.”
The silence on the other end of the intercom stretched out uncomfortably, and Stephanie was convinced she was about to be dismissed.
“Mr. Lockwood?”
“Send her in, Miss Westheimer.”
Stephanie flashed Jonas’s guardian a brilliant smile of triumph as she waltzed past her desk. The older woman had to know that Stephanie had been her replacement while she was ill, yet she gave no indication that she was aware who Stephanie was, or even that she was employed by Lockwood Industries.
Stephanie let herself into Jonas’s office and was instantly met by a rush of memories. She liked this room, just as she respected the man who ruled from it.
Jonas was busy writing, his head bowed, and didn’t bother to acknowledge her presence. Stephanie stood awkwardly as she waited for him to finish, not enough at ease to take a seat without being asked.
When he’d finished, Jonas put the cap on his pen and set it aside before glancing in her direction. “Yes?”
His crisp tone made her all the more uncomfortable. “You said you would talk to me on Monday.”
“About?”
He was making this difficult; she drew in a deep breath before continuing. “About Saturday night. You told me we’d talk.”
“I don’t recall committing myself to that.”