It was still early when he got to Research Triangle Park, and there were only a couple of cars in the lot. Jan's shiny '55 Chevy stood out like a greyhound among wiener dogs. Jack loved his Camry, but for Jan's car he felt pure lust. He put his nose to the driver's side window and looked at the odometer: still only twenty-five thousand miles—Jan's great-grandmother had not been a champion explorer. He shook his head in wonder and tore himself away.
Jan was already behind her terminal when Jack got to the third floor. "Good morning," he said.
She looked up from her screen. "Oh, hi, Jack. What brings you up here? Slumming?"
"Nah," he said. "Just thought I'd save you the trip downstairs with my mail . . . and figured maybe I'd see if you've shaken anything hot loose from the grapevine."
Jan laughed, "You mean, like will we still have jobs?"
Jack sat down on the edge of her desk. "Yeah, that's a good one," he said. " 'Enquiring' minds want to know."
"I don't know, Jack," she said seriously. "It looked real good for a while there, after that TRITEL guy was here, but it's been holding at ninety-nine percent done since then, and I'm starting to get a bad feeling about it." She tapped her screen, "See my résumé?"
"That serious, huh?" Jack leaned over and looked. "Special Executive Assistant to the President in charge of Administration," he read. "Sounds pretty impressive."
Jan shrugged. "A little title inflation never hurt anyone. Besides, this one's a fishing expedition. I've already got three solid offers." She sighed. "Be a damn shame if I have to take one, though. This job has been about the most fun I've ever had vertical." She nudged him and unleashed a wicked grin. "Be a worse shame, though, if you leave without jumping Rhea's bones."
Jack knew he shouldn't be surprised by anything Jan came out with. She always said exactly what was on her mind, and as she'd told him more than once, A filthy mind's a terrible thing to waste. Still, even taking that into account, all he could think of to say was, "What?"
Jan winked. "She's warm for you, Jack. A woman knows. I'm surprised she hasn't attacked you in the stairwell yet. Think about it—all the other engineers come to her with progress reports. She comes to you for yours."
Jack shifted uncomfortably. "Nobody else is holding up the whole project," he said, but his body was remembering their last late night session and the scent of roses. Could it be Jan was right? Couldn't be, he decided. A man didn't get luck like that twice in a lifetime. But still—those hands . . .
"Earth to Jack, Earth to Jack." A nasal voice broke into his thoughts. His eyes refocused, and Jan grinned at him and let go of her nose.
"No, I don't see it," he told her.
"Don't see it, can't imagine it?"
"Nooo," Jack said slowly.
"Okay, then, stand up."
"What?"
"Stand up, right now."
Jack was suddenly acutely aware that he'd better not.
He blushed. "I'm not finished with our chat," he said. Jan's wicked grin flashed pure triumph. "Thought so," she said.
"Maybe your mind can't imagine it." She leaned back in her swivel chair and put her hands behind her neck. "Life's a lot more fun if you don't let your mind run it all the time, Jack."
"Last time I didn't was a big mess," Jack said, remembering Carol.
"Have it your way," Jan said. "Maybe it's just as well. If this all falls through, then you'll only be losing a job." She sat back up again. "So, would you like your mail?"
"Uh, sure," Jack said, off balance again.
"Here," she stood and handed him a scraggly pile of paper. "Three copies of Circuit Week, each with a different spelling of your name, five companies trying to sell you test equipment, two calls for papers, three faxes that came in for you last night, and—for reasons which I can't pretend to fathom, but which I'm sure make perfect sense, one copy for 'Jake Hanloran' of Frederick's of Hollywood's latest catalog. Do be sure to check page thirty-four."
Jack checked page thirty-four. "That's certainly, um, inspiring, Jan," he admitted.
"Look at the price though," she cautioned. "To get that much money for that little fabric, they must be charging by the molecule."
He winked at her. "Yes, but those are very happy molecules."
Jan laughed. "Off with you then, before you corrupt my virgin ears. And Jack—" she said as he turned to go, "think about what I said, hmm?"
Jack did think about it all the way back to his office. Certainly Rhea had never shown anything other than a friendly interest in him. Had she? He was certainly going to look a lot more sharply in the future.