dates.”
“It’s not a date.”
“Looked that way to me.”
She opened her mouth, shut it again, then whirled around toward the parking lot.
“Now wait a minute. I said wait.” He took her by both arms and trapped her between himself and a parked car. “I’ll be damned if I’m going to chase you all over L.A.”
“Just go back inside and take a look at that take. I want to see it tomorrow.”
“I don’t take orders from paranoid agents or anyone else. We’re going to settle this right here. I don’t know what’sworking on you, A.J., but I can’t believe you’re this upset because a client’s going out to dinner.”
“She’s not just a client,” A.J. hurled back at him. “She’s my mother.”
Her furious announcement left them both momentarily speechless. He continued to hold her by the shoulders while she fought to even her breathing. Of course he should have seen it, David realized. The shape of the face, the eyes. Especially the eyes. “I’ll be damned.”
“I can only second that,” she murmured, then let herself lean back against the car. “Look, that’s not for publication. Understand?”
“Why?”
“Because we both prefer it that way. Our relationship is private.”
“All right.” He rarely argued with privacy. “Okay, that explains why you take such a personal interest, but I think you carry it a bit too far.”
“I don’t care what you think.” Because her head was beginning to pound, she straightened. “Excuse me.”
“No.” Calmly David blocked her way. “Some people might say you interfere with your mother’s life because you don’t have enough to fill your own.”
Her eyes became very dark, her skin very pale. “My life is none of your business, Brady.”
“Not at the moment, but while this project’s going on, Clarissa’s is. Give her some room, A.J.”
Because it sounded so reasonable, her hackles rose. “You don’t understand.”
“No, maybe you should explain it to me.”
“What if Alex Marshall presses her for an interview over dinner? What if he wants to get her alone so he can hammer at her?”
“What if he simply wanted to have dinner with an interesting, attractive woman? You might give Clarissa more credit.”
She folded her arms. “I won’t have her hurt.”
He could argue with her. He could even try reason. Somehow he didn’t think either would work quite yet. “Let’s go for a drive.”
“What?”
“A drive. You and me.” He smiled at her. “It happens to be my car you’re leaning on.”
“Oh, sorry.” She straightened again. “I have to get back to the office. There’s some paperwork I let hang today.”
“Then it can hang until tomorrow.” Drawing out his keys, he unlocked the door. “I could use a ride along the beach.”
So could she. She’d overreacted—there was no question of it. She needed some air, some speed, something to clear her head. Maybe it wasn’t wise to take it with him, but… “Are you going to put the top down?”
“Absolutely.”
It helped—the drive, the air, the smell of the sea, the blare of the radio. He didn’t chat at her or try to ease her into conversation. A.J. did something she allowed herself to do rarely in the company of others. She relaxed.
How long had it been, she wondered, since she’d driven along the coast, no time frame, no destination? If she couldn’t remember, then it had been too long. A.J. closed her eyes, emptied her mind and enjoyed.
Just who was she? David asked himself as he watched her relax, degree by degree, beside him. Was she the tough, no-nonsense agent with an eye out for ten percent of a smooth deal? Was she the fiercely protective, obviously devoted daughter—who was raking in that same ten percent of her mother’s talent on one hand and raising the roof about exploitation the next. He couldn’t figure her.
He was a good judge of people. In his business he’d be producing home movies if he weren’t. Yet when he’d kissed her he
“It’s not a date.”
“Looked that way to me.”
She opened her mouth, shut it again, then whirled around toward the parking lot.
“Now wait a minute. I said wait.” He took her by both arms and trapped her between himself and a parked car. “I’ll be damned if I’m going to chase you all over L.A.”
“Just go back inside and take a look at that take. I want to see it tomorrow.”
“I don’t take orders from paranoid agents or anyone else. We’re going to settle this right here. I don’t know what’sworking on you, A.J., but I can’t believe you’re this upset because a client’s going out to dinner.”
“She’s not just a client,” A.J. hurled back at him. “She’s my mother.”
Her furious announcement left them both momentarily speechless. He continued to hold her by the shoulders while she fought to even her breathing. Of course he should have seen it, David realized. The shape of the face, the eyes. Especially the eyes. “I’ll be damned.”
“I can only second that,” she murmured, then let herself lean back against the car. “Look, that’s not for publication. Understand?”
“Why?”
“Because we both prefer it that way. Our relationship is private.”
“All right.” He rarely argued with privacy. “Okay, that explains why you take such a personal interest, but I think you carry it a bit too far.”
“I don’t care what you think.” Because her head was beginning to pound, she straightened. “Excuse me.”
“No.” Calmly David blocked her way. “Some people might say you interfere with your mother’s life because you don’t have enough to fill your own.”
Her eyes became very dark, her skin very pale. “My life is none of your business, Brady.”
“Not at the moment, but while this project’s going on, Clarissa’s is. Give her some room, A.J.”
Because it sounded so reasonable, her hackles rose. “You don’t understand.”
“No, maybe you should explain it to me.”
“What if Alex Marshall presses her for an interview over dinner? What if he wants to get her alone so he can hammer at her?”
“What if he simply wanted to have dinner with an interesting, attractive woman? You might give Clarissa more credit.”
She folded her arms. “I won’t have her hurt.”
He could argue with her. He could even try reason. Somehow he didn’t think either would work quite yet. “Let’s go for a drive.”
“What?”
“A drive. You and me.” He smiled at her. “It happens to be my car you’re leaning on.”
“Oh, sorry.” She straightened again. “I have to get back to the office. There’s some paperwork I let hang today.”
“Then it can hang until tomorrow.” Drawing out his keys, he unlocked the door. “I could use a ride along the beach.”
So could she. She’d overreacted—there was no question of it. She needed some air, some speed, something to clear her head. Maybe it wasn’t wise to take it with him, but… “Are you going to put the top down?”
“Absolutely.”
It helped—the drive, the air, the smell of the sea, the blare of the radio. He didn’t chat at her or try to ease her into conversation. A.J. did something she allowed herself to do rarely in the company of others. She relaxed.
How long had it been, she wondered, since she’d driven along the coast, no time frame, no destination? If she couldn’t remember, then it had been too long. A.J. closed her eyes, emptied her mind and enjoyed.
Just who was she? David asked himself as he watched her relax, degree by degree, beside him. Was she the tough, no-nonsense agent with an eye out for ten percent of a smooth deal? Was she the fiercely protective, obviously devoted daughter—who was raking in that same ten percent of her mother’s talent on one hand and raising the roof about exploitation the next. He couldn’t figure her.
He was a good judge of people. In his business he’d be producing home movies if he weren’t. Yet when he’d kissed her he
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