classes?”
He stops walking and turns to face me. “Because I wanted to design things I could really use out in the wild, about five years ago, and yes, very much.”
Holy baloney, he’s answering my questions. I have to stop to remember what they were.
While I’m thinking, he continues speaking. “My team and I design and sell highly specialized gear for extreme outdoor adventures. But we don't take short cuts. Especially in the manufacturing phase.”
“So your profits aren't exactly through the roof,” I guess.
“We're surviving. Not thriving.”
“Okay.” My stomach clenches as I wait for him to fall from grace and ask me for my money.
“I've come up with an idea for a new line,” he continues. “An untapped market. It could make all the difference to every one who works for Into the Wild.”
I just keep listening, feeling numb.
He takes a deep breath. “More and more people are getting out there these days, trying to be adventurous. I think reality shows have a lot to do with it. And the internet.”
“I never watch reality shows.”
“Okay.”
“But I have a computer.”
“Right.” He gives his head a little shake. “Okay.” He continues. “I want to design a new line of gear for the absolute beginner. Gear that’s so easy to use that it’ll be helpful to a person who knows nothing about outdoor equipment or safety.”
“You want to protect the fledglings,” I coo.
“Not just them,” he says, practically jumping on my words. “Beginners don’t realize how many people they endanger when they don’t know what they’re doing.”
I feel my face and neck grow red-hot, remembering how I ripped off his pants on the mountain.
Jack tucks his hands into the pockets of his jacket and continues walking. “The people they’re with, the people who have to come rescue them. It can be a real mess, and I can design stuff that’ll help.”
“Cool.”
“That’s where you come in.”
“Me?” I stop, and so does he, but he doesn’t turn to face me. He wants me to bankroll a new line he’s designing and he can’t even look me in the eye to ask me?
“I test all the gear myself,” he explains. “Everything, before we’ll sell it. Testing is half the design process.” Now he turns and zeroes in on me, like he’s trying to kill me with his laser eyes or something. “But I’m not an absolute beginner.”
A chill ices through me so fast I’m scarcely able to breathe. “And I am.”
The tension in his jaw relaxes, almost into a smile. “Yes. And this way, if you come with me to test the gear, you’ll get the adventures you want.”
Jack Hawkins doesn’t want my money. He wants ME. Not sexually or anything—he made that clear enough a few days ago—but he wants me, Lisa Flyte.
Me.
Even Keith and I just kind of ended up together after our dates hooked up at a party and ditched us. It's not like he ever chose me. Or specifically wanted me .
But Jack does. He needs me to test his gear. Me.
“Sounds like a fair trade.” I make my voice as even as I can. I’m trying to be calm and professional, when what I want to do is scream and jump like Fran does when Scott tells her he wants to dance with her at the Pan Pacifics. “How would it work?” I ask. “Would I have to go into the Into the Wild offices every day?” I crinkle my brow. “Do you even have offices?”
“No!” he shouts. Then he says, “Yes. We have offices, but you wouldn’t have to come in every day. The way I work, I work on a design, and test it as I go. So, I figured I could just call you when I need something tested.”
Like I can just sit around all day with nothing better to do than to wait for The Amazing Jack Hawkins to call. “I may not be as available as you think,” I say.
“That’s okay,” he says, pretty much shrugging it off. “I have a company to run, so if you can’t test something the second I design it, there are about a million things to keep me busy until you’re
He stops walking and turns to face me. “Because I wanted to design things I could really use out in the wild, about five years ago, and yes, very much.”
Holy baloney, he’s answering my questions. I have to stop to remember what they were.
While I’m thinking, he continues speaking. “My team and I design and sell highly specialized gear for extreme outdoor adventures. But we don't take short cuts. Especially in the manufacturing phase.”
“So your profits aren't exactly through the roof,” I guess.
“We're surviving. Not thriving.”
“Okay.” My stomach clenches as I wait for him to fall from grace and ask me for my money.
“I've come up with an idea for a new line,” he continues. “An untapped market. It could make all the difference to every one who works for Into the Wild.”
I just keep listening, feeling numb.
He takes a deep breath. “More and more people are getting out there these days, trying to be adventurous. I think reality shows have a lot to do with it. And the internet.”
“I never watch reality shows.”
“Okay.”
“But I have a computer.”
“Right.” He gives his head a little shake. “Okay.” He continues. “I want to design a new line of gear for the absolute beginner. Gear that’s so easy to use that it’ll be helpful to a person who knows nothing about outdoor equipment or safety.”
“You want to protect the fledglings,” I coo.
“Not just them,” he says, practically jumping on my words. “Beginners don’t realize how many people they endanger when they don’t know what they’re doing.”
I feel my face and neck grow red-hot, remembering how I ripped off his pants on the mountain.
Jack tucks his hands into the pockets of his jacket and continues walking. “The people they’re with, the people who have to come rescue them. It can be a real mess, and I can design stuff that’ll help.”
“Cool.”
“That’s where you come in.”
“Me?” I stop, and so does he, but he doesn’t turn to face me. He wants me to bankroll a new line he’s designing and he can’t even look me in the eye to ask me?
“I test all the gear myself,” he explains. “Everything, before we’ll sell it. Testing is half the design process.” Now he turns and zeroes in on me, like he’s trying to kill me with his laser eyes or something. “But I’m not an absolute beginner.”
A chill ices through me so fast I’m scarcely able to breathe. “And I am.”
The tension in his jaw relaxes, almost into a smile. “Yes. And this way, if you come with me to test the gear, you’ll get the adventures you want.”
Jack Hawkins doesn’t want my money. He wants ME. Not sexually or anything—he made that clear enough a few days ago—but he wants me, Lisa Flyte.
Me.
Even Keith and I just kind of ended up together after our dates hooked up at a party and ditched us. It's not like he ever chose me. Or specifically wanted me .
But Jack does. He needs me to test his gear. Me.
“Sounds like a fair trade.” I make my voice as even as I can. I’m trying to be calm and professional, when what I want to do is scream and jump like Fran does when Scott tells her he wants to dance with her at the Pan Pacifics. “How would it work?” I ask. “Would I have to go into the Into the Wild offices every day?” I crinkle my brow. “Do you even have offices?”
“No!” he shouts. Then he says, “Yes. We have offices, but you wouldn’t have to come in every day. The way I work, I work on a design, and test it as I go. So, I figured I could just call you when I need something tested.”
Like I can just sit around all day with nothing better to do than to wait for The Amazing Jack Hawkins to call. “I may not be as available as you think,” I say.
“That’s okay,” he says, pretty much shrugging it off. “I have a company to run, so if you can’t test something the second I design it, there are about a million things to keep me busy until you’re
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