face said, If you fuck with me, I’ll break your kneecaps.
He held out his hand and Janey, shaking with anger, took it. How dare he do this to her, and especially in front of Bill, who knew that they’d had an affair. She was still in the process of forming a retort when Comstock’s cell phone rang, and turning away as if there were nothing going on beyond the usual burdens of being a high-powered movie producer, he said to Bill, “Sorry, the office. They never leave you alone, no matter where you are.”
“Time difference,” Bill said. “Try Australia.”
“I have, ” Comstock said, and holding the cell phone up to his ear, he barked,
“Yeah?” into it and began strolling away.
All Janey could think was that Comstock was getting away scot free, and she took a step toward him, intending to give him a piece of her mind. But Bill stopped her; as she expected, as soon as Comstock was out of earshot, he began making fun of her. “Didn’t you have sex with him?” he asked mockingly. “What the hell did you do to him—bite his penis?”
A dozen nasty responses flittered through her mind, but Janey caught his expression and hesitated. He was taking too much pleasure in her obvious distress, and instinct told her that an angry display was exactly what he was hoping for.
Lowering her head and pouting like a wounded child, she stared up at him through long dark lashes.
Faced with this display of female submissiveness, Bill’s protective male instincts kicked in, and he gently put his arm around her shoulders. “Come on, Wilcox,” he said. “I was just kidding, and everyone knows Comstock is an asshole. There’s no point in bothering with men like that unless you have to, and besides, you’re too good to have sex with such a disgusting little fart anyway . . .” 18947_ch01.qxd 4/14/03 11:22 PM Page 31
t r a d i n g u p
31
“I’m not upset,” she insisted. And then, suddenly feeling that Bill was the one person who could understand, she blurted out, “I only slept with him because I thought it would be good for business!”
Bill’s face registered surprise at her unexpected candor, and he laughed. “I can’t say I agree with you,” he said. “But that’s probably the most honest thing you’ve said in years.”
Janey glared at him, suddenly realizing she’d been caught. After all, she’d officially convinced herself that she was in love with Comstock, and she’d probably told Bill the same thing. “If you’re implying that I’m a liar . . . ,” she said.
“Oh, I’m not implying anything. I’m stating it as fact,” Bill said. “You are a liar, and worst of all, you lie to yourself . . .”
“My goodness. You two look like you’re embroiled in a lovers’ quarrel,” Mimi said, coming up behind them.
Janey gave Bill a dirty look, furious that they’d been caught unawares in such an obviously intimate conversation. Bill was dangerous; in the future she’d have to be careful not to let him back her into a corner—after all, she’d let him do it before and every time they’d ended up in bed. But Bill wasn’t fazed: He casually stuck his hands in his pockets and, leaning back against the railing, said, “Janey and I are old friends. We always fight like brother and sister.” Mimi gave Janey a sympathetic look. “And that, I’m afraid, is Bill’s definition of friendship,” she said. “He’s been fighting with me since we were in the sandbox together as kids.”
“That’s only because you wouldn’t let me play with your shovels,” Bill said.
“You were a bully then, and you haven’t changed a bit,” Mimi retorted. “In any case, I’ve come to tell you that we’re sitting down to dinner . . . Janey, you’re next to Selden Rose . . .”
At the name Selden Rose, Bill suddenly smirked. “Janey will eat him for breakfast,” he said.
“Oh, Bill. Stop it,” Mimi said, giving him a warning look. And then, with a glance that indicated that Janey should follow
He held out his hand and Janey, shaking with anger, took it. How dare he do this to her, and especially in front of Bill, who knew that they’d had an affair. She was still in the process of forming a retort when Comstock’s cell phone rang, and turning away as if there were nothing going on beyond the usual burdens of being a high-powered movie producer, he said to Bill, “Sorry, the office. They never leave you alone, no matter where you are.”
“Time difference,” Bill said. “Try Australia.”
“I have, ” Comstock said, and holding the cell phone up to his ear, he barked,
“Yeah?” into it and began strolling away.
All Janey could think was that Comstock was getting away scot free, and she took a step toward him, intending to give him a piece of her mind. But Bill stopped her; as she expected, as soon as Comstock was out of earshot, he began making fun of her. “Didn’t you have sex with him?” he asked mockingly. “What the hell did you do to him—bite his penis?”
A dozen nasty responses flittered through her mind, but Janey caught his expression and hesitated. He was taking too much pleasure in her obvious distress, and instinct told her that an angry display was exactly what he was hoping for.
Lowering her head and pouting like a wounded child, she stared up at him through long dark lashes.
Faced with this display of female submissiveness, Bill’s protective male instincts kicked in, and he gently put his arm around her shoulders. “Come on, Wilcox,” he said. “I was just kidding, and everyone knows Comstock is an asshole. There’s no point in bothering with men like that unless you have to, and besides, you’re too good to have sex with such a disgusting little fart anyway . . .” 18947_ch01.qxd 4/14/03 11:22 PM Page 31
t r a d i n g u p
31
“I’m not upset,” she insisted. And then, suddenly feeling that Bill was the one person who could understand, she blurted out, “I only slept with him because I thought it would be good for business!”
Bill’s face registered surprise at her unexpected candor, and he laughed. “I can’t say I agree with you,” he said. “But that’s probably the most honest thing you’ve said in years.”
Janey glared at him, suddenly realizing she’d been caught. After all, she’d officially convinced herself that she was in love with Comstock, and she’d probably told Bill the same thing. “If you’re implying that I’m a liar . . . ,” she said.
“Oh, I’m not implying anything. I’m stating it as fact,” Bill said. “You are a liar, and worst of all, you lie to yourself . . .”
“My goodness. You two look like you’re embroiled in a lovers’ quarrel,” Mimi said, coming up behind them.
Janey gave Bill a dirty look, furious that they’d been caught unawares in such an obviously intimate conversation. Bill was dangerous; in the future she’d have to be careful not to let him back her into a corner—after all, she’d let him do it before and every time they’d ended up in bed. But Bill wasn’t fazed: He casually stuck his hands in his pockets and, leaning back against the railing, said, “Janey and I are old friends. We always fight like brother and sister.” Mimi gave Janey a sympathetic look. “And that, I’m afraid, is Bill’s definition of friendship,” she said. “He’s been fighting with me since we were in the sandbox together as kids.”
“That’s only because you wouldn’t let me play with your shovels,” Bill said.
“You were a bully then, and you haven’t changed a bit,” Mimi retorted. “In any case, I’ve come to tell you that we’re sitting down to dinner . . . Janey, you’re next to Selden Rose . . .”
At the name Selden Rose, Bill suddenly smirked. “Janey will eat him for breakfast,” he said.
“Oh, Bill. Stop it,” Mimi said, giving him a warning look. And then, with a glance that indicated that Janey should follow
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