Friendly Skies Page 17

  “What did you bring? This looks good.” Right on cue her stomach let out a large, empty-sounding gurgle.

  “I’m beginning to think you keep me around to feed you,” he said.

  He had no idea. He was wearing jeans and that Mariners shirt he had on the day they went snorkeling in Catalina that pulled tight across his chest. To top it off he had a Mariners cap on backwards. Damn. That backwards baseball cap made Judy’s low belly pool with warmth.

  They ate lunch in the kitchen sitting at the island and on counters, wherever they could find room. Conversation was easy between the three of them. Dani was a great talker, and Jason was innately charming. Everyone responded to him.

  “So, Dani, what’s your story? I know you are from Brooklyn, you have four brothers, and you are a lawyer. What else should I know? Is there a special man, or, uh, woman, in your life?” Jason asked, growing a little awkward there at the end.

  He looked adorable when he was feeling awkward. It just added to his charm.

  Dani and Judy laughed and Dani answered, “There is no special uh, woman, in my life. Well, except for Judy, of course!” They both giggled.

  Jason looked a little lost, like he knew there was a joke in there somewhere but he wasn’t in on it.

  “But seriously,” she continued, “I’m dating another lawyer. He used to be my boss, as a matter of fact. But now we work at separate firms.”

  Judy stopped with her sandwich halfway to her mouth.

  “What? Hold on a sec. Are you back with Paul?? What about his wife?”

  Paul was the partner Dani had been seeing several years ago. Their split had been terribly painful for her. They had engaged in an affair for more than six months, putting his marriage and both of their jobs in jeopardy. Paul’s wife ended up pregnant, which up-ended their plans to divorce, and eventually Dani broke things off. It had devastated her to do it, but it had been the right decision. Shortly after, she had found another job and without Paul in her daily life, she’d started to heal. It had taken her the better part of two years to fully recover from the break-up, though.

  “Uh, wife?” Jason was completely confused.

  “Their divorce was final three years ago,” Dani said. “I ran into him—literally—a month ago. We caught up and sort of picked up where we left off. I didn’t want to say anything until I was sure about the direction we were going. Our affair the first time around was kind of a drag there at the end.”

  She tried to be casual, but Judy knew better. She had never seen Dani so vulnerable.

  “Anyway, it’s been nice. I like being with him. Maybe more this time around since we’ve lost the baggage of his marriage and the job situation.” She looked thoughtful.

  “Wow.” Judy was amazed.

  “Yeah,” Dani agreed.

  Judy had always wondered if she’d been truly in love with the man, or if the illicit affair and dangerous circumstances had fueled the attraction. Maybe it had been the man after all.

  “Damn. I definitely didn’t see this coming. I’m happy for you, Dani!” Judy hugged her best friend.

  Jason was lost. “Did I miss something? Are you two speaking in code?”

  He looked from Judy to Dani, and back again.

  The girls laughed again. “Maybe we are,” Judy said. “You don’t know Dani very well, but for her to say that she likes being with Paul and that it’s nice is basically a proclamation of love.” Dani continued to look thoughtful. “Look at her! She’s practically lovesick!”

  “Oh, okay,” Jason said dubiously, but ready to go with it. “Uh, congratulations, Dani,” he said and held out his hand. “It seems Paul is a pretty lucky guy.”

  “Oh, geez. Thanks Jason,” and Dani hugged him.

  Completely out of character for her, but another example of how people responded to him. And perhaps a side effect of her lovesickness.

  “Well, that’s enough of that for one day. Let’s get back to it, shall we?” She handed them paint brushes and they went back to the task at hand.

  By Saturday night, the condo looked great. It looked fresh and new and ready for people who were ready to start a new chapter in their lives.

  “This looks amazing,” Judy commented, admiring their handiwork.

  “It really does,” Dani said. “Too bad you aren’t keeping it!”

  “Ugh, yeah. I think it looks great for some other folks to live in, not for me.”

  “When does it go on the market?” Jason asked as he cleaned the paint brushes in the kitchen sink.

  “Tomorrow the realtor is supposed to come over to photograph it, and then by Monday morning it should be listed. Maybe even by tomorrow night,” Judy answered.

  “Well, kids, I’m outta here. I have a hot date to get ready for, and you two probably need some alone time,” Dani put on her jacket.

  After she left, Jason helped Judy clean up the rest of the painting equipment.

  “So, what now? Dinner? Do you want to go out? Order in? Or,” he looked at her slyly, “I could give you your first cooking lesson, how about that?”

  His baby blues went a little smoky and Judy knew he had payment for those cooking lessons on his mind.

  “Let’s do that. Let’s cook here. I want to learn. I am your eager pupil,” She threw her arms wide in offering.

  “Well, the first thing you need to do is remove your shirt.” He slowly walked over to her, pulling her shirt over her head. “You wouldn’t want to spill anything on it.”

  He ran his hands up and down the sides of her body, as if in ownership. Judy was overcome with heat and yearning. She could feel herself ripening to his touch.

  “Hmm, I don’t remember seeing that in any cookbooks or on the Food Network,” she said almost in a whisper, her mouth close to his.

  “You are not watching the right shows.” His voice was soft and husky as he pressed against her. He began kissing her as his hands traveled to her hips and eventually, one hand made it inside her shorts. She pressed into his hand, silently asking for more. He stroked her through her panties, feeling her wetness, and then lazily brought his fingers inside her panties, touching her flesh.

  Judy’s breathing hitched and she hung on to his shoulders for dear life. All the while Jason kept kissing her, leaving her breathless and wanting more.

  “More, Jason, I need….” She trailed off into a kiss, and Jason gave her more. He pushed her shorts and panties down and used both of his hands to take her to over the edge and into the most intense climax she’d experienced. Once her body calmed and she went limp, Jason picked her up and carried her to bed.

  Later, they laid close together in bed, spent and satisfied, and very sleepy. Jason pulled her flush against him so she rested mostly on him.

  “I love you, Judy,” he said softly. She felt the rumble of his chest against her back when he spoke, and something blossomed inside her.

  She pulled his hand to her mouth and kissed his palm.

  “I love you, too, Jason,” she said, marveling at how naturally the words escaped her heart.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  THE FIRST FEW WEEKS of June flew by. The Bradford campaign went into full preparations with a start date of the first week of July. July 4 fell on Monday, so the launch party was ultimately scheduled for Friday, July 1st. In addition to managing some of the logistics of the campaign and keeping Creative, Media and the client all on the same page, Mark and Judy were busy working with their admins on planning the gala event.

  The launch party was where the ads were previewed in their final form by the entire agency and the key people at Bradford and Callahan. They would begin running the following week, so by this time most everyone would have already seen the ads. But the party was an opportunity to shine the spotlight on the campaign Judy and her team for putting it all together. It was a self-absorbed type of glad-handing, but that’s advertising.

  It was also semi-formal, which meant Judy needed a dress. She had dresses she could wear that she’d worn to other launch p
arties, but this was a very big deal for her professionally. As the senior account executive, it was her duty to present the campaign at the party. Typically, that would be handled by Stephanie, but she liked to delegate these moments to her senior account execs to give them the spotlight.

  Besides, Jason was going to be there. Her dress needed to be fabulous so that he couldn’t take his eyes off her. Priorities.

  “I think I like the pink one,” Dani held up a pink cocktail dress with lace and tulle. She couldn’t be serious.

  “I’d look like an ice cream cone. No way.” She kept looking.

  “I bet Jason would think you are good enough to eat in this dress,” Dani said smoothly. Judy rolled her eyes.

  “How about this one?” Judy held up an elegant black number with a cut-out back and a skirt hitting at mid-thigh.

  “Oh, you should to try that on. That one has serious potential.”

  Judy checked herself out in the dressing room. On the rack the dress was pretty but unassuming. When her curves filled it out, it became sexy and sleek, yet understated enough to keep anyone guessing as to the wearer’s intentions. It was perfect. She hoped Jason would like it, but not so much that they ended up giving themselves away. All they needed to do was get through the launch party.

  She was planning to ask Stephanie to be transferred off the account after the party. Mark was more than able to handle it and had the better relationship with Rich. Once she was off the account, she and Jason could date without it being Watergate. They would still need to be discreet, but Stephanie wouldn’t necessarily have to fire her for dating a client that she didn’t work with directly.

  Because they were so close to being able to publicly date, she felt a little brazen in her choice of dress. She wanted Jason to notice. She wanted him to more than notice. She wanted him to be uncomfortable in the best of ways.

  She walked out of the dressing room, and Dani gaped at her.

  “I think if you wear that dress, Rich is going to want to put his hands other places besides your knee. Holy shit, Judy.”

  She considered that. She hadn’t thought about Rich in a while. He’d been professional in their interactions since that lunch date, and she thought maybe he’d realized she was not a worthy target for his affections.

  “Men like Rich should not to be underestimated, Judy. They can wreck your career in a millisecond and come out smelling like a rose. He will make you and everyone else feel like it’s your fault you don’t want to have sex with him if that’s what he has in mind.”

  “That’s exactly what Jason said. I don’t want him to influence my decision about a great dress, though. That doesn’t feel right.”

  “Jason is a smart man. You should listen to him,” Dani chastised her. “If you go more conservative at the launch party, you can save this dress for something more fun, something with Jason.”

  “I can handle Rich,” Judy decided. “He’s all talk, anyway. Guys like him are always around in advertising.”

  “I think you should be careful. But, yeah, it is a great dress. I think Jason will get very uncomfortable very quickly when he sees you in it.” Dani smiled.

  That was all Judy needed to hear.

  *

  The week of the party passed in a flurry of activity. Finishing touches and last minute emergency changes occupied everyone’s desk. Also, Tracey and Judy had to work out the final details for the party. Every evening she felt like a pinball that had been knocked around for the last 12 hours.

  She had also been occupied with selling the condo. It was under contract and they were just waiting for the closing date, but she had inspections to accommodate and paperwork to review. Everything seemed to be moving at the speed of light.

  Jason was flying every day until Friday. She didn’t get to see him except for Wednesday, when he strolled into her bedroom late that night. She’d been asleep but she stirred when she felt him cuddle up next to her.

  “Hey beautiful.” He nuzzled her neck.

  She smiled and leaned into him, feeling his long, strong body against hers, and realized he’d come to bed naked. Her brain was still functioning in a sleep-induced fog, but her body was completely awake. This man could take her to the edge of sex-crazed oblivion in a matter of seconds. She started to turn over to face him, and he stopped her.

  “No, stay like this,” he said as he pulled his WSU t-shirt over her head.

  He ran his hands all over her body, and every part of her was awake and tingling. He slowly let his hands travel downward while kissing her neck, her shoulders. He touched her between her thighs, circling her sex gently until she was panting in need.

  “Come for me, Judy,” he whispered just as she came apart in his arms.

  After her spasms settled and her breathing returned to normal, he entered her from behind, again gently moving in and out of her, building her need again. This time they came apart together. She turned her head to kiss him.

  “I love you,” she whispered into his smile, just before falling asleep again, perfectly content.

  She didn’t wake him when she left for work the next morning. He didn’t have to be at the hangar until afternoon and he needed to rest. She smiled, watching him sleep as she sipped her coffee. He was devastatingly sexy even in sleep. She left him with a pot of coffee and a kiss, and went to work.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  “I RECEIVED A REVISED demand from Greg’s attorney,” Charisse told Judy over the phone.

  Charisse had called to remind her of the last-chance settlement conference next week with the judge. Judy couldn’t believe Greg was pushing this case to a trial. His level of asshole had climbed a few notches even since he left her for his pregnant dancer.

  “He’s lowered his cash demand to $40,000.”

  “Not happening,” Judy had been busting balls all week at work trying to get everyone to meet deadlines. Busting Greg’s came easily.

  “I understand, Judy. But we should respond. This is how the game is played.” Charisse answered with the practiced evenness of someone who has had this conversation many times. “I recommend a strongly-worded response that Greg is not in the same universe that we are, and we’ll respond when we see significant and realistic movement on his side.”

  “That sounds good to me.” She was starting to look forward to telling the judge what an asshole Greg had been during their marriage.

  “Also, we need to meet before the settlement conference next week. Let’s get together that morning and discuss strategy. There are also a few things I would like to go over regarding the trial date.”

  “Okay,” she answered cautiously.

  She wasn’t sure what it was in Charisse’s words that sparked a nervous feeling, but it felt like something was going on. She didn’t have much time to dwell on it, however, as the latest emergency had just walked into her office in the form of Tracey.

  “Thanks Charisse, I’ll see you next week.”

  “We have a problem. The flowers for centerpieces have disappeared,” Tracey explained with a panicked look on her face.

  “What? I don’t understand, disappeared?” They worked the problem and thoughts of the mediation and divorce were temporarily banished.

  By the time Friday arrived, everyone in the office was running on fumes. They had all worked too many hours, and handled too many crises. The undercurrent of excitement about a big, fancy party had been running in their veins all week. How any of them would make it through the big night without collapsing was anyone’s guess. Judy had been subsisting on a steady diet of coffee and whatever was sitting out in the kitchen at work for the entire week. As she was getting herself some coffee on Friday afternoon, Stephanie caught up with her.

  “Hey Judy, it’s time for you to go home. Go, take a nap, get yourself ready, and be at the Westin by 5.”

  “Okay. I still have a few last-minute things to take care of.”

  “No, not unless they are absolutely necessary. I want you to be fresh for tonight.” Steph
anie was firm.

  “All right, let me just tell Tracey— “

  “No,” Stephanie interrupted. “I’ve already sent the team home. You all need to take a break. It’s a big night.”

  “Okay, okay,” Judy said as Stephanie ushered her from the kitchen.

  Stephanie was right. She needed to be on top of her game tonight. As she suspected, Stephanie was having her present the ads, but in the spirit of grooming the juniors, Judy was having Mark share the presentations with her. If he didn’t jump out of his skin, that is. He’d been stapled to her side all week, asking her about how this or that sounds, should he tell a joke, and how to operate the equipment. If he allowed himself to calm down for five minutes, they might actually pull this off. But he had to calm-the-F-down.

  Mark probably had more on his mind than impressing the client tonight. He’d spent the last couple of months working closely with Tracey because of the Bradford account. It had become painfully obvious to everyone that his feelings for her had not changed one bit, and in fact, they may have intensified. While Tracey still wouldn’t outwardly return his feelings, her attitude toward him had softened over the last few weeks. It might be time to make his move. Again.

  *

  Judy walked into her condo and sat down on the couch. She thought she’d just rest her eyes for a moment. She woke with a start and realized she’d been sleeping for two hours! She had barely an hour to get ready and get to the party. Too much burning the candle at both ends. There would be no fancy, sleek blow-out for her hair this time. She opted for a loose bun, with wisps of curls falling out of it. It’s less professional and more like a date hairstyle, but it was the best she could do with the time she had.

  When she pulled on the dress and situated it just right, she was amazed. It looked just as good as she remembered. She felt like a movie star in this dress. The loose bun took Judy’s hair off her neck and accentuated the lack of material in the back of her dress. It was perfect. She didn’t have time to admire herself, though. It was time for Cinderella to get to the ball before everything turned into a pumpkin.