Читать книгу Unexpected Destinies - Constance Ruth Clark - Страница 9

Chapter 5

The day after Jayne visited her father in the hospital she was on set almost before the sun had a chance to make an appearance. She might be worried about her father, but she knew she would only worry more if she wasn’t working and that wouldn’t help anyone. Besides, she had a full schedule and needed to stick to it as closely as possible.

Jayne stepped off the bedroom set where she’d been modeling a particularly naughty set of lingerie and grabbed the matching robe as she met her assistant at the door.

“One more wardrobe change and I’m done here,” Jayne said, shrugging into the robe as she walked. She was ready to go home and the day had barely begun. A long soak in the hot tub would be welcome and after all the running around she’d be doing later today, she deserved it.

“Faye wants to see you right away,” Shelley said as she trotted along beside Jayne’s long stride. “She said it’s important. I’ve already told the creative director and photographer to take an hour.”

“Terrific.” Jayne sighed.

She’d hoped to be finished in another hour so she could have a few minutes to herself before reporting for hair and makeup for the second shoot. Now she had to go see what her agent wanted. Apparently it was important enough for Michael David Adams to agree to such a long break. A top photographer in New York had more to do than sit around waiting for his model to have a meeting with her agent in the middle of a photo shoot.

“Do I have time to change first?”

Jayne had no idea what her agent could want, but she didn’t want to keep Michael waiting after the meeting, and she had a runway show to get ready for tomorrow. She needed to manage her time to make sure she met all her obligations, something Jayne had never been very good at.

“If you hurry.” Shelley knew all about her time management issues.

“Great.” Jayne marched through the door of her dressing room, Shelley close on her heels, and pushed the door shut.

The next set of lingerie was hanging on the rack next to her makeup table, and she stripped off the blue and white set and pulled on the fire-engine red thong and bustier. Kicking off the white pumps, she slipped into a pair of matching, lacy red shoes and topped it all off with a see through peignoir that she didn’t bother tying.

“Ready?” Shelley asked, poised to open the door.

“Yes.”

Jayne followed her out and down the hall toward the elevator that would take them up to the business offices on the top floor.

People were used to seeing models walking around the building in all manner of undress, so no one blinked when Jayne stepped off the elevator.

“Ms. Stapleton.” Ms. Rogers, her agent’s secretary greeted her when she stopped in front of her desk. “Faye is expecting you.”

“Thank you,” Jayne said, moving toward the door into her agent’s office.

“I should warn you,” Ms. Rogers said, eying Jayne’s attire, “she isn’t alone.”

“Oh?” Jayne paused to look at her curiously. “Is it a client?”

“Um, not exactly.” Ms. Rogers looked uncomfortable for a moment but then her expression cleared. “I’m sure your attire will be fine,” she mumbled as if to herself.

Jayne shrugged, not really caring who was on the other side of the door if they weren’t a client. As long as it wasn’t the President of the United States she was about to meet in her underwear, she didn’t care. She was doing a runway show tomorrow night modeling these same garments in front of hundreds of people, so what was one more?

Pushing the door open, she waltzed inside and turned to close it.

There, now whoever it is will have had a great view of both my back and my front. Jayne turned to greet the room’s occupants and her amusement fled as she her mouth opened in surprise.

Not him.

“Jayne.” Faye greeted her, motioning to a chair opposite the man seated beside her. “Do come in and sit down.”

Jayne moved forward and groped for the flimsy string ties to close the peignoir. It wasn’t much cover, but it was better than nothing and she needed all the armor she could find in dealing with the man she never thought she’d see again.

“This is Detective Nick Graham.”

She knew who he was. Well, not the detective part, but she certainly knew his name. Her gaze met his and she noticed the amusement on his face. Once she would have worn less in front of him, but those days were long gone.

What the hell was he doing here?

“He’s here on a serious matter.” Faye continued, her voice subdued. “I know you’ve been in Europe for most of the past year, so you probably don’t know what’s been happening around here lately.”

Nick cleared his throat. Jayne sat down and braced herself for the sound of his voice, crossing her arms and legs.

“We have a serial killer in the city,” he said. “There have been three deaths so far and all three have been models who work in or around the city.”

Jayne gasped.

“Detective Graham wants to figure out why the killer might be targeting models specifically and is speaking to you and some of the others , it could help the investigation.”

“How can I help?” Jayne wasn’t going to hold their past against him. He was trying to find a killer and no matter what she thought of him personally, she’d help as best she could.

“Would you be prepared to answer some questions for me?” Nick leaned forward, his shirt tightening across his chest and Jayne cursed herself for noticing the play of muscles beneath. “About the people you come into contact with while doing your job.”

“Sure,” Jayne said, trying to ignore the racing of her heart at the nearness of the man she thought she’d love forever. How young and innocent she had been then. “But before we go on, do you know if the models who were killed were career models, like me, or new to the business?” She shivered at the thought that someone might actually be stalking her.

“That’s a fair question,” Nick nodded. “We asked the same thing and so far they’ve all been career models, although none so far as well known as you are.”

So he knew about her career. Good. Now he knew she didn’t pine away for him after he’d broken her heart all those years ago. She’d moved on and done something with her life. She had worked focused completely on her career over the past fifteen years and become one of the top models in the industry. Who needed a man or children when you could dine in the finest restaurants and stay in posh hotels all around the world while wearing fabulous clothes created by top designers? She was much happier alone.

Liar! She squashed her conscious as she nodded at Nick.

“So are you planning to follow me around to see who I come into contact with?”

“Nothing like that yet,” Nick said. “I wouldn’t want to intrude on your life.”

Too late.

“Just a list of people you see on a daily basis or who you’d be likely to see doing certain jobs,” Faye added.

“All right,” Jayne nodded, uncrossing her legs and sitting up. “When do you need this?”

“As soon as possible.”

“I’ll have my assistant get right on that,” Jayne said standing up. Nick stood too and she was surprised to see that he was a few inches taller than her six foot frame. She usually towered over most men she met. Of course the last time she’d seen him they’d still been teenagers and she hadn’t hit her full height then. Apparently neither had he.

“Jayne, I don’t think you should go to the show tomorrow night,” Faye said, looking at her with a worried frown.

“Don’t be silly, of course I’m going,” Jayne dismissed her agent’s concern with a flick of her wrist. “It’s been scheduled for months and I can’t back out at the last minute. You know that Faye, it would ruin my career.”

Faye sighed and nodded, crossing her arms over her chest. Jayne knew she was probably dying for a cigarette but wouldn’t light up as long as Nick was there. They were supposedly smoke free in this building.

“What’s the show?” Nick asked and Jayne checked her temper. Now he was going to want to come. He’d say it was for research but what red blooded American male wouldn’t find an excuse to attend if he could?

“Vanessa’s Closet Fashion show.”

“Ah,” Nick’s eyes lit up and he grinned as he looked at her current outfit with new appreciation. “Will you be wearing that?”

“Oh, shut up,” Jayne said with annoyance. “I’ll have my assistant, Shelley send over a couple tickets, Detective.” Like they both didn’t know how much research he’d get done.

“Can you throw in a couple of backstage passes?”

“You pig,” Jayne said sharply, forgetting for a minute why he wanted to attend the show. All she could think of was how all the models backstage would be naked between skimpy outfits.

Damn him, I don’t care if he sees a hundred women naked, I am so over him.

“Jayne!” Faye stepped forward, positioning herself in front of Nick and piercing her with a dirty look. “Of course we will.”

“Thanks,” Nick said. “Guess I’ll get out of here for now. I’ll see you tomorrow Jayne.”

She was too furious to speak, so she only nodded at him as he let himself out.

Shit, why does he have to look so good after all this time?

“Jayne Stapleton, what’s gotten into you?” Faye demanded when the door was safely shut behind him.

“I don’t know what you mean,” Jayne said defiantly, stifling the urge to scream.

“He’s just doing his job and you acted like he was the pervert.”

“Aren’t all men pigs when it comes right down to it?”

“Why are you still on that kick?” Faye circled behind her desk and rummaged around until she came up with a cigarette. “Who was the devil of a man who made you think all men are like that?”

Jayne stared at her agent as she lit a cigarette and blew smoke toward the air filter.

“He just left the room,” she replied.