Killer Career (16 page)

He was making a fortune doing what he’d always done: inhabiting an
imaginary world. Masterpiece after masterpiece flowed from his
fertile brain, each one more successful than the others. And that’s
how he’d gotten where he was today. Through all the bad times, he’d
persevered because he had his writing to fall back on.

Now he was reaching out for more. Julie was like a heroine in one of
his novels, yet real. He craved to experience the joys of love with
her, but if he bared his soul, what would she find?

He was afraid of the answer.

Chapter Eighteen

Three months slipped past since Julie had been diagnosed with
hypoglycemia. It wasn’t easy to forego sugar and sweets, but she
did so religiously. Her rewards were fewer
dizzy spells, fewer headaches and more endurance.

During that time, Dade graduated from his mobile chair to crutches,
then back to his own power.

The office was super-busy. Her master plan to leave and pursue
writing seemed to have slipped off the agenda. Dade had been through
so much, she hated to remind him of her departure, but she had to or
she’d never be free to pursue her dream.

As they walked back from the Commission, she broached the subject.
“Dade, you do remember I’m still leaving the firm. You need to
find a new partner. Have you thought of anyone yet?”

They drew even with the office building. He turned to her.

“Damn it, Julie. Don’t do it. You’re too good to leave. Why the
hell change?”

Her heart sunk. All along, Dade had been in denial.

“I might be good at it, but I’m also sick of it. Besides, I might
be just as good at writing. I’ll never know unless I try.”

“That’s a heavy gamble. Why not stick with what works?”

“I’ve made my decision. You can’t talk me out of it.”
Sticking her chin out, Julie slipped into the revolving door ahead of
him.

Dade easily caught up with her as she waited by the elevator. “What
happens when you’re sick of writing and want to come back? By then
I’ll have another partner. Once you’re gone, there’s no
return.”

“I know that. I don’t expect any favors.”

With lips pursed, she stepped into the elevator. They silently rode
upstairs.

On the way past Dee’s desk, her assistant said, “A few more cases
came in while you were gone.”

The trapped feeling closed in on her again, making Julie groan. At
one time new cases were a joy because they meant more money coming
in. Now they were an additional chore. She had to leave, the sooner
the better.

Sighing, she skimmed the claim sheet on the first case to see if it
was worth pursuing.

Dee’s high excited voice broke in on the intercom. “Julie, you’ve
got a call on line two. It’s Tyler Jensen,”

Well, how strange. After Tyler had refused to kiss her goodnight on
their one and only date, she hadn’t expected to hear from him
again.

“Julie, how are you,” he asked, as if no time had elapsed since
their last meeting.

“I’m fine, now.”

“What do you mean? Did something happen?”

She filled him in on her health scare. “It could have been a lot
worse. According to my doctor, as long as I pay attention to my diet
and eat regularly, I should be fine. So far, it seems to be working.”

“I’ve told you you’re too tied up with the practice and don’t
pay attention to yourself. What about that partner of yours? Can’t
he carry his load?”

She could say that none of that would matter, but it was too soon to
break the news. Nothing was in place yet. Besides, she didn’t care
for Tyler’s assumption that Dade wasn’t contributing.

“I can’t complain about Dade. He takes on twice as much as I do.
We’re growing so fast it’s hard to keep up.”

“You obviously haven’t had time to write.”

Julie sighed. “I wish I did. I really miss it. One of these days
it’ll be different.”

“Don’t kid yourself. Like I’ve said before, ditch the firm.
You’re meant for something better.” His voice was so fierce it
almost scared her.

“I’ll manage. Don’t worry.” She hoped she sounded more
confident than she felt. It would take a miracle to get Dade to
accept the inevitable. The situation was churning and could get
worse.

Tyler sighed. “A woman with ideals. Anyway, that’s not the reason
I called. Can you break away a few hours? I’ve landed two tickets
for Thursday’s performance of Lost Memories at Monroe Place
Theater. Come with me. No excuses.”

She did have a proposed decision to do, but it was short and she
could easily get it finished on her laptop computer while she
commuted. Besides, things hadn’t ended well when she’d last seen
him. She would like to get back on an even keel with Tyler. “I need
a break. I’ll be glad to go.”

As soon as she hung up the receiver, another new case called. When
she was through screening the potential client, she could hardly
remember what she’d told him. She must have said something right,
since he asked her to send out the claim forms.

Tyler dominated her thoughts the rest of the afternoon and into the
next day. The mystery writer’s charisma was so strong she’d felt
its pull over the phone line. Also, his advice was sound. Life was
too short to waste it on something she didn’t care to do.

The worst part of it all was the effect her decision was having on
Dade. Sad to say, her best friend was the chief obstacle to her
happiness. Her upcoming departure hurt him, but she couldn’t help
it. She had to be practical and couldn’t afford to beg for his
blessing. If she meant anything at all to him, he’d respect her
wishes and let her go freely.

* * *

On Thursday morning, Julie took extra pains with her appearance. She
discarded several outfits until, with time running out, she settled
on a gray linen suit counter-balanced by a wispy sheer blouse
underneath. It looked feminine yet practical, hopefully a reflection
of her personality.

The calendar read November, yet the air felt more like Indian summer.
At the Commission, the heat ran full blast, though it didn’t need
to be on. When the trial began, tempers flared, matching the stifling
air.

Julie’s opposing attorney, the dreaded Barabat, had the nerve to
accuse her client, Ralph Watson, of working side jobs while getting
workers’ compensation benefits for being disabled.

“You’re insane. Watson obviously can’t work. Show me your
proof, Barabat,” Julie said, voice rising.

“No problem.” He smugly held up a videotape. “If you don’t
believe me, watch this.”

With a bad taste in her mouth, she watched the evidence of her client
carrying large cords of wood, lifting heavy bags and pounding nails.
She had no defense. The case was lost.

The tape wound down, but Julie was wound up. She turned to Watson.
“Find another attorney. I don’t deal with liars.”

She grabbed her briefcase and stomped out of the courtroom.

Fuming, Julie tromped back to the office. It was cooler outdoors than
in the courtroom, but she was so upset she could feel the
perspiration crawl down her back. This was it. The sooner she got out
of the practice, the better.

* * *

Sitting at her desk, Julie still couldn’t cool down. She’d
trusted Watson and had fought for him, yet he’d betrayed her.

She should put the incident behind her. Such things were bound to
happen and were a part of the business. She shouldn’t get upset,
yet it still smarted.

A frowning Dade walked past her office on his way to the copy room.
Word spread fast at the Commission. He had to have gotten wind of
what had happened. Normally, he’d pop in, calm her down and they’d
laugh over the antics of some of their prior clients. Not this time.

A sense of emptiness filled her as she blinked back sudden tears. She
hated being on bad terms with Dade. It was hell living in limbo,
being his partner, but not really. He’d always been there for her
and knew exactly what to say to make things right. That was part of
the problem. All her life, she’d relied on Dade’s support. He’d
been like the training wheels on her bicycle. She wasn’t a child
any longer. It was time to grow up.

Julie squared her shoulders and set back to work. She had tons to do
today if she were to get out on time. First, she’d call security to
arrange permission for Tyler to come up to the office after
five-thirty.

After that, she busied herself, plowing through a stack of files,
trying not to think too much about her upcoming date. Despite her
resolve, her anticipation rose. She could hardly wait for him to
come. It would be a relief to get away from all this. The tension
made her head pound.

At five past five, she called a halt to the torture. It was time to
get ready.

The office was quiet, except for the rustle of papers down the hall.
Another late night for poor Dade. She was sticking him with a lot.

She stifled a sense of guilt by reasoning he could be trying harder
to find another partner, if he weren’t so stubborn. She didn’t
have time to worry about it now. She grabbed her makeup kit and
scurried into the bathroom. Once there, she rinsed off the grime of
the city and smoothed fresh moisturizer on her face. She smudged the
eyeliner on her lid and forced herself to apply it more slowly. Why
was she such a bundle of nerves?

Right when she got into the hallway, the buzzer rang in the outer
office. Before she could get out there, Dade charged ahead of her.
She met him at the door. “I’ll get that, Dade.” She swung open
the door.

Tyler walked in. The two men stood face to face, neither looking
pleased to see the other.

“Tyler, I don’t believe you’ve met my partner. Tyler Jensen,
this is Dade Donovan.”

The two men shook hands, but not very cordially. She wished Dade
wouldn’t behave like a spoiled brat. He shouldn’t let his anger
get the best of him. If they’d been alone, she’d have given him a
piece of her mind, but not in front of her date. As it was, Tyler
already had a low opinion of her partner.

No one said a word. Julie jumped in to fill the gap. “Tyler and I
are going over to the Monroe Place Theater tonight after dinner.”

“I’m sure that holds more appeal than finishing up your work
here,” Dade said, turning sharply and heading back to his office.

Julie bit her lip, watching him disappear down the hallway.

“Your partner is a sourpuss. How do you put up with him?” Tyler
said.

“He’s not always like that. This is one of his bad days.”

Wait until she got hold of Dade. He was going to get it.

Chapter Nineteen

Dade paced his condo. Seven o’clock. By now Julie had to be
enjoying dinner with the mystery writer. He should never have let his
anger get the best of him. Sure, he was mad at Julie for leaving the
firm, but he still cared about her. He’d never forgive himself if
anything happened to her.

The man was trouble. Sexual attraction oozed from his pores. If he
put the make on Julie, could she handle it or would she fall for his
lines?

Dade punched his fist into his hand. “Damn, I should have stopped
her.”

At the thought of Julie lying beneath Jensen, black rage filled him.
She was his, not the mystery writer’s.

“I don’t believe it. This can’t be happening.”

He wanted to deny it, but the facts stared him in the face. Somewhere
along the line his protective urge had evolved into something else.
He’d caught an inkling of the shift when he’d gone crazy over
Julie’s dizzy spells, but dummy that he was, he still hadn’t put
it all together. Julie had been always around and he’d taken her
for granted. She was a part of him, yet he’d never realized how
much. Now he knew. He loved her, but not as a sister or friend.

He wanted her as a lover and wife.

Almost blindly he groped for the edge of the couch. He took a deep
breath, trying to assimilate his newly found knowledge. It was no
use. Now he was even more aggravated.

He rose and paced again.

It did no good to tell himself that Julie had a brain. She wasn’t
the impulsive type. She sure as hell wouldn’t go to bed with anyone
on the second date. Or would she?

Julie also had a temper. He’d seen the fire flash in her eyes.
There was no telling what she’d do when provoked and he’d given
her good reason to be.

* * *

From the moment Tyler picked her up at the office, things seem to go
wrong. Instead of enjoying herself, Julie kept dwelling on Dade and
his rude behavior.

She couldn’t fault the restaurant, perfect in its Mediterranean
decor and obsequious waiters.

Tyler’s eyes seemed to caress her. “You look lovely. I’ve
wasted valuable time inhabiting the world of make believe, when I
should have been enjoying your company. My mistake.”

His excuse for not calling her, veiled as it was in a compliment,
struck her as false. He could have been writing, as he inferred, or
he could have been spending every free moment with his assistant, the
sexy Simone, or any number of his fans. Instead of feeling jealous at
the thought, she found herself curious.

Why wasn’t the evening going as she’d hoped? When the stir fried
chicken dish was placed in front of her, she immediately lost her
appetite. Something was wrong with this picture. She’d force
herself to eat since Dr. Crane had warned her not to neglect her
diet. She still suffered from occasional dizzy spells and it would
take months for them to disappear.

She tried a sample. The food was tasty. Why was she so edgy? Tyler
exerted the utmost charm, doing his best to carry the conversation.

“How is your new book coming along,” she finally asked him.

“I’m hitting road blocks or, might I say, writer’s block.”

“You can’t be serious. You actually suffer from writer’s block?
I thought you’d made that up at the workshop so we’d feel
better.”