Tender Touch (26 page)

“Not one of my favorites. Besides, you just
blew that myth out of the water.” Damon returned her gaze for
several seconds. “And you?”

Jade thought for a fleeting moment that this
was an evasion. But the soft look of longing in his eyes touched
her. “It was over long before the divorce. I need to be with
someone whose commitment to me will stand the test of time.”

Damon responded to the question in her eyes.
“Then I’m your man.”

Jade rested her chin on his chest and closed
her eyes. “Lucky me,” she whispered.

* * *

“This isn’t fair, Jeanne!” Lanessa shot up
from the chair across from her supervisor’s desk. “I’ve been
working here for seven years, busting my butt!”

“I’m concerned about you, Lanessa.” Jeanne
Proctor remained calm. Her voice was even and low. “Sit back
down...please.”

After a few seconds, Lanessa dropped into
the chair but crossed her arms in a defensive pose. “I bet you care
about me.”

“Listen, you’ve been a rock around here.
More than anyone else, I could count on you when push came to
shove. But—” Jeanne took a deep breath.

“Yeah, here it comes.”

“Your work performance has been slipping for
months. And you come in late as many as three days a week.”

Lanessa scowled at her. “Why are you picking
on me? What about the rest of the staff? I could tell you a few
things about some of those folks.”

“We’re here to talk about you, Lanessa. Now
I’ve got your attendance record right here. You’ve been late
nineteen times in the last thirty days alone.”

“I told you, I’ve had some personal
problems. My ex-husband has tried to cut my alimony.” Lanessa wrung
her hands.

“I went back over six months. You call in
sick frequently, Mondays and Fridays most often. This is the fourth
time we’ve talked discussed the issue in the last year, Lanessa.”
Jeanne pushed the open folder toward Lanessa with her sign-in
sheets and record of leave taken from the office. “See for
yourself.”

Lanessa did not glance at the papers. “Look,
I know I’ve been late a few times—okay, a lot. But cut me some
slack, Jeanne. I’ll do better, honest.”

“That’s you’ve been telling me for months.”
Jeanne closed the folder.

“Oh, so you’re getting all your ducks in a
row to fire me, right? It figures.” Lanessa slumped in the
chair.

“I could have fired you a long time ago. I
want to help you save your job. But I’ve got to see a change, a
serious effort on your part.” Jeanne leaned forward.

“What do you want me to do?”

“Call the State Employees Assistance
Program. Get counseling.” Jeanne handed her a pamphlet.

“I don’t need counseling. Soon as I show my
ex he can’t push me around—”

“Lanessa, this is not a request. Your job is
on the line.” Jeanne stared at her with a firm set to her jaw.

“I’m a civil service employee. You can’t
push me around.”

“I’ve got documentation of the times we’ve
talked about your tardiness and calling in sick. You just completed
a supervisory plan. The result of my review isn’t good. I could
take formal personnel action right now.”

“Listen, Jeanne, I’m doing my best.” Lanessa
pressed her fingertips to her temples. “I just need time.”

“Call the number, Lanessa.” Jeanne did not
soften as she had so many times before. “It’s for your own good. I
really believe that.”

Lanessa stared at the pamphlet for several
long moments before taking it. Without speaking, she left Jeanne’s
office.

* * *

“We’re talking about millions of dollars at
stake here, Mike. I don’t want any mistakes.” State Representative
Sherman Ortego spoke in a mild voice, but the hard glint in his eye
told a different story. “I don’t want the rule change to go
through.”

“Senator Ortego, relax. We’ve got to cut the
daily payment rates for a short while until the heat is off. In a
few months, we can quietly push them back up,” Mike Testor said. He
tried to maintain his cool demeanor, but being under the scrutiny
of one of the state’s most powerful men was unsettling.

They sat having drinks at the City Club in
Baton Rouge. The exclusive club had an air of old money, old family
and old connections. Memberships could not simply be bought by
anyone who could afford the considerable fee. For seventy years
politicians and businessmen met here for the comfort of being able
to speak freely. After all, once they passed through its polished
oak doors, no one knew who they shared a table with inside. There
were no prying eyes. Businessmen could sit with a friendly state
legislator or U.S. congressman and not worry that a reporter would
make wild accusations.

“The cuts don’t bother me as much as the
moratorium on nursing home expansions.” Ortego lowered his voice.
Even here he was reluctant to let it be known that he had business
interests in the string of lucrative nursing homes in south
Louisiana. “The cut won’t seriously affect profit.”

“Like I said, we can raise in few months,
like I said,” Mike put in quickly. He was anxious to reassure the
formidable man.

“Just make sure Lang understands the
importance of issuing those certificates. We all stand to lose if
these reformers get their way.” Ortego glared at Mike as though it
were his fault that advocates for the elderly and disabled wanted
more public funds diverted from institutions.

“Listen, those folks don’t have clout—we do,
no matter how many grandmothers they roll down to the state capitol
building.”

“With recent scandals about conditions in
nursing homes and mental hospitals, who knows? That report on 60
Minutes didn’t help one damn bit. Now the feds are coming. We’ve
got to get those beds before the Justice Department orders the
state to make drastic changes.” Ortego fingered his glass of scotch
but did not pick it up.

“The feds will take a long time to get their
report back. Then the state will have a month or so to reply. Hell,
we can do all kinds of things by that time.” Mike smiled with
satisfaction.

“Don’t kid yourself young man,” Ortego
snapped. His words wiped the smug expression from Mike’s face. “The
governor doesn’t play ball. What’s worse he’s surrounded himself
with men who don’t share our views.”

What Ortego meant was the governor’s top
officials had no financial interest that made them partial to
business as usual in the state. The power brokers, used to the
previous administrations, were dismayed to discover that public
talk did not change behind closed doors. The new cabinet members
said the same things in private, cut costs and no favoritism.

“But there is just so much he can do,” Mike
protested. He looked uneasy. Sherman Ortego was the quintessential
insider. If he said there was reason to worry, then things were
bad. “I mean, they can’t be everywhere at once. If we can get them
onto some other problems—say, the Department of Insurance, or what
about the Department of Transportation and Development?” He wore a
look of hope.

Ortego glowered at him. “You haven’t been
paying close enough attention. The governor and his people are not
stupid! They already have a handle on those things, too.”

“Oh.” Mike looked deflated.

“Chester Howard, the commissioner of
administration— all of them know the moves we can make.”

Mike pulled a meaty hand over his face.
“Then what are we going to do?”

“Get Lang to act and act quickly. Supply
Dumaine with what he wants, drown him in paper. And shut Franklin
up, or I’ll have someone I know take care of him.” Ortego spoke in
a low, menacing voice.

Mike turned pale. “You mean...” he croaked.
He’d heard of Senator Ortego’s dangerous temper. His ancestors had
been known to hire assassins.

“Don’t be a fool, man! I’m talking about
putting the state auditors on his trail. The idiot plays fast and
loose with his books. Tell him about my concern. He’ll get the
point. He’s not that much of an idiot.” Ortego sneered. He seemed
pleased at the prospect of making Franklin squirm.

“Yes, sir.” Mike Testor suddenly lost his
taste for the fine wine he’d been enjoying.

* * *

Rachelle crossed her legs and lifted her
shoulders back. The knee-length skirt showed her shapely legs to
advantage. Her curves were made more pronounced by the contrast
with the black pin-striped fitted suit jacket she wore to match it.
A crisp white shirt and tie completed her outfit.

“So, Nicky. Are we all set?” She gazed at
him.

“We are nothing, Rachelle. And quit calling
me Nicky.” Nick ignored her attempts to entice him. He turned his
back to prepare a drink at the bar in his spacious town house.
“Jade will be at the restaurant.”

“How can you be so sure of yourself?”
Rachelle retorted. She wore a look of irritation at his dismissal
of her. “Why should she even listen to you? With your record of
stretching the truth, I sure wouldn’t.” She got up and snatched the
drink from his hand.

“Because she’s basically a suspicious
person.” Nick looked down to watch the ice cubes bounce as he
swirled his drink.

“Humph, who wouldn’t be with you for a
husband,” Rachelle retorted. “But even she’s not that
gullible.”

“I’ll tell her we need to discuss business.
We have still own real estate jointly, so she’ll think I’m up to
something.”

“That’s it? That’s your grand plan to get
her there?”

“Yes.”

“Please! She blew you off the last time you
tried to sweet talk her. I’ve been wasting my time.” Rachelle put
all the contempt she could muster in her voice.

“She’ll be there. And when I tell her you’ve
been seen with Damon more than once, Jade and Damon will be
history.” Nick wore a nasty smile.

“A pretty thin strategy, if you ask me.
They’ll fall back into each other’s arms in no time.” Rachelle gave
a disgusted grunt at the thought.

“Have you been reading the newspapers
lately?” Nick said.

“No, and what does that have to do with
anything?”

“A scandal is close to coming to a boil at
the Department of Health and Hospitals. Within the next few weeks,
things are going to get hot for Jade’s boss and his buddies.
He—”

“Spare me the boring details. So Jade will
have a tough time for a while, which will be fun to watch. But so
what? Damon will run to her side and play the devoted lover. I want
her out of his life.” Rachelle’s pretty mouth turned down in a
rancorous expression that transformed her features.

“I’m going to see to it that they turn on
each other, not to each other.” Nick gave her a wink.

Rachelle looked up at him sharply.
“How?”

“Leave that to me. My uncle is a very
well-connected man. He has lots of inside information.”

“What in the world are you talking about?
What—”

“All you need to know is that I can make it
happen, sweetheart. Believe me, when I’m through Jade won’t give
Damon Knight the time of day.” Nick’s face took on a hard, scheming
look. “And he’ll be just as suspicious of her.”

“Nick, you’re more devious than I thought.”
Rachelle spoke with new admiration. “But Jade might decide to
remain loyal to him.”

Nick shook his head slowly. “She’ll spit in
his face. I know Jade.”

“Maybe you don’t know her as well as you
think. Damon certainly has changed.” She gave a slight frown of
true puzzlement. “He’s different somehow.”

“You mean waving your butt in his face
didn’t make him sit up and beg.” Nick gave a snort of scornful
amusement. “You’ve always overestimated your ability to conquer the
male libido, Rachelle. Besides, your little escapades did quite a
bit to tarnish your shiny veneer.”

“You didn’t complain back in college. As a
result, you did beg for it more than once.” Rachelle raised an
eyebrow at him. “I still remember what you look like.”

Nick still wore a look of detachment. “Hmm,
and you screamed like a banshee when I used to give you those long
strokes.”

“Don’t be crude,” Rachelle said in a raspy
voice. She swallowed hard and wiped her face with a napkin.

“But, sweetheart, that’s how you like it.”
Nick walked to her slowly and put his drink down on the coffee
table. He stood looking down on her.

“You make me sick. I ought to—”

“Don’t mess with me, Rachelle. Damon knows
only about one affair. I could fill him in on much more. You had
him fooled before you got married, but he’ll listen now.”

“And I could tell Miss Too-Good-to-Be-True
Pellerin about the other girlfriend of yours who has a baby by you.
A father twice, all within two years of your wedding.” Rachelle
raised an eyebrow at him.

Nick tensed, alarm flickered across his
face. “How did you find out about—”

“Never mind. Look, let’s call truce. We
won’t get far by clawing at each other. Damon’s mother is going to
talk to him again about being on good terms with me.”

“His mother doesn’t despise you for
deceiving her darling son?” Nick looked skeptical.

“Trust me. Marlene wants us together for
purely selfish reasons; money and family name. Besides I don’t
think she knows all the details of my...our marital problems.”
Rachelle stood and smoothed down the fabric of her suit.

“You’re good, I’ve got to give you that
much.” Nick laughed. He raised his glass to her in a mock toast.
“Nobody does it better.”

“Just make sure Jade shows,” she spat at
him. “I can’t wait to see the look on her face. What he sees in her
is a mystery to me.”

“Jade is one helluva sexy woman. She’s got a
sweet, warm kind of quality that makes it nice coming home to her.
It’s hard to explain, especially to some people.” Nick gave her a
look from head to toe.

“Save the sappy act for someone who doesn’t
know what a dog you are, okay? Just do your part. If we’re lucky,
we both get what we want.” Rachelle picked up her leather Coach
purse.