Honeymoon Read Free Page B

the real reason for
     
this apartment," I said. "It'll make me work faster."
     
"The thought did cross my mind."
     
"You don't miss a trick, do you?"
     
"Not if I can help it," she shot back. "Seriously, though,
     
good work today."
     
"Thank you."
     
Susan gave me an end-of-the-day sigh. "Okay, it's official.
     
Nora Sinclair has gone backstage on Craig Reynolds. Now
     
what?"
     
"That's easy," I said. "Now it's my turn."
     
     
----
Chapter 38
     
THERE WAS ONLY one empty seat in the first-class cabin.
     
Under normal circumstances, Nora would've regretted that
     
it wasn't the one next to her. Then again, normally she
     
didn't have such a cute guy sharing the same armrest. From
     
the side, he kind of looked like Brad Pitt, only with no wed-
     
ding ring on his finger, no Jennifer on his arm.
     
During takeoff Nora -- sans her own wedding ring --
     
checked out her window-seat companion with a furtive
     
glance. She was pretty sure he was doing the same with her.
     
Of course he is. What man wouldn't?
When the captain turned
     
off the FASTEN SEAT BELT sign, she knew the guy was ready to
     
make a move.
     
"I'm a stacker myself," he said.
     
She turned with the coy pretense of just now realizing
     
she wasn't alone. "Excuse me?"
     
"On the coffee table there." He smiled broadly and nod-
     
ded at the
Architectural Digest
open in her lap. On the right-
     
hand page was a picture of a spacious living room.
     
"See how the magazines are spread out?" he said. "Fact
     
is, there are only two types of people in this world…
     
stackers and spreaders. So which one are you?"
     
Nora stared him right in the eye, unblinking. As conver-
     
sation starters went, she had to give him a few points for
     
originality. "Well, that depends. Who wants to know?"
     
"You're absolutely right," he said with an easy laugh.
     
"You shouldn't reveal such personal information to a com-
     
plete stranger. My name's Brian Stewart."
     
"Nora Sinclair."
     
He presented his hand, strong-looking, nicely mani-
     
cured, and they shook.
     
"Now that we know each other, Nora, I believe you owe
     
me an answer."
     
"In that case, you'll be pleased to know I'm a stacker."
     
"Knew it."
     
"Oh, did you?"
     
"Yep." He leaned in slightly, but not
too
much. "You
     
come across as very put together."
     
"That's a compliment?"
     
"For me, it is."
     
She smiled. Maybe the real Brad Pitt was better looking,
     
but Brian Stewart certainly was charming. Reason enough
     
to keep the conversation going for a while.
     
"Tell me, Brian, what's waiting for you in Boston today?"
     
"A dozen venture capitalists. And a pen."
     
"Sounds promising. I take it the pen is for your signature."
     
"Something like that."
     
Nora was expecting him to elaborate, but he didn't. She
     
grinned. "To think I revealed myself as a
stacker,
only to
     
have you turn bashful on me."
     
He shifted in his window seat, clearly amused. "For the
     
second time, you're absolutely right. Okay, last year I sold
     
my software company. This afternoon I'm about to launch
     
my new one. Bor-ing."
     
"I don't think so. Anyway, congratulations! And those
     
venture capitalists -- they're investing in
you?
"
     
"The way I see it, why put up your own money when
     
others are willing to put up theirs?"
     
"I couldn't agree more."
     
"Now what about you, Nora? What's waiting for
you
up
     
in Boston today?"
     
"A client," she said. "I'm an interior decorator."
     
He nodded. "Is your client's home in the city?"
     
"It is. Except that's not the one I'm decorating. He re-
     
cently built a villa down in the Cayman Islands."
     
"Beautiful place."
     
"I've yet to go myself. But I will shortly." Nora opened
     
her mouth as if to say something else. She stopped.
     
"What were you going to say?" he asked.
     
She rolled her eyes. "It's silly, really."
     
"Go ahead, try me."
     
"It's just that when I mentioned this client to one of