but not quite as quickly as they
had when Steve had been in command of the console. In the end, it was the ten-year-old's score that stood highest,
and Joel admitted defeat with good grace.
"Thanks for the game, Steve. I'll see you around." He shoved the payoff quarter into the slot, and the grinning kid
went happily back to playing his free game.
"Serves you right to lose after falling for such an obvious hustle," Shelley muttered as Joel took her arm and guided
her toward the arcade entrance.
"I'm a sucker for fast cons." He sighed, his gaze swinging rapidly around the arcade as they left "You should know."
"Joel!"
"It looks like I'll have to get some more machines like that one in the corner. The one Steve said he preferred. Look
how the kids are lined up for it. That's the trouble with this business now that the pinballs have been superseded by
these new video games. There's much more of a demand for the latest machine on the market. I'm having to replace the
games far more quickly as they go out of favor. It was different with pinball. One pinball game stayed popular almost
indefinitely."
"You sound so wistful!" she teased.
"There are compensations with the new machines," he admitted. "Every game is a paid game. They're not designed
to reward the player with free plays the way the old pinballs were. You can extend a video game, but you can't win a
free one the way you could on a classic pinball machine."
"Looks like your friend Steve has found a way to get himself an occasional free game," Shelley observed wryly as
they stepped out into the mall. "Imagine learning that sort of behavior at his age! And you contributed to it!"
"For some of us it comes naturally, I suppose," he said, grinning.
"If you accuse me of being a hustler one more time, you'll find yourself looking for another accountant," she vowed,
lifting her chin.
"Don't worry, I'm learning when to keep my mouth shut."
She threw him an uneasy, faintly suspicious glance, but he returned it with a charming smile that set her pulse
racing. What in the world is wrong with me, she thought wonderingly. I have no business finding myself attracted to a
man like this. And that was what was happening, she realized with sudden apprehension. She was attracted to this
man, and that seemed abruptly a very dangerous situation in which to find herself. There were sound, logical reasons
why people warned against mixing business with pleasure.
But the evening had been fun, and Shelley had enjoyed herself more than she had for a long time. The temptation to
forget that this man was a business associate and a rather threatening one at that was strong.
She was dwelling on such thoughts as Joel helped her into the car and slid in beside her, filling the leather cockpit
with his easy power and grace.
For a time, silence hovered in the intimate confines of the Maserati as Joel sent it back out into traffic. Shelley's mind
continued to spin with the realization of her own awareness of the man beside her and the warnings she tried to issue
to herself. Several minutes passed before she awoke to the fact that they weren't headed back to her office parking lot.
"Joel? My car," she began uncertainly. "You'll have to take me back to the office."
"I'm taking you home first," he said simply. "My home."
Shelley swallowed tensely. "I don't think that's a very good idea," she tried to say steadily. She had to remain firm
and in command, she reminded herself. Firm and in command.
"I think it's an excellent idea," he countered lightly. "Didn't you hear me tell Steve that accountants were a little like
girl friends?"
4
"Just one nightcap, Shelley," Joel went on persuasively as she sat mute in her comer of the seat "I want to show
you my home. You've seen something of the business side of my life; now I want you to see the other side."
Shelley considered that, knowing she was tempted. A part of her was deeply curious to see Joel Cassidy in his home
setting.
had when Steve had been in command of the console. In the end, it was the ten-year-old's score that stood highest,
and Joel admitted defeat with good grace.
"Thanks for the game, Steve. I'll see you around." He shoved the payoff quarter into the slot, and the grinning kid
went happily back to playing his free game.
"Serves you right to lose after falling for such an obvious hustle," Shelley muttered as Joel took her arm and guided
her toward the arcade entrance.
"I'm a sucker for fast cons." He sighed, his gaze swinging rapidly around the arcade as they left "You should know."
"Joel!"
"It looks like I'll have to get some more machines like that one in the corner. The one Steve said he preferred. Look
how the kids are lined up for it. That's the trouble with this business now that the pinballs have been superseded by
these new video games. There's much more of a demand for the latest machine on the market. I'm having to replace the
games far more quickly as they go out of favor. It was different with pinball. One pinball game stayed popular almost
indefinitely."
"You sound so wistful!" she teased.
"There are compensations with the new machines," he admitted. "Every game is a paid game. They're not designed
to reward the player with free plays the way the old pinballs were. You can extend a video game, but you can't win a
free one the way you could on a classic pinball machine."
"Looks like your friend Steve has found a way to get himself an occasional free game," Shelley observed wryly as
they stepped out into the mall. "Imagine learning that sort of behavior at his age! And you contributed to it!"
"For some of us it comes naturally, I suppose," he said, grinning.
"If you accuse me of being a hustler one more time, you'll find yourself looking for another accountant," she vowed,
lifting her chin.
"Don't worry, I'm learning when to keep my mouth shut."
She threw him an uneasy, faintly suspicious glance, but he returned it with a charming smile that set her pulse
racing. What in the world is wrong with me, she thought wonderingly. I have no business finding myself attracted to a
man like this. And that was what was happening, she realized with sudden apprehension. She was attracted to this
man, and that seemed abruptly a very dangerous situation in which to find herself. There were sound, logical reasons
why people warned against mixing business with pleasure.
But the evening had been fun, and Shelley had enjoyed herself more than she had for a long time. The temptation to
forget that this man was a business associate and a rather threatening one at that was strong.
She was dwelling on such thoughts as Joel helped her into the car and slid in beside her, filling the leather cockpit
with his easy power and grace.
For a time, silence hovered in the intimate confines of the Maserati as Joel sent it back out into traffic. Shelley's mind
continued to spin with the realization of her own awareness of the man beside her and the warnings she tried to issue
to herself. Several minutes passed before she awoke to the fact that they weren't headed back to her office parking lot.
"Joel? My car," she began uncertainly. "You'll have to take me back to the office."
"I'm taking you home first," he said simply. "My home."
Shelley swallowed tensely. "I don't think that's a very good idea," she tried to say steadily. She had to remain firm
and in command, she reminded herself. Firm and in command.
"I think it's an excellent idea," he countered lightly. "Didn't you hear me tell Steve that accountants were a little like
girl friends?"
4
"Just one nightcap, Shelley," Joel went on persuasively as she sat mute in her comer of the seat "I want to show
you my home. You've seen something of the business side of my life; now I want you to see the other side."
Shelley considered that, knowing she was tempted. A part of her was deeply curious to see Joel Cassidy in his home
setting.
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