Read Online Nancy Herkness by Shower Of Stars - Free Book Online

amounts of money on dot-coms,” Isabelle said.
    “I’ll go with you, Mike,” Charlie offered. “It would be very useful for my book.”
    “Are you really going to write a book about meteorites?” Isabelle asked, as she untangled a dangling silver earring from her shawl’s fringe.
    “The idea has some merit.” Charlie shrugged.
    Actually, the more she thought about it, the more it appealed to her. “I could expand the human interest angle I used in the Times article. Add a scientist to the mix. Talk about the conflict at the intersection of science and business.”
    “You can talk to that handsome young astronomer I saw on the Today Show,” Isabelle suggested. “Peter Burke. He’s not shy about being interviewed.”
    “You see, you’re ready for a subject you can sink your teeth into. I can tell you’re longing to get to your computer already.” Ernst was smiling. “Go ahead. You don’t have to stay to clean up.”
    Charlie cleared her place and bolted for her house.

    Several long days and nights and a few favors later, she faxed off a proposal and three sample chapters to her agent. Within a week, she had her answer. Two editors wanted the book, and they wanted it fast while the topic was hot. Her only obstacle was one recalcitrant meteorite hunter. She didn’t have time to beat around the bush so she picked up the phone and called him.
    “Hello, Jack. This is Charlie Berglund from the Times. I’d like to take you out to lunch and discuss a proposition I have for you.” She certainly wasn’t going back to his apartment.
    “Let me think about this,” he drawled. “A beautiful lady with long blond hair wants to proposition me over lunch. How can I say no?”
    “You can’t.” She had made a bad choice of words, but gritted her teeth and somehow injected a smile into her voice. “I’ll meet you at the Brasserie Americaine at one o’clock tomorrow if that’s convenient.”
    “Make it two o’clock, sugar, and I’m available.”
    “By the way, I really enjoyed your question-and-answer session at the Rose Center,” she said, buttering him up now that she had him hooked. “You did a superb job of handling an unfriendly audience.”
    He laughed. “So you noticed the atmosphere was somewhat strained?”
    “Only for about three questions. After that, even Peter Burke couldn’t destroy the general good will.”
    “Burke usually knows better than to confront me directly. I’m sure you were unable to resist reporting that little contretemps in your article.”
    “Controversy sells,” Charlie said, stung by his unflattering assumption. The fact that she had included part of their dramatic confrontation in her article only made his insult worse.
    “I can think of something else that sells even better, but we’ll talk about that over lunch,” he said, his voice slowing and deepening. “See you then.”
    Charlie slammed the receiver down, making Major jump and Twinkle dash for the bedroom. “Sorry, guys. But that man is infuriating. And I have to be nice to him.”

    “I can’t do this,” Charlie said, staring at the mirror. “I look like a hooker.”
    She was wearing the white silk blouse the dry cleaner had salvaged after Major’s rescue and a straight blue skirt that stopped a modest couple of inches above her knees. The problem was her hair.
    If she left it down, it looked like an invitation.
    If she put it up, she lost the softening effect it might have on Jack’s attitude.
    She rooted around in her dresser drawer and found a tortoise shell barrette. Scooping up the front part of her tresses, she draped them in loose curves over her ears and clipped them at the base of her neck.
    “Half up, half down. Let’s see what you make of that, Jack Lanett.”
    As soon as he saw her at the restaurant, his lips curved into a sardonic smile. Although his gaze slid down her legs appreciatively, all he said was, “Hello, Ms. Berglund.”
    He must buy his polo shirts in bulk. Today he was