“And I think we have to file something with Social Security, too. I’m not exactly sure what, but Gwen will know.” He looked up hopefully. “Or perhaps you know the routine?”
She smiled benignly at his blatant relief and enthusiasm. “I know the routine, Mr. Justis,” she said gently, “but I don’t think we’re quite ready for it yet.”
He stared at her blankly. “Not ready?”
“Mr. Justis, I assure you the opening you have sounds very interesting, and I will give it my closest consideration, but I really must have a few days to think about it. And I’m sure you’ll want to interview other people.”
“Uh, no, I don’t,” he said flatly, stunned by this turn of events. “I’m offering you the job.”
“Well, I certainly appreciate it. I’ll let you know my decision next week.”
“Next week?” he repeated. “Next
week
?”
“Yes. At that time, if I decide to accept your offer, we can discuss the pension plan you’re offering.” She rose to leave, a graceful woman who moved with confidence. “Good-bye, Mr. Justis. I’ll call you as soon as I’ve made my decision.”
Zac stared after her, stricken. The closing of the door jolted him out of his trance. He grabbed the phone and dialed the number of Camelot Services. When Trina answered, he didn’t even give her time to finish the greeting.
“Put Gwen on the phone,” Zac ordered. “Now.”
“I’m sorry, Zac, I can’t do that. She’s at Gage and Watson.”
“Oh, hell, that’s right.” He glanced irritably at his watch. “Then call Gage and Watson, and tell her I want to talk to her immediately.”
“What’s the matter, Zac? Didn’t Evelyn Pemberton work out?”
“Just get hold of Gwen. Tell her she’s got a very unhappy client on her hands. Namely, me.” He dropped the receiver into the cradle and waited for Gwen to call, drumming his fingers on the desk. It took ten long minutes. When the instrument did ring, he snatched it up.
“Zac? What’s wrong? Trina said you sounded upset.”
“You told me Evelyn Pemberton was mine if I wanted her.”
“She is.”
“Well, I want her, and she doesn’t seem to want me. What the hell went wrong? I thought you knew what you were doing when it came to this sort of thing. Lord knows, I waited long enough to get even one potential candidate out of you. Now the candidate tells me she’ll think about the offer and get back to me next week sometime. Furthermore, if she does decide to take the job, she made it clear she wants to know about my pension plan. Gwen, I haven’t
got
a pension plan.”
“Is that all? Zac, she’s a pro. She’s going to make you cool your heels a bit so you’ll appreciate her all the more when she agrees to take the job. Don’t worry, she’ll say yes when she calls.”
“Christ, you’d think I was asking her to marry me!”
“She’s not being coy; she’s being businesslike. Trust me, Zac.”
“You keep saying that,” he complained. “What about my nonexistent pension plan?”
“I know what I’m doing. And I’ll put you in touch with the people who can help you set up a small pension plan. Now stop worrying. Listen, I was going to call you anyway. Meet me for lunch, okay? I want to consult.”
“Consult about what?” Then it clicked. “Oh, yeah, your big case.”
“Why is it I keep getting the impression you’re not taking my big case seriously?”
“I am taking it seriously. I think it’s a complete and utter waste of your time and money, but I’m taking it seriously.”
“Sure.” She didn’t sound mollified. “All right, pick me up for lunch at noon. I’ll meet you in the lobby of the building.”
“Okay. Listen, Gwen, are you sure about Evelyn Pemberton?”
“Trust me, Zac.”
Zac hung up with a groan and sat glaring for a few minutes at the two Mason Adair paintings he had hanging on the walls of his tiny office. For a moment he simply stared at them. Then he thought about Gwen and her big case, and a
She smiled benignly at his blatant relief and enthusiasm. “I know the routine, Mr. Justis,” she said gently, “but I don’t think we’re quite ready for it yet.”
He stared at her blankly. “Not ready?”
“Mr. Justis, I assure you the opening you have sounds very interesting, and I will give it my closest consideration, but I really must have a few days to think about it. And I’m sure you’ll want to interview other people.”
“Uh, no, I don’t,” he said flatly, stunned by this turn of events. “I’m offering you the job.”
“Well, I certainly appreciate it. I’ll let you know my decision next week.”
“Next week?” he repeated. “Next
week
?”
“Yes. At that time, if I decide to accept your offer, we can discuss the pension plan you’re offering.” She rose to leave, a graceful woman who moved with confidence. “Good-bye, Mr. Justis. I’ll call you as soon as I’ve made my decision.”
Zac stared after her, stricken. The closing of the door jolted him out of his trance. He grabbed the phone and dialed the number of Camelot Services. When Trina answered, he didn’t even give her time to finish the greeting.
“Put Gwen on the phone,” Zac ordered. “Now.”
“I’m sorry, Zac, I can’t do that. She’s at Gage and Watson.”
“Oh, hell, that’s right.” He glanced irritably at his watch. “Then call Gage and Watson, and tell her I want to talk to her immediately.”
“What’s the matter, Zac? Didn’t Evelyn Pemberton work out?”
“Just get hold of Gwen. Tell her she’s got a very unhappy client on her hands. Namely, me.” He dropped the receiver into the cradle and waited for Gwen to call, drumming his fingers on the desk. It took ten long minutes. When the instrument did ring, he snatched it up.
“Zac? What’s wrong? Trina said you sounded upset.”
“You told me Evelyn Pemberton was mine if I wanted her.”
“She is.”
“Well, I want her, and she doesn’t seem to want me. What the hell went wrong? I thought you knew what you were doing when it came to this sort of thing. Lord knows, I waited long enough to get even one potential candidate out of you. Now the candidate tells me she’ll think about the offer and get back to me next week sometime. Furthermore, if she does decide to take the job, she made it clear she wants to know about my pension plan. Gwen, I haven’t
got
a pension plan.”
“Is that all? Zac, she’s a pro. She’s going to make you cool your heels a bit so you’ll appreciate her all the more when she agrees to take the job. Don’t worry, she’ll say yes when she calls.”
“Christ, you’d think I was asking her to marry me!”
“She’s not being coy; she’s being businesslike. Trust me, Zac.”
“You keep saying that,” he complained. “What about my nonexistent pension plan?”
“I know what I’m doing. And I’ll put you in touch with the people who can help you set up a small pension plan. Now stop worrying. Listen, I was going to call you anyway. Meet me for lunch, okay? I want to consult.”
“Consult about what?” Then it clicked. “Oh, yeah, your big case.”
“Why is it I keep getting the impression you’re not taking my big case seriously?”
“I am taking it seriously. I think it’s a complete and utter waste of your time and money, but I’m taking it seriously.”
“Sure.” She didn’t sound mollified. “All right, pick me up for lunch at noon. I’ll meet you in the lobby of the building.”
“Okay. Listen, Gwen, are you sure about Evelyn Pemberton?”
“Trust me, Zac.”
Zac hung up with a groan and sat glaring for a few minutes at the two Mason Adair paintings he had hanging on the walls of his tiny office. For a moment he simply stared at them. Then he thought about Gwen and her big case, and a
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