Perfect Partners

me help you.”
    “Thanks, I’ve got them.” Keith stood up and nodded stiffly. “See you later, Letty.”
    Joel had watched the entire exchange with a grim expression, but he said nothing.
    Letty smiled coolly at Victor. “Shall we continue with the tour?”
    “Sure. Might as well get it over with,” Victor said, striding down the hall. “Not that much to see.”

    At midnight Letty awoke with the nagging sensation that something was wrong. She lay quietly in bed for a moment, listening for the sound that had awakened her.
    It came again and she identified it instantly. It was the rattle of the knob on the connecting door. Joel was trying to get into her room.
    The man had real nerve, Letty thought furiously. After the way he had behaved today he actually expected to be allowed to take up where he had left off last night.
    She pushed aside the covers, snatched up her glasses from the nightstand, and got out of bed, glad that she had thought to lock the door on her side earlier.
    The knob stopped rattling. Letty stood in the middle of the floor, wondering if she should let him know what she thought of his arrogance or if it would be best to pretend she had not heard him try the door.
    Before she could make up her mind, she heard other muffled sounds. A closet door opened and closed. A chair squeaked as Joel sat down. There was a short silence, and then it squeaked again as Joel rose. Letty heard him walk across the room and open the outside door. She suddenly realized what was happening.
    She dashed across the room and fumbled quickly with the lock on her own outside door. She got it open and stepped barefoot out onto the cold concrete walkway that ran in front of all the rooms on the second floor.
    The chilly night air hit her full force, making her cotton gown ripple around her feet. She caught sight of Joel as he finished locking his door and started toward the stairs. She knew he must have heard her door open, but he did not look back. He was dressed in jeans and a gray windbreaker.
    “Joel?” Letty hissed.
    He finally condescended to stop and look back at her over one shoulder. “What the hell do you want now?”
    She scowled at him. His face was grim in the harsh light cast by the outside lamps. He looked like a warrior ready for battle. It was clear all he lacked was a suitable victim. “Where do you think you’re going?”
    “Out.”
    She winced at his tone. “I’ve told you before, I do not want you running around downtown Echo Cove in the middle of the night. It will look strange, Joel.”
    “I’m not going running, Madam President,” he said with awful politeness.
    She blinked and pushed her glasses up on her nose. “You’re not? Well, where are you going at this hour, for heaven’s sake?”
    “I’m going to a tavern called the Anchor.” Each word was chipped off a glacier. “It’s one block from here. Fifteen years ago it was the place the local men went to escape nagging women and difficult bosses.”
    Letty drew herself up angrily. “Really, Joel.”
    “Yes, really. I passed the place earlier today, and it looks as if nothing has changed. It still appears to be that kind of place, and I seem to be saddled with a two-in-one arrangement lately—a nagging woman
and
a difficult boss. So I’m going to do what generations of Echo Cove men have done: I’m going down the street to the Anchor. Satisfied?”
    Letty stared at him, appalled. “You’re going to go hang out in some sleazy tavern? At this hour of the night? Joel, you can’t do that.”
    “You got a better suggestion?” He raked her nightgown-clad body with a taunting glance.
    Letty was furious now. “Joel, you are not going to go out drinking. I absolutely forbid it.”
    His answering smile would have done credit to a shark. “Is that a fact?”
    Letty abandoned the forceful approach. “Joel, please. Think of the company image. It won’t look good to have the CEO of Thornquist Gear going out to a local tavern to get smashed.”
    “Screw the company image.” Joel took a menacing step forward. “And screw the company president.”
    Letty retreated hastily into her room and quickly slammed the door. She threw the bolt for good measure. Then she leaned back against the wood panels and closed her eyes as she listened to the sound of Joel’s footsteps fade into the distance.

9

    T he first person Joel saw when he walked into the Anchor was Keith Escott. Which only went to show, Joel supposed, that nagging women