LITMIR.BIZ

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cleaned houses whilst people were at work. Anywhere where I was allowed to take Cory with me. I worked seven days a week. By the time I started my business, I was close to paying off the mortgage. I’m now free and clear of debt.’

      ‘Wow. That’s impressive, Lisa.’

      She shrugged those slender shoulders of hers. ‘I did what I had to do. But what about you? Where did you live before you bought up here?’

      ‘In Sydney’s eastern suburbs. I still have an apartment in Double Bay. But I was finding it hard to write there. I bought the place in Terrigal as a kind of writer’s retreat.’

      ‘You must be very wealthy.’

      ‘I’ve been lucky.’

      ‘I don’t believe that. People make their own luck. I’ll bet writing is hard work.’

      ‘It’s becoming more so with time. When I first left the army, the words seemed to just flow.’

      ‘Oh, so you were in the army. My mother said you must have been. She said you knew too much about weapons not to have handled them yourself. Once I thought about it, I agreed with her.’

      ‘I was in the army for twelve years. Joined when I was eighteen. Left when I was thirty. I’d had enough.’

      ‘How long ago was that?’

      ‘Six years. Do I look thirty-six?’ he asked, slanting her a quick smile. ‘Or older?’

      She stared back at him for a few seconds. ‘Thirty-six looks about right,’ she said at last. ‘Though I wouldn’t have been surprised if you’d been older. You do have years of experience in your eyes.’

      Jack nodded. ‘Some days I feel a hundred. I saw lots of things I’d rather not have seen in the army, I can tell you.’

      ‘Hal is you, Jack, isn’t he?’ she suddenly said, her eyes still on him.

      ‘He’s only part me. I’m not a one-man instrument of justice and vengeance. I certainly don’t go round killing people.’

      ‘But you’d like to.’

      Jack laughed. ‘How perceptive of you.’

      ‘Hal’s rather ruthless.’

      ‘He is,’ Jack agreed as he negotiated the first of a series of roundabouts which would lead them past the Tuggerah shopping centre where she’d been this morning, then onto the motorway to Sydney.

      ‘Do you think you’ll win the award tonight?’ Lisa asked him once they were on the motorway.

      ‘Probably.’

      ‘You don’t sound like you really care.’

      ‘The novelty of winning awards wears off pretty quickly.’

      ‘That sounded cynical.’

      ‘I am cynical. But awards sometimes translate into more money. And money I like. So does my agent.’

      ‘Do you have to have an agent to become successful as a writer?’

      ‘You do if you want to make it overseas. And especially if you want your books to be made into movies.’

      ‘Your books are going to be made into movies?’

      No doubt, that surprised her.

      ‘They already have been. The first one premières in Los Angeles in April next year. I’ve been invited to attend as a special guest.’

      ‘Wow! That’s fabulous, Jack. Who’s playing the part of Hal?’

      ‘An unknown actor. The studio didn’t want a big name. They wanted the person who played the part to really become Hal in people’s minds. His name is Chad Furness. I hear he’s very good. And very handsome.’

      ‘Well, Hal’s very handsome, isn’t he? Oh, you must be so proud.’

      Proud.

      Jack thought about that word for a long moment.

      Proud.

      No. That wasn’t what he felt.

      Satisfied, perhaps. But not proud.

      ‘It’s certainly made me a very rich man,’ came his considered reply. ‘I bought this car and my penthouse at Terrigal with some of the money Hollywood paid me. Plus I hired myself a cleaner from the top cleaning establishment on the coast,’ he added with a wry grin.

      She laughed, the sound reassuring Jack. He would hate to think she felt tense in his company. And she had been, earlier on.

      Suddenly, the thought of never seeing her again after this evening was unbearable.

      ‘I suppose I can’t talk you into cleaning my study this Monday, could I?’ he said, doing his best to sound very casual. ‘Gail’s ankle wouldn’t have recovered yet and my study’s crying out for a thorough cleaning.’

      When she didn’t answer, he glanced over at her.

      ‘At the risk of being accused of trying to buy you, I’ll pay you double,’ he said. And a million dollars if you’ll sleep with me, came the added Hal-like thought.

      Her head turned, her eyes betraying the most intriguing dilemma. She wanted to do as he asked. He could see it. But she was hesitant. Which meant what? She did like him, but was afraid of him for some reason? Clearly, she was still worried that he was going to pounce, sexually.

      ‘I…I can’t, Jack. I have other work to do on Monday.’

      ‘Tuesday, then.’ He had no intention of letting her off the hook that easily.

      ‘I’ll send someone else.’

      ‘No,’ he snapped. ‘I don’t want anyone else. I want you.’

      Jack could have bitten his tongue out. He’d done it now. Showed his hand. He could feel her eyes on him. Feel her tension welling up again.

      ‘You’re the best cleaner I’ve ever had,’ he went on, hoping it wasn’t too late to salvage the situation. ‘You leave Gail for dead. It’s difficult to go back to second rate when you’ve experienced perfection.’

      ‘You’re being persuasive again,’ she said.

      ‘Is it my fault if you’re perfect?’

      ‘Don’t flatter me, Jack.’

      ‘The truth is not flattery.’

      ‘You have a way with words.’

      ‘You have a way with floors.’

      Her laugh delighted him. And made him want to roar in relief.

      ‘All right,’ she said. ‘I’ll clean your study. Once. On Tuesday. But after that, you’re back to Gail.’

      ‘Oh, cruel woman.’

      ‘Stop it, Jack,’ she said, but smilingly.

      After that she seemed much more relaxed, and they chatted away about all sorts of things. Music. Movies. Their families. Or lack of them. Lisa’s parents were divorced, and, like himself, she had no siblings. All their grandparents had passed away, too.

      In a way, they were both loners. Both self-sufficient.

      Occasionally, she brought the topic of conversation back to his writing. But Jack managed to steer her away from further discussion of his books, or his so-called hero.

      Jack didn’t want to think about Hal too much tonight. Hal could sometimes be bad for him. He appealed to his dark side. It was difficult enough ignoring the sexual thoughts and feelings Lisa could so easily evoke without Hal getting into his head, tempting him with truly wicked ideas.

      Would two million tempt her to sleep with him? Five? Ten?

      Jack

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