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Hitting her pillow again, she tried to forget his lean, powerful body in running clothes. Disappointment in romance hadn’t turned off her response to the opposite sex, but that didn’t mean she had to pay attention to it.
* * *
THE FOLLOWING DAY Nicole was busy at her desk when she heard a tentative knock. A young woman stood in the doorway.
“Can I help you?” Nicole asked, thinking she’d seen her visitor before.
“I’m Chelsea Masters, one of Jordan’s sisters.”
The years peeled away and Nicole remembered the girl who’d always seemed unhappy and wistful. She didn’t look much happier now. She was also wearing a heavy foundation that didn’t entirely conceal dark bruises on her cheek and jaw.
“Chelsea, of course. How nice to see you again.”
Nicole wondered how many of the Masters family would be coming to Seattle. Chelsea had been nice enough, but her siblings and their parents? Nicole shuddered. No wonder Chelsea had seemed unhappy while growing up.
Chelsea smiled uncertainly. “I thought Jordan might be here since he’s doing those articles about you and the agency.”
Standing, Nicole walked around the desk and gestured to a chair; Chelsea sank into it, her face pale. Nicole sat next to her. “I’m afraid he isn’t here,” she explained, “and I don’t have his address.”
“I do. I checked there first, but he wasn’t around. He…he got me a ticket so I could, um, come and visit. I’m afraid I just jumped on a plane and came, so he didn’t know when to expect me.”
“Have you tried calling him?”
“I, uh, don’t have a cell phone right now. It’s lost, and I should have replaced it before leaving, but I didn’t.” Chelsea’s lip trembled and she wiped a hand across her face, only to stare at the heavy smear of makeup on her palm. The bruise was now quite visible. It looked fresh.
“How did you get hurt?” Nicole asked, deciding it was best to mention it openly.
“Oh. I… I was in a traffic accident a couple days ago. It wasn’t too bad.”
Nicole wasn’t sure she was telling the complete truth. Something difficult was going on in Chelsea’s life.
“I’m glad it wasn’t serious. Was anyone else involved?”
“There was the other driver and my boyfriend. That is, not anymore… I mean, we’d just broken up. It was his car. They say it wasn’t his fault, but…you know.”
The phone rang and Nicole sighed. “Sorry, I need to answer that. We don’t have an office manager right now and the temp agency didn’t have anyone to send today.”
It turned out to be a photographer who’d seen their website and wanted a go-see with three of the agency’s models. Nicole took down the details and swiftly texted the clients.
While she’d been on the phone, Chelsea had wandered away. When Nicole went looking, she found her visitor standing in the reception area, straightening files on the desk.
Chelsea turned and looked at Nicole. “I don’t suppose you’d consider hiring me as your office manager.”
“You’re looking for a job?”
“I worked out my notice on my last position and haven’t started looking, but I’m getting my résumé together.”
“You don’t live here.”
“On the flight up I was thinking it might be a good idea to move away from Los Angeles. I’ve really liked Seattle whenever I visited Jordan.” Her face fell. “But…but I guess you wouldn’t want to hire me. I mean because he’s writing the articles and the way our moms… I mean, I’d never say anything to Jordan about anything here at the agency, but it wasn’t fair to ask.”
Nicole couldn’t deny that privacy was a concern. On the other hand, she had nothing to hide. She wouldn’t hire Jordan’s little sister just to prove that, but it would be a side benefit should Chelsea prove to be suitable.
“What sort of work experience do you have?” she asked, playing for time to think.
“At the company where I used to work I started out as an office manager, though I’ve been in HR for the last three years.”
