Fast Women by Jennifer Crusie Read Free Book Online Page B

other.
    "Lunch," Jase said, hitting her with the irresistible smile that had been getting him out of trouble for twenty-one years. "Also I wanted to check out your new salt mine."
    Nell smiled back in spite of herself. He was such an all-American boy, tall and sturdy and open. "You look wonderful."
    "You have to say that, you're my mother." He put the bag and the drink on the desk and kissed her cheek "Aunt Suze says you're supposed to eat, so eat. I don't want her on my case."
    Nell ignored the bag and picked up the drink. "What's in here?"
    "Chocolate milkshake. She said to get high-calorie." He looked around the reception room. "So you've been here a day and a half and it still looks like this? What have you been doing with your time?"
    "Getting to know my boss," Nell said as Jase sat on the couch, the spindly legs creaking under his weight. "He's tricky. I may have to sneak some things past him." She opened the bag and tried not to recoil at the smell of the hot grease. You look like hell, she told herself. Eat. She took out a french fry. "So what's new? How's Bethany?"
    "I wouldn't know. Haven't seen her in a couple of weeks."
    "Again?" Nell put the french fry back. "Jase, that's your fourth girl this year."
    "Hey, you don't want me getting too serious too young, do you?"
    "No," Nell said. "But-"
    "Then be grateful I play the field. That way when I'm ready to settle down, I'll settle down. No cheating." Jase faltered a little. "I mean, there's no point in getting serious now, two more years of undergrad to go, and who knows what after that. I don't even know what I want to be when I grow up." He smiled at her again, as sunny and as guileless as when he was six.
    "I love you," Nell said.
    "I know," Jase said. "You have to. You're my mom. It's part of the deal. Now eat something."
    "I am." Nell reached in the bag for the french fries. "See?" She chewed a fry, trying not to gag at the taste of the grease. "Although I have to admit I'm not a big french fry fan."
    "You used to be," Jase said. "You used to pour vinegar over them like Grandma did, remember? One of the best smells I know is vinegar and hot oil because of you two."
    "Well, at least I gave you some good memories," Nell said.
    "You gave me a boatload." Jase stood up and leaned across the desk to kiss her again. "I have to go. Promise me you'll eat that."
    "I'll give it my best shot," Nell said.
    When he was gone, she dumped the bag in the trash and went back to the computer and Gabe's datebook. It really was amazing the amount of work the man did. Imagine what he could accomplish once she'd organized him.
    She began to type again, keying in words while she thought about all the things she could do to fix McKenna Investigations.
    On Wednesday, Nell got to the agency at nine sharp, but Gabe wasn't there. She was surprised to feel vaguely let down, as if she'd braced herself for nothing. It was like pushing hard on a door that opened easily; she felt stupid and clumsy, all at once. She made coffee and poured Riley a cup and took it in to him, and then she went into the bathroom to start on the final frontier.
    "What are you doing?" Riley called when he came out of his office half an hour later to give her his empty cup.
    "Cleaning your bathroom," Nell said, drying her hands on a paper towel as she came out to find him staring at the four white garbage bags she'd managed to fill so far. "You won't let me do anything else right now, and you have dirt in there from the Cold War."
    Riley frowned. "What did you want to do instead?"
    "Fix the business cards. Repaint the window. Replace the couch," Nell said, her voice getting grim. "Speak sharply to Lynnie. But the boss says no." She looked up at him. "You're a partner in this place. Give me permission to do what I want." It sounded like an order so she added, "Please."
    "Cross Gabe?" Riley shook his head. "No."
    Nell turned back to the bathroom. "Fine, then go out and do something so I can type the report."
    "We never talk