Selena Kitt - Baumgartner generations - Janie

"So Josh…" I hesitated, knowing what I wanted to ask, but not sure I should.

"So Janie…" he countered, weaving effortlessly through traffic.

"Does Catherine know you're seeing me tonight?" I asked the question quickly, like pulling off a Band-Aid.

He shifted and the car sped up, thundering in response. We were in the fast lane, now.

"No," he answered finally.

"Why not?"

He shrugged. "She doesn't tell me about her dates."

"Tit for tat?" I grinned when he gave me a sly look. "Just an expression. So…

have you ever been on a date before, then?"

He gave me another look and I laughed. "I mean, while you've been married to her?"

"No."

I nodded. Just as Catherine had suspected. "So I'm the first?"

"You are," he agreed. Traffic was getting more congested the closer we got to the city. I glanced at the clock on the dash, but we had plenty of time to get to dinner.

"How come?" I asked finally. "I mean… a guy like you… I'm sure you've had plenty of other opportunities."

"You think?" A small smile played on his lips.

"Well, if I was a guy whose wife said go ahead, fuck anyone you want, I think I'd be like a kid in a candy store…"

"Would you?" He smiled fully then, glancing over at me, eyes dancing. "You're an adventurer, aren't you?"

"Yeah, that's me, an adventurer." I waggled my eyebrows. "Just call me Pirate-Janie. Argh."

"I think I like Just-Janie better." He winked. "But I wouldn’t object to a pirate outfit.

Maybe an eye patch, a ruffled shirt, a little skirt…"

"Of course." I shook my head, smiling. "But really…why haven't you?"

"I guess I'm not like that."

I snorted. "All guys are like that."

"I hope you don't convey that stereotype in your fiction," he remarked, raising an eyebrow in my direction.

"Oh come on, Mr. Cars-Are-Like-Women…" I rolled my eyes. "You can't tell me you haven't been tempted?"

"Tempted?" he asked. "Sure. But it's a long way between tempted and…

well…this."

I nodded. "So what makes you take that huge leap between tempted and…this."

"I think my profession has made me…particular," he said finally.

"In what way?

"In spite of what you or Jim Carrey may think about agents." He gave me a sideways glance. "We have to be very discerning. We know what we like when we see it."

"So what are you saying…?" I cocked my head, looking over at him as he pulled off onto the freeway exit ramp. "That in the entire city of New York, you haven't found a woman you wanted to go to bed with?"

"Yes." The car growled lowly as we idled in New York traffic. "Until now, anyway."

Our eyes met and I thought I might melt through the floor. The way he looked at me made my whole body fill with heat. It was like something had sparked at our first

meeting that had quickly kindled into wildfire. It was burning out of control. Someone honked behind us and Josh shifted his attention back to the road.

"Have you ever been to Masa ?" he asked as we pulled up to the Time Warner building.

"No." I didn't know anyone who had ever been to Masa -at least, not to Masa proper. A few of TJ's friends talked about going to Bar Masa , which was like the upper-middle-class version. To go to Masa , you didn't just have to have money, you had to be practically made of it.

"Well, I hope you like sushi." Josh braked, shifted and opened his door. "Josh Wickham," he told the valet, handing over his keys as my door was opened by another valet, who extended his hand. I took it, letting him help me out.

The Time-Warner center was colossal, and it was both surreal and I suppose fitting to have to pass through what was essentially a high-end mall, mounting an escalator lined with advertising to get to the most exclusive, expensive restaurant in New York.

"Josh," I whispered as we stood side by side, riding up the moving stairway like we were ascending to heaven. "I've never had sushi."

"Now you tell me?" He smiled and took my hand. It was big and warm and practically swallowed mine. "Well, a pirate girl like you should take right to it. Adventure and fish-isn't that the life of a pirate?"

"Argh," I agreed, blinking as Josh gave his name again at the door and it was swung wide for us by a man with a shaved head wearing an oriental robe and clogs.

"Maybe I should have worn a kimono. Or my peg leg and eye patch?"

"Nah." Josh squeezed my hand as he gave his name again and we were led through the restaurant. It was small but full, the Shinto-like decor sparse but lovely, including burbling water and bamboo shades. "Have I mentioned how much I like the dress?"

"Well, I had to find something impressive." I smiled. "Most men haven't already seen me out of one before our first date."

"Good to know." Josh grinned as he held out a chair for me. I sat, surprised we had passed up all of the tables to sit at the bar, which was lit from above and glowed, luminous, like a stage. There were men, all with shaved heads, working behind the bar, some pouring drinks but most preparing sushi and other entrees with knives so sharp they could have been samurai swords. I watched these sushi-monks, fascinated, as Josh ordered sake.

The bar itself was made of the softest wood I'd ever felt and just putting my hands on it was a sensual experience. I leaned over to whisper to Josh, "I've never had sake, either."

"Well, good," he said as it was put before us in a clear green bottle in a bowl on a bed of crushed ice. "Let's make this a night of firsts, shall we?"

After one sake, I was flying. "This is strong stuff," I gulped as Josh poured me more.

"Lightweight," he teased, downing another and nodding to one of the sushi-monks as he placed a small plate of food in front of each of us.

"What is it?" I asked, watching Josh bite into one of the delicately decorated squares.

"An adventure in my mouth." He swallowed. "Try it."

I picked it up, taking a tentative bite, my eyes widening in surprise. "That's good!"

He watched me finish it all, even dabbing my fingers on the plate to get the last little bits of snow crab touched with vinegar. "That was raw tuna," he informed me as one of the monks took away our empty plates. "Nobu-style with caviar."

"Mmm." I drank the rest of my second sake, feeling like I was floating. "Never had caviar either. That was spectacular."

"Do we have a sushi virgin over here?" I looked up to see a pleasant-looking, round-faced man leaning over the bar, watching us.

Josh held out his hand and the man shook it. "Masa! Good to see you."

He nodded in agreement. "And who is your friend?"

"Janie," I replied, holding my hand out, surprised Josh knew the owner, but now I knew how he must have managed to get a spot tonight at a restaurant that required reservations weeks in advance. "Nice to meet you."

"You never had sushi before, Janie?" Masa bowed over my hand, squeezing it between two of his.

"No, never." I nodded toward where his sushi-monks were working. "But I like it!

And they're all so talented!"

Masa chuckled, turning to Josh. "You brought her to impress, hm?" Josh just smiled, pouring more sake. Masa nodded and winked at me. "I bring you something special."

"So, are you impressed?" Josh asked when Masa turned and went to talk to one of his chefs.

"Who wouldn't be?" I took another drink of sake, shivering at the taste and the effect. "I guess being J.K. Rowling's agent is lucrative?"

"Ah." Josh raised his eyebrows. "Did you Google me?"

I shook my head. "My employer knew who you were."

"To tell you the truth, what I make is a drop in the bucket next to Catherine's money."

"Really?" I looked at him, surprised. "She told me she was a model?"