Selena Kitt - Baumgartner generations - Janie

I indulged her, taking out some clear lip gloss and glazing her pink little lips.

We stood in front of the mirror, admiring each other, and I took her hand, squeezing it and telling her, "Now you're the most beautiful girl in the whole restaurant."

"I want to be just like you when I grow up." She turned her shining eyes up to me.

"You'll be just like you when you grow up," I told her, smiling. "And that's just how it's supposed to be."

She skipped out of the bathroom, singing under her breath, and I followed. We weaved our way through tables toward the front of the restaurant, and I would have just passed by without seeing him if Josh hadn't called out, "Janie!" I turned, startled to see him sitting alone at a table, holding a menu.

"Josh? What are you doing here?" But I knew. I’d told him we were coming to Tamarind after the concert-and here he was. Coincidence? I didn’t think so. My whole body felt galvanized when I saw him, as if I’d been hit by lightning.

Beth turned and frowned back at me. "Come on!"

"Probably the same thing you are." He leaned back in his chair with an easy smile. His eyes swept over me-definitely not as dressed up as the night before, but it could have been worse. "I was in the mood for Indian food."

I didn’t believe it for a minute. "Where's Catherine?"

He shrugged. "She hates Indian food. I usually order take-out, but I just felt like getting out of the house."

Uh-huh.

"Come on." Beth was at my side now, pulling at my hand. She looked at Josh, frowning. "Who's he?"

"Don't be rude, Beth." I looked down at her, shaking my head. "Josh, this is Beth.

Beth, this is Josh."

"Nice to meet you." Josh gave her a wink.

She looked up at me and whispered loudly, "Is he your boyfriend?"

Oh great. "Um…"

"I'm a friend of Janie's." Josh stepped in and saved me. "I'm also an agent. Do you know what an agent is?" Way to change the subject!

"Like…" Beth's eyes widened. "Like an agent of the devil?"

I said, "Yes" and Josh said, "No" at the same time and we both laughed.

"Where did you hear that phrase?" I asked her.

"Colin at school says our teacher, Mrs. Newman, is an agent of the devil."

"Out of the mouths of babes." Josh laughed again, shaking his head. "Contrary to popular belief, I'm not an agent of the devil."

"Well, what kind of agent are you?" Beth asked, curious now. "A secret one?"

"I'm a literary agent," Josh explained. "I help writers get their books published."

"Janie's a writer!" Beth exclaimed. "She wrote me an excellent story about a princess named Beth who gives away frogs."

"I thought princesses were supposed to kiss frogs." Josh grinned up at me.

"Yuk." Beth made a face. "Why would a princess want to kiss a frog?"

He asked the obvious. "To get a prince?"

"You don't have to kiss a frog to get a prince," Beth explained patiently.

Josh leaned forward, elbows on the table. "Well, what do you have to do to get a prince?"

"Be yourself."

He nodded, smiling. "You're a very smart girl, Beth."

"There you are!" TJ's voice behind me made my heart sink and I turned, already apologizing.

"Oh…I'm sorry…" I looked between them, Josh sitting, relaxed, confident, and TJ

standing, arms akimbo, surveying the scene.

"Our food's here," TJ prompted. I just nodded, swallowing.

"Josh Wickham." Josh stood, holding out his hand, and TJ took it.

"TJ Mayer." They shook like only businessmen can, firm and a little cocky, looking each other in the eye as if they could play a non-verbal game of chicken in an instant.

"I guess we should get back…" I said, not wanting there to be much conversation between these two.

We started to go, but Beth refused to move, tugging on TJ's suit coat, whining,

"Dadd-eeee, you can't let Mr. Josh sit here all by himself! He's lone-leeeeee!"

TJ smiled at her. "Oh, I'm sure Mr. Wickham wants to enjoy his meal in peace and quiet, sweetie."

"Nuh-uh!" Beth insisted, grabbing Josh's hand. "Come on! I want to tell you the story of the princess who gives away frogs."

"Well, I think that’s an offer I just can’t refuse." Josh stood, putting his napkin on the table and looking at TJ. "Unless…?"

"By all means." TJ smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Please join us."

And that's how we all ended up squeezed in, five of us at a four-person table, Josh situated firmly at a corner between me and Beth, who insisted she sit next to him.

"So how do you like our Janie?" Ronnie didn't waste any time.

Josh smiled, nodding to the waiter as he set another place and poured a new glass of water. "I like her a great deal."

I blushed, trying to hide it behind my now over-full water glass.

"She's an amazing writer," TJ piped up, just when I thought I couldn't get any redder.

"I actually haven't had the privilege yet." Josh glanced sideways at me.

"You haven't asked," I retorted, resisting the urge to stick out my tongue at him. I was also resisting the urge to touch him. Our knees were already kissing under the table.

Josh laughed. "Most writers would have sent me reams by now."

"I'm not most writers," I replied, playing it cool.

"That's true," TJ agreed. "She's much better than most."

"TJ, stop." I begged him with my eyes. "There are better writers out there than me."

"Not as far as I'm concerned." He met my gaze, steady, his eyes dark with tension.

Josh took a sip of his water. "I'm sure she's just as amazing a writer as she is everything else."

"That she is," TJ assured him, also taking a drink of his water, and the two men locked eyes like rams lock horns. I thought I would fall through the floor.

"Hey look, our food's here," I exclaimed as the waiter came over carrying a plate-loaded tray.

That saved me for a while as TJ grilled Josh about his vocation and vice-versa.

They circled each other like two grizzlies, looking for weaknesses. It would have been funny if they weren't so serious about it.

"You have chicken tandoori all over your face, Beth," I said. "Use your napkin."

"I love chicken tandoori!" she replied, following my instruction anyway.

"You're just as adventurous as your nanny, aren't you?" Josh took a bite of his bhel poori.

"More," Beth bragged. "Janie's afraid of spiders. I'm not."

Inwardly I groaned and mumbled, "Only the really big ones."

Josh grinned. "What else is Janie afraid of?"

"Roller coasters," Beth said immediately. Okay, that was really true. "She hates being up high."

"Is that so?" Josh looked over at me, smirking.

"And I think she's afraid of the dark, like me," Beth went on, her mouth full of chicken.

"Why do you say that?" I asked, looking at her quizzically.

"Because I go sleep in Mommy and Daddy's room when I get scared, and I saw you-"

Oh. My. God.

My widening eyes met Ronnie's, her own mouth gaping.

I don't think I've ever moved so fast.

My entire glass of water went over onto the table as I pretended to reach for it, soaking my samosa, making it soggily inedible, but I didn't care. No one got wet, the waiter gave us copious amounts of napkins to soak up the mess, and when it was cleaned up, Beth had forgotten her comment, and I hoped Josh had, too. By the time we were eating our shahi anjir-ice cream flavored with figs and honey-Beth had told Josh about her musical performance and tried to convince him to represent her instead of me.

"It was lovely meeting you, Mr. Wickham," Ronnie said as she helped Beth with her coat.

"Please, call me Josh," he said. "It was nice meeting all of you. Especially you, Miss Beth. You are utterly delightful."

"I know." She grinned toothlessly up at him and he laughed.