Sharon C. Cooper - Model Attraction

She hadn’t noticed a wedding ring, but that didn’t mean anything these days. Some men didn’t wear them, but knowing Austin, there was no way he wouldn’t wear one if he were married. When they were dating, he’d often talked about marriage and looked forward to being a husband.

A shiver coursed through her as she recalled how his eyes had darkened like a storm brewing. She almost hadn’t recognized him. She had always seen him as a gentle giant, one of the nicest people she’d ever known, but what had she expected? Despite the fact that she hadn’t forgotten him, of course he wouldn’t be happy to see her again.

“Ms. Morgan?”

Janna’s eyes popped open and she sat up at the sound of the driver’s voice.

“Yes?”

“We’re about fifteen minutes from your hotel. Is there any other stop that you would like to make before we arrive?”

“No. Thank you, Edward.”

She returned her attention to the downtown traffic and barely noticed the people on the sidewalks hurrying to their destinations. All she could think about was Austin. She felt awful about ruining his suit, but she couldn’t believe how cold he’d been. And it had nothing to do with the mess on his jacket. He was definitely different from the young man she had fallen in love with years ago. There was a time when he had made her feel cherished and loved. At least, until she had decided to pursue the career she had once only dreamed of having, discarding the plans that she and Austin had made for their future.

Janna sighed. In hindsight, she wished she had handled things differently back then. She shouldn’t have left town without talking with Austin first, especially since they had plans to marry after high school, but everything happened so fast. Getting contacted by one of the top modeling agencies in the world had caught her totally off guard, but accepting the offer was a no-brainer. Modeling was a dream come true, and she couldn’t pass up the opportunity. She hated the way she had to leave, and knew she should have tried harder to contact him once she arrived in Milan.

Her cell phone rang, pulling her out of her thoughts. She had dropped it into her handbag without checking to see if it still worked.

“Hello,” she answered after seeing her manager’s name on the screen.

“Janna, what happened? One minute we were talking and the next the phone went dead. I’ve been calling ever since. Are you okay?”

“Nelson, I’m fine. I’m sorry I didn’t call you right back. I ran into an old friend.” Actually, Austin had been much more than a friend. He was the man she’d planned to marry and spend the rest of her life with.

“That’s all right. I just wanted to finish telling you about Blake Dresden.”

“I’m so glad he’s willing to meet with me.” Her plans for Precious Home, her nonprofit, weren’t totally fleshed out, but she hoped to at least share with Dresden what she had in mind so far.

“Well, before you get too excited, there’s more.”

“What do you mean?”

“He’s very interested in hearing your ideas and was glad you sought him out. He’d like for you...”

Janna’s mind drifted to Austin again. She might not have done much to contact him after she had left the country, but that was going to change. Now that she had run into him, she was determined to get him to give her a chance to explain her actions. Besides, she was curious. What had he made of himself? Was he married? Did he have children? A lump formed in her chest at the last couple of thoughts.

“...maybe at his place Friday night.” Nelson’s words drifted into her subconscious.

“Hold up, wait. What?” Janna said, tuning back in to the conversation. “What did you say?”

“I said he wants you to meet his son, who is a huge fan of yours. Junior is also a businessman and might be interested in investing. But I have to admit, I think Blake Sr.’s desire for you to meet his son might not have anything to do with your business idea, but be more of a matchmaking idea.”

Janna was so tired of people trying to set her up with their sons or grandsons.

“So if I say I’m only interested in meeting with Blake Sr. and not his son, I might be shooting myself in the foot.”

“I think that’s safe to say.”

Janna thought about her plans, which were still a little rough. What she knew for sure, though, was that she only wanted to share her ideas with people who were genuinely interested.

“You know what, Nelson? Why don’t we hold off on setting up anything with Mr. Dresden?” She discussed a few more items with her manager before disconnecting.

Janna placed her cell phone back in her purse just as the driver pulled up to the hotel. She could easily get her sisters and their millionaire husbands involved, but this was a project close to her heart. She wanted to find funding on her own instead of getting them to come to the rescue. She had to show them that she could create a solid business plan and raise the initial funds herself.

For as long as Janna could remember, her sisters had been overachievers. Iris, a defense attorney, and Macy, a pediatrician, had chosen careers that helped others and, in many instances, saved lives. Though she had never said anything to either of them, she envied their selflessness and the way they poured themselves into helping other people. Unlike them, Janna had chosen a profession that was more about her, doing something she enjoyed that didn’t really benefit others. Considering how blessed she had been, it was way past time that she gave back in a big way and did something to help those less fortunate. Besides, she wanted to make a difference in someone’s life.

She couldn’t wait to get her nonprofit up and running. Just thinking about the young people she would be able to help filled a void in her life that no amount of money could.

* * *

Forty-five minutes later, Austin pulled onto his parents’ estate in Johns Creek and followed the long circular drive to their front door. His parents had purchased the house, which his mother considered her dream home, three years after moving to Atlanta, once their business started making a profit.

Austin parked his vehicle, still finding it hard to believe that he’d seen Janna. The whole experience seemed so surreal. How many times had he thought about her? Dreamed about her?

He exited the car, grabbing the cake his mother had asked him to pick up. He used his key to let himself in, still trying to shake his encounter with Janna.

“Hello,” he called out and headed to the kitchen, where he was sure he’d find his mother; it was her favorite part of the five-thousand-square-foot house.

“Hi, son.” Sheila looked up from pulling a roasted chicken out of the oven. “What happened to you?” She nodded toward the stain on the front of his shirt.

Janna Morgan is what happened was what he wanted to say, but instead he replied, “I had a little accident at the bakery.”

His family knew Janna as his high school sweetheart. When they found out that things had ended between them, his mother had been the only one who pressed him for details. She was concerned about how withdrawn he’d become. Months later, when they saw Janna on the cover of Vogue, they’d put together bits and pieces about their breakup, no one knowing just how devastated he’d been. It wasn’t until years later that he had told his older brother the whole story about how she had left, disregarding their plans in favor of her career.

“Oh, this is absolutely beautiful.” His mother gushed over the cake that he set on the center island in her state-of-the-art kitchen. A cook’s dream space, the room consisted of top-of-the-line stainless steel appliances, marble countertops and every cooking gadget imaginable.