in a building several blocks from Justin's. The walk in the brisk autumn air cooled most of her anger by the time she entered the reception area.
A telephone message to call Justin was awaiting her arrival. In the small cubbyhole that was her office, Gina dialed his number, bracing herself for the clipped announcement that he was hiring another lawyer. His voice was clipped, but he told Gina that he still wanted her to represent him in the negotiations.
Professionally it was a victory, since she had been slowly building a reputation in real estate dealings. Yet she knew that emotionally it would have been better to have lost this one and not been forced to tolerate Rhyder's company.
TWO DAYS LATER, Gina received a counterproposal in the mail from Pete Arneson on Rhyder's behalf. She had just finished reading it when her extension rang. It was Justin calling to tell her that Rhyder had scheduled a meeting for the following afternoon.
Gina told him about the counterproposal she had received. "If Rhyder thought our proposal was unacceptable, his is ludicrous."
"I don't think there's much doubt that we're going to have a fight on our hands to get what we want," Justin replied in a tone that said he wasn't looking forward to it.
"So will Rhyder," she said with a decisive note of battle.
Her opinion of his counterproposal was repeated the next afternoon to Rhyder's face. Immediately Gina ignored him to discuss some of the minor differences with Pete, choosing ones that could quickly be resolved.
Rhyder stepped in and they became embroiled in a bitter dispute on a major issue. After nearly an hour of verbal sword-clashing, Gina tossed her pencil onto the table beside her long yellow note pad.
"These guarantees you're asking Justin to make are preposterous!" she declared in exasperation. "From the beginning, you've been aware of the boundary dispute to the south. You can't expect him to guarantee the outcome of that."
"I can and do." There was uncompromising hardness to the line of his jaw.
A long, slow fuse began to burn. "Can you guarantee that after these negotiations are over you and I will never see each other again?" Gina challenged, meeting the hard steel in his startling blue eyes. "Because if you can, I will advise Justin to agree to yours."
His carved mahogany features darkened. "I didn't think you could keep personalities out of these discussions, Miss Gaynes," he said in a savage undertone.
Gina stiffened, paling at his harsh taunt. The burning fuse nearly reached the dynamite of her temper before she was able to check it. With controlled movements, she began gathering her papers and replacing them in her briefcase, aware of the silence that had suddenly descended on the room.
The briefcase was shut before she looked at any of them. Then it was Pete who received the blast of her green eyes, as cold as the Atlantic in winter.
"I'm wasting my time here. It's pointless to sit here and argue when I have work to do in my office." Gina rose from her chair. "When your client is willing to be reasonable and compromise some of his impossible demands, we can resume these talks." Her gaze sliced to Justin, who was both amazed and uncertain. "I'll talk to you later."
To Rhyder she said nothing, sweeping out of the room without a glance at him. She paused in the outer office long enough to ask Justin's secretary to telephone her office and let them know she wouldn't be returning that afternoon. Then she walked.
Cold fury drove her for blocks. Finally she ended up, exhausted and footweary, only a block from her apartment. The problem was, her car was parked in the lot near her office building.
Reluctantly she started to retrace her steps. With a sigh she stopped and walked to her apartment. The car was locked and would be relatively safe until tomorrow. She could take a taxi to the office in the morning. Inside her apartment, her knees began to tremble. A tear slipped from her lashes, trickling down her cheek. It
A telephone message to call Justin was awaiting her arrival. In the small cubbyhole that was her office, Gina dialed his number, bracing herself for the clipped announcement that he was hiring another lawyer. His voice was clipped, but he told Gina that he still wanted her to represent him in the negotiations.
Professionally it was a victory, since she had been slowly building a reputation in real estate dealings. Yet she knew that emotionally it would have been better to have lost this one and not been forced to tolerate Rhyder's company.
TWO DAYS LATER, Gina received a counterproposal in the mail from Pete Arneson on Rhyder's behalf. She had just finished reading it when her extension rang. It was Justin calling to tell her that Rhyder had scheduled a meeting for the following afternoon.
Gina told him about the counterproposal she had received. "If Rhyder thought our proposal was unacceptable, his is ludicrous."
"I don't think there's much doubt that we're going to have a fight on our hands to get what we want," Justin replied in a tone that said he wasn't looking forward to it.
"So will Rhyder," she said with a decisive note of battle.
Her opinion of his counterproposal was repeated the next afternoon to Rhyder's face. Immediately Gina ignored him to discuss some of the minor differences with Pete, choosing ones that could quickly be resolved.
Rhyder stepped in and they became embroiled in a bitter dispute on a major issue. After nearly an hour of verbal sword-clashing, Gina tossed her pencil onto the table beside her long yellow note pad.
"These guarantees you're asking Justin to make are preposterous!" she declared in exasperation. "From the beginning, you've been aware of the boundary dispute to the south. You can't expect him to guarantee the outcome of that."
"I can and do." There was uncompromising hardness to the line of his jaw.
A long, slow fuse began to burn. "Can you guarantee that after these negotiations are over you and I will never see each other again?" Gina challenged, meeting the hard steel in his startling blue eyes. "Because if you can, I will advise Justin to agree to yours."
His carved mahogany features darkened. "I didn't think you could keep personalities out of these discussions, Miss Gaynes," he said in a savage undertone.
Gina stiffened, paling at his harsh taunt. The burning fuse nearly reached the dynamite of her temper before she was able to check it. With controlled movements, she began gathering her papers and replacing them in her briefcase, aware of the silence that had suddenly descended on the room.
The briefcase was shut before she looked at any of them. Then it was Pete who received the blast of her green eyes, as cold as the Atlantic in winter.
"I'm wasting my time here. It's pointless to sit here and argue when I have work to do in my office." Gina rose from her chair. "When your client is willing to be reasonable and compromise some of his impossible demands, we can resume these talks." Her gaze sliced to Justin, who was both amazed and uncertain. "I'll talk to you later."
To Rhyder she said nothing, sweeping out of the room without a glance at him. She paused in the outer office long enough to ask Justin's secretary to telephone her office and let them know she wouldn't be returning that afternoon. Then she walked.
Cold fury drove her for blocks. Finally she ended up, exhausted and footweary, only a block from her apartment. The problem was, her car was parked in the lot near her office building.
Reluctantly she started to retrace her steps. With a sigh she stopped and walked to her apartment. The car was locked and would be relatively safe until tomorrow. She could take a taxi to the office in the morning. Inside her apartment, her knees began to tremble. A tear slipped from her lashes, trickling down her cheek. It
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