Free Double Jeopardy by Bobby Hutchinson Page B

that he really wanted to see more of her. He absolutely didn’t care about the apartment. His mother had offered more than once to do something about it, but he knew she tended toward fragile furniture and pastel colors, so he’d managed to put her off. It truly wasn’t a problem for him to live this way; he liked the starkness and he suspected Grendel did, as well. But if Sera agreed, it meant he’d get to know her better, and that appealed to him.
    It was also easier than immediately asking her out on a date, he reasoned. He’d have to give her his dating manifesto if he did that, explain that he was looking for a good time and nothing more, and he had a gut feeling that might not work with her.
    “As long as you’re not in any hurry, I guess I could probably do it,” she finally said. “Some days I have to work on the set till late, but on others I’m done early. What sort of budget are we talking about?”
    “Certainly not more than this place cost me,” he stipulated, tongue in cheek. “And you’ve guessed I’m not into collecting antiques or making the sort of decorating statement here that would get me interviewed by what’s-her-name...Martha Stewart.”
    “I can’t believe you even know who Martha Stewart is.”
    “My mother’s a big fan of hers. She has her books and watches her shows on television.”
    Sera nodded but didn’t comment. “Well, I’m used to doing sets that appear spectacular without my spending much money. This sitcom is the first thing I’ve worked on that actually has a decent budget.”
    “How about if I give you a figure and then whatever you don’t spend is yours? Let’s see. That decorator we had cost us...” He did a silent accounting and then named an amount that he felt was acceptable.
    Her face mirrored her astonishment, and she burst out laughing. “Ben, that’s ridiculous. I could redecorate my mother’s entire house for that.”
    He shrugged. “This might cost more than you think. Why not go with that figure and we’ll negotiate later?”
    She gave him a look. “Okay, if you insist. This is exciting. You rich guys really think big.”
    It was his turn to laugh. “I knew this luxurious loft would give you the wrong impression. I cannot tell a lie, Ms. Cardano. I hate to admit it, but I’m not rich. To make really big money I’d have to move to Beverly Hills and get myself some high profile clients, excuse the pun. And that’s not my idea of a good time.”
    “What do you want to do?” She was serious, and he thought about how long it had been since anyone had asked that and hoped for an honest answer.
    “Exactly what I’m doing.” But even that wasn’t the whole truth, and he needed to be honest with her. It was suddenly easy to tell her his dreams. “I’d love to head up the new burn unit at St. Joe’s.”
    “That’s part of the construction work my dad’s company is doing, isn’t it?”
    “Yeah. I can’t wait to see it finished and in operation. The treatment of burn wounds has always been of great interest to me.”
    “Because of your grandfather.”
    “Yeah, and because of the challenge it represents. I worked in India once, treating burn victims. I’d like to do more of it.”
    “ Well, if you want it that much, you’ll get the job.” There was absolute conviction in her tone. “Obviously, you have the qualifications, and you have a great reputation. Everyone at the hospital’s told us how lucky we are that you’re treating Gemma.”
    He was deeply touched by her ingenuous faith in him. The reality was that not everyone thought that way. Ben was all too aware of a powerful enemy who’d do everything to block him from getting the sessional appointment he so wanted. Ben’s former wife, Vera, had an uncle on the hospital’s administrative board. Dr. Roderick Miller made no secret of the fact that he despised Ben Halsey. Ben had no idea how much influence Miller had with the other voting members, but he did know for certain