Hurriedly digging out her phone, she checked the caller ID but didn’t recognize the number. “This is Val.”
“Valentine, it’s Jason. I gather you’ve all arrived safely.”
The smooth male voice sent a fresh wave of nerves sliding through her. “Hello, Mr. Stern.”
“Jason . . . please. Surely we’re past formalities at this point, aren’t we?”
Not really, Val thought. “Of course . . . Jason.”
“That’s better. Now that you’re here in Atlanta and settled in, we need to discuss your schedule for the next two days. Will supper work for you?”
She didn’t want to go. She had an uneasy feeling about Jason Stern. But she worked for La Belle, which made Stern one of her bosses. She could only put him off so long. “Yes, I suppose I can make supper work.”
“Good. I’m staying at the St. Regis. I’ll send a car to pick you up . . . say quarter to eight?”
She flicked a glance at Ethan, who was watching from his seat a few feet away. “All right.”
Satisfaction surfaced in Jason’s voice. “Then it’s settled. I look forward to seeing you tonight.” The call ended and Val stuck the phone back into her purse.
Meg nudged her shoulder. “That sounded a lot like a date, girlfriend. I thought you and Ethan were . . . involved.”
“We’re not involved. Well, not exactly. And it isn’t a date. Jason Stern wants to discuss my interview schedule as spokesperson for David Klein.”
Meg laughed. “That’s what he’s calling it? A discussion? Everyone knows what a hound dog that man is. Whatever you do, don’t let him get you alone.”
Val flicked a glance at Ethan, glad he couldn’t hear the conversation. “He’s taking me to supper tonight at the St. Regis. I should be safe enough there, don’t you think?”
“My guess? It’ll be supper in his suite, followed by him pressing you to join him in bed. And I mean pressing. Jason Stern is not the kind of guy who takes no for an answer.”
Worry filtered through her. Apparently, Ethan was right. “Has he come onto you that way?”
Meg shook her head, shifting her silky flyaway red hair across her shoulders. “Not me. Jason prefers blondes.” Meg leaned closer. “Izzy told me he was seeing Delilah before she was killed. Now that Dee’s out of the picture, he’s looking for someone new.”
Val’s interest sharpened. “Wow, Stern was the guy she was seeing? Do the police know they were having an affair?”
“They know. Izzy says they investigated any involvement Jason might have had in the murder, but he was completely cleared. Paul Boudreau leaned on his friends at the police department to keep Stern’s name out of the papers.”
“I knew she was seeing someone. I didn’t know it was Stern.”
“Izzy and Dee were friendly. According to Izzy, Dee gloried in the attention Stern paid her. He was extremely wealthy, president of the company and all that. And in fairness, Jason is a very attractive man, at least on the surface.”
“He’s handsome enough, I guess, but there’s something a little too slick about him.”
“I guess Delilah didn’t see it. Add to that, he gave her very expensive jewelry. She said owning the diamonds gave her a sense of security. You know, something to hang on to when her days as a model were over.”
“Well, if Stern is looking for a replacement, he’s looking in the wrong direction. I don’t need his brand of security.”
“Then I’d advise you to get out of your date.”
Val looked over at Ethan. She worked for La Belle.She’d signed a contract that wouldn’t be up until the end of the tour. Aside from keeping her word, she needed the money to finish her last year of college. No way could she avoid meeting with Stern.
But maybe she could find a way to make sure he behaved.
Chapter Twenty-Five
It was after six P.M. when Ethan stood in the living room of Val’s plush hotel suite. The Four Seasons in Midtown Atlanta was first class all the way. A La Belle model definitely lived the good life.
But a lot was required of them.
