Model Attraction

He snatched his pocket square and cringed as he cleaned up the mess the best he could, glad he didn’t have any more meetings for the rest of the day.

His attention returned to Janna when she quickly picked up her cell phone, hat and sunglasses strewn on the ground around them. Normally a gentleman, Austin was still in too much shock and hadn’t even thought to retrieve her items and hand them to her.

Once his mind cleared, he bent down and picked up the cup that once held her drink, and tossed it in a nearby trash can.

“I’ll be happy to take care of your dry cleaning. We can exchange contact info—”

“That won’t be necessary.” Unwelcome memories invaded his mind, like how perfect she’d felt in his arms the last time he had held her. That was the night before he and his family had left on vacation, days after his high school graduation. And he would never forget how soft her lips were the last time he had kissed her. Who knew that would be their last time together? Had he known that night that Janna wouldn’t be waiting for him upon his return, he wouldn’t have gone on the cruise. They would have been married with children by now. Instead, she had left him. She had taken not only a part of his heart back then, but also some of his joy.

Austin had operated on autopilot to get through that summer. It wasn’t until his parents had decided to relocate him and his brother to Atlanta that he’d finally started to move on. He’d poured himself into his schoolwork at Morehouse, where he’d double majored in business administration and finance, then had obtained his MBA. For years, he still hadn’t been able to get Janna completely out of his system. Each time he saw her angelic face or that enticing body on the cover of a magazine or on a billboard, he grew angrier, throwing himself into his work. If he were honest with himself, he would have to admit that it was probably because of her that he drove himself to become a multimillionaire at such a young age.

He turned to leave, anxious to get away from her.

“Austin,” Janna called out just before he walked into the bakery. “Can we talk? Maybe over a cup of coffee or—”

“I don’t drink coffee. Besides, we have nothing to talk about.” He stepped into the establishment, trying like hell not to look back.

There was a time when she could have asked anything of him and he would have done it. But he had moved on. Or at least he had tried.

* * *

Janna stared out the passenger window in the back of the town car as her driver headed to the hotel, her heart heavier than it had felt in years. Austin Reynolds. The man she had loved since she was sixteen. The man she had never stopped loving. It wasn’t the reunion she would have preferred, but to see him again stirred memories that she thought were buried and feelings she thought long gone.

She laid her head against the backseat and closed her eyes. Austin’s image immediately appeared. Smooth skin the color of toasted almonds, with intense eyes that seemed to look right through her. At first he’d seemed shocked to see her, but then his eyes had softened the way they used to whenever he looked at her. His slow gaze had traveled down the length of her body, as intimate as a lover’s caress. But within minutes those soft eyes had turned hard.

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.

Austin went to the refrigerator for a bottle of water.

“Don’t even think about going in there without washing your hands.”

Austin shook his head. How often had he and his brother heard those words growing up?

As he washed his hands in the sink, his mind drifted back to Janna. Long hair that he wanted to run his fingers through, seductive eyes, high cheekbones and lips that were made for kissing were at the forefront of his mind. Seeing her gorgeous face and enticing body on the covers of numerous magazines hadn’t done her justice. The woman was absolutely breathtaking. He still wondered how he’d been able to walk away from her this afternoon. Then again, he knew how. All he had to do was think about how she had tossed his love away and crushed his heart.

His high school sweetheart, she was the woman he had planned to spend the rest of his life with. Once he became a senior—a year ahead of her—they’d created a five-year plan. It included them getting married once he graduated from college and started his career. He would work while she finished her degree in fashion. Their plan had been solid, or so he’d thought.

“Austin. Austin?”

He glanced up to find his mother staring at him, concern in her eyes.

“What’s on your mind? I called your name several times. Is it work? Your dad told me the negotiations regarding that New York condominium project have been a little stressful.”

Glad to have his thoughts steered away from Janna and what should have been, Austin grabbed a bottle of water.

“Yeah, we’re getting close to an agreement, but it’ll take a trip out there to finalize everything.” As the chief financial officer for their family’s company, Reynolds Development, he was used to tough negotiations. After graduating from college, despite already being a millionaire, he had joined the family business and taken the company to the next level with his negotiating abilities.

“Please tell me this trip is not going to cause you to miss the anxiety and depression awareness benefit Saturday. I want my whole family to be there.”

“I’ll be back in Atlanta Friday evening.” He hated attending formal events, but this cause was close to his mother’s heart. Shunned and disowned by her wealthy family for marrying Austin’s father, who at the time was a carpenter, Sheila had attempted suicide when Austin was twelve. For years, she had suffered from depression. With the help of therapy, she’d grown stronger. Once they moved from New Jersey to Georgia, she became an advocate for others suffering from depression. It was her own form of healing.

“I know Zoe is looking forward to the gala. We went shopping the day before yesterday for our dresses. You’re not going to want to leave her side when you see hers,” his mother said, interrupting his thoughts.

Oh, great. Seeing Janna had made him totally forget about his broken engagement, which spoke volumes about his lack of feelings for Zoe. His mother absolutely adored her and had already considered her the daughter she’d always longed for.

“I hate to tell you this, but I guess you’re going to find out eventually. This afternoon Zoe and I called off our engagement.”

“Oh, no!” The pained expression on his mother’s face sent a stab of guilt straight to his heart.

“Why? What happened?” She set down the large spoon she was using to stir what looked to be collard greens. His mother was the only person he knew who cooked large meals at least three times per week. “No, don’t tell me. It was you again, wasn’t it? I had hoped you were finally ready to settle down. How many hearts are you going to break before you understand that you can’t go around dating a woman for years, or in this case asking a woman to marry you, when you don’t love her?”

“What’s going on?” His father, Patrick, walked into the kitchen and set his car keys on the counter before planting a kiss on Sheila’s cheek. “What’s with the scowl?” he asked her before turning his attention to Austin. He and his father were about the same height, but Patrick was a tad thicker around the waist.

“Your son...” Sheila started but stopped, her scowl growing more intense.

“I just told Mom that Zoe and I called off our engagement.”

His father shook his head and clasped a hand on Austin’s shoulder. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

Austin knew his dad well enough to know what he was thinking, and he knew that at some point in the very near future, probably when Sheila wasn’t around, there would be a man-to-man talk. Neither of his parents could say anything that he hadn’t already thought about. But his mother was definitely right in saying that he had to stop this. It wasn’t fair to the women involved, and it wasn’t fair to his family, especially his mother, who had worried over the years that he still wasn’t over Janna. Before today, he was able to blow off her concern. But after seeing Janna at the bakery, he wondered if she wasn’t far off in her assessment.

Chapter 3

Macy handed Janna a few more hairpins. “Thanks for attending the End Depression fundraiser with me since Derek couldn’t.” They were riding in a chauffeured car while Janna pinned her sister’s hair up.

“I’m glad you told me about it,” Janna said, anchoring another one of Macy’s curls in an updo.

“Me, too, especially since you were willing to donate to the silent auction.”

Janna was passionate about working with young girls and teens on self-esteem and self-care. When Macy told her about the silent auction, Janna couldn’t wait to put together a package to auction off. A theme—a day in the life of a model—immediately came to mind. The winner, between the ages of fifteen and twenty-one, would receive an opportunity to spend at least two days with Janna, who would give tips on everything from makeup to personal style. They would also receive a pampering day, including a makeover, as well as a mini shopping spree.

“I’m sure there will be a lot of bids for your donation.”

“I hope so. I love what the charity is doing, and if my small token can help them to their goal, all the better.”

Janna removed the last pin from between her lips and stuck it into her sister’s long hair, hoping they would hold the updo in place. Macy had missed her hair appointment and Janna was attempting to create a hairstyle that would show off the gorgeous jewelry her brother-in-law had bought for his wife.

“Oh, by the way, I saw that Phoenix is going to be in a made-for-TV movie with R.J. Tulane,” Macy said.

Anger boiled inside Janna at the mention of her birth mother’s name and she pushed the back of Macy’s head forward.

“Ow!” Her sister turned and glared at her. “What’s your problem?”

“Why do you always do that?”

“Do what?” Macy rubbed the back of her head.

“Ruin a conversation by mentioning that woman! We weren’t even talking about actresses and you manage to bring her up,” Janna ground out between gritted teeth. “What she does has nothing to do with me. I hate it when you and Iris mention her.”

“Janna, you have no idea how painful it was for me to find out that even after I was grown, my mother wanted nothing to do with me. You have an opportunity to—”

“No. I already know what you’re going to say. Just because Phoenix wants a relationship with me, that doesn’t mean I want anything to do with her. The day she signed away her parental rights is the day she stopped being my mother. Mama Adel is the only mother I have and the only one I need.”

They rode in silence. Janna hated that she’d snapped, especially knowing this was a sensitive topic for Macy. The three of them might have lived in the same foster home, but their backgrounds were very different. Iris had been fourteen when her mother was killed, while Macy’s mother had been in and out of jail. She had forfeited her rights when Macy was very young. And then there was Janna. She’d been the only one of the three to actually be adopted by Mama Adel, their foster mother, after Macy and Iris had gone off to college.

“Janna, honey, I didn’t mean to upset you.”

Janna sighed. “I know. I shouldn’t have gone off on you. I just don’t want to talk about her.”

For the past few months, Phoenix had been showing up at different events where she knew Janna would be. So far, Janna had been able to avoid her, but she had a feeling that the rumors she’d recently heard were true. An A-list actress, Phoenix had been approached to do a reality show, and Janna had a feeling that her birth mother might try to get her involved. The media didn’t know their connection and Janna wanted to keep it that way.

“Can we forget I said anything?” Macy bumped shoulders with Janna playfully, a stupid grin on her face.

Janna shook her head and smiled. “Yeah, yeah, I guess. Let’s just go in here and have some fun.”

The car pulled up to the Woodruff Arts Center in Midtown.

“Hmm, there’s a lot more media here than I expected,” Macy said when the driver opened the car door and they stepped out.

“Janna!”

“Janna, over here!” Paparazzi called out her name, snapping photo after photo.

“Why do I have a feeling they knew you were coming?” Macy murmured. “I’ll meet you inside.”

Janna stopped, smiled and posed without responding to her sister. She was sure Nelson had leaked to the press that she would be there. He never missed an opportunity to keep her in the media, claiming it was great for business. She just hoped Phoenix didn’t show up.

Turning from left to right, she indulged the small group of photographers, knowing that it was all part of the job.

“Who are you wearing this evening, Janna?”

“Valentino,” she answered a reporter who held a small recorder out to her. She glanced down at the red, one-shouldered gown, loving the way the satin material gathered on her left side and fell in waves to the floor. She responded to several additional questions regarding her jewelry and the fundraiser.

As part of her agreement with the designer of the gown, she needed to get as much exposure as possible. She had a contract with them that stated that she would wear at least three of their evening gowns this year and so far, this was gown number two.

After posing for a few more photos and signing a couple of autographs, she made her way into the building. This was her first time at the arts center, and it was as impressive inside as it was outside.

The event was being held in the galleria, the main entrance for the symphony hall. The two-level space with high ceilings and art deco fixtures looked more like a ballroom than a foyer.

“Ma’am, would you like a glass of champagne?” a waiter walking around with a tray of long stemware asked when he slowed.

“Yes, thank you.”

Janna sipped from the glass as she strolled around the open area. Round tables filled the center of the space, while the items for the silent auction were set up on eight-foot-long tables along the perimeter of the room.

“Hello, beautiful.” Janna turned to find a handsome gentleman with greenish-gray eyes and a large smile surrounded by a well-groomed mustache and goatee standing next to her. “Has anyone ever told you that you look like that model?”

Janna tried not to laugh, especially since she’d been asked that question often.

“Yes, I’ve been told that on a number of occasions.” She participated in small talk, noticing immediately that he’d had too much to drink. She discreetly looked around for her sister.

“I’m Timothy Cowden III, by the way.” He placed the glass, half-filled with a dark liquid, in his left hand and extended his right hand to her.

“Janna Morgan. Nice to meet you.”

“So you are that model. You fooled me,” he slurred and chuckled. “Can’t say tha-that I ever met a model before. Can I get you another drink? Or maybe we can take a stroll around.”

Janna startled when Timothy ran the back of his fingers along her bare arm. She jerked away from him, cringing at how creepy his touch felt.

“Excuse me. I need to go find someone.” Anyone, she thought, and walked away as quickly as her five-inch sandals would carry her. The strappy red stilettos matched her dress but definitely weren’t made for fast walking.

When it seemed she was far enough away from Timothy, she slowed and handed her empty glass to a passing waiter. Seeing Macy across the room, she headed in her direction but stopped abruptly.

“Oh, my... Janna?” The older woman’s smile quickly appeared. “It is you!”

Janna smiled and accepted a hug from the woman she hadn’t seen in years. “Mrs. Reynolds, it’s so nice to see you,” she said to Austin’s mother, feeling a little awkward but sincerely glad to see her. “It’s been a long time.”

“Yes, it has, and please call me Sheila now that you’re all grown up. You’re even lovelier than I remember.” She stepped back but didn’t release Janna’s arms. “Patrick and I are so proud of you and all of your accomplishments.”

Heat rose to Janna’s cheeks. She had always liked Austin’s mother. Not just because she’d often told her how cute or sweet she was, but because she was so warm and loving. Growing up in foster care, she went through a period when she felt unlovable, especially knowing that her parents hadn’t wanted her. But Mama Adel had always made her feel cherished.