Page 75 of Dangerous Encore
"Sweetheart—"
"I'm sure it will beplentymore."
He shakes his head inhorror.
"I'll ask for twenty percent more than whatever theyoffer."
"What if you have to name anumber?"
"Then I'm not a goodnegotiator."
He chuckles. "True, but it's not alwaysavoidable."
Fair. I've learned a lot about negotiating in the last two years, but most of it was under Alessandra. She's shrewd and cutthroat, and I mean that in the best possible way. "I'll ask her to double mysalary."
"Ambitious."
"That's me."Maybe.
Or maybe I want to slow down, focus onfamily.
I let my eyelids flutter together and I try to imagine a baby in thisapartment.
We'd have to get rid of Joel's practice room. Turn it into a nursery. Paint thewallspink.
I can see a crib inthere.
I can see a little girl crawling around on thecarpet.
And Joel sitting with her, helping her build a Legocastle.
"You okay, sweetheart?"Dadasks.
I nod. "Thinking." I can see a little girl running around the beach, begging for thewaves.
But do I see myself therewithher?
I'mnotsure.
"Care to share?" Dad's voice is soft. It must be obvious that I'm completely outofit.
"How is Annedoing?"
Dad chuckles. He doesn't buy that I'm thinking about Anne, but he doesn't press me on it. "The same asalways."
"AndBrian?"
Dad let's out a sigh of distaste. "I still don't know why she married him. All he has going for him ismoney."
"Sheloveshim."
His dark eyes flare withincredulity.
I have to admit, I wonder it too. My sister and her husband have almost nothing in common except for their love of status. "Do you talk about Joel like thatwithher?"
"No."
"Really?"
