Page 34 of About Last Night

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AS IFshe hadn't noticed he was big when they were grinding against each other, Janine thought, practically choking on her last bite of banana. Personally, she liked the wayheate, with a gusto that said he was a man who appreciated food, and lots of it. It suited him, the bigness, the heartiness, and hinted of other things he probably did with barely restrained energy.She averted her eyes from his hands and cleared her throat. "I remember Steve mentioning a friend of his who was a college football star. Was that you?"

Derek scoffed good-naturedly. "I played for UK, but Steve was probably referring to Jack. He was the star receiver. I was on special teams, not nearly as flashy a position."

She knew enough about football to know Derek spoke the truth about unsung positions on the field. "If you don't mind me asking, whereisyour brother Jack?"

He swallowed, then drank deeply of the black coffee in his cup. "I have no idea," he said finally, in a tone that said he was accustomed to his brother's absence.

"Did he just... disappear?"

A nod, then, "Pretty much. He tends to drop out of sight when a crisis occurs at the office."

She hadn't even asked Derek what he did for a living. "The office?"

"Jack and I own an advertising agency in Lexington."

Janine tried to hide her surprise but must have failed miserably because he laughed. "Actually, my father started the company, but I went to work there after I graduated. Then when Dad up and died on me a few years ago, I persuaded Jack to help me run things."

Her heart squeezed because she detected true affection in his voice when he mentioned his father. "I'm sorry for your loss, Derek. Is your mother still living?"

A broad smile lit his face, transforming his features to roundness and light. "Absolutely. She still lives in the home where I was raised. I built a duplex for myself and Jack a few miles away so we could keep an eye on her."

"And so you could keep an eye on Jack?"

After a brief hesitation, he nodded, then grunted. "But he still manages to slip away."

She sensed his frustration with his brother, who sounded like a rake. Derek's few words gave her insight into his life, and she pictured two boys growing up, the older, more serious sibling burdened with the responsibility of looking out for the younger, more unpredictable one. It sounded as if the mischievous Jack had led a charmed life at his brother's expense. "How long since you've heard from him?"

Derek scooped in another forkful of eggs, then squinted at the ceiling. "Two months? Yeah, it was right around tax time."

"And he's done this before?"

He nodded. "But he always comes back."

Intrigued by their obviously close yet adversarial relationship, she said, "And you always welcome him back."

Contrary to the response she expected, his mouth turned down and he shook his head. "Not this time, I don't think. He's been gone too long, and I'm tired of working eighty hours a week to cover for him."

"You're going to hire someone to take his place?"

Derek balled up a paper napkin and dropped it on his empty plate. "Depending on whether or not I land the account I'm working on, I might not have to worry about hiring anyone." His voice was calm, but a crease between his dark eyebrows betrayed his concern.

She set down her bottle of water. "You might close the family firm?"

He splayed his large hands. "I might have no choice. I've always managed the accounts, the scheduling, and supervised the day-to-day operations, but my father and Jack were the creative minds, and the artists." He smiled."Ican only do so much with stock art."

"Can't you simply hire another artist?"

"Not and continue to pay Jack."

"But why would you continue to pay Jack?"

"A promise to my father," he said simply, and her opinion of him catapulted. A man of his word—make that apoorman of his word.

"But how can Jack collect his paycheck if he's not around?"

"My mother keeps it for him and pays all his bills—his utilities, his health club membership—just as if he's going to walk back in the door tomorrow." He didn't seem bitter, just resigned.

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