* * *
Brice pulled on the backpack that contained the picnic essentials and locked up his car. So far the weather was holding. The air was slightly chilly, but with the trees blocking any wind, it didn't feel too cold. Besides, hiking next to this beauty was sure to keep him warm. He gave Janna a jerk of the head in his direction. The path was narrow and unmarked, but he found it without fail.
When it was possible, they walked side by side, but most of the time they were forced to walk in single file, making conversation a little more difficult. The narrowness of the path coupled with the increasing altitude turned most of their talk monosyllabic. After about a half hour they stopped, taking a seat on some boulders and trading long pulls on the water bottle Brice pulled from his pack.
"Enjoying yourself?" he asked with a smile that masked his underlying anxiety. Hiking wasn't for everyone, after all, and her ruddy cheeks and flyaway curls bespoke the effort of their ascent.
"Yep," she said with a nod and a smile. "I like hiking. You almost have to like hiking if you're a research biologist. I've got to go where the amphibians are."
"And do you enjoy being a research biologist?"
Her smile grew smaller, and Brice wondered why. "Usually," she said, looking off into the distance.
Before he could stop himself, his mouth kept speaking. "How about being a painter? Do you enjoy that?"
She looked at him again, and her blue eyes turned his stomach inside out. "Yes." It was whisper quiet, and he wanted to pull her into his arms and distract her from what was clearly a sensitive subject. Instead, he repacked the water bottle and suggested they keep going. She nodded, but the mood was less carefree than it had been. It was cloudy now, like the sky, cloudy and quiet. Brice was glad when they finally reached the clearing after another half hour climb. He'd felt her eyes on his back since their break, and they weighed on him uncomfortably.
Brice slowed when they pulled out of the trees and into the tall grasses. He waited until she reached his side to continue, and praying it wouldn't be rejected, he reached out his hand to grab hers. It was cool and soft in his larger hand, but it squeezed his back and he smiled, hoping the somber mood had been broken.
As if the heavens were in agreement, the sun broke through the clouds then, illuminating the view before them. The river wound its way through the valley below, shadows of the clouds making a patchwork out of the greenery. From their vantage point, the uninterrupted forest stretched for miles.
"Wow," Janna whispered in awe. He turned his face to watch hers as she took in the deep valleys and rugged hills around them. "It's beautiful."
"Yes," he said, looking into her ethereal face. "It is."
She caught his eyes and smiled shyly. He laughed suddenly, then wondered how she was always able to make him laugh, even if it was unintentional. It felt good to laugh. "Come on," he said, leading her over to a small table beneath the wide branches of an old maple tree.
He pulled off his pack and started to set up his picnic. Tony had done a fine job, including many of his favorites and making everything look elegant.
"That's quite a spread you're setting out," Janna said, her voice sounding slightly amazed. "What have we got here?"
"A little bit of everything, it looks like." He pulled the lid off one of the containers. "This looks like potato salad of some kind." Digging in the pack he pulled out another plastic container. "And here's some deviled eggs...cheese and crackers...a green salad...various kinds of fruit. Oh, and some tiny sandwiches, not sure what's on them." He then pulled out the corkscrew and began opening a bottle of rosé.
"So...you didn't pack the picnic?" she said, her tone flat.
Uh oh, he thought to himself. Danger, 007! "No," he said, trying for nonchalance and hoping he didn't sound defensive. "I had my assistant Tony pack it. He's got a knack for things like this."
"I see," she said, her smile frozen, and he realized what the problem was. It was another rich guy move, and he'd fallen right into the very trap he'd tried so hard to avoid. "What else did Tony help you with?" She seemed to think for a moment, and then a shadow passed over her face. "Of course, the playlist."
Brice flinched and instantly regretted the telling motion. "Only partially. I gave him the list of songs; he just uploaded them for me."
Her raised eyebrow told him what she thought of that answer.
"Look," he said as he passed her a plate and began to fill his own without thought. "I trust Tony to do his job well. That's how I've almost doubled my family's fortune -- I employ good people, people I trust to do their jobs well. As long as I show my face often enough so that they don't get complacent, the money almost makes itself."
He'd noticed his blood pressure increasing during his little speech and tried to push down the irritation he was feeling at constantly having to justify himself. "I don't see why it's wrong to have help when you're trying to impress someone."
Janna glanced up from her plate, a considering look in her eyes. "Some might call it an unfair advantage. And maybe what impresses that someone is the effort a person puts in. In this case, it looks like Tony put in all the effort."
Brice sighed. This wasn't going at all like he'd planned. "Maybe next time I'll bring Tony along so he can reap the benefit."
Janna smirked. "All I'm saying is, it's pretty easy to plan a great date when you've got someone else doing all the hard work."
Brice shook his head. "Is that really what you think?"
"Yes."
"Willing to put a little wager on that?"
Her perfectly-arched eyebrow came up in question. "What do you have in mind?"
Brice smiled. He'd hooked her. He bit into a large strawberry and had to lick his lips when the juice squirted out. Her eyes changed color as she watched his tongue slide over his mouth and he hid a grin. Things were definitely turning around.
"You think you can plan a better date than I can, with my professional and personal resources."
Janna nodded, catching his drift. "I do. I know I can."
Time to close in for the kill. "Then I accept."
"What?" she asked, confused. "What do you accept?"
"We each plan a date with the help of Tony and my...er...resources."
"Your money?" she asked, her tone hard to read.
"Yes. The best date wins."
Janna went quiet, focusing on her salad. At last, she spoke. "How do we evaluate the dates objectively? Who's going to declare a winner?"
Shit, he hadn't thought this through completely. "I'll just have to trust you," he said, going with his instincts. "You can choose the winner afterward." He knew he'd said the right thing when he saw her soft smile.
"But...what does the winner get?"
"Ah, now that's where things get interesting. What do you want?"
Brice saw Janna squirming, and it gave him a surprising thrill. He wanted her to squirm in passion, but he'd take it where he could get it.
After a moment she answered him. "I want something you rich guys put a premium on. I want your time."
He could see the wheels turning in her head. "Explain."
"Two hours of your time to use as I see fit." She must have seen the wolfish expression that immediately and uncontrollably crossed his face. "Not for that!" she yelled, a pretty blush staining her pale cheeks. "Two hours donated to a charity of my choice!"
"Deal," he said without hesitation.
"But what do you want?" she asked, suddenly realizing that she didn't know his side of the negotiation.
"The same thing. Two hours of your time, to do with as I choose."
Was that fear or excitement that crept into her eyes? "To donate to a charity of your choosing?" she asked, her voice almost cajoling.
"Not a chance."
"That's not very philanthropic of you," she said, unable to hold back laughter. "Good thing I don't intend to lose."
"We'll see," he said, standing up and taking out the blanket roll from his pack. He moved around to her side of the table and took her hand, leading her away from the picnic and the shade of the big maple. "Let's take advantage of this sunshine." He laid out the blanket in a patch of dry grass and slid down onto it, patting a spot beside him.
"Just what did you have in mind, Mr. Masterson?" Her shadow covered his face, and when he looked up at her, he couldn't make out her features.