Hidden Hearts (10 page)

“I don’t know.”

“You
should
have known. That hurt us.”

She disappeared and CC wondered if she’d find one of Blanca’s notorious pink slips sitting on her chair. According to firm legend Blanca kept a pack of them in her desk drawer.

When Alicia exited the restroom, she saw CC and followed her into her office.

“We need to talk,” she said, closing the door while CC hunted for some antacid in her desk. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I was the opposing attorney.”

She glared at her. “Are you really? You didn’t think you could bring it up this morning when you called about the CD? Do you even
want
the CD, or were you just feeling me out, seeing if I knew you’d be here.”

Alicia looked hurt. “Of course I want the CD. You gave it to me.” She threw a glance at the antacid bottle in her hand. “I didn’t realize you were so nervous and uptight.”

“I’m not.” She threw the bottle—evidence of the truth—into the drawer and dropped into her chair. “I was just surprised to see you.”

Alicia perched on the edge of her desk and adopted a concerned look. “Honey, I know you. Your foot was bouncing like a basketball, you were speaking in that little high-pitched voice you get when you’re nervous and when Blanca took over you looked like a ghost. Was this your first time with a client?”

She couldn’t contain her surprise. “No, I’ve handled several cases.” Alicia raised her eyebrows and her insides churned. “Did I really seem that green?”

“A little,” she admitted.

Her door flew open. “CC, you need to rewrite this pleading,” Blanca said, looking up from the papers she held. Her gaze landed on Alicia. “Why is she still here?”

“I’m a friend,” Alicia said.

“I wish you would have told me that you knew the opposing counsel to avoid conflict of interest. We might have come off better with Kraft.”

“She didn’t know I was on the other side,” Alicia explained. “Dusty Morgan just changed firms.” Blanca looked skeptical until she added, “You know I saw your closing argument in the Swanson case. It was amazing.”

Her stony demeanor cracked. “You were there?”

She nodded. “I was waiting for a hearing to start and I slipped into the courtroom. You were just hitting your stride.”

“That was my first closing. Thanks for noticing.” She dropped the report on CC’s desk. “Please rewrite this.” Before she left she said to Alicia, “Good play with the photos today, especially dropping them on the table.
Very smooth.
Too bad we didn’t know our client was a user.”

After she left Alicia looked at CC the way she used to when they were having a serious conversation in bed. “You need to learn how to suck up, babe. Bitches like that.”

“But I’m not good at it,” she whined. “You were always the persuasive one.”

“Yeah, remember the time I convinced the neighbor’s cable guy to hook us up for free?” She went to the door. “I’ve got to get back. I really am sorry I didn’t tell you. Kinkaid’s at eight?”

She knew there was a fifty-fifty chance Alicia was lying and had deliberately surprised her to throw her off her already shaky game.

“Please?” she pleaded. “I’ve got a surprise for you.”

“Sure.”

****

Kinkaid’s was a two-story office building in its previous life, but a young upstart chef had seen the potential to convert it into a pub and restaurant with a loft. The exposed red brick walls created an edgy feel and a large metal garage front door allowed for indoor and outdoor seating. Cars cruising down busy Camelback Road could see all the action inside. It was the premier Phoenix happy hour spot for the younger generation, and CC had been propositioned there more than once but had never said yes.

When she saw Alicia sitting at a pub table outside she felt unbalanced again. She disguised her sexiness in lawyer attire every day, but now her bun was gone and her hair flowed suggestively around her face. CC was sure she’d reapplied her makeup with much bolder colors and her suit jacket was nowhere in sight. She’d undone an extra two buttons of her purple silk blouse exposing deep cleavage and her breasts cradled a gold pendant.

Alicia glanced her way and when their eyes met, Alicia remained expressionless. She picked up her Cosmo and took a sip, her gaze still locked on CC, who didn’t know if she should join her or run out of the restaurant. Then Alicia flashed a killer smile that nearly knocked her over. This wasn’t the same woman who’d sat on her desk just a few hours ago.

“Hey,” she said, and CC breathed in a lovely jasmine scent she’d never smelled on her before.

“Is that new?
The perfume?”

“Yeah.
Nadia picked it out. I already ordered you a martini,” she said.

“Oh, thanks, but I’ve actually switched to vodka tonics.”

“Really?”
Alicia asked in a clearly disapproving tone. “Thanks for the FYI.”

She slid the CD across the table. “Here you go. Listen to it in good health.”

She held it up. “You know, I lied,” she said, still not looking at her. “You didn’t give this to me for our anniversary.”

She was stunned, but she held her response until the busy waiter delivered her martini and left. “I didn’t think I did. Why did you lie?”

Ding!

She checked her phone as another alert for her personal ad appeared.

Alicia leaned forward seductively. “Because I wanted to see you and I
was
testing you.”

“What do you mean?”

“I miss you, babe. I don’t know what I want to do about that yet, but I acknowledge that I miss you and I still have feelings for you. But you failed the test.”

“Oh?”

“The test was to see if you’d give me the CD if I badgered you for it. And you did. You let me run over you just like I always did during our relationship. Just like I did this afternoon,” she added.

CC picked up her purse. “Okay, I don’t need this. And, for your information, I’ve started dating again, or at least I’m trying to. I took out a personal ad and I’ve had numerous hits.”

She stormed out.

“Honey, wait!” Alicia was behind her.

She knew that Alicia would catch up once she reached her car. Unlike Alicia’s Mercedes, which had automatic door locks and didn’t even need a key to start, the old Honda only opened after the lock was finessed just right. She turned around since a confrontation was inevitable.

Alicia sashayed across the blacktop, gaining the attention of several men on their way to dinner in the company of their wives and girlfriends. But she was immune to the looks and stares—except when she wanted to be noticed.

“I’m sorry I was a bitch,” she said, pulling her into a tight embrace. “That isn’t how I wanted this to go.”

She’d forgotten that Alicia was a fabulous hugger. She held her close against her enormous chest and CC closed her eyes. She missed it.

“Okay, try again,” CC said. “If we skip the badgering and testing part, we left off where you told me that you missed me, which I find hard to believe since Nadia was your soul mate. Those were your exact words the day you left.”

Alicia swallowed hard. “I know, but I think I was wrong. I think it’s over. She was using me, if you can believe it.”

She stifled a laugh. “Oh?”

“Yeah.
I think she just wants a roommate to split the rent. She fed me a whole bunch of lines and I bought it.”

She knew that was a lie. No one read through bullshit like Alicia. If she’d been with Nadia it was because she wanted to be there.

Alicia reached out and squeezed her hand. “I miss you, babe. I want to show you something that will spice up our relationship.”

“We have no relationship. You left me.”

“I know,” she admitted. “I won’t deny that I walked out. But I’m beginning to think it doesn’t have to be an ending. Are you serious with someone right now?”

“No, it’s been completely casual,” she lied.

“I want to give you a test you’ll pass.”

She shook her head. “I don’t know.”

Alicia held up a finger. “Give me one hour. And if I don’t show you an amazing time, you can delete me from your e-mail, unfriend me on Facebook and remove me from your contacts. Go out and screw every woman who answers your ads. Just one hour.”

She’s always most persuasive when she’s cute. The way that little nose turns up and her whole face sparkles.

“Fine,” she agreed. “One hour.”

She followed her to the valet, who retrieved her Mercedes, a gift from her parents for law school graduation. Unlike CC’s family, hers was wealthy and regularly showered gifts on their little girl.

“Get in,” she teased.

She cruised through Kinkaid’s back lot, passing CC’s old Honda, and heading through the neighboring residential area. As she turned onto Camelback Road, the soft glow of the old suburban porch lights was replaced by millions of high-watt bulbs that filled the stretch of auto showrooms all the way to Seventh Avenue. She could see Alicia’s profile, which projected a calm that was foreign to her, and amid the din of the massive traffic, she heard her humming with a soft rock song on the radio.

“So where are we going?” she asked, hoping she wasn’t slurring her words.

“You’ll see.”

She made a right into a four-story office complex at the corner of Central and Virginia. As the Mercedes flew into the underground parking garage, CC noticed a for rent banner hung from the building’s long glass panes. She imagined much of the building was unoccupied since commercial real estate faced a huge slump with the hard economic times. And the empty garage confirmed her suspicions. Only a handful of cars and SUVs filled the spaces.

She pulled into a corner partially hidden by a concrete pillar and popped her seat belt in a second. CC followed her into the backseat, and she noticed the pillar obstructed their view of the rest of the garage.

“Here?” she asked slowly.

Alicia kissed her and unbuttoned her own blouse.
“Exactly.
Nadia’s taught me a new way to have fun, and I want to share it with you. One of the reasons I think I strayed was because I wanted more adventure.”

She glanced at the stark cement walls.
“Sex in a parking garage?”

Alicia slid out of her bra.
“No, sex in a public place.
There’s a sense of danger and defiance that add to the experience. Let me show you.” She gave her a luscious kiss and continued disrobing.

“Aren’t you worried about cameras or security guards?”

“There are none. This is the first place Nadia took me so I knew it was perfect for us. It’s about to go into foreclosure. Don’t worry. Just relax.”

She froze. “
Nadia
took you here?”

“So what?”

She pressed her down into the soft leather and hovered over her, unbuttoning her blouse and exposing her breasts to anyone who walked over and peered into a window.

“Don’t worry,” she said again, clearly reading her mind. “There’s no one around.” She pushed up her skirt and straddled her waist. All CC saw was her perfect lips. “I want you to touch me while I touch you.”

She guided CC’s hand to the warmth between her legs and words became impossible. She was focused on pleasing her and worrying about public indecency laws as they undressed. But the jasmine perfume and Alicia’s expert touch buried her nervousness as she rocked her hips and pressed her stocking feet against the window behind her head for support.

Ding!

Alicia grabbed her phone and glanced at the display. CC knew she was reading whatever response had come up on the personal ads. She snorted. “This one sounds charming. She wants to cover you in egg batter and pretend you’re a quiche. Shall I save it?”

She grabbed the phone and turned it off. “You need to be honest with me. Did you play me at the meeting today? Did you deliberately try to throw me off by surprising me?”

“No way,” Alicia mumbled.