Reunited by the Badge

by Deborah Fletcher Mello

  “Define ‘dated.’”

  “We went out a time or two. Dinner mostly and to the theater once.”

  “The theater? What show?” The question came with significant attitude. Simone was simmering on a low burn, Paul’s admission hitting her broadside. Despite the length of time they’d been apart she had never considered he might date someone else. She was squarely in her feelings and unable to contain her displeasure. Jealousy grabbed her by the seat of her pants and was hanging on with all fangs.

  “Why does it matter what show?”

  “What show, Paul?”

  “Hamilton. We went to see Hamilton.”

  “Hamilton? On Broadway? In New York?”

  He nodded. “Yes.”

  “And you slept with her?”

  He shook his head vehemently. “No, we’ve never slept together.”

  “You went to New York with her to see Hamilton and you didn’t stay in a hotel room together?” Simone found herself imagining the worst and it broke her heart to even think that Paul had been able to spend time with any woman that wasn’t her. She knew she was being irrational, but she didn’t care.

  “I flew into New York and met her on one of my layovers to Europe. We had time for dinner and the show, then I went back to the airport to catch my plane. I don’t know where she went after that.”

  “Do you like her?”

  “I enjoy talking with her, but she’s not a woman I would be romantically interested in.”

  “But you took her to see Hamilton?”

  “Actually, she invited me.”

  “What’s wrong with her?”

  “She’s not you,” Paul said matter-of-factly.

  Simone sat for a moment, pondering his comment. “For the record,” she finally said. “I never dated anyone when we were apart. Not even a date for coffee.”

  He smiled. “I appreciate that.”

  “Absolutely no one! And trust me, I had more than my fair share of invitations.”

  Paul laughed. “You’re mad.”

  “I am not mad.”

  “Yes, you are. But I swear, it was nothing!” He stole a quick glance down to his wristwatch. “We should probably get inside,” he concluded.

  She rolled her eyes. “You know we’re not done with this conversation, right? I have more questions.”

  Paul shook his head. “No, we’re done. There’s nothing else to discuss and you are not going to drive me crazy being jealous over a woman who is irrelevant in the scheme of our future. That’s not going to happen.”

  “Who said anything about being jealous?”

  He shrugged, eyeing her with a raised brow.

  Simone narrowed her gaze slightly. There was a lengthy pause as they sat studying each other. “Okay,” she said finally.

  “I mean it, Simone.”

  “I said okay!” There was still a hint of attitude in her tone.

  Paul continued to consider her, apparently trying to read the expression on her face. He leaned forward and gave her a kiss on her lips. “I love you, Simone. I don’t love anyone else.”

  Simone smiled, then she pushed open the door and exited the car. The tidal wave of emotion was passing slowly and she was determined not to let it get the best of her. She believed Paul. And she trusted him, having no doubts about any other woman in his life. But Old Simone was trying to rear her ugly head and make his admission more than it needed to be. It was taking everything in her for New Simone to put those feelings in a headlock and send them away.

  Paul jumped out of the driver’s side as she moved to the sidewalk, turning as she waited for him to join her. She extended her hand, reaching to hold his hand. Their fingers intertwined and he gave her a slight squeeze.

  “We good?” Paul questioned as they headed for the hospital’s entrance.

  “She better be ugly, that’s all I’m going to say,” Simone answered. “And I mean butt-ugly.”

  Paul laughed. “There’s not a woman around that can hold a candle to you, Simone Black!”

  “And don’t you forget it!”

  * * *

  Dr. Stephen Alexander reminded Simone of a young Jeff Goldblum. Before Jeff Goldblum had matured into the sexy version of himself that he was now, she thought. He had a beautiful smile that gleamed from his eyes and Spock-like ears that didn’t go unnoticed. His chestnut-blond hair was cut a half inch too short and his glasses were too large for his face.

  She stood back as the two men greeted each other with a weird fist-bump-and-hand-tap thing and a deep bear hug.

  Paul grabbed her hand and pulled her forward. “Stephen, this is Simone Black. Simone, this is Dr. Stephen Alexander. Stephen and I go way back.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Dr. Alexander. I’ve heard a lot about you,” she said, as he took her hand and kissed the backs of her fingers.

  “The pleasure is all mine. But Paul didn’t tell me anything about you!”

  Paul laughed as the two shot him a look. “I’m no fool. Stephen’s quite the ladies’ man and back in the day the women wouldn’t even look in my direction if he was around. I couldn’t risk the chance of him stealing you from me.”

  Stephen laughed. “I definitely would have tried,” he said as he winked an eye at Simone.

  Paul smirked as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder protectively and hugged her to him. “We really appreciate your help.”

  “I wish I could do more. You know how I feel about Big Pharma. I don’t trust the whole lot of ’em.”

  “Stephen believes in a more holistic approach to patient care,” Paul said, directing his comment toward Simone.

  “I don’t believe physicians serve their patients well when all they’re doing is prescribing meds unnecessarily. Unfortunately, the pharmaceutical business has played on people’s greed. Incentivizing doctors to market their products and prescribe medications in exchange for payments is just wrong on many levels.”

  “Criminal enterprise happens in all forms,” Simone said.

  Stephen smiled. “So, Ms. Lincoln is actually here. She’s down in our cafeteria, waiting for me to join her for a cup of coffee. You didn’t tell me she was so attractive.”

  * * *

  “If you like that type,” Paul muttered. He shot Simone a look, noting the look she gave him back. Her jaw had tightened, and she clenched her teeth. He changed the subject. “Did she leave you any product?” Paul questioned.

  Stephen nodded, pointing to a clear cellophane bag filled with samples that rested on his desk. “She’s pushing a new blood pressure medication, but I did ask for the Halphedrone-B. She said she only had a few samples left but she tossed them in there, too. Take all of it.”

  “Thank you. I owe you,” Paul said.

  “If it will save lives, my friend, you can always rely on me. But I need to run right now. I have a patient I need to check on and then I have a coffee date to discuss homeopathic medicine with Ms. Lincoln. You two be safe out there.”

  The two men bumped shoulders one last time and Simone gave the man a warm hug. Paul didn’t miss the squeeze the good doctor gave her, or that his hands rested just shy of her backside. He bit back his comment, knowing it would only escalate an unnecessary argument and expose the tinge of jealousy that had teased his spirit.

  Simone grabbed the samples bag and shoved it into the leather tote over her shoulder. “What now?” she asked.

  “We can try to cross back into Canada, or we head back to Chicago. Your choice.”

  “No, it’s your choice. I can’t make that decision, Paul.”

  “I really want to test these samples and Oliver is flying back tomorrow.”

  “Then we take our chances and hope they haven’t put you in the system yet. But I’m thinking the sooner we go, the better.”

  Paul nodded. “Let’s get on the road!”
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br />   Exiting the office, they headed in the direction of the elevator. Simone spied a rest room just as Paul pushed the button to go down to the main lobby.

  “Wait for me. I need to use the bathroom,” she said as she hurried toward the women’s room door.

  “I’ll be right here,” Paul replied.

  He stepped back out of the walkway and leaned against the wall to wait for her. Surprise flowed through him when the elevator door opened and Lender’s drug representative, Vivian Lincoln, stepped out.

  “Vivian!”

  “Paul! Oh, my goodness! What are you doing here?”

  “Visiting a friend,” he said. “What are you up to?”

  “Business.” She gestured to the leather carry bag she was rolling behind her.

  “I didn’t realize your territory extended this far east.”

  She smiled. “It does.” She changed the subject. “You never called me.”

  “I was in Ghana longer than I anticipated. I’ve only been back for a few days.”

  The woman named Vivian nodded. She took a step forward, pressing a hand against his chest. “If you’re not busy, maybe we can grab lunch after I’m finished with my appointment. I think we need to talk.”

  “About?”

  “I heard you might be having some issues with one of our products. I was hoping to alleviate your concerns and maybe answer any questions you might have. I also want to catch up. I’ve missed you.” She gave him a bright smile, her lashes batting at him as she tapped her manicured fingertips against the buttons of his shirt.

  Paul hesitated for a split second and then he returned her smile. “I’d love to. I can meet you downstairs?”

  “Wonderful! Let me swing by and let the doctor know I can’t wait and then we can get out of here.”

  Paul gave her another bend of his lips, showcasing his picture-perfect teeth. “I’ll be in the lobby waiting,” he said as he pushed the down button for the elevator to return.

  Vivian headed down the hallway, tossing one last look over her shoulder. As Paul stepped into the conveyor, he pulled his phone into his hands to send Simone a text.

  * * *

  Simone was washing her hands when the other woman walked into the bathroom. Waif thin, she was supermodel tall with hair the color of corn silk cascading down her back. Her features were delicate, like fine porcelain. The suit she wore was perfectly tailored and expensive, as were her red-bottomed high-heeled shoes.

  She was dialing her phone and she looked slightly discombobulated. She gave Simone a dismissive glance, then turned her back as she waited for the party she called to answer on the other end.

  Simone reached for a paper towel to dry her hands. She turned back to the mirror, leaning forward to inspect her face. She was as dismissive of the stranger as the stranger was of her. Until the woman began speaking and recognition settled over her. The stranger had to be Vivian Lincoln!

  Simone struggled not to stare. And not to stare so that the other woman noticed. Eyeing her own reflection in the mirror, she suddenly felt frumpish, having thrown on a pair of jeans, running shoe, and her favorite sweatshirt. Her makeup was sparse, just a hint of eyeliner and some lip gloss. She pulled her hands through her hair, hoping to give the curly strands a hint of volume. She didn’t look bad, but she didn’t look like she’d just stepped off the cover of Glamour magazine. Simone suddenly understood why Paul had even considered dating the woman. She was overly attractive and clearly confident. Simone’s insecurities suddenly tied a knot in her midsection. She swallowed hard, biting back the feelings that had snuck in to ambush her.

  The other woman was tapping her foot anxiously before whispering loudly into her phone. “He’s here... I don’t know why... I just ran into him in the hallway... What do you want me to do?” There was a lengthy pause as she seemed to be listening to instructions.

  She still had her back to Simone as she began to speak again. “We just made plans for lunch... Okay... Okay... I’ll do that... I’m staying at the Hyatt, room twenty twelve... Trust me. I’ll get him there... Just tell them to hurry... We can’t afford for them to miss this time... If I have to, I’ll call the police and scream bloody murder as a last resort... I won’t... I said I won’t...”

  When she disconnected the call, inhaling a deep breath of air, Simone was pulling a brush through her hair. She didn’t bother to look in Simone’s direction as she stepped to the sink to rinse her hands.

  Simone smiled as they exchanged tentative gazes in the mirror. “Love those shoes,” she said, her eyes dropping to the woman’s feet.

  The blonde looked where she stared. “Thank you,” she said, her tone indifferent.

  “Are you a doctor?” Simone asked. “You look like you might be a doctor.”

  The woman shot her another quick look. “No, I’m a sales rep. I represent a drug company.”

  “Interesting. It must pay well for you to afford those shoes. Or are they knockoffs?”

  “They are very real,” the woman said, clearly offended by the insinuation. She turned toward an empty stall, dragging her medical case behind her.

  Simone shrugged. “Good luck with that sales job,” she said as she moved to the door and exited the space. She hurried to the elevator. As she waited for it to return to the floor, she read the text message Paul had sent her. Car. Now! Hurry!

  Chapter 10

  “I can’t believe you dated that woman. How did you know she was trying to set you up?” Simone asked Paul once she returned to the car.

  “She’s a sales rep. There was no reason for anyone in Africa to call a US sales rep about me questioning their international representative. And I haven’t spoken to her since before my last mission trip.”

  “Why did she think she’d be able to get you to her hotel room?” There was something accusing in her tone, her words laced with attitude. Clearly, Vivian Lincoln had reason to think Paul would actually have lunch with her, Simone thought. She was suddenly curious about the time they’d spent together. What else had they shared? How much did Vivian know about her? Did Vivian know anything at all about her? About them and their relationship? And what about Paul? Had seeing her again reawakened feelings he hadn’t yet shared with her?

  Paul cut his gaze in her direction. “Simone, please, don’t do that. You know me better than that.”

  Simone shrugged. “It was just a question. Don’t get an attitude with me.”

  Paul reached for her hand and kissed the back of it. He’d been sitting in the car with the engine running when Simone came racing back. She’d been beside herself with rage, detailing her encounter with Vivian. Then her emotions had gotten the best of her, her frustrations becoming irrational. Jealousy had always been a character flaw with Simone, even as she asserted with much conviction that she wasn’t jealous. It was equally frustrating for him to argue about things that were not relevant in their lives and gut-wrenching to see her put herself through such turmoil. It also annoyed the hell out of him that Simone continually insisted it wasn’t him she didn’t trust, but the other women who sometimes set their sights on his attention. Vivian was now her latest source of outrage. Her ranting had taken on a life of its own as they navigated back to the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel.

  “What happens if they run your information and the warrant comes up?” Simone questioned, changing the subject.

  Paul took a deep breath and exhaled. “I’ll need you to take the samples back to the house for Oliver. Then I want you to go back home to Chicago. I’m going to need an attorney and you can’t represent me from Canada.”

  “I still work for the prosecutor’s office. I can’t represent you at all.”

  “Have you decided against the job offer?”

  “No. Not really. In fact, I was thinking that my bringing the case against Lender to the table would probably score me some points.”

  “So, you�
�ll have two cases to bring to them, because I didn’t kill anyone. Not through any fault of my own,” he said, his voice dropping an octave.

  Simone squeezed his hand as he pulled up to the toll station. The customs inspector asked for their passports and the car’s registration. Neither wanted to admit it, but they were both scared. Simone closed her eyes, sending a prayer skyward. A few minutes passed before the agent returned their documents.

  “Welcome to Canada,” the man said, giving them both a nod. He gestured for them to proceed forward.

  The couple held their breath until they passed the toll station on the Canadian side and were five miles away from the border.

  Simone suddenly burst out laughing, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Boy, did we get lucky.” She held her hand out, palm side down, the appendage still shaking.

  Paul exhaled the breath he’d been holding. He’d been scared and couldn’t begin to tell Simone just how frightened he’d been. Jail definitely wasn’t on his bucket list of things to experience. He also wasn’t prepared to be derailed when there was still so much they needed to do to prove their case. He blew out another deep breath. “God was definitely on our side!”

  Simone nodded. “I’ve lost count of the laws we’ve broken. It’ll be a miracle if I can keep my law license after all of this.” She swiped at her face with the backs of her hands.

  Paul bristled, her expression pulling at his heartstrings. She hadn’t asked for any of this and he couldn’t begin to know how to make things right and get her out of the mess he’d managed to drag her into. “I’m really sorry, Simone,” Paul said. “I never meant for you to get caught up in any of this mess.”

  “I know. I’m here because I chose to be. I could have walked away before we left Chicago and I didn’t. I didn’t know what might happen and I didn’t want you to be alone. I wanted to be here if you needed me. I failed you once. I couldn’t live with myself if I failed you again.”

  “But Simone, baby, you’ve never failed me. You had a right to feel the way you did. I never held that against you. I’ve always just wanted you to be happy.”