Renegade

by Shannon Myers

  I collapsed onto her chest, sweat dripping off of me like water.

  Fuck.

  It just got better every time.

  “Mike?” She whispered and I rolled off of her, knowing it was time for the fighting part of it, but still too high off of endorphins to care much.

  I laid on my back with my eyes closed, ready to face the firing squad. I was just missing my last cigarette. “Yeah?”

  She shifted around and I braced myself. “Um, could you uncuff me? I lost feeling in my arms a few hours ago and I’m starting to worry it might be permanent.”

  My eyes popped open and I jumped up. “Jesus, Lauren. How long have you been like this?”

  She stretched her neck. “Um, since ten?”

  Shit. It was a damn good thing I’d decided to come home tonight. I found the key on the nightstand and quickly unfastened her, taking my time to get the blood flowing back into her arms.

  “Thanks. I was starting to worry that this was going to be one of those cautionary tales for adventurous young women everywhere.” She smiled and my heart thudded in my chest. It was just aftershocks from the amazing sex.

  I laid back down beside her, still breathing hard. “Well, now it’ll just be our little secret.” She hopped off the bed, full of energy and I propped an arm up under my head and watched her. “What are you doing, Red?”

  She pulled her pink lacy boy-shorts up and over her shapely ass before bending over to grab the rest of her clothes. My eyes couldn’t focus on anything else but her.

  “I’m going home,” she tossed over her shoulder nonchalantly as she dressed and I felt a sense of loss. I hadn’t seen her for this long in weeks.

  “Yeah? Tired of me already?” I was on thin ice here.

  She pulled her tank top over her head before responding, “No. You need sleep though and I have to be at work in a few hours. Well, that, and I need to revive my arms.”

  I scratched at my jaw. “Look, about what I said on the phone—”

  She cut me off, “You didn’t mean it. I know. It’s not like we’re serious—it’s just sex.”

  Her words were like a sucker punch to my gut, but I played it off. “Yeah…just sex.”

  She came over to where I was laying and her lips swept over mine. “Get some sleep.”

  As she walked out of the bedroom, I had a sudden urge to beg her to stay. Instead, I followed her to the door and watched her walk out to her car.

  It wasn’t just sex. It never had been.

  Lauren

  September 2014

  What was I doing with my life?

  I stared at the results on the screen. I'd just searched ‘faking a pregnancy’ online. This was all Elizabeth Greene’s fault. If I hadn’t gone to that doctor’s appointment with her, I could’ve remained ignorant. Unfortunately, the gods were not smiling on me and I found myself embroiled in someone else’s drama.

  As if I didn't have enough of my own.

  I couldn’t believe I’d told Mike that it was just sex. Who did that? Me... apparently. Once he brought it up, the words fell out of my mouth. I guess I thought that if I said it, it was somehow better than if he did.

  It was a defense mechanism.

  I was still in control.

  We were on a collision course, I felt it. He was spending almost all of his time at the station working the missing model’s case and we were growing apart. I thought that my little surprise with the handcuffs would fix things, but it only made me more aware of the ever-widening gap between us. I wanted all of him, but he was still holding back.

  Had I really been naïve enough to try and seriously date a male whore? I’d convinced myself that it was just like taming a wild animal. I was going to give him space, while gradually moving closer, until he was eating out of my palm.

  God, I was stupid.

  He’d been perfectly content to keep me at arm’s length and we’d been in this weird limbo ever since. By saying what I did, I’d accepted terms I never wanted in this—well, whatever it was. Now, I was going to have to live with them. We weren’t exclusive...we were nothing more than fuck buddies.

  Nice job, Lauren. Way to respect yourself.

  When Elizabeth mentioned her doctor visit, I jumped at the chance to get away from the office. Plus, I’d been hoping that I could get her perspective on my relationship, or sleeping arrangement, as I was fondly calling it now. She’d had David move back in with her and they seemed to be resolving their issues. I mean, she still hadn’t told him she was pregnant or you know, called off the divorce—but they were much better than they’d been in June.

  Instead of girl talk, however, we’d run right into Jess and all of my pent-up aggression from Mike came spilling over. She’d been the proverbial straw, so to speak. I unleashed all of my anger on her, even going so far as to say that my boyfriend would get any charges she pressed against me dropped. I cringed just thinking about it.

  Elizabeth went on to get an ultrasound, but I’d stayed behind to collect my thoughts and get my blood pressure back into a normal range so that I didn't stroke out inside the obstetrician’s office. And that was how I inadvertently got myself involved in something that had nothing to do with me. I’d just rounded the corner when I heard their voices. Jess was discussing blood tests and money and suddenly, I began to suspect that there was more going on with Jess’s ‘pregnancy’ than she had let on.

  For starters, she didn’t look like a woman who was twenty weeks pregnant. She didn't even look like a woman who was six weeks pregnant.

  I’d immediately called Mike. I told myself that it was just because he was a cop, but he’d kind of become the person I called anytime anything happened, fuck buddy or not.

  “Detective Sullivan,” He’d said tersely into the phone.

  “Hey, Mike. It’s Lauren. Do you have a minute?”

  I heard him clicking his pen on and off in the background and knew that he was working on something that had him distracted. “Yeah. Are you okay?”

  I’d swallowed the lump in my throat that seemed to pop up anytime I talked to him lately. “Um, I’m fine, but there is something. I’m with Elizabeth at her doctor’s visit and Jess is here. I think I just overheard her trying to bribe a nurse. They were talking about blood tests...I don’t know. I just thought you might know what to do in this kind of a situation.”

  He exhaled loudly. “Wow. Okay—first, we need to find out what her motivator is. That one’s easy; she wants to keep David. Second, why would she need to bribe a nurse, unless there’s a chance—”

  I interrupted, “That she’s not even pregnant.”

  He laughed. “Well, I was going to say the baby wasn’t his, but we should definitely keep your suggestion in mind too.”

  He promised me that he would look into it and we hung up. It wasn’t until later that I realized we’d only discussed business—as if we were strangers. He hadn’t even called me Red. Now, here I was a week later, still waiting on a phone call. He was probably already sleeping with someone else. The thought left me feeling queasy and I rested my face in my hands.

  I needed to be focused on working. David had taken Elizabeth down to Galveston for a long weekend and that meant I was responsible for filling in until she got back. My desk phone rang. “Good Morning, Mulloy Dental. This is Lauren.”

  “Laur—” Her voice cut off with a sob and I used my foot to shut my office door.

  Instantly on alert, I asked, “What’s wrong, Elizabeth? Is the baby okay?”

  She sobbed harder. “It’s his. They’re having a son. The fax machine...shower. I’m in a cab on my way to Houston. I need you to find me a flight home.”

  Some of her words were lost in translation, but I got the gist of it. The paternity results had come in and she’d run. “Oh my god, Elizabeth. I’ll see what I can do.”

  She ended the call and I sat staring blankly at my computer. I didn’t know what to do anymore. A tear fell onto my keyboard, quickly followed by another one. I didn’t know how
I was going to help her. I couldn’t even help myself.

  There was a soft knock on my door and I quickly composed myself. “Come in.”

  Mike walked in and shut the door softly behind him and I looked back down at my desk. He’d never come to my work before. I didn’t know what it meant.

  “Red?” He placed coffee and a brown paper bag on my desk and knelt down. “Hey, look at me.”

  I sniffed and reluctantly raised my head. Seeing my face, he stood and pulled me into his arms, crushing me up against his chest. “I can’t do it. That’s why I’m here.”

  My heart plummeted through the floor even as my brain tried to gently remind it that a break-up had always been inevitable. “Okay,” I muttered weakly as I tried to disengage myself from his grip.

  I sat back down in my chair and looked anywhere but at his face. If I looked at his face then I was going to lose it.

  Mike knelt down again, resting his forearms on my thighs, forcing me to look at him. “Like I said, I can’t do it. I can’t just fuck you and then turn it off, okay?”

  I looked up, surprised. “What? You’re not here to tell me you never want to see me again?”

  He frowned. “You thought I was ending it and bringing you breakfast as a consolation prize? God, I’m not that much of a dick, am I?”

  I cocked an eyebrow and he grinned.

  “Don’t answer that. Jesus, I’ve made myself crazy thinking about you with someone else for the last week. I don’t like how we left things and I know I have an insane work schedule right now, but I don’t give a fuck. So, what do you say?”

  I bit down on the corner of my lip. “What exactly are you asking me?”

  Mike rolled his eyes. “C’mon, Red. Don’t make me spell it out for you. I want exclusivity and shit.”

  I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing. “And shit? How romantic. Where do I sign up?”

  “Fuck. Just listen to me. I want you to be my girlfriend. So?” He rocked back on his heels and eyed me expectantly.

  I nodded. “I say... okay.”

  His mouth moved, colliding roughly against my mouth. I nipped at his lower lip as my heart pounded steadily. It wasn’t just sex. It wasn’t even just a kiss—it was a possession. I broke it first; panting as I pulled away.

  “David. I have to call David.”

  Mike’s gaze darkened as I dialed. David answered on the first ring and began shouting at me.

  “David, she’s in a cab on her way to the airport in Houston. I’m trying to get her on a flight home. What happened? She didn’t make any sense when she called.”

  So, I wasn’t exactly truthful, but when Mike kissed me, I suddenly knew what I needed to do. David got choked up as he told me about the paternity test results.

  Seeing Mike’s increasingly confused expression, I moved the phone away from my mouth. “David got the results faxed to his mother’s house. It looks like he is the father. Elizabeth took off when she found out.”

  David chimed in, “Lauren, is that Mike?”

  I quickly gave him the rundown before adding, “Elizabeth is pregnant and—”

  He cut me off. “I know she is. That’s why it makes this so much worse!”

  Okay, I hadn’t seen that one coming. “She told you?”

  “I think she was getting close to telling me, but I figured it out on my own a few days ago.”

  I relayed that to Mike and then told David of my suspicions before asking him to stall the divorce proceedings. I just needed a couple of weeks to prove that Jess tampered with the test results.

  “They’re going before the judge next week. He doesn’t think she’ll call it off now.”

  Mike leaned up against the door and ran his thumb along his jawline. “Then he’s going to have to file for an emergency hearing to consider new evidence,” seeing my puzzled look, he continued, “She’s pregnant and unless there are extreme circumstances, no judge is going to grant a divorce.”

  I could’ve kissed him, but since we were in the middle of helping our friend get his wife back, I settled for a grateful smile instead. “That’s it! David, Mike just found something that could be your saving grace. You’re going to need to get your ass back here and file a motion with the court for an emergency hearing—”

  He immediately stopped me. “You want me to rush back to town and push up my divorce? How is that going to help?”

  “David—listen to me. In the state of Texas, if a woman is pregnant, the judge cannot grant a divorce. All you have to do is request a pregnancy test in the hearing. That will give me the time I need to get proof. Okay?”

  He laughed softly before thanking me.

  “Don’t thank me yet, I’ve still got to prove that Jess tampered with the paternity test. Also, Elizabeth could still file for divorce, but the baby would have to be born before they would allow it.”

  He assured me, “You worry about the test and I’ll take care of Beth’s desire to leave. Don’t book any flights—I’m going to get her.”

  The minute the call ended, I was in Mike’s arms. “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.” I plastered kisses across his face.

  He nipped my neck and pulled me in closer. “If this is how I get thanked, remind me to do shit for you more often.”

  A sharp knock at my office door had us separating guiltily. My lips and chin were still tingling, so I knew there was a good chance that I had a wicked case of beard burn. Deciding there was no way to hide it, I threw open my door and Dr. Mulloy strode in.

  “Lauren, Mitzi’s got a hand-piece that’s not working. Can you call the company and find out if it’s covered under warranty? Oh, hello,” She greeted Mike with surprise.

  His face paled the minute he saw her. It was obvious that he remembered her from Elizabeth’s wedding. I mean, if I went to a wedding and got groped, I’d probably remember too.

  “Dr. Mulloy, this is my boyfriend, Mike Sullivan.”

  Her eyes sparkled with amusement as she took his hand. “Pleasure to meet you.”

  He nodded uncomfortably. “Likewise.”

  She grinned again. “Lauren, just let me know when you talk to them.”

  I nodded and she left, closing the door behind her. Mike stood, still completely pale. “Are you okay? I promise she won’t get handsy with you again. I’d have to kick her ass.”

  He managed a weak smile and pulled me back into his arms. “I had no idea she was your boss.”

  I sighed, “Yeah, for seven years now. Lucky me.”

  He cupped my jaw in his massive hand. “I’ve got to get into the office. I’ll call you if I can make any headway with the paternity test. Okay?”

  I nodded, feeling lighter than I had in a long time.

  “I did it!” I exclaimed cheerfully

  Monica laughed on the other end of the line. “I think you missed your calling in life. You should’ve been a private investigator.”

  I leaned against the courthouse bricks and pulled my shirt away from my body, allowing the breeze to cool my overheated skin. I might’ve gone a little overboard—David told me he and Elizabeth were going to the courthouse that afternoon, so I’d rushed in, guns blazing.

  Apparently, it was considered bad form to burst into a courtroom and shout, “I have information the court must hear!”

  The court police hadn’t taken me seriously and were in the process of prying my hands from the courtroom door when David had walked up, ruining my moment of glory. I’d imagined the two of them tearfully telling their lawyers that there was no way to make it work when suddenly, I burst in, holding the documentation in my hand.

  “Stop everything,” I would’ve screamed, before brandishing the actual results, earning the respect of everyone in the courtroom.

  In actuality, David and Elizabeth had been in the middle of withdrawing their petition to divorce when I’d burst in. He told the court police to knock it off and led me back to some random desk in the middle of a large room. It was nothing like what I’d envisioned.

>   My only moment of glory had been when a nurse, Rose, showing up with the actual paternity test results. Oh, well that, and seeing David and Elizabeth back together.

  “So, what’s next, Detective? Got any other cases on your agenda?” Monica teased.

  I tapped my chin. “Hmmm…you up for an early dinner? I could tell you all about my life as a private investigator.”

  “Oh yeah? I think I caught most of it.” Her voice came from the front doors of the courthouse. She took a couple of steps toward me and held up her arms. “Surprise!”

  I gasped, “You came all the way down here?”

  She watched my face hopefully. “You texted me when you were on your way and call me a sap, but I wanted to know how it turned out for them. You were very good.”

  I laughed and shook my head. “No I was awful! Geez Louise—I had no idea what I was doing. Courtroom dramas need to step up their game. They are misleading the people.”

  “You did great.” She reached out and squeezed my arm.

  Life was funny. Monica and I had met twice since that morning at the coffee shop and it was going well. Not so well that I was ready for her to meet Mike, but maybe soon.

  My phone began ringing and I dug through my purse for it. My pulse picked up when I saw it was Mike. “Just give me a second,” I held a finger up to Monica before walking a few feet away.

  “Hello, handsome,” I beamed.

  “How’d it go?”

  I bit down on my lip, trying to decide how much to share. I decided to leave out the part where I threatened to call him down to deal with the court police…and the part where I barged in screaming. “Um,” I squeaked, “It went great. They called it off. How is it going with the thing? Had any breaks?”

  He chuckled, “So when David said you burst into the courthouse like it was an episode of Law & Order, he was…”

  “Exaggerating, obviously.”

  He grew quiet. “I miss you.”

  I held my breath, afraid to ruin the moment. I was convinced that if I opened my mouth, I love you would come pouring out. How had he managed to tie me up in knots like this?