“What? Bullshit. When did you talk to him?” Cheryl demanded.
“On his birthday, when he spent the night at my house. Actually, weather aside, we had a great time.”
“Did you fuck him?” Liz heard panic behind the aggression. It gave her confidence.
“That’s none of your business.”
This stunned the younger women. As quickly as the shock hit, it wore off and Cheryl’s face became red and angry.
“I don’t believe you.”
“Ask him.” Liz said quietly. “He drove me home from work and spent the night.”
“Don’t think I won’t, you fucking liar!” Cheryl and her posse turned and barged out of the bathroom, knocking women aside as they left. Liz and Millie watched them go, not daring to move. Liz exhaled and turned to Millie.
“I can almost feel sorry for her. I mean, she doesn’t really understand that he just sees her as …” She couldn’t finish the sentence.
Millie snorted, “Oh please, from what Corey tells me, she’s been treating him like an ATM. Don’t waste too much of you sympathy on her. But you be careful, too.”
“About what, Mil?” asked Liz.
“I noticed that Hadley’s knocking back the Scotch at a pretty good clip tonight. And I hear he gets a lot of practice. Are you sure you want to get involved with a drinker?”
Liz looked at her. “Mil, nobody’s getting involved with anybody else. I told you, I’m done with dating. Beside,” Liz started putting items back into her bag, “When have you ever been to a Bar Association event that didn’t have a bar? Lawyers drink.”
“Well,” said Mil, “If he’s as good at drinking as he is in court, he’s got problems. And by the way, you aren’t seeing what I see. That man is looking at you like a hungry dog looks at a bone. I mean it, Liz. He wants you.”
“If that’s true, Millie,” said Liz innocently, “then I guess he’d be the one with the bone, huh?” She elbowed Millie and the two of them broke into giggles. Liz sobered. “He just feels guilty for the black eye and he’s been trying to make up for it ever since.”
“Jesus Christ, Elizabeth, will you open your eyes?” Millie exploded. “Just because you don’t recognize flirting doesn’t mean it’s not going on. If you weren’t so damned stubborn, you would see this. And by the way, you should see what he sees.”
“What’s that?”
“The glow in your eyes when you talk to him.”
As they returned to the party, Millie receiving a warm kiss from John. Liz caught a questioning look from John and nodded at him. She ignored Millie’s frown as she looked between the two of them, just smiling cheerily.
Liz walked to the bandstand, again stopping from time to time to receive congratulations for a job well done on the auction. As she reached the foot of the stage, she motioned the bandleader over and exchanged a few words with him. He nodded and spoke to the band. As previously planned, they began to play “Someone to Watch Over Me.” Liz saw John escort Millie out to the dance floor and pull her in close.
“May I have this dance, Counselor?” Liz heard Ty’s voice next to her ear. “I know you’ve had lessons.”
She smiled at him.
“You asked for the last dance, Counselor,” she teased. “This isn’t it.”
Ty chuckled and Liz caught herself. “Touché,” he said, “but I want this one, too.”
“In a minute. I want to watch this,” she turned her attention back to John and Millie.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
“Watch.”
John knelt in front of Millie and took her hand in his. Liz couldn’t hear him, but she knew what he was saying. “Is he proposing?” Ty asked.
“He certainly is.” Liz watched John take a small box from the pocket of his tuxedo and watched Millie gasp. “YES!” Millie’s excitement overrode her volume control. The watching crowd laughed and applauded as John slipped the engagement ring on Millie’s finger and rose to kiss her. The band struck up “Wonderful Tonight” and the couple began circling the floor in each other’s arms.
Liz felt Ty pull circle her waist. “You helped him do that, huh?” he asked.
She finally turned towards him. “I did. I arranged things with the bandleader, I advised John about the ring and tricked Millie into telling me her ring size.” She felt an urge to kiss him.
Ty led Liz out to the dance floor. “Now remember, just keep looking me in the eye and you’ll do just fine.”
Liz put one hand on his shoulder and let him take the other in his hand. They began to move in time with the music. Liz’s heart was pounding and she thought she could feel some kind of deep, slow vibration that had nothing to do with the music coming up from the floor. She had no idea what was going on, but she wasn’t complaining about it, either. Liz looked into his eyes and saw the same intense expression she’d seen earlier. “Tell me, Ty,” Liz was surprised she could find her voice. “Why did you do it?”
“Do what?”
Liz smiled back. “Pay $500 for something I’d have made for you just for asking. Why did you do it, Ty?”
Ty smiled mysteriously. “I have my reasons. One of them being that you didn’t expect anyone to pay much for it, did you?”
“No,” Liz admitted. “It’s not much compared to getaway weekends and baseball tickets.”
“Well, I’ll bet you anything that 85% of the people in this room are talking about it and watching us right now. Next year, it’ll go for over $100 with or without me. Besides, the money went to a good cause, it’s tax deductible and I get more of your tiramisu,” he concluded. Liz felt Ty’s hand slide up from her waist to the bare skin of her back and back down again. Liz almost stumbled from her knees going weak.
“Easy, there,” he admonished. “Remember, keep your eyes on me.”
“By the way,’ he said casually, “I hear you had a nasty confrontation in the ladies room.” She felt his hand tighten on hers. “Are you okay?” His eyes searched her face.
“Yeah, it was nothing, really,” Liz said. “Some angry words and…”
“She shoved you.” He finished.
“Yes.”
“You didn’t fight back.” It wasn’t a question.
“I’m not a cat fighter,” she said. “I didn’t want to cause a scene.” She tried to sound dismissive.
Ty pulled her closer. “You don’t have to be afraid. I sent her home.”
Annoyed, Liz pulled out of his arms and looked at Ty. “Thank you, but I don’t need protection.” She turned to leave and heard him say, “Maybe I want to protect you.”
For the next couple of hours, Liz danced with various partners, most of them men she knew, including Frank McCafferty, and socialized with her friends, admiring Millie’s ring and joining the gang in toast after toast. The ball was finally winding down when Liz felt the hand on her shoulder. The hand belonged to Ty. He hastily downed the drink he’d been holding and disposed of the glass. “Last dance, Counselor,” he said as he led her out to the floor. “You might even be ready for a dip.”
Liz noted that where the dance floor had been fairly crowded earlier, it was nearly empty at this late hour. Ty swept her into his arms and the band struck up “At Last.” He saw the question in her eyes and said, “No, I didn’t arrange it. They just happen to be playing it.”
Ty pulled Liz even closer than he had earlier. They looked into each other’s eyes as they danced.
Liz marveled, “I’ve never been very good at slow dancing and you’ve got me moving like Ginger Rogers.”
Ty smiled and squeezed her hand. “It helps to have the right partner,” he said quietly.
They had made their way to a darker, more private area of the dance floor when Ty looked up. Liz followed his gaze and saw a sizable kissing ball liberally spiked with mistletoe hanging just above them. Ty looked into Liz’s eyes. She could see the warmth and anticipation in them. “Guess I’ll have to do this right then, won’t I?” he whispered. And before Liz knew it, Ty was ki
ssing her.
He started off softly, gently until Liz parted her lips under his. Her head was spinning and she put her arms around his neck to steady herself. Ty tightened his hold on her. She felt his tongue slowly ease into her mouth and touch hers, gradually deepening into something that made her sway. Liz put one gloved hand to his face and felt one of his hands slide up from her waist to brush, then cup her breast.
She tentatively slid her tongue into his mouth, tasting the Scotch he had been drinking. She didn’t care. Ty pulled her even more closely against his body. Liz felt his hand go above the bodice of her dress to touch the soft skin, then try to slide a finger underneath it. He pulled her even closer with his other arm, sliding his hand down to her bottom and pulling her against himself. Liz could feel his erection and stopped breathing.
They were still there…
Jeering faces, bodies against her, semen being shot into her unwilling hand, her voice begging them to stop…
She froze.
Ty broke off the kiss. His breathing was ragged and heavy.
“I have a suite at the hotel tonight, Liz,” he finally managed to say. “Come with me, Darling.” He began kissing her neck, down her shoulder and lower. “I want you. I want us to be together tonight.” He began to push the stiff bodice out of the way of his questing mouth.
“Ty, please, no.” Liz tried to push her dress back into place. He raised his head, misinterpreting her panic.
“I’m sorry. You made me lose my head there for a minute.” he kissed her forehead and raised her chin to kiss her again, just as softly and warmly as he had started. He raised his head. “Come back to my room with me, Liz and we won’t have to stop.”
Liz’s spine stiffened and she tried to pull out of his arms. Ty looked confused.
“I can’t.”
He kept his grip and read her face. “High school?”
She nodded, barely moving her head. Her heart was still pounding as she forced the horror out of her head.
He kissed her forehead. “There.” He kissed it again. “They’re leaving.” Liz found he was right.
“Let me help you put that ugliness behind you. Come with me and we’ll have a beautiful night making love.” He stroked her face. “Trust me.”
Liz realized that she did trust him. And more.
She loved him. She’d fought against it and lost. Elizabeth Gardner had fallen in love with Tyrone Hadley. And he was asking her to spend the night with him. He was murmuring something as he was kissing her neck, a caress that made her go limp. “You look like a queen in that dress, Counselor, but I can’t wait to get you out of it.”
Reality hit Liz. He’d see what the cut of her dress was hiding. She opened her eyes. “Ty, I…”
He cut her off with a kiss. “Sssh, Baby. Let’s go. I’ll have room service bring us champagne and you’ll see. I’m not going to hurt you.” He kissed her again. “I love you too much to ever hurt you.”
Liz froze. She had almost whispered, “I love you, too” until the aroma of Scotch from his breath hit her nostrils. It was the liquor talking, not Ty.
She pulled away from him, reluctantly disentangling herself. Ty’s bewilderment showed in his eyes, those eyes she longed to see on the pillow next to hers and wouldn’t. He reached for her, but she stepped further away.
“Liz, don’t run away from me.”
She shook her head. “Please, it’s been a beautiful evening. Let’s not ruin it. This is wrong. You’ve been drinking; you don’t know what you’re doing or saying. I know what I’m doing. Believe me, I know best.”
“No.” The one word was quiet, firm and held an undercurrent of anger. Ty shoved his hands into his pockets, ignoring what it did to the line of the tuxedo jacket. He was staring at the floor and continued to stare as he spoke, still quiet, still angry.
“No, Liz, I don’t think you know what you’re doing.” He looked up. “I want an explanation.” He held up a hand to stop her protest. “Not tonight. The only thing I want to hear from you right now is ‘Yes, Ty, I’ll come with you’ and we know that isn’t going to happen. So, you go. But know this, Elizabeth: we’re not done.” And he abruptly turned and stalked off.
Liz closed her eyes. The pain she had just inflicted on him had hurt her, too, but she reminded herself that she was only protecting herself and her heart before the real damage could be done.
Chapter 6
The good thing about Hyannis in December, reflected Liz as she drove along Route 132, is that you pretty much have the town to yourself and it’s not too difficult to get a hotel room at the last minute and get one for a song, at that. Yeah, it was fun in the summertime with all the crowds, but she craved quiet and solitude right now and Hyannis would offer that. Over the years, it had proven itself as a place to hide and heal.
It had been one week since the Barrister’s Ball and Liz couldn’t keep her mind off Ty’s kiss. Just thinking about it, she could feel it all again, Ty’s lips on hers, the warm, sensual probing of his tongue, his arms around her, his hands on her bare skin and how she had so eagerly responded. Part of her wondered if she should have gone back to his room with him.
All hell had broken loose after the ball; the society columnists for the local papers kept calling. Women Liz had never heard of either called the office or dropped by to “go grab a bite.” Corey informed Liz all of them had been previously been linked to Ty Hadley. Liz saw none of them, having Corey issue a polite refusal (he had trouble with the polite part). According to Millie and Joe, hiring partners from some of the other firms in town had begun to “sniff around,” calling contacts within the Hoffman, Lovell and Dennis to find out more about her. Dan was not pleased and he took his irritation out on Liz by dumping work on her. The Monday after the ball, one dozen sterling silver roses were waiting for her at the reception desk with a note indicating that these were the first of fifty-two weekly bouquets she’d be receiving, per the instructions of Tyrone Hadley, Esq. who’d bought them at auction. Liz was unable to eat, substituting iced coffee for anything more substantial. With the nervous tension added to the caffeine, she had been unable to relax. More than once, Liz had bitten Corey’s head off for no good reason. Even Millie was puzzled that Liz refused to confide in her when she was clearly upset and confused. Beanie would chase his toys around in front of Liz, energetically batting and running, then sitting back on his haunches, tail wagging and awaiting praise. When it didn’t come, he’d philosophically stretch and curl up in Liz’s lap, purring while she mechanically stroked his coat, her mind on a man with a devastating touch.
And there were the phone messages. A small stack of pink paper squares with “Ty Hadley – please call” noted on them. And voice messages both at work and at home. As soon as she heard his voice, Liz erased them without listening.
The kicker had been an email from a society photographer who had been at the Ball. He’d attached pictures of Ty and Liz dancing together and kissing. Liz had been shaken that even this most intimate moment had not been private. She’d gone into Dan’s office, told him she was using some of her accumulated vacation time and doing so immediately. When he started to deny her, Liz gave her two weeks’ notice. Back at her desk, Liz had made three phone calls: one to Judge McCafferty to accept his offer, one to book a room in Hyannis and one to Vincenzo’s.
Once she’d arrived on the Cape, Liz turned into the parking lot of her hotel, patting her car on the dashboard. “Good boy. Just get us back to Salem in a couple of days and I’ll buy you a tune-up, I promise,” she said. Liz found that a certain amount of begging and bribery kept her ancient VW Rabbit running. It wasn’t exactly an image car for a lawyer, but it was paid for, passed inspection, still got fairly good gas mileage and ran.
As Liz waited for the clerk to complete the check-in, her mind went back to her last conversation with Millie and Corey before she left. Millie had just looked at the circles under Liz’s eyes and nodded. She knew about the chaos, but suspected there was something more and it had t
o do with Ty. When Liz told her she was going to Hyannis for a few days, Millie had finally broken down and asked what the hell was going on. Liz replied “Please, Mill. I just want to be left alone for a couple of days. We’ll talk when I get back, I promise. Right now, Boston’s just too insane.”
Millie had nodded and hugged her friend with a silent prayer that Liz would find the answers she sought. Corey had remained silent except for a request that Liz bring back a snow globe for his collection.
After dropping her bags in her room, Liz headed back out into the chilly air of Hyannis. Fortunately, her destination was close and she quickly made her way into Cucina Vincenzo.
A handsome man in his late sixties was seated at the bar reading a newspaper and drinking coffee under a picture of the Rat Pack with a much younger version of himself. He looked up at the tinkling of the bells on the front door and got up to greet Liz.
“Here’s our girl!” Vincent DiNardo wrapped Liz in a bear hug. “Lizabetta!”
Vinnie held her out at arms’ length and searched her face. “What’s wrong? Are you in trouble? I’ll kill him.” Vinnie hugged her again and Liz returned it, feeling better than she had all week.
“No, I’m not in trouble,” she said, still holding Vinnie, “Everything’s fine.”
“Bullshit,” Vinnie answered pleasantly.
“Vincenzo!” A sharp yell from the kitchen.
Vinnie turned his head towards the voice, “Angie, I’m old enough to curse if I want to. Save it for the boys, Darling,” he said sweetly. He turned back to Liz. “As I was saying, in my own way, I don’t believe you for a minute everything’s fine. Look at your face. Belle of the Ball and you look like you lost your best friend.”
“The bookstore is holding an order for me and I want to check out some more properties for investment. I thought I’d do some work here, too.” And hide, she added silently.
Vinnie released her. “I still don’t believe you. The bookstore could have shipped your order and you don’t need to personally inspect your rental properties,” he pointed his index finger at her, “You, my girl, do not drive for hours with a snowstorm following you just to come visit. I won’t pry, but I’ll bet it’s some man.”
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