by Tia Lewis
How much are you hiding from me, Dustin? I wondered, looking at him through the dim lights barely illuminating his face. I can’t do this unless you tell me, so, please… Just...
“You know, Bianca. I haven’t had a night like this in a… long time.”
The sudden break in silence caught my attention. “Hmm?” I hummed, not sure of what else to say.
“It’s just… I’ve spent a lot of time being alone. The nights have been a lot colder even if Brazil itself always has a way of mending my wounds.” He looked right into my eyes. “That’s why I came here, you know? It could’ve been any other country, but I chose this place.”
This could be exactly what I need. “You do seem at home here. I don’t think I could ever really belong… New York’s all I’ve ever known.”
“It wasn’t long ago that I was saying the exact same things…” He sighed quietly and looked out the window. “Look at it all go by, Bianca. It’s not so different from back home. The city truly lives and breathes. Even at night the parties and livelihood go on until morning.”
“Sure, but at least here it feels like I can, I don’t know…”
“Breathe.”
“Yeah…”
“I can say the same.” He turned his attention back to me. “It’s strange though, Bianca. How things turn out. I feel different around you. So much so that I can tell you things…”
“Of course, you can. You can tell me anything, and I’ll use it to present on your behalf.”
Dustin put a hand up weakly. “Not exactly what I meant… It’s more that… I’ve been divorced for a long time, Bianca. I don’t dwell on it often—Hell, I barely even think about it—but the way you make me feel… Reminds me of things. It reminds me of the way things used to be.”
I hesitated to say something. A quiet sigh slipped past my lips, and I said, “Dustin, what do you mean by that…?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” he asked with a snicker. “It’s been a while since I’ve enjoyed the presence of a truly…beautiful woman.
“W-what…?” I was taken aback. Upon reflex, I’d jumped back a little, hands raised in a defensive position.
“You heard me.” His response was nearly a growl, throaty and rough.
“I find that hard to believe…” There he goes again. Trying to get me off of work and indulging in something else. “You’ve got tons of money. You can have any women you want.”
Dustin shook his head slowly. “Not quite, Bianca. I might have money, but do you think any of those girls care about me personally? Do you think any of them stuck around to listen to me talk about my father or even this case?” He rested his chin atop of his folded hands. “I know that this case is really important to you, and that’s the reason we met and everything, but that doesn’t matter to me. What matters to me is that we met and now that we have, I feel like I can talk to you.”
“I’m not sure… What to say…”
“Bianca, I’m telling you right now. Everything I tell you is completely true. I wouldn’t lie to you. I couldn’t. It just wouldn’t sit right.”
As I stared into his eyes, I lost myself. In that instance, all my petty fears and worries melted away. I was no longer looking at someone who’d been accused of a crime. It wasn’t about our relationship as “attorney” and client anymore.
What had grown between us was something more. It’d grown and evolved. At first, I thought it was friendship, but I wasn’t certain that’s what I felt at my core. I kept hearing the word in my head, but I couldn’t connect it to Dustin.
If it’s not friendship then what is it?
Dustin looked like he was about to say something else, but his phone going off distracted him. “Shit, I’ve got to take this. One second.” He pulled out his phone and put it to his head. “Yeah?”
I leaned in a little, trying to listen to the conversation. Curiosity took the better of me. I had to know that I was right. It’d kill me if I didn’t.
The exchange didn’t last long, but from what I could tell there was a shipment of something coming in a few days. Dustin seemed in charge of the arrangements. He must’ve caught me looking at him oddly because his face quickly soured when he ended the call.
“You know… You’re my lawyer, you’re supposed to believe me and be on my side.”
“I don’t know what to believe, Dustin. I’m just doing my job.”
“You’d really say that after everything I’ve told you tonight?”
He was visibly shaking with frustration, but I insisted, “Just be honest with me.”
Not another word came from either of us. We sat in silence until the limo pulled up to what had to be Dustin’s vacation home.
Dustin
The quiet ride leading up the road and past the gates to my estate gave me some time to think. Tonight had been different from all of the other nights. It didn’t leave me feeling hollow. It didn’t have my mind stirring because Bianca was a puzzle box that I had to solve to get what I wanted. Hidden beneath the surface, there was something more there. There was more to her. Something that drew an essence out of me that I couldn’t understand.
My finger stroked my chin limply. The thoughts came and went in an unsteady flow of consciousness. I’ve given her as much as I can. If she got any more, she’d see me for what I really am. Do I really want that? It shouldn’t matter, but… I sighed, leaning back to rest my head.
It was so strange to me. Her grip on me was frustratingly tight, but at the same time, she fought to keep a distance. I’d seen it all before. It was my game after all. However, there was one fatal flaw—it wasn’t her game to play.
She wasn’t the one who was supposed to harbor this power.
How did my plan go wrong? What went sour?
Stubborn as I was, I knew no matter what happened I’d keep calling her. I’d keep tabs on her as she traveled through Brazil and ask her out to dinner. The logical solution screamed at me. Every part of me knew it. Keep your distance. But what if I didn’t want to?
I just couldn’t wrap my head around it. The constant conflictions were becoming more of a bother than anything else. As we pulled into the driveway, I searched my memories. I haven’t felt this way since…
Since Sandra.
In a way, Bianca was playing right into my hands. She’d done everything I expected her to, but at the same time, she kept her fire. Her vigor. Any other girl would’ve fallen for me completely at this point, but every time I looked into her eyes, I glanced at the fires in them. It brought a little grin to my face. Just knowing that she wouldn’t let me have her so easily.
It wasn’t so long ago I was sitting here like this. The feeling was the same. To me, it didn’t even feel like it’d been even a day when really, it’d been well over a year. She was sitting across from me, her leg propped up on the other.
Looking at Bianca now, I could see a similar look in her eyes. The fires were quiet. Burned out. Replaced with a somber sort of displacement Sandra must’ve felt whenever she was with me. Maybe I should tell Bianca anyway. She is my lawyer. That’s a good enough reason to tell her, isn’t it? I shook my head clear of the thoughts and let out a frustrated sigh.
For a second, I feared I might get Bianca’s attention from the sudden burst, but she didn’t acknowledge me in the slightest. It almost disappointed me for some reason. There was a dull ache with every weak heart beat in my tight chest. The pressure kept building and building, making my hands clammier by the second.
I should say something, I thought, desperately trying to keep a hold on myself. I prepared myself to speak and even opened my mouth, but no words would come out.
They refused.
The blinding glow beside us from the illuminated swimming pool made me raise my hand to shield my eyes. A temporary distraction was enough to make me remember where I was. Back where Sandra and I spent our first night together. We arrived not long after they’d put in the patch of green beside the pool and the brick pathway leading to the house. After all t
his time, I could still link the smell of freshly cut grass back to that night with her.
“Looks like we’re here,” I said without fully realizing it.
Bianca looked over at me and asked, “Going to give me a tour, Dustin?”
“Hmm?” I hummed, slightly confused. “Oh, I thought you’d just want to grab the records and stay in the guest room.”
“Well… I know that I should, but I’ve never been to a place like this before…” she replied, the light from above indicating an open door allowing me to see her face clearly.
Her eyes lit up as wonderment stole her breath away. I could tell she was being sincere, but after the silence, it came as a shock to me. “I’d love to give you a tour, Ms. Reed.”
Bianca’s reaction nearly completely countered Sandra’s when she first saw the home. It was remnant of a style from the time. A home heavily featuring rectangular and square architecture were rising in popularity, but it was more of a detriment than anything else to Sandra.
Faintly, a memory played in the back of my mind as I stepped out of the limo and went around to the other side.
“Isn’t the courtyard lovely though, babe? I’m sure you’ll get used to the house… We’re only here for a few months anyway.”
“I don’t care how long we have to stay here! It’s as if asking to live in a nice home is asking too much of you. Why do I even bother?”
Hearing her voice, even if it was only in my head, sent a twinge of pain through my heart. It was the kind of pain I’d forgotten about. A slow, burning pain that consumed me bit by bit.
“Don’t worry. I’ll have someone else worry about your luggage,” I told Bianca. The instant she climbed out I took another look into her eyes to remind myself who I was with. Despite her being my lawyer there was an odd feeling between us. I was sure that it wasn’t enchantment, but thinking about a way to describe it made my stomach turn in knots.
The feeling gradually weakened until I could feign normality, but in the back of my mind, I knew it was still there. “Thanks,” she said almost dismissively. Her tone concerned me, but I tried not to pay mind to it as I led her to the front door.
“Ladies first,” I said as I opened the door on the right.
She nodded, and I followed her through to the front room. The entire house was already lit up with dim lights—just bright enough to see the furniture placed everywhere. Unlike a traditional home, everything in this one was out in the open. Various chairs sat around a tropically flavored rug at the center while the housekeepers tended to other areas of the house.
“So, what do you think?” I asked.
She struggled to speak at first. “It’s…wow. This is way better than the hotel.”
I nodded slowly. “The place grows on you. It’ll look better in the morning though, so take what you see now with a grain of salt, all right?”
With a gesture to follow me, I brought Bianca down the left wing of the house. The shallow hallway led to the dining room and past there was the quaint kitchen. Once we reached the dining room, Bianca peeked around the corner but didn’t go much further. “I’ll meet you here in the morning. The chef is actually rather outstanding. He’ll fix you anything you like.”
“It would be nice to have something familiar…” Bianca replied as she looked around the nearly empty room.
“I couldn’t agree more. When was the last time you had a good omelet?”
“Too long.” She looked back at me. “Can’t imagine what this place looks like in the day…”
I smiled a little. “Don’t worry. You won’t have to wonder for too much longer.”
At night, the curtains were pulled over a wall entirely devoted to a balcony door leading outside. The barren, long table with seats all around it failed to entice her, so I redirected the tour to the right wing.
Down the right wing’s hallway was a small collection of rooms situated across from each other. The room at the farthest end was the guest room—where she’d be staying. Before that, I directed her to the library. She went in and wandered around for a little while.
The room itself was small, but shelves lined every wall packed with books containing records and other literature. When she finally came out, I took her into the guest room. Her luggage was set down beside her bed, and I stood by the door as she looked around the room.
“I hope you find everything to your liking, Bianca. Enjoy your night,” I said as I gestured to the room.
She nodded and said, “Thank you. I’m sure I will. I won’t be too much of a bother, I hope. Just want to get everything written up for the case.”
“Of course. That’s understandable. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.”
Bianca
The hours seemed to fly by as I sat myself down at the desk by the window of Dustin’s tiny guest room. It was nice knowing I could keep an eye on Dustin and work on the case at the same time. I’d gathered up all the records I needed for the case and put them in a neat pile on one side of the bed while in the middle space I worked on my laptop. After a while, I noticed a pattern with the records.
A large influx of funds would hit one of Dustin’s establishments at random every three months on the twelfth day regardless of how business was. It didn’t even matter when the businesses were at their highest margins, the influx still couldn’t compare. However, as quickly as the money was brought in, it was taken out all the sooner. “There’s something… I’m missing…”
The closer I looked into it, the more I could feel myself getting closer to the meat of the issue. Soon it wouldn’t matter if Dustin said he was guilty or not. I’d be forced to represent him because it’d be my job, but at least I’d know the truth.
Little by little, I was piecing the case together in my head. Dustin had a clear shot at innocence if I could prove it couldn’t have been him to do it. However, convincing a jury would be more than difficult at this point with all the evidence.
Just a little longer and…
My train of thought was cut short by two knocks on the door. “Who is it?” I asked.
“Do you really have to ask?” Dustin asked in return from the other side of the door.
With a heavy sigh, I replied, “Come in.”
“Hey,” he said as he walked through the door and leaned on the door frame beside him.
“So, how would you feel about going to one last party?” The question itself made my face scrunch up in disgust, a knot tying itself in my stomach. Before I could say anything in response, he went on to say, “I know you’re heading back to New York soon, so I figured you might as well enjoy yourself, right?” He shrugged a little. “It’s up to you, of course.”
“Dustin… You already know my answer,” I replied firmly, breaking eye contact with him to focus on my word document.
He sighed. “Listen, Bianca, I’m sorry. I don’t want to make your job any harder—if anything I want to make it easier! It’s just that I’m dealing with a lot right now…”
“No.”
“Bianca…”
“I think it’s best if we keep things firmly on the business side where they belong. Anything beyond that is more trouble than it’s worth. I’m sure you can understand.” The coldness in my tone was apparent to me, but in this instance, I didn’t care. I simply didn’t have time for his antics anymore. “We don’t need anything to distract us from the reason we’re here in the first place, do we? No more parties or outings. It’s not like you’ll ever tell me what’s going on anyway…”
“What are you talking about? I’ve told you everything within my capabilities!”
“Hah! Then why did you shoo me out of the restaurant then? Why did you insist that I stay here instead of stay at my hotel? What could be so troubling to the high and mighty Dustin Baldwin, hmm? You can’t even tell me who you talk to on the phone, let alone tell me you aren’t lying to me straight to my face!” As the words poured out of my mouth, I could feel my entire body getting hotter. The fire of the moment had taken
me, and I didn’t intend on stopping. I got up and walked over to Dustin, a finger pointing to his chest.
“Whoa, Bianca… I…” He put his hands up in a surrendering motion.
“Ever since I got here, it’s all been one big joke to you, isn’t it? I went to one of your parties and let you take me to dinner… God, that fucking limo ride… All for what? Just waste of time. Wasting a lawyer from one of the top law firms of New York’s time! Not only that… I’m sure you know we manage to get some of the worst offenders off clean. 98% rate if I remember correctly. But that’s why you chose us, right? Why you chose me. Good luck finding another top law firm to represent you!”
Astoundingly, it didn’t look as though my words had fazed Dustin at all. He grinned a little and eased himself into a more comfortable standing position. “Well, don’t you want to see my business partners, whom you think are involved in the crime as well?” he asked in a voice smooth as marble.
His question snapped me out of my rage, and I pondered it for a short while. He has a point… His cohorts could give me more information than him at this point. Does he know I’m suspicious of him? He must if he’s letting me get this close to things. I can’t pass an opportunity like this up.
“Fine.”
“Thank you, Ms. Reed.”
With his final words, we nodded in agreement, and he left, closing the door on his way out. I sighed and went back to my desk. As I leaned back in my chair, I thought about Dustin’s involvement with the case. He was the main suspect. The guy who was pulling all the strings had to be him. There was no one else that had the power to do it, and yet, I felt as if there was still something missing.
Once again, I was expected to sacrifice some of my integrity for the good of the case. It’s what mattered most, but I knew that there was a long night ahead of me.
Bianca
The chatter of hundreds of people crammed inside what seemed to be another nightclub assaulted my ears. I could hardly hear myself think over the noises and conversations going on all around me. They even drowned out the music playing that was plentiful in bass, but hardly anything else.