“Aren’t you all afraid of getting arrested or fired?”
“My husband may run this studio but he would never have me arrested.” Morgan chuckled.
Theresa emitted a buoyant guffaw. “She has a tape of him and his lawyer discussing certain ‘personal financial gains’ at the expense of the studio.”
“Isn’t that a little risky?”
“Yes, but,” Theresa casually took the Cristal from Laney, “it’s a Hollywood tradition. Sometimes we party, but tonight, it’s back to business.”
Theresa opened the manila envelope and handed out some paperwork to each woman. “As you know, Morgan has opened her art gallery and the grand opening is coming up. Since we’re investors in that effort, we can now parlay some of the profits from sales into a new venture.
“Take a look at the prospectus. PS Holdings has been set up to filter the profits into other lucrative opportunities that will yield returns we can draw from at our discretion.”
Theresa turned to Laney and looked at her as she added, “Laney, we would like your bank to handle the transactions.”
“That would be great,” Laney said, excited that she was in on the ground floor with such dynamic women.
After they discussed the details of PS Holdings, they celebrated by passing around the libations.
At some point, Morgan got up to sit with Cindy on a chaise lounge, leaving Theresa and Laney alone on the couch. A while later, someone turned off one of the klieg lights, which threw Laney’s half of the set into darkness.
With Theresa’s arm around her, Laney felt the warm hand lightly rubbing her shoulder. She was a little buzzed from the champagne and let herself relax into Theresa’s side.
Some of the women had disappeared into the darkness beyond the set, and soon the sweet, verdant smell of marijuana wafted toward her.
“I’m glad I could talk you into coming out with us tonight,” Theresa said.
“This certainly beats a night in with the TV.”
Laney watched as Morgan cuddled with Cindy. They were giggling and nuzzling each other’s neck. Theresa traced a gentle line down Laney’s cheek with her hand.
Laney was beginning to understand this group of women. Though most lived conventional lives, being married or having boyfriends, they all had one thing in common: they longed for excitement and diversion. And while Laney surmised that she might be the only true lesbian in the group, that didn’t seem to matter. They had found camaraderie in this group, where they could get away from their conventional lives, pursue their own business prospects, and be whoever they wanted.
Enjoying the softness of Theresa’s hand caressing her face, Laney let her head rest on the back of the couch and closed her eyes.
Some of her companions were obviously cheating on their husbands and boyfriends, but they were also being cheated on or, at the very least, ignored and unappreciated. Maybe some of them would be gay if things had been different. However, their lives had all taken a specific course and apparently they didn’t want to change what they had built. To them it was better to maneuver things in a way that served their true desires. Regardless of their original decisions, why should they deny themselves a little pleasure?
Laney raised her head when Theresa’s breath swept past her temple. And as Theresa delicately kissed her cheek, goose bumps rose on Laney’s arms.
“Is this all right?” Theresa whispered.
Was it? Theresa was married. But her husband was a boor who was trying to pilfer all their money before he divorced her. Theresa had said he was cheating on her as well.
But all these facts vanished when Theresa began to rub Laney’s stomach. In the back of her mind, she knew this was wrong, but she didn’t care. “Yes,” she answered.
Theresa slowly kissed her face, caressing Laney with her lips. Her hand continued to move across Laney’s belly, gripping her at times when Theresa took a breath of excitement.
Laney turned her head to meet Theresa’s lips, but Theresa wouldn’t allow the kiss.
“Lay your head back again,” Theresa said as she moved to Laney’s neck, tenderly nipping her and heating up her skin with her breath.
Laney’s head whirled in anticipation of more, craving Theresa’s lips on her own. The exhilaration that Theresa’s touch caused amazed Laney. No one had ever spent so much time on any one area of her body. Theresa’s kisses on her neck and the hand that massaged her stomach were driving Laney out of her mind.
A hammer of lust pounded in her brain, causing a throbbing frenzy between her trembling legs. She wanted to push Theresa down on the couch to return the pleasure she was feeling, but that obviously wasn’t what Theresa desired. And whatever Theresa wanted at that moment, Laney would absolutely allow.
Somewhere from the darkness, she heard movement, and the women who had wandered off returned to the set. Theresa’s kisses slowed and she said, “We should go now.”
Laney opened her eyes. She was breathing hard. Ahhh! Don’t stop!
Theresa smiled affectionately and cupped her cheek. She stood and took Laney’s hand to help her up. “You’re amazing.”
As they drove back in Morgan’s Suburban, Laney sat in the backseat with Theresa on one side and Kay on the other. Her thighs still throbbed and she wasn’t quite sure why Theresa had chosen that exact time to leave the soundstage.
“You do understand that we keep these evenings to ourselves,” Theresa said.
Laney nodded.
“You’re free to talk about whatever you please, but most of us aren’t. And we don’t want a lot of revealing talk.”
“I know.”
Theresa placed her hand on Laney’s knee. “Are you okay with that?”
Laney smiled. Yes, she was.
Chapter Eight
Laney’s nights out with Theresa and the other women were definitely not conducive to early morning productivity. Her mind had been scattered lately, and she was having a hard time concentrating on financials, deposit reports, and interest statements. She was contemplating her third cup of coffee when Sandrine called.
“I have some information for you on the kiting incident.”
“That was quick.” Laney’s delight at hearing from Sandrine had nothing to do with resolving the case. Her exhilaration when they were in the foyer by the security equipment had been powerful. Sandrine, who was an attractive and charming detective, was now more than that. Laney was open to her feelings for Sandrine, and just hearing her voice drove that awareness home.
“Remember, you go to the top of my list.”
“I do remember. As a matter of fact, that very flattering comment was hard to forget.”
Why didn’t she feel at least a little puzzled by this flirtation with Sandrine? After all, she and Theresa had also gotten closer the night before. Granted, Theresa had only kissed her neck, but obviously Theresa wanted more than just friendship. Then again, Sandrine made her feel so important. It wasn’t the same kind of importance that Theresa’s red-carpet life created. Sandrine made her feel important in a profoundly emotional way that stirred deeply within her. And even though they’d only spent a moment in back of the bank with the security tapes, the closeness of their bodies felt much more real.
“I’m very glad to hear that. And I’m happy to have caught you.”
“Kelly will always put you through to me, guaranteed.”
Sandrine chuckled. “That’s great to know.” She paused and then said, “After reviewing the tape you gave us, I can tell you that you were hit by a clumsy group of criminals.”
“I suppose dim-witted thugs are a blessing?”
“My favorite kind. They were easy to identify on the surveillance tape. We were able to match them to other kiting scams in Santa Monica and Westwood and piece together their whereabouts.”
“That’s good news. Thank you, Sandrine.”
“I’m delighted that we could resolve it so quickly.”
There was silence on the other end of the phone line, and Laney wasn’t
sure if Sandrine had been interrupted by a colleague or was distracted by something else. Then Sandrine said, “Laney, would you like to have dinner with me Saturday?”
Laney was caught off guard. In the last week and a half, her life had been so different from the last four years. She had been out more nights than she ever remembered. She felt alive and excited.
She was free to pursue anything she wanted. She was single and could date other women. But focusing on Theresa, given her married status, wasn’t necessarily the healthiest idea. Sandrine was single. And she came to the bank only when someone had perpetrated a crime, but her appearance had always brightened Laney’s day. Each time, they conducted themselves professionally but took time to talk in depth about the world outside their careers, and Laney was always left with a feeling of excitement.
Once, when Laney’s father was still working in the bank, he’d told her, when Sandrine had left after one of her visits, that it was obvious Laney fancied the detective. She had outwardly waved off the comment at the time but it stayed with her.
Laney knew Sandrine had been single more than she had been coupled over the past few years. And Laney had been with Judith. She had been devoted to her relationship so she’d never considered Sandrine as anything more. But now things were different.
A rush of exhilaration engulfed her. “I’d like that very much, Sandrine.”
When she hung up, a huge smile erupted. Sandrine Girard! Detective Sandrine Girard! Oh, my gosh! She had never imagined she would be going on a date with Sandrine. She was incredible—intelligent and sexy and striking. And Sandrine’s integrity was apparent in the way she carried herself.
I guess my father was right.
Giddy, she doubted she’d be able to work much after the phone call.
*
It was Saturday morning and, except for some laundry and vacuuming, she had no plans. She lay in bed until almost ten, luxuriating in the fresh breeze blowing through her open windows.
She marveled that she could lie in bed all day and do nothing if she wanted. Usually, Judith was up at dawn planning some boring outing for them that made Laney dread getting up on her days off.
Had they really been boring outings, though? As she lay there reminiscing, she realized that the things they did weren’t necessarily boring but that the connection between them had been virtually nonexistent.
They had had a proper relationship, filled with normal activities but without emotional closeness. Even boring activities would have been enjoyable if they had been able to respond to each other on a level deeper than light cheek kisses and assumed contentment. But as much as Laney tried to make the relationship deepen, she had failed. Still, she remained steadfast because she had made a commitment to Judith. And while finally breaking up with her was a hurtful relief, it was all the more painful to find out Judith had given the emotional relationship Laney truly desired to someone else.
Laney shook her head, annoyed. The missing sexual side of Judith didn’t have any trouble appearing for what’s-her-name.
But now Laney was energized with the possibilities of dating and even, did she dare to say it, stimulating sex. Admittedly, it was a bit superficial to focus on sex, but she had denied herself, or rather Judith had denied her, good, healthy sex for too many years.
Why shouldn’t she look forward to some fun? She could do whatever she wanted to and whatever felt good. And Theresa definitely seemed to advocate that philosophy, even though Laney didn’t sense that their connection would ever deepen beyond the physical.
As far as Sandrine was concerned, Laney wasn’t sure where things might go with her, and it felt right to simply focus on dating and getting to know her. However, she couldn’t help but steal moments from her day to imagine making love with Sandrine. The chemistry between them was unquestionable. But her mind also drifted back to non-sexual thoughts of Sandrine. She was a classy woman, and Laney wanted to get to know everything about her.
She blew out a full breath. Slow down, girl. Being suddenly single had caused new events to happen quickly. Dating meant going out with different people to see what she liked and didn’t like. Theresa and Sandrine were light-years apart in personality, and why shouldn’t she date around and see what she wanted? She had decided too quickly that she liked everything about Judith and look where that got her.
She didn’t want to jump into another relationship that seemed one way but ended up another.
*
Laney was halfway through a cup of coffee when her cell phone rang. Was the call from Hillary? Laney hadn’t been in touch since she apologized for missing Isabelle’s birthday.
As she brought the phone to her ear, she could hear background noise from a busy street. “Hello?”
“Laney! It’s Kay. I’m on Melrose at a Starbucks. Get down here, we’re going shopping.”
Though she had spent time with Kay in group settings, this was the first time she had gotten a phone call from her. She assumed Theresa had given her the number, and while one friend giving another friend her phone number wouldn’t seem out of the ordinary, this friend was known to the whole world. And she was calling Laney to hang out.
She sat up in bed. “Starbucks?”
“Yeah. The one on Melrose between Curson and Stanley. Get your ass moving.”
“Okay! Give me twenty minutes.”
“Then I’ll have time for one more triple espresso.”
*
Melrose Avenue was humming with the energy of a city that never slowed down. Cars crisscrossed the streets, people walked with full shopping bags, and diners ate and talked animatedly at outdoor tables.
Reporters doing stories about Melrose Avenue rarely failed to use the term trendy to describe it. Everyone knew that it was the gawk-when-you’re-shopping and shop-to-be-gawked-at district. Hardly an issue of the popular entertainment magazines didn’t contain at least a photo or two of celebrities glimpsed on the famous street.
They hadn’t even reached the first store on their walk from Starbucks when a few paparazzi were already snapping Kay’s photo. By the time they reached their fifth store, the group of photographers had grown to six.
“Doesn’t all this attention get tiresome?” Laney asked when one of the store managers had to come out onto the sidewalk to escort them in.
Kay shrugged. “It’s a Hollywood tradition.”
Laney furrowed her brow. She’d heard that saying a lot lately.
Kay and Laney were now in Alexander McQueen, which was a first for Laney. She always avoided the store because its sleek, antiseptic white interior design and few, but extraordinary, clothing displays gave her the impression that the prices would be astronomical.
And she was right.
As Kay plucked three dresses from the racks, Laney contentedly followed her around, knowing that any credit card action in that place would come only from Kay’s purse.
Kay handed her one of the dresses. “Here. We’re trying these on.”
Laney could have refused, but she was having such a fantastic time that she figured trying on the expensive dress didn’t mean she’d be committed to purchasing it. But she soon regretted the decision. At a just-above-the-knee length, with a beautiful V-neck design, the black cocktail dress was exquisite.
“Oh, my God,” Kay said when they came out of their dressing rooms to compare looks.
Laney took in the red and black evening dress Kay wore. “You look magnificent.”
Kay waved her comment off. “Laney, look at this dress on you! How freakin’ sexy are you?”
Laney turned to the mirror and Kay came up behind her, squeezing her shoulders. “Theresa’s gotta see this!”
“Theresa?”
“She’ll love it.”
“Kay.” Laney turned toward her. “I’m not going to buy this dress.”
“Are you kidding me? It’s sensational.”
“It’s also really expensive.”
Kay made a short motorboat sound with her lips. “You’re
a bank president and you can’t afford it?”
“Sure, I could afford it, but it’s not practical.”
“Since when is being practical a decree? Don’t be a boring prude.”
When Laney turned back to the mirror, she saw Kay’s face just behind her, smiling devilishly.
No, I’m not boring. I might have been boring once, but not anymore.
“I’ll take it.”
Chapter Nine
Laney wore a comfortable but elegant pants outfit Saturday night. The weather was perfect and typical for Los Angeles, and the night temperature promised to hover around seventy-eight degrees. Sandrine picked her up and they made their seven-thirty reservation at Crustacean with ten minutes to spare. The restaurant’s Euro-Vietnamese cuisine was always outstanding, and though Laney was looking forward to an evening of dining on royal tiger prawns, she was especially excited about spending time with Sandrine.
Her favorite detail about Crustacean was the famous walk-on-water entrance. A sub-floor, glass-covered aquarium ran like a calming river through the cocktail area and led diners to the main dining room. The remarkable interior design evoked a French Colonial estate like the restaurateurs’ own home in Hanoi.
During appetizers of crispy satays and shrimp mousse, Laney sipped wine. “Tell me about your work.”
“Other than visiting bank presidents? I keep busy with all different kinds of fraud cases. It may bore some people, but I enjoy piecing together the evidence and arresting those who believe they can steal others’ hard-earned money.”
“Well, I, for one, am appreciative.”
“The bad guys never take a vacation in this town.”
Laney laughed. “There are too many opportunities here.”
“That there are.”
Laney felt incredibly comfortable with Sandrine. The way Sandrine’s eyes sparkled when she spoke was wonderful, but what really warmed Laney’s heart was the way they sparkled when she was listening. Sandrine’s attentiveness made Laney feel heard and understood. “This may sound inappropriate, but I’ve thought about you over the years. You’ve always been so nice and easy to talk to. I never would have considered pursuing anyone while I was with Judith, but I always thought you were attractive.”
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