The Hidden Room

by C S Joseph

  Petrovich laughed again. “Look, that doesn’t matter. The contractor works for us. I’ll handle Miles. But this permit fee, that’s all you. I thought you could handle this. Weren’t you using your wife’s money? You told me that you were going to get all costs covered.”

  “It’s not that I lost it. It’s more about where it came from. A letter from the IRS came in. They’re going to audit my wife’s foundation. I need to get this moving, so I can replace the money that I borrowed. I have all the letters of intent I need from our tenants, except for one. That’s when we will get the final approval from the bank and they’ll put the money into the account.”

  “How much do you need to replace it?”

  “A quarter of a million. I’m getting out of the laundering business. This is my opportunity to create a legitimate business venture. I will make you whole. You know I always have.”

  Aiden had met Nikolai Petrovich when the economy was hard and both were working their own deals that fell through. Nikolai made a proposal. He would give Aiden cash to launder through his projects. It started out small, buying old abandoned buildings and upgrading them. When he sold at a profit, he paid Petrovich the cash. Once he met his current mistress, he wanted to get out of that business. Nikolai was agreeable to the deal, since the economy was doing better and there was no longer a shortage of ways to launder his money.

  Nikolai scowled at Aiden. “I know you want out. All the cloak-and-dagger shit was just to make me laugh. We didn’t really need to have you say a password to get in,” he laughed. “I’ll handle it. We will be in touch.” Aiden chuckled uneasily. He looked at the kid and realized that he was the Russian’s son.

  “You made it seem like this was a big deal, like the Feds were after us or something.” Aiden held up his hand and gave him the finger as he walked out.

  Nikolai just laughed. He took out his phone. “Miles, it’s Nikolai. You told Aiden Davis that you need a retainer?” He laughed again. “I love giving that guy a hard time. I agree, what an idiot.”

  †

  Caitlyn picked up her phone again and saw there were no new messages. She huffed and threw the device onto the bed. She looked around the room, then flopped back on the mattress. She heard a beep and grabbed her phone.

  Hi babe – OMW

  Rachel. Caitlyn had sent Julia a message two days ago and had not heard back from her. Maybe there’s just bad cell service out in the middle of nowhere. I hope Julia isn’t having sex with Reese. This was an unexpected turn of events in her mind. She didn’t expect to have these deep feelings for the woman. They came out of nowhere. She knew that competing with Reese was a game she would never win. That’s why she’d ended it to begin with. Now, the absence in her life was becoming too much to bear. She didn’t realize how much loss she would feel.

  She needed to get dinner started. She walked into the kitchen and looked in the pantry. She grabbed a box of spaghetti noodles and the jar of sauce next to it. She began to clatter around the cabinets and pull out what she needed. With the water-filled pot on the stove, she opened the jar and poured the sauce into the pan. Her mind began to wander back to Julia.

  †

  Alexander, Julia’s father, was just leaving as Caitlyn arrived at Julia’s apartment. Julia was in the kitchen, lighting a candle on the table. She shooed her father out the door and motioned for Caitlyn to sit. “Hey,” Julia leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. “You ruined the illusion of me cooking dinner for you.”

  Caitlyn laughed. “Oh I’m sorry, should I take a walk around the block and knock again?” A sarcastic smirk appeared.

  “Yes, actually, one lap should do it.”

  “Excellent. I’ll be back in a jif.” Caitlyn headed toward the door. She felt Julia’s fingers wrap around her wrist. “Make up your mind, would you?” She laughed and turned to face the dark-haired woman.

  “My presentation ran long at work. Dad was just helpin’ me out.” Julia shrugged.

  “So, it’s not that you were afraid that you might burn down the kitchen or something?”

  Julia laughed. “No. I can cook. I just never have a good enough reason to put out the effort.”

  “Well thank God, because the only thing I make is reservations.” Caitlyn smiled warmly.

  Julia tilted her head and narrowed her eyes a bit. “Those are good too.”

  “I always wanted to learn how to cook, but no one took the time to teach me.” Suddenly, she caught herself wishing Julia would be that person for her.

  “Really? That’s interesting. I was going to make dessert. Dad didn’t have time, he was swamped at the restaurant today. I’ll teach you how to make tiramisu.”

  “That’s my favorite dessert!”

  Julia smiled and let go of her wrist. Caitlyn immediately missed the contact.

  “It’s my favorite dessert to make. That settles it. After we eat, I’m gonna put an apron on you.”

  Caitlyn looked back at her with surprise. Julia just smirked and made an obvious point to move her eyes down her face and across her body.

  “I’m leaving myself in your capable hands then.”

  “You know, I’m pretty good at putting on aprons…and taking them off.”

  Caitlyn felt herself blushing. She couldn’t believe that she’d met this beautiful woman. She felt lucky for the first time in ages.

  “You look amazing tonight…very beautiful. Thanks for coming over.”

  Caitlyn gathered her confidence. “Thank you for having me.”

  “You’re welcome anytime. We should eat.”

  Suddenly nervous and excited at the same time, Caitlyn noticed the butterflies in her stomach were on high alert. She felt wonderful all over. Julia was having an effect on her, and she liked it.

  “Great, I’m starving!”

  Julia led her over to the table where two large portions of lasagna were plated. There was a basket of bread and a salad. Two empty wine glasses sat on the table. Caitlyn sat down and looked over at Julia through the candlelight.

  “Okay, so this is my favorite dish of my dad’s. It’s labor intensive, but the flavor makes it worth it.”

  “I’ll be the judge of that.”

  Julia sat there looking at her expectantly, as Caitlyn placed her napkin on her lap and picked up the fork. She scooped up the first forkful. The moan was unexpected. “Oh my God, that is amazing.”

  “That sauce is a family secret. It’s what takes the longest to make.” Julia’s warmth revealed her pride and affection for her family.

  “Well, since I can’t cook, you don’t have to worry about me raiding your recipe drawer.”

  Julia laughed. “I’m not worried about you trying to fool me into something here. I trust you.”

  “I’m glad, but I wouldn’t try to pull anything on you.” She batted her eyelashes dramatically for effect. It seemed to work, when Julia smiled back at her. Caitlyn erupted into laughter. Julia reached for the bread and ripped off a piece.

  “Wait. You’ve gotta try it like this.” She leaned over the table and dipped the bread into the heap of food on Caitlyn’s plate. The red sauce began to drip, and Julia put her other hand underneath. She held the offering still, expectantly. Slowly, Caitlyn leaned forward and took a bite. Julia leaned back and smirked. “You gotta little somethin’…” she motioned to her own face.

  Caitlyn took her finger and scooped up some sauce. “Oh, you mean here?” She playfully wiped the sauce on the other side of her own face. Julia laughed.

  “You missed it.” Julia rolled her eyes and feigned irritation.

  “Oh? How about here?” Caitlyn ran her finger across her forehead.

  “Other side…”

  She frowned, and her eyes turned in confusion. “Huh? Oh, you must mean here.” She leaned forward and swiped sauce down Julia’s left cheek.

  Julia lifted the bread that was still in her hand. “Actually, let me just get that for you.” She leaned forward menacingly, and Caitlyn stopped her hand before the bread an
d sauce made it to her face.

  “Maybe I should just wash my whole face!” She laughed as she headed to the sink. Julia was still laughing. Caitlyn was enjoying the banter and took a leap. “If I left it up to you, I’d be covered in sauce.” She turned her head and met Julia’s eyes, as she smiled over her own shoulder.

  Julia threw the bread onto her plate. “That’s it…” Julia stood abruptly. She knocked the chair off its legs, and it clattered loudly to the floor. Caitlyn squealed and searched for an escape route out of the kitchen. Julia grinned as if she’d already won. Caitlyn tried to move in the opposite direction. Julia hopped quickly from foot to foot in anticipation. Caitlyn took a step backward and lifted her hands in hopes the move of surrender would stop Julia’s advancement. Julia’s eyes moved quickly to the pot of sauce on the stove. She took a step forward and dipped her finger in the pan.

  “Ohh no. You wouldn’t!” Caitlyn cried, “Don’t you dare!”

  “You think I want you covered in sauce…you’re gonna be covered in sauce.” Julia challenged and took another step toward her.

  “It was just a figure of speech!”

  Julia didn’t stop her forward advance.

  “I was kidding, Look! A baby wolf!” In desperation, she pointed behind Julia. Julia’s stare didn’t waiver, and Caitlyn took another step backward.

  “Oh, no. You asked for it. You’re gonna get it.”

  Caitlyn’s back hit the sink. Julia took the last few steps to saunter up against her. Caitlyn’s breath hitched, as Julia lifted her sauce-covered finger to her face. She smiled at the finger and accepted her fate. Julia slowly moved her finger toward her nose. Caitlyn lifted her chin slightly. She leaned forward and took Julia’s finger into her mouth. Julia smiled in victory and kissed her softly.

  The front door swung open. Caitlyn jumped slightly at the noise that interrupted her thoughts. She looked over at Rachel, then at the stove. The sauce was boiling out of the pan, and red puddles dotted the stove and floor. “Dammit!” She turned the heat down, while attempting to dodge hot specks of sauce aimed at her hand.

  “Hey, guess we’re going to order some take out?”

  Caitlyn huffed and nodded. Rachel came up behind her, looked at the stove over her shoulder, then walked past and went into the bedroom. One little comment about her inability to cook dinner and Caitlyn knew she would be irritated the rest of the night. She was starting to think that a week of dating Rachel was too long. Caitlyn apologized and said that she didn’t feel well. Rachel agreed they could hang out another night. She looked sad but left.

  What a mess. Caitlyn took a deep breath. She furrowed her brow, as she looked around and realized that she’d left her phone in the bedroom. She went to find it. There was always the option to just go for a walk and pick up something at the café down the street. She wished she could have dinner with Julia. Grabbing her phone, she left in search of dinner.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Julia woke up early and headed into town to get breakfast. She woke Zach before she left and told him to let his mom sleep, but that he needed to get ready for school. He sleepily agreed and headed for the shower. Ollie followed, his little tail wagging behind them.

  As she drove back to the house, Julia wondered what she could do to help support Reese. She knew there were some emotional issues happening beneath the surface that Reese was not discussing. For a moment, it hurt that Reese didn’t feel safe enough to speak to her. That’s just how Reese is. She’ll talk when she’s ready. All she needed to do was wait. Patiently.

  Zach strained to see the containers Julia laid on the table. “What are we having?” he asked, as he plopped down in a chair. Ollie invited himself up on the chair next to Zachary. Julia laughed and told him to get down. He obeyed and lay down on the floor beneath Zach’s feet.

  “Pancakes, what else would we have?”

  Zachary gave a hopeful face. “Snowman pancakes?”

  Julia had anticipated this request from him. Not many people possessed the talent to keep each circle distinct. She laughed. “I did ask, but”—She opened the first container to show him what had ended up in the box.—”It looks more like…a giant blob.”

  “It could be a baseball.”

  “Yeah, I can kinda see that…okay. Baseball it is!” Julia slid his box across the table to him. “Are you ready for school? What else we gotta do? Got your…backpack? Homework?”

  “I have everything packed up. Mom says I need to put my things together before I go to bed at night, so I can be organized in the morning.” He made Julia laugh when he imitated a face Reese would make.

  “Of course she does. Okay. Um. Let’s see…” She clapped her hands and rubbed them together, looking around the room as she ran through any possible thing he would need for school. “You have clothes on. Your hair is brushed. Teeth? Did you brush your teeth?”

  He gave an impatient sigh. “Yes, Jules. Of course I brushed my teeth. I’m not a baby.”

  “Okay. I’m just checking. I want your mom to sleep in. I’ll take you to school.” She realized he would need to buy lunch, so she took out her wallet and grabbed a twenty-dollar bill. “Here’s some lunch money. Do you need more than that?”

  He looked at her incredulously. “Julia, that’s too much. Lunch only costs five dollars!”

  “I dunno. Inflation? It only cost a buck when I was your age.”

  “How long ago was that?” Zach deadpanned, as he looked at her expectantly.

  “Eh. That’s not important. Eat your baseball.” She sat down across the table from him and picked up the next container. She grabbed the plastic fork and began to eat. Zach shrugged and ate his baseball.

  His mouth was working around a really big bite. With his mouth still full of food, he asked, “Julia, how are things going with you and Mom?”

  Julia stopped mid-chew and stared at him. She swallowed the lump of food whole and washed it down with her coffee. “Good. We’re, uh, we’re good. You know. You’ve been hangin’ out with us all weekend.”

  “I know. Mom just looked so happy this weekend.”

  “That’s because she had you home all day,” she quipped.

  He gave a wry smile. “And you. She’s always happier when you’re around.”

  She smiled at the thought of being able to make Reese happy. She was proud of him for caring about his mom’s happiness. “She’s happier with you, bud. But she’s glad to have a friend out here. It’s not easy to leave your home. She’s out here by herself now.”

  Zach frowned. “I like my new school and all, but I wish we were back in Portland still. Closer to you. I’m going to miss you when you go home.”

  “I’m gonna miss you too. We’ll see each other. I’m gonna try and get to your baseball games.”

  “Really?” Hope lit up Zach’s face as he bounded out of his chair.

  “Well…yeah! I mean, if that’s cool?” Like a shot, he ran around the table. Julia stood up, prepared for a collision.

  “That would be awesome!” He threw his arms around her.

  She laughed and picked him up off the floor. She swung him back and forth a few times before putting him back down.

  “You gotta make sure you keep your head down when you pitch. You think your mom will be able to help with that?”

  “I will Jules. I’ve been working on it, but Mom doesn’t know baseball. That’s why I need you.”

  “Always know this…your mom is probably the most intelligent person I’ve ever met in my life. She knows just about everything there is to know. But you’re right about one thing; she does NOT know about proper baseball pitching technique. That is why I’ll be here.”

  She lifted her hand. Zach smiled and gave her a high five, then she affectionately mussed his hair. “What time are we supposed to leave?”

  Zach looked over at the clock on the wall. “About five minutes ago.”

  “Shit…I mean, sorry. Grab your stuff.” She looked around on the table for her keys. She didn’t see them.
Zach calmly grabbed his backpack and stood by the front door. She spun around a few more times and saw them on top of the last unopened breakfast container. “Found ’em,” she said, as she held them proudly in the air and followed him out to the car. After dropping Zach off, she went to the grocery store and bought a new cooler and filled it with ice. She bought some sandwiches, a salad, and a few other things to eat for lunch at the house.

  When she brought everything inside, she closed the front door. She turned around and watched, slack-jawed, as Reese walked down the stairs. Her jeans showed every curve, and her hair billowed softly with each step that she descended. Mesmerized, Julia took in the beauty of the woman before her.

  “Good morning. I overslept.” A shy blush colored Reese’s cheeks.

  “No, I wanted you to sleep in. I took care of Zach this morning. Just dropped him off.”

  “Oh Julia, you know that I only need eight hours of sleep a night. Zach is my responsibility. I don’t want to impose on you.”

  “We had a great time. Male bonding and all that.”

  “Julia, do I need to remind you that only one of you is actually a male?”

  “Thank you, Captain Obvious.” Julia rolled her eyes and laughed. “C’mon, Reese. You know I love that kid.”

  The upward turn at the corners of her mouth belied her look of defeat. “And he loves you so much.”

  “Yeah. I know he does. You know what he told me in the car?”

  “I’m afraid to ask.”

  Julia laughed for a moment. Reese was adorable in this mood.

  “He said that there is this girl in his class, and he gave her a flower at recess. I thought it was cute.”

  Reese didn’t seem surprised. She wore a knowing smile and folded her hands in front of her. “He told me that he learned how to treat a woman, because he’s seen how you treat me. It made me a bit sad. I wish his father was someone that he still looked up to.”