by Cass Sellars
Never once did she mention the ugly words that memorialized her close vigil at Sydney’s home.
Chapter Thirteen
It was nearly two o’clock by the time they had cleaned the kitchen and showered together. Parker was more than happy to further delay the day’s start.
“How do you feel about dinner with Allen and Steve? And maybe Mack and Jen?” She studied Sydney through her long lashes, hoping she would agree. “I want you to meet them, and just introduce you, I guess,” Parker explaining, trying not to scare off the customarily footloose Sydney.
“Ms. Duncan, are you using me as your butch arm candy?” Syd pushed the gun and holster behind her back while she spoke.
“Why, Ms. Hyatt, I am insulted that you would ask such a question.” She grinned as she looked up into Sydney’s face. “Of course I am. Full-time gigolos are so costly,” she added dramatically with the back of her hand to her forehead.
Sydney playfully bit her neck in response. “Such a relief. I was so afraid you were just using me for my mind.” She pulled her up into a crushing embrace and a lingering kiss. “I’m off to the police station. You tell me where to be and when. Oh, and I suggest for the sake of first impressions, we take your car.” A wry smile pulled at Sydney’s mouth.
“Yeah, sure.” Parker appraised her gorgeous lover as she turned to walk out. “What did you do to poor Becky, anyway? You’ll have to try it on me later.”
Sydney stuck out her tongue in answer and rolled the door closed behind her.
*
Parker pulled into her best jeans and favorite short-sleeve silk sweater. Dropping a pair of tall high-heeled black boots by the door, she padded into the living room, brushing her hair as she went. She was floating as she sat cross-legged on the sofa to put on her makeup. She hoped that she could stop herself from becoming too invested in Sydney. She was determined not to let the last twenty-four hours create a future where there wasn’t one. She was grateful when she heard Sydney’s car pull into the lot and pull her out of her own thoughts.
Syd pushed through Parker’s open door a bit early. She’d obviously stopped in her loft first to throw on fresh jeans and a collared shirt, as if armoring herself for the tough interrogation Parker’s friends would deliver later in the evening.
Parker shot her a delighted grin as she jumped from the sofa. “Hi, you.”
“Damn, I thought I might catch you doing a naked grind to Bon Jovi or something.”
Crossing to Sydney, Parker tried to look serious. “Bon Jovi? Really? You’re showing your age, Hyatt.”
“Um, I think you’re the one robbing the cradle in this thing, Ms. Duncan, seeing as you have three years on me.”
“Thirty-eight is a perfectly respectable age for a burgeoning cougar, and haven’t you seen me naked enough in the last twenty-four hours?” She rose on her toes to kiss Sydney’s neck.
“Bite your tongue, woman. There is no such thing as naked enough and don’t you forget it.” She bit at Parker’s ear eliciting a squeal and squeezed against her. “Let’s go, I don’t want to be late for the panel interview portion of this evening.” She grinned at Parker who was stepping into her boots. Syd took a long breath and held Parker tightly to her side as they walked toward Parker’s car.
*
Parker watched as Sydney straightened confidently from the driver’s seat of the Audi. She tucked a bottle of wine under her left arm and crossed to open Parker’s door. They walked clinched together toward the front door which opened before they made it to the porch.
“Welcome, welcome.” Allen swept his arm grandly to usher them through the ornate leaded-glass door. Parker kissed Allen and then Richard. Taking Richard’s arm, Parker turned the stocky blond businessman toward Sydney.
“Richard, this is Sydney Hyatt. Sydney, Richard Dailey.”
“I am very glad to finally meet you.” Sydney placed the bottle into his left hand and shook his right hand firmly.
“And you, Sydney. I have heard very nice things about you.”
Without missing a beat, Sydney replied, “I have paid well over the years—I expect nothing less than the best prevarication on my behalf.”
Allen laughed the loudest, seeming to genuinely appreciate the seamless quip. Parker hoped that boded well for the evening to come.
“Come on, the girls are doling out adult beverages in the kitchen,” Richard said, guiding Parker and Syd down the hall as Syd reached out to retake Parker’s hand.
Jen bounced from her stool to hug Parker as the couple crossed into the kitchen. “And you must be Sydney,” she said, obviously sizing her up. She smiled, looking from Sydney to Parker as she shook Syd’s hand. “Very nicely done, Park,” Jenny said while continuing to assess Sydney by raking her eyes up and down her frame.
Syd seemed slightly amused by the attention.
“Um, excuse me,” Mack said, stepping behind Jen, “but apparently my lovely wife has forgotten who will be leaving her by the side of the road after dinner.” She squeezed a slightly blushing Jen playfully, pretending to mop the drool from the corners of her mouth. Mack offered her hand to Syd. “Mack Foster.”
Syd laughed easily as she took Mack’s hand and shook it firmly. “No worries, I shall stick to the old ball and chain for the night.”
Parker poked at Syd’s ribs and accepted a reassuring peck on her forehead. Jenny combed her fingers happily through Mack’s short dark hair.
“Before you all start lifting your legs and marking your territory, let’s have a toast,” Richard joked, earning an impolite gesture from Mack. They each accepted a glass of champagne from Richard and turned toward Allen.
“To new beginnings and to new friends.” He looked at Sydney and then turned to Parker. “And to each new path that leads us to better places. Cheers!” Everyone joined in and raised their drink.
Parker leaned into Sydney. Syd noted her serene smile and pulled her closer. Syd felt a happy wave spill over her and wondered how the thing she vowed her whole life to want the least, a commitment or at least the promise of one, had become the thing that felt like oxygen at that moment with Parker.
Dishes of vegetarian lasagna, salad, garlic rolls, and roasted asparagus were set on the grand dining room table.
“My God, guys, you will have to roll us out of here,” Mack exclaimed at the sight of the spread.
“No kidding,” Syd groaned. “I’ll be at the gym for a week.”
Allen smiled, looking slightly tense, as they sat. “Enjoy.”
The group passed dishes, made appreciative comments, and cleaned plates before they each groaned in resignation.
“You are the best cooks ever,” Parker said.
“Agreed,” Jen chimed in.
“It’s all a show to impress the lovely Sydney,” Richard admitted over his wineglass.
“Well executed then, sir, and thank you,” Sydney replied.
Mack looked across to Sydney. She was braced for pointed questions from the cop, assessing her worth for Parker. Instead, Mack just said, “Tell me about your company, Sydney.”
Sydney, relieved, explained D.R.I.F.T. and the work she did in Fairfax County for the DA as well as private attorneys and investigators. She was pleased to find common ground with Parker’s friend, chatting about law enforcement, old cases, and how her work might help Mack on her recent homicide case. Throughout, though, Sydney felt the heavy steel at her back and wondered if anyone had noticed the weapon concealed there. She felt a sense of dread she couldn’t explain. Sydney brushed her hand over Parker’s arm and threaded their fingers as they sat, and Parker’s proximity somehow managed to stem the unease.
“Sorry to monopolize the conversation,” Mack apologized sheepishly.
“Yeah, sorry,” Sydney offered, realizing they had been talking shop for the better part of twenty minutes.
“Don’t worry, Syd,” Jen grumbled pointing at her wife. “Usually, I spend my time at her parties deciding between the detective division’s rundown of the lates
t decapitation, or my pie. Usually the bloody crap wins, so this is a treat.”
Mack grabbed a stray strand of blond hair and yanked it. “Hey, at least I don’t recount my day when I come home anymore.” She turned her comments to the table at large. “It took me almost a year to figure out why she stopped eating dinner with me.”
Allen laughed at Mack’s confession. “Better late than never.” He turned to Sydney and his expression turned slightly more serious, and perhaps antagonistic. “So, how long was your last relationship, Syd?”
“Allen!” Richard scolded. “Not appropriate, my dear.”
“What? I just want to get to know Parker’s new…friend.” Allen lifted his hands as if he had no clue as to the fuss.
“Thanks, but it’s okay,” Sydney replied to Richard and then turned back to Allen. “I haven’t been in a long-term relationship for a long time. I gave it one shot years ago and nothing of note since then.” Fire away, she thought silently as she steeled herself for the barrage to come. Parker squeezed her hand under the table.
“So you think this is different?” Allen’s judgmental and dubious tone was bordering on impolite as he pointed a fork alternately between the two women.
Unshaken, Sydney regarded him cautiously. “Parker and I enjoy spending time together, Allen. I—we don’t know what that looks like quite yet, but I’m sure you all will be the first to know.” Sydney looked at Parker. Her eyes said nicely done as she kissed Sydney’s cheek briefly.
“Then shall we assume you’ve given up the barfly business, Sydney?” Allen raised his wineglass and his eyebrows, his pointed stare demanding a response.
“Enough, Allen. That’s enough.” Parker whipped her head around. “Neither of us are in a place to contemplate any kind of relationship. We’ve only known each other a short time as you well know, so please don’t put us on the spot,” Parker said with a warning undertone.
Sydney noticed Parker using the term us although her intent was clearly meant to shield Sydney from the glare of the interrogation. She tried not to analyze why she liked it.
“Well,” Richard announced after Allen had been soundly put in his place, “I have cheesecake.” Allen began clearing dishes and avoided looking at his best friend. Parker’s anger at Allen was still apparent as she remained rigid in her chair instead of helping.
“Sydney, Parker said you just got back from a project in Philadelphia.” To Syd’s relief, Jen bridged a bit of the tension Allen had left to settle over the room by changing the subject, “What was that about? If you can tell us, of course.”
“Well, I’ll leave out the names, but it’s been a fairly public case for years. A man was convicted of first degree murder for beating his girlfriend to death. Police made him as the only suspect as soon as he called 9-1-1 to report that he had found her dead in her bedroom. The problem is that he has extremely limited mobility due to a complicated spinal fusion as a teenager—in fact he can’t raise his arms above his chest thanks to a pretty significant car accident and the nine surgeries that followed. Given calculations of blood spatter, the suspected weapon, which they never found, as well as the depth and breadth of the wounds, it is believed he could never have physically committed the crime, not to mention that he had a ring in his pocket because he was planning to propose to her after dinner that night. He had spent every dime he had to buy her that ring.”
Jenny clasped her hand over her mouth.
“That’s so sad,” Parker whispered squeezing her lover’s hand.
“Yeah, I know. The Justice Advocacy Project is a nonprofit group that gets investigators, retired cops, and lawyers to look into a case where they believe someone has been wrongly convicted. Sometimes classes of law students even take on a case as a semester project. They have gotten some retrials and even exonerations in a couple of instances. They called me this time to show that the blows that killed the woman would have required much more force and range of motion that this guy was capable of on his best day. It’s like showing a movie of the night it happened.”
“You do that all for free?” Allen reentered the room carrying dessert plates and a cake knife. He had appeared to have arrived at a kinder, gentler personality.
“Well, most of my projects are paying gigs to support my car habit”—she winked at Parker—“but this guy had long since depleted his options and resources. If I can, I always take those cases, when I believe in them.” She poked at the cheesecake to be polite but the chill from the earlier encounter with Allen had yet to dissipate completely.
Richard nodded at Sydney. “That’s a very noble undertaking. And rewarding, I would imagine.” He flipped the last narrow wedge of raspberry-chocolate cheesecake onto his own plate.
“It can be depressing, too, if you believe someone’s innocent and no one hears. But, yes, most of the time, those are my favorite projects. I need to make a living, but making a difference feels way more satisfying. Excuse the cliché.”
Parker leaned against Sydney. Sydney appreciated the move that grounded her for the moment.
Mack pointed a fork toward Sydney. “I would love to hear what happens when it’s over.”
“Me, too, Sydney,” Jenny said. “It’s just tragic that he lost the woman he wanted to marry and then went to prison for it.”
When the meal came to a close, Sydney handed the last of the plates to Allen as Parker followed with the large wad of cloth napkins.
“Thank you so much for having us.” Sydney graciously took Richard’s hand in both of hers. “It was so nice to meet you all and dinner was wonderful.” She scanned the gathering to include everyone. “Allen, you now have added generous host to architect extraordinaire. I hope to see you again soon.” She shook his hand briefly, still feeling the unresolved tension that had followed them from the dining room.
Parker followed with a repeat of thanks and a kiss for each of the boys. “We’ll talk tomorrow, Biscuit.” Parker smiled thinly although she looked as if she really wanted to smack him.
The women all strolled slowly to their cars. Jen took her wife’s hand as she said, “We really loved meeting you, Sydney. It’s so nice to finally put a face with a name.”
So Parker had spoken to Jenny about her. Huh.
“Yeah, me too, Syd. I’d love to see your work sometime.” Mack shook Sydney’s hand as Parker hugged Jen good-bye, blowing a kiss toward Mack.
“See you in the morning, Parker,” Jen called.
Sydney wrapped her fingers protectively over Parker’s shoulder as she opened the car door and shut her in. Syd glanced back at the house, thinking she would find Allen glaring at her, but she saw nothing. She slid into the driver’s seat, then brushed her hand over Parker’s hair. “Are you okay?”
“No, I’m pissed,” Parker grumbled and threw a thumb in the direction of the house. “Allen was a perfect ass, I’m really sorry.”
Sydney turned her face with a crooked finger. “He’s trying to protect you, baby, it’s okay.” Syd kissed her soundly.
“That might be true, but that doesn’t excuse him. I’m sorry you had to go through that since he’s normally a great guy.” Parker leaned against Syd’s shoulder as she pulled the car out to head home. They drove in silence until they were nearly back at the warehouse.
“Look, it’s no secret that I have been on the wrong side of monogamy for quite a few years, and I’m sure you’ve filled him in on Becky, so I understand. Hopefully, he will relax a bit when he sees I’m not so bad, right?” She kissed the top of Parker’s head softly as she turned onto Meridian.
“Kind of his only option if he wants to keep his testicles.” Parker still sounded angry.
“Remind me not to piss you off, baby.” Syd winked at her as she turned the car in to rest beside the defaced Porsche. “Now I’m really glad we didn’t take my car as exhibit number one.” Syd laughed as she rounded the front of the car to collect Parker from the passenger side. On her way, she briefly scanned the parking lot for anything that should worry her. Par
ker seemed too busy being furious to notice Syd’s scrutiny.
Parker took Syd’s hand as she led them through the lobby door. They stopped in the hall outside Unit D. “It’s kind of weird to say good-bye.” Parker frowned at the thought.
“You have an early morning and I have a week’s worth of work and laundry to sort through. How about we do something on Friday? I’ll be caught up by then and your project should be well under way.” Syd brushed both hands under Parker’s hair and slid her thumbs under her chin.
Parker nodded, and Syd watched her eyes turn dark as she closed over Parker’s mouth. Parker whimpered quietly as the kiss became hotter and harder. She wrapped her arms across Syd’s back and Syd felt her yield into her body.
Syd turned her head, resting a cheek on Parker’s hair and exhaling audibly. “You do something very curious to my blood pressure.”
Parker pulled away and rolled to her toes, looking straight into Syd’s eyes. “Thank you for an amazing weekend, Sydney Hyatt. I had a great time.”
Syd stepped back and pushed Parker’s hand to her lips. “You deserve the moon, Ms. Duncan. Sweet dreams.”
Chapter Fourteen
Parker sat at her desk contemplating the resumes she was analyzing for final interviews, when Jenny bounced into the office and plopped into her chair.
“Well. That is one fine woman, girlfriend. Of course, if you tell Mack I said that I will deny it all day.” She smirked.
“Your secret’s safe with me,” Parker returned, leaning a bit farther over her desk. “She is kind of amazing, and smart and funny and nice and—”
“Yeah, yeah. And she’s perfect for you, and s-e-x-y.”
“It feels like she is perfect. We spent all but an hour together since Saturday night and I just felt happy every minute.”
“Does that mean what I think it does?” Jenny’s eyebrows rose as she stared at Parker.
“I don’t know.” Parker tried to sound casual but failed, her mind glazing over at her involuntary recall from Saturday night and Sunday. “So amazing,” she whispered, as much to herself as to Jen.