by Carsen Taite
She took a deep breath. Maybe just being back at the courthouse was the issue. After all, she’d tried her very last case in this very courtroom. The memory washed cold down her spine and she pushed it away while she made a final decision about Naveed. She wasn’t his lawyer and she had no business advising him. She’d give the file back to Meg, along with a brief summary of her conversation with Danny, and she’d be done with this case. No more favors. No more getting sucked back in. She wasn’t a lawyer anymore and it was time to stop pretending she was.
*
Sarah watched the door close behind Ellery, still fixated by the exchange. When she’d first walked into the room, she’d been captivated by Ellery’s good looks—short, stylish, dark brown hair, a strong jaw, and gray-blue eyes so deep you could drown in them. Happily. Her suit jacket hugged her lean torso, and Sarah had quickly determined she definitely wasn’t carrying and therefore, probably wasn’t a cop. Attorney, she’d concluded. She noticed the leather briefcase by her chair. Most likely defense counsel. Ellery’s pose had been confident, like she belonged here, but the expression in her eyes signaled reluctance of some kind. She was entirely at ease bantering with Danny, but she didn’t want to be here. What had she told Danny about why the case wasn’t hers? Who was she doing the favor for? The details didn’t matter, but Sarah couldn’t shut down the questions, especially since everything about Ellery Durant, from her striking appearance to her feisty defense of her client was irresistible.
She managed to wait until they were at lunch to start grilling Danny. “What’s the story with Ellery Durant?”
Danny glanced at her watch. “You’ve been in town how long? And you’re already on the prowl? Why am I not surprised?”
“Fine for you to judge. You married people are all alike, forgetting how it used to be when you were single and lonely.”
“You lonely? I find that hard to believe. I bet you have a different woman in every city.”
“I might, but that doesn’t change anything. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not traveling anymore.”
“Ready to settle down?”
“Ready to start thinking about it.” And she was, although this was the first time she’d said it out loud. While working in the BAU, she’d had built-in relationships with her fellow agents and she hadn’t had the time or energy to give to anyone outside the close-knit group. She’d satisfied her need for intimacy with strangers in various cities, the location determined by her work. Her lifestyle had seemed easy at the time, but it had done nothing to prepare her for the long-term. Now that she had the opportunity to develop something more, she didn’t have the first clue how to go about it. Maybe her attraction to Ellery was nothing more than the familiar call of hormones, but she could at least see if there was something more there. “Are you going to tell me about her or do I have to engage my super power detecting skills?”
“I don’t know her well, not personally anyway. She didn’t come up through the office. Her father was a big deal defense attorney in town and she started working in his practice right out of law school. She was good, born to be a trial litigator, but just as good at working out good deals for her clients. She wasn’t one of those attorneys who thinks all law enforcement types are evil.”
“Was? Did something happen?”
“I don’t know, but she just told me she’s not practicing anymore. Something about making furniture. You know, one of those deals where you find old stuff and what’s the word? Repurpose it.”
“That’s odd.”
“She seems happy.”
“I guess. She seemed kind of annoyed.”
“Well, you were a little annoying. And you’re one to talk. Aren’t you the one who left the prestigious BAU to thumb through papers in a fraud unit?”
“That’s different,” Sarah said, while hoping Danny didn’t press her on the point. Unlike Ellery, she was still in the same line of work even if her new position wasn’t nearly as dynamic as her work with the BAU. Pushing paper would allow her to stay in one place, have an actual home instead of an apartment that served as nothing more than a storage locker. Pushing paper wouldn’t cause her to jerk awake from nightmares, ready to seize her gun from the nightstand. Maybe Danny was right. Who was she to judge Ellery for her decision to change occupations?
“Tell you what,” Danny said. “Ellen’s alumni group is hosting a candidate forum this Friday. The reception will be full of some of the most eligible women in Dallas. Ellen will be busy the whole time so you can be my pseudo date. If you’re really settling down, you may as well start getting to know the locals. Pick me up at six.”
Sarah laughed until she realized Danny was serious. She started to beg off, but her resolution to embrace her new life echoed in her mind. A night full of politics with Dallas’s elite wouldn’t have been her first choice, but what better way to plunge in and she’d at least have friends on hand if she started drowning.
Chapter Four
Sarah dug through her closet until she found the dress. The Dress. It was still wrapped in plastic from the last time she’d taken it to the cleaners. She tried to remember when that was, but couldn’t quite place when she’d last worn it. Hopefully, it still fit. It had been way too long since she’d worn clothes that weren’t designed to hide her government-issued Glock or shoes suitable for running down suspects, but tonight she was going all girl. She tugged the Louboutins she’d splurged on months ago, but hadn’t had a chance to wear, off the top shelf of the closet. Danny’s prediction about the number of eligible bachelorettes at this shindig had better be spot-on.
An hour later, she drove past the valet stand of the W Hotel and made a few laps around the block. The neighborhood around the hotel appeared to house a lot of new development, restaurants, retail, and a fancy apartment complex, all with private parking. It only took a few minutes for her to realize there was no street parking available, and when she looped by the American Airlines Center, she realized why. The arena was lit up and people were pouring into the building. The Mavericks were playing the Spurs, and no doubt the arena would soon be packed with fans cheering on their respective Texas teams. Resigned to leaving her car in the hands of strangers, she pulled into the hotel drive and surrendered her keys to the youngster who opened her door. He stared at her legs as she stepped out of the vehicle, and she tapped his shoulder to get him to meet her eyes. “Ticket?”
“Uh, sorry, miss.” He handed her a stub. “Luggage?”
“No, I’m here for an event. I’ll find my way.” She strode away, certain his eyes were firmly fixed on her backside. Hopefully, this dress would have the same effect on the women at this event.
Moments later, she’d emerged from the elevator onto the top floor of the hotel. The entire space had been reserved for the reception. If breathtaking views made for generous donors, the politicians present could expect to go home with lots of new money. She walked to the floor to ceiling windows and stared out over the city, downtown to the left, the arena to the right. This was her home now, and she was ready to make the most of it. Maybe she’d check out the basketball schedule and catch the next home game. She’d rarely had time to take in planned events before since she never knew when her job would call her away. Now she could buy tickets well in advance and be certain nothing was going to disrupt her plans.
“Don’t jump.”
She turned at the sound of the familiar voice and smiled when she saw Danny and her wife, Ellen, walk toward her. “No worries. I was just taking in the sights.”
Danny shook her hand and Ellen leaned in to kiss her lightly on the cheek. “I’m so glad you came,” Ellen said. “Danny gets so bored at these things. Promise you’ll keep her from falling asleep during the speeches?”
“Speeches?” Sarah glared at Danny who looked sheepish.
“Uh-oh. I may have neglected to tell her there would be speeches. I’m pretty sure I only mentioned gorgeous, rich, eligible women.”
Ellen laughed. “Well, there’ll be pl
enty of those. And the speeches will be short, I promise.” She looked at her watch. “You’ve got an hour to find the woman of Sarah’s dreams before anyone takes the stage. I’m sorry, you two, but I’ve got to do my thing. I’ll catch up with you later. Sarah, it’s great to see you.” She’d barely delivered her last words before she disappeared into the crowd.
“Guess you’re stuck with me,” Danny said.
“You can be my wingman. I’m not leaving here without someone’s phone number.”
“Dressed like that you’ll probably leave with a lot more than that.”
“Settle down, tiger. Your wife’s nearby.”
Danny punched her in the shoulder. “As if.”
Sarah smiled back at her, remembering how shamelessly she’d flirted with Danny the first time they’d met. Danny hadn’t wanted to have anything to do with her, partly because they’d clashed professionally, but primarily because she’d already met Ellen Davenport and was completely captivated by her charms. She couldn’t blame Danny. Ellen was beautiful and charming, and she could only hope to find a partner who was as well suited to her as Danny and Ellen were to each other.
“If only I could be as lucky as you. Let’s start working this room. Where do you suggest we begin?”
“You stand here and look pretty and I’ll get us some drinks, then we can make our way around the room. I know enough of these people to get you started on your quest to find the future Mrs. Flores.”
Danny took off before Sarah could protest. She stood with her back to the windows and surveyed the room, glad she’d worn the dress, as this event was full of glitter. She spent the first few minutes playing a familiar game. The first couple she spotted could not have been more mismatched. She was short and dumpy, while he was tall and handsome. No noticeable age difference. Was she rich? Did she have a fantastic personality that outweighed their obvious differences in the looks department? Maybe he was her brother, pressed into service escorting his homely sister for a night on the town. Escort. Maybe he was being paid. Sarah shook her head. She knew she shouldn’t be so shallow, but her generalizations were based on years of observing human behavior.
The next couple was more suitably matched. The taller of the two faced away from her, but Sarah could still tell her charcoal gray suit was a custom cut by the way it framed her slim hips and tight butt. In contrast to gray suit’s close cropped brunette hair, the other woman’s blond waves hung loose and free. Blondie wore a stunning maroon cocktail dress, and shoes that added four inches to her height, but still wouldn’t bring her eye to eye with gray suit. Entranced, Sarah watched their interaction. The blonde kept glancing away as others passed by, occasionally stopping to pull someone else into their circle. Gray suit still stood with her back to Sarah, so she could only imagine her reaction to each interruption, but the stiff way her shoulders hunched each time Blondie looked away signaled she wasn’t pleased. After a few moments, the blonde mouthed “I’ll be right back,” kissed gray suit on the cheek, and dashed off to a group of people gathering near the stage. Sarah watched Blondie until she disappeared into the crowd. When she looked back toward gray suit, she was gone.
Time for that drink. She looked around, but Danny was nowhere in sight. She must still be waiting at the bar. Deciding it was time to stop people watching and start assessing the dateability of the women in attendance, Sarah started walking through the crowd. Based on looks alone, the dating pool was stocked with potential, but she wasn’t sure how to approach any of them. This wasn’t like a bar where there was a better than average chance the woman next to you was up for a hookup. And she wasn’t here for a hookup either. Sarah sighed. She was utterly inept when it came to anything other than simple pickup lines. She should just find Danny, have that drink, and spend the rest of the evening observing.
Decision made, she cut through the throngs of people until she finally found the bar. Danny was standing off to the side, drinks in hand, talking to none other than gray suit, and Sarah stopped in her tracks at the sight. From behind, gray suit was attractive, but the full frontal was breathtaking. Ellery Durant was as handsome as she remembered, from her warm eyes to the way her face crinkled into a smile at whatever Danny was saying. Excited about the prospect of a second chance to win her over, Sarah squared her shoulders and strode over to where Ellery and Danny were talking, convinced she was going to make a better impression this time around.
*
Ellery would rather be anywhere else. She glanced around the beautiful bar, at all the lavish food and well-dressed women, and felt no affinity with any of it despite the fact that just last year her firm would have probably been a headline sponsor of just such an event. Now, the only reason she was here was because April had goaded her into coming, promising that they would leave early and hole up somewhere decidedly unpublic for the rest of the evening.
She resisted looking at her watch, certain that every ten-minute interval was crawling by in half-time. Instead, she made a game out of watching the other women in the room interact with each other in a timeless social dance. April’s sorority was throwing this shindig and, although she wasn’t part of the committee putting on the candidate forum, April had insisted she had to be here to support her alumnae sisters. “It wouldn’t look good if I missed. So many of them make referrals to the practice,” she’d said.
Ellery got it. When you offered a service, you had to sell yourself first. It had been the same with her law practice. Lots of glad-handing, sucking up to people with money and power in hopes they’d send their business your way. Now, her work sold itself in the furniture she restored. People looked at the pieces she’s transformed and they liked it or they didn’t. They could afford it or they couldn’t. Either way, whether she made money or not wasn’t personal, it was pure economics. But still, this hadn’t been at all what she’d expected when April had suggested they go out tonight.
She wasn’t sure if she even cared. April was clearly still immersed in this world where money and appearance were paramount, but Ellery wasn’t interested in being dragged back into her old life. She glanced across the room. April was surrounded by a circle of her sorority sisters and, judging from the raised drinks and loud laughter, they were having the time of their lives. She didn’t begrudge them their fun, but she did want to kick herself for not staying home. Now that she was stuck here, she may as well get a drink and settle in since it didn’t look as if April was going to be ready to leave anytime soon.
The bar was crowded, but luckily, she’d picked the fast line. When she finally reached the front, she ordered a beer and got a grateful smile from the bartender who’d been asked to pour all manner of complicated concoctions by the women who’d ordered before her. She declined a glass, left a generous tip, and started to walk back to her corner of the room when she heard a familiar voice call her name.
“Ellery?”
She turned and saw Danny Soto standing at the bar holding a beer bottle and a martini. She smiled and Danny walked toward her. “Hey, it’s nice to see a friendly face.”
“Tell me about it. I’ve been to a bunch of these things, but I’m not sure I’ll ever feel like I fit in. I don’t recall ever seeing you at one of these. Were you an Alpha Nu?”
“Nope. My dad would’ve had my hide if I did anything in college that distracted from studying. What are you doing here?”
“My wife, Ellen, is the executive director for the national office. I’m here in my capacity as supportive spouse. She’s so busy, I probably won’t see her until the end of the night.”
Ellery pointed at the two drinks in Danny’s hands. “I guess your role requires extra fortification.”
Danny laughed. “Actually, one of these is for a friend. You remember Sarah Flores? She was in my office the other day when you came by.”
Ellery started to reply, but she was interrupted by a voice from behind her.
“Are you going to stand there and talk about me or deliver my drink?”
Ellery turned and s
ucked in a breath. She’d never expected to see the aggravating woman she’d met earlier in the week at Danny’s office again, but here she was, looking like she’d stepped out of the pages of a fashion magazine. This Sarah Flores looked nothing like any federal agent she’d ever met before. She finally realized she was staring and stuck out her hand. “Nice to see you again. Don’t let me keep you from your drink delivery.”
Sarah’s smile flashed bright. “Nothing will accomplish that. And don’t go.” She took the drink Danny held out to her. “Stay and hang out with us. Please.” She accented her words by tilting her drink as if to toast.
Ellery took longer than necessary to consider the simple request. Her first impression had been so clouded by Sarah’s forceful cop attitude that she hadn’t let the full depth of her stunning beauty seep in. This woman was every bit as captivating as she was aggravating, and Ellery was held in place by the magnetic pull of inexplicable attraction. She clicked her bottle against Sarah’s glass. “I can stay for a bit. Are you here just to keep Danny company or to support one of the candidates?”
Sarah leaned close. “I don’t know any of these people. I heard there would be an open bar and lots of beautiful women. I wasn’t wrong, apparently.”
“Cool it, Special Agent Hotshot,” Danny said. “Ellery, I must apologize for my friend here. She’s a bit of a cad.”
“I am not. I just believe in taking life by the horns. Enjoying every moment. Even when I find myself at a stuffy event, I’m bound and determined to have a little fun. Besides, I was paying a compliment. Nothing wrong with that, is there?”