Hidden Hearts

by Ann Roberts

  She disappeared and CC wondered if she’d find one of Blanca’s notorious pink slips sitting on her chair. According to firm legend Blanca kept a pack of them in her desk drawer.

  When Alicia exited the restroom, she saw CC and followed her into her office.

  “We need to talk,” she said, closing the door while CC hunted for some antacid in her desk. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I was the opposing attorney.”

  She glared at her. “Are you really? You didn’t think you could bring it up this morning when you called about the CD? Do you even want the CD, or were you just feeling me out, seeing if I knew you’d be here.”

  Alicia looked hurt. “Of course I want the CD. You gave it to me.” She threw a glance at the antacid bottle in her hand. “I didn’t realize you were so nervous and uptight.”

  “I’m not.” She threw the bottle—evidence of the truth—into the drawer and dropped into her chair. “I was just surprised to see you.”

  Alicia perched on the edge of her desk and adopted a concerned look. “Honey, I know you. Your foot was bouncing like a basketball, you were speaking in that little high-pitched voice you get when you’re nervous and when Blanca took over you looked like a ghost. Was this your first time with a client?”

  She couldn’t contain her surprise. “No, I’ve handled several cases.” Alicia raised her eyebrows and her insides churned. “Did I really seem that green?”

  “A little,” she admitted.

  Her door flew open. “CC, you need to rewrite this pleading,” Blanca said, looking up from the papers she held. Her gaze landed on Alicia. “Why is she still here?”

  “I’m a friend,” Alicia said.

  “I wish you would have told me that you knew the opposing counsel to avoid conflict of interest. We might have come off better with Kraft.”

  “She didn’t know I was on the other side,” Alicia explained. “Dusty Morgan just changed firms.” Blanca looked skeptical until she added, “You know I saw your closing argument in the Swanson case. It was amazing.”

  Her stony demeanor cracked. “You were there?”

  She nodded. “I was waiting for a hearing to start and I slipped into the courtroom. You were just hitting your stride.”

  “That was my first closing. Thanks for noticing.” She dropped the report on CC’s desk. “Please rewrite this.” Before she left she said to Alicia, “Good play with the photos today, especially dropping them on the table. Very smooth. Too bad we didn’t know our client was a user.”

  After she left Alicia looked at CC the way she used to when they were having a serious conversation in bed. “You need to learn how to suck up, babe. Bitches like that.”

  “But I’m not good at it,” she whined. “You were always the persuasive one.”

  “Yeah, remember the time I convinced the neighbor’s cable guy to hook us up for free?” She went to the door. “I’ve got to get back. I really am sorry I didn’t tell you. Kinkaid’s at eight?”

  She knew there was a fifty-fifty chance Alicia was lying and had deliberately surprised her to throw her off her already shaky game.

  “Please?” she pleaded. “I’ve got a surprise for you.”

  “Sure.”

  ****

  Kinkaid’s was a two-story office building in its previous life, but a young upstart chef had seen the potential to convert it into a pub and restaurant with a loft. The exposed red brick walls created an edgy feel and a large metal garage front door allowed for indoor and outdoor seating. Cars cruising down busy Camelback Road could see all the action inside. It was the premier Phoenix happy hour spot for the younger generation, and CC had been propositioned there more than once but had never said yes.

  When she saw Alicia sitting at a pub table outside she felt unbalanced again. She disguised her sexiness in lawyer attire every day, but now her bun was gone and her hair flowed suggestively around her face. CC was sure she’d reapplied her makeup with much bolder colors and her suit jacket was nowhere in sight. She’d undone an extra two buttons of her purple silk blouse exposing deep cleavage and her breasts cradled a gold pendant.

  Alicia glanced her way and when their eyes met, Alicia remained expressionless. She picked up her Cosmo and took a sip, her gaze still locked on CC, who didn’t know if she should join her or run out of the restaurant. Then Alicia flashed a killer smile that nearly knocked her over. This wasn’t the same woman who’d sat on her desk just a few hours ago.

  “Hey,” she said, and CC breathed in a lovely jasmine scent she’d never smelled on her before.

  “Is that new? The perfume?”

  “Yeah. Nadia picked it out. I already ordered you a martini,” she said.

  “Oh, thanks, but I’ve actually switched to vodka tonics.”

  “Really?” Alicia asked in a clearly disapproving tone. “Thanks for the FYI.”

  She slid the CD across the table. “Here you go. Listen to it in good health.”

  She held it up. “You know, I lied,” she said, still not looking at her. “You didn’t give this to me for our anniversary.”

  She was stunned, but she held her response until the busy waiter delivered her martini and left. “I didn’t think I did. Why did you lie?”

  Ding!

  She checked her phone as another alert for her personal ad appeared.

  Alicia leaned forward seductively. “Because I wanted to see you and I was testing you.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I miss you, babe. I don’t know what I want to do about that yet, but I acknowledge that I miss you and I still have feelings for you. But you failed the test.”

  “Oh?”

  “The test was to see if you’d give me the CD if I badgered you for it. And you did. You let me run over you just like I always did during our relationship. Just like I did this afternoon,” she added.

  CC picked up her purse. “Okay, I don’t need this. And, for your information, I’ve started dating again, or at least I’m trying to. I took out a personal ad and I’ve had numerous hits.”

  She stormed out.

  “Honey, wait!” Alicia was behind her.

  She knew that Alicia would catch up once she reached her car. Unlike Alicia’s Mercedes, which had automatic door locks and didn’t even need a key to start, the old Honda only opened after the lock was finessed just right. She turned around since a confrontation was inevitable.

  Alicia sashayed across the blacktop, gaining the attention of several men on their way to dinner in the company of their wives and girlfriends. But she was immune to the looks and stares—except when she wanted to be noticed.

  “I’m sorry I was a bitch,” she said, pulling her into a tight embrace. “That isn’t how I wanted this to go.”

  She’d forgotten that Alicia was a fabulous hugger. She held her close against her enormous chest and CC closed her eyes. She missed it.

  “Okay, try again,” CC said. “If we skip the badgering and testing part, we left off where you told me that you missed me, which I find hard to believe since Nadia was your soul mate. Those were your exact words the day you left.”

  Alicia swallowed hard. “I know, but I think I was wrong. I think it’s over. She was using me, if you can believe it.”

  She stifled a laugh. “Oh?”

  “Yeah. I think she just wants a roommate to split the rent. She fed me a whole bunch of lines and I bought it.”

  She knew that was a lie. No one read through bullshit like Alicia. If she’d been with Nadia it was because she wanted to be there.

  Alicia reached out and squeezed her hand. “I miss you, babe. I want to show you something that will spice up our relationship.”

  “We have no relationship. You left me.”

  “I know,” she admitted. “I won’t deny that I walked out. But I’m beginning to think it doesn’t have to be an ending. Are you serious with someone right now?”

  “No, it’s been completely casual,” she lied.

  “I want to give you a test you’l
l pass.”

  She shook her head. “I don’t know.”

  Alicia held up a finger. “Give me one hour. And if I don’t show you an amazing time, you can delete me from your e-mail, unfriend me on Facebook and remove me from your contacts. Go out and screw every woman who answers your ads. Just one hour.”

  She’s always most persuasive when she’s cute. The way that little nose turns up and her whole face sparkles.

  “Fine,” she agreed. “One hour.”

  She followed her to the valet, who retrieved her Mercedes, a gift from her parents for law school graduation. Unlike CC’s family, hers was wealthy and regularly showered gifts on their little girl.

  “Get in,” she teased.

  She cruised through Kinkaid’s back lot, passing CC’s old Honda, and heading through the neighboring residential area. As she turned onto Camelback Road, the soft glow of the old suburban porch lights was replaced by millions of high-watt bulbs that filled the stretch of auto showrooms all the way to Seventh Avenue. She could see Alicia’s profile, which projected a calm that was foreign to her, and amid the din of the massive traffic, she heard her humming with a soft rock song on the radio.

  “So where are we going?” she asked, hoping she wasn’t slurring her words.

  “You’ll see.”

  She made a right into a four-story office complex at the corner of Central and Virginia. As the Mercedes flew into the underground parking garage, CC noticed a for rent banner hung from the building’s long glass panes. She imagined much of the building was unoccupied since commercial real estate faced a huge slump with the hard economic times. And the empty garage confirmed her suspicions. Only a handful of cars and SUVs filled the spaces.

  She pulled into a corner partially hidden by a concrete pillar and popped her seat belt in a second. CC followed her into the backseat, and she noticed the pillar obstructed their view of the rest of the garage.

  “Here?” she asked slowly.

  Alicia kissed her and unbuttoned her own blouse. “Exactly. Nadia’s taught me a new way to have fun, and I want to share it with you. One of the reasons I think I strayed was because I wanted more adventure.”

  She glanced at the stark cement walls. “Sex in a parking garage?”

  Alicia slid out of her bra. “No, sex in a public place. There’s a sense of danger and defiance that add to the experience. Let me show you.” She gave her a luscious kiss and continued disrobing.

  “Aren’t you worried about cameras or security guards?”

  “There are none. This is the first place Nadia took me so I knew it was perfect for us. It’s about to go into foreclosure. Don’t worry. Just relax.”

  She froze. “Nadia took you here?”

  “So what?”

  She pressed her down into the soft leather and hovered over her, unbuttoning her blouse and exposing her breasts to anyone who walked over and peered into a window.

  “Don’t worry,” she said again, clearly reading her mind. “There’s no one around.” She pushed up her skirt and straddled her waist. All CC saw was her perfect lips. “I want you to touch me while I touch you.”

  She guided CC’s hand to the warmth between her legs and words became impossible. She was focused on pleasing her and worrying about public indecency laws as they undressed. But the jasmine perfume and Alicia’s expert touch buried her nervousness as she rocked her hips and pressed her stocking feet against the window behind her head for support.

  Ding!

  Alicia grabbed her phone and glanced at the display. CC knew she was reading whatever response had come up on the personal ads. She snorted. “This one sounds charming. She wants to cover you in egg batter and pretend you’re a quiche. Shall I save it?”

  She grabbed the phone and turned it off. “You need to be honest with me. Did you play me at the meeting today? Did you deliberately try to throw me off by surprising me?”

  “No way,” Alicia mumbled.

  She let their passion unravel and said, “Honest?”

  “Yes,” Alicia replied before she buried her lips in CC’s neck.

  The answer was ambiguous, and if they weren’t groaning and moaning closer to climax she would have grilled her like a cross-examination.

  Then a car alarm chirped.

  “What’s that?” she asked, suddenly paralyzed.

  Alicia kissed her and stroked her breasts, unwilling to lose the moment. “Somebody’s going home, that’s all. They’re not coming over here. They’ll get in their car and drive away. Stay with me,” she commanded and thrust her tongue into CC’s mouth.

  It was easy to believe her given the heat between their bodies and their mutual wetness.

  “Come with me, baby,” she gasped.

  Instead of a car ignition, CC heard the whoosh of the trunk closing and the audible baritone of the driver chatting on his cell phone. She couldn’t make out the conversation, probably because Alicia was sighing heavily, sitting on the edge of climax.

  “Now, baby, now,” she cried, and CC had no choice. She was too talented not to obey.

  Their orgasms were loud—too loud—and the click of heels approaching echoed in the empty garage.

  Alicia flashed a wide grin. “Gotta go!”

  She jumped from the back seat into the front and threw the car in reverse, the tires screeching in protest. CC hunkered down shielding herself with their discarded clothes, realizing Alicia wore only her stockings. As they passed the stunned middle-aged man, he dropped his cell phone when Alicia turned and flashed him.

  They sailed out of the garage and down a dark side street. She stopped suddenly and faced CC, who was holding a pair of panties over her breasts. She laughed hysterically, and when CC imagined how it looked, she laughed too and it was another ten minutes before they could stop.

  Once they’d dressed under the cover of moonlight, Alicia drove CC back to her car.

  “Don’t tell me that wasn’t great,” she said, stroking her hair over her ear.

  “Yeah, that was memorable,” she admitted. She took her hand. “Are you sure you don’t want to come home tonight?”

  “I have to go back to work, and I think it’s still too soon. I’m not sure what to do about Nadia. But I loved being with you again,” she whispered against her cheek.

  Her voice was like a fabulous dessert and CC wanted more. She cupped her breast and Alicia chuckled.

  “Oh, no. Not here. This is a bit too public, but I promise we’ll do it again, okay?”

  She nodded and watched her peel away. She climbed into the Honda, instantly disgusted by the torn upholstery and the funny little smell that lingered regardless of how many air fresheners she hung. Alicia had always insisted they take the Mercedes when they went out because the Honda was an embarrassment, and although she agreed, she wished Alicia were more sensitive. Not everyone came from a family with money.

  She shifted in her seat. Her bra wasn’t sitting right, her skirt was on crooked and she was rather certain her French bikini underwear was on backward. But she didn’t care. Everything tingled and she had to resist the urge to shed her clothes and drive home naked. Instead, she sat in her car for fifteen minutes and grinned at her ability to toss aside her midwestern sensibilities. Her mother would die if she ever knew.

  But I liked it. I have to admit it. I liked the risk and I liked having sex in an unusual location.

  But she wasn’t really thinking of the term “having sex.” She was playing with a much dirtier word, one that she normally couldn’t stand to hear people say but nothing else fit for the little rendezvous in the Mercedes.

  It was after nine by the time she crossed the threshold of her small condo. It wasn’t anything special, and she’d already decided to move once the lease was up. If Alicia came back, she’d have to convince her since Alicia was the one who’d picked the location, which was close to the Scottsdale nightclub action. And when she’d left with most of the belongings, CC hadn’t bothered to purchase another TV or a proper bed, instead choosing
to sleep on a futon mattress on the floor.

  She showered and washed away the lovely jasmine scent and threw on a tank top and yoga pants before plopping onto her futon with a Lean Cuisine and her briefcase. She grabbed the Chloe books Penn had given her and randomly flipped back and forth between pages, studying the structure as well as the artistic talent. Watercolor was difficult for her and she preferred the bolder effect achieved with pen and ink, but she couldn’t imagine the Chloe series in any other medium. It was a perfect choice for the moments when Chloe changed colors to disguise herself.

  Ding! That was ten responses to her personal ad today, but she ignored them for now, far more interested in Viv’s artwork.

  She appreciated her approach: illustrate the entire page from corner to corner and insert the dialogue at strategic places. For small children the words were secondary to the artwork and Viv’s detailed animals were enthralling. As a child, she’d been mesmerized by Chloe’s scaly skin and pointy tail.

  Once she’d absorbed the artistry she decided to start at the beginning and reread each book. She grabbed Chloe Goes to the Symphony and saw it was written only two years ago and dedicated to someone named Siobhan. She looked up the pronunciation and said, “Chevonne,” out loud, which she learned was Irish for Joan.

  The story featured a harpist and the theme was to try new things like listening to classical music. She paused for a moment remembering the cottage and the harp music.

  She picked up the other book, Chloe Makes a Friend. It was nearly forty years old and dedicated to someone named Kiah. Although she was rather certain she’d read this story as a child, she couldn’t recall the plot which described Chloe’s unlikely friendship with a hawk—a predator who was nothing like her. The ending was predictable to an adult: accepting friends who are different. If life were only this easy.

  She’d had a strong interest in art when she was in school, but it was foolish to think she’d ever make a living at it. Although her art teacher had told her she was a natural, her parents had convinced her otherwise.

  “Honey, if you’re going to spend all that money on college, you need to make it back,” they’d said repeatedly during her years in high school. “Find a career.”