by Annette Mori
“Uh huh.”
Chapter Fifteen
Rachel walked into her office the next morning and grumbled a quick hello to her assistant. She was in a foul mood. Even though Lara had tried to make it up to her last night, she couldn’t help being irritated about Lara’s return trip to New York so soon after coming back to Seattle. Normally, she was able to forgive her after Lara paid special attention to her in the bedroom, but she was getting irritated with the back and forth and was ready to put her foot down concerning the amount of time they spent apart.
Since Lara had distracted her again with a fiery night of passion and Rachel kept pressing the snooze button, making her late for work. Lara left for work before Rachel had a chance to talk with her and insist that some things change if she expected their marriage to stay on stable ground. Even if the emergency in New York was weighing heavy on her mind, Rachel banked on the fact that they would have tonight to work things out before she had to leave for New York. Rachel wanted to take her to the airport and skip out on work, but Lara insisted that she would catch a limo so Rachel didn’t have to interrupt her workday.
Rachel didn’t know why she hadn’t told Lara that she had invited Sophia and Joy to lunch, offering to take them around the city. Sophia hadn’t called and that was another reason she was crabby today.
Rachel stared at the computer screen trying to focus on her fifty e-mails when she heard her office phone ring. It wasn’t usual for the CEO to call the first thing in the morning—he was an early riser and tended to call his direct reports early in the day when he needed something.
“Development and communications, this is Rachel. How can I help you?”
Rachel was surprised to hear the sexy alto voice of Sophia on the other end.
“Yes, I was serious. I’d love to meet you for lunch… No, of course not. It sounds like your friend found her own personal tour guide. Seattlelites can be a charming bunch. I’m sure she’ll have a blast. You can either meet me at my office or I can come get you. I’m at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Do you know how to get here?” Rachel chuckled. “Yeah, I guess the limo service will know where to go. I’ll meet you at the courtesy desk in the front lobby of the hospital. I cleared my afternoon so no worries. Yes, me too. I look forward to the afternoon.”
Rachel leaned back in her chair and a smile finally appeared on her face. She was looking forward to her lunch date with Sophia. The day was looking up.
†
Sophia tipped the limousine driver and walked into the lobby of the hospital. She hadn’t been inside too many hospitals, but it seemed like they made a concerted effort to create a cheery atmosphere for the kids.
She spotted Rachel right away and the sensual way she moved in her direction caused her breath to hitch. She should not be having this kind a reaction to a total stranger, but her body was rebelling. It would react in whatever bloody manner it wanted to and there was not a damn thing she could do about it.
Rachel smiled at her and she felt like a bright ray of sunshine just emerged from behind a tall tree.
“Right on time. I’m afraid that I am a perpetually late kind of gal, so you should be flattered that I made it to the lobby on time and the volunteer didn’t have to track me down,” Rachel said.
“Okay. Thanks, I think,” Sophia responded.
“Come on, let’s get a move on. We’ve people to see, places to go, and a ruckus to start. Just kidding, but I do guarantee a good time and I’m dying to hear all about your impressions of Seattle so far.”
“Well, so far so good. Everyone has been extremely friendly. I really appreciate you making the offer for lunch since Lara can’t seem to get away,” Sophia replied.
“I want to hear all about how you know Lara, but first I want to know a bit more about you. New York seems like such an exciting place to live. I’ve only been there once when I was much younger and I remember the city never shutting down,” Rachel said.
“I suppose that’s true, but not everyone partakes in the endless nightlife. Maybe I’m letting my age direct my social life too much, but I rarely take advantage of the vast culture laid out for those who have the energy and desire.”
Sophia walked beside Rachel and was surprised when she clicked open the locks to an expensive Tesla in the parking garage.
Rachel opened the passenger door for Sophia. “Your carriage awaits.”
“Wow, hospitals must pay very well.”
“Heavens no, and hospitals don’t pay all that well, this is a birthday present from my wife. She’s the rich one in the family.” Rachel grinned.
“So what do you do that allows you the flexibility to take an afternoon off during the workweek?” Sophia asked.
“I’m the development and communications director for the hospital. It’s a fancy way of saying that I plan all the fundraising activities for the hospital. It’s how I met Lara,” Rachel answered.
“Oh right, yes, I heard you answer the phone “development and communications” earlier. Yes, Lara is big on fundraisers. I met her at one, as well,” Sophia stated.
“I am so curious about Lara’s life in New York. I had no idea Lara even had friends there. I thought everyone was a client or potential client,” Rachel offered.
Sophia was thinking the very same thing, but Rachel seemed to know Lara a little more intimately than just a client. Perhaps they’d become friends, but if they were friends she wondered why Rachel didn’t seem to know that she was married to Sophia.
Sophia thought that it was such a short distance to the Sand Point Grill, they probably could have walked, but maybe Rachel’s plans for the afternoon required a car. She’d learned that parking in Seattle could be quite challenging. She was glad she had a limo driver at her disposal.
Rachel opened the door for Sophia and the hostess took them to a table right away. She assumed that Rachel had taken the time to make a reservation. Sophia sat across from Rachel at the table tucked away in a private corner of the restaurant. It was much quieter where they sat and Sophia assumed Rachel made those specific arrangements so they could easily talk to one another.
Rachel sat down and smiled at Sophia. “So, tell me. What was the fundraiser? I presume it has something to do with what you do for work.”
“Mm hmm. It was a fundraiser for the college. I’m a professor at CUNY. I teach in the gay studies program,” Sophia answered.
“That’s wonderful. I didn’t even realize they had a gay studies program at that university. That would have been a kick.”
“Technically it’s called the LGBTQ program, but that’s kind of a mouthful so I shorten it sometimes to gay studies. It’s easier than answering the inevitable question about what each letter stands for. You probably know, but sadly most people do not,” Sophia explained.
A waitress in a crisp white shirt and black pants approached the table. “Can I get you ladies something to drink?”
“Would you like to share a bottle of wine?” Rachel asked.
“Sure, why not? I’m on vacation. Perhaps we can walk around a bit after lunch before driving anywhere.”
“Sounds like a plan. White or red?” Rachel asked.
“I prefer white, but I’m not picky.”
“I’m not picky either, but you’re in luck because I prefer white as well. Would you mind if I ordered something on the sweeter side?” Rachel inquired.
“Not at all. It’s what I prefer.”
“Can we get a bottle of your Snoqualmie Riesling?” Rachel folded up the wine list and handed it back to the waitress.
“Good choice. I’ll be right back with your wine and then I’ll take your order.”
“I’ll bet you are a popular professor. Your students must love you. I probably would have signed up for every course you ever taught if I was a student at CUNY. I don’t suppose you ever had an affair with one of your students,” Rachel teased.
“Absolutely not. I’m a happily married woman and have been for nearly ten years now. Before that who had the t
ime? I’d just finished my doctoral degree and was desperately trying to prove myself at the college. Getting tenure was a hard road and I sure wasn’t about to mess that up by screwing a co-ed.”
“Damn, you just popped my little fantasy bubble. I imagined you in the throes of passion with one of your adoring students begging for you to teach her the art of making love, academic style,” Rachel added.
Sophia chuckled. “Just what exactly is academic style?”
Rachel leaned in. “I was hoping you could educate me on that.”
Sophia leaned back. “Married, remember?”
“Well, duh, so am I, but I’m not dead, you know. Look but don’t touch, always works for me,” Rachel stated.
The waiter interrupted Rachel’s flirtation when he arrived with their wine, poured two glasses, and set the bottle inside the bucket of ice. “What can I get for you today, ladies?”
Sophia glanced down at her menu and realized the harmless flirtation had completely engrossed her and she hadn’t even looked at the list of options. Rachel grinned at her.
“We’re sorry we haven’t had a chance to look at the menus yet,” Rachel answered.
“No problem, I’ll come back in a few minutes.”
“So, you’re married too?” Sophia asked.
Rachel looked puzzled by Sophia’s question and Sophia wondered if maybe she’d offended her by not flirting back.
“I thought you were close friends with Lara?” Rachel asked.
Sophia thought that was an interesting response. She knew that Lara could be closed off and suspected that she kept her private life very separate from work, but Lara never seemed like the kind of person to stay in the closet and certainly Rachel had seen her picture in the office before. Lara had several framed photos from their wedding in her office in New York. “Besides the fundraiser, how are you connected with Lara? Did she charm you into becoming one of her clients?”
Sophia picked up her glass of wine and started to take a sip.
“What, no. Lara’s my wife. How exactly do you know Lara?” Rachel asked.
When Sophia heard Rachel’s answer, wine spewed from her lips like spray from the ocean. “Did you just say Lara is your wife?”
Sophia began to cough and Rachel jumped from her chair. “Hey, are you okay?”
After Sophia’s coughing fit, she looked up at Rachel and managed to squeak out a question. “When did you get married?”
“Almost two years ago, why?”
“I’ve been married to Lara for a little more than nine years. Well, legally coming up on four years, but we had a ceremony of sorts nine years ago before it was legal in New York. I guess that makes me the true wife and I’m not sure what the laws consider you,” Sophia whispered.
Rachel stood next to Sophia, blinking her eyes rapidly. “You’re not kidding, are you?”
“I’m afraid not.”
Rachel leaned back into her chair, but didn’t say a word. Her eyes narrowed in Sophia’s direction and if looks could kill, Sophia would be dead by now.
The gravity of the situation suddenly hit Sophia. It all made sense now. The pieces finally shifted into place for her. A sucker punch to the gut would have felt better at this moment. Sophia felt like she was about to throw up all over the beautiful setting on the table. She slapped her hand to her mouth and rushed to the bathroom.
Pushing open the first stall door she came to, Sophia barely made it to the toilet. The acid in her stomach continued to churn. She heard someone enter the bathroom, but at this point, it didn’t really matter. Her life was suddenly in a tailspin and nothing would make this feeling come to an end.
“I suppose you think that Lara is meant to be with you, but frankly if I was a betting woman, and I am, I would bet that your pathetic sex life does not compare with ours. She married me for a reason,” Rachel snapped. “Our chemistry is undeniable.”
Sophia was speechless and didn’t have an immediate retort. Instead, she began to cry softly.
Rachel was probably correct. Sophia had felt Lara’s distance during the past two years and almost felt resigned to the fate of her marriage.
“You know, you’re probably right. I’m not sure I have what it takes to keep Lara.” Sophia tried to muster some amount of self-respect. “I’d challenge you to consider that if Lara was able to so easily marry you while still staying married to me, what makes you think she won’t do it again?”
Sophia looked up at Rachel and thought she saw her expression change. The cold hard stare she witnessed earlier was replaced with something new.
“Hmm, I guess you have a bit more gumption than I thought possible. Good point,” Rachel acceded.
She felt a gentle hand touch her arm. Tears were streaming down her face and Sophia didn’t have the strength in that moment to control her emotions. She needed to get out of here and it didn’t help that Rachel looked at her as if she was ready for a one way ticket to an inpatient mental health facility. It surprised her that Rachel’s actions seemed caring
“Aw, shit. I hate to see a woman cry. I’ll probably get pissed later and you can talk me down from doing something I will most definitely regret, but right now I think you’re the more urgent victim to attend to. Let’s go take a walk. I’ll take care of the bill,” Rachel said soothingly.
Sophia stood up and Rachel brushed a lock of her hair back. Her gait was unsteady as she walked to the sink, ran cold water over her hands, and scooped it into her mouth. She looked at her reflection in the mirror. It wasn’t a pretty picture. “I’m a mess.”
“No, you’re beautiful. Even distraught looks good on you,” Rachel assured her.
“How can you be so calm?” Sophia asked.
“I just look calm on the outside. Inside I’m thinking up ways to torture that two timing, bigamist wife of ours. Do you want in on the devious plans in my head?”
“Is bloodshed involved? I’m a bit squeamish.” Sophia gave Rachel a weak smile.
“Maybe? But I’m thinking more along the lines of her precious money and reputation. That’s her true Achilles heel. Don’t get mad, get even, right?”
“Right now, I am doing everything in my power not to completely break down in front of you. I’m nowhere near the anger stage yet,” Sophia explained.
Rachel slipped her arm inside Sophia’s, caught the eye of the waitress, handed her a hundred dollar bill, and gently led Sophia to the exit and out of the restaurant. “Come on, let me take you to one of my favorite places, Magnuson Park. It’s right on the water and whenever I get a little down, it always cheers me up to walk to the park. It has such a calming influence on me,” Rachel suggested.
†
Sophia kept brushing away each new tear as she walked arm in arm with Rachel to the park. It should have been an uncomfortable silence as they made the journey, but it wasn’t. Rachel didn’t interrupt her thoughts or try to tell her everything would be okay. Sophia supposed that Rachel was in a unique position to say, I know exactly how you feel. The irony of Rachel providing her comfort wasn’t lost on her, but she didn’t care because somehow Rachel was able to make the shocking news livable.
Finally, they reached the park and headed to the beach area. Sophia was surprised by the number of people that were out and about in their shorts, with dogs running around everywhere. In New York, everyone had to have a leash for his or her dogs. Sophia figured they didn’t have leash laws in Seattle, because not one dog was on one.
Although it was partly cloudy, the sun kept trying to make an appearance and for that, she was grateful. She pointed to what looked like a mountain desperately trying to part the cloud cover in an effort to display its majestic beauty. “Is that Mount Rainier?”
“Beautiful, isn’t it? The view of the mountain from this park is one of the best in the city. Too bad it’s cloudy today. You can barely see her peeking through.”
“How come they let all the dogs run around without leashes?” Sophia asked.
“That’s why the park is my fav
orite. It’s one of the few parks with a large off leash area for dogs. Dogs are so easy to please. Feed them, love them, provide a decent area for them to run and they’ll stay by your side for all eternity—unlike people. Damn.” Rachel angrily swiped at a tear.
Sophia spied a bench in a relatively private area and tugged on Rachel’s arm to lead her to the perfect place to sit and let their emotions settle. Sophia sat down first and then tugged on Rachel’s arm until she sat beside her. Without analyzing her motives, she clasped Rachel’s hand and their fingers intertwined. “I suppose I’ve had my freak out moment—it’s your turn now.”
Rachel shook her head. “I don’t want to feel sad right now, I want to stay angry. I can wallow in my sad place later with a full bottle of Jack Daniels.”
“No, don’t do that, all you’ll get is a terrible hangover. I liked your earlier suggestion. Tell me more about those evil plans to get even.”
Sophia watched as Rachel focused her bright blue eyes in her direction. She felt like she was under a microscope and Rachel was sizing her up.
“Are you serious? Because if you are—I am definitely game. What about your friend, Joy? Think we can get her to help us out?” Rachel asked.
“Oh, I don’t think that will be a problem. The real challenge will be keeping Joy from tearing off Lara’s head before we have a chance to execute the plan.” Sophia smiled and she had to admit, thinking up a plan was far better than wallowing in a vat of pity soup.
“Okay, here’s what we’re going to do,” Rachel began.
Chapter Sixteen
Lara decided to call her wife to let her know that she’d be home on time. It was the least she could do, considering that she was about to abandon her to take a romantic excursion with Sophia. She knew that Rachel had noticed her distraction the night before. She needed to pull herself together and manage the situation in the same manner she would manage an unruly client.