“Hi, this is Joe. Joe Santiago?”
Maggie frowned. The name was familiar. Who is this again?
When she hesitated, he continued, “I teach history at Kennedy High. You and Mr. Rannigan were kind enough to come and speak to my students?”
“Oh! Joe. I knew I recognized your name. How are you?” Maggie asked
“I’m good. Did you have a nice holiday?”
Maggie rolled her eyes. What do you need Joe? I’m kind of busy. “I did, it was great. So what can we do for you? Do you need another speaker?”
Joe laughed nervously. “No, nothing like that. It’s just... Well, I was wondering. Someone gave me two tickets to a new play and I wondered if you’d like to go with me.”
Maggie sat blinking, her jaw hanging slack. Did he just ask me out? “Uh, wow...I don’t know. When is the play?”
“It’s this Friday night. It’s supposed to be really good. I know we only met that once, but you seemed like someone I’d like to get to know better.” He hesitated. “I hope you don’t think I’m being pushy.”
Maggie sighed thoughtfully. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been on a date. It had been even longer since she’d had sex. Not that this would lead to sex. Where had that thought come from? Friday night... She grinned mischievously. I wonder...
“This Friday, huh? I work until about 5:30. Could you meet me at Doc Watson’s?” Absently, she chewed the edge of her thumb as she waited for him to answer.
“Doc Watson’s? Yeah, I know where that is. I could meet you there. We could even have a drink before we go.”
“Excellent!” Maggie said. “That sounds like a plan. So I’ll see you on Friday, then?” She hung up the phone smiling. I can’t wait to see the look on Michael’s face.
* * *
“You coming to Doc’s, Mags?” Michael asked. He’d stopped in her doorway on his way to the elevators.
Maggie looked up from her computer. “Yep, I’ll be there. Just a couple of things I need to get nailed down and I’ll be on my way.”
“See you there,” he called over his shoulder.
She finished up and shut down for the weekend before changing her clothes in her bathroom. Replacing her grey suit and blouse were a purple sequined tank top with a black boyfriend blazer over black skinny jeans. She touched up her hair and makeup and surveyed herself in the mirror. Not too shabby.
She considered what she was about to do. Maybe she was being juvenile, trying to get a rise out of Michael. But frankly, his behavior confused her. He’d kissed her. Twice, and passionately, too. Probably the first time didn’t count, they’d both been drunk. But on Christmas, they’d been stone cold sober. He’d kissed her like he meant it, then gone off to spend an exotic weekend with one of his Barbie dolls. For all that, she wasn’t mad; she simply wanted more. Maybe when he saw her with someone, shit would get real.
Several of the 50th floor team were already well on their way into Happy Hour when Maggie entered the pub. She found a seat beside Dan. A few people from the other floors were there as well. Maggie saw Nate and winked at him.
“I’m only staying a few minutes,” he told Maggie. “I’m expected at home soon.” He rolled his eyes and laughed good-naturedly. Maggie hoped Ben didn’t push Nate away by being too clingy.
Michael returned to his spot at the table, having ditched the tie and rolled up his shirtsleeves. He grinned at her. “You’re about a pint behind, Mags.”
“Well, Hell’s bells! Somebody get me a pint!” she demanded in an exaggerated tone.
Maggie enjoyed joking around with everyone, but she kept an eye on the door. She wanted to see Joe right when he came in. She hoped he’d arrive before Michael’s date du jour. It occurred to her that she was being shallow, using Joe to bother Michael. Maybe. Or maybe she just wanted to go out. And meeting here was convenient. Simple as that. Yeah, right.
Joe walked into the pub, pausing to remove his black overcoat and hang it over his arm. He was dressed in a chunky beige sweater and jeans. When he looked up, Maggie waved and he smiled as he headed her way. She’d forgotten that he was so good looking. I mean, he’s not Michael, she thought. But he’s kind of nice.
She introduced him to the table, relishing the look in Michael’s eye when he recognized Joe. He was not pleased. She smugly engineered it so that they would spend a little longer at the table, having Joe order a drink before they rushed off to the theatre. Michael’s date arrived, a new one, Maggie noticed, and he didn’t even bother to introduce her. They left quickly, wishing everyone a nice weekend.
Maggie smiled triumphantly. “Have a great weekend, Michael. See you Monday.”
She and Joe left shortly after that. The theatre was a short cab ride from the pub. They quickly found their seats and began to scan the Playbill. The play was a modern avant-garde sort of thing, not really Maggie’s cup of tea, but she was always up for a live performance. There were brief breaks in the performance, allowing her and Joe a chance to engage in small-talk.
Out on the sidewalk after the play, Joe turned to Maggie. “Are you hungry? Would you like to get something to eat? Or drink? Or both?” he asked, laughing at his awkwardness.
She smiled. “Sure, that sounds great.” They ended up seated in a booth at a cafe not far from Doc’s. Over pie and coffee, Maggie answered his questions. She’d grown up in North Carolina, she’d graduated from NYU Law School, she’d worked with Murphy, Rannigan since graduation.
He told her that he’d been raised in upstate New York. She learned that he’d been teaching for about eight years, since his graduation from college. His degree was in education and he had a Master’s in history and political science. She could tell by the way he spoke that he loved teaching, loved impacting kids’ lives.
As he talked about teaching, Maggie found his idealism noble but she realized that they had little in common. She figured the conversation would wind down and they’d each be on their way. They left the cafe and stood out on the sidewalk.
Joe placed a hand on the small of her back. “The pie was great, but I could really use a beer. Can I take you for a drink?” She noticed a slight glint in his eye.
“A drink sounds good,” she said.
They pushed their way into a bar a few blocks from the cafe. They found a tiny table in a corner and Joe ordered a Stella for himself. Maggie asked for a glass of white wine. In the warmth of the bar, she took off her jacket and placed it on the back of her chair. Joe’s eyes were on her chest.
So we might be interested, she mused. She sat forward, leaning against the table, in a posture that pushed her breasts up. Joe finished off his beer and ordered a Scotch. They sipped without speaking. The music was so loud that conversation was virtually impossible, anyway. Maggie began to lightly drum her fingers against the back of his hand. She saw the gleam in his eyes grow hotter and she smiled at him.
Joe looked away for a moment. Then he leaned over. “Do you want to find someplace quieter?”
She felt his stubble as she brushed her cheek against his and spoke into his ear. “Is your place quieter?”
* * *
“I haven’t been here long,” he said by way of apology. “I couldn’t take having roommates.”
Maggie glanced around the tiny apartment. Real estate prices in the city being what they were, the place wasn’t bad. She set down her purse and took off her jacket.
“I have Scotch. Is that okay?” he asked. Maggie nodded. God, I hope he loses the awkwardness.
While he worked in the kitchen to get them drinks, she sat on the couch and looked around at the books and papers in stacks around the living room. Teaching was clearly his life. If anyone looked around my apartment, they’d see law books and files all over the place.
He made it to the couch with two glasses of Scotch and handed one to her. “Here you are,” he said, and he sank onto the couch beside her. He sipped nervously.
Maggie decided to take matters into her own hands. She put down her glass on the c
offee table and shifted to face him, drawing her left leg under her. She gently stroked his arm and he gazed down at her, desire turning his brown eyes even darker. She removed his glasses and set them beside her glass, leaning up to lightly kiss along his jawline, moving down his neck as he responded with a low growl. She stopped and peered up at him.
Joe leaned down and kissed her hungrily, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her to himself. Maggie matched his intensity, welcoming his tongue as it sought her own. He tangled the fingers of his right hand in her hair as his left hand moved lower, searching for the mounds that had attracted his attention earlier, finding her right breast and squeezing it firmly.
“Hang on,” she said into his mouth. She leaned back and pulled the tank top over her head, exposing a bra of sheer black lace, her aroused nipples straining against the delicate fabric.
“God, you’re...” he broke off as she leaned into him again, kissing him and caressing his obvious erection through the fabric of his jeans. “Beautiful,” he finally finished when he broke from her kiss and pushed her down on the sofa. He tugged off the sweater over his head and tossed it aside before he unzipped his fly, releasing his enormous cock.
“Oh, my,” Maggie murmured, arching her back in anticipation. Joe leaned over her, covering her left nipple with his mouth, suckling her through the sheer black lace of her bra. She reached down to grip his rock-hard cock, finding a drop of his essence at its tip, and she smeared it around his head with her thumb.
Joe undid her jeans and tugged them down, black lace panties and all, to reveal a tiny trimmed patch of red hair at the apex of her thighs. Maggie took his hand and pressed it to her wet, pink folds. “This is where I want you,” she whispered.
He reached around to his jeans and dug out a foil packet from one of the pockets. Maggie watched approvingly as he tore it open with his teeth and unrolled the contents down over his member.
Joe used his knee to push her legs further apart and he briefly teased her entrance with himself before slamming into her. Maggie gasped in his ear. “Yes, oh yes,” she hissed. Joe continued to pound into her, grunting with effort as he drove them both closer to the edge.
Maggie, for her part, closed her eyes and envisioned Michael punishing her core rather than Joe. She shooed away nagging doubts, content to deal with them later as she felt her climax building. “Oh, shit! Oh, baby, don’t stop, oh, fuck!” she breathed.
Waves of release washed over her as she felt herself clench around his hardness. She cried out unintelligibly and Joe unleashed his load into the condom. “Oh, gahhhhhh,” he moaned before falling still over her, supporting his weight with his elbows.
Chapter 35
Michael arrived at the office early on Monday morning. He was anxious to see Maggie and ask about her weekend. He’d briefly toyed with the idea of Snapchatting her on Sunday, but then thought better of it. He was standing by Karen’s desk perusing some documents when Maggie stepped off the elevator. “Howdy, Mags. Good morning.”
Maggie was juggling her purse, her case, and a huge coat she’d apparently removed in the elevator. “Hey, Michael. Happy Monday.”
He followed her to her office, holding open the door so she could enter with her arms full. She put down her purse and case on her desk and hung up her coat in the small closet near the door. Casually, one ankle crossed over the opposite knee, Michael leaned back on the sofa across from her desk. “So how was your weekend?” He aimed for nonchalance.
Maggie turned and smiled radiantly. “It was great!” She returned to her desk and locked her purse in the bottom drawer, placing the case on the credenza behind the desk. She crossed to where Michael was sitting and perched on one of the coordinating chairs across from the sofa. “How about yours?”
Michael frowned slightly as he considered her enthusiasm. “It was good,” he said noncommittally. “How long have you been dating that teacher?”
Maggie frowned. “Not long. Why?”
Michael shrugged. “I don’t know. It just seems odd to me, that’s all. I mean, we go do that school thing and the next thing you know, you’re going out with some teacher.”
Maggie sat back and crossed her arms in front of her. “Why is it odd? We met, he’s a nice guy, he asked me out. I’m not sure what you’re saying.”
“I’m not saying anything, I’m just...” Michael sighed and gestured with both hands. “Well, what could you possibly have in common with that guy?” Maggie watched him struggle to choose the right words. “He just seems to be boring as shit. I mean, sure, you go to a play. But what then?” He composed his face, trying for reasonable.
Maggie’s eyes narrowed, her arms still crossed. “What did you do on your date?” Michael visibly blanched as he recalled the various positions in which he’d fucked Vivian. “I don’t understand why you’re suddenly curious about my love life. I went out with Joe, and I will probably go out with him again.” She uncrossed her arms and stood to leave. “It has no bearing on my work.”
Michael also stood. “I know. You’re right. I don’t mean to pry into your personal life. I just... Well, I worry about you.” He grinned affably.
“Well, don’t. I’m a big girl and I can look out for myself.”
* * *
Sitting at the conference table, Maggie’s focus was not on the discussion at hand. She absently chewed the end of her pen, fuming over Michael’s interrogation about her date. And the very fact that she was irritated irritated her further. The whole point of having Joe come to Doc’s was to irk Michael. Now that it worked, I’m annoyed with him? Maggie shook her head to try to clear her thoughts.
By the end of the day, things were back to normal between Maggie and Michael. He dropped the subject and she was happy to leave it. She’d probably think twice about having a date meet her at Doc’s again.
In the following weeks and months, with Dan as their third, they found their groove again, working cases, searching for precedents, poring over documents, interviewing clients and witnesses. In court they worked together flawlessly, winning most of their cases, occasionally losing, but always ready for appeal.
Maggie went out with Joe several times over the next few months, sometimes to a movie or to dinner, but it always seemed to Maggie that it was just an excuse for them to get together to have sex. She knew she didn’t love him, wasn’t really attracted to him beyond the physical if she was perfectly honest, but she rationalized it to herself. If it’s good enough for Michael...
It was mid-April when she realized that it had been a while since Joe had called. I haven’t heard from him in about a month, she mused. She didn’t waste time or energy worrying about it. He’s probably busy with school.
One Saturday morning, she and Michael met at the office to get some work done, prepping for a case that would be in court on Monday. When they finished, he offered to take her to lunch.
As they made their way down the street that mild spring day, they came face to face with Joe, who couldn’t have looked more surprised.
“Hello!” Maggie greeted him. “How are you? You remember Michael?”
The color drained from the teacher’s face and his eyes widened. “Uh, yes, of course. How are you?” He turned to a petite brunette woman at his side. “Honey, this is Michael Rannigan, that lawyer I told you about. Please meet my wife, Amy.”
Michael glanced at Maggie, who had yet to respond. He offered his hand. “Good to see you again, nice to meet you, Amy. And you know Maggie, of course.”
“Uh, yeah, she came to the school with you,” Joe said. He desperately eyed Maggie, begging her to play along.
She wasn’t having it. Eyes narrowed, she shook her head and said, “No, I’d swear I’ve seen you someplace besides the school.”
Joe stood with his mouth hanging open. Michael jumped in. “You know, Maggie, I think we might have seen him at Doc Watson’s.” He gave a satisfied smile. “I’m sure that’s it. You were at Doc Watson’s.”
“I might have been, I’m no
t sure. If you’ll excuse us, we’re running late,” Joe mumbled hurriedly. “It was good seeing you again, Michael, Mary.”
Maggie and Michael stood watching as the couple hurried down the street, and they heard Amy saying to Joe, “We aren’t late, what are you talking about?”
Michael turned to Maggie. “Wow. How about a drink instead of lunch?”
They crossed the street and entered a dark pub, snagging two stools at the far end of the bar. Michael ordered bourbon for both of them. Maggie was silent, contemplating the contents of her glass and for a while, Michael left her to her thoughts, toying with his glass, making a pattern of condensation rings on the bar.
Eventually he tried, “You know, Mags, I never thought that guy...”
She held up a finger in warning. “Michael, don’t.” She shook her head in disgust. “He fucking called me Mary.”
“Well, technically...” he began, but she silenced him with a look before she tossed back her bourbon. Michael discreetly ordered a double for the next round. She drained that one and he ordered her a third as he sipped his original glass and added to his pattern of rings.
When she finally spoke it surprised him. “You know, it’s not like I was in love with him. Which makes my reaction to this so...so stupid.”
He smiled at her sympathetically. “We had a good time and all. But mainly it was just sex.”
She glanced up at him, wondering if he’d be shocked. He didn’t seem to be. “Believe me, if I had known he was married, I would never have gone out with him. I don’t do that.”
Michael looked down at the pattern he’d made on the bar. “You know there’s no judgement here. Go out with a married guy, go out with a single guy, what do I care?” He grinned ruefully. “Hell, I’ve been known to go out with a married woman now and again.”
“Oh, great! Now I’m you!” Maggie laughed humorlessly.
“Ouch!” Michael laughed as her fourth bourbon was delivered.
Rannigan's Redemption: Complete Collection Page 16