Indiscretions

by Barbara Winkes

  Her eyes widened, as if she could read something in his gaze, something that told her this guest could mean bad news for her. She was probably right.

  He was bored with her already, she wasn’t learning well, and there were only so many chances you could give an unwilling and resisting subject. He didn’t have time to deal with her tonight though. He walked the length of the room, aware and fascinated by the air being thick with fear. It always happened, sooner or later.

  He thought of the cop, struggling underneath him on the unyielding sidewalk, wondering if she was wearing those high heels again. He abandoned the thought abruptly. It was getting late.

  * * * *

  Ellie made a show out of washing her hands at the sink, slowly and methodically, or maybe she was just too drunk to do it any other way. Jordan who stood in the corner, arms crossed over her chest, seemed fairly amused.

  There was no one else in the restroom. “You’re staring at my hands. Good memories?”

  “You should know,” Jordan said, her a voice dark and lusty tone.

  “Really.” Ellie smiled at her reflection in the mirror before she turned around. “What do we do about it? You can’t come to my apartment, because there’s someone guarding my life and virtue. Obviously, I can’t come to yours. That’s a dilemma.”

  Jordan didn’t say anything, but her expression spoke volumes.

  “This is something I’ve never done before—or wanted to, but I believe this place is fairly sanitary, and my hands are really clean. Let me take care of you?” Ellie asked.

  “I can’t.” If the pained whisper was any indication of how much Jordan wanted to, Ellie had reason to be optimistic.

  “Sure you can,” she said, taking Jordan’s hand and pulling her with her into the stall. Ellie nearly stumbled which might have been because of her stilettos, the alcohol or an overwhelming desire—or all of the above. Their kiss was deep and messy, with the urgency of two people who had no time to waste. Jordan didn’t put up any more resistance. Leaning back against the wall, she closed her eyes, a gasp escaping her lips when Ellie pushed her hand into her slacks and beneath her panties. “You missed me too, right?”

  “Oh God. Yes.” It might have been an answer to Ellie’s question, or appreciation of her actions.

  “Shh.” Even in her high heels, she had to stretch a bit, her words whispered against Jordan’s mouth. “You have to be quiet.” She obliged, though the shudder running through her body gave Ellie an idea of how hard it had to be. Staying quiet was hard for Ellie, too at this point.

  “Bossy much, are you?”

  “You like that.”

  Jordan’s gaze was clouded with lust. “You seem to be enjoying yourself as well.”

  “I am,” Ellie confirmed. “You feel so good, all hot and…” Then she had to pause and kiss Jordan again to stop her from crying out. The world vanished for a moment in blissful ecstasy before reality and their surroundings registered with them once more.

  The sound of Jordan’s cell phone ringing made them both jump. “I’m sorry,” Jordan said, still breathless. She could mean many things. Sorry, there’s no time to return the favor. Sorry, but this has to be the last time.

  “Take it,” Ellie said. “I’ll go freshen up.”

  “Ellie, wait a second—”

  “It’s okay. When you’ve figured things out, you know where to find me.”

  * * * *

  “Yes.” Her tone was a lot less polite than what Jordan had intended. There was no need to bite the caller’s head off because her own life was a mess.

  “Detective Carpenter, good evening. I wanted to ask if you can still make it to our appointment.”

  “Oh.” As much as she was looking forward to moving out, Jordan had completely forgotten about the contract she was supposed to sign tonight. When Bethany had sometimes wondered how she got the job done, she hadn’t been too far off. Sometimes, Jordan wondered too. “I’m sorry about that…Something came up.”

  “I figured,” he said evenly. “I know I’m the one who advised you to slow it down a bit, but I have to inform you the owner might have another offer on the table. If I can get your signature tonight, the house is yours. Otherwise, you could end up in a bidding war.”

  “Wow.” Jordan heard the faucet being turned off, and a moment later, the sound of the door opening and closing. She tried to focus on the matter at hand. This was quick. Maybe she had conveniently forgotten about the appointment, because she wasn’t ready to make a decision, but too much had changed since that first night with Ellie. She couldn’t pretend everything was fine anymore, to Bethany, to herself. “What do I need to do?”

  “Could you meet me at my house?” he asked. “We could finalize the paperwork, and I’ll see the owner first thing in the morning. I’m sorry if this is inconvenient, but it seemed to me you really liked the place.”

  “I did. Okay. Let’s do this.”

  “Good. Let me give you the address, and I’ll see you there.”

  How she was going to explain this to Bethany, Jordan had no idea, but in a way she was looking forward to that conversation, the opportunity to present to her she had made this consequential adult decision all by herself. She wasn’t old enough to settle, out of fear or laziness.

  She finally left the stall and went to find Bethany, feeling a bit lightheaded the moment they were face to face. A call to her realtor wasn’t all that had happened in the bathroom stall. Jordan could feel her face flush.

  “Hey. I need to run a quick errand. I’ll see you later at home.” She didn’t dare look at Ellie who sat with her friends a few feet away. Just the thought of her brought back flashes, making her body tingle with the memory. Jordan wished she could spend the night. Maybe there was a possibility, something, for the two of them once she had the living arrangements figured out. Bethany would go to work at headquarters sooner or later. She’d be fine.

  “What errand?” Bethany asked. “If it’s about the case, shouldn’t I know about it?”

  Jordan ignored the reproach. “This case is not the only one I’m working on. You don’t have to wait up for me.”

  “Are you going to see her?” Bethany had no reservations staring openly and with resentment at Ellie.

  “No,” Jordan said, before she turned to go.

  * * * *

  She sat behind the wheel for a few minutes, trying to get her bearings. One thing at a time. Having a place to live would provide her with the opportunity to leave Bethany. At some point in her life, Jordan would have been terrified of the idea, now it filled her with relief.

  She hoped Ellie wouldn’t be too disappointed because Jordan needed some time to herself. Jordan didn’t want to lose her. Truth be told she…was falling in love with her. How’s that for terrifying?

  Jonathan Darby lived in a Victorian style building on the other part of town. It would have been easier to just walk the few blocks to his uptown office, but Jordan didn’t mind the drive. It cleared her mind. The neighborhood reminded her of the one she’d be living in soon, quiet, private. She parked her car next to his jeep and walked up the stairs to his front door to ring the bell. A soft, melodic tone ensued.

  Darby had worn a suit the other day, now had dressed in more comfortable slacks and a sweater. “I’m so sorry for messing up the appointment,” she said by way of greeting. “It’s late.”

  “That’s no problem at all. Come on in. I have everything ready for you.” He led her down the hallway into a large den with huge windows. Two sofas and an armchair sat around a coffee table, a small pile of printed papers and a couple of pens in the center of the tabletop.

  “Take a seat. Why don’t I run the details past you one more time, you look it over and sign?”

  “Sounds good.”

  Jordan had educated herself with a quick check on Darby and his business. He had a great reputation and, from what she had learned, satisfied clients. It had to be enough. If she didn’t sign tonight, she might not find the courage again. H
e let her read, leaving for another room as she skimmed over the contents. This was a game changer, she realized with excitement. She could be in her new home in a matter of days, if everything went smoothly.

  Darby returned with a small tray, carrying two glasses filled with about two fingers of an amber fluid. “I usually don’t mix work with alcohol, but as you said it’s late, and I believe this calls for a bit of celebration.”

  “Oh no, I can’t. I still have to drive.”

  “Take a cab later, and I’ll come pick you up tomorrow after I see the client,” he suggested. “She’ll be in before seven. That would work for you, right?”

  It could, if nothing happened overnight. In that case, Bethany would probably not be willing to give her a ride.

  “Why not?” she said and accepted the glass. “Thank you.”

  “My pleasure. I’m glad to help. Your situation seemed…urgent.”

  Jordan signed her name at the bottom of the page, before she took a sip of the whiskey. “That’s one way to put it, yes. Mostly, I’ve been putting off the inevitable.”

  “You’re a busy woman.”

  She picked up her glass again. “Busy is no excuse. I’m glad this is finally happening.”

  He gathered the papers, put them back on the table and sat next to her. Close. Jordan was reminded of the scene in his office, the touch lasting a bit too long, not all that innocent.

  “To new beginnings,” Darby said, before he leaned in to kiss her. Jordan indulged him for a moment long enough to realize she had a perfect opportunity to get herself into an even bigger mess, and that she didn’t want to. Given the context of their shared drinking and her impending step into new freedom, it wasn’t entirely unpleasant, just not pleasant enough.

  She pulled back. “I’m sorry,” she said, laughing a little, uneasy and embarrassed. “This is a bad idea.”

  Darby smiled. At least, he didn’t take the rejection so badly. “I’m sorry too. This was going a little fast. A contract and a drink, let’s leave it at that for the moment.”

  Okay, maybe she hadn’t made herself clear enough. “I’m about to leave my partner. We’ve been together a little over nine years, and I’m not looking for a new relationship.” The second part was little white lie, maybe, but he didn’t need to know. “Besides, I don’t date men. I’m sorry. I guess I should call that cab now. Thank you for everything.”

  “No problem. I’ll still pick you up tomorrow?”

  “That’s fine, you don’t have to. Just let me know if the owner accepted the offer, okay? I’ll catch a ride at work and come pick up the car later if you don’t mind.”

  “Sure, that’s totally fine. Please, finish your drink. There’s no point in wasting a good whiskey.”

  “I’m sorry about that. I need to go.”

  “Wait inside at least…”

  “No, thanks.”

  To her relief, he didn’t try any harder to change her mind, and the cab arrived within minutes. Jordan called Derek, asking him to pick her up in the morning. “Don’t ask,” she warned.

  He laughed good-naturedly. “I know your ways, Carpenter. I don’t want to know.”

  “That sounds bad.” She frowned. “What exactly do you mean by that?”

  “Nothing. Enjoy your night. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  Jordan leaned back into the seat, glancing at her watch. One of these days, sometime soon, she wouldn’t have to come sneaking back into her own home—or have sex in a bathroom stall. In spite of these prospects being still in the future, she had to smile. She had to go with her instincts more often. She had taken quite a few risks lately, and Jordan believed they would pay off. If only Ellie had a little more patience with her.

  * * * *

  Ellie wasn’t sure how to feel about the quick, messy, and so hot encounter in the restroom. Hot was what remained on her mind, even after going home in a cab, taking a shower and going to bed right away. Sleep was a faraway illusion, the residual effect of the alcohol and the memory made sure of that. Not that she minded replaying those moments, constant repeat, a welcome distraction from the previous mind movie that kept coming back on sleepless nights.

  Even better to know that there was still a slight chance at making those fantasies come true, with someone else doing all the work like she had to now. She bit her lip like Jordan had earlier, because those sounds would seem oddly loud in the stillness of the night. Maybe it wasn’t life that owed her after all, and she’d been lucky to find someone who made her feel this complete—even when she wasn’t present.

  Chapter Ten

  Jordan had expected questions, disdain, the usual. What she had not been prepared for was Bethany slapping her the moment she walked into the apartment.

  “Whoa. What—”

  “Where the hell have you been?”

  “I told you, I—”

  “Liar!” This time, she caught Bethany’s wrist before her palm could connect with Jordan’s cheek once more.

  “Stop it. I had some errands to run. That’s what I did. You want to have that talk now? Okay, let’s do it.”

  “Why are you doing this to me?” Bethany’s voice sounded slightly slurred, alerting Jordan to the fact that she hadn’t been the only one drinking.

  “Beth.”

  “No, you’re listening to me for a change! When did I become so unattractive to you that you’re willing to sleep with a man to get away from me?”

  “That’s not what happened!” Jordan stopped, unsure how to even start answering those questions, and how Bethany could have come to those conclusions. She was usually spot on, in an almost scary way. She had noticed something about Ellie right away, but maybe that was because Jordan was getting sick and tired of pretending.

  However, Bethany had no way of knowing whom she had met tonight, unless she’d hacked into Jordan’s phone. Technically, she could do that, but it was still illegal, and immoral. Not that Jordan had any ground to stand on when it came to morals. “What makes you think I did that?”

  “I know,” Bethany said darkly. “How stupid do you think I am?” She pressed a button on the phone, the answering machine. “You could at least tell them not to call here.”

  “Hi Jordan,” Darby’s voice sounded from the recording. “I just wanted to let you know I enjoyed our time very much, and I’m looking forward to seeing you again.”

  Jordan felt her jaw drop. What the hell was he thinking? Never mind the fact that she had been cheating, and was planning to leave Bethany, for real this time—this was out of line from a man whose only role in her life was to sell her a new home.

  “All right, let’s clear up the misunderstandings right now. I never slept with that guy, nor did I ever plan to. I honestly don’t know why he left that message. I am in love with someone else though.”

  Bethany looked like she was the one who’d been slapped.

  “Frankly, I don’t know what else to tell you. I don’t blame you, at all. In fact, I’m glad to take the blame, but I can’t live like this anymore.”

  “What are you saying? You’re taking the coward’s way out after all? You’re not even trying anymore?”

  “Bethany, what do you want from me? I told you I’m in love with someone else. I’ll stay with a friend, or go to a hotel, whatever.”

  Bethany followed her into the bedroom where Jordan pulled out a suitcase from the back of the closet. If Darby was to be believed, and she trusted him to be better at his job than he was at flirting, she would only have a few days to bridge.

  “You are not doing this.”

  “Watch me. Now would you stop it?” Jordan snapped, irritated when Bethany took out every item she’d put inside the suitcase, and threw them to the floor. “I’m leaving, okay? I’m doing you a favor. After this case is closed, you won’t even have to see me anymore. I don’t want the furniture. I just want to…”

  “Keep screwing around?” Bethany suggested icily. “Because that’s what you do, Jordan, and you’re going to mess t
his up with her the same way. I’m already feeling sorry for the girl.”

  Jordan started picking up her clothes from the floor. There was no point in arguing. Worse, she could start to believe Bethany was right, and no one else would ever put up with her.

  “If you want to go, go. Get out, now!”

  Jordan barely ducked her keys.

  “God, I can’t stand to be in the same room with you anymore. This is how you thank me? Screw you! Not that you have to, I guess there’ll always be one of your groupies around. Why don’t you screw her?” Bethany asked, lowering her voice as if she was running out of breath. “Since you can’t solve the damn case. That’s at least one thing you’re good at. Go, damn it!”

  Jordan clenched her fingers around her keys, turning away to walk out of the room and the apartment. It wasn’t so much the content of Bethany’s words that rattled her rather than what they meant. She had suspected at times, but it was hardly between the lines anymore. Bethany hated her. It made her sad and a little nauseated to think she’d stayed around someone who couldn’t stand her, for such a long time.

  She cursed to herself when she remembered her car wasn’t here—even if it had been, she was in no condition to drive.

  * * * *

  Sleep had finally embraced her, but it didn’t seem that long until the doorbell jolted her out of it. For almost a full minute, Ellie sat up in her bed, her heart racing once more, but not for a good reason.

  It could be important.

  It could be him, coming back to finish the job he had screwed up in the first place. Get a freaking grip, she told herself. To come here would guarantee him world’s stupidest criminal. She could check safely from inside the house.

  By the time Ellie finally got to the door, she suspected the person to be gone, feeling slightly guilty at the thought that someone might need her help, bleeding on her doorstep…okay, now she was overreacting.

  “Who’s there?”

  “It’s Jordan.”

  Ellie allowed herself a moment of excitement, now wide awake, until she opened the door to her. From the dejected look on Jordan’s face, she could tell the reason for her visit was neither a happy nor a sexy one. Their earlier encounter seemed unreal. She stepped back to let her in.