20. Home Free

by Fern Michaels

  The Sisters nodded, satisfied with Lizzie’s explanation. The chatter resumed as Myra and Annie set out the glasses and waited for Charles to bring in the champagne and some ice and ginger ale.

  Lizzie watched Maggie out of the corner of her eye as she let her fingers caress the shield she was holding. She thought her dear friend looked . . . defeated.

  Maggie looked up at Lizzie and correctly interpreted what she was seeing in Lizzie’s eyes. “No harm, no foul. Good thing I didn’t take it to the next level. Relax, Lizzie. My guy is just a . . . memory.”

  “I’m sorry, Maggie.”

  “Don’t be. I’m okay with it.”

  “You sure?”

  Maggie looked her in the eye and said, “I’m sure, Lizzie. I would never in any way compromise all of you. We’re family.” She turned away so Lizzie and the others couldn’t see the tears in her eyes.

  Ice tinkled in the exquisite crystal. Charles poured the ginger ale. “It bubbles, almost like the real thing,” he said happily.

  The Sisters raised their glasses and, as usual, waited for Myra to make the toast.

  Myra looked around the table from one to the other, a smile on her face. “Let’s toast the unknown until such time as we want to make the unknown known.”

  “Very well put, old girl,” Charles said.

  “Now what?” Alexis asked.

  “Now we wait until our names are called. It’s rather reminiscent of being back in grade school. I think I like the feeling.” Annie chortled. “It will give us all time to let our imaginations go to work.”

  The good-byes were long and full of hugs and kisses.

  Still holding their special gold shields, Charles, Myra, and Annie sat down at the kitchen table. They were silent because no one could think of anything to say.

  “I think we all just made one hell of a commitment,” Annie finally said.

  “We’re up to it,” Myra said cheerfully. “I think it is beyond amazing that the White House thinks so very highly of us. How cool is that?” She twinkled.

  “Myra, you absolutely rock sometimes. Now, Charles, since we aren’t driving anywhere, get out the hard stuff, and don’t stint when you pour.”

  “Your every wish is my command, ladies.” He gave his shield an imaginary swipe and laughed out loud.

  Chapter 5

  It was a blustery, colder-than-normal November day, bone-chillingly cold, with a thick dampness in the air that made you wish you were wearing two sweaters under your coat. The dark gray clouds scudded across the sky as the wicked wind beat at the naked tree branches that lined the perimeter of the parking lot at Nikki Quinn’s law firm. Maggie shivered even though she was dressed warmly inside the little car she was sitting in.

  The parking lot that belonged to Nikki’s firm was almost full, but Maggie Spritzer was able to maneuver the little Beetle she’d borrowed from her secretary into a spot with ease. She sat behind the wheel, the engine still running, the heater going full blast as she contemplated the reason she was there. Yes, she had legitimate business there; she’d made the appointment two weeks ago. But she knew she was there for another reason, too. She needed some girl talk. Time permitting, maybe Nikki and Alexis, the brand-new office manager, could find the time for a quick bite just to get out of the office.

  Then again, maybe not. Who in their right mind, besides herself, would want to go out in this weather? Maggie continued to sit and watch the whipping branches. It was almost hypnotic. She had one bad moment as she wondered if the wind was strong enough to blow over the little Beetle. She had to move.

  Maggie opened the door and had to use all her strength to hold on so the wind wouldn’t blow the door off its hinges. She finally got the door closed and locked. She hunkered down into her jacket and tried to make a run for it, the ferocious wind battling her every step of the way, but she finally made it to the entrance and the beautiful carved teak double doors.

  “You look like an alien!” Alexis laughed as she pointed to Maggie’s curly hair, which looked like a messy bunch of corkscrews standing on end.

  “It’s wicked out there,” Maggie gasped. “Even so, I was going to ask you if you and Nikki could get away for a bite to eat after my meeting. Or are you too busy?”

  “I’m game, but check with Nikki. Go on back. She’s waiting for you. You want coffee?”

  “Sure.”

  Maggie marched back to Nikki’s office, the last one on the right off the long hallway. Nikki got up, and the two women hugged. “Kind of windy out there, huh?”

  “Sure is. I borrowed my secretary’s Beetle to drive over. I hope it doesn’t blow away, it’s so little.”

  Nikki laughed and motioned for Maggie to sit opposite her. “What’s up that you need my services? You want to do lunch when we’re finished? It’s usually slow at this time of year, what with Thanksgiving just a few days away. Legal woes seem to take a backseat around holiday time. Actually from now till the first of the year, we all get to catch our breath. This is also when we take vacations. Courts are slow, too.”

  “Absolutely, let’s do lunch. I asked Alexis on my way in, and she said she could get away, but it really depended on you. Okay, this is why I’m here.” Maggie slid a manila folder across the desk. “I made the decision to buy a house. The owner of the one I’m leasing—well, the Post is leasing it, and I pay the Post—he’s willing to sell. He, the owner, married a Frenchwoman, and she doesn’t like it here in the States and doesn’t want to be bothered with a rental property. I lucked out, Nikki. Last summer, he put in a new AC unit, and a month ago, when the furnace went out, he replaced it. This past summer the stove just stopped working, and he told me to buy a new one, which I did. I got a Wolf, you know, those high-end ones with the red knobs.

  “So, the house is in pretty good shape, a little pricey, but Georgetown prices really never go down. I did haggle and got him down somewhat. He just wants to unload it. Oh, and the roof is only five years old. I think I did good, and the best part, Nikki, is that we will be neighbors in the true sense of the word. You know, actual home owners.”

  “That’s great, Maggie.” Nikki scanned the papers and smiled. “It’s all here. You did half my work for me. Do you want to close before or after the holidays?”

  “I think I’d like to be a home owner before Christmas. That way, when I put up a Christmas tree, I’ll feel like I’m really putting it up in my own house, not someone else’s. I might even string some lights outside just to make it official.”

  Nikki laughed as she rang for her secretary and handed her Maggie’s file. “See if you can set up the closing for December fifteenth. I’m leaving for lunch now, and if you need me, call me on my cell. On your way out, tell Alexis to meet us at the door. We’re going to lunch. Sit at the front desk till we get back, okay?”

  The secretary nodded in agreement.

  “Where would you like to go, Nikki? My treat. I want to celebrate. God, I don’t believe I am buying a house!”

  Nikki laughed. “It is a bit overwhelming at first, but you settle in real quick. You got a really good interest rate, which is super. Will save you a lot of money in the long run. You’re already living there, so that’s a big plus. I look at it as winwin.”

  “I guess. I still feel intimidated for some reason. Now I have to buy my own furniture. The owner said I should donate all his stuff to Goodwill, which I will do, or I could keep it—but I don’t want it. The fact that the house came furnished was the reason I moved there in the first place. Plus I love Georgetown.”

  Nikki reached for her coat, a long white cashmere with a belt. Maggie thought she looked like a movie star at that moment. She watched as Nikki pulled her wallet out of her purse and stuck it in her pocket.

  “Let’s rumble, girlfriend. I’m sensing you have stuff you want to talk about. I’ll drive.”

  “I made a reservation at Snuffy’s,” Alexis said as she followed Nikki and Maggie out of the office. “They’re sure to have some really good soup on a day lik
e this. Soup, salad, and sandwich is my kind of lunch. Oh, and they have really good desserts,” she added for Maggie’s benefit. “I also asked for your favorite booth in the back, Nikki. We’re good to go. That’s if this wind lets us get there.”

  Fifteen minutes later, the threesome blew into Snuffy’s like a tornado. Alexis couldn’t stop laughing at Maggie’s hair. “You look like a raspberry bush. Here, tie my scarf around your head, or people are going to laugh at you.”

  Maggie grimaced as she did her best to flatten her hair down with the scarf. Nikki gave it a few artful tugs, and Alexis pronounced Maggie ready to go.

  It was a cozy little restaurant teeming with patrons who loved to eat and visit in the Georgetown area, especially on a day like today.

  The chalkboard hanging behind the salad station said the special for the day was hot roast beef sandwiches on sourdough bread, and Southwestern vegetable soup. Homemade strawberry-mango pie was the dessert of the day.

  “That’s a no-brainer,” Alexis said. “I’m going to order it and get an order to go for this evening. Right now, though, I want a cup of hot coffee.” No sooner were the words out of her mouth when a pot was set in the middle of the table, along with three cups. Coffee was free, compliments of the owners.

  “This place is a gold mine,” Maggie said as she poured out coffee.

  “Depends. The owners are here at four in the morning to get everything ready for six, when they open. They close around ten, spend another hour cleaning up, and get home by eleven. They’re probably too tired to do more than go to bed and get up and do the same thing the next day. But it’s their life, and they seem to love it,” Nikki said.

  “Aren’t we all in the same boat?” Maggie asked. “I’m at the paper by six, sometimes five thirty. I can’t tell you how often I sleep there. We make choices in life is the only explanation I can come up with. Hey, if it works, then work it is my motto.”

  “Okay, let’s talk, girls,” Nikki said. “How did Espinosa take the gold shield when you gave it to him?” she asked Alexis.

  “Actually, it was pretty funny. He was afraid to touch it. He said he hid it in five different places before he found one that he feels comfortable with.” Alexis’s gaze shifted to Maggie when she said, “Joseph said Ted was so overwhelmed, he had tears in his eyes. He doesn’t know what he did with his.”

  Maggie didn’t bat an eye at the mention of her ex, Ted’s name. “What did Jack say?” Maggie asked.

  “He was beside himself. At first he had this really awful look on his face when he remembered how those guys with the shields tormented him, then that big brawl when he beat the living daylights out of that agent and took his shield and gave it to Ted. At first he didn’t want to take it. We talked about it for a while, and he finally accepted it. I haven’t spoken to Kathryn or Bert, so I don’t know what Bert’s reaction was. I don’t see anyone giving it back.”

  The waitress arrived to take their order. The moment she was gone, Maggie leaned over the table and said, “Yeah, well, I’m thinking of giving mine back.”

  “You are! Why?” Nikki asked in stunned surprise.

  “You can’t do that, Maggie. You’re one of us now,” Alexis said.

  “I know, I know, but my . . . my life has changed. I don’t mean in regard to all of you. I mean my personal life. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”

  “Well, we’re all ears, honey. Spit it out,” Alexis said as she poured more coffee.

  “You all know my history with Ted. And with Abner. Somehow, I managed to screw up both of those. I take that to mean neither of them was meant for me. I love them both in different ways. And, yes, it bothers me that it all ended like it did, but I have to think about me. I’m forty years old. I should have my personal life on an even keel, and I thought I did until . . . well, I had to rethink it all when Lizzie gave me that damn gold shield. She had this look in her eye, and I knew exactly what it meant. It meant my new beau is off-limits. I can’t sustain a relationship on lies, and I would have to lie to him. He was a congressman for ten years, and very astute in the bargain. Now he’s an investment counselor, which means he raises money and invests it.”

  “I think we all know some stupid congressmen, ex and otherwise. I don’t personally know any investment counselors, at least not on a first-name basis. I do have a broker and a portfolio,” Nikki said. “It’s never good to start a relationship based on a lie. Having said that, it’s my personal opinion that one’s . . . partner, significant other, doesn’t need to know everything about oneself. I also think each of us has to hold something in reserve and never commit one hundred percent. If things go awry along the way, we each need that little bit of reserve to carry us through.”

  “Men like a little mystery where women are concerned,” Alexis said. “But in a way that’s a double-edged sword, because they then try to find out what that little mystery is. Tough spot, Maggie. How do you feel about this new guy?”

  “You know, I really like him. I met him at the Post one day. He was meeting with one of my reporters. No, not Ted. I gather he’s sort of the new wunderkind. At least that was the impression I got out of it. I was walking across the newsroom floor, and he just up and introduced himself. We had a pleasant chat, and that was it. No sparks or anything like that. Just one of those meetings that happen every so often. One of the reporters, I found out later, was doing an article on his overnight success. He’s very personable. A week or so later, he called me up and invited me out to dinner. I went. The conversation was mainly about how disillusioned he was with Washington during his five terms as a congressman. He wanted to know everything there was to know about how the paper runs. Then he popped in again on his lunch hour one day and asked for a tour. I obliged. He’s real easy to talk to, nice guy.

  “Full head of hair, and he’s forty-eight, eight years older than I am. He’s originally from Maryland. He’s a lawyer and CPA. He was married, but his wife died ten years ago from breast cancer. No children. He just up and left Washington after the funeral. Then he moved to New York, went to work on Wall Street. He worked there a while, then decided to strike out on his own and moved back here to the District. He still sees his in-laws and seems to love them like his own family. And did I mention he has a really wicked sense of humor and a killer smile? No sex. We are miles away from going there. Right now, it’s simply a comfortable friendship. Will it go forward? I have nary a clue, but yes, I would like for that to happen.”

  “That’s it? You’ve only seen him three times? Charles drummed into our heads from day one that there is no such thing as a coincidence. You do know that, right?” Nikki said.

  “No, no. We’ve had a few quick lunches, two other dinners. We text usually once a day, or he calls. I never call him. Well, I do and I don’t know about coincidences. If you recall, I did not sit in on your . . . ah . . . your meetings with Charles. Usually, I meet him wherever it is we’re going to eat. I was actually thinking of bringing him to Annie’s for Thanksgiving, but now I don’t think that’s a good idea. Lizzie cut me a look that clearly said, ‘Don’t go there.’

  “I like him more and more with each meeting. He’s going to be alone for Thanksgiving, and that bothers me. He told me he used to spend holidays with his in-laws, but this year they’re going on a cruise. I know he’s waiting for me to . . . I don’t know what he’s waiting for me to do,” Maggie finished lamely.

  Nikki and Alexis both went silent as the waitress appeared with their food.

  “Why are you looking at me like that?”

  The moment the waitress left, Nikki said, “Have you given any thought to possibly . . . and I say possibly . . . this man sought you out knowing you know Annie and Myra? Meaning, of course, they have money and might want to invest with him? I’m not saying that’s the case, but you should think about it.”

  “That’s the first thing I thought of,” Maggie said as she sprinkled salt and pepper on her food. “But then again, considering who we are, I think it’s natura
l to think along those lines, don’t you, Nikki?”

  “I do.” Fork poised in midair, Nikki looked across the table. “Maggie?”

  Maggie felt her shoulders slump. She placed the fork on her plate, looked across the table at Nikki and Alexis, her eyes miserable. “Are you saying my meeting up with Jason Parker wasn’t a chance meeting at all, and that he’s using me?”

  Nikki looked down at her plate. Alexis averted her gaze.

  “Well, that damn well sucks,” Maggie said as she picked up her fork and proceeded to shovel food into her mouth. “Not only does it suck, but it sucks big-time.”

  Nikki was determined to have the last word. “There is no such thing as a coincidence.”

  Chapter 6

  Maggie’s secretary appeared out of the blue just as the strawberry-mango pie arrived. She was as windblown as everyone else who was coming into the restaurant. Her face was rosy red, and there was such excitement in her eyes, the girls waited to start their pie.

  “Maggie, your phone is off,” she chastised.

  “I know. I forgot to charge the battery. How did you know where to find me?” Maggie said peevishly.

  “I called Miss Quinn’s office, and they told me. I wouldn’t have come all the way over here if it wasn’t important. This had to be done in person,” Sally, the secretary, whispered.

  Maggie jabbed her fork into the pie. “I’m never going to know unless you tell me, so tell me.”

  “The White House called for you!”

  Three jaws dropped.

  “Why?”

  “I don’t know, Maggie. The president said she wanted to talk to you. I had to tell her I didn’t know where you were. Do you have any idea how stupid I felt saying that? Anyway, she wants you to call her back, like as soon as possible.”

  “Are you sure it wasn’t some kind of prank call? Ted would get off doing something like that just to tick me off.”