I’ll never get used to this. Chrissy moans when Reggie opens her mouth and runs her tongue over the seam of Chrissy’s lips before slipping inside. Reggie’s low growl chases fire through Chrissy’s veins, and she squeezes her eyes tight. Their tongues rub together—long, focused strokes. She savors the sharp taste of mint and coffee and Reggie, her hunger increasing with each sound, each stroke, each stolen breath.
Reggie’s hand runs up and down Chrissy’s spine, her kisses turning less demanding. She slows, exploring Chrissy’s mouth with a devotion which thrills Chrissy. Her breathing starts to slow, and Reggie sucks on her lower lip before pulling back.
Dropping her head, Chrissy keeps her eyes closed, panting. She can taste Reggie on her tongue, and she yearns for more. Fingers move through her hair, rubbing her skull before migrating to her neck. They stand together, Chrissy’s arms loosely draped around Reggie’s waist, as they calm down. Chrissy wishes she felt better, wishes she could take Reggie by the hand, lead her upstairs, and make love to her. She’s too sore, though. Too bruised. Too achy. Too tired. “I want you so much.”
“I’m not going anywhere. When you’re feeling better, I promise I’m all yours.”
“Okay.” Chrissy loves the sultry smile Reggie aims at her. When it turns playful, Chrissy knows what’s coming next.
“Now, how about some lunch?”
Chapter Twelve
Chrissy watches Reggie work on a legal file, happy to observe her. She’ll miss these quiet moments, but she knows she and Ben will have to return to their apartment after the New Year. Ben will return to school on the second, and Reggie will need to return to work. Besides, Chrissy misses being surrounded by her belongings.
Ben enters the room with a smile. “Look what I have.” He hands over The Boston Globe, and Chrissy wastes no time finding the article.
“Have you read it, yet?” she asks, glancing at Ben.
“Nope. I thought you should get first honors.”
Reggie wanders over and slides on the bed next to her so their shoulders are touching. Chrissy shoots her a grin before focusing on the paper.
Meet Hero Who Stopped Shooter at Boston Law Firm
On Friday, December 23rd a disgruntled former client attempted to murder his attorney after being ordered by the court to pay more than $119,000 in damages. As reported last week, Frank Hogan lost a civil case for liability incurred when he tried to fix a furnace without professional help. The furnace caught fire at his duplex apartment, and the property was declared a total loss. Both Hogan and his tenants lost all their belongings, and the tenants sued him for damages.
The focus of the rampage was on Hogan’s attorney, Isabel “Reggie” Esposito, a senior partner at Hawk, Esposito & Associates. She agreed to represent him pro bono after meeting him during the monthly Lawyer for the Day volunteer program at the Boston Municipal Court.
Hogan arrived at the law firm at approximately 4:05 PM and proceeded to shoot five people, none fatal, with a rifle and attached bump stock. When he arrived at Attorney Esposito’s outer office, Christina Kramer, Esposito’s paralegal, attempted to diffuse the situation by engaging Hogan in conversation.
What he did not know was how Kramer had warned Esposito of the danger moments before he arrived, urging Esposito and Kramer’s fourteen-year-old son, who was visiting his mother, to hide under a desk. Kramer said when interviewed, “I made them hide. I tried to talk to him, but he was becoming more agitated by the moment. So, I tackled him and got the rifle from him.”
According to Kramer, she has no formal training on how to disarm an assailant. That didn’t stop her from placing her life in danger. When she tackled Hogan, his shot went wide, hitting the windows behind them. Kramer suffered two broken ribs when she hit the ground, deep lacerations from the shattered window panes, and numerous abrasions and bruises.
Senior partner Afanc Hawk issued a statement on the matter: “Chrissy Kramer is a hero. Not only did she save Reggie Esposito, but she also stopped the assailant from hurting anyone else. Without her courageous intervention, it is conceivable Mr. Hogan might have shot several others. We owe Chrissy a debt of gratitude and wish her a speedy recovery.”
Ms. Kramer hails from Chelsea, where her parents still live. Mike and Lori Kramer admitted they were surprised to hear what happened. “I had no idea she’s a paralegal in Boston. We haven’t spoken to her in a while,” Mrs. Kramer said. She described her daughter as a smart, independent woman and expressed relief when told she was recovering. “I’m glad she’s okay.” When asked whether she wanted to pass on a message to her daughter, Mrs. Kramer said, “I am so proud of her. Hopefully, we’ll be able to reconnect soon.” Kramer’s father declined to comment.
Mr. Hogan was arraigned on Monday for multiple counts of felony assault and battery with a firearm, armed assault with intent to murder, possession of a large capacity feeding device, and several lesser charges. Judge Stark ordered a psychiatric evaluation to gauge both Hogan’s ability to understand the proceedings against him and his criminal responsibility when the alleged crimes occurred.
Chrissy stares at the paper. Her heart’s racing, and she wants to leave the room. She needs time to think. Time to herself. She doesn’t know what to do, how to feel.
“Did it mention me?” Ben asks.
“Not by name. He did identify my parents and hometown, though.” Chrissy taps the page with her finger.
“Can I read it?” he asks.
Chrissy nods. She hands him the paper and interlaces her fingers with Reggie’s.
“Are you okay?” Reggie asks.
“Yeah. I’m just surprised my mom spoke to the reporter. And why is he getting a psych eval? He knew what he was doing.”
“I’m sure his public defender petitioned for it. He won’t get free. Those are serious charges lodged against him.”
“I think the article is good. It lets people know what a hero you are. Can I keep it?” Ben looks at Chrissy and Reggie. They both nod. “Cool.”
Chrissy rises from the bed, biting her lower lip when she turns too quickly. Although the shooting pain isn’t as sharp, it still hurts enough to make her pause. Once she’s standing, she looks back at Reggie and Ben, both sporting similar concerned looks. “I’m okay. Let me clean up and we can eat something. I was thinking of taking a walk today. It will be good to stretch my legs and breathe in some fresh air.”
“Sounds good. I’ll get dressed.” Ben leaves the room, newspaper in hand.
Reggie still looks concerned, shifting from one foot to the other. “Not too long a walk?”
“I promise not to overdo it.”
“All right. Do you need help getting dressed?”
“Let me try first. If it’s too hard, I’ll let you know.” Reggie looks unhappy, but she nods. Before she enters the bathroom, Chrissy says, “I’ll get to wear my new jacket today. In my book, that’s a win.” Satisfied by the upturn of Reggie’s lips, Chrissy feels her spirits lifting as she gets ready for the day.
***
The murmur of the television doesn’t keep Chrissy’s attention while she reads her latest emails. Here it is exactly one week from the shooting, and this is the first time she’s logged in to her work email. Most of it she deletes since Reggie’s taken care of them. The remaining ones are from colleagues asking about her wellbeing, an internal memo welcoming her to Attorney Hawk’s division, and notifications of messages on the work voicemail system. After responding to her colleagues, Chrissy calls in to the default voicemail center.
Most messages she forwards to Reggie’s personal voicemail inbox since they’re regarding her cases. When she hears her mother’s voice, Chrissy gasps.
“Hi. This is Lori Kramer. I was told if I left a message, it would be forwarded to my daughter, Tina. Please give her my number and ask her to call me. Thank you.”
Chrissy jots down the number and deletes the message. Her stomach cramps, and she wonders whether she’s going to be sick. She hugs herself, her thoughts jumbl
ed. Should I call her? Do I want to call her? Why does she even want to talk to me? I still have a kid. I’m still single.
The sinking of the cushion to her right and familiar perfume pulls a smile from Chrissy. Reggie’s fingers travel across her forehead, as if to smooth away the proof of her concern. “Can I help?”
“My mother left a message on the company voicemail asking me to call her.”
“Are you going to?”
She gazes at Reggie. This beautiful woman loves her. She doesn’t have to deal with this alone. “What if I do, and she decides she doesn’t want to see me again? I don’t want to set myself up for more rejection.”
“That is a distinct possibility, but do you think after all this time she would try to contact you only to turn away again?”
“Maybe.” She clenches her fists on her lap. “If I contact her, I’m opening myself up. And what happens if Ben meets my parents? I want to protect him.”
“Of course you do. If you do meet with her, you don’t have to tell Ben ahead of time. You can see what she has to say.”
“Kind of like a pretrial conference?”
With a chuckle, Reggie nods. “And if you need a mediator, I’m happy to go with you. You don’t even have to divulge our relationship. We can meet her at the law firm.”
“Let me think about it. I don’t know that I’m ready to see her, but I think I’ll call her.”
“You’re the bravest person I know. Even when something scares you, you keep stepping forward.” Reggie’s eyes fill with tears, her lower lip trembling.
Eyes widening, Chrissy says, “Come here.” Reggie cuddles into her side, and Chrissy holds her as best she can while running her hand up and down her back. Reggie’s hand rests on her stomach, the charm bracelet sparkling on her wrist. Chrissy lifts each charm, smiling as she studies them. When she gets to the heart, she looks over to see Reggie watching her.
“You know, it’s easy to imagine the worst-case scenario, easy to give in to fear. But we’re both here, together, and there’s no sense in reliving what happened over and over.” She feels Reggie’s nod before she sits up.
“Can I see?” Reggie asks, hands poised over Chrissy’s shirt hemline. Once Chrissy nods, Reggie lifts the T-shirt up her torso, revealing her bruised ribs. She runs her fingers over the area, causing Chrissy to hiss as pinpricks of sensation erupt wherever she touches. “They look a bit swollen. Let me get you an icepack.” She’s up and out of the den before Chrissy can say anything.
Studying her ribs, Chrissy frowns. The area has striated bands of bruising, a blend of dark reds, blues, and black. She takes a deep breath, ignoring the pain. She holds her breath for a count of five before releasing it to another count of five. She does this three more times. The last thing she wants is to deal with catching a cold. She feels weak enough. The walk they took yesterday reinforced how much of a beating her body took. It was a short walk, and she napped for a good two hours afterward.
“Here you go, dear.” Reggie sits next to her, handing Chrissy an icepack which Chrissy rests on her ribs. “I was happy to hear your doctor say you’re on the mend. Another week and your shoulder and calf won’t bother you at all.”
“They’re not bad. Just itchy. And having to change the bandages after taking a shower is a pain. I’m more frustrated that I can’t jog for another month at least.”
“Well, if it’s any consolation, you’re the sexiest couch potato I’ve ever met.”
“Gee, thanks.” Chrissy can’t keep her smile at bay, though. “What time is it?”
“About three. Ben should be home soon. I was going to cook some chicken for an early dinner.”
“I can help. Make the salad.”
“No, no. Soon enough you’ll be back in the swing of things. I’d rather you take it easy.” Reggie delivers a kiss on her cheek.
With a sigh, Chrissy lets it go. “Tomorrow’s New Year’s Eve. You can’t tell me you haven’t been invited to several parties. You should go to one.” Chrissy looks at her hands while she talks, not liking the thought of Reggie having fun without her. It’s a selfish sentiment, and she doesn’t want Reggie to start the new year that way. She twists her fingers together. Reggie’s hand guiding her chin up so their eyes connect surprises her. There’s a soft look in Reggie’s dark eyes, and Chrissy’s chest loosens.
“I want to start 2017 with you. We’ll get to go to many parties in the future.” She kisses Chrissy.
Relieved, Chrissy nods. “Well, then. We have some decisions to make. We have a tradition on New Year’s Eve of watching the countdown on TV and eating Chinese food. I don’t know which restaurants are good around here, though.”
“Let me get my computer, and we can figure it out.” Reggie hops up, and Chrissy watches her stroll across the room to her desk. Once she returns to Chrissy’s side, it doesn’t take long to find the information. “Do you want to see what Cathy and David are doing tomorrow night before we place an order?”
“Sure, I think while we’re waiting for Ben, I’ll call my mother.”
“I’ll give you your privacy,” Reggie says, delivering another kiss. Chrissy doesn’t think she’ll ever tire of those plump lips pressing against hers. “I love you. No matter what she says or what you decide, you have me. You have Ben. You have David and Cathy and several others who care about you.”
It’s amazing to recognize the truth in Reggie’s words. She’s not alone. With that thought emboldening her, she dials the number, holding her breath until she hears a click.
“Hello?”
A sliver of fear runs through her. “Hi, Mom. I heard you called.”
“Tina! Oh, my God. I didn’t think you’d call. It’s so good to hear your voice. How are you feeling?”
Pulling the phone away from her, Chrissy stares at it before raising it back to her ear. The last thing she expected was her mother sounding worried about her. “I’m healing.”
“I read you broke some ribs. You’re lucky you didn’t get yourself killed.”
“Yeah. Lucky.” Her eyes travel along the bookcase, wanting to distract herself from the conversation even as she hangs on to every word. She doesn’t know what to say after so much time. She sees the snow globe she and Ben made and grins. It’s really cheesy. Inside is a polar bear wearing a red scarf and a judge’s robe. He stands next to a Christmas tree with presents surrounding it. It took hours to decorate the tree with small, colorful beads, but the end result looks festive.
“Well, I was hoping we could meet for lunch somewhere. I know you’re still recovering, but maybe next week?” At Chrissy’s silence, her mother adds, “Or the following week?”
“I don’t know, Mom. Why now?”
“Tina, I’ve tried to get in touch with you for years. There was no trace of you. It was like you dropped off the face of the earth. Your old friends had no idea where you were, and Jeff didn’t—”
“You talked to Jeff?” Chrissy can’t believe it. Jeff is Ben’s father, and as far as Chrissy knew, he was living in California.
“He was in town for his father’s funeral. I was surprised you didn’t go, but then I thought maybe you didn’t hear the news. He said he hasn’t talked to you in fifteen years.”
“He didn’t want anything to do with Ben. He signed away his rights, and I never heard from him again.” Chrissy hears the bitterness in her voice and takes a deep breath. This is old territory, something that happened long ago. She doesn’t want to talk about it, certainly not with her mother.
“Ben? Is that your son’s name?”
Chrissy curses under her breath. “Yes. If you bothered to open the letters I sent you with his pictures instead of sending them back, you’d know that. Look, Mom. I don’t understand why you want to see me after all this time. What’s changed?”
“You’re my only child. I was talking to Father Michael a few years ago about you, and he helped me see I was wrong to turn you away.”
A wash of emotion renders Chrissy mute. Her mouth twists a
s she clenches a fist. Of course it was her priest who changed her mind. Missing me wouldn’t have been enough reason to reach out. She had to have permission. It was her religion that convinced her to reject Chrissy in the first place. “And what happens when you find out something else about me that doesn’t fit in with your religious beliefs? I don’t want Ben to get hurt.” Nor does she want to be hurt. What will Mom do when she finds out I love a woman?
“Like what?”
Shaking her head, Chrissy’s heard enough. She bites back the vitriol she wants to spew, clenching her jaw hard enough that it hurts. “How do you expect me to answer that?”
“It doesn’t matter. Tina, that’s not going to happen. I’ve missed you, and I’ve missed all these years getting to know you and my grandson.”
“What about Dad?” Chrissy stares at the blanket while she picks some fuzz off it.
“He wants to see you both, too. Of course he does.”
“I’m not ready to take that step. I’d prefer we talk more. Or email each other. We can get to know each other. I’d like to talk to Dad, too, sometime.”
“You always were headstrong.” The disapproval in her voice makes Chrissy shudder. It takes her back to when she was seventeen. “Fine. We’ll do it your way. You’ll call me next week?”
“Next week. Yes. Happy New Year, Mom.” This is a chance for Ben to have more family in his life. If they’re ready to be in our lives, I need to give it a shot.
“Happy New Year.” After a pause, the call disconnects, and Chrissy places the phone next to her. She drums her fingers on the sofa. She struggled for years to make a good home for Ben, and now that she has Reggie and David and Cathy and other people in her life, she’s afraid to risk her hard-won happiness by opening the door to the past. Yet, she needs to make the effort. They may have changed. She stares off into space, biting her lower lip while she runs the conversation through her mind. Will Mom ever approve of me? Is this worth the effort? Maybe I’m a sucker for punishment. Maybe I should leave the past alone and not look back.
You Matter Page 17