by Lisa Clancey
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I went back inside my apartment, ate toast and drank coffee. It was only seven. Rick had to be at the station by seven thirty. Now, what am I gonna do? I made myself useful and went to the office early and started writing my report for Petunia. I had a laptop and I used it in my apartment, but my printer is in the office. Besides, I really wanted to get out of my apartment, and I seem to concentrate better in my office.
I was typing with a huge glass of water on my desk and thinking about pizza when Cheri arrived. “You’re early,” she said as she sailed down the hall. “And with a hangover. Didn’t sleep well last night?”
“No, I slept well. I seem to sleep very well when I’m trashed,” I said holding on to my head. It wasn’t time for me to take more ibuprofen, so I drank more coffee and washed it down with water instead.
“Were you alone when you got your swerve on?” she asked.
“Um…no? Why are you here so early?” I asked, trying to get her to think of something else. Did she just ask me if I got my swerve on? I followed her to her office and stood in the doorway speaking to her.
“I have a client coming in early. Who was it? Anyone I know?” she asked, grinning.
I looked hard at her narrowing my eyes. The sun was streaming in from the front windows, and it was making my eyes water.
“You can’t tell anybody. I mean not a soul,” I said, then walked back to my office in search for my sunglasses.
“I promise. This ought to be good. Oh, damn.” The door opened, and her client walked in. “Hi Pete, go on into my office, I’ll be there in a second.” She smiled at Pete as he walked passed then whispered to me, “Hurry. Who was it?”
I took a deep breath exhaled loudly and said with a pained look on my face, “Rick.”
“Rick?” she asked unbelievingly. “Cody’s Rick? The one you held a gun on? You slept with him?” She was stunned.
“Yes, but we didn’t sleep together. Well,…we did, but nothing happened,” I said wide-eyed shaking my head and then stopping because it throbbed when I shook it and it made me want to throw up.
“This I have to hear.” She laughed as she walked to her office. Great. There’s no way she would believe I slept with him without having sex. Why was I so concerned? I should let her think I had sex. Now I know why that nunnery was so scary. I had as much sex as a nun. They probably had sexier underwear. Note: Buy sexy underwear.