Totally Worth It, page 8
“The lieutenant’s name?”
“Calhoun. Danielle Calhoun.”
Jesse noted the name on her pad, and as she wrote it out, she spoke casually. “So you and Lieutenant Calhoun are romantically involved?”
Lucy licked her lips and lowered her eyes, looking at the surface of the table as she thought about the answer. “I wouldn’t say that exactly.”
“But you are sleeping together?” Jesse asked it as though it was a perfunctory question, without judgment.
“Yes.” Lucy had on a brave face, but her voice hitched in her throat, betraying her.
“So when your gun went off, were you two—”
“It’s not—” Lucy started and then stopped abruptly. Shaking her head, she took a deep breath before starting again. “It’s just, it’s complicated.”
Jesse stopped taking notes and gave Lucy her full attention. “I know this is hard. But it’s important. I need to know what we’re up against.” Her tone held a surprising amount of sympathy.
Lucy looked up to the ceiling in a futile effort to keep the tears that had pooled up from spilling out. She nodded and in a second regained her composure, wiping the moisture from the corners of her eyes. “Yes.” She breathed deeply again and fixed her steely eyes on the table in front of her. “The answer to your question. Yes. Dani, Lieutenant Calhoun I mean, and I were…together when it happened.”
Lexi almost fell out of her chair at the direction this conversation had taken, but Jesse seemed unsurprised. Lucy was gay. Somehow or another she hadn’t seen that coming at all. She was supposed to be taking notes and instead she was watching the interview unfold like it was a soap opera. She might as well have gotten a bowl of popcorn.
Jesse went right back to business. “Is she your supervisor?”
“No.” Lucy looked totally ashamed.
“Who knows about your relationship?”
Collecting herself, Lucy arched forward in her chair and rubbed her thighs nervously. “I don’t know. I don’t talk about it or anything. But we are probably not as discreet as we should be.” Wringing her hands, she leaned back in her chair again and exhaled deeply as she thought about it more. “People know.” She sucked in her cheeks ,chewing at the inside of her mouth as she came clean. “Guys in my squad have made comments. Just teasing me and stuff, and I never answer them. But they’re not idiots. They know.”
Lexi focused on her computer and started typing, just to force herself to stop staring.
“This is obviously upsetting for you, I can see that, but it’s actually good for your case. You said before that all the guys had a sudden case of amnesia. Couldn’t remember if you were there or not. This is a solid alibi and that’s good for you.” Jesse’s tone was not entirely optimistic but it held promise.
Elbows on the table, Lucy rested her head in her hands, holding back her blond hair and revealing darker roots at the base. “It won’t work. She won’t give me an alibi. I don’t even want to ask her to.”
Jesse looked over to Lexi as if checking if there was something she was missing. Lexi was too stupefied to make sense of any of it. Before either of them could ask, Lucy opened up.
“Dani and I, we have an understanding. God, I can’t believe I’m saying this.” Lucy breathed out, completely defeated. “What we have is just, it’s just…” She looked around the room, struggling. “Honestly, I don’t know what it is, I guess. But what I do know is that I have a girlfriend and Danielle has a wife, and this thing we have”—she balled her hands up on the table in front of her—“it isn’t anything that either of us wants to be more than exactly what it is. My girlfriend would fucking die. I mean, she has no idea. This would kill her. Look, I know you both probably think I’m a total asshole, but I love my girlfriend. I would never hurt her, I don’t want to break up with her. This, trust me, would destroy her.” She took a shallow breath, almost hyperventilating. “Dani won’t do it anyway. For the same reasons, I’m sure. And I won’t ask her to.” Lucy grew increasingly agitated as she spoke. She repeatedly clenched her fists but fell short of pounding the conference table. “Jesus Christ, I’m fucked.”
Jesse scratched at her temple and mussed her hair. “Okay. Look, we’ll figure something out. Let’s call it a night. Go home, try to relax. I’m going to get in touch with the lawyer handling this for the police department and see what they’re up to. It’s obviously something because they don’t have a solid case against you. They know you didn’t do it, but they want you to take the fall. We’re not going to let that happen. When are you supposed to work next?”
“Monday.”
“We’ll be in touch with you before then. Go home. It’ll be okay.” The reassurance in Jesse’s voice convinced Lexi that it would be.
Lexi tried to echo Jesse’s words as she walked Lucy to the door.
As the elevator opened, Lucy turned to her. “I’m sure you think I’m a jerk. I’m really not a bad person. I just wanted you to know that.” Then she got in the elevator and was gone.
Lexi wasn’t really sure what to think about any of it. She was still reeling from it all. But the fact that it mattered to Lucy what she and Jesse thought about her scored her at least a few points.
Chapter Nine
Glancing at her watch on the way back to the conference room, Lexi noticed the time. Seven minutes after nine. Shit. She was already two hours late for her date with Julie and she hadn’t even called her. She grabbed her phone, but Jesse saw her and waved her into the conference room where she was finishing up a call, smiling into the receiver.
“Paul?” Lexi asked optimistically as she sat down across from Jesse.
It took Jesse a minute to register what Lexi was asking. “Uh, no.” She cleared her throat and added awkwardly, “No, that was something else.” She swiftly switched gears. “But I called the department lawyer listed in the file. No answer, so I left a message.”
Lexi was sort of taken aback that her boss was updating her to this level but tried to cover it. “Okay. Should I put the file back in Paul’s office?”
“No. It’s our case now.” Jesse sighed audibly. “And it’s going to be messy.”
“Why?” Lexi had a million questions she was dying to ask, mostly because Jesse had just referred to this case as something they would be working on together. She felt certain that was the wrong thing to focus on, so she opted for what seemed the most obvious question, even if it sounded naïve. “I know this is probably a stupid question. Obviously there are some issues, but if she didn’t fire the gun, how bad can it be?”
Jesse rubbed her forehead and ran her hand through her unruly hair. “It’s not a stupid question at all.” Jesse had the kind of hair that really never looked bad. Shortish, wavy, and kind of wild, even after she messed around with it—something she did constantly—it always looked perfect. Lexi distractedly watched Jesse brush it with her hand as she spoke.
“You’re right. It shouldn’t be that big a deal. But it obviously is.” Jesse hooked her thumbs under her chin and ran an index finger back and forth over her lips thinking out loud as she answered Lexi. “The department definitely wants her for the fall guy. And like she said, all of her colleagues are scared enough not to vouch for her. Plus there’s the added problem that she was getting laid while it happened.” Jesse raised an eyebrow. “And while that could actually help her in some ways, it has its own problems, not the least of which is that her personal relationship will likely suffer.” Jesse put her hands down and drummed the table with her fingers. “Anyway, we’ll figure something out.”
Lexi was surprised by how positively sure Jesse sounded as she said it.
Then Jesse stood and started gathering up her stuff. “Come on, I’ll drive you home.”
She said it so resolutely that there could be no declining the offer, not that Lexi wanted to. But in an effort to not sound as absolutely thrilled by it as she was, she nodded and said simply, “Thanks, that’d be great.”
In the few minutes she took to grab her coat and purse she texted Julie. A quick glance at her phone revealed several missed calls and texts. It was clear that she was going to have a lot of making up to do. She fired off a quick message. Sorry, baby, caught at work. Long story will explain when I see you. She cringed a little as she sent it. She’d never used any terms of endearment with Julie, so she knew baby was way over the top, but right now she needed all the help she could get.
*
Sliding into the front passenger seat of Jesse’s sleek, elegant car, Lexi was immediately hit with the aroma of the leather interior mixed with the latent scent of Jesse’s musky perfume lingering everywhere. She snuck in one indulgent deep breath while Jesse arranged her stuff on the backseat, keeping her eyes open the whole time to make sure she didn’t get caught. She reminded herself that this was just a ride home from her boss who happened to live across the street. A mere courtesy, nothing more. As they pulled out of the parking garage into the streets of downtown Manhattan, Lexi tried for a casual tone.
“So, I do have a question.”
“What’s up?” Jesse asked back informally, not taking her eyes off the road.
“I’m just wondering. How did you know? About Lucy. Weston. I mean, how did you know that something was up with her and the lieutenant?”
“I guess body language mostly,” Jesse answered with a shrug. “She was obviously uncomfortable talking about it.”
“I know, but how did you know she was gay? You seemed…well, not surprised by it at all. How’d you know?” It did not come out nearly as smoothly as Lexi hoped.
Jesse must have noticed too, because a slow smile spread across her face. She tilted her head to the side and made the briefest eye contact with Lexi. “I don’t know.” She was beaming from ear to ear as she shrugged her shoulders and put a palm up in the air almost grasping for the answer. “I guess just…how you know. You know?” She laughed as she said it.
Lexi laughed too and shook her head. “Uh, no. I didn’t know. At all,” she added with exasperation.
“I know.” Jesse couldn’t stop smiling as she wound through the maze of streets leading to the Brooklyn Bridge.
“Oh my God, was I that obvious?”
“Well, I was going to reach over and pick your jaw up from the floor, but I thought that’d be a bit much,” Jesse teased.
Lexi tipped her head back against the headrest and groaned in embarrassment.
“I’m just kidding. It wasn’t that bad. I’m sure she didn’t even notice.”
“You noticed.”
“Come on, it’s not that big a deal.”
“For you. You acted like a normal person.” Lexi was half laughing but there was disappointment underneath. “I can’t believe I was so oblivious. And then so obviously surprised by it. I hate myself right now.”
Jesse looked over at Lexi. “Stop beating yourself up.” Jesse held the eye contact until she turned back to the road, a small grin starting again. “I happen to have excellent gaydar. Add to that the fact that I’ve seen just about everything by now.” Her smile widened, revealing her perfect teeth. “I don’t think there’s anybody that’s really going to surprise me.”
Lexi saw the opportunity and took it before she had a chance to chicken out. “Really?” The lilt in her voice held just the slightest challenge.
Jesse nodded, pursing her lips slightly as she looked through the windshield.
“What about me?” It cost Lexi every drop of courage to ask. Was she flirting with her boss? “I’m gay. Does that surprise you?”
Jesse braked completely for a yellow light and waited as it turned red. She turned her whole body to face Lexi, giving her a quick once-over before she said through a devilish grin, “I don’t think surprised would be the word I would use.”
Lexi’s heart was beating so hard she thought it might break through her chest. She was suddenly aware that her mouth hung slightly open in utter disbelief about where this conversation might be going.
But then the light changed, and with it the tone of the conversation, as Jesse drove on. “Sorry. Does that bother you? That I’m not surprised.” When Jesse spoke, the undercurrent was gone from her voice, making Lexi question if it had been there at all.
Lexi collected herself quickly. “No, not at all.” She shook her head, grounding herself as she continued. “It’s just, usually people are surprised about me.”
“Yeah, I can see that. But I’m not just anybody.” The playfulness from a moment ago was back in Jesse’s voice. “You know, we do work together. And you live across the street from me.” Jesse glanced over, gauging Lexi’s reaction. “So I do have some insight that the average person wouldn’t have. Like, for example, I’ve seen you and your little friend, the one you’ve been hanging around with forever.” Jesse paused and waited for Lexi to fill in the name.
“Sam?” Lexi said with a half smile.
“Yeah, Sam.” Jesse nodded. “Sam is clearly a lesbian. And I know you’re friends with Meg. Also gay. Not that you can’t be straight and have gay friends or anything, particularly growing up in Bay West,” she said, providing the counter to her own argument. “But I did see you at Fall Festival. And you were sitting on some girl’s lap, and you looked kind of cozy, so I did the math.” She looked over at Lexi and wrinkled her nose, a frisky smile evident all the way up to her gorgeous eyes.
“Ah, so you spied on me. I’m not really sure that you can pass that off as having good insight, as you say,” Lexi answered back, matching Jesse’s light tone.
“It was hardly spying. You were in a public forum.” Jesse leaned over, raising her eyebrows for effect as she added in a husky whisper, “And you could barely keep your hands off each other.”
Lexi could feel her face redden and was thankful it was so dark. “I don’t know what you are talking about,” she responded impishly. Of course, she knew exactly what Jesse was talking about. There hadn’t been that many times she and Julie had displayed any kind of public affection. Lexi was at once mortified and completely turned on at the thought that Jesse had witnessed it.
As they made the turn into the development, Lexi could feel the energy change again and had to fight back her disappointment.
“On a serious note, Lexi, I didn’t say it before, but you did a really phenomenal job today.” Jesse looked right at her as she said it and Lexi wasn’t sure how many more times tonight she could look into those dark-rimmed, pale sage eyes before she jumped clear across the center console. Unable to form any words at all, Lexi just nodded.
“I’m serious. I know it may sound trite, but that is why we do this. To help people. And today it was you. You know, most people would have dumped that call into voice mail. You saved Lucy Weston today. I hope you realize how important that is.”
Just like that, they were back to being the attorney and the law intern, Lexi thought. Despite their spirited conversation and one tense moment that Lexi wasn’t sure happened other than in her imagination, that’s all they ever were, Lexi realized, swallowing her disappointment.
“Thanks,” Lexi said, quickly hopping out of the car, not giving Jesse a chance to read the emotion she was sure was all over her face. She hurried down the street toward the path to the rental section, stopping once she was through the clearing to collect herself. She had a lot of work ahead of her to make amends with her actual girlfriend.
Chapter Ten
Meg filled a travel mug with coffee as she got ready to head over to the softball field. She stepped out of her house and inhaled the salty breeze coming off the water, studying the brightly colored treetops that lined the path as she walked. She couldn’t help the smile on her face. She was happy to be home and meeting up with her friends at the softball game on such a beautifully crisp Saturday morning. Her only regret as she strode across the Bay West campus to the edge of the property where the field lay was that she had not been brave enough to sign up for the Bay West softball league herself. Maybe next year.
She was just cutting through the auxiliary parking lot when she noticed an unmistakable lanky blonde emerging from a shiny red pickup just ahead. Mia saw her right away. “Hey, Meg.” Mia squinted a little as the sun behind Meg beat down on her face. “Coming to watch my game?” A lopsided, arrogant smile stretched across her face as she reached into the truck bed, grabbing a bat and glove.
“You wish,” Meg teased back. “My friends are playing. I guess they’re up against you.” Meg slowed to wait by the rear of the car as Mia got her gear together.
“Here we go with the friends excuses again.” Mia smirked, accentuating the scar on her lip that Meg had almost forgotten about. “We’re not gonna go through that whole routine again, are we?”
In spite of herself, Meg laughed at Mia’s playful interpretation of their previous interaction. She found that she was both entertained and enthralled by Mia’s quick wit and effortless charm. She could learn a thing or two from her, she thought offhandedly. Giving up on even attempting a clever retort, Meg shrugged. “I can’t help it. It’s the truth. I didn’t even know that you were in the league.” She tried to cover her smile as she brought the coffee cup to her lips.
Mia leaned down and said, “Yeah, but now that you know I’m playing, you are so going to be watching me.” With a wink, she trotted off to the far dugout and greeted her teammates. As Meg climbed up the bleachers to where Lexi and Sam were seated, she thought Mia was probably right.
Meg’s butt hadn’t even hit the cold aluminum before Lexi pulled her in for a hug.
“Thank God you’re back. I want to hear all about London, blah-blah. But first, who was that you were just talking to?”
“That’s Mia.”
“Mia-from-Fall-Festival Mia?”
Meg nodded, sipping her drink.
“She’s cute, Meg.” Lexi didn’t even try to conceal her enthusiasm. “How did you two…” Lexi motioned back and forth with her hands.
“I just ran into her in the parking lot. I guess she’s playing you guys, Sam.”
