“Not hungry.”
Probably just as well. As it was, Lily was going to spend plenty of time hanging over the porcelain bowl. “Why don’t we go upstairs then?” She stood and helped Lily slowly to her feet, and then took the position closest to pool so Lily wouldn’t accidentally stumble and fall in.
Chester bounded about their feet as Anna walked Lily up the stairs. “I’ll take you out in a minute, boy.” He seemed to understand her, at least the O-U-T word, and ran back to the family room where his leash was kept. She helped Lily undress and climb into bed, where she instantly passed out.
Anna was exhausted, but had several things to do before turning in. First on her list was something to eat. She wolfed down a peanut butter sandwich while walking the dog on the median in front of their house. “Eating dinner with you was a bad idea,” she grumbled to Chester as she scooped up his business in the plastic bag.
Next, Anna went out to the pool to gather up Lily’s carnage, and stored the vodka on a high shelf above the refrigerator. She was astonished to see two unopened bottles in the back. They never kept that much liquor in the house.
When she turned off the lights in the family room, she noticed a light under the door to the office. Lily’s desk was disheveled, an obvious sign she had been going through the stack of mail that had arrived while she was gone. As Anna reached across the desk to pull the chain on the green-globed banker’s light, a manila envelope caught her eye.
Photos. Please do not bend.
Anna noted the return address in San Jose. “I can’t believe I missed this,” she whispered to herself as she picked up the card. A photo fell out as Anna opened it, the bright smiling faces of Lily and her mom in their hiking clothes. Lily was perched upon a rock, both arms around the shoulders of her mother, who stood in front. Anna realized instantly that the picture had been taken only four days before Eleanor died.
Chapter 9
Lily paged through the file and read her notes, the ones she had scrawled on Saturday afternoon after finding the photo of her with her mom. Work had been a poor distraction for the overwhelming sadness, but she had fixed it in her head that this case was prepped. It was not.
“Counselor, would you like to make a statement?” the judge asked.
“Yes, Your Honor.” Lily went to the podium, continuing to flip through the file. Her client watched nervously, obviously reeling from the charges of neglect laid out by the attorney for social services. “My client would like to express her regrets for the conditions that led to the removal of her children from the home, and she—”
“Excuse me, I’m a bit confused,” the judge interjected. “Are there more children involved in this incident? My report mentions only a four-year-old, Rene Flores.”
“Yes . . . yes, that’s correct,” Lily stammered. “And in light of Mrs. Flores’s recent work to . . .” She scanned her notes to find what corrective action she had recommended for her client, but the information wasn’t there. “In light of her recent efforts, we’re asking that the child be returned to her mother.”
“Ms. Stewart, are you certain you have the right case in front of you?”
Lily shuddered at the possibility she had made a major gaffe. She glanced quickly at her client, then back at her notes, confirming for herself that this was Silvia Flores, whose daughter had been removed from the home because a daycare worker had reported her being soiled and hungry. “Yes, Your Honor.”
The judge shook her head and looked at the opposing counsel. “Is Rene Flores a boy or a girl?”
“Rene is a boy, Your Honor.”
Lily felt her face heat up. “Yes, of course. I apologize. I believe I may have confused this case with another.” She introduced her client and allowed her to summarize for the court her success in a parenting class.
The judge took the information under advisement and scheduled a second hearing for the following week. All in all, it was a good outcome, Lily thought. Her confusion about the case hadn’t affected the judge’s obvious satisfaction that Silvia Flores was taking all the right steps toward getting her child back.
Anna had juggled her work schedule all week so she could be at home with Lily in the evenings, though it meant leaving the house each day by six thirty a.m., and bringing work home at night. Lily’s time in San Jose had put her behind at work as well, so she too made use of their evenings at home to catch up, though both vowed not to let this become routine. Anna missed their relaxing times together, and enjoyed being close enough in the family room to talk and trade occasional touches. Just being together again made Anna feel as though their ship had righted, that the rift her extra hours had created was behind them.
The one thing that still seemed out of sorts was their intimacy. They hadn’t made love since the day they went to the beach, their only time since Eleanor died over a month ago. Lily’s kisses were sweet and loving, but she turned away onto her side soon after they went to bed.
“You okay, hon?” Anna asked, gently stroking Lily’s bare shoulder from behind.
“Yeah.” Lily seemed surprised by the question and rolled onto her back. “I’m almost caught up from being gone. How about you?”
“I may never catch up. But I promise to get back on a reasonable schedule soon. I think I’m going to hire someone to manage the VW dealership. I just can’t be in two places at once. Thank goodness the dealerships in Palm Springs are stable.”
“How’s that going?”
Though details of the desert deal had consumed her for the past two weeks, Anna hadn’t talked about it at home, not wanting to make an already bad situation worse. “They have our offer. We should know something next week.”
Lily sighed softly and snuggled closer. “It’s amazing to think how much has happened in just the last couple of months, isn’t it?”
“It is.” And it was amazing how Lily had turned her question about how she was doing into an inventory of the state of Premier Motors. “Are we okay?”
“Of course we are. Why wouldn’t we be?”
They hadn’t talked at all about the hurtful things Lily had said when Anna found her drunk by the pool, but it was likely she hadn’t remembered much about that night. “I was just thinking maybe you were still mad at me for working so much. We haven’t . . .” She floundered for the right phrase, long enough that Lily spared her the search.
“We haven’t made love. That’s my fault.” Lily turned toward her, but buried her face beneath Anna’s chin. “It isn’t you, Anna.
I just feel guilty about it right now . . . having fun, I mean. It’ll be okay. I just need a little more time.”
Anna’s heart broke to hear the sadness in Lily’s voice. It was more than losing her mom. It was the sudden nature of how it had happened, and the overwhelming sense of being alone. Anna rose up on her elbow, forcing Lily onto her back so she could look her in the eye. “Take all the time you need. I’m going to be here for you when you’re ready. You aren’t alone, and whether you think you deserve it or not, we’re going to make some time to get away together.”
Lily sniffed, prompting Anna to hug her tightly.
“I love you so much, Lily.”
“I know you do, and I love you too. I’ve been a little crazy, but things are getting better. We’ll be back to normal soon. I promise.”
Not normal, Anna thought. They would be better and stronger as a couple for having gone through this together, ready to face anything.
Lily pressed the button on the speakerphone. “This is Lilian Stewart.” She had forwarded her calls to the conference room, where she had spread out index cards outlining the prosecutor’s case against her client.
“My little auto empire has officially doubled,” Anna said triumphantly.
“You heard from Kimble?”
“Just now. They’ve accepted our first offer, so we don’t have to go through all that same crap we had to do with Sweeney.”
“That’s fantastic.” She knew the Sweeney negotiations had taken a to
ll on Anna and her senior staff, so it was nice to hear they wouldn’t have to go through that again. “That means a celebration is in order. I might have to take you out to dinner, Amazon.” If she hustled, she could get the whole family together tonight at Empyre’s.
“I’ve got a better idea. How would you like to ride down to Palm Springs with me tonight? I want to be there tomorrow when they make the announcement to their staff.”
Getting away—even if just for a Friday night—sounded like a great idea, the perfect antidote for all the nights they had worked at home. “Do I get to watch?”
“Of course.” Lily could practically hear the smile in Anna’s voice. “You’ll see me in sucking-up mode. I really need to win their support so they’ll stick around. Otherwise, I’ll have to replace people, and that would mean having to spend a lot of time down there, which I don’t want to do.”
“Nor do I want you to,” Lily groaned. “I think I’ll stand in the back of the room and make faces. Is that okay?”
“Absolutely. And maybe when we’re done, we’ll go have some fun. Joshua Tree isn’t far. Have you ever been there?”
Lily was jolted by her memories, but recovered quickly. “Yeah, Mom and I went there a few years ago . . . but I’d love to see it with you. It’s beautiful.”
Anna’s tone went serious. “We need to make some memories of our own, don’t we?”
“Definitely.”
“I’ll meet you at home, then. How soon can you get there?”
“Are we playing hooky again?”
“You bet.”
“Give me an hour. What about Chester?”
“I bet I can get Holly to keep him.”
Lily’s mind worked for a second to place who Holly was. Then it dawned on her. She was the new sales manager, the one from San Diego whom Anna had hired last year, the one who had the problem with filling out the contracts. “Don’t tell her how spoiled he is.”
“It’s too late. Chester stories are more popular than Jonah stories now.”
The drive across the desert was the most relaxing two hours Anna could recall in recent weeks. As they drove out of the city, they traded stories about the Kimble deal and Lily’s current case, but then their conversation drifted away from work. Anna was pleasantly surprised by Lily’s wandering hands and flirtatious banter.
They checked into the Viceroy and carried their overnight bags to a room on the third floor.
“There are plenty of restaurants in walking distance,” Anna said. “Whatever you want is fine with me.”
Lily kicked off her shoes and dropped across the bed. “I was thinking more along the lines of room service . . . much later.” She patted the bed.
Anna grinned and fell alongside her, wasting no time in claiming the position on top. “You’re so damn sexy. You were driving me crazy in the car.”
Lily tried to answer, but Anna covered her mouth with a hungry kiss. As their tongues danced together, she reached into Lily’s collar to tickle the warm, smooth skin at the base of her neck. One button . . . then a second gave way and her fingers deftly released the clasp of Lily’s front-hook bra. As she fondled the supple breast, Lily’s hands wandered over her back.
Fearing she would lose her dominant position once Lily heated up, Anna continued beyond the shirt’s button to Lily’s waist, where she worked to unfasten her slacks. As she slid them over Lily’s hips, she caught the familiar scent of sexual arousal. Unable to resist, she buried her face into its source, eliciting a loud moan.
“I love that,” Lily murmured. One of her hands twisted through Anna’s hair, pulling her closer. The other teased her own nipple, left bare by the open shirt.
Anna savored the salty taste, dragging her tongue slowly along the slippery lips to tease the swollen clitoris. As she read Lily’s mounting excitement in the pulsating tugs of her hair, she quickened her strokes.
Suddenly, Lily gasped and began to writhe beneath her. “You’re making me come.”
Anna zeroed in on the hardened nub and drew out the orgasm until Lily pulled away. Then she followed to share the taste with a kiss. “I’m so lucky I get to do that,” she whispered.
So lucky for everything, she realized, wrapping Lily into a strong embrace.
Lily walked with Anna toward the revolving doors of the Viceroy, getting her first good look at the art deco-style décor of the historic hotel. She had barely noticed her surroundings last night, she was so intent on getting to their room and ripping off Anna’s clothes. Their weekend couldn’t be off to a better start.
The desert heat slapped her in the face the moment she exited. Anna’s convertible—top down—was already waiting.
“Think you’ll want the air conditioner?” Anna asked wryly as she walked around to the driver’s seat.
Lily tucked their bag into the small trunk as Anna raised the top. She was looking forward to seeing Anna in action today at the dealerships. Watching her work at home or behind her desk at Premier was one thing, but seeing her in executive mode with her staff was a whole other experience.
After brief introductions to Ted Kimble and his senior staff, Lily busied herself checking out the new X3 in the showroom, politely waving off an offer of assistance from a saleswoman. She had adamantly refused Anna’s suggestion to trade hers in when the new models came out, vowing to drive it for at least five or six years. That’s when Anna said she would maximize her trade-in value.
An announcement over the intercom called all available staff to the showroom, and Lily watched as Anna took her place on the stairway to the second floor offices. It was impossible not to admire her confidence and authority when it came to the dealership, but this business persona was only one facet of the total package.
There was also the family Anna, the happy “girl next door.” This Anna would do anything for her family members, or for the families of her close friends and coworkers. She was there for all of them, especially her sister, and she paraded Jonah around as if he were her own. Lily smiled as she recognized that it was the family girl in Anna who loved Chester so much.
Then there was the grease monkey, the one who donned the grimy jumpsuit to get her hands dirty under the hood of a classic car. Lily found this Anna totally irresistible. It wasn’t just the stark contrast from the runway model chic that most people got to see. It was more that the grease monkey symbolized Anna’s fascination with all things mechanical. She loved knowing how things worked and couldn’t care less about the mess she made of herself. And she had no idea this look was so sexy.
Next, there was Anna the friend, one of the nicest, warmest people she had ever met. It was this Anna whom Lily had fallen in love with, the friend who had gone for help when they were trapped underground, and returned at her own peril. As a friend, Anna had helped out at Kidz Kamp, and spotted her a hell of a deal on the X3 when her resources were tight. It was also the friend who had been a constant source of strength throughout the ordeal of saying good-bye to her mother.
Anna as a lover was the most beautiful experience Lily had ever known. Never could she have imagined connecting so deeply with another person.
And now, she was getting her first real glimpse of Anna the executive, a woman with vision and drive, and the know-how to reach her goal. No doubt it was these qualities that had first attracted Scott Rutherford, the business professor at Southern Cal. Lily too found the CEO Anna quite seductive.
Anna was perfection, she thought, everything she could ever want in a partner. Except they still hadn’t talked about the kind of permanent partnership Lily wanted, and it seemed as if it wasn’t even on Anna’s radar—certainly not when these business dealings were occupying nearly all of her time. Maybe this weekend would be the turnaround they needed, a time they could start to negotiate the path of their future together.
“I’m very excited about this new opportunity here in Palm Springs,” Anna said. “Over the next few weeks, you’ll see some unfamiliar faces in here, going over the books and procedures, meetin
g with people, generally being disruptive and annoying.” Most of the people chuckled, but a few seemed to be reserving judgment. Lily knew Anna would win them over eventually. “Please forgive them, and get to know them if you can. I promise you they’re good people, and I’ve asked them to get all of the Premier dealerships in sync. We’ll probably make a few changes here, but given your success, we’re just as likely to adopt some of your practices for the dealerships in LA.”
Lily could tell that Anna was trying to make eye contact with as many people as possible as she worked the crowd. When their eyes met and Anna smiled, she was startled by a tingling and knew she had begun to blush.
“Finally, I want everyone to know that at this time, I have no plans to make any personnel changes. Your positions and salaries will not be impacted, and with more employees now in our workforce, we expect to negotiate a better benefits package for all of you. Your hard work has brought about this company’s success, and I sincerely hope that each of you will plan to stay on through the transition. Thank you very much. I’ll try to meet each of you personally before I leave today. Right now, I’d like to see the senior staff in the conference room.”
Lily gave her a wink and slipped out the side door. Anna would be tied up here for several hours, enough time for her to tour The Living Desert, a nearby nature attraction. When she reached the car, she was annoyed to see a man leaning on the hood, smoking. “Can I help you with something?”
“I was just admiring your car,” he said. “I saw one just like it not long ago in LA. I used to work there. I’ve been here about a month.”
Lily read his nametag: Tommy Russell. He worked next door at the Volkswagen dealership. “It isn’t mine. It belongs to your new boss. She just bought these two dealerships.”
His face fell and he tossed the cigarette onto the pavement and ground it out. She could have sworn he uttered an obscenity as he stomped back to the VW lot.
Aftershock Page 11
