by Aubree Lane
Larry slid further down the pew to make room for the rest of their party. Annie started to do the same, but Marissa stopped her. She gave Annie a wink before she passed in front of her and sat down on Annie’s far side. David accidentally stepped on her frozen toes as he passed by and claimed the open place between Larry and his wife. Terence grinned uneasily and took the only place left open, which was right beside her.
That was surprising. Annie was under the impression that Marissa was going to keep her and Terence as far away from each other as possible. She felt dizzy with delight, and her arctic hands began shaking even more vigorously than before.
Marissa leaned over and whispered, “Breathe.”
Annie hadn’t realized she’d been holding her breath. She sucked in some air and clasped her quivering hands in her lap. Terence was so close their shoulders touched. He placed a hand on top of her icy fingers. She closed her eyes and tried to relax under his silent reassurance.
Her heart was pounding so loudly, she totally missed the start of the service. Inwardly, she hoped it was going to be one of those extremely long High Mass things she used to despise as a child, just so she could spend a little more time beside Terence.
The Turners were not Catholic, and the official service ended rather quickly. Luckily, the minister opened the floor to anyone who wished to relay a personal story or impression they had of Alexander, and miraculously their time together was extended.
• • •
Seemingly hours later, after Annie’s heart rate had slowed to a mere thump and her eyelids had grown so heavy with boredom she found it hard to keep them open, the phrase, be careful what you wish for, rolled through her mind.
Marissa stifled a yawn and whispered, “How rude would it be if I were to get up and go to the bathroom?”
Annie wished Marissa hadn’t mentioned the need to use the restroom. So far she’d been able to ward off the growing pressure in her bladder by concentrating on keeping her eyes open, now the need was pushed to the forefront, and she was no longer able to ignore it. “I’ll be right behind you,” she whispered back.
David shot them a dirty look and Marissa gave Annie a reluctant shrug.
Terence released Annie’s hand and rubbed the back of his neck. He slouched down and rested the back of his head against the hard wooden pew. It must not have been comfortable because a few seconds later he sat up and shook his head trying to stay awake.
Annie rubbed his thigh, and he smiled weakly in reply.
Story after story was told of what an incredible man Alexander was, of his immense influence in the community, and how he had motivated many promising lawyers. Stories were told of how if something needed to be done, Alexander was the man to do it. How his energy was boundless and how he was the master of multitasking.
Marissa leaned over and said softly, “Now they call it ADHD and put you on Ritalin.”
This struck Annie as enormously funny, and she stifled a giggle. The more she tried to hold it back the more it threatened to bubble out. She made the mistake of looking at Terence, who was also on the verge of hysterics. Their eyes met, and Annie had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing out loud.
To make matters worse, a few moments later David said, “Alexander sounds like a great guy. I wish I had the chance to know him better.”
To which Larry replied, just loud enough for them to hear, “Marissa’s mother thought he was an ass.”
Annie dropped her head and didn’t dare look at anyone. Her shoulders shook with silent laughter. She hoped if anyone saw her they would think she was weeping with grief and praying.
Someone from the pew behind them tapped her on the shoulder and Annie felt like a child about to be reprimanded.
Marissa’s eyes danced with delight. “Oh no, you’re in trouble now.”
Annie frowned. It wasn’t fair. Why was she being singled out? Everyone, except David, had been snickering right along with her. Cautiously, she looked over her shoulder.
“It’s all right dear,” an elderly woman with bluish-gray hair said knowingly. “We all thought he was an ass.”
“That’s it,” Marissa grabbed Annie’s hand and pulled her out into the aisle. “I’m going to pee my pants.”
• • •
Marissa banged on the door of Annie’s bathroom stall. “Come on, Annie, aren’t you done yet?”
Annie was having a difficult time finding the free end of the toilet paper. Her fingers were wedged deep inside the plastic encasement as she tried to push the enormous spool around to release it. “You don’t have to wait for me. I know the way back.”
“About that,” Marissa began. “I don’t think you should go back inside. We were pushing it letting you and Terence sit next to each other. I think it’s pretty safe to assume that we were noticed. Maybe it would be best if you went home.”
Anger boiled inside her. Annie closed her eyes and clamped her mouth closed to keep from shouting.
“Annie, are you all right? I’m sorry, this is mostly my fault. I wasn’t thinking.”
Try all your fault! Annie wanted to scream.
Marissa knocked gently on the stall door. “Annie, are you okay?”
“I’m fine, Marissa,” she replied sharply. “I hope you’re enjoying your role as Master and Commander of my love life.”
Marissa softened. “It’s not like that.”
“Sure, whatever.” Annie slapped the stubborn tissue dispenser that still refused to give up its contents.
“All right, I’ll see you later.”
Marissa’s sympathetic tone angered Annie even more. How could her best friend do this to her? She reached deep into the hollows of the toilet paper holder, wanting nothing more than to clean up and go home, but the end of the paper still refused to be released.
The tissue was visible through the translucent smoke-gray plastic. It felt like the thing was working in conjunction with Marissa to make her life miserable. In frustration, Annie grabbed hold of several layers of the cheap single ply and pulled. The paper gave way and a hulking blob spilled out onto the floor. Annie looked at the mound and decided it just wasn’t worth the effort, and that drip dry was fine. She gave her tush a little shake, pulled her lacy black mourning panties up, and left the stall.
Annie pushed the knob on the top of the faucet and started its flow. She moistened her hands and pulled the lever of the soap dispenser. Nothing came out. She moved down the wall trying each of the dispensers until finally a stream of pink foamy liquid dropped into the palm of her hand. Annie smiled and rubbed her hands together. She returned to the faucet, but the moment she placed her soapy hands under the running water, the metered valve shut itself off.
Annie cursed under her breath and pushed the knob with her elbow. The water started again, and she quickly rinsed her hands. She turned to the paper towel dispenser. It was empty.
If a sledgehammer had been handy, Annie thought she might have busted up the joint. Instead, she shook off as much moisture as possible and walked out into the vestibule.
Her coat and purse were still on the pew next to Terence. She looked through the glass doors, and was wondering how she was going to retrieve them when she saw David walking down the aisle carrying her belongings. She stepped back, crossed her arms over her chest, and awaited his arrival.
He pushed the door open, and for a split second, she thought she saw a sympathetic look cross his face. It quickly vanished, and it was back to business as usual. Without a word, he handed Annie her coat and purse and headed back up the aisle.
Chapter 7
Marissa skimmed the report David left on her desk about the latest Meet Market, not Meat Market as Annie had implied. The information was priceless. According to the report, almost all the men Hannah dated the past two years had attended the event.
The radio station, KROC, sponsored the Meet Market up in Sacramento. In previous years, the popular singles bash was held at the clubhouse of a local golf course, but had grown so large they mov
ed it into the local Triple A Baseball Complex.
In order to attend the Meet Market, you had to be over twenty-one and single. The first five hundred men and five hundred women who called the station to register were featured in the famed, Meet Market Catalog, and their fifteen-dollar admission fee was waived.
Marissa flipped through the latest catalog and found Hannah’s bio. Other than fudging on her age and where she lived, Marissa didn’t find anything compelling.
David hadn’t tracked down all the men Hannah dated, but the ones he found had some intensely steamy things to say about her. With only slight variations, their stories were all the same. Hannah would pursue the chosen male until a relationship developed. They would go at it hot and heavy for a few months, then Hannah would disappear. Leaving the unsuspecting suitor. or as David had written in the report the dimwit, wondering what had happened.
It was the same pattern she used when she pursued Terence. While it had taken her several years to get him, it appeared she had perfected the art of seduction and whittled that time down to sometimes less than a few hours.
The custody hearing was nearing, and both parties had been mandated to attend a series of meetings in order to attempt to hammer out a cordial agreement beforehand.
Marissa wasn’t counting on Hannah being cordial in any sense of the word. In fact, she was hoping Hannah would be totally unreasonable so it would come down to a full-blown court battle.
It was a win-win situation from Marissa’s point of view. She was confident of her ability in the courtroom, but even if she didn’t prevail, the commotion would activate the rumor mill of their community and Hannah’s reputation, such as it was, would be destroyed. It wouldn’t be long before Marissa would have witnesses falling all over themselves to testify against Hannah and be a part of the legal version of muckle ball.
That little perk aside, Erika needed to be with Terence, and Marissa believed she was the woman to make that happen.
As she closed the report, a ruckus erupted in the outer office. The door burst open, and Marissa watched Hannah push her protesting secretary aside and barge in.
The action didn’t faze Marissa a bit. She had been waiting for this. She never believed Hannah would sit on the sidelines and resist the urge to take Marissa down herself. That might have been the outcome back in high school, but times had changed, and Marissa couldn’t wait for her turn on the victory podium.
“Can I help you, Hannah?” she asked calmly.
Hannah sat down and made herself at home while Marissa’s flustered secretary quietly closed the door behind her and hurried to alert security that their assistance might be needed.
“I thought I would come by and personally inform you that the preliminary meetings are unnecessary. Terry will never be able to gain custody of Erika,” Hannah stated firmly.
Marissa leaned back in her chair, amused. “Thanks, but I have some pretty damaging, as well as embarrassing information about you and your ability to parent properly. I think we have an excellent chance of winning. Let’s keep to the schedule.” She rose and strode confidently to the door and opened it. “It’s been nice to see you, have a good day.”
Hannah spun her chair around and faced Marissa with an equally amused expression on her face. “Are you trying to dismiss me? That would be a mistake.” She flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder and raised her chin. “I have some embarrassing information of my own that will blow your case out of the water.”
Marissa was not in the mood to play cat and mouse with Hannah. “Stay if you want. We have done a thorough investigation, and there is nothing to suggest that Terence is anything other than an excellent father. You, on the other hand, are questionable, very questionable. Have you ever heard of the Meet Market?”
Hannah looked as if she wanted to scratch Marissa’s eyes out, but instead she calmly said, “I agree, Terry has done an admirable job taking care of Erika these past few summers. And I admit it has given me the freedom to do some things for myself.” She raised her chin and arched her brow. “But you’re missing one tiny piece of information. That’s not like you, Marissa. Or is it that you just don’t want to see it? I can’t say that I blame you.”
Typical Hannah, say something cryptic, then leave you hanging. “I know you’re dying to tell me what it is, so why don’t you just spit it out.”
“You forgot to ask,” Hannah said as she stood to leave, “if Terry was Erika’s father.”
“Exactly what are you saying?”
“I think you know,” Hannah replied as she flitted out of Marissa’s office.
Hannah’s revelation jarred loose a sense of recognition that Marissa always felt. The horror of Hannah’s implication made her want to curl up in a ball and cry, but the breakdown would have to wait. She picked up the phone and punched in a number. A few moments later she said, “Daddy, we have a problem. Meet me at your house in about an hour.”
She slammed down the receiver and raced home. Once there, she threw open the front door and banged open the coat closet off the entryway. Cold air poured into the house, but Marissa was oblivious to the drastic drop in temperature. She pulled a box of old photographs off the top shelf and dumped its contents out onto the floor. She found the photo she was looking for and stuffed it into her purse before she rushed back out to her car.
Marissa left the scattered photographs where they fell and the front door wide open.
• • •
Larry Wright held his daughter and let her cry.
“Daddy, what are we going to do? We can’t let Hannah get away with this. We have to stop her, and we have to get Erika out of that house!”
Larry stroked her hair and spoke calmly. “First, we need to talk to David and let him know what has come to light. Then we’ll demand a paternity test and find out if Hannah’s story holds water.”
“Look at this picture!” Marissa cried shoving it in her father’s face. “We don’t need a paternity test. We already know exactly who Erika’s father is. Do the math, it works out perfectly.” She sat down and covered her face with her hands. “How could this be happening after all these years? We thought it was history, now this.”
“Calm down, Marissa, you are acting like a hysterical female instead of a lawyer,” Larry said firmly. “We’ll deal with the personal ramifications later, but first things first. Shelve the meetings with Hannah and her attorney until we have solid proof of Erika’s parentage. Then we’ll decide on the best course of action. One way or another, Erika will not be living with Hannah much longer. I guarantee it.”
To Marissa it felt as if her father had just slapped her in the face. Right now she was his daughter in need of comfort, not just another one of his associates, and she railed against it. “When this comes out, everything is going to change. What are my children going to think? And what about Erika? She loves Terence. How is she going to feel when she finds out her father is a complete stranger?”
Larry stepped back with a look of disgust on his face. When he spoke, his voice was hard and unforgiving. “Worse things can happen than finding out a beautiful little girl is about to join our family. She is a blessing. Yes, we will all have to make adjustments, but if we keep it in perspective and not let our emotions get the best of us, it will all work out. Hannah knew exactly what she was doing today. She wanted you to fall apart.” Then he softened a bit and wrapped his daughter up in his arms. “But that’s not going to happen.”
Marissa sucked in a deep breath and clung to her father. When she felt more in control, she said, “I hope you’re right, Daddy.” She moved out of his embrace and picked up her purse. “I guess I need to talk to my husband. Then we’ll have to tell Terence.” She squeezed her eyes shut and released the last few tears. “I’m not looking forward to that. First Hannah takes his child away, now we are.” She patted her red swollen eyes with a tissue, resigned to the fact that a lot of people were about to have the rug pulled out from under them and there wasn’t a damn thing she could do to
stop it.
“Can you pick Jack and Sandy up from school and keep them tonight? I have a feeling things are going to get a bit messy at our house. They shouldn’t see it.”
Larry nodded and walked Marissa to the door. “Would you rather I talked to David? Then you can spend a quiet evening with the kids before all hell breaks loose.”
“I would rather we had gone to Baja like we originally planned instead of Hawaii,” Marissa growled sarcastically.
Larry laughed. “You don’t mean that. You were destined to save Erika from Hannah.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Marissa said, managing a weak smile, “but when is it my turn to be saved?”
Larry gave his daughter another hug. “You don’t need saving. This is a difficult situation, but it’s not about you. It’s about Erika and keeping our family together. We are going to be just fine.”
• • •
Later that evening Annie sat alone in her apartment and let the darkness engulf her. The ambiance matched her mood, dark and gloomy.
She couldn’t see Terence. She couldn’t talk to Erika. Something big was going down at the office, and nobody was talking. Marissa had not returned any of her phone calls and Larry had brushed her off when she tried to speak with him earlier.
The only thing Annie learned was that Hannah had dropped in on Marissa. That she shoved her secretary and she had basically been a bitch. Hannah was always a bitch, so that news alone was not enough for Marissa and Larry to shut her out. Annie was dying to find out what else had happened to cause such an uproar.
Not that she’d get anything out of Marissa. She would never discuss an ongoing case with anyone outside of her staff. The staff, on the other hand, had a way of letting things occasionally slip, which kept Annie in the loop. Not today, though. Today they watched every word and had actually given her the cold shoulder. Annie was certain they had been given direct orders not to speak to her.
Annie picked up the phone to try Marissa at home one more time. She hesitated. She already left three messages. If Marissa wanted to talk, she would have called by now. Besides, Annie was afraid David might answer and give her a hard time. In the past, she’d been able to catch David off guard, but now that Caller ID was everywhere, he always had the heads up. Annie hesitated one more moment, then hit auto-dial and braced herself for a confrontation.
