Beyond Innocence

by Carsen Taite

  *

  Serena followed Paul back to his office and declined his polite offer of coffee. “I know you’ve got a lot to do, but I wanted a chance to discuss my concerns with Eric’s case.”

  He motioned for her to sit and took a seat beside her rather than behind his desk. “We always have a lot to do around here, but I’m happy to talk with you.”

  She girded herself for the unpleasant confrontation. Faced with his charming smile, getting started was proving harder than she’d imagined. “It’s about Cory Lance.”

  “You’ve been reading the papers.”

  With just a few words, he managed to make it easy on her. “Yes, and so far I’ve read nothing that helps me understand why Cory is even working here, let alone why you would trust her to work on Eric’s case.”

  “I’ve devoted my life to believing that all people have redeeming traits. No one’s all bad and, if given a chance, most folks can turn their lives around.”

  “So you’re letting Cory work here so she can turn her life around? No offense, but that doesn’t sound like a ringing endorsement.”

  “Maybe Cory needs to earn the endorsement from you herself.”

  “You’re not going to take her off the case?”

  “I don’t think you really want me to. At least you don’t know enough about her to make that decision. How long are you staying in town?”

  His question caught her off guard. “I don’t have any specific plans. I got a room at the Budget Suites down the road. I want to stick around for a while. See if I can be of any help. Keep an eye on things.” She stopped talking, certain she was rambling.

  Paul’s smile confirmed her suspicion. “Perfect. We could use the extra help. It’ll give you a chance to get to know Cory, and then you can form a sound opinion about her.”

  “Did I hear my name?”

  The voice preceded her appearance, but Serena would know that husky tone anywhere. She braced herself. Didn’t work. When Cory turned the corner, she was every bit as captivating as Serena remembered. She wore her tailored pantsuit like a second skin as she strode into Paul’s office with a confident swagger.

  “Serena, wow. I didn’t expect to see you.” Cory’s eyes shined with delight and Serena felt a surge of genuine pleasure at their reunion, until she remembered what she’d just said to Paul. Cory glanced between her and Paul. “Am I interrupting something?”

  Paul answered. “No, not at all. I was just leaving. Maybe you two can grab dinner. Serena, Cory visited your brother today. I’m sure you both have a lot to talk about.”

  “Actually, Paul—”

  Serena interrupted Cory, before she could get any further. “Don’t worry. I have no intention of imposing on you.”

  Cory’s furrowed brow relaxed and her face shifted into a smile. “No worries at all. I only wanted to let you know I already have plans with a friend, but I’d love it if you could join us. Melinda should be here any minute and we were going to grab some dinner.”

  Paul spoke up. “Melinda? Great. Give her my regards. She’ll make a good sounding board about Eric’s case. Well, I’m sure you two have a lot to talk about. Have a great dinner.” And just like that, he disappeared into his office, leaving Serena alone with Cory.

  Melinda. Friend? Conflicting emotions spurred Serena to beg off. “I do want to talk to you, but I don’t want to interfere with your dinner plans. Perhaps we can talk tomorrow?”

  “No interference at all. I promise.”

  “I think what I have to say would be better said in private.” Serena noted Cory’s wolfish grin, and realized her faux pas. “I mean…”

  “Cory, are you ready for dinner? I’m starving! Who is this?”

  The woman who locked arms with Cory was beautiful, vivacious, and very friendly. Too friendly. Serena had no intention of interrupting their dinner with a confrontation. She offered a hand in greeting. “Serena Washington, and I was on my way out. Have a good dinner.”

  Cory placed a hand on her arm. Warmth, welcome, want. Normally, such touches or any invasion of her personal space irritated her, but in the span of just a few meetings, she’d come to enjoy Cory’s gentle, easy touch. Definitely time to get away. But Cory wasn’t giving up so easily.

  “Have dinner with us. I’d love it if you would.”

  Her voice was soft, the invitation almost a whisper, and her eyes conveyed the request was sincere. Serena felt the tug of attraction and dug in to resist. She had imagined their next meeting much differently. A professional atmosphere where she would outline her concerns and make it clear she expected Cory to go above and beyond in her representation of Eric to prove she wasn’t biased by her regular job. What difference would it make to have a nice meal first, soften the blow? She could deal with the rest tomorrow. “Okay. If you’re sure I’m not imposing.”

  “I’m sure. Absolutely.”

  Serena looked into Cory’s eyes and read what she was certain was attraction. Was she projecting her own feelings on Cory? Not that it mattered. Their relationship was defined by Eric’s case. Cory would represent Eric. Serena would help. The case would end and no matter the outcome, they would each go their separate ways—Serena back to Florida, her job, her life, and Cory back to whatever life held for her. The only thing that Serena could be sure of was that the intersection of their lives was short-lived.

  *

  The moment she pulled up at the valet stand, Serena knew the cost of dinner would exceed her budget. She ignored the voice inside that urged her to turn around, and reluctantly handed her keys to the valet. Luckily, she had some cash to tip the eager young man who didn’t blink at the fact she was driving an economy car in a sea of Mercedes and Range Rovers. Cory and Melinda were waiting in the foyer of the restaurant, but when she approached, Melinda walked toward the maître d’. Cory was scanning the crowd, and her eyes lit up when they locked with Serena’s. She strode over to her. “Did you find the place okay?”

  “I did.” Serena had insisted on taking her own car. Definitely a good idea. She had yet to see a menu, but she had a feeling she might need to make a quick exit once she saw the prices. “You come here often?”

  “Actually, no. It’s a great place, but I’m more of a burger and fries kind of gal.” She jerked her chin in Melinda’s direction. “Mel’s a top-notch gourmet foodie. No way would she hang in the dives I like.”

  “Maybe next time, you’ll take me to one of your favorite places.” Serena regretted the not so subtle suggestion as soon as the words left her lips, and she rushed to correct the course of the conversation. “I guess what I’m trying to say is that I can already tell this place is a bit rich for my budget.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry. I should’ve asked first.”

  “No, I should have. After all, I’m the one intruding on your dinner, not the other way around.”

  “You’re not intruding. I invited you, and dinner’s my treat.”

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  “Really? Why not?”

  “Are you a prosecutor for the Dallas DA’s office?”

  “Oh, shit.”

  She wanted to reel the question back in the moment she saw the combination of anxiety and disappointment on Cory’s face. Too late. She couldn’t take the question back, but she could back out of whatever she thought this meeting would be about. Fast. “Look, I’m sorry. Clearly, this isn’t the time or place to have this discussion.” She couldn’t help notice Melinda’s concerned glances in their direction. “Your friend is waiting. Go to her. We’ll talk later.” Before Cory could respond, she turned and sped out of the restaurant.

  Chapter Eleven

  “Did she leave something in the car?” Melinda asked.

  “Good judgment. Apparently, she thought better of having dinner with a rogue like me.”

  “Speak English.”

  “I’m not sure what happened. First she said something about the restaurant being too expensive, and then she asked me if I’m a prosecutor. I’m not c
ertain, but I’m pretty sure it was the prosecutor thing that sent her running.”

  “Did you tell her yes?”

  “I think I said something eloquent, like ‘oh shit.’”

  “Amazing that you’ve won so many trials with that silver tongue of yours.”

  Cory punched her lightly in the shoulder just as the maître d’ approached and announced their table was ready. Melinda asked him to wait a moment before she turned back to Cory. “What do you want to do?”

  “You heard the man. Your table is ready.”

  “It’s our table unless you’ve changed your mind. And I think you have.”

  Melinda’s uncanny ability to read her mind annoyed her. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “You invited Serena to dinner. She took off. You have a choice. You can go after her or you can spend the entire dinner with me, being distracted. I’d rather have a rain check than have you ruin my appetite with your regrets. She’s absolutely stunning, by the way.”

  Cory sorted through Melinda’s comments, purposefully ignoring the observation. “She’s a client.”

  “She’s a client’s sister. The lines may be a little gray, but as your attorney, I can confidently say you’re on safe ground. Now, go.”

  “I don’t know where she is.”

  “And here I thought you were one of the best prosecutors around. Seems as if you should have a talent for finding information.”

  “I don’t have a car. You drove.”

  Melinda turned to the patiently waiting maître d’. “Joseph, I have a bit of an emergency on my hands and I’m going to have to leave. I apologize for the inconvenience.”

  “None at all, Ms. Stone. We’ll look forward to your next visit.”

  Within minutes, they were speeding back to the clinic. Cory spoke first. “This is ridiculous. She obviously didn’t want to have dinner with me. Explain to me why I’m going after her?”

  “Tell me again what she said to you, word for word.”

  Cory did the best she could.

  “Think about it. She thinks you’re a prosecutor. You’re working on her brother’s case. For all you know, she’s made the connection between your name and recent events that don’t exactly put you in the best light as far as defending the rights of the accused.”

  “And I’m supposed to correct her assumption?”

  “Well, it’s not an assumption. It’s the truth and it bears some explaining.”

  “I think I’ll let Paul handle that. He’s the one who put me on this case.”

  “I think you better handle it yourself.”

  “Why?”

  “Because if you’re going to have any sort of relationship with this woman, you should start by being honest with her.”

  “Relationship?”

  “She’s the sister of your client, right? That’s a relationship. Oh, and the fact that when you look at her, your mouth hangs open and you act like you’re love struck.”

  “I do not.”

  “You do. Now get out and go find her. I’m going to go scrounge for dinner. You owe me a nice steak.”

  Cory looked around. They were back at the clinic. No sense responding directly to her crazy theories. She kissed Melinda on the cheek and got out of the car. Once she was seated in her own car, she assessed her options. Go home. Lonely and hungry. Go inside the clinic and catch up on work. Another choice designed to leave her lonely and hungry. Only one other choice. Find Serena. She had no idea what that option would do for her, but she desperately wanted to find out.

  She pulled out her phone and dialed a number. “Skye, Serena Washington’s back in town. I was hoping you could tell me where she’s staying.”

  Thirty minutes later, as she stood outside of room two thirty-two, one hand clutching a large paper bag and the other raised to knock, Cory resisted the urge to run. When the door opened, she almost gave in. Serena stood in the doorway with an ice bucket in her hand.

  “Cory, what are you doing here?”

  Cory held up the sack. “I brought dinner.” Lame, but she didn’t know what else to say. She didn’t have a clue why she was here. Serena didn’t want to be around her. She’d made that clear when she’d taken off from the restaurant. Coming here had seemed like a spontaneous icebreaker. Now that she was standing here, Cory felt like a stalker. Time to make as graceful an exit as possible. She thrust the bag at Serena. “Here, you must be starving. It’s nothing much. Just a burger and fries from one of my favorite places. A total dive. Enough grease in that bag to fuel a small car. Enjoy.” She turned to leave, but Serena called her back.

  “Wait.” Serena hefted the bag. “Feels like more than one burger and fries to me. Why don’t you join me? Besides, I want to talk to you.”

  Shit. Breaking bread, she could handle, but the talk? She wasn’t ready for the talk. Would she ever be ready? Not with Serena. She thought about what she would say on the drive over, but every explanation fell short of the full story. Melinda’s words echoed in her head: If you’re going to have any sort of relationship with this woman, you should start by being honest with her.

  Honesty. She could do honesty. At least a version of it. She started with a half answer. “I’d love to join you for dinner.”

  *

  What are you thinking, inviting her into your room? You don’t know anything about this woman. Serena tamped down her own silent protests. She invited me into her home; how scary can she be? Despite her strong words, her nerves were frayed. Cory Lance was a mystery, and Serena wasn’t in town to solve mysteries. She was here to help Eric.

  She motioned to the small kitchen in her suite. “It’s nothing like your kitchen, but there’s plates and silverware. Can I offer you a Coke?”

  “Coke would be great. Forget the silverware and plates. These burgers are best right out of the bag.”

  Serena avoided Cory’s eyes and kept busy fixing their drinks. “Best burgers in Dallas?”

  “Best drive-in burgers. Dairy-Ette is an old-style drive-in. You pull up and flash your lights when you’re ready to order. One of the waitresses, who’s been there since the beginning of time, takes your order, and it’s cooked fresh. You can even buy a gallon of root beer from a big ol’ keg if you want to take some home.”

  Serena couldn’t help but smile. “You must fit right in.”

  “Got me. I’m a sucker for grease.”

  Cory’s manner was so engaging, Serena knew she’d have to stay on guard or this meeting would quickly turn too personal. The first bite of burger threatened her resolve. “This is fantastic.”

  “It is, isn’t it? Now, it’s just the best drive-in burger. There’s still the best gourmet burger, the best eat-in-a-dive burger, the best quarter-pound burger, the best half-pound—”

  Serena held up a hand to stop her. “I get the point. If I hang out with you, I’m going to gain twenty pounds.”

  “You’d still be beautiful.”

  Cory turned slightly red, and Serena wondered if she was embarrassed. She was a little uncomfortable herself, but she spoke a rough thank you and took a large bite of burger to give her time to think. The comment was inappropriate. Wasn’t it? She should be offended that Cory was acting unprofessional. Cory had shown up at her hotel uninvited and plied her way in with food. She complimented her, made her feel special. Completely, totally inappropriate. Yet, Serena felt more confused than offended.

  “You must think I’m crazy,” Cory said.

  You must be a mind reader. “I don’t think you’re crazy.”

  “I hear a big ‘but.’”

  Serena bit back a grin at the double entendre. Focus. “I don’t know what to think about you.”

  Cory leaned back in her chair, her expression serious. “Ask me anything you want to know.”

  “Why are you working for the clinic?”

  “I think you already know that I was a prosecutor for the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office.” Serena nodded. “And I imagine you also know that I
got into some trouble over a recent case.”

  Some trouble. Serena resisted the urge to point out the understatement. “The Nelson case. I’ve read about it.”

  “The disciplinary committee of the state bar placed my license on probationary status, and working at the clinic is how I earn my way back into their good graces.”

  Serena heard a hint of anger in Cory’s admission. Did a deeper resentment lurk beneath the surface? Only one way to find out. “If it were up to you, you wouldn’t be volunteering at the clinic?”

  “If it were up to me, I’d still be working in my old job. That doesn’t mean that I’m not capable of doing the work at the clinic.”

  “Capable?”

  “Probably not the best choice of words. Look, I’m committed to doing the best work I know how while I’m working at the clinic. That includes making sure your brother gets the best representation possible.”

  “And you think that you, a former prosecutor, can provide him with the best representation?”

  “I think the fact that I’m a prosecutor gives me unique insight. So, yes, I do.”

  The shift in tense wasn’t lost on Serena. Cory was still a prosecutor, probably always would be. “What happens when you’re done at the clinic?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You know what I mean. When your time is up? When your sentence is served? What will you do then?”

  Cory fiddled with the wrapper on her burger, avoiding Serena’s piercing stare. She wasn’t getting off that easy. Serena needed to know exactly how committed Cory was. “You’ll go back to what you do best, won’t you? Back to the DA’s office. Back to sending people to prison. Whatever it takes.”