Sometimes Quickly

by Anne Laughlin

  “Thanks for coming,” she said, trying to keep the nerves from her voice. She couldn’t show any vulnerability to Camille. If anyone knew how to exploit a weakness, it was her. “I know I’ve made myself scarce this past week.”

  “It’s not a problem! Whatever makes you comfortable. I mean, we both live busy lives. I don’t want you to feel crowded in any way.” Her solicitous tone made Allison feel a little queasy.

  “I don’t know how to say this other than to come right to the point.” Allison reached over and held one of Camille’s hands. “You’ve been absolutely lovely to me. You’ve treated me like a queen and spoiled me rotten, and I hope you know how much I’ve enjoyed that.”

  Camille withdrew her hand. “I don’t like the sound of this.”

  “There’s no way to do it nicely, is there? I can’t go out with you anymore, Camille. My heart’s not in it, and it’s not fair to you to pretend it ever will be. It won’t. That much is clear to me.”

  “You’re kidding, right?” Camille sounded a little panicked. The server came to their table, and she waved him away.

  “No, not kidding. You’re the first person I’ve dated since my breakup, and it was never my intention we be a long-term or exclusive relationship. We talked about that at the beginning. I hope you don’t feel I’ve misled you.”

  Camille raised her teacup and lowered it again. She stared at the table as if trying to compose herself. Finally, she looked at Allison. “No, of course not. We were getting along so well this has caught me by surprise. And disappointed me. I was looking forward to seeing more of you.”

  “I’m truly sorry. I absolutely dreaded the idea of hurting you in any way.”

  Camille grimaced so slightly that Allison barely saw it. “No, you’ve not hurt me. You have to do what’s right for you. It’s certainly a rule I live by.” Camille gave her a smile that looked more like she had rictus than anything. “Is there someone new in the picture?”

  “No, there isn’t. But this way there can be for you, and someday for me. And I hope we can be friends.” She thought that wasn’t going to happen, nor did she particularly want it to.

  Camille stood and reached for her coat. She spoke in a strained voice. “Of course. No hard feelings. I wish you only the best. But right now, I think I’ll excuse myself.”

  Allison watched Camille walk out, surprised that things had gone so smoothly. Then she ordered a huge lunch.

  *

  Camille left the restaurant as quickly as she could without breaking into a run. Her Lexus was parked in front, visible from inside the restaurant. She managed to keep a blank look on her face as she got in and pulled away from the curb. When she was a block away, she took a sharp left onto Ravenswood and pulled over by the rail embankment. A Metra train roared overhead as she opened her door and stumbled out, vomiting in the community garden that stretched below the tracks. A long, shuddering sob followed the sound of her retching. She kept her head bent between her legs. She felt like she’d drunk too much and the world was spinning around her.

  When she’d regained her composure, she got back in the car, checked her face in the mirror, and pulled back onto the street. She punched a couple buttons on her phone and called her assistant, Tim McNally.

  “Where are you? I need to see you. Now,” Camille barked.

  “I’m on my way into the office,” he said. “What’s up? You sound odd. Did you catch a cold?”

  Camille gunned her car down Lawrence toward Lake Shore Drive. “What I caught was a kick in the face. Allison dumped me.”

  “Uh oh.”

  “Uh oh is right. If Allison thinks I’m letting her leave me for that bitch, Peg Ryan, she doesn’t know me very well.”

  “She certainly doesn’t,” Tim said. “Who’s Peg Ryan?”

  “That’s what you’re going to find out for me. Call Sam and have him meet us in the office. We’re putting a full-court press on the woman who’s trying to take Allison from me.”

  Camille threw her phone onto the passenger seat. With a plan formulating, the horrible pain of rejection seemed a little easier to take.

  Chapter Three

  Monday, December 1

  Peg stepped out of her office building just as Morgan’s ugly, brown, beat-up unmarked sedan pulled to the curb. Morgan leaned over and opened the passenger door and then pulled away with a squeal of tires as soon as Peg’s butt hit the seat.

  “Are we on our way to a bust?” Peg asked. “Surely you could have found better backup than me.”

  Morgan grinned as she gunned the car westward on Randolph Street. “I’d be happy with you as backup any day. You could probably talk a gun right out of a perp’s hands.”

  “Hmm. That really doesn’t sound a bit like me at all, but thanks.” Peg studied Morgan, trying to ignore the way she was weaving in and out of traffic. “So what’s up? Why the last-minute lunch date?”

  “Can’t a pal ask you out to lunch without there being something up?”

  Peg shrugged. “Yes, a pal can. But I still think there’s something up.”

  “Maybe there is.”

  “Though I imagine what you want to talk about concerns women or you’d be pouring your heart out to one of your girlfriends.”

  Morgan frowned. “You know, the teasing I get as a womanizer has just about run out of charm for me. You wouldn’t believe how overstated my reputation is.”

  “Oh, I’d believe it.” Peg laughed. “When I was with the U.S. attorney’s office in New York, I was a legend in everyone’s mind but my own. Those were not my finest hours.”

  Morgan pulled into an illegal parking space in front of a West Loop cafe and looked at Peg in amazement. “I’ve never heard you say anything like that, you dog. You had a reputation?”

  “I’m afraid so,” Peg said. She was sorry the topic had come up.

  “Tell me about it,” Morgan said. She looked eager.

  Peg stared through the windshield. The sidewalks were crowded with people headed out to lunch, hurrying to stand in line at food counters, checking their phones in case something had happened in the last twenty seconds.

  “I was drinking so much in those days. When I woke up in the morning, I wasn’t surprised to find myself in bed with a stranger. That kind of thing.” Peg turned to Morgan. “Womanizing doesn’t have a particularly sexy connotation for me either.”

  “No, I don’t suppose it does.”

  Morgan led Peg into the restaurant. They were shown to a table in the busy room, just as they always were when Peg joined Morgan for lunch. She had cachet with restauranteurs, mostly because she sent lots of other cops their way. There was a line waiting to be seated, and Peg tried to look apologetic as the hostess led them past it.

  “So what’s on your mind?” Peg said after they were seated.

  Morgan put her elbows on the table and leaned toward Peg, as if she were about to tell her a state secret. “It’s about a woman I met.”

  “I knew it,” Peg said.

  “You’re an Einstein. But this is different. At least it feels different. It’s got me confused.”

  “Okay. Tell me about her.”

  The server came by and took their orders. It was the same thing they always ordered – burger for Morgan, salad for Peg.

  “Her name’s Laura Daniels. I met her Saturday night at the Human Rights Campaign gala,” Morgan said.

  “I didn’t know you were so civic minded,” Peg said.

  “Will you just shut up and listen? So far you make a lousy pal.”

  Peg smiled and folded her hands on the table. “I’m all ears.”

  “I saw her across the proverbial crowded room, in this case a dance floor. She was gorgeous and smart looking and super hot. I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She was chatting with a couple of gay men. I wanted to dance with her. Really I just wanted to be close to her. So I went over and asked her to dance and she said yes. It was kind of magical.”

  Morgan’s face lit up as she talked about Laura Daniels
. “So what’s the problem? I know there has to be one or we wouldn’t be sitting here,” Peg said.

  Morgan paused. “I don’t think I’m in her league.”

  Peg was surprised. Morgan was one of the most confident people she knew. “What are you talking about? You’re a catch, assuming you’d ever allow yourself to be caught. Maybe she’s not in your league?”

  The food came, and Morgan dug in. “I don’t want you to have the wrong impression of her. She was nothing but gracious. She even said yes when I asked her out on a date. It’s just that I felt intimidated when she told me what she does for a living.”

  “What, did she invent a cure for cancer?”

  “No, but that’s close. She has joint degrees in medicine and biomedical something or other. Technology, I think. She’s developed software that somehow speeds up the process for getting drugs FDA approved.”

  “She sounds great. I wouldn’t worry. People like her have such specialized knowledge they’re used to others not having a clue what they do on the job. Did you get the feeling she likes you?”

  Morgan smiled. “Yeah, I did. I drove her home, and I didn’t try to have sex with her. Instead, we talked in the car for a long time.”

  “That means something.”

  Morgan finished her lunch. “I’ll try to believe what you’re telling me instead of what I’m telling me.”

  “Good idea.” Peg reached into her pocket for some cash.

  “Wait up a sec,” Morgan said. “You’re not getting off that easy. Tell me what’s happening with Allison Mitchell.”

  Peg grimaced. “I think I blew it the other night.”

  “Already? What’d you do?”

  “I told you I don’t want to get involved with someone who’s entangled elsewhere. It’s not only wrong, but it’s usually a giant pain in the ass. So that’s it, really. I ran into her on Thanksgiving when I was out walking, and we ended up having a weird conversation. I’m afraid I was a little bitchy.”

  “You’re kidding,” Morgan said with feigned surprise. “Peg, in the short time I’ve known you I’ve seen you throw up more roadblocks between you and other people than anyone else I know. You’re worse than me.”

  Peg stood and threw some money on the table. “That’s a low blow. Let’s go. I have a flight to New York to catch.”

  *

  Allison sat at her desk and studied the results of the property search she’d done for Peg. She had no specifics as to what Peg was looking for, and that was the least of what was puzzling about her. With dizzying speed, she’d gone from companionable and faintly flirtatious to somewhat antagonistic, making for an altogether odd Thanksgiving evening. She was convinced Peg was guarding herself, afraid to show her interest in Allison.

  In the four days since Thanksgiving, Allison had allowed herself to freely fall into her desire for a relationship with Peg. Why wouldn’t she? She was good-looking, brilliant and she had a sense of humor. She was a recovering alcoholic, which perhaps you wouldn’t put at the top of your résumé, but after so many years, it seemed likely she’d stay sober. Since her only relationship with Peg at present was as her real estate broker, Allison was prepared to exploit that as much as possible. Now she was just waiting for Peg to call.

  She threw Peg’s file in her bag and got ready to leave. Then she sat again. Maybe there was more she could learn about Peg. She Googled “Margaret Ryan attorney” and found a surprising number of lawyers named Margaret Ryan. She found her profile on the Mulroney Harris website:

  Margaret R. Ryan, B.A. Columbia University, 1992; J.D. Yale University, 1995; Clerkship, U.S. Supreme Court, 1995-97; Assistant U.S. District Attorney, Southern District of New York, 1997-2001; partner, Mulroney Harris, 2005-present. Specialization in civil litigation and criminal defense, trial and appellate practice.

  Allison blew out a breath. You could hardly have a higher lawyer’s pedigree, and it didn’t surprise Allison a bit. She realized she had enough of a crush to think Peg was the sort of hero who never spoke of her abilities but brought them down with a hammer when needed. But what was Peg doing during the four years between her stint at the U.S. attorney’s office and joining the Mulroney law firm? That’s a long gap in lawyer years. She was sure Peg wouldn’t provide the information, and Allison couldn’t let on she knew about it. That would mean admitting to the Googling.

  The next day, Allison was in the Whole Foods parking lot when her assistant called. Sophie was in her fifth year of working for Mitchell Real Estate, a lifetime for a twenty-five-year-old. But she was devoted to Allison, a fact that often got lost in their constant squabbling.

  “Hey, are you going to bother to come back in today?” Sophie asked.

  “Is that why you’re calling?”

  “It’s not the only reason, but it is the only one I care about. I want to know if I can slip out of here early.”

  “How early?” Allison asked.

  “Like two or so. I’ve got some things I need to do.”

  Allison smiled, but her voice was firm. “I’ve got some things I need to do too, like run a business.”

  “Does that mean no?” Sophie sounded like she could hardly believe it.

  “Yes, that means no. You can leave at four, not two. What else were you calling about?”

  “God, you’re such a bear. Have you eaten yet?”

  “Yes, Sophie, I’ve eaten. What else is going on other than you just got exactly what you wanted by getting off an hour early?” Allison was more resigned than annoyed.

  “Pretty good, huh? You’re not getting any better at this.”

  “I know. Now talk.”

  “Okay. Some chick called a little while ago and she says she needs to talk to you in the next couple of hours.”

  “Who is it? I mean, is it a client?” Allison turned the car off and sat up straighter, as if that would make her function better. She felt a flutter.

  “She didn’t say she was a client. Peg Ryan’s her name. I didn’t know when you’d be back in the office or checking your voicemail since you’ve been lollygagging around all week.”

  “Sophie, you’re the queen of lollygagging, so don’t go there with me. Give me her number and I’ll call her. The last thing I need is for you to be talking to her.”

  “Hmm. She must be pretty special if you don’t want me to talk to her.”

  “The number, Sophie. Now.”

  She called Peg as soon as she hung up with Sophie.

  “Thanks for getting back to me,” Peg said. Her voice sounded warm.

  “Of course.” Allison wanted to play it cool. Inside her head, she was a geyser ready to blow. This physical reaction to Peg was not only insane, but uncomfortable as well.

  “I’ve been swamped here in New York getting ready for a hearing, but it’s just been continued. I thought I’d fly to Chicago tonight and spend a couple days before I have to come back.”

  Allison waited for more, but when the silence lengthened, she offered a noncommittal, “Okay.”

  “Do you think we can see some property together on Wednesday? Is that too short notice?”

  “No, that’s fine. But I’m not letting you off the phone until you tell me what kind of house I’m supposed to show you. I can’t just pick appropriate houses out of thin air, you know.”

  “Why not? I bet you’re that good. I want this to be easy,” Peg said. Her voice had become lighter.

  “I don’t think anyone would accuse you of being easy.” Allison was surprised at how quickly they’d fallen back into banter. Flirting?

  Peg laughed. “Easy? Perhaps not. But not too hard either, I hope.” She paused for a moment. “I apologize for being an ass the other day. Whatever that was, I think I got it out of my system.”

  “No harm done,” Allison said. Peg gave her a general idea of what she was looking for and an agreement to meet at a cafe the following evening before heading out in Allison’s car to see property.

  She left the grocery parking lot and turned onto North A
venue when her phone rang again. She snatched it up, thinking it was Peg. It wasn’t.

  “Allison, it’s Camille.”

  She cursed herself for not checking the caller ID. The last person she wanted to talk to was Camille. She wanted her firmly in the past. “Camille, you’ve caught me in the middle of something. I just have a quick minute.”

  “I see that you’re close to Peet’s Coffee. Do you want to pull in there and have a cup with me? Maybe a pastry. You love those. My treat.”

  Allison’s eyes snapped to her rearview mirror, where she saw Camille waving to her from her Lexus. She felt a frisson of alarm. “I see you. Is this coincidence or have you been following me?”

  Camille barked out a harsh laugh. “I won’t pretend I wasn’t upset that you broke up with me, but I’m not so pathetic as to stalk you. I saw your car ahead of me and thought you might have a spare moment for coffee.”

  Allison continued to look at her mirror, watching Camille’s face. “I’m sorry, but I’m headed back to my office now and then on to meet a new client. Is there something you wanted to discuss with me?”

  “Not at all. I’m just taking you at your word that you’d like to stay friends, and friends occasionally have coffee together.” Camille stayed right on Allison’s tail.

  “It may be a little soon for that,” Allison said.

  There was a pause on the other end. Allison saw a frown on Camille’s face. “Of course. I’ll catch up with you some other time, then.”

  Allison was about to hang up without replying when Camille spoke again.

  “Allison, one last thing. I’m curious if the new client you’re meeting is Peg Ryan.”

  Oh, God. She wouldn’t have guessed Camille to be the type of ex you can’t get rid of, or who’d be as creepy as this. “No, Peg’s not the client I’m meeting. Why do you ask?”

  “It was a guess. I imagine Peg would be in a high price point.” Camille’s stare from behind was piercing. Allison moved her mirror to the side.

  “I’ve got to grab this parking spot, Camille. I’ll talk to you later.” Allison threw her phone down and quickly backed into a parallel spot in front of her office. Camille was holding up traffic behind her, patiently waiting for Allison to clear the lane. As she slipped into the spot, Camille drove on, throwing her a kiss as she passed. She pretended she didn’t see it. And then she wondered how Camille knew anything about Peg’s price point. Did she Google her, too?