“Yeah. Well, we kind of had dinner together last night.”
“What?” Sal popped up from where he had been dipping a paintbrush. Fortunately he had laid down old sheets to protect the floor, as drops of paint went flying from the sudden movement.
A similar exclamation was heard from the kitchen where Tiffany was making turkey sandwiches for their lunch. Alex and Sal heard a knife crash to the kitchen counter as Tiffany abandoned her task.
“Stop. Not another word until I get in there. I’ve got to hear this.” Tiffany appeared in the doorway a moment later wiping her hands on a towel. “Okay,” she said. “You may now continue.” When Alex didn’t start talking quickly enough Tiffany prompted her. “I thought you told me she was straight?” Tiffany said to Sal.
“Wait a minute. You guys have talked about this?” Alex looked from Tiffany to Sal.
“Well of course we have.” Tiffany said. “You didn’t think we both have an active interest in your love life?”
“Yeah,” Sal said. “You come to me gushing about this incredibly gorgeous, incredibly sexy, incredibly smart A.D.A. Of course I’m gonna come home and talk about it. Including the part where you also implied she was incredibly straight.”
“Well, I guess maybe she’s not. I think I’m maybe picking up some signs.”
“Oh really?” Sal said. “So I wasn’t smokin’ my socks when I told you she was interested?” He was now standing with paint dripping down his arm from the still suspended paintbrush. “Is she bi or something?” he asked.
Alex shrugged as she tried to play it off like it wasn’t a big deal and continued painting.
“Maybe. I guess,” she said. “It’s not like it was even a date, really. But—”
“But what?” This prompt came from Tiffany.
“But we’re seeing each other again tomorrow night. She’s cooking me dinner at her place,” Alex said with a smile.
“Holy shit,” Sal said. “You sure this is a good idea?”
“Stop that.” Tiffany flicked the towel at him. “You two get to work and finish that painting. Then we’ll have lunch and I’ll discuss with you what you need to do to woo a lady.”
As Tiffany retreated back into the kitchen and Alex and Sal resumed painting, Sal repeated once more, quietly, “Be careful my friend. You’ve been here before with a straight girl. You don’t deserve that again.”
SUNDAY AT A few minutes before six p.m. found Alex pulling into Sydney’s driveway. Her house was located about twenty-five minutes from downtown, on a secluded street off Mulholland Drive near the crest of the Santa Monica Mountains. She stood in the driveway for a moment and admired the surroundings. The house itself was reminiscent of a ski lodge you would find in the mountains of Vail. Surrounded by what was essentially forest land, it was hard to believe that just a few miles down the road at the bottom of the mountain was the sprawling Los Angeles metropolis.
Alex made her way to the front door, admiring the large bay windows in what she believed had to be the master bedroom on the second floor. She didn’t see Sydney’s car but figured it was likely parked inside the attached three-car garage.
Alex knocked on the door then turned to admire the view again. It was a cool, clear January evening and the sun had set an hour before. Alex could just make out the glow of what she assumed was city lights from below, though at tree level she couldn’t be sure. There wasn’t another house in sight, yet she knew there were other homes along the canyon road she had traveled. The view from the porch was impressive, so it must be amazing from the upper floors.
She turned when she heard the door open behind her and the bottle of wine she’d brought almost slipped from her hand. Alex had never seen Sydney away from work and so was accustomed to the skirt and pant suits, which were the prescribed court uniform for the Assistant D.A. And while Sydney wore those suits very well, that didn’t hold a candle to the vision Alex now saw before her.
“Hi,” Sydney said quietly when Alex didn’t say anything.
Alex’s mouth went dry. “Hi,” she managed to get out. “Uh, wow...you look incredible.” Then she looked down at herself. She was wearing a somewhat snug black pullover sweater, black jeans and boots and black leather jacket. “I’m beginning to think I’m under-dressed.”
“Nonsense,” Sydney said. “You’re perfectly dressed. Come on in.”
Alex entered into a hardwood entry hall and noted a formal living room off to her right and a wooden staircase to her left extending up to the second floor.
“Let me take your jacket,” Sydney said as she opened a closet beneath the staircase.
Alex realized she was still holding the wine.
“Oh, yeah. This is for you,” she said, handing it to Sydney. “You mentioned on Friday how much you enjoy a good glass of Chardonnay at the end of a day. I don’t know anything about wines, but the guy at the shop said that was a good one.”
“I’m impressed you remembered that little detail. Someone was paying attention on Friday.” Sydney put the bottle down on an entry table and reached to take Alex’s jacket.
As Sydney turned and reached for a hanger, Alex’s eyes wandered from her slim back, with a hint of camisole just barely visible beneath the slightly sheer cream silk, down her trim waist to her incredibly firm buttocks and shapely legs, all visible as Sydney reached upwards to grasp and then replace the hanger.
Alex had an incredible urge to wrap her arms around that waist from behind and pull Sydney to her. She imagined what it would be like to gently sweep the shoulder length hair away, exposing the back of Sydney’s neck. She would begin kissing and caressing her neck as she reached to the front of Sydney’s blouse and then began opening the buttons. Alex would gradually work the kisses down her neck to her shoulder as more of it was exposed. Her hands would reach within the front of the now unbuttoned blouse—
The closet door closed with an audible thump and Sydney turned back to her. Alex, now back in reality, reached into her rear waistband and removed her off duty weapon, a small Glock handgun.
“Is there somewhere you’d feel comfortable with me putting this?” she asked.
Sydney paused. “Oh, sure. You can leave it here if that’s okay with you.” Sydney opened a small drawer in the entryway table as she picked the wine up. “Come on into the kitchen and I’ll get us some drinks.”
Alex followed Sydney to the kitchen. Sydney put the wine on the counter, pulled a single wine glass from a cupboard and a wine opener from a drawer, and then paused. She looked up at Alex as she slid the paper across the counter.
“Just to get this out of the way,” she said. “Here are the dates for the other roses that were left on my car. I tracked them down by the court cases I remember handling on those two days.” Alex took the paper and looked up at Sydney without even glancing at what was written on it. Her eyes met Sydney’s.
“In case you’re wondering, I already checked,” Sydney said quietly. “They’re both exactly one day after the discovery of the other two murder victims.”
“Syd—”
Sydney shook her head. “Let’s not talk about it, please?” she said. “You do what you need to do with those.” She pointed at the paper in Alex’s hand. “I’ll talk to my boss about it tomorrow and I’ll just deal with it. It is what it is. But please let’s enjoy this evening. I’ve been looking forward to this.”
Alex heard the plea in Sydney’s voice and couldn’t help but surrender to it. She smiled as she replied, “I’ve been looking forward to this as well.”
Sydney smiled at Alex as she turned toward the refrigerator. “Good. I’m going to have a glass of this wonderful wine you brought.” She reached into the fridge. “But I get the distinct feeling you’re not a wine person, so I thought you might prefer this.” Sydney removed a bottle of Sam Adams light beer, popped the lid and handed it to a smiling Alex. Clearly she hadn’t been the only one paying attention to such details on Friday. Sydney uncorked the wine and poured her glass, then raised it to to
uch Alex’s bottle.
“Cheers,” she said, then added quietly, “To what I expect will be a wonderful evening.” Their eyes met as they each sipped their drinks and Sydney blushed slightly.
“Please make yourself at home. Take a look around. I’ve got to get a few things ready on the stove and then I’ll give you a tour of the rest of the house if you’d like.”
Alex wandered throughout the first floor as she sipped her beer. The kitchen was along the back of the house. She looked out a large bay window and even in the dark she could see a large rear wood deck extending into an unfenced backyard, which went to the dense tree line of the forest. There was a formal dining room in the back left corner of the house adjacent to the kitchen. The table looked as if it could easily seat ten people. A smaller, more intimate dining area, what some would call a breakfast nook, was located off the other side of the kitchen. Alex noted that smaller table set for two with candles.
Beyond that was a comfortable den with a fireplace and walls lined with built in bookshelves holding all manner of books. Through the den she circled back to the front formal living room adjacent to the entryway. Every room had large expansive windows out the front to the woodland area to the rear of the house, or looking out onto the cityscape below the hills. Both the formal dining area and den had French doors leading out onto the rear deck. Between the kitchen and den Alex saw a small spiral staircase leading up to the second floor. She noted it was situated on almost the opposite side of the house as the entry staircase, providing two separate convenient avenues to the upper, presumably more private, living quarters.
The front of the house consisted of the formal family room, the entryway and staircase. A door adjoining the entryway led to the attached garage. Again, the living room had similar large windows along the front and side of the house. Finally, there was a guest bedroom and full bathroom located off the short hallway between the entry and the kitchen.
Alex wandered back into the kitchen just as Sydney appeared to finish readying various pans on the stove.
“We’ll eat in about ten minutes,” Sydney said. “Want to see the rest of the place?”
“Absolutely, lead on.”
Sydney led the way into the comfortable den and library covering the back right third of the first floor. It had plush couches and recliners, a large screen television, fireplace and large bay windows providing views out three sides of the house. One portion of the room, furthest from the fireplace, held a large executive desk and custom built-in bookshelves.
“This is one of my favorite rooms to hang out in,” Sydney said. She pointed at the spiral staircase at one corner of the room. “That leads up to the master bedroom, so I can come here with a cup of hot chocolate in the winter and sit in front of the fire until I’m tired, then head right up to bed.”
Sydney then led Alex back through the living room to the primary staircase and up to the second floor landing, which looked down to the entryway and looked out on the vaulted windows at the front of the house. The second floor consisted of two additional spacious bedrooms and a full bathroom as well as the master suite. Alex noted both bedrooms had large windows with views either out the rear or front of the house.
Sydney then walked her across the landing to the open doors of the master suite. As Alex walked in she was struck by the size. The bedroom was huge, running the depth of the house from front to back and along one side wall. The walls essentially consisted of windows. The half of the room that overlooked the backyard was a comfortable sitting area situated around a fireplace. The top of the spiral staircase could be seen in that portion of the room. Glass French doors led out to a private balcony overlooking the backyard. The bathroom was enormous, and included both a shower and a Jacuzzi tub. The sleeping area was in the forward part of the room, surrounded by windows. Alex walked to the windows and could see the lights of Los Angeles far below. She then scanned the tree top horizon.
SYDNEY STUDIED ALEX as she looked out through the window at the panorama of lights below them. Sydney couldn’t help but notice how the black sweater was just snug enough to show off the strong arms and broad shoulders that tapered to a trim waist, all complimented by the small yet shapely feminine breasts. She admitted to herself that a portion of the feelings she was experiencing had to do with a sexual attraction. She couldn’t keep herself from wondering what it would feel like to have those arms around her, to feel Alex’s breasts pressed against hers. Her breath sucked in at the thought and she finally broke the silence, partially in an effort to hide her own flustered reaction to the thoughts.
“I know what you’re wondering,” Sydney said. “But contrary to what you may think, it’s really quite private. They designed the building plans up here to stagger the houses, so you really can’t see each other even though the houses are sometimes just a few acres apart. Of course the trees help. All in all, it would be quite a challenge to spy into someone’s bedroom without a helicopter and a zoom lens.” She moved up beside Alex, leaning past her to a small panel in the wall beside the bed.
“And I do have window coverings. There’s a panel like this near the spiral staircase and the door from the landing. They open and close the drapes.” She pressed one of the buttons on the panel and the room grew gradually darker. “And controls the lights,” she added.
Sydney straightened up and gazed out the window. With the room darker the crisp lights of the city below were more pronounced.
“The windows throughout the house are what I really love about this place. On a clear day you can see the ocean from up here. And on a clear night the moon and stars are incredible.” She turned back to Alex after gazing at the skyline for a moment. She found Alex watching her rather than looking out the window. As their eyes met she became very aware of how close together they stood, of how the moonlight provided an intimate glow around them.
She was vaguely aware of Alex’s hand softly grasping her elbow, gently pulling her, and she willingly moved closer. Their bodies were only inches apart and Sydney was immediately tense with desire. The emotions Alex seemed capable of stirring inside her were incredibly intense. She looked up into Alex’s face and knew she read the same desire there. As Alex’s face tipped toward her she closed her eyes and barely parted her lips in anticipation of the kiss.
Then suddenly a faint ringing could be heard from downstairs. Sydney’s eyes popped open and Alex straightened up as she released Sydney’s elbow.
“Oh geez,” Sydney whispered. “That’s the oven timer. I guess dinner’s about ready.”
Alex seemed surprised and a little embarrassed. “I guess we had better go get it then.”
She stepped back to allow Sydney to lead the way downstairs. Sydney took them down two floors through the spiral staircase and they were quickly in the kitchen again. She busied herself stirring the contents of several pots on the stove and removing a large clay pot from the oven then a salad from the fridge.
“Can I help with anything?” Alex asked.
“Sure,” Sydney said, then retrieved a frosted pint glass from the freezer, a bottle opener and another beer and handed Alex a pack of matches. “Pour me another glass of wine and yourself a fresh beer, then take them to the table and light the candles. I’ll be in there in a moment.”
Alex did as she was told and was just finishing lighting the candles and sitting down when Sydney came in with two salads. She put them down then went to a nearby wall panel and lowered the lights. When Sydney sat down their eyes met once again.
“What?” Sydney asked. “Is everything okay?” She scrutinized the table as if something could be missing.
“Everything is perfect.” Alex raised her glass, tapping Sydney’s wine glass. “To a wonderful evening.”
Time went by quickly over dinner, pausing momentarily as Sydney cleared salad plates and returned with a perfectly cooked roasted chicken over rice. Alex complimented her numerous times throughout the meal as they discussed friends, family and various personal interests.
“Well,” Alex stammered slightly. “I grew up in Torrance just south of LA. I enrolled at Cal State Long Beach out of high school. I got an athletic scholarship for softball. But during my sophomore year there were some financial issues. My scholarship only covered tuition and books, not dorm fees or anything. So I couldn’t afford school anymore. I dropped out and joined the Marines.”
“What about your parents. They couldn’t help out to get you through college?”
“They were at first. I was still living at home while I went to school.” Alex paused and took a sip of her beer.
It appeared to Sydney that Alex was taking a moment to collect her thoughts. She had the feeling this was not something Alex was entirely comfortable talking about and thought she may have pushed too much. Then Alex continued.
“They kicked me out when they found out I was a lesbian. Evidently my dear brother discovered that fact and gleefully educated them.” She shrugged. “It was kind of sudden. A big screaming match one evening and I was on the street that night with orders not to come back. I stayed with friends until the end of the semester, but there was no way I could keep doing that. So at the end of the school year I enlisted. I got picked up by the LAPD after my four years of active duty time.”
Sydney reached across the table and grasped Alex’s hand. “I’m sorry about your family. That must’ve been incredibly difficult. How old were you when they kicked you out?”
“I was nineteen,” she said. “But in answer to your original question, I did end up completing my degree. Went back part time and got it from Cal State LA, in Criminal Justice. It took me a few extra years after I was hired, but I got it done. So do you get back to Duluth very often?” Alex asked.
Sydney was aware of the subject change and accepted it easily, silently thankful Alex had revealed a little bit of her private self.
White Roses Calling Page 9
