by Gun Brooke
Annelie gestured toward herself, her hand shaking. “I feel…naked. I hate not being in control, not calling the shots. Guess that makes me a control freak.” She gave a joyless smile.
“For not wanting your private life on display on TV? Hardly. Listen, early on I made a deal with myself where to draw the line. I never let them close to my house or the kids, but I just ignored so-called personal scandals. I taught John and Beth to ignore anything the media said about me. You know…as long as the three of us know what’s true.”
“I’m not used to this kind of scrutiny. I should have known to expect it,” Annelie said.
“Well, you don’t have to handle it alone. When I first met you, you seemed very reserved, aloof, even intimidating. But I was determined to get to know you. In the beginning it was to get the Maddox role, of course.”
Annelie’s eyes widened. “And later?”
“It soon became about something else. In Orlando at the convention, it escalated to something I never could have imagined. You’re a contradiction, Annie. So private and withdrawn, yet with a strong network of friends and colleagues. You attract very nice people who’d do anything for you, because they know you’d be there for them in a heartbeat.”
Annelie blushed faintly. “They’re quickly becoming your friends too.”
“They let me in and try to get to know me only for your sake. I have to make them my friends, which hopefully I can, with time. Anyway, for such a reclusive individual, you have an extensive private life.”
Annelie sat in silence for a moment, considering Carolyn’s remarks. “You’re saying I’m not as private or standoffish as I think?”
Cupping Annelie’s chin, Carolyn leaned in for a quick kiss. “Not anymore. You were, for several valid reasons, but as you succeeded in business and made your way through law school, your confidence grew. And you learned who your real friends were. Don’t you see? Just taking a chance on me, going against pretty much all of your principles, points to one thing. You’ve changed.”
Scooting closer to Carolyn, Annelie wrapped her arms around her. “How is it you can see things so clearly? How?”
“I don’t know. I love you. I love observing you when you don’t know it, watching your expression change, hearing your voice when you talk to someone else. You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. Your body moves with such litheness and grace and—well, you’re of course very hot.” Carolyn felt, rather than heard, Annelie give a short laugh. “I can’t take my eyes off of you. Let alone my hands.”
“You know, that’s what Jem told me after the luncheon. You were looking at me the entire time. Even then?”
“Even then.”
Carolyn let her body slide back, ending up against the armrest of the couch, taking Annelie with her. “Why don’t we just relax until Margo gets here? She’s a smart lady, and she loves you.”
“Okay.” Annelie moved to the side and wrapped an arm and a leg around Carolyn, as if she needed as much contact as possible. “I’m so glad you’re here. When do you need to go back to the studio?”
“Not till tomorrow.”
Annelie sighed and relaxed more into her lover. “Good.”
Carolyn closed her eyes. Annelie’s soft lemony scent surrounded her, reminding her of Florida, and had the circumstances been different, nothing could have prevented her from making love to her.
*
Annelie inhaled Carolyn’s musky scent, remembering how she first became aware of the soft perfume when Carolyn tried to kiss her at the luncheon weeks ago. It seemed longer than that; so many things had happened since then. Her heart was still hammering painfully, as if trying to break free from her rib cage. Every breath was hard, and she hated how the hurt of what her father had done seemed to permeate her body.
Carolyn had soothed her, helped her get the initial panic under control. Annelie was glad her lover had been the one to break the news to her. Falling apart was horrible, but doing it in front of Carolyn wasn’t so bad. Realizing the implications of this thought, Annelie turned her head and kissed the soft cheek next to her on the cushion.
“What’s that for?” Carolyn sounded drowsy.
“Because you’re here.”
Smiling with her eyes still closed, Carolyn turned her head and pressed her lips against Annelie’s. “Yes, I am, and I’m not going anywhere.”
The sound of Carolyn’s throaty voice was reassuring. It wrapped around Annelie’s heart like armor, and for a moment, she instinctively knew as long as Carolyn was there to love her, nothing could really pierce it.
The doorbell made her jump and sit up so quickly she almost shoved Carolyn onto the floor. “That must be Margo.”
“How long was I asleep?” Carolyn asked, clutching at Annelie so she wouldn’t fall off the couch. “Hey, easy there, she’ll wait for you.”
Annelie helped Carolyn regain her balance. “You slept an hour or so. I thought you were awake earlier. You talked to me.”
“I did? What did I say?”
Turning her head over her shoulder as she walked toward the hallway, Annelie smiled softly. “Mushy stuff. Should’ve known you weren’t quite lucid.”
“Oh, funny,” Carolyn muttered, winking at her. “Liar.”
Margo strode in and wrapped Annelie up in a long, firm embrace. “I’ve got you covered, girlie,” she said, her Irish accent more noticeable than usual. “I have the best people setting the record straight. Don’t you worry.” She pulled back and gazed at Annelie. “Have I ever failed you?”
“Not for a second.” Annelie swallowed. “It’s just…”
“It hurts.”
“Badly.”
“Come on. Let’s sit down and I’ll fill you in.”
They walked into the living room, Margo greeting Carolyn with a firm handshake. “Thank you for giving me the information so quickly. I’m in your debt.”
“When it’s about Annelie, I’ll do just about anything to keep her safe and happy.” Carolyn looked serious. “I was so angry I was ready to…I just knew you were the one to call—and that I needed to come home. I mean, back here.” Seemingly not fazed in the least by her slip, Carolyn motioned toward the seat. “Why don’t you go ahead and talk? I’ll make some coffee.”
“Thanks. Coffee’s a given at this point.” Margo grinned.
Margo’s expression softened as Carolyn disappeared toward the kitchen. They sat down, Margo in the armchair and Annelie on the couch.
“She loves you.”
It wasn’t a question but Annelie replied, “Yes, she does. Fiercely.”
“I’d have to be blind not to notice. I like her sense of loyalty. Anyway, let me give you some details. As you realize, Stuart Clint has surfaced in Los Angeles claiming you’ve neglected him all these years. He’s trying to make you out to be a callous daughter who wants a halo for saving the masses instead of caring for an aging, loving father.”
Annelie felt the blood drain from her face. “Oh, God.”
“Don’t worry, girlie. This bullshit isn’t going to fly. Sorry for my language. I’m so furious, I’m losing my manners. Stuart hasn’t given a damn about you for the last twenty-seven years—not one sign, word, or card from him—and now this. You know the private investigator we sometimes use at the firm? I called him, and this case is now his only priority until we have what we need. I should have all the papers we need from Chicago and California in a day or two.”
Carolyn returned with a tray and placed it on the coffee table. After handing the women on the couch a mug of steaming coffee each, she turned to walk out of the room.
“No, Carolyn, please stay. This concerns you too.”
“Yes, stay,” Annelie echoed, extending a hand.
“Sure, let me just grab my mug.” Carolyn returned with her coffee and sat down next to Annelie. “I overheard the last part. So it’s just a matter of keeping our cool for a couple of days, Margo?”
“Yes. I know it’s hard on you, Annie, and I can only begin to fatho
m how you must hate this. He’s making an even bigger idiot of himself, since there’s no way he can prove anything he’s saying.”
“I have a theory about that,” Carolyn said. “He’s hoping Annelie will pay him off to keep him quiet. He’s counting on her not having the balls to stand her ground and call his bluff.”
Annelie’s eyes widened at her lover’s choice of words, as Carolyn’s vehement tone revealed her fury.
“I couldn’t have phrased it any better myself,” Margo agreed. “This is a quick, ill-planned scheme for money, and nothing else.”
Annelie put the mug down after a quick sip, shuddering as she leaned back against the couch. “I just hate how this affects my charities.” Her voice broke and she swallowed twice to try and clear it. “Just the thought of people believing him…thinking such things about me…”
Carolyn moved closer and put an arm around her shoulders. “Now, don’t let this get to you. People will find out the truth. The ones you count on would never believe him. In a few days we’ll have it all sorted out, and he’ll regret he ever tried this.”
“He’s my father,” Annelie whispered. “How can he do this to his child, even if he left me…I just don’t get it.” Turning to Carolyn, she couldn’t hold back the tears.
*
Annelie cried almost soundlessly against Carolyn’s shoulder, making Carolyn and Margo exchange glances of sympathy and concern.
“You’re going to be okay, honey,” Margo promised. “Just let us do the job. You don’t have to make a statement. I’ll handle all that.”
Annelie looked up, reaching for a box of Kleenex. “I can’t ask you to…”
“Sure you can! I thought I’d make a statement to the press as soon as I have all the information I need, challenging this bastard to present any evidence of his accusations.”
Carolyn was impressed with Margo’s clear-thinking strategy. “For what it’s worth, I think you’re dead-on,” she said. “Annelie should make a personal statement only when we have the proof.”
“Exactly.” Margo smirked.
“All right,” Annelie said, blowing her nose. “Enough of these tears. I’m hungry.”
“And I’m running late.” Margo jumped up. “Have something to eat, ladies. I’ll see myself out. Call you later, girlie.” She waved and was out the front door.
“She’s an Energizer bunny come alive.” Carolyn smiled. “With her taking care of things, you’ll be okay, love.”
Annelie nodded. “I hope so.”
“Why don’t you make yourself comfortable? I’ll see what’s in the freezer.”
“You’re going to cook?”
Not offended, Carolyn laughed at Annelie’s doubtful tone of voice. “I thought so. For heaven’s sake, even I can defrost a pizza!”
“Okay, okay. Thank you.”
Carolyn walked into the kitchen, opened the freezer, and found a family-size mozzarella pizza. After reading the package carefully, she turned the oven on and walked off to use the bathroom. When she returned, the oven was hot so she put the pizza in, feeling confident it would be ready soon. After she set the timer, Carolyn joined Annelie, who stood on the balcony by the railing.
“Twenty minutes from now we’ll have a delicious pizza,” she promised, hugging Annelie from behind. “In the meantime, can I interest my best girl in some smooching, perhaps?”
Annelie gave a muted laugh. “Some smooching, eh?” She pivoted in Carolyn’s arms. “And where is this smooching going to take place, if I may ask?”
“Of course you may. See that corner over there? The only ones able to see us are seagulls and other high-flying birds.”
Annelie glanced at the hard wooden bench. “Looks awfully uncomfortable.”
“I’ll make it worth your while.” Carolyn raised her eyebrows suggestively.
“Oh, yeah?” Annelie allowed herself to be dragged toward the bench. “What did you have in mind?”
“Step into my parlor…” Carolyn sat down on the bench, pulling Annelie with her. “Here…just like this…” Looking into her lover’s stormy eyes, she hoped the closeness would distract Annelie. She laced her fingers through long strands of hair and closed the distance between them, capturing Annelie’s lips with her own. “Open your mouth,” Carolyn breathed. “Yes…” Deepening the kiss, she heard Annelie whimper as their tongues met in a tantalizingly slow movement, tasting each other. Carolyn drank her kisses greedily, her passion for the woman in her arms igniting her senses.
Her hands moved down Annelie’s back and slid under her sweatshirt, only to find she wasn’t wearing a bra. “Oh, God, Annie…this is getting out of control,” she murmured. “You feel so wonderful.” Letting her lips burn a trail down Annelie’s neck, she slid her hands forward, cupping Annelie’s full breasts. Carolyn noted with pleasure how hard the nipples were as they prodded her palms. She pushed at the sweatshirt, eager to get it out of the way…
A deafening blare broke the mood. Annelie jerked, looking wide-eyed at Carolyn.
“It’s the smoke alarm!”
*
Dark gray smoke billowed from the kitchen. The smoke alarm’s high-pitched tone pierced the women’s eardrums as they ran inside.
“What the hell…” Annelie squinted through the smoke, detecting the source. “There’s something burning in the oven!”
“I put in a pizza, for heaven’s sake! It’s only been a few minutes. How can it already be burning?”
“I don’t know. Open the door to the balcony and see if we can air out the smoke.” Annelie put on a mitt and opened the oven door. More smoke poured out, and she coughed as she yanked out a half-done pizza. She tossed the tray on the stove, then used a spatula to confirm her suspicions.
Carolyn hurried back to her. “I don’t get it. What’s wrong with the pizza?”
Annelie reached out to a panel on the wall and punched in a series of numbers, silencing the smoke alarm. “Nothing’s wrong with the pizza.” She tried her best to sound serious. “You just didn’t remove the cardboard plate underneath it.”
Carolyn’s jaw fell as she stared at the oven tray with its smoking contents. “What cardboard plate? It said, ‘Bake in oven at 400 F for twenty minutes’—nothing about any cardboard plates.”
“It probably was stuck against the bottom of the pizza, and you just didn’t notice it. No harm done. The ventilation system will clear the air in half an hour or so.”
“Oh, God…I knew I was a bad cook, but this is really ridiculous!” Carolyn groaned, leaning against the cabinet. “What’ll we eat now? Not one smoked pizza, I hope?”
“No, this would have a strange flavor. Why don’t we send out for something or just have a sandwich?”
“A sandwich sounds great. Nothing to set ablaze.”
Annelie laughed at Carolyn’s obvious dismay. “True. Why don’t we go back to the balcony until the rest of the smoke is gone?”
They walked outside, stood by the railing, and watched the sky become darker as evening approached. “Pretty with all the lights coming on, isn’t it? The city noise can be quite a homey feeling,” Carolyn said. “Used to, when I came home late after a show, I’d sit out on my much-smaller balcony with a glass of wine. Just relaxing, listening to the city that never sleeps, you know.”
“Yes, I know. The difference from the velvety, perfumed nights of Florida is enormous—but I love them both.”
“Speaking of sounds, I hope nothing bad’s happened. A lot of sirens are screaming out there.” Carolyn leaned over the balcony railing. “Oh, look, they’re coming down your street.”
“Yes, I see the lights. There are two more.”
“Wonder what’s going on…Oh.”
The two women watched as two fire trucks stopped in front of the building and firemen jumped off, looking up.
“Oh, damn, I didn’t call the desk downstairs to make sure they knew it was a false alarm,” Annelie murmured. “This is embarrassing.”
They walked back inside, and Annelie d
ialed the doorman’s desk. “Hello, Fred, this is entirely my fault. I forgot to call. Yes, everything’s all right.” She paused. “They do? But it wasn’t really a fire…just smoke from the oven…Oh, sure. Send them up. I understand.” She hung up and turned toward Carolyn. “Since we’re on the fifteenth floor, they want to come up and make sure we put it out properly.”
Carolyn blushed faintly. “I’ll tell them I’m to blame.”
“Don’t worry. I bet this happens all the time. We might as well open the doors and let our heroes in. Actually, I’m glad they’re this conscientious.”
A few minutes later, the elevator doors opened and two men in firefighter gear stepped out. “I see we’re expected,” the first one said with a smile. “Heard your smoke alarm went off, ma’am.”
“Yes, but it was only because of a missed cardboard plate in the oven. It’s fine now,” Annelie explained.
“Let’s just have a look, eh?”
“Sure. Come in.”
The men gave Annelie appreciative looks before they turned to politely greet Carolyn. “Good evening, ma’am…” After a slight hesitation, the older one continued, “Forgive me, ma’am, but aren’t you Carolyn Black?”
“Yes, I am. Good evening. Nice of you to stop by.”
Annelie was hard-pressed not to laugh when she noticed Carolyn slipping into a regal tone of voice, as if greeting her subjects.
“I’m a great fan,” the fireman said, “and so is my wife. Can’t wait to see the Maddox movies.”
“Thank you. Please tell your wife I said hello. By the way, this was entirely my fault. I was trying to cook, which I can’t, so from now on I’ll stick to takeout.” Carolyn smiled broadly and raised her hands in a dismissive gesture.
Obviously taken by Carolyn’s charm, the firemen quickly checked the oven and the ventilation fan above it. “Glad to see everything’s okay, ma’am,” the younger fireman offered.
“It was my fault for not calling the front desk. Thanks for double-checking.”
