James Conway - In Cold Blonde

Anne’s words soothed Ryan. “I always knew you’d make a great lawyer.”

Anne reached across the table taking Ryan’s hand. “Reminds me of what you said the first time you kissed me? Remember?”

He smiled, remembering. “I do. I said, ‘I always knew you’d be a great kisser.’”

Anne suddenly leaned across the table and kissed Ryan; a sweet, tender kiss, short but full of promise. “I’ve been wanting to do that since I saw you yesterday,” she said, hovering, her lips inches from his, waiting for him to make the next move.

“That bitch!” Syd said. She was watching them through a pair of binoculars from one of the hotel’s pool-facing rooms. She couldn’t hear what they were saying, of course; there’d been no way for her to plant a bug with such short notice. But she didn’t need sound to see what was going on. That bitch had kissed Ryan, whispered something to him and was now waiting for Ryan to kiss her back. “Don’t do it, Ryan,” she said to the empty room.

Syd had called her friend, Kevin Osaka, who was the Hilton’s head of security. Syd had led an undercover sting at the Hilton when she worked vice. A string of hookers were using the Lobby Bar as a feeding pool and while the well-heeled male executives staying at the hotel appreciated the convenience of free cable, wireless internet and plentiful hookers, the many female executives staying in the hotel found the ladies of the night degrading. Or unfair competition. Either way the hotel management had to do something about it so the LAPD was happy to oblige. Kevin and Syd formed a friendship and when she called him a half hour ago asking for a room with a view of the Trader Vic’s lounge, he hooked Syd up, no questions asked.

Syd wasn’t surprised Anne was trying to seduce Ryan. It’s what Liz predicted, and from Syd’s limited exposure to Anne, what she expected.

This was the ultimate test, Syd realized. She’ll finally find out if Ryan really loved her. She had her concerns. From the beginning of their relationship Syd had been the aggressor. She’d jumped him in the file room. She was the first one to say I love you. It took Ryan another two weeks before he said those magic three words, two weeks filled with Syd saying “I love you” followed by expectant gazes. In a way she felt she guilted him into it. A feeling reinforced when Liz told her that Ryan had trouble committing to relationships after Anne left him.

So, let’s find out where we really stand, Syd thought. Okay, Ryan, your move.

Ryan’s lips tingled. His heart raced, his dick was rock hard. Jesus God he wanted to kiss Anne. He wanted to ravage Anne. Her skin was so soft, her scent intoxicating. A montage of images from the hundreds of times they made love flooded his brain: fingers, feet, lips, the nape of her neck, the sweet taste of her clitoris, her deep-throated orgasms, the massage of a million small kisses, his explosive orgasms.

Ryan’s eyes went from Anne’s big brown eyes to her full, luscious lips. For years Ryan had wondered what he had done wrong. What had he done to lose Anne? He relived countless conversations looking for a clue. And he spent hours dreaming of a way he could win her back. He’d finally given up, feeling silly and juvenile.

But deep down he’d always hoped for a moment just like this, another chance to kiss her, another chance to make love to her, another chance to win her back.

And here it was.

And though a fleeting image of Syd seared his conscious, the biological beast that rules the subconscious blotted it out. After all, it’s just one kiss. That can hardly be classified as a betrayal.

Just one kiss.

Ryan leaned forward, their lips met, and then their tongues. And she tasted just as good as he remembered.

“Oh, Ryan,” Syd sighed. Syd lowered the binoculars, heartbroken. Syd knew that her world had just tilted; she didn’t know what she was going to do about it.

Her cell phone rang. She answered. “Hello.”

“Alex Cortez, here, Syd, how you doing?”

“Fine, Detective,” Syd said, and her own problems vanished as she heard the excitement in his voice. “You’re calling me with good news, aren’t you?”

“Does the name, Alice Waterman, mean anything to you?”

Syd ran it through her mental database. “No.”

“Jonathan Battle, one of the names you gave me, was very helpful. He remembered this incident in high school, pictures of one of their classmates emailed to hell and back. The girl was naked making love to a couple of guys. You could only see her face, the men’s faces were never visible, but Battle had heard rumors, rumors that Colin Wood was one of the guys involved.”

“And Adam Devlin? Were they both involved?”

“He couldn’t remember. But he didn’t think so.”

“And Alice Waterman was the girl.”

“Yep. Battle said she dropped out of school a few weeks after the incident, doesn’t know what happened to her. I ran her name but she’s not in our system. But I found out her parents still live in Santa Ana.”

Syd had stuffed all her notes on the case into her backpack and brought it with her. She dug out the yearbook, found Alice Waterman’s picture. “I’m looking at Alice Waterman’s high school picture, Alex, and I’ve got to tell you, this girl looks nothing like the Lady in Red.”

“People change,” Alex said.

“Maybe,” Syd said her excitement waning. But a lead was a lead, and Syd would run with it. “Good work, Alex. You got their address?”

“8276 Bella Vista. I can meet you if you like, but my little one’s got her dance recital tonight and I promised I’d be there.”

“No problem. My partner and I can handle it. I’ll call you with a full report.”

“Thanks, Syd. Good luck.” Cortez hung up.

My partner, Syd said to herself. My backstabbing, bitch-kissing partner. She picked up the binoculars and looked, they weren’t kissing anymore, they were talking again.

“Okay, that was a mistake,” Ryan said. It’s not what he felt, however; he felt like he wanted to kiss her again. Right here. Right now. But that would be wrong for so many reasons. “Look,” he said. “I haven’t been completely honest with you; I’m in a relationship.”

“Really,” Anne said, doing her best to seem genuinely surprised. “Who’s the lucky girl?”

Ryan had never publically revealed their relationship to anyone, but since Anne was going to be around a lot now, he knew she’d figure it out sooner or later. “Syd,” he said. “My partner.”

“She’s adorable,” Anne said. “And a very lucky girl. How serious are you? I mean, are you guys talking about getting married?”

“Way too early for that, I think, but I guess you could say we’re pretty serious.”

So am I, Anne thought, and your little redhead doesn’t stand a chance. Time to wreak a little havoc. “That’s wonderful, Ryan. I just hope your sudden wealth doesn’t ruin the relationship.”

“Why would the lottery affect the relationship?”

“Does she know about the tow truck driver?”

Ryan’s expression went from confusion to understanding. “Yes. And frankly, she’s not crazy about my taking the money.”

“Wait a minute. She actually wants you to turn down the Lotto?”

He nodded. “She thinks it’s dishonest to take the money.”

“Even though you plan on giving most of it away?”

Ryan shrugged. “She’s got high standards.”

“So do I,” Anne said. “And my standards demand we take that money and use it help scores of people in need.”

“No need to get defensive, Anne. I agree with you. I’m taking the money.”

“Sorry, I just have so little patience with… misplaced righteousness.”

“She means well.”