Gerri Hill: The Rainbow Cedar

"I used to work for Wilkes and Bonner Designs."

"Yeah, I've got a contract with Hunt Builders. I think Wilkes and Bonner do too."

"Yes." Jay smiled. "And they're pigs."

Drew laughed. "I see. And you used to work for them?"

"I started my own design company. I got tired of doing all the work and getting little credit."

"Or money," Audrey said.

Jay shrugged. "Anyway, Wilkes and Bonner have the majority of the market. They're huge. I've got my cards all over town and can't get a builder to give me the time of day."

"Well, I also have contracts with some smaller independent builders. If you've got some business cards, I'll be happy to recommend you. Not everyone can afford Wilkes and Bonner."

"You would recommend me?" Jay leaned forward, again wondering if those eyes could possibly be that color of green. "You don't know anything about my work. You've not seen my portfolio. I might suck."

Drew raised an eyebrow. "Do you suck?"

"No. I think I'm quite good."

"Okay then. Give me your cards."

Jay opened her purse and pulled out her leather business card holder. She handed over five or six cards, then took one back. "I nearly forgot I hit your truck," she said as she turned the card over, writing quickly. "The number on the front is my cell. This is my home number and address. But you can usually reach me on my cell. I insist on paying to get your bumper repaired."

"It's just a little ding."

"Nonetheless, your truck looks fairly new. Now I've put a dent in it." She handed over the card. "Please. I feel like an idiot for hitting your truck to begin with."

"Yeah. And how did that happen again?"

Jay felt her face flush with embarrassment and quickly looked at Audrey for an escape, but her eyebrows were furrowed as well.

"Really," Audrey said. "I mean, she's parked already and you smash into the back of her? How did that happen?"

Jay scowled at her friend then looked back to Drew with a slight smile. "It's rather embarrassing. And I'd just as soon not share it."

Audrey laughed. "Oh, now you've got to tell us."

Drew took a large swallow of her beer, her smile lighting her face as she nodded. "Please tell. I'm assuming you were distracted," she said, her eyes dancing with amusement.

Jay laughed. "Okay, fine. Yes, distracted. When a beautiful woman such as yourself," she said, pointing at Drew. "When you undress on the sidewalk in broad daylight, there will probably be consequences."

"I wasn't undressing. I was changing shirts."

"In a red sports bra." Jay turned to Audrey. "A nun would have run into the back of her truck."

"Well, a nun, sure. You know what they say about nuns."

Drew laughed. "I'm sorry. If I'd known the sight of me in near undress would cause such havoc, I'd have stayed in my dirty, smelly shirt."

"And boots."

"Don't like sandals?" Drew asked, holding up one leg to show off the offending shoe.

"She's got a foot fetish," Audrey replied and got a swift kick under the table from Jay. "What's that for?"

"Don't like feet?" Drew asked.

"No, no. For some women, it's the breast. Others it's the ass. Jay, she looks at feet."

"Oh, I see."

"Audrey, shut up," Jay hissed. "And I don't have a foot fetish.

It's just, you can tell a lot about a person by their feet. And can we please stop talking about this?"

Drew laughed again and Jay stared at her, loving her laugh, loving her eyes. My God, she's got incredible eyes. She tore her gaze away, looking someplace safer, looking at Audrey instead.

"I need to get going anyway," Drew said. "I just stopped by to cool off." She shoved her empty mug away, then leaned her elbows on the table. "I've enjoyed meeting you. Both of you," she added with a quick glance Audrey's way. "In fact, maybe we could get together sometime." She met Jay's eyes, holding them. "Dinner?"

"Dinner? Oh, well... maybe, sure. Dinner would be—"

Audrey coughed loudly and kicked her ankle under the table.

Jay jerked her head around, staring. Audrey raised both eyebrows. Jay sighed and rolled her eyes. Katherine.

"On second thought, maybe I should pass."

Drew leaned back. "Oh. Okay. It's just I thought... well, never mind."

She stood to leave but Jay stopped her with a light touch on her arm. "It's just... I'm kinda in a relationship. I mean, I am in a relationship. Dinner probably wouldn't be a great idea."

"I see. Of course. My apologies." She stood to her full height, taking a step away from the table. "Well, it was still nice to meet you." She leaned closer, smiling. "I can't think of anyone else I'd rather my truck get smashed by."

Jay and Audrey stared at her backside as she walked away, both sighing loudly as the door shut behind her.

"Wow. Dreamy, steamy and creamy all rolled into one."

Jay nodded. "That's crass, but I'll have to agree with you."

"I would hope you'd agree with me. You almost accepted a dinner date with her." Audrey playfully slapped her arm. "Forgot about Katherine, did you?"

Jay laughed. "Yeah, for a minute, yeah." She shrugged. "I haven't actually seen her awake since last Saturday. And that was only for about an hour."

"How does she function? I mean, what's she getting? Like four hours sleep a night?"

"If that. She's completely obsessed with it. If she doesn't make partner, I'm not certain she will survive. But of course she will make partner. That or die trying."

"Have you talked to her? Has it gotten any better?"

Jay shook her head. "No, not better. She was at the office well over a hundred hours last week. It's crazy."

"What's crazy is that you still live together."

Jay sipped from her margarita, glancing at the empty beer mug that Drew Montgomery had been drinking from. She sighed, shoving her drink away from her.

"It occurred to me how dysfunctional that office is," she said. "No one is married. No one has kids." She shrugged. "Well, except for the older Mills. Other than that, no kids. Isn't that strange?"

"Mills?"

"Mills and Mills and Garrett. That's the firm."

"Why did I think it was Bateman and something?"

"Bateman was years ago. She's been with this firm for three years."

"So why does Katherine think she'll make partner?"

"She's brought in tons of clients, tons of money. That's all it takes. Of course, once she makes partner, she'll be working as much if not more, just to prove herself. Old man Mills, well, he thinks women should still be secretaries." She shook her head again. "So, with the encouragement of the younger Mills, Katherine is out to prove him wrong. And I get exhausted just thinking about the hours she puts in."

Audrey grabbed her arm and squeezed. "But Jay, you never see each other. It's been what? Six months?"

"More like eight."

"Damn. How long can you go?"

"I don't know. I mean, we've got nearly eight years together. We have a house, a life. I can't just throw that away, Audrey. She's trying to make good. She's trying to make a name for herself. I have to respect that."

"So you see each other maybe once a week? And you live in the same house?"

"I know. It's crazy. But I keep thinking about how it used to be. We used to have fun. We used to... well, we used to be together."

"And now she's a silent partner?"

"Yeah. Although she's going to kill me about this wreck. I'm on her insurance."

"She'll only kill you if she knows why you hit the truck."

Jay grinned, thinking of an excuse. "How about a bee flew in my window? He was buzzing around my head. I lost control."

"Good. Except it's June. Ninety-five degrees out. Why was your window open?"

Jay frowned. "Good point. Okay, how about I swerved to miss a cute little squirrel that had run out in front of me?"

"That's a good one too. But five o'clock traffic,' downtown. Don't know how many little squirrels are out and about."