Famous Last Words, Chapter 1
Kaylee Marshals sighed and stared into the depths of the glass of whiskey sitting in front of her, reaching out slowly to take the glass in her hands and swirl the liquid around in slow circles, creating a whirlpool. Her eyes lazily moved around the bar, the establishment in which she spent the latter part of her weekdays. She'd get off work and come here to unwind. Most of the time she didn't even order alcohol, just iced tea. But tonight was different. With a heavy sigh, she stood, leaving the last few drops of her drink in the bottom of the glass as she tossed a twenty onto the bar and threw a smile at the bartender. He winked and nodded, wiping off a glass, watching her as she left.
Kaylee was twenty-seven and fresh out of law school. Having grown up in a small town in Kentucky, she was still getting used to the busy, metropolitan nightlife. Most of the businesses at home had closed around eight at night, six if it was Sunday.
As she pulled into her driveway, she smiled to herself. There would be a message from her best friend Lyndsey, who had grown up in Las Vegas, begging her to join their small circle of friends for a night on the town. Kaylee usually declined, since clubbing wasn't really her thing, but tonight might be different. She kicked her shoes off once inside and locked the door behind her, grinning at the flashing light on her answering machine. Who knows, right?
***
"Warrick, it's really not my thing," Nick whined, shaking his head as he leaned against the counter.
"C'mon," Greg begged. "Let your hair down for once."
"Y'all are making me out to be a real hard-ass, you know that?"
"Well, if the shoe fits…" Warrick trailed off, smirking at the look of disbelief sliding across Nick's face. "Never know. Might meet a girl."
"Oh, wait," Greg said, "That would be what he's afraid of, right? I mean, he's always talking about needing to find a chick, but he's just all talk, isn't he, Warrick?" Warrick just shrugged, playing along with Greg and hoping this new tactic would work.
"I am NOT all talk," Nick insisted, his eyes flashing.
"So you'll come with us then," Greg said, more of a challenge than a question.
"Absolutely not." Warrick threw his hands in the air with a sigh. Silence settled over the room. "What kind of club is it?" Nick asked timidly. Greg grinned and nodded at Warrick, who just grinned back.
***
"Lyndsey, you know this isn't my style, so if I want to leave, we're leaving," Kaylee insisted. Lyndsey cackled her evil laugh and shook her head.
"You are too high-strung for your own good, chica," she laughed. "Just kick back and enjoy yourself for once. You're not a lawyer until you pass the bar, right?" Kaylee shook her head as the laughter surfaced. She watched as Lyndsey reached for the volume knob on the stereo, turning up the techno that was already blaring from the speakers. Kaylee finally started relaxing and danced along with Lyndsey at the stoplights on the strip, smiling coyly at the men staring in the cars alongside them.
Eventually, Lyndsey pulled into a parking lot and hopped out, watching Kaylee stand and shut the car door. Lyndsey had always been jealous of Kaylee – her small frame, long legs, flat stomach, and height. Kaylee was a goddess, although there was no convincing her of that. She always complained about her shoulder-length brown hair, thinking it was too boring and unmanageable, but everyone else thought it was gorgeous. Her complexion was light, so she always complained about being unable to tan, but Lyndsey tried her darndest to persuade her that it was better that way – her skin was flawless and she was less likely to age quickly since she knew it was of no use to lay out. So Lyndsey just smiled and shook her head, taking Kaylee's arm as they headed into the club, the bass already loud.
***
"Ra?!" Nick exclaimed once they pulled into the parking garage. "I thought you said it was going to be tasteful? All the college kids come here to get plastered, man! Ra?!" Greg just grinned. "Warrick?" He just shrugged.
"Greg's choice tonight." Nick shook his head.
"You're sick, man. You need to have your head examined."
"What?!" Greg whined as they got out of the car. "There's a lot of hot chicks that come here."
"Women, Greg," Warrick warned. "You'll never snag one if you call them 'chicks.'" Nick snickered, shaking his head. Greg had no idea how clueless he was.
"Well, I can tell you one thing," Nick sighed. Warrick's eyebrow rose. "I am not, I repeat, NOT," he paused for emphasis, "going to meet my future wife in a club like this."
"Famous last words," Greg snorted over his shoulder, walking into the club. Nick shook his head, nodding at the bouncer as he passed.
***
It had been well over an hour, and Kaylee hadn't moved from the chair she had plopped in when they first arrived. Lyndsey was off somewhere, dancing with someone, leaving Kaylee to her thoughts and her Riesling. She should have known when Lyndsey showed up on her stoop that she wouldn't fit in here. Her maroon cocktail dress was a far cry from the raver number Lyndsey had on, but Kaylee hadn't picked up on it until just now, watching people pass by her table without a second glance at her. It was kind of nice – no one to bother her. But on the other hand, Kaylee was seriously craving attention. Unfortunately, most of the guys she had seen here tonight were at least a few years younger than her, probably not even legal to drink. There had been one guy she perked up at, but she'd lost him in the crowd standing at the bar. She sighed heavily and shook her head. This was the last time she would come here, and definitely the last time she would listen to Lyndsey. She was just about to track Lyndsey down and drag her out to the car by those gaudy earrings when someone sat next to her.
***
Nick had had it. This was definitely not his type of place, and he was definitely not staying, much less coming back. He sat there for a few minutes, contemplating whether to just leave or find Warrick and Greg, who had wandered off shortly after their arrival. Finally, Warrick appeared among the faces of the crowd, a wide grin on his face.
"You don't believe in fate, do you?" Nick's eyebrow rose.
"If you even tell me you met the woman of your dreams here…" he trailed off, the warning obvious in his voice. Warrick shook his head as he sat down.
"No, man. I saw the woman of YOUR dreams." Nick couldn't prevent the snicker from escaping his lips.
"Sorry," he laughed. "I'm not into jailbait."
"No, no. I'm serious," Warrick insisted. She's at a table in the corner on the other side of the bar. Sitting by herself."
"So?"
"So… go say hi or something."
"Just like that." Nick looked skeptical.
"Why not?"
"I don't know, man. From the looks of this place she's probably seventeen, abandoned by her prom date, off in the corner because she's sulking." Nick punctuated his sarcasm with a gulp of beer. Warrick sighed. "What? Am I right or am I right?"
"She looks about twenty-five, give or take, and definitely a professional. She looks bored out of her mind, like she came here with a friend – female – and got left behind for a guy she wouldn't approve of her friend dating," Warrick stated. Nick stared back with a blank expression. "I'm serious, man."
"Yeah, okay."
"Fine," Warrick said, holding his hands up in surrender. "Take your chances. But at least take a look when you go get me another beer." Nick snickered, but his smile fell as Warrick just stared back at him.
"You're serious."
"Yeah, man. You owe me from last time."
"Shit." Obviously beaten, Nick stood and headed toward the bar cursing the female species with every step. Dating was so overrated. Who needed women anyway? But deep in the back of his mind, he heard his mom nagging at him to find someone to settle down with and live happily ever after.
Unfortunately, there was a line at the bar. He looked over his shoulder at Warrick, who pointed toward the back of the room, around the corner from the bar. Nick shook his head and sighed, but Warrick silently insisted. He mouthed "fine," and glanced past the bar toward the corner. His head snapped back to Warrick, his mouth falling open. Warrick nodded, a sly grin sliding across his lips. Nick left the bar and headed back to Warrick, sitting down next to him.
"Blam!" Warrick just laughed. "I mean, damn."
"So?"
"So what?"
"Are you gonna go talk to her?"
"Hell no, man," Nick said, sounding defeated.
"Why not?"
"She's way outta my league." Warrick just snickered. "I mean, she's in a club for kids, sitting in a corner drinking wine in a cocktail dress, which, by the way, looks extremely expensive." Nick sighed heavily. "You're right about the professional part, but she's definitely not my type."
"Nick," Warrick groaned.
"She's way outta my league, man." He paused, staring at the table. His eyes met Warrick's, a slight twinkle showing. "But she is hot." Warrick laughed.
"What do you have to lose?"
"Oh, how 'bout my self-esteem?" Nick sighed, leaning back in his chair as he lifted his almost-empty beer bottle to his lips. "My pride?" Warrick just shook his head.
"You're too down on yourself, Nick."
"Yeah, well. It's a tough job, but someone has to do it," Nick snickered at himself. He was pathetic, all right.
"What would your mother say?" Nick's eyes fell, and Warrick could have sworn he was pouting.
"Suck it up and go talk to her." Warrick nodded.
"Well, she knows what she's talking about then," he said with a laugh. "Grow some balls."
"Warrick, never doubt my balls," Nick warned. They stared at each other for a few seconds before erupting into laughter. Warrick shook his head.
"Just do it, man." Nick sighed and stood slowly.
"I'll be back in a few minutes, tail between my legs." Warrick laughed and watched him walk away.
***
Kaylee turned and smiled, taking a quick sip of her wine. "I thought you had disappeared on me. I was just about to go look for you."
"Ready to go already, huh?" Kaylee nodded, and Lyndsey sighed. "Yeah, I figured you wouldn't want to stay long."
"You know me better than this, Lynn. I mean, this really isn't my type of place."
"Yeah, yeah," Lyndsey moaned. "You're more into the hole-in-the-wall type quiet bar, right?"
"Yeah," Kaylee said quietly. She felt like such a party-pooper, but she really wasn't comfortable here. "I really just don't feel like I fit in here. I'm not comfortable."
"Well, I told you to dress for a party, not a funeral." Kaylee glared at that comment. "Kidding." Lyndsey immediately felt bad. "I'm sorry."
"Forget about it," Kaylee said quickly as she stood. "Can we just leave?" Lyndsey nodded silently and stood, following Kaylee out into the parking lot.
***
Warrick was surprised when Nick returned to the table less than five minutes after he left. He plopped into his chair, new beer in hand, and took a huge swig. Warrick just looked at him expectantly. Nick avoided his eyes, just staring out into the crowd of people in front of him.
"That bad?" Warrick finally asked. Nick didn't say anything. "Nick?"
"I guess she left."
"What?"
"Yeah. No one was back there," Nick informed, seeming a little disappointed. "Not like I would have said anything anyway. I just would have stood over there for a while, throw back a couple more beers, and come back with a sob story about how she rejected me right away, blah, blah, blah." Warrick laughed.
"You would, too." Nick smiled.
"Yeah, I would." Just then Greg reappeared, a sour look on his face. "No luck, huh Studly?" Greg glared at Nick.
"Save the 'I told you so', okay? I'm not in the mood." Nick and Warrick just laughed, despite Greg's glares their direction. Nick finished off his beer and stood.
"Well, sounds to me like everyone's ready to leave," he hinted. Greg and Warrick mumbled their agreement and followed him out the door. It had definitely been a disappointing night.
***
Nick sighed heavily as he stepped in the door to his apartment, kicking off his shoes as he tossed his keys onto the table. He shook his head with a slight laugh and headed down the hall, twisting the knob on the shower as hot as it would go. He stepped under the stream of water, letting it hit the back of his neck and cascade down his body.
"Oh yeah," he moaned, closing his eyes in ecstacy. "That's priceless." Fifteen minutes later, he emerged in a towel, heading straight for the fridge. Not finding anything appealing (or anything truly edible, for that matter), he shrugged and let the door slam, settling for an apple out of the bowl on the table. He headed back to the bedroom and left the apple stuck between his teeth so he could pull some boxers on. He reached for the remote as he slipped under the covers, apple still stuck in his mouth, and settled between the sheets, stopping on the Discovery Channel, which had a special going about snakes. The television stayed on all night, competing only with the light snores emanating from the pillows.
***
Kaylee sat up most of the night, working on a case brief for an accidental death suit her firm was handling. It really sucked that she was stuck as a paralegal when, technically, she could co-counsel with another lawyer in the firm, off the cuff. However, her firm went by the book, which meant she was stuck doing the dirty work until she passed the bar. At four a.m., she flipped out the light and settled under the comforter, her thoughts returning to the guy she'd seen at the club. He'd looked out of place as well, clad in all black, his shirt rather snug. For some reason, he seemed official, like he was a cop or something. She shrugged and pushed him out of her thoughts, sleep finally settling in about the time the sun was peeking through the shades.
***
"Hey, Kaylee?" Kaylee looked up into a pair of dazzling green eyes and smiled. She put down the case file and sat back in her chair, looking up expectantly. "A bunch of us are going down to the Hard Rock for dinner. You game?"
"Sure. When?"
"Bout five minutes," Sean said, glancing up at the clock on Kaylee's wall. "We can car pool. Less parking hassle." She nodded.
"Sure. Everyone can fit in mine, unless someone else wants to drive."
"You can't fit five people in a Rav4," Sean said skeptically.
"Five? Who all's going?"
"You, me, Mell, Jason, and Ray. That's five."
"Wait," Kaylee said, reaching for her calendar. "I thought Jay and Mell were going to be in court until six." Sean shook his head.
"They got an extension." She nodded, seeming impressed. Sean was also a paralegal; Mell, Jason, and Ray were the partners. Unlike Kaylee, Sean hadn't gone to law school, and didn't plan on becoming a lawyer. "Shall we?" Sean offered his arm, which Kaylee took with a slight laugh, and they headed down to the parking garage.
***
"I'm heading to the bar," Kaylee said, pushing her chair back. "Anyone want anything?" Sean and Ray both asked for another beer. She nodded with a smile and left the table. The bartender was kind of cute, but a little young for her, so she just flirted politely without obvious intentions. Being single was really starting to get to her, especially without the prospect of even one date, but it was probably better this way. She really needed to concentrate on passing the bar exam in a month. She felt someone watching her, but pushed the feeling aside, letting her professional confidence shine through, hoping it would intimidate whoever was staring at her as she walked back to the table of five men and immediately jumped into the relaxed conversation.
***
"Hey, Nick." Nick looked up from his French fries and nodded at Warrick, who nodded toward the bar. "Isn't that your Ra girl?" Nick followed Warrick's gaze and dropped a fry.
"Well, I'll be damned." Nick and Warrick looked at each other, then back to her. She was wearing a black pantsuit, obviously of a younger-generation clothing store, but it still looked professional. The green button-up shirt brought out her complexion and her eyes. Warrick watched Nick watch her walk back to a table where four men sat and join in the conversation.
"You thinking co-workers?" Nick nodded slowly. "Boyfriend maybe?" came the second inquiry as she leaned against a younger-looking man, laughing. Nick shrugged, turning back around.
"Well, she's a professional all right. She looks like a lawyer or something." Warrick nodded, his gaze returning to the mysterious woman. Nick's eyebrow rose. "Don't you even tell me to go talk to her."
"Why not?"
"Um, she's sitting with four guys?" Warrick shrugged. "That would definitely not be cool."
"Nick, you're lucky you're seeing her again. I figured you blew it Friday night by waiting until she left."
"Hey, I didn't wait until she left. I just didn't get around to it until she'd already gone, and I didn't even know she was gone until she was gone." Warrick snickered.
"Awfully defensive, aren't we?" Nick mocked him, making Warrick's smile widen. "You're a real smartass, you know that?" Nick smiled.
"It's one of my more endearing traits, don't you think?" Warrick just snickered again and stood.
"I'm gonna go."
"Already? You just got here," Nick protested.
"Yeah, I know. I got a lot of stuff to do back at the lab. You're lucky you just caught a single murder today." Nick smirked.
"Yeah, I know." Warrick shook his head and tossed a ten onto the table.
"My share." Nick nodded.
"See you back at the lab."
"Later, man," Warrick threw over his shoulder. Nick watched him go and glanced over his shoulder. She was still there. God, Nick. You've got more class than embarrassing her in front of the guys she works with. Maybe she'll talk to you first. Nah, she's got more taste. C'mon, Nick. Get it together. You've never had problems with the ladies. Nick pulled himself from his thoughts and returned his attention to people-watching. There were a few interesting people sitting at the bar, so he watched them, listening to what little he could catch of their conversations and making up stuff to fill in the blanks. A movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention, and he cocked his head slightly. She was back at the bar, ordering more drinks. To his surprise, she glanced in his direction, meeting his eyes with her own and smiling slightly before looking away. She pointed out her table to the bartender, and looked in his direction again, so he turned back to the television, trying to look absorbed by the billiards game.
"I'm sorry," he heard her say. He looked up at her quizzically. "You look really familiar to me, and I can't figure out where I've seen you." He smiled, gesturing for her to join him, which she did.
"Well, I could tell you, but I'd be somewhat embarrassed," he said, watching her eyebrow rise.
"No, no. Don't tell me. Friday night at Ra." He smiled, obviously caught. She blushed and covered her forehead with her hand, resting her elbow on the table. "Shit." He laughed. "I was kind of hoping no one would see me there."
"You and me both," Nick said with a slight laugh. "I got conned into it." She smiled.
"You don't seem the type to be fooled." He laughed.
"You have no idea." She shook her head, and a silence fell over them. He cleared his throat and stuck out his hand. "Nick Stokes." She smiled back and placed her hand in his.
"Kaylee Marshals."
"Attorney at law?" he asked. She smiled.
"Detective?"
"Not quite," he said with a smirk. "CSI." She nodded.
"Not yet. If I pass the bar next month."
"If?" She shrugged.
"They say it's hard." He nodded.
"You don't seem easily intimidated though." She laughed.
"I'm just really good at hiding it."
"Well, I guess I'm not good at hiding being a cop," he said. She shook her head.
"I guess I'm not good at hiding being a bloodsucking lawyer." It was his turn to laugh, and she watched him carefully, taking in every expression. He laughed with his whole body, his eyes shining brightly. She couldn't help but smile in response. His laughter slowly subsided, and they just looked at each other for a moment. She glanced over his shoulder at her table and sighed. "I should probably get back. They're probably ready for some more drinks."
"Well, hopefully that won't be in your job description once you pass the bar." She smiled.
"If it is, I'll be looking for a new job." She stood, and he followed suit. "Well, I might see you around?"
"Never know," Nick said, trying to hide the disappointment in his voice. Well, what did you expect, Nick? Did you really think she would give you her number on a napkin or something? Sheesh…She smiled over her shoulder as she walked away. He smiled to himself as he sat down again, returning to playing with his French fries. His pager went off and he swore, reaching down to his belt to retrieve it. That DNA result was back. He had to get back to the lab. Kaylee heard the pager go off and reached into her purse, standing quickly.
"Ladies' room," she quickly explained to the guys, who had looked up quizzically. She walked toward the bar and past Nick's table as he was busy grabbing his jacket from the chair next to him, placing a business card in front of him right before he stood. He looked down as she tapped on the table and smirked. He flipped it over and saw that she'd written her phone number on the back. He looked up at her, but she didn't look back at him, so he just slipped the card into his back pocket and left.
