C.J. held the frog in her hand, its legs dangling. Clearly the animal who just happened to be Matt's prize frog Rupert felt more relaxed than she did. She'd just piloted Matt's ex-girlfriend from college, Christina Berenson from the headquarters in L.A. to his ranch nestled in the Santa Monica Mountains.
Listening to the gorgeous and very stylishly dressed model prattle on about being accused of murdering some big shot in the fashion industry with a poison dart, kind of like Cupid gone horribly bad. C.J. just knew she'd been another one of those young woman that Matt just had to keep rescuing over and over again.
Wait, she had a shiny bauble on her finger that attracted her attention, how could it not given its size? C.J. had never been engaged herself but she knew jewelry and that ring had to cost a bundle. After they landed, she and Matt just looked at each other and everything and everyone around them disappeared.
After hearing her story, Matt of course agreed to help her then and there and since the helicopter was a two seater that meant that C.J was left holding the frog.
Matt was ripe for another dalliance since he and Cindy McNichol, the vapid young blonde woman who'd been into auras and pyramids from another case were kaput. Greatly helped by the fact that her dog just never warmed up to him.
Slim had gotten married a couple months earlier to her surfer dude overlooking the beach in Santa Barbara and had moved to Hawaii. So that left her Rupert confide him as she went to return him back to his pond.
She'd have to drive to the office to work today and she didn't want to get caught in the traffic.
Christina sat on the couch while Matt fumbled around with Baby. The sophisticated computer system which had a direct line to every database on the planet loved C.J. and tolerated him. They were trying to check out any other suspects to the murder investigation that Vince launched against Christina under pressure by his boss.
She was dressed in some silk outfit from Paris and silver heels, not to mention she had fur stole wrapped around her even though it was a hot summer day. They'd already had the discussion about the bauble on her finger and how she'd been swept up in some whirlwind deal with a senator…who wasn't here helping her and she seemed to discuss almost casually though she'd called it the "real deal" an hour ago.
Damn it'd been sweet between them when they met up in college. He a star quarterback, she a cheerleader and sorority princess. He'd dated around at Rice University if it could be called that but she'd lasted longer than the others.
Then they'd hooked up six months ago for a time when she'd been living in Georgia and he'd spent three months at Fort Benning doing some consulting there. Even though they quickly fell back into the whole Rooster and Squeaky thing it hadn't lasted.
They were just two very different people but right now he had a tough time remembering that. Especially when she sidled up to him on the sofa speaking in that voice with a hint of breathlessness.
"Oh Rooster…seeing you again," she said, "It just brings back so many memories despite everything."
Matt couldn't deny that…he'd remembered how it'd been between them. He'd find out who'd framed her for murder, save her from a life in prison term and then maybe they could pick up where they'd left off year earlier.
Who knows? Maybe this time they could make it work. She could ditch the senator and get together with him, start something serious.
"Sure does…but first things first…"
She nodded but then she did something unexpected. She leaned over and kissed him, brushing her lips over his lightly.
Then moving back into her corner.
"Christina…"
"Squeaky…"
He cleared his throat.
"Squeaky…what was that?"
She smiled at him, flipping her hair back.
"You know what that was Rooster," she said, "There's more where that came from…"
"But…"
She fiddled with her engagement ring.
"He's back in Washington…and you and I are both here… and don't you remember how good it was between us?"
It had been sweet back then. He couldn't argue with that.
"You know I was the best you ever had too."
He furrowed his brow. He didn't know if he'd go that far. There'd been quite a few women after all in his life. Several who stood apart from the rest and one…
"You know it Rooster," she said, "Remember that time in Atlanta…"
Yes he did and the way their two month interlude had ended in a huge fight before she headed off to a modeling gig in London in a huff.
"Houston…did you hear from Vince?"
Matt looked up and saw C.J. sashaying in wearing one of her business suits. The three piecer which served as her uniform during days she tackled the legal side of the business.
He got up from the couch to go pour himself a glass of much needed Scotch.
"Yeah he's thinking it might be time to pay that psychic a visit," he said, "Last time I did that, it got freaky."
C.J. frowned.
"There's all kinds of freaky Houston. Which kind are you talking about?"
"I know that C.J. I'm talking about this mumbo jumbo magic act of hers."
C.J. laughed.
"You know that's just sleight of hand action," she said, "You should be an expert on that."
Ouch.
She was definitely throwing him some zingers this morning and he didn't know why…just like he didn't know why she begged off on those dinner dates and wouldn't tell him where she was going instead.
He wondered if she had a boyfriend she kept secret. He'd have to talk to her about that as soon as things got less busy with Christina.
"Houston…so be careful with the psychic okay? She might have a screw loose and well, I really don't want to run the business by myself."
"Don't you worry yourself darling…I've got this all under control…"
Christina frowned.
"Why are you calling her darling?"
He sipped his drink eying both women. Both brunettes, both in great shape and that's where their similarities ended.
"Just an expression. Look she's right. I'd better go find out what the psychic knows through her mystical powers or otherwise."
Christina sighed.
"If you must…but we're still on for dinner tonight right?"
He nodded and kissed her softly on the mouth. When he glanced up at C.J. she rolled her eyes and walked out of the room swaying her hips like she owned it.
C.J. ate lunch with Pam who'd wanted badly to leave the office to get some fresh air and sunlight. Matt had been dodging the secretaries again and they were quite irate about it. Even threatening to strike for one work day until someone could chain him to his vintage oak desk and get him to sign a whole stack of papers that needed to be flown overnight to Murray Chase back in Texas.
"So you think Christina's going to get a book contract out of this scandal?"
C.J. put down her fork and looked at her.
"Say what?"
"You know what I mean…she's a world famous model accused of killing a famous designer in an ingenious way and she might be innocent."
"She'd get a better deal if she were guilty…"
Pam paused.
"C.J. do you think she did it?"
She had to pause a long moment to think about it. Lord knows she had her suspicions. But then it'd taken some brains to put together this murder plot and Christina…she'd clearly gone into hiding after they passed out the good looks.
"I don't know…I hope not," she said, "Houston would be devastated. They were pretty serious back in college."
Pam shook her head.
"I don't know what he sees in her," she said, "So prim and proper and not a hair out of place. Houston's really into girls like that?"
C.J. shrugged.
"Yeah…he likes them pretty and needing his help," she said, "I'm not sure what he'd do with a woman who could take care of herself."
"So he's an alpha male?"
"An alpha what?"
Pam sighed.
"You know like in the romance novels," she said, "The men who like to take charge of everything including their women."
C.J. thought that described him to a T. In ways that she couldn't exactly share with Pam. She didn't kiss and tell after all.
Matt rode with Christina on a trail along a river that ran through his ranch. She'd saddled up one of his new fillies in the barn but opted for English style tack and wardrobe.
While he chose his worn jeans, worn hat and totally worn down boots and a Western saddle. He was all cowboy after all.
They'd just caught the real killer and sure enough, the psychic hadn't just predicted the murder, she'd committed it along with her henchman husband. Matt pulled the all-time bluff by pretending that one of her mind control tricks worked until he could get the upper hand on both of them.
He thought that once they got that out of the day, he'd romance her at Mama's restaurant and then they'd hit a night cap back at the house as a prelude to…
But then it hit him that they were two very different people…riding side by side and nothing had changed. If they got back together, it might work for a while but then they'd fight and break up again. Still there was one pivotal question to ask her.
"Do you like frogs?"
She wrinkled her nose at that.
"Oh god no, I hate them."
There, that did it that dealt the death blow to their relationship. Just like that, it was over. After he waxed a soliquy about his beloved Rupert and they rode off in separate directions. He back to the ranch to meet up with Bo and Lamar who wanted to double or nothing on the frog jumping match.
He'd asked Murray to get Rupert into prime shape even if it meant hiring a renowned frog whisperer. Instead, he found C.J. kicking back on the lawn in her faded jeans and chambray shirt. Her curly hair loose around her shoulders.
His best friend.
C.J. rigged the entire frog jumping contest for him. She'd gone out and gotten Rupert a lady frog named Hildegard, wrapped her up in a pink bow and used her to do as Bo said, "lure a critter on."
Both cried foul after Rupert broke the record for his leap and she declared him and Matt the winner. Still he looked put out and she knew that Christina and he weren't rekindling the old flame.
Then he made some comment about having to kiss a lot of frogs before meeting a prince. She thought he might laugh to show he felt better. Instead he laid one on her.
He kissed her softly on the mouth, a hint of so much more only he pulled away just as quickly. Before her mind had enough time to catch up to her body's reaction.
It reminded her so much of another time when it hadn't stopped there between them. Only so many years had passed since.
"Gribbit…"
His eyebrows waggled telling her it was all a joke. Damn him for pulling that fast one on her. She just got up and brushed the grass off her jeans.
"Where you going C.J. I thought we were going to do some barbecuing…"
She smiled at him.
"No Houston…I got plans," she said, "You all have fun."
"C.J…about that kiss…"
She winked at him.
"It's just a joke Houston. You know what I'm like when I'm getting serious."
She turned on her heel and headed away from him.