A/N: Hello- I received a PM from a reader who was asking on what era of books that I was basing my characters. I am not sure I can answer that in any absolute manner. I'd like to think that my characters are based with a least a foundation of the original blue spine books. I know this was the era when I originally started reading the series many, many years ago. At the risk of giving away my age, it was the only era! I suppose some may argue this as my characters seem so very unlike the originals from 75+ years ago. Well, I believe all things progress and this is essentially my representation of how the original characters have evolved. I try to occasionally insert some foundational reminders of where they came from. But I also like to give my characters a uniqueness that quite obviously bucks the original canon. But, while my work may certainly portray the characters as being quite canon defiant at times, I still believe in my heart that these are very much the same people I grew up reading. I know that some of the themes I touch on have earned me the status of being ostracized by some readers who prefer a writer more dedicated to strict canon. But I can live with that.
I hope the few dozen of you that do seem to read enjoy. I always welcome feedback through review or PM. Thanks
-Carly
-Chapter 7-
Iola walked into the reception area of the Hardy Agency which was located on Spring Street in downtown Bayport. The small waiting area was empty, as was the reception desk. Iola proceeded down the hallway which had a number of cubicle offices on the left side. She approached the office at the end which had the name Joe Hardy stenciled on the frosted glass window of the door. She was about to walk in when she heard a distinctive female laugh on the other side. Iola recognized the voice. She paused a moment before turning the knob and pushing the door open.
Upon entering Iola saw her husband sitting at his desk with his feet up with a broad smile. His assistant, Vanessa, was standing on the other side of the desk leaning against it looking down at him with a smirk on her face. Iola took a breath. She was not particularly fond of her husband's assistant. The two turned their heads toward the door when Iola walked in. Vanessa raised an eyebrow as Iola's eyes were locked on her.
"Hey there, Iola." She said, flashing her a smile of a much different type than the one she had been expressing a moment earlier in Joe's direction. Iola roller her eyes slightly, returning a disingenuous expression.
"Oh, hey Vanessa. Working hard?" Vanessa reached down to the desk and picked up a stack of files. She nodded with an equally pretentious look towards her.
"You know it." She said and exited the office before further exchange could be made. Iola's gaze turned to her husband. Joe looked up innocently while his wife gave him a disapproving look.
"What's up, baby?" Iola took a breath. She never cared for Joe's assistant and it had served as a sore spot between them.
"Tell me she actually works and doesn't just flirt with you when she's on the clock." Joe sat up and rolled his eyes.
"Tell me we aren't going to talk about Vanessa again. I know you don't care much for her, but she does work and helps me quite a bit." Iola shook her head. Joe was all too often dismissive of her when the subject came up.
"Joe, she's a flirt and doesn't seem to care if she does so in front of your wife." She paused and took a breath. "While I don't have any serious concerns about her ever making the conquest that she so often seems to invite, I think it's very bad form for her to act like that in the work place." Joe's eyes shifted down.
"I'm sorry, baby. If there is something I can do to make you more comfortable just name it." He glanced up to her. "Would you like me to fire her? I mean if it will make you feel better…" Iola pushed her hands forward.
"Well, no. I didn't say that. I just would appreciate it maybe if you would have a word with her that your wife doesn't particularly care for her open and suggestive nature."
"Uhm, ok. If it makes you happy." Iola shook her head.
"It's not about making me happy, babe. It's just good form not to flirt with the boss. Especially if it isn't getting you anywhere in terms of job growth." Joe raised his brows a bit surprised.
"So, you think she does it for the potential of job advancement? How? This is a small agency. It's not like there is a lot of room to grow in terms of higher paying positions. I really think you are making a bit much of this."
Iola had been in a good mood prior to entering the office. She had made a special effort to stop off at her husband's office to share her excitement about how well things went out at the Morton farm. How Maddie was getting along so well with her dad. How Chet and Callie seemed to have made a significant effort in mending the gap between them. But much of her excitement had seemed to escape her after walking in on Vanessa and Joe. Her eyes formed slits and looked coldly down to him.
"Fine. I am making too much of it. If that is how you want it, then so be it." Joe looked up. Perhaps he had asked for it with being dismissive. But he may have had his reasons for wanting to diffuse the situation.
"What does that mean?"
"It means I will leave matters concerning the operation of this business in you more than capable hands." The tone of her voice told Joe that his wife was well beyond irritated. The sarcastic tone and tense body language conveyed a message loud and clear. For his part, he didn't want to deal with it.
"Ok, then. By the way, I will be late tonight. Frank asked me to meet him. He wanted to talk about his case." Iola shrugged.
"Suit yourself." With that, she turned on her heel and left the office. Iola steps were deliberate as she walked through down the hall. Without so much as a glance towards Vanessa, who had been sitting at her desk.
"Have a nice day, Mrs. Hardy." Iola bit her lip as she swung open the door. With a resounding slam she put her distance between the two of them. A few minutes later she found herself in the driver's seat of her car, flipping through her phone without paying much attention. Her anger had made it impossible to focus on anything. A couple deep breaths later she tried to relax.
"Need some coffee." She said to herself.
A ten minute drive brought her to the northside Starbucks. She pushed open the door and walked directly to the counter. A younger man with dark complexion and a shock of black hair looked up to her. He was decent looking and about twenty-five years old Iola thought.
"Hi there! What can I get you?" Iola smiled.
"Double vanilla latte, extra sweet, please." He returned a smile and nodded.
"You got it. That will be $6.23." Iola tossed some cash down.
"There ya go. Keep it."
"Hey, thanks. Have that up for you in just a few!" Iola nodded and turned to walk towards the pickup counter. She glanced over at the row of booths nearby. She had almost turned back towards the counter when she did a doubletake. She spied a younger woman with short dark hair. She studied her for a minute, then she smiled.
"Aimee, is that you girl?" The woman looked up from her phone towards Iola's voice. Upon seeing her, she smiled in recognition.
"Oh hey, Iola! Didn't see you come in." Iola held up a finger to her, and turned to grab her drink. She then walked over to the booth.
"Oh, wow! That hair! I didn't know you cut it." Aimee smiled a bit self consciously.
"Yeah. You like it?" Iola readily nodded.
"Yes. It looks great." She looked down at the seat across from her. "May I sit down? Didn't know if you were here alone."Aimee nodded and gestured.
"Yeah, I just got off work about ten minutes ago." She said holding up a green apron with one hand. Iola sat down and took a long drink.
"No rest for the weary, huh?" Aimee shook her head.
"Nope." She said and took a drink. "It's not too bad here. Pretty low pressure work. I don't get hit on as much as I used to when I worked in the bars. But still can be annoying." Iola looked at her. Aimee had made a slight gesture with her eyes towards the counter. Iola looked over to the young man who had just served her.
"You have a fan?" Aimee rolled her eyes and nodded slightly. Iola perked her eyebrows.
"Well, he is kinda cute." Aimee blinked her eyes to Iola with a rapid flip of disdain.
"He's new here and doesn't really understand I am not looking for a man."
"Did you tell him you preferred girls?" Iola smirked. Aimee nodded firmly.
"Actually, yes. I don't think he believed me. Because he kept right on going at it. Seems to have a high opinion of himself." Iola sighed.
"Yeah, I know how that one goes. All too well. So why didn't you just have Cal drop by and set him straight?" Aimee's face clouded. She looked down at the table.
"Well, I might have done that. But, Cal hasn't really responded to my calls or texts lately. I mean I know she is busy with worrying about Maddie and all. And was probably also stressing about the trip and Chet. But she still usually texts me daily even when she has things going on." Iola nodded soberly as she studied Aimee's face. It was probably not a good time to tell her how Callie, Maddie and Chet were all getting along well for once in a very long time. While Iola considered it a positive thing, she knew that Aimee might feel a bit apprehensive about it all. And likely would not want to hear about her observations from earlier in the day.
"Yeah, I guess she has been busy. She worries about Maddie… and you know." Iola did her best to deflect and not really mention specifics. "I had enough going on just a while ago with Joe. He was being…ugh. No sure I want to go into it." Aimee looked at her with a soft smile.
"What's going on with you, girl? You can talk about it if you want." Iola shrugged a bit. Maybe it would help to get it out. She detailed the events of the last hour. How she was feeling good and wanted to stop by and see Joe. And then the whole thing with Vanessa. Aimee saw that Iola was clearly troubled.
"So, she has worked there about a year you said?" Iola nodded. She took another long drink and leaned back.
"Yeah. The woman clearly doesn't like me. And she is so flagrant with her mannerisms when I am there. Makes me wonder how she is when I'm not there."
"Any chance something…" Iola's left eyebrow went up at what she knew Aimee was alluding to.
"Oh, I really don't think so. I think Joe is just being a guy and doesn't see anything wrong with the girl Friday carrying on in the office like she does." Aimee looked down, a bit of embarrassment painted on her face.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to suggest anything. I just know we are all human and prone to making mistakes…here and there."Iola took a breath and nodded.
"True. And while I guess we are all only human and certainly make our mistakes, I think that Joe probably enjoys his status of being the spouse that hasn't strayed." Aimee nodded reassuringly to her.
"You are probably right. Sorry, I didn't mean to speak out of turn." Iola cracked a half smile in spite of the topic and shook her head.
"It's all good. I mean since you are one of the two women I strayed with you may have just been offering up some perspective." Aimee shrugged and smiled.
"Not sure about all that. But I guess I just figure it's easier for a guy to do it." A moment later the young man who had made Iola's drink walked over. Iola looked up. Aimee began to act preoccupied with her phone.
"Hey there. Is there anything else I can get you, miss?" he asked Iola. Iola glanced up and smiled.
"Oh, no thank you. I am good." He nodded and cleared his throat.
"How about you, Aimee?" Aimee glanced up for a second.
"No, Kurt. I am good to go." He nodded, but didn't turn away.
"Well, if you don't have anything going on, I get off in about twenty minutes…" He began. Aimee flashed Iola a look strongly suggesting she didn't want to deal with him. Iola cleared her throat and began to stand up.
"Say, Aimee, if we are going to make our dinner reservations on time, don't you need to change out of those work duds?"Aimee took Iola's lead of offering a means of escape from her insistent coworker. She nodded a bit awkwardly, then stood up herself.
"Oh, you are right. I wasn't even looking at the time." She glanced over to Kurt with a half-smile. "Sorry, but I do have plans." She said briskly. Kurt stepped back and studied the two.
"So, she is your…girlfriend?" Kurt asked with an air of disbelief. Aimee flashed him a look as he made the situation a bit more difficult. Iola could tell she was trying to not go off on him. She was no doubt hoping that Iola's previous little white lie would have got her out the door without further issue. Iola smirked and extended her hand and grabbed Aimee's.
"And what if I am her girlfriend?" Iola quipped. Aimee stepped closer to Iola as they tried to turn away. Kurt grinned.
"Heh, I don't know. Maybe I guess she doesn't seem to be your type." Aimee slowly exhaled. Her tolerance had worn out. She shot him a look.
"Well, that's cause you and your male perception is not exactly in tune. How can you possibly determine how a person is or is not someone's type? You made that statement after knowing nothing about her and knowing very little about me. But since you can't take a hint, yes, this is my girlfriend. We are going to go out to dinner and who knows what else after." She turned to Iola and leaned over, after a very brief pause she proceeded to kiss her. Iola, momentarily surprised, quickly reciprocated. Aimee, turned red and quickly walked out. Iola, momentarily frozen, glanced towards Kurt.
"Do yourself a favor and stay away from her!" She quickly scurried from the coffee shop to catch up to Aimee. Iola ran into the side parking lot where she spied Aimee leaning against her car with her head buried in her arms against the roof. Iola approached her and could tell she was clearly distressed. She placed her hand on Aimee's back. Aimee flinched briefly and wept softly.
"Iola, I am so sorry." She managed to utter. Iola continued to rub her back.
"Hey, there is nothing to be sorry for. You just took me by surprise." She soothed. "Take a breath and turn around please."A few more moments and Aimee managed to get control of herself and took a deep breath. She slowly turned to face Iola.
"You don't hate me?" Iola shook her head and cracked a half smile.
"Of course not. Hey, if anything you managed to get my mind off of my other problem. It was a rather unconventional method, but I'm not complaining." Aimee was sniffling and returned an embarrassed smile. Iola placed her arm around her and kept rubbing her back. She looked back towards the coffee shop and gave a slight grunt. Aimee looked up.
"What?" Iola gestured towards the shop with her eyes.
"He's looking out the window. Asshole wants a show. What is it about men like that? They can't take a simple No Thank You and leave it at that." Aimee glanced cautiously towards the shop and sure enough Kurt was standing at the window looking out at them.
"Ugh. I'd throw a damn rock but I'd get fired."
"Well…" Iola gestured. You could go to dinner with me and that way our story won't be a lie." Aimee took another breath as she got her composure back for the most part. She nodded slightly.
"Yeah, I guess we could. But I really would like to get out of these work clothes. Some people love the smell of coffee. But try working around it for 8 hours and see how much you like smelling like it." Iola smiled and nodded.
"I'll follow you to your place."
Ten minutes later Aimee was inserting the key to her top floor apartment which was located on the east side of downtown Bayport.
"Come on in." She invited. Aimee led the way into a well furnished apartment, which afforded a beautiful view of the city from the walk out patio located off the living room. A softness brushed along Iola's leg as she stepped into the room. She looked down and smile. Aimee's cat, a large Maine Coon mix greeted Iola. She bent down and picked the cat up.
"Well, hello there, Harley! Long time, no see." Aimee threw her apron down on the sofa and smiled. She gestured down to the sofa.
"Have a seat. The big guy missed ya!" Iola plopped down on the sofa and stroked the cat's hair.
"Is that so?" Aimee nodded and gave a peevish look.
"Yep, ever since he slept with you he just refuses to sleep with me. I miss that big fur ball in my bed. Better than a weighted blanket for the anxiety." Iola giggled.
"I bet." She looked around the apartment and out through the extra wide glass doors that offered a view of the city. "Great place. A long way from Absecon." Aimee reached over and petted her cat which was still laying in Iola's lap.
"That's for sure. I guess I did step up in class when it came to living space. Thanks to Callie anyway." She looked off in the distance. Iola could tell she was sad that Cal hadn't contacted her in a few days. As much as she wanted to be open with her, she didn't exactly have great news. Well, it wouldn't be great from Aimee's perspective. To tell her that Callie and her estranged husband spent several hours together without fighting and actually mending some of their fences.
"It will be ok. She will get in touch with you before you know it." Before she could offer Aimee more encouragement, her own phone rang. She looked down and was a little perplexed. "Hmm, Frank calling." She said allowed. "Excuse me a minute." She got up and walked over to the patio door and slid it open, stepping out into the evening air. She was uncertain what he wanted, but wanted to ensure she had privacy if a sensitive topic was mentioned. She hit the speakerphone button.
"Hey Frank, what's up?
"Hi, Iola. I was just taking a dinner break and thought I'd call and ask how things went over at the farm. I know Chet told me he was nervous about Cal dropping over after them not talking for so long." Iola looked over her shoulder to ensure she had privacy.
"Oh, well it went really good. Maddie has been just doing amazing with her dad. You know, I don't know what you two talked about those first days he came back to town, but whatever went on, you have my eternal thanks! He is really making an effort."
"Great! How did he and Cal do?"
"Well, I took off with Maddie to go looking over the farm so we could give them some privacy. We came back a couple hours later and they were very relaxed with each other. I was so encouraged. I don't know what was said or happened between the two of them, but it was just great seeing them talk to each other like two adults. You know, two parents that seemed to be on the same page. I believe tomorrow night they are going to have a family night out somewhere. Just Chet, Cal and Maddie."
"Seriously?! That speaks volumes." He paused. "I hope you don't mind me calling you to check, but figured Chet may think I was being a bit nosey or it might have been taken as inappropriate me asking how he and Cal were getting along."Iola smiled.
"Oh, don't worry about it. I am happy to give you some positive news. Sorry, it took me a while to answer. I wasn't entirely sure why you were calling. I was half thinking that maybe Joe was using you as a go between to soften me up after our little tiff."
"Not sure what you're talking about, Iola. You had a fight with Joe?"
"Well, a bit of a disagreement over his choice of assistants in the office place. I figured he would have bent your ear over it when he came over to meet you for your brainstorming session."
"Brainstorming session? Not sure I follow you, Iola." Iola looked down at the phone.
"Yeah, he said a couple hours ago at the office that he was going to meet you because you had called and needed his help on the investigation of that kidnapping. That he was pretty much going to be hanging with you till the wee hours over it." She heard Frank's throat clear and a pause.
"Well, it's news to me, Iola. I didn't call Joe, and really with regards to the case, it is all just running through the process since we are 99% sure the perp just took her out of jurisdiction. And, well being a city agency you know we don't really have the ability to investigate outside of our own back yard. There is no real reason I'd need to call Joe in for feedback. But I am flattered he thinks I need his help." Iola had taken a few long seconds to absorb this bit of news.
"So, then what you are saying is Joe never called you and you never called him so that you all could meet up tonight?"
"Uh, nope. But I am beginning to suspect that this chance call I just made to you will put my dear brother in the dog house…depending what his motives are. And I am not sure I honestly want to know." Iola closed her eyes tightly for a moment.
"You saying anything I might need to know, Frank? Or maybe trying not to say something?"
"Iola, if I was privy to any shenanigans on my brother's part, and I assuredly am Not. I would gladly tell you because it's not my nature to conceal that type of secret within the family. I hope you know that." Iola sighed.
"Yeah, Frank. I know you wouldn't be covering for him. But I tell you what, I better get going. I certainly don't want to make you the go between here. So, sorry I went there."
"It's ok, Iola. No reason to be sorry. You naturally assumed what you were told was factual. Not sure what Joe is up to, but seriously don't think the worst. He may just be wanting space if you guys had words."
"Well, he will be getting his space for a while. Ok, Frank. I gotta go. Talk to you later, my friend." Iola disconnected and took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. Tears began to form and began to fall along her cheeks. She heard the glass door open. A moment later Aimee's hand on her back.
"Hey, I'd ask if you were ok, but I can see that's not the case at all. What's up?" Iola sniffled and tried to compose herself.
"Well, seems like my husband was telling a bit of a fib with regard to what he was going to be doing tonight. He claimed he was going to be helping Frank out and well, Frank just let me know he hadn't heard from Joe today." Aimee turned Iola and guided her back towards the living room.
"Oh girl… Come on inside. I'm so sorry." Iola followed her back inside and took a seat on the sofa. She looked blankly into space. "How about I get you a drink? I think no matter what may or may not be going on, you could probably use a drink." Iola managed to nod.
"Yeah, I think that's probably a good idea." She said without much feeling. Aimee went about pouring them both a drink. She came back to the sofa and sat next to Iola and offered her a glass.
"Here you go, babe. Just sip it."
The next hour, Iola sat, virtually inconsolable. Aimee had been tapping on her phone in hope of reaching Callie. The continued non responsiveness from Callie had begun to wear even more on her. It wasn't even so much at this point that Callie had not replied to help ease Aimee's mind. Now she was faced with her best friend who was definitely feeling doubt about her marriage. Aimee wasn't sure what to do. Cal wouldn't return calls or texts. Aimee, for the first time had begun to wonder just what the extent of her relationship with Callie was. While they had often confessed their love for each other, Aimee knew there was indecision from Callie. Not that she expected her to be mean or uncivil to her husband. But it would be nice at this juncture if Callie had made some determination if she wanted to still be married or not. Aimee didn't think it unreasonable of her to expect something. Some indication at least. After all, it was nearly a year later. The more she thought about it, the sadder she became. She turned her attention back to Iola, who was nursing her third glass of Irish whiskey.
"Iola, please don't think the worst. I mean it's easy to assume things. But we just don't know." Aimee looked down at the floor. She thought how rotten of a therapist she would make. Iola looked over and nodded slowly.
"It's not hard to assume things. But…I sit here and wonder why I am putting myself through such misery. I mean if Joe wants to play around…" Aimee shook her head.
"Girl, we don't know that he is…" Iola gave an exaggerated smirk and downed the rest of her drink.
"You know what? I don't want to know. It doesn't even matter." Aimee knew the look. An animated glow had come over Iola's face. She was feeling the effect of the alcohol. Aimee had forgotten that Iola's tolerance level for alcohol intake was a good deal less than Callie's. So, she hadn't thought much about Iola having four half glasses of Irish whiskey on ice. Aimee smiled consolingly at her.
"Well, it's his loss if he plays around. But yeah, no reason to think too much about it." Iola nodded slowly, then scooted over towards Aimee. She placed her head against Aimee's shoulder.
"Is it ok if I do this?" Aimee looked down at her. She felt a strange, conflicted feeling. But as she was feeling pretty lonely herself, she didn't resist.
"Yeah. Of course." She said quietly. She managed to run her fingers through Iola's hair.
"That feels nice. Thank you for caring. I must be coming off like an unhinged nutcase." Aimee shook her head.
"No, not at all. I am the nutcase." Iola looked up slightly.
"What makes you say that?" Aimee managed to giggle.
"Uh, I don't know. I believe I was the one that grabbed you and kissed you in front of a lecherous coworker. I am sure I could have got the message across to him without making you feel uncomfortable." Iola snorted.
"Well, maybe. But I did kiss you back, didn't I?" Aimee looked down.
"Well, yeah. But it has been about a year since that happened. And well, I am in a relationship now. I think…"Iola gave a wry smile.
"Well, I wish I could offer you some advice on that front, girl. But Ms. Callie doesn't really confide in me too much about it. I guess since I am her husband's sister, she sees it a bit as a conflict." Aimee took a deep breath.
"You know, most times I feel pretty solid with our relationship. Callie is there and supportive. We have that connection, ya know? We get along well." Iola nodded. She was still leaning against Aimee, resting comfortably. Happy to be distracted.
"I knew you two got along well and had a connection about 24 hours after you met. There was a lot of drama going on then. But I saw it coming."
"Oh?" Iola nodded with confidence.
"Well, as you recollect that was the weekend that Cal and I were supposed to have some much needed girl time. Then we met you and I could just tell that Cal had a bit of a fixation on you. And I think it's probably safe to say that you felt similar feelings." Aimee nodded at the recollection.
"I can't deny it. I mean things happened quick. Before the night that we met, I had never been with another woman. Much less two at once! I guess I had thought about it. But I never really had a woman come on to me before Cal came along." Iola gave a half smile as she remembered that weekend.
"Yeah, hand it to Cal. I would have never been able to proposition you. Guess I'm just the shy type. Well, at least till the ice is broken I guess."
"You were a quick learner, I assure you." Aimee gazed down at Iola. She still had that glow. The look in her eyes told Aimee that the alcohol was still granting her a distinct lack of inhibition. Or so it seemed. Aimee continued to run her hand along Iola's back. She gradually expanded her range, permitting her fingers to linger near the profile of Iola's breast. Aimee wondered how much the three drinks she had were affecting her judgment. Aimee's hands grew more aggressive. A flood of thoughts running through her mind. Iola began to make an audible humming sound, suggesting that Aimee's touch was quite pleasurable. Not all that dissimilar from the heavy purring that Harley made when being petted in the ideal spot. As wonderful as it all seemed, Aimee's constant thinking got the best of her. She found her hand falling to her side and her head fell back. She closed her eyes and sighed deeply.
"I'm sorry, Iola. I shouldn't have…" Iola glanced up.
"Shouldn't have what?" She seemed genuinely perplexed by Aimee's sudden deviation.
Aimee looked a bit nervous.
"I just know that we have been drinking. And it would be wrong to take advantage…" In spite of the statement, Iola began to giggle.
"Girl, I am pretty comfortable. Perhaps a little loopy. But I assure you I am not drunk or incapable of determining right from wrong. Which by the way can be a pretty subjective thing in matters of the heart. You have nothing to be ashamed of. You certainly don't need to feel like you are taking advantage. I mean unless you are uncomfortable…." Aimee's mind continued to race.
"Not at all. I mean not consciously. I just think I might be unsure of myself, or maybe don't want to confuse you with my…" Her voice was nervous as she spoke fast, searching for the right words. As if there were any." Iola held up her finger.
"Shhh. Now take it easy and slow down. Let's not overthink things. Keep it simple." She paused and looked at Aimee with a reassuring expression. "May I ask you something?" Aimee took a breath and nodded slowly. Iola looked intensely at her. Pausing again, then finally leaning forward. Their lips met and they shared a kiss. Aimee's face flashed into a more relaxed state, though her eyes betrayed the vulnerability that had presented. Iola pulled back. "Now, that's better. It's ok, I promise. Now, My question is simple… Do you want to be alone tonight?"
Aimee shook her head slowly. It became clear that Iola was more cognizant than she previously thought. Which reassured her. The simple message being was that they were both on the receiving end of a very stressing day. Neither of them was confessing love of the other by simply wanting to enjoy each other's company. No need to overthink it all.
"No." She replied, leaning forward.
The next morning. 8:16AM
Callie sped along the out road north of Bayport. She had been chastising herself all morning when she had become aware that she accidentally blocked Aimee on her phone. A few days ago, she had been going through her phone attempting to block phone numbers which she had affiliated to spam calls. Unfortunately, when people know you are worth over $35 million it predisposes said person to be on the receiving end of endless solicitation calls. In Callie's haste, she had inadvertently blocked Aimee on her phone. She felt horrible earlier that morning when she discovered numerous texts and calls in her phone's spam app folder. She knew nothing short of an in-person apology was in order. Some of her texts seemed distressing. Especially those from the last evening.
"Oh Cal, you really did it this time!" She muttered to herself as she drove.
Less than fifteen minutes later, she was entering the elevator in Aimee's building. She sighed deeply as the old elevator ascended. Finally, the elevator opened on the top floor. Callie stepped out and quickly made her way down a short hallway to the door. She reached into her purse and pulled out her keys.
Upon entering she slid out of her heels and removed her jacket. She walked into the living room and tossed her jacket on the sofa. She noted Aimee's cell phone was sitting on the sofa table next to a glass. She picked up the glass and gave it a sniff, then smiled. Her eyes shifted to a nearby bottle. Bushmills 21-year-old Irish whiskey.
"Sipping Bushmills last night, Precious? Now I'm really sorry I missed your calls." Still, the idea that Aimee had likely had a distressing night made Callie sad. Aimee was probably worrying about why she hadn't called her back. Callie frowned, feeling more regret for having made such a dumb mistake with her phone. She took a deep breath and headed towards Aimee's bedroom. Perhaps she could repay her in-kind for the distress she inflicted.
Callie quietly approached the bedroom, hoping she could perhaps slide into bed without initially waking Aimee. The door was slightly ajar. Callie pushed the door open. As quiet as she was, the door hinge let out a very audible squeak as Callie stepped in. At the same moment Aimee, having heard the noise from the door threw up the cover that had concealed her and Iola who was snuggled up next to her!
Callie looked down at the pair, laying close together, and without a stitch of clothing between them. She looked more than a bit surprised.
"Oh my..." She managed to utter. Iola who was blinking upward, having been awaken by the cool rush of air when Aimee tossed their covers off. She focused in on Callie who was looking down at them.
"This is kind of awkward." Iola said with an apprehensive expression painted on her face. She had no idea how Callie was going to react. Under other circumstances, it wouldn't have necessarily been a shocking thing. Given that the three had met in a similar manner. But this was now. Aimee, who had been speechless to this point, searched for words.
"Cal...uhm, please. It's not what it looks like!" Callie was clearly stirred. Her expression suggested that she herself was not quite sure how to react.
"Please, forgive me you guys. I'm so sorry!" She said, wiping her eyes. She abruptly turned and quickly left the room. Aimee jumped out of bed and ran after her. She caught up in the living room as Callie was grabbing her jacket.
"Callie, wait!" Aimee said, her voice cracking. She approached her. Callie stopped and slowly turned to face her. Tears running down her cheeks. Aimee, her face painted with regret looked up to Callie pleadingly. "Please, let me explain!" Callie slowly exhaled, trying to fend off a full blown force of emotion. She shook her head.
"You don't need to explain...I don't own you." Aimee closed her eyes for several moments as she tried to gain composure. She opened them, then offered a warm smile, reaching up to wiped a tear from Callie's cheek.
"I do need to explain... Please let me." Callie paused, then nodded.
"Ok." She said softly.
