* * * * * Wow! Two chapters in one day! I think I'm spoiling you guys!
Or making up for my lack of updates! Sorry! Anyway.here's the next
part.hehehe.it's going to get good, so stick around my pets! * * * * *
* * * * * Later that night * * * * *
"Oh, cheer up guys!" Lucy remarked. "Just because McCall's closed early, it's not the end of the world!" Gary, the owner of McCall's was on vacation in the Bahamas for the week and the guy who was temporarily replacing him closed at seven every night. "Besides, this club is great, I promise you. And, it's not a club for teenagers either. It's a twenty- something's club, I swear."
Eugene sighed. "It better be, Luce. The last thing I want tonight is to look like a complete fool for walking into a dance club full of high schoolers."
"Hey," Rebecca replied, joining Eugene and Lucy just outside the club. "Where's everyone else?"
"Not here yet," Eugene said. "They all had to change and." Eugene eyes Beck. "Wow," he remarked.
Beck grinned. She was wearing a sheer white halter dress with a metal band collar and an open back. Her curly hair was swept up high on her head, strands of curls falling down into her face.
"Right back at you," she smiled. Eugene wore a black button up shirt, the top two buttons undone, with matching black dress pants.
Lucy rolled her eyes. "Grow up you two." Lucy sported a wild, zigzag striped, sleeveless dress that hugged her womanly figure perfectly. Bright purple eye shadow and deep red lipstick was smeared onto her face, and tie up tan sandals accentuated her wild look. Her hair was cornrowed halfway back, with jewels and glitter dusting her hairline.
"Sorry we're late!" Ellenor called, running over with Bobby. Ellenor was even dressed for the occasion. She wore a long silky red skirt with a spaghetti strapped black hawaiian printed shirt on top. Her long, flowing locks had been curled at the edges and she wore bright, colorful jewelry.
"Damn traffic," Bobby muttered. "A cabbie nearly killed us!" Bobby looked sexy in white dress pants and a blue silky button down shirt. He hadn't shaved and had that wild, rugged look to him, a look that seemed to drive women crazy.
"One almost killed me on my way to Helen's office," Rebecca replied. "Ooh, El, you look great."
Ellenor grinned. "Thanks Beck. So do you."
"Should we get in line?" Eugene asked. "I haven't heard from or seen either Lindsay or Pat."
"No! We have to wait for them!" Lucy insisted, twirling a lock of her hair around her finger. Rebecca and Ellenor rolled their eyes. "We wouldn't want them to think they were stood up or something." She reached into her flashy mirrored purse and smeared some more lip gloss onto her already triple-coated lips. This time, everyone rolled their eyes.
"We're here, we're here!" Lindsay screamed from behind the group. They all turned and saw Lindsay and Pat dodge a motorcycle and rush over. "Sorry!" Lindsay apologized, panting and out of breath. "I had nothing to wear!"
Pat rolled his eyes. "That's an exaggeration."
Lindsay hit him playfully on the arm while Lucy imagined a million and one of the most painful ways to decapitate Lindsay. All of which involved her stealing Pat away of course.
"Well, wherever you found that last minute, you better give me their business card," Rebecca exclaimed, eyeing Lindsay outfit.
Lindsay blushed. "I knew it was a bad idea to wear this," she insisted, scowling in Pat's direction. She had on a shot black leather skirt with a strapless black and white floral printed top. She wore black sandals, and despite Helen's argument, skin-colored stockings. Her hair was pulled up into a messy bun, two strands hanging down, framing her face. She wore soft pink colors on her face and her excitement, along with the help of Helen's make-up, left her face glowing.
"It was not a bad idea!" Pat insisted. "You look amazing." The others nodded in agreement. Pat wore black dress pants similar to Eugene's and a maroon colored dress shirt. Lucy kept fantasizing about different scenarios, all of which ended with her ripping that shirt off of him.
"You look great Linds," Bobby said, grinning. "Are we ready?"
"Well, um," Lindsay began, suddenly uncomfortable. "You see, I kind of promised that."
"Hey, Linds, Pat!" a feminine voice called. Bobby turned and was both excited and angry to see Helen Gamble running towards them. He inhaled air quickly as he gazed at her. She had her hair down, in tight spiral curls, hair jewels entwined between strands. She wore black and orange snakeskin leather pants with pointy black boots. A very short, very sexy, orange beaded halter was tied around her neck and back, baring her soft, creamy skin, along with her orange diamond naval piercing. Her face gleamed brightly, her blue eyes shining. Her eyelids were dusted with smoky orange and gray eye shadow and her lips were a stunning shade of coral. A strand of small black beads emerged from underneath her hair and an orange diamond- shaped pennant hung from the strand, right in the middle of her forehead. She looked perfect.
As Helen approached the group, she slowed her face, her eyes now narrowed viciously. She turned to Lindsay. "Bravo," she snapped. "Is this your idea of a joke?"
Lindsay sighed. How did she know this wouldn't go over well? "Helen," she warned. "I thought I told you the rest of the firm was going to be here."
Helen flashed Lindsay a fake smile. "No, Linds," she remarked, seeing right through her innocent façade. "You forgot to mention that little detail."
Bobby shook his head at Lindsay. "I'm leaving."
"No!" Lindsay insisted, grabbing his wrists firmly. "You've haven't even met Pat yet, and besides, you and Helen are both mature adults." She emphasized this point loudly. "I'm sure you both are able to have fun in the same nightclub together without clawing each other's eyes out." She shot them both belittling looks that a mother would shoot a child who had done something terribly wrong.
Helen sighed. "All right, fine. I got all dressed up anyway, so I'm not leaving."
"Well, I'm not leaving either," Bobby challenged her.
Helen wanted to spit in his face and kiss him at the same time. She couldn't help but notice how undeniably sexy he looked tonight. She quickly turned her gaze from him towards Pat. "So you were hired, huh?"
He nodded. "Guess that means we'll be opponents in court from now on," he teased. "You have to be vicious to me and really mean it for once."
Helen grinned widely, pretending to have forgotten that Bobby was standing right behind her.
"Not that it's any of my business or anything," Ellenor began. "But do you two know each other?" she asked, pointing to Pat and then Helen.
Helen laughed. "Yeah, sorry. We went to law school together."
"Those were the days," Lindsay laughed, multiple memories popping into her mind.
Pat shook his head, smiling. "Were we ever that young?"
Helen slapped Pat playfully across the chest. "Who says we're old now?" she joked.
Bobby eyes narrowed. He didn't know what was going on between Pat and Helen, but whatever it was, he wasn't going to stand by and let it happen. Oh no. He'd take matters into his own hands.
* * * * * In the club * * * * *
Lindsay roared with laughter, falling onto Pat's lap. She had been drinking long island iced teas all night, and by now was on her tenth cup. And everyone but her could tell that she was indefinitely drunk.
"Remember.that time we robbed that store at the beach?" Lindsay asked, howling loudly. Pat laughed with her, drunk as well. In fact the only two at the table who weren't drunk were Helen, Bobby, and Pat. Then again, Ellenor and Lucy (obviously) weren't drunk either, but they were out on the dance floor.
Helen surprised herself by not finishing her third sex on the beach. She was buzzed, but far from drunk. Bobby had only been drinking whiskey, but was still working on his second cup. Rebecca and Eugene had both been downing Corona all night and were also severely drunk. Pat surprised Helen and Lindsay by not downing one drop of liquor.
Helen laughed. "Yeah! I took a bathing suit, Pat stole a visor, Mark took a tee shirt, and Lindsay left with a pencil! She was too afraid to steal anything bigger!"
The whole table erupted into a flood of laughter. Bobby even joined in, buzzed enough to be able to relax around Helen.
"Well, if the cops caught us, I figured I could explain to them how a pencil, accidentally dropped into my beach bag and never get in trouble," Lindsay explained.
Helen shook her head. "Face it, you were scared!"
Lindsay stuck out her tongue, and wobbled a bit onto Helen's side of the booth, falling off of Pat's lap. Everyone laughed even harder as Lindsay resituated herself.
"Okay, okay!" Rebecca announced, banging a spoon against her empty beer bottle. "Embarrassing stories time!"
Lindsay giggled. "Eugene first!" she insisted.
Eugene laughed heartily. "All right, all right," he remarked, as everyone began clanking their empty bottles. "On mine and Sharon's honeymoon, the most embarrassing thing happened. Well, we decided to go to a nudist beach and."
Helen laughed at this. She couldn't picture Sharon deciding to go to a nudist beach.
Eugene grinned and blushed deeply. "Anyway, we got the directions and worse only towels to the beach. So, we walk onto it and you know, strip down, throwing out towels into our beach bags. Well, mind you, I'm not the greatest with directions. Well, we caused a bit of a commotion and wound up in jail for the night!"
Rebecca laughed shrilly. "You went to the wrong beach?!" she remarked.
Eugene nodded and joined in the table's laughter.
"Shot?" a waiter asked. Lindsay eagerly took three and downed them all, reaching for a fourth.
Helen slapped her hand and shooed the waiter away.
"Hey!" Lindsay remarked, angrily. "What's your problem."
"Babe, if you have another drink, it'll be a miracle if you survive."
"I'm fine," Lindsay insisted. "I only had five!"
Helen laughed. "Try about fifteen."
Lindsay flashed daggers at Helen then smiled coyly. "I know an embarrassing story about Helen," she sang.
"Oh, do tell," Helen remarked. "I'll be surprised if they haven't heard it already."
Lindsay squealed. "It's juicy," she told them. "That guy Mark, Pat's brother, the one who stole stuff with us from the beach store. Well, he was Helen's boyfriend. And he was no good. I told Helen that time and time again, but she wouldn't listen and."
"Lindsay, stop," Helen ordered.
Lindsay shot Helen a haughty look and proceeded to tell her story. "Anyway, Mark was a jerk. So, you know what he did to her? He."
"Linds, that's enough," Pat remarked, clamping a hand over her mouth.
Irritated at being interrupted a second time, Lindsay bit his hand. "As I was saying, he did what everyone said he was going to do to her. He cheated on her all the time and abused her and still she was stupid and stayed with him. Then he got her knocked up and left town!" Lindsay laughed alone as everyone stared dumbfounded. "Can you believe that? So Helen put the baby up for adoption and hasn't seen her since. Isn't that embarrassing?"
"You're going home," Pat said harshly, picking her up and carrying her out of the bar, all the while her loud laughter echoing through the club.
Helen stared numbly at her drink, willing herself not to cry. She blinked back a tear and rushed out of the club. Her feet were throbbing from her boots so she quickly kicked them off, now walking barefoot across the warm pavement.
"Helen, wait!" Bobby called. "Hey, are you okay?"
Helen laughed madly. "Am I okay? Bobby, what kind of question is that?"
"I was just."
"No, Bobby, I am not okay," she snapped.
"Well, I just wanted to let you know." he began.
"What?" Helen demanded, not pausing to allow him to answer. "Are you going to give me a god damn speech about how a good Catholic wouldn't give her baby up? Are you gonna preach to me Bobby? Because you've done some things the frickin church doesn't allow, and yet still you have the nerve to preach to me?"
Bobby suddenly became angered by her harsh comments. He probably would have handled himself better, but alcohol induced, he wasn't the best during situations like this.
"You know what? Fuck you Helen!" he called as she started to walk away. "FUCK YOU! You don't deserve to ever see your child again! I hope she HATES you! You're a bitch you know that? I HOPE SHE HATES YOU!"
* * * * * The morning after * * * * *
Lindsay awoke with a head rush that wouldn't go away. Helen lay in the bed next to her, rubbing a cold washcloth over Lindsay's heated head. "Hey, babe," she said softly.
"Hey," Lindsay said meekly, looking up at her. Helen's face looked tear- stained and sad. Lindsay shut her eyes, memories from last night rushing back to her.
"Oh my God, Helen!" Lindsay remarked, shooting straight up, causing her head to throb even harder. "What I said, about you and Mark! Oh my God! I'm a horrible, horrible person! You must hate me and.oh God! I.I didn't mean."
"Shh," Helen whispered, pacifying her. "Linds, don't worry about it, any of it. You were drunk. I've done worse things when I was drunk. It's okay really. And of course I don't hate you," she smiled. "We're best friends right? No matter what?"
Lindsay's mind eased slightly. "No matter what," she repeated. "But, you're sure you're not mad at all?"
"Not at you," Helen said. "I mean, I won't lie, I was furious at first. But I know that was just the alcohol talking and that you'd never, ever say anything like that normally." Helen got off the bed placing the washcloth back over Lindsay's forehead. "Now, I've got to get back to work, but I'll."
"Get back?" Lindsay questioned. "What time is it?"
"Ten thirty," Helen declared. "I had to go to a witness's house a few blocks away, so I stopped back here for ten minutes."
"Ten thirty?" Lindsay repeated. "But I have to get to work and."
"No, work. You're hung-over and work is the last place you need to be right now," Helen insisted. "Now get some rest and I'll be back to drop off lunch, okay?"
"All right," Lindsay said, shutting her eyes tightly. The light hurt like hell. She clicked her lamp off and fell back asleep.
* * * * * Courtroom * * * * *
"All rise."
Helen stood up, adjusting her emerald green colored business suit. She flipped her black hair behind her right ear, than drummed her fingers nervously against her thigh. She was up against Rebecca for the Springfield trial. Helen didn't have much evidence against the guy. She was hoping that he was a stupid murderer, as they usually were, and she could trick him into confessing. Or at least make him look bad.
"Please be seated."
Helen sat down quickly, her head spinning. Why was she so dizzy all of a sudden? It wasn't because she was nervous. She had come into the courtroom knowing absolutely nothing about trials before and still did just fine. What was wrong with her?
She glanced over at the defense table. Rebecca sat upright, an air of confidence surrounding her. Her head was held high and proud. Helen couldn't help but smile. Rebecca took her job as a lawyer so seriously. We all did in the beginning, she thought. Everyone does, until we realize what a joke it is. To serve and protect, my ass! The way most trials were conducted made a mockery out of the entire judiciary system! Still, she wished all lawyers would stay the way Beck was that instant. Then maybe things could change. Maybe.
Next to Rebecca sat the defendant. He was only nineteen. His story was rather sad. His father killed his mother after she cheated on him. His father was executed. The kid was shipped off to his aunt's house in Cambridge, far from his home state of Florida. There he was sexually abused by his aunt. So he killed her. Cold-blooded murder. Of course Helen felt sympathy towards him, but murder was murder. And this murder was done intentionally. Still. Helen shook her head. It would do her no good to start feeling sorry for the defendant.
Next to the defendant, Pat was positioned with dignity, looking handsome and sophisticated in his gray and black pinstriped suit. Helen noticed that he had a habit of pulling on his tie when he was nervous. He cleared his throat loudly and turned and saw Helen looking at him. He winked and smiled and Helen couldn't help but smile back. He looked around to make sure no one was watching him, then quickly stuck his tongue out at Helen. Helen stifled back a laugh and tried desperately to regain her composure. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Beck shoot Pat a look and his eyes grew wide with humor. Helen bit her lip to keep from laughing.
Judge Swackheim asked Rebecca to call her first witness. She called Jimmy Morris, the defendant's best friend to the stand, basically to have him persuade the jury that Randy Springfield was crazy. Then he could plead insanity and walk free. Helen crossed him brutally, nearly making him cry. However, she proved her point that Randy was not crazy. All in all, it was a good day for the prosecution. Helen was proud of herself thus far. Now if only things would continue to go this well. And if only this nauseating feeling in her stomach would disappear.
"Hey, Helen," Rebecca said, walking over to the prosecution table. "Are you still offering ten years?"
Helen pursed her lips and thought. "Yeah," she uttered finally.
"He wants to plead," Rebecca replied. "I'll draft the papers when I get back to the office. Hopefully this will all be over with soon."
Helen nodded in agreement and exited the courtroom.
"Lunch?" Pat asked, as Helen emerged from the courtroom.
Helen shook her head. "I have to bring something home for Lindsay."
"Is she still asleep?" Pat asked.
Helen shook her head again. "No, she woke once when I stopped by. She may be back asleep. She has one hell of a hangover."
"Well, she was extremely drunk," Pat replied. "Does she remember.anything?" he asked, not wanting to come right out and mention all that Lindsay had said last night.
Helen nodded. "Yeah, she feels terrible about it. I told her not to worry though. I know she didn't mean it. She would have never said any of that had she been sober."
Pat smiled. "You have changed."
Helen furrowed a brow. "What do you mean?"
"The Helen I knew in college was unforgiving and relentless. If someone did something wrong to you, that was it. I remember one time Lindsay borrowed your favorite sweater and stretched in out and you wouldn't speak to her for a week. Last night she insulted you, embarrassed you, and ruined your reputation, and yet just like that," he snapped his fingers, "you forgive her."
"Yeah? So?" Helen challenged him to continue.
"It's a compliment," he insisted. "Learn how to take one."
"All right, thanks," she said grumpily.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Pat asked sincerely, sitting her down onto a bench in the corridor. Helen shook her head and shrugged. "Come on Hel, you can tell me, whatever it is. You know I won't think any less of you." Helen shook her head again. "Come on Hel, I know you know."
"No," Helen insisted firmly. "That's the whole thing, I don't know. I feel.weird, but I don't know why. It's probably just from drinking on an empty stomach last night. I'll be fine."
Pat wasn't convinced. "Here," he said handing Helen a scrap of paper from his pocket. "Write down Lindsay's address and I'll drop some soup off for her. I don't have much to do since I've only just started here, and I'm sure everyone at the office will be grateful to me if I make sure she's all right."
"No, I promised her I'd stop by and." Helen began in protest.
"Helen, if you don't let me do this, I'm going to call Lindsay up and tell her that something's wrong with you," Pat remarked.
Helen sighed, defeated. "Fine," she remarked, scribbling down the address. "Tell her I'll call her later. I have to get back to work. And, thanks."
Pat smiled. "No problem. Oh," he began, pulling a folded up envelope out of his pocket. "Here."
Helen took the envelope quickly, unfolding it and tearing it open. She gasped when she saw what was inside.
* * * * * DY&F * * * * *
"So he wants me to go on this cruise with him this weekend. Isn't that great?" Lucy asked, babbling on and on.
"And you just met this guy. Last night. At a club." Rebecca raised an eyebrow.
Lucy scowled. "Beck, you never know how to have any fun!"
"I do so Lucy," Rebecca reprimanded her. "I just don't go on three day cruises with a guy I met once, talked to for five minutes, and then slept with, especially without knowing for sure that he's not some crazed rapist serial killer."
"He's not a rapist or a murderer," Lucy stated.
"And how could you possibly know that?" Rebecca asked haughtily, hand on her hip.
"Are you serious?" Lucy asked. Rebecca nodded. "Okay, well for starters I know his sister, we went to high school together, so I indirectly do know him and have seen him on several occasions. Also, working here, you kind of gain this ability to be able to tell when someone's a felon or not, it's like this creepy sixth sense thing."
Ellenor laughed. "We have the sixth sense, Beck!"
Rebecca joined in the laughter. "Hey Jimmy!" she called. "I see dead people!"
"You must considering you're the walking dad," Eugene remarked.
"Well?" Ellenor asked expectantly as Bobby walked into the office. "How'd it go?"
"Not so good," Bobby said. "The appeal was denied."
"Oh no!" Ellenor moaned. "That poor guy."
"You think he's innocent?" Rebecca asked.
Ellenor and Bobby nodded in agreement.
"That sucks," Lucy added.
"Beck," Helen called, bursting through the door. Bobby shot her a look. "What?" Helen asked defensively. He motioned towards the door. "Well, if you don't want people walking through the door, buy a lock or something." With that she hastily walked past him, stopping at Rebecca's desk. "They're fine," she told her. "All we need is the defendant's signature."
Rebecca nodded. "I'll get right on it. I'll drop them off this afternoon and we'll bring them to the judge."
"Sounds good," Helen agreed, wondering why for the third time that day the room seemed to be spinning.
"Hey," Ellenor called. Helen spun around to face her. "How's Lindsay?"
"She's fine," Helen said quickly.
"Really?" Rebecca asked. "I mean last night, she was." She stopped short, afraid to continue with Helen in the room. "She just seemed out of it is all."
"Well, I swung by after meeting Mike at a crime scene, and she's doing all right. Extremely hung over, but fine," Helen explained. "She wanted me to help her get to work, but I made her stay home."
"Does she." Rebecca began, but stopped not wanting to pry. A look from Helen urged her to continue. "Does she remember anything?"
Helen nodded. "Everything," she said quietly.
"Oh."
The whole room remained silent for a moment, each person recalling the incidents from last night, but none of them daring to speak a word about it out loud.
"Hey Jimmy," Lucy said, breaking the silence. "What happened to you last night?"
"Oh, I." Jimmy began, embarrassed. "It's just that.well, dance clubs really aren't my thing."
Lucy stifled a laugh. "Okay."
"Well, I have to be going," Helen turned to Rebecca. "If I'm not in my office when you come by, leave a message, all right?"
Rebecca nodded as Helen left the room.
"Well," Ellenor began. "She doesn't seem to be angry at Lindsay."
"I know I would be," Rebecca began. "At first anyway. I mean, I had an abortion when I was young and I know if one of my most trusted friends blabbed that around a bar, I'd be pissed."
Eugene nodded. "It's not really that big of a deal though. Everybody has a past."
"Yeah, hers is just extremely juicy," Lucy squealed.
"Lucy!" everyone hissed shooting her looks.
"What?" she asked innocently.
"It's sad though," Rebecca said. "She must have been going through a lot. She obviously still cared about her baby though, if she decided to give it up."
"Yeah," Ellenor agreed. "Maybe she wanted to keep it, but under the circumstances."
"Or maybe Pat's brother, Mark was it?" Eugene questioned. "Well, maybe he wouldn't let her."
"Or maybe she just didn't give a damn about who she hurt," Bobby jeered.
Everyone looked at him incredulously.
"How could you say that?" Ellenor asked. "Helen was the victim here."
Bobby shook his head. "No. I don't think Helen Gamble ever was or ever could be a victim." With that, he stormed into his office, locking the door and lowering the shades.
* * * * * Helen's office * * * * *
Helen walked back into her office, quickly shutting and locking the door. She clicked her ringer off, not wanting to be disturbed or interrupted. She approached her desk slowly, sitting down stiffly in her chair.
She opened the top right drawer, and pulled out the envelope Pat had given to her. How had he gotten this? She wondered if he knew a lot more than he was letting on to.
She carefully unfolded and reopened the envelope, pulling out a letter and a picture. She unfolded the letter, rereading it.
My mommy-
My mommy is pretty and smart. She's always right and knows everything. Everybody loves her but she doesn't know this. I love her too, but she doesn't know me. My mommy loves me too and I think she knows this. My mommy is the best mommy in the world if only she would look for me. I think she lost me by accident when I was a baby. But I know she come find me someday because my mommy would not be happy until I was with her again. My mommy is a queen and I am her little princess.
-Adielle
Helen blinked back tears as she scanned the letter again. She then looked at the picture from underneath. In the picture was a little girl sitting on a chair, staring out the window. She had a thick mess of dark curls, a frail body, sad blue eyes, and a dimple on her chin. Helen wondered how beautiful she must look when she smiled.
She threw her head onto the desk, still clutching the letter and picture. No longer able to hold these buried emotions inside, she sat and cried, wishing her daughter could be there with her right now.
* * * * * Well? Did you like? Nice twist? Good/Bad? Let me know!!!!
* * * * * Later that night * * * * *
"Oh, cheer up guys!" Lucy remarked. "Just because McCall's closed early, it's not the end of the world!" Gary, the owner of McCall's was on vacation in the Bahamas for the week and the guy who was temporarily replacing him closed at seven every night. "Besides, this club is great, I promise you. And, it's not a club for teenagers either. It's a twenty- something's club, I swear."
Eugene sighed. "It better be, Luce. The last thing I want tonight is to look like a complete fool for walking into a dance club full of high schoolers."
"Hey," Rebecca replied, joining Eugene and Lucy just outside the club. "Where's everyone else?"
"Not here yet," Eugene said. "They all had to change and." Eugene eyes Beck. "Wow," he remarked.
Beck grinned. She was wearing a sheer white halter dress with a metal band collar and an open back. Her curly hair was swept up high on her head, strands of curls falling down into her face.
"Right back at you," she smiled. Eugene wore a black button up shirt, the top two buttons undone, with matching black dress pants.
Lucy rolled her eyes. "Grow up you two." Lucy sported a wild, zigzag striped, sleeveless dress that hugged her womanly figure perfectly. Bright purple eye shadow and deep red lipstick was smeared onto her face, and tie up tan sandals accentuated her wild look. Her hair was cornrowed halfway back, with jewels and glitter dusting her hairline.
"Sorry we're late!" Ellenor called, running over with Bobby. Ellenor was even dressed for the occasion. She wore a long silky red skirt with a spaghetti strapped black hawaiian printed shirt on top. Her long, flowing locks had been curled at the edges and she wore bright, colorful jewelry.
"Damn traffic," Bobby muttered. "A cabbie nearly killed us!" Bobby looked sexy in white dress pants and a blue silky button down shirt. He hadn't shaved and had that wild, rugged look to him, a look that seemed to drive women crazy.
"One almost killed me on my way to Helen's office," Rebecca replied. "Ooh, El, you look great."
Ellenor grinned. "Thanks Beck. So do you."
"Should we get in line?" Eugene asked. "I haven't heard from or seen either Lindsay or Pat."
"No! We have to wait for them!" Lucy insisted, twirling a lock of her hair around her finger. Rebecca and Ellenor rolled their eyes. "We wouldn't want them to think they were stood up or something." She reached into her flashy mirrored purse and smeared some more lip gloss onto her already triple-coated lips. This time, everyone rolled their eyes.
"We're here, we're here!" Lindsay screamed from behind the group. They all turned and saw Lindsay and Pat dodge a motorcycle and rush over. "Sorry!" Lindsay apologized, panting and out of breath. "I had nothing to wear!"
Pat rolled his eyes. "That's an exaggeration."
Lindsay hit him playfully on the arm while Lucy imagined a million and one of the most painful ways to decapitate Lindsay. All of which involved her stealing Pat away of course.
"Well, wherever you found that last minute, you better give me their business card," Rebecca exclaimed, eyeing Lindsay outfit.
Lindsay blushed. "I knew it was a bad idea to wear this," she insisted, scowling in Pat's direction. She had on a shot black leather skirt with a strapless black and white floral printed top. She wore black sandals, and despite Helen's argument, skin-colored stockings. Her hair was pulled up into a messy bun, two strands hanging down, framing her face. She wore soft pink colors on her face and her excitement, along with the help of Helen's make-up, left her face glowing.
"It was not a bad idea!" Pat insisted. "You look amazing." The others nodded in agreement. Pat wore black dress pants similar to Eugene's and a maroon colored dress shirt. Lucy kept fantasizing about different scenarios, all of which ended with her ripping that shirt off of him.
"You look great Linds," Bobby said, grinning. "Are we ready?"
"Well, um," Lindsay began, suddenly uncomfortable. "You see, I kind of promised that."
"Hey, Linds, Pat!" a feminine voice called. Bobby turned and was both excited and angry to see Helen Gamble running towards them. He inhaled air quickly as he gazed at her. She had her hair down, in tight spiral curls, hair jewels entwined between strands. She wore black and orange snakeskin leather pants with pointy black boots. A very short, very sexy, orange beaded halter was tied around her neck and back, baring her soft, creamy skin, along with her orange diamond naval piercing. Her face gleamed brightly, her blue eyes shining. Her eyelids were dusted with smoky orange and gray eye shadow and her lips were a stunning shade of coral. A strand of small black beads emerged from underneath her hair and an orange diamond- shaped pennant hung from the strand, right in the middle of her forehead. She looked perfect.
As Helen approached the group, she slowed her face, her eyes now narrowed viciously. She turned to Lindsay. "Bravo," she snapped. "Is this your idea of a joke?"
Lindsay sighed. How did she know this wouldn't go over well? "Helen," she warned. "I thought I told you the rest of the firm was going to be here."
Helen flashed Lindsay a fake smile. "No, Linds," she remarked, seeing right through her innocent façade. "You forgot to mention that little detail."
Bobby shook his head at Lindsay. "I'm leaving."
"No!" Lindsay insisted, grabbing his wrists firmly. "You've haven't even met Pat yet, and besides, you and Helen are both mature adults." She emphasized this point loudly. "I'm sure you both are able to have fun in the same nightclub together without clawing each other's eyes out." She shot them both belittling looks that a mother would shoot a child who had done something terribly wrong.
Helen sighed. "All right, fine. I got all dressed up anyway, so I'm not leaving."
"Well, I'm not leaving either," Bobby challenged her.
Helen wanted to spit in his face and kiss him at the same time. She couldn't help but notice how undeniably sexy he looked tonight. She quickly turned her gaze from him towards Pat. "So you were hired, huh?"
He nodded. "Guess that means we'll be opponents in court from now on," he teased. "You have to be vicious to me and really mean it for once."
Helen grinned widely, pretending to have forgotten that Bobby was standing right behind her.
"Not that it's any of my business or anything," Ellenor began. "But do you two know each other?" she asked, pointing to Pat and then Helen.
Helen laughed. "Yeah, sorry. We went to law school together."
"Those were the days," Lindsay laughed, multiple memories popping into her mind.
Pat shook his head, smiling. "Were we ever that young?"
Helen slapped Pat playfully across the chest. "Who says we're old now?" she joked.
Bobby eyes narrowed. He didn't know what was going on between Pat and Helen, but whatever it was, he wasn't going to stand by and let it happen. Oh no. He'd take matters into his own hands.
* * * * * In the club * * * * *
Lindsay roared with laughter, falling onto Pat's lap. She had been drinking long island iced teas all night, and by now was on her tenth cup. And everyone but her could tell that she was indefinitely drunk.
"Remember.that time we robbed that store at the beach?" Lindsay asked, howling loudly. Pat laughed with her, drunk as well. In fact the only two at the table who weren't drunk were Helen, Bobby, and Pat. Then again, Ellenor and Lucy (obviously) weren't drunk either, but they were out on the dance floor.
Helen surprised herself by not finishing her third sex on the beach. She was buzzed, but far from drunk. Bobby had only been drinking whiskey, but was still working on his second cup. Rebecca and Eugene had both been downing Corona all night and were also severely drunk. Pat surprised Helen and Lindsay by not downing one drop of liquor.
Helen laughed. "Yeah! I took a bathing suit, Pat stole a visor, Mark took a tee shirt, and Lindsay left with a pencil! She was too afraid to steal anything bigger!"
The whole table erupted into a flood of laughter. Bobby even joined in, buzzed enough to be able to relax around Helen.
"Well, if the cops caught us, I figured I could explain to them how a pencil, accidentally dropped into my beach bag and never get in trouble," Lindsay explained.
Helen shook her head. "Face it, you were scared!"
Lindsay stuck out her tongue, and wobbled a bit onto Helen's side of the booth, falling off of Pat's lap. Everyone laughed even harder as Lindsay resituated herself.
"Okay, okay!" Rebecca announced, banging a spoon against her empty beer bottle. "Embarrassing stories time!"
Lindsay giggled. "Eugene first!" she insisted.
Eugene laughed heartily. "All right, all right," he remarked, as everyone began clanking their empty bottles. "On mine and Sharon's honeymoon, the most embarrassing thing happened. Well, we decided to go to a nudist beach and."
Helen laughed at this. She couldn't picture Sharon deciding to go to a nudist beach.
Eugene grinned and blushed deeply. "Anyway, we got the directions and worse only towels to the beach. So, we walk onto it and you know, strip down, throwing out towels into our beach bags. Well, mind you, I'm not the greatest with directions. Well, we caused a bit of a commotion and wound up in jail for the night!"
Rebecca laughed shrilly. "You went to the wrong beach?!" she remarked.
Eugene nodded and joined in the table's laughter.
"Shot?" a waiter asked. Lindsay eagerly took three and downed them all, reaching for a fourth.
Helen slapped her hand and shooed the waiter away.
"Hey!" Lindsay remarked, angrily. "What's your problem."
"Babe, if you have another drink, it'll be a miracle if you survive."
"I'm fine," Lindsay insisted. "I only had five!"
Helen laughed. "Try about fifteen."
Lindsay flashed daggers at Helen then smiled coyly. "I know an embarrassing story about Helen," she sang.
"Oh, do tell," Helen remarked. "I'll be surprised if they haven't heard it already."
Lindsay squealed. "It's juicy," she told them. "That guy Mark, Pat's brother, the one who stole stuff with us from the beach store. Well, he was Helen's boyfriend. And he was no good. I told Helen that time and time again, but she wouldn't listen and."
"Lindsay, stop," Helen ordered.
Lindsay shot Helen a haughty look and proceeded to tell her story. "Anyway, Mark was a jerk. So, you know what he did to her? He."
"Linds, that's enough," Pat remarked, clamping a hand over her mouth.
Irritated at being interrupted a second time, Lindsay bit his hand. "As I was saying, he did what everyone said he was going to do to her. He cheated on her all the time and abused her and still she was stupid and stayed with him. Then he got her knocked up and left town!" Lindsay laughed alone as everyone stared dumbfounded. "Can you believe that? So Helen put the baby up for adoption and hasn't seen her since. Isn't that embarrassing?"
"You're going home," Pat said harshly, picking her up and carrying her out of the bar, all the while her loud laughter echoing through the club.
Helen stared numbly at her drink, willing herself not to cry. She blinked back a tear and rushed out of the club. Her feet were throbbing from her boots so she quickly kicked them off, now walking barefoot across the warm pavement.
"Helen, wait!" Bobby called. "Hey, are you okay?"
Helen laughed madly. "Am I okay? Bobby, what kind of question is that?"
"I was just."
"No, Bobby, I am not okay," she snapped.
"Well, I just wanted to let you know." he began.
"What?" Helen demanded, not pausing to allow him to answer. "Are you going to give me a god damn speech about how a good Catholic wouldn't give her baby up? Are you gonna preach to me Bobby? Because you've done some things the frickin church doesn't allow, and yet still you have the nerve to preach to me?"
Bobby suddenly became angered by her harsh comments. He probably would have handled himself better, but alcohol induced, he wasn't the best during situations like this.
"You know what? Fuck you Helen!" he called as she started to walk away. "FUCK YOU! You don't deserve to ever see your child again! I hope she HATES you! You're a bitch you know that? I HOPE SHE HATES YOU!"
* * * * * The morning after * * * * *
Lindsay awoke with a head rush that wouldn't go away. Helen lay in the bed next to her, rubbing a cold washcloth over Lindsay's heated head. "Hey, babe," she said softly.
"Hey," Lindsay said meekly, looking up at her. Helen's face looked tear- stained and sad. Lindsay shut her eyes, memories from last night rushing back to her.
"Oh my God, Helen!" Lindsay remarked, shooting straight up, causing her head to throb even harder. "What I said, about you and Mark! Oh my God! I'm a horrible, horrible person! You must hate me and.oh God! I.I didn't mean."
"Shh," Helen whispered, pacifying her. "Linds, don't worry about it, any of it. You were drunk. I've done worse things when I was drunk. It's okay really. And of course I don't hate you," she smiled. "We're best friends right? No matter what?"
Lindsay's mind eased slightly. "No matter what," she repeated. "But, you're sure you're not mad at all?"
"Not at you," Helen said. "I mean, I won't lie, I was furious at first. But I know that was just the alcohol talking and that you'd never, ever say anything like that normally." Helen got off the bed placing the washcloth back over Lindsay's forehead. "Now, I've got to get back to work, but I'll."
"Get back?" Lindsay questioned. "What time is it?"
"Ten thirty," Helen declared. "I had to go to a witness's house a few blocks away, so I stopped back here for ten minutes."
"Ten thirty?" Lindsay repeated. "But I have to get to work and."
"No, work. You're hung-over and work is the last place you need to be right now," Helen insisted. "Now get some rest and I'll be back to drop off lunch, okay?"
"All right," Lindsay said, shutting her eyes tightly. The light hurt like hell. She clicked her lamp off and fell back asleep.
* * * * * Courtroom * * * * *
"All rise."
Helen stood up, adjusting her emerald green colored business suit. She flipped her black hair behind her right ear, than drummed her fingers nervously against her thigh. She was up against Rebecca for the Springfield trial. Helen didn't have much evidence against the guy. She was hoping that he was a stupid murderer, as they usually were, and she could trick him into confessing. Or at least make him look bad.
"Please be seated."
Helen sat down quickly, her head spinning. Why was she so dizzy all of a sudden? It wasn't because she was nervous. She had come into the courtroom knowing absolutely nothing about trials before and still did just fine. What was wrong with her?
She glanced over at the defense table. Rebecca sat upright, an air of confidence surrounding her. Her head was held high and proud. Helen couldn't help but smile. Rebecca took her job as a lawyer so seriously. We all did in the beginning, she thought. Everyone does, until we realize what a joke it is. To serve and protect, my ass! The way most trials were conducted made a mockery out of the entire judiciary system! Still, she wished all lawyers would stay the way Beck was that instant. Then maybe things could change. Maybe.
Next to Rebecca sat the defendant. He was only nineteen. His story was rather sad. His father killed his mother after she cheated on him. His father was executed. The kid was shipped off to his aunt's house in Cambridge, far from his home state of Florida. There he was sexually abused by his aunt. So he killed her. Cold-blooded murder. Of course Helen felt sympathy towards him, but murder was murder. And this murder was done intentionally. Still. Helen shook her head. It would do her no good to start feeling sorry for the defendant.
Next to the defendant, Pat was positioned with dignity, looking handsome and sophisticated in his gray and black pinstriped suit. Helen noticed that he had a habit of pulling on his tie when he was nervous. He cleared his throat loudly and turned and saw Helen looking at him. He winked and smiled and Helen couldn't help but smile back. He looked around to make sure no one was watching him, then quickly stuck his tongue out at Helen. Helen stifled back a laugh and tried desperately to regain her composure. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Beck shoot Pat a look and his eyes grew wide with humor. Helen bit her lip to keep from laughing.
Judge Swackheim asked Rebecca to call her first witness. She called Jimmy Morris, the defendant's best friend to the stand, basically to have him persuade the jury that Randy Springfield was crazy. Then he could plead insanity and walk free. Helen crossed him brutally, nearly making him cry. However, she proved her point that Randy was not crazy. All in all, it was a good day for the prosecution. Helen was proud of herself thus far. Now if only things would continue to go this well. And if only this nauseating feeling in her stomach would disappear.
"Hey, Helen," Rebecca said, walking over to the prosecution table. "Are you still offering ten years?"
Helen pursed her lips and thought. "Yeah," she uttered finally.
"He wants to plead," Rebecca replied. "I'll draft the papers when I get back to the office. Hopefully this will all be over with soon."
Helen nodded in agreement and exited the courtroom.
"Lunch?" Pat asked, as Helen emerged from the courtroom.
Helen shook her head. "I have to bring something home for Lindsay."
"Is she still asleep?" Pat asked.
Helen shook her head again. "No, she woke once when I stopped by. She may be back asleep. She has one hell of a hangover."
"Well, she was extremely drunk," Pat replied. "Does she remember.anything?" he asked, not wanting to come right out and mention all that Lindsay had said last night.
Helen nodded. "Yeah, she feels terrible about it. I told her not to worry though. I know she didn't mean it. She would have never said any of that had she been sober."
Pat smiled. "You have changed."
Helen furrowed a brow. "What do you mean?"
"The Helen I knew in college was unforgiving and relentless. If someone did something wrong to you, that was it. I remember one time Lindsay borrowed your favorite sweater and stretched in out and you wouldn't speak to her for a week. Last night she insulted you, embarrassed you, and ruined your reputation, and yet just like that," he snapped his fingers, "you forgive her."
"Yeah? So?" Helen challenged him to continue.
"It's a compliment," he insisted. "Learn how to take one."
"All right, thanks," she said grumpily.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Pat asked sincerely, sitting her down onto a bench in the corridor. Helen shook her head and shrugged. "Come on Hel, you can tell me, whatever it is. You know I won't think any less of you." Helen shook her head again. "Come on Hel, I know you know."
"No," Helen insisted firmly. "That's the whole thing, I don't know. I feel.weird, but I don't know why. It's probably just from drinking on an empty stomach last night. I'll be fine."
Pat wasn't convinced. "Here," he said handing Helen a scrap of paper from his pocket. "Write down Lindsay's address and I'll drop some soup off for her. I don't have much to do since I've only just started here, and I'm sure everyone at the office will be grateful to me if I make sure she's all right."
"No, I promised her I'd stop by and." Helen began in protest.
"Helen, if you don't let me do this, I'm going to call Lindsay up and tell her that something's wrong with you," Pat remarked.
Helen sighed, defeated. "Fine," she remarked, scribbling down the address. "Tell her I'll call her later. I have to get back to work. And, thanks."
Pat smiled. "No problem. Oh," he began, pulling a folded up envelope out of his pocket. "Here."
Helen took the envelope quickly, unfolding it and tearing it open. She gasped when she saw what was inside.
* * * * * DY&F * * * * *
"So he wants me to go on this cruise with him this weekend. Isn't that great?" Lucy asked, babbling on and on.
"And you just met this guy. Last night. At a club." Rebecca raised an eyebrow.
Lucy scowled. "Beck, you never know how to have any fun!"
"I do so Lucy," Rebecca reprimanded her. "I just don't go on three day cruises with a guy I met once, talked to for five minutes, and then slept with, especially without knowing for sure that he's not some crazed rapist serial killer."
"He's not a rapist or a murderer," Lucy stated.
"And how could you possibly know that?" Rebecca asked haughtily, hand on her hip.
"Are you serious?" Lucy asked. Rebecca nodded. "Okay, well for starters I know his sister, we went to high school together, so I indirectly do know him and have seen him on several occasions. Also, working here, you kind of gain this ability to be able to tell when someone's a felon or not, it's like this creepy sixth sense thing."
Ellenor laughed. "We have the sixth sense, Beck!"
Rebecca joined in the laughter. "Hey Jimmy!" she called. "I see dead people!"
"You must considering you're the walking dad," Eugene remarked.
"Well?" Ellenor asked expectantly as Bobby walked into the office. "How'd it go?"
"Not so good," Bobby said. "The appeal was denied."
"Oh no!" Ellenor moaned. "That poor guy."
"You think he's innocent?" Rebecca asked.
Ellenor and Bobby nodded in agreement.
"That sucks," Lucy added.
"Beck," Helen called, bursting through the door. Bobby shot her a look. "What?" Helen asked defensively. He motioned towards the door. "Well, if you don't want people walking through the door, buy a lock or something." With that she hastily walked past him, stopping at Rebecca's desk. "They're fine," she told her. "All we need is the defendant's signature."
Rebecca nodded. "I'll get right on it. I'll drop them off this afternoon and we'll bring them to the judge."
"Sounds good," Helen agreed, wondering why for the third time that day the room seemed to be spinning.
"Hey," Ellenor called. Helen spun around to face her. "How's Lindsay?"
"She's fine," Helen said quickly.
"Really?" Rebecca asked. "I mean last night, she was." She stopped short, afraid to continue with Helen in the room. "She just seemed out of it is all."
"Well, I swung by after meeting Mike at a crime scene, and she's doing all right. Extremely hung over, but fine," Helen explained. "She wanted me to help her get to work, but I made her stay home."
"Does she." Rebecca began, but stopped not wanting to pry. A look from Helen urged her to continue. "Does she remember anything?"
Helen nodded. "Everything," she said quietly.
"Oh."
The whole room remained silent for a moment, each person recalling the incidents from last night, but none of them daring to speak a word about it out loud.
"Hey Jimmy," Lucy said, breaking the silence. "What happened to you last night?"
"Oh, I." Jimmy began, embarrassed. "It's just that.well, dance clubs really aren't my thing."
Lucy stifled a laugh. "Okay."
"Well, I have to be going," Helen turned to Rebecca. "If I'm not in my office when you come by, leave a message, all right?"
Rebecca nodded as Helen left the room.
"Well," Ellenor began. "She doesn't seem to be angry at Lindsay."
"I know I would be," Rebecca began. "At first anyway. I mean, I had an abortion when I was young and I know if one of my most trusted friends blabbed that around a bar, I'd be pissed."
Eugene nodded. "It's not really that big of a deal though. Everybody has a past."
"Yeah, hers is just extremely juicy," Lucy squealed.
"Lucy!" everyone hissed shooting her looks.
"What?" she asked innocently.
"It's sad though," Rebecca said. "She must have been going through a lot. She obviously still cared about her baby though, if she decided to give it up."
"Yeah," Ellenor agreed. "Maybe she wanted to keep it, but under the circumstances."
"Or maybe Pat's brother, Mark was it?" Eugene questioned. "Well, maybe he wouldn't let her."
"Or maybe she just didn't give a damn about who she hurt," Bobby jeered.
Everyone looked at him incredulously.
"How could you say that?" Ellenor asked. "Helen was the victim here."
Bobby shook his head. "No. I don't think Helen Gamble ever was or ever could be a victim." With that, he stormed into his office, locking the door and lowering the shades.
* * * * * Helen's office * * * * *
Helen walked back into her office, quickly shutting and locking the door. She clicked her ringer off, not wanting to be disturbed or interrupted. She approached her desk slowly, sitting down stiffly in her chair.
She opened the top right drawer, and pulled out the envelope Pat had given to her. How had he gotten this? She wondered if he knew a lot more than he was letting on to.
She carefully unfolded and reopened the envelope, pulling out a letter and a picture. She unfolded the letter, rereading it.
My mommy-
My mommy is pretty and smart. She's always right and knows everything. Everybody loves her but she doesn't know this. I love her too, but she doesn't know me. My mommy loves me too and I think she knows this. My mommy is the best mommy in the world if only she would look for me. I think she lost me by accident when I was a baby. But I know she come find me someday because my mommy would not be happy until I was with her again. My mommy is a queen and I am her little princess.
-Adielle
Helen blinked back tears as she scanned the letter again. She then looked at the picture from underneath. In the picture was a little girl sitting on a chair, staring out the window. She had a thick mess of dark curls, a frail body, sad blue eyes, and a dimple on her chin. Helen wondered how beautiful she must look when she smiled.
She threw her head onto the desk, still clutching the letter and picture. No longer able to hold these buried emotions inside, she sat and cried, wishing her daughter could be there with her right now.
* * * * * Well? Did you like? Nice twist? Good/Bad? Let me know!!!!
