Chapter 10 Set Boundaries

Kami initial physical reaction when Dexter stepped forward and softly pulled her into a hug was to cringe. It was not that she didn't like hugs but rather she felt receiving a hug from Dexter, even though they had forgiven each other, was something Hildy would not approve of. Kami personally was not bothered by hugging Dexter after clearing the air between them, but she did not want to do anything that would make her lady uncomfortable. As such she did not return the embrace but rather gingerly placed the palm of her hands-on Dexter's chest in an attempt to prevent the hug becoming a full body contact sort of hug.

"Nana is here Kami", Hildy said gently pushing the office door open in time to see Dexter with his arms around her lady.

Hildy did a double take at the scene in front of her. Seeing Dexter lift her lady in an exuberance hug when he first saw her several hours ago was one thing. Seeing him now with his big hands on her was another matter. Intellectually Hildy knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Kami was hers but that did not stop her heart from feeling angry that her woman's former fiancé had his arms around her.

Kami's back was towards Hildy so she did not see the shock, anger and jealousy that flashed across Hildy's features before she had time to put her stoic expression in place but Dexter did. His eyes locked onto Hildy's eyes and he knew the affect him hugging Kami had on her partner, and he gloried in it. Dexter could be described as a nice guy, someone who was friendly, generous and easy to work with. However, for those who really knew him well, he would also be described as a man who had difficulty forgiving and that difficulty lead him to hold on to real and perceived wrongs. This character flaw propelled him to subtly do things to get back at people, to even the score as he saw it.

He believed Kami forgave him for the way he spoke to her in the past and he likewise finally saw things from her perspective. And in doing so he let go of the grudge he held on for so long. As Dexter's mind processed the expression on Hildy's face, a plan began to form. He knew that his time in Kami's life ended years ago, and he mentally acknowledged that Kami loved Hildy but that did not stop him from wanting to get a rise out of Hildy if he could. Dexter smiled over Kami's shoulder as he decided to needle Hildy at any opportunity that presented itself to him just for the fun of it.

Kami broke the embrace when she heard her lady's voice.

"Nana is here? I spoke to her just a few minutes ago", Kami said as she walked towards Hildy. Kami looked at her lover's stoic expression and knew immediately the embrace she shared with Dexter upset Hildy as she suspected it would. She reached for her lady's hand, squeezed it, hoping that the gesture would reassure her lover. She continued looking into Hildy's eyes and saw anger behind the stoic expression. Kami knew the anger was not directed at her but rather at Dexter, and the situation. Kami also knew she needed to calm Hildy and reassure her at the same time, so she did what her heart told her to do. She stepped right up to her lady so that their bodies touched and placed a kiss on her lips that was loving, reassuring and possessive all rolled into one. As the ladies broke away Kami smiled at her lover and all the anger and concerns were immediately removed from Hildy's heart.

Knowing their kiss helped Hildy to feel reassured, Kami turned and looked through the doorway as Nana came into her line of sight. She smiled at her grandmother and called her name as she walked towards her.

Dexter stood in the office as he watched the love scene before him. He was a very astute man and he immediately realized that Kami's kiss was aimed either at calming Hildy's anger or reassuring her that everything was alright. Dexter grinned to himself as he planned exactly what to say to knock Kami's attempt of reassurance through the window. He followed a few steps behind Kami as she exited the office. When he came abreast of Hildy he softly whispered, "She still fits perfectly in my arms, I am sure I still fit perfectly inside of her too", with a barely contained smirk on his face, he walked out of the office.

Hildy went from a low burn to a raging inferno in two seconds flat. Her immediate instinct was to punch his lights out but the rational part of her mind told her Dexter wanted to needle her, and she could not give him the satisfaction of knowing that he had succeeded.

"Hi Nana, what are you doing here?" Kami smiled at her grandmother knowing perfectly well why her granny was standing front and center in their outer office. Kathrine turned from chatting with Abbi to look beyond her granddaughter to the man at the threshold of Hildy's office. She looked at Dexter at just the right moment to see him say something softly to Hildy before he left the room with a smug expression. By the immediate clenching of Hildy's fist, Kathrine knew that Dexter did what Michael predicted he would, he taunted Hildy with his words as he walked past her.

"Mr. Matthews, expect a call from us mid morning tomorrow", Wendell said as both he and Barbara exited the office after bidding farewell to their fellow investigators. Dexter acknowledged the parting reminder while he gathered up his documents from the conference table in preparation to also leave the office. He glanced over at Kami while she chatted with her grandmother. "Kami's grandmother has barely aged at all. I wonder if her Mom also looked great for her age? Hmm, Kami is a lucky woman, she will most probably age gracefully and elegantly as well. I wonder if I should go over and say hello? I remember her Nana really was fond of me while we were engaged", Dexter pondered on these things while he finished packing his briefcase.

Meanwhile Kami placed her arm around her grandmother's waist as she asked her softly "Nana what are you doing here? Are you checking up on me? Or are you being a Ms Nosy Parker, here to check out what is going on with Dexter?" Kami asked with a twinkle in her eye as she tried to give her granny a glare but failed miserably. Abbi took the opportunity to walk away, giving Kami some privacy with her grandmother.

"I had to come and make sure that man does not step out of line again Kami. He lost my trust and respect when he spoke to you the way he did years ago. Plus, your father does not trust him. Michael is a very good judge of character and I must credit him for hitting the nail on the head once more".

"Nana, Dexter apologized to me in Hildy's office and I also apologized to him for not being honest about how I felt at that time in our lives. Nana, we made peace with each other so you also need to let it go. It makes no sense carrying hurt around in our hearts especially after all this time". Kami said earnestly.

Katherine look at her granddaughter and admired how loving she was. Kami looked for and focused on the good in people, while she always was willing to give a person the benefit of the doubt. Kathrine leaned forward and gave her Baby Girl a gentle kiss on her cheek before she said; "That is very commendable of you, Kami, and you are correct, walking around with emotional hurts based on an unforgiving attitude is never good for the soul. At the same time, one must also be wise…. one must be aware that not everyone looks at life from your or even our baseline. While we may choose to forgive and forget, other persons may choose to forgive and remember. And sometimes in their remembering they do things or say things to appease the hurt that still exist deep inside. The forgiveness they offer is like a scab, a scab over their healing. But deep down beneath the layers of their healing ….. the hurt …. the cut…. is still moist".

Kami frowned as she looked at her grandmother, "Nana, what are you talking about?"

"My sweet girl, you need to set your boundaries for your former fiancé. Yes he has asked for forgiveness and you have forgiven him but he needs to know that you will not tolerate him turning his acid tongue on the woman you love. He has moved on from ever making the mistake of speaking to you rashly again but Hildy is not exempt from his words".

While Kami and Kathrine were having their quiet conversation, Terry and the guys were watching Hildy. They too saw Dexter say something to her and observed her reacting with clenched fists. They all individually immediately planned on having a word with Mr. Matthews. Terry walked over to Hildy and placed his hand around her fist as he rubbed his thumb back and forth.

"Hey Hill, are you OK?", Terry asked gently. Hildy looked at the concern in his eyes and took a deep cleansing breath before nodding her head.

"Our part in this case is over. We helped Wendell and Barbara as much as we could and everything is up to them now. Dexter Matthews will not be returning to this office and we will not need to contact him in any capacity in the future. Your paths crossed today out of necessity but that will not be happening again. OK. He will have no other opportunity to say whatever he said to you just now". And with those words Terry gave his dearest friend a quick hug and then walked away as he caught up with Wendell and Barbara at the elevators to basically let them know his firm's interest in the case was over.

Kami looked at her grandmother intently as anger slowly began to rise in her heart. "Nana, do you know something that I do not?"

Katherine placed her hand on the small of her granddaughter's back as she physically turned them to get even more privacy. She recapped what Michael told her earlier. "I am afraid your father is correct Kams because from where I stood a few minutes ago I saw Dexter whisper something to Hildy with a smirk on his face and she reacted by making fists with her hands but she did not reply to his words."

Just then Dexter decided to walk over and renew his acquaintance with Kathrine.

"Mrs. Robinson, I had to come over and tell you that you look as elegant as ever. You have not aged a day since I last saw you". Dexter said with a smile that was worthy of a Colgate commercial.

Kathrine was the epitome of good manners, so at Dexter's kind words she inclined her head to him in acknowledgement of his compliment.

"Mr. Matthews, I must say I never expected to see you again especially anywhere around my granddaughter".

Before Dexter could reply Kami looked at Hildy's face and her eyes locked onto her. She knew immediately that Nana was correct that Dexter said something hurtful to her lover. And just as how Hildy went from low burn to a raging inferno in two seconds flat, Kami went from slow anger to a volcanic eruption that was second to none. Kami turned on Dexter the way a mother Grizzly Bear turns on someone who has made the mistake to threaten her cub.

Kami stepped into Dexter's personal space and demanded "What did you say to Hildy?!" in a tone of voice that made everyone in the office turn and look towards her.

Dexter was taken by surprise at the look on Kami's face. He knew that she did not hear what he told her lover so he chose to deny saying anything. He felt that Hildy was too much of a butch to admit that he taunted her.

"I did not say anything" he lied as he tried to look innocent. Just then Kami moved so quickly that no one saw it coming. She placed both palms on Dexter's chest and shoved with all her might. Dexter was caught so unawares by the strength of the quick move that he stumbled back several steps and knocked over a chair in the process before righting himself.

There was a collective sharp intake of breath by everyone but no one moved except Hildy who took a few steps closer to her lady.

"I'll ask you one more time, What Did You Say To Hildy?!" By then Dexter was standing upright as he looked in shock as rage could be seen in each feature of her face. The old saying "you look beautiful when you are angry" flashed through his mind as he looked at Kami in stunned silence.

Dexter weighed his options and he wondered if to come clean and tell the truth or hedge a little. But before he could decide on the best course of action Kami was on him again.

"It is one thing to belittle me with your words but when you say hurtful or taunting things to Hildy you have gone too far. When I saw your face on the monitor as a person of interest for this case, we did not have to come and help you by putting you in a favorable light with the Police and CIA. Hildy has gone beyond what was required of her to make sure you get a fair deal and you repay by trying to hurt her. Dexter, you have not changed at all, you were spiteful when you were young and you still are. This is my only warning to you Dexter; I see no reason for my firm to still be involved with the case. Wendell and Barbara have gotten all the assistance we could give them. Therefore, there is no need for you to contact either Hildy or myself for anything. If you ever take God out of your thoughts and contact Hildy and tell her anything that I consider to be out of line you will regret it. Do I make myself clear?! You Will Regret It Dexter!"

Dexter stood there with his mouth slightly open as he could not believe that gentle Kami had such a fierce temper.

He quickly looked around the office and every eye was fixed on him. All the men stood erect like soldiers awaiting the command to strike. He then turned, looked at Hildy and saw admiration, pride and desire etched on her features as she gazed at Kami. The combination of expressions on Hildy's face made something turn deep in Dexter's stomach as jealousy gripped his heart and mind. It irked him that Kami choose to defend her lover by threatening him. Being on the receiving end of Kami's anger and threats was something he was not used to. He felt anger spark in him to think that Hildy was lavished with so much love by the woman that he was never able to complete erase from his mind and heart. The woman who became angrier than he ever thought she was capable of becoming.

He knew that there was no need to be in contact with Kami after he left their office today but he wanted to. At least he wanted to before the threat that she leveled at him. He looked from Kami to Hildy and back again.

"One must not go making threats KamKam, idle or real it is unbecoming. Despite what you think of me, it was a pleasure meeting you today after all these years". With those words Dexter picked up his brief case and stepped towards the office foyer. Then he turned in an apparent afterthought and said;

"Oh, by the way Hildy, what I said was true". Dexter allowed the utter contempt he felt for Hildy to show on his face as he walked away.

Edgar felt his pores raise at the look in Dexter's eyes and decided to follow through on his plan to have a word with Dexter. He turned to the work family and said, "I will escort him out the building".

"I will help you", David said and walked purposefully behind his friend. Jim and Terry wasted no time in following suit.

The office was left with Abbi, Nana, Hildy and Kami. Kami walked over to the woman whom she gave her heart to and pulled her into a tight hug.

"I am sorry I wanted to go and see him to ascertain if he was involved in the case. I should have left well enough alone. I never wanted you to be disrespected in any way. I am sorry Hills". Kami said as a tear rolled down her face.

"Hey, hey, it was not your fault. We had to find out if he was involved with the congressman. You did nothing wrong", Hildy said as she wiped away the tears on Kami's cheeks.

"Kams, the way you came to my defense was awesome". Hildy said with pride and admiration in her voice.

"Kami, you rocked when you told him off!" Abbi exclaimed with barely contained excitement as she began to laugh. Her laughter broke the tension in the room.

"Kami what could you do to harm Dexter? That threat you issued sounded so real", her grandmother asked.

"When I spoke, I did not have a solid plan in mind but I knew I could make his life miserable from an online perspective. I could put his name on government watch lists. That alone, in this day and age of terrorist, whether real, and imagined, would make the government's national security department look at him closely. Doing that would be a start at hurting him because he hurt Hildy".

Kami turned back to Hildy and asked "Hills, what did Dexter say to you?"

Hildy stayed quiet for a moment as she contemplated if to answer the question. Taking a deep breath, she repeated Dexter's words "When I saw him hugging you in the office I was shocked and maybe it showed on my face before I could have cloaked my features. As he left the room behind you he told me 'She still fits perfectly in my arms, I am sure I still fit perfectly inside of her too' with a gloating look on his face, it was like a look of privilege".

Kami gasped at the sexual innuendo. She stood still as she looked at Hildy. "I am so sorry he said that to you my love. Sex with Dexter was never a perfect fit. It was something I tolerated. He was my past, you are my present and my future. We do more that fit, together Hildy, we become one". With those words Kami pulled Hildy into her and claimed her mouth with a searing kiss.

Abbi grinned from ear to ear and said "Ahhh". Kathrine smiled at her granddaughter and Hildy, then lead Abbi to the outer office to give the ladies some privacy.

Edgar and the guys pulled Dexter off to the side on the ground floor lobby and magnified the threat Kami gave him. They let him know in no uncertain terms what they would physically do to him if he did anything to emotionally or physically harm Hildy or Kami.

Dexter listened and understood the genuine threats but somehow, he did not feel afraid as he turned and walked away.

He decided to avoid Kami and her 'butch lover' as he called Hildy in his mind. "If I did not tell that woman anything I am sure in time Kami would have agreed to have dinner with me for old time's sake. Even though my comment caused my plans to go awry, it felt good to see the look on Hildy's face when I planted the visual image of having sex with Kami". Dexter chuckled heartily as he waited at the curb to hail a taxi.

"I wonder what Kami had in mind when she threatened me?" Dexter sighed as he continued thinking "My God, that woman looked so hot! Angry or not she is a woman anyone would be lucky to have besides him. I hope this case is over quickly because I need to distance myself from the congressman. My career must get back on track as quickly as possible. I must find a legitimate way for my path and Kami's path to cross again. But I have to be more discipline with expressing how I feel about Hildy".

With those thoughts Dexter got into a taxi and headed home.