One surprise after another

Chapter 14

Golden sand, cool ocean breezes and the blue waters of a secluded beach are the perfect place for a romantic interlude, but perhaps not for two co-workers.

Unless the romantic couple and the two co-workers are one of the same.

Connie had remained in Mike's arms long after the offending biker had gone. And if anything, she found herself pressing closer against his long, sturdy form. Not that Mike minded as he made soothing strokes up and down her spine as he softly swayed her.

Wanting to show her appreciation, she slightly pulled away, tilting her head slightly up to meet his eyes.

Connie could only manage a wispy response, for his nearness was sending her heart crashing repeatedly against the wall of her chest, making it difficult for her to breathe.

"Mike... thanks."

A dimple peeked out when he smiled back.

"Sure."

The way her gaze lingered on him was causing his blood to run faster.

'Don't look at me that way Connie," Mike privately thought, I can't seem to release you, so you'll need to be the one to step away from me...'

Instead, Mike experienced a feeling of unreality when Connie's hand came up and shyly touched the collar of his shirt.

Her gentle, yet encouraging touch completely unnerved him and obliterated his willpower. His usually professional facade had cracked.

He needed to kiss her or he would go crazy.

The relaxing, rhythmic pounding of the waters seemed to encourage him further.

Mike shifted slightly as he pulled her in closer and Connie closed her eyes in anticipation. When his lips touched hers at last, it sent her senses reeling.

At first his lips were gentle, as if he feared being rejected. When none were forthcoming, his mouth settled more firmly on hers as her lips opened more and became relaxed, desiring more of the kiss.

She had never felt a kiss like this before. Her insides tightened at the intimate response while her arms wrapped around his neck. The heat and pressure of his lips was delicious and she found herself giving more of herself as she craved more of him.

It was the most romantic kiss she had ever received.

Mike also found he was helpless to stop; it were as if she had been bound to him in iron chains. The taste of her affected him like a drug. He felt his passions rising, especially when Connie's hands lightly touched the side of his face and he felt her stroking the bristles of his cheek and jaw.

Instinctively his arms tightened around her as the kiss deepened.

As they continued locked in an intimate embrace, flickering sensations unfurled deep inside each of them.

The flapping of their clothes against their bodies and the squawking of seagulls from up above, however, soon introduced them back to the outside world.

Reality slowly drifted in as the kiss ended and they separated.

They stared at each other in searing wonderment, the stillness broken only by the crashing waves. Both of them seemed shocked by the response from the other at what just occurred.

Their first kiss was overwhelming.

"Connie," he regarded her in all sincerity, "That...that was... amazing."

She was nearly undone with his words as she fought to even her breathing. All the years working alongside him, Connie had fantasize what it would be like to be in his arms, to feel his kiss. Now she knew and it was beyond what she ever expected.

"Mike, " Connie breathless responded, "it was...just that..."

Yet as they continued gazing at each other, the same thought entered both their minds: Though it had been wondrous, where do they go from here?

Mike's Blackberry suddenly buzzed.

Followed immediately by Connie's iphone.

They both regretfully looked down to retrieve their phones and read their screens.

Connie looked up first from her phone, "Mine is a text from Paige. She needs to talk with us."

Mike nodded after reading his message, "Same here. She's waiting back at our office."

"Then I think we better head back there, " Connie recovered, although there was still a telltale blush on her cheeks.

Mike shut his Blackberry off as Connie replaced her iphone in her cardigan pocket. He then reached down in the sand to reclaim his fallen jacket, quickly brushing the sand off it.

They took one last look around before they once again headed up the sidewalk to their car. Their legs and hearts felt like lead as they trudged through the now cool evening sand.

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The ride back to the office was uneasy, to say the least.

Both had tacitly agreed that the private moment they shared at the beach was just something that happened, that it was brought about by needing to release some stress and also due to walking along a beautiful secluded spot.

But they both knew deep down that a kiss like that was not a fluke.

They entered the DA's office and the professional ambiance of the place reminded them that they needed to stay focused on the case. This was further reinforced when they entered their office and spotted Paige, patiently waiting for their arrival.

The three greeted one another as everyone sat down.

"Paige, is everything alright?" Connie asked, "Did we have an appointment today?"

Paige looked nervous.

"I want to recant my testimony," she blurted out, "I want to drop the charges on Mr. North and Mr. Martin."

She took a deep breath in as if she had been rehearsing those lines all afternoon. Mike and Connie were taken aback.

Mike was the first to recover.

"I understand that you had it rough up on the witness stand, but I can't let you just drop the charges, Paige, " he stated.

"I'm not asking you for your permission," Paige looked determined, "I'm here to tell you to file the paperwork."

Mike scowled.

"Is there a reason why you want this now?" he asked, "Did you lie on the stand earlier?"

Now it was Paige's turn to look stunned, "What? No! Of course not! Every word I said was the truth!"

"Then, Paige, what is it?" Connie asked in a gentler tone, "Why do you want to drop the case?"

Paige could not look at either lawyer's eyes as she responded, "It's a lost case. You won't be able to convict."

Mike looked angry.

"Dammit, you have no way of knowing that!" he insisted.

"Weren't you there, Mr. Cutter?" Paige spoke out vehemently, "Did you see how that defense lawyer destroyed me on the stand? No one is going to believe a stripper over those rich guys!"

Mike couldn't believe this was the same brave Paige he had originally put on the witness stand. The one that wanted to see justice done!

So perhaps Paige had a different motive, Mike contemplated. There would only be two reasons why Paige would want to drop the case so late in the game; one would be fear and the other was money. Mike was counting on the latter.

"Someone offered you money, didn't they, Paige?"

Paige opened her mouth to deny it.

"No...no, uh, definitely not! " she responded although her voice lacked conviction as her eyes shifted side to side.

"Paige," remarked Connie gently, "it's okay if that's what happened. At least be honest with us!"

Paige seemed to take a while before she answered.

"And what if I were offered some money?" she eyed them, "Do you blame me? Look at me! I'm a stripper!"

Mike and Connie exchanged looks.

"Don't recant," Mike simply stated.

"You saw what the defense did to me in court, I won't win, Mr. Cutter!"

"If you recant, I'll charge you!" threatened Mike, grasping for straws.

"Mike!" Connie intercepted.

Paige looked shocked, as her mouth dropped open.

"What?" Paige turned to Connie, "He can't do that-can he?"

"He won't, Paige," assured Connie, " but we vigorously advise you not to recant. We have a strong case against the defendants."

"Really? You think so?" Paige stated with a tinge of sarcarm, "You can't even explain why I identified them as other people in court! Don't you get it? I'm tired of being poor, tired of being scared! I was offered more money than I will probably see in ten years of hard dancing!"

Mike worriedly placed one frustrated hand behind his neck and groaned.

Connie sighed. Paige had a point. A victory in court was not a guarantee, but this was. Who could turn down a huge bundle of cash?

Silence enveloped the room. Connie at last spoke up.

"I'll draw up the papers for you to sign and they'll be ready tomorrow," Connie relented.

"Wait, what..." Mike began, looking confused.

"Mike," said Connie, "She is our client. We have to do what she wants."

Mike did not want to give in just yet.

"Paige," Mike tried to negotiate, "What if we learned why Mr. North and Mr. Martin used the names Jesse and Phoenix? Would you continue on with the case then?"

"Of course I would, Mr. Cutter," her eyes looking steely at last, "but in all this time we didn't know it, and I don' t think that will change...I-I just want to put all of this horrible stuff behind me!"

Paige stood up. Her mind was made up. She offered her hand to each of them, "Thank you for what you both tried to do, ' she said, sounding grateful.

Mike knew there was nothing he could offer her. For now, it was hopeless. Accepting defeat, he also stuck out his hand. Paige smiled weakly and shook his hand.

Then she was gone.

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Mike and Connie sat looking at each other from across their desks. The intimate moment at the beach was put on pause now as they had a more pressing matter to worry about.

They needed to concentrate on the case. Or the lack of one.

"Well, " said Mike defeatedly, "I guess money does talk..."

A dread filtered through Connie

"So does that mean you're giving up, Mike?"

He looked puzzled.

"Weren't you the one who said you would file the dismissal papers?"

"I said I'd file the paperwork tomorrow," Connie stated, "but that still leaves the rest of the night and early morning to come up with something!"

He forced a smile, "I like your optimism, but I don't know what else we can do...actually, a small part of me is relieved that she's dropping the case. At least this case won't cost you a lost for your office."

"That's Hardin keeping a scoreboard, not me," Connie sighed.

Then she remembered something. She reached in her desk and opened her top right hand drawer.

"Well, I guess you won't be needing this then," Connie looked at him for a second and then showed him what she held in her hand.

For the first time since Paige had left, a smile broke out on Mike's face.

"Is that..." he began.

Sitting in the palm of Connie's hand was Mike's blue baseball.

"I took the liberty of having this FedEx'd overnight from your office in New York, "she explained, as she held it out for him and he reached over and took it, "I thought it might help your creative juices to flow, although that point is now moot."

Mike stared gratefully into Connie's eyes. It had been a long time since anyone had paid close attention to such trivial matters in his life as him wanting to hold his baseball in his hand. And he appreciated the gesture…he liked the idea of being pampered.

And when they looked at one another, both had recalled the romantic kiss.

Mike cleared his throat.

"Thank you for your efforts, Connie...what would I do without you?"

He looked down and stared at the baseball in his hand. He gripped it tighter, feeling the well worn seams, recalling how many times he held it as he tried to organize details of a case in his mind.

"All I know is that we're not ready to call it quits yet, Mike," stated Connie," we still have a few hours yet."

Mike grinned, "bottom of the ninth, right?"

Her lips also upturned into a smile, "the very bottom..."

Mike began busily tossing his baseball up in the air, deep in thought. Flinging his ball and catching it in a steady, even rhythm, he mindlessly recalled the beach house visit with Cantrell...the messy room with the strewn clothes, leftover food, bookcase items and the bike.

At the same time, he listened as Connie spoke.

"Paige, herself didn't look convinced she's doing the right thing," theorized Connie, "...I think she has some doubts to her own actions...she seemed confused tonight...it's like one time she's strong and the next time she's scared. Like two different people, one not knowing the other."

Mike was quiet, eyeing his baseball, still with his own thoughts.

...the beach house...Jesse and Phoenix…two different people.

He threw the ball in the air again and again and again and then suddenly...he snatched it in midair...

Wait. Hold on.

Holding the baseball firmly, he thoroughly rubbed the seams of it, taking comfort in the familiar.

Two different people...

He sat forward and shot a quick glance over at Connie, his eyes were blazing.

His reaction caused Connie to sit up also.

"Mike, what is it?"

"Different people… " he slowly recited, "when you said different people, I transposed that idea with what I saw at that beach house...then it hit me...!"

Connie was baffled, "What? What are you thinking? You remembered something at the beach house that can explain away the names Jesse and Phoenix, don't you?"

"Yes!" Mike nodded, as he gave his baseball one last toss in the air before confidently catching it, "The clue was at the beach house all along. Different people! The answer was so simple!"

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