Devil's Advocate, page 31
Leaving her roller in the tray, Caitlyn peered out the window in what would soon be her office, trying to judge what time it was from the amount of light left outside. The sun was about halfway down, making it close to two-thirty, or possibly three o’clock, though it felt darker with the clouds that engulfed the sky like a thick gray blanket. Snow weather. As if reading her mind, a scattering of tiny flakes began to fall.
Larry would probably be announcing the partnership any minute now. Maybe he already had, although knowing him, he would have dragged out the suspense as long as possible with several boring speeches in which he repeatedly stated the obvious while not sharing the one piece of information everyone cared about.
A smile teased her reluctant lips at the realization she would never have to sit in on a meeting like that again as long as she lived. This new undertaking may not have shaped up exactly as she would’ve liked, but never having to arrive seventeen minutes early to jockey for a position in an office full of barracudas was a solid consolation prize for not getting to work with Ash every day. Though she’d always wish she could have both, because there was a lot she and Ash could do in a conference room if given seventeen minutes.
After wiping a paint splattered hand on her t-shirt, Caitlyn picked up her phone. No word from Ash. Caitlyn’s stomach knotted with the stress of not knowing. Setting the phone down again, she picked up her roller. There was nothing more calming to an anxious mind than laying on a fresh coat of paint. With the way Caitlyn was feeling right now, she might end up repainting the whole house.
She’s going to get it, Caitlyn repeated in her head as she moved the roller up and down. She just had to. As much as Caitlyn wished Ash had chosen to come work alongside her, that didn’t mean she wanted Ash to fail. No way. Her uncle’s firm would be insane not to choose Ash. And when the news came that they had, Caitlyn was going to be the best girlfriend ever. They would get dressed up and go out for a nice dinner. There would be champagne. They would celebrate in style, even if deep down, Caitlyn’s heart would be breaking just a tiny bit. She’d get over it, because Ash was worth it.
“What are you doing?”
Caitlyn let out a startled yip. There was Ash, standing in the office doorway, staring quizzically from the paint roller in Caitlyn’s hand to the bandana on her head. Caitlyn quickly scanned around her to make sure there’d been no errant drops of blue. Whew. The tarp she’d used to cover the floor had done its job.
“Baking a cake. What does it look like—?” Caitlyn’s eyes fell to the bottle of champagne in Ash’s hand. Her heart lurched but her belly warmed with pride. “You got it!”
Ash shrugged but didn’t confirm or deny Caitlyn’s statement.
“Don’t act modest,” Caitlyn scolded. “This is a big fucking deal.” She began to run the numbers in her head—how long it would take to finish this wall, pack up the paint supplies for the night, get home to wash and dress—
“I thought you were hiring painters.” Coming closer, Ash set the bottle down on top of the step ladder, the only flat surface in the room that wasn’t covered in plastic tarps.
“I tried, but nobody was available. Can you believe the soonest anyone could fit me in was—?” Caitlyn gave her head a vigorous shake as she realized she was getting sidetracked. “Who cares about that? My girlfriend just made partner at McGill and Harding. Let’s pop that cork. I picked up plastic cups for the water cooler yesterday, if I can find them under all the junk in the other room.”
“We’re going to need to get this other office cleaned out,” Ash remarked, following as Caitlyn opened the door to the spare room, revealing an impressive mountain of shit.
“Don’t remind me,” Caitlyn said with a groan. “I’ve got four days left to get this place client-ready, but at least I don’t need to rush on tackling this storage space until later.”
“Then where the hell do you expect me to work?”
“You're going to get a big, fancy office at—”
Caitlyn’s pulse quickened as her brain struggled to make sense of what had just been said. And what Ash hadn’t said since she arrived. “Where you’ll work…? Wait, are you saying…?” Blood rushed in her ears and Caitlyn’s body felt ready to pop from hope just like the bottle of bubbly they were about to consume.
A grin spread across Ash’s face, her eyes dancing with mirth. “Do you know what we need to go with the champagne?”
“Ash, stop fucking around and just tell me,” Caitlyn growled. “What are you saying? Did you get the partnership or not? If those bastards passed you by, I swear I’ll—"
“Whoa, tiger.” Ash put a hand on Caitlyn’s shoulder. “Let’s not go on a rampage!”
“Ash!” Caitlyn stomped both feet, one after another.
Ash held up both hands defensively, using one to draw a cross over her heart as she said, “I swear to you, I don’t know.”
“What?” Caitlyn’s nose crinkled. “Did they delay the announcement or something?”
“Not that I know of.” Ash locked eyes with Caitlyn’s, stopping her breath. “I didn’t stay for it.”
“Why not?” Caitlyn whispered, trying her hardest not to get her hopes up and failing miserably.
“Because it doesn’t matter. I don’t want to be there.” Ash swallowed, blinking eyes that glistened with unshed tears. “I want to be here, with you.”
Jaw dropping, Caitlyn covered the lower half of her face with her hand.
“Did you know your hand is covered in paint?” Ash laughed.
Caitlyn couldn’t hold in an elated giggle. “Do you mean it?”
“About the paint? Oh yeah. It’s everywhere.” Ash made a face as Caitlyn swatted her shoulder. “And now it’s on me.”
Caitlyn’s hands went to her hips. “I’m serious, woman. Are you honestly telling me you quit your job to come work here with me, and you didn’t even stick around to find out if you’d made partner?”
“Absolutely,” Ash swore, once more tracing her index finger over her heart.
Caitlyn leaped in the air, clapping her hands. “Brewster, Tanner, and Associates, here we come!”
“Associates?” Ash’s brow furrowed. “We have associates? We’ll need a bigger office.”
“We don’t have any yet, but I’m dreaming big. Although I did confirm that temp you suggested, Emily, for Monday.” Caitlyn’s countenance sobered as the enormity of what Ash had done sank in. “Are you absolutely sure?”
“I’ve never been so sure about anything in my life,” Ash promised.
“We should get changed,” Caitlyn said with an eye to her paint-soaked attire. “We’re going out on the town tonight.”
“Are you crazy?” Ash gestured to the messy storage room. “I’ve got an office to get ready.”
“Don’t you want to celebrate?” Caitlyn asked. “I don’t want us to fall into old habits, working so hard all the time that we fail to take time for what’s really important.”
“I agree,” Ash said, tenderness in her eyes. She took a step toward Caitlyn but stopped short, eyeing paint-covered fingers. “But there are only two things I want right now. Egg rolls, and you.”
Caitlyn arched a brow. “Egg rolls?”
“Definitely,” Ash confirmed. “And you.”
They stood frozen for a moment, close but not touching. Finally, with a roll of her eyes and a hearty laugh, Ash swept Caitlyn into her arms. Ash planted a kiss on her mouth, long and sensuous. When she pulled back, there was a dot of blue paint on her nose.
“Oh no,” Caitlyn cried out. “The paint! I got it all over you, and your suit too.”
“I don’t care.” Ash kissed her again, Caitlyn’s insides melting. “But since my best suit’s ruined now, maybe it’s a good time to discuss going business casual?”
“Whatever you want,” Caitlyn declared, meaning it to the bottom of her heart. Whatever Ash wanted, Caitlyn would happily give her, as long as it meant they could be together from now on.
Snow fell steadily on the expansive lawn behind Caitlyn’s house, but inside the glass conservatory with its heated inground pool, steam coated the windows with a thick fog. Potted palms and tropical flowers thrived like it was Florida instead of Massachusetts, and the sounds of laughing, splashing, and barking filled the air as birthday balloons and streamers fluttered in a light breeze from the ceiling fans.
“Oh my goodness!” Caitlyn ducked behind her hands as Sadie tossed a toy into the water and Happy went bounding after it. It was no use. Water sprayed up from the pool and drenched her on the chaise. Somehow Ash, lounging in the chair beside her, remained dry. “I can’t believe she’s actually following through with teaching that dog to dive.”
“And I can’t believe I only figured out last week that you had an indoor pool at your house.” Ash stretched her arms above her head and her ab muscles, on display thanks to a bikini that didn’t leave much to the imagination, rippled in a way that would be playing on a loop in Caitlyn’s dreams for weeks.
“Technically, it’s my dad’s house, which explains the pool.” Caitlyn grabbed a towel to dab away the droplets from her legs and chest. “That man’s never been in the same room with the word subtle.”
Or with his younger daughter on her birthday, she thought, although she kept herself from voicing it. As much as so many things in her life had changed for the better recently, some things never would. There was no point in bringing attention to it and spoiling the day.
“You know what I can’t believe?” Ash’s mom piped up from where she sat at one of the glass patio tables with Felicia, who was rocking three-month old Tatiana—whom Ash insisted on calling Tater Tot—in her arms. “I can’t believe Ash is hosting a family get-together.” This was punctuated by the whoops and cheers of Ash’s brother, nephews, Breanna, and Jose all splashing and swimming with Happy.
“Caitlyn’s the host,” Ash argued, turning an apologetic look toward Caitlyn. “I’m afraid now that my nephews know you have a pool, they might move in with you.”
“Sadie loves having them here,” Caitlyn replied. “She couldn’t sleep last night, like it was Christmas instead of her birthday eve.”
“Birthday eve?” Ash raised a questioning brow. “Is that a Brewster tradition I need to be aware of?”
“No, but I think it should be.” Caitlyn laughed at the horror that crossed Ash’s face. “Don’t give me that look. Your birthday comes next, so you stand to benefit more than I do.”
“Do I get to open a gift?” Ash’s eyes twinkled with mischief.
“It depends if you’re on the good list or the naughty list,” Caitlyn teased. Considering the way her girlfriend looked in her swimsuit, Caitlyn had her hopes set on the naughty list, and planned to be the one doing the unwrapping. But why wait until Ash’s birthday? They had all weekend, thanks to a strictly enforced new office policy that limited overtime to one weekend per month.
“Ash! We need more beer!” Surfacing at the deep end of the pool, Mike pointed to an empty beer bottle near the ledge.
“Get it yourself, your majesty,” Ash called back, even as she rose and walked to the cooler to fetch her brother a fresh bottle.
"How do you put up with all that sass?" Bree joked, swimming up to the edge of the pool.
“It’s a mystery,” Caitlyn replied, rolling her eyes. But it really wasn’t. Ash’s sass, as her sister referred to it, was half the attraction. As for the other half? Caitlyn’s gaze drifted to the polka dot bottoms of Ash’s suit, coming up with an answer that rhymed with sass.
“Don’t try scaring this one away,” Ash’s mom warned, making a shooing motion with her arms at Bree and Mike. “Your sister may never find anyone else who can put up with her.”
“Mom’s got a point.” Bree stuck her tongue out at Ash, who was returning to the pool with her brother’s beer, before ducking under the water—most likely to avoid her older sister’s retaliation.
“I could get used to this.” Mike took a healthy slug from the fresh bottle. “Haven’t I always told you, you’re my favorite sister?”
“Please. All you do is give me sh—ugar,” Ash corrected as her eyes darted to Dylan and Grant, who were paddling around the shallow end in brightly colored pool floaties.
Caitlyn craned her neck to look at the table behind her. “Mrs. Tanner, Ash tells me you’re retiring soon?”
“How many times have I told you to call me Bev?” Ash’s mom wagged a finger at Caitlyn, which had the odd effect of making her feel more like she belonged than that she was getting in trouble. “And the kids keep pressuring me to, but I’ve said time and again, I’ll retire when I have four grandchildren. That’s the deal.”
“Don’t look at me!” Mike protested. “Felicia and I have done our part.” This was reinforced by the look of terror in Felicia’s eyes, as if contemplating even the idea of another pregnancy and child would have her running for the hills.
Mrs. Tanner looked hopefully to Bree, who held up her hands, including the one with a diamond ring shining prominently from its ring finger. “Slow your roll, Mother! Jose and I aren’t even getting hitched until next October, and I want it to be just the two of us for a few more years. I teach little kids at school all day, and unlike my dear sis, I don’t want to bring my work home with me.”
At the mention of their older sister, both Mike and Bree turned to look at Ash. Caitlyn could almost feel the panic rolling off her in waves as her face took on the look of a feral cat who was about to get thrown into the pool. But before Ash was forced into a reply, she was saved by a blast of cold air as the door to the outside opened and Gilda came in with a huge sheet cake with seventeen candles on top.
“Time for cake!” Gilda exclaimed as she set the homemade masterpiece down on the patio table and reached into her front apron pocket for a box of matches to light the candles.
“Hold on just a minute. I need to go put on a robe.” Caitlyn turned to Ash. “You want to come with me?”
Ash raised an eyebrow but followed after her into the small shower and changing area on the far side of the conservatory.
“Did you ask me back here for a quickie?” Ash teased, waggling her eyebrows to hilarious effect. “We’ll have to hurry. You should see how fast my brother polishes off cake.”
Caitlyn’s tummy fluttered as she gathered up her courage. “No, I wanted to talk to you about something.”
Horror skirted over Ash’s gorgeous features. “If this is about babies, I will push you into the deep end and hold you under,” Ash declared.
“Ashley Rachel Tanner!” Caitlyn’s hands flew to her hips. “That is a pathetic excuse for a murder plan. There are nearly a dozen witnesses. You’d be arrested in seconds.”
“Especially since most of my family would probably side with you, now that they’ve seen this pool,” Ash agreed with a smirk. As Caitlyn refused to break eye contact, Ash’s expression grew serious. “Sorry. What did you want to talk about? But seriously, not babies. We don’t even live together.”
“Not yet,” Caitlyn said, swallowing another round of nerves. “Which is what I wanted to talk to you about.”
“What do you mean?” Ash’s eyes were wide, her tone hesitant but in a way that gave Caitlyn hope to press on.
“You spend most of your nights here,” Caitlyn said, as though building a case in front of a jury. “And when you do stay at your place, you have to take a commuter train to the closest station and then Uber into our office. Or I have to pick you up.”
“Isn’t it cake time?” Ash made a show of checking her bare wrist.
“Yes, but we’re not done with this conversation,” Caitlyn warned, knowing if she didn’t make it to the end of her list now, she never would. “In addition to not being convenient, you pay a fortune for an apartment that could literally fit inside the pool. We could pay a part time assistant with that money.”
Ash let out a nervous laugh. “I think it’d cost more than my rent to hire someone.”
Caitlyn fixed Ash with an intense stare. “You’re missing the point.”
Ash leaned into Caitlyn’s ear and whispered, “No, darling. You’re missing the part where you list loving me and wanting to spend time with me as the reason I should move in with you.”
“I—” Caitlyn gasped. In all her careful planning to appeal to Ash’s rational nature, she’d somehow managed to leave out the most important part of her argument. “Well, of course I do.”
“Then I guess we’d better put on our robes and go tell my family they’re going to be spending a lot more time at Auntie Caitlyn and Auntie Ash’s pool.” Ash looped her arm around Caitlyn’s waist, holding her tight. “Unless there’s no cake left, in which I reserve the right to reconsider.”
Bubbling over with joy, Caitlyn nodded vigorously. “That’s only fair,” she said, grinning from ear to ear.
EPILOGUE
The hotel suite’s French doors stood open, pleasantly warm spring air wafting in gently from the balcony that overlooked the sea. As Ash hung the last of her suits inside the antique wardrobe in the bedroom, the pop of a champagne cork shattered the silence, followed by Caitlyn letting out a celebratory whoop. Ash jumped several inches backward, nearly sending her tumbling onto her ass. Recovering her balance, she scurried into the adjoining sitting room to discover Caitlyn with one hand over a deep green bottle, the other grasping for a tall crystal flute as fizzy liquid bubbled from the top.
“What on earth are you doing?” Ash demanded, rushing to help Caitlyn with the glasses before any more of the precious golden liquid hit the floor.
“Oh, no. You can’t be a grump tonight.” Caitlyn managed to fill both flutes without further mishap, handing one off to Ash and keeping the other for herself. She clinked the rim of her glass against Ash’s. “Cheers.”
