Always Read online

  “I like your babble. I’m just having my lunch now and I thought of you, wondered what you were up to.”

  “I’m in the grocery store. I haven’t been in a week and there’s only so much take-out my budget can afford. Thought I’d take care of it now. I’ve got to work this weekend so I won’t have time and I have a paper to write as well. I hope you’re eating something tasty.”

  He could see her smile, the way her nose sort of scrunched up at the bridge, the curve of her bottom lip and cant a little higher on the left of her mouth.

  “Meatball sub with crisps and a Coke. I’m watching koi fish in a pond just feet from where this bench is. There’s a deli ’round the corner from my house so I took a break from work and wandered over.”

  “What do you think of our chips?” She snickered and he shook his head as he popped one of the extra crispy, kettle salt and vinegar chips into his mouth.

  “You’re making fun, missy. There’s a shop over near the Queen Mary where I can buy Irish and British food items. I get Tayto, cheese and onion of course, and good tea too. Real tea instead of that weak, pale stuff you all call tea. In a pinch when I must eat potato chips, I quite enjoy the Tim’s brand, kettle chips they’re called.”

  “I’m not being too saucy.” She laughed. “I love those too. But when I get a hankering, I special order Chivers gooseberry jam from a local shop here. You Irish do some things very well. And now I really have a horrible craving for those darned crisps, thankyouverymuch. Where on earth am I to find Tayto brand chips? I’ll have to go online.”

  He heard beeping and talking in the background as she thanked the checker.

  “Now I’m going to walk home, so keep me company. How did the wedding go?”

  He’d spoken to her a few days prior, about a wedding shoot he’d had scheduled for the weekend. In fact, he found himself texting or on the phone with her at least twice a week. She’d simply slid into that space in his life he hadn’t quite realized was empty.

  “It was good. The weather was perfect, it had been cloudy the whole morning but cleared up by the time they started playing the wedding march. They had their pets in the wedding party. Weird. But it made for good pictures anyway.” He’d been hit on and went as far as to head back to the woman’s hotel room but in the end, he’d left because he just couldn’t get Cat’s face off his mind. The woman wasn’t her. There had been moments since then where he’d vacillated between happy about that and resentful of it. Things had changed and he wasn’t entirely sure just how to feel about it.

  They spoke for another few minutes, even as she unloaded her groceries.

  “I find myself missing you an awful lot now that I’ve found you again,” she said right before they rang off. It warmed him, made him a bit giddy, truth be told.

  “Yes, I miss you too. I’m getting quite used to our regular talks but it’s not nearly as fun as seeing your face while we speak. It’s nice not to be totally alone in this great big country. Other than family but they have to like me.”

  “I’m sure you have no problem with people liking you, Eamon. Female people seem to love you.” She laughed and he was happy to hear the sound free from bitterness or anger.

  “Well you’re my favorite female people. Anyway, I’ve got to get back to work. I promised Laura, my sister-in-law, I’d bring her back some food. I’ll call you next week. Don’t work too hard this weekend.”

  He meant that part. She worked a lot. Her drive stunned him but she was the most ambitious person he’d ever met. The Cat he’d known before had been vivacious and full of life; this Caitlin was still full of life, but she was more intense and he found it admirable and really sexy too. Still it worried him that she seemed to live on a few hours’ sleep at night and bounced between her job and her studies.

  “Be well, Eamon. Have a good weekend.” She hung up and he folded his trash, tossing it into the can before heading back to work. And still, even after hanging up, her voice remained in his head like an aural caress.

  He tossed the bag with Laura’s turkey and swiss on her desk. “Yes, it’s fresh, I went back after I finished my lunch,” he answered her unasked question. She was an odd one about food after a really nasty experience with food poisoning over the Christmas holidays.

  “What took you so long?”

  “I sat at the park. Made a call. Just enjoyed a bit of a break.”

  “How is she?” Laura smiled like she wasn’t being nosy as she tore into her sandwich.

  “She’s good. Off to work. Has a paper due apparently. She works too much. Her parents should help her instead of making her struggle so hard.” He frowned.

  Laura shrugged. “Some people are assholes, Eamon. You know that. My guess is, if she’s half the woman you say she is, this is making her stronger. She’ll be a damned fine attorney when all is said and done. You should bring her down in the summer for a week or two. Or maybe even spring break. I’m sure she could use the time away.”

  He grinned. “Meddler.”

  “Punk.”

  She thought of him, of the way his hands felt on her body, the way he delivered openmouthed kisses to the hollow of her hip, the inside of her thigh, over her clit until her knees trembled and she cried out, begging for more. Thought of the prickly-rough of his chin as he nuzzled her awake to take her again. All while she walked, files in her arms like a shield, trying not to kick the shit out of the man approaching who was not Eamon but the anti-Eamon, Adam.

  “Fancy seeing you here. You look good, Caitlin.” As usual, he mispronounced it. After the first time she corrected every other human on earth, they’d all figured it out. She knew it was a common enough mistake, and it wasn’t a big deal to gently correct people. Instead, Adam had just laughed, suggested she change the spelling because it was too confusing and kept calling her by the wrong name. She’d said, “It was my grandmother’s name and her mother’s name before that. Why should I change the spelling because you can’t do what everyone else does and pronounce it right once you know it’s Kathleen?” God, how could she have ever been in love with such a douchebag?

  She didn’t even blink, but kept moving toward the elevators just beyond where he stood. The courthouse elevators were notorious; if she could get in one, it might just close on him. Which would totally make her day.

  Which didn’t happen because why give her that small pleasure? No, he actually got inside with her and they rode down together.

  “You can’t ignore me forever,” he said like the asshat he was.

  Ha. Watch me.

  She kept her eyes straight ahead and tried not to gag on his Drakkar Noir or whatever stupid fucking douchebag cheaters were wearing to cover the stench of day-old pussy on their manparts.

  She snorted, that was pretty funny. Too bad she couldn’t kick him in his balls, spit in his eye and leave his head strategically placed so the doors banged his temples over and over all night long until they opened the courthouse the next morning and it was such a sad, tragic story on KIRO. She’d sniff sadly…the door opened and ruined her homicidal fantasy but she managed to make it out as he blathered behind her about having to face him sometime. Yeah, with her car when he was on foot.

  Until he touched her. She turned and glared. “Get your hand off me now or I’ll have that big giant cop over there step in.”

  He put his hands up and stepped back. “I was just trying to talk to you.”

  She rolled her eyes and turned to leave as he hurried behind her like one of those spastic little dogs her mother had following her all day long. Except they were cute and they didn’t fuck their secretaries and steal years of her life. They just shit in her mother’s closet, which made Caitlin love them forever, even if they did bark when a mouse farted ten miles away.

  Speaking of mouse farts and yapping. “Damn it, wait Kate-lynn.”

  She nearly made it while the cross light was up but he caught her as she had to wait. The area was thick with people who were her co-workers, other law students, even peopl
e she’d cross examined and he was getting more and more agitated. It was just like him to make a scene.

  Instead of darting into traffic or giving into the scene he so clearly wanted, she turned to him and hissed, “You’re wasting my time and I’m busy. I have to get back to work.”

  “Just two minutes then,” he wheedled.

  “You have two minutes.” She hefted the files up to look at her watch. “Starting now.”

  “I just thought we could talk. Have dinner later. A drink? We used to be friends.”

  She stared at him as the time ticked past, not commenting. “We used to be lots of things. Then you fucked me over. We’re nothing now.”

  “What? Why are you so mean to me? I made a mistake! I was lonely, you were busy off doing other things. It just happened. You used to love me once and I don’t see how you can just throw it all away.”

  “Once I’d have stood here with you and argued that stupid point. Once I’d have let you make me feel bad. Once, I’d have missed you. But I’m smarter now. Also, tick tock, Adam. It’s been two years since we broke up. You can’t tell me you’re lonely. We both know you’d fuck anything that moved. I don’t want to have dinner with you. I don’t want to be friends with you. I’d like you to move on. I have. My schedule does not include you in any way, shape or form. Now, your time is up. Do fuck off.” She turned and headed back toward the office.

  She’d been slamming around her cubicle—interns didn’t have offices—when Anh came around the corner. “What’s your deal? You snapped at Caroline when you came in, you tossed your pencil and you’ve been bitching to yourself for the last half an hour. You got those motions filed right? The judge told me he gave you a great recommendation, you helped me win three cases this month. Why are you talking to yourself and being so cranky?”

  “It’s pathetic isn’t it? That you’d assume it was work related? God, I’m wretched. Yes, I got everything filed. This is not work related, just a big giant neon sign pointing to what an utter failure I am in my personal life.”

  “My, very dramatic. Do tell.” Anh perched her size zero ass on the edge of the desk and caught Caitlin between annoyance and amusement. Since she loved Anh, she decided to go for amusement.

  “I ran into Adam at the courthouse. I have no idea why he was there and it’s creepy to even imagine it was on purpose.”

  “Not to mention egotistical.” Anh grinned.

  “Bitch. He may have fucked his secretary but he did love me in his twisted way. Anyway, even though I gave him the cold shoulder, he followed me out onto the street! Kept yammering at me until I finally agreed to listen to him for two minutes. Which I did.”

  “And he wanted what? Stupid asshole. I hope you kicked him in the balls.”

  “Then he’d have had me arrested. No, in a trip to bizarre-world, he asked me to go to dinner with him. He was all, we used to be friends, blahdy blahh. Pfft, as if. I don’t want him in my life. I have horrible taste, Anh. I shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near anyone with a penis or I will choose the worst of them.”

  “I sense your parents behind this. Why else would he seek you out? In any case, I have no idea why you give him all this power to annoy you. It’s been over two years. You’ve moved on. Who cares about him? Enough wallowing. I’m glad you told him off.” She hopped off the desk. “Let’s go. You’re coming over for dinner tonight and if you come in here this weekend I will kick your ass myself. I know finals week is approaching and I want you to deal with that. Ace them and you will be in an even better position to come back here next year and then as an FTE.”

  “Fine. Be logical. See if I care.”

  “One of us has to be since you’re riding on the crazy train and all. As I’m the one getting sex on a regular basis, it’ll be me who serves as the reality check. Now, move along, Vittorio said he’s planning to teach you something about roux tonight and if I’m late with you, he’ll just pout and I’ll have to coax him with sex. Wait, that’s not a bad idea. See the things I do for you?”

  “Drama queen.”

  Anh just laughed as they made their way out.

  Vittorio showed her how to make the perfect roux for the jambalaya he prepared for dinner. She fit in with their crazy family and loved it that they made a Caitlin-shaped spot for her.

  After dinner, she played Wii table tennis and then boxed with Anh’s two kids.

  “I know I shouldn’t admit it, but it’s hella satisfying to punch your kid in the face on a screen,” Anh said quietly as they cleaned up the family room after the kids had gone to bed.

  Caitlin laughed as she put on her coat and prepared to leave. “I won’t tell. Thanks for tonight and for you know, everything. You’re good to me. I appreciate it.”

  “We love you, silly. Vittorio and I like having you around. The kids love you. You’re good to us. That’s how family works. Now go. It’s a weekend coming up. Don’t come in to work. I checked your schedule, you’re fine and I know you have a paper due.” She paused a moment. “Too bad he’s so far away, huh? He doesn’t seem to be a giant dingus like Adam is.”

  “I’m too busy to get involved right now, Anh. I swear to you, too busy. You and Amy bring it up like I have so much time to just flit around and have a social life. Men take effort. I mean, if they know what do to with what they have and they’re not trying to stick it in everyone who walks by, they can be worth it. But that’s neither here nor there because I have to finish school, pass the bar, get a job. In that order. I’m not saying it wasn’t nice he came up here. I’m glad we’re back in touch and I’m okay with whatever he and I have long distance. I’m not letting any man steal my focus again. I have plans. Then I can have a relationship.”

  Anh hugged her. “I respect that and I believe you. You’ve worked hard to get here so I don’t think you need to apologize for having goals and wanting to achieve them. It’s just, you know, you can have both I think. You don’t have a lot of time left to school. You’re going to feel the lack of a significant other then. I worry that you’ll have this long distance thing with Eamon and then you’ll want more.”

  “And what? So what if I do? People grow, they progress.”

  “You and he have a deal. This whatever-you-call-it between you has rules. I worry that you’ll put your time and heart into Eamon and when you finally have the space to take a breath and want more, he’ll shrug and say you knew what the rules were. I don’t want your heart broken.”

  “Why would you assume he’d not want more too? Am I so horrible that you’d think he wouldn’t want more?”

  Anh took Caitlin’s hands, squeezing. “I think you’re peanut butter and jelly. So stop. It’s just that from the outside looking in, while you both seem happy with the casual long-distance thing, I know you. You are faithful to your people. If he’s worth your time now, when your time is at such a premium, I foresee you wanting more. I love you, I want you happy. It’s my job to worry about you.” She shrugged. “Enough lecturing for now. I can see by the set of your jaw you’re halfway annoyed. Let Vittorio walk you to the car.”

  “I’m not annoyed. I know you’re a pest because you care.” She hugged Anh tight. “I’m stealing your husband for a brief walk to my car. Good night and I’ll see you next week.”

  On orders, Vittorio walked her to her car and kissed her cheek. “Go on, Caitlin. You know she’ll kick your ass if she finds out you worked this weekend.” He grinned and she got into her car. He was right, Anh would probably check the keycard access to see if she came into the office that weekend.

  So she finished her paper first thing that next day and actually spent two hours Sunday getting a manicure and a haircut. She even bought two new lipsticks and some books. All in all, a very good weekend.

  Chapter Six

  He’d been surfing the web for the last several days, checking out plane fares, going back and forth about inviting Caitlin down to visit. He wanted to see her. If he invited her down it would be a new step, but as he thought it over, it wasn’t an u
nwelcome one either.

  He picked the phone up and dialed her number before he changed his mind.

  “Well, hello there, sexy Irishman. What’s up in your world today?”

  He liked that she just answered, knowing it was him. Liked that she recognized his number. He was a marshmallow when it came to her. He wanted to spoil her because he knew damned well no one else did and she deserved it.

  “Since you couldn’t come down over spring break, how about you spend two weeks with me once school is out? Before you start the summer session? My treat. I’ll send you the ticket, pick you up at the airport and we can just spend the time together here at my place. You can sleep in every day if you want, the library is within walking distance, there’s an actual newsstand not too far from me either.” Eamon smiled as he imagined her there with him. It had been nearly six months since he’d seen her last. He’d spoken to her on the phone or via email or IM nearly every day but it wasn’t the same.

  “Are you sure? I mean, plane tickets are sort of spendy. Plus, well, you sure you can deal with me for two solid weeks? I won’t be in the way?”

  “I just checked fares online, it’s really not that bad. Plus, I’m counting on you being in my way for two weeks. How else can I have nonstop sex with you?”

  She laughed. “Thank goodness you only want me for my body.” She paused. “Okay then. My last final is on the 21st. I have the time at work and school won’t start again for a few weeks. They’re keeping me on over the summer but they won’t mind if I take some vacation. I think some time in the sun, being objectified by a hot Irishman is just what I need.”

  “Good. I’ll be sure to objectify you extra hard then. Just so you don’t feel cheated.”

  They rang off and he stared out the window for a few minutes, losing himself in the memory of her. They’d both been very busy since they’d seen each other last, he knew. He’d been rushed off his feet, really building his business, traveling all across the country as well as working close to home and she’d been finishing up her second year of law school and holding down a job on top of that. He knew the second year was the one “they work you to death” in and she’d sounded tired a lot but never discouraged. Even with those extra credits she needed to graduate a semester early to take the bar exam in February instead of July.