Page 29

"Emma, please come to my office," Emily Harris says with the phone pressed to her ear while collecting a couple of folders. "They've arrived."

The older of the cousins hangs up after hearing a vague murmur of acceptance on the other end of the line and rises from her chair. She's nervous, her left hand trembles slightly and her throat itches. She clears her throat, runs her fingers through her hair and smooths out nonexistent wrinkles in her suit jacket. The night before she stayed late at the tennis player's house, they made love again and remained in bed for a good while talking in whispers. Afterward, Emily woke up ravenously hungry and they went to the kitchen to nibble on some cheese with a glass of wine. They ended up devouring each other in the kitchen, and when the lawyer remembers it, a shiver makes her hair stand on end. She's fascinated by this stage where you can't keep your hands off the other person, everything is new and exciting and, of course, Emily intends to enjoy it until the intensity fades.

"Good morning," the lawyer greets as soon as she opens her office door and sees the Walker women seated in the waiting area.

Leah smiles and the sparkle in her eyes tells Emily that she too is happy to see her. Now standing, the women approach and greet each other professionally, shaking hands courteously. Until it's Leah's turn. Mia appears in the hallway and that greeting with the tennis player hangs in the air, but after welcoming Aaron's sister, Emily doesn't hesitate and plants a chaste kiss on a very startled Leah's lips. Anne's eyes widen, Natalie blinks rapidly, and Mia turns and pretends to admire a painting decorating the hallway.

"How are you?" Emily asks, looking into Leah's eyes.

"Much better now," the tennis player answers and gives her another quick kiss.

The sound of heels that seem determined to crack the polished floor makes them all turn and watch the younger Harris lawyer approach. As always, Emma is dressed to break hearts. A long skirt suit and jacket with a black shirt featuring white details. Hair pulled back, flawless makeup, and eyes with a sharp expression.

The gaze between the lawyer and Mia Clark gets caught for a second, enough to denote the tension between them, dampen Emma's panties, and throw off an insecure Mia who never gets nervous about a woman, except for her, the unbearable snob who makes her mouth water remembering the taste of her kisses.

"Emma, take Mia. I'll handle Leah and her mothers," Emily says, which, although it seems like a macabre plan, was actually planned this way.

"Sure," Emma answers, her voice strangled. "Mia, follow me, please."

After saying goodbye to the rest of the women, lawyer and client walk down the hallway. In silence they head to Emma's office where, polite as always, she opens the door and lets Mia enter first.

"Sit wherever you like," Emma invites her while heading to her own chair.

Hearing Mia's voice suddenly makes the lawyer's heart beat hard.

"Let's settle this once and for all," Mia's tone tells her she's not playing around. "I can't give this judicial process my full attention if I have other things on my mind."

Emma looks at her and feels a knot in her throat threatening to strangle her. She decides to take the easy route.

"What do you mean?" she asks and pretends to be busy turning on her computer.

Mia snorts and shakes her head.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about, Emma," she responds harshly. "We slept together, you ran from my house, and we haven't talked about it. If you don't want to discuss it, that's fine with me, but I want to settle it, to know if there's a pending conversation or if we're going to act like nothing happened."

Like nothing happened.

The phrase echoes in Emma's brain. Is that what she wants? No, certainly not, but she should let it go. Now that Mia gives her the opportunity to not even touch the subject, Emma should tell her that what happened won't repeat itself.

"What do you want?" the lawyer asks.

"Me?" Mia points to herself, incredulous. Emma has decided to throw the ball far from her court. "I wouldn't mind continuing to see you, meeting occasionally, going out to eat somewhere, but I know how you are, and dating a ball girl plus ex-convict isn't something I think lawyer Emma Harris could tolerate."

The caddie's honesty is crushing. So much so that Emma feels miserable. Hearing those words from her companion's own mouth has been a direct stab to the chest that won't stop bleeding. She's clear that Mia is a great woman; she has seen with her own eyes how hardworking, loyal, intelligent, and passionate she is. The lawyer knows her story by heart and knows that, despite the caddie having had an extremely tough life, she has forged ahead alone and managed to become the wonderful person she is. Emma touches her nose nervously, then readjusts in her chair thinking about her response. She's not going to deny something obvious, though the problem is she doesn't know how to act.

"Let's do something," Emma proposes in response, "let's focus on preparing you for the interview with the judge. I need you very focused on this. And tonight we'll meet, outside of here, just you and me."

"The lawyer and her client?"

"No. Emma and Mia," the attorney answers.

Mia nods and, finally, sits down in front of the black wooden desk that occupies much of the office. She relaxes a bit and realizes that the office smells like Emma, like her perfume, like her skin. She's lost, she knows it, because she made the mistake of kissing those full lips, feeling her tongue entwined with hers, and at that precise moment, her defenses crashed to the floor.

"Don't try to deceive the judge," Emma pulls her from her thoughts. "Be sincere, speak calmly, and answer everything she asks you."

"Do you know what she's going to ask me?"

"I've prepared a list of possible questions; the important thing is that you stay calm. You have nothing to hide, you've complied with everything they've asked of you, you have a good job, a home, you're free of crimes, and your behavior has been exemplary."

"That almost sounds like praise from you," Mia says, trying to ease the tension.

Emma locks onto her gaze and all she wants is to stand up and kiss her. Tell her that everything will be fine, that she'll be there to guide her and promise that she'll do everything, even the impossible, to ensure her brother is by her side, but once again, that cold marble she's covered with prevents her from approaching the girl she likes in that way. Even so, she smiles and winks at her in silent acknowledgment of what she said.