Black Tie Event

Chapter Thirty Two

"My attorney," I decided to say in answer. 

"Why do you have an attorney?"

"Well, not my attorney, just an attorney, you know, with whom, my work often mandates some form of...communication."

At this point, I considered tacking on a "for the ozone."

Grace looked long and hard at me, sizing me up with her eyes.

"Mhm."

I swallowed. "Yup."

"So, she's not Counselor anything?"

"Well, she is Counselor something..."

"But you don't call her Counselor something."

"Um, no. No I do not."

"You're close," she noted.

"We're coworkers."

"You and Carrie."

I swallowed, again, and forced a cavalier smile. "Me and Carrie."

"Is that short for something?"

"No," I lied.

"Are you lying?"

Yes. "No."

"What's it short for?"

I looked around the room, suddenly the grout between the tiles on her floor more interesting to look at than her face. "Caroline."

She inhaled, shutting her eyes to gain the strength to deal with me. "So you had sex."

"What?"

"You had sex with Counselor Carrie."

"I had no such thing with Counselor Carrie." I cleared my throat. "Caroline."

She just looked at me, and once again said, "Mhm."

My phone started vibrating in my pocket once again, and for once, I had no intention of picking it up. There was no saying who it was, but it was just my luck that it would be her calling. To request my affidavit, or my presence in her office, or, who knows, her bedroom.

The sound of the vibration in my pocket was faint but perceptible in the awkward silence that had fallen. I just looked around and bit my lower lip, horribly uncomfortable.

"Pick up your phone, Kim," Grace challenged.

"No thank you," I muttered quietly.

She gasped dramatically, taking far too much pleasure in watching me squirm. "But Kim! It might be work! It could be the PD! There could be a crime going on right now, where your presence is needed! For justice, Kim!"

"I'm sure it's nothing," I dismissed.

"Well don't you want to check?"

I swallowed. "No ma'am."

She held eye contact with me for a good three seconds before jumping from her seat and nearly tackling me out of my chair, reaching into my pocket trying to take it before I could beat her to it and throw it at a wall or something.

"Grace!"

"Hiding something?" she challenged, somehow grabbing hold of my wrists and getting them behind my back - which was just embarrassing because I was a cop.

"This is illegal!"

"Stop and frisk," she defended. "You've given me probable cause."

I stopped struggling for a minute and just looked at her affectionately. "Aw, Grace, you made a police joke."