The morning went quickly and at eleven o’clock, Lane got her purse and told Meg she was going out. She drove to the Johnson County Clerk’s office and picked up the marriage license. When they’d applied, she couldn’t believe how much it cost to get married. The license alone was nearly $90.00. Things had changed since her last walk down the aisle.
When she’d married Gus, they had gone to a justice of the peace. She’d had a big church wedding when she married Phillip. She knew the wedding ceremony itself had nothing to do with how the marriage turned out. She remembered how stressful planning the wedding had been. She smiled. Maybe it was one of the reasons she’d agreed so quickly to Ben’s suggestion of having a quick small wedding.
Her cell phone rang. It was Ben. It was uncanny how he seemed to call almost every time she was thinking about him. She answered using the blue tooth connection in her Escalade. “How do you do that?”
He laughed as he replied, “What did I do now, and did you like it?”
“I like almost everything you do. How is it you always call just when I’m thinking about you?”
“I’ve told you before, I have ESP where you’re concerned. And what do you mean almost?” His voice was deep and sexy. “No, don’t tell me. It might damage my fragile ego.”
“You’re so funny. Fragile ego my aunt fanny. Okay, I don’t think you’ve done anything so far I don’t like. But I’d like another opportunity to examine the facts, counselor.”
Jamie had a home football game tonight. And even though Friday was date night, which generally meant they spent the night without the kids, she and Ben would spend the first part of their date tonight watching Jamie play football. Jamie would go hang out with his friends afterward, and they’d go have dinner. She felt a blush creeping up as she thought about how the evening would end. Maybe they’d skip dinner and just go to Ben’s. They hadn’t made love since Tuesday night and she had to admit that she was feeling a bit neglected. All of this innuendo over the phone was only intensifying the need she felt.
“We might be able to work something out after the Bambino’s game tonight. I need to run. I had a break and I just wanted to call and tell you how much I love you. But now you’ve got me so worked up that I may not be able to concentrate during jury selection.”
“You’ll do fine, counselor, I have confidence in you. I love you and I can’t wait for tonight.”
She went back to the office and finished out the afternoon with her meetings. As she was packing up her laptop, Meg came into her office.
“I imagine Jake and I will see you at the game. My parents are going to watch Abbey for me. Jake likes Ben’s date night so much that we’re trying it. Fridays without the baby, I mean.”
Lane smiled. She liked Meg, and if Jake was happy, she was happy. “Well, we’ll be there. Sometimes it’s crowded, so there’s no guarantee that we’ll see you. It’s your first game, isn’t it? Are you a football fan?”
Meg laughed. “I really don’t know much about the game. I’m a Jake fan, Jake’s a Jamie fan, and Jamie plays football. So you know it’s like the transitive property of equality: if A=B and B=C then A=C. So, I’m a football fan.”
Lane laughed. She had an infectious, full-bodied laugh. “Better bring a jacket, it could be chilly after the sun goes down.” Lane said as she and Meg walked toward the elevators.
Lane went home to change. The game was at 7:30. She liked to arrive at the field a little before 7:00 to get both a good parking spot and a good seat. This would be only the second time Ben had gone with her since Jamie got on the varsity squad. In prior seasons, Ben had been out on his date night with someone else. He had attended several Junior Varsity games with her and she knew he’d seen most of the varsity home games, just with someone else.
Jamie had already left by the time Lane got home. She put her briefcase in the den and went to change her clothes.
She’d put on her Levi’s and was buttoning up a sleeveless blouse when the doorbell rang. She went to the door in her bare feet and found Lila Crane. She held an evidence bag.
“I just wanted to return the receipt for your golf clubs. Where are those golf clubs, by the way?”
Lane just looked at her wondering what this visit meant. Was the return of the receipt an indication that she wasn’t a suspect anymore? Did it mean that Rochelle Jones had confessed? Or was Lila just here to jerk her chain?
“I really don’t know where the golf clubs are right now.” She still stared at Lila, and she neither invited her in nor did she move to take the evidence bag.
Lila’s eyes were emerald slits as she leaned close to Lane. “You know, we fucked like rabid dogs. Ben and I. All fast, furious, hot and wet.”
Lane closed her eyes and could see them. She told herself that it didn’t matter. It was before she and Ben were a couple. But the image was burned in her brain.
Ben pulled into the driveway and quickly got out of his SUV. “Detective what are you doing here?”
Lila held up the evidence bag. I was returning her receipt.” She pushed it toward Ben. “Congratulations on your engagement, Counselor,” she said as she turned and left.
Ben wrapped his arms around Lane. She was visibly shaken. “Are you all right? What did she say to you?”
She buried her head in his shoulder and breathed in the scent of him. She shook her head hoping the image would go away like an etch-a-sketch drawing. She was crying and Ben had no idea why. He backed her into the house and closed the door.
“Oh, Lane, sweetheart, don’t cry. Tell me what she said.”
Lane sniffed and looked up at him. He gently wiped her tears away with his fingertips.
“Please just tell me what she said to make you cry.”
“She told me the two of you fucked like rabid dogs,” Lane said in halting breaths, as she took his hand and began walking toward her bed room. “I tried to tell myself it doesn’t matter. That it was before we were a couple, but there’s a picture in my head and I think there’s only one way I’m going to erase the image from my brain.” She pulled his polo shirt out of his pants and began working the buckle of his belt.
He began kissing her, gently at first, then deeper. As always, she moaned as their tongues danced together. He moved from her lips to her eyes and her neck and throat. Her return kisses were intense and she was struggling to get his clothes off. He picked her up and carried her to the bed, kissing her as he unbuttoned her blouse bending to kiss the swells of her breasts above the lace bra.
“Lane, I love you. Dear God, I love you. You are my heart.” He unbuttoned the fly of her jeans and pulled them from her hips exposing her black lace panties. He groaned. “God, I am so sorry.”
She sat up and took off her clothes. “No more talking. Just take off your clothes and come here. I need a new picture in my head. And I need it now.”
He was willing to comply. He stripped out of his khakis and boxers, and climbed into bed next to her. He showered kisses on her, literally from head to toe. He took a nipple in his mouth and suckled as she moaned. She had her hands in his hair and was moving his head to her other breast. He knew that she’d be wet and ready for him, but he continued to kiss her breasts, licking and suckling, first one then the other and back again. She was screaming his name. Dear Lord, had he brought her to an orgasm by just suckling her? She pushed at his shoulders and he moved lower pausing only briefly at her navel before moving on. She was so wet.
“No, I need you inside me. I need you now.”