Binding Arbitration (26 page)

“She sings the way she’s dressed, I’m screwed,” Tony said.

Evita’s reply was laced with Spanish obscenities, and Libby glared at him. “Instead of attacking, why don’t you try to come up with a solution?” Just then one of the cocktail waitresses darted by with a weighted down clattering tray. “Tony, are there any more of the cocktail server’s costumes?”

“No, the girls showed up dressed.”

“I guess there’s no other way…” Libby walked toward a door that ran alongside the elevators. “What’s in here?”

“It’s a storage room,” Tony replied. “Liquor mostly,”

“Great, unlock it.”

He drew out his keys, opening the door. “Happy, counselor?”

“Don’t say I don’t go the extra mile for my clients.” She grabbed Evita’s arm and pulled her into the storage room.

Tony and I stood, bewildered. We heard some moving around, a few curses in Spanish, raised mumbled voices, then silence.

Next thing I knew Evita reappeared trying to get Libby’s brown dress zipped. She turned toward me to finish it for her, and Tony slapped me out of the way, doing the honors himself.

The door cracked open. “Don’t forget the shoes.”

Evita was trying to wrangle her foot in a shoe at a hop, as Tony hustled her around the stage to the back of the house.

The thought barely washed through mind. Libby was in that storage room almost naked, when my cell phone rang. “Babe?”

“Can you please send David to your house for sweats?”

“Nope. Put on the dress, or we’ll miss Evita’s debut.”

“I am not coming out of this storage room.”

“If you don’t want to wear the dress, come out in your birthday suit. I’m eagerly waiting.” I hung up.

Her obscenities bounced off the walls in time with my deep laughter. Finally, it grew absolutely silent. Time ticked by. The door to the storage room flung open, before Libby stepped out in the red dress. My heart stopped. “If you say a single word, I’ll f’in’ kill you with my bare hands.”

My mouth wouldn’t work if I’d wanted it to. It was too busy manufacturing saliva. My mind was on overdrive, thinking about me, her, and that little slip of a dress. I put my hand out, and gestured with my finger for her to turn around for me.

“Yeah right, give me your coat before someone sees me.”

I slipped it off but held it beyond her grasp.

“Aidan, give me that coat right now.”

I smiled my sexiest smile, egging her on.

“Fine,” she said before she threw her arms up in the air and moved around like a belly dancer.

It was like a thunderbolt to my heart. I couldn’t breathe.

I encircled her with my coat and whispered along her ear. “It’s a shame to cover up anything this fine in something as meager as Abooud, but if we don’t, you might cause a riot.”

She caught me with the sharp point of her elbow.

I woofed out the small amount of oxygen I’d been able to get in my lungs.

She turned on me like winter’s wrath. “I’ll do worse than that, if you get fresh with me again.”

“I can’t think of a more worthy cause to get beaten for.”

She stormed off, and I trotted after her like Toto after red glittered stilettos.

“Hey sweetie.” Some clown grabbed at her from the crowd. “Come here and let daddy find out what you’re all about.” I considered decking him, but he was under the influence of a red sparkling testosterone magnet.

When Libby realized he was talking to her, she took his drink and downed it. Her eyes watered. She waved the dry glass in his shocked eyes, before hightailing it to the stage.

I caught up to her when she took an empty stool at a high cocktail table, where some nerdy-looking guy was sitting alone. The guy looked back and forth between the two of us. “Holy crap. You’re on the Cubs.” He pulled out an inhaler.

“I’m Palowski; it’s nice to meet you.” I extended my hand. “Would you mind if we share your table? A friend is going to sing.”

“Sure.” His breathing went up a notch.

When a cocktail server paraded by, Libby grabbed the girl’s arm, and ordered drinks for us.

“Do you think you should have anything else to drink?”

She raised an eyebrow at me and pursed her lips into a tight little O. “One: God only knows how many more of your ex-lovers we’ll run into. Two: I’m basically naked, it’s worse than the nightmare about showing up nude for the bar exam. Three: my ass is on the line. If Evita can’t sing, Tony’s going to have me bound, gagged, and fitted for concrete shoes.” She pulled her evening bag open yanking out a bag of M & M’s with which she occasionally bribed Cass. She plucked a few out before extending them. “Candy? Oh, that’s right you already had Candy!”

I swiped the bag from her. “I have every reason to believe she can sing, but I might have you fitted for concrete shoes myself.” Our drinks arrived and I tapped my bottle against her high ball glass. “Scratch that, I’ll just have you bound and gagged.”

“That’s about the only way you’ll get me.”

“You’re awfully vulnerable in that tube dress. I bet I can have it off of you before we get to Lake Shore Drive.”

“You wish.”

I was absolutely serious. “Bound, gagged, and exposed. We can create our own special memory of the magnificent mile.”

“It would take you a lot longer than a…”

Our table mate cleared his throat. We’d both forgotten that we weren’t alone. He was beet red, but he took two hits off his inhaler before saying, “The two of you are way kinky.” He got up and blended into the throng.

I hadn’t laughed like that in forever. I took the stool alongside Libby and pulled hers closer to mine.

I heard Tony at the microphone. “Ladies and gentlemen, we have a very special guest this evening; Ms. Evita is here all the way from…” Evita cleared her throat in the mic loudly, and Tony gave her a glare. “Please help me welcome her to Chicago.” Tony’s arc of light was extinguished as the applause rose, and a black ebony piano was illuminated with Evita sitting behind it.

Evita began to play softly and the crowd stepped closer to the stage. Then her silky voice started, “At last, my love has come along.” There was no hesitation in her crystal voice. “My lonely days are over. And life is like a song.” The crowd erupted, clapping and whistling.

Libby’s eyes shone with satisfaction. I kissed her temple.

The room was awash in applause, as Tony made his way to us, presenting Libby with a bottle of champagne, and two glasses. “
Bella
, you saved me this evening, she’s fantastic. I owe you a dress, any dress you want you just send me the bill.”

“You’re going to hire her then?”

“I’d be crazy if I didn’t.”

“I’ll have a contract sent over by messenger first thing in the morning. You can pay her cash for tonight. I think twenty-five hundred and then a thousand-dollar wardrobe allowance until we get the details of the contract ironed out.”

Tony poured her a glass of champagne. “You’re representing Evita, and you want a contract? You’re my attorney.”

“Yes, but I’m your criminal defense attorney. Who handles your business contracts?”

“Cyrus Fletcher.”

“Then I definitely want an ironclad contract.” Libby tossed back a swig of bubbly.

“Twenty-five hundred is too much for one night.” Tony looked about, weighing his options. “She’s only singing, and I’m betting she’s the illegal that’s been holed up in the church. It’s all over the news. I could lose my liquor license employing her.”

“Then I suppose all the guys in the kitchen have green cards?” Libby crossed her arms and tilted her head. “She saved your ass, but I understand. I’ll just retrieve her, and my dress and we’ll be on our way.” Libby moved off the barstool.

“Okay, okay.” Tony stopped her with, “Contract, cash, and clothing allowance. Anything else?”

“You have to promise to look out for her.”

“Keeping an eye on her won’t be a chore.”

“Her ex-boyfriend is Enrique Espinoza.”

Tony’s eyes which had been stage bound flashed to Libby’s face. “What? The Columbian drug lord?”

“Yeah, and you’re a Chicago crime boss, right?”

“This is thornier than I imagined.” He gazed up at the stage and followed Evita with his eyes.

“If you don’t think you can protect her, then we’ll just have to leave her locked up at the rectory.”

“I can protect her, but who’s going to save me from her?”

“Oh, poor Tony.” Libby patted his hand.

“By the way, can you take Evita home tonight?” I asked.

“You’re pushing me.” Tony pulled his gaze away from me and examined Libby in my blazer. “I don’t know how you’re keeping that dress up without a bra on.” Tony laughed before moving away. “I have a party to run.
Ciao, Bella
.”

“
Ciao
, Tony. Contract first thing tomorrow, and don’t be late for our date with Judge Foreman.”

I examined the exposed skin at Libby’s neck. “What is holding up the scrap of a dress?”

“We had only one bra between us, and she was going on stage. What can I say? She needed it more than I did.”

I stood alongside her and drew my index finger along the lapel of my jacket as close to the edge as I could, my finger lightly traced her pale skin. I put my mouth to her ear. “I want to see you again.” And I traced my finger along the edge of the sequins lingering at the indentation between her breasts before she batted my hand away. “I think it’s time for me to take you home,” I said into her ear.

She shivered in response, but eyed me cautiously. “I think we should stay until she finishes the first set.”

“If I give you that concession, what will I get in return?”

“It certainly won’t be sex. What’s with you? You’re acting like you haven’t had it in months instead of days?”

“It has been seven weeks, to be exact.”

Libby looked puzzled.

I cleared my throat. I really didn’t want to get into this. “Vanessa had some work done and sex was out of the question.” I threw back some M & M’s hoping that was the end of it.

“What would prevent her from having sex?”

I choked out, “She had vaginal rejuvenation.”

Libby’s face did stunned very well. “Vaginal what?”

“I’m not saying it again.” I was as beet red as the nerd and no breathing apparatus would help me. I poured champagne.

“You’re telling me that Vanessa Vanderhoff who is, what, twenty-seven years old needed her sna…”

I put my hand over her mouth, but she wasn’t finished.

“I’m just curious; do you think it was size or volume that made rejuvenation necessary?” She asked straight-faced.

“Libby, I am not answering that.”

“Why incriminate yourself? Did you ask for them to fill and rotate the tires too?” She laughed so hard she cried. The alcohol was taking effect because she thought she was hilarious.

I was fuming sober.

And she wasn’t finished. “Why would you sleep with someone you know everyone else had?”

I still had some cocky pride. “It makes for great locker room conversation.”

She narrowed her eyes at me.

“I was only playing around with her in the beginning, but then she started to grow on me.”

“Mold grows slowly.” She slurred slightly. “She’s a high school drop-out, and you’re a Big Ten Academic All American.”

“Did your background check list her GED?”

“Generally Educated Delinquent.”

“Did it mention that she’s going to be a bazillionaire when her dad kicks the bucket?”

“It would have taken all that money to get your children the help they needed to function in society.”

The ump laughed so hard that my head shook. Or maybe that was the alcohol, or the direction of the conversation.

“It was her idea.” I ground out.

“I get it now.” She looked up dawning recognition. “Was she going to give you her rejuvenated virginity?”

I was getting peeved. “I’ve only been with one virgin in my life, and I didn’t know it until a few days ago. As far as I can see, I won’t ever be with another one.”

She grew stark still. “I’m sorry that my virginity was such a disappointment to you.”

“You certainly didn’t disappoint me.” I shook my head. “I’m frustrated I didn’t know how precious what you gave me was.”

“Don’t get all nostalgic about it, especially since I ended up in the ‘Boinking Room’.” She scoffed. “Anyway, it seems I can revive my virginity, if necessary. Vaginal re… what did you call it?”

Before I could reply, the guest of honor clapped me on the shoulder. “Hey, kid, how you doing? I would appreciate if you didn’t knock off any more of my records.”

“Rusty, it’s great to see you.”

He bear-hugged me. “You dumped my ERA right into the can.”

“I was hoping to run into you before I had to leave. Let me introduce to you my girlfriend, Libby Tucker. She thinks you’re the greatest closing pitcher in Cub’s history.”

“I like this girl, already, Band-Aid.”

Evita started another song, and the crowd was enthusiastic.

“She’s the one,” I whispered for Rusty’s ears only.

Rusty glanced at Libby, considering her more thoroughly. “I don’t know where Mother has gotten off to. She flutters off like she was the superstar.” He searched the crowd for his wife.

I moved toward Libby and slipped my hand into the inside pocket of my jacket and drew out my donation. I handed Rusty the check. He unfolded it, and looked at me.

“Now, Aidan, I told you last year’s donation was too much, and this is even more generous. Don’t give all your money away. This gal here might want you to spend a wad of it on her.”

“I want to do this for Mother. She’s special, and I know how important this is to the two of you. Take the money and use it well.” I put my hand over his fist, closing around the check.

“Them there reporters can say all they want about you, but you’re one of the best young men around today. You make me proud, son.” He pounded my back. “I better get this to Mother, she’s in charge of all the funds, and this one’s a whopper. We’ll talk soon? Maybe you can bring your Libby out to the house before we go to Florida for the winter.”

“I’ll try my best, sir.”

“It was a pleasure meeting you.” He kissed Libby’s cheek.

We watched him meander his way through the crowd.