See Me (15 page)

“I’d think I’d like that, Maria.”

Maria turned toward the water again, a slight smile playing on her lips, and it seemed odd to think that it was only yesterday that he’d spotted her at the end of the pier. Or how well he’d come to know her in such a short period of time. And how much he wanted to know even more about her.

“We should probably get going,” she said, a note of regret in her voice. “Before it starts getting too dark.”

He nodded, feeling a stab of disappointment as they rose to gather up their things. They paddled back, reaching Wrightsville Beach just as the first stars were emerging. Colin helped Maria strap the boards and paddles to the top of her car before turning to face her. Watching her brush the hair from her eyes, he felt oddly nervous, something he could never remember happening with a woman before.

“I had a great time today.”

“Paddleboarding is a lot of fun,” she agreed.

“I wasn’t talking about the paddleboarding,” he said. He shifted from one foot to the other, and he had the impression that she was waiting for him to finish. “I was talking about spending time with you.”

“Yeah?” she asked, her voice soft.

“Yeah.” Colin was sure she was more beautiful than any woman he’d ever known.

“What are you doing next weekend?”

“Other than brunch on Sunday, I don’t have anything planned.”

“Do you want to go to that warehouse Serena told you about? On Saturday night?”

“Are you asking me to go dancing?”

“I’d like to get to know the less typical Maria, the one who can really be herself.”

“Because the quieter version isn’t your type?”

“No,” he said. “Actually, it’s just the opposite. And I already know how I feel about that Maria.”

Crickets were calling from the dunes, serenading them like nature’s orchestra. They were alone, and as she stared up at him, he stepped toward her, instinct taking over. He wondered if she’d turn away and break the spell, but she didn’t. Instead, she stayed in place as he moved even nearer, one arm slowly going around her back. He pulled her close, their lips coming together, and at that moment, he suddenly knew that this was what he’d wanted all along. He’d wanted her, in his arms, just like this, forever.

 

 

Colin took his time getting home, driving through Wilmington’s prettier back streets and basking in the warm afterglow of his day with Maria. His body felt surprisingly well used by the afternoon of paddleboarding, his mind still circling the mystery of Maria. Getting out of his car, he was just ambling across the newly cut lawn toward his apartment when he heard Lily calling from the porch, her cell phone in hand.

“There you are,” she said, her drawl almost a singsong. As always, she was perfectly coiffed. Tonight, though, in something of a rarity, she was wearing jeans – albeit with pumps, a pearl necklace, tastefully sized diamond studs, and a gardenia artfully pinned in her hair.

“What are you doing out here?” he asked, veering toward her.

“I was speaking to my mother while I was waiting for you,” she answered, skipping down the steps toward him. Lily was the only girl he knew who actually skipped when she was happy. She leaned in for a hug. “Evan told me you were going on a date today and I want to hear all about it before we go inside.”

“Where’s Evan?”

“He’s on the computer researching some pharmaceutical company for his clients. You know how serious he is about his work, bless his heart. But don’t try to change the subject. For now, we’re going to sit on the steps while you tell me about this special young woman, and I won’t take no for an answer. And don’t leave anything out. I want to hear everything.”

She took a seat on the steps, patting the spot beside her. Colin knew he had no choice but to do as he’d been told, and he gave her the basics. Lily interrupted frequently, pressing him for details. When he finished, she squinted at him, obviously disappointed.

“You really must work on your storytelling skills, Colin,” she chided. “All you did was recite a list of activities and the topics you talked about.”

“How else was I supposed to tell it?”

“That’s a silly question. You were supposed to make
me
fall in love with her, too.”

“Why would I want to do that?”

“Because even as poorly as you told the story, it’s obvious that you’re smitten with her.”

He said nothing.

“Colin?” she said. “This is exactly what I mean. What you should have said was something like, ‘When I’m with Maria… I just… I…’ and then trail off and shake your head because words are inadequate to convey the intensity of what you’re experiencing.”

“That sounds more like you than me.”

“I know,” she said, sounding almost sorry for him. “That’s what makes you such a poor storyteller, bless your heart.”

Only Lily could insult him in a way that made it sound as though it was harder for her to say than for him to hear. “How do you know I’m smitten with her?” he asked.

She sighed. “If you didn’t enjoy spending the day in her presence, you would have given me that blank look of yours and said, ‘There’s nothing to talk about,’ when I asked you about her. And all that, of course, brings the primary question to mind: When will I have the chance to meet her?”

“I’d have to ask her.”

“And do you have immediate plans to spend more time with your lady friend?”

Colin hesitated, wondering if anyone besides Lily still used the term
lady friend
. “We’re supposed to go out next weekend.”

“Not to a bar, I hope.”

“No,” he said. He told her about the warehouse.

“Do you think that’s a wise decision? Considering what happened the last time you went to a club with Evan and me?”

“I just want to take her dancing.”

“Dancing can be very romantic,” she admitted. “And yet…”

“It’ll be fine. I promise.”

“Then I shall take you at your word. Of course, you should also swing by her office sometime this week and surprise her with flowers or candy. Women love to receive those sorts of thoughtful gifts, though I’ve always held the opinion that candy is better during the cool months. So maybe just flowers.”

“That’s not my style.”

“Of course it isn’t, which is why I made the suggestion. Trust me. She’ll be thrilled.”

“Okay.”

At his answer, she reached over and patted his hand. “Haven’t we talked about this? Saying ‘okay’ when people talk to you? It’s a habit you really need to break. It’s
very
unattractive.”

“Okay.”

“And so it goes.” She sighed. “One day, you’ll understand the wisdom of my words.”

Behind them, Evan opened the door, catching sight of her hand on Colin’s, but Evan understood the relationship between the three of them the same way Colin did.

“Let me guess. You’re grilling him about his date?” he asked his fiancée.

“I was doing no such thing,” Lily huffed. “Ladies do not
grill
. I simply inquired how he believed their date went, and though Colin – poor thing – nearly put me to sleep at first, I do think our friend here is smitten.”

Evan laughed. “Colin? Smitten? Those two things just don’t go together.”

“Colin, would you please inform my fiancé as to the truth of this matter?”

Colin hooked a thumb toward her. “She thinks I’m smitten.”

“As I said,” Lily noted, sounding satisfied. “Now that we’ve gotten to the truth of the matter,” she went on, “when do you plan on calling your new lady friend?”

“I haven’t thought about it.”

“Have you learned nothing from me?” She shook her head. “Before you even shower, you must – you absolutely must – give your lady friend a call. And you must also tell her how wonderful she made you feel, and that you were honored by the pleasure of her company.”

“Don’t you think that’s a little much?”

Lily sounded almost sad. “Colin… I know you struggle when it comes to expressing your sensitive side, and that is a flaw in your character that I’ve always been willing to overlook, if only out of dear friendship. But you
will
call her this evening. As soon as you walk in the door. Because gentlemen –
real
gentlemen – always call, and I only associate with gentlemen.”

Evan raised his eyebrows and Colin knew he had no choice.

“Okay.”

O
n Monday, Maria thought it best to hide out in her office, where she could concentrate in peace. Barney’s stress level about the upcoming trial was escalating, and she didn’t want to become an unwitting target. Closing her door, she jotted notes in preparation for a midmorning meeting with clients, made some phone calls, and responded to e-mails, wanting to get a jump on the week. And yet, despite her desire for efficiency, every now and then she’d catch herself staring out the window, replaying images from the weekend.

Some of her distraction had to do with Colin’s phone call on Sunday night. If friends and magazines spoke the truth, guys didn’t call right away, and most of them never called at all. Then again, everything about Colin verged on the unexpected. After hanging up, she’d examined the photo that she’d taken of him and imagined that she saw in it both the Colin she knew and Colin the stranger. His expression was gentle, but his body was a map of scars and tattoos. Though she’d promised to show Serena, she decided then and there that the photo would be for her eyes only.

“Someone’s in a good mood.”

At the sound, Maria saw Jill in the doorway.

“Oh, hey, Jill. What’s up?”

“I suppose I should be asking you,” she said, entering. “You were definitely lost in your own dreamy little world when I peeked in, and no one does that on Mondays.”

“I had a good weekend.”

“Yeah?” she asked. “By the way you just said it, I’m assuming that it went way better than my depositions last week. This has to be the first time I ever found myself actually
praying
I could return to the office.”

“That bad?”

“Awful.”

“You want to talk about it?”

“Only if you want to die of boredom. And anyway, I have a conference call in a few minutes. I mainly dropped by to see if you’re doing anything for lunch. I’m dying for some sushi and good company now that I’m back in the saddle.”

“Sounds great.”

Jill adjusted the sleeve of her blouse. “I may be reading this wrong, but I take it that you’re not still mad at me.”

“Why would I be mad at you?”

“Maybe because I ambushed you with the worst blind date in history?”

“Oh, yeah,” Maria said, surprised that she’d nearly forgotten. “That.”

“I’m so sorry,” Jill said. “You can’t imagine how bad I felt all week, especially since I didn’t have the chance to talk to you about it.”

“We talked, remember? And you apologized.”

“Not enough.”

“It’s okay. And actually, it ended up turning out fine.”

“I can’t imagine how.”

“I met someone.”

A couple of beats passed before the answer came to her. “You’re not talking about the guy who changed your tire? The one who was bruised and bleeding and scared you half to death?”

“That’s the one.”

“How’s that even possible?”

“It’s kind of hard to explain.”

Jill smirked. “Uh-oh.”

“What?”

“You’re smiling again.”

“Am I?”

“Yes, you are. And part of me wants to cancel the conference call and just pull up a chair.”

“I can’t. Barney and I are meeting a client in a few minutes.”

“But we’re definitely on for lunch, right? And you’ll fill me in then?”

“Without a doubt.”

 

 

Ten minutes later, Serena called on her cell phone. When Maria saw who was on the line, she felt a sudden jolt of concern. Serena never called before ten a.m. Half the time, she wasn’t even awake by ten.

“Serena? Are you okay?”

“Where is it?”

“Where’s what?”

“The photo of Colin. It wasn’t in my e-mail or text.”

Maria blinked. “You’re calling me at work, during work hours, about a photo?”

“I wouldn’t have had to if you’d already sent it. Did it go okay? Tell me you didn’t already run him off.”

“No. As a matter of fact, we’re going out Saturday night.”

“Okay,” Serena said. “The post won’t have as much impact without a photo, though. Of course, I guess I could just use one of you from when you were a kid or whatever if you’re not going to send it…”

“Good-bye, Serena.”

She hung up the phone, only to reach for her cell phone a few minutes later, more out of morbid curiosity than anything.

And there, on Instagram, was her photo. From when she was in middle school. Braces. Acne. Glasses. Gawky. The worst school photo in the history of school photos.
“Try not to be jealous, guys, but my sister Maria has a date this Saturday night!”

Maria closed her eyes. She was going to have to kill her sister. No question about it.

But she had to admit, Serena was kind of funny.

 

 

Over a plate of assorted sushi and sashimi a couple of hours later, Maria filled Jill in on much of what had happened with Colin, the story sounding unbelievable even to her.

“Wow,” Jill breathed.

“Do you think I’m crazy? Considering his past?”

“Who am I to judge? Look at the blind date we set up. On something as out of the box as this, your best bet is to just keep following your instincts.”

“What if my instincts are wrong?”

“Then at the very least, you got your tire changed. And had a nice date, which I’m hoping will get me totally off the hook for that double-date fiasco.”

Maria smiled. “So the depositions were boring?”

“They were enough to make a monk go crazy, since half the people are perfectly willing to lie under oath and the other half say they can’t remember anything at all. And now that I wasted my time all week, we’ll probably just end up settling. Par for the course, but I can’t say I’m ever going to enjoy it.” She snagged another piece of sushi. “How goes it with Barney?”

“Better,” she said.

“What does that mean?”

“Oh, that’s right – you weren’t here,” Maria started, and she told Jill about getting her tire changed and how it led to being late for the meeting, along with all the work she felt compelled to do in the aftermath. She also recounted the dressing-down Barney gave her, though she omitted the confrontation with Ken.

“Barney will get over it. He’s always tense before trial.”

Yes, but
…
Maria shifted in her seat. “The thing is, I heard that Barney was going to let me be lead counsel on this case.”

“Where did you hear that?” Jill held her chopsticks at half-mast. “Don’t get me wrong, you’re a brilliant associate – but you’re a little short on experience for Barney to saddle you with that kind of responsibility.”

“Rumors,” Maria said.

“I wouldn’t put much stock in rumors. Barney enjoys the limelight too much, and he has a hard time ceding control – not to mention credit – to even the most senior associates. That’s one of the reasons I transferred to labor and employment. I figured I’d never be able to move up, or even get the courtroom experience I needed.”

“I still can’t believe you were able to transfer departments.”

“Lucky timing. I told you I was in labor and employment for a few years before I started at the firm, right?” When Maria nodded, Jill went on. “At the time, though, I wasn’t sure it was what I really wanted to do, so I took a chance and tried insurance litigation. I worked with Barney for nine months and practically killed myself before I realized it was a dead end. I would have left, but it just so happened that the firm was building up its labor and employment practice and needed me.”

“Unfortunately, I’m kind of stuck if this doesn’t work out. Unless we start doing criminal defense.”

“You could always change firms.”

“That’s not as easy as you might think.”

“You haven’t been looking, have you?”

“Not really. But I’ve been beginning to wonder if I should start.”

Jill scrutinized her as she reached for her glass. “You know you can talk to me, right? About any concerns you have. While I’m not a partner, I do run my own department, which gives me some clout around here.”

“I’ve just got a lot on my mind right now.”

“Hopefully, you’re talking about Colin.”

The mention of his name brought more memories from the weekend, and she changed the subject. “How’s Paul doing?”

“He’s fine. I had to give him the cold shoulder for a couple of days as punishment for the date, but he got over it. We went to Asheville over the weekend for some wine tasting.”

“That sounds fun.”

“It was. Except, of course, there’s no ring yet and the biological clock is still ticking and time is growing short. Pretending that everything is okay hasn’t worked yet, so maybe it’s time to try a new strategy.”

“Like what?”

“I have no idea. If you have any foolproof plans, be sure to let me know.”

“Will do.”

Jill had another piece of sushi. “What do you have lined up this afternoon?”

“Same stuff as usual. There’s a lot of prep work to finish for the trial. While trying to keep up with everything else, of course.”

“Like I said, Barney expects a lot from his associates.”

And Ken expects something else
. “It’s a job,” she said.

“Are you sure everything is okay? Even with our lecherous managing partner?”

“Why would you ask?”

“Because you went off to that conference with him, and I’ve known him longer than you have. And remember – I know exactly how he operates.”

“The conference was fine.”

Jill gave her the once-over before finally offering a shrug. “Fair enough,” she said. “The point is, I’m sensing that something else is bothering you.”

Maria cleared her throat, wondering why it suddenly felt as if she were being interrogated.

“There’s really nothing to say,” she answered. “I’m just doing the best job I can.”

 

 

The days that followed were too busy for the luxury of daydreaming, with Barney storming into her office every half hour asking her to examine additional details or to make calls, notwithstanding her work on other client matters. She barely had time to leave her desk, and on Wednesday afternoon, while working on a draft of Barney’s opening statement, she failed to notice the way the sunlight began slanting through her windows, or the departures, one by one, of her colleagues. She stared at her MacBook screen with singular concentration until a knock at her office door startled her. She saw the door slowly swing open.