"I’m a big fan of your work," Susan continues, interrupting my thoughts and the bad music, oblivious to the tension in the room.

"Thank you." I force a smile. "But Kels is the real star." I always give credit where credit is due. I’ll be damned if I change that now. "She could get a tree stump to give a good interview."

Too bad she won’t talk to me.

Kelsey seems stunned by my praise. Slowly, she smiles her thank you. "Can I make you some tea, Susan? I’m afraid I don’t have any coffee. I’d offer you my tea, but not many people drink it with three Sweet-n-Lows."

"Count me among those people. I’ll take it with just a little cream."

Good, because I didn’t bring it for you.

With a nod, Kelsey disappears into the kitchen, leaving her night’s entertainment alone with me.

Talk about awkward.

"So," I manage, not my best opening line. I realize this is only awkward for me since Susan has no idea, I suppose, what has transpired between Kels and I. "Do you like bagels? Kelsey does ... I didn’t think to pick up anything else."

"Bagels are fine." She takes a seat on the couch, tucking the sides of the robe under shapely legs and picking up a bagel from the table. "You have an intriguing accent, Harper."

It must have slipped out in my confusion. Normally, I do all-American pretty well unless I’m trying to charm the ladies. And I don’t want to charm this one. I just want her to go away. Far away. Very far away. Very soon. "Louisiana. New Orleans."

"Really?" Susan seems delighted. "Did you grow up there?"

I squint at her, taking a sip of my coffee and feeling the liquid warm my throat. Is she flirting with me? Because if she is, I’ll kill her. Studying her open features and gentle blue eyes, I decide she’s just being polite, making small talk. "Yeah, mostly. My parents and brothers and their families are still there. How about you? Where are you from?" I can chit-chat when I have to. I don’t just grunt and scratch, despite rumors to the contrary.

"California native."

"I’m sorry."

She laughs and pats me on the knee just as Kelsey comes back in with a cup of tea.

Oh shit.

I look up expecting the explosion. I know I'd fucking explode if I walked in on this scene. Kels, on the other hand, takes a deep breath as her brows knit together for a moment.

"Scoot your ass over, Tabloid." She gives me a little smirk as she hands the mug she just brought in to Susan and inserts herself between us, giving the brunette a tender rub on her back as she does.

Does she have to be so damn smug about the whole thing?

I unfold the morning paper. On the third page, below the fold, is a story about a fire late last night. I point it out to her and let her read it silently.

"A battered women’s shelter burnt to the ground last night," she recaps for Susan when she looks up at me. Kels leans over and picks up the Styrofoam cup of tea I brought her and takes a sip.

I see the professionalism slip back into place and I know we can get through this without hurting each other. At least, I hope we can. "Right. I have a source in the fire department who says early investigation shows it’s arson."

"What?" she asks with surprise.

"Sick, huh? As if these women haven’t been through enough, right? Bastard. Probably one of their asshole husbands who did it."

"Truly." Kelsey nods. "So what are we doing this morning?"

"We’re talking to the manager of the shelter, and then to my source at the fire department."

"What happened to the women?" Susan asks suddenly.

We both turn our gaze to her.

"The article says the women were all put up at different area shelters." It’s Kelsey who answers, placing a warm hand on Susan’s knee.

"Were they all okay?"

"No deaths," Kelsey assures. "Some hospitalizations for smoke inhalation and a couple for minor burns, though."

For some reason it completely annoys me that Susan is so concerned about these women. It just smacks of insincerity, like she’s trying to one-up me.

Susan nods and says, "Well, it sounds like you two have your work cut out for you. I’m going to take a shower and then get out of your hair." With that, the brunette rises from her seat and sets down her empty mug. She gently kisses Kelsey’s temple and makes her way towards the bedroom.

I watch as Kels smiles and her eyes follow the woman across the room. There was a time when I wanted her eyes to follow me like that. I guess deep down inside I still do, but Omaha certainly fucked that up. That’ll be the last time I get hammered on whiskey.

And finding Susan here this morning didn’t help much either.

We're left alone and I suddenly feel the need to fill the silence. "So, I have an interview set up with the manager of the facility. Right now, we have an exclusive, if we get there fast enough. I want to go over some potential questions for her. If we can get -"

"I really like her," Kelsey interrupts in a soft tone.

"What?" I truly am baffled by the statement. Is she talking about the manager?

"Susan, I like her, a lot. We promised to keep it casual and that's what I need."

It’s not what you need, Kels. Don’t bother lying to yourself. "What happened to all that bullshit about your contract and appearances?" The words are out before I can stop them.

"She knows to be discreet. She needs to be as well." She fixes her gaze on me and hardens her look a bit. "You’re the one who told me I had to stop hiding from myself."

I can’t really argue with her on that one. Though I kind of had intended to be the beneficiary of her new found freedom.

"So don’t interfere."

"Kels, come on," I argue softly. She thinks this lowly of me? "Regardless of what you may think, I’m not out to hurt you."

"Why should I believe you?"

I meet her shuttered green eyes. They’re cautious and wary and I long for those moments we shared in Omaha. God, I’d like to kiss her right now. But it would only get me slapped. Or worse. "Because I’m giving you my word. And there was a time when you trusted me."

She sighs, looks down at her hands. "And you threw that in my face."

I did no such thing. I protected you and took care of you, just like I’d promised. I got you out of there alive and intact. I held you while you cried and trembled with fear. I let you eat my Twinkie. "I did not," I finally object, long explanations failing me.

"You laughed at me."

It sounds like a child’s confession and I see, for a moment, the sensitive woman I met in that closet in the compound. "Kels," I say softly, wanting to touch her but knowing it’s not welcome. "Little Roo, when did I ever laugh at you?"

"After we woke up. In my hotel room."

I think back and remember. Shit, I wasn’t laughing at her. I was laughing at the situation. I hadn’t realized at that moment she was horrified.

Horrified.

That still bugs the crap out of me. What am I? Some infectious disease? "Come on, Kels," I say sharply. "I mean, you acted like waking up naked with me was the worst thing that had ever happened in your life, that the thought of spending the night with me was repulsive."

"You’re wrong. I was confused and hung over and ..." She shakes her head as if to clear it of the thoughts that she’s having. "You showed me I was nothing. I was just another…" She pauses again and then looks to her bedroom door with a sad smile. "Just never mind, Tabloid, it doesn’t fucking matter anymore." She puts her cup down and stands up. As she brushes past me, I hear her mumble something about ‘being so damn stupid to think’, then the comment dies on her lips.

"Fine," I say quickly, raising a hand to placate her. My head is starting to hurt and this new information only makes it worse. "Let’s just get to work. Wear something friendly and feminine. You know, your lipstick lez look." It’s out of my mouth before I can stop it.

She’s standing a few feet from me, trembling with anger. "I need a shower," she mutters.

"I think it’s occupied."

"All the better." She turns quickly on her heel and disappears.

I throw myself down on the couch and finish my coffee in a huge gulp. "That went well," I tell the empty room.


* * *

This morning could have gone better, I realize as I lean my back against the passenger seat of the van. Jimmy is in the back, as usual, messing with equipment and muttering to himself, doing his best to avoid us at all costs. Harper is on her fourth cup of coffee already. She’s not speaking to me.

I hadn’t meant to be vulnerable. I hadn’t meant to tell her what was bothering me. It just came out. Part of me wanted her to understand because I really am attracted to her. Not just her looks, that much is obvious. But because she’s educated and compassionate, she lives her life with carefree abandon, and has this sense of loyalty that I admire. I bet she’s good in bed, too, I admit to myself. I know it’s not her fault about our encounter. I’m a lousy drunk.

The shower was nice. Susan is a wonderful woman and I’m thrilled to have found her. I can still feel her hands on my body and in my hair. She kissed me goodbye at the elevator and whispered promises of more opportunities to come. I feel pretty good about that relationship. If only I could fix this one.

"I’m sorry I blew up this morning." I say, surprising us both. Jimmy looks up from his tinkering but then goes back to it wordlessly.

"Whatever," Harper responds shortly as she jerks the van’s steering wheel and slams on the brakes. I hear Jimmy fall onto the floor in the back.