Simply Being Belle (4 page)

“Six weeks is such
a long time…”

“You’ll take your
six weeks off,” she said crisply, “and you’ll thank me for it when you get
back.”

Thank her
? 
She doubted it. 

She couldn’t help
worrying how Rosaria would react to the news that the case had been reassigned. 
She had earned her trust, and feared she might lose it if she didn’t remain
close.  The fact that Rosaria was willing to be the face of an entire building
of tenants, to lead the charge against a man who so blatantly put his tenants
at risk with his disregard for their safety, was a testament to her will and
character.

“Belle,” Millicent
prompted, drawing her out of her reverie.  “Do we understand one another?”

She sighed.  “Yes.”

After signing off
the phone, she dropped into a chair at her kitchen table.  Should she call
Rosaria? she wondered.  When she had told her about her upcoming vacation, she
had assured her she would remain on the case, perhaps working it from home.  She
had really believed Millicent would see things her way.  But now… 

With a sigh, she
stood up and walked outside.  The sun shone brightly and the air felt moist and
humid.  When had it become so muggy? She tucked a stand of hair behind her ear and
turned her attention to her garden once again.  She attacked the overgrown plot
of soil for several hours, and finally stood, arching her back slightly and
stretching from side to side.  Physical labor felt good, though it hadn’t taken
her mind off her case. 
Her
case.

She finally decided
to pack it in for the day, but first picked a couple squash from the garden. 
As she approached the back porch steps, she spotted the newest addition to her
family peering at her from behind Tri’s back leg.  The kitten had already
bonded with the huge dog.  Belle smiled and scooped her into her arms.  She sat
down, setting the kitten on its feet, and then tickling her ears.  Tri bounded
over and she watched the kitten swipe at Tri’s inquisitive snout with a tiny
paw.

Suddenly, he rose
up and began barking.  Cy scurried from his house on the back porch and joined
in.  Belle stood up, glancing around, careful not to step on the kitten.  The
dogs were clearly sounding an alarm.  She wondered why.

She had her answer
when Dare strode around the corner of the house.  He smiled apologetically when
he noted her surprised expression.  “Hello!  I rang the bell.  Steven told me
if you didn’t answer, to try out back.”

Belle watched him
uncertainly.

“I hope I didn’t
alarm you,” he said with concern. 

Tri and Cy began
barking loudly again, warning him off.  “Tri, Cy,” she said sternly, “Enough!”

They twosome
quieted down and Dare eyed them curiously.  “Tripod and Cyclops,” he said with
a chuckle as understanding dawned.  “Very appropriate.”

Belle met his
gaze.  “Perhaps appropriate, but not the names I would have chosen.  If they
hadn’t already known their names so well when I adopted them, I would have
changed them.”

Dare considered
her words.  “I suppose if I didn’t have a right arm, I might not appreciate
being called ‘Lefty.’  What happened to them?” he asked curiously, eyeing the
dogs with compassion.  When he glanced back at Belle, she watched him with an
expression he wouldn’t quite call hostile…

“The vet suspects
Tri was hit by a car, but Cy…  I don’t know how he lost his eye.  Frankly, I
don’t want to know,” she said as she laid a gentle hand on the dog’s head.

Dare nodded with
understanding, and then spied the kitten, circling his feet.  “What’s wrong
with it?” he asked.

Belle shot him a
quizzical glance.  “What?”

“The kitten. 
What’s wrong with it?”

“Nothing,” she
said, unable to conceal the flash of annoyance on her face. 

“Oh,” he said with
a wince, “sorry.”  He scooped up the kitten and stroked its tiny head.  “Sorry,
guy.”

“Girl.  The kitten
is female.”

He gave a self
deprecating laugh and held the kitten at eye-level.  “Oh, sorry girl.”

Belle took her
from him and eyed him warily.  While she stood several steps higher than the one
he stood on, he was still taller than her.  Dressed in dark slacks and a white
dress shirt, having presumably shed his tie, he reminded her of the male models
on the covers of fashion magazines.  He stood with the same casual confidence,
but was perhaps a bit more muscular.  As she absently scrutinized him, she was
unaware he studied her right back.   

When she did
notice, she reddened, finding his intense scrutiny unnerving.  She took another
step up and back.  Now she stood slightly taller than he did, and felt better
for it.  “What can I do for you?”

He cocked his head
slightly, eyeing her curiously.  He smiled.  “I’m wondering if I could talk to
you about the Rodriguez case?”

“My case,” she
responded flatly. 

He glanced at the
ground, smiled, and then looked up and snared her gaze.  “I’m working it until
you return to work.  And … I get that you’re not too happy about it.”

Belle took a deep
breath and considered her response.  It wasn’t his fault Millicent had given
him her case, but…  “It’s not that I’m unhappy
you’re
working it.”

“You’re unhappy
anybody
is working it, other than you.”

“Yes.”

He nodded. 
“Frankly, I was hoping you could get me up to speed.  I spoke to Rosaria
today.  Nice woman, by the way.”

“She is,” Belle
agreed. 

He nodded again, and
then spotted the squash Belle had set on the porch.  “From your garden?”

“Yes.”

He grinned.  “You
missed a great dinner last night.  I tried a steak recipe that came with my new
grill.  Who knew I could cook?” he added incredulously.

“Sorry I … missed
it,” Belle said without enthusiasm.

“There’s nothing
better than a good steak,” he observed.  When she didn’t respond, her violet
eyes narrowed slightly and fixed on his face, he chuckled lightly.  “Right.  So
… I’m wondering if you’d consider joining me for dinner tonight to discuss the
case.”      

Belle glanced down
at her clothing.  She was a sweaty, soiled mess.  She ran a nervous hand
through her stringy hair.  Although she didn’t particularly feel up to dinner
with the attorney who had stolen her case, she realized she might be able to
wield some influence with him if she played her cards right.  At the very
least, if she remained on good terms with him, he might keep her apprised of case-related
developments. 

“What do you say?”
he prompted.

“I guess that
would be okay.  Do you mind if I clean up first?”

“Oh, sure.  Take
your time,” he said obligingly.  “We’ll make our plans when you’re done.” 

She hurried away
and to the upstairs bathroom.  She desperately needed a shower.  She checked
her face in the mirror before stepping under the stream of water.  She
grimaced.  Had she really just conversed with Dare wearing a smudge of dirt
across her nose?  Her hair, usually sleek and shiny, was a mess.  She grimaced
when she noticed her sunscreen had apparently petered out long before the
bottle indicated it would. 

After showering,
she dressed in clean shorts and a knit top.  She wasn’t sure what Dare had in
mind for dinner, but figured her attire would inspire an outing to a casual
dining restaurant.  She just wasn’t in the mood for anything more formal.

She quickly ran a
comb through her hair, and applied a touch of mascara to her lashes.  Lipstick
came next, however blush wasn’t necessary, courtesy of her sunburn.

She hurried
downstairs, slipped into a pair of strappy sandals, and dashed out the back
door.  She found Dare engaged in a rousing game of fetch with Tri and Cy.  The
tiny kitten was firmly attached to the front of his shirt, but his hand hovered
beneath her should she decide to disengage from the fabric.  Belle winced,
wondering if her claws had snagged his shirt.  If so, he didn’t seem to mind.

Dare heard the back
door close with a bang and spun around.  “That was quick!” he said
approvingly.  “I expected you’d be at least forty-five minutes.”

“Really?  Why?”

He shrugged,
smiled widely, and absently removed the ball from Tri’s mouth.  “Well, past
experience has shown me that women typically take a while to get ready.  A long
while,” he added with a shrug.

Belle leveled a
gaze at him.  “Huh?  Is that right?”     

He paused
mid-throw.  “Yep.  But I do believe you’ve set a land speed record for readiness. 
I’m impressed.”

“Why?” 

Tri barked, urging
Dare to throw the ball.  He did, and turned back to her. 

He flashed a quick
grin.  “You’re obviously a wash and go kind of girl … er … woman.  Rare these
days.”

“Is that good or
bad?” she asked, folding her arms across her chest.  She was curious to know
the answer.  She’d noticed many men seemed to show a definite preference for
high-maintenance types. 

“
I
think it’s
good,” he said.  “Are you hungry?”

Belle realized she
was hungry.  “Yes.  I’ve worked in the garden all day.” 

“Shall we go out? 
Or we could eat at my place,” he suggested.

“Why don’t we eat
here?  I imagine you’re tired after a day at a new job, and I’m a bit worn out
from toiling in the garden.  I could cook up the squash…”

“And I can run
home and grab a couple steaks,” he said obligingly. 

“Sounds good to me.”

“I’ll be back in a
flash.”  He tossed the ball one more time for the dogs, removed the kitten from
his shirt and passed her to Belle, and then strode to the front of the house
and to his car, all the while whistling a happy tune.

***     

Belle carried the kitten
and the squash inside.  She gently put the kitten on the floor and began preparations
for dinner.  She startled when the phone rang.  It was Lacey.

“How was your
second day of vacation?” she asked.

“Fine.  I spent it
weeding the garden.”

“Sounds
scintillating,” she said in a flat tone.

“Hey, it feels
great to get outside and get a little work done around this place.  Weeding is
one thing I’ll soon be able to cross off my list.”

“You have a list? 
Of course, you have a list.  Hey, Steven tells me Dare made quite an impression
at work today.”

“How so?” she
asked with interest as she chopped up the squash. 

“I understand he
pitched right in with a cheery, gung ho attitude.  Steven says he’s brilliant,
by the way.  Took right to your landlord-tenant case.  Really knows the law,”
she added.  “Oh, and I guess Rosaria Rodriguez was quite taken with him, too. 
After her appointment, she returned with a bag of freshly cooked tortilla chips
and homemade salsa.  Steven said both were delicious.”

Belle felt a flash
of annoyance at that bit of information.  So much for worrying that a change in
representation might upset Rosaria.  The woman had never brought her gifts of
food.

 She sighed.

“What?” Lacey
said.

“Who knew I was so
… expendable?”   

“You are not
expendable.  Everybody misses you!” she cried.  “In fact, Steven said the
coffee in the break room tasted positively awful today.”

Belle shook her
head. 
What
?  And then it dawned on her.  She always made the coffee at
work, since she was always the first to arrive each morning.  “Great.  They
miss my coffee brewing prowess.  I graduated from Harvard Law and the only
thing they miss about me is my coffee.”

Lacey chuckled.  “You’re
missed!” she assured her.  “Hey, what are you doing tonight?  I suppose you
have toilets to scrub, or something equally entertaining on the agenda.”

“Dare is coming
over,” she said absently.

“
What
?” Lacey
shrieked.  “You’re just happening to mention that bit of pertinent information
now?”

“What’s pertinent
about it?  He wants to discuss the case with me.  He asked if I’d help him get
up to speed.”

“Like he needs
help getting up to speed,” Lacey said, and chuckled suggestively.  “I know
exactly what he’s hoping to get up to speed.  Or, should I say
who.
”

“Who?”  

“You!”

“Oh, Lacey!”

“Oh, Belle!”   

“Lacey,” she said
sternly, “he wants to review the case.  Frankly, it makes sense, considering
he’s come into it at this late juncture.”

“Right,” her
friend muttered, still dubious.

“He wants to
review the case,” she insisted for the umpteenth time.

“No, he has a case
on you, and it’s you he wants to review.”

“Would you stop
with the innuendos already?  You’re incorrigible!” Belle cried.

“I’m right,” Lacey
said succinctly.  “Mark my words, I’m right.”

When Dare arrived
back at Belle’s house, he came leaden with groceries.  As she opened the front
door, her eyes widened.  Obviously, his refrigerator was far better stocked
than hers.

“I went shopping
yesterday,” he told her, “since my refrigerator was bare.  I wasn’t sure what
you liked, so I brought …”  He scanned the groceries in his arms and grinned
wanly.  “…My entire fridge.”

She acknowledged
his words with a smile, and then relieved his load by taking several items from
him and carrying them into the kitchen.  “Something smells good,” he commented.

Belle had already
begun cooking the squash, and had fired up the grill outside.  Dare put the
groceries onto the table and Belle spied the steaks.  “Shall I get them ready?”

“I’ll do it.”  He
pulled them from their packaging, along with several jars of seasonings from a
small bag.  Quickly, he prepared them.  “Shall I put the steaks on now?”

“Uh, sure.”  She
passed him a plate and cooking utensils.