Change of Pace

  CHANGE OF PACE

  Short Story Sequel to Next of Kin

  By

  JAE

  Change of Pace

  Short Story - Sequel to Next of Kin

  Copyright Š 2008 By Jae All rights reserved.

  ISBN: 978-1-934889

  First Edition eBook Format November 2008

  This electronic book is ePublished byL-Book ePublisher La Quinta, Ca. USA Email: info@ L-Book.com Web Site: http://L-Book.com

  Editor: Judy Underwood

  Cover Design by Sheri Halal

  * * *

  This work is copyrighted and is licensed only for use by the original purchaser and can be copied to the original purchaser’s electronic device and its memory card for their personal use. Modifying or making copies of this work or distributing it to any unauthorized person by any means, without limit email, CD, DVD, memory cards, file transfer, paper print out or any other method constitutes a violation of International copyright law and subjects the violator to severe fines or imprisonment. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions.

  * * *

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  * * *

  Acknowledgments

  A big thank-you to Pam for her competent beta reading and her continued support.

  I’d also like to thank RJ, who’s been a patient test reader and an honest provider of feedback.

  And thanks to Margot, who convinced me to tell readers whether the shelf was straight.

  * * *

  Dedication

  To my mother. For being nothing like Sophie Matheson - not that there would have been anything wrong with having a rich mother, of course.

  * * *

  Author’s Note

  To fully enjoy this story, it would be best to read it after reading Next of Kin.

  CHAPTER 1

  “OF ALL THE TIMES to hold a motion hearing she had to choose today!” Kade closed her office door with more vigor than necessary and strode over to her desk. She put down her briefcase and sank onto her desk chair to slip out of her high-heeled pumps for a moment.

  When she glanced up, she jumped and hit her knee on the edge of the desk.

  She hadn’t noticed the silent visitor sitting on the sofa against the wall of her office until now.

  “Del!” She rubbed her knee and glared at the other woman. “Would you stop doing that!”

  Del stood and circled the desk. “Oh, come on, admit it. You love being surprised by me.” She grinned down at Kade.

  Kade always found that smile irresistible but took care not to admit it. “I’ve had enough surprises for today, thank you very much,” she grumbled even though seeing Del considerably improved her mood.

  Stepping even closer, Del bent down to kiss her.

  Heat shot through Kade, part a physical reaction to being so close to Del, part nervousness about this public display of affection in her office. She quickly pressed her hand against Del’s shoulder, stopping her movement. “Del,” she said. “Not here. Not now.” She softly squeezed Del’s shoulder before settling back down behind her desk.

  Del sat down across from her without comment. She had always respected Kade’s boundaries. “So what’s going on?” Del asked. “Your day not going well?”

  “It was - until Judge Linehan decided to have a last-minute motion hearing this afternoon,” Kade said.

  Del canted her head. “Why’s that a problem? You usually love motion hearings.”

  Even after two months of dating Del, Kade was still surprised how well Del had gotten to know her. “I do,” she said. “But I also had a call from my mother this morning. She decided to fly in two days earlier than planned. I promised to pick her up at the airport this afternoon, but now I’ll be stuck in a motion hearing.”

  “Then let another Deputy DA handle the motion hearing,” Del suggested.

  “Beth Lawrence could probably take over, but she doesn’t have a lot of experience.” Kade sighed.

  Del gave her an affectionate smile. “Control freak.” She managed to make it sound like an endearment, so Kade decided to let her get away with it for the moment. Del studied her. “If you want to handle the motion hearing yourself, call your mother and tell her to take a cab. By the time she makes it downtown, the hearing will be over, and you can pay your respects to your mother.”

  Kade put on an expression of exaggerated shock. “Sophie Thayer Matheson doesn’t do cabs.”

  “What about a car service?” Del suggested. “I’ve heard they have very nice limos. Maybe that’d be more to your mother’s liking?”

  Kade would have gladly paid for the car service but knew her mother wouldn’t be content with it. “It’s not about the car. My mother told me in no uncertain terms that she doesn’t want to have to deal with a stranger picking her up.”

  “And what about your brother?” Del asked. “Can’t he pick her up?”

  That had been Kade’s first thought too. “No.” She sighed. “He has back-to-back surgeries all day.”

  “Hm. Do you want me to pick her up?” Del offered.

  Kade stared at her. “You want to volunteer to pick up my mother from the airport?”

  “Sure.” Del smiled bravely. “We met when we stayed in Ashland, so I’m not a stranger.”

  Kade didn’t point out that their one meeting hadn’t ended in a very positive way when Sophie caught them kissing. “You’re volunteering to be alone with my mother for thirty to forty-five minutes or possibly even longer, in a small, closed space, during rush hour, with no way of escaping? Are you sure?” Kade looked at her doubtfully.

  Del laughed. “It won’t be so bad. I’ll pick her up and take her to dinner.”

  “Really?” Kade was caught between relief and guilt.

  “Really,” Del said. “Call me on my cell when you get out of the hearing, and I promise to keep your mother entertained until then.”

  Kade wrote down the details of her mother’s flight. She picked up the note but hesitated to hand it over. “You’re sure you don’t mind?”

  “Hey, you know I like doing little favors for my girlfriend.” Del plucked the note out of her fingers.

  “Oh, you really enjoy calling me that, don’t you?” Kade wagged her finger at Del, but she actually didn’t mind - and she was sure Del knew it.

  Del stretched unrepentantly. “Yep. I sure do. So, should I drop off your mother’s baggage at your apartment, or where is she staying?”

  “No, she’s staying at a hotel, thank God!” Kade had been relieved when her mother told her that she had already made reservations.

  Del glanced at her watch. “Sorry. If I want to leave early to pick up my future mother-in-law, I have to go now and get started on my to-do list.”

  “You better not call her that to her face,” Kade warned. She knew Del was only teasing, though, since they were taking it slow and were nowhere near the level of commitment that would make Sophie Del’s mother-in-law. Kade watched Del stride to the door, enjoying the confident gait and the play of lithe muscles under the black slacks. An unexpected wave of emotion rushed over her. “Del?” she called.

  “Yeah?” Del turned back around and looked at her expectantly.

  Kade bit her lip. “Um… thank you.” It wasn’t what she had wanted to say, but since she couldn’t find the words, it would have to do.

  Del smiled - not the polite smile that Kade saw all day from assistants, defense lawyers, and acquaintances of her family but an affectionate grin that lit up Del’s face and made her dark eyes sparkle. “You’re welcome,” Del said warml
y. With another smile, she turned back around and reached the door in two more steps.

  “Del!” Kade called at the very last moment before Del could open the door and leave.

  Del turned back around, chuckling. “You don’t want to let me go, do you?”

  “Not without this.” Still not wearing shoes, Kade hurried around her desk and wrapped her arms around Del, pressing their bodies together as she gave her a quick kiss.

  “Mm-hm.” Del hummed in appreciation as the kiss ended and Kade stepped back. “I thought you said no hanky-panky in the office?”

  Kade tried to look indignant but couldn’t hide her smile. “I couldn’t let you go without a thank-you for picking up my mother.”

  “If that’s how you thank me for spending time with your mother, she might become my new best friend,” Del said.

  A knock on the door made them quickly move apart. Del stepped away from the door as Kade reached to open it.

  “See you later,” Del said and stepped past Kade’s assistant into the hallway.

  * * *

  Del had secretly hoped that Sophie’s flight would be delayed, reducing the time she’d have to spend alone with Kade’s mother, but of course fate had other ideas. The flight arrival monitor announced that Sophie’s flight had landed right on time.

  Del was craning her neck, trying to pick Sophie out of the crowd of travelers outside the security checkpoint. She couldn’t just stay back and wait until Sophie found her because Sophie was expecting Kade, not her. Two businessmen hurried past Del, and a noisy family with three kids followed, but there was no trace of Sophie Matheson.

  Jesus, don’t miss her! Del admonished. Kade wouldn’t be happy if you lose her mother at the airport.

  Finally, as the very last traveler to leave the plane, Sophie appeared and walked past Del without even noticing her.

  “Mrs. Matheson!” Del caught up with her in two quick steps.

  Sophie turned and looked at her with a glance that clearly said “Who are you to talk to me, and what do you want?” before recognition finally showed on her face. “Oh. You are…” She stopped and hesitated, clearly at a loss at what to call Del.

  “Yes, it’s me, Del Vasquez,” Del said. “Kade is stuck at a motion hearing, so I’m here to pick you up. I hope that’s okay?”

  “Oh, yes, of course,” Sophie said with the automatic politeness she had drilled into Kade.

  Del knew that it could mean either “I’m pleased to see you; lead the way” or “Go to hell, you stupid bitch; I won’t go anywhere with you.” She decided to go with the first interpretation and led Sophie over to the baggage claim area. “Which one is it?” she asked, pointing at the suitcases and traveling bags on the baggage carousel.

  With a diamond-ringed finger, Sophie pointed at one of the suitcases. “The black suitcase. And the red one.”

  Del tried hard not to stare. Two big suitcases just for staying over the weekend? She said nothing and dutifully piled the suitcases onto a baggage cart.

  Without even having touched one of the suitcases, Sophie followed her to the short-term parking garage. It was obvious that she always had people around who took over more arduous tasks for her, and she thought nothing of enlisting Del’s help in the same way.

  Del steered the cart toward her car and watched Sophie take in her red SUV. Del winced a little and gave a self-mocking grin behind Sophie’s back. Great. Now she’ll probably think the old stereotype is true and every lesbian drives a SUV. At least there’s no baseball bat in the back of my car.

  While Del loaded the suitcases into the SUV, Sophie stalked around the car and over to the passenger side.

  Del followed and opened the door for her, suppressing a smile as she watched Sophie climb in. Del’s choice of vehicles was clearly not the stylish black luxury car Sophie had expected.

  Del settled behind the wheel and started the car.

  Awkward silence ruled for a few minutes.

  Turning on the blue light on her dashboard became a temptation. “So,” Del finally said, “how was your flight?”

  “It was pleasant, thank you,” Sophie answered.

  Silence again.

  Del glanced with dread at the slow-moving rush-hour traffic ahead of them. Oh, Kade, she thought with an internal sigh, you owe me more than one kiss for this. “Are you hungry?” she asked, remembering her promise to take Sophie to dinner.

  “I worked up an appetite,” Sophie said even though how she’d done that while doing nothing was a mystery to Del. “And we all know the service is abysmal on airplanes. They are not even offering small morsels of food these days.”

  Was she really this snobbish and formal when we first met? Del tried to remember while she nodded politely. Or is she uncomfortable because she saw me kiss her daughter when we last saw each other? “Then let’s have dinner, and Kade can join us when the hearing is over. What are you in the mood for?”

  “Oh, I’ll let you make the decision,” Sophie said.

  I don’t think she’d like the beer and chicken wings in my favorite corner bar, and pizza is probably out too. For a few moments, Del thought about taking Sophie to the expensive French restaurant where Kade had taken her for their first date, but then decided against it. The restaurant was not really her style, and it held mixed memories for both Kade and her. “Have you ever tried Mexican food?” she asked.

  “Of course,” Sophie said.

  Del bit back a grin. This is exactly the tone of voice Kade always uses when she doesn’t want to admit that she has absolutely no clue about something. “Do you like it?” she asked.

  Sophie hesitated, but she had maneuvered herself into a corner. “As far as I remember,” she answered cautiously.

  “Great,” Del said with exaggerated enthusiasm. “Then let’s go to a Mexican restaurant. Kade loves Mexican food.”

  “She does?” Sophie clearly hadn’t known.

  Del nodded. “Nothing can be too hot for Kade.” She coughed when she realized her words could be interpreted in another way too. “She likes spicy food,” she hurriedly added.

  “I see,” Sophie said.

  * * *

  Kade waited until the door to Judge Linehan’s chamber had closed, then she quickly reached for her cell phone, waving dismissively at the defense lawyer who had just wasted two hours of her time. She pressed number one on her speed dial and waited impatiently for Del to pick up.

  “Vasquez,” came Del’s voice, barely audible over the noise in the background.

  Kade furrowed her brow. That didn’t sound like one of the sedate restaurants her mother usually preferred. “Where are you?” she asked without greeting.

  Del’s laugh filtered through the receiver. “Oh, at a lively little Mexican restaurant. Your mother is having the time of her life. She’s drinking margaritas and singing karaoke, and if you don’t arrive soon, I’ll have to stop her from dancing on the table.”

  “You’re joking?” Kade couldn’t believe it. She had seen her mother sip expensive wine or maybe a classic martini but couldn’t believe she would chug down margaritas and have a good time with the lowly guests of a simple Mexican restaurant.

  “Well, actually…” Del laughed. “I am. Your mother went to the restroom.”

  Kade’s world righted itself. “So where are you really?”

  “We really are at a small Mexican restaurant. No karaoke, though,” Del said with a chuckle.

  “How did you get her to go to a Mexican restaurant with you?” Kade asked. She knew her mother preferred the French and Italian cuisine.

  “She said she likes Mexican food.”

  Kade quickened her steps. Something fishy was going on, and she wanted to get to the restaurant fast. “My mother has never tasted even a single crumb of a taco in her life!”

  “Maybe you’re not the only Matheson woman to try out new things in her life,” Del suggested.

  “Give me the name of this restaurant,” Kade demanded. “Leaving you alone with my mother is dang
erous.”

  Del laughed and relayed the restaurant’s name.

  * * *

  Del put her cell phone away just as Sophie returned from the restroom.

  Sophie settled stiffly onto her chair and gave Del a formal nod. “Was that Kadence?” she asked.

  “Yes. Kade just finished her motion hearing,” Del answered. She refused to use Kade’s full first name because she knew Kade preferred the shorter version.

  The waitress came by before an awkward silence could once again arise.

  Del ordered the pork burritos for herself and the chicken fajita for Kade, and then waited with curiosity to see what Sophie would order from the menu she had eyed so skeptically.

  “The sea scallop tostada, please,” Sophie said.

  “Nothing else?” the waitress asked. “Tostadas are usually served just as an appetizer.”

  “It will suffice,” Sophie told her.

  The waitress nodded. “What would you like to drink?”

  Del gave Sophie a smile. “I’ll defer to you. Kade always chooses the wine we have with dinner.”

  Sophie’s eyebrow rose, but she said nothing and smoothly ordered the most expensive bottle of wine on the menu. “So you’re Mexican?” Sophie asked, gesturing to the departing waitress with whom Del had spoken Spanish.

  Is she really interested in learning more about me, or is she just making polite conversation? Del wondered. “No,” she answered. “My parents came from Puerto Rico, but I was born in Sacramento. Puerto Rican Spanish is different from the Spanish that is spoken in Mexico, but it’s still similar enough for me to order the food and exchange a few pleasantries.”

  Thankfully, it wasn’t very long until the waitress returned with their wine and then the food.

  Sophie watched as the waitress set down two plates of food on Del’s side of the table. “It seems you worked up quite an appetite carrying my suitcases,” she said.

  Del knew the women in the Matheson family were encouraged to eat only dainty morsels, and in her opinion, it had caused Kade to skirt dangerously close to having an eating disorder a few years ago. “I’m pretty hungry,” she said, pulling over the plate with the burritos, “but even I couldn’t eat both of these, especially since I plan on having their to-die-for caramel flan for dessert. The chicken fajita is for Kade. The courthouse is just five minutes from here, so I know she’ll be here any minute.”