Bailed Out (The Anna Albertini Files #2) - Rebecca Zanetti Page 0,33
and laughed, looking beyond perfect in her pink suit with the tan shoes. Alice was around thirty-five, was happily married with three kids, and had been my mentor for my first month at the prosecuting attorney’s office until Nick had gone and canned anybody who’d worked there while the former dirty prosecuting attorney had been in charge. “I’m back. Nick hired me this morning.”
Thank goodness. I released her and looked up the several inches to her smiling face. Her pink lipstick matched her suit in a way I could only hope to emulate someday. “I’m so glad.”
“Me too.” She tugged her Coach briefcase farther up her arm. “I have to run to court but we should catch up later? Maybe lunch tomorrow?”
“Absolutely.” I fought the urge to hug her again as she hustled out of the offices. Finally, Nick had come to his senses. My stomach growled, and I glanced at my phone. I had time for a quick bite, so I turned and followed Alice outside before anybody could stop me. Once standing on the clean and very warm sidewalk, I strode along the manicured park toward the lake, stopping at McQuirk’s Deli, which took up the entire first floor of the building between my offices and the beach. Businesses took residence on the second floor.
I grabbed a pre-made salad and waited for a chilled latte before heading outside toward the beach, where I managed to snag a small picnic table beneath a tree. Kids laughed while playing in the water, and a boisterous game of volleyball entertained me as I tried to breathe in the nice weather and relax. Now that Nick was finally hiring other attorneys, hopefully my workload would lighten.
“Hi.” Jolene O’Sullivan slipped onto the bench across from me with her sandwich and soda.
I coughed on my latte.
She grimaced. “Yeah, sorry about that.” She spread the napkin out and placed the wrapped McQuirk’s sandwich across it. Today she wore white capri pants, a pretty blue silk shirt, and silver jewelry. Her blonde hair was back in a ponytail, her makeup minimal, and her eyes sparkling. “Not only for that. Sorry I was bitchy the other day. Old habits die hard, you know?”
I didn’t know. Instead, I took another sip of my latte and wondered what mercurial gods had put Jolene smack down in the middle of my peaceful moment.
She took a bite of her club sandwich and closed her eyes, humming in pleasure. After she chewed, she smiled. “Man, I missed their sandwiches while I was in Boston.”
I sipped my latte. What should I do? Did I still owe her a punch in the face for sleeping with Donna’s boyfriend? It was ages ago, he’d been a moron, and no doubt Donna had moved on. But she was my sister, and maybe Jolene was right that old habits did die hard. I wanted to punch her for making my sister cry. Yeah, I’d always thought she was aptly named, and the lyrics for Jolene ran through my head.
Jolene smiled. “Okay, fine. Here’s the deal. I wasn’t nice to you, and I know I hurt your sister, but give me a break. That was a long time ago. My folks were fighting all the time and got divorced, and you all were this one big happy family, and I was a jerk and struck out. I’m sorry.”
Well. I’d been much younger than her and hadn’t known about any of her home life. “I was probably a pain in the butt tagging along with you teenagers all the time,” I admitted.
She chuckled. “You were, but honestly, I was a little jealous of how nice Aiden was with you. He only looked at you like a little sister, but he was genuinely amused by everything you did. He really did like you.”
Yeah, I’d thought so. We’d had a friendship that had made me happy.
Her smile made twin dimples show on her pretty face. “I heard that friendship changed lately. Quite a bit.”
I lifted an eyebrow.
She took a drink of her soda. “There are no secrets in Silverville, even for somebody who moved away eons ago.”
Wasn’t that the truth?
“So, are you two dating now?” Her words were a little too casual.
“Why?” I asked.
She shrugged. “Part curiosity and part noticing that he’s hotter than ever. I love a bad boy.” Her face fell. “Although, that’s usually my downfall, you know?”
Did I ever. “I accept your apology, but I really don’t want to talk about my love life,” I said.