so that it fell across his forehead. In the photos provided he was always posing with Piper, in front of buildings and water and various landmarks. They made a handsome couple, but Piper deserved better than a jerk who didn't appreciate her.
She took the pictures into her office and shut the door, chewing on her bottom lip before she took her phone from her pocket. She scrolled through the numbers until she reached the bottom of the list, women with a "Z" in front of their names like an anchor to drop them below all her other contacts. Deanna, Gina, first Mary, other Mary, Mindy, Betty and Veronica... She smiled as she remembered how those two had gotten into her phone book and continued scrolling.
Ari finally dialed Trudy's number and turned to look out the window as it buzzed in her ear. There was a click, and then Trudy answered in a professional tone. "Gertrude Hanson, how may I help you?"
"Gertrude? I thought you hated your full name."
A pause of almost ten whole seconds. "Ariadne."
"Right. Don't you have Caller ID on that phone?"
Trudy's voice dropped to little more than a whisper. "I programmed your name out of my phone a long time ago, Ari. I thought you would have done the same."
"So I'm nostalgic. Sue me. I thought maybe we could get together and talk about things. Catch up."
Trudy laughed. Ari heard a door close and assumed her ex was in a storage room or something equally private. "Tell me you're not calling me up after all this time for a booty call."
Ari felt suddenly humiliated. "We always were good together, Trudy. Sex wasn't the problem, everything else was." She toyed with the hem of her vest, feeling like a teenager playing dress-up.
"Yeah. Everything else." Trudy's voice was wistful. She sighed. "I'm seeing somebody, Ari. Even if I wasn't, you would be such a terrible, terrible idea that I--"
"I get it. Sorry I bothered you."
"Ari." She brought the phone back to her ear, hoping for an apology for being so blunt. But Trudy just twisted the knife. "Delete my number from your phone, please. I don't want any more calls like this."
"Right. You got it, Gertrude." She jabbed the button to disconnect the call and dropped the phone onto her desk. Was there anyone on her list who would have a better reaction? She didn't even know why she kept the numbers in her phone. Gina had basically told her to drop dead. First Mary had spent an hour after their break-up listing all the ways Ari was the worst woman to ever soil the planet with her presence. She burned bridges when she ended her relationships. She did it selfishly. The only people who were likely to enjoy hearing from her would be Betty and Veronica, but she hadn't really spoken to them after that Halloween night.
Ari was putting on her jacket when Dale knocked and came into her office. "I typed up and printed out Kent Robinson's schedule for you. Going somewhere?"
"Yeah, I'm going to take another little walk."
Dale read between the lines. "How bad is it?"
"Not bad. I swear." She flipped her ponytail over the collar of her jacket and took the schedule from Dale. "Do we still have those little bug things? The listening devices?"
"Mm-hmm. I'll get them ready for you. I'll have 'em here before Robinson gets off from work."
"Thanks, Dale." She wanted to kiss her cheek as thanks as she usually did, but she didn't want to risk another awkward grind. "I'll be back soon."
"Take care of yourself, Ari."
She smiled. "I always do. Maybe that's the problem."
#
Ari went home to change, and went to a nearby lesbian bar in her plain white T-shirt and a pair of jeans. She traded her belt for suspenders, finding them easier to deal with in certain situations. Plus she just flat loved how she looked in suspenders. She nursed her drink for almost forty-five minutes before a prospect arrived. She had long red hair, and she was dressed in a business suit but no tie. She had traded her high heels for a pair of sneakers, setting her purse on the bar as she waited to be served. She glanced toward Ari, laugh lines appearing by her eyes as she offered a polite smile before turning away.
Ari moved down the bar and settled on the stool next to the business woman. She turned and pressed her lips against the curtain of red hair close enough that her lips