"You are so right, Margaret."

"All right now, dont start that up again. You know I hate my first name."

"I know, but I just couldnt resist. Bonnie would dare me to call you Margaret just too..."

"Its okay, Chrissie, I miss her too."

"Meg, could we maybe, have lunch sometime? I work at night so that would be the only time Id have."

"I would really like that, Chrissie."

"Are you working tonight, Chris, we could go out for dinner right now, my treat. Oh and of course, youre invited to, Ms. Blackstone."

I knew I liked Frankie for some reason. "Please, call me Blackie."

Meg shook her head, "Im sorry, but I cant, I have a case Im working on."

The soft way Meg squeezed Frankies hand, and the look she gave her, made me wonder if she wasnt talking about Chris. But then, if she was, why wouldnt she want to stay close to her anyway?

"Chris, Blackie, would you excuse us for one minute, please."

"Of course."

Meg and Frankie went into the next room and by the time Chris looked at me wondering what that was all about, they returned with a smile on their faces.

Meg put her hand on Chriss shoulder and said, "Uh, Frankie pointed out that I would regret not taking the opportunity to get to know you again, so I am happy to spare the time to do just that."

"Oh, Im so glad. Its so nice to reconnect with old friends. If you could show me where the bathroom is, I need to power my nose and then Ill be ready to go."

Frankie led Chris out the door into the reception area, where the bathroom was located. As soon as they stepped out of the room, Meg jumped all over me.

"Listen, now that you know my deep, dark secret, I want you to understand that I still think youre bad for Chrissie, and I will still be keeping my eyes on you."

And indeed, now that I knew her secret, I wasnt going to be her whipping dog anymore. I stiffened my back and took a step closer to her.

"Listen, hard a.s.s, I dont give a flying f.u.c.k what you do. Im her friend now, and I didnt buy my way in, like you said I would. Ive changed, or at least Im changing, and if you cant see that, maybe youre the one who needs to change."

"For your sake, I hope you prove me wrong, I really do. But so far, I havent seen that change youre talking about, and until I do..." she leaned in and whispered, "I will ride your f.u.c.king a.s.s every step of the way." And just as she turned to leave the room, she had to get the last word in, "Count on it, Blackie."

Dinner Christine Livingston, Melinda Blackstone, Meg b.u.mgartner, and Frankie Bonner Thankfully, Frankie had the foresight not to take us to a barbeque restaurant. Im getting to where I cant stand the smell of barbeque anymore. She picked a great southern restaurant, with fried chicken, fried fish, and fried okra, pretty much everything on the menu was fried, as it should be in the south. We were seated at a booth by a window that overlooked the Mississippi River. Melinda sat next to me and Meg and Frankie set across from us.

"Chrissie, how can I keep in touch with you?"

"Well, I dont have a telephone, but let me write down my address for you." I grabbed a pen from my purse and wrote my address on a napkin. I was so happy that she wanted to stay in touch with me. Right now, shes all the family I have. I handed her the napkin and she thanked me, explaining that if I ever need her she can find me at the office, or have someone at the office call her, no matter the time. I was very pleased with her generosity.

We perused the menu and I saw that they had fried okra, one of my favorite vegetables.

"Have you ever had fried okra before, Melinda?"

"No, cant say that I have."

"Youre in for a real treat then. Bonnie and I use to eat fried okra like it was popcorn. Wed toss them up in the air and see who could catch the most. I was never as good at it as she was."

"I remember that," Meg said, "you both got more on the floor than you did in your mouth. It was just a good thing that our beagle, Stubby, liked okra."

"Meg, how are your parents? I mean, was it very hard on them? Oh, that was a completely stupid thing to say, Im sorry."

"Its all right Chrissie. My parents had a very rough time of it. Mom lost a lot of weight and dad stared out the window a lot. But when I told them that I was going to the murderers trial, they came with me. The judge asked them if they wanted to say something to the defendant, and my mother said, right to his face, that she forgives him. Can you believe that? I was so disappointed with my mom, that it took several arguments between us before I finally understood. She needed to forgive him in order to forgive herself. She had been blaming herself for letting Bonnie stay out late that night."

"And have you forgiven him yet, Meg?" I was afraid of her answer, but I had to ask the question. What would she say if I told her what I had done? Would she hate me? I dont think I could bare that.

"No. And I never will."

Tears stung my eyes and I quickly turned to look out the window, wishing I was anywhere else just now. But then I saw in the windows reflection that Frankie shook her head at Meg and I panicked, fearing they had figured out my secret. I heard Frankie whisper ease up to her and I could breath again.

"Im sorry, Chrissie. I didnt mean to upset you. Its just that the b.a.s.t.a.r.d is back on the street now, and still drinking. Perhaps if he were trying to make amends, trying to help others with a drinking problem, then maybe I could forgive him."

Now my eyes watered in grat.i.tude. Someday, after I can make amends for my drunken past, I will tell Meg, and apologize to her from the bottom of my heart.

"Hey, Chrissie..."

I looked at her and she was holding a piece of okra.

"Open wide." She said, and when I did, smiling from ear to ear as she tossed the okra into my mouth.

Regrets and Promises Meg b.u.mgartner and Frankie Bonner "What a delightful young lady she is." Frankie said as she pointed to her zipper.

I pulled off my gun and holster and set it inside the bedside drawer, walked over and collected her beautiful blond hair to move it aside. I slowly, purposely, unzipped her dress, caressing her creamy soft back with my eyes.

"She was always a good kid," I replied, and then remembered how I had almost blown it. "Im just so sorry I spouted off about the drunk."

"Yeah, that was a close one, but you recovered well. I could see how grateful she was that youd be willing to give him another chance."

"d.a.m.n I hate having to lie to her like this. Not about forgiving him, I meant what I said. But not being able to tell her that I know what she did, and I forgive her. Im proud of her, and how far shes come from that back alley behind the bar."

"Oh, honey," she wrapped her long arms around my waist, "youre giving her the chance she needs to make up for it."

"But where do we go from here? Now that she knows where Im at, and what I do, how can I turn her down the next time she wants to get together?"

"Like I told you earlier in the office, you cant put the genie back in the bottle, so dont try. Be her friend, honey, she needs that more than anything else. I could see it in her eyes, shes hungry for friendship, and I dont care what Blackie says, Chris has not yet decided whether shes a friend or not."

I ran my hand across her soft collar bone, and teased her, verbally and s.e.xually, "You can tell all that just by looking at her?"

"No, silly. It was the way she cautiously chose her words when she spoke to her. She wants to be friends, and maybe something more, but she doesnt trust her yet, and until she does, Blackie will be left out in the cold."

"Good." I growled.

"Now honey, I think Blackie genuinely just wants to be friends with her."

"And something more, no doubt."

"Yes, most likely. But it wont happen anytime soon, if it ever does. Blackie is walking a slippery slope right now. One more screw up, and shes history."

"I promise you. If Blackie hurts my girl, sh.e.l.l have me to answer to."

Chapter Eleven.

Confessions Christine Livingston and Norma Shelby "Whats the matter, dear?" Norma looked at me quizzically.

"This is a very strange game, Norma. You want me to turn tricks from a trump, and Im sure those words probably mean something else to you, but to me youre saying prost.i.tute myself for Donald Trump."

"Oh, my good heavens," she laughed, "no, dear, this is Pinochle, not Hollywood and Vine."

"Well, thats good; I was beginning to worry about your morals, Norma."

"Oh, well you probably should worry then." She had a crooked smile on her lips and I laughed when she winked her eye at me.

"Are you ready for some more tea?" I asked as I moved to the settee and poured myself a gla.s.s.

"That would be lovely, thank you." Norma handed me her gla.s.s and moved to the chair where her kitten laid sleeping. She picked her up and sat down. "So where is that sweet Melinda today?"

"Im not sure, probably up to no good."

"Oh, do tell?"

"Oh, no, that was a joke, Norma. Melinda is a nice person."

"But you dont trust her, do you dear?"

"Norma, stop reading my mind."

She laughed, and took a sip of tea.

"Um, am I really that obvious, Norma?"

"Only to me, dear. Its in the way you keep her slightly at arms length. You want to be friends, but youre afraid. Can this old lady give her beautiful young friend some advice?"

"I dont see an old lady in here, just my friend, Norma, and shes welcomed to advise me on anything."

"Aw, sweet girl, thank you for that. My advice is that you shouldnt give up on her. Theres a large heart inside of Melinda that she shares with few people. When Melinda handed me this little one," she stroked the kitten asleep in her lap, "she rescued me from my solitude. Did you know that the next day she brought me cat food, litter and every cat toy they had in the store?" She pointed to a box in the kitchen, full of toys. "She swore me to secrecy because she was afraid people would think she was trying to buy my friendship. Why do you think that is, dear?"

I hesitated, trying to a.s.similate what she was saying, versus what she was asking me. "Well, Norma, I think its because thats what she does. Im not saying shes a bad person, but she is toxic."

"Toxic? Thats an interesting choice of words."

"Its true. She bribes people to get what she wants. Thats how she found out what apartment I live in, she bribed the landlord."

"Oh yes, that was wrong of her. But she didnt do it out of malice, Im sure."

"No, she didnt, but thats not the point."

"Isnt it?"

"She invaded my privacy, Norma, and she had no right to do that."

"Theres something else, isnt there? Something troubles you about her that you dont want to say out loud."

I nodded my head, feeling caught between a rock and a hard place.

"Thats all right, dear, I dont mean to pry."

"Oh, no, you werent prying, but you were right." I took a deep breath, and dived in. "Norma, when I look at Melinda, I see myself ten months ago, driving fast cars and waking up hung over in a strangers house or someplace worse. My parents disowned me, my friends deserted me, and my money dried up. I was hopelessly lost, and painfully lonely. I dont ever want to go back to that kind of h.e.l.l again."

"And Melinda?"

"Melinda enjoys driving fast cars and waking up hung over. And she says she wants to be my friend because I said no to her. That intrigues her, because apparently, shes never been told no before. But you cant build a friendship on that."

"Youre right, but its a good starting place, dont you think?"

"I guess, its just that Im..."

"Youre afraid."

"Yes, maam, I am."

"Listen to that fear, Chris, its there for a reason. But that doesnt mean you cant still be friends with her. You know what that kind of life is like and no one can make you go back to it, if you dont let them. But have you thought that perhaps your influence can have a positive effect on Melinda? Have you considered that she is struggling to climb out of that life, and you are her life preserver?"

"My goodness, no I hadnt."

"Dear, you both are so much alike in so many ways, and if you do become close friends, youll have a lot to share with each other."

"But how can I be sure, Norma? How can I protect myself without setting myself up to fail?"

"Communication. Its the key to everything large and small. Communicate your fears to her and let her do the same."

"I just dont trust her enough to do that, Im sorry."

"Oh no, dont be sorry, my dear, you have every right to be afraid. Might I suggest you find some way to test her?"

"Test her? Do you mean like trick her or something? That doesnt seem right to me."

"Oh no, not trick her, draw her out somehow."