"It isn"t a double standard if they see it as an earned reward."
They sat silently, Todd seemingly digesting the arguments and Judith lining up more.
"Can you at least come in for a couple of hours this weekend?"
"No." She was loathe to share her personal details at work, but she would do it to drive home her resolve. "I"m seeing someone who happens to live in Chicago. The only time we have free is weekends."
"We all have things we"d rather be doing."
She stood up. "Then I"ll find another job, Todd. My relationship is worth more than working here."
"Wait! Don"t . . . s.h.i.t."
"It"s up to you to make it work. I"ll come in on Sat.u.r.days whenever I can, like next weekend." Carmen would be in Tokyo.
"But I"m not going to let this job take precedence. I"ve been here too long to be a minion."
He ran his hand through his hair and started to speak. Clearly exasperated, he swallowed his words and waved her out.
Judith found herself shaking as she walked back to her desk.
It felt good to be standing up for herself, but she didn"t like hearing that she was letting down her coworkers. Still, it wasn"t going to change her determination to set her own schedule. Between her mom and Victor, she and Carmen had precious little time as it was.
Judith emptied the contents of her basket on the conveyor.
They had agreed to eat in tonight, preferring total privacy for their last night together. The next two weeks would be long, but Judith was already booked for Chicago for the weekend after next.
Carmen rested her chin on Judith"s shoulder and whispered 207 in her ear. "Tell them to hurry."
"This is New York. Everything is done as fast as is humanly possible."
"But I want to get home and spend some more quality time with your p.u.s.s.y."
She felt the blood rush to her face as she suppressed a smile.
"I can"t believe you just said that in the middle of the Chelsea Market."
"Judith"s p.u.s.s.y." Carmen softly hissed the words.
"Oh, G.o.d."
"Judith"s sweet, tasty p.u.s.s.y and her pointy nipples."
"Behave yourself."
"Only if you promise me I can have your sweet, tasty p.u.s.s.y for dessert."
"You can have anything you want if you"ll just be quiet."
Carmen obliged for all of fifteen seconds, but her chin never left Judith"s shoulder. "I get Judith"s p.u.s.s.y for dessert," she sang softly.
Judith did her best to ignore the taunting as she pushed her items toward the checker. When he called out the amount, Carmen reached around quickly and dropped three twenties on the counter.
"I should get this. You"re my guest this weekend."
Carmen collected the change and scooped up two of the plastic bags. "I"ll buy dinner. You can save your money to buy me presents."
She grabbed the last bag and followed Carmen out onto the sidewalk. "I have to buy you presents?"
"How else will I know you care?"
Judith snorted. "I guess just telling you wouldn"t work."
"Words can be so insincere. Nothing says "I adore you" like presents." She held out her hand for the third bag. "Let"s try a little experiment. Hand me that bag too."
She hooked it on Carmen"s outstretched fingers.
208.
"Now reach into my pocket and take out the little box."
Judith did, her eyes growing wide.
"Open it."
Her mouth dropped as she peeled back the top to find a jade pendant on a gold chain.
"Now don"t you feel adored? Doesn"t it just toast the c.o.c.kles of your heart to know I was thinking about you during lunch on Thursday in Philadelphia?"
"You are so sweet!"
"And here"s the best part. Now that you know how sweet I am and how much I adore you, don"t you want to take me home and f.u.c.k me till my eyes cross?"
Judith gripped her forearm with both hands and squeezed.
"Yes! Yes, I want to do that."
"And I bet you thought I knew nothing about relationships."
Judith laughed and shook her head. "People are so wrong about you, Carmen." The look of shock that comment produced was priceless.
"What people?"
"You know . . . the usual people." She reached again for one of the grocery bags.
"Someone"s been telling my secrets?"
"Don"t worry. I don"t believe some of it."
"Only some of it?"
"Well, the part about you having a dirty mouth is true."
"And to think I gave them all that money not to talk."
"You can"t trust anyone these days." They reached the front of Judith"s building and started up the stairs.
"Not even you?"
"You can trust me, Carmen. Unless, of course, you can"t."
"I have to find my camera. This is surreal," Judith said.
"What? You think the great Carmen Delallo doesn"t know 209 how to do dishes?"
"I just never imagined you"d be doing mine."
"And now my mystique is shattered."
"Maybe, but your stock went through the roof."
Carmen laughed. She couldn"t believe it herself, but she actually liked this domestic turn, as long as it was cozy and very, very rare. "The a.n.a.lysts predict I"ll outperform all others in the sector."
Judith"s arms went around her waist from behind. "How about in the galaxy?"
"Do I have compet.i.tion in the galaxy?"
"Not that I know of."
"Good thing." She spun in Judith"s arms and wiped her wet hands on her back. "Did I tell you I"m in love with you?"
"I don"t think so. I would have remembered something like that."
"Mind like a steel sieve."
"What was your name again?" Judith asked.
"Bruno." She wriggled free and crossed the small kitchen to pull the shade. Then she proceeded into the living room to do the same.
"Are you expecting an air raid?"
"I thought we should have a little privacy for our contest."
She casually began to loosen the b.u.t.tons on her shirt. "Last one naked gets coffee in the morning."
She threw off her shirt and fumbled with the clasp on her bra.
Judith was wearing a pullover and sent it flying across the room, along with her sports bra.
Carmen gave up on the clasp and tugged the bra over her head. She had already noticed Judith"s lace-up shoes. That would buy her at least two seconds. She kicked off her clogs and unzipped her pants, sending them to the floor with her panties.
Judith had somehow managed to kick off her shoes without undoing the laces and also pushed her jeans and panties to the 210 floor. But she caught her socks on the way down and was trying to step out of everything at once.
Carmen was hopping on one foot trying to get her last sock- "Ta-da!"
"d.a.m.n it!"
"Double shot, skim milk, no sugar," Judith said. She stepped close enough for their pubic hair to mingle. "Good thing we didn"t bother with making the bed, huh?"
Carmen fell backward onto the futon and pulled Judith on top. "You make me want to do this all day."
"We have."
"I know, but it has to last for two weeks this time." That seemed like an eternity and she hadn"t even left yet. "I wish you were coming with me."
"To Tokyo?"
"Wouldn"t that be fun? We could take a couple of extra days to sightsee."
"I can"t believe you"re going all that way for just three days."
"Me neither. But that"s how long the meetings will last. I don"t want to wander around by myself."
"Still, it must be fun to go to such an interesting place. You should take at least some time to get out and see things."
"I think they"re giving me a little tour. I should have arranged that for them when they were in New York."
"Are those the people I talked to at your reception?"
"Yeah."
"They were nice. Will they be coming to Chicago?"
"Not until May."
"I can get you some DVDs that highlight the sights. You can set them up on that boat tour, but they can plan ahead on what else they want to do."
"That"s a great idea."
"You should do that for all your clients. Make them want to visit Chicago so you won"t have to go see them."
211.
"You"re smart." It was funny to be lying naked and stroking each other while they brainstormed marketing strategies. "Do you have any other skills?"
"None whatsoever."
"I"ll probably have to disagree with that." She leaned into Judith and ran her tongue around the rim of her mouth. "I find some of your skills to be exemplary."