sagely.
“Oh, please.” Marisa sat in the chair and contemplated her bare feet morosely.
“What, am I wrong? You’re wildly attracted to him, aren’t you? Why deny it?”
“I can’t do anything about it, Tracy, you know the position I’m in! And he’s so...”
“Aggressive?”
“Yes.”
“Good for him,” Tracy said firmly, and picked up the room service menu.
“Whose side are you on?”
“Yours, dearie. A man like this one is what you’ve needed for a long time.”
“Counseling without a license again, Tracy?”
“What do you want for breakfast?” Tracy said, ignoring her.
“How can you think about food at a time like this?” Marisa demanded, outraged.
“A time like what?”
“I’m having a crisis here!”
“What’s the crisis? You’ve finally met a man who can melt the icy reserve that’s kept everybody else at a distance for as long as I’ve known you. More power to him. How about blueberry pancakes?”
“There’s more, Tracy. He was trying to get me to admit how I felt this morning and I...uh...I slapped him.”
“You!” Tracy hooted. “Miss Cool, Calm and Collected? I would have paid good money to see that.”
“I’m not going to get involved with him.”
“You’re already involved with him.”
“I don’t have to make it any worse. Aside from the ethical considerations, he’s a ladykiller. I don’t want to be used and then tossed away like a facial tissue.”
“Uh-huh. What’s the real problem?”
Marisa blinked. “What do you mean? I just told you.”
“What did he say that made you hit him?”
“I don’t remember.”
“Yes, you do.”
“He said I was pretending to be an innocent little virgin.”
Tracy burst out laughing.
“It’s not funny.”
“Don’t you know that’s the sort of thing men always say when they don’t get their way? Forget it.”
“I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m not pretending, I am one.”
“One what?” Tracy said, still reading the menu.
“Haven’t you got that thing memorized by now?” Marisa snapped. “Are you listening to me? I’m not pretending. I am a virgin.”
She had Tracy’s full attention now. “You’re joking,” Tracy said, gaping at her.
“I’m not.”
“You must be the only twenty-seven-year-old virgin in captivity,” Tracy said, awed.
“Twenty-eight,” Marisa said mournfully.
“I can’t believe it.”
“He’ll laugh at me,” Marisa said quietly.
“Oh, honey, no,” Tracy said, putting the menu aside. “Don’t think that way. It just makes you special, that’s all.”
“Specially odd.”
“Haven’t you ever been in love?”
“I was always so busy, with school and then work,” Marisa said lamely.
“But some men must have tried.”
“Oh, sure, but they never seemed... I don’t know. Wonderful enough, somehow.”
“But this one is.”
“He must be. I can’t stop thinking about him and it’s complicating this case no end.”
“Well,” Tracy said briskly, “you can’t go on like this. You’d better deal with it, and fast.”
“Charlie telephoned this morning and asked if I wanted to be recalled. He was worried about the shooting, and I could have taken the opportunity to extricate myself from this mess.”
“What did you say?”
“No.”
“Then you must want to stay.”
“I can’t bear the thought of not seeing Jack again,” Marisa whispered. “But I’m so scared.”
“You know,” Tracy said thoughtfully, “Bluewolf is not opposing counsel and he’s not the nominal plaintiff either. He’s just an adviser. Technically there’s no reason you can’t see him socially.”
“I’m not sure Charlie would view it that way,” Marisa commented dryly.
“You’re as familiar with the ethical rules as I am. You know I’m right. You’re using all of that bar association mumbo jumbo as an excuse because you’re afraid to deal with your feelings for this guy.”
“That’s what Jack said. More or less.”
“Oh, please.” Marisa sat in the chair and contemplated her bare feet morosely.
“What, am I wrong? You’re wildly attracted to him, aren’t you? Why deny it?”
“I can’t do anything about it, Tracy, you know the position I’m in! And he’s so...”
“Aggressive?”
“Yes.”
“Good for him,” Tracy said firmly, and picked up the room service menu.
“Whose side are you on?”
“Yours, dearie. A man like this one is what you’ve needed for a long time.”
“Counseling without a license again, Tracy?”
“What do you want for breakfast?” Tracy said, ignoring her.
“How can you think about food at a time like this?” Marisa demanded, outraged.
“A time like what?”
“I’m having a crisis here!”
“What’s the crisis? You’ve finally met a man who can melt the icy reserve that’s kept everybody else at a distance for as long as I’ve known you. More power to him. How about blueberry pancakes?”
“There’s more, Tracy. He was trying to get me to admit how I felt this morning and I...uh...I slapped him.”
“You!” Tracy hooted. “Miss Cool, Calm and Collected? I would have paid good money to see that.”
“I’m not going to get involved with him.”
“You’re already involved with him.”
“I don’t have to make it any worse. Aside from the ethical considerations, he’s a ladykiller. I don’t want to be used and then tossed away like a facial tissue.”
“Uh-huh. What’s the real problem?”
Marisa blinked. “What do you mean? I just told you.”
“What did he say that made you hit him?”
“I don’t remember.”
“Yes, you do.”
“He said I was pretending to be an innocent little virgin.”
Tracy burst out laughing.
“It’s not funny.”
“Don’t you know that’s the sort of thing men always say when they don’t get their way? Forget it.”
“I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m not pretending, I am one.”
“One what?” Tracy said, still reading the menu.
“Haven’t you got that thing memorized by now?” Marisa snapped. “Are you listening to me? I’m not pretending. I am a virgin.”
She had Tracy’s full attention now. “You’re joking,” Tracy said, gaping at her.
“I’m not.”
“You must be the only twenty-seven-year-old virgin in captivity,” Tracy said, awed.
“Twenty-eight,” Marisa said mournfully.
“I can’t believe it.”
“He’ll laugh at me,” Marisa said quietly.
“Oh, honey, no,” Tracy said, putting the menu aside. “Don’t think that way. It just makes you special, that’s all.”
“Specially odd.”
“Haven’t you ever been in love?”
“I was always so busy, with school and then work,” Marisa said lamely.
“But some men must have tried.”
“Oh, sure, but they never seemed... I don’t know. Wonderful enough, somehow.”
“But this one is.”
“He must be. I can’t stop thinking about him and it’s complicating this case no end.”
“Well,” Tracy said briskly, “you can’t go on like this. You’d better deal with it, and fast.”
“Charlie telephoned this morning and asked if I wanted to be recalled. He was worried about the shooting, and I could have taken the opportunity to extricate myself from this mess.”
“What did you say?”
“No.”
“Then you must want to stay.”
“I can’t bear the thought of not seeing Jack again,” Marisa whispered. “But I’m so scared.”
“You know,” Tracy said thoughtfully, “Bluewolf is not opposing counsel and he’s not the nominal plaintiff either. He’s just an adviser. Technically there’s no reason you can’t see him socially.”
“I’m not sure Charlie would view it that way,” Marisa commented dryly.
“You’re as familiar with the ethical rules as I am. You know I’m right. You’re using all of that bar association mumbo jumbo as an excuse because you’re afraid to deal with your feelings for this guy.”
“That’s what Jack said. More or less.”
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