Secluded Heart Read online

  “I think you have a crush on her.” Gayle snickered.

  “Suit yourself.” Chase rolled her eyes. Her lips still tingled from the make out session or whatever the hell it was they had in the office. Chase told herself if it wasn’t for them being here around all of these people and in Frankie’s office at the time, she more than likely would have gone a hell of a lot farther.

  Chase could see Remy standing with Brian on the other side of the room talking to various people. The brunette continued to gaze at her with lustful eyes. She’s so god damn adorable, ugh! Why does she have to be straight? That’s my luck. And what the hell was that office episode? I was really going to get another glass. Frankie tapped her shoulder, bringing her out of the daze she was in.

  “Huh?”

  “Where did you go? You disappeared on me.”

  “Sorry, I was uncomfortable.”

  “What did you think of Ronnie?”

  “Who? Oh yeah, she’s pretty.”

  “She wants to get to know you better.”

  “That’s nice.”

  “What’s up? You’re acting funny.”

  “Nothing’s wrong.” Chase shrugged her shoulders. “I’m fine. I don’t think I’m ready to be set up with anyone though.”

  “That’s fine, I just wanted to introduce you two. I think you’d be good together.”

  Chase took a deep breath. She couldn’t get the earlier events off of her mind. Every time she licked her lips she tasted Remy’s mouth and felt it against hers. It wasn’t helping when she’d look in the direction of Remy’s paintings the taller woman was looking back at her.

  “Hey Frankie, I think I’m going to head home.”

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, my head’s hurting. I’ve had a long week.”

  “Hmm…I still think something’s up with you. Go home and get some sleep. I’m sure it’s quiet around there now.”

  “Yes it is.” Chase smiled and hugged her friend. She started towards Gayle and Ping who were standing close to Remy and Brian.

  “I’m heading home, I’ve got a headache and I’m tired. I’ll see you guys tomorrow for brunch at Rainer’s.”

  Ping wrinkled her nose. “I’m sorry you’re not feeling good honey.”

  “Yeah me too,” She hugged them bye and turned towards the door. Remy was with Brian talking to a woman about one of the paintings that was close to the doorway. She’d have to walk past them to leave. Damn it, so much for a clean getaway.

  Chase stopped next to them. “It was good to see you again Remy, I’m looking forward to seeing more of your work.” Chase stuck her hand out. She felt a burst of electricity when their hands touched. They held each other’s hand a second too long, but no one noticed. “It was nice meeting you Brian.” Chase shook his hand briefly and put her best eat shit smile.

  4

  Chase parked her roadster in the parking garage on the third floor and took the elevator down to the first floor entrance of the hospital. She waved at various physicians that she passed on the way up to the cardiology floor where her office was located.

  “Good morning Dr. Leery.”

  “Hi Jimmy. How are you?” She spoke to the male nurse that worked on her floor. He seemed to always be in the lounge when she went in for coffee, she wondered if he ever worked. Chase was still dressed in her business suit because she had her normal Monday staff meeting to attend. Her cell phone began ringing on her belt before he could engage her in conversation. “Excuse me Jimmy.” She stepped into her office and answered the phone.

  “Frankie? I didn’t know you could get up this early.” She laughed.

  “I can be at work before seven a.m. if I want to.”

  “I see, so what do I owe the pleasure?”

  “I need to talk to you. Can you come by the gallery at lunch time?”

  “I have a staff meeting this morning, they usually last about four or five hours. Is it urgent?”

  “Yeah, I need to talk to you as soon as possible.”

  “Are you okay?” Frankie heard the concern in Chase’s voice.

  “Yeah, I’m fine. I just need to talk to you about something.”

  “Wanna meet at Rainer’s?”

  “No, I’d rather meet at the gallery I have a lot of work to do today.”

  Chase was sitting behind her small wooden desk. She turned on the computer to check her notes for the meeting since she was suppose to speak on one of the topics. “Okay, I’ll see you when I finish here.” She hung up the phone. Something was definitely going on with Frankie, maybe she met someone. She only acted funny when something was on her mind. Hmm…oh well. I guess I’ll find out later.

  ***

  “Okay Frankie, what’s up? You’ve had me on pins and needles.” Chase said as she walked into the office area of the gallery.

  “Step into my office.” Frankie turned towards her secretary. “Hold my calls, I’m in a meeting.” She shut the door and walked towards her desk. Chase was already sitting in one of the leather chairs. Frankie walked in front of her and leaned against the desk.

  “I know what’s going on with you.”

  “Huh?” Chase was confused. Frankie turned her computer screen around and pressed a button the mouse; all of a sudden a small video of her and Remy against the door appeared from start to finish. The coloring quickly drained from Chase’s face. She stared blankly at the screen. Oh my god.

  “Care to explain?” Frankie said with a touch of sarcasm.

  “I…I’m sorry Frankie, I had no idea.”

  “Well I didn’t either. I checked my security cameras on my computer this morning like I always do. How do you think I felt when I saw this? She’s straight Chase, you met Brian.”

  “I know.” She wanted to crawl into a hole and hide. “Did you watch it? She’s the one who shoved me against the door.”

  “Yeah I saw it, a few more times that I would like to have, and you didn’t exactly push her off of you, as I do seem to recall.”

  “What do you want me to say?”

  “I knew you were attracted to her, but this…what if he finds out Chase? What if she drops you like a bad habit?” Frankie threw her hands into the air out of frustration.

  “Nothing else happened.”

  “This is why you weren’t feeling good wasn’t it?”

  “Yeah, I’m sorry I didn’t just tell you.”

  “Have you talked to her since then?” Frankie moved around to her desk chair and sat down. She closed the camera window on the computer screen.

  “No. We didn’t exactly exchange numbers.” She said with a grin. “You didn’t show her this did you?”

  “No. I wanted to call you both in here, but you’re my best friend and I can talk some sense into you, so I don’t plan on showing this to her.”

  “Good, can you delete it?”

  “I just did.” She smashed a few keys on the keyboard. “Seriously Chase, what are you going to do about this?”

  Well, I’d like you to give me her number so I can call her. Then, I’d like to take her to dinner, but most of all, I want to lay on my balcony making love to her under the stars and listening to the waves crash until the sun comes up. “Nothing,”

  “You practically got it on with this woman against my office door and you don’t care?”

  “We didn’t get it on, and what am I suppose to do Frankie she’s straight!” She was back to wanting to crawl into a hole and hide.

  “The worst part is I don’t even know what to say about it. Just be careful, okay.”

  “I will. I doubt I’ll even see her again, at least until she’s in another show. Did you tell her I bought a painting?”

  “No. Did you want me to?”

  “No.” Chase sat back in the chair. “Am I free to go warden?” She laughed.

  “Ha.” Frankie shook her head and laughed. “I still can’t believe you two didn’t get caught.” Chase grinned and raised an eyebrow, as if to say she was too good to get caught.

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nbsp; “I have another meeting to get to at the Heart Institute.” Chase stood up.

  “You know, I haven’t noticed you yawning as much. You must be sleeping.”

  “Yeah, I’m not being yelled at constantly.” She shrugged.

  “That’s good, has she tried to contact you?”

  “Nope,”

  “Have fun at your meeting, hot shot.” Frankie rolled her eyes and chuckled. Chase smiled. Frankie hadn’t seen her best friend do anything of this nature since before she ever met Yelena.

  ***

  Sunday arrived before they knew it. Frankie, Gayle, Ping and Chase sat at their usual corner table at Rainer’s for brunch. Chase was wearing khaki shorts a white tank top and flip flops. Her sunglasses were up on her head. The Miami heat was beating down close to a hundred degrees outside.

  “So, where’d you put that painting you bought?” Ping asked.

  “It’s in the living room, why?”

  “Speaking of paintings, here comes your artist.” Gayle saw Remy walk in. Chase turned her head, they immediately made eye contact. The gaze didn’t break until Remy stopped at the counter to order her coffee.

  “Go talk to her Chase.” Ping smacked her leg under the table.

  “She’s your artist Frankie, you call her over.” Gayle said.

  “Leave her alone girls.” Frankie laughed and shook her head.

  As soon as Remy was handed her coffee she turned around to face their table. She and Chase made eye contact and held it once again, and then she left the restaurant.

  “I’ll be right back.” Chase jumped up from the table and hurried towards the door. Frankie shook her head and frowned. She was worried for her friend. Straight girls were always trouble.

  Chase looked both ways when she stepped out onto the sidewalk. Remy was nowhere to be found. Then, she noticed a door closing on a white BMW 300 series. She ran towards the car and saw Remy sitting behind the wheel in the driver’s seat. Remy started the car and rolled the window down halfway.

  “Hi.” Chase spoke first.

  “Hey.” Remy’s chocolate brown eyes were sparkling in the sunlight. She was holding her sunglasses. Chase figured she caught her as she was about to put them on.

  “Can we talk?” Chase put her hand on top of the car.

  “I…I’m running late.” She broke the eye contact. “I’m supposed to meet Brian.”

  “Okay.”

  “I can’t do this…I‘m straight…I’m sorry.” She rolled the window up and backed out of the parking spot.

  Chase stood on the sidewalk cursing up and down. “God damn it!” You got yourself into this Leery! She walked back into the restaurant trying to hide the frustration on her face.

  “Did you catch her?” Gayle asked.

  “No. She was already gone.”

  “She’s so shy.”

  “You were shy when I first met you Ping Pong.” Frankie laughed.

  “Yeah, but look at her now!” Gayle added and Ping smacked her arm.

  Chase was glad the conversation wasn’t about her anymore. “Let’s go out Friday night.”

  “Where?”

  “I don’t know, I’m sure after this week I’ll be in the mood to get drunk and dance until my old ass can’t walk the next day.” I will do anything to get that woman out of my head.

  ***

  Friday arrived as slow as possible. Chase was in surgery just about every day, but she had cut her hours back to eighty, which was a big change from one hundred the month before. All of the girls met at Lucy’s, a gay/lesbian night club in South Beach. Wild Thing was playing on the speakers when they walked in. Chase was in a black halter top and jeans, Ping was in a white halter top and jeans. Frankie was in a sleeveless blouse and khaki’s and Gayle was in jeans and a spaghetti strap top. They strutted together through the large crowd towards the bar.

  “I’ll have a dirty martini.” Frankie ordered first.

  Ping followed her. “I’ll have a margarita, no salt.”

  Gayle ordered a beer. Chase stepped up behind her. “I’ll have a double Jack on the rocks.”

  “Damn Chase, anything we need to know about?” Gayle wiggled her eyebrows. “You’re serious tonight.”

  “I just ordered a stiff drink. I didn’t spark up a joint, my god.” They all laughed.

  As soon as Chase grabbed her drink from the bar she felt a presence behind her, she turned almost into the arms of a very tall, broad woman wearing a wife beater and jeans. Chase wanted to run like hell.

  “She’s with me.” Gayle put her arm around Chase and pulled her onto the dance floor. They began dancing to the Wild Thing song that was still playing. Chase mouthed ‘thank you’ to Gayle. Gayle smiled and continued to dance with her. If you didn’t know any better you’d think they actually were together by the way they danced with each other. One night a few years ago they did get a little drunk and sleep together, they had a brief relationship afterwards, but realized they were better off friends. Neither one was the other’s type.

  “You know, if these girls knew you were a doctor you’d have to beat them off of you with a stick.” Gayle whispered to her during a slow song.

  “I know, thank god I’ve never run into any of them at the hospital.”

  “What would you do if your artist chic walked in the door?” Chase broke away and turned towards the door. “I knew it! You’re serious on her aren’t you?”

  “Damn it Gayle. I don’t want to talk about it okay. She’s straight and nothing is going on with us. Besides, she won’t even let me get close enough to say hi to her, much less anything else.”

  Two hours later the girls were starting to sober up after their drunken dancing fit. Ping rode with Gayle so they left together. Frankie walked out with Chase since their cars were parked down the street.

  5

  The following week Chase was on her way back to her office after completing an eight hour triple bypass and mitral valve repair. She’d come to work in dark blue scrubs that morning because she was in surgery all day with no consults. She was happy to be in comfortable clothing and more than glad to see her day coming to an end when she sat in the chair behind her desk. Chase ran a hand throw her messy short hair and opened the charts that she needed to go over for her surgery appointments for the next day. As soon as she turned off her computer there was a faint knock on her door. She looked down at her watch wondering who that would be.

  “Come in.” She said loudly. When the door opened her heart jumped into her throat and her palms filled with sweat. She blinked two or three times to make sure she wasn’t hallucinating. “Hi.”

  Remy was standing in the doorway in a pair of faded jeans and a thin white oxford shirt, with the buttons all open except for the ones covering her chest. Her short brown hair was worn messy like Chase’s. She looked sexy as hell. Chase could barely swallow, she stared into the big brown eyes across the room as she stood and walked towards Remy. The taller woman stepped inside and shut the door without taking her eyes away from Chase.

  “I…” Remy tried to speak but the words wouldn’t come out. Chase put her finger up to Remy’s soft lips.

  “Sshh.” She removed her finger and pressed her lips to the very same spot. The kiss started slowly as their lips parted, allowing for their tongues to explore each other. Chase ran her hands up Remy’s chest and around the back of her neck into her hairline. Remy wrapped her arms around Chase, running her hands under the thin scrub shirt against Chase’s bare back. They rocked into each other as the kiss went deeper. Chase felt her heart beating wildly as the moisture built between her legs. Remy broke the kiss and bent her head towards Chase’s ear. She outlined it with the tip of her tongue, and then blew on it lightly. A faint moan escaped Chase’s lips.

  Remy whispered. “Take me home with you.” Chase looked up into her big brown eyes.

  “Where’s…”

  “Out of town,” Remy spoke softly before she could finish. Chase broke away and grabbed her keys from her desk.
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br />   They couldn’t get to the parking garage fast enough. Remy was out first since she wasn’t in physician parking which was up higher. She pulled out onto the main road behind the convertible Mercedes when she saw Chase wave. Chase had the top down since it was almost dark and the sun wouldn’t kill her, she drove along the busy streets until she reached the beachfront scene. Her large condo building came into view and she pulled into the parking garage. Remy parked in the visitors section and met up with Chase at the elevator in the corner.

  They reached the top floor and Chase unlocked the door to her two story condo. The foyer was Italian marble tile with Monet paintings on each side. She tossed her keys on the small table. Remy mimicked her and kicked off her shoes. Chase gave her a quick tour of downstairs, consisting of her office, the kitchen and living room, a spare room and a full bathroom. Remy stopped dead in her tracks in the living room when she saw her own painting on the wall.

  “I bought it at your show.”

  “I…” Remy’s breath caught in her throat.

  “I asked Frankie not to say anything. I actually bought it before the show. I was at her house the night she put the slides together. I saw it and told her I had to have it, I had no idea who the artist was or the price. I found out it was yours at the show.” Chase grabbed her hand. “Come on there’s more.” She took her upstairs where there was another spare room and the master bedroom. A king sized bed sat in the middle of the room, surrounded by a matching modern looking black and gray bedroom set. Chase kicked off her sneakers next to the closet door. She turned back towards the woman that was gazing into her eyes from across the room.

  “I’ve…never done this.” Remy whispered.

  “We don’t ha…”

  Remy closed the distance between them and pressed her lips against Chase’s. Once again their tongues were tangled together as they kissed passionately. Chase reached between them, unbuttoned the rest of Remy’s shirt and let it fall to the floor. Remy pulled Chase’s scrub top over her head and dropped it behind her. They removed each other’s bra at the same time. Chase ran her hands tenderly over Remy’s chest. Remy threw her head back when Chase put her mouth on one of the small breasts. She teased the dark nipple until it was hard in her mouth, then she blew on it. Remy moaned softly. Chase pushed Remy back towards the bed and removed her jeans and panties when she sat back, then she pulled her own scrubs and panties down and kicked them behind her. The blinds were slanted open allowing the moonlight to fill the room casting a white glow over them. As Chase crawled on top of Remy she slid her wet center along Remy’s thigh.