"I don't think we've anything to talk about, Antony," Jessica said, falling back into the formal mode she adopted with him whenever they were on the outs.
Tony winced at the ice in her tone. "You're wrong, Jess. I need to explain-"
"Explain? What-exactly do you need to explain? How you've spent the last ten years just fooling yourself, thinking that you'd gotten over Laura? How it happened that the moment you heard that she'd left her husband you went running to find her? Is THAT a fair assessment of what you need to explain, Antony? Because if it is, don't bother. I'm not interested in hearing any of it." She slid the door open again and stood there. "If you'd be good enough to leave now- I have a long day tomorrow. I'm due in court at nine and have to meet with my client at eight."
"I'm not going anywhere until you listen to me, Jess," Tony insisted.
"Antony-"
"And STOP calling me that!" He took a step toward her. "Jess, please. All I'm asking is ten minutes. And then I'll go- if you still want me to."
Jessica closed the door and glanced at her watch. "You've got ten minutes," she confirmed.
Tony knew she'd hold him to that deadline, too. Jessica Beecham was nothing if not a stickler for deadlines. "Okay. I'll admit that when I first heard about Laura leaving Steele, I- hoped that she might give me another chance," he said quickly, speaking even faster as he saw the reaction to his statement on Jessica's face. "Jess, isn't there ANYone in your past that you'd like a second chance with? An old boyfriend- someone you believed you were in love with and would stand a chance with if things were different?"
"We're not discussing me, Antony," Jessica reminded him, glancing at her watch again. "You've got nine more minutes."
"I found Laura and asked her if there might be a chance- but she turned me down."
"So you came crawling back here, is that it?" Jessica asked, her blue eyes snapping with anger. "Thought I'd just take you back just like-" she snapped her fingers, "-that."
"That's not the way it happened. I thought you were going to give me ten minutes?" Jessica lifted a hand toward him in acquiescence. "She's still in love with Steele- and so I offered to help her with whatever it is she's trying to do. I don't like the idea of her being out there on her own, and if you asked your brother, I think he'd agree with me on that."
"The only thing Remington's thinking about is how this is affecting the children," Jessica informed him. "Yes, he's worried about Laura, but she's always insisted that she can take care of herself, remember?"
"Fair enough. Anyway, she refused my offer. So I figure I can at least be there for her- as a friend. That's why I asked her to dinner. Last time I'd talked to you, we weren't scheduled to do anything special- I even considered asking you to join us, but you had to go running off to take care of Steele-"
"He's my brother!" Jessica reminded him.
"And I thought Laura was your friend," Tony countered.
"What was I supposed to do? Turn my back on Remington's pain?"
"No. Of course not. Jess, right now, Laura's out there, virtually on her own."
"That's the way she wants it, isn't it?"
"Business wise, yeah. But personally?" he shook his head. "Hell, the only member of her family that will even speak to her is her father." Laura had called Frances- and her mother. Both of them had been horrified and totally unwilling to support what Laura was trying to do. "She needs a friend, Jess. I just wanted her to know that I'm there for her, that's all." He took another step closer to her. "Jess, I'm sorry. I don't know what else to say. I'd like another chance -. We could try again-."
Jessica stepped backward- away from him. "For how long? Until Laura changes her mind and decides that she'd like to give you that chance after all? No, I can't do that. I can't spend every moment, wondering where you are- if you're with her. Wondering if the next time I see you, you'll tell me that you've changed *your* mind again. Maybe the last ten years has been a mistake."
"No. Don't say that, Jess. These last then years-"
She glanced at her watch. "Your ten minutes are up, Antony." She opened the door again. "Good bye."
Tony stood there in disbelief. "Dammit, Jess, I care about you-"
"And I care about you, Antony," she admitted in a terse voice that Tony easily heard the threatened tears through, "too much to continue this way. I knew when this started that you were in love with Laura. I hoped that would change."
"It has," Tony began, but Jessica wasn't listening.
"If you want your freedom- then it's yours."
"I don't *want* my freedom!" Tony insisted. "That's what I've been trying to tell you!"
"Maybe it's what you *need* right now. Just go. Please."
Tony lifted a hand, intending to continue the argument, then lowered it when he saw the expression Jessica's face. Her mind was made up. "You're the most stubborn woman I've ever met in my life, Jess," Tony said, picking up his jacket and going to the door. "Okay, I'll go- but only because you asked me to. This isn't over. Not by any means."
"Good bye, Antony."
He paused as he passed where she stood, reaching out to pull her head close for a long kiss. Her response heartened him- until she pulled away from his hold and stepped back. Tony looked at her for a beat, then sighed. "Take care."
Jessica stood where she was until she heard the lift doors close in the hallway, then slide her own door closed, fastening the hasp to secure it. Wrapping her arms around waist, she sank onto the sofa, letting the tears fall . . .
***
When Tony arrived at the office the next morning, Terri greeted him warily. "Mr. Roselli-"
He picked up his message slips from her desk, glancing through them. "I know. I'm late. Overslept," he told her with an embarrassed grin. "And Mr. Drew is due to arrive in five minutes-"
"Mr. Drew is already here," Terri informed him. "Miss Krebs is interviewing him."
"Oh, then I guess I'd better get in there," Tony started to say, but Terri's next words brought him to a halt halfway to the office he shared with Mildred.
"Um- Mr. Roselli . . . Mr. Steele wanted me to send you in to him as soon as you arrived."
Tony stopped and turned to look at the blonde receptionist. "He did?"
"Yes. He said it was very important."
Tony winced, not sure he liked this at all. "Uh, what kinda mood is he in today?" he asked, his eyes on the closed door to Steele's office.
"Well, I'm not really sure. He didn't say very much, really."
"Okay. Thanks. I guess I'll go see what he wants, then," Tony said, but he didn't move, just stood there, eyeing that closed door warily.
The door to his own office opened, and Mildred came out. "Just let me get that file, Mr. Drew," she was saying, smiling until she saw Tony. "You're late," she said.
"Yeah. Overslept."
"Late night last night?" Mildred asked, her tone dripping with disapproval. "I need the results of the background check on Mr. Drew's secretary, Terri, if you please."
"Sure, Miss Krebs," Terri said, seeing the request as an opportunity to escape the tension in the reception area as she headed for Laura's office.
Mildred turned her attention to Tony. "How could you, Tony?"
"How could I what?"
"Go chasing after Laura that way," she said. "She and the Boss weren't even separated twenty four hours!"
"Mildred, I wasn't chasing Laura," Tony insisted, keeping his voice low. The last thing he needed was for Steele to overhear and join in. "Jess told you that I had dinner with Laura, I guess." He looked at the door. "That's why he wants to talk to me, isn't it?"
"Probably. You- you rat."
"Mildred, -"
"Here you go, Miss Krebs," Terri said, returning with the requested folder.
"Thank you." To Tony, Mildred said, "You'd better get in there before he comes looking for you."
Tony took a deep breath and went to Steele's office door, knocking once. "Come in," Steele called. He didn't SOUND angry, Tony thought, taking another deep breath before he opened the door to enter the office.
Hiding his nervousness behind a smile, he said, "Good morning. Terri said you wanted to see me?"
Steele was sitting at his desk, an opened file before him, the reading glasses that he used only in the office in place. "Have a seat," he said without looking up. "I'll be with you in a moment, Antony."
Tony, unused to Steele's actually *doing* paperwork, sat down warily in a chair before the desk, waiting expectantly for him to finish.
After ten minutes, Tony was still sitting there, watching as Steele made notes from the file before him. "Uh, Steele-?"
"One moment, Antony," Steele said, continuing to work.
Remington made the final note on the Miller case, and closed the file with deliberate movements and removed his glasses. He forced himself to hide the anger he was feeling as he asked, "is your passport in order?"
"My- passport?"
Opening another file, Remington handed him an airplane ticket. "I need someone to go to London- the Craig matter?"
"I thought we weren't going to take that case," Tony reminded him. "Laura said-"
"Yes, well, " Remington said, sitting back, "Laura's not in charge now, is she? George Craig wants us to do a full background check on his fiancée, and that entails a trip to London."
"And you're sending me," Tony said, studying the ticket. "Seems a little strange to send me off to London when the office is so shorthanded."
"Someone has to go," Remington pointed out.
"Why not Mildred?"
"You and I are the only two who know how to get around in London," Remington pointed out evenly. "You still have connections there that could make the background check easier."
"You could go-"
"And leave all of this work?" Remington said, lifting a brow in surprise. "I'm afraid you're 'it', Antony. Your flight leaves at noon. Fred can drive you to your place to pack a bag and then to the airport." He turned his attention back to the paperwork on his desk.
"This is about Laura, isn't it?" Tony accused.
"Laura? I'm not sure what you're referring to, Antony-" Remington said, keeping his temper in check by sheer force of will. What he *really* wanted to do was plant a well placed fist against the other man's jaw.
"Come on, Steele. I know that Jess to you that I was having dinner with Laura last night."
"Did you really?"
"Steele-"
Remington looked up at last, and didn't bother to hide his anger now. "Antony, are you going to London or not?"
"No. I'm not going to let you send me out of the country out of some misguided attempt at revenge."
"Misguided?" Remington repeated. "Misguided? Excuse me, but Laura IS still my wife, Antony, and I don't take well to the fact that after spending the last ten years wining and dining my sister, you turn your back on her at the first opportunity to go running after Laura again. I thought we'd settled this when you came to work for the agency."
"We did. Or,- I *thought* we did. I had a momentary lapse, Steele. You understand- for a moment, I wondered if maybe-"
"So you rushed right out and found Laura." He pressed the button for the intercom when it signaled for his attention. "Yes, Terri?"
"Fred just called. He's downstairs waiting for Mr. Roselli."
"Thank you." Remington put his glasses back on. "You're going to miss your flight if you don't go now."
"Well, then," Tony said, tossing the ticket onto the desk, "I guess I'll just miss it. You're not going to get me out of town that easily, Steele. We both know that you could call any number of people in London and get that background check done without anyone having to go to London."
Remington stared at the ticket as he listened to Tony, then slowly removed his glasses and tossed them alongside the ticket as he rose from his chair. "Either you go to London, Antony, or you're fired."
"You're bluffing. You can't fire me," Tony said, "Laura-"
"Laura isn't here," Remington said slowly and clearly, carefully enunciating every syllable. "I'm in charge right now. So either you pick up that ticket, or you take a walk. Your choice."
"You're making a big mistake, Steele," Tony said. "But you'll find that out. I'll be back later to clear out my desk." He turned toward the door.
"Antony - stay away from my wife and my sister, mate."
Tony turned at the door, a grim smile on his face. "Jess is a grown up, Steele. She can choose her own friends. And so can Laura."
Remington closed the door with a hand flat on the panel before Tony got it open, then stood there, glaring. "I mean it. If you so much as go near either of them, I'll-"
"You'll what? Kill me?" Tony shook his head. "I don't think so. You've lost the edge, Steele. Too much time sitting at that desk. I could take you in three minutes. So don't bother with the threats." He opened the door. "Later, Terri," he said as he passed the desk on his way out of the office.
Remington met Terri's concerned gaze. "Reschedule appointments again, Terri, between myself and Mildred. Postpone what you can." It looked like he was going to have to accept Edward's offer of help after all, Remington thought, already moving. And he would have to call Leon in London, ask him to do a background check on Mitzi Gable. But he would do that later. Right now, he had more important matters to attend to.
"Yes, sir," Terri nodded. "Where are you going, Mr. Steele?"
"Out. Ask Mildred to take my next client if I'm not back before he arrives."
"Yes, sir."
***
Tony parked the car in front of the LA Exhibition Hall and entered the building. A display board to the right of the entrance listed the current shows being held in the facility, but nothing about Philip Cameron's gem extravaganza. There was a young woman seated at the desk nearby, and Tony smiled at her. "I'm looking for the Cameron Gem Show?"
"Oh, that doesn't start til day after tomorrow," the girl explained. "Oughta be really neat, though. All those diamonds in one room. Mr. Cameron says that he's got almost every diamond of any value promised to be here."
"Hmm. Yeah. What I'm really trying to do is find the person who's in charge of security for the exhibit- Laura-"
"You mean Ms. Holt?" the woman asked with a smile. "She's in Exhibit Room C. Down this corridor and to the left."
"Thank you."
Laura was talking to Mr. Cameron when she saw Tony enter the room. "Excuse me, Mr. Camden," she said, indicating that someone was waiting for her. "This won't take long."
The handsome, middle-aged industrialist smiled at her. "I have to get back to my office, anyway- if there's nothing more I can do-?"
"No. I'm meeting with the alarm installation people at eleven to show them what I want done. I think I can handle it from here."
"I'm sure you can handle anything, Mrs-" he paused. "Ms. Holt," he corrected with another smile.
"I'll see you later, Mr. Cameron," Laura told the handsome, middle-aged industrialist.
"I'll look forward to it," he replied, then left the room.
Laura grabbed Tony's arm. "What are you doing here?" she asked.
"Well, I could say that I'm looking for a job," he told her.
"A job? You *have* a job."
"Not anymore. I got canned this morning."
"Wait a minute. He fired you?! He can't do that!"
"Could have fooled me," Tony told her. "Certainly feels like I got fired. Need some help?"
"We discussed this last night, Tony," she reminded him. "I'm sure when Jessica talks to Remington, all of this will be smoothed over - "
"Don't think so."
Laura turned from the wall that she had been examining to look at him. "Why not?"
"I went to see her last night, to try and explain - and, well, to make a long, sad story short - she cut me loose."
Laura put her arms around him in sympathy. "Oh, Tony. I'm so - "
Suddenly Tony was dragged out of her arms and slammed against the wall. "You don't listen very well, do you, mate?" Remington asked.
To Be Continued . . .