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Carmen agreed, even if she was rendered speechless. She didn’t want to call Bamford an eccentric billionaire, but she was the textbook definition. Who the hell would turn their office into a desert preserve? Carmen couldn’t even imagine how much it had cost to do it.
From the corner, where the mouth of a cave held a rock slab that was Bamford’s desk, Bamford stood. Today she was dressed in gauzy white and left her fennec fox asleep behind her when she started for them.
“Welcome to my home,” Bamford said, arms wide so the material from her arms hung low like an ancient sorcerer.
“This is… unbelievable,” Carmen said honestly.
“Isn’t it?” Bamford’s laugh buzzed with pride. “Three generations of Darwin’s family live in and play in these burrows and dens.”
Carmen nodded, assuming Darwin was the little fox.
A ball came flying out of the cave and seconds later, two of the tiniest, cutest little foxes Carmen had ever seen raced each other to catch it. Snapping at each other and tumbling as they went, Carmen’s heart nearly exploded as she resisted the urge to ask if she could pet one.
At her side, Lola was still stiff and angry. She’d stayed focused while Carmen had been swayed. “We’re not here to see your pack of—”
Fortune appeared out of the cave, cutting Lola off with a smile. “When foxes hunt together, they’re known as a skulk. However, a mother fox with her young is referred to as an earth. Isn’t that beautiful?”
Lola all but growled. Carmen reached for her arm. Keeping her in place and hopefully reminding her that she couldn’t physically attack people. It wouldn’t be a good look to act more feral than the wild animals chasing each other to a small hole dug into the sandy ground on the far side of the enormous room.
Carmen projected her most disarming, diplomatic tone. “Ms. Bamford, we prefer to speak with you alone if—”
“What you can say in front of me, you can say in front of Fortune.”
“Good,” Lola hissed. “That way, she can’t come up with a story later. She’s here now. Let’s see how she defends herself.”
Carmen clenched her jaw. The first rule of being a good lawyer was never to ask a question she didn’t already know the answer to. She glared at Lola, annoyed that she couldn’t stay quiet long enough to let her handle things.
“Defend against what?” The metallic fringe on Fortune’s shawl clanged as she walked toward them. The rhythmic chime was surprisingly pleasant. Maybe that was her way of hypnotizing Bamford.
“Let’s see. How about drugging us for starters?” Lola took two steps toward Fortune before Carmen could jump in front of her and stop her advance.
“Ms. Bamford, it is a crime to inflict mind-altering substances on someone against their will. What Fortune did to us—”
“Drugs?” Bamford turned to Fortune, her wispy white hair moving with her. “What are they talking about?”
Fortune’s fair skin erupted with a flame of color. “I admit I had to resort to extreme measures to break the deep animosity between them. But look, it worked. They’re here together. Working together. The universe works in mysterious ways, unfolding as it should. Your souls clearly desired connection, and who am I to resist the pull of destiny?”
“So you admit that you dosed us?” Carmen’s legs went numb at the confirmation. She wasn’t sure what she was feeling, but satisfaction at being right was not it.
“No!” Fortune protested. Folding her hands prayer-like over her heart, Fortune bowed her head solemnly. “If my methods were misguided, I apologize and take full accountability. My vision was clouded, obscured from seeing the hurts still festering beneath the surface. I can see that placing you two in the closet was unorthodox. I’m a LGBTQIA plus plus plus ally, and I would never have placed you in such a metaphorical—”
“Closet?” Bamford repeated. “You imprisoned them against their will?”
“No, that part we agreed to—” Carmen clarified.
“But we didn’t agree to take whatever the hell was in that smoke you blew in my face,” Lola interrupted.
“The currents of energy between you run deep. Have you not felt it? Like twin flames, magnetized yet resistant. I merely created the conditions for your true natures to emerge.” Fortune inched toward Lola, her expression pained and pleading. “There were no intoxicants in that—”
“Oh, yeah? Then why did we—” Lola looked back at Carmen. “Do something we’d never otherwise do.”
Lola’s words were a gut punch, but instead of knocking Carmen back, they rekindled her disdain. “Literally, never.” She held Lola’s gaze and sneered.
“All I did was provide you with a safe, quiet place to see each other. To communicate. Whatever you did, girls, was because you wanted to. But forgive me, beloveds, if you did not agree with my methods. All that matters is the truth wishing to blossom between you. Let spirit work through you, and you will find your path.”
“You’re a damn liar,” Lola roared.
“I would never—”
