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“Nothing too bad, I hope.” Helen flipped on the lights and tossed her tote bag on the desk.
“Just going here and there,” Annie said vaguely, walking in after her and closing the door behind her. “Sorry I haven’t been around.”
“Hey, Sal has the kids tonight. You want to go get something to eat?”
“What about Zach?”
“Sal took him too. Gina is twelve now and wants to start babysitting, so we thought between her and Ashley, it’d be a pretty safe practice session,” Helen said. “It turns out I’m free.”
“I have to do some work. But I wanted to see you. I needed to see you.”
Helen looked at her sympathetically. “It’s late, Annie. What do they have you doing?”
Annie forced a smile. “Don’t worry about me.”
“I wish it were that easy.” She lowered her eyes, looking at Annie’s mouth.
“I know we’re not supposed to…but maybe…” Annie swallowed, took a step toward Helen. “Maybe just to take the edge off.”
Helen reached for her, met her kiss eagerly.
She’d known Helen for less than a year, but being with her already felt like home. The way she smelled, the way she tasted. Even as they became more comfortable and familiar, Annie’s desire for her didn’t diminish. Instead, she wanted more, wanted what she couldn’t have. Dates and domesticity. A partnership of some sort. But Helen had a family and a life, and Annie just had secrets.
She pushed her thoughts aside and lost herself in Helen’s kiss, their tongues twisting together. Annie moved forward, pressing against Helen until she leaned against the edge of her desk. Helen pulled Annie closer until she was nestled between her knees.
Helen pulled her mouth away, then nuzzled her face into Annie’s neck. “I’m not sure how, but you make me want to do bad things.”
Annie pulled back. “I know,” she said. “I’m sorry.”
Helen looked at Annie, confused. Then she leaned in again to kiss Annie, softly, sweetly.
The tender moment was interrupted by a knock on the door.
Annie sprang back, wiping Helen’s kiss from her mouth, nearly tripping over the garbage bin before almost falling onto the loveseat by the wall. She righted herself and crossed her legs, trying to look casual.
“Relax,” Helen said quietly.
Helen opened the door. It was the young woman from their class.
“Mallory, what are you still doing here? It’s awfully late,” Helen said in the same tone she used to tell Kevin to go back to bed.
“Thank God you’re still here. I can’t find my keys!” she said, her voice panicky. “I was hoping you’d unlock the classroom for me so I can see if they fell out of my”—she glanced at Annie on the loveseat, who gave a little wave—“purse.”
“Of course,” Helen said. She turned to Annie. “We’ll be right back.”
While she waited, Annie pulled a file out of her backpack and skimmed the single page of information she had on the last house. A single man, lived alone, worked from home. Not exactly a lot to go on. If she had more time, she’d stake out the house for a few weeks, get to know his habits. When he went to the grocery store. When he went to work and came home. But as it was, she had to figure out how to do this last job before the end of tomorrow. If she couldn’t get into the house when he wasn’t home, she would wait until he was asleep.
She wanted Helen to come back, take her up on her offer for dinner, spend the night in bed. But she was past kidding herself; they were so laughably bad at professionalism that there was no point in keeping up the charade.
She should have just dropped the class.
She was shoving her intel back into her backpack when Helen returned and closed the door behind her.
“Did you find the keys?”
“Yep.” Helen dropped her own keys onto her desk.
“You think she left them on purpose?” Annie asked, frowning.
