Going For Broke (41 page)

             
“I know!” She looked up at him.  “I wanted to let you know that I was done with Trip.  I was on your side.”

             
With that, he kissed her, long and hard.  He kissed her face, kissed her eyes.  She basked in it.  After so long of fighting - she felt like she was where she belonged.  Then a thought occurred to her and she pulled away.

             
“Why didn’t you come after you arrested Trip?  You were done, then.  It would have been okay.”

             
“It wasn’t okay.  I needed to take care of a few things.  I needed to be able to come back to you a free man.”

             
She stepped back from him.  “Oh my God, you’re married!?”

             
He laughed.  “No, free from the FBI.  It’s no life for a woman like you.  I needed to finish up the investigation, and tender my resignation.  I couldn’t come back to win you without a job, could I?”

             
Now it was her turn to laugh.  “A job?  I couldn’t care less if you don’t have a job. I’m not afraid of being poor.  I’ve done it before, and I can do it again.”

             
He kissed her again.  “Nobody does it with so much style.  No, I needed a plan.  I want this to be long-term, Vivi, you and me.   Anyway, can’t I take care of you?”

             
“You couldn’t afford me,” she said.

             
“The old you,” he answered.

             
“And now?” she asked.

             
“And now,” he said, “I can make you an honest woman.  I’ve made a commitment to you, to us.”  He pulled out his wallet and picked out a business card.  “A commitment to Chicago, too!”  He handed her the card.  It read: “Flanagan and Towner, Attorneys at Law” and listed an address downtown. 

             
“Flanagan?”  She didn’t understand.

             
“The one and only Mercedes Flanagan!  I was able to lure her away from Legal Aid.”

             
“To a corporate law practice?”  Victoria couldn’t believe it.

             
“Hardly.  We’ve set up an office not far from her old one, and it makes the Legal Aid office look like Baker & McKenzie.  But it’s all ours.  We pick the clients.  We think we can really help some people, make a difference.”

             
“You’ve been here all this time?”

             
“I haven’t stepped foot in Tenaqua until today.  Did I wait too long?”

             
Victoria bent down and picked up the puppy, and kissed it on the nose.  “I guess I’m just a sucker for a pretty face,” she said as Mike took her in his arms, kissing her again. 

The end.

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