Chapter 20

Hollis opened the file folder full of 8×10 photos, spreading them out across her glass coffee table for Jennifer to see. She'd been the one to suggest that Hollis hire a private investigator.

"You were right," Hollis said as she sat down beside Jennifer. "One week in September. The last week in October," she said pointing to the next four photos. "And just last week." She slid those photos to the side to reveal another three, a series of shots with Dave's arm around a student's waist before they got in his car.

"Fucking bastard," Jennifer muttered as she shook her head.

When Hollis had made the call and asked for Dave to be followed for just a week, she hadn't expected much, but at the same time she wasn't wasting money to have him tailed for months. How wrong she'd been. In that first week, he'd been spotted with three young women.

"All students, too," Hollis said with a sharp intake of breath.

"Unbelievable." Jennifer sat back. "You should use this."

"I don't want to make this any uglier than it already is."

"But he's trying to take your business or half of it anyway."

"Oh, I managed to solve that problem last week."

"Yeah?"

Hollis nodded. "He thought I'd fight him for this house, since it is my dream home. I remodeled it exactly how I wanted it. He didn't want to have a say in it, but I told him to keep the house if he left my business alone."

Jen stared at her. "Hollis… This house is worth a fortune."

"So is my business."

"And he agreed?"

"Yes."

Jennifer glanced at the pile of photos. "But if you used this…"

Hollis shook her head. "I want this over and done with." As the weeks and months went by, Hollis itched to pick up her phone and text Kate, but she'd gone this long. She could make it another few weeks. Unless… She could reach out to Kate, and if things went wrong, if Dave somehow found out, at least Hollis had leverage with these photos.

"What are you thinking about?" Jennifer asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You know that spa weekend I had in April?"

"Yeah. I was pissed that you didn't invite me," Jen said with a laugh.

"Well, I would have if that's what I was actually doing." Hollis crossed one leg over the other. "I went to this lesbian weekend. Think Pride but at a hotel resort and just women."

Both eyebrows shot up. "Hollis! I can't believe you. You went on your own?"

"Yeah."

Jen lunged forward, wrapping her arms around her in a warm hug. "I'm so proud of you." She pulled back. "I can't wait for you to be officially single, so you can go out there and meet someone."

"I think I already have met someone," Hollis said in just above a whisper.

"What?" Jennifer's jaw dropped.

Hollis couldn't keep the smile off her face as she told Jen about Kate. She'd tried so hard not to think about Kate, especially these last few months. It was November. She shouldn't still be thinking about one weekend back in April. It didn't make sense.

"Hollis, why haven't you contacted her? I don't get it."

"Because of the divorce. Because it's not fair to her. And I still don't even know what chance we'd have out there in the real world. She's eighteen years younger than me."

"Yeah, you said that. Plenty of people make that kind of age difference work."

"You haven't even met her," Hollis said with a smile tugging at her lips.

"I don't need to. I haven't seen your face light up like that in a long time. It's usually reserved for a project you're particularly proud of."

Hollis checked her watch. "Are you free tonight? I've got a reopening party to go to for that restaurant I've been working on."

"Silver Tides?"

"Yeah. I need to be there around seven. Do you want to come with me?"

"Sure."

Hollis had always kept a pretty busy schedule, but these last few months it had been wall to wall. She used to just make an appearance at events out of courtesy. She'd finished her job weeks ago, but when it was unveiled to the public, she was always invited to attend. Now, she stayed for the entire night, just to have something to do.

She really hoped that the divorce would be finalized early in the new year. She couldn't take much more of this limbo. She wanted to move on, and at the same time she was terrified of Kate rejecting her, for whatever reason. Because she'd waited so long to contact her. Because Kate had met someone else. Because it was never going to be more than a weekend fling.

"I better go home and find something to wear," Jen said as she stood up. "Dressy?"

"Definitely. Will I pick you up?"

"You're not drinking?"

"No. Not when it's a work thing," Hollis said, pushing aside all her worries about the future. For right, she'd do her best to enjoy tonight, and it would be so much easier with Jen at her side.