by Lauren Wood
She cut her eyes, full of daggers, at me. “Do you really think I’d fall for a bullshit excuse like that? I know what guys are like when they feel that way. Most men, if not all, feel that way around me. As they should. But that is not the impression you gave.”
“Oh, so you enjoy men cowering in front of you?”
Her face tightened with renewed rage. She looked like she could spit in my face. “No, I said I know what that behavior looks like. And you were not just some bundle of nerves worrying that I was too good for you. You gave an accurate portrayal of yourself as a pompous, womanizing asshole. Men like you make me not enjoy the male species at all.”
My eyes lit up with the fantasy of her and another woman together. “Even better.”
“You’re a pig.” She whipped back around and flew her arm in the air to flag down a taxi.
I studied her anger as she stood there, desperately trying to get one of the cabs to rescue her. It dawned on me that this went far beyond the typical scorned woman. Sure, I was a jerk in her eyes, and she had every right to hold a grudge. And I was used to my persistence getting on people’s nerves. I wasn’t used to being told no and never took it well.
But all that considered, it was just one bad date – and a pretty quick one at that. It’s not like we slept together and I never called her again, or we were a couple and she caught me cheating. There was a whole lot of rage in Liz, but some of it had to be misdirected. It made me wonder who had hurt her so badly. Obviously, someone disrespected her and broke her heart, and our little date just triggered those feelings.
For a second, I considered just leaving her alone. I was convinced I was coming around to being a new kind of man, but this was still new territory. What if I messed it up and hurt her even more? She didn’t deserve that.
But the more I was around her, the more I liked her. I wished I hadn’t screwed it up so bad the first chance I got. She was witty, smart, and not afraid to speak her mind – always catching me off guard and keeping me on my toes. I was determined to show her I really could treat her how she deserved.
“You know what I think?” I crossed my arms. “I think you’re afraid.”
“Of what?” she hissed back, not taking her eyes off the road.
“That if you agree to give me a second chance, I might just prove you wrong. And then you’d have no choice but to fall for me.”
She pretended not to hear me and continued her useless search for a cab, which was still proving to be unsuccessful. But it was obvious she was lingering around on purpose. No city girl like her takes this long to get a cab, especially not a good-looking woman like her. She was standing too far from the curb and not being aggressive enough.
I finally stepped past her and got one of the taxis to stop. It only made her angrier as she shot past me and jumped inside, but I quickly got in behind her.
“Oh, this morning could not get any worse,” she whined, pressing her fingers to the bridge of her nose.
“Hey, I got the cab for us,” I argued. “I have a right to use it too.”
“Don’t you have a personal chauffeur or something? You’re a billionaire, for goodness sake.”
“If I go back to my car, I’ll have to tell the driver where to go. I’m fresh out of ideas for how to spend my Saturday if I can’t convince you to spend it with me. So, I’ll just get out wherever you’re going and see where I end up at.”
I saw a flicker of intrigue on her face, but she’s not going to give in that easily.
“Well, you’ll be disappointed. I’m going to the grocery store. I’m sure you have people who do that sort of thing for you as well.”
“Hm, groceries,” I mused out loud. “You’re right. I haven’t done that sort of thing in a while. But I’ll have to start getting used to it. Might as well start today.”
“Why? You think the FBI is going to convict you and take all your money in fines?” She asked sarcastically, but I know she’s a little afraid. If that happened, it’d mean she had lost our case.
“No, the opposite actually. As soon as this investigation is wrapped up, I’m selling out of our company. And where I envision myself going from here…it’ll be some small town in the middle of nowhere. I don’t think the locals would like me much if I showed up with a chauffeur, chef, and personal shopper. Besides, I’m ready to start living smaller. I want to do those things for myself.”
“Hm,” she answered, looking impressed – even if only a little. “So, this whole quest to prove you’re a changed man isn’t just about me…You’re having a mid-life crisis.”
“I’m not middle aged just yet,” I griped defensively. “Some kind of crisis…maybe. I do need a change of pace. Ordinary people would have the time of their lives if they could experience the things I have. But I’ve had my fill of it, and it’s getting boring now. I want to see the other side of life.”
“To live like all the hardworking middle class people beneath you? I’m sure that’d be a popular admission. They’re working their asses off to get by, and here you have billions and don’t even care.” She shook her head in disapproval. “Bored. Hm.”
“I didn’t say I didn’t care. I said I wanted to start spending it differently. Maybe give a bunch to charity. Find ways to make life easier for those hardworking middle classers.”
I could tell she was slowly softening up to me, even if she was trying not to show it. I let everything sink in for a minute, feeling proud of myself for being so honest with a woman for once. The cab came to her stop, and she was quick to jump out and storm off – looking fully prepared to leave me behind without saying another word.
But I decided to make one final attempt. I ran after her, pulling at her hand to get her to stop. She looked irritated, but she did slow down enough to let me speak my peace.
“I’d really like to talk to you about all this more. I want to know more about you, too. And I do owe you. I want to make up for treating you so badly on that date. Just give me one more chance to show you I can be decent. Please?”
She looked around at the people passing us by, trying not to look me in the eye - as if she thought doing so might be enough to make her accept my offer. But she didn’t look like she was budging. She was not going to make this easy on me, even after I’d chased her down twice this morning.
Before she could spout off another refusal, I dropped down to my knees in the middle of the sidewalk. “Please, Liz? One more chance?”
Her cheeks blushed red as she tried to pull me back up, but I refused unless she would agree to my invitation. I could see the corners of her lips turn up a little. She was doing her best not to smile, but it obviously amused her to have me literally begging her out here in front of everyone.
“Get up,” she ordered through her teeth, laughing under her breath. “Look. I appreciate you wanting to make it up to me so badly. And I really do hope this case goes well so you can have your fresh start and sort through your crisis or whatever. But even if I wanted to go out with you again, which I don’t…I can’t. I just can’t, okay?”
“Why?”
“Because you’re my client!”
8
Liz
I had to give this guy some credit. He was persistent and stubborn. And it was obviously working. Or else I wouldn’t have just blurted that out. I was beside myself. Had I really just said the only reason I wouldn’t go out with him again was because he was my client? It was a damn good reason, but I had plenty more besides that. Didn’t I?
The longer Eric chased after me with those stormy seductive eyes of his, the harder it became to remember all the other reasons I had not to date him. Which left us both standing clueless on the busy sidewalk. Some people passing by laughed at the sight of him begging me on his knees, which I did enjoy quite a bit. But this was too public of a display. What if someone from the firm saw us like this?
“Will you please get up!?” I barked. “Seriously, get up now or I’m walking away.”
He finally stood to his f
eet, brushing off the knees of his suit. I noticed how nice his suit was. I had to admit, he had good taste, if nothing else.
“Why are you so dressed up anyway? It’s Saturday.”
“I wanted to look my best for you,” he winked. “Anyway, I like looking nice. I imagine whatever I move onto doing after leaving my family’s company won’t require a suit. I’m trying to enjoy it while I can.”
I rolled my eyes. This new phase of his life twist did have me a little curious, but it also seemed childish and poorly planned. Not surprising.
“I wouldn’t worry about it too much if I were you. It’s not like you actually have to do anything for a living if you don’t want to. I’m sure your bank account is big enough to fund whatever frivolities you desire for the rest of your life.”
“I have to say…you do seem awfully bitter about money. And people who have it. But don’t think I didn’t notice that Valentino label on your bag. And that sweater…Isn’t that cashmere?” He rolled a wrinkle of the fabric between his fingers. “Nice.”
I quickly swatted his hand away. “I’ve worked hard and earned every penny of my money, thank you very much. Usually the cases I handle are a lot like yours. Spoiled, greedy rich men who try to push the limits of what’s legal just to make an extra buck and get a thrill. Then I have to come in and save the day.”
“Touché.” He sprang forward to follow me as I walked down the street toward the store. “But it’s not like I asked to be born a Halstead, you know. I’ve had my fun with it and I’m grateful for everything we have. But you do start to feel empty after a while…and lonely.”
I scoffed and waited for another biting remark to spill off my tongue, but my wit was running dry. And all this bickering was getting to be exhausting. He had officially worn me down, but I was not about to slip off into some cheesy chat that weakened me to feel sorry for him.
Thankfully, we rounded the corner to the store front. “Well, I wish I could say this has been nice, but…eh,” I shrugged. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have shopping to do before I go back home to do some brainstorming on how to bail you and your brothers out of your mess.”
“I’ll come in with you.”
“No way.”
“You can teach me how to do this whole grocery shopping thing. Show me what kinds of things you buy.”
I played out the scenario in my head. It would be entertaining to patronize him through the whole store while walking him through the most basic of tasks. But it was a slippery slope. I was already getting tired or arguing with him and refusing his advances. The last thing I needed was us getting all flirtatious over how to pick out the ripest produce.
“I’d prefer to shop alone.”
He stared at me for a while, as if he expected me to change my mind. But finally sighed and let it go. “Then how about this…if the only reason you have left to not go out with me is the fact that I’m your client, why don’t you let me talk to Dominic? I’m sure he could find another firm to work with on the case.”
My heart stopped for a moment then returned as a loud, mighty drum that made my throat tight and my fists ball up. “What did you just say…”
“I mean, I’m sure there are a ton of qualified lawyers out there. But a woman like you to take out? Not so many of those walking around. If I have to choose, I’d rather have my shot at a second date with you.”
The precariousness of the situation reached an all time high. I was red hot with anger, but I suddenly felt the need to tread very carefully. If the firm lost this case over me, I would never make partner. And they would know I neglected to tell them about the conflict of interest.
“Are you seriously suggesting that you would rip this case away from us just so I could go out with you again?”
He shifted a little uneasily under my glaring stare but didn’t seem to know what to make of it. “Well, yeah,” he blurted, like I should be flattered or something.
“I need you to listen to me very carefully,” I continued through clenched teeth. “I need to win this case to make partner. If you do anything to jeopardize that, like by breathing a single word about how we know each other to anyone, I could lose my job. I should have never played this little game with you today. I can’t believe I actually thought for a moment that you cared about anything other than yourself.”
“Okay, wait,” his face melted in regret. “I didn’t mean it like that. I wasn’t thinking. I’d never tell anyone or put your firm at risk of losing the case. I was just trying to…”
“You’re just trying to ruin my life!” My voice raised, cutting him off. “It’s not enough that you’ve already ruined my Saturday morning, and now you’re going after my job too. I am going to go inside this store, and I don’t want you to follow me. I want nothing more to do with you outside of the professional context of this case. Understand?”
His lips parted, and I knew I was just about to hear more begging. “Ah-ah!” I waved my finger at him. “It’s a simple yes or no question. I’m done playing with you. No more flirting. No more chasing me around. Do…you…understand!?”
He recoiled, finally accepting defeat. At least for the time being. He cut his eyes away and started mumbling, sliding his hand across the back of his neck. “I do understand, but I don’t believe you.”
“What was that?”
“I don’t believe you,” he answered louder. “You’ll change your mind. I’m sure of it.”
“Don’t hold your breath,” I snipped.
“Look, Liz. Sorry for bugging you today. If you want me to leave you alone, I will.”
“Good!”
He stepped in closer, enough for me to get a good whiff of his cologne and feel his hot breath along the side of my face. “But tonight…after all of your work is done for the day and you’ve climbed into bed all alone…I know you’re going to think about me. Because underneath this front you’re putting on of hating my guts, you know you’re lonely too. And wildly curious about all the ways in which I could cure you of that loneliness.”
A sharp breath caught in my chest. I could feel the heat emanating from his skin, and I was uncontrollably yearning to feel a warm body next to mine. He was right. I was lonely. It had been a while, and it was hard to keep resisting someone who looked and sounded as good as him. I felt myself melting from the inside out as his eyes burned into mine. I was secretly longing for him to push back just a little more. His lips were right there, and all I had to do was just…
“Well, enjoy your grocery shopping, Liz,” he said sharply, startling me out of my deranged state from lack of sex. Suddenly, he was taking several steps back and turning for the street. “And if you ever do change your mind…you know how to reach me.”
9
Eric
A woman had never been able to get me so riled up before and make me feel so wounded at the same time. I felt terrible for the way things went with Liz on my last pathetic attempt to win her over. Not only had I made an idiot out of myself by chasing after her, I had demeaned her work and made her feel like I threatened her job. I don’t know what came over me. I wasn’t thinking. And while heavy thinking wasn’t something I did around most of the women I had been with before, it wasn’t so consequential before now.
“What’s gotten into you?” Dominic snapped. I perked up, remembering that all of my brothers were sitting around the table with me. “We’re over here trying to get through this investigation, and you’re daydreaming like you’re already free and clear.”
“I’m sorry,” I scrubbed my hands across my face. “I’m listening.”
Dominic went on explaining the latest details of the investigation and the pending charges that could be brought against us so far. None of it was major and none of it would stick. I quickly forgot why it was so important for me to pay attention until Liz’s name came up.
“That lawyer, Liz, and I spoke on the phone this morning. She tells me everything looks good for us so far. She’s on top of it and will let us know if anything sta
rts to sway in a different direction.”
I sunk down into my chair a little, feeling jealous that he got to be the one she was staying in contact with.
Jason spoke up as he stood to crack his knuckles. “Well, if that’s all for now, Tara and Vanna have cooked up quite the feast for us.”
My brothers and I filed out of Jason’s office. The bright rooms of the rest of his manor, complete with his three kids who were running around with happy squeals, were a stark contrast to the dark cigar smoke filled study where we had been hiding out for the past hour. Now there was no hiding from his twins and older daughter who were playing an awfully loud game of tag.
We found Tara and Vanna in the kitchen. Vanna was watching the kids with a dreamy look in her eyes each time they tore through the room like screaming banshees.
“Uh-oh, Dominic,” Jason slapped his shoulder. “Looks like you’re in trouble. I know that look anywhere. Someone’s getting baby fever.”
Dominic winked at his beautiful girlfriend, who didn’t bother denying it. Instead she just smiled bashfully and went back to setting the table.
“I don’t see why,” I scoffed, only half-joking. “These kids are like wild animals.” As soon as I said it, Christopher came barreling through and nearly made Tara spill a dish of hot gravy everywhere.
“Settle down!” she screamed in a frighteningly stern voice.
It was kind of remarkable that Tara picked up on her motherly instincts so quickly. She always struck me as a wild one herself. I wouldn’t have expected her to sign on so willingly for an instant family of three kids. But I couldn’t say much. I guess all of us partiers get worn down and tired at some point.
“You’re awfully spacey tonight,” Jesse teased me over dinner.
I jumped to attention again, realizing I had zoned out of some conversation about summer vacation spots. Everyone was planning to go in on a row of beach houses for a month so we could all have some time away together.
