OBSESSED WITH TAYLOR JAMES

by Toye Lawson Brown

She shrugged her shoulders. “Go for it.”

  “Is there any romantic feelings between you and Dillon? I know you see him as nothing but a friend, but whenever we are together, he seems to call. Do you let him know when we’re going out?”

  “I don’t know if he knows we’re together tonight. I haven’t seen Dillon outside of the office since his promotion. I think Anderson Cartwright is purposely keeping us apart.”

  Agitated the mood had been broken; Mario continued. “We said no talking about work but it seems we are going there. Anyhow, why do you think Cartwright is doing that?”

  “That is easy to answer. Anderson Cartwright has never liked me. Todd Brantley is the only reason I’m employed by the firm.”

  “What does Dillon has to do with any of that?”

  “Dillon is being groomed to join their cult. I refused to be their yes woman and have my own mind. Todd is aware my desire to leave the firm, and if I leave, Anderson fears Dillon will quit also.”

  Mario nodded. “That explains his fast-track to partner. It is clear he isn’t ready to handle the huge responsibilities that come with the title.”

  Taylor rubbed her hands together. “I’d rather not respond to that. I would sound bitter if I said Dillon is incapable of doing his job.”

  Mario got off the sofa going over to her. He longed to scoop her into his arms, and cover her in kisses, but her demeanor had changed with the phone call. Things didn’t feel the same as they had when they shared the kiss.

  He hugged her. “I guess I should be going.”

  “No, you don’t have to go. We can watch the movie now that the electricity is on,” she said, disheartened he wanted to end the date so early.

  He smiled shaking his head. “What I have on my mind doesn’t include a movie and I don’t think you are ready to go that far with me yet.” He kissed her forehead and went to the door. “Adios, Taylor,” he said closing the door behind him.

  Taylor could not believe he was gone. Stomping her foot she cursed, “Damn it, Dillon! You managed to ruin my date again!” She started blowing out the candles. After stubbing out the last candle, she stomped upstairs still cursing and not caring food in the kitchen needed to be put away.

  Chapter 4

  Dillon finished a long drawn out meeting with another attorney concerning Electric Tech. Passing Taylor’s office, he stopped to shoot the breeze with her for a second. He paused to watch her. She was sitting at her desk reading and marking a document with a red pen. He looked over to see if Lynda, the secretary he and Taylor used to share, was sitting at her desk. He didn’t want to appear to be observing Taylor without her knowledge.

  He hadn’t had a chance to talk with her with the extra duties added to his already crammed schedule. And she didn’t make it a point to come by his office and talk to him. However, he did notice Mario Infante having lunch with her in his absence. He suspected that would happen since they were working closely together. He also pondered if he was her mystery date the night he’d stopped at her house. The two were becoming too close for his comfort and he had to put a stop to it before Mario Infante sucked Taylor away from him completely.

  As he watched her, memories of their earlier years came to mind. Taylor was always the person to make his day. Some of his male friends didn’t understand how a woman could be his best friend and he not have an attraction to her. Secretly, he did have an attraction, but her friendship meant more to him than sleeping with her.

  He’d lost track of her during college. He chose to stay in Ohio and attend Ohio State University, and that is where he met Kelly. She lived in Nebraska but attended Ohio State to earn a teaching degree. He proposed marriage when an unplanned pregnancy arose. Kelly miscarried three months into the pregnancy after a nasty fall down the stairs in their home. He blamed himself for her fall. Had they not been arguing, he would have seen her on the stairs.

  Although she continued making wedding plans, he didn’t have the heart to tell her to stop. In spite of how he suffered internally with not wanting this marriage, he didn’t halt her planning. It was too soon for her to handle losing him after losing the baby.

  “Dillon?” He snapped awake after hearing Taylor calling his name. “Dillon, are you going to say something or just stare at me?” She asked.

  He laughed. “Sorry, my thoughts took me away,” he said entering her office and taking a seat.

  Taylor leaned back in her chair. “I hate when that happens. So how is the big case moving along?”

  “It’s shuffling along driving me crazy in the process. How is Gallop going?” He asked.

  “Ya know, Dillon. Just when I think I have all the ‘I’s’ dotted and ‘T’s’ crossed, a little hiccup comes along and rips it all apart. Mario and I are in rounds with opposing counsel on the smallest details.”

  “Is there anything I can do to help? Todd would not listen to me. I tried to tell him you can’t switch people in the middle of the game.”

  Taylor flipped her wrist. “Thanks for the offer but we’re handling it. Mario has been an asset to me. Not to say you weren’t, but he is giving me major insights in dealing with these people I’ve never considered before.”

  “I take it the two of you are getting along. No head butting with the greatness?” He knew the slur was a mistake the second he said it and couldn’t retract it.

  Taylor rolled the ink pen between her fingers. “He doesn’t present himself as arrogant at all, Dillon. He is actually very pleasant and highly experienced in handling complicated matters.”

  “I’m sure he is but Gallop is not difficult. A second year associate would have a good chance at settling that case.”

  She rubbed her brow. “Okay, maybe Gallop isn’t Electric Tech material. But our clients are important to me no matter how small the business is I am going after. Mario is only trying to secure a settlement best to benefit our client. I will back him up in achieving that.”

  “Taylor, I said that wrong. I’m saying we had reached a done deal. All our client had to do was sign the agreement, and he walked away with a cool million. Why is Mario tearing that apart?”

  Tapping the end of the pen on her desk, she didn’t take kindly to having to defend her actions or Mario’s. Her voice turned stern. “He did it because our client would have gotten the shaft in the end. We got a tip Gallop was using underhanded techniques as a way to file for bankruptcy. This would have thrown everything we’ve done, including the settlement agreement out the window.”

  “You can’t stop a company from filing for bankruptcy.”

  “No, we can’t. But somehow, Mario was able to prove Gallop didn’t have a need to file bankruptcy and was doing it as a way to avoid legal subjections. He filed a motion showing Gallop’s intentions and the judge ruled to block Gallop from filing bankruptcy.”

  Dillon shook his head. He did not want to give the man any accolades but had to admit he acted promptly to avoid a potential disaster. “Mario has insiders. Taylor, why in the hell wasn’t he assigned Electric Tech instead of me? It’s clear he is far more experienced than I am.”

  Taylor shook her head. “It is not about how much experience you have but how you use what talent you have. You are a good attorney, Dillon. I have my own problems with Anderson so I can’t say anything about him and not sound hateful. I’m just asking you to watch your back when it comes to him.”

  “The pressure is already getting to me. I’m on the grind all hours of the day and weekends. Kelly is on my ass about that damn wedding and I’m losing my hair. I’m at the end of my rope, Taylor. Where are you on plans to open your own law firm?”

  Taylor scurried from her chair to close the door. Frowning she stood over him. “That is not for the people around here to know! Dillon, please don’t mention that to anyone in this place.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t know it was such a big secret. But, I haven’t mentioned it to anyone.”

  She leaned against her desk. “I’m sorry you are going through this. I knew it would happe
n. I wish there was something I could do to alleviate your problems, but my servitude to this firm is going to be a little longer than I expected. I can’t afford to burn any bridges just yet.”

  “Taylor, we could both ditch this place if you’d let me help.”

  “No, Dillon. You will have a wife to support soon. And besides that, you can’t make decisions as big as this without her input. I’ll raise the capital, and once I have it all, we’ll move forward with plans to open the firm. Until then, we will continue to work and build a good reputation with the clients we represent. Who knows, maybe some of them will come along with us.”

  “Kelly will be on board with us doing this.”

  “She might be on board with the idea, but what happens if she gets pregnant and wants to be a stay-at-home mom. We won’t bring in any decent money until we are established. Dillon, I cannot be responsible for you not being able to feed your kids. You are making good money and have great benefits that you can’t flush down the toilet to join my dream. I don’t have anything to lose but my house and the shirt off my back if I fail.”

  “There is no way you will fail, Taylor. You aren’t destined for failure of any kind.”

  She spun on her heels, walking towards him. “I’m glad you have faith in me. I also have faith that my dream will happen one day. The hard part is to be patient and pray. When I’m ready to walk away from this I have to be sure I’m doing the right thing because there will be no looking back.”

  He loved listening to her talk of her dreams. Taylor was a determined woman and independent woman. A woman he admired. The lingering question nagging at his neck was if she had discussed any of her dreams with Mario. “Have you consulted with Mario Infante about your goals?”

  “No, I haven’t. Why do you ask?”

  “I figured he would be the first to jump to invest in your project.”

  “I don’t broadcast my business, Dillon. Besides, he just started at the firm; I’m sure he doesn’t want to leave yet. In fact, he told me this will be his last stop until retirement.”

  “You two talk a lot. Are you hanging out with him now that I’m out of the picture?”

  “Dillon, we work closely together. We do have lunch occasionally, and I find him very intriguing as well as interesting. He is a wealth of information, and I’ve learned a lot from him.”

  Dillon rose from his chair running his hands through his hair. He looked at Taylor. She was as beautiful as ever if not more than he remembered. “I guess I’ve been replaced as your hanging buddy.”

  “You will never be replaced as my best friend. I miss hanging out with you at lunch. But you’re a hotshot now rubbing elbows with the big boys who can expand your horizons,” she said hugging him.

  Her hair tickled the side of his face and the scent of her perfume drifted under his nose. His arms went around her body feeling her breasts press against his chest. He closed his eyes, pretending it was more than just a friendly hug. “I want you so bad,” he murmured under his breath.

  A knock came to the door breaking them apart as Mario entered. “Excuse me, I didn’t know you were in a meeting,” he said surprised.

  Taylor smiled. “That’s okay. Dillon and I were just catching up. I haven’t seen him in forever.”

  Dillon straightened his tie and buttoned his suit coat to hide the imprint of his erection against the zipper of his pants. “I was just leaving.”

  Taylor went to her desk removing her purse from a bottom drawer. “Mario and I are going for lunch. Do you want to join us?”

  Dillon checked his watch. “Wow, lunchtime already. I’m supposed to have a lunch meeting with Anderson and a rep from Electric Tech. Maybe next time,” he said bowing out graciously.

  Mario extended his hand. “Good seeing you again, Dillon.”

  Dillon returned a limp handshake, saying, “Likewise, Mario.”

  “Hey, call me soon. I know I am on the low end of the totem pole but don’t forget about me,” Taylor said giving him another hug. “The three of us will have to get together for dinner soon. I want to talk to Kelly about the wedding.”

  “Yeah, we’ll all get together real soon.”

  Dillon hurried to his office closing the door. He unzipped his pants to relieve the pressure straining against the fabric of his boxers. The short weeks he’d been away from Taylor did nothing to stop his desire for her.

  *****

  Mario closed the door snatching Taylor against him. “I’ve been waiting do to this all morning,” he said lowering his mouth to hers.

  Taylor ran her hands through his fresh cut hair. She broke the kiss. “Hmm, how much work did you get done this morning if you’ve been waiting to do this all morning?”

  He twitched his lips “Little to none. I had to force myself to work in order to keep my mind off you.” He caressed her arms. “Why don’t we skip lunch and go to my place for a little afternoon fun.”

  She twisted from his firm grasp. “We said we would wait before going that route. I’m not ready for that step, Mario.”

  He placed his hands in his pockets. “I did say that. Your being cautious is commendable. You don’t really know me, and I understand how important it is to know a man before completely giving him your heart, body, and soul.”

  “Yes, I do have to have all that before sleeping with you. I enjoy the time we spend together getting to know each other. There is just something missing.”

  “What is missing?”

  “You seem too perfect. What are your faults, Mario? Every person has faults. Some of mine are, I get lazy and don’t exercise regularly, as I should. I spend excessively on clothes. My biggest fault, yet, is I tend to let my jealousy get out of hand. Therefore, I end my relationships before they start.”

  He sat on the edge of her desk. “Taylor, I am far from perfect. I do have faults. I overspend on materialistic items also. I have created an image for myself that I must uphold at all times. My biggest fault is my lack of trust with women.”

  “What?” She asked surprised. “You don’t trust women? Are you saying you don’t trust me?”

  He shook his head. “I was hurt by a woman, Taylor.”

  “What happened?”

  “It was a long time ago. When I lived in Miami, I had met a beautiful woman who stole my heart at first glance. I promised myself if I got this woman, I would do everything in my power to give her a five-star life. I would wine and dine her, purchase her expensive jewelry and cars. Whatever she wanted I would do for her.”

  “Some women don’t appreciate a good man. She took you for granted.”

  He paced the office. He had never told another soul this story the one incident that nearly destroyed him. “She didn’t only take me for granted; she made me want to kill her.”

  She swallowed hard. “Mario…what are you saying?”

  “Don’t be frightened. I did not kill her. There are people in the world that can con the most intelligent people. I fell for her con, and it almost ruined me.”

  “What the hell did she do to push you to the point of wanting to murder her?”

  “Well, it’s not a pretty story, and I’m embarrassed to tell it; that is why no one knows.”

  “I won’t say anything, I swear,” she said crossing her heart.

  He was comfortable with her and wanted to tell her everything. “All right, since you insist on knowing. I practiced criminal law back then. I ran a successful practice and won cases left and right. One day this gorgeous woman walks into my office looking for help for her brother. He’d been wrongly accused of committing murder, and she couldn’t get anyone to listen to his side of the story.”

  Taylor crossed her legs listening closely. “Okay, so far so good.”

  “It only gets better,” he said sitting on the sofa. “I took her on as a client for two reasons. One, I was infatuated with her; second, I believed her brother had been racially profiled. He’d been charged for a crime he did not commit after I’d gathered the facts. We know court-appointed a
ttorneys are piled with cases and inadvertently overlook pertinent facts.”

  “I agree. I did a short run as a public defender. The heavy loads court-appointed attorneys carry is ridiculous. And though there are good public defenders, some lack experience,” she said throwing him off the subject.

  He nodded shifting his eyebrows. “Anyhow, we spent a lot of time together, and the attraction grew to love, so I believed. I fought extra hard to get her brother’s case reopened and investigated properly. I wanted to clear his name for her sake.”

  “You were able to get him a new trial?”

  “Si, I did, and I won my case.”

  “What happened after his release?”

  “I had bought her an engagement ring. The best my money could buy. I was going to propose to her during the celebration dinner for her brother’s release.” He exhaled a large breath. The pain from recalling the story tunneled from the depths of hell to burn fire through his veins. “The joke was on me. Her brother turned out to be her husband. She came to me because she’d heard I was the best criminal attorney in Miami but did not have the money to hire me. Her husband ordered her to do whatever possible to get me. In her mind, what she did was appropriate. By seducing me, she got what she needed for her husband.”

  Taylor covered her mouth. “Oh, my God, Mario, that is awful.”

  “It was a horrible experience. I was on bended knee ready to propose to this woman when she finally told me the truth. I wanted to kill them both, but I didn’t. I respected my life and wasn’t willing to give it up for taking theirs.”

  “How could she do that? She had to feel something for you.”

  “She said she did have love for me, but she loved her husband more. Hell, I was young, she was older and I knew I would get over her eventually, but my distrust for women never fully faded.”

  “Mario, how are you ever going to trust me?”

  “My heart healing process is over, Taylor. I’m being honest because the process of trusting is taking me a little longer to do. I have to learn to separate suspicion from truth.”

  “You need to explain that,” she said confused.