by Brent, Amy
She wanted to hold on to me, and she wasn’t alone in that want.
“I’m confused, honestly. I was very confused when things sort of—wrapped up. I needed space, and that was why I ran out so quickly.”
“Trust me, I can understand. I’ve been a little confused myself.”
“You have?” she asked.
“I have.”
“What about?”
“Honestly? It still gets to me that you’re Camilla’s best friend.”
“Oh, thank heavens.”
“What?” I asked, chuckling.
“I just mean that it’s been getting to me that you’re my best friend’s ex. So it’s kind of nice to know that weird, confusing feeling is mutual.”
I sighed. “It is.”
“So, where do we go from here in our mutual confusion?”
My eyes fluttered up to hers as I took a bite of my sandwich. I chewed slowly and washed it down with some of my coffee to give myself time to think. She was searching for an answer, and I had no idea what to tell her.
I didn’t think the right answer was what I was thinking, which was “back to my office where I can bend you over my desk.”
Ava
I couldn’t get Logan out of my head. No matter how much I threw myself into work and no matter what I did to distract myself, he was there, lurking, whispering, smiling, and talking in my mind. And it seemed that I ran into him wherever I went. The issue was, I couldn’t stop thinking about Camilla, either, about her lies and her deceit and the way she was so nonchalant about it all. I couldn't stop thinking about the fact that I had fucked her ex twice, about how she had lied straight to my face and treated Logan like shit. It made my blood boil thinking about how she had treated him.
Oddly enough, I was protective of him.
Getting up, I made my way into work, hoping for a decent distraction. Maybe some paperwork, or another client. What I didn’t expect was the announcement that rained down on me the second I stepped off the elevator, and suddenly I was eating all my words and praying I could take them back.
“Ava, my office please.”
“Yes, sir. Let me drop my things off and I’ll—
“It’ll be quick. You’re not in trouble, but I need to see you now.”
“Okay,” I said.
Slipping into my boss’s office, I closed the door behind me. He looked panicked, like he’d had one too many cups of coffee. He slid his hand down his face as I leaned against the wall, giving him the space he needed to do his thing. He got like this sometimes. Not enough sleep and way too much work. Then he’d pump too much caffeine into his system and come into work acting like a short-circuited energizer bunny.
“We’re being sued,” he said.
My purse fell from my hand as my lips parted in shock.
“What?” I asked.
“Yeah. By a past client. Well, a past business that was a past client.”
“What for?” I asked.
“Fraud.”
“Fraud?”
“Yes, fraud. I was given the official papers when I walked in this morning, so I immediately called our team of lawyers.”
“Well, that’s good. What did they say?” I asked.
“I’m not sure. They said they were going to set up a meeting this afternoon. Does one o’clock work for you? That’s when they scheduled it.”
“One works, but why me? Did I work on this client with you?”
“You touched on a few things, but nothing out of the ordinary. I just need someone with me. You know, as a witness.”
“To make you feel more comfortable.”
“That, too. But the lawyers suggested that having an unbiased party present would help with things.”
“Am I an unbiased party if I worked on their case even a little bit?” I asked.
“Please?”
I sighed as I unfurled my arms.
“Okay. I’ll be in your office around a quarter to one, and then we’ll head into the meeting together.”
“Thank you so much, Ava. I owe you a massive one.”
“I’ll see you then. And try to lay off the caffeine before the meeting, huh? I’d rather you fall asleep than blow through the roof.”
“Yep. I can do that. I’ll try. Oh! And Ava?”
“Yes, boss?”
“Thanks again.”
“Not a problem.”
Once inside my office, I flopped down in my chair. Sued. We were being sued, one business to another business. Great. This was not the sort of distraction I had wanted when I’d walked into work this morning.
I unpacked my bag and threw myself into work that needed to get done, watching the clock tick down the entire time. The closer it came to twelve forty-five, the more nervous I became. Was I in trouble with this somehow? Would I be caught up in it since I’d worked on the project a bit? I wasn’t sure, but my nerves were getting the best of me. I looked at my cell phone, and the only person I wanted to talk to about it was Logan. Not Camilla, like usual.
I groaned and leaned back in my seat. Even a lawsuit couldn’t get my mind to stray away from him. I pressed the heels of my hands into my eyes and sighed. Fuck. I really was screwed. I forced myself to finish up the paperwork before I grabbed my purse and pushed away from my desk. It was time to meet my boss. It was time to go sit down with our “excellent” lawyers. I hoped they were as advertised.
“Thank you so much, again, for coming with me,” my boss said as we came upon the meeting room.
“It’s really not a problem. I mean, what could possibly—?”
“Mr. Craven. Miss Leary. Have a seat.”
I panned around the room of lawyers, and my eyes fell on a familiar face. My lips parted in shock, and I couldn’t help the snicker that fell from my mouth. Of course Logan was one of our lawyers. Of course my company kept him on retainer for situations like this. Of all the lawyers in all Manhattan, Logan had to be one of those who my company paid to leap at circumstances like this one.
He looked just as shocked as I was.
“Ava? You okay?”
I looked at my boss before I cleared my throat.
“Yeah, yeah. I’m fine. Sorry. Just—it’s all hitting me now,” I said.
“Don’t worry. I promise you’re not caught up in all this,” he said.
“If the two of you would like to take a seat, we’ll get started.”
“So, how serious are these charges?” my boss asked.
“From the looks of it, not serious at all. They’re claiming fraud, but what they’re really doing is nitpicking at the contract. They’re claiming that because the company didn’t fully deliver on their expectations, the company defrauded them out of their full payment when it came due.”
“Then why didn’t they come to us with their worries? We would have been happy to fix anything or even go back to the drawing board. It’s all lined out in the contract,” my boss said.
“Not exactly. Their lawyer is looking at loopholes to get them some of their money back. What we have to do is prove there’s an ulterior motive, otherwise they might win.”
“What do you mean by win?” my boss asked.
“From the digging I’ve done,” Logan said, speaking up for the first time, “it seems as if the company suing you is having financial troubles. They’ve put some of their eggs in the wrong basket and have lost out on a few top investments.”
My eyes stayed connected with his as he continued to rattle on.
“If there’s the slightest chance we can prove they’re suing to get some money back to keep their company funded, we can get the case tossed out the window.”
“So, let’s do that. Ralph, you and I can sit down over lunch and talk. How does that sound?” my boss asked.
“Who’s Ralph?” I asked.
“I am, Miss Leary.”
I looked at the mob boss of a man who sat among the company’s retainer employees.
“And all these guys are…?” I asked, waving my hand around the
room.
“Friends of mine in the industry I trust with my privacy and my life. I promise you, Miss Leary, none of what happens in this meeting goes anywhere,” Ralph said.
“You can trust him. Ralph has been a dear friend of mine for years,” my boss said.
I nodded slowly as my eyes panned over to Logan. So, his good lawyer friend was friends with my boss? That was how all this had happened? I could tell Logan was slowly dropping the pieces into place as well.
My boss and Ralph continued to talk, spouting off theories as to the real reason why this company was suing us after being happy for years with the monthly advertising we helped them with. And yet again, I couldn’t concentrate because of Logan.
“Well, we’ll be meeting again soon. My colleagues and I will dig into this and figure out what the most plausible theory is to defend,” Ralph said.
“Let’s go with what’s actually going on. I don’t want to pummel them in court if we’re pummeling them with a lie,” my boss said.
“Understood. We’ll gather all we can, and once we whittle down the theories and have a little more evidence underneath our belts, we’ll sit down again,” Ralph said.
Everyone shook hands, and when it came time for me to shake Logan’s, he kept me in place. He gripped my hand a little tighter and led me off to a corner, his eyes heatedly connected with mine.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were on retainer for my company?” I asked.
“I didn’t know until earlier in the week that it was your company’s case that had dropped into my lap. And as a lawyer, I can’t discuss that type of information with you,” he said.
“Makes sense, though you could have given me a little bit of a heads up.”
“Yeah. I guess I could have.”
We continued shaking hands before he cleared his throat and dropped my hand like it was a hot potato.
“It’s strange how we keep running into one another like this,” Logan said.
“And get tossed into the most insane scenarios with one another,” I said, giggling.
“Do you think it’s for a reason?”
“What do you mean?”
“Nothing. Just a weird thought,” he said.
I drew in a deep breath and nodded as the room slowly cleared itself behind us.
“Listen, I don’t know what you’re doing tomorrow night, but if you’re not doing anything, I’d love to have you over for dinner,” Logan said.
“Dinner.”
“Mhm.”
“At your place,” I said.
“Yep. A home-cooked meal and everything.”
“Are we going to be talking shop or something while we’re there?” I asked.
“Not at all,” he said, grinning.
I needed to decline. I needed to resist. I needed to push him away and tell him this was wrong, that lines had been drawn in the sand and he was off-limits to me, and me to him. But as I gazed into his steel gaze and saw that beautiful smile across his lips, the only thing I could think about was spending a night in with him. A night in eating wonderful food and falling back into his arms.
The thought alone forced me to downplay the shiver creeping up my spine.
“I’d like that,” I said.
“Wonderful. Do you know where I live? Or do I need to shoot you my address?”
“You might want to text it to me just in case.”
“I can do that. I’ll get it to you tonight,” he said.
“Should I bring anything? A drink? Some wine? Maybe dessert?”
“The only thing you need to do is wear something that makes you feel comfortable and beautiful. I’ll take care of the rest, Ava.”
My heart melted into a puddle at my feet.
“What time should I be there?” I asked.
“How about seven?”
“Sounds perfect.”
“Okay. I’ll see you then.”
He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear before he scooted past me, and it left me stunned. Just that small little gesture had my stomach flipping. I whipped around and watched him walk out of the room with a swagger and confidence that made my mouth go dry.
I felt myself falling into his trap, and I didn’t want to stop the descent.
Logan
A knock came at my door, and I grinned. She was right on time. I gave the sauce one last stir, then wiped my hands off, rolled up my sleeves, and went to answer the door. I had cooked shrimp alfredo and prepared a salad and homemade garlic bread. My stomach rumbled with hunger as the smell of white wine permeated the air of my home. I drew in a deep breath and readied myself for our encounter. Then I opened my door and took stock of the woman standing on my porch.
Ava looked stunning.
“Oh my gosh, it smells wonderful in there,” she said.
My mouth instantly ran dry at the sight of her. She had on a black dress that suited her body perfectly. It clung to her breasts and fell off her shoulders, then fluttered around her legs. With every move she made, it sashayed against her bare legs. Her heels clicked along the cherry mahogany hardwood floors of my condominium apartment, and it took all I had to rip my eyes away from her body long enough to close the door.
“You look spectacular, Ava.”
“You said to wear something that made me feel comfortable and beautiful. So, here it is,” she said.
“You wear it beautifully.”
She smiled at me, and my heart skipped a beat. I held out my hand and ushered her into my kitchen before I pulled out her chair for her. She sat down, and I scooted her underneath the table. Then I made sure to pour her a nice glass of wine. I walked back over to the stove and grabbed everything, setting the table with the bread, the noodles, and the salad. I settled everything between us before I sat down myself and found Ava’s eyes bulging in shock.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Did you cook all this?” she asked.
“I did.”
“Is that bread from scratch?”
“Yes,” I said, grinning.
“You didn’t make this. You had someone make it for you.”
“I swear, I made it myself.” Chuckling as I spread my napkin across my lap, I poured myself a glass of wine. I held it up to make a toast, and Ava quickly scrambled for hers. She was adorable, delectable, delicious in all the right ways. My eyes connected with her soft blue stare before they traveled along the skin of her neck.
My teeth were begging to taste her.
“To a wonderful evening in and good conversation,” I said.
“It’ll be the first time that second part has happened,” she said.
I laughed as we clinked glasses. Then we each took a sip. She dove into the food and piled it on her plate, unashamed of her appetite. I liked that in a woman, someone who wasn’t afraid to eat. The silence that fell between us was comfortable, but I didn’t want it to stay like that. I wanted to get to know her.
“Tell me about your family,” I said.
“Hmm?” Ava asked.
“Your family. Are you close with them?”
She slurped a noodle through her lips before she giggled and wiped mouth with her napkin.
“Um, well, yes, I am.”
“Did you grow up around here?”
“Have we never talked about this stuff?” she asked.
“We haven't, no.”
“Because it feels like we’ve talked about this stuff.”
“We’ve talked about everything but this stuff.”
She giggled, and the sound put a large smile across my lips.
“Well, in that case, no. I didn’t grow up around here. I actually grew up in Virginia on a farm.”
“Oh, really? A farm girl? How was that?” I asked.
“As boring as you might think. My parents still live there, though they don’t maintain the farm like they used to. When I was growing up, we grew corn, tomatoes, and beans. Plus we had chickens, a few dairy cows, pigs we raised for food, and goats.”
“Why did
you specify dairy cows?”
“Because they weren’t raised for food.”
“Gotcha. Wow. I would have never taken you for a farm girl.”
“My father always teased me that I was meant for the city. So when I went off to upstate New York for college and found a job in my chosen field in the heart of the city, it didn’t shock them one bit.”
“Do they ever come visit you?”
“No. They can’t stand the city,” she said, giggling.
“Probably much different than the traffic in Virginia.”
“They came once, and every time my father heard someone cuss, his eyes bulged.”
The both laughed before she took a sip of her wine.
“Anyway, I go visit them as much as I can, especially during the holidays.”
“Sounds like a great family,” I said.
“What about you? Are you close with your family?”
“Mmmm, not so much my father, but my mother, yes. She actually lives here in the city. I moved her with me when I opened my practice.”
“Why not your father so much?” she asked.
I took a bite of my bread to gather my thoughts. “My father was an alcoholic. I never knew him sober.”
“Logan, I’m so sorry. We don’t have to talk about it if—”
“No, no. It’s fine. It’s—it’s actually very easy to talk with you,” I said.
Our eyes connected, and the smile that crossed her cheeks ignited a fire in my veins. It was the truth. It was so easy to talk with Ava. It always had been. This topic of conversation was no different. It was as if I almost wanted to talk with her about it, which was really odd because I never wanted to talk about my father with anyone, ever.
“I never knew him as anything other than an alcoholic. He popped in and out of our lives for years before my mother finally closed the door on him. Once she did, he never bothered reaching out, which was fine with me because I had no passion to know him.”
“Men like that make me sick,” Ava said.
“Me, too. I can’t understand how people can abandon the families they create, even with addiction and things like that. My mother did everything to help that man. She enrolled him in rehab, staged interventions, had private conversations, and took him to his doctor visits and therapy appointments. It was like he didn’t care. It angers me to think about it to this day, all she gave him and what he left her with.”
