“Hey.”
As soon as I heard Violet’s voice calling out to me, blood began pumping through my heart with a newfound intensity. “Hey,” I replied.
“I set a drink out for you.” She pointed to a beer that was sitting on top of the counter.
“Thanks.” I picked up the beer and downed half of its contents before setting down my briefcase and laptop. “Whatever you’re making smells really good.”
“Thanks . . . it’s lasagna,” she said, opening the oven to check on the dish she was baking.
I stripped off my tie and jacket, hanging each on the folding screen next to my bed. The tension hovering in the air was so thick, you could almost see it. Grabbing a clean set of clothes, I rushed to the bathroom to change. When I emerged, Violet had set two different places at the dining table.
“Thank you for this.” I sat at the table and finished off my beer.
“I bought more.” She handed me another beer and took a sip of her own. “I set your briefcase at the end of the table. I figured we could go over the Littman contract one more time.”
I sighed a deep breath of relief. Work would definitely help me get through this evening. “I think that’s a good idea.” I was just about to say more when my phone lit up. Glancing at the caller ID, I saw it was my brother. “Hey, Alex.”
“Big bro!” he shouted. “You move back to Boston and I never hear from you? Just how big of a dick are you?”
“The biggest.”
He laughed at my confession. “Truer words have never been spoken.”
“So, what’s up?”
“Nothing much, just standing outside your door, waiting for you to let me in.”
“What?”
No sooner than I asked my question, I heard banging just outside my apartment. “Let me in, douchebag!”
Violet’s head snapped in the direction of the door. I hung up the phone and stood. “It seems my brother Alex decided to drop by.”
“Have you seen him since you’ve been back in town?” she questioned.
“No.”
“Jesus, Hunter!”
“I know, I know.”
“Let him in.”
“Are we sure that’s a good idea?”
“Well, we can’t exactly ignore him, can we?”
“I suppose not.”
She ran to the other side of my apartment and quickly began shoving her suitcase and other things underneath my bed. I waited until she was completely finished before heading over to the door and opening it.
“Hunter!”
“Alex,” I replied, somewhat annoyed.
He toted a six pack of beer over his shoulder as he sauntered into my apartment. Immediately, his attention settled on Violet. “I didn’t realize you had someone over.”
“We were going over a contract for work,” she replied.
Alex stepped forward and held out his hand to her. “I’m Alex, Hunter’s younger brother.”
“I’m Violet, Hunter’s secretary.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Violet.”
“Likewise.”
“Did you need something?” I inquired, directing my question to Alex.
“Only to see my brother.”
“Are you hungry?” Violet asked. “There is plenty of food.”
“That would be wonderful. Thank you.”
Alex sat in the seat next to mine and opened a beer. “It looks like things at your new office are very nice,” he said in a hushed voice. His eyes followed Violet as she fixed a plate for him.
“It’s really not what you might be thinking.”
“Good, that means I can ask her out.”
“Alex,” I warned.
“Or maybe, it’s exactly what I think it is,” he countered.
“Shut the fuck up. She’s my secretary. No one is dating her.”
“She’s gorgeous, big bro. Really, my hat is off to you. They know how to pick ‘em at your firm.”
“You know I can hear everything you’re saying, right?” Violet asked, setting a plate of lasagna in front of Alex.
“I’m—”
“And I know your mother taught you better than to talk behind someone’s back.”
Alex ran a hand through his light brown hair, clearly contemplating Violet’s comment. “She did.”
“Also, you should stop fluffing up your hair like that. No one cares if you’re an inch or two shorter than your brother.”
I nearly choked on my beer. Alex was already gaping at Violet, and I was happy to join him.
“Now I get it,” Alex stated. “She’s your secretary because she serves up your ass on the daily.”
“Something like that.”
“Where did you learn to read people like that?” Alex questioned, his voice full of curiosity.
“From my friend Nadine.”
“Is she single?”
“Alex,” she began, “you should quit while you’re ahead.”
While Alex sat in stunned silence, I smiled at Violet. The only other woman I’d ever seen put him in his place was our mother, and that was because she had the uncanny ability to strike fear into your heart with a single glance, even from thirty feet away. “The lasagna is really good by the way,” I said.
“Thank you.”
“Yes, it’s very good,” Alex added.
“So, Alex, Hunter tells me you’re a criminal defense attorney.”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“Do you enjoy your line of work?”
He shrugged nonchalantly. “I do. Sometimes you have shit clients, but that’s the nature of it. Especially when you’re dealing with criminals.”
Violet nodded. “I’m sure you see all kinds of people.”
“How long have you been a legal secretary?” he asked.
“Around four years.”
“And now you have the misfortune of working for my brother.”
“He’s a great boss. So, I have no complaints.”
I smacked the back of Alex’s head. “See?”
“Ouch! Okay, so I may have had my doubts,” he confirmed.
“Hunter actually just landed a big client at our firm. We’re both really excited.”
“That’s awesome! Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked, facing me.
“It only happened last week,” I replied.
“Yeah, but I bet mom already knows.”
“Well, I see her more than I do you.”
“You got me there. And what about dad, have you talked to him?”
“Nope.”
Alex sighed heavily and took another sip of beer. “I know what you mean. I haven’t talked to him in at least a month.”
“What?” I asked, completely surprised by Alex’s revelation.
“I guess I’m not a chip off the old block either.”
“But you’ve always been so close with dad.”
“Not anymore, not like Derek is at least.”
“Derek has always been halfway up Dad’s asshole,” I replied.
“Yep. And I decided to stop drinking the Kool-Aid.”
“Welcome to the group of disowned offspring.” I held out my hand to Alex.
He shook my hand and grinned. “It feels good to be here.”
“I’m sensing a lot of daddy issues here,” Violet chimed in.
“That’s a nice way of putting it,” Alex mumbled.
I chuckled at his statement. When it came to our father, that was the nice way of putting it. He wasn’t exactly the most forgiving or loving soul, which made his marriage to our mother all the more puzzling. If love could be personified, that woman would be it. She was always warm and kind, while our father’s cold and distant nature was the exact opposite. “If it makes you feel any better, he’s hated me the longest.”
“Actually, that is a little comforting.”
“Did you go to family dinner this past weekend?” I asked.
Alex nodded as he finished swallowing a bite of lasagna. “I did for a bit.”
“Pretty much,” he answered. “Derek, Mattie, and Devon were there, being the perfect little family they are.” Alex’s focus shifted from me to Violet. “Don’t misunderstand me, I love my brothers, both of them. But being constantly reminded of all the shortcomings in your life isn’t exactly the way I want to spend my Saturday night.”
Alex’s words struck a chord within me. Especially since my recent shortcomings would be lamented by my family for years to come. Make one mistake and you get dropped faster than an anchor off a sinking ship. If it weren’t for my mother, I wouldn’t even be welcome in my childhood home.
“No judgments here. Family can be hell. I know that to be true better than anyone. But I’ve talked to your mother on the phone several times and she is a sweet person.”
“One thing you have to know about the Desmonds, Violet, is that when we’re complaining about one another, we never include our mother,” Alex replied. “Even if she can be a bit overbearing.”
“You too?” I questioned with a slight laugh.
“Oh, shit. With you just moving back and starting a new job, I bet she’s called you at least a hundred times already,” he stated.
“Not that many. I’d say she’s called about five times.”
“She called me eight times the first week I started at my firm,” he replied, shaking his head.
“Personally, I think it’s sweet,” Violet added honestly.
“Level with me for a moment, Violet. It’s somewhat emasculating for a man to have his mother call his new place of employment numerous times to check up on him. I mean, how would you feel if your mother did that?”
I stilled for a moment at his words. Of course Alex didn’t know Violet’s mother had passed, but I didn’t want her to feel forced into talking about something that saddened her.
“I wouldn’t care if my mother called multiple times to check on me. Honestly, I think I’d be happy to simply hear her voice again,” she replied. “Her face I can picture with perfect clarity, but the sound of her voice has always been harder to recall.”
Alex exhaled loudly. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize she had passed.”
My body acted of its own accord as it reached beneath the table and found Violet’s hand. I wanted her to know she could count on me, that my strength was hers if she ever needed it. Instantly, her fingers wrapped around mine.
“It’s okay. You wouldn’t have known she passed away. And besides, I don’t mind talking about her. She was the kindest person I’ve ever known, and it’d be a dishonor to her memory to never tell anyone about her.”
“That’s amazing,” he admitted. “You need to find a new job as soon as possible because you’re way too awesome to be hanging around an asshole like him.”
I elbowed Alex in the gut as hard as I could. “Don’t forget who was able to beat the shit out of you and Derek when we were younger.”
Alex rolled his eyes and downed the rest of his beer. “As if you would let either of us forget.”
The three of us talked for a while as we finished off our food and beer. When ten o’clock rolled around, Alex left, which meant Violet and I were alone in my apartment once more. You’d think fourteen-foot ceilings would equate to spaciousness, but the opposite proved to be true. The entire space felt as if it were closing in around us. Maybe it was the fact we were alone and could do any number of things we wanted. Or maybe it was because every time I was around Violet, it made me realize how much I was beginning to care for her. Strangely enough, she was already the best friend I had in this city. I didn’t have anyone else to talk to, and my brothers had lives of their own. They couldn’t hang around me all the time.
“Do you want to go first?”
Violet’s question was enough to distract me from the thoughts occupying my mind. “First?”
She held up the copy of The Picture of Dorian Gray. “Or I can read first if you want,” she suggested.
“I don’t mind reading.”
“That settles it then.” I hadn’t even opened my mouth to read the first sentence, when I heard her speak again. “I read over the Littman contract while you and Alex were talking.”
“And?”
“It’s great. You’re ten times more thorough than Tomlinson ever was.”
“You don’t have to—”
“Just take the damn compliment,” she ordered, cutting me off. “Tomlinson was an excellent lawyer, but you have a gift for this kind of stuff.”
“Thank you.”
“I realize I’m only a secretary, but I’ve studied different parts of the law. I know more than most people think I do, and that contract you wrote is ironclad. Your client is going to be thrilled.”
“I supposed we’ll find out tomorrow,” I replied, opening up the book once more. “And I appreciate everything you said. It’s nice to have someone who believes in me.”
“Anytime, boss.”
I read three chapters in the book before handing it over to Violet. It was refreshing to be able to spend time with someone without having to go anywhere. Making reservations and drinking expensive wines ruled over the majority of my dating life, but sitting here with another person who loved to read as much as I did was even better. For once, I could be myself. I didn’t have to be the cocky lawyer everyone expected. I could simply be . . . me. And somehow, I knew Violet felt the same way. She didn’t have to be guarded around me, because she knew I wouldn’t hurt her like Ted or her family had. Like me, she could be herself without any fear of being judged.
As I listened to her, I couldn’t help but stare. She was gorgeous, there was no doubt about it, but she was also real. She wasn’t shallow or self-absorbed. Violet genuinely cared about others and, in my opinion, that made her even more special.
“You’re staring at me,” she announced as she looked up from the page she’d just read.
“You’re also reading. Forgive me, but I was taught to make eye contact while someone is speaking.”
She stuck out her tongue and rolled her eyes. “Reading aloud and speaking aren’t technically the same thing.”
“Aren’t they though?”
“Okay, so they’re very similar.”
“Oh, so now they’re very similar?”
“You’re a pain in the ass.”
“You always know just what to say to me,” I teased.
She huffed loudly as she closed the book. “I would throw this book at you, but fortunately for you, I’m a fan of literature and Oscar Wilde.”
“He’d probably roll over in his grave if you did throw it.”
“You never know. Maybe he wouldn’t care at all.”
“I suppose it’s possible.”
“Have you heard anything about my apartment?” she asked, changing the subject.
“Fuck.” I scrubbed my hand over the hair covering my jaw. “It was so busy today that I forgot to call and check on it. I’m sorry.”
“That’s okay. It was ridiculously hectic today. I just want to make sure I’m not wearing out my welcome.”
“I’ll be sure to call tomorrow, but you can stay here as long as you want.”
“You’re sure I’m not pestering you?”
“Not at all. Why? Am I pestering you?”
“I wouldn’t call it pestering exactly . . .”
“Then what would you call it?”
“Well—”
“Do I make you feel uncomfortable or something?”
“No! Nothing like that.”
“You’re sure?”
“I feel completely comfortable around you.”
“Now you have me worried.”
“I feel so comfortable around you I borrowed your loofa when I took a shower this morning. Happy now?”
Much to my dismay, my brain immediately began conjuring visions of Violet in my shower. And fuck, I liked what I was envisioning a little too much. “Excuse me?”
“I’m only kidding!”
&n
bsp; “Oh.”
“But what if I had?”
“I’m sorry, am I supposed to answer that question?” I inquired. “Because I’ve been picturing you in my shower.”
My reply earned me an especially drawn out eye roll. “You’re such a guy.”
“I’m glad you noticed.”
“Now who is the one putting thoughts in your head which don’t belong there?”
I grinned at her shamelessly. “Still you.”
“Well, if you can clear up your thoughts for a little bit, I’m going to keep reading.”
“Fine by me, Vi,” I replied with a wink.
I expected another witty retort to come spilling out of her mouth, but it never came. Instead, she opened the book and picked up right where we’d left off a few minutes ago. Vi and I had been flirting with one another all day long. We both promised to remain professional while at the office, but our promise was harder to keep than either of us had imagined. There was something between us, connecting us together in more ways than one, even if we couldn’t fully admit it to one another or to ourselves. I was certain she felt the same way, because there was a hint of pink tinging the apples of Violet’s cheeks. She was blushing, just like she had the first time we met at Eddie’s bar.
Chapter Eleven
The weeks passed in a blur. Admittedly, I was disappointed when I had to leave Hunter’s apartment. In the time I spent there, I’d gotten used to being around another soul. The last person I lived with was Nadine, so not being alone every night was rather wonderful. Not to mention, Hunter and I clicked. When we weren’t teasing each other to no end, we read. I’d always enjoyed reading out loud. It was something I picked up from the librarian at my grade school. Looking back on it, I realized what she really showed me was a coping mechanism. She offered me an escape from the hell I was caught in, and I’d carry it with me every day for the rest of my life.
I glanced behind me at Hunter’s closed office door. He and Mr. Beakman had been locked away in there for nearly an hour. After his success with the Littman account, Mr. Beakman had given Hunter four new clients in the past month. I was happy for him. He’d been working his ass off from his first day at BB&B. And according to Rhonda, everyone else knew about it too. Sure, the rumors surrounding him were still there. Fucking your boss’s wife wasn’t something the office gossips were likely to forget, but at least people were beginning to recognize Hunter for the brilliant lawyer he was.
Burning Violet Page 11
