Eduardo sauntered over to Amber’s desk and knocked on the side with a greeting. “What’cha working on?” He asked, focusing on her monitor not her body.
“Dawson versus August Executives, that sexual harassment case that Doug is working on.”
“Oh,” Eduardo concluded letting go a sigh.
On dangerous ground, Amber scanned him quickly. Wearing no jacket; a royal blue silk shirt with argyle tie blasted back at her. He looked marvelous, he smelled amazing and that overwhelming sensation of grabbing that yoke and greeting his tongue took over her reason.
They didn’t need conversation to know what the other was thinking. Their bodies spoke volumes. Amber was apprehensive, fidgety with anticipation. Eduardo was agitated, holding himself back from snatching her again.
“Here it is,” Jackie exclaimed, breaking the unbearable silence and desperate chemistry of the moment.
“Thanks,” Eduardo gave to her. He reached out for the folder and then walked away, ignoring Amber on purpose.
Amber watched him as he sauntered out of view.
“God, he looks especially yummy today,” she heard one of the Legal Assistants assert.
Amber continued to gape in the direction of where Eduardo left when two of the Assistants cast her way. Amber realized they were staring at her. “What?” Amber asked openly.
“Don’t tell me you don’t find him the least bit attractive,” Dolores asked probing. In her mid-thirties, Dolores was a divorced mother of two.
Amber gulped. “Guilty,” she maintained, holding out her palm.
“His wife is one lucky woman, what’s her name again?”
Amber continued to stare down the hallway. “Amber—no, Leticia!”
Dolores started to hoot. “That’s right, Leticia, what a beautiful name, she’s probably drop dead gorgeous too.”
Amber gazed at Dolores. “And very sweet,” she added.
“Such a shame he’s still not single. That man exudes so much sex appeal he should be able to give us all a sample.”
Amber started chuckling, “Not when you’ve seen him when he first wakes up, and believe me, he doesn’t look so hot.” Which was a downright lie and recalled her camping trip a few years back. Eduardo hated camping and didn’t sleep a wink. There was no electricity in the bathrooms so his usual sleek hair was always mussed up and never bothered to comb it. He only brushed his teeth and avoided shaving all together. He was all scruffy and untidy, but he was still the most handsome man she had ever seen! Instead of being this fashionable attorney, Eduardo turned into laid-back mountaineer man. Unbelievable that he could still hold quality in both margins.
Amber bore down the hallway again. No Eduardo. Her heart dropped. Oh how do I get him back here? Should I go to his office and bother him? What could I say? Could I ask for help on this case I’m working on, the sexual harassment one? Would he want to be involved? Would Doug care, get mad? Oh God, what do I do? What am I doing? Good Lord, what am I doing…This is crazy, insane…stop it Amber, stop it! Quit thinking about him so much…about that kiss the other day…oh God, why did he kiss me? And I’m such an idiot, I grabbed him back, you fool! Oh God I love the way he kisses…do I tell the girls THAT? Do I tell them that when he kisses you, it’s so erotic you can’t think of anything else but how to get him to hurry up and fuck you? Do I tell them that TOO? Good Lord this isn’t funny…Oh God this is terrible, absolutely appalling…Oh God help me, what do I do?…What the hell am I doing? Oh Amber, you fool; what have you done? Oh God I want him so much. Oh God help me. Help me out of this, what do I do?
Eighteen
The Green-Eyed Monster
The firm’s staff had been gathered together to wish Philip Aldridge, the partner in the firm a happy 60th birthday.
Amber had been attracted to Philip Aldridge straight away, he exuded the same traits she found so enticing in Eduardo; self-assurance, influence, and so much pride. Sable hair graying at the temples, he always wore the most expensive suit and ties especially tailored for him. He was done with the law several years ago, should have retired ten years before, but just couldn’t get the modus operandi out of his system.
“Happy birthday Mr. Aldridge, happy birthday to you...”
The various staff clapped and cheered, whistled and laughed; it was a happy carefree day and a couple of hours had been set-aside just for the occasion. Amber offered to cut the cake and passed it around to everyone. Jackie helped too, stuffing plastic forks into the cake’s frosting so everyone could have a piece.
Amber grabbed two slices, walked around like the perfect little hostess and offered a piece to all the attorneys. She then handed a piece to a sitting Gordon Dagget. Gordon was as equally eye-catching, but in a diverse style from Eduardo. Gordon had dusty blonde hair, blue eyes and a tanned complexion. The Assistants all swooned over him as well; Eduardo and Gordon were often gossiped about within the pool.
Gordon intentionally met eyes with Amber. “Thanks hun,” he let go, diving in to receive the cake—he missed, and the piece went dumping into his lap.
Amber gasped, a smile embraced to her face, “Oh gee, I’m so sor-ree,” she exclaimed, making them the center of attention.
Eduardo was just a few feet away when he overheard the commotion, alarmed at the sight of Amber wiping off frosting from Gordon’s center seam with her napkin.
Others around them began to express their amusement when Amber glared up and blushed at the blunder. Instantly, she stopped what she was doing and ambled away.
Eduardo looked straight at Gordon and inspected him as he surveyed Amber’s derriere as she continued to walk down the hallway. Eduardo moved in. “You enjoy that?” He asked, his voice strictly indicating that he wasn’t the least bit pleased.
“You bet,” Gordon implied, lowering his own voice. “I often wonder to myself what it would be like to have those long sexy legs around my hips.”
Eduardo fumed inside. “That’s my brother’s wife’s ass you’re staring at.”
Gordon met eyes with Eduardo. “Relax Eduardo, it’s not like I was going to act on it.”
“Eduardo?” Philip Aldridge stepped in, obviously aware of the tension between the two associates. “Can I see you for a moment? There’s a defamation case I’d like discuss with you.”
Later, Amber was trying to finish up a respondent brief when in the corner of her eye; she beholds Eduardo making his arrival in the Assistants quad to see Jackie. Amber acted like she didn’t see him and turned around taking paper out of her printer and pretended to fill it with some more. She could sense that he was still within arm’s reach, but didn’t dare look in his direction. Heart beating practically in her ears now, she gazed up and watched Eduardo guide around her sector, avoiding her on purpose as well. His inattentiveness towards her brought moisture to her eyes.
“Amber, are you finished with that respondent brief?”
Amber looked away from Eduardo sauntering down the hallway and gazed over at Gordon, “I’m...nearly finished.”
“Good, come with me to my office, I’d like to go over some inserts with you.”
Despondent, Amber followed Gordon down the corridor and passed Eduardo’s open door. She purposely glanced into his office to see what he was doing and found him at his desk working diligently away.
“I’ve been working on several new inserts that I need typed,” Gordon said with authority. “Here’s a tape to dictate, it’s a full side.” Amber reached out to get the micro cassette when Gordon consciously dropped it to the floor and when Amber bent down to retrieve it, Gordon bowed down with her. “I’ll get it.”
They both reached for the tape—both grabbed the cassette at the same time—his fingers touched hers deliberately. She glanced up, his look was purely eager. She began to stand, he remained with her.
Gordon brushed her shoulder with his hand. “We have to stop meeting like this.”
If that wasn’t a come-on line of the worst kind! Gordon leaned in to kiss her and Amber incline
d to avoid his lips.
“Gordon.”
Amber’s head whirled around. Eduardo was standing in the doorway with his arms crossed across his chest.
Gordon retreated back around his desk. “What can I do for you Eduardo?”
“I’m here for Amber,” Eduardo stated, clearly staking his claim.
Amber sensed the jealousy in Eduardo’s voice. Good Lord! Did he ever look charming when he was bothered! “Be right back Gordon,” Amber said giving Eduardo a questionable glare as she walked passed him.
They met in the hallway and eye-to-eye. Clearly upset, Eduardo saluted his arm in the air as he expressed his annoyance. “He’s already gone to bed with two other Assistants—are you next?”
Amber looked around them. A few of the Assistants heads bobbed up from hearing the hubbub in the hallway. Amber’s mouth flew open wide. It was the drama she craved after all, the attention, the stage. Tickled with the fact that they could be seen simply conversing was stimulating beyond reason. “You’ve got a lot of nerve.”
“You’ve got to be careful Amber, Gordon’s a rascal, and he doesn’t care who he hurts as long as he picks up what he wants.”
“I can handle him; don’t be so bothered with your brotherly protection over me.”
“Brotherly protection, is that what you call this?” Eduardo asked of Amber now—pointing at her body then his.
Eduardo’s worrying guise was simply amazing; it took Amber’s breath away. But what was he trying to say? What was this? He was her brother-in-law; naturally he would look out for her, keep the wolves at bay. But Eduardo kissed her, and kissed her well, more so than a brother-in-law would ever imagine doing. Amber was still very uncertain about Eduardo and his sudden sense of compassion. She choked back tears; her tone was but a whisper now. “You’re my brother-in-law plain and simple; don’t go thinking that you’re anything else.”
By Amber’s continual inaction—and her constant pre-tending not to notice him when obviously she did—only proved to Eduardo further that her emotions were just as tumultuous as his. “I think we’ve already made that clear haven’t we?”
His tone reflected a bit of sadness and it took every inch of willpower she had not to go and enfold him at that point. Amber actually saw Eduardo’s broad shoulders slump. She sought to feel his body all over again; run her hands down his back and live through his hands surrounding her for a second time. “You kissed me. I didn’t seek that out.”
“You kissed me back,” Eduardo hushed down. “As I recall, there was just as much heat in that second kiss I care to remember.”
“You still had no right to feel that you could just take advantage of my curiosity now did you?” Amber raved, wiping away a tear that fell from her eye, crossing her arms in irritation, in disappointment.
Eduardo noticed her eyes swell with tears; he wanted to seize her again and kiss those tears away! Good God, how much brotherly love could she resist? “I’d never take advantage of you.”
What a dirty rotten scoundrel! He was worse than Gordon Dagget playing with her emotions that way! Amber waited with baited breath. “Let’s remember I’m married Eduardo—”
“We’re married,” Eduardo corrected her, handling her shoulders now. He just couldn’t help himself, not touching her ever was rendering him to pieces, and to his surprise...what a powerful certainty lie beyond that declaration. He did want to be married to her. He should have been married to her. He’s never wanted to be married his entire life! It was Amber, plain and simple; curse the years of carrying that cross of not taking the goddamn chance when it arose years ago! He was a risk taker for crying out loud! Good God, how he’ll always regret his inaction.
“Eduardo, aren’t you done with that Thompson file yet?” Jackie exclaimed, not realizing that Eduardo had his hands still on Amber’s shoulders.
Amber turned her back on Jackie, making sure that she didn’t notice her crying. Her tears began to fall more freely at this point and the ache was so dreadfully bad. She practically ran down the hallway now, the respondent brief and cassette still clinched in her hands. This is not going to work. I can’t do this anymore. Amber thought, running down the corridor. Why does he do this to me? Who does he think he is? Good Lord if that wasn’t the purest display of jealousy then I don’t know what is! Oh my God, does he feel the same way? Obviously, he must be attracted to me in some way; otherwise, he wouldn’t have gotten mad so easily and wouldn’t have kissed me the way he did. Maybe he was just curious. Maybe he was just acting brotherly, looking out for his sister-in-law. But that certainly wasn’t a brother-in-law kiss! Oh God!
Amber grabbed the pink bathroom key and darted out the front door. She didn’t have to use the bathroom; she just wanted to get the hell out of there. She was outside, alone in the hallway, when the door to the suite opened up. And there he was, following her again like some God damn magnet.
They stood there for a moment, Eduardo in the doorway and Amber in the hallway holding up a wall.
“You OK?”
“No.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“Nothing.”
Eduardo looked back into the suite, then back out at her. “Want to talk?”
“No.”
Eduardo was downhearted, Amber could tell that much now. She, on the other hand was on the verge of tears. Amber turned away and began to walk back towards the ladies bathroom when Eduardo gazed back into the suite, kicked his shoe into the carpet and then strolled back in.
Amber wiped away the tears that were now streaming down her face and sobbed on her way towards the door. If living without him wasn’t the purest form of torture, then being at work with him definitely was.
Nineteen
Passion Is Like A Drug
Amber was called into Dr. Watson’s office. He was a short stocky impressive looking man in his late sixties, wise, and comfortable with his prestige and authority. “Amber, I like the way you work,” he offered to her, motioning for her to take a seat. Martin Watson, who also held a degree in medicine, loved the law further and asked everyone to address him formally.
Amber was indebted, “Thank you Dr. Watson.”
“Call me Martin please, Dr. Watson reminds me of Sherlock Holmes.” He also loved throwing in that little joke to break the ice.
“OK,” Amber smiled, appreciative of his openness.
“Amber, we were wondering if you were able to work overtime. I know you have a toddler, and we’re considerate of your situation.” He had an air about him that was patient and obliging.
“Yes I do, but we could use the money, so yes, I am able to work overtime.” The sad truth was, Victor’s hours had been cut from the waste department and they had been struggling financially for the past couple of months.
“Good, just what I wanted to hear. We’d like you to work on a defamation case, its long hours; you’d be here close to eight until we settle. The duration will take more than a year, will that be OK?” He expressed, hoping that she’d agree. It was a lot to ask of her, but she was first in line.
“I don’t think that’ll be a problem Martin,” Amber smiled; she had been offered a great opportunity. She would be able to collect over-time which paid outrageous money and Victor could stay home with the kids at night (which he never minded anyhow) and everything would work out swell.
“Good, you’ll be working with Carson, Stephen, Cynthia and Eduardo. I don’t perceive difficulty since the both of you are related.”
Amber felt as if she just got punched in the face, or slapped—a rude awakening. “Eduardo?” She repeated off guard.
“Yes, is there a problem?” Martin regarded her empty look.
“No...No problem.”
It was a defamation case; High Profile. Their client (a movie star) was suing a major newspaper and Philip Aldridge assigned Eduardo, Amber and three other staff members to work on the case. It had to be a group effort, everyone involved expected to work like a machine.
Carson: A
paralegal in his mid twenties, unattractive but with an awesome spiky hairdo (Amber thinks he’s gay) exuded flamboyancy and worked side-by-side with Amber. He would throw in a little joke every now and then to cut through the stress, and everyone would start laughing enjoying labor for a change.
Cynthia: An attorney in her late thirties was quiet, demur and a brunette a little on the plump side and sat beside Eduardo speaking quietly going over case cites. (Amber thinks she’s gay too—but still in the closet).
Stephen: A law clerk in his early thirties, worked at a rapid pace. (Was he using cocaine? Amber often wondered) no one could work that fast. He could read at the speed of light, run down the hallway to do Internet research, type up an outline and then back again all in the matter of moments.
“We need this copied,” Carson asked of Amber.
“Sure, collated?” Amber asked back, watching Eduardo come to attention when she spoke in the corner of her eye. But she could always tell when Eduardo glanced her way—her senses began to pulsate.
“Yah, about...um, how many copies do you think we need Eduardo?” Carson asked, reaching over and grabbing the deposition out of Amber’s hands.
Eduardo continued to be seated next to Cynthia. He made no effort to move. “Make around thirty for now.”
“Twenty Eduardo,” Cynthia spoke up not making any effort to look up from her work either.
Eduardo looked up from his brief, “Twenty, you sure? We need to serve the defendants tomorrow, Cynthia; right there we have ten companies.”
“Thirty,” Carson repeated handing the deposition back to Amber.
But she knew that; idiot, Eduardo was within hearing distance. “Thirty,” she repeated under her breath. Amber marched down the foyer towards the copy room. Normally the firm would send out depositions to be copied, but on that night, they doubled up on meeting deadlines and there was no time to wait.
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