by J. L. Ryan
He shrugged, “Okay, I guess. Why? I suppose you have an opinion.” He snarled.
She shrugged, “Maybe, but I won’t say a word. I’m a woman of my word.”
He laughed, glancing down at the papers. “Well, if you do decide to voice your opinion…I’ll listen.” She was surprised to hear him say that. He looked up and she thought she even noticed a smile. “Doesn’t mean I’ll take your side. It just means I’ll listen.”
“Right,” she shook her head. She glanced down at the picture on his desk. For the first time, really noticing it. “Is that your family?” She asked, staring at a picture of a brunette woman, holding a toddler in her hands. His hand was on her shoulder.
She glanced at his hand and noticed that he wasn’t wearing a wedding ring. She had figured she would have seen it before, if he had been.
He nodded, “Yes,” he replied, but the word came out quiet.
“Good looking family,” she replied, then turned to leave, but when she reached the door she decided to just say what was on her mind. “I guess I do have something to ask you.”
He looked up, “About the case?”
“Well…not exactly.”
He put down his papers and nodded, “Go on.”
She felt panic welling up inside of her. She then tried to breathe and think of how she could possibly approach the subject with someone that she barely knew. “You see…I was kind of hoping that possibly you could give me an advance on my first paycheck?”
If there was once a smile playing on his face, it was now gone. “I don’t do charity.” He replied, looking down at the papers.
Her jaw dropped, “Charity?”
“Yes. I believe in working your way from the bottom and knowing that it will all work out in the end. I don’t give handouts.”
She couldn’t believe her ears. She believed that you should fight to get ahead, but she also believed in doing something for the good of the cause. Yet, this had nothing to do with charity.
“It would ultimately be my money. I’m not understanding the problem.” She replied, feeling a sense of urgency.
He rolled his eyes, “Yes, but if I do it for you this one time then you are going to expect every time. That’s the way things work.”
“You’re wrong. I just need some extra money this week. I didn’t make a lot at the waitressing job and things got behind. I really could just use a jumpstart.”
He shook his head, glancing down at his desk. “I can’t do that. You may see yourself out.”
She felt her face turning red, but this time in anger. “You know what you are?” She fired out.
He looked up, eyes wide, “No…what am I?”
She stared him down, bracing herself and trying to hold it all in, but it was impossible. “You are an arrogant jerk that doesn’t care about anyone or anything. All you want to do…is be right.
Well, newsflash…you aren’t right. You are conceited and if it wasn’t for the fact that I need this job, I would…I would…”
He stood up from his desk, “You would what?”
“I would quit, because I didn’t apply to be a doormat or a slave and in the few days I have worked with you…that is exactly what I am.”
“Are you finished?” He asked, when she took time to breathe. She nodded. “For the way you just talked to me, I could fire you and you wouldn’t have to worry about quitting.”
She looked away. At that point she didn’t think her life could get worse anyway. “I will willingly go,” she mumbled.
She reached the door, but he cleared his throat. “Don’t go…I’m not through talking.” She casually looked up at him, waiting for him to continue. “I could easily let you go and not turn back, but I’m not going to.”
Her jaw dropped, “You’re not?”
He shook his head, “No. In fact, I appreciate when someone can speak their mind and not back down. Not everyone does that and it’s a trait that I admire.”
She was not the least bit surprised to learn that. She felt a twinge of hope. “So, you’ll give me the advance?”
Their eyes met, but he finally shook his head. “I can’t. I know that you think that I’m a hard-nose and maybe you’re right, but the fact is that companies have rules for a reason and one of the rules that I stand by is you need to work for everything you receive. It may seem tough, but it seems to always work.”
She groaned, nodding her understanding. “Then, I guess it is what it is. Thank you for your time.”
“Unless you would like to tell me what you want the money for and perhaps we could work out a loan agreement.”
She paused at the door. Every thought she was hearing was telling her to swallow her pride and just tell him, but she sadly felt she couldn’t. She felt like a failure and she didn’t want him judging her. “Not that important,” she said and then walked out of his office. She headed back to her office and sat down at her desk. She was thankful she still had a job, but the realization that she was about to lose her home…was a tough pill to swallow.
***
Jeffrey sunk back in his oversized desk chair. His eyes fell to the picture of his family. He picked it up and looked at it, running his fingers over the picture of his daughter. “He closed his eyes,” I love you, Jasmine.” He replaced the picture and went back to his work.
His mind drifted away to the feisty blonde. He saw the pain in her eyes and part of him considered just giving her the advance, but he was a stubborn man and not too proud to admit that.
He looked at his notes that he had taken on Troy Houser and began reading them out loud, “Nervous, edgy, argumentative, anxious…” each thing he wrote down was a trait that he saw coming from his client. He didn’t know why, but he suddenly had a strange feeling about the whole situation.
He thought back to Marisa’s doubts at the very beginning, but then shook off the nagging feeling that he was getting. “I have to trust him,” he whispered, putting the notes away.
He stood up and moved to his sports jacket. He headed out of his office. On the way out of the building, he passed her office.
He looked inside to see that she was still at her desk, tapping her pencil on the computer and staring aimlessly at the screen. He wondered what was so interesting. “Are you leaving?” He asked.
She looked up, shrugging. “Why? Do you have a time that I have to be out of the office if you’re not here?” She asked, sarcastically.
The way she was aggressive toward him, he noticed how it affected him. He had never seen anything like it. Jordan had left the job because she wasn’t able to keep up with his sarcastic antics, but he could see that he was meeting his match. “No…no curfew.” He tapped the wall and nodded, “Have a good evening.”
He heard her snickering, as he left the office. He knew that there was something she was hiding and he hoped to be the one to crack her code. He smiled, walking out of the building. It would be fun trying.
***
She grabbed her last box and headed out of her apartment. “Thanks for helping me move, Chad. I didn’t know who else to call.”
He shrugged, “What about your new boss?”
She thought about that and rolled her eyes. “I doubt Mr. Bradley would be the moving kind of man. Besides…” her face fell, “I don’t want him to know where I’m staying.”
“I wish you would change your mind, Marisa.” He spoke, while putting the boxes in the back of his truck. “I have plenty of room.”
She knew that it was a generous offer, but she couldn’t take him up on that. “I appreciate it, Chad, but I’ll be fine. This is only until I start getting regular checks.”
They got into his truck and as he pulled away, she turned to him, “Have you decided what you’re going to do when the restaurant is closed?”
“Probably collect unemployment until I find something else.” He shrugged, “Not really worried about it.”
“I miss everyone,” she replied, quietly.
He turned and looked at her, when t
hey stopped at a red light. “Everyone misses you, too.”
She knew part of her reasons of missing them, was the fact that Jeffrey Bradley just wasn’t them. He turned into the hotel that was next to the office. They got out and grabbed her few boxes. They walked into the lobby and she went up to the reception desk. She hoped that they could strike up a deal and not charge her the whole fee up front. She explained the situation and was relieved when they agreed to bill her at the end of each week.
“Thank you!” she replied, gratefully.
She turned to Chad and they walked to the elevator. “You have one more chance to change your mind. A hotel is not a place for someone to live.”
She laughed, “I will be fine. At least I’m close to the office.” They reached the floor and she got off, walking to the door. She opened the door and entered the room. It wasn’t big, but she could make it work. They put the boxes down and she walked to the window.
She peered outside and she laughed, “I even have a view of the office…what more could I ask for?”
He laughed, walking over to look outside. “Not bad,” he spoke, but sounding a tad sarcastic. “I’ll call you later and we’ll go out. You could use a night out.”
“You’ll have to use my number here. I got rid of my cellphone.”
“Okay,” she walked over and wrote down the number on a piece of paper. She handed it to him and he put it in his pocket. “Take care, Marisa.”
“You, too.” She pulled him into a hug. “Thank you for helping pack.”
“When you move out of here, I’ll be back.”
She smiled, nodding. “I will keep that in mind.”
He headed to the door and they said their goodbyes. When he was gone, she looked out the window. She noticed that the office building was opening and Jeffrey was leaving. She glanced down at the clock to find that it was seven o’clock on a Friday night and he was just now leaving. She shook her head.
She wondered if his wife ever questioned his later nights. She closed the blinds and fell back against her bed, plopping down on the comforter. Her eyes closed and she drifted off to sleep, not wasting any time.
***
The next morning, she arrived to work on another Saturday. She didn’t anticipate having to work the extra weekends at a job that clearly stood for Monday to Friday. However, she kept thinking about the salary and it suddenly became alright.
She hurried into the office, this time beating him. She put her stuff away and logged into her computer. She was busy looking up the information about various prospective clients that he asked her to research, when she saw him looking in her office. “Good Morning!”
He cocked his head, “You’re here early.”
“I wanted to get working on the research. Is that a crime?” She asked.
She had quickly discovered the best way to get to him, was by acting like him. While she didn’t like to perceive herself as rude and arrogant, she would do anything to stand up to him.
“Not at all, I’m impressed,” he admitted.
She looked up, as he was walking out of her office. She was confused by some of his attitude shifts. She went back to looking up the research. She jotted down notes of things that he might find beneficial.
When she was done with his list, she got up and went to his office. She put the packet down on his desk and turned away. “Wait a minute, Marisa.”
She turned around, “You need me to do something else?” She asked.
He looked through her notes and placed them on his desk. Their eyes met and he shifted in his seat. “Is everything alright? Something seems different.”
“Everything’s fine,” she spoke. “Anything else?”
He shook his head, “I don’t mean to be abrasive…at least not all the time,” he laughed, but she didn’t crack a smile. “You just seem to be a little upset about something.” He paused, “If this is about the advance, maybe I was a little stern. You don’t get paid for another week and I suppose I could get you part of your first paycheck.” He pulled out his checkbook and she stared at him. He appeared to be using his own personal checks. “Would five hundred cover it?”
“Mr. Bradley, forget about it.” She looked away, but he remained with his pen poised.
“No, I’m prepared to do this.” He argued.
She didn’t understand the sudden change. “That’s nice, but you might as well give it up. The reason I requested the advance is no longer prevalent. Thank you, though.”
She turned away and headed out of the office. She didn’t want him to see her flustered, but she felt dizzy. She went back in her office and sat down. She nervously began drumming her fingers on her desk.
She tried to get focused on the next tasks on her list, but she was still struggling at his immense change of heart. It didn’t add up. She began typing on her computer and getting her mind on other projects, that she didn’t realize how late it had become. She heard the buzzing of her phone. She looked down at the phone, like it had grown a head.
She pushed the button, “Hello?”
“Jamison, will you please come into my office?”
Please? She thought. “Yes, sir.” She replied, getting up and heading back to the office. She glanced at her watch and saw that it was past lunchtime.
She knocked on his closed door. “Come in!” His voice wasn’t gruff, but instead inviting.
She opened the door and hesitated, before pushing through the door. When he looked up, it was definitely a smile on his face. “Yes?”
He stood up and moved closer to her, “I just wanted to invite you out for lunch. You have been working so hard and I thought we could both use a break.”
She fought the urge to check his forehead to see if he was running a fever. “Well, I was planning on just going home.”
“Home? That’s several blocks away. This way you can get something to eat right away and it’s my treat. What do you say?” She hesitated, but finally nodded. “Good,” he spoke and it came out enthusiastically. He grabbed his sports jacket and followed her out the door. She stopped at her office and grabbed her purse and then they were off. She was confused, but she was hungry and figured that it wouldn’t hurt to just go out for a bite to eat. At least she hoped not.
***
He waited for her to place her order and then he placed his. The waiter left and he turned to her. He didn’t know why he was suddenly nervous. He didn’t remember ever feeling this way about a woman or anyone else. “So, tell me about yourself, Marisa.” He replied, taking a drink of his coffee.
“Marisa?” She asked. Her face turned red. “I don’t think you have ever called me that.”
“That’s your name, isn’t it?”
She laughed. “Yes, but I didn’t think you knew that. You usually call me Jamison.”
He hadn’t really thought about that, but he knew that his way of keeping distance between him and someone was to call them by their last name. “Which do you prefer?” He asked, feeling his throat getting dry.
She seemed to contemplate that, “Either.”
He smiled, “So, whatever I’m in the mood for?”
“Something like that,” she replied with a chuckle. He hadn’t noticed her laugh before, but it filled a room and he was drawn to it. There was a long pause, before she spoke. “There’s something that I have been wanting to ask you. It’s just something that I was interested in.”
He took another drink, preparing himself. “Okay. What’s that?”
“Well, at the interview I was told that there were several applicants. Yet, you hired me right away. Why?”
He hadn’t expected her to be so bold to ask the question. Yet, he really didn’t expect her to be so bold about anything. He was wrong about that. “I suppose there was something about you that I felt would be the perfect match to the job.”
“That seems vague,” she replied laughing.
“Yeah, I suppose it is. It’s like when you go out looking for a pair of shoes and you know the exact style
you’re looking for. You just know and there’s no point in waiting for another pair of shoes to come along, when you have the perfect pair right in front of you. Make sense?” He asked.
“Yes, you’re comparing me to shoes.”
He laughed, this time feeling a blush brushing across his face. “It’s just an analogy. When you walked through the door…I just knew.”
He hoped it didn’t come across as corny, but he knew that it was the truth. By the look on her face, it definitely appeared that she was not thinking it was corny. “Okay, then if that’s how you feel…why have things been tense between us?”
The food came and he paused, giving him time to think. When the waiter was gone, he looked back in her direction. “They say opposites attract, so it’s obvious you and I would repel. We’re a lot alike.” She opened her mouth, but he placed his hand up, halting her.
“I know you think that I’m arrogant and rude and any other name in the book. You have been very vocal about that, but I speak my mind and so do you. We are bound to butt heads, but that doesn’t mean that at the end of the day I’m not thankful you walked through my door.”
