by Krista Lakes
I glanced over at my mysterious companion, watching for his reaction. He didn't have one. That told me two things. He had a boss that could afford my firm and that he had been here enough times that the opulence no longer effected him.
Darcie, the librarian, didn't look up from her computer as we entered her domain. “I'll be with you in just a second,” she murmured. I knew her well enough to know she was lost in her own world researching something for an attorney.
“I just need to return some books Alexa checked out under my name,” I told her as Book-man carefully placed the stack on the heavy wooden desk.
Darcie hit what must have been the save button and looked up, smiling as she recognized me. “Hi, Lena. How's your day going?”
“She won her big case,” Book-man supplied when I hesitated. I felt my cheeks go bright red. Darcie was my best friend and would know that I had kind-of lied.
“You did, did you?” she asked innocently, looking at Book-man and then back at me with skeptical cornflower blue eyes. The corners of her mouth were twitching in an obvious attempt to keep from smiling. She was going to give me hell about this later. “Congratulations.”
“Thanks Darcie,” I replied, glad that she was going along with it in front of Book-man. She was a good friend. I pointed to the books. “I need to return these for Alexa.”
Book-man looked back and forth between the two of us for a moment, evaluating if he wanted to stay in the conversation, and then stepped back from the desk and pretended to look at the books lining the walls. I knew he could still hear every word, but I appreciated the gesture of giving us space. Darcie winked at me as she picked up the first book and scanned it into the computer.
“It says they're checked out to you, not Alexa.” Darcie frowned at the computer and double-checked the title of the book. Her voice grew cold. “This book isn't supposed to leave the library. I've been searching for it for two days.”
“That's how you know it wasn't me. She must have checked them out under my ID number after hours.” There were three things that Darcie Erickson loved: her husband, good food, and her books. I knew she and her husband were trying to add another little someone to that list, but it hadn't happened yet. Their lack of success seemed to only fuel her mothering tendencies toward her beloved books.
Darcie's mouth tightened into a thin line as she checked the rest of the books back in. The two of us had become friends the moment I had walked into the firm. She knew more about law and research than anyone I had ever met. I would often bring my work upstairs and sit at one of the research desks, feeling as if I could win any legal case given to me if I spent enough time with those books and Darcie.
“Alexa thinks she entitled to the damn world,” Darcie mumbled as she checked in another book. I was glad she knew I would have never taken those books because she had murder in her eyes. She got along with Alexa about as well as I did. “I guess I should just be happy she even bothered to check them out at all this time. I'm going to change your account number so she can't do it again.”
“Thanks, Darcie. I appreciate it,” I said, feeling a little better. I wished Alexa would get in trouble for this, but even if Darcie reported it, it would end up being my word against Alexa's. Since Alexa was an attorney and I wasn't, she would win every time.
“Thank you for bringing them back,” Darcie replied, putting the last book on her re-shelf pile. She patted the top one like a good child before leaning back in her chair to take a better look at Book-man. He was still looking politely at a shelf of books, but we had an excellent view of his very muscular backside. She mouthed the word, “Nice!” before speaking aloud. “All done. You have a great evening, Lena. And congratulations on your big case.”
I stuck my tongue out at her before Book-man turned around. She gave me a wide, cheeky grin in return. I knew in about thirty minutes she'd be texting me to see if she could get the scoop on why a cute guy was carrying my books to the library.
“Bye, Darcie,” I said, glaring at her as I moved away from the desk.
“It was nice to meet you,” Book-man added, holding the door open for me to walk out.
“You too!” came Darcie's reply just before the door shut behind us. The hallway was mostly empty, as anyone who was staying late was holed up in their offices.
“Thank you again. You really didn't have to carry the books,” I told him once the door was officially shut. I could see Darcie inside, pretending to look at her computer but really just watching the two of us and grinning at me like a Cheshire cat.
“It was my pleasure,” he replied warmly. “My name's Aiden, by the way.” He extended his hand out to me for a handshake, which I took with a smile.
“I'm Lena.” His grasp was firm and strong, and I didn't want to let go. Just touching his skin made the butterflies in my stomach start mamboing. I hoped I wasn't blushing too badly. If I kept this up, I knew I was just going to embarrass myself. I forced myself to let go of his hand and turn to start walking.
“So, what are you doing for dinner?” he asked, matching his steps to my slow ones.
“What do you mean?” I asked, a little confused. My mind was still on how Alexa could have gotten my ID number to check out the books, not on what I was going to eat in a few hours.
“Since your dinner plans were canceled, what are you doing for dinner?” He smiled at me, his eyes following me like I was made of light. I loved the way he looked at me.
“I actually don't know yet.” I tucked the loose strand of hair behind my ear again. “Probably just eat the granola bar in my desk or something.”
“A granola bar?” Aiden made a displeased face, as though I had said I was eating a cardboard box. “Not even pizza?”
“There's only so much pizza a girl can eat. I don't think I've had an actual meal that wasn't pizza or some sort of take out in well over a week. A granola bar actually sounds better than pizza right now,” I explained. I could see the main lobby for the firm and tried to slow my steps even further without being too obvious. Talking with Aiden had been the best part of my day.
“They keep you that busy?” He raised his perfectly groomed eyebrows in appreciation. “You must be one of their best attorneys.”
I smiled and looked down at my shoeless feet without correcting him. He thought I was a lawyer. I certainly was dressed like one today, he had found me in an attorney's office, and I had told him I had won a case. I didn't want to tell him that I wasn't actually a lawyer. I would probably never see him again, and it was nice to feel important for once. He saw me as someone significant, and after the way my day had gone, it felt good to be appreciated.
“Not really. I'm pretty low level.” It wasn't a lie. I just wasn't correcting him. “I'm working my way up and that means long hours.”
He turned and looked me over, appraising what he saw. “I have a feeling you won't be low level for long.”
“Thank you,” I said, feeling proud of myself for the first time all day. I grinned up shyly at him. He looked at me like he saw something worthwhile. I wanted this moment to last forever.
Despite walking as slow as I possibly could without crawling, we were at the main entrance to the law firm. It was time for me to say goodbye to my book-carrying hero and to go back to real life. I showed him past the big gray desk that dominated the lobby. The usual secretary had gone home for the evening, so the lobby was deserted and quiet. The silver elevator doors glared like giant eyes, staring at us as we approached.
“Here's the main elevators. They'll take you down to the main lobby and you should be able to escape the building from there,” I said, slowing to a halt by the desk. Aiden stood close enough to touch, smiling at me as he prepared to say goodbye. My heart started to flutter at his presence, despite my best efforts to stay calm.
I had no idea how he had such an unnerving effect on me. He was just standing there, looking casual and relaxed, but he was making my heart pound like a school-girl. I suddenly didn't know what to do with my hands,
but I couldn't find a place for them that didn't feel awkward. I wanted to become a lawyer and stand in front a jury, but standing in front of him with his eyes absorbing me, I was all aflutter and nervous.
“Thank you for showing me out,” he said quietly, his voice filling the empty lobby with warmth. “I'm glad I met you. It made the trip to the lawyer's office worth while.”
I blushed, and looked down at my bare feet with a smile, causing the loose strand of hair to fall across my face again. He reached his hand out and tucked it back behind my ear for me, raising my chin to look up at him in the process. His eyes drew me into him, pulling me into his orbit and making me forget everything else.
I thought he was going to kiss me. I stared at his perfect lips and wondering just how amazing it would feel to kiss him. There was a tension forming between us that was threatening to give off sparks if we didn't satisfy it. For one glorious moment in time, I was sure that he was going to lean forward, tip his head, and press his mouth against mine. I knew he would taste better than anything I could imagine and I wanted it. I wanted to kiss him, to touch him, to hear his voice all night long.
Just as I was closing my eyes to kiss him, my heart pounding and mouth ready, the elevator doors chimed their arrival. We both pulled back. The spell was broken. We were two strangers back in an empty law firm lobby who had no business even thinking of kissing one another.
“There you are, Aiden.” A man that looked like a body-builder stepped out of the elevator. He was wearing a dark suit that fit him like a glove and a blue-eyed scowl that dropped the temperature of the room by three degrees. “I've been looking all over for you.” The temp dropped another two degrees when he saw me standing so close to Aiden. He was all control and power. I could only think that he was Aiden's boss.
“Ben, this is Lena.” Aiden replied calmly. Ben's scowl wasn't having the bone-chilling effect on him that it was on me. Ben's ice blue stare met Aiden's warm hazel one and the two seemed to hold a silent conversation with their eyes. Aiden didn't step away, yet it felt like there was suddenly a respectful distance between us. “She was kind enough to show me the way out after I got lost.”
“It's very nice to meet you, Lena.” Ben was pure professionalism and politeness as he extended his hand in greeting. His grip was just as strong as Aiden's but it didn't inspire the same breathless flutter in my chest. He released me and glared at Aiden. “We need to get going. We're going to be late.”
Aiden glanced at his watch and nodded. “Of course.” He turned to face me, a soft smile playing at his lips. Again, I wanted to kiss him, but I knew I couldn't. It seemed like he was in enough trouble with Ben for being late without me adding a kiss to his lateness. “Have a wonderful evening, Lena. Congratulations again on the case.”
I smiled broadly up at him. “Thank you. For everything.”
A full smile crossed Aiden's face before he walked away and joined Ben in the elevator. Ben pressed the button for their floor and Aiden's eyes met mine. We stayed that way for a breathless moment, holding me in his gaze before the elevator doors slid shut and took him away.
My knees wobbled and I realized I had forgotten to breathe. With a deep sigh, I ran my hand across my hair, smoothing it back and down. I didn't know it was possible to be that attracted to someone that quickly. I giggled and shook my head. A handsome man carrying my books and giving me compliments? He had certainly been the highlight of my day.
I leaned against the big gray desk for a moment, letting myself have the happy moment. I wished I could have kissed him. That would have made up for the terribleness of my day. Unfortunately, I didn't even know his last name or how to contact him again. That part certainly fit better with the overall tone of my day.
My phone chirped, letting me know I had another message. It was from my sister. She was excited for our dinner and wanted to know if she should wear her red dress or the black one. The happy feeling Aiden had inspired slowly melted away.
I knew I couldn't stay here all day, reliving my almost kiss with the Handsome Book-man. I had to call my sister and tell her that I wasn't going to make it to dinner and start fixing more of Alexa's mistakes. I glanced back one last time at the elevator doors, hoping that they would open and he would be standing there, but they stayed shut. With a heavy sigh, I turned and headed back to work.
Chapter 4
My chair squeaked as I leaned forward to look at the pictures coming up on my laptop screen. Technically, it was Alexa's chair but since she wasn't using it, I had claimed it and her office as my own for the evening. If I was forced to stay late to do her job, I might as well be comfortable in her office doing it. I had my laptop set up with notepad and pen as I searched for information on the individuals involved in the Preston case.
The case centered around a workplace accident and the plaintiff was suing our client for millions. He had been injured by company machinery and was suing Preston Corp for enough money to buy a small island. Alexa had done the crappiest job ever looking up the backgrounds of both parties. She had copied the Preston Corp information from Wikipedia and then barely checked the plaintiff's myFace page, let alone looked through his pictures or even found his blog. As I added pages upon pages of missed information to the file, I had to wonder just how the hell Alexa had ever gotten hired.
I clicked on one of the plaintiff's friends and starting going through his pictures. What I found made me sit straight up in the squeaky chair. My stomach grumbled, but I didn't pay it any attention. I'd have that granola bar soon enough, but I wasn't interested in eating at the moment. It was very possible that I had just found something that would give our firm the slam-dunk on the Preston case.
Staring at me from the computer screen was the plaintiff hanging upside down from a piece of machinery. He wasn't tagged, but the picture was set to public. Anyone could view it. I clicked on the next picture to see him jumping off the roof of one of the fork lifts. The date on the picture matched the plaintiff's injury date.
Grinning, I started printing and saving the pictures as fast as I could. The key to the entire case had been under Alexa's nose the entire time. It had taken a little digging, but she should have found this. Millions of dollars and lots of bad publicity was on the line for our client and I had just found the evidence that would save them from all of it.
“See if Alexa blocks my raise this time,” I said smugly to myself. I couldn't wait to see Calvin's face when I handed him this.
“So, you won your big case, did you?” Darcie asked, stepping through the open door of the office. I had left it propped open this time, hoping a little that maybe Aiden would find a reason to come back. Darcie wasn't Aiden, but she was a decent alternative.
I didn't look up from the computer as I clicked, saved, and printed the pictures. “Yup. I totally did.” I was busted. She knew I had no big cases to win.
“And which case was that?” Darcie leaned against the door frame, false innocence coming off her in waves.
“The big one, obviously.”
I could feel her roll her eyes at me. “You have so many big cases, I'm not sure which one you mean.”
I stopped typing and looked up at her. “The one where an incredibly hot guy asked why I was going out to celebrate, and I didn't have the guts to tell him that I was supposed to go have dinner to celebrate the raise I didn't get.” I shrugged to try and brush away the hurt. “Winning a case just sounded better.”
“You didn't get the raise?” Righteous indignation filled her voice and it made me feel just a little bit better to know I wasn't the only one upset by it. “But you earned it! You put in more hours here than some of the attorneys!”
“I know.” I smiled bitterly. “Remind me to thank Alexa later.”
“Alexa gave you a bad review?” Darcie stomped over to the desk. I was slightly afraid she was going to pick up Alexa's stapler and throw it. “After all you've done for her?”
I plastered the biggest, most sarcastic grin I could muster and gave her two
big thumbs up. “I have the greatest boss ever!” I didn't hold the smile long. “At least Louisa was still able to use the reservations. She went with her boyfriend instead.”
“How is your sister?” Darcie asked, clearing a small corner of the desk and perching on the edge.
“She's good,” I told her, turning back to the computer to finish my task. “She's loving college and being away from mom and dad. It's good for her. I'm super bummed I missed dinner with her. We've been planning this for a month. She drove up here just for this.”
Darcie's mouth twisted in commiseration. “That sucks. What about-”
“Do you know where I can find Lena the Lawyer's office?” a young man interrupted. He stood in the doorway holding two big brown bags and looking completely lost. “Guy said it should be around here.”
“I'm Lena,” I said. “But I'm not a law-”
“Good enough for me,” the delivery guy said before I could finish. He dropped the two bags on the desk, nearly knocking Darcie off in the process.
“I didn't order anything,” I told him, frowning at the bags. “I don't have any money to pay you.”
The delivery guy shrugged. “Guy who ordered it already paid. Tip and everything.”
I reached for one of the bags, hoping to find a receipt. There had to be some sort of mistake. The food was probably for the lawyers upstairs. I looked up to ask the delivery guy for more information, but he was already gone.
“He left...” I said, staring at the empty door and then at the bags.
“Well, open it.” Darcie grabbed one of the bags, pulled it open, and started pulling out containers of food. I did the same to the other bag until all the food was laid out on the desk.
“Wow. I hope you're hungry,” Darcie murmured. There was meatloaf with mashed potatoes, salmon with some sort of rice, roasted chicken on a bed of noodles, a big bowl of amazing looking salad with three different kinds of dressing on the side, and a huge plate of decadent-looking brownies. It was enough food to feed an army.
