Chapter 28
Iran out into the bullpen to see my mother’s hand wrapped around Eddie’s arm and Catherine looking on with a smug smile.
Fuck my life.
“Did you want to add assault charges to the list, Mother?” I asked.
“This is all her fault.” My mother dug her nails into Edwina’s arm, and she let out a whimper of pain that woke up something deep inside me.
“Let me go.” Edwina tried to pull out of my mother’s grip, but her acrylic talons dug in deeper. I swore I could see a drop of blood starting to form.
“Let her go immediately,” I shouted. I didn’t think I had ever shouted before, not out of anger, not at my mother.
The second her talons were out of Eddie’s skin, Eddie ran to me, moving behind me, trusting me to protect her.
That felt good, too good.
“Be gone when I get back,” I told the two women before ushering Eddie into my office. “Are you okay?”
Tears started to spill down her cheeks, and I whipped them away with my thumb.
“I’m sorry, I just realized that I still had files on my desk, and it wasn’t locked. It still isn’t, and the driver wasn’t here yet, so I thought I could sneak back up and just lock it without being seen, then found that bottle blonde bitch sitting at my desk and she started accusing me of things and then your mother came out…”
I pulled her into my arms and held her for a moment. It felt good to hold her, to protect her, so I closed my eyes and savored it, trying to commit to memory exactly what this felt like.
We waited about fifteen minutes in silence and when we left my office they were gone. Eddie ran over to her desk and locked the drawers, and I walked her to the car.
Later, my mind was racing with everything that had happened, debating what the best course of action was going forward. I weighed what I wanted versus what I needed over and over. Every angle was meticulously examined in my head as I lay alone in bed.
What would happen if I continued the affair with Eddie and we got caught in my office after hours. There were so many fantasies of what we could do during those late nights, I didn’t think it would be possible to not fool around in my office.
What would happen to her if she got pregnant and Catherine or my mother decided to launch a smear campaign? Eddie’s entire career would be tainted by my feelings for her, she wouldn’t be able to escape it.
Alternatively, what would happen if everything went right? If we were never caught, what would that look like? I would still be living a hypocritical double life with this secret over my head, and Eddie would be alone. She would have me when I was able to be with her, but it would be a secret.
Eddie deserved more.
She deserved a man who could proudly have her on his arm, who could shower her with gifts and affection and not have to hide. She deserved a man who could eventually give her a wedding and a family.
* * *
The sunlight was streamingthrough my windows when I realized what I had to do.
When I got to the office, Eddie was already there going through her desk.
“I have some calls to make this morning, but then I need you to come into my office. Bring with you the files on Judge Harrison and Judge White.”
“Yes, sir.” She gave me a sweet smile, making my chest ache.
It only intensified my foul mood. I wasn’t a man accustomed to not getting what I wanted, let alone having precisely what I wanted within my reach but denied the pleasure of it. While my decision was the right one, it didn’t mean I had to like it.
I slammed the door to my office harder than I intended, making me feel like an even bigger asshole, just adding to my miserable mood.
The phone calls took two hours, and in that time, I had made two attorneys cry, and another was probably writing their letter of resignation.
It was already well known I didn’t tolerate incompetence well on a good day, but the mood I was in had me acting borderline unprofessional and a little belligerent. I hit the intercom on my desk that usually went to Cynthia’s desk but had been moved to Eddie’s for the moment.
“Eddie, can you come in here please?” I was going to be brief and explain that we had to keep this professional, and then we were going to get to work.
It should have been simple enough, but then why did it make my stomach tighten? My chest hurt, and I was filled with dread for the entire situation.
“Do you have the files I asked for?” I inquired when Eddie walked into my office.
“I have one of them,” she said. “I can’t find the file on Judge White.”
“What do you mean you can’t find the file?”
“It’s not on my desk. It’s not in any of the drawers. It’s not with the other files.”
“This is very sensitive information, Ms. Carmichael,” I bit out.
“I understand that, which is why I’m telling you the file is missing.”
“Well, it didn’t just get up and walk away on its own. Where is it?”
“Honestly, I think your mother or your fiancée took it out of my desk last night.”
“That is absolutely ridiculous.” I stood from my desk and started pacing in front of the large window, pressing my fingertips to my temples.
“Harrison, I don’t know where this file went. I don’t have another explanation,” she said.
“Do not blame my mother or fiancée for incompetence and lack of professionalism,” I ground out, far harsher than I should have.
“Don’t raise your voice to me, and do you really want to open the door to the conversation on professionalism?” she snapped.
I hated how much I loved it when she stood up for herself and fought back. I pressed my lips together to stop myself from saying something. I could throw out another argument, and she would rebuff it just as quickly, and by the end of the fight, I would have her bent over my desk, taking my cock.
“Look, I don’t know what’s going on between you, your mother, and your fiancée, and it’s not my business. We have agreed that this would remain a professional relationship.” Her words stung more than they should have.
She was right.
We had agreed that this would remain professional, And I had come to the same conclusion again the night before, but that didn’t mean I liked it or liked being reminded of it.
“But when I came back upstairs last night, your fiancée was going through my desk.” Her voice was lower and forcibly calm. She was trying not to escalate the situation. It was the smart thing to do, but it wasn’t enough. I didn’t need this situation de-escalated. I needed it over.
“I don’t have time for this,” I bit out. “People make mistakes, and the fact that you won’t own up to and admit that you lost his file and instead try to blame my family is juvenile and unprofessional. I don’t know what I expected from a simple paralegal.”
I watched her eyes harden and her jaw clench as I continued to speak.
“It takes a certain level of character to admit when you are wrong, and I am very disappointed that you do not possess that maturity yet. However, I do. I fully take responsibility and admit that I was wrong. We cannot work well together. I want you to pack up your desk. I’m going to call Ms. Lakeson immediately and have you reassigned. Get out of my office.”
Eddie stared at me for a moment, her eyes starting to water but her posture going completely stiff.
I expected her to say something.
I thought she was going to fight…to give me an excuse to react in a very unprofessional way to calm her down.
Instead, she just nodded, turned, and left.
The problem was handled.
Instead of relief, there was only anger.
With a clenched fist, I punched a hole in the wall.