9. Celia
Chapter nine
Celia
I was at my desk when Olivia came over and whispered in my ear, “Mr. Waltons wants to see you. Now.”
As she walked away, my heart constricted. If the boss wanted to see me immediately, I must be in deep trouble. Why did he send his secretary instead of calling me directly?
I might have a heart attack before I reached his office. All the usual murmurs and keyboard clicking around me, normally a constant in my day, suddenly blurred into background noise. I gripped the edge of my desk tightly, then pushed my chair away and tried to rise in one elegant motion.
To the elevator I went, one slow step after another, all the while wondering why Mr. Waltons was calling me to his office. Had I behaved too inappropriately that Saturday we shared pizza at my apartment? He hadn’t seemed angry when he left the apartment...Had he decided to take offense afterward at what I’d said to Maddison? Or worse?
I shook my head as I pressed the button for the eighth floor. What could be worse than being fired? Honestly, I couldn’t think of anything worse than losing this highly coveted position. Before long, I was at his office door. Olivia was already on the phone at her desk.
My first thought was to sit in the waiting area, but she noticed me and pointed toward the menacing mahogany door, whispering. “He'll see you now. No need to knock.”
I nodded and headed to the door. It was heavy, as expected. I pushed it open and stepped inside.
The office was large enough to fit at least ten of the desks Anton sat behind, staring at his computer. The space between the door and the desk felt intimidating. When I was here for my interview, I was so nervous I didn't notice anything.
He looked up and watched me walk over. My heart skipped beats when I stepped into the office, and now, it was racing like a NASCAR vehicle.
Those moss-green eyes would be the death of my career if I didn’t get a grip on the attraction I felt.
These thoughts were supposed to be a warning. Instead, a familiar warmth washed over me. The fact that I was alone with him in his office only heightened the sexual tension.
What could I do to stop these very inappropriate thoughts, like imagining what would happen if my boss kissed me?
“Miss Adams, good afternoon.” He gestured to one of the seats across from him. “Please, sit.”
I swallowed nervously and sat.
My eyes searched his face. He looked relaxed—no signs of tension or any indicator that he was about to deliver bad news.
“Would you like a drink?” he asked.
I shook my head, even though my nerves and all those kissing thoughts had turned my throat to sandpaper.
He pressed a buzzer on his desk. “Olivia, can I get a bottle of water?”
“Yes, sir,” Olivia replied through the intercom.
He leaned back in his chair. “This is your fourth week here. How has it been?”
What? Was that why he called me into his office? To find out how things were going? Did he conduct special interviews with all newcomers?
When I didn’t respond right away, he raised an eyebrow.
“Yes, I’ve been learning the firm’s routine, which I find interesting,” I replied quickly.
“‘Interesting’ is a little vague. Do you like it here?”
“Yes, of course.”
The door opened, and Olivia walked in with a bottle of water. She placed it at the edge of the desk beside Anton. As she left, I caught a hint of a smile when she glanced at me. It wasn’t necessarily malicious, just amused.
Suddenly, I felt paranoid. Did she think there was something going on between us? Was she one of the women who talked to her Human Resource friends about me?
I hoped not; she seemed like a nice person. She’d purposefully whispered to me about this meeting so that no one else would hear. I guessed she was aware of the unfriendly environment when it came to rumors.
Anton’s voice broke through my thoughts. “What have you been working on?”
I ran through my mental checklist and tried to keep my thoughts professional.
“Court filings and research for other associates, mostly. I understand that I’m being treated like a paralegal or an intern since I’m new—until I prove my worth.” I added the last part so he wouldn’t think I was ungrateful.
He grinned at my overly placatory explanation. I was truly happy to be working here, except for my current assignment. But I wasn’t about to complain.
“I heard you helped settle a potential lawsuit.”
How did that get to the Big Dog? “How did you hear about that?”
My cheeks couldn’t possibly get any hotter than they were now.
I’d been in a conference room, helping Mr. Gibsons, one of the senior associates. There, I made a small suggestion that could have easily been overlooked, but it shifted the negotiations. Mr. Gibsons hadn’t said much about it, just a simple thank you .
“Nothing escapes me around here,” Anton replied confidently.
Did that mean he sensed the butterflies swirling in my stomach and read my thoughts about sitting on top of his desk and—
“Have you finished Aiko Osaka’s novel?”
His question was a welcome whiplash.
Focus, Celia!
I shook my head to clear my mind.
“The book I bought at the bookshop the first day we met?”
That wasn’t a focus question at all.
He grinned as if I wasn’t making myself out to be a complete ditz. “Unless you have several Aiko Osaka’s books, that’s the one I’m talking about.”
“I’m deep into it, a few chapters to go.”
“And how is it?”
“It’s fascinating. Very immersive, I’d say. It goes into detail about what you and I already know.”
Anton opened his top drawer and pulled out a book. My eyes narrowed when I saw the cover: a man silhouetted by the full moon as if it were a sea of black. It was the same book— Rain Soldier .
“I bought it, same as you.”
My jaw dropped.
“Then, why were you judgmental about it in the store?” I blurted out.
“I wouldn’t say I was judgmental. I gave my opinion, that’s all.”
“You asked why I bought the book and called the author unethical. It’s a little confusing that you would then buy it yourself.” I stopped short.
I was feeling argumentative, and that would take me nowhere. My face still scrunched up in annoyance, though, and I was tempted to fold my arms in a contentious stance but refrained.
“I heard you, and I can see by the look on your face that you’re jumping to conclusions, and they’re probably wrong. I bought the book because we’ve been given the case.”
I blinked, trying to process his words. Assigned the case? My heart skipped a beat. This wasn’t just any case, it was the kind of high-profile assignment that could define a career.
“Really? Isn’t Aiko Osaka Japanese?” I asked, my voice a little shakier than I intended.
“Yes, but Rain Soldier was published here in the United States. The case will be heard in the American court.”
“And he hired us?” I asked incredulously, realizing just how dominant Waltons & Associates actually was in the competition.
“The publisher hired us—Julius and Faber Publishing House. They’re also defendants in the case.”
“So, the friend is suing both Aiko Osaka and the publisher,” I summarized, my mind swirling with possibilities.
“Yeah, and I’m lead counsel. I’ve started going through the book, but I’m only at the third chapter. That’s where you come in.”
“How does reading the novel help in winning the case?”
“To cross-examine Mei.”
Mei Shau was the woman suing Aiko Osaka and the publisher for allegedly stealing her idea and turning it into a successful novel.
“I’m still lost as to how I can help,” I said, spreading my hands.
He leaned forward, and the momentary reprieve I felt from thinking about him romantically, brought on by the Osaka case, suddenly vanished. His gaze pierced through me, and I caught my breath.
“I want a detailed chapter-by-chapter synopsis of the book, along with any extra details you can find from newspapers or other sources, on my desk first thing Monday.”
“Monday!”
“If you don’t think you can do it, I’ll assign the research to someone else.”
“I can do it,” I said quickly. “It was just a redundant exclamation.”
I was still within the three-month probationary period, and I couldn’t afford to show anything less than my full potential as an associate. But this jitteriness had to stop. Too much distraction on my part was making Anton think I wasn’t up to the task. I certainly didn’t want to disappoint him. This was an opportunity to prove my capability to him and the entire firm. Doing excellent work on this could open the door to other projects.
“I still have a few tasks to finish for Mr. Gibsons. Should I complete those first?” I asked.
“No. I spoke to him. You’re now on my team—a junior associate. So, no excuses.”
I nodded in acknowledgment. Finally, I was assigned my first real task, one that would make a significant contribution to a major court case.
“Synopsis, extra details. Any other requests?” I asked.
He shook his head. “Nothing that I can think of.” His gaze shifted to his laptop screen, signaling the meeting was over.
As I stood, he raised his head again. “Miss Adams, I’m looking forward to reading your Aiko Osaka case research. No excuses,” he added firmly.
I nodded. “Got it. Monday morning, no excuses.”
It was Wednesday today, but I was confident I could finish reading the book over the weekend and have my report on his desk by Monday morning.
This is real. I felt some pressure settling in, tightening like a knot in my stomach. But beneath the anxiety, a spark of excitement flickered. This was exactly the kind of challenge I’d been hoping for, the kind of case that could prove I belonged here. My first step to reach the top.
On Monday, as soon as I arrived at work, I dropped my bag at my desk and clutched the folder containing the synopsis Anton—that is, Mr. Waltons—had requested. I had to stop thinking of him as Anton if I wanted to keep things professional.
I’d spent the weekend reading, which felt more like fun than work. Then, I’d written a synopsis that was concise enough not to be boring but detailed enough to adequately cross-examine the story’s facts if the case went to court.
I was excited, confident I had completed the work to perfection. And I couldn’t deny that I wanted to impress my boss. After all, what employee didn’t want to be in their boss’ good favor through strong work performance? I told myself that was my only motivation—to solidify my position here at Waltons & Associates.
With a spring in my step, I arrived at his office. Olivia was seated at her desk, a cup of coffee in her hand.
“Good morning. Anton asked me to prepare this for him.” I realized too late that I’d used his first name out loud. Hopefully, she didn’t notice.
“Oh,” she said. “Mr. Waltons won’t be in today.”
“Really?” Her statement hit me like a whiplash. I leaned closer to Olivia’s desk. “May I ask why? What happened?”
“Family emergency,” she said simply, then resumed her work.
What a joy-killer those two words were.
Several emotions surged through me, with disappointment being the most prominent. I’d been so looking forward to seeing his approval of my work reflected on his face.
I breathed deeply to calm my emotions and think rationally.
Family emergencies usually meant someone was sick or had an accident. I didn’t know anything about Anton’s family, except what I’d found online—mostly details about the Waltons’ wealth. Was he the one with the emergency? Or was it someone else, maybe a girlfriend?
At that thought, a lump formed in my throat so big that I could barely swallow.
“I’ll leave this printout on his desk,” I said and entered Anton’s office.
I stood just inside the door, unwilling to go any further. The image of last Wednesday flashed through my mind—him sitting at his desk, lifting his head as I walked toward him. Then, I clearly heard his voice at the end of our meeting: “No excuses.”
Was this some sort of test?
If so, it was an elaborate one.
I turned back toward the door, but hesitation anchored my feet. Was he okay? I forced myself to move, pulling the door shut behind me, but my thoughts were still with him.
“Hey, could you help me with something?” I asked Olivia.
In the back of my mind, I wondered if this was the craziest, most impulsive idea I’d ever had. It would be utterly humiliating if I lost my high-level lawyer position, and everyone thought it was because I was entangled with the boss. But I couldn’t let go of my resolve to go all the way, to step outside my comfort zone and do what I thought was a normal course of things.