Chapter 6 #2
She and Denny coexisted in uneasy silence as they drove by Rodeo Drive, Lexus and Audi dealerships, Saks Fifth Avenue and other fancy boutiques.
Denny hung a right to enter the parking garage at a six-story white stone and blue glass building on the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Rexford Drive, otherwise known as the high-rent district.
“This place smells like money,” she said. “Are they printing it here?’
“May as well be,” Denny said with a gruff laugh. “The Remington family is filthy rich, but Julian’s cool. He’s one of my longest-standing friends in music.”
“How come I’ve never met him?”
“You haven’t been to one of my shows since I’ve been playing with Canyon, the band we’re in together now.”
“Sorry about that.”
“Don’t be. As I mentioned, I don’t want you hanging out in smoky bars with pervy guys harassing you.”
“You recall that I’m thirty-one, and you’re not the boss of me, right?”
“What did you say? I can’t hear you.”
Half the time, she wanted to punch him in the face. The other half, she wanted to cling to him and beg him to make her feel safe the way only he could. Right now, the punch to the face was the prevailing desire.
She and Denny each carried one of the kids into an elevator that deposited them into a fancy marble lobby, where they reported in at a reception desk.
“Dennis Clarkson to see Julian Remington.”
“Do you have an appointment?”
“We do.”
“I need ID from both of you, please.”
They worked around the kids to produce their driver’s licenses.
The security guy made a phone call and then gave them visitor badges that they were asked to keep visible.
“Jeez, it’s easier to get into the Pentagon,” Isla said while they waited for the elevator that would take them to the fourth floor. She wondered what it might be like to work in a place like this. The ophthalmology practice had been in a strip mall.
“Julian said there was an incident earlier this week, and they’ve tightened things up even more than they were. They have to be careful with security. They’ve had instances where someone who lost a case against them tried to hunt them down.”
“Really?”
“Oh yeah, it’s a concern. You help take someone’s kids or money from them, they’re furious and could be dangerous afterward.”
“I wouldn’t have thought it was dangerous to be a lawyer.”
“Family law is an emotional battlefield. They have to be super careful that scorned spouses and parents who lose custody don’t come looking for them. Julian told me once that they have an employee whose sole job is to make sure their addresses and personal info can’t be found online.”
“Wow. That’s crazy.” She hadn’t realized that family law could be dangerous, but considering the battlefields upon which their wars were fought, it made sense.
When they stepped into the elevator, Denny let Theo press the button for the fourth floor and then pulled him back right as he would’ve pressed all the other buttons, too.
“Buttons!”
“You can press more on the way back down,” Denny told him.
“Now!”
“Later.”
Theo squiggled against his uncle’s tight hold.
“Remember what Mommy said about behaving in the office building,” Isla reminded him.
“Business,” Theo said.
“That’s right. People are doing business, and we have to be quiet.”
He put his finger to his lips and said, “Shhhh.”
“Very good.”
Denny smiled at his nephew. “He’s too cute.”
“And he knows it.”
Mila rested her head on Isla’s shoulder, seeming overwhelmed by the odd series of events that’d transpired over the past twelve hours.
She’d been unusually quiet and withdrawn since she woke up for the second time with her mother and brother in bed with her.
She’d asked for her toys, and Isla had promised to get them for her later.
The thought of confronting her destroyed home was so devastating that she couldn’t allow her mind to go there. She was taking this surreal day one step at a time, beginning with the movie-star-handsome lawyer Denny was bringing her to meet.
They were shown to an office where a sharply dressed woman greeted them with a warm smile. “Denny and Isla,” she said, “I’m Julian’s assistant, Mattie Jones. And who are these doll babies?”
Isla was immediately in love with the kind woman and in awe of her gorgeous black-and-white-checked suit coat that she’d paired with a red scarf, the kind of effortless style that Isla admired in other women, as she’d been born without that gene.
“This is Theo and Mila, and they’ve promised to be very quiet in your office building. ”
“Aw, that’s so sweet of you guys.” She offered them candy from the bowl on her desk, ensuring they’d be her best friends forever. “Have a seat. Julian is finishing up with another client and will be right with you. Can I offer coffee or another beverage while you wait?”
“I’d kill for another coffee,” Denny said.
“Me, too,” Isla said.
“How do you take them?” Mattie asked.
“Both just with cream,” Denny said.
“Coming right up.”
“Thank you,” Denny said.
“She’s so nice,” Isla said.
“Julian says she’s the only reason he gets anything done. She keeps him on schedule and never lets him forget anything important.”
Isla liked hearing how much Julian appreciated an obvious treasure like Mattie.
She gave him a few points that took him out of negative numbers in her mind.
And yes, she knew it wasn’t fair to think she had him all figured out before she even met him, but she sure as hell knew his king-of-the-world type and didn’t think much of it.
Mattie returned with two coffees in cups with lids, which Isla appreciated with the kids squirming on their laps. From her suit coat pocket, she produced two juice boxes and a pack of vanilla sandwich cookies. “I figured it had to be snack time, right?”
“Snack,” Theo said as he zeroed in on the cookies.
“Thank you so much, Mattie,” Isla said.
“My pleasure.”
Ten minutes later, the door to Julian’s office opened, and Cresley Dane came strolling out in all her stunning glory. Good God, Isla thought. It almost hurt to look at her.
She smiled at Isla as she went by. She was already past when Isla started wishing she’d said hello or done something other than gape at the woman with her mouth hanging open like a fish out of water. A cloud of expensive perfume followed Cresley as she headed for the elevators.
“Holy smokes,” Denny muttered. “She’s even hotter in person.”
“Put your tongue back in your mouth.”
“I could say the same to you,” her brother retorted, making Isla laugh.
How long had it been since she’d laughed at anything other than the silly things the kids did?
“Julian will see you now,” Mattie said.
They collected the kids and made their way into a massive office with two glass walls overlooking Neiman Marcus on the other side of Wilshire. The scent of Cresley’s expensive perfume lingered in the air.
Julian, who’d shed his suit coat and rolled up the sleeves of a crisp white dress shirt, stood to come around the desk to welcome them with handshakes. He wore a navy-and-purple silk tie, dark navy pants and a silver watch. “Isla, it’s so nice to finally meet Denny’s favorite little sister.”
“Nice to meet you, too.” She was almost as dazzled by him as she’d been by Cresley, and he smelled every bit as incredible as she had. He was a lot to process, which was why she didn’t tell him she was Denny’s only sister. Besides, he probably already knew that. “Thank you for seeing us.”
“My pleasure. And who are these two cuties?”
Had she really almost forgotten that the kids were with her? “This is Theo and Mila.”
Julian reached out to shake hands with Theo, who looked him in the eye the way Isla had taught him and said, “Nice to meet you.”
Smiling, Julian said, “You as well, sir. This is your sister?”
“Yeah, but she’s shy.”
Mila had buried her face in Isla’s shoulder to avoid looking at him.
“I was shy when I was little, too. Luckily, I grew out of that, or my job would be torture.” He gestured to a gathering of sofas and chairs. “Please have a seat. Make yourselves comfortable.”
“Impressive digs, Counselor,” Denny said. “I mean, I knew it’d be something, but this…”
“I can’t take any of the credit. My grandfather had good taste in office space sixty years ago. The place has aged well.”
And he was humble. So much for preconceived notions.
He was about six two or three, with wavy dark hair, soft brown eyes and just the right amount of facial hair.
His smile was warm and welcoming, his face radiated kindness, and Isla immediately felt safe in his presence.
That was an odd realization since she really only ever felt safe with Mrs. V and Denny these days.
She’d expected to meet a man whose success had made him pretentious and probably full of himself and had to admit her preconceived notions had been unfair.
Theo couldn’t take his eyes off the man who’d treated him like an adult and not a bothersome child, which was what Isla had expected him to do when little kids invaded his workplace.
“Are you all set for drinks?” Julian asked.
“We are, thank you,” Isla said. “Mattie took good care of us.”
“She’s the best.”
“So you and Cresley Dane, huh?” Denny said with a smug grin. “Keeping secrets from your buddies?”
Julian smiled. “She’s my client, and what was reported on TMZ was a business lunch that’s now causing us a number of headaches, but enough about that.”
He directed his attention to Isla, and the impact was similar to how it felt to look directly into the sun. “Denny showed me the photos. I’m so sorry for what was done to your home.”
“Thank you.”
He glanced at the kids. “If they want to get down to explore, there’s nothing they can hurt in here.”
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely. It’s all boring old books. Let them roam.”
“Do you want to look at Mr. Remington’s books?” Isla asked Theo, who nodded. He loved books. “Don’t touch anything, okay?”
“You can touch the books, Theo. But some of them are really heavy, so be careful.”