CHAPTER 9
*PRESENT*
“New recruiter”
Maya
“Maya, your husband is here,”
Sophie told me after opening my office’s door.
“Let him up.”
She closed the door, and I got up from my chair and stretched.
I went to our lobby and found her talking with Aaron. She had been my secretary since pretty much my start in this business. She’d worked here before I started and was the secretary of an old attorney who’d retired a few months after I started.
In the beginning, we didn’t click, but after she taught me some stuff about this company and I showed her that I would treat her with respect and trust, we started to get along better.
She told me nothing about taking the Mr. Musk-Smith v. Mrs. Musk-Smith case. She understood the dynamics of this office better than anyone and knew it was a good opportunity, even when I didn’t even know what it was about.
Once I got closer, they turned around, and I saw my husband’s sweet smile directed my way. He looked perfect in his pale blue shirt and dark pants. He got closer and pecked me on the lips.
“Hello, wife.”
I smiled. People were looking. I was very cold with people in the office; my no-bullshit attitude made people think that I was always like that.
The truth was that once I got to meet them and they passed my test, I warmed to them a little. Aaron and our family were the only ones I was comfortable enough to let my guard down around.
“Hello, husband. Where’s the new helper of the office?”
Before he could reply, a teenager of not more than sixteen got closer. He wore jeans that were broken by the knees and a black shirt with a rock band on the front. I had heard some of their songs; they were good. This kid had taste.
He was looking at me with a weird look on his face. I turned my head to the side, waiting for his reaction. He was uncomfortable but trying to look cool.
“You must be Lucas. I’m Maya Willow, and she’s Sophie. You would be working with her, too.”
He looked between us. He gulped and nodded. “Aaron has told me that you’re interested in learning more about law.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“You can call me Maya.”
Realizing he wouldn’t talk much, I looked at Sophie; she was thinking the same. Usually, we played good cop, bad cop, but he was nervous and shy. She came with his NDA contract. Sophie explained to him how everything worked.
“If you want, I can check the document, too,”
my husband said. “Even though she’s my wife, I’m here to ensure everything goes well.”
“You don’t trust her?”
the boy joked.
“I do. That’s why I asked them for a place for you. But I want to ensure you know that I’m here as a legal guardian for you. Your welfare is what’s important to me.”
“I know. That’s why I told you I would prefer you to come with me.”
Aaron smiled and nodded.
I felt warm. My Aaron. I should have been unaffected by this by now. This was my husband. This was the least that he did. I looked at him.
Aaron and I got out of the room. Sophie returned to her spot and continued checking documents while my husband and I looked at each other.
“He seems like a good kid. Great taste in music.”
“Yes, very smart, too. It’s going to be a great addition to the team. Are you very busy today?”
“I am, but I will try to get home on time.”
“That’s fine. I can always bring dinner here.”
“Aaron, you need rest, too.”
“I don’t mind. By the way, what was that about money?” he asked.
“His salary?”
He nodded. “I mean, he’s going to work here. After he can return to classes, he’ll spend fewer hours, but he will earn the money.”
“I thought your boss only wanted to give him the minimum for transportation and food?”
“He did, but you forgot that your wife is very good at negotiation. For the money that I bring to his office, it’s the least that he can do.”
I smirked at him.
“That’s very true, Mrs. Willow. Thank you for doing this.”
I didn’t know what else to talk about with my husband. I wanted to fill the silence, but nothing came to my mind. I looked at him awkwardly, and he seemed to think the same.
Luckily, Lucas returned with the signed NDA and Sophie gave him some work. Aaron said goodbye and left after giving me a peck on the cheek.
I came back to my office and closed the door. I tried to focus again on the Mr. Musk-Smith v. Mrs. Musk-Smith case, but it was more challenging than usual.
***
The reunion with my client went well. It was a divorce case. We saw so many divorce cases that most lawyers had a jaded vision of marriage.
As lawyers, we had some complex cases every once in a while that could make us sweat; every lawyer had some type of cases that they preferred not to take.
I was able to take all of them, and instead of not wanting cases with some type of abuse, they were usually the ones that I preferred the most. They were the hardest, and it made me work my best because I knew how much was on the line, especially when kids were involved.
After saying goodbye to my client, I went to Sophie to ask for some documents. Lucas was nowhere to be found; I thought he would be beside her.
“Where’s Lucas?”
I asked her. She looked at her computer.
“He’s on his break.”
“How’s he doing so far?”
“So far so good. He learns fast and wants to help. Do you know what he did to be kicked out of school?”
she asked, without stopping typing.
I didn’t know if I wanted her to know. The lines of what had happened were blurry, and I didn’t want her to treat him differently.
“My husband wouldn’t have asked me to do this if he was dangerous. You just said he’s doing very well. He’s a kid that might be dealing with a rebel phase.”
She nodded.
When I was about to ask her when his break would end, he appeared by the door. I looked at him to see if he had heard our conversation, but he seemed not to have.
I looked at the clock; he would finish work in thirteen minutes. “You can go home, Lucas.”
“It’s still not my time.”
“It’s fine with me. You can leave a little earlier unless you have something to finish; it’s your first day.”
He nodded.
I saved all the documents again and went to the kitchen to grab a coffee after asking Sophie if she wanted any. When I came back, he was still at the office. I gave Sophie her coffee and looked at the watch. His hour had passed by two minutes. He said an awkward “Goodbye” and left.
I looked at Sophie, and she looked at me with a raised eyebrow. I raised and lowered my shoulders, then continued working.
When I looked at the watch again, it was late in the afternoon, and the only thing I had eaten was a sandwich that Sophie had brought me.
It was my usual. My headache was intense, and I’d promised Aaron I would return sooner today. So I left my office, sent a message to Aaron that I was coming, and went home.
When I entered our home, it smelled delicious. Aaron came to the door and gave me a peck.
“I have the food on the stove.”
I followed him to the kitchen and watched him stir something in a pan.
“Need any help?”
“Just sit and relax. It’s still fifteen-ish minutes away.”
“Are you sure?”
He smiled at me and nodded. “Then I’m going to take a shower.”
He had already taken one, as evidenced by the slight curl in his hair on the back and the comfortable clothes he was wearing.
After my hot shower, I felt more relaxed and my headache got better. I put on one of Aaron’s shirts and some pajama pants. When I went to the kitchen, my hair was a little wet, but I was too tired to dry it.
The table was set, and the vase filled with jasmines was in the center. When I entered the kitchen, he looked at me and smiled at me. I kissed his cheek. He brought me closer to him and kissed my neck.
“You smell amazing, baby.”
He separated from me and continued to stir the food.
I brought some lemonade, his favorite drink, from the fridge and put it in a couple of glasses.
“I made some stew.”
“That sounds perfect, and it smells amazing.”
“Thanks, it’s a new recipe,”
he said. “How was Lucas’ first day?”
“Good. He was very nice. He’s a shy kid. Waited until the last minute before leaving, even though I told him he could leave a little earlier. So far, he’s not giving me much information. A reserved kid. Have you talked with him?”
I pressed my face to his back.
“A little. He seems to be happy with work. I can’t say much more.”
“I understand, Dr. Willow,” I joked.
“Don’t talk dirty to me, Mrs. Willow.”
I smiled at him.
“Food’s ready.”
He returned with a big plate of delicious stew, the whole kitchen smelling like spices and comfort. I tasted it. My husband was a delicious cook.
“Amazing. This was exactly what I needed. Thanks, Aaron.”
We were looking at each other.
This was nice. I missed coming home earlier, but sometimes it was just too hard, but it seemed I was doing better.