Chapter 18
“Debbie, I don’t know what to tell you. Closing arguments are being scheduled for a few weeks out. It’s in the hands of the jury after that,” Kara says into the phone tiredly, listening to Debra Mills squawking on the other end.
It’s not even noon. Too early for this shit.
“This can’t be happening! We haven’t even had a chance to bring another witness forward, or another victim!” Debra sounds angry, desperate. “Max is an absolute ass on a power trip; he’s going to get away with what he did to me.”
Rubbing her dark eyes in irritation, Kara refrains from making a snide comment about how Debra perhaps shouldn’t have hidden her consensual sexual relationship with the man, throwing shadow on her entire testimony. “Like I said, we’ve done what we can. Closing arguments are being prepped. No one else has come forward mentioning that they have experienced rape or negligence at his exact hands at the club. The jury has the final say and it doesn’t mean he will get off scot free. Gross Negligence still has legs here, considering you had to go to the hospital for injury, which is recorded. That is documented proof for negligence. The rape…is hearsay.”
“Where’s Derrick? I haven’t been able to get him on the phone,” Debra demands sharply, hysteria rising in her tone.
Oh, give me a break. Anger flashes behind Kara’s vision and she hisses, “I’m not his keeper. Leave him a message, he’s busy.”
With a glower, Kara hangs up, immediately regretting it. Well, that was flamingly rude and unprofessional of me. Debbie’s going to complain and I deserve it. She sees Bob at his desk, rifling through his paperwork, likely for some divorce case. His rotund belly is pushing out the buttons of his button-down. “Bob, can you call Debra Mills? She’s losing it.”
He chuckles, the lines of his face deepening. “You think my bedside manner is better than yours? Ha!” When Kara scowls at him darkly, he nods. “Alright, alright! You’re a hangry broad right now, don’t you have a lunch meeting? Scram, before you harm someone. I can see that freakish look in your eye; eat and get rid of it!”
Ah, yes. It’s Wednesday and Kara has lunch with Gale Clarke. She quickly goes to the bathroom to check her coverup makeup, just to make sure nothing too scandalous is showing. The bruises on her wrists have mostly faded, but she still puts makeup over them to hide the worst of it. Uncovered, they look darkly yellow, hints of purple. An ugly reminder of what she did to herself.
Nicholas Havenwood-Calais, her weapon of choice.
She’s wearing a lovely black blazer today, complete with embellished buttons, but it’s hot outside and she’ll likely need to take it off, leaving her wrists mostly bare, aside from her watch.
She pushes thoughts of the night that made those bruises to the back of her mind, trying to not feel a coil of desire in her belly at the thought of blue eyes going midnight black with lust, being held down, the way he sounded when he came, the way he tasted on her tongue…
Stop reminiscing. You’re going to be late.
But, thoughts of him just won’t go away and Kara wishes she could splash her face with water to clear her mind, but she has mascara on and that would be a heinous mistake. He hasn’t texted…or called, Kara thinks darkly, staring at her reflection in the mirror. The nasty part of her mind says, What did you expect? You’re nothing to him. You’re an object for amusement, for pleasure.
An outlet for violence.
She hates to admit how much she liked it, how afraid of herself that makes her feel. What does that say about her, that she liked what he did to her body? Echoes of adrenaline, fear, and arousal pulse in her veins as she thinks about his hips pressed to hers, of his body filling hers in every way that counts. Even his facial expressions send coils of heat to her core.
Go see Gale. Get your mind off him. You’ve thought of nothing but him for days.
It’s a sick obsession.
Confident that she looks presentable, Kara makes her way to lunch with her mentor, shaking off her uncomfortable emotions. It’s by the river, with charming outdoor seating, if Kara recalls correctly. When she arrives, she gives the name for the reservation and the hostess points her in the direction for the outdoor patio.
The river is lovely, boats floating by, sunlight glittering with charm off the water. The skyscrapers rise up into the sky, though luckily not obscuring this particular patio, which Kara knows is one of Gale’s favorite spots.
Kara catches sight of Gale easily enough. Her blonde hair shines like a beacon in the sunlight. Her table is overlooking the water, by the edge of the patio railing. She waves Kara over with the air of a queen. “Kara, over here! Come sit!”
Making her way through the filled tables, ducking and dodging wait staff, trying to not hit anyone with her giant tote, Kara approaches the table, high heels clicking. Already, she notices that Gale isn’t alone; a man is sitting with her, his back to Kara. Likely a client finishing up a quick chat.
The pair look like angels, glowing gold in the warm early summer sun that’s sprinkling down across the patio.
Placing her tote on the back end of the chair between the pair, Kara smiles at Gale, happy to see her. The other woman gets up and embraces her warmly in a wave of lavender and rose, saying, “My paperwork keeps growing in your absence. I’ve missed your youthful enthusiasm, friend.”
“Oh, stop,” Kara mutters back to her, giving her a squeeze that warms her heart, easing the tension in her body. Kara’s own mother rarely hugged her. “Your paperwork keeps growing because you’re one of the best, Gale.”
“Flatterer,” Gale replies teasingly as she steps back. Her blue eyes look behind Kara and she gestures to the gentlemen, saying, “Kara, of all my clients, I’m not sure you’ve ever met my crown jewel.”
Kara twists with a polite smile, her hand at the ready for a good shake when she feels her spine stiffen, eyes catching on his face. Her smile freezes and it takes a great effort for her to keep it in place, as if nothing is amiss. Mother effing what …of all the people she’d expect to be sitting with Gale, this isn’t one of them.
Stunning, bright green eyes glitter with amusement and mocking recognition. Kara is already wondering where the air in her lungs has gone, mind racing as she puts her hand forth after a slight moment of hesitation. Oh my God, and he definitely remembers me.
Heat crawls up her neck. He’s going to touch her hand. She’s going to touch him.
He remains sitting, like a lord on his throne, confident as he takes in her nervousness. With that bright smile that makes her insides melt, he lies through his glittering teeth, “We certainly haven’t had the pleasure. I’m Dietrich Bittinger.”
A warm hand encompasses Kara’s in a firm grip as he introduces himself to her, pretending right along that he’s never met her before. That she’s never been in a limo with him. That she’s never seen him snorting cocaine off scantily clad women. That, he in fact, tried to trade one of those women in exchange for her. That he’s likely one of the most devastatingly handsome men she’s ever come into contact with- and it horrifies her. “Kara H-Hayes,” she squeaks out embarrassingly, unable to look away from his lovely, piercing gaze.
The direct sunlight makes his pupils small, showcasing his clear, light green irises. Kara had seen that they were green when she first met him in the limo, but his drug-dilated pupils had nearly eaten all of his eye color. To see them now, in daylight…
There’s a thing she’s heard about, but never really experienced. Encountering someone that literally makes it hard to speak to their face because they’re so…well, striking. As if looking them in the eye will somehow amplify how unattractive you are next to them. Kara feels this keenly and it’s like a punch in the gut.
She’s drowning and she doesn’t damn well like it .
Dietrich holds onto her hand for longer than appropriate before sliding his hand away, practically a smooth caress that he passes off easily, reaching for his lemonade as he leans back in his chair. He glances at Gale, thinking, tongue briefly in his cheek. “Where’ve you been hiding this little bird, Gale?”
Having returned to her seat, Gale gives Kara an apologetic look, “Sorry, I know we meant for this to be a ladies lunch. Dieter and I were finishing up some business. It always takes longer than anticipated.” To the man in question, Gale says airily, “I kept her quite busy with many of my other clients while I was at Benson her soft waves eat up humidity with a passion and the frizz only adds volume like it’s being paid to do it.
The waitress comes by and barely glances at Kara as she asks her what she’s drinking. Kara tells her a water is fine, quickly noticing that the waitress has her eyes caught on Dietrich. Oh, of course . Not a single soul is immune to the bastard, it appears. In a completely flirtatious tone, the woman asks him, “Would you like another refill, sir? An Arnold Palmer, was it?”
The woman nearly melts into the fucking ground when Dietrich smiles pleasantly at her, his eyes going bright and inviting. Any woman would find it difficult to not fall into those pure peridot pools and this woman clearly has no qualms about showing her blatant adoration.
Jeez, Kara gets he’s goddamn lovely, but can’t a bitch have some shame? Her eyes nearly roll out of her skull at the scene unfolding in front of her.
His body language screams sex for the sake of sex as he says politely, “Yes, please. Could you also add a shot of vodka to it this time? A double? Yeah? You’re the best , sweetie.”
With a well-placed wink, the waitress nearly falls into the next life. Dear God…
For a horrid moment, Kara almost wishes all of that potent sexual power was being thrown her way before she recalls why she shouldn’t. Gale places a hand on her arm, jerking her out of her thoughts. “You should order some food. Dieter’s treat.”
“Course it is,” he says, tone becoming dry. “You’d just bill me for it later otherwise.”
Gale gives him an incredulous look. “Oh, please. Not for lunch. You act like I’m a penny-pinching old hag.”
Kara orders a lobster roll, having instantly wanted it upon seeing it on the lunch menu. She knows she’s going to still be hungry after eating it, somehow lobster rolls are never filling; she always wants a second one immediately after.
But, they’re so good, Kara thinks wistfully as the waitress leaves them in peace.
The man next to her is cracking his neck. Loudly . “I’m just joking. But, you know, I’m pretty sure I paid for your new lake house after our last suit.” His nose wrinkles a bit again as he gives Gale a sly grin. “Not going to be using that with the hubby any time soon, are you, now? Tsk, tsk, Gale. Maybe you can hire Benson as your divorce lawyer. What a rodeo that would be…”
Kara feels her eyes widen as she glances over at Gale in surprise. She’s getting divorced? I thought the whole point of her leaving the firm was so that her husband wouldn’t leave her? Her stomach drops and she worries that her perfect idol isn’t feeling as perfect as she appears.
“That’s in bad taste.” A red flush suffuses Gale’s face and her blue eyes take on a miserable hue. “You are being rather horrid today.”
“When am I not?”
“When you put your scheming brain to it, Dieter.”
His phone rings loudly and Dietrich answers it, expression going scarily flat, “Speak, I’m at lunch.” He listens to someone on the other end, eyes going half-lidded, that empty look in them. “That’s what I’ve hired you for. If you can’t get that done without me telling you the play by play, I’m not sure why you still have a job. Get it done or pack up.”
Dietrich hangs up and puts his phone on the table, rolling his eyes. He looks at Kara with a sideways glance. “So, what’s your work ethic like, chickadee? Do you get the job done or do you hmm and haw every five minutes looking for someone to spoon feed you the process? Do you look up at the ceiling and think, ‘Oh, God, why can’t you just give me a sign?’ ”
Kara can’t help but snicker. She sips her water, eyes flashing with excitement as their food arrives, being set before them. “I grew up having to take care of myself and others; I never had the luxury of having someone tell me how to get things done. Straight into the fire with me, that’s my work ethic style.”
He’s looking at her with an unreadable expression. Almost calculating, like she’s said something of interest. She reminds herself that Nick implied something rather unpleasant about Dietrich Bittinger, but now she can’t recall. Not to mention she got the distinct impression that they are the sort of friends that are always trying to test each other. Friends that really aren’t friends at all.
There had been a few uncomfortable moments in that limo ride, after all…
Dietrich picks up his new drink and takes a few huge gulps of it, nearly finishing it. Kara watches his throat and wonders what sort of man she’s sitting next to.
“There’s alcohol in that,” Gale says, a mothering tone entering her voice. “You have a board meeting later.”
“Oops,” he replies tonelessly, downing it, his eyes still on Kara, shrewd. “I forgot.”
Gale leans forward over the table to give him a wide-eyed look, her lemony cod and fresh vegetables steaming in front of her. “Stop intimidating her with that awful stare. My God, Dieter . What is it with you? I’m sorry, Kara, he’s usually better behaved in public.”
His lip curls as he puts his empty glass down. “I’m sorry, am I intimidating you, chickadee?”
“Stop calling me that,” Kara says shortly, suddenly wishing she had gotten something less sloppy than the lobster roll. How is she going to eat with him right next to her? She’s going to look like a slob. “And no, I’ve dealt with worse than you.”
He breaks into that sudden grin that nearly knocks her over. “I’ve no doubt about that.” Then he winks, taking a bite of his filet. It’s far rarer than Kara would have liked it, blood pooling on the plate.
Filet. For lunch. Of course .
His words give her pause, because it occurs to her that he knows . He knows something private about her. He’s already lumped her in with Nick in his head, but what his actual perception is...well, Kara has no idea.
Suddenly, he points his finger upwards and rotates it in a ‘wrap it up’ motion as he says, “Gale, let’s finish up the housekeeping, shall we? I have appointments other than you today.”
“Of course,” Gale replies in her professional cultured tone. “You’re a busy man.”
Kara takes the distraction to bite into her messy sandwich, glad the attention is no longer on her. She nearly sighs in pleasure, tasting the buttery roll.
The pair sitting on either side of her leap right down a quick list of things that Kara has difficulty keeping up with, having absolutely no context. From shipping route purchases, minor suits from companies owned, executive loans, and even a few parking tickets, the list goes on and Kara is astounded at the sheer volume of work he must bring Gale.
Gale takes it all with ease, making little notes, nodding her head, asking pointed questions, her brilliant mind jumping to new conclusions.
This is so above me. She’s so good at what she does. Kara is literally in awe…and a little intimidated. Will I ever be this successful?
“Tell him 1.8, because I know he’ll settle at 2.1, which is my plan all along.” Dietrich idly examines his nails. “If he squeals, remind him I have those photos that he doesn’t want his wife to see, considering she’ll take half his fortune and gain alimony until he fuckin’ croaks.”
Gale makes a few scribbled notes, none of which are readable to Kara. It’s shorthand and she wonders if that’s by design; no way to tell what she wrote. The only person able to decode it would be Gale.
Kara can’t decide if she finds that suspicious or not.
“For the acquisition, hand over the instructions to the in-house upper management. They have until next week to pick and choose who in their leadership is staying on. I’m replacing all directors with people I want. Along with the VPs as well.” He shifts in his seat, face starting to get pleasantly flushed from the sun. “We will provide severance packages, naturally. You can use the same contracts we used with our last acquisition to expedite the process and avoid redrafting.”
Gale gives him a bland smile with a cool look in her eyes. “I still have to bill for the hours it will take to scrub the names of the last acquisition from those contracts and replace them before we use those same documents.”
“Oh, naturally, but you aren’t billing me for twenty hours of it.”
Meeting his slightly unpleasant gaze, Gale replies beatifically with an angelic note in her tone, “Naturally.”
Like flipping a switch, Dietrich meets her smile with his own. “I love it when we agree.”
What a balancing act he must be , Kara thinks. He flashes between charming and nasty so quickly and Gale knows how to manage it. I would come unhinged.
The conversation goes back and forth, rapid fire, and Kara finds her eyes moving like a ball between them. She marvels at how Gale seems to know everything about this man, every little bit of his dealings, anticipates what he’s going to want to hear and what will irritate him. Though, it appears Gale irritates him as she pleases.
Kara stares, feeling out of place, finishing up her food quietly, observing. This is a very longstanding relationship. Is there anything Gale doesn’t handle for him? He must have been her client for years at Benson he was the one to relent!
Gale scribbles something furiously on her notebook, fingers white-knuckled around her pen. She takes a moment to calm herself and Kara is in awe of her willpower. I would have stabbed him with the pen already. How the hell did she get her way just from one scary look? Impressive, Gale, impressive.
“Dieter, take this seriously. You know Johann Fairfax might push the issue beyond misconduct. His wife, at a sporting event? With him there ?!” Gale gives him a vaguely horrified look. “What’s next?”
He rolls those pretty eyes of his, shoulders no longer tense. “She’s a slag; not my problem. What, does Fairfax want to slap me with his glove and throw down for a duel over her honor? Please, he’s past his prime. No one forced her to come on to me. Hell, I should have been paid for my services rendered!”
Kara wishes she had more background, because this sounds risqué as all get out. Gale looks like she’s struggling to not pull her hair out. Kara can’t help herself, because this has taken such a racy turn. She inserts herself into the conversation, because Gale looks like she’s putting together another scolding. “Random married women come on to you at sporting events? Did you get cougared?” She turns to Gale. “No one can control cougars, Gale. He’s clearly not to blame.”
A soft grin shapes his lips at her words, genuine amusement there. “Thatta girl! Nice to have someone on my side for once.” He gives Gale a sarcastic glance. “You didn’t see her, Gale. She was salivating. Salivating ! She wasn’t going to let me leave the vicinity without her claws sunk in deep. I’m the victim here.”
His mood change is infectious.
Feeling pulled by his intense change of emotion, plus the heat getting to her head, Kara leans over a bit and stage whispers, “Was she terribly old? Don’t say yes.”
Dietrich is downright gleeful as he looks at her, eyes lighting up like a Christmas tree. “How depraved do you think I am? Laaate fifties, maybe , pretty damn bendy though. God, the perfume was stuffy, I was barely choking my way through.”
Kara makes a face and twitches, imagining a musky, powder-filled floral scent. “No, don’t make me think of it. That sounds like a crime and I won’t be party to it.”
He’s laughing, the full-throated sound that just can’t exist in this world. Kara is almost struck that she’s making this gorgeous person laugh .
Gale elegantly touches her forehead, as if a sudden, violent migraine has come on. “Kara, please don’t indulge him. He’s impossible.”
He’s sort of funny , Kara find herself thinking instead. Not nice, definitely a womanizer, but he’s funny .
“What’s your hourly rate?” He asks Kara suddenly, eyes once more drifting to her legs, neatly crossed in her pale white capris.
Okay, maybe not so funny.
If this is a hooker joke, I’m going to throttle him, crown jewel or not. How anyone can feed his ego by calling him that is beyond me. Trying to keep unpleasantness off her face, Kara replies, “Ah…what do you mean?”
Dietrich gives her an expression that says he hopes she isn’t being slow. “What are you paid on your accounts? Your hourly billing?” Kara’s mouth opens wide in shock and Dieterich doesn’t even give her time to reply before he’s turning to Gale, quick as a snake. “What cut does she get? Move her on my account and take her off the others. I know I give you enough business, Gale. More than anyone . You’re underwater with work already, what with the divorce and all.”
What the fuck? Kara can’t breathe, staring at his profile, the fine cut of his aquiline nose and the brightness of his eyes. His hair looks so soft and she wonders if it would feel like rabbit fur. Kara, shut up, you thirsty goddamn tramp. This terrifying, gorgeous, scoundrel of a man wants to hire you!
But, why?
Gale, on the other hand, looks extremely pained by this development. With slow movements, she closes her notebook before giving him her practiced apology smile. The tension creeps back across the table. “Unfortunately, that just won’t be possible. Kara doesn’t work at Calais, Vickers, he’s still pressing the issue? She looks to Gale, completely out of her depth, mouth open. Gale isn’t even looking at Kara, her lips pursed tightly as she stares at her crown fucking jewel . In fact, Gale looks downright uncomfortable. “Dieter, that’s an extremely generous offer,” Gale says slowly, diplomatically. “But Kara is, as you said, a junior and is very fresh in the industry. You would be paying more for her to learn how to work with your account rather than her getting the work done in a timely fashion. We all know you hate being overbilled for time spent, Dieter.” As if to soften her rejection of his idea, Gale smiles sweetly. “Maybe in a year we can revisit the idea.”
The bill has come and Dietrich scribbles on the receipt. He stands and slings his suit coat over his shoulder, looking like he just stepped off a photoshoot for a fashion ad. “I’d prefer we revisit it sooner. Your opinion is noticed, but unappreciated.”
“You have no patience for inexperience, Dieter.” Gale almost sounds like she’s pleading with him, which Kara finds excessively strange. What the hell is going on? “Let’s think about this a bit more and discuss it next week?”
“I’ll think about it.” He pauses, tilting his head, frowning, clean shaven jaw clenched. Then, he straightens, saying, “There, I’ve thought about it. She’ll assist you on my account and I’ll pay directly. Get with the program, Gale,” he says, giving her that sudden, flat expression, empty of emotion like a shark. “As you say, my patience is thin.”
Then, he turns to look at Kara, that same, icy expression still hovering about his eyes. It changes his demeanor entirely, making him seem dangerous when moments before he was someone Kara would have fallen over herself to be noticed by. Now, she’s afraid he might be able to stab her with his gaze alone. “Do you like boats?”
She blinks. Does she what now? “B-boats?”
Gale groans in dismay, not even hiding it.
Those green eyes are absolutely unrelenting. “Yes, boats. People float on them. Drown next to them. Boats .” His cool gaze shifts to Gale, chilling even more. “Bring her Friday.” Redirecting his attention to Kara once more, he softens his expression, as if seeing her unease. Like a predator, trying to look harmless, telling her lightly, “We sail at dawn, chickadee.”
Is he out of his fucking mind? “But, I have work!”
“Yes, well, you’ll just have to let Benson know you’ll be late. Gale will have work with her anyway, won’t you Gale?”
Gale is silently mouthing something to herself, rubbing her temples.
Dietrich smirks, as if enjoying her displeasure. “What are you doing over there, praying for serenity? Deliverance?” He laughs at his own cleverness with delight and says to Kara, “See? She’s practically cracking under pressure. You’d be doing us all a service, Kara, if you help the old gal out.” Then, he leans down, his mouth close to Kara’s ear, so close that she feels her skin prickle with heated awareness. “Nice job with the bruises,” he whispers darkly, “Almost unnoticeable, but I know what to look for. See you Friday, bright and early.” He stands with a devious wink and saunters away, fishing out his cell phone to make calls.
Kara feels frozen, vaguely horrified. He saw . He knew what it meant. A strange sort of humiliation sweeps through her in a wave of nausea.
“I really didn’t mean for him to still be here,” Gale says absently with a dismayed note in her voice. She’s staring at her empty plate. “He requires a delicate hand and he loves playing with women. As you surely can see; he’s very good at it. Worse yet, he knows it.”
Giving Gale an uncomfortable look, Kara asks, “What is this thing on Friday? Why does he want me to come with?”
“It’s a routine. Friday mornings he and a few friends, including myself, sail around and work on his yacht. He tans. I work through his documents. Some guys practice their golf swing.” Gale looks ill. “I wish you hadn’t ingratiated yourself with him. He’s always scheming. And; never in a good way.”
Looking down at her hands, Kara wonders if this is entirely bad. He must…like her, somewhat? Not like, a crush or anything, but perhaps he finds her amusing? “I didn’t…ingratiate myself. I made him laugh, what, once? Besides, would it be that bad to help you, Gale? I didn’t…know you were getting divorced…” Kara gives her a worried glance, concerned. “I could use the extra money. I still have bills…from school. It would help.”
“Kara,” Gale pauses, looking uncomfortable. “I’ve kept you away from his account for a reason .”
“But-”
“Kara.” A hand falls on her shoulder kindly and Gale quirks her lips. “I wanted to protect you. He doesn’t want to hire you out of the sliver of goodness in his heart. I know him, and you, friend, do not.”
“What is it you want from me then?” Kara fiddles with her glass of water. “Should I just not show up on Friday?”
With a deep sigh of resignation, Gale shakes her head. “No, don’t ditch. He’ll be put out and I don’t want to be trapped on a boat with him when he’s put out. It’ll be fine, you’ll be with me. You may even have fun, it’s very relaxed. He’s into zen stuff, believe it or not,” she adds with a short, bitter laugh.
A rushed thought comes to Kara’s mind. “Nick doesn’t…go on the boat outings, does he?”
Gale squints at her. “No. He doesn’t. Are you relieved or disappointed?”
Relieved? Sure. Disappointed? Maybe that, too. Kara shrugs vaguely. “Just wondering.”
The words settle between them for a moment of silence. Then, Gale says softly, a dark look in her pale blue eyes, “Don’t try to catch Dieter’s eye, Kara.”
Why is she on about that still? “Gale, are you blind? I’m last night’s leftovers next to Dietrich Bittinger,” Kara says drily. “No way do I even show up on his radar. Guys like that do not take interest in girls like me.”
“You sell yourself short. I saw the way he looked at you. He’s interested. In something . I just don’t know what though. Which is why I’m worried.”
Kara isn’t sure how Gale can actually tell something like that, considering the guy seems to flirt with anything that has a vagina. “Well, fine, how about this; I’m not interested. I’m not really big about men who have all sorts of women falling over them and he’s clearly got no shortage of that .”
With a depreciating grin, Gale says, “That’s the thing; it’s not hard to like him. He’s likeable, loveable even.”
Narrowing her eyes in mock suspicion, Kara says with amusement, “You sound like you’ve loved him before.”
“No.” She makes an odd little scoff that is very un-Gale like, with dark undercurrents of emotion. A loaded sound. She barely whispers, “I know him far too well for that. He’s always been my client and nothing more.” After that, Gale forces a calm smile on her face, eerily so. “Well, I’ll be seeing you Friday. I’ll text you the address. We can make up for lost time while we sail.”
They hug goodbye and Kara feels like the whole encounter just put a huge rift in her life. If she ends up working on Dietrich Bittinger’s account…what does that mean for her? The pay sounded unreal, if Gale was able to purchase a lake house from a single case of his alone in the past year. That kind of money sounded nice . Her college tuition bills were extreme from law school. She could quit the firm and work directly-
Don’t get ahead of yourself, Gale kept you away for a reason, chickadee.
Ugh! He’s got that word stuck in my head now! The rat bastard.
But, having a relationship like that with a client seemed intriguing. Like a partnership, instead of a stranger you sometimes talk to. Gale’s operation is far more sophisticated with Dietrich, likely because his account is probably astronomical, considering his global businesses.
As Kara heads back to the office, reeling from the unexpected encounter, her phone vibrates a little bit, signifying that she missed a call. Her heart leaps, and she hopes to see ‘Calais’ written across the screen, ridiculously. Kara takes out her phone and stops walking in the middle of the sidewalk, feels her heart stop beating, like she’s become a living corpse.
Her father called, but left no voicemail.
With a trembling finger, Kara deletes the missed call notification, pretends, oh how she pretends that she didn’t see it at all. Her body is shaking.
Maybe he won’t call again.
But, he probably will.