Chapter 13
“For the sake of all the fucks on the planet.” Marina glared at the paralegal’s back as she scampered away. “How do you mix up files on two totally different cases?”
Yvonne sat on the couch opposite Marina’s desk, flipping through said files and scanning every document, then placing it in the correct one. “She’s young and still learning.”
“I have a feeling you wouldn’t have made those mistakes at that age.” Marina flung a pencil at the window. It wasn’t nearly as satisfying as a stapler, but it meant she wouldn’t get an email telling her to stop breaking things either.
“I’m sure I did.” She glanced up at Marina, her expression implacable. “Didn’t you?”
Marina snorted and went back to reading the research someone else had left on her desk.
“I wouldn’t be sitting in this chair if I had.
” She didn’t need to say out loud that when she had made the occasional mistake, she’d quickly rectified it before anyone else found out. At least she hadn’t been sloppy.
She looked up when Rob tapped on the door.
“Lunch?” He gave Yvonne a little wave, and she barely acknowledged him.
“Yeah. I need a minute.” She shrugged on her jacket.
The days had suddenly turned cooler, and she liked the feel of the thick wool around her.
“Would you like us to bring anything back for you?” she asked Yvonne as she walked past. There was no question of extending the invite to join them.
One didn’t hang out with one’s subordinates.
“No, thank you.” She continued sorting through the files.
Marina and Rob walked side by side through the office to the elevator, and once in it, he whistled and put his hand to his chest.
“You finally found an assistant made of stone. I don’t know how you can stand her monotone…everything. I bet you could take a photograph of her, and it would turn out black and white without a filter.”
Marina relaxed a little as the cool autumn air hit her.
“She doesn’t waste time giving me details about her last date or what her rug rats are up to.
I like it that way. Mostly.” At the look he gave her, she sighed.
“Okay, a tiny bit of extra personality would be fine, but she’s efficient and that’s what I really need. ”
They headed to the Dearborn and managed to snag a booth.
They ordered, and were served, quickly. The Dearborn catered to plenty of business people who had limited time for lunch and expected to get in and get out and still get excellent food.
Unfair standards, perhaps, but Marina didn’t overly care.
Her fish and chips were incredible, and Rob’s mezze platter was beautiful to look at, let alone eat.
“So, how goes life under the spiked heel of Sheila Black?” he asked, dipping a piece of pita into his hummus. “Has she tied you down and made you recite every one of her good qualities yet?”
Marina winced. “Not far from it.” She told him about Sheila’s assertion that they would, at some point, be together.
“Honestly, she’s awful. I’m not sure how I’m going to douse the flame she’s carrying for me.
” She grinned and pointed a fry at him. “Especially when I’m so damn good at my job and irresistible overall. ”
He laughed and tapped his pita to her fry. “You are that, my dear. Now tell me why you’re limping and wearing shoes meant only for walking to and from the L.”
She groaned and speared a piece of fish with far more vehemence than the battered thing deserved. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Oh, but now you have to. You only turn that shade when something has pissed you off or embarrassed you.” He smiled at the cute young waiter who slowed as he passed their table, though there was no reason to. “I like my gray fox era.”
“You like any era that has guys making eyes like that at you.” She hoped it would prove a distraction, but he refocused on her, his eyebrows raised.
“I fell. That’s all.” She shrugged like it was nothing.
Two days later and her ankle still hurt.
It was also still swollen and discolored.
The fact that River had left her to fend for herself when she was clearly injured still rankled, and she’d found some satisfaction in putting down the number for the offer.
“Spill. You’re a terrible liar.”
She threw a fry at him, and he swatted it away before it could place a grease stain on his suit. “Fine. But if you choke on your food while laughing at me, I won’t let anyone try to save you.”
She proceeded to give him a rundown, and he stared at her before laughing so loud several people looked over.
“Oh my god. I keep thinking it won’t get worse, and then it does.” He leaned forward. “Do you think she’s cursed you?” he whispered, his eyes wide and a smirk on his lips.
“I don’t doubt that she would if she could.” Marina looked at the others in the restaurant going about their day. “Her business partner, Audrey, says she can read people’s minds.”
He grunted. “I don’t ever want her in my head.”
“I’d feel sorry for her if she ever got in your head.
” She grinned when he gave her a look. “I don’t believe in that stuff, but I have to admit, she pretty much nailed what I was thinking a couple times.
” She shrugged. “She must have learned to read people’s body language and expressions in order to be convincing. ”
He nodded and smiled again at the passing waiter, who took an empty glass and left a slip of paper in its place. Rob opened it and showed her the phone number before putting it in his pocket.
“Jeff won’t like you bringing home a boy toy.” She wanted to change the conversation, as she wasn’t comfortable with the feeling that both Audrey and River had actual gifts. Or talents. Or whatever it was.
“I think a lot of people really believe they have those abilities. And maybe that belief helps them figure out ways to make it real to some degree. And Jeff would tell you that maybe those people really do have gifts and that we shouldn’t be so jaded.
” He patted his jacket pocket. “The number isn’t for me.
It’s for a friend I know who needs to get over a breakup. ”
She believed that. Rob and Jeff, despite their innuendo and flirting, were totally monogamous. “I don’t even know what it is River thinks she can do. I know she reads tarot cards, which is about as bunky as you can get. I could do the same thing using packets of sugar.”
He laughed. “You’d only tell someone things that would win you cases.” His gaze met hers, and his expression turned serious. “Really, though. How are you doing with all this? It’s a lot.”
“Softie.” At the roll of his eyes, she gave in. “It is a lot, and I’m feeling the pressure. But I can handle it.” She bit her lip. “She’s nuttier than peanut butter, but I’m still bummed we can’t be friends or fuck buddies. She’s really hot, and I actually like her as a person.”
He blinked rapidly and pushed his empty plate away. “You know those are the ingredients for a relationship, right?”
“But I don’t have a pot to mix them in, so it doesn’t matter.” She too pushed away her plate. She was so full she wouldn’t need to eat for the rest of the day. As they headed back toward the office, she decided she wanted a strong coffee for the afternoon. “I need caffeine. Coming?”
He motioned for her to lead the way and frowned as they headed away from the standard chains. “Where are we going?”
“It’s a place River and I ran into each other.” She opened the door for him, and he tossed his head like he was tossing his hair over his shoulder.
“Why thank you.”
They got in line, and Marina saw the same young person River had spoken to the day of the festival. It made her think of River’s laugh, and then about the disastrous smoothie issue. How could she already have so many memories of doing things with someone she’d hardly seen?
She noticed Rob paying attention to the posters on the walls, the clientele, and the workers. His head tilted, and he looked thoughtful.
“Hey there! You’re River’s friend. What can I get for you?” It was the young enby who’d served them when she’d been there before.
River’s friend. Why did that make her feel warm inside? “Not her friend. Just someone she knows. I mean, I would be her friend. She’s great. It’s just that things are complicated—”
The barista’s eyes went wide, and they looked from Rob to Marina.
Rob snorted and shook his head. “My friend without a decent vocabulary or sense of place will have a four-shot latte with coconut milk. I’ll have a matcha latte with soy.” He paid and left a nice tip in the jar.
“Thanks. Um, see you around.” The barista threw Marina a quick smile and turned their attention to the next person in line.
“You’re even making a fool of yourself without her around. You’re totally cursed.” He looked at one of the flyers on the wall. “Looks like some good stuff happening at the Center on Halsted.” He took a photo of the flyer. “I forget sometimes how good it feels to be in queer spaces.”
Marina just nodded. Why did the mere mention of River send her into idiocy mode?
She stood beside Rob, not really looking at the posters until one caught her eye.
The logo was one she’d admired recently.
“This is her shop,” she said, pointing to the Echoes and Insights poster inviting LGBTQ youth to a tarot workshop.
“It’s pretty cool she’s involved with the baby queers.” He shrugged. “At least it gives them a place to gather in a totally different neighborhood.”
“Yeah, but they shouldn’t be walking through that neighborhood at all, let alone at night.
It isn’t safe. When the changes happen, it will be way better for them.
” She thought of the cracked sidewalks, the flickering streetlights, and the empty lots.
No, kids already at risk shouldn’t be going there.
“Not true.” The young barista stood behind them, their drinks in hand.
“On workshop nights a group of elders meet us at the station, or we carpool over there. And after, those elders make sure we travel home safe. We’ve never had a problem out there.
Not like here, where Jimmy got harassed on the bus the other day, and Carmen and her girlfriend had to duck into a store to get away from some guys who were shouting shit at them.
Changing the buildings doesn’t suddenly mean we’re safer.
” The barista thrust the drinks at them.
“When was the last time you took care of any baby queers?” They turned away before either one could answer.
They made their way out of the coffee shop in silence, and then Rob harumphed. “I can’t believe I just got told off by an enby young enough to be my kid.”
“But they’re right.” Marina didn’t like admitting it.
“You just said it was nice to remember what it’s like being in a queer space.
I haven’t given any thought to anyone under twenty…
probably since I was that age.” She sipped at the drink, hoping the barista hadn’t spit in it.
“But that’s life, isn’t it? We all grow up and move on. ”
He nodded but didn’t say anything, looking contemplative as they made their way to the law firm. With a quick wave, he headed to his office as she went toward hers.
After she sat at her desk, she sifted through the various messages piled on top.
She hadn’t had one from Sheila today, and she was starting to feel itchy.
It would come, she just didn’t know when.
She frowned at one message and hit the intercom button.
“Yvonne, what’s the message about an interview? ”
Yvonne’s voice came back. “She didn’t say. Just that she was a reporter interested in an interview, and she’d call back later.”
Which case did the reporter want to talk about?
Attorneys rarely gave interviews because everything was confidential.
It couldn’t be coincidence that someone wanted to talk to her the moment she took over Black Pinnacle as a client.
The question was whether it was going to be about one of the East Coast acquisitions or if it was about the South Shore project.
That was unlikely. No one cared about the tiny bit of the city sandwiched between multiple other gentrified areas.
Well, whatever it was, she’d probably just no-comment anyway and let Sheila’s team know so they could handle it their way. There was no chance in hell she’d get in front of a camera on behalf of Sheila Black.
The afternoon wore on under a mountain of paperwork and hours later, she yawned and squeezed her tired eyes shut.
Her mouth was dry and tacky at the same time, and she decided she needed something covered in melted cheese and topped with olives.
She gathered her things and walked through the nearly empty office.
Most everyone had left hours ago, and it was already dark outside.
Her phone rang, and she froze when she saw the name, and she nearly didn’t answer. But she wasn’t a coward. “River. This is a surprise.”
“To both of us,” River said. “I heard from a friend that you’re concerned for the safety of the youth who come here.”
“River, I—”
“I get it. But given that you’re on the side of the wealthy bad guys, I wanted to extend an invitation. Come to tonight’s workshop. See what we’re doing in action. Get a real feel for it. See what it is you’re trying to shut down. Unless the thought of that knowledge scares you.”
Marina bristled. “I’m not easily scared. But I am hungry, and I’ve had a long day.”
“Grab food and bring it along. Several of the kids do.” She hesitated. “It starts at eight. Maybe I’ll see you then.”
She hung up, and Marina stared at her phone. Damn it all. She’d just have to pick up nachos on her way over.