Chapter 7 #2
Loche, however, was outraged for the both of us, gripping the mahogany table so tightly I thought he was going to splinter the wood when he stood up, towering over his uncle.
“With all due respect, Mr. Harrison, you gave me this task, and I feel like I assembled the best people for the jobs they’ve been assigned to handle.
Ever works her ass off. She’s here all the time, always taking on extra work, including work from Kim when she’s otherwise indisposed, and she cares about the clients and the work she does.
In my humble opinion, she’s the best paralegal this firm has. ”
My mouth dropped while every head seated at the table turned to look at me, equally as surprised as I was.
“A passionate one, isn’t he?” Conrad said, letting out a chuckle to mask the storm that was forming inside him, evident by the rosy hue that had crept across his face.
An attempt to diffuse the tension. Nervous laughter from a few of the others made its way around the table.
“You’re absolutely right, nephew. I did give you this assignment, and I’m sure you wouldn’t let me down. ”
“Great to hear we’re on the same page, Uncle. Now, maybe apologize to Ever.”
“Oh, shit,” Shelby whispered my sentiments exactly.
“That’s—that’s really, uh, not necessary.” I glared at Loche, never wanting to disappear from somewhere more than I did right then.
“I’m sure Ever knows she’s a valued employee here.” Conrad’s rosy hue had deepened into a shade just shy of stop sign on the Pantone color scale.
“I mean, in the event she doesn’t, though.” Loche persisted. If he wasn’t double-fisting the edge of the table, I would have sworn he would have already thrown hands.
Conrad stared his nephew down in a show of silent dominance. More measured than his younger protégé, he wouldn’t be whipping out his metaphorical dick in front of the entire firm. Any retribution he would levy against Loche would happen behind closed doors, most likely sooner rather than later.
“Ever.” Conrad’s voice startled me, commanding my attention back to him. “I’m sorry if I offended you. I didn’t mean to demean your performance, which I’ve always been told has been exemplary.”
“No worries.”
No worries? Jesus Christ, Ever, go to jail. Go directly to jail. Do not pass go; do not collect $200.
“See? No worries from Ever. Now let’s get this meeting back on track so people can return to their lives, shall we?”
“What in the holy hell was that?” I demanded, storming into our office behind Loche.
“A thank you would suffice,” Loche said, tossing his notepad down on his desk and turning around to face me, his defined arms crossed in front of him.
“I’m not thanking you for giving me a one-way ticket to your shit show.
” I closed the door, trying my best to keep my voice low enough to avoid attracting any more attention than we already had.
“You know, you could have asked me whether I was fine with essentially giving up my life for a couple of weeks to camp out at a hotel for work.”
“What exactly are you giving up? Nights alone, sitting in front of the TV, watching reruns of Buffy the Vampire Slayer while eating a still partially frozen TV dinner?”
Damn. He wasn’t far off.
“No. I’ll have you know that just because I don’t have kids or a husband, I do have someone who depends on me. In fact, my absence would devastate him.”
Loche cocked his head to the side, inviting me to elaborate. For fuck sake, why did he have to be this attractive?
“Vincent van Slow, my turtle. I can’t just leave him.”
The corners of his mouth tugged upwards into a smile. “Vincent van Slow?” He laughed.
“He’s a painted turtle. It seemed appropriate.”
“Indeed. Bring him with us.” Loche shrugged as though lugging an entire ass aquarium was no big deal. To him, it probably wasn’t. Hell, he could probably haul a dozen of them one-handed like Popeye after a can of spinach.
“I’m not hauling him to a hotel, not to mention I’m pretty sure he has PTSD at the sight of cars.”
“Do you have anyone who can feed him?”
Katy one hundred percent would, but I really didn’t want to diminish my inconvenience. “I’ll see.”
“Problem solved, then.” Loche held up his arms before dropping them by his side. He hadn’t shaved this morning, and I couldn’t help but notice the five o’clock shadow that hugged his cheekbones and jawline. “If you can’t find someone, I’m sure someone here would be happy to help out.”
“Did you really mean what you said in there, or did you just want to stick it to your uncle in front of an audience?”
Loche moved toward me, eyes as golden brown as honey, boring into mine. I instinctively took a couple of steps back until my body was flush with the door.
“A little from column A, a little from column B.”
I nodded. “You were all bluster. I guess I should have known.”
“Ever, you know as well as I do that in law as well as in life, two things can be true at the same time. I could have wanted to make my uncle look like the jackass he is while also meaning every word I said about your performance.” My pulse quickened as he moved in closer until he was hovering less than a foot in front of me.
“You are one of the most capable, dedicated, qualified people I know. I shouldn’t have had to remind him of that, but I did.
And I will every day because we all know who should be sitting in my chair. ”
I gasped, noticing for the first time that one of his hands was resting on the wall next to my head.
My eyes trailed from his hand up an arm that was as big around as one of my thighs.
He was close enough to me now that I could hear every breath that passed through his full lips and smell the soap he’d used to wash his defined, muscular body before coming into work this morning.
No, Ever. Do not think about Loche in the shower with soap running down his abs, wishing it were your tongue, instead.
“I have a boyfriend,” I blurted out in a whisper, my gaze jumping back up to his.
He pursed his lips, his expression betraying just a hint of surprise before recovering again. “That’s great, Ever. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to need you to quit blocking the door so I can take a piss.”
“Right—the door.” Flushed, I stepped aside to let Loche open the door and walk out of the office. When the door closed behind him, I exhaled a breath while my pulse slowed back down to its normal rhythm.
Was I in the upside-down? Was right now left and cold now hot?
Or had I died and gone to Hell, where I was destined to be mind-fucked for eternity?
Loche Greene had not only stood up for me today, but he also doubled-downed on it when he could have taken the easy way out.
Not only that, he admitted I should have gotten the head paralegal position over him.
Even more concerning, he’d been standing so close to me I could practically taste him, and I liked it.
In fact, it was safe to say the memory of today was going to be locked away in my mental filing cabinet, to be pulled out later on some lonely night when B.O.B.
, my battery-operated boyfriend, paid me a visit.
Because it would most likely be B.O.B. paying me a visit since I didn’t, in fact, have a boyfriend like my filthy lying mouth would have Loche believe. Unless I was counting V, which would be proof of me having lost even more of my mind.
I pulled into my driveway, spotting the package on my porch before I could even put my 4Runner into park.
When I stepped out into the driveway, I looked around to see if there was any sign of the masked man, who may or may not be a secret billionaire or vigilante superhero who clearly had nothing better to spend his money on.
The package was small and light, though with a tad more weight than the feather.
Please don’t let this be something expensive or creepy.
I set the small, brown box down on my dining room table, grabbing the pair of shears from my kitchen after tossing some pellets into the aquarium for Vinny.
Scissors in hand, I stole a glance out the picture window, looking for signs of anyone standing outside in the rapidly approaching darkness that was getting earlier and earlier this time of year.
Was he watching me, waiting with anticipation for me to open it?
Maybe I would make him wait it out, kick off my shoes, perhaps take off my bra while I microwaved a TV dinner.
He’s been watching you long enough to know that you lack that kind of self-control.
Fuck. He’s right. With one last glance out the window, I slid the blade down the strip of tape that secured the seam of the box closed and opened it.
What in the holy hell is this? A mouthguard? No, it can’t just be a mouthguard. It looks like it turns on. Jesus, does it vibrate? Do I want it to vibrate? Is it some kind of sex harmonica? Was that even a thing?
A piece of paper was folded in the box. I took it out and unfolded it, finding a handwritten note. On the table was the notepad V had used, featuring the same scribbled handwriting:
Ever,
You wanted me to speak to you. Well, your wish is my command.
-V