Chapter 18
Cat
Ifind myself taking a walk the next afternoon, after I come from the school.
Matt’s been calling me. I spoke to him once, and he wanted to make sure I was okay.
He got the message Nick left for him loud and clear.
He told me he wasn’t backing off and the only person that could make him back away is me, not the almighty Nick Alexander.
I haven’t spoken to him since that night.
He sends me a text every other day, and I text him back.
He flirts and I flirt back. It’s all in fun.
He does want to take me out, though. I told him I’ll think about it and let him know.
He said there are no expectations; we will be two intimate friends hanging out, having fun.
I could even bring Ava; he forgot how much fun she was to hang out with.
I said yeah, that’s Ava, the fun never stops.
I don’t know when I made the decision but I find myself in front of Alexander and Alexander Law firm.
I walk into the lobby, show my ID, and get into the elevator up to the fifteenth floor.
What am I doing here? I’m showing up to his office unexpected.
I don’t know what I’m going to say to him.
Maybe I should ask him to lunch? Nothing can happen if we take a walk to eat.
I haven’t seen or heard from him since the morning I left his house two weeks ago.
I hope he’s not angry. I would be, if he ran out of my house without so much as a see-you-later then out of the blue shows up where I work.
Maybe I should leave. Cat, pull it together, you’re already here, don’t be a coward.
I step off the elevator on his floor and walk up to the receptionist desk.
A nice-looking woman in her early forties greets me.
She’s dressed in a gray pantsuit, and her dark brown hair is pulled back into a tight bun.
She seems nice and efficient. I’m not sure what an efficient person looks like but she looks and sounds like she is. I can tell as soon as she speaks to me.
“May I help you?”
“Yes, I’m here to see Nick, um, Mr. Alexander.” I’m not used to calling him by his last name. I never had to before. It sounds strange coming out of my mouth, referring to him formally.
“Does he have an appointment with you?”
I put my hands in front of me and play with my fingers. “No. I was in the area and stopped by. If he’s busy, I understand. I should have called first.” I turn to leave.
“Wait.”
I stop and turn back around. I was almost out. Maybe he’ll refuse to see me. She holds her hand out to a sofa across from her desk.
“You can have a seat. I’ll see if he has time to see you. I can’t guarantee he will be able to see you today, but I’ll see what I can do. Your name?”
“Catherine Reed, thank you.” She presses a button on the phone and picks it up.
“There’s a young lady here to see you, Mr. Alexander—” She smiles at me and continues. “No, she doesn’t have an appointment. Okay, I’ll let her know.”
It doesn’t sound like she had much luck.
“I’m sorry, he won’t be able to see you today, but I can schedule an appointment for you.”
“No, thank you, that’s okay. It wasn’t anything important.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, thank you.” I open my purse and look for a piece of gum to chew away my nerves.
As usual, I can’t find it or my metro card.
My bag is like a bottomless pit. I keep throwing things in and when it’s time for me to use them, I can never find them.
I need to downsize this suitcase to a mini bag.
I fumble around some more till I find it.
The door to my right opens, and Nick walks out looking tall, handsome, and powerful in his midnight blue tailored suit. He doesn’t see me behind him when he walks over to the reception desk. From the tone in his voice I’m glad I’m not Karen.
“Karen, I asked you for the revised briefs fifteen minutes ago, where are they? I have a meeting with the client in two hours! I’m not seeing anyone not on the schedule today, unless they’re on retainer or on their way to a jail cell.”
Wow! I guess this is bad timing. Maybe he won’t notice I’m here when he turns around. He sounds seriously angry, like a dam ready to burst. I don’t want to be on the receiving end of that. Karen better have those briefs ready or she might be out of a job.
“And where the hell is Steve with my lunch?”
“I’ll call him to find out how far away he is, sir.”
I have to give Karen credit; she’s holding up better than I would be. I would have quit and told him to shove it where the sun doesn’t shine. Then I would have burst into tears on the way down the hall.
“Do I have to get it myself? Tell him if he’s not here in the next ten minutes he’s fired!”
I should have left when I had the chance.
Karen nods her head and points behind him to me. He whips his head around impatiently then pins me with a glare.
“I see you’re extremely busy,” I say, standing. “I can come back or give you a call later.”
He shakes his head and nods toward his door with one word. “Inside.”
That one word isn’t said with any animosity.
His face is composed and void of emotion.
If I didn’t hear him ripping into Karen, I would think he didn’t have a care in the world.
He’s good, Nicholas Alexander, Esq. His only tell is the set of his strong jaw and the tilt of his head.
He waits for me to walk into his office, turning back to tell Karen something.
This time I can’t hear a word he’s saying to her.
His office is nice—minimal and spacious.
It’s like him, not fussy or over the top, but spectacular nonetheless.
There’s an entire wall across from his massive mahogany high-gloss desk which is floor to ceiling glass.
I’m awestruck by the view. I’ve never been in his office before.
I press the palm of my hand against the cool glass and look down at the people who look like little ants going about their business, Unaware someone is watching them at this very moment.
I wonder if someone is watching me watching them. I’m nervous and my mind is wandering.
I hear the door close behind me and almost jump. I’m not ready to turn around and face him yet.
“This view is amazing.”
“Thank you. I’m glad you’re enjoying it.”
I know he’s watching me, I can feel his eyes roaming over my body. I don’t know how I know. I can just feel it. “I can see everything through these windows. Can people see me through them?” That’s an unsettling thought. People being able to watch your every move every day.
“No, they’re made to keep prying eyes out and let sunlight in. I like to watch, not be watched.”
The way he says it sends a flutter through the bottom of my stomach.
He’s letting me know, as if I didn’t know already—he’s watching me.
I turn around and face him. My God! He looks heart-stopping good.
He’s sitting on the edge of the desk, one foot on the floor, the other one grazing the floor, and his hands are folded in front of him, drawing my eyes to his nether region.
Agh! Pull it together and pull your eyes up, girl!
When my eyes reach his face, he has a wicked, irresistible smile. I’m trying my best here. I’m trying. “You’re not saying anything, you’re just staring at me.”
“I don’t want to scare you off. I’m surprised that you’re here. You have that deer-in-the- headlights look.”
“I felt like a deer caught in headlights out there. I felt sorry for Karen. I thought you were going to bite her head off. A ferocious lion circling its next meal.”
“You’re worried about Karen? Don’t be, she is paid immensely well to deal with me. My assistant, on the other hand, you might have to worry about.”
“It’s good to know Karen’s getting compensated to put up with you. I’ll pray for poor Steve. I think he’s going to get some of what Karen got and then some.”
He smiles and lets out a little chuckle.
“So what brings you to the den? I wasn’t expecting to see you after our last encounter.”
“I’m sorry I dropped by unannounced—”
“You are one of the few people that are welcomed here anytime with or without an appointment.”
“I thought I could take you to lunch, but I see you’re busy.”
“I’m never too busy to make a little time for you. Is that the only reason you’re here?”
Boy, his eyes haven’t left me since he came in here. I have an audience of one, listening intently to every single word that comes out of my mouth. I feel like I’m on display. “I think we need to talk about what happened the night you drove me home.”
He shifts his weight to both his legs on the hunter green carpet and rests his hands back on either side of him on the edge of his desk.
For the first time since we’ve been in here, he looks away from me, out the window, then back to me.
Like the sexiest lion I’ve ever seen, he licks his lip and the corner of his mouth turns up. “Don’t worry, I’m safe.”
Hmmm. Safe with what? I’m clueless to what he’s talking about. Then I get it, I’m such an idiot.
“I get tested twice a year. I believe it’s my duty and responsibility for a person who screws around as much as I do.”
“That’s good to know.” That’s the first question I should have asked before having sex with zero protection. “I wasn’t even thinking about that.” I could kick myself, having unprotected sex with a known womanizer.
“You should if you’re going to go around having sex,” he says.
“I’m not going to be having sex with anyone else!”
“Good. I have had a lot of sex with a lot of women, and I always use protection. Except when I’m in what I would consider a serious relationship. That has only been twice, and the longest one lasted a little over twelve months.”
“You’re really blunt.”
“When it comes to sex, you should be. We should be able to talk about anything that’s on your mind. For instance, you should be able to tell me if something I’m doing during sex feels good or not. After all, I aim to please.”