Chapter 2
Chapter Two
Jerome
“You sure you’re going to be able to adjust to this?” Chance asks me as he holds the door open to the office.
I shrug and step through. “Only way to know is to try. My old life wasn’t cutting it anymore. You and I both know how fucked-up it all was.”
He nods as he points in the direction we need to go. Of all the people in my life who know what the last five years have been like for me, Chance is the only one who gave a damn. There should have been an uproar over it all. People should have been held accountable for their part in it all.
Rather than doing what’s right, the men I worked with chose to vilify me. They made me uncomfortable, often going so far as to threaten me. More than once, I considered taking it all into my own hands. A few punches and it would all be over.
But given our boss, the commissioner, agreed with them, I wasn’t going to be let off easy if I attacked the other officers. Which is exactly what it would have been labeled as: an attack.
Never mind my skill level or the number of cases I’d solved. It didn’t matter when the good old boys got together and made me their enemy.
I shake the bad memories away as Chance presses the button for the elevator. None of the past matters here. Working here is a new start.
So what if I had to call in a favor to a friend? Now that we weren’t city councilman and police officer, we could actually be friends in an easygoing manner. Chance didn’t even bat an eye when I told him I was looking for a position to give me something to do with my days.
Becoming a paralegal is not the move anyone would have expected. For me, it makes complete sense. I still get to help people, I still know the law, but I don’t have any of the hassle I did before.
Plus, I always kind of preferred the paperwork aspect of my former career. While everyone else groans about filling our reports, I’m the type to give ten times the amount of detail they need. It drove my superiors mad.
“Here we are.” Chance’s words draw my attention. “Grant’s office is right inside this area. It’s as close as Tank will allow him with Donny in the building too.”
I smile, though I don’t know who either of these men are. It takes him a second to realize the faux pas.
“Sorry about that. It’s rare for me to talk to anyone who doesn’t know them.
Donovan, or Donny as he prefers, works for NightShade in the Talent Division.
He’s actually managing the whole department since Tank is focused on security.
His husband Grant is a lawyer and a friend of Tank’s.
They met and fell in love in this building.
Real sweet story. You should get him to tell you sometime. ”
My nod is slower this time. It’s not that I don’t pick up what he’s saying. Detail has always been my strong suit. I’m more curious why he thinks I’m going to be close enough to my new boss to be able to share all of this with him.
Never once in my life have I been friendly in a way where I’d ask anything personal like this. The fact that Chance gave it out so freely tells me more about this arrangement than ever.
Grant must be a friend of his too. That explains how I got this job so easily.
“Don’t frown like that,” Chance grumbles. “You’re too worried about all this stuff. The minute you meet Grant, and then Donny, you’ll get why this works. You fit here, Jerome.”
“Understood.”
At my brief reply, he sighs. I can tell he wants to give me more, yet he knows I won’t budge on this. I’m the type to believe it when I see it.
Inside the small office space, there’s an empty desk and a sign that says to pick up the phone. Chance bypasses it to knock on the largest door. When a voice shouts, “Come in,” he pushes it open and points for me to go first.
Never one to back down from a challenge, I step into the space with all the confidence I can muster. It’s only once I’m through that I spot the man leaning against the bank of windows showing off the gorgeous snow-covered city.
“Chance,” the man says in greeting.
“Grant,” my friend replies. “I’ve brought you your new paralegal slash assistant. Jerome here is exactly who you need.”
I clear my throat to break whatever weird standoff they’re in. When Grant turns my way, I step forward to shake his hand.
“Thank you for the opportunity, sir. I promise to do my best.”
His grip is firm, though not because he’s testing me. I know what those handshakes feel like.
“First rule I have is to drop the formal stuff between us. If you’re a friend of Chance’s, then there’s no need. Even most of our clients aren’t that formal,” he admits.
I nod, forcing my body to loosen. This will be something I have to constantly pay attention to while I settle into the role. I’m not used to being in any type of relaxed environment. Even the place meant for such was never that way for me.
“Since there isn’t anything else for me to do, I’ll leave you both to it. Text me later, and we’ll set up a time to do lunch this week.” Chance claps me on the shoulder before leaving the office. He closes the door behind him as well, enclosing me with this man who is now my boss.
Grant assesses me as he leans back against his large wooden desk. While the rest of the building is decidedly modern, his space is an ode to a more rustic life. It gives me glimpses of the man beneath the suit.
“I’m not sure what all Chance told you about the position…”
“He didn’t say much other than you were a good guy, and I wouldn’t have to worry here. There might have also been some talk about how I’d fit in well, though that could have been him having high hopes.”
His cool demeanor fades as he chuckles. “Sounds about right for him. You got your degree recently?”
“Yes, I did.” It takes everything in me not to call him sir. Grant smiles, as if he knows this and appreciates me trying to do as he asked.
“It’s none of my business, so feel free to tell me not to worry about it, but I’d love to know how a decorated officer becomes a paralegal this late in life”
The wince is involuntary.
“Do you want the long story or the short one?” I ask. It’s obvious I’m not going to get away with keeping details from him.
“Whichever you’re most comfortable with.”
His response is honest enough to push the last of my hesitation away. I’m not one to trust easy, but Grant Moore might have already cracked through my defenses. No wonder he’s such a good lawyer.
“I’ll keep it short since I’m eager to get started.
As you know, I was formerly in law enforcement.
While I can’t explicitly say I was discriminated against because of my race, I do believe my looks played a role in why the rest of the men in my department wouldn’t take me seriously.
No matter how well I did my job, they were always prepared to bring me down a few notches.
With my last major case getting pulled by the Feds, I decided it was time to get out.
They were never going to appreciate my hard work. Now I’m here.”
“Now you’re here,” Grant echoed. “And they’re all a bunch of fools for letting you go. Lucky for me, Chance is nice enough to send you my way. I hadn’t truly been looking for help just yet.”
“Oh. In that case—”
“It’s not a bad thing. I only say it to let you know your timing is somewhat divine, if you will. Having you will help me finish my days sooner so I can get home to my boy.”
Part of me wonders if he means boy in the sense of a child or boy as in partner. Having worked the beat for a long time, I’ve seen it all. You learn a lot from people when investigating crimes. There’s no kink I haven’t heard of, and I’d bet good money Grant Moore is a Daddy Dom.
Maybe there’s more to Chance’s ominous “you’ll fit in” type of speech.
He and I have had many talks about our kink preferences over the years.
When he found his partner, I was happy for him.
Now he’s set me up in a job to be around yet another Daddy figure.
Are we going to start a club and get matching shirts or some shit?
I have no intention of finding out. For one, it’s none of my business.
And secondly, those types of details shouldn’t exist between coworkers.
While Chance isn’t directly connected in such a way, his partner Tank does own the building we’re standing in.
Hell, they both might own it. I’m fuzzy on the details.
“You look like something is bothering you,” Grant says, drawing my attention. “Did you have any questions for me before we get started?”
The sparkle in his eye could be a trick of the light. It could also be he’s read my expression to get a hint of my curiosity.
I’m not going to take the bait. Not yet, anyway.
Being a former detective, I can piece together the truth over time. It’ll be my own little mystery to solve.
“All good. I’m ready to get started. Want to show me where you want me?”
His smirk loses some of its power at my reply. I can tell he wants to push. Instead, he shakes his head and motions for us to move back to the desk out front.
“This is where you’ll be most of the time. Your primary role is to field calls and check mail. You’re also going to do a lot of filing. I hope you’re good with that.”
“To be honest, I’m a huge supporter of it.”
He eyes me skeptically. “With all that muscle you’d rather be pushing papers?”
I look down at my form, trying to see myself as he does. While I’m a pretty big guy, there is nothing too special about my shape. It’s not like I’m some hulking bodybuilder. At least I don’t consider it that way. My muscles have practical use.
Though, if I think about it, he’s right. I guess I’ll have to up my time in the gym if I hope to keep looking this way.
“Yeah, I would,” I finally reply after a long pause.
Grant taps the desk for three beats before he shrugs.
“Who am I to take away your joys, then. There’s a notebook on the desk.
Come to my office with it in ten minutes.
I want to go over the current caseload with you, as well as some basic things you’ll need to know.
Oh, and before I forget, do you have plans this weekend? ”
“No. What’s happening this weekend?”
The smirk from before returns with a vengeance. “We’re having our annual Christmas party. It’s a big deal, and it’s where I met my Donny. You never know. Your special someone could be there too.”
I snort at the suggestion. Can’t tell my boss he’s full of shit on the first day, no matter how true the words are.