After Office Hours

by E Caroline Wilson

  “Well, I went to see the SOB the next day,” Lamar said. “He already had a big lump on his forehead where Sheila hit him with the paperweight. I told him he’d better keep his mitts off my wife, if he wanted to keep his teeth. “

  “Lamar!” Sheila’s free hand flew to her heart. “You didn’t!”

  “Yes, I did. You took the day off, remember?”

  “Yes, but I never knew you went to my office. No wonder he never bothered me again.”

  David spoke up. “I don’t blame you, Dad. But Devin’s not going back to the firm…ever. She only has two more weeks to go on her assignment, anyway. But you can bet I’m going to have a few choice words for Larry Cotten when I see him Monday.”

  Sheila looked distressed. “Now, David, don’t do anything to put your job in jeopardy.”

  Lamar patted her shoulder. “Don’t worry, Sheila. David knows what he’s doing.”

  “Yes, I do,” he agreed. “And if you’ll excuse us, I want to get Devin upstairs so she can rest.”

  “We’d love to have the two of you join us for dinner,” Sheila said.

  “Thanks, Mom. It would actually be better if I took Devin out. There are a few things we need to discuss.”

  “Thank you for the invitation, Mrs. Andrews,” Devin said.

  Sheila gave Devin’s hand one last squeeze before releasing it. “You’re very welcome. And I’m sure we’ll have many other opportunities to have dinner together. You have a good rest.”

  Lamar put his arm around his wife. “Yes, Devin, get some rest. Try to forget it all, like a bad dream. And, David…”

  “Yes, Dad?”

  “Good job.” He winked. “Now see if you can close the deal.”

  Chapter 26

  Devin waited until they were in the elevator before saying, “So, I’m not going back to work? Who says?”

  “I do. It’s no longer a healthy environment for you, just like JJ Demolition. And if I should catch Larry’s eyes lingering on you, I’ll break him in two. You’ve had the same awful experience twice within three months. You deserve to take some time off.”

  “But I was counting on my paycheck, David. I know I’ll be getting a large check from Mr. Jessup soon, when my salary runs out, but I’m trying to build up some savings. I wasn’t planning on having to live off of that extra money.”

  “Don’t you worry. The firm will pay you through to the end of your assignment. I’ll see to that.”

  She relaxed a bit. If anyone could see that her pay continued for the next two weeks, David could. “Well…I could probably use two weeks off. I’m going to be moving.”

  “Moving? You found someplace even nicer than the apartment you have now?”

  “Yes, but I’m not the one who found it. You see, my mother is getting married. She’s been going with a wonderful man for the last three years. He’s been wanting to marry her, but she told him she couldn’t, because she couldn’t leave me to pay the apartment rent on my own. So he found a beautiful condo in Passaic, New Jersey. It has two bedrooms and two bathrooms. We surprised Mama by bringing her out to see it, and when she said she loved it, he proposed to her again right there on the spot, telling her she no longer had a reason to say no.” She beamed at David. “The closing is scheduled for Thursday, and as soon as we get the keys, we’re going to paint. We’re going to turn it into a real home.”

  “That’s wonderful, Devin. Not only about the new place, but about your mother getting married.”

  “I’m so happy for her. You just don’t know, David.”

  “So three of you will be commuting to Manhattan.”

  “Just Alex and me. Mama actually got a job in housekeeping at a local hospital, a short bus ride away. Alex says he’ll drop her off in the morning before he goes to catch the train, and she’ll take the bus home. She’ll be giving up the tips she gets at the Four Seasons, but she feels it’s worth it to have a shorter commute. She likes to say she’ll have dinner ready when Alex and I get home from work. Alex is even going to teach her how to drive.”

  “I hope that doesn’t kill the marriage before it starts.”

  She laughed at David’s joke. “Anyway, there’s a ton of things we have to do before the move. Mama wants her and Alex’s bedroom to be coral and sea green, two walls in each color. Our living room will pretty much be the colors they are now, and I’m still trying to decide what color I want for my bedroom. We’ve all agreed on a nice cream color for the living room, kitchen, and halls. So we’ll be painting all next weekend. Alex sold most of his furniture. He’s been staying with us because he doesn’t have a bed anymore, and he’s gotten a couple of friends to will help him move our furniture on Sunday.”

  “Sounds like everything’s all set.”

  “Yes, by that time the paint will be dry. And of course, once we get everything set up, we’ll have to start planning for the wedding. It’s going to be held right there in the condo. It will be small, twenty people at the most. Mama jokes it’s going to be their first party.”

  “Has she set a date yet?”

  “They decided on mid-October. Because of the expenses of the move, they can’t afford to take a really fancy honeymoon, so they’re going to take a long weekend and drive up to Connecticut, look at the foliage, eat some apples, and spend a couple of nights at a bed-and-breakfast.”

  “I’m happy for your mother, Devin.”

  “I know you are.”

  *****

  Being back in his apartment was like seeing an old friend. David took her hand and led her to his bedroom. “I want you to rest as long as you want to. Hopefully you’ll doze off. When you get up, we’ll go get some dinner.”

  She felt a little awkward, lying on that king-sized bed where she and David had once made such explosive love.

  “I’m just thinking, Devin,” he said. “Before you go to sleep, I should probably call Ben. After all, he really doesn’t know what happened, and you can bet that if Larry told him, his account is going to be very different from the truth.”

  She grunted.

  “I hate to ask you this,” David continued, “but I’m pretty sure he’s going to want to hear your version of what happened directly from you. And it’s probably best that you recount it for him while it’s still fresh in your memory.”

  She stiffened, but she saw the logic. After all, Holt & Cotten was a law firm. Naturally they believed in getting everything documented. “All right. If you think that’s best. Go ahead and call, and I’ll speak to him.”

  David dialed Ben’s direct line. “Ben. David Andrews…Yes, I thought you might be waiting to hear from me…She’s pretty shaken up, but she’s all right. Thank you for asking.” He listened while Ben spoke. “Oh, he did? I should’ve known…yes, as much as I dislike the idea of asking, I know it’s something we need to do, and Devin understands that as well. Hold on while I talk to her.”

  He covered the mouthpiece of his phone with his fingertip. “Just as I thought. Ben’s already spoken to Larry, who tried to make it sound like it was no big deal, that he was just congratulating you on doing a good job when I walked in and went berserk out of jealousy. Yeah, I know,” he said when she made a face. “But Ben would like to hear your account of what happened. He’d actually like to record your words so Marianne can transcribe them.”

  “Do you think it’s okay for them to do that?”

  “Sure. I’ll put the speaker on, and I’ll pull out my handheld recorder. Just in case there’s any discrepancy about what was said.” He winked at her. He removed his finger from the phone’s mike and brought it to his ear. “Okay, then. Just give us a minute.” He put the phone down and retrieved a recorder from his desk drawer. “Okay, Ben. I’m going to turn on the speaker.” He first started the recorder and then turned on the speaker. “Okay, we’re here.”

  Ben’s soothing voice came through the phone speaker. “Hello, Devin. I want you to know how much I hate to bother you at a time like this. I’m terribly sorry about what happened to you toda
y, and I assure you that I wouldn’t ask to speak with you now unless it was absolutely necessary. I have to have a full understanding of what happened before I can take appropriate action.”

  “I understand, Mr. Holt.”

  “I want you to know that Marianne is here with me. I, uh, think you might be more comfortable if she’s the one who asks the questions. If it helps, try to pretend I’m not listening.”

  “That’s very considerate of you.”

  Marianne’s voice came on the line. “Hello, Devin. I share Ben’s regret, both for what happened and for having to ask you to talk about it.”

  “Thank you, Marianne.”

  Marianne cleared her throat. “Okay. Can you tell me what occurred between you and Mr. Cotten at your desk earlier this afternoon?”

  Devin began to speak, haltingly at first, then stronger. “I, um, went to the conference room to let him know that the call he’d been expecting had come through. I picked up a few sandwiches to bring back to my desk while I manned the phones and waited for Pam to relieve me. I was sitting there, eating, when Mr. Cotten showed up.”

  “So he came to the front of your desk?” Marianne prompted.

  “That’s right, the front. He thanked me for making sure he got his phone call. He said that conversation would mean increased revenues for the firm. I told him I was just following the instructions you had given me. He said he really appreciated my efforts, and then he asked me to have dinner with him…he said it would be a thank-you, not only for connecting him with his caller, but for the ‘excellent job’ I’d been doing.” Once again she made a face. “I thanked him, but told him I had plans.” It was becoming more difficult for her to speak.

  David, recognizing this, moved to stand behind her, massaging her shoulders to give her encouragement. His action seemed to embolden her, for she kept speaking.

  “He put his hands on my desk and leaned forward,” she continued. “He kind of smirked at me and said he knew that I’d dated David. Then he said that whatever I got from David—meaning money—he’d triple it.”

  David bit on his lower lip to keep from gripping her shoulders too hard. That prick. How dare he treat Devin like a hooker. He never would have said that if she’d been white.

  “I got upset then—” her voice cracked a little, he noticed—”and I asked him if he believes that David had paid me for my time, like some kind of whore. Mr. Cotten gestured for me to lower my voice. He said that in our case it wouldn’t be money, it would just be ‘gifts’. I told him he would be well advised to stop talking. Then I got up and went around to the gate to leave my desk and get away from him. I wanted to tell Pam that I needed her to relieve me right away, because Mr. Cotten was making me so uncomfortable. But…” she paused, taking a deep breath to compose herself. When she spoke again, her voice was higher-pitched than usual and trembling. “But he came around to the side of my desk and prevented me from leaving. He moved in close and braced his arm against the wall so I couldn’t get past him.” Her words were tumbling out now. “When I told him to let me pass, he asked me what was my rush. He said he and I should get better acquainted, and then he made a remark about the size of his…genitalia.” She sniffled.

  “Son of a bitch!” David exploded.

  Devin crossed an arm over her chest to place her palm atop his. Her strength flowed to him, and he immediately calmed.

  She resumed speaking, sounding relieved that her account was nearly complete. “Then, thank God, I saw David coming, carrying a plate for me. Melanie Daniels was behind him. As soon as he saw that Mr. Cotten had me trapped, he put the plate down and grabbed him by his shirt collar, pulling him away from me.”

  It pleased David that her voice became stronger upon recounting how he had come to her rescue.

  “Mr. Cotten went sprawling and almost lost his balance, but he managed to regain his footing before he went all the way down. That was when people started streaming in from the conference room. Maybe I shouldn’t have just walked out of the office so abruptly, but I…I just wanted to get away from him.”

  David took over. “I think that about covers what happened. Did you talk to Melanie? Did her story back up Devin’s?”

  “We talked to her,” Ben replied. “She said she didn’t really see anything.”

  “That’s bull. She had to see that Larry practically had Devin pinned against the wall.”

  “Perhaps she fears some type of retribution from him,” Marianne suggested. “She still has to work with him, Ben.”

  “Speaking of which,” David said, “Devin won’t be returning. It’s become a hostile work environment for her. But I feel confident that you’ll agree to pay her for the remaining two weeks of her assignment.”

  Ben didn’t hesitate. “Of course. We’ll also provide her with letters of reference. We’ll have Pam cover the reception desk until Carla comes back. Please thank Ms. DaCosta for us. I know it was difficult for her, and I’m sorry to have upset her.”

  “I’ll tell her, and I’m sure she understands.”

  *****

  Devin opened her eyes. The large digital numbers of David’s alarm clock read six-forty-five. Her stomach rumbled with hunger—those pinwheel sandwiches she’d last consumed had been light to begin with.

  She found him in his office, surfing the ‘net with the television on. “Hi,” she said, suddenly feeling shy.

  “Hi. How are you feeling?”

  “Rested. And hungry.” At that moment her stomach audibly growled, and they both laughed.

  “Well, we’ll take care of that. Smith & Wollensky is right down the street. Why don’t we go to the grill? The food is just as good, but it’s an informal atmosphere.”

  “That sounds fine.”

  *****

  As they walked down the block, Devin marveled that they’d never been to the well-known steakhouse before. Of course, there was a possibility of running into one of the partners or senior associates, all of whom could easily afford a two-hundred-dollar dinner check.

  They entered the less formal grill portion of the restaurant, which had a separate entrance on Forty-ninth Street and was packed with casually dressed patrons, at the bar as well as in booths and tables. Devin was ravenously hungry and ordered a Cajun-style filet mignon, baked potato, and a side of fried zucchini and onion rings. David ordered a steak sandwich.

  Devin’s mouth dropped open at the sight of the largest baked potato she’d ever seen. “Wow! This can feed a family of four.” She picked up her knife to cut her steak. “Oh, this is heavenly! Melts in my mouth.”

  “I can hear your stomach thanking you.”

  She looked at his steak sandwich. “Aren’t you hungry, David? I kind of thought you’d want something more than a sandwich.”

  “This sandwich will fill me up nicely, believe me. I’m definitely ready to eat, but I’m not as hungry as you are, Devin. I had a good plate at the party this afternoon, before…” He left the rest unsaid. “Well, you only got to have a couple of pinwheel sandwiches.”

  “That’s right. I saw that you were carrying a plate when you came to my desk. I presume it was for me. I never got a chance to thank you for that.” She suddenly felt shy. “As a matter of fact, I want to thank you for everything. For getting Larry away from me…for getting me out of the office…and for bringing me to your place where I could get some rest.” She gave him a shy smile. “You really did take care of me this afternoon, just like you said you would. Thank you, David.”

  He looked at her with fondness in his eyes. “I regret the circumstances that led up to it, but I’m very happy to be here with you. It’s…it’s kind of like old times.”

  She could only stare at him.

  His eyes never left her face. “I miss those times, Devin.”

  “Those times were very special,” she conceded, “but a lot has changed since then.”

  “I know. And I’ve been praying that I would get an opportunity that would make you want to forgive me.”

  “You
came to my rescue when I really needed help,” she said. “I honestly and truly appreciated that, David. But as I said earlier, I was never in any real danger. This time wasn’t like before, with Raymond. All I had to do was yell, and I’m sure Larry would’ve stepped back. I was about to do that. I wanted to give him a chance to come to his senses before I got other people involved.”

  “Why doesn’t it surprise me that you were thinking about Larry’s reputation? You’re a good woman, Devin.” He smiled.

  Devin swallowed a bite of steak and gave him a meaningful stare. “I’d be lying if I said you didn’t make me feel special this afternoon. Getting Larry away from me, and even your bringing me a plate.” She made a face. “Pam Sullivan was supposed to relieve me, but she never did show up.”

  “Pam is nosy,” he spat out. “She’s always afraid to be away from the action, afraid that she’ll miss something juicy she can gossip about. You know, someone at the office told Marianne that they’d seen us out together, and personally, I think it was either her or Melanie Daniels.”

  Devin drew in her breath. “Someone reported seeing us? But David, we were so careful.”

  “That’s right, we were. “I guess when we were having dinner on the upper west side, we hadn’t gone far enough out of the way.”

  “So Marianne said something to you about it?”

  “Not her. Ben called me into his office and very politely reminded me that the firm frowns on personal relationships between employees. He reminded me that a relationship that ends badly can make things awkward for everyone.”

  She stared at him in surprise. “But I don’t understand. Why didn’t you tell me about this?”

  “Because before it happened, I made my little slip of the tongue, and you stopped seeing me.” He shrugged. “There seemed to be little point in telling you about it…even if I could get you to talk to me.”

  Devin took a moment to ponder this information. “I’m still confused. By that time you and I had started going way up to Morningside Heights. People at the firm live in Queens…Long Island…Brooklyn…the Upper East Side. I’m sure nobody saw us up there.”