by Lisa De Jong
“Nice to see you again, Jeremy, please have a seat, and you must be Mia? I’m Lisa Harper, very nice to meet you.” She offered her hand and I shook it. Marcus and Jeremy said their hellos before Jeremy sat next to him on the opposite side of the table across from Lisa. I was left with no choice but to either take a seat next to Jeremy, next to Lisa, or on the other end of the table directly across from Marcus.
“It’s very nice to meet you as well, Ms. Harper, Marcus.” I shot him a nervous smile and a slight wave of my hand. He nodded in response, not taking his eyes off me as I made my way around the table to sit next to Jeremy. I felt so uncomfortable. He seemed angry, or was this just the mask he wore at work?
I didn’t dare look in his direction, but I could feel the heat of his stare. I knew this would be awkward. I should have known something was up when I didn’t receive a text from him this morning. Screw that shit! I can play this game as well. I’ll show him he doesn’t intimidate me. I straightened my shoulders and folded my hands on top of the table, avoiding eye contact with him.
“We are just waiting for the other two externs before getting started. They should be here any moment. Please help yourself to coffee and pastries by the coffee table over there.” Lisa pointed behind Marcus. Both Jeremy and I thanked her but declined the offer.
The next few minutes were horrendous as Lisa and Jeremy spoke, and I sat there twirling my fingers. I could see from my peripheral vision Marcus grabbing his phone and dabbing his thumbs on the keys; it looked like he was sending an email or text. I felt my phone vibrate against the table. When I glanced at my screen, I saw the text was from him.
Marcus (8:56am): What the hell was that?
Me (8:56am): What?
Marcus (8:57am): Your little entrance with Jae!
It took me seconds to respond. Is that what he was upset about? Jeremy and I were only kidding. We were goofing around like we always do.
Me (8:57am): We were just joking around.
Marcus (8:58am): I didn’t like it! At all!
What do I say to that? I’m sorry for clowning around with my best friend? What the hell is his problem? I just stared at my phone for a few seconds, not knowing how to reply. He seemed very angry, but I couldn’t believe it was over that. I was trying to gather my thoughts to find the right words to respond. Luckily the other two externs walked in, and I quickly put my phone away. That would buy me time to think of something to say. They said their hellos and took their seats before Marcus began talking.
“Good morning, everyone, as you may already know I’m Marcus DeLuca, and this is Lisa Harper. She is my right hand. Any issue you may have, you go to her first, and if it’s something she’s not able to handle, she will bring it to my attention to be solved. The four of you were carefully selected for the summer extern positions. As you are aware, we have four separate departments. Each department is handled by a partner of the firm.
“Each of you will be assigned to one of the departments, working closely with the partner. Jeremy, you’ll be working with Jason Peirce in the civil department. Tasha, you’ll be working with Cynthia Evers in the contracts department. David, you will be working with Tracy Long in the antitrust department, and Mia, you will be working with me in the criminal department.” I looked up, shocked. No one seemed to notice or even care that I’d be working hand in hand with Marcus. Well except for Jeremy whose foot slightly nudged against mine.
“I’m sure all of you will do a great job. Lisa already has discussed your pay rate, and you’ll be getting paid on a weekly basis. At the end of your term, a letter will be sent to the university signed by the partner you have worked with. The letter will discuss which cases you’ve worked on and the hours you have put in. That will be all for now unless anyone has any questions. Okay then, Lisa will you take the externs and introduce them to the partners they will be working with? Mia, you can follow me, and I will get you settled in.”
Marcus stood up and walked toward the door. I quickly jumped from my seat, but Jeremy grabbed my arm before I turned to leave. “Want to do lunch today?” he asked.
I glanced over my shoulder to see Marcus staring at me and waiting by the doorway. “Uh, I’ll shoot you a text and let you know.” I quickly grabbed my belongings and rushed to the door. I walked directly behind him as I followed in his direction. Not watching where I was walking, I almost tripped over my own heels.
Luckily Marcus didn’t notice as he entered a room. When I walked into the oversized office with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the city, I was in awe. Marcus’ office was completely different from the rest of the building. It had a masculine, antique look to it. His desk looked like it was a dining room table that had been used at a ranch. He had a rustic style coffee table with oversized chairs and a large bookcase which held numerous volumes of law books, both of which had the same wooden texture as his desk. I loved it; it felt warm and peaceful. There was a small bar on the right side of the office, small antique statues on the tables, and artwork on the walls.
He closed and locked the door behind me and sat at one of the oversized chairs by the coffee table. He motioned with his hand for me to join him. I slowly walked over and sat across from him. He was quiet for a while longer. I wasn’t sure if I should break the silence, but when I was going to, he cleared his throat. I watched as he placed his elbows on his knees, then he joined his hands together and slightly lowered his head as if it were difficult for him to speak. “It’s not like me to be a jealous man, Mia. Fuck, I’m never jealous. Though for some reason, when you walked into the conference room with Jeremy’s arm around your waist and when he slapped your ass, it took every part of me to not stand up and knock him the fuck out.”
“Marcus,” I breathed his name so low I’m not sure if he heard me.
“No, let me finish.” I leaned back against the plush chair and allowed him to continue. He remained with his head lowered. “See, even if it weren’t Jeremy, if it was a total stranger, I would’ve still felt the same because, for some reason, you make feel that way, and now that I know the history between you and him, it made it that much harder to control myself. I’m telling you now that I didn’t like it.” He lifted his head finally, his eyes meeting mine.
I swallowed before speaking. “I’m sorry you feel that way, and I would never want to make you feel uncomfortable or jealous, but I cannot stress this enough to you: Jeremy and I are just friends. That’s how we goof around Marcus. It was completely innocent. If you want whatever this is between us to work, you will have to trust me.”
“Trust?” He said the word as if testing how it sounds. I stood up and walked over to him and bravely sat on his lap, wrapping my arms around his neck. He didn’t flinch away from me; that was a good sign. He just stared at me confused by something, maybe his own feelings?
“Marcus, this weekend was absolutely perfect. Let’s not ruin it?” I leaned in and kissed him long and hard. At first he stiffened as if he were going to pull away from the kiss, but he didn’t. He slid his hand up my thigh, feeling underneath my skirt, making his way to my hips. His touch made my skin burn with heat. I changed my position so that I was straddling him. I kneeled, enclosing his thighs between my legs. He leaned back on the chair and lifted my skirt up to my waist. I ran my fingers through his hair, allowing him to unbutton my blouse.
One minute I was in his arms kissing him, touching him, and the next I was standing up, and he was quickly adjusting his clothing. He looked up at me and waved his hand to indicate my appearance. I was confused until I heard a knock on his door and a man’s voice yelling for him to open it up. I was so lost again in our kiss, I didn’t hear the knock on the door the first time.
Marcus yelled to give him a minute when he marched over to me and began to quickly re-button my blouse. It took me all but a few seconds to shake the trance and adjust my skirt. I smacked his hand off and tucked the shirt back into my skirt. He walked over to the door and glanced back at me. Once he saw that I was back in order, he open
ed the door. A man stormed inside and walked passed him.
“What the fuck is going on with you, Marc?”
The man was so upset he was pacing back and forth and didn’t notice my presence. Marcus slammed the door and walked over to him. I examined them as they faced each other. The man was slightly taller than Marcus; he had an athletic built. He looked like he worked out but was more slender than Marcus. He had a buzz haircut and green eyes. His complexion was lighter than Marcus’. He was very good-looking. After careful observation, I recognized him from the photos in Marcus’ shore house. It was Jimmie, his brother. He was older than in the pictures and his hair was shorter, but it was definitely him.
“I’m busy. What do you want?” Neither of them looked my way.
“What do I want? I get a fucking phone call from you on Friday with important information. When I tell you to back down from it, you said you would, but you go anyways!” Marcus’ eyes grew bigger, and slowly he turned his head in my direction. His brother followed his eyes. When he saw me, he looked back at Marcus and rolled his eyes.
“Um, hi, I’m Mia, the new extern.” I didn’t know what else to say. This was beyond awkward, and what made it worse was the long silence within the room.
“She works with you? That’s just fucking great!” His brother threw his arms in the air. I’m completely unaware of the reasoning behind this reaction. I was also offended. Does he know about me and our weekend? Does he think of me as the kind of girl who always sleeps with her boss? He glared at Marcus before walking towards me. Extending his hand, he gave me a tight smile.
“Hi, I’m Jimmie, Marc’s brother.” I looked up at him and then looked at his hand, questioning if I should take it. He impatiently extended his arm further which, in turn, gave me no choice but to grab his hand. He lightly tightened his grip and shook it twice before releasing my hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Mia. Do you mind giving my brother and me a minute?”
Swallowing, I nodded lightly. “Sure.” I grabbed my belongings from on top of the coffee table and walked towards the door.
“Mia,” Marcus said. I turned to face him. “Uh you can take the office next door on the right. It’s one of the attorney’s, but she’ll be out the remainder of the summer for maternity leave. So you can work from there.” I nodded and walked out of his office. When I shut the door behind me, I let out a deep breath, not realizing I was holding one in. I quickly walked to the door on the right of Marcus’ office. I entered and swiftly made my way behind the wooden desk and sat in the chair.
Whoa that was weird! I steadied my breath and glanced around the room. It was spacious but way smaller than Marcus’ office. It felt empty as well: no art work, no pictures, and no personalization. It only had a desk, a table in the corner with two chairs, and an empty vase in the center of the table. A bookcase that was semi-filled with legal books occupied half of the one wall. That was it. I turned my chair to look out the window. At least there was a beautiful view to the city skyline.
“What the hell do you want?” I jumped when I heard Marcus’ voice. For a second, I thought he was in my room, but the sound was coming through the wall. Oh my God, the wall! I could hear their conversation. I rolled the chair closer, so I could get a better listen. Then I felt stupid for eavesdropping. I was going to go back to the desk when I heard my name.
Chapter Ten
“What’s going on with you and Mia?” His brother’s voice was stern.
“None of your business.”
“Seriously? None of my business!” His brother was angry. There were a few seconds of silence before he spoke again, this time with a calmer tone. “Come on, Marc. You know I don’t like arguing with you. You’re my baby brother, and we’re in this together. You told me you were going to back off. We can’t deal with any interruptions right now. You do understand that, right?” There was another few seconds before someone spoke.
“Yeah, I understand,” he sighed. Marcus’ voice was lower, but I could still make out what was said.
“Good. Let’s just focus on this job. Okay?”
“Yeah, whatever you say, boss.” Marcus said sarcastically.
“Come on, Bro, don’t be like that. This is just as hard on me as it is on you. We are so close to finishing this job. I just don’t want some chick to ruin it all.”
“She’s not just some chick, Jimmie; there’s something different about her.”
“Look, Bro, I can understand that, but your timing is way off. Let it go now before you get too deep into something you can’t back away from.” Nothing was said. I heard footsteps on the hardwood floors stomping across the room then the sound of the door opening and closing.
After a few more seconds I heard a loud bang and something shattered, as if glass were thrown across the room. “Fuck!” Marcus yelled.
I quietly rolled back to the desk. When I was safely secured behind the desk I crossed my arms on top of the table and laid my head on my wrists. What the hell was that about? Does this mean that Marcus and I can’t be together? Does his brother have so much control over him that all it takes is a mere snapping of his fingers, and Marcus does what he's told?
If that’s the case, then that means we can’t have more than just an employer-employee relationship. Why is it when I finally really like a guy, who makes all my problems and fears go away with a simple kiss or touch, he’s taken away from me? I should be used to having important people taken away from me by now, but no matter how many times it happens, it still hurts.
I spent the next three hours contemplating whether I should go over to his office and let him know everything I heard, or if I should just leave it alone and see what he would do. So far he hadn’t come over to check on me, to go over any files, not even to discuss what my duties would be.
He hadn’t left his office either. I wondered what he was thinking. I kept replaying the conversation between him and his brother over and over in my head, but nothing made sense to me. If everything he said to me over the weekend was true, then he wouldn’t listen to his brother, and we’d continue our relationship, but if he listened to him …
My phone vibrated against the wooden desk. It startled me, and I grabbed it in the hope it was Marcus, but it was only Jeremy.
Jeremy (11:58am): Lunch?
Me (11:58am): Sure, meet u in the lobby in 2 mins?
Jeremy (11:59am): K
I inhaled and exhaled one deep breath before standing up. I grabbed my purse and headed towards the door. It felt like it was going to be a long day. Slowly turning the knob and exiting out the door, I quietly shut it in the hope that he wouldn’t hear me exit. When I turned around, Marcus was walking out of his office too. Great! We just stood there looking at each other, confused and anxious with desperate looks between us.
My heart was beating rapidly … He looked so lost. I just wanted to reach out and touch him; instead, I pulled myself together and walked past him. He grabbed my arm and pulled me to face him. “What’s wrong?” His eyes were searching mine, trying to find something, his answer? Our relationship? Our feelings for one another? I didn’t know what he was searching for.
I looked down at my elbow that his hand was gently holding and looked back up at him. I yanked away from his grip.
“You tell me.” I couldn’t hold it in. I’m the worst with crap like this.
“What are you talking about?”
“I heard you and your brother talking.” He took a few steps back to collect what he just heard.
“What do you mean you heard us talking?”
“You guys were pretty loud, and the conversation came through the walls. I couldn’t hear everything, just bits and pieces, but from what I did hear, basically I’m considered an interruption, and therefore we cannot be together.” Okay, so I lied. I didn’t want him to know that I could hear everything from his office. He’d probably move my desk.
He looked up at the ceiling and closed his eyes. He’s thinking? It seemed like he’d been thinking for the last three
hours. “Mia, I’m sorry you had to hear that.” He brought his head back down.
“So what does this mean?” I crossed my arms.
He shook his head. “I don’t know.” He just stared at me, not saying anything after that comment. It was like he was waiting for me to come up with a solution to our problem.
It pissed me off. “Well, when you figure it out, let me know. I’m meeting Jeremy for lunch.” I turned and walked away, slightly swaying my hips to show him what he’d be missing. I thought he would run after me and ask me to go to lunch with him instead, but he didn’t. It took so much of my willpower not to look back. I didn’t, and I felt like the biggest idiot. Why didn’t I just tell him how I felt? Sometimes my head takes over my heart, and I’m left with unanswered questions.
Jeremy and I decided on a small diner up the block from the building. It was extremely packed, so we had no choice but to sit at the counter. He went on and on about how much he loved the partner he was working with, how cool he was, and how much he’d taught him in just the few hours they spent together. I couldn’t help but feel jealous. This was supposed to be my future, my career, and here I was swooning over my boss instead of preparing myself for my future. I have to get my head out of this fantasy and bring myself back to reality.
“What’s up with you? You haven’t touched your salad.” He asked as he dipped a fry into the ketchup he squirted onto the side of his plate then tossed it into his mouth.
“Oh nothing, just not hungry I guess. I was really busy this morning with all the files Marcus gave me that I can’t even think about food.” I lied. I’m starting to get good at this lying stuff. Maybe I should make a career out of it; oh right, I am. Jeremy, of course, was oblivious and popped another fry into his mouth, and then he continued to talk about how awesome his first few hours were. Blah! Blah!
****
When I walked back into “my” office, I saw that Marcus had left a few files on my desk with a typed note that read, “Review each file and the discovery. Each file has a post-it note of what needs to be done. If you have any questions, contact Lisa. Thanks, M.D.”