The feelings I’ve tried to deny the past forty-eight hours have now found their way to the surface. I actually care about this girl. Our little moment in here just made that abundantly clear.
And I know she’s a million miles out of my league.
FIVE PM ARRIVES at the slowest pace possible. Claire has been avoiding me since lunch. There’s something going on between us, but I’m not sure what. I’m no longer thinking of getting her into my bed. Instead I’m thinking of what I did wrong. Whatever it was, I need to make it right. I need to lighten the mood and take us back to where we were. At least then she was talking to me.
She dismisses the interns and I walk to the front. I’m displaying my usual cocky attitude that, for the most part, has girls swooning. Claire doesn’t seem to notice.
“So, Claire. I have a question for you.”
She looks up from her papers and gives me her complete attention. She probably thinks I’m going to ask her something about interning, but my thoughts are far from this stupid class. There’s no smile on her face. Her expression is bland, like she’s never met me before.
I barge ahead anyway. “Do you know anything about sealed files?”
She narrows her eyes in confusion and I wonder if I’ve over stepped my boundaries. “Yes. Why?”
“Just wondering. How would one access sealed files?”
Claire sets her folders down on the desk and puts one hand on her hip. Oh no. Here it goes.
“Why do you want to know about sealed files, Thomas?”
Her stance tells me this might venture into territory where I don’t want to go. I need a diversion. “Okay, let me ask you a different question. Do you like sushi?”
“What?” Now she’s really confused which is good because maybe I can take her out tonight and get her talking. Maybe she’ll tell me everything I need to know about sealed files and where to find them. And then afterwards we can…I don’t know, talk or something.
“Do you like sushi? I repeat. “It’s almost dinnertime and I thought you would like to join me?” Damn, I’ve never asked a girl on a date. Then I realize, Claire’s the type of girl you do ask on a date.
“Thomas.” She drops her arm from her hip and the look on her face is stern. “I don’t date interns. It’s a rule of mine. I don’t know what’s going on between us, but it needs to stop. I thought you were just being playful. I didn’t know you wanted more. My answer is no. I’m sorry.”
Well, hell. The first girl I’ve ever asked on a date has rejected me. This sucks.
“Okay.” I stare at her a minute before grabbing my bag and heading towards the door. She doesn’t call my name and I don’t look back. Rejection hurts. I’ve never experienced this before, and it isn’t fun. I climb into my car and listen to the engine as it comes to life. I drive home without even turning on the radio.
This whole intern thing is a total bust. And to top it off, I was a breath away from having Philip Birch stick my ass in jail today.
I drive down the alley and pull into the garage. We have one more night off before we start the ring and I make a decision to take matters into my own hands. I don’t have all day to sit around with this intern shit. If it’s not leading me where I need to go, I’m bailing. It’s that simple. Tomorrow is my last day. If I can’t find what I need by tomorrow, I’ll dream up a Plan B.
I walk to the apartment and see Marcus eating a sandwich. I sit down at the table beside him and grab a bag of chips.
“What’s up, boss? You look angry.”
“Yeah, you could say that,” I say, opening the bag and popping a few chips in my mouth. I vent internally for a while, and if Marcus speaks, I don’t hear him. I’ve been too distracted by Claire, and I need to get back to the real issue at stake.
“Marcus, I’m going to need your help tomorrow.”
“What’s that?”
“I’m going to need you to drive me to Birch’s law office. I’m finding the filing room myself and I’m going to need you there in case I need to make a run for it.”
Marcus looks at his sandwich. “Boss, I know how important those files are to you, but if you’re caught, you’re going to jail.”
I stand and head to the refrigerator, removing a drink and popping the top. I take a long sip before returning my focus to Marcus. “But I have to try.”
He nods his head in understanding. “I’ll drive you tomorrow. What time?”
I think of all that needs to be accomplished, and know I shouldn’t show up at eight with the other interns. “Let’s be there at eleven. Everyone should be busy by then and I can slip in and slip out. I know there’s a filing room around there somewhere. I’ve seen Claire with all the folders. I’ve just got to find it.”
“It’s a bad idea, but sure, I’ll drive with you there. If you get caught, I’m leaving your ass behind.”
I laugh to myself because I know Marcus would never leave me behind. We’re practically brothers, and that’s our number one rule: never leave the other behind.
“DON’T GET YOURSELF caught.” Marcus’s words ring loud through the car, and I slip off my sunglasses. How many times has he said this?
“I won’t!” I say in frustration. “You get behind the wheel and be ready to drive away as soon as you see me leave. I’ve got this all under control.”
“What are you going to say when you get inside?”
“Don’t worry about it, Marcus.” I don’t feel like repeating my plan in full detail. I have a mission to accomplish and I want to get in and get out. I open the car door and walk to the building like I’ve done the past two days.
Intern Thomas Grant is back; he’s just a couple of hours late. And today, he won’t let himself be sidetracked by Claire Peters. He’s on a mission.
I climb the stairs to the front door and slowly let myself inside. I glace back at Marcus and he’s staring right at me. He shows no emotion, but I know he thinks I’m crazy. Hell, I am crazy for doing this, but the high of showing Birch what I’m made of is too much. I walk inside and am instantly greeted by Laurel. Then the idea hits me. She’s the key to the filing room.
“Good morning Laurel,” I say, dropping my grin and looking in her eyes.
“Morning, Thomas. You’re a little late.” She’s flirting with me; her tone is far from scolding.
“I’m running an errand for Claire. She told me to head to the filing room when I returned. Can you tell me where you keep all your files?” I’m doing my best to act the part of a clueless intern and I’m trying not to let my confidence fail me now.
“Sure, Thomas. Head straight down this hallway. The filing room is the third door on the right.”
I win. She believes me.
“Thank you, Laurel.”
I leave her with one of my award-winning smiles and venture down the hall. My charm has worked on all types of women. Well, all women except Claire.
I head straight to the third door on the right, making sure to avoid the intern room. I’m not ready to cross paths with Claire Peters again. One look at her and my mission will be a bust.
I open the third door on the right and bingo. I have entered the filing room. Out of habit, I glance around for cameras but don’t see any. I’m a pro at detecting camera technology. Once I have the go ahead, I start looking for my last name among the files. I head to the “W’s” and search for Wilson. I know most things are electronic these days, but surely there’s a folder somewhere with my name.
I figure Wilson is a common last name but how many Brandon Wilsons can there be? After searching for several minutes, I don’t see my folder and I’m starting to become agitated. There’s maybe twenty or so Wilson files. I decide to comb through each one slowly, file by file. Maybe I skipped my name the first go-around or maybe the file is under one of my brother’s names.
I engross myself in the files, wondering who on earth these other people are and what they’ve done to get into this room, when I feel a hand on my shoulder. I stop cold but don’t move. I’m not s
cared. This hand isn’t one that imparts fear, but one that calms. I turn around and there she is, up close and personal.
It’s Claire.
“What are you doing in here Thomas? Are you lost?” She glances at the folders in my hand, and I take a deep breath. She’s so close. It’s like the atmosphere has changed. Her voice reminds me of velvet and it pours over my broken soul. What is it about that girl that has me in knots? At what point did I let her get under my skin?
I freeze, not sure how to act. This girl is not like the warehouse bitches I bark orders at and expect to get in my bed. She’s on an entirely different playing field.
“I’m…sorry.” I manage to mutter. “I must be lost.” Why did I just say that? Seriously, what’s wrong with me and why can’t I form a coherent sentence?
Claire’s demeanor is gentle, yet strong and confident. Her blue eyes look deep into my own eyes and I know she can read my soul. I suddenly feel very naked in the filing room.
“I don’t think interns have any need to be in this room, Thomas.”
“Yeah. Okay.” I place the W files back into their correct place and gaze back into her eyes. I’ve been caught red handed but I don’t care. “You want to get lunch?” I have no idea where this idea originated, and I know Marcus will kill me if I bring her back to the car, but I don’t care. I’ve been staring at her for the past two days and I know this is all or nothing. Today is my last day as a fake intern, and in the moment, I make a hasty decision.
Forget the files and my big elaborate plan, I can think of some other way to find them later. I can’t miss my last chance with Claire.
“I thought we already discussed this, Thomas. I don’t date my interns.” I remember her rejection from yesterday and know that this moment will determine everything.
“First, I’m not the typical intern, and second, this isn’t a date.” I give her my signature smile and get ready to turn on the charm. I’ll do anything to spend more time with her.
She sighs and bites her bottom lip, deep in thought. “I’ve noticed you aren’t the typical intern.” She’s flirting back with me and I know how well two can play this game.
“Go to lunch with me, Claire. Please.” This is my last opportunity to see her, and all I want is a little more time.
I see the war raging in her mind by the conflict displayed so openly on her face. “Okay.” Her voice is a whisper and I know I have her in the palm of my hand. I’ve cracked her walls and I feel like a king.
“I was just about to leave.” I gently place her hand in mine and surprisingly, she doesn’t pull away. We walk down the hall with Laurel eyeballing us.
“Laurel, I’ll be back in an hour,” Claire calls behind her while I rush us through the door. I need to get out of here before Birch makes another appearance and decides to take this girl away from me, too.
I SEE THE Porsche parked out front with Marcus sitting in the driver’s seat. He raises his eyebrows as I emerge from the building with a beautiful blonde holding my hand. I walk to the window and he rolls it down.
“We’re taking Claire to lunch today.” I signal for him to get in the back and then I walk to the passenger side to open the door for her. I usually don’t do this nice gentlemen act like opening doors and shit, but Claire’s the type of woman who you do this stuff for. If I barked orders at her, she would walk away and I would never see her beautiful face again. No, when it comes to Claire, I have to pull out all the stops.
“Claire, this is my partner in crime, Marcus. Marcus, this is Claire.” I make the small talk introductions as she slides into the seat. She has no idea how much meaning is behind the phrase “partner in crime.” I walk to the driver’s side and start the car. Claire looks slightly nervous, and I figure it’s due to Marcus’ huge presence that fills the car.
“Don’t worry about him, Claire. He looks scary, but he’s just a big teddy bear.” She gives me a shy smile and there goes my heart, melting again. Marcus is probably cussing at me under his breath, but I don’t care. I just made Claire smile.
“Where you would like to go?” I pull away from the curb because I don’t need to be seen near that law office anymore, and we head into the downtown area.
“It doesn’t matter to me.” I know what her reply means, and I’m ready to take control of the situation.
“Cheesecake Factory?” I want to take her someplace nice.
“Yeah, that sounds great.” She gives me a small smile and I melt a little again. We make small talk on the way there, our conversation flowing easily, with Marcus silent in the backseat. I know he’s pissed at me, but I’ll deal with him later. We pull into the parking lot, and I run around the car to open Claire’s door. I see Marcus shaking his head.
“See that sandwich shop across the street? I’m going over there to eat.” He mumbles his words, but I can make out exactly what he’s saying. He’s been mumbling his words at me for years. I grab Claire’s hand and we walk to the front of the building.
“Sounds good Marcus. We’ll meet back up at the car.” He mumbles something else and I watch him walk across the street. “He’s a man of few words,” I explain to Claire as I hold the door open so we can both walk through. The hostess quickly seats us, and I watch Claire as she scans the menu. She’s beyond beautiful, and the facial expressions she makes while studying the menu are heaven. She looks up and catches me staring. I give her a slight smile to stop the awkwardness.
“So Claire, how long have you been working at Mr. Birch’s law firm?”
“Almost five years.” She pauses for a minute, still looking into my eyes. “I’m still trying to figure out why don’t you look familiar? I seriously don’t remember interviewing you. Did Mr. Birch hire you?”
I take a breath. I hate to lie to this girl, but I am already living a lie. “Yeah, he hired me, but I don’t think it’s going to work out.”
“Oh.” She has a confused look on her face and her mouth does this “O” shaped thing. I want to reach across and kiss her when the waitress interrupts and breaks the spell.
“Can I take your order?” We tell her what we want and she walks away, leaving me looking right into Claire’s blue eyes.
“What do you do when you’re not interning? Where are you in law school?”
I give an involuntary laugh. Law school? If she only knew that my education doesn’t surpass high school. “Um, no. I’m not in law school. I’m…um…I’m in business for myself. I’m a mechanic.”
There. That was the best I could do without telling her I’m a car thief. Oh, and that I currently have a mug shot up at the police station, and her boss is in cahoots to help put me behind bars.
Claire’s brow winkles, and then I realize my mistake. Why in the hell would I be an intern at Birch’s office if I were a mechanic? What an idiot! I move quickly to change the subject.
“Did you go to law school?”
“I’m still in school. I have two more years and then I need to pass the bar. After that, I’m a full-fledged lawyer.” She says this with pride and her eyes light up. It brings a grin to my face to see someone this excited about life. I want to reach out and touch her.
I wish I could be like this. I wish I had something in life that made me this excited and happy.
“That’s great Claire. I’m sure you’ll be an incredible lawyer.”
She bows her head shyly and looks at the table. I reach across the gap and grab her hands. Her skin feels like silk to my rough callused hands, and I link her fingers between mine. If her fingers feel this amazing, I can’t imagine what the rest of her skin feels like. “You’re beautiful.” The words slip out, but I don’t regret them. Her face instantly becomes a rose red, and once again she brings a smile to my face.
“I’m not trying to embarrass you. It’s just that you’re seriously the most beautiful girl I’ve ever met.” I don’t mention that she’s sweet and kind and that makes her all the more beautiful. I’ve only spent a few days with her, yet I feel like I’ve known her my ent
ire life. She doesn’t pull away from my hands. In fact, she interlocks her fingers with mine and we stay this way until the meal arrives.
“What’s your favorite movie?” I ask, after taking a bite of my burger.
“Weekend at Bernie’s.” She smiles with the answer, and my eyes light up.
“I love that movie. I have it memorized!” I don’t think I’ve been this excited since grade school over a girl. We start quoting the movie back and forth. I am laughing. I don’t think I’ve laughed in years, at least, not a real laugh. I’m laughing for real with Claire and it feels amazing.
“What’s your favorite book?” she asks.
I swallow because if there’s something I love to do, it’s read. I have read every John Grisham book ever written. “A Time to Kill. John Grisham.” I look over at her, and she smiles.
“Mine is Gone with the Wind. Margaret Mitchell. A book that also contains my favorite quote.”
“Which is…” I’m intrigued because I love a good quote. I watch her eyes and lips as she leans in to me and almost whispers the words.
“Her lips on his could tell him better than all her stumbling words.”
I can’t breathe and my eyes are definitely on her lips now. I want to kiss her, but we’ve only known each other for three days. That’s never stopped me in the past, but like I said, there’s something different about Claire.
“What does that mean exactly?” I lean into her so our faces are only inches apart.
She breaks our eye contact and does this move with her bottom lip to let me know she’s thinking of the right words. “You know…when your own words will just mess everything up. When there’s so much you want to say, but you’re not sure how to say it exactly. When you’re in that situation, a kiss can speak more than the words themselves. That’s what the quote means.”
She’s back looking at me, and without thinking, I reach over to grab her hand again. I’ve never met a girl who’s into books and quotes before. Most of the street girls I’ve met have never read a book.
The Thief Redeemer Page 3