by Holly Rayner
I stood there looking around the room I was in for a full five minutes after Phillip left. It was definitely a library. It was filled with classic and out of print titles that were probably worth more than all of James’s executives yearly salaries put together. I had to look at all of this excess that he seemed to flaunt and wonder how much of it came from illegal or immoral gains. I hardly doubt that his taking advantage of me was the first or the last time he took advantage of someone. Shaking my head in disgust, I moved on. No one was in the hall so I headed in the direction I had been going in to begin with and slipped into the next room I came to. It was some kind of office, or study. There was an oversized cherry wood desk in front of a plush looking leather chair. Behind it was a set of shelves that contained gold framed photographs of James Hunter with various public figures and even a few celebrities. I didn’t see any of him with his own son… imagine that. To the left of the shelves was a large wooden filing cabinet.
I went back over to the door and looked out into the hall once more. It still appeared that I was alone. I closed the door and went over to the filing cabinet. Sliding the top drawer open I saw neatly organized files with dates written across the top of each of them. It appeared that they were in chronological order. The drawer I was in appeared to be recent files from this year. I knew that I didn’t have time to stand here and go through all of them right now, although I would have liked to… for no other reason than to see what other evil things this man had been up to. I closed that drawer and opened the one on the bottom. I found the year I was looking for and pulled out the first file. It had documents in it… original documents for the purchase of an apartment building on Park Avenue. I put it back and pulled out the next one. This one was a court document and I saw the name I was hoping for: Morgan Corp.
It listed my father’s company as the “Plaintiff” and the “Respondent” was listed as the one and only James Hunter. My father was suing James? I turned the first page and began reading. It looked like my father was suing him for a breach of confidentiality. It also said that James Hunter was filing a countersuit against my father for slander. James was a lawyer during that time. Was he my father’s lawyer before the civil suit? I began to turn to the next page when I heard the sound of footsteps on the smooth wood floor in the hall. Damn it! I’d left my bag up front with my coat. I didn’t have anywhere to put the papers in the slinky dress I was wearing. I shoved the file back in the drawer and closed it. I would have to figure out another way to get back in here. I stood up just as I heard the doorknob turn and acted like I was looking at the photos on the shelf.
“Erin?” I turned around. It was Seth poking his head in the door. Thank God he hadn’t found me on my knees in front of his father’s private filing cabinet.
“Yeah,” I said. He pushed the door open further and came inside.
“Hey, what are you doing in here? I’ve been looking all over for you.”
“I just needed some time to myself,” I told him.
“Are you okay? I’m sorry if your feelings were hurt. My father can be a real ass sometimes.”
“Your father’s behavior was not what upset me,” I told him.
He knew that I was talking about him. I saw a guilty expression cross his face and then he said, “I’m not sure what you expected me to do. I didn’t want to cause a scene in front of the guests.”
I looked at him for a long time. Did he really not know that I expected him to stick up for me no matter who was there? We were seeing each other… we were sleeping together… of course I expected him to stick up for me. I wanted to be more important than his asshole father and stuffy guests. I thought it so strange that he didn’t see that, but this was neither the time nor the place for that discussion. I had a headache and no desire to have another run in with the senior Hunter. I was finished for tonight.
“I’d like to go home, Seth. I’m not feeling very well.”
“Okay, I’m sorry. I’ll take you.” He said that because that’s what I expected, but I could see the anxiety in his eyes. I’m sure him leaving in the middle of the party would be the source of a fight between him and his father. As angry as I was with him, I didn’t want him to have to go through that.
“No. You stay here, finish the party. I’ll be fine if you can just have your driver take me, please.”
“Erin…”
“We don’t have to talk about this tonight Seth. Please.”
He nodded and said, “I’ll have Trevor bring the car around. I’ll talk to you tomorrow?” I didn’t answer him. In spite of how angry I wanted to be at him, the hurt in his eyes made me feel bad. I tamped it down, like I told Seth… not tonight.
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