by Lane Hayes
Part 3-
The second I finished a major contract, another three were marked urgent and dumped on my desk. On one hand, it was great. I was making a ridiculous amount of money, but working eighty-plus hours a week wore on me. The research alone was too much for one person, which meant I had to rely heavily on my assistants and interns. Some were easier to work with than others. Their schedules were erratic because of law school or research they’d started for other lawyers. Of course, the one who always seemed available was the one I hoped to avoid.
Jana was diligent and she was definitely a hard worker, but the subtle touches and sexy glances were becoming a problem. She swung her hair over her shoulder and batted her eyelashes before asking mundane questions. And she couldn’t hand over a piece of paper without touching my arm. It was bad enough when we were alone, but she was getting more daring. When my secretary shot an annoyed glance between us as Jana walked out of my office twittering like a teenager, I knew I was going to have to say something. Again.
“Aaron would not approve,” Colleen said sharply, gazing at me over the rim of her tortoiseshell glasses.
I made a face and let out a deep breath. “Everyone here knows I’m not single. I’m not sure how to make it any clearer, but yeah…I’ll talk to her.”
She nodded curtly in a deceptive way that might give the impression she didn’t care, but I knew better. Colleen Vegas was somewhat intimidating for a five-foot-three middle-aged woman. She had short, dark-brown hair, brown eyes, and zero tolerance for BS. She’d been my secretary for two years, and though it had taken a few months for us to find a rhythm, we were a good team. She kept my schedule in line and watched over my office like a feral sentry. And she loved my boyfriend.
“Good. In other news, Lang is out sick. He’s working from home and said he’d forward his research notes by this afternoon. You’ll need someone to pull the highlighted records at the Department of External Affairs. He suggested Jana, the president of your fan club, because she’s familiar with the project. She helped him with some photocopying, but apparently that makes her an expert now. If I were reading between the lines, I’d say Lang wants what Jana would love to give you. Proceed at your own risk, Sullivan. Also, your mortgage lender called. And…your mother is on hold.”
I massaged the back of my neck and winced. “Thanks. I think.”
I headed to my office and dropped into my leather chair before picking up the phone on my desk. I’d told her a million times to call my cell if she wanted to talk to me, but she never listened. I had a feeling going through my secretary was her way of making herself known to the people who worked for me. For a relatively young sixty-year-old, my mother was getting weirdly possessive as I got older. At least she was with me. I doubted my brother or sisters had to deal with this much interference.
“Hi, Mom.”
“Sweetheart, how are you?” she gushed.
“I’m fine, but I’m busy. Can I call you later?”
“This will only take a second. Your father and I are coming for a short visit in a couple of weeks. Don’t worry. I know you don’t have much room. We’ll stay at a hotel, but save a night for us to take you out to dinner.”
“O-kay. You know you’re welcome to stay with us.”
“That’s sweet of you, but your place is far too small. And you have a roommate. We wouldn’t want to put Aaron out.”
I gritted my teeth together. “I don’t have a roommate, Mom. I—”
“Oh. Did he move out? I talked to him last week, and he didn’t sound like he was going anywhere. It’s for the better, honey. If you’re alone though, Dad and I will certainly stay with you.”
“No!”
“So we should stay at the hotel?” she asked, managing to sound hurt even though it was her suggestion in the first place.
“That’s not what I—look, I’m not sure how many times I have to tell you this, Mom, but…I don’t have a roommate. I have a boyfriend.” I paused for a moment to let the word sink in and continued. “Aaron and I live together in a very spacious condo we bought together. It isn’t my place, it’s ours. Mine and Aaron’s. You and Dad are more than welcome to stay with us. As you know from your previous visits, the guest room is always ready, and you have your own bathroom. If you prefer a hotel, that’s up to you. But Aaron, my boyfriend, isn’t going anywhere. So please…be nice. Okay?”
“I’m always nice.”
Right.
The rest of the conversation was relatively brief. I typed the dates she gave me in a text to Aaron, who responded immediately with a bug-eyed emoji and then a second one with the eyes crossed out. My phone vibrated in my hand before I could press Send on my next message to him.
“Why now? I’m so stressed-out at work, I can’t see straight…not that I ever could really, but I’m not sure I can deal with your mother face-to-face right now. Not when she’s in one of her ‘It’s time for Matthew to settle down, buy a house in the suburbs and start a family’ moods. How many times did she call me your roommate when you talked to her?”
I swiveled my chair to look out the window. The rain was coming in thick sheets, making it difficult to see much beyond the streaks of water sliding down the windowpane. Fuck. I hated dealing with shit. It was an unfair double standard that didn’t seem to register with my mother, no matter how many times I’d addressed it over the years.
“Once,” I admitted with a sigh.
“That’s better than usual. I wish we were on a tropical island right now. We need a vacation, Matty.”
“Yeah. I agree.” I didn’t have to remind him that neither of us was in a position at work to take one, but damn, I felt the same way.
He must have heard the longing or weariness in my tone. When he spoke again, his voice felt like a caress. I could almost feel his hand on my brow or his lips on my forehead. These were the moments I knew what we had was worth fighting for and that I was a lucky man.
“We’ll get there. Until then…back to reality. What do you want for dinner?”
I smiled at his sudden cheerfulness. “Let me take you out. I’m supposed to meet Curt for a drink at The Mark after work. Find us at the bar, and we’ll ditch him and have dinner there or wherever you want. What do you say?”
“Perfecto. Te amo, mi amor.”
He ended the call before I could reply. It was just as well; I had a ton to do. I pocketed my cell as I swiveled to my desk. Nothing had changed; I still had more balls in the air than a sane person could juggle. But I had Aaron too. That was all that mattered.
The Mark was a new uber-hip restaurant downtown with a warehouse-meets-farmhouse ambience that shouldn’t work but did. Lanterns hung from high ceilings with exposed air ducts while traditional landscapes in ornate frames lined the rough-hewn, wood-planked walls. Giant galvanized bins filled with spring blossoms dotted the space, lending a homey feel to the very crowded restaurant.
I congratulated myself on my perfect timing. I’d purposely arrived five minutes late, knowing Curt would get there at least five to ten minutes early to secure a table. I spotted him near the window talking to a cute waiter with a mop of curly blond hair and a flirty grin.
“I recommend the jalapeño margarita. It’s just the right amount of spicy,” the waiter said.
“Um, I think I’ll stick with a beer. Thank you,” Curt replied, sounding a bit flustered.
“I’ll have the same.” I smiled at the young man as I took the chair opposite Curt. “Hi, honey. How was your day?”
Curt kicked me under the table but waited until we were alone to blast me. “You’re a fucking moron.”
“I love ya, Curtster. And I’d hate for the poor guy to get on Jack’s bad side if he thought someone was after his man.”
Curt rolled his eyes. “He wasn’t flirting with me.”
“He was. Hey, a fancy looking lawyer-type sitting by himself at a high-end bar…who can blame the boy for trying?”
“You’re hysterical. No one flirts with me. And that’s
fine by me. I honestly wouldn’t know how to respond. Guys and girls flirt with Jack all the time. Me? Not so much.”
“Poor baby. Feeling sad and lonely?” I teased.
“Not at all. In fact…I just wrapped up a huge project. I’m feeling fine!”
We thanked the waiter for our drinks, then talked shop for a few minutes. It was nice to have a close friend and fellow lawyer who was roughly in the same place in his career. We commiserated over our workloads and changes in protocol in an in-depth way we couldn’t with other friends. I glanced at my phone when Curt ordered another round.
“What’s going on? Got a hot date?”
“Yep. Aar is meeting me here for dinner. The reservation is in fifteen minutes. He left me a text saying he’s on his way, which is code for ‘I’m leaving in ten minutes.’ He’ll be late for sure,” I griped good-naturedly.
“I’d keep you company, but Jack should be home soon. You can stay at the bar and flirt with the cute waiter till he gets here,” he joked.
“He’s not into me. He’s only got eyes for you, Curtster. Fine by me. Between my work stalker and my mother, I’ve got enough on my plate. I’m hoping for a drama-free dinner. Thank you very much.” I raised my glass in a mock toast and took a sip.
“What’s up with your mom? Don’t tell me she’s trying to introduce you to nice young women from her church group again?”
I snorted. “I don’t think she belongs to a church group, but she’s pulling another one of her famous passive-aggressive crusades where she conveniently forgets I’m in a relationship. And that I’m happy. It’s weird because she likes Aaron. Everyone in my family does.”
“She just doesn’t like him for you. Or she would if he didn’t have a dick.”
“Yeah. Feel free to say that a little louder, asshole,” I snarked, turning toward the reception desk just as a large party entered.
“She’s gonna have a heart attack when you finally ask him to marry you.”
“What makes you think I’m ready for that?”
“Dude. Are you kidding me? After your performance the other night at dinner, Jack and I placed bets you’d be engaged within the month. You’re so fucking obvious. But it’s a good thing. Be happy. And remind your mom that’s what she’s always telling you she wants for you anyway. Happiness.” He waited for my nod of agreement before adding, “By the way, if you ask him before the twenty-fifth, I win fifty bucks, so chop-chop.”
Curt clapped for emphasis and gave me a mischievous grin.
“Ha. Ha,” I quipped weakly.
I suddenly felt overwhelmed by the weight of grown-up responsibility. I hated being pulled in opposing directions and having my sense of loyalty tested. The man I was five years ago would have sworn family came first. But things had changed.
“Don’t worry. You’ll figure it out. Sooner rather than later is my only advice and not because I desperately want to win a bet. You need to take control. Be decisive and make shit happen. That’s the attitude that’ll make Aaron say yes, your mom shut up, and maybe catch the eye of a cute waiter or two who’ll make sure your drinks are delivered in a timely manner.”
I chuckled at his self-satisfied expression and gestured for him to put his wallet away when he stood. “I got this. Thanks for the advice, Mr. Townsend.”
“Anytime. If it’s not raining, let’s play basketball this weekend. I think Chelsea is dragging Jason to some spa weekend in the mountains, but Peter said he’d take his place if we need a fourth. Jay is—” Curt cocked his head curiously as he stared at someone or something behind me.
“What is it?”
“What does your work stalker look like? Is she a pretty brunette with long legs and big boobs?” My stomach turned ominously. Oh, fuck. Not now. I nodded mutely, then tipped back the last of my beer. “Ah. Lucky you. She’s coming this way now.”
Have you ever noticed how minor aggravations seem to take on a life of their own at the most inconvenient times? My intuition warned me to be on guard. I had a volatile Latin lover who was already stressed-out from work and news of my parents’ impending visit. Running into the sexy intern who made no secret she had a crush on me and wasn’t above making bold overtures was the last thing Aaron would want to deal with tonight. Hell, it was the last thing I wanted to deal with. It wasn’t like I planned it—shit happened. Unfortunately, I knew logic wouldn’t fly if my boyfriend walked in on me engaged in a chummy conversation with a pretty brunette with stars in her eyes.
I glanced at Curt, who pasted on a friendly “about to meet a stranger” look and stage-whispered, “And three, two, one…”
“Hi, Mr. Sullivan! I thought that was you,” Jana gushed, squeezing my arm enthusiastically.
“Hi, Jana. Funny to run into you here. Um…hey, this is my friend, Curt. Jana is one of our interns. She’s been extremely helpful with the contract we’re working on.”
Curt’s half eye roll said it all and then some. Lame. “Nice to meet you.”
I stood and shoved my phone into my suit pocket while they muddled through cordial introductions. “We’re heading out now. You’re welcome to take our table if you want. It’s packed in here.”
“Actually I’ve been sitting on the other end of the bar with my friends.” She pointed to a group of women gathering their belongings and moving toward the main dining area. “One of them made a reservation, but I’m not sure if I’ll stay. Do you have plans tonight, Mr. Sullivan?”
“Uh…yeah, actually I do.”
The ensuing stilted pause was awkward as hell. I wanted out.
Curt rustled his keys as he inclined his head toward the door. “I have to go. I’ll talk to you later, Matt. Tell Aaron hi, and don’t forget about basketball this weekend.”
He bumped my shoulder as he sidled past us and headed for the exit, leaving me with the perky intern. Great.
Jana bit her bottom lip and batted her lashes shyly. I had to give it to her. She had flirtation down to a science. She was obvious about what she wanted, but there was a sudden fragility about her that made it difficult to be abrupt or unkind. Not that I would be—I still had to work with her.
I stepped aside when a couple swooped in to take our table; then I gestured vaguely toward the reception desk in the adjoining area. “I’m having dinner here tonight. I should get going.”
“I’ll come with you. I mean…to join my friends.”
She flashed a winning smile, following closely as I made my way through the tightly packed bar to the entrance. At some point she latched on to me, slipping her arm through the crook of my elbow as if she needed me to pull her to safety. I gently extricated myself from her grip and craned my neck to see if my date had arrived.
“Bye, Jana. See you tomorrow. Enjoy your dinner.”
“Wait! Can I ask you something, Mr. Sullivan?”
“Um…sure. And you can call me Matt. Mr. Sullivan sounds a little formal.”
Jana smiled shyly then dragged her teeth over her bottom lip in what was probably supposed to be a sexy maneuver. “Okay. Thank you. Are you with someone, Matt? Colleen mentioned that you were but…”
“I am.”
“Is it serious? I don’t mean to come on strong”—she chuckled when I widened my eyes comically before continuing—“but I like you. You’re a brilliant lawyer and honestly, you’re one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met. You always stop what you’re doing to help interns and newbies and I guess I was wondering if…you know.”
“I’m flattered, Jana, but yeah, I’m in a serious relationship. The practically married kind of serious.”
“But not quite!” She held up a finger and made a funny face that went a long way toward defusing the clumsy vibe between us.
“Yeah, well I’m hoping to change that soon.”
“Oh, wow! Congratulations!” Her enthusiasm seemed sincere. I smiled, then glanced away just as she threw her arms around me.
And because timing was everything, that was when Aaron walked in.
He stopp
ed in his tracks and gave me a lopsided grin, clearly amused at my predicament. I’ll take amusement over jealousy any day, I thought as I pushed Jana away and turned to face my man. Damn, he looked amazing. He wore an electric-blue suit coat with dark, slim-fitted trousers. If I had to guess, I’d bet he’d come from a photo shoot where the makeup artist decided to use him as a guinea pig. His hazel eyes were heavily lined, and there was a pale tint to his lip gloss.
I was aware of Jana’s excited chatter next to me, but I couldn’t really hear her. I was reminded of the first night I met Aaron. He’d taken my breath away. I was in awe of him and freaked out by my reaction. My pulse skipped, my palms were slick, and my mouth felt like the Sahara. I hadn’t known then what was going on with me. Now, I knew I was in love.
“Hi. I’m late,” he said with a cocky smile that grew with each passing second. He knew what he did to me, and he fucking loved it.
“You’re perfect.” I pulled Aaron forward and kissed his cheek. Then I put my arm over his shoulder and turned to the bewildered woman beside me. “Jana, this is my boyfriend, Aaron.”
To say she was shocked was a bit of an understatement. She looked blown away and maybe even a little ill. She stared at us long enough that I wondered if she was waiting for a punch line or a “just kidding.” When she sensed it wasn’t coming, she cleared her throat and finally took Aaron’s outstretched hand.
“Oh! Oh…oh, right. Um…it’s nice to meet you.”
“You too. Do you work at the firm?” he asked politely.
“Y-yes. I’m an intern who’s interning.” She grimaced as she caught herself and gestured to somewhere in the restaurant. “Uh, I should go find my friends. I’ll see you tomorrow, Matt. Nice to meet you.”
Cool. That was done. I rubbed Aaron’s shoulder and stepped toward the hostess desk when she called my name. “Come on, babe. I’m starving.”
We were seated at a small table for two in the middle of the restaurant, next to a glass-and-steel banister. There was no neighboring table on one side, but we had a bird’s eye view of the entire space. The hostess set two menus and a wine list next to a tiny vase of wildflowers and the single votive on the white linen tablecloth and assured us our waiter would be with us soon. I opened the leather-bound wine list and perused the first page before glancing at my uncharacteristically quiet date.