by MJ Masucci
He took her hand in his again and walked her over to the far corner of the room where the music wasn’t so imposing. He asked her to tell him about her life, and she told him what she did for a living and what she would be doing for a living soon. He told her he was involved with importing and exporting olive oil and other items from Greece as well as other parts of the Mediterranean.
She liked how he never lost eye contact with her and his voice was so smooth that it rolled over her like smoke. They continued to talk until she heard someone say that it was almost time for the ball to drop. To her amazement, she had been talking to Christos for over two hours. When the countdown began, they counted down together while he held her hand. When the strike of midnight came, he turned to her and put his hand on her cheek asking if he could kiss her. She gave him permission, and he pressed his lips gently to hers. She felt the tingles she felt when he first touched her hand.
At the end of the night, Sam came to get her so they could leave the party with Robert. Christos asked for her cell number, and when she gave it to him, he called her immediately.
“Now you have mine,” he said, his black eyes shining. He kissed her lips again, and she went to the elevator feeling giddy.
As soon as the doors closed, Sam began with the questions. “What was that all about?”
“Nothing, we just talked all night. He said he wants to take me to lunch sometime.”
Sam furrowed her eyebrows, “Ava, be careful; Christos is nice, but he also has a stable of women. If you think you will be the only one, get that delusion out of your head.”
“Sam, I have no intention of getting involved with anyone right now. I just want to date. I can do that, can’t I?”
“I’m not saying that you can’t.”
“Can we drop it? I don’t want to ruin a perfect night.”
The streets were deserted of cabs, and when they finally got one, they decided to take it together. The two of them dropped Ava off first and then went further uptown to Sam’s loft. Before heading to the elevator, Ava stopped by the mailboxes as she had forgotten to earlier in the day, and there was a small package wrapped in brown paper. I wonder what this is?
She waited until she got into her apartment to open it. In the box was a small lavender ceramic rose. She searched for a card, but there was none. She picked up the wrapping, and the postmark was California. It was from Xander. Only he would send her something as symbolic as a lavender rose, which she promptly put on her nightstand.
She slept late since she had gone to bed at two. She looked out the window, and light flakes of snow were coming down. She loved to walk through the park when it snowed, but it was very cold. She decided to stay inside and relax for the day since she had to go back to work tomorrow, and she was sure that Jacob would drill her. It was now January, and the bar exam was next month. She started to feel butterflies in her stomach as she thought about it. Was she was ready?
She walked around her apartment in her flannel pajamas for most of the day watching TV and trying to complete the New York Times crossword puzzle from this past Sunday. In the late afternoon, she went to her room to get some clothing for after her shower. She spied the ceramic rose that Xander had sent her where she had left it, on her nightstand. She picked it up and rolled it between her fingers then opened the drawer and gently placed it in, not wanting the reminder of him out in the open.
The next work day she walked from the subway in her boots. The night had produced some snow that blanketed the sidewalks. It was cold enough to see your breath, and she hurried to get into the warmth of the building lobby.
She sat at her desk and removed her boots, slipping into her heels before she started work. She opened her email, and there was a group message from the partners. The subject line read: We would like to welcome. She opened the email and read it in disbelief.
Staff Members of Keene, Ashburn, and Wilder,
We would like to welcome the return of Alexander Wilder to our ranks. Alexander will be starting on Monday, January 6th. Please give him a warm welcome. Thank you.
The Partners
Are you fucking kidding me? How come no one told her that he would be working back at the firm? What’s more, he would be living in the same city as her again. She was furious with Jacob. He probably knew and said nothing to her now she was going to have to figure out how to work with Xander while being civil to him. She practically ran down to Jacob’s office and barged into his partially closed door as she began her accusation.
“Did you fucking know?”
“Ava, keep your voice down. Know what?”
“That Xander was coming back to work here.”
“What? No, of course not. Where did you hear this?”
“Did you check your email yet? There’s a message from the partners.”
She waited for him to check and watched his face as he frowned.
“I had no idea. No one told me anything.”
She sat down and put her face in her hands.
“How am I supposed to work with him around?”
“Ava, this is a place of business. You can’t let your personal feelings get in the way of what you need to accomplish. You aren’t working for him; you work for me. Just keep your distance, and you’ll be fine.”
She nodded in agreement as they heard noise coming from the hall.
They watched as workers passed and opened the office that Xander would once again occupy. They heard furniture moving around and smelled paint as it went up on the walls.
“I guess he is going back to that office,” she said as she slid folders off Jacob’s desk and exited the room. She would have to work at her desk for now on especially when he was around. The research room was even better. He wouldn’t come in there or look for her. She sat down at her desk and Sam came up behind her, putting a hand on her shoulder.
“I assume you read the email?”
“I did, and I don’t care. We aren’t together, and I don’t work for him.”
Sam narrowed her eyes at her. “You’re so full of shit. I’ve known you for almost ten years, and it bothers you. You can’t hide it from me. Remember I saw what a basket case you were at my engagement party when you saw him.”
“I’m fine now. It’s over, and I have nothing to say to him. I have work to do. I’ll talk to you later.”
She walked toward the break room, leaving Sam doubting the words that she spoke.
All day and that evening, Ava felt the anxiety rising in her. She ate nothing for dinner because she felt nauseous. She knew it was ridiculous to feel this way so far in advance; after all, it was only Thursday.
Xander would not be starting back until Monday. She tried to study but had no focus. Instead, she decided to select a book from her collection on the bookshelf. She ran her finger through several titles and stopped on Crime and Punishment. It had been several years since she last read it. She slipped the hardbound book off the shelf and brushed away some bits of dust.
She took the book to her bed and got settled in before opening it. One of the roses that she had pressed in the book and had forgotten fell into her lap. She picked it up and held the delicate flower in her hand. It was dried and pressed flat now. She searched the book for the other one and let it fall on the bed. She held them in her hand until her emotions got the best of her, biting her bottom lip as tears silently fell.
She gently placed the roses back in the book and closed it. She was no longer in the mood to read and replaced the book on the shelf. She crawled back in bed and pulled her thick white quilt over her.
The next morning she woke up feeling groggy. She had been restless the night before, waking several times. A shower did not help her feel any more refreshed, and she didn’t take a lot of time fussing with her clothing for work. She put her hair in a ponytail and only applied mascara. She was ready for the weekend and was glad it was Friday.
Ava left the apartment in a daze and almost left the building before she realized she had forgotten to fee
d the boys. She went back upstairs, and they were patiently waiting for her to fill their food bowl.
When she arrived at the office, there was an email from her uncle waiting for her asking for her to come to his office immediately upon her arrival. She quickly walked to his office, and his secretary motioned her inside.
“Ava, we have a favor to ask you.”
We, included Jacob and Peter.
“We need you to start working a few days full-time if not full-time for the entire week. I know your test is coming up, but you have been studying for months, and I’m sure you can spare some time here in the office.”
“I was going to take extra time to study. Why do you need me to work full-time?”
“Jacob is taking on a large case, and he would prefer that you are dedicated to him rather than bring in extra assistants for the workload. Are you able to do this?”
“I should be. He has been drilling me for the past few months. I feel ready to take the test now if you must know.”
“I’m sure you’ll do fine. We need you to start on Monday.”
She nodded as a feeling of overwhelming anxiety hit her. Xander was starting on Monday, and she wouldn’t be able to escape until five or later each day. She should have said no, but she didn’t want to disappoint her uncle or Jacob.
She exited the office with Jacob close behind.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Your face is flushed,” Jacob said.
“I’m okay.”
She went to his office and he briefed her on the case they would be working on for the next several weeks. He mentioned that another attorney might be brought into assist and Ava hoped that wouldn’t be Xander. The last thing she needed was to be subjected to being near him all day. One whiff of his cologne and she would feel weak in her knees.
She was thrilled when the day ended for her. Jacob was too busy to drill her for the bar. She was able to go home and take a much-needed nap. Sam had texted her asking if she wanted to hang out that night but she said she needed to study. Ava had a feeling that her explanation to Sam on Thursday about Xander did not sit well. She didn’t want to be interrogated all night.
She spent the weekend studying, cleaning and having lunch with Tim on Sunday. She finally told him that she only wanted to be friends. His behavior simply scared her. She could only imagine how he would be if they were alone together. He seemed to take the news well and remained cheerful agreeing that they weren’t all that compatible.
Tim left their lunch meeting seemingly happy to Ava. But when he started his short walk to his apartment, he certainly wasn’t. She had dumped him as a suitor, and he was enraged. He had done everything up until now for her, risking his career and life to make a better one for their future. Changing his appearance and clothing choices. He had spent quite a bit of money on her, and she didn’t even blink an eye as if she deserved it. He wouldn’t give up trying to win her back. She was going to be his even if she didn’t know it yet. He just needed to figure out a way to track her again.
She had mentioned to him what Roger had found on her phone and removed. She couldn’t understand who would do such a thing. His reaction was supportive, and he even told her he would do some research on how to find out who installed the applications. He knew there was little that could be done to locate that person, but she didn’t know that. He would continue to play the rational and calm friend helping her through a tough time.
It was Monday. She opened her eyes. In two short hours, she would be facing Xander Wilder at the office. Last night, she took pains to find the perfect dress that hugged her body in all the right places. She got up and showered quickly then took her time pinning her hair up. After she was dressed and just like at the engagement party, she applied a heavier than usual amount of makeup. She was naturally beautiful and didn’t need it, but it acted like a shield for her. Lastly, she picked out the highest (but professional) heels she had as they accentuated her legs the best.
At her desk that morning, she looked in her compact mirror before making her way down to Jacob’s office. He was sitting among several piles of folders and paging through a law book from the shelf. Jacob looked up when she entered his office.
“Are you ready for a long day?”
“Yes, it’s not the first time that I’ve worked full-time.”
He motioned to a stack of folders on his desk. “I need you to research these. I’m sorry if it seems like a lot, but our firm took this case over from another firm, and we need to make sure that everything is correct.”
They heard the door to the office next door open, and seconds later Xander poked his head in the door. Ava did not turn her head when he said hello, only waved over her shoulder at his greeting. She couldn’t bear to see his gorgeous face. After he had left, Jacob spoke up.
“That was kind of rude, you know.”
“Jacob, what do you want me to say to him?”
“You could just have turned and said hello. Don’t create tension.”
“I’m not creating tension; it’s already there.”
Jacob sighed loudly as Ava picked up the folders and went down the hall to her desk. As she passed, she saw Xander getting a cup of coffee in the break room. Ava could smell his cologne, and it gave her the jitters. She stumbled, and the folders spilled out of her hand. As she kneeled to pick them up, and she could feel the heat from his body next to her.
A wisp of hair had fallen into her face, and he used his thumb to brush it out ever so slightly touching her forehead. She felt electricity as his finger brushed against her. He handed her the folders as she rose from the floor.
“Thank you,” she said as she took them without looking at his face.
“You’re welcome, Ava.”
She shivered as her name rolled off his tongue. She knew she was blushing, and she hurried to her desk before he noticed. Fuck, how am I going to work around him?
Xander sat in his office listening to her soft voice filter through the wall. He had wanted to see her and had anticipated this moment since he saw her at the engagement party. What luck that his father gave him the corner office again. Double luck that Ava was working for Jacob and he was just next door to him.
That contact with her skin created a spark between them and he knew she felt it, was sure that was why she hurried away. He watched her as she walked away in the curve-hugging dress and he felt his cock twitch. Working so close to her was not going to be easy, but at least he would see her almost every day.
At the end of the day, Ava packed up her work materials and dropped them off in Jacob’s office. He was taking notes.
“Do you want to stay later so I can help you study? I’m just finishing up. I’m sure Sandra won’t mind if I’m a little late.”
“No way. I forgot how tiring is doing research all day can be.”
“Then tomorrow we will study together during lunch if I take one.”
She talked to Jacob for a little while longer and then left to get her coat and purse. When she entered the lobby, she felt like she was being watched and she looked around to see Xander sitting at one of the café tables drinking coffee. His eyes were fixed on her, and she looked away before he took it as a cue to approach her.
She was exhausted, and her emotions were on edge. She didn’t know how she was going to do this day after day. As she waited for a cab, she felt someone tap her shoulder. She turned to see Xander standing behind her.
“I want to talk to you.”
“Well, I don’t want to talk to you. I think you said all there was to say in that disgusting email you wrote me.”
“I don’t know why you keep saying that I wrote you a nasty email. I told you that before, but you won’t listen to me. And I told you that I would never cheat on you.”
“Please stop doing this to me. I can’t do this day after day. Leave me alone. Why did you come back to New York?”
“Because of you,” he said quietly.
“I’m so
rry you did.” She got into the cab that had just pulled up to the curb and left him there. The tortured look on his face as it pulled away tore at her heart. Why did he keep denying that he sent the email?
She took out her phone and scrolled to her email saved folder. She pulled up the email and looked at it and the address it came from. It was his personal email address so why would he think that she was going to accept that he didn’t send it?
She called David when she got home because he was one of the few people that wouldn’t judge her. She explained that Xander had come back to work at the firm and he kept denying that he sent the email.
“David, is there a way for someone to send an email that wasn’t really from that person.”
“You mean a spoof address sent it, but it looks like someone else did?”
“I guess. I’m not very up on technology.”
“There are several applications that you can use to do that. You can send an email spoofing someone else. That is fucked up. And you think that someone did that?”
She felt her stomach tighten. Suppose he never sent the email, and someone else did?
“Ava? Are you still there?”
“Suppose it’s the same person that put the tracking applications on my phone sent that email. But why would they do that and what’s more who could have done it?”
“Do you know how to check to see if his email was blocked? I don’t know how to do it on the iPhone.”
“I don’t, but I bet Roger does and can talk me through it.”
“Call him and then call me back.”
She hung up the phone and dialed Dani. She explained what she needed and fortunately Dani was with Roger, who gave her instructions. She wrote them down and followed the navigation through her menus just as he said, finding that not only had Xander’s phone number been blocked but also his email.