Rhyme

by Lexy Timms

  Sometime later, a knock at Olivia’s door startled her. She looked up and found Melissa standing in the doorway, holding a cardboard box.

  “Melissa!” Olivia was so incredibly glad to see her. “Come in. Please.” She came around her desk, reaching out for Melissa’s arm.

  But Melissa stood just outside Olivia’s office, her face solemn, not speaking. It wasn’t until Olivia stepped into the hall that she noticed Nathan from Human Resources standing at Melissa’s desk.

  “I’m here to get my stuff and I wanted to say good-bye,” Melissa mumbled, head down. Olivia wanted to hug her, but with Nathan standing right there, practically guarding her, it didn’t seem like the right thing to do.

  “I’ll call you,” she said instead. “Tonight. Okay?”

  Melissa nodded, and Olivia could see tears gathering in her friend’s eyes. Rather than embarrass them both by giving in to the rising urge to cry too, Olivia went back to her office, closing the door quietly behind her.

  Logan’s case, she told herself. That’s the only thing that matters. He had some solid grounds to go after Ashton, but everything would depend on the financial documents both sides produced.

  It was just before lunch when Olivia felt she had enough to take the revised complaint to Ryan. But she hesitated, not wanting to face him again so soon after the morning’s... whatever that had been.

  Glancing at her watch, Olivia decided to take it after all. If she was lucky, he would be at lunch and she could just leave it on his desk. If not, she’d leave it with Lori and just avoid him altogether. It wasn’t the best plan, but she wasn’t ready to face him again.

  But when she came around the corner on Ryan’s floor, Lori was gone. Ryan stood at her desk, reading a file. He looked up as Olivia came to an abrupt halt several feet away, hands going white-knuckled around the edges of the folder she held.

  Her first instinct was to bolt. The only thing that stopped her was the knowledge of just how unprofessional that would look to the few people not at lunch; she didn’t need another thing for the partners to censure her over. And after all, what could he do to her here in the middle of the office? She forced her feet to move toward him.

  “Olivia. I was just coming to find you. Do you have a minute?” Ryan inclined his head toward his office.

  “Actually, I was just dropping off the Graham file with the complaint for you to review, like you asked for.” She held the file at arm’s length, hoping he would take it.

  “Yes. I see.” Ryan reached out and took the folder, watching her with a calculated gaze. She felt like she was being studied—and found wanting.

  “As you wish. I’ll read it through and if it’s acceptable I’ll have Lori type it up. We should be able to file tomorrow morning.” Ryan tapped the folder on the edge of Lori’s desk. “Do you have time for lunch? I was just heading out to grab a bite.”

  Olivia was shaking her head before Ryan finished his sentence. She registered the darkening look on his face but went on. “No. Sorry. I have... I have a lot more to do. I have a filing due today, if you remember, on a different case. And with Melissa gone I don’t want to fall behind.”

  “Right,” Ryan said flatly. “That reminds me. Come into my office.”

  At the repeated invitation, she felt her heart sink. She glanced around the area. The last place she wanted to be was in Ryan’s office when the rest of the floor was nearly deserted. But refusing an outright order from a partner was the kind of thing that could get her censured.

  Ryan was waiting for her. Reluctantly, she walked into his office, careful not to go beyond the doorway.

  “Why so shy? You were anything but this morning.” Ryan sat behind his desk, watching her closely. Olivia said nothing. He shrugged and took a folder from his desk. “Here. It’s a list of paralegals who’ve submitted resumes to the firm. Read through them, pick out five or so that interest you, and let Nathan Hunter know which you like. They’ll set up interviews and we’ll have someone for you as soon as we can.”

  Olivia nodded and took the file, stepping quickly back into the hallway. “Thank you, Ryan. I’ll do that.”

  As she turned away, she felt Ryan’s eyes still watching her, and barely resisted the urge to run.

  In her office, she closed the door, tossing the file on her desk. She wanted to call Melissa, but more than that she wanted to hear Logan’s voice, the soft cadence of his speech. Maybe he’d tell her again that he loved her.

  In the heat of the moment last night, in the rush of the morning, Olivia hadn’t had time to savor Logan’s words, their full meaning. He had said that he loved her.

  She closed her eyes, letting all the wonderful feelings those three words created wash over her. It was the most secure, the happiest she’d felt in weeks. She didn’t know if she felt the same way about Logan; it was too soon for her to tell. But she knew that she wanted the safety of his arms. Wanted him close to her. He’d said he didn’t expect her to return his feelings; he seemed satisfied just to say it himself, to put it out there for her like a gift. And right now, that was enough.

  When the phone rang, she jumped. The display showed an external incoming call, but the number was marked as private.

  “Olivia Michaels.”

  “Olivia.” Logan’s voice answered. Olivia smiled.

  “Logan. I was just thinking of you.” Such a cliché.

  “Well, I have to say I was thinking of you too, since I’m calling. But I’m afraid I’ve not got good news. My morning hasn’t been to my liking.”

  Something in Logan’s tone made her clutch the receiver tightly. “What is it?”

  “The band. And Ashton. They’ve threatened to boot me out, permanently. Ashton’s told them enough lies to make them believe I’ve left them. And in the midst of that, Ashton called. He’s gotten wind of the lawsuit somehow and he’s furious. Claims it’s all something I’ve made up, which is a load of crap. But of course you know that.”

  She heard the frustration in his voice. “I’m sorry, Logan. This is horrible for you. Did Ashton say how he found out about the suit?”

  “No. Just that he would see me in hell before he’d admit he’d done anything wrong. Claims he can ruin me before we even get to court.”

  Olivia sighed. This wasn’t anything new; there had been plenty of cases before where the mud-slinging started well before the court date. She had always been professionally distant from the client’s day-to-day issues, only concerned with the personal attacks where they gave her something for her case, but this was Logan and she felt his pain.

  “Well, I can tell you we’re filing tomorrow. Ashton will receive a summons and have to make a formal answer to the claims. He may counter-sue them. Mostly likely, by the sounds of it, he’ll want to try. But we’ve done what we can for the moment. The ball we be in his court, and from there we’ll wait for his response to know how to proceed.”

  “Thank you, Olivia. I mean it. I can’t think of anyone I’d want in my corner more, for many reasons. Not least of which is that I trust you, and that’s not something I can say about many people.”

  “I’ll do my best, Logan. You know that.”

  “I’ve no doubt.” Logan’s tone lightened, and Olivia envisioned his easy smile brightening his eyes. “Let’s have dinner. You never really got to have any last night, if I remember. I asked you out, and then made it quite difficult for you to eat.”

  Olivia felt a rush of warm fondness for his teasing. For his kindness. She ached to see him again, to find shelter in the storm her life was quickly becoming. “Yes. I’d like that.”

  “I’ll call...”

  She didn’t hear the rest of what Logan was saying. There was a knock at her door, and then it swung open, Ryan standing beyond it.

  “Olivia, I—” He stopped abruptly when he realized she was on the phone, but remained in her doorway, blocking the exit.

  “That’s fine. I’ll call you later when we have confirmation of the filing. Thank you, Mr. Graham.” Without
waiting for Logan to answer, she replaced the receiver.

  “Sorry to interrupt,” Ryan said. “But Hunter is waiting on those resumes, if you’ve had a chance to look them over.”

  “Just getting to that now. I’ll have them to him within the hour.”

  Ryan hesitated briefly. “What did Mr. Graham want?”

  Olivia hoped he couldn’t see her nervousness. Logan was her client after all. She was allowed to speak to him on the phone. “He was looking for an update on the case. It seems the band has threatened to replace him, and Ashton knows about the suit. I suspect he’ll file a counter suit, but we’ll have to wait. I’m not sure if the band’s actions will have any bearing on the initial claim. We may need to address that before we file.”

  “Yes. We should discuss that. I have a meeting now that will take me through most of the afternoon. Stop by my office after five.”

  Before she could answer, Ryan was gone, closing the door behind him.

  Olivia quickly dialed Logan’s cell phone, but it went to voice mail. She left an apology for abruptly ending the call and asked him to contact her later with a time and place and ended the message with the statement that she was very much looking forward to dinner.

  AN UNEASY FEELING DOGGED Olivia through the rest of the afternoon. She read through the resumes in the file, heartsick at the thought of replacing Melissa. When she returned the folder to Nathan’s office, he seemed remote and cold, and she wondered if he and Ryan had talked. She decided she was being paranoid and went back to her office, delving into her other cases.

  When she came up for air, it was just after four o’clock, and Logan still hadn’t returned her call. She debated calling him before she went to see Ryan, but just as she reached for it her phone rang. Her heart skipped. Maybe he’d finally decided to get back to her. But it was Ryan’s number on the digital display. Olivia went from hopeful to apprehensive.

  “Come on up,” Ryan said when she answered. “I finished my meetings early. We can get this done tonight, Lori can make the changes tomorrow, and it’ll be filed.”

  With no other option, once again, Olivia took the stairs to Ryan’s office, her feet dragging. Get it over with, and then you can have dinner with Logan.

  Ryan’s door was wide open. She hesitated to step through it.

  “Have a seat.” Ryan indicated the work table, and Olivia reluctantly complied. The sound of the latch click as she settled herself in the chair made her jump.

  “Hunter’s lined up several candidates based on your preferences,” Ryan said. “He’ll do the initial interviews and then you and I will sit down with the top three. That should get you someone within a few weeks, assuming they need to give notice.”

  Olivia nodded, making a note on her pad. Ryan had Logan’s case file, and he spread the documents on the table, turning them toward her. Olivia ran her eyes over the latest draft of the complaint, finding Ryan’s notes in the margins. She scribbled a couple of her own on the potential ramifications of the band dumping Logan.

  Ryan’s abrupt present by her chair startled her. He leaned over, one hand on the back of her chair, the other on the table. Again, she felt pinned by him as he looked over her shoulder at the complaint. She was overly aware of the heat of his body, the suddenly flimsy-seeming support of the chair between them.

  “Very good. I like this.” He pointed to an area of her notes, tapping the paper with his finger. “I like this very much.”

  His voice had dropped low, and Olivia could feel him leaning nearer. She shuddered.

  “Ryan...” She didn’t even know what she wanted to say, but before she could continue, he put his hand on her shoulder, his fingers moving upward into the hair along the nape of her neck.

  “Shh. Just relax. You’re so tense.” He massaged along her spine, rubbing muscles that Olivia was sure must feel like wire they were wound so tight. “There’s nothing to be afraid of. Nothing here that you don’t want.”

  “Please. Ryan. Stop.”

  He moved closer, his body pressing against her shoulder. “I’ll stop when you mean it,” he breathed against her ear. “Ever since Patrick, you’ve been playing me. Toying with me. I’m just following your lead.”

  She shook her head, hands tense around the padded edge of the chair. She felt like she’d been frozen in place. “No, Ryan. That’s not—”

  “We’ve had this conversation. The same page. Remember? I know what you want.” His hand tightened around the back of her neck. “You want partner. You want it so bad you can taste it. And I can give that to you. We can do this together.”

  The brush of his lips against her hair broke the shock that held her in place. Olivia pulled away, nearly falling over the edge of the chair in her haste.

  Ryan stopped. She heard the hiss of his breath through his teeth. “Have you changed your mind, then?” He stood. “We’re not speaking the same language any more, are we?”

  Silent, he moved around the table to pull out the chair across from her, sitting stiffly against the high leather back. He folded his hands in his lap. The air in the room felt thick around Olivia, too heavy to fill her lungs.

  “I’m disappointed, Olivia. Maybe this case isn’t for you.” He looked critically across the table at her, and she saw a sneer of contempt on his lips, reproach in his eyes.

  She’d never felt so judged by him before. Had never felt so worthless under his gaze.

  “Maybe you’re just not the woman I thought you were,” he said. “I thought you were willing to do what it took to succeed, but...” He shook his head, rising from the chair, and turned to stand in front of the window, his back to her. “You can go,” he said without looking at her. “We’re finished here for now. Lori can make the changes and file in the morning.”

  Heartsick, Olivia gathered her notebook and pen, her files. For a moment she hesitated. Ryan didn’t turn.

  She let herself out of the office.

  Chapter Eight

  In her office, Olivia tossed her notebook on the growing chaos of her desk. Melissa’s absence was already starting to show itself, wreaking havoc on her work and raising her anxiety level. Like it isn’t already high enough. She was afraid she was going to miss something critical, that some deadline would slip by unnoticed and her clients would suffer.

  And Ryan’s behavior wasn’t making life any easier. She had worked beside him for years. Trusted him. Let him guide her. And now this. What the hell did he think he was doing?

  Olivia turned and hurled her pen across the room, the sudden rush of fury leaving her breathless in its wake. Sighing heavily, she walked over and retrieved the pen from where it had bounced behind a chair. Everything was so... twisted around.

  Ryan was using her. Of that she had no doubt. And she was reasonably sure his patience was running thin. She’d wondered, before, how women allowed themselves to become victims. To let themselves be used by men. And she’d always bought the lie that it was because they were weak. Or because they’d wanted it after all.

  But now, in the midst of it all, with her career on the line, she understood them. Understood how a man in power could manipulate a woman into a situation like this. Now she understood what it was to be that woman.

  She slumped into a chair, elbows on the desk, and dropped her head forward to rest on her hands. What am I going to do?

  The ring of her phone pulled her out of her miserable thoughts. Olivia picked it up without checking the display, not sure she’d be able to force herself to answer if she knew it was Ryan on the other end. But it was Logan’s voice that greeted her, low and warm. She could hear the smile in it, under the lilt of his accent. One corner of her mouth lifted.

  “I was wondering if you were ever going to get around to returning my call.”

  He laughed. “Hey, now. I’m doing the best I can. What do you say I make it up to you?”

  “And how do you intend to do that?”

  “Dinner at 6:30? I’ll even let you eat this time.”

  It wa
s Olivia’s turn to laugh, a little of the tension easing out of her spine. “Good food covers a multitude of sins.” Her voice softened. “I’ll see you there.”

  “I’ll be looking forward to it.”

  OLIVIA AND LOGAN MET at a restaurant near his hotel. When her cab pulled up, he was already there waiting for her, a small group of fans gathered around him. She watched for a moment as he patiently signed autographs and posed for pictures. He was in his element, relaxed and casual, taking the time to sign a girl’s arm. The girl had that ‘I’m never going to wash this arm again’ look on her face as she turned away, chattering eagerly with her friends. Watching the knot of people clamor for Logan’s attention, the camera phones held up for photo after photo, it struck Olivia suddenly that they were lucky no one had seen them together yet. One misplaced paparazzi could cause them both more trouble than they were ready to deal with.

  Logan saw her, hesitating there on the sidewalk, and his face lit up. He excused himself from the rest of the group and offered her his arm. Olivia accepted with a nod, hoping the expression on her face was more professional than she felt, if anyone was still looking at them. She should have brought a file or two with her, just in case they needed an excuse. Next time; they were going to have to start being more careful.

  Inside the restaurant, the maître d’ escorted them to a secluded table, leaving a wine list. Logan pushed it aside, taking Olivia’s hands and lifting them to brush his lips over her knuckles.

  “You’ll make the fans jealous, if they see you holding my hand.”

  “I suppose I will. But they’ll have to get over it. You’re my only girl now.”

  The words settled warm and glowing in Olivia’s chest, and she smiled. “Was it hard to get used to that? Being recognized, I mean. And getting asked to sign body parts.”