Say Nothing... (The Speak Series Book 2)

by Roth, T. A.

  "I’m glad I could be of service." He checks the time on his cell. "But we gotta go. Call you later." He swats my ass as he walks away making me yelp.

  A large fort of boxes surrounds my desk as I walk into the office, letting me know I'm in for a long day of moving. I’m thankful to be dressed comfortably today.

  Hilda makes her way over to my desk just as I put my purse down.

  "I guess y'all are really leaving us. Huh?" she says with a pout.

  "Yeah, I didn't think it was going to happen so fast, but they’re anxious to get started in the new office. They already have appointments set up."

  "Well, I'm gonna miss you, honey. Don't be a stranger."

  "I won't." I walk around my desk to give her a hug. My eyes get a little misty with the thought of not seeing her cheery face every morning.

  Mr. Benton and Mr. Warner walk in a few minutes later.

  "Morning, Ari. Today's moving day. Are you ready?" Mr. Benton says excitedly.

  "I just have to pack up my desk, and I'll be done. Do you need help with anything else?"

  "No, the movers will be here shortly. Finish packing your desk and meet us at the new building. This is the address, and this is your key card for the parking structure." He places a slip of paper with an address scribbled across it and a gray card paper clipped to the front.

  Packing my desk is a breeze. In the almost three years I've been here, I've only managed to bring two framed pictures and a small potted plant, so it takes me all of twenty minutes to put everything into a box. I say a teary final good-bye to Hilda and get on the road. Thankfully, everything fit on the truck, so we only have to make one trip.

  The traffic gods are on my side, and I'm able to get to our new place in no time flat. Pulling up to our new digs, my eyes can't help but take in the enormity of these two beautiful buildings. The Century Plaza Towers make our previous office look like loft space. The parking structure alone is like a labyrinth, and I'm already strategizing on how early I'm going to have to leave my house.

  I break down after circling the parking structure for twenty minutes and finally ask a parking attendant for help. He directs me to the right level, and I'm able to snag a parking spot near the elevators.

  Shit! I check my phone as I exit the car and notice I have no reception. For all I know, the movers have been calling me, and I haven't answered. Grabbing the one box I didn't trust them to take, I haul ass toward the elevators and pray I didn't miss them.

  The view in the lobby as the elevator doors open has me in complete awe. A forty-four-story glass wall encases the back of the building. A large fountain sits in the middle of a courtyard which houses every eatery imaginable. I'm taking it all in when I'm knocked off balance and my box and all its contents go scattering across the marble floor. Shit.

  "I'm sorry . . . I'm late," a voice yells out from behind me. I look up to see a courier running away looking apologetic. Welcome to the neighborhood.

  I'm on my hands and knees picking up the contents of my work life when the bane of my existence decides to make an appearance. "Ari?"

  Do you ever wish you had the power to become invisible? Yeah, well, that's me right now. "It is you. Let me help," Maria says innocently.

  "Thanks," I grit out. Yes, she apologized, but that in no way means we're friends. I don't have time for this shit today.

  "What are you doing here?" she asks.

  "Our office just moved. What are you doing here?" I counter.

  "My dad’s office is on the twenty-first floor, and I came by to have lunch with him." I try really hard not to roll my eyes. That's just perfect; my bosses decided to leave out the part where we share the same floor as Maria's dad. Great, now I'll have more opportunities to run into her.

  Picking up the last file, I go to stand. Maria is staring at a framed picture of my family taken on vacation last year. I clear my throat after a few seconds to get her attention.

  "Sorry," she says handing it back. My phone dings with a message from the movers.

  "Thanks for your help. I have to go." I'm making my way toward the information desk cursing my luck when she calls my name again. "Ari."

  I obviously haven't learned my lesson because I turn back to look at her.

  "Yeah?" I prop my box on my hip, and I can't help the annoyed glare I'm currently shooting in her direction.

  "Um . . . it's well." She's nervously biting her thumbnail and looking at her feet. Another text comes through.

  "I really have to go," I say turning around.

  "Wait, uh . . . can I. I mean can I ask you a personal question?"

  I swear to God if this bitch asks about Ben, there will be a viral video of me on Facebook tomorrow fucking her shit up. Cocking an eyebrow, I stare at her blankly.

  "It's not what you think. I was just curious if you knew someone was looking for you?" Her question throws me.

  "Wait, what?" I heard her, but it just doesn't make any sense.

  "Again, I'm sorry," she says, having the decency to sound apologetic. "It's just that when I was snooping around for info on you on my dad's computer, he actually already had a file on you."

  "Well, our firm does do business with your dad. Mr. Benton and Mr. Warner probably had him run a background check on me." I dismiss as a way of explanation.

  "That's what I thought at first, but the file was set up seven years ago." I'm still processing this information when she continues. "The files he has for background checks are saved differently than the personal search files. You have both. One with the firm's name and another with the name of an individual person." This is my first professional job, so it couldn't be another background check, and if it was open seven years ago, I would have only been fifteen years old.

  "Do you remember the name on the file?" My curiosity is killing me.

  "No, but it's probably nothing. I just thought maybe . . . never mind, I'm sorry. Just forget I mentioned it," she says waving it off. She could easily be feeding me bullshit, and with all the stunts she's pulled the last few months, I wouldn't put it past her. My phone dings with another message. Shit.

  "I better go," I say turning toward the security desk. I’m about ten steps away.

  "Amos," she calls out, stopping me mid-stride. What?

  "Amos," she repeats. "That was the name of the person looking for you. Do you know him?"

  A BIT OF ANXIETY WORKS its way through my system as I exit the elevator doors. I'm actually going through with this. I head straight for Larry's office. He wanted my answer first thing this morning, and if I ponder my decision any longer, I'll probably back out.

  "He's been waiting for you. Go right in," Shelly says as I approach her desk.

  I take a deep breath before knocking on Larry's door. "Come in," he shouts.

  "Good morning."

  "So are you packing your bags?" he asks not bothering with a greeting.

  "Guess so," I reply.

  "Don't look so excited," he says coming around his desk.

  I put a smile on my face not wanting to seem ungrateful. "I’m excited. I guess it just hasn't sunk in yet."

  "When I spoke to your mother and she explained how upset you were about not being able to go, I knew if the opportunity presented itself again, I would try to get you back in."

  "When did you speak to her?" I ask.

  "It was right after your grandmother's service. I followed up to give my condolences and to make sure you received the flowers I sent." Of course, she had something to do with this.

  "I really do appreciate this, Larry."

  "You're welcome. Make the best of it, kid. Your dad would have been really proud of you, son." I nod, feeling the sting of his absence.

  "Shelly will get your flight information to you by the end of the day. Go ahead and say good-bye to the others and meet me in the conference room in thirty minutes. Mr. Rummel will be teleconferencing with you to go over his expectations," he says checking his watch.

  "Okay." I exit the room with a smile firm
ly pasted on my face. If only I could feel as excited as I'm pretending to be.

  I go over to my cubicle passing Carlos on the way.

  "Hey, what's up, bro?" he asks.

  "Nothing much. I'm heading out."

  "What do you mean? You just got here."

  "They asked if I could fill in at the London office for a few weeks. I'll be back in about a month."

  "Wow. That's awesome, man. Why don't you look happy about it?"

  "Just bad timing. I'm good."

  "We could trade," he says waggling his eyebrows. "What I wouldn't do to get my hands on some hot little English muffin."

  "I'll put a good word in for you. How about that," I offer chuckling.

  Sitting at my empty cubicle with nothing to do is making me restless. I'm actually jealous of Carlos right now; what the hell do they have him doing already? He's right; he should be the one going. He's single, funny, and carefree. He would enjoy the hell out of this trip. He seems to be just as capable as I am. Why not him?

  I sound like a whiny asshole even to myself. My self-pitying thoughts turn back to the only person I care about right now—Ari. I shoot her a text to let her know I'm thinking of her. This trip is weighing on both of us, and I need her to know she will always be in the forefront of my mind. The timer on my phone beeps, alerting me I have fifteen more minutes.

  Grabbing a cup of coffee, I head over to the conference room to meet with Larry. A large flat screen is mounted on the wall. The cherry wood conference table seats about twenty people, and I make myself comfortable in the chair closest to the TV. Larry walks in a few minutes later with Shelly. She's holding a yellow legal pad and a pen.

  "Ready to meet your new boss, kid?"

  "Yeah, let's do it."

  "Okay, Shelly, will you get Taylor on the screen for us, please."

  She uses the remote on the table to turn on the television and starts typing into the wireless keyboard. A minute later, a guy who looks a lot like Pierce Brosnan appears on the screen. His jet-black hair is peppered white at the temples, and he even has his signature smirk.

  "Larry, how are you, sir?" he says as soon as we come into focus.

  "Good, Taylor, I've got your boy here. This is Ben."

  "Hello, Mr. Rummel, nice to meet you."

  "Nice to meet you as well. Thank you for helping us out."

  "No problem, sir. Thanks again for offering me the position."

  He spends the next half hour explaining my duties, which are very similar to the ones I would have been performing here. They’ll include research, photocopying, and basically any administrative duties they need help with. The case they are working on is currently at trial, so I would be taking turns with the other two interns accompanying him to court. Larry was right; it will be more hands-on than anything I would be doing here and the thought of that starts to excite me.

  "So, Ben, do you have any questions?" Mr. Rummel asks.

  "No, sir."

  "Well, then, I look forward to meeting you on Monday."

  "Likewise, sir."

  Shelly ends the call, and I wait for further instruction.

  "There's no point in having you sit around here. I'm sure you need to pack and get things together before you leave. Go ahead and take the next couple of days off. Shelly will get in contact with you later," he says handing me a set of keys. I look at him puzzled.

  "These are the keys to my loft. It's about five miles away from the office. Frank and I use it when we have extended business out there."

  "Wow. Thank you." He waves a hand at me likes it's no bother.

  "It's fully stocked with everything you'll need. There's a supermarket close by. I'll make sure to include that information with your ticket."

  "Thank you, Larry, this is very generous of you."

  "No problem, kid. Just do me proud. Now, get out of here." He pats me on the shoulder before leaving the room.

  The drive to my grandmother's house is short. Midday is usually the best time to drive the freeways in Los Angeles. I pull up behind my uncle's rental car and fight the sinking feeling in my stomach. I've avoided coming back to this house since the funeral reception.

  It's minutes before I talk myself out of the car, and the familiar floral scent wafts through as I enter the front door.

  "Hello?"

  "It's just me," I call out. A rustling sound comes from the kitchen. I turn the corner, and Amos is sitting at the table with an open laptop and a stack of papers.

  "Hey, what's going on?" I ask.

  "Nothing. Just catching up on some work stuff. With everything that's happened with Jalen, I'm gonna be back and forth for a while," he says, shoving the papers into his laptop bag.

  "I'm actually heading out your way on Friday."

  "You're going to London?" he asks surprised.

  "Yeah, I had originally passed on the opportunity, but it came up again and Larry wouldn't take no for an answer."

  "I guess he hasn't changed much." He's distracted, his eyes flit back and forth between me and his computer.

  "No, he hasn't, and my mom seems to have pushed the issue, so there's that." I know she means well; I just wish she wouldn't meddle.

  "Is Ari going with you?"

  I frown, wishing that she were. "No. I'll be gone for a month. She wouldn't be able to take that much time off."

  He nods, eyes still focused on his laptop screen.

  "Listen, I'm going to get out of your way. I just stopped by to pick up some stuff before I go."

  He offers another distracted head nod before I leave the room and head down the hall to my bedroom. I wish we had a better relationship; I could really use someone to talk to about all of this. Getting the two large suitcases out of my closet, I make quick work of grabbing the rest of my suits, a few pairs of dress shoes, and a handful of ties.

  The quicker I can get out of this house, the better. Everything in here holds a memory, so much so I keep expecting Nana to come around the corner to give me a pep talk. She would have been happy I decided to go to London. Always one to want the best for her family, she would have wanted me to make the most of this trip.

  Double-checking I have everything I need, I head back to the living room to say good-bye.

  "Okay, I'm out,” I call out from the front door. He appears in the hall seconds later.

  "Did you get everything you needed?" I nod. "Where are you staying?" he asks.

  "The firm has a loft a few miles away from where I'm working. They're letting me use it while I'm there."

  "Be safe. If you have any questions about the city, just give me a call. I'll be here a few more weeks." He looks around the living room. "When you're ready, we should talk about what you want to do with this place."

  I shrug. "Yeah, maybe when I get back."

  He nods, and I walk out the front door to avoid any more conversation about the matter. Some of my tension eases once I get into the car; I take one last look at the house as I back out of the driveway and head to Ari's.

  My brain is still trying to process the information I just received as the elevator stops on the twenty-first floor. Why? Why would he have me followed all of these years? Another chill covers my skin as the thought begins to sink in. He knows who I am; he's known this whole time. Is Ben somehow part of his sick plan? No, he can't be.

  I'm jerked out of my thoughts when a tall brunette comes barreling out of the double doors of the new office. She's talking to someone behind her and nearly knocks me down.

  "Oh, my God, I'm so sorry," she says, helping me to keep my balance. She stares at me for a few seconds. "You must be Ari."

  "Yes, I am." With the news I just received, I'm a little apprehensive. "I'm sorry, you are?"

  "I'm Natalie. Mr. Dietrich and Mr. Bell's secretary. Here, let me help."

  She pulls the box from my hands and steps back to allow me to pass. My eyes widen as I take it all in. It's beautiful, just like the view downstairs. All of the office walls and doors are made of glass making it po
ssible to see all the way to the ocean.

  "It's great, right?" she asks from behind me.

  "This view is ridiculous," I say, still in complete awe.

  "It almost makes the extra forty-five minutes I'll be stuck in traffic worth it." Pulling my eyes away from the windows, I turn to her and laugh.

  "Exactly what I was thinking." She seems nice, and it'll be good to have someone in the office to talk to.

  "I was just about to go down and grab some coffee. Did you want to come with?" she asks.

  "That sounds amazing, but I need to wait for the movers to bring up our stuff."

  "No problem. I'll grab something for you. Hot or iced?" she asks cheerily.

  "You're a lifesaver. Iced would be great."

  "Cream and sugar?"

  "Yes, please," I say while digging in my purse for a five.

  "No worries. You can get me next time." And with that, she's out the door.

  After getting all the boxes situated, we start the tortuous task of unpacking. Natalie and I spend the afternoon getting to know each other. So far, I've learned that she's single, twenty-five, lives in the Valley, and has been working for Mr. Dietrich and Mr. Bell for six years. The single part shocked me because she's gorgeous. If she weren't so nice, her looks alone would have intimidated me. She has piercing green eyes, long wavy black hair, and a body men drool over.

  "So do you have a boyfriend, Ari?" she asks while situating picture frames and knick-knacks on her desk. A smile spreads across my face when I think of Ben.

  "I'm guessing by that smile that you do. Spill."

  "It's still new. We've been together a few months, and he's leaving on Friday."

  "Where is he going?"

  "London." The thought causes me to frown.

  "Is it for work or a vacation?"

  "It's an internship. He was offered a spot in his dad's old firm before we met, and he passed on it. Then the opportunity came up again." I shrug. "His boss isn't taking no for an answer this time. It's a good opportunity. I'm just a little bummed about it."

  "I'm sorry. How long will he be gone?"

  "A month."

  "Then I guess we'll have to squeeze a girls’ night into that four weeks."