by Ryleigh York
“Are you really upset about him?” I ask. “What did you even talk to him about?” Alexis said she left right after a single conversation with Tyson, but she could be lying. I wasn’t exactly tracking her. Maybe she wandered off for a little fling of her own, but it doesn’t seem like Alexis to keep something like that to herself.
“Nothing,” she says. “Just read him his marching rights. I didn’t want him to hit on me again.” She flips her hair over her shoulder and looks away uncomfortably.
She’s trying to act nonchalant, but I can tell there’s something else going on under the surface. Alexis is really bothered about this guy, and I don’t think it’s because she’s worried about being hit on.
I have no right to probe, though. I haven’t told her much about Lucas, either. “Got another place in mind?” I ask. I’m not ready to go home yet. I could use a drink, especially after that chance encounter.
“Second Circle?”
I bite my lip. I know it’s Alexis’ favorite hangout, and Lucas won’t be there. I wouldn’t have to go up to the fantasy rooms. I could just sit with Alexis.
“Only if you don’t ditch me again,” I say. “I’m not in the mood to flirt tonight.”
“Good, neither am I.”
With that settled, we head to Second Circle. My stomach twists as soon as I step in the door. Just this morning I was running out of this place. I wonder if the security guard who showed me out is on duty again.
I wonder if Lucas will show up again.
No way. He’s somewhere else. I sit down beside Alexis in the same booth we took last night. She orders a sugary cocktail and I order a soda. Alexis raises an eyebrow at me.
“The beer isn’t good here,” I say. Surely, they can’t do something fancy to ruin the soda. “So, what’s going on with you and Tyson?” I ask to get the subject off me. I don’t expect Alexis to answer, but I know it’ll get her thoughts off how I’m acting.
“Nothing,” she snaps. “Where are our drinks?” She wanders off, leaving me alone at the table.
I slump against the back of my seat. I was planning on being bold and sexy tonight, but seeing Lucas completely threw me off. I don’t know how to regain my confidence. I can’t believe just the sight of him can make me feel like this. I would be better off forgetting about him and walking away. I need to be focused on the new job I’m about to take and the lies I’m going to tell. I’d be better served practicing my lying than thinking about him.
“I don’t care about him,” I say out loud. I sound like a liar.
Alexis sits back down at our booth, drinks in hand. “Who are you talking to?”
“My imaginary blue tooth speaker. Figured I’d scare off any guys who wanted to come over here and hit on us.”
“Clever.” She smiles and takes a sip of her drink. “Now, stop trying to distract me and tell me all about the hottie from last night. Who is he?”
I bite my lip and turn the cold soda glass in circles. “No one. It was a one-night stand. We didn’t exchange names.” That was what I’d been planning on it being, anyway. I ended up so desperate to hear my name on his lips that I’d told him. If all we’d had was a one-night stand, then why couldn’t I stop thinking about him?
Alexis leans forward and drops her voice low. “Did he take you up to the fantasy rooms?”
I swallow. “Yes.” We’d ended up in his private room, but I didn’t see how that part was relevant.
Alexis grins like a maniac. “Never thought you’d go up there. He must have been very persuasive. Which room did you use? Was it good?”
I look up at the ceiling, debating how to answer her questions. Alexis always wants to know everything. She’d pester me just as much for information if I did something boring like get a cat. Needing to know every detail is in her DNA.
“The office,” I lie. “And it was fantastic.” That part is not a lie. Damn, was it good.
Alexis’ eyes glow. “I’ll just have to live vicariously through you, then. All the guys I’ve had lately have been duds.”
I laugh. “Maybe if you had better taste, you wouldn’t be disappointed so often.”
She shrugs nonchalantly. “Maybe. I think you just got lucky with yours. You sure you don’t know his name?”
“Not a clue.” Lying is easier than I thought. I could get good enough at this to manage it every day at my new job. The stakes of being caught spying are far higher than being caught lying to Alexis about my one-night stand, though.
I swallow. I don’t want Monday to come. I want to squeeze my eyes shut and make time stand still in its tracks.
I glance toward the entrance and Lucas is standing there, his eyes boring into me. I gasp. He’s supposed to be somewhere else. Not here. Not close enough that I could leap out of my seat and hurl myself into his arms.
He turns his back on me and walks to a table on the other side of the room. My entire body feels cold.
“Earth to Macey.” Alexis snaps her fingers in front of my face. “You still there?”
“Yeah.” I clear my throat. “I’m fine.”
I’m lying.
I’m fucked. Because I can’t stop thinking about a man I’ll probably never see again.
Chapter 15
Lucas
I can feel Macey’s eyes boring into my back. I decided to come to Second Circle on a hunch after I sent Tyson back home in a cab. I know Second Circle isn’t Macey’s kind of place, but it is Alexis’ regular haunt, so I thought they might come here after they left the bar. It would seem I was right.
My chest tightens at my good fortune.
I tap my fingers on the table and plan my next move. I want to get Macey’s number so I can see her again, but she wouldn’t have left in such a hurry if she intended on giving it to me. Or if she’d been called off suddenly, she would’ve left a note.
Was last night not the same for her that it was for me? I’ve never connected with a woman on so many levels before. There was an emotional connection there along with the mind-blowing physical one. I can’t let her go without knowing if she felt it, too.
Normally, I’d try to come up with a decent pick up line before approaching a woman, but this is Macey. I need to talk to her honestly.
I get up and head to her table. She’s sitting with Alexis but I’m not coming up with a plan to deal with it this time. I can ask Macey to talk like two normal human beings. We can figure out what’s really going on between us, no more games.
I reach her table and Macey looks up at me. Her eyes are wide and worried. I want to run my thumb across the wrinkles between her eyebrows and make her worry disappear. I want to wrap her in my arms and kiss her until she moans my name.
I notice Alexis checking me out in the corner of my eye, but I can’t be bothered to look over at her. I’m focused entirely on Macey.
“I need to talk to you,” I tell her.
Her throat moves as she swallows. “Sorry. This is a girls’ night,” she says. “No guys allowed.”
Alexis laughs then snorts.
I frown. This isn’t the reaction I anticipated. “Macey, please. Just for a minute.” I don’t think I’ve ever said such a thing to a woman in my life. I decide right then that I need to get my pride back. This woman is tying me up in knots and I can’t let it go on anymore.
Alexis quietly stands up and takes a step away. “I’ll be right back,” she says, shooting an apologetic smile at Macey. I take her seat.
Macey looks down at the tabletop. “I didn’t expect to see you again, and now you keep showing up everywhere,” she says. She smiles faintly. If I was the romantic kind I might claim that fate had thrown us together, but I refuse to believe anything so sappy.
“I want to see you again,” I say. “One more night together. You can’t tell me you don’t want that too.”
She looks up at me. “I don’t want that.” Her voice wavers as she says it and I’m almost sure she’s lying, but I can’t prove it. I hardly know this woman, right? There’s no way I
should be able to read her.
“I won’t pressure you. I’m not going to ask you again, Macey.” I like saying her name too much. I need to walk away from this. I’ve never felt this way about a woman before, and I don’t see a way that this ends well. I made a mistake by talking to her at all.
Macey’s eyes fall back to the table. “Goodbye, Lucas,” she says quietly.
I get up and leave. No more. I won’t think about her again, I won’t let myself. There are plenty of women in the world. Surely, I don’t need this one in particular.
The problem is, part of me feels like I do.
Chapter 16
Macey
I watch him walk away, my heart splintering and digging into my chest. I don’t want to hurt over a man I’ve only known for a day. I can’t imagine how awful I’ll feel if I take him up on his offer for one more night. I’d never want to let go of him, and that’s a complication I simply can’t deal with right now.
No more Lucas. No more Second Circle. Maybe I’ll just hide in my apartment until all these feelings fade away.
I should be focusing on work, anyway. I had no business hitting the town tonight. I should go over my parents’ contract one more time, see if I can’t find a loophole. I’ve gone over it so many times I nearly have the words memorized, but I always feel like there has to be something I’ve missed.
I hate being beholden to Gavin. I need a way out, but the only way seems to be going through with being a spy at the rival law firm.
I wish I was drinking something stronger than Coke.
Alexis reappears and takes her seat back. Her eyes are a mixture of pity and accusation. “You said you didn’t exchange names, but he certainly knew yours.” She raises an eyebrow.
I cringe. “It might have come up. I don’t want to talk about it.”
She studies my expression. Whatever she sees there makes her scowl. “What happened last night? I never thought you were this upset about it. I wouldn’t have brought you here if you’d told me.”
I sigh. I probably should have told Alexis everything from the start, but that would’ve meant admitting to myself what I was feeling. “I liked him. A lot. But nothing can come of it. He’s a player. I don’t want a one-sided relationship where he wants sex and I want more. I won’t put myself through that.” I strengthen my resolve as I say the words. The situation is even more complicated than that, of course, but I can’t tell Alexis about the deal I made with Gavin.
Alexis nods. “You need to stay strong. A relationship with a guy like that won’t go anywhere.”
I know she’s right. I’m glad I at least have Alexis on my side now. I should have told her earlier and she would have supported me instead of asking me to go to Second Circle.
“Let’s get out of here,” Alexis says. She tosses money on the table to pay our tab and then I follow her out the door.
As I head home in a cab, I look down at my badly chosen confidence dress. I was clearly being too optimistic too quickly. Self-confidence can’t be built in a night, just like attachment can’t be achieved that way.
I can get over Lucas. I’m sure I can. Everything I’ve done these last two days has been a mistake. I’ll get through this deal with Gavin. Then I’ll take some time off to go home and recover from all my bad decisions.
It sounds like such a fantastic plan that I’m sure it’ll go wrong somehow.
Chapter 17
Macey
Monday morning comes too quickly. My alarm goes off and I bury my head under my pillow. I remember wistfully how nice it was to wake up beside Lucas then brush the thought aside as unhelpful.
I’m not ready to begin my time as a spy yet. I groan as I push myself out of bed and slam the button to turn off the alarm clock.
Coffee. I need coffee. I shuffle to the kitchen and fuzzily register the empty container where my coffee should be.
I forgot to restock it. Never mind, I’ll stop somewhere on my way to work. I still have time.
I go to my closet and wonder what type of outfit I should wear. Which of my business suits says completely trustworthy even though I’m really not?
Shit. I press my head into my hands. I’m over thinking this. Any of the outfits I wore to my other job will be fine. I’m a paralegal. It’s unlikely anyone will even notice me, let alone note what I’m wearing.
It’s not the outfit I’m worried about, it’s the immorality of what I’m about to do. I spent all day Sunday going over the contract again and again but I couldn’t find a way out. It’s Gavin’s way or nothing.
I close my eyes. I can’t give up. Not yet. I pick a blue suit at random and get dressed mechanically. I let my brain go into a fog as I try not to think about what I’m about to do.
“I’m Macey,” I say out loud, practicing my lines as I buckle on my heels. “I’m the new paralegal. I’m not a spy.”
I grab my purse and head out the door. I have the address of the new law firm punched into my phone, but first I want to pick up my coffee. I head to a nearby coffee place that’s usually very fast. By the time I get there a line is stretching out the door. I swear under my breath and run to the next coffee place to see if it’s less crowded.
No luck. I sprint to the next place a block over, beginning to worry that I might not get to the office on time. The third place I try is, thankfully, not crowded. I put in my order and check my phone as I sit down to wait.
I blink when I see the time. Nine o’clock. But I was sure it was only eight. I turn the phone fully on and check the clock again.
It’s definitely nine o’clock. I must have had the time wrong early. My stomach drops in dread. It’s my first day of work and I’m already an hour late. When they call my name, I grab my coffee so fast it splashes over the top of the cup and I have to hop back before it hits my outfit. It splashes on my shoes, but I don’t think it’s that noticeable. While I’m checking the coffee damage I notice a run in my hose.
Shit, shit, shit. This day is not off to a good start. It only gets worse when I check the address for the office on my phone and realize I’m on the wrong side of town.
I down my coffee as I rush across town. I’m going to be over an hour late and covered in a sheen of sweat. This is not a good way to make a first impression.
I stop in front of the building to catch my breath and throw out the coffee. I tug my hair straight as best I can and gather my courage. At least they’re unlikely to think I’m scheming something when I’m looking like this. It’s more likely that they’ll assume I’m grossly incompetent.
I take a deep breath and push through the doors.
The law firm is in a nice area of town, and the building it’s in is one of the best in the area. It’s very sleek and modern with chairs that look far more comfortable than they actually are. Honestly, the square designs always look neat but I’ve never sat in one without feeling like an oddly shaped peg failing to fit into a space.
I flash a smile at the reception desk and head to the elevator. I’m trying to act like I belong here, even though I look and feel like I don’t. I don’t see anyone else covered in coffee and sweat. I wonder if I’m just the only one with a disastrous morning or if these people just hide it better.
There aren’t many other people on the elevator. I assume it’s because of how late I’m running. Most business hours have started by now.
My stomach twists. I have no idea what I’m going to say when those elevator doors open on my floor. I close my eyes and count to five to try and calm down.
The elevator dings and the doors swish along their tracks. I open my eyes and catch my first glimpse of my new workplace.
There’s a lot of cherry wood. That’s my first impression. It’s a very masculine place. I can almost feel the testosterone pouring off of it as I take my first steps inside.
I don’t know what I expected from a firm cheekily referred to as the “Wild West Firm.” As I walk toward the huge front desk that takes up the center of the entryway, I notice a lot of cre
am and navy in the color scheme that softens the place a bit.
Actually, it looks very nice. Classy rather than pretentious. I would like it if I wasn’t so terrified.
I walk up to the front desk. A middle aged woman with graying hair pulled tightly back in a bun sits behind it. The name plaque on the desk says Gladys Aarons - Office Manager.
“I’m Macey Stuart,” I say, pasting on a bright smile. “I’m the new paralegal.”
Gladys looks me over in a way that makes me squirm. It’s like she can see my every defect and coffee stain in a glance. “Hmph,” she snorts.
I stand there feeling foolish and wondering if I should say something more. “I’m sorry I’m late,” I babble, “I had a bad morning.”
“Never mind,” Gladys says. “You won’t last until noon anyway. Come along, I’ll show you your office.”
I’m stunned. Gladys gets up and starts walking briskly towards the back of the office and I have to rush to keep up with her.
What did she mean by that, won’t last until noon? I may be a bit frazzled, but I’m good at my job.
Glady’s takes me to a small interior office about the size of a closet. I look around at the tiny desk and chair and think I’ll feel like a child in it. At least it’s not a cubicle.
“Drop your things,” Gladys says.
“O-okay.” I’m not used to this level of abruptness in a work environment. At my old firm even if you didn’t like someone you didn’t just say so. Everyone talked around what they really meant and never dared to speak plainly. It was like walking around on eggshells all the time.
This place is clearly far from what I’m used to.
I don’t have many things to drop, but I set down my purse and briefcase on the desk with only a brief pang of worry that it’ll get stolen. This building seems pretty secure, but I don’t know anyone here yet. Guess I’ll just have to trust them, even if they shouldn’t trust me.