by T A. McKay
“Uptight much? What is wrong with you today? You’ve been jumpy since you arrived.”
I place my hand on my racing heart and take a deep breath, trying to stop the heart attack I think might happen. “Nothing. I’m just busy.” I turn to my desk and pretend that I'm reading, anything to divert Landon’s attention away from me.
“Is that the file Mr. Rose gave you?”
I nod my head, wondering why he's interested in my work all of a sudden.
“Cool, I need it then. You have to go to Mr. Colby’s office, he wants you there in ten minutes.”
Panic floods my body and I turn suddenly to look at Landon, my stomach somersaulting at his words. “Why? Why does Mr. Colby want me? What have I done?” I know I'm sounding as guilty as sin but I can’t help it; after leaving him that letter I didn’t expect him to talk to me ever again.
“Don’t know, but I'm taking it that he wants you to help with his case load.” He leans over and grabs the file from my desk before walking away, leaving me sitting alone while doubt freezes my body. My mind instantly decides Trey's going to fire me, my letter was the final straw and I now need to leave the company. I don’t want to leave. I love my job here and it’s a prestigious law firm that will look great on my resume. Being fired from it won’t though. I wonder if I should go see one of the other main lawyers and talk to them about my situation so they can defend me against what’s about to happen, but even as the thought goes through my head, I know I won’t. There’s no way that I’m going to open up to anyone about what happened between Trey and me. That’s my business and no one else’s.
I ready myself, rising slowly from my desk and brushing the creases from my pants before heading towards Trey’s office. If I'm going to be fired then I need to just let it happen. Nothing will change the outcome, but I can change how I deal with it. I refuse to beg or get someone to go to bat for me when I created this problem. I could have walked away from Trey that night at Crave, but I decided it was worth the risk to have one night with him. Now, as my grandfather used to say, it’s time to pay the piper.
I make my way slowly down the corridor, wiping my hands on my pants to try and ease the sweating. The door is closed when I arrive, and the blinds are closed over so I can’t see what I'm walking into. I take a deep breath and knock, waiting for Trey to tell me to enter.
“Come in.” His voice is quiet through the door.
I walk into his office, making sure I leave the door ajar behind me. I don’t know if it’s a hope that he won’t shout at me like he did Quincy if I leave it open for witnesses to see what’s happening.
“Close the door.” Shit, there goes that great idea. I close it quietly, knowing that my one escape route has now been cut off. My heart is racing as I walk slowly towards his desk. I feel like my world is about to collapse, that the next few minutes hold my fate and there is nothing I can do about it.
“I need these subpoenas sent out today. They are already four days late so it needs to be done, this morning if possible. Once you’ve done that I need these witness statements typed up and compared. I need to know if anything in them sounds wrong, or too similar to anyone else’s.” He doesn’t look at me but holds out a pile of files. I know he wants me to take them but I can’t do anything but stand there and stare at him. After a few beats of silence he looks up at me and I hate the fact that I notice he has dark circles around his eyes. I shouldn’t notice things like that; it means I'm paying too much attention to him.
“Is there a problem? I’ve asked you to do something and I expect you to do it the first time.”
I reach out and take the files from his hand, still not able to speak but apparently it isn’t needed when he looks back down to the papers in front of him. I mutely walk from the office, wondering briefly, what the fuck just happened.
Chapter 8
I look up from my desk and notice that the entire floor is empty. Looking at the clock on the wall I realize that I'm still here during lunchtime when I really shouldn’t be … again. I need to stop losing track of time, but I was so caught up in these files, trying to work out what Quincy had done, that I hadn’t noticed when everyone had left. I stack up the papers I had been working on, deciding to go to the file room so I can carry on working. I want to get caught up with the case and correct the mistakes I've already found. Even though I'm not meant to be here during lunch, there is no way I'm going to be eating anything, so I don’t see the point in leaving. No one ever goes to the file room, not any of the partners any way. Only the hired help get the privilege of that, so I should be fine in there.
Just as I reach the door to the room, after practically tiptoeing down the corridor, a voice comes booming from Trey’s office, making me stop dead in my tracks.
“You're not meant to be here at lunch time.”
I close my eyes, hoping that maybe when I open them it will all be a figment of my imagination. I turn slowly, walking back down the hall a little. When I reach Trey’s door I look inside and see Trey sitting behind his desk, eyes focused on nothing but me.
“I … lost track of … the time. I was …um… working on your files.”
He doesn’t react for a few seconds and I'm seriously contemplating running away. I don’t know why he asked for me to assist him, it was never going to work with everything that had happened between us. How can I look at him as my boss when I've had his dick in my mouth? The errant thought has my cock twitching in my pants and I push it out instantly. An unwanted hard-on is the last thing I need right now.
Trey motions me forward with his hand and I move, slowly entering his office and preparing for the chastising that’s about to come. His eyes never leave mine as I come to a stop in front of his desk, my hands tighten around the stack of papers in my hand.
“Did you find anything important?” He's keeping it professional, good, I can do that too. I think it’s the only thing we can do now to move on, but it would be fantastic if I could stop being attracted to him.
“I’ve only just started on the files. I worked on getting the subpoenas out first, since they were already late. I did notice that some of the witness statements haven’t been signed or notarized. I'm not sure how Quincy thought you could use them like that. I'm still reading through to see if any of them contain anything useful, but I have to be honest, it’s not looking good.”
I can see color infuse through Trey’s face and a muscle starts twitching in his jaw as he tries to keep control on his temper. You can see the moment he loses the battle to stay calm, and I have to resist the urge to take a step back. His eyes darken and his body tenses, making him look a little dangerous.
He pushes back from his desk, sending his chair flying across the floor on its wheels. “The stupid fucking waste of space. I ask him to do a simple job and he can’t fucking do it. I don’t know why I get stuck with his useless ass, I mean I hate the guy. Fuck, the court date is too close for all this shit to happen.”
I stand and watch as he rants to himself while pacing back and forth behind his desk. I try to suppress the smile that’s trying to break free, and I think I'm managing until Trey stops and looks at me.
“Are you laughing at me, Roman?” His voice softens and I hear a bit of humor in it, which makes me bite the inside of my cheek to stop the laughter coming out. I shake my head, knowing that if I try to speak there’s a chance I will lose the battle to contain it. He moves closer to me and I can feel the awareness of his body vibrating through my veins, causing the little hairs on the back of my neck to stand on end.
“I think you are.”
My breathing stutters as he stands in front of me, his pupils dilating as he just stares at me. My mind is screaming to back off, to put space between us, but I can’t get my muscles to cooperate. I want Trey to reach out and grab me, to put his lips on mine and show me what he wants. That’s the thing I found the sexiest when I was with Trey, the way he took command of my body and used it for both our pleasures. Giving up control was something that
I didn’t know I liked, but he did it like an expert, reading my body and giving me exactly what I needed.
I watch Trey’s lips as his tongue licks over them, leaving them wet and shiny. I want to follow that tongue with mine. Knowing how he tastes and not being able to experience it now is driving me insane. The tension between us is like a living force, drawing us closer together and making all my nerve endings explode with arousal. Trey feels it too, I can see it in the way his chest is moving with his own labored breathing, the way his intense stare is caressing me.
I'm about to give in to temptation when there’s a knock on the door behind me, making me back away instantly.
“Sorry, Trey. I didn’t realize you were with someone. Oh, Roman, it’s you. Shouldn’t you be on lunch?”
I turn at the sound of Mr. Jamieson’s voice, knowing that there is a good chance I'm about to get my ass handed to me. I get on well with Mr. Rose, he's a kind older gentleman with a contagious smile. Mr. Jamieson couldn’t be described using any of those words. He is a harsh, rule-following man who the paralegals hate to work with. He doesn’t think anything of screaming at you in front of everyone for doing something wrong, even if it was his mistake to begin with.
I'm about to speak and tell him I'm really sorry that I'm still here, when Trey walks to the side of me.
“He’s helping me, Roger. Since Quincy fucked up my case I needed extra help.”
I can’t help but notice the sudden twitch in Mr. Jamieson’s eye and I want to know what that’s about, but I stay quiet. I'm having enough problems dealing with Trey as it is, I don’t need to add any more on top of that.
“Oh, yes. I heard that there had been some problems on Friday, but I was hoping that it was sorted by now. You know he likes to work with you.”
Trey moves in front of me, me, so he’s standing between me and Mr. Jamieson. I use this as an opportunity to take a silent step back. I know how Trey feels about Quincy, so I'm sure that there may be an explosion of anger very soon.
“You thought it would be sorted? Did he come in over the weekend and fix his mess? I don’t think so because when I arrived this morning, I still had no witnesses. That’s what Roman is doing here at this time. He's chasing subpoenas and witness statements like I asked Quincy to do weeks ago. He likes to work with me? Well look at all the fucks I don’t give, Roger. Why don’t you work with him for a change, because he won’t be back in my office again.”
I stand with wide eyes and my mouth hanging open in shock. I've never heard anyone talk to Mr. Jamieson like this before, and it makes me wonder what actually happens between the partners behind closed doors. They always present a united front, but I think I have just witnessed underlying tensions.
“As classy as always, Trey.” Mr. Jamieson doesn’t say anything else before he storms out of the office, slamming the door behind him.
I see Trey rolling his neck, and there’s an audible crack when he does. He stands still for a few seconds before he turns towards me. “Right, let’s have a look at these files and see what shit we have to deal with.” He motions towards the large table on the other side of his office that he uses for meetings, and I walk over to it. After sitting and spreading out the papers so we can see what there is, Trey joins me, sitting in the seat opposite. I give myself a silent pep talk, telling myself that I'm here to do a job and not to watch the sexy as sin man that’s sitting across from me. I just hope I take my own advice.
Several hours and many cups of coffee later, I sit back from the table and stretch my back out. Organizing the statements has taken a lot longer than expected. When I started reading through them I didn’t realize that Quincy had made such a mess.
“I swear if I see Quincy again I may wrap my hands around his throat and not let go until he stops moving.”
I give Trey a strange look, his choice of words confusing me a little.
He laughs at me before he continues. “That’s lawyer talk for I wanna kill him. But if I come out and say it then you become an accessory.”
Laughter escapes from me, and even to my own ears it’s sounds a little hysterical. I think I might be more tired than I thought.
“Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me.” The words are out before I even think about it, but I can see the second that Trey sees their unintentional double meaning.
I don’t give him a chance to respond before standing from my seat and putting some distance between us. “Do you want another coffee?” It’s an attempt to distract us from the sudden tension that’s built, the memories of what we had, obviously still fresh in our minds.
Thankfully Trey uses the olive branch I've offered and changes the subject. “I don’t think I can face anymore caffeine. Fuck, there is still so much to do. How can one guy mess up so much?” He rubs his hand over his face and lets out a weary groan. I know how he feels, like this hell seems never ending. I look towards the large windows and I'm shocked when I see that it’s starting to get dark outside. I'm not sure when it got to be so late, but according to the clock on the wall I’ve not only missed lunch, but dinner as well.
“I didn’t realize it was so late. Do you need to get home or something?” My question causes another groan to leave Trey and he drops his head to the table. I'm not planning on leaving yet. I can work for at least another couple of hours.
“As much as I want to go home and have a drink before climbing into bed, I can’t.” His voice is muffled but I catch what he's saying. He sits up, leaning back in his chair before he continues to talk, making it easier to hear him. “I have too many hours of work to catch up on. If I don’t stay I may as well kiss winning this case goodbye. I swear I'm usually more organized than this.” He sounds so deflated, like Quincy’s mess up has taken its toll on his confidence.
It’s the first time I've ever seen a hint of anything less than his usual confident self, and it makes me want to hold him until he feels better.
I return to my chair and pick up my pen, getting ready to take notes. “So tell me what still needs doing.”
Trey’s eyes soften as he looks at me, but he covers it quickly with his usual steely stare. “I can’t ask you to stay, Roman. I'm not lying when I say this will take all night at least.”
I hold up my hand, silencing his protests. “You didn’t ask me, and I didn’t ask for your permission to stay. So tell me what still needs doing and we can make a to-do list. So … what’s first?”
Trey just stares at me, making me feel a little self-conscious. The intensity in his eyes makes me want to look away, but I can’t.
“You must think I'm not very good at my job?” He speaks with a softness that has my heart speeding up a little. The last time I heard him speak in this tone we were wrapped in each other’s arms, both sated after a night of passionate sex.
I force myself to speak, determined not to focus on the thoughts in my head. “Nothing could be further from the truth. You trusted Quincy, you can’t be faulted for that. The paralegals are here to help you. We should be able to do the jobs that are expected. You should trust us.” It’s not lost on me how my words sound like another apology to him. I didn’t lie to Trey about who I was, not really, but I kept important information from him. So I can’t blame him for not trusting me now.
Trey gets up from the table and walks to his desk, searching for something in a drawer. I can’t help listening to his quickly muttered words, and even though I can’t hear them all I make out enough to know he's talking about this is why he doesn’t trust people. I feel my chest tighten with guilt, not knowing if he's talking about Quincy or me.
A thud on the table startles me and I look down to see a stack of menus in front of me.
When the seat across from me is filled again I look up to see Trey smiling at me. “Well since we will be here a while, we may as well order dinner. Guest’s choice.”
I smile at him before looking through the menus, pretending to choose what to have for dinner. What I'm actually thinking about is how lucky I am that
Trey is acting like this with me. I expected to lose my job but instead we’re sitting here and working, almost like friends. I just pray we can continue to work without problems.
I lean forward and put my empty container on the little table that sits between the couches. We moved here when the food was delivered so we could eat without messing up the paperwork. It’s the first I've eaten all day and I think I went a little overboard. When Roman suggested Chinese food I was happy since it’s my favorite and I knew instantly what I wanted to order. Now I recline on the sofa with my head leaning against the back and rub my stomach, I feel like I might explode at any second.
“Enjoy that?” I can hear the humor in Roman’s voice, and I don’t blame him. I now know how he keeps such a trim figure. I thought it would be his dancing, but now I think it might be because he hardly eats anything. Where he had three containers of food, I topped that with my six. He laughed when he saw how much I had ordered, convinced that there was no way I could finish the whole meal. I won’t say I enjoyed proving him wrong, but there was a little element of competition that made me eating everything. Now I'm suffering with a stomach that feels like I've eaten concrete.
I turn my head towards him, the food coma making me unable to sit up. “I may have eaten a little too much.”
The smile I get in response to my words makes my heart skip in my chest. He really is gorgeous. I've been struggling to concentrate since he came into my office this afternoon. I've never worked so closely with anyone before, always keeping myself to myself when working with the other paralegals, and I have to admit that I liked it more than I thought I would. To have him there to talk through ideas, to get opinions from, has been really helpful. I was a little shocked at how intelligent Roman is. He could honestly become a lawyer himself, and an amazing one at that. He is smart and thinks outside the box, he's actually a lot like me. It’s like having a friend helping, and thankfully one who knows more about law than Nathan.