by Lynn, Sandi
“Yes. Thank you for coming in.”
I took the seat across from her at the large rectangular table.
“How well do you know Alessandra Rivera?” I asked.
“Not very well. I’ve only worked with her a few times.”
“You told me on the flight to Chicago that Mr. Wolfe doesn’t date flight attendants. Do you remember our conversation?”
“Yeah. I remember. All of the flight attendants who have worked with Nathan for years know he has a hands-off policy.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“If you’re a flight attendant, you don’t stand a chance with him. He’s made it very clear that he doesn’t get involved with us.”
“Did he ever tell you why?”
“He just said it’s a policy of his and as much as we flight attendants hate it, we respect it. Like I told you on the flight to Chicago, I seriously considered switching careers just to go out with him. I mean, who wouldn’t.” She bit down on her bottom lip.
“How is his behavior on flights?” I asked.
“Strictly professional. I’ve tried flirting with him several times, but he just dismisses it. In fact, we all have.”
“And what about layovers?”
“He pretty much goes off on his own. Half the time he doesn’t even stay at the hotel.”
“Where does he stay?”
“Rumor has it that he has a variety of women he stays with in different parts of the country/world.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah. Lucky women.”
“Thank you, Miss Dushay. I think we’re finished here.” I stood up and extended my hand.
“You’re welcome. If you need anything else, just let me know.”
Chapter 15
Allison
I was sitting at my desk when my phone rang, and Marco was calling.
“Hey, Marco.”
“Allison, I have some information for you on a Miss Alessandra Rivera.”
“Excellent. Tell me it’s something good.”
We talked for several minutes while I took down some notes and then I ended the call. Just as I set my phone down, it rang again and this time it was Elijah.
“Finally,” I spoke to myself. “Elijah.”
“Allison, I’m sorry. We’ve been in the ER all day with Mila. She has an ear infection.”
“Oh no. I’m sorry to hear that.”
“We finally got her to go to sleep. What’s going on? Aspen said you called her a couple times as well.”
“Mr. Thorne, Miss Rivera’s attorney, scheduled the deposition for tomorrow morning at nine a.m.”
“What the fuck. What’s the rush?”
“I think he got wind that you and your mother are out of town.”
“That bastard. I’ll call him.”
“No, don’t. Let him go ahead with his plan. I have some information and you can attend the meeting via Facetime.”
“That’ll have to do for now. There’s no way we can get on a plane with the baby having an ear infection right now and I’m not leaving Aspen here alone to deal with her. Call me when it starts.”
“I will. I need to go. I have another call I have to make regarding the case.”
* * *
After leaving the office, I went over to my brother’s house to have dinner with them and Ruby. He had called earlier in the day to ask if they could keep Ruby another night because they were having a lot of fun. I agreed since I had to be in depositions in the morning.
As I walked into my building, my belly twisted when I saw Nathan standing in front of the elevator. I hadn’t spoken to him since I walked out of the diner this morning.
“Hey,” I nervously spoke as I stood next to him clutching the strap to my purse.
“Hey.” He glanced over at me with his hands tucked tightly into his pants pockets. “You talk to Elijah today?”
“I did. He’ll be joining us via Facetime tomorrow.”
“I know. He told me.”
The doors opened and we both stepped inside.
“I know you’re still mad at me for this morning, but do you think we could go together tomorrow?”
I stood there in silence for a moment.
“I guess that means no.” He sighed.
The elevator stopped on my floor and when the doors opened, I stepped out and turned to face him.
“Pick me up at eight fifteen.”
A light smile crossed his lips as he gave me a nod.
* * *
The next morning, I stared at myself in the mirror while taking in long deep breaths. I was ready and I pushed out any doubts or fears that resided in me. I could do this. It was nothing but another case. A case in which I would walk in and expose that lying bitch for the fraud she was. Nathan told me I was incapable of handling this and I was going to prove him wrong.
I was startled out of my deep thoughts by a knock on the door. Walking over to it, I opened the door and found Nathan standing there holding two coffee cups in his hand.
“Good morning. I figured you could probably use this.” He handed me the cup.
“Thanks. I do.”
I grabbed my purse and my briefcase, and we headed out the door.
“You look great,” he spoke as we stepped into the elevator.
“Thank you.” I could feel the heat rise in my cheeks.
I tried not to notice how sexy he looked in his tailored black suit, but it was impossible not to. Damn it.
“Mr. Thorne will go first and ask you a bunch of questions. Just answer them truthfully and calmly. Please for the love of god don’t get all worked up.”
“I won’t. I’ll be on my best behavior. But only because you asked me to.” He smirked. “I spoke with Elijah again last night and he told me that he’s flying back tomorrow, and he’ll be taking over the case.”
“I’m sure you were happy to hear that.”
“Again, I’m sorry for what I said yesterday morning, but—”
“But you still don’t trust me and think I’m incapable of handling your case. I know, Nathan. Believe me when I say I don’t care what you think. I know my capabilities and I know how to practice the law. If you don’t think I’m good enough, that’s your problem, not mine.”
“Okay then. Clearly you’re still pissed off.”
“How about I criticize your piloting abilities?” I arched my brow at him.
“Seriously? You have no idea about my abilities as a pilot.”
“And you don’t have any idea of my abilities as a lawyer. Just because my last name isn’t Wolfe, doesn’t mean I don’t know how to do my job. We’re here. Let’s go and get this shit show over with.”
We stepped inside the building located at 90 and Park Avenue and took the elevator up to the twenty-eighth floor.
“Good morning. We’re here for Mr. Thorne,” I spoke.
“Well, hello.” The blonde receptionist behind the desk smiled as she stared at Nathan. “Your name?” she asked him.
“Hello there, beautiful. I’m Nathan Wolfe.” He grinned back at her.
I sighed as I rolled my eyes.
“Please let Mr. Thorne know that Allison Price and Nathan Wolfe are here for depositions.”
“One moment, please.” She picked up the phone sitting on her desk. “Mr. Thorne is ready for you. Follow me.”
She stepped out from behind her desk and led us to the conference room. I smacked Nathan’s arm as I caught him staring at her ass in her little black tight skirt.
“Ouch.”
“Could you please show some professionalism. Or is that too much to ask?”
“Someone took their nasty pills this morning. I just hope you direct that nastiness to the appropriate party.” The corners of his mouth curved upward.
Rolling my eyes, we stepped into the conference room.
“You must be Miss Price,” a large man with white hair asked as he extended his hand.
“Mr. Thorne. Nice to meet you.”
; “You two may have a seat.” He gestured to the other side of the table.
“I’m not sitting across from her,” Nathan whispered.
“Sit down.” I spoke through gritted teeth. “Before we get started, I have a phone call to make.”
“Miss Price, now is not the—”
“Good morning, Elijah,” I spoke as I propped my iPad up.
“Good morning, Allison. Nathan. Harold, good to see you.” Elijah smiled.”
“Elijah.” The tone in his voice wasn’t a pleasant one.
Chapter 16
Allison
“Miss Rivera, who is Professor Jared Simmons?” I asked.
“What relevance does this have, Miss Price?” Harold asked.
“A lot of relevance. Miss Rivera?”
“I was his assistant at the University of Chicago a few years ago.”
I silently smiled at the nervousness in her voice.
“You filed a sexual harassment suit against him. Correct?”
“Yes. He had me transferred out of his department after I refused to sleep with him. Just like Nathan did.”
I placed my hand on Nathan’s arm because I knew he was going to say something.
“I want that comment stricken from the record.” I glanced over at the court reporter.
“So you’re saying you never slept with Professor Simmons?”
“No. He’s married, and I would never.”
“Then how do you explain this?” I asked as I pulled out a photo of them hand in hand in the lobby of the Ritz Carlton.
She swallowed hard as she looked at the picture.
“I have sworn testimony from Professor Simmons himself stating that the two of you carried on an affair for over a year and it was when he refused to leave his wife that you filed the suit against him.”
“What the hell does that have to do with this case, Miss Price?” Harold asked.
“A lot. Because when Miss Rivera doesn’t get her way with a man, she screams sexual harassment.”
“That is not true!” she yelled.
“I have a sworn statement by one of the other flight attendants that says Mr. Wolfe doesn’t and has never engaged in sexual activity with any of the flight attendants. The flight crew knows he has a policy and a rule against that. I will subpoena every damn flight attendant Mr. Wolfe has ever worked with. This picture here tells us that Miss Rivera lied under oath in her previous lawsuit, and I’m prepared to go even further to show that she lied about that sexual harassment case and how she’s lying about this one.” I placed my hands on the table and leaned over, so I was staring her in the eyes. “Make no mistake, Miss Rivera, by the time this lawsuit is said and done, you will be buried so deep in the ground that you’ll never climb your way out.”
“Did you just threaten my client, Miss Price?” Harold shouted as he stood up from his chair.
“I wouldn’t call it a threat, Harold.” Elijah smiled. “Facts are facts. Now if you insist on taking this any further then be prepared for war. Nobody fucks with my family. Especially my brother.”
He stared at Elijah for a moment and then looked at me.
“Will you excuse us for a moment?”
“Of course.”
“Alessandra, come with me,” he spoke.
As soon as they left the conference room, Nathan looked at me as he leaned back in his chair.
“Wow. You can be quite scary when you need to be.” He grinned.
“Good job, Allison.” Elijah spoke. “I couldn’t have done it better myself.”
“Thanks, Elijah.”
A few moments later, Harold walked back into the conference room alone.
“Where’s your client?” I asked. “I don’t believe we’re finished here.”
“Miss Rivera has decided to drop the suit against Mr. Wolfe. She said she was drinking that night and may have been mistaken. Thank you for your time. My secretary will show you out,” he spoke as he left the room.
“Excellent job, Allison. I have to go and see how Mila is doing. We’ll talk when I get back. Since the suit has been dropped, there’s no need for me to fly back tomorrow. Congratulations, Nathan.”
“Thanks, bro. I’ll see you soon.”
I picked up my iPad and shoved it along with some files back into my briefcase.
“I can’t believe it’s over,” Nathan spoke. “You were fantastic. I could kiss you right now.”
“Please don’t.” I put my hand up. “A simple thank you is enough.”
“Have dinner with me tonight,” he spoke as we stepped into the elevator.
“I can’t. I have plans.”
“Then tomorrow night.”
“Listen, Nathan,” I said as the elevator opened to the lobby, “I’m not interested in having dinner with you. Not tonight, not tomorrow, not ever. I was your attorney on a case and that case is over. Now we go our separate ways. I’ll draft a letter and send it to your employer telling them that she dropped the suit against you and your suspension is to be revoked immediately. Have a good day,” I said as I climbed into a cab, shut the door and took in a deep breath.
Chapter 17
Nathan
I stood there with my hands tucked into my pockets staring at the cab as it pulled away from the curb. What pissed me off the most was her attitude towards me. Maybe I was wrong to voice my opinion about her handling my case, but she needed to realize my reputation and career was on the line. Not to mention the fact that I felt abandoned by my family who were supposed to be there for me. Nonetheless, I hurt her feelings and I needed to make amends with her.
Pulling my phone from my pocket, I dialed my mother.
“Nathan, darling, is everything okay?”
“Hi, Mom. Allison got the lawsuit dropped. It’s over.”
“That’s excellent news, Nathan. Obviously, I made the right decision in hiring her. I’ll be home in a couple of days, and we’ll celebrate the good news.”
“Sounds good, Mom. I have to go. Have a safe flight home.”
“Thank you, darling. Talk to you soon.”
After ending the call, I decided to see if Mason was home.
“Hello,” his sleepy voice answered.
“Get your lazy ass up. I’m on my way over with a couple of breakfast sandwiches from Sammy’s.”
“Don’t you have depositions this morning?”
“It’s done and over with. The lawsuit was dropped. I’ll explain when I get there.”
“Yeah. Okay, bro. I’ll unlock the door, just walk in. I’m jumping in the shower.”
On my way to Mason’s, I stopped at Sammy’s Diner and ordered two breakfast sandwiches and power smoothies to go. When I arrived at his apartment, I took out the sandwiches and set them on the table.
“Hey, bro. Congrats on the lawsuit being dropped.” Mason fist bumped me. “Did Allison have something to do with it or did that chick decide to stop being a bitch?”
“Allison found some dirt on her and basically threatened to ruin her if she continued with the suit,” I spoke as I pulled the chair out and took a seat.
“Wow. She sounds tough like Mom and Elijah.”
“She is and I made a huge mistake. One I’m not sure she’ll forgive me for.”
“What did you do?”
I took a bite of my sandwich. “I basically told her that I didn’t trust her to handle my case and I felt she was a little uncapable.”
“Shit, Nathan. Why would you do that?”
“Because my reputation and career were on the line. I freaked out. Especially with Mom and Elijah out of town. I apologized but she didn’t care. And when I asked her to dinner, she told me she wasn’t interested. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever. Do you fucking believe that?”
“Yeah,” he spoke as he sipped his smoothie. “You didn’t believe in her without even knowing what kind of lawyer she was. The truth is, we’re so used to Elijah and Mom being the big sharks that it’s hard to know if anyone else would come close to being like them. I say
give it up and move on.”
“That’s not an option for me. I need to make amends with her. Plus, I’m extremely attracted to her and I just can’t let that go. I have a need, brother. And that need is to get her into my bed. Just one time is all I want. My curiosity is getting the best of me.”
“Have you ever heard how curiosity killed the cat? Dude, once again do I need to remind you that she’s off limits. Elijah will kick your ass if you sleep with one of his employees.”
“What Elijah doesn’t know won’t hurt him. I have a plan.”
“Jesus. What is it?”
“What’s the one way to pull the heartstrings of a woman? What do women find sexier than anything else?”
“Enlighten me, please.”
“A man who adores their kid.”
“So you’re going to use her kid to get to her?” His brow arched.
“If I have to, yes.”
“That’s low, Nathan. Even for you. What about the kid’s father? Do you know anything about him?”
“No. I haven’t gotten that far yet. She started to say something the other night at dinner and stopped. I’m guessing he’s back in Chicago. Which also leads me to question why he would allow her to take Ruby and move out of state. He must be a total dick and a shit father.”
“Maybe.” He shrugged. “Just be careful, bro. I’d hate to lose you.”
“Lose me how?” I furrowed my brows.
“When Elijah buries you six feet in the ground.”
“Enough with Elijah.” I leaned back in my chair as I finished off my smoothie. “Besides, Aspen will put him in his place if he gives me too hard of a time about it. But we’re not going to mention any of this to Elijah, are we?” I cocked my head.
“Fuck no. I’m not getting involved in this one. You’re on your own. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.” He pointed his finger at me.
After I left Mason’s apartment, I stopped by the florist on the way home and ordered a dozen white roses and had them sent to Allison’s office with a card that read:
Allison,
Thank you again for today. I never should have doubted you and I’m truly sorry. Have dinner with me.