by Lea Coll
I thought about what it would feel like to have his attention on me like that in anticipation of that first kiss. How his large hands would feel in my hair and on my face. I imagined that his fingers and hands were calloused. His beautiful face hovered above mine as he looked down at me. The feeling of his breath on my lips and his body flush against me. His erection pressed against my belly. Would the kiss be gentle or rough and passionate?
If his intention was for me to think of him, it worked. I shook my head to get rid of the image. What was wrong with me? I was still leaning against the wall in the hallway.
It was hard to believe he was truly interested in me and even crazier to think he saw me as this beautiful voluptuous woman depicted in his drawings. I had no intention of talking to the girls about it. It was something special, just between us. I smiled and tucked the napkin into my purse with the other picture.
I kept it in my wallet and took it out sometimes to look at. It never failed to make me smile and maybe that was his intention.
“WE HAVE A CASE TOGETHER this morning?” Luke asked. I looked up to see him standing right in front of me. He looked good as always in his uniform.
“I don’t think so. My client’s late though,” I said by way of explanation since I kept checking my phone for a message that didn’t come.
“How are you?” he asked in a low voice that seemed more intimate than the voice he usually used in court.
I looked up at him and smiled. “Good. At least I was good until my client decided to no show.” I was getting stressed about explaining to the judge why my client wasn’t here and bracing myself for the judge’s questions regarding exactly what measures I’ve taken to ensure my client would be here. Clients never understood that it was the attorney who bore the brunt of the judge’s wrath in court. Plus the judge would issue a warrant for his arrest.
“Yeah, you’re not representing the most upstanding of citizens,” he said.
“You can say that again,” I agreed. “I do what I can, but sometimes they need to help themselves by showing up for court on time. Not running from the police. Little things like that.”
Finally, my phone dinged with an incoming text. I didn’t like it, but I gave out my cell number for occasions just like this, when a client needed to contact me to say they would be late for court for whatever reason. It was too bad the office didn’t provide a separate work phone anymore. It was cheaper just to pay a portion of our bill.
I looked down and gasped at the incoming message: Bitch, go back to where you came from.
“What?” Luke asked, concerned at my reaction. When I didn’t answer fast enough, he pulled my hand holding the phone toward him to read the message. “Jesus, Emma. Is this an ex?”
“No. I don’t recognize the number,” I answered shakily, racking my brain trying to figure out who it could be.
“Do you give your number out to your clients?” he bit out. He stood at his full height, his entire body tense.
“I don’t have a choice. We don’t have separate work phones.”
“Do you have any idea who it is?” he asked impatiently.
“I doubt it’s from an old boyfriend. I haven’t broken up with anyone recently.”
“There’s no jealous ex out there?”
I laughed a little at that.“No, Luke. There are no exes.” I was embarrassed to tell him I’d never went out with anyone long enough to have a break-up.
“Then it’s a client?” he asked in full interrogation mode now.
“Possibly. I don’t think I’ve pissed any clients off since I moved here, but who knows?” It wasn’t uncommon for clients to be upset with their cases. I did my best, but sometimes jail was unavoidable depending on the offense and prior record. I could only do so much, but clients always expected a miracle. They didn’t want to pay for an attorney, but were dissatisfied with my performance. I’d been called a bitch before and told I wasn’t a real attorney. You had to have a thick skin in this job.
“Is this the first message like this you’ve received?” he asked.
“Yes.” When he just gave me a look, I continued, “I promise, Luke. This is the only message I have received like this.”
“I don’t like it,” he said. “I’m going to take this and see what I can find out.” He held up my phone.
“I need it in case my client for this morning contacts me,” I argued.
“And please stop giving out your number to clients,” he pleaded.
“I don’t have a choice, Luke. I need a way for my clients to contact me.”
“Have them call the office,” Luke insisted, his mouth tense and his jaw tight.
“That’s the way we used to do it and it just takes too long. By the time someone from the office contacts me, court is over. Plus, the secretaries don’t like dealing with it.”
“Tough. That’s their job. Promise me you won’t hand out the number anymore,” Luke insisted. I could tell he was not going to back down. His protectiveness felt good, too. “It’s their problem if they can’t be on time to court.”
He had a point and I didn’t like giving out my number either. “Fine,” I huffed. “But why do you need my phone?”
“So, I can track this guy down.”
My eyes narrowed on him. “It’s an unknown number. I’m not sure what you can figure out with my phone.” I’m not a police officer but I couldn’t think of anything he could glean from my phone. Even my phone records would say it was a call from an unknown number.
Luke smiled. “Maybe I want your phone for a different reason.” His voice was low and husky.
“Oh,” I said, my face flushed.
He held out his hand for my phone and I gave it to him. I liked that he wanted my number. If he wanted me to have his number for safety reasons he would have been upfront about it. The fact that he was doing it on the sly made me think he wanted it for personal reasons.
The door to the courtroom opened then. Logan walked out and saw me. “Oh, there you are. Is your client here yet?”
I took one last scan of the hallway. “No, he’s not.”
“The judge took a break. When he comes back on the bench, I have two more cases and then I’ll call yours,” he said.
“Okay. Thanks for waiting to call the case,” I said.
“Of course.” Then he walked back into the court room.
I turned my attention back to Luke.
He started to place my phone in my hand, but then hesitated. When I looked up at him, he said, “You will call me if you get another message.”
“Of course, Luke,” I said as he finally placed the phone in my hand. I scrolled quickly through the contacts. He’d added his contact name as “Hot Sheriff.” I snorted when I saw that. I suspected Luke had a playful side only his close friends and family saw. Then I noticed he had taken a selfie and added it to his contact information. “This is nice,” I said without thinking.
“Is it?” he asked, his lips tipping up in amusement.
My face got hot. I didn’t want him to think I was referring to his picture in my phone. His ego was big enough. “Yeah, it’s good to have your number, in case I get another threatening text.”
“Right,” he said, drawing the word out like he didn’t believe me. His face got serious then and he leaned down so only I could hear him. “You can call me anytime you want, Emma.”
“Okay,” I said, looking up at him with wide eyes, my breathing erratic from his close proximity, and my phone clutched to my chest. He smiled and then turned to walk down the hall. I watched him go and then rested my head against the wall. Luke was slowly and surely worming his way into my life. It felt really good.
I PULLED OPEN THE HEAVY door to The Fish House restaurant. It was a large restaurant with wall-to-wall windows overlooking the Chester River. The marina was to the right of it and a park sat behind it. I stood there, taking in the views. “Are you here for Sergeant Hudson’s campaign event?” asked the hostess.
“Yes, I am,” I an
swered, looking over to the young woman who was standing at the hostess table.
“Follow me,” she said.
“Hey, girl,” came Ashley’s voice from behind me.
“Hey, finally left work?” Ashley’s work ethic really made me look bad. She worked the longest hours of anyone. We worked in the public service sector so we weren’t required to sit at our desks after 4:30 p.m., but the nature of the job usually required prepping cases after hours. I preferred to take files home, but Ashley seemed to have the private firm work ethic, where young lawyers put in hours of face time in hopes of being promoted. In the public defender’s office, it wasn’t that cutthroat, so I wasn’t sure why she worked so hard. We were also paid less than in the private sector. The perk was supposed to be fewer hours and a better quality of life.
I had taken the job in the hopes that my student loans would be partially reimbursed after ten years of service. There was always the fear that the program would be discontinued or the money wouldn’t be there when my ten years were done, but I held out hope that I could get rid of some of the loans. After that, I would probably work elsewhere. I didn’t want to get stuck in the niche of criminal law. Plus, the more experienced I got, the more serious cases I would need to try, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to represent rapists and murderers. More and more, I wanted a job which was meaningful. Something I could be proud of.
“Yeah, I came straight from work,” Ashley answered. She wore the same outfit she’d had on earlier, but removed her blazer for a more casual look. Her white button-down shirt was tucked into a black pencil skirt and nude heels.
“I’m jealous you can even wear a pencil skirt,” I said. No way I could squeeze my butt into one.
“Whatever, you look great,” Ashley argued, taking in my outfit.
I had changed out of my suit and into a blue cocktail dress. The hostess led us to a cocktail area with high tables and waiters walking around with trays of wine glasses.
“That color blue really brings out your eyes. Did you wear it to attract a certain someone’s attention?” she asked knowingly.
“No, crazy girl. I wanted to look nice for this. Luke is here to run for sheriff, not to flirt with me. What’s this event about anyway?” I asked, trying to change the subject.
“It’s kind of like a meet and greet. An official announcement that he’s running for sheriff and this is his platform. It’s also to get people to sign up here to help out his campaign.” She took a breath, scanning the room. “Mark my words, that man will make a beeline for you as soon as he sees you in that dress.”
“Whatever,” I said, dismissing her. I hadn’t heard from Luke since we exchanged numbers. I hadn’t received any more threatening texts, so I’d tried to put the incident out of my mind.
“There he is now,” Ashley said, and I followed her gaze to a group of men standing by the window. I saw his dark head, taller than the other men in the group. He slowly turned his head and saw us. His eyes widened in appreciation, and he said something to the other men and started across the room toward us. He was held up several times by townspeople wanting to talk to him about the race. He stopped for a few minutes, but finally made his way to me. Right before he got to me, Ashley said, “I told you so.” Then she disappeared.
His eyes raked boldly over me, taking in my short blue dress and open toe pumps. “Christ, Emma. You look beautiful.”
“Thank you.” My face flushed in response. I was used to seeing him in uniform, but he looked amazing in a suit. He still looked commanding, but also powerful. His hair was styled with gel closer to his head, different than the casual wavy look he usually wore. “You look great, too.”
His lips ticked up in a knowing smile. “Thank you for coming and supporting me tonight,” he said, placing his hand on my elbow and directing me toward a waiter with a tray of white wines. He plucked a glass off of the tray and handed it to me. Something about this whole exchange felt intimate, like we were on a date, or I was supposed to be meeting him here.
“Of course, Luke,” I said.
“That dress looks fantastic on you.” He considered me again. “It brings out your eyes.”
I blushed in pleasure at his words. In the last few minutes, all of his attention had been focused on me in the middle of a fundraiser for the most important job of his life. It didn’t seem real.
“Luke, can I have a word?” asked Mayor Good. I glanced at the mayor for the first time; he was in his sixties with thinning hair and was shorter than Luke but still tall.
“Of course, Mayor, be right with you,” he said, and then turned back to me. “Don’t leave without saying goodbye.” Then he leaned down and kissed me on the cheek.
I was stunned by the kiss for a minute and watched him walk away with the mayor.
“So was he overwhelmed by your beauty?” Ashley asked,suddenly at my side again.
“Yes, he seemed to be,” I answered, still mystified by the whole thing.
“Good. I told you so.” She beamed in response and then looked around the room. “So, everyone who’s everyone is here tonight. I think Mayor Good’s support is still in question. He’s supposed to be considering both sides before he makes his final decision.”
“Yeah, Luke is talking to him now,” I said, gesturing over to them.
“There’s Ben Harris,” she said as she pointed to our left where some men were eating hors d’oeuvres. “The one with the black hair.” He was tall, built, but leaner than Luke. He looked like a smooth guy. I don’t know why I thought that. Maybe something about his mannerisms or the way he was dressed. I couldn’t pinpoint it exactly. I hadn’t even heard him speak yet.
“Who is he again?” I asked.
“He’s a supervisor at Archer Metal Recycling. The company pledged its support for Luke already,” Stella interjected, popping up next to us. Her perfume was flowery and she was dressed in a sunny yellow dress with a bright red tote bag. As usual, her presence lit up the room. She had a happy energy about her.
“Dating anyone? He’s pretty good looking,” I said.
“I don’t know, but he’s not known for relationships,” Ashley answered. “There are a finite number of eligible guys here. I feel like the guys still want to play around and not settle down.”
“Yeah, no kidding,” Stella answered. “What am I saying? I don’t even have time to date.”
“Didn’t you try online dating?” Ashley asked.
“Yeah, but I could never remember to respond to the emails. Even if I set something up, I’d forget to go to the date. I’m too ADD for online dating. I need someone physically present in my life,” she said. “You know, someone who can stop me on the street and be like ‘Stella, we have a date right now!’” We laughed at that. Stella shrugged and said, “But like I said, I’m way too busy right now.”
“Oh my God, I can’t believe you forget to go on the dates,” I said. Stella always had funny stories to tell. It didn’t seem to faze her if we laughed at the crazy things that happened in her life. No one seemed annoyed by her forgetting things or always being late to everything. It was hard to be irritated by her when her mere presence lit up the whole room. It wasn’t just her bright choice of colors in clothes. It was her sunny disposition and positive outlook on life.
“That’s okay. I don’t have the best track record with guys anyway. My first boyfriend in college ended up cheating on me with another girl in the same dorm and my second boyfriend cheated on me with one of his students. He was a TA,” she explained. She said this matter of factly, like it didn’t bother her at all. I didn’t believe that though. It couldn’t feel good that two ex-boyfriends cheated on her. “Well, I better mingle. I need to write this up for the paper. Later, ladies,” she said.
“Yikes, she doesn’t even seem bothered by it,” I told Ashley.
“She is. She just hides behind humor,” Ashley said.
Luke came back over to us with the man he had been with at the pub the other night. “Emma, this is my brother Sawyer
.”
“Nice to meet you, Sawyer,” I said, shaking his hand. He had brown hair and brown eyes, with sexy glasses and broad shoulders.
“Sawyer is an associate professor at the college and also coaches the women’s crew team,” Luke said.
“It’s nice to meet you, Emma,” Sawyer said. Then he looked over at Ashley. “Hi, Ashley.”
Ashley smiled at him, and said, “Hey. You just missed Stella. She has to mingle since she’s covering the event for the paper.”
“Well, she’ll want to stick around and hear my speech then,” Luke said.
“I’m looking forward to that,” I said. “Any hint at which way the mayor is leaning?”
“Not yet. He wants more time to consider both sides. I think he’s a little afraid he’s going to alienate half the town depending on which person he supports,” Luke said. “It’s rare to have contested sheriff races here.”
“Well, I’m doing my part to rally the students to your side,” Sawyer said.
Someone came over the loudspeaker. “Now it’s time for Luke Hudson to come up here and talk about why he brought you all here.” I looked up to see a woman speaking at the podium in front of the room.
Luke looked down at me one last time before he went up. “Good luck,” I whispered.
He winked at me in response and headed up to the podium to thank the woman who had introduced him. It was one thing to speak in court but quite another to get up in front of a whole room and give a speech. It had to be even more difficult when you’re running for office. He was putting himself out there for everyone to judge him. People could attack his character and his policies.