by Jamie Knight
“I’m sorry?” A shiver runs down my spine.
What did he just say to me? On what planet would Daniel Davies get the impression that I am into him? He’s delusional. That’s the only explanation.
I turn my head to look towards the back. I can’t see Angela since the door is closed. She’s always holed up in there, pretending to do something. I hope she stays put. I don’t need anyone else walking in on this embarrassing scene.
I stand up, keeping my hands on my desk. “You know what? I really don’t care about what you’re saying. I have to get back to work. I don’t have the privilege of having things handed to me. So, I’d appreciate it if you left me alone.”
My headache from my hangover had started to go away, but now it’s coming back even stronger. Goddammit.
He laughs. The man actually laughs at me, and it sends another shiver down my spine.
When I glare at Davies, he shrugs. “I mean, my proposition is kind of work-related since it’ll help you out financially.”
I roll my eyes. “Sure, it will.” Sitting back down, I try to get on with my work. Maybe if I ignore this ass, he will go away.
He doesn’t. Dan starts casually pacing around my office. “Before I reveal the finer details of my proposal, I have to know that you’re on board. There’s some sensitive information that I can’t reveal to just anyone.”
I don’t bother looking up from my computer. “That sounds like it’ll be great for someone, but that someone isn’t me. So, you can take your sensitive information wherever.” I point towards the door, hoping he will finally get the hint.
“Are you sure?” Dan stops and gestures to the empty room. “Not to overstep, but I can tell you guys could use some extra assistants around here. I’m happy to help you if you’re willing to help me back.”
My temper starts to heat up. I’ve had enough of this.
Standing up, I march towards Davies and look up into his face. “Can you leave, please? I don’t want your help. I don’t want your money. I don’t want you in my office.”
I don’t know how to make myself any clearer. Dan keeps pushing and pushing, and I want him to go away. I don’t need another thing on the list of shit I have to deal with.
He raises up his big, thick fingered hands in surrender, but the smile never leaves his face. “Okay, okay. I’ll leave. I’ve got some work stuff to deal with as well. But let me leave me…” Dan digs in his pocket and pulls out his wallet. He reaches in and takes out a business card, placing it in my hand. In the brief second, I can feel the warmth of his body. “If you change your mind, you can call me here. Just tell the secretary you’re calling about the proposal.”
I look down at the card, crush it, and toss it on the floor. Walking back to my desk, I focus on my computer, entirely ignoring Dan. I hear him walking away and look up to watch him leave. Unfortunately, he’s also looking my way, and when our eyes meet, he gives me that stupid ass smirk before walking out the door.
“Son of a bitch,” I mumble.
I can’t stand that man, and I am ashamed to say I had erotic thoughts of him because he really does suck.
I turn all my focus to my work, trying to ignore the fact that I can still feel the heat of his body on mine.
***
The end of the workday arrives, and I close up shop. I’m so tired, I head straight to my apartment. Yesterday was too much, and today was equally as taxing. I want to go home and take a long bath.
I get upstairs and throw my stuff on the floor, plopping onto the couch. Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I dial Poppy. She picks up on the second ring.
“Hey, girlie. What’s up?”
“Daniel Davies came by the office again.” My face is in a pillow, so it comes out all muffed.
“I’m sorry, did you say Daniel Davies stopped by again?”
I turn my head, so my mouth isn’t kissing the pillow, and also, so Poppy doesn’t have to double-check everything I’m saying.
“Yes, Daniel Davies made another unwanted appearance at my firm, acting like he owned the place. I managed to kick him out, but not before he annoyed the hell out of me.”
I still can’t believe he waltzed in like that. What if I was busy? I mean, the firm is getting virtually no business but still.
“What did he want?”
“He said he some kind of ‘business proposal.’ He was so smug, saying a bunch of macho bullshit about how he knew I liked him despite myself. Absolute bullshit. I don’t care what kind of proposal he has, I just want him to leave me alone.”
Poppy sighs. “But Gemma, the double S needs help. Maybe Dan really has something that can get you out of this hole you’ve been in.”
“I don’t care, Poppy,” I grunt. “I would accept help from the Devil himself before Daniel Davies.”
“Oh, Gemma. You’re being dramatic. He really can’t be that bad. I mean, you don’t even know the guy. All you’ve got are articles you’ve read and unfounded rumors. Give the guy a chance, and I don’t know, maybe he can help you in more ways than one if you catch my drift.”
“Ugh,” I groan. I thought Poppy was over this line of thinking. It felt a lot more tolerable as a drunk thought.
“What! Come on! I know you think he’s cute. You admitted it last night.”
“That’s not the point, Poppy. I know he’s good looking. That’s no secret, but talking about it isn’t helping. And telling me I should fuck him isn’t helping either. I already have a lot to deal with, and Daniel adding more to my plate is only adding more to the stress. Can you understand that?”
“Uh, yeah. I’m sorry, Gemma. I should have been more sensitive to how you’re feeling. I just wanted to help.”
I sigh because I know Poppy is telling the truth. She only ever tries to make my life better, and she didn’t mean to upset me. I can’t stay angry at her.
“I know, Poppy. I know. It’s not your fault that everything is going to shit. I’m just a little high strung. Thanks for trying to make me feel better.”
“Always.”
We say goodbye and hang up. I don’t like feeling this way. I rarely get short with Poppy, but everything is really starting to get to me. I feel like a giant failure. I find my book and start reading. I don’t want to think about anything going on in the real world right now.
I get as comfortable as I can and start reading, but just like last night, my mind begins to wander. This time, I start thinking about my mother. She was a reader, just like me. When I lived with her, we would always make some tea together and talk about our days before getting into our personal armchairs to have some reading time. We both had things we were escaping from.
I have lovely memories of my mom, but there wasn’t a lot of variety in our lives. My mom spent so much of her life working and reading. I know my dad hurt her when he left, but she closed herself off to everyone except for me. She took that hurt and bitterness and held onto it so tight.
What would life have been like if my mom had opened her heart and allowed herself to love again? I hate that she died still closed off. It’s not the worst thing to die single, but it’s the fact that she died without ever truly moving on from my dad.
I lie down on the couch and look up at my ceiling. I don’t think Dan is going to be the one who opens me up to love’s possibilities. He’s just some guy who I thought had a handsome face. And he ruined even that. I can’t believe he thought throwing his money around was going to be enough to make me like him. What an ass. It’s literally the most disgusting thing. At least now, he’s totally turned me off of him. I can’t even begin to fantasize about someone like that.
However, I still cannot get him off my mind.
Chapter Nine - Gemma
One Week Later
I was able to get over Davies’ visits to my office. He stills calls, telling me his deal will change my life, but I’ve been letting all his calls go to voicemail. Clearly, Dan has trouble taking ‘no’ for an answer. Hopefully, if I ignore him long enough, he�
��ll get the hint and drop whatever it is he’s trying to do.
Unfortunately, the man is still in my thoughts every now and again. I got over the fact that he tried to buy me off, and I’ve had a few late nights touching myself while imagining he was in the room. But it’s not like any of that matters. It’s all a means to an end. I would never want to date a greedy, cocky guy like Daniel Davies. That’s totally not my type.
There’s some good news regarding the firm. I’ve been able to organize all of the files, and now we can find things with my whole new coding system. To celebrate, I bought myself a cupcake. It doesn’t mean we have any more money coming in, this project was one hundred percent internal, but it’s a great small victory.
I’m peeling the wrapper from off of my red velvet cupcake when Cecil walks in. This might be some good news! He’s one of Samuels & Samuels’ few remaining clients. If he had called, I’d be warier. People usually call to tell me that they’re going elsewhere with their business. Face-to-face always makes them feel more guilty.
I rub crumbs off my face while standing up to shake his hand. “Cecil! I wasn’t expecting you today, but it is a pleasure.”
“Hi, Gemma. How have you been?” His smile doesn’t entirely cover his face, but Cecil has always been a bit shy.
“I’ve been good, really busy.”
“Yeah, I was sorry to hear about your mother. She was a great woman.”
“Yes, she was. Hopefully, I can do her firm justice.” I go quiet for a second before motioning to the chair in front of my desk. “Why don’t you have a seat?”
He looks down at the chair but continues to stand, pulling his hands behind his back. That’s not a good sign.
“I actually came here with some bad news. Cecil Coding has to change who we go to for legal counsel. I know you guys are going through some growing pains with the shift in leadership, and there was a chance we could have waited it out, but things have changed.”
I try to not let my jaw drop open.
I knew things were bad, but I didn’t think they were this bad. I was hoping the reputation of my mother’s firm would hold up during this stormy weather. Cecil is making it sound like the fact that our firm has gone to the toilet is why he’s leaving, which makes me feel like total garbage.
“Did Dan Davies swoop in and steal you guys?”
I try to sound jokey, but I am legitimately pissed off. I mean, that jerk comes into my office, acting like he wants to spread goodwill. Dan conducts all his interviews talking about how he’s a good guy, and then does shady shit like take my clients right from under me — all while smiling in my face.
Cecil frowns. “It’s not quite like that. We just got bought out by McKenzie Tech, and I’m guessing you saw that they’re merging with Davies & Sons. Since we’re all going to be under the same umbrella, we’re being made to switch up a lot of our dealings so that they’re in-house. I want to say, I appreciate all Samuels & Samuels has done for us. You guys were there from the beginning, and your loyalty and support have meant so much to me. I’m truly sorry everything is playing out like this.”
Even though my heart is breaking, I keep a smile on my face. “I understand, Cecil. There are no hard feelings. I’m really happy for you guys, and I hope this merger goes well.”
“Thanks. I hope things turn around for you as well. I’ll be seeing you around.”
Cecil leaves with a quick wave, and I’m left to ruminate in my feelings. Usually, I’d be happy for Cecil. This merger means major expansion for him and his company. If things were going well, we’d be able to keep going with one less client. Mergers are always happening, and people are forced to change things up. But losing Cecil is another blow in a series of them. I’m disgusted that I’m feeling such deep disappointment.
Soon after Cecil leaves, I hear the door for the back office open. Angela emerges from her cave.
“Gemma! I just have to show you the pictures of the apartment my boyfriend just bought me. I couldn’t believe he did this. It’s so crazy.”
She scurries over and swipes through the pics on her phone. The apartment is gorgeous, and I know that there’s no way Angela could afford that place on the measly salary she gets from the firm. Another perk of having a rich boyfriend, I guess.
“He’s been talking about getting me a new place for a while. We live kind of far apart, and he hates how long it takes me to get to his place whenever he wants to have a spontaneous date. I hate it too. Even an uber takes too long. So, now, we can be with one another in less than fifteen minutes, even if there is traffic.” She grins at me.
“That’s nice, Angela. I’m happy for you.”
“Yeah, I don’t really have to work anymore. I mean, it couldn’t come at a better time since the firm is closing. I’ll stay until you guys actually close just because this place has been nice, plus it’s not like I’ll be here for that long anyway.”
What is Angela talking about? She’s rambling at this point, but her stream of consciousness is a little cutting. I had no idea she thought we were closing. I guess I’ve been the most delusional one.
“Maybe if I tried harder or was more dedicated, this thing could have worked out. I want to be totally honest since we won’t be working together anymore. I’m not preparing briefs back there. I just read murder mysteries and watching beauty videos on YouTube. I know that kind of sucks, but it is what it is. Thanks for being such a nice boss, Gemma. Your mom was pretty great, too. Sorry, I wasn’t a better employee. It’s a shame the firm wasn’t given a real chance with you as head lawyer.” She scrunches up her lip like she feels terrible, and I believe she does in her own Angela way. “Okay, I’m going to head back to ‘prepare briefs.’”
Angela struts to the back office, and I am alone once again.
I was always curious about what she was doing back there. The number of briefs we had completed was not equal to the amount of work she said she was doing. Well, now I know. She probably wrote a sentence or two back there, and if I cared, maybe I’d talk to her about actually getting work done, but like Angela said, we’re closing up shop, so what is the point?
My dream is over. It didn’t matter how much I wanted it or how hard I worked; it just wasn’t in the cards for me, I guess. I know my mom would be so disappointed. This firm was everything to her. She worked so hard to keep it going because she wanted us to be able to fend for ourselves. I can probably get a job at a different firm, and then get a promotion once I pass the bar. Luckily, my last semester is paid for, so that’s not a worry. Taking care of myself was always a possibility, but I wanted to be able to do so much more.
I’m a failure. There’s no other way to put it.
Feeling totally depressed, I call Poppy.
“Gemma! What is it! Is everything okay?”
“I think I’m going to have to close the firm…”
“Oh, no. I know things have been tough, but I thought you guys were figuring things out, working on a plan.”
“We were, but Cecil just came in and told me he’s changing to Davies & Sons because they’re merging with McKenzie Tech, and you saw the article. They were one of our biggest clients. We were already on a razor’s edge, and now we’ve fallen off. I can’t think of anything to get out of this hole, and fucking Daniel Davies keeps popping up, and I don’t know what to do!”
“I’m sorry that this is happening. I know this transition has been hard for you, and you’ve worked so hard. But you’ve got to admit, you can’t blame Dan for all of this. It’s really just been a series of unfortunate circumstances.”
“I guess…” I begrudgingly admit.
I know Poppy is right. It’s not like Davies was out in the streets, stealing my clients. The chips just fell where they wanted, and a lot of them wanted to drop inside of Davies & Sons.
“You know what you should do?”
“What?”
“You should go fuck him. Now that we know he isn’t the absolute worse, it could be fin. And losing your virginity might l
oosen you up a little. You are wound tighter than a drum, girl.”
“Poppy!”
“Come on, Gemma. You don’t think it would be fun letting him do what he wants with your body?”
“Oh my God, you’re the worst.” I’m a little annoyed, but Poppy got me laughing. “Look, I’ve got to go.”
“Gonna go fuck your man?”
“Stop it.”
I hang up and fall back into my chair. Poppy’s insistence that I sleep with Dan is a little annoying, but at least it’s also entertaining. And it’s not like she’s doing any real harm. She probably just wants me to open up my heart. It’s the same exact thing I wanted for my mom. Maybe if I had been pushy like my friend, things might have been different.
I look at Dan’s card. After he left, I picked it up off the floor and put it in a desk drawer. He did say he wanted to strike a deal. It could mean throwing more clients my way. I don’t know how he’d benefit from that, but I’m sure a rich guy like him knows all kinds of ways to make money or get people in his debts.
I don’t want to be indebted to Davies, though. I need to go to him with my own plan. This has to be on my terms. The most important thing is that I save Samuels & Samuels, and that’s precisely what I am going to do.
Chapter Ten - Dan
“So, how’s your first day going?” I ask Maggie.
My brother and I made sure everything for her was set up right, but the only way to know if we didn’t mess up was this final test. I’ve been fretting over this so much since I so royally screwed it up before. I just want to make things up to Maggie, however I can.
She looks up at me and smiles. Maggie is a genially warm, sweet person, and it shows on her face. “It’s amazing. Everyone here is so friendly. I’ve never had a warmer welcome.”
Relaxing some, I feel my shoulders drop slightly. “I’m so glad. If there’s anything you need, please don’t hesitate to ask.”
“I second that,” Jake adds, walking up behind me.