I giggle on the inside. My man…
“Wow, Jim, that’s great. I think Hannah would be great for this case. From what I’ve seen, she’s very observant and takes a lot of pride in her work. I have no doubt she’ll do fantastic. And I’ll make sure to watch her like a hawk.”
My dad smiles and hands Levi a huge stack of files. “I knew I could count on you two. Here are the key witness statements. They are not to be shared at this time. Very important we keep these between us.”
“Why?” I ask.
“It’s to safeguard the client. Without these, the case is dead. It’s protocol in huge trials like this. You tend to keep the big stuff to a small staff. These files go missing, so do our chances of winning.”
I nod, sensing the importance. “All right, you two, get on with what you were doing. I have an offsite meeting all day.” With that, he says his goodbyes and is gone.
We both stand there silent, until the air around us is so electric, anyone who enters is in for quite a zapping. “Well…” Levi faces me, “looks like we should shut that door after all. I have a lot of prepping to do with you.”
My panties just melted right off me. “Yes, boss.”
And like a good little apprentice, I shut and lock the door.
I’m on my way back from the bathroom, reminiscing how fantastic my Monday morning has been. Catching the clock on the wall, I see it’s already past noon. Levi had to leave and meet Dad at another meeting, so this leaves me the afternoon to catch up on filing and data entry. When I turn the corner, I spot someone in my chair.
“Braydon?”
“Hey, you!” Jumping up, he pushes in my keyboard tray and steps away from my desk to give me a hug.
“What are you doing up here?” A lot has changed since last week, especially any attraction I had toward him. Now, it seems awkward and forced.
“I wanted to come say hi. See how you were doing and take you to lunch.”
The last thing I want to do is go to lunch, especially knowing Levi would not be happy about it. “Um, thanks, but I’m still not feeling one hundred percent. I’m just gonna work through lunch.” My eyes land on the pile of confidential folders on my desk—the ones Dad handed us this morning. The manila folders aren’t aligned in the perfect stack I left them in, a few sheets of paper are sticking out from the top folder. I raise a brow. “Were…uh, you looking at my files?”
His eyes land on the stack, then back to mine. “These? No, of course not. I’m sorry. I bumped into them and a few fell. I put them all back in order. I hope I didn’t mess anything up.”
Geez, what’s wrong with me? “Of course not! Sorry, it’s been an eventful morning.” I think my dad made me on guard about this case now, paranoid everyone is out to get these covert files or something. I shake it off and stuff my purse under my desk. Levi won’t be back until late this afternoon, so I don’t see any harm with spending my lunch hour chatting with a friend. “How about this, if you don’t mind, I’d love to keep you company while you eat. We can find a spot in the lunchroom and go over some of my Miller notes. There are a few things I’d love clarification on.”
Braydon offers me his customary smile. “Deal.” He pushes in my chair and sticks his hand out, offering me to lead the way. I open my bottom drawer and place the files inside, locking it.
“Okay! Let’s go!”
“Right! If you want to claim theft, don’t wear the missing jewelry!” I laugh as Braydon and I take the stairs up to my floor for the Tuesday morning staff meeting. He called early this morning asking if I wanted coffee and to help him go over a small claims case for practice.
“Who knows, maybe they’ll believe her and grant her the insurance money. But let’s just say it doesn’t look promising.” He jokes about what we reviewed, a woman who claimed her house was robbed, only to show up to testify on a suspect she pointed out in a lineup while wearing the exact piece of jewelry she claimed he stole.
“Some people.” I shake my head, amazed at how some idiots try to scam the system. Braydon pulls out his keycard and swipes it to the door. A red light flashes. “Hmmm…your keycard not working?”
“That’s strange. It worked yesterday.”
“Here. Use mine.” He swipes mine, and we get the green light. We exit the stairwell right outside the conference room, and it’s already full. My eyes gravitate toward Levi, who is absolutely delicious in his navy-blue suit. The top few buttons open and absent tie. Yum. He takes me in, his eyes eating me alive. Noticing who’s next to me, his brows crinkle. It’s clear he doesn’t like that I still converse with Braydon, but if he wants to keep this up, I need Braydon as my decoy. Not to mention, I still do enjoy his company on a friend level.
The meeting gets started, and I pull out my notepad. Dad discusses all the new cases and assigns them to teams. When he says my name, my cheeks flush as he announces I’ll be joining the Miller case, and to my surprise, so will Braydon. I pat him on the shoulder, congratulating him. An hour goes by, and the meeting wraps up.
“Hannah, hold back.” Levi’s voice stops me. Braydon and I turn around to see him shaking an associate’s hand, then heading our way. “Braydon, you can go. I have no need for you. Just Hannah.”
Braydon opens his mouth to say something, but decides against it. “Yeah, sure. I’ll see you later, Hannah.” And he walks away.
I give Levi my full attention. “That wasn’t very nice.”
“I’m not worried about being nice to him. You look lovely today. How does lunch in my office sound? I’m famished and know the perfect meal.”
My belly tightens. It’s impossible to hide the spark in my eyes. “After you, boss.”
I’m hammering away on my computer, down to the last two witness testimonies. I pull out the last one: Clara Hill, wife of the city councilman who took his life. It’s hard to read her statement. How she found her husband. The typed suicide letter. The conversation they had the night before he died, coming clean about what he was asked to cover up. Her statement will singlehandedly take down Miller Industries.
“Hard at work as always?”
I gaze up to Braydon standing at my desk. “Hey there. Aren’t you supposed to be at the meeting with everyone?” I swore I saw his name on the list of attendees, along with my dad and Levi.
“Nah. It was an error. I get to slack off today. Just kidding. What are you working on?”
I peer down, then close the file. “Oh, nothing. Just entering in witness testimonies for the Miller case. Nothing I’m sure you don’t already know.” I press enter, finishing up and saving the document. Taking the large rubber band, I secure the folders and stand. “Hey, I gotta run downstairs and sign these into records, wanna come with me and tell me more about the theft case?”
“Oh, you bet I do!”
“Great! I just need to run to the bathroom. Give me two minutes, okay?”
He takes his index finger to his watch. “Tick-tock. This amazing story won’t wait for just anyone.”
I shake my head. “Goof. I’ll be right back.”
When I return, he’s gone. There’s a post-it note stuck to my computer screen, telling me he had to run and owes me a raincheck. Suddenly bummed, I check my watch and realize it’s way past lunchtime. With Levi missing in action since yesterday due to this case, I have no lunch date. Not that we really eat lunch when I’m in there. But it also triggers another emotion. I miss him. I debate on sitting in his chair and sniffing the leather to feel closer to him, but I’m not a weirdo, or a stalker, or psycho, so, like a normal human with a secret boyfriend, but not boyfriend, I walk down to the sub shop and have a lunch date with me, myself, and I.
Levi
“These aren’t the files. The testimonies. They’re wrong.” I’ve gone over the files a dozen times. Something’s missing.
“How could this have happened? We had them all contained. Each statement. Who entered them?” Jim runs his hands down his tie, as confused as I am.
Fuck, I can’t tell him,
so I put the blame on myself.
“It was me. That’s how I know they’re wrong. These statements, it’s all bullshit.” What’s bullshit is I was too consumed with getting Hannah alone in my office that by the time we resurfaced, I only had time to skim the documents before entrusting Hannah to do her job and get it all entered correctly. But I can’t tell her father that.
“I think you’re just burning your candle at both ends. You’ve been working so hard on this. Head home for the night. Tomorrow, with a clear head, we’ll gather the team and research the files. This has to be a mistake. Hopefully a computer error.”
He’s right. The last hour has been pointless. The documents we’re reviewing are shit, but I can’t figure out why Hannah would enter false statements. Or not file the information correctly. Something’s fucked up. I’m not on my game. Normally, I’m a mastermind when it comes to memorizing things. Names, dates, numbers. The little mole behind Hannah’s left butt cheek or the tiniest little birthmark on the back of her neck. We’re a week away from trial. Get your shit together.
“Still with me?”
I shake my head. “Yeah. Maybe you’re right. Some rest will help clear my head. Let’s call it a night and reconvene in the morning.”
I leave Jim and head down to my office in hopes Hannah’s still here. Maybe I can get some answers from her without coming off as accusing. Peering at my watch, I realize it’s past seven. Shit. This week’s been insane. The only time I’ve been able to spend with her is during our private lunches where I call her in and she obeys, bringing her little notebook and shutting my door. My pants thicken at each memory, her over my desk, riding me in my chair, fucking her until I’m forced to shove my tie in her mouth so she doesn’t alert the entire floor I’m balls deep inside her.
Even though my mood plummets seeing her empty chair, my smile stays intact at how things have progressed since the gala. Hannah Matthews, my little firecracker. The best thing to have ever happened in my life was her deviant little ploy to get to me. She may have once been inexperienced, but her eagerness to learn, experiment…shit. I adjust myself so I don’t scare off the cleaning staff or take out the plaque sitting on top of my desk.
I grab my things and shut my light off to head home. I want nothing more than to see Hannah, not that showing up at the Matthews’ home would be out of the ordinary since I practically grew up there. But asking to hang out with their daughter doesn’t exactly stick to our rule of keeping us a secret. Not that we didn’t almost blow it the night of the gala. We weren’t smart. Two unwanted guests started asking questions when we disappeared. Hannah shot a text out to Braydon saying she felt sick and went home. I didn’t even bother sending one to Rebecca. I didn’t willingly bring her, nor was she my problem. After Hannah confessed about the night of Kipley’s wedding, I could have strangled my friends. If Hannah hadn’t stepped in…the possibility of Rebecca in that closet has me crawling out of my skin.
I run into Jim and the little shit-box at the elevator.
“Great work today, son. What’s on your evening agenda?”
Braydon smiles, not missing my snarl aimed right at him. “Thanks, sir. I was actually going to surprise your daughter, if that’s okay. I have tickets to see the new Marvel movie. I hear it’s really great.”
Fucking nerd. I can’t help but smirk. Hannah hates superhero shit. If he knew her at all, he’d notice her quirky obsession with all things documentaries and history. The elevator dings, and I step inside, blocking Braydon’s entrance. “Hey, favor, go make sure the fax is on in the copy room, will you?”
“It never gets shut off,” he says, confused, trying to bypass me.
“Still. Expecting an important file to be sent through tonight. Need to make sure.” He eyes me, but goodie two-shoes won’t say no in front of Jim.
“Yeah, sure.”
That’s what I thought. I press the close button before he even rears back around. Jim continues to chatter about his golf score while I pull my phone out and shoot off a text to Hannah.
Me: Pack a bag. Tell your parents you’re sleeping at a friend’s house. Meet me outside in twenty minutes.
Hannah: You know, my parents are going to want to know who these amazing friends I have are soon…
Me: Tell them you’re going to a nunnery lock-in then. You need to pray all night for your sins and all the naughty things I’m going to do to you.
Three little dots pop up, and I anticipate her response.
Hannah: Anything else, boss?
Shit. Nothing like standing next to the dad of the girl you’re growing a boner for. Hannah loves calling me boss in this seductive way right before I plunge into her. That sweet spot, made just for me. And her dirty little mouth drives me absolutely mad. I’ve never been the rough, dominating type. I like sex just as much as the next guy, but with Hannah, it’s different. I don’t just want to be inside her, I want to dominate her, own her, mark her. This part of what we’re doing scares me. I don’t know how to control this beast she’s released. As long as Hannah’s in my life, there’s no controlling him.
Me: Don’t bother with any panties, I’ll just destroy them.
Hannah: I haven’t had any on all day, why would I put some on now?
Fuck me. I rush out of the building, giving Jim a short goodbye, and jump in my car. I step on the gas and take the left faster than I should. Having to miss our lunch date threw my afternoon off. I knew she was waiting for me and the call I had to place telling her I wasn’t going to make it back down soured my mood the rest of the day. It didn’t help that Jim called Braydon in to assist. The kid gave me bad fucking vibes. The ass kissing galore wasn’t even the problem. If Jim enjoyed Braydon’s tongue all the way up his ass, so be it. It was something else. The questions. The looks. He was planning something. And the way he scrutinized me, as if he had something I didn’t. Twice today, I wanted to put him in his place, confirming he didn’t have shit. One being Hannah. I made sure of it. Their little meet-ups were done. Dead in the water. I even attempted to have his keycard revoked to get onto our floor until he complained like a little pussy about needing access to our printers. Of course he went to Jim. And he fucking gave it to him. A part of me wants to tell Jim about us. He may fire me or kill me, but at least he’ll stop encouraging that piece of shit to take his daughter out.
I make it to the Matthews’ residence in record time. Like a good little girl, Hannah is waiting for me.
“Hey,” she says as she climbs in. My shitty day washes away the moment her sweet scent fills my car. I want to lean over and take her mouth, but I need to be smart. Anyone can see.
“You smell delicious.” I pull away from her street and take a right before Jim gets home and spots my car.
“You mean you smell Mom’s pot roast?” She giggles, putting on her seat belt. I used to love pot roast nights at the Matthews’. When I lived there for the summer, I’d request it all the time.
“Keep talkin’ like that and I may have to turn around and ditch you for your mom’s cooking.” She slaps me, her smile causing this heavy feeling inside my chest.
“You don’t really look like my fake new bestie Becky, and I’d have to explain why I spent so much time with you.” I chuckle, bringing my eyes to the road. Fifteen minutes pass, but it seems like forever until we’re finally pulling into the underground parking garage of my condo and taking the elevator to the fifteenth floor.
“Wow, this place is nice,” she states, looking around. I toss my keys on the counter and head to the fridge.
“Thanks. Want something to drink?”
She faces me, offering me her kind eyes. “Sure, I’ll take a beer.” I pour myself a hefty glass of whiskey and grab her a cold beer. “For some reason, I always imagined your place being full of sports memorabilia.”
“Why’s that?” Handing her the beer and taking a much-needed swig of my own, I watch her as she takes in my place. The walls are mostly bare, painted a subtle shade of gray. When I kicked Theresa out,
I got rid of everything that reminded me of her. The only thing that stayed was the furniture, some old photos of the guys on the end table, and a large tv on the console in the corner. Aside from that, there’s nothing left to admire.
“I don’t know. I always thought you loved the game. Imagined it being like Kip’s place—full of sports stuff. You know, the stuff Stacey always complains she’s going to throw in the garbage when he’s at work.”
“That part of me kind of died when I turned down the NFL.” Fuck. Why’d I say that? Her smile, the one thing I constantly crave, falters.
“I’m sorry. I—”
“No, no. Don’t try that sad little Hannah act on me. I didn’t mean it in a pity me way. I meant it as I chose to leave it. It’s not who I truly was. I was good—”
“You were amazing.”
I pull her into my arms, loving the way her back molds perfectly against my chest. “Well, aren’t you my biggest fan. I loved playing. But I love doing what I do now way more.” I kiss the top of her head, inhaling the smell of her cherry shampoo.
“Do you ever miss it?”
“Yes and no. I miss the rush. The smell of the fresh grass mingled with mud and sweat. I miss feeling the wind in my face as I rush down the twenty-yard line. The winning. But I don’t miss the politics of it. The deals. The shadiness. People in that business are ruthless. I’ve seen players go down in freak accidents. Deals fall out. The cheating. Behind the love of the sport is a lot of ugliness. That shit, I don’t miss.”
She shifts in my arms, raising her chin, and I press my lips against hers.
“I came to every single one of your games.”
“You did?” Her cheeks flare a cute rosy shade at her confession. I suddenly feel like an asshole because I don’t remember ever seeing her.
“Yeah, I made Kip take me. And when he couldn’t, I went with my neighbor, Mrs. Bealson who I think was equally as obsessed with you—the team winning. You truly were amazing on the field.” My guilt grows like an unwanted weed. “Remember your last game, junior year. It was raining cats and dogs. You were down three points with seventeen seconds on the clock.”
Chicks, Man Page 14