I go on to explain the situation and his response is immediate and exactly what I was expecting.
Reed: What do I get for my trouble?
Me: Double pay.
Reed: Double pay?
Me: Yes, we’ll pay double your normal fee.
Reed: I don’t do favors for money. That’s called prostitution. ;)
I ignore the innuendo and text him back.
Me: It’s not a favor, she’ll pay you.
Reed: I work for the state, I can’t take her money.
Me: But you can do it as a favor?
Reed: Have I asked for anything in return?
Me: No, but you will.
Reed: You wound me! Why do you insist on thinking so poorly of me?
Me: In my experience lawyers rarely do something for nothing.
Reed: You just haven’t experienced the right ones. ;) See you at noon.
Me: What do you want in return?
Me in a bed naked with chocolate sauce dripping off my nipples? I can take one for the team.
Reed: Nothing. See you then.
Me: Thank you.
The three dots appear, disappear, appear again but another text never comes through and I worry that I may have actually pissed him off this time.
“He’ll be here at noon, Hannah,” I call out.
“Thank you, Vic, you’re a lifesaver.”
Funny, I feel like a little bit of an ungrateful bitch at the moment.
When the door opens at noon, my breathing picks up pace expecting to see Reed. Instead, a woman dressed in an expensive looking pant suit walks in with a briefcase clutched in one hand. Her hair is dark and shiny, cut right to her jawline which accentuates her beauty. She laughs, glancing behind her, and I see Reed stroll in behind her with his perfected swagger and million-dollar smile on display.
No wonder he didn’t want anything in return, he had a lunch date already.
He shuts the door behind him and leads the woman to the edge of my desk.
“Good afternoon, Victoria,” he says, all business, like all I really am to him is the receptionist.
“Good afternoon.” I tap my pen on the desk in an effort to relieve some of my irritation.
“This is Raegan Gilroy and she’s an intellectual property attorney. She’s probably the best one to look over your contracts.”
Raegan places her hand out in front and I stand, shaking it. “Pleasure to meet you. If you want to have a seat, I’ll tell Hannah you’re here.”
“Thank you.” She smiles, a perfect row of straight teeth unveiled from between her plump red lipsticked lips.
Reed winks and follows her to the couches in our waiting area.
I lift the phone at the exact same time Chelsea steps out of her office. She glances to her right and then to me and back to her right again.
Reed waves. “Afternoon, Chelsea.”
He can take his good afternoon and shove it up his ass.
“Hey,” she says and then clears her throat. “What are…”
“Chelsea,” I call out and she walks over to me rather than standing there awestruck.
Raegan Gilroy whispers something to Reed and he smiles, whispering back, shaking his head.
“Can you please grab me a photocopy of this while I let Hannah know her appointment is here?” I shove a stack of papers at Chelsea and for once in her life, she does what she’s asked without arguing.
Once she’s heading down the hall, I pick up my receiver and buzz Hannah’s office to let her know her appointment is here.
“Send him in and can you sit in and take notes?” Hannah asks.
“Sure, but he is a she. Reed brought an intellectual property attorney with him to look over the contract.”
“Really? Perfect. Send her in.”
I hang up, stand, straightening my own skirt. My outfit looks like I got it from the thrift store in comparison to Raegan’s.
“Ms. Gilroy, Hannah is ready.”
Raegan stands, again whispers something to Reed. He shakes his head and she says nothing more, smiling at me as she meets me right outside Hannah’s office.
I open the door, following Raegan in. “Ms. Gilroy, this is Ms. Crowley.” I introduce the two of them and take a seat on the couch by the window, notepad in hand.
They shake hands and I see the stack of contracts sitting on the corner of Hannah’s desk. She picks them up and rounds her desk.
“Thank you so much for doing this on such short notice. Oh, Victoria, on second thought we’re good. I don’t need notes but thank you.” She smiles and then signals toward the couch to Raegan, effectively dismissing me. “Can we get you anything?”
“No, I’m good.” Raegan looks at me because yes, I am the beverage go-getter. Isn’t she a smart one.
“Let me know if you change your mind.” I leave the room, closing the door behind me. When I return to my desk I find Reed in the chair situated in front of my desk, his ankle propped up on his knee, revealing black socks with lines on them, his black shoes shined with no sign of wear.
“Thank you. That was nice of you to set us up with an IP attorney.” I sit down at my desk, sliding my chair in.
“I’m nice like that.” He winks, and I want to glue his eyelids open, so he can’t repeat that sexy move.
“There’s that ego again. I enjoyed its short vacation.”
He raises his hands in the air. “I’m not going to stop thinking I’m the best person for you. I told you I’d prove it.”
“How long until you think you’ll give up?” I shift some papers around my desk that don’t really need shifting.
He shakes his head, his foot drops to the floor and he leans forward. “Never. I told you I like you, Victoria. I want you and I’m not easily sidetracked when I’m this sure about something.”
“Am I really supposed to expect that you’re just pining away for me, remaining celibate until I say yes?”
He grabs his phone from his pocket and tosses it on my desk, followed by his keys.
“Here.”
“What?”
“The password to my phone is 624507. The round key is for the front door of my building. The square one gets you into my condo and that small one, that will get you into my safe.” He leans back in his chair like it’s case closed.
“I don’t want any of this. I trust you.”
“You clearly don’t. I could tell you thought Raegan was a lunch date I brought here with me. Why would I bring a woman here when I’m trying my damnedest to get with you?”
I pick up his phone and keys, placing them on the edge of my desk. “Believe me, I don’t want to worry about that stuff. I don’t want to think the worst, but that seed was planted in me a long time ago and the roots grew too deep. At this point, I don’t know how to kill it.”
He stands up, circling my desk and leaning against the edge. His fingers graze along my forehead down my face until he’s cupping my cheek with his hand. And it feels good. So good. And comforting. And scarier than all of that, it makes me feel safe.
“I’ll help you. I know I’m asking you to make a giant leap, so let’s start small. A dinner. A meal and I’ll drive you home right after. We won’t even have dessert. If you want to take a taxi home, fine. I just want to spend time with you.”