“Did you pick a partner?” Edgar asked the second he saw me walking toward my office.

He held his hands in front of his crotch, one hand wrapped around his wrist the other in a fist. He was stiff like always, never asking more than he had to and never showing any expression. I opened the door and held it for Edgar to come in.

“Did you pick a partner?” Edgar asked again in the same tone.

“Do you think I invited Mr. Scarner into my office last Wednesday for some crumpets and tea?”

He raised his eyebrows showing me he was a little irritated with this comment growing up in London and all. I only know a few things about Edgar. He was a mutt, with a confusing complexion that made you stop and wonder what the fuck he was. He’s been working for my dad for the last two years and I didn't find out until a few months ago that he is Russian, Spanish and Korean. He was born in Korea then moved London when he was around five. After ten years, he moved to the states and when he turned eighteen he enlisted in the Navy and never looked back.

He was a tall guy, not taller than my six foot five ass, but tall. He was bigger than me which made sense with his background and he didn’t say much, but when he did I wanted to punch him in his face. Not because is bothersome or dull or dumb, but because it was Nico talking. Edgar is my living day-by-day work schedule of Nico’s agenda.

“Did you pick a —”

“Yes! For fuck’s sake, read between the lines,” I slapped my mostly-empty business bag on the table. I pulled the seat back and popped my feet onto my father's beloved mahogany desk that he spent thousands on.

Edgar flicked his eyebrow up again, looking at my feet but not saying a word.

“Why him? Why not someone on this floor? They’re more experienced.”

I told the truth, but not the whole truth. “Because Bruce is the best estate lawyer we have who will actually does his fucking job.”

And because I am going to fuck his niece over and over and over again for the next twenty-one days since I want to play a game written on a little pink sheet.

And because I needed an easy way to get ahold of her without flat out stalking her at the coffee shop — where she was this morning — and scolding her for not answering her damn phone all weekend. All I wanted to do this weekend was rent a hotel room and fucking demolish the list in one night from how horny I was. Shit, I was even going to give her the news about hiring her. But she gave me nothing. No reply or call back. Not a single sign of life.

“I’ll notify Mr. Rammus at once,” Edgar was about to turn around and head to his usual spot outside the door. He stood for eight hours, maybe more depending how long I stayed, and checked up on me like a glorified babysitter. I despised every second of it, but I tolerated it because it put my father at ease. And when he was at ease, I was one step closing to getting what I want.

“Why do I need a partner? Especially for such a small case I can finish in less than a week?” I asked Edgar, unsure if he was going to answer.

He slowly turned his head over his shoulder, inspecting me with his charcoal black eyes. “For research.” He paused then opened his mouth again. This time it was him talking, not Nico.

“He wanted to see who you would choose after I told him about Miss Scarner.” This was Edgar’s way of giving me a warning, a heads up that he was watching me and not only in the office but outside as well.

My blood stopped rushing through my body, but I couldn’t show him I was vulnerable about this new information or else he could report it to Nico.

“When was this?” I picked my words carefully.

“Last week. Wednesday,” he paused again. “You were on the clock. Twenty minutes late to work so I found out where you were.” He raised one eyebrow.

Another warning.

A warning that meant as long as it wasn’t during office hours, I was fine.

“She’ll be working for me soon,” I dropped my feet off the desk and pulled out a manila folder my bag.

Edgar turned around completely, maintaining his hands-over-crotch position while he lifted his chin. “Why?”

“To design my new business cards?” I lied.

“The business cards Mr. Rammus gave you as a gift weren’t good enough?”

He was trying to twist my words, probably because he was suspicious about Mallory and my intentions.

“They were. Two years ago when I got promoted,” I tossed on my reading glasses and opened the folder to look at details for this bullshit case that was nothing but a test.

I looked past my glasses at Edgar who was stiff as a board, eyeing me down like he was about to kill me if I was lying.

“When you’re done with your little side project, I expect two cards,” he voice was lucid.

“Fine,” I nudged my chin directing him to the door even though he was already one step ahead of me.

I wasn’t too worried about Edgar, not the slightest. Not after he told me that all I had to do was be off the clock and I was good. So in that case, my plan for lunch was still on. I hated that I had to resort to this evil plan to be alone with Mallory, but I needed her body.

I grabbed my phone and dialed Bruce’s office.

“Mr. Scarner speakin’.”

“Hey Bruce, we’re going to have lunch today,” I demanded.

He groaned, probably because it was still the crack of dawn, but most likely because I knew he had a lunch date with Mallory and didn’t want to say no to me. I saw them heading to Billy’s Burgers last week and there wouldn't be any other reason why Mallory would drive thirty minutes away early in the morning when she could be working from home.

“Shit, I can’t. I have a lunch thing with Mallory.”

“Bring her along. I have good news for her and I would rather tell her face to face.”

“Wait, really? Okay, let me see if she is okay with it —” I heard him shuffling through his coat to grab his phone.

“Tell her to meet us at Piccola Isola at twelve o'clock on the dot. I’m short on time today so it would be great if she walks there and we take the car.”

“Oh shit, I love that place,” I could hear him drooling from the thought of the food.

“It’ll be my treat and I’ll drive. I’ll come and get you around 11:50. And Bruce, don’t tell her about the good news, don't even mention it.”

“Is it about the design job?” he probed.

“I’ll see you in a few hours,” I hung up.

Great, that was easy with little to no questions. I dialed Frankie, my receptionist.

“Hey, Frankie. I need you to do me something. At exactly 11:45, no earlier no later, bring Mr. Scarner the Philler’s file. Tell him Kev wants him to review them ASAP, before the end of the day.”

That last part wasn't true. Kev didn’t need them ASAP — he just needed them before this weekend, so Bruce had five days to work on it. But I needed Bruce to be stressed out so he could forget to text Mallory that he was too busy to come for lunch. I needed him to forget about our plans completely until I was already downstairs and she was at the restaurant.

“11:45. Mr. Scarner. The Philler’s file. Kev. Is that all?”

“11:45, no earlier no later,” I stressed.

“Got it.”

I hung up and leaned back into my chair. Now, all I had to do was wait and see if everything fell in place so I could get my curvy cotton-candy high.