Justin
“Can I offer you a drink? Scotch? Bourbon?” Jeffrey Banks asked me as he fixed his own drink at the minibar next to his impressive desk. “It was a long day in court.”
I wasn’t a big drinker but when the boss asked, you accepted. “Sure. Scotch is fine. Thanks.” Jeffrey poured the amber liquid over ice and handed me the tumbler. I gave him a gracious nod and took a sip. I hated the bite it left behind as it trickled down my throat and fought back a wince.
“Thanks for staying late. I know you came in early and now I’ve asked you here to discuss a case that I want our firm to take on,” Jeffrey said, taking a seat behind his desk.
“Staying late is not a problem. I think you know that by now.” I smiled and again took another sip of the toxin. I saw the furrow in Jeffrey’s brow deepen and his eyes narrow right before he smiled back at me.
“Yes. I do. That has not gone unnoticed by Greg or me. We appreciate your loyalty and dedication to the job.” Greg Lowenstein and Jeffrey Banks were the two main reasons why I had chosen to work for their firm. They were well-respected attorneys who didn’t shy away from tough cases, cases that just added to their already impressive bank accounts. Therefore, it was imperative that I remain linked to them. Permanently. “Bringing you and Eva on board were two of the best decisions we have ever made.” The sound of her name made my blood boil. I summoned all my strength not to react, not to let Eva Burke fuck with my life. That little cunt needed to go away.
“This case is more Eva’s speed but since she’s away on vacation, I thought that you wouldn’t mind running with it.”
It was a fucking slap in the face. After two years of working my ass off for Jeffrey and Greg, staying late, coming in early, and making them shitloads of money, this was how I was being repaid? I had been here longer than Eva. I had put my time in. No woman was going to come in and take what was owed to me. “Wouldn’t mind at all,” I said, keeping my voice steady. “What’s the case about?”
“Several women have . . .” Jeffrey was mid-sentence when his iPhone vibrated against his cherrywood desk. He looked down and read the incoming text or email and grimaced. “Um . . . Justin, do you mind if we continue this conversation tomorrow? Something has come up.”
“Of course not.” I took one last nauseating sip of my drink, stood, and placed my empty glass on the bar. “I’ll catch up with you later.”
“Thanks for understanding. Why don’t you head out, actually get home at a decent hour for once,” Jeffrey said with a fake smile. The sight sent a shiver up my spine, and all I could think about was that text or email he had received. Who had contacted him? In the two years that I had known him, I had never seen him break a sweat or appear even slightly frazzled. Who had the ability to rattle Jeffrey Banks?
“Did you receive Eva’s email?” I followed the sound of Greg Lowenstein’s voice. He was standing in the doorway to Jeffrey’s office, his eyes fixated on his own phone.
“Greg, Justin was just heading out.” Greg’s head snapped up and he looked over at me. I didn’t like what I saw. Worry, concern, secrecy lay behind his piercing eyes.
“My apologies for barging in like this. I thought Jeffrey was alone,” Greg said, entering the office. He slipped his phone into his suit jacket pocket and took a seat opposite of Jeffrey, the very seat I had been sitting in.
“Not a problem.” I made my way over to the door and then turned around. “I think I will take your advice, Jeffrey, and head home.”
“Good. You deserve it,” Jeffrey said with that same cringeworthy smile he had flashed moments ago.
Once in the hallway I retrieved my own phone, turned it completely off, and then tucked it back into my pocket. I didn’t need Jeffrey or Greg alerted of my presence as I stood just outside the open office door. It was a gamble. At any time, Greg or Jeffrey could appear and wonder why I was standing there, but it was a risk I was willing to take. I needed to know why Eva had emailed them both . . . and why it had made both partners act strangely. With my body flattened against the wall, I held my breath and listened to their conversation.
“The fact that she has requested a meeting with both of us while she is supposedly on vacation can only mean one of two things. She either is going to demand that we make her partner or she is leaving us for another firm,” Greg said. I heard footsteps but they weren’t growing closer. They moved away from me and then I heard ice being dropped against glass and liquid being poured. Footsteps sounded again and then stopped, making me assume that Greg was once again seated and that I was safe to continue eavesdropping.
“We can’t lose her. The money she’s bringing into this firm is staggering. We were doing well before, but now . . . shit. I know I had been skeptical at first, allowing a woman as beautiful as Eva into our firm, but all my doubts have been laid to rest. She can be cutthroat one minute and gracious the next. The combination is deadly . . . for all the right reasons.” I heard Jeffrey sigh. “She deserves to be a partner.”
“What about Justin? He’s not going to be happy. He’s been gunning for this partnership. This will cause a rift between the two of them, maybe even make him leave,” Greg said.
Silence ensued. Seconds turned into minutes and then, “I’m willing to take that risk. Are you?” Jeffrey asked.
More silence and then Greg answered, “Yes. Let’s get this over with. Ten a.m. tomorrow work for you?”
“Yes, I’ll email her back to confirm.”
I didn’t need to hear any more, so I left.
Their decision was made. But what about Eva? Was she planning to resign? Was that the purpose of this meeting? Was she taking me seriously, like she should be? Because I would bury her and her lover. I would end his career and punch some serious holes into hers in the process if she didn’t accept my proposal. Or did Eva have something else planned? Like my mother, Eva could be a conniving bitch. Maybe she was willing to ruin a man’s life to keep her own career, though it would be damaged after the photos went live, at least afloat.
Or maybe she was planning to expose me.
I hadn’t factored in that possibility until now because I had thought that her career would have trumped all. Fear gripped me by the throat, and I almost stumbled as I walked toward my car. If she talked, if she told Jeffrey and Greg that I was blackmailing her then I would be finished. I barely made it to my car. Once inside, I gripped the steering wheel and willed myself to breathe at a healthier rate.
Was Eva capable of that? Would she expose me? Would she take that risk?
A clear, resounding voice bellowed, yes in the deep recesses of my brain. I closed my eyes and digested that answer, an answer I knew to be the truth. Eva Burke was more than capable of such an act, which meant that she had given me no choice but to ensure that she’d never make it to her meeting tomorrow.