Six Months Later
A meticulously-dressed receptionist watches me suspiciously as I re-organize my application packet for the thousandth time. I am sitting in the lobby of Harper, Graham, and Graham, the premiere entertainment law firm in Los Angeles. Thanks to my straight A’s and two years’ worth of pro-bono work, I had easily gotten to the final stage of summer intern interviews. What no one at the law firm knew was that I wasn’t really here for the experience of working for an entertainment lawyer. My plan was to get out of school and go to work for a non-profit, make a difference in the world. No; I am here because this is the law firm where Zachary Graham is a partner, and I am planning to get revenge for what he did to Josie.
My plan isn’t terribly sophisticated, or brilliant even. I am just going to do to him what he has done to my sister: lure him in, then break his heart. I am lost in thought, thinking about how I am ever going to pull this off when the receptionist clears her throat haughtily.
“Miss Webber, Mister Graham will see you now.”
She scowls at me again, and I force myself to suppress an eye roll. The receptionist follows me to the giant mahogany door and opens it as if I’m not intelligent enough to figure out a door for myself. I give her my biggest, sunniest smile.
“Thank you so much for all of your polite and generous help. I’m not sure I could have managed these last ten minutes without you.”
I shut the door behind me with a thud and thoroughly enjoy the annoyed look on the receptionist’s face. Then, I take a minute to revel in my victory and only turn around when a snicker draws my attention. And when I see the source of the snicker, I think my heart stops dead.
A man is sitting behind a giant glass desk, a gorgeous man. He is wearing a perfectly-tailored gray Armani suit that fits him like a glove, and the light color sets off his beautifully tan skin. His hair and his eyes are dark, and he has a smattering of five o’clock shadow that defines his granite jaw. His arms are crossed over his chest, which gives me a very clear view of his full biceps and the strength of his broad shoulders. The fact that he is laughing at me shows off just the slightest crinkles at the corners of his eyes, sparkling hazel eyes that are twinkling with an air of mischief.
I know I am just standing there staring, but I am not quite sure what I am supposed to say. Luckily, he fills the silence.
“I’m sorry about her. My regular assistant is out sick, and I had to borrow my brother’s. He’s far less particular about politeness.” His voice is smooth and warm like honey, deep like the thunder rolling away after a storm.
I continue to stand there, a little more confused than is probably warranted. Finally, he laughs at me again and points to the plush leather chair in front of his desk. “Please, sit. You must be Ava Webber?”
I nod, knowing I am making a fool of myself by not speaking. But there is something about his eyes… they are making me stupid. He leans forward, with a curious eyebrow raised.
“I have to ask. Are you here for the intern position or is the building hiring a mime for the lobby?”
That snaps me back to reality. Right. Don’t screw this up. You have something to accomplish other than just getting a job.
“I’m sorry, I was just already running over answers for potential interviews questions, and I got ahead of myself. I tend to always be thinking one step ahead, formulating plans. It’s a blessing and a curse.” Great interview answer. Keep it up, girl. Zachary Graham just continues to smile at me.
“Well, I’ll be honest with you, Miss Webber…”
I hold up a hand, and try to subtly bat my eyelashes. I want to make it clear I am an attractive woman who is interested in him but avoid coming on too strong. “Please, call me Ava.”
“Ava,” he says as if he is relishing the taste of my name on his tongue. “While we have had a handful of qualified applicants, there hasn’t been a single person who has come in here with your unique brand of skills. Between your grades, your charity work, that application essay… You’re not just the one to beat. As far as I’m concerned, you’re hired.”
My jaw drops. I did not expect it to be this easy. “I hate to negotiate against myself here, but are you sure? I honestly expected there to be a few interviews, or that you’d want me to meet the other partners. I suppose I just didn’t expect it to be this… easy?”
Zachary winks. “Oh, nothing about this will be easy, Ava. You’re in for a challenging summer full of complicated real-world work, and long, late nights. But when I know someone is a right fit, I know. And you, Ava Webber, are a right fit.”
There is something deeply sensuous about his choice of words, and I feel a tingle travel up my thighs and to my core. What the hell are you doing? Focus! Remember why you’re here!
Zachary stands up from his desk and walks over to me, extends his hand, and I nervously accept. My hand disappears inside of his; it is huge and strong, and his long, tan fingers envelop my own. That same tingle I felt a second ago sparks when our skin touches, and I can tell he feels it too because the glimmer in his eyes increases ten-fold. I pull my hand away and tuck it under my leg, not wanting to give away that I am remotely attracted to him. Not yet, anyway. Not until I can use it to my advantage.
He sits on the edge of his desk and crosses his legs at the ankles as he studies me. His legs look long and powerful, and I must force myself not to follow their lines up to his…
“So, Ava. You know what we do here?”
I clear my throat and try to regain control of my senses. “Yes, of course. Entertainment law, focusing on burgeoning musical careers. Several of the current highest charting pop and hip-hop musicians are your clients.”
“All accurate, but we’re so much more than that,” Zachary says with a sly smile. “We’re a full-service agency, and we also help with PR, management, and finding our clients the absolute best producers and studios to work with our clients. It’s not just about the law here. It’s about people. Is that something you’re interested in?”
No. Not remotely. I want to protect the rights of foster children or stop the slaughter of dolphins in Japan.
“Oh, of course! This is my dream job. I can’t imagine anywhere else I’d rather be.”
I hate lying.
Zachary jumps off the desk and walks over to the door, his thousand-dollar shoes clicking across the hardwood floor. He opens it and shouts outside, “Marlena! Can you get the intake paperwork for Ava here? I want her to start as soon as possible. Tomorrow if we can get all her background checks done today. Is that possible?”
I hear a long, bored sigh come from the waiting room. “Yeah, okay. I guess. But I’ll have to put those cease and desist letters on hold until the morning.”
Zachary looks at me with an exasperated eye roll. “It’s barely the afternoon. You’re telling me you can’t run a background check and send out a few letters by 5 pm?”
Another sigh echoes from the waiting room, and Zachary just shuts the door and walks back over to me. “Are you interested in taking over some of her responsibilities? If she sighs at me like that one more time, I might have to kill her, and honestly, I don’t have time for a murder trial.”
I laugh despite myself. This jerk is undeniably charming; I can see why my sister fell for him.
“I can certainly try, but I’ll be straight with you Mister Graham. I didn’t apply to work here to be a receptionist, or fetch coffee, or make copies. I want to work hard, and get as much as experience as possible while I’m in your office.”
Zachary’s face gets a very mischievous look on it, and I know I’ve struck a chord. I know he’s not stupid enough to make any sort of advance toward me in my interview; he’s an entertainment lawyer, and I’m sure sexual harassment suits are half of his business. But there is an air of electricity floating around us, and it’s obvious both of us can feel it. I’m betting it had everything to do with his natural charm and probably accounts for how he’s able to manipulate vulnerable young girls into falling for him. I refuse to allow myself to get sucked in, no matter how many times he gives me that half-smile.
“I’ll e-mail you tonight to make sure Marlena got you everything you needed. And you’ll be ready to start tomorrow?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” I say with a smile. Zachary walks me out, his hand behind the small of my back without touching me. When he is standing so near to me, I am suddenly aware of how tall he is. He is towering over me, and I want nothing more than to get away from his as quickly as I can for many reasons. But if he is getting any sense of my discomfort, or confusion, he’s not letting on.
“Marlena, can you please, at least, print off the forms for Ava to fill out before she leaves?”
Marlena rolls her eyes and starts clicking until papers begin printing off behind her, but you’d think Zachary had asked her to run a marathon while performing a concerto on a slide whistle. I try not to shake my head, but I suspect my reaction is obvious because Zachary gives me a knowing glance as he retrieves the forms from the printer.
“I have a phone conference in ten minutes, so I won’t be able to take this from you directly. But why don’t you fill them out, then slide them under my door? We wouldn’t want to tax my receptionist’s delicate constitution.”
I snort laugh inadvertently, and Marlena shoots us both daggers. But Zachary ignores her as he walks back to his office, yet not before turning back to me. “9 am, on the dot.”
I nod and give him my brightest smile. “You’ve got it!”
Once he’s in his office with the door shut, Marlena begins tapping on her desk with her pen. “He’s a notorious playboy, you know. He flirts with everyone. I’m not sure what makes you think you’re so special.”
Her jealousy is palpable, and hilarious in how misplaced it is. Just because the guy is flirting with me doesn’t mean I have any intention of returning his affection. Whatever affection that may be. I just shake my head at her and start filling out my forms. I’ve got a lot of work to do, and filling out forms is nothing compared to what will come later.
I’ve got to make a billionaire playboy fall in love with me, then break his heart…