“Beg?” I ask following Hannah into her office.

Her space is like walking into a Pottery Barn office catalog if there was such a thing for office furniture. White desk with a green fabric chair tucked underneath. A leather couch and a flower-patterned chair are arranged in the corner with some knick-knacks with empowering sayings by women strewn throughout the space. Don’t get me wrong, it’s all beautifully done. She had a decorator, but the vision was hers. It screams femininity and I love that she didn’t cave to the typical dreary brown and gray office furniture.

“I need a lawyer.”

I tilt my head. “A divorce lawyer?”

“No. I’m already divorced.” She holds up her left hand where her ring finger remains empty. “Someone to look over some contracts. There’s a similar foundation out there that’s coming after us saying that our name and slogan is too similar.”

“Oh no. Okay, I can look someone up. I’m sure it won’t be a problem.” I jot it down on my pad of paper. “What about that tax attorney who called the office a few weeks back?”

She’s already shaking her head. “He’s great with numbers, but I need someone who knows lawsuits and contracts. Not to mention, I already tried him. He’s on vacation or something. His secretary said he couldn’t be reached. Where does someone go that a cell phone can’t be answered or an email sent?”

She scrunches her face up as if the thought is really beyond her understanding. The man’s probably on an anniversary trip with his wife or a family trip and doesn’t want to be disturbed.

“I’ll find someone.” I turn around to head to my computer thinking this will be an easy task.

“Victoria?”

I circle back around. She’s sitting down in her chair and plugging in her laptop now.

“What about that steak guy? Isn’t he a lawyer?”

I wave her off. “He’s the assistant district attorney. We should probably find a specialist for this.”

She types in her password, and then leans back in her chair, her fingernails tapping on her desk. “Could you give him a call? He’s what, just down the street, right?” She glances out the window as if she can see his office from here. Which she probably can since we’re high enough in the building.

“Um… I’m sure he’s busy. I guarantee I can find someone else.” I step backward.

“Maybe he can just take a quick look on his lunch break?”

Why is she pressing this issue?

“Um…”

“You’re not comfortable with it.” She waves me off. “I would never put you in an uncomfortable position. Never mind.”

All the tension leaves my body.

“It’s just this company is threatening to file later today and I’m desperate for someone to make sense of this,” she continues. “There are terms I just don’t understand. This will affect the programs we’re already implementing with the girls and I’d hate for them to stop. Losing traction would be detrimental to our efforts.” She pauses for a second. “Once you find someone, try to get them here today. I’ll pay double.”

I nod, stepping out of the room.

Shit, shit, shit. She’s not even a mother and she can guilt trip almost as well as my own. Fuck.

I sit down at my desk. Finding the right lawyer is easy, getting him or her here today even with double pay, will not be. And what if we end up with one of those ambulance chasers because we don’t have time to vet the right person? And then there are the girls. Girls my daughter’s age.

With a mental curse, I pull my cell phone out of my purse.

Holding it in my lap, I stare down at it for a few seconds. This is a business transaction. I’ll offer to pay him. Yes, brilliant. If he’s getting paid, then it’s not a favor.

Convinced I’ve come up with the best possible plan given the circumstances, I pull up his name.

Three dots appear immediately, and I wonder if there’s ever a time he doesn’t have his cell phone close at hand.

I go on to explain the situation and his response is immediate and exactly what I was expecting.

I ignore the innuendo and text him back.

Me in a bed naked with chocolate sauce dripping off my nipples? I can take one for the team.

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.”

I swallow down the anxiety threatening to make me bolt. The idea of giving someone else a chance to hurt me again has me wanting to push him away. But in his eyes, I see only adoration and decide that this will be the time I give him what he wants.

“One dinner,” I whisper, barely believing the words coming out of my mouth.

“One dinner.”

“Nothing more.”

“Not yet.”

“Okay.”

His eyes widen with my agreement. “I’ll pick you up Friday at seven.”

“Okay.”

“You’re being way too agreeable now. What’s the catch?”

I giggle softly and close my eyes as his thumb runs along my skin. “No catch.”

“Keep the password to my phone. Check it any time.” He slides down, crouching down in front of me, his hands wrapped tightly around mine. “I have nothing to hide.”

I nod.

“The offer is never off the table. One day you’ll learn to trust me. I promise.”

He guides me up by my hands, takes his phone and keys, stuffing them into his jacket pocket.

“Where are you taking me?”

“Lunch.”

“You’re pushing your luck.”

“This is business. St. Pats’ business.” He winks.

He never lets go of my hand and as much as it scares me, I don’t want him to.