BBW Romance Page 2

  “ Thank you,” she mumbled, walking around the desk and sinking down in the chair. She felt out of her element and hoped that it was just nerves, because she was already hooked into the job. The money would be more than enough to keep herself in the apartment. She started messing with the computer, getting a feel of the drawers in her desk, and swiveling in her chair, when she heard the phone buzzing at her.

  She stopped what she was doing and stared at the phone. She pressed the button that he showed her. “Y…yes?”

  “ Jamison, come to my office,” he ordered. His voice was almost gruff.

  “ Yes…” she started to say, but she heard a tone that signified he was no longer on the intercom.

  She rolled her eyes and headed back to his office. She went into his office and put on a smile. He stood up, with a pile of papers in his hand. He walked around and handed her the papers. She looked them over. “Follow me,” he ordered.

  She willingly did so, as he led her to another room. “Am I going to remember where everything is?” she asked, laughing lightly.

  He turned around and his gaze was cold and distant. “Do I need to draw you a map?” He asked, with no sign of teasing. She shook her head and he turned back to the filing cabinets. “You are to file these forms by date that they were completed.” He pointed to the date and then looked up at her, “Understand?”

  She nodded. “Good!” He mumbled, heading out of the room and leaving her alone. She frowned, turning back to the filing cabinet. She didn’t know why he had to be such a jerk, but she wasn’t going to jeopardize it by questioning his actions. He was the boss and that was what she would keep telling herself, because it was going to pay the bills and that was what mattered most.

  ***

  Marisa woke up to the knock on her apartment door. She glanced at the clock and frowned, “Six o’clock?” She mumbled, putting on her robe and stumbling to the door. The knock happened again. “Coming!” she called, hoping it didn’t across as gruff. She opened the door to see that Jeffrey Bradley was at her door. She quickly pulled the strap tighter around her robe. She was not used to awkwardly standing in front of her boss, wearing just a nightie and a robe. “What are you doing here?” She asked, realizing how rude it came across. She didn’t care; she figured that it still wasn’t as rude as he had been the past three days.

  “ I told you we had meetings today.” He brushed into the apartment. When she turned around, she saw that his eyes were casually washing over her body. “Are you going to be dressed like that for every meeting we have?”

  She looked down at her outfit and then glared at him. “Smart…” she finally said. “If I would have known that you were going to be here at the early light of dawn, I would have been sure to put on a formal gown.”

  For the first time, since he hired her, she noticed a smile on his face. She had to take a step back, because she didn’t expect for a simple smile to melt her heart. “I apologize. You are most correct. I didn’t tell you about the fact that I like to prepare for the meetings. Since the first one is at eight o’clock, I was just trying to get a head start. I can come back.”

  As he was passing her, she reached out and grabbed his arm. He turned to look at her and she shrugged, “You’re here now…you might as well make the best of the time. Have a seat at the kitchen table and I will hurry and take a shower, get dressed, and be back before you know it.”

  “ If you insist.”

  She rolled her eyes. She didn’t really feel like she had much choice. “I do.” She left him standing there and hurried into her bedroom, where she grabbed a change of clothes and then went into the bathroom. She would make it a quick shower and then be out there and ready to start the day. She barely had time to think, before she was turning the shower off and getting dressed. She threw her hair back in a ponytail and went out to the kitchen.

  He looked up, “That didn’t take long,” he muttered.

  “ Told you I would be fast,” She replied, sitting down across from him.

  “ Indeed you did,” he replied, pushing the paperwork in front of her. “We are meeting with Troy Houser. He is suing his ex for full custody of his two children.”

  “ That seems harsh,” she mumbled.

  “ Excuse me?” He asked, looking intently at her.

  “ I just mean that she’s their mother. Why would he do that?” She shook her head, leafing through the papers.

  He opened another folder and pushed it toward her. She looked down to see a picture of a little girl, a bruise on her arm. She looked up at him, “Is there proof that the mother did this?”

  He shook his head, “No, but that’s why I’m here…to find proof.”

  Marisa snickered, “Whatever makes you sleep at night.” She put the folder down and closed it up.

  “ What do you mean by that?” He asked, clearly angered by her attitude.

  “ You may be looking for proof to prove something that isn’t there. Maybe you are defending the wrong person. Ever think of that?”

  “ Why are you so convinced that he’s in the wrong? You know nothing about this case.”

  “ Maybe not, but I’m just saying that you shouldn’t just believe him because he’s your client.” She spoke, crossing her arms and staring at him.

  “ Duly noted, Jamison, but I don’t recall hiring you to be a lawyer. This is my case and my job is to prove that he is the better option for those two kids.”

  “ Even if he’s not?” She asked, calmly.

  “ It’s the price a lawyer pays. You don’t always get the innocent one.” He pulled the papers back toward him and continued to leaf through the files. She watched him, but she felt a feeling of dread inside of her. She heard a knock at her door. Their eyes met, as she got up and went to the door.

  She opened the door to find her landlord on her step. She glanced back to her boss and then pushed her way out the door. “What do you want, Harry?” She asked.

  “ Have you thought about that letter I gave you? You only have three days to make your move…either pay up or get out. What will it be?”

  She could feel the tears at the back of her eyes, but she begged for them not to fall. “I know. I’m working on it.”

  “ Friday…that’s your last day. I don’t want to lose you as a tenant, but I have a business to run.”

  He turned away and headed to the stairs, “Goodbye!” she mumbled.

  She went back into her apartment and saw that he was watching the door. She didn’t respond about the visitor, but he did speak. “Friend?” He asked, casually.

  “ More like enemy,” she replied with a laugh. She shrugged, “Back to this case. I will step back and let you do your job.”

  “ Thank you!” He removed a couple of pictures from the file and held them up. “We do have proof that she had been having an affair with this guy, while she was still married.”

  She nodded, still doesn’t make her an abuser, she thought. She pushed the thought from her mind and reached out for the picture. She looked down and saw this woman dancing with this man. They looked like they were in love. She gave the picture back to him and shrugged. “Nice picture,” she mumbled.

  “ For a cheater,” he replied, shaking his head. “I guess that’s it. I am sorry that I interrupted your morning.”

  “ No worries.”

  “ I’ll see you in the office in about an hour.”

  She nodded, watching him leave her apartment. She sunk down at the kitchen table and covered her face with her hands. She didn’t want him to know what was bothering her, so she had to hold it in. Yet, she had no idea what she was going to do.

  ***

  Jeffrey buzzed in on her phone at eight o’clock sharp. “Yes?” She asked.

  “ The client is here. Come to my office first.”

  “ Yes, Mr. Bradley,” she spoke, picking up a pad of paper and pen and heading out of her office. She walked down the hallway and entered his office.

  He looked up and then stood to his feet. “I j
ust wanted to make sure we were on the same page about today’s meeting.”

  “ Meaning?” she asked.

  “ I don’t want you speaking your mind. I get that you aren’t convinced, but it’s not my job to convince you. It’s my job to convince the judge and I don’t want you getting in that way.” He moved to the door and held it open for her. “Understand?”

  “ Loudly,” she spoke, brushing past him. She turned around and put up her finger. “For the record…I would never get in the way of YOU doing your job.” She turned on her heels and walked down the hallway to the boardroom. She stopped and turned around to see that he was lagging behind.

  He held out his hand to show that he was welcoming her in first. She nodded and entered the room. She smiled as she took a seat. “Hello, Mr. Houser,” she shook his hand.

  She saw that Jeffrey was doing the same, as he took his seat. He put the paperwork in front of him and then looked up. “Tell me your story, Mr. Houser.”

  She watched, as he seemed hesitant. However, then he finally spoke. “I am suing for full custody, because my wife isn’t suitable.”

  “ You mean your ex?” He asked.

  He nodded, “Yeah…yeah, my ex. She isn’t suitable. She drinks and has abusive tendencies.”

  Marisa jotted down the information, as he stated them. “Tell me about her abusive tendencies.”

  “ Well…when Val a rie was two she ended up with a broken arm.”

  Marisa looked up at him and saw that he was sweating profusely. “Your ex beat her so bad that she broke her arm?” He asked, making notes of his own.

  He nodded, but then paused. “They said that she fell off the Merry Go Round, but I never bought that. I know my ex.”

  “ When did you get divorced? How old were the children?” Jeffrey asked.

  “ Hm…” he looked up to the ceiling. “I think that Valarie was four years old and Trey was two.”

  “ So, you divorced her two years after the suspected abuse started?”

  “ Yes, so?” He asked, defensively. “I loved her and I didn’t want to believe that she could be a maniac, but the truth had to come out.”

  “ How old are the children now?” He asked, barely making eye contact.

  “ That was two years ago.” He spoke, carefully looking between the two people sitting opposite him.

  “ So, it was about four years ago that Valarie broke her arm?” Marisa glanced at Jeffrey. She could tell where he was going with it, but she wondered if he was questioning him because of her or because of him.

  “ What does that matter?” Troy asked, again defensively.

  “ Nothing. I just want to see how you handle the questions that you are going to be fired. What I am asking is only the breaking point. If you don’t answer them with ease, you’ll be perceived as hiding something. Are you hiding something?”

  Again I turned my focus on my boss. He was good and not batting an eye. For a moment it made sense why he was arrogant. It was the only way he knew how to be. “Nothing. She deserves to suffer, because those kids belong with me.”

  “ Okay,” Jeffrey replied, taking some more notes. “Do you have anything else to add?”

  He shook his head, “Nope. I have said my peace.” He replied.

  For the first time since entering the room, Jeffrey turned to Marisa. She couldn’t read what was in his mind, but she wondered if it was doubt. He stood up and turned back to Troy. “Thank you for stopping by and I will let you know when you go before the judge.” They all shook hands again and Troy left the room.

  Jeffrey followed after him, not saying a word to Marisa as he headed back to his office. Marisa looked down at her notes and noticed what she had written. Most of it was about his attributes. He was shaking, nervous, sweating, and defensive. He didn’t act like something that believed what he was saying and somehow she wanted to prove that.

  ***

  Marisa sat at her desk, tapping her pencil loudly against her computer. Her thoughts roamed to the landlord and the meeting with their client. She finally took a deep breath and headed out of her office. She made her way down to see him. She noticed the door was open, but she knocked anyway. He looked up, “Come in, Jamison.” There was something about the way that he called her by her last name. She loved it. His eyes remained on hers. “Well, are you going to stand all day gawking, or do you have a question?”

  She felt her face flush, as she looked away. She didn’t know how he could do that. When she finally regained control, she looked back in his direction. “What did you think of the meeting?” She asked. It wasn’t exactly why she came in there, but she figured it would buy her some time.

  He shrugged, “Okay, I guess. Why? I suppose you have an opinion.” He snarled.

  She shrugged, “Maybe, but I won’t say a word. I’m a woman of my word.”

  He laughed, glancing down at the papers. “Well, if you do decide to voice your opinion…I’ll listen.” She was surprised to hear him say that. He looked up and she thought she even noticed a smile. “Doesn’t mean I’ll take your side. It just means I’ll listen.”

  “ Right,” she shook her head. She glanced down at the picture on his desk. For the first time, really noticing it. “Is that your family?” She asked, staring at a picture of a brunette woman, holding a toddler in her hands. His hand was on her shoulder. She glanced at his hand and noticed that he wasn’t wearing a wedding ring. She had figured she would have seen it before, if he had been.

  He nodded, “Yes,” he replied, but the word came out quiet.

  “ Good looking family,” she replied, then turned to leave, but when she reached the door she decided to just say what was on her mind. “I guess I do have something to ask you.”

  He looked up, “About the case?”

  “ Well…not exactly.”

  He put down his papers and nodded, “Go on.”

  She felt panic welling up inside of her. She then tried to breathe and think of how she could possibly approach the subject with someone that she barely knew. “You see…I was kind of hoping that possibly you could give me an advance on my first paycheck?”

  If there was once a smile playing on his face, it was now gone. “I don’t do charity.” He replied, looking down at the papers.

  Her jaw dropped, “Charity?”

  “ Yes. I believe in working your way from the bottom and knowing that it will all work out in the end. I don’t give handouts.”

  She couldn’t believe her ears. She believed that you should fight to get ahead, but she also believed in doing something for the good of the cause. Yet, this had nothing to do with charity. “It would ultimately be my money. I’m not understanding the problem.” She replied, feeling a sense of urgency.

  He rolled his eyes, “Yes, but if I do it for you this one time then you are going to expect every time. That’s the way things work.”

  “ You’re wrong. I just need some extra money this week. I didn’t make a lot at the waitressing job and things got behind. I really could just use a jumpstart.”

  He shook his head, glancing down at his desk. “I can’t do that. You may see yourself out.”

  She felt her face turning red, but this time in anger. “You know what you are?” She fired out.

  He looked up, eyes wide, “No…what am I?”

  She stared him down, bracing herself and trying to hold it all in, but it was impossible. “You are an arrogant jerk that doesn’t care about anyone or anything. All you want to do…is be right. Well, newsflash…you aren’t right. You are conceited and if it wasn’t for the fact that I need this job, I would…I would…”

  He stood up from his desk, “You would what?”

  “ I would quit, because I didn’t apply to be a doormat or a slave and in the few days I have worked with you…that is exactly what I am.”

  “ Are you finished?” He asked, when she took time to breathe. She nodded. “For the way you just talked to me, I could have you fired and you wouldn’t have to worry about quittin
g.”

  She looked away. At that point she didn’t think her life could get worse anyway. “I will willingly go,” she mumbled.

  She reached the door, but he cleared his throat. “Don’t go…I’m not through talking.” She casually looked up at him, waiting for him to continue. “I could easily let you go and not turn back, but I’m not going to.”

  Her jaw dropped, “You’re not?”

  He shook his head, “No. In fact, I appreciate when someone can speak their mind and not back down. Not everyone does that and it’s a trait that I admire.”

  She was not the least bit surprised to learn that. She felt a twinge of hope. “So, you’ll give me the advance?”

  Their eyes met, but he finally shook his head. “I can’t. I know that you think that I’m a hard-nose and maybe you’re right, but the fact is that companies have rules for a reason and one of the rules that I stand by is you need to work for everything you receive. It may seem tough, but it seems to always work.”

  She groaned, nodding her understanding. “Then, I guess it is what it is. Thank you for your time.”

  “ Unless you would like to tell me what you want the money for and perhaps we could work out a loan agreement.”

  She paused at the door. Every thought she was hearing was telling her to swallow her pride and just tell him, but she sadly felt she couldn’t. She felt like a failure and she didn’t want him judging her. “Not that important,” she said and then walked out of his office. She headed back to her office and sat down at her desk. She was thankful she still had a job, but the realization that she was about to lose her home…was a tough pill to swallow.

  ***

  Jeffrey sunk back in his oversized desk chair. His eyes fell to the picture of his family. He picked it up and looked at it, running his fingers over the picture of his daughter. “He closed his eyes,” I love you, Jasmine.” He replaced the picture and went back to his work. His mind drifted away to the feisty blonde. He saw the pain in her eyes and part of him considered just giving her the advance, but he was a stubborn man and not too proud to admit that.