I buckled my seat on the private jet and stared numbly out the window. I knew he wouldn't come, but I kept hoping Aiden would show up out on the runway to show me he cared. I kept staring down the long runway, searching for his face as he came to tell me he loved me too.Kathryn finished her phone call and went straight into the next, only pausing to transition to the jet's phone instead of her cell. I knew I would have a few more minutes to myself before she would be ready to give me a list of things to do.My laptop was already charging in a little docking station next to my seat. I opened it, found the jet's wifi. I had stayed on top of my work emails using the resort's internet connection, but I had specifically avoided using my computer for anything but work.I pulled up a search page and paused, my fingers hovering over the keys.All I had to do was type in Aiden's name and I would know everything about him. I would have pictures and newspaper articles and everything the cyber-s
“Did you get ahold of the reporter for the Houston Daily?” Kathryn asked.“Yes, ma'am. I scheduled the official interview with Derek's secretary and had the reporter send his questions to her ahead of time,” I answered checking off another item on my list. If I didn't have a calendar in front of me I wouldn't have known what day it was we were so busy. I hadn't been home since the flight back, yet I remembered falling asleep on one of the couches in Kathryn's office at least twice.“Good. What about the files for tomorrow-”“I got those done too. They've been faxed and I checked with the courthouse that they were received,” I answered quickly. “Now, you need to get going. You have a meeting with the Mayor and if you are late or reschedule your secretary will skin me alive. She said I would have to handle all the phone calls from him and you don't pay me enough for that.”I got up from my desk and handed her the suit jacket hanging on the wall behind me. I could tell she was still in e
I take a deep breath and slip into my shoes.They aren't the shoes that brides usually wear on their wedding. These shoes are just simple black flats with sand stuck in the cracks near the toes.“You ready?” My sister Louisa asks, peeking out through the door.“Ready as I'm ever going to be,” I say. Now that I have the shoes on, my nerves are settling. I know he loves me because these shoes prove it.My mother fusses one last time with my dress. It's satin and lace and possibly the most beautiful wedding dress I have ever seen. I'm sure all brides think that of their dresses, but for mine, I'm sure of it.I hear the music start inside the church.“I love you, sweetheart,” Mom says, giving me a kiss on the cheek. There are tears of pride in her eyes. She wipes the lipstick from her kiss off my cheek.“I love you too, Momma,” I whisper. She presses her lips together as tight as she can to keep from crying as she hurries out to take her seat.“She's so beautiful,” I hear her tell my dad.
Coffee dripped down the walls of the kitchen and spattered across the linoleum floor.I stared at my brand new coffee pot in horror as it continued to spew boiling hot brown goo everywhere. This was not a good way to start the morning.I scampered across the small kitchen, hiding behind a dishcloth and praying the coffee rain wouldn't land on me to pull the plug. The machine gurgled and died.This was not a promising start to my morning.I quickly cleaned up the walls and floor, hoping my roommate wouldn't attempt to use the cursed machine when she woke up. I made sure to leave Mindy a note, but she had a tendency to forget I existed. Sometimes, I was sure she thought a magic house fairy just came through to clean and add new supplies. Part of me almost hoped she would try the new machine without reading my warning. Either way, I would have to talk to her later about how she threw out the coffee pot box with the receipt in it without checking with me first.I sighed and headed to the
Two shimmering dust specks twisted through the golden evening sunlight, circling and spinning, dancing with one another like long lost lovers as they slowly descended and finally came to rest on the shiny black surface of my desk. There they sat, motionless and lifeless after their golden fall. I stared at them for a moment, wondering if motes of dust could feel, and if they could, if they felt as let down as I did.I shifted in my chair, feeling the stiff fabric of my skirt tighten across my legs. I wished I had brought a change of clothes so I didn't have to wear my suit anymore. The lawyers were expected to dress in suits, but as a paralegal, I was allowed to wear business casual. I kicked at the broken pair of heels under my desk and tugged at my uncomfortable skirt. Right now, I would have killed for a pair of flats and pants.My phone buzzed, skittering along the edge of my desk. I hoped it wasn't my sister canceling on me. We had dinner reservations, and while we were no longer
The upper floor of the McDonald, Smith and Ward law firm was made for impressing clients. It had a chic modern vibe that screamed wealth and power. The Chicago office was the flagship for the six other US branches and two international offices, and every inch was made to represent that fact.Not far from the elevator was the legal library. While many firms were switching to strictly computer-based systems, McDonald, Smith and Ward had decided to use the beauty of the old books to impress clients. Big, sound-proof glass windows separated it from the hallway, but let anyone who walked past see the glorious amount of books inside. The collection was the envy of several small law schools.I glanced over at my mysterious companion, watching for his reaction. He didn't have one. That told me two things. He had a boss that could afford my firm and that he had been here enough times that the opulence no longer effected him.Darcie, the librarian, didn't look up from her computer as we entered
My chair squeaked as I leaned forward to look at the pictures coming up on my laptop screen. Technically, it was Alexa's chair but since she wasn't using it, I had claimed it and her office as my own for the evening. If I was forced to stay late to do her job, I might as well be comfortable in her office doing it. I had my laptop set up with notepad and pen as I searched for information on the individuals involved in the Preston case.The case centered around a workplace accident and the plaintiff was suing our client for millions. He had been injured by company machinery and was suing Preston Corp for enough money to buy a small island. Alexa had done the crappiest job ever looking up the backgrounds of both parties. She had copied the Preston Corp information from Wikipedia and then barely checked the plaintiff's myFace page, let alone looked through his pictures or even found his blog. As I added pages upon pages of missed information to the file, I had to wonder just how the hell
The Chicago sky was a steel gray that threatened to bring rain or snow later in the day. A cold wind whistled between the buildings and whipped at my hair with angry fingers. I pulled my coat tighter and sipped my coffee as I hurried into the lobby of the skyscraper that housed the McDonald, Smith and Ward offices.The lobby hummed with conversations as people piled into elevators on their way to work or waited for coworkers under the lofty marble columns. Darcie waved as soon as she saw me, hurrying across the lobby to join me. Since she had helped me put my leftovers in the fridge, I had a sneaky suspicion she would be joining me for lunch and eating most of it.“You get that guy's number yet?” Darcie asked, bumping my shoulder with hers in friendly greeting.“I wish,” I said, taking another sip of coffee. My coffee pot was still broken, so I was enjoying a latte from the coffee shop on my way. “I'm not one hundred percent certain he wasn't just a figment of my stressed out imaginat