Page 26 of Rejection Overruled

He was the one to come out unscathed in all this with no emotional baggage to deal with afterwards. I felt like someone had pulled the wool over my eyes and now I could finally see and what was in front of me was not what I expected. In the process of taking my revenge, I had fallen hard and now it will take some time to get back on my feet.

I was going to miss the interaction, the way he took on my challenges and even facing him in the courtroom. Now that the event had happened, what was the use of challenging him? He’d scoff at me now that we’d slept together. It was like being rejected all over again. All I could now do was pretend that he meant nothing to me, the way I knew that I meant nothing to him.

Every so often during the course of the day, memories of our night together flashed across my mind. My heart would do backflips and my nipples became taut. I had it and I had it bad for Jamal. Whatever possessed me to go this far?

The place where my heart was supposed to be now had a hole. I felt empty – emptier than when Kevin and I broke up. I couldn’t define my feelings exactly. All I knew was that I’d somehow I wasn’t dealing with this well.

Donald knocked and then entered my office, forcing me to stop thinking about Jamal. He was one of my junior attorneys who was working with me on the Dennison case. He approached and sat in the chair opposite to my desk.

“You asked for me. Is something the matter?” he asked.

I shoved a file across my desk. “I need you to take over the Dennison case as of immediately.”

“We have to appear in court in two hours.”

“And you know as much about this as I do. You’ve done most of the research.”

“But this is your baby and … what if I mess this up?”

“You won’t. I will still guide you behind the scenes. So don’t let me down.”

Donald didn’t look convinced. “What about Harvey, he won’t like it.”

“I will deal with Harvey.”

The director of the law firm would protest, but there wasn’t much he could do about it now. Coleman & Glock Attorneys at Law needed me and that was what I was relying on to get through this. I trusted Donald that he would do a good job to represent the firm and most of all me.

Facing Jamal in court was the last thing I needed today. Donald would fill in for me for the next couple of hearings until I had composed myself enough. I was acting like a coward and I was anything but. Nevertheless, my insides quavered just thinking about Jamal. If I saw him, I might not be able to resist him and that was the last thing I needed.

After briefing Donald on what should happen in the hearing that afternoon, he left my office with a worried expression on his face. It was time he got some hands-on experience without me always present. This was his opportunity.

The office door opened and I groaned as Sophia entered. She had that puppy dog look on her face. That face she used to get me to do whatever she wanted. It wasn’t going work with me today. I wasn’t in the mood to share what happened with Jamal. Not yet anyway. I wanted to wallow in my grief while at the same time savoring the experience.

Sophia surprised me by not enquiring about my state of mind again.

“There’s someone here to see you. Says you’ve been friends a long time,” she said. “Maybe he’s your best friend … who knows.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

She ignored me, her mouth turned down at the corners. “Should I send in him?”

“Did you get a name?” I asked. “I don’t have time for social visits.”

“Ron something.”

“Ron Scullman? He’s here?” my eyes widened as I smiled.

Seeing Ron again would certainly cheer me up. I hadn’t seen him in a few years. We’d become friends after I married Kevin and Ron married some cheerleader. The last we spoke, she was expecting a child. That was a couple of years ago.

“He’s your best friend, you should know his last name,” she said. “I can see how excited you are. Maybe you can tell him what’s wrong with you.”

“Cut it out Soph,” I scolded. “Send him in, will you?”

“Your wish is my command, Boss.”

I stood and finally rolled my eyes. Been wanting to do that all morning every time she entered my office. “Oh for crying out loud, will you stop?”

She gave me her best hang dog expression, even with the glassy eyes and trembling lips, before exiting the office. We always told each other everything – everything. Nevertheless, this felt like something I wanted to keep to myself. I want Jamal to myself and I didn’t know how to handle that.

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