Page 30 of Cocky Counsel

Sixteen

Eva

“Hey, Brit,” I grumbled as I stepped to the side, watching my step as I tried to avoid getting my heel caught in the crack between the uneven sidewalks outside of my apartment. This morning was already starting rough and definitely acted like the Monday that it was. “How was Miami?” I asked, once I avoided the disaster and made my way toward the subway. I was already running late and prayed that there wouldn’t be any further delays this morning.

“Miami was wonderful,” she cooed, making me jealous that I hadn’t been on a vacation in so long that I would probably need to pick up a copy of a how-to guide before attempting to take one. “But I feel terrible that everything apparently fell apart while I was gone.”

Her tone changed, and I knew that she had already heard the gossip from Gabi.

“When did Gabi call?” I asked, my features scrunching on my face. She waited a minute before answering, and I knew that she was stalling so she didn’t have to admit that they had already talked. While Brittany had been my best friend for as long as I could remember, she was also one of the biggest gossipers that I knew aside from my sister. It just made sense that they would latch onto each other once they knew.

“Brit,” I coaxed, as I slid past a lost couple holding up a map of Manhattan, while blocking the sidewalk.

“We talked this morning,” she sighed. “Which I have to say, I’m kinda hurt that you didn’t call me yourself to tell me that you were so sick that your incredibly sexy boss—whom you’ve already fucked, I might add, had to come take care of you.”

“I didn’t call you because I didn’t want to ruin your trip with having you worried about me when there was nothing that you could do from Miami.”

“You’re still avoiding the part about your totally fuckable boss,” she taunted. “You know, the one that you had sex with, in the FILE ROOM AT YOUR WORK.”

I considered pulling the phone away from my ear as her voice boomed through it but decided against it, realizing that the mass of people around me would rather get their day started without hearing about me hooking up with some guy.

“I’m gonna kill Gabi,” I muttered into the phone, instantly regretting telling my sisters about what had happened. I should have known that it would get back to Brittany.

“Well, you can fill me in on all of the juicy details later,” she said cheerfully. “I was really just calling to see how you were doing this morning… you know, with the whole Jeremy thing.”

I stopped in my tracks and froze. What the hell was she talking about?

“What Jeremy thing?” I asked, moving to the side so people could move past me.

The phone was so quiet that I pulled it away from my ear and checked to make sure the call hadn’t been disconnected.

“Brit, what Jeremy thing are you talking about?” I snarled; his name instantly made my blood boil.

“Shit. I thought she had already told you.”

“Who had already told me what?”

My foot tapped anxiously on the cement as I waited.

“Gabi was supposed to call you to tell you that Lance hired an attorney.”

“Yeah, I know. He supposedly got one of the best in Manhattan. What’s that have to do with—” My voice trailed off as it clicked and suddenly made sense.

Thirty minutes later, my blood was still boiling as I got off the train and walked the few blocks to work. I was standing outside the building, trying to force myself to go inside when I looked across the street and saw the building where Jeremy’s law firm was located. Against my better judgment, I turned on my heel and marched over.

The inside of the building was nice but not nearly as extravagant as Ethan’s. There were large crystal chandeliers hanging above the receptionist desk that sat square between two sets of elevators. There was a large directory on the wall behind the young girl sitting at the desk. I squinted my eyes, avoiding her as I looked for Jeremy’s floor number.

“May I help you?” she asked, moving slightly to the right to obscure my view. I narrowed my eyes and looked down at her, glaring at the plastic smile that was plastered on her face.

“I’m here to see Jeremy Rollings, what floor is he on?”

I noticed a faint flush across her cheeks before she lowered her head and checked the computer in front of her. Knowing Jeremy, he was probably fucking her too.

“Mr. Rollings is located on the seventeenth floor, elevator on your right.”

She turned her attention back to her computer as the phone rang and she answered it. I walked to the elevator and pressed the button, waiting impatiently for it to come back down. A few minutes later, I was standing in front of another desk, waiting for the older woman with gray hair and a frown painted on her face to hang up the phone and acknowledge me.

“Can I help you?” she said grumpily. I felt a low chuckle escape my lips as I thought about how Jeremy probably wasn’t screwing this one and wondering if that’s why she was hired in the first place. Remove all temptation.

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