Page 4 of Cocky Counsel

Two

Eva

I rubbed my hands together anxiously, trying to fight the nerves of first-day jitters. It wasn’t the first time that I had started a new job, but it was the first time that I had been offered a position as a lawyer at a prestigious corporate law firm in Manhattan. Roberts and Associates was literally at the top of my dream board of businesses that I wanted to work for. Aside from their extremely competitive wages and sign-on package, they also worked with some of the most elite clients in New York. If you wanted to move up the ladder in this business, this was the place to do it.

I glanced in the mirrored walls that lined the elevator, making sure that I looked okay. I must’ve looked at myself a hundred times before I left my apartment and hopped on the train, worried that somehow, I would show up for my first day looking completely unprepared. I had to remind myself that as long as I was confident and strong on the outside, it didn’t matter if I was a complete train wreck on the inside.

The bell dinged as the doors spread apart, opening to a pristine white marbled floor that extended the entire length of the room. I stepped off the elevator and walked to the reception desk that sat comfortably beneath the Roberts and Associates sign that was mounted to the wall above it. I had been to the building for my interview; however, it was in a separate location on the twenty-first floor. All the offices, including mine, consumed the entire twenty-second floor. I had even heard rumors that some of the partners had their own private elevators and personal gyms in their offices. You could practically live here with all the amenities that they provided, which made me wonder if that was part of the job. Maybe they made it seem like these were all perks when in reality, it was just a way for you to keep up with basic life functions while selling your soul and giving up your life for the company.

I stood in front of the vacant desk and waited, tugging nervously at the hem of my skirt while I tried to push the negative thoughts out of my head. I didn’t see a bell to ring to notify anyone that I was here, but then again, this wasn’t any ordinary office. They probably had cameras and sensors that alerted them when someone was here. I looked up and scanned the walls, searching for evidence of one when the door to the right of me opened, and a pretty blonde woman walked out. She smiled politely as she approached as if she already knew who I was and what I was doing there.

“Hi, I’m Eva,” I started, extending my hand to her. She pulled her lips into a fake smile and tilted her head to the side.

“Yes, Ms. Sanchez, we’re so excited to have you start today. Please come with me, they’ve been expecting you.” She turned on her heel and walked to the door where she had come from, holding it open. I followed her inside, taking in the open, airy room that was lined with framed awards on the cream-colored walls. The beautiful, marbled floor continued down the hallway, adding a touch of elegance. We walked around the corner and stopped in front of a glass door that opened into a large conference room with floor-to-ceiling glass walls.

I was thankful that no one else was here for the meeting yet, aside from Regina, the Director of Human Resources. She gave me a warm smile and asked that I take a seat, assuring me that we would get started soon. I chose one of the seats toward the back of the room, furthest away from where she was standing to avoid drawing attention to myself during the meeting. Soon, the room had filled and almost all of the seats were taken, except for the one right beside me at the end of the table.

Regina looked around and smiled, reminding me of a schoolteacher who was taking mental note of no-show and tardy students. Her eyes landed on the empty seat next to me before she subtly shook her head and got started. I tried to keep myself focused on the meeting and the updates she was discussing regarding changes in the employee handbook. It wasn’t the most exciting conversation, though I couldn’t imagine that proper work attire was ever considered a thrilling conversation amongst the group of board members and senior lawyers that were in the room. The women scoffed at the idea of a skirt that was shorter than six inches above the knee, making me reach down and pull at mine.

As Regina continued to discuss the changes that were being made, I heard the door of the boardroom open. A hand reached out and pulled the empty chair out before sliding down into it. I noticed the way Regina took note of the late arrival before moving along to the next subject. Whoever it was seemed to either be in her good graces or held enough clout within the company that she wouldn’t dare acknowledge their tardiness in front of the group.

The smell of expensive cologne filled the air around me, sending an alarm straight through me. I knew that smell. I had forced it into my memory along with the voice that still rang through my head when I was alone in my room at night. There was only one man that I had been around that could smell that good, but there was absolutely no way that he was the man who was now sitting beside me. Was there?

Discreetly, I tried to turn my head to the side to get a better view, but I couldn’t see much without getting caught. I picked up the pen that was lying next to the notepad in front of me, and pulled it up by my temple, pretending to be focusing while using it as a shield to hide my face. His attention appeared to be on Regina, so I took the opportunity to turn my head slowly in his direction, keeping the pen up at the side of my head.

His hair was dark, way darker than I remembered it being at the club but still the same mussed look he had that night. Olive-toned skin complimented the tailored navy-blue suit he was wearing that hugged his muscular fit perfectly. I recognized the full, pouty lips that I had sunk my teeth into before they trailed down my neck and left a hickey that I would later have to explain to Brittany. Thankfully, my sisters had been five shots in of tequila by the time I got back to the table, so they hadn’t noticed. There was no doubt about it—this was definitely the same guy from the club.

What on earth was he doing here?!

I could feel myself starting to panic as I turned my attention back to Regina and forced myself to focus. She rambled on about a company picnic and a charity event, but I had no clue what she was actually saying because at that very moment—he turned and looked at me.

I froze in place, holding my breath while I tried to force myself to be invisible. If ever there was a time for a childhood superpower wish to come true—this was it. My heart thumped against my chest, the rush of blood pulsing in my ears as everything spun around me. Maybe he would lose interest and look away. It was likely that he wouldn’t remember me from that night, I mean it had been two weeks ago and it was dark. I held onto the hope that I was just being overly dramatic and that he wouldn’t remember after all. Stranger things had happened.

But then his leg moved under the table, brushing against my knee in the process. I jumped at the contact, my head whipping up to look at him. Panic was etched on my face as his eyes quickly locked onto mine, confirming that he knew exactly who I was.

Shit!

I tried to look away, to break this stare-down we were having but I couldn’t. He pinned me in place with that same cocky smile he had given me that night at the club and suddenly, I found myself feeling the same energy between as I had then. Amusement flashed across his face as he tried to put the pieces together in his head. He was probably wondering what in the world I was doing here to begin with, which was the same thing I was asking myself.

Before he could say anything, Regina broke our attention by calling his name.

“Ethan, did you want to come up here and give us an update?” she asked.

My heart skipped a beat as I put everything together as quickly as I could. If this was Roberts and Associates, and his name was Ethan, did that he mean that he was in fact Ethan Roberts… as in—my new boss? He stood up and adjusted his jacket and tie as he walked to the front of the room, joining Regina, before addressing the room.

I could feel the heat prickle my skin as I rushed to think through what my next steps should be. I could be the coward that I wanted to be and run out of the room, never looking back as I gave up the job that I had been dreaming about for years. Or I could hold my head high and pretend that I hadn’t fucked my boss in the linen closet of a nightclub while trying to get over my ex. There wasn’t much time to decide as I noticed everyone getting up to leave as the meeting ended. I smiled as politely as I could at those who passed by me, saying hi before they left and held my breath when I saw Regina and Ethan approach me. I stood up, my legs shaking in the heels that I was wearing as I tried to steady myself. I ran a hand down the front of my black A-line skirt and tried to wipe the sweat away.

“Ethan, this is Eva Sanchez. Eva, this is Ethan Roberts.” She extended her hands between us as if she was Vanna White, showing the letters of a puzzle.

We quickly shook hands before I pulled mine back and held it stiffly at my side. There was this undeniable pull between us that made me want to reach out and touch him. Being this close to his orgasm-inducing body, made it hard to believe that he was now my boss. I found myself looking up at him, getting lost in the dark eyes that were once again locked on me.

“I have another meeting that I need to jump into. Ethan, would you mind taking Eva to her office and getting her set up? I’ll check in with you guys as soon as I’m done.” Regina’s voice startled me, pulling me out of my trance. She smiled and walked away, not giving him a chance to respond. The door shut behind her, the sound deafening in the silence between us.

“So… you’re Eva,” he said nonchalantly.

“And you’re Ethan,” I said, trying to force my nerves to calm down. “Or Mr. Roberts? I’m sorry, I shouldn’t assume that I can just call you Ethan… I’m not normally this chaotic and—” I had started to ramble on when he lifted his hand to stop me.

“Ethan is fine.” He smiled and waved his hand dismissively before walking past me to hold the door open. “Let’s go get you situated in your office.”

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