Page 13 of Lost Room Lawyer
“A bit,” I admitted. “The first day of school didn’t exactly bring me joy.”
Linda laughed. “That’s harsh. Well, let me show you your workspace.”
I followed her to an office right next to Hector’s. The door to his room was still closed, but as I followed Linda to my desk, I saw that all the rooms were interconnected; something I hadn’t noticed before because the door between my room and Hector’s was shut.
“This is your desk, and here’s where Gerry sits.” Linda moved the chair from the other desk out of the way. “Settle in at your own pace. Start up the computer. I’m sure Hector will be here soon.”
I did just that, and since Hector was taking his time, I opened OneNote, where I stored all my notes and book ideas. I hated sitting around doing nothing, so I scrolled through some text snippets and continued working on the plot of my new book.
I didn’t make much progress. For years, I had been tinkering with it, writing scenes and chapters and deleting them. I had even come to terms with the fact that I had a serious block and that working on a book was more of a pastime, like solving a jigsaw puzzle. What had once driven me mad now had a relaxing effect. Even my queasy stomach calmed down, so I eventually got a coffee and a croissant.
It was already eleven o’clock when Hector arrived and dropped several files on my desk. As he sat on Gerry’s chair, he seemed to have relaxed. But I could see it in the way he opened the first file. He was nervous, and his hands smelled of disinfectant.
Why? We didn’t even shake hands. And he didn’t have any visitors.
“These are some files on the Canonica case,” he explained without preamble. “It currently makes up 90 percent of the work here at the firm. Familiarize yourself with the facts at your own pace. Linda will show you the archive later.”
“She already showed me where it is.”
“Ah, okay, then… feel free to look around and sift through the Canonica files.”
Hector explained the details of the case and that Gerry was spending the week in Vevey, at Canonica’s second residence. It seemed like an exciting case, and I suddenly felt motivated and optimistic—it was about murder, after all.
Maybe Hector’s idea wasn’t so bad as I initially thought. It was Rossi and Corvo who had sex, not us. Hector and Nico were capable of handling the situation like two adults. At least Corvo seemed to be able to manage it. With Rossi, I wasn’t sure if he could handle the fact that his new boss was super-hot, even though he was already approaching fifty.
This time, his dark brown hair wasn’t as perfectly styled as it had been last Friday. A strand fell over his forehead, making him even hotter. When he finished sharing details, he turned to me, our gazes locked. I couldn’t tear myself away from the allure of his hazel eyes, even holding my breath and feeling a tingling all over my body. He stared at me with such intensity, as though I were his prey, and made no attempt to break eye contact.
God, it was just like last Friday when he had fucked me from behind and we had gawked at each other in the mirror. He had seen into me, giving me a sense of security. By not turning away from me, he made me feel respected. I could surrender completely to him and shed all my inhibitions. He had made sure of that. His alluring, dominant manner had guided me. It was incredibly sexy.
It was Linda who brought us back to reality. “Hector?”
We simultaneously glanced toward the door.
“A young man is here. He says he has no appointment, but you’re expecting him. His name is Juri Vinzens.”
“Oh, yes.” Hector got up from his chair and turned back to me. “Unfortunately, I can’t take you to lunch today. But… you have things to do now. Or do you need anything else?”
“No, I’m fine.”Does he feel obligated to invite me to lunch on the first day?
“I should be back around two o’clock.” He then turned to Linda. “Send him in. I’ll be ready soon.”
Both of them disappeared into the hallway; Hector into his office and Linda back to the reception. Shortly after, a young man appeared at my door. He peered around in confusion, giving me the opportunity to examine him more closely.
The guy was dressed in black from head to toe, with the exception of a purple scarf. His black hair was styled into a quiff, and his eyes were subtly accentuated with eyeliner. He had an attractive, mysterious aura about him.
“Oh, sorry. Wrong room,” he said and hurried away.
I would have liked to find out why he was here. I mean, the guy was definitely younger than me. How could he afford Hector? It sounded as though he was a client and that the lunch had a business purpose.
Soon after, the two of them left the office, and Linda reappeared at my door.
“Do you have lunch with you? Or are you going to get something?”
“I’ll get something, but we can eat together here if you’d like. I’m not staying outside in this weather.”
“Sure, I’ll wait until you’re back.”
***
