Page 38 of The Lawyer
I hate it.
“Willow,” he calls through the intercom.
I roll my eyes before responding. “Yes?”
“I have a meeting in half an hour. It’s not in the diary. Clear the rest of my afternoon. I don’t want to be disturbed.”
“Of course.” I pull up his appointments and easily fire off two emails with the cancellations and alternative dates.
Twenty minutes later, a leggy blonde walks through my door. Her heels are a rival to my own, she's got diamonds dripping demurely from her neck, and she's carrying the latest Gucci clutch in her hand.
“I have an appointment with Landon,” she says, barely acknowledging me.
“Your name?” I can’t help my visual once over of her. Again.
“I’m expected.” She gives me a small smile that begs me to challenge her further.
With a confidence I’m not sure of, I round my desk and lead her across to Landon’s office. Without knocking—I rarely do now—I enter and step towards his desk. “Your appointment is here.”
The woman in question bursts through behind me and makes herself at home on the chair in front of his desk. I stand, waiting for their meeting to start, perhaps waiting for drinks to be requested. All I know is that I don’t want to leave this room. Landon doesn’t immediately greet the woman and seems to be sorting through files on his desk until he raises his eyes to mine. “Yes?” he asks, questioning why I’m still here.
“Can I get you anything else?”
“No. And Willow, no interruptions.”
I don’t know if this is some fucked-up game, or if he’s doing this on purpose, or hell, maybe it’s a genuine meeting that he’s having, but I’m a green-eyed mess regardless. I don’t want him locked in his office with her. I want him to wantmeacross his desk, and nobody else.
I walk out, closing the door, and slump at my desk as professionally as I can manage, partly defeated. This is all stupid. Who's to say they’re fucking? It’s just my foolish mind because I know that Landon’s not afraid of that line anymore. He’s happy to shatter the rules or bend them to his will when he chooses. And I’m certainly not okay with any of this.
The realisation smacks me around the head. I’m really not. I might have stirred trouble between Landon and me, but that doesn’t mean I’m immune to my feelings towards him. Just because I know there won’t be a future between us doesn’t mean I don’t want more. Maybe I want to be with him as Willow more than I want him to want Juniper now.
Juniper. How would he feel about me dancing for others once he knew? If we were … I stop my thoughts before they can do any further damage. This isn’t me. I'm being silly.
I power off my computer and leave the office. His appointment can show herself out, and he can deal with himself. Besides, I have a date tonight, and I need to sort my head out before making things worse. Again.
~
Surprise, surprise. Ash isn’t at home when I slam the door shut behind me. I’d thought maybe I’d catch him as I was home early, but no. The quiet of the house presses in around me, and for the first time in … forever, I feel lonely. Since I left uni, I’ve kept friends at bay. I told myself that it was for practical reasons. I worked two jobs, and I didn’t want to explain to people where I slipped off to on the weekend. Ash wasn’t always the belligerent man he’s grown into, and when we were younger, we were a team. We had to be. It was the only way we’d get through, and I felt proud that I'd done my part in ensuring Ash stayed in school, got an education and could do what he wanted with his life. But somewhere on that journey, I’ve failed because the person he is today is nothing like the brother who would microwave a ready meal for me when I came home from the day job.
This is all Landon’s fault. Ever since I took that role, he’s sent my world into a riot of mess and turmoil. Everything was stable. I was stable, and now … I throw open my wardrobe and my hands race along the options in front of me. Nothing is suitable for what I want Landon to see, so I start pulling open the drawers. I pick out a bodysuit that's more just a wide fishnet pattern. Black silk knickers will stop it from being totally revealing. But then I think back to the sex on Monday. Does it matter what he sees anymore?
To keep my mind occupied, I set about a few household chores before I eat and fill up the tub. Hopefully, my usual ritual will calm my frazzled thoughts, and I can go to Landon’s tonight in a better mood. At the moment, I’d likely do something stupid, like confront him about the woman in his office and fuck him anyway. That's probably not going to work.
After I’ve finished messing up my hair, I look in the mirror and see the character I need to feel. Juniper is like my alter-ego, and it helps to think of her that way sometimes. I channel that while pulling on the bodysuit. The web of strings covers my body, but from a distance, it looks like I'm naked but for two triangles of black silk. It’s perfect. Far more slutty than most of my outfits, but it suits my mood considering the bitch in his office today.
Finishing the outfit with a black wrap dress that will hide the real outfit, I put a simple black blindfold that I've modified in my pocket. “I can do this.”
A little self-affirmation is needed tonight.
My phone buzzes from the table and I have half a mind to ignore it, but I grab it and head downstairs.
“Hello, Miss Etherington?”
“Yes?”
“This is Detective Sergeant Monroe. Your brother, Ashley, is in custody at Walworth station and has asked for his legal representation to be present for further questioning. He gave us your number.”
What?
