“I have a court date tomorrow morning,” she looks around the cell, a small smile on her face. “And this is your hotel room for the night, Riker.”
“No! Wait, come on—”
“No! You stay here, you cool off, you figure the fuck out what you’re doing!” I actually take a step back from her, the voice and the fire flaring so hot I can’t respond.
“Stop playing games, get your shit together, and we might win this. Got it?”
I nod slowly, starting to grin again.
She grins back but tries to hide it by turning her face. She takes a breath and turns to go, those high heels clicking on every stride.
Just as she rounds the corner, I see her wiggle her ass, just a little. She throws a slanting glance over her shoulder.
I knew it.
My dark, avenging angel of a lawyer wants me.
4 Jane
When I pull into the parking lot of the hotel I’ll be staying at, my heart sinks. The place screams two stars and hourly rates, and that’s being generous. I can feel my temper spike like a hot poker in an already smoldering fire. What in the ever-loving hell?
It really pisses me off that Terry isn’t willing to swing for even slightly nicer accommodations, especially given who I’m here to represent. I wonder what the press would say if they caught wind that Riker Lord’s lawyer was holed up in the seedy part of town? I push the thought away just as quickly as it comes. That kind of pettiness is beneath me, but it does make me wonder if she treats other associates as callously.
I walk into the lobby and give them my name. The firm already has the reservation set up, so it’s just a matter of showing my ID and getting the key. At least that part is quick. The woman at the front desk is friendly with a wide smile that splits across her face and lights up her eyes. Absentmindedly, I wonder how she ended up in a place like this.
When I get up to the room, I’m pleasantly surprised. It resembles nothing of the disrepair that the outside of the building holds. It’s clean and neat with an updated design and a beautiful view of the city lights. Maybe they’re just in the middle of remodeling and the outside is the last thing to be fixed.
I flop down on the bed and kick off my heels. Bringing my feet up in front of me, I massage the souls from heel to toe, trying to push out all the tension of the day. I should have remembered to grab a pair of sneakers, at least for the drive up. My feet are killing me! This day was not supposed to be quite so long.
Before I do anything else, I grab my phone from my purse and swipe across the display. Nia’s shining face fills up the screen on the first ring. “Mama!” She exclaims.
“Hi, baby girl! I’m so sorry I had to leave earlier. But I’m here now. How was your day?” I ask with as much enthusiasm as I can muster. I’m so exhausted, but I don’t want her to think that I’m too tired to chat.
“It was so great mom. We started long division in math, and guess what?” She cries.
“Oh, my goodness, what?” I reply.
“I finished three worksheets while the rest of the class only did one!”
“That’s so amazing! I’m so proud of you?” I don’t have to pretend anymore. I love hearing when she does well in school. “I always knew you were a genius,” I tease.
“Oh, mom,” she rolls her eyes. “I’m definitely not a genius, but my teacher said I might be gifted in math. It’s so cool, I look at the numbers and I can just see the answers without really having to think very hard about it.”
“That’s great, baby girl. You’ll be running the world before I know it. Just don’t forget about the little people, all those late-night bedtime stories, special trips for ice cream…”
“Mom,” she squeals, “I would never forget about you.”
“I will never forget about you either, my love.” For a moment, I think she’s ready to hang up, but then a wistful look crosses her caramel eyes.
“Hey, mom?” She hesitates.
“Yes, baby?” I ask expectantly. She’s always known that there isn’t anything that she can’t talk to be about, no matter how bad she thinks it is, or how embarrassing it might be.
“What are you doing all the way in Albany, anyway?”
“There’s a super important client that the firm represents,” I begin, not wanting to give her too much of the sordid details. “He got into some trouble, and he needed someone to come and help him out. Since I had just wrapped up my case today and didn’t have anything else on my schedule, Terry thought it would be a good idea to send me.”
“Oh,” she says, contemplating.
“I’m sorry it was last minute. I know I don’t go away very often and I promise this won’t turn into a habit!” I say adamantly. I don’t ever want her to think that she can’t count on me or that I won’t be there for her when she needs me.
“I’m not worried about that, mom. I know you have to work and I’m okay with that.”
“Then what’s up, kiddo? Is something on your mind?” I’m genuinely confused about where this conversation is leading.
“I was just wondering if the client was someone famous,” she says.
“He is, but I can’t really talk about a client, even with my favorite, girl.” I apologize.
“Oh, I know that. But maybe if he’s rich and famous, and you do a really good job helping him out, then he’ll fall in love with you. You really should start dating, mom.” She breaks into a fit of giggles. The sound resonates through my phone. If I wasn’t so shocked, I would probably be
