#4
“So baby, make a move my neon eyes are set on you. The devil's language taste of lust" The Cab
If the Los Angeles sky could be captured on canvas every day of the year, we would have three hundred and sixty-five different paintings.
That is why I work with my chair facing the panoramic window in this cone-shaped room, so that my gaze can follow the city’s late afternoons as they bleed across the horizon.
The day seemed perfectly quiet until Vanessa decided to march into the room and drop a stack of folders onto my desk.
"You said you’d wait a thousand years for this woman, and somehow, fate just dropped you right in Megan Woods’ path," she announced.
"Did you sleep in my bed last night? Good morning to you too. You look beautiful this Wednesday, Vanessa," I remarked. Cladin a tight sheath dress, she sat across from me, letting out an exhausted sigh. "The day has only just begun."
"And you’ve just been named as a defendant in a lawsuit regarding discrepancies in the weight of the Wilmington containers," she countered. "Take a guess who the presiding judge is." I widened my eyes, grabbing the papers and leafing through the files until I found the name I was looking for.
"No way," I laughed, leaning back and spinning in my chair. "I’m going to that hearing personally."
"No, you’re staying here and sending Ryden. There isn't enough evidence to stick. But there’s something else."
"Has she agreed to have dinner with me yet?" I asked. Pulling her hair up into a bun, Vanessa gave me a mocking look. "I’m just excited, Van."
"She’s being transferred to Washington. But before that, I have intel that she’ll be attending a political event in New York."
"Confirm my attendance," I instructed, pointing my pen at her after signing the documents. "And I’m going out to buy her a gift. Have Ryden deliver it once the proceedings are over."
"Already done. And one more thing: Senator Franklin is single, and it would be in our interest to pair him with someone beneficial to us. You know how it works."
"Marriages in exchange for alliances... that’s mafia business, Vanessa," I noted. She simply shrugged. "At least choose someone attractive."
"Charlie recommended a submissive from the club in Miami. I’ve already spoken to her and finalized the 'relationship' contract."
"Vanessa, you’re moving so fast I’m starting to wonder how long you’ve known about this case without telling me," I commented, signaling my assistant to bring us coffee. I stared at my friend as she crossed her shapely legs, scribbling notes on her tablet.
"Forty-eight hours. But I only made the final call yesterday before the meeting. I needed to clear my head." She put down her pen and looked up at me.
"Are you falling for them?" I asked gently. She nodded, swallowing back tears just as the assistant returned with our coffee.
"It’s complicated, Kels," she sighed once we were alone again. "I knew they were married. I agreed to be the 'third' for their fun. But the dinners at home, the flowers at work, the gifts... that wasn't supposed to be part of the package."
"My love, you need to set boundaries and make your feelings clear. If the Governor and his wife aren't in the same place as you, it’s time to move on. I promise you an excellent orgy in D.C. to make up for it." Her smile was weak.
I stood up to stroke her hair, kissing the top of her head.
"I broke it off with them yesterday," she revealed. "We aren't in the same phase. They want someone to fuck; I want someone to share a life with."
"You’ll find that kind of love, Van. The kind that makes you want to beat your chest and show the world." She took a deep breath, dabbing her eyes to save her makeup, before standing up and smoothing her dress.
"Right. Let’s organize your trip to this event. Who knows? Maybe you’ll find a judge to sentence you to monogamy."
"I hope the gods were too busy playing cards to hear you finish that sentence," I joked. She laughed and headed for the door, reminding me that I’d be meeting my "date" at an art exhibition.
#5
"How can one become so bound by choices that somebody else makes? How come we've both become a version of a person we don't even like?" - Adele
The heavy gold wedding band felt like a weight on the finger that holds the mouse as I analyze some issues on the computer for the day's hearings. The only person to interrupt my morning was the intern bringing me the physical files I had requested, so it took me a while to realize who was knocking on the door and interrupting my train of thought.
"Ms. Woods, can we talk for a moment?" The lawyer could pass unnoticed by others, especially those who weren't familiar with the legal world, but I was quite used to it.
