Marina gave her a small grin. “Yeah. All this.” She waved toward the darkened shop. “You don’t seem angry.”
River frowned. “Angry? At what?”
“At me. For telling you what I think.” Marina shrugged on her coat and kept her gaze averted.
“Why would I be?” River opened the door and followed Marina out. She locked it, then turned to her. “Marina, I’ve been told all my life that I’m crazy. That I’m weird. That I don’t belong. When you can talk to the dead, believe me when I say you aren’t the most popular kid in school. When you know someone is lying or hiding things from you, it definitely cramps a relationship. Everyone has a right to privacy, but it isn’t something I can contain. I can’t stop it or put a lid on it. It’s just who I am. I’ve learned when to bring things up and when to let them go.” She took a shaky breath. She hadn’t had to justify her existence in a long time. “And that makes for a pretty lonely existence sometimes. But I won’t, and can’t, change for anyone.”
Marina’s eyes searched hers. Strangely enough, her energy was quiet, contemplative. It was the least combative it had been since they’d met. “I like that you’re who you are no matter what,” she finally said softly. “Not many people get that option.” She stepped back, her car keys in hand. “Thank you for inviting me tonight. I have a lot to think about. Good night.”
She waved, got in her car, and drove away.
River sighed and leaned against the building. Marina’s energy at that last moment had reached out to her, begging to be cradled. For someone who didn’t believe in a soul, Marina’s was crying out to be loved.
CHAPTER 15
“You knowthose Shakespeare plays where someone betrays someone else and everyone ends up dead? That’s going to be you.” Rob relaxed on Marina’s office couch as he flipped through a file. “Like the one with the witches who boil someone.”
Marina had been ignoring his little jaded quips all day. She’d called him on her way home the night before and then gone to his place to tell him and Jeff about the night she’d had. Unsurprisingly, Jeff was impressed and Rob was skeptical.
“First of all, no one is going to die, and the witches didn’t boil a person.” She didn’t think so, anyway. She wasn’t a Shakespeare expert. “Second, it was in the name of research, and it isn’t like she doesn’t know we’re playing on different sides. I didn’t do anything sneaky.”
He tilted his head thoughtfully, still reading the file. “Not technically, counselor. But she invited you over in good faith, and in an attempt to change you from lawyer robot to boho-femme. The fact that you’ll still blow that building into rubble around her at the first opportunity so you can climb the ruins to your promotion probably hasn’t crossed her mind.”
“Knock it off.” Marina slammed her cup down on the desk and the dregs splashed out. “Damn it. Don’t you have your ownoffice?” She grabbed a box of tissues and started dabbing at the wet spots on the paperwork.
“Pissy much?” He stood and tucked his file under his arm. “Looks like I’m not the only one getting under your skin.” Whistling, he sauntered out of the office.
Marina continued to grumble under her breath about his childish behavior and how she hadn’t done anything wrong. At a quick knock she looked up, expecting to see Rob with a peace offering. It was Yvonne looking, if possible, even more stern than usual. “Yes?”
“I wanted to let you know I’m changing attorneys. I’ll be working with Mr. Newsome downstairs. I’ve already trained my replacement, and she’ll be here after lunch.” She held up a stack of files. “Black Pinnacle had these sent over, and Sheila Black has made arrangements for you to attend the ballet tonight. The limo will pick you up at your apartment at six thirty.” A flash of distaste touched her lips and then just as quickly disappeared.
“You’re quitting?” Marina stood, waving the soggy coffee tissue at her. “You’ve barely just started working for me.”
“True. But I could tell from the outset that your personal life and unconventional approach to client relations would be an unsatisfactory situation for me.” She glanced at the pile of wet tissues on Marina’s desk. “I like things orderly and timely, and I want to know that the attorney I’m working for does too.”
Marina scoffed. “Ilike things orderly and timely too. How have I done anything that isn’t?”
“You come and go from the office to meet with a single client at her whim. While I know that isn’t your fault, I also dislike not knowing when you’ll be back to take care of messages and such. It makes my work harder.” She took a step back, putting her nearly in the hallway. “Good luck.”
With that, she was gone. Marina pinched the bridge of her nose and squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt not to shoutobscenities. Instead, she opened her eyes, grabbed a stapler, and threw it hard at the couch. It bounced into the air and crashed onto the glass coffee table, cracking it down the middle.
“For fuck’s sake!” she hissed, sorely tempted to pick up the stapler and bash it against the table to finish the job.
“Things are going well, I see.” Montgomery’s droll voice filled the room like a bell tolling danger.
She tilted her head and gave him an apologetic smile. “Everything’s fine. Just working out a moment of frustration.”
He sat across from her desk and glanced over his shoulder at the cracked table. “I think it’s time we replace all your furniture with wood.” He turned back to her, gray eyebrows furrowed. “I hope this isn’t an indication that things are difficult with Sheila?”
“No. Of course not. In fact, she’s invited me to the ballet tonight, and I’ve sent out all initial offers on the project. Things are progressing well.” No need to mention the unwanted attraction, nor the frisson with River. None of that mattered.
“Good, good.” He hesitated, then stood, straightening his suit coat. “I don’t need to tell you that we want Sheila kept happy.” His gaze met hers, and it was cold, calculating. “However that needs to happen.”
He walked out, and Marina slumped in her chair. Had he just told her to pimp herself out in order to keep a client? While it was different that it was a woman, clearly the world hadn’t changed all that much. Marina would gladly have thrown another stapler at the already broken table if she’d had one to hand. How dare he?
Someone clearing their throat made her look up. The woman with long blond hair and big blue eyes set in a face that was as plump as her body gave her a quick smile. Dressed as she was in dark brown leggings and an oversized beige sweater, she looked like a feminine potato.
“Yes?” Marina asked.
