“So it is acceptable for your younger brother to do as he pleases, but not you. What does he do for a living?”
“At the moment, not very much. He is the smartest person I know, whisked himself through higher education without really attending and getting a first-class honours degree. William can’t stick to anything. He’s had a series of part-time jobs and has kept none of them for very long.”
“William stayed on in education to get his masters and then did another one. I think he’s addicted to learning. He spends most of his time borrowing money from me, so his jobs can’t be that highly paid. Not that I see much of the money back.”
“Lilly, you have to take back control of your life. I insist on it,” Elijah implored.
“Yes, Elijah,” Lilly said, using her stern voice and saluting.
“Are you making fun of me? And that is not how you salute.”
“No, of course not,” she said and winked. “I wouldn’t dare to. Seriously, there is another reason too. I adore Harry, the senior partner. He lost his sister years ago, and I adored her too. She taught me everything I know, and I am grateful to her and to Harry. I don’t want to let him down.”
“You are staying in a job you hate for everyone but you. I know I have said this practically every time I see you, but please just think about it.”
“Okay, I’ll think about it Elijah. How about I’ll sleep on it, and I will see in the morning.”
“Deal, now can I feed you?”
“Only if you can make poached eggs and impart your saluting knowledge.”
“Poached eggs coming up, don’t move,” Elijah said and watched as Lilly glanced at her watch and frowned. His heart fell. Their time was up, and he knew what she was going to say.
“Elijah, I have to go, or I’ll be late back. Can I take a rain check on poached eggs?”
“Are you sure Lilly? It won’t take long.”
“I’m positive. I need to prepare for a case, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Okay, take care, Lilly, and seriously think about what I said. If you’re well behaved, I’ll teach you how to salute properly.”
Elijah waved Lilly goodbye and walked back to the side of the bar that gave him protection. Lilly had gone back to work and Elaine was still in the building. There was only one thing left to do, and that was to tackle the mountain of paperwork he had and daydream about Lilly.
Chapter Three
It was the end of another working day and Lilly let herself into her flat, dumped her bags in the hallway along with her shoes. She loved to wear heeled shoes, but they were a joy to remove at the end of the day. Moving through the flat, she flicked the switch on the coffee machine and headed for the shower. She needed to clean off the day and make herself dinner. The plan in mind was to spend an evening drawing. There was a lot to think about and drawing relaxed her. She could drift off into space and process what she needed to think about.
Everything Elijah had said to her today and over the last six months was good advice. She was becoming short-tempered at work and less tolerant of the women she worked alongside. Lilly never was one for confrontation. However, she had no issue with confronting the men that were mean, nasty and behaved disgracefully. Lilly tried not to think too hard about why that was.
In her time at the law firm, Lilly had to work hard to prove herself. She had a lot to prove to herparents, spending most of her energy trying to show them she was good at what she did. The money that they spent on her was well spent.
It didn’t make any difference.
Her biggest supporter was her God Mother, Elizabeth, who was Harry’s sister-in-law. She looked out for her and tried to guide her into an excellent lawyer. Elizabeth had died a few years ago. Lilly lost her way, and Harry tried to help, but Lilly had lost all desire to carry on as a lawyer. It didn’t stop her being the most successful lawyer in the business, but her heart wasn’t in it.
Harry’s birthday was coming up, and Lilly wanted to give him a present. The gift was a portrait of Elizabeth for his office. She left Lilly a pendant, it was one of a pair. Elizabeth’s granddaughter, Catherine, had the other one, and she treasured it. Elizabeth had always worn the pendant with every outfit she had. She called it her lucky charm. The pendant, currently draped over the corner of the canvas, was the one that Lilly was painting. Elizabeth’s photo was clipped there too, and she spent time each evening working away at the portrait. Lilly had completed the sketching outline a while ago, and now she needed to start painting.
Stepping out of the shower and throwing on sweatpants and a t-shirt, Lilly padded out to the kitchen, scrunching her toes into the carpet as she went. Reaching the countertop, she picked up her post. Lilly hadn’t remembered picking up the post from the floor at the door, so assumed that William had been in today. That also meant that she was probably out of food. Lilly lent William at least two hundred pounds a month and never saw the money returned, and he still raided her kitchen for food when she was at work.
Her brother was an insecure person. Lilly had offered her place as a haven because she remembered all too well what it was like to live at home with her parents and didn’t want to subject William to that if she could help it. She wanted him to have a safe refuge if he needed it, but was getting fed up lately with his constant need to be at her place. Lilly contemplated changing the locks and forgetting to give him a key, but would feel guilty if she did that. He never used to come over when she was out, but now that was a frequent event. If she saw him, she would tackle him about it, but he was either elusive or her parents were within earshot. She needed to decide how she was going to bring the subject up with him.
Lilly decided on something light to eat, so she could eat and paint at the same time. Cooking for one was never something she enjoyed.
She didn’t feel like making an effort and often ate little in the evenings. Taking her plate of food through to the morning room at the back of the apartment, she perched on a stool staring at the incomplete canvas. Taking bites from her sandwich, she stared into space and daydreamed about Elijah. To her, he was everything she wanted in a partner, a friend, and a lover.
She wanted to sketch him, but needed to finish Elizabeth’s portrait before she plucked up enough courage to ask Elijah if he would pose for her. Lilly used charcoals. The naked contours of his body could be brought to life. She had her work cut out to get him to agree to be sketched naked. Lilly wanted him naked for other reasons, too. Ever since she laid eyes on him, she had wanted him, but he was a serial dater, and he only treated her like a friend. His advice was excellent, and he seemed to care very much about herlife decisions. It was disconcerting to have a perfect stranger be so demanding that she made the most of her life. Lilly enjoyed the attention he gave and dreamed that it was more than simple, polite advice over the bar at lunchtime.
Thinking back to six months ago, after a stressful morning at work, she decided to have a lunch break. Lilly hadn’t had a lunch break since the day she had started at the law firm over a decade before. She felt a little rebellious, as it would cause shock waves through the corridors. Lilly, going for lunch without an appointment, would be breaking news. She hated it was that way, but it was. Working at the law firm and also being a senior partner’s Goddaughter had a few people annoyed. They assumed she wasn’t any good and secured a job through family connections and not on merit. She had spent the last ten years proving them wrong.
