Barefoot Kisses: A Billionaire Love Story (6 page)

“Nope. Those two have screwed you more ways than I care to count. It's time they had to take responsibility for using you the way they do.” Darcie leaned against the elevator wall as we started our upward descent. “Oh, hey – did you hear that Smith got the big murder case?”

“What big murder case?” I asked, confused. Elijah Smith was one of the founding partners of the firm and was considered one of the best criminal defense lawyers in the nation, but I hadn't heard of any potential cases.

“The sports star from Texas – the one that probably killed his wife – hired Smith to defend him,” Darcie replied.

“I thought that he already had that lawyer from Washington. Isn't that case like, two weeks from trial? They switched council this late?” I frowned, trying to figure it out. My mind was already going through all the paperwork and legal issues with switching representation this close to a trial.

“Yup. Don't you watch the news? There was a huge scandal with the previous firm,” Darcie informed me.

“Because I have
so
much time to watch TV,” I replied sarcastically. “Wait – you said it was Smith?”

“Yeah. Smith.” Darcie nodded. I wanted to whoop and dance for joy, but the elevator was still too crowded.

“I'm going to get to go to trial with him. I'll be in the courtroom for this!” I had to whisper or I knew I would scream it out. I couldn't believe my luck.

“Get out! How?” Darcie asked, an excited smile filling her face.

“It's part of the “Grooming the Next Generation of Lawyers” thing that the partners put on every year. Smith picks a non-lawyer employee who wants to pursue a law degree and shows them just how high they can go,” I explained. “I was selected as the employee this year, but the Ohio case was pretty much over, so I was promised his next big case. This is the next case!”

“That's freaking fantastic!” Darcie hugged me, but pulled back after a moment with worry on her face. “But aren't Calvin and Alexa going to try and block you from doing it?”

“They can't. This is through the partners. I have a letter from Smith himself saying I get to participate on his next case.” The odds of them going against the partners were so slim that I laughed, almost giddy with excitement. “This is over their heads as a mandate from their bosses. They can't stop me!”

Darcie pulled me into another hug, squeezing me tight enough to make it hard to breathe. “Congrats, Lena! You deserve it so much!”

“Thanks. I'll just be doing coffee runs and observing, but,” I grinned, feeling my dreams coming true, “I'm going to learn so much. It's perfect.”

“I'm proud of you,” Darcie told me. The elevator chimed my floor. “ See you for lunch?”

“Definitely,” I answered, stepping off on the fifteenth floor. Darcie waved as the elevator doors closed and took her up to the sixteenth floor. Someday, I would be going up there instead of down here to the Dungeons.

The office was the usual buzz of morning business, but it sounded happier to me today than it had in a long time. Even my little work station looked better today and I didn't even frown at the stack of papers already waiting for my attention. In two weeks, I'd be in Texas helping Smith with the legal case of a lifetime. If that on my resume didn't get me a spot at Harvard, I'd eat my shoe. Plus, the icing on the cake was that I would be away from Alexa and Calvin.

“I heard about your little stunt last night,” Alexa informed me, gliding up to my desk. I wondered how someone so pretty could be so evil. She was tall with dark, glossy hair that was always perfectly coiffed. Her eyes were a unique shade of gray with lashes so long they made a breeze when she blinked. Add in perfect porcelain skin, legs that stretched into infinity and a waist that was built for the designer skirts she always seemed to wear, and she was gorgeous. Gorgeous and incredibly evil.

“I'm not sure what you mean, Alexa,” I replied diplomatically as I sat down at my desk. Most people thought that because she was so pretty there was no way she could be smart. I had learned the hard way that she had a ruthless mind that was always two steps ahead of everyone else. Alexa always got what she wanted. Always.

“Don't play coy, Lena. It doesn't become you,” she sneered. “You went to the partners behind my back. You went to Kathryn without consulting me or even Calvin. The whole upstairs is talking about how the paralegal went straight to Kathryn on the Preston case. You breached protocol and there are some very unhappy people up there.”

“Are they talking about what I found?” I asked, shuffling the papers on my desk. The last thing I had been expecting today was to get in trouble. Since Alexa was involved, I should have known it would happen. That was just the way my luck at work was tending to go this week.

Alexa ignored my question and instead leaned over my desk and pitched her voice so anyone nearby could hear. “You report to me. I'm a lawyer and you're a paralegal. There's a reason why I make four times your salary. You had no right to bother Kathryn with something so trivial. Especially just to spite me because of your bad review.”

A secretary stopped dead in her tracks and stared. Heads popped up over dividers. Everyone was tuning in to watch me get the scolding of a lifetime. My stomach was turning to acid.

“You mean bringing her the pictures I found on myFace?” I asked, struggling to keep my voice steady. She had just announced my bad review to the entire office. I set my jacket on my desk and the card from Aiden's dinner fluttered out from the pocket.

“Yes, the pictures from myFace,” she repeated, her voice dripping with derision as I picked up the card and set it on my desk. “That was my case, Lena.
Mine
. You were supposed to go through me and I'm going to make sure the partners know you went over my head. I walked in this morning expecting a report from you only to find out you went straight to Kathryn. I'm going to be bringing up your insubordination with her. I know you don't like how I work, but that is unacceptable behavior.”

I stared at her for a moment, unbelieving at how clueless she was. The acid in my stomach was changing to triumph. She had no idea how much trouble she was in. She just thought that I was out to get her as much as she was out to get me, and thought I would use her tactics. She had no idea what I had found or how poorly it reflected on her.

You are worth standing up for.
Darcie was right. I was going places and I could stand up for myself. I was worth more than Alexa or Calvin realized.
You won't be low level for long...
Aiden's words echoed in my mind, mingling with Darcie's. If someone like him thought I was going places, then someone like Alexa had no right to challenge me.

“You mean the pictures from myFace?” I repeated, drawing courage from the card. I was worth something. “The ones
you
should have gotten in the first place? The ones that were part of the job you tried to pawn off on me and when I said no, you did a half-ass job on?”

Alexa's mouth opened to contradict me, but I kept going. Now that I had started, there was no way for me to stop. “Then, when I had to go back and do your job for you- and actually did it- I found the case saving photos? The ones that are going to keep it from going to trial and will save our client millions.
Those
myFace pictures?”

I paused for a moment to catch my breath. The crowd that was pretending not to watch us murmured. I knew I was playing with fire, but if felt good to be the one with the matches for once. “But you know, maybe you mean the ones that I tried to give to Calvin or you last night. Except neither one of you was in the office or answering your phones. But at least Kathryn was here, you know, working after hours on
your
case. Are those the ones we're talking about?”

Alexa's eyes darkened and her mouth condensed into a thin, ugly line. She looked over at the secretary that was now snickering in the hallway. The girl yelped and took off like she'd been burned by Alexa's gaze. The rest of the employees scattered like fallen marbles. Served her right for picking the time when the most people would be present to try and corner me.

“You think you're so smart,” she murmured. The darkness on her face twisted into a merciless, confident smile. “Enjoy this feeling, Ms. Masterson, because I'm going to destroy you. When I'm done with you, you're going to wish you had never even heard the word 'lawyer'.”

I put on my best polite smile. It was a struggle not to shout, “You only have two weeks to do it!” but I kept quiet. Instead, I just replied, “Have a great rest of your day, Ms. Jones.”

Alexa's smile dropped and she turned on her heel to stalk off back to her office. I didn't move until she was gone. I was shaking too much.

I let out a long breath when her office door slammed shut. I couldn't believe I had just done that. I had a feeling it was going to bite me in the ass eventually, but for now, it felt good. Besides, in two weeks, I would be out of her reach. She had no way of knowing that I was set to go to Texas with Smith. The decision had happened before she arrived here. With any luck, I'd be gone before she could do anything about it.

I looked down at my stack of papers, trying to get ready to work, but I couldn't concentrate. I kept daydreaming about going to Texas and showing everyone how useful I really was. Maybe I'd even figure out the argument that would win Smith the case. I'd have the scholarship and a guaranteed job when I graduated.

I picked up the card from Aiden. He'd be impressed too. He'd find me at the trial and tell me just how impressed and proud of me he was. How he knew I could do it. He'd even kiss me. We'd get married, I'd be a famous lawyer, and we'd both live happily ever after. It was perfect.

“Lena,” a voice called, bringing back to earth. I started and opened my eyes to see one of the legal assistants staring at me like I was crazy. I wondered just how long she'd been there watching me daydream. “Mr. Smith would like to meet you upstairs in his office.”

I grinned. This was it. I was on my way. “Thank you. I'll be right up.”

The assistant shrugged and hurried off. I smoothed my hair and made sure my shirt was straight. This was going to be good. I tucked the card gently back into my coat pocket to keep it safe. The only thing that could make this day better would be a visit from Aiden. A girl could dream.

I
couldn't keep the grin off my face as I hurried upstairs. Darcie gave me a big thumbs up as I passed the library on my way to Smith's office. I could hardly wait to get in there, but I made sure to walk calmly and professionally, even though I really just wanted to do cartwheels in the hallway.

Mr. Smith's secretary sat at a large desk guarding the entrance to his office. It looked as though a paper avalanche had hit her desk overnight as she sorted and organized the files that must be about the new case. I cleared my throat and she looked up from her work, her face betraying nothing.

“Go on in,” she told me. “They’re expecting you.”

I grinned at her her, but she just returned to her piles of paper. I was excited and nervous and fairly sure that I might vibrate off the floor with all the emotions running through me. I opened his office door, stepped inside, and immediately stopped smiling. The happy vibrations were gone. I wasn't floating. I was sinking.

Sitting perched on the edge of Smith's desk was Alexa. Calvin sat in a chair beside her while Smith himself stood. I couldn't think of a single good reason why the two of them would be in here. I wished I hadn't left the card in my jacket pocket. I needed a little courage.

“Lena. Good, you're here,” Smith greeted me. He was an older gentleman, probably in his mid-sixties, though his actual age was a closely guarded secret. His hair was thick and gray, but his brown eyes were quick and sharp. “Now we can get started.”

I looked nervously from face to face, trying to figure out what exactly was going on. I swallowed hard as the door shut behind me. I didn't move away; I needed to know I had an exit if things went as bad as I was afraid of.

“Now, I'm aware that you were selected as the employee for the “Grooming the Next Generation” program this year. I remember picking you myself,” Smith started. All three of them were staring at me. I felt like a specimen in an experiment. Any moment, one of them was going to do something terrible to see how I would respond.

“Yes, sir,” I responded meekly.

“As such, you are supposed to come with me on my next case. I don't know if you watched the news this morning, but I was just hired on the Stephan Myers case in Texas.” He waited for me to nod.

“I had heard that, sir.” I held my breath, waiting for him to tell me that I was going in front of Alexa and Calvin. This could still turn out okay.

Smith's shoulders dropped a little his brows came together as he looked down, as if summoning the courage to continue. I had seen him do this in the courtroom for the jury. He had bad news for me. “I'm afraid I won't be bringing you.”

“What?” I gasped, feeling the air rush from the room. “Why?”

Smith took a step toward me, holding his hands out apologetically. “It was brought to my attention that Alexa here has never been on a big case like this before, but that she has a real interest in them.” He put his hand on my shoulder, as if he were trying to comfort me.

I was certain I was about to be physically ill. “I still don't understand why I can't go...”

Smith smiled sadly and squeezed my shoulder. “There are a limited amount of spots on the team. I need lawyers more than I need paralegals. I'm sorry.”

Alexa and Calvin smiled like jackals as I my dreams evaporated.

“But, I had a letter from you...” I said softly. This couldn't be happening. It wasn't possible.

“I know.” Smith sighed and let go of my shoulder. “But given your recent evaluation, I need to bring people I can trust to get the job done.”

I tasted bile as I threw up in my mouth a little.

“I see,” I said slowly. Though, really, I didn't. I didn't see how a good-for-nothing, brand new lawyer with absolutely no trial experience got to go on an all-expenses paid trip to watch one of the best criminal defense lawyers in the country work while the paralegal that had been promised, and actually could help, had to stay home. I didn't understand it at all.