Yesterday's Tomorrows (24 page)

“I’m not sure if that makes it easier or harder to tell you my new plan,” he said, returning my hug.

“What’s that?” I asked.

“Holt suggested, and I agreed, that you should be his temporary new assistant.”

I had come up here expecting to lose my job, and I was being considered for a promotion of sorts? “But I don’t know anything about working in a law office!” I squeaked. “I’m not qualified!”

“Not in the traditional sense,” Holt acknowledged. “But it’s more administrative than anything. I need someone who can help keep me organized, take notes, put my files together…fetch my coffee,” he grinned.

“Humph. Seriously, though, isn’t that what Mrs. Talbot does for you?”

“She does some of it, but she also has other lawyers to keep up with in our cluster. And she can’t accompany me to court. You don’t need legal experience to do the job, Maddy. Sure, it helps, but this isn’t a paralegal job. It’s a lot of what you do already, except only for me. And since I have to be out of the office a lot in the upcoming weeks, I’d feel better having you with me.”

My hackles rose. “So, I’m only being offered this job because you want to keep an eye on me? I’m not a child! I don’t need a babysitter!”

It was hard enough the way I got my clerk job, but I had my pride; I wasn’t taking a job I wasn’t qualified for just to satisfy Holt’s need to protect me. This was taking it way too far.

“Maddy—“ Holt started. Mr. M slipped out the door, leaving Holt on his own. Smart man.

I stood there shaking my head.

“No, Holt. It’s just not right when there are other more qualified people looking for work.” I crossed my arms, ready to dig in my heels if he fought me on this. “I didn’t get out of prison just to be chained to someone else and not have any freedom to do what I want and make my own decisions.”

He looked horrified. “Is that how you see me? A chain? As someone who holds you back?”

The hurt in his voice was undeniable, and I knew once again I’d managed to misspeak.

“No!” I practically shouted and reached for him, but he took a step back. “No, Holt,” I continued gently. “You’ve done more for me than anybody I know to help me grow and set me free from the past. My grandmother always warned me not to let my mouth overload my tail, but I still seem to do it. I’m sorry. You mean more to me than anyone, more than I think you understand. And that scares me, too. Sometimes I feel like I’ve never had a chance to stand on my own two feet, and just when I thought I might be able to, you came along and swept me right off of them.”

This time, it was he who closed the gap between us. “I did?”

“Mmmhmm.” I grew breathless at both my confession and his closeness. I looked up at him. “I’m sorry I made you feel otherwise.”

“Well, I can’t exactly stay mad, given all the times my tail has been crammed in my mouth or whatever the hell that saying was. You and your grannyisms.” He smiled. “Does this count as our first official fight as a couple? Cause that means make-up sex tonight.” He snaked his arms around my waist and pulled me close.

“I don’t know, are we officially a couple?” I teased.

“You better believe it, sweetheart. And if you need any further evidence, I’ll be happy to provide it.”

His head grew closer and his lips caught mine in a slow and sweet kiss that matched any romantic image I ever had in my head.

Long moments later he lifted his head, leaving me to gaze at him in a complete fog. “Now, about that job…”

Well, maybe there were some perks to working with him
, I thought with a smile and pulled his head back down.

I
t had taken
some more convincing, but I’d finally agreed to work as Holt’s assistant temporarily, just until we figured out who was behind the fire. The clincher was when he showed me some video surveillance of a guy hanging around outside the office. It showed him following me through the lobby, turning around as soon as Holt stepped to my side.

I had never been in Holt’s office before. It turned out there was a small office space outside of his much larger one. It was simple, just a desk equipped with a computer and phone, and two wood file cabinets along the wall. The floor plan was laid out almost like an H, with Mrs. Talbot being the central crossbar, and she was truly the link that held everything together. Several lawyers and paralegals had offices along the hallways on either side of her. She answered the phone calls for each of the lawyers, advised their assistants of updates to the master calendar, kept track of court times and countless other details that helped assure the least amount of problems. She also filled in for absent assistants, which made her job harder and busier. Hence, the huge smile on her face when she learned I’d be Holt’s new assistant.

Holt leaned in and spoke in my ear. “I’ll leave you in her capable hands. Anything I tell you, she’ll just say it’s wrong and tell you something different,” he said, frowning at her, but his eyes danced with humor.

Mrs. Talbot shooed him away with a scowl, but it was hard to tell if she was pretending like Holt.

“Ms. Stone,” she greeted, “it’s a pleasure to have you up here using your talents instead of wasting them downstairs. I’ve no doubt you’ll catch on quickly.”

“I hope so,” I muttered. “I have no clue what I’m doing.”

“I’m sure you didn’t know everything when you began your clerking job, either. And yet you managed just fine, even streamlining the process for everything to go smoother.” She raised her dark gray eyebrows over her half-moon glasses, kept safe around her neck by silver chains with crystal beads. “I’ve been here a lot of years, young lady. I’ve seen a lot of people come and go, some worth their salt and some not. I’m a good judge of character, young lady, and I’m sure you’ll do fine. Now,” she said, letting her glasses drop to her chest, “I’ve asked Ashley to help get you started and teach you our computer system.” She glanced over my shoulder. “Ah, here she is now.”

A petite girl who looked to be about my age approached us with a big smile. She reminded me of a pixie with her short, black hair that curled out below her ears, and bright blue eyes. After introductions, I followed her to her desk where we spent the next couple of hours going over several things I needed to know to get started and help Holt keep up with his schedule and cases.

“Of course, Mr. Andrews will have his own way of how he wants things done,” Ashley said, “but you’ll be able to style all this to what works best for both of you. You caught on fast,” she praised, then glanced at her watch. “Oh, crap. I’ve got to get some things done for Mr. Keller, but just holler if you need me! Maybe we can do lunch sometime?”

I liked Ashley and hoped we could be friends. “I’d love to.”

She smiled and flew down the hall. “Nice meeting you, Maddy,” she twittered over her shoulder.

I nodded and hurried back to my new little workspace. Holt’s door was open. He was sitting at his desk with his forehead propped up on one hand while he read over some papers. To my surprise, he was wearing a pair of dark-rimmed glasses. I’d never seen him wear glasses at home, but holy cow! They made him look sexy. I knocked softly, not wanting to startle him.

As soon as he saw me standing in the doorway, he took off his glasses and rose with a big smile on his face. “Everything going well with Ashley?”

I beamed. “I like her. She asked me to have lunch sometime.”

He looked pleased. “Glad you’re making a friend.” He glanced at the papers on his desk. “I have a court appearance next week, and I’ll need you to go with me, so I want to go over with you what to expect and what I need you to do. Feel like a working lunch? I’ll need you the rest of the week to help me put everything together.”

“Sure thing, boss,” I quipped.

I called in an order for us while he stepped out to seek out another lawyer for some advice. I started familiarizing myself with the computer to see where his last assistant had left off before her mother became unexpectedly sick. The intercom on my phone buzzed; it was Mrs. Talbot letting me know our lunch had been delivered. I cleared off Holt’s desk where we would eat and work, careful to not shuffle the papers too badly.

Mrs. Talbot wasn’t at her desk by the time I got there, but the bags containing our lunch were. I heard footsteps approach me from behind. I turned, expecting to see her, but was met with hostile eyes instead.

“Bitch!” Misty shrieked. “You knew I wanted this job, but no, you went behind my back and landed it for yourself.”

Doors opened and a couple of heads stuck out to see what the commotion was.

“Misty, that’s not how it was,” I tried to calm her.

“Oh, that’s true. We both know with your background, you’re lucky to work anywhere. Who’d you fuck to get here, Maddy?” she shouted.

I blanched. I
knew
she knew something, but how? Men and women began pouring out of their offices, pausing to watch when they saw where the commotion was. “Misty,” I hissed, “I think you better calm down and leave. Or if you’d like, we can go into the conference room where we can talk in private.”

“Talk?” she scoffed loudly. “Yes, let’s talk Madelyn Stone. Let’s tell all the good people here how you happened to get the clerk job downstairs, shall we?”

I started to shake my head but changed my mind. People had been trying to shame me my whole life. Maybe it would never change. But I could. I could quit cowering. Holt was right; I had to quit letting the past be the definition of who I was. I’d bent to enough people’s wills over my lifetime.

“Go ahead, Misty,” I said quietly. “I have nothing to hide.”

Misty seemed taken aback, but launched forward in her tirade, turning to the audience she’d attracted. “You all should know that Maddy is only here because she’s part of a new program to help convicted felons get back on their feet. She,” Misty pointed at me, “just got out of prison after serving time for murdering a man.”

Several people’s mouths gaped and those who were standing close together started whispering to each other.

“Is it true?” someone called.

“Yes,” I answered quietly, resulting in more chatter.

“Aw, leave her alone. Everyone deserves a second chance,” someone else said.

“I agree,” a new voice piped up. “Some people make a mistake, pay the consequence and learn from it, while others consistently repeat the same mistakes.” I looked up to see Ashley. She smiled at me as she linked her arm through mine before sending Misty a scathing look. “Maybe you could learn something from Madelyn, Misty. She’s the one who earned the job up here, not you. I’ve only known her for a few hours, and already I’m impressed by how fast she catches on and how she got right to work, while others think it’s fine to sit around and file their nails and let others do all the work.”

More murmuring and head nodding. I was speechless as Ashley, who had only met me hours ago, defended me to her peers.
Our peers
, I reminded myself.

Ashley wasn’t done. “I don’t know the reason behind what got Maddy in trouble, and neither do the rest of you,” she reminded them with a glare. “But I do know that if she got this job as part of a work program, it’s because she earned it, while you, Misty, got the job because of family connections.”

There were a few more murmurings. Some people still stared suspiciously at me; others kept a professional look of neutrality, while several gave Misty looks of disgust. Misty, who began to squirm as she realized she was becoming the bigger focus of attention, decided to let loose.

“Earned it? You mean by fucking her new boss?” She waved her arm at me while she scanned the crowd. “Did you know she leaves with him every day and comes in to work with him every morning?”

Ashley opened her mouth to retort, but I squeezed her arm. While I appreciated her support, I couldn’t remain a silent victim any longer. It was time to own who I was and how I wanted people to see me.

Squaring my shoulders, I did my best to hide the nervousness that hummed throughout me as I decided to bare myself to an entirely new jury of my peers. “It’s true. I did serve six years in prison after being convicted of murder. I won’t bore you with the details, and I won’t make excuses. I met Mr. Andrews when he escorted me from prison to my new apartment that was arranged for me as part of a new program established here, and he’s the only friend I’ve had, at least, until recently.” I smiled at Ashley, who smiled and nodded encouragingly in return.

“I’ll never be able to repay the opportunity the partners at this firm have given me, except to bring my best every day. Just over a week ago, I became homeless when my apartment building caught on fire. Mr. Andrews found out and offered me a place to stay so I didn’t have to remain in a shelter until I can make other arrangements. He’s been nothing but kind, respectful, and supportive. I’ll always be extremely thankful that he chose not to focus on how or where he met me, but has taken the time to get to know who I
really
am, and if any of you would allow me the same chance, I’d enjoy getting to know the rest of you better as well.”

A few onlookers broke out into applause while others hollered out words of encouragement. “Bravo! Well said.” “Welcome to the madness, Madelyn.” “Glad to have you here, Maddy.” “You go, girl. Show ‘em what you’ve got.” “Everyone deserves second chances.”

Emotions made my smile wobble as I felt a wave of support from my colleagues. A few people still looked unimpressed, but I knew they’d either come around or they wouldn’t. I was done trying to live my life to make an impression on others. How ironic that Misty’s attempt to hurt me actually drew out my pride and belief in myself. She must have sensed the same since she tried one more time to make her point.

“That doesn’t change the fact that you’re living with your boss.”

“A point that has already been addressed,” a deep voice said from behind me. “And I don’t appreciate anyone starting rumors about my personal life.” He moved to stand beside me, his strong arm snaking around my waist.

I stood sandwiched between Holt and Ashley, a line of solidarity against Misty’s unwarranted attack. Misty visibly shrunk when she saw Holt and knew she’d been called out on her lies.

“I think we’ve wasted enough time this morning arguing the merits of recent decisions at this firm,” Holt continued. “If anyone has anything else to say, they can say it directly to me and not behind my or Madelyn’s back. And if anyone chooses to further malign the character of myself or Madelyn, they’ll deal directly with me.”

“I wholeheartedly agree,” a voice boomed from the elevator. No one had heard the elevator’s
ding
above all the chaos or saw Mr. McCloskey and Mr. Barnes emerge from it. Mrs. Talbot was by their side. Both partners had stern expressions on their faces, while Mrs. Talbot had the same grim mouth she usually had. Everyone scattered like rabbits with a wolf in their midst until only Holt, Ashley, Misty and I remained.

When Misty tried to leave, her uncle stopped her. “A word, please.” He took her forearm and none-too-gently guided her to the elevator and in seconds they were gone.

Holt tried to run interference with his boss. “John, I—“

Mr. M held up his hand. “I heard enough.” He looked at Ashley. “Young lady, perhaps you should consider a career as a defense lawyer. In the meantime, if you’d excuse us for just a minute.”

She smiled nervously and hurried back to her office. The rest of us returned to Holt’s office.

“Madelyn,” Mr. M continued when we were alone, “I’m sorry your past was made public. I promised you anonymity if you got the job here. I have no idea how Misty found out, but unfortunately, your conviction is public record if anyone cares to look. She must have quite a grudge against you. But I assure you, Barnes will take care of his niece. I don’t think you’ll have to worry about her anymore. You conducted yourself well, though, my dear. In light of what happened, however, I need to know if you want to continue in your current position. Right or wrong, true or false, everyone is going to speculate about the two of you. If it weren’t for your safety, I’d remove you from this job without asking, but truthfully, I feel better knowing that someone like Holt always has his eyes out for you. But if you’re uncomfortable, we can talk about other ways to keep you safe.”

“Absolutely not,” Holt growled.

I turned to Holt. “Maybe it would be for the best. We can talk to the police...”

He was shaking his head. “Despite our suspicions the police won’t provide you escorts. Anything could happen to you.”

“But it could happen even when I’m with you, Holt. I don’t like endangering you.”

“Give me a week or two. My investigator is really good. With any luck, we’ll be able to figure out what’s going on. You’ll help me with what I need, and I’ll be able to keep an eye on your safety. With my military training, I’m just as good as any security the police would assign you. Plus, they have to follow you from a distance, and I can stay right by your side. Plus, I’m in a crunch since Susan left unexpectedly. I need help, and I know you’ll do better than any temp that an agency would send me.”

His argument made sense to me. “Okay. We’ll try it,” I agreed. “But completely professional at all times,” I warned.

His eyes twinkled. “I can handle it if you can,” he grinned.

And that was part of the problem. I wasn’t sure I could.