Saul paced back and forth in his office. These phone calls with his two most needy clients were getting worse. He was both of their lawyers and he had to keep secrets from either one. The older one seemed more dangerous than the kid, but at this point Saul had seen enough not to doubt anything.
Francesca opened the door "Saul, let's go I'm locking up."
Saul took a breath and then grabbed his bag. I got nothing to worry about he thought they aren't going to tell each other and I'm the only one who knows and God knows I won't say anything. It'll be fine. Saul hopped in his car and said goodnight to Francesca "Hey, goodnight H.T.!"
"I told you to stop calling me that!" she hissed at him. He smirked and shrugged his shoulders at her. She gave him one last glare and sped off.
Saul sighed as he sat in his car a minute. He opened his wallet and took out a bent business card. It was softened from all the folds and years of ware. Kimberly Wexler it read. He smiled to himself and caressed the raised lettering with his thumb. It had been a long time since they spoke. His heart still ached a little when he thought about her. He wished she was here to talk to him. She would know what to say. She would tell him what the "right" thing to do was and then she would smile at him giving him those "I told ya so" eyes when it all worked out like she thought. He looked off as he was lost in his memories. His smile fading as the flashbacks flooded his mind. He shoved the card back in his wallet and snapped it shut. He turned on his car and went home.
When he got in he threw his keys on the counter and took off his coat hanging it in the closet. He turned on the lamp next to his couch and went to perform his usual ritual. He kicked off his shoes and took out the bottle of whiskey from his liquor cabinet. He let out a loud sigh as he sunk into his couch. He mindlessly flipped through the channels. The reflection of the television lit up his eyes that were starting to become glassy. Suddenly, he whipped the remote at the couch. He leaned forward, running his hands through his hair. He was alone. He had always felt so alone. It use to hurt. He use to feel his heart aching out of his chest, but now nothing. His mind never rests. He thought about Kim, his family, and his brother all the time. He had no friends. No real friends at least. He had his clients but most of them were criminals and if he was friends with criminals wouldn't that make him one? Which brought him to his next question. Was he a criminal? Did he have a real business? All those nasty words that his brother had said to him. He never believed in him and he knew if Chuck saw what he was doing now he would never approve or congratulation him on running his own business.
He got up from the couch and grabbed the bottle of whiskey. He chugged it, he chugged it until he couldn't breathe. He removed the bottle from his lips, sucked in a deep breath and chugged again. A tear slowly moved down his face as it made a wet trail on his cheek. He pulled the bottle from himself and slammed it on the table. He breathed heavy as his tears multiplied. Small moans came from his throat as he kept taking in large breaths. He fell on the couch and brought his knees to his chest. He turned so that his face was half buried into the pillow. His cries died down as his eyelids felt heavy. Soon, he was asleep and didn't have to think anymore.
The next morning his alarm went off at six a.m. sharp. He rolled off the couch with a gruff moan. He went to the bathroom and splashed his face with water. His head was pounding as the cold water woke him up. He looked at himself in the mirror. He stared blankly at the dark circles under his eyes and his messy hair. He bent down gripping the sides of the sink so he wasn't visible in the mirror. He slapped himself on the cheek get it together Jimmy, it's a new day. He popped back up and looked at himself in the mirror again. He smiled his usual calm and collected grin. He combed his hair back to the side and dabbed on some under the eye makeup. He winked at himself and pretended to shake someone's hand. That's better…he thought as he got on a new suit and started his day.
He walked into the office and oozed his usual confidence "Hey, there Frankie. How is my beautiful secretary today?" she just rolled her eyes at him "….okay, a ball of sunshine as usual." He walked into his office and shut the door. He took a breath as he looked around his office. He already heard children crying and people yelling in the lobby "time to start the day" he sighed.
The day rolled on. Saul had client after client. There was no sign of Walter or Jessie so he figured it was a good day. When he had a lull in the appointments he laid down on the couch to relax. When he was finally comfortable Francesca paged him on his phone. "Saul, there is some woman here to see you. She doesn't have an appointment…what would you like me to do."
Saul grunted as he picked himself up from the couch. He pushed the button on his phone "How many times do I have to tell you, Frankie, no appointment, no Saul."
"…I know but she-ma'am you can't go in there! Ma'am…!" Saul looked up as he saw the door handle turning.
In walked a woman with dark hair that was up in a large bun. She had a business suit on that was brightly colored. As she walked closer Saul had found himself drawn to her eyes. They were a bright piercing blue. Her lips were a deep red and they were full and heart shaped. Her nose was small and upturned, but not in a pig way but more like a cute little pixie. He felt his blood pumping through his body. There was an obvious attraction to her but what was the tightness he felt in his chest.
"Ma'am you need to leave!" Francesca demanded.
"No it's fine, she can stay." He had a light smirk on his face as he was deeply interested in her and what she had to say. "What can I do for you? Please sit."
"Thank you" she said her face calm and collected. "I'm just here to meet my competition. I'm a straight shooter and I like to know who I am dealing with. Not that I don't already know who you are, Jimmy." She saw his eyes widen in shock "I'm sorry maybe that is a little too casual perhaps Mr. McGill is more appropriate. Oh, I'm sorry, that's right you are going by…" she paused as she squinted at the name plate on his desk "Saul Goodman?" Saul was speechless as he tried to figure out what to say "Sh- don't speak." She stood up and walked around his office examining his books and shelves. "This is a cute little setup you have here. Don't take this personal but it's easily out matched if any completion moved to town, completion like me. Well, anyway, it was nice to meet you. I can't wait to destroy you." She flashed him a deviously brilliant smile. It was mixed with beauty, grace, and viciousness.
"Hey wait!" he could finally speak. He followed her out the door and directly across the street he saw a large sign that read Better Buzz Beth. 'Are you kidding me?" he said his mouth a jar and fixed on her building.
"That's me, Beth, Bethany Bloom. Don't worry everything is legal. Everything is the exact feet apart, and all that garbage. So, there is no chance you will be suing me. Oh, and the name? That happened to be a weird coincidence, but my name was just different enough for it not to be a problem. This is actually my second place. I'm expanding." She threw him that evil smile again. "Well, it was nice meeting you Mr. Goodman. I hope you have a backup plan, when you- I mean- if you go under." She started across the street her hips swinging seductively in her tight pencil skirt.
Saul just stood there. Speechless for the first time in his life. Then he shook his head in confusion and then called to her "this is a fucking joke right. Which one of my clients put you up to this?" he started to smile as he walked closer to her.
"Excuse me…?" she said as she looked him up and down.
"This is a joke, this can't be happening." He said still giggling.
"Aw, that's cute. Denial is always the first step…" she touched his cheek. She paused as she looked into his eyes. She saw such pain that she froze. She meant for this touch to be sarcastic but now it was lingering. She final broke from their stare and quickly put down her hand. She cleared her throat as she looked at her shoes in embarrassment "anyway, I'm sorry this had to happen to you. It looks like a nice place you had here, but once you start slowly losing everything, you'll accept it." She looked back at him and felt every nerve in her arms tingling. She took a breath and quickly turned to walk away. She sucked in a breath to channel every sarcastic fiber in her being "toddles" she said as she raised up her hand and waved without looking back.
Saul touched his cheek as he watched her disappear into her building. He sighed God, I really don't need this right now.