A/N: Thank you for your reviews of the first chapter. I'm glad for the interest. A few answers for you: (1) Someone mentioned that this sounded like a movie with Pierce Brosnan and Julianne Moore. While I love legal dramas, any resemblance between this story and that movie (or any other one) is purely coincidental, as I've never seen the movie. Maybe I have no more original ideas… (2) Ages: Bella-28 (as her mother reminds her); Edward-32. (3) No real posting schedule because it's finished, so I'll post every so often.
I hope you like this chapter. I enjoyed writing it.
I don't own Twilight, unfortunately. I just borrowed these characters and possibly corrupted them!
WARNING: LEMON AHEAD…ENJOY!
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2. The Hook Up
EPOV
"Do you, Emmett Michael, take Rosalie Lillian to be your lawfully wedded wife…?" the minister asked as I stood next to Emmett as the best man. I wanted to grab him by the coat and ask him what the fuck he was doing.
He was a family law attorney for God's sake. He knew how wrong things could go. He waded through the rubble of failed marriages and child custody issues on a daily basis. Nothing lasted forever, and he knew it as well as I did.
My parents had been married for nearly thirty-one years, and one day, they called me over for dinner and dropped the bomb that they didn't love each other anymore and that they were getting a divorce. My dad packed up and moved to Seattle and opened a boutique firm specializing in domestic and family law, and when I decided I'd had enough of Chicago, I packed up and moved to Seattle to join him in his practice.
Dad and I got along okay, but he was busy sowing his wild oats…again…and we didn't spend much time together. My parents' divorce taught me one lesson…marriage was an archaic pipe-dream, and anyone who got married in this day and age was absolutely, certifiably crazy.
After the vows were said and we convened to the cocktail area, I began to scope out any potential Ms.-Right-Now's as I sipped my glass of champagne. There was a bleached blonde, a natural blonde, and a redhead who caught my eye right away.
Jasper was next to me, and he was very good at pointing out potential talent, but nothing really stirred my blood that night so I decided that I'd just enjoy the reception and go to my room alone. It happened from time to time, so I wasn't unaccustomed to spending the night alone.
After the toasts and dinner was served, I was headed to the restroom before the dancing began when I actually ran smack into one of the most beautiful women I'd ever seen in my life. Petite in stature and figure. Long mahogany hair with glints of red. Big brown eyes. Curves in all of the right places. A smile that went on for days. She'd be the perfect Ms.-Right-For-The-Night, in my opinion, so I righted her on her feet and smiled my killer smile at her, hoping she'd take the bait.
"God, I'm so sorry. I know better than to text and walk at the same time," she remarked as she blushed a beautiful pink that went straight to my cock. I had my target for the night standing right in front of me. All that was left was for me to seal the deal.
"No bloodshed. No problem. Hi, I'm EJ. I'm a friend of the groom," I volunteered as I released her to stand on the sexiest pair of shoes I'd ever seen on a woman.
"Hi. I'm Marie. I'm a friend of the bride's," she replied as she thrust out her hand for me to shake. I did her one better. I brought it to my lips and kissed her knuckles gently. I heard her gulp, and I couldn't help but smile. I'd guessed that we'd be in my room before the cake was cut.
I'd rented a room at the hotel where the wedding took place because I had no intentions of being able to drive myself home, even though it was only about a fifteen minute drive. I hated weddings, but this was a good friend, so I sucked it up and decided to rent a room at the hotel and stay. I'd decided that I'd get through it with copious amounts of alcohol and maybe get myself a bridesmaid along the way as a bonus for showing up.
"Well, now, aren't you smooth. Tell me, EJ, would you let me buy you a drink?" she asked as she held my hand by the bathrooms.
"If you'll wait just a moment for me to take care of some personal business, I'd be more than happy to let you buy me a drink," I remarked, feeling quite impressed with her aggressive behavior. If the lady was eager, I wasn't going to disappoint.
"I'll be waiting at the bar," she replied coyly. Oh, hell yeah…game on.
When I emerged from the men's room, I was happy to see her standing at the bar with two drinks in front of her. God, she was gorgeous. I wasn't looking for a relationship, and luckily, she didn't appear to be either.
I walked up to her and rested my arm on the bar next to her. "So, Marie, what are we drinking?" I asked cockily. She smiled at me and handed me a glass half filled with brown liquid.
"Bourbon just slightly chilled. Here's to the bride and groom. I hope it works out for them," she toasted. I touched my glass to hers and took a drink, finding it to be very good sipping whiskey slightly chilled, just the way I liked it.
"You could be just about perfect. So, Marie, what do you do?" I asked making the usual small talk. She surprised the hell out of me when she started laughing and placed her hand on my chest sending a shock through my clothes that caught me off guard.
"Oh, come on. You're much too smart for senseless small talk. Let's not ask any questions. You don't really give a flying fuck what I do, and I don't really give a flying fuck what you do. Let's just see this as what it is. I'm attracted to you, and if I'm reading you right, you're attracted to me. Let's drink these drinks, have a dance, and then go back to one of our rooms and fuck. You are staying here, right?" she asked. Oh my God, she was absolutely the perfect woman.
I drained my glass and led her to the dance floor without a word. We danced to three and a half songs, and I could wait no longer. I had to get her alone, and there would definitely be nakedness involved. "So, Marie, your room or mine?" I asked seductively in her ear. She pulled away smiling at me and flipped a room key card at me as she leaned in close and whispered "918" into my ear as she licked my earlobe. It was the sexiest thing I'd ever experienced.
I watched her walk away…which was a treat in and of itself… and I went to find Emmett to tell him goodnight. In my peripheral, I saw her hugging Rosalie and then strolling to the elevators. I waited a minute after I saw her leave the room, and then I decided to grab a bottle of champagne and two glasses as a welcome-to-my-party offering.
Five minutes later, I found myself on the ninth floor wandering down the hallway. It was the perfect storm. I could get up and leave anytime I wanted without having to experience the awkward morning-after and the horrible breakfast conversation with the obligatory "I'll call you" that always followed those types of encounters. It was almost like the sex gods were smiling on me that Saturday night.
I found the door and wasted no time sliding the card into the slot. When the door opened, I was almost as giddy as a school girl. It was the least I'd ever actually had to do to get a beautiful woman into bed, and for a moment, I contemplated who had seduced whom. It was only for a moment, because when I walked into the room, I saw the temptress sitting on the couch with a bottle of champagne and two glasses waiting for me. She was apparently a plan-ahead kind of girl. I liked that a lot.
I walked into the room and slipped the 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the door handle and closed it. Just then, I heard the cork on the champagne bottle pop, and I chuckled to myself. All signs pointed to the fact that the woman was exactly like me…waste no time…take no prisoners…get in…get some…get out. I knew what she wanted from me, and she knew what I wanted from her. There was no need for pretense. We were both adults, and we knew what we were after. It was the easiest hand I'd ever been dealt.
We again toasted the McCarty's wedded bliss and before I knew what the hell was happening, I was stripped out of my tux down to my boxers, and she was in her bra and panties. I was grinding into her against the wall, and her hands were wound tightly into my hair. I was holding her up with my hands under her ass and relentlessly grinding my hard cock into her panty-covered pussy, but it wasn't good enough so I quickly carried her over to the bed and climbed up next to her where we were making out like teenagers after prom. She tasted sweet, and she wasn't afraid to let me know that she wanted me to fuck her as much as I wanted to fuck her.
"Um, let me just get something," I whispered as I detached my lips from her nipple. I was very pleased with the bra came off. The woman's tits were a work of art.
"No need. Pick one," she replied as she held three condoms out to me from out of the blue. I picked one and quickly pulled her panties off of her. Jesus, I loved a woman who was prepared.
I wasted no time kissing my way down her body and kneeling between her legs. I wanted to taste her, but I was about to shoot off, and I knew that I'd never last through it. I decided I'd get back to it after round one.
I opened the foil and quickly encased myself in the condom she'd offered, and she wasted no time pulling me down to kiss her again. Without another word, I slid inside her, and we were moving against each other in a very desirable way. I'd have almost bet that there were sparks coming off of us because the friction was so fantastic even with the condom.
I hated condoms, but they were a necessary accessory to the lifestyle that I led, so I'd grown accustomed to them over the years. The fact that there was a layer of latex between us didn't detract from the fact that the woman was very good at the act of sex, and she was very tight and wet. That was a welcomed surprise for me.
She begged me to pound into her, and I was only too eager to oblige. I worked her clit with my thumb because I never wanted it to be said that Edward Masen was selfish in bed. When she came, she wasn't quiet about it, and I loved hearing her dirty mouth so much that it caused me to lose my shit and come right after her. I blamed it on the pulsing that her tight pussy was doing around my cock, because I usually had more control.
After I disposed of the condom, I thought about getting up and leaving, but I was so tired and maybe a little drunk, so I settled into the bed with Marie at my side. We both fell into sleep pretty easily, and I decided a little nap with a nice, tight, warm body next to me wasn't the worst thing in the world.
I pulled her close to me and enjoyed the feeling as I sunk into sleep. I was so relaxed that I wasn't sure I could walk anyway, so sleeping next to her was a welcome departure to my usual routine.
When my cell went off at 5:30 AM, I reached for it and found that I was alone in the room. I knew there had been a woman with me, but she was gone. I turned on the bedside light and found a 'thank you' note for the good time, and that was it.
I reached down and pinched my leg to be sure I wasn't dreaming, but it hurt, so I knew it was real. For the first time in my life, I'd been the one abandoned after a one-night stand. I didn't like it very much, and her cursory little note did nothing to make me feel any better about the situation because sometime in the night when I woke and felt her warm body next to me, I decided I didn't hate it and maybe I wanted to actually see her again. I was obviously a fucking idiot.
##
BPOV
I pulled into my driveway and couldn't help but laugh to myself. The wedding had turned out to be far more enjoyable than I'd anticipated. I hadn't planned to hook up with a groomsman, but when presented with the opportunity, I certainly didn't look a gift horse in the mouth. It didn't hurt at all that he was stunningly handsome and somewhat on the cocky side. That was how I liked them.
While I was in my hotel room waiting for him…I wanted home field advantage…I set my cell alarm for 4:00 AM as a precaution in case the guy was a cuddler and I accidentally dozed off to sleep. I wasn't the kind of girl who liked the awkwardness of the morning after, so I always left as soon as the man du jour was out for the night. I'd have pegged EJ for that kind of guy as well, but he seemed to settle into sleep pretty easily after the deliciously wild sex we had. I, too, fell asleep, and when my alarm went off at 4:00, I slipped out of bed, grabbed my bag and slipped into the bathroom to dress.
I pulled on yoga pants and a hoodie and quickly wrote him a note thanking him for making a dull affair much more exciting. Maybe I was a bit of a slut, but I was an appreciative one, and I hated it when guys didn't even bother to leave a note. I didn't go so far as to leave a number, because, let's call a spade a spade…it was a one-night stand and nothing more. He wasn't going to call, not that I'd have answered if he did.
Looking back on it, I was kind of sorry that it went by so quickly because the guy knew what the hell he was doing in the sack, and I could have definitely spent a little more quality time with him. I hadn't been fucked so thoroughly in a long time.
I went inside my house and went back to bed with the smell of him still on my skin. It wasn't unpleasant at all.
##
When I woke at noon on Sunday, I remembered the shady stunt that Carlisle Cullen's attorney had pulled on Friday afternoon, and I got pissed off all over again. It was a shit move to have the response served on me at 5:00 on a Friday night when it was too late to do anything about it. I needed to call Esme and schedule a meeting with her because when I tried to call her Friday night, I couldn't get in touch with her. I was pretty sure she was freaking out, and a freaking out client was an unpredictable client, which never made my job any easier.
I went to my laptop and pulled up a web browser to see what I could find out about Edward A. Masen, Jr. The firm where he worked, Masen & Associates, was well-known in Seattle as being a high-priced, successful domestic and family law boutique. Rosalie's husband worked there, and he was a great attorney, so I knew the caliber of talent who walked the hallowed halls.
I'd gone up against another attorney from there, Tyler Crowley, the year before, and he tried to bury me in discovery. What he didn't know at the time was that maneuver was my M.O., and nobody played that game better than me. I was very satisfied when my client got the settlement she asked for and showed my appreciation to opposing counsel by sending the guy a nice bottle of scotch.
Of course, the idiot called me every day for a month trying to get me to go out with him. He wasn't my type at all so I quickly shut him down, telling him I was exploring my sexuality and was only dating women at the time. It didn't really dissuade him, so Emmett went by the guy's office and threatened to beat his ass if he didn't leave me alone. Thankfully, that shut him down pretty quickly. It was all in who you knew, I guessed.
I pulled up the firm's website and perused their roster of attorneys, finding two Edward Masens. I clicked on the senior Masen's profile and saw the picture of a very attractive older man. He looked somewhat familiar but that didn't really surprise me because the Seattle legal community was somewhat small, and I was sure I'd seen him at the courthouse at some point or another. He looked like the kind of guy my mom should go after. Hot…hot…hot.
As I was about to click on the junior Masen's profile, my phone rang. "Hello?" I asked, seeing it was Esme.
"Hi, Bella. Sorry I haven't gotten back to you. I was in Portland for the weekend visiting a sick friend. So, what's up?" Esme asked. If she was that calm, then the chances she got served with the response on Friday were pretty slim.
"What time did you leave?" I asked.
"Oh, I left Friday at noon. Is everything okay?" she asked.
I braced myself for the tirade I was likely going to hear when I delivered the news that her husband was contesting the divorce and requested mandatory counseling for six-months before the divorce was decided. If she wanted out as badly as she said that wouldn't be welcome news, especially if her 'sick friend' in Portland was a man. It wasn't my business what she did in her personal life unless it impacted my case and then I'd have to get involved which wasn't something I wanted to think about at all.
"Well, sit down. Carlisle responded to our petition by filing a Response and Request for a Stay in Disposition until the completion of six-months of mandatory counseling," I informed and waited.
"He did what? That rat bastard! Tell me, in lay terms, what the hell that means," she shrieked through the phone. I was pretty surprised that the prim and proper Mrs. Cullen had such a potty mouth. I poured myself my third cup of coffee and settled at my kitchen counter.
"He's asking the court to hold off on scheduling settlement mediation and the dissolution hearing until the two of you have gone to counseling for six months. It's a scare tactic to get you to be more amenable when we sit down at the table to hammer out the settlement. It only works to their advantage if you're in a hurry to get out of the marriage. I hate to ask, but are you currently involved in any type of relationship with anyone that could possibly be construed as that of a romantic nature?" I asked, cringing inwardly as I said the words.
"What? No. Did he say that in the paperwork? Carlisle is the only man I've been with in my entire life. How he could suggest that…" she trailed off, and I could tell that she was crying. I hated that it upset her so much, and I had to set her straight.
"Esme, he didn't suggest it at all. I'm just telling you that sometimes it's a tact that less scrupulous attorneys use to coerce the other spouse to relax on settlement demands to get out of the marriage quicker because they've got something else in the wings. Have you talked to Carlisle since he's moved out of the house?" I asked.
The fact that she was so upset about the prospect of him thinking she had already moved on put up a red flag for me. I knew she thought that he'd cheated, but it seemed very important to her that he not think the same of her. The fact that she admitted he was the only man she'd ever been with actually surprised me. I knew my mom had only ever been with my dad, so why I was surprised that it was the same way for Esme I didn't know.
"He's called and come by a few times, but I refused to see him or talk to him. Childish, right?" she asked. I could hear her sniffling through the phone, and I felt bad that she was still crying, but it also solidified my opinion that she was as ready to divorce the man as I was to get married.
"No. Actually, that's pretty smart since you didn't have representation until last week. Look, I'll call his attorney, Edward Masen, Jr., and see if we can have a sit down with them to hammer out a few rules to make this easier on both of you," I suggested.
"Did you say Edward Masen, Jr.? That little shit. I'll pinch his head off when I see him," Esme hissed. I didn't know who the guy was, so I wasn't sure why she was reacting the way she was at the news.
"Who is he?" I asked, trying to figure out the reason for her outburst.
"He's our nephew. I fed that boy and took care of him just like I did my daughter, and this is the thanks I get? Well, I've got a thing or two that I'm going to tell him. I'm shocked he'd do this. That was so completely low of Carlisle to hire Edward to represent him. That lying, cheating, underhanded…" she began.
"Whoa. Slow down before you pop a blood vessel or something. It's inappropriate for you to talk to opposing counsel about the case since he's Carlisle's attorney. I'll call tomorrow and set up a meeting at my office for some time in the week, and I'll be in touch. Esme, don't call Masen or Carlisle. Pissed off women say things that come back to bite them in the ass," I advised. We hung up after she promised not to call, and I put my head down on the counter. It was just getting better and better.
##
The meeting was scheduled for Tuesday afternoon. Masen and I had gone round and round about the location because he was just as determined to meet at his office as I was to meet at mine. We finally compromised on meeting at The Cheney Group, a mediation firm I wanted to use if we got that far in the process.
Masen said that he'd used Ben before, and I'd used Angela and found the couple to be quite impartial when it came to divorce mediation. It was a good place to start. Angela had been more than happy to let us use her conference room, and she and I made plans to get together for a drink after the meeting to catch up.
We'd gone to the same law school and had several classes together, though we weren't really close back then. When she and her husband opened their own mediation firm, I contacted her and discussed doing business with them when I started working at Black & Clearwater. I'd pitched it to the partnership and they were on board, so we used The Cheney Group as often as we could.
My firm was run by Bill Black and Harry Clearwater. Both of their sons worked there, and my father had known them both years ago. They were all fishing buddies, so when I started looking for a job after graduating from law school, they pursued me pretty aggressively. Bill even handled the probate of my father's estate after he passed away.
Of course, the fact that I'd slept with his son wasn't widely known at the firm because I was pretty sure that would raise some eyebrows, and I was glad that Jacob agreed with me that we should keep everything surreptitious. It wouldn't have looked good for either of us if the news was to become common knowledge.
I was in my office reviewing a settlement agreement on another case when my cell phone rang. I saw it was Rosalie and thought it quite odd that she was calling me because she and Emmett were supposed to be in Hawaii on their honeymoon. "Rose?" I answered.
"Hey, Swan. Don't think I didn't notice that you never returned to the reception like you told me you would. Who'd you hook up with? I know the only thing that would have taken you away from an open bar was the opportunity to get laid. Who was it?" she demanded. I could tell she wasn't pissed because I could hear Emmett laughing in the background.
"You're calling from your honeymoon to ask me about my sex life? Does Emmett not get the job done for you?" I asked knowing he was probably listening on speaker.
"Hey, I resent that. I take my husbandly duties very seriously, and if you could see the hickeys on my…" Emmett began before I heard the familiar whack that was telltale that Rosalie had just cracked him.
"Ouch, babe. That shit hurts," I heard him complain. I laughed. Watching the two of them was comical. He was a behemoth of a man, and Rosalie was tall and slender and very delicate in appearance. That was where all female frailty stopped. She ran a customizing shop, classic cars being her specialty, and the four guys who worked for her were scared shitless of her with good reason.
"Now, Bella, which of my guests did you sully on Saturday night?" Rosalie asked. I rolled my eyes at her overly dramatic statement, but I knew I'd never get off the phone with her unless I gave her some kind of an answer, and it wouldn't do any good to lie because she'd be able to tell immediately. If she had to, she'd call every male guest…married or single…who'd attended until she narrowed it down. She was much more patient than me in her pursuit of the truth.
"First, the open bar crack makes me sound like I need to get my ass to the nearest AA meeting, so thanks for that. Second, the guy wasn't the type of guy who minded being sullied, trust me. He was just as aggressive in his pursuit of me as I was of him. Third, his name was EJ and that's all I know. We didn't exchange a lot of pleasantries or personal information, and I was out of there by 4:00 AM, having left him to dream the rest of the night away and wonder the next morning if it was real or a drunken mirage. Now, leave me alone and get back to your man. We'll get together when you guys get back in two weeks. Bring me one of those leis," I responded.
"You don't need my help in getting laid, but if you've already plowed through the men of Seattle, might I suggest you take a weekend trip out to Port Angeles. Gotta go. Love you, Bella. Bye," she called through the line and then it went dead. I laughed as I flipped my phone closed and was startled when there was a knock on my doorjamb. I looked up to see my assistant, Tanya, standing in the doorway looking at me.
"Hey, Tanya. What's up?" I asked.
I'd met Tanya during my second year of law school. I volunteered at a women's law center that specialized in helping low-income women with legal advice or even representing them on a pro bono basis when court appearances were required.
Tanya came in one day with the biggest shiner I'd ever seen and asked what she had to do to file a restraining order against her then-husband. I helped her get the restraining order, and a divorce, and we remained in touch. That was when I decided that I wanted to pursue domestic law as my specialty.
After I graduated law school and found a job, I talked her into coming to work for the firm. She had a degree in women's studies, but she didn't want to pursue it to teach so she worked for me as my right hand.
The firm paid her pretty well, but I made sure to give her bonuses out of my own pocket because she was fantastic at her job. She never bitched about the hours I needed her to put in, and she was good for a drink every once in a while when I was feeling a little lonely. We'd become very close in the time I'd known her, and I was always grateful for her company.
I didn't have many women friends, well, only her and Rosalie, so I valued having someone to talk to besides my mother, whose favorite topic of conversation was my lack of a love life at my age.
"Can I talk to you?" she asked as she walked over to my desk and handed me a cup of coffee. She was just as much of a slave to caffeine as me.
"Sure. Shut the door and take a seat. I've got some time before Esme gets here, so what's on your mind? Tell Momma all about it," I teased.
I knew that a guy she was seeing after her divorce had dumped her rather unceremoniously at a Mexican restaurant the month before, and he still called her for booty calls. She still cared about him, so she'd never say no, which usually brought her to my office the first business day after the hook-up for a therapy session wherein I reminded her that he'd never see her as anyone other than a hook-up if she kept opening the door when he knocked at all hours of the day or night.
"After you left on Friday night, I stayed to take care of some filing and stuff. About 7:30, I was getting my stuff together to go home when Seth Clearwater came by my desk. He and I talked for a few minutes, and he walked me to my car. Bella, I really like him, and I think he likes me, but I'm afraid to pursue anything with him. I don't want to lose this job or disappoint you. I love it here too much. He's the son of a name partner, and I don't want to jeopardize my position. Does he chase after the secretaries on a regular basis?" she asked.
Seth Clearwater was a very good looking guy. He was a second year associate, and he was smart as a whip. He'd asked me out once right after he started working at the firm, but I told him I didn't date colleagues. To clarify, no, I didn't date them, I just fucked them. I was involved with Jacob at the time, so I didn't let things go anywhere with Seth. An office love triangle was the last damn thing I needed.
I didn't think he was the type to chase secretaries around their desks, but I couldn't be sure. "Well, I don't think he's that way, but I can't really answer that for sure. I don't know what Harry or Bill would do if they found out that you and Seth had something going on. It's not really written down anywhere, but I don't hear many rumors about office romances, so I'd say you need to follow your gut," I suggested.
"You don't hear any rumors? Are you deaf? Didn't you hear about Jessica Stanley and Mike Newton in the workroom downstairs? They were caught on the security camera. Bella, people are having sex all over this building. You should come out of your office a little more often," Tanya joked. Hell, I hadn't heard about anything. Hey, as far as I was concerned, they were made for each other.
I didn't like either one of them and had refused to use Mike Newton on my cases as a paralegal. If Jessica wanted to use him…in any capacity…more power to her. She was more senior than me in the pecking order and was on the partnership track, so if she wanted to risk a sexual harassment suit to get a little nookie with a younger guy, I wished her well.
I laughed. "Well, they make a perfect pair. Look, why don't you just sort of try to get to know him and see what happens. I'm sure that he wouldn't want any trouble just as much as you. Let's face it, Tanya, he's an associate and the son of a name partner. You'd be well within your right to assert sexual harassment if he makes an unwelcome move on you, and he knows that better than anyone. If he's willing to risk it, then I'm going to guess that you've got nothing to worry about. They're definitely not going to fire you for dating the boss' son. That's a lawsuit I'd take on," I joked.
She smiled and appeared to be happy with my answer so we moved on to my calendar for the week, and the subject was dropped. I hoped it worked out for them. I thought she deserved to find a decent guy after that son-of-a-bitch who used her as a punching bag, and I actually thought Seth was one…that was if someone was in the market for one.
An hour later, Tanya buzzed me and told me that Esme was downstairs waiting for me. I quickly combed my hair and straightened my jacket. I was wearing a navy pinstripe suit that I reserved for such meetings. The skirt was tight, and the white silk blouse I had on under the bolero style jacket showed a little more cleavage than I usually risked at the office.
I'd found that men were easily distracted by any hint of tits, and I used it to my advantage. Tyler Crowley had been a sputtering mess when I'd worn it in the meeting we had, and I was hoping that those were the types of male attorneys who worked for Masen & Associates. Hey, you go with what works.
I climbed into Esme's new car, a red Mercedes SL550 Roadster convertible, and I was immediately impressed. The top was up, but the car was something else, and I knew how much the damn thing had to have cost. My client was changing, and I wondered how her estranged husband would take the news.
As I sunk into the supple leather seat, I was taken aback at Esme's appearance. I was used to seeing her in very conservative pantsuits or skirts and sweater ensembles. She always wore her hair pinned up in a chignon, and of course, the required pearls.
The woman sitting next to me in the car wasn't that woman by a long shot. She was wearing a form fitting green dress and black FMPs that I didn't know how she drove in. Her hair was loose and wavy, and she looked absolutely stunning. She was always a beautiful woman, but in that moment, she made me consider playing for the other team. If she was looking to bring Carlisle to his knees, I was pretty sure she had the right prescription for the good doctor.
"Esme, you look stunning," I complimented. I saw her smile and slip on a pair of Gucci sunglasses as we pulled into traffic.
"Well, Miss Swan, you look quite stunning yourself. Love that suit. Is that a D&G?" Esme asked. Well, her daughter was a fashionista from everything I knew through my mom, although I'd never met the girl, so Esme would know her Dolce.
"It is. I save it for meetings just like this. I met with another attorney from this firm, and he couldn't put two words together for looking at my boobs. It's a little underhanded, but you have to use things to your advantage in situations like this. So, do you have any questions before we get there?" I asked as I flipped through my phone checking for any texts from Tanya.
"No, but I feel the need to warn you about something. My nephew, the Judas, is extremely handsome. I just want you to be prepared. He's quite the ladies' man, and I don't want you to be caught off guard by how good looking he is. I've seen smart women turn into spluttering idiots around him, so just beware. He'll try to charm the pants off you, literally, and he's been quite successful at it in the past," Esme told me.
Ah, the cocky, arrogant type. Well, I sort of figured it based on the one phone call we'd had, and I was ready with a the calm, cool façade as we drove into the parking lot of the small building where The Cheney Group operated.
I got out of the car and straightened my clothes again, looking at my reflection in the tinted window of Esme's car. I smoothed my hair and turned to her as she walked around from the driver's side. "Ms. Platt, I can assure you that I'm more than ready for any charms your nephew throws my way. Worry about him…my tits seem to have powers of their own," I joked. She laughed a musical laugh, and we walked into the front door of the building.
There was a young woman sitting behind the desk with a sweet smile. "Hi, Bella Swan and Esme Cullen are here for a meeting with Edward Masen and Carlisle Cullen. Mrs. Cheney agreed to let us use your conference room," I announced. She smiled a toothy smile and rose from the desk.
"Oh, you two are like so lucky. If you need anything at all, please call me. Just like dial "one" on the phone in the conference room, and I'll come right in. Those two men are yummy," she gushed. Apparently, they'd dazzled the ditzy receptionist. She was young and likely not a challenge for Masen. He was going to have a harder time with me.
We walked into the conference room, and I saw Carlisle sitting at the table with another man standing by the window, quietly talking on his phone. I focused on Carlisle as I stepped out of the way for him to get a look at Esme.
When his eyes landed on her, I saw him take in her appearance and swallow hard. She'd definitely made her point. He looked quite haggard, but he was a very handsome man, nonetheless. How either of them could have let it get to the point where we were sitting in a room to discuss how we would go about taking apart nearly thirty years of marriage was beyond me.
We settled in across from the table just as the man I assumed was Masen hung up the phone. When he turned around to face us, I saw him look at me, and then my own recognition set in. Holy hell…that's not good…that's not good at all.
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E/N: Please let me know what you think! Till next time…xoxo
