The bodyguards continued to push Saul out of the building "Alright, aright, get off of me you, meat heads!" he fixed himself again as he usually did after they manhandled him. When he looked up he saw Eric, Bethany's Abercrombie model secretary "Oh, great, what do you want?"
He stretched out a piece of paper towards Saul "This is a restraining order. You can't step foot on this property anymore. Beth really hoped it wouldn't come to this but…"
Saul slapped it out of his hand "Oh I am so upset" he mocked as he held up his fists making an obnoxious crying face. "I wouldn't come back here if you payed me a billion dollars. You work for a cold hearted bitch who doesn't give a shit if you live or die. You think she respects you? You think she hired you for your credentials? She hired you because you are nice to look at!"
Eric just stared at him and then turned to walk back into the office "Have a nice day Mr. Goodman." Saul grumbled something vulgar at him and turned to go back to his office.
Bethany tried to focus on her paper work. She bit the top of her pen cap as she stared at the door. She shook it off and tried to go back to what she was doing. She looked up again tapping her pen vigorously on her desk. Finally, she paged Eric "Eric, can you call my extension?"
"Sure" he responded.
She picked up the phone immediately after the first ring "How did everything go?"
"He took it fine." He answered.
"That's good, that's very good" she said nonchalantly, trying to play off her curiosity. "Did he say anything?"
"Yes… he said he never wanted to come back here anyway and…" he paused not knowing if he should tell her.
"And what!?" she sat at the edge of her seat.
"He said that you are a bitch and that you don't think I am important. Is that true? Do you just find me attractive and feel I don't have anything to offer your business?"
"Of course not sweetie. I think you are very important!" she rolled her eyes "Now, finish up the clients paperwork and send my 4 o'clock in." She hung up the phone and sighed, really trying to focus on her work this time.
It was late and Saul had spent another night in his office. He swished around the whiskey in his cup as he looked at his very small lists of clients. After everything he worked for he couldn't believe this was how it was going to end. He really wanted to keep fighting, but he was so tired, tired of constantly fighting for happiness. Why couldn't things just come easy for him? He picked up his left side from the chair as he dug for his wallet in his back pocket. He opened it and took out the small business card again. He rubbed it as if it were a magic lamp, and Kim was going to pop out of the card with advice. He crumbled it in his hand as he smashed his fist on the desk. He closed his eyes tight in frustration, trying to hold back his tears. "DAMMIT KIM" he yelled through his teeth "help me…" Out of everyone he knew, Kim was the only one to ever support him. She was always there to give him that shove and tell him he could do it, but he had no one now. Just himself and it wasn't working that well.
Come on Saul, you can do this. You want this and you can fight for it. You always have a plan, just think He thought, trying to encourage himself. Suddenly, he picked his head up from the desk. He rummaged through the drawer and pulled out a thick pile of index cards. He started to write clients names on one side and their information on the other. He spent the night studying them and when he had free time. The next couple of days he called his clients and started to remember their personal information. He ordered pens with his name on it and more park benches with his advertisement. He wasn't giving up not after everything he worked for. The next couple of weeks he gained almost all of his clients back and a few new ones. Walter and Jessie were staying a steady problem, which worried him, but he tried to focus his energy on his other costumers.
Bethany saw her clients going back to Saul. She was shocked as she noticed the hard work he had been putting in to restore his business, but as shocked as she was, she was happy. She missed his visits. She smiled at the thought of their talk and then in a weak moment she picked up the phone and dialed his number. She wanted to congratulate him on his hard work. When he picked up she froze "I see your business is booming again."
"Yes…" he felt uneasy talking to her.
"Well…I just wanted to call and say…." Suddenly she didn't want to say it. Something inside of her wouldn't allow her to be nice "it doesn't matter what you do, I am still going to run you out of business" dammit…she thought, why was she incapable of being nice to him, even when she so badly wanted to be. It was probably for the best though.
Saul sighed "I'm sorry but Saul currently has no fucks to give, please try calling back later" He said sarcastically has he hung up the phone. God, she could really aggravate him but he still couldn't be mad at her. It was nice to hear her voice, if only he could see her. Watch her heart shaped lips say his name or her beautiful blue eyes looking into his. There businesses were at a standstill. They had equal the amount of business, but it seemed Saul worked for his more than she had too. It didn't seem right to him, but he pressed on. He was not going to let this stranger run him out of his own town. The town he had built his small, but meaningful empire on.
Later that night after Saul closed up for the day, he walked down the street to the local bar. He seemed to be there a lot, letting the alcohol drain his worries and thoughts for the day. Tonight was different though. Tonight he found his lustful enemy sitting in his usual spot at the bar. He froze in place biting his bottom lip. He took one step back and turned slowly on his heels. As his hand reached for the door handle he stopped and took a deep breath. Then changed his direction. Making his way toward the bar, he took three long strides to the stool a couple spots down from Beth.
"Hey, Saul, your usual?" the bartender said as he polished the inside of a cup with his rag.
"Hey, Frank, yes that'd be great." As he sat down he felt Beth's eyes on him. He continued to look down.
"You have a usual, huh?" Beth called to Saul, realizing he wouldn't look up at her. He just nodded his head, as his drink was set in front of him. She watched him take a sip and then a hard swallow as he spun his glass in a circle. She got up and moved herself next to him. She watched him flinch. He leaned back taking a deep breath and looking the other way. "So…" she said inches away from him.
"So!" he repeated quickly as he let out a deep breath and tapped his fingers on the bar top.
"Oh, Saul, calm down. We are out of the office, can't we just let our guards down for a few hours?" she said as touched his arm. His eyes shifted down to her hand as the rest of his body was frozen. "So…how was your day?"
It took him a minute and then he finally relaxed his shoulders. He took another sip, baring his teeth as he swallowed. "It was fine."
There was a pause, as Beth watched him stare ahead "…my day? It was fine too, thanks for asking." She faced forward and sipped her drink.
"Why…?" Saul said, staring at the bar.
"I'm sorry…?" she said turning to face him again.
"Why…here? Why this town? Why that name? Just…why?" he had finally turned to face her.
When he did Beth was startled. She was moving her attention back and forth between both of his eyes. What was she supposed to say? It wasn't her idea. None of this was her idea. She took another breath and turned back to her drink "I'm just making my rounds through New Mexico."
"Of course…" there was silence again.
"I'm sorry." She spoke softly, as she huddled closer to her drink. He paused, his glass hovering by his lips and glanced at her. "It's not personal… it's just business. If I had known you…, met you before…" she sighed. When she realized what she had said she started to chug her drink. She slammed the glass on the bar and raised her hand for a refill. It came within seconds.
Saul continued to watch her and then sighed leaning back in his bar stool "So… my day was fine until this client came in…" he continued to share his story and she listened intently, the redness fading from her cheeks.
They continued to share nightmares from their mutual career. After they were done talking about their jobs they started to talk about their life backgrounds. As they became more comfortable they played drinking games and laughed louder than anyone in the bar.
"Your own brother did that to you?" Beth slurred her words as she spoke loudly and dramatically "that is so horrible! That's not right!"
"I know!" Saul said as he looked down at the empty glass in his hand "I never would have expected it. It still hurts." He took a heavy gulp.
Saul tried to raise his hand, trying to call over the bar tender. It felt heavy and swayed back and forth. "I'm sorry, Saul, but I'm going to have to cut you off. You can barely hold your hand up."
"Oh, come on, Frrrank" he slurred his words "I can hold my liquor!" He just shook his head and walked away "asshole!" he yelled, as him and Beth slowly jumped off their stools.
Beth laughed, her face flushed from the liquor "It's fine, Saul. We should probably call it a night."
"Yeah you're probably right" he rubbed his head as they walked outside together. Once they emerged from the bar they stopped and looked at each other "Well…" he took a breath "thank you for hanging out with me tonight…it was…nice."
She folded her arms in front of her and looked down "it was." When she looked up at him, they locked eyes. She felt the magnetic field between them pulling their lips closer. This is bad she thought but I don't care. Their lips were inches away from each other when an SUV's headlights flashed their brights on them, before turning the corner behind the building. Beth stopped and looked at the vehicle. Her eyes widened and her muscles tensed as she watched it drive around back. She pulled herself away from Saul as she came back to reality. "Goodnight, Saul."
He opened his eyes and watched her walk to the side of the building "Goodnight…" he said softly, confused at her pace and direction. He waited a couple of minutes and then followed her around the corner. When he peeked around he saw her getting into a parked black SUV. He turned back around the corner and pressed his body to the wall. What was that? The FBI? The DEA? Who was she meeting in there?
"I'm sorry, I didn't expect him to fight back like he is." Beth pleaded to the man in the passenger's seat of the SUV.
"That's not the problem here. Was this little bar date apart of the plan I gave you?"
"No, but-"
"Exactly!" the shadow snapped. "The plan was to remain in your building and use your charm to run him out of business. Any other problems you leave to my associates. You don't even need to do any work. You are as qualified to be a lawyer as Saul is…and that's not saying much."
The figure continued to make fun of Saul. Beth sat in the back with her head down. Her fist clenched in her lap. Finally she broke. She didn't know if it was the alcohol or something she felt for Saul "Just Stop it! You don't know anything about it. You just want to listen to yourself and your own thoughts, but you don't realize how hard he works and how hard he wants to succeed. He built a business in this place. This is his home, after everything was taken away from him! You have no right to do this to him!" There was silence in the car. She knew she was in trouble.
When Saul turned back he heard the car door open. He watched Beth's body being forcibly thrown from the car. Her face hit the gravel as stones stabbed and grinded into her cheek. He didn't care who was in that car, after he saw the blood on her face, he ran from the corner. When he did he watched the car door slam suddenly and race out of the parking lot "HEY..!" Saul screamed at the car trying to chase after it, but gave up once it picked up speed. He bent down helping Beth up. The blood was now streaming down her face in skinny lines. She fell into him. Mostly because of how woozy she felt.
"Saul…?" she practically whispered his name.
"It's okay, come with me." He flagged down a taxi and told him his address. Her head bobbed back and forth with every bump of the road as she rested on his shoulder. When they got to his house he slipped the guy some money and escorted her inside. They flopped on the couch. He went to the bathroom and got some peroxide and a wash cloth. He slowly picked out the few pebbles lodged into her skin and dabbed at it lightly. She didn't flinch much, probably because of the amount of alcohol in her system. When he was finally done, he let her lay down on the couch. He pulled a cover over her shoulder.
He crouched down next to her, watching her for a second. A piece of hair was stuck to her eyelashes. He brushed it away softly and continued to study her. Her lips were parted slightly in the middle and her eye brows creased in the center. She looked sad…no, maybe confused? He wasn't sure but he didn't like it. He wanted to see her smile. He didn't see it often but tonight he did, and he was addicted. All he wanted was to see it again and more often than she did now.
He slowly got up, letting out a grunt as he made his way to the chair. He had only picked himself half way up when he felt fingers grip his wrist. "Saul…" she didn't say anything else but her actions spoke for her. She tugged at his arm, urging him to sit with her. He watched her slowly sit up her eyes still half closed, as he sat down next to her. He continued to watch her as she lifted his arm and put it around her. Her head was fuzzy as she slowly nuzzled her face into his chest. He was warm and so inviting that she couldn't help herself while influenced by her incoherent state. His eyes widened as he watched her snuggle into him. He was frozen for a moment, his hand hoovering right over her shoulder. He relaxed and slowly lowered his hand so that it was on her arm. He rubbed it slowly and soothingly. Feeling sleepy himself, he rested his head on hers.
He breathed in, smelling her essence and shampoo. His head become dizzy as it filled with her scent. Then his memory flashed back to the first time they met. Those many months ago, when she came into his office swinging her hips with that deadly glare. In that moment, that short moment his eyes had fell on her, he remembered the feeling of his stomach spinning, stirring, and twisting. Then the feeling that rose from his stomach to his chest. The pounding and aching in his muscles. Then when she spoke. Those vicious, and cruel words, threatening him and his business. It had all changed. This fluffy and light feeling transformed into a desire and lust. The feeling of wanting but now never going to get. And now look at them. He was so close. He was warm from her body heat. He was happy. Involuntarily he kissed her head in a comforting gesture. Then, he froze. He realized what he had done and popped his head up becoming tense, but she didn't flinch she continued to sleep on his chest. He relaxed again as his vision slowly faded to black and fell asleep.
