The Firm

A special treat for all my lovely readers. Thank you so much for the reviews. They mean the world to me.

SM owns I borrow and play

DollyBigMomma rocks as beta.

Chapter 2

BELLA

I did not see Edward again that week. In fact, the whole week flew by so fast I could hardly believe it when Jessica knocked on my door late on Friday afternoon to tell me she was going home. Everyone else had already gone. He must have gone, too, although I was not so sure he was even in the office today. His schedule was hectic for sure and I knew he was still there working every night when I left, sometimes after eight o'clock.

"Okay, Jessica, thank you, I promise I'll be going shortly, too."

I would, too. I had told Alice and Rose that I would meet them for a drink. I didn't feel like it, but I had promised and it had been a while since we'd been out. I freshened up in my en-suite and quickly changed into the casual clothes I had brought with me for such an occasion. It was only a short walk to the bar we had agreed to meet at. I was exhausted after a long week and could really do with going straight home to bed, never mind a night out with the two black widows. The nickname had stuck for the last few years and I smiled when I used it.

They were already there and by the looks of them, three sheets to the wind. I rolled my eyes as I made my way to the table they had secured. It was only just after eight for Christ sakes and it looked like I would be the one making sure my two friends got home safely. I ordered another round; experience told me the girls were on long island iced teas. I ordered myself a large gin and tonic as I sat down at their table.

"Belly-bub," Alice gurgled not able to keep her eyes straight.

I cringed at her childhood nickname for me. "Hey, Alice, Rose, I can see you started without me." Once again I rolled my eyes.

"You were late so we thought you'd bailed. So how is the new job? Any cute guys you can introduce us to?" Rose asked slurring her words.

They would have a field day if I told them about Edward, Emmett, and Jasper. Shit, even Mike was cute if you liked that sort of man. They would be frequent visitors to my office if they knew. I wouldn't tell them…yet. I needed a few weeks, if not a few months, to get to grips with the three partners before I unleashed these two on an unsuspecting Emmett and Jasper. I would try to keep Edward out of it. Jesus, they would eat him alive.

I sat quietly, nursing my drink while listening to Alice rattle on and on about her latest fashion creation. Rose listened to her for a while before going off on a tangent about the latest model Jaguar or Ford. I knew next to nothing about cars. I owned a C30 Volvo which I'd had for two years. It was a pretty silver colour and I loved it. Beyond that I was clueless.

For years while living at home, I drove my dad's old truck. It was an ancient beast, guzzled gas like I was a billionaire, and never went over forty no matter how hard I put my foot down. Rose loved her cars; she was co-owner of a specialty auto shop with her brother, Jake. He was the body specialist while she was the mechanic. You'd never guess that to look at her. She was the stereotypical blonde bombshell and could have easily featured on the cover of Vogue.

Their attention turned to the bar. I could tell by their tone that they had spotted what they liked to call "man-meat." I casually glanced towards their intended victim and nearly choked on my drink. Edward stood at the bar holding what looked like a JD and Coke, the glass it was in a dead giveaway. He was watching us, or at least me, with a sexy smirk on his face. God, he was beautiful. I groaned internally at the very sight of him. "Get a grip, Bella," I muttered to myself. He was my boss for Christ sakes.

To make sure he didn't come over to say hello, I offered to get another round. It wouldn't do for Rose and Alice to get wind that Edward was at my new work. Stood next to him at the bar, I ordered the same again. While I waited, I turned to my boss and said, "Hello, Edward, what brings you here?"

"Just enjoying a quiet drink after a long week, Miss Swan, you?"

"Same, met up with my best friends. They seem to have spotted you and I would ask that you do not come over and introduce yourself. I haven't told them much about my new workplace yet and I'd like to keep it that way, at least for now."

"Ashamed of us at Cullen, Hale, and McCarty are we, Miss Swan?"

"Of course not!" I almost shouted, panicking a little. "Look, please, it's a long story, perhaps another time."

As the bartender put our drinks on a tray for me to carry back to the table, Edward finished his drink and made his way slowly towards the exit. He didn't even say goodbye. Mental note to self: remember to thank him the next time you see him.

"Here we go, ladies, another round on me, and then it's time to head for home."

"Were you talking to the hottie at the bar, Swan?" Rose asked giggling and leaning into Alice. "Did you say something mean to make him leave? Drive him away from us?" Alice quizzed.

They forgot to wait for my answer they were both so blathered and funny. I had a job and a half getting them home. It was a good job they shared a house. A couple of hours later, I turned onto my block and parked my car. We had all decided it was better for me to be the one to break free of our threesome after college. My job was the more secure and I, unlike those two, liked my little bit of peace and quiet. My place was perfect for that. The three-bed, two-story condo offered me all I could ever need. The rooms were larger than average, light and airy, and it was in a nice part of town. I felt at home and secure here.

The weekend was over before I'd had the chance to do half the things I had wanted to do. A short conversation with Alice and Rose told me they were both suffering the effects of excess alcohol and would be lying low, at least for the time being. I did manage to get my head down and bring myself up to date with all my cases for the coming week. My diary was quite full this week and I noticed that I had a meeting pencilled in with Edward late on Thursday afternoon if he wasn't in court or called away to Paris. One of my cases was looking to go to court. I had requested Edward's expert opinion on the matter and had asked him via email to discuss this with my client.

Monday dawned a little greyer and a lot colder than of late. Once again, I found myself dressing carefully for the weekly meeting. Today I opted for a knitted black dress that finished just above my knees. I matched it with elegant black boots. To break the black theme throughout, I added a vibrant belt around my waist in gold. Admiring myself in the mirror, I commented with a giggle, "Swan, you do scrub up well." I headed out, wanting to get in early, hoping maybe to get the chance to speak to Edward, if he was in today.

I let myself in using my new photo ID swipe card. The security guard nodded at me, recognising me now as first in, last out. I took the lift up this morning, wanting to get to the office as soon as I could.

The lights were dim, still on night mode I assumed. I noticed Edward's office light was not on as I opened my door and let myself in. He wasn't here. I felt the little bubble of excitement that had been in my stomach burst. May be he'd had to go to Europe after all. I felt more than a little flat realising, too, that I might not see him at the meeting this morning or maybe all week.

Sitting down at my desk with a sigh, I set to work. I must have been there over an hour when my door opened and I was no longer alone, he was there.

"Do you ever sleep?" he asked leaning against the door jamb, looking like something that just stepped out of GQ magazine.

"Edward, I didn't realise you were in. I mean your office light was off when I came in so I assumed you wouldn't be in today," I was a stammering stuttering mess.

"Would you like a coffee, Miss Swan? We could chat before the others arrive."

Shit, was he asking to spend some time with me? "Coffee would be lovely, thank you. Latte please," I managed without too much trouble.

He came back a couple of minutes later and made himself at home in the chair opposite mine. Shit, he looked good, and his smell was...

"So, good weekend?" he asked casually.

"Um...busy, and it ended a lot sooner than I would've liked, but good I suppose, yes, and you?"

"Busy, too, I was in here both days. This Paris case is getting really time-consuming now and I need all the extra hours to keep up to speed. So no rest for the wicked, I'm afraid."

"I'll bet your wife or girlfriend just loves your job and the hours you keep. If you ever need another pair of eyes, let me know; I'd be glad to help." Did I really just offer to spend time with him? Duh! What the hell, Swan?

"Thanks for the offer, but I think we work you quite hard enough as it is. In your first week, you must've clocked up over sixty hours. I'm just glad you're salaried and not paid by the hour," he said laughing quietly before he got up to leave.

"See you at the eight thirty, Miss Swan, don't be late," he laughed again as he left my office, hesitating for a moment before closing the door behind him.

Fuck me, I was done for.

Edward

I found myself shut up in my office until really late every night. If I was in court during the day, I had to make up some time and nights and weekends were the only time I had. I felt less and less like a human being. I knew my moods were getting more and more morose. I was glad that I had gotten the apology to Bella out of the way before it got too bad. I hadn't seen her since, to speak to that is. I had seen her come and go at ridiculous hours; she was almost as bad as me. Emmett was well-impressed with her dedication and with the work she had done so far. According to him, she was already way ahead of Newton and she'd only been around a week.

My blinds were left open more now, it meant I could see her coming and going during the day. Just the sight of her made me feel human again; well, certain parts of me that is. I had tried and failed to consider what it was about her that had me in pieces. I had my choice of beautiful women who I could call upon at any given time, but none of them stirred me like she did. My hand had not seen as much action in years. Now I was jacking off in the shower at least twice a day. If this didn't stop soon, I would be sore. She was the only thing I looked forward to nowadays.

Friday found me the last one to leave yet again. I knew Bella had left about half an hour ago. I had been in the boardroom when she came out of her office and I was more than a little shocked to see her hesitate by my door, but move on when she realised the lights were out. I pondered on her hesitation near my door; I knew we were practically opposite each other, but still, she didn't have to stop. Did she?

I needed a couple of good stiff drinks thinking about Bella, as her actions were driving me crazy. I stopped off at a local bar on my way home and immediately regretted doing so. Bella was there with two other women, both of whom were totally off their faces. It was quite amusing watching their interactions and watching as Bella tried to control them. I knew when she had clocked me; it was obvious as her whole demeanour changed. She was less relaxed and more cautious, watching between her friends and me. It looked like she was scared I'd talk to her for some reason.

It threw me a bit when she approached the bar. She was stunning, even after being in the office all day; although I did notice she had changed her clothes. She stood next to me and even talked to me which really surprised me. She didn't want me to approach her friends, though, and promised to fill me in later. I'd have to make sure I took her up on that.

Heading out, I glanced back at her. She was watching me and I would swear I saw something familiar in her eyes. It was the same look I got when I looked at her. Shit! Did that mean she was attracted to me, too? No, fuck no, that would never do, I did not allow colleagues to have relationships. It made things difficult when they broke up. No, I refused to allow it. I mean I could hardly enforce such a rule if I were considering it myself, could I?

Saturday and Sunday saw me knee-deep in affidavits and books about French law. It was looking more and more likely that I would have to go Paris. Nathalie called daily now and was insisting my presence was required sooner rather than later. She scared me to death, her constant flirting and sexual innuendos drove me nuts because I had no idea how to handle it. Emmett's idea of flirting right back made me feel sick to my stomach. She was a client for fucks' sake, and forty-five if she was a day.

Sleep deprivation was something I had long lived with, but this was made worse because on the rare occasions that I did sleep, I did not rest. My erotic, no, downright dirty dreams of Isabella Swan had me waking up at all hours in either a cold sweat or covered in jizz. I felt like a thirteen-year-old boy again, having to change my sheets daily due to wet dreams. When would it all stop? Jasper had noticed the purple rings around my eyes and had asked if I was okay. I made the usual excuses, workload, etc. I needed to be more careful.

Now it was Monday again and today I would not be late for our eight thirty. In fact, I was looking forward to it. I stayed an extra few minutes under the shower; I needed it to help me relax. I dressed carefully, opting for a grey Gucci suit. I matched it with a crisp white shirt and matching grey tie. I nodded at my reflection, happy with the effect. It was much later than usual when I walked through the foyer of the building we were in.

Bella's light was on; she was here early once again. I dropped my briefcase off in my office before making my way over to say hello. I shouldn't have, really. I knew it would be bad for me, but I could not resist.

I felt almost giddy when she accepted my offer of a coffee; anyone would have thought she had agreed to marry me given the way my insides were flipping over and over.

We chatted comfortably for a while, but when she mentioned my wife or girlfriend, I felt a blush rise up my body. Did she not know I was single? A thought hit me then; shit, what if she had a significant other? No, surely Jasper or Emmett would have told me.

As the rest of the staff started to arrive, I stood up to take my leave. She actually blushed when I told her not to be late for the eight thirty. When I reached the door, I turned slowly and said just loud enough for her to hear, "Oh, and Bella, I don't have a wife or a girlfriend." She gasped and blushed again as I closed the door behind me.

The thought of Bella's blush kept me smiling as I sat in my office waiting for eight thirty to come around.

I don't know about you lot, but I want him bad!