The Firm

This chapter is coming out early as a HUGE thank you to all who read and review this story. You amaze me! If anyone fancies REC'ing this feel free, we'll welcome all onboard.

Grateful thanks to SM who owns it all.

Love and thanks to DollyBigMomma who is beta.

Chapter 3

BELLA

After my blush ebbed, his words suddenly sank in. "I don't have a wife or girlfriend," he had said. Oh, shit, was he telling me this for a reason or just clarifying what I had alluded to earlier? My stomach was now doing somersaults; Edward was single. That meant he was available and he seemed to maybe like me, at least I think he did a little bit. After the initial eight thirty meeting where he had been so rude, he had been nothing but polite and friendly. Professional of course, but I had caught him watching me on more than one occasion. I liked that he looked at me, it made me feel good and I certainly liked looking at him, which I did, often if I was being honest.

Our office doors opened at the same time and I was greeted with his beautiful smile.

"Great minds, eh, Miss Swan? Shall we walk down together? Grab a coffee on the way?"

I nodded and smiled. I did not think I could have spoken. Anything I attempted to say to this man right now would have been gibberish. No, it would not have been attractive, spluttering all over him, so I kept quiet.

We were the first to arrive in the boardroom today. I took a seat on the far side of the table and was more than a little surprised when Edward sat down next to me. How was I going to get through this? Could I be professional and ask credible questions and offer valuable input with him sitting so close? I seriously doubted it.

Emmett and Jasper, followed by Mike and Jessica, soon joined us. Jasper raised his eyebrows a little when he noticed where Edward was sat. Jessica looked confused more than anything and chuntered as she took a seat next to Mike.

It was all business for the next ninety minutes, Edward taking up most of that time filling us in on the French case. I caught on pretty quickly that Edward was having trouble with the flirtatious Ms. Oberlauge. I was surprised that he wasn't lapping up the attention, but he appeared to be genuinely uncomfortable at Emmett's ribbing.

I handled my updates well, forgetting for the moment who was sitting just to my right. Jasper nodded in agreement and thanked me for being so "on the ball" with my work. I blushed all of a sudden, feeling very warm. Edward shuffling in his chair caught my eye. He looked almost as uncomfortable as me and I wondered why. His sudden and speedy departure from the room without a word had us all looking at each other confused.

Edward was shut behind closed doors for the rest of the week. Our late Thursday meeting was cancelled when Edward had to be somewhere else. Even his blinds were closed again. Huh. I liked it when they were open; I could see him and I liked that. He was obviously very busy and stressed out. I sent him an email once again, offering any help I could to lighten his load.

I would swear I heard a groan through his door moments later. I wondered what that was all about. At lunch on Friday, I made my way out of the office. I had a lunch date with Alice. I'd refused another Friday night out. I couldn't handle bumping into Edward again. No way, but lunch I could do.

"Uh, Miss Swan," he said just as I was about to step into the lift.

Hesitating, I turned to face the man with the beautiful voice. "Can I help you, Edward?"

"Are you leaving? I was just about to take you up on your offer."

Shit! Why now for fucks' sake? This was the first time I had left my office since I'd started last week. Every day I'd had lunch at my desk and now today when I had plans, he wanted my help.

"Oh...um, I have a lunch date, but I'll be back in an hour and I can help you then?" I offered enthusiastically.

He looked crestfallen; he looked genuinely upset for a moment before the blank look resurfaced. I momentarily wondered why.

"I'll see you when you get back then, Miss Swan. If I still need help then, I'll buzz you. Enjoy your lunch." And with that, he walked back into his office and closed the door.

What the fuck? I pondered Edward's actions all the way down in the lift and as I walked to the little café Alice had insisted we meet at, claiming their sandwiches were to die for.

Alice being Alice, she picked up on my mood straight away.

"What's up, Swan?" she asked.

"Work, nothing you need to worry yourself over."

"Are you sure because last week you were happy and loving the new job. That didn't last long if it has you looking like this."

"I'm busy, Alice, nothing more, nothing less. So, was there any particular reason you insisted we come here for lunch today?"

"You know me too well, Swan. Last time I was here, there was this fabulous man here, too. I think I fell in love with him there and then. I was kind of hoping he'd be a regular."

"I might have known, Alice. What are you on about? I thought you told me there was no such thing as love at first sight, anyway? So, have you seen him today?"

"Nah, and it's just my luck. He was probably here on business for one day. I don't know, though. I thought we'd connected somehow, Bella. When our eyes met, it was like I'd known him my whole life."

"Jesus, Alice! That sounds like something out of one of Rose's Mills and Boon novels. I thought you were more of a 'fuck 'em and leave 'em' kind of girl?"

"I was…I mean I am, that is if he's never to be found again. Bella, he was so perfect; tall, handsome, with curly blonde hair and smiling blue eyes."

The description sounded vaguely familiar, but I chose not to dwell on it, wanting to hurry back in case Edward needed my help. We hugged and kissed and arranged to talk later or over the weekend. I knew I'd be working over the weekend, though. However, I was hoping to do it at home. I needed to do some household chores, too. My condo had been seriously neglected and I had to remedy that.

As I made my way back to the office, my stomach started to knot, and by the time I entered the foyer, I felt sick, my BLT on rye fast making its way back up my gullet. Now that would really be attractive, throwing up all over the poor guy. Way to go, Bella.

I need not have worried, though. He was gone when I knocked on his door a few minutes later to let him know I was back.

"If you're looking for Edward, he's gone; he had a meeting downtown with a client. He won't be back today. Can I help with anything?" Jessica asked.

"No, that's fine, Jessica, I just wanted to let him know I was back from lunch. I'd offered him my assistance earlier."

"You'll be glad you missed him today, he went out of here like a bull in a china shop. He was slamming and banging in there like a five-year-old having a tantrum. He was okay earlier, then POW. Good job you went to lunch when you did or you might've been in his firing line."

Edward's moods, I'd learned pretty quickly, were famous around here. People dived for cover at the first sign he was about to erupt. I was almost glad it wasn't only me he took his moods out on.

The afternoon flew by and I was far too busy to dwell on Edward and his moods. An urgent call from one of my clients had me arranging a last-minute meeting. It was well after eight when I finally packed up to leave. As I did, I noticed there was still no sign of life from the office opposite.

EDWARD

I chuckled to myself as I closed her door. She was beetroot red at my words. I left her to let them sink in. Her blush caused my dick to come alive. It wanted to find out how far down the blush went. I did, too.

Just before eight thirty, she opened her door at the same time I did. We walked to the meeting together, chatting casually. It was nice. I sat by her on the same side of the large table, opposite to where I usually sat with Jasper and Emmett. Fuck them, there were no rules about where we sat was there? Jasper's raised eyebrow when he entered the room almost made me regret my decision; almost, but not quite, especially since every so often, I got a waft of her perfume. My dick stirred. I needed to get a grip.

The meeting was more or less my show today. Nathalie Oberlauge was giving me more than a headache with her suggestive flirting. Emmett thought it was hilarious. When Jasper thanked Bella for being on the ball so soon with her cases and she blushed and smiled shyly, I nearly came in my pants. Without a word, I got up and left, leaving them all in my wake, unsure what had happened. I could tell you what had happened. I was pitching a tent the size of the Eiffel Tower, Miss Swan's blush saw to that. It would do me and Bella no good at all for Emmett to witness that. So I left. End of story.

Like the coward I was, I stayed hidden in my office and even closed the blinds for the rest of the week. I knew I had cut off my nose to spite my face because now I didn't get to see her come and go, either. I just couldn't, though; I was getting further and further behind with my paperwork. All I could think about was her, she was killing me and I think I liked it.

I was gutted when I had to cancel our meeting on Thursday. I had been hanging on to that all week. Now I had to be across town in a meeting with a judge who didn't like me, thought I was too cocky. He wanted to give me the hard word before we got face to face in the courtroom.

When Bella sent me an email offering her help again, I almost did a victory dance. I was going to take her up on her offer for sure. Two sets of eyes reading depositions were better than one. I could really do with some help and it was all the sweeter if it was the lovely Miss Swan.

Her office was empty and I wondered where she was. Jess told me she was headed out so I quickly followed and just managed to catch her before she got into the lift.

Her words, "I have a lunch date," pierced my heart. What the fuck? A date? I could not help my facial expression being one of defeat. It would appear I had lost her before I'd really even had her. Her, "I'll be back in an hour," offered me no consolation. I did not wait to see her enter the lift. I stormed back to my office and slammed the door. The pictures on my walls shook. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!" I shouted not caring who could hear me.

For the next thirty minutes, I paced back and forth, pens and paperweights thrown at the walls, images of her with some faceless man, laughing, touching his arm, kissing even, assaulted me. That thought made me feel sick. I knew I was pathetic, but I was helpless to do anything about it. I needed to get out of here, before she returned all loved up. I suddenly felt like I really was going to be sick. A small knock at my door stopped me dead.

"Who is it? I'm busy."

The door slowly opened and Jess poked her head inside.

"Are you okay in here? I thought I heard something crash," she said then looked around. "Oh, I did. Edward, are you okay?" she nodded toward the now-littered floor of my office.

"Just leave me alone, Jess, I'm fine. I'm going out shortly and I won't be back today." She turned to leave, but I shouted her back. "Where's the Dolan file? I asked for it to be on my desk this morning. Can you do nothing that I ask?" I knew I was being totally unreasonable. Jess had never been anything less than helpful and always fulfilled her duties to the letter. I suddenly remembered the file had been on my desk earlier as requested and it was now sitting in my briefcase. I was an arse, what could I say.

She stuttered and stammered her reply. I ignored her, grabbing my jacket and pushing past her and out of the office. Guilt ate away at me; someone else I'd need to apologise to now. The taxi took me home; I did not have a meeting. Jess knew this, but I could not be there and see her knowing she had been out with another man for lunch. I tore at my hair, wondering what the fuck I was going to do from here. I had a light bulb moment about an hour later.

Paris, here I come…

Okay, so ducking for cover now.

Don't kill me; I did warn you! I'd still do him though, wouldn't you?