Cecilia sighed softly as she moved towards Jimmy's office, hands on her hips as her bag sat on her shoulder. She moved slowly through the empty nail bar, locking the door behind her after Jimmy had called her to tell her that he would leave the main door open for her. She grabbed hold of a magazine as she passed by the waiting area, flipping through the articles as she moved to the back room and through to Jimmy's office, finding him sat there with his notes in front of him.
"My wife slept with my nephew…and now she is pregnant," Cecilia said as she read the title of an article to Jimmy and held it up to show him as he looked over to her, a smirk on his face as he saw her toss the magazine to the side on his desk. "How do people read that stuff? Honestly, sometimes I think our lives are messed up and then I get perspective."
"Our lives?" Jimmy checked with her and she perched on the front of his desk as she looked down to him and moved a hand to his shoulder.
"You're working in a nail bar trying to be a lawyer after defecating through someone's sunroof," she reminded him and Jimmy rolled his eyes as he saw her smile at him. He moved to stand slightly and kissed her chastely.
"I can always rely on you to bring me back down to earth," he murmured and she continued to beam at him as he went back to sit down, her hand sliding down his chest as he resumed his seat. "So how was your day?"
"Uneventful," she commented, jumping down from his desk and tossing her bag on the floor and her coat on the rack. She moved to the sofa, pulling her shoes from her feet as she rubbed the soles of them. "All we had today in court was a theft case and a public indecency charge. It was super boring."
"Sounds it," Jimmy said.
"What you working on anyway?" Cecilia wondered from him. "I had thought that you might be in court today."
"I had nothing on," Jimmy said to her. "Although I did get a call and I will be back in tomorrow. It was a hit and run, but it seems pretty straightforward."
"Well, I will see you tomorrow then," Cecilia said. "So can we go out for dinner soon or do you have a lot of work left to get on with?"
"I am done," Jimmy told her, dropping his pen onto the pad and he moved to his feet. He adjusted his tie and reached for his suit jacket, shrugging into it while Cecilia reached for her shoes again, slipping them onto her feet. "Where did you want to eat?"
"I thought that we could go back to mine tonight," Cecilia said. "Grab a pizza and veg out on the sofa?"
"Sounds ideal," Jimmy said. "So do you want to drive or shall I?"
"I'll drive considering we are both in court tomorrow," she said. "Anyway, I heard something interesting about HHM today."
"And you didn't tell me as soon as you walked in?" Jimmy asked from her as he grabbed his wallet and tucked it into his pocket. He picked up Cecilia's coat and held it up for her, letting her shrug back into it, pulling her hair from the collar as it settled on her shoulders.
"Good things come to those who wait," she said with a nonchalant wave of her hand. "Anyway, I would have thought that you would have heard considering it is about your brother."
Jimmy chuckled at that as he handed her the bag she had placed on the floor. She placed it into the hook of her arm and began moving from the office, waiting for Jimmy as he locked up.
"Chuck and I aren't exactly on speaking terms," Jimmy informed Cecilia. "After our last argument we haven't spoken since. What he said about you was bang out of order and I am tired of him always looking down and belittling me."
"Jimmy, I don't want you to fall out with him over me," Cecilia said and he shrugged.
"I don't care," he said to her. "So come on, what has Chuck done?"
"He hasn't been in to work since Rebecca left," she said to him. "He's missing court cases and negotiations galore. Apparently Hamlin is getting really annoyed and they are haemorrhaging money."
Jimmy sighed as he placed his keys into his pocket and took hold of Cecilia's hand as they left the salon together. "He hasn't left the house?"
"Well, not that he hasn't left the house, but he hasn't been in to work," Cecilia said. "I bumped into a third year associate in court who told me this. Anyway, maybe you should reach out, Jimmy?"
They came to the main door and Cecilia dropped his hand as he locked the main door with the other key and then tucked that away. He turned to look to Cecilia as she stood there, watching him with intrigue. She bit down on her bottom lip as Jimmy shrugged again and looked to the sky, uncertain of what was going through his mind. He had no idea what it was he wanted to do about his brother.
"I don't know," Jimmy said to her. "Why do I have to be the one to reach out? He was the one who laid into me."
"Because he is still your brother," Cecilia said. "Maybe it might be best to just be the bigger person?"
"Not right now," Jimmy grunted and Cecilia began to walk towards the car. She unlocked it and Jimmy climbed into the passenger's side. As Cecilia tossed her bag onto the backseat, he looked to her. She settled down, holding onto the wheel with one hand while using the other to turn the key in the ignition.
"How do you do it?" Jimmy asked her.
"Do what?" she asked him, looking over her shoulder as she reversed out the parking bay.
"How do you have the ability to want to make things right…to want to be the bigger person?" he asked her.
"I don't do that all of the time," she scoffed. "But I just think that your brother needs you and he is acting like a martyr and denying it."
"But he is being an asshole."
"Families can be," Cecilia shrugged. "Listen, Jimmy, I care about you and I know you love your brother. Wouldn't you feel better trying to put things right?"
"Maybe," Jimmy mumbled as she set off down the road. "But you…you care about me setting things right. No one has really cared about me like that."
Cecilia smiled sadly at hearing that, glancing over to Jimmy as she put the headlights on. "Same," she said. "I mean, my ex never cared in the slightest about me leaving my family and moving out here…or them being upset that I didn't go home at Christmas because he wanted me to…I mean, I made amends, but it still sucks."
"It's different," Jimmy informed her, "but not wholly unpleasant."
"Glad to hear it," she laughed gently. "Anyway, you don't need to make a decision tonight about what to do. I just think that it might not be the worst idea you have had."
"I've had a lot of them."
"Oh, I know," Cecilia said jokingly. "I think that's why we work perfectly together."
….
Jimmy didn't know what he was doing as he stood in the supermarket and looked at the bouquets of flowers in front of him. Did Cecilia like flowers? Had he ever noticed any flowers in her apartment before? Would she appreciate it? Were they even at the stage where he could buy her flowers? Jimmy placed his hands on his hips for a second and bit down on his lip before he heard a familiar voice.
"Jimmy?"
Turning his head over his shoulder at the sound of her voice, Jimmy beamed widely at the sight of her, extending his arms as she approached him pushing a trolley in front of her.
"Kim," he greeted her and she smiled back to him.
"Long time no see," she said to him. "And in the flower aisle at that."
Jimmy chuckled and looked back to the bouquet. "Yeah," he said. "Gotta admit that I am slightly out of my depth. Anyway, how are things going at HHM? Still keeping busy?"
"You know," Kim shrugged, "long hours and good pay, but you can't enjoy it because you're always working. I love it though. I love the job. Funny to think that we both ranked up compared to where we were a few years ago."
"Funny," Jimmy echoed back to her.
"So are you still working defence cases for the court?"
"I am," Jimmy confirmed. "Alongside looking for other clients to make ends meet, but I like my job. I mean, I love being a lawyer. Who wouldn't, right?"
Kim could almost sense the lie rolling from his tongue. She had heard rumours that he was working out the back of a shop. She also knew that he was struggling to make ends meet as a one man public defender. But she hadn't known how to talk to him and see if he was alright. Ever since HHM said that he had no chance of working for them, Kim had felt for the man. She had been annoyed with HHM to begin with for not giving him a chance.
"I guess so," she said, rocking back and forth on her heels. "So who are the flowers for?" she asked, pointing to the bouquets with her chin.
"Oh," Jimmy said. "Well, I mean, I am seeing someone…she…well…I don't know what we are. We haven't put a label on it, but I thought it might be nice to buy flowers, but then I don't even know if she likes flowers."
"Well, what does she like?"
"Good takeout…wine…I just thought that flowers might be different."
"Jimmy, I am sure she will appreciate the thought," Kim said. "I heard a rumour that you had been seeing Cecilia Morris. Apparently Runow saw the two of you looking cosy in the courthouse."
Jimmy coughed into his fist, hoping that they hadn't actually witnessed the entire scene of Cecilia and him fooling around near the fire escape. He tried not to smirk at the memory, but instead just nodded.
"Yeah," he said, popping his lips. "Well, we're just together, nothing like boyfriend or girlfriend."
"You sound disappointed by that," Kim observed.
"We're taking it slow," Jimmy admitted. "But she is a great gal. I really like her."
"Well, I am glad to hear you have moved on," Kim said with a soft smile. "I mean it, Jimmy, you deserve some happiness after everything that went down at HHM."
"Thanks, Kim," he responded with a small smile. "Anyway, would you go white or purple?" he asked, motioning to the flower.
"Purple," she responded. "White always reminds me of funeral flowers."
Grabbing the bouquet, Jimmy picked the flowers us. "Purple it is," he said. "I'll let you get back to your shopping. Stay in touch, Kim."
"You too, Jimmy."
…
Cecilia opened the door to find a fresh bunch of flowers in her face. She felt herself smile despite herself and Jimmy peeked his head around the purple bunch of flowers.
"Surprise," he said.
"They are lovely," Cecilia said. "What is the occasion?"
"Can I not just buy my really good friend slash romantic interest flowers?" Jimmy asked as he handed them to her and she took hold of the stems, moving into the kitchen as Jimmy closed the door behind him and followed her.
"You can," Cecilia said. "That's really thoughtful of you, Jimmy."
"Well, they don't call me a romance guru for nothing."
Cecilia scoffed as she reached for a vase from her cabinet. "I didn't think they called you that anyway."
"Before I moved here they did," Jimmy said and Cecilia laughed as she finished adjusting the flowers and adding water to them. She placed them at the end of her worktop and moved towards him, her hands running down his shoulders to hold onto his upper arms.
"You're such a dork," she commented and Jimmy chuckled, bending down to kiss her.
"Maybe so," Jimmy admitted to her. "But I guess those flowers…well…I want them to say something."
"And what is that?"
"That I like you," Jimmy said to her. "I like you a lot, Cecilia."
Cecilia forced her smile to remain on her face. She tried to remain neutral, but she was struggling. It took her a few more moments before she dared to move her arms around his waist. She remained silent and Jimmy sighed as he wrapped his arms around her then. He closed his eyes and rested his cheek on the top of her head. Maybe he had spoken too soon? Perhaps he was rushing into things like he usually did? He bit down on his lip before Cecilia pulled back and rested a hand on his chest.
"Come on," she said to him. "I made us a homemade burger with fries."
"Sounds delicious," he said as she turned her back to him and busied herself with the oven, her own eyes shutting for a moment as she longed to be able to say the words Jimmy seemed to want from her. The only issue was that she couldn't do it…not yet, anyway.
….
A/N: Do let me know what you think!