1. Love Ballad by L.T.D.
AN: Thanks for reviewing the last installment of A Little Bit Yours. This is the second song in this series; it is a request from a friend. Dillie60, please hang in there because we can't have sunshine every day. Some days there will be rain and grey skies but that's okay because it helps us to appreciate the sun when it shines again. I hope you like this version of Richonne. #StaySafe #SelfCare #SpoilYourself a little.
THEN, Part I
Rick
I read the case summary of the file on the monitor before me but nothing made sense, the facts of the case did not match the intake review which Lori, my regular paralegal prepared for me. The temp replacing her had to be wrong, apparently, we were statute-barred and I was going to have to explain this shit to my boss, Philip. Lori had never fucked up like this before so her replacement most definitely had to be wrong so I picked up the receiver and dialled Ms. Monière's extension on the fourth floor.
The phone rang twice before she answered and I heard her voice. It was soft, confident, unhurried, unlike her predecessor who always seemed frazzled whenever I called. I almost forgot that I was supposed to be pissed at her for the fuck-up I was staring at on my monitor.
"Michonne Monière, how may I be of service, Mr. Grimes?"
"Come to my office immediately?" I barked into the receiver. "Oh, and by the way, we are temporarily relocated on the ninth floor in case no one bothered to mention it to you.
"I'm well aware, sir. I had to pack up your office while you were on vacation."
"Good. And bring the Martin case file with you."
"Certainly, sir," she answered in that same calm, unwavering manner.
Precisely fifteen minutes later, there was a knock on the door. "Come in!"
As the door opened, I turned away from the monitor and watched as she entered the space—my space, which she was more familiar with than I realized.
She closed the door behind herself and waited for an invitation to sit. The fresh scent of flowers hung in the air—nothing overpowering just a memory that reminded me of summer.
"Please sit down, Ms. Monière."
I watched as the elegant creature sat in one of the guest chairs in front of my desk and crossed her shapely long legs placing the two files she held in her dainty manicured hand on her lap. Her every action was precisely measured. Her movements were graceful like a gazelle. She was not at all what I expected. She was confident and poised from her shoulder-length brown dreadlocks crowning her head to the black tailored suit she wore with the royal blue silk v-neck camisole which clung to her ample bosom down to her stockingless toned long silky mahogany legs in her black red-bottom pumps. She just sat there no doubt assessing me, her boss without uttering a single word.
She was a beautiful woman—refined too. She didn't accessorize much, choker pearls adorned her elegant neck with matching studs in her earlobes. Her watch, a stainless steel bracelet with a rectangular diamond-studded face, but it was the steely determination in her molten chocolate eyes which pierced my armour. After that, I was pretty much putty in her hands to be shaped and moulded however which way she pleased. It was as if she knew it too because she studied me with that intense unblinking gaze like an interrogator waiting to break its subject. It was a game of wait and see.
…
I
Have never been so much
In love
Before
What a difference a true love made in my life
So nice
So right
…
She cleared her throat and called my name, "Mr. Grimes?"
My name fell from her berry glossed heart-shaped lips with such reverence it jolted me into action breaking the spell she cast upon me.
"I'm sorry, ah yes, the Martin file," it was my turn to clear my throat buying myself time to refocus, so I did. "I believe there must be some kind of mistake. The file was transferred to me four weeks ago when I was last in the office. The intake review I read then had a completely different set of facts from what you prepared yesterday.
"I am not privy to whatever that might be. Here," she offered, passing me the simple grey folder. "As you can see, it is bare-bones—no work was ever done on it. I checked with IT and they couldn't find anything electronic for it apart from the creation of the client information six months back."
I took the file from her and opened it to find the engagement letter which was signed six months earlier. "Very well, can you arrange a meeting with Philip for me?"
"Sir, I'm your paralegal, not your personal assistant. I don't manage your calendar and I don't get your coffee. I think this is a duty best suited for Beth, your PA."
"Ms. Monière, I'm well aware that you're my paralegal. It was implied that you would relay the message to Beth on my behalf if that isn't too much to ask of you."
"No. I would be happy to relay the message for you, Mr. Grimes," she replied with all the formality of the support staff from the twelfth floor who couldn't address the partners on a first name basis.
"It's Rick."
"Pardon me?"
"Please call me Rick. Do you mind if I call you Michonne?"
"Not at all, Mr. Grimes—I mean Rick," she replied and quickly corrected herself.
"Look I apologize for not meeting with you yesterday as you requested, I was just trying to get a handle on thangs."
"I understand, coming back from vacation can sometimes be a daunting task."
I see that you brought another file with you, what's the story on that one?
"I'm just getting up to speed on Ms. Walker's workload as they haven't found a replacement for her as yet."
"Wait, you are not going to be my paralegal?" I asked, betraying my cool indifference towards her.
"No, I am not. I'm on loan to you from corporate for this week only. It seems your backup, Mr. Walsh didn't like the three temps who were brought in to fill the gap. As a result, you have no assigned paralegal."
I cursed Shane under my breath but then again, if it wasn't for him I might not have gotten the opportunity to meet her. Then again, her status was perhaps for the best because I don't think we could work together, especially not after she moistened her lip and I felt my cock stir. No, it definitely wasn't going to work between us not in this me too era. She had to go. I had never been in a position like this before so it felt foreign to me. This was the kind of shit Shane talked about. Hell, he got rid of three paralegals in one month, which says a lot.
I zoned back in to hear her say, "As I was saying, this file needs your immediate attention. I took the liberty of speaking with Mr. Horvat in order to draft the Statement of Claim. I told him you'll be in touch today so he's expecting a call and Tyrese will be on standby to file it with the court tomorrow.
I took the folder she offered, opened it up and read through the document. The work was outstanding, not one typo. She was good, perhaps too damn good.
"Everythang looks to be in order. I will touch base with Dale in a bit and if everythang checks out I will sign it and leave it for you to deal with tomorrow. I'm in court all day tomorrow. Are there any other urgencies for me to address?"
"From what I can tell, no. I am finalizing a status update of Ms. Walker's files so whoever succeeds me in the rotation won't have to start from scratch. I will ensure that you have a copy as well."
"I appreciate that, thanks."
"By the way, I ordered the transcript of the discoveries you attended just before your vacation, we should receive it tomorrow."
She was good. Damn good, that's why she was with corporate. They always picked the cream of the crop.
"So, how is it that corporate managed to let you go for a week?"
"Well, every group had to provide someone for a week until HR could find a suitable match for you. Now that you are back, you could actually conduct the interviews yourself or sit in on them."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. That's the way it works upstairs in corporate."
"Those lot have nothing better to do I suppose. Since the person is only a placeholder, I think I'll let the HR folks figure it out."
"Suit yourself, if there's nothing else?" She added and stood to leave, "I will return to my office."
I stood and came out from behind my desk. "I want to thank you for coming aboard and for saving my arse twice in the two days you've been here and thanks for setting up my office. I appreciate it." I extended my hand to her and as we shook hands a jolt of electricity travelled between us. Fuck! At that moment, I knew she was nothing but trouble.
"I look forward to my next three days here," she added, with a knowing smile and a softness to her warm gaze.
She was firm and upfront laying down all her boundaries. I found myself wondering who exactly was the boss in the relationship. During our brief exchange, all I heard was what she would do and what she wouldn't do for me. Then there was that brief exchange between us when our skin touched for the first time and her parting words felt like a challenge to me.
...
Loving you gave me something new
That I'd never felt, never dreamed of
Something's changed
No, it's not the feeling I had before
Oh-oh-oh, it's much, much more
…
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