Two: Emmett

Emmett knew that Elle was in the building from the moment she arrived at reception, because over the last few weeks he'd become a master at sensing her presence, but he dared not look for her in case he was disappointed. Perhaps she wasn't coming to see him; maybe it was Callahan she wanted to talk to. Given what had happened, he doubted that was the case, but stranger things had happened. Like Elle being able to tell the cabana boy was gay from his comment about her shoes, for example.

The memory of Elle running into the courtroom with her stunning revelation still made him smile. He'd promised her he'd take care of it, and he had. He only wished he'd taken better care of her a few days later, when Callahan had put the moves on her. That thought was enough to make his smile fade; in fact it made his blood boil.  He'd respected Callahan since he was a student, and had been delighted when he was offered a position in his law firm. He'd been pleased to see his old mentor encouraging Elle to apply for an internship, but been disappointed when he'd subsequently mocked her about waking up one day and deciding to apply to law school. Emmett meant it when he told her he wanted her to take the power that being blonde gave her and channel it for the greater good. As far as he was concerned, Elle could do anything.

He thought about the first time he'd seen her, storming across the grounds of Harvard and clearly distressed. She dropped down on the bench next to where he was sitting and though he hadn't been going to speak to her, somehow he couldn't help it. Even then he'd only intended to ask if she was all right but instead found himself telling her about Stromwell making him cry. He'd never told anyone that before, but for reasons unknown he wanted her to feel better. Emmett had suddenly found that he wanted to see her smile, and more importantly he wanted to be the one who'd made her smile. By the time he was giving her hints about dealing with her professors, he wanted to be the one who made Elle smile for the rest of her life.

And then Warner had interrupted him in mid-sentence and Elle had forgotten him.

Emmett could still remember the swell of emotions he'd experienced at that moment. He'd been slightly hurt that she'd prefer to talk to someone else. He'd been very annoyed because he could tell instantly that the guy was an ass who didn't deserve her. And he'd been unspeakably glad that he'd talked to her, even if it was only for a minute.

It wasn't just that she was beautiful. She was, but then so were all the other girls he'd dated in the years before Elle had come into his life. It was more than that. He was impressed by her intelligence; the way she's succinctly argued against Warner's case for the sperm donor in Callahan's class had been a particular highlight. She was vulnerable yet incredibly strong. Emmett had seen how upset she was when she heard that Warner was engaged and noted the way Vivian had needled her in class, but she'd never allowed herself to break down in front of them. Instead, she'd fought back in the best possible way; by showing she was just as good – no, better – than they were. And then during her internship Elle had demonstrated initiative and integrity in spades.

Every day they had worked together, Emmett had found himself devoting more and more time to thinking about her, though it didn't cross his mind to tell her how he felt or that he thought he was falling in love with her. He was older, more secure in his place in life than she was, and he felt she needed to find herself before she could devote time and energy to someone else. For Emmett, it had been enough just to be near to her and see her shine.

Except, he thought, it wasn't going to be enough any more.  The case was over, and with it went his excuse for seeing Elle every day. Somehow, he didn't think the memory of how good she'd looked dressed as a bunny girl would be enough to sustain him, although it never failed to make him laugh. He was certain that this was more than a passing infatuation; this was the real thing. And that meant that it was time to let her know that he wanted to be more than the helpful guy who gave her exam pointers.

How would she react? That was the one thing he wasn't sure about. She seemed to like him, he thought. She'd smiled at him when she came into Callahan's first meeting with his interns, she seemed to enjoy spending time with him – or at least she enjoyed teasing him when they spent time together – and most importantly, she'd told him he could call her if he ever went to California. That had to mean something, right?

"Yes, it means she wants to stay your friend," he said aloud, chastising himself for thinking it could mean more. "And a platonic friend at that, no doubt. She probably thinks you're ancient, a relic just like Callahan. Although hopefully she doesn't think you're as sleazy." He paused, grimacing at the very thought of Elle thinking of him in the same way she thought of Callahan. "Hell, she's probably back with Warner, while you're sitting here talking to yourself!"

Warner Huntingdon III. Emmett hardly knew him but he wasn't about to let that small detail get in the way of hating him with a passion. Emmett been standing just outside the courtroom earlier that day when Elle had come out, hoping to grab her for a quiet word before she was caught up in the frenzy of reporters waiting for a comment on the verdict. However, he'd been stopped in his tracks when Warner came rushing out of the courtroom and had grabbed Elle for himself. Although Emmett hadn't been close enough to overhear exactly what was being said, he had been able to tell by the beseeching look on Warner's face that he was trying to charm Elle back into his arms, and it had been a real struggle not to go over there and tell the guy to get lost. Emmett thought Warner was arrogant, conceited and extremely lucky to have a place at Harvard; there was no doubt that it was his family connections that had got him into law school rather than his brain.

"The guy was stupid enough to break up with Elle in the first place. What more proof do you need that he's dumb?" Emmett confirmed to himself. "But Elle is smart enough to see through his act, right?"

He found himself wishing he'd stuck around to see the end of their conversation, but the only way he could think of to prevent himself from punching Warner was leaving as quickly as he could. So he had, and now he found himself stuck in an agonising limbo; wanting to tell Elle how he felt, but not wanting to make her feel guilty if she was already back with Warner.

"God, for someone who graduated in the top three of his class, I am a complete idiot sometimes!" he said, smacking himself on the forehead. "Why didn't I tell her how I felt first?"

"Who are you talking to?"

Emmett swung around to find Callahan standing in the doorway of his office. If he'd thought that the scene in court today would have dented the older man's self confidence, he was wrong; Callahan's lofty attitude was still firmly in place.

"It was the radio. Can I help you?" Emmett asked frostily.

"Not especially," Callahan sneered at his one-time protégé. "I just came to tell that after that stunt you and Blondie pulled in court today, well…you're fired."

Emmett smiled. "You can't fire me," he said confidently.

Callahan started. "I'm a partner in this law firm, and I think you'll find that means I can do whatever I want."

"Not this time," Emmett shook his head. "You can't fire me."

"And why the hell not?" Callahan demanded to know, beginning to get angry.

Emmett reached down to the side of his chair and grabbed the cardboard box he'd brought in with him. He held it up so that Callahan could see it. "Because I understand that it's pretty much impossible to fire someone who doesn't actually work for you. I quit half an hour ago; I'm only here to clear out my office."

Callahan snorted disdainfully. "I could tell that little girl had you wrapped around her little finger after today's debacle, but she's not worth quitting over."

"I'm not quitting because of Elle, I'm quitting because of what you did to her. I would have done that regardless of who you'd tried to pull that stunt with. You're a disgrace to the profession," Emmett fired back coolly. He wasn't going to lose his temper; Callahan wasn't worth that.

Callahan shrugged. "Suit yourself. But you're throwing away your legal career. You know that, don't you?"

"I'll take my chances," Emmett retorted.

The older lawyer turned away before tossing one last remark back at Emmett over his shoulder. "If you're not out in half an hour, I'm sending security up to forcibly remove you."

"Jerk," Emmett muttered, swinging back around in his chair and wondering why Elle hadn't arrived yet. Perhaps she wasn't coming to see him, after all.

He had been staring at the wall contemplating his next move for another five minutes before he heard the unmistakable sound of high-heeled shoes on marble. It was getting louder; the owner of the shoes was getting closer to the door of his office. However, Emmett kept his eyes fixed on the wall until he had caught the by-now-familiar scent of Clinique's 'Happy' perfume and was absolutely certain of the identity of his visitor. Only then did he allow himself to turn around to face Elle.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

In case anyone is frightened, reviewing is a pretty painless business, you know. Don't be afraid…