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The technical law stuff like in LoA starts again here. I'll try to make it as simple as I can :)
- Santana's POV –
2 years and 8 months ago
This long distance thing fucking sucks. It's really the fucking worst.
After Brittany and I talked about her leaving for London, we immediately went on this packing frenzy for her as well as her ironing out all the details for her new job. The image of Brittany handing out her resignation to Mami can't ever be forgotten. Losing her in the firm is a big emotional blow for Quinn and I since from now on, it's just going to be me and her which admittedly will take some getting used to since the three of us have created this dynamic already and we're honestly attached to the hip.
I promised Brittany that I'd come with her to London to help her get settled for the first few days, a short leave Mami miraculously granted even with all that's going on. Throughout all this, Brittany's been a real trooper. Seriously, that girl is like a rock. From the time we arrived in London with Grams up to the time she had her first board meeting immediately the following day, all you can see in that girl is pure professionalism. We got to spend a little time alone to ourselves while I was there too, touring London, designing her gorgeous two-bedroom flat just within the business district, and well, really making the most out of the few days before I head back. I even got to meet Mrs. Jones! She's just the sweetest goddamn person on Earth, I swear. She's basically the stereotypical plump grandma who gives you the most delicious cookies whenever you see her and someone who instantly puts a smile on your face just as soon as she speaks with her trademark English accent. I'm not kidding when I say that I could listen to her and Britt talk all day.
Those few days went by fast though and since I came back to New York, Brittany and I have been talking incessantly all day. We have a 5 hour difference, with her being ahead of me, which isn't really that big of a factor yet except when we have to work late in which case someone waits up for the other until the wee hours of the morning just for a few minutes of talking. A few hard weeks so far but it doesn't matter though because it's worth it. We even have this ritual of eating together, her dinner and lunch for me or just whatever fits, through video calls though admittedly a partial reason for that is so I can make sure she's eating right and on time. Aside from all the FaceTime sessions, phone calls, and text messages in between breaks or just five minutes of whenever we're free, we also went ahead and scheduled flights to visit each other at least twice a month. I guess one of the perks of having money is you get to use it whenever you want and I've honestly never been more thankful for that.
It's not without its difficulties though. The late nights. Waking up in the middle of the night just for a few minutes of spending time in front of the computer. Trying to sound happy even if being apart like this is just the worst. Work kicking our asses day and night to the point that we barely have freaking social lives anymore. But it's going to be worth it. It's just for a little bit. We'll be okay. We're going to be okay.
Present day
This is it. This is the day I die.
Well, not really. But it might as well be since someone comes back today to bring back Hell with her. I guess that's part of the reason why I'm a little early for work yet again and since I can't get decent freaking coffee at this time of the day, I just settled in my office and went for a head start with work before we go on to see Elliot Gilbert later. And also to shake off the absent-mindedness. I even brought a freaking teaspoon to work for no apparent reason other than I was holding it awhile ago when I had a quick coffee at my apartment to get work clothes and only noticed it when I already got in the car awhile ago. Dammit.
It's only when I hear murmuring outside when a small smile creeps into my face. It takes a few more minutes and a subtle side glance of feet wearing what looks like my white heels from the office beside me that just proves my assumption as I go back to getting busy with the papers in front of me. Momentarily, I hear the sound of heels clicking getting louder. I don't look up still and before I know it, I see those white heels from my peripheral vision just in front of me.
She doesn't say anything just yet and even if I still haven't looked up, I know damn well how she's looking at me right now and what she's trying to do.
"About damn time, Fabgay. I was starting to think about breaking down your office so I can expand mine." I exclaim, trying to hold back on smirking.
I hear her huff unamusingly before speaking. "No calls, no texts, no emails, and you haven't even answered my calls or anything at all for the past two weeks!"
"Technically, I-" I interject only to be cut off almost immediately.
"Shut up!" She shouts, holding up a hand for dramatic purposes. "And when I went to your apartment as soon as we got back, you weren't even fucking around!" She huffs. "I mean, I wasn't expecting freaking flowers or a welcome banner but I would have wanted to see my best friend's face!"
I hold back on showing any expression and just continue to write without looking up at her. "Ah, I see that you got sick of Berry's face in those two weeks, huh? A good way to start a marriage."
I hear her breathe deeply through her mouth which is basically a sign that she's way too pissed now. I sigh and stop whatever it is that I'm doing, finally looking up to see Quinn, long blonde hair and hazel brown eyes wearing a red dress, glaring at me with a raised eyebrow and hands resting on both sides of her waist.
"Fine. I was at George's." I say in a defeated manner.
She squints her eyes at me as if to decode my statement. "So, you spent the weekend with your girlfriend because you were trying to avoid me?"
"W-Well, not entirely. I was spending some time with her. Because you know, w-we're together." I reason out trying not to maintain eye contact with the She-Devil even though I know that she knows that I'm lying about it being the only reason.
"Is that all you were doing with her?"
"Of course not. We did a bunch of other stuff." I quip with a smirk which Quinn brushes off with a groan. "What do you expect us to do as adults, Q? Hold each other's hand the whole night and stare into the other's eyes while reciting Shakespeare?"
"Oh my god! Can we not talk about your activities?" Quinn remarks while I try to stifle a chuckle. "I guess what I'm getting at was, I'm a little hurt about not hearing from you for the past two weeks especially since Britt''s back but fine, I don't to ruin this honeymoon high thingy so I'll let it go for now." She raises an eyebrow and looks very unamused. "Anyway, I heard awhile ago that you had an interesting night with Brittany."
I stop fidgeting with the paper in my hand and work out whether or not she actually knows about it or just bluffing. I see that she's serious as hell with those laser eyes trained at me like I'm the only one who matters in this goddamn world. So, I breathe deeply through my mouth and direct my attention on her once again.
"It wasn't 'interesting'. We just had a late night at work. And who told you about this? Mother?"
"Nope. It was just an empty assumption that you've now turned into a legit statement." She counters smugly and I shake my head in disbelief, a little pissed at myself for falling for that trap time and time again.
"Ugh. You're just as bad as Mother. Why do you always pull that shit? You could just ask me directly about it, you know."
"Because you won't be responsive to it. It always has to be the hard way to get the truth out of you." She shrugs. "There are only three things you respond to, S. People telling you you can't do something, someone telling you what to do which of course you won't follow anyway, and someone laying it easy on you which you hate. Of course, there's always an exception, like Brittany."
"What? W-What do you mean a-about Brittany?"
"Oh, come on. All Brittany has to do is pout and you're already on your way to oblivion." She mentions nonchalantly. "So, since you're already knee deep into it, let's talk about this 'interesting night'." She remarks with a devilish grin.
"It wasn't like that, Q. It was completely platonic." I wave a hand in disregard and this time, she smirks widely.
"'Platonic'? Please!" Quinn snorts. "S, Brittany and I are platonic. You and Rachel are platonic. You and I are platonic, God forbid. Those relationships are mega platonic. But you and Brittany?" She pauses with a raised eyebrow. "S, you and her can never, ever, ever be platonic."
I squint my eyes at her and stop myself from replying. If I know better, the more I defend myself, the more I'll have myself caught in this bitch's psychological spider web. The more I resist falling into her trap, the more she'll try to dig up my feelings and shit. Fuck it. "You know what? There's still an hour before Elliot Gilbert arrives, so I have to prepare for that. And so should you since you're second chair for the case. Now, if you don't have anything work-related to say, I have to get back to work. Plus, before you say anything else, I'm not in the mood to talk either since I'm still coffee deprived and I don't see any bribe for me to get talking anyway. So, nope. Close the door on your way out, thanks." I utter with a fake grin then turn half my attention to the documents in front of me.
I see her leave my office but before I even get to do something else, she comes back and walks towards me, placing a small paper bag on the table and a coffee beside it.
"One-time deal. Take it or leave it." Quinn smirks, taking the seat in front of me while clutching her own bagel and coffee before I even get to answer.
I contemplate it for a second or two but the fact that I haven't had a decent coffee for almost two weeks is a great, overpowering factor right now. Or maybe I just missed Quinn and all her nonsense. Oh, definitely the former.
"Fine. But you owe me half of your salary for all the work you left me and those heels of mine that you borrowed without my permission."
"Paid leave, sweetie. And I helped you pick out these heels so I have minimum rights to it." She counters.
"Whatever. I'll settle for a week of free coffee and breakfast from you."
"Sure. As long as we get steak for lunch later. Rachel's been trying to convert me into a full-on vegan for the past two weeks and I desperately tried to like it but my body just wants some meat, you know."
"That's what she said." I tease and get an eye roll instead. "And by the way, this doesn't mean that I'll speak on anything. This is just free breakfast."
"Then in that case, lemme do the low down for you and point out the freaking obvious. First, you're doing actual paperwork. I checked my pile and you've even done mine. And if there's anything I'm sure of, it's that one of the things you hate most is doing paperwork." She smirks. "Two, from what Kitty has told me, you've been working more than usual. Arriving extra early at work, which is admirable and evident since you're here this early, then leaving later than your normal 8pm. What? Can't sleep properly and when you do get to sleep, you need something to help you get preoccupied? Or wait, maybe almost 13 hours of work isn't enough for you." She shrugs while I'm just left to grit my teeth in annoyance.
"Three, from what you just said about George, I think you're trying to overcompensate with the whole thing and how you're still in love with Brittany. You've been spending more time with her lately and I think that proves it. I mean, come on. You invited her to my wedding out of the blue even though we've only met her twice. What are you trying to prove, huh?" She utters and seems finished with her speech.
"Do you practice the Dark Arts?" I say, a bit amused. "Let me just get out my wand, Harry Potter. Oh, wait! Avada Kedavra, get out of my face!"
Quinn sighs and takes a sip of her coffee before looking at me once again. "Come on, S. I'm serious about this. Georgina is one of the nicest people I've ever met. I seriously feel like I'm an evil being whenever she's around. So, please don't keep her on the hook if there's still something with you and Britt."
"You are evil and there's nothing going on with me and Britt, Q." I say with an exasperated tone. "I really like George contrary to your belief that I'm just using her to get over Britt or whatever it is that you're insinuating, okay? She's really great and I'm trying to work it out with her. I really am. Plus, you and Rachel were the ones who encouraged me to start dating since that time Britt said she won't-" I cut myself off, trying to get a hold of the right words to say. I focus my stare on her and take a sip of my coffee as I do so. "And what makes you think you know me and what I do that much anyway?"
She snorts and raises an eyebrow at me. "That has got to be one of the silliest questions you've ever asked me." She shakes her head in disbelief. "Baby, I've known you for 23 years-"
"22."
"I rounded it off, bitch." She quips and I smirk before she continues speaking. "And as I was saying before you rudely cut me off, I know you better than you know yourself. Well, of course not like Brittany, but you know what I'm getting at."
"No, I don't." I answer coyly.
"Do you really want me to lay it all on you again?"
"I'm sure you've always wanted to do that ever since I developed my hot body." I shrug and give her a wink which she brushes off by looking appalled.
"Oh yeah. My lifelong dream." She remarks sarcastically. "But really, Santana. What's going on with you and Brittany?"
I feel myself tense up and my forehead crease at the notion. "Was I speaking in a foreign language seconds ago? I said, there is nothing going on with me and her, okay? I told you, it's just work for us. We're adults, we're civil with each other. That's all over now, all in the past." I say, exasperatedly.
"See what happens now when someone goes for the direct approach with you?" She trains her stare at me and lets out a deep breath.
"Better than the shit you and Mami always pull off." I huff, munching on my breakfast in silence while trying to avoid her stare.
Before we even get to say anything else, Kitty shows up from the doorway. "I hate to interrupt but Maribel is asking for Quinn to come see her. Something about a client later? I'd go and find out more but I'm currently preparing for the meeting with Gilbert later." She says with a bored tone then turns to me with a faux smile.
"Oh, of course. I'll get on it. Thanks, Kitty." Quinn smiles just as Kitty nods and disappears again.
"Wait. What's that case?" I speak up, genuinely curious.
"Oh, it's an embezzlement case from what I heard. I still don't know much about it. You get second chair though, so you'll come meet the client with me later. No buts." She raises an eyebrow and I just shrug. "Oh yeah. You're also coming over on Thursday for dinner with Rachel, Brittany, and me. You owe my wife your presence." The 'wife' part is said with a big grin.
"I can't. I have a date with George then." I say with a dismissive tone.
"Or maybe it's because of Brittany." She grins devilishly.
I glare at her. "No. It has nothing to do with her. I really do have a dinner date with George that night after work."
"Then bring her."
"W-What?!" I exclaim a little too loud.
Quinn shrugs. "I said, bring her to dinner on Thursday."
A hundred tragic moments and instances involving George, the current girlfriend, and Brittany, the ex, cloud my mind. I mean, those two in the same table could spell disaster. I don't even know the exact details on how they met and how weird it would be when I see them actually talk. Let's not forget about the fact that I'm also kind of avoiding Brittany. I make up a plausible excuse in my mind to turn the She-Devil down before clearing my throat. "No can do. I haven't talked to George since I left her apartment this morning and we already made plans for a busy night then anyway."
The blonde nods and seems to have accepted my reason. "Yep. And that busy night includes having Italian with us at my place for dinner and a possible trip to the karaoke bar." She voices out with a smirk while I'm left to squint my eyes at her. "Oh that? Yeah, I called George just before I drove to work. Did you know she's not on call on Thursday until Friday morning? She seemed excited to have dinner too, just so you know. And also, before you get to say anything about Brittany, she's ecstatic to join us and is more than okay for you to come. In her own words, 'Sure, no big deal.' She insisted, S. Heavily at that."
She said that? Huh. I huff in displeasure and shake my head in disbelief. There's no getting out of it anymore and I kind of secretly missed hanging out with her and the Hobbit too anyway. "Fine, you scheming bitch."
Quinn looks up at me again and dismisses the insult, downing a large amount of coffee before speaking. "Before I leave you, I want you to answer this." She pauses and I look up to meet her gaze. "Are you sure you don't have feelings for Brittany anymore?"
I hold off her glare and try to maintain the confidence I've been sporting for the past week. "I'm sure." I say in a nonchalant tone. She stares at me with a knowing look and even though I know what she's thinking, how she knows that I'm probably not telling her the whole truth, she lets it go anyway. I clear my throat and turn my attention on a random document for show. "I'm okay. I'm not even thinking about her. I've been all about work."
"You're really not thinking of Brittany?" She utters and I nod confidently. She stands up and approaches my table, grabbing a coffee mug I accidentally brought to work today along with the teaspoon, inches away from my left hand then holds it up for me to see with that knowing smirk. "Then why is your personal mug at home doing here? A little too absent-minded and preoccupied, aren't we?" She adds with a raised eyebrow and holds my stare for a second before settling it down again and walking away from me, leaving me in shambles and outright confusion.
After a quick word with my mother in making sure that everything is good to go under her scrutinizing eyes for the Gilbert case later and reminding me to work well with Brittany and Quinn on this case, Quinn finally called me to say that Elliot is in the lobby and will be on his way up in a while. Momentarily, we arrive in the glass walled conference room overlooking Manhattan on our floor and to my surprise, see Brittany already in her seat and reading something.
"Britt!" Quinn exclaims a little too loud, running towards Brittany who engulfs her in a big hug as well. I didn't miss the slight glance and smile Brittany gives me but nevertheless, I just look down and ignore her friendly gesture. They proceed to catch up over something with high pitch voices and big grins while I just settle myself silently on the seat next to Quinn who I've automatically assigned to sit in the middle. A little partition between Brittany and I won't hurt.
Briefly, Kitty announces her presence and the client's. We all turn to look at the door to see Elliot Gilbert, a fit, tall man in his early 30's, wearing a blue designer suit and brown shoes with his hair styled into spikes of some kind, grinning from ear to ear as he looks at us. I stand up and the two blondes who are talking about the honeymoon stop chatting as we all assume an automatic business persona.
"Santana, Quinn. It's nice to see you both again! I mean, I just saw you at the wedding but it's always a pleasure to see the both of you." Elliot calls out when he settles himself across the table from us, shaking hands with me first then with Quinn. "Oh, I'm sorry. I believe we haven't met. I'm Elliot Gilbert." He smiles and holds out a hand for Brittany, surprising the latter.
"O-Oh, hi. I'm Brittany Pierce." The blonde shakes his hand. "It's nice to finally meet you, Mr. Gilbert."
"Elliot is just fine." He replies, grinning then his expression instantly turns to that of recognition. "Oh my gosh, you're the Brittany! The pleasure is all mine!"
I glance at Brittany and see her looking curious as hell. Just as she's about to interject and probably ask about that matter, I immediately cut in to avoid any awkward moments.
"S-So, uh… Shall we start?" I exclaim without making eye contact with anyone in particular.
"Of course." Elliot retorts, completely oblivious to my distress. Thankfully, we all take our seats and let go of the previous conversation. Kitty walks towards us and hands a few more documents to the other two before quietly settling herself on the far left side of the table, just beside Brittany, to take notes and whatnot.
"So, Elliot, what can we do for you exactly?" I speak up and relax against my seat.
"Well, we could start by proving that I was wrongfully terminated six months ago as CEO of the company I started and suing them back for it, add the fact that I'm now completely off the board as well and you can see my distress. They also made almost a billion dollars by using my ideas behind my back in which I have not even gotten a cent out of." He reiterates with a serious tone.
We all nod in understanding. I see Brittany lean forward and squint her eyes at him. "It says here that you were fired by the board because of your 'antics that are endangering the company'. May I ask how exactly that came to be?"
Elliot nods and crosses his legs, trying to recall for a second before speaking again. "I believe they were pertaining to my live performances and anything with relation to me being an artist and expressing myself on stage and out of it."
"Which is bull since that's how you became a famous singer and why Starchild Enterprises is lucrative. The fashion line alone is doing wonderful business." Quinn interjects.
"Exactly." Elliot gestures to Quinn in emphasis. "It came so sudden, you know. One day, I was having a good meeting with the board then literally the next, I was given a pink slip by one of them and told me that I've been unanimously voted off as CEO of my own company."
"What happened next?" I reply.
"I fought against it but to no avail. Within two weeks, I was off the board and completely out of the company. I approached Maribel about a case and that's how we got here. Also, last week, I found out about just how much the company really earned through that merger they transacted with another company-"
"I'm sorry. Did you just say merger?" I immediately cut her off and share a look with Brittany and Quinn who are also blanking on that part.
"Yeah. That's how they got almost a billion in revenue. I must have forgotten to tell you about that." He retorts with a regretful tone. "But yes, there was a merger and if had it been my way, I'd never agree to that. All they want is to use and smear the company's name and tear it into pieces from within."
"I see. Well then, that actually gives us a stronger case. Consolidating all the other ones." Quinn gives me a look then turns to Brittany, as if motioning her to continue with the thought.
"That's true." Brittany throws in, writing something on the notebook in front of her. "Can you tell us more about the merger?"
"Sure. I believe it's Dolloway International that the company had the merger with."
"Wait. Like, June Dolloway?" Brittany asks with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah, one and the same." He pauses then turns his attention on Brittany. "She's some kind of famous socialite who produces a bunch of movies and plays in Broadway. Powerful and all that jazz, if you know what I mean. You know her?"
"I may have heard her name once or twice from my grandmother."
Elliot holds up a finger and smiles. "Bonnie Pierce, right?" He adds and Brittany nods. "I love your grandmother, she's wonderful! She gave me the idea for one of my collections."
Before they amuse themselves and Elliot gets off topic like he always does, I cut in. "So, is there anything else you should tell us before we go on with the case and call their lawyers?"
He thinks about it for a moment before shaking his head. "I believe that's about it. What can you suggest we do? I mean, you're my lawyer again, right?" He adds with a grin directed at me and I nod once, returning the smile. Although I didn't miss the way Brittany looked curiously at me.
"Of course. My co-associates and our intern will help me in this case. Rest assured that you're in good hands." I say simply. "Well, if there's nothing else, then we'll contact them and proceed with a deposition to get the case up and running. I don't care if this goes to trial, we'll make sure to do our best and win this one."
"Wonderful. I trust you." He utters, giving me a look of confidence.
"Thank you." I reply with a smile and lean forward. "Now, let's talk about your demands and please, let's not give them any mercy." I say with a smirk which he returns almost instantly.
- Brittany's POV -
2 years and 5 months ago
I'm dead tired.
I haven't slept for more than 4 hours for the past week or so and I can't remember if I ate dinner already. For the past four months I've been here, I think I lost a few pounds without doing anything or maybe it's the stress of it all. It's been difficult as hell but I know I can still do this. It's been hard getting the company sector here off the ground but with Mrs. Jones help, I know that at least we're making a little progress.
I miss Santana so much. We haven't really gone long for more than a week apart so being away from each other this much is taking a toll on us. It could be the distance, stress, or probably the workload but in a way, it all adds up in making it difficult for us. The usual constant talking moments we have whenever we can take a step back or have a minute to spare are slowly dwindling since our escalating work load prevents us from doing so. Sometimes, when we tend to call each other through FaceTime, the other isn't entirely available and it goes unanswered. We try to encourage each other to go out and socialize but most of the time, we just either talk or if we can, catch some much needed sleep. We've visited each other a few times now but as the months go by, it's been getting absolutely hard to make time.
It's 2 in the morning now. I'm still in the office like most days around this time, going through a few documents and at the same time waiting for Santana to finish up a meeting with a potential big name client. We have a 5 hour time difference so during around this time, it's either I wait for her to finish since I'm still up or she wakes up in the middle of the night and we talk and catch up before I go to work.
I just got back to my seat after getting a cup of tea when Santana's picture shows up on my computer. I smile with relief and within seconds of answering it, Santana's face lights up my screen. Instantly, I see her do that tight-lipped smile I'm so fond of.
"Hey, Britt!" She exclaims excitedly, leaning forward.
"Hey, San. You sound very excited, what's up?" I reply, setting aside all the work documents in front of me.
"Can't I just be happy to see you?" She replies, her gaze on the screen slightly darting downward.
"Are you checking out my boobs?" I look down and see my blouse slightly open, showing a little cleavage.
"No, babe. I was talking to them."
"Of course you are." I chuckle and perch my head on my hand. It has been awhile. The last time we had sex was when I dropped by New York three weeks ago for a few days. Boy, did we go at it. "So, how's your day?"
She grins widely, the kind wherein she has something exciting to say and is trying to hold back on spilling out the news too early. "Well, something happened at work today." She trails off and I look at her quizzically with a slight smile on my face. "I just signed my first big client!" She spews it out so fast I almost barely heard it.
"Oh my god, babe! That's wonderful! Who is it?"
"Elliot Gilbert."
My mouth opens widely at her words. "Woah, Starchild?! Wow!"
"I know, right?! I can't believe one of the most famous celebrities in the world signed with me! I mean, I'm just a Rookie Associate! Can you believe it?"
"He'd be crazy not to, San. You're amazing! You deserve it more than anyone else."
Santana blushes and bites her lip. "Thanks, baby."
"Aren't you going to celebrate with Quinn and Rachel tonight?"
"Nah, maybe tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. I'd prefer to spend time with you right now." She smiles and I do too. "How about you? How was your day?"
"The usual. Work. Meetings. More work. One of the executives had their birthday today so I got to eat cake but other than that, nothing exciting." I chuckle and hold up a random document beside me for her to see.
"What are you still doing at work, Britt? I thought we talked about not staying too late in our offices?"
I sigh deeply. "I know, baby. But I'm falling a bit behind with everything and I need to see what other stuff I need to work on too."
"I see. But maybe you could call it a night? It's technically Thursday there now. Please, B. For me?"
I glance at the big pile of papers on my right and back at her, flashing a small smile while I'm at it. "Okay."
"Cool. So, are you still flying here this weekend? It's been almost a month and I just can't wait to see you! We have to celebrate, babe. There's this new restaurant a couple of blocks away and I heard that it's pretty awesome. Though we can always stay in and watch a bunch of movies then cuddle and-" She pauses and glances downward again to presumably stare at my breasts. "Yeah, I vote for a quite night in." She remarks happily.
I bite my lip and think about how I'll break it to her but then again there's no other way to say it. "No, San. I-I can't. I have to be in Dublin for a conference this weekend. They just informed me this afternoon. I'm sorry."
I see her face fall and the disappointment washing on her face. "Oh."
"I-I'm really sorry, baby. B-But I'll try to go there the week after-"
"No, B. It's okay. I won't be here next weekend since I'm going to Boston with Mami and Quinn for a scheduled two-day deposition." She mutters in a defeated tone.
I rub my temple and just nod. Why does this have to be so goddamn hard? "Hey, it's just one more week, okay? I promise I'll be there the weekend after your deposition. We'll try that new restaurant or maybe stay in, whatever it is you want, okay? Don't be sad."
I see Santana sigh deeply, forcing a small smile while she's at it. "I know, Britt. I just- I just miss you so much."
"I miss you too, San. It's going to be worth it when I get there, I promise." I reply and this time, she genuinely smiles at my statement. "Now, tell me everything that happened with Starchild. Don't spare any details, okay? And I want to know who does his eyebrows too." I add with a grin. She laughs and suddenly, everything is right in the world again for me.
Present day
"And this is kind of weird since I don't even like, work out that much but my biceps are just so ripped, you know." Mr. Random Junior Associate tells me smugly, subtly trying to flex even though I won't see it anyway. I sigh and just try to be polite in pretending to listen at whatever it is he's been going about for the past minute.
I don't even know how it came to be. One minute, I was minding my own business after the meeting then the next one, this douche is right in front of me "welcoming" me to the firm. It's been like this for the past week and even though I'm trying to be nice to them or tell them upfront that I'm busy, not really interested, or gay, they just keep on bugging me. Thankfully, someone comes in just before I get to tell this guy to leave my office.
"Hey, Britt." Quinn exclaims, grinning widely as she walks towards my table.
Upon hearing Quinn's voice, the Associate looks behind him and immediately has this scared look on his face as if someone just took the happiness away from him. When Quinn does get to the spot beside him, she just looks back and raises an eyebrow before saying, "Get out" in the calmest tone anyone could possibly say. Although coming from Quinn, it sounds like the last sweet words you'll hear before you die. Suffice to say, the associate scurries away as fast as he can.
I chuckle and just shake my head in amusement which she returns by shrugging. "I should have you around here more often to do that."
"How 'often' are we talking about?" Quinn utters with a smirk and takes a seat on the left lounge chair in front of my table.
"Let's see," I trail off and open a drawer from the right side bottom of my table. "for the past week, I've gotten one scissors, three Sharpies, two staplers, and four of our own office pens. Basically, I'm Staples right now, Lopez Hayward branch." I jest and she laughs.
"Gosh, this is how they hit on people now? I mean, if you're gonna hit on someone you could at least give them a pen you bought, right?" Quinn retorts. "I guess they'll try their best to woo you since you're the new kid from the block. Don't worry about it though, I'll tell Kitty to spread that you're tight with me and Santana and they won't even dare to look at you."
I shake my head in amusement and relax against my seat. "So, what's up?"
"Nothing much. Just catching up with everyone." She smiles and leans against her seat as well. "How have you been?"
"I've been good. Still trying to get the hang of things and the lack of sleep but yeah, I'm fine."
"That's good to hear, Britt. Though I'm sure that will change for the worse soon with new clients coming in and oh, the initiation trials is coming up too. That's exciting!"
"Yeah, I'll be a great spectator on that one-" I utter but get immediately cut off by her excitement.
"Did you get to hang with Santana?"
My eyes widen, a little taken aback for no apparent reason. "W-Well, we've been working together for the past week. Like apart. But you know, working together. I- Yeah. We worked late at night last Friday and it's okay. It's f-fine." I ramble nervously and try to avoid making eye contact.
She smirks and pretends that it's not a big deal. "I see. Did you have fun with her?"
"F-Fun?"
"Yeah. Fun. I mean, it's only been you two for a week. It can't be all that dull."
"Oh. I-I guess it's been okay. We're talking, so it's good." I clear my throat and try to redeem my calm but she cuts me off before I open up a new topic.
"Really? What did you guys talk about?"
"W-Well, I-I uhmm… We just talked mostly about work and a tiny bit about George." I trail off while she just motions for me to continue. "Nothing much, really. I found out how long she and George have been dating so far, that's about it."
"And then?" She follows eagerly, literally on the edge of her seat. I blink a few times and sigh in defeat.
"It looks like she's happy with her. So, I'm happy for Santana." I reply through the lump in my throat.
"Are you really?" Quinn retorts with a knowing look. "I mean, you probably are but with the way you said that, it's almost like you regret it."
"Wha-"
"What happened to your finger?!" She almost shouts, pointing to my hand and I jump a little in surprise.
"Oh, this. I accidentally cut my finger while I was cooking. Funny you mentioned it, George was the doctor who stitched it up." I say with a smile. She squints her eyes at me and visibly looks like she has a dozen questions clouding her mind right now. But ultimately, she lets it go while I clear my throat. "Anyway, what was it you were going on about earlier?"
She looks up for a second as if to remember it then looks back at me. "Oh, I also came here to invite you for dinner at our place on Thursday."
"D-Dinner?"
"Yep. It's the third and mostly last main meal of the day taken during the evening." She jests in all her cheesiness, looking very amused with her own joke. "But yeah, dinner."
"U-Uhmm… Who's coming?" I ask, even though I'm sure I know the answer but it can't hurt to hear it anyway.
"Me, Rachel, You, and Santana."
"Oh." I reply simply and think about a good answer to the invitation. I haven't bonded with Rachel nor Quinn in a while and I'm honestly kind of lonely since I just got back from London. So, maybe I should say yes.
Quinn smirks at me. "Come on now, Britt. Rachel's not going to be amused with me if you reject the invitation. She's been going on about you for the past few days and how excited she is to have an overnight with you like you talked about over the phone, catching up and shit."
I chuckle, fully knowing how true that statement is. "Fine. I'll come to dinner."
"Great! We're having Italian. Don't worry, I'll make sure there's meat and great food. Lots of it with how much of a big foodie you are."
I smile at her and a thought suddenly pops in my head. "I-Is Santana okay with it though?"
"Of course. She insisted to invite you, actually. In her words, 'Sure, no big deal'." She utters with a grin but is more like a smirk.
She said that? Wow, she must be really okay with having me around like that. My head turns to the side as I blink a few times trying to process that. I'm actually a little glad if that's the case since it means she's keeping her promise of starting over as friends again even if her attitude a while ago suggested otherwise. Maybe it was the lack of coffee on her part, I guess. But I'm really mostly glad I'll get to interact with her again.
"Cool. I'll be there then." I say with a genuine smile.
"Cool. You might want to bring Grams. George might come with us, I'm not sure. Then if we all have great fun, we could go to a karaoke bar or something."
"Wha- I-" I speak up but get immediately cut off by her.
"Oh, by the way, you're second chair on this case Maribel gave to me. It's an embezzlement case. We're meeting the client later at the conference room." She glances at her watch then towards me again. "In about half an hour, actually."
"Okay. But about the dinner-"
"Yeah, I'm excited too. See you later at lunch, Britt! I'm thinking steak." She exclaims in excitement and stands up. Before I get to say anything else, she starts to walk away, leaving me gaping in my seat.
- Santana's POV –
I'm a little bit hungry with everything that's happened this morning. But before I get to have that, Quinn had to drag me into meeting this client. I guess it's one way to pass by the time and subtly avoid Brittany. And not think about her.
So, here I am, sitting in the conference room and waiting for the client who'll be arriving any minute now, all these thoughts on my mind and getting calmer by the minute being alone here. Well, I was until I look to my right and see Brittany about to enter this goddamn room.
"Hi." She utters just as she enters with a questioning look. She walks towards the seat beside me, placing her things on the long table while I'm sporting pure confusion on my face. Thankfully, I'm not the only one who seems to be stumped by the situation. "What are you doing here, San?"
"I think I should be the one to ask you that." I answer with an unsure tone, standing up from my seat and turning to face her.
"Quinn told me I'm meeting a client with her, that I'm second chair on an embezzlement case?"
"That's what she told me as well." I retort and we're left to stare at each other for a few seconds before we finally put the pieces together. Goddamn Quinn. Before we finally get to react properly and adjust to the situation though, a small, redhead woman with a frail frame and anime looking eyes wearing a green dress enters the conference room.
"Hi." She exclaims with a smile and settles herself across from us. "Am I late?"
It takes us a few seconds before we do anything. "Not at all, Miss Pillsbury." Brittany snaps out of it and holds out a hand which the client shakes. "I'm Brittany Pierce and this is-" She says before I cut her off by doing the same.
"Santana Lopez."
"It's nice to meet both of you. Quinn and Maribel told me you two are the best attorneys who can help me in this case."
I see Brittany bite her lip and raise both eyebrows in a little surprise. "U-Us two?"
"Yes. You two are Maribel's associates, right?"
"Y-Yeah. We are." I chime in and glance at the blonde before looking back at our client who genuinely looks puzzled and uneasy.
"Is everything okay, ladies? They did fill you in about this or I'm the one mistaken?"
Brittany seems just about to answer in the affirmative and try to get on with the little show but I decide to beat her into it.
"Everything's good. And she did fill us in." I utter with a grin, trying to front. "Please take a seat." I add and the client does so while Brittany and I slowly take a seat next to each other, trying to lessen the awkwardness.
"S-So, Miss Pillsbury-" Brittany trails off.
"Please call me Emma." She replies with a small smile.
"Emma." The blonde repeats with a courteous tone. "Quinn filled us in but we're hoping you could tell us about it from your point of view."
"Of course." Emma retorts before clearing her throat. "I've been running my non-profit organization, Helping Hands, for five years now with our main goal of providing homes to homeless families and providing jobs for them as well as helping less-fortunate children get off the streets and into schools. So far, we've helped millions get back on their feet and countless more on the way of having a better life." She pauses. "But just last month, I've noticed in our books that we seemed to have lost a total of 20 million dollars for the past five months. The money is supposed to be allotted for creating hundreds of homes in a compound located in New Haven." She adds with a regretful tone while sliding us two gray folders.
I grab mine and start to survey the document to see that a total of more or less 20 million dollars are indeed missing. First, it was just hundreds of thousands and as weeks went on, the sum had gotten significantly bigger until it can be no longer ignored or covered up.
"Who do you think did it?" Brittany speaks up for the both of us.
"It's the accounting firm that's handling our books, Del Monico Accounting." She almost whispers. "There's no other entity who can do it since they are the only ones aside from me and the board to know all the ins and outs of our money."
"How did you manage to figure it out, Emma? And how come you only notice it just last month?" I chime in and give her a quick glance. A figure from my right catches my attention and I see Quinn standing just a few feet away from the glass door, smirking and gesturing towards me with two thumbs up. I grit my teeth but nonetheless, turn my attention back on the client.
"We've only gotten around into buying the lot for the compound a few months ago and after we've settled with how much it will cost us, we finally decided to shell out the money with the assistance of the accounting firm. And that's when they told me that we don't have enough funds for it. I was a little surprised of course since millions have been donated from all over the world and the same accounting firm told us that we had the money to fund the project not less than half a year ago." She reasons out and sighs deeply. "It was only when I had the books double-checked by an independent consultant that we figured out little by little, money has been stolen from the foundation which is inconspicuously replaced by pledges that never really came through which is why I've never noticed it until last month."
Brittany nods at the statement. "I see. I understand that you think it's Del Monico Accounting who stole the money but do you have anything to support your assumption?"
"I do, actually." She replies while taking out a single folder then sliding it towards us. Brittany and I reach for it at the same time, with her grazing her hand on mine for a second and a moment of awkwardness erupts between us as we motion for the other to take it. To prevent stalling or whatever, Brittany just grabs the file and hands it to me, surprising me by her action but nevertheless, I look into it.
"Emma, I've got to ask, what does it mean for the foundation to not get back the money lost and if we're going to sue them, what are your demands?" Brittany inquires.
"I just want the money back and for whoever is responsible for this to account for stealing from the people who need it the most." She pauses. "The foundation is going to bleed and if this fails, we'll have to take the organization down and millions of families won't get the help they so need."
I see Brittany pursing lips just as I hand the file for her to survey it for details.
"Miss Pillsbury, the so-called proof doesn't show that Del Monico Accounting was the one responsible for the crime. There's only the matter of the private investigator you hired and the independent consultant who double-checked it. It's not strong enough to hold up for a settlement or even a trial. It only shows the money missing from your foundation and disappearing out of thin air. We'll have to dig deeper into this if we're going through the whole case. You'll need to give us a few days to do everything we can to find out if Del Monico is indeed accountable for the embezzlement." I speak up.
"I understand. Whoever monster did this embezzled money from people who have no homes and children littering in the streets. These are heartless people." She utters in a hard tone. "Can I trust the both of you to help the foundation?"
Brittany puts the folder down and turns her attention back on the client. "This will take a little time, Emma. But we'll do everything in our power to get the money back."
"Brittany's expertise is financial crime and I specialize in litigation and settlements. Trust in us and we'll win this case. We'll do whatever it takes." I utter with confidence just as we both stand up and bid the client goodbye. For a long moment, we don't speak as we try to gauge how to approach the situation.
Before we get to say anything, Quinn sneaks her head in the conference room with Kitty, all smiles and shit as if nothing happened. "About time for lunch ladies. I have a reservation at the Strip. I missed steak so no judging." She exclaims, giving a quick wink towards my way then saying something about calling her wife and getting a move on in fixing our stuff so we can finally eat.
"Y-Yeah. W-What she said." I utter softly and get all my things from the table. Before she gets to say anything else, I leave the room and her completely high and dry.
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