Notes: There are two people I would like to thank without who this story would not exist. The first is Demoka, whose lovely prompt started it all ;) The second is Piatot, who, (hopefully successfully) kicked writersblock ass, and gave me some great ideas and insight! THANK YOU :D Some more chaps coming up, folks, bear with me...
Week 1
1st of May (Wednesday)
The phone found the receiver a little too loudly. The clatter of it, falling out and on her desk again, resounded in the empty hall at the moment Diane exited the elevator. The sophisticated woman raised her eyebrow in amused question, and Courtney, embarrassed, looked down.
`Something is not going as planned?`
The assistant managed a brave smile, but her eyes flashed with something close to panic.
`I… It`s… I will manage in the end. I`m sorry`
`No… No… No reason to apologize, I just advice you to not let the clients see it when you get too frustrated… Oh and never throw the phone at the glass, I`ve learned very early in my days here they don`t like that…`
The experienced lawyer laughed and before Courtney could ask if she meant the phone or the glass walls, the phone in front of her made its presence known by ringing loudly. She looked at Diane apologetically when she answered.
`Lockhart/Gardner, Alicia Fl… Oh Kalinda! Finally…'
From the corner of her eye Courtney saw how Diane, who had started to make her way to her office, stopped at the sound of her relieved voice and listened. Suppressing a smile she continued.
'Yes, Alicia asked me to tell you the witness… Oh… Yes… I see… So you want me to… Couldn`t you call… Ah… No… Yes, but then… Yes… Yes, I`ll tell her.`
With a resigning sigh she hung up, this time careful placing the phone in its holder, and stared at it for a couple of seconds before, as if she was bracing herself and picked it up again.
`Alicia? I just spoke to Kal… Yes… Well, she said the witness is on his way to you right now… Oh, really? But I thought you said… So that is NOT what you need… Yes, I could tell her but… No, I just… Maybe this could be easier if you just contacted Ka… No… No… Ok… I`ll tell her.`
When she ended the call and dialed a number again, she heard the clicking of Diane`s heels pick up again, and the sound of the closing door made her, shivery, breathe out.
She may or may not have been talking to the dial tone the entire time. She may or may not have used the smart phone on her lap to make sure the phone rang at exactly the right moment.
But later that day, when she heard Diane urge them to `make it better` she thought it had been worthy when she looked at her shaking hands.
She should have known.
Being subtle sure was nerve wrecking work.
3th of May (Friday)
Courtney entered Alicia`s glass office with a smile, and waved at her with the file in her hand. Her boss, who had gotten stuck on a case earlier that day, looked up, surprised but hopeful.
She may or may not have chosen her position so, that the incident that clearly happened in ANOTHER glass office, would be visible for Alicia as soon as she placed her attention on the assistant.
`What`s going on over there?`
It was clearly visible from Alicia`s shocked expression she had not meant to say the sentence out loud. But Courtney simply glanced behind her –as is she wasn't aware of the situation- and brought her voice to a low whisper.
' Oh, they say Kalinda has been missing some deadlines. And Mr. Gold is NOT amused.`
She smiled, and handed her boss the file, the small bright green post-it clearly standing out against the red folder.
She started to make her way out when she saw Alicia frown from her peripheral view, from the ink on the green, from the scene in the other office, and bit the inside of her cheek when she took a quick step back.
`Oh, sorry, that was for me.'
She smiled uncomfortably and breathlessly, as she snatched the post-it with Kalinda`s handwriting away from her boss, and quickly made her way out of the office. She had to hide her mouth behind her hand several times that day, concealing a smile every time Alicia glanced at the in-house investigator. Despite not being stuck on her case anymore, her boss worked late that night. Must have been all the distractions…
At the end of the day, Courney carefully placed a small green note in her briefcase. She may or may not have want to hide the evidence of her own practice. She may or may not have looked for what felt like ages for the small green papers the investigator used to use when she communicated with Alicia –and, Courtney suspected, ONLY when she communicated with Alicia- . She may or may not have practiced for hours to imitate the curve in the K, and the curl of the a.
Courtney smiled, and massaged her tired hand.
She should have known.
Being subtle sure was hard work.
TO BE CONTINUED