Thanks for all of the fantastic reviews. I love and appreciate all of them. Also I had too much fun writing Owen, and now Eli. Enjoy!
Owen left for home a few days after he told Alicia he would. He stayed at a hotel so she wouldn't know he was still there. And frankly, she wouldn't have cared, to tied up with the contest with Carry. Things got so hectic, she didn't even have talk to her family about the night Peter broke house arrest. But Peter had one his case, and the kids filled their days with school work and friends, so the family was busy with themselves. Will was also very tied up.
Will knew that Alicia deserve this position. No one will hire her if he don't. Carry can find any other firm, but Alicia. And he wanted to be fair. He couldn't let his feelings dictate his work life. He just hoped that she was able to impress everyone else enough to stay. And she did.
But things only seemed to get more challenging for her. And more and more people seemed to expect things out of her. Especially Peter and his campaign, now that he is free.
"Alicia. No worries I am welcomed now that I am a client of Lockhart and Gardner."Eli said as Alicia walked into her office after a meeting.
"Yes Eli you are. How can I help you. Or do just want to listen to me work." Alicia said as she sat down in her chair.
"Oh Alicia, don't be like that. I just want to ask a since I brought my business here and I didn't have to." Eli said, as he moved into a more comfortable position.
"And I didn't have to put lipstick on but I did. And Eli there is a limit to how much you use that card."
"Fair enough. This is meme collins, she was raped in college two years ago by her boyfriend."Eli said pulling the picture out of a young girl.
"Eli if it's criminal, you can take it upstairs."Alicia said wondering what she would have to do with this girl.
"It's not, wanna know why?"
"I have a feeling you're going to tell me anyway."
"When she went back to college after the sad incident. She was murdered because Childs decided to review all of your husbands cases and released him. Meme is now dead." Eli said showing her a photograph of the now dead college student.
"Sounds like a good campaign propaganda to me."Alicia said, still wondering what she has to do with any of this.
"It would, if Peter wanted to run. He said after dinner last night, he didn't want to be tempted by power and fame." Eli said, still annoyed by Peter's comment.
"Well Eli that wasn't me." Alicia said turning to her desk.
"I know, it was pastor Isaiah."
"So what am I supposed to do. Find him another pastor?" Alicia said confused.
"No. Just convince Peter that your marriage is perfect, and you don't need all of that."
"So. Lie." Alicia said bluntly, taken aback by her own words.
"I thought things were getting better."Eli said confused. He knew they weren't perfect, but he thought they were ok. He was actually astonished that Alicia stayed with Peter, and it did make his job a lot easier. But that didn't mean he approved.
"Maybe for Peter. Look Mr. Gold, I really don't have time for this."Alicia said getting up.
"Look Peter won't win without you. You know that. The only way he will win is if you are standing by his side with him with your seal of approval. Voters need to see you two together. He needs you."
"Goodbye Mr. Gold." Alicia said, done with this conversation.
Will had been going through the conversation he a Owen had a couple of weeks ago, and he was trying to figure out what he should do about Alicia. How was he supposed to show that he loved her, will be with her forever, and remind her everything will be fine no matter what as long as they were together? Easy as pie. And then he thought of it.
He left his office and went across the street and grabbed pizza and beer. Then he ran back across the street and went straight to Alicia's office.
He stood in her doorway for a second, just watching her work.
"We're never going to get out of here." He said holding the beer up.
"Dinner?"Alicia said happy and confused.
"Yup. Can I?" He asked walking in and sitting down.
"So what are we to talk about? Because I wasn't prepared to have the conversation yet." Alicia said as her heart started to beat out of her chest.
"No. we can talk about anything. We do need to talk about 'us' but I will not pressure you. Take as long as you want ok?" Will said handing her a beer. The two of them went from conversation to conversation as they went through the pizza and beers. It started about the case and ended with college.
"First impressions go." Will said, excited about how she thought about him.
"No. Once you go there you can never go back." Alicia said finishing off her beer.
"Awe come on Leesh. You have to."Will pleaded, hoping her nickname would entice her.
"No. Ok a gorgeous, stuck up, know it all player. I also thought you were a bad boy, but not onne that hurts people, just the one that seems bad, but is really nice. And In a way I was right."Alicia said blushing.
"You thought I was gorgeous?" Will said teasing.
"And stuck up." Alicia shot back, but ended up laughing anyway.
"Now you." Alicia demanded.
"Oh I couldn't."Will said stretching his legs.
"Oh now you have to, come on."Alicia said tapping his knee.
"Ok, I thought you were some rich girl that got everything she wanted. But I also thought there was more to that beautiful smile of yours. And first day in mock trial, I knew you would be a fantastic lawyer. I was mostly right too. Just not the rich girl thing." Will smiled sipping his beer. Alicia pushed him.
"Rich girl really?" She smiled at the fact that he thought she was beautiful so many years ago.
"I mean you always sat there at first and didn't want to be bothered by anyone. Oh my god, the faces you had when guys came up to you, hilarious. And hey I think it's even." Will said smiling. Just as Alicia was about to make a come back, she got a phone call.
"Always with the phone. Next dinner, no phones." Will teased as she answered her phone.
"Hey Kalinda. What's up?"
"What are you doing?"Kalinda asked, hoping she wasn't ruining family time.
"I'm just with Will why?"Upon hearing his name , Kalinda got super excited.
"Oh, are you guys doing something intimate. 'Cause I can call back."
"Kalinda! No. What do you need?"Alicia asked, not completely mad at her. She turned seeing Will smile.
"Ha, well I need you to come meet me it's about the case. I'll text you details."
"Bye, see you there."Alicia said hanging up, but not before hearing her laugh.
"Sorry Kalinda needed me to meet her somewhere."
"It's ok. As long as you promise we will always be like this." Will said getting up.
"Like what?"
"This, happy, able to talk to each other about anything. Because I like myself around you, and I don't like myself around most people." Will said, waiting for her to get up as well.
"That's not true. Your a great person." Alicia said, never breaking eye contact.
"No, I just make it seem that way. It's an act, just never with you. But this was a nice dinner."
"Yeah, worth the wait."Alicia said as she collected her bags.
"Alicia, you always have options, and even if they don't seem like the best one, they're still there."Will said as he left alicia's office for his. In the elevator up, he had hoped she understood his words and didn't misinterpret them into something else.
The case went on, not how everyone hoped, but they one. Even so, he could not get the image of disgust in Alicia out of his mind. He didn't mean for it to happen that way, but these were the times he didn't like himself. But as he sat in his office, awaiting Peter's speech, he couldn't help to think about her. What she was doing, how she was feeling, and what she felt about him at this moment, because he knew how he felt about her. And in ten minutes the love of his life would be standing on a podium next to her husband and pledged her allegiance to him, in front of the whole world. And he couldn't see that happen. After debating for a couple more minutes, he called her.
"Alicia, hey where are you?"Will said as he hesitantly continued.
"At Peter's conference, look I can barely hear you hold on." Alicia said as she saw Eli eye ball her. She walked back into the hallway that her and Peter just discussed him running.
"That's better, now what's wrong?"
"Nothing, I mean something."Will sighed before continuing.
"I don't want to go through life and think something didn't happen just because I didn't make myself clear."Will said, hoping she would understand.
"Will what are you talking about?" Alicia said trying to hear him better.
"Alicia, 'us', I'm talking about us. I want us."
"A plan." Was all Alicia said as she saw Eli come and get her.
"A plan?"Will said shocked and confused.
"Yes, I have two kids and a husband, I can't drop everything for on a wim." Alicia said as she was dragged back towards Peter."
"Ok."
"What?" Alicia yelled, unable to hear by the noise of the reporters.
"OK! OK! Come to my place later."Will screamed, but the next thing he heard was a dial tone.
I hate leaving on cliffhangers, but it is also so much fun and suspenseful. No worries, this is not the end. I had so much fun writing this chapter. I hope everyone liked it. Please review.