Disastrous (Disastrous Series) (13 page)

I stood in place for a few minutes before going out to make sure Marcus was far enough. I went out and walked to the alleyway next to our building. I dumped the trash and practically ran back in. What was that conversation about? And what did that Uncle Louie mean, talk about the next job. What was Marcus into? What I did know was that conversation had
nothing
to do with a legal case. He did call him uncle, so I’m guessing he’s related.

Deciding to put aside my thoughts of Marcus and Uncle Louie for the moment, I searched my clothes instead to figure out what I would wear for my first day of work. It didn’t take long for me to choose the light grey, high-waisted pencil skirt with a sky blue blouse and nude pumps. That will certainly have Marcus thinking about our little weekend all day at work tomorrow; well at least I hope so. After ironing my clothes and gently placing them on a hanger, I hopped in the shower.

****

It was nine o’clock when I heard the front door open. Jeremy’s grin widened when he saw me on the couch. “Hey, Mia! How was your weekend?” he asked as he placed his keys on top of the table and walked over to me. He kissed my forehead before taking the empty space beside me. “I see you’ve gotten a nice tan.”

I smiled like a school girl, remembering my weekend. “It was so much fun. I love the Bahamas! We should go there together before the summer is over.”

He shrugged as he reached for the remote. “Sounds good to me; I haven’t been to the Bahamas in a couple years.”

“So are you set for tomorrow?” I asked as I stretched my legs over his thighs.

“Yeah, I’m kind of excited. You want to drive down together? Or do you have plans after work?”

“No that sounds good. Well I’m going to bed; I’m exhausted. Good night.”

“Okay, I’m going to watch TV for a while before calling it quits. Good night, Mia.”

He asked me about my weekend and that was it. He didn’t ask me about Marcus or any scoop regarding what happened. He’s such a guy! Sometimes on days like this, I wish I had a girlfriend: someone I could call and confide in, someone that can give me advice and tell me if I’m making a stupid mistake or a good move. Other days I wish I had a mother: a mother who would wipe away my tears, a mother who would encourage me to do well, and a mother whose words could soothe a broken heart. God! I only get this emotional and sensitive when my time of the month is approaching. So I know it’s coming soon…oh well, off to bed I go.

My alarm was set for 6:35 in the morning; although, I knew I could sleep in for another half hour. I woke up and used that time for a morning workout. I wanted to make sure I was flawless today; first impressions are everything. Well it was my first impression for the office, and I wanted to look good for Marcus. The memories of my weekend with him forced me to stay in the shower a little longer than necessary.

When I finished my shower, I dressed in the clothes I’d laid out the night before and took extra time doing my makeup and hair. I styled my hair in a low ponytail with my bangs swept to the side of my face. I completed my look with medium white gold hoop earrings and a simple thin necklace with a diamond pendant my father purchased for me on my fourteenth birthday. I glanced in the mirror and congratulated myself on a job well done.

It was 8:15 a.m
.
, and I was ashamed to admit my disappointment when I didn’t receive any text messages from Marcus. I felt a deep twist in my stomach, thinking that he might not be interested in me any longer. I was not going to allow that to ruin my morning though. When I walked out to the kitchen, I was shocked to see that Jeremy was ready. He was dressed and had two travel mugs of coffee in his hands. He walked over to me and handed me one. I couldn’t help but smile at how handsome he looked in his all-grey suit, sky blue shirt and matching tie. We matched.

“What?” he asked after taking a sip of coffee.

“Nothing, I was just thinking you’re going to make one handsome lawyer one day.” He shot me a crooked smile, and we walked out of the building.

We decided on his car and headed toward Midtown Center City. Traffic wasn’t too bad, and we made it to the parking lot with ten minutes to spare. Jeremy had come for the interview, so he knew where we were going. I followed as we entered into a sky high building. The design and décor had Jeremy’s father’s name written all over it. I’d seen a lot of his work and could point it out in a heartbeat. He was definitely a creative man and knew how to satisfy a customer. The lobby of the building was beautifully designed with all-white marble floors and black and platinum fixtures and furniture.

We walked to the visitors’ table where we gave our name and
id
s to a good-looking young man. He handed us badges that gave us access to the building until August first, which was the last day of our externship. We entered the elevators. Jeremy pressed the button for the 25
^th
floor and swiped the badge along a scanner, just like he was told to do by the young man at the front desk. The ride up was a smooth one, and to my surprise I didn’t feel nauseated like I usually do on elevators.

Upon entering the 25
^th
floor we were presented with double glass doors with
DELUCA & ASSOCIATES
engraved in frosted letters. Jeremy opened the door and, as always, allowed me in first. There were cherry hardwood floors, and the blond receptionist was seated behind a high desk in the center of the room. On the right side of her desk there were two chairs, a sofa, and a coffee table for guests. The same exact arrangement was on the left side of her desk. We walked towards the receptionist whom Jeremy instantly found attractive. I could tell by his flirtatious smile. He leaned his arm over the desk and winked at her; she blushed immediately.
I
rolled my eyes.

“How may I help you?” she asked him a little too seductively.

“We’re the new summer externs, and I would
love
to take you out.” He leaned in closer onto the desk and flashed a huge grin. Her face turned a darker shade of red, and she looked down shyly to compose herself. She finally looked up.

“I would
love
that too…Mr. DeLuca is waiting for all the externs in the small conference room. Head down that hall, the first door to the left. Oh and here’s my number—call me after work some time.” She winked, and I almost barfed.

Jeremy grabbed the piece of paper and placed it in his jacket pocket. I rolled my eyes at him again. He caught my reaction this time and placed his arm around my waist. He walked beside me as we headed towards the conference room. “Jealous,
much
?” he asked.

“Ha! You wish. You’re a pig. You couldn’t even wait to settle in the new job for five minutes before trying to get your dick in someone’s skirt!” He didn’t respond just smiled at me; he knew I was right!

“You’re such a
womanizer
.” I breathed.

As we entered the door, he slapped my ass: his response to my comment. I turned and punched his arm. He rubbed his throbbing bicep.
Well at least I hoped it was throbbing
. He looked down at me with a crooked smile. I couldn’t help but laugh in response. In the middle of our goofing around, I heard someone clear his throat. I turned around to see who it was. There he was, Marcus, sitting at the head of the conference table; he looked tense and very upset. Sitting beside him was a red-headed woman. She stood from her seat and gave us a polite smile. Jeremy and I made our way towards them.

“Nice to see you again, Jeremy, please have a seat, and you must be Mia? I’m Lisa Harper, very nice to meet you.” She offered her hand and I shook it. Marcus and Jeremy said their hellos before Jeremy sat next to him on the opposite side of the table across from Lisa. I was left with no choice but to either take a seat next to Jeremy, next to Lisa, or on the other end of the table directly across from Marcus.

“It’s very nice to meet you as well, Ms. Harper, Marcus.” I shot him a nervous smile and a slight wave of my hand. He nodded in response, not taking his eyes off me as I made my way around the table to sit next to Jeremy. I felt so uncomfortable. He seemed angry, or was this just the mask he wore at work?

I didn’t dare look in his direction, but I could feel the heat of his stare. I knew this would be awkward. I should have known something was up when I didn’t receive a text from him this morning. Screw that shit! I can play this game as well. I’ll show him he doesn’t intimidate me. I straightened my shoulders and folded my hands on top of the table, avoiding eye contact with him.

“We are just waiting for the other two externs before getting started. They should be here any moment. Please help yourself to coffee and pastries by the coffee table over there.” Lisa pointed behind Marcus. Both Jeremy and I thanked her but declined the offer.

The next few minutes were horrendous as Lisa and Jeremy spoke, and I sat there twirling my fingers. I could see from my peripheral vision Marcus grabbing his phone and dabbing his thumbs on the keys; it looked like he was sending an email or text. I felt my phone vibrate against the table. When I glanced at my screen, I saw the text was from him.

Marcus (8:56am): What the hell was that?

Me (8:56am): What?

Marcus (8:57am): Your little entrance with Jae!

It took me seconds to respond. Is that what he was upset about? Jeremy and I were only kidding…we were goofing around like we always do.

Me (8:57am): We were just joking around.

Marcus (8:58am): I didn’t like it! At all!

What do I say to that? I’m sorry for clowning around with my best friend?
What the hell is his problem?
I just stared at my phone for a few seconds, not knowing how to reply. He seemed very angry, but I couldn’t believe it was over that. I was trying to gather my thoughts to find the right words to respond. Luckily the other two externs walked in, and I quickly put my phone away. That would buy me time to think of something to say. They said their hellos and took their seats before Marcus began talking.

“Good morning, everyone, as you may already know I’m Marcus DeLuca, and this is Lisa Harper. She is my right hand. Any issue you may have, you go to her first, and if it’s something she’s not able to handle, she will bring it to my attention to be solved. The four of you were carefully selected for the summer extern positions. As you are aware, we have four separate departments. Each department is handled by a partner of the firm.

“Each of you will be assigned to one of the departments, working closely with the partner. Jeremy, you’ll be working with Jason Peirce in the civil department. Tasha, you’ll be working with Cynthia Evers in the contracts department. David, you will be working with Tracy Long in the antitrust department, and Mia, you will be working with me in the criminal department.” I looked up, shocked. No one seemed to notice or even care that I’d be working hand in hand with Marcus. Well except for Jeremy whose foot slightly nudged against mine.

“I’m sure all of you will do a great job. Lisa already has discussed your pay rate, and you’ll be getting paid on a weekly basis. At the end of your term, a letter will be sent to the university signed by the partner you have worked with. The letter will discuss which cases you’ve worked on and the hours you have put in. That will be all for now unless anyone has any questions…okay, then, Lisa will you take the externs and introduce them to the partners they will be working with? Mia, you can follow me, and I will get you settled in.”

Marcus stood up and walked toward the door. I quickly jumped from my seat, but Jeremy grabbed my arm before I turned to leave. “Want to do lunch today?” he asked.

I glanced over my shoulder to see Marcus staring at me and waiting by the doorway. “Uh, I’ll shoot you a text and let you know.” I quickly grabbed my belongings and rushed to the door. I walked directly behind him as I followed in his direction. Not watching where I was walking, I almost tripped over my own heels.

Luckily Marcus didn’t notice as he entered a room. When I walked into the oversized office with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the city, I was in awe. Marcus’ office was completely different from the rest of the building. It had a masculine, antique look to it. His desk looked like it was a dining room table that had been used at a ranch. He had a rustic style coffee table with oversized chairs and a large bookcase which held numerous volumes of law books, both of which had the same wooden texture as his desk. I loved it; it felt warm and peaceful. There was a small bar on the right side of the office, small antique statues on the tables, and artwork on the walls.

He closed and locked the door behind me and sat at one of the oversized chairs by the coffee table. He motioned with his hand for me to join him. I slowly walked over and sat across from him. He was quiet for a while longer. I wasn’t sure if I should break the silence, but when I was going to, he cleared his throat. I watched as he placed his elbows on his knees, then he joined his hands together and slightly lowered his head as if it were difficult for him to speak. “It’s
not
like me to be a jealous man, Mia.
Fuck
, I’m never jealous. Though for some reason, when you walked into the conference room with Jeremy’s arm around your waist and when he slapped your
ass
, it took
every
part of me to not stand up and knock him the fuck out.”

“
Marcus
,” I breathed his name so low I’m not sure if he heard me.

“No, let me finish.” I leaned back against the plush chair and allowed him to continue. He remained with his head lowered. “See, even if it weren’t Jeremy, if it was a total stranger, I would’ve still felt the same because, for some reason, you make feel that way, and
now
that I know the history between you and him, it made it that much harder to control myself. I’m telling you now that I didn’t like it.” He lifted his head finally, his eyes meeting mine.

I swallowed before speaking. “I’m sorry you feel that way, and I would never want to make you feel uncomfortable
or
jealous, but I cannot stress this
enough
to you: Jeremy and I are
just
friends. That’s how we goof around Marcus, it was completely innocent. If you want whatever this is between us to work, you will have to
trust
me.”