For a moment, I panicked and thought I lost a page. But, I had counted twice, so I knew they had to be all there. He had to just be shocked that it was so short, especially since it was for such a big case. “That's all she gave me,” I informed him calmly. Inside, my stomach was a bag of hot snakes.
Calvin's eyes darkened. If book-holding-man hadn't been there, I would have been blamed and yelled at for something that wasn't my fault. I sent the man behind me a silent beam of gratitude for just being there.
“This isn't enough. Do you have any idea how big this case is? I need to get it to Kathryn tomorrow morning before we meet with the client. You'll have to stay late and add to it.” Calvin shut the folder and crossed his arms. He seemed to stare over me, like I wasn't even worthy of his gaze.
“What!?” I squeaked before I could modulate my voice. This wasn't fair! “I have plans tonight. I have a date tonight! It was Alexa's job- make her do it!”
“Sorry, Lena. It's your responsibility now. Get it done.” Calvin met my eyes. He was pissed and wanted to yell, but couldn't. He didn't know who the assistant behind me belonged to and he didn't want his name tarnished in the upper circles of the company. I opened my mouth to protest again, but he just shut the door in my face.
I stared at the wooden grain of the door for a moment, trying to understand how my day could have gone so terribly wrong. It was as if the universe were punishing me for something.
“Sorry about that,” I said, turning around and putting a pleasant expression on my face. His face was unreadable and I refused to look at his eyes. I was too ashamed of how my boss had just treated me. “The elevator upstairs to the library is just around the corner. I can show you out now if you want, though. You don't have to go upstairs.”
“I said I'd carry them,” he replied, smiling gently at me. I looked up and again was lost in those beautiful eyes. When he looked at me, I felt like I was the center of his world. It was a heady feeling. The loss of his gaze was almost painful as he turned to walk in the direction I had just pointed. I hurried to catch up to him, feeling a deep gratitude for him not bailing on me. It was a sad statement that a stranger I had known for five minutes was the kindest person I had talked to all day.
“Thank you,” I said catching up to him. I wanted to tell him just how much the simple gesture meant to me today, but I didn't want to sound crazy. He was just killing time until his ride got here, but his help was the nicest thing he could have done for me today.
“So, you had a date tonight?” he said conversationally as we walked. I was glad he wasn't commenting on how my boss had behaved or how my evening had been ruined.
“That's what you picked up on out of that conversation? My date?” I teased gently, pressing the call button for the elevator. He shrugged, his broad shoulders moving easily as he smiled crookedly. There was an easy sex appeal to him that made it hard to concentrate on anything but how good he made that shirt look.
I knew I looked terrible. My mascara had to be in raccoon territory and my dark blonde hair was falling out of the bun I had put it in after the rain. Plus, I was barefoot and my nylons were running. He was so far out of my league that I felt lucky just to be in the same building as him. A man as good-looking as he was didn't go for Plain Jane girls like me. They just flirted, beefing up their game and getting ready for the hotter girls. Like Alexa.
Even though I knew he couldn't possibly be actually interested in me, he still made my body react like I had a chance. Every part of me wanted him to know that I was a woman and very interested in the heat his gaze was giving off. Even if he didn't mean it, his smoldering smile was going to give me some wonderful dreams later.
“It was a date with my sister,” I explained, stepping into the open elevator doors. He followed behind me, and I suddenly wished the elevator was smaller so we would have to stand closer together. “She was going to take me out to celebrate.”
“What are you celebrating?” he asked. I pushed the button for the next floor up and hoped that the power would go out. I could happily spend the evening with this man in an elevator.
“I won a case.” The lie came quick and easy. I didn't even actually think about it. I didn't want to tell him that we were supposed to celebrate the raise I didn't get in the review that had gone completely sour. I didn't want to embarrass myself anymore than I already had. Besides, it wasn't a total lie. I had worked on the case Calvin won yesterday, so technically, I had won the case too.
He smiled proudly at me and I felt all warm and fuzzy inside. “Congratulations!”
I liked the way he said it- like he meant it. It was the first nice thing anyone had said to me all day and it gave me a wonderful, heady joy. For a moment, my bad day wasn't bad at all.
“You have any other dates planned to celebrate it?” he asked as the elevator came to a stop. There was a cautious expectancy on the edges of his voice that my brain wanted to interpret as interest. He wanted to know if I was seeing anyone.
“No. No dates or anyone to take me on one,” I replied, feeling brave with him. “Why? You planning on asking me out on one?”
“Maybe,” he said with a shrug and a wry smile. I couldn't read his face well enough to tell if he was just flirting or serious.
The idea that he would even be interested in taking me on a date made my stomach do happy flip flops. My brain said he was joking because there was no way he was serious. I tried to think of a reply that wouldn't make me look overeager if he was just playing with me and couldn't. The elevator doors opened before I had to respond, and I gratefully hurried out before I said something that gave away how much I would enjoy a date.
I glanced behind me to see him still wearing a self-assured half-smile across his handsome face. I shook my head to clear my thoughts, but he was still dominating all my thinking power. I wanted him to be serious about wanting a date. I wanted it, but I wasn't sure I could handle it if I got one. A girl could fall in love with a man like that and never recover. Besides, who meets their Prince Charming in an elevator on a day when nothing seems to go right?
Chapter 3
The upper floor of the McDonald, Smith and Ward law firm was made for impressing clients. It had a chic modern vibe that screamed wealth and power. The Chicago office was the flagship for the six other US branches and two international offices, and every inch was made to represent that fact.
Not far from the elevator was the legal library. While many firms were switching to strictly computer-based systems, McDonald, Smith and Ward had decided to use the beauty of the old books to impress clients. Big, sound-proof glass windows separated it from the hallway, but let anyone who walked past see the glorious amount of books inside. The collection was the envy of several small law schools.