After watching Ms. Lulling's video, I was exhausted as though I actually did have sex with her. I fell right asleep, and was almost late for work today as I neglected to set the alarm in my post-orgasmic, fatigued stupor. I was going to have a "discussion" with her about the USB she sent me, but I was too tired.
Everything I need to work on my cases is within arm's reach- my assistants via my phone, meticulously organised case notes and of course, my darling office computer. However, using any of those resources was almost as tiring as physically going to them myself. I might as well greet Ms. Kenner outside of out polite greetings. I might as well go to the research room, and pore over the law books myself.
At 8:40am, creepily right on cue, my office door burst open and in came Jackson Vaughn like a gust of wind. A pestilential gust of wind. "Gerard! You signed in on time. You're always ten minutes early. What the fuck happened?"
"Are you stalker, or what?!" I grumbled, not remotely close to being in even the mood to deal with Jackson's daily intrusions.
He then wore that ridiculous, cheeky grin that only his mother would love. "It was 'cos of a girl, huh?"
I hurled a fluoro yellow highlighter at him, upon discerning that a pair of scissors could amount to something very illegal, and an eraser wouldn't hurt enough. I couldn't lie, I chuckled in amusement when he shot me an annoyed look- the roles had been reversed, and in my bad mood, I couldn't think of anything funnier.
"Jesus, you haven't changed! You're still a bastard! Can't have been a girl, then."
"Have you considered that perhaps my prudence is a result of my personality rather than a lack of a sex life?"
""A lack of a sex life"?" Jackson repeated with too much glee. Oh no. What in the world did I just admit? Now he'll never stop annoying me. "Woah! Did you just thinly veil that I was right? Anyway, send me the link to the porno that made you almost late it must be awe-"
"Just get out, alright?" I pointed at the door. At this stage, I have higher hopes in a mad bull to obey me.
Ignoring me (of course), Jackson asked, "I forgot to ask, but what was her visit yesterday all about? She practically sprinted out of your office like she found out you're an alien or somethin'."
Clearly, he was referring to the time yesterday afternoon when Ms. Lulling handed me that USB. I could feel the blood rush to my cheeks, and could only hope it didn't show. "She handed me some evidence, that's all. Well, technically, it was an estimation of our clients' damages." I was lucky that a decent lie floated into my mind so conveniently. "Remember? That class action suit I was talking about? Well, I don't expect you to, but..."
He stared at me blankly, so I stared back as a show of confidence in what I just said. I thought he was going to put up a fight, but he then smiled, "Right. Well, I'll leave you to it, alright? My assistant told me I have a 9 o'clock in the conference room, so I can't be late to that."
"Punctuality is one of the very few good traits about you."
"Charmed, Gerard. Catch ya later," Jackson waved casually as he pressed down the door handle. His straw-blond hair swished as he craned his head backwards to face me again. What now? "Oh, I can't do lunch today, because I have a 1:15 settlement meeting. Sorry."
"Um, it's fine..." I couldn't hide my surprise I felt when not only he said "sorry," but he's actually working. My guess is that he's trying to cram his meetings all in the one day.
*********
Jackson closed Gerard's office door behind him silently, and walked down the hallway with his hands in his navy blue trouser pockets. He had just told his best friend a couple of lies. However, he wasn't sure how he was really feeling. Despite his happy-go-lucky, easygoing attitude, he never white-lied, nor held any secrets of his own for very long. All he could do was tell himself that this was for the betterment of his friend, and that in certain situations, leaving your basic principles home was the only way to move onwards.
Heaving a sigh, he approached the desk of his assistant, Tina Underwood, and knocked on a free space on her table like it was a door. "G'morning, Tina! Were you able to tell me where Ashlee Lulling's office is?"
"Good morning, Jack," the blonde adorned with a stylish pair of rectangular glasses greeted her superior with a honey-sweet smile. Wedged between her desk phone and the hard drive of her computer was a small D-ring folder. She opened it up, and scanned the page with her green eyes. "Ashlee Lulling's office is in Accounting- the seventh floor, room five."
"Thanks."
"Don't you have a copy of the firm directory?"
"Um, I lost it, probably."