Checkmate

23

4 months later

   I stepped into the breakroom waving at our new interns before helping myself to a warm cup of coffee. Looking through the cabinet for the Irish cream Keurig, I came up short and sighed in defeat. Settling for the next best thing, I took out from the fridge the milk and creamer, waiting for the plain coffee to fill my mug.

As the stream of my beverage slowed to a drip, the chatter died down only briefly, replaced by hushed whispers and the girly giggles of our interns who, after several months of being here, apparently still didn't know what was best for them.

My eyes fluttered shut as the faint footsteps grew louder. I was already tired of his presence before he came up beside me, his nose up as he gazed out the window before saying without looking at me, "Morning, Kim. Not getting your usual today?"

I groaned in annoyance, not stopping as I poured some milk into my mug. After one look at the ceramic container clutched tightly in his hand, I threw his question back at him.

"I could say the same for you. I thought you liked your coffee, black. You know, deprived of all humanity?" I said as I shifted to face him, blowing on my drink when he began to chuckle.

"Well, I've heard some pretty good stuff about Irish cream, so I thought I'd give it a chance."

  My smirk immediately dropped as I registered the meaning of his words. With a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, he gave me a sly smile before taking a deliberately big, loud gulp, humming approvingly.

"I agree."

My nostrils flared as I tried to keep my composure.

He was trying to get under my skin. The sudden urge to slap the smugness off his face was a clear sign he was succeeding, but I didn't care to try to hide it.

"Ass," I gritted and started for the door, deliberately knocking our shoulders together, hoping to spill his coffee all over his suit.

"I'm more of a tits guy, but yours is..."

I twirled around and pinned him with a warning glare.

"Don't go there."

He raised his hands in surrender, "Relax, Kim. I'll get you a whole box of Keurig. Leaving your stuff around just isn't safe these days."

   I look at him from head to toe. From his expensive pumps to his well-styled hair, Jackson McCaskey would have you fooled with his clown-fish act, but he was a shark. If he was ready to go out of his way to give me a hard time after my latest win, that meant he smelled blood.

"So I've heard," I finally said, pinning him with an accusatory glare.

He nodded pensively while gently twirling his mug before looking at me again, a sly smirk growing at the corner of his lips.

"I hear Roggers is looking for you."

At last, the other shoe dropped.

   My relationship with our new boss was icy at best. Kicking things off with a controversial case hadn't been part of his agenda. Smith vs Pavelka turned Smith vs Smith could serve as a career maker or the one nail in my professional coffin. Against all of Jackson's hopes, I was still here. The fact pissed him off, which made the reward even sweeter.

I took a deep breath, the puzzle pieces coming together in my mind quickly enough to understand the innuendo in his next words.

"Seeing how your last meeting went, I wouldn't keep him waiting if I were you."