Drowning

Chapter Nineteen

I decided to wait for him to pass by the office, but today it's monday and I'm done waiting. He clearly doesn't want to come by my office, so I'll come to him. I'm not the type of woman who backs out of conflict and I'm clearly not the type that can be ignored. I care about my company and how we solve this issue with the least damage possible. Because of this everything in me is hurting. I couldn't sleep the last four days stressing so the gym has been my only release. Really doesn't help running miles on end and then being so restless that I start boxing or lifting.

Walking out the elevator and towards his office, I see the woman who he was yelling at the elevator, the day I met his father. When she sees me walking, a scowl sets on her face. Guess someone isn't happy to see me.

"I'm here to see Mr. Black." I tell her when I reach her desk.

She scans me from head to toe before settling on a "He's busy." Well tough shit that he's busy I'm going to talk to him.

So, ignoring the assistant I reach for the door and enter hearing a "Hey, you can't do that" as I do it. A second later I'm inside with the blonde behind me and emerald green eyes set on mine.

I notice there is another man standing in the room, I quickly scan him. He's looking towards me doing the same. He's nothing compared to Aiden. They clearly had the same exact expensive taste, as both of their suits looked like they cost more than someone's yearly salary, but who am I to say that. He is just a bit smaller but still broad in figure and has blonde hair instead of brown but he is nonetheless handsome.

"I'm sorry I told her you were busy." I could feel the intensity of the blonde's stare on my back but I ignored it as I kept looking at both men standing in front of me. I wouldn't call her blonde but I can't remember her name.

"Leave Katherine," Katherine, that's it. Still an asshole I see. The next thing I know I hear the door closing.

"We need to talk Black. You've been unreachable for days now. And I was promised the best, and this little houdini act plus what went down wednesday doesn't feel like the best.'' I say, settling my purse and coat on his couch and leaning against it looking at him. That makes his eyes roam over my skirt suit and legs and look back at me.

"Well, you have business. I'll see you tonight man." the blonde haired man tells Aiden with a smirk on his face, pats his back and walks towards the door, reaching for something in his jacket pocket. But instead of leaving he stops in front of me with an extended hand.

"Logan Ambrose, pleasure to meet you" He says, eyeing me from top to bottom. I know I look good but people can't seem to stop staring.

"Valentina Callaghan." I say as he shakes his hand softly.

"You're the owner of Luxe Unlimited." He says and I give him a small nod. "Call me sometime." He said in a low voice while he took his hand back and walked out the door. How does he plan me to call him?

That's where I look down at the hand he was shaking and there's a business card there. I skim it over, he's a criminal lawyer. Is he his friend? He's an Ambrose; his father should be a partner at the office too.

I return my attention to Aiden trying to keep the card hidden behind my hand as much as possible. He's leaning against his desk looking at me intensely. I raise a brow in question. "Well, aren't you going to explain yourself?"

"What exactly do you want me to say? You were the one that stormed in here. I couldn't do anything about the hearing, sometimes they don't go great. And I didn't disappear. I've been working in my office, that's what people usually do." Oh, he's not going to do this to me, I'm not crazy I know what happened and how it happened. And I know how he hasn't showed up at the building and has ignored every call I've given him to talk about this. I'm not going to be gaslighted.

"I never pegged you for someone who made excuses, Black."

"What is this about? Is it that I haven't been going to lunch with you anymore?" He asks, getting closer. Now he's blaming it on me, the audacity this man has.

"I see these last five days havent kept you from being an asshole huh? Well news flash Black, I dont give a damn if you stop getting lunch with me, you forced me to start eating with you and I just did it so we could not argue. I ate and I survived without you and I still will if you don't get lunch with me." I say starting to get annoyed, and when I see his smirk my annoyance only increases.

"Now tell me how are you going to make the case in our favor, because I'm not allowing what I saw last week to happen again. You need to get your shit together." I say and he only steps closer, which makes me look up at him. We are standing inches apart when he says, "You're not allowing it?" With a cocked brow, clearly amused.

"I'm not." He's hovering over me as I lean on the couch, watching me with amused eyes.

"And how exactly are you going to stop me, Ms.Callaghan." I feel his breath over me, and I can't decide if I like it or not.

"By hiring a new lawyer. I told you I need the best and if you can't provide that I'll find someone who will." He's so close, so god-damn close that I could just raise an arm and run my fingers through the raven hair or pull him by his tie to close the small distance between us.

"You wouldn't dare."

"Wanna bet?" with that he finally steps back and I let out a silent sigh. That rattled me more than what I expected.

"Fine, what are you expecting from me?" He says running his fingers through his hair and rounding his desk to sit down.

"Better than Wednesday, I can't afford and wont afford you wasting mine or my company's time. I have clients and projects to tend to."

"I didnt force you to go to the hearing, I told you you didn't have to be there." Is he kidding, that's not my point. At all.

"It doesn't matter if i'm there or not, you should be better and win me the case." I say standing straight from the couch and grabbing my coat and purse.

"I will win the case." He says confidently. And with that I have no doubt in my mind that he will, that just made me strangely put my trust on him.

"Good because that's what I'm paying you for, but do it sooner rather than later. I have better plans for my company than a bogus suit."

"Fine, I will prepare an outline for you. Be ready for lunch tomorrow I'll pick you up and walk you through it." That makes me smirk, now who's dependent on who. It bothered me just a bit when he never came back for lunch, but I'll never tell him that. I don't need him to be more of a douche than he already is.

"Can't tomorrow, just send an email to me. I'll look it over." He raises his eyebrows, not surprised but daringly. "What, you didn't think I'll have people asking me for lunch besides you?" I say, a small smirk playing on my lips. I really don't have any big plans tomorrow, I was planning on just going to the cafe and having the tea I promised Angela a long time ago.

"What's that?" He says pointing to the card I clearly didn't hide well enough.

"A card?"

"I know it's a card, I'm not blind. But you didn't come with it in your hand."

"You better send me that email Black" I tell him, dropping the card on my bag and moving towards the door.

"Don't forget. I'm the one who hires you. There are a million other lawyers in this city. I don't need you. I can withstand your behavior outside of court but I won't stand for what you did inside of it. Change whatever you need to change, but change, Black. I'm not bluffing."

"I'll see you soon, Valentina." I don't need to spend more time here than I already have, it feels like the air is all being sucked out.

"But not tomorrow." I say opening and closing the door behind me without looking back.

I see Katherin eyeing me in a not very friendly way, and I just give her the fakest smile I can come up with and walk towards the elevators. I didn't expect that to go so smoothly. We basically didn't argue because he agreed with me, so I hope in about two weeks on the next hearing date things will run more smoothly.