The other woman

Coffee?

I start getting a headache half way through the day these headaches have become a common thing since I started my medication. My therapist said it'll go away after a week or so until i get used to the meds but its been 2 weeks and I have to constantly be taking pain killers. I'm starting to think it won't be going away anytime soon. 

"Hey El do you happen to have the files for case......." Maries voice slowly faded as my headache grew stronger and I felt my palms start to sweat as well as my heart pick up its pace. 

"El are you okay?" I heard Maries concerned voice draw me back in. "Yeah, sorry about that I just spaced out for a bit. What did you ask me again?" I replied drawing the attention back to her question. 

"I was just wondering if you have these files on your big pile" She said with a smile that tried to come of as friendly but I can tell she was concerned. 

"Uh yeah I think so, let me take a quick look" I said as I started rummaging through all the files, "Who are these going to?" I asked as I pulled out the last file on Maries list. 

"The Carson and Dalton files go to Mr. Cove and the Ellis and Walker files go to Alvaro" I handed the files I took out to her, she grabbed them and was about to stand up and walk out the office to deliver the files when her phone rang. 

"Ooh you know what El can you deliver these I've been waiting for them to call me back" She said as she dropped the files back on my desk and ran to her desk to answer the phone. 

I got up from my desk and grabbed the files. "Alright I'll be right back" I said as I walked out our office. I was happy to deliver these for Marie I needed to get up and walk and hopefully this headache will go away. 

My first stop was to Mr. Cove's office I knocked gently on his door and waited until I heard him say come in. "Good afternoon Mr. Cove I have those files you asked for" I said as I presented the files to him. 

"Thank you Ms. De Santiago, and welcome back!" he said with such enthusiasm. Mr. Cove was a lovely man in his 50s a very gentle soul. 

"Thank you Mr. Cove, it's good to be back" I said, we made small talk, I asked about his family and his cabin he's building and then I pardoned myself from his office. 

I made my way towards Alvaro's office and was about to knock when I heard him talking on the phone through his office door. "Look we can talk about this later but right now I'm at work" he paused, I tried to lean in a bit closer to the door to hear better because he sounded pretty upset. Nosy I know. As I leaned in closer I lost grip on the files and everything fell out of my grasp. 

I didn't think that paper falling to the ground would be loud but apparently Alvaro heard it "Listen I gotta go" I heard him say, as soon as I heard footsteps coming closer to the door I dropped down to my knees and started gathering all the papers that scattered on the floor. This is what I get for being a nosy bitch. 

Suddenly the door swung open and Alvaro stood in front of me, I was so embarrassed I didn't say a word i just started up at him with a mess of paperwork around me. 

He looked down at me with an unexplainable look on his face, he cleared his throat before speaking to me. "Are you okay there Ms. De Santiago?" he asked me with a raised eyebrow. 

It took me a while to respond, I looked down at the paperwork and then back up to him again. "Uh yeah sorry I came to drop of some files you asked for and I tripped and dropped them. Sorry about that" I said as I continued to gather the paperwork and try to put them back in order. 

While I was preoccupied with the papers I didn't notice that Alvaro bent down to help me with the papers. He grabbed the rest of the paperwork that was on the floor and stood up again. 

"Why don't you come in and help me sort out the paperwork, since you know you are the one who got them all mixed up" He said with a smug look on his face. I narrowed my eyes at him as I stood up. 

"Fine but we won't speak of this again" I said as I walked in to his freakishly clean office while blushing of embarrassment. 

"That's fine this will be our secret" He said as he closed the door behind me, "I'm pretty sure everyone already knows your clumsy either way or so I've heard" He said as he sat on top of his desk. 

"You've heard right, but I do not want to get into that just to save myself from the embarrassment I'm already feeling. Thanks" I said drawing my full attention into organizing the files to their original state. 

"Also you did tell me you where going to help me organize these" I said finally turning to look at him. 

"That I did" he said as he pulled a chair out from table next to his desk and sat right in front of me. We sat in silence for a bit and all I could hear was the shuffling of the papers. I hated awkward silences so i decided to break it. 

"So Alvaro, how do you like this firm so far?" I asked not bothering to look up at him, I heard him clear his throat before answering. "I like it everyone is kind, my father was right" he said, I stopped organizing to look at him "Your father? Whos your father?" I asked curiously. 

"David Alvaro" He said as he also stopped organizing and held my gaze, suddenly the last name clicked. 

"Your dad is Dave?!" I exclaimed "Sorry" I said lowering my voice. Alvaro chuckled a bit "It's okay, I'm assuming you know my dad?" he said as he stood up and grabbed two water bottles handing one to me. "Thanks, yeah I do I've actually known your dad for a couple of years way before I started working here, I met him when I was I studying to become a paralegal then when I got the job here he was basically my best friend then Marie came along" I said opening the water bottle he gave me and took a sip. 

"Yeah thats my pops, glad to know he can make friends easier than I can" He said sarcastically with a hint of a smile. 

"I sure do miss him, we would occasionally grab coffee when we both had free time" I said smiling because Dave really was my best friend, he helped me my first couple of weeks here I'll always be grateful towards him. 

"Well maybe I could accompany you for coffee on behalf of my father" He said with a soft smile. I smiled back at him with a hint of blush. I stood up and handed him back the file completely organized and started walking towards to door to go back to my office, before I left I turned back to look at Alvaro. 

"Well as long as you're paying, sure, see you later" I said as I closed the door to his office and left. 

~