Charmed. Cole and Phoebe Guardian series. To know Phoebe is too...

Charmed. To know Phoebe is to... Chapter 14

Part 2:Phoebe being Phoebe

Chapter 14

Cole went back to work, accepted the dressing down he got for missing an appointment with a client and settled down to work. Francesca gave him a fishy stare which he pretended to ignore. He tried not to think about Phoebe, her family or any connections. He had a meeting with a client and focused totally on them. He dealt with a number of phone calls. There was one about the probate case he had coming up next week and another a meeting to cut a deal on a property purchase for a client. He said he would see them in the morning.

He arranged a meeting with two lawyers who were involved with depositions with on shipping cases. He answered a client's query about a divorce problem.

"That's something you know everything about" Francesca told him as she passed the call to him.

Someone from the law society rang about a late subscription. Each call, he answered anxiously expecting it to be Phoebe and he felt a soul wrench on each time it was not her. He had finally decided maybe he did not know her as well as he thought and she would not call so he was not prepared for her when she did.

"Hi' she said quietly

"Hi" he answered warily

"Thanks for today" she said.

"Glad to help" he answered. Then he took a deep breath "You understand. These two were special cases. I need to be very careful, what I can do. "

He could almost see the smile "I know that Cole" Phoebe said "We only call you for the special stuff. "

"I'm not trying to make it hard. It's just that..." he tried to explain.

"I understand" Phoebe interrupted halfway between amusement and annoyance.

She took a deep breath "You want to meet me after work and talk about it, and things"

"No" Cole said far too fast.

"How about we..." Phoebe stopped "No why Cole?"

"Because Phoebe, because its not "He sighed and then decide to make a clean cut "because I don't want to Phoebe "

"You want me" she said in a voice he could not work out whether it was hurt, anger or satisfaction

"I may want you" he said exasperated "but even so I don't want to see you."

She got angry "Well don't get your hopes up Cole Turner" and slammed the phone down.

Phoebe looked at it "You are so not getting what you want buddy" she said to the phone .

Cole looked at the phone in his hand, and pulled a face. "Phoebe "he sighed.

He had simply run out of words and anger and the ability to fight her.

He looked up and saw Francesca in front of him. "Why in the hell did that woman have to always hanging around as he was hitting rock bottom?"

"She has you on a string" Francesca told him severely.

If Cole was not so scared of Francesca he would have told her it was it was none of her business but he was scared of her so he didn't.

"Why don't you just say no to her?" Francesca asked.

"Because she doesn't understand the meaning of no" he explained pushed to his limit. Then he relented "I know Phoebe, and Phoebe wants what Phoebe wants."

"What does Phoebe want?" Francesca asked.

"How the hell do I know?" Cole groaned.

"Poor Cole. She's got you like a puppet on a string and pulling it every way she likes" Francesca said. She made it sound like Cole was to blame.