Saving Camelot (#Once Upon Now)

Chapter 1

Gwen glanced over the row of cubicles to the group of laughing men in the corner. They were all immaculately dressed in dark suits and crisp shirts, but there was one man who stood out amongst the rest – Art. Not only was he taller and more handsome than the others, he also had an air of confidence about him that followed him like a shroud. Gwen couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was about him that made people gravitate towards him like bees to honey. Women couldn't keep their eyes off him and men wanted to be like him.

Gwen suspected men followed him around in the hopes of comforting the plethora of broken-hearted women he left in his wake, she thought cynically. As though sensing the daggers her eyes were shooting at him, Art turned suddenly and caught her eye. Gwen turned away quickly, but not before she felt that familiar zing of awareness that always happened whenever their eyes met.

Gwen straightened her back and tried to focus on the files she had in front of her. She had a stack of court documents to get through, some that needed filing and some that needed to be filed in court. She had to focus and stop thinking about Art and his thick dark hair and piercing blue eyes. Stop it, stop it! She told herself sternly.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. And just as she was about to let it out a deep voice behind her had her jumping in her seat.

"Did I startle you? Sorry about that," Art said, sounding anything but. "I saw you looking my way and thought you wanted to talk to me about something."

No, you didn't, Gwen thought snidely, you wanted to come over and torture me. But instead, she smiled coolly and turned back to her computer. "Not at all," she replied. "Actually, I wanted to talk to Lance about the La Feyette case."

"Lance," Art repeated, his voice hardening.

"Yes, so you needn't have come over." Gwen began typing, a clear sign of dismissal. But if she thought she could dismiss a man like Art, she was sorely mistaken. He spun her chair around abruptly, nearly causing her to topple over. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" she gasped.

"I'd appreciate it if you would look at me while I'm talking to you," he growled in his low gravelly voice. He brought his face down close to hers so that she was forced to lean her head back. "You can talk to me about the La Feyette case."

Even though his proximity and the smell of his aftershave was causing her heart to beat erratically, she wasn't about to be cowed by him. "This is Lance's case," she reminded him, "and I am Lance's secretary, not yours."

"Need I remind you that I am a partner here now? I am just as familiar with the case as Lance is." No, Gwen did not need reminding that he was a partner. Arthur Kennedy's prowess in the courtroom was legendary. Almost as legendary as his prowess in the bedroom, some women had said. And at the age of thirty-five, he was the youngest man to become a partner at The Law Offices of Merlin, Gawain & Green. There were no female partners in the firm, Gwen thought sourly. In fact, there were no female attorneys; only female secretaries and paralegals. The firm had a definite "good 'ole boy" mentality. The place was practically medieval, Gwen thought.

"And as a partner, I decide whose secretary you are," Art continued, narrowing his eyes. "As a matter of fact, my secretary, Mrs. Avalon, will be retiring soon. You would be the perfect replacement for her. Come with me, and don't forget the file."

He already began walking away before Gwen even had a chance to pick her chin up off the floor. What did he mean she would be the perfect replacement for his retiring secretary? He couldn't be serious, could he? Ever since she had started working here six months ago, they had butted heads. They were like oil and water. Gwen felt like Art had gone out of his way to make her feel uncomfortable. But wasn't he a little bit justified in making her life hell? A little voice inside her head asked. She squashed that thought and quickly picked up the file she needed and tried to catch up to his long strides.

Luckily, the other secretaries who sat in her vicinity were still out to lunch and hadn't witnessed this humiliating scene. Not that anyone else would have felt humiliated. It was all the other secretaries were talking about these days. Who would take over from Mrs. Avalon when she retired? Practically everyone was vying for the position. It would mean a big step up monetarily and in terms of status. But Gwen wanted nothing to do with him.