how to make a mixtape :: mgc (fin.)

epilogue

"Ms. Clifford, Dr. Lovelle would like to reschedule his appointment with you from tomorrow at two, to tomorrow at five," Annie says, rushing to catch up with me as I walk down the corridor. She's a short girl -- even shorter than me -- with a head full of ginger hair that she keeps up in a ponytail whenever she's at work. There's a constant buzz of commotion in this law firm, and with everyone trying to talk to me, Annie is there to filter out the nonsense. She presses her Bluetooth closer into her ear, and thrusts the cup of tea she made towards me. "Your tea, as well. Also, Highgate Solicitors would like you to help with one of their cases."

I keep walking down the corridor, falling onto my desk chair and gathering the paperwork from the cases I've been working on. I slap open one of the binders, take a sip of my tea, and lean back into my seat, hearing the leather stretch as I meet Annie's gaze. She's looking around, possibly being told more through her Bluetooth. I wait for her to finish, and she smiles at me.

"Tell Dr. Lovelle that he must take what he gets, since I have another client coming in to meet me at five." I tap my pen against my mouth. "And tell Highgate Solicitors that it depends which case it is, because I swear, if another firm is going to ask me to help on a divorce case--"

She slips her notepad out of her breast pocket and scans through the lined pages. "It's immigration."

I close my mouth. "I'll take it." Annie gives me a nod, then scribbles something more down into her notepad. "Anything else?"

"Could you take this to the post office? I need it send right now." I hand her a package with the witness statement from one of my clients. She takes it from me and puts it into her bag, nodding. "After that, you're free to go."

"Thank you, Ms. Clifford." She lifts her bag higher up her shoulder. She sets off to leave, but turns around midway. "Also, your husband said he's on his way to pick you up." A smile splits her sentence, especially when I look down with my face warming up.

"T-tell him I'll be about ten minutes." I roll my chair towards the computer again, touching my face with the back of my cheek. I've known him for eight years, now, I shouldn't be blushing just by thinking of him. Baris -- one of the solicitors, reclines back in his chair looks at me, raising his eyebrows and chuckling. Although I can't admit it, he's one of my favourite employees. He reminds me of an older brother, and it really hit me when I met him that Alejandro wasn't the kind of older brother I needed. My mind drifts off to Michael, again, and I bite my lip, pulling open my laptop and opening my email to distract myself. Baris and Annie exchange a glance, and my face flushes. "Oh, shut up."

"Have a good night, Ms. Clifford." Annie pats my shoulder, then walks back down the corridor, tugging the hair band out of her hair and letting it fall along her back. She waves one last time, before opening the door and leaving.

"So," Baris says, wheeling his chair towards mine. I roll my eyes, and nod at some of the solicitors remaining around the office. Not many are still here, since it's already six o'clock, and most of their shifts ended at five. "Maricruz Colorado Clifford, a twenty five year old lawyer with her own firm, who not only has her own assistant, but her own building, and twelve employees to help her with her cases, still gets coy whenever she thinks of Mr. Clifford."

I tap my papers together into a pile. "Don't you have some photocopying to do?"

"Don't you have some husband to do?"

"I'm gonna kill you."

"You can't, that's a violation of the contract I signed when I agreed to work here."

Shaking my head, I smile, handing some of the paperwork I organised to one of the girls. She thanks me, and begins to type up the handwritten notes into her computer. I check that the printer is working, and a smear of black ink smears against my hand. I curse under my breath. Not now.