Settling in Seattle

Chapter 15- Warren

"Hayley, can you just follow up on that, we need to find a loophole in the contract." Rachel passed the file over and instructed the associate leaving the room, walking back towards her cubicle. She looked over at the opposing office, it was vacant. Mike had gone out with Oliver to settle the case they took together.

Rachel decided to do some administrative work on cases taken by associates and overlooked by the senior partners. They employed people to do this kind of work, but Rachel wasn't in the right headspace to do the proper client cases. Plus, she liked to see what was going on in this area, just so there wasn't anything dodgy, or a conflict of interest, maybe a client Rachel wouldn't want to be connected to.

She worked through the files on her laptop, stretching her neck to click it every now and again. Moving her shoulders and arms around too, so they didn't get too stiff or achy. She flicked between spreadsheets, paperwork and records, trying not to constantly yawn.

"Um, excuse me, Mrs Ross, may I talk to you a second?" Someone said sheepishly, knocking on the door slightly, breaking her from the blue light of the laptop. Rachel looked up to see a slender frame, hunched over, looking quite timid. Did she really look that scary? She always thought she was very welcoming.

"Yes, come on in, Warren. Please, sit down, what would you like to talk about?" She welcomed the associate in and gestured to sit on the other side of her desk.

"Well, I was just wondering if you could talk me over some pointers for this case I have taken. Our client is a school in Tacoma, they have been getting... uh... the wrong amounts of funding per pupil." He kept looking at her, as if something behind her was happening and it was really intriguing, or something was on her clothes, like some pasta sauce or something.

Rachel brushed it off, and focussed on the task in hand, "Right... so... what do you need help with?" She kept her eyes darting off in other directions, avoiding contact with Warren's.

"Yes, well, they've offered us a settlement, it's pretty...pretty decent..."

"Warren, you didn't come in here to tell me that they offered you a settlement, you know how it works around here. So, if you could kindly enlighten me into why you wandered into my office." Rachel began to get snappy, as she hated the way he was looking at her. She could feel his eyes go up and down her body. She looked down, and her not so little bump was showing.

"Yes, you're right. I came in here just to ask if you would let us go to court if it came to it?" Warren wasn't looking at her eyes anymore, or even her face. By this point, Rachel's cheeks were red with anger, and she could feel herself fury at this man. He began raising his eyebrows, and Rachel was tipped over the edge in the silence. Warren's nervous manner had suddenly changed into a broad shouldered, self-assured manner that disgusted her.

"No. Stop... just stop. And get out. You know you wouldn't need to come to me for that, Mike handles that side of things anyway, and he'll be back soon, so I suggest you remove yourself from this room, before he sees you looking his wife up and down."

"You know, Mike Ross shouldn't be back or at least another half an hour, and by then, I could've talked you into a lot of things." Warren had a smug, irritating look plastered across his face. Rachel felt too uncomfortable, hot tears were starting to accumulate in her eyes, and so got up herself and started to leave the room.

"Where are you going? To tell your little baby daddy that someone tried have a normal conversation with you?" He followed Rachel with his eyes and shifted closer to her path. As she walked past him, Rachel thought that she had a pretty wide radius away from the disgusting guy. All he was, was trouble, and Rachel needed to get out. She was wrong in thinking she was far enough away. He reached out his long arm and grabbed Rachel. As soon as he came into contact, she froze for a second, not knowing what to do. Her ears closed off, throat concealed the air.

"Get the fuck off me. Now." Her voice croaked breathlessly. She'd found the words she needed, and moved away, Warren let go, and made his way out of the room, walking with a horrible pride.

Her hand fell and hit the desk, leaning on it to steady herself. She couldn't breathe properly, and her eyes were glazed with tears.

"Babe, Rachel, hey, what's going on in here?" A familiar voice greeted her seconds after, and she turned around and pulled Mike into a hug. Confused, Mike held her, and rubbed her back as she clung on to him. Mike let go briefly, and pulled the blinds shut, a feature they were only supposed to use for disclosed meetings.

'What happened? Are you alright?" She rested her head on his shoulder and Mike felt the tears land, he didn't care about his shirt.

"He... grabbed me." She could say between her hysterics. It didn't help that she was twenty- nine weeks pregnant.

"Who? Who did that to you? I swear to god." Mike's fists curled up and he held her shoulders, pushing Rachel into view. He wiped away the streams on her face as best he could with his sleeve.

"Warren, an associate. Mike don't hurt him. Please, that'll get you into trouble. Just, can you please get him out of here?" Rachel could feel Mike's anger.

"Rachel, I am going to go out there, and I'm going to fire him, and you'll never, ever see him here again. He is a disgusting man."

"Mike, promise you won't hurt him. Please." He deliberated, and took a heavy breath. His fists reclined and he opened up the door.

"Okay. Stay here, I'll sort him out, and then we are going to leave for tonight."

"Okay." Rachel slumped in her chair and put one of her hands to her forehead and the other to her stomach. She swiftly shut down her computer and pulled her phone out of her bag. Dialling a number, she sniffled slightly.

"Hi Donna, do you have a moment?"