Love Has a Color

The Merger

I have one little hair that is refusing to stay put. I look in the mirror for the fifteenth time trying to push it back with the rest of my curled hair. Noticing yet another unsuccessful attempt, Violet hands me a tiny bottle of hairspray.

"Just pin it back. Or, better yet, stop getting bangs when you know you hate them." We glare at each other for a moment, but eventually I give in and snicker at her comment.

"Remind me of that the next time I'm about to let someone trim my bangs," I tell her. I turn away from the mirror and head over to the briefcase on my desk. "Okay, this is everything, right?" She nods. "Great. We have a little bit of time before we need to get going, so let's go over this one more time." We sit down and go over everything we've been going over all week once more, just for good measure.

The meeting is with the new CEO of Black and Sons Law. My father tried to merge with them a few years back, but when he got sick they put everything on hold. Right before he passed, the CEO of Black and Sons retired. I believe he gave the company to one of his sons, but I'm actually not positive. I can't find any information on him. Violet did get his name from his secretary, though. Asher Black. Ominous.

He seems to be invisible. Neither of us could even find a picture of him anywhere. He has seemed to do some good for the company though. They have increased in their amount of clients and successful cases by over twenty percent since he's been there. I have no idea what he's doing or how he's doing it, but I guess you can't argue with the results.

He must have a lot of experience in management. Running a law firm is so much more than just being a lawyer. I mean, really, you don't ever get the chance to practice once you're in this position. You just have to focus on the numbers and the growth of the business and how your employees are doing. Asher Black really has to know how to manipulate a business if he's turning out numbers like that.

I double majored in law and business, but only went on to get my masters degree in law. I do have management experience, and I know what I'm doing and what I'm supposed to be doing. Honestly, though, I'd rather just have all of my clients back. I want to continue doing the work I originally intended to do. This position can be way too stressful.

When Violet and I finally reach the building, we head straight upstairs and to the receptionist. A tall, suave woman with jet black hair and equally dark eyes sits behind the desk. She is typing away and doesn't bother to even glance in our direction. I glance over at Vi who seems to be just as confused at this lady's behavior. So, to break the silence, I clear my throat. The woman's diligent fingers come to a halt and she visibly tightens her jaw. She then forces a wide smile onto her face and glares over the computer at us.

"Hi, welcome to Black and Sons Law. I'm Merry," she says while pointing to her sleek silver name plate. Ha, Merry. Yeah, she's anything but. "And how can I help you?"

Violet chimes in before I can answer. "This is Miss Scarlett Indigo, and I'm her assistant Violet Lansing. We're here from Indigo and Associates. She's supposed to be having a meeting with Mr. Black in about twenty minutes."

The woman at the desk turns to look in my direction, eyeing me from head to toe. She then purses her lips and raises her eyebrows before turning back to her typing. What is with this lady?

"Okay, Sarah will come out in a few minutes to take you to his office. He should be expecting you. For now, you can wait over there." She points to a small waiting area behind us and then her attention is quickly drawn right back to her keyboard.

Vi and I roll our eyes at each other and head over to the couches. I take the time to look around the office and really take in the scenery. It is quite breathtaking in here. The walls facing the street are glass, reaching from the charcoal wood floors all the way to the plain white ceiling. Some of the walls match the ceiling, a blinding white, but some are a cool light gray. The seating area has all black leather furniture decorated with different white and gray pillows and a glass coffee table littered with a few law magazines right in the middle.

It is the exact opposite of our office. My father was a man who really appreciated a good pop of color. The floor is a nice white tile, contrasting the bright blue walls. All of our furniture, desks, chairs, bookshelves, is made from a beautiful cherry wood. There is a pale yellow rug in the waiting room, sitting under the wooden rug. Surrounding it are some red armchairs. There are pictures all over the walls, smiling faces of clients and employees alike. It really is very cozy and inviting.

Getting lost in thought I hadn't even realized there was a woman trying to get my attention. I quickly hop up from my seat and smile at her and Violet. This must be Sarah. She doesn't smile back, instead just turned on her heel and led us down the hall. She is an exact replica of Merry. Right from the her midnight hair all the way down to her gray dress and black heels. This place is straight out of a science fiction novel.

We finally get to a door which I assume to be Asher's office. She points to a place outside for Violet to sit and opens the door, entering in front of me. "Mr. black, your 3:00 is here."

She continues to block the doorway, obstructing my view. I can tell that she's staring intently at him, waiting for a response. I try to get a little closer so I can hear his voice. I at least want to know what he sounds like if I can't see him, I need to know something.

Unfortunately the now smiling Sarah backs out of the room before I can hear anything, shutting the door. She turns to us, her grin quickly vanishing. "He's just finishing something up. You can sit right out here with your assistant. If he doesn't ask you in in ten minutes, come get me."

Ten more minutes? Seriously? Who does this guy think he is making us wait for him like this. I glance down at my watch, noticing that it is already five past three. Now he's late, and he still wants us to wait ten more minutes? Absolutely not!

When I make sure that Sarah and every other clone is well out of view, I turn to Violet who must have the exact same idea as me for when I open my mouth to speak so does she. "This is ridiculous!" We both exclaim.

"I should go in there," I tell her.

"Yes, you should go in there!" She agrees.

I stand and make my way to the door, but pause at the handle. I turn around to face my friend once again. "Should I go in there?" She groans and gets out of her chair, pushing me back to the door.

I take a deep breath, psyching myself up before barging directly into his office and asserting my dominance. In reality, I did nothing like that. I just stood with my hand on the doorknob like a big idiot. I hear Vi behind me trying to get me to move, so finally I listen and turn the knob. I slowly enter the office, shutting the door behind me.

He doesn't even look up from his desk. Guess that's a  running theme around here. Being the five foot nothing woman I am, even in heels I can't see him over his computer. I clear my throat, hoping he'll hear me. I assume he does as the typing stops. Just as I'm about to speak, he pushes his chair out from under the desk and stands up, revealing his towering figure.

Oh no. Shocked, I look up to meet his eyes. To meet those gleaming, sky blue eyes. "You?" He says, his voice as beautiful as the first time I heard it. Still frozen, I can't bring myself to respond. "You're the girl from the cafe," he states, coming out from behind his desk. "I thought I'd never see you again. You ran out of there so fast, I didn't even get a chance to ask your name. What are you doing here?"

I stare at him for a beat, trying to gather my thoughts. I also thought I'd never see him again, and to be quite honest that was fine with me. Well, I guess I did want to see his beautiful face again, but I really didn't want to relive one of the most embarrassing moments of my life. Eventually, I speak up, stuttering out an answer. "I, um...I-I'm your 3:00."