C'mere (Paul Banks fanfic)

The Visit

Rhiannon woke up the next day a little sore and very tired. They had made love twice after dinner and she had spent the night at Lee’s flat. He was still fast asleep by her side. She smiled, he looked like an angel. He was 3 years younger than her, but his attitude was that of a teenager most of the time. That got on her nerves sometimes, but mostly, it made her fonder of him.

She was considering taking the morning off when she remembered Ly’s illness and The Client.

- Ah fuck. – She muttered as she rolled on the bed.

It was a good thing she had all she needed here, clothes, shoes, everything. She unwillingly stood up and went to take a warm shower. She could take a cab to the firm from here, but Lee insisted she took his chauffeur and his Rolls Royce to make it safely.

She rang Harry Baczkowski’s assistant to ask him if he could go to Battery Park to run some errands for her. Sadly, he was out of town, in the Hamptons, attending a big case there.

- OK, quit being childish. Go to this Banks’ person house, pick up the papers and return safely to the office. – She told herself as she looked for The Client’s phone number.

- It’s Paul. What’s up? – His deep voice answered on the other side, he sounded sleepy. Rhi thought she could hear a woman giggle in the background, but she wasn’t quite sure.

- Good morning, Paul, it’s Rhiannon Yeatts, about the papers you were handing Lydia today?

- Yes, they’re ready to go, she said she’d be here around noon. Is it noon yet?

Rhi was involuntarily tapping the floor with her heel, she hated everything about this.

- No, it’s roughly 10 AM but I wanted to let you know there’s been a change of plans. Lydia called in sick and I have no one else to send, so I will have to go myself, but I can’t do it any later than 11 AM, is that not too much of a bother for you?

She heard him shift around, as if he had been laying on a bed.

- No, of course not. I’ll wait for you here.

- Great! See you then.

- Bye. – She still heard him whisper “That was my lawyer” before he hung up.

She smirked. 

-

Paul stood up and looked at himself in the huge bedroom mirror. He concluded that he looked like crap. He would need a quick shower, some shaving and lots of caffeine to be presentable for when Ms. Yeatts came around.

- What's up? - The girl he had slept with asked.

He shrugged.

- Grown up stuff, babe, you'll have to wait here.

She pouted and he blew a kiss at her, as he walked to the bathroom. It was a good thing he was already naked.

- Bring coffee if you wanna join me! - He called as he turned the shower on.

She sniggered and ran to the kitchen.

-

Rhi put on fresh lipstick as she exited the cab that had brought her to the nicest, newest part of Manhattan, near Battery Park. Banks lived in a 10 story apartment building. In the penthouse, of course.

She threw away the paper coffee cup and walked into the lobby. She needed special surveillance to enter the lift that went all the way up to the penthouse, so she had to wait till the owner authorised her visit. The guards made the call and, after some nodding and whispering, Rhi was led  inside. 

She started feeling really nervous when the lift ticked and its doors opened. She looked around the exquisitely decorated hallway and knocked on the door the guard pointed. He went back down immediately.

A shirtless Paul Banks greeted her as he opened.

- Hi, Rhi, you’re early. – He commented as he hastily put on the white tee he had in his left hand. He had nothing but blue jeans on.

Rhi still could get a glimpse of his perfectly toned torso under tanner skin than she remembered. "He must have taken some sun baths in these couple of weeks", she thought.

- I always am. – She said in a fake festive way, as she saw with the corner of her eye a female figure disappear into one of the beautiful oak doors behind Paul.

He looked around, following her gaze and smiled again.

- So, about the papers… - She quickly added. She was more than ready to get out of there.

- Right, sit please, I’ll go grab them.

She sat on a nice red settee which contrasted with the cream and brown environment. This man had good taste… she noticed a big mirror in front of her and, inspecting her reflection, she saw something dark in her collarbone. She approached the mirror and verified, with increasing horror that Lee had left a love bite on it.

She went back to sit, absolutely mortified, ticking her heel on the marble floor.

Paul came back with a white folder. It was thick, full with everything he and his band-mates could gather as proof that Aiden Wilson had not participated in the songs that were subject of complaint. Rhi took it and stood up, as if some rocket was trying to propel her out of there. 

She tried to cover the bruise with the folder, but that made him notice it. He smiled understandingly.

- Alright then. We shall see when Wilson can meet up with us, yeah? – She stated, red as a tomato.

Paul nodded, sinking his hands inside his jeans’ pockets.

 - I’ll be off now then… - She sighed turning around.

- Don’t you want to stay and talk for a little while? You’re already here…

She felt tormented. Of course she wanted to chat with him and maybe have him take that shirt back off. But she really needed out…

- I don’t… I mean… aren’t you… busy? – She stuttered, staring at the door where the woman she saw had disappeared.

He dismissed her comment with a hand movement.

- No, I’m not busy. There’s something I need to talk to you about. Have a mimosa with me in the terrace, come on, you look like you could use one…

Rhi rolled her eyes but nodded and followed him to the terrace. She sat, furrowing her brows as he called the kitchen to order.

- I’ll just have mineral water. – She warned him. She was not about to have alcohol in the middle of the morning on a weekday with a client. Especially this client.

He seemed disspointed, but ordered mineral water for both of them. Rhi found herself checking out his behind as he finished talking to the cook. No, it was not just her hormones, there was something deeply wrong about the way this man made her feel.