Legal Eagles (Justice & Nydie)

[justice]

In front of a building designed and built to project power was a single young lawyer with a messenger bag around his back a just slightly too skinny tie down his chest. He wore his hair in a manner that showed it was important to keep it at least tame, but not on his list of priorities in the morning. Like a stone in a creek the flood of business and busy doers walked past him with a small parting so they didn’t run straight into him. The young man’s name was Devin and the building in front of him was where his new job was. He looked down at the old beaten up watch on his wrist and saw that he had exactly twenty minutes before he had to be in the building and on the 58th floor.

“Time to get started.” He said to himself. He had spoken aloud which seemed to creep out several people around him. In an effort to not seem completely crazy Devin began to pretend he was talking into a Bluetooth. This seemed to cause several people to shake their heads. ‘I guess other people hate them as much as I do.’ He thought to himself. Thankfully none of the people around him seemed to be heading into the building with him. ‘First day of work and I already feel like I am on the wrong coast.’ He thought moving into the lobby.

Inside the building was just as impressive and imposing as the outside. The lobby was almost complete lit by natural lighting from the glass walls. The clean marble was also striking as it accented the entire upper portion of the room. Smiling and making his way up to the main lobby desk he inquired about how best to reach the upper floors. He then found out he would need a key card. Since he didn’t have one he was going to have to wait until someone came down and delivered one to him. So while waiting Devin popped his headphones in his ears and started to pass time the best way he knew how. Sitting in a lobby chair he tapped his toes to the song “Boom Boom” by John Lee Hooker. It was a personal favorite of his.

While waiting he noticed that he was not alone in the waiting game. Several others he noticed scattered around the lobby seemed to be waiting to go up instead of just waiting for someone. A few were checking their watch which he noticed was a pretty penny more expensive than his own. Still this didn’t bother him. After all a scholar ship student had to get pretty comfortable with extravagant lifestyles especially at Columbia. Continuing to scan the room he fell onto a small group of people waiting by the security line.

Instead of getting up he waited a few moments until a few other people followed his same path and first made their way to the desk and then found a seat. Sitting next to him not five minutes later was a young man by the name of Desman Simmons. He was another new associate and seemed to be a stand up guy. Not two sentences after they introduced themselves to each other were the two talking about sports like friends of decades. This seemed to continue for several minutes. Finally he Devin looked back at his watch and saw that his first work day was supposedly going to start in less than five minutes. “Think everyone is here?” he asked Desman who just shrugged in reply.

[Nydie]

“I’m here!” Stacey muttered to herself within the confines of her car, a sigh of relief punctuating her statement. She barely had time to feel relieved that she had managed to make it to her first day on time, before she leapt out of her car, scooping up her purse and briefcase and scurried through the parking garage. “Crap..crap…Crappp!” The exclamation was uttered with every rushed step the woman made until she finally reached the sidewalk that wrapped around the building that was her destination.

Breaking out of the dreary garage Stacey blinked blindly into the sunlit street, barely allowing her eyes to adjust. Her hurried pace continued, although now the young woman was almost staggering along the sidewalk, temporarily blinded by the sun. So intent on reaching her destination, Stacey barely noticed the fact that she was practically mowing people down in her rush.

“Hey, watch it!” an angry male voice bellowed behind her.

“Sorry!” Stacey called out, barely recognizing the fact that she had side swiped a passerby, causing the man to bump into the wall of the building to avoid a full scale collision between the two. Although the near miss registered into her mind, she continued to rush about, now becoming more aware of the others that were sharing the sidewalk with her.

Approaching the glass door of the building, Stacey paused temporarily to glance as her reflection in the doors surface. A frown pulled at her brow at the image that greeted her. She looked fine, but for some reason she couldn’t help the feeling of nervousness that rose within her, causing her stomach to give a small flip. It wasn’t that she was worried that she wouldn’t do well; that was probably the one area she was almost completely assured of. The nervousness was caused by her lack of punctuality. Even though she was exactly on time, to Stacey she was running fifteen minutes late.

Pulling in a deep breath, Stacey reached for the door and yanked it open. Her rushed pace was quickly replaced by a graceful and casual stride, looking every bit the part of a sophisticated lawyer with every single brown curl in place and her tailor made grey pantsuit. Her face wore a soft smile and her bright brown eyes swept around the room quickly. Her gaze was immediately drawn to the small group who were gathered together on one side of the room, and the woman made her way toward them. Approaching a nervous looking woman, who Stacey could almost bet would end up in the nearest bathroom at some point during the day to praise the porcelain god; she smiled sympathetically and raised her hand in a small wave. “Are you waiting for the tour?” She asked quietly, hoping not to draw any attention to herself.

When the woman nodded, Stacey allowed herself to relax. She wasn’t late, although she wasn’t as early as she would have liked to have been. If it had been her way, she would have been here before the first person showed up, but then again, she always was a punctuality freak. Taking a moment, the woman examined the building she was now standing in. She couldn't help the swell of pride the rose in her chest as she admired how tastefully decorated the lobby was, and the fact that the whole building just screamed success. If she had doubts about belong here, they were now completely erased. Stacey just knew she belonged here.

Deciding that her time would be better spent making acquaintances with some of her co-workers than dwelling on should haves, Stacey turned to the woman beside her. “Hi, I’m Stacey McAdams, it’s nice to meet you.” The woman extended her hand out to her companion. The other woman looked at the extended and briefly, before grasping it in her own frail, shaky grip and giving it a small shake. “Kara Marshal, and it’s really nice to meet you too.” The other woman jerked her head in the direction of the group, which Stacey was slightly disappointed to find consisted of mostly men with Stacey, Kara and one other woman being the only females. She was impressed that each person standing in the small group was impeccably dressed although most sported rather anxious expression. Stacey took note of the other female among the group, who for all appearances seemed to be flirting shamelessly with anyone who glanced her way. Stacey was pulled from her musings when her companion added, “At least now I don’t feel nearly as outnumbered as before.”

Stacey nodded and flashed Kara another sympathetic smile. “I wouldn’t worry about it too much. You do know they hire more men than women because they’re afraid we will show them up, right?” Stacey winked at Kara and grinned when the woman seemed to relax a bit. The two soon began to chat quietly amongst themselves until the sound of a throat clearing caused both women to quiet and look for the source of the noise.

Ahead of the group stood a tall, blonde man with the most piercing blue eyes Stacey had ever seen.He looked like he had just stepped off the cover of a magazine. Kara and Stacey glanced at each other, eyes widening slightly and a grin plastered on both women’s faces. Leaning in towards Stacey, Kara whispered. “I think I might like working here!” To which Stacey chuckled and replied back in a hushed whisper, "We're lawyers. I'm fairly certain sexual harassment applies to us as well."

Kara shrugged in response. "Doesn't mean a girl can't appreciate the view."

Stacey turned her attention back to the new man, shaking her head in dismissal of Kara's words. Stacey didn't have time to worry about men, she was here to work, and that is exactly what she intended to do.

[justice]

[INDENT]“So tell me man you got a girl waiting for you back home?” Desman asked in a near categorical sense. The conversation between him and Devin had not been entirely cliché; however, it was mirroring a standard sort of program conversation one found at nearly every travel hot spot. Still they were getting along great and Devin was feeling a lot better now that he knew he at least had someone to go to if he needed someone to listen.

“You sure you went to law school?” Devin asked as a joke. It had been true that while attending law school a student had close to one hour for sleep and those that choose to waste in by not sleeping with a partner didn’t always make It near the top of their class. That said in law school you practiced for when you would have time later on and Devin, while having his share of practice partners wasn’t involved with anyone at the moment. “I plan on being married to my work for the foreseeable future Desman. So if you have a woman on the side I hope you told her it was short term.”

Again the two laughed at the harsh reality that was their current situation. Both heaven and hell all boiled down into a single building. This was a building where fortune 500 companies have to call ahead to make appointments; a place where the only ranking system is senior partner. It was a true shark tank. The sound of clicking heels caught Desman’s attention as a woman hurried though. Devin had seen plenty of men with the same look, but didn’t turn around to see. “My god it’s like she walked right out of Legal Illustrated”

“Found yourself your first affair?” Devin asked while giving it a personal chuckle. He didn’t turn around, because he wasn’t in the mood to ogle eye candy. He had a flash of when he was back working in a mail room of a building similar to the one he was in now. A girl walked through the lobby and all he could do was stare. ‘Come on big boy the past is best left in the past.’ He heard his dad’s voice in his mind and quickly had the memory return to the darker parts of his mind.

“Looks like this circus is about to get started.” Desman said finally as a very well dressed gentleman came walking though the security area and start to gather the new associates. “Welcome ladies and gentleman I trust you are all here, because if you aren’t we choose the wrong person.” The tone was friendly, but it was easy to tell that comment had not been a joke. Devin and Desman stood up and with a quick fix of their suit the two walked over and stood near the back of the group. Easy for them to do considering they were both on the tall side.

“My name is Richard Thompson and I am your boss.” The voice was loud and was clearly well versed in a courtroom. It projected a sense of power similar to that of being held by a strong and stable brace. “I am not your only boss. Anyone with the word partner on their office door should be considered your boss. You will all be assigned to a partner or senior partner all of whom have spent the better part of the week mowing over your life and making their selection. You will find out who has selected you later today. For now let’s take a walk around the zoo.”

In a flash the group was walking through security with their new security badges. Looking down at his Devin frowned. He realized that instead of using the photo he attached on his application the company had used their photos from their student ID’s which Devin had taken almost three years ago with a splitting headache and hang over. Hiding it after using it he put it in his pocket and prayed he didn’t need it in the public eye again.

The group made their way to the elevator and when Richard told everyone they needed to meet up at the 55th floor he left everyone to finding their own way up. Those in the front seemed to muscle everyone else out of a chance to get in the same elevator as Richard which was fine for Desman and Devin. Still near the back they turned around and pushed the button for going up. A moment later an elevator opened and they walked in along with a few others. While riding up Devin and Desman started to talk. This time about how much Desmon enjoyed wearing a well cut suit.

“God I love this job.” Desman took a step back as more people got in the elevator and spun in a way the clearly showed he had more than a few dance lessons. "I mean in this suit any man would look good, but on me it doesn't just look good it also looks right. You can't tell if this suit was made for me or if I was made for it." He then looked back at Devin. "Course it does look like we are going to have to go shopping for you." he then flipped Devin's tie and shook his head. "A tie should always show force." Devin then quickly looked down at the tie and was lost.

"This tie doesn’t show force?" He asked with a slight bit of insecure.

"Maybe if you were serving a kid on the playground." Desman said. "Look I got a few extra ties in my bag when we get our little cubes in the office floor we can get you set. For now I want to get this tour to move right along" They heard someone push the button for the 55th floor and the doors start to close. The ride up in the elevator was quiet
Once everyone was in the conference room they spread out. Some took a seat while Devin hung near the back with his new friend. "Damn where did some of these people graduate from? Bahama Mama U?" Desman's comment didn't go unnoticed by his friend. Even he had to agree that there were more than a few extraordinarily beautiful women in the room and outside on the floor. Devin looked around and then FROZE.

“Holy shit!” Looking away and over towards Desman there was a look of near horror in Devin’s eyes. Even Desman who had little prior knowledge of what Devin looked liked terrified could tell something was wrong. He asked if Devin was okay and got back a series of questions in response.

“Right behind me. Long legs and completely drop dead beautiful?”

“Yea, she was the girl I saw in the lobby.”

“Brunette, slight tan,…”

“And looking right over here at you man. What is going on.”

“Shit Shit Shit that's my…” Devin was about to say ex, but stopped himself before the word came out. “She and I have a history.” He said finally and with that came the onslaught of comments from Desman.

“Man what I wouldn’t give to have a history with a woman like that. You know that almost makes me want to try out those skinny ties.” Desman then started to laugh until several people walked in and started to take the meeting into its opening stages. For the first ten minutes it was your basic stuff. Welcome, now don’t fudge up.”

It was easy enough to say, but Devin was already feeling like some how he was already messing up.

[Nydie]

When their boss Richard or Mr. Thompson as Stacey immediately referred to him inside her mind ordered them all to the 55th floor, Kara had practically followed the blonde man like a little lost puppy dog. Deciding to help the other woman out before she got herself into too much trouble, Stacey grabbed her new acquaintance’s arm, preventing the woman from chasing the man down like he was a piece of meat. “Hold on my frisky little friend. Considering that man holds the power to crush your future in the palm of his hand, you might want to go a bit easy there.”

Coming back to reality, Kara looked over at a bemused Stacey with a sheepish grin upon her face. “I guess you’re right. After all, did you catch some of the guys we’re going to be working with? I’m starting to wonder if ‘super model looks’ was mandatory in the hiring process.”

Stacey rolled her eyes at the other woman, clearly amused but not sharing the same view. She had noticed a few of her associates, but they weren’t anything she hadn’t seen before and she really had no time to deal with the opposite sex. Casting a glance at the lobby, Stacey shook her head and moved slowly towards the elevators. ‘No. I don’t care if the sexiest man alive kneeled down in front of me and told me he had to have me right here and now. I’m here to work, nothing else. If my parents wanted me to marry, well I guess they’d better call this building my new husband, because this is where my attention will be for probably the next two years.’

Oblivious to the stares from her male co-workers or the fact that the crowd seemed to part in order to allow her access to the elevator, Stacey pushed the button and waited silently for the spotless mirrored doors to open. When they finally parted, she stepped into the elevator and moved to the back of the confined space, hoping that she wouldn’t be elbowed too much by the encroaching group that was entering behind her. Although the trip up was short, Stacey couldn’t help but feel like there was a spotlight targeting her. Every time she looked up, she caught someone staring at her. To be quite honest, it made her feel like some sort of freak, but she would simply return the stare with a tight lipped smile and go back to her own thoughts.

When the elevator finally opened to the 55th floor, Stacey had to remind herself to move. The view was breathtaking just from the elevator! After the last person exited the elevator, Stacey followed, her steps taking her as close to the windows as she could get without entering an office. ‘So much glass! I bet there’s no messing around in any of these offices.’ Stacey thought with a smirk.

“There you are! I thought you had ditched me.” Kara’s voice pulled Stacey from her musings and the woman turned to her associate with a grin.
“Did you see that view? I don’t know if I could work up here. It’s too gorgeous to focus on anything. I bet it looks amazing at night.” Stacey nodded in the direction of the window, but turned to find Kara had already found another view to admire. With the shake of her head, Stacey laughed quietly. Kara was now staring at a pair of guys who had just gotten off the elevator. Stacey’s eyes shifted to one of the men wearing a tailored suit and a tie that screamed ‘arrogant jerk’. Shifting her dark gaze to the man beside him, Stacey felt her stomach plummet and her heart leap in her chest. There standing only a dozen feet away from her was the one man she’d never thought she’d see again.

Color flooded Stacey’s cheeks as she thought back to the last time they had seen each other, and a time when she had been naïve enough to believe that first love could last forever. ‘Thank goodness I grew out of that!’ she thought a bit too sarcastically for her taste.

It was funny to see Devin standing there, looking all grown up. The last time they saw each other they had been so clumsy, almost adorable in their awkwardness. The thought brought a smile to her lips, but it was soon wiped off when Kara tapped her shoulder.

“Come on. Let’s get in there and get a seat before they’re all taken.”

Nodding in agreement, Stacey followed Kara into the room and slide into one of the comfortable leather business chairs around the glass conference table. Before she could focus her attention on the rest of the room, Kara turned in her seat to give Stacey a suspicious glance. “What was that smile for earlier? It almost looked like you had just found out you won the lottery.”

Shaking her head, Stacey looked up to see Devin and his friend walking into the room. For a moment their eyes met, and Stacey flashed a small smile and a wave. “Got caught staring’, she thought, ‘no point trying to hide it now.’ She could see the two men talking to each other and decided that it was time to pay attention to work and not worry about the past. With a sigh, the woman shifted in her seat, crossing her legs at the knee and turning her brown gaze to her bosses that were gathered at the front of the room. ‘I guess this means I’ll have to at least go say hi. We’re going to be working together, so I can at least get the awkwardness out of the way so we can both focus on our jobs.’

Casting a glance, she noticed that Kara was still looking at her, a bit expectantly. Realizing that she hadn’t given the other woman a response, Stacey smiled. “Nothing like that. Just thinking about the past. I’ve worked hard to get here; I think I’m really going to enjoy it here.” Flashing a brilliant smile, Stacey once more focused on the front of the conference room. ‘No one needs to know. We can just pretend we’re strangers and go on about our business.’

[justice]

As the meeting continued Devin couldn't help himself stealing a look towards Stacey every few minutes. Each time he did so though he would mentally kick himself in the head. Of course by now it was running a mile a minute and was full of nothing but past memories. It was what she did to him. She had a way of without doing anything making his mind a complete mush and throws him off balance. The reason for this was simple, but Devin wasn't about to think like that anymore. He knew the stakes for this job and even his own favorite emotion wasn't about to sideline the possible chance of getting to work at this firm full time. He wanted to win and he was willing to make more than one sacrifices to his own life. He already made one by moving all the way out here.

Finally the meeting ended. From what he had been able to gather it was nothing more than the 'welcome to a law firm’ sort of chat with the added tag line of this being one of the best law firms in the world. So there were a few slides about their main clients. Thankfully Devin and everyone else in the room he was sure were already more than up to speed on how this company works and who they work for. So for once the beauty of Stacey had not made him turn into a little boy. “Mr. Coal!?!” A voice from the front of the room called out sternly which seemed to snap Devin out of his own thoughts.

“Yes.” He said and then looked beyond Richard Thompson saw that there was a different sort of slide behind him. This time it had a long list of what seemed to be specialties in law. Jumping to what made the most sense Devin cleared his throat and waited for Thompson to prompt him with the question again. Unfortunately he didn’t get a chance as the leader of the meeting gave a look of disagreement.

“I pray you pay more attention when dealing with real situations.” He added and then continued to move along with the meeting.” As he got back into things Devin had a short conversation with Desman who couldn’t help himself it seems from giggling over his friend getting caught like a dear in headlights.

“Will you shut up.” Devin said.

“Sorry man you just looked like a little puppy for a moment. Melted everyone in here.” Desman said back.

Devin rolled his eyes and whispered “I swear if I don’t have a drink in my hand after work we are going to have a problem.”

“Damn right we are. I am looking forward to ordering a jack and coke to keep the night going.” Desman said and then the two got quiet as the meeting started to wrap up.

“Now that you know your positions we will give you a little bit of time to get yourself read. After lunch you can consider yourself full time and disposable. A partner will likely have left a note on your cubical informing you what you will be working on. Dismissed.” Robert Thompson then walked curtly out of the conference room leaving the first years to their own thoughts, worries, and in Devin’s case a mess of memories and uncertainty.

[Nydie]

With the meeting over, Stacey was eager to get to work. The brunette could not wait to get to her cubicle so she could dig through whatever files her assigned partner had piled onto her. Her mind was so focused on the job and how should could make herself stand out over all the others, that she jumped to her feet to hastily and ended up banging her knee on the glass table in front of her. Tears sprang to her eyes, and she quickly grabbed her injured knee in agony, muttering several curses under her breathe. What the woman didn’t notice was the several pairs of eyes that swung in her direction, most shining with laughter while others simply arched a brow in question. When she finally became aware of her surrounding, the female blushed a bright shade of red, and mumbled a quiet apology.

As quickly as she could, Stacey scurried from the room, her small heels clanking quietly against the tiled floor of the hallway. She probably would have continued on her merry way if Kara hadn’t caught up to her and began talking. “Are you alright? You looked like you were out of it for a minute there.”

Stacey nodded and smiled gratefully at the other woman. “I’m fine. I was just in a rush to get to work. I feel dumb just sitting around doing nothing when there’s work to do.” The woman shrugged and continued on in the direction she had been heading before she was stopped, but slowed her pace down so that Kara could keep up.

“You’re not going to go meet the rest of our co-workers?” Kara asked curiously, almost amazed that Stacey would rather get straight to work rather than meet the people she was going to be working with.

The brunette shrugged her shoulders, her chocolate gaze turning to look at the other woman. “What’s the point? I’ll meet them all eventually. It’s a big building, chances are I won’t cross paths with half of them.” Mentally the woman prayed that Devin would be one of those whose paths didn’t cross with hers. It was weird enough knowing they were working in the same building, she didn’t know if she could handle working with him on a daily basis. The thought caused the woman to stop in her tracks, her whole body tensing. ‘Oh God! What if I have to see him every day?’

Kara for her part had no clue what Stacey was thinking, and seemed confused when she had suddenly stopped in the middle of the hallway with a look of desperation on her face. “Are you sure you’re alright?” Kara questioned.

With a frown marring her face, Stacey pulled Kara to the side and quickly explained the situation that was now causing her a great deal of concern. With her story finished, Kara could only stare at the other woman with a dumbfounded expression on her face. “You mean to tell me, your first love, who you haven’t seen in years and that you pretty much left in the dust is going to be working in the same law firm with you?” The idea must have struck Kara as delightfully funny, because the woman began to giggle. “Wow, talk about fate. Maybe you two can reconnect, if you know what I mean.” Kara nudge Stacey in the side with her elbow and winked an eye at her.

Stacey managed to keep herself in check, but just barely. For just a split second she had been ready to snap at the woman, but opted to glare at her instead. “There will be no reconnecting of any kind. I’m here to work, not hook up.” Stacey huffed. “Besides, it’s been years. I’m sure he’s well over it. He’s probably got a girlfriend or something by now. I’m old news and I plan on keeping it that way.”

Throwing her hands up, Kara smirked. “Whatever you say, but if I catch you guys making out in the elevators, I’m so going to say I told you so.”

The two women chatted while they made their way to their cubicles. Kara’s was the closest, so once she dropped the other woman off at her desk, Stacey moved to find her own. With feeling of relief and a sigh, the woman made it to her own cubicle moments later. Just as she was about to slide behind her desk and begin her work, she caught a glance at the name plate on the desk directly in front of hers. There staring mockingly at her was the name “Devin Coal” printed out in neat white letters upon a shiny black surface. The color drained completely out of Stacey’s face, and she was only able to mutter a single word before flopping back into the chair behind her. “Shit….”

[justice]

Devin watched as Stacey made a hasty exit after the meeting concluded. It didn't surprise him since his original plan had been to do the same. The only problem was she beat him to it. So instead he stood still as she walked off and stuck next to Desman. The two looked around at the other first years that one by one give a courteous nod or wave as they left to go find their desks or current work stations. While they waited for the room to clear the two young men had a short conversation that, while not holding many words, had plenty of information.

Desman was the one to start. “So do you still…”
“You have to be joking.” Devin said with a scoff.
“Yea, but she is pretty…” Desman mused.
“You aren’t making this easier.” Devin contorted.
“Me? Hey it is her who you still…”
“That joke is getting old.” Devin said.

The conversation was over now and the two were now alone in the room. It took them a moment until they realized this and once they did they both wore rather large grins. Desman made his way around the large table and started to stand at the opposing head of the table. He leaned forward like the CEO of a corporation and looked across at his friend. “You know one of these days I am going to run a law firm like this.” His tone was very straight and held no waver in the words. It was a very determined statement which Desman meant with all his force of will.

“I have no doubt in my mind that day will be soon. But for now my good friend.” Devin said walking towards him and then showing the way to the door with a sweeping motion with his arm. “I do believe we need to find out who we are going to be getting coffee for, for the next several months.” Of course talking about moving towards their desks which would be found in the central section of the floor they were on. A few steps out the door of the conference room and the two men quickly saw how much chaos there was in the firm. People with more files than they could hold seemed to weaving in and out of traffic heading towards whatever desk needed the papers.

Finally the two made it to the hive, the nickname they head other people call the first year cubicles. Before he even turned the corner Devin felt a slight chill run down his spin. At first he thought it might be from seeing so many of the folders and files making their way towards the first year desks, but when he finally saw the area where he was going to be working he figured out where the feeling had originated. Being the last two of the first years to arrive it was obvious from the two empty desks left which were Desman and which was Devin’s.

Looking over and seeing how perfectly right in front of Stacey’s desk his was Devin couldn’t curse the person who assigned the desk seat enough. It was going to be enough of a challenge dealing with the fact that they would be in the same city and building, but to have to work close enough to hear her type was torture. He then saw the laptop on his desk and smiled. No matter what I can just focus on my work and let nothing distract me from her end.

Hearing Desman start to giggle like a silly little boy made Devin try and challenge his own better judgment as he walked to his desk. He looked over at Stacey who had already gotten busy with the work in front of her. One look was all it took for him to start thinking very dangerous thoughts such as how much he loved her hair. The brown was just as wonderful as her eyes. Devin you sniveling little puppy Devin thought to himself. He rolled his eyes at himself and finally sat down.

Instantly flipping the laptop up and watching it boot he couldn’t help but once again caving into his own deeper desire and took a look towards Stacey at her desk. He then shot his gaze back down to his laptop. An internal pep talk was quickly given which returned Devin to a much firmer grasp of his body and mental motives. It wasn’t long before he was hard at work and only occasionally stealing a look towards Stacey.

[Nydie]

Stacey’s chocolate brown eyes were locked onto the file on her desk, and for all appearances she looked to be working, but her mind was miles away. She didn’t like it, not one bit. She was well aware of when Devin reached his desk, despite her attempts at trying to ignore the man; she became painfully aware of his presence just a few feet away.

It was extremely distracting to have Devin around, even if he hadn’t uttered a word to her, she could almost feel the tension flowing from him and thickening the air around her. Closing her eyes she pulled in a deep breathe, willing her frayed nerves to calm down and let her focus on work. Nothing was helping. Every time she would begin reading her file, she would feel eyes on her and know that if she looked up her eyes would lock with Devin’s.

‘This is ridiculous! We’re both adults here. Surely it can’t be this difficult. It’s not like we were going to get married or anything like. It was a fling! Just two kids messing around. It shouldn’t be this damn hard to…’ Her thought trailed off as she glanced in the direction of Devin’s desk. ‘I wonder if he still makes that cute little noise when he kisses.’

Paling at the alien thought that had just invaded her mind, Stacey swiveled in her chair to face the wall behind her. ‘Where the hell did that come from?’ Several moments passed, and Stacey finally regained her composure enough to turn back to her desk. Just as she spun around she was greeted with a vase full of flowers, and a strange man standing at her desk.
“Can I help you?” She asked, her eyes shifting from the flowers to the man holding them, completely unsure the reasoning for the appearance of either.
“Stacey McAdams?” Said man asked, looking down at her with a leering smile that made Stacey wish she wasn’t at work so she could slap it off his face.
A nod was the woman’s only response as she continued to wait for an explanation. She received none, just the flowers thrust onto her desk and the man disappearing soon after. With the disappearance of the only person that could give her answers, Stacey stared blankly at the colorful arrangement that was now decorating her work space, eyes searching over the blooms for the presence of a card. The tiny white envelope was barely distinguishable, but she managed to spot it after some searching. Retrieving the little slip of paper, Stacey tore it open and read the small message scribbled neatly on the small slip. A genuine smile pulled at her lips, and Stacey reached out to caress on of the dainty blooms gently.

‘How sweet’ she thought to herself, taking another moment to admire the beautiful blossoms. ‘I didn’t realize I’d be missed. I only worked there for a year. Still, it’s nice to be appreciated. ‘The note was from the secretary of the law firm she had previously interned in wishing her luck and telling her not to be a stranger. Flashing another sweet smile at the flowers, she snatched her purse out of her drawer and dug her cell phone out dialed the number for her old job.

When the voice she had intended to reach answered, Stacey greeted her warmly. “Hey! I got the flowers, they’re gorgeous. Thank you so much!” The two women chatted for a few minutes, making arrangements to meet for lunch sometime in the next week. Before ending the call, Stacey promised to call back on Friday to set a date.

Hanging up the phone, Stacey felt lighter than she had all day. Not only did she now have something to look at other than Devin, she also had a way to block him from peeking in at her. Smiling gratefully, the woman slid the vase to the center of her desk completely blocking Devin’s view of her, and obstructed her view of him. Satisfied that the trouble of the source of her distraction was no longer an issue, Stacey went back to work, humming quietly under her breathe.

[justice]

It was difficult for Devin to work considering who he was sitting in front of, but what made it impossible was the inability to ask a simple question. Who are the flowers from? It was a simple question. He had now found it impossible ever since the vase full of colorful flowers was set between him and Stacey. He first decided to play a waiting game and see if anyone else would come by and ask where the flowers were from, or more importantly who they were from. Devin had already given up on pretending that he didn’t care. What he did was simply mask it with another emotion. It wasn’t anger or anything like that. It was jealousy, or perhaps envy, for seemingly able to have moved on. It only continued to build on his opinion

The patience had started to pay off as Stacey began to make a phone call after reading the note that came with the flowers. He listened as the conversation started and well into its conclusion. He couldn’t completely be sure if he was talking to a friend or someone more important than that. The lack of answers was quickly becoming an itch he couldn’t reach and that got him even more upset and distracted. He knew as soon as he opened his mouth he would say something he would later regret. It could be something true or a lie. Chances are it would just be detrimental to the work environment. Devin wasn’t interested in getting noticed by human resources. It was the senior partners that he wanted to have learn his name.

So he kept quiet. For now at least. It upset him that the flowers were making for more of a distraction than Stacey. It irked him even more that he was sure behind the flowers was a happy and smiling ex girlfriend of his. Hell just seemed to be getting hotter and hotter and he hated the beach. Looking away from the flowers brought his eyesight towards Desman who gave him an uncertain look of either slyness or ‘shucks’ kind of look. It didn’t help, but it did at least make Devin forget enough to accidentally turn back and stare straight back at the flowers. ‘Crap’ he thought looking back down at his desk.

Finally something business centric came to Devin’s desk in the form of another first year. Her name was Rachel and from first glance you wouldn’t think she was a lawyer. Instead she looked every bit the super model in a lawyers outfit. She stood there with long legs, perfect length blonde hair and a body that very much exemplified a sexual woman. Her pencil skirt seemed to be just a tad bit higher than a normal one would be. Thankfully this wasn’t something that hindered Devin’s work ethic. Plus he knew Rachel from law school where they went to Columbia together.

“So looks like they are just letting any old first class lawyer into these firms.” She said with coy smile. They had been friends since their first year of law school in no small part due to the fact that when they met Devin had no interested in Rachel beyond a study partner for a few law classes they had. It seemed by the end of the first quarter almost half the male student body had asked her out and it began to get exhausting for her. So one heartbreak friend later and she started to have a much more pleasant time.

“Normally I would be more than happy for some banter Rachel, but it seems only one of us has work to do today.” Devin said leaning back in his chair. He nodded towards his laptop which had a brief he was writing loaded up. “So unless you are here to tell me that I get to pawn this off on you I don’t think you’re going to get a smile out of me.” Of course this was all said in a friendly tone, but the reality was still there. I am busy Rachel so what brings you over here? Was more or less the message.

Rachel put a strong hand on her hip and cracked a playful smile. “I think you can handle that work all on your own. I’m just here to tell you that we are being assigned to the same senior partner so get ready to deal with me on a daily bases.” Her tone was equally playful with an honest amount of flirting attached to it. Of course Devin was deaf to this considering all he saw was Rachel the friend and not Rachel the woman. At least that was how it was in school. Not much has changed from where he was sitting.

“Lord help me.” Devin said which got a laugh from Rachel who shook her head and said her goodbye.

[Nydie]

‘Get a room!’ The brunette muttered inside the safety of her own mind, her eyes rolling at the woman who seemed to have little to do with her time than chat up her co-worker. ‘Wait, am I jealous?’ Stacey tensed briefly as she pictured walking into the elevator to catch Devin making out with some random woman. There was a slight tightening in her chest, but than nothing. ‘Why should I care what he does? I left him behind, not the other way around.’ The idea worked, at least for a while, just long enough to finish up with the file she had been working on.

Slipping the file into her desk, Stacey reached out to scoop up another one to work on, when a voice drew her attention away. “Wow, someone’s got a good boyfriend. No wonder you weren’t focusing in on all the eye candy at the meeting earlier.”

The woman craned her neck to the side, just enough to spot Kara on the opposite side of her desk, leaning in to sniff a flower. Eyes rolling at the woman’s statement, Stacey snorted quietly. “Those aren’t from my boyfriend. They’re from the law firm I interned with before I got hired here. The secretary and I became really close while I was working there, and she wanted to wish me luck and make sure I stayed in touch.” Stacey’s face softened, and she smiled brightly at the other woman. “You should come out to lunch with us next week. Her husband’s a chef at this great little Italian place. I think we’re going on Wednesday, she has to double check his schedule to see when he’ll be working.”

Kara nodded, then glanced at her watch. “Speaking of lunch, want to go grab a bite? I’m famished!”

Stacey blinked her eyes in surprise and turned to glance at the time on her computer screen. “It’s really two thirty, already? The last time I looked at the time it was only ten.” Rising to her feet, the brunette stretched out her arms, emitting a quiet yawn in the process of warming her muscles back up. “I’m all for food. Something tells me I’m already in for a late night. I’ve only got half of the files they slammed me with done.”

Gathering her purse, Stacey slid out from behind the monstrosity of a desk she had been sitting behind all day, grateful to actually be out of her chair. As she stood in the aisle between her desk and Devin’s, she forced herself to look straight ahead. ‘He doesn’t exist, he doesn’t exist.’ The mantra repeated itself continually the entire time she walked behind Kara, the two females heading toward the elevators.

Once Kara assumed the two were out of ear shot, she leaned towards Stacey. “How do you do it? You didn’t even look his way.”

A bright grin fell across Stacey’s face, and she took her associates question almost like a compliment. ‘I did do it, didn’t I?’ She thought to herself, extremely impressed that she had managed what should be such a small feat. “Honestly, I didn’t even notice he was there.” It was a lie, and she knew it, but she really didn’t care. If she was going to survive this whole ordeal, she was going to have to start learning to let things go, starting with her history with Devin Coal.