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“Of course, you’re right about this. I might think about it overnight and try to find the right words to explain the situation to him, so he understands what an important part of my life he is.”
We talk about finding the courage to talk to him for a few minutes until we hear the front door open and close. Knowing it’s probably Smoke returning from his appointment, Marge shoots me a worried smile and scurries away.
As for me, I’m absolutely dumbfounded. I can’t imagine how thrilled Smoke is going to be about finding out his mother is still alive. This is the best news ever, if only she manages to find the courage to tell him. It’s so sweet how she sees her job as keeping up with his appointments and helping him become a successful attorney. That just about melts my heart.
Chapter 21
Smoke
Over the last two months Serena and I have failed miserably at keeping our relationship platonic. We keep falling into bed together. It was mostly for emotional intimacy at first. When it comes to cuddling, we can’t seem to keep our hands off each other. I’d be lying if I said I only did it to console her or make her feel secure. I like having her in my arms because it reminds me, she’s safe in my keeping. No one will get to her on my watch.
The last couple of months have been particularly rough for Serena. What with her friend being murdered and finding out she had a stalker, I think the stress was getting to her as she lost her appetite and felt nauseous a lot of the time. I tried to make sure she kept eating, so I would cook a tasty meal for us in the evening and ensure the freezer was stocked with her favorite caramel pecan ice cream, in case she felt like eating that instead of regular food. I guess my plan is working because her waistline has firmed up a bit. I like that she’s a little thicker, there’s more to love.
She tries to put up a brave front, but I still find her crying when she thinks no one is looking. Finding out her friend had been brutally murdered has taken a toll on her mental health, but her therapist assures us the tears are all part of the grieving process and are necessary for her to make progress.
Still my sweet love is walking, talking, and working with me at the office now. I consider all that to be progress because for the first week she didn’t want to leave the house. Something about attending her friend’s virtual funeral jogged her back to reality. Maybe it was seeing Gina’s parents grieving and then trying to carry on. I suspect she thought if they could do it, so could she.
She’s still somber much of the time, but both Marge, and Rigs’ son, Evan, make it a point to talk with her a little each day and it keeps her from crawling back into her shell. We have Gordon assigned to guard duty, and during the spring school break, Evan is accompanying him as a ride along. At fifteen he’s still not old enough to get his license, but he wants to be involved in the club and we thought this way he could learn the ropes but keep safe. The poor kid hates riding pillion, but in another six months he can get his learner’s permit. I know Mattie isn’t looking forward to that, but Evan knows his own mind, and has a good head set on his young shoulders.
Marge seems to be taking extra care of Serena, and even brings her food from home for lunch sometimes. Somedays I see them and they’re as thick as thieves, it’s actually quite sweet. In the years Marge has worked for me, she’s always been so private about her personal life, I don’t think she has any kids, so maybe Serena is like the daughter she never had.
Right now, we’re over halfway through Serena’s ninety-day employment contract with our firm, and I cannot imagine her working anywhere else other than with me. Marge obviously adores her, and I wouldn’t want to part with her personally or professionally.
Once Serena and I started being intimate, the sex was so fantastic we ended up having repeat performances every other night. Serena was still shaken up about things and I didn’t want her to feel pressurized, but to my astonishment she seems as eager for my touch as I am to touch her.
Her ex-boyfriend has not resurfaced yet and that worries me. He could literally be anywhere, even in Las Salinas right now. Serena gave us the lowdown on him. Stan graduated at the top of his class at a prestigious Ivy League college and rolled right into a cushy position with a high powered and politically connected law firm in San Francisco. He’s cagy and cunning inside the courtroom, and out. In other words, he’s just the kind of man who will prove to be difficult to catch. I feel like this exponentially increases the danger for Serena. She seems to understand that now, thank fuck.
Today, I have meetings most of the morning and I know Serena has a couple scheduled herself, along with a court appearance at eleven a.m. I’m feeling a bit anxious today, more so than usual, and I can’t get my head around what’s causing it. I shove it aside and prepare for my first appointment with Rex Corp. They’re overhauling their employee benefits plan and want me to review their new policy manual. It is boring, tedious work but it’s what I do.
I’m having a hard time concentrating because Marge is pacing back and forth in the reception area. Come to think of it, she’s been acting strangely over the last few weeks. Her normally snappy personality has been replaced with a jumpy, anxious one. I’m starting to get worried that she regrets our firm taking on a new attorney. It’s clear she’s fond of Serena, but maybe the extra workload is getting to her? Serena is not going anywhere so I’m going to have to sort out Marge on that issue.
I reach over and hit my intercom. “Marge, can you come to my office for a minute?”
I watch her freeze in place and then rush frantically to my door. “Yes. What can I do for you Mr. Drake?”
I gesture to the chairs in front of my desk. “Have a seat, we need to talk.”
She moves slowly toward my desk and lowers herself down into one of the chairs.
I clear my throat and try to find the words to explain that I’m hell bent on Serena staying on as my partner. “Marge, you know how sometimes you end up in a position that turns out to be an exceptionally good fit, but it was only ever supposed to be a temporary position?”
Her bottom lip trembles. “You’re going to fire me. I just knew it. This situation has always been too good to be true.”
I’m surprised she’s saying this, in the years she’s worked for me I’ve never even hinted she’s anything other than a permanent part of the team. Hell, she practically came with the office. “Do you remember how you came to be hired by me?”
Wringing her hands in her lap, she looks like she’s about to cry. “Yes, of course I do, I was working for Mr. Carlos and when he moved to his new premises we parted company. He wanted a more modern office and I’m a bit stuck in my ways. The real estate agent told me another attorney was moving in and they were looking for a secretary, so on the day you moved in I came to introduce myself.”
I remember that day quite well. I had thought it would take me weeks to settle in and set up my office, but suddenly there was this small miracle worker who seemed determined to get my business up and running.
I scratch my head. “I never did understand how I got sent a listing for this office in the first place. It’s a bit like how you just showed up out of the blue when I needed you the most.”
A short silence settles around us and then she adds, “Well that’s what mothers do. They look out for their children, even if they can’t be a part of their lives.”
Her words cause me to forget to breathe. I’m not sure how long I sit there staring at her trying to process what she just said.
Something about her eyes seems like she’s pleading for me to understand, but I’m not sure what I’m supposed to understand.
“You think of me as a son?” I ask. I guess the way she always looks out for me, gets me my morning coffee, and fusses around is almost motherly.
