Page 6 of Soulmates

“That deposition last night was a cluster fuck, Miles. If Jim hadn’t stepped in and stopped the bleeding we would have gotten our asses fucked big time.”

Jim Blunt was the other senior partner, and a senior prick.

“Jim stopped the bleeding by lying as usual. The case is doomed anyway, Tom. We should never have taken it on. You got greedy,” I said, pointing a finger at him. “It was you who fucked us over.”

The blood rushed to Tom’s head. He had alway been an imposing figure, not only because he had total power to hire and fire anyone at his firm, but he was built like an ox. You did not want to get in the ring with this guy unless you had a death wish.

Perhaps that was what I had.

Tom stood up slowly, the veins popping and pulsing on his thick neck. “Why you fucking dipshit,” he said softly, staring at me with murder in his eyes. “How dare you talk to me that way.”

I should have been quivering in my shoes, but I felt nothing.

“I’m telling you how I see it, Tom. Someone’s gotta say it when you fuck up, or you’ll drive your own company to the ground.”

“It’s my company,” he seethed. “You don’t fucking get to say shit about how I run my own goddamn business.”

I shrugged. Whatever.

He took a few deep breaths, fighting to control himself. Sitting down, he leaned back in his chair and regarded me with slitted eyes.

I met his stare.

“I like you, Miles,” he said. “You’ve got balls of steel. I can see what Bev saw in you. I have no idea why you two split up and she ended up with that chickenshit loser.”

I wanted to tell him we split up because his daughter was a total slut, but in the interest of self preservation I bit my tongue.

“You remind me of myself, Miles. You’re smart, and you’ve got that killer instinct. You’ve proven yourself worthy of your senior position, so I’m going to let this show of disrespect slide. I think you’re burned out. I want you to take a few days off. On my dime.”

I stared at him, half wondering if this was some kind of sick joke. I was pretty sure I had just handed him my head on a silver platter.

“You’re pulling me off the case?” I said cautiously, fishing for a trap I knew must be in there somehow. Tom Edsel never gave away anything without reaping benefits from any situation.

“You can go on vacation or you can walk out that door and never come back.” he said in a cold voice. He took a few more deep breaths. “Besides, Jim can handle the case until you return. Get some good R&R, fuck a few pussies, and come back refreshed. It’ll do you good.”

Tom pressed a button on his phone. “Brenda, set Miles up for a trip, will you? He leaves tomorrow, back on Sunday evening at the latest. Where do you want to go, Miles?” He paused for exactly one second, then continued on without waiting for my reply. “Set him up for wherever the fuck he wants to go. Put it on the corporate card.”

“Yes, Mr. Edsel,” Brenda replied.

He nodded at me and turned to his computer. The meeting was over. Apparently I still had my job.

I got up and left the lion’s den. Brenda nodded at me.

“So Miles,” she said, “you finally gonna take a vacation?”

“I guess so,” I said, sighing.

“Where do you want to go?”

“I don’t care.”

“You must have an idea. Edsel’s paying for it. I’d milk it if I were you,” she said, winking. My eyes dropped to the significant cleavage popping out of her business suit, the top two buttons open.

“You can take me with you if you want.” She ran a long, manicured finger along the top swell, making me wonder if those buttons had come undone while I was inside the office. Brenda had been giving me looks and dropping hints ever since she heard of the divorce.

There was a time before I got married when I would have entertained the idea of fucking someone like her just for kicks, but after what my ex did to me I had pretty much blocked any chance of a relationship from my life. Perhaps someday I would be ready to dive back into that pool. Perhaps someday I would meet the right person, but how could I know for sure she would be the one?

No, there were no guarantees, and it was best to stay single. Life was far less complicated that way.

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