Page 2 of Dating the DILF
“Well, he’s also hot, but I thought even you could see that.” She shrugs carelessly.
“I don’t have time for ‘hot,’” I argue.
“Make time for it! Slut it up all cougar-like and get in that boy’s boxers. Your vagina will thank you.” Addy laughs.
I bite my lip to disguise a smile. “It’s not that simple. If I want to make junior partner in the next couple of years, I don’t have time for relationships.” I move my chair forward, ignoring Adelaide’s groan, and begin rifling through the paperwork on my desk. “Which reminds me, Louis and Kendall want to be briefed on the UB acquisition tonight.” I hand her a pile of papers. “Can you make me copies of this report before you get back to the affidavit?”
“What time did you get here this morning?”
I blink slowly a couple of times, considering her question. “Six-thirty, why?”
“Six-thirty.” She shakes her head and I already know I’m not going to like where this is going. “And after this meeting tonight, you’ll get out of here at, what? Nine, nine-thirty?”
“What’s your point, Addy?”
“That’s a fifteen-hour day. And you’re doing that more and more often lately. Not to mention you’re here most weekends.”
Every weekend, but that seems ill-suited to my argument right now.
“It’s the job, you know that as well as I do.”
“Do you like the job?” Her question stops me short and I try to come up with an answer that will pacify her.
“It’s a good job. It has great benefits, it’s secure and the pay is—”
“Do. You.Likeit?” She bites her lip and levels me with an exasperated look. “Are you passionate about it? Does it fill you up?”
This right here is why you should never work with your friends.
“I’m passionate about the law,” I defend myself.
“You’re passionate about negotiating deals so rich assholes can become even richer assholes?” Her voice oozes disbelief.
“I need—”
“You need to get laid.” It’s said with a roll of her eyes and it’s the final straw.
“I need security,” I snap. “I need to know that I have the resources to take care of myself and provide for myself. If you have a problem with that, then I’m sorry, but I also don’t really care.”
“Okay, okay.” She holds up her hands in surrender. “I’m sorry, I know this job is important to you. I just want you to remember that it’s not theonlyimportant thing.” She stands and smooths down her skirt. “Life can be so much more than what you’re making of it, Charlie. Love and relationships don’t have to mean you lose something. Sometimes they’re the reason yougeteverything.”
I watch her walk out, her words hanging heavy in the air, before I turn to my computer and get back to work.
The gentle sunlight is warming my back as I make my way into the huge converted church that is home to my yoga class. The teacher, Dee, began running these classes a few years ago, not long after I started working at Harris & Erickson, and after seeing a leaflet stuck on a coffee shop notice board, I decided to give it a try to see if it helped with my stress levels. I can’t say it did much for my stress overall, but I fell in love with the way yoga made me feel. How it made my body stronger and my mind sharper. I’ve been a devotee ever since and this class is a staple of my Saturday routine.
Yoga is also where I met Adelaide. At the time it seemed like serendipity. After a few classes where we ended up on mats next to each other, sharing our muttered moans of disbelief at some of the positions our goddess-like instructor could get herself into, we went out for a coffee one day. It was there that we discovered a mutual love of coffee and boy bands, as well as the fact that I was looking for a new assistant, while Addy had just completed her paralegal certification.
Kismet.
I find her as soon as I walk into the large room, in the back-right corner, our preferred spot. She’s rolled out her mat and is sitting in a seated forward bend, stretching her hamstrings, which I know are sore from a session with her personal trainer a few days ago.
Things were awkward after our words yesterday and I know that was my fault, so sucking in a deep breath I walk over and greet her with a big smile. She eyes me cautiously, but it only takes a moment before a grin slides across her face.
“You’re late, I wasn’t sure if you were coming.” There is no malice in her voice, only curiosity, and I’m grateful she’s letting me off the hook and we can move on from yesterday.
I roll out my mat and take a spot on the ground beside her.
“Nanna called right before I was about to leave. Apparently she found a photo of us from a vacation we took to Saugatuck when I was ten, and it was imperative she tell me all about it right that instant.” I can’t help the giggle that slips past my lips when I remember how excited she sounded while she reminisced.
