Page 20 of Just for Her
Her words hit me right in the chest—hard—even as I searched for an angle.“You did?”
“I figured you might be too busy to go out and get something, so ...”
She hesitated and looked down at the bag. It was the first hint of uncertainty I’d witnessed from her. It was adorable.
“So ...” I prompted.
She straightened her shoulders, once again presenting the confidence I’d seen earlier. “So, I decided to do it for you.”
She’d brought me lunch. Because I was busy. Mynonnowould have a field day with that.
“That’s very thoughtful of you.”
“Yes, well, you’ve been very kind to my sister and me. One good turn deserves another, right?”
I felt myself grinning like an idiot. “Right. Is that a Rocco’s special by any chance?”
“It is. I hope that’s okay. I had one myself, and it was delicious.”
“It’s perfect.”
A rosy flush painted her cheeks at the compliment, making her eyes sparkle even more behind those black rims. I glanced at the clock, dismayed to see that it was almost time for my conference call. Of course, she noticed.
She held out the bag for me. “I should be going.”
“I’m sorry,” I said with genuine regret. “I have a meeting.”
“No problem. Go. I’ll let myself out.”
“Thanks again.”
She nodded. I hurried back to my office, Rocco’s in hand, just in time to pick up the call.
When I hung up an hour later, I sighed in relief. Thankfully, I’d remembered enough of the highlights from the private investigator’s report to get my client’s ex to think twice about his threat to take the case to court.
I still needed to find that file though along with the others I’d need to reference in the next few days.
I wolfed down the lunch Allison had so thoughtfully brought for me, now cold but still delicious, once again appreciating her kindness. There were still several hours to go before I saw her again, but I was already looking forward to it.
* * *
AT SIX FORTY-FIVE,my phone went off with the alarm I’d set, but it wasn’t necessary. Even as busy as I’d been, I’d been keeping track of the time in the back of my mind.
I took a few minutes to visit the restroom and give myself a brief once-over. The long days and excessive workload I’d been carrying were visible in my face. My eyes were bloodshot. My hair was badly in need of a trim. I could probably use a shave, too, since I hadn’t had a chance to do so that morning, but that would also have to wait.
I splashed some cold water on my face, combed my hair, and made liberal use of the mouthwash I always kept on hand as well as a handful of breath mints. It would have to do.
Allison and her sister arrived five minutes before their appointment time, and I brought them back to my office.
Together, we reviewed the file Allison had brought with her, the same one she’d tried to give me the first time we met. I had to say, I was impressed. It was extremely organized. Color-coded with clear notes, dates, names. Allison’s meticulous attention to detail was refreshing, especially after dealing with Stella’s haphazard methods.
As we talked, both women filled in details, and by the end, I had a much better understanding of Allison’s concern—not only because Miriam’s ex was a piece-of-shit human being, but also because Miriam seemed, well, a little flighty, if I was being honest.
I didn’t mean that in a bad way. She was clearly intelligent and well-spoken when focused. However, her attention span also seemed to be rather limited, and several times during our meeting, she’d clearly been thinking of other things.
“It’s her creative mind,” Allison said on an exhale when Miriam excused herself to use the restroom. “Sometimes, she prefers to live in her own world rather than deal with reality.”
“It’s not uncommon among those who have experienced abuse.”
