Page 9 of Just for Her
Chapter Four: Paulie
Hours later, I couldn’tstop thinking about Allison Kearney. It was making me edgy. I had a mountain of work piling up on my desk that required my full attention. The last thing I needed was a distraction in the form of a golden-haired paralegal with Cupid’s bow lips.
And yet, there I was, staring at my screen and thinking about the disappointment in those pretty green eyes as she’d left my office. The fact that I’d been the one to put it there left a bad taste in my mouth. Did I agree with her methods? No. But she was only trying to look out for her sister. That was something I could respect and admire.
A knock pulled me from my thoughts. As usual, Stella didn’t wait for permission before opening the door and walking in. She’d been doing that a lot today. My guess was, she had something on her mind, but I wasn’t going to be the one to open that can of worms.
“I’m getting ready to leave for the day.”
“Okay,” I said, returning my attention to my screen and the notes I’d been typing on an upcoming mediation. “Did you finish that transcript?”
“Yes. I put it in the case file.”
I nodded. “Thank you. Have a good night.”
In my mind, the conversation was over. Apparently, I was wrong.
“Staying late again?” Stella asked, much closer than she’d been only a minute or two earlier.
A cloud of perfume assaulted my nose, stronger than usual.
I tried not to sneeze as my fingers tapped out more words. “That’s the plan.”
“Another dinner meeting?” Her biting, almost accusatory tone made me pause.
I turned to find her next to me, leaning against my desk, arms crossed.
“Excuse me?”
“There were takeout containers in the conference room trash this morning.”
I blinked, surprised that, one, she’d been looking in the trash, and two, she thought anything I did in the office after hours was her concern. I was already on the verge of cranky and didn’t appreciate having to explain myself.
“I get takeout most nights. You know that.”
“Last week there were enough for two.”
I thought back to why that might be, recalling my sister’s unexpected visit with some effort. The days were melting together. I’d spent the entire weekend at the office, with the exception of those few hours on Sunday in which I’d made a mandatory appearance at Mama C’s.
“Gina stopped by with food on her way to the library. I told her she could use the conference room.”
Stella’s features visibly relaxed. “Oh. That makes sense. Is she coming by again tonight?”
“I don’t know. Maybe.”
“You know, I could pick up some takeout and bring it back here.”
Warning bells tolled in the back of my mind, right along with the echo of my sister’s words. “Thanks, but no, thanks. I’ll pick something up later.”
“You sure? I don’t mind.”
“I’m sure. Good night, Stella.”
I turned back to my computer. She hovered for a few moments and then let herself out. The moment the door closed, I sat back and exhaled. It looked as if Gina might have been right about Stella after all.
