Page 7 of EverGreene
I turned back to face the cabinet, hiding my face and the shit-eating grin that had overtaken it. Getting under Ever’s skin had been a hobby of mine since she made it known to me how much she despised my existence, or about a week after I received the promotion she was also being considered for. A promotion she was more qualified for, but which was given to me because of good old-fashioned American nepotism, with my uncle being one of the senior partners. She had every right to be angry. Hell, evenIwas angry about it.
“Good luck trying to find that mug.”
I whipped my head around to see a mischievous glimmer in her eyes before she disappeared out of the doorway.
Well played, Ever.
Yet, despite losing the only mug I could be certain athousand other pairs of lips hadn’t touched, I wasn’t mad. Because I knew that in the grand scheme of things, Ever may be winning battles, but I had won the war. She just didn’t know it yet.
“There you are.” My uncle Conrad walked into the break room as I closed the cupboard, deciding I didn’t need caffeine today, after all.
“Good morning to you, too, Uncle,” I answered him, greeting the firm’s titular Harrison. “What did I do to besmirch the family name today?”
“Nothing outside the usual, unless you and your gang of thugs are in trouble again.”
“Not that I’m aware of, but it’s only the beginning of the week, so we have plenty of time.”
My uncle grumbled something incoherent under his breath. I shouldn’t give him the shit I do, considering all he’s done to bail me out. But to be frank, he was a misogynist on top of being a transphobic piece of shit, so he deserved it. He’d proven the former when he promoted me over Ever, which he had also done as a favor to my mother. “Look, as you know, the Sawyer matter is going to trial next month.”
“It is? Gee, I had no idea, having only worked on the case since the day the intake came into our office, after all.”
“Don’t be cute.” Conrad sighed in a way that told me he was ashamed to share approximately twenty-five percent of his DNA with me. “This is a big case for our firm, and I’m going to need all hands on deck. In a few weeks, we’ll be traveling out of town and working out of a hotel across the street from the courthouse. I’ll need your help in assembling a team of people you think will do the best job for the firm.” He ran his hand through his raven locks sprinkled with bits of salt and pepper. “God, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m trusting your judgment on this.”
“I understand. I’ll try not to be a disappointment to the family…again.”
He nodded, inspecting me as though he was rethinking saying what I knew was going to come out of his mouth anyway. “I mean it, Loche. You’re going to need to curb those extra-curricular activities of yours. Now I know you can’t help it, what with that Greene blood flowing through your veins, but you’re just going to have to dump your father’s genes and act like a Harrison until this trial is over.”
So, a douchebag with a Napoleon complex. Got it.
“Yes, Uncle.” He’d said what he did to test me; to see whether I would lose my cool just like the son of Bradford Greene would be prone to do. And it’s not like I didn’t feel the anger boiling inside of me, threatening to spill over the side, scalding everything it touched. In fact, I was doing all I could to hold myself back from cracking his beak-like nose with the fist my relaxed hand desperately wanted to make. For some, that would be basic self-control. For me, it was growth. Proof that I wasn’t the monster everyone thought I was going to be.
My uncle stared at me, seemingly miffed that I hadn’t followed the instructions the voice in my head was shouting. “Good. And don’t forget I need that motion in limine drafted by the end of the day.”
“It’s the first thing I’ll do when I get back to my desk.”
Prick.
He smirked because a smile would have required too much of an effort on his part. “Would you look at you. There may be hope for you yet.”
With my teeth gritting together, I stood stock still as Conrad playfully smacked my arm before leaving to return to his office. Body still tense, I stood near the coffee maker in the break room, practicing the deep breathing exercises my therapisttaught me. Who knew inhaling and exhaling a few breaths could make you not want to commit homicide.
Sans coffee, I’d made it only a few steps down the hallway when the sound of Ever’s voice caught my attention—or rather, what that voice was telling Shelby. I rounded the corner, forcing my back flush against the wall to conceal myself from them. Ever was leaning over the receptionist desk, her conversation with Shelby hushed but still audible to anyone who cared to eavesdrop.
“Are you going to see him again?” Shelby asked. Unlike Ever, she wasn’t taking as many pains to keep their conversation discreet.
I held my breath involuntarily, straining to hear Ever’s response.
“I don’t have any idea who he even was.” She lowered her voice even more as the sound from the elevator signaled someone had arrived at the office. “He left his mask on the whole time.”
“Thewholetime?” Shelby’s voice rose an octave, and I could picture Ever frantically mouthing for her to shut up as she peered over her shoulder to make certain no one had heard.
“Yeah, it was the most erotic encounter I’ve ever had. Everything was, actually. I’ve never had a man touch me the way that he did. And now, I’m never going to be able to get a repeat performance because the guy could be anyone out there right now. I mean, I could run into him today and never know it was him. But I’m telling you, if he ever does happen to stumble back into my life again, I’m going to let him strip me down and do whatever he wants to with me without question.”
Well, well, well.
The high I rode while walking back to my office was better than any caffeine fix I could have asked forthis morning. Except, this high came with the inconvenient side effect of an erection that made the actual act of walking uncomfortable. Even still, nothing was going to erase the grin plastered across my face now that I knew not one, but two things Ever didn’t: One—she wanted a repeat of the night she’d spent with a masked stranger. Two—that masked stranger she met had been me.
Chapter 3
