Mr. Corporate Law

4.4: The Girl's Best Friend

Buried in paper work.

"Annie, being a partner is going to be a pain, isn't it?" Erika asked as soon as she heard me walk in, her fingers were buried between her blond hair, her head face down towards an open folder and her face shadowed as she looked more frustrated than before.

"I'm sorry I haven't come around, Erika," I apologized as soon as possible. "With my Dad deciding he wanted a day off, everyone decides to come to me instead of the other partner in the firm-" I quickly shut my mouth halfway through the possible rant, I didn't want to burden her more than she already has been with the stacked pile on her desk.

She groaned as she pushed herself back up to sit straight, clasping her fingers on top of her desk as she used her elbows for a firm balance. I took the time to quickly examine Erika, and she looked absolutely exhausted, other than the lack of make up she usually has on, she had bloodshot eyes, dark circles and pale. Her hair no longer tamed and her blouse was a wrinkled mess.

"Holy shit, boo."

"I know! Look at me!" She moaned and whined as I made my way over to her and wrapped my arms around her for the much needed hug. She continued to moan and wine against my shoulder, it wasn't clear but I'm certain her complaints started from subtle and decent sentences to sentences that could come from a sailor's mouth.

"I won't be done until six, we could buy dinner along the way and start our marathon with Dirty Dancing?"

She nodded. "One day, I want a Patrick to teach me the ways of dirty dancing."

I giggled at her drowsy comment and parted from our embrace, I stayed bent down to her level as she stared at me blankly. I helped her rearrange her hair to a proper state, wipe away crumbs from whatever she ate throughout the day and cleaned her up a bit to make her presentable for whoever else wanted to see her today. Throughout the time, I constantly reminded her that what she worked hard for would pay off once she's officially a partner and jetting off to New York without me.

"What do you mean without you."

"Obviously because I'm not with Dominic anymore," I reminded her.

"Doesn't mean your name isn't listed as a transferred employee. Whether you like it or not, I'm taking your butt to New York." Erika slammed her palm on top of the folder laid out in front of her, the thud made the pile sitting on the right corner wobble and tease us with the attempts to slide off.

Fortunately, it didn't.

We both sighed in relief as Erika looked back up at me with puppy eyes, she pressed her palms together into a praying gesture as she pleadingly said, "Please come with me to New York. Being away from you would be so hard. I wouldn't have made it this far without your undying support for me."

I combed her hair, feeling touched by her sentimental words. She made me smile and feel needed.

"Honestly boo, if you weren't around and I had another roommate back in Harvard, I don't think I'd even be sitting here-" She tapped her desk. "On this desk, looking over paper work for the New York office that I'm going to be fronting as a partner. I actually just thought Lawler & Walsh would keep me steady as a senior associate, but no, I'm headed up."

"Erika, you'll be fine with or without me."

She shook her head, her arms wrapped around my waist as she leaned the side of her face on my stomach, she kept a tight grip of my dress from behind as she muttered, "No, boo. I've done things that normal, hardworking corporate- heck- probably any lawyer for that matter, hasn't ever thought of doing."

"Like what?"

Was there any other thing she did that made her feel this bad? I already knew about the client seductions and sex with Judge Cole, I didn't think there were anything else to add to that. Plus, I'm guilty for seducing a client too, and Erika knew that I'd be adding 'sex with Nathaniel Walsh' to that list, so I'd say we were pretty even.