Business And Pleasure

8

Bassey came knocking at my door as soon as I walked through my door. I threw my bag on the couch and sat in my chair.

"What?" I said as I stared at her in her vest and track pants. It was not fair that she was so pretty and had a body to die for when she was such a bitch. "What do you want so early in the morning?"

She sat down without being invited and stared at me. Why did she still look good without makeup? Not fair. "I came here to offer my condolences. I heard about your man."

I flatly stared at her. The audacity! "News travels fast around here, doesn't it? What the hell do you want?"

"Look, I know that we're not friends and whatever but death is no joke, OK? I came to tell you that I'm sorry and that I hope you're doing better. I lost a friend of mine too and I should tell you, it sucks. Big time. I know how you feel."

I gripped the wood edge of my desk to avoid losing my temper. "What do you want, Bassey? We're not friends. I'm your lawyer and you're my client. The only personal we'll ever get is when we're working on the case. Other than that, stay the fuck out of my personal life."

She smirked. "But I can't because we once shared a history. Oh! Let me rephrase that-we once shared a man. Our lives are forever intertwined." She began tapping her nails in that way that annoyed me. I glared at her hands. "You know...once you get to properly know me, you'll see that I'm not as bad as everyone makes me out to be. I mean everyone can sometimes be a villain in their own story. I guess it's just that it's my turn."

"If you're looking for friends, this is not the place." I glared at her. "And you're a terrible human being with your snobbish ways. No wonder you don't have friends." I know that I was being mean and it got to her because she stopped tapping her fingers as an odd expression came over her face. Was what I was seeing...sadness?

She smirked suddenly, all traces of the expression gone from her face. She stood up. "I may be a bitch but your boyfriend was ten times worse-that man whore."

My palm involuntarily connected hard with her cheek and she stumbled backwards a bit, her hand massaging her cheek and utter disbelief and shock on her face. I glared at her. "Say one more word about Aurel," I hissed.

A sneer replaced the shock as she walked to the door and opened it a little. "I meant it. Your boyfriend was a man whore and you should do your investigations on people before you jump both feet in. Aurel was not who you think he was and you should ask Brianna at the Hog Pub downtown. No wonder they killed him. He deserved all of it."

I don't know how I jumped over the desk but the next thing I knew was that someone was pulling me back as the witch flew away with a smirk, right into the elevator.

"LET GO OF ME!" I was screaming, having no care whatsoever that the entire floor had come out of their offices and were watching everything as it unfolded. I was blinded by angry tears as I kept trying to get out of whoever was holding me back's grasp. "SHE'S GETTING AWAY! LET ME GO!"

The person dragged me off to the other elevator at I struggled to get out of their grasp. The doors shut on us and I turned away from the person, putting my forehead against the glass mirror in the elevator and trying to stop the sobs that were threatening to rack my body.

"Joera-"

"No," I said hoarsely. I felt a hand on my shoulder but I shrugged it off as the tears began to flow. I knew that Bassey was a terrible person but I didn't think that she'd go as far as what she said. "You let her get away!" I looked up and Trenton had his head down. "I almost had her." I wiped away my tears.

He looked at me. "The workplace is a place of respect. You just don't go around attacking clients-"

"But-"

"No buts. I don't care what she said to you but this is a place of work and not a circus. We can't deal with a law suit right now, Joera."

I tried to say something but he interrupted me again.

"Yes, I heard everything Bassey said but dammit Joera, you're a lawyer! You can handle this shit better! Hiding your emotions and leaving them at the door is what is required of you! This is not a circus and you had better learn that before I fire you!"

I glared at him as the elevator stopped. "You know what..." I grabbed my work ID card and threw it on the floor. "Fuck you and your job!" The doors opened and I stomped out past reception and into the street.

I walked without a destination and somehow I ended up in front of the bar Bassey had mentioned earlier-the Hog Pub. It looked kind of seedy, being near an alley a little way outside the busy CBD. I looked around and the men and women who were around gave me odd stares.  I looked at myself and remembered that I was dressed in an expensive Armani suit with my signature hair up-do.  I looked every bit the imposing lawyer.

"Is it open?" I asked one of the crackheads who was pretending to be blind at the door, begging for coins. I knew for a fact that he wasn't because I had seen him in town a couple of times, faking various disabilities.

"I'm blind, ma'am," he said as he looked directly at me. "Help a poor man. I don't know if it's open or not."

I shook my head in disgust and opened the door. I was shocked at the inside.

Unlike the dilapidated outside, the interior looked almost like my office, only better. The walls were of black tiles with red trimmings and the tables and chairs were of the same colour as well as the couches, with a platform and a few stripper poles here and there.

Business men and women in casual clothing milled around and I realised how out of place I looked. Ignoring the stares I got, I walked over to the bar where the bartender was a thin waif of a blonde who didn't look any older than 20.

I placed a note on the counter. "2 shots of Cranberry Vodka and some 1818 on the rocks."

The girl nodded. "Long day?" she asked as she prepared my drinks.

I looked up at her from my perch on the stool. "I just quit my job."

She nodded understandingly, sliding me the Vodka shots. I took them in two gulps and felt the searing pain at my throat. I cringed. It's been a long time since I did shots.

"What do you do for a living?" she asked. "You look like a big shot."

"I am a big shot. Or was. But I quit a few minutes ago."

"I can make you feel better," the girl said suggestively and I had to suppress a chuckle. "My room is just upstairs and you don't have to pay."

I stared at her for a while. "Do you like working here?" I asked out of nowhere.

She shrugged. "Sometimes. I mean it pays the bills and I get free accommodation so...why?" She looked at me.

"I'd give you a proper job in exchange for some information."

She stared at me for a while. "Are you a policeman?"

I actually chuckled. "I wish. Look, a man was gunned down a few blocks from here, at that restaurant...I think it's called The Marie. His name was Aurel."

The girl shook her head. "I don't know anything." But the way her hand shook said otherwise.

"You're Brianna, aren't you?" I said as I tapped my finger against the 1818 glass she shakily put in front of me.

She visibly paled. "I think you should leave-"

I grabbed her wrist hard. "If you call security I will make sure that you regret it," I whispered as her eyes went wide. "Who was Aurel to you? You better answer me or so help me..."

"He was my baby daddy," she squeaked when I began to twist.