Business And Pleasure

12

I woke up in a sweat, thinking that I'd overslept because I didn't hear my alarm ring. Then I remembered that I had dropped my bag during the attack yesterday which meant that I had lost everything, phone and house keys included.

I got off the bed, still in Trenton's shirt whose smell reminded me a little too much of that bastard Aurel. I took off the shirt and headed off to the kitchen to check the time. It was 6:30 in the morning which gave me ample time to actually have a proper breakfast. I'd heard the front door open which meant that Trenton had probably gone on an early morning run. I was free in my underwear and I could do whatever I want until he got back.

Grabbing a bowl and spoon, I set them on the granite top of the island and began to pour in some muesli and yoghurt. I added a few fruits and then went to the open plan living room to put on the music with my bowl in hand.

As I stood before the giant plasma, I looked at my reflection. My stretch marks were increasing which meant that I was putting on weight and I was getting a bit of cellulite. OK. This girl had to hit the gym soon. I pressed play on the stereo and the melodious sound of new school RnB in Sax wafted to my ears.

I put the spoon into my mouth and increased the volume, swaying my hips along to the rhythm of the music while I ate, trying to get in a few lyrics here and there. I spent a good 30 minutes eating breakfast and dancing to the soulful sounds that filled the living room and kitchen while staring at my reflection on the plasma screen.

When it ended, I turned around only to be startled by Trenton's eyes on me and a smirk on his face. He sat at the kitchen counter eating the same cereal as me.

"Don't. Say. A word," I warned him as he opened his mouth to say something.

"I just didn't think you'd be so comfortable as to dance in your underwear in the living room while eating cereal and also with my curtains wide open!" he laughed and looked at the windows which looked out into the neighbor's yard.

"I hope they enjoyed the show," I shrugged but deep down, my heart was doing cartwheels.

He grinned. Oh how a grin looked so good on him. "You seem to be doing a lot better today. What about the guy that attacked you? Did you know him?"

"Let me put on something first." I ran to the guest bedroom and put on his shirt then came back. "I didn't know the guy but he knew who I was. Maybe someone sent him?"

"Yeah but who would want to kill you?"

"I am a lawyer. I have many enemies."

"But your enemies have never tried to kill you before. Are you in someone else's bad books? Someone new? Actually don't answer that. You and Bassey hate each other but I'll eliminate her as a suspect because she's content with you working on her case which leaves me with your ex-boyfriend - Edward Arlington. After all, I did see him leaving your office looking like he would kill anyone in his way."

I huffed. "Edward? Noo....really? You think he'd attack me?"

"He knows that you're the best at this work and he has more to lose than his ex-wife-to-be. I mean if you win the case, that means Bassey is getting half of his family fortune and she has never done an honest day's work in her life. I think he'd do anything to keep the family fortunes within the family and that includes either killing or incapacitating you. I think he just meant to scare you not hurt you like for real for real. In this field of work, everyone is your enemy, Joera and you have to be careful on whose toes you step." He looked at me. "In the 12 years that I have been in this industry, shit can sometimes really hit the fan."

"ShIt CaN SoMeTiMes HiT tHe FaN," I mocked and I stared at him. "In cases involving this much wealth, it always does and I know that, Trenton. Don't you remember the Casswell vs Nguyen case when I first started with you guys and I was your rookie?"

He laughed. "I really thought you were going to die. I had never seen so many bullets in one person-how did you survive and how are you not scarred? You were literally within an inch of life at the firm's doorstep in broad daylight."

"Higher power was watching on me. My adoptive mom even flew all the way from Lesotho to come see me. Mind you, she's terrified of airplanes."

Trenton just gazed at me. I say gaze because he was just looking at me with a small smile on his face, not being bothered that he was just staring.

"What?" I asked, suddenly feeling uncomfortable.

"I still can't believe that you're an African girl. Usually when people speak of Africans, our expectations are of this dark melanin skin but yours...you're light skinned. And your adoptive parents...where did they come from?"

"My mom is Chinese and my dad is Finish. They were tourists and they decided to visit just one orphanage in my home country. Apparently they saw this charming teenager whom they decided to adopt even though their family was against adopting a 17 year old girl child. They went against their family wishes and bought a house in Lesotho in which we lived as a family. Then when I turned 18, they sent me here to study and stayed back home, adopting 2 other smaller children-my adoptive brothers. One's eighteen and the other just turned 21 and they have the coolest sister ever." I grinned.

I was surprised when I heard Trenton mutter, "And beautiful too."

"I didn't catch that," I said as I stared at him, willing him to say it again.

He looked into his cereal bowl then back at me. "And goofy and childish too," he said quietly. "Your character out of office is entirely different from your office one."

I was quiet for a moment. I know I didn't hear him wrong when he was mumbling. He said he thought I was beautiful. My mind just couldn't comprehend it. Trenton Buscemi thought I was beautiful. Not sexy since he always referred to women as that, but beautiful. Beautiful as in he actually liked me?

The shrill and long beep of the microwave brought me back to reality and I realised that I had just been in my thoughts while staring straight at Trenton who shifted uncomfortably.

"Sorry," I quickly said as I looked away. "I zone out a lot."

"I noticed. I think I should go and get ready for work and so should you." He cleared the table. "Since you don't have any cosmetics, you can borrow mine. I'm just not so sure about my clothes so just for today..." He looked at me as if considering something. "Just for today, you can borrow Cher's clothes."

I shook my head. "It's OK. I can just call Antoine and-"

"It's alright. It's too early in the morning to wake him up. Unless you feel uncomfortable wearing a dead woman's clothes."

I stared at him. "It's just that you flipped yesterday when I wore the shirt and...I don't want you to feel like I'm imposing-"

"It's alright. Just pick whatever you want from her closet. I decided last night to donate everything except her jewellery to the needy. It's been 5 years since her death. I think it's about time that I stopped holding on to her because she'll always live on in my heart." He tried to smile but it broke.

I saw a twinkle of a tear in his eyes and I don't know how or when I moved but I had my arms around him, pulling him into a comforting hug. I didn't think anything of it in the moment as he lay his head on the side of mine because he was taller while he put his arms around me.

"It's alright," I whispered, rubbing his back and squeezing him harder. Squeezing hugs always made me feel better and I wanted him to feel better as well.

"Thank you," he said into my hair.

I smiled and looked at him, cupping his head in my hands. "You're gonna be fine. Look at me. I mean I loved Aurel but I'm not wallowing in sadness. I choose to be happy with the good memories I have of him."

He nodded, smiling a little and I thought I saw a hint of a dimple that never got to be. Then our proximity suddenly hit me and I realised that he still had me close to him, barely an inch between us. Did I always have to get myself in this position with him?

I quickly let go of his face and he let go of me. "Um...I'll go and choose those clothes then." I ran before he could say anything.