Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! What does he know?
Rex nodded. “I believe so. I was busy.” Okay, for the first time in his life, he may actually be blushing, but it was no big deal. Nothing to worry about.
“I’ve just been on the phone to her, and she says she’s not feeling very well. You’re both lying to me, and you’re going to tell me the truth now, or I swear you will live to regret it.” Frank sat down in the chair that Naomi had been sitting on minutes before.
Rex didn’t see a point in arguing. “She got me this file, saw what I was doing, and left.” He needed a bit of stress relief.
Frank shook his head. “You’re a cocky bastard, and that is going to catch up to you one of these days. Do you have any idea how good Nora is?”
“I doubt she would have appreciated me using her like that.” He wasn’t the kind of man to dip into the same woman more than a handful of times. The only reason Naomi had become a regular was because of her mouth.
“Get your head out of the gutter, Rex. If you took the time to get to know people around here, you would see that Nora means a hell of a lot more to people than just a quick fuck. There are women for that, I grant you, but not Nora. I had to deal with multiple complaints because I put her with you. She’s one of the best fucking people we’ve got, and I decided to hand her to you, much to everyone’s disappointment.”
“She bakes cookies.”
“She’s the best damn PA this company has got. I don’t see a lot of them staying behind to help work on a case, to get the necessary research in, or even to take the time to know the clients. She does all of that, and yet you’re willing to throw her away because of what? Because you can’t stand the fact you can’t screw her?”
“I can pick my own PA. I don’t need you to pick them for me, and besides, she sends me off to places with the excuse that I have an appointment. Guess, what? I don’t, and I missed my real appointment!” Rex had never been so embarrassed in all of his life. His skills as a lawyer were impeccable, and for his client to berate him in front of witnesses for his lack of ethics had been the final straw for him. Larry Peterson was a well-respected businessman who was being sued by an employee for stealing her idea. Of course, Larry had all the backup needed to prove she was lying. Rex wanted the case, and he’d wanted to land Larry Peterson for the firm, but it had nearly been the end of his career. Fortunately, after he had been sent away for a couple of days, Larry called him up, apologized for the misunderstanding, and offered him the case.
Of course he had seen Nora around the office, and he’d even been nice to her, especially as everyone told him to go to her. When his PAs were struggling, he told them to seek her out, and she would help.
Running fingers through his hair, he slumped back in his chair.
“I believe Nora and that it was a genuine mistake. All of those years of working here, and that one mistake, which she rectified. Didn’t you know she had sent a gift basket, and dealt with the apologies in person?” Frank asked.
Rex had been aware of it, but it was what was expected of her mistake. “Yes.”
“If I was to fire everyone for their first mistake, you would have been gone years ago, Rex. You know it, I know it. You want to pick your PAs fine, but everyone is getting bored with the drama that you’ve brought to the office, more than once. Not to mention that half the time, they go to Nora. Give her a chance, and stop pushing her because I fear one day, she’s going to quit. One mistake in all the years she has been here. Remember that.”
Frank got to his feet, and Rex watched him leave the office.
Great, just great.
Now, he felt fucking guilty, and he didn’t like it.
Sitting back in his chair, he spun around to look out over the city as he had done many times before. He liked Nora, when she was with someone else. He really did enjoy having a quick fuck in the office.
Picking up his phone, he dialed Alaric Patterson, his best friend.
“Hello,” Alaric said.
“I’ve just had my ass handed to me.”
“It’s about time.”
Rex rolled his eyes. “I don’t know why I’ve even called you.”