“Yes,” I answered thickly. His gaze dropped to my lips and I noticed the pulse point in his neck begin to throb. I had never noticed anything so subtle before. It was like I was hyper-aware of and attuned to his every reaction. He swallowed and looked away quickly.
“Here, hold the wire up this way while I try to get it in the port,” he instructed, handing it over to me. I grabbed on like he showed me and tried to help. After another minute of struggling I got impatient. This was ridiculous. It couldn’t be this difficult.
“Push harder,” I told him, with a note of nervous tension in my voice.
“If I push harder I might damage it,” he answered, sounding as tense as I did.
“If you don’t push hard, you’ll never get it in the hole. I think it’s just a really tight fit.” Even I noticed how husky I sounded. In my agitated state, I tugged on the wire.
“Don’t yank on it,” he admonished, grabbing my hand. My heart slammed against my chest wall so hard, it felt like I might fracture a rib. I tried to breathe through my nose, so that I wouldn’t start panting. I hoped that somebody in this office knew CPR.
“I’m sorry, I’m just trying to help you get it in.” Nose breathing wasn’t working. It felt like there was no air left. Screw CPR; I needed an oxygen mask. He stared at my mouth again for a second, and then he looked away and renewed his efforts vigorously.
“Almost there…” he said in a low voice. “So close…”
“Like that! Push harder!” The cord slipped into place and I cried out, “Yes!”
“What are you two doing down there?” Braden asked from somewhere behind us. This time both of us sat up too quickly and banged our heads into the desk. I was clearly headed for the hospital at this rate.
“I’m assuming that this is probably not what it sounds like,” Adam added. “But if it is, then for Christ’s sake, Mark, be a gentleman and give it to her however she wants.”
“What’s going on now?” I heard Liz say.
“Beth and Mark are on the floor together again, and she wants him to push harder, but he’s afraid he might damage her hole,” Adam answered. Mark sighed and rolled his eyes. Then both of us crawled out quickly and stood up.
“I see,” Liz replied. “I’m going to make coffee.” She turned to leave.
“I was helping her set up a computer!” Mark called out to her, sounding irritated.
“Obviously,” Braden said, looking at him like he was crazy.
“Just don’t think that I was doing anything inappropriate,” he said, sounding defensive, and giving Adam a dirty look.
“In the law library in the middle of the day?” Braden asked.
“He’s hard up,” Adam chimed in. “It’s been a while.” The look Mark gave him that time, bordered on homicidal. Adam might be the one headed for the hospital.
“So it’s set up now?” Braden asked. Giving Adam a warning glance, he began running his fingers through his hair and pacing.
“It should be fine,” I answered. “I’ll be in my office if you need me for anything else, Bruce,” I said walking toward the door.
“Don’t forget the meeting later,” Braden reminded me.
“Right,” I called over my shoulder. I saw Mark rub the back of his neck and roll his head back and forth like he was working out the tension, and I tried very hard not to picture how it would feel to give him a nice long massage. I failed.
When I reached my office, I shut my door behind me and sat back in my desk chair thinking again. I couldn’t go on like this. Maybe the meeting this afternoon would be a good time to mention all the creepy guys who hit on me at these fundraising events I attended without a date.
4:00 PM
We had an executive staff meeting every Friday afternoon in the library, just so everyone could touch base. Braden and his wife Gabrielle, who I adored, had started The Justice Project to represent people wrongly accused and convicted of crimes and they believed in what they did. They had hired their closest friends to work with them, and there was a strong feeling of teamwork here that everyone loved.
The attorneys had all arrived; Lily, Gabrielle, my cousin Cameron, and his girlfriend, Jess, another good friend of mine, joined Braden, Mark and Adam. Bruce and Liz were both there too. We could start the meeting.
I had planned out what I was going to say, and I knew my girls would have my back if necessary. In fact, as it turned out, I didn’t even have to say anything; toward the end of the meeting, Lily brought up exactly the subject I had been planning to discuss.
“So, Beth, there’s that fundraiser tomorrow night at the art museum. I read that the theme is Old Hollywood,” she said casually.
“Old Hollywood? Oh, that should be fun, honey, well, as long as nobody hits on you,” Jess jumped in.
“I can’t even imagine having to fight off those jerks every time you go to one of those things,” Gab added, making a sour face.
“It’s a shame there isn’t anyone you could bring with you. Don’t you have any male friends you could invite?” Lily asked, looking concerned.
“I’ll go if they let me dress like Joan Crawford,” Bruce volunteered and Lily kicked him under the table.
“Beth, are you being harassed at the events you’re attending?” Braden broke in suddenly, leaning back in his chair and plowing his fingers through his hair. Both Braden, and my younger brother Drew, could be very protective of me. Having grown up in the public eye had made us particularly close.
“There are guys who mistake these things for single’s bars, but they usually cease and desist eventually,” I answered truthfully. I didn’t want to worry him, but I did want him to suggest that maybe someone escort me…
“Why don’t you bring a date then?” he asked, and I hesitated a beat. Okay, not quite what I was hoping for, but close.
“Because I’m not dating anyone at the moment.” I started shuffling through the papers in front me as if there were a reason for it, other than to avoid the subject of my not-very-successful dating history.
“Why not?” Braden asked crossing his arms and raising one eyebrow.
“Why not?” I gave him an appalled look. When you don’t know what to say, repeat the question and look offended. It usually works.
“What happened to the filmmaker?” Oh, shit here we go…
“I found out his most successful production to date was entitled Suzie Loves Gangbangs, Part II.”