THE MYSTERIOUS PROTÉGE

FOUR

Basil Kane.

I woke up in the morning to the sweet smell of coffee, remembering that I am at my mother’s house. I took a shower and headed down to the kitchen, my eyes and hers meet making me smile unconsciously. “Good Morning?” I signal her.

“Good Morning.” she signaled back and offered me a seat at the kitchen counter. She offers me a cup of black coffee with two sugars, she knows me so well I thought. I turn my phone on. It’s a rule in my mother’s house that no work should be done while I’m there to visit her. But I do have a company to run and I need to use my phone at some point.

Immediately my phone is on, I get a lot of messages and voicemails from Sara, my secretary, Ethan Jones and also Nelson Wright? Ugh what did he want now? I’m not ready to deal with this messy and unstable guy. I want a little bit of peace before I have to go back to my very chaotic job. I enjoy the cup of coffee, bid my mom goodbye with a kiss on her cheek and go to work.

I step off the elevator and I could hear the commotion in the floor. What is happening, I wonder.

“I thought you said you had this under control and we wouldn’t have to go to court?” I hear someone yell.

“You’re over reacting. This case is still salvageable but only if you stop interfering,” Ethan’s voice spoke up clearly annoyed.

“What is going on here?” I asked once I enter the conference room, “everyone else get back to work!” I said sternly to the crowd surrounding the commotion, making them scatter to their respective places of work.

“So now you decide to show up?” Nelson blurted out with anger, “I thought you said your little guy here will be able to take care of the matter!” he yelled as he pointed at Ethan, “well he did nothing to contain the situation.” he concluded with spite.

“Nelson, Ethan is more than capable but I’m here now he’ll get me into speed with everything and I will see what the matter is. I’ll keep in touch with you,” I said struggling to keep myself calm.

“You better!” He yelled pushing the chair in front of him with so much unrequired force and stormed out.

This is not how I was expecting to start my day at the office. I walked out Ethan in tow, heading straight to my office. “Would you mind telling me what has Mr. Wright all worked up?” I asked Ethan offering him a seat once we were in my office, as I stood looking out the window.

“Well, first of all the guy is a pig and deserves all that comes after him. Secondly, he really under estimated his wife,” Ethan said as he placed pictures of Mr. Wright with different woman and family on my desk, as I assessed the photos Ethan continued to speak, “Mrs. Wright hired a P.I and had been following him for weeks, this goes beyond their prenuptial agreement meaning Nelson has a chance of losing everything he has.”

“Is there a way to win this case or better yet throwing this case out all together?” I asked still assessing the photos.

“That would mean having to discredit the photos or the P.I or just going after Mrs. Wright all together? Do you really want to put her through all that?” Ethan asked.

I sigh as I pulled out my chair to sit down. This case is turning out to be more complex than it needed to be. Why did it have to be Mr. Wright of all the prominent men in this city? I run my hand across my face, “I have to talk to Nelson and get him to compromise and maybe just get to handle this case out of the courts,” I suggested.

Ethan chuckles, “That is going to be difficult. You don’t have to deal with only Mr. Wright but also Brody Miller.”

Oh God! Not him he is really competitive and he constantly wants to win cases against powerful people. I don’t know what exactly he likes to prove but he doesn’t like me that’s for sure. This case is really not an easy one as I thought.

“I doubt Ryan would let Brody work on that case alone. Ethan, find out who he is working with maybe we would be able to get through to his second chair. For now, I have a lot of paper work to go over.” I said to him and dismiss him.

Once he left I start going through the files on my desk, some require my signature others require me going through the summary of different court cases, either way I’ll be very busy. I spend the whole morning going through the files, signing and correcting when a knock on the door interrupts me. “Enter.” I said my eyes still on my work.

“Hey baby.” Leilani, my girlfriend, said as she walked into my office.

I smile when my eyes land on her, “hey baby. You’re a sight for sore eyes.” I said as I got up and walked towards her.

“I do try my best, don’t I?” She said with a smile, I hugged her tightly. “I was hoping to steal you and take you for lunch somewhere.”

I sighed, “as much as that sounds like an awesome idea I’m afraid I don’t have the time for that.” I said pointing towards the files on my desk that I was yet to complete.

She kissed me on my cheek and gentle bit my ear, then she whispered, “you need a little break baby.”

I chuckled, “I see what you’re trying to do.” I said with a smile.

“Is it working?” She asked with a smirk.

“Hmm…” I said pretending as if I was thinking about it, “I’ll go with you just because I think a break would do me some good.”

“Uh huh, yeah right. You paying then.” Leilani said as she turned to walk away.

“Hey not fair. I thought you came to take me out for lunch?” I complained as I followed her.

“But you didn’t want to go.” She said.

I chuckled, “Sara, I’m going out for lunch so direct important calls to my cellphone.” I said as I passed by Sara’s desk.

“Of course, sir. Enjoy your lunch.” She said with a smile.

“Where should we go for lunch?” I asked Leilani as we entered the elevator.

“I was thinking something fancy. Something expensive. Something exquisite.” Leilani said with a smile.

“I see you had all this planned out, hadn’t you?” I asked.

“You always like to pretend that you don’t like to go for lunch but you do. So, I’m bound to take advantage of that.”

“I guess you should.” I said.

Leilani Larson, is a model and owns a few chains of clothing lines. She also has rich parents who spoil her and bowed to her every whim. But she also showed some kind of initiative by opening the stores now at least she can say she has some money to her name. We met when I went to try and find a suit for an occasion I was to attend, I’m basically color blind so she really helped me look my best and I offered to have her as my date. I was honestly expecting her to decline my offer but she didn’t and that let to our year long relationship.

“How are your stores fairing on?” I asked as we were on the road to the restaurant.

“Fantastic.” She said excitedly, “if all goes well I will be signing a very big client on my clothing line.”

“That’s great news. We should probably celebrate when I don’t have work waiting for me.” I said.

“Oh no, Basil shouldn’t dare celebrate when he has work waiting for him.” Leilani said sarcastically. I just laughed.

“All I’m saying is that I got my priorities and you have yours.” I said with a shrug.

“It’s sad that you’re my first priority but I’m not yours.” Leilani said in a somber tone.

“Baby, you know that’s not what I meant…” I started to say.

“It seemed clear as day that you prioritize your work over me.” She said.

I glanced over at her and saw her folded hands, “you’re messing with me, aren’t you?” I said turning my eyes back to the road. She looked at me trying to keep her poker face on but she burst into laughter, “I’ve always known I had to work on my poker face considering I date a lawyer.” She said gently brushing my arm.

“Yes, you do and we’re here.” I said as I pulled the car over and got out. I rushed and helped Leilani get out of the car, as I handed the valet the keys to the car. Being well known in the country helped in that most of the time I could waltz into restaurants that other people need to make a reservation for.

“Since you’re paying I’ll have the most expensive wine in the house.” Leilani said with a smirk.

“You can have anything you want baby.” I said winking at her making her giggle. I was about to speak when my phone rang.

“You should have probably put that on silent.” Leilani said and I looked at her, “or not.” She said with a sigh as she went back to look through the menu.

“It’s O’Brien, I have to take this. Would you excuse me?” I asked and she just nodded.

“What’s up?” I asked as I picked the call, got up and left the table.

“Wright is what’s up. I regret you giving me this case, what was meant to be something simple is turning out to be more complex.” Neil complained.

“What has he done now?” I asked in annoyance.

“He came to brag to me about how he managed to bribe Brody to throw the case, but when I dug into it I found out that Brody was kicked out of the case. For what reason, I still don’t know.” Neil said.

“Damn!” I said clenching my fists, “who’s on the case now?” I asked.

“Some girl called Blossom Summers. I have never heard of her.” Neil said.

“Neither have I.” I commented. “Find out everything you can about her so we don’t get blindsided when we go to court. I’ll have a stern talk with Wright.” I said.

“On it.” Neil said and hanged up.

I could feel the anger boiling inside of me at the thought of Wright. I desperately wanted to punch him in the face but that would completely ruin my reputation and he wasn’t worth the trouble. I looked at Leilani who was seated on the table by herself, I sighed, for now let me enjoy my girlfriend’s company I thought as I walked back into the restaurant.