Hazing 15

Background color
Font
Font size
Line height



My heart sinks when the dots indicating another message disappear. I snuggle down into my bed, ignoring the desire to text him again.

Dane and I have really kept our distance this week. We're hoping that if we act casual, everything will blow over.

Chris and Michael give me smug looks whenever they see me but otherwise, it's been quiet. If Hunter knows about the buzz in the office, he hasn't let on.

It's a cruel twist of fate to be in this situation. If we had actually slept together it wouldn't be so irritating. We're tiptoeing around so that no one thinks we're sleeping together...

At work, we keep all conversations light and casual, but we send a barrage of messages as soon as we get home. Our conversations go from friendly to flirty then back again.

The more I get to know him the more I like him which makes this whole situation that much harder. I'm not just physically attracted to him anymore, he's quickly becoming a close friend.

I can't decide if thats a positive thing or if it makes me an even bigger idiot for letting him get under my skin and into my heart.

I drift into a restless sleep, sleep thats full of dreams about jade eyes and dark hair. I wake feeling edgy and tired.

---------

I'm sitting in the research room, typing up discovery when Chris and Michael enter the room.

Chris drops a large evidence box on the table and opens it.

"Is there a cassette deck in here?" He looks at me.

"I think it's in the library actually."

"I'll grab it," Michael leaves the room.

I feel immediately uneasy about their, seemingly normal, behavior. They aren't smirking or winking at me, they're being... strange. I'm not used to them acting like mature adults when they see me.

Hunter and I have actually developed a friendship, genuine workplace camaraderie. I never saw it coming but our long hours in the research room have forced a peace between us.

As much as I wouldn't have wanted to admit it before he's going to make an amazing defense attorney, he's heartless and cut throat when it comes to the law. He won't back down on his client, no matter what.

Chris looks up from his box, "Hey, Jolie, do you think you could do me a huge favor?"

"I...sure, what do you need?"

Michael reenters the room with a tape deck in his hands.

"We have a witness, Leonard Stiller. We need him to sign a consulting fee invoice so that we can pay him. I tried yesterday but he wasn't available. I would go today but this evidence is signed out to me. I can't leave it."

"And I have a meeting with an expert witness in twenty minutes," Michael explains.

"Would you mind running down to Tribeca? You would be doing me a huge favor." Chris smiles and I can't help but feel trapped.

Why can't they send a courier?

"Y-yeah, sure, Chris. I can do that." This feels like a trick but if it's not, I'll be burning a bridge that until now, was unavailable. Maybe doing this favor will help them see me as a team player. Maybe this is a chance for us to move on from the last few weeks.

Chris hands me a file with a name and address on it.

"Thanks, Joile, you're saving my ass," he says before they leave the room.

I hurry out of the building, wanting to get this over and done with.

Sitting in the backseat of the uber I let my mind wander.

This feels off but I'm probably just being paranoid because they haven't acted like professionals around me in a week. Maybe Dane and I are in the clear. They've moved on, our separation worked, and they aren't suspicious anymore.

I have to double-check the address when the uber pulls up to a sky-high building in a business district.

The receptionist at the desk eyes me wearily with a cocked brow.

"I'm here to see Mr. Stiller, Leonard Stiller."

She looks me up and down, "is he expecting you?"

"Um, I don't think so. I'm Jolie Lennox, here on behalf of Hutchins, Hutchins, and Bond."

"Take a seat, I'll call you in a moment."

I take in my surroundings. The building looks old from the outside, late eighties architecture, probably, but the inside is beautiful.

"Miss Lennox, you can go up."

An elevator attendant nods at me solemnly as we ride in silence up to the top floor. The elevator slides open on the twenty-fifth floor and I'm met with a panoramic view of the city. The minimalist office is huge but almost empty. Behind a large, perfectly centered desk sits a man.

When he rises from his seat my heart leaps into my throat. His hulking frame blocks out the sun. He looks unnecessarily threatening.

He is bald, with an orangey fake tan and overly white teeth. "Sit," he directs me to a plush white chair in front of his desk, "Who sent you?" His deep voice rumbles through the room.

"Mr. Stiller, I'm Jolie Lennox here from Hutchins, Hutchins, and Bond. I have an invoice for you to sign," I hold up the file as I sit in the chair.

"What the fuck are you playing at?"

"I-I'm sorry?"

"An invoice? Who sent you?" His voice is menacing but oddly calm.

"I... I was told to bring you this invoice to sign, that's all."

"I don't need an invoice, are you sure they didn't send you for another reason?" He rises from his seat again, this time, stepping around his desk.

The ring on his pinky glimmers in the light.

"You are a pretty little thing, is that why they sent you? Are they trying to butter me up with a pretty girl? They know ol' Leo loves the ladies."

Wait, what?

"Here, Mr. Stiller," I try to hand him the folder. He smacks my hand and the pages scatter across the floor.

When I try to stand he cages me in by leaning over my chair with his arms on the seatback.

His chest is right in front of my face.

"What are you really here for? Are you going to dance for me? What do you do?" He runs his hand up my leg.

The action startles me and I jump up. My head collides with his chin. He is sent flailing backwards, catching himself on his desk.

Shit, shit, shit.

Blood drips from his busted lip. Now he's angry. I turn but he grabs my arm.

"Look, do you know who I am? Walking into my office... are you... who do you really work for? Hutchins and Bond would never send you. Are you with the feds? You tell Agent Kent that I'm done with her shit," his voice gets louder with each word until he's screaming.

I try to yank my hand free from his but before I can he lands a hard punch to the side of my face. The impact knocks me back into the chair.

"Get the fuck out!" He booms.

I don't have to be told twice, I sprint toward the elevator. It opens immediately when I press the button.

Thank God...

The elevator attendant keeps his eyes trained on the floor. This is obviously not the first time he's seen this.

My body is running on adrenaline, as soon as the elevator doors open I run frantically through the lobby and out the door. I don't stop until I reach the other side of the courtyard before heading out onto the street.

With shaking hands, I order an Uber. He's around the corner, which is lucky because I don't know how much longer I can keep from crying.

What the fuck just happened?

He thought H,H and B was sending me as a "gift?" What does that mean? Then he thought I was a fed?

I slide into the uber and my phone rings...it's Dane. Something about seeing his name cracks my composure and I start to cry into my hands.

My Uber driver silently watches me with concern until we reach my apartment.

As I'm warily walking up the stairs my phone rings again. Dane. I hesitate, taking a deep but shaky breath as I answer.

"Jolie!" He's panicking.

"Hey, Dane."

"Listen to me, the invoice, it's not real. Don't go to Stiller's office, he's not a good guy."

You don't say...

"Too late," I chuckle humorlessly as I slowly climb the stairs.

"Jolie are you alright? Where are you?"

His voice is so full of concern that it tugs at my heart.

"Home," I say quietly as I finally reach my door.

I hear shuffling before he speaks again.

"Jolie which apartment?"

"Huh?"

"You're apartment number, what's your apartment number?"

I can tell he's running.

"4F," I don't have the strength to argue with him. If I'm being honest I want to see him.

"Don't move I'm almost there."

We hang up and I make my way into my cramped apartment. Kicking off my shoes I go to the kitchen to fill a bag with ice before checking out the damage.

Shit.

I wince when I catch my reflection. My left cheek is swollen right under my eye. The skin is red that mixes with blue and purple.

It hurts but it looks more severe than it feels. I carefully wash my face and remove the remnants of my makeup that got smeared around when I cried.

I hold the ice to my cheek which hurts more than the punch did.

I pull my hair into a messy bun on top of my head. I can't help but laugh, which also makes me flinch, ouch.

The first time Dane is coming over and I'm bruised, makeup-free, and messy.

Fantastic.

A frantic pounding on my door startles me. Wow, he got here really fast.

I peel the door open and Dane is leaning against the frame with one arm, his chest heaving.

When our eyes meet, he is filled with anger for a moment before he pulls me into his arms. His suit jacket and tie are gone, I can feel his warm chest through the thin material of his shirt. I can hear his heart beating rapidly.

"Are you alright? Tell me what happened."

I pull away from him so that we can sit inside. My loveseat feels really small with him sitting on it.

I recount the events of the day. He stands and begins to pace back and forth.

"They set you up. Stiller is... he's... he's a political fixer. They sent you there because they knew he would immediately think it was either a joke, like a hooker gram... or he would be suspicious about your motives."

"A political fixer?" I'm too rattled to understand this. "I'm sure they didn't think he would hit me!"

"Jolie! They're still liable, even if this was a prank or hazing, you got hurt! The partners are going to lose their shit!"

He's angrily running his hands through his hair.

"How did you know I was there?"

"Colson. Apparently, they told him and he came to me."

I bite back a smile, then a painful wince. Hunter cared a little bit. I'm going to have to thank him, then give him shit.

Dane stops pacing and stares at me. His gaze always makes me blush.

"Come here," his voice is low.

I don't even realize my feet are moving until I'm in his arms again. He brings his hand down and tenderly touches my cheek.

"Fuck, baby," his hoarse voice makes my heart race.

He brings his lips to mine, carefully. All the stress and tension from the last few weeks melt away. He sits on my small sofa, pulling me down with him.

I realize that we're alone, in my apartment, free from prying eyes. The room suddenly feels hot.

Is this really happening?


You are reading the story above: TeenFic.Net