Falling for the Lawyer - By Anna Clifton Page 0,53
Peter interrupted. “I’ve been thinking and your mother and I have been talking. The thing is, you may be right. You’re a good girl. You’re mother and I are so proud. We just want the best for you. You were our miracle baby when we’d long given up any hope of children and so you became the centre of our universe. And I know we’re elderly and old fashioned. We don’t really understand the world you move in and to be honest, I think we’ve been too hard on you—pushing you in certain directions. Do you understand what I’m trying to say?”
Alex nodded, overwhelmed at the enormity of the admission from her proud, single-minded father.
“You need to make up your own mind about who and what’s best for you. We know you’ll make the right choice and we’ll be there whatever you decide. That’s all I wanted to say.”
“You know already, don’t you Dad. You know there’s not going to be a wedding with Simon. It’s over—as of last night.
Peter Farrer nodded quickly. “You’re mother and I guessed that would happen and that’s okay. As I said, we just want you to be happy and we’re there for you—always.”
Alex wrapped her arms around her father and clung onto him as he hugged her back. But then he was shuffling off to the lift. He had said what he wanted to say from the bottom of his heart and with great love but he would linger no longer, uncomfortable with emotional displays.
Lost in troubled thoughts Alex turned and wandered through the door to the offices behind reception, and even in her distraction noticed straight away that most of the workstations were empty. She wondered where everyone was and then she heard JP’s voice; it could be very loud at times. He was leading a robust discussion in the conference room. Picking up the odd word here and there Alex guessed the topic was rugby. Plans were being made and strategies laid down for the match the following day: litigation versus commercial or in other words, JP McKenzie versus Justin Murphy. Without hesitation she walked as quickly as possible past the open conference room door. She was in no mood for office rugby matches or another run in with JP.
“Alex! I need you in here!” JP shouted above the general din. She stopped dead in her tracks before turning around and walking reluctantly into the room, cursing the radar he threw out whenever she was around.
Lawyers and PAs were gathered. There was a lot of laughing, finger pointing, wise cracks and shouting about who should or shouldn’t be on the team for the match against the commercial section of the firm. JP had a notebook in his hand and was leaning on the lectern in one corner of the room. As she entered he looked across at her with little acknowledgement.
“Okay. Alex is here so we’re up to nine,” he shouted over the light-hearted cacophony of noise.
“Who wants girls’ germs on the team? Not me!” Michael Porter, one of the junior lawyers shouted as he winked at Alex teasingly.
“Now listen,” JP announced with mock impatience, a wry smile on his lips. “Commercial think they’ve got all the endurance and that litigators are just a bunch of mangy, twenty-second sprinters. I know Alex can swim fifty lengths of a swimming pool without missing a beat so I’ll have at least one staff member who won’t keel over with a heart attack—unlike most of you blokes.” With that there was an onslaught of boos and cheers.
“Do I have any say in this?” Alex asked, just loud enough to be heard by JP over the racket. Lifting his eyebrows he gave her a stern, slow shake of the head.
Alex nodded blankly as if to say ‘I thought so’, and turning on her heel walked out of the room.
It was useless to argue.
When JP wanted something, nothing and nobody could stop him. He’d decided to make her play rugby the next day, despite what had happened between them the night before and despite the fact he would guess that rugby was out of her comfort zone. But knowing JP that was precisely why he was making her do it.
“So you’re still here!” Vera Boyd drawled with a humourless smile that clashed with the snakiness in her voice.
“Still where?” Alex shot back in irritation.
She knew she shouldn’t have gone in search of Vera, but she’d returned from lunch to find JP had disappeared from the office after