Stipulation

The conversation looks to be heated, even though they are talking quietly. Cal is holding onto a briefcase, and Matt has his arms crossed over his chest. The two men are glaring daggers at each other.

I start up my walk toward the lobby doors when I hear Cal say in surprise, “McKayla!”

Turning, I briefly take in his happy smile, and notice Matt’s frown turning deeper. Because I’m pissed at Matt, I give my most radiant smile to Cal as he walks over to me, and I don’t spare Matt another glance. “Hey, Cal. What are you doing here?”

Cal and I had actually had a great time over coffee. He read my Memorandum, gave me a few pointers, but overall pronounced it worthy of Lorraine’s scrutiny. Then we spent another thirty minutes just chatting about our lives. We got along extremely well, and I almost thought he was going to ask me out on a date. But he didn’t. Instead, he suggested we swap business cards, promising to call me for lunch one day. I wasn’t sure if that would be considered a date, or we were just doing a business type of meal.

Regardless, I really hadn’t given much thought to Cal since then because I had been so mired in my dark thoughts over Matt.

“I just finished a mediation with Matt. As usual, he kicked my ass today.”

“Well, you can’t win them all,” I tell him in commiseration. I don’t dare look over at Matt, but I can see in my peripheral vision that he is standing there watching us.

“So… I was going to send you an email tonight to see if you wanted to get lunch one day this week. Are you free?”

It’s time to make Matt pay the price of using me as his sex toy and taking Lorraine out to a nice dinner. I know Matt heard Cal ask me to lunch because I could tell his posture became more defensive. I make sure I’m just loud enough when I tell Cal, “I’d love to. After all, we had such a good time on Saturday.”

Cal’s smile becomes even bigger but, before he can even respond, Matt stalks over to both of us and says, “If you’ll excuse us, Carson, I need to talk to McKayla about an urgent matter on a case.”

Matt doesn’t even wait for Cal to respond, but takes my elbow and starts ushering me back to his office.





When Matt opens his office door and pushes me inside, I finally tear my elbow away, spinning around to confront him. “What is your problem? Pulling me out of the lobby and manhandling me to your office like you own me?”

Glaring at me, Matt says, “What the fuck are you doing with Carson? You were with him Saturday?”

Part of me wants to give him enough innuendo about Cal that he’ll think I screwed him, but I really don’t have that in me. I hope a bit of honesty on my part may get Matt to open up to me. “Not that it’s any of your business, but I met him in the law library and we had coffee. He helped me out with a Memorandum of Law.”

I can see Matt visibly relax, and I know without a doubt that he thought I had slept with him. Pressing the advantage, I ask, “Where were you this weekend since we’re… you know… all sharing and shit?”

His eyes cloud over, and his face becomes a mask of steel. “None of your business.”

“What? You demand to know what I was doing, but you don’t share what you were up to?”

“That’s right. I’m twisted that way,” he sneers, taking two steps to bring himself flush with me. “Stay away from Carson. He’s bad news.”

I start to step back from Matt but his hand snakes out and slides around my waist, pulling me up against him. My hands come up and slap flat against his chest, trying to push him away. I’m tired of his caveman routine, and I’m furious he won’t tell me where he went this weekend. I know it won’t do any good to press the issue, but I’m not going to let him try to seduce me with hot touches. My body is a complete traitor when it comes to Matt.

Pushing hard, I finally break free from his grip, only because he chooses to let me go. The fight, though, is far from over. “You can’t tell me what I can and can’t do. It’s a two-way street. I have no say so in your plans, then you have no say so in mine.”

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