asked as he causally stood at my door.
I held out my hands. They were still shaking. “Probably not a good idea for me to be holding scalding hot liquid just yet,” I answered with a weak smile.
“Well, I’m just down the hall if you need anything…let me know.” “It was only a bad dream. I’m fine now. Really.”
“Alright, if you’re sure.” And he slowly closed the door.
About thirty minutes later he knocked on my door. I was still sitting in bed.
“Still doing okay?” He asked from behind the door. “Yes, I’m much better. I was just getting up.”
“May I come in? I brought you some coffee.” He walked into my room before I answered.
“Thank you?” I said in a questioning tone, reaching out for the cup. He was relaxed this morning. His eyes were soft-a brilliant Caribbean blue. He looked down at me for too long. It made me self-conscious. Shifting his weight he exhaled, “Ahh…Annie, I have to go to the office for a couple hours today around noon. May I leave the boys with you?”
“Yes, of course.” “Are you sure?”
“Emmet, I’ll be fine after my workout with Harold this morning. I’ll come back right afterward. I’ll just need time for a quick shower. You could leave as early as ten, if you wanted.”
He had more to say, but nodded tentatively and left my room. I was one completely open nerve. Slowly, I showered the liquid panic from the nightmare off my body and dressed for my workout. It was barely past seven. I changed the sheets on my bed and did a bit of laundry trying to keep busy, trying to distract myself from my awful dream. Finally, it was time to head to the studio for my workout.
Despite my terrible night’s sleep, Harold and I had an amazing session. I think I was able to relieve all my frustrations and anxiety from the last few days. He even commented that my fighting today was much more aggressive than it had been before. I didn’t mention what had gone on with Emmet or my nightmare of Lawrence; I just took the opportunity to channel my fear and hostility toward my kickboxing efforts.
Once I returned home, the boys were waiting to put the finishing touches on the scrapbook they were going to give their father the next day. We worked together to get Emmet out the door and then went up to my room. The boys added a few more personal touches, we wrapped it up, and Josh hid it in his closet. I spent a little time with the boys gently explaining how their dad had found my memory card with the pictures and the conclusion he jumped to. I did my best to help them understand that their father was very protective of them and he was just acting in their best interest. I had no intention of telling them he had fired me, but Josh asked me point blank.
“So did he? Did he fire you?”
The only word I uttered was, “Well.”
“Sounds like he fired you, huh,” Josh responded, gently patting my hand. “Don’t worry, Annie. I’ll get you your job back. Dad will listen to me when I explain everything.”
“Yeah,” Eli said, “we’ll explain everything,” he echoed.
“I’m not worried, boys. Tomorrow after church I’ll talk to your dad. I really owe him an explanation. Don’t say anything to him today. It can wait until after you give him his surprise. Deal?”
“Deal,” they both agreed.
14
The guests began to arrive at six that evening. Amanda and I took turns greeting and escorting them to the music room where Emmet waited. The servers wandered with hors d’oeuvres and a variety of martinis served in glasses resembling flashlights. Emmet’s client, Purdy Co., was an international firm specializing in alternate energy sources. Tonight’s dinner party was to celebrate the launch of a product they had invented; solar powered flashlights. While searching the web for accents for the evening, I came across the glasses purely by accident. Amanda loved the idea so I ordered a few dozen. We had tumblers and candles embossed with their corporate logo. Amanda suggested we focus the theme and accents on the client instead of the law firm. The client loved it.
Dinner was served in the grand dining room with Jack Purdy, the founder and CEO of Purdy Co., at the head of the table. Emmet rose and gave an eloquent toast to the client for their partnership and recognized several attorneys in his firm for their dedication in support of the development and launch of the solar powered flashlight, called Sun-lights. I had never heard him address a group before. His words were fluent and powerful, as if he had practiced for hours. Before the main course Jack rose and articulated his appreciation to all in the room as well.
Two hours later the guests had finished their dinner. They sat relaxed with conversations humming from one end of the table to the other. Amanda and I ducked away to take a quick look at the atrium and make sure everything was in place. It looked perfect. The atrium was architecturally the most beautiful room in the house. Its glass walls and intricate white wood-work were accented by a majestic twenty foot arched ceiling. Two marble pillars defined the entrance stepping down into the room. In the mornings the atrium was even more breathtaking as the natural light beamed in and reflected off the marble floor. Emmet had left the room completely empty; no furniture, no plants, no artwork, nothing. Nothing to distract from the brilliance of the room; even completely empty it was breathtaking.
That night the room was transformed. To set the mood of a cigar bar or after hours club, lighting was strategically positioned indirectly throughout the room. Not just any lighting, though. Sixty Purdy Co. Sun-Lite flashlights were used instead of spotlights to illuminate the entire atrium; an accent that would surely be noticed by Jack Purdy. Leather couches and cocktail tables were arranged around the room to foster a relaxing environment and support comfortable conversation. Each table had three candles with a foil embossed Purdy Co. corporate logo. The south wall was illuminated with lighting from the deck outside, and on the deck overlooking the gardens were three more couches and a large four-drawer humidor stocked with the best cigars money could buy.
We were like two giddy school girls on the decorating committee for prom. “Emmet would never have agreed to all this because he’s a bit—”
I ended her sentence, “uptight and boring?”
“He would argue traditional and reserved,” she offered with an amused look as she turned on the background music; jazz.
Emmet and Jack walked slowly as the other guests preceded them. We both held our breath for Emmet’s reaction. As any great attorney, Emmet didn’t react until Jack did. Jack looked like someone had thrown him a surprise birthday party. He walked into the room with an awed expression as he noticed his newly launched product was the main source of illumination. As he neared the first coffee table, he picked up a candle and traced his corporate logo with one finger. His head turned to the south wall while he gazed out the window at the massive humidor surrounded by ornate freestanding ashtrays. Amanda and I both moved closer so we could hear what Jack was saying.
“Emmet, I don’t know what to say. Your firm has always gone above and beyond in providing us with the legal services we require, but this…this is a validation of the true partnership we have. This evening punctuates the attention to detail and priority you have always provided our company.” Amanda and I couldn’t hold back our huge smiles. Jack loved it and, therefore, so did Emmet.
The servers were moving through the room offering after dinner drinks and bite-sized desserts. Confident that everything was under
