I felt so warm and comfortable right now it wasn’t even funny. Hell, I even felt like I was glowing I was so happy. In my dream there was an arm tightly wrapped around my waist and my back was pressed into a muscular figure. This felt exactly how I remembered it and it felt so good to be back in his arms. This was an amazing dream and feeling and I didn’t want to wake up and face reality—didn’t want to remember that he crushed me. I just wanted to live in this dream forever.

I pinched my eyes shut, still trying to keep my dream going. All I could picture where those dark brown eyes staring down at me as we danced up close, kissing every once and a while. I swear I could feel his arms around me and his warmth. This was the best dream I had in a while and I feared waking up. I didn’t want to go back to the reality that we were over and I was broken.

Suddenly I imagined the feeling of a small trail of kisses being placed on my shoulder and I shivered under the touch. Brian’s lips felt amazing on my skin, like little pins shocking me. “Mmm…” I moaned lightly as I cuddled back into him more. Well, that is until I remembered that I was an engaged woman and I wasn’t sleeping in my own bed.

My eyelids snapped open and I sprang out of the bed, instantly regretting my motions. My head throbbed angrily as a wave of nausea crashed over me. What the hell did I do last night and why was I naked in a stranger’s bed?! Oh, god I didn’t…no, I couldn’t have cheated on David! The panic started to set in before the memories of last night flooded back into my mind.

It all came back in a rush of images. The lonely dinner, the text message from David, drunk at the hotel bar… and Brian. Oh, shit. Brian. I’d slept with a complete stranger and I didn’t even know his last name! Holy Shit! What the hell was wrong with me?

“Oh god, what he hell have I done? I’ve got to get out of here!”

I quickly moved around the bed, finding my clothes neatly folded over the back of the chair in the corner, my purse on the bedside table. But there was no sign of Brian, not even a stray piece of clothing? Where could he have gone so early in the morning? It was barely six!

I scoffed and made my way toward the bathroom to find it unoccupied. So here I was, left alone in this lavish hotel room without so much as a note? Was he kidding me? Ugh, what a typical man, seducing a drunken woman at a bar and having a one-night stand. I suddenly felt sick to my stomach and it wasn’t just from my hangover.

“No…” I gasped, shaking my head. “I-I have to get out of here!” I quickly turned and headed out the door. This was a fucking nightmare coming true and to make it all worse, I felt extremely guilty. But why? I was single now!

Only I didn’t make it two steps away from the bathroom before I felt a strong wave of nausea wash over me. Oh, shit here it comes! I quickly took a right into the bathroom and made it to the toilet just in time. Oh, I felt awful. What the hell had I been thinking and what did I do last night. And most importantly, how did I end up in stranger’s bed?

“What the hell was I thinking?” I muttered to myself as I slowly picked my head out of the toilet and flushed. “You’ve done some pretty stupid things in your life, Melody, but this takes the cake.” I grumbled.

I slowly got to my feet and made my way to the sink to rinse out my mouth. Only the person looking back at me in the mirror was a complete mess. I had red lipstick smeared all over, like I had been heatedly making out and there was a hickey on the side of my neck. “Oh god,” I muttered, putting my head in my hands. What had I done?

“I have to get out of here…” I didn’t want to stick around to find out what other mistakes I had made so I quickly got dressed, grabbed my purse, and peaked out the door. When the coast was clear, I hightailed it out the door and I was thankful that no one saw me.

By the time I got home, the sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach had almost subsided. I dumped my purse on the kitchen counter and pulled out my cellphone, checking through my long list of messages and missed calls. There were several from David and I rolled my eyes.

“Fat chance I’m calling you back, asshole,” I muttered to myself, deleting his messages without even reading or listening to them.

The rest of the messages were from Hollie and my mother. Damn it, I forgot about my lunch date with Hollie today. I hoped she wouldn’t be too upset that I postponed it because I wasn’t up to going out on the town, not after the worst night of my life.

“This sucks,” I sighed just as my phone started to ring and David’s face flashed across the screen. “Fuck…” I wanted more than anything to send him straight to voicemail, but I knew he would just keep calling. I guess I had better just bit the bullet now and get it over with.

“What do you want, David?” I snapped without so much as a hello.

“Melody… I’ve been trying to get ahold of you since last night,” David started to ramble as I flopped down on the sofa, kicking off my heels and putting my feet on the coffee table. “I think… we should… I mean, how are you?”

Was he freaking serious right now? He broke up with me via text and he wanted to know how I was doing? What kind of masochistic asshole was he?

“You’ve got some nerve, David,” I hissed, pinching the bridge of my nose in frustration. “You stood me up on our anniversary and then you broke up with me in a text message! And now you have the nerve to call and ask how I am? How the fuck do you think I am!” I raged, my rising anger making my head pound again.

I heard David took in a ragged breath as I tried to control my inner beast. I didn’t lose my temper very often but when I did, boy you’d better watch out! I swear I wasn’t going to let him talk his way out of this. We were done. He dug his own grave and I was going to make him lie in it. Oh, he would regret what he did to me, that was for sure!

“I’m sorry, Mel… It was impulsive and a terrible thing to do…” he sighed and I squeezed my phone hard. He was lucky he was at his apartment across town.

“Impulsive?” I laughed humorlessly. “Try heartless, insensitive, cruel, and just plain childish. What are we in fucking high school!” I snapped.

“Look, Mel, I’m sorry—”

“No, you made yourself perfectly clear,” I continued, my voice breaking ever so slightly with the wave of emotions that were crashing down upon me. “We’re through. So you don’t get to call and ask how I’m doing. You made it clear! I’m out of your life, so now you’re out of mine!”

I felt the tears pooling in my eyes but I wasn’t done yet. Oh, I wanted to hit him where it hurt, make him feel jealous or bad, or hell anything for breaking my heart!

I took a deep breath and pinched my eyes shut, the perfect idea coming to mind. “Besides, I’ve already moved on. There’s someone else and he’s more of a man than you could ever hope to be.” I concluded and hung up the phone before he even had a chance to speak.

“Take that you piece of shit,” I grumbled, throwing my phone into the couch. Sleeping with Brian may have been a mistake but at least I could use it to my advantage. I could just picture David staring dumbfounded at his phone, trying to figure out what happened. Yeah, serves you right, asshole!

Though as good as it felt to put David in his place, I couldn’t deny the heavy ach in my chest. I mean, how could he do this to me? After all those years together? We were supposed to get married and he just threw it all away? And for what? I didn’t want to know… not really. All I wanted to do was hide in my bedroom and eat Ben and Jerry’s and that’s exactly what I planned on doing.

As soon as I reached my bedroom, I shut the door, opened the carton of ice cream, and hit play on my iTunes. And there was that song I had been craving all day. Jar of Hearts just seemed to speak to me and make me feel a little better. I moved over and flopped onto my bed, pulling my laptop with me. I just wanted to hide away from the world and wallop in my own self-pity. It was a nice plan, but it didn’t work out because a few hours later someone was banging down my front door.

“Melody! Melody! Come on, open the door! I’m starting to get worried! You haven’t answered a single text message or call in over twenty-four hours!” Hollie’s voice yelled through my bedroom window sometime later . I was surprised it took her that long to come over and check on me. “Come on, open up!”

Maybe if I was quiet she would go away? Nope, that didn’t work either because a few minutes later she was standing in my room. Damn it! I knew I should have never have given her a spare key!

“What the hell is going on, Mel?” Hollie asked, looking around at the sight in front of her with wide eyes. “Oh no… I see Ben and Jerry’s, what happened?”

I took in a shaky breath but it didn’t stop the tears from forming in my eyes. “David broke up with me…” I cried, unable to hold it in anymore. “And through a text message!” I couldn’t hold back the tears as I told her about my night, well almost all of it. I left off the part about sleeping with Brian because being dumped was embarrassing enough.

“Oh Mel… I’m so sorry.” Within a blink of an eye, Hollie was sitting next to me in bed and had me pulled into her embrace. “That must have been awful, especially after winning the Montegue case… what as ass. I never liked him anyway…” she sighed, gently rubbing my back as I wiped away the tears. “Did he give you a reason?”

“Just that ‘it wasn’t the right time’, bullshit,” I scoffed, using air quotes. “I just can’t believe it’s over…”

Hollie let out a long sigh as gently rocked me back and forth. “It was probably for the best, you know,” she finally said. “You wouldn’t have been happy marrying someone like that anyway. But this Brian guy… tell me more about him! Did anything happen?”

I groaned, pulling away and hiding my head under the pillow. I didn’t want to relive my other stupid action of the night. Damn, why did Hollie always need all the details. It was probably the paralegal in her. “It’s stupid… really stupid…” I sighed, only for Hollie to rip the pillow of my head.

She looked like a little kid in the candy shop as she watched a deep blush fall across my face. “You didn’t! You slept with him, didn’t you?!” she gushed. Why did she have to know me so well? “Melody Ann Macallan, you better start talking!”

“Fine! I slept with him, but it was a huge mistake!” I said, getting up out of bed and anxiously pacing my room. “He wasn’t even there when I woke up… so it was obviously a one time thing.”

“But how was it? Was he good?” she pressed, wagging her eyebrows at me.

I shook my head and made my way back out into the kitchen room. “We are not having this conversation. I just want to forget about both of those assholes and move on with my life. I need to focus on making partner anyway!” I said, placing the tub of ice cream back in the freezer.

“Boo, you’re not fun,” Hollie said, pulling up a stool to the island. “But I heard yesterday after you left that Michael was looking at your portfolio for a new case… and it’s a big one.” She teased.

“Another big case?” I asked skeptically. They rarely gave non-partners more than one big case per term. “They were probably just having my file updated, that’s all.”

Hollie shrugged and grabbed an apple from the bowl on the counter. “Suit yourself, but don’t freak out when there is a huge docket book on your desk next week.”

“And don’t freak out when there’s not.”

By the time Monday morning rolled around, I was feeling more like myself again. I had arrived at work early to start looking at my briefs for the upcoming week. They were small cases in comparison to the Montegue but they still needed my attention, considering two of them were up for court this week.

“Good morning,” Holie sang as she buzzed into my office with the red leather docket books that I had requested. “Feeling better?”

“Yes, thank you. A girls movie night was exactly what I needed,” and wasn’t that the truth. I still wasn’t completely over David but I was moving in the right direction. I just hoped he didn’t have the nerve to show up at my house. “So what’s on the docket for the week besides the two court cases?”

“You have three filings due, Benton on Wednesday; Phillips and Monroe of Thursday, plus the court days at the end of the week. All of the dockets are on your desk with the necessary paperwork,” Hollie explained, pointing to the stack of papers now on the corner of my desk. “And I see you’re already going over the Benton case?” she asked, motioning to the file in my hand.

“Do you think Benton will go to trial or settle?” I asked, scanning through the notes again.

Hollie leaded over my desk, reading the notes. “I think they’ll settle. I don’t think either party wants to drag this out, especially since the kids are involved. Should be just a straight-forward divorce hearing with division of asset. They wont need a judge,” she shrugged. “Not like the Montegue trial.”

“Plus, the Montegue case made Mr. Douglas happy, which makes you the star of the week,” Hollie concluded, shooting me a wink.

I laughed and leaned back in my chair, still excited about my most recent victory. “Well, yes, a big case and a win equals a big fee for the firm. I can’t deny that I’m still giddy over winning my first big case!”

“And don’t forget, you owe me lunch.” Hollie pointed a finger at me and stuck out her tongue, resulting in an eye roll from me. “Yeah yeah… I’ll see you later. I’ll drop off the Benton file when I’m done.”

I spent the rest of the day immersed in my paperwork, trying to keep myself busy. But fleeting images of Brian and his haunting brown eyes kept cropping up unexpectedly. I just couldn’t get over how good he tasted, or the way I felt cuddled in his arms. Just thinking about it was driving me wild all over again.

“Melody?” A knocked sounded at me door, pulling me from my erotic thoughts. I looked up to see my boss, Michael Douglas, managing partner standing at my door. “Can I come in?”

“Come in. I’m fine, just back in the thick of it after the Montegue case,” I shrugged, setting down the file in front of me. “Did you want an update on my cases?”

“No, not today. I actually had been meaning to drop by but the partner’s meeting ran longer than I anticipated,” Michael explained, coming in, shutting the door, and sitting on the corner of my desk. My boss had always been friendly toward me, but I couldn’t help but notices something a little different in his stare. “Besides, I already check with Hollie and your docket is fairly light this week. There is nothing new on the foreseeable horizon, but that could all change with a phone call.”

“And… I heard about you and David. I’m really sorry, Melody. I know how excited you were for the wedding,” Michael continued and I mentally kicked myself. How did my boss find out?! Ugh… Hollie probably let it slip while he was checking my docket. “You must be devastated.”

I cringed and looked down at the file on my desk, not really wanting to have this conversation with my boss. “Thank you. It… was hard and I’m not really ready to talk about it so…” Hopefully he would take the hint and change the topic.

“I understand and I want you to know that I’m here for you, Melody,” Michael said, reaching out and putting a hand on my shoulder. I could feel his thumb trace a small circle through my blazer but I ignored it. He was just trying to be supportive, right? “What ever you need, I’m here. Even if it’s just to talk. Or not talk…” He laughed and I raised a questioning brow. What did that mean?

“You know what I mean,” he continued, squeezing my shoulder so I would look back up at him. “I value your friendship, you know that. My door is always open.”

“Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind,” I replied as he made his way out the door.

A couple weeks passed and I was finally coming into my own again. I had gotten used the fact that I was single and I had even taken Michael up on going out for drinks after work a few times. He was always friendly and kind and I couldn’t help but feel like I was finally moving up in the company. Maybe Hollie was right about the whole upcoming partner thing!

“Melody! Come in here,” Michael’s voice called as I walked past his office on the way to my own.

“Yes, Mr. Douglas?” I asked, stepping inside and closing the door just as he requested. I couldn’t help notice the way he looked me up and down as I set my briefcase in the chair to my left. Just the look he was giving me made me feel a little bit smaller. Had I done something wrong?

“I’m glad I caught you. A really big case just got called in today and I’d like you to take it,” he said and I felt butterflies explode in my stomach. Was he serious? He was actually giving me another large case?! I bit my lip and nodded as I tried to contain my excitement.

“I’ll be here for you, as always, but I want you to take the lead. It ahs the potential to be a high profile event with lots of publicity,” Michael explained and I nodded, feeling more than a little nervous.

“Who is it? What’s the suit?” I asked, taking a seat and looking across the desk at him eagerly.

Michael threw his head back with a laugh and put his hands up. “Easy now. I don’t have the file yet. Lori is gathering up the preliminary information. You can stop by her desk on the way out to see if she’s finished. Otherwise, you’ll meet the plaintiff this afternoon. We are all meeting in the twelfth floor conference room. I want you there about fifteen minutes early so we can go over what we know. The case is pretty straight-forward at this point; our clients are suing their record label to get released from their contract.”

“Clients?” I asked as Michael stood up. I followed in suit, heading toward the door.

“Yes, clients. I’m sure you’ll be able to handle it with no problem, right?”

“Of course,” I said, reaching for the doorknob only to find myself face-to-face with my boss. He was basically pinning me to the closed door and I swallowed thickly as I looked up at him.

“Melody, I want you to know this is very important,” Michael said, his voice at a dangerous rumble. He was so close that I could smell his cologne and feel his hot breath on my face. “Not just because it is a high-profile case for the firm, but also how important it will be for you and your career. Winning this is going to greatly help you make partner; it could almost be a lock if you win.”

I swallowed thickly and nodded as I took in a shaky breath. “I want you to succeed at this, do you understand? You making partner is going to very good for you, for the firm. I take great pride in knowing I’m helping you succeed. And I’m prepared to do whatever it takes to help you. Are you willing to do whatever you need to do to succeed?” He asked and I nodded, my throat running dry.

I couldn’t think or do anything. Of course I wanted to partner, but what exactly was he asking of me? Somehow there seemed to be a double meaning to his words… And as if right on cue, Michael reached out and gently let his fingers run down my arm, caressing me softly. An involuntary shiver ran down my spine and I met his eyes, only to see desire and longing hiding there.

“So we’re on the same page?” I nodded again and Michael smiled down at me. “Good. I’ll see you this afternoon.”

I shook my head as I hastily made my way out of Mr. Douglas’ office, trying to shake his words away. I had to be imagining all of that. I mean he was my boss after all! He was just trying to give me a pep talk about the new case and my career. He would never make a move on me, let alone force me to do something just for my career. That was crazy to even think about! Michael was a good guy and a great boss!

“Melody?” Hollie asked, knocking on my door some time later.

“Yes?” I asked, looking up from my docket book.

“Don’t you have that meeting with the new client upstairs?”

“Shit!” I quickly sprang from my desk, gathering up a legal pad, pen, and a couple of business cards before bolting toward the elevator. Great, just what I needed, to be late for my new assignment. Michael was going to kill me!

“What’s the case? Do you know who the client is?” I asked, quickly running my fingers through my blonde mane.

“No, Lori didn’t send me any information,” she frowned, looking at me from the side.

“All I know is that it’s a high-profile case with a band suing the record label to get out of their contract,” I explained. “Michael didn’t give me a name yet.”

As we reached the top floor, I could hear male voices laughing from the conference room. Damn, I hated being late, especially when it was something this important. I knocked softly before entering the room to see six sets of eyes staring back at me.

“Melody, come on in,” Michael said. “I’d like you to meet your new clients, Avenged Sevenfold.”

“Nice to meet you all.” I nodded as I scanned the room, stopping at a very familiar set of haunting brown eyes looking back at me with a smirk. Oh crap.

Notes

So Melody has a new case? Is her boss putting the moves on her? Let me know what you think!