Mr. Corporate Law

3.7: NYC - Plastic

Erika looked like she already hated what I was about to tell her as she pinched me on the side, our giggles echoed in the empty suite as we lay in bed together for hours, who knew what time it was, but the thought of going to sleep never crossed our minds. It felt nice to act young, to act spontaneous and act a decade younger than our true age - to those two girls who became instant friends after meeting on the first day of being roommates. I loved it.

But she knew I had bad news.

Other than what was in the folder, there was something else that I wanted to spill.

I placed the palm of my hands over my eyes, burying the sight of freaking out. And I was busting to tell her. She even slapped my arm then clenched her fingers into my skin, she pleaded and whined for me to spill already.

"I'm about to ask you to help me trick Hamish into telling the truth about why he's persistent on getting it through my head that we can't date," I mimicked his voice near the end, where Erika reacted by laughing and tugged at my hands away from my face to get a clear view. She sat up at her spot as she stared down at me, the collar of her loose shirt drooped to her shoulder as she flicked away the blond strands out of her face. She looked serious, her fingers tapped against each other as she slowly said, "Listen, I'm not super happy that you had sex with Hame after that fight, but can I ask, if I wanted to - other than this task you're putting me up to - would you be okay with me dating him?"

My eyes widened, opened wider than I thought as my lips cracked when they parted. I wobbled up to sit on my butt, my knees bended closer to my chest and embraced them tight as I focused into my best friend's blue eyes. She just asked me permission to date the guy who insisted he can't consider to date me even if he obviously showed it through his face and actions, more so after we had sex. Okay, wait, why am I even considering or thinking about all this? I agreed not to be with him, agreed not to consider and think about it at all, and he's overemphasized the fact that he's got no permission to act on his feelings.

"Sure." My voice croaked. "Yeah, of course you can date Hame, boo," I reassured her as she crossed her legs, tugged at the hem to cover her thighs and she asked, "Are you sure I'm allowed to?"

"Yeah, why would you think otherwise!" I playfully slapped her leg, playing pretend at the fact I'm actually not okay with her feelings for Hamish. I don't know why I felt a bit jealous, but I shouldn't feel that way, I had someone else waiting for me back in Los Angeles, so I should be okay with it. I cleared my throat and raised a finger, a forced smile appeared on my face and teasingly added, "But only if you help me."

"Yeah, that's totally fine with me. Just tell me what to do, Ms Lawler!" She saluted me at the end, her teeth flashed afterwards to let out the laugh that made anyone smile. I always adored her laugh and her smile, she was beautiful, but she was more beautiful when she was the happiest, and as her best friend, I wanted her happy.

"Okay, so you and Hame are about to go and meet Judge Cole today, but I need your help pressing our consultant about something he wouldn't come clean about."

"Are you wanting him to confess to you?"

"No! I want him to tell me the truth why he keeps telling me to drop the topic of why he can't pursue me. He keeps emphasizing that he can't, and it's bugging me."

Erika poked at my knee. "Look at you, being all confident and bossy, have you picked this up from Dominic? Oh dear me, I hope you don't turn out like him, boo!" She gasped and tapped her chest.

"I hope not." I sighed.

"Turn that frown upside down," She scolded me, stretching her arms out for her fingers to press at the sides of my lips, pushing them upwards as she leaned closer and said, "You know I'm not afraid to slap you, right?"