Situationship [Complete]

14 | Frustration

As ready as I am to be done with the stress of this summer session, it also means I'm one step closer to being Best Ma'am full time. I'm not sure which is worse. I can handle a courtroom. Working with a bride who has no direction and her clueless brother makes my eye twitch. I'll never admit it aloud, but I'm anxious as hell about it. All of it.

"Do I look okay?" Ryan breaks me from my inner torment. He's wearing a standard black suit, a white shirt with blue pinstripes, and a matching, solid blue tie.

"It's court, not fashion week," I answer as I resituate his tie clip.

He frowns. Out of all the things he could worry about, he always picks the thing that matters least. Half his closet is suit separates. What did he think? That he would accidentally throw on his pink shorts and boat shoes?

"You look professional. It's perfect."

His frown turns up. "Okay, good. You look great, too."

My dress is a plum-color wool blend with half-sleeves and pencil skirt. It's my power suit. I know what I look like. "I didn't ask. But thanks."

Ryan lets out a nervous breath. "I need to pee again." He turns on his heels.

"Thanks for sharing." I watch as he power walks away. Ryan and his nervous bladder. In some ways, it's comforting to see someone like him be nervous. Once he's in the room, his only nervous tic is being a fucking savage. It's a cute reminder that the strongest can still get weak. Even if it's just their bladders.

I turn back and find a security guard standing in front of me. I flinch.

"Hi, can I help you find where you're going?" he says with a smile.

I look at him, and I already know what is about to happen. "Oh, no. I'm where I'm supposed to be. Thank you, though."

"It's just that the room numbers are the same between the floors. Only the letters change," he continues. "This room is reserved. Civil cases and jury selection are in the same place on the floor below us."

I give my best fuck you smile and repeat myself, "I'm in the right place, but thank you."

"Could I see your letter or summons to verify?"

His smile is polite, just as I'm sure he believes he is being. But, behind the aloof look in his blue eyes, he doesn't see the layers of biases that tell him someone who looks like me doesn't belong in a place like this. "As I said before, I'm in the right place. Thanks."

"What's going on?" Ryan comes to stand beside me. My knight in white armor.

"This helpful person is insisting I'm in the wrong place. I must look out of place for some reason."

"There are six other students here. Why would you think she's in the wrong place and the others aren't?" Ryan asks.

"That's not—" The guard's expression drops into a worried state. "I was just checking to make sure you didn't need help. That was all."