First Choice ✓

Chapter 5. S

Sara

👑👑👑

After they close the door behind them, I slump back in my chair.

Shit.

Feeling hot, I fan myself with my hands. When it proves to be useless, I take a stack of paper and use that instead.

Ah, much better.

I've always acknowledged the fact that Antonio is a fine man. But I never let my eyes linger on him the few times I've seen him. I didn't frequent his club that often, the few times I always went with Izzy. We mostly went to college parties. Izzy and Luca, on the other hand, went there regularly, seeing as Antonio is Luca's cousin.

Memories of graduation night invade my mind, no matter how much I try to reel them in.

That day was a bad one for me. The whole week was. It was the night Alex and I officially broke it off. We went to Lusso to celebrate after having attended a party hosted at one of the frat houses. I can't remember what had happened towards the end of the night. The last thing I do remember is Alex kissing me one last time. Then I had taken shot after shot. Never in my life have I drank that much alcohol. So much of it, just to feel numb and forget everything.

A knock sounds at the door and I'm thankful for the interruption of my stroll down memory lane.

"Come in."

Stella, an intern, enters. She just graduated and is always eager to learn new things.

I can still remember when I was in her shoes. Almost a year ago now. I was nervous but excited. Eager. When I first saw Mia, I instantly developed a crush on her, on her work ethics and her assertiveness that has gotten her this far. I hope that one day I'll be close to where she is now.

"Ms. Brooks wanted me to give you this." She hands me a manila envelope. I smile at the use of her surname. No one here calls Mia by her last name. Only the interns. She likes to install fear in them so that they do their job correctly. And get used to the hardship of the job. If she likes them enough, she would allow them to call her by her first name.

"She wanted us to go over it together and see what the problem with the new product was."

I nod and gesture for her to sit on the couch at the side of my office. Then, I stand up and go to sit next to her, open the envelope and get to work.

👑

At the end of my workday, I sigh as I close the door to my apartment with the back of my foot while taking off my earrings. Today was a long day, just like any other day. But the fact that Antonio had been one of my clients had me distracted the rest of the day.

I'm thankful my small apartment isn't far away from the office. Since I got off work so late, the traffic was manageable.

After a long awaited shower, I see I have a message from my mom. My lips stretch in a smile. Thinking she's checking up on me.

My smile vanishes before it's at its maximum.

Her message contains a photo of a New York city court hall.

Okay . . .

She knows I'm obsessed with the aesthetic of court halls and courtrooms. That must be why she sent it.

I hold onto that fact.

She remembered something about me.

I zoom in the picture. The bench of the judge is in the center of the photo.