“Jesus, I had no idea,” Steph hated that she started this beef unintentionally.
“She’s probably been looking for an apology this whole time,” John nodded.
“Shit you’re right. But that’s no reason to treat me the way she has and to slander me! I’ve worked hard to get where I am and me locking her in here was an accident,” Steph whined.
“I don’t think that matters to her. It took a while for those rumors to subside, so what she’s putting you through now is a little bit of karma. Sometimes intentions are irrelevant once the damage has been done. I’m not saying that she’s right, but her truth is her truth,” John reasoned. “Are you hungry?”
Steph was thankful for the change in conversation. She didn’t realize that her actions had led her exactly to where she was with Anna today. John was right. Her intentions weren’t to humiliate Anna but that was the result and she was paying the price. She gathered her papers to follow John to his office for dinner. He’d ordered food in anticipation for another late night.
When Steph opened the dish John had ordered, there was a steak inside. She giggled to herself as she pulled a chair up to his desk so she could enjoy her food.
“That was supposed to be medium rare, but it’s probably more like medium well since we got up here a little later than I expected,” John told her with a grin. “I knew you had a rough day and deserved a steak. Amanda and I both appreciate how hard you’ve been working on this. So eat up and we’ll get back to it.”
Steph nodded as she cut into the steak. It was more warm than hot, but still a meal she wouldn’t be having at home. It was perfect. She ate it quickly as John did the same. He stood by his window looking out at the city streets below. She wondered what was on his mind, but was uncertain if she should pry.
“Are you okay?” she blurted out.
“Yeah,” John replied. “I remember not too long ago being in the same position you’re in with Anna. My old firm was a rumor mill, one which I was the main subject of for quite some time. They even thought I bought my way up to being a partner.”
John saw the look of befuddlement in Steph’s eyes prompting him to explain it further, “My old law firm was where I learned everything I know now. My mentor took me under his wing right out of college and I learned quickly. I worked hard and brought in high profile clients. One of those clients happened to be Addy. Her career was just taking off but as my friend, she signed with my firm. Just so happens she found her first true love.”
“That Jacob guy from the book used to work with you?” Steph interrupted his story. Hearing the events she read come to life through the words spilling from his lips was exhilarating.
“Yeah, the Jacob guy from the book used to work with me. He’s the one who actually started the rumors that I bought my way up to partner.”
“Holy shit! You’re the knight!” Steph exclaimed.
“The knight?” John’s perplexing glare impelled her to clarify.
“Yeah, in the chapter about her first love she said things got rough once she found out the Jacob guy was cheating on her. Her knight in Armani armor saved her. You’re her knight in Armani armor!” Steph was getting excited as she tied elements from the book to real life.
“Yeah things got really rough. He’d lost his temper one night; started beating her. She took cover in her bathroom and called me. I showed up to talk him down. The cops came not too long after I got there,” John shuttered at the memories replaying in his head.
“Shit,” Steph sighed. “She said she was in the hospital with a broken jaw from that. How come she didn’t mention you by name in the book?”
“Didn’t want things coming back to me, I guess. I told her she could. Honestly, I feel like if I’d never begged her to sign with my firm, none of that would have ever happened. It was a bad time,” John ran his fingers through his dreads letting the band that held them neatly in place, fall to the floor. Steph watched them swing, aching to touch them. Her eyes met his. She saw the sorrow behind his memories. She wanted to change his mood. He noticed her empathetic gaze and stepped away from the window.
Steph rose from her chair, placing her hand on his shoulder, she comforted him, “There is no way that you, or Amanda, could have ever imagined that Jacob was the monster he turned out to be. You are not responsible for what he did to her or to you.”
John grumbled as he wrestled with the guilt he always held for that night. Amanda’s battered and bruised body served as an emblazoned reminder that he was the reason she met that animal. Steph sensed an uneasiness he had when she mentioned it wasn’t his fault. She took his face into her hands. Her hazel eyes locked onto his brown eyes. They could pierce his soul.
“There was nothing you could have done, outside of becoming her bodyguard, to stop what happened. Just think that you showed up right on time. You didn’t stop it from happening, but you stopped that story from having a much shorter ending,” Steph’s sincerity touched him.
John nearly shed a tear as he pulled her in and kissed her tenderly. Steph was surprised but she was into it. His heart ache had opened him up. His vulnerability was intriguing to her. He wanted to mask his hurt with the lust he felt toward Steph. His agony and guilt faded with every passing moment her tongue passed over his.