My car tyres screeched as I drove out of the garage, hitting the road at full speed. I was already late to work, thanks to Sasha who had kept me busy with talks about the British royal family. I would've loved to continue talking about them, but I had my own life to live.
I wound down the car windows, feeling the cozy air hit my face as I drove. My ears were occupied by the softly jamming music on the radio, and I joined in singing the chorus to the song.
" Baby you're a firework.
Come and let your colors burn.
Let it go oh, oh, oh.
As you you shoot across the sky tonight!"
I sang softly. The song had been on repeat on my mp3 player when Katy Perry released it, together with Roar, back in 2013. I was still surprised that I even remembered the lyrics.
" Yo, good morning everyone. Hope we're all having a good day", a friendly female voice said from the radio, interrupting the music. Why the hell couldn't they let the song finish before saying whatever rubbish they wanted to say?
" Well, I know it's quite inappropriate to ask you if your day is going well, since we're barely starting our day, but it is an indication that we, the members of the Blast radio, want you to have not just a good day, but a great day", the voice continued, and I couldn't help but wonder if she was reading off what she was saying from a paper, cramped in a claustrophobic studio, headphones on, sitted on an uncomfortable chair, while the sound manager sat outside the sound room. " And to that effect, we bring to you motivational quotes to keep you going, and keep you positive throughout the day", she cleared her throat, " so the first one is by the famous Walt Disney, and it said; today is a new day, a new chance, a new beginning. Don't let yesterday take up too much of today. That is a very motivationous motivational quote", she laughed into the mic, " please forgive my unprecedented vocabulary. Another one, also by Walt Disney says; the way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing. This one will surely not sit well with talkatives like me", she chuckled again, laughing at her own sarcasm, " but the thing here is that we should state our priorities and do what is best for ourselves. Our last motivational quote is by no other person than Zig Ziglar, and he is telling us today that " we do not have to be great to start, but we have to start to be great". So, as you go on with your day, always have it at the back of your mind that you will conquer, that you will win, do not overwork yourself or anything, just do the best that you can do, and trust me, you will begin to see marvelous results, but then remember, you actually have to put in enough work. Do not work hard, but work smart. And with that, we've come to the conclusion of motivational coffee brought to you by Blast radio, we'll be right back after some commercials", the voice dispersed and fireworks started playing again, and before they could start again with their advertisement, I changed the mode, connected it to my Bluetooth, and started playing a Billie Eilish playlist.
I got to the parking lobby at exactly 9:00 AM, five more minutes until I'm considered late, and with that I ran to the elevator, feeling grateful that it was available. The heavens were surely working with me.
I went to Galinda's desk as soon as I came upstairs.
" Good morning dear", I said, still trying to catch my breath from the marathon that I had ran downstairs.
" Good morning, how are you doing?" She replied in a singsong tone, dropping her little mirror and lipgloss on the table. She had held the mirror to her lips and was fully concentrated in the art of pushing the brushy edge against her lips. She pouted as she looked at me, making little sounds that sounded like ' pa pa pa', trying to get the lipgloss to go round her lip.
" I'm fine, and you?"
" Great".
" Good. Ehm...… is Mr Mali in his office?"
" Yeah, any problem?"
" No, none, I just wanted to see him", I said, and thought of how disappointed she would be once she learns that I won't be training with Hakim and it kind of made me feel guilty. She had expected so much from me.
" Okay, go on, he's in there", she pointed to the room on the far end of the hallway.
" Thank you", I said and immediately walked my way to his office.
I knocked on the door.
" Come in", I heard his voice, and as I walked in, a knot was beginning to tie tightly in my tummy.
" Good morning Mr Mali".
" Oh, Good morning Dante", he said, looking up from his laptop and smiling. I wanted to remind him that we were supposed be using our official names, but I decided against that on a second thought. I just didn't have the strength.
" To what do I owe this pleasant visit", he asked, relaxing back on, and swinging his armchair.
" It's definitely not a big deal, but I just wanted to inform you that I would like to handle criminal cases. I'm really not cut out for corporate cases, at least for now, so yeah, I'll like to start handling the criminal ones".
That was it. I said it.
He heaved, like someone accepting the reality of the fact that he had lost his mobile phone.
" Why do you want to handle criminal cases?"
" Well, I just feel like it, and I'm pretty sure I'll be comfortable doing it", I instantly regretted saying the last part. He was the last person that needed to know that I was uncomfortable with him around.
" So you're saying that you're not very comfortable with me, is it?" he asked, his eyebrows raised.
Damn it, was he able to read minds?
A strand of hair fell off from his face, slightly closing his left eye, and he looked nothing short of a fictional character in a Japanese anime.
" That is not what I said sir, please do not put words into my mouth", I said, holding back the desire to stare at him. A slight wind blew across his face, tampering with the little strand of hair, and gosh, why the fuck was he so handsome?
" Okay. But then, you do have an idea that we are currently not short staffed in the criminal case department, and the major reason we employed you is because you offered to train as a corporate lawyer".
" I am well aware of that sir", I couldn't say any other thing. I felt as if I was going to be fired, that he was going to give me an ultimatum; stay in the corporate case department or leave the firm, and I was prepared for anything, but he didn't react, not immediately, not as I expected, he just stared, and continued staring with those emerald green eyes, as if to pierce my soul, and it felt weirdly uncomfortable. I had to get out of there.
" Sir?" I said, trying to get him to realize that he had been mopping at me like a lost idiot for three minutes.
" Okay. You can go work with the criminal case department, but here's the deal. You will work with them for two months, only two months, after which you will return to the corporate case department, is that okay with you?"
" Yes", I said, not even analyzing what he had said. I just had to get out of there.
" Okay. Have a nice day".
I stormed out of the office, feeling my heart rate rising as I tried to catch my breath. I was standing, just standing, but I was panting like an athlete who had just participated in a relay race. I wasn't even gasping for breath like this after running to the elevator about twenty minutes ago. But that was by the way, I got what I wanted, and I walked to my office feeling as if a huge weight had been lifted up from my shoulders.
*************************
I walked into the station, and was led to the meeting room to meet with my client. As I approached the door, I was left dead-struck.
" Dante? What are you doing here?" Basil asked, a mix of shock and surprise clearly written on his face. I was pretty sure that the only thing that was written on my face was shock because I never in my life, expected to see him again, not after I snubbed his calls and texts.
" Um...… yeah, I'm a...I'm the ... the lawyer assigned to the case of uh….. the person sitting in there", I was stammering. " What about you? What are you doing here?"
" I'm the detective in charge of the case".