The offices of Mendez, Josephs and O'Rourke were tucked away in a small building in the foothills of Tucson. It was an adobe building, once a house, now converted into a cozy law office, with room for the three partners, four associates, paralegals, secretaries and a large conference room. The waiting room was done in white and dove grey, with touches of dark woods. A pretty blond twenty-something sat behind the desk bearing her name on an engraved copper plate ? Paula Whittingston. She was the gatekeeper, the keeper of the keys to the kingdom. Get past her and you were in.
It was a slow morning and Paula was bored. The phones were quiet and everyone but Mr Mendez and Ms O'Rourke were out of the office. After reading US Weekly for the third time, she thought she might go out of her mind when in strolled someone who looked like just the ticket to break the monotony of a boring day. He was tall and strikingly handsome with hazel-green eyes and dark blond hair. The kind of guy one usually found modeling for Calvin Klein, not walking into a lawyers? office. Upon reaching the receptionist's desk, the first thing he did was to check her name plate and the second was to flash a grin that made her stomach go topsy-turvy.
?Morning, Paula. Can I call you Paula?? he asked with a smile.
Paula returned the smile, turning on the kilowattage for him. ?Sure. How can I help??
?I'm here to see Ms. O'Rourke,? he said, taking a lean against her desk and toying with her name plate.
She typed something and glanced at Riley's schedule. She didn't see any appointments scheduled and frowned a bit, turning back to the hottie standing in front of her. ?Do you have an appointment??
?No, but she'll see me.? He reached into his jacket and pulled out a gold badge, which identified him as an F.B.I. Agent.
.
Her brows arched suspiciously. He was wearing a dark leather jacket over a non-descript black t-shirt and worn out blue jeans. He didn?t look like an F.B.I. agent. In fact, he didn?t look like law enforcement at all, unless he was undercover. She pressed a button on her phone, waiting for Riley's secretary to answer. ?Your name, agent??
?Rhys,? he replied, pausing a moment before adding, "Bonham.?
She nodded and spoke into her headset. ?Hi, Elaine. There's an Agent Bonham from the FBI here, wanting to speak with Ms O'Rourke.? She paused and then said, ?All right,? and hung up. Looking back up at Agent Bonham, she said, ?If you'll just have a seat, Agent Bonham, Elaine will be right up.?
?Thanks, Paula,? he smiled again and turned to take a seat.
Paula had toned down the smile once he'd flashed the badge. She returned to her magazine, wondering what the FBI wanted with Ms O'Rourke.
Rhys flopped down in a chair and started picking through the magazines, looking for something halfway interesting, hoping he wouldn?t have to wait too long. He tossed aside several issues of People, pausing a moment to admire the latest Cosmo cover model before finally deciding on a recent copy of Car and Driver. He idly flipped through the pages, stopping to admire a new Porsche Cayman. It was a car he could never hope to afford.
After a few minutes, a pretty blond in her mid-40s soon came through the doorway at Paula's back. She moved gracefully, bonelessly, giving a hint as to her preternatural gifts. She stopped next to the desk and said in a pleasant voice. ?I can take you back to Ms O'Rourke now.?
Rhys looked up, following the woman's legs all the way up her body to her pretty blue eyes. It didn?t matter to him that she was at least ten years older than him. Variety was the spice of life, after all. He tossed the magazine back onto the pile and moved to his feet, offering the woman a more than friendly smile. ?Thanks,? he told her, tossing a flirtatious wink at the receptionist. ?Nice to have met you, Paula.?
Paula nodded to the agent. ?You, too, Agent Bonham. Have a nice day.?
The woman held out her hand for him to shake, ?I'm Elaine, Ms O'Rourke's secretary.?
He smiled again and took her hand, ?Rhys Bonham.? He jerked a thumb back at the receptionist. ?She's cute. She single??
?Paula? I believe she's planning her wedding.?
?Figures. All the good ones are taken,? he replied with a grin.
She chuckled. ?Can I get you something to drink, Agent Bonham? Coffee, soda, bottled water??
?Coffee would be awesome, thanks.?
She nodded and led him to Ms O'Rourke's office. She knocked on the door and then opened it, standing aside so Rhys could enter. He smiled his thanks at Elaine and stepped into the office, taking a brief look around. The room was furnished in cool, soothing green, cream and dark wood, with Asian art on the walls. There was an amazing view of the city out the floor to ceiling window behind the desk.
A dark-haired woman looked up from the desk and then came to her feet. She was wearing a white silk blouse and a short, tight black skirt. Her hair was pulled back into a French braid and she had on tasteful gold jewelry and minimal make-up. Elaine closed the door behind Rhys and went after his coffee.
It was a slow morning and Paula was bored. The phones were quiet and everyone but Mr Mendez and Ms O'Rourke were out of the office. After reading US Weekly for the third time, she thought she might go out of her mind when in strolled someone who looked like just the ticket to break the monotony of a boring day. He was tall and strikingly handsome with hazel-green eyes and dark blond hair. The kind of guy one usually found modeling for Calvin Klein, not walking into a lawyers? office. Upon reaching the receptionist's desk, the first thing he did was to check her name plate and the second was to flash a grin that made her stomach go topsy-turvy.
?Morning, Paula. Can I call you Paula?? he asked with a smile.
Paula returned the smile, turning on the kilowattage for him. ?Sure. How can I help??
?I'm here to see Ms. O'Rourke,? he said, taking a lean against her desk and toying with her name plate.
She typed something and glanced at Riley's schedule. She didn't see any appointments scheduled and frowned a bit, turning back to the hottie standing in front of her. ?Do you have an appointment??
?No, but she'll see me.? He reached into his jacket and pulled out a gold badge, which identified him as an F.B.I. Agent.
.
Her brows arched suspiciously. He was wearing a dark leather jacket over a non-descript black t-shirt and worn out blue jeans. He didn?t look like an F.B.I. agent. In fact, he didn?t look like law enforcement at all, unless he was undercover. She pressed a button on her phone, waiting for Riley's secretary to answer. ?Your name, agent??
?Rhys,? he replied, pausing a moment before adding, "Bonham.?
She nodded and spoke into her headset. ?Hi, Elaine. There's an Agent Bonham from the FBI here, wanting to speak with Ms O'Rourke.? She paused and then said, ?All right,? and hung up. Looking back up at Agent Bonham, she said, ?If you'll just have a seat, Agent Bonham, Elaine will be right up.?
?Thanks, Paula,? he smiled again and turned to take a seat.
Paula had toned down the smile once he'd flashed the badge. She returned to her magazine, wondering what the FBI wanted with Ms O'Rourke.
Rhys flopped down in a chair and started picking through the magazines, looking for something halfway interesting, hoping he wouldn?t have to wait too long. He tossed aside several issues of People, pausing a moment to admire the latest Cosmo cover model before finally deciding on a recent copy of Car and Driver. He idly flipped through the pages, stopping to admire a new Porsche Cayman. It was a car he could never hope to afford.
After a few minutes, a pretty blond in her mid-40s soon came through the doorway at Paula's back. She moved gracefully, bonelessly, giving a hint as to her preternatural gifts. She stopped next to the desk and said in a pleasant voice. ?I can take you back to Ms O'Rourke now.?
Rhys looked up, following the woman's legs all the way up her body to her pretty blue eyes. It didn?t matter to him that she was at least ten years older than him. Variety was the spice of life, after all. He tossed the magazine back onto the pile and moved to his feet, offering the woman a more than friendly smile. ?Thanks,? he told her, tossing a flirtatious wink at the receptionist. ?Nice to have met you, Paula.?
Paula nodded to the agent. ?You, too, Agent Bonham. Have a nice day.?
The woman held out her hand for him to shake, ?I'm Elaine, Ms O'Rourke's secretary.?
He smiled again and took her hand, ?Rhys Bonham.? He jerked a thumb back at the receptionist. ?She's cute. She single??
?Paula? I believe she's planning her wedding.?
?Figures. All the good ones are taken,? he replied with a grin.
She chuckled. ?Can I get you something to drink, Agent Bonham? Coffee, soda, bottled water??
?Coffee would be awesome, thanks.?
She nodded and led him to Ms O'Rourke's office. She knocked on the door and then opened it, standing aside so Rhys could enter. He smiled his thanks at Elaine and stepped into the office, taking a brief look around. The room was furnished in cool, soothing green, cream and dark wood, with Asian art on the walls. There was an amazing view of the city out the floor to ceiling window behind the desk.
A dark-haired woman looked up from the desk and then came to her feet. She was wearing a white silk blouse and a short, tight black skirt. Her hair was pulled back into a French braid and she had on tasteful gold jewelry and minimal make-up. Elaine closed the door behind Rhys and went after his coffee.