9 Rumor Mill

The next morning, Andrea decided that today was going to be a better day.

After finishing her lunch the previous day, she'd called into the office and told them she was going to take care of some paperwork at home for the rest of the afternoon. Truth be told, she just knew that she wouldn't be able to concentrate in her current state of mind.

Fortunately, Madison, her paralegal assistant, had said she understood perfectly and that she would cover for her. Andrea had felt a little bad about it, given how overworked the public defender office always was, but decided that it would be better for her to make up the time over the weekend than end up doing sub-par work because her head wasn't in the game.

An afternoon at the gym, a long refreshing shower when she got home, and a good night's sleep had left her feeling a hundred times better. So much better that she decided to make up for taking the afternoon off by heading into the office early.

While she would have loved to go to work wearing sweatpants, she decided her charcoal gray pantsuit with a simple white button-down shirt would be professional enough. And stylish but sensible flats. And just enjoy wearing her hair down! After several days of overanalyzing what the jury might think of her clothing choices, it was liberating to be able to prioritize what was comfortable.

Andrea's office was part of the same building as the courthouse. There was almost always someone there, even at crazy hours, so arriving early she still wasn't the only one on site. They looked like they were probably at the end of a late night than the start of an early morning, so Andrea just waved and headed to her office.

After several hours of reading case files, responding to emails and making arrangements for meetings later in the day, some of Andrea's enthusiasm had worn off. She was just about to take a walk to stretch her legs and grab some coffee when Madison leaned in the doorway.

"So… Andi…. How was it?" Madison asked, wearing a grin so big she looked like the top of her head might fall off. She was clutching a file of papers to her chest like her heart would explode if she didn't hold it in.

Andrea paused in confusion. Madison was her favorite person in the office. She was fun to be around and indispensable as a paralegal. And she must have heard about how Andrea had lost her case, so that couldn't be what she was asking about. What on earth could have her so excited…?

Madison looked around furtively before stepping into Andrea's office and taking a seat. It always made it easier to talk to Madison when she sat down, otherwise Andrea felt like she would get a crick in her neck looking up at her; Madison was so tall and thin, she was the kind of girl who looked like she was wearing heels even when she wasn't.

Right now her eyes were wide and expectant behind her large round framed glasses, giving her an owlish look as she stared at Andrea eagerly. She had a head of bright red thick curly hair that could look incredible after about three hours of hard work, but which Madison usually crammed hurriedly into a tight pony-tail in an effort to tame her wild tresses. Currently, every errant lock was quivering slightly as Madison vibrated with excitement.

Andrea gave up trying to read Madison's mind. "How was what?" she asked.

Madison gave Andrea a coy look. "Oh sure, make me beg if you want. I just figured after you and Kyle had lunch together yesterday, and then you needed to take an early afternoon, maybe you two finally…. you know…"

Madison dropped her files onto the desk in order to make a series of hand gestures that were obscenely specific.

Andrea went so red, if Kyle had been there he could have counted every freckle she had.

If it were possible, Madison's grin grew even wider. She leaned in. "Was he good? I bet he was good, he has that look, you know. I know you're not one to kiss and tell, but just tell me… was he… you know…" Madison made another hand gesture Andrea wished she could unsee.

Not saying a word, Andrea stiffly stood, walked over to the door and closed it with a quiet click before returning to her seat. This was NOT a conversation she wanted anyone else to hear. She leaned in close as well and fixed her friend with as stern an expression as she could muster.

"Who told you about me having lunch with Kyle?" she hissed.

"Theresa told me she'd heard from Susan that Evelyn had seen the two of you there," Madison replied, a little of the excitement slipping from her demeanor.

'Oh no,' thought Andrea. It sounded like her perfectly innocent lunch with Kyle was already a matter of gossip among the paralegals in the courthouse, and that meant the rumor mill was probably already in full swing. 'How is it that this building full of professionals feels so much like high school sometimes?' she wondered.

Here was the crucial question though.

"Madison…" Andrea proceeded after a deep breath. "Did you tell anyone else about me being out of the office yesterday afternoon?"

"Of course not!" said Madison. "I wanted to be the first one to hear all the juicy details, I didn't want anyone else getting the chance to ask you before me."

'Oh thank goodness,' Andrea thought. Maybe her reputation wasn't ruined after all.

Madison was a big fan of shipping virtually everyone she knew with everyone else. Andrea usually found her speculation on who-was-doing-what-with-who amusing, so long as she wasn't the one getting paired up. Madison had at least four different guys she thought Andrea would have great chemistry with. It was a little embarrassing, but harmless so long as Madison didn't go around telling her theories about Andrea as fact to anyone else.

Andrea reached out and took Madison's hands in hers and stared her straight in the eye.

"Madison, listen to me very carefully…"

"Ok…"

"I have not slept with Kyle Wynn!"

"Before yesterday you mean?"

"No! I mean yes, I hadn't slept with him before, but I also still haven't slept with him now!"

Madison nodded knowingly. "You want to keep things secret. I understand. The whole illicit forbidden romance thing is super hot!"

"I'm not keeping it a secret because it didn't happen! I don't know how I can make this more clear— I have not slept with Kyle, I didn't sleep with him yesterday, I don't plan to sleep with him ever. I can't stand Kyle, you know this!"

"I know! THAT'S why it would be so hot!"

Madison's past was full of complicated relationships that tended to end explosively, and then more often than not, reignite just as passionately. Her idea of a 'healthy' relationship involved a lot of screaming of all kinds.

"Madison… I just went home yesterday."

"Ohhhhh, saucy, you took him back to your place? Way to take the lead girl, that is hot!"

Madison was actually very erudite, but it seemed like talking about office romances shrank her vocabulary. Anything and everything was 'hot'. And Madison thought that most of the guys they worked with were hot. She would probably have earned quite a reputation except the kind of guys she liked for herself were big muscled men with tattoos and bushy beards. You didn't see many guys like that around the courthouse, except as defendants.

"No, Madison, I went home alone! Kyle had another girl waiting for him, he spent all afternoon buying expensive ingredients for this dinner he was going to cook…"

"O… M… G… He cooks?! He was making a romantic home cooked dinner?! That is so hot, I didn't think he could be any more perfect. I bet he is a great chef, he has that look you know, I can just tell. And you know what they say about guys who know their way around the kitchen…" Madison waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

Andrea didn't know what they said about guys who know their way around the kitchen, but she was willing to bet it would have something to do with the bedroom that she would be better off never knowing.

Madison went on. "But you said this was for another girl? Awww, Andi, I'm sorry. Are you heartbroken?"

Andrea appreciated the concern, misplaced though it was. Madison really was being supportive. "I'm fine, Maddie, she's welcome to him! Listen, you know if you hear a rumor about me, you can always ask me about it first, right? You're my friend, I'll be straight with you. I just don't want everyone else talking about my business."

"Okay, Andi, I promise…"

"Thank you, Madison."

"—IF…" She held up an index finger for emphasis. "You promise that you'll tell me first when you and Kyle finally get it together."

Andrea genuinely grinned at her never-ending optimism. "Sure, Madison. In the very unlikely event that such an impossible thing EVER happens, I promise you'll be the first person I tell."

Madison gave her a scrutinizing look, as though still suspicious that Andrea was keeping secrets from her. "Okay… I'm going to be mad if I hear it from someone else!"

"Madison! If you hear it from someone else, then it will be a lie, so please just come and tell me about it so I can try to quash the rumor before it gets out of hand."

"Alriiight." Madison still didn't seem convinced but collected up her files again and left the office with a parting wave. At least Andrea had managed to defuse a potential landmine of office rumors.

She was still craving a coffee, but decided to just grab one from the nearby vending machine rather than go all the way down to the cafeteria.

On rounding the corner she immediately regretted her decision. A gaggle of Tims were gathered around the machine, chatting and joking with each other.

'Tims' was the collective term Andrea used to describe the variety of lawyers that made up a sizable portion of the local legal scene. A bunch of Patrick Bateman clones with identical suits, slicked back hair, painted on smiles and a constant need to one-up each other. A lot of them were in corporate defense, and now that Andrea knew about Kyle's background, she could see how he would have fitted right in. Maybe he picked up that carefully-messy thing he did with his hair when he switched to prosecution.

She thought of them as 'Tims' because at least four of the ones she knew were actually called Tim, and it was honestly difficult to tell them apart most of the time. Their area of practice didn't overlap with Andrea's; she neither worked with them nor faced-off against them in court, so it usually wasn't worth the effort to learn the difference between them.

There were only a few exceptions who stood out from the crowd… and two of them were part of the current crowd.

Both of them were part of Madison's shortlist of guys she thought Andrea would be 'so hot' with.

Andrea only partially agreed.

Simon Walker was a guy who regularly found an excuse to come to the public defender's office to gossip with Madison. Madison loved him and had pressured Andrea into letting him take her out for a drink once. After a thoroughly boring time where Simon did nothing but talk about himself, she'd gently but firmly rebuffed his every attempt to ask her out again.

For some reason he just didn't seem to get the message. Madison thought Andrea just needed to give him another chance. Andrea just didn't think that 'Tims' were for her.

On the other hand, Dominic Roth was… like what a successful Tim might evolve into if he was lucky. Andrea didn't normally go for older guys, but Dominic had a gray-around-the-temples look that he wore well.

He was warm and genuine and had the kind of quiet confidence that made him a pleasure to be around. Not like Kyle or the other Tims.

She wouldn't mind a little more time around him.

'I don't need to be thinking about those kinds of things today!' Andrea thought. Madison was being a bad influence on her.

The group was so wrapped up in their conversation right in front of the machine that Andrea couldn't get a drink herself. For a moment she considered just going elsewhere, but decided that was ridiculous. She was a confident professional, and she should act like one!

"Excuse me guys, mind if I grab a coffee?" she said.

Dominic turned to see her. "Oh, Andrea! I'm so sorry, we're being rude. Please, go right ahead." He stepped aside with a slight bowing gesture.

…Andrea was a confident professional right until she heard that voice. It was deep and rich and reassuring, and always made her knees go just a little weak.

All of which Andrea was careful not to show as she smiled and said, "Thanks, Dom."

"Here you go, Andi," Simon said, punching in her order on the machine and passing the filled cup to her. Which was… nice… She hadn't asked him to buy her drink for her, and it was a little creepy that he had her favorite order memorized when she'd never actually told him…

"Thanks, Simon," she said, trying to sound genuine without being encouraging as she took the coffee from him. If she'd insisted on paying, he might have suggested she pay him back another time and leverage that into going out for drinks again. Better to graciously accept the gesture. She took a sip and gave a quick nod before heading back to the office. "You guys have a good one."

"Thanks, Andrea, you too," replied Dominic.

"See you later, Andi," said Simon.

Back at the office, Madison was waiting to catch her.

"Andi, the boss wants to see you."

Andrea straightened her jacket and took a big drink of coffee before leaving it on her desk. What could Jacquelyn want to talk to her about?