forum A "Plot Twist" Kind Of Love (Closed)

Started January 03, 2023 by @emilyevewrites group

tune

(Alright, let's goooooo)

Anna strolled through the park on her way to work. She preferred to take the longer, scenic route to clear everything from her mind but the client's details, especially for more difficult cases. And the case she had been assigned to yesterday was going to be a challenge, she wouldn't lie. She was representing a man named Kevin Grey, who had been taken into custody for allegedly murdering Freddie Lau, the owner of The Green Dragon Casino deep in the city.

Her heels clicked as she strode through the park, passing by the fountain. She sighed and tucked her honey-colored hair behind her ear before crossing the street to the building her firm owned, opening the door, and heading to her office.

"Anna," Nathan called out to her as he heard her pass by his office.

She stopped and backtracked her steps for a moment. "Yes?"

"Your briefing file is waiting in your office. I added a few notes to it, if you don't mind."

Anna nodded her appreciation briefly. "Not at all. Thank you, Nathan." She continued down the hall and pulled open the door to her office. Once inside, she hung her coat on the hanger briefly and smoothed her dress to take a seat behind her desk. A long day's worth of paperwork awaited her, but as she glanced at her calendar, another new note had been added to it under today's date. The interrogation of Kevin Grey. Wonderful.

Larson Carter whistled pleasantly as he walked through the doors of the firm. His entire appearance was neatly posed and professional, all the way from his slicked black hair to the shine of his shoes. But only a few of the people who knew him could tell how much was just looking the part while the others just avoided him.

Right now, he was actually heading to see one of the former group, casting a playful wink at the secretary as he took a sip of his coffee. It didn't mean anything though. Just a little game he could play. But let's just say there’s a reason why none of his coworkers invited him to play poker.

He knocked on the still-opened office door and casually strolled in. “Good morning, Anna. Looking forward to another busy day today?” he asked, placing the second cup of coffee on her desk as he sat down across from her.

Anna looked up, and her face brightened at the sight of her desk partner. “Larson,” she greeted. “Of course, I am. Though I’m not particularly thrilled about this case.” She placed her hand on the file in front of her. Kevin Grey’s file. “Nathan assigned it to me yesterday evening.”

Her eyes landed on the coffee he placed on her desk, and her smile grew. “Thank you. You know that you don’t have to get me coffee in the morning.”

But it was always nice. Between preparing herself for work and getting Daisy to school on time, Anna didn’t have much breathing room in the mornings. So the little favors were always appreciated.

“Larson? Oh, ouch. What happened to just calling me Lars?” he chuckled, teasingly. “This case must really be bugging you.” he drummed a little as he glanced at the file on her desk. “Ugh… Nevermind. I can see why. He’s pleading guilty, right?” he asked as he looked back at Anna.

“I know that. I was just getting one for myself and figured I might as well get your favorite while I was there.” he smiled easily, leaning back in his chair. Honestly, Anna was one of his favorite people at work. Plus he knew she had a kid so if he could help make her day better at work, he would have no problem doing it. Or finding someone else to do it for them.

Anna rolled her eyes knowingly and smiled over at him. "Oh, come on. It's a nickname that makes no sense! It's like the planet, but someone typed the wrong key and misspelled it!" she teased right back.

Her expression softened as he spoke continued. A subtle smirk appeared as she raised the drink to her lips, but as she took a sip, it faded into astonishment. "Iced dirty chai tea latte," she said, tilting her head and studying his face. "I'm always surprised that you remember."

She set down her drink and looked at her file. Her fingers spread apart a cluster of papers, and she read over the details. "Yes, well… I'm not entirely sure that's the case. He did plead guilty, but I think there's more here. I'm going to his interrogation later this afternoon. Would you like to join me, if you aren't busy?"

Lars laughed at the comparison and just shrugged. “I guess so. But I happen to think it does make sense. Besides, a lawyer named Larson? That’s just a few letters away from larceny.” he reminded, having made that joke at his expense before.

“How could I forget? You're the only person I know personally who likes dirty chai on ice all year round.” he smiled a little softer. Though he raised a brow as she talked about her case. “Oh, Anna…” he sighed. He did admire how she always tried to see the better side of people but sometimes he thought it bordered on naive every once in a while. “Of course, I’ll come. You know I enjoy watching you play detective.” he added sincerely with a slight smirk.

Anna shook her head as she bit her lip to keep from laughing at him. "No matter how many times you tell that joke, it doesn't get any funnier," she shot back effortlessly. "You could at least change it up. It's awfully similar to arson too, you know."

She sipped again from her drink and listened to his remark. His concern for her was somewhat admirable. But still. "If you're at all running behind, please don't worry yourself with my silly coffee order. There's no reason to be late to work on my account."

Even as she spoke, Anna blushed a bit and looked down at her files until he sighed her name. Her head lifted up, the beginnings of a frown on her lips. "What?" And the woman couldn't resist a quiet scoff in return to his little quip. "I'm no detective," she replied, taking another sip as if punctuating her words.

Just speaking the word "detective" aloud made Anna recall the morning's events with painful remembrance. She shook her head without meaning to. The motion was a key indicator for anyone who knew her well enough – essentially, Larson – that something had happened with her ex-husband.

“I beg to differ. It got you to laugh.” Lars pointed out confidently. “But I might take your advice next time.” he nodded with a mischievous smirk as he took another sip of his coffee.

He shook his head and leaned onto his desk towards Anna. “It's not a bad thing to be. The fact that you're trying to find out the truth of this case and not just… writing off your client one way or the other.” he explained. “You're like a modern-day Perry Mason. But much better looking.”

“Of course you will,” Anna replied simply, a smile on her own lips. “I’m right.” She shot him a wink in return. “But I didn’t laugh.”

She listened towards him, noting the subtle body language of him leaning closer to her, before laughing at his comparison. “Well, thank you, I suppose?” she giggled.

Suddenly, her phone screen lit up with a call, and when she looked at it, all the joy from her expression disappeared. “I’m sorry, I have to take this,” she said shortly before rising to her feet and heading over to the doorway. “Hello?” she answered quietly.

Lars chuckled at her denial but didn't press the issue further as he leaned back in his chair again, winking back at her.

“You're welcome.” he smiled when she accepted the compliment before turning back to his own files and paperwork, only to find nothing as interesting or as urgent as Anna’s. He sighed a little but perked up when she spoke again. “Oh. Sure.” he nodded as she hurried to answer. Hopefully, everything was alright. Normally the only calls that he had seen get that kind of reaction out of her were either about her daughter or from the jerk himself.

"Anna, about this morning-" Harry began, but before he could continue, she cut him off fiercely.

"Why was there a bailiff at my door?" she hissed.

Harry's response was startled. This was clearly not the conversation he thought they were going to have. "What? When?"

"Twenty minutes after you left," Anna replied. She narrowed her eyes, trying to tell over the phone if he was faking the not-knowing.

"Where are you now?" he asked, and she could hear the background noise of his car. So he was driving.

"At work," she replied, glancing over her shoulder at Larson.

"Okay, I'm on my way."

That was not what she had expected him to say. "Don't worry, I handled it," she stated, making it clear by her tone that he didn't need to show up at the firm. It would be only awkward if he came. "But, please, no more, Harry." Now her tone had shifted yet again. She was begging him, pleading with him, and not for the first time.

"Alright. I just wanted to say about this morning, I'm sorry I came by unannounced. I just needed to see you. And Daisy."

Anna closed her eyes, her shoulders dropping a bit. The motion was slightly defeatest, and she was glad that he couldn't see it. "Goodbye, Harry," she said quietly.

"Goodbye, Anna."

She hung up quickly after those words and returned to her desk, trying not to look as disheveled as she felt after that conversation. It was always the same with him, but like the fool she was, Anna kept allowing it to repeat and ran back to him. "Sorry," she murmured as she sat down, smoothing her skirt again anxiously.

(Oh! Ok. That case does sound much more interesting! Of course that changes Lars’s comments about the case too…)

Lars tried not to eavesdrop on Anna’s conversation but he couldn't help catching a few of her words. And what he did hear only caused him to worry. Though it was tinged with annoyance when he guessed who she was talking to.

“Don't worry about it.” he replied softly when she apologized. He glanced away from his computer, back at her and cleared his throat. “How… How’s Daisy?” he asked, hoping that would be the right topic to cheer her up again.

(And I edited Anna's response to him, but just slightly! ;))
(So sorry lol. I forgot the order that things were supposed to go in lol)

He was right, to an extent. Anna's expression lit up at the sound of her daughter's name, but at the recent memories of her… the teenager had left her mother conflicted.

"Daisy's well," Anna replied, opening Kevin Grey's file again to prepare for the interrogation and read some of Nathan's new notes. "She's been asking to transfer schools, actually. She wants to go to a private, all-girls school next semester. Apparently, it's where all of her friends are going. However, the tuition is rather steep. I can't afford it. But she wants to go so badly."

The truth was that she couldn't afford it… because of Harry. His gambling debts ate up her well-earned paychecks, and Anna worked herself tirelessly for money to afford their simple flat and expenses.

(👍 and don't worry about it. It's all good.)

“Wow.” Lars chuckled. “Sometimes it's so easy to forget that she’s so grown up already. I still remember you telling me about her as a cute little kid.” he admitted. “I can't imagine what that's like for you.”

He hummed at the dilemma his friend seemed to be in. “Well… If there's any way I can help you out, let me know. I mean, I'm just over here living the bachelor life and have more money than I really need. So…” he trailed off, unsure how to complete his offer. He knew a little about the situation with Daisy’s father but he also knew it was a personal, sensitive issue for Anna so he never asked more than she was willing to talk about.

Anna smiled at the memories of Daisy as a little girl, growing up when her parents were still together. "She was the most darling child," Anna remarked with a nostalgic smile. "And now she's wearing eyeliner. I made her take it off yesterday, and she stormed into her room, pissed as hell at me."

At his offer, the woman felt a light flush come to her cheeks. She despised looking destitute. She wasn't – not yet, at least. She and Daisy had everything they needed for the time being. And Harry was no longer there to ruin things for them. Except he was. Anna was still in her robe when she answered the knock at the door this morning and saw her ex-husband's face. She let him in, though, like she always did. And she always felt like shit afterward.

"Thank you, but you know I can't possibly accept that offer," she replied, not meeting his gaze. "We're doing fine."

“I know.” Lars nodded with a smile. “I remember you bringing her in here once because you couldn't find a babysitter and she kept trying to answer my phone all day.” he laughed, shaking his head.

His eyes widened, however at the idea of that same girl wearing eyeliner. “Wow. Never thought she’d be into that already.” he admitted. “I know that I have no experience as a parent but… I hope she’s not giving you as much trouble as I gave my parents. I was an unholy terror as a teenager.” he shuddered at the thought of having to deal with his teenage self as an adult.

Lars pursed his lips slightly at the polite way Anna turned him down. “I didn't mean just money, you know.” he clarified. “It was just an example. I’m sure things are alright. But if you ever need anything or find yourself in trouble, I can help.”

Anna's eyes lit up, and she laughed out loud as well at the memory. "Yes! Oh, I remember that day. Oh my God, she was so young then," she remarked. "She's grown up so fast recently… and yes, me too. I thought it would take longer. But it's these friends of hers that are getting her into makeup and boys and…" She trailed off, shaking her head.

The woman looked up at him and couldn't help a small chuckle. "Oh, were you?" She leaned forward and propped her chin up on her palm. "Do tell, Larceny," she quipped, teasing him with his earlier comparison.

Her expression softened at his clarification. "Alright… thank you," she said quietly, studying his face intently with her gentle, dark brown eyes.

The dark-haired man smiled as he finally got a laugh out of her and nodded understandably as she spoke. “Yeah. Friends can be a pretty big influence on anyone. Just don't put all the blame on them.” he warned. “Kids change as much as anyone else.”

Lars blushed at the accusation but managed to laugh when she used his joke against him. “Well, I never committed that if that's what you're implying.” he smirked. “Let's see… Well I went for the full gothic look for a start. Had an undercut, heavy black eyeliner… No tattoos but I got all three of my piercings.” he explained. “I almost took up smoking but was able to stop before I could get addicted. I got into fights for no reason… Yeah, I was a nightmare.” he shook his head.

“You're welcome, Anna.” he smiled softly, his dark green eyes meeting hers warmly.

Anna thought about his words for a moment. "Yes… I suppose you're right. Daisy has been changing a lot lately." But she left out the unsaid, her greatest fears for her daughter. What if she pulls away from me? What if she turns out like Harry? What if I lose her too?

She stopped herself from continuing down that train of thought and instead pursed her lips into a smirk right back at Larson as he began to tell his story. She arched her eyebrows, and as she listened, her eyes lit up with amusement. "Oh… my God," she finally said when he finished. "Tell me you have pictures of this gothic era! I have to see them."

But for a moment, all of the joking and humor and friendliness melted away. Her soft brown eyes met his dark green ones, and it was like some kind of electricity shot through her. His emerald eyes never failed to take her breath away, and she could willingly gaze into them for hours. They were just the perfect shade of green.

Anna jolted in surprise when the door to their office opened, and Nathan walked in. "Hey, Anna. You might want to head down to the detective agency a little bit earlier for Grey's interrogation," he said, pointing to the file on her desk. "Read up on that before you go."

She pressed her lips into a polite smile. "Thank you, Nathan."

He nodded back at her and looked briefly at her deskmate before he left.

(😩😩 Sorry for the wait. I had the reply all typed up and it got deleted instead of posted!)

“I'm sure.” he nodded. “But I bet Daisy’s going to turn out fine. After all, she’s got you for a mom.” he assured. While he may not know the whole story, he knew that Daisy’s father was… a point of concern for Anna, to put it mildly.

Lars felt his blush darken as he saw how funny she found his troublesome teenage self to be. “Unfortunately I do have some pictures left. Just not on me.” he said, trying to laugh off his embarrassment. “I wouldn't want to incriminate myself like that. Especially at work. Nathan would never let me back in a courtroom if he saw them.”

He smiled softly as he got lost in her warm brown eyes. It was so easy to relax as he met her gaze, feeling like he could melt and knowing that he could lose all track of time. The color of her eyes was just so serene, unlike his own stare, which some people found intimidating… Especially when he was questioning someone on the stand.

Lars jolted, banging his knee against his desk, when Nathan walked into the room and disrupted the calm moment. He bit his tongue to keep quiet as he turned back to his computer and his work, avoiding looking at the other man.

“Does he ever knock?” he asked, exasperated once the two were alone again and not in danger of being overheard.