A Long Time Coming

Alex McCord stood on the steps of the courthouse contemplating what was turning out to be a beautiful day. Dark clouds formed earlier threatening to drench the city in one of its frequently occurring summer thunderstorms, but now the clouds were gone without an inkling of rain and the sun was high in the sky.

He rolled his broad shoulders as he divested himself of the tension caused by weeks of long hours behind a desk. With the closing arguments in the Lexell International case finished he could afford to take it easy for a while. The idea was a novel one as Alex was always a hard worker with leisure activities often taking a backseat to the business of his impressive law practice.

The complexities of the case and the culture of secrecy presented challenges that required more than the usual time and effort for trial preparation. Lexell was a global concern whose assets and influence would have intimidated a less formidable attorney. However, Alex was used to the pressure, but more than that, he was brilliant and supremely confident in his abilities.

The charges against the conglomerate were serious. The pharmaceutical division executives knowingly withheld crucial data from the FDA in order to get approval for a promising cancer treatment, Solenaz 12. While beneficial for the short term, the drug caused other forms of cancers in animal test subjects.

The chief scientist, Dr. James Benson, went public after failing to convince the board to delay introducing the drug until further development could be done. For his trouble his lab was locked down, the data confiscated and he was shown the door under the watchful eye of the company's security team. However, as a safeguard he copied all of the data, including inter-company memos and emails prior to making his concerns known.

The pre-trial work up and investigation was exhaustive with many of the Lexell's employees unwilling to talk and risk the same fate as Benson who was Alex's client. Now the jury deliberations were underway.

*

After court Alex went back to his office to attend to a few minor issues before heading home. His secretary was gone for the day and with no pressing cases he looked forward to having a quiet evening.

His cell phone beeped as he was leaving. Checking the caller ID he saw that it was Francine.

"Hi, Frannie, how are things going?" he greeted.

"Horribly," she answered clearly frustrated. "The new shipment came in late and I'm going to be stuck going over the inventory for some time. I know we didn't make any plans for tonight, but I was hoping that I could come over later."

Francine Winestein was a buyer for Marcus Mann, a high end department store. She loved her job, but some days it took up more time than she wanted. Both she and Alex had demanding jobs, but tried to make a concerted effort to spend time together. She loved being the woman in his life, but hoped to be his wife one day. She had big plans, but just right now her work was playing havoc with them.

"You wouldn't enjoy my company tonight," Alex responded wearily. "I just finished the Lexell case and I'm beat. My plans for the evening entail nothing more than going home and becoming a couch potato. I need to decompress."

"I understand," she said soothingly, "but it's just that we haven't been able to spend much time together the past few weeks. I miss you."

"Maybe we can do something tomorrow night," Alex suggested feeling a bit guilty for neglecting her lately. "I could call you during the day to firm up the details."

"Well, if that's all I can have," she sighed somewhat peeved that he didn't say he'd miss her too. However, being a smart woman she made sure to keep any annoyance out of her voice.

"All right, then; I'll talk to you tomorrow. Bye now," Alex said and disconnected the call before she could reply.

Francine was left frowning at her phone, miffed. She was used to men running after her and didn't like the fact that Alex was the one calling the shots in their relationship. Admittedly, he was good to her, but she was always the one waiting on him. Although she made some decisions on how they spent their time together, being together was contingent on him being available.

She and Alex met two years earlier at a charity event where a mutual acquaintance introduced them. There was an instant rapport and after their first date they became exclusive. Within a few weeks Francine knew that she was in love with Alex, but kept her feelings to herself. She believed that the proper order of things dictated that the man should reveal his feelings first. Although Alex had never uttered the word love, she harbored the belief he was indeed in love with her.

Alex was a good looking man with blue eyes and a glorious mane of thick black hair. He was faithful, affectionate and considerate. In fact, he hadn't as much as looked at another woman since they started dating. But with a man like Alex there were always opportunities. It didn't escape Francine's notice that many of the women in their social circle had an eye on him.

In bed Alex was a thorough, generous and inventive lover. When they made love Francine had all of his attention and she felt like the sexiest woman in the world. Even if she weren't in love with him, for the sex alone she would consider herself a lucky woman. Above all else, Francine desperately wanted to be Alex's wife. That thought had been firmly set in her mind even before his brother, Jason, became engaged to her sister a few weeks ago. But with their engagement, she became more fixated with becoming the next Mrs. McCord.

Putting her phone away, she sighed and ran her fingers through her long blonde hair in frustration before getting on with the business of checking the new arrivals. *

Jade Harris arrived home from a long day at work. It was seven o'clock and Briana, her five year old daughter, was asleep in the back seat of the car. She'd gotten stuck at work typing a letter for her boss, attorney Baron Rollins. What pissed her off was that he'd called her into his office for dictation at five twenty, ten minutes before she was to leave for the day. Of course, he wanted it typed and on his desk before she left, not that he stayed around.

This was a frequent game that he played with her.

It's been six months since Rollins made a pass at Jade which she tactfully rejected. From that time on it became his goal to make things as difficult for her as possible. His first inclination was to fire her, but he had no legitimate reason and, as a respected attorney, it would ruin his business to be embroiled in a sexual harassment lawsuit.

Although her job paid well, Jade was keeping an eye open for other opportunities. There was a need for more balance in her life. She was so tired most evenings that she couldn't give Briana her full attention, which made her feel guilty. With only one parent, she thought her little girl deserved more.

Shaking off those thoughts, she tried not to roust Briana as she unstrapped and lifted her out of the car seat. Juggling her purse and her child Jade opened the door to her apartment and flipped the light switch on.

She threw her purse and keys on the sofa and carried Briana to her bedroom. The table lamp was on a timer and it glowed softly as Jade entered. The room was warm and cozy with the walls painted yellow and filled with Disney princess and fairy decals. The white canopy bed and the matching dresser were a birthday gift from her grandparents which completed the child's fantasy of being a princess herself.

Since Briana had already eaten, Jade took off her clothes and shoes and slipped her into a white gown; a bath could wait until morning. She said a simple prayer and kissed her daughter on the forehead.

After taking a shower, she changed into a baggy pair of shorts and a tee shirt; what she called her sexy evening garb. Truth to tell, it had been a long time since she'd thought of herself as sexy. Besides the fact that life was too hectic for such fanciful thoughts, there wasn't a man around to even notice.

Jade made herself a chicken sandwich and sat down at the kitchen table where she'd left the newspaper that morning. She hadn't found anything in the Want Ads that had much potential. She decided to tackle the comics to see if she could at least lighten her mood. But as always, her thoughts wandered back to her situation.

She was twenty six years old, but sometimes she felt like she was forty. Her world consisted of work and home with her daughter who was the center of her life. She didn't have a social life and would have given it up if she could have more time with Briana. Although she made an effort in the evenings she often failed to be of much use.

Her mother was a godsend because she could leave Briana with her instead of putting her in daycare after pre-school. While Jade didn't have anything against daycare per se, she felt it was infinitely better to leave her daughter with a trusted family member.

Despite the hardships, Jade knew she was luckier than many single mothers. She didn't need to depend on anyone financially and she could afford a decent apartment in a safe part of town. She would have liked to have someone in her life, but she didn't have the time or energy. Still sometimes it was pretty lonely.

Briana's father, Jackson, barely took an interest in his child and didn't provide any financial support. He was thirty years old and still lived with his mother. That sounded like a cliché, but she knew there were many men, white and black, who refused to grow up. Thankfully, he wasn't on drugs or an alcoholic.

When Jackson did see Briana, he would make promises that he never kept. Jade never criticized him in their daughter's presence, but she didn't make excuses either. She knew that a lot of kids were in the same boat, even worse, but she felt guilty because she chose that man. He was a mistake, but her child was a blessing. She didn't hate Jackson, but she resent him for ignoring his parental responsibilities.

*

After reading the comics and getting a chuckle or two from Andy Capp and B.C., Jade watched a little television and decided to call it a night. It was only nine o'clock, but there really wasn't anything to keep her up.

She was just about to drop off to sleep when an unpleasant ring jolted her back to consciousness. Cursing whoever it was, Jade struggled to reach the telephone.

"Hello!" she practically growled.

"Hey Jade, it's Carrie."

Jade immediately felt contrite.

"Oops! Sorry, Carrie. I had almost dropped off to sleep," she said, still a little groggy.

"That's ok. I have some news about a job opportunity for you and I couldn't wait to tell you. I didn't think that you might be asleep already."

Alert now, Jade sat up with her back against the headboard.

"It's been a frustrating day," she replied, "and I need some good news. What about this job?"

"I heard from Francine at dinner tonight that Mrs. McCord is looking for a personal assistant."

"Why does she need a personal assistant?" Jade asked.

"Mrs. McCord has a non-profit foundation that she runs out of her home. I guess I never told you that. Her current assistant's husband got a job offer in Texas and they will be moving there in the next few weeks."

"Personal assistant, huh," Jade mused. "Do you know what the qualifications are?"

"I think it's like being a secretary," Carrie said, "and you'd have to help with the charity events, although I don't know what all's involved with that."

It sounded like a plum job, but Jade thought that there were probably others better qualified. She knew someone of Mrs. McCord's position would be particular about the person she hired.

"I don't know Carrie, I might not be the type of person she's looking for," Jade said.

"There's no harm is going for an interview," Carrie said reasonably. "Mrs. McCord is a perfectionist, but she's fair minded and you have as good a chance as anyone. It's a great opportunity."

"That's just the point, the job seems too good. Why haven't you applied for it? It seems to me that she's more likely to hire you with your family connections than me."

"I thought about it," Carrie said, "but my family is too close to the McCords already; I'd feel kind of weird applying for the job. Anyway, don't think that my sisters' relationship with the McCord men would have given me an edge. Mrs. McCord isn't like that. Her work is too important for her to hire me as a favor."

"All right, I understand that. How do I go about applying?

"Oh, I have the assistant's phone number right here. Do you have a pencil and paper handy?"

Jade grabbed a pad and pen from her drawer of her night table.

"Ok, give me the information."

After Carrie gave her the information Jade said,

"Thanks a lot, Carrie, I really appreciate this. I need a good paying job with more time to spend with Briana. And I definitely need to get away from Rollins."

"You're welcome and I really hope you get the job. I'll miss you at work, but I know this is what you need. I wouldn't want Rollins as my boss either."

"I'll call tomorrow morning," Jade said. "Hopefully, I can get an appointment in the next few days. I'll need to do it around my work schedule. Wish me luck."

"Good luck," Carrie said with a smile in her voice. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"All right. Have a goodnight and thanks again."

Jade was elated with the prospect of a new job. She didn't know what she would be getting into if Mrs. McCord hired her, but to get away from Rollins she would take on any challenge.

*

The next morning Jade was up earlier than usual. She was eager to get the day started so that she could call for an interview.

Leaving Briana to eat her oatmeal, she got dressed. She decided on a simple dark blue A-line dress with a matching short jacket and accessorized with a tan handbag and matching shoes. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she thought she looked business like.

When she entered the kitchen, Briana smiled at her. "You look pretty, Mommy."

Jade kissed her on the top of her head and replied, "Thank you baby, you always make me feel good. How would you like to go out for pizza tonight?"

Briana squealed, "Yes, yes and yes. I love pizza. Thank you, Mommy."

"You're welcome, baby."

"Can we go to Uncle Gino's? Please, Please?" Briana pleaded.

"Of course we can."

After Briana finished her breakfast, Jade rinsed the bowl and placed it in the dishwasher. Then, with a damp paper towel, she washed her daughter's mouth and hands.

"Come on, sweetie," she said tossing the paper towel in the waste can, "let's hit the road."

*

The day was going much better than Jade anticipated. No doubt due to the fact that Mr. Rollins was called away for some family emergency. He would be out of the office the entire day which would allow her to leave work on time, unless he called in some extra work at the last minute.

Jade was almost half way through her to do list when she decided to call for an appointment with Mrs. McCord. She dialed the number and waited.

"The McCord Foundation, this is Melanie Graham speaking. How may I help you?"

"Good Morning Miss Graham. My name is Jade Harris. I'm inquiring about the position of personal assistant to Mrs. McCord."

"Do you have any experience as a personal assistant?"

"I currently work as a personal secretary for Attorney B.L Rollins, but I'm not sure if that's comparable to a personal assistant," Jade replied.

"I'm sure that many of your duties with Mr. Rollins will transfer to the job of personal assistant. It's pretty much like being a corporate secretary with a few more responsibilities thrown in. When are you available for an interview?" Before Jade could answer she added, "Be aware that the interview can be quite extensive and will take some time."

"Would it be possible to get an appointment on the weekend?" Jade asked.

"Yes, of course. Are you available this Saturday?"

"Yes. Anytime on Saturday will be fine," Jade agreed.

"All right, I'll put you down for this Saturday at 10 a.m. Please be prompt and bring your resume."

"Great. Thanks you Miss Graham."

"You're welcome and the best of luck," she replied.

*

After Jade hung up she felt like she'd accomplished something. She hadn't gotten the job yet, but she'd at least made a positive step toward getting it. Now there were some things she needed to do to prepare for the interview.

She didn't know a lot about the McCords other than the odd comment made by Carrie. They just weren't a topic of conversation between them and she didn't read the society pages. However, she'd seen the sons on television a few times regarding high profile cases they were handling. The thing she needed to know about was their charitable pursuits. That would be her homework starting that night.

As the day flew by, Jade caught herself humming a time or two. Mr. Rollins hadn't called, which surprised her. She hoped everything was all right with his family. She might not like the man, but she didn't wish him any ill will. The work wasn't hard and under normal circumstances she would have loved her job.

She left the office precisely at five thirty and picked Briana up from her parents' house. They headed to Uncle Gino's which was a few blocks from her apartment complex. *

Jade ordered their pizza and was waiting for it to arrive when three tall, dark haired men walked in. They were dressed in what looked to be very expensive three piece business suits.

She looked around and noticed that her eyes weren't the only ones glued to them as most of the people in the place shared her curiosity. When they turned to take their seats in a booth, Jade almost gasped.

"Damn!" she thought, "they're hot." She chuckled at her reaction before her brain kicked in. It was the McCord brothers. Somewhere in heaven someone must be laughing at her. Here was a feast before her and she couldn't even take a little nibble. She felt surprised at her reaction since she'd rarely felt that kind of interest in almost six years.

Even after they were seated, she continued to watch them furtively with Briana chatting in the background. She was about to turn away when one of them, she believed it was Alex, looked up and caught her staring at them and her breath caught in her throat. His face froze for a second and then he turned his attention back to his brothers. Jade was still holding her breath when she heard Briana calling her.

"Mom, Mommy. Can I spend the night at Lisa's house tomorrow?" she asked.

Lisa was the five year old daughter of Jade's cousin Judy. She worked from home doing data entry work for several local businesses and sometimes picked Briana up at school along with her Lisa.

"We have to ask Judy. If she says it's ok, then you can have a sleep over," Jade promised.

Just then their pizza arrived.

"Pizza, Pizza, Pizza!" Briana said loud enough to draw the attention of several diners, including Alex McCord.

His eyes lit upon Jade and lingered.

"Shhh, Briana," Jade admonish, feeling a bit uncomfortable under Alex's scrutiny.

Cameron McCord was regaling his brothers with his obvious pleasure at his latest acquisition, a Saab PhoeniX and didn't notice Alex's interest in the woman and child a few tables over, but Jason did.

Looking at his brother, Jason wondered what was holding Alex's attention. Then he turned and saw the woman. She was very attractive, with a thick mane of shoulder length chestnut colored hair. "Pretty," he thought. But Alex had dated many pretty women. She was obviously black with a medium brown skin tone and his brother was obviously interested.

Jason had to admit that although Alex had been dating Francine for some time, he'd never seen Alex give Francine the almost brooding look he was giving this woman who was a stranger. As a matter of fact, he'd never seen him look at any woman like that.