Jake exited the car, slammed the door and ran up the steps into the building. He opened the door and walked in closing it behind him. He had done it again. He felt so bad.
“We will deal with this later Jake.” Said Hal. “Let’s get to the meeting. We have her contact information and can reach her anytime.”
Jake nodded and looked around the building. There were a number of doors in the front and some stairs going to the second floor. He walked down the hall noticing nothing written on any of the doors. At the foot of the stairs a sign said “O’Rourke and Associates second floor.” Jake walked up the stairs and stopped at the landing. In front of him were less doors, the one at the end had a sign on it reading O’Rourke and Associates.
He walked over and opened the door peering inside. He saw a young lady sitting at a desk inside. She looked up as the door opened and smiled.
“Hi there.” She said. “My name is Claudia. Welcome to O’Rourke and Associates. Can you state the purpose of your visit please?”
“Hi Claudia, my name is Jake Field.” He said smiling back. “I have an appointment with Susan O’Rourke at 1 PM. I know that I am early but I was close by.”
Claudia looked back at him smiling even broader. Wow he looked like a model she thought. He looks good enough to eat.
“Please have a seat, Mr. Field.” She replied with a smile. “I will see if Ms. O’Rourke is ready for you.”
“Thank you.” Replied Jake smiling back.
She got up and moved away from her desk into a door to the right with the name Susan O’Rourke written on it, opened it, entered and closed the door behind her.
Susan looked up as she walked in and smiled at her. They were childhood friends and very close. Susan had hired her right away to be her receptionist after she returned to Newfoundland. She grimaced as she thought about her experience on the mainland, she would not be treated like that again by anybody.
“Susan, your 1 o’clock, Mr. Field, is here.” Said Claudia with a grin. “I think you are going to enjoy this meeting.” She chuckled.
Susan looked at her friend with a puzzled look on her face. She wondered what Claudia was talking about. It was a legal meeting, what would she enjoy about it?
“What are you talking about Claudia?” she asked with a puzzled look on her face. “Just show him in please.”
Claudia reopened the door and stepped outside.
“Ms. O’Rourke will see you now Mr. Field.” She said smiling at Jake.
Jake got up and walked close to her as he entered the office. Claudia took a deep sniff entranced by his smell. He looked good and smelled better she thought. Maybe she could get his number after the meeting.
Susan stood up as Jake entered. She smiled at Jake and said. “Please take a seat Mr. Field. Would you like something to drink?”
“Some water would be great.” Said Jake smiling back. “And call me Jake.”
“Ok Jake, you can call me Susan then.” She said smiling back. “Claudia can you please get us two waters please.”
They both sat down. Claudia came in and lay two bottles of water on the desk.
“Will there be anything else Susan?” she asked.
“Not right now Claudia, I will call you if I need anything.” Said Susan.
Claudia smiled at them both and left the room closing the door behind her.
Susan looked at Jake. Wow he looks incredible she thought. Her last encounter with a man had not ended so well. A partner of a law firm in Toronto she had worked for. He had seduced her and then discarded her. It seemed he had done if before, and had gotten away with it until her. She had not finished top of her class for nothing! The ensuing lawsuit had provided her with a lot of money and revenge as well. He was no longer a partner and now she owned this building. It was empty right now but she could build a business over time.
“So Mr. Field, what can I do for you?” asked Susan with a smile.
“Jake please Susan.” Replied Jake. “Well I have need of advice and legal aid. Nothing illegal now just some help.”
“Ok Jake, legal advice can mean many things so you will have to give me more information.” Said Susan.
“We are going with the uncle right Hal?” thought Jake.
“Yes, the inheritance, then show her the diamond.” Replied Hal. “Ask her help in selling it. Also this building looks empty, so maybe we can rent some space here and start the business as well again using her advice.”
“Ok Hal.” Replied Jake.
“Susan I am an orphan, I have never known any family, having grown up in foster care until I was 18.” Started Jake.
“Oh I am sorry to hear that Jake.” Replied Susan. For some reason this pulled at her heart strings, this handsome man an orphan she just wanted to go and hug and comfort him. Pull yourself together Susan, she thought, you have just met the guy. She took a deep breath.
“No I survived.” Replied Jake. “It made me stronger. Last week I received a parcel in the mail, an old trunk, it looked like a sea chest. Attached to it was a letter and some legal documents. The letter was from an uncle who lived in the US, it was startling because I never knew I had any family. The letter stated that he had found me after years of searching and left me this chest in his will. The legal documents were legalese but stated that one condition of the will is that I never try and find my uncle.” Jake stopped and took the water from the desk opened it and took a sip.
“Great work Jake.” Said Hal.
Susan kept looking at Jake and was still wondering what he needed.
“Ok show me these documents and I can give you my opinion on them.” Said Susan. “I can probably find your uncle if you want.”
“No he is dead.” Stated Jake. “That was in the legal documents.”
“Ok Jake I am confused.” Said Susan still looking intently at Jake. He has beautiful eyes she thought. Pull your self together Susan, he is a new client, act professional. “what exactly do you need me for then?”
Jake reached down and picked up his knapsack.
“Well after I read the letter and documents, I opened the sea chest.” Said Jake. “It contained odds and ends from all over the world. A lot of really interesting stuff. But at the bottom was a cloth and when I took it out I found something very shocking.” With this Jake opened his pack and reached inside. He took out the large diamond and laid it on Susan’s desk. He looked at Susan to gauge her reaction.
Susan’s mouth dropped open in amazement. It looked like a very rough diamond, but it was huge, larger then any she had ever seen in pictures. Unknown to Jake before she did law she had done some geology courses at MUN, and had seen some small diamonds but nothing like this.
“Can I touch it?” she asked. “I did a number of geology courses in my undergrad degree.
“Please go ahead.” Replied Jake with a smile.
“Did you know about the geology courses Hal?” thought Jake.
“Of course.” Replied Hal. “I accessed her records and saw this. It will help us; she is the only lawyer in this vicinity with any experience in geology.”
“I forget that you are an AI Hal.” Said Jake. “That was great thinking.”
Susan picked the stone up and marveled at its weight and size. She laid it down and turned to her computer and quickly googled the largest diamond ever found. She compared the pictures and saw that this one dwarfed it. She looked at Jake with a shocked look on her face.
“The Cullinan Diamond was the largest diamond ever found.” She said looking at Jake. “This one makes it look like a small rock. What do you need me for?” She was unsure of what Jake wanted her to do.
Jake smiled at her. He said. “I need to sell it, and I do not know how to do so. I need legal advice on how to do this. I also want to do it anonymously. I do not want people coming after me because of this.” He sat back in the chair and sipped his water. He waited for her reply.
Susan took her water, opened it and took a large sip. Her throat was really dry. This was the last thing she expected when she saw him walk in. She lay her water down and leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes to think. How do I do this she thought?
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“Ok Jake.” She said slowly. “I think we need to get it verified first.” She turned back to her computer and googled; jewelers in Newfoundland. The majority were just stores who received their merchandise from the mainland. As she scrolled down she saw one that looked different. Hermet and Associates, it looked different and she saw that the owner had come from The Netherlands. It was an old family who specialized in diamonds. Why would they be in Newfoundland she thought? This is who we need to get them to check the diamond.
“Ok, I see a possible way to check it. There is a jewelers called Hermet and Associates on Water Street.” She said. “They specialize in diamonds. I will give them a call and ask them to come and examine the diamond. What else Jake?”
“Well then we need to sell it. Maybe they will know who we can contact.” Replied Jake with a smile.
Wow he has a great smile, thought Susan. He has great lips too. Snap out of it Susan, she thought. This can be worth a lot of money. She smiled back at Jake.
“I will contact them. Hold on a second.” Said Susan. She then picked up her phone and called the number listed on the website. It rang a few times but someone finally picked it up.
“Hermet and Associates, Ingrid speaking, how may I help you?” said a girl’s voice on the phone.
“Hi Ingrid.” Replied Susan. “This is Susan O’Rourke calling from O’Rourke and Associates.”
“Hi Susan.” Answered Ingrid. “How can I help you today?” Ingrid was unsure as to why a lawyer was phoning her.
“Yes, I am looking to get a rough diamond appraised.” Said Susan. “I was wondering if you could give me information on this.”
“Well Susan, we do have experience with this.” Said Ingrid. “You can drop down to our shop and we can look at it for you.”
“Is it possible you could come here?” Asked Susan. “This is a uncut diamond and it is rather valuable.”
“Ok I can come look at it if you wish. When would you like to do this?” Asked Ingrid.
Susan looked at Jake and asked him. “When would you like it done?”
“Ask if she is free now.” Answered Jake. “I will pay her for her time after the diamond is sold.”
“My client wants to know if you are free now.” Replied Susan. “He will pay you for your time.”
Ingrid looked around the shop. There were few if any customers. The business was almost bankrupt. At least she would make some money out of this.
“Ok, I can come now.” She replied. “What is your address?”
Susan told her the address, and they set a meeting. They would meet when Ingrid arrived.
Susan picked up the phone and clicked a button. “Claudia, we will be expecting a Ms. Ingrid Hermet shortly. Will you show her in when she arrives? Thank you.” Susan hung up the phone and turned back to Jake and smiled.
Jake’s stomach made a gurgling noise. He blushed and said. “Sorry about that, I missed lunch.”
Susan picked up the phone again, and clicked a button. “Claudia?” She asked. “What kind of snack do we have available. Ok make up a tray and bring them in please. Thanks bye.”
“No problem Jake.” She said smiling at Jake. “We always have some snacks available. Claudia will bring some in.”
“That is great Susan.” He replied smiling back. “I could use something right now. So what is our next move?”
“Once we get it authenticated, we will move on from there.” Said Susan. “Maybe Miss Hermet will have some ideas about that.”
“That sounds great.” Replied Jake. “Can I ask you some questions Susan?”
“You can ask me anything.” Replied Susan smiling. She had no idea what the questions would be, but she enjoyed being with Jake. He made her feel safe and also a little excited.
“There are a lot of empty offices here.” Said Jake. “Who owns the building? I wonder if it would be possible to rent some office space from them.”
“Well this is your lucky day Jake.” She said with a grin. “You are looking at the owner.”
Jake looked shocked. She was not very old and she owned the building? How was that possible?
“Seriously?” He asked. “You are not very old; how could you afford this building? Being a lawyer must be better then I thought.”
Susan blushed and looked away, the smile left her face. His questions brought back the memories of Toronto. She sighed.
“Oh sorry Susan.” Said Jake quickly. “I am not trying to pry. I was just looking for office space and you surprised me with your answer.”
“It is ok Jake.” She replied. “I won a lawsuit in Toronto and the money set me up in business here. It was not a fun time. As for the office space that is possible. How much space did you need?”
“Hal what do you think?” Thought Jake.
“Right now a main office for you and probably a front area for a receptionist.” Replied Hal. “with options to expand later.”
“Susan, a main office for me and an area for a secretary/receptionist would be nice.” Replied Jake.
The door opened and Claudia walked in with a tray of food. There was some coffee, tea and some cookies on the tray. She set it on the edge of the desk and turned to leave. Then she noticed the enormous diamond on Susan’s desk and stopped. She looked at Susan and Jake with an incredulous look on her face.
“What is that?” She asked.
Susan grinned at Claudia and said. “This is what Jake brought in, he wants help selling it.”
Claudia took a closer look at Jake. He was clean and dressed in clean clothes but they looked like clothes he had bought at Walmart. She shook her head in bewilderment, and turned to exit again.
“Wait Claudia.” Said Susan. “Stay, you can probably answer Jake’s question. Help yourself Jake.”
“No ladies first.” Said Jake smiling at them. Both Susan and Claudia blushed. He really had a great smile. They were both really attracted to him.
Claudia picked up the coffee pot and asked. “Coffee anyone?” They both nodded and she poured 3 cups of coffee. She lay them in front of them.
“You can doctor them yourself.” She said with a smile, and proceeded to put a spoonful of sugar and a dash of milk in her coffee. She lay the cup on the edge of the desk and pulled a chair next to it and sat down.
Jake stood and put the same in his own and then asked Susan. “How would you like yours?”
Susan blushed, this was her office and he was waiting on her. She smiled and said. “I will take it just black, but thank you anyway.”
Jake grabbed a cookie and took a bite and then a sip of coffee. He closed his eyes and savored the taste. He seemed hungrier lately, and things seemed to taste better.
“It may be because of the changes I made.’ Said Hal. “Your senses were not as strong as my creators. Remember you are faster as well; you are taking on many traits of them.”
“So far it has been positive Hal.” Thought Jake. “Except for the pheromone problem, and the touching.”
They all ate and drank for a minute then Susan turned to Claudia.
“Jake was wondering about office space in our building.” She said. “He wanted a setup similar to ours, and inside room for him and an outside office for a secretary. Is that right Jake?”
“Yes Susan.” He said. “I am going to start a business with the money from the sell, and this would be perfect. You can be my lawyer and it makes it easy when I start out to be in the same building, if that is ok with you?”
Susan leaned back in her chair and sipped her coffee. She would love the business. Renting office space and lawyer fees would really help her. Also having an attractive man around would be great, since she was so attracted to him. I wonder if he is single, she thought.
Claudia closed her eyes and imagined the building. The first floor had a setup exactly like that. There was even a small room next to it if he wanted to set up his own network.
“Susan, on the first floor there is an office like that.” She said. “It even has a small closet next to it that could be used as a server room. We can go look at it if you like Mr. Field?”
“Please call me Jake, and that is up to Susan.” He said smiling her. They both turned and looked at Susan. She looked back at them both and smiled.
“I think we can show him the offices, and if he likes them, I can draw up a simple lease.” She answered.” How does that sound Jake?” Inwardly she hoped he would say yes. Unconsciously she undid the top button of her shirt, and pushed her chest out a little.
Jake drained his coffee and stood up. “I am ready now if you are?” He said with a grin. “I will grab another cookie to eat on the way.” From this height he could see Susan’s cleavage, it looked incredible and he saw again how pretty she was. He wondered what she looked like from behind.
Susan and Claudia each stood up and lay their cups on the tray.
Claudia went to the door and opened it and Susan gestured for Jake to leave first.
“No ladies first.” He said with a smile.
Susan blushed and nodded, she walked around the desk and out the open door. Jake followed her and gave her a quick glance. Wow she does have a nice behind, he thought. A little plump but it looks really nice in that skirt. He followed Susan who went out through the outer door and down the stairs. Claudia followed then closing the doors on the way. From behind she admired Jake’s tight butt in his jeans. He is so sexy, she thought, I wonder if he has a girlfriend. I did not notice a wedding ring.
Susan stopped at the bottom of the stairs and waited.
“Which office Claudia?” She asked.
“The second on the right.” She answered and led the way to the office and opened the door. Jake motioned for Susan to go first and the followed her. He now had a great view of both of them, and they both looked great. They were not supermodels just healthy pretty women.
“Hal, I never noticed women like this before.” Thought Jake. “I now find every woman attractive, no matter their size or shape.”
“I think it is the DNA again.” Said Hal. “It must be wanting you to form a group like my creators. In the past when males came of age they actively sought out females. The more masculine and wealthy they were, the larger the group the accumulated.”
“What?” Answered Jake. “How many are we talking here?”
“It depends on you.” He answered. “It can be one to thousands.”
Jake stopped in shock letting the women walk ahead of him. How the hell could he handle thousands of women? He had never been with any women in his life.
“Jake it may never happen.” Said Hal. “Lets worry about the small things now, then that can work it self out. We will have a better handle on it after you get back to the ship. Ok?”
“Ok Hal.” Said Jake. “But this is something we have to take care of.”
Jake walked into the office and looked around. There were no furnishings. He walked into the inner office. It was larger and there was a large window there. It looked nice.
“So what do you think Jake?” Asked Susan. She really hoped he liked it.
He turned and smiled at the women, and nodded his head. “This will do nicely. I will just need some furniture, phones, computers so many things. I have no idea how to do all that.”
“That is easy Jake.” Said Claudia. “I can help you with all of that, we have vendors that we have used. That is if Susan does not mind me helping you?” She turned and looked at Susan. She hoped Susan would let her. That would enable her to be around Jake more.
Susan thought about it. It would help him set up and they were not really busy right now.
“I have no problem with that, as long as you keep up with your work for me.” She said with a smile. “Later Jake can hire his own secretary. That is up to Jake however Claudia.”
They both turned to look at Jake. He looked back at the both of them.
“Everything sounds fine. “He said. “As long as I get the diamond sold first, right now I am broke. I have to go out of town for a couple of days, and my car just died. So yes conditionally.” He smiled at them.
Susan put out her hand and Jake took it and gave it a shake. Immediately a shock went through them both. Shit, thought Jake I forgot again.
“Jake.” Screamed Hal. “You did it again.”
“Sorry Hal.” It was an unconscious gesture; I could not help it. You seal a deal with a handshake here.” Jake looked closely at Susan who had a dazed look on her face.
Susan was in shock. What just happened she thought? Her mind was fuzzy and all she could smell was Jake. He smelled incredible. She wanted to rub herself all over him. She was excited just being near him.
Claudia touched her on the shoulder and gave her a gentle push. “You there Susan?” She asked.
Susan shook her head to clear the cobwebs. She said. “Yes just feeling a little light headed. I think I will go back to my office and sit down.” With that she left the office and went back up the stairs.
“You can wait in my office if you want Jake?” Said Claudia.
“Sounds good, lead on.” Said Jake.
Claudia left followed by Jake, and headed up the stairs to her office.