Get Stuffed

A smaller voice tells me that it’s not true, that my uncle would never have been happy regardless of what happened with Andrew. I wish it was true, but I can’t bring myself to believe it.

I look at Andrew in the half-light. He’s beautiful. I like his openness and his willingness to try new things with me. I like the fact that he knows what he wants. I like that his favorite color is silver. I like that he is kinder than he appears. I smile, just for a moment able to forget what happened. I shift closer to him, and Andrew opens his eyes.

“Hi,” I say.

“Hey.” His voice is deeper than normal, edged with sleep. “How are you?”

“I’ve been better.”

His hand slides up my side, curling around the back of my neck to pull me closer. “Not one of those things he said was true.” I feel a wan smile appear on my face; Andrew can talk all he likes, but it won’t change the fact that my uncle’s words are true. Andrew looks at me deeply, as if searching for something. “You believe him,” he says.

“Of course I do.”

His brow creases. “Why?”

“Because you haven’t been there for the rest of it, Andrew. You don’t know what I went through, you don’t know what happened to make him say those things. They are true.”

“No,” he says. “I refuse to believe that. You are smart, beautiful, and kind. You are not a failure.” He kisses me and adds, “Let me make you forget what he said, and show you that it doesn’t matter. Let me show you how much I want to be with you.”

He kisses me again, and rolls over me. I close my eyes and let him make me feel. His cock entering me feels familiar and comforting, a solitary and precious connection. This time he doesn’t fuck me. Everything is long and deep, a slow build to the end. His mouth never leaves mine, and I think I could live an eternity in his kisses. He stays deep inside of me, rolling his hips in time with our breathing, and I feel my orgasm coming from far away. It’s not bright and loud, but expansive. I come apart underneath him, my body shaking as pleasure rolls over me like a tide. He’s not far behind me, and without a condom he finishes in the sheets.

Andrew doesn’t move from above me, looking down and holding my gaze. “I want to be with you. Not in secret. I don’t care what anyone thinks about us. I promise everything will be okay. I am going to make sure that you’re okay. Do you believe me?”

I nod. I do. I do believe him, but it still hurts knowing that I’m about to lose everything.

“Come with me to court today,” he says. “It will show him that you’re stronger than what he has to say to you.”

“I don’t know…”

“Please,” he says, his lips against mine, “I want you there.”

I complete this kiss, loving the sensation of his lips. “Okay.” If he wants me there, I’ll go. I can only hope that it doesn’t make things worse.

The sun is fully risen now, and I get up to take a shower. “Can I join you?” Andrew asks.

I manage to smile at him. “If you do, we’ll never make it to court on time.”

“That’s a fair point.”

Once showered and dressed, I see Andrew again in the kitchen. He’s drinking coffee and eating a granola bar. “I have a question,” he says as I come downstairs. “What did you actually find last night?”

I glance toward the dining room. In the emotional mess I had completely forgotten my discovery. Internally cringing, I go into the dining room and grab the Trident Security file. I pass it to Andrew. “Here. It’s the breakdown brochure for people installing systems with Trident. It describes the services involved in every tier, and Mr. Sterling was in the highest. Look what it says.”

He scans it, and his eyes widen. “Multiple secure data back-ups.”

“I looked into it further, and what they mean is that all records are held on a server that only the highest members of the company can access. It’s not something that shows up in their regular database, and because it’s privileged they would never provide it voluntarily.”

“I’m sure Timothy told the police to check every back-up,” he says, and I can see him working through it.

“I’m sure he did too. But the police wouldn’t have known about the fact that there was a back-up like this. The information is private, and kept in the highest confidence—even from law enforcement. Do you see? If it’s not there, we lose nothing. If it is—”

Andrew is beaming now. “You’re right. This could change everything. If it shows that Timothy left the house, it could vindicate him entirely.”

“We’ll have to subpoena the records.”

“How fast can you get one ready?” he asks, downing the rest of his coffee.

“How much time do we have?”

14

The courthouse is both beautiful and intimidating. I suppose they probably designed it that way. It’s an old building, all wood and polished floors and delicate moldings. I feel sick. The whole ride in the car I kept thinking about what my uncle will say to me when he sees me and now that Andrew and I are close, I think I’m going to throw up. Suddenly the world feels like it’s spinning and I’m hyperventilating. Andrew takes my hand and his voice is calm and steady as he tells me, “Everything will be fine. He won’t cause a scene here.”

“He doesn’t have to,” I say.

“You’re here because I want you to be. That’s all you have to remember.”

“Easier said than done,” I mutter under my breath.

We turn the corner and approach the courtroom, and I see Uncle Roger standing with Mr. Sterling. I feel like the floor might swallow me up, but I keep walking because Andrew is still holding my hand. My uncle sees Andrew first, then me, then our joined hands. His expression turns livid. He says something to Mr. Sterling and makes a beeline toward us, meeting us halfway. “Naomi, I don’t see any reason for you to be here, as you have nothing of substance to contribute.” His tone is acid.

Andrew squeezes my hand, and I take a deep breath. “I’m here at Mr. Finch’s request.”

“And actually Roger, Naomi may have saved our case,” Andrew cuts in. “When you interrupted us last night she was in the process of uncovering an important piece of evidence.”

My uncle laughs, “That’s impossible.”

Andrew looks over at me. “Naomi?”

My mouth is suddenly dry—the plan was for Andrew to tell him what we found, not me. I don’t even think I can. I feel Andrew change his grip, fingers threading through mine and squeezing. “Tell him what you found.”

I clear my throat. “There may still be evidence that Mr. Sterling left the house on the night of the murder.”

My uncle narrows his eyes. “How?”

I outline what I found out about Trident Security, Andrew filling in as needed. The incredulous look on my uncle’s face is more than enough for me to know that he doesn’t believe me. But he does have to take Andrew’s word. I can see he’s not happy about it. I pull out the subpoena I prepared before we left. “You can use this to get the back-up.”

“Or,” Andrew says, “Just have Timothy call Trident. As one of their most valued clients, I’m sure they would send over the information right away.” I can hear the smile in his voice. He’s enjoying this just a little too much.

My uncle—his entire body rigid with anger—turns and waves over Mr. Sterling.

Andrew doesn’t let my uncle lead the conversation. As soon as Mr. Sterling joins us, Andrew asks him, “Timothy, when the police checked the security logs from Trident, did they check every back-up?”

Mr. Sterling puts his hands in his pockets. “They told me they did.”

“Including the one kept by the board exclusively for your diamond membership?”

“Well, I would have thought…maybe not,” Timothy says, mulling it over. “I guess they wouldn’t have known to look there.”

I can’t help smiling. “Call them. If they can give you a copy of the data without us having to use a subpoena it will be faster, and if it shows you l

eaving your house when you said you did, it proves that Robert Greene is lying and casts reasonable doubt on your status as a suspect.”

It looks like Mr. Sterling lights up from within, and he practically runs away and out of the courthouse to use his cellphone.

My uncle turns back to us, his whole face a portrait of disgust. “Well played.”

“This isn’t a game,” I say. “It isn’t some sort of play to make you look bad.”

“And I’m supposed to take your word on that after you went and fucked the very man I told you was trying to take my company? I was going to fire you, but I suppose I’ll have to let you stay after this. We’ll see if you can earn your keep with more than a fluke discovery.”

I grind my teeth together, suddenly sick to death of everything he’s put me through. “That’s very generous of you.”

“Actually,” Andrew interjects, “you don’t have to stay at Grayson & Wates.”

“What are you talking about?” I ask.

Andrew lets go of my hand and steps forward. “Roger, you may consider this my notice. I will stay on for the remainder of the trial, but as soon as it’s completed my resignation will be in effect immediately. I want no part of a firm that treats people the way you do your own family, so I’ve decided to start my own. And you’ll release me from my non-compete clause, because if you don’t, I’ll tell our clients how you treat people who are beneath you. If you think you’ll have any clients left after that, you’d be mistaken.”