“What the—?” A deep, perturbed voice came our way. “Can I help you with something?”
Josette made an “eep” noise as she turned to face the door.
I was already facing the door and thus I saw Dax Lahn walk through it and stop.
I had forgotten how large he was.
Oh balls!
We were going to be arrested before we’d even managed to open his laptop and now Noc was going to have to retrieve us from jail.
He’d said he’d spank me if this was to occur and I might not be averse to a spanking from Noc on certain occasions, but I suspected the one he’d wish to deliver after liberating us from a cell would not be the kind I would like.
“Again,” this came as a growl as the large man took a threatening step toward us and stopped, “can I help you with something?”
This was what I did and did well.
So this was what I needed to do.
“You can indeed,” I declared, lifting my chin. “You can explain to us why you’re so late for our appointment, Mr. Lahn.”
His head tipped slightly to the side and that was threatening too.
In Korwahk, the sight of Lahn doing this might cause someone to relieve themselves immediately and maybe run for their lives.
The repeated “eep” Josette made gave me the understanding this same reaction could come on this world too.
“Sorry?” he asked.
I stepped forward. “Franka Drakkar. We were to meet at ten. It is not ten. It is,” I looked at my watch irritably, “twenty passed ten.”
“I’m sorry, Ms. Drakkar,” Lahn stated, glancing at Josette then back to me, “I didn’t have a ten o’clock appointment today.”
“You certainly did and it was with me,” I retorted.
“I’m afraid I didn’t,” he returned.
“I’m afraid you did,” I rejoined.
He took in our positions in the room and again caught my eyes.
“Is there a reason why you’re standing so close to my desk, Ms. Drakkar?”
“Since we weren’t even greeted, we’ve hardly been invited to sit,” I snapped in full affront.
He seemed to examine the top of his desk before again returning his attention to me.
“If you weren’t greeted, how did you make it to my office?”
“I do know who you are, since I made an appointment with you,” I declared. “I also know you’re the founding partner of this firm. When we were not seen to upon entry, where else would we go and look for you but the biggest office? I can’t imagine you’d give it to an underling,” I noted with disdain and finished, “And I see I was correct.”
“All right then, you’re Franka Drakkar, may I ask who this is?” He tipped his head to Josette.
“Josette Aubuchon, my assistant,” I told him.
“And maybe you’ll explain to me what our appointment was to discuss,” he pressed.
I sighed with impatience but answered, “My donation to First Mother House.”
That took him aback even if I could only barely see the slight jerk of his chin.
“First Mother House?” he queried.
“Yes, as I explained over the telephone, I’ll be donating one million dollars to it and you were going to assist me with this as their legal counsel.”
I was hoping that was a dramatic enough amount to take his attention from finding us in his office, and I was hoping I was using words I’d heard while observing him correctly.
“One million dollars?” he asked low and disbelieving, answering my question about the amount of my donation.
“Yes,” I confirmed.
“First, Ms. Drakkar,” he stated, moving a step further into the room but doing so, I noted with some alarm, still blocking the door. “My assistant would not make a meeting during this day or time because this day and time is always blocked. Second…”
He took another step and I felt the fear start wafting from Josette.
I wished I could put a hand to her or give her a glance to calm her but I needed to remain in my play, for if I did not, I was afraid the results would be disastrous.
Lahn continued speaking.
“I would remember any possible meeting with a woman who intended to give one million dollars to First Mother House. And last, your donation does not require legal counsel.”
Drat.
I needed time and sought it.
“If the fullness of our meeting was communicated to you, you would know this was not true.”
“The fullness of our meeting wasn’t communicated to me so perhaps you’ll explain how I can assist you in giving a donation to a charity when you can simply write a check and put it in the mail?”
How could he assist me, indeed?
How could he assist me?
How?
Blast!
“The donation needs to be anonymous,” Josette piped in.
Excellent!
I fought the urge to give her an embrace.
“This, too, can be done without legal counsel,” Dax Lahn stated.
Bloody hell.
“Do we have attorney-client confidentiality?” Josette asked, sounding authoritative.
I looked to her and saw her staring right in Dax Lahn’s eyes.
Ah, my Josette. Such the clever girl.
And a brave one.
“You aren’t a client,” Dax Lahn pointed out.
“Yes, of course we’re not,” I snapped, jumping on Josette’s track. “Because we have not yet had our meeting.”
“I must admit I’m getting impatient,” he shared, appearing just that and it was unfortunately quite frightening, even for me and I’d been caught in a variety of delicate situations I’d had to talk my way out of. “And I have things to do. So now you’ve got one minute to explain to me why you’re in my office. If that explanation doesn’t satisfy me, I’ll be phoning the police.”