Hearsay (8 page)

"What he hates is seeing his employees shooting the shit when he's paying them top dollar," Tashana informed, not commenting on his analysis of their boss's attitude.

Derrick let out a long sigh. "He's going to fire me, isn't he?"
 

Tashana straightened her blouse and removed some lint from her skirt. She looked far from concerned.
 

"What's he gonna fire you for? Having a sex life?"

And wouldn't that be fantastic? Not losing his job, but for Roman to actually care that Derrick had plans to go see someone. He'd never be so lucky, of course.
 

"Why was he here?" Derrick got up from the window sill and laced his fingers behind his head. "He's never come to my office before. Not once in the six years I've been with the firm."

Tashana shrugged. "You'll find out soon enough."
 

Derrick stared at his friend. A mix of nerves, fear, and anticipation had him paralyzed. He had spent months wishing for this moment. He'd wanted to be near Roman Bradford at least one more time. Just the two of them… alone…

He'd
prayed
for the opportunity to talk to the man and find out why he'd backed off the way he did, but he hadn't wanted it to be like this.
 

Not out of the blue. Not when he had his guard down and most definitely not when he was telling a friend that he had plans to have sex with another man.
 

Derrick covered his face with his hands. "
Goddammit,
" he cried out.
 

"I really don't think you need to worry."

"He shouldn't have heard that, Tashana." He pulled his hair and bumped the back of his head against the window. "Fuck, fuckity,
fuck
."
 

"That was unfortunate, but there's nothing you can do about it." She forcefully moved his hands away from his head, fixed his hair, pinched his cheek, then grabbed him firmly by the shoulders and pushed him through the door. "Go now, white boy. You don't want to keep him waiting."

Derrick left his office in a daze. He thought he heard Casey frantically calling him, but he didn't stop to talk to her. He had no recollection of walking down the long corridor, but all too soon he found himself in the Family Law department's conference room.

Roman was sitting on the far side of the twenty-seat mahogany table.
 

He didn't get up to greet Derrick.

That was a first. The man's manners were impeccable, and even though Roman had refrained from approaching him, he'd never failed to shake Derrick's hand or at least nod in his direction the few times they'd been in the same room.
 

So what was the deal? Was Roman trying to keep his distance? And, if so, was it because they were completely alone for the first time in almost a year? Did he think Derrick intended to make a scene or demand some answers? If that was the reason he seemed to be poised to jump out of the window, he needn't have worried.

You're a professional
, he thought,
and this is your work place. You will conduct yourself in a proper manner or else.

Plus, he had dignity. As much as he wanted to know what the hell went wrong, he wasn't about to beg Roman Bradford to enlighten him.

No.

Derrick would keep his shit together even if it killed him.

So what if they'd flirted? So what if they'd looked into each other's eyes, talked about their lives, and even connected? So what if they'd brushed hands and almost kissed more times during those eight days than Derrick could remember? Things had changed for whatever reason, and Roman didn't owe him anything.
 

He had to move on. It was pathetic that he was still hung up on what he considered a magical week and a half of whispered words, blooming flowers, singing birds, and happily ever after possibilities.

Derrick almost gagged right then and there. He could be so frigging Disney sometimes. It was nauseating.
 

He often told himself that it was very likely he was over-romanticizing their time together. Roman had behaved like a perfect gentleman, and the fact that Derrick was convinced the guy was courting him with lunch, smooth words, and compliments added to it. But they'd been in Central Park. Granted there were flowers, but the birds had shit on everything, and Lord knew there was nothing magical about
that
. So he was probably blowing the whole thing out of proportion.

Roman cleared his throat and pointed at one of the chairs closest to the door. "Come on in and have a seat, please."

Oh, yes. Big boss Bradford was trying to keep his distance.
 

Derrick hesitated for a brief moment before deciding not to sit where Roman had indicated. He was nervous, yes. His thoughts were in turmoil, and his emotions were running so wildly he wished he didn't have to be here. But even though he'd just decided to be proper, he needed to explore Roman's seeming reluctance to be near him.

He took a step forward. That's when he noticed how the other man kept sliding the folder back and forth on the shiny surface of the table, and he couldn't refrain from smiling a little. Was Roman a little nervous himself? Was he uncomfortable because they hadn't talked in a year?

He narrowed his eyes and gave Roman a once over.

Roman raked his fingers through his hair.

Definitely nervous.

The tightness of Roman's broad shoulders and the way in which he cleared his throat two more times told Derrick his dream man wasn't completely indifferent.

After a quick glance at Roman, he closed the door softly. He walked inside, not stopping until he'd reached his boss. Roman frowned. Derrick rolled his shoulders and slid into the chair that was right next to Roman. Neither of them spoke while they openly studied one another.

Roman cleared his throat again.
 

Derrick crossed his arms over his chest.
 

Roman averted his gaze and opened the folder in front of him, but not before Derrick saw the longing reflected in his eyes.
 

He bit the inside of his cheek and studied the view outside the window. As minutes passed, the air got so thick it was almost intoxicating to breathe it.
Something
was crackling between them. At that moment Derrick could've sworn it was the same attraction that once upon a time had them meeting in Central Park. That the sexual tension he'd felt building between them hadn't disappeared but seemed to have become even stronger in the past year.

Roman took off his glasses and set them carefully on the table.

Derrick licked his lips and followed the movement with his eyes. When he managed to stop staring at his boss's long, graceful hands, he caught Roman's gaze fixed on his mouth.

Jesus
.

Was that desire constricting Roman's pupils?

Derrick licked his lips again, just to make sure. Roman's cheeks flushed, his lips parted, and his green eyes glazed over. He looked ready to bend Derrick over the table and fuck him six ways to Sunday.

This was total
bullshit
.

Something snapped inside Derrick at the sight of the irrefutable signs of the other man's interest and arousal, and he went from nervous to fuming in the blink of an eye. Not even twenty minutes ago he would have jumped at the opportunity of being with Roman. Now he only wanted to strangle the man.

"Why?" he barked.

The question was out of his mouth before he could process it. It didn't matter. The incongruity of Roman's past actions and his body language had changed everything. Now that Derrick knew it wasn't lack of interest that kept Roman away, he wanted a fucking explanation, and he wanted it immediately.

Roman shook his head, threaded his fingers through his short, silver-sprinkled hair, and put his glasses back on before looking at Derrick with studied indifference.

"I didn't call you here to talk about personal matters," he announced, acknowledging the question but looking like he didn't have any intention of providing an answer.

Derrick wouldn't have any of that.

He had accepted Roman's decision of staying away and lived with the continuous dull pain caused by what he thought was his unreciprocated interest, but he wasn't an idiot. If there was a speck of a chance for him to get the man he wanted, he would damn well take advantage of any opportunity presented.
 

"I heard you started seeing some Broadway guy almost immediately."

Derrick didn't provide a time line. He didn't clarify what event the word "immediately" referred to. He would have bet his prized Judy Garland autographed poster he didn't need to. Roman knew damn well what event Derrick was talking about.

"You shouldn't believe everything you hear," Roman said under his breath, then added more firmly, "Not that it is any of your business."

"Does that mean you didn't travel around the world together for months either?"

Roman's only answer was to lean back in his chair, open the yellow folder, and position his pen on top of his notepad, as if he was getting ready to write in it.

"Did you or did you not?" Derrick demanded through gritted teeth.

When the silence grew as heavy as his boss's breathing, Derrick got up and leaned over Roman. He stood so close to his boss, he could smell the two-hundred-dollar-a-pound gourmet coffee the guy was addicted to on his breath.
 

A pang of melancholy hit him. Roman was a snob when it came to his coffee. That was one of the many things Derrick had learned about him during those eight wonderful, extended lunch breaks they spent together.

"Sit down, Derrick."
 

Roman's voice was firm and no-nonsense, but his eyes spoke a different story. Even though he was pushing Derrick away, he looked as if he would much rather pull him into his lap and kiss him silly. Or maybe that was mere projection on Derrick's part.
 

Either way, he'd be disobeying a direct order if he didn't do as he'd been told. He was desperate to discover and understand what in the world was going through Roman's mind, but he wasn't willing to risk his job at ABC over it.

Derrick looked outside the window and focused on the building directly across the street, then took several deep breaths until he was able to find his center. The past five minutes had been a revelation. He'd stopped himself from approaching Roman before but from now on things would be different. He was done keeping his distance, but he needed to be smart about it. Getting himself fired would only undermine his plan.
 

He glanced at Roman on his way back to his chair, but the man's attention was fixed on the folder he kept pushing back and forth. The
yellow
folder he kept pushing back and forth. Derrick's attention was suddenly transfixed by that folder, and instead of growling in frustration at Roman's stubbornness, he sat down slowly and put his hands on the table.
 

Yellow folders were only used for Pro Bono cases, and all of them had to be approved by the senior partners before the firm's resources could be used. He couldn't believe the reason for Roman's presence hadn't dawned on him sooner.

"Are you going to take the case?"

"If Mr. Coleman hasn't already retained other counsel," Roman answered, finally looking him straight in the eye. Or so Derrick thought. The light reflecting off of Roman's glasses made it difficult to know for sure.
 

"He hasn't. He really doesn't have the means to afford the kind of representation he needs," Derrick rushed to confirm. "I just told him earlier today that I would represent him."

Roman lifted his eyebrows. "You have no experience with criminal defense cases."

"Better me than someone who won't care enough about Tyler's future to try his best." Derrick knew he wasn't experienced, but it didn't sit well with him to have Roman point it out. "Tyler is a dear friend," he said with a glare.

"I saw your name was mentioned in the investigation," Roman said. "Have you been approached by any detectives, investigators, or ACS personnel?"

"I really don't think I'll need help. I haven't been approached by anyone. Is that why you picked the case?" Derrick asked in a hopeful tone. "Because you wanted to help me?"

"I won't have the firm's name dragged through a sexual molestation scandal," Roman explained, barely opening his mouth.

Derrick lowered his eyes. "I understand." He'd been so worried about Tyler that he hadn't stopped to think what his involvement with the social worker could mean to Acosta, Bradford, and Chadwick. "I have never observed or participated in any improper conduct," he assured Roman, glancing at him from under his lashes.

Roman nodded once. "Are you intimately involved with Tyler Coleman?" His gaze didn't waver, but that nervous tick on his strong jaw was back in full force.

As much of a good sign as Roman's interest was, Derrick wasn't willing to let him get away with asking such a personal question. Not unless the same right was bestowed on him. One thing was for sure, though. He wouldn't be seeing Tyler tonight. He couldn't possibly have sex with another man after being so close to Roman.

He tilted his head to the side and studied Roman intently for a few seconds before saying, "That's none of your business."

"It is if you want to second chair on this case." Roman's tone was stern and commanding, letting Derrick know he had no choice but to answer. "I thought you'd like to be there for your friend, but I won't let you anywhere near the discovery procedures if you have something going on with him. I need you to be impartial, and you won't be if you have romantic feelings for him."

"Why are you asking me to second chair if you don't think I'm experienced enough?"

"Do you want to work with me on the case or not?" Roman growled.

"Yes, I do," Derrick exclaimed. "
Of course
I want to work with you."

"That's settled, then."

Derrick pursed his lips and swallowed down the squeal of excitement he felt making its way up his throat.