* * *

After Bale leaves, Joe quickly heads toward the outer door of the office to lock it. Then he comes back into the main office and clicks it shut as well. He sights Alice coming out of the bathroom almost fully dressed, with her shoes on and her hands straightening out her hair. Joe takes in a breath and then says with a smile, "Well.. It seems the worst is over."

"..Doesn't seem like it to me.", Alice replies gloomily.

Joe's heart nearly stops at her words. He becomes overwhelmingly anxious about what she could mean. However, he tries to remain as calm as possible. He walks up to her and holds her hands warmly. "Hey.. Alice, look at me.. What's wrong?"

She sighs, "Nothing"

He caresses her shoulder with his palm in response, "I know that.. you probably heard some of the things that we said."

"..Joe, it's fine."

"I just.. Alice, I just want you to know that.. I have really deep feelings for you. Very deep, and.. I've never met anyone like you. Anyone as kind, as honest, as genuine, as sweet.. Alice, You make me feel safe.. and at peace." he says, with untold affection seeping from his eyes.

In the moment, Alice remains completely speechless, as they both take in slow gentle breaths and drown in each other's eyes. Then almost immediately, Joe adds as though wanting to ease her growing tension, "The last thing I want, Alice is to pressure you into anything or to make you feel uncomfortable. Really, I just want you to know how I feel about you."

As he says this, crystals of tears begin to gather in Alice's eyes. She struggles to hold them back as she responds, "Joe.. I don't know what to say."

"..You don't have to say anything.", he responds with a warm smile, before gently reeling her in for a hug. They remain in each other's arms for a while and he cradles her hair affectionately. They become almost afraid to separate, so that they don't have to face the awkward vulnerability of looking into each other's eyes again. Right now, neither of them wants the other to see their eyes getting watery, especially Joe who very unusually begins to fight back tears. Alice herself is used to being emotional, but right now this mixture of feelings pervading her mind is quite different. And she would rather not express them to him until she has them fully sorted out. Nevertheless, she asks, placing her hands against his sides and gently rubbing his back just above his waist."Is your job really that dangerous?"

As though realizing why she asks the question, Joe warmly reassures, "No.. Hey, Alice.. Don't worry about anything.. okay. I've been doing this job for quite a while. I can handle Richards."

"I know. It's just.. with your clients and other things.. the thought of you being in harm's way.. I just don't like it..", she replies softly, tightening her hug. Somehow, her words just really soothe Joe's inner core in ways that he has barely experienced in quite a while. He continues to stroke her hair with his palm and responds, "Alice, it's alright. I am not in harm's way.. I'll be fine." Then he kisses her head softly and slowly rests his face on her while they remain still and savour each other's warmth and affection.

#KNOCK #KNOCK #KNOCK

A knock from the main door interrupts them.

"Oh fuck!", Joe exclaims.

Alice bursts into laughter against his chest and then says, "Well.. You'd better go answer it."

"I'm not going.", he responds obstinately, shaking his head and tightening his grip around her waist.

Alice laughs again. She is unable to control her amusement, so much so that she smiles and raises her head up saying, "Come on now, Joey.. Don't be rude. You have a guest. Richards may have forgotten something."

Raising a brow, he licks his lip in coy annoyance and asks, "You think that's funny, don't you?"

"..as hell!", Alice replies and laughs again through her nose.

Afterwards, Joe slowly presses her softness against his chest, leaving no ounce space between them, then he gives her the stern eyebrow raise amidst a blushful smile, "Alice Mendez.. I can't decide right now whether to kiss you.. or to spank you."

Alice raises a brow. Then she bites her lower lip and replies seductively, "Well.. you could always do both. Your hands are very wide and pliable."

"Yeah right!..", he laughs playfully and then replies, ".. In your dreams. You naughty girl." Lowering his palm to rub her behind, he continues with a friendly whisper, "You're not going to get me to spank you so easily."

Alice rolls her eyes, "Oh please..! Mahn.. I don't need your sleazy hands."

"Is that so?", he asks craftily.

"Uhun.", she concurs.

"Alright", he responds, melding his nose into hers and slowly snatching every whiff of her ambrosial breath. ".. I'll hold you to that.", he states.

In an equally crafty manner, Alice responds while using her fingers to serrate his steadfast chest, "I'd expect nothing less.. Attorney Joseph King."

"Mmm.. I like the way you say it.", Joe affirms sheepishly. Then he adds with a lascivious whisper, "You should call me that more often."

"Mmm.." Alice responds, as Joe's fingers wander to a very sensitive place. "Now, who's getting naughty?", she remarks.

Joe smiles in guilty delight and then says, "Well maybe it wouldn't hurt to get a little naughty once in a while.."

"Is that so?.." she replies, with her fingers caressing the border between his jaw and his neck.

"Yeah", he affirms. Soon in retaliation, Alice slides the other hand down his belt to grab his crotch and his head nearly explodes. "Ohhh.. Girl, now you are playing with fire." Joe moans with a slowed breath.

"Oh, Joey.. By now you should know that my skin is fireproof." she opines with a corny smile.

He kisses her, "Mmm.. Don't be so sure. And don't call me Joey." Then he adds with another breath, as they kiss yet again, "Fuck, I love the way you touch me."

While they tease each other's lips, the knock on the door gets even louder and becomes more continuous.

"Okay, seriously.. I think you should go answer the door.", Alice says, while slowly releasing him from the shackles of her ecstatic grasp.

Joe pouts a bit, "Ohhh.. Do I have to?"

"Yes.. you do. If you don't want it broken down. It could be important.", she replies.

Then he sighs, "..Fine!"
As they separate from each other, Joe quickly leans forward to steal another kiss while Alice attempts to dodge it but fails. "Get out of here, boy!", she exclaims, literally kicking Joe's ass before he heads to the door.

"Now that.. is a felony!.. I'm going to sue your ass when I get back.", he echoes while he walks away.

Upon reaching the door, he opens it in anger and echoes, "Bale, I swear to g..!!!" Then he pauses in shock at the person he finds standing in front of him.
"Porsha??.. What are you doing here?"

"BALE???.. What sort of nightmares have you been having?", she responds acerbically.

"..Apparently, It seems I'm having one right now.. What the hell do you want?", Joe retorts without mincing words.

"Okay.. Calm down, Joe..", she replies, aware that she somewhat pissed him off. Her face gradually becomes more compassionate and she begins soberly, as though the words were hard to speak,
"..Uhm.. I went by your house this morning but you weren't home.. and.. I tried calling you, but you didn't pick up."

Joe sighs, ".. I am really not in the mood for this right now, Porsha.. Is there anything I can do for you?"

'My my! This guy is quite worked up.', Porsha opines within. Then she replies calmly, "..It's Wrestler. Joe, his car was in an accident yesterday. He has been in the hospital since last night."

"WHAT???", he exclaims.

"Yes.. and..", she hesitates a bit, ".. his wife died in the car crash."

"Oh my god..", he mumbles in bewilderment. Then he asks again, breathing heavily, "Liz?.. Liz is dead?"

With tears gathering in Porsha's eyes, she affirms the sad truth, "Yes.. she is."

"Oh no.." After a while, he adds very soberly, "Thank you for letting me know, Porsha. I appreciate it. I'll head to the hospital right away. And.. I'm so sorry for yelling at you."

"It's alright, Joe. I'll go inform the others.", she replies, before turning to leave.

"Thank you.", Joe echoes weakly, as he closes the door in sorrow.

Upon entering back into the main office, he closes the door slowly.

"Hey, was that Porsha?.. What did she want?", Alice echoes at him while he rests slowly on the door.

"Uhm.." He sighs. ".. She came to tell me that..", he winces in sorrow.

Already becoming terrified about what could have happened, Alice walks up to him and places her hands warmly on his face, "Joe.. Look at me.. What happened?"

Joe hesitates a bit, being aware that she has a close relationship with the family, and that this could possibly affect her greatly. But then he finally responds, "It's Wrestler.."

Alice's facial expression quickly changes from sympathetic to mortified. "What?"
Her hands start shaking, as they drop from his face.

Immediately, Joe grabs them and reassures her, "He is alive. But.. he's currently in the hospital."

Alice starts breathing heavily, with driblets of tears gathering in her eyes.

Then Joe continues, "He was in a car accident.. yesterday.. and his wife was with him."

At this point, hot tears begin to stream from Alice's reddened eyes. And she starts to gasp uncontrollably, "Oh my god!.. Oh my god!.. No!.. Noo!.."

Her entire face becomes sorely red. Seeing Alice like this breaks Joe's heart painfully. If only he could soften the blow, if only he could do something to protect her from the terrible news, he would. But if he doesn't tell her right now, she will find out the moment she comes out of the office from heaven knows whom. Joe doesn't want that for her. He would prefer she hear it from him, even if it means she'll hate him for it.

"She.. she died, Alice.", he reveals, reaching out quickly to grab her and then pressing her tightly against himself.

Alice holds him tight and keeps sniffing and weeping uncontrollably, "No!.. No, Liz can't be dead.. Nooo!!!"

"I'm so sorry, Alice. I'm so sorry. I know you two were very close.", he says, cradling her head passionately.

"We weren't just close.. We were family!", Alice pushes him away and then sniffs in. "And while I was here, having sex with you.. she was in pain!.. And I couldn't be there for her!!!", she yells in pain.

Heartbroken by her words yet deeply empathetic, Joe moves toward her and tries to hug her again, "Alice, please listen to me.. This isn't your fault. What we did last night, has nothing to do with this.."

"It has everything to do with this!!.. Get your hands off me!!!.. You know what?.. This was a foolish mistake!", she barks.

At this point, Joe's heart literally becomes shattered by her words. In sadness and confusion, he exclaims in a very low tone, "Alice..?"

"Don't you ever..!..come near me again.. unless it's for professional reasons." she sniffs, "..As far as I'm concerned, this never happened. And it never will.. never again!"
She storms out of the office, leaving Joe devastated.

After she leaves, he keeps staring at the door like a man who was just left at the altar. How could she do this to him? He knows that she is in grief and that she is mostly angry with the world, but it still hurts, terribly. Her words pierced deep into his soul like a deadly arrow. And right now, pain begins to gush from his heart like blood. 'Did last night really mean nothing to her?', he wonders while he keeps staring at the door. Joe's face gradually morphs into a confused grimace. Certain emotions begin to overwhelm his mind. He has never felt this way before. Internally, becomes fiercely angry and at the same time, depressingly heartbroken.

° * ° * °