Love is the fickle thing. Able to increase our strengths,

                                 but able create unknown, undeserving fears.

I stretched and heard the bones cracking in my neck as I entered my darkened hotel room. My eyes burned from exhaustion.  I sat down on the edge of my bed, slipped off my pumps and rubbed my foot. My feet hurt. It was a long and stressful day. 

The depositions were unimaginable intense. My perceive notions of what it was to be, did not measure up the the palpable anxiety that was in the reality. Mr Welwore had an alternative agenda. From the first day the expected outcome was demolished. Mr Welwore's line of questioning had exposed several cracks in the opposition's case.  On the second day he made several key witness's redundant and their testimony feeble.  Toward the end, the opposition had become acutely aware of their position in the case. If it went to trial, they would lose. Dramatically, forcefully and publicly. The impact on their firm would be financial horrific but the public response to a trial would weaken their image. 

They would be settling in the morning, 

Whilst I was accustomed to his aggressive nature, I realised that there was and would always be new elevations to Mr Welwore's character and personality. It was not pleasant. It was chilling, intimidating and aggressive.  A terrifying example of a side that was formidable and fear inducing. Mr Welwore was not an inadequate man. 

The long hours had taken a toll on my brain's ability to function. I laid down on the bed wondering if I had the energy to get undress. The thought of sleeping in a suit seem more comfortable than moving. I was exhausted. My soul feel aged and weary. 

My workload had doubled on this trip after Darren contracted serious food poisoning. The first night out, he went to a questionable taco stand to get food. Spent the next day hugging a toilet bowl whilst trying to keep his stomach in his body. By evening he still was unable to stop wrenching and the paramedics were called. Severely dehydrated he remained in hospital for 24 hours after which he was promptly place on a plane back home. 

I wanted to feel compassion for him but I couldn't muster any up. 

He's lack of common sense placed him in the crosshairs of misfortune. I was inwardly relieved when he returned home. It was easier to work without Darren's constant and incessant flirting. Distractions decreased his performance and left me catching up on his lacks. I knew I sounded cynical and even cruel but my compassion for slothfulness had left me. 

Using my last ounce of reserve I rolled myself up and off the bed. I brushed my teeth crawl into something that resembled pj's and laid down not even bothering to climb under the blankets. Within second my body surrendered to a familiar restless and unpleasant sleep. The last time I had woken refreshed was when I was still in high school. 

The next morning my alarm blared me awake to prepare to meet Mr Welwore. After two hours of work we were joined at 7:45 in the morning by the opposing council. The settlement was agreed upon by both clients and signed. 

We were done. 

I couldn't believe it.  What was meant to be a weeks worth of depositions had turned into a three day demolition of surrender. The stress of the former was condensed in the shorten time frame. 

Mr Welwore packed up his things and prepared to leave. I gathered up the remaining documents to be resealed. I knew he would make some calls for the remainder of the morning and would most likely sleep for the rest of the day. Catch up on what was lost in the last few months.

"Is there any other instructions you have before you leave sir?" I asked him. 

"No Katia. Please just make sure that the boxes of our files are securely packed away until we depart. I don't want them suddenly 'misplaced'." He replied, his voice tired but happy from his victory. The files we had used in the case had dozens of boxes. Sensitive information that couldn't be lost. Most had been previously packed and secured, and was guarded over by two junior secretaries. The remaining few was in my possession. 

"I have arrange for the files to be flown back tonight on the company plane with the juniors. They will not leave our responsibility, Sir." I replied back. 

"Good. Also we were invited to have dinner with the beta David and his wife tonight. Former acquaintances of yours I believe. Seen that our work is done we are free to meet them. You are to attend.  Do not place your social nature first. Many have lost their post forgetting that their actions connected to the reputation of the firm. You expected to maintain your post. " He said. 

"Of course, sir." I replied my voice devoid of any emotion. 

Inwardly I began to tremble.