His Pleasures and Pain (Book II) (Allen Trilogy 2)

by Chevelle Allen

  “I’ll talk to you tomorrow night. Have a safe flight home.”

  “I will,” she got up and walked him to the door. “Good night,” she said hugging him tightly.

  “Good night.”

  On the short drive back to his condo, he ran his fingers under his nose savoring her lingering scent. He didn’t know what the future held for them, but for now, he enjoyed everything happening between them. He didn’t want to question it but simply wanted to stay in the moment. Tomorrow would take care of itself. Hopefully she’d be a part of it.

  CHAPTER 19

  Michael and his small team gathered around the conference table to review current cases, clients and workloads. These weekly meetings gave him a chance to get updates and keep track of what was happening. They also provided valuable insights he needed to make key decisions.

  “Good morning!” he tried to be upbeat, but he was exhausted. His previous late nights with Janine and the grinding schedule of the past few months were certainly taking their toll.

  “Good morning,” they replied in unison. Each of them had a mug of coffee or tea to help them get their day going. Having moved the meeting to seven-thirty, the early start time was weighing on them all.

  “So Michael, I understand we have another client,” Lacy said. “How the hell are we going to manage that?”

  This is not the morning for your shit! Even though the words didn’t come out of his mouth, he cut a steely look towards her making clear he wasn’t in the mood. Lacy seemed oblivious having her own special brand of bitchy to match his temperament.

  “I’m handling Mrs. Rainey’s case,” he replied. None of them needed to know her fetish name was Mistress Spectra or the nature of the case. He had a bit more due diligence to pursue before even considering involving them. Even though Ricardo was doing some initial background work for him, he didn’t know the nature of it.

  “But I thought you were going to work on the Sorenson House case?” Kevin asked.

  “I have that one too, at least until we get everything past the discovery phase. Then I’ll assign a second.” He knew his team was concerned about him. He greatly appreciated their sentiments, but he was also annoyed they were questioning his judgment.

  “So who’s going to pick it up?” Jack asked.

  “Hopefully we’ll have at least another attorney on board soon and we’ll go from there,” he replied.

  “You’re going to drop that case in the lap of a newbie? C’mon, Michael! That’s a shitload of work and it’s complex as hell!” Dana said.

  “We’ll work it out!” he snapped back. The pressure was getting to him. He took a deep breath to calm himself and said, “Kevin, I need you to take second on it. Can you do that? We’ll switch out one of your lighter cases to the newbie.”

  “It could take months to get someone, you know that,” Kevin replied. He paused for a moment and continued, “But I’ll do it.”

  Michael looked around the table at their faces. He could tell they were full of doubt about this and much more. He could no longer ignore what was clearly on their minds.

  “Okay fine. I know we’ve taken on far more cases than we have the capacity to handle right now. That probably wasn’t the best call until we got a replacement for James. But I think we can do this. We have to do this.”

  “So why did you take on a new client if you knew we were already swamped? Michael, we’re all putting in sixty-plus hours a week as it is. I can only guess what you’re doing.” Lacy stated.

  “Our new client is an old friend who has a delicate situation that needs handling. I really don’t think it’s going to eat up too much time after placing a few calls.”

  “They all start out that way, but we haven’t had an easy one yet. That’s why they come to us. The bigger firms don’t see the profit in it or the likelihood of winning,” Lacy fired back.

  “But we do win! That’s why they send them to us and why clients come to us. THAT’S how we’re building our brand!” He had become emphatic and was growing weary of all the second-guessing. “Every one of you around this table wanted to make a difference. Every one of you knew this firm had a chance to do something important. Well, we’re doing it. Now stop bitching and let’s figure out a solution!”

  None of Michael’s associates had seen this side of him in a while. But the last few months had brought out the best and worst in all of them. They were exhausted and the financial gains couldn’t quell that reality.

  “Jack and Dana, how’s your case going?” he asked trying to keep things on track.

  “We’re taking final depositions and then we wait. This one’s big, Michael. We could really use you on it,” Jack replied.

  “That’s not going to happen. I can’t sit on this one with you—simple as that. Besides, I trust you. Just let me know what you need and we’ll go from there. We’ve talked the case through. You two have done great work so far. I know you can take it to the finish line.” Michael then turned to Ricardo and asked, “What about Mrs. Bryant? Did she get everything she needs?”

  “I sent the paperwork out like you asked, but she’s afraid to sign the settlement. She wants you to talk her through all the terms again,” Ricardo answered. “I told her I’d be happy to review it with her, but she wants you and no one else.”

  “When can she come in?” Michael was frustrated.

  “Are you sure about that?” Ricardo asked.

  “Believe me, she doesn’t need me to go line by line with her again. She’s scared to death of what having a ten-million-dollar check in her hands means at her age. I’ll calm her down, she’ll sign and it’ll be put to bed.”

  “We’ve got less than forty-eight hours left for her to sign or the offer is off the table. She loses everything and we lose our fee,” Lacy said.

  “I’m aware of that. I should’ve never let her walk out of here without signing. I won’t make that mistake again.”

  “If you remember, she said she needed to pray about it.” Ricardo added.

  “I know. I was trying to respect that, but get her in here today. I don’t care what time, just get her in here!”

  “And what am I supposed to move from your schedule?” Ricardo asked.

  “Fuck it!” Michael pulled out his cell phone and dialed Mrs. Bryant’s number. “Good morning, Mrs. Bryant. It’s Michael Josey.” His tone had shifted dramatically. His voice had calmed considerably making him reassuring and authoritative.

  He continued, “Yes ma’am. Listen, I need you to sign those papers right now…Yes, now. I’m sending Ricardo over to pick them up in an hour…No, that’s not going to happen…I know you’re concerned and I told you everything was in order…Yes ma’am. I promised you’d get everything you asked and prayed for. You trusted God and He delivered. Now I need you to trust me. We’ve won. Do you understand? Yes, ma’am…do you have the papers next to you? Great. Sign them in all the places marked right now,” Michael paused for a few minutes as the others sat looking at him with their mouths agape.

  “Did you get all the pages, Mrs. Bryant? Great. He’ll be there in an hour. I’ll come by later next week with the check. Thank you for all you’ve done. God bless.” Michael hung up the phone, turned to Ricardo and said, “Go get the fucking papers.” He turned to the others and asked, “Is there anything else you all need?”

  He watched as they looked at one another sheepishly before Kevin said, “With our fee from that case, can we look at getting at least two paralegals along with the attorney? Two of us can share one and it will take the load off considerably.”

  “That would help me out a lot too, Michael,” Ricardo added.

  “Okay. I can work with that. Get it going, Ricardo.” He then focused his attention on the others. “One last thing. When we come into this room, be about solving problems, not bitching about them. Are we clear?”

  They all nodded.

  “Good.” He got up, headed down the hall to his office and closed the door.

  He hadn’t been sitti
ng at his desk long when there was a knock on the door. Among the five of them, he could only surmise it was Lacy. She was aggressive, intelligent and rarely backed down when she was in one of her righteous moods. It’s one of the qualities he liked about her. It made her an exceptional lawyer, but sometimes she was a pain in the ass. He certainly wasn’t in the mood for more of her shit.

  “Come in.” He prepared himself to shut down the next round with her.

  As the door opened, sure enough she came in and sat in the chair in front of his desk.

  “Michael, we need to talk and I didn’t want to say this in front of the others.”

  He leaned back in his chair and peered at her with his jaw tensing. “What is it?”

  “You’re going to have to find two attorneys. I can’t keep up this pace right now. I just can’t. Dan and I talked about it and we can manage on his salary for a while,” she said.

  He was stunned. He knew she was experiencing significant life changes since she got married over a year ago.

  “When’s the baby due?” he asked with a face that softened considerably.

  “What? How did you…” she was genuinely surprised.

  “Lacy, I’ve known you for seven years. You were one of my best adversaries in court. You’re a friend. I knew.” He smiled at her and pointed saying, “Besides, it’s kind of hard to hide your little belly bump these days.”

  Softening her expression considerably, she returned his smile. “I know the timing couldn’t be worse, but Dan and I want this so much and …”

  “You don’t have to explain this to me. I get it. Believe me. But I don’t want you to leave…at least not permanently. How far along are you?”

  “Sixteen weeks.”

  “I’m sure we can work something out.”

  “I don’t know. Things aren’t going to get better around here…especially if you won’t let me help you.” She leaned forward placing her hand on his desk, “Listen to me. You can’t keep up this pace and frankly, neither can we. I know some terrific lawyers who’re looking for a change. They’d fit in here and they have clients willing to follow them. We can turn this around fairly quickly.”

  “And how would that solve the case load problem?”

  “You and I both know all their clients won’t come, but the three I’m thinking about are strong…trust me on this. Let me make the calls. At least meet them.”

  “Only if you agree to stay on as my managing partner.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “Yes.”

  “I don’t want this if…”

  “You’ve earned it, Lacy. Your billables are damn near as high as mine. This new role will give you the time you need to be with your baby and Dan. Plus it helps me. It helps all of us. I should’ve listened to you before. I’m sorry about that.”

  “Are you sure about this?” she asked clearly overwhelmed.

  “I’ve been thinking about it for a while. I need you,” he answered. “I can’t imagine doing this without you.”

  “Let me talk to Dan.”

  “Talk to Dan. Make the calls and then let me know what you two decide,” he said smiling at her.

  “Thank you. It means a lot to me.”

  “Thank you for considering my offer. And congratulations on the baby.”

  “You really are the best. You know that, right?” She smiled broadly, stood and walked out the door closing it behind her.

  He sat for a moment hoping she would accept his offer. In the back of his mind he also knew if she took on this role it would relieve a lot of pressure on them all. It could also bring some normalcy and balance back to his life. If he and Janine were going to make a concerted effort to resume their relationship he needed it. He wanted her more than he cared to admit, but he knew better than to get his hopes up too much.

  Regrettably, Janine had a habit of retreating when things got difficult between them rather than talking them through with him. It was the singular trait about her most maddening. In all the years he’d know her, he hadn’t learned how to counter her insecurities. Ultimately, he knew it wasn’t his role to help her get past them. She had to do it on her own. She had to trust what they had and believe it was worth pursuing, worth resurrecting and worth saving. He was already there. He had been for years because he truly loved her more than he had ever loved anyone else.

  CHAPTER 20

  May 2:

  Having her in my life again has made these past few weeks incredible. It’s given me more to look forward to at the end of my day. But I need to see her. It’s frustrating as hell.

  “So, what’s on your schedule this weekend?” he asked as he made himself comfortable on the couch for their nightly call.

  “I have a gala at the performing arts center tomorrow night. Same old, same old really,” she replied. She sounded a little tired, but she also seemed relaxed.

  “How many of those can Indy have? Or should I call it ‘Nap’ town?” he laughed.

  “Depends on who you talk to,” she snickered.

  “It seems like you go to these things every weekend.”

  ”Tis the season,” she giggled. “It’s ridiculous, but this is how organizations fund their activities. Each one has a big fundraiser. This time of year I go to a lot of them around the country, not just in Indy. I’m sure if you wanted, you could be out virtually every night in D.C. attending one of these things.”

  “Not my scene. Besides you end up seeing the same players anyway,” he commented taking a long sip on his beer.

  “True, but I get invited to all these events because they think it will open the foundation’s coffers. But I do have to go…part of the job. Even after a year, I’m still considered fairly new to it. So, I have to at least make an appearance. But I left tonight’s event early so I wouldn’t miss your call.”

  “Well, thank you for squeezing me in.”

  “No problem!” she chuckled. “So what’s on your plate this weekend?”

  “I’m just going to catch up on work-related things. But right now, all I want to do is unwind on this couch talking to you. I’ll head out later,” he said taking another sip.

  “Really? This late?” There was a tinge of surprise in her voice.

  “Yeah.” He didn’t want to elaborate because he wasn’t ready to tell her about Club Spectra. He hadn’t been in a while primarily because of the work he was doing for Mistress. He thought heading to the club would throw his objectivity off. But tonight, he needed the distraction.

  “Like a dance club?” she asked.

  “There’s dancing, but mostly I just hang out and watch,” he replied cryptically.

  “Watch? I had no idea you had voyeuristic tendencies,” she teased.

  “I like to watch you,” he said knowing it would steer the conversation away from further inquires about the place.

  “What do you like to watch me do?” she toyed.

  “Hmmm. You already know the answer to that, don’t you?”

  “I’m not sure I do.”

  He was delighted she was trying to toy with him. He could also tell she was testing herself. But ultimately, she’d lose. He could be far more explicit than she was prepared to hear. However, if he played it right, she might surprise him. She did have a way of doing that sometimes.

  “Do you want me to describe it to you, Janine?” His voice became far more deliberate and his pacing almost hypnotic.

  “Maybe…”

  “Which part would you like to hear about?”

  “I don’t know.” Her voice became low and soft.

  “Would you like to hear how your nipples harden by the lightest touch of my fingers or tongue? How your pussy lips open for me? Or would you rather I describe what your clit looks like when I’m licking it as you cum?”

  Her silence amused him even more. He knew she wasn’t quite ready for this game, but he was delighted she tried to test herself. So he kept going.

  “Or how your head goes back and your mouth drops open when I ease my d
ick inside of that sweet pussy of yours?”

  “Ummm...”

  “Would you like me to go on?” He could hear her unraveling and blushing through the phone.

  She didn’t respond but breathed deeply.

  “Another night?” he asked finishing off his beer as his grin spread.

  “Sure. Another night,” she replied sheepishly.

  Letting out a hearty laugh, he asked, “So what else is going on with you?”

  “I have to go to California in two weeks—Sacramento, San Francisco and then San Diego. My staff calls it the snake tour. You know because of the S-es.”

  “I think you might want to drop that reference. It’s corny as hell.”

  “Yeah I know,” she giggled. “But that’s how my staff refers to this particular trek….OH! I forgot to tell you—or maybe Dave told you—but Kelly and Jason are expecting another baby! She’s six months pregnant.”

  “Yeah I heard. She sent me the email announcing it. I sent her some flowers and a gift for the baby.”

  “Well that was thoughtful of you!”

  “I try.”

  “Anyway, I’m heading to Manhattan for the baby shower. I plan to make a weekend of it. Maybe see a show, do a little shopping…I don’t know.”

  “When is it?” He thought the shower might provide an opportunity for them to see each other since she’d be back on the East Coast.

  “Saturday, the third.”

  “Mind if I join you?”

  “Seriously?”

  “Seriously. I want to see you. Will that work for you?”

  “Yes! I’d love it! I know Kelly will be thrilled to see you too.”

  “I’m not really coming for Kelly. I love her…but this is about being with you.”

  “Nothing would make me happier. Thank you.” She paused before adding, “But Kelly would never forgive you if you didn’t see her while you were in the City.”

  “Well, you talk to her about it and I’ll make our hotel arrangements. I’ll get back to you with the details, okay?”