Dating a Lawyer (The Dating Series Book 3)

by B. T. Love

  “Oh yeah?”

  “Yeah.”

  He moved in closer and my eyelids lowered with the approach of his kiss. But instead of putting his mouth to mine he brought his chocolate ice cream cone up beside our bodies and touched it to my lips. “Try this.”

  I opened my eyes and laughed loudly at him, pushing his hand away with lightheartedness. “No!” I protested happily.

  “Oh come on,” he beamed with a grin. “It’s on your lips, just lick it off.”

  “No way!”

  His smile morphed into one of bliss. “You want me to lick it off for you instead?”

  “Yeah,” I admitted. “I think I would like that.”

  He leaned in and smoothly ran the tip of his tongue across my lips. “How’s that?”

  “I think you missed some.”

  “Yeah, I think so too.” He repeated the move, but this time parted my lips, kissing me deep and rhythmically. When he pulled away he smiled. “Just admit that chocolate’s better than mint and chip.”

  “No way.”

  “Firm in your conviction, huh?”

  “Absolutely.”

  The corner of his mouth pulled back in the half-cocked way I loved so much. “That’s my girl.”

  Ten

  Steve was a ball of nerves and so was I. He sat next to me at the table at the front of the courtroom and looked down at the copy of papers in his hand, the ones I had just given him. “This is the second worst day of my life,” he sadly confessed.

  “If I have anything to do with it this will be a happy day in your life. I’m trying to save you from having to give up what’s rightly yours.”

  He sat the papers on the table and turned in his seat to face me. “Thank you for all your help, Roxy. I want you to know that I think you’re a very good lawyer.”

  I smiled genuinely at the compliment; it was nice hearing it, especially after losing Robert to Brad. “Thank you, Steve. That honestly just made my day.”

  I looked down at Steve’s file. A large part of me felt guilty for giving him a false sense of security regarding him being able to keep his possessions, especially the beach house. But the truth was that I was scared to death that I wouldn’t be able to do that for him. After all, I was up against the best lawyer in town. How was I going to beat him?

  I brought my fingers to my forehead as I read over my desperate plan of attack. Taking my pen into my other hand, I underlined the words faked pregnancy and miscarriage and then morphed right into my annoying habit of tapping it anxiously against the table.

  Seconds later the warmth of a familiar hand covered over mine, putting an end to my movement. I looked up and into the eyes of Brad. He smiled sweetly and squeezed my hand before taking his away, the quick moment between us being his way of comforting me in my time of stress.

  I watched him as he sat at the table on the other side of the isle and put his briefcase on top, clicking it open and pulling out his perfectly-organized file of papers. It wasn’t hard for me to notice that he was wearing cologne, an action that was completely opposite of what he believed in, especially when it came to being in the courtroom. It was so not like him that at first I wondered if I had picked up another man’s cologne and mistook it for Brad’s, but no, I knew his sexy choice of smell better than anything. It was him.

  He kept his focus on his paperwork as Claire tromped in, her six-inch heels clacking off the floor in a way that drew attention to her, which she obviously liked. Steve and I turned to watch her entrance but Brad stayed solidly fixed on his work as if she didn’t exist. It wasn’t until she pulled out the chair beside him and plopped down that he acknowledged her with a nod and a friendly but serious smile.

  “I still think she’s beautiful,” Steve confessed quietly.

  For the first time since Brad touched me I remembered that I was actually there to do my job. I straightened my posture and shifted to see him once again. “She is beautiful Steve, but so are you. And you’re also kind. I believe you will find someone who will treat you how you deserve to be treated. Because quite honestly, she didn’t. And life’s too short to be with someone who doesn’t respect you or treat you like the good man that you are.”

  His eyes examined my face while he digested my words, and then he smiled. “I think that’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.”

  “Well, it’s true.”

  He nodded and focused back on the papers I gave him, his demeanor changing to one that seemed to be a little more uplifted.

  I swallowed hard and looked back at Brad. He was so calm and collected, nothing like I was. It was probably because he knew he was going to get yet another win and continue his perfect record. Oddly enough I felt honored to lose against him; he was somewhat of a celebrity in our little lawyer world. And to add to it I’d learned a lot from him in the time since we’d started dating, an opportunity that wasn’t handed to anyone else. He helped me become a better lawyer. I was grateful to him for that.

  The bailiff announced Judge Miller’s entrance and Brad and I rose as he sat down at the head of the room. I had been in his courtroom many times before and was happy to be; he was pleasant to work with. “Good morning,” he addressed us as he put on his reading glasses.

  “Good morning Judge,” we answered in unison.

  He took a paper into his hand and skimmed it over, and then looked over the top of it, resting his eyes on me. “It’s nice to see you, Ms. Balkner.”

  “And you as well, Judge,” I smiled.

  His eyes cut over to Brad. “Mr. Hunter, I presume. I haven’t had the privilege of having you in my courtroom yet; I’ve heard a lot about you.”

  Brad dropped his head with a smile and then looked back up. “Well I hope you’ve only heard the good things and not the bad.”

  Judge Miller chuckled deep in his chest and looked back down through his bifocals at the paper. “So today it looks like we have Thompson versus Thompson, with Ms. Balkner representing Mr. Steven J. Thompson and Mr. Hunter representing Mrs. Claire M. Thompson, is that correct?”

  “Yes,” we replied in unison.

  He jotted something down on the paper and looked up at Brad. “You’re client is asking for alimony, as well as ownership of a Ferrari . . . What does that model say?” he asked, squinting closer at the page. “Spider? Is that right?”

  “Yes, Your Honor,” Brad replied. “That is correct.”

  “Hmm, never heard of it. Sounds expensive.” He read down the page some more. “And it says here there’s also a house in question that is in Maui.”

  “Yes, that is correct.”

  Judge Miller’s eyes left the page and looked over the top of his glasses. “And we’re here today because your clients have not reached an agreement on these items, correct?”

  “That is correct,” Brad answered once again.

  “Okay, well let’s get this started then. Mr. Hunter you have the stand first if you would like to call your witness.”

  “Yes, I would like to call Mrs. Claire Thompson.”

  I sat back down in my chair as Claire rose from hers and clacked her heels to the stand, sitting down and crossing her mini skirt-covered legs, if you could call them covered. The bailiff stood in front of her and asked her to raise her hand. “Do you solemnly swear that you will tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?”

  “Yes,” she replied with a fake honesty. She was very good at playing people; my blood boiled at the sight of her.

  Brad looked so incredibly handsome as he approached Claire with confidence. His face was smooth with a fresh shave and he was wearing his favorite suit, the most expensive one in his closet. His hair was recently cut and of course he smelled of his heavenly cologne, the one in which made it hard for me to keep my knees together. Yeah he was damn sexy. Claire must have thought so too, because as he came closer her breasts instinctively pushed out in his direction, like a subliminal mating call.

  “Mrs. Thompson,” he began as he stood
in front of her. “Over the course of your marriage you loved your husband, is that correct?”

  “Yes. With all my heart.”

  I scoffed under my breath.

  “And did you show him love and affection throughout your relationship?”

  “Yes.”

  “So why don’t you tell me what happened in your relationship that made it to where you didn’t want to be married to Mr. Thompson anymore?”

  “Well,” she sighed, “I had wanted to have a baby, so we tried to get pregnant. It took quite a few tries but it finally worked and I was so happy.”

  “What about Mr. Thompson, was he happy as well?”

  She pondered the question. “I really don’t know how he felt. He wasn’t very good at sharing his feelings with me.”

  Steve leaned into my ear. “That’s not true,” he whispered. “I was happy about it; I told her that.” I nodded reassuringly, silently telling him not to worry.

  “And then shortly after finding out after you were pregnant,” Brad continued, “you suffered a miscarriage, is that correct?”

  “Yes.”

  “And how did that affect you?”

  “I was devastated.” She looked down at her lap and sniffled, and I looked down at my paper and smiled. What an actress.

  “And how did your husband react to that news?”

  “He shut me out, didn’t offer any help to me emotionally at all.”

  “Did you tell him you needed help?”

  “I begged him for help; I begged him to talk to me about it.”

  “That’s not true,” Steve whispered once again.

  “So you begged him for help, and when he didn’t give you any, how did that make you feel?”

  “Lost. Alone. Unloved.” She said every word with a giant pause between them to generate the affect she wanted.

  “And those feelings moved you into the arms of another man?”

  “Yes. I regret it entirely but at the time I was weak and I needed the touch and affection of someone, someone who would listen to my feelings and give me emotional support.”

  “And in turn your husband cheated on you as well?”

  “Yes.”

  “And how did that affect you?”

  “I fell into a deeper depression.”

  “And why is that?”

  “Because I thought we were reconciling our relationship. And then to have that happen was just . . .” She looked down again at her hands in her lap.

  Brad looked at the judge. “No further questions, Your Honor.”

  I was impressed that Brad left Claire’s fake emotional words to dangle in the air before ending his questioning. But the one thing I had in my favor was that I knew the Judge and Brad didn’t. Judge Miller was a wise man and could see right through people just like I could. Claire didn’t stand a chance.

  Judge Miller nodded and looked over at me. “Your witness, Ms. Balkner.”

  I stood up, passing Brad as I approached the stand with my game face on; I was ready to rip Claire to shreds. “Mrs. Thompson,” I began. “You said that you were affectionate to your husband throughout your marriage, is that correct?”

  “Yes.”

  “And when you were affectionate, was it only during times when he provided you with material things?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Let me rephrase the question: Did you have sex with your husband only after he bought you things?”

  She looked offended. “No.”

  “There was never a time when you slept with him only after he bought you something expensive?”

  “Never.”

  “Okay,” I nodded. “But, isn’t it true that shortly after you were married, you began to withhold sex from your husband?”

  Her eyes narrowed. “No.”

  “You don’t seem to remember that? Because your husband does.”

  “Of course he would remember something like that. He’s a man.”

  I chuckled quietly and managed a glance in Brad’s direction. He tried to hide the small smile that tugged at his lips but I knew him too well; it was there.

  I focused back on Claire. “Isn’t it true that your husband went out and bought you a fourteen-thousand dollar necklace on one particular occasion?”

  She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “Yes, I think I remember something like that.”

  My eyebrows lifted. “You think you remember? I don’t know about everyone else in here but I think I would remember if someone gave me a necklace that was worth fourteen-thousand dollars.”

  Her arms crossed defensively in front of her. “I was going through an emotional time.”

  “And what exactly was happening in your emotional life during that time period?”

  “I . . . My dog died.”

  I folded my hands together in front of me. “And that was a reason to rarely sleep with your husband?”

  “It was a bad time in my life.”

  “Okay,” I nodded, giving her the benefit of the doubt. “But, after he bought you the necklace, did you sleep with him?”

  “Yes.”

  “And why was that exactly?”

  “Because he made me feel better.”

  “He made you feel better or his expensive gift made you feel better?”

  “I don’t know,” she shrugged. “Both, I guess.”

  “Okay. Then let me ask you, why are you asking for the Ferrari?”

  “Because, I need a car.”

  “But why do you need the most expensive car that he owns?”

  She repositioned her legs; I was making her nervous. “Because I deserve it.”

  “And why is that? Because he wasn’t a good husband to you?”

  “Exactly.”

  “But I think it’s safe to say that you weren’t a good wife to him either.”

  “That’s not true,” she said, her voice raising in defense.

  “Then why did you cheat on him?”

  “I answered that already. He wasn’t there for me emotionally when I lost our baby. It made me turn to alcohol and I made some stupid decisions while I was under the influence.”

  I walked a few paces for affect and then stood beside the stand, closer to her than before. “Let’s talk about your pregnancy. How long did you try to get pregnant for again?”

  “A few months.”

  “And when it didn’t work, what did you do?”

  “Nothing.” Her right eye twitched. “We just kept trying until it finally did work.”

  “And did you ever get your pregnancy confirmed by your doctor?”

  “No.”

  “And why is that?”

  “Because it was too early in the pregnancy.”

  “And what about your miscarriage? Did you see a doctor regarding that?”

  “No.”

  It was time. I had made the decision to bring up what Suzie had heard Claire say, even though it most likely wouldn’t hold up in court. I figured that it would at least cast doubt in Judge Miller’s mind and would possibly help something to go in Steve’s favor. Steve. I felt the worst bringing this up because of how it would affect him. He still didn’t know about the faked pregnancy and miscarriage. I purposely kept it out of his copy of the notes for the hearing. But he needed to find out. And to be completely honest, this was going to rip off a huge emotional bandage for him, one I needed the judge to take notice of. If Brad got to play the emotional card with Claire, then I deserved a whack at it too. Hey, I learned from the best.

  I turned against the stand and looked her square in her lying eyes. “Did you fake your pregnancy and miscarriage?”

  Her eyes widened. “What? N, no . . .” she stuttered, her eye twitching like crazy.

  “Isn’t it true that you had confided in one of your friends that you only wanted a child in the first place so you could leave Steve and collect child support from him?”

  “No!” she lied while her right eye twitched again.

  “Isn’t it true that when you couldn�
��t get pregnant you lied and told Steve that you were, and decided to fake a miscarriage?”

  “Why would I do that?”

  “You tell me. Maybe it was so you had an excuse to run into the arms of another man. It was a way out of your marriage where you could get pity at the same time.”

  “Objection,” Brad interrupted. I looked over at him relaxed back in his seat with his pen in his hand, his thumb on the end as if he were getting ready to click in into place. “That’s all hearsay,” he said.

  “Where did you gather this information from, Ms. Balkner?” the judge asked me.

  “A reliable source.”

  “A reliable source that is not here as a witness?”

  “No, Your Honor.”

  “Then I cannot take what you said into consideration. It will be stricken from the record.”

  “Yes, Your Honor.” I looked back at Claire who was visibly shaken by my interrogation. “Mrs. Thompson,” I began again. “A few years back my client lost his mother. How did you help him handle that life-changing event?”

  She collected herself and stiffened her posture. “I tried to help him but he didn’t want my help.”

  “And how did you try to help him?”

  “I don’t know,” she shrugged. “I just tried talking to him about it.”

  “Did you offer him alcohol?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why did you offer him alcohol?”

  “To numb his pain.”

  “The same way in which you used alcohol to numb your pain after your miscarriage?”

  “Yes.”

  “And his mother passed away long before your miscarriage, correct?”

  “Yes.”

  I leaned back against the stand. “Why do you want the beach house?”

  “Because I’m the only one who used it after his mom died.”

  “And why did he not use the beach house?”

  “Because it was too painful for him.”

  “Right. So, do you think that if it’s too painful for him to go to it, that it would be less painful for him to give it away? I mean, because to me, I would want to hold onto what my parent left me so I could cherish it for when I do feel like revisiting it.”

  The topic made me think of Brad’s dad. He had been doing well with the nurse at his house, but it was still only a matter of time before he would pass as well, leaving Brad with some of his cherished possessions.