Ms. Lawyer

by Lea Coll

  A cloud passed over Samantha’s face at his comment. “Yeah, it probably wouldn’t be the best idea. Sorry, Jack. If I owned the bakery, I would give you free muffins.” Then she blushed. “You know, because you’re a firefighter. I think we should give free drinks or muffins to the officers and firefighters,” she added. “Justin doesn’t agree.”

  “No, I expect he wouldn’t. I’m sure he’s all about the bottom line,” he said, offering her the cash.

  “Oh, he’s not so bad,” Samantha said. “I think people just misunderstand him.”

  Jack was getting frustrated. “Justin has been a bully since high school. He hasn’t changed.”

  She handed his change back and gave him the box of muffins. “He’s not, really. You never know what people have been through. I don’t think Justin has had the easiest upbringing.”

  “You see the good in everyone. I don’t know whether to admire you for it or be frustrated.” He ran his hands through his hair at the last statement.

  I couldn’t figure out what was holding these two back from each other.

  When I walked home along the street later that morning, I got the distinct feeling that someone was watching me. I kept looking around, but I never saw anyone. It was a beautiful day, in direct contrast to what I was feeling. The odd thing was that this crime was something I’d expect living in the city, but not in a small town. I had begun to enjoy living here, but now I was feeling scared and vulnerable.

  I WAS ALONE AND RELAXING in my apartment on Sunday night. My favorite way to spend an evening: reclined on the couch, with the TV on in the background and a book on my Kindle in my lap. I jumped when I heard a loud knock on the door. I didn’t think I’d had any guests since Luke and Jack helped me move in and Samantha and Ashley helped me unpack. I got up reluctantly to see who it could be, annoyed to be interrupted.

  I opened the door to see Luke taking up the doorway. He leaned against the jamb, arms crossed over his chest, with a tick in his jaw. He seemed somewhat annoyed. I moved back to let him in. “Hello.” I greeted him somewhat confused to find him on my doorstep late at night.

  “You always answer your door without checking to see who it is first?” Luke asked, clearly annoyed as he moved past me. I was distracted by the way his arm brushed me and by his distinctive smell as he moved. I was usually in heels around him, but tonight I was barefoot so I only came up to his shoulder. “Emma?” he prompted again when I didn’t answer right away.

  “Well, I haven’t had any visitors here yet.” I gave him a non-answer.

  “Do you check before you open the door in the city?” he asked.

  “I don’t answer the door to my place in the city unless Amazon has notified me that my package has been delivered.”There was never anyone good at my door in Canton who I wasn’t expecting. “This isn’t the city, Luke.” As soon as I said that I remembered the threatening texts and my car. He was right.

  He sighed. “No, but bad things happen here too. Plus you had that weird text message and now your car was vandalized.”

  “I probably wouldn’t even think twice if my car was vandalized in the city. I would just research a better place to park it,” I admitted, thinking it over. The reason it was so disturbing here was that it’s a small town and I barely know anyone. I couldn’t imagine that I’d made an enemy here yet. It completely baffled my mind. “It has to be a mistake right? How would anyone even know that’s my car?”

  “It was parked behind the bakery and it is new to town. It’s unlikely to be a tourist’s car as it just sits there unused. Plus you are new to town and everyone knows where you live,” Luke said.

  “I guess that’s the downside of a small town. Everyone knows where you live and what car you drive. No more anonymity for me,” I said thinking it over. The anonymity was the exact reason I lived in the city by choice. I stood in the middle of the room as Luke looked around my small apartment. It seemed cozy until he was standing there taking up all the space and the breathable air.

  He looked at some of the pictures I had spread around. I had pictures of my graduation from law school, the day I was sworn in, with both of my parents smiling proudly. There were a few pictures of college parties. I didn’t have any close friends there, just girls from the dorm who all hung out during parties. I kept to myself. I tried to shake off the feeling I got seeing him in my apartment looking at my personal things. I was only here for a short time, nothing could come of the attraction I felt for him.

  “Would you like anything to drink? I have a few beers left over from move-in day,” I asked turning towards the kitchen. Thankfully I had that. Usually I only had water and an emergency bottle of wine.

  “A beer is good. Thanks,” he said absentmindedly, as he continued to look around at my books and pictures. He wore casual clothes, clearly done with work for the day. He had on basketball shorts, sneakers, and a T-shirt which was tight on his chest and biceps. “Where are you from originally? The city?”

  He turned to take the beer from me when I answered, “God, no. I’m from a super small town in Pennsylvania, a one-traffic-light kind of town.”

  He looked back in amusement at me, his eyes twinkling. “Kind of like here?” he asked, gesturing out the window above my couch to the street below.

  “No actually. Chestertown is bigger. It has two main streets with tons of shops and restaurants. You have art galleries, for God’s sake. The town I grew up in feels abandoned now. Any shops that were on the main street have long since moved out of town. The old grocery store still sits empty. The elementary school is now a community center. People still live in the houses but there’s no downtown shopping to speak of. It’s sad really. I do love the historic towns that maintain the downtown shopping area.”

  “Yeah?” Luke asked, taking a seat on the couch and placing his arm over the back.

  “Chestertown reminds me of Annapolis or old town Ellicott City. I love the history of these towns,” I answered, taking a seat next to him.

  “Those are your parents in the pictures?” he asked, pointing over at the book shelf.

  “Yeah, that’s them. High school sweethearts. They were a legend at school, being the high school quarterback and the cheerleader.”

  “You went to the same high school as them?”

  “Yes, I did. My dad’s a teacher there now and my mom is a social worker. They came back to the same town after college and still hang out with the same people from high school. I think they expected me to have the same experience as them in school.”

  “You weren’t popular in high school?” Luke asked, genuinely interested.

  “No, I was really quiet and not very social. I think the pressure that my parents placed on me to make friends and make it into the popular crowd actually pushed me to be more reserved. If that makes any sense,” I explained, taking a drink of my water. “Plus, when I do talk I have a sarcastic sense of humor, which not everyone appreciates.”

  “Hmm.” He considered me with appraising eyes, his hand holding the beer resting on his opposite thigh and his arm still on the back of the couch behind me.

  My parents dropped hints about ways I could improve my looks and social standing all the time, how to pick out clothes, telling me to wear more make-up and highlight my hair. I’m pretty low maintenance. I wear mascara sometimes, wear suits, or yoga clothes when I’m home, and I generally wear my hair down. I never had moments with girlfriends where I learned how to wear make-up or paint my nails. My nose was always in a book. It wasn’t that my parents criticized me, but that they were perplexed by me. “I guess my attention in school was on studying. Schoolwork came easily to me so I focused on that and getting out when I was eighteen.”

  “Why?” he asked, curious again.

  “I don’t know. I just never fit in there and I lived under the cloud of my parent’s popularity and success. I just wanted to be anonymous, live somewhere not everyone knew who I was or who my parents were. I figured I could disappear in a larger city.” I felt v
ulnerable after telling him this. I’d never discussed my difficulties with high school and my parents before. They were supporting and loving for the most part, but I never felt like I measured up.

  “I can understand that, I guess. Parents’ expectations can be overwhelming sometimes.”

  I smiled, happy he understood what I was trying to say. “Did you come here for a particular reason?” I asked, remembering that he just stopped by unannounced. I couldn’t believe I told him things I’d never told anyone before. There was just something about the way he looked at me, like he could see right through me. I desperately wanted to change the subject. “Did you find anything out about my car being vandalized?”

  He sighed. “No. Not yet. We couldn’t get any prints off the car. Who knows how long ago the damage was done? And I’m sure the person wore gloves anyway. Most criminals do these days unfortunately.” He took another swig of his beer. “I wanted to talk it through with you. See if you had any ideas about who it could be? An unhappy ex-boyfriend?” When I didn’t respond right away he continued. “Did you move to the city to escape someone else?” While he was talking, he placed his beer on the table and leaned into me. I saw concern and worry in his eyes and his body was tense waiting for my answer.

  “No. I didn’t have any serious boyfriends,” I said. He visibly relaxed at my response.

  “Are you sure? Sometimes girls think the guy is fine with a break up and he’s not,” Luke said.

  “No, definitely not. I wasn’t dating anyone seriously at all. I had a few dates with guys over the years. It was guys I worked with, no one serious. No one I needed to officially break it off with. It was just a few dates and then one of us wouldn’t pursue it further,” I explained. I didn’t know how to explain to Luke that I just didn’t attract that kind of attention.

  “Are you sure, Emma? I find it hard to believe that you didn’t leave some guy torn up when you moved here,” Luke said.

  Disconcerted, I crossed my arms and pointedly looked away. “No, Luke. I promise you. Guys barely give me the time of day.”

  He snorted at that. “I find that hard to believe. I think it’s more likely that you’re oblivious to their attraction.”

  I tilted my head to the side considering that. It was a distinct possibility. If I wasn’t prepping my cases, I usually had my head in a book. I loved to escape into whatever story I was reading. I couldn’t wait to get home and get back into the book. I rarely went out with people. “Maybe,” I conceded.

  “Well, think about it and let me know if you think of anyone back home who could possibly be infatuated with you,” he insisted.

  “Okay, but I still don’t think that’s the case,” I said, putting my water bottle down on the coffee table and leaning back into the couch. This placed me precariously close to Luke. Since he was sitting on the couch and was heavier than me the cushion was tilted towards him. When I leaned back, I slid a few inches closer to him. My head was almost on his shoulder. Whoops. I jumped back up to avoid the contact. I didn’t trust myself around him, especially alone in my apartment. “Do you want another beer?” I asked.

  “No, I’m good,” he said, with a smile playing on his lips.

  “Okay then.” I sat back down but put a little space between us. “Any other ideas about who it could be?”

  “A client? Anyone that’s really unhappy with the outcome of a case?”

  “That’s everyone who goes to jail isn’t it? I have twenty cases a day sometimes. It could be anyone,” I said, frustrated. I tried to rack my brain to think of anyone who was really upset, more than usual. “I told you about Eric Sweeney already.”

  “Try to think of anyone who stood out.”

  “I really can’t think of anyone else. I assume you think the text messages and the vandalism are related?” I asked, not realizing what I had just admitted to him.

  “Emma,” He said in a low growly voice. His jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed on me. “What do you mean, messages?”

  “Huh?” my eyebrows shot up in surprise. I should have been more careful. Of course a cop wouldn’t miss a thing. I really should have told him about the second text message sooner.

  “You’ve only told me about one message. Are there more?” he asked, again in the same growly voice.

  “There was one other message,” I said carefully. I scrolled through my phone to find it and showed it to him. “It was from a blocked number too.”

  “When did you get it?” he asked, looking for the date on the text.

  “It was a few days ago I guess. Whatever day that op-ed letter came out in the paper by Brad Campbell? I remember, Ashley told me about the letter right after I received the message. I figured you were busy dealing with that. I didn’t want to bother you.” He shook his head vehemently. “It was a similar message. It seemed harmless at the time anyway,” I added, my voice trailing off at the end. I dropped my face into my hands, elbows resting on my legs. I realized how lame my excuse sounded to him.

  “Emma, if you get a message again you need to tell me so I can document it and investigate it. This is my job,” He insisted.

  “I’m sorry Luke,” I said, looking up from my hands.

  “I can’t protect you if you don’t tell me what’s going on as soon as it happens,” he said, softening his tone.

  I bit down hard on my bottom lip at his comment. The fact that he wanted to protect me did something to my insides I wasn’t ready to explore yet. I placed a hand on his arm, feeling the electricity that was always between us. “I’m really sorry, Luke. I will keep you in the loop from now on.”

  His eyes heated and fixed on my bottom lip. Then he nodded curtly and got up to leave. “Work on a list of anyone who could be upset with you.”

  I jumped up to follow him to the door. He opened the door and then turned around. “Be smart.” He gave me a once over and then stalked out the door. I hoped he wasn’t mad at me.

  “THANK YOU SO MUCH,” MY client, Neil said. We were standing outside the courtroom.

  “It’s no big deal. It’s what I said should happen. You had no record and this judge is pretty lenient with first time offenders.”

  “Still, you did an awesome job,” he said. He leaned in a little closer than my comfort level allowed with a client.

  I got the sick feeling he was flirting with me so I took a step back from him. I frantically thought of ways to get him to back off without being rude since he was my client. I didn’t want him to complain to my supervisor.

  “You said we should postpone the case last time to get a better judge and it worked. I’m going to recommend you to all of my friends,” he said. “Can I forward your number to them? I have a friend who got a DUI last week.” As he talked to me, he placed his hand on my arm to stop my retreat.

  “I would appreciate if you didn’t hand out my number. I don’t give it out anymore. Also, I don’t handle private cases. Your friend has to apply for public defender services and if he qualifies, he will be assigned an attorney. There’s no guarantee it would be me,” I said. I just wanted to end this conversation and get away from him.

  “That’s too bad.” He smiled down at me with his hand still on my arm. He was tall and lean. He had actually listened to me and dressed appropriately for court, so he was wearing a button down and dress pants. Unfortunately, I was starting to figure out why he had paid such close attention to me. I didn’t mind if the client was grateful for my work, but I was getting the distinct impression he was interested in me. I would never date a client, so I wasn’t sure where he was getting the idea he had a chance. He was a criminal and I was an attorney. Not going to happen, even if I was interested.

  I tried to pull my arm away from Neil without being too obvious about it, when I felt heat on my back. I didn’t need to look up to know who it was. “Emma, is there an issue?”

  Neil was definitely in my personal space and touching me, which I never allowed with a client. I breathed a sigh of relief that Luke recognized what was going on
and came to my rescue. I wondered if Luke was jealous, but just as soon as the idea entered my mind, I discounted it. He was just a good guy and looked out for his friends. Neil jumped back from me at the sight of Luke in his uniform.

  “No man, I was just thanking her for the great job she did.” He smiled down at me.

  I was pretty sure Luke growled at that. I felt the reverberation in his chest, which was touching my back at this point. Whereas Neil’s touch made me feel slightly ill, Luke’s touch did the exact opposite. I wanted to lean back on him completely.

  Neil looked up in surprise at Luke and backed another foot away from me. “Well, thanks again, Ms. Ryan. I will see you around.”

  “You’re welcome,” I said, as he turned and headed for the exit.

  “What was that about?” Luke asked, his face tight with anger.

  “Honestly, I think he was going to ask me out. He was a little too grateful,” I said, as I turned to look up at Luke.

  “He was getting all touchy feely. I didn’t like it,” Luke admitted.

  “I didn’t either. Don’t worry,” I said.

  He looked down at me and tucked an errant piece of hair behind my ear. It was a sweet gesture. One that had me hoping it would lead to more touching.

  “I would never date a client,” I said.

  “I should hope not. They are not exactly in the same league as you.”

  “Yeah, I know all about that.” Whoops, I’d said that out loud and didn’t mean to. I was referring to the fact that Luke was completely out of my league, but there’s no way he caught my meaning and I didn’t want him to. “You know, it would be completely inappropriate, that’s all. I’ve never dated a client. It’s probably against the rules of ethics. Anyway, I’m going to stop talking now.”

  Thankfully, Luke cut me a break and changed the subject. “Hey, we’re putting up election signs tonight for the campaign. You want to help out?”

  “Of course,” I said, pleased he asked.