Chapter 19: In Vino VeritasWith the concert over, the DJ was back in position and guests were taking advantage of the dance floor situated at the opposite end of the dinner tent from Michael's table. Michael and Maggie dodged enthusiastic dancers as they headed back to check on Ben.White candles on the tables and white paper lanterns hung along the sides of the tent bathed the scene in soft light. Nearby trees had been strung with tiny sparkling lights and with nightfall, the place took on the appearance of a fairyland.Ben was asleep with his head on the table when Michael and Maggie returned. The Murphys and the Methenys arrived at the table just behind them and their return caused Ben to stir slightly. "Did you see Diamond Dave?" Pam gushed excitedly. "He's still so hot!""I didn't see him but I heard him. He sounds great," Maggie commented."Michael, we're going to be heading out. We have to get back to the city and pay the babysitters while we can still afford it," Brian
Chapter 20: Ride Back to the CityMichael and Maggie applauded with the rest of the guests following the finale of the fireworks display before returning to the table to collect Ben. She shivered a bit as they walked. "Are you cold?" Michael asked, running a hand down her bare arm. "You are!" When they reached the table, he removed his suit coat from the back of the chair where he'd left it and draped it over her shoulders. "Here, that should be better."Maggie pulled the coat around herself and as she did, his scent enveloped her. "Thanks! I didn't realize how chilly it had gotten."Ben was conscious and blinking in confusion. "Holy God, I thought we were being invaded," he said. "Where is everybody?"Maggie laughed. "Yes, we were invaded by aliens and they beamed up everyone except us. Come on, it's time to go. We've dodged a bullet. Michael has kindly offered for us to ride back to the city with him rather than taking the train."Ben cocked his head and looked adoringl
Chapter 21: "Goodbye, Michael."On Saturday, Michael went to the gym and put in a strenuous workout before heading to the park for a five-mile run, trying desperately to shake the restlessness that had kept him tossing all night. In those moments he did manage to sleep, his dreams were filled with that red hair, the green dress, her laugh, those tits. He kept trying to minimize last night, to compartmentalize it somehow, but he couldn't dismiss the sensory overload of Maggie in his arms, her breath on his neck, the taste of her lips beneath his.Freshly showered, he pulled on a pair of grey sweatpants, towel-drying his hair on his way to the kitchen. From the dark granite counter, a blue light blinked on his phone. It was a voicemail from Veronica. "I need to see you," she'd said. He called her right away."Hey, Ronni, what's up?" he asked, curiosity momentarily distracting his thoughts."I've missed you, Michael." He heard the lazy smile in her voice. "I'd like to stop by an
Chapter 22: That Awkward MomentMaggie arranged and rearranged baklava, croissants, and pear strudel in preparation for the morning meeting. The coffee was ready in three insulated dispensers. She'd been at the office over an hour. The conference room door opened, and her heart skipped a beat. "Hi, Maggie!" Dan said.She wasn't sure if she felt relieved or disappointed. "Hey, Dan, how are you?" she smiled."Great. How was your weekend?" he asked. How was her weekend? Let's see. I went to a fabulous party. I ended up drinking too much, dancing with the boss, oh, and then I kissed him. I was ready to fuck him right there on my kitchen counter but suddenly, he left. So, on a scale of 1-10… "Morning, Dan, Mags," Michael greeted them both."Good morning, Michael," Dan said cheerfully."Hi, Michael." Color rose in her cheeks as she finished shuffling the pastries."Listen, can I talk to you after the meeting?" Dan asked her quietly.Shit! Still smiling, "Sure." When she glan
Chapter 23: In CourtBeing in court was a revelation. Although Maggie had seen videos of Michael at work as a litigator, watching him in person completely upped the ante. Michael was a master at moving people, at helping them arrive at the destination he had in mind. At turns, he charmed them with his looks and self-deprecating wit, then challenged them with common sense and laser-sharp knowledge of the law. Maggie watched with rapt attention, taking copious notes.In addition to her notes and briefs, she had a file of all the depositions, having printed them out for herself. That probably had been overkill, all the information was in the briefs, but she'd done it anyway. Better safe than sorry, she'd thought.Ronald "Rowdy" Larson was an up-and-coming tennis star who'd been involved in a drunken bar brawl that had resulted in one man having permanent damage to his vision. In addition to the criminal trial, there would be a civil trial in which the victim would seek damages to t
Chapter 24: Victory Celebration?When court reconvened, Michael called Daryl Whittaker to the witness stand. He walked the bouncer through the events of the evening in question, and the man verified what he'd previously stated in his deposition. Rowdy was talking to some fans at a table on the far side of the establishment, far away from the bar where the fight began. At the exact moment the victim was punched, the tennis star had posed for a selfie with Whittaker. The photo with the time stamp was introduced into evidence. The prosecution wasn't happy, but Whittaker had been on the witness list all along. They hadn't bothered to call him because he didn't help their case.At 3:15 the jury began their deliberations and at 4:50 they returned a verdict of acquittal. John and Ellen left immediately after Rowdy was released. On the courthouse steps, Michael and Rowdy paused to address the reporters gathered there hoping for a sound bite in time for the six o'clock news. Michael di
Chapter 25: Mixed SignalsThe following Monday, Michael occupied himself following up on business that he hadn't had time to do, having spent four days in court the previous week. There were no court appearances slated for the week, and he was just as glad to spend his days in the office returning phone calls and meeting with clients. There were some initial depositions scheduled for upcoming cases but anymore, Michael left that kind of thing to associates like Ellen and John. His real passion was litigation; he left the legwork to a few trusted others. There were perks to being a founding partner.He was at his desk attending to some pressing e-mail correspondence, but his thoughts drifted. He'd seen Maggie briefly at the morning meeting. After she'd set up coffee, she sat and took notes as everyone discussed the upcoming week. She'd greeted him as usual, contributed during the meeting, laughed and joked with the others. As soon as the meeting was over, she'd scooted off to ta
Chapter 26: Defining Her DealHaving risen early for a Saturday, Maggie stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror as she reached for the bottle of ibuprofen. It was the day after Michael's date had met him at Doc's. The dark circles under her eyes weren't the only souvenirs of last night. Her head pounded, and the idea of eating anything caused her stomach to roil. She slammed a pair of the orange pills, washed them down with tap water, and padded into the living room.While she waited to feel human again, she flopped down on the couch and clicked on the television. A pretty blonde was giving the weekend weather forecast on the local news. It looked as though the temperatures would be mild for early October. When had they stopped showing cartoons on Saturday mornings?Following the weather update was a report about the Larson trial. Suddenly, there was a tight shot of Michael, giving his speech about appreciating the jurors and his client's wishes for the victim. Maggi