I never hugged my clients after a win. Usually, it was a businesslike handshake, followed by a tired joke about my bill being in the mail. Not this client. This client I wanted to wrap up in my arms and tell her to start making better choices so she was never in this position again. With this client I wanted to touch my mouth to hers and see if she tasted as wild and rebellious as she seemed. I wanted to find that innocence I knew she had somewhere inside her, hidden under all the debris she piled on top of it. And I knew it would feel as sweet and as soft as I guessed it did. And because I wanted all of that, I pulled back from Avett Walker like her skin was wrapped in thorns, and met her father’s knowing look with a guarded one of my own.
Brite didn’t miss much. I couldn’t tell if the blatant relief in his dark gaze was from the dismissed charges or because I immediately took my hands off of his daughter. Honestly, I wasn’t sure which one he should be more relieved about.
I shook hands with the big man and nodded when he offered up a gruff, “Thank you.”
“All I did was what I get paid to do.” I made sure my voice was flat and devoid of emotion. Maybe if I repeated that it had just been a job, and that she was like any other client, I would eventually make myself believe it. I needed to believe it before I got myself into trouble.
I saw Avett’s eyes widen and her mouth pull into that familiar pout that I wanted to nibble on. I bit back a groan and inclined my head towards where Townsend was lingering on the other side of the courtroom. “I’ve got to touch base with the prosecutor before I head out. If you need anything else, follow up with the firm.” I couldn’t stop myself from meeting those swirling, colorful eyes as she glared at me. “Good luck with the rest of the case.”
She opened her mouth, then snapped it back closed with a shake of her head. Her eyes narrowed to slits as she practically growled out, “Thanks.”
Brite took her arm, muttered something to her that I couldn’t hear, and then guided her out of the courtroom. I wanted to breathe a sigh of relief that the tiny force of nature was no longer my problem, no longer a temptation I didn’t want or understand, but my guts felt hollow and my head started to pound like I’d had too much to drink.
Townsend made his way over to me and set his worn briefcase on the desk next to my much nicer one. He lifted an eyebrow at me and asked snidely, “So, do you think if I dropped a couple grand on a new suit Willis would rule in my favor more often?”
Normally, I would smirk and throw out some offhand quip about clothes making the man, but my sense of humor and typical pride at winning a case was nowhere to be found. I rolled my eyes and didn’t bother to mask my annoyance at the other man’s petty dig. “Your case was crap and Willis saw it. Even if he didn’t, you were never going to get a conviction with the video evidence and the previous criminal history of your only witness. Not even Tom Ford or Ralph Lauren could pull your case out of the crapper. Don’t be a dick, Townsend.”
I never spoke that bluntly or let my real feelings about a case or opposing counsel show. Spending time around Avett, with her total lack of artifice or pretense, was bad for business. I was supposed to be unaffected, unmoved, by everything that happened in court. That was how I defended the kind of monsters and miscreants that made up my client list. I didn’t need the prosecution to see any kind of chink in my flawless armor.
Townsend picked up his briefcase and gave me a smirk. “The hug after the announcement was a nice touch, Jackson. You gonna offer that to all the murderers and rapists you defend, too?”
It was a killer parting shot. All lawyers knew how to give one, which made me even more grateful that this case was won and done. I wouldn’t have to go through another arraignment, another hearing, and possibly weeks of trial ignoring my unexpected and inappropriate reaction to Avett. She wasn’t on my agenda, and she wasn’t someone that I could pretend with. She would see through all the smoke and mirrors that made up my life, and if the charade cracked, if the veil was pulled away, I didn’t know who or what would be standing behind it. I was afraid to find out.
I grabbed my bag and made my way out of the building. I was checking my schedule on my phone when I noticed that Orsen had sent another reminder about the staff holiday party. I groaned. The thing was still months away and he wouldn’t get off my case about it. The more he bugged me, the less I wanted to go, and I hadn’t put any effort into finding a toss-away piece of arm candy to go with me. I’d been distracted by work, particularly work surrounding a tiny, pink-haired troublemaker that I couldn’t drag my mind away from. The same tiny, pink-haired troublemaker that was leaning on the low cement wall outside of the entrance to the courthouse with her arms across her chest and her eyes pinned to the doors, clearly waiting for me. The toe of her pointed boot was even tapping an agitated rhythm against the sidewalk.
I hit the screen to turn my phone off, slipping it into my pocket as she pushed off the wall as I made my way towards her. Her multicolored eyes were riotous with emotion and the heels on her boots clicked against the sidewalk as she kept walking until the tips of our shoes were touching. My hand curled painfully tight around the handle of my bag as she tilted her chin back so that we were looking directly at each other. She barely reached my shoulders but she seemed so much bigger, so much more powerful, than her small frame indicated. The force of her personality and her obvious anger pulsed around us. We stood toe-to-toe, locked in a silent battle that seemed more intense and possibly more important than the one we waged in the courtroom.