by Nic Tatano
His eyes grew wide at the check for a large amount of money. For an instant he felt his pulse quicken.
Then he thought of Tish, her penchant for only taking good clients.
A few weeks ago this would have excited me.
Now…
“This supposed to make me feel better about having him as a client?”
“If you see it as a way to cut our client list, yeah. If you see it as dirty money, then no.”
“Then it’s both, I suppose.”
“You wouldn’t have thought that a month ago.”
“I know.”
Ariel studied his face. “She’s changing you.”
“Who?”
“Your new love interest.”
He slowly nodded.
“And I like what I see. Speaking of the girl with the eyes, I almost forgot…how was your date on Saturday night?”
He flashed a big smile. “Fantastic. She loved it and even got chosen to be the magician’s assistant. Thank you for reminding me about that place.”
“And I see your smitten-face hasn’t gone away.”
“We’ve really got some good chemistry, Ariel. This woman is very different than anyone I’ve ever dated.”
“So when are you seeing her again?”
“Lunch, today.”
“Wow, that was fast. Miss her already?”
“Well, I’m flying out later and won’t be back till Sunday, so it was today or wait a week.”
“Oh, right. I forgot about your trip. I was worried you were going into smother mode.”
“Nope. She’s the one who seems to be taking the initiative. She said she wanted to have lunch this week, I told her Monday was the only option and she said okay.”
“Well, good. Just remember to keep your foot off the gas pedal. I don’t want to have to tell you to cool your jets.”
*
Tish handed her menu to the waitress and turned to Spence. “So, you’re leaving me dateless this Saturday night.”
“I know. And I’m really scared.”
“Huh?”
“Well, some other guy could swoop in and steal you away. Then I’ll come back and you’ll be gone.”
She reached over and patted his hand. “Trust me, I’ll either be out with my girlfriends or home with a bottle of wine, a good book and my cat. However, I could worry about the same thing with you out of town, especially in a place like Vegas. Leggy showgirls and hookers on every corner.”
“Prostitution is legal in Nevada, but not in Las Vegas.”
“You really shouldn’t admit you know that. Makes me wonder.”
“I saw it on an episode of CSI.”
“Uh-huh. Right.”
“Oh, stop giving me a hard time. What happens in Vegas won’t be terribly exciting in my case.”
“Speaking of cases, I meant to thank you for sending me three new clients.”
“No problem. They had been referred by a buddy of mine and I’m overloaded anyway. They looked like they wouldn’t take a ton of your time and he assured me they’re good people.”
“Thanks, the income will really help.”
“I’ll send you more if anything else crosses my desk.”
“I’d appreciate it.” Tish looked up and noticed Madison entering the restaurant. “Hey, my friend Madison’s here. You guys need to meet.” She waved and got her friend’s attention.
Madison saw her and headed over to their table. “Hi, Tish.” She looked at Spence. “And I assume this is the guy I’ve heard so much about. Of course if you’re not, I’ve gotten my friend in trouble.”
“Well, I hope I’m the guy she’s been talking about. If not, I’m the one who’s in trouble.” He stood up and shook her hand. “Hi, Spencer Capshaw. Call me Spence.”
“Madison Shaw. Pleasure.” Madison nodded and turned back to Tish. “So, you two didn’t get enough of each other on Saturday night, huh?”
“Spence is flying out for the week today, so this is the only chance we’d get to see each other. Anyway, are you meeting someone here for lunch?”
Madison shook her head. “It’s my research day. Being in the public eye I really can’t eat alone in a restaurant. I was going to get takeout and eat at my desk.”
Spence stood up again and pulled out a chair. “Don’t be ridiculous. Please, join us.”
“I don’t want to be a third wheel.”
Spence pointed at the chair. “Not up for discussion. You’re not eating alone in the office.”
“Well, okay. If you insist.” Madison sat down, turned to Tish, raised her eyebrows and gave her a slight nod.
Tish got the message. Wow, he’s not the smothering type who won’t share me with my friends.
He waved the waiter over. “Can we have another menu, please?”
The waiter nodded, walked by and handed one to Madison. “Thank you.” She opened the menu, quickly pointed to a selection and handed back the menu. “I knew what I wanted when I walked in.”
“Excellent choice,” the waiter said, then headed back to the kitchen.
Madison turned to Spence. “Y’know, the funniest thing happened to me last night at my house. I noticed the front porch light was out and when I went to replace it with a new bulb, I discovered it had somehow gotten disconnected. Someone had twisted it halfway out. I simply cannot imagine why anyone would do that.”
“Guilty as charged,” said Spence. “Tish gave me the lowdown on your friend across the street and I assumed she didn’t have night vision goggles.”
Madison shook her head. “Damn, I shoulda thought of that years ago. Though I wouldn’t put anything past Rory’s surveillance techniques. I like this guy, Tish.”
Tish rested her chin on her hand while staring at Spence. “Yeah, me too.”
Spence leaned back in his chair. “So Madison, I feel I already know you from TV and that amazing story with the kittens. How’d that turn out? I guess I missed the follow-up. You still have them all?”
“I kept one. Tish adopted one. Rory and A.J. have the other two.”
“Tish told me she had a cat, I didn’t know it was a famous one.”
Madison laughed. “Yeah, she named her Socks Fifth Avenue because she has white socks and her office is on Fifth.”
“Cute.”
“You’ll have to meet her some time,” said Tish. “I know Socks would like you.”
*
Ariel headed into the CEO’s spectacular penthouse office and forced a smile at her new client. “Peter, good to see you again.”
The fifty-five year old distinguished corporate executive moved forward and gave her a hug. “Sorry about all this. Wish we were just at those family reunions.”
“Well, when you run a big company like this one you’re going to have legal problems pop up from time to time.”
“I appreciate you taking this. I realize I’m not the most popular guy with the public right now. I’m really getting hammered. So I’m glad you’re representing me since you know the real me.”
I used to, before you became a greedy sonofabitch. “Hey, after all you’ve done for me, least I could do. Though I’m curious as to why you don’t have your legal department handling this.”
“Because I fired the senior attorney right before all this hit the fan. Something totally unrelated. I was about to call you anyway to put your firm on retainer until I find a replacement.”
“But don’t you have more than one lawyer in that department?”
“A few others, but they’re young and I know they’re not as good as you will be. They’re not litigators. They can help on the case though. Great at research. And you’ve got carte blanche on this, so hire as many people to help as you need. I assume your partner will be second chair.”
“No, he’s tied up with some other clients but he did give me some notes since he’s worked on a few cases similar to yours. But getting assistance from your legal department will really help with the work product issue.”
“Okay, ju
st remember money is no object. Spend whatever you need.”
“Sure. Well, let’s take a look at this.” They sat down at a large glass table. She opened her briefcase and pulled out the legal document containing the lawsuit. She turned to the first page.
What she saw made her jaw drop.
“Something wrong?” asked her client.
“Uh…the, uh, lawyer who filed the suit. Oh no.”
He looked at the document. “Tish McKenna? What, you know her?”
“Not personally, but I’ve seen her in court. My partner Spence went to law school with her. She was valedictorian and got the highest score on the bar exam in the entire state.”
And, oh yeah, my partner who wants nothing to do with you is in love with her.
Hell, now I really gotta get out of this case.
“And?”
She kept staring at the document. “Honestly, Peter, she’s the best I’ve ever seen. The woman is amazing and she almost never loses. She has an incredible rapport with juries.” She turned to face him. “Without even looking at what they’re asking for, I strongly suggest you consider settling this. Make it go away as quickly as possible since it’s taking on a life of its own in the media. And the fallout for you and your company could be devastating. I know you’re already taking a financial hit. Offering a great settlement will go a long way to rebuilding your image.”
“We already went over this, Ariel. I don’t want to settle and I don’t care if you tie her up in court for years or how much I spend on legal fees. It’s the principle of the thing.”
“I know we discussed this, but that was before I found out we would be facing the attorney from hell. And sometimes principle has its price. Do you want to make your point or make your sale? The damage to your reputation could be severe. And you’re the face of your company every time you roll out a product. Have you thought of what the reception will be like if this gets ugly in court?”
“If I settle it would set a precedent. Everyone in my company would be claiming they got ideas while off the clock and demand money. What’s the deal, Ariel, you don’t think you can beat her?”
“It’s not that…it’s…what she would do to you on the witness stand. You’ve already gotten bad press out of this and she would make it a lot worse. And Tish McKenna doesn’t just question witnesses, she destroys them.”
“I’m not in the wrong here, Ariel. This is nothing more than a shakedown from a woman with an axe to grind looking for a big payday. I’m not settling.”
“But you—”
He suddenly turned from her cousin to a client as he waved his hand to cut her off. “End of discussion on that subject. Now, let’s go over this thing and work out a strategy.”
“Right.”
And now I need a strategy about how to tell Spencer.
But I’ll wait till he gets back in town.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Ariel’s phone rang just as she was about to leave the office. She looked at the clock, noting it was past seven and her stomach was begging for food. She saw Spence was calling and reminded herself not to say anything about Tish being involved in the lawsuit. “Hey, partner, you in Vegas already?”
“Layover in Dallas. Nobody has direct flights anymore.”
“Yeah, that’s why I hate flying.”
“Just calling to see how your meeting went and if you had any luck getting him to settle.”
“He’s got his heels dug in on that, but I’m not giving up.” Dear God, please don’t ask who the plaintiff’s attorney is. And let me settle this before he gets back.
“Well, start a file of newspaper clippings and maybe show him how bad the press is going to be if he goes to court. This will be a high profile case.”
“No kidding. It already is. I had to turn the phones over to the answering service. Reporters were bombarding me with calls.” Change the subject. “So, how was your lunch with Tish?”
“Great. And the friend she’s staying with happened to be in the same restaurant, so I met her. Madison Shaw, that television reporter who saved the kittens.”
“Right, I remember that story.”
“Turns out Tish adopted one of them. Speaking of cats, did you remember to give some treats to our furry visitor?”
“She hasn’t dropped by today.”
“You’ve gotta shake the bag of treats near the vent so she can hear it. That’s how she knows it’s time for treats.”
“Spence, I’m really tired. Can’t I just leave some out—?”
“Just shake it and pet her a few times. She comes by for the attention as much as the treats.”
“I think you worry more about that cat than me. And she’s not even your cat.”
“C’mon, Ariel, you don’t have to stay long. The poor thing is probably all alone in some empty office all night—”
“Okay, enough with the guilt. But once I see her with those beautiful eyes you know damn well I’ll have to play with her too. You’ve gotten her spoiled.”
“So, does this mean you’re warming to the thought of us getting an office cat?”
“No, but I’m definitely getting one for my apartment.” Ariel walked to his office, grabbed the bag of treats from under his desk and shook it. She immediately heard the patter of little paws and a meow. “And here she comes, right on cue. Pavlov and the dog, meet Ariel and the cat.”
“Give her my best. Oh, my flight is boarding. Gotta go. Call you tomorrow. Bye.”
“Okay, enjoy a Vegas buffet for me. Bye.”
The call ended just as the cat jumped out of the vent and moved toward her. She shook a handful of treats into the bowl and the cat immediately gobbled them up, then walked toward her and rubbed against her leg. Ariel shook her head and started to pet the cat. “So now I’m a cat butler.” She picked the cat up and looked into its eyes. “Kitty, you know that guy you come to visit? I’m about to really screw up his life unless I can figure something out. What do I do?”
The cat meowed and gave her a lick.
“You’re no help at all, you know that?”
*
By Wednesday night it was clear to Tish that her relationship with Spence was different than any she’d ever had. She already missed him and had resisted the urge to call him yesterday, but realized she wasn’t in high school anymore and holding out waiting for the guy to call her first was immature. “I’m too old to play games, especially with someone I really like.” She reached for the phone just as it beeped with a text.
Spence.
She beamed as she swiped her finger across the phone.
Do you have video chat? Want to show you the great view from my hotel room.
She quickly enabled the video chat app on her tablet and punched in his contact information. In a few seconds his smiling face filled the screen. “Well, hey there, Tish. That was fast.”
“I was just about to call you. Good timing. We must be on the same frequency. You get to Vegas okay?”
“Yeah, fine. Gorged on pretzels during my flight.”
“Win anything?”
“I plead the fifth.”
“Well, you can write it off since it’s a business conference.”
“I like the way you think. However, slot machines don’t give receipts. Anyway, you ever been to Vegas?”
“Once, but it’s been awhile.”
“Well, check this out…my room overlooks those cool dancing fountains at the Bellagio.” She saw him walking, then flip the view around to show her the spectacular water show. “I could watch this all day. It’s really relaxing somehow.”
“That’s gorgeous, Spence. So, you’re not relaxing looking at showgirls tonight?”
“We’re all going to a magic show, but sadly my favorite magician’s assistant will not be performing.”
“I’m sure there will be some gorgeous babe to distract you.”
“Not as distracting as you.”
“Stop it, or I’ll get a cavity.”
“Again, you star
ted this line of questioning, counselor. You can’t object when you’re the one who raised the topic. Compliments are therefore admissible regarding the subject of magic shows and said gorgeous assistants.”
“Objection withdrawn. However, I will require full discovery regarding the entertainment upon your return.”
“So there’s no attorney-Vegas privilege?”
“Not a chance.”
*
Tish didn’t bother with makeup and put her hair up as she got ready for a Saturday night with the girls. She headed out to the living room, finding Madison and A.J. on the couch while Nick was on the phone. “Sure, Rory, I’ll give them a head’s up that it’s about to start.” He hung up the phone and turned to Madison. “Rory wants all of us to meet her in the back yard in ten minutes.”
“What for?”
“This.” He picked up the phone again and dialed a number. “Jimmy, it’s Nick from the Main Street precinct. Look, my neighbor is about to have a small bonfire so if you get a call about some smoke at this address, don’t roll on it.” He gave his friend Rory’s address. “Yeah, I’ll keep an eye on it. Some sort of celebration my fiancée and her friends are having.” He nodded a minute and smiled. “Thanks, buddy.” He hung up and turned back to Madison. “Okay, we can tell Rory she’s good to go.”
“Good to go on what? We’re not celebrating anything.”
“She’s setting fire to some stuff in the back yard.”
“What stuff?”
“Don’t know, I’m just the messenger. She said she’s celebrating something and wanted all of us there. Anyway, I promised the fire department I’d keep an eye on things. So let’s go. But I’m bringing a fire extinguisher.”
They all headed across the street, then made their way down the driveway to Rory’s back yard, where they found her next to a can of lighter fluid, some matches and a grocery bag, while holding a bottle of wine.
She was standing in front of a pile of clothing and other men’s stuff.
Tish put her hands up. “Rory, what the hell is all this?”
Rory took a drink from the bottle. “I found out Brian is cheating on me. So while he’s away with some floozy for the weekend, I thought it might be a good opportunity to thin out his wardrobe. And some other stuff.”
