“I think Chinyere learned that same lesson,” Billy comments on the young teenager.
“I think Chinyere knew she was a person to be respected. It was just teaching all those men the same lesson. It took them longer to understand,” Tawny corrects him.
“Most of them are dead,” Billy observes.
“Not her brother.”
“Touché.” He takes another bite of his meal. “How’s your leg?”
“It hurts. I’m going to have it checked first thing in the morning. I called Jaclyn and asked her to make the appointment and she got me right in. She promised his nurse a discount on a bracelet she wants. I don’t have that kind of pull.” She laughs.
“I would’ve gotten you in if you’d ask.” Billy’s arrogance is returning.
“Well, thank you but it’s taken care of now. You can fix it next time.” Amazingly, she still has to smooth his ruffled feathers, even when she is the one suffering.
“There is never going to be a next time!” Billy says way too loudly then quickly quiets down. “Your parents absolutely hate me. I’ve never been told off like that before.”
“Oh good. You got a scolding from them. You don’t deserve it for this but you probably deserve it for something else,” she chides him.
“You need to call them because I’m certainly not.”
“Coward,” she teases.
“Call me whatever name you want but I am not calling the Martinique’s.”
“So they don’t even know I’m safe yet?” Tawny is concerned. She was not ready to relay the ordeal to her parents until she arrived in Chicago. She wanted to make certain she was on solid ground. Besides, she did not have her charger and her phone is completely dead.
“I texted Jaclyn to call them. She does have the magic touch.”
“Now I’m in for an earful.”
They finish their meal and wander around the Parisian airport picking up a few trinkets for friends at home. Billy has to help her around with her wounded leg.
Tawny owes Jaclyn big time after talking to her parents. She knows her roommate has just the right words to calm them so she chooses a rather expensive bottle of wine for her to share with Eric.
The long flight back provides both attorneys an opportunity to catch up on some much needed sleep. In no time they awaken to breakfast as they fly over New York. Three hours later, they land at O’Hare.
Jaclyn surprises Tawny by picking her up. Hugging her roommate Jaclyn chastises Billy for putting her in danger once again.
“It’s not really my fault. She wanted on the big cases and Ken arranged for the sight-seeing trip,” he attempts to defend himself.
“Throwing your friend under the bus. Billy, you’re such a cad. It’s Friday morning. I’m hoping you’re not expecting her at work.” Jaclyn can face Billy with the best of them.
“First thing Monday. Does that work for you, Jaclyn?” Billy bites back.
“Enjoy your weekend,” Jaclyn retorts and Tawny waves a quick goodbye to her manager as they head off in different directions.
Billy hails a cab to his home and then spends the rest of the day and most of the weekend analyzing his relationship with Tawny. On the one hand he knows she is the best woman for him and he does love her deeply but on the other hand, he has no idea how they could work together and maintain a dating relationship.
Pondering the question all day and part of the nights after returning from Nigeria, he is late to the office Monday morning. Coming in after nine is highly unusual for him and Linda is curious when he finally appears shortly after ten o’clock. She wants to ask where he’s been but she knows better.
He smirks as he sees her eager face greet him. Entering his office without saying a word he closes the door. Sitting behind his huge mahogany desk he pulls out the small blue box and opens it to reveal the brilliant engagement ring. Smiling contently, he now only has to pick the right moment. Placing the box back in his suit jacket, he digs into the work that piled up on his desk in his absence.
After lunch Tawny peeks her head inside his door and he motions for her to come inside. Asking him how his weekend went he is elusive and she does not bother to pry. A little disappointed he inquires about her days off.
“Jaclyn got me home and surprised me with a little welcome home party. It was very nice.”
“I wasn’t invited?” Billy is miffed.
“It was actually a ‘she survived another nightmare with Billy Solomon party’, so no, you weren’t invited,” she tells him honestly.
“That’s not very nice.”
“Sorry, but I don’t think she trusts you much anymore.”
“Besides Eric, who was there?”
“Two of my law school friends but they both had dates and left early. Jake and Drew were there too and Jake left early.” Tawny is gently relaying some painful information.
“And Drew?” Billy wants to know about his old friend and the girl of his dreams.
“He stayed,” Tawny simply says and when Billy does not respond she says the words that close the door to his heart. “We’re dating now.”
THE END
COMING SOON: “Leveling Lawyers” 2nd edition, the third novel in the series, brings the environmental attorneys and their largest client to the California coast. The underwater lab moves to the area to observe the effects of fracking in the ocean on sea life. But drilling for oil rocks much more than the fish.
Dating Drew, Tawny juggles her feelings for her new love with the allure of Billy’s attraction. Her manager insists she work her own cases. Defending her victims, Tawny hits the courtroom as hard as Billy punches out her dangerous stalker.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Colette Alaine is a retired attorney who spends her days and her nights and weekends living in the fantasy worlds she creates in her novels. Action and adventure are much more fun than the everyday work routine, although Colette has argued criminal cases before the state Court of Appeals and the state Supreme Court. Colette's interest in the environment also adds color to her legal thriller series.
As an attorney, Colette Alaine was involved in multiple transactional contracts with major American based companies. Ms. Alaine spent much of her time performing due diligence with environmental engineers prior to the purchase or sale of a company. Practicing environmental law was a passion, one she enjoyed during her employment years and one she continues in post-retirement. Ms. Alaine also practiced in the legal areas of securities, mergers and acquisitions, technology, antitrust, labor and employment, intellectual property and real estate law. During her latter years, she argued criminal appeals and worker’s compensation cases before the state Courts of Appeal and the Supreme Court.
Ms. Alaine is currently a respite foster parent and has been a full-time foster parent. Besides writing thriller novels, she also writes mysteries and dramas with a minimal, nonintrusive Christian theme with strong female characters who overcome non-relational perils. Many of them mirror events in her own life.
Ms. Alaine was born in Missouri and has lived in Wisconsin, Utah, California and Texas. While she hates to exercise, she does it most every day but she loves to shop, cook and read. She also enjoys traveling and never stops learning.
Follow her blog on her website: https://www.ColetteAlaine.com.
Limiting Liabilities: Book Two - The Martinique Files Page 39
