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“Nice view, Wilde.” He nods out the window. It overlooks the green of Rivers Wilde, and from here,
with red and white awning and sparkling clean streets, it looks like something out of a postcard.
“It is.” Remi smiles, and I want to knock their heads together. “Glad you’re here, actually. We have our new lawyer here today, it’ll be good—” The door behind us opens and Barry, the Partner who is acting as lead lawyer for the case, hurries into the room.
“I’m sorry I’m late, Remington,” he says without addressing anyone else—not even the clients. They both stood up when he entered the room, and he dumps his briefcase, a box of files, and his coffee onto the table and mutters to no one in particular, “This fucking traffic is a killer,” and they sit down. His toothy grin turns into a thin and insincere smile when he looks at me.
“Oh, I didn’t realize she was joining us,” he says to Remington without addressing me.
“Her conflicts cleared, and I figured this would be a great place to get her feet wet and maybe give her a chance to give input when she gets back,” he says without any sign of irritation at Barry’s barbed words.
“We don’t need her input,” Barry says dismissively.
“Why don’t you need her input?” Hayes asks, and I stifle a groan at the tone in his voice. I wish he would look at me so I can give him a warning look. I don’t want or need him fighting my battles for me.
“Because I think we should settle,” Barry says easily, missing the thread of warning in Hayes’s voice. The clients both gasp, “What?”
“Trust me,” he says in a patronizing voice before he turns his wannabe megawatt smile on Hayes. “Mr. Rivers, I’m Barry Jimenez, the lead attorney for the class,” he says and walks over, his beefy hand extended and his chest is puffed out like he’s walking into a boxing ring.
Hayes eyes him and then his hand for a moment just long enough to be awkward before he shakes it. “We’re glad you made the time to come today and we’re fully prepared to discuss settlement. I know that’s what you want and I think it’s in everyone’s best interest.”
“We haven’t discussed this,” Remi says.
“That’s not unusual. I don’t discuss case strategy on every case with you.” He pushes a lock of his messy brown hair off his forehead, and I think he might be attractive if he wasn’t such jerk.
“I think we should go ahead and settle.” He finally addresses his clients and reiterates with a little more deference in his voice.
“I know she’s an ‘expert.’” He makes air quotes around the word, and I dislike him even more than I did yesterday. His dismissal of me sets my teeth on edge. “But like I’ve been saying since her interview, I’m sure she wrote a great paper in law school, but in actual practice, I just don’t see how her contribution will be valuable.” He waves a hand in my direction and Hayes’s lips thin and curl upward in a menacing scowl.
Barry continues to jump on the thin ice he’s standing on, oblivious that he’s courting danger. Watching Hayes get offended on my behalf pisses me off, because no one has offended me more than he has. And unlike loving him, the world of big law is a jungle I feel perfectly capable of navigating and defending myself.
Remi looks down at the two clients and says, “Could you excuse us, please? I’d like the lawyers to have a chance to talk before we go on. I apologize, but if you two could just wait in the small room you were in before we came in, I’ll come get you when we’re ready.”
One of the women crosses her arms over her chest and sets her chin. “Why doesn’t he have to leave?” She points at Hayes. “Isn’t he a client, too?” she asks. I like her. I’m glad she’s not taking their shit.
“I’m leaving, too,” Hayes responds. He walks over to the women and offers each of them an arm. His face is solemn, his smile sincere when he says, “Ladies, let me escort you out. Let’s leave the dirty work to the lawyers.” Ms. Gauthier, the older of the two smiles prettily, her cheeks flush as she stands up and takes the proffered arm.
“Jo, he’s trying to sweeten us up so they can do us wrong,” Ms. Swanson says and grabs her friend’s elbow and tugs her free of Hayes.
“But I want him to sweeten me up,” Jo says and pulls free of her friend. She smiles up at Hayes and takes his arm and bats her eyelashes up at him.
“Your wish is my command,” he says smoothly. He holds his elbow out to Ms. Swanson again and says jokingly, “Come on, I don’t bite.” His smile is so charming that it makes my fool heart flutter.
They walk out of the room, and when Hayes walks past the head of the table where I’m standing, our eyes meet. The air rushes from my lungs. There’s unmistakable, naked desire in his eyes. It’s territorial and so intense it feels like his hand is around my throat. I flush hot when I remember the way he had me last night.
He smiles and winks subtly before he continues walking.
When the door closes behind him, Barry pounces. “They’re offering more money than most of these people will ever see in their lives. Litigation is going to be expensive, and this is a pro bono venture. There isn’t much to discuss. I’ve got a trial coming up and I would like to focus. And maybe I could use Ms. Ryan for the document review there.” He says this as if he’s doing me a favor.
“Document review? You can’t be serious,” I gasp before I can stop myself.
Everyone’s eyes fly to me, and I feel an immediate pang of regret and close my eyes briefly. But then, I open them and look him in his eyes. Because, truth be told, he’s not wrong. I don’t think I’m the smartest person in this room. About this topic, I know I am.
“I’m dead serious. I know Remi hired you. But, I made no secret of my opposition. You’ve got baggage, you think you’re the smartest person in the room, and you clearly don’t know how to be seen and not heard,” he says in rapid fire succession like he’s been holding it in.
I glance at Remi and he raises an eyebrow like he’s asking you gonna let him get away with that?
I look around the room and wish I had a button to press pause. Inside, I’m fuming. But I won’t let that show because this is how the best lawyers earn their stripes. Barry Jimenez is one of the best litigators in the country. He’s won the Department of Justice’s Silver Eagle Award twice. He’s only one of a handful of people to ever do it. And he’s doing to me what was done to him. I know if I back down, he’ll lose any respect he has for me.
