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Tom Bradbury looked like an oversized jock clad in an expensive looking three-piece suit and was positioned confidently with his legs propped on the table as he impatiently barked orders into his phone. Next to him sat a younger looking version of himself, who appeared to be furiously jotting down notes. “Good. Then it’s a done deal. I assume you’ll have the proposed settlement sent over by COB,” he demanded.
Slamming the phone down, he stood and grinned brilliantly at the young man sitting next to him. “And that’s how it’s done.”
He turned and eyed Addison up and down in a way that only a man of his kind would. “You must be Addison Greyer. Wow. Tom Bradbury. But I’m sure you knew that already.” He laughed and thrust his hand in her direction. Addie narrowed her eyes as he continued. “What a pleasure. A real pleasure, I must say. You’re even more beautiful in person than the image I’ve seen floating around in the media. You never know with those things.”
So he lives up to his reputation. Addie turned towards the man standing next to Bradbury. “Oh, this here is my associate, Liam Mott. He’ll be observing and helping with your case.” She extended her hand, suddenly noting how boyish Liam Mott looked. There was something warm in the way he smiled at her, and Addie surmised that he must be fresh out of law school. Just a kid.
After smoothing her dress, Addie sat down and eyed the men expectantly but didn’t speak.
Both attorneys followed suit. “Well, okay, then. Let’s get started, shall we?” Tom commanded. “I assume that you completed the tasks we discussed over the phone.”
Addie cleared her throat. It was time to put him in his place. T
his was the sort of thing that had to be done with the Tom Bradburys of the world. Never give ’em and inch. It’ll just turn out bad that way. “Mr. Bradbury, you’ve come highly recommended, and I appreciate your taking me on as a client. But one thing you should never do is assume anything about me. If we’re going to work together, I’m going to need confirmation of that.”
Tom smiled as an expression Addie couldn’t quite read crossed his face. “Of course, perhaps we got off on the wrong foot. Let’s start over.”
“No. I’ve rented a place a few blocks from home and hired movers to come this Saturday.”
Tom Bradbury pursed his lips. “Um, Mrs. Greyer, that wasn’t what we discussed at all. Have you changed the bank accounts? What about withdrawing half of the contents?”
Addie shifted and straightened in the chair. “No.”
The attorneys glanced at one another before Mr. Bradbury cleared his throat and spoke slowly. “May I ask why not?
“I don’t want any of the money. He earned it. He should keep it. Look. I know Patrick isn’t going to move out willingly, so that leaves me no choice but to go myself. Do I want to remove my children from the only home they’ve ever known? No. I just don’t see any other option.”
“Let me ask you this, Mrs. Greyer. Has your husband ever been abusive? I want you to think about it really hard, now. A little shove here or there? It happens.”
Addie didn’t miss a beat. “No.”
“How about verbally or emotionally abusive? Has he ever called you names?”
Addie sighed. “Other than trying to keep me in a marriage I no longer want to be in, no.”
Tom Bradbury stood abruptly and walked over to a mini bar in the corner of the room. “May I pour you a drink, Mrs. Greyer?”
“No. Thank you.”
“Well, I hope you won’t mind if I have one myself,” he stated as Addie watched him toss the amber liquid back. “Look. Here’s the deal.” The attorney continued. “I’m going to be blatantly honest with you. If you refuse to follow the advice I give you, I don’t think you stand a chance of getting anything in this divorce, maybe not even your children. You’ve admitted to being unfaithful. Hell, it’s been splashed all over the media. You’re currently about to take the stand in a trial which suggests that you’re into some sort of sick sexual shit at best and prostitution at worst. I have to say it’s not looking so good for you, Mrs. Greyer.”
“I’m not paying you to tell me how it looks.”
Tom Bradbury chuckled, but only slightly. “Well then, tell me. What exactly is it you are paying me for?”
“Because I hear you’re the best. The thing is I don’t want to drag Patrick through the mud. I don’t want our divorce to turn into a spectacle, tit for tat. I’m hoping to keep this simple, especially for our children. I don’t want anything from him. He can have it all. I’m perfectly capable of supporting our children on my own if he doesn’t want to. And I’m not expecting anything from him. I just want out. He can have visitation on his terms, but I want full custody. He’s been unfaithful too, and while I don’t want to, I’m prepared to bring that up if it comes down to it. Oh, and I’ve never engaged in any form of prostitution EVER. So let’s get that straight.”
“Well, this just gets better and better.” Bradbury exclaimed, pouring himself another drink.
Addie pushed her chair back, away from the massive desk and eyed Tom. “Do you have children, Mr. Bradbury?”
The attorney hesitated. “I do.”
“Then I’m sure you can imagine wanting to do anything you could to protect them, while at the same time wanting to keep their innocence for just a little longer. They are my first priority here. I’m prepared to fight, but only if I need to. So I guess my question is this: are you willing to play by my rules here? If not . . . I’m fine with taking a referral and calling it a day.”
“If it’s all right, I have an idea,” the young man interrupted.
Addie and Bradbury’s eyes shot towards Liam as though they both only realized that he’d been sitting there the entire time.
