AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Realizing too late that I’ve taken her chocolate without introducing myself, I decide to cut her off the next time she opens her mouth.
“My name’s Casper,” I tell her quietly. “Casper Townsend. And you’re right. I’m not from the city. I’m only here for a month.”
Sori grimaces before patting my hand like a mother would her child. “I feel so bad for you. Here visiting, and you get stuck in traffic court. What did you do?”
The unintentional reminder of Cassie has my palms sweating almost immediately, but I can’t let her see. Instead, I do my best to swallow down the panic and offer a small smile. Although it probably looks like I’m constipated. “I double-parked in an ambulance loading zone at the hospital.”
Sori whistles. “Damn, girl. You’ve got balls. I wouldn’t do that, even though I’ve got a get out of jail free card.”
Another door opens, this time in the very front of the room. A judge enters wearing the black robes and everything, very official-looking. He is an older, stern-looking man, but he looks like he could be my grandfather instead of a judge. Although the judges at home never bother with formalities like robes. The last time I actually had to go to court, I think the judge was wearing a t-shirt and a pair of flip-flops when he went through the docket.
“Let’s get this over with,” the judge interrupts. “I have plans for my weekend, and they don’t include staying here any longer than necessary.” He holds out a hand, and the bailiff that I’ve missed completely hands him a pile of papers.
“Sori Morgan.” The judge sounds surprised. “Why are you on my docket?”
Sori blushes as she stands up, but not before grabbing a present out of her bag and shooting me a devious smile.
“Judge Carter, I amsoooosorry. Emmett got me a new car for my birthday. Instead of doing the smart thing and letting the driver take me to work, I thought I’d be smart and do it myself. Except I parked too close to a fire hydrant.”
Judge Carter glares at her. “Can I assume that you’ve already handled that?”
“Oh, yes.” Sori nods furiously, her smile slightly wobbly. “I donated to the New York Fallen Firefighter Foundation, the New York Police and Fire Widows’ and Children Fund, and Emmett is signed up to sponsor their benefit this year as well.” I see her flush all the way up the back of her tan neck. “It was the least we could do.”
Sori starts walking toward the massive oak bench where Judge Carter is holding a gavel and pointing it at her with one eyebrow raised. When the bailiff moves to stop her, the judge waves him off and holds out a hand for the present.
“What’s that?” He narrows his eyes at the plain brown package.
“It’s tickets to the Broadway show your wife mentioned wanting to see. And I swear, I don’t mind paying the fine. But if you can make sure Emmett doesn’t find out, I will be eternally grateful.” She coughs gently. “If he finds out I got another ticket, he’ll give me no choice but to use a driver. And I like my independence.” The overly saccharine way she’s talking is almost hysterical, but I can’t blame her.
I’d hate having to use a driver, too. Also, my wanting to be independent is partly why I find myself in traffic court. There is no way I can afford everything I’m currently paying foranda two-thousand-dollar fine. Yeah, the piece of paper attached to my car window had just about given me a heart attack. Which would have worked in my favor since I was double-parked in an area reserved for ambulances alone, and they’d be able to get me emergency care.
A beleaguered sigh coming from Judge Carter catches me off guard. “I won’t tell him. But your fine is tripled. I assume you’ll be taking care of it today.”
“Definitely.” Sori is nodding fervently and not complaining at all. “Thank you so much, Judge Carter.” When she stops, the judge keeps talking.
“Let your driver take you next time, Mrs. Morgan. You’re dismissed.” His gavel striking the wooden surface of the bench echoes through the room.
Sori is sitting next to me again in a matter of seconds, looking far more relieved than before she’d gone up there.
“Judge Carter’s really nice,” she explains. “But I can’t have Emmett finding out about this ticket. Seriously. You’d be surprised how many times he gives me shit about my driving.”
She’s utterly adorable. Like one of my students when they know they have done something wrong. They are doing their absolute best to make up for it because they don’t want me to call their parents.
Names are called, and people go up to speak with Judge Carter one after another. He is fair but stern from what I can tell. Still, that doesn’t make it any easier to think about contesting my ticket. I know I screwed up, I really do. That isn’t the problem. I just hope he’ll let me explain what was happening and why I did it. Even as I sit there thinking about it, I can’t stop the panic and my need to run from filtering in.
I’m so caught up in my thoughts that I don’t even notice Sori start to panic next to me. She reaches out and grabs my hand for a second before letting it go.
“Please don’t tell him that I got a ticket.”
Confused, I look around, expecting to see the mysterious husband she mentioned. However, there’s no one around that fits the description. The only newcomer looks like he has just stepped out of a magazine. He looks bored out of his mind, until his eyes fall on Sori. Then I watch as a switch practically flips and his grimace turns into a mischievous smile. One that, if I saw it in my class, I’d immediately get suspicious.
When he gets closer, I have to make sure that my mouth isn’t hanging open because he’s freaking gorgeous. His green eyes are so bright they practically melt my panties right there on the spot. I’m a massive sucker for green eyes. He has just a hint of a five o’clock shadow, though his hair is what gives him away. My brother and his friends all have the same look every time they come home. Knowing he’s in the military just makes my current situation worse. When he sits down on the other side of Sori, I practically sigh. And just like that, I know I’m in trouble.
“What are you doing in traffic court, Sori?” His voice is perfect, too. Which just makes it worse because he hasn’t once looked in my direction.
“Go away, Cole,” Sori bites out through the corner of her mouth. “I’m here for my friend, Casper.”
Right as she says my name, the bailiff does the same thing from the front of the room. “Casper Townsend.”
