FREE FLYING HEARTS -- A collection of short stories from Tonig73

The Hearing, Part 2

Laurent stopped by the office to recruit another attorney for Larry.  After a matter of minutes, he found the woman he was looking for, Selena Matthews.  A new recruit to Saunders and Foote, she graduated at the top pf her class, passing the bar in exemplary fashion, with a passion and a huge talent for family law.  She was also more than flattered that her new boss would choose her to represent Larry in his place.  He also let her know, that although her knowledge was key, and that they would be brainstorming together, she would be Laurent's mouthpiece.  She would say only what Laurent wanted her to say, that she would, in effect, be presenting his case.  Although it didn't seem exactly fair, it was a good place to start, and it would gain her gazillions of brownie points going forward.  Also, she was not beyond brown nosing the boss at this point to get ahead.  

Laurent also didn't want to go home.  He didn't want to go through all this again with Larry, it was bad enough the first time around, and he was already mentally and emotionally exhausted.  Knowing Larry'd still be mad at him, probably until long after his actual case had been heard.  And he had every right to be.  Laurent had assumed, being the self important, stupid ass that he was, that he would always know best.  That Larry would just blindly follow him into the black hole of a child custody case, his child custody case, without batting an eyelid, or questioning what Laurent was doing, and why.  Larry was an astute, smart, worldly wise man, and Laurent had completely, and moreover, conveniently, forgotten that. No, he hadn't forgotten, he had pushed it to the back of his mind.  So that he could be Larry and Ember's saviour.  So that he could be Larry's hero.

Laurent unlocked their front door, the apartment apparently in darkness.  He crashed his keys onto the kitchen counter top, throwing his briefcase on the nearest chair, loosening his tie at last.  He turned on a small lamp that sat on a table next to the sofa.  He jumped when he clocked Larry's figure in the shadows, sat in a chair on the other side of the room.  Completely still.  Completely silent.  

"Fuck, you scared me .... "  

"Not half as much as you scare me, Laurent."  Larry reached over to turn on the lamp next to him too, so they could at least see each other.  So he could see Laurent's eyes when he lied to him again.  Laurent sat down heavily on the sofa, facing Larry.

"Do you really think I am that pitiful and stupid, that you couldn't tell me the truth ?  You couldn't tell me this might happen ?  Why didn't you appoint another lawyer in the first place, Lau ?  Save all this crap ..... "

"I wanted to be your counsel, Larry.  I wanted to be the one to get Ember back for you.  Me, no one else."

"Well, that worked out well, didn't it ?"

"OK, OK, don't rub it in .... "

"I'm not trying to .... ughh, look ..... "  Larry sighed heavily, frowning at his fingers as if they were the guilty party.  Trying to form the right words.  Yes, he was angry at Laurent, for lying to him, for treating him somewhat condescendingly, but the worse thing, for perhaps putting his chances of getting custody of his daughter in jeopardy.  Laurent also hadn't done himself any professional favours either.  The renowned attorney, future judge, possible Supreme Court nominee, making such a basic legal gaffe, because he was in love.  He had literally let his heart rule his head.  And it was so unlike him, he knew.  But it just went to show how far gone he was with his feelings about Larry.  That he had literally knocked all sense out of his head.  But Larry only wanted to know two things.

"Did this put my case in jeopardy, Laurent ?  Will this be held against me, when it's time for the judge to make a decision ?  Whether I get Ember or not ?"  Even in the dim light and from across the room, Laurent could see the sadness in Larry's eyes and face, the fear that he was so desperately trying to hide.  And in that moment, Laurent would have given anything to not have done what he had.