Heartbreaker By Profession

Chapter Two

Kimberly had to arrive to work early the next morning. Lynn explained that they had reached out to Carter & Co. the previous afternoon and arranged a meeting to discuss potentially dropping the lawsuit. A few of the prosecutors from Carter & Co. would be coming in to speak with them later that day. Kimberly didn't know if that group would include Julian or not, but after her outburst at yesterday's meeting, she didn't dare ask. Her morning was spent running errands for the lawyers while they finished preparations for the big meeting. Kimberly wished she could be useful as more than just a coffee girl or file messenger, but Lynn was convinced that Kimberly had everything to learn and nothing to offer the case, and so Kimberly had no option but to silently observe.

Dr. Stahm called the former day's group into the conference room at around 10AM so that the lawyers could explain the approach they would be taking with Carter & Co. at the meeting. Governor Rhodes didn't show up that morning, which Kimberly figured it was probably for the best since something about his demeanor always made him seem guilty and it was probably best the prosecuting side didn't interact with him before court.

"That's it?" Dr. Stahm sat forward in her chair, looking straight at Melanie Davis, the head defender of this case, who had just finished her presentation on the approach she planned on taking with Carter & Co. "You're just countering their allegations with alleged 'good deeds' we've done? Where's the dirt?" Dr. Stahm demanded.

Davis frowned. "Dirt?" she repeated.

"Yes, dirt," Dr. Stahm said, mimicking slightly the innocent voice in which Davis had spoken. "If you think they're going to drop the lawsuit because we paint ourselves as good Samaritans then you've got another thing coming. We need them to know that we have real meat we could use as leverage should we decide to do so. Otherwise, we're finished."

Leaning forward and holding Dr. Stahm's gaze, Davis said, "I feel it would be improper for me not to mention how illegal it would be to blackmail them during this meeting." She folded her arms tightly around her chest. "And how illegal it is that you're even asking me to consider it. In front of all these people, no less."

Dr. Stahm narrowed her eyes slightly as she let out a long breath. She was surprised by Davis' threat, but knew that it wasn't smart to begin making any of her own at the moment. Not around this many witnesses.

And Davis was right anyway. If the state was already being sued for human rights violations, then blackmailing their prosecutors in private was the last thing they wanted to do. Not only was it illegal, but it was in very bad taste if they wanted to make themselves look like good, caring people.

"Let's save the use of leverage for the courtroom, shall we?" Davis smiled at Dr. Stahm. "I'd like to keep my license for another year."

And then, in a haste that Kimberly (and everyone else in the room) was grateful for, the door to the conference room flew open and the office secretary stood in the doorway.

"The lawyers from Carter & Co. are here," he announced. And upon hearing that, every sound in the room drowned to background and all Kimberly could focus on was meticulously organizing the notes she had taken so as to keep herself from unraveling at the seams. Even though it hadn't been confirmed that Julian would be coming today, something inside of Kimberly just knew that he would be. It was too easy of a shot for the universe to miss. And something in the air tasted different – it didn't make any sense, but somehow Kimberly just knew Julian was nearby.

✎_ _ _ _ _

Julian stepped out of the glass shower and turned to look at himself in the mirror. It had been a while since he'd stopped and taken a moment to just breathe. And so right there in the steam-filled hotel bathroom, he gripped the counter and let his head and shoulders both fall as he exhaled deeply. He stayed in that position for a moment, breathing in and out, counting the seconds of every breath and trying to make each one longer than the last. Finally, he stood up straight and turned to look at himself in the mirror that spanned the entire side wall of the bathroom.