Some Came Desperate: A Love Saga (26 page)

            “Here you are, Mr. P,” Ethan said as he returned and handed Nick his Vodka.  “And juice for the lady,” he said to Simone, handing her another glass of juice. 

       “Thank-you,” Simone said, determined to keep it together.

       “You sure you okay?”  Ethan asked as he sat beside her.

       She was going to strangle him if he asked her again if she was okay.  “I’m fine,” she said, slightly tight-lipped.  “The stain came out.”

       “Good, good,” Ethan said, looking down at her lap.  “It’s just that you look, I don’t know, different.”

       “I’m fine, Ethan.  Really.” 

       “Okay,” he said, smiling, and threw up his hands.  “Didn’t mean to badger.”  Then he looked at Nick.  “Simone here is my moral support for a client we’re expecting.  She’s good at summing up situations.”

       Simone wanted to roll her eyes.  She’d give anything to take the focus of this conversation, and therefore Nick’s eyes, off of her. 

       But Ethan wouldn’t cooperate.  “I’ve never met anybody as thoughtful as Simone.  She makes me feel like I can take on the world, man.”

       “Does she?” Nick asked, feeling a tinge of irrational jealousy.

       “Yes.  I’ve never met anybody like her.”

       “Ethan,” Simone quickly jumped in.  “I’m sure Mr. Perry didn’t come all this way to hear you go on about me.”

       “I like talking about you, Simone.”

       “You don’t even know me,” Simone felt compelled to say.  “You just met me a few days ago.”

       “And I love what I know so far, how about that?”

       Simone glanced at Nick.  He sat with his legs crossed, his glass of Vodka in his hand, looking superior and almost bored, she thought.   Which made her feel even worse.

       “Well?” Ethan said with a smile on his face, refusing to let it go.  “How about it?”

       “I’d better go,” Simone said, annoyed, and prepared to stand.  Ethan quickly touched her by the arm.  “I’m just kidding around, Simmie, come on,” he said, using the nickname only Jules and her parents had ever called her.

       “Have you made a decision yet, Ethan?” Nick said in his best business-like tone, as if their little display didn’t affect him at all.  Only it affected him mightily.  Even the fact that Graham had touched Simone’s arm affected him.

       Ethan leaned back, smiling broadly, as if he was sitting in the catbird seat.  His woman by his side, his future right in front of him.

       “I’m still fielding offers,” he eventually said.  “I’ve been getting visits all day.  The problem is I’m not sure if I’m ready to give up my freedom.”

       “There will be limits in a firm, which goes without saying, but your talent will afford you certain privileges.”

       “Do these privileges include a partnership?”

       Nick smiled, that wonderfully hypnotic smile, Simone thought, but then he quickly shut it off, as if it was only a ploy anyway.  “You’re a young man in a hurry.”

       “You got that right.  And a partnership in Perry and Associates will be a huge enticement.”

       Nick sipped from his drink, staring at Ethan unblinkingly.  “It’s possible.”

       Ethan sat stunned.  “It is?”

       “You work hard, do a great job and distinguish yourself, yes.  It’s possible.”

       “I see.  I thought I had already distinguished myself.  I thought that was why you came-a-callin’.”

       “Me and everybody else in town apparently.  Look, Ethan, you did good work on that Espananza case.  Darn good work.  But all I can promise you is a chance.”

       Ethan nodded.  “Well, at least you’re honest.”

      
Honest
, Simone wanted to say. 
Him?  A guy who failed to mention in our two-year friendship/courtship that he had a sixteen year affair with some other female, the one he decided to marry the day after sleeping with me? 
She had a name for him, all right.  But honest wasn’t it. 

       Ethan’s cell phone rang before she could think up that other name, and he answered it and then excused himself into his office, closing the door.  That left Simone alone with Nick for the first time in seven years.  Her throat constricted.

       Nick wasn’t exactly comfortable, either, although you wouldn’t know it to look at him.  He sipped more Vodka and stared at Simone.  She was so beautiful still.  So gorgeous, so sexy to him that those feelings that were buried deep inside of him, feelings only Simone had ever been able to elicit, began to surface.  He tried to smile, but couldn’t manage it.  “How have you been, Simone?” he finally asked her.

       She swallowed hard.  “Good,” she said.  “I’ve been good.”

       “Good.”

       “And what about you?  How’s life been treating you?”

       He looked down, into the liquid of his drink, and then back up at her, and that look in his eyes gave her an indication.  “You left town,” he said, instead of answering her.

       She was surprised that he would know anything about her, given that he never bothered to check on her while she was still around.  “How did you know that?” she asked him.

       “I went by to see you.  The doorman told me that you had vacated the premises.”

       Simone remembered why she had vacated, and she felt as if she was going to faint. “Yes,” was all she could manage to say.

       “Where did you go?”

       “Atlanta.”

       “Ah.  I see.  Jules wouldn’t tell me.  So, what are you doing with yourself over there in Atlanta?”

       Simone tried hard to keep a casualness to her voice, although her face had to betray her anxiety.  “I own a salon.  A beauty salon.”

       He nodded.  “Still doing hair. Good.  So you landed on your feet.”

       “Yes.  I guess I did.”

       “Listen, Simone,” he said with a sudden frown on his face, as he uncrossed his legs and leaned forward, as if he was ready for a serious mea culpa.  But Simone quickly held up her hand.

       “No,” she said.  “Please, don’t, Nick.  You don’t have to explain anything, you don’t have to apologize for anything.  I’ve moved on and I’d rather not go back there.”

       She said this so heartfelt that he could only stare at her, at the pain still in her expressive green eyes, the pain he knew was all his fault.  He placed his glass on the table.  “You’re right,” he said, and stood up.

       “Leaving so soon?” Ethan said, coming back into the room, his cell phone still in hand.

       “Afraid so,” Nick said.  “I have an appointment.  But I’ll be in touch.”  He looked at Simone.  “Good evening, Simone.”

       Simone’s heart dropped.  “Good evening.”

       Nick looked down, at her chest, at her thin thighs and crossed legs, and a pang of desire shot through him.  Not to mention so much regret.  He wanted to tell her to take care, that he was still sorry for what he did to her, that he’d never intended to hurt her the way he had.  But he didn’t say another word.  He left, with Ethan right behind him still selling himself, still auditioning, still totally oblivious to the real actors in the room.

       And when that door shut, signifying Nick’s complete departure, Simone fell back against the cushions of the sofa, and exhaled.

TWENTY

At Robbie’s, a restaurant in South Beach, Simone tried to appreciate Ethan’s intricate jokes.  She knew he had insisted on this so-called “night on the town” as much more than a victory dinner after Shay’s seemingly successful meeting with the state attorney, but also as a way to cheer her up.  But even Ethan could tell that it wasn’t working.

       “What is it, Simone?” he dabbed his mouth with his napkin and asked her.

       “What?”

       “You look like your mama died, you daddy died, and you’re just seconds away from taking your best friend off of life support.”

       Simone smiled weakly and twirled around her glass of coke.  “I’m okay,” she said.  “Just a little worried about Shay.”  That was only partly what ailed her.  A small part.  It was that other matter, which occurred last night at Ethan’s office/apartment, which had her unhinged.

       “I keep telling you not to worry,” Ethan said.  “Serita did good today.  Edmonds was very impressed.  The deposition’s in a few weeks.  If she testify when she’s deposed the way she testified in front of Edmonds then she’ll be home free.  Literally.”

       “That same day?”

       “She’ll have to tell her story at trial first.  That’s the deal.  She has immunity from prosecution.  But if she gets on that witness stand at trial and starts acting cute, as if she’s got it going on like that, then all bets are off.  But I don’t think we have to worry about that.  She’s met a new man, she seem happy as ever, I don’t think she’s thinking about Davenport.

       “Shay’s always meeting new men.  That’s never stopped her before from self-destructing.  Besides, ever since I’ve been in town she has yet to spend a night at her condo with the same guy.  She’s always got a new dude every night coming to visit.”

       “Not the guy from church?  The banker?”

       “Oh, she wants him badly.  But she’s got to work for him.  These other jokers are what she calls fill-in’s.”  Ethan laughed and shook his head.   

       “It’s not funny,” Simone said.  Then she frowned.  “It’s a shame, really.”

       Ethan’s smile vanished, too.  “Yeah.  Know what you mean.”

       “But I sure hope you’re right about her testimony.  Because as soon as those charges are dropped against her, my work here is done.  I’m high-tailing it back to my neck of the woods.”

       “Hotlanta.”

       “That’s right.”

       Ethan leaned forward and took Simone’s hand.  Simone’s first reaction was to pull it back.  But she didn’t.  “What do I have to do to convince you to stay?” he asked.

       “There’s nothing you can do.  Miami is not my speed.”

       “Miami, Atlanta, what’s the difference?  They’re both fast.  Hello there.” 

       Simone looked at Ethan, wondering what was he suddenly telling her hello about.  That was when she realized he was no longer looking at her, but beyond her.  When she turned, too, and saw Nick Perry walking toward their table, her heart rammed against her chest and she quickly turned back around.  And removed her hand from Ethan’s.  Ethan stood up. 

       “Hello yourself,” said the voice Simone would never forget as Ethan reached out his hand and Nick suddenly appeared in view, shaking it.         “Either we make the same rounds, my friend,” Ethan said jovially, “or you’re stalking me.”

       Nick smiled weakly.  “Or coincidences do happen.”

       “Or that too,” Ethan said with a laugh.  “How have you been?”

       “Good.”

       “Congratulations on the Morland case.  I would loved to have been in on that one.”

       “There’ll be others just like it.  Join us and you’ll see.”

       “You sound like an advertisement.”

       “I do, don’t I?” Nick said and Ethan laughed again.  Then Nick looked at Simone, unable to bear it another second.

       “You remember Simone,” Ethan said, realizing his slack.  “She was over to the office last night.”

       As if he would ever forget her, Nick thought as she looked up at him.  And when her sparkling green eyes cast their light his way, his heart dropped.  “Simone,” he managed to say with a nod.

       Simone, too, was shaken.  “Hi,” she said.

       “I had to drag Simone out tonight kicking and screaming.  She’s from Atlanta, you know.”

       Nick opened his suit coat and placed his hands in his pockets.  For protection, he felt.  “Oh, yeah?”

       “Yeah.  The ATL.  She’ll be going back soon.  Only reason she came was to give moral support to her baby sister, who I could write a book about, but that’s what kind of good woman she is.  Why don’t you join us, Mr. Perry?”

       Nick would love to join them, and to find out what in the world had Serita Rivers gotten herself into now.  But there were too many memories, too much baggage still in his closet, to even think about going there again.  “Can’t,” he said.  “I’m meeting somebody.  I just happened to see you over here and thought I’d give you another chance to come aboard.  I didn’t realize you had company yourself or I would not have interrupted your conversation.”                                                            “You aren’t interrupting a thing.  We were just hanging out.  But thanks for dropping by because I am still considering your offer and I’m definitely taking it seriously.  Although I’d take a guaranteed partnership even more seriously.”

       Nick tried to smile.  “No doubt.”

       “But it’s still off the table, hun?”

       “A guaranteed partnership?  Absolutely.  An opportunity to work your way into that position?  It’s possible.”

       Ethan smiled.  “Your offer is the weakest I’ve been offered.”

       “Aha.”

       “And it’s still the best.”

       Nick nodded as if he fully expected that.  “Anyway, I won’t keep you,” he said.  Then he looked at Simone.  “Good evening, Simone.”

       Simone looked at him, at the way his deep blue eyes seemed to flicker with a sadness that startled her.  “Good evening,” she said, confused.  Why in the world would he be so sad?

       He stared at her, which he knew looked odd to say the least, but he couldn’t help himself.  Ethan noticed the oddness, but kept on talking.

       “I’ll be weighing my options over the next few days,” he said.

       “You do that,” Nick said, still staring at Simone. 

       “But your firm, I must say, is still at the top of my list.”

       “Good to hear that,” Nick replied.  Then, just as he was about to leave, he turned to Ethan.  “Come to dinner tomorrow night.  My house.”

       Ethan smiled.  “Really?  I’ll be honored, Mr. Perry.”

       Then Nick looked again at Simone.  “And bring Simone,” he said, looked at Ethan, who nodded as if he actually understood this bold request, and then left.

       Simone swallowed hard.  “Bring me where?” she asked nervously, unable to believe for a second that Nick had just invited her where she thought he’d just invited her.

       Ethan sat down.  “Bring you with me tomorrow night.  To his house for dinner.  Man, this is really a big deal, Simone.  That man must really want me on his team.  Which means I’ve got to drive the hardest bargain I can get.”

       “But I can’t go to his house!  I mean, why would he. . .  I mean, I’m not going to any dinner tomorrow night.”

       “Come on, Simone.  Do this for me.  He’s saying no to a partnership but maybe that’s his tease.”

       “His tease?” Simone said.  “Nick wouldn’t tease. . .”  She caught herself quickly.  “I mean, why would a man like Mr. Perry want to tease you?  You said he had one of the best law firms in Florida.”

       ‘He does.  But he didn’t get to be the best by letting the best take a pass.  I’m not bragging, but I’m viewed as a top criminal trial attorney—”

       “So is he.  At least, from what I understand.”

       “Yeah, he’s the top all right.  But that’s not the point, Simone.  He owns the firm.  It’s his associates that do most of the trial work.  Guys like me.  But I want to be number two, right behind the boss.  I need that partnership.”

       “Then it’ll be Perry and Graham law firm.”

       Ethan smiled.  “Not so fast.  It could take years before the firm’s name actually changes to add mine.  If ever.  That may be asking too much.  I mean, it’s been Nick Perry and Associates since forever.  Perry and Graham sounds great, but I don’t know if that’ll ever happen.”

       “I see.”

       “Now you see why you’ve got to come, Simone?  He has partners.  About five attorneys made partners in his firm, led by Mark Grier.”

       “Mark?  He’s still there?  I mean, I’ve heard of him.”

       “Oh, yeah, he’s good.  He’s Nick Perry’s number two.  But I’m better.  I can easily knock him off of that perch.”

       “I thought you wasn’t ambitious, Ethan?”

       Ethan smiled.  “Ambitious?  Is that what it is?”

       Simone smiled, too, although she didn’t know if she liked this got-to-be-the-best side of a man she thought was so different.   

       “So you’ll come?”

       “No.  I told you I can’t.”

       “Why not, Simone?  It’s obvious he likes you.”

       This scared Simone.  “Likes me?”

       “You know what I mean.  He’s a married man, sure enough, but he can still appreciate a beautiful lady.  Men like him, at the top like that, likes beauty around them.  That’s all I mean.”

       Simone’s heart melted a little more at the mention of Nick’s marital status.  She could still remember that morning as if it were yesterday.  When he made clear that he was leaving her for another woman.  And he was going to marry that other woman.  And that other woman had been his woman for sixteen years.  Sixteen long years.  And Ethan wanted her to go to that man’s house and meet this other woman who never really was the other woman? No way, Simone thought. 

       “You’ve got to come with me, Simone,” Ethan said, now sounding desperate.  “I need your moral support this time.”

       Simone sipped from her drink and closed her eyes.  If he only knew what he was asking of her, he’d apologize and take her home immediately.  But he didn’t know.  And, as far as Simone was concerned, he never would because the last thing she was about to do was step foot into any home of Nick Perry’s.

The intercom voice announced Simone’s arrival and within seconds she was stepping through the door of Jules office.  Jules, who was on the phone with a client, motioned for her to come on in.  Simone did, looking around at the African artwork, until Jules hung up.  She leaned back and smiled.

       “Good afternoon.”

       “Hope I’m not too late,” Simone said as she moved toward the chair and sat down.

       “No, no, not at all.”  Then Jules frowned.  “Too late for what?”

       “Lunch, Jules.  Remember late last night I called and asked if you wanted to get together?”

       “Girl, I completely forgot!  I’ve been swamped today, Simone.  I am so sorry.  And I’ve got client reps coming in about forty minutes to sign a contract, a very lucrative contract.  There’s no way I can get out of here.”