Chapter One
Jesus Christ I should have gotten a different lawyer.
Not the best time to be thinking this as I sit in the waiting room of Wagner Easton. I probably should have just canceled the appointment when I was on the website and saw her photo. And definitely should have canceled it once I sufficiently stalked her online.
To distract myself, I look around the swanky office. I had a feeling it was going to be nice. I should have dressed better. Actually, forget that. I'm paying her. I need to remember that. I'm paying her. Anything outside of legal counsel is not happening.
Not that she'd be into it anyway. I saw her photo. She's hot but she looks every bit the part of a buttoned up, heterosexual lawyer.
She probably has a husband at home who works in software and takes care of their two kids.
None of this is my business
, I have to remind myself. I'm here because my boss told me she's the best. And I need the best.
She's also the most expensive. Which isn't a problem, in fact, for me it's a good thing. Lawyers can only charge as much as they're worth. Or that's what my dad says. He's a lawyer.
There are various employees walking in and out of conference rooms. It's a busy place. And they all look they came out of some law show. There are too many good-looking people in suits. My god, even some of the men are attractive. I mean, for men.
I tell myself to focus on why I'm here and to stop ogling these poor junior associates.
I pull out my folder so I can review it all again. I have all my financials laid out clearly. I even printed out texts, phone records, and friend testimonies — everything that will help support my case. I'd rather not waste time with some introductory meeting where this place can charge me $400 for an hour.
Looking at all this makes me sad. It always does. I'm not in love with her anymore. But I once was. And I married her. And now we're here. Well,
I'm
here. She's at some other law firm doing this same thing.
I guess nobody knows how things will change. It's not like anyone goes into a marriage thinking it's going to end eventually. But we really were happy for a few years. Or I thought we were. She apparently didn't.
But after five years of being with someone, you think you know a little about who they are. And I never thought Mia would go to this level. Especially not for money, which is crazy anyway since she has no need for money. She's a highly sought-after project manager in the tech space and money was never one of our issues.
Plus, her new boyfriend isn't doing too badly for himself either. He owns some construction type company that has its hand in a lot of Los Angeles commercial projects.
I'm relieved to be pulled out of the road my mind is taking me. I don't want to think about him. Or my ex for that matter. The receptionist lets me know that Ms. Parker is ready.
Natalie Parker.
I don't know much outside of what she looks like. I know that she's a partner here and is very young to be one. And she's won some awards that I know nothing about. Beyond that all I know is that specializes in LGBT law, primarily focusing on marriage and adoption rights.
My boss, who's very well connected, knows her through some high-profile judge in the LA court system. Natalie Parker came
highly
recommended.
The receptionist leads me through the building until we reach a large conference room that looks out on the smoggy downtown area. The room could probably seat 30 people, but this meeting is just with the two of us.
"Can I get you some water?" the receptionist asks me as I choose one of the many seats.
"Yes, please."
I wait some more as she brings in the water and sets it next to me.
"Ms. Johnson, hello," I hear as I look up to see Natalie walking into the room. She's holding a file, most likely full of the things I had sent her prior to this meeting. But as I look at her approach, I can't even remember why I'm here.
The first thing that goes through my mind is that her photo online does not do her justice. This woman is beyond beautiful. In a tight grey blazer, matched perfectly with a slimming black pencil skirt, she looks like she's walked off a print ad showcasing a lawyer's office.
The second thing I notice are her eyes. Her eyes are the color of nature itself, the exact shade of amber. But it's not the color that makes me pause. It's their intensity. She seems to be assessing me with the same unsubtle hunger that I probably showed when she walked in.
Before I can even process it, she's sitting down, and smiling calmly at me from across the conference room table. The hunger in her eyes is gone, replaced instead by a calm professionalism.
The silence draws on for a second too long to be comfortable and I'm about to break it when she speaks.
"Thank you for coming in Ms. Johnson, I wish it was under better circumstances, but people never seem to come here for that."
"You can just call me Reese," I say and I'm not sure why my voice sounds so low and husky.
"Reese it is".
"And thank you for seeing me. I know you're busy. But I've been told you're the best."
She smiles at that as she looks over the file she's now opening.
"I don't know about that, but I'll take the compliment."
In a way, she's not what I was expecting. Yes, she's even more beautiful than I thought. But there's something else. When I saw her photo, I thought I could see a slight arrogance to her smirk. Someone who drips confidence when she walks in the room. Natalie changed the air in the room the second she walked in, but she's not that arrogant lawyer I was expecting. She's calm, but warm, and maybe even a little nervous.
"For this first meeting, we'll only take about an hour. I have all the info you sent over and have been through it. But I'd love to ask some questions and get answers from you directly. My assistant has let me know the retainer and disclosure forms are all set. We can begin today if you want to move forward."
She doesn't break eye contact as she talks to me. And her quiet intensity is so alluring, that I have to remind myself not to lean forward as she talks.
"I want out of this marriage. If you can do that, then please, let's do it."
"Great," she replies. And there it is. There's the smirk I saw in her photo. I feel myself redden slightly at my Freudian slip. But I swear, she does too.
"So, Reese. We don't need to go through all the details. I know them. What I want to know is, what does success look like for you? Walking away from this, what do you want?"
I'm almost taken aback. I figured she'd make me go through all the things I already sent her, like most corporate monkeys. Or maybe I'm just super judgmental of lawyers.
"I don't know. I mean, I want out of this marriage. But I also don't want to give her everything she's claiming she deserves. I worked my ass off for this family for five years. I'm not trying to screw her— I just want it to be fair."
"The good thing is you made comparable salaries. You weren't supporting her. Her claim that she should receive more is not logical. Anything else Reese?"
I suddenly notice her tongue catches on the "s" of my name a little. Almost like a lisp. And it's so fucking cute I have to squeeze my legs together.
