Page 15 of Sweet Pea

“To healthy boundaries,” I said raising my glass.

Callie giggled before taking another sip from her glass.

“What’s so funny?” I asked.

“I guess I wasn’t expecting a biker to raise a toast to the utilization of positive relationship tools.”

“Is that your way of saying I’m not the knuckle dragger you thought I’d be?”

“I never thought that about you,” Callie protested.

“Just that I was a psycho stalker.”

“I never said ‘psycho.’”

I chuckled. “Did you seriously think I was stalking you?”

“I first noticed you in the courthouse halls about eighteen months ago,” Callie said.

“You noticed me? Who’s been stalking who?”

“You’re a little hard to miss,” she countered.

I nodded. “Fair enough.”

“Two weeks later, I saw you again, but this time it was in the courtroom of a case I was working.”

“A custody case. The dad was a veteran with severe PTSD,” I replied. “The mom was scared shitless. Fucking heartbreaking.”

“That’s right,” Callie said softly. “And then again, around six weeks after that.”

“Brown vs. Hargrave.”

Callie tilted her head. “You can see why I was concerned.”

“Your hearings weren’t the only ones I attended, you know?”

“I didn’t know that at the time. All I knew was, every time I looked behind me, there was a giant biker lurking about.”

“Lurking?” I laughed.

“Don’t laugh at me,” she said.

“I can’t help it. You’re funny.”

“And you’re a lurker.” Callie swigged down the rest of her drink.

“Good stuff?” I asked.

“Just what the doctor ordered, thank you.”

“Let’s get you another round,” I said.

“I just realized I’ve barely eaten anything today. I should probably get something in my stomach before I drink anymore.”

“I know someone who can help out in that department,” I said, flagging down Sally Anne.

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