Page 1 of Celebrity

Chapter One

“Counselor. Please approach the bench.”

I held in an internal groan as I stood and moved around the defendant’s table. The judge was determined to make my life hell in the courtroom.

My day had started off with a mix of determination and excitement. I’d deal with the standard back-and-forth of my current case and then planned to spend the evening decompressing.

However, everything had changed when I’d arrived at the courthouse. A new judge had been assigned to my case because of a family emergency, and now I was stuck dealing with the backlash of a judge that didn’t particularly care for me. It was as if my mere presence annoyed the crap out of Judge McGregor, and for the life of me, I couldn’t figure out why.

Our only interaction had been at a social event where she’d arrived as my ex-lover’s date. If anyone should have been annoyed, it was me.

I shook the thought from my head and focused on Judge McGregor. I couldn’t wait until this afternoon. In less than one hour, I’d no longer be lead on this case, and I could start planning the next phase of my career.

“I don’t have all day, Counselor. You may enjoy the sensationalism of this case, but I don’t.”

“Yes, Your Honor,” I responded and approached the judge.

If she only knew the truth of how I felt about my newfound celebrity. I liked life behind the scenes and in the background, or at least I had until Clint Bassett became my client four months ago.

I glanced at him to give him an unsaid order to behave. He responded with a wink and air kisses, and then followed it up by popping open the collar of his shirt.

I clenched my jaw and took a deep breath.

His bright green eyes danced with mischief, and the groupies behind him fawned over every one of his movements.

Clint used his public platform to project an asshole persona. People either loved him or hated him.

He enjoyed the media attention. Both good and bad. Hell, his attitude was the reason half of the world thought he deserved the grief he was getting. Clint was a shock jock and proud of it. Ruffling feathers was his job. He had a knack for getting politicians and celebrities irritated and spilling their secrets, many times without meaning to.

No matter what his public image, he didn’t deserve this lawsuit. Judge McGregor knew it, the media knew it, and even the person who was suing him knew it.

This case had dragged on for over four months, and I was tired. I’d sacrificed my personal life and my privacy for Clint, leaving anyone close to me a target for scrutiny.

No matter where I went, I was followed, and finding out who I was dating was a mission Clint’s fans were determined to learn. Something that had caused me more pain than I wished to think about.

Even though this case had become the bane of my existence, I planned to use it to my benefit.

“Ms. Kumar, these disruptions will no longer be tolerated. We haven’t officially started today’s session, and we’ve had three outbursts because of your client. I’m tempted to clear the room.”

Judge McGregor said my name with disgust, as if the words left a foul taste in her mouth. What was her problem?

I couldn’t wait to wash my hands of this mess.

The basis of the whole lawsuit was due to hurt feelings and vengeance, not fact. However, if one had an unending bank account and limitless time, the top attorneys in the country would happily take your case. And my client’s ex-wife, Kimberly Bassett, had both in ample supply.

Yes, I was a celebrity attorney, and I’d had my fair share of media coverage, but usually my clients wanted their names kept out of the press. They rarely catered to it.

“With all due respect, Your Honor. Mr. Travis, Ms. Bassett’s counsel, is the one who requested this hearing be open to the public. It isn’t my client’s fault so many have come out in support of him, even on a non-court day.”

At that moment, a bunch of shouts and cheers erupted.

Then someone said, “You tell her, Hot Stuff. Don’t let this new judge give you shit. She probably hasn’t had her oil changed in years with that sour face of hers.”

I cringed, closing my eyes for a brief second. Insulting the judge was not going to help me, and neither was calling me sexist names.

Clint had given me the nickname on his radio show, and since that day, all his millions of fans referred to me as “Hot Stuff.”

He’d thrown me into the media spotlight, not only for my skills but my looks. This was not how I’d planned to make a name for myself when I’d graduated law school at the top of my class.

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