Page 75 of Maddy's Justice

“Yep, I certainly remember,” Gabriella added. “I asked her to come on my show. I’m still waiting.”

“I know, I’m sorry. We’re so busy, I’m lucky I found time for this,” Paxton replied.

“Where’s your date?” Maddy asked Gabriella.

With a sour look on her face, Gabriella said, “He bailed on me. Said he had to work. It’s bull. He’s history. Enough of phony TV guys.”

“Oh, oh,” Marc said. By now Carvelli had joined them. Marc told him, “They’re getting into a girl gabfest. Let’s get a drink.”

“Behave yourselves,” Maddy said.

Marc and Carvelli spent the next hour circulating. There were tables of cops and prosecutors, defense lawyers and even a few judges. Despite his request to not invite her, he found Margaret Tennant, an ex-girlfriend at the judge’s table. Her new husband was with her and Margaret introduced them. Marc felt much more awkward about it than Margaret seemed to.

They made the rounds saying hello to the cops and ex-cops, Carvelli’s pals from Jake’s Limousine Service including Jake himself. Marc stopped to talk to a couple lawyers while Carvelli hung out with the cops.

At the cops and prosecutors table, he saw Steve Gondeck, the chief of the litigation department with Hennepin County.

“Maddy looks,” Jennifer Moore, another prosecutor started to say then paused, “I’m not sure beautiful covers it.”

“Hey, Steve,” Marc said to Gondeck who was standing next to Jennifer. Marc had been on the opposite side of several trials with him.

“I hate you more than when I lose to you,” Gondeck said shaking Marc’s hand.

“Is your wife here? She and I need to talk,” Marc said.

Turning serious, Gondeck congratulated him then added. “Besides, I’m not sure I want to be with a woman that carries a gun and can kick my ass as easily as she can.”

“She never misses an opportunity to remind me.”

The two of them had started off walking in a circle around the pool. Vivian had a small string ensemble playing background music. The musicians were situated at the pool’s far end. Eventually Marc and Carvelli made their way around the ensemble and almost back to where they started.

They stopped at the tables filled with their law office friends. Tony sat down next to Eric Kadella who had Connie and her date, a retired judge, to Eric’s left. Marc sat across from them.

Marc looked at the opposite end of the table and saw his daughter, Jessica, Eric’s girlfriend, Jessica’s uncomfortable boyfriend, Kellie Johnson and Sandy Compton bunched together.

“Hi, Daddy,” Jessica yelled above the noise.

Marc waved back then looked at his son.

“Do I get to call Maddy, Mom?” Eric asked.

“Sure, no problem. Be sure I’m there when you do it. I want to see what happens,” Marc said.

Marc looked to his left and saw the three women about to join them.

“Here she comes, ask her,” Marc said.

Maddy sat next to Marc with Gabriella to her left. Paxton sat opposite next to Carvelli.

“Ask me what?” Maddy asked.

Eric looked at his dad with a big grin and Marc again told him to ask. “Can I call you Mom?”

“Sure,” Maddy said. “But only if you want to wear your ass up around your ears.”

When the laughter died down, Eric said, “You know I was kidding right?”

“Of course,” Maddy said. “I was talking about what Karen would do to you if she heard you say that,” she added referring to Eric’s real mother.

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