Page 5 of Attorney Privilege
Mother purses her lips, and I think this trip is turning out to be more entertaining than I could have imagined. I'm always down to watch someone square off with my mother. They never win, but Gideon appears to be up for the challenge.
"Fine, if you want to waste your time and ours." She snatches the papers off the desk, hands them over to me, and stands. "Read them. I'm going to make a call."
"You do that, ma'am."
"Mrs. Brown," she corrects before heading right back out of Gideon's office as quickly as she entered it.
"You made quite the impression. I’m pretty sure she went to tell on you."
Gideon shrugs, not giving a crap. This time I can’t stop the smile that tugs at my lips.
“You really do need to read those. Honestly, you should have your own lawyer going over them with a fine-tooth comb.”
“I’ll read them,” I say because there’s no way I’m getting my own lawyer. Besides, I’m guessing my mother had them looked over by hers, but as she said, it’s a moot point. I don’t have anything to lose, except myself.
I reach into my bag to find my glasses and pull out my e-reader and place it on the desk. Then I grab the mini gardening tool kit, peeking inside to make sure they aren’t in there before zipping it closed and setting it on the desk too.
“My glasses always fall to the bottom,” I tell him, placing my pink water bottle and bag of gummy bears on there next. Gideon cocks his head at the gummy bears so I push them toward him. “You can have some.” He starts to reach for the bag, but my hand comes down over his. “Not the green ones.”
“Got it.” He lets out a small chuckle. “What flavor is green?”
“Strawberry.”
“Really? And it’s green?”
“Fine, you can try one, but only one,” I say and hold up a finger. “It makes sense you’re a lawyer. You talked me into that way too easily.” I dig around in my bag, pulling out my socks next.
"You keep socks in your purse." His hazel eyes lift to mine.
"What if the ones I’m wearing get wet? There’s nothing worse than wet socks."
"I'll take your word for it."
He opens the bag, taking a gummy bear out and popping it into his mouth. He’s got a half smile as he watches me, showing off his bright white teeth. His lips are full like the kind women pay to have, but everything about him is confident without trying.
He’s ridiculously handsome at well over six feet tall with broad shoulders. The man could be the poster child for how to make a suit look good.
"What else have you got in the bag?" I think he’s teasing me. He doesn't ask it in the same tone my mother does when it’s really not a question at all.
"You should always be prepared.”
“For a garden?” He reaches out and picks up the tool kit.
“If only I could be so lucky.” I shake my head. “Ope, found them!” I pull out my bright yellow-rimmed glasses and slide them on. I sigh, picking the papers back up. “Now I can read them.”
I really don’t want to because I know it’s only going to make it worse. There’s nothing I can do to change what’s on these pages, and knowing the full extent of what my mother is willing to agree to won’t help.
“Emerson.” Gideon says my name gently, more gently than I think anyone ever has before. “Why are you marrying Conner? You know who he is, don’t you?”
“Yes,” I answer sadly and nod. “Although I didn’t find out he was a cheater until after I agreed to marry him. Before then, I was being stupid.”
“You’re only stupid if you sign those papers, and you don’t have to.”
I grab the pen off his desk and scribble my name on the last page. When I look up, his shoulders drop, a disappointed expression crossing his face. His reaction hits me harder than it should.
“Life isn’t a fairy tale,” I tell him, hating that I sound like my mother.
“Oh good, you’re done,” Mother says as she walks into Gideon’s office. “We have time to meet Conner's mother for brunch.”
