Page 82 of Strange Seduction
But I couldn’t say that, so instead, I said;
“What’s in that mini fridge that you said is stronger.” I waved the bottle of water for reference. “‘Cause this ain’t enough.”
He chuckled. “Well, I got a few bottles of champagne in there. I usually open them when I celebrate with clients, but I don’t think Theo will mind you sampling the product. I, however, have some conditions.”
“Like what?”
He walked over to the fridge and pulled out a bottle. “You have to tell me about Law school.”
My face screwed up. “What? Why?”
“Because Ms. Reyes,” he popped the cork and grabbed two flutes from the cupboard. “In another life, I would’ve been a lawyer.”
“Really?”
“Really. So I plan to get every juicy detail I’ve been missing,” he explained as he dropped onto the couch and patted next to him. “Come, come, Ms. Reyes. Lots to discuss.”
Doubt: Are you sure drinking with his man is a good idea, Carmen?
Nope. But I don’t care. I really wanna sip champagne and complain.
?????
“So then,” I laughed. “The defendant was like, ‘How did you know I said that?’ and I was like, ‘the witness has gone on record saying you said that after you shot the victim’ and he was like, ‘Bullshit! I said it before!”
Vince and I doubled over in laughter, both obviously finding the joke funnier than it was. We had the three bottles of champagne we flew through to thank for this newfound bliss.
“Fucking idiot,” he shook his head. “What did the judge do?”
“The only thing he could do, and that was call for a recess.”
“Wow,” he topped up our glasses. “I bet your boss was happy.”
“Oh, Marcus was laughing about it for days after. He was so proud that the law student he gave a shot to was turning out to be such a talented lawyer.”
The grin on my face faded with nostalgia. “I was so happy. It was only my second year in, and I was feeling like I wasn’t doing enough to earn Marcus’s respect yet. He did so much for me by giving me that scholarship, and all I did on my internship was file cases. Thankfully, we’ve grown so much since then, and I’ve come to really appreciate his influence in my life. But I wanted him to respect me so badly back then.”
“Why?” Vince questioned.
“Cause I wanted to feel like I made the right decision. I mean, I chose my career over my relationship with Theo after all. I chose my career over a lot of things, actually.”
Vince pouted. “Don’t say it like that.”
“How else can I say it?” The drinks were getting to my head, and the words came out like vomit. “We wouldn’t be separated like this if I had just come with him to Italy. Fuck, if I didn’t go to law school, I wouldn’t be making a fool out of myself at that construction site cause Theo wouldn’t need to block Marcus in the first place.”
The reality of that statement hit me hard, because it was something I had felt deep down but never dared to say out loud. “All of this is my fault.”
Vince visibly cringed. “Stop feeling sorry for yourself.”
My eyes drew up in surprise. “I’m not.”
“You are!” He exclaimed. “You accomplished what you accomplished, and still have your relationship. It’s a little fucked up now but that’s not entirely your fault, Carmen. Besides, Theodore Clayton definitely has the means to live with you in New York if he wants. Why should you give up being a lawyer to live here?”
I looked at my glass on the table. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry,” he said gently. “You’re so amazing, Carmen. Seriously. I rarely meet people as complex as you. I wish you’d let yourself stand alone more instead of clinging to your boyfriend’s side like a tick. You’re far too interesting for that.”
His words washed over me and brought the smile back to my face. “You mean it?”
