Page 55 of Giovanni
Her laughter, light and melodic, fills the air around us.
“You’re doing an excellent job so far.”
Her gaze holds mine until the server comes with our drinks and breaks the mood. The brief interruption allows us time todiscuss healthy dining options, which she asked about during one of our sessions.
With curiosity getting the better of me, I ask Kacie about the courtroom incident from yesterday. Her response is immediate as she dives into the story. She recounts the events in vivid detail, the poor victim’s fear and her family member facing charges of his own, painting a clear picture of the chaotic scenes and the reasons behind her late stay at the office.
Her storytelling is so engaging that it carries the conversation through the arrival of our salad and well into our main course of fish and vegetables.
I’m completely drawn into her world. She has the ability to stay calm amid the danger and drama, then shove it all aside to have a clear head back at the office to pick apart the details with her co-counsel.
“Wow, Kac. That’s unbelievable.”
After hearing what she and everyone went through, my bruised, sensitive feelings from the last-minute cancellation resolved immediately. It makes me feel foolish for getting bothered in the first place. Kacie would never intentionally blow me off. Not that I thought it was that, but her comment about falling into bed makes perfect sense after such a traumatic day.
“Has that happened before?”
She pauses eating her food to think and then replies, “Maybe once, several years ago. But not usually. And here’s a strange thought that struck me during my trial. Have you spoken to your dad yet? You’re still working on the proposal but haven’t mentioned anything to him, right?”
“No, I haven’t.”
I could have called my dad to talk about it, but without the business plan finalized, I’ve yet to take that step. Kacie’s eyes light up with a new idea.
“Good, because I have someone I think you should meet. He’s a criminal defense attorney, but don’t hold that against him.”
She laughs at her joke, which must be a common theme of ADAs dislike opposing counsel.
“He’s also big into bodybuilding. The guy’s huge and somehow manages to fit into these custom suits. I was thinking we could all do lunch. You two could talk about competitions, shows, the whole bodybuilding scene.”
The suggestion catches my interest. The idea of meeting someone who balances a demanding legal career with a passion for bodybuilding is intriguing. I rarely come across this. Even Frank is focused on bodybuilding only.
“I’d love to meet him and get some insights, especially from someone juggling both worlds successfully.” I give her an appreciative smile, vowing to show my genuine appreciation in bed tonight.
“I’ll set it up then. It’ll be good for you to connect with someone who gets both sides of your life. And who knows, maybe he could invest in your gym. The guy is loaded.”
The inflection in her tone is complimentary and not a hint of malice or envy for being a wealthy attorney. It’s another reason she’s perfect for the DA’s office, which is none to make nearly as much money as private practice. Kacie’s motivated by justice, not money. But it’s very intriguing that she thinks this attorney and I could hit it off so well that he might be willing to invest in me and my dream more than my dad.
Trying to temper my expectations, I pick up my fork to resume eating.
“I want to avoid getting ahead of myself with the investment idea, but meeting him sounds promising. I’m looking forward to it. I know you’re busy, so let me know when you can arrange it.”
“I’ll call his office on Monday and get something scheduled for this week.”
Kacie is already becoming the most important person in my life, and I feel so happy every time I’m with her. But her support of my dreams and achieving them this year is beyond anything I could have ever asked for. All I want to do is rush her home to see her next surprise and take full advantage of showing her how much I appreciate everything about her, including her selfless willingness to help me.
“Stop looking at me like that, Giovanni. I plan on finishing my delicious and healthy dinner before you whisk me away from here and have your way with me.”
A heat creeps into my cheeks from my obvious lust for her.
“Well, it’s entirely your fault if I’m being honest. If you weren’t so delectable, I wouldn’t want to take you on this table.”
“Or I could crawl under it and make you very happy.”
She winks and resumes eating as if she didn’t just give me a stiffy thinking about her giving me head in a public place.
16
KACIE
