Page 19 of Imperfections Forbidden
His knees up, he puts his arms on top of them looking directly in my eyes.He doesn’t say a word, it’s like he’s searching for the answer.It shouldn’t take this long.
“No.”
Putting my hands on his face, I look into his eyes and run the pad of my thumb across his lips, searching for my own answer.
“I believe you.”
Grabbing me by the back of the head, he kisses me long and hard until I can’t breathe.I put my head on his chest and my arms around his waist.He cradles me in his arms, finishes his beer, and I listen to the steady beat of his heart, the moon and stars watching us.
Nick
“What time is it?”
“Too early for you to be up.Go back to sleep,” I tell her, kissing her forehead.“I’ll be back.”
“Where’re you going?”
“I need to go to the precinct to see a potential client.Go back to sleep.I’ll be back as soon as I can.”I pull the covers up over her shoulders and walk out the door, regretting having to leave her alone in my bed.
“Let me get this straight: you stand accused of assault and battery by your now ex-girlfriend, and you don’t have any money to pay your legal fees.Is that right?”I say across the table to my brother’s friend.
“Yes.”
“I don’t own a Bugatti.Hell, I can afford to buy ten of them and still not put a dent in my bank account, but I don’t.”
Logan nods his head at me and remains silent, looking down at his hands on the table.
“But you bought a Bugatti.A Bugatti!You don’t have a pot to piss in, you don’t even have a bush to piss in.You get an advance for your album and you blow it all on a car.”
“No, I needed a place to live.I rented an apartment.”
“Where?”I say, becoming increasingly annoyed.
“Upper East Side,” he says, lifting his head up.“But I got a good deal because I know the guy.”
I shake my head at how ludicrous this is.
“After I got the apartment, I needed furniture.Then I needed clothes.”
“You have nothing to your name—no stream of income, and you live with your mother— and someone hands you a check for one million dollars, the first thing you do is get yourself a lawyer and an accountant.The lawyer to save your ass from all the false accusations coming your way, and the accountant and financial advisor to manage and diversify your money so you don’t find your ass in this predicament.”
“That’s good advice.I’ll make sure I take it for next time.”
I sigh.“I sure as hell hope so.I’ll take your case pro bono.”
“Thank you.I’ll pay you back, I promise.”He looks down at his hands on the table.
“You don’t have to do that.I’m doing this because I know your family, you’ve been friends with my brother for years, and I know your parents raised you right.”
“They’re going to lose it when they find out.They never did like Shannon.”
“Question, is this the same girl I saw you with a couple months back?The aspiring swimsuit model?”
“That’s the one.Crazy bitch!”
“I told you she was trouble.If I remember correctly, you said, ‘I like trouble.’See what trouble can get you?”
“Yeah, I see now, two to five.”
