voices had disappeared behind them and the pressure against her back eased a little, as his hand ran down her back. She looked at Stuart, but he didn’t look back.
"There it is."
The limo stopped in front of them and the driver got out.
“I’ve got it."
There was no tone in Stuart’s voice. The driver looked at Evy and nodded before getting back in his seat. Evy let her hands run down over her hips to make sure that her tight, black dress with the slits hadn’t hiked up and wouldn’t when she got into the car.
"Here you go, Evy.
Stuart held the door as she got in.
Now that the sun has long ago freed itself from the horizon and the trees in the park are throwing shadows, Nathan’s thoughts return to work. He puts the coffee cup on the desk. Evy’s case is still there on the corner of the desk and he briefly wonders why Petra hasn’t picked it up. Recently, he had counted the number of cases he had, and he had realized how carefully he now chose them. Slowly, he had understood that he was afraid of losing in court, and this had been quite a shock to him. Throughout his career, he had won every single case, and this reputation meant that he could set his fee as he wants. He smiles, ”and my vanity dictates that I leave the legal profession as the lawyer who has won all his cases.” A small laugh escapes into the silence of the office, as he remembers some of the tricks he has used. ”Oh, I love the rush. Yes, some people have walked that shouldn’t have – the woman who killed her husband for money and then remarried, and, the last I heard, the new husband’s health isn’t too good either.”
He makes a face.
"These are dangerous times."
He rubs his forehead.
"Oh, but the headache is coming back. Petra!"
He hears her chair against the wooden floor, and soon after the doors open.
"Can you get me some aspirin, some water, and some more coffee?"
Petra nods and disappears from the door for a moment before returning with the things he asked for.
"Petra, I don’t think we’re all that busy today."
Nathan looks carefully at Petra. She stops in front of the desk.
"Nathan, I’m actually a little worried about that."
Nathan sends her his courtroom smile. He knows that the lines in his face are just right and that he is charming. He had spent hours in front of the mirror to get it just right, and once he found the right smile, he had repeated it over and over until it no longer looked fake.
"There’s nothing wrong. I just think that we’ve been very busy lately and we need to slow down."
Petra returns his smile, and Nathan feels victorious - once again his smile did the job.
"I think you should just leave at lunch. Go shopping or have a cup of coffee in the city. You need it. You’ve seemed troubled lately."
Petra can’t hide how surprised she is, and Nathan feels the satisfaction rush through him. Petra is puzzled, and just nods.
"Don’t lock up, in case someone comes. I’ll do that when I finish."
He smiles again and looks at his watch.
"Coffee. Will you make some fresh coffee before you leave? Hmm, and please put it in a thermos in case I want some later."
Petra’s face reveals her confusion. She knows how much he hates coffee that isn’t fresh. But she has no time to comment, as he quickly reaches the door to the private part of the house and enters.
"Oh, I would also like a fresh cup."
Petra looks surprised as he closes the door.
"Now I’ve seen it all."
He’s usually very particular about eating healthy and exercising. Actually, she admires him for his efforts. But today she has smelled cigar smoke, seen a half empty bottle of whisky, and he has eaten aspirin and drunk coffee as if he couldn’t care less about his health.
Petra didn’t hear him return to the office, but he is sitting at the table bent over a blank piece of paper when she comes back a moment later. She carefully puts down the thermos and the fresh cup in front of him and starts to pour the coffee
"There it is."
The limo stopped in front of them and the driver got out.
“I’ve got it."
There was no tone in Stuart’s voice. The driver looked at Evy and nodded before getting back in his seat. Evy let her hands run down over her hips to make sure that her tight, black dress with the slits hadn’t hiked up and wouldn’t when she got into the car.
"Here you go, Evy.
Stuart held the door as she got in.
Now that the sun has long ago freed itself from the horizon and the trees in the park are throwing shadows, Nathan’s thoughts return to work. He puts the coffee cup on the desk. Evy’s case is still there on the corner of the desk and he briefly wonders why Petra hasn’t picked it up. Recently, he had counted the number of cases he had, and he had realized how carefully he now chose them. Slowly, he had understood that he was afraid of losing in court, and this had been quite a shock to him. Throughout his career, he had won every single case, and this reputation meant that he could set his fee as he wants. He smiles, ”and my vanity dictates that I leave the legal profession as the lawyer who has won all his cases.” A small laugh escapes into the silence of the office, as he remembers some of the tricks he has used. ”Oh, I love the rush. Yes, some people have walked that shouldn’t have – the woman who killed her husband for money and then remarried, and, the last I heard, the new husband’s health isn’t too good either.”
He makes a face.
"These are dangerous times."
He rubs his forehead.
"Oh, but the headache is coming back. Petra!"
He hears her chair against the wooden floor, and soon after the doors open.
"Can you get me some aspirin, some water, and some more coffee?"
Petra nods and disappears from the door for a moment before returning with the things he asked for.
"Petra, I don’t think we’re all that busy today."
Nathan looks carefully at Petra. She stops in front of the desk.
"Nathan, I’m actually a little worried about that."
Nathan sends her his courtroom smile. He knows that the lines in his face are just right and that he is charming. He had spent hours in front of the mirror to get it just right, and once he found the right smile, he had repeated it over and over until it no longer looked fake.
"There’s nothing wrong. I just think that we’ve been very busy lately and we need to slow down."
Petra returns his smile, and Nathan feels victorious - once again his smile did the job.
"I think you should just leave at lunch. Go shopping or have a cup of coffee in the city. You need it. You’ve seemed troubled lately."
Petra can’t hide how surprised she is, and Nathan feels the satisfaction rush through him. Petra is puzzled, and just nods.
"Don’t lock up, in case someone comes. I’ll do that when I finish."
He smiles again and looks at his watch.
"Coffee. Will you make some fresh coffee before you leave? Hmm, and please put it in a thermos in case I want some later."
Petra’s face reveals her confusion. She knows how much he hates coffee that isn’t fresh. But she has no time to comment, as he quickly reaches the door to the private part of the house and enters.
"Oh, I would also like a fresh cup."
Petra looks surprised as he closes the door.
"Now I’ve seen it all."
He’s usually very particular about eating healthy and exercising. Actually, she admires him for his efforts. But today she has smelled cigar smoke, seen a half empty bottle of whisky, and he has eaten aspirin and drunk coffee as if he couldn’t care less about his health.
Petra didn’t hear him return to the office, but he is sitting at the table bent over a blank piece of paper when she comes back a moment later. She carefully puts down the thermos and the fresh cup in front of him and starts to pour the coffee
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