millions, while sometimes forgetting that there are people below them that struggle to make ends meet. I don’t ever want to be like that. I’m not saying that a free turkey at Christmas or some spare change dropped into a basket doesn’t help, because it does, but sometimes people need more than that. Sometimes they need a bit of guidance, or knowledge, or just a little help understanding words they don’t know.”
“And that’s where you come in?”
With a nod, Jamie said, “It started when I was in law school. I knew my father volunteered his time, and one summer he asked if I’d like to clerk for him on some of the pro bono stuff. Eager beaver that I was, I agreed, and before too long, I was there even when he wasn’t. And now, he helps me.”
“Wait. I thought your father retired?”
“He retired from the firm, but not from the law. He still practices, only now he does it for free,” Jamie said with a grin.
“It sounds like you like working with him.”
“I do, very much. He’s a brilliant man, and we both love being able to help people in need.”
“So if you love it so much, why not do it full-time?”
“Because I like nice things,” Jamie said as she refilled their wine glasses. “I like fancy cars and living in the country, and being able to afford to go on vacation wherever I’d like. My position at the firm gives me the opportunity to live the life I want, while helping those that I can. It’s the best of both worlds, and I wouldn’t want to give up either.”
“Even though you work with Phelan and Willoughby?”
Rolling her eyes, Jamie chuckled.
“I’ve learned to take them both with a very large grain of salt. Since we have our own divisions, our paths don’t often cross, and when they do, let’s just say I try to leave my personal feelings at the door. My work is far too important to me to let their idiosyncrasies get in the way. It’s not a match made in heaven, but it’s doable.”
“You’re amazing,” Diana said in a breath.
The sultry tone forced Jamie to shift in her seat, and taking a taste of wine, she waited for the throbbing between her legs to subside. Managing to find her voice a few seconds later, she said, “I’m just me.”
“I like just you,” Diana said, and then instantly blushed when she realized that the words she was thinking had just slipped from her lips. Swallowing hard, she quickly changed the subject. “Do you have any brothers or sisters?”
“Um…yes. I have a younger sister, Stacy.”
“Is she a lawyer, too?”
“No, a photographer,” Jamie said.
“How about you? Any siblings?”
“No. Just me”
“Well, then tell me something about your parents. What do they do?”
“Oh, um…they died when I was four. A car accident.”
“Christ, I’m sorry.”
Offering Jamie a soft smile, Diana said, “Thanks. It was a long time ago, and I have only hazy memories of them now. My father’s sister, Brenda, raised me.”
“She did a great job.”
“You think?”
“Absolutely,” Jamie replied, gazing into Diana’s eyes.
Smiling back at Jamie, Diana was about to ask for more wine when she saw Jamie’s face scrunch up as another sneeze came over her. Before Diana could say a word, Jamie was out of her chair and heading back outside.
“Shit,” Diana said under her breath, getting to her feet.
“Oh, this is getting fucking ridiculous!” Jamie bellowed, trying to hold back the sneeze that was forming.
“Please…not again.”
Sneeze.
“Crap!”
Sneeze
“Enough!”
Sneeze
“Oh, someone just kill me now.”
“That would be a waste of a very good woman, I think,” Diana said, coming up to stand next to Jamie. “Here, I brought you more napkins.”
“Thanks,” Jamie said.
Waiting until Jamie blew her nose a few times, Diana finally asked, “You doing better?”
Jamie turned and was about to reply, but the words got stuck in her throat.
Between the moonlight and the Christmas lights strung here and
“And that’s where you come in?”
With a nod, Jamie said, “It started when I was in law school. I knew my father volunteered his time, and one summer he asked if I’d like to clerk for him on some of the pro bono stuff. Eager beaver that I was, I agreed, and before too long, I was there even when he wasn’t. And now, he helps me.”
“Wait. I thought your father retired?”
“He retired from the firm, but not from the law. He still practices, only now he does it for free,” Jamie said with a grin.
“It sounds like you like working with him.”
“I do, very much. He’s a brilliant man, and we both love being able to help people in need.”
“So if you love it so much, why not do it full-time?”
“Because I like nice things,” Jamie said as she refilled their wine glasses. “I like fancy cars and living in the country, and being able to afford to go on vacation wherever I’d like. My position at the firm gives me the opportunity to live the life I want, while helping those that I can. It’s the best of both worlds, and I wouldn’t want to give up either.”
“Even though you work with Phelan and Willoughby?”
Rolling her eyes, Jamie chuckled.
“I’ve learned to take them both with a very large grain of salt. Since we have our own divisions, our paths don’t often cross, and when they do, let’s just say I try to leave my personal feelings at the door. My work is far too important to me to let their idiosyncrasies get in the way. It’s not a match made in heaven, but it’s doable.”
“You’re amazing,” Diana said in a breath.
The sultry tone forced Jamie to shift in her seat, and taking a taste of wine, she waited for the throbbing between her legs to subside. Managing to find her voice a few seconds later, she said, “I’m just me.”
“I like just you,” Diana said, and then instantly blushed when she realized that the words she was thinking had just slipped from her lips. Swallowing hard, she quickly changed the subject. “Do you have any brothers or sisters?”
“Um…yes. I have a younger sister, Stacy.”
“Is she a lawyer, too?”
“No, a photographer,” Jamie said.
“How about you? Any siblings?”
“No. Just me”
“Well, then tell me something about your parents. What do they do?”
“Oh, um…they died when I was four. A car accident.”
“Christ, I’m sorry.”
Offering Jamie a soft smile, Diana said, “Thanks. It was a long time ago, and I have only hazy memories of them now. My father’s sister, Brenda, raised me.”
“She did a great job.”
“You think?”
“Absolutely,” Jamie replied, gazing into Diana’s eyes.
Smiling back at Jamie, Diana was about to ask for more wine when she saw Jamie’s face scrunch up as another sneeze came over her. Before Diana could say a word, Jamie was out of her chair and heading back outside.
“Shit,” Diana said under her breath, getting to her feet.
“Oh, this is getting fucking ridiculous!” Jamie bellowed, trying to hold back the sneeze that was forming.
“Please…not again.”
Sneeze.
“Crap!”
Sneeze
“Enough!”
Sneeze
“Oh, someone just kill me now.”
“That would be a waste of a very good woman, I think,” Diana said, coming up to stand next to Jamie. “Here, I brought you more napkins.”
“Thanks,” Jamie said.
Waiting until Jamie blew her nose a few times, Diana finally asked, “You doing better?”
Jamie turned and was about to reply, but the words got stuck in her throat.
Between the moonlight and the Christmas lights strung here and
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