OFG Ch 465-469 (Patreon)

Turns out, writing 'realistic' Mock Trial scenes is fucking hard. This is Part 3 of 5 of OFG releases this month. When they are all done, I'll release them in a bundle for PDF and Epub.

-----

Chapter 465

“May it please the Court, Your Honour,” Gemma said, kicking off the Opening Statement for your Defence. “My name is Gemma Anderson, representing the defendant DeLittle Insurance in this matter. The case before you should be a simple misunderstanding of the finer points of contract law. The Plaintiffs have brought this case forward because they do not agree with the terms of the contract they signed with our client DeLittle Insurance, and refute that they broke both the spirit and the letter of those terms.”

Your girlfriend spoke evenly and paced herself, not rushing through her points or making anything sound urgent. It was exactly how you had practised with her, and because she was giving herself space to breathe she also had time to make eye contact with the Judge and keep him engaged.

Gemma went into her overview of the case from the side of the insurance company. A business transaction was arranged to benefit the Jacobs, and due to the price point the Jacobs wanted to pay for the arrangement strict guidelines and fine print were part of the contract. The Jacobs were in an unfortunate accident, made a claim on their policy, and due to the intricate nature of the claim in the multi-vehicle event an investigator was sent to assess the claim. The company investigator found two primary breaches of the contract, one of which was that the Jacobs’ were transporting oversized goods (lengths of two-by-fours) inappropriately with the back of their vehicle open and not properly secured, and the other that they had attached several cosmetic additions to their vehicle, one of which was the cause of the accident.

Moving through her overview took time, and you could feel the energy in the room slow to a crawl. It was the opposite of the Plaintiff’s opening - Gemma didn’t get into great detail, since it wasn’t the time to present evidence, but she hammered the broad strokes in a way that made it feel like they were mountains that the plaintiffs would need to overcome.

“In short, your Honour, the Plaintiff needs to prove that our client has acted in bad faith in their investigation of the event,” Gemma continued. “And that their findings are untrue. Our clients would be happy to honour the contract if this proves to be the case, but we firmly believe in the findings of the investigation.” This pushed into the introduction of witnesses, and what their key testimony would be. We had a list of ten witnesses prepared, each giving a different piece of the puzzle in terms of highlighting the breach of contract on the part of the Jacobs before and during the day of the accident, and that they had been made aware of the terms they had agreed to.

Gemma was winding down, and she’d been speaking for almost half an hour straight when she paused, coming over to the table. You had already poured her a cup of water and she smiled at you with her eyes as she took a long sip. As she set it down Sabrina spun her notepad around where she’d written, You’re killing it!

“In conclusion, you Honour,” Gemma said, turning back around and taking a few steps toward the bench before planting her feet solidly. “This is a civil case and the Plaintiffs must prove his case by a preponderance of the evidence. Based on the information gathered, we believe that the Plaintiff will be unable to do so and that they will attempt to turn this case on its head to try and make it into something it is not. This is a case about breach of contract; nothing more and nothing less. The Plaintiffs may wish to make this into a spectacle - an indictment of the system they wilfully engaged in, or of our client who dealt with them openly and fairly. No one is refuting that there was a legal contract made between the Plaintiff and the Defendant, and therefore for these reasons, after you have heard all the evidence, at the end of their trial we will ask you to return a verdict in favour of DeLittle Insurance. Thank you.” Gemma nodded respectfully, and then turned and came back to your table.

You couldn’t help raising a hand and patting, and then squeezing, her shoulder in congratulations even if a couple dozen lawyers were watching from behind you.

“Perfectly executed,” you murmured to her.

“Thanks,” she smiled, just a little, to you. Eric whispered something to her from her other side and she turned, thanking him as well.

“Alright,” Judge Mathews said. “That wraps up opening statements. Plaintiffs, it’s your floor to make your case.”

There was a brief exchange of words over at the Plaintiff's table, and for a moment you wondered if you were really that lucky that they hadn’t come up with a plan of who would present what parts of their case. Unfortunately, it seemed more like it was just finding the right notes, and Tucker stood up. “May it please the Court, Your Honour, the Plaintiff calls Mr Fred Garland to the stand.”

You frowned and raised your eyebrows, surprised that they were starting with the Insurance Broker. It made sense if they were going to make a linear timeline of events as the core of their case, but you couldn’t see how that would serve them the best in making their case - if anything, it leaned more into your version of events because it was a much more factual way of tackling the issues. Unless, of course, they had put together the same issues that you had found on the weekend in regards to the Insurance Broker - that Fred Garland was the brother-in-law to the Plaintiff, Randy.

One of the lawyers from the other firm, a younger guy so you had a feeling he was an Associate and not one of their Partners, came up onto the stage and made his way to the witness box. He was carrying several papers which would be the script he was supposed to work from when playing his role - depending on the Mock Trial format the competition provided witness actors, or sometimes the competitors had to find them if they wanted to bring them to the stand. In this case, you had to assume most of the witnesses would be Paralegals, Associates, or even Junior Partners, volunteering or getting pressed into it if they were free.

The monetary investment by the firms into what was essentially a game, hiring out the hall and giving folks time off of their regular duties, kept growing and you had to wonder how it was worth it. Maybe Garrison and some of the other Partners had laid out a bet or something? Which, of course, was just even more pressure.

The Associate was ‘sworn in’ and then Tucker was free to begin his questioning. It started reasonably enough - entering anything into evidence for the case required it to come in through a witness. That meant that the Insurance Contract that the Jacobs had signed had to be entered in and validated, so that was the first order of business. ‘Fred’ did so, checking over the document and agreeing that it was the right contract. Then he confirmed a record of the Jacobs’ policy, that until the incident in question, they had never missed a payment or made a claim against the policy.

And then Tucker showed their hand. “Now, Mr Garland,” the tall, athletic blond said with a smarmy smile. “Would you consider the policy you set up for the Jacobs to be of a typical type for the vehicle type and make, and their driving records? Or did it lean more towards an… atypical, modified policy?”

He’d found the familial connection.

Chapter 466

“I wouldn’t say it was typical, no,” ‘Fred’ said. The associate playing the Insurance Broker definitely wasn’t a skilled actor, but he at least didn’t seem to need to check his role notes very often.

“And why would you say that, Mr Garland?” Tucker asked.

“Well, it’s my job to get a policy in front of my clients that matches up with their needs. In the case of Randy and Felise, they were asking for a lower monthly payment without raising their deductible. It took some work to find a policy that would fit that.”

“Is that something you would usually do for a client, Mr Garland?” Tucker followed up.

“I mean, that’s my job,” ‘Fred’ said.

“Let me be more specific,” Tucker said. “It’s sensible to assume most Insurance Companies have standard best practices that most of the industry follows; did the policy that you matched up with the Jacobs follow those best practices or fall outside of them?”

Tucker was doing a decent job of laying the path towards where you knew he was going. That last question you might have been able to object to, but it would just be a delaying tactic to force Tucker to confirm there were Best Practices. Sabrina grabbed her notepad and started scribbling something on it, then showed it to you flat on the table. It was a stick figure falling into a hole, a big ‘T’ on his face. She smirked just a little at you, and you smiled and nodded.

“Well, I’d say it was more… on the fringes of best practices,” ‘Fred’ said.

“I’m sure no insurance company simply gives away more favourable terms than their standard rates. What else needed to change in the policy to make those rates possible?”

“Several things,” ‘Fred’ said. “There were heavy guidelines based on keeping the vehicle current on maintenance schedules and safe driving practices - any sort of speeding ticket would have bounced the premium way up.”

“Anything else?” Tucker asked.

‘Fred’ pursed his lips in thought, and then looked down to check his notes. “Yes,” he said. “No after-market modifications to the vehicle, functional or decorative. No driving it internationally.”

“So four significant variances?”

“Generally,” ‘Fred’ nodded.

“Those don’t sound too onerous,” Tucker said. “But would you say it took an average amount of work, or higher than average, to get that deal done for the Jacobs?”

“Above average.”

“And is there a personal reason that you would have to go above and beyond for the Jacobs as your clients?”

‘Fred’ frowned, actually doing a little bit of acting. “I go above and beyond for all my clients.”

“Have you ever gotten a deal like this done before?” Tucker asked.

“A few times,” ‘Fred’ answered.

“More than five?”

Fred shook his head. “No.”

“Are there any similarities in the clients you’ve struck those deals for?”

“I… make them work for friends and relatives who come asking,” ‘Fred’ admitted.

“So a sort of ‘friends and family’ discount?”

“It’s not a discount, it’s a policy I’m allowed to negotiate on their behalf,” ‘Fred’ said.

“Certainly understandable,” Tucker said. “But, when you present these modified policies to them, do you go over the changes and the extra-strict guidelines?”

“Of course I do.”

“On the day that Randy and Felise Jacobs signed the contract for their new policy, do you remember if you went over the new guidelines with them?”

“I do,” ‘Fred’ said. “I always go over every policy with every client.”

“Did they understand the policy?”

“Objection,” you said, standing up to address the court. “Calls for speculation, Your Honor.”

Judge Mathews looked to Tucker. 

“It speaks to whether Mr Garland fulfilled his duties as a Broker,” Tucker said.

“Objection sustained. Try and find another way around it, Mr Jackson,” the Judge said.

“Thank you, Your Honour,” you and Tucker both said. The minutiae of the proper procedure, especially in Mock Trial, was a little dizzying at times and a good rule of thumb was ‘Always be extra polite to the Judge and the Court.’

Tucker nodded, and you sat down. The blond ‘lawyer’ tapped his fingers on the front of his suit jacket for a moment. “Did the Jacobs’ read the policy in its entirety before signing?” 

“I can’t say that I remember that or not,” ‘Fred’ said.

“So, to confirm, you allowed them to sign a policy, with different-than-normal conditions, without having studied the terms?” Tucker asked.

“Objection,” you called again, standing up. “The question is both Leading and Argumentative.”

“Sustained. Find some secure footing, Mr Jackson,” Judge Mathews said.

“Thank you, Your Honour,” you both said.

“Apologies,” Tucker said and nodded to the Judge, then refocused on ‘Fred.’ “Would you say that the Jacobs’ trusted you, Mr Garland?”

“Objection,” you said, standing once again. “Calls for Speculation.”

“Apologies again, your Honour,” Tucker said quickly, holding up his hands innocently. “I see where I went wrong on that.”

Judge Mathews was giving him a strong look that said, ‘Keep trying me, son.’ “Objection sustained,” he said instead.

“Thank you, Your Honour,” you both said.

“Mr Garland, do you consider yourself to have a good familial relationship with the Jacobs?” Tucker asked.

“I would,” ‘Fred’ answered.

“Did the Jacobs’ give you a reason as to why they came to you when they were looking for a new insurance policy on their vehicle?”

“They didn’t really need to,” ‘Fred’ said. “I’d let them know whenever they needed work done, I’d be happy to do it.”

“Had they used you to find previous Insurance policies?” Tucker asked.

“No.”

“And you married Felise Jacobs’ sister six months prior to the date that the Jacobs’ came to you for a new policy?”

“About that,” ‘Fred’ nodded.

“Were you looking to impress your new sister and brother-in-law by getting them a great deal?”

“I… can’t say that it wasn’t on my mind.”

“Could you answer that without a double-negative please, Mr Garland?” Tucker asked.

“Yes,” ‘Fred’ said. “I knew getting them a great deal would help impress them.”

“And did you tell them during the signing that, quote, ‘This should be an easy policy to follow, just don’t do anything stupid’?”

“I can’t recall saying that specifically,” ‘Fred’ said. “But it sounds like something I would say.”

“Is ‘just don’t do anything stupid’ a specific detail of the policy?” Tucker asked.

“No, obviously not,” Fred said.

“Is it the sort of thing you would say to a client you are not specifically related to or friends with?”

“No, I wouldn’t,” Fred said.

“Did the Jacobs’ ever have the full policy in their possession to review prior to the meeting when they signed it in your presence?” Tucker asked.

“No, I showed it to them at that meeting,” ‘Fred’ said.

“Did they read through the entire policy themselves in your presence without your guidance?”

“No,” ‘Fred’ said.

“Did they review any part of the policy without your commentary or guidance?”

“No,” ‘Fred’ said again.

“Did they take a copy of the policy home with them?” Tucker asked.

“They did, and they were mailed a copy as well,” ‘Fred’ said.

“Did they ever ask you questions about the policy after the fact?”

“No,” ‘Fred’ answered.

“To the best of your knowledge, did the Jacobs’ ever seek outside counsel beyond your say-so about the details of the policy they were signing?”

“No,” ‘Fred’ said.

It was starting to get repetitive, but you knew that Tucker was trying to find his hammer blow moment where ‘Fred’ admitted that the Jacobs’ just trusted him and signed the policy, but he hadn’t gotten a big sound-byte-worthy admission. He had it already, but he was trying to get that big visible win.

“Did you ever offer them the chance to take the policy home to review it, or to seek outside counsel?” Tucker asked.

“That isn’t a standard practice,” ‘Fred’ said. “Clients come to me because they trust I’m working on their behalf.”

“Did the Jacobs’ trust you?”

“Objection,” you said. “Speculation again, Your Honour.”

“Sustained. Mr Jackson, find another line of questioning. I think we’ve wrung this one out.”

“Thank you, Your Honour,” you both said again.

“That is all the questions I have at this time, please answer any questions the defence may have for you,” Tucker said, nodding respectfully to ‘Fred’ and then the Judge before heading back to the Plaintiff’s table. It was another one of those phrases that Mock Trial loved to ingrain into you even if real lawyers could get away with tightening up the phrases.

“Cross for the Defence,” Judge Mathews said, looking at your table as he prompted you.

It was time to go to work.

Chapter 467

It was Eric’s turn to shine - once you’d identified all the likely witnesses the plaintiffs might call, you had both put in work on the lines of questioning that could counteract them and then split them up to finalise. Even though you had been the one to identify the potential issue of Fred Garland being the brother-in-law of the Jacobs, he’d ended up on Eric’s list so it was on him to lay things out.

“Hello, Mr Garland,” Eric said after giving his ‘May it please the court’ and asking to approach the witness, walking over to stand calmly. “I’m sure it isn’t a fun experience having your professionalism questioned. Do you need some water before we start cleaning some details up?”

“No, thank you,” ‘Fred’ said. “I’d rather get this over with.”

You narrowed your eyes slightly - that was a little combative. It was hard to know if that was how the Associate was supposed to play the character or if he was injecting a little something extra in there because he was secretly rooting for the Plaintiffs. But then, any witness in any trial would likely be leaning one way or the other, so was it really that different from real life?

“Sure,” Eric said. “Well. First, how many clients have you served, roughly, in the last five years as an Insurance Broker?”

“Probably… somewhere between thirteen and fourteen thousand,” ‘Fred’ said after briefly glancing at his script.

“That’s an impressive number of clients,” Eric said. “Are you considered a top earner in your brokerage?”

“Top three the last few years,” ‘Fred’ nodded.

“And how many times have you been brought to court based on one of your policies?” Eric asked.

“None,” “Fred’ said.

“Ever get any formal complaints?”

“Nothing that could be taken seriously,” ‘Fred’ said.

“What are the nature of the ‘unserious’ ones?” Eric asked.

“I wouldn’t take unreasonable demands, usually,” ‘Fred’ said. “Or racism, bigotry, misogyny. Usually when someone has such an awful record that they can’t get anything except extremely pricey coverage.”

“Mmm,” Eric hummed and nodded. You were honestly a little impressed at how he was handling the witness. He still had that little bit of odd, buddy-buddy confidence but all of the silly shit about him had dropped away. “Have you ever had a client get their policy cancelled on them?”

“It happens,” ‘Fred’ said. “More often than you would think, but usually it doesn’t happen after an accident.”

“Have you ever had a policy cancelled in a case similar to the Jacobs?” Eric asked.

“Never,” ‘Fred’ said.

“Interesting. Even on these low-cost, high-guideline policies, you work out for friends and family?”

“Hasn’t happened before, or since,” ‘Fred’ shook his head.

“That’s good to know, thank you,” Eric said. “Now, earlier you identified the contract and policy you put together for the Jacobs, and which they signed. I was interested in two clauses in particular.” He pulled out a copy of the policy you had prepared, which the Plaintiffs had already entered as Exhibit #1. “I’ve flagged two specific passages. Could you please read the first one?”

“Policy Holder shall refrain modifying, replacing or adding any functional or cosmetic parts, systems or adornments of the vehicle. All repairs shall be conducted by a licensed professional at a dealership lot of the vehicles’ make,” ‘Fred’ read out.

“Interesting. What would constitute a ‘cosmetic part?’” Eric asked.

“Objection,” Samantha half-shouted, standing up. “Improper lay witness opinion. Mr Garland is not an auto mechanic or engineer.”

“Your Honour, Mr Garland would clearly require the professional knowledge to identify and provide insurance for aftermarket parts on the vehicles he is negotiating a policy for, let alone giving a broad definition of what might cause a breach of those same policies.”

“Overruled,” Judge Mathews nodded, and Samantha sat down with a sour look on her face. “Mr Garland, you may answer the question.”

“Yes, sir. Technically that could be anything from a bumper sticker up to a cosmetic aftermarket spoiler, underglow lighting or a front grill replacement,” ‘Fred’ said.

“Thank you for clarifying that,” Eric said. “Could you read out the second flagged section?”

“If the Policy Holder is found to be operating the vehicle without following all legal motor vehicle laws of their county and State, the Policy Holder will be found at fault.”

“Interesting,” Eric said. “What happens when the policyholder is found to be ‘At Fault?’”

“Depending on the infraction, the Insurance Company can raise the monthly rate permanently following a schedule in the attached Appendix,” ‘Fred’ said. “Or they can cancel the policy altogether.”

You could tell Eric was wrapping up, but you’d realised something important - something you felt stupid for not having thought of ahead of time. Fred Garland had more information that you could squeak out of him now as opposed to later from a different witness.

Fred Garland was the brother-in-law of the Jacobs, which meant he knew them. And he knew their vehicle.

You quickly rifled through the files, both Sabrina and Gemma looking at you in surprise for a moment until you found the right file and flipped through that until you found the proper picture. Once you found it you coughed and cleared your throat - quiet enough not to be disruptive, but enough to get Eric’s attention. He glanced back and saw you tapping a paper on the table.

“Just one more thing, Mr Garland,” Eric said, heading back towards you. He picked up the paper raised his eyebrows and glanced at you, then rolled his eyes as he realised what you’d both missed as well.

Chapter 468

“Mr Garland, would you say that you could recognize the vehicle driven by the Jacobs by sight?” Eric asked, heading back towards the witness stand.

“Objection,” Samantha said again, “No foundation, Your honour.”

“I’m laying the foundation now, your Honour,” Eric said.

“Overruled,” Judge Mathews said. “But pick up the pace a little bit, Mr Daniels.”

“Thank you, your Honour,” Samantha and Eric both said.

“Of course, your Honour,” Eric nodded, following up, and then turned back to ‘Fred.’ “So, Mr Garland, would you recognise the Jacobs’ vehicle if you saw it?”

“I would,” ‘Fred’ said.

Eric set the first printout on the photo in front of him. “Would you say that this is a fair and accurate representation of the Jacobs family vehicle?

‘Fred’ took a look at it, then looked down and shuffled the papers of his script, then back up. “I would,” he said.

“Your Honour, at this time the defence would offer Exhibit 2 into evidence, its authenticity has previously been stipulated to,” Eric said, using the correct phrasing. He handed a copy of the photograph to the Judge, and then another to Tucker at the Plaintiff's table.

“Any objections?” Judge Mathews asked.

Tucker turned and whispered for a moment with the rest of his team, though you did notice that Maeve at the far end of the table didn’t even bother looking down at him. The blond ‘lead’ of their team turned back to the Judge. “No, your Honour.”

“You have your exhibit, counsel,” Judge Mathews nodded to Eric.

“So, Mr Garland,” Eric picked back up, placing the photograph in front of ‘Fred.’ “Is this the Jacobs’ family vehicle?”

“It is,” ‘Fred’ said.

“And this is the same vehicle that is covered by the policy we’ve been speaking of, correct?”

“It is,” ‘Fred’ nodded again.

“Does a Toyota Sienna come with an American Flag hood wrap like that standard or as an official add-on?” Eric asked.

“It doesn’t,” ‘Fred’ said.

“Would you consider the fabric hood wrap a ‘cosmetic addition’ to the vehicle?”

‘Fred’ nodded. “It’s definitely not a functional one,” he said.

“Just for clarity, sir, could you give us a yes or no?”

“Yes,” ‘Fred’ said, “It’s a commercial add-on.”

“And what about the rather large window sticker on the rearview window?” Eric asked.

“Another cosmetic add-on.”

“If you were asked by a client about adding either of these cosmetic additions to their vehicle under a policy like the one the Jacobs had, what would you tell them?”

“I’d tell them not to,” ‘Fred’ said. “It’s a bad idea.”

“Did you say that to the Jacobs?”

“I did when they put the sticker on,” ‘Fred’ said. “Randy told me to mind my business.”

You could practically feel Samantha wanting to find a way to object to the line of questioning, but ‘Fred’ was testifying to something that had been said to him, not something that he’d heard had been said.

“Did you say the same thing with the fabric hood cover?” Eric asked.

“No,” ‘Fred’ said.

“Why not?” Eric asked.

“Randy spent a month nagging me about being whipped by my job,” ‘Fred’ said. “So I knew the hood cover was another shot at me and decided not to warn him anymore.”

“Were you required to warn him, either by company policy or legally?”

“No,” ‘Fred’ said.

“Was there any expectation for you to report the infraction?”

“That’s definitely not my job,” ‘Fred’ said. “So no.”

“It must be difficult, testifying against your brother and sister-in-law,” Eric said. “Is there a reason that you seem so willing to do so?”

“Objection,” Samantha said, shooting up to her feet. “Irrelevant, your Honour?”

Judge Mathews raised his eyebrows and looked at Eric.

“I am simply asking if there have been any issues between Mr Garland and the Plaintiffs following the fallout of their policy, your Honour,” Eric said.

“Objection sustained,” the Judge said. “Witnesses are here because they are called, Mr Daniels, unless you have evidence otherwise. Let’s not go on fishing expeditions.”

“Thank you, your Honour,” Samantha and Eric both said.

Eric nodded. “I have no further questions for you at this time, Mr Garland. Thank you.”

“Any re-examination by the plaintiffs?” Judge Mathews asked.

The other table had been passing back and forth a notepad, furiously setting up whatever they could to combat Eric’s cross. When Eric came back down you and Gemma both turned and patted him on the shoulder for the good work he’d done.

Tucker stood up, not wanting to keep the Judge waiting. “May it please the court, your Honour,” he said, then came forward, grabbing the notepad from Amanda and referencing it quickly. “Mr Garland, you previously testified that it was ‘not your job’ to report a breach of a policy stipulation, and also that you weren’t required to warn a client if they were in breach. Are you contending that you have no duties to the policy beyond the signing and filing?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” ‘Fred’ said.

“And if a client were to call you because they have an issue with their policy?” Tucker asked.

“I would help them,” ‘Fred’ said. “But there is only so much I can do. The Insurance Company handles claims, not the broker.”

“Did you consider it an act of revenge, not giving my clients a proper warning?” Tucker asked.

“Objection, your Honour,” you said, standing up. “The question is irrelevant based on the previous testimony, and also argumentative.”

“Sustained,” Judge Mathews agreed, turning back to Tucker. “You can’t have it both ways, Mr Jackson. They don’t get to go fishing, and neither do you.”

“Thank you, Your Honour,” you and Tucker both said, and you sat down.

Tucker hovered for about ten seconds, formulating his thoughts, then shook his head. “No further questions for this witness Your Honour, I would ask that the witness be excused.”

“You’re excused, Mr Garland,” the Judge said, then looked at his watch. “Alright, folks. Let’s take lunch now, we’re running right up against the usual time.” He tapped his gavel, then stood up and stretched. “Alright, Garrison,” he called, a little more boisterously. “What’s on the menu?”

Chapter 469

Lunch was scheduled for an hour, so you and the rest of the interns on both sides of the case filed down from the stage along with all the other lawyers in the building and headed out into the lobby. Someone had set up a long table with assorted sandwiches from a fancy deli, along with snack bags of chips, muffins and a variety of drinks.

You, Gemma, Sabrina and Eric were all finishing up filling your disposable plates when Amanda, the intern with the considerable chest, came over to you and tapped your arm politely. “Hi,” she said. “I was wondering if we could have a quick settlement conference over lunch?”

“Oh,” you said, glancing at the others. “I didn’t think we were at that point yet, but we can take a minute to do that.”

“Oh, I didn’t mean the whole team,” she said. “Just a quick check-in, one-on-one, then we can report back.”

You raised an eyebrow and slowly looked back at your girlfriends and Eric. All three of them were giving you raised eyebrow, fast-nodding smiles, and for once you were pretty sure it was for the same reason.

“Alright,” you said. “Have a spot in mind?”

“Let’s go up to the balcony?” she suggested. The lawyers who weren’t eating standing up in the lobby were heading back into the hall to grab seats.

“Sure,” you said. “I’ll meet you up there in a minute, let me just grab my drink.”

She smiled and nodded, heading back into the hall towards the balcony stairs.

“Why the hell are you guys looking at me like that?” you asked in a whisper once Amanda was gone.

“Because she’s cute,” Gemma said.

“Because she likes you,” Sabrina said.

“Because she has gigantic, massive… eyes,” Eric started, and then switched gears when both Gemma and Sabrina looked at him. “Wait, why are you two encouraging him?”

“She asked for a settlement conference,” you said. “Not to sneak off and canoodle.”

“I’d sneak off and canoodle with her,” Sabrina snorted.

“Ditto,” Eric said.

“Just go see what she wants, love,” Gemma said quietly, smirking at the other two. “If she has an offer, great. If she wants your number, give it to her.”

“Alright,” you sighed, shaking your head. “I’ll see what she wants. And maybe try and figure out where they’re going next with their case. Just make sure you guys adjust our witness lineup before we’re back now that we have Garland’s piece already sorted.”

“We will,” Sabrina said. “Just go, don’t keep her waiting.”

As you were walking away, shaking your head to yourself, you just barely heard Eric. “So… why are you two both OK with him getting flirted with?”

The stairs up to the balcony were a little old and tight, and they creaked on pretty much each step as you climbed them quickly. The main section of the balcony was slightly slanted just like the floor below, allowing for bench seating in mild tiers, while the wings that followed along the side walls were flat and had some tables and chairs. Amanda had picked one of those tables looking out over the hall, so you went to join her.

“I wish I knew if this place was having a concert before I leave the city,” you said, making conversation. “It seems like a great venue.”

“It is,” Amanda said. “I’ve seen a few here.”

“You go here?” you asked.

She shook her head and smirked a little. “Grew up in the city,” she said. “I was sneaking into College concerts from my sophomore year though.”

You had a feeling you knew what assets she used to get by bouncers or distract doormen, but you didn’t say anything. She told you about a few of the bands she’d seen in the venue, and you traded a couple of light stories about bands that came through your University.

“So,” you said once that topic of small talk wound down. “Settlement conference?”

“Oh, yeah, no,” Amanda said. “That was just to get you up here to eat lunch with. Seriously, I’ve been stuck in an office with those four for too long. Maeve is awesome, but the other three are… ugh. Thomas is a brown-nosing know-it-all, Samantha thinks everything is a cutthroat competition so she’s a bundle of raw nerves, and Tucker is, well… Tucker.”

“Exactly how many times has he asked you out without asking you out because his ego got bruised the first time you said no?” you asked.

Amanda snorted and smirked. “Do you want the total, or the daily average?”

“Point taken,” you chuckled. “So, why me, then?”

“Because you seem normal, and nice,” Amanda said. “I mean, the two girls on your team don’t seem weird or mean but are kind of… scary pretty. And the other guy gives me whiffs of Tucker.”

“Just whiffs,” you said. “But you’re not wrong. Gemma and Sabrina are both really great, though.”

“Well, maybe I’ll have lunch with one of them tomorrow,” Amanda smirked. Her overall cute face was served well by the expression. “But are you seriously telling me the worst you’ve got is a ‘whiffs of Tucker’ guy in your office.”

“Oh,” you laughed. “Yeah, no. We had this guy named Andy - nice enough, but a complete stoner and nepotism hire. Deadweight from day one, and he ended up getting canned.”

“Alright,” Amanda said. “Not the worst, but definitely getting there.”

You sighed, shaking your head. “Look,” you said. “I don’t mean to be a One-Upper here, but I’m warning you now, if you make me talk about Joy you will be One-Upped.”

“Samantha went to HR to try and get Maeve and me fired by saying she could smell that we were on our periods and were refusing to do anything about the odour,” Amanda said.

“Did it end in a lawsuit?” you countered.

“No,” Amanda said, then realised what you were implying. “No,” she repeated.

You sighed again, trying to decide what you would and wouldn’t tell her - you weren’t going to give away anything that would hurt the Firm, but you were more than happy to do some light gossiping. “So, the first thing you need to know about Joy is that she was the daughter of a Senior Partner…”