The Barson Daily's Weekly Drabble Prompt: Demand

My first attempt at a drabble, so I figured I'd start at the beginning.


"You looped the belt like this."

Olivia watched in amused disbelief as the new ADA wrapped his own belt around his neck in the middle of the courtroom. In the hundreds of hours she'd spent watching trials she'd never seen anything like it.

"Come on, show me how you like it!" Barba was demanding of Cain.

Olivia jumped to her feet, ready to rush to his aid as Cain pulled the belt tight around Barba's neck, but it was over just as quickly as it had begun and she sat back down. She shared a glance with Rollins, who's look of shock and amusement mirrored her own.

Who was this guy?

Once closing arguments were completed and the jury had been sent off to deliberate, Olivia leaned against the wall outside the courtroom, waiting while Jocelyn splashed some water on her face and composed herself.

She caught sight of Barba out of the corner of her eye. "That was...interesting, counselor." She said as he strolled by her.

Her words stopped him mid stride and he turned to her, cocky grin on his face. "It worked didn't it?"

"It wasn't the first time was it?"

"What do you mean?"

"That's not the first time you've had a belt around your neck."

His jaw dropped before he could stop it. "Excuse me?"

She shrugged like it was nothing. "To my trained eye, you looked a little practiced. That's all."

His eyes narrowed, intrigued. "Trained eye?"

"Fifteen years working sex crimes you pick up on things." She spotted Jocelyn coming out of the ladies room and pushed herself off the wall. "Later, counselor."

Rafael watched her walk away, still frozen in place by her brazen words. Yes, things certainly were going to be interesting here in Manhattan.