Mark Denton watches as Nick Fallin makes his way towards his table. He's heard a lot about this man over the years but hasn't had the opportunity to meet him. He knows he wasn't the most popular of men when he worked in his father's firm. but it's acknowledged that he's good. He's thorough and ruthless. His dad has a similar reputation, but he knows how to sugar coat it. He has met him and sparred with him a couple of times, . Hard to believe that the business world is minus both Fallin men. It was the talk of the water cooler when Nick Fallin took over as director at Lsp. No-one expected him to stay, the downshift in money and prestige would surely bring him back to the business world, but Nick Fallin not only stayed but brought it back from the brink of financial ruin. There were snide remarks of favours cashed in when he was assigned Judge Stanton and received community service for his drug charges but Nick has proved the judge a smart man.
He stands up as Nick reaches the table, shakes his hand and calls over the waiter as they settle into their chairs.
"Thanks for meeting me so late, it's been a busy day."
"No problem Nick, we all have to eat, may as well make money while doing it."
"I remember the days"
After ordering drinks and polite chit-chat they get down to business.
"As I explained on the phone the Mother of my daughter is considering taking a job in Chicago. We've never formally had custody arrangements put in to place, as there as never been a need before. We were able to agree to terms amicably and it's worked well. I don't want to cause hard feelings between us as I know that's not good for Anne but I can't just let my daughter go. I love her and want a proper relationship with her and I won't have that if Lulu takes her to Chicago and Anne loves me."
Mark can see and hear the emotion behind Nick's words. Custody issues are always fueled by emotion, sometimes good and sometimes bad. Sometimes men only want to seek revenge on the mother and couldn't care less for the child but he can see that Nick loves his daughter and wants to be with her.
"As you know Nick, the courts are traditionally biased towards mothers but it's gradually changing. Our best strategy would be to prove the positive influence you have in your daughter's life and that the move is not advantageous for Lulu or for Anne."
"What about my drug charge and probation?"
"Well you successfully fulfilled the terms of your probation so it shouldn't be a problem."
Mark notices some discomfort from Nick.
"Lulu know I took drugs whilst on probation."
"When was the last time?"
"It was about three years ago when Lulu left me. But it was just the once and I have been clean ever since."
"Was there a reason why she left you?"
Nick avoids Marks eye, looking in to the restaurant, takes a deep breath and turns to him.
"I had an affair with a work colleague. I asked Lulu to marry me when I discovered she was pregnant and she turned me down. Even now I don't really know why I did it, I loved Lulu. I guess I was feeling hurt and rejected."
"A few years have passed now and you've shown you're reliable and a good father. I won't promise it will be easy Nick, the odds are stacked against you but you have a better case than most."
Mark watches as Nick leans back against his chair and lets out a sigh, his tension still evident in the way he flicks his fingers with his thumb.
"Thanks Mark, hopefully she'll decide to stay here. I don't see how moving hundreds of miles away is a good thing for her."
Nick spends another sleepless night tossing and turning. The meeting with Mark had been positive but he knew that his chances of stopping Lulu from leaving were slim. Hopefully she'll come to her senses.
The next day is a little kinder to Nick. No surprises at work and he even wins a case. He meets his father for lunch and debates whether to talk to him about Lulu but decides to wait until he knows for sure that she has accepted the job as his father is looking a little tired. When Nick expresses his concern he says he thinks he's coming down with a cold. Nick makes a note to check on him the next day. Lulu calls a few times and eventually they have a brief conversation and she asks him to come over but he explains he's busy and that he will see her when she comes into work the following day.
Now he has his date to look forward to. Despite the pressure he's under the thought of spending time with Jenny again makes him feel a little lighter. He arrives home earlier than he expected so he takes his time relaxing in the shower, the hot water feels good against his skin. It feels good to be going out on a date, he usually meets someone while he's out. He hasn't actually asked someone out for a long time. He dresses carefully to make the best impression, if he's honest with himself he's a little nervous. He knows that a lot of women find him attractive, that his looks have given him many fleeting relationships and his money hasn't hurt either. But it's not usually the women he actually like who stay. They complain that he doesn't open up much and they become frustrated with him. Perhaps he ought to have fought harder to make them stay but it never seemed worth the effort. He'd tried hard with Lulu to make up for his mistakes, but it hadn't been good enough. He knows it had hit his confidence and he's been shying away from relationships but Jenny seem to have awoken something in him. He takes one last look in the mirror before going downstairs, grabbing his keys and heading out for the restaurant.
