Ch 7
One month later...
"You okay?" Ned asked quietly, as Dillon tugged at his tie, waiting for the
trial to begin.
"Yeah," Dillon mumbled, distracted, looking down the corridor. "Excuse me a
sec."
He walked down the hall, approaching her. "Hey," he said quietly, his hand
creeping up to the back of his head.
Georgie turned around. "Hey," she whispered back. They stood in awkward
silence for a moment.
"So, um, how have you been?" Dillon tried.
"Okay," Georgie hedged. "How about you?"
"Okay," he repeated. He traced a pattern on the floor with the toe of his
dress shoe. Georgie fingered her scarf.
"I've been spending a lot of time at the hospital," she offered, trying
desperately to sound off-hand, "you know, keeping busy and all..."
For a moment, Dillon managed to catch her eye. "You've been avoiding me,"
he informed her quietly.
"No!" Georgie started to say. "Not at all!" But she realized that she was
too tired to go on playing games. She looked down, nodding. "Yeah," she
conceded. "I have."
Before Dillon could respond, Ned was walking toward them. "We're starting,"
he told them quietly. "Hi Georgie."
"Hi Ned," she replied.
The three of them walked toward the door of the courtroom. Dillon put his
hand out, pulling it back just before it touched her shoulder.
"Will you sit with me?" he asked softly. Georgie looked down.
"I...I don't think I can," she whispered, her voice pained.
Dillon nodded. "Okay." He stepped aside. "After you."
"Thanks," Georgie whispered. "Good luck."
"Thanks," Dillon mouthed.
Georgie walked into the courtroom, sliding into a seat in the back row.
Dillon sighed.
"Mr. Quartermaine," the attorney asked him during the cross, "did you
consent to sexual intercourse at time?"
"Well, yeah," Dillon began, "but-"
"You see," the attorney interrupted, cutting him off, "the plaintiff admits
that he was not lured into bed under duress."
"Objection!" Alexis cried, jumping to her feet. "My client was under
emotional distress and the influence of debilitating drugs. Clearly he was
under duress."
"Objection sustained," the judge conceded. He looked at the defense
attorney. "Guard your conduct, counselor," he said quietly.
Dillon tried not to smirk as the defense attorney averted his eyes.
"Withdraw the question, Your Honor," he said. "No further."
"Mr. Quartermaine, you may step down."
Dillon nodded as he exited the witness stand. As he walked back to his
seat, his gaze wandered for a moment to the other side of the room. Tracy
sat up straight, impeccably dressed as always, a contemptuous sneer just
below the surface of her steely expression. Dillon looked away before his
eyes could meet Tracy's. He slid into his chair, feeling Ned's eyes on him.
"She really doesn't give a damn, does she?" Dillon muttered.
Hearing his brother's words hit Ned hard. A lump formed in his throat. "I'm
sorry," was all he could say.
"Ms. Davis, call your next witness," the judge ordered. Alexis rose to her
feet.
"The prosecution calls Lorenzo Alcazar," she stated clearly.
"Mr. Alcazar," Alexis began, once he'd been sworn in. "Were you aware of
who Dillon Quartermaine was when you first encountered him?"
Alcazar nodded. "Yes," he replied. "I knew he was Tracy Quartermaine's
youngest son."
"And how were you aware of this fact?" Alexis asked, pushing her glasses up
on her nose.
Alcazar took a breath. "I had once believed Dillon Quartermaine to be my
son."
One month later...
"You okay?" Ned asked quietly, as Dillon tugged at his tie, waiting for the
trial to begin.
"Yeah," Dillon mumbled, distracted, looking down the corridor. "Excuse me a
sec."
He walked down the hall, approaching her. "Hey," he said quietly, his hand
creeping up to the back of his head.
Georgie turned around. "Hey," she whispered back. They stood in awkward
silence for a moment.
"So, um, how have you been?" Dillon tried.
"Okay," Georgie hedged. "How about you?"
"Okay," he repeated. He traced a pattern on the floor with the toe of his
dress shoe. Georgie fingered her scarf.
"I've been spending a lot of time at the hospital," she offered, trying
desperately to sound off-hand, "you know, keeping busy and all..."
For a moment, Dillon managed to catch her eye. "You've been avoiding me,"
he informed her quietly.
"No!" Georgie started to say. "Not at all!" But she realized that she was
too tired to go on playing games. She looked down, nodding. "Yeah," she
conceded. "I have."
Before Dillon could respond, Ned was walking toward them. "We're starting,"
he told them quietly. "Hi Georgie."
"Hi Ned," she replied.
The three of them walked toward the door of the courtroom. Dillon put his
hand out, pulling it back just before it touched her shoulder.
"Will you sit with me?" he asked softly. Georgie looked down.
"I...I don't think I can," she whispered, her voice pained.
Dillon nodded. "Okay." He stepped aside. "After you."
"Thanks," Georgie whispered. "Good luck."
"Thanks," Dillon mouthed.
Georgie walked into the courtroom, sliding into a seat in the back row.
Dillon sighed.
"Mr. Quartermaine," the attorney asked him during the cross, "did you
consent to sexual intercourse at time?"
"Well, yeah," Dillon began, "but-"
"You see," the attorney interrupted, cutting him off, "the plaintiff admits
that he was not lured into bed under duress."
"Objection!" Alexis cried, jumping to her feet. "My client was under
emotional distress and the influence of debilitating drugs. Clearly he was
under duress."
"Objection sustained," the judge conceded. He looked at the defense
attorney. "Guard your conduct, counselor," he said quietly.
Dillon tried not to smirk as the defense attorney averted his eyes.
"Withdraw the question, Your Honor," he said. "No further."
"Mr. Quartermaine, you may step down."
Dillon nodded as he exited the witness stand. As he walked back to his
seat, his gaze wandered for a moment to the other side of the room. Tracy
sat up straight, impeccably dressed as always, a contemptuous sneer just
below the surface of her steely expression. Dillon looked away before his
eyes could meet Tracy's. He slid into his chair, feeling Ned's eyes on him.
"She really doesn't give a damn, does she?" Dillon muttered.
Hearing his brother's words hit Ned hard. A lump formed in his throat. "I'm
sorry," was all he could say.
"Ms. Davis, call your next witness," the judge ordered. Alexis rose to her
feet.
"The prosecution calls Lorenzo Alcazar," she stated clearly.
"Mr. Alcazar," Alexis began, once he'd been sworn in. "Were you aware of
who Dillon Quartermaine was when you first encountered him?"
Alcazar nodded. "Yes," he replied. "I knew he was Tracy Quartermaine's
youngest son."
"And how were you aware of this fact?" Alexis asked, pushing her glasses up
on her nose.
Alcazar took a breath. "I had once believed Dillon Quartermaine to be my
son."