With Even Stronger Reason
~ Chapter Two
It was a night of pornographic delights as I liked to think of it. As I got up this morning, I was still half-asleep. Last night had been eventful. I had invited my friends, heathens that they are, for a viewing session of the finest of Winner erotica. I had thought it would be an irresponsible and ultimately sinful escape from the gruesome task of defending folks who considered us cash-hungry monsters. Yes, I'm referring to all those lawyer jokes. I've heard all of them.
Aside from several reminiscent recollections from Duo about our law school days, the night had been pretty much silent. Duo and Heero had been lip-locking and petting most of the evening before deciding to go lock themselves in my room and retire, quite raucously, until sunrise. They could have at least made a mad dash for their condo, but that was beside the point. I, however, had been grossly concentrated on my man. Naked as he was in the videos, I had been mostly concentrated on his face. I had never seen a more beautiful visage in my life and I use the term sparingly. He was aesthetically pleasing to my eye and highly potent to my libido. He was also the adversary in my newest case.
I groaned as I stretched on the couch which had been my refuge for the night. All grown up and still someone's lackey. That was what Duo called me as he happily claimed my room. I had flicked him off then, but I knew it to be true. Even back in the day, Duo did like to take advantage of my youth and indifference. Heero just went along with it most of the time as if he had no say in the matter. That was fine with me. I didn't need my room. After that affair with a wayward, handsome professor years ago, I no longer shared my bed with anyone.
"Breakfast, anyone?" Duo called out as he exited my bedroom with the widest of smiles I've seen on him in a while. I'm glad I could help. The least they could do was wash the sheets afterwards.
Heero soon followed close behind him.
"Two scrambled eggs and a toast," Heero said without any inflection in his voice. The only indication that he was just as satisfied was the slap that followed on Duo's ass.
"Not in front of the kids," Duo reprimanded with a laugh and a wink directed toward me. It was the second time I flicked him off within 24 hours.
"Just make me some coffee," I said as I held my head against my hand. There was no way I was going to stay awake for the rest of the day. I had been a bit… busy most of the night.
"Just a coffee?" Duo echoed.
"You're going to need more than that if you're facing Chang today," Heero followed-up.
I immediately lifted my head from my hand.
"Did you say Chang?" I asked with a bit of horror.
"Yes, Chang," Duo responded as he broke an egg on the side of a bowl. "And I mean Wufei Chang."
My nightmare had come true. Wufei Chang, or Chang Wufei as he preferred it, was one of the toughest (if not the toughest) attorneys in town. He was smart, sharp, and strict - the three Ss' that had made him what he was today. Attorneys would cry at his feet after their defeat. Judges worshipped him like a god. His knowledge of the law was on par with Heero if not more. He was professional and disciplined. Paired with Quatre Raberba Winner, wealthiest of the wealthy, they were unstoppable.
"Geez, didn't you read the response to your petition? His name is right at the top of the page. Chang & Associates is written in bold, capped letters."
"Heero?" was all I could say as I looked at my mentor for support. I did read the documents the other party had filed, but I failed to check who I was up against. As far as I was concerned, I was only going to be battling with Mr. Winner. How was I to know that he hired the cream of our crop?
"Good luck," Heero said. "You'll need it."
Five words of encouragement were all I relied upon as I rushed to the office building a little more than ten minutes late for my meeting. I hadn't even made it there and I was already making a bad impression. Had this been a court hearing, I would have already been sanctioned. After Duo had so helpfully dropped my mug of coffee on my suit amidst his laughter, I had already considered myself late; so late in fact that Dorothy would fire me the first chance she got. I tried to calm down and think up a good excuse. Our firm needed this case. In fact, I needed this case too.
'Please let them be late,' I thought over and over again. If they were late too then at least that would mean that by comparison, I was just on time.
"How nice of you to join us this fine morning, Mr. Barton." It was the sole greeting I received upon entering.
Surveying the room did little to quell my fears as I saw three people already occupying their seats. Dorothy looked diabolical as she sat there with a knowing smile on her face. At least I wasn't going to get fired. It was a surprise that the murderous aura Chang was giving off did not bother my ostensibly satisfied client one bit. Dark, black eyes stared at me as if I was the most despicable human being on the planet. Wufei Chang obviously valued punctuality.
"Good morning, counsel."
Cutting through the thick air of animosity was a voice I loved even before I heard. I felt a tingle in my spine as I turned to face the owner of the voice. Staring at the latest object of my desires, I realized that almost everything of what my client said about him was true. This guy, Quatre Raberba Winner, spent a good half day or so on his appearance. His hair was combed neatly, parted to the side with fringes of bangs delicately arranged to frame his face. His hands were clean with his fingers having gone through a very thorough manicure. His skin looked soft and vibrant as if treated with a generous helping of mink oil and buttermilk. His clothes were neatly pressed and his posture was too close to Chang's. A pair of glasses was sitting atop his nose only to leave its position when he looked up to address me.
"Good morning," I said in return.
Call me vain, but this guy was staring at me more intently than I was him. As I sat, I noticed the slight, almost imperceptible upward tilt of his lips. Oh yes, he definitely thought I was one gorgeous catch.
"Mr. Barton," Dorothy voiced and I knew it was not her intention to interrupt Mr. Winner's viewing pleasure. "I'd like to introduce you to my husband Quatre and his attorney Mr. Chang. Quatre, Mr. Chang, this, as you may already know, is my lawyer Mr. Trowa Barton."
"It's a pleasure, Mr. Barton," Dorothy's soon-to-be-ex said as he offered his hand in greeting. I took it with little enthusiasm and more cordial professionalism as the situation called upon. Hand-licking was not an option, especially not with Chang as witness. I doubted that Dorothy would care either way.
"Mr. Barton," Chang soon followed, also accepting my hand in greeting. Where was Winner junior when you needed someone to cut through the formal air?
"I'd rather we get straight to the point," Chang said next. My attention was taken away from Mr. Winner for the meantime. "My client wants all the assets divided very meticulously before being distributed to the appropriate parties. He also wants full, physical custody of their son Samuel."
"Then there are terms to discuss," I replied with a comeback of my own. "My client has no desire for her husband's money. There should be no disagreements on that matter. However, my client also wants full, physical custody of their son."
"Sam prefers my place," Quatre Winner interrupted all the while addressing only me.
"Hah! If Sammy was given the choice, he would live with Samuel and not either of us, especially not you. You work too much," Dorothy responded. I was ready for this. Let the battle begin.
"Samuel is not his father," Mr. Winner said. The tilt of his head caused his bangs to bounce the slightest bit. "Samuel is too lenient and not to mention too young to raise our boy."
"I was not suggesting anything of the sort, dear Quatre," Dorothy said in response as a French manicured finger laid itself against her lip. "Next time, maybe you'll learn to listen to what I say instead of concentrating on my attorney."
She said her last statement with a slight smirk.
"Then what are you suggesting?" Mr. Winner responded, obviously ignoring the innuendo about me.
"Sammy should live with his mother. If he would like to visit with you or Samuel every now and then, I have no problem with that."
I could only wonder if Chang was aware of this third party called Samuel. The way they were talking about the guy, it almost seemed like he was the third parent. I almost had the urge to demand Samuel's attendance immediately. If the case ever got nasty, there would be another attorney I'd have to duke it out with. I only hoped it was not going to be anybody as intimidating as Chang.
"If this Samuel is part of the custody issue then there is every reason for him to be present at this meeting," Chang voiced what I could only think of. We were thinking the same thoughts after all. "Who is Samuel anyway?"
I felt vindicated. Chang did not know what he was dealing with. It became apparent that Mr. Winner had never mentioned the complications of a third party to his attorney. At least I had come in with more knowledge on the matter than the almighty one. I knew who Samuel was.
"He bedded us both when our son was conceived," Dorothy responded with not a hint of embarrassment in her voice. "He made my husband deliver when he couldn't do it on his own."
To that, Mr. Winner became flustered. I could not get over how attractive the fine dusting of pink had turned out on his cheeks. His hand immediately took refuge on the first item he could grab. I just assumed that it was his reaction to an uncontrolled situation. The pen, the object of his refuge, suffered against the onslaught of his fingers.
"If it was your intention to embarrass me at this meeting, then you can claim your victory now, Dorothy," Mr. Winner said. The lawyer at his side did not react.
"You should know by now that it is always my victory, sweet Quatre," my client responded. For some reason, I believed her and that was slightly reassuring.
"I have heard quite enough," Chang interjected, probably to fan the flames of hostility that had started to build up. "Until we get a hold of this Mr. Samuel, there is nothing more we can discuss. We should arrange another meeting at another convenient time. I should hope that all required to be present will be on time."
That last line was meant for me, but I acted like it was meant for someone else.
"Call my secretary to set up an appointment," Chang commanded. I could only nod. I was my own secretary. Duo would laugh at my face if I ever requested for him to act as my assistant just to set-up an appointment with Chang's office.
Our small group dispersed almost immediately. Dorothy pecked me on the cheek before rushing off to who knows where. Chang led his client out the door, whispering a few words to him on the way out. It was not long before he, too, disappeared. It was only Mr. Winner and I who lingered a bit longer. I supposed it was mutual attraction that held us back from going our separate ways.
"Have you met my son?" Mr. Winner addressed me as I exited the door behind him.
"Yes. He looks just like you," I answered. I held my tongue about how adorable his son was. Giving away too much just wasn't my style.
"Does he like you?" Mr. Winner asked next. He proceeded to button his suit. He failed to look at me.
"I'm not sure," I said while wondering about the random questions. I almost hoped he would ask me out for coffee, but I already knew it was unprofessional. I had my ethics to uphold. I shouldn't have even been talking to this guy. He was represented by an attorney.
"Have you seen them?" Mr. Winner then asked. He finally raised his head to look at me. The question was straightforward as was the expression on his face.
"Seen what?" I tried to clarify. This question and answer session wasn't amusing me much. It just worked to fill the dull void that started to permeate our blank space. I wondered if it was awkwardness, but Mr. Winner looked anything but awkward.
"The pictures and the videos," he specified. He didn't look at all embarrassed or as disturbed as he was earlier in the conference room. The words were said matter-of-factly as if I should have already expected it. Unfortunately, it was the last topic I was expecting to discuss with him - ever.
I coughed after having chocked on my own spit. How would he even know I had them? My reaction in and of itself had given me away. I did not know what to do - deny it despite the obvious or admit it with a straight face. There was nothing wrong with examining them. They were a part of our exhibits. Everything I had done thus far was legal. Talking to him without representation was not the right thing to do, but at least it wasn't illegal.
"Watch out for my wife."
It was all Mr. Winner had to say to end the conversation before leaving my sight altogether. Bodyguards were all I saw when I looked out the window to follow him. His black Mercedes Maybach drove off quickly with its precious carriage already inside. I wondered what Dorothy had planned for all of us.
"Now that was short, wasn't it?"
I almost jumped as I felt a hand, most probably Duo's, on my shoulder.
"We need the party to the threesome to be here," I answered just as Heero passed by with a file in his hand. He went straight for his office with no inquiries on how my first meeting with Chang and Mr. Winner went.
"You mean daddy number two?" Duo asked.
"Yes, daddy number two," I responded.
"How did it go with Chang? You could usually tell what he thinks of you with one look."
"You mean aside from irresponsible and behind schedule?"
Duo lightly bumped me on the head with his fist. It was an act of brotherly endearment I never did get used to. He flipped his pen into the air and let it spin a few times before catching it with his other hand.
"Chang will be Chang. He's a hard-ass. Don't worry too much about what he thinks because practically everyone to him is worth as much as trash."
I merely stared at Duo. His words were not encouraging in the least. In some ways Duo was just like Heero. The only difference was that Heero used fewer words. They were both ineffective supporters. Nonetheless, I was grateful for their good intentions.
"Mr. Winner, Quatre," I started again. "He asked me about his son."
"Did he now?" Duo said before making himself comfortable on an empty chair and putting his feet up on the table, an act that would later earn him Heero's disapproval.
"He also asked me if I've seen the 'evidence.'"
"…And you said?"
"I didn't have to say anything. It was all over my face."
"Maybe he was only asking you if you saw the box containing it, not if you actually 'perused' of what was in it," Duo said with a wag of his index finger. "But you did answer the imminent follow-up question anyway. At least it saves him the trouble of asking about it specifically."
I sent Duo a look that told him I wasn't pleased with the turn of events.
"Maybe he wanted you to see it," Duo suggested.
"And that helps how?" I questioned.
"You don't even have to tell me, Tro," Duo responded. "Both Heero and I could see it all over you. You're into the guy. He's blond. He's pretty. He's older than you. He's everything you're into."
"Probably not everything," I murmured to myself. Surely I wasn't into men who were married to Machiavellian wives.
"He warned me about his wife," I informed Duo as Dorothy came to mind.
"Now that, I have to agree with," Duo said before patting me on the back. "Here," he said next as he stood to hand me a file. "This one's yours too. It's another divorce - uncontested. You should be done in a snap. The client will be here after lunch. Relax for the rest of the morning. We'll be doing a lot of work in the next couple of weeks."
I nodded and took the file with little attention to what I was getting. I knew Duo was busy too, so I decided to take refuge at my own office. On the way there, I stopped to close the conference room door. That was when my eyes landed on something. In the seat Dorothy had taken was a white card with gold edges. I was going to leave it where it was and get the cleaning crew to figure out where to trash it, but it was inexplicably tempting. I backtracked to the room and picked up the card already knowing there would be trouble. After all, Dorothy, from what I've learned in the past few weeks, does everything with reason.
I examined what was written in neat cursive. It was an address with a date and time specified. I knew better than to call Dorothy and tell her she left something. Most likely, she had planned this beforehand. Chances were that she wanted me at the indicated address at the designated time and date. I paused for a moment, deciding whether or not I would be there. My common sense seemed to have left the building as I stuffed the card into my pocket, the hour and place of the meeting memorized. I would show up. What harm could it do anyway?
