With Even Stronger Reason
~ Chapter Six
"You never fail to surprise me," Dorothy Catalonia greeted when she entered my office. Today, it was just her. There was no Winner Junior or bodyguards, no one to accompany her always extravagant entrance. "I'll have you know my usually sweet husband was screaming his head off at me all week." She fanned herself with a hand as if my office was not as frigid as it was. "These are one of those times I wished he weren't gay."
I fought the urge to fan myself as well. I loosened my tie and swept non-existent sweat from my brows. I could only imagine what she meant by it. Quatre, furious and red, strong hands curled into fists, torso slightly forward in a combative mood, anger etched on a cherub's face, body so taut you could bounce a bowling ball off it, etcetera, etcetera. I would never finish if I continued with the line of thought. If it had been me, I would have jumped him and engaged in vigorous, angry sex.
"I had no idea you'd been one of Millardo Peacecraft's toys before I referred Samuel to his services."
I inwardly thanked Dorothy for throwing metaphorical, freezing water on me right after successfully warming me up for a mental holiday. Ah, so she was behind it too albeit unknowingly. I should have guessed.
"You truly are extraordinary, Mr. Barton." She sat across from me, tilting folded legs at an angle. "Millardo kindly relayed the events to me. I haven't had this kind of entertainment in a long time."
"I'm glad to be of service," I responded with my poker face. I retrieved a file from my drawer, opening it to the page of relevance for today's meeting. Before me was a neatly collated document I had worked on for two weeks, night and day, during the times Dorothy called in. It also happened to coincide with the times my client was having a screaming match with her very angry, very sexy husband.
"This is the final draft," I offered, handing her the thick stack most people would hurl across a room. She didn't bat an eyelash. Instead, she took out a pair of gold, ornate reading glasses from a leather box inside her criminally luxurious purse.
"Well written," she said after flipping a page over. "Well written for such a boring document. You do know how to get straight to the point."
I nodded, accepting her compliments which fared far and few between, but seemed to appear in troves today. I hadn't slept soundly all week. I hadn't even left the office. The only reason why I looked decent and smelled fresh this morning was because I took a two hour break to wash up, change and grab a bite to eat before she came. I hadn't even had time to fantasize about Quatre.
"Millardo will be mildly surprised," she commented after flipping over another page. "Not that I was expecting a good argument out of him. Samuel's was a losing one to begin with."
I folded my hands on top of the table and waited patiently as her hands meticulously went over page after page of the pleading. She was surprisingly sentient at seven in the morning. My only indication of her continuing approval was the occasional nod of her head and the upward tilting of her lips. She did not skip a page, diligently going through my hard work with appreciation. When she finished, she signed it with no further questions. I thanked her for working with me throughout the time-consuming process.
"Splendid. Now let's have your secretary fax it."
I had no secretary. I couldn't afford one, so I retrieved the document from Dorothy with a promise that it would be sent later. She looked at me knowingly, not a hint of pity in her eyes for my lack of an assistant. Taking the document from me once again, she said "I'll do it. I know how to work a fax machine."
I watched her sashay her way to the machine, staple remover, cover page and Chang's fax number in tow. It was a simple enough task. I trusted her with the machine and bent my head back down to my table to arrange the rest of the documents that I would bring to Chang's office in the afternoon to discuss. I should have taken the rest of the day off, but the promise of a settlement agreement soon, a hearing-free divorce proceeding, and an impending end to the legal relationship between my client and my objective was too tempting.
I think I heard all thirty pages go through the machine by the time Dorothy got back to me, neatly stapling several pieces of paper before handing me the document.
"I will talk to you later, Mr. Barton," she said as she retrieved her purse and hung the straps on her arm. "Do enjoy the rest of your day." And just like that, she was done.
It was with mild worry that I watched her exit my office door and with growing anxiety that I realized she had been well-behaved today. Aside from dropping hints about her husband and her revelation that Samuel's lawyer had been her doing, she didn't manage to concoct any devious plans. I should have really known better when I finally slipped the document she had just faxed into a folder. A page with a hand-written note slipped out. I looked at the fax receipt. Including the cover page, the page number count was thirty-one. With growing dread, I read the note.
"Sign it, dear," it said in neatly written cursive. "Your 'wife's lawyer' worked ever so hard on it. From your loving wife, Dorothy - P.S. Your 'wife's lawyer' finds your rage rather… captivating."
I dropped the note immediately. Surely Dorothy had known it was faxed to Wufei Chang. His name was in bold print on the cover page. I could only curse her underhanded tricks, covering my face in shame. I wasn't prepared to face Wufei Chang this afternoon after all.
It was very unfortunate for me that afternoon did arrive. It was too late to cancel on Chang by then, so there was no choice but to follow through with the pre-arranged meeting.
"Child custody expert in the house," Duo announced in rather embarrassing fashion when he met me at the entrance of our office building. I had been waiting for him for a good half hour as he finished a hearing at the courthouse two blocks from where we worked. He liked walking quite a bit, so we were dreadfully almost late for the meeting with Chang by the time he made it.
I didn't accuse him of being late. That wasted precious minutes, so I dashed for the side of the street for a taxi, praying with all my might to Duo's god that we would make it in time. Duo gleefully followed, probably haven gotten something he wanted out of the hearing that had just concluded.
"Ready for Chang today?" he questioned, dumping his briefcase into the taxi I had frantically gotten a hold of. The taxi could have sped away with his case, but he was obviously not thinking about it. I followed next in the back seat, keeping my own briefcase against my chest like it was a lifeline.
"We're late."
"We're an hour plus early," Duo said with a slap on my back. "It takes, like, what? Fifteen minutes to get there? Relax. We'll be too early for the meeting."
It was easy for him to say. He didn't have a record with Chang. I almost regretted taking him with me. But as he said, a child custody expert he was and that was exactly what was necessary for the upcoming meeting.
"Dorothy sent him a… strange note this morning."
"Which would affect Chang's image of you how?"
I was mortified and I was hungry once again. Breakfast had been quick and I hadn't had the time to grab some lunch. I spent the time worrying about the note. I hoped that Chang didn't think I sent the note myself. I was incompetent enough already in his eyes.
"Eh, don't worry about it," Duo said off-handedly. "He's probably used to the strange relationship between the Winners by now. I'm sure he's had his hands full with his own client. The guy isn't exactly a saint and trying to present someone like that as a saint wouldn't fly with the judge."
That was true, but as far as I was concerned, Quatre was my patron saint.
True enough, as Duo had predicted, we were an hour early to the meeting. My anxiety placated for the time being, allowing me to get into my element and discuss the case with Duo at the first floor lobby. He had studied it the night before as he was more like Chang who liked to be prepared for a battle. He got it down pat in no time and I could heave a sigh of relief. We were prepared. I thanked so many deities I didn't have to pair up with Heero on this instead.
Nearly an hour into our discussion, I felt a tap on my shoulder, which I refused to acknowledge. With Duo's insistence, I looked up to find our adversary with a copy of a faxed note in hand. Quatre looked delectable in today's choice suit from his position hovering right above me. His million watt smile said so many things about how he felt about the note he was holding up. I tentatively thought about thanking Dorothy again for causing such a sight.
"My rage is captivating?" he questioned, his mischievous smile lighting up my afternoon. "See you upstairs," he said and then left the two of us to stare after him.
"Not bad," Duo whistled, this having been the first time he'd seen Quatre in person. "He's 100% your type – blond, hot, older, and definitely full of himself."
I looked at my watch, grabbed Duo's arm and made a run for the elevators. I feared that I was still going to be late anyway.
I was breathing heavily by the time I reached Chang's office floor, but was relieved when the subject of my fears was nowhere to be found in the conference room. Duo noticed my relief but did not say anything as he picked himself a seat and retrieved some notes from his briefcase.
"I must apologize," Chang greeted a few minutes later. "I am still discussing your proposal with my client. It might take some time. Do you mind waiting or should we reschedule?"
"We'll wait," I said quickly without consulting Duo first. My companion hit my arm with the back of his hand.
"I'm hungry," he growled. "Those two own practically the entire city. That proposal is how many pages long? I'm only here to talk about the kid, Trowa. You owe me more than just lunch for this."
I nodded, took the seat next to Duo and waited. I was nervous as I considered the possibility that Quatre wouldn't sign it. Dorothy had been reasonable and we had worked so hard to put her reason into writing. I knew the issue about the child would be a sticking point, but Duo himself had said it didn't look like what we were asking for was going to be a problem. If he didn't sign then there was only going to be one other possibility.
"I'll need you at the hearing," I murmured to Duo as we waited in relative silence.
"You don't know that yet."
A man came in after a long wait handing each of us what looked like a portfolio, which I took with thanks. I was expecting more of the legal paperwork I'd become engrossed in for a fortnight only to find a menu. I looked up the door to find Chang who simply explained "Lunch is on Mr. Winner for making you wait."
I felt Duo resist his urge to cry tears of joy. He was composed as he muttered a quick and mumbled 'thank you.' Quatre was going to be feeding more than three stomachs this afternoon. Duo hadn't had breakfast this morning and he was surely going to be voracious.
Chang joined us at the table not soon after with a menu of his own.
"Why so nervous, Mr. Barton," he addressed me without looking up from his perusal of the menu. "I don't bite. Mr. Maxwell can attest to that."
I looked to Duo for confirmation to find him covering his mouth from Chang. He mouthed the words 'yes he does', effectively spelling the end of my confidence. I could only wonder how Chang noticed my anxiety when I considered myself so good at hiding my emotions. Lately, I've been all over the place with them.
"I didn't fax the note," I blurted out instead of what I was hoping would be a smooth delivery. I wasn't the type to be reduced to begging, not even if it were Chang. That note didn't help my image.
"Of course," Chang responded, lifting a hand up to call the assistant who had delivered the menus earlier. After we ordered, Duo having ordered a minimum three dishes, he addressed me once again.
"Ms. Catalonia has her ways," he reasoned, taking out those intimidating glasses and folding his hands in front of him. "I would tread carefully, Mr. Barton. If my client didn't have such a good relationship with the press, you would never be able to hide the disreputable activities you are engaging in with my client."
Chang knew. It was only a matter of time.
"Oh, lighten up," Duo chimed in, leaning back on his seat and coming to my defense. "Your client is an adult and knew exactly what he was doing. It was all a mutual miscalculation and it's over now." He kicked my ankle in the process. I would never hire him as my malpractice lawyer. I would never have admitted it, not even if you pulled my teeth. Duo gave me away too easy.
"Fair enough," Wufei said with a nod, treating the topic as something now out of the way. "But I'm afraid my client isn't signing your settlement agreement."
Deflated was the word I would use to describe myself at that instant. I considered for a moment what it would have been like if they'd agreed today only to find myself unable to imagine the end to their power struggle. Quatre had no intention of having a relationship with me anytime soon. He would rather continue bickering with his wife. And I'd become such a shallow person after meeting him. Surely, this wasn't good for my emotional maturity.
I snuck a peek at the door behind Chang, waiting to be joined by today's generous host. If I was going to spend extended weeks being stuck in my office collaborating with Dorothy, I may as well have received some reward in the form of a proper conversation with my current flame. As if my will encouraged him to make an appearance, a neatly combed blond head popped in.
"Sorry for the wait," he said with a sheepish smile. "It was my fault for coming in later than the scheduled appointment with Wufei."
'Apology from you always accepted,' I thought before noting that he called Chang by his first name. I stared at Chang to evaluate his approximate age.
"I trust that Wufei," Quatre started again. "...along with Mr. Barton and Mr.-"
"Maxwell, Duo Maxwell," Duo supplied giving a friendly salute his way.
"Yes, Mr. Maxwell. I trust that all three of you will… eradicate Mr. Peacecraft's client from the case?"
At least there was one thing we all agreed on. The third party had no place in the divorce and any type of eradication of Zechs was always good. That was another matter I had to resolve.
"Of course," Chang answered with a snotty nod.
I meekly nodded in Quatre's direction with my eyes now fixated on Chang. Now that I got past that strict, high and mighty attitude, he was actually quite a good-looking man. Duo had mentioned this not too long ago and I agreed. Alarm bells went off in my head and I frowned.
"Before that, we are doing an extensive revision of your proposal," Chang said next as if he was looking forward to a long afternoon of discussion. I noticed from the corner of his folder red ink all over my beautiful proposal. I'm sure Duo wasn't happy either.
"Naturally," Quatre added still from his position by the door. He didn't look like he was intending to come in and join us. "I will leave you three to your business. I'll see you again next week, Wufei."
The alarm bells in my head turned into loud honks from a fire engine. I considered purchasing better malpractice insurance and laying waste to my code of ethics to cross the room and address Quatre before he left. I missed him. It was a pathetic form of reasoning coming from someone who didn't share anything meaningful with a man he barely knew. This was not the type of person I knew I was.
Someone was pulling Quatre from behind by his jacket and it was with great misery that I realized it was Samuel, who he probably brought along with him. It was baffling why he would take him with him to talk to his lawyer when he was clearly a party to the action and very much still a part of the case. Also, it didn't help that Quatre was saying such inflammatory things about him when he was around.
"I heard what you said, asshole," Quatre was accused to which he responded with a smile.
"You could run back to Dorothy if you want," he suggested, turning to address their unexpected guest.
There was a loud, passionate 'fuck you' directed at Quatre before Samuel stomped his way out of the conference room and effectively out of the floor we were on. If it was some kind of sick, twisted game they played then it was obvious that it wore out Chang who could only shake his head in disapproval. Duo began kicking my ankle in earnest, probably ruining a perfectly good discount-store pant in the process. I'm sure he would talk to me later about picking better partners. ...As if Zechs had not been bizarre enough already.
"Why the face, Mr. Barton?" Quatre finally addressed me once the drama but not the tension subsided. "You didn't think I would make it that easy for you, did you? Give my regards to my lovely wife."
Those, along with his sly look, were his parting words, parting words that told me exactly how long this was going to take and how much I should have stayed away from him. Duo definitely did not approve with the way he gave me one final, noticeable kick from under the table. Chang was nice enough not to give any indication that he noticed.
Quatre Winner was one rotten individual and it was now, more than ever, very clear that his battle with Dorothy was going to be a long, drawn-out affair.
