Chapter 2

As Maya had mentioned to Franziska earlier, Phoenix was busy trying to find evidence to prove his client not guilty, but this was no easy task. Looking at all of the evidence he had gathered from the crime scene, he tried to establish a link that was new between them, or just to find a new way to look different pieces of evidence in general. So far, he wasn't having much luck, but he kept trying to think.

He figured that Maya could use a break, since he was sure she wouldn't want to just sit and listen to him talking to himself as he thought about the case, so he told her to just go out and do whatever she felt like for a little while he worked. He was happy with the peace and quiet he got as he worked alone in the office, but it was not to last as someone burst in unannounced.

"Yo, Nick!" Larry said in a friendly tone as if he didn't just barge into his friend's office without even giving him a call to warn him, "What's going on with you?"

Phoenix let out a sigh as he tried not to look up from his work, knowing that his day just got so much more complicated with Larry's entrance, and he said cautiously, "Hey, Larry. Look, I'm a little busy right now with work – "

"Come on, Nick! I'm bored…can't we do something?" Larry replied almost as if Phoenix hadn't spoken at all.

This is when Phoenix finally looked up and saw Larry looking at him with his big shiny, teary eyes, which would have worked on him just about any other time, but right now he, more specifically his client, was in a jam, so this was the last possible time that he wanted to goof off.

"Larry, seriously, I'm busy. Why don't you do something with Maya? She's on a break right now. I thought she'd gone to see you actually." Phoenix said, now scrunching his eyebrows slightly in thought, suddenly realizing that this situation did seem a little odd.

When an awkward silence settled in the room, Phoenix's suspicions that Larry wasn't just here to hang out with him were confirmed.

Phoenix just kept looking at Larry, when finally Larry broke eye contact and spoke in hesitation, "Ummm…Maya and I…kinda broke up."

"What?" Phoenix said in surprise, not expecting this at all, "But you guys seemed pretty happy. What happened?"

At this question, Larry scratched the back of his head as he thought, and a pained expression flashed on his face, "I…It's my fault…I think I screwed up, Nick."

"How do you mean?" Phoenix prodded, now wondering why Maya didn't mention anything to him about this.

Larry looked away from Phoenix again as he explained what happened, "Well, me and Maya were talking a few days ago, and then all of a sudden she tells me how she wants to have kids!"

Phoenix raised his eyebrows at Larry in surprise, not sure what to think about this, but suddenly Larry started looking a bit sheepish as he continued to speak.

"Then I told her that she was smothering me and that I couldn't handle that! When I thought about it later, I realized that she probably didn't mean right now, but I'd already freaked out and broke up with her by then."

Phoenix just stared at Larry, wondering how his spastic, irresponsible friend actually got women to date him.

Finally he just rolled his eyes and replied, "Just go and apologize to her, Larry. I'm sure she knows you well enough to know you didn't mean it."

Phoenix knew that he was in trouble when Larry's eyes got big, and shiny, and teary, knowing that Larry was about to start screaming in dramatics.

"I can't apologize, Nick!! She's not going to take me back!! I'M SUCH A PATHETIC HUMAN BEING, JUST END MY USELESS EXISTENCE ALREADY!!"

Phoenix shook his head at the sudden assault on his ears and he quietly said, "Larry, calm down."

But the attorney's words fell on deaf ears as Larry continued on his tirade, "She'll never forgive me!! So I guess I have to move on…I don't want to be alone, Nick!!

Before Larry could say any more about his plight, Maya now came into the office.

"I'm back! I just had gone – " she began to say, but she quickly stopped when she realized that Larry was also in the office.

Maya and Larry just looked at each other awkwardly, when Phoenix finally decided to break the tense silence.

"So, Maya…I know your birthday is coming up in a few days. Was there anything you wanted to do?" Phoenix asked, trying to get everyone's minds off the uneasiness in the room.

Maya's expression turned thoughtful as she considered the possibilities.

"I'm not sure, maybe we can all go to a bar or something…since I'll finally be able to get a drink now and all." Maya said with a playful smile.

"Well, I had wanted to surprise you, but a friend of mine just opened up a club in downtown LA, and I was planning for all of us to go on your birthday." Larry said, unable to even look Maya in the eye as he spoke, his voice uncharacteristically timid.

"Oh. Well, okay, sure." Maya said with just a little hesitation, but she gave Larry a small sweet smile nonetheless.

Seeing this smile, Larry felt even more acutely aware of what he'd so stupidly thrown away. Silently kicking himself, he just decided to get out of the office as quickly as possible.

"I guess I'll see you guys later." Larry said, shuffling out of the office door without another word to either of them.

Phoenix and Maya watched him leave, and then Phoenix turned to Maya and asked, "Why didn't you tell me about you and Larry breaking up?"

Maya looked away from Phoenix, obviously a little distressed and said, "I knew you were busy with your case, so I didn't want to bother you about it."

"Come on, Maya…you know that I would have helped you if you told me what was going on." Phoenix replied with a bit of concern.

"I know you would have. But really, Nick…your client needs more help than I do right now. This case looks impossible to win!" Maya said, looking a little amused, trying deliberately to change the subject away from she and Larry.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Maya." Phoenix started to say dryly, but he could tell what Maya was up to, so he brought he conversation back to what it started with, "But, anyway, Larry just told me right now that he was sorry about what he said, and that he didn't mean it."

Maya let out a little sigh and replied, "I know he didn't mean it, but I really don't want this to keep happening. I mean, a relationship is no fun if the other person can break up with you randomly any time. Until he stops doing that, I don't think I can get back together with him."

Phoenix thought that this was fair enough, so he decided to drop the subject. He wasn't sure what to change the subject to, since he didn't want to stay on this awkward topic, but thankfully, Maya did for him.

"So, before we go to the club, you are so taking me out to an awesome birthday dinner! Just like that time at the Gatewater hotel!" Maya said, suddenly looking excited as she mentioned all the food.

"I don't know about this, Maya." Phoenix tried to resist, but he knew it was futile.

Whenever it came to spending his money, Phoenix rarely had a choice in the matter, so he decided just to let it go, especially since this was for her birthday.

"Oh, I know the perfect place we can go!" Maya said, beginning to tell Phoenix all about one amazing steak house she'd heard about.

Phoenix had also heard about this place and its exorbitant prices, so suddenly he decided that Miles would be helping him pay for the dinner whether he liked it or not.

Maya…she'll never change…Phoenix thought, just happy that she seemed happier with the prospect of the nice dinner, and that her mind seemed to be off her problems with Larry just for a while.