Total pages in book: 22
Estimated words: 20497 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 102(@200wpm)___ 82(@250wpm)___ 68(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 20497 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 102(@200wpm)___ 82(@250wpm)___ 68(@300wpm)
At first I was terrified. A dangerous killer wanting to speak to me? I threw out the letters, but that didn’t stop him. He sent more. Then upped the ante and invited me to the prison for a conjugal visit, just him and me alone in a room, completely unsupervised for an hour. I may have lost my mind, because I’m actually considering it. And the worst part? I was part of the legal team that led to his conviction five years ago.
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
1
Elena
“Come on have another with me!” Kelly laughs and pops the cork off the second bottle of red wine and flashes a devilish grin my way.
“Oh, God…I…”
“Come on, girl! I just worked an eighty-hour work week, and I know you did what…seventy?”
“Sixty-eight,” I reply.
“Yeah, so basically seventy,” she says, snatching my empty glass from in front of me and filling it well past the midline. “It’s time to relax!”
I take the glass back, smile, and take a sip. She’s right. I really could use a breather after the long week I’ve had. And even if I felt otherwise, I know better than to argue with Kelly. She’s nine years older than me and one of the only women at the firm on track to become a partner. She’ll make it in the next couple of years too.
We became friends almost immediately after I joined out of law school. She was one of the reasons the partners accepted me. She was so impressed by the work I did as an intern on the Warner case that she put in a good word for me. We bonded quickly; our personalities just clicked, and we had similar interests, and I think she saw a lot of me in her as well.
“So Ron’s still at the office?” I ask. Kelly rolls her eyes.
“Either that or at his favorite watering hole with the other partners. I’ve given up keeping track of him anymore.”
I try not to let my feelings read on my face, but it’s hard. I always feel down when Kelly talks about her relationship with Ron. On the outside, anyone else would assume they have a perfect marriage. But being on the inside, I know that everything is basically just for show. The two of them haven’t been happy in a while. Well, at least Kelly hasn’t been.
“I’m so sorry, Kelly.”
She shrugs. “It is what it is. I’ve accepted it. Just don’t get me started on our ‘sex life.’ That’s the real tragedy.”
“Oh no,” I giggle, gulping my wine.
“I think a malfunctioning sex robot would have more passion than Ron at this point.”
I try to catch myself before I laugh but fail miserably and end up spraying wine through my lips like a scene straight out of the movies. Kelly bursts out laughing and tosses me a hand towel.
“What about you? Working all these long hours. Making time for any romance in your life?”
I pause as I’m wiping the counter.
This is what I like to call one of those crossroads moments. A difficult decision.
The easy answer would be to tell her no, of course, and I wouldn’t be lying; I don’t have a man in my life, and there definitely hasn’t been any romance. At least Kelly has a sex life to complain about.
But that also wouldn’t be the whole truth either, and Kelly is an extremely successful and high-powered lawyer who knows when people aren’t being truthful. She’s also my closest friend and knows all my tells.
“Well…” I say slowly, giving her ‘the eye.’ She instantly gets it and snaps her fingers at me.
“Spill it!”
I take a long drink, nearly finishing my glass. “Okay, but…I have to warn you. This isn’t going to be what you’re expecting. At all.”
“Oooh, surprises?” Kelly asks with glee, leaning in. “Tea? I love it. Tell me everything. Does he work at the firm?”
I almost burst out laughing. “Oh, no.”
Kelly gasps. “A competing firm? It’s not Brussel and Ryan, is it?”
“No.” I smile.
“Liber and Goldstein?”
Again, I’m on the verge of cracking up.
“Definitely not. I can promise you he does not work at a competing firm.”
“So he’s not in law at all?” Kelly asks, her interest piqued. “Where did you meet him? On the company retreat? Have you been going rock climbing with the guys from accounting and not telling me?”
“No, it’s not like that either…” I say slowly. I set my glass down and realize my palms are starting to sweat. “You remember the Warner case?”
“Do I remember the Warner case? The case of Bain Warner, ‘The Movie Star Murderer,’ that convinced me you were someone for our firm to keep an eye on? The case that basically got you hired? The case that made national news and boosted our firm’s notoriety beyond anything imaginable?” Kelly laughs. “No, Elena, I forgot.”
Nervously, I giggle back and sip more of my wine. God, I had no idea tonight’s conversation was going to go here. How do I even explain this to her? Am I committing some kind of ethical breech for even admitting what I’m about to admit? Kelly’s my friend, and I don’t want to put her in a bad situation. But at the same time, I don’t know anyone else I can go to with this, and I need advice.
My fingers nervously twist the hand towel as I try to think about the best way to explain my situation. But before I can come up with anything, Kelly bursts out, “Oh for God’s sake, Elena, just say it, would you!?”