No Longer Needed (12 page)

“Are you sure we should say anything? What if they’re recording this?”

Crispin laughed. When he could control himself, he patted her hand again. “You’re adorable. I wouldn’t worry about it. They can’t record us without our consent, and if they did anyway, they couldn’t use it in court. Besides, we’d never say anything in here we didn’t want them to know. I want them to know we’re going to kick their asses.”

Emma smiled. “Okay. I trust you, Crispin. I don’t know why, though. You’re still a lawyer.”

He cocked his head at her. “What do you have against lawyers anyway? Other than what everyone else has against them. You seem to have a real hate-on for our kind.”

“You make it sound like a species,” Emma said.

“It is. Are you going to tell me?”

“What?”

“What you have against my kind. Or are you trying to avoid my question?”

The door opened and she quickly whispered, “I’ll tell you later.” At Crispin’s stern look, she added, “I promise.”

A tall, slim man in an expensive suit stepped in with a professional smile. He had black hair that didn’t seem natural for his age. He gave Emma a firm handshake and surreptitiously checked her out. “I’m Alex Kennedy. It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Jenkins.”

“Crispin,” he said, shaking his hand.

They know each other.
 

Crispin hadn’t mentioned that, but it made sense. They were, after all, in the same
species
.

Kennedy sat at the table across from Crispin.

“Alan isn’t here yet,” he said, “but should be arriving soon.”

Good,
Emma thought.
They haven’t had time to formulate a plan.

“No problem,” Crispin said, somehow making it seem as though they’d all gathered here at his request.

How does he do that?
Emma wondered.

It was the first time she’d seen him in his element. He had been relaxed and casual with her in his office. Now he sat straight, even looked a little stern. It was like he sat at the head of the table, the regal Kennedy now his minion.

Silence descended on the conference room. Kennedy and Crispin both looked through their notes. Crispin glanced at the door a few times and pointedly looked at his watch, appearing more and more irritated. Emma knew it had to be all show. Until today, she’d never seen him get irritated or impatient over anything.

“Will your client be joining us soon?” Crispin asked.

Kennedy looked up from his notes and pulled off his glasses. He set them down in front of him before answering. “Maybe we should give him a few more minutes and if he doesn’t show, then reschedule.”

Crispin gave a quick nod and picked up his notes again.

Dismissed, Kennedy put his glasses back on and also went back to reading his notes. The power struggle fascinated Emma. Actually, it wasn’t even a struggle. It was more like Kennedy had already conceded the leadership role to Crispin.

The door opened and a ruffled Alan walked in. He slumped into a chair beside his lawyer, clasped his hands on the table and said, “I’m sorry I’m late. It’s been a shit day.”

Alan caught Emma’s eye as she was unable to look away from the caricature of her ex-husband.

What is happening to him?

“Hi, Emma.” He smiled.

Emma shook her head and looked away. She couldn’t smile at him. Especially after what Connie told her he’d done the other day. She’d called last night and confessed the whole thing. She could never do the things Connie did. She couldn’t help but admire her friend. She’d often wished she could do something so brave. Alan definitely deserved it.

Crispin cleared his throat. “Okay, let’s get started now that Mr. Jenkins has joined us.”

Alan sat up straighter in his chair.

Mystified, Emma sat back to watch it all, glad she didn’t have a more active role.

Kennedy fished through his papers and pulled out a group clipped together. He slid it across the table to Crispin.
 

“Here’s the current divorce agreement. Your client has verbally agreed to every point, so if you want to look it over we can sign it and finish up here.”

Emma started in her chair.

This new agreement has the house in it. Does he think I’m so stupid? That I didn’t tell my lawyer this?

Something firm pressed down on her foot. She realized Crispin was trying to tell her to keep calm and not worry. He had this.

Crispin didn’t show interest in the agreement. He shoved it back across the table at Kennedy. “My client will sign the new agreement we draft up today.”

A new agreement?

Emma looked down at the table, her eyes wide. Crispin had surprised her, but she didn’t want to give it away.

What is he going for?
And why do I trust him so much?

Kennedy didn’t say anything, just waited for Crispin to go on. They must have worked together before.

“You going to write this down, Kennedy?”

With a twist of his lips, Kennedy picked up his pen and poised it over a blank sheet in his note pad. Alan waited, eyes riveted on Crispin.

“Mrs. Jenkins will keep the house. She’ll give up an equivalent share of the investments equal to Alan’s half of the house. The money that was in their savings account on the date of separation will be equally divided.” Crispin glanced at Alan, his face stern. “We have the bank statements. The little house in Greece is off the table. That is Mrs. Jenkins inheritance and she will not give it up. As for the vehicles, Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins keep their respective vehicles. She keeps the BMW and he keeps his Saab. Any expenses for either vehicle will be maintained by each respective party.”

Crispin waited for Kennedy to catch up with his notes. Once he was done, he opened his mouth to speak, but Crispin silenced him with a hand raised in the air.

“I’m not finished. Once we’ve laid out our terms, you can have a chance for your rebuttal. Now there’s the matter of spousal support since there’s no need for child support.”

Alan’s mouth dropped open and he turned to his lawyer. Kennedy just put a hand on his arm.

“Mrs. Jenkins dropped out of school in order to maintain the household and care for the children while you were building your company. In order to help support you, she lost a lot of time when she could have been educating herself in order to get a good job.”

“It was just cooking school,” Alan mumbled, a disgruntled look on his face.

Crispin glared at him and Kennedy again put his hand on his arm.

Alan slumped farther in his chair.

Emma didn’t understand what was happening. Alan looked defeated. The change since she’d last met with him and his lawyer could only be described as remarkable. She turned back to Crispin, very curious how much he would ask for in alimony.

“What’s your number, Mr. Miller?” Kennedy asked the question as though he didn’t care in the least what the answer was.

“Well, considering what I read in the financial documents, I believe Mrs. Jenkins is entitled to make at least a third of what you’re making. That puts it at one hundred thousand a year for five years.”

Alan makes three hundred thousand a year?
Emma stared at Alan, but he wouldn’t meet her eyes.
We never saw that kind of money in our home. He could buy his own house in Greece. Why does he need my grandfather’s little run-down place?

Emma felt the pressure on her foot again and realized she had been staring daggers at the top of Alan’s head. His hair was starting to thin on top. It gave her a sense of satisfaction that not all was right in his world.

Crispin arranged his notes while waiting for Kennedy to begin his rebuttal.

“Yes,” Alan said. “I agree.”

Kennedy whipped his head toward Alan. “Let me …”

“No, it’s okay.” He turned to Crispin. “Write up the agreement and I’ll sign it.”

Crispin didn’t wait for either of them to change their minds. He got to his feet and held out a hand to help Emma up. “I will have the agreement couriered over before closing today.”

He and Emma headed for the door. “Gentlemen,” Crispin said with a nod and led Emma down the corridor and out into the bright sunshine.

The sunlight glinted off the glass door and Emma blinked. She rummaged in her bag for her sunglasses, her thoughts careening a mile a minute. She slipped the glasses on and turned to Crispin with a huge smile.

“Thank you,” she said, almost overcome with emotion.

They were halfway to their cars when Crispin said, “Fuck this,” and pulled Emma behind a van and kissed her.

When he came up for air, she grabbed onto his arms to keep her knees from giving out under her. She couldn’t speak, just stared at him.

“Sorry,” Crispin said, looking shamefaced. “I didn’t mean it to go that far. I wanted to congratulate you, but I’ve also wanted to do that for a long time.”

Emma stared into his dark eyes, her thoughts even more of a swirl. She’d just agreed to terms of divorce with her husband of twenty-six years and was already kissing another man. Well, he’d kissed her, but she’d definitely allowed it.
 

Ashamed, Emma stepped back, giving herself some breathing room. She couldn’t deny the attraction she felt for Crispin, but she also knew she was definitely not ready for another relationship.

Crispin’s face closed down and his eyes darkened.
 

She’d hurt him. She knew that. But Connie had been telling her for a long time that she had to stop taking responsibility for other people’s lives and worry about herself. Putting herself first was a concept Emma couldn’t seem to grasp. Putting herself first would mean stepping back into Crispin’s embrace, wouldn’t it?

Confused, Emma stumbled toward her car. She pulled her keys out of her bag, then turned back to see Crispin watching her. He hadn’t moved.
 

“Thank you for what you did today,” Emma said. “I’ll never forget it. And I’ll be able to pay you now.”

“I don’t want your money.”

Emma could barely hear him. “But you help those who can’t afford to pay. I can afford it. I will be generous. You did well in there. Actually, maybe when I come to pay your bill, you can explain to me how you got Alan to capitulate like that. He was not his normal self.”

Crispin stepped closer, but not into intimate range. “I don’t want money, Emma. I just want you to hold up your end of our deal. And yes, I’ll explain over drinks what happened with Alan.”

Emma shook her head. He was a stubborn man. “What’s my end of the deal?”

“Your house. You agreed that if I won the case for you, you would invite me to visit you in Greece at your little house. That’s all I want. I want to see you enjoying your inheritance and I want to spend a little time with you.” Crispin reached out a finger and ran it down her face, following the contours.

She swallowed hard as she imagined the same hand tracing more intimate curves.

Crispin kissed her forehead and left her by the car, wondering if she’d in fact made that agreement with him. Then she thought about being in Greece with him. Her legs started shaking so much, she opened her car and sank into the seat.

Emma leaned her head against the steering wheel and groaned. “What do I do now?”

The sharp rap on the window beside her head jolted her. She grabbed at her chest and whirled. Alan stood there looking rumpled and upset. Emma wondered if it was wise to open her door. Would he be angry?

She turned the key and lowered the window slightly.

“Can I talk to you?” Alan asked.

“Go ahead.”

Since when does he ask my permission for anything?

“Not here. Your boyfriend might come back. Meet me at the Tim Hortons on Dundas and Bay Street in ten minutes.” Without giving her a chance to answer, he walked away.

Now that’s like him,
Emma fumed.

She considered pointing her car toward home and climbing into a bubble bath. She remembered she’d just purchased a nice bottle of red wine and she felt very deserving at that moment. Then curiosity won out. She really wanted to know what was going on with Alan.

Instead of driving toward home, Emma turned toward Dundas Street. The thought of a glass of wine and a bath bolstered her. Hopefully it wouldn’t take long with Alan. At least she’d have some interesting things to tell Connie later. Maybe she’d make some cookies and invite Connie over for a movie.

She tapped the hands-free button on her steering wheel and said, “Call Connie.”

Chapter 19

Emma pulled into the Tim Hortons parking lot and found a spot a few down from Alan’s Saab.

She strengthened her resolve as she stepped inside the restaurant, determined not to let him push her around this time. It had gone on far too long. More than thankful for what Crispin had accomplished today, she wouldn’t let Alan undo her good mood.

Alan had chosen a table at the back near the restrooms.

Whenever Alan felt something in their family was getting out of his control, he would schedule a “talk.” They would either meet for dinner at a restaurant of his choice—one where Emma wouldn’t be able to raise her voice or express her displeasure over his opinions—or it would be a walk in the park. The park walks were for the easy issues, ones Alan didn’t care so much about. The difficult ones he saved for a restaurant. They’d never met in a Tim Hortons, though.

She sat in the stool across from him.
 

“So, what did you want to talk about? I have a lot to do today.” Emma knew if she didn’t state her boundaries at the outset, Alan would run roughshod over her. Despite that, she knew he probably still would.

“Would you like a coffee?”

Emma narrowed her eyes at him, tempted to ask who he really was. “I came here to talk, not for coffee. I’d never come here otherwise. You know that.”

Alan stared at her, a concerned look on his face. “What’s happened with you, Emma? You’ve changed.”

“You had something to do with that. I used to be a lot more trusting.”

Alan visibly winced. “I know and I’m sorry.”

Emma sat back in her chair, flabbergasted. “Did you just apologize to me?”

“You know I did.”

Emma shook her head at him. “What’s going on with you? First you agree without even an argument to my lawyer’s settlement, then you apologize to me. Are you feeling okay?”