Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
Laurel
“Mr. and Mrs. Anderson, I’m Laurel Evans. Please, have a seat.”
“Thank you. You may call us Tom and Claire,” Tom spoke.
“I have reviewed your file, but I need you to explain why you’re here.”
“Almost a year ago, I was working the night shift at the fire station and heard this crying from outside. When I went to check it out, a baby was lying in a basket with a note that said, “Take care of my little girl. I can’t, and she deserves a good life,” Tom said.
“It was a miracle,” Claire said. “My husband and I can’t have children. We tried for years, and after several miscarriages and an emergency hysterectomy, our dream of having a child of our own was gone. Then this baby shows up out of nowhere.” She smiled. “Our beautiful little girl, Kayla. God sent her to us so we can raise her and give her the life she deserves. Now, the mother tracked us down and wants her back. ”
“You’ve filled out the paperwork to adopt Kayla, correct?” I asked.
“Yes,” Tom spoke. “The adoption is supposed to be finalized next month.”
“We can’t and won’t lose her,” Claire began to cry. “She’s our daughter. Do you have kids, Miss Evans?”
“Please, call me Laurel. And yes, I do. I have three daughters.”
“Good. Then you sympathize with us, right?” Claire asked.
“Yes. I do. How old was Kayla when you found her?” I asked Tom.
“She was around a month old.”
“Okay. I’ll file a petition with the court and gather some information on the birth mother. I’ll be in touch.”
After my clients left, I walked down to Parker’s office, but he wasn’t there.
“Do you know where Parker is?” I asked his secretary, Gretchen.
“He’s down in Roman’s office,” she said.
“Thanks.”
I walked down to Roman’s office, lightly tapped on the door, and stepped inside, only to find Julian and Parker sitting across from his desk.
“Morning, Laurel.” Roman smiled.
“Morning. Parker, I met with Tom and Claire Anderson. Which associate is going to be second chair?”
“We can put Linda in second chair,” he said.
“Uh, I have Linda working on an important case of mine,” Roman said. “How about Christopher?”
“He’s too busy right now working on one of my cases,” Parker said.
“I’ll be second chair,” Julian said.
“Uh, no.” I stared at him. “You’re busy enough. ”
“No. I insist.” He grinned. “I am one of your bosses, so if I say I’m going to be second chair, then it’s happening.”
“We’re already working a case together,” I said.
“So what?” He shrugged. “Now, we’ll be working on two cases together.” A smirk crossed his lips.
I inhaled a sharp breath and left Roman’s office. Heading down to Morgan’s, I stepped inside and shut the door.
“Do you have a second?” I asked.
“Of course. Have a seat.”
“I need you to find out everything you can on a woman named Lindsey Burton. She abandoned her baby at a fire station a year ago. My clients are in the process of adopting the child, and now the birth mother wants her baby back. I need everything and anything you can dig up on her.”
“I’m on it.” She smiled. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“You don’t have to lie to me, Laurel. I can tell something is wrong.”
“Ugh, Morgan. I slept with Julian last night.”
“Oh. And?”
“I was drunk and didn’t know what I was doing.”
“He took advantage of you when you were drunk?” Her brows furrowed.
“Yes and no. He said we should stop, and I said we didn’t have to. He recorded me saying that.”
“He recorded you? What the fuck.”
“I won’t lie and say it wasn’t smart because it was. He was covering his ass, and I don’t blame him.”
“Now, you’re upset you slept with him?” Morgan asked.
“I don’t cross professional lines, but that man is?— ”
“Undeniably sexy, charming, and has a hint of bad boy in him?” She smirked.
“Yep.” I nodded. “He said I started it by raping his mouth, and there was no way he could resist me.”
She laughed. “Typical man. Listen, Laurel. It was only sex. You and Julian are two consenting adults who are attracted to each other. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“I told him it’s never happening again.”
“Okay. Chalk it up to a one-night stand and move on. Believe me. I’ve had my fair share of one-night stands in my lifetime. More than I care to admit.”
“You’re right. It’s no big deal. We’re adults, and it changes nothing.”
“Exactly!” She pointed at me. “You did use protection, right?”
I chewed my bottom lip. “I don’t know. Oh, God.” I stood up. “I’ll talk to you later.”
I ran down to Roman’s office but noticed that Julian was in his as I passed by. Stopping in the hallway, I backed up and stepped inside his office.
“You used a condom last night, right?” I asked.
“Yes. Of course, I did.”
“Okay. I’m on the pill anyway, but I wanted to make sure. God only knows if you have anything going on down there.”
“Excuse me?” His brows furrowed. “I’ll have you know that I am one hundred percent clean—one hundred percent. I’m offended you would even think I wasn’t.”
“Please. You sleep with any woman who looks your way.”
“That isn’t true. But believe what you will. If we’re done here, I have a lot of work to do.”
“We’re done.” I walked out and shut the door.