Fair Use （n.） – Liam
FAIR USE (N.):
THE NON-COMPETITIVE RIGHT TO USE OF COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL WITHOUT GIVING THE AUTHOR THE RIGHT TO COMPENSATION OR TO SUE FOR INFRINGEMENT OF COPYRIGHT.
LIAM
Istared at Olivia during my evening arraignments, wondering if she was wearing that sexy gray dress for me.
It was far too short for the office dress-code, and I could tell from the way she was crossing her legs that she wasn’t wearing panties under it.
A purple bra strap peeked out on her shoulder, and it was just begging me to take it off.
She definitely did that on purpose…
Unfortunately, she was the only bright spot in this sudden shitty day, and I wanted nothing more than to bring her back to chambers for the night, but there was too much at stake.
Her eyes met mine and she held up her phone for what had to be the umpteenth time.
Then she parted her sexy pink lips and mouthed, “Text me back.”
“Not right now.” I spoke into the mic, letting everyone hear what I intended for her.
She blushed and put down her phone, and I looked at the prosecutor.
“I’ve been waiting to hear your take on this case for five whole minutes, Miss Julia,” I said. “This isn’t a trial…”
“Sorry, Your Honor.” She cleared her throat. “May I approach the bench?”
“Again, this isn’t a trial.” I leaned back. “Bail or no bail for this alleged zoo monkey theft?”
“I didn’t steal that monkey!” The defendant yelled. “I was just borrowing him for my TikTok, and zoos should be illegal anyway!”
Please say no bail.
“I’m begging you, Your Honor…” Julia said. “Just one second.”
“Approach.” I motioned for her to step closer.
“I know this is highly inappropriate, but um…I consider you to be a pretty good associate of mine.” She handed me her phone. “I’m not sure if you’ll be on the bench much longer…”
Confused, I looked at her screen.
Grant Jenkins’ Father Pushing For Judge Ashton’s Removal from Bench
“You paused my court for a headline on a gossip blog, Miss Julia?”
“To tell you that my boss wants the same thing,” she whispered. “He just texted his code for putting together an investigation.”
“You’re not supposed to tell me things like that.”
“Are you mad that I did?”
“No,” I said. “Bail or no bail?”
“Bail.” She stepped back to her table, and my fantasies of spending time with Olivia anytime soon dissolved.
“Mr. Ward, I’m granting you a five-thousand-dollar bail, and you will delete TikTok from your phone until trial.”
“Give me jail!” His eyes widened. “They let us use TikTok in jail!”
“Court is in recess.” I banged my gavel and stole one long look at Olivia before slipping away to my chambers.
FUCK.
Later that night
“Here’s how you can make all this annoying attention go away, for the rest of your life.” Damien Carter, one of this city’s top lawyers and a man I hated to see in my courtroom, stood in front of my desk.
“Whatever you’re about to say to me, just make sure it’s ethical, Damien.”
“What else could it be?” He smiled. “I always play by the rules.”
“You’ve literally built your entire career off bending them.”
“But not breaking them, right?”
I said nothing.
“Just pen an apology letter to Grant Jenkins and publish it in the press,” he said. “Say you’ve grown over the years and you understand it was a very hard and emotional case, and you’re looking forward to him getting a new and fair trial.”
“I gave him a fair trial.”
“I remember. I was there.”
“Are you implying something?”
“No.” He looked genuine. “Just write the letter so the press stops coming up with conspiracy theories and his father will stop funding all these dumbass articles about you. After that, you’re no longer attached to his name, and they can focus on the present day.”
“Hmmm.” I leaned back in my chair. “No.”
“I thought you might say that.” He shrugged. “Well, whenever you change your mind, or want to discuss some slightly illegal options that I can handle in under sixty seconds, I’m only a phone call away.”
“Get the hell out of my office, Damien.”
“Where do you want me to send the invoice for this meeting?”
I gave him a blank stare.
“I’m kidding, Liam.” He held up his hands in a mock surrender. “But I will be back whenever I need a quick favor.”
“Hold on, Damien,” I said as he opened the door. “I have a personal question.”
“Yeah?” He looked over his shoulder.
“Off the record, all legal bullshit aside, do you think I was too harsh on Grant Jenkins?”
He stared at me for several seconds without saying a word. Then he sighed.
“Knowing what I know,” he said. “I think you were too easy on him. I would’ve given his ass the death penalty.”
I wanted to. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He slipped away.
As I opened my laptop to read more of the media’s bullshit, my phone sounded with a call.
Olivia.
“Yes?” I answered.
“Do you have a minute?”
“It’s code black, Miss Spencer.” I smiled. “You’re not supposed to call me.”
“I’m checking on you,” she said. “I’m worried.”
“That’s very cute.”
“I’m serious,” she said. “Do you want to talk about whatever is going on?”
“No. Focus on your work.”
“I sent you more research.”
“I’m aware. I read it.”
“I’m still able to take you home.”
“Mara ordered a rental for me,” I said. “But thank you.”
“So…Is that it for us?”
“What are you talking about, Olivia?”
“You’re clearly going through something with this old case, so does that mean whatever we have comes to an end?”
“What we have is me finger-fucking your pussy a couple times and you causing me to have erections at odd hours of the day.” I tried to minimize things. “Is it something deeper to you?”
“I thought it might be…” She paused. “I thought you liked me.”
I do. “Go home, Olivia. I’ll see you at work tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow’s another Code Black.”
“Then I’ll see you the day after that.” I ended the call before she could make me change my mind.