Chapter 36 #2
“Yes. But I’ve dealt with her sort dozens of times. They’re half the reason I went to work for Foxworth.”
They stayed quiet after that, according to the plan.
The food on his plate would have been appealing at any other time, under any other circumstances, but right now his gut was churning enough that putting anything in it seemed like a bad idea.
But he tried not to let it show, tried to present the demeanor of a man who had found a solution to the biggest problem in his life, thanks to the man sitting across from him.
That it was possibly true was what got him through the next few minutes. And then it began, when he saw Mr. Giles stride across the dining area to greet his guests, doing an excellent job of appearing overjoyed that someone on the level of Elizabeth Hollen would grace his humble establishment.
And then he heard that painfully familiar voice in his ear. “Mr. Harkness here recommended it for our meeting. I’m glad to see he was right about the management appreciating the level of clientele.”
Colby happened to be looking at de Marco at that moment, and seeing him roll his eyes as if she’d fulfilled his every negative expectation almost made him laugh. But it wasn’t time yet, so he stifled it.
“I’m having quite a day here in my little restaurant,” Mr. Giles said, sounding delighted. “First a world-famous attorney, and now you.”
“World-famous?” Liz didn’t snort, but her voice had taken on that tone Colby knew meant she would be the one to decide who was well known enough to rate that description.
“Absolutely,” the manager gushed. “I mean, Gavin de Marco? Here, in my little place?”
Colby couldn’t stop himself from risking a glance, figuring she’d be fixated on the man who’d just done that huge name drop. For no doubt one of the few times ever in her life, Liz looked taken aback. “Gavin de Marco? The Gavin de Marco? Here?”
“Yes,” Giles said with just the right amount of pride. “He brought a client in to celebrate, something about having found exactly what they needed for their upcoming court action.”
“I don’t envy whoever they’re suing,” said the county official. “I mean, the guy took down our sitting governor.”
Colby heard Quinn’s chuckle through the earpiece. “Couldn’t have written a better line for him than that.”
“And rightfully so,” Giles said enthusiastically. “But I agree, I don’t envy his opponent, no matter who it is. He’s lost what, one case in his entire career? And then won it in the end on appeal.”
“Wonder what this one’s about?” the official said.
Colby blinked as the man asked for the info Giles had been about to drop. It was hard not to look over there, but that wasn’t the plan. “You sure you didn’t arrange this guy, too?” he whispered. De Marco laughed.
The manager handled the shift perfectly, sliding in what he’d been going to say anyway, just in a different form.
“I heard him mention a child custody case that was turning into a criminal one. Sounds exciting, doesn’t it?
I bet it will be all over the news soon.
I mean, Gavin de Marco, in the headlines again! ”
“Great job, Rick,” came Quinn’s voice. “Seeds planted, feel free to fire the last shot and then disengage.”
“Please, enjoy your meal,” he said with all the charm of a host. “I need to go make sure Mr. de Marco and his client enjoyed theirs.”
Then, as planned, he walked over toward their table, staying in Liz’s line of sight, blocking her from seeing Colby, who was intentionally turned mostly away from their table anyway.
“Great job, Rick,” de Marco echoed Quinn’s words to the man. “And by the way, the crab melt was great, too. I have a feeling you’ll be seeing some Foxworth folks here more often.”
“I would be honored,” Giles said with a bow.
Then, at de Marco’s nod, he turned and walked away. And Colby, as planned, shifted in his chair to where he could be spotted from that table across the room. In the same moment, de Marco lifted his glass of champagne. Colby did the same.
“A toast to victory,” the lawyer said.
“I’ll drink to that,” Colby answered fervently, tipping his own glass to clink lightly on de Marco’s.
“Now,” Hayley’s voice said in his ear, “would be the time for that laugh.”
Think about how it will feel when she’s beaten, and you did it. Think about the look on Grace’s face when you tell her.
Ali’s words echoed in his mind now. The pure delight on her face when she’d said it had made him laugh joyously then, and Hayley had immediately seized upon the sound of it as a weapon.
The memory of Ali saying it did it again now. And he let it out, not even trying to muffle it.
“That did it,” de Marco said with satisfaction. “She looked, and I only wish you could have seen her face when she recognized you. Now drink that last bit down—happily—and let’s decamp before she has a chance to get her bearings.”
Smiling purposefully, he gave the famous face across from him a wondering look. “You’re really enjoying this.”
De Marco laughed. “I am.”
He downed the last swallow and they both stood up. “I know it’s tempting, but don’t look,” Hayley warned in his ear. “You’ll get to see it shortly. Teague got some great video of her reaction. Ali is still dancing gleefully over it.”
And that mental image alone was enough to enable Colby to stride out of the dining room, the famous lawyer at his side, looking as if he owned the world.