Chapter 18 #2
Julian put an icy cocktail glass on the counter in front of her and opened a beer for himself. “Yep. We tell him he’s a fool, but he points to his dad, going strong at almost ninety-four with minimal medical involvement, as proof that doctors are a waste of time he could be billing to clients.”
“That’s nuts.”
“I know, right?”
“Your grandfather is ninety-four? That’s amazing.”
“His birthday is next month. He’d want me to say he’s only ninety-three, but I’m rounding up. He’s the coolest dude I know. He founded our firm sixty years ago, and it’s been supporting our family ever since.”
“That’s an amazing legacy. Does he live independently?”
“In an assisted-living apartment, but he still cooks for himself, drives occasionally and plays at least one round of golf a week, if not more. The last time I played with him, he beat me by four strokes.”
“Wow, that’s impressive.”
“It was annoying. He’s still gloating about it.”
She laughed. “I love that.”
“He’s great. He was a big part of our childhood.”
“I heard you have eight siblings.”
“Guilty as charged.”
“What number are you?”
“Number one, baby. Leader of the pack.”
“And they let you lead them?” she asked skeptically.
“When they’re smart.”
“Are you close to them?”
“They’re my best friends and often my adversaries. My sisters work for my mom’s rival firm, Kate Remington Family Law. Sometimes we’re on opposite sides of the same case.”
“That must be interesting.”
“It can be, but we try very hard to leave work at the office. It’s important to us to stay close.”
“You’re all lawyers?”
“All but one. Carson, who’s number two behind me, is our lead investigator. He chose not to go to law school, but after years of telling us he could easily pass the bar exam, he’s taking it in July to shut us up.”
“Is that even doable without law school?”
“I mean… It can be done, but not easily. I think he’s in for a rude awakening. That exam is a bitch. Number nine, Roman, is due to graduate from law school in May, so he’s not technically a lawyer yet, but he’s on his way.”
She sipped from her glass. “It’s cool that you guys are close. That’s rare these days.”
“We went through a lot together as kids. It bonded us for life.”
“Oh.” She so wanted to ask what happened from his point of view, but it was none of her business, so she didn’t ask..
“Custody battle between the lawyer parents,” he said, filling in the blanks for her. “Went on for almost a decade. It was a nightmare.”
“Yikes. I’m sorry. That must’ve been rough.”
“It was.”
“And yet, you guys became divorce lawyers.”
“I know. It’s funny, right? But when your last name is Remington, you’d be a fool to practice any other kind of law in LA, thanks to the aforementioned sixty-year legacy.”
“But is it hard for you? After what happened when you were a kid?”
“It can be. At times. Like when I see parents doing to their kids what was done to my siblings and me. I want to tell them that some wounds never heal…”
“I’m sorry that happened to you.”
He put the burritos in a fancy toaster oven/air fryer combo thing that she was immediately obsessed with. The things she could cook in that! “We got through it.”
“What’re your siblings like?”
“Hmm, well, let’s see. Carson is number two, and he’s always been super inquisitive and resourceful, two skills that serve him well in his work as our chief investigator. He fought a ferocious heroin addiction for seven years until he finally got clean, and now he helps other addicts.”
“I’m so glad he beat it.”
“You and me both. It was a nightmare. Then there’s Griffin, who wanted to surf professionally until he ended up underneath a monster wave in Portugal and almost lost his nerve for any kind of surfing.”
“Oh my God. That must’ve been terrifying.”
“He still can’t talk about it without shaking.
It took two years for him to get back in the water, but he eventually rediscovered his love for it even if his professional aspirations were over after that.
Next is Jordan, a certified bad ass. She’s into Krav Maga, and I honestly think she could kick my ass. ”
She laughed at the face he made as he said that. “Have you ever tested her?”
“I wouldn’t dare. I’m scared of her. We all are.”
“That’s funny.”
“Kaidan comes after her, and she’s known for being really funny. Any time I need a laugh, I call her. She never disappoints me. Then comes Ethan, and he’s the quietest of all of us. He always says he should’ve been an only child but ended up in the wrong line.”
“I’d say so.”
“Despite his jokes about wishing he was an only, he’d do anything for any of us. Jackson comes after him. He’s my associate.”
“Which means what?”
“He’s my bitch at work, but don’t ever tell him I said it that way.”
Smiling, she said, “I see how it is.”
“He’s my right hand and a damned good lawyer or I never would’ve given him your case.”
“That’s good to know.”
“He plays lead guitar in a band and sings, so we have that in common. Number eight is Gillian, the sweet, sensitive one. She feels everything so deeply. I worry about her sometimes. The things she encounters at work really affect her. More so than the rest of us.”
“I don’t know how any of you handle all the stuff you must deal with.”
“You get used to it after a while, but some cases are harder than others.”
“What about number nine?”
“That’d be Roman, the baby of the family and one of my favorite people ever.
I’m thirteen years older than him, but he’s always been very special to me.
I’m looking forward to him being done with school in May, so we can get him back home with us.
He plays the drums and is looking to find a band when he gets done with school and has the time. ”
“You obviously love them all very much.”
“I really do. They’re very important to me.”
“What’s it like working for your parents after all the custody craziness?”
“It’s… often a delicate balancing act. At times, they’re oblivious to what it was like for us, which infuriates us. But most of the time, it’s not an issue. I go days without even seeing my father, and my sisters have a decent groove with my mom.”
“How did you end up boys with boys and girls with girls?” Was she being too nosy? Asking too many questions? He didn’t seem to mind, but would he say so if he did? She hoped not, because she was fascinated by everything he had to say.
“That’s how they divided us as kids when they were fighting over us, and it just sort of happened that way with work, too.”
“It’s a very interesting story.”
“Yes, so interesting that they made a reality TV show about it while I was in high school. That was a real blast.”
“Ew, they did not!”
“Did too. We were on billboards all over Hollywood for months.”
“I bet I saw them. I grew up in that neighborhood. I wasn’t really aware of the show, though. I was in my smoking, drinking, chasing boys and driving my brother crazy era back then.”
Smiling, he said, “Where’d you go to high school?”
“Hollywood High.”
“Ah, the home of the Sheiks.”
“That’s right. I worked at the Roosevelt after school, bussing tables and cleaning up the pool area.” The Hollywood Roosevelt was an iconic hotel in the heart of the tourist district.
“Is it true that place is haunted?”
“Well, I never had an encounter with Marilyn, but other people swear they have. I’ve served room service to the Marilyn Monroe Suite, which is as close as I’ve come to her. Where’d you go to school?”
“Beverly Hills High School.”
“90210.”
“Without the drama. It was actually kind of boring when I was there.”
“Except for the reality TV show.”
He chuckled. “My fifteen minutes of fame.”
“It must’ve been dreadful. At that age, the last thing most people want is that kind of attention.”
“It was pretty awful. My younger siblings ate it up. Those of us who were old enough to know better hated every minute of it. My dad said it would be great for business, and it was, but at what cost, you know?”
Isla grimaced.
“I’m not sure how you’ve managed to get me talking about things I never talk about with anyone.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. It’s fine. You’re easy to talk to.”
“That’s nice of you to say, but don’t feel like you have to talk about painful stuff if you don’t want to.”
“It was a long time ago now. Doesn’t hurt the way it used to.” After a pause, he said, “You want to hear something really crazy?”
“Um, yeah?” Could he tell she was hanging on every word he said like an obsessed teenager? She hoped not.
“My mom’s house in the Palisades burned in the fire.”
“Oh no. That’s terrible.”
“It was a nightmare. We didn’t know for sure she got out for almost a full day.”
“I can’t imagine.”
“With the PCH being the only way out of there, it was a madhouse and terrifying for people trying to evacuate. Anyway, she’s rebuilding out there and staying with my sister Kaidan in town during the week. Kaidan thinks she and my dad are back together.”
Isla gasped. “What?”
“That’s what we said, too.”
“You guys must’ve been shocked to hear that.”
“Shocked and a little outraged.” He put the burritos on navy blue plates and served them with salsa on the side. “Our gourmet dinner is served.”
“It smells delicious. Thank you.”
“Nothing but the best for you.”
He made her feel lighthearted and giddy inside, which was tinged with guilt whenever she thought of Gabriel. So she tried not to think of him and instead enjoy the interlude away from reality for as long as she could.
They ate in companionable silence for several minutes. The burrito was surprisingly tasty and was the first thing she’d eaten all day that didn’t get stuck on the huge lump that’d settled in her throat the night before.
She took a napkin from the pile he’d put on the counter and dabbed at her lips before taking another sip of vodka, which was making her feel warm and tingly inside.
“I’m not sure what I’m doing here one day after I learned that my ex-husband—or actual husband or whatever he is—is going to die. Soon.”