Page 13 of Objection to Love
“Nice to meet you both.” He smiled at April, then ran his gaze down Em. His eyes widened appreciatively as he took in all of her, but Em just felt an annoying twinge at being ogled. He didn’t elicit any sort of attraction or spark in her.
She smiled blandly then turned back to her mother. “Hey, Mom, where’s Dad?”
Her mom frowned a bit. “He’s in the office. We have a big case, and he’s trying to wrap things up for the day.”
“I’m going to go say hi.”
“Don’t you want—”
“Be right back!” Em darted out of the room and down the hall toward the study. Dad probably wouldn’t appreciate her interrupting, but she was trying to kill time before dinner. Maybe her interruption would cause him to just finish up and join the group.
She tapped on the beveled glass doors. Her parents’ house was the only thing that wasn’t a contradiction about them. They were successful private attorneys—who were still a little frustrated that their daughter didn’t join the practice, not that they ever mentioned it—and their house reflected that. It was a traditional two-story, complete with red brick, white columns, and a whole lotta pomp.
“Yes?” Dad’s deep voice sounded behind the doors.
Em pushed them open. “Hey, Dad.”
He glanced up then back to his papers. “September, hi. Is everyone here already?”
September leaned against the doorframe. “Yup. What’s the case you’re working on?”
He stood from his overly large desk chair and motioned her to him, his tall height indicating where Em got hers. “Nothing you need worry about.”
She crossed the echoey, bookshelf-lined room, and he kissed her on the cheek. Then he sat back down and rifled through some papers. She stood awkwardly beside him. Did she continue seeking refuge in here or go back out to the kitchen?
She’d always hoped that, after law school, her parents would talk to her more. They never talked to her about high school or her friends or anything a teenager would care remotely about, but she’d hoped they would at least talk to her about law. After they’d missed her law school graduation due to an immovable court date, Em had realized they didn’t see her as seriously as she’d hoped.
But she was working her butt off to change that. It was part of the ten-year plan. Somewhere around year seven, they should come around.
He stopped rifling, signed something, then set it aside and looked back up. He seemed a little surprised she was still there.
She shifted, crossing her arms. “Well,I’mworking on a murder case. The man, Albert Clayton, killed his wife in what was presumed to be a fit of passion. But I’m certain it was premeditated, so I’m charging him with first-degree. Can you imagine a man kill—”
“You probably shouldn’t tell me the details, sweetheart. That’s against client confidentiality.”
“It’s all public knowledge, Dad; it’s not a private client. It’s been in the papers and everything.”
“Oh. Right.” He looked over her shoulder into the living room. “I forgot you work in the public sphere. Did you meet Marshall?” He put a little extra emphasis on ‘public.’ Then he stood again, heading for the door.
And there they went, glossing over her failures. Em sighed. She’d try again once she won the case. They wouldn’t be able to avoid being impressed then.
“Marshall, did you meet September?” Dad boomed as they walked into the living room.
“Yes, sir.”
“Good, good. Diane, is dinner ready?”
“Yup! Let’s all head to the dining room, shall we?”
The group moved as one out the other end of the living room, but April held back until Em reached her side. She squeezed her hand.
“It’ll all be over soon. At least he isn’t like that Carl kid. I swear he was five inches shorter than you and barely out of high school,” April said in a low voice.
Em smiled, squeezing April’s hand back. “Thanks, Ape.”
“You know I hate when you call me that. I am not a monkey.”
“Pretty sure apes aren’t actually monkeys.”
