“I’ll be back in two weeks, and we’ll do a mock hearing. These aren’t typically needed in these types of cases, but I want to cover it just in case Valerie throws something out of left field at us,” Meila stated as they reached their vehicles.
“Okay,” Jalen responded with a nod. “Thank you again for coming.”
“It’s no problem. Las Cruces is only a skip and a jump from here.”
“You’re from New Mexico?” Jalen questioned.
“I am, but don’t worry. I’m licensed to practice in Arizona,” Meila responded.
“Meila and her sister are originally from Arizona,” Rohan supplied.
“That was a lifetime ago,” Meila responded. “I’ll see you both in a couple of weeks.” She got into her rental, only to roll her window down and hand Jalen a business card. “No need for us to communicate through that one over there.” She inclined her head towards Rohan before backing out of the spot.
Jalen and Rohan got into his car, and he pulled out as well.
“You want to have an early lunch since a donut can’t really be considered a proper breakfast?” Rohan asked, and Jalen looked at the clock, finding that it was a little after eleven.
“Yeah, we can do that,” she replied with a smile as she leaned back in her seat, feeling better about the hearing to come.
30
Rohan looked over the marketing design in front of him and was pleased with the outcome. It’d taken a while to figure out what they were going to do because the product was abstract. However, he was glad they’d gone this route.
He’d just emailed his team, letting them know he approved of the design, and that they’d done an excellent job, when his office phone buzzed.
“Yes?” he questioned.
“Ariel Smith is here for your eleven o’clock.”
“Thank you, send her in.”
Rohan didn’t have to wait long before the woman walked through the door. Her eyes went over to the table Landon was at before, and he had to keep himself from laughing. Landon hadn’t been especially nice to her the last time she was there, but he couldn’t say that he blamed her. Ariel had been openly flirting with him, and while he’d been trying to be professional, Landon had shut it down.
He stood, gesturing to one of the two seats in front of his desk, and reclaimed his seat when she’d taken one.
“Rohan, it’s good to see you again.” She placed her purse on the other chair. “Your daughter isn’t helping you out today?”
He shook his head. “No, she’s at school.”
Ariel nodded. “I should have known, since it’s Monday. She was shadowing for school last time, right?”
He leaned back in his seat. “She was.”
Rohan knew she was just making small talk; however, he had a finished concept to show her, and he wasn’t typically one to get too personal with clients. He was just nice enough to gain repeat business, but never enough to give the wrong impression.
Ariel nodded. “Is she your only one?”
“No, she isn’t,” he responded, leaning up as he pulled up the concept on both of his screens.
“How many do you have?” she inquired, and Rohan was sure it was in part because she was being nosy.
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
“Try me,” she responded with a raised brow.
“Six.” He turned a screen in her direction. Since Jalen had five sisters and he had a niece, that had been a good number to give her in his white lie.
“As in half a dozen?” she asked, stunned. “Your wife wanted a big family, I see.”
