“Let me know when he gets in,” I said over my shoulder, heading into my office.
I did some filing and paperwork to update a few other cases. By the time the phone on my desk rang, forty-five minutes had flown by.
“Mr. Carson is here to see you.”
“Thanks, give me five minutes.” I organized the files I had open on my computer, brought up the Carson case, and retrieved the paper file from my closed desk. Afterward, I went out to get Randy.
“Randy, good morning. How are you?” I greeted.
He wore a tentative smile and fidgeted, rubbing his hands together in front of him. “To be honest,” his eyes circled the room, avoiding mine, “a little nervous.”
I’d expected the unease. Most of my clients experienced it.
I gave him a small smile as we headed for my office. “Did you want anything to drink? Water, coffee, tea?”
“No, thanks.”
I closed the door behind us, moved to my desk, and braced myself for what I needed to say.
“Randy, what I’m about to show you isn’t easy for me, and I know how difficult it will be for you to see.”
I recalled my experience with seeing, live and in color, the person I was in love with giving affection to another. Shaking my head, I dislodged the lump forming in my throat and the wayward thoughts that had gone to an image of Don asleep in my bed that morning.
“But I promised you from the beginning that I would be thorough in doing my job, and I would get you what you asked for. Which is the truth.”
“You’re scaring me, Jocelyn,” Randy said, now rubbing his hands along the arms of the chair.
“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to scare you. It’s probably better to pull the band-aid off quickly.”
I reached for the folder and leaned over my desk, handing it to him.
He opened it and, at first, there was no reaction as he stared at the photos.
Shock,I surmised.
“There are ten photos inside that folder. All of them show your boyfriend, Mike Parker, being intimate with another man. I took the photos over the span of about a month. I have plenty more in my digital file, but I assumed those images would be enough to confirm your suspicions.”
“You think?” he exclaimed.
I pinched my lips, not taking his tone personally.
He slowly shifted through the photos. After the final one, he looked up at me. “Do you know who this guy is?”
“I do, and it seems the pair have had an ongoing relationship for some time. His name is Richard. I don’t feel comfortable giving you his last name. This is about you and your boyfriend, not the man he’s cheating on you with.”
He narrowed his eyes. “You don’t think I deserve it?”
“Randy, you’re in a state of shock right now. The man you love betrayed you, so it’s natural that your emotions are all over the place. Providing you with more information of the person he’s cheating with would do more damage than good, in my opinion.”
He released a harsh breath and turned his gaze away from me. The rigid set of his jaw spoke of his anger.
“I know what you’re feeling.”
“How could you possibly know!”
Blinking, I cocked my head to the side but reminded myself he was a client—a client who’d just learned some unfortunate news.
“I’ve been where you are,” I said, keeping my tone even and professional. “Remember, you don’t have to make any decisions right now. Sit on this for a few days. Let the shock wear off and then decide.”
