“I rarely am anything else.”
Olivia’s gaze met hers again, approachable once more, now that her earlier glare had smoothed out.
As she talked to Olivia, her heart often seemed lodged in her throat, while she stifled the urge to snatch a fry off the woman’s plate—a far more appropriate impulse than the tension that had been there ever since she first crossed paths with the obnoxiously attractive attorney. Perfectly shaped eyebrows topped Olivia’s clear green eyes. She often wore her brown hair in an elaborate up-do, though it had come loose a bit this evening.
Olivia usually dressed conservatively, in tight pencil skirts with blouses and blazers. Tonight, she wore a snugly fitting dark blue dress, highlighting her athletic figure, which distracted Jaime more than it should.
Still, the nerve of the woman to accuse Jaime of being part of the problem whileshewas in the habit of defending the very people she’d just criticized. To be fair, Olivia had only meant judges in general, while Jaime had outright attacked her. God, she shouldn’t have had that second glass of chardonnay earlier. Alcohol and exhaustion never mixed well. Worse, it sometimes loosened her tongue and made her reckless; combative even.
“I believe it,” Olivia finally said, leaning back in her chair.
Jaime inhaled sharply. Oliviahadcontemplated her as something other than a judge she preferred to avoid. She could hardly harbor the same fascination Jaime had nurtured since she first spied Olivia five years ago at an alumni event an old mentor had insisted she attend. Apparently, they’d gone to the same law school, Olivia, eight years her junior. Jaime had just been appointed a judge at forty-one, much like she’d always planned, whereas Olivia had recently joined Farkas, Ariete & Kemeny astheir newest henchman. Henchwoman? Was there even a female version of the term?
Jaime remembered talking to someone (she couldn’t even recall who) when she noticed a striking woman in a long, black dress, her brown hair pulled up in an artful French twist. The lighting and her makeup gave her an ethereal quality.
Olivia had captivated Jaime, so much so that she’d lost track of her companion’s words. She hadn’t expected to see Olivia again, least of all in her courtroom, defending one of Farkas, Ariete & Kemeny’s clients. No, it wasn’t Olivia’s profession that surprised her—it was the clients she defended, or rather, her affiliation with that particular law firm, that had sparked Jaime’s disappointment.
Since then, they’d crossed paths several times, but never outside their official capacity. And yet, Jaime buzzed whenever Olivia was nearby, and she hated it, though a part of her also reveled in the sensation. When she’d looked up earlier, still deep in thought, her breath had caught in her throat upon gazing at Olivia, taking in her enticing features—big eyes, high cheekbones you could cut yourself on, and full lips.
“For the record, and also at the risk of…violating our truce, but there are attorneys who do pro bono work,” Olivia said.
Yes, back to safer shores.“To ease their guilty conscience, yes. There might also be a tax benefit for law firms.”
Olivia narrowed her eyes again, and Jaime chastised herself for finding the expression appealing.
“I’m told it’s to help the community.”
Jaime snorted. “You’retold? I take it you’renotamong the attorneys offering pro bono work?”
“No.”
Jaime didn’t have a reply, so a moment of taut stillness stretched betweenthem.
Olivia sighed. “Besides, you understand why banks can’t lend money to people with bad or no credit history, yet you act like you don’t grasp why big law firms operate the way they do.”
“Oh, I fully understand both. I’m not…judging, at least not logically. It stands to reason, doesn’t it? It’s good and smart business, but it offends my sense and longing for fairness. Equality, no? You mentioned it earlier.”
“Yes, and I said it was unattainable.”
The server set down two new glasses filled with deep red liquid, followed by a plate of fries. “Thank you.” She dug in, realizing how hungry she was. She let out a low moan at the explosion of flavors on her tongue.Finsternistruly made the best fries—and escaping the vast, soulless conference rooms had been a relief, even if she'd never foreseen the current complication.
Jaime raised her head to comment on the fries when all words deserted her at the dazed expression on Olivia’s face, at the heat in her eyes.OK, so this is not just me.Immaterial, but it still felt invigorating. Exciting, almost. Too bad Jaime didn’t do exciting—though that didn’t stop the heat from creeping into her cheeks. “Shouldn’t we try, though?”
“Like with impartiality?”
Jaime nodded.
“What if it’s all an illusion? Does it still matter?” Olivia took a sip of her wine, and Jaime’s gaze followed the movement of her throat.
“Yes, of course,” Jaime rasped.
“Why?” Olivia’s voice rang genuine, her eyes soft with a sincerity that caught Jaime off guard.
“Because there are real consequences. People’s lives are on the line. Even if equality remains unachievable, even if there’s noobjective reality, we still have to live in this world, and people get hurt every day.”
“You can’t prevent that.”
“No.” Jaime worried her lower lip, noticing how Olivia’s gaze dropped to her mouth. “But it doesn’t mean we have to accept it or give up.”
