“You sure you don’t want to come with me and work for the Commonwealth?” Colin asked. “I know I could get you in. They always need ADAs.”
“Nope,” Dan told him. “Much as I’d love to keep working with you, there’s a place waiting for me at my dad’s law firm, and I can’t turn it down.” He shot Colin a quick glance. “His health isn’t great, and he needs me to pick up the slack.” He laid a hand on Colin’s arm. “But I’m not leaving Charlottesville, so we can still get together.”
“I’d love it, Dan. Let’s plan a dinner after we get our results. We’ve earned the right to celebrate!”
“Or to grieve,” Dan added, laughing.
“Tocelebrate!” Colin insisted. “And I’ll want you there when I take the oath.”
“Same here, buddy.” They got to their feet and moved toward the parking lot.
“I’ll call you soon,” Colin said when he reached his car, pausing to once again shake Dan’s hand. “Thanks, Dan. You’ve been amazing.”
“You too.”
* * *
By the timeColin arrived at his home on the Rivanna River, he was staggering with exhaustion. He paused just inside the door and tossed his jacket over the back of the couch, reaching to embrace Joshua who had dashed to his side.
“You hungry?” Joshua asked him. “And how do you think today went? We barely had a chance to speak.”
Colin wrapped his arm around Joshua’s shoulder, leaning heavily against him as they moved to the dining room table. He sank into his chair then took Joshua’s hand and lifted it to his lips. “I think I did fine. Dan too. But far as food goes, I’m not sure I’ve got enough energy to chew. I’m wrecked!”
“Do me a favor, and give it a try,” Joshua said, moving toward the kitchen. “I made one of your favorites. Just sit there. I’ll bring you a plate.” Seconds later he emerged carrying a plate filled with a chicken curry that Colin loved. “Just eat a bit,” Joshua begged. “Then you can go upstairs and crash.”
“You don’t want to wear me out like you did last night?” Colin asked around a mouthful of curry.
“I don’t think you’re up to it,” Joshua replied, grinning.
Colin scoffed and bent over his plate feeling weariness flood through every pore. “Jesus, I don’t either.” Chewing, he peeked up at Joshua and winked. “Sorry about that.”
Joshua waved away his apology. “When do you get your results?” he asked, perching on the chair next to Colin’s.
“Could be as long as ten weeks.”
“My god, that’s a long time.”
Colin sat back in his chair and stared out the window to where the Rivanna River flowed. After a moment, he drew in and exhaled a long, deep breath and turned to Joshua. “Yeah. And I’m going to sweat every second of it.”
Chapter 2
Juris Doctor
The names of those applicants who passed the bar exam would appear in a post on the Virginia Board of Bar Examiners website. Following that posting, the applicants would receive a letter offering either congratulations or condolences and include their score percentage. Colin had been hanging around the website for days, loading and reloading the page, cursing and grumbling every time it offered only a brief notice stating, “Results from the July bar examination will be posted here by August twenty-third”.
Joshua would watch him perform this ritual for fifteen minutes or so before deciding he had to intervene. “C’mon, baby,” he’d beg. “You’ve been doing this for a long time. The results won’t get here any quicker because you’re hitting that reload button every two seconds. You’ll make yourself sick.” He would employ various methods in the hopes of prying Colin away from his obsessive staring. He would lure him with food, entice him with a long walk, or, when all else failed, seduce him with kisses. But it never lasted long.
On this particular day Joshua was in the kitchen preparing their dinner while Colin lurked in his study, his face an inch from the computer screen. Frustrated to the point of throwing things, he pounded the reload button again and again, always to no avail.
“Goddammit!”
He hissed out an angry breath and hit the button one last time, then gasped in stunned surprise when a long list of names flashed before his eyes. Shooting to his feet, he stumbled away from the desk. “Josh!” he yelled. “Josh, they’re up!”
“Coming!” Joshua called and Colin heard the pounding of his feet as he bolted up the stairs and into the study. “Well?” Joshua said, leaning against Colin’s shoulder. “Are youthere? Did you see your name?”
Colin turned to gape at him, his eyes wide. “Jesus, Josh.” He swallowed hard. “I’m scared to look.”
Joshua lunged to the desk and scanned the list of names. “You passed!” he crowed almost at once. “There’s your name, Colin! There it is! Come look!”
