Page 100 of Masters of Control

“I would like your number, and to see you again, though I’m not sure when I’ll be able to make it back out to Marquis.” She ran her hand over his chest and sighed. “I have to get running though, or I’m going to be late.”

As much as he wanted to protest or try to cajole her to say a little longer, Freddy bit his tongue. They’d just met the night before. Their attraction was off the charts, but they didn’t really know each other. Just because he’d happily spend the time until check-out in bed pleasuring her didn’t mean she wanted the same thing.

And she needed to go meet her mom.

Didn’t want to make a bad impression on mom.

Yes, he was already thinking that way and had no shame about it. He was in his early thirties and wanted to find a lasting relationship, which meant he wasn’t going to spend time somewhere he didn’t at least see the possibility. Was it soon? Sure. But he and Camille had a connection, and he liked the little he already knew about her.

Plus, both Olivia and Julie had given him the thumbs-up. While he wouldn’t have expected it of Julie, he knew damn well Olivia was a meddling matchmaker. If she wanted to help him find a match, he had no objections.

“I’ll get out of your way then,” he said.

She made a few noises of protest that he didn’t have to leave right away and seemed reluctant to see him go, but he could also see the relief there. Much better to leave while she was still sad to see him go than to overstay his welcome and make her late. Besides, they exchanged phone numbers before he walked out the door, which meant he was walking with an extra spring in his step.

Camille

“I met a man, Momma.” Camille smiled when her mom’s head lifted. She didn’t talk much these days, and Camille was never entirely sure how much she understood, but she usually seemed to remember that Camille was someone she cared about. The mention of the man getting her attention was so like the days before dementia started stealing her mind, it gave her some hope that there was still plenty of her mom left in there.

Camille squeezed her mom’s hand.

“He’s kind. Funny. And a very pretty white boy.”

Her mom snorted, which made her smile. Her mom had always snorted over the idea of a pretty man, but it was true. Freddy was very pretty.

“If things keep going well, I’ll get a picture of him for you.”

Bobbing her head, her mom hummed under her breath, her gaze unfocusing, and Camille sighed inwardly. She kept talking, and her mom’s gaze kept settling on her before drifting again as they talked. That was the norm now, and it made her heart hurt, but at least her mom was present some of the time.

After lunch, Camille headed up to the front desk to check out.

“Happy New Year,” Lucy, the woman who worked there, said,in smiling. “I’m so glad you could stop in today. Your mom always does better after a visit from you.”

“I just wish I could visit more.” It was rare she had any extra time. In fact, this afternoon, she would be working. She had a fussy client, and tomorrow would be the first meeting with his soon-to-be ex-wife and her counsel. Camille was hoping things could be worked out in mediation, but she had a feeling this one would go to court.

Nicholas Alexander III was a classic example of the entitled grade-A assholes her firm tended to represent. He’d cheated on his wife multiple times and was now throwing a tantrum that she was leaving him. It didn’t help that their prenup wasn’t airtight, leaving several places where he could quibble over the language, even though the intent was clear. He was determined she get absolutely nothing if she left him, because—according to him—she wasn’t supposed to divorce him over a few meaningless affairs.

From the way he talked, Camille was pretty sure in Nicholas’ world, someone else was always the problem. He also hadn’t been entirely happy she’d been the one assigned to him until one of the partners had pointed out to him that having a woman as his lawyer would help the optics of some of his wife’s claims against him in case it went to court. Mr. Donaldson had said it right in front of her, which had made her grind her teeth, but she also knew he was right.

At least Mr. Alexander came with a lot of billable hours, thanks to being a prima donna.

She’d become a divorce lawyer partly for the money but also with the idea she would help people through one of the most difficult parts of their lives. Her childhood best friend had gotten divorced after marrying too early when Camille was still in college, and she’d seen how Nina had leaned on her lawyer and how much help the lawyer had been.

There were probably some law firms where that kind of job was still possible… just not hers. It wasn’t just the firm policies. It was also the clientele they picked up. More than once, Camille had felt as if she was on the wrong side of the negotiating table.

Sure, it took two people to make a divorce happen, but it seemed like a lot of the people sitting next to her took the cake for ‘biggest asshole in the relationship.’ When they didn’t, it was because both parties were massive assholes.

She was not looking forward to tomorrow. So far, she’d gotten the sense Nicholas Alexander III wanted to stick it to his wife.

The feeling of depression that hung over her at the mere thought of working on his case followed her all the way out of the home and on the drive home.

Freddy

New Year’s Day was usually one of Freddy’s days to rest and relax. Unfortunately, he had some work to do today. Tomorrow, he’d be meeting with his newest client for mediation. Hopefully, they’d be able to work things out without going to court. Brittany was a sweet woman who he suspected of being a bit submissive, though not all women who ended up in abusive relationships were submissive. He thought she might be, though.

Her soon-to-be ex was a real piece of work, according to Brittany’s sister, who had come with her for support to the first meeting. From Brittany’s quiet demeanor and the way she kept starting to speak up in defense of him only to catch herself, it didn’t take much for Freddy to get the picture. She was determined to leave him, though, so he didn’t think there would be a reconciliation.

The fact the man was making the divorce contentious instead of the seamless process it could be made Freddy think he was doing everything he could to keep Brittany under his thumb. He wouldn’t know for sure until tomorrow when he met the man himself. It was always possible he had misinterpreted the situation.