Page 101 of Passionate Defense

“I’ll see you in court tomorrow. Have sweet dreams about me, okay?”

“I will. I feel ready for tomorrow, thanks to you.”

“You were ready before I called, but you didn’t see it. I simply helped open your eyes.”

“Do you know how much I love you, Ethan Fischer?”

“I believe I do, baby. Get some rest.”

Chapter 22

“OBJECTION,” LANIE CALLEDout as she stood. “Mrs. Anderson’s sexual history is neither admissible nor relevant, your honor.”

“Sustained.” Judge Victoria Studor, who was presiding, turned her laser-sharp glare on the other attorney before biting out, “Mr. Jackson, for the third time, you will abandon this line of questioning. If I have to warn you again, I will hold you in contempt.”

“But, your honor—”

“Not another word. Final warning,” she snapped.

Bertram Jackson scowled as he glanced back at his notes. After a moment, he asked, “Ms. Anderson, isn’t it true that you were actually pursuing a personal relationship with Mr. Simons? That, in fact, you were the aggressor in the incident on the date in question?”

Beth’s musical laughter rose above the crowded courtroom. “My husband is seated in the gallery.” She lifted a delicate hand toward Steven who sat in the first row. His full head of sandy-blond hair with a sprinkling of gray at the temples glistened under the florescent lights, blue eyes gleaming with delight as he looked at his wife, tanned, and gorgeous. Even while seated, his tall, muscular frame was impressive in his dark-gray suit and he was as fit as if he was twenty-five, not two decades older.

“After seeing him in the same room with Mr. Simons.” She paused dramatically and glanced pointedly at the defendant. His thinning gray hair and noticeable paunch spoke to his middle-age, his medium frame at best standing four inches below six feet. Only two years separated him from Steven, but he looked ten years older. She waved her hand dismissively in his direction and looked back at Mr. Jackson then glanced at the jury with a sad shake of her head. “Do I really need to answer that question?”

The audience and several of the jury members chuckled. Beth grinned at her husband who answered with a flash of his perfect white teeth.

“Please do, for the record, Mrs. Anderson,” the judge directed.

Beth turned serious. “The answer to your question is no. I was not the aggressor, nor was I interested in exploring anything remotely personal with the defendant.”

Seated next to Steven, Ethan hadn’t laughed with the others, but he was enjoying the proceedings immensely. Beth was an imp. She was playing to the judge, the jury, and the audience, and they were all lapping it up like a kitten with a bowl of cream. He couldn’t believe the arrogance of Walt Simons and his partners for not settling. That they thought they had a snowball’s chance of winning amazed him.

The courtroom was packed, and the media circus was in full furor outside, which would make their humiliation, when it inevitably came, very public. Ethan would find that most entertaining. He settled back in his chair to watch the show as Jackson continued his ineffective cross examination.

“So, you did not proposition my client with sex in exchange for a partnership opportunity?”

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