Page 2 of Celebrity

I had never wanted this case in the first place, but my law partner, Tara Zain, was handling a high-profile murder trial that had left me as the only viable option.

The things my client said disgusted me on most days. His only redeeming factor was that he kept a distinct line between his personal and public lives. He wasn’t a jerk in real life. He was a nice guy who loved his kids and, until recently, his ex-wife.

“I’m up here, Counselor.” Judge McGregor glared down at me.

One day I was going to find out why this woman hated me.

I missed Judge Trammel. She loved to hand me my ass, but she was fair and took no one’s bullshit. It wasn’t her fault that her husband had a heart attack and she’d had to leave the case.

“Your client’s celebrity status is the reason this case has gone on as long as it has. From what Judge Trammel conveyed, you’ve become a celebrity yourself.”

I ignored the last part of her statement and responded to the first. “I disagree, Your Honor. The length of this meaningless case is due to Ms. Bassett’s need to continue her five minutes of fame after her divorce for cheating on her husband.”

Damn, I shouldn’t have added the last part.

“How dare you? You’re just another one of his tramps. I’ll ruin you. If it’s the last thing I do. I’ll ruin you!”

Judge McGregor rapped her gavel. “Counselor, get Ms. Bassett under control, or I’ll remove her from the courtroom. Threatening opposing counsel is a chargeable offense.”

The woman needed to learn new insults. She’d called me tramp and whore so many times that I’d lost count.

It didn’t matter much longer anyway. I wouldn’t be on the case after today. I was going to transition my client to Karina Taylor, one of the junior attorneys in my law firm. She was foaming at the mouth to defend this case. She wanted to make her mark in the world and prove she was qualified to become a partner.

From the look on Karina’s face as she sat next to Clint, I could tell she was shocked by how this non-session had started. I hadn’t been able to get a real word in, and I wasn’t even sure if Judge McGregor was aware I no longer represented Clint.

“I didn’t threaten that whore,” Kimberly countered.

I felt the distinct urge to walk up to her and smack her.

The way things were looking, even with Judge Trammel’s approval for attorney change, I was never going to be able to leave this courthouse.

It took another ten minutes to get Kimberly and the media under control.

I could see a vein pulsing on the side of Judge McGregor’s face.

Celebrity divorce scandals weren’t her usual type of proceeding. She spent most of her days dealing with murder trials and felony litigations.

She glanced between the opposing attorney and me. “I’d like to see both parties in my office. We will discuss this case without distractions so that I am brought up to speed with the numerous changes Judge Trammel approved before she stepped down.”

She rapped her gavel, then released an exasperated sigh as she stood and spoke again. “Once this is over, Ms. Kumar, I hope I never have to encounter you in a courtroom again. Your celebrity clients could encourage the most pious person to drink.”

Ten minutes later, the courtroom was cleared, and our clients and their respective entourages were the only ones left.

Opposing counsel Nathan Travis and I made our way to the hallway leading to Judge McGregor’s private office. I glanced over my shoulder toward Clint, who had a pained expression as he gazed at Kimberly.

Poor man—he still loved her.

Then I took a peek at Kimberly, and she had a similar yearning in her eyes. She was trying to ignore Clint, but every so often she’d glance his way, and her lip would tremble.

They had been happily married for twenty years before one stupid, yet enormous, mistake destroyed it all.

Turning back to follow Nathan down the corridor, I shook my head.

“If they end up back together, I’m going to be so pissed that I wasted four months of my life on this case,” I muttered to myself.

“You and me both,” I thought I heard a distinct Louisiana accent mumble.

I paused, inhaled deep, and looked to my side. Devin Camden, the one man who starred in every one of my fantasies, sat on a bench, reading a newspaper. He oozed Southern charm without uttering a word, but then when he spoke, any woman with a pulse had to keep her panties from melting.

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