Page 15 of Pride & Precedents

"Marie!" Dad's deep baritone answers, splitting my head open like a ripe melon. "Leave him be. He's clearly sleeping off a bender."

OK. That's enough. I pull myself out of bed, the pillow still tightly wrapped around my ears, and practically slither downstairs, holding onto the railing for dear life. I find my parents in the kitchen. Dad has his arms wrapped around Mom from behind as she stirs scrambled eggs on the stove. I flop onto the barstool at the counter.

"Why were you two yelling if you're in the same room together?" I whisper around a mouth full of sand.

Both my parents turn and level me with a look that makes it clear they knew what they were doing. I take my pillow from around my ears and lay it on the counter, followed by my throbbing head.So Mom and Dad have jokes. I see how it is.

"So, do you want any breakfast, Junior?" Mom asks in her perpetually cheery voice. "I'm making eggs, and bacon is already done."

The corner of Dad's mouth twitches.

"Perhaps some 'hair of the dog'?"

I sigh and prop myself up on one fist.

"Yes to the eggs and bacon and no to 'hair of the dog'. I might need to take a break from the hard stuff for the next few months. Maybe years."

Dad chuckles and hands me a cup of coffee. I smile gratefully.

"What had you out partying like a college kid? I don't think I've ever seen you hung over."

"That's because this is a first for me." I gulp down some of the black gold and almost moan when it dampens the booming in my head. "And alast. I was out celebrating a new client with Noah."

Mom turns to get flour and sugar from the cabinet for what looks like pancakes.Sweet!If crashing at home means a spread like this, I may have to make it a habit.

"Oh! Who did he sign?"

"Some K-drama heart throb. Camila went crazy over him." I tried and failed to keep the edge out of my voice.

Mom drops her whisk abruptly and turns to face me. The smile on her faces stretches from ear to ear.Uh oh.

"Who isCamila? Why has Noah met her and not me?"

I shift uncomfortably in my chair. Even Dad is eyeing me from over his newspaper at the table in the breakfast nook.

"Just my paralegal."

I round the counter and snag a piece of bacon from behind Mom's back before she can stop me. She frowns.

"Your paralegal? And you went out drinking with her to the point of having a hangover?"

Dad folds his paper and clears his throat.

"Your mother's right, son. Mixing business and pleasure is never a good idea."

I catch myself before I roll my eyes; Dad doesn't tolerate disrespect.

"C'mon, Dad. There was nopleasure. We just ran into each other at The Commodore and Noah invited her and her sister to join us for drinks."

Dad doesn't look convinced. He shares a look with Mom, who's all but forgotten the pancakes.

"Well…make sure it stays that way. Not only can things get tricky when you get close to people you work with, but you should know there's a legal risk as well."

This time I do roll my eyes. Talk about blowing things out of proportion. Dad's frown deepens.

"Nothing happened. You think my paralegal's going to sue me because we had a few drinks? That happens at most client lunches and you know that."

Rather than stick around to head the end of Dad's lecture, I pull my phone out and text Murray. Time to head back to Westchester. It's a shame I'll have to miss those pancakes. Nothing's better to soak up last night's bad decisions.

---