Page 265 of His Virgin Romance Series

I suppressed a sigh, but I spoke a little louder to make sure that my parents would hear. “No,” I said. “I had no support.”

“You don’t have parents?”

“Not ones who support what I do,” I told the judge. “When I told them I was not going into medicine like my father, they cut me off. They made it clear that I would get no backing from them. They effectively disowned me.”

Judge Forrester’s expression was passive but thoughtful. I wondered if he would be less inclined to give me a hefty sentence in light of my sorry family situation. I also wondered if he would want to speak to my parents to corroborate my story.

“Let me ask you this,” Judge Forrester said, at last. “Do you still want to pursue a career in the arts?”

“I do, Your Honor,” I said immediately. “That is the only thing I’m passionate about. That’s the only thing I’m good at.”

“It’s not easy to do what you do these days… it’s very rarely profitable.”

“I know, Your Honor,” I said. “And I understand that I may have to live hand to mouth my entire life. But… it’s still worth it.”

“Is it really?” Judge Forrester asked. “If pushing drugs is the only thing that will allow you to support this lifestyle?”

I paused. He was giving me an out in a way. He was trying to extract a promise out of me so that he would be justified in giving me a lesser sentence.

“I… I suppose I will need to put my artistic dreams aside for now,” I said. “If I am lucky enough to walk out of here today, I’m going to have to wait till I can afford to pursue the career I really want.”

Judge Forrester sighed. “I hope you know that I take no pleasure in extracting that kind of statement from you,” he said. “I am a big supporter of the arts, and it is a community that needs to be nurtured and encouraged. My goal is never to advise a young artist to put aside his or her dreams. But every case is different. If pushing drugs is the only way you can be an artist, then being an artist needs to wait. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Your Honor.” I nodded. “I understand.”

Judge Forrester kept his shrewd eyes on me and nodded. “Given the evidence collected against you, sentencing is necessary. I don’t like to put men in jail, Mr. Danvers. Once they go into the system, they become part of a cycle that’s hard to get out of. I think you can be a useful part of society if only you commit to turning your life around.”

“I will certainly try to be a useful part of society, Your Honor,” I said, saying the words I knew he was expecting to hear.

The truth was I was upset and disappointed. I was looking at jail time, no matter how small, and even if I managed to escape jail time, I wouldn’t be able to support my artistic goals. I would be back to square one, and the degree I had fought so hard to achieve would be completely pointless, a waste of my time.

“I’m glad to hear it.” Judge Forrester nodded. “You have a clean record, Mr. Danvers, and so considering this is your first offense, I’m unwilling to give you any jail time.”

I breathed an inward sigh of relief, and I felt my spirits lift somewhat. “Thank you, Your Honor,” I said immediately.

“But you do not get off scot-free, Mr. Danvers,” Judge Forrester said, in his deep, authoritative voice. “No matter your motives, you still committed a crime, and for that, there has to be a punishment. I’m sentencing you to five hundred hours of community service. I will give you six months in which to complete it.”

Five hundred hours. I felt my insides squirm a little. Not only would I need to find myself a job with decent pay, but I would also have to fulfill five hundred hours of community service. I did a little quick math in my head and realized that in order to meet that commitment, I would need to put in at least three hours of community service every day for the next six months. Which meant that I would have absolutely no time left over to focus on my creative pursuits. I started to feel a little claustrophobic, but I reminded myself that I was extremely lucky to have received such a lenient sentence.

“The local fire department needs some help,” Judge Forrester said, looking at a few documents in front of him that I couldn’t see. “But there are a few more places that require volunteers. You can choose from the list if you’d like.”

“The fire station is fine, Your Honor,” I said, figuring that might be the most interesting place to be.

“Good.” Judge Forrester nodded. “You can start tomorrow. Make sure you meet with your supervisor before and after you finish. If your hours are not in the books, then they don’t count.”

“I understand, Your Honor.” I nodded.

“Good, then you are free to go.” Judge Forrester nodded.

“Thank you, Your Honor,” I said, and at that moment, I was truly grateful to have avoided jail.

The moment court was adjourned, I turned to the public defender who the state had provided for me and gave him a nod. “Thanks,” I said, despite the fact that he hadn’t done a whole heck of a lot to help me in my opinion.

“No problem,” Reese replied. “All in a day’s work.”

I walked out of the courtroom with him, but when I passed the seats my parents had been sitting at, they were already gone. Just as well; it’s not like they would have wanted to celebrate with me. I had just said goodbye to Reese, and I was walking down the steps of the courthouse when I noticed my father standing to one side of the steps in his ceremonial blazer. We made eye contact and I thought about walking past him, but then my mother stepped up beside him, and I decided to be the bigger person.

I walked up to both of them. Mom looked a little older and a little thinner. It was the natural progression being married to my father. He had a way of sucking the life out of you… ironic, considering he was a heart surgeon.

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