Page 19 of From the Courtroom to the Court
"Promise me that if you need to talk, you'll come to me," Emma Harris asks.
Emily smiles and extends a hand across her desk to reach her cousin's.
"You worry too much about me; I'm supposed to be the older one who takes care of you."
Emma bursts into laughter.
"You already do, but each of us has our role and mine is to try to draw out everything you insist on keeping quiet."
Emily nods; she won't deny the truth to someone who's right. She looks at the time on her watch and realizes that time has flown by and she can no longer continue reviewing her notes. She stands up and puts the folders in her briefcase.
"I have the day off," announces Emma, who has finished the few things she had to do at the firm. "I'll go with you to the courthouse."
"Okay, but afterward I'm heading to the club, I have training this afternoon," Emily explains, and the sparkle in her eyes could light up an entire city.
"I'll go with you and when you finish we'll go to dinner," says Emma, also standing up. "I'm craving a hamburger, though I'll end up having a salad."
Emily sighs and shakes her head in a gesture of incomprehension. She'll never understand how her cousin—and people in general—limit themselves from such pleasurable things for the absurd reason of fitting into a dress two sizes smaller than they need. Emily is very clear that life—at least consciously—is lived once, and she isn't willing to waste it.
"I'll have a double," she states as they leave her office together.
Chapter 11
Emily and Emma arrive at the club just in time. They left the courthouse late, forcing them to grab a quick bite before stopping by the law firm and shutting themselves in the older cousin's office to prepare for tomorrow's session. When they realized the time, they were almost late for practice, and Emily jumped from her chair, urging her cousin as if the building were on fire.
"We're not in school, Emily. No one's sending you to the principal for being late," Emma says as she walks quickly behind her cousin after parking the car in the club lot. "Though if Leah Walker were the principal, I'm sure you wouldn't mind being sent to her office," she adds playfully, and Emily nearly trips over her own feet at the comment.
Leah Walker. Lately, she hears that name often, and each time, something stirs in her stomach, preventing her from thinking like a focused, rational person.
"Stop talking like that, you're distracting me," she complains, making her cousin laugh. "Look, she's already on the court. We're late," she says and quickens her pace.
"Speak for yourself. I'm just a spectator who, by the way, needs to pee."
Emily stops and turns to her just as they reach the court.
"Why didn't you go to the bathroom when we were at the office?" she asks while pulling her hair into a high ponytail.
"How could I when you practically dragged me to the elevator?" her cousin counters.
Emily smiles and turns to enter the court, where Leah greets her, racket in hand.
"Hi, sorry I'm late," Emily apologizes with a wide smile that twists Leah's stomach.
"You're not late," the tennis player says, checking the time. "There's still a minute to go."
Emily broadens her smile and opens her bag to take out her racket just as Mia passes by the back of the court.
"By the way," Emily says. "Could my cousin use the locker room restroom? The poor thing couldn't go during the two hours we spent in my office," she adds, glancing sideways at Emma.
Leah laughs and nods.
"I would have if you'd let me breathe," Emma defends herself, rolling her eyes. "Where are the locker rooms?"
Leah is about to answer, but a wicked impulse crosses her mind, and with a mischievous smile, she raises her hand and calls Mia, who approaches slowly when she notices the presence of Emily's rude cousin.
"Would you mind showing Emma where the locker rooms are so she can use the bathroom?" Leah asks, holding back laughter when Mia pierces her with a look.
"It would be my pleasure," she says and signals Emma to follow her.
