Page 30 of From the Courtroom to the Court
"The thing is, she came over, we had dinner, talked, and I kissed her, just like that. And I loved it, Emma. That kiss wasn't like the one I gave her on the court; this one was intentional. I saw her standing there and suddenly realized I'd been wanting to do it since she walked into my house. And she kissed me back, but then my phone rang and interrupted us."
"Aha," says Emma. "And after that?"
"She left. I think she felt uncomfortable. That's the feeling I got, maybe she wasn't expecting it, though she told me everything was fine. Anyway, I don't know, I'll talk to her as soon as I see her," the lawyer concludes.
"And that's it?" Emma asks, perplexed.
"Of course, what do you want me to do?"
"Damn, you make everything seem so easy. I'd be freaking out," Emma admits.
"I'll stress out if I really need to, not before," Emily finishes. "Anyway, I didn't call you in for this, but for the reason Leah came to my house. Mia and her little brother, Aaron."
Emma wishes it hadn't happened, but just hearing Mia's name makes her heart skip a beat.
"What about them?"
Emily tells her in detail everything Leah told her last night.
"Shit, that's awful. I had no idea," says Emma.
"Neither did I. Leah asked me to handle the case, but I can't do it alone, so you'll be the lead attorney and I'll just supervise. Does that work for you?"
"Yes, sure, no problem."
"Are you sure?" Emily insists.
"What do you mean?" Emma asks, offended.
"I don't doubt your ability, but I know you and Mia don't get along very well. I'll understand if you'd prefer me to assign another attorney from the firm."
Emma stays silent for a moment, and doubt creeps in because she's not sure she can handle the ball girl's arrogant character, but on the other hand, she wants to help her. There's a part of her that desperately wants to help Mia get custody of her brother.
"I'll do it, Emily. I'm sure we can both put aside our nonsense to handle this, don't worry."
"Perfect. I told Leah we needed all the documentation they had on the case, so I imagine Mia will stop by to bring it."
"Alright."
"You'll need to talk with her, immerse yourself in her life. We'll need statements in her favor from…"
"Stop right there, Emily," Emma cuts her off with a raised eyebrow, "just because I don't feel the same calling as you do doesn't mean I don't know how to do my job."
"I know, sorry," her cousin smiles, "but keep me updated on any progress, okay? After all, Leah hired us, and I need to keep her informed."
"How convenient for you to have another excuse to get close to her," Emma teases.
"It is," Emily laughs. "Anyway," she stands up and grabs her leather briefcase, "I'm heading to court, call me if you need anything."
"Sure, crush Vanessa."
Emily arrives at the courthouse barely twenty minutes later. She's about to enter when Vanessa Cooper walks out, and they nearly bump into each other. Emily, nervous, steps aside and watches her, not understanding why she's leaving the courthouse when their trial starts in just fifteen minutes.
"Hello, Emily," Vanessa greets, moving away from the door to avoid blocking the entrance.
"Hi," she answers dryly.
"The trial has been delayed an hour, they just announced it," the opposing attorney explains.
