Page 31 of From the Courtroom to the Court
Emily nods, uncomfortable.
"Okay."
"Wait," Vanessa says when Emily decides to enter the building. "Let me buy you a coffee."
Emily frowns. How long has it been since she and Vanessa had coffee together? She can't remember exactly, but she knows they haven't spoken since they broke up, not even the times they've crossed paths at the courthouse, though they haven't had to face each other in any trial until now, and it's being very uncomfortable.
"Please," Vanessa insists with that cordiality so characteristic of her that Emily used to adore. "We have time, and don't tell me you're busy because we both know that's not true. One coffee and I'll let you go, I promise."
"Fine," Emily accepts.
They cross the street and walk side by side as they had done so many times before, circling the block across the street and entering the coffee shop where they had shared so many coffees.
"The usual?" Vanessa asks.
Emily nods and looks for an empty table while her ex-partner orders the drinks.
"Here you go," says Vanessa, placing a latte with a swirl of whipped cream and a chocolate bar in front of her.
"Thanks."
"I don't want this to be uncomfortable, Emily," Vanessa begins. "I just wanted to apologize for what I did."
Emily looks up, surprised, and furrows her brow.
"It's a little late for an apology, Vanessa."
"I know, and I don't expect you to forgive me, I just want you to know that at that moment, I wasn't able to understand how much I was risking or the damage my decision could cause you and our relationship. I didn't think it would bother you that much, honestly. That guy was guilty of fraud and was going to get away with it thanks to you. I even thought you shared that information with me so I would act on it, or at least that's what I wanted to believe so I wouldn't feel guilty, but you were just trusting me, nothing more," Vanessa says.
"Guilty or not, I had been assigned to defend him, and I'm an attorney above all. Now I can afford the luxury of choosing who I defend, but back then I couldn't. I shared that information with you because it made me angry that he was going to get away with it. I knew that, thanks to me, that guy was going to go free and could do the same thing again. I told you because I felt bad, because you were my girlfriend and I needed your support, not for you to use the information I'd given you in court."
"I know, I understood that when I lost you," Vanessa responds, "and I'll regret it for the rest of my life, Emily. Even if you don't believe it, it was incredibly hard for me to get over you. I was very much in love with you," she smiles with a nostalgia that spreads to Emily. "I just want you to know that I'm truly sorry, and if I could turn back time, I would never make that mistake again, not with you or anyone else."
Emily nods and takes a sip of her coffee, smudging her lips with whipped cream.
"I believe you, and I forgive you. I guess I've moved on too," she confesses, wiping her mouth with a napkin, though a small stain remains, making Vanessa smile.
"My God, you're still a mess," she says with wide eyes, and they both burst into laughter.
Chapter 16
Emily wakes up this morning with more excitement than usual. She makes herself a latte at home, dresses in a formal suit, and leaves after grabbing the sports bag she prepared the night before. Today she'll see Leah again; they haven't spoken since two nights ago when she went to her house and the lawyer tasted her lips. That flavor has lingered with Emily, a kind of balm that, instead of moisturizing, constantly reminds her of the moment when she found the courage to approach her trainer and kiss her.
She arrives at the law firm and heads to her office. This afternoon she has another court case, a new one that the South Carolina Defense Commission has assigned to the firm and, in principle, should close today. She needs to research; she hasn't had much time, and Emily never appears before a judge with doubts or lack of information. Time passes so quickly that she doesn't even realize it's time to leave. She barely had time to eat something in the cafeteria before diving back into the folders containing all the data she needs to defend.
"Em," Emma Harris calls out when Emily leaves her office. "I talked to Mia, we've arranged to meet and she'll bring all the documentation."
Emily nods and firmly holds the folder in her hand that threatens to spill the papers it contains.
"Great, the sooner we're informed, the better."
"You have to go to court?" asks Emma, who knows that the session for the case she's handling doesn't resume for another two days.
"Claude passed me a case that came in last minute, a worker claiming a higher amount than what he received as severance after his dismissal."
"How clever of him," Emma complains; she thinks Claude Mangu is a jerk. "He gives you cases that barely have media coverage."
Emily shrugs.
