Page 5 of The Lawyer's Quandary
“Okay. So how do we do this?” Steven asked.
“There are two ways we can approach it. First is to find out if there are others,” Greg said.
“I believe there are,” Mark spoke up. “There was some tension at the game, and I saw Steven’s mirrored in at least two other players. But I’m not sure how to get them to come forward.”
“Steven, are you friends with these other players? If so, take the two of them out for a drink or invite them to your room, something. Get them loosened up a little and see what happens if you mention Coach Bates. Don’t force the issue. But here is the hard part—make sure you stay sober. You have to be clear-minded enough to be able to recall what they say. From there, if they have had a similar experience, you let me know, and I can meet with them. It’s likely they think they are alone.”
“Both guys are as straight as an arrow, so this sort of thing is going to be hard for them to deal with,” Steven said. “I think it will be harder for them than it is for me. They’ll want to bury it.”
“True. But I think if they know they have support and aren’t alone, then maybe they will have the same goals you do. That’s the key, aligning their goals and yours. Once that happens, then we have a place to start.”
Steven grew quiet. “Shit. I guess I knew I was going to have to talk about all this… but….”
Mark had to hand it to Greg—he was a straight shooter for a lawyer. “You can still back out. But if we do this, you need to know that you will be telling your story multiple times. So make sure that you are consistent and clear. I know you’re estranged from your father, but what about your mom? Tell her. Get her on your side if you can. Fathers are one thing, but mother are lionesses, and if someone hurts their cubs, then they want to go after them with everything they have.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“If you want, I’ll be there with you when you tell her.” Damn, this guy really understood the situation. It got Mark wondering, but the conversation continued, and Mark didn’t have time to ponder the sleek lawyer with a great smile and beautiful brown eyes flecked with gold.
“We both will,” Mark said.
“I don’t know. I have to think about all of this,” Steven said.
“That’s fine. Give yourself a few days to decide what you want to do and then send me the forms back if you want to go forward, and we can put things in motion,” Greg said.
“No. I’m going to go forward, because I don’t think I could live with myself if I didn’t. It’s talking to my mother that has meworried. My father has gotten more extreme over the past few years, and Mom always went along with what he said. So I don’t really know how she feels.” He sighed. “But I guess I should find out.”
Greg reiterated what he needed Steven to do and then ended the call.
“Who knew hiring a lawyer would result in having so much to do?” Mark said.
“Yeah, well, it isn’t like he can do all this stuff for me. It’s not like the guys are going to talk to him, and they certainly aren’t going to come out and say that Bates touched their junk.” He shoved his phone in his pocket. “But at least there’s a plan.”
“Yes, and someone to lead the charge. Have you decided what you want to do?”
Steven pulled out his phone and worked with it again. “I already had before we talked. I just sent him the signed the scope of service and acknowledged the fee schedule. So we’re moving forward.” Mark pulled to a stop at the light. “Look, I know we’re friends and all, but this could blow back at you big-time. If the college knows you were aware of what I was planning, they could make it tough for you or fire you outright.”
“They might think they can, but you came to me, and I’m going to come forward to the administration when the time is right. After that, I have whistleblower protections. So don’t worry about me. We’re doing the right thing, and that’s what we need to keep in mind.” Mark continued forward once the light changed before turning onto campus and pulling up to Steven’s building. “Keep your head on straight, and whatever you do, don’t let Bates get to you. We’ll take him down, but we have to do it right.”
“Okay,” Steven said, then got out of the car. He opened the trunk, and Steven got his gear before trudging up the steps.
For thenext week, it was quiet. Mark heard nothing at all from Steven and wondered if that was good or not. He hoped if there had been an incident with Coach Bates that he would have called and told him. The next lacrosse match was at home, and he attended, but didn’t see the assistant coach at all. The team was playing in top form, and after the win, Mark found Steven celebrating with the rest of the team.
“Great game. You played really well.”
Steven grinned. “Bates got pneumonia or something and is going to be out for the rest of the season.” He was almost elated as he told him. “I told Coach Littleton that he should think about bringing you on to fill that role.”
Mark didn’t think that would happen for a number of reasons, not least of which was that Bates was only out sick. They wouldn’t replace him until the following year… if they were going to. “What about…?” He didn’t even want to bring up the rest, not here.
“All systems go. This is a chance for us to keep everyone safe,” Steven said as some of the other guys raced over to celebrate their win. Mark stepped back to let Steven have his moment and enjoy his time with team.
Standing alone, he pulled out his phone and sent Greg a message.Have you ever thought about taking up swimming as an adult? If you want to learn more, we could meet at the pool.He sent a smiley face.
He didn’t get a response right away and wondered if it had been a bad idea. He put his phone in his pocket and walked across campus, back to his car. His phone dinged as he was about to get in.
In court today. Sure. What did you have in mind?
We could meet at the rec center pool tomorrow if you’re free, about 10:30 or 11?
