Page 28 of Fe
But she didn’t take it. “Keep it. Think about it.”
She walked off.
“Not tempted?” Ripley asked.
“It’s a scam.”
Ripley wasn’t so sure. “If it wasn’t?”
“She thinks it’ssweetI walk with a crutch. Different and yet irrelevant.” Fen rolled his eyes. “Do I want to be the token…differently-abled model? Fuck no.”
Anger blazed in Fen’s eyes, only to morph into something that looked like horror.What the hell?
“I need to leave,” Fen blurted.
His face had paled. Ripley glanced around to see what had brought that on but Fen was already heading to the cloakroom and Ripley followed.
Once they were outside with coats on, Fen let out a heavy sigh.
“Who were you trying to avoid?”
“You didn’t spot the T-rex?”
“Try again.”
“Someone I didn’t want to see.”
“So all’s good?”
Fen nodded. “Thank you again for the invite. My bus stop is this way, so…”
“I don’t want to say goodbye yet.”
“I don’t want to invite you to my place. You’d take one look and recoil.”
Ripley blinked. “I’m not that shallow.” Actually, he probably was.
“The rats are quite friendly.”
“I’m transparentandshallow? My days as a barrister are numbered.”
He thought Fen would smile, but he didn’t.
“Let me take you back,” Ripley said. “You don’t have to invite me in. You look…a bit shaken. I’d like to make sure you get home safely.”
It took Fen a moment or two to answer. Ripley thought he was going to say no. They didn’t live in an age where people saw others home without an ulterior motive. Especially not men.
“All right.” Fen started to walk. “No driver tonight?”
“No. I came straight from work.”
“What’s a typical day like for you?”
“If I’m not in court attending hearings, I’m in meetings, or in chambers drafting written work. Sometimes I handle several cases a day, at different courts. The more complex cases can take several months to conclude. I have early starts, do paperwork over the weekend and spend too much of my time waiting, whether it’s for judge, jury, witnesses, police, trains, cabs, lunch… The entire system falters regularly. Technology breaks down and causes delays, one case takes priority because children are involved, the new date set isn’t one that works for everyone. The issues are endless and frustrating.”
“Is…chambers like…your office?”
“Yes, with a senior clerk as the office manager. We’re a group of twelve barristers with clerks. The clerks receive cases from solicitors, agree fees, and do everything connected with office management, hopefully ensuring we’re not overworked.”
