Advice of Counsel (The Samuel Collins Series Book 1) by Debra Trueman Page B

accident
really got to me.”  She looked at me and I could tell she was fighting not to
cry.  “How long is it going to take the EEOC to investigate my charge?”
    “I don’t know.  It could take a while.  We could agree to
mediate if Datacare did, but I’d rather take them to court.   I think you’d end
up with a lot more money if we did that.”
    “I don’t know how long I can take it.”
    “Deal with it as long as you can, and if you’re forced to quit,
we’ll allege it was a constructive discharge.  If it comes to that, you can
work for me, so you’re not going to be out on the street.  You do know how to
type, don’t you?”
    “Yeah,” she said, attempting to smile.
    “One more thing.  You need to change your hairstyle.”
    “I like my hairstyle.”
    I shook my head.  “It’s got to go, Maddie.  It makes you look
like a slut and we don’t want a jury thinking that you were asking for whatever
you got.  And don’t you dare start crying on me again,” I warned.
    “I’m not!”  She looked away and was quiet for a minute, then
she looked back over at me.  “If I didn’t know that you were trying to help me,
I’d think you were a real prick.”
    “I am real prick.”  I pointed to her hair.  “The sooner the
better.”
    The baby came crawling over and pulled himself up on my leg and
I shooed him over to Maddie.
    “Anything else?” I asked her.
    “It might be nothing, but I overheard Larry talking to his
supervisor today . . . something about a tape.  When I walked in the room, they
stopped talking and I got the feeling they had been talking about me.”
    “Do you think it was about the tape recorder I gave you?”
    “I don’t see how they’d know about it.”
    I could tell something was gnawing at her. “Tell me what you’re
thinking, Maddie.”
    She lowered her voice.  “What if he has it on tape.  The time
we had sex.”
    “Why would you think that?”
    “I don’t know.  They just looked guilty when I walked in
today.  It’s just a gut feeling.”
     “I think you’re reading too much into it, and I think you’re
worrying about nothing.”
    “You’re probably right.”  Maddie got up off the couch and
picked up the baby, then walked over to where Oliver was watching TV.  “Let’s
go home baby.”
    An Oreo-faced Oliver looked at Maddie.  “Mom, your face looks
like this,” he said, and he made his lips into a thin line that looked exactly
like Maddie’s.
    Maddie smiled at him.  “Mommy’s a little upset sweetie, but not
at you.”
    “Okay,” Oliver said happily.  He came over and took my hand and
held it as I walked them to the door.
    When we got outside I pulled him aside and knelt down so that
we were eye level.   “You have a really nice mom.  You be extra nice to her,
okay?” I told him.
    “Okay, Samuel,” he said smiling.  He wrapped his arms around my
neck and hugged me, then he ran off and joined Maddie.
    “Thanks, Samuel,” Maddie said.
    “Don’t thank me yet.  I haven’t done anything.”

Chapter 4
    It was no coincidence that Mrs. Howard and the Johnses were
standing out by Mrs. Howard’s mailbox chatting when I left to pick up Landra
for our date.  I swear, they had been out there just waiting for me to leave.
And not only did all three of them stare openly from the minute I stepped out
my door, but they made no attempt to hide the fact that they were talking about
me.  If they had pointed and laughed, it wouldn’t have been more obvious.  But
then, after the mailbox kiss, who could blame them.  It was probably as much
excitement as the neighborhood had seen in years.  I waved without speaking,
and they all smiled and called out hello , then went back to talking
about me.
    I arrived at Landra’s house promptly at 7:00 o’clock, and she
met me at the door before I had a chance to knock.
    “Sara called and told me you were on your way.”
    “You’re kidding!” I said in disbelief.
    Landra laughed.