man’s face, and he put his hands on his hips. “Am I going to have to ask you to leave?”
“Fuck,” she said. “Look, I’m having a really bad day.”
The bartender held up his hands. “Sorry. It’s illegal to smoke in any bar in the state. Aren’t you some kind of lawyer? Shouldn’t you know that?”
She crammed the cigarette back in the pack. “Yeah, I am the most hated lawyer in town.”
The bartender gave her a put-upon look. She held up her hands.
“I’m going outside,” she said. “Save my seat.” She gathered her cigarette pack and lighter and stormed for the door.
The night air was cool on her face. Away from the building, the noise dwindled. She was shaking as everything hit her. She crossed her arms to keep them still and stepped away from the building to light the cigarette. She threw her head back and sucked smoke in. A moan of pleasure escaped her.
“Anything special in those?” a voice said.
She turned and saw Rich Parker leaning against the building, watching her with a bemused but nervous smile. He’d traded in his ill-fitting slacks and shirt for a motorcycle jacket with the sleeves cut off and jeans.
“I haven’t had one all day,” she said.
“Too busy righting wrongs?”
She laughed. “No, well, yeah, but I quit smoking yesterday.”
“How’s that going?”
She exhaled a long line of smoke. “Not too well.”
He chuckled.
“Well, mind if I join you, then, to celebrate?” He held up his own cigarette. “Unless we shouldn’t be seen together, since you were my lawyer.”
“We’ve just been seen together or have you not watched the news?”
“That’s why I’m out here. I left as soon as it started. They showed you, huh?”
She nodded, fighting back tears for a moment.
“I guess we’re both famous.”
He stood, awkward and unsure until she gestured at him. “Go ahead and smoke. It’s a free country. I just came out here to have a moment to myself to process.”
“Cool.” He held up his hands.
She strode out into the graveled parking lot to give herself some distance from the building.
Behind her, she heard rustling. When she looked, she saw that Rich had stuck the cigarette in his mouth and was searching through his leather jacket, working his way from breast pockets down to his jeans pockets. He looked up at her and showed his empty hands.
“Reckon I could borrow that one?” He pointed at her cigarette.
“I thought the club gave you a lighter with membership?” She walked over to him and handed him her lit cigarette. Her hand shook, as she offered it. He took the cigarette, lit his, and sucked in smoke, before handing hers back.
He squatted down to lean against the wall. “Thanks. Cop a squat. I promise I won’t bite.”
She waited for him to add something stupid to the end of that sentence, but he didn’t.
“I just kind of want to be alone,” she said.
He was quiet for a moment. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I hope it doesn’t make things difficult for you.”
She exhaled smoke. “It’s the kind of thing that could make my career.”
“Yep,” he said. “Unless you’re not sure that’s the career you want.”
She didn’t know what to say to that. “Yeah,” she said—at a loss for other words.
She kind of thought that would make him laugh at her; but, instead, he said, “You’re not fooling me.”
“What do you mean?”
“You came out here to smoke because the bartender kicked you out.” He looked up at
her. “He kicked me out, too.”
The tension between them dissipated. “He said a lawyer should know better.”
“Wouldn’t even let you bring your drink out, would he?” Rich pulled two beers out of his coat pocket. “Tell you what, I just happened to have these on my person. And I don’t believe I should drink them both alone.” He offered one up to her,
“Fuck,” she said. “Look, I’m having a really bad day.”
The bartender held up his hands. “Sorry. It’s illegal to smoke in any bar in the state. Aren’t you some kind of lawyer? Shouldn’t you know that?”
She crammed the cigarette back in the pack. “Yeah, I am the most hated lawyer in town.”
The bartender gave her a put-upon look. She held up her hands.
“I’m going outside,” she said. “Save my seat.” She gathered her cigarette pack and lighter and stormed for the door.
The night air was cool on her face. Away from the building, the noise dwindled. She was shaking as everything hit her. She crossed her arms to keep them still and stepped away from the building to light the cigarette. She threw her head back and sucked smoke in. A moan of pleasure escaped her.
“Anything special in those?” a voice said.
She turned and saw Rich Parker leaning against the building, watching her with a bemused but nervous smile. He’d traded in his ill-fitting slacks and shirt for a motorcycle jacket with the sleeves cut off and jeans.
“I haven’t had one all day,” she said.
“Too busy righting wrongs?”
She laughed. “No, well, yeah, but I quit smoking yesterday.”
“How’s that going?”
She exhaled a long line of smoke. “Not too well.”
He chuckled.
“Well, mind if I join you, then, to celebrate?” He held up his own cigarette. “Unless we shouldn’t be seen together, since you were my lawyer.”
“We’ve just been seen together or have you not watched the news?”
“That’s why I’m out here. I left as soon as it started. They showed you, huh?”
She nodded, fighting back tears for a moment.
“I guess we’re both famous.”
He stood, awkward and unsure until she gestured at him. “Go ahead and smoke. It’s a free country. I just came out here to have a moment to myself to process.”
“Cool.” He held up his hands.
She strode out into the graveled parking lot to give herself some distance from the building.
Behind her, she heard rustling. When she looked, she saw that Rich had stuck the cigarette in his mouth and was searching through his leather jacket, working his way from breast pockets down to his jeans pockets. He looked up at her and showed his empty hands.
“Reckon I could borrow that one?” He pointed at her cigarette.
“I thought the club gave you a lighter with membership?” She walked over to him and handed him her lit cigarette. Her hand shook, as she offered it. He took the cigarette, lit his, and sucked in smoke, before handing hers back.
He squatted down to lean against the wall. “Thanks. Cop a squat. I promise I won’t bite.”
She waited for him to add something stupid to the end of that sentence, but he didn’t.
“I just kind of want to be alone,” she said.
He was quiet for a moment. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I hope it doesn’t make things difficult for you.”
She exhaled smoke. “It’s the kind of thing that could make my career.”
“Yep,” he said. “Unless you’re not sure that’s the career you want.”
She didn’t know what to say to that. “Yeah,” she said—at a loss for other words.
She kind of thought that would make him laugh at her; but, instead, he said, “You’re not fooling me.”
“What do you mean?”
“You came out here to smoke because the bartender kicked you out.” He looked up at
her. “He kicked me out, too.”
The tension between them dissipated. “He said a lawyer should know better.”
“Wouldn’t even let you bring your drink out, would he?” Rich pulled two beers out of his coat pocket. “Tell you what, I just happened to have these on my person. And I don’t believe I should drink them both alone.” He offered one up to her,
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