Trinity
Trinity felt like she was floating on a cloud until she walked into work and saw Beck’s face. Something was up with her assistant and from the look in her eyes, Trinity wasn’t going to like it.
“Beck,” she said, quickly dropping her bags off just inside of her office. “Tell me what’s wrong. Are you all right?” Trinity asked. Beck burst into tears, something that she didn’t expect at all. Trinity had never seen her friend cry. Hell, she had never seen Beck be overly emotional at all.
“Oh honey,” Trinity crooned. She quickly crossed the small office space and pulled her friend into her arms.
“I’m so sorry, Trinity,” Beck said. “I feel like I failed you, but I had no idea that they were asking all those questions so that they could hold my answers over your head.” Her friend wasn’t making any sense, but Trinity was sure that whatever Beck was going on about was something that she wasn’t going to like.
“Slow down,” Trinity ordered. “You’re not making any sense, Beck. How about you start at the beginning and go slowly? Here,” she said, handing her a tissue, “wipe your eyes, blow your nose, and come with me into my office. We can have some coffee and you can start from the beginning, okay?” she asked. Beck nodded and did as ordered. She settled on the small sofa in Trinity’s office and took the cup of coffee that Trinity offered her.
“You stopped for coffee on your way in?” Beck asked.
“I did,” she said. “I got your favorite and even bought you a blueberry scone.” She handed the bag to Beck and she burst into tears again—not the reaction Trinity was hoping for.
“I’m sorry,” Beck sobbed, “this is all just so nice and I’ve been so awful to you.” Trinity sat down next to Beck and handed her another tissue.
“You want to tell me what happened?” Trinity asked.
Beck took three deep breaths and hiccupped. Trinity sat back and waited her out, wanting to give her friend time to catch her breath. “I came in today and before I could even turn on my computer, some woman named Sharon from PR was standing over my desk, telling me that I needed to come with her. So, I did and when I got to her office, there were about three other people there waiting for me. I didn’t know that they were on a witch hunt. I would have never guessed that they’d do what they did.”
“What did they do?” Trinity asked.
“They questioned me about you,” Beck breathed. “At first, they asked questions like, if I enjoyed working for you and if I thought you were a fair boss. I of course told them that I thought that you were and that I love working for you. Then, they started asking me questions about the new man in my life. They asked if I knew that he was a member of a motorcycle gang,” Beck whispered the last two words as if they were naughty words not to be said aloud.
“What did you tell them?” Trinity asked.
“That he was a good guy and that I knew he was not only in a club but that he was the Bandit’s president. That didn’t go over well, let me tell you,” Beck grumbled. “Then, they started asking me questions about your sister and why we were in court with her the other day.”
“That’s partially my fault, Beck,” Trinity offered. “I should have told my boss that I was handling my sister’s case pro bono, but everything happened so quickly, I didn’t follow the chain of command. I’m afraid that I might have gotten you involved in something that might jeopardize your job, and I’m so sorry, Beck.”
“It’s not my job you should be worried about, Trinity,” her friend whispered. “After they asked me about your sister, they filled me in on your break-in last night. When I told them that you had texted me some of the details, they asked to see my phone. I told them that my phone and the messages were private and they seemed to drop the subject. Then, they pulled out a police file with the information from last evening. They showed me that you agreed to be Rooster’s representation in court. Is that true? Why would you defend a man who broke into your home and held you at gunpoint?” Beck asked.
“Because he needs help, just like Charity did. He was high and looking for my sister. She duped him too. Charity took off on him, just like she did Ace and even me. She told him that she’d be back, but when she never kept her word, he came looking for her.”
“Did you tell him that your sister is in rehab?” Beck asked.
“I did, and at first, he didn’t believe me. But then, Ace came home and helped him to see the truth. Rooster wasn’t at our home to hurt anyone—he just wanted to know why Charity never came back home, as she promised him she would,” Trinity said. “Everyone deserves a second chance, Beck.”
“You have such a good heart,” Beck whispered. “But I’m afraid that the partners in the firm won’t see things that way. They only see the bad press and trouble that your family has caused both you and them. They said that they were going to have to let you go. Your letter of termination is already in your email inbox, Trinity.” Beck swiped at the fresh tears that ran down her face and all Trinity could bring herself to do was sit on the sofa and blink, willing her brain to catch up.
“Wait—I’m fired?” she said. She wasn’t asking Beck a question, at least not one she expected her to answer. “Wow—first of all, they can’t legally fire me over the fact that I’m dating a biker. And, second, they can’t let me go based on the fact that my sister and her boyfriend have caused me some trouble.”
“Right, but they can fire you for taking on your sister’s case, pro bono, without permission, during company time. You know you’re not allowed to represent anyone who isn’t approved or their case wasn’t given to you by the firm, Trinity. They found a loophole and they’re using it. They’re firing you for representing a client without prior permission. It’s ironclad and will stand up in court,” Beck said. She was right too. It was written into her contract that she couldn’t represent anyone on her own, without permission from the firm. She had done just that when she defended Charity, breaking her contract with the firm.
“How did you get to be so smart about the law?” Trinity asked.
“I guess hanging out with the smartest lawyer I know helped,” Beck said. “I’m so sorry Trinity,” she said. “I feel like if I had just kept my mouth shut, none of this would be happening.”
Trinity scooched closer to Beck and took her hands into her own. “None of this is your fault,” she promised. “I should have known better but I was caught up in helping my sister, and didn’t realize what I was doing, really. Maybe this is for the best,” she said.
“For the best?” Beck questioned. “How is getting fired for the best?”
“Well, I came in today to tell you that Ace and I are getting married,” Trinity said.
“Married? That’s fantastic—when?” Beck asked. Trinity smiled and giggled. The thought of today being her wedding day made her feel almost giddy.
“Um, today,” she breathed.