“Have you asked him?”
“He got irate. We argued about it, and he left. He came back later and apologized saying he was just stressed out.”
“I mean, that is the typical reaction when you are guilty of something. But, I don’t think Kerem would step out on you,” Kenzie said.
“I used to say that emphatically, but now I don’t know. Something has to give though. I can’t stand this feeling.”
“What feeling?”
“It’s a feeling of waiting for the next shoe to fall. I can feel it.”
“Maybe you guys could speak to a therapist?”
“I suggested a therapist, but you know how men think that therapy is for people who are sick. According to him, we are fine. So for now, I’m just waiting. We will see what happens next.”
I sat down on the bench at the foot of my bed next to her. I put my arm around her, and she rested her head on my shoulder.
“If I find out something about him without him telling me, I’m going to tie his ass to the bed and light a blow torch under his balls. I’m going to charbroil ‘em.”
“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”
* * *
“Haven’twe already gone over the sequence of events at least three times?” I asked while rechecking the time on my watch.
What should have lasted a maximum of forty-five minutes was now going into the third hour. Opposing counsel was not prepared and kept repeating questions he’d already asked.
“I need for the witness to answer the question,” opposing counsel responded.
“She already answered it, and she is not going to answer it again. As a matter of fact, this meeting is over. You have wasted our time trying to cover up the fact that you came off the porch to play with the big dogs but didn’t realize just how big the other dogs were. Call my office when you have real questions to ask and don’t schedule anything else with my client until you’ve sat down with one of the senior partners at your firm to reevaluate your career choice. And tell Randall, your managing partner, that I am insulted that they put you on the case.”
Wasting my gotdamn time.
I stood to my feet and opened the conference room door.
“Goodbye, Mr. Green.”
He stormed out of the conference room. I apologized to my client and walked her to the elevators.
I rushed to my office to grab my bag and sped over to the hospital.
Looking down at the cars passing under the footbridge, I walked as fast as I could to get to Samuel’s room.
I made it to the elevator bank just as the doors were opening. I hopped on and pushed the button to El’s floor.
A million thoughts were running through my head as I stepped off the elevator. Did I miss the doctor’s take home instructions? If I did would Samuel tell me what they said? Hopefully, he is well today, and nothing got changed. I guess if something had changed, someone would have called me.
I pushed the door open and saw Vivian, Roc, and Torrey.
“Hey,” I said while hugging everyone. “That darn deposition was like amateur night at the Apollo. I had to Sandman the other attorney out of there,” I rolled my eyes while everyone else chuckled, “What did the doctors say? Have they all been in?”
“Nothing more than we already knew. Just continue with the wound care and physical therapy. Other than that, they gave him a clean bill of health,” Vivian explained.
“Where is Samuel?”
I turned to the bathroom and everything that had weighed so heavily on my mind earlier, dissipated when I saw Samuel grooming himself in the mirror. He leaned on the cane in his left hand, but he was standing without wobbling, straining or sweating. His progress was remarkable. He wore a blue and white plaid striped shirt with a pair of jeans that hugged his thighs deliciously. His blue Gucci loafers finished the outfit. It was good seeing him in something other than pajamas and sweats.
“Good afternoon,” he smiled through the mirror while running a comb through his beard.