Preps

Preps
Tristan
The drive home felt longer than it should have. Reggie didn’t say much and neither did I. The city moved past the windows in a blur of glass, traffic, pedestrians, and afternoon sunlight, but I barely registered any of it. My mind was still inside that courtroom. Grace’s face, Alex’s confidence, and the judge’s voice.
By the time Reggie pulled into my driveway, my shoulders were so tense they hurt. He put the car into park but didn’t immediately switch off the engine. “You need to breathe,” he said.
“I’m breathing,” I replied.
“You’re barely doing it.” I could feel his eyes on me.
I looked through the windshield. “I don’t know what the hell we are going to do.” I still didn’t feel like we could win this case.
“We are going to prepare.”
“For tomorrow?” I asked.
“For everything.”
I turned towards him. “She takes the stand tomorrow, and she gets to tell them whatever she wants.”
“She gets to testify.” He said as a matter of fact.
“That’s what I said.” My blood began to boil just thinking about it.
“No.” Reggie finally switched off the engine. “You said she gets to tell them whatever she wants. That’s not how it works.”
I looked at him. “She will be questioned.”
“Exactly.”
“She’s good at manipulating people,” I told him, shaking my head as I looked ahead.
“Then we will test her story.” He said.
I opened the car door and got out. My feet felt heavy as I placed one foot in front of the other. We walked up the steps to my front door, and I unlocked it, opening the door. I walked inside, and Reggie followed after me.
The house was quiet. Camille hadn’t been here. I don’t even think I give a shit about that now. Normally, coming home brought some relief. Today it felt like walking into a room where the air had been sucked out. I loosened my tie as I walked down the hallway. I needed to breathe.
“Study, room,” I said over my shoulder as I turned to look at Reggie.
He nodded, and I walked ahead of him.
Once we entered the study room, I took my jacket off and draped it on the back of the leather chair and poured myself a glass of water. My hand wasn’t steady. And I saw Reggie noticing, but he didn’t say anything.
“You want something stronger?” I asked him.
“No.”
“Probably wise.” I shrugged. I sat down behind the desk. He took the chair opposite me.
For several seconds, neither of us spoke, and then I leaned back.
“What do you think she will say?” I asked.
Reggie folded his hands on top of my desk. “About what?”
“Everything,” I said.
“That’s a broad question.”
“You know what I mean.” I let out a breath.
He nodded. “I think she will stick to the version that she is already given.”
“The version where I’m obsessed with her?” I said with boredom.
“Probably.” He shrugged.
“The version where I threatened her career?” I asked.
“Possibly.”
“The version where I got Elona pregnant?” That was the one that got my heart racing the most.
His expression hardened. “That one is more complicated.”
My stomach tightened. “Why?” I didn’t want to know, but yet I did.
“Because that allegation connects to something that actually happened.”
I stared at him. “Elona was pregnant with my child, and we lost the baby.”
“I know.”
My voice cracked slightly. I hated it. I looked away. Reggie didn’t interrupt. After a moment, I whispered, “I still can’t believe we’re sitting here talking about that like it’s evidence.”
“I know.”
“They are going to ask about her,” I said.
“They may.”
“They are going to ask about the pregnancy.”
“Possibly.” Reggie looked at me with concern but remained his calm self.
“And Grace will use it.”
“That’s what we have to prepare for.” He said.
I rubbed my forehead. “What if she says I forced myself on Elona?”
“Then we challenge the allegation.” He sucked in a deep breath, shifting in his seat to get comfortable.
“What if she says she saw something?” I asked.
“Then we establish what she actually saw.” He was correct about that.
“What if she lies?” I asked.
“Then we prove the lie.”
I looked at him. “And if she cries?”
Reggie gave me a tired look. “People are allowed to cry in court, Tristan.”
“You know what I mean.”
“I do.” He leaned forward. “You’re assuming that because Grace can present herself convincingly, the court will automatically believe her. That’s not how evidence works.”
I stared at the desk. “She has Alex. She has a lawyer, an aggressive one.”
“He’s doing his job.” Reggie chimed in.
“I hate that man.” I looked at him with a glare, well, it wasn’t directed at him, but somehow Camille has him for a lawyer too, and now it feels like he has it in for me.
“I know.”
“I hate that he walks around as if he had already won.” I let out a breath.
“That’s because he wants you to think he has.”
My phone buzzed.
I looked down it. It was an email.
The subject line made my stomach drop.
NOTICE OF RESTRAINING ORDER-DELANCE-LUCA vs CRANE
I opened it. My eyes moved across the screen. The order had been issued.
No direct contact.
No approaching Grace.
No communication except through legal counsel where permitted.
There were additional restrictions surrounding proximity to her workplace and certain locations.
I read it twice and then a third time, just to make sure to stay the fuck away from her.
Reggie watched me. “What?” He asked as he furrowed his brows with concern. I handed him the phone. He read it silently. “Well,” he said.
“Well?” I asked. Eager for him to just tell me what he’s thinking.
“It’s been granted.”
I laughed. There was no humour in it. “Of course it has been.”
“It’s temporary,” I said as he continued to read.
“That doesn’t make it feel better,” I told him.
“It isn’t a finding of guilt.” He said.
“I know.” I stood up abruptly. I needed more air because it felt like the walls were closing in yet again.
I paced the small space behind my desk with my hands in my pants pockets. My life was about to be ruined by someone who wanted me, and I didn’t want her. Things that some people would go through just ruin someone else. Maybe I am some people too. I took in a deep breath. Reggie held out my phone to me over my desk, and I took it from him. I looked down at the email again. “What about the rest? The compensation? And the public apology?” I asked.
“Those aren’t being decided yet.” He said.
I turned around to face him. “Why?”
“Because the court wants Grace’s testimony first.”
“So everything waits,” I said, throwing my hands up in the air with frustration.
“Pretty much.”
I laughed bitterly. “Fantastic.”
“One thing at a time.” He tried to reassure me.
I ran a hand through my hair. “I don’t want to wait. I want this finished.”
“So do I.” He said.
“I want her exposed.”
Reggie stood up. “Then don’t give her anything that she can use against you.” I stared at him. “It means you follow the order. You don’t contact her. You don’t send messages through someone else. You don’t confront her. You don’t react to anything she does.”
“I wasn’t planning to.”
“Good.”
He pointed towards my phone. “And you don’t post anything.”
“I don’t post.”
“You have people who post for you.” My company’s PR team.
“That’s different.”
“Not for tomorrow.”
I nodded. “Fine.” Before I could say anything else, I heard the front door open.
A woman’s voice floated through the hallway.
“Hello? Anyone home?” I closed my eyes. Of course, it was Camille. Finally, coming out of whatever hole she climbed into.
Reggie looked at me. “Is that her?”
“Unfortunately.” I rolled my eyes.
Footsteps of high heels approached, and then Camille appeared in the doorway. Her expression brightened when she saw Reggie. “Oh.” She smiled. “You’re here.” I immediately saw the shift in her demeanor. Her shoulders straightened and her eyes lingered. She suddenly seemed very interested in being in the room. She was wearing a black formal mini dress and a brown coat with brown ankle boots, her blonde hair was loose. She had red lips.
“Camille,” I said sharply.
She looked at me. “What?”
“Don’t,” I warned her.
Her eyebrows lifted. “I haven’t done anything.”
“You were about to.”
She glanced at Reggie again. “I was just saying hello to both of you.”
“Then say hello.”
She smiled. “Hello, Mr Carter.”
Reggie gave her a polite nod. “Camille.”
She leaned against the doorframe. “So you’re Tristan’s lawyer? I saw you in the headlines with him.”
“Yes.” Reggie replied. He wasn’t entertaining her which is what I like.
“I’ve heard quite a bit about you.”
I frowned. “From whom?” I asked.
She ignored me. “You must be very good at what you do.”
Reggie looked mildly uncomfortable. “I’m competent.”
Camille smiled. “I like confident men.”
My jaw tightened. “Camille.” “What?” She shrugged.
“He’s working.”
“So?”
“So leave him alone.”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re being ridiculous.”
“I’m being clear.” Gosh, this woman is already driving me insane.
She looked between us. “Well, if you need anything, Reggie, I’m around.”
I stood up. “Camille.”
“What now?” She rolled her eyes.
“Stop.”
Her expression hardened. “You don’t get to tell me who I can speak to.”
“I absolutely do when he’s in my home discussing my legal case.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Your home?” I knew that tone. Camille folded her arms. “Interesting.”
I stared at her. “Don’t start.”
“I’m not starting anything.”
“You’ve been trying to take this house from me since you popped up on my doorstep.”
Reggie looked at me. Camille’s face changed. “Excuse me?” She was trying to play victim.
“You heard me.” I glared at her.
“That’s not what this is about.” She said.
“Then what is it about?” I asked.
“You know exactly what it’s about.”
I laughed without humor. “No. I know exactly what you’ve been trying to do.”
Camille stepped farther into the study room. “You think everything is about money.”
“No.” I looked her straight in the eye. “I think everything is about control.”
The study room fell silent. Her expression hardened. Reggie cleared his throat. “Perhaps we should save this conversation.”
Camille looked at him. “I agree.”
I gave her a warning look. “Don’t.”
She smiled faintly. “I wasn’t talking to you.”
I stepped forward. “Camille.”
Reggie stood slightly between us. “Enough.” We both looked at him. He sighed. “I have one client today.” He pointed at me. “That client.” He looked at Camille. “And whatever dispute the two of you have concerning property can wait.” Camille opened her mouth. Reggie raised a hand. “Not today.” She stopped. He looked at me. “And you.”
“What?” I asked.
“Not today.”
I exhaled. He was right. Gosh, I hated that he was right. “Fine.”
Camille stared at him for another moment, and then she turned around and left. Her footsteps disappeared down the hallway.
I looked at Reggie. “She wants my house.”
“I heard you.” He picked up his briefcase. “I’ll deal with it after this court matter.” He looked directly at me. “One thing at a time, Tristan.”
I nodded reluctantly. He moved towards the door. “Tomorrow.” I looked at him. “Grace takes the stand.” The words settled heavily between us.
I nodded. “She does.”
“And you’re going to let me do my job.”
“Yes.” He better be fucking good at this.
“No interruptions.”
“Yes.” I couldn’t promise that, but I needed to try.
“No angry outbursts.” That was even harder.
I gave him a look. “I said yes.”
“No staring her down.”
“I can’t promise that.” Fuck, this was becoming too much with all these do’s and don’ts.
“Tristan.” He warned me.
“I’ll try.”
He sighed. “Good enough.”
He stopped by the door. “Get some sleep.”
I almost laughed. “That’s optimistic.”
“Try.” He walked out.
I remained in the study alone. The house was quiet again, Camille was probably upstairs. I looked at my phone. The restraining order was still open on the screen, and then I looked towards the hallway where Camille had disappeared. One problem at a time. Reggie was right. But tomorrow wasn’t just another problem. Tomorrow Grace would sit in that witness chair. She would swear to tell the truth, and then she would finally have the opportunity to tell the court exactly what she claimed I had done. My stomach twisted. Because there was one question I couldn’t escape. What if Grace had been preparing her story for longer than I had been preparing to defend myself?
I looked down at the screen again, and then I whispered into the empty room. “Tomorrow.” And somehow, that single word felt more threatening than anything Grace had said yet.