Lawyers

I rejoined Kerri, Grayson, and the others from the Phoenix office, and we sat down just before a couple of the senior partners took to the microphone to encourage us to take our seats. A minute or two later they were making a number of perfunctory and ultimately needless remarks about teamwork being the cornerstone of success, needless because they were remarks that I had already heard them make six times previously. Finally, they announced that dinner was served.

Everyone kept drinking all through the meal, though I have to admit that Kerri showed more restraint than anyone, including me. Then, when dinner ended, the two senior partners that were serving as masters of ceremony called three of the old-timers up to offer them handsome 25 Year Service Award plaques, which, coincidentally, were accompanied by $10,000 gold Rolex watches.

I thought for a moment and then remembered that both Paul and Tom would be recipients of those same service awards the next year, as the two had both started at CS&M in 1985. Then, the MCs announced the retirement of Mike Swann, the son of one of the founders of the firm, and a nearly fifty year veteran of CS&M. Everyone gave him a standing ovation, and the partners presented him with the keys to a BMW 760Li.

The ceremony, what there was of it, was soon over, and we were encouraged to keep visiting and drinking. The young guns from the Phoenix office retired to the lounge, and by the time Kerri and I got there, they were already on their second round of shots of various kinds of liqueurs. Kerry and I both knew better than to get started with that business, so to escape the peer pressure, she asked if I wanted to join her in her room for a nightcap. I happily agreed.

We took the elevator up to the 7^th floor to Kerri's suite, and once inside, she opened a bottle of Syrah and poured us each a glass. Before sitting down to join me on the couch, she removed her jacket, and I got my first decent look at her tits. Jesus, she was built! I suspected that she'd had them enhanced, though I couldn't be sure until I got a little closer.

We drank our wine and talked for a few minutes, but soon I couldn't control myself. She was just too hot! So, I moved my hand to her shoulder, and then I started caressing her neck, and before either one of us knew what was happening, I was kissing her deeply. We were all over each other for a good five minutes, kissing, licking, and nibbling like horny teenagers.

And then she stopped me! Just like that! She got up from the couch and moved to a chair that faced it, and then tried to explain herself. "Steve, I'm sorry. I like you a lot; you're a nice guy, but this just isn't a good idea. At least not right now."

"Kerri, if I'm moving too fast, just tell me. I'm old enough to exercise some patience."

"Look, Steve, I need to tell you some things about me, before we get involved with each other. The first thing is that I have a son."

"Hey, that is not going to scare me off. I love kids, especially little ones. I'm used to...."

She interrupted me. "He's not little! He's 6'3" tall and weighs 225 pounds! He's in college, Steve, and he...."

Now it was my turn to interrupt. "Wait!" I said incredulously, "you have a son that's in college? How is that possible? I know this is incredibly rude, but I'm gonna ask anyway, how old are you, Kerri?"

"I'm 39; why how old are you, Steve?"

"I'm almost 36, but that's not the point. Kerri, I guessed that you were maybe 30 or 31 -- I hope you take that as a compliment. So it's not that being 39 is the issue; I just can't believe that you have a son in college. Is he adopted or something?"

"No, but it's a long story, Steve. Are you sure you want to hear it?"

"Of course, I want to hear it! Now you've got me intrigued." I leaned back and sipped my wine.

"Okay, here goes. So when I was in school back at Ohio State, I had a boyfriend. He was a football player, a running back -- maybe you've heard of him. His name was Danny Smith." I remembered exactly who she was talking about. Danny Smith was decent college running back in the late 80s and early 90s, a black guy that had a real shot to make it in the NFL, but never did, despite a respectable college career with the Buckeyes.

"Anyway, Danny and I broke up, but right after that, in the summer before my junior year, I found out that I was pregnant with his baby. Danny didn't want to be involved, but I went ahead and had my son Andrew anyway. It was a struggle, and I had to quit school. I was young for a college junior, and though it's hard enough for a 19 year old single girl to raise a child, it's even harder to raise a multi-racial child."

"My parents supported me and helped me with Andrew. He was a sweet kid, and from the earliest age, he just loved football. He was a natural. At least he had inherited something from his father! Anyway, my parents helped me take care of him, and a couple years later during the summertime I went back to school in Columbus, and it took me eight more summers, and a pile of student loans, but eventually I graduated. Then I got a job in Cleveland for awhile, working as a paralegal, and tried to pay off some of my debt."

"So, by that time Andrew was old enough for me to take care of him by myself. And after having worked as a paralegal for a few years, I sort of fell in love with the idea of being an attorney, and I decided I wanted to go to law school. And when I got accepted to Georgetown, Andrew came with me to D.C." She got up from her chair, and grabbed the bottle of wine and refilled each of our glasses. It was a long story.

"By the time I finished law school, Andrew was in high school and playing football and getting some looks from college recruiters. He had offers from a number of smaller Division 1 schools, and full rides from several D2s."

"He ended up deciding that he wanted to go to Ohio State, where his father had played, even though he barely knew the man. I think he secretly wanted to prove something -- that he could go farther than his old man did."

I thought for a second, picturing the name -- Andrew Parson. Jesus! Her son was one of the starting wide receivers for the Buckeyes, and, even though he had just finished his junior year, he showed every indication that he would be playing in the NFL very, very soon.

She continued. "But Andrew didn't have a scholarship offer from Ohio State, and despite all my pleading to take the money that some other school was offering, he ended up walking on in Columbus. Just like me, he had to take out student loans to pay his way, and I agreed to foot the bill."

"Anyway, it turned out to be a brilliant decision. My son is really smart, and an incredibly hard worker. They had wanted to redshirt him, but he said 'no,' and promised his coaches that he would earn playing time before the end of that year, and by midway through his freshman year, he was already playing regularly in a backup role! He was incredible; he just outworked everybody else, and studied football the same way he studied English Lit, with a passion and an intensity that very few others could match!"

"By his sophomore year, he was on scholarship and was starting, and pretty soon the NFL scouts began to take notice. I told him that it would mean more than anything to me if he graduated from Ohio State, and so far he's stayed put. After last season, he was named both All Big-10 and All-American!"

"He's draft eligible now, so unlike the underclassmen that want to jump to the NFL, he didn't have to declare for the draft on January 15^th. I want desperately for him to finish school, play out his senior year, but he's likely to go in the first round this year if he chooses, and possibly in the top 10 picks, and if he does that, it is going to mean a lot of money. I don't know if he can resist that. Ultimately though, it's his decision to make, not mine. Either way he's taking a chance. It's a crap shoot, no matter how you look it."

"Long story short, we've struggled with money our whole lives. That's why this job is so important to me. I still have my college loans to pay off, as well as the loans I took out to put Andrew through private high school, and I am absolutely committed to paying for Andrew's first year at Ohio State, regardless of whether or not he makes money playing professional football. I want him to start with a clean slate and with a college degree. Then, I know he'll be okay."

"Anyway, I know the firm has a fraternization policy, and I can't risk losing this job at this point, Steve. We're almost there -- Andrew and I; we're almost to the point where we can live comfortable lives. I have to prove myself in this firm, before I take any chances. I don't think that will take long. My son inherited his work ethic from me. Anyway, I hope you can understand where I'm coming from."

"Wow!" I said. "That is some story! You've lived quite a life! I know your son, or at least, I know his game. He's good, Kerri, really good! He's faster than lightning, runs great routes, and has the best hands I think I've ever seen on a college receiver. I think he's a 'can't miss' player. But like you suggested, anything can happen. I could get hit by bus tomorrow, and he could get injured or his draft stock could fall because of something completely beyond his control. Nothing in this world is a sure thing. So, I completely understand why you want to be cautious. It makes perfect sense."

"Thank you, Steve. Thank you for understanding. But if you're willing to wait, I want you to know that I'm not through with you just yet!" She smiled at me warmly.

I finished my glass of wine, and then I walked over to Kerri's chair and bent down to give her a kiss on the cheek. When I did, I got one more look at those incredible tits! She grabbed my hand with both of hers, just like she had done when I was first introduced to her. It was a promise of some kind, a pledge that at some point in the future, we would finish what we had started. I said goodbye, and I left and went back to my suite.

I ran into Paul and Tom in the elevator, and they commended me on my good judgment. I didn't have the heart to tell them that it was Kerri's good judgment, not mine, that had me heading back to my room all alone before midnight.

The remainder of the week, I saw Kerri only sporadically. It wasn't until Friday, when all of the attorneys with similar legal specialties were grouped together to discuss future issues confronting us that I got to spend any significant time with her again. There were only five of us that specialized in Intellectual Property and Patent Law cases, and Kerri and I were two of the five.

We spent the entire day having really serious legal discussions, and I grew to appreciate her knowledge of the law, and her good judgment about potential cases that the firm should considering accepting or rejecting. She was an exceptional attorney, and I knew she had a promising future with CS&M. She was light years ahead of the other three guys that met with us that day.

After I left Scottsdale and returned to Cleveland, I had several phone conversations with Kerri. She called me three times about various cases that she was involved in and asked for legal advice. I doubt that my contributions amounted to much. She seemed to have a handle on every one of the cases and had already developed a sound strategy for how to proceed in each case. She won them all!

She did not bring up what had happened between us in Scottsdale in any of the conversations, but she was, nonetheless, very friendly, and she had seemed to become more and more familiar and comfortable with me as time went on.

Then, eight months later on a Monday in late October after a major motion picture company had approached our firm about a lawsuit that they were considering bringing against a sleazy outfit that had made a fortune selling bootleg DVDs, I was sent to L.A. to meet with company officials. The meeting was scheduled for the next day.

Unbeknownst to me, Kerri had also been assigned to that potential case. When I was taking the shuttle from the airport to my hotel in Century City, I got a text from one of my bosses informing me that Kerri was my partner on the case and that she would meet me at our hotel. I found out later that Kerri, like me, had passed the California bar, and as we were the only IP attorneys on staff who could litigate a case in the state, we were the logical choices.

When I arrived, I was about to check in at the front desk, and I ran into her doing the same thing. She looked even better than the first time I'd seen her! It was right in the middle of the college football season, and Andrew had decided to return to Ohio State for his senior year. He was killing it all through the first half of the season and was the favorite to win the Bileitnikoff Award as the best wide receiver in college football. I had been following his career pretty closely after first meeting Kerri. To college football fans, especially those in Ohio, like me, he was a celebrity.

I snuck up behind her at the counter, and then whispered jokingly into her ear, "Hey, aren't you the mother of Andrew Parson, Ohio State's All-American wide receiver?"

"Steve! I'm so glad to see you!" She said, turning around to give me a warm hug. When she did, she pushed those big tits into my chest, and I felt myself starting to get hard. She was just finishing up with her check-in. I let her finish, and then we stepped away from the counter so we could talk.

"I am really looking forward to working with you." She said, sincerely. "Everybody says you're the best!"

"That's not what I've heard! I've been told there's a young whippersnapper in the Phoenix office that is kicking asses and taking names!" She blushed. I was trying to be funny, but the truth of the matter was that Kerri was a rising star at CS&M. She had already developed the reputation of being a shrewd litigator, and in the field of Intellectual Property and Patent Law, no one in the company, except possibly me, knew more about the law itself. I suspected that was why we had been assigned the motion picture case together.

Then, I switched gears, and became a little more serious. "So, how have you been, Kerri? I see that Andrew came back for his senior year. Seems like that decision worked out for the best. I'll bet you are really happy about that."

"I am! I'm ecstatic! Of course, we're still not out of the woods yet. He could still get hurt, but so far this year has only improved his draft status, and he's even on pace to finish school a semester early. He'll be graduating with a degree in English in December. I'm really proud of him. By the way, I want to mention up front that I already asked the partners if I could take a temporary leave for a few days from the case, so I can go back to Andrew's graduation in Columbus. That is, if we take it."

"Sure, sure, I completely understand. Wow!" I said with amazement, "That kid is really something! Someday I'd like to meet him."

"Maybe you'll get your chance. If they win out, and this case goes past the beginning of the new year, the Buckeyes could be playing out here in the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day.If that happens, would you like to go with me?"

"Are you kidding? Of course, I would! A couple of Ohio natives cheering on the Buckeyes at the Rose Bowl, and the best player on the field your son! That would be incredible!" We were still talking when a bell hop offered to take Kerri's bags up to her room, and she agreed. So we made plans to go out for dinner that night, and then I checked into my room. I met Kerri in the lobby about an hour later.

I was sitting in one of the big comfortable chairs near this massive fireplace when she came out of the elevator wearing an incredible little black dress that featured a cutout circle between her breasts that revealed more of her cleavage than I ever thought I might see from her. She was also wearing black stockings and high heels. After her discretion in Scottsdale, I wasn't at all sure that she would end up following up on her promise that she was "not through with" me, but by the looks of that dress and those stockings, it seemed that Kerri Parson was the kind of girl that kept her pledges.

"Jesus, Kerri you look amazing!" I said trying to catch my breath. I could see a half dozen heads turn her way from across the lobby.

"Thanks, Steve. I brought this dress with me for your benefit. I hope you like it, because I don't think it would probably be appropriate to wear it when we meet with the clients." There was no arguing with that.

She had asked me to pick out a restaurant, and the concierge had recommended an Italian bistro La Dolce Vita that was within walking distance, so I had made a reservation. We went outside, where a warm evening breeze was blowing. Kerri offered me her elbow, so I slipped my arm through it so that I could promenade her down the Avenue of the Stars.

L.A. has always kind of intimidated me, what with its image as the bastion for the beautiful people, and for that reason, I have never liked it. But now I was walking down the street with the hottest girl in all of Los Angeles on my arm, maybe all of California. On that day, I didn't feel so out of place.

We arrived at the bistro, and a hostess quickly seated us in a dimly lit leather booth against one of the walls far away from the few other customers in the restaurant. When the waiter came by, I ordered a bottle of Pinot Noir. Kerri had told me that night back in Scottsdale that it was her favorite wine. I had remembered. When the waiter brought the bottle back, poured us each a glass, and took our order, we settled back to talk.

"So, what does Andrew think about his draft prospects?" I took a long, greedy drink of wine; then I continued. "Does he know what pick he might be or what team might select him?" I was asking because I was genuinely interested in what I surmised was probably going to be one of the biggest events of her life, and certainly the biggest event of her son's life.

"Do you mind if we don't talk about football, or even about Andrew?" she asked. It kind of shocked me when she said it. I thought this was a safe and appropriate topic for conversation, if just to put us both at ease. "I would rather talk about you and me," she said emotionally.

I swallowed hard, and we looked into each other's eyes for a long time without saying anything. Kerri's earlier hesitancy was apparently a thing of the past, but in light of this new development, I didn't know how to proceed. Finally, I asked, "Are you sure, Kerri? You haven't been with the company for even a year yet." I was trying to affect a cautious tone, considering how she thought our involvement could impact her standing with the firm.

She took a long sip of her wine and tried to decide how she wanted to explain herself. "I know, but I think my bosses are really happy with my work so far. Besides, we're out here by ourselves, and neither one of us knows anybody in this city, right? How would anyone find out?" She seemed to have made up her mind.

"Kerri, you're right. You are very highly regarded by pretty much everyone within CS&M. If you want my opinion, you're a star in the making! But I know how much you have riding on your career, and I just don't want you to jeopardize anything for my benefit, whether we're in Phoenix or Cleveland or L.A. I want to be sure that this is what you want." She smiled back at me blushing deeply at the compliment.

Just then, the waiter brought our salads and a basket of bread. He told us our order would be up soon if that was okay with us. It was a Monday night, so it wasn't very busy. I replied that that was fine, and I took a big sip of the Pinot. We waited for him to leave. Then she stared at me and said, "Oh, I want this; trust me, I want this!" and then quickly averted her eyes.