The Lawsuit

Andrew strolls into the law firm building and then along the corridor to his office. The secretary greets him. "There is a folder on your desk."
"Give me a heads up."
"The client is from Atlanta Georgia and he owns office complexes in Atlanta, Jacksonville and Tampa Florida."
"How the hell did we get the case?" He interrupts.
"Five years ago he bought a complex here in Philly."
"How did he get his money?"
"A silver spoon kid, his daddy owns several apartment complexes around Atlanta."
"What is the lawsuit?'
"The complaint is homosexual discrimination."
"What?"
"Four gay guys are suing him for multi-millions for workplace discrimination."
"Workplace discrimination?"
"Failure to recognize them for promotions because of their sexual preference."
"Thanks."

He reads the documents and then notices the defendant’s name, Peter Jenkins. He picks up the office telephone.
"I can’t take this case," he says.
"What?" The female voice says.
"I don’t want to handle this case."
"I put it on your desk for you to handle."
"I don’t give a damn."
"Wait a minute, I’m your boss, don’t talk to me like that."
"I can’t deal with it right now."
"Well, you have to deal with it. Listen, Andrew, this would be good for the firm. It will give us a reach south of the border that is why I gave it to you, my top trial lawyer. What is the problem with handling it anyway?"
"Okay. Okay. I will do it."
"Good. Martin will be your second and Alice will do the footwork. Peter Jenkins will be here for a face-to-face conference in two days."
Maybe it won’t be him he hopes.

Peter Jenkins enters the conference room. Andrew avoids his handshake gesture and introduces him to Martin and Alice. They feel Andrew's animosity but practice good manners towards the client.

After the meeting, Martin and Alice leave the conference room.
"I didn’t ask for you specifically," Peter Jenkins says. "Hell, I didn’t even know you were a lawyer. We thought after you dropped out of the college." Off Andrew's cold stare, he returns the discussion to business. "I got a recommendation for this firm from my lawyer in Atlanta. Your boss suggested you because she said she would put her best litigator on the case." He implores, "I need this win, because if I don’t get it, I’ll be in the red for years to come and that may end in bankruptcy."
"I work for the firm’s reputation," Andrew tells him.
"I understand," Peter Jenkins says as he gathers his paper into his briefcase. He walks to the door and stop. He looks at Andrew. "Jean is fine," he says, "we have one boy in senior high school, getting ready for college." He walks away.
Andrew pounds the table with the bottom of his fist until a female employee appears in the doorway to investigate the noise.

Andrew walks into his apartment, then goes to the cabinet and gets a portable DVD player. He goes to the couch, sits and set the player on his lap and then turns on the slideshow to look at again the best wonderful days of his life, sometimes blurred with his tears.

After the first day of the trial, Alice stops Andrew in the courthouse corridor.
"I don't know what it is between you and the client, but you're giving the case to the other guy. It is not his to have."
Andrew looks at her in a dumbfounded manner.
She tells him. "If you keep the bull shit up, I'm going to the boss."

The trial ends after three days and all waits for the jury’s ruling. The day the jury’s decision is to be announced, Andrew and his team stand in the courthouse corridor waiting for Peter Jenkins. "Here he comes," Alice says.
Andrew sees Jean; her prettiness is still with her. Peter Jenkins introduces Jean to Martin and Alice. "Andrew, you already know."
"Andrew. How have you been?" She asks through a smile.
Andrew's gaze slithers off Jean to face Peter Jenkins with a glare; he says nothing and then in a distraught manner hurries into the courtroom. Martin follows.
"You talk to the client," he tells Martin.
"What?"
"You handle all the formalities with that bastard."
"Okay, but, what is it with you and him?"
Andrew ignores Martin's question.

The jury agrees with Andrew. Peter Jenkins and Jean celebrate with hugs and kisses. Andrew avoids the customary victor’s handshake with a client. He leaves the courtroom, reminiscing when he and Jean were high school lovers, with lifetime visions, sealed a promise, that ended in their third year of college; he didn’t even know Peter Jenkins was in their life until that bad day she told him. "In our time, you were always there for me and good to me, but I decided that Peter would be better for me the rest of my time."

He stands on the courthouse steps looking at nothing in particular until he hears his name called. It is Jean. She tells him in a near tears uneasy manner. "I’m so sorry I hurt you that much." Then. She walks to a waiting Peter Jenkins. They get into a waiting taxi.
Andrew weeps, unashamed, as the taxi leave his sight.

Days later, Andrew's secretary gives him an envelope. It is from Jean.

Hi
I hope you're feeling much better from the pain and hurt I caused in your life that I never meant to be in you. I always considered our relationship in our time my fairy tale, with you my white knight and me waiting for my prince charming. Forgive me for not seeing you as my prince. My prince has become a king, not a terribly mean king, but a very stubborn king. You understand where I'm coming from. My sister has her problems and so do my in-laws. So, I'm asking for you to be there for me, to lean on, like you let me do in our time. If you return this letter to me, I know you will not. But, if, you do not return this letter, I must be the only writer, to avoid accidents that will cause a misinterpretation. I'm so thankful you were found.
Sincerely,
Jean

Andrew folds the letter so that it fits in the shirt pocket over his heart. END