Book 1 - Active Trust Read online

  Meanwhile, back at Briggs & Trice, Victoria was putting her new people skills to work for her. Her client list was growing and through word of mouth, the news about her lawsuit against Fassett & Lews being settled out of court for quite the lofty sum was getting around.

  The partners were very pleased that Victoria was coming into her own. Mason Janus also felt the need to send over some champagne, a Cross pen and pencil set engraved with Victoria Strauss’ name and an expensive box of chocolates.

  Victoria had scored an eight million dollar settlement for Mr. Janus and it was something that Victoria considered it her best case to date. She found that the man who died was actually covering for some higher-ups in the company, so now the entire place is being looked at by the SEC in a huge investigation.

  Nathan Trice sent word downstairs that a big celebration was being had for Victoria’s victory and for all of the associates to be in attendance. He’d secured a hall that was big enough for the entire firm to take part in the festivities.

  Trice took control of the room with a grasp of the microphone and raised his champagne glass.

  “Cheers to Ms. Victoria Strauss for her efforts in bringing a conclusion to Janus v. Fassett & Lews.”

  Everyone raised their glasses to her and she finally felt that she’d inched closer to that top floor office that she’d been wanting for the longest time. All of her dreams were going to be a reality.

  Michelle had broken the news to Mrs. McBride in the easiest possible way, directly and honestly. She told Donna that her husband had been fooling around with a girl that goes by the name of Reese who is pregnant with his baby. She advised the older woman of her legal options, but Mrs. McBride pressed for more information on the woman’s identity.

  “We are in the middle of finding that out for you,” Michelle told Donna McBride, adding, “There is a fundraiser on the 24th that my colleagues and I are all attending.”

  “I know the one of which you speak.”

  “It’s best if you’re ‘sick’ that evening so that we may conclude the investigation.”

  “Yes, of course.”

  Michelle wasn’t raking in millions of dollars for the firm, but her main clients were certainly happy with her work.

  At the party, Michelle had nothing but kind words for her competitor.

  “Good going,” said she as she raised a glass to Victoria.

  “Thank you.”

  Victoria was clearly pleased with herself and she acted as if her celebration was a victory in itself and that she was already made a partner at the firm. She passed herself around at the party like she was working a crowd at a wedding. She made it a point to stop by each table and rub noses with the entire staff and some possible clients that were in attendance.

  One person’s presence at the celebration hit her completely off guard. A certain hush fell over the crowded room when Victoria noticed that Fassett & Lews’ own head honcho Drake Fassett was there. She moved to intercept him and asked, “What are you doing here?”

  He skimmed the room with his perfect salt and pepper hair and said, “The same as everyone else, I imagine. I’m here to congratulate you on your win.”

  “Ummm, thank you.”

  It was the first time in her career that she was visibly shaken. She hadn’t expected Drake’s appearance whatsoever. His cologne arrived before he did and his skin was a darker tone due to his numerous hours at the tanning salon.

  “That is just business, Ms. Strauss.”

  He gave her a dapper smile and slid out of her view until he passed through the door and his silvery suit was gone.

  She drew a sigh of relief at his departure.

  “What was that?” Michelle asked, already aware that her question was rhetorical.

  “Drake Fassett. Interestingly enough, he said he was here to congratulate me on the win.”

  “That’s weird.”

  “Indeed. Oh well, he’s gone now, so let’s get this party started.”

  Michelle’s curiosity seemed to get the best of her because she investigated the appearance of Mr. Fassett in her own mind. Why was he there, firstly, and more importantly, how did he know about the party in the first place?

  She was quickly pulled into the party madness and continued celebrating for the huge company win.

  She cut herself short from enjoying too many beverages and made her way home shortly before everyone else began dispersing. The following day, Michelle and her hired employees would be flies on the wall at the gala where The Governor was having a fundraiser. Michelle, Chase and Alyssa were all there at the invitation of the Strauss family.

  Michelle wore a black cocktail dress, a gold necklace and smaller gold hoop earrings. To complete her look, she put her hair in an updo and wore black high heels with a black Michael Kors bag. Light makeup helped her look the part of a lawyer that had deep pockets in order to donate money for The Governor’s cause.

  Michelle met Chase and Alyssa at the event, but they all arrived separately. Chase approached the doorman and said, “Michelle Mayor, Chuck Mills and Rebecca Porter. My lovely lady friends and I are all on the list.”

  After a cursory glance, the door man allowed them entry into the fantastic estate of which the party was being held. It was a gala event and no expense was spared for the good people of the city’s elite to reach deeply into their pockets and give to the poor.

  Michelle told Chase, “I’ve never understood the necessity for fundraisers like this. Rich people holding parties to benefit poor folks. Growing up, my mother worked two jobs and helped put me through college. When we were in dire straits, no one said ‘Here, let’s throw a party.’”

  Chase got closer to Michelle’s ear and said in response, “The people here don’t know any better and probably think that these soirees are helping others out. Little do they know that their money is probably lining the pockets of The Governor himself.”

  Alyssa gave an “ahem” to focus the group’s efforts back onto the task at hand. They needed to figure out who The Governor’s girlfriend was and fast. Mrs. McBride was saddened by the revelation that her husband would cheat on her, but if she considered staying with him, she would need to know every last detail of this pregnancy kerfuffle.

  Alyssa and Chase dispersed and began working the room while Michelle gravitated around the ladies’ bathroom. By ten o’clock, she’d noticed that there were four pregnant ladies in attendance. One of the ladies looked like she was super young, while the other was bolder and a touch older. Unfortunately, they both seemed to hover around The Governor, making Michelle wonder if Reese was either of them.

  She opted for the bolder, brazen approach and took the bull by the horns. Michelle approached The Governor and said, “Governor McBride, good to meet you, I’m Michelle Mayor from Briggs and Trice.”

  He turned to give her his full attention as she said, “I’m sorry to interrupt your conversation, I just wanted to say what a brilliant event this is.”

  “Why thank you, ma’am. Briggs and Trice you say?”

  “Yes, sir. I work there as an associate, but I’m on the path to become partner soon, fingers crossed.”

  Their conversation was interrupted by his younger pregnant friend who offered up a simple “Excuse me” before leaving for the bathroom.

  “I apologize, that was my sister, Elise. Pregnancy is making her moody and sick. Now where were we?”

  “Oh yes, I was just commending you on this fine party.”

  “Thank you. Say, are you here all by yourself?”

  “Yes, I am.”

  “I am, as well. The dear wife Donna is sick today and opted to stay home in order to nurse her illness.”

  “I am sorry to hear that, would you give her my best?”

  “Certainly. Listen, would you like to get a drink some time?”

  Michelle couldn’t believe her ears. Was The Governor and her client’s cheating husband really trying to hit on her? In this of all places; was he for real? His wife was out of the
picture for one night and he’s trying to get laid. He was a real winner.

  “Governor McBride, if I didn’t know any better, I would think that you are trying to pick me up.”

  Just as the words left her mouth, she hoped they weren’t true, for her client’s sake.

  Without skipping a beat, he cockily said in response, “What if I was? A man has needs, you know.”

  His statement wasn’t a question, but a fact to The Governor. The older silver fox in front of her hadn’t considered his wife’s feelings in his statement. He was selfish in thinking that he was the only one whose needs weren’t being met.

  “Thank you, but I cannot be with a married man. However, I do appreciate your offer.”

  She quickly left The Governor’s company in order to locate Chase among the crowd. They weren’t any closer to finding out any answers, but her disgust for the host was overcoming her.

  She motioned to Chase to join her and Alyssa followed suit. They got together and Michelle told the twosome, “The Governor is a total creep. He tried hard to pick me up! Wow, the nerve of that guy.”

  Alyssa chimed in to say, “When you were in the ladies’ room, he tried to do the same with me. He asked me how much I charge. Ugh.”

  Chase jokingly added, “Well, aren’t I the odd man out? He didn’t even look in my direction.”

  Michelle grasped her cell phone and left a message for Donna McBride. Afterward, her phone rang and she told The Governor’s wife that she had an update to share.

  “Meet me around the corner from the mansion at 9pm,” Michelle said to Donna.

  She turned to look at her cohorts and said, “You two can either stay and enjoy the festivities, or you can leave…totally up to you.”

  Michelle left the shindig with a renewed purpose, but she still hadn’t figured out if Reese was there, but at least she knew what she had to do. She hopped in her car, fired up the engine and left for the rendezvous point.

  She had plenty of time to collect her thoughts as a long black car pulled up twenty minutes following her own arrival. The rear window rolled down to reveal Michelle’s client inside. That was her cue to get out of her own car and into Mrs. McBride’s car.

  She slid in, making sure that no one noticed her moves. “You have an update, Ms. Mayor?”

  “Yes. I am sorry, but I do.”

  “Why are you sorry? He’s not cheating with you, nor are you pregnant with his baby.”

  “Well, here’s what I’ve got. There were two pregnant women at the gala. One clung to the company of his associate and the other was your sister-in-law, Elise. So that was basically a bust. The bad news is that your husband hit on both myself and my colleague, Alyssa.”

  “What’s that you say? My sister-in-law?”

  “Yes, Elise. She looks like she’s ready to give birth any moment.”

  “Honey, I don’t have a sister-in-law. My husband is an only child.”

  “Oh, wow. Well that changes everything, doesn’t it.”

  Michelle’s statement was matter-of-fact as she tried to calculate her client’s next move in advance – like a chess game. “So, would you like to get divorce proceedings started?”

  “No, not yet.”

  “Okay, but sometimes on these types of matters, it’s best to move quickly in order to settle out and move on with your lives. I know it will all play out in the media, but you’ve got to do what’s best for you and your children – despite who he is.”

  Michelle’s speech fell on deaf ears as Mrs. McBride’s gears were turning.

  “We’re going to have to keep a lid on this whole thing. I need you to send me an invoice for all of the hours you and your wonderful team have put into this matter, Ms. Mayor.”

  “Certainly, ma’am.”

  Michelle was uncertain of where this was going, but it sounded as if her services were no longer welcome.

  “I will have my assistant send over the invoice first thing tomorrow and we will file your case documents away – in case you need them in the future.”

  “Thank you for everything, Ms. Mayor, you’ve been a delight.”

  Michelle exited the vehicle and made a mental note to have an invoice sent over for all of her billable hours in addition to the private investigators’ fees. She couldn’t fathom how an established, independently wealthy woman such as Donna McBride could stay with a man like her husband. He was scum as far as Michelle was concerned and she felt dirty when he tried to hit on her.

  She went home, showered and snuggled up with some blankets in her giant bed. She clicked the remote to find that Governor McBride was up for reelection in the coming year. She thought to herself, ‘Is that why Mrs. McBride didn’t want to leave him?’

  Surely, if it was revealed that The Governor fathered another baby with a hooker, it would look poor to the public. Despite that, if the information was leaked to the media, his opponent would have a field day and he would be skewered and forced to resign. Being good at her job forced Michelle to think of all of the moves in the chess match that her case resembled.

  The following day, Michelle breezed into the office in order to take care of some paperwork. Naturally, as a workaholic, Victoria also went into the giant Briggs & Trice building to handle some paperwork for some new incoming clients.

  Work flew by and Michelle had gotten all of the confidential McBride files put away in the company vault so that no one without access would be able to read the unfortunate events that occurred with The Governor.

  Michelle departed the building for the night, but Victoria stuck behind in order to do her once a month trip up the elevator to the top floor. She was sure that no one was around so that she could admire what would be her floor soon enough. She was well on her way to fulfilling her desire to become partner at Briggs & Trice.

  She thumbed the elevator’s “up” button and awaited its swift arrival. She waltzed in and hit the top floor button and took a deep breath. It was her destiny to work on the top floor of the most prestigious law firm in the city and she’d earned the moment where she would feel at home next to the partners of the firm. She nailed a huge client and had begun to bring in a massive influx of new business in for the firm. It was like she was queen of the top floor and she was merely awaiting her coronation. She felt like she had come so far and only needed the title to prove to her parents that law school wasn’t a waste of time. The elevator door slid open and reality set in, she wasn’t alone. Mack Briggs and Nathan Trice were there with another man whose back was to her. He had salt and pepper hair and was wearing an expensive fitted navy suit and slick black shoes.

  Mr. Briggs looked to the elevator and said, “Ms. Strauss, come on in.”

  “I was just leaving,” she started, but he waved her over and insisted upon it.

  Mr. Trice said, “This is the attorney I told you about, Mr. Steele. This is one of our very best, Ms. Victoria Strauss. Ms. Strauss, this is Mr. John Steele, our new addition to the firm.”

  Mr. Trice’s words “one of our very best” stung Victoria. How was she only “one of the best”. She was the best, plain and simple and she and everyone else at the firm knew it.

  John looked at Victoria and smiled, “Ms. Strauss, I’ve heard so much about you from these fine gentlemen here. I was just hired on as an associate with the firm, but they said that you and Michelle Mayor could show me the ropes.”

  “Certainly,” she offered, unsure why anyone would want Michelle’s help. She handled domestic cases and she was the firm’s pit bull without a doubt.

  Mr. Briggs looked at the two of them and said to his partner, “We were just leaving, but we will leave you two to get to know each other.”

  Victoria stayed back for a moment with John and began grilling him on his qualifications along with his area of expertise.

  “What area of law do you specialize in?”

  “I’m what you’d call a Jack of all trades. And you, Ms. Strauss?”

  “I do corporate and commercial law for Briggs & Tr
ice. I’m on track to be made partner soon.”

  “Very impressive. I like a woman who is ambitious.”

  She smiled at his attention to her ambitions.

  “I bet you’re a whiskey girl.”

  “I do like a stiff drink now and then.”

  “Imagine my surprise. Would you like to get a drink?”

  “I never mix business with pleasure.”

  “But you’ve worked so hard to get where you are and I’d love to see if you play as hard as you work. No one will know. Hell, no one here knows who I am at the moment aside from you.”

  “Let’s go to Lissa’s, down the street. It’s a hole in the wall with a pool table and a barmaid that pours stiff drinks.”

  He pressed the down button on the elevator and they both awaited its arrival. He placed his hand where he could hold the door open and allowed her entrance into the elevator first.

  “Ladies first.”

  She walked in and he stared at her butt as she moved past him. He slid next to her inside the car and hit the bottom floor button and they were off.

  She hadn’t come to work all of this time for a date and it was against her personal rules to mix business with pleasure. Despite her inner objections, she was drawn to John Steele. She wasn’t sure if it was because of his steely blue eyes, his radiantly handsome smile or his sun-kissed tan. He was dapper and very well dressed and she had to learn more about this handsome devil.

  They walked from the large B&T building down the block and entered into Lissa’s bar. Victoria had gone there a few times in the past, but sized up the local stock in men and opted to leave after one drink. She wasn’t looking for love, but she had a date and it all seemed so effortless to her.

  Lissa’s was never that busy and it had the atmosphere of the perfect dive bar. Victoria and John drank the night away with his promise of “This will be our little secret.”

  She ordered up Jack and Coke after Jack and Coke and shot pool with John. She bent down to align her next shot and he gazed at her up and down longingly. The booze had made her loosen up and she undone her top two buttons of her blouse. She was always expected to be part of the city’s wealthy community and was never to just let go , so she seized the opportunity.