Baby Love (Baby #2)(75)
"He needed to know. You must agree with that or you wouldn't have concocted that little 'entrapment' scheme of yours to get Libby on video admitting that she's a f*cking freak!"
"Whoa, okay you two," I interrupted. "First of all, keep it down. You're upsetting Preston."
They both glanced over at Preston in her playpen chewing away on her rubber ducky as if she was oblivious to the whole thing. She must only get upset when Trey and I raise our voices with each other I decided.
"Okay," I continued, "Then you are upsetting me. What is going on? Is Tristan backing out of the deal?"
"Well no, he didn't say that," Gina replied. "He just showed up thirty minutes late at the accountants looking all bleary-eyed and unkempt. He snarled at me about my prowess at shadiness and referred to me as "the Shady Lady,' how coincidental is that?"
(Oh shit!)
"Oh Gina, I'm sorry, I told him you were considering changing the name of the club to 'The Shady Lady."
"That's certainly fitting," Trey chimed in. "I'm going in to pack. This conversation is over."
Trey departed the room mumbling something inaudible.
"You see? You see how he treats me Tylar? Why am I the bad guy in all of this?"
"Sit down Gina," I replied. "Let's talk."
She sat down crossing her legs and arms. Her body language definitely told me that she was not going to be receptive.
"First of all I don't think that you are the 'bad guy' in this and neither does Trey. In fact, when I told him that you had lied to Libby about having that closed circuit camera system at the club in order to get her to admit what she had done he said that you were pretty clever. Tristan did need to know what Libby was about. Now what happened this morning? Was Tristan actually angry with you?"
"Well I wouldn't say angry is the word, I mean it was really hard to tell because he was bleary-eyed like he hadn't slept and a bit disheveled. I can tell you this though Ty, he still looked hot."
She giggled then caught herself and went back to her wounded victim routine.
"Well he didn't yell at you or anything did he?"
"Oh no, nothing like that. It was just that when Rob was going over the figures with him it seemed like he was preoccupied and miserable."
"But Gina, certainly you of all people can understand that even more so because you actually had a long term relationship and then marriage to Ian. Seeing that video of Libby admitting that she wanted Trey had to be a shock for him. How was everything left about the club?"
"Well Tristan got copies of the financial information. He is flying back to Bristol tonight. He said that he would review everything and that he would be in touch with me early next week."
"Well then see? Once he comes to terms with the fact that this thing with Libby was nothing more than him acting out a mid-life crisis - at least that's what Trey thinks it was - he will shake it off. Trey said that Tristan has the Midas touch when it comes to managing businesses."
"He looks like he probably has the Midas touch with a lot of things."
Gina was giggling like a school girl. I suspected she was crushing a bit on Tristan.
"Hey," I said, "That still doesn't explain why you were so late in getting here."
She fidgeted a bit then said something about she had to go back to the condo to pack her stuff for her stay at our place with Preston. That was strange. Apparently it was none of my business. Perhaps Tristan had kept her longer than she cared to admit.
"Maybe if he has to come back next to week to finalize the papers he can stay here and have Thanksgiving dinner with Trey and me."
"You're not going to Bristol?" she asked.
"No Trey's parents alternate each year between their house and the Andrews. This year it's the Andrews turn and Trey and I decided not to make the trip. Are you going to Becky's for Thanksgiving this year?"
"I can't go this year on account of the club. That's a very busy three day weekend for us so I will be sticking around here."
"Well good. We will expect you here for Thanksgiving then."
Trey emerged packed and ready. I filled Gina in on the last minute instructions concerning the baby. She had picked Preston up out of the playpen and was holding her. I kissed my baby on the cheek and Trey did the same. I told Gina I would call her later.
Trey and I relaxed on the plane in first class. I hadn't been away with Trey since our honeymoon when I was so stressed about leaving the baby. Today I had no such trepidations. I was excited about going to this oral argument or whatever it was called. I needed Trey to clarify it for me.
"Trey I know you've tried to explain this whole process to me but start with the basics if you will and explain why this Motion has to be heard by a panel of judges from different districts. I mean I understand that your clients reside in different districts but why so many judges on a panel need to decide? Why do you only get a few minutes to state your case?"
Trey loved explaining the law to me; it was his life his passion. I got that. I loved hearing him talk about it because it was complicated and subjective and passionate - just like Trey.
"Okay baby well first of all I think you've already realized that multidistrict legislation or MDL as it is commonly referred to is a special federal procedure to speed the process of handling complex cases having multiple litigants from different jurisdictions."