Good Time(41)

Court?

Court!

This is my chance! My chance to prove what a supportive and loyal wife I could be. My chance to contribute! I sit straight up in bed, gathering the sheet to my chest.

“Why? Did you get arrested?” I blink back the sleep and focus on my math-ing. “Do you need bail money? Listen, Vince. I’ve got about fourteen hundred dollars in a savings account and if I eat all my meals in the employee cafeteria until payday, I could pull another hundred from checking. So if they set your bail at fifteen hundred or under, I’m here for you.” I smile, pleased with myself.

Vince looks less pleased. A bit confused. Possibly alarmed.

Oh, God. It’s serious. It’s something serious. That’s why he married me. I knew it was too good to be true. He’s not stupid, he couldn’t have been that drunk, I sorta thought he wasn’t. I’d assumed it was temporary insanity or just a really, really long time since he’d been laid but maybe what he really wanted was a bride before he got sent away.

“If it’s more than that, or if you get convicted, I could wait for you. On the outside,” I add when he does nothing but button his shirt and stare at me. “What are we talking here? Five to ten? I’m only twenty-two so we’d still have loads of time.” I gather a lock of hair around my fingertip and twist it, because he’s not saying anything. “Ten to twenty?” I ask, and I know I must sound slightly less enthusiastic. “Do you think you’ll get conjugal visits? Because I’d like to have kids at some point and if we wait until I’m forty that might be pushing it.”

He tilts his head to the side, tucking his shirt into his pants and fastening the belt, eyes still on mine, which reminds me of something else. Something besides how cute those kids would be, but I have to focus right now.

“Do you have any dry cleaning that needs to be picked up?” I’m all enthusiasm again, because this I can do. “They don’t hold that stuff for more than six months, but I’d be happy to take care of it for you. But only while you’re on the inside, we’re not going to turn that into a habit.” Hot damn, I might even make myself a wife badge because I am nailing this.

“I have to be in court at ten, Payton, because I’m a criminal defense attorney and I’m in the middle of a trial.”

Oh. I scrunch my nose. I didn’t see that coming, I really didn’t. I was sorta hoping he needed a green card or something, but last night he mentioned he was born in Nevada so that doesn’t even make any sense.

“You’re a lawyer?” I’m pretty sure that comes out with the kind of tone one reserves for finding out it’s going to rain on their wedding day.

“Yes, sorry to disappoint you.”

“It’s okay.” I shrug. “We can still play conjugal prison visit if you want. I could dress up like a sexy prison warden and get furry handcuffs.”

Vince shakes his head and mutters something about me being insane.

“Are you a good lawyer?”

“Yes.” He smirks, looking amused by my question. “Very good.”

Oh. I frown and scratch a dry spot on my arm.

“How long have you been lawyering?”

He smiles at my question, or perhaps my usage of the English language. “Twelve years.”

I nod. Wait one second…

“How old are you?” I stare at him as if I’ve just developed the ability to accurately guess someone’s age. I thought he was thirty. Ish? Thirty-two, something like that. But college plus law school plus twelve years equals something more than thirty-two.

“Thirty-seven.”

“Stop it!” I know my eyes are wide. “You’re old. Older. Older than I thought, is what I mean.” I wrinkle my nose as I look him over again. I really thought he was younger. I wonder how I feel about this? It makes me feel a little hot for teacher if I’m being honest with myself. Which I always am. Honest with myself, that is. Like right now, I’m going to add why this turns me on to my list of things that may or may not be wrong with me.

He laughs at me. Flat-out laughs at me. As if my complete disregard for fact-checking amuses him.

“You should learn to ask a few questions before you elope with someone, Payton.”

“Yeah well, you really shouldn’t have married me without a prenup. That sounds like a pretty rookie move for a very good lawyer. With so much experience.” I side-eye him when I say it. Except that I’m looking straight at him so it’s more of an eye roll.

“Watch it, or I’ll take you for half of that fifteen hundred dollars you’ve got.”

“That’s fine.” I shrug. “Because I’m going to need my cut of your club. We’ve only been married for a couple days though and I pride myself on my reasonableness so I’ll settle for a month’s worth of free drinks.”

“You pride yourself on your reasonableness? Did those words just leave your mouth?”

“I’m extremely reasonable! Everyone says so!”

“No one says that.”

“You have no idea if that’s true.”

Vince exhales and shakes his head. “Never do your own negotiating. I just took half your net worth and all you want is a month of free drinks?”

“Did I aim too low? Can I get free nachos too?”