Dirty Little Secrets(4)
“They never do against you, my boy,” Dad replied. It was one of the best things about him. I knew a few other lawyers whose fathers were also in the legal profession, and each of them had anticipated their child going into the family firm. It caused a lot of friction if they didn’t.
Dad, on the other hand, was a self-made millionaire whose father had been a high school chemistry teacher. He knew that going out on your own and making your own path made you a stronger person, so when I told him coming out of Stanford Law that I wanted to hang out my own shingle and that I was moving to Portland to boot, he hadn’t batted an eye. He supported me without a moment’s hesitation.
Now, we still talked two or three times a week, sometimes about work, sometimes not. “Thanks, Dad. But I doubt you called me just because you wanted to see how my case went. That may have flown a year or so ago, but I’ve been in court enough since then that I think you don’t have the nervous jitters for me any longer.”
Dad chuckled and I could hear the acceptance in his voice. “You’re right, of course. That’s what makes you so damn good of a lawyer, Kade. Actually, I wanted to call to see if you’re free next week? It’s my anniversary with Layla, and I was kind of hoping we could all get together to celebrate.”
I thought about it, then smiled. It’d been a long time since I’d been down to Los Angeles, too long in fact. “That sounds great, Dad. But, only on one condition.”
“Sure, what’s that?”
“You take Layla out for at least one night of just the two of you. I’m not letting you turn your anniversary into a family trip to Disneyland just because you want to ride Space Mountain.”
“Hey there, buddy, oldest ride, longest line,” Dad quipped. “But yes, I promise. Just the four of us, and I was going to have a family weekend before taking Layla up to Big Sur for the actual anniversary week.”
“Wow, that’s pretty big. Quite a lot for a five year anniversary.” I knew from the first time I met Layla Nova that she was the woman meant for my father. After my mother had walked out back when I was only three while in the process of taking Dad for quite a lot of money, he’d spent over a decade in a funk. Oh, he was a devoted father, and a hell of an attorney, but that was it. He never dated, he never had a girlfriend, he just worked or spent time with me. By the time I was an upperclassman in high school, I thought that perhaps Dad was going to be a bachelor for life.
Then, during my senior year in high school before doing my undergrad work at USC, he’d met Layla Nova. Tall and vivacious, she was a perfect balm to my father’s wounded soul. I still don’t know how she got through his emotional defenses, but she did, and by the time Dad introduced me, I could see in his eyes the truth. He was head over heels for her, and after she spent the weekend at his house in Beverly Hills with the two of us, I could see why.
There was only one dark corner to the whole thing. “Uhm, I don’t want to sound ungrateful, Dad, but you said four. Is Alix going to be there?”
My Dad’s sigh told me everything I needed to know. “You know, Kade, it wouldn’t hurt for you to at least be more forgiving when it comes to your stepsister. Give it a try. For me, please?”
If he only knew. “Okay, Dad, I’ll try. Uhm, let me clear my calendar. I’m pretty open right now, and I’ll email you exactly when I’m getting into town. Think you’d mind if I drove?”
“It’s your time, son. Although with that Lexus you drive, I can see why. Just make sure you’re here by next Friday.”
“I’ll be there, Dad,” I said. We hung up, and I immediately called my secretary, Monica, and my paralegal investigator, Vince, into the office. “All right, Monica, I need you to clear my calendar starting this Tuesday until Thursday of the following week. Vince, whatever Monica can’t clear, I’m putting in your hands. There shouldn’t be too much, just routine paperwork and continuation on the Carter case. Think you guys can handle it?”
“I’m good,” Monica said. She was an experienced secretary, who I hired on the advice of my father. His advice to me coming out of law school was that a new lawyer should always have an experienced secretary to help as a guide through the areas of the law that they didn’t teach you in law school. Dad’s wise words had paid off, even with the higher salary she demanded over a younger secretary. “Uhm, there is a deposition scheduled on Thursday, you want that pushed back?”
“What’s the case?” I asked, looking at my schedule on the computer. “Never mind, I got it. The Dufrense case. Nah, don’t push it back. Vince, you take that one, you’re good for it. Just go by the script I leave, and if you have any urges to strike out on your own, keep it within reason.”