Lawyer Up Read Online Free PDF Page B

her through the lobby and out the door, Bateman added, “I got you released on two-thousand-dollar bail. I paid the bail bond myself, so you owe me two hundred dollars.”
    â€œThank you. Thank you so much! I’ve only got about ninety bucks on me, but…” Beth dug into her pocketbook for the money, but he held up his hand to stop her.
    â€œYou can pay me back later after you can get to an ATM. I don’t want to leave you with no money in your purse.”
    Beth was stirred by his generosity. No one, from her boss to her roommate, ever treated her as thoughtfully as that. Like the bright sun now shining down and warming her face, it warmed her bleak spirit.
    Then Bateman added, “And…umm, sorry to be crude, but regardless of what the warden suggested, I don’t want any in-kind services as payback. Just cash, okay?”
    Beth stiffened…and chilled. It sounded like he still thought she was a prostitute. Then there was the fact that she didn’t have any money in a bank—or anywhere—to pay him back. Worse than being broke, she owed money. Already living on the edge, she’d fallen behind in rent after a bad toothache necessitated several trips to the dentist. She sighed. Might as well tell him now and get it over with.
    â€œMr. Bateman, I’m sorry, but I don’t have enough money to pay you back right now. I promise I will allocate some of my tip money every night toward paying you all I owe you, but it might take a while.”
    Starting to walk again, he tossed out, “Is that what pimps call it these days…tip money?”
    â€œWhy are you doing this at all, if you’re going to act like such an ass?”
    Bateman jerked to a stop, and instantly Beth regretted her outburst. Was she about to lose her free lawyer? Well, maybe she’d be better off with someone else. Once again, she wondered why he was choosing to help prostitutes, especially when he seemed to dislike them. Perhaps she should ask for a court-appointed attorney, but then she remembered what she’d overheard when the guards talked about Bateman’s odd visit to the jail.
    He was an expensive lawyer at a prominent firm, and he always won his cases. Bateman might be a jerk, but she wanted a jerk that would win, not a nice but overworked, underpaid public defender. Turning toward her lawyer, she girded herself to apologize, abjectly if necessary, but Bateman spoke first.
    â€œYou’re right, Ms. Sikes. That was uncalled for and I apologize. Now, how about I give you a ride to your apartment?”
    That such an important man would apologize to someone like her, someone he thought was a criminal, impressed Beth as well. Though she hardly knew the man, the apology seemed to show he was honorable, maybe trustworthy, and in her lowly world on Hollywood Boulevard, that was a rare trait.
    Remembering how they had both stared transfixed that first time, seeming drawn to each other, made Beth wish they could have met under different circumstances. The thought strengthened her resolve to change her life. The next time that providence put a man like him in her path, she wanted to be ready and worthy. If there is a next time , she thought sadly.
    She followed him through the parking lot to his car, a sun-faded beemer convertible that had a slight dent in the fender. It surprised her that such a supposedly important lawyer drove an older car, but it was still nicer than anything she’d ever ridden in. She looked up as he opened the top and thought how good it felt to be out with the sun on her face.
    After starting the engine, he said, “Your paperwork said you live on Palm Street near Western Ave. I’ll escort you all the way to your door. I want to know exactly where you live, because if you’re a no-show at your court hearing, I will find you. Both my two thousand dollars and my reputation are at risk—and I value my reputation. Do you understand?”
    Beth