Esq. (closed)

[heartofcourage]

Megan Andrews, 31, 5'8", 130lbs, red hair, blue eyes, athletic but curvy build

Megan had always loved what she did. She had worked hard to become a lawyer, rising through the ranks to be one of the top prosecutors in the state. It seemed that everything had worked itself out the older she got. She had a high success rate in the court room, putting people behind bars that deserved to be there and making deals with those that deserved a second chance.

She was ruthless in the courtroom. She had to be. As a young woman, she found the other lawyers would walk all over her if she let them. Never in her life did she want to be seen as weak, so she carefully crafted a persona as an iron maiden and an ice queen. It wasn't really her, but she most definitely used that armor to the best of her ability.

The only person that didn't seem to be afraid of her was Jerry Gallo. That name made her blood boil. They had briefly been involved while attending law school together, but she soon found him insufferable. He was just as cocky and just as hard working as she was. Two personalities that created sparks when together, but didn't necessarily work well together. He had faced off against her in the court of law many times, sometimes beating her and sometimes losing to her. No one got her more angry faster than Jerry did.

The love of her life was the assistant distract attorney, a young up and coming hot shot named Tyler Ross. He was incredibly handsome, equally as intelligent, and they seemed perfect together. A little apartment had been bought, dreams of a wedding were in the works, and it felt like the future was very bright. Until that day, at least.

She had gotten home early from a case that had gone into mediation. Walking into her apartment, she heard the telltale noises from down the hall. She shouldn't have looked, but when she did, she found him in bed with someone else. It was like a knife in her heart. It probably would have shocked a lot of people, but the ice queen did in fact have feelings.

Quickly leaving the apartment, she didn't even bother the two of them. Let them have each other, she thought as she bit back tears. Still in her suit and heels from the day, too afraid and bitter to go home, she found herself at a local bar. Sitting at the counter, she ordered a rum and Coke, her head spinning as the people around her grew louder. What the hell had happened?

 

[BeachBum25]

Jerry Gallo. 32, 6'1", 170 lbs, blonde hair, blue eyes, athletic build.

Gallo had become one of the most sought after defense attorneys in the state. He was not the most experienced attorney, but he was definitely the most aggressive attorney around. His aggressiveness was evident in the way he investigated cases, and in the way he handled them in the courtroom. He had earned the reputation as the attorney for hopeless cases. He took cases that a lot of other attorneys would turn down because they appeared hopeless. Gallo thrived with those cases, because he took them and won.

He was hated by attorneys in the prosecutors office, because he aggressively attacked their cases, and the prosecution witnesses. There was one attorney in the prosecutor's office that really hated him. They had a thing when they were in law school. Now, they often found themselves on the opposite side of the aisle in cases. He was certain she took it personally. Gallo took nothing in the courtroom personally. It was just business.

Other defense attorneys disliked him too since he took cases they turned down and won them. This meant that people were rushing to his door and not the door of other attorneys. He was making a boat load of money for the firm, and, of course, for himself.

Outside of work, Gallo was different. He was laid back. He spent his time relaxing and decompressing from the stress of his work. He would spend most of his time watching sports in his penthouse condo. Sometimes he would go out with some of his old high school friends. Tonight was one those nights. They were having a drink at the bar, his drink of choice was margarita, when he saw her across the bar from them.

 

[heartofcourage]

The noise at the opposite end of the bar seemed to grow louder as Megan sat there, her drink untouched in front of her. It was giving her a headache, the stress drawing her brow tighter. It was like her ability to think had been stolen away from her in that one cruel moment. All she could see was her handsome boyfriend fucking some brunette beneath their designer sheets. It made her ill.

Feeling her purse buzz in her lap, she pulled out her phone, watching as the screen lit up with a message from Tyler. He was looking for her, asking when she would be home. Probably because he wanted to take the whore out for dinner. She threw the phone back into her bag, letting it drop to the floor as she cradled her head in her hands, a long sigh issuing from her lips.

She would have to find a hotel to spend the night. She didn't want to go back home. Once that was taken care of, she might be able to find the courage to tell Tyler that she wanted him the hell out of the apartment. It wasn't a conversation that she was strong enough to have right now, even if she could manage to put on her iron maiden act. He was always able to see right through it.

"This is a fucking mess, Meg." She murmured to herself, those pesky tears back and pricking at her blue eyes.

 

[BeachBum25]

He saw her sitting at the bar. Meg looked distressed. At first she was sitting with her head in her hands. Then, after throwing her phone into her purse, jerry thought he saw tears in her eyes. Meg crying? Jerry could never imagine what would bring her to tears. She was as tough as he was. It was what had drawn them together in law school, and ultimately, what had pushed them apart.

Jerry thought of going over to see if she was okay, but he wasn't sure that was a good idea. The one big difference between Meg and him was that Meg took what happened in the courtroom personally. Jerry didn't. Jerry understood it was just business.....an attempt to win the case. Meg took it as a personal attack and he was pretty sure she hated him for it.

He decided to just go over and say hello. She had been sitting there for a while and had not touched her drink. Without saying anything to his friends, Jerry made his way around the bar to where she was sitting. He walked up behind her. He stopped for a second. She looked good. She was able to make a business suit look sexy. "Stop Jerry," he said to himself. He reached over and tapped her on the shoulder. "Good evening Counselor."

 

[heartofcourage]

Meg's head jerked up as she felt someone tapping her shoulder and then the familiar voice of Jerry Gallo murmured a greeting. She cursed her luck that the one man that she hated deeply would be the one to find her at the bar after her heart had been ripped to shreds.

"Gallo." She murmured back as she slowly turned herself on the bar stool to look at him. "Of course I would find the one bar in this city that you were drinking in."

Her normal biting tone was subdued, the haze of tears still in her bright eyes as she struggled to keep herself under control. She never lost control. She hated the feeling of not being in control of her surroundings and her life. That went all the way back to her childhood when she was given up for adoption by her mother who couldn't handle raising a little girl.

"Did your buddies dare you to come over here or is this a social call?" She asked him, leaning back against the bar, bracing her arms behind her as she stared up at him.

 

[BeachBum25]

"Hello Megan. No, I did not come over here on a dare or a bet. I came over to say hello. I know we are on opposite sides of the aisle at work but it doesn't mean that we have to be mortal enemies outside of the courtroom." Jerry was starting to think this was a big mistake.

He looked into Meg's eyes as she stared at him with her back to the bar. He waited for her to say something, but her silence seemed to indicate that she would be very happy if he just left her alone. "Sorry I bothered you Meg. I just wanted to say hi, see how you are doing. That was it. Have a good night. I won't take up any more of your time."

Yea, this was what had caused the demise of their short relationship in law school. Both of them were too strong willed. Jerry actually believed she was stronger willed than he was. He turned and started back over to where his friends were. None of them had even realized he was gone. That would actually work out for the best. They wouldn't ask questions.

 

[heartofcourage]

Jerry had been a nice guy when they first met. He still was a nice guy. He might have been an asshole in the courtroom, but he was a decent human being. She had once loved him. It meant something that he had come to check on her, to say hello, even in spite of how they had split up while still in law school.

"Jerry." She called as he started to walk away. "It's been a hell of a day."

That was all that she could really say to him. He didn't know her anymore. He hadn't been a part of her life in a very long time, but it seemed that he wanted to at least give out a helping hand. Perhaps that's what she really needed right now.

"If you wanted to take a seat, I promise that I'll be on my best behavior." Megan murmured, watching him with those deep blue eyes.

 

[BeachBum25]

Gallo stopped when he heard her call after him. A prt of him thought that he should just acknowledge her and her tough day and keep going. After all, all attorneys, even the good ones like them, had bad days. Then again, there was a part of him that thought he should go back and talk with her for a little while.

He turned around and stood behind the empty stool next to her. He looked at her closely and he decided that her calling him back was really her way of asking him to please stay and talk with her for a little while. At least, that was the way her read it.

Gallo sat on the stool and ordered a margarita from the bartender. "I don't think the lady needs another drink yet," he joked with the bartender as he looked at Meg's full drink. "So, Counselor. What made today so bad that you are at a bar that I know you would never frequent?"

 

[heartofcourage]

Megan slowly turned back towards the bar as Jerry took the seat next to her and ordered a drink. He made a joke before he asked her just what had made the day so horrible. She could hardly even put the whole horrible incident into words.

"I couldn't go home." She murmured as she finally glanced towards Jerry. "Trust me, coming to a bar in a suit isn't my kind of thing."

Had she ever been happy go lucky? Had she ever had a time in her life when she was truly happy and carefree? If she did, it was hard to remember. She had always remembered being serious, wounded, frightened.

"I went home after court and found Tyler in bed with another woman." She blurted out, the drink looking really good in front of her as those words burst forth.

Jerry would know Tyler. Their ranks were fairly small, considering they lived in a large city. It wasn't a secret that she had been dating Tyler for a while, even if they didn't advertise it to people around the office or out in public.

 

[BeachBum25]

Gallo had heard that Megan was dating another attorney. It wasn't a surprise to him. She always did like things orderly, and attorneys were all about order. He didn't know the guy, personally, but had heard stories about him. The word was that he was a womanizer, but Gallo figured all of that had stopped when he started dating Meg. Hell, why wouldn't he? Meg was the catch of all catches......beautiful, sexy, super intelligent.

He didn't know what to say. "I'm sorry Meg" came out, but it sounded so insincere. It sounded like he said it just to say something, and, actually that was what it was. He didn't know what to say. He felt bad for her. He really liked Meg despite her hatred of him. He always thought she was a great person, and she was that in spite of her thought upbringing.

Jerry placed his hand on hers. "I don't know what to say Meg, so, I am going to just shut up. I will sit here with you as long as you want me to. If you want me to leave, just say it, and I will leave you alone." He removed his hand and took a drink of his margarita. He told the bartender to bring him a shot of tequila and to put a shot of 151 in front of Meg.

 

[heartofcourage]

"You don't have to say sorry." She murmured quickly as those words came from Jerry. "I don't want people to feel sorry for me."

Megan glanced over as Jerry placed his hand on top of her own, telling her that he didn't know what to say but he would stay with her as long as she wanted. She had to remember that this was the asshole that would rake her over the coals if given the chance in the court of law. Still...he was a decent human being at heart.

As the shot of 151 was placed in front of her, she figured that if she did want to get hammered, Jerry would take care of her. It seemed like an open invitation to drink and put her worries away. Taking the shotglass in her hand, she quickly threw it back, wincing at the burn that coursed down her throat. It felt good.

"Thanks." She murmured as she glanced over at Jerry and let her glass rest back on the bar again.

 

[BeachBum25]

When he had ordered the shot for her, Gallo didn't think that Meg would actually drink it. When she picked it up and downed it, he was very surprised, but did not let it show. He downed his and ordered two more. No, he was not trying to get her drunk. He just wanted to help her forget what had brought her here.....easier said than done.

Gallo sat there and watched her after the shot. He could tell that the shot burned going down. That was not a surprise for someone who didn't drink that much. He couldn't imagine Meg doing many shots. Hell, she probably hadn't had a shot since law school...lay be not even then.

Jerry stayed totally focused on Megan. He said nothing, but he just looked at her and allowed her to drive any conversation they might have. He was pretty certain that there would be talk if any other lawyers saw them together. Sometimes lawyers were like little kids..talking about what they saw or what they heard. Gallo didn't care. He wanted to make sure Meg was okay.

 

[heartofcourage]

Megan knew why he was staying quiet. He was a quiet guy who observed everything. It was what made him one hell of a lawyer. She wasn't sure how she liked being looked at like that, studied until she felt her skin crawl. Slowly, she glanced over towards him, her blue eyes taking in his appearance. He was even more handsome now then when they were in law school. As far as she knew, there were no women in his life. She had no idea why he hadn't found a girlfriend after their relationship had fizzled out.

"So, do you play knight in shining armor often or am I just lucky?" She asked him as another shot was brought and placed in front of her.

This time, she nursed the drink, savoring it before she switched to her rum and coke. She could at least be happy even if her heart was shattered.

 

[BeachBum25]

"Megan, I did not come over here to be a knight in shining armor. I came over to say hello to a colleague, and to try to be friendly to her. It seems like the only time we communicate is when we are on the opposite sides of a case. I wanted to just say hello to you in a social setting. I did not know what some asshole did to you today. I am truly sorry about that, and I am willing to lend a helping hand in any way that I can."

Gallo always liked Meg. Even after they broke up he liked her, but she had cut off all communication with him. There time in court just made their interactions even frostier. She, undoubtedly, took his actions as personal attacks. Nothing could be farther from the truth. He attacked every opposing lawyer the same way. All he cared about was getting his client off.

He downed his second shot, and then focused on the margarita in front of him. It was a good thing he travelled around the city in a cab since there was no way he could drive home after drinking tequila. His thoughts moved to Megan and where she was going to stay tonight. He knew she wouldn't go home. Something told him he would have to take her to a hotel and get her situated there.

 

[heartofcourage]

"So, you're telling me I'm lucky." Megan murmured as Jerry insisted that he wasn't a knight in shining armor. "You always get defensive under questioning, councilor."

She was teasing him in her typical dry sense of humor. The alcohol was slowly but surely helping her to loosen up. She had nothing pressing the next day, which would give her time to get rid of her hangover and plot what she would be doing next. Kicking Tyler out seemed like the first order of business after breakfast.

"Loosen up, Jer." She murmured as she took another sip of her rum and coke and ordered another tequila. "You're not the one who just got their heart smashed."

 

[BeachBum25]

Gallo was trying to be nice to Megan. He didn't know what to expect from her. They didn't have any type of personal relationship. The only relationship they had was professional and it was antagonistic because they were always opponents, so, if she was joking with him in any way, he wasn't sure.

"No, Megan, I didn't say you were lucky. You are right, I didn't have my heart broken today. That happened years ago." Yea, he threw that out there. Maybe she would know he was talking about her. Then, again, she might think it was someone he had gone out with since their break-up.

He took another shot of tequila and chased it with his margarita. He ordered another one before the bartender walked away. He downed the one in front of him as Meg took a drink from her rum and coke

 

[heartofcourage]

"I broke your heart?" Megan asked as he ordered another shot and downed it. "Really? Me? We were only together for a few months. Sex was amazing. The relationship...not so much. I take a large part of the blame in that, I suppose."

The sex with Jerry had been amazing. Mind blowing. The very best that she had ever had. However, there were so many tense moments, arguments, and yelling matches that she knew they were better off apart. It was the stress of school piled on top of the stress of simply trying to figure herself out that had led her to break his heart. Perhaps what he was telling her was true. She could still see his face after she had told him they would be better off as friends. It was the look of a man who had been truly defeated.

She let out a long sigh as she turned towards him on the bar stool. "Listen, Jer, I don't want to fight tonight. Tonight, I want to get shitfaced with someone that I can trust. I want to have a good time. Think that you can be that person for me?"

 

[BeachBum25]

This was so typical of Megan. She was taking a simple comment that he made as the start of an argument. Gallo understood that a lot of her defensiveness had to do with her childhood, and what she had to fight through to become the successful person that she was today.

He had no intention of fighting with her. He wasn't going to acknowledge her argument comment. He was going to support her in any way that he could tonight. Yes, there were some old, repressed feelings coming out in him, but she needed help and he was going to give her the necessary support.

"Megan, I am here for whatever you need tonight. Actually, I will help you with anything you need tonight or whenever. We don't need to be enemies outside of the courtroom." He placed his hand on top of hers again and took his drink. He held it up and clinked it against hers. "Here is to getting shitfaced."

 

[heartofcourage]

"To getting shitfaced." Megan said as they clinked their glasses together and commenced to drinking.

She was quiet to begin with, but as the liquor flowed, she loosened up. By the time that she couldn't see straight anymore, she was texting Tyler to tell him to get his things and his brown haired whore out of her apartment by morning. They were over with. The sting was still there, but it was quickly frightened away by another shot of tequila. She found herself smiling, even laughing with Jerry over silly little things. She didn't want to talk about anything serious. Serious was real and she wanted something fun. Instead, they talked about sports, funny stories, the past.

"I'm serious, Jer. You were the best that I've ever had in bed." She insisted, her words slurring slightly as her hand rest on his forearm. "You taught me a lot those few short months."

 

[BeachBum25]

Gallo was enjoying his time with Meg. This was a side of her that he hadn't seen in a very long time. He had even forgotten that she was a sports fan so, talking sports with a woman was a surprise, but it made the night much more enjoyable. It also helped to ease the pain for Meg. Gallo could see her relax a little, but he was sure that had more to do with the alcohol than it did with him.

He saw her texting and he assumed it was her boyfriend. He made no comments on her texting. He assumed that he was now her ex-boyfriend, but that was just that...an assumption. Then again, maybe she was working things out with him, and would be going back there tonight.

"Oh, now the alcohol is really talking....actually it is screaming. I can't believe that you are talking about us back then. Yes, the sex was amazing Meg. We both were willing to explore and try different things, and I must admit, we executed them pretty damned good, too." Yea, the alcohol had taken a good grip on her. Her slurring words told him that it was time to call it a night. He called over the bartender, and asked him for the check and to call them a taxi.

 

[heartofcourage]

"No, I'm fine." Megan insisted as he told her that the alcohol was screaming now. "We don't need to leave."

She was panicking slightly. She had nowhere to go when she left the bar. A hotel, maybe, but she most certainly couldn't go back home. As Jerry paid the tab that they had racked up, she started to fret. Her brow was furrowed, deep grooves etched into her forehead. It was one of her traits. When she worried, it was very obvious.

"I don't know where I'm going to go." She murmured as she stood on shaking legs and bent to retrieve her purse, stumbling into the bar as she lost her balance.

 

[BeachBum25]

Jerry paid the tab. As he waited for the bartender to return with his card, he could see that Meg was getting a little anxious. He figured it had to do with where she was going to spend the night. Maybe she thought he was going to try to take her to his place and take advantage of her.

"Meg, I can take you to a hotel. I will,get you up to your room and get you situated. I would offer you the guest room at my place, but I know you wouldn't accept it. You would think I was up to something. I will take you to the Four Seasons, get you situated, and the I will check on you in the morning."

He couldn't help but to check out her ass as she bent over to pick up her purse. Yep, even in a business suit she looked amazing. He took her arm once she stood up and helped her toward the door. "Relax, Meg. I am going to take care of you and make sure you are okay."

 

[heartofcourage]

Once he took her arm, she found that walking was slightly easier. She didn't stumble as much as Jerry was promising to take her to the Four Seasons and get her all situated. She was suddenly really tired, but it was through sheer will alone that she found the strength to stay awake and alert. Meg waited as he flagged down a taxi and when they slipped in, she relaxed back against the seat. A long sigh issued from her lips as she felt her phone buzzing in her purse.

"Tyler's pissed." She mentioned absently. "He blames me for the whole situation."

She had been glancing at text messages from him all night, only responding the once to tell him to get out of her apartment. He had begged and then he had gotten angry. She had stopped caring after a while, but it still hurt all the same. Another broken relationship...probably caused by her.

"It fucking hurts." She said in a miserable tone.

 

[BeachBum25]

He saw her sit back in the cab and relax. She listened as she started talking about her boyfriend and saying that he was blaming her. "Megan, he wanted you to catch him. He did that on purpose. Why else would he do her at your apartment in your bed? He is trying to blame you because he is an asshole. I don't know him very well, but this leads me to believe he is a flaming asshole and doesn't deserve you."

He looked at her as she looked at her phone again. "Turn it off. He is going to spend the night sending you texts about it being your fault. Shut the phone off and put him out of your mind. I know it hurts Meg, but exchanging messages with him will only make it worse."

They pulled up in front of the hotel. Jerry paid and tipped the cabbie and then got out. He helped Megan out, and walked her to the door. Once inside, he sat her in a chair in the lobby. He went to the desk and registered for the room. He put it in his name; no reason other than she was too drunk to stand in front of the counter. Although, if anyone found out she spent the night in a room registered to him there would be a lot of talk. Oh well, he would just have to keep it quiet.

He went back and got Meg and led her to the elevator. Once upstairs, he opened the door and helped her into the room. Once inside, he sat her on the bed, and took off her shoes. "I will leave the rest to you Meg. I do not want to get you mad at me."

 

[heartofcourage]

Fumbling with her phone, she shut it off like he told her too. He was right. Tyler would have bugged her all night if she had left it on. It would only make her feel worse in the long run. When they were at the hotel, the world was spinning around her. Jerry got her situated in a chair before he went and got a room for her to stay in. She was too far gone to even try and figure out how to get one on her own. It was all up to him and he was holding up his end of the bargain.

Once they were in the room, she sat down on the bed with a long and tired sigh. She was barely aware that he was taking off her shoes, but once they were off, she turned and flopped on the bed, curling up on the covers as the world continued to spin around her.

"I don't want you to leave." She murmured in a miserable voice. "I don't want to be alone, Jer."