Raul gripped the steering wheel as an image of Candace hugging another man flashed across his mind. Jealousy ripped through him like a tornado. It was quite by chance that he saw them.
It was just after two in the afternoon when he was meandering through the shopping mall that he got a call that the verdict was in. He was defending the Chief Financial Officer of a large corporation, accused of embezzlement. He quickly made his way to the parking lot. It was when he was getting into his car that he spotted Candace with an older man. They were standing beside a grey sedan talking. He froze. His expression darkening as he watched them.
Candace was wearing a yellow summer dress and low heel sandals. The man was dressed in a white shirt and grey pants. He appeared to be in his late thirties. He’s my age, Raul thought. Who is he and what is she doing with him? As he stood there, staring at them, his heart racing, he saw them embrace for a long time. Color suffused his cheeks and he was tempted to march over them and break it up.
His hands curled into tight fists as he longed to punch the man but it wouldn’t be good publicity for the defense attorney in a high profile case to get into a fight in a parking lot because he had caught his girlfriend hugging another man. Besides, if he didn’t head back to the courthouse that very instant, he would be late and that too would look really bad. Muttering under his breath, he climbed into the car and slammed the door. He left the parking lot and drove to the courthouse which was about ten minutes away.
He got there just before the jury filed in. His client looked a bit nervous. He tried to read the faces of the jurors but their expressions were inscrutable. The judge came in and everyone stood up until he was seated. The courtroom was silent as His Honor spoke before calling on the foreman to read the verdict. It was not guilty. There was an enthusiastic response from the defendant’s family and the judge banged his gavel calling for silence in the courtroom. After he told the defendant that the court has found him not guilty and that he was free to go, Raul turned to his client who looked very emotional. “You’re a free man, Mr. Cartwright,” he told him.
Mr. Cartwright, shook his hand warmly. “Thank you, Mr. Davies. You have given me back my life. My family and I will always be indebted to you.”
Raul forced a smile. “You’re welcome, Sir and I did this with the help of a terrific team.” They shook hands and then Mr. Cartwright went over to his family, hugging them before they left the courtroom.
Raul sat there for a few minutes. He had won the case but the victory was hallow because all he could think about was Candace and how much it hurt to see her with someone else. “Congratulations, Raul,” a voice said beside him. He glanced up into the face of Marsha Williams, his secretary and Candace’s mother. She was smiling but the smile faded when she saw the expression on his face. “What’s the matter?” she asked.
He shook his head. “Nothing,” he denied. “I’m just a bit tired, that’s all. This case took a lot out of me but I’m thrilled that it turned out the way that I had hoped.”
She looked unconvinced but didn’t press him. “Well, there’s no need for you to go back to the office.” she said. “Why don’t you go home and relax? Or better yet, have Candace come over and cook you a nice dinner. You deserve it.”
The mere mention of her daughter’s name cut him to the quick but he masked it behind a fake smile. He stood up and grabbed his briefcase. “Thanks, Marsha. I’ll take you up on your suggestion. See you in the morning.” He touched her on the arm before turning and walking away.
Candace and her brother parted in the parking lot. It was great having Avery back in London even if it were just for a week before he headed back to Paris where he lived with Viola and the kids. She knew their mother was planning to take him out for dinner tonight and had invited her to go with them but she declined. She told her that she and Raul were going to spend the evening together at his place.
As she went back into the mall, she wondered how the case went. She knew that the verdict would be in today. Just then, her phone rang. It was her mother. “Raul won the case,” she told her. “You should be very proud of him. It was a tough case but he poured his time, resources and heart into it and got the right verdict.”
Candace beamed. “Yes, Mom, I’m very proud of him and I would have been even if he didn’t win. He’s an remarkable lawyer. I won’t be surprised if one day he becomes a judge.”
“He wasn’t as enthusiastic as I expected him to be, though. He chalked it up to tiredness but I think something else is troubling him. Perhaps he will tell you when you see him later.”
“I will have him relax while I make dinner. Speaking of dinner, enjoy yours with Avery. He and I spent a really nice afternoon together.”
“I’m sorry that Viola and the grand kids couldn’t come with him this time but he promised that they will for Christmas.”
They chatted for a little longer and then Candace rang off, anxious to go home, take a shower and then head over to Raul’s place which overlooked the Thames River.
Raul was lying on the sofa, staring at the television but not paying attention to what was on when the doorbell rang. Slowly, he got up and went to answer the door. His heart lurched when he saw Candace standing there. Muscle throbbing along his jawline, he opened the door and stared at her, his eyes dark with the turmoil raging inside him. He ached to pull her in his arms and kiss her but he couldn’t forget what he had seen that afternoon. She reached up to hug him but he stepped away, opening the door wider so that she could go in.
Candace frowned, thinking about what her mother had said. Something was wrong. Raul wasn’t himself. After he closed and locked the door, she touched his arm and felt him stiffen. “What’s wrong, Raul?” she asked, concern etched her features as she gazed up at him. He looked so handsome in the black tee shirt and blue jeans.
He moved away again, muttering, “Nothing.”
Something was wrong. He was acting as if he didn’t want her to touch him. Usually, they hugged and kissed when they saw each other but this time they didn’t and she had no idea why. His behavior toward her was strange and hurtful. She tried to hide her feelings behind a smile. “Mom called and told me that you won the case,” she said. “Congratulations. We should celebrate–”
His expression darkened. “I’m not in the mood to celebrate,” he replied curtly.
Her face fell. “Raul, I know something is wrong,” she insisted. “Why won’t you tell me what it is?”
“All right, Candace,” he said, turning to face her. “Who was the man I saw you with in the parking lot at the shopping mall this afternoon?” he demanded.
She stared at him. “You were at the shopping mall?” she exclaimed. “But, I thought you were in court–”
“I left court while the jury was out and went to the mall to kill some time and then I got the call that the verdict was in. It was when I was about to get into my car that I saw you with him. Who is he, Candace? What were you doing with him?”
“Avery?” she wondered, puzzled. Then it suddenly dawned on her why he was acting the way he was. He was jealous. “Avery is my brother, Raul. He’s visiting from Paris where he lives with his family. He and I spent the day together, catching up. This evening he is having dinner with Mom. She invited me to join them but I turned her down because I wanted to be with you. I came over here to celebrate your victory by cooking you dinner.”
He stared at her. “The man I saw you hugging in the parking lot is your brother?”
She nodded. “Yes! Oh, Raul, how could you think that I would be cheating on you when I’m mad about you? I have a good mind to throttle you for that.”
He ran his fingers through his hair, looking contrite now. “I’m sorry, Candace,” he mumbled. “When I saw you with him, I was out of my mind with jealousy. And when I saw you hug, I wanted to come over there and punch him but sanity prevailed and I drove away instead.”
She put her arms around his neck. “I think I should punish you a little for thinking that I would two time you.”
He put his arms around her waist, pressing her against him. “I’m guilty of jumping to the wrong conclusion,” he admitted. “I hope you will forgive me.”
“Let me think about it…” she murmured before she reached up and kissed him.
Groaning, he kissed her back, hungrily, feverishly. All the torment that he had endured for the last several hours dissipated.
They exchanged wild, passionate kisses for several minutes and then he drew back to gaze down into her face, his flushed and his breathing heavy. “So, what’s the verdict?” he asked huskily.
“Not guilty, due to reasonable cause,” she said. “I might have reacted the same way if I saw you with another woman.”
“I love you,” he muttered thickly before he picked her up and carried her over to the fireplace where they made love. Three hours later, they were having dinner outside on the terrace.
