“I cannot fucking believe he is late again! What the hell? He better damn hope that he has a great explanation for this!”
“Settle down Sterling. I am sure he’ll get here soon,” assured Marceau. Bursting through the doors was Stone, this time uncharacteristically high dressed in a tuxedo and walks down with a suave swagger down to the Plaintiff area.
“Who the hell are you?” inquired the judge, clearly vexed by the action presiding before him.
“Your honor I am Jacoby Stone, and I am ready to prove that that guy over there is a bloodthirsty, coldblooded killer.” Stone then dramatically points in the vicinity of the portly cop, who seemed to lose a little weight from all of the worrying. Marceau merely reclines deeply in his seat while Sterling face-palms.
“Just sit down Mr. Stone and let your attorney do all the talking,” remarked the judge with a sigh. Stone calmly sat down next to Sterling.
“OK, so I might not have been able to get here in the smoothest of matters, but this case is rock solid, done deal right? Might as well not even bother tuning into it.” Sterling, clearly flustered and frustrated with the ordeal, simply turned her attention back to the court. “Or you can just keep ignoring me too. Whatever.”
“Why the hell won’t you just listen to Marceau and me and get your shit together? I mean you seriously can’t keep doing this, what the hell is up with you?” Sterling flashed a face of not only anger but genuine fear and empathy.
“Yeah, well the thing is my ex-wife has been hounding me the last couple of weeks about my son and I guess it’s just been eating me up. I mean I am pretty ashamed that I don’t really know him well and vice versa, and his birthday is coming up so I guess I’m turning into a wreck.”
“Wow, that’s kinda sweet that you care about your son, but unbelievable that you hardly even know him. Jeesh, what kind of a father are you?”
“Exactly, I know. That’s why I have no idea how I can save face with him, you know? I mean, what am I to do?” asked Stone, genuinely needing advice.
“Save face? You could just be a father. I mean, come on, you have to at least know at least a little something about him?”
“That’s the thing. I haven’t seen him in a couple of years because of my ex and my demanding work schedule, and I haven’t heard a call in weeks.”
“Wow that is the biggest bullshit I have ever heard. I mean really, blaming your ex? And you hardly even bother going to the office anymore! Hell, if I was your son I wouldn’t call you either, which you are also very capable of doing.”
“Whoa, hold on. Let’s not backfire all of this onto me. You clearly haven’t met my ex.”
“Oh, I know she is a piece of work. Which explains why she could tolerate you for so long.” Stone tried to retort, but merely nodded. He knew he was defeated, no point for fighting a lost cause of abandoning your son. He stared at the clock in the far corner, then gazed at Marceau and the client exchange words.
“How long is this sucker going to last? Because besides unpaid parking tickets, I haven’t been learned of the nuances of court.”
“This is just the preliminary hearing. I actually don’t really know the process too well, but Marceau said that this was too big a high profile case to ignore, that we needed full representation. Besides, what are you in a rush for?”
“Not much, just a date with Destiny. Why do you ask?”
“What is that, a hooker’s name or something?” toyed Sterling.
“No, she is an escort. A 30 dollar escort, but a damn good one nonetheless! You’ve got any plans with someone interesting?” imaginatively remarked Stone, not to be outdone in any games.
“Well, yes actually. His name is Steve and we are going to the Guthrie Theater, somewhere that you wouldn’t bother to go.”
“Sounds fun,” was the only repartee Stone could utter.
Hours passed and soon Stone grew more and more powerless to boredom and fell into a deep slumber. After the trial proceedings were finally over, Sterling and Marceau tried to wake him up without success, forcing Marceau to drive all three of them home.
“Marceau, can I ask you something?” asked Sterling shyly. She then checked back to Stone who was dozing in the back, oblivious to all.
“Yeah, I guess.”
“What do you think is the future between me and Stone?”
“Why do you ask?”
“I don’t know, it feels like I am the only one that cares anymore. I mean I love him a lot, but it doesn’t seem like a two way street anymore. He still treats me more a friend than anything else.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
“Well, yes and no. I just want to have the confidence that he’ll always be on my side, and frankly I doubt that will ever happen, you know? I just want to be in a relationship, not whatever we are in right now.”
“Well, maybe you should propose an ultimatum. Either be in a relationship or cut it off. Then again I am probably not the best man to ask advice on relationships. I have a dozen ex-girlfriends, three ex-wives and a partridge in a pear tree. Now that I think about it, you are probably the most sensible and least dysfunctional person I know, so I’m sure you’ll think of something.”
“Yeah, sure. Whatever.” Sterling didn’t bother absorbing the bullshit that Marceau tried to sell to her, but she appreciated the effort, though it may have done more harm than good. As they coasted up to Sterling’s house, Stone finally emerged from his slumber, asked if they were interested in a round of drinks for a celebration, until Marceau reminded him that the trial was ongoing.
“Nah, I meant for me living through that bullshit. I don’t give a fuck about the stupid trial anymore,” quipped Stone who proceeded to say Good Night to both Sterling and Marceau as he wandered out to the empty streets, whistling a faintly familiar tune.
The next day, Marceau called Stone and inevitably met some animosity. However, Marceau assured him that his announcement was excellent news and to meet him at his office right away. Stone obliged begrudgingly, knowing fully well that this could be the time that they finally get their big break, a case exciting enough to even bother with, something that wasn’t inane or mundane. Something worth bothering to get up in the morning for.
After getting dressed, grabbing a quick bite and walking down the block to the familiar wooden plaque hanging above his head that boasted his colleagues’ and his name in ornate letters with a white pawn in the background, Stone wistfully walked inside, each step became heavier and with less energy. Then, his least favorite sound in the world buzzed in his pocket, the song “Hell Awaits” customized for his ex-wife and the impending hell that follows. Stone answered in as genial a tone as possible, “Hello Sam. What the hell do you want?”, punctuating hell with an extra bit of faux sweetness.
After getting dressed, grabbing a quick bite and walking down the block to the familiar wooden plaque hanging above his head that boasted his colleagues’ and his name in ornate letters with a white pawn in the background, Stone wistfully walked inside, each step became heavier and with less energy. Then, his least favorite sound in the world buzzed in his pocket, the song “Hell Awaits” customized for his ex-wife and the impending hell that follows. Stone answered in as genial a tone as possible, “Hello Sam. What the hell do you want?”, punctuating hell with an extra bit of faux sweetness.
“’Coby? Hi, I guess. Anyways, I just want to tell you that I don’t feel comfortable bringing Jake down to you for his special day, away from all of his friends. I would ask you if you’d like to come here, but I feel that would be a little of a buzz kill if you come here with all of my folks down here. I promise you’ll get him double the time next week to make up for it, m’kay?” Stone hung up right there, thinking ‘The nerve of that woman!’, while simultaneously wondering why he would be such a buzz kill? How much of a buzz kill could he be to be denied to see his son’s tenth birthday party? His boiling temper continued to seethe as he approached the door marked “Robert Marceau, Attorney at Law”.
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