This story contains very little sex; however, it does contain more than 80,000 words.

Justice

Chapter One

"Based upon the evidence presented and witness testimony, the Court finds that the management of Draper Holdings was aware of past employee complaints of sexual harassment and by willfully ignoring these complaints, did create a hostile work environment as defined under section 465.29 of South Carolina labor laws. Subsequently, the Court rules in favor of the Plaintiff and awards the Plaintiff twenty-two months of back wages as compensatory damages, and three million dollars in punitive damages. Case closed."

Minerva Hart was reading her copy of the judge's ruling as he announced it to the court. Her experience in hundreds of courtrooms made it easy for her to avoid visibly smiling or showing any other outward signs of satisfaction with the ruling that extended her perfect record of wins for her clients. Hearing the gasp from her client sitting next to her, followed by a sob of joy, Minerva patted the young woman's hand, silently encouraging her to control herself while still in the courtroom.

Sounds from the defense table across the aisle drew Minerva's attention. She had been expecting this.

"Your Honor," began Tom Peyton, attorney for Draper Holdings, "The defense requests a stay of the court's ruling pending appeal..."

Minerva didn't even bother rising to object. Judge Nathan gave a weary glance in Peyton's direction, "Request denied. Court is dismissed."

Quickly shoving the pages containing the complete court ruling into her bag, Minerva stood and took an elbow of her still-seated client, "Let's get you out of here. Can you meet me in my office at three this afternoon?"

The young woman retrieved her purse, pulled out her cell phone, and checked the current time, "As long as it doesn't take too long, I can be there. I have a date with my boyfriend tonight and he wanted to pick me up at five so I'll need time to get ready."

Leading her client out into the hallway of the Oconee County Courthouse in Walhalla, South Carolina, Minerva considered her client's time constraint. The woman lived in Westminster and had worked at Draper Holdings' facility outside of Seneca. Minerva's law office was in downtown Greenville. It was just before noon, and while her client could easily make the forty-six-mile trip in time to meet in her office at 3 pm there was little chance that she would be able to get back to her home in time for her date considering Friday afternoon traffic.

Not being as familiar with the court staff here in Oconee County, Minerva was reluctant to impose on them by allowing her office to transmit some forms here that her client could sign rather than doing so in her Greenville office. The forms would be needed for her office to represent the client in beginning the process of collecting the judgment ordered by the court, but from Minerva's perspective, the forms were needed for her to get her cut of the settlement.

Oh, well. It wasn't like she needed the funds immediately. Her private law practice operated well in the black, with more clients than she could sometimes take on at one time. As they approached the client's car, Minerva told her, "I don't want to risk you not getting back in time. I'll have my assistant contact you next week to set up a time when it will be more convenient for you to come in. Okay?"

"That sounds good. I work the early shift at the call center next week, so I'll be available any day after one."

Minerva saw Tom Peyton and his client exiting the courthouse, so she hurriedly bid her client farewell and ushered her into her car. The client's car was backing out of the parking spot when her opposing counsel barked, "I don't know how you live with yourself, Minnie! Some backwoods country girl snowflake gets her feelings hurt and you fight to put a company out of business and cost dozens of other people their jobs."

'Minnie'. Peyton had used her nickname as if they were friends or something. True, Minerva felt that her given name sounded as ancient as the Roman goddess from mythology from which it came, but it was still her legal and professional name. She wanted to re-establish some professional boundaries with her adversary.

"Mr. Peyton, if you have something that you wish to discuss, I would appreciate it if you addressed me in a more appropriate manner."

Peyton's face became redder as he leaned forward into Minerva's space in an attempt at intimidation, and said, "Fine, Ms. Hart. You know damn well that the judgment that the court just awarded doesn't stand a chance under appeal. We both know what the law says and there is no way that a reasonable person could have construed compliments about their appearance as sexual harassment..."

Minerva smirked at Peyton and responded, "The incidents before the court were not simply some random coworkers complimenting my client on her hairstyle or her shoes. They were blatant and repeated sexual innuendos related to her physical attributes, including her breasts, lips, legs, and ass by her coworkers, her direct supervisor, and his immediate supervisor, the man standing behind you right now."

"But they were all said in fun," the man from Draper Holdings argued. "There was never any intention to make her feel like anything but part of the team. Workers tease each other all the time over all sorts of things. No one knew that she was so sensitive..."

Minerva gaped at the man in disbelief. Was he that ignorant? "You heard the witnesses, including your personal assistant, tell the court that my client had voiced her concerns to her manager, to you, and to the HR department of your company and you all dismissed them. She felt embarrassed, intimidated, devalued, fearful of the work environment, and that was proven to the court."

Minerva calmed her voice and continued, "Look, I know that Draper Holdings started as a family-owned business and you pride yourself on the loyal local employees that have been crucial to your success. However, behaviors acceptable between a group of male coworkers out hunting or fishing on the weekend are no longer appropriate within a business environment. Unless you develop and implement policies that have your employees interacting and behaving more like they were in church instead of a pool hall, your legal problems will continue. That's the best advice I can offer you."

Without waiting for a response from either man, Minerva unlocked the doors to her three-year-old SUV and climbed behind the wheel. She watched the men walk away, Tom Peyton still pointing in her direction as he spoke animatedly with his client. As the car started, she blocked them and the court case from her mind and tried to decide which route to take back to Greenville.

If she took US 123, that would be the most direct route, and she would be able to drive through any number of fast-food places to grab something for lunch that she could eat on the way. The downside to that route was that it would take her right past Clemson University, and worst, the off-campus apartment that Athena had lived in while a student at the university.

Minerva didn't need the tears or the guilt today. No, instead, she would take Highway 11 south through Seneca and down to where it met up with Interstate 85. She could then take that north into Greenville. It would add a minimum of thirty minutes to the drive, but it would be tear-free.

Navigating Walhalla's narrow, quaint, small-town roads, Minerva considered whether she would even bother returning to her office today. Since the client in this case wouldn't be able to meet with her until next week, did she have any other pressing office matters requiring attention? She hit the speed dial icon for her office and waited for her assistant, TJ to answer. Hopefully, he hadn't left for lunch yet.

Her call was answered by the deep, melodic voice that always reminded Minerva of the singer, Barry White. "Good, morning, Miss Hart's office," TJ practically sang as he answered.

TJ Washington presented a massive presence that most people agreed, matched his voice perfectly. He stood almost seven-feet tall and weighed a very muscular two-hundred and fifty pounds. Frequently assumed to be a former football or basketball player, TJ had little interest in any organized sports. His passion was Tai Chi, which he spent his spare time teaching the youth of Greenville. If ever the term "Gentle Giant" applied to a man, it fit TJ to the letter.

Not that TJ was averse to using his size and obvious strength for intimidation if the circumstances warranted it. He was proudly protective of those he cared for, and there was no one TJ cared for more than Minerva. Well, he probably cared more for her nephew, Alexander but Minerva remained high on the list. Anticipating the day next month when TJ learned whether he had passed his bar examination was bittersweet for Minerva. While she looked forward to eventually bringing TJ on as a full partner in her private law firm, she dreaded having to find an assistant to replace him in that role.

"Hi, TJ. Have you had lunch yet?" Minerva asked.

She heard his deep chuckle before he replied, "I was waiting to hear from you about how the case went..."

Minerva laughed and explained the court ruling, asking TJ to schedule the meeting for next week with the client. He assured her that he would handle it as soon as he came back from lunch.

"Why don't you forward the phone to your cell and work from home this afternoon," Minerva suggested. "As long as we don't expect any clients in the office, we might as well close up for the day."

"I can do that," TJ said. "Lana wants you to call her when you have a chance. Something to do with your schedule for Myrtle Beach next week."

"Crap," Minerva thought. She had forgotten that next week was her regularly scheduled time to spend in her Myrtle Beach office. The paralegal who staffed that office, Lana Street, seldom required Minerva's presence with anything other than court appearances, and none of those were scheduled. She decided that she would call Lana and see if the visit could be delayed for the month.

"I'll call Lana in a few minutes," Minerva told TJ. "You should go grab some lunch and head home. I'm going to pick up Alex and make an early day of it myself."

"He won't be out of school for another three hours," TJ reminded her.

"I know, but by the time I get back to Greenville it will be close to two, so if I stop by the grocery store on the way to his school, I shouldn't be too early."

TJ said, "Well, I'm sure he'll be glad to see you waiting for him. He tells me all the time how boring the study hall is on the days when he doesn't have practice after school."

"Believe me, I know," Minerva assured her assistant. "We worry about Alex being involved in too many sports and activities, but he thrives on participating and it seems to make him try harder with his academics."

"Come on," TJ teased, "We all know whom he inherited his competitive spirit from."

Minerva recognized the playful jab by TJ. She reflected on when she had changed to become as competitive as she was. She certainly hadn't been that way when growing up with Athena. Even with the two-year age difference, the sisters had always been supportive of one another and never sought to outdo the other. They encouraged each other to be the best they could be, just as their parents always had, but it was never done with the spirit of "win at all cost", which is how Minerva now approached almost all aspects of her life, personal and professional.

She didn't have to guess. Minerva remembered exactly where she was on the day and time that her view of the world had changed. She had been standing beside Athena's hospital bed as her sister pleaded with her final whispered words, "It's too late for me. Get Justice from Coastline. Get Justice for Alexander."

Chapter Two

Hayden tried not to deal with inter-office e-mails while he was outside of the office, and the one currently on his laptop screen was exactly why. He didn't mind spending a few minutes on a Saturday morning corresponding with a client or vendor, but issues such as the one on his screen at that moment seemed to just sap any good feelings that he had about the weekend right out of his mind.

The only reason that he had opened the e-mail from Emily Willis was that it had been sitting in his inbox for three days, and he owed the head of his Human Resources department a timely reply, even if she likely wouldn't see it until she came into her office on Monday morning.

Ashanti Cox was lodging another employee complaint. Reading the e-mail from Emily, Hayden saw that Ashanti was upset that her request for a vacation day on the Friday before Memorial Day had been refused by her manager. It was obvious from the manager's explanation why the request had been denied, but Ashanti had demonstrated her propensity to use the "race card" or "gender card" whenever she didn't get her way. In this complaint, she was alleging that two white male employees had been granted their requests for that day off, but hers had been denied, which in her mind, was a clear case of discrimination.

Employees of Coastline Multimedia received six fixed holidays each year when the company closed all but essential operations; New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day (plus the following Friday), and Christmas Day. They also received three floating holidays that they could use with manager approval. Since some departments within the company operated twenty-four-hours a day, seven days a week, while others needed to maintain minimum staffing to meet internal and external customer service expectations when the company was open and operating, department managers had to weigh any vacation or personal time requests against the staffing requirements for their department.

While he trusted the explanation of the manager involved, Hayden launched the corporate personnel scheduling application and verified the information it contained on Ashanti Cox. He saw that she had requested and been granted floating vacation time for Friday, January 13^th, and Monday, January 16^th, which allowed her a four-day weekend to celebrate MLK Day. She had also requested and been approved for Friday, June 16^th, and Monday, June 19^th, which would give her another four-day weekend to celebrate the Juneteenth holiday.

Further research into Ashanti's past time-off requests showed Hayden a history of her requesting every Friday before a Monday holiday as a vacation day. On five of those occasions last year, she had been granted her request, frequently at the expense of another employee in the same department being denied their request. Hayden also saw what he was certain that Emily and Ashanti's manager had seen, which was that in all five instances, she had called in sick on the following Tuesday after the holiday.

Composing a reply to Emily Willis and copying Ashanti's manager didn't take Hayden long. He stated his concurrence with the manager's decision and asked Emily to further remind Ashanti Cox that employees who took sick days were required to provide a note from their doctor upon returning to work. He knew that most managers didn't enforce that policy unless they felt it was being abused by an employee, or they were intimidated by an employee such as Ashanti. Hayden made a note to have the senior manager speak with the manager of the production print department where Ashanti worked.

Finished with the e-mail response to Emily, Hayden scanned through his inbox. He had three hundred more unread internal e-mails that had come in on Friday, but almost all of those were communications between directors, managers, and employees of Coastline Multimedia that he had been simply copied on to keep him in the loop on whatever the particular subject was. Seeing that he had nothing further in his inbox that required his attention before Monday morning, he shut the lid on his laptop and headed for his bedroom.

Sitting on the edge of his king-size bed, Hayden brushed a strand of red hair off the angelic face of the woman sleeping there.

"Wake up, sleepy head. If you want to watch the sunrise from the beach you've only got about twenty minutes to get out there."

A groggy voice replied, "You live on the fucking beach. All I have to do is step outside. Let me sleep a few more minutes..."

Stacy Bloom tried to cover her head with one of the pillows, but Hayden grabbed it from her hand.

"I'll let you sleep, but I'm heading out for a breakfast meeting. If you miss the sunrise because you fell back to sleep, don't blame me."

Reluctantly, Stacy rolled onto her back. Opening one eye to test the light in the room, she asked, "What time is it?"

"It's 6:45 on a beautifully clear Saturday morning," Hayden shared.

Finally opening both eyes and examining Hayden, she grinned and asked, "What's the point of having a 'friend with benefits' if he doesn't deliver any of the benefits?"

Chuckling, Hayden gently squeezed her breast under the sheet and said, "You need to remember that I am just a lowly working stiff. Maybe if the other 'friend' arrived here at a decent hour she could recognize some of the benefits that she is alluding to."

"I had to stay until the pub closed," Stacy whined. "And drop that 'working stiff' bullshit. You own half of the Grand Strand, and what you don't own, you control."

Hayden stood and said, "You exaggerate, and you know it. But what I do have I got by getting out of bed at a decent time and working hard."

Stacy rose from the bed and stretched her arms over her head, purposely using the motion to thrust her bare breasts out at Hayden and giving him an unobstructed view of her remaining slim yet shapely nakedness. That view had the desired effect.

"What the hell. I'm the boss so they can wait for me."

Some of Hayden's words got distorted as he pulled his polo shirt over his head but Stacy understood enough of them to take up the task of unbuttoning his pants for him. For the fast and aggressive pounding that she always craved from Hayden, his pants only needed to clear his waist.

Due to his physical reaction at the sight of her naked body, Stacy had to stretch out the waistband of Hayden's boxers with one hand as she pressed his growing erection against his body with the other. Hayden's hands were busy retrieving a condom from the top of his dresser.

Stacy took the condom from Hayden, tore open the package, and rolled it onto him with practiced expertise.

"God, you make me so wet!" Stacy moaned while stroking his latex-covered erection.

"I assume you want this to be one of our 'Wham-Bam, Thank You, Ma'am' quickies."

Stepping back to get into position on the bed, Stacy replied, "It better be a "Wham-Bam, Thank you, Sir' session if you want me to remain your 'friend'. So, I'll tell you what. I'll help you out by getting in a position that always works fast for me."

Watching her lay on her left side with her knees bent and her ass barely on the bed, Hayden recognized what was expected of him. He quickly stepped to her and assumed the position that would complete the "Sicilian Corkscrew". He had taught it to Stacy when they had first started having sex and she had quickly made it one of her favorite positions whether their time together was rushed or not.

Always the helpful little trollop, Stacy reached out and guided the head of Hayden's still stiffening erection to where she wanted it the most. With the familiarity that comes from shared experiences, Hayden began to slowly and teasingly enter Stacy.

While Stacy would eventually be begging Hayden to pound into her faster and harder, she always appreciated this slow, steady approach that allowed her body to adjust to his girth.

For his part, Hayden always appreciated the impersonal philosophy that Stacy advocated with her choice of sexual positions. Theirs was a purely physical relationship, frequently devoid of even the smallest and simplest of intimacies such as kissing, holding hands, or embracing one another. They came together to screw each other and nothing else. There was no exclusivity between them, but their lack of emotional involvement had made them each other's favorite fornication play thing.

Frequently, their genitals were the only parts of their bodies to make contact. That was not to be the case today, however, as Stacy's hips began to aggressively push back at Hayden to establish a rhythm that would hasten her climax. He had to place his hands on Stacy's hips to support her from falling off the edge of the bed.

Knowing from past episodes with Stacy that the feeling of his orgasm while inside of her would push her over the edge to achieve her own, Hayden didn't feel the need to hold back. With one final hard thrust, he began pulsing deep inside of Stacy. Her wanton cries of ecstasy, clamping legs, and thrashing arms told him that history had repeated itself.

Leaving Stacy's panting body on his bed, Hayden scoot-walked into his bathroom to dispose of the condom and clean himself off before pulling his pants up.

When he returned to the bedroom, Stacy was lounging in a chair on the balcony, watching the sunrise over the Atlantic.

Hayden replaced his polo shirt and said, "I should be back by 10 if you want to hang around. It might be beneficial for you if you do."

"No, I open the pub today at 11, but if you want to stop by later, I'll buy you a drink and we can discuss my returning here when I get off tonight at 8."

"If you're sure that you'll get off at 8, I'll wait to eat. Come here after work and we can cook something on the grill while watching the sunset."

Stacy wrapped her arms around his waist before he could pull away and said, "Sunrise and sunset from your place on the same day. You better be careful or I might start seeing an engagement in my future."

He quickly kissed her lips again as he extricated himself from her embrace.

"Now that would just ruin a perfectly good friendship," he teased. "Save me a seat at the bar and I'll see you sometime between 4 and 5. I need to run now, and you need to get out to the beach to see the sunrise."

As he headed out of the bedroom, he watched Stacy grab the top sheet from the bed and wrap it around her body. Hayden stifled a laugh, confident that the sheet was large enough that she would need to wrap it around herself a couple of times to keep it from tripping her, and that should provide her with enough coverage on the beach to prevent her getting cited by the police. He had "dirtied the sheets" with Stacy Bloom many times, but letting her do it herself with sand from the beach was new.

Pulling onto Ocean Boulevard, Hayden laughed to himself at the number of pancake houses that he would be passing on his way to his breakfast meeting. There would be dozens of them along Ocean Boulevard, Kings Highway, and a few of the connecting streets. All would be filled with tourists from hotels and resorts dining from almost identical menus at each of the restaurants. This is why he always held his monthly meeting with the project management team at Denny's. It was one of the few places in town that served breakfast but also had a private room that could be sectioned off from the regular dining area and the tourists.

Like most locals, Hayden would normally avoid driving on Ocean Boulevard, but it was still early enough in the morning that he shouldn't have to worry about getting stuck behind a golf cart, and there were still few pedestrians crossing the street to make him stop for them too often. He was able to maintain the 25MPH speed limit from his house to 8^th Avenue North where he had to stop for one of the few traffic lights on the street.

As he waited, he saw a Myrtle Beach police cruiser turn onto the street end a couple of blocks ahead. This was a short section of one of the side streets that dead-ended after less than fifty feet, allowing access to the beach beyond, with a few metered parking spaces for cars. What drew his attention was the fact that the police car had navigated around traffic cones to pull onto the street end. That meant that the section of the roadway had been purposely blocked for some reason, and Hayden suspected that this reason was related to his company.

Hayden's attention was drawn to the blue lights in his side mirror. He watched as another police cruiser pulled to the left of his stopped truck, checked the intersection for cross traffic, and then proceed through against the red light. By the time this cruiser had reached the street end where the first police cruiser had turned in, it was joined by a third one coming from the south.

With four major divisions and more than five hundred employees, Hayden couldn't stay involved in every project that Coastline Multimedia had going at any one time, but some naturally stood out. The one that had a sign crew from his company out on a particular street end this morning was just the sort of project that Hayden would have been aware of.

A major international hotel chain had purchased an oceanfront resort and spent the last year renovating it to become part of their flagship hotel brand. With most of the interior work completed, the new signage was contracted through Coastline Multimedia, which included his company obtaining approval for the signage from the Myrtle Beach Community Appearance Board. This quasi-judicial board reviewed all requests for exterior signs throughout the city and approved or disapproved of these requests based upon guidelines that were often ambiguous and arbitrary.

When his project manager had brought the design plans for the new hotel sign before the CAB, the volunteer board members had taken issue with the style and color, ignoring the fact that these were the hotel's internationally recognized brand identifiers. The project manager attempted to explain that requesting the changes that the CAB wanted would be similar to requiring McDonald's to make the arches for their Myrtle Beach locations green instead of the golden color that was recognized around the world.

All arguments fell on deaf ears when the CAB denied the sign design. The project manager appealed the CAB decision to the Board of Zoning Appeals, which supported the CAB ruling. Coastline's attorneys were forced to take the City of Myrtle Beach into court to get both the CAB and ZAB denials overturned. This apparently hadn't sat well with supporters of these boards within the city and resulted in the necessary permits required for Coastline to perform the actual installation of the sign being delayed and finally restricted to the work being done on a weekend day.

Hayden now hoped that the police activity that he was approaching wasn't further intimidation by city powers over losing their case in court. When he reached the cross street where the police cruisers had turned in, Hayden pulled his truck into the center left-turn lane, turned on his hazard flashers, and turned off the ignition. Quickly exiting his truck, he headed across Ocean Boulevard towards his work crew next to their crane truck on the street end.

Recognizing the female officer closest to him as he approached, Hayden selected her for his inquiry, "Good morning, Becky. What's going on?"

The officer, Becky Zimmerman, turned to see who had addressed her and upon seeing Hayden smiled broadly and said, "Hey, HO. I see your guys are out causing problems for us bright and early on this fine Saturday morning."

Hayden appreciated the familiarity that he shared with many of the department's officers. He had always made it a point to demonstrate both his personal as well as his corporate support for law enforcement, with awards, special events for the families of law enforcement personnel, and several monetary donations which had contributed to the purchase of equipment and supplies that the officers would have had to either do without or pay for out of their own pockets. Most officers who recognized him showed their appreciation by referring to him by his nickname, "HO", which was derived from the initials of his first name and his middle name, Oliver.

"What is the problem this morning?" he asked her.

Becky laughed and said, "It's not your problem. Public Works barricaded the street end last night per the city manager's directions to block parking on the street end and keep the area clear for your crew this morning. A couple of entitled young women decide that the barricades didn't apply to them and drove around to park and walk the beach for sunrise. When your crew arrived and set up for the job, they couldn't locate the occupants of that vehicle over there, so they proceeded to start work. When the ladies returned to their car, they found it blocked in by the crane truck and are now insisting that we make your guys stop what they are doing to move and let them out."

Looking at the situation, Hayden saw that there were two of his men in the boom on the end of the crane, two hundred feet in the air trying to position the frame for the sign that was to be installed. He knew from experience that it likely took several attempts to position the crane truck in the best position for the installation. He also knew that all the components for the installation were already in the boom with the men and asking them to stop their work so that the crane truck could be moved would present them with several challenges now that the work had commenced.

"So, what are you going to do?" He asked.

Becky laughed again, and said, "We're going to protect your guys. We told the ladies that they had parked illegally and would now have to wait for the workers to finish their job and leave. They pitched a fit, claiming that they had to get to work. One of them tried to climb into the cab of the truck saying that she was going to move it herself. We'll stick around to keep the peace, but my partners are a thin thread of patience away from arresting both of those ladies."

Hayden stifled a laugh at Becky's comments. The officers with the MBPD were no strangers to the entitled behavior of people, especially those who felt that because they were spending a few hundred dollars to vacation in the town, they could act as if they were in Las Vegas and do whatever they wanted with impunity. While he would put the professionalism and courtesy of the MBPD up against any other law enforcement agency in the country, Hayden knew that no one wanted to push their luck too far in his hometown.

Glancing at the two women in question. His view was partially obstructed by the hood of one of the police cruisers, but the body language of the two women as they spoke animatedly with two police officers was indicative of a pending physical confrontation. Hayden knew that such an event would not bode well for these ladies.

"Do you mind if I speak with them?" Hayden asked Becky.

Becky merely nodded and began heading toward her partners who were still trying to defuse the situation. Hayden followed her, tossing a wave of greeting to the members of the sign crew standing to the side, alternately focused upon their team members in the sky and the police officers talking to the two women. When one of the officers saw Becky approaching, he held up a hand to encourage the irate woman speaking to wait. He recognized Hayden and smiled.

"Good morning, HO."

Both of the women immediately straightened their backs and screamed in unison, "Who you calling a HO, Motherfucker?!"

Before the officer could attempt to apologize and explain the meaning of his greeting, Hayden stepped before the two women and said, "Good morning, ladies. My name is Hayden Oliver Justice and I am the President of the company doing the work here. My friends call me 'HO', so rest assured that the officer's words were directed at me and not either of you."

Zimmerman shared a glance with the other two officers as they watched the jaws drop on both women when their eyes fell onto Hayden's face. No matter how objectionable some African-American women claimed to find white men, there was no mistaking the immediate effect that Hayden's tall, masculine physique, handsome appearance, and soft-spoken yet confident voice had on these women. Their entire demeanor suddenly morphed from nasty and aggressive to tame and docile, as their body language flipped over to full flirtation mode.

Hayden ignored the change and politely asked, "Is there anything that I can do to be of assistance to you ladies?"

The taller of the two women was about to ask this gorgeous hunk of a man if he would be so kind as to lift their car over the truck that was blocking them when she caught herself. As strong and virile as this blonde Adonis appeared to be, he likely couldn't actually lift their car, even if it looked like he might be capable of doing so.

Instead, she asked, "Is there anything that you can do to help us get our car past that truck?"

Turning to glance at the truck and then up at the workers in the boom, Hayden pointed and replied, "I'm afraid that once the truck gets into position, it can't easily be moved until the work up there is completed. Is there a problem with you leaving your car where it is until early this afternoon? They should be done shortly after lunch, I would expect."

The shorter woman spoke up, "Her boyfriend will kill both of us if his car gets towed..."

Glancing at Zimmerman, Hayden asked, "Is that the plan?"

"Not if it can be avoided," Becky said. "We can cite the car for illegally parking in a restricted zone, having it towed, or none of the above. As long as the occupants of the vehicle are cooperative, it saves everyone a lot of hassle and paperwork to just let them move the car once the work area is cleared."

The two women tore their eyes off Hayden long enough to look at each other. The taller one finally asked, "Will I be able to get the car out by one? I have to be to work this afternoon at two."

"Give me a minute," Hayden said before walking away to speak with the head of his crew.

"Joe," Hayden asked, "once they finish the mounting and installation, how much trouble would it be to move the rig so that the ladies could get their car out?"

Joe smiled at his boss' boss and said, "The electrical is all that would be left, and Andre and his crew are working that inside the building right now. We could move the truck out of the way and then reposition it so that they could finish the final connections easily enough."

"How long?"

Looking up to check the progress of the crew in the boom, Joe said, "Probably another forty-five minutes by the looks of things."

Hayden shook Joe's hand and said, "Thanks. Get the ladies out as soon as it works for you."

Returning to address the women and the police officers, Hayden explained, "I know that it's inconvenient for you, but if you can hang here for about forty-five minutes, my crew will be at a point where they will be able to move the truck to let you get your car out."

Becky Zimmerman added, "If you ladies would like to spend the time grabbing some coffee or breakfast, I can assure you that your vehicle will not be disturbed by the police while you are gone. Just be certain to lock the doors on it before you go anywhere."

Wanting to walk back to his truck with Zimmerman, Hayden quickly addressed the two women, "Ladies, I apologize again for the inconvenience. It was a pleasure meeting you, and have a good rest of your day."

"I wish we could bottle that charm of yours," Becky said once they were out of earshot. "Let me ask you, HO, have you ever failed to talk a woman into your bed?"

Hayden laughed. A lot of people would be disappointed to know that his reputation as a satyr was nowhere near the reality of his life. Except for Stacy Bloom and one other occasional 'friend with benefits", his love life was as barren as the Mojave Desert. He decided to tweak Becky's tail though.

"You are my only failure, Officer Zimmerman, and I intend to rectify that someday."

Becky couldn't help blushing, and that pissed her off. Even though she and her wife, Jade, had discussed their shared fantasy of bringing Hayden Justice into their bed at some point, she certainly didn't want him to perceive any attraction to him from her. On the flip side, she didn't want to shut him down entirely. Jade would have a fit if she did that.

"Keep dreaming, HO," she told him. She knew that she would herself.

Chapter Three

"But it's boring at Grandma and Grandpa's house," Alex complained.

Minerva ruffled his short blond hair, returned to packing her rolling suitcase, and said, "I know it is. That's why Grandma agreed to come over here to stay with you rather than you having to stay at their house. It's nice of her to agree to that, so I expect you to be a good host for her. Can you do that?"

The most challenging part of Minerva maintaining two separate law offices was the need for her to share time between them. The Myrtle Beach office was still relatively new, but the client list there was growing each month, primarily through corporate clients keeping her on retainer to deal with legal issues involving their employees as they arose. Lana Street had been able to handle the majority of the matters with minimal oversight of her work, but there were certain aspects of building and maintaining a client base that required the boss' personal attention.

One such event was the employment law symposium being held next week at Horry-Georgetown Technical College where Minerva had been invited to participate on a panel to discuss sexual harassment in the workplace. Lana didn't think that they would get any new corporate clients from Minerva participating, but she felt that it would help get her name out to employees who might need an attorney to represent them against their employer.

The symposium wasn't scheduled to start until Monday, and Minerva wasn't up until the afternoon session. She could have waited another day to make the trip, but she wanted to spend some time with Lana reviewing clients and pending cases, so she decided to drive to Myrtle Beach on Saturday. That would allow her and Lana to spend a few hours on Sunday alone in the office. Her mom had been more than happy to stay with Alex in his own home and give her husband some alone time for his woodworking hobbies.

For his part, her nephew Alex was used to spending time with his grandparents. Although his Aunt Minerva was his guardian, he had been raised almost equally by her and his grandparents since his birth. It wasn't like he had three parents though, because it had always been Minerva who had set the rules, with his grandparents deferring to her decisions on everything related to his upbringing. Alex couldn't complain though. Minerva was as much a single mom to him as his own mom would have been, had she lived.

"When will you be back," Alex asked his aunt when she latched her suitcase closed.

"Unless something unexpected comes up, I should be back Thursday in time for us to have dinner together to celebrate your birthday, so start thinking about where you might want to go. You and I haven't had a decent dinner date in weeks."

As Alex contemplated his aunt's words, she thought to herself, "Hell, I haven't had a decent date since college."

"Jack-in-Box?" Her nephew teased.

"Go jump in the car," Minerva said with a chuckle. "I have time to take you there for lunch before heading to Myrtle Beach. But that means that I get to pick the spot for our date night next Thursday."

He didn't bother to argue. He knew that in all likelihood, they would be having pizza delivered on Thursday night, and he was fine with that. His Aunt Minnie worked hard and frequently long hours to ensure that she was always able to make time for him when he needed her or to attend one of his games.

From the time that he was old enough to understand the overheard conversations between his grandparents and his Aunt Minerva, Alexander Hart had been aware of the sacrifices that his aunt continued to make, trying to be both a mother and a father to him since his birth, and he would never question her love and devotion to him. He knew that his mother had died within hours of giving him birth, and without Minerva and his grandparents stepping up, he would have been placed in an orphanage and without any family at all.

Alexander wasn't dumb, deaf, or blind, so even though he didn't have any use for girls in his life right then, he understood that people came in two genders, and adults normally paired up with someone of the opposite gender, like his grandparents had, and his mom must have at one point or he wouldn't have been born. His Aunt Minnie had told him that he was all the boyfriend that she needed in her life, but Alex suspected that she secretly wished for a partner of her own.

He had witnessed lots of guys talking to his aunt at parties and other events where adults were together, and he knew that she was prettier than just about any woman that he had ever seen. And, while Aunt Minnie was always receptive to spending time with men in these social situations, she had never gone out with a man as far as he knew. It had always been just her and him.

Alex would remain protective of his aunt, but he vowed not to be a hindrance to her finding love.

~~~

"You have got to be the only male of the human species with gonads big enough to sit at the bar in an Irish pub drinking nothing but pink lemonade."

Hayden turned to face the laughing voice and smiling face of the pub's owner, Jimmy. He shook his hand and replied, "Hell, there's probably just as much alcohol in this lemonade as there is in your watered-down drinks."

Jimmy grabbed his chest in mock distress and said, "HO, you cut me to the quick! Insulting my drinks is worse than insulting my children."

'Fair enough, Jimmy," Hayden laughed. "From now on, I'll stick to insulting your food. Oh, and your hired help too. They're always fair game."

Stacy interrupted the pour of a Guinness that she had been working on to throw a bar towel at Hayden's face. He ducked and the wet towel splatted against her boss' left arm. Jimmy started twisting the towel while quickly walking around the bar to the opening. His intention of using the wet towel to snap it at Stacy was evident in his eyes and the mischievous grin on his face. Before he could reach the opening to the back of the bar, he was intercepted by another woman. Jimmy pulled up short and let the towel fall to his side.

His wife, Theresa didn't say a word but simply held out her hand for the towel. Jimmy meekly handed it to her before retreating into the kitchen. Theresa walked around to where Hayden was sitting, draped the towel around the back of his neck, and used it to pull his face to hers for a quick friendly kiss on the lips.

"Quit causing problems, HO," she teased. "Otherwise, I'll have to start charging you full price for your free drinks."

Throwing his hands up, Hayden said, "Hey, I was just sitting here minding my own business when that husband of yours accosted me. Right, Stacy?"

"I saw the whole thing," Stacy confirmed. "It was all HO's fault. He started it all."

"Stacy's drunk behind the bar again, Theresa," Hayden countered. "Smell her breath and you'll detect the tell-tale scent of Jameson's finest."

Theresa laughed and said, "More likely I'll detect the tell-tale signs of HO's finest. Are you planning to eat something or just pilfer free drinks off me all night?"

"That depends," Hayden said. "Are you going to keep your promise and bring back Taco Tuesday?"

"I told you that we would bring back Taco Tuesday after Cinco de Mayo," Theresa teasingly chastised. "That's still a month away, so find something else on the menu to eat until then."

"Not while Jimmy's in the kitchen," Hayden rebuked. "He'll probably spit on whatever I order. Then again, that might be the most flavorful ingredient in anything I order here."

Theresa laughed and said, "Pog Mo Thoin, you bastard. Besides, Jimmy doesn't spit, he drools." Raising her voice to be heard over the noise in the pub, she yelled, "Order up everyone! The next round is on HO."

She then signaled for Stacy and asked, "Do you still have HO's credit card or do I need to pry it from his cold, dead hands?"

Before Stacy could answer, a woman at the bar whose presence had been missed by Hayden because she was being blocked from his view by two large men standing between them leaned around and addressed Hayden, "Did I hear them call you, HO? Are you as promiscuous as your name would imply?"

Theresa quickly stepped back as she saw all the color drain from Hayden's face, his jaw tighten, and every muscle in his body tense as he took in the strange woman for the first time. He stood and studied her for a few more seconds before tossing a twenty onto the bar.

Walking around the men to stand in front of the woman and face her directly, Hayden lowered his voice and whispered to her, "Since you wrote the book on promiscuity, you tell me."

Without waiting for a reply from the shocked and surprised woman, Hayden stormed out of the pub. The music in the pub continued to play, but all conversation had paused. Theresa, Stacy, and all of the patrons were staring at the strange woman with curious but contemptuous expressions on their faces.

The woman sitting next to the stranger asked, "Do you know that guy?"

Minerva Hart glanced around at all of the faces staring at her before answering Lana Street, "I've never seen the guy before in my life. I'm sorry if I upset him, but with the way that he was joking around with everyone else, I thought that he would have a sense of humor..."

Theresa had overheard Minerva's comment and said, "HO is the most even-tempered, light-hearted, and self-effacing guy that you'll ever meet. He gets teased about his nickname all the time, but I've never seen him react like he did with you. You may not know him, but I got a distinct impression that he knew exactly who you are. Who are you, by the way?"

Lana Street answered for the pair, "Theresa Byrne, this is my boss, Minnie Hart. Minnie, this is one of the owners of the pub, Theresa Byrne."

Eyeing the woman, Theresa had to admit that she was easily one of the most beautiful women that she had ever seen, which made her even more intrigued by HO's reaction to her. Hayden Justice was a gentleman through and through, especially where a pretty woman was concerned. What was it about this Minnie Hart that had set him off?

"You're not from around here, are you, Miss Hart?" Theresa observed.

"No, I live in Greenville. Lana runs my office here in Myrtle Beach so I only get down here once a month or so, depending on court schedules. Why do you ask?"

Theresa smirked and said, "Because you claim not to know HO. Even if you tried to hide, a pretty woman such as you who lived around here would have crossed paths with him by now. Someone would have arranged it. You're both too beautiful for someone not to have tried to get you two together."

"I doubt that," Minerva said with her own smirk. "I'm not interested in a relationship or even dating right now, especially with some hot head who can't take a little teasing."

Stacy surreptitiously listened to the exchange and breathed a sigh of relief when the beautiful woman that HO had blown up at expressed no interest in him. It's not that she wanted a relationship with HO that was more involved than what they currently shared, but he was her favorite booty call, and she didn't want that screwed with.

"I'm sure not as picky as you," Lana said with a giggle.

"What does that mean?" Minerva asked in an irritated tone.

Lana finished her margarita and signaled for a refill before answering, "It means that I might not be looking for a relationship right now either, but I wouldn't turn down the opportunity to sample some of that HO guy. Come on, you were interested in him enough to try starting a conversation with him. You can't say that he didn't do something for you."

Minerva waved her hand dismissively and said, "I was interested in the banter taking place. It seemed playful and I wanted to try getting involved. That's all."

While she was saying the words, Minerva was simultaneously reviewing the interaction and her thoughts just before it. Recalling the atmosphere in the pub from the time that she and Lana had arrived until she had spoken to the strange man, Minerva tried to determine what had motivated her to speak up.

She considered the two large men that were still standing beside her. While they had certainly been enjoying themselves, Minerva now realized that their behavior had seemed almost tentative; measured, as if they were afraid of offending someone. Glancing around the pub, she realized now that this behavior had not been exclusive to the two men, and the atmosphere in the room had subtly changed since the man had left.

In the few minutes since the man's departure things had become more raucous, with the language people used becoming more colorful and voices much louder. The air of reverence that had surrounded the man and which had apparently influenced the behavior of all the pub patrons was gone. This was evident even with the woman behind the bar. Where before she had been extremely precise in her performance fixing drinks and handling customers, she now exhibited a more careless attitude to her work and was more reserved in her interactions with the customers.

Even when the man was in her face glaring at her, Minerva hadn't felt threatened, and she didn't sense that the behavior of others in the pub had been tempered out of fear of the man. Upon reflection, her thought of "reverence" towards the man came to mind once more. It had been as if the man had, through reputation, previous actions, or simply by his presence, garnered a degree of respect and admiration that motivated people to want to be their best when around him. Who was this guy?

Then Minerva wondered, "Had that been her motivation to speak to him"? Had she subconsciously wanted him to notice her; to honor her with his acknowledgment somehow; to deem her worthy to be in his presence? Well, if so, he had certainly acknowledged her presence, and in doing so, had found her so unworthy that he left the pub rather than remain there with her. This reality suddenly made Minerva aware of something she had missed. She was now being viewed by everyone else in the pub as a pariah for chasing away their 'chosen one' or whatever this guy was to them.

Lightly touching Lana's arm to get her attention, Minerva whispered, "Let's get out of here while we can."

Chapter Four

"I'm sorry, Hayden, but a woman is calling in on the main switchboard downstairs insisting to speak with you on what she says is a personal matter. She won't give her name and refuses to leave a number. Lyssa has hung up on her twice, but she keeps calling back."

Hayden glanced up from his computer screen and saw the agitated face of his personal assistant, Sierra Lawton. He knew that her agitation was with her being forced to interrupt him by circumstances beyond her control. Sierra took pride in being a tenacious gatekeeper for Hayden's work schedule and would not take kindly to someone trying to get past her.

He smiled and said, "That's okay, Sierra, it's almost time for me to break for lunch anyway. Tell Lyssa to put the woman through to me and I'll find out what this is all about."

"Are you sure?" Sierra asked dubiously. While Hayden had seemed distracted several times over the past few days, it wasn't like him to put even the most minor work detail aside to deal with an unknown such as the woman on the phone.

"I'm sure," Hayden assured her. "In fact, while I'm dealing with her, check with Emily to see if she has had lunch yet, and if not, ask her to join me.

Sierra studied her boss for a few more seconds before simply nodding and heading back to her desk.

Thirty seconds later, Hayden answered his ringing desk phone, "This is Hayden Justice..."

A confident, professional female voice replied, "Mr. Justice, I apologize for interrupting you, and more so for not introducing myself. The reason for both will be explained if you can spare me five minutes of your time today."

"What is this regarding?" Hayden asked, trying to not sound bored as he leaned back in his chair.

"It's regarding a young woman named Athena Hart. Do you recognize that name?"

Hayden sat upright. "What in the hell is going on?" he thought. First, he sees Athena in the Ole Irish pub on Saturday for the first time in almost eleven years, and now some mystery woman is calling him about her. He didn't need this aggravation in his life, but he also wanted to know why she was suddenly reappearing after making it clear in their last communication that she wanted him entirely out of her life.

He resigned himself to listening to the woman and said, "Go on."

"So, you do recognize her name? You are the HO Justice that she was involved with when she was in college?"

Hayden sighed and answered, "Yes, I knew Athena. What is this about and why are you calling me? I hadn't seen or spoken with Athena for almost eleven years until last Saturday"

He heard a gasp, followed by several seconds of silence before the woman said, "Mr. Justice, I don't know what sort of joke you're playing at, but I find it in very poor taste."

"I really don't care how you find it," Hayden said, a bit too snippy. "Athena said that she wanted nothing to do with me all those years ago, so why is she now suddenly showing up here in Myrtle Beach and then having you call me on her behalf?"

The woman's voice was more conciliatory when she replied, "Mr. Justice, I don't know whom you saw on Saturday, but unless you are being haunted by her ghost, I can assure you that it wasn't Athena Hart."

All that Hyden could think of saying in response was, "Her ghost?"

"Yes, Mr. Justice, her ghost. Athena Hart has been deceased for almost ten years. I can provide you with the number for her grave marker at the Souls Harbour Memorial Park in Fountain Inn since I visit it regularly."

Hayden was struggling with what the woman was telling him versus what his eyes had told him on Saturday. Unless Athena Hart had a doppelgänger, she had definitely been seated at the bar in the Ole Irish pub last Saturday. He needed more information.

"Okay, suppose I believe you about Athena being dead, what has that got to do with me? I can assure you that I had nothing to do with her death."

"I'm afraid that isn't entirely true, Mr. Justice, and your relationship with Athena is why I have been searching for you all the years since her death."

"Searching for me?" He asked. "You make it sound like I was in hiding or something..."

The woman replied, "I didn't mean to imply that you were hiding or doing anything to avoid being identified. I have been trying to find you based solely on patient notes I took while treating Athena. It wasn't until I read the recent news article about Coastline Multimedia's upcoming event at the Darlington Speedway that I was finally able to put a name to the person that I was searching for. You see, the reason that I need to hide my identity from you is that what I have to tell you could be considered a violation of my ethical responsibility to a client, in this case, Athena Hart..."

"Athena was your client?" Hayden asked. "In what capacity?"

"I was her doctor," the woman answered. "Her psychiatrist to be exact. I had been treating Athena from the time that she was seven years old..."

"Psychiatrist? I never knew that Athena was seeing a psychiatrist. Why was she seeing you."

"Mr. Justice, it would be best if you let me finish explaining the purpose for my call."

Sighing once again, Hayden said, "Whatever."

The woman ignored the tone of the comment and continued, "Now that I know who you are and where you're located, I am going to overnight my client notes from the sessions that Athena and I had in the months before her death. You will see some redaction of details that I cannot divulge, but these won't have any bearing on the overall picture that I hope you will be able to envision by reading them. As I said, I could lose my license for sharing these notes with you, but I believe with all my heart that Athena intended to share it all with you, but her untimely death prevented her from doing so."

"So, these notes will tell me what, exactly?" Hayden asked.

"Hopefully, they will tell you what was really in Athena's heart, if not always lucid in her mind. Hopefully, they will bring you some closure and some peace with what the two of you shared."

Hayden snorted and said, "I doubt that."

Again, ignoring the comment, the woman said, "You should receive the package with the notes tomorrow at your office. I will call you back on Friday afternoon so that we can discuss what they contain and I will answer any questions that you might have..."

"Hold on," Hayden interrupted. "Can you send the package to my house instead of the office? Also, let me give you my personal cell phone number. I will work from home on Friday, so that will allow you to get through when I'm not in the office."

The woman noted the information that Hayden provided and repeated it back to verify that she had it correct. "We'll speak again on Friday..."

Before she could disconnect, Hayden asked, "Wait. Can you tell me how Athena died?"

Hayden thought he caught a hitch in her voice as she replied, "She died in childbirth, Mr. Justice."

Hayden sat with the telephone receiver against his ear for several minutes after the woman had disconnected. His head was full of questions that he didn't want to contemplate. He wanted to believe that Athena was alive, had been in the Ole Irish pub last Saturday, and some mystery woman was gaslighting him for some unknown reason. Unfortunately, he was not the type of person to dismiss the possibility that what the woman had said was true.

He set the receiver back on the desk phone and picked up his cell phone. He located the contact that he wanted and dialed the number. It was answered immediately, "What can I do for you, HO?"

"Tasha, have you got something to write with?" Hayden asked.

"Sure. What's up?"

Hayden checked the time, "A woman named Athena Hart." Hayden spelled the last name for her. "Check for any records of her death approximately ten years ago. Start in Greenville County and move out from there. Get me as many details as you can by end of business today. Also, if you find records of that, try to find any records of her having a baby right before she died. Depending upon what you learn today, I'll want a more thorough report on her but start with finding out for me if she is alive or dead. Can you do that?"

"The first part may already be done," Tasha said. "According to an obituary search for Greenville County, an Athena Eleonor Hart, age 21, passed away on April 14^th, 2014. Is that the woman?"

"Does it mention how she died?"

"No, but I can e-mail you a link if you want to read more. Do you think that this is the woman?"

Hayden paused before answering, "Let's assume for now that it is. How long would it take for you to get me a complete dossier compiled on her? I want to know everything about her, from her birth to her death."

Tasha sighed and said, "Back up a minute here. If what you want is simply a data dump for all online information on this woman, that should only take a day or two. If you want a complete dossier, that will involve in-person interviews with people who knew her; family, co-workers, classmates, teachers, etc. Our process is typically more thorough than an FBI background check, and it can take weeks to complete."

"No," Hayden said, "You're right. Let's stick with an online investigation for now."

Hayden didn't want his curiosity to run wild. It was tempting to use Tasha Grey's investigative skills to place the entire life of Athena Hart at his fingertips, possibly revealing aspects of her that she had kept secret from him in the three years that he had believed them to be in love with each other. However, he couldn't dismiss the possibility that seeing her, or someone that resembled her, on Saturday, and the call today from the mystery woman, were all a game of some sort.

The smart thing to do was to try and verify some basic facts that would be hard for someone to alter. An online obituary wasn't something that by itself could be taken as proof of Athena's death. Tasha would be able to access official government records, credit reports, and other data sources that she could then compare for validation of each.

Hayden could live with that degree of proof for the time being. Maybe it would answer additional questions that had plagued him since Athena had dropped her bombshell on their relationship. If not, he could always pursue those inquiries separately.

The image of the woman from the pub suddenly entered his thoughts. How could two women on this planet possess the beauty capable of turning his world on its end every time he was in its presence? A beauty that had always seemed too perfect for this world. A beauty that radiated from her core essence and manifested itself for mankind in her breathtaking external appearance; her tall, athletic, and perfectly proportional figure, her naturally symmetric facial features, and her long auburn hair.

There was so much that Hayden was uncertain of right then, and he was not inherently a patient man. The next few days were going to be a challenge for him.

~~~

"What can you tell me about Coastline Multimedia?" Minerva asked.

Lana Street kicked her shoes off, set her glass of wine on the counter, and asked, "In what context? They are one of the largest employers in the area for non-seasonal work. Are you looking at them as a potential client?"

Minerva sipped her own glass of wine while gazing out at the ocean through the sliding glass door. She enjoyed being able to stay in the oceanfront condo that her parents had purchased years ago for family vacations at the beach. It was so much more convenient and homier than having to stay at a hotel or renting someone else's condo. She also supposed that since the condo mortgage was paid off, and she had insisted on taking over the monthly maintenance fees for the unit, she was as much an owner of it as her parents, even if her name wasn't yet on the deed.

She turned back to face Lana, "No. I met a young woman, well actually two young women after the session today who both claim to have potential actions against the company. One is a former intern and the other is a current employee."

Minerva didn't mention that her interest in Coastline Multimedia could run much deeper than the claims of the two women. Her sister had interned at Coastline Multimedia for three summers while in college. Minerva had always expected that this was the reference for "Coastline" in the deathbed statement by Athena, but she had never had any definitive proof of that. Maybe these women would provide a mechanism for her to get that proof.

Lana picked up her wine glass again, looking pensive. She said, "I don't know a lot about Coastline other than they have their hands in a lot of different business segments in this area. You've probably seen the corporate name on the bottom of eighty percent of the billboards around here. They also do some or all of the marketing for most of the hotels and resorts along the Grand Strand, as well as many other businesses. They have a virtual monopoly on the commercial sign business, and own the largest television station here. What are these ladies alleging?"

Minerva hadn't realized that Coastline Multimedia was as large as Lana was describing. Athena had been a marketing major at Clemson, so it was just assumed that the company that she interned for over the summer months would be a player in that field, which it appears that Coastline Multimedia was.

Minerva's guilt over the distance that had grown between herself and her sister once Athena had started college began to resurface. Being two years younger than Athena, Minerva was just a junior in high school when her sister had moved into, first the dorms at Clemson, and later her own apartment. Being too focused on her popularity and social events during her junior and senior years of high school left Minerva with little time for, and even less interest in, what was going on in anyone else's life.

When Athena would come home for holidays, such as Thanksgiving or Christmas, the two sisters barely spoke. There wasn't any animosity between them, just two young women with separate lives who had grown recently accustomed to not sharing details of those lives with each other. The distance between them had grown even more pronounced once Minerva had begun her own college experience at the University of South Carolina in Columbia. It was never anything planned by either of them, and neither complained about things between them at the time. The sisters had felt that there would always be time for them to catch up, reconnect, and likely grow even closer once they had their college years behind them. Neither of them expected that time to never come, but it was only Minerva who had to live with the guilt.

"The intern," Minerva began, "claims that she was touched inappropriately by the President of Coastline Multimedia. She states that she has witnesses to the event, including the second woman, who is claiming that she has faced both sex and race discrimination during her tenure there, and the President of the company is also cited by her as being complicit in the discrimination."

Lana nodded and asked, "Do you want me to check with the state employment office to see if other complaints have been filed against the company?"

"Yes, try to get on that tomorrow morning," Minerva said. "If I leave first thing in the morning, I can be in the Greenville office before lunch. I asked both women to keep tomorrow afternoon open for us to question them and get their complete statements documented. We can do that via a Zoom call. I'll text you their contact details so that you can get the meetings scheduled with each. Try to leave at least a half hour between each so that they don't have a chance of encountering the other coming or going from the office."

"Got it," Lana said. "We want to avoid any allegations that the two colluded in their statements."

"Correct. I will have TJ start researching the organizational hierarchy at Coastline through corporate filings and the like. I did a quick check of their website and the recruiting material on it. They mention equal opportunity and all the standard anti-discrimination policy mumbo-jumbo, but I couldn't find any of their actual policies posted..."

"That's not uncommon," Lana observed. "It's probably on their corporate intranet and accessible only to employees."

"That's what I was thinking. It shouldn't be difficult to get copies if I decide that we might have a need after meeting with the women." Minerva snapped her fingers, "Oh, and work your local contacts to learn who handles Coastline's corporate legal counsel. That will tell us whether they would likely use them or get referred to another firm more familiar with employment law."

Finishing her glass of wine, Lana asked, "Do you want to grab something to eat? You didn't get a chance to try the Shepherd's pie at the pub when we were there..."

"God, I would go anywhere but back to that place," Minerva groaned. "I still don't know who that guy was, but the looks that I was getting after he left in such a huff are seared into my brain. I don't want to experience that again if I can help it."

Lana nodded in understanding. She had been planning to return to the pub to try and find out who the guy was, but with Minerva in town for the symposium, she hadn't had her time free. She could understand her boss being reluctant to face the crowd at the pub so soon after what had happened, and avoiding the possibility that she might find the same guy there again would certainly be foremost on Minnie's mind, but Lana was still curious.

"Don't you wonder at all about why the guy reacted to you the way that he did?" she asked Minerva.

Minerva didn't want to acknowledge that why the guy had reacted the way that he did was way down the list of things about him that she had been wondering about for the past four days. Foremost among her questions remained why the simple presence of the stranger had enticed her to seek his attention in the first place.

She was an alpha female and had naturally attracted alpha males all of her life. Those that weren't intimidated by her were usually alphas only to the inferior "pack" of followers that they attracted. The guy in the pub had everyone there courting his favor, and she was certain, willing to follow him anywhere. Why?

She had no problem acknowledging that the guy was physically attractive. A person would have to be blind not to realize that, but that attribute could be applied to millions of men. Studies had shown that physical appearances alone would not attract followers. From wolves to humans, research had shown that although the way that an animal looked would draw the attention of others, the behavior and character of an animal is what gained it the acceptance of others as a leader.

Here, Minerva was at an apparent disadvantage. Other patrons in the pub likely knew the guy or were at least familiar with things about him, as told to them by others. She hadn't had any prior knowledge or exposure to the stranger, so what was it that drew her to him? And, she had definitely been drawn to him. "Crap," she silently admitted to herself, she was still drawn to him, or why else would he still be occupying her thoughts so completely.

Changing the subject, Minerva said, "If you promise to take any leftovers home with you, I'll treat you to a hearty Italian dinner at Maggi D's."

Lana smiled and said, "I'd be happy to, but you're driving back. If you put any leftovers in the freezer here, they would be fine until you reached Greenville."

Grabbing her purse, Minerva said, "Nope. As soon as the food started thawing, I would smell it. The last thing I need is to try to eat cold pasta while driving."

"Okay," Lana conceded, "But let's take separate cars. That way I can just head home and not have to come back here."

Chapter Five

"The usual?"

Hayden settled onto his stool and smiled at the woman behind the bar. He said, "To drink, yes. Give me a few minutes to decide on the food."

Candice smirked and turned to get Hayden his standard scotch and soda. He might imply a willingness to try something else, but she would bet her day's wages that he would be ordering the same thing to eat that he always had; spaghetti Bolognese with one sausage sliced into it.

Sliding his drink onto the bar in front of him, she recited the specials of the day to him, regardless of how useless she knew it to be.

Hayden listened politely until she was finished, and said, "I'll decide while munching on some of your bread. Where's what's his name?"

Getting the attention of another waitress, Candice asked, "Joy, can you bring out some hot bread for HO when you get a chance?" Addressing Hayden's question, she said, "He's around somewhere. Probably sleeping in the office again..."

"I never sleep, and you know it," came the grouchy response from John Magliato, the owner of Maggi D's Italian restaurant. "Is Candy taking care of you, HO?"

"Better than my own mother," Hayden teased. "It's pretty busy here for a Wednesday night, isn't it?"

Hayden had noticed upon arriving that there was a waiting list for a table and only three open stools at the bar. He always ate at the bar when dining by himself, so the wait wasn't an issue for him. The food and drinks were just as good wherever he sat in this restaurant.

"There's always a place for you, my friend," John replied warmly before hollering at one of the waitresses to come and get her drink order from the bar.

Although he could have found something in his own kitchen to eat, or even walked to one of the dozens of places within blocks of his house to grab dinner, Hayden had wanted the familiarity and friendly atmosphere that he always found at Maggi D's. They always made him feel like family, usually without the joking insults that he experienced at his other frequent haunts, such as the Ole Irish pub. Here he could get a nice, quiet, and delicious meal without constantly having to come up with a snappy retort to someone's inane comments.

The staff knew him, but not as many of the regular customers did. Maggi D's attracted an older, more "civilized" crowd than places like the Ole Irish pub, but there were enough customers who knew Hayden that he was frequently greeted by someone coming or going and the occasional wave from a party dining at one of the tables. Of course, John made it a point to hang around behind the bar to greet customers and keep an eye on his operations. This allowed him to keep a semi-consistent conversation going between himself and Hayden.

It was during the lull in one of these conversations that Hayden's attention was drawn to the mirror hanging behind the bar. He could watch people entering and exiting the restaurant, but he seldom paid attention to them. However, his eyes were immediately drawn to the woman who had just entered. He watched as she spoke to the hostess and then pointed to one of the empty stools remaining at the bar. Hayden diverted his eyes from the mirror and focused instead on buttering a piece of the hot bread that had just arrived in front of him.

"Is this seat taken?"

Hayden was hoping that the question was targeted at Candice or John behind the bar, but when neither of them responded, he simply shrugged his shoulders. He sensed the woman taking the seat beside him and then felt the air around him seem to charge with electricity when he saw her eyes studying him in the mirror.

A barely audible "Oh, fuck!" escaped her lips before she could restrain herself.

Minerva thought that she had the image of the man's retreating form etched into her memory, so how could she not have recognized him from behind as she approached the bar? Resigned to the inevitable, Minerva hung her purse on the hook under the bar and faced straight ahead, trying to ignore the masculine presence that her whole body suddenly felt invading her space.

"I think that I owe you an apology," Hayden softly said.

Hayden was now all but certain from the information provided by the mystery woman, and verified by Tasha Grey's preliminary report, that the woman he had seen on Saturday; the one now sitting beside him, was not Athena Hart.

Minerva fought hard not to laugh or smile. She used the experience honed from all of her courtroom experience to keep a neutral tone to her voice when she replied, "A woman would be a fool not to question the sincerity of an apology that a man merely 'thinks' is owed her."

She only let the man squirm for a few seconds before saying, "However, it is I that should be apologizing to you. I am sorry if my comment the other day offended you. Even though it was not my intention to do so, I take full responsibility for how it affected you."

Hayden snorted and said, "I wish it was only your words. No, when I saw you in the pub, I was reminded of someone from my past, and I reacted to that perceived recognition in error. I am truly sorry."

Minerva gazed at the man's face in the mirror. She remembered the depth of sadness that she had heard and felt in his words last Saturday, and silently gave thanks to God that she wasn't whomever this man had thought she was. She had enough guilt in her life related to the distance that she had let grow between her and Athena. She didn't think her soul could bear the degree of guilt that she would feel if she ever hurt a person as much as some other woman had this man.

Swiveling her stool to look directly at the man, Minerva extended her hand and said, "Hi, my name is Minnie."

Like a square peg falling perfectly into the hole matching its shape, long-forgotten memories began snugly falling into their rightful place in Hayden's mind. He turned to face the woman and asked, "Minnie? As in Minerva Hart?"

Minerva's jaw dropped just as Candice asked her what she would like to drink. Recovering quickly, Minerva requested a glass of Merlot. When Candice stepped away to fulfill the request, Minerva turned back to Hayden and asked, "Do I know you?"

With a look of lament, Hayden shook his head and said, "No, but I know of you. I used to know your sister."

"You knew Athena? How? Did you go to Clemson with her?"

Candice was busy with another drink request, so Hayden signaled John for another drink. While waiting, he considered what to share with Athena's sister.

He finally said, "I work at Coastline Multimedia. Your sister interned there during the summer years ago. She used to regale a lot of her coworkers with tales from mythology, including how her parents had named her and her sister after the same goddess, one from Greek mythology and the other from Roman mythology. You look a lot like Athena, so when you said that your name was 'Minnie', it rang a bell with me. I assumed that it was short for 'Minerva'"

"Wait!" Minerva thought. "If he was upset on Saturday because I reminded him of someone else, and now he says that I look a lot like Athena, does that mean that she is the one who hurt him? No, that couldn't be the case if the man's statement at the pub about the woman's promiscuity factored into his pain. Athena had confessed right before the birth of Alexander that she had only had sex with one man, the father of her child."

She needed to know more, "Athena was always impressed with the mythology that our parents love. When was the last time that you spoke with my sister?"

Hayden stiffened at the memory of his last conversation with Athena Hart. The one where she informed him that she was pregnant with another man's child and thought it would be best if they never saw each other again. He didn't feel right sharing that particular conversation with this woman that he didn't know, even if she was Athena's sister.

He nodded thanks to John when he placed the new drink in front of him and then answered the question she had posed, "Oh, years ago. Athena was getting ready to start her final year at Clemson if I remember correctly."

Hayden watched Minerva assume a stoic posture before saying, "That must have been shortly before she died."

"I wouldn't really know," Hayden softly said. "I didn't even know that Athena had passed away until very recently. I'm sorry for your loss. Athena was a very special person, and I'm sure she is missed by you, your family, and everyone who knew her."

"That she is," Minerva replied.

Wanting to move away from the depressing discussion of her sister's passing, "Do you mind if I ask you something?"

"I suppose..."

Minerva considered how to phrase her question, "I don't want to offend you again, but can you share how you got the nickname, 'HO'?"

Hayden chuckled and said, "I'm not offended, and the nickname is based on a very innocent circumstance..."

"What is that?" she asked.

Hayden explained, "When I went out for the football team in high school my freshman year, there was already another player on the team with my same last name. Since they don't want to confuse other players and fans by having two players with the same name on the back of their jerseys, a team will typically add the first initial for players with the same last name. In our case, the problem was that he and I both had first names that begin with the letter 'H'. This prompted the coach to then include our middle initial, which in my case was an 'O', and in his case, an 'I'."

Minerva had sewn the letters onto more than one of Alex's sports jerseys, so she understood the circumstances being described. She chuckled and said, "So your team had a 'HI' and a 'HO'. I bet the cheerleaders loved that."

"Did they ever," Hayden laughed. "He was a running back and I was the quarterback, so one or both of us was involved in almost every offensive play. The 'HI/HO' combo as we were called made a good match. We help our high school win the state championship four years in a row. Henri went on to play for Army. He was killed in Afghanistan six months after graduating from West Point."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Minerva said. "What about you, did you play college ball too?"

"No, I chose to work summers at Coastline while attending Coastal Carolina University. That prevented me from participating in the practice sessions over the summer that would have been necessary to make the team."

"How long have you worked at Coastline?" Minerva asked. She wanted to gauge whether this guy might be someone she could use for information on the company if the potential cases moved forward.

Hayden didn't hesitate to answer, "I started working there as a laborer while in high school. I guess that I have done just about every type of job there is to do at Coastline."

"You must really like working there," Minerva said.

"I wouldn't want to work anywhere else," Hayden assured her. "What type of work do you do?"

Hearing her cell phone ringing in her purse, Minerva quickly retrieved it. Recognizing Lana's number, she held up one finger to Hayden before answering the call.

The conversation was over in seconds. Minerva explained as she returned the cell phone to her purse, "My associate was supposed to meet me here for dinner, but got a call from her mother on the way over. She's begging off to go take care of something important, so do you mind if I eat here next to you?"

Hayden shrugged, "I usually eat at the bar myself."

He motioned for Candice but John came over instead, "HO, why aren't you sharing your bread with the lovely lady? You were raised better than that."

Turning to Minerva, Hayden said, "There's John being cheap again. Rather than bringing you your own bread, which you are entitled to, he's trying to get me to share mine with you. Watch closely, he'll soon have us served a single glass of water with two straws."

"Listen, wise guy," John retorted, "There's a reason that I have Cori's number on speed dial."

"Who's Cori?" Minerva asked with a grin.

Hayden flipped John the bird and explained to Minerva, "She's my mother. John knows that I have her wrapped around my little finger, but he tries to threaten me with telling on me every chance he gets."

"Ha!" John said. "Wrapped around your little finger my ass. I've seen her take you over her knee too many times for me to fall for that bullshit."

"All right, all right," Hayden exclaimed, "Just let us order our meals and eat here in peace for once."

John turned his attention to Minerva and asked, "What can I get for you?"

Minerva grinned broadly and asked, "Other than a momma's boy as a dining companion, you mean?"

"Say the word and I'll give him the boot," John assured her. "A pretty lady like you could do far better than this lout."

"I'm seeing another one-star review in your future," Hayden growled. "Great food but abusive service."

Pausing her laughter long enough to speak, Minerva told John, "I'd like the eggplant rollatini appetizer, please."

"An excellent choice," John said. He then shot a look at Hayden and said, "You just shut up. You'll eat what I serve you or go hungry tonight."

Minerva didn't fully understand why HO had suddenly started laughing at John's retreating figure, but she accepted it as the same type of friendly banter that she had seen at the Ole Irish pub. People might look up to this HO guy; revere him even, but they certainly felt extremely comfortable teasing and taunting him in friendly ways. These certainly weren't sycophants. He might be the "prime" alpha male around this area, but his pack adored him.

HO's words brought her attention back to him, "As I was asking before we were so rudely interrupted, what type of work do you do?"

"Oh, yes. I'm sorry. I'm an attorney. I have my own practice specializing in employment law. My main office is in Greenville, but I have a satellite office over on Oleander Drive that my associate, Lana, the woman who was with me on Saturday, runs."

"Ah, yes, Oleander Drive," Hayden remarked. "Affectionately known in these parts as 'Attorney Alley'."

Laughing, Minerva said, "Yes, just like poor defenseless impalas on the plains of Africa, we lawyers must congregate as a herd for safety..."

"Really?" Hayden asked in feigned shock. "You're really going to go with that explanation? Damn, you must be a killer in court."

Minerva was laughing so hard that her eyes began watering. She used her napkin to dab the tears away as she tried to remember the last time that she had laughed so hard or enjoyed the company of a man as much as she was right then.

For his part, Hayden was recognizing that other than their similar appearances, Athena and her sister were total opposites. Athena had always been an introvert, most at ease left alone or with only one or two people to interact with. During their entire relationship, they seldom went out anyplace where there were likely to be crowds of people, which for a tourist destination such as Myrtle Beach, didn't leave them many options. Almost all of their alone time together had been spent at either the beach or at his house. Even their times together on the beach had been limited to early mornings and late evenings to avoid most of the crowds.

Her younger sister, whom he had only heard Athena mention a couple of times, seemed to be extremely comfortable around people, either as individuals or in crowds. She demonstrated a self-confidence and vivaciousness that had always been lacking in Athena. Hayden had loved Athena with all of his heart and was prepared to devote his world to her right before she destroyed it.

He had loved Athena with the full knowledge and acceptance that she would be a high-maintenance partner; someone who would always need reassuring of her beauty, intelligence, worth, and his devotion to her. She would never have been the type of independent, effervescent, outgoing person that Minnie appeared to be.

Their conversation flowed easily as they waited for their meals, and once Minerva had stopped laughing at Hayden's animated surprise over being served his favorite dish, they continued growing more comfortable with each other. Minerva was comfortable enough to grab a piece of bread that he had just finished buttering to eat it herself, and boldly used her fork to sample Hayden's meal, giggling for several minutes at his stunned but accepting reaction.

Hayden realized that the playfulness displayed by Minerva Hart was something that he had always wished he could have experienced with Athena. With the younger sister, Hayden was seeing the warmth and beauty that Athena had possessed, combined with the exuberance for life that she had lacked. There was a moment of guilt associated with him making these comparisons between the sisters, but that was swept away by the memory of betrayal that Athena had rained down on him.

He didn't want to paint her sister with the same brush that had blackened his heart all those years ago. Getting the opportunity to see her for more than the beauty that reminded him of Athena, Hayden was finding it easier to view Minerva as a different woman. But, was she a woman that he could trust?

Chapter Six

"I don't mean to be crude or anything, boss, but did you get laid last night or something?"

Although she understood why Lana would be asking the question, Minerva laughed anyway. She heard the difference in her own voice this morning and had to assume that the shiny lilt came across the phone as clearly as it did her own ears.

"Can't a person be in a good mood without facing accusations of deviant transgressions?" Minerva laughingly asked.

Lana returned the laugh and said, "It's nine o'clock in the morning and you sound like a teenage girl who just found out that her school crush likes her too. Either you got your cookies crumbled last night, or you're thinking about accomplishing the feat when you get back to Greenville. And, since I know that today is Alex's birthday and you are committed to making the night special for him, my money is on the former."

Minerva snorted and said, "Well neither is true. However, I did have an enjoyable dinner with someone last night and maybe those pleasant feelings are obvious in my voice."

Although she considered Lana a friend, Minerva felt that she still needed to maintain a professional relationship as much as possible, especially when they were both "on the clock". There was no way that she could divulge the thoughts and feelings within her that the presence of a strange man had introduced. She doubted that she would have been able to share with Athena, in the times when they were so close and confiding everything to one another, the primal, animalistic urges that she had felt last night. How could she explain that even now, hours later and hundreds of miles distant from her encounter, her body still held a feeling that the future existence of mankind as a species depended upon her breeding with a man that she barely knew?

"So, tell me about it..." Lana implored.

Minerva could share some aspects of her night with Lana, and thought that she might even get a kick out of them, "You'll never guess who I ran into at Maggi D's last night."

"Christ," Lana exclaimed. "Maggi D's is one of the most popular restaurants in Myrtle Beach. You could have run into anyone there. I'm not even going to try and guess."

Minerva couldn't hide the smile from her voice, "Do the initials, 'H' and 'O' give you any clues?"

"No wucking fay!" Lana gasped, using her trademarked method of inserting veiled profanity into her phrases. "God, what a time for me to get waylaid by my mom. What happened?"

Once she stopped laughing, Minerva said, "Well, to begin with, his initials stand for 'Hayden Oliver'. He got the nickname in high school because of his initials being on the back of his football jersey..."

"I remember hearing about that," Lana said. "It was a few years before I started at Myrtle Beach High. Our football team sucked while I was there and classmates often wished that we had the 'HI/HO' team from a few years prior. This Hayden guy must have been the 'HO' half."

"That's him," confirmed Minerva. "Anyway, it turns out that he works at Coastline Multimedia and knew my sister from when she was an intern there. He saw the similarity in our appearance and asked if I was her sister."

"His reaction in the pub was not one of fond remembrance," Lana observed. "What did your sister ever do to him?"

"Oh, I don't think it was Athena that he was remembering, but she probably reminded him of someone else," Minerva explained. "Although, I did get the impression that he might have had a crush on my sister. Maybe it was the fact that any crush that he had on Athena would have been unrequited."

"Why do you say that?" Lana asked. "The guy was likely just as good-looking then as he is now."

"Because Athena only had eyes for one guy her entire life, and he broke her heart. She never told me who the guy was, but based upon a few things that I've learned since her death, it had to have been someone with some major influence within Coastline Multimedia."

"Why?"

Minerva contemplated what she had discerned from conversations with her parents, and said, "When my sister started as an intern that first summer, she told my parents that she didn't like working there because they had placed her in a department totally irrelevant to her chosen career path in marketing. Within a week, her whole attitude had changed. She told them that she had met someone who would make certain that her internship was relevant and look out for her while she was there."

After a brief pause for further recollection, she continued, "When my parents questioned her about returning to Coastline the following summers, Athena had assured them that she knew that she would always have a spot at Coastline, whether as an intern or as a future employee. When they questioned her confidence, she had implied that her 'boyfriend' had the clout to ensure her a place there."

Lana asked, "But you don't know who the boyfriend was? How do you know that it wasn't this HO guy?"

"Because," Minerva said, "Hayden told me that he started working there in high school as a laborer. You tell me, did he look or act like the executive type when you saw him in the pub?"

"You can't base anything on how he looked while in a place like a pub," Lana countered.

"Oh, come on," Minerva chided. "You've seen his muscles bulging under his shirt. He has the physique of someone who does manual labor, not someone who sits behind a desk all day. I didn't notice how big he was until he walked me out to my car last night. I'm five-foot-eight and he towered over me by at least ten inches. And finally, he drives a pickup truck with the Coastline Multimedia logo on the sides. It's a well-used work truck, again, not something an executive with any company would typically drive."

Lana considered Minerva's observations, and while she wasn't as convinced as her boss about what appearances proved, she acquiesced to her judgment for the time being, "So, if he is just a worker bee at the company, did you feel him out for any insights into the claims by the two female employees?"

"Briefly," Minerva admitted.

"What do you mean?" asked Lana.

"Just that our conversation topics seldom ranged into an area where I could interrogate him about the HR policies of the company," Minerva said. "I did mention that my sister had once commented about feeling less valued working there as a woman, and he challenged my understanding of what Athena might have said. He told me that his own mother worked there and that she would pitch a fit if she ever learned of a complaint such as that."

"But if it's his mother," Lana reasoned, "She would probably be of a generation that viewed the role of a woman in the workplace much differently than women today do. I mean, what is her role there likely to be? A secretary, or something of equal authority and influence if I had to guess. She would probably be perfectly accepting of having her fanny smacked by her boss or her breasts ogled by male coworkers."

"Regardless," Minerva said, "I don't see Hayden being any help to us with either of the two cases should we decide to move forward with either or both. Have you learned of any other complaints against Coastline Multimedia?"

"Nope," Lana replied. "At least not through any of the state agencies dealing with employment. I am running a search of the Horry County court records for any signs of past litigation that might be relevant, but that will take me a few hours. Hopefully, I will have it completed by the time the first woman is scheduled to come in to provide her statement."

"What time is that scheduled for?"

"One-thirty," Lana advised. "That will be for Carlotta Lima. I scheduled her first so that we have her statement by the time Ashanti Cox comes in at three. I suggest that we get Ashanti's statement on her discrimination claim first, and then question her as a witness to Carlotta's claim."

"Good idea," Minerva said. "Send me the Zoom meeting details once you have them and I'll jump on. I may ask TJ to join us, but I need to call him after we're done to see what he has on his calendar for this afternoon."

"Sounds good," Lana said. "Say hi to TJ for me."

"I'll do that. Talk to you at one-thirty unless you find something on Coastline Multimedia that you feel I need to know beforehand."

Lana said, "I'll keep you posted. Bye."

Before Minerva could dial her Greenville office, her phone rang with TJ calling her. She answered, "Good morning. I was just about to call you..."

"Good morning," TJ replied. "I figured that you might be on your way in, so I wanted to remind you that I won't be here when you arrive. I am attending the judiciary committee meeting this afternoon so I'll be heading down to Columbia within the hour."

"That's right!" Minerva exclaimed. "Thanks for reminding me, and good luck. How do you feel about you being prepared?"

"I feel pretty confident," TJ assured her. "The precedents that you gave me have strengthened my confidence if not my actual knowledge."

"Well, you'll do great," Minerva gushed. "Call me as soon as you're done to let me know how you think you did. I know that the committee won't make its recommendations for a while, but I applaud you for speaking before them today."

TJ had become involved with a growing group of law students and their professors who felt that the way that judgeships in the state were handed out was almost like rewards from politicians to those who supported them. The group was pushing legislative changes that would result in judges being elected by popular vote rather than appointed by politicians.

TJ chuckled at his boss' enthusiasm. He then said, "I got your text last night and I have submitted a request for the Dun and Bradstreet report on Coastline Multimedia. I used your e-mail address as the preferred destination for the report, so you might want to watch for it to arrive early this afternoon. Is there anything else that I can take care of for you before I head out?"

Minerva thought for a second and then said, "No, just focus on speaking to the committee. I'll look over the D and B report after our clients give their statements and decide if a LexisNexis report on any of the principals at Coastline is something that I will want to pursue. If so, I'll leave the instructions for you to deal with tomorrow."

"That sounds good," TJ said. "Oh, the settlement paperwork for the Draper Holdings case was signed by the client yesterday morning, and I got it filed with the court in the afternoon, so there shouldn't be anything more for you to do on that for now."

"No. Lana has the meetings with the prospective clients scheduled for this afternoon. She and I can handle those, but I will record the Zoom sessions so that you can review them later. I would like to get your opinion on each case before deciding whether or not to proceed with either or both."

"I'll get to them first thing in the morning," said TJ. "Wish Alex a happy birthday for me, and wave as we pass each other on 26."

Minerva was laughing as she disconnected the call. She saw the sign for the rest area off I-26 just before the Newberry exit and debated whether to stop there or wait for a few more miles and stop at the rest area in the center of I-385. Her biological urges won out so she changed lanes to take the exit.

After returning to her car, Minerva checked the time and decided to do something totally out of character for her. She opened up the contact list on her phone and quickly found the most recent entry, There was no name entered yet, just the number that had been provided to her. As soon as she had backed out of her parking spot and started for the onramp back to the freeway, she hit the dial icon.

Two rings later, "Good morning, Counselor. To what do I owe the honor and pleasure of this call?"

Minerva couldn't hide the smile from her voice when she asked, "Are you always this formal when you answer the phone or am I receiving special treatment? I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"Hey, law school is tough from what I understand. Completing that and then passing the bar exam should merit you some special treatment in my opinion. And, no, you're not interrupting anything. I was just finishing my morning workout. What can I do for you?"

"I would have thought that you would have been to work by now," Minerva commented. "I was afraid that you would be on a job or something and I would be bothering you."

"Nope. I have to pick my mom up from the airport in an hour or so, so it wasn't worth going into work just to have to cut out after a few hours. They can get by without me this morning. Besides, after the thoroughly enjoyable time that you showed me last night at dinner, I can't imagine a thing that you could do today that would be a bother to me. I hope that I get the chance again in the near future."

Realizing that Hayden's charm had her giggling like a schoolgirl, Minerva composed herself and said, "That's actually why I am calling. I wanted to thank you for buying my dinner last night and for being such a gentlemanly companion for me. I would welcome a future opportunity to dine with you again. Depending on how things go with a couple of client meetings I have this afternoon, I might be back in Myrtle Beach next week, or the week after at the latest. Can I text you my schedule once I know it? If you're free while I am there, I would be honored to repay your kindness by buying you dinner."

"Yes and no," Hayden replied. "Yes, you can send me your schedule and I will do everything I can to find the time while you are here for us to dine together. No to you buying me dinner. You are the visitor while you are here and I will be your host. When I come to Greenville, the roles can be reversed."

"Right," Minerva thought. "Just how often does the typical worker at Coastline Multimedia find a reason to come to Greenville?" Plus, as an attorney, she probably made easily five times as much as Hayden did working for Coastline.

"I'll tell you what," she offered, "The next time I am there, I will invite you over to my condo and cook you dinner. Do you like Mexican?"

"Sure," Hayden said. "I didn't know that you had a condo here."

"Well, technically it's my parents' condo, but I pay all the maintenance fees on it so I use it when I am there rather than stay in a hotel. It's got a beautiful view of the ocean..."

"If it's on Ocean Boulevard, is it south of 31^st Avenue or north of 52^nd Avenue?" Hayden asked.

Not surprised that a native of Myrtle Beach would know that there were no resort properties between the two streets Hayden had mentioned, Minerva replied, "North of 52^nd. It's much more peaceful there."

He had never been inside the condo where Athena had stayed while working her internships, but he had picked her up and dropped her off in front of it enough times. She had told him that the condo belonged to her parents and that they would have a fit if she ever brought a boy there when staying by herself. Athena had explained that the security camera integrated into the doorbell would provide her parents with visibility should they try to sneak him in. Minerva's description made him suspect that this was the same location that he was familiar with.

"I know," Hayden agreed. "There aren't as many tourists, but you would still have to get up pretty early during the summer to take advantage of the Cabana fitness trail."

"My nephew, Alex, wants to try everything on that trail, but too much of the equipment is for those thirteen and older so we've kept him off most of it."

Hayden felt a long-controlled rage begin to rise within him at the mention of Minerva's nephew. Since she only had one sibling, this "Alex" could only be the bastard son of her sister, Athena. He fought to keep his voice light as he said, "Well, let's wait to see what's going on the next time you are in town. What do you say?"

"That sounds fair," Minerva agreed. "Anyway, although I have over an hour of driving left before I reach Greenville, and I know that spending that time chatting with you would certainly make it go faster and more enjoyable, for me at least, I should probably let you get on with your day."

Hayden attempted to sound as sincere as he felt when he said, "I appreciate your call. Feel free to call me any time."

"Only if you feel just as free to call me," Minerva replied. "Stay in touch."

Chapter Seven

Lana verified that the image of her and the client were both visible on the camera feed that Minnie was viewing on her side of the Zoom video meeting, "Ms. Hart, you're all set."

"Thank you, Lana. Miss Lima, I'm sure that Lana mentioned to you that this video meeting was going to be recorded. Can you verbally confirm your acknowledgment and agreement to this meeting being recorded?"

"Yes, I understand that this meeting is being recorded," Carlotta replied.

"Thank you," Minerva said. "Please state your full legal name for the record."

"My name is Carlotta Garcia Lima."

"Thank you. May I call you Carlotta?"

"Of course."

Minerva began, "Carlotta, you are here today to share with us an incident that occurred during the time that you were working at Coastline Multimedia as an intern. Please describe this incident for me in your own words."

"Okay," Carlotta said. "I was studying graphic arts at HGTC..."

"That's Horry-Georgetown Technical College," interrupted Minerva. "Correct?"

"Yes, Horry-Georgetown Technical College. I saw an announcement offering summer internships for students in the program at Coastline Multimedia, so I applied."

"Do you remember when that was?" asked Minerva.

"Uh," hesitated Carlotta. "I think I saw the announcement in April of last year sometime. I remember that the deadline for applications was May 15^th, and I had submitted mine at least a week before that time."

Minerva continued to take notes, even though she would have the recording of the meeting to refer back to. She said, "Okay, you applied for the internship in May of last year. Then what happened?"

"I was contacted the week following the application deadline and scheduled to meet with a representative of Coastline Multimedia's human resources department. I met with a lady named Marie Conte on May 28^th. At the end of our meeting, she offered me a position as an intern in their production printing department."

"Did you meet with anyone else from the company at that time?"

"No, just the lady from HR," Carlotta said.

"Fine. Please continue."

"On June 4^th, I attended an orientation meeting along with three other interns. We were each introduced to a mentor from our respective departments and provided details on what we would and would not be allowed to do in our roles. There were others from the company that spoke and introduced themselves to us and welcomed us for the summer. This is when I first met Mr. Justice."

"Mr. Justice?" Minerva asked, her interest piqued by the name.

"Yes, the president of Coastline Multimedia, Mr. Justice. He introduced himself and welcomed me to the company."

"Was his interaction with you different than with the other interns that day?" Minerva asked.

"Not that I noticed," Carlotta said. "The only difference was that I was the only female intern but he greeted all of us pretty much the same way."

"Okay, please continue..."

Minerva continued to listen to the testimony of Carlotta Lima, asking questions when elaboration of details or clarity of her feelings were required. By the time the scheduled interview time had elapsed, she felt that she had a pretty good picture of what kind of case they might have against Coastline Multimedia and its president, but a lot remained unanswered.

"What do you think?" Lana asked when she had returned from escorting their client out of the office.

"Terminate the Zoom meeting and then call me," Minerva instructed. She didn't want their sidebar discussion to be part of the recorded interview.

Minerva put the call from Lana onto her speaker phone and began talking to her associate without a preamble, "First, give me your thoughts. You were there in the room with her. Give me your impressions."

Lana didn't hesitate, "I think she is a naïve and immature young woman who is being manipulated by someone else."

"I agree with her immaturity and naivety," Minerva said. "Why do you think that she is being manipulated by someone?"

"It's just my gut impression," Lana explained. "Some of the phrases that she used, words that she selected to describe her feelings, and a few other minor things give me the sense that she had been coached to some extent. Nothing that she claims this Justice guy said to her would be inappropriate for any man to say to any woman in a church, yet Carlotta took offense to them..."

"Do you doubt her story?" Minerva asked, but before Lana could answer, she said, "Wait, hold on a second."

Minerva had been distracted by an e-mail that she just noticed had arrived during the interview. She quickly opened the e-mail and while the attachment was downloading, she returned to Lana, "I'm sorry, go ahead with what you were saying."

"To answer your question, no, I don't doubt her story," Lana said. "I am not as confident in the feelings that she claims to have experienced, or whether those feelings are justified based upon the circumstances. I think that we need more corroboration of her story at the very least."

Watching the download progress for the attachment, Minerva said, "If it were just the comments made by this Justice guy about her hair, I would walk away from this case right now. The incident where she claims that he touched her without her permission gives me pause."

"When she claims that he brushed a lock of hair off of her face?" Lana asked.

"Exactly," Minerva agreed. "If that incident occurred as she described, I think that we have a solid case for the existence of a hostile work environment if not sexual harassment."

"Do you really think that you could sell that?" Lana asked with skepticism.

Minerva didn't hesitate to respond, "It wouldn't matter if he was swatting a black widow spider off her face. If his actions were uninvited and made her feel violated in the least, then yes, I think I could sell it. You know the law; it doesn't matter what his intentions were, all that matters is how they made her feel. She claims that they made her feel violated, threatened, embarrassed, and self-conscious. I could definitely work with those feelings in a courtroom."

Lana asked, "So what's our next step?"

"We... HOLY FUCK!"

"What happened?!" Lana exclaimed in response to her boss' outburst. This type of language from Minerva Hart was as rare as unicorn sightings.

Her voice was noticeably shaky when Minerva said, "I need to go right now. Text me when the next interview is ready to start and I'll jump back onto Zoom."

"Minerva, is everything all right?" Lana asked, but she was too late. Minerva had already disconnected.

Staring at her computer screen, Minerva was awash in so many emotions that she could not catalog them all. Shock, rage, confusion, disappointment, and a tinge of guilt boiled and bubbled within her for several moments after scrolling to the company profile section of the D&B report that she had received on Coastline Multimedia.

Most of the details listed held little immediate interest for Minerva. She could have TJ or Lana review the financial viability of the company later. Her attention had been drawn to the only detail that was relevant following the interview with Carlotta Lima, and that was the field for the "Named Principle" of the corporation. In the case of Coastline Multimedia, this field held two names, Corrine Justice (CEO) and Hayden Justice (President).

With five minutes left before the next interview was scheduled, Minerva pulled out a legal pad and started writing down questions:

1. Had the man that she ate dinner with last night ever told her his last name?

She couldn't remember him doing so, and she was certain that she would have included it when she added his phone number to her contacts.

2. Could there be two men at Coastline Multimedia with the first name, "Hayden"

The first name was too unique. The possibility for there to be two men with that name working for the same company had to be very high.

3. If the Hayden that she had met was the president of Coastline Multimedia, had he been Athena's lover?

He had admitted knowing Athena, but not much else. Maybe she had mistaken what she thought was pain over the loss of someone as actual guilt.

4. What did Athena's last words now mean?

Minerva knew that Athena had been heartbroken over the end of her relationship with the father of her baby. Although they had never had an opportunity to discuss the details, Minerva had always assumed that the only explanation which made sense was that the guy had bailed on her sister when he had been informed of the pregnancy. Athena must have wanted her sister to get justice from this guy for her and her son for abandoning them when they needed him the most. Though ironic that the guy's last name was "Justice", nothing else made sense.

Minerva didn't bother checking the text when she heard the notification of its arrival. She simply launched the Zoom meeting app once more and connected to the session already begun by Lana.

The angry-looking woman sitting beside Lana had her hair in cornrows which fed into braids that Minerva suspected were weave extensions based upon their length compared to what the woman's hair looked like when she had approached Minerva after the symposium.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Cox," Minerva began. "Thanks for coming in to talk with us. Let me start by asking if you are agreeable to this meeting being recorded."

"Sure," Ashanti replied with barely contained hostility. "It makes it more difficult for anyone to change what I say if there is a recording of it."

Minerva merely nodded and began asking questions. Questions that surprised Lana because they were not the ones that the two of them had previously discussed asking.

"Mrs. Cox, how long have you worked at Coastline Multimedia?"

"It will be four years on October 1^st," Ashanti replied.

Minerva calculated and asked, "So, roughly three and a half years as of today?"

"About that."

"In that three and a half years, how many times would you say that you have personally interacted with the president of the company, Hayden Justice?"

"You mean like spoken with him in person?"

"Correct," Minerva said. "Excluding e-mails or other communications, how many times would you say that you and he have interacted, just the two of you?"

Ashanti considered the question before answering, "I don't know. Maybe two or three times at the most. Why?"

Ignoring the question, Minerva asked, "So, you are confident that you would know the president of Coastline Multimedia if you saw him? Can you describe him for us?"

Somewhat confused by the questions, Ashanti glanced at Lana before answering, "He's a big white guy, probably close to seven feet tall..."

"Go on," Minerva coaxed. "What else?"

Shrugging, Ashanti said, "He's in good shape and not bad looking I suppose. He has short blonde hair and I don't recall his eye color. I wouldn't mistake him for someone else if that's what these questions are about."

Lana's eyes had grown wide as she listened to the description of the president of Coastline Multimedia. She saw the determination in Minerva's piercing eyes and was just beginning to fathom the direction that the interview was headed when Minerva asked her next question.

"Mrs. Cox, for the record, could you tell us the full name for the president of Coastline Multimedia?"

"Well, I know his first name is 'Hayden'. I don't know his middle name, but it begins with the letter 'O' since I've heard long-time employees refer to him by his initials, 'H' and 'O'. I won't say the nickname because I think it's offensive. And, of course, his last name is 'Justice'."

Lana saw a fire in Minerva's eyes such as she had never seen when she sought confirmation from their client, "You are telling us, for the record, that the name of the president of Coastline Multimedia is 'Hayden', middle initial 'O', 'Justice'. Is that correct?"

"That is right."

"And he is a tall, athletic-looking man with blonde hair?"

"Uh-huh."

"Thank you. Now, tell us about your issues with Coastline as an employer..."

Chapter Eight

"This package arrived for you while you were out."

Hayden saw the large FedEx document box sitting on the kitchen counter. "Thanks, Mom, I was expecting it."

He handed the pharmacy bag that he had picked up for his mother to her and said, "I'm going to take the package into the study and see what I can make of its contents. Holler if you need me for anything."

"Is this the package that that woman said she would send you?" Cori Justice asked.

Hayden had shared with his mother the recent events related to Minerva Hart as well as the telephone call from the mystery woman purported to have been Athena's psychiatrist. His mother had adored Athena and was almost as devastated by her betrayal of Hayden as he had been. Her support had been invaluable to his ability to even function normally in the months following Athena breaking up with him.

Studying the return label, Hayden saw that it was just a generic FedEx shipping location in Greenville, South Carolina. "That's the only package that I was expecting to be delivered here," he told his mom.

"Don't you think it is pointless to expose yourself to the potential pain of what the documents might reveal? If Athena is truly dead as the woman told you, and her sister confirmed for you last night, what can the documents tell you that would change anything?"

Placing the package under one of his arms, Hayden grabbed a bottle of water out of the refrigerator before addressing his mom, "The woman implied her hope that I would gain some sort of closure by reading the documents. I don't know if that is even possible, but maybe they will shed some light on the 'why'. Why did Athena pretend to love me when she really didn't? Why would she purposely do something that she knew would cause me so much pain? Why keep coming back summer after summer? Why, why, why? That's what I am curious about."

His mother simply nodded in understanding as she watched him heading for the study. She had to begin the process of steeling herself so that she would be there once again when Athena Hart broke her son's heart and soul.

Sitting in the leather recliner rather than at the desk, Hayden set the bottle of water on the table beside the chair. He found the tab to peel open one end of the package and slowly pulled it across the seam. As the side fell open, he saw that the box was filled with unbound letter-sized pages. If a ream of letter-sized paper held 500 sheets, the box had to contain at least 400 pages. Pulling the pages out all at once, he searched for a note or other information from the mystery woman, but he found none.

Although the pages weren't bound, Hayden assumed that they had been arranged in some sort of order, so he started by reading the top sheet. It was dated November 3, 2000, and provided details on a then seven-year-old Athena Eleonore Hart. It listed her physical attributes, such as height and weight, the name of her parents [REDACTED], the referring agency [REDACTED], and the name of the physician assigned [REDACTED]. Since the woman who had called mentioned having treated Athena from the time that she had been seven, Hayden assumed the blacked-out physician field held her name.

There was a brief synopsis detailing the reason for Athena's referral, which Hayden realized boiled down to psycho-babble for Athena exhibiting behavioral problems in school attributed to suspected attention deficit disorder.

The next several pages provided a chronological description of the various cognitive assessments, intelligence tests, physical examinations, allergy tests, and dietary modifications that Athena had been subjected to for more than six months. The results for each test showed that Athena had a near-genius level of intelligence, was in excellent physical health, had no allergies, and modifications to her diet had no noticeable effect on her condition.

It apparently took several months for a complete chemical analysis of Athena's blood to be completed. The results led the physician to recommend that Athena be prescribed a long-acting, daily dose of methylphenidate, more commonly known on the street as "Ritalin".

The next fifty or so pages contained details on regularly scheduled follow-up visits where Athena would be subjected to a complete physical, blood analysis, more cognitive assessments, and a review of behavioral reports from her teachers and parents. After reviewing the first dozen of these, Hayden recognized that the medication prescribed appeared to have done its job and Athena had led a relatively normal childhood, adolescence, and teenage life.

There were notations beginning around Athena's seventeenth birthday related to concerns about her continuing to take the methylphenidate, since studies had shown that its efficacy in adults was negligible. The unnamed physician had begun weaning Athena off the medication and monitoring her physical, behavioral, and emotional condition during the period between her seventeenth and eighteenth birthdays. Hayden realized that she must have stopped using the medication only a few months before he had met her.

There was a lapse of more than eighteen months between noted visits in the documents. This was explained in a summary sheet that prefaced Athena's return to the unnamed physician which detailed the reason for the renewed doctor/patient relationship. Hayden noted that the new sessions had commenced in the middle of September after the first summer that Athena had spent as an intern at Coastline Multimedia. The summer when he had first met her.

"Thoughts of suicide?" Thought Hayden as he read the summary. "Athena?"

Marking where he was in the stack of documents, Hayden picked up his cell phone and the bottle of water and then headed out the French doors connecting the study to the back patio area of his house. He walked past the pool house and down the ramp to the sand of the beach and turned left to head north along the shore as he recalled the first summer that he had met Athena.

He recalled that she had been reclusive and very guarded that first summer, sticking close to him as her mentor and avoiding interaction with other employees. He had been a sort of intern himself that summer, but the difference was that his mentor had been his father. This exposed Hayden to far more of the various operations within the entire organization and forced him to interact with almost every employee at some point.

While not opening up to him entirely, Athena had been accepting of working alongside Hayden on a presentation for the marketing department staff. Spending long hours together on that project had led to them sharing lunch and eventually a few dinners alone together. By the end of that first summer, Hayden had witnessed a change in Athena's behavior towards him. She was always more outspoken, confident, and possessed a happier general attitude when the two of them were together.

She had become, while not depressed, certainly melancholy in the week before she was due to return home. It was during this time that she had begun seeking out more intimate physical contact between herself and Hayden. From light touches of his arms to friendly hugs and embraces as they greeted or departed from each other. In retrospect, she was apparently trying to establish a bond between them that transcended their work environment, and he had not discouraged her.

For the past ten years, Hayden had been chastising himself for trusting Athena Hart. A trust that had started growing that first summer. He had considered her a friend and confided in her aspects of his life and dreams for the future that he hadn't shared with anyone else to that point. He realized now that Athena hadn't been anywhere near as trusting of him and he hadn't thought anything of it until now.

She had seldom discussed her family life that first summer, only admitting that she had two parents and a younger sister. While she shared her educational objectives, she had never discussed what she intended to do after college. She had offered him no insights into her childhood, her travels, or other life experiences of note. Hayden had been an open book to her by the end of the summer, and Athena had partaken freely of what she saw there. He had been judging her book almost entirely by the "cover" that she showed him. There had been no substance visible to him beyond that.

The contrast between sisters that he had examined briefly last night came back into his mind. When he compared the more than two months that he had known Athena that first summer with the hour and a half that he had spent with Minerva last night, Hayden began to recognize things that his love must have blinded him to. Athena likely had some emotional issues that might have stunted her ability to develop and maintain relationships.

Hayden wanted to examine that contrast again while the memories of Athena were ripe in his consciousness. He pulled out his cell phone and found the last incoming call. That would be easier than searching his contacts for Minerva's number. He hit the dial icon and waited.

"We're sorry. This telephone number has been blocked by the intended recipient..."

~~~

"Hayden," Sierra announced with only her head around the door jam of his office, "Emily says that she needs you in the 4E conference room."

"Did she say what for?" Hayden asked.

"No, but she told me to tell you that it was urgent. I think she is meeting with someone from Butler."

That made Hayden glance up from his computer screen, "Butler and Associates?"

Sierra simply nodded as she watched her boss close his laptop and stand. She said, "Your schedule is clear for the next few hours. Let me know if I need to rearrange anything for this afternoon."

"Will do," he said as he passed her in the doorway.

Taking the stairs down one level was faster than waiting for the elevator and had the added benefit of allowing Hayden to loosen up his body after sitting at his desk for the past three hours. He didn't knock before entering the conference room and no one was surprised by his appearance. He took a chair next to Emily Willis, who was seated across from two men that Hayden didn't recognize.

Emily turned to Hayden and said, "Thanks for joining us so quickly. Let me introduce Aiden Chambers and Tate Hemingway from Butler and Associates."

All three men stood and exchanged handshakes before resuming their seats. Hayden waited for Emily to continue. She slid a stack of papers from in front of her to a spot in front of Hayden.

"I asked these gentlemen to meet with us in reference to the filings that were served on Coastline this morning. We are being sued by two separate employees, one current and the other a former intern..."

Hayden glanced down at the documents, "Sued for what, exactly?"

Aiden Chambers answered, "The first filing specifies that while working at Coastline Multimedia as an intern, one Carlotta Lima was subjected to repeated offensive, and possibly sexually related comments that presented her with a hostile work environment..."

"Do we have a record of any complaints from this Lima woman?" Hayden asked Emily, interrupting Chambers. "Or reports from other employees of a similar nature?"

Emily shook he head, "The answer is 'no' to both."

Hayden addressed Chambers, "I'm sorry, please go on."

Chambers continued, "The absence of complaint or other reports doesn't affect the potential validity of the woman's claims. The filing states that at least some of the incidents were witnessed by other employees who the filing claims can substantiate the allegations. We have to prepare a defense based upon an assumption that the claims are true..."

Hayden interrupted again, "I understand that. Even if we will be defending something that never occurred. I just hate these situations where the inability of someone to control their emotions translates into someone else having to control their words and opinions."

Hemingway spoke, "Unfortunately, that's the world we live in today. However, that's only part of the legal aspect before us. The woman is suing Coastline Multimedia for not enforcing your documented policy related to harassing or offensive acts by one employee towards another. They are also suing the individual they claim personally and purposely created the hostile work environment."

Hayden directed his question to Emily, "Who is she suing? Is it a current employee?"

"You are the named defendant," Hemingway answered. "The woman is seeking five-million dollars from you personally for mental anguish and emotional distress caused by repeated offensive comments directed at her by you."

Chambers added, "On a positive note, she is only asking for five-hundred thousand from the company. We believe that this is merely an attempt for a settlement."

Hayden picked up the documents and studied them more closely. It wasn't until he had perused the third page of the first filing, the one against Coastline when something caught his eye.

"The Hart Law Firm?" He asked no one specifically. "That is the firm representing this woman?"

'Correct," Hemingway said. "Are you familiar with them? They are based out of Greenville."

"That certainly explains why every attempt of his to contact Minerva Hart over the past two weeks had been fruitless," Hayden thought.

"They have a satellite office here in Myrtle Beach," Hayden informed the lawyers. "It's probably not more than a few doors down from your offices."

Chambers nodded and said, "Be that as it may, the primary reason for asking to meet with you today is to explain the representation challenge these two suits present. Our firm could represent either Coastline Multimedia or we could represent you, Mr. Justice, personally. It would not be appropriate for us to do both. You should decide who you want representing the company and yourself."

Hemingway interrupted, "Let me clarify what my associate means. Obviously, in your role as President of Coastline, our firm could represent you in that capacity when we represent the company..."

Hayden interrupted, "I understand, gentlemen. I would like Butler and Associates to represent Coastline in this matter provided that you take it to the mat. This company has a long and proud reputation as an employer that protects everyone who works for us. There will be no settlement, no concessions, and not even a hint of responsibility for these allegations."

"The problem with that approach," Chambers stated, "Is the fact that the suit against you personally will dictate what position the company will be allowed to take in defense of the charges. If you lose the suit, then the company would be in a poor position for denying any responsibility, especially in light of your role within the corporation. Win your case and the case against Coastline becomes virtually moot."

"Okay," Hayden said. "You had mentioned a second suit. One involving a current employee..."

"Our favorite pest," Emily said. "Ashanti Cox is suing the company for discrimination. She's pulling out all of her favorite allegations, her gender, her race, and whatnot."

Hayden nodded and said, "Well, we know that her claims are groundless and we have the records to substantiate that fact."

He addressed the two lawyers once more and said, "Again, I would like your firm to represent Coastline only if you agree that you will fight for the complete vindication of the company against any and all charges alleged in the filing. Pull out all the stops. Bring in whatever co-counsel you need to bury the suit and anyone associated with it if necessary. Are you agreeable to those terms?"

"Of course," Chambers said with Hemingway nodding in agreement.

Hayden straightened the papers in front of him and asked Emily, "Can I have these copies?"

Emily nodded, but Hemingway held up a hand, "I would advise against that, Mr. Justice."

Hayden focused his gaze on the lawyer and raised a questioning eyebrow.

Hemingway explained, "The filings were served on Coastline Multimedia by the process server delivering them to Ms. Willis as an officer representing the corporation, which makes her authorized to accept the legal serving. She is not, however, a representative of you, Mr. Justice. By serving her with the filing against you, the requirements for the legal serving of the filing were not met. You have not been served notice of the filing so you do not want to take possession of the documents in front of you. As president of the corporation, you are entitled to receive a copy of the filings involving the company, but the longer you avoid receiving a copy of the filing which names you, the more effectively you can delay the proceedings."

Hayden pushed the stack of documents back to Emily and said, "I don't want to delay things, but I see your point. Thank you."

Rising, he said to Emily, "Please make me a copy of the filings against the company when you have a chance. Also, see if you can find the employee badge photo for this Carlotta Lima and e-mail it to me. I would like to see if I even recognize her."

Chapter Nine

"This response looks like a damned 'Who's who' of the South Carolina Bar Association," Lana moaned.

"You're not kidding," TJ agreed. "This Justice guy must be loaded. Maybe we should have asked for more than five mil?"

Minerva sat silently fuming. First, the idiot process server had delivered the paperwork to the wrong person, which had resulted in a delay of more than a week before a new process server could render the legal service, and that had been to an attorney representing Hayden Justice rather than to the man himself.

Her request to question Hayden Justice in a formal deposition was eventually met with an agreement for him to be deposed only through like-kind responses to written questions. His legal team, which her associates had noted was not only large in size but included some of the most preeminent and respected trial attorneys in the state continued to counter her every pre-trial maneuver. From requesting a preemptive dismissal of the case to challenging every subpoena she had submitted for Coastline Multimedia's personnel records, e-mails, and other inter-office communications which might help her prove her case, she had been forced to spend countless billable hours chasing her tail.

This latest response related to Hayden's legal team requesting an earlier trial date than she had established with the court. It would move the trial to a week from next Wednesday instead of a month from now. Minerva wasn't as familiar with the judges in Horry County, but she had a strong suspicion that her opposing attorneys were quite familiar with them. If she wanted to counter this response, she had better come up with just the right justification and words to sell it to the judge.

"On second thought," Minerva mused, "why wait?" Alex's last day of school was May 19^th. With the discrimination trial scheduled to begin on May 23^rd, she could bring him and her parents with her to Myrtle Beach a bit earlier than planned. She could finish the discrimination trial, enjoy the Memorial Day weekend at the beach, and then prepare for the Justice trial the following week.

She broached the idea with TJ and Lana and asked, "TJ, are you okay with holding things down in Greenville for a couple of weeks before joining me in Myrtle Beach?"

"No problem," TJ assured her.

"Great. Lana, go ahead and reply to the response accepting the new trial date. I'll let you know my planned arrival date once I speak to my parents. Let's win these, team."

~~~

"You didn't think it important enough to tell me that one of the executives at Coastline Multimedia was a black woman?" Minerva hissed at her client after losing the summary judgment that effectively ended their discrimination case. This had been a "throw-away" case for Minerva from the start. She only pursued it to aggravate Coastline Multimedia and keep their lawyers somewhat distracted from the primary objective, getting millions of dollars directly out of the pockets of Hayden Justice.

"You got the list of employees at the company and their titles," argued Ashanti Cox.

Minerva bit her tongue before replying, "We subpoenaed the employee list but they lacked demographic details. Companies aren't required to maintain those and most won't since not doing so demonstrates that the company doesn't base any employment decisions on gender, race, or other protected or minority status. We couldn't cite any evidence of discriminatory hiring or promotion of employees, but Coastline was able to show evidence to the contrary regardless. Since we had no evidence to challenge that which they presented, the judge had little choice in granting a summary judgment in favor of Coastline Multimedia."

"That's bullshit," Ashanti said, "When we go to trial I will tell the judge about all the times that I was denied vacation days, promotions, and pay increases because I am a black woman."

The metallic taste of blood in her mouth was increasing the longer that she had to deal with this client. Losing her perfect trial record was bad enough. She shouldn't have to face the additional humiliation of explaining things multiple times to this woman.

"There won't be a trial," Minerva informed Ashanti for the third time since the judge had ruled. "A summary judgment ends the case. We're done. I suggest that you go back to work and learn how to play nice with your coworkers and supervisor."

Ashanti Cox gave a one-finger salute to her attorney and stormed down the courthouse corridor toward the exit. Minerva was closing her bag and preparing to head in the same direction when a middle-aged woman spoke to her. She was standing alongside the black female executive from Coastline Multimedia.

"Will you excuse us, Emily?" The middle-aged woman said to her companion.

Emily Willis smiled and said, "I'll wait for you at your car."

Corrine Justice only waited for Emily to walk away a few paces before she said, "You are as beautiful as your sister was. As much as I despised her for what she did to Hayden, I was sorry to hear of her passing."

Minerva bristled before straightening her shoulders and facing the woman that she now assumed was the CEO of Coastline Multimedia, and Hayden Justice's mother. "I don't want or need your condolences. I also have no sympathy for whatever guilt that your son has to live with over his actions..."

"His actions?" questioned Corrine Justice. "Exactly what actions do you believe Hayden should feel guilty over?"

Tossing the strap for her bag over her shoulder, Minerva huffed, "What's the point? You're his mother and I'm sure you are prepared to defend your son over anything that I told you..."

"Try me," Corrine said as she sat on a bench and patted the seat next to her. "Because, as his mother, it is my responsibility to share any guilt assigned to him. I am the one who raised him, and his shortcomings reflect on me. So, please explain what you mean."

Minerva stood silently appraising Corrine Justice. She was far from frail, but she also wasn't that formidable-looking physically. She reminded Minerva of a school teacher - no, more like a school principal. She had a confident and professional demeanor that silently commanded respect. Or, was it the same reverence that her son commanded by his presence?

Without consciously deciding to do so, Minerva found herself taking a seat on the bench next to Hayden's mother. "What do you want to know?" she asked in a much more civil tone.

"Simply what it is that you believe Hayden should feel guilty about?"

Reminded of the topic being discussed, Minerva bristled once more. Staring Corrine Justice directly in the eyes, she asked, "You don't believe that a man who impregnates a woman and then abandons her and her unborn child should harbor any guilt?"

"Oh," Corrine Justice said with calm sincerity, "I would certainly hope so. A man should always take responsibility for his actions and face whatever consequences those actions bring to bear on him. But, what does that have to do with Hayden?"

"Are you serious?" Minerva gasped. "Do you mean to sit here and tell me that you didn't know that your son got Athena pregnant and then dumped her when he learned about her condition? He broke my sister's heart and felt zero remorse doing so..."

'Is that how Athena described things to you?"

"She didn't have to," Minerva exclaimed. "She told me that the man that she loved; the man that she spent three summers with, the only man that she ever had sex with..."

"Oh, dear," Corrine said as she took one of Minerva's hands in hers. "I'm afraid that you are making some seriously incorrect assumptions."

Standing suddenly, which pulled her hand from Corrine's, Minerva said, "I knew that you would take his side..."

She didn't wait for a response but simply stormed away from a shocked Corrine Justice, still seated on the bench in the courthouse hallway.

Too riled to return to the office, from both the lost case and from speaking with Corrine Justice, Minerva decided not to return to the office that day. She would share the details of the case with Lana some other time.

After crossing the Intercoastal Waterway and getting closer to US 17 [Business], the tell-tale signs of Memorial Day preparations became very evident. The city had started placing changeable message signs in the center divider of the highway which would be used in the coming days to direct vehicles to and from Ocean Boulevard once the traffic loop became active.

It had become a tradition in Myrtle Beach for the city to make Ocean Boulevard a one-way street for miles of its busiest section during the Memorial Day weekend. Vehicles would only be allowed to travel southbound, with all northbound traffic being forced to take US 17 [Business], or as it was known in the area, "Kings Highway". Local residents, especially those with homes between the two affected roads saw no benefit to this traffic strategy and frequently complained about their inability to get out of their neighborhoods while the traffic loop was in effect.

Glad that the condo was well north of the area impacted by the traffic loop, Minerva ignored the barricades and other traffic control devices being staged along her route. She would remind her parents to stay away from the affected areas over the weekend since they had historically avoided Myrtle Beach during peak tourist season and had little experience with the challenges they would face if they ventured into the heart of the entertainment area.

"How'd it go?" her mother, Pandora asked as soon as Minerva entered the condo.

"This day has certainly not been what I expected," Minerva huffed. "Where's Alex?"

Her mother was in the living room, sitting in a chair with her feet propped up as she read a magazine, "Your father took him to one of the arcades. We knew that the crowds would make the area with his favorite arcades a mess within a day or two, so it was decided to take him today rather than wait. So, what happened?"

"The case never even made it to trial," Minerva groaned as she sat in a chair across from her mother. "The judge issued a summary judgment for the defendant almost immediately after taking the bench. I can't say that I blame him. My client really hung me out on a thin branch that the defense counsel was able to easily chop off."

"I'm sorry," her mother said. "I know that losing is hard..."

Shrugging, Minerva said, "It comes with the territory. Mom, can I ask you something about Athena?"

She saw her mother's shocked expression and almost regretted broaching the subject. They had never spent much time discussing Athena after she had passed away, focusing instead on doing their best to raise her son.

"Wh... what do you want to know?" her mother finally asked.

Minerva considered what she wanted to ask and how she could phrase it to not upset her mother too much. She finally said, "Athena never shared with me any details about who Alex's father was. Did she mention anything to you?"

Setting the magazine that she had been reading aside, her mother said, "No, not much. You have to remember that after you two girls were both in college, your father and I started traveling. We did e-mail you both and call when we could, but it wasn't like we had conversations every night over dinner anymore. I did sense that Athena had really been taken with the boy, whoever he was, and that it had to have been someone that she had been involved with while she was here in Myrtle Beach doing her summer internships."

Minerva nodded and said, "I sensed the same, and agree that it had to be someone that she became involved with over the summers that she was here, and I always assumed that it was the same person each summer..."

Pandora answered, "I think that she tried to keep in touch with the boy between summers, but after the first summer, she devoted herself so much to finishing her degree as quickly as possible that I question how successful her efforts would have been. She had worked so hard. Her and I did discuss letting your father and me keep the baby after it was born so that your sister could finish the few classes that she had left for her Master's..."

"What are you talking about?" Minerva gasped. "Athena was only two years ahead of me, so by the time that she became pregnant, she wouldn't have completed her undergraduate courses yet."

Giving Minerva a questioning look, her mother asked, "You didn't know that Athena had started on her Master's already? She had only about nine credits and her thesis left to complete?"

"How?" Minerva asked.

"By almost killing herself," her mother said. "Athena took a heavy course load her first two semesters at Clemson, but when she returned after that first summer as an intern, she signed up for even more courses, including several online ones. You should remember, this is when she begged us to let her get her own apartment so she could move out of the dorm and get away from the noise and distractions of having roommates."

"Vaguely," Minerva admitted.

"She completed her undergraduate courses in less than six semesters," Pandora said proudly. "Then she threw herself into getting her Master's as quickly as possible. She never explained what her rush was, but in retrospect, I'm sure it had something to do with whomever she was involved with in Myrtle Beach and her wanting to eliminate any hurdles to them being together more often."

"She never discussed this with you, but you're assuming?" Minerva asked.

"That's right. It was almost as if Athena thought that talking about this relationship with whomever it was would be somehow jinxed if she shared any of the details about it. We've discussed that before..."

"I know," Minerva said, "but did she ever give you any idea who it might have been, mention a name or anything? More importantly, did she ever express any doubts about knowing exactly who the father of her baby was?"

"No," her mother said, "Nothing. I do remember talking with her about what she was going to put on the baby's birth certificate under the father's name. All she said was that she was going to leave it blank for the time being. Not that she didn't know who it was or anything, just that she wasn't ready to do it yet. Do you understand what I mean?"

Minerva's mind was drifting, but she paused it and said, "I think so."

Pandora asked, "Why the sudden interest in who the father was, or is?"

Ignoring the question, Minerva asked, "Tell me this, Mom. If you knew who Alexander's father was and you met him, what would you say or do?"

"Before or after slapping his face?" Pandora growled.

Minerva smiled and said, "You would have to get in line behind me. I'm going to go change and maybe go sit by the pool for a while Will you text me when Dad and Alex get back?"

The condo property where her parents had bought their unit years ago was not designed as a resort, but rather a residential community. As such, it was occupied by owners and their guests rather than tourists. A few of the owners rented out their units to long-term tenants, but the covenants prohibited short-term rentals of any kind. This resulted in a pool area that was more docile and frequented by a more mature crowd.

Minerva recognized several of her neighbors as she selected a chaise lounge well off to the side of the patio area, under an umbrella that blocked a majority of the late afternoon sun. She wasn't interested in tanning, and her clothing choices reflected that. With a pale blue tank top and denim shorts that came to mid-thigh, her interest was in comfortably relaxing to the sound of the ocean without having to traipse out onto the sand.

The conversation with her mother was still fresh in her mind as she studied her cell phone. She then recalled her earlier encounter with Corrine Justice and decided on a whim to try for a few answers. It took her a few seconds to find him in her contact list and she wondered momentarily why she hadn't deleted his information. Quickly typing a brief text message, she then hit "send".

MINNIE: Can I ask you a few questions?"

After five minutes with no response, Minerva broke into a laugh that caused several other residents to glance her way. Shaking her head at her own pin-headed actions, she debated her next step.

Of course, there was no response. She still had Hayden's number blocked. That status would prevent him from calling her, but it also prevented him from texting her, even in response to a text from her. Now, if she wanted to chat with him, she would need to either unblock his number, hold a one-sided conversation, or call him. She decided on the latter.

"I was wondering when you were going to figure it out," Hayden said when he answered. She could hear the mirth in the tone of his voice.

Minerva tried to maintain the sternness in her voice even though she was smiling at her screw-up. She replied, "I'm glad that I can entertain you. Maybe that will make you more receptive to answering a few questions for me."

"I don't mean to seem difficult or unwilling to speak with you," Hayden answered as cordially as he could, "But I question the wisdom of doing so. Is this conversation off the record, so to speak, or should I have my attorneys present?"

"I understand, and if I was one of your attorneys, I would probably advise you to hang up on me right now," she admitted. "I'm asking that you don't do that, though. My questions are related to Athena. Well, to Athena and you to be precise. They have nothing to do with any pending litigation."

Hayden was quiet for several seconds as he considered Minerva's request. He finally said, "Athena is not one of my favorites topics of discussion, but she has been on my mind quite a bit over the past month and some questions have developed that you might be able to answer for me..."

"I don't know," Minerva sighed. "I'm embarrassed to admit how little I knew about my own sister. That's one reason I want to ask the questions of you. It seems like you may have been someone who knew her better than her own family in the years right before she died."

She heard more hesitation on the other end but waited patiently. Hayden finally said, "Can you give me a day or two to think about it?"

"Sure," Minerva said, although she sensed that he could hear the disappointment in her voice. She added, "And, Hayden, I'm going to unblock your number. I'm not sure that some of your answers when we talk won't prompt me to block it again, but you'll be able to let me know your answer when you decide."

"All right."

Minerva sensed that he was preparing to end the call, so she quickly asked, "Can you answer one question for me?"

"What?"

"Did you know that Athena was pregnant?" Minerva asked in a whisper.

The silence this time was so long that Minerva pulled her phone away from her ear to check the display to verify the connection. She finally heard Hayden's voice cracking with emotion when he said, "Believe me, she made that fact very clear to me the last time that we spoke."

Minerva remained silent as she watched the display on her cell phone return to the home screen when Hayden disconnected the call. His words echoed in her head and she couldn't find a way to make them make sense.

Admittedly, she and Athena had not been close in the last four years of her sister's life, but damn it, they had grown up together for sixteen years. Minerva knew who and what her sister was as a person; what she had always been. There was no imaginable way that Athena could have ever been the cold-hearted bitch that Hayden was portraying her to be, at least towards him.

He simply must have done something to her. That was the only explanation that made any sense.

Chapter Ten

Hayden had often pondered whether it was merely the feel of sand between his toes that was so therapeutic, or if it was the fact that the feeling was usually accompanied by warm breezes, the rhythmic sound of breaking surf, and the smell of salt air. He always concluded that it didn't matter, because singularly or in combination with everything else, a walk on the beach was the most soothing activity that he could think of. That was, of course, until some aspect of mankind became an interloper to his therapy.

"I can't hold it that long," the young boy argued.

It appeared that he was pleading with a middle-aged woman that Hayden had to assume was the boy's grandmother or another relative.

The woman implored in frustration as she pulled the boy along the beach towards a street end exit., "But there are no public restrooms anywhere near this part of the beach. You'll just have to hold it until we get back to the condo."

As they came closer to Hayden, he spoke to the woman, "Excuse me, but do you see that light blue house about thirty yards north of us?"

The woman turned and looked over her shoulder in the direction from which they had just come. She said, "Yes, what about it?"

Hayden explained, "If you walk up the path through the dunes to that house, you should see a nice lady sitting beside the pool reading a book. Tell her that her son sent you and I'm sure that she would be more than happy to unlock the pool house for you. There is a restroom there that might be useful to this young man."

The boy didn't hesitate to start pulling the woman's hand, trying to get her moving towards the indicated house. She addressed Hayden over her shoulder as she retreated, "Thank you!"

Corrine Justice had witnessed the interaction involving her son on the beach and suspected that he had once again offered someone the use of his pool house facilities. She sometimes wondered why he even bothered to lock the door.

Corrine had planned to spend the holiday weekend on the yacht that she lived on in Charleston Harbor, but Hayden's melancholy mood for the past month had prompted her to spend more time with him. He might not need her assistance with the day-to-day operations of the company, but she was still his mother, and she would always be there to support him in his personal life in any way that she could.

Hayden had left his cell phone on the table next to where his mother sat by the pool, and for the umpteenth time that day, Corrine silently willed the phone to ring, hoping that it would be the mysterious psychiatrist who had sent Hayden the documents. The promised call from her to discuss what the documents had revealed never occurred, and Corrine suspected that this contributed more to Hayden's current funk than the pending court cases did.

Lowering her sunglasses as the woman and boy approached, Corrine studied the visitors. The woman appeared to be approximately her own age of fifty-two, while the boy was an indeterminable pre-adolescent age somewhere between eight and twelve Corrine guessed. She was reminded of Hayden when he was around the same age as this boy. He had been tall for his age, yet he had retained more child-like features on his face and in his mannerisms.

"Excuse us," the woman said as the pair stepped from the sandy path onto the concrete patio which surrounded the pool. "A young man claiming to be your son offered my grandson the use of a restroom..."

Corrine picked up a key ring from the table beside her and held it out to the woman as she said, "Of course. This key will unlock the pool house over there and the bathroom will be to the right once you enter."

The boy grabbed the key and trotted to the pool house door, leaving his grandmother and an amused Corrine Justice in his wake.

"Please, have a seat," Corrine said with a chuckle. "There isn't much that he can get in trouble with in there, so relax and take a load off while you wait for him. I'm Cori by the way."

Rearranging a nearby seat so that she could face her host, the woman sat and said, "Thank you, Cori. My name is Pandora, and that scamp is my grandson, Alexander. We appreciate your hospitality."

"Oh, you're more than welcome," Cori said, "But I'm just a guest here myself. The house belongs to my son, so it's his hospitality that you have to thank."

The huge house along the beach had been built by Cori and her husband in the mid-1990's but she had signed the deed over to Hayden after her husband had passed and she had decided to spend most of her time in Charleston where the social life was more to her liking. The yacht that she owned served as a perfect residence for her, and she could hire a crew easily enough for when she wanted to sail to another destination.

Pandora Hart studied the back of the house and the landscaping around it as she replied, "We'll make certain to find your son on the way back to thank him personally. So, if you don't live here, where are you visiting from?"

"I live on a boat in Charleston Harbor. What about you?"

Pandora glanced at the pool house before answering, "My husband and I live in Greenville but we own a condo a mile or so north of here." She pointed towards the beach and said, "My husband wanted to try a new section of beach for his treasure hunting. That's him out there with the metal detector..."

Cori placed a hand across her eyebrows to help shade the glare as she searched for a man with a metal detector. She finally spotted him about two-hundred yards up the beach. She said, "My husband was obsessed with a metal detector for a short period before he got too frustrated with it. I bet the stupid thing is probably still someplace in the garage."

Hearing the door to the pool house, both women turned to watch the boy returning. He smiled at Cori and extended the key to her, saying, "Thank you, Ma'am. I apologize for my rudeness earlier, but I really had to go bad."

Corrine smiled as she took the offered key and said, "We've all been there at some time in our lives. I'm just glad that you were able to take care of your business before you had an accident."

Returning her smile, Alex said, "It was close, but I made it. Thanks."

"Your grandmother tells me that your name is Alexander," Corrine said. "May I ask how old you are?"

Alex glanced at his grandmother and saw her nod, so he answered, "I just turned ten. And yes, my name is Alexander. Alexander Hart, but everyone calls me 'Alex', at least when they're not mad at me."

Corinne laughed along with Pandora at the boy's comment, but she felt anything but amused upon hearing his full name. She studied his features more closely as he asked his grandmother's permission to return to his quest for sharks' teeth along the beach.

Pandora began to rise from her chair, but Cori placed a hand on her arm and said, "Please stay for a while. We can watch him on the beach from here and my son is right there in case he's needed."

Resettled in her seat, Pandora gave her grandson instructions to keep her in sight before allowing him to return to the beach without her. Both women watched as Alex ran back through the path in the dunes, kicking up sand as he went.

Cori asked, "Are you babysitting for his parents?"

Hayden didn't hear the question nor the answer since the distance and the sound of the surf easily obscured the sound of the two women's voices. He did hear the young boy when he asked, "Are you searching for sharks' teeth too?"

Glancing down, Hayden saw the boy's eyes focused on his left hand, which was currently closed as if holding something in the palm. He smiled and replied, "No, once you have found a megalodon tooth, regular sharks' teeth don't hold the same interest anymore."

"You've found a megalodon tooth?" the boy asked in awe. "Can I see it?"

Hayden laughed and said, "I didn't find it today. I found it years ago, and I keep it in my house."

"Where's your house?" The boy persisted.

Pointing to his house, Hayden said, "It's the house that I sent you to use the bathroom. That was my mother who let you into the pool house."

"Oh, right. Thanks for that. I almost pooped my pants."

Hayden laughed again and opened his hand to show the boy what he was holding, "I am searching for more of these."

"Rocks?" asked the boy in confusion. "What's so special about rocks?"

Hayden explained, "They're not simply rocks, they're hag stones. Do you know what those are?"

The boy shook his head and waited for Hayden to tell him.

"They're kind of like a four-leaf clover," Hayden began. "Hag stones are believed to be good luck, with magical properties, and can mysteriously ward off witches and other ne'er-do-wells."

When he saw the dubious expression on the boy's face, Hayden continued, "It's all in the hole, you see. The legend goes that only good things can pass through a hole, so while good fortune and good wishes will find you through a hag stone, bad luck and evil thoughts are too big to be able to pass through the hole and they become stuck in the middle. This belief may be bolstered by the centuries-old legend that magic cannot work on moving water. So, since the hole in a hag stone was created by moving water, it works as a sort of 'shield' against spells and the like. Would you like to have one?"

Hayden held his hand out with the palm up so the boy could select one of the two hag stones that he had found on his walk. The boy thanked him, selected the smaller of the two stones, and immediately began searching the beach for additional hag stones.

"Here's one!" he exclaimed loudly as he bent down to pick something up from the sand. He held it proudly for Hayden to examine and appeared crestfallen when Hayden shook his head at him.

In a consoling voice, Hayden said, "Compare that one to the one I gave you. That stone does have a hole through it, but you can see a bunch of other partial holes on it as well. That means that it is probably a piece of ancient volcanic lava. The holes in that stone were likely created when the molten lava cooled and not by water. So, it can't have the magical powers of a hag stone."

The boy tossed the stone into the ocean and muttered, "Darn."

Chuckling, Hayden said, "If hag stones were easy to find, they wouldn't be as special. Keep looking and I'm sure that you'll find one along the beach at some point. If you ever visit a lake, river, or stream, you can search for them there as well."

"I'll get my grandpa to help me look the next time he takes me to Lake Hartwell to fish," the boy said. "That's my grandpa over there with the metal detector."

With a grin, Hayden bent down and spoke softly to the boy, "You may want to tell your grandpa that this is probably the last stretch of beach where he wants to use a metal detector..."

The boy looked up at Hayden and asked, "Why?"

"Because this whole area of the beach is contaminated," Hayden explained.

Looking down at the sand beneath his feet, the boy said, "Huh?"

"Come on," Hayden said. "You can listen while I explain it to your grandpa."

The frustrated look on the boy's grandpa's face was one that Hayden was familiar with. He had seen it on his own father several times before he had finally given up his treasure-hunting ambitions. Motioning for the man to remove the headphones covering his ears, Hayden stepped up to the man.

"Good afternoon," Hayden said. "I was explaining to your grandson that you might want to avoid metal detecting along this stretch of the beach."

"I've pretty much figured that out for myself," the man said opening his hand. His palm held over a dozen one-inch diameter metal washers.

"I'm afraid you have stumbled into my metal-detecting deterrent zone," Hayden said. "For a hundred yards on either side of that blue house over there, your attempts to find any treasure will be thwarted by thousands of those same washers."

"Why in the hell are there thousands of washers on this area of the beach?" The man asked.

Hayden looked down at the boy and asked, "How old are you? Twelve?"

"I'm ten," the boy replied.

"Okay then, when I was two years older than you are now, my dad got a metal detector very similar to this one. He began spending so much of his spare time out here on the beach searching for treasure that he didn't have time to play catch or spend any time with me. One day when he took me to work with him, I was checking out one of the trucks that the workers drove and found a drawer that was almost completely full of those washers. I loaded all of my pockets with them and spent that afternoon spreading them around the beach where my dad used to search with the metal detector. Every time I went to work with him after that, I brought back more of the washers and spread them around too."

The boy's grandfather was laughing hysterically at Hayden's story. When he settled down, he asked, "How long did it take for your father to figure out what you did?"

Hayden shrugged and said, "He never did. He just finally gave up and put the metal detector away, never to be used again."

"That's a priceless story," the man said. He then asked, "Alex, where's your grandma?"

Alexander pointed towards Hayden and told his grandpa, "She's talking to his mom over at that light blue house."

The group saw Pandora stand and start heading down the path through the dunes toward the beach. Hayden patted the boy on his head, "Here she comes now. I better get back to my house. It was fun meeting you, Alex."

"Okay. Thanks for the hag stone."

As he passed Pandora, Hayden paused to speak with her, "Feel free to stop by anytime you need to use the facilities. Alex is a kick to hang around with."

"Thank you for your hospitality. He wasn't any trouble for you?" Pandora asked.

"None whatsoever," Hayden assured her. "Bring him by any time."

Corinne Justice was still in the same chair when Hayden stepped onto the patio, but her attention was no longer on her book. It was laser-focused on her son as he approached.

"Do you know who that boy is?" Corrine asked as Hayden walked past her towards the house.

Hayden paused and glanced down at his mother, "I heard him called 'Alex'. The woman was his grandmother and the man on the beach with the metal detector was his grandfather. Why?"

Standing quickly with agility uncommon in a woman of her age, Corrine took Hayden's hand and said, "Come with me."

She led him into the house, across the large family room, through the kitchen, and up the stairs to the second floor. Opening the door to the room that she used when staying in the house, she pushed her son in first and then followed behind him.

Pointing to a photo in a frame mounted on the wall, Corrine said, "Look at that picture there and tell me that you don't know who that boy is."

Hayden glanced at the picture that his mother was pointing to. He had no difficulty recognizing it or remembering when it had been taken. He had been ten years old and was standing bare-chested on the beach with a life jacket in his hand and a banana boat visible behind his legs. Boasting a huge smile from the recent parasailing adventure, he looked like a kid on top of the world.

"What am I supposed to be seeing?" Hayden asked his mother.

"Hayden Oliver Justice, don't play dumb with me," his mother warned. "You know perfectly well that the boy from the beach looks exactly like you did at his age."

Turning to face his mother, Hayden had a shocked look on his face when he said, "Mom, there must be hundreds, if not thousands of boys that have the same general physical characteristics and features that I had at the same age. That means nothing."

Corrine smirked and said, "Okay then, how about this; the boy that looks enough like you to be a relative of yours is named Alexander Hart. Does that name ring any bells for you?"

Hayden shrugged and said, "I knew his name was Alex, and the last name of Hart isn't that uncommon..."

Corrine's impatience was becoming evident in her tone of voice, "It's not common for a boy named Alexander Hart to have a grandmother named Pandora, who told me that the boy's mother was named Athena and that she died soon after giving birth to her baby."

Trying to control the rage that always seemed to manifest itself when the topic of Athena's baby was discussed, Hayden said, "Just because the bastard child might be Athena Hart's, that doesn't translate to him being related to me. How can you forget Athena rubbing the fact that I wasn't the father of her child in my face? You were with me when she called to boast about that very fact."

Corrine put her arms around her son and pulled him into an embrace, "I know what Athena told you. I also know what I saw with my own two eyes. That boy is your son. I don't know why Athena would have said what she did, but I can't ignore the possibility that she was wrong about who the father was. I can't ignore the possibility that that darling little boy is my grandson."

"Believe what you want, Mom, just leave me out of it."

~~~

Minerva watched Alex crawling in and out of dinosaur eggs with other kids and felt somewhat sorry about the struggles that his larger size was creating for him. He was already a head taller than most boys his age, and while this served him well in most of his athletic pursuits, it proved to be a disadvantage when rides and other objects designed for a child his age came into play.

She was glad that her parents had decided not to accompany her and Alex to the DinoLand Café for dinner. Although, it likely wouldn't have mattered since the place was too noisy for them to have continued telling her about their day at the beach. She had a pretty good understanding of the events just from listening to Alex extolling the knowledge and generosity of the man he had met. A man who from her mother's description could have been none other than Hayden Justice.

Minerva had spent six hours that day going over statements from employees at Coastline Multimedia related to Hayden Justice, and she didn't want to spend the rest of this Saturday evening discussing him with either her parents or her nephew. It was bad enough that her thoughts kept wandering to him, she didn't need others bringing him up.

It was becoming obvious to both Minerva and Lana that portraying Hayden Justice as some sort of misogynistic predator, targeting young, innocent female interns at Coastline was not going to be an easy task. Even in the only other instance that they had identified where Hayden had personally interacted with an intern, all employees who had been aware of it never witnessed, or would admit to, anything inappropriate being said or done by him.

The fact that this other instance had involved her sister, Athena, had initially piqued Minerva's interest. Her instincts told her that any man who would dump a pregnant woman that he professed to love must have displayed some tendencies that she would be able to leverage against him. If she could prove Carlotta Lima's accusations were not incidental, but rather demonstrated a pattern of behaviors that made both Hayden and the company liable, her case stood a better chance of success.

Every Coastline employee that Lana had interviewed who had been working there during Athena's three summer internships stated without reservation that they had never witnessed anything inappropriate or unprofessional transpire between Hayden Justice and Athena Hart. Many employees knew that the two had worked together on several projects each of the summers, and some had even hinted at suspicions that the two might have been in a relationship, but they could provide no solid evidence substantiating their suspicions.

"They're both so beautiful and complement each other so well. How could they NOT be involved with each other," might be a nice, romantic sentiment, but it held no evidentiary value and was completely useless to her case. No one that they had interviewed had seen Athena and Hayden so much as holding hands while at work, and no one admitted to ever seeing them together outside of work.

The only possible thing that Minerva had related to Hayden Justice being involved with an intern in a possibly inappropriate manner was his own implied admission during their few conversations that he had loved Athena. Naturally, she couldn't use that implied admission of love against him in court, and she obviously couldn't now ask him the other questions about Athena that she had wanted to.

Minerva glanced at her cell phone on the table in front of her. She had checked every evening since her last conversation with Hayden to see if she might have missed a call from him, or possibly a message from him agreeing to answer her questions. Nothing. Oh, well, it was too late now if he did call her. She picked the phone up, found his contact information, and blocked him once more. She would get the answers that she sought from him in court.

Chapter Eleven

"All rise," the bailiff barked.

The courtroom went silent as everyone stood. As the door behind the bench opened and the judge stepped into the room, Minerva glanced to her right at the defense table.

She didn't know Megan James, the female attorney on Hayden's legal team that she assumed was taking the lead in his defense from where she was seated at the defense table, but Lana had told her that even though Megan might conjure up images of a beautiful Mermaid, she had the reputation of being a real shark in the courtroom. "No", Minerva remembered, Lana had said that sharks swim to a different ocean when they saw Megan James coming.

Minerva had to admit that Megan James was an impressive sight. Her obvious beauty was styled to emphasize her professionalism rather than detract from it. From the "no strand astray" French braid bun hairstyle to the tailored wool sheath dress with a matching cropped jacket, she projected a no-nonsense professionalism with a hint of something mysteriously intimidating just below her surface. Minerva wondered how she would fare before the jury going one-on-one with Ms. James.

That shouldn't be an issue today, since she and the other members of her team had decided to let TJ take the lead in presenting their case, with Minerva sitting as co-counsel. The reason that Minerva had advocated in making her point for this positioning was to give TJ a chance to get some real trial experience of his own.

This certainly was a factor, but Minerva's true motivation had been the fact that her team intended to raise the past relationship between Hayden Justice and Athena Hart as part of their case presentation. She didn't want her role as the sister of the intern in question to be perceived by the jury as an act of vindictiveness and thus lessen the influence that this past relationship would have in their opinion of Hayden Justice.

The bailiff waited for the judge to take his seat before barking, "The Court of Common Pleas is now in session. The Honorable Dean Brunner presiding."

"You may be seated," Judge Brunner said. He then turned his attention to the jury and began giving them some final instructions.

Taking the seat to the left of Carlotta Lima, who was seated between her and TJ, Minerva considered the jury panel. She and her team were thrilled with the makeup of this jury and had worked hard to get it comprised heavily in their favor. The eight women on the jury were all working women in non-executive roles with their respective employers. Four of them were currently married, two were divorced from philandering husbands, and two of them were single. Her team had made certain that the four men on the jury were all fathers with teenage or older daughters.

For their part, the defense legal team might as well have sat out the entire jury selection process. They didn't challenge a single juror selection by Minerva and her team and had essentially left them with free reign over who would be rendering a verdict against their client, Hayden Justice. If there was some trial strategy associated with the defense allowing her team to build a jury to their liking, it was lost on Minerva.

About the only pre-trial item that hadn't gone as scripted by Minerva and her team was the trial judge. By accepting the earlier trial date proposed by the defense, the docket had been moved from Judge Richardson to Judge Brunner. Lana had assured Minerva that this should not be a problem for them since Judge Dean Brunner was a well-respected judge, known for his Solomon-like decisions and his propensity for ensuring that both sides in a case received a fair shake.

"Mr. Washington, you may call your first witness," Judge Brunner announced, bringing Minerva's and everyone else's attention back to the happenings in the courtroom.

TJ stood, and in his deep baritone voice proclaimed, "We would like to call Carlotta Lima to the stand."

Carlotta stood and strode confidently to the witness stand where the bailiff swore her in. There was no reason for their client not to be confident. Minerva and Lana had spent days coaching her on her testimony and the likely cross-examination questions. She took her seat and waited for TJ's first question.

After asking Carlotta to state her name for the record, TJ efficiently ran her through the scripted questions, most of which were derived from her initial statement when Minerva had interviewed her. As Minerva had coached, TJ would focus extensively on the questions that spoke to Carlotta's emotions and thoughts related to Hayden Justice's repeated comments about her hair.

"Let's move forward to the incidents in question if you don't mind," TJ instructed. "When did those occur?"

"Well, the first incident I remember happened right before the Fourth of July holiday. I remember because I had colored and styled my hair in preparation for a barbeque that I was going to be attending on July 4^th. I had colored my hair with red and blue streaks and was wearing a white barrette when I went to work the day before the holiday. When I was eating my lunch in the breakroom that day, Mr. Justice walked in and was speaking with another employee when he noticed me. After finishing his conversation, he approached me and complimented me on my hair."

"What do you mean by 'complimented you'?" TJ asked.

"He said that my hair must have taken a lot of work to get it to look so nice. He said that he hoped others appreciated my efforts, and then he left."

"And how did his statements make you feel?"

"I felt sort of embarrassed that the President of the company would take notice of my hair. I mean, everyone has hair, so why should he single me out to compliment? I remember asking Ashanti if Mr. Justice made a habit of complimenting people, and she told me that she had never heard him do so. That made me more self-conscious I suppose."

TJ then asked, "Did any other employees have their hair decorated for the holiday?"

"I didn't notice anyone," Carlotta said, "But I don't make a habit of paying attention to other people's hair."

"Okay, please continue."

"A few days after the holiday, I had removed all the coloring from my hair. My hair is naturally curly and was a bit dry from adding and removing the coloring so I was wearing it in a sort of bun on top of my head. Mr. Justice came to the production printing department that afternoon to check on some marketing material that he was expecting to be ready. On his way out of the department, he stopped to speak with me again about my hair."

"Do you remember the exact date?"

"It was July 6^th."

TJ noted the date and then asked, "What did Mr. Justice say to you on that day?"

"He said that he hadn't realized how curly my hair was and asked if humid days like it was that day caused me any problems with caring for it?"

"And how did his words make you feel?"

"They kind of freaked me out. I mean, I have friends that I have known for years who never commented on my hair in any way, and there was some executive with the company asking about my hair care routines."

"Did you mention your feelings to anyone?" TJ asked.

"Ashanti was sitting near me and heard what Mr. Justice had said. When I mentioned that his comments made me feel weird, she advised me to document the conversation, which I did."

"Did you mention your feelings to your department manager or anyone in HR?"

"Ashanti and I had a meeting the next morning with Marie Conte to review my progress in the internship program. I was going to mention it then, but Ashanti told me not to."

"Did she say why you shouldn't mention it?"

Carlotta shrugged and said, "She said that she knew of a better way for me to handle it when the time was right."

TJ let that response hang out there, and asked, "Miss Lima, can you please tell the court why you felt that the attentions of Mr. Justice towards you were escalating.?"

"Yes," Carlotta said. "One day, Mr. Justice made another comment about my hairstyle. He said that it was nice, but that I should avoid wearing my hair in such a way as to have strands of it fall in front of my eyes because my eyes were so pretty. He then reached over and brushed the hair on my forehead aside so that he could see the eye that had been covered."

TJ turned to face the jury as he asked, "And how did that action by Mr. Justice make you feel?"

"It frightened me," Carlotta said. "I felt violated, like my personal space had been invaded without my consent. It scared me."

"Did anyone else witness these actions by Mr. Justice?" TJ asked.

Carlotta nodded and said, "I didn't know it at the time, but once Mr. Justice had departed our department that day, my mentor, Ashanti Cox advised me that physical contact between coworkers wasn't professional behavior. When I told her that it wasn't my fault and explained what had happened, she suggested that I report it to Human Resources."

Turning once more to face the jury as he asked the question, "And did you report it?"

"I was going to," Carlotta said, "but Ashanti reminded me that it was my last week with the intern program before returning to school and she figured that since I wouldn't be working at Coastline Multimedia after that time, it would be challenging to follow up on any complaint that I made to HR."

"Understandable," TJ said, hopefully prompting the jurors to agree with his client's reasoning for not reporting an action that she was now seeking monetary damages for. He then asked, "Can you tell us why you later decided to pursue this matter?"

Nodding once more, Carlotta said, "Once I completed the graphic design program at HGTC and started looking for work, it became obvious to me that unless I wanted to relocate out of the area, the best positions in my chosen field would be with Coastline Multimedia. I had remained in contact with Ashanti Cox and we discussed the possibility of me running into Mr. Justice again if I got hired at Coastline. Ashanti advised me that she had personally experienced discrimination involving Mr. Justice and that HR had always sided with him. He is the President of the company after all. Ashanti recommended that I pursue legal action which didn't involve an entity that Mr. Justice could influence in his favor."

"Thank you, Miss Lima," TJ said. He then addressed Judge Brunner and said, "I have no further questions at this time."

Judge Brunner nodded and said, "Your witness, Ms. James."

Minerva watched the defense table as TJ took his seat back at theirs. Her confidence in their case was buoyed by Megan James' less-than-enthusiastic response to the witness being turned over to her for questioning. Opposing counsel glanced at her notes one last time before standing and approaching the witness stand. Every eye in the room followed her graceful movements.

"Miss Lima," Megan James began, "I only have a few questions for you. First, you mentioned that you didn't report any alleged transgressions by my client because you were preparing to return to school and wouldn't be able to follow up on them. Is that correct?"

Nodding, Carlotta said, "Yes, that is correct."

"Thank you. Now can you tell the court the exact date that the incident where you claim my client touched you allegedly occurred?"

Carlotta hid it from the court, but she was smiling inside. This is one of the questions that she had been told to expect and she was prepared. "It was Thursday, August 17^th of last year," she said with confidence.

Megan nodded in response and asked, "Do you happen to also remember the approximate time of day on August 17^th?"

"It was right before my scheduled lunchtime that day, so around 11:45 am."

"Again, thank you," Megan said. "I have just one more question for you, Miss Lima. What is your sexual orientation?"

Chapter Twelve

"OBJECTION!" shouted TJ Washington. "Irrelevant."

He was about to rise to his feet when Judge Brunner motioned for him to remain seated. Megan James stood stoically in front of the witness stand with her hands clasped in front of her as she awaited the judge's response to the objection. She wouldn't comment on it unless the judge asked her to.

Instead, the judge spoke directly to TJ, "Mr. Washington, your client is a female. The defendant is a male. Please explain to me how the sexual orientation of a person asserting that someone of the opposite sex made comments that she perceived to be offensive and sexually insinuating is irrelevant. Can you do that?"

TJ glanced at Minerva but received no indication from her on how best to reply, so he just said, "I remove my objection, your Honor."

Judge Brunner addressed Megan James, "You may ask your question, counselor."

Without hesitation, Megan turned her attention back to the witness and asked, "Miss Lima, what is your sexual orientation?"

This question was not one that her lawyers had prepared her to answer. Carlotta glanced at Minerva and saw her merely nod. Squaring her shoulders, and facing the defense attorney directly, she answered, "I am a lesbian."

With no visible reaction to the witness, Megan James spoke to the judge and said, "I have no further questions, your Honor."

"Fine," Judge Brunner said. "Mr. Washington, do you wish to redirect?"

"Yes, we would," Minerva answered as she rose. Without waiting for further comments from the judge, she approached the witness stand.

"Miss Lima, to your knowledge, did Mr. Justice know of your sexual orientation?"

Carlotta thought for a second and replied, "I don't hide the fact that I am a lesbian, but I don't flaunt it either, so I have no way of knowing whether Mr. Justice knew or suspected that I am gay. I just know that he always made me feel like he was interested in me as more than an employee, and that made me uncomfortable."

"Thank you," Minerva said. "No further questions, your Honor."

As Minerva retook her seat, Judge Brunner said, "The witness may step down. Mr. Washington, please call your next witness."

TJ gave Carlotta time to come down from the witness stand and return to her seat beside him before he rose and proclaimed, "I would like to call Ashanti Cox to the stand."

Minerva had warned TJ to be careful with Ashanti Cox because she could try to spew her venom concerning her continuing belief that she was a victim of racial and sexual discrimination at Coastline Multimedia and they didn't want her to taint their case with unrelated rants.

TJ methodically walked Ashanti through the questions that were once more derived from her initial statements as a witness to Hayden Justice commenting on Carlotta's hair and the alleged physical contact. TJ also used her testimony as an opportunity to introduce the Coastline Multimedia employee policy manual into evidence and to get Ashanti to comment on how stringently it was enforced. Finally, he made a point of getting Ashanti to confirm the date and approximate time of the physical contact to ensure that the jurors heard Carlotta's version confirmed by an eyewitness. When he was finished, TJ was reasonably confident that he had taken the steam out of any questions the defense might ask his witness.

"Mrs. Cox," Megan began when it was her turn to question Ashanti, "How long have you worked at Coastline Multimedia?"

"It will be four years in October," Ashanti answered.

"So, that would mean that you have had three yearly performance reviews during your employment at Coastline. Is that correct?"

"I guess so," Ashanti replied warily.

Megan maintained a friendly, professional tone to her voice when she asked, "You guess so? Mrs. Cox, isn't it the policy of your employer to provide employees with a yearly assessment of their performance along with an action plan to address any noted deficiencies or a recommended path for career advancement?"

Ashanti looked to Minerva and TJ for some hint of how to respond but Judge Brunner would have none of it, "The witness will answer the question."

"Yes," is all that Ashanti said in reply to the question.

"Excellent," said Megan. "Thank you, Mrs. Cox. Now, would you share with the court the score of your most recent performance appraisal?"

"Objection, your Honor," TJ exclaimed. "This witness' performance is not on trial here. Mr. Justice's is."

This time, Megan James responded to the objection, "Your Honor, the plaintiff has positioned this witness as their expert witness on the policies and procedures of her employer. I am merely attempting to establish her qualifications to speak to these topics."

"Objection overruled," Judge Brunner ruled. "The witness will answer the question."

Megan turned her attention back to Ashanti and repeated the question, "Please share with the court the score of your most recent performance appraisal."

"I don't remember," Ashanti said. "It was months ago."

Megan strode back to the defense table and picked up a document. As she returned to stand in front of the witness stand, she addressed the judge, "May I, your Honor?"

Judge Brunner extended his hand toward Megan. She handed him the document and waited patiently for him to review it. He handed it back and addressed the court, "Let the record show that the defense is presenting the witness with a copy of her last performance review. This is not an evidentiary document and serves only to assist the witness with answering the question posed by the defense."

Offering the document to Ashanti, Megan thought for an instant that the witness might refuse to accept it. Ashanti finally took the document and glanced down at it.

"Please tell the court what your numerical rating was at your last performance review," Megan instructed.

Finding the number and visibly grimacing, Ashanti paused a beat before stating, "It was a 61."

"A 61, thank you. Now, don't the rating numbers an employee performance review translate into specific categories, such as 'eligible for advancement', "performing to grade', 'needs improvement', etc.?"

Ashanti looked up from the document and glared at her inquisitor. She practically snarled her answer, "Yes."

Megan ignored the response that the witness intended as a sharp rebuke and asked, "Please share with the court what category a rating of 61 falls into."

Glancing once more at the plaintiff's table and receiving no guidance, Ashanti looked down at the document one more time before answering, "It is the 'Mandatory PIP' category."

"PIP?" asked Megan. "Isn't that an acronym for 'Performance Improvement Plan'?"

Sighing, in resignation, Ashanti said, "Yes."

Megan said, "Thank you, Mrs. Cox. Now, if I can direct you to the section on the document that speaks to your noted performance deficiencies during the review period, could you please read for the court the highlighted comments from your supervisor?"

Flipping over the first page, Ashanti found the section that had been highlighted in yellow and silently read it. "Fuck me!" she thought.

"Please read the highlighted section out loud for the court, Mrs. Cox." Megan prompted again.

"Ashanti continually violates company policies related to attendance and frequently ferments discord among employees by encouraging them to report unsubstantiated claims of harassment and discrimination against other employees and the company..."

Megan extended her hand for the document and Ashanti passed it to her. After returning the document to the defense table and picking up a different document, Megan turned and asked Ashanti another question, "Mrs. Cox, you testified that on August 17^th of last year you witnessed Mr. Justice make physical contact with Carlotta Lima. Is that correct?"

Emboldened by the questions getting back to those targeting someone else, Ashanti said, "Yes, that is correct."

Addressing the judge, Megan said, "Your Honor, the defense would like to enter into evidence this certified copy of test results dated August 17^th of last year."

Judge Brunner examined the document and then handed it to the court clerk, "Please mark this as defense exhibit one."

The clerk did as instructed and then handed the document back to Megan James, who in turn handed it to Ashanti.

"Mrs. Cox, do you recognize this document?"

Ashanti said proudly, "It's the test results from when I passed the Network+ exam. That sucker was hard."

Megan nodded and said, "Congratulations. Can you tell the court where you took this exam?"

Pausing a second to recall the location, Ashanti finally replied, "I took it at the authorized testing center here in Conway."

"Do you recall what time on August 17^th that you started the exam?" Megan asked. "If you need help remembering, the time is listed at the top of the test results. Please tell us what it says."

"It says that I started the test at 11:20 am," Ashanti said.

Megan nodded, and said, "I can imagine that such a difficult exam would require you to do a lot of preparation, studying, and so on. Did you do a quick review that morning to prepare for the exam?"

Proud of her results and how she had accomplished them, Ashanti replied, "I spent a few hours before the exam going over test questions, yes."

"Doesn't Coastline offer employees paid time off to take these types of work-related certification exams?" asked Megan.

When Ashanti merely nodded, Judge Brunner reminded her, "Mrs. Cox, we need verbal responses to all questions. Please answer the question again, using words instead of gestures."

"Yes," she replied.

Megan continued, "Now, reminding you of the comments in your performance review concerning your attendance at Coastline, can we assume that you took advantage of the paid time offered to you on the morning of August 17^th to study for this exam?"

Ashanti wasn't stupid enough not to realize that by admitting she had not gone into work before taking the exam on August 17^th, she would be contradicting her earlier testimony about witnessing Hayden Justice touching Carlotta Lima's hair, but at this point, she could find no way to avoid doing just that. She also knew that this lady lawyer likely had the records from Coastline's employee scheduling and time management system that would prove that she had not returned to work after the exam either.

"I guess that Carlotta and I were wrong about the day that Mr. Justice accosted her," Ashanti offered.

"Objection, your honor," Megan exclaimed. "Please advice the witness to only answer questions asked of her."

"Sustained," Judge Brunner agreed. He turned to the court reporter and said, "Please strike those comments from the record." Then addressing the jury, he said, "You are to disregard the last comments from the witness."

He gave a stern look at Ashanti and said, "Mrs. Cox, if any more words exit your mouth which are not in direct response to a question posed to you by either counsel, I will hold you in contempt of court. Do you understand?"

A visibly chastised Ashanti Cox, muttered, "Yes, sir."

"Ms. James," the judge said, "Please restate your question to the witness."

TJ was glancing at Minerva, almost trying to will her thoughts into his head. His limited trial experience hadn't prepared him for a turn of events such as this. He wished that he could get Minerva's advice on how to put their train back onto the rails after Ashanti's blistering revelation that their timeline of events was apparently fictional.

TJ might not have been able to read Minerva's mind, but she apparently could read his. She slid her legal pad across their table, past Carlotta so that TJ could read what she had written, "Request a brief recess at the first opportunity."

Unfortunately, the first opportunity that TJ saw didn't occur until after Megan James had coerced an admission out of Ashanti that she had not been into any Coastline Multimedia facilities at any time on August 17^th and that she had not even spoken to anyone at the company that day. When Ashanti was asked if she wanted to offer some other date for when the alleged physical contact between Hayden Justice and Carlotta Lima had actually occurred, she couldn't come up with one.

The door to the judge's chambers had barely closed when Minerva grabbed their client by her upper arm and practically dragged her from the courtroom and into the hall where she quickly found the most private spot she could. TJ had rushed to keep up with them, but Minerva was not pleased to see that Ashanti Cox had followed TJ.

"No!" Minerva growled at Ashanti. "I don't want you anywhere near us right now. Go find a place to plant your fat, lying ass and I'll find you when we are done here."

Ashanti pulled up short and once the shock of how she had been addressed had subsided, she screamed, "Listen, Bitch, you can't talk to me like I'm your Nigger or something..."

"You get the fuck away from us right now," Minerva warned with unconcealed rage in her voice, "or I'll have you arrested. That is a fate you are already facing if that judge decides to charge you and Carlotta with perjury. Now go sit somewhere while I try to keep both of you out of jail."

The group of three watched as Ashanti Cox struggled to control her anger. She finally pulled her shoulders back, turned on her heels, and practically ran down the corridor toward the exit from the courthouse.

"Uh," TJ said, "She's not allowed to leave yet, is she?"

Minerva shook her head, "No, but that's not our major concern right now."

Turning to face their client, she asked, "Carlotta, would you mind telling me what in the hell just happened in there? I thought that you were one hundred percent certain of the date. Christ, you literally swore to it before giving your testimony."

Tears were running down her cheeks as Carlotta sobbed, "That was the date, but I didn't discuss it with Ashanti until the next day because she wasn't there on the 17^th. She convinced me to claim that she witnessed it and I guess that she didn't think anyone would question the date."

Minerva sighed and asked, "Carlotta, did anyone else witness Hayden Justice touching you?"

Carlotta simply shook her head.

"Okay," Minerva said. "Your responses to TJ's questions implied that Ashanti had witnessed the actions of Mr. Justice, but you never actually stated that she did so. Her discussing the event with you and suggesting that you report it could have been the following day. Do you agree?"

Carlotta silently nodded.

Minerva shared a look with TJ before continuing, "Carlotta, this is important. Is there anything else that Ashanti or some other person has advised you to say that isn't the complete and honest truth?"

Neither attorney was thrilled when their client hesitated before shaking her head.

Pointing at the door to the women's restroom, Minerva patted Carlotta's arm, "Go freshen up and meet us back here. Be quick because we only have a few minutes before the judge returns to start the proceedings again.

Chapter Thirteen

After their client had walked away, Minerva spoke softly to TJ, "Okay, Ashanti's testimony might have placed some doubt in the jury's minds about Hayden Justice having the opportunity to accost Carlotta, but we should be able to overcome that by establishing a solid 'motive'. This is where you getting as much about his relationship with my sister in front of the jurors will be critical. Don't hesitate to step back to the table to read any notes that I might write for you."

TJ replied, "I don't believe that 'opportunity' was lost to us. When I have Willis on the stand, I want to bring up the cameras."

"Good idea," Minerva agreed. "Let's get her up on the stand next. The sooner that we can reestablish at least a possibility of Justice having the opportunity to do what Carlotta claims, the better our case will sit with the jurors."

All the lawyers and their clients were still getting settled when the bailiff once more had them rise for the judge's entry into the courtroom. After the judge had granted permission, everyone else took their seats.

"You may call your next witness, Mr. Washington."

"I would like to call Emily Willis to the stand."

Emily Willis didn't need to dress the part to look professional. Minerva imagined that the vice president of Human Resources for Coastline Multimedia exuded professionalism from her pores. She was sworn in by the bailiff and had barely settled into her seat when TJ started his questioning, establishing for the court what her role was at Coastline Multimedia and hopefully explaining her relevance to the case for the jury.

After setting the stage, TJ asked, "Mrs. Willis, can you explain to the court how the summer intern program at Coastline Multimedia came into existence?"

"Certainly. It was an idea presented to the then current President of our company, Clint Justice, to expose qualified college and technical school students to our products and services. The stated purposes included providing the interns with real-world, practical experiences in their chosen fields of study and as a potential recruiting tool for us to attract the most promising young people to the company after they graduated."

TJ nodded in understanding and asked, "Do you remember who presented this idea to Clint Justice?"

Emily smiled and said, "It was his son, Hayden Justice. Hayden was a student himself at that time, attending Coastal Carolina University. I believe that he developed the idea after discussions with fellow students and some of the faculty at the university. I do know that CCU was the first institution to sign on to the program, followed shortly thereafter by Clemson University."

"So," TJ said, "You admit that the summer internship program at Coastline was the brainchild of Hayden Justice?"

Without hesitation, Emily replied, "I wouldn't call it his 'brainchild' per se. Hayden presented the concept to his father. The senior Mr. Justice then assigned a committee made up of executives from all divisions of the company to evaluate the feasibility of a potential internship program and then develop the framework for it. I had the responsibility for the final implementation of the program developed by this committee and the ongoing supervision of it each summer."

"I see," TJ said. "How was it decided which students got selected for the program and who had the final say in who the participants would be?"

Emily explained, "Applications for the summer internship program were open to all students at the participating schools. The applications received are initially vetted by members of my department, where their academic records are reviewed, any prior work experience is evaluated, and their housing options are identified..."

"Housing options?" TJ interrupted.

"Yes. While we would accept applicants from schools as far away as Clemson, any students selected would need to be capable of providing for their own housing while participating in the program. Coastline offered no housing or subsidies to assist interns with housing. Interns had to provide for that themselves."

Nodding, TJ said, "Understandable. Please continue. What happens after your staff has completed this initial screening of the applicants?"

Emily took a sip of the water provided for witnesses and continued, "The applications of students deemed qualified and acceptable for the program are forwarded to the original executive committee. Here, division heads will identify any candidates that they feel would be a good fit for their respective organizations within the company. This allows for the educational and career interests of the interns to be aligned most effectively with the corresponding departments within Coastline."

"Thank you," TJ said. "Tell me this, are there any age or class year restrictions to the program?"

Shaking her head, Emily answered, "No, but we have found that few applicants in their freshman or sophomore years have a clear enough handle on their career goals to seek a summer internship. There have been a few, but it is a rarity."

"Have you had interns return for multiple years?" TJ asked, already knowing the answer.

"No," Emily stated succinctly. "The summer internship program is limited to a single session per applicant."

"Has that always been the case?" TJ queried.

"Yes, from the beginning," Emily confirmed. "It was one of the policies originally adopted by the executive committee."

TJ hesitated before asking his next question. He wanted the jury to languish for a while on the last statement from the witness. He watched Minerva, and when he saw her nod, he proceeded.

"Mrs. Willis, does the name Athena Hart sound familiar to you?"

With a broad and radiant smile, Emily replied, "Of course. Athena Hart was very familiar to me."

"Wasn't Athena Hart a participant in the Coastline Multimedia summer internship program for three consecutive summers?"

Minerva was sitting forward in her seat, confident that they had tripped up one of Hayden Justice's stooges. She was not prepared for the answer.

Emily shook her head and simply said, "No, she wasn't."

To his credit, TJ recovered quickly by challenging Emily's answer, "Are you telling this court that Athena Hart did not work for three consecutive summers at Coastline Multimedia?"

"No, I am not," Emily offered but she did not elaborate further.

Obviously frustrated, TJ addressed the judge, "Your Honor, would you please instruct the witness to provide complete answers to the questions posed to her?"

"Mr. Washington, if I hear the witness providing incomplete answers to the questions you pose, I will do as you request. I have heard nothing to this point which indicates that to be the case. Please proceed."

Out of the corner of his eye, TJ saw Minerva sliding her legal bad forward on the table, urging him to come over and read her notes. He quickly walked over to the table and glanced down at the pad. Nodding in understanding, he returned to face the witness.

"Mrs. Willis, did Athena Hart work at Coastline Multimedia for three consecutive summers?"

"Yes, she did."

"Please share with the court in what capacity Miss Hart worked at Coastline during those three summers."

Emily had a neutral expression on her face when she replied, "The summer between Athena's freshman and sophomore years at Clemson University, she was a participant in our summer internship program. The following two summers, she was a contract employee."

Glancing back at Minerva, TJ could tell that she was as confused as he was over this answer. Thinking quickly while waiting for Minerva to finish writing the note that she was feverishly scribbling on her legal pad, he turned back to Emily.

"Can you explain what this contract employee position that Athena Hart held entailed?"

Emily thought for a second and said, "It entailed mostly special projects, typically related to cross-collaboration between Marketing and the various production teams."

"Special projects," TJ repeated as he casually walked back to the table to read the latest note from Minerva. When finished, he turned to Emily and asked, "Did Miss Hart report to any one individual at Coastline in her role as a contract employee? Who determined which special projects she was involved in?"

"The answer to both of your questions," Emily stated, "is the President of Coastline, Mr. Justice."

Remembering Minerva's scribbled notes, TJ asked, "What influence, if any, did Hayden Justice have in the assignments that Miss Hart was given while working as a contract employee?"

"I've already answered that," Emily stated.

Flustered, TJ glanced once more at Minerva, who just shrugged in response. After thinking for a minute, he said, "Mrs. Ellis, let's start back at the beginning. Athena Hart came to work at Coastline Multimedia as an intern when? What year?"

Without hesitation, she replied, "June of 2011."

"Thank you," TJ said. "Now, who did she report to that summer? Rather, who was her mentor during her internship?"

"After her first week, Hayden Justice was assigned as her mentor in the Marketing Department," Emily stated.

"Who assigned him?" TJ asked.

"That would have been Deborah Edmunds, vice president of Marketing at the time."

"Fine," TJ said. "Now, as you stated previously, under the internship program policies, Miss Hart would not have been eligible for the program the following summer. Can you please explain to this court why a nineteen-year-old college sophomore was chosen to return to Coastline Multimedia as a contract employee? How was that decision reached?"

This time, Emily glanced at the attorneys at the defense table and received nods before she answered, "Without disclosing any proprietary corporate information, I can tell you that our Marketing department personnel had a tendency to formulate market campaigns for clients that didn't fully take into account the physical and technological capabilities or limitations of the intended medium. One example would be the formulation of a marketing strategy that might work fine for a television commercial but didn't align with the customer's focus on billboard advertising only. During her time as an intern, Miss Hart demonstrated an exceptional ability to bridge the marketing vision with the capabilities of the various production groups. It was this skill that motivated Mrs. Edmunds to request that a contract position be created for Miss Hart so that the company could benefit from her services during her summer breaks."

"So," TJ pondered in front of the jury, "If Mrs. Edmunds was in charge of the Marketing department, why did Miss Hart receive her assignments from Mr. Justice?"

Emily Willis sighed and said, "Mr. Justice, Clint Justice that is, and three other executives of Coastline Multimedia, including Deborah Edmunds were killed in a small plane crash on March 3, 2012. While Hayden Justice assumed his father's position as President upon his death, his primary role for the next two years was running the Marketing department until a new vice president could be recruited. Fortunately, Corrine Justice was able to assume a greater role within the company to assist Hayden during this time."

"Mrs. Willis, in your opinion, how much influence did Hayden Justice have in getting Athena Hart her position as a contract employee?"

Emily shrugged and said, "It's not my opinion, but an undeniable fact that without Hayden Justice's influence, Athena Hart would not have become a contract employee at Coastline Multimedia for those two summers.?"

TJ smiled to himself as he asked, "Isn't it unprofessional and against Coastline's employment policies for a senior executive to basically 'hand-pick' someone like a contract employee?"

"Oh, yes," Emily agreed. "However, that isn't where Hayden exerted his influence. You see, Athena Hart originally turned down the contract position when a member of my staff offered it to her. Hayden Justice was able to convince Miss Hart to take the position. That's how he influenced her to become a contract employee."

"And how exactly did Mr. Justice persuade Miss Hart to accept the position?" TJ asked. "What did he say or do to influence her?"

"I'm sorry," Emily said. "I have no idea what he said to convince her. I'm just glad that he did. Athena was a real asset for Coastline during her short time with us."

Moving on, TJ asked, "Were you aware that Hayden Justice and Athena Hart were romantically involved with each other?"

"No."

"Oh, come on," TJ said in exasperation. "In the three summers that Hayden Justice and Athena Hart worked together, you never heard any rumors or saw any evidence that they might be romantically involved? No suspicions that this relationship between the two of them might be how he was able to influence her decision to take the contract employee position?"

Emily smirked at TJ and said, "In any sizeable organization there are often rumors about someone being involved with someone else. I can tell you that there were never any substantiated claims, reports, or evidence that Hayden Justice or Athena Hart acted inappropriately, either with each other or with any other employees of the company."

"What about outside of work?" TJ challenged. "Did you suspect that the two of them might have been involved when not at work?"

Emily considered the question more carefully than she had most others. She finally said, "I did suspect that there was some sort of connection between Hayden and Athena, but I didn't attribute it to anything other than two people who had worked closely together for several months having to deal with missing someone that they had grown fond of when the summer sessions ended."

TJ nodded and glanced back at Minerva before asking his next question, "Going back to the internship program, you said that the executives for each division select their own interns. Is that correct?"

"With my final approval, yes," Emily confirmed.

"What influence would Hayden Justice have over any of the decisions?"

Emily straightened her shoulders and said, "Obviously, as President of Coastline Multimedia, Hayden Justice could exert his influence over virtually every employee of the organization."

Facing the jury, he asked Emily, "Are you aware of any instances where an executive's selection of an internship candidate was influenced by Mr. Justice?"

"No, I am not," Emily stated emphatically.

"As your immediate superior," TJ countered, "Are you telling us that Hayden Justice couldn't influence your final decisions on which internship candidates got selected."

"That is exactly what I am telling you," Emily said. She then added, "Not that he has ever tried."

"Miss Lima testified that Hayden Justice singled her out during the orientation of the interns last summer. Was that something that he did each summer? Single out one of the female interns?"

Emily smiled and said, "No."

TJ paused momentarily before switching tracks, "Mrs. Willis, can you please tell this court about the security cameras positioned around the inside of all Coastline Multimedia facilities? What is their purpose?"

"What would you like to know?" Emily replied.

"Let's start," TJ said, "With you explaining why there are cameras installed in the first place."

"They are installed for corporate and employee security for the most part."

TJ nodded and asked, "What types of egregious security concerns warranted the installation of security cameras throughout Coastline's facilities?

Emily shrugged dismissively, "There were no security concerns per se. As with most companies, there are the typical concerns about the misappropriation of assets, but the video data captured by these cameras are most useful for us in evaluating employee performance in the various work environments so that ergonomic and operational adjustments can be made when necessary to improve and enhance the experience of our employees."

"Are you saying," TJ replied, "That these security cameras are not monitored?"

"Some are, some aren't. The video data captured by all the cameras gets stored on a server in our data center accessible only to corporate security and select members of my staff. If a manager or project team wants to review videos from a particular camera or set of cameras, they must submit a formal request detailing the purpose and scope of their request. Depending upon the type of request, either a member of our security team or a member of my staff will first review the requested video. If it is deemed to be non-sensitive and not intrusive to any particular employees, the requesting party will be sent a link to view the video."

"Who decides on where these cameras get placed?" TJ asked.

"It depends," Emily said. "The locations for static cameras are determined by our security team. These are the fixed cameras that monitor entrances, exits, shipping docks, hallways, and the like. These cameras are the ones continuously monitored by security. The dynamic cameras are placed at the request of my department based upon both a regular schedule to monitor each department periodically, as well as when a defined temporary need is submitted by a manager or project team."

"Can you give us an example of a 'defined temporary need'?" TJ asked.

Emily smiled and said, "Certainly. A perfect example is the case in my department right now where I requested that a camera be placed to monitor the activity associated with our multifunction copier. We are investigating whether it would be more efficient for the department to maintain a single, central device, or add smaller devices in multiple locations to minimize the traffic and increase productivity for the employees."

TJ nodded, "To the best of your recollection, can you tell us if there was a camera monitoring the production print department at any time during the internship of Carlotta Lima?"

Nodding, Emily said, "When I became aware of the charges against Mr. Justice, I had all of the video captured throughout the company reviewed by both our security team and members of my staff to identify any incidents that might have been captured where an interaction between Mr. Justice and Miss Lima could have occurred..."

"You had all of the videos from all cameras reviewed?" TJ asked.

"Yes. This is the same video data that we provided to your law firm when subpoenaed." Emily confirmed.

"And what did your review of all of this video show you, Mrs. Willis?"

"That no interactions between Mr. Justice and Miss Lima were captured on any of the cameras during her internship period."

"Did that surprise you?"

"Not in the least," Emily stated.

"And why is that?"

Emily wanted to say, "Because the charges are bogus and made up," but she replied instead, "An intern is typically expected to remain predominantly in their assigned department where their mentor is. Since there was no dynamic camera present in the production print department during Miss Lima's internship period, which is where she claims every interaction with Mr. Justice occurred, it isn't surprising that there is no video of these interactions."

"Would Mr. Justice, as President of the company, know when and where all cameras were located within Coastline facilities?" TJ inquired.

"Not unless he asked for that information," Emily said.

"To your knowledge," TJ said, "At any time during Miss Lima's internship, did Hayden Justice ask about the placement of any of the security cameras?"

Glancing once more at the defense table before answering, Emily said, "Near the end of June last year, Mr. Justice inquired into the feasibility of placing a dynamic camera into the warehouse for a few weeks to evaluate employee movements around an automated order-picking system being considered. He was concerned about employees sharing space and moving safely around these robotic devices. When he was informed that all existing cameras were already assigned to other tasks, he requested a list of those tasks to see if priorities could be rearranged for a few weeks."

TJ smiled at the jury before addressing Emily again, "To make certain that I am clear; near the end of June last year, while Carlotta Lima was an intern with the company, Hayden Justice received knowledge about where every security camera was located at Coastline Multimedia and how long it was scheduled to be in its current place. Is that correct?"

"Yes."

TJ continued, "Thus, Hayden Justice knew that any interactions between himself and Carlotta Lima would not be captured on video."

"Objection," Megan James exclaimed. "The question calls for speculation by the witness."

Judge Brunner didn't hesitate, "Sustained. The jury will disregard the question."

TJ sighed and rephrased his question, "Mrs. Willis, would the information available to Mr. Justice for the location of the security cameras provide him with the knowledge that no cameras were covering the area where Carlotta Lima was working as an intern?"

"Yes."

Glancing at Minerva, TJ saw her shaking her head. He turned to the judge and said, "I have no further questions at this time."

"Ms. James," the judge said, "Your witness."

Standing, Megan said, "Your Honor, the defense has no questions for the witness at this time but we reserve the right to recall her at a later time."

Judge Brunner nodded and said, "This appears to be a good time for us to break for lunch. Court will reconvene at 1:00 pm. Please be back on time."

Minerva had been splitting her attention between TJ's questioning of their witnesses and watching the responses from the defense table. With Hayden seated between Megan James and her co-counsel, they had the same challenges communicating as she and TJ did. As Hayden sat calmly between his two attorneys, they would frequently pass a legal pad back and forth, visibly collaborating on testimony and counter-strategies. They appeared to be a well-oiled legal machine.

The third person at the defense table, Hayden Justice. had ignored the presence of anyone not sitting next to him during the entire trial. He would keep his eyes on whoever was testifying but maintained an involved, yet impartial observer role. Minerva thought that he couldn't have looked suaver, collected, and self-assured if he had been wearing a tuxedo to the proceedings. Hayden Justice looked like a man without a care in the world.

Arriving at their table, TJ scanned the occupants of the courtroom and said, "It doesn't look like Ashanti has come back."

Minerva turned and made her own assessment of the crowd. This was the first time since the trial had begun that she had bothered to see who might be in attendance to watch the spectacle unfold besides the players themselves. The one person that she recognized who was worth noting was Corrine Justice. She was chatting animatedly with Emily Willis. It appeared that they were waiting for Hayden, or someone else, to join them for lunch.

"Come on," Minerva urged, "Let's get out of here and find something to eat real quick. We only have forty-five minutes and a lot to discuss before we turn things over to the defense."

TJ joined Minerva in packing up their files and other items on the table as he asked, "You don't intend to call Dr. Henry?"

"That's one of the things that we can discuss over lunch," Minerva said.

Dr. Melvin Henry was a professor at Spelman College in Atlanta. He was a renowned authority on the subject of Diversity, Inclusion, and Equality. Minerva had asked Dr. Henry to make himself available as an expert witness who could speak to the emotional and psychological impact a person could suffer as a result of actions that made them feel uncomfortable in the workplace.

Her problem at the moment was determining whether the jury would even listen to testimony regarding possible harm being inflicted on her client if her team had not been able to prove that Hayden Justice had both the opportunity and the motive to inflict said harm. Yes, she and TJ had a lot to discuss in a very short time.

Unfortunately for TJ, Minerva's mind would not be on the Carlotta Lima case for much longer. As Minerva, Carlotta, and TJ stepped into the courthouse hallway, a smartly dressed woman stepped in front of them and addressed Minerva.

"Excuse me, are you Minerva Hart?"

"Yes, I am," Minerva answered impatiently, "But I don't have time..."

The woman thrust a manilla envelope into Minerva's free hand and said, "You have been served."

Chapter Fourteen

When they saw that the defense team had switched the position of the two attorneys after they returned from lunch, Minerva and TJ followed suit. They had discussed this possibility over lunch and agreed that Minerva could be more aggressive in questioning the defense's witnesses without appearing vindictive about her sister. They didn't know if the defense's questioning strategy would be different with Wally Hughes rather than Megan James, but they were as prepared as they could be regardless.

Before taking her seat in the lead counsel position at the plaintiff's table, Minerva turned and studied the public seating area of the courtroom. Her eyes locked on Corrine Justice's for only a second, but it was long enough to generate a smile and a wave from the woman. Minerva didn't return the smile. She wasn't feeling the least bit friendly towards the woman who had just had her served with a petition seeking authorization for a "Grandparent DNA Test" to be administered on the minor child, Alexander Hart.

Neither Minerva nor TJ thought that being served with the petition while she was involved in litigation against Corrine's son was a coincidence. It was, in their opinion, a blatant attempt to distract Minerva and to take her focus off the current case. Minerva had to admit that this strategy had been partially successful over lunch since she and TJ had wasted valuable time even discussing it, but now that she was back in the courtroom, Minerva's mind was one hundred percent in the game on this case.

After he had reentered and everyone had taken their seats, Judge Brunner took notice of the new attorney positions at both tables. He glanced down at his notes and then addressed Minerva, "Ms. Hart, are you ready to call your next witness?"

Minerva rose from her seat and confidently announced, "Your Honor, the plaintiff rests."

"Very well. Mr. Hughes, you may call your first witness."

"Thank you, your Honor," Hughes said as he took the floor. "We would like to call Greg Carey to the stand."

A tall, slender man walked to the witness stand and was sworn in while Wally Hughes waited at the defense table. As soon as the witness was seated, Hughes approached.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Carey," Hughes began. "Can you please state your occupation?"

"I am a barber and owner of Greg's Looking Good Barber Shop in Surfside Beach, South Carolina."

"Thank you. I would like to ask whether or not you are acquainted with the defendant, Mr. Hayden Justice."

Carey smiled at the defense table and said, "Yes, I have been cutting Hayden's hair for more than five years now."

Minerva rose, "Objection, your Honor. We see no relevance in these questions or this witness. Mr. Justice's hair is not on trial here. The defense is wasting the court's time and attempting to cloud the issues of this case in the jury's minds."

Though she doubted that the judge would sustain her objection, part of the strategy that she and TJ had discussed over lunch was for her to be as disruptive to the questioning of their witnesses as possible in the hope that they would falter out of frustration.

Wally Hughes appeared to recognize the attempt for what it was because he stood still and remained silent waiting for Judge Brunner to respond.

"Counselor," Judge Brunner said to Hughes, "is there a purpose to this line of questioning?"

"There is, your Honor. The plaintiff has alleged that my client singled her out for comments about her hair and implied that these comments were inappropriate. This witness is in the unique position as my client's barber, which allows him to enlighten us on Mr. Justice's viewpoint where different hairstyles are concerned."

Addressing Minerva, Judge Brunner said, "I will allow it."

Minerva silently took her seat and began making notes on her legal pad. Hughes returned his focus back to his witness.

"Now, Mr. Carey," Hughes resumed, "How frequently do you see Mr. Justice in your barber shop?"

Carey answered immediately, "Hayden comes in every four weeks like clockwork. I think I would be accurate if I said that I saw him in my shop twelve times each year."

Hughes nodded, "So, since first meeting Mr. Justice, would you say that he has visited your barber shop approximately sixty times?"

"Oh, easily," Carey agreed.

Reviewing his notes, Hughes then asked, "Can you recall whether Mr. Justice frequents your barber shop at approximately the same time on each visit? Does he have a standing appointment or something?"

Smiling broadly, Carey replied, "I don't generally make appointments for my customers since my business is predominantly walk-ins. Hayden always comes by right about lunchtime. He knows that on busier days I might not get a chance to go out for something to eat, so he always brings us both a sandwich from Dagwood's Deli when he comes in."

"Would it be safe to assume from this practice of bringing you both lunch," Hughes asked, "that Mr. Justice spends more time in your barber shop during his visits than the typical customer?"

Greg Carey laughed at that question before answering, "Heck yeah! There have been times when I have had to practically kick him out after several hours of him hanging around."

Hughes chuckled and said, "You must deliver some pretty intricate haircuts."

Carey shook his head, "Actually, I'm pretty old-school. The typical haircut at my shop has the customer in and out of the chair within fifteen to twenty minutes. I don't do shampoos or any of those elaborate styles because I typically have too many other customers waiting for a simple haircut. Beard trimming and razor shaves around the ears and neck are about the only options that I offer customers."

Hughes stroked his chin in a melodramatic questioning gesture that had Minerva rolling her eyes. He asked, "Then what would motivate a customer such as Mr. Justice to hang around your barber shop for hours?"

Shrugging, Carey said, "Hayden is a very friendly and sociable guy. He can, and often does strike up a conversation with a total stranger while waiting his turn in my chair, or he'll insinuate himself into an existing conversation. Once he gets interested in a particular discussion, Hayden can be like a dog with a bone; he won't let it go."

"Can you give us an example?" Hughes asked.

"Sure. Well, since we're talking about a barber shop setting, typically full of only guys, the topics of conversation usually range from sports to cars, motorcycles, hunting, and occasionally politics, but I try to keep that topic limited to local politics only..."

Hughes interrupted his witness, "Can you recall a conversation topic where Mr. Justice got involved in the discussion being about hair or hairstyles?"

"Yeah, that happens frequently with Hayden."

Hughes focused his eyes on the jury when he asked his witness, "Can you share with us an example of one of these discussions on hair that involved Mr. Justice? When was it and what was the impetus for his interest?"

Carey thought for a moment and said, "Yeah, I can give a perfect example. It was three years ago during the last week of May. I remember because it was just before Memorial Day weekend and all the bikers were arriving in the area for the Atlantic Beach Bike Week events..."

"That would be what is commonly referred to as 'Black Bike Week', correct?" Hughes asked, seeking clarification from Carey for the jury."

If Carey was annoyed by the interruption, he didn't show it, "Right. So, when Hayden showed up around noon with our lunch, there were six bikers in my shop waiting for haircuts, plus the one already in my chair. Neither Hayden nor I wanted to eat in front of the other customers, so he took a seat and began chatting with those waiting. These guys had all come in as a group, so when I finished with one of them, he would hang around to wait for the rest of his friends to get their haircuts. Over the course of a couple of hours, Hayden had a chance to speak to each of them individually and as a group."

"Are you telling us that Mr. Justice discussed topics related to hair with seven black bikers for a couple of hours?"

Shaking his head again, Carey explained, "No, of course not. I believe the first discussion where hair was the topic was started by Hayden when he asked the guy who was in the chair when he arrived was finished and he took a seat to wait for his friends. He had to move his helmet off the chair to sit down and Hayden took notice of that. He then asked the biker what influence wearing a motorcycle helmet had on how long or short he had his hair cut. That started a conversation among the entire group and Hayden about the pros and cons of different hairstyles for black men who rode bikes."

"Weren't any of these men offended by a white man judging their hairstyle choices?" Hughes asked.

Carey laughed again, "Are you kidding? They were all laughing, teasing one another, and including Hayden as if he was one of their best friends. Those guys have been coming back every year since, always asking where Hayden is, and reminiscing about the time that they spent together. They really respected Hayden for expressing an interest in them. They didn't feel like he was judging them at all. He made life-long friends that day."

Once more directing his response to the jurors, Hughes simply said, "Impressive." He then asked Carey, "Can you recall other instances where Mr. Justice had conversations with your customers about their hair or hairstyle?"

"Not in as much detail," Carey admitted. "Hayden is never shy about asking someone about their hairstyle choice, their tattoos, their piercings, or any other attribute that he finds interesting or curious."

"And your customers don't mind?" Hughes asked. "I mean, aren't you concerned that Mr. Justice's intrusive questions or comments to your customers might prompt them not to come back?"

"Not in the least, because nothing that Hayden has ever asked or said has been perceived by anyone as intrusive, judgmental, condescending, or offensive by anyone. His discussions are always extremely respectful to the person and he never offers anything but acceptance, and frequently praise for choices people make relative to their appearance. He makes my customers feel better, and that is good for my business."

Hughes turned and walked back to the defense table, He was already halfway seated when he said, "I have no further questions, your Honor."

Before Judge Brunner could reply, Minerva shot to her feet and walked briskly to face the witness stand. Her tone wasn't confrontational, but it left no doubt in anyone's mind that it was a voice meant to intimidate most people.

"Mr. Carey, do you have a degree in sociology, psychiatry, psychology, or any other field that qualifies you to speak authoritatively to the thoughts or feelings of other people in specific circumstances?"

Carey was anything but nonplussed when he replied, "No, I am merely a licensed barber. However, much like bartenders, a major component of our job is the ability to read people and their emotions. After years of being a sounding board for all manner of human angst, I think I do pretty well at understanding people."

Minerva waved a dismissive hand and said, "People, huh? Mr. Carey, please tell this court how many women are served in your barber shop each year."

"That would be zero," Carey admitted. "Except for the occasional mother bringing her young son in for a haircut, I do not have any women customers."

Minerva nodded at the answer and asked, "Do you not consider women to be people, Mr. Carey?"

Sitting straighter and brandishing a scowl on his face, Greg Carey replied, "Of course, I do."

"Then please explain to us how you can claim to, and I quote from your testimony, 'understand people', when the only people that you serve are men? Are you telling us that with literally no female customers for you to 'read' the thoughts and emotions of in a specific circumstance, how you understand them as well as you claim to do for a man?"

Hughes stood, "Objection, your Honor. Ms. Hart is badgering the witness."

"Overruled," Judge Brunner replied. "Please continue, Ms. Hart."

Leaving her previous question unanswered, except she hoped, for in the minds of the jurors, Minerva asked, "Mr. Carey, do you have a wife, and maybe a daughter?"

"I am married, but we have no children," Carey replied.

"Thank you. Mr. Carey, do you feel that all of the discussions that take place within your barber shop are appropriate for mixed company? Would you, for example, want your wife exposed to some of them?"

Carey shook his head and said, "Even with some of the more innocent topics of conversation, the customers can get rather bawdy at times. But it is precisely because there are no women present that many of them feel comfortable with their behavior and words they use."

Minerva nodded at his answer and continued, "So would you agree that certain topics of discussion are not suitable for every environment? Things discussed in your barber shop might not be appropriate for discussion in say, a place of work. Would you agree?"

"Yes," Carey agreed, "but there are things discussed in a church that are similarly inappropriate for a place of work."

Minerva turned to the judge, "Your Honor, I ask that the witness' last statement be stricken from the record."

Judge Brunner gave instructions to the clerk before addressing the witness, "Mr. Carey, you are to answer the questions posed without extrapolation. Do you understand?"

"Yes, your Honor."

Picking up where she had left off, Minerva rephrased her question, "Do you feel that certain topics discussed within the confines of your barber shop would be appropriate for discussion in a place of work?"

Carey considered his words, and said, "Not unless that place of work was another barbershop or place of work with only a similar audience as a barber shop."

"So," Minerva asked, "Would it be reasonable to assume that at a place of work, say someplace like Coastline Multimedia, there could be a person who took offense to a discussion about hairstyles? A simple yes or no will suffice."

"Yes," Carey answered reluctantly.

"I have no further questions for this witness, your Honor," Minerva said over her shoulder as she returned to her chair.

Hayden had little choice where watching Minerva Hart cross-examining Greg Carey was concerned. Her position in front of the witness stand placed her almost directly in front of his field of vision and looking elsewhere would have made his avoidance of her obvious to the members of the jury.

It was still hard for Hayden not to envision a more mature version of Athena every time he saw Minerva, but seeing her dressed in a tailored business suit at least offered something foreign to what he had always seen Athena wearing. As stunningly beautiful and professional as Minerva looked in her courtroom attire, it was far different from the more casual business dresses and slacks with blouse combinations that Athena had worn while working.

The difference that struck Hayden most significantly between the sisters was the confidence and self-assuredness that Minerva possessed compared to the almost timid and reserved presence that Athena had displayed while around other people. When she and Hayden had been alone, Athena was so much more alive. She was decisive and confident; the one to set the pace for their relationship and who made most of the choices for how they would spend their time together.

There had been hundreds of times over the past ten years when Hayden had wished that he had never met Athena Hart. It was difficult for him to reconcile the sweet, affectionate, loving behavior that Athena had exhibited over those three summers with the total and utter betrayal that she had rained down on his world. She had broken his heart, destroyed his willingness to trust, and crushed his spirit so completely that he couldn't look back on what he once thought were good memories of their time together without feeling regret for having even known her.

After their dinner at Maggi D's, when he had initially thought about how much he had enjoyed his time with Minerva Hart, the old Elvis Presley song, "Little Sister" had popped into Hayden's head. Watching her question Greg Carey with the clear objective of winning the case against him, Hayden accepted once more the fact that Minerva was likely just as cruel and deceitful as her older sister had been. He had been blind-sided by one Hart girl. He would not allow another one to beat him.

Hayden felt warm breath on his left ear just before he heard Megan whisper, "Only a few more people before we put you on. Are you still okay with testifying?"

He simply nodded as Wally Hughes called his next witness. Isaac King was a jovial and well-liked supervisor in the customer service department at Coastline Multimedia. An immigrant from Jamaica as a teenager, Isaac embodied the happy-go-lucky, laid-back attitude of his native island culture. He was a hard worker and was frequently recognized for his willingness to assist others with virtually any work-related task.

Hayden didn't know Isaac well, but they had chatted and joked around over various topics for years whenever they did happen to run into one another. One common topic of discussion between them had frequently been the style of Isaac's long, kinky hair, which he changed almost weekly. Hayden and Isaac had shared many discussions about whether natural locks that formed from the long strands of his kinky hair should be braided into dreadlocks.

Isaac testified under questioning by Hughes that he enjoyed experimenting with different hairstyles and appreciated Hayden and others taking notice of the changes when they occurred. He stated that he couldn't understand someone going to the trouble of styling their hair, which was such a visible component of one's appearance, and then taking offense when someone commented on it.

For her part, Minerva focused her questions to Isaac on getting him to admit that his tolerance for comments about his hair was his alone and could not be construed as something that other people, in particular women, would be expected to emulate.

Chapter Fifteen

Minerva and TJ felt that the defense team had done an adequate job of demonstrating to the jury that Hayden Justice had a well-established tendency to discuss hairstyles with people without judgment and in a manner that made the people feel positive about themselves. Minerva and TJ had to prove that not everyone shared the same tolerance for discussions or comments on physical attributes that they viewed as more personal, and for some, those attributes included their hair. She believed that they were accomplishing that, especially since the defense had only presented male witnesses so far.

While she had been involved with Ashanti Cox's discrimination case, Minerva had allowed Lana and TJ to depose the defense witnesses. It was these documented depositions, along with the questions posed by the defense team to their witnesses that allowed Minerva to formulate her cross-examination strategy and questions. This next witness hadn't appeared to leave her with much room to counter what she expected the defense team to ask.

"The defense would like to call Madison Reese," Hughes announced.

The eyes of everyone in the courtroom followed the movements of the beautiful, tall brunette woman as she approached the witness stand. When she turned so that her face was visible to her, Minerva was surprised by what she saw. From the deposition and information available to her, Minerva knew that the woman was twenty-nine, but with her stunningly beautiful facial features, her hair in a "Bobby Sox" ponytail, little make-up evident, and her smallish figure, she could have worked as a teen model anywhere in the world. Minerva imagined that most people in the courtroom were probably wondering if this innocent-looking "debutante" had recently had her coming out party.

Wally Hughes waited patiently at the defense table for his witness to be sworn in. He then calmly approached her and said, "Good afternoon, Mrs. Reese. Can you please state for the court where you work and what your occupation is?"

Smiling warmly, Madison Reese replied, "I work in the accounting department at Coastline Multimedia. I am a senior financial analyst."

"Thank you. How long have you worked at Coastline?"

"Fourteen years, eleven months, 16 days, and..." Madison checked her watch, "five hours."

Laughter erupted in the courtroom at the look of surprise on Hughes' face. He jokingly asked, "Could you please be a little more specific next time, Mrs. Reese?"

There was more laughter from the courtroom. Hughes waited for it to subside before asking his next question, "Working at Coastline Multimedia for so many years, how well do you know Mr. Hayden Justice?"

"I know HO, I mean Hayden very well. He's the one who encouraged me to apply at Coastline while I was still in high school. I worked part-time in the mail room during my last two years of high school and all through college. Once I had my business degree, I went to work full-time in the accounting department."

Nodding, Hughes said, "Well, that certainly explains your accuracy with numbers. Tell me, do you find yourself interacting with Mr. Justice on a regular basis?"

Madison smiled warmly in Hayden's direction and said, "It is a rare day that Hayden and I don't exchange at least a couple of e-mails related to a financial question or other work-related matter. We probably see each other in person once or twice a week in meetings, and I have been providing him with the weekly financial reports in person for almost four years now."

"Thank you. Now, Mrs. Reese, I'm going to make a statement about your appearance, and then ask you a question. Please take no offense to what I say or ask."

Raising her eyebrow in a questioning expression, Madison merely nodded for Hughes to continue.

"Mrs. Reese, I assume that you recognize that most people would consider you a very beautiful woman. Whether you agree with that assessment or not, in all the time that you have known Hayden Justice, has he ever made a comment to you that you felt was inappropriate or unwelcome?"

"No, he hasn't."

"Has Mr. Justice ever made unwelcomed physical contact with you?"

"No, he hasn't."

"Has Mr. Justice ever complimented your appearance?"

"Yes, probably hundreds of times."

"Can you give the court an example of a compliment that you received from Mr. Justice which didn't make you feel uncomfortable?"

Madison thought for only a moment before responding, "The compliments from Hayden that stand out in my mind the most are those that occurred during my two pregnancies. Most women who are pregnant feel unattractive and anything but beautiful. Hayden would make a point every time he saw me during my pregnancies to tell me how beautiful my pregnancy made me. He would comment on how radiant I looked, how my hair had a little extra shine, and how beautiful my child was going to be with me as its mother."

"Dear God," thought Minerva, along with probably everyone else in the courtroom. This woman, with the body of a teenage model, just admitted to having been pregnant, not once, but twice! How had she retained such a slender and sexy figure after bearing two children?

Facing the jury once more, Hughes asked, "And these comments didn't feel creepy to you? I mean, here was a man who wasn't your husband commenting on your body, your hair, and your future children's appearance..."

"Believe me," Madison said, "the same comments from almost anyone else, especially a strange man would have definitely been creepy. But, with Hayden, I always knew that the compliments were sincere and from his heart. He went out of his way to say things that would make me feel better about being pregnant; about losing my figure, feeling bloated and ugly, and being afraid for the health of my unborn child. Hayden is one of those rare individuals who genuinely wants people to see themselves better, and he endeavors to do what he can to help others accomplish that."

Turning back to face Madison, Hughes said, "You sound like you have witnessed Mr. Justice complimenting others..."

Madison laughed, and said, "It would be hard not to. Do you know that Coastline Multimedia has been recognized by several national HR associations in the past few years for our employee recognition and incentive programs? Those are all Hayden's doing. Besides weekly, monthly, and yearly recognition of employees from each department for their outstanding job performance, Hayden established programs that recognize teamwork, diversity, volunteerism, and several other attributes of employee behavior that make employees feel valued. Hayden doesn't stop there, though. He is very hands-on; spending time throughout the organization, and speaking with employees about their lives as well as their jobs. I would be surprised if there were even two employees at Coastline Multimedia who hadn't received a personal compliment from Hayden Justice in the last month."

Returning his focus to the jury, Hughes said, "So if I might summarize your statements, Mrs. Reese, you have been complimented by Hayden Justice on several occasions and never been offended by him. You have also never had any unwelcomed or inappropriate physical contact from Mr. Justice. And finally, you have personally witnessed Mr. Justice providing sincere compliments to other employees that were appreciated and not found to be objectionable. Is that an accurate summary of your testimony?"

"Yes, it is."

"I have no further questions, your Honor."

When he saw Minerva shoot to her feet, Judge Brunner didn't bother to give permission for her to cross-examine the witness. He just grinned at the determined expression on Minerva's face as she passed Wally Hughes heading back to the defense table.

"Mrs. Reese," Minerva began before she had even reached the witness stand, "At what age did you start working at Coastline Multimedia?

"I was seventeen," Madison replied.

"And, when you started at Coastline Multimedia, how long had you been dating Hayden Justice?"

Minerva was following a hunch and was expecting it to draw an objection from the defense, so she was as surprised as the judge when no objection was forthcoming.

Madison Reese wasn't flustered by the question in the least. She replied, "Hayden was two years ahead of me in high school. We dated each other exclusively during my sophomore year, which was his senior year. Once he started at CCU, we would only see each other on occasion and dated other people in between."

Minerva pressed for the answer that she wanted, "Mrs. Reese, were you and Hayden Justice still dating when you began working at Coastline Multimedia?"

"As I said," Madison replied, "We were still dating on occasion, but we were no longer exclusively dating just each other."

"Thank you. Please tell the court how long after starting at Coastline did you and Hayden Justice continue to date?"

"I think I would need you to clarify for me what you consider a 'date'," Madison replied. "Hayden and I have lunches together still, which some might consider a 'date'..."

Minerva smiled and said, "Why don't you share with us what your definition of a 'date' is, Mrs. Reese? Are the 'dates' that you and Mr. Justice go on now the same as when you were both in high school?"

Pursing her lips as she considered the question, Madison Reese took several seconds before answering, "To me, a 'date' is time that two people have set aside for each other. It is an entry in a calendar or an appointment book that blocks out the specific time for two people to share."

Minerva studied Madison for several seconds before stating, "Well, that certainly is a very analytical definition of dating." Turning to face the jury, she said, "Remind me to never date an accountant."

As several of the jurors started laughing, the judge frowned at Minerva. He was once again surprised by the lack of an objection from the defense counsel.

"Mrs. Reese," Minerva continued, "Please clarify for the court whether you and Hayden Justice were ever romantically involved, meaning intimate with each other, or were you just filling times in each other's appointment books."

Smiling more wistfully than either defense attorney would have liked, Madison said, "While we were dating exclusively in high school were intimate with each other after I turned eighteen. He was my first lover."

"And after high school?" Minerva asked. "Did you have intimate relations with Hayden Justice any time after you were no longer exclusive with each other?"

"Yes."

Getting nothing further, Minerva prodded, "When was the last time that you and Hayden Justice had sex, Mrs. Reese?"

"May 31, 2011," Madison stated emphatically.

"I see," Minerva said, almost as surprised by the witness' specific statement as Hughes had been. "And, was there a reason why your relationship with Hayden Justice changed after that last time the two of you had sex?"

Madison caught Hayden's eye as she answered, "Yes, because Hayden fell in love with someone else shortly after that."

"Bingo", Minerva thought. "Mrs. Reese, do you know who Hayden Justice fell in love with at that time?"

"Athena Hart," is all the reply that was offered.

"The intern from Clemson University?" Minerva asked. "That Athena Hart?"

Minerva faced the jury once more as she asked Madison Reese, "Are you telling this court that Hayden Justice stopped having intimate relations with you when he started having intimate relations with an intern at Coastline Multimedia?"

"Objection, your Honor. Counsel is leading the witness."

Judge Brunner didn't hesitate in responding, "Sustained. Please rephrase your question, Ms. Hart."

Nodding at the judge, Minerva asked, "To your knowledge, did Hayden Justice and Athena Hart have an intimate relationship similar to what you and he had?"

"Hayden told me that they did, but I have no first-hand knowledge of it," Madison replied.

"Just to be clear," Minerva pressed, "Hayden Justice admitted to you that he had sex with Athena Hart while she was an intern at Coastline Multimedia."

Shaking her head, Madison said, "I can't answer that. Hayden never told me when the two of them became intimate. It might have been while Athena was an intern, but it also might have been later."

"Let me back up then," Minerva said. "When did Hayden Justice confide in you that he and Athena Hart had been in an intimate relationship?"

"June 11, 2016," Madison answered.

Minerva raised an eyebrow and said, "You really are a stickler for remembering dates. How can you be so positive that it was June 11^th?"

"That one is easy," Madison smiled. "It was my wedding day. Hayden and I danced during the reception and I kept prodding him about why he was so down; asking why he was upset. We sat together away from the crowd after our dance and he explained how my wedding brought back dreams that he had once had for him and Athena. He then told me how they had broken up and about her having been pregnant."

Minerva turned to face Hayden sitting at the defense table. Their eye's met for everyone in the courtroom to see as she asked Madison, "Hayden Justice admitted to you that Athena Hart was pregnant with his child when they broke up?"

"No," Madison replied. "What he told me was that they had broken up because she was pregnant. He said that he wished that he had never met Athena and especially wished that they had never become as intimate as they had."

"I'm sure he did," Minerva said with a smirk. She turned back to face the witness and asked, "Other witnesses have stated that they never saw any sign of a personal relationship existing between Hayden Justice and Athena Hart. Did you ever observe the two of them together acting as more than work colleagues?"

"No."

Minerva nodded and asked, "So, your only knowledge of them being involved in an intimate relationship comes from Hayden Justice's admissions to you, correct?"

"Yes. I never saw Hayden acting any different around Athena Hart than he did with any other employee."

"What about when the two of you were dating?" Minerva asked. "Were others at Coastline Multimedia aware of your sometimes intimate relationship with Hayden Justice?"

Thinking for a moment, Madison then answered, "If they did, it wasn't from them observing any inappropriate actions by either of us while at work. I mean, I shared certain details of my personal life with some women friends that I worked with, and Hayden might have said something to someone too, but I doubt it. I knew that he dated other girls from time to time only because he told me he was busy or otherwise committed a few times when I wanted us to get together. I never heard anything about him from anyone else, so I suspect that no one ever heard anything from him about us either."

"There was never any physical contact between you and Hayden Justice during the work day?" Minerva asked. "Or was the physical contact well hidden from other employees?"

"Ms. Hart," Madison said, "If you have done any research into Hayden at all, you would know that he is a warm and friendly individual who wears his heart on his sleeve and isn't the least bit hesitant to express himself through physical contact with others. He never forces himself upon another person, but he is always more than willing to shake a person's hand, give them a pat on the back in praise, or embrace either man or woman if that is their desire and what they feel comfortable with. Hayden and I have been friends for more than a decade. Neither of us feels the least bit uncomfortable greeting one another with a hug, walking arm-in-arm, or kissing each other on the cheek. We don't flaunt our friendship at work, but we don't hide it either. I am happily married and that is a fact that I do flaunt, with the loving help of my husband, and even sometimes Hayden. My husband, Brett, also works for Coastline as a field supervisor and makes frequent visits to my office just to see me. Hayden has always gone out of his way to invite Brett to join us when we have business lunches even if the topics of discussion don't involve him in his role with the company. Brett and I both recognize that Hayden does everything he can to protect the reputations of all of us and to demonstrate to other employees that our relationship is completely above-board and appropriate in every way. So, to answer your question more succinctly; yes, there is frequent physical contact between Hayden and me at work, and no, we do not hide it."

Minerva had folded her arms across her chest as she listened to the witness. When Madison was finished, Minerva dropped her arms and focused once again on the jury as she said, "Mrs. Reese, you have just testified to this court that Hayden Justice has possibly been violating the written policy of Coastline Multimedia related to fraternization between coworkers for more than a decade. Do you think, or do you believe that Hayden Justice thinks, that such rules don't apply to his actions?"

Madison shrugged and asked, "Isn't fraternization typically associated with romantic or sexual relationships between co-workers? Hayden and I are merely friends."

"Mrs. Reese," Minerva said, "You testified earlier that your intimate relationship with Hayden Justice began while you were still in high school and continued on an occasional basis until May 31, 2011, during all or part of which time you both were employees of Coastline Multimedia. Do you remember that testimony or do I need to ask the court reporter to read it back to you?"

"I remember."

"Thank you, Mrs. Reese. I have no further questions, your Honor."

Chapter Sixteen

Barely able to hide her smugness, Minerva flashed only a minor glance toward Hayden as she returned to her seat.

Judge Brunner asked, "Does the defense wish to redirect?"

Answering for both attorneys, Wally Hughes said, "Not at this time, your, Honor."

"Then we'll take a fifteen-minute break before you call your next witness," the judge announced.

"I'm going to go to the bathroom," Carlotta said as she rose. TJ and Minerva remained seated.

"Fine," Minerva told her client, "But don't talk to anyone without myself or TJ with you. Got it?"

Nodding, Carlotta headed for the courtroom exit. TJ leaned closer to Minerva into the space recently occupied by their client.

"How'd you know that Justice and that last witness had been involved?" TJ asked. "It wasn't brought up in her deposition."

"Just a hunch," Minerva explained. "I saw the way that she kept looking at him, trying to catch his eye the whole time that she was being sworn in."

TJ nodded as he watched Minerva return to a review of her notes. He whispered, "It helps us, that's for certain. Now the jury has been told that Justice has had affairs with two separate women that work for his company. That will play well into our closing argument to prove that he has a predatory history at Coastline. Do you think they'll risk putting him on the stand?"

Minerva tapped the file folder in front of her and said, "That's what I'm hoping. Why don't you go take a quick break while I look over his deposition responses again."

"There isn't any way that they can't put him on the stand," Minerva thought as she scanned the deposition's notes. The jury would need to hear the defendant explain his alleged actions or they would likely assume the charges were valid. Minerva was prepared to demolish any excuse or attempt at an explanation that could justify Hayden Justice abusing her client through his words and actions. She would get justice for Athena and Alex by ripping Hayden Justice apart for her client.

"Excuse me, may I ask you a question?"

Minerva didn't have to look up to see who was speaking, "What can I do for you, Ms. James?"

Megan James waited for Minerva to at least look up from her document before continuing, "I'm wondering if you know whether Ashanti Cox is still here."

"Why?" Minerva asked suspiciously. "I thought that you had completed your cross-examination."

"I thought that we had," Megan explained. "Subsequent testimony has raised additional questions, however, and I will be asking for Mrs. Cox to retake the stand after the break. Is that a problem?"

"Damn," Minerva thought. Although it wasn't technically her or TJ's responsibility to keep tabs on witnesses that they had subpoenaed, it could reflect badly on them with the judge and jury if a witness associated with them had left the court without permission from the judge. She also had a niggling in her gut that if Ashanti Cox wasn't available to answer any new questions that Megan James had, Carlotta would be called back to the stand as an alternate witness. That could open her up to exposure to the perjurious testimony from her earlier time on the stand.

"I'll ask my associate to try and locate Mrs. Cox," Minerva offered Megan James. "Is there anything else that I can assist you with?"

Smiling at the obvious discomfort that this conversation had created in her opposing counsel, Megan said, "Nope, that's all for now."

Minerva picked up her cell phone and sent a joint text to Lana and TJ: "FIND ASHANTI COX AND GET HER BACK TO COURT!"

Carlotta returned before TJ, so Minerva took the time to warn her that she might be called back to the stand by the defense, and whatever she did, do not tell any more lies.

TJ was shaking his head in silent response to the question on Minerva's face as he took his seat. He had seen no sign of Ashanti Cox in the hallway outside the courtroom. They had both received a text reply from Lana advising them that she would try calling Ashanti on her cell phone, but there had been nothing further on how successful that might have been.

Megan James and Wally Hughes were acting awfully jovial at the defense table when the judge reentered the courtroom. A happy defense team in a court of law was not something that Minerva was accustomed to seeing from her opposition. Studying Hayden Justice, he appeared as nonplus and unconcerned about the proceedings as he had from the very beginning of the trial.

Minerva's spirits were buoyed when the first words out of Wally Hughes' mouth once the judge had called the court to order were, "I would like to call Hayden Justice to the stand."

For the first time, Minerva questioned her jury selection strategy. If she could have read minds, Minerva wouldn't have been surprised at that moment if all eight female jurors were thinking how wonderful it would be to bear Hayden Justice's children for him. The lustful admiration evident in their expressions as the tall, handsome, and well-dressed defendant walked to the witness stand was almost palpable for everyone to see.

Physically, Hayden Justice embodied the Greek, Roman, and Nordic gods that Minerva had grown up learning about and fantasizing about as the perfect male specimens for her to eventually partner with. She had witnessed first-hand the admiration, respect, and regard that others had exhibited for Hayden, and had initially admitted to herself that she had found this an attractive trait. However, unlike the women on the jury and in the courtroom, Minerva had seen the ugly underbelly of the beast that resided within Hayden Justice. She had seen what he had done to her sister.

Returning her focus to Wally Hughes, Minerva sat poised with her pen over the legal pad in front of her, preparing to make notes on every question posed to this witness.

"Mr. Justice," Hughes began, "You are currently the president of Coastline Multimedia, is that correct?"

Hayden kept his answers short and succinct, just as his legal team had advised him to do, "Yes".

"How long have you held your current position?"

Hayden hesitated before providing an answer, "I have held the title for twelve years. I have held the full responsibility of the position for the past ten years."

Hughes nodded and asked, "Can you explain the difference you mentioned between holding the title and holding full responsibility for the position?"

"The corporate bylaws require the position of President to be filled. When my father died, I assumed the title, but I was still in school and there was no way that I was prepared to assume the actual responsibilities of the position. My mother stepped up and managed the operations of the company until I graduated and could assume full responsibility for the role."

"So," Hughes clarified, "For the past ten years, you have been the head of Coastline Multimedia?"

"Not exactly," Hayden explained. "I have been responsible for the daily operations of the company, but my mother, as CEO, has final authority over everything. Coastline Multimedia is a privately held corporation. When my father died, I inherited forty-nine percent of the corporate stock with my mother retaining her original fifty percent, plus one, giving her control with fifty-one percent. Although she is mostly retired, I still answer to her."

"So," Hughes asked, "Is it reasonable to assume that you are the one who makes the majority of the decisions on policies, personnel, contracts, and business operations, with occasional input or advice from the CEO?"

"You could assume that, yes."

Hughes smiled and faced the jury as he asked, "Would it also be reasonable to assume that the financial success of the corporation, the stability and low turn-over of your workforce, and the numerous awards for recognition that Coastline has received are due to your leadership?"

"I would never assume that," Hayden said. "I know that our success is due entirely to the contributions of each and every employee of the company. I am just the figurehead; the face of the company that receives the visible recognition."

With almost anyone else, Minerva would have rolled her eyes at the humility of that response, but she saw the same sincerity in Hayden Justice as he gave his answer that the rest of the courtroom did.

Hughes turned back to face Hayden as his continence took on a more serious expression, "Mr. Justice, Mrs. Willis, your vice president of HR testified earlier that you are very 'hands-on', yet you are now deferring credit for the success of the company to the employees rather than yourself. How can that be? Either you are personally involved and making the decisions as Mrs. Willis implied, or you're not?"

"You make a valid point," Hayden said with a bright smile. "Let me say it this way; if something goes wrong, it's my fault, if something goes right, it's the employees' fault. They are the ones who implement and execute whatever I or their managers come up with. I believe in placing credit where credit is due, and in the case of Coastline's success, that place is with the employees."

"Once again," Hughes said, "That's very noble of you. However, we are here today because of accusations placing you at complete fault, are we not?"

"Yes, we are."

Hughes returned to the defense table and picked up a folder. He returned with it to face Hayden, "I want to make certain that I get the testimony correct."

Reading from the folder, Hughes said, "Ms. Lima claims that from June 4^th through August 17^th of last year, your continuously made unwelcomed comments about her hair. Do you agree with these allegations?"

"No."

Hughes continued reading, "Ms. Lima further claims that on August 17^th of last year, you physically accosted her by touching her hair without her consent to, as she stated, 'brush it out from in front of her eyes'. Do you agree with this allegation?"

"No."

"Furthermore," Hughes said, "Mrs. Cox alleges that she witnessed the incident on August 17^th and corroborates the testimony of Ms. Lima. So, I ask you, Mr. Justice, why would these women lie?"

Hayden casually shrugged and said, "I have no idea what motivates people to do certain things, so I can't answer your question. I mean, why do some people claim to see Big Foot or UFOs?"

"I see," said Hughes. "Mr. Justice, before I ask you my final question, I just want to clarify for the jury that you deny making unwanted comments to, or having any physical contact with Ms. Lima, before, during, or after her internship period at Coastline Multimedia."

Hayden nodded, "That is correct."

"Thank you. Now, Mr. Justice, I need you to explain to the court the instructions that you provided to myself and Ms. James related to your cross-examination by the plaintiff's legal counsel."

Hayden stared so piercingly at Minerva as he spoke that she had to break eye contact and stare down at her legal pad. She didn't miss his words, however.

"I have instructed you and Ms. James to not interrupt or object at any time during the questioning by Miss Lima's attorneys."

When Hayden didn't continue, Hughes said, "Please explain your reasoning for the court."

"Because I believe my vindication of the charges against me as well as the true reason for them will be achieved most effectively if I allow Ms. Hart's agenda to play out uninterrupted."

"Is he fucking challenging me?" Minerva thought as her jaw dropped. She didn't know how much the judge would allow from her under the circumstances that Hayden Justice was establishing for her, but she was certainly going to push things to the limit.

Hughes continued, "And you acknowledge that you are giving these instructions against the advice of your legal counsel?"

"Yes."

"Very well. Your Honor, I have no further questions."

Judge Brunner held up a hand to stop Minerva from jumping to her feet, "One moment, counselor."

Addressing Hayden, the judge asked, "Mr. Justice, you do understand that you remain under oath and that I will be forced to compel you to answer any questions that the plaintiff's attorneys ask you without you having the benefit of your legal counsel..."

"Yes, your Honor."

"Very well. You may proceed, Ms. Hart."

Minerva was in her element now. She no longer felt any hesitation about staring Hayden Justice directly into his eyes as she approached the witness stand. She also felt no need to mask her animosity towards him through the niceties of a greeting, but instead dove right into her first question.

"Madison Reese testified earlier that the two of you had a sexual relationship while you were both employed at Coastline Multimedia. Do you deny any of what Mrs. Reese testified to concerning this relationship?"

"No."

Minerva paused to see if Hayden would elaborate on his answer. When it became evident that he wouldn't, she continued, "Mrs. Reese further testified that you admitted to her that you had once had a similar sexual relationship with Athena Hart while she was an intern at Coastline. Was that testimony true?"

"No."

Minerva stood straighter in mock indignation and said, "You are denying that you had a sexual relationship with Athena Hart?"

"No."

Minerva stepped back and grinned. "Oh, he wants to play cute," she thought. Okay then...

"Mr. Justice, did you ever have a sexual relationship with Athena Hart?"

"Yes."

"Please tell the court the timeframe of the sexual relationship between yourself and Athena Hart."

Hayden shrugged once more and said, "Sometime in June of 2013 until around the middle of August of the same year."

"Approximately two months?" asked Minerva.

"Approximately."

"Were you employed at Coastline Multimedia as its President between June and August of 2013?"

"Yes."

"Was Athena Hart employed... no wait. Was Athena Hart a contract employee of Coastline Multimedia between June and August of 2013?"

"Yes."

"Are contract employees bound by the same employment policies at Coastline as full-time employees, Mr. Justice?"

"Yes."

"Is the president of Coastline Multimedia bound by the same employment policies as full-time employees?"

"Yes."

"Thank you," Minerva said as she thought, "I can't abandon all social graces with this witness".

"Now, Mr. Justice, as the president of Coastal Multimedia, how familiar are you with the employment policies?"

Hayden smiled at Minerva and said, "Not as familiar as someone like Emily Willis, but I think I know them better than most."

Minerva didn't return the smile, but asked, "Do you know the policies well enough to tell this court what the policy is against fraternization between employees?"

"There isn't one," Hayden replied.

The entire courtroom could see Minerva's jaw tighten at this response. She turned and strode to the plaintiff's table and picked up a document. Walking towards the bench, she addressed the judge.

"Your Honor, I would like to show the witness the Coastline Multimedia employment policy manual previously entered into evidence."

Judge Brunner simply nodded. Minerva then returned to her position before the witness stand. She once again addressed Hayden as she handed him the document.

"Mr. Justice, would you please read to the court the first paragraph on page 211 of this document?"

Hayden read, "Our Fraternization policy outlines Coastline Multimedia's guidelines on employees forming personal relationships with each other."

Minerva smirked and asked, "Do you still claim that there is no policy at Coastline against fraternization between employees?"

"Yes."

Shaking her head as if dealing with a petulant child, Minerva asked, "How can you say that there is no policy when you just read it to his court?"

Hayden smiled at Minerva's frustration and replied, "I didn't say that there wasn't a policy on fraternization. Your question asked if there was a policy against fraternization, and the fact is that there isn't one. I refer you to paragraph seven on this same page, which reads, 'Employees of Coastline Multimedia are encouraged to develop and maintain professional relationships in the workplace, so long as these relationships do not interfere with the effective functioning of the workplace and goals of our company. This policy does not prevent the development of friendships or even romantic relationships between coworkers, but it does establish boundaries as to how relationships are conducted during working hours and within the working environment.' "

Hayden handed the document back to a stunned Minerva Hart and patiently awaited her next question.

"Goddamn it!" she silently thought. She had relied too much on Lana and TJ and gotten sloppy by not reading the entire policy manual herself, trusting that their notes to her were adequate. She carried the useless document back to her table and dropped it there with a loud thud.

Returning to the witness stand, Minerva went on the attack once more, "Mr. Justice, the employment policies aside, you have a history of conducting sexual relationships with female employees of Coastline Multimedia, have you not?"

Hayden sighed and said, "In over fifteen years of working at the company, I have had two relationships with women who also worked there. The last one ended more than ten years ago and there have been none since. I don't consider that to be a "history" as you call it."

Minerva disregarded his last comment and asked, "Did you break up with Madison Reese?"

"No."

"Excuse me?" Minerva exclaimed. "Mrs. Reese testified, quite specifically as I recall, that the two of you ended your sexual relationship when you met and fell in love with Athena Hart. Do you deny what Ms. Reese said?"

"No."

"So, I'll ask you again, did you break up with Madison Reese?"

"No."

The tone of Minerva's voice reflected her frustration much more than she wanted it to, "She testified that you broke up with her when you fell in love with Athena Hart..."

"No," Hayden calmly replied, "She said that we have never had sex since I fell in love with Athena Hart and that was a true statement. Madison and I were not an exclusive couple at that time, so there was no breakup involved. Our relationship continues to this day, though modified in its scope."

"She also testified that you broke up with Athena Hart when she became pregnant," Minerva argued. "Was that a true statement?"

"No."

Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Minerva asked, "Please tell this court what about Mrs. Reese's statement about you breaking up with Athena Hart is not true."

Hayden waited to make certain that Minerva was meeting his eyes before he replied, "I did not break up with Athena Hart. She broke up with me."

The words erupted from her mouth before she knew it, "YOU'RE LYING!"

"Counselor!" Judge Brunner yelled. "I want you and defense counsel in my chambers. Now!"

Chapter Seventeen

"Minnie. You know that you can't pursue it," TJ pleaded. "Let me take over the questioning of Justice and I'll focus on the charges. You've done all you could to show his character to the jury, now we need to stay with the script and nail him on the abuse of our client."

A disheartened Minerva Hart played with the lid on her Styrofoam coffee cup as she considered TJ's advice. It went against everything that she felt was owed Athena to allow Hayden Justice to get away with his lies, but she knew that pushing the issue in court would not end well for her career.

Judge Brunner had been very clear during her dressing down in his chambers yesterday. Any further inappropriate comments or actions on her part would have her reported to the Bar Association. The judge had been only slightly less critical of Megan James and Wally Hughes for agreeing to their client's instructions not to interfere with any questioning. All three attorneys had waddled out of the judge's chambers with their tails between their legs and silently accepted his recessing of the trial until this morning.

Minerva finally looked up at TJ and asked, "Are you sure that Ashanti Cox will be here this morning?"

"Yes. Lana will be babysitting her until the case is decided," TJ said. "Look, here they come now."

Minerva turned and saw Lana leading Carlotta and Ashanti up the corridor of the courthouse. She rose from the bench where she had been sitting next to TJ and said, "Good. Keep them corralled here outside until the bailiff opens the doors. I want everyone inside the courtroom just as soon as it is opened. I'm going to go to the restroom, but don't wait for me to get back if the doors are opened before then."

TJ stood as Minerva headed in one direction down the corridor as the other three women approached from the opposite direction.

Minerva ignored the opposing counsel and their client, Hayden Justice as she passed them on her way to the women's restroom. She had to decide whether to accept TJ's advice and let him take over the questioning or to be the professional that she knew she could be and win this case for their client. She couldn't afford to let her feelings over how Hayden had treated her sister to affect her the way that they had yesterday.

Entering the restroom, Minerva headed directly to the sinks. She had just dumped the remainder of her now cold coffee down the drain when she heard someone speaking from behind, "I tried to warn you..."

When Minerva glanced up at the mirror, the calm expression on Corrine Justice's face was reflected back at her. "Warn me about what?" she asked.

Corrine kept her eyes on Minerva's in the mirror and said, "That you were making some incorrect assumptions concerning your sister and Hayden. Do you mind if I ask why you think that Hayden was the one who ended their relationship?"

Turning to face Corrine directly rather than through her reflection in the mirror, Minerva said, "Because I knew my sister. If your son was the father of her unborn child, Athena would have worked to make the relationship work, not end it and leave her baby without a father."

Nodding in understanding, Corrine then said, "But you're operating under the assumption that my son was the father of your sister's unborn child? What if he wasn't?"

"That's why you are petitioning for the DNA test!" Minerva exclaimed with sudden understanding. "You want to prove that your son isn't Alexander's father, not that you are his grandmother."

"You're wrong again," Corrine told Minerva. "I am convinced that Hayden is the father of your nephew, Alexander. What I don't understand is why your sister would tell Hayden otherwise."

Leaning quickly back against the counter to steady herself, Minerva gasped and asked, "What are you talking about? Athena always implied at least, that the father of her baby was someone that she was involved with during her time working at Coastline. From what Hayden told us, he and Athena were in a relationship that entire time. Who else could it have been?"

"Unfortunately, I can't answer that question," Corrine said. "All I know is that I was present when your sister called Hayden and informed him that she was pregnant, that he wasn't the father, and that she didn't want to see him again."

"No!" Minerva exclaimed. "Athena had no reason to do that."

Minerva didn't resist or object when Corrine reached out and took both her hands and said, "After seeing Alexander, I am convinced that Hayden is his father. What I don't know is why your sister would have told Hayden that he wasn't, and done so in such a cruel and destructive manner."

The words that Hayden had snarled to her at their first encounter at the Ole Irish Pub rushed back into Minerva's consciousness, "Since you wrote the book on promiscuity, you tell me." Hayden Justice truly believe that Athena had betrayed him!

Minerva straightened and said, "I need to go."

Corrine released Minerva's hands and watched her bolt from the restroom. It was obvious to her that Athena had never discussed her reasons for lying about who the father of her child was with Minerva, and likely not her parents either. She suspected that Hayden would need to know the reason why if he was to ever accept Alexander as his biological son regardless of what the DNA results told them all.

Minerva caught sight of Hayden with his attorneys still standing along the wall of the courthouse corridor. Striding quickly up to them, she asked Hayden, "Is it true that Athena told you that her baby wasn't yours?"

"Counselor," began Megan James.

Minerva interrupted her, "I'm sorry. My question isn't related to the case and this is as off the record as anyone wants it to be. This is personal, concerning Hayden, me, and my nephew. Please let him answer me."

When Hughes was about to interject, Hayden put a hand on his arm and said, "No, it's okay. I'll answer her question. Please excuse us for a second."

Hayden stepped away from his lawyers and guided Minerva with him a few yards away where they had a modicum of privacy in the crowded corridor. When they stopped, he asked, "Are you sure that you want to know the truth this time?"

Minerva simply nodded.

Hayden began, "Athena had left Myrtle Beach to return to school during the last week of August. Before she left, we had discussed me picking her up on the Friday before Labor Day and the two of us spending the weekend together in Helen, Georgia. I was making all the arrangements and had purchased an engagement ring. I was planning on proposing to her over our weekend together."

"Oh, my God!" Minerva moaned quietly.

Hayden continued, "When Athena called me on the afternoon of September 2^nd, I assumed that she was simply wanting an update on our plans. Instead, she started our conversation by informing me that she was pregnant, likely a little more than a month along. Before I could voice my pleasure with the news, she informed me that I was not the father of her child and that she thought it was best if we never saw each other again."

"Why would she do that?" Minerva cried. "I swear that while she never mentioned you by name, she always implied that the father of Alexander was the person that she was in love with at Coastline Multimedia, and we both know that you are that person."

"No, we don't," Hayden said with more intensity than he intended. "Did you know that your sister was seeing a psychiatrist?"

"What? No," Minerva said. She then recanted, "I mean yes, when she was younger. She had an attention deficit disorder that required medication and she had to see a psychiatrist regularly for that, but that stopped when she was in high school."

Shaking his head, Hayden said, "Athena sought further treatment and was being seen by a psychiatrist right up until her death. I was contacted by her doctor. She sent him some information on your sister and was supposed to call me back, but she never has."

"When was this?" Minerva asked in surprise.

Hayden told her, "It was just a little over a month ago, around the middle of April."

"A month ago? And you didn't think to share this information with me, her sister, or the rest of her family?"

Hayden's response was a single raised eyebrow. Minerva caught the implied chastisement and blushed with embarrassment. She had blocked or ignored several attempts by Hayden to contact her just at the time that the information was probably presented to him. She didn't know if any of his attempts were related to the information on Athena, but she knew that she couldn't blame him at this point for not sharing what he knew with her.

The sound of people starting to shuffle into the courtroom reached them. Minerva glanced down the corridor and back up at Hayden, "Please, can we talk about this more later?"

For the first time, Hayden was convinced that Minerva had truly been as in the dark about Athena's motivations as he had been. She had been responding to him as a sister protecting the legacy of someone she had loved and thought that he had wronged, and she was just now learning that the opposite had occurred.

Still, she remained his legal adversary. How would that factor into his being able to trust her with details about Athena and him? He noticed Megan and Wally motioning for him to join them so that they weren't late for the start of court.

"You have my number," he said as he turned away from Minerva and rejoined his attorneys.

Minerva barely had time to take her seat at the table before the bailiff had everyone rise once again for the judge's entrance. While Judge Brunner was getting settled at his bench, Minerva turned and locked eyes with Corrine Justice in the gallery. Seeing a concerned look on the face of Hayden's mother, Minerva gave her a meek smile that she hoped conveyed to her that everything was fine at the moment.

"Ms. Hart," bellowed Judge Brunner, much more forcefully than anyone expected, "Are you prepared to continue your professional cross-examination of the witness?"

Not wanting to appear cowed or intimidated in front of the jury, but still needing to exhibit deference to the judge, Minerva stood and confidently but calmly said, "Yes, your Honor."

Judge Brunner studied her for a few seconds before nodding and instructing Hayden to retake the witness stand. Once he was seated, the judge reminded him that he was still under oath before allowing Minerva to speak.

"You may proceed, Counselor."

"Thank you, your Honor," Minerva replied as she approached the witness stand.

When Minerva greeted Hayden with, "Good morning, Mr. Justice. Thank you for your patience with me," everyone sensed that her questioning of the witness would be far more civil than previously.

Chapter Eighteen

Hayden replied with a simple, "Good morning."

"Mr. Justice," Minerva started, "I would like to deviate from the subject of your previous romantic dalliances with female employees of Coastline Multimedia that we were discussing yesterday. Is that okay with you?"

Hayden had to suppress a laugh, "Yes, Counselor. Whatever you want to ask me is fine."

"Thank you. There have been a few witnesses who have alluded to your propensity to compliment people. I believe most of those witnesses attributed this to your desire to make people feel better about themselves. Would you say that those are fair representations of your character?"

Shrugging, Hayden said, "I believe they more accurately reflect those witnesses' perception of my character. I honestly hadn't given it any thought until recently. I suppose it was the way that I was raised. If I notice something about a person which I believe is a positive attribute for them, I try to take the opportunity to let them know that another human being appreciates that attribute. One example I can point to right here is your voice. You have a voice that would be well suited for a carer in radio or some other field where the smooth and distinct timbre of your voice when you speak would be appreciated by those who heard it."

Minerva blushed, "You don't think that my voice is just as suitable for me as an attorney?"

Hayden smiled at her and said, "Of course it is. Just maybe not always appreciated by some when used in that manner."

Even the judge laughed briefly at the almost friendly interaction taking place between this witness and the attorney who was supposed to be his adversary.

Shaking her head in feigned disbelief, Minerva said, "Aren't you ever concerned that what you perceive as a compliment might be found offensive by someone?"

"No, Counselor, I am not. I was raised to believe that I am responsible for my acts, my choices, my emotions, and my character. I believe others should take the same responsibility of their own. While I would never purposely say or do anything to make another person uncomfortable, any unintended 'feelings' that a compliment from me might generate in someone is not my responsibility."

"So you believe that it is perfectly acceptable for a man to compliment a woman in any way that he wishes without regard for how it makes her feel?"

When his attorneys didn't object to the question, Hayden crooked an eyebrow at her and asked, "Is mankind in general on trial here or just this man?"

Minerva blushed once more, "I'm sorry. Let me rephrase my question. Mr. Justice, do you believe that it is perfectly acceptable for you as a man to compliment a woman in any way that you wish without regard for how it makes her feel?"

"No, I don't. That is why I have my litmus test of sorts that I mentally run any pending compliment through before stating it."

"Would you mind sharing with us exactly what this test of yours entails?" Minerva asked.

"I would be happy to," Hayden replied. "I ask myself if the compliment that I am about to deliver would be suitable for church. For example, I would never tell a woman in my church that the dress she was wearing made her look good from behind. It would be inappropriate. Consequently, I would never give such a compliment to a woman anywhere else because it doesn't pass the 'Would I say it in church' test. The example I used earlier, where I complimented your voice. It would be perfectly acceptable for me to compliment the voice of a lady in our church choir, so I had no qualms about complimenting your voice in a court of law."

Minerva nodded and said, "But your test relies only upon your assessment of what you believe is an appropriate compliment for delivery to a woman in a church. It doesn't take into account what the woman might believe is appropriate."

"I disagree," Hayden said. "My test takes into account several factors regarding a woman's tolerance for my compliment. First, there is the emotional maturity common in a woman older than the age of consent who has had even the most remedial exposure to the Christian faith. Secondly, a church is a sanctuary where a woman is likely to feel much safer and confident enough to suppress any doubts of my sincerity."

"Maybe so," Minerva said, "but a church is not a place of business. Is it reasonable for you to assume that a woman would be as tolerant of compliments from you while working at Coastline Multimedia as they might be in a church and not feel different in one location versus the other?"

"As I said earlier, another person's feelings are not my responsibility. I explained the process that I use to ensure that any compliments I give are acceptable to a normal person and appropriate for delivery in a house of worship."

Turning her focus from Hayden to the jury, Minerva said, "Which is irrelevant under the law, Mr. Justice. The only fact concerning your statements to other people that holds any relevance under the law is how they are perceived by the person receiving them. The law is quite clear. It doesn't matter what you intended or whatever 'litmus test' that you apply to your compliments. If they are deemed offensive to the individual that you made them to, you are liable for their reactions to your words."

"Are you sure that is correct?" Hayden challenged.

"Oh, I'm quite sure, Mr. Justice."

Cocking his head, Hayden asked, "Isn't there a bit more to it than that, Ms. Hart? Like the part about 'the average person, applying contemporary community standards would find that the comments, 'taken as a whole,' are offensive.'?"

Minerva bristled and addressed Judge Brunner, "Your Honor, I request that the witness' last statement be stricken from the record and the jury advised to disregard it."

"Ms. Hart, the witness has just stated a point of law more concisely than you did. I will let the statement stand. Move on."

Sighing, Minerva asked, "Mr. Justice, do you consider Carlotta Lima to be an 'average' person as you understand the meaning under the law?"

"I do."

"Do you consider Coastline Multimedia to be a workplace representative of a 'contemporary community'"?

"I do."

"So then, is it conceivable to you that an average person such as Carlotta Lima, working in a contemporary community environment such as Coastline Multimedia could be offended by your comments to her?"

"No, it isn't."

"This should be good," Minerva thought as she smirked at Hayden and asked, "May I ask why not?"

"Because as an immature young woman with virtually no prior experience in any contemporary work environment before her internship with my company, I do not believe that Miss Lima is qualified to apply standards to what should be, or are, perfectly acceptable comments made by me or anyone else."

Minerva couldn't help but grin at what a challenging adversary Hayden Justice was turning out to be. Were they not in a court of law, she would have truly enjoyed debating these points and many others with him, but she was afraid that she would lose the jury's attention if she didn't wrap things up pretty soon.

"Tell us, Mr. Justice, do you believe that Carlotta Lima is mature enough to apply standards to whether you touching her is acceptable?"

"Not if her claim to that effect is an example of her maturity because I have never touched her."

"Well, Mr. Justice, we don't agree on a lot of things, but I'm certain that we both agree that it will be the jury who decides her level of maturity and the standards that she is holding you to. I have no further questions, you Honor."

Once Hayden was seated back at the defense table, Megan James rose and announced, "Your Honor, I would like to call Ashanti Cox back to the stand."

A smiling, almost giddy Ashanti Cox walked confidently to the witness stand, where the judge reminded her that she was still under oath. Megan had her attention riveted to the notes in her hands as she approached Ashanti.

"Mrs. Cox, yesterday we determined that you could not have witnessed the alleged physical contact that my client is accused of perpetrating on Miss Lima. Do you remember that?"

"Yes, I do. The date of August 17^th was stuck in my head and I now realize that it was because that was the day of my test, so I was confused."

"And, are you still confused about which date it was when you claim to have witnessed my client touching Carlotta Lima's hair?"

Ashanti glanced at Minerva before answering, "Not so much confused as unsure. I know that it was the week that I took the Network+ test because I was studying for it when I saw Carlotta jerk back at the touch of Hayden Justice."

Checking her notes, Megan said, "August 17^th fell on a Thursday last year, so it is now your testimony that the incident in question happened one day during the week beginning August 14^th, but definitely not on the 17^th because you were not in the office that day. Since you stated that it happened while you were studying for the test, can I assume that it didn't happen on August 18^th, after you had taken the test?"

Ashanti was getting confused by all the dates, and answered, "Uh-huh."

"Mrs. Cox," Judge Brunner instructed, "please answer with a yes or no."

Hesitating a moment to remember the question, Ashanti finally answered, "Yes."

"Good, we're making progress," Megan said. "That leaves Monday, August 14^th, Tuesday, August 15^th, or Wednesday, August 16^th. Would you be able to pin the incident down to one of those dates, Mrs. Cox?"

"No, I'm sorry that I can't be sure," Ashanti said.

Megan nodded, "I understand. Thank you, Mrs. Cox. I have no further questions at this time."

Without prompting, Minerva said, "We have no questions, your Honor."

As Ashanti left the witness stand, Megan James said, "I would like to recall Carlotta Lima to the stand."

When Carlotta rose from her seat, Minerva slid her legal pad across the table to TJ. He read, "Be prepared to object to the smallest little thing!"

After the same admonition from the judge about still being under oath, Carlotta waited nervously for Megan James to ask her first question.

"Miss Lima, knowing what we do now about Ashanti Cox not being at work on August 17^th to witness your claim that Mr. Justice touched your hair, is there any part of your testimony that you wish to alter?"

"Only that I agree with Ashanti that the date of August 17^th must have been stuck in her head when she and I tried to recall the date that it occurred."

"And do you also agree with Mrs. Cox that the incident, if it couldn't have occurred on August 17^th, must have occurred one day earlier that week?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Thank you. I have just one more question. Do you remember seeing Mr. Justice anywhere else in the Coastline offices the week of August 14^th, maybe in a breakroom or a hallway?"

"I tried to avoid places where he was," Carotta said. "I saw him a couple of times in the downstairs breakroom that week, so I used the upstairs one instead."

"Thank you. I have no further questions at this time."

"That seemed pretty benign," Minerva thought of the questioning. She still wished that she had been able to nail down a specific date and make it stick, but Ashanti Cox was too flaky to make that a possibility now. Her musings were interrupted by Megan James calling her next witness.

"I would like to call Sierra Lawton to the stand."

Chapter Nineteen

Minerva picked through the folders in front of her until she came to the one containing the deposition of Hayden Justice's personal assistant. She had recalled that there had been nothing of apparent relevance to the case exposed, with Lana and TJ questioning the witness extensively about her knowledge of Hayden Justice's behavior in the office, his relationships with female employees, and his management style. Closing the file, Minerva prepared to take notes of the pending testimony.

Megan James wasted no time, "Miss, Lawton, you are the personal assistant to the president of Coastline Multimedia, Hayden James, is that correct?"

"Yes, I have been Mr. Justice's PA for the past four years."

"Thank you. Can you provide the court with a brief synopsis of your duties as Mr. Justice's personal assistant?

Sierra smiled and replied, "With Mr. Justice, the focus of my role is heavily on the 'personal' aspect of the title. Except for me maintaining his calendar and coordinating his schedule, Mr. Justice handles the majority of his business needs on his own. I run a lot of errands for Mr. Justice, both personal and business-related, and make certain that his house is maintained properly, which includes doing his laundry and shopping..."

"Excellent," Megan said, interrupting Sierra. "You mentioned that you maintain his calendar and schedule. Can you elaborate on what this entails?"

"Hayden, I mean Mr. Justice has a lot of demands on his time. He also endeavors to stay as involved in every aspect of the company's operations as possible. He teasingly calls me his 'task master', but I know that he appreciates me acting as a 'gatekeeper' outside of his office to prevent unwanted interruptions for him. I also keep him on track and on time for meetings and appointments to ensure that he doesn't fall behind or miss anything important."

"I imagine that he must have unwavering trust in you for him to allow you so much control over his life and daily routine," Megan observed.

Sierra sat on the witness stand beaming with pride as she awaited the next question.

"Miss Lawton, you explained the scheduling aspect of your role. Can you now explain how you manage Mr. Justice's calendar to facilitate the scheduling?"

"Certainly," Sierra said. "First of all, I learned soon after assuming my role as Mr. Justice's assistant, that if I wanted to be successful in the position, I would need to take control of it..."

"How do you mean?" Megan asked.

"I mean that I had to 'take control'. I had to be selfish and not allow others access to the information that I had on Mr. Justice's life so that they couldn't manipulate it. I started by deleting his calendar from the Outlook server that everyone in the company had access to and creating a Google calendar that is shared only between Mr. Justice and myself."

Megan raised a hand to get Sierra to pause, and asked, "I want to be clear on this. Are you telling this court that no one at Coastline Multimedia can see my client's schedule except for him and you? Nobody would be able to tell if he had something scheduled on a particular day or time? His comings and goings are hidden from everyone else at the company?"

"That is correct," Sierra confirmed. "A major portion of my typical workday is spent fielding questions on when Mr. Justice would be available for one purpose or another. Everyone in the company, including his mother, the CEO of Coastline, has to come through me, or ask Mr. Justice directly."

"Thank you. Now, you stated that you created a calendar for him in Google Calendars. That is cloud-based, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"Aren't you concerned about others being able to gain access to this calendar; to make changes to it, delete appointments, or even just view it without your permission?"

"Not really," Sierra said. "When I first set up the calendar, there were a couple of times when Mr. Justice made changes to it without letting me know, which of course he has every right to do. After I explained the challenges that his changes presented for me, we worked out a tracking and notification system within the calendar that informs both of us if either makes any modifications, along with an explanation. This tracking, along with the dual-factor authentication that alerts both of us whenever anyone tries to log into the calendar provides us with reasonable assurance that our system is secure enough. There are also history and activity logs available for us to review if we need to."

Megan nodded in understanding, "How long is the calendar data retained?"

"If you're asking how far back I can check Mr. Justice's schedule," Sierra said, "I can go all the way back to 2012 when his Outlook account was established."

Megan acted surprised to the jury when she said, "But I thought that you created the Google calendar after you had started as Mr. Justice's PA?

"I did," Sierra confirmed. "But there were several recurring meetings and events already existing in his Outlook calendar, so I imported his entire history from that calendar into the newly created Google calendar."

"I see," said Megan. "Then I assume that it would be no problem for you to tell us what meetings or appointments my client had during the week of August 14^th of last year."

Shaking her head, Sierra frowned and replied, "No, unfortunately, I can't."

Megan looked questioningly at Sierra and said, "I don't understand..."

Sierra explained, "From August 2^nd of last year through August 23^rd, Mr. Justice was out of the country, attending a trade show and conference in Japan. His schedule during this time was too fluid and unpredictable for me to manage for him from the office, so he decided to just 'wing it'. He met with hundreds of clients and vendors during that time, but none of his activities were scheduled, and thus not entered into his calendar."

"Could this damn case get any worse?" Minerva thought as she contemplated this latest bombshell. Having the defense establish for the jury that her client was gay, and that Hayden Justice was actually admired by so many people for his habit of generously extending sincere compliments, put a huge degree of doubt onto him having any motive to sexually harass Carlotta Lima. The uncertainty surrounding the exact date that the alleged physical contact occurred put enough doubt onto the opportunity for the defendant to commit it, but now, claiming that he wasn't even in the damn country virtually killed that as a factor.

Glancing to her left, Minerva saw Carlotta intently focused on her hands, which sat folded on the table before her. Looking at TJ, she saw him staring back at her as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, that sounds awfully coincidental," Megan chided. "During the timeframe where Mr. Justice is accused of accosting an employee within the Coastline Multimedia offices, his calendar is blank and there is no proof that he was even in the country. Tell me, Miss Lawton, did anyone else at the company know that Mr. Justice was in Japan during this time?"

"Only the few senior executives that Mr. Justice informed. If someone asked me to schedule something with him during that time, I simply told them that he was unavailable. I didn't mention that he was out of the country."

"Thank you, Miss Lawton. I have no further questions."

It was a tiny seed, but Minerva realized that it was all that she had to plant in the minds of the jury. She stood but didn't move from the table as she addressed the witness.

"Miss. Lawton, I only have one question for you. Have you ever lied for Hayden Justice?"

Sierra glanced sheepishly at Hayden, looking to everyone in the courtroom like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar. She replied with a simple, "Yes."

"I have no further questions, your Honor."

As soon as the witness stand was vacated, Megan announced, "I would like to call Lisa Carter to the stand."

Minerva and TJ shared baffled expressions as they quickly scanned the list of defense witnesses that had been provided to them. Finding nothing, Minerva jumped to her feet.

"Objection, your Honor," Minerva exclaimed. "We have no record of this witness."

Megan James interjected, "My apologies, your Honor. We did not receive a response to our subpoena until right before court went into session so we did not have a name for who Homeland Security would provide as our witness."

Looking at his watch, Judge Brunner ruled, "I will allow you ample time after the defense finishes with the witness to develop your questions, Ms. Hart. I will allow her testimony. Overruled."

Once the witness was sworn in, Megan James again wasted no time with pleasantries, "Ms. Carter, please tell the court who you work for and your occupation."

"I work for the United States Transportation Security Administration as a security analyst based out of Atlanta."

"Thank you," Megan said. She then asked, "As a security analyst with your agency, do you have access to airline passenger manifests, passport entry scans, and similar data on travelers to and from the United States?"

"Yes, I do."

Megan smiled at the jury before continuing, "Ms. Carter, in representing your agency here today, did you bring with you the information requested in our subpoena?"

"Yes, I did."

"May I have it please?"

The witness presented Megan James with several documents which she had pulled from her shoulder bag. Megan quickly scanned the several pages.

"Your Honor, I would like to have these documents entered into evidence as defense exhibits two and three."

Judge Brunner extended his hand to receive the offered documents. After a quick review, he handed them to the clerk and said, "So ordered."

When she received the documents back from the clerk, Megan found the one that she wanted and handed it to the witness.

"Ms. Carter, please identify for the court the document that I just handed you."

"It is a printout that I created that lists the passenger manifests for every commercial flight that departed the Myrtle Beach International Airport between August 1^st and 31^st of last year."

"Within this document," Megan asked, "Did you find the name of my client, Mr. Hayden Justice?"

"Yes. His name is listed on page five of the printout as a passenger on American Airlines flight 5383 which departed Myrtle Beach at 8:57 am on August 2^nd and arrived into Chicago at 12:57 pm the same day."

Megan nodded, and said, "That document does not indicate whether Mr. Justice remained in Chicago or made a connecting flight, does it?"

Lisa Carter answered, "Yes, it does if you know how to read the data. You see, the flight manifest includes checked baggage information as well as passenger information. This record shows that Mr. Hayden Justice checked two bags in Myrtle Beach with a connection from Chicago to Los Angeles. Here, he boarded a flight to Tokyo's Narita airport the following morning."

Exchanging the two documents with the witness, Megan asked, "Please describe this document to the court."

"This is a passport scan record for a Hayden Oliver Justice."

"What is that, exactly? Megan asked.

"When passengers pass through a port of entry, almost anywhere in the world, their passport is scanned to perform a security check before the affixing of an approved entry stamp. Some countries also require an exit scan when a passenger departs."

Megan nodded and faced the jury as she asked, "And this passport scan record for my client, what does it tell you?"

Glancing at the document in her lap, Lisa Carter said, "It tells me that at 4:37 pm on August 3^rd of last year, Mr. Hayden Oliver Justice had his passport scanned upon his entry into Japan at the Narita International Airport. It further tells me that Mr. Hayden Oliver Justice had no further passport scans until his return to the United States on August 22^nd through Los Angeles International Airport."

Megan remained focused on the jury as she asked, "Ms. Carter, as a trained security analyst with the Transportation Security Administration, can you draw any conclusions from the scanned passport data before you?"

"Absolutely," Lisa said. "I can conclude with almost complete certainty that Mr. Hayden Oliver Justice was in Japan from August 3^rd through August 22^nd of last year."

"Almost complete certainty?" Megan asked. "There are doubts?"

"No system is foolproof, Ms. James. There exists the possibility that someone could leave this country and travel abroad with their official passport and then use a fake passport to reenter this country under an alias. It is highly unlikely, and facial recognition systems being implemented at ports of entry around the world will make this scenario even more difficult to accomplish, but it does currently exist."

"I see," Megan said. "So let me clarify what you are saying. Even if the records indicate that Mr. Justice entered Japan on August 3^rd and didn't return to the United States until August 22^nd, there exists the possibility that he snuck back into the country between those dates, where he then returned to Coastline Multimedia's offices so that he could touch the hair of an intern. He then snuck back out of the country to return to Japan so that he could reenter the United States using his own passport again."

Lisa Carter grinned, shrugged, and said, "Anything's possible."

"Thank you," Megan said. "I have no further questions."

Minerva dropped her pen onto her legal pad and simply shook her head in disbelief. Hayden Justice had played with her as if she was his toy or something. With the iron-clad alibi that he obviously had, he could have had most, if not all of the case dismissed in a summary judgment before it ever went to trial. But, no, he had let her proceed with the case, wasting time and resources trying to prove something that had never happened.

What was the old adage about not making assumptions? "When you assume, you make an Ass out of U and Me". Well, Hayden Justice had certainly made an ass out of Minerva Hart for the assumptions that she continued to make about him. From the first time that they had met, she had been making assumptions about the man that were eventually proven incorrect.

She had assumed that he was a "good ole boy"; a redneck laborer at Coastline when he was actually the president. She had assumed that he had broken Athena's heart, when it was becoming apparent that it had been the other way around. She had assumed that he was a conniving predator of female employees only to learn that he was practically a freaking celibate monk in the minds of the female workers.

She felt a flood of emotions all at once: sadness for the suffering Athena and Hayden had apparently both endured, fear that she was wrong about him, anxiety that she was making a mistake to believe him, hope that he could be trusted, and joy that Athena had found true love.

Minerva knew that she would have to get to the bottom of why the loving and faithful older sister that she thought she knew would do the monstrous things that Hayden claims that she did before she could trust him fully. Maybe she could try giving him the benefit of the doubt in the meantime.

As she listened to Carlotta Lima sobbing in the chair next to hers, Minerva knew one thing: She was going to bury Ashanti Cox. If she could spare Carlotta, whom she suspected had been manipulated by Ashanti as someone that she trusted, she would. That would be a decision for the judge once Minerva reported her suspicions to him.

Chapter Twenty

"Are you sure?" Corrine Justice asked.

"I'm absolutely positive," Minerva assured her. "We all need some answers and I need to stop acting purely on assumptions. Get me the information on which lab you want to conduct the test and I'll handle getting a swab from Alexander sent to them."

"What's your cell phone number? I'll text you the information right now."

Minerva grinned at the anxiousness in Corinne's response as she recited the number to her and watched her enter it. Moments later, a text notification was emitted by her own cell phone.

"I'll have my attorney dismiss the petition tomorrow," Corrine assured Minerva.

"Thank you. If you'll excuse me, I want to try and get a few minutes with my associates before they leave the courthouse."

Minerva found TJ and Lana still standing at the plaintiff's table in the courtroom, chatting between themselves. Across the table from them stood Carlotta and Ashanti with two deputies prepared to escort them from the room. Except for the head bailiff and the court clerk, the rest of the courtroom was vacant.

The courtroom had cleared out quickly after Judge Brunner had dismissed the case before allowing it to go to the jury. Minerva had spoken with the judge in his chambers and explained her belief that Carlotta had been manipulated into making her allegations by Ashanti Cox, so he had agreed to dismiss the case. Judge Brunner then had Ashanti and Carlotta brought into his chambers where he spent a half hour interrogating them both.

When the deputies led their charges past Minerva, Carlotta was still crying and dabbing her eyes with a tissue, but Ashanti was a ball of rage with her hands cuffed behind her back. Minerva ignored both women as she continued up the aisle to her colleagues.

"What's the hold-up?" Minerva asked them.

Lana was frowning, "TJ has been trying to explain to Ashanti and Carlotta why you cannot represent them as their legal counsel in a criminal trial for perjury. I don't think he was successful, but the deputies weren't going to wait for the reality to eventually sink into Ashanti's thick skull."

Minerva told them, "Come on, I'll buy you both lunch and we can discuss things further."

They were fortunate to find a table in a relatively private area on the deck of Bonfire, Smokin Taqueria overlooking the Waccamaw River. The popular restaurant was foreign to Minerva and TJ, but Lana had convinced them that it was the best place close to the courthouse for lunch.

The tantalizing smell of the smoker permeated the restaurant and had their mouths watering. The menu listed so many items with delicious descriptions that all three had difficulty deciding what they wanted to try. Watching dishes being served to surrounding tables convinced Minerva that whatever she ordered, she would be taking a large portion of it back to the condo with her. That thought was not a disappointment.

TJ was the first to speak after the waitress had taken their food orders, "I guess my only question related to the trial is whether or not you both believe that justice was served by the judge's directed verdict."

Lana snorted and said, "I don't know if justice was served, but Mr. Justice certainly was served well by the verdict. I still can't understand why the defense allowed things to proceed as long as they did. They knew that they had an iron-clad alibi that would prove the major allegations were false, and that would have instantly made all other allegations suspect."

Holding up a hand, Minerva said, "Look guys, this is all on me. I let my desire to punish Hayden Justice for what I believed he had done to my sister cloud my mind and distort my judgment. I knew, or at least sensed, that the claims by our clients were probably going to be difficult to substantiate, but I let my ego convince me that I could make the case in court. I pursued a personal vendetta in the most unprofessional manner. Hayden Justice recognized what I was doing and set about to hand me my wounded pride on a platter of humility. This is no reflection on either of you."

TJ reached across the table and squeezed Minerva's hand, "I've never been much into team sports, but I have heard it said that the best teams learn more from losing than they do from winning. When I think about how much I learned by losing this case, I can understand that adage better than ever. Thanks, Minnie, for letting me share these lessons alongside you."

Lana placed her hand on the other two, "That goes for me too."

"I have another question," TJ said. "What happened in the judge's chambers to get Ashanti arrested while Carlotta was allowed to go home?"

Minerva grinned and said, "Ashanti happened to herself. Carlotta confessed to the judge that her entire story about Hayden Justice touching her hair was a fabrication suggested to her by Ashanti. When Ashanti heard that, she tried to claim that it was her attorneys who advised her to coach Carlotta."

TJ smiled, "It's going to be a blessing that you saved the Zoom recordings from both of their initial interviews."

"It already has been," Minerva said. "I was able to pull up the Zoom session recordings on my cell phone and show them to the judge right there in his chambers. Ashanti continuing to lie was the last straw for Judge Brunner. He sentenced Ashanti to thirty days for contempt of court or until bail is set for her suborning perjury charge, whichever comes first."

Lana piped in, "Do you expect any blowback once the investigators are shown that no one from our team planted the allegations or coached either of them in their testimony?"

Minerva simply smiled and shrugged her shoulders, "Oh, I expect that I will hear a lot of condescending remarks about my lack of proper investigation and vetting of my client's claims, but I deserve any of that which comes my way. Let's just let this be a learning experience for all of us."

"I'm going to start heading back to Greenville after lunch," TJ announced. "Do you still want me to start researching cases on grandparent DNA challenges?"

"No, I'm not going to challenge the test," Minerva said. "In fact, I'm going to facilitate it myself. It's time to start getting some answers for Alexander instead of relying upon assumptions."

Lana asked, "What are you going to do if you prove that Hayden Justice is Alex's biological father? Are you going to go after him for support or anything?"

Their meals arrived so Minerva waited for them all to be served and the waitress to depart before answering, "I've only given it a little thought so far."

Her first hope was that Hayden would accept the test results, but after talking with his mother, and from what he told me that Athena said to him when they last spoke, Minerva wasn't convinced that he would.

As the other two ate, Minerva played with her meal as she ruminated about the relationship between Athena and Hayden Justice. She recalled aspects of Athena's personality and discussions that the two of them had once both had become interested in boys. They had both expressed their disdain towards other girls that they knew who selfishly flirted and played with boys' emotions.

Neither sister was allowed to date until they had turned eighteen. They could go to chaperoned group social and school events where there would be boys for them to dance with or interact with, but no one-on-one dates were permitted. Minerva knew that Athena had never gone on a date with a boy before heading to Clemson, and although she couldn't swear that she didn't have dates while there, Minerva doubted it.

Hypothesis: "A supposition or proposed explanation made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting point for further investigation." If Hayden Justice had been truthful, and his mother's supporting statements accurate, Minerva's hypothesis about his relationship with her sister had been terribly faulty. But that left her with the possibility that the sister who had always been so loving, kind, and moral was the one who had become the monster that betrayed Hayden. Could Minerva accept that possibility as the basis for a new hypothesis?

No matter how much Hayden Justice was denying it now, Minerva knew her sister, and thus knew that she would not have kept coming back to Myrtle Beach over the summers unless she had loved the boy that was waiting for her here. And, Minerva thought, just like herself, Athena would have never shared her most precious and intimate possession, her virtue, with someone that she didn't love.

To deny this knowledge about Athena would be akin to denying her own morals and beliefs because the two sisters had both been raised to hold the same values sacred. How then could she begin to make sense of the claims by Hayden Justice about Athena stating that he wasn't her baby's father? It was as if Minerva was suddenly watching the sun rising in the west and setting in the east.

Another problem was that she had been ignoring her deeply held belief that Athena would not have fallen in love with someone capable of the cruelty that Minerva originally believed Hayden had inflicted when he found out that Athena was pregnant. Athena must have seen the person inside Hayden Justice that everyone else saw. She had likely come to love him for his strength, confidence, compassion, and generosity toward others. Minerva had seen these traits and been forcing herself to ignore them as the clever disguise of a predator.

"You like him, don't you?"

Lana's question snapped Minerva back to the present, "Excuse me?"

"Hayden Justice. You like him. It was only a couple of weeks ago, before you discovered who he really was, that your voice betrayed your attraction to him."

Shrugging, Minerva said, "I honestly don't know what I feel for him. If he turns out to be someone that I can trust, I could see us being friends. After all, if he is Alex's biological father, I may have no choice but to interact with him on occasion."

"Do you think he might challenge you for custody of Alexander?" TJ asked.

Minerva had considered that possibility when she had first been served with the petition for the grandparent DNA test. Her conversations with Corrine Justice had mostly allayed her concerns, but there was still too much unpredictability for her where Hayden Justice was concerned. Minerva's gut told her that Hayden Justice was someone who would put the best interests of Alexander above his own wants and needs.

"No," she told TJ, "I don't think that will be an issue." Changing the subject, she asked TJ, "Are you still okay with holding down the office for a week or two?"

Since TJ had passed the bar exam and was now a practicing attorney rather than a paralegal, that left her Greenville office with just one lawyer and the two legal secretaries whenever either she or TJ were out of the office. She had an idea for reorganizing her two locations, and thought that now might be a good time to broach the subject with her two key associates.

"There are no trials or hearings scheduled for at least a month," TJ said. "That will give me time to familiarize myself with things so I should be fine."

"How about if I sent Lana up there to assist you?" Minerva asked.

Lana looked suspiciously at Minerva and said, "That would leave you alone here in Myrtle Beach."

"Only until I find a new paralegal to replace you," Minerva said with a knowing smile. "I would rather do that at my leisure than at the spur of the moment when you two decide to out yourselves to me and you move up to be together permanently."

TJ didn't hesitate, "You'll be okay with the two of us working together?"

"Is there something that I should be concerned about?" Minerva asked.

Both TJ and Lana shook their heads as they smiled lovingly at each other.

Breaking the silence, Minerva said, "Okay, you two can take off. I'm going to handle the bill and then pay a visit to the clerk's office at the courthouse before heading back to Myrtle Beach. I want to withdraw the filing against Coastline Multimedia. There's no point in wasting more time on it."

Lana stood, followed by TJ. She asked, "See you in the office tomorrow?"

Minerva sipped her iced tea and replied, "Unless something else comes up."

"How was everything?"

Looking up from the credit card slip on the table, Minerva saw a man wearing a chef's jacket for this restaurant.

"Everything was wonderful, and," she said while pointing at her to-go containers, "I expect that they will continue to be so later when I eat the leftovers. I found the food not only delicious, but it was a comforting experience for me after a stressful morning in court. If you're the one responsible for the food here, congratulations. You should be very proud."

"Thank you, and yes, this is my restaurant. My wife and I own it and our other place over on Third Avenue, Rivertown Bistro. You might want to try it sometime."

"If it's half as good as this place, I'll definitely have to give it a try," Minerva replied with conviction.

"Excellent. Well, enjoy the rest of your day, and thanks again."

"Oh, and if you can ever find a way to bottle the smell of this place, maybe as a scented candle or something, you could make a fortune."

Smith chuckled and said, "So I've been told."

Chapter Twenty-One

"But why aren't they in order?" Alex asked.

Minerva shrugged and replied, "I suppose at some point it was determined that placing the numbers randomly around the board made it more challenging."

She hadn't had to explain the standard dartboard to anyone before and Alex's questions made her realize that she knew very little about its origin and why it was designed the way that it was. Next, she expected him to ask her why it was round instead of square or some other shape. One of the greatest joys she always treasured about raising her nephew was trying to answer his myriad of questions about things that she had typically taken for granted. His behavior never challenged her, but his inquisitive mind often did.

Watching Alex take a few practice throws at the electronic dart game, Minerva wasn't surprised to see him hitting the bullseye or close to it. He had always demonstrated superior hand-eye coordination and his competitive spirit would instinctively lure him to the highest-scoring area of the board.

"Are you ready to start?" She asked her nephew.

Alex retrieved his darts and asked, "Aren't you going to play?"

"How about if I just watch you?" Minerva replied. "That way you can use all six of the darts as you try to go 'Around the World'?"

As much as he wanted to despise the bastard child of Athena Hart, Hayden couldn't find it within himself to fault the boy for his mother having been a round-heel slut. When he saw the boy throwing darts, it only took Hayden a second longer to locate the adult that had accompanied him.

"It's called 'Round the Clock' in here."

Minerva didn't need to turn to see who had spoken. Even if she hadn't been hoping to eventually hear his voice, the excited expression on Alex's face would have told her that Hayden Justice had finally appeared in the Ole Irish Pub.

Alex was pulling on Minerva's hand, "Aunt Minnie, it's him! It's the really cool guy from the beach!"

Hayden avoided laughing but he couldn't hide his smile. He extended his hand, "It's good to see you again, Alex. Are you trying your luck at darts?"

"Keep those darts away from HO or he'll hustle you for every cent that you have," warned Jimmy from behind the bar. "The bastard has sent many a poor lad into the streets crying, and a few lasses as well."

"But not for the same reasons," interjected Wendy, the normal bartender as she came out of the kitchen with a food order. "You can't compare a broken heart to a cleaned-out wallet."

Alexander slammed the darts that he had been holding down onto a table and yelled, "Quit picking on my friend!"

Placing a hand on Alex's shoulder, Hayden calmly said, "It's okay, Alex. They're all friends of mine and just playing around."

Jimmy snort-laughed and said, "Sweet Jesus, HO has himself a 'Mini-Me'!"

Flipping the bird at Jimmy, Hayden turned back to Alex and said, "Just ignore them. Why don't you show me how good you are at darts? If you're not too good, maybe I'll play a round with you later."

He addressed Minerva, "Do you mind if I join you at your table to watch?"

"Considering that hoping to run into you is my reason for being here," she said, "it wouldn't make much sense for me to refuse your request."

After returning the greetings from several of the staff and regular customers, Hayden took the stool next to Minerva's so that they were both facing in a direction that allowed them to watch Alexander throwing darts.

Hayden said, "I almost didn't recognize you. I recognized Alex, and when I heard your voice, I knew it was you accompanying him, but it would have taken me a while to identify you from your appearance."

"Not that you don't look stunning," Hayden thought.

Minerva was wearing a tan - almost skin-colored mesh tank top that came to her midriff as a slight cover-up over the hot-pink bikini top. He imagined that the matching bikini bottoms were beneath the light-blue capris pants that she was wearing. Her hair was in a tight ponytail that was poked above the strap of her University of South Carolina baseball cap.

It was a beachy casual look, that while foreign to him, worked well to hint at her playfulness and hopefully her letting some of the vitriol that had existed between them subside.

"I wanted to apologize to you in person," Minerva explained. "Since I had first met you here on a Saturday, I took a chance that you might be here again today. I didn't feel very welcomed after our last exchange here, so I decided that discretion might be warranted and kept things casual. Alex and I have spent most of the afternoon at the pool, so I figured..."

Hayden took a risk and placed his hand on top of hers. When Minerva didn't object, he said, "You don't have to apologize. For anything. I've pretty much figured out why you hate me, and I understand..."

Minerva resisted her desire to turn her hand so that she could squeeze Hayden's. They were interrupted by the sound of the electronic dart board. The damn thing sounded like a slot machine announcing that someone had just won the jackpot. Hayden recognized it as the audio sign indicating that someone had just completed hitting all twenty numbered segments on the board in sequence.

"Boy, that's noisy," Alexander said as he stepped back to their table. "What am I supposed to do next?

"Do you see the circle just outside of the bullseye dot?" He asked Alex. "You need to get a dart into that area, and then place a dart into the bullseye itself. Think you can do that?"

Alexander shrugged before turning and firing a dart directly into the section indicated by Hayden. He was still standing beside their table, which placed him a least five feet back from the marked throwing line.

While Hayden just nodded at the result, the rest of the pub erupted into applause and cheers. Alexander ignored the commotion and offered his last dart to Hayden with a challenging smile.

Hayden removed his hand from the top of Minerva's to accept the dart from Alex. He smiled warmly at her before glancing in the direction of the dartboard to ensure that the area was clear of other patrons. With a barely noticeable flick of his wrist, he sent the dart flying across the space to land embedded dead center into the bullseye.

Cries of "Show-off!", "Beginner's luck", "Pog Mo Thoin", and assorted other cat calls erupted from the crowd but most were drowned out by the cacophony of sounds erupting from the dartboard signifying the successful end of the match. Hayden just nodded to the crowd and returned his attention to Alexander and Minerva.

Pointing to the glass in front of Minerva, Hayden asked, "Magners?"

When Minerva simply nodded and frowned, Hayden laughed. "A little too dry for your taste?"

The joke at the pub was that you could get any beer that you wanted on tap as long as it was Guinness. Jimmy's father had worked at the Guinness brewery in Dublin and taught his son the proper way to serve the beer from a keg. Traditionally, Guinness used a nitrogen/CO2 blend of gas to push the beer through the lines rather than just CO2 like a traditional draft beer system.

Jimmy claims that this gas mixture is what gives Guinness its tell-tale creamy, tight head. A properly served Guinness requires a nitrogen gas tank that contains 75% nitrogen and 25% CO2. A lot of new customers who wanted a draft beer but didn't want one as heavy as Guinness would decide to try Magners Cider instead. Being a dry Irish cider, it didn't always meet the customer's expectations.

"How do you feel about margaritas?" Hayden asked.

Wondering what a margarita made in an Irish pub would consist of, Minerva said, "I like a good margarita. Can I get one of those here?"

"Probably not," Hayden admitted. "But if you two don't already have dinner plans, I could recommend the best Mexican restaurant in South Carolina if you're interested."

"That's a bold claim," Minerva scoffed. "Good Mexican food here is almost always an oxymoron."

"I guess that you'll just have to trust me."

"Like my sister trusted you?" Minerva almost blurted out, but she was able to restrain herself when she saw the playful glint in Hayden's eyes.

She wasn't surprised at the realization that Hayden Justice was once more playing with her. He had been doing just that since they had first met, and Minerva had to admit that she enjoyed his "friendly" play much more than his adversarial play. He was the only man that she had ever met who could intimidate her, and found that both intellectually and physically stimulating. The awareness of how her body reacted to him made Minerva blush.

She smirked and said, "Well, Alex seems to like you, and I do trust him..."

Hayden chuckled and said, "I assume that you want to discuss things with me, and since the live music will be starting here soon, how about if I take you both to dinner someplace a little quieter?"

"Do you want me to just follow you?"

"Where are you parked?" Hayden asked.

"In the lot across the street," Minerva informed him. "I paid for three hours and have about half of that time left."

"Come on," Hayden prompted as he stood. "You can leave your car here and ride with me. I'm parked in the same lot. I'll take care of the parking to make sure that you're covered until we get back."

Minerva called Alex over as she stood, "Please put the darts back into the bucket. Hayden is taking us to dinner."

Alexander quickly did as requested and fell in behind his aunt as Hayden led them toward the exit of the pub.

"HO, you bastard!" Jimmy exclaimed over the noise of the customers, "You take up all the good oxygen in the place without buying anything and now you're absconding with two of my best customers."

Hayden winked as he held the door open for his companions, "Sorry, Jimmy, but your lovely wife has invited us to join her at a higher-class establishment. She keeps promising to tell me who the father of her children is and tonight might be the night."

Jimmy shouted at the closing door, "You just bought the house another round, Asshole!"

Minerva was still laughing as the trio crossed Withers Drive.

"What type of car are you driving?" Hayden asked her.

Minerva pointed at her car in the lot as they approached.

Hayden stepped over to the attendant, "Tammy Lynn, that silver Ford Escape is with me. Keep an eye on it until we return. Okay?"

The attractive, darkly tanned blonde practically swooned when Hayden spoke to her. "Of course, HO. Anything for you, Sweetie."

"Thanks," He said as he put a hand on Alexander's shoulder and steered him toward his car with Minerva following.

With the convertible top down, there was no real need to unlock the car with the key fob, but doing so disabled the alarm. Hayden opened the passenger side door and pulled the seat back forward. Without prompting, Alex climbed into the back seat and began inspecting the car. As the seat back was restored to its normal position, Minerva slid into the front passenger seat and began her own inspection.

Minerva had been expecting them to be riding in the pick-up truck that she had seen Hayden using the time that she had dinner with him at Maggi D's. She wasn't disappointed in this vehicle, though she wasn't familiar with the make or model. It certainly appeared more befitting of a corporate president than a well-worn work truck.

"What's the 'B' stand for?" Alex asked.

Hayden had just taken his seat behind the wheel and answered, "It stands for 'Bentley'. This is a Bentley Continental GTC. Do you know much about cars?"

"Nope," was Alex's reply as he leaned over to smell the leather upholstery.

Minerva knew that one didn't need to be an automobile aficionado to recognize that this was a very beautiful and luxurious car. The exterior bronze color was accentuated even further by the reflection of the sun as it was lowering in the western sky. The engine hummed powerfully under the hood, and she could sense that the car was yearning for the freedom of an open road where it could demonstrate its potential, whatever that might be.

The interior was swathed in luscious, aromatic leather and fine wood veneers. Minerva examined everything that she could see and was impressed with the design details, such as expertly knurled control knobs and the double-stitched diamond-pattern seat trim. This car had to be worth over $300,000.

Hayden remained silent as his passengers focused their attention on the interior of his car. They couldn't appreciate the power of the engine or the racing-inspired handling characteristics while riding on city streets, so he changed his original route plans to get them onto SC31, one of the only controlled-access highways along the Grand Strand.

The ramp from US-501 to SC31 was curved enough to keep his acceleration muted until he was almost at the merge point. Checking his mirrors and recognizing that the lanes to the left of him were clear, Hayden let the car slow just a fraction before pressing firmly on the gas pedal. Minerva and Alex were thrown back in their seats, with Alex letting out a cry of joy as the turbocharged W12 engine came to life. The car shot from near zero, to over 60 MPH in less than four seconds.

Putting her hand on top of her head to hold her baseball cap on, Minerva was smiling broadly as she exclaimed, "Wow!"

Hayden had to let up on the gas pedal as their speed passed 70 MPH. The speed limit along this stretch of the freeway was only 65 MPH, and he knew that pushing that too much was not a wise move. His decision to restrain himself and the car was prophetic as they soon passed a state trooper parked in the center median with his radar aimed at oncoming traffic.

Chapter Twenty-Two

"That was cool!" Alex said as he leaned forward as much as his shoulder belt would allow. Glancing at the instrument panel, he asked, "Will this car really do 220 MPH?"

"That's what they claim," Hayden replied. "I plan to take it out to Darlington this summer to test those claims."

"Can I come with you?" Alex asked.

Hayden glanced at Minerva before answering, "If it's okay with your aunt, sure."

Without consideration for the move, Minerva placed her left hand on top of Hayden's right while it rested on the gear shift lever and mouthed to him, "Thank you."

He wasn't sure whether she was thanking him for agreeing to take Alex, or for making it contingent upon her approval, but either way, Hayden was enjoying the touch of her hand on his.

When they pulled into a parking spot in front of the restaurant, Hayden hesitated before turning his car off. He turned to Minerva, "Gabriel Montalvan, or Gabo as his friends call him, owns Chili Frito and views himself as a real 'ladies' man'. He flirts mercilessly with any women who dine here, and I'm certain that in your case, he will put on his full-press seduction routine. His Hispanic culture would never allow him to ignore anyone as beautiful as you, so just try to tolerate him. If he gets too objectionable for you, just let me know."

Minerva smirked as she unfastened her seatbelt and said, "Thank you, Mr. Justice, but I have successfully defended my virtue for the past 29 years without your assistance."

Hayden waited until he was opening her door for her before responding with a grin, "I can assure you, Ms. Hart, in your 29 years, you have never met a man like Gabo Montalvan."

Another couple was approaching the door to the restaurant as Hayden held the door for Minerva and Alex, so he waited for them to enter before stepping in behind them. As he suspected, Gabo had locked his attention onto Minerva the instant that she had entered his restaurant and was hurrying toward her.

"¡Buenas noches!" Gabo exclaimed in his heavy Mexican accent. "Welcome to Chili Frito. I have a table for two waiting for you. Please follow me."

'There's three of us," Alex offered before Minerva could correct Gabo.

A look of confusion appeared on Gabo's face. This beautiful woman and young boy were obviously together. There was only the other couple, which would have made it a party of four. HO was standing behind this couple, but he always ate alone at the bar. It finally dawned on Gabo that the third person that the boy was referring to must not have come into the restaurant yet.

"Of course, my little friend. I will seat you both at a table and then direct your other guest to you when they arrive."

The look of confusion migrated from Gabo's face to Alex's as he cocked his head back to look up and confirm that Hayden had followed them in. He said, "But he's already here."

"Excuse me, folks," Hayden softly said as he stepped around the other couple to stand beside Minerva. "We'll take that table now, Gabo."

Gabo crooked his left arm, inviting Minerva to link her right arm with his, "I would be honored to escort the beautiful lady to her table."

Instead of accepting Gabo's arm, Minerva reached slightly back to take Hayden's right hand in her left, saying, "Please lead on."

To his credit, Gabo didn't let his disappointment show as he grabbed three menus from the rack and led his guests to their table. Hayden pulled a chair out for Minerva before taking the seat across from her, allowing Alex to sit beside her.

Gabo handed each of them a menu and asked, "Two Mama Margaritas?"

Hayden winked at Gabo, "Make it three."

"Of course, my friend. Three Mama Margaritas coming right up."

When Gabo headed to the bar, Minerva leaned across the table and whispered to Hayden, "You better be planning to drink two of those, and if you do, then I get to drive us all back in your fancy car."

Hayden whispered back, "One of them will be 'virgin', but if you still want to drive us back, all you have to do is ask."

When a smiling Minerva leaned back, Alex asked, "Can I go to the bathroom before we eat?"

Hearing the request, Hayden offered, "I'll show you where it is. Come on."

Watching Alex follow Hayden as they walked between tables toward the rear of the restaurant, Minerva had to agree with Corrine Justice: There was no way that anyone could easily deny that the two were father and son. The physical similarities were too obvious.

Minerva watched Gabo as he set a margarita glass in front of her before placing the other two. He then handed her a single long-stem rose. She asked, "How long have you known Hayden?"

"Oh, for several years," Gabo replied nonchalantly. "We met when I was looking for a sign contractor for the restaurant before it opened."

"I see," Minerva said after tasting her drink and smiling her approval. "I suppose a lot of businesses in the area know him from his company making their signs."

Gabo shrugged, "His company does make the best signs, and signage is very important for a business, especially one just starting out. Anna, your waitress will be over to take your orders shortly. Enjoy."

Hayden and Alex were almost back to the table when an attractive Hispanic woman wearing the uniform of one of the waitresses stepped in front of Hayden and pulled him into a passionate embrace. After kissing him on the cheek, she whispered something into his ear and giggled before releasing him. A busboy handed her a small bowl of something before he placed a basket of warm tortilla chips and an assortment of salsas on the table. Once Hayden had retaken his seat, the waitress placed the small bowl directly in front of Minerva.

"Compliments of Gabo," she said with a smile. Turning to Hayden, she asked, "Are you going to have your usual?"

Hayden asked Minerva, "Would you mind if I ordered family style for all of us?"

Minerva had been perusing the menu while Hayden and Alex were in the restroom, and she hadn't seen anything on it that she wouldn't want to try. Alex had very limited exposure to Mexican food, but he had never been averse to trying new things, so she replied, "Sure, go ahead."

"Great. Anna, let's start with some guacamole in addition to Gabo's generous bean dip there. Then we'll have ACP for three and an order of green chili chicken enchiladas with extra cheese. Since there's plenty of rice in the ACP, we'll just have the refried beans as our side."

Anna repeated the selections back to Hayden, collected all of the menus, and then scurried back into the kitchen. He saw the questioning looks on the faces of both Minerva and Alex and suspected that he knew the cause.

"'ACP' is the common term for arroz con pollo," He explained. "Few Mexican restaurants in the United States serve it, except here in the South. The dish has morphed into a regional phenomenon. It's a relatively bland dish, which makes it a suitable 'family' dish, but it can be easily enhanced with the addition of chili peppers or salsa."

"Rice with chicken does sound pretty bland for a Mexican restaurant," Minerva agreed. "However, I have had parmesan risotto in an Italian restaurant that was so tasty I made a meal out of just it, so I'm excited to try ACP."

"I'll try it," Alex added.

Hayden nodded and said, "I hope you both enjoy it. How are your drinks?"

Before Minerva could reply, Alex asked, "Why is there salt on the rim of the glasses?"

Hayden glanced at Minerva to give her the opportunity to answer her nephew. She said, "Salt intensifies the sweet and sour flavors in the drink. See that spot on your rim where you have already licked the salt off? Take a sip from there, and then take another sip from a spot where there is still some salt remaining. Tell me if you taste a difference."

Following the instructions, Alex took the two sips. After considering the differences, he said, "The sour taste is stronger with the salt. The sweet taste is stronger without the salt."

Minerva congratulated Alex on his taste acuity and Hayden added his own praise. Noticing Gabo standing behind the bar motioning for him, Hayden excused himself from the table to see what Gabo wanted of him.

When it was just Alex and his aunt at the table, he turned to her and asked, "Aunt Minnie, is Mr. Justice my father?"

Briefly choking on the sip of margarita that she had just attempted to swallow, Minerva coughed for a few seconds before she could respond.

"Why would you ask that?"

Alex shrugged and said, "I just have a feeling when I'm around him."

"What kind of feeling?"

"I don't know," Alex tried to explain. "It just feels different. It's like I have always felt that I belong with you, Grandma, and Grandpa. With Mr. Justice, I have a sort of feeling like I belong to him; like I'm his in some way. He talks to me and treats me like I think a dad would treat a son."

"Has he said something to you?" Minerva asked.

"No, but your wanting to collect another DNA sample from me also made me curious."

"Another sample?"

"Sure. Remember that all the kids in school gave DNA samples in first grade. They said it was to help identify us if the need ever came up."

Minerva had forgotten about agreeing to have a DNA sample collected from Alex during first grade. No testing of that sample was done, however. It was simply retained in some repository if it might ever be needed to identify a child or their remains. The collection process though had been identical to the more recent one, but now the sample would be tested and compared to...

"To what?" Minerva suddenly thought. She didn't know if the grandparent DNA test that Corrine had arranged for would compare Alex's DNA to Hayden's or Corrine's. Then she realized that it didn't matter. There was no way that Alex's DNA could indicate a relationship with Corrine Justice other than through her son, Hayden.

She put her arm around Alex and said, "I truly don't know if he is your father or not. The DNA test should tell us, though. How will you feel if it turns out that Hayden is your father?"

"I don't know," Alex admitted. He returned his focus to his drink and seemed content for the time with his own thoughts.

Minerva could sense the emotional walls being constructed within Alex as he sat beside her contemplating the possibility that his biological father might be revealed to him. She imagined that there was a battle being waged within her nephew between anxious hope and potential disappointment.

Although Alex had never spoken of it, Minerva assumed that he had secretly longed for a dad of his own, or at least a father figure. Someone who was interested in the same things as him and could help guide and navigate his journey into manhood. Her father, Alex's grandfather, had tried but he just didn't have the stamina to keep up with someone as athletic as Alex.

Since the end of the trial, she had been considering what she would do if the DNA tests confirmed that Hayden was Alex's father, yet have him refuse to accept the results as fact. Minerva was still questioning why Athena would have told Hayden that he wasn't the father of her unborn child. Had Athena wanted to protect the child from knowing who its father was, and if so, why?

These questions and so many more were the reason that she had staked out the pub today in hopes of encountering Hayden Justice. The two of them could not hold a meaningful conversation aimed at answering any of the important questions while Alex was with them, but she hoped that she could establish a more conciliatory relationship with Hayden than what had existed during the trial. They needed answers from each other and answers for them both.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Hayden returned to his seat only seconds before their meal arrived. As Anna was placing the large serving dishes in the center of the table, Hayden slid a card across the table to Minerva.

"Gabo asked me to give you his card with his personal cell phone number," Hayden explained. "He would like the opportunity to discuss the two of you getting to know one another better."

Minerva left the card sitting on the table and said, "Let me guess, he wanted to speak with you to learn what our relationship was. What did you tell him?"

"What should I have told him?"

Minerva laughed and shook her head. Why wasn't she surprised by Hayden's response? He seemed to never miss an opportunity to toy with her in some fashion, and damn if she didn't find it an endearing trait of his. She had found most men were so intimidated by her that they would act like either timid boys or boastful buffoons. With Hayden Justice, she saw a confident and self-assured man; one admired and respected by everyone who knew him.

She also recognized that Hayden had vulnerabilities. He was a mortal man, with demons from past betrayals still haunting him. She felt that they shared the same demons, if in different forms, and hoped that they could find a way to work together to exorcize them all.

She had to stretch to reach the top of Hayden's hand along the edge of the table. Placing hers lightly on top of his, she told him, "You should have told him that we're a 'work in progress'."

Hayden slid his hand toward Minerva so that she didn't have to stretch as much to maintain their contact, which allowed her to sit upright once more in her chair. He then raised his margarita glass in a toast, and said, "To progress."

Tapping her glass against his, Minerva replied, "To progress."

Alex was already hungrily attacking the serving of ACP that Anna had placed on a plate for him. Minerva was going to reprimand her nephew for not waiting to start eating until everyone else had been served, but she decided that she would discuss it with him privately later rather than in public. She wasn't surprised when Anna stepped away from the table after serving Hayden and left Minerva to serve herself.

She was surprised, however, when Hayden reached across and exchanged her empty plate for his full one. Minerva silently watched as Hayden then added an enchilada and some beans. It all looked and smelled heavenly.

"Thank you," Minerva said.

She waited for Hayden to fill his plate before sampling the ACP. "Oh, my God! How do they make simple rice and chicken so flavorful? This is unbelievable."

Nodding, Hayden replied, "Gabo was one of the most sought-after chefs along the Grand Strand before he decided to open his own place. He is a culinary genius whose talents aren't limited to Mexican food. It's just what he most enjoys making."

"I suspect that you're an investor in this place," Minerva said.

"Coastline invests in many local businesses. Take Chili Frito as an example. We designed, manufactured, and installed the sign when the restaurant opened at no charge to Gabo. It was thousands of dollars that he could put towards other start-up costs. The value of the sign and our services is on the books as an investment, but we receive no direct dividends from it. We get indirect dividends from the additional marketing activities that we perform for the restaurant, plus the benefit of locking our competition out of doing any business with Gabo. If the business should fail, the sign and all of its components revert to Coastline, and we could repurpose most of them for other projects. It's a low-risk way for us to invest in local small businesses, promote our other services, and stifle the competition."

Something told Minerva that none of the businesses that Coastline invested in would be allowed to fail as long as Hayden had any say in the matter. He didn't come across as the type of person who would invest in a business, but rather in the people behind the business. These investments by his company were personal. This was a part of his character recognized by many others, and one that likely contributed to the reverence in which so many people held Hayden Justice. If she was a betting woman, Minerva would lay money down on the odds that both the Ole Irish Pub and Maggi D's were among the businesses in the area which had received their signs as an investment by Coastline.

Another thought came to her. "Okay, explain the car to me."

Hayden paused between bites of food, "What do you mean?"

"It's not you. I mean, it's a magnificent car, but it doesn't seem like something that you would own. It just doesn't fit with the Hayden Justice I have been shown."

"What exactly have you been shown?" Hayden asked teasingly. He leaned over so Minerva could hear him whisper, "You haven't caught me with my fly down or anything, have you?"

Minerva blushed, "Behave yourself! Explain the car and leave it at that for now."

Chuckling, Hayden leaned back and said, "The Bentley is leased by Coastline as a parade car. Its role is to promote the company as a participant in parades around the region, such as the Shriners parade, the MLK Day parade, and any others that our marketing team feels are worthwhile for us. It also has been used to drive the local high school homecoming royalty out to the football field and similar special events. My mom also drives it when she has flown here from Charleston and needs transportation during her stays. The lease on the truck that I normally drive is up and it will be replaced for me on Monday, so I am driving the Bentley over the weekend. Do you still want to drive us back in it?"

"You were serious?" Minerva asked.

"Sure, but you cover your own traffic tickets, Counselor."

Minerva winked, "You mean that I cover any traffic tickets that I can't talk myself out of."

The casual and sometimes teasing conversation between Minerva and Hayden continued throughout the meal. Minerva was so focused on Hayden that she paid little attention to Alex as he ate silently beside her. She only glanced at her nephew once her own plate was empty, not realizing that she had consumed more food in a single seating than she had in years.

"Have you had enough?" Minerva asked Alex, which prompted a laugh from Hayden.

Pointing to the empty serving bowls on the table, Hayden asked, "Who do you think cleaned those out?"

For his part, Alex was sitting with a content and quite satisfied expression on his face. This dining experience with the boy reminded Hayden of something that his mother used to say about him and brought to mind once again the similarities between him and Alex that people kept mentioning to him.

Minerva couldn't understand what Hayden mumbled under his breath, so she asked, "What did you say?"

Irked by the realization that he had verbalized his thoughts, Hayden hesitated before responding to Minerva's question. He finally said, "Alex must have one straight gut and a hollow leg to be able to eat as much as he does."

"I'm going to have to remember that one," Minerva laughed. She placed an arm around Alex's shoulder and affectionately pulled him into a hug as she said, "What girl doesn't love a growing boy?"

The "growing boy" was sound asleep in the backseat of the Bentley before Minerva entered the ramp onto SC31. Before leaving Chili Frito, Hayden had suggested that they put the convertible top up for the drive home so that Minerva would be better able to hear any directions that she might require to navigate back to the parking lot across from the Ole Irish Pub. This resulted in a quieter interior and no wind to disturb Alex's slumber.

"I had hoped that we would have had more opportunity to talk tonight," Minerva lamented.

Hayden glanced at the side of her face as she concentrated on the road ahead, "I think we made good 'progress', as you called it. I have enjoyed this evening."

"I've enjoyed it too," Minerva admitted, "but you know what I meant. What are your plans for tomorrow?"

"The 9 am service at Midtown Vineyard Church followed by a late breakfast and then I'll see where the day leads me. Why?"

"Can I join you?" Minerva asked nervously. "Alex will be leaving with my dad for Lake Hartwell first thing in the morning. Maybe you and I could have a more meaningful conversation after church?"

"Are you saying that you want to join me for church or for us to get together after church?"

Minerva hadn't considered how Hayden might feel about being seen with her; just the two of them together, especially after the trial fiasco. Having Alex with them provided a chaperone of sorts that might have made her presence more tolerable for Hayden. She suddenly realized how much the possibility of Hayden not wanting them to be seen together bothered her.

"I'm sorry," Minerva said. "Let's just leave it at me being available tomorrow if you want to get together to discuss anything. You can decide when, where, or whether."

So far, Hayden had been able to maintain a clear distinction between what he had shared with Athena and what he was sharing with her sister. Athena's reticence toward crowds kept them away from the same establishments where Minerva and he had been spending time together. The only place with the potential for a mass of people being present that Athena willingly accompanied Hayden had been Sunday church services.

The most logical place for Hayden and Minerva to discuss Athena would be at his house because that offered them privacy and is also where the documents from the psychiatrist currently were. The problem for Hayden was that his house is where he and Athena had spent the vast majority of their time together alone. What would sharing time with Minerva at church and his house do for the separation that he had been able to maintain so far?

Whether he wanted to or not, Hayden knew that Minerva's knowledge about Athena would be invaluable to his efforts to understand why she had betrayed him. He didn't want to let the pain and anger that he had felt for Athena detract from their quest for answers. Could he share the same environments with Athena's sister and not let it influence his emotions? The fact that he remained in a playful mood while contemplating the situation gave Hayden hope.

"Okay," he said. "The 'when' will be tomorrow morning at 8:30 in the morning. The 'where' will be my house. I don't know what the weather has to do with anything, but we can check the forecast and dress accordingly before heading to church."

Fighting to suppress her grin, Minerva kept a smile off her lips as she replied, "Mr. Justice. While most people admire a small ass, no one likes a smart ass."

"Well, I'll take your word for that," Hayden teased. "Because you likely know everything there is to know about having an admired ass."

Minerva might have been shocked by Hayden's comment, but she didn't want him to have the satisfaction of seeing it. "After what we just went through in court, you can't believe that what you said to me was appropriate."

Hayden countered with a smile, "After what we just went through in court, I know that what I believe is irrelevant. What matters is whether or not you believe it was an appropriate comment for me to make."

Pursing her lips as she pondered a response, Minerva basked in the elation she felt over this man not only taking notice of her physical attributes, but also voicing his admiration. She realized that her appearance for Hayden Justice mattered to her. Minerva Hart actually wanted a man - this man, to be attracted to her.

She finally grinned and said, "I suppose that I would have to weigh the sincerity of the person making such a statement. Was the comment intended as complimentary or merely a flippant, disingenuous, or flirtatious turn of phrase?"

"I guess that you'll just have to trust me," Hayden said.

"At the risk of sounding narcissistic," Minerva announced, "I will accept your comment as an appropriate appraisal of my derrière. Thank you."

Chapter Twenty-Four

"HAYDEN?"

"I'm out here."

Minerva followed his voice out the open floor-to-ceiling sliding glass wall that led to the patio. As she approached him, she said, "I thought that you were going to meet me in the kitchen."

Hayden pulled out a chair for her at the umbrella-shaded table, "You were quicker than I anticipated. I wanted to bring the documents out here so that my hands were free to carry whatever you decided that you wanted to drink while we went through them."

"What, my hands aren't suitable for helping you carry drinks?" Minerva teased. She knew that Hayden was simply trying to be considerate of her but if he could tease her at any time, she could return the gesture. "What are my options?"

"Now that you've changed, let's go see what he can rustle up for each of us."

Although the church services at Midtown Vineyard Church were casual, the attire that both Hayden and Minerva wore that morning was not as casual as they wanted for lounging around his house while they discussed Athena. Minerva had brought a change of clothes with her and had used one of the five guest bedrooms to don the more comfortable shorts and tank top that she wore over her bikini. Hayden had changed into cargo shorts and a Tommy Bahama shirt that he left unbuttoned. The slightest breeze provided Minerva with a teasing glance at his sculpted torso.

Hayden carried two glasses and the chilled bottle of champagne back to the table while Minerva followed with the pitcher of orange juice. He held a chair out for her and began opening the bottle while she poured orange juice into each glass. Minerva added the champagne while Hayden got settled in the chair across from her.

Raising her mimosa, she toasted, "To progress."

Tapping his glass against hers, Hayden said, "To that point, I want to tell you something."

Crooking a questioning eyebrow, Minerva remained silent and waited for Hayden to continue.

"I have something for you, Minnie." Hayden paused to take a sip of his drink. "My faith. Not my faith in God, faith in you. I had some reservations about how my feelings for Athena might affect my feelings for you, but spending time with you has allayed most of those."

"Most, but not all?" Minerva interjected.

Hayden shrugged, "I imagine that your resemblance to Athena will always be there. However, when I look at you now, I see you. When I listen to your voice, I hear you. Your being such a different person than your sister emotionally has been huge for me. The confidence and strength that you possess were things that I never saw in Athena."

"Hayden Justice, you are the most confusing man that I have ever known. I recognize that a majority of that confusion is on me and my foolish assumptions, but you don't get off Scot-free. How do you go from being a contentious adversary to a doting admirer so easily?"

Hayden laughed, "I was never your adversary. Believe me, you would have known it if I was. For a time, we were opponents in the games that you orchestrated, but hopefully, we have moved past those and I am free to express my admiration for you."

"Like you did last night?" Minerva teased. She quickly added, "Not that I minded."

Grinning, Hayden simply said, "You're you, and I like the you I have come to know."

"I like the you I've come to know as well," Minerva said. Becoming more serious, she asked, "Can I share something with you that Alex told me last night?"

"Sure."

Making certain that his eyes were meeting hers, she said, "He asked me if you were his father."

Setting his glass down, Hayden leaned back in his chair and considered what Minerva had said. His expression was stoic as he asked, "What did you tell him?"

"The truth. I told him that I didn't know."

"But you believe that I am."

"Hayden, even if everything that I knew about my sister didn't imply that you were the father of her child, the similarities between you and Alex would lead almost anyone to that conclusion."

"Tell me something," Hayden said. "How did Athena die? The psychiatrist that sent these documents implied that I may have somehow contributed to..."

Minerva gasped, "Oh, Hayden, I can't see how that would have been the case. Athena died from HELLP syndrome."

"From what?"

"It's an acronym for 'Hemolysis, Elevated Liver enzymes and Low Platelets'. It's considered a variant form of preeclampsia," Minerva explained. "We were told that because all of the typical signs of preeclampsia may not be apparent initially, such as high blood pressure and protein in the urine, HELLP syndrome can be difficult to diagnose. In Athena's case, her symptoms were mistaken for gastritis resulting from the pregnancy and subsequent delivery. By the time they figured out what was wrong with her, there wasn't much that the doctors could do to save her."

Shaking his head and pointing at the stack of documents, Hayden said, "This lady definitely implied that I may have contributed to the cause of Athena's death."

Minerva's heart was aching for Hayden. He had endured the pain from Athena's perceived betrayal for a decade and now was facing possible guilt over her death. She asked him, "How far into the documents have you read?"

"There's a playing card marking the spot," he told her. "I read about her problems as a child with hyperactivity and got as far as when Athena had started seeing this doctor again after her first summer here."

"So, you started at the beginning of the files?" Minerva asked and Hayden nodded.

"Okay. I know about that period in Athena's life, so I want to take a different approach. How about if you continue from where you left off and I'll start at the end of the file and work forward? We'll meet somewhere in the middle and compare notes. What do you think?"

Pulling a book out from under the document stack and holding it up for Minerva to see, he said "If we're going to split up, I get to use this."

Smiling at him, Minerva said, "Fine, but if I need to reference your medical dictionary, I get to do so while sitting on your lap."

"That could be a very uncomfortable seat for both of us," Hayden replied.

"That's what I'm counting on," Minerva thought as she grabbed the bottom half of the documents.

She had only read a couple of pages when Minerva looked up at Hayden, "These look like transcribed recordings of conversations followed by clinical notes by the doctor. Is that what you're reading?"

Shaking his head, Hayden replied, "No. What I have reads like a pharmaceutical handbook. There are a lot of details about chemical compounds in relationship to different neurotransmitters, whatever those are."

"I'll tell you something else," Minerva said. "I remember this doctor. It didn't click with me until now, but if Athena was seeing the same doctor who treated her for the ADHD when she was younger, then I had a few sessions with her too."

"You had ADHD too?"

"No," Minerva assured him. "My sessions focused on how as Athena's younger sibling her behavior influenced my behavior. I remember answering a bunch of questions about how I felt about Athena getting in trouble sometimes at school, if I resented her for me not being able to have friends over and stuff like that."

Nodding, Hayden said, "She told me that she had treated Athena since she was a child, so it must be the same doctor. Do you remember her name?"

Minerva shook her head, "Not her last name, but my mom probably remembers. I'll send her a text to ask."

She quickly typed out and sent a text message to her mother. She then continued, "I do remember her first name, though. It was 'Denisa'. Spelled like "Denise', only ending in an 'a' instead of an 'e'. I also noticed something else in what I have read..."

"What's that?" Hayden asked.

Her cell phone dinging caused Minerva to pause her response as she checked the incoming message. Reading it quickly, she reported, "Dr. Denisa Vinson. I remember now. She must be in her mid-sixties by now."

"She implied that she was still practicing," Hayden said. "She mentioned that sharing this information with me could cost her her license."

"Oh, that's what I was going to tell you about what I read," Minerva said. "It is clear to me from the transcribed recordings that I have read so far, Athena gave at least implied consent for the doctor to share her entire medical history and her current condition with you. There was even mention of inviting you to participate in joint sessions after the baby was born to help you understand Athena's condition."

"Does it say what her condition was?"

"I haven't gotten to the details yet, but to my limited understanding of what I have read, Athena was losing her mind."

~~~

"Oh, God, your shirt is soaked!"

"It will dry," Hayden assured her with his words and by pulling her tighter against his chest.

"I'm sorry," Minerva said for the umpteenth time since they had moved from the patio to the couch in his family room. "Every time that I feel like I'm done crying, my guilt resurfaces."

Hayden wanted to try and assuage Minerva's guilt, but he was struggling with how to deal with his own. There was still a lot that they didn't understand about Athena, but what they had learned made several things very clear.

First, they had learned that Athena had been one very ill young woman. A stubborn, very ill young woman. They didn't understand all the medical jargon used in the notes by Dr. Vinson, but they understood enough to realize that the doctor had been extremely concerned over Athena's mental state during the months of her pregnancy. Many of the transcribed recordings that documented Athena's discussion were those of a seriously depressed woman.

Two of the things they learned weighed heavily on Hayden at the moment: Athena's continued declarations of her loving and faithful devotion to him, and her confession that she had purposely lied about her child not being his. He didn't yet understand why, but Athena had deliberately sought to push him out of her life at a time when she likely needed him the most, and he hadn't tried hard enough to convince her otherwise.

For her part, Minerva was now burdened with the knowledge that she had been so wrapped up in her own life at the time that she had been completely oblivious to the psychological struggles that Athena had endured while pregnant. The fact that her own sister had not felt confident enough in Minerva's love and devotion to even let her know that she was pregnant left her more guilt-ridden than Minerva could have imagined possible.

It was clear from the documents that Athena had purposely kept her pregnancy to herself, with Hayden being the only person besides her doctors that she had shared the information with. Her conversations with Dr. Vinson showed that Athena hadn't been ashamed of being an unwed mother, and had expressed occasional optimism at the prospect of having a baby. While Athena had agreed with all recommendations for the prenatal care of her fetus, her mental state sometimes affected her sticking with the prescribed regimen.

Minerva and her parents learned of Athena's pregnancy after the fact. When the seriousness of the post-delivery complications became obvious, the hospital contacted Athena's next of kin. Athena had been in and out of consciousness during the eight hours that Minerva and her mother had sat with her, urging her to continue fighting for her life, and it was during the brief periods of lucid consciousness that Athena had relayed what little she had about who the father of her child was.

The words that had haunted Minerva for ten years were now viewed in an entirely different light: "It's too late for me. Get Justice from Coastline. Get Justice for Alexander." Athena hadn't wanted her sister to seek retribution or revenge; she had wanted Minerva to bring together father and son.

Chapter Twenty-Five

"What are we going to do?" Minerva asked.

"About what?" Never entered Hayden's mind. He realized that it had been a largely rhetorical question by Minerva, but her phrasing it as "we" was interesting. It implied at least a willingness for them to find answers and make decisions together.

"I think we should start by taking a walk on the beach," Hayden told her. "I always think better with sand between my toes."

"You expect me to go out in public looking like I just left a funeral? My eyes have got to be puffy from crying and my face is probably a mess as well."

Hayden kissed her on the forehead and lifted her into his arms as he rose from the couch. As he set her on her feet, he said, "Your sunglasses will hide your eyes and your face is as beautiful as ever. You just have to decide whether you want to go dressed as you are or get a bit of afternoon sun during our walk."

Taking a step back, Minerva placed her hands on the lapels of Hayden's shirt and slowly pushed it off his shoulders and down his arms. "You could use some more vitamin D yourself. Plus, this thing needs to dry out."

"I do have other shirts you know," Hayden chuckled.

Minerva didn't speak in reply as she placed the side of her face against Hayden's bare chest and wrapped her arms around him. She then whispered, "Thanks for being here with me, even after I've been such a bitch to you."

Returning the embrace, Hayden said, "Minnie, you have become precious to me in an amazingly short time. 'To progress', remember?"

Minerva felt like she was living on a new level. Just being near this man made her melt. She clearly understood how her sister had fallen so hopelessly in love with Hayden and envied Athena for the experience of having her love returned by this amazing man.

Leaning her head back to gaze up at him, she asked, "Would you mind if I wore just my bathing suit on our walk? I would like to get a little sun."

"Whatever makes you most comfortable is fine with me," Hayden assured her. "We won't be going anywhere but on the sand, so a bathing suit would be more than appropriate."

"Okay, then you wait here and I'll go get ready."

The two separated and Minerva headed for the stairs leading to the upstairs bedroom where her stuff was. She paused when Hayden asked her, "Would you like me to get us some towels in case you want to go into the water?"

"If I go into the ocean, I'm going to want to shower afterward..."

"Fortunately," Hayden teased, "This house has one of those. In fact, it has four facilities with showers."

"How many of those four come with you?" Minerva almost asked. Instead, she said, "I think the most that I would do is wade into the water to the level of my knees. We are intending to continue our discussions during the walk, aren't we?"

"Good point, Counselor. We'll save the towels for showers later."

"Will you stop mentioning showers already?" Minerva silently chastised. Before the blush that her thoughts evoked was too obvious, she turned and hurried up the stairs to remove her tank top and shorts.

Quickly pulling her tank top over her head, Minerva studied herself in the mirror above the dresser and pondered her reluctance to take her clothes off downstairs in front of Hayden. After all, she had her bikini on underneath and he would be seeing her in that shortly. She supposed that the act of disrobing, even partially in front of him seemed inappropriate at this stage of their relationship.

"Their relationship?" What was their relationship? Acquaintances with a common interest? Friends? Companions? More?

Definitely, a "work in progress", Minerva admitted to herself as she pulled her hair into a ponytail and secured it. Not bothering to fold her top and shorts when she tossed them on the bed, she grabbed her sunglasses and headed back downstairs in her bare feet.

"Holy crap!" Minerva thought when she saw the expression on Hayden's face as he watched her descend the stairs.

No one had ever looked at her with as much... What? Admiration? Appreciation? Desire? She had never given a lot of thought to whether others, in particular men, had found her appearance appealing. In her mind, "it was what it was".

Now, the visible expression of Hayden's interest in how she looked gave Minerva a sense of pride that she hadn't experienced previously. She was both elated and embarrassed when realizing the effect that she had on this man.

Hayden wasn't surprised by Minerva's beauty or grace. He had been witnessing those since they had met, and he had been able to adapt to her attractiveness as he once had with her sister. However, he was gobsmacked by the sight of her in the hot pink bikini.

Though conservative in comparison to a lot of those that they would likely encounter on the beach, it encased the most intimate parts of a body that would put all other females to shame. In this bikini, Minerva epitomized her namesake. She truly was a goddess.

The smile on Minerva's face assured Hayden that she had not been offended by his visual assessment of her physical charms. This belief was further reinforced when she jumped over the last two stairsteps and launched herself into him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders as she planted a chaste kiss on his cheek.

"I have never been so happy to be a woman as I am when I am with you."

Hayden laughed, "Well, you'll get no complaints from me."

Releasing Hayden, Minerva took his hand and said, "Come on, let's take that walk that you suggested.

Hayden led her across the patio and toward the beach through the dunes. The tide was out, so they had to trudge another twenty yards before the firmer sand along the shoreline provided them with a cooler surface and more solid footing for a leisurely walk. They were able to continue walking hand-in-hand on the firmer sand without the surf reaching their feet.

They had to dodge or pause in their walk to avoid running into oblivious people looking for seashells or sharks' teeth as well as the occasional child running haphazardly to or from the water, but they were able to continue holding hands as they did so.

They walked silently for several hundred yards before Hayden spoke, "You said that you knew the psychologist that Athena was seeing when she was younger. Can you get her contact information? I know that we learned a lot from the documents, but there are still several questions, at least in my mind."

"Mine too," Minerva agreed. "In particular, I need to know what caused her to act so irrationally and if there is any chance that whatever her affliction was could be hereditary. I have to think of Alex. I plan on having Lana try to find out about her tomorrow and then to schedule a meeting with her. I assume that you would want to be there too."

"That sounds like the best approach," Hayden said. "First, she might be more receptive to sharing Athena's history with you since you were sisters..."

"I thought that you understood that her speaking to both of us about Athena shouldn't be an issue, at least from a legal perspective. I took pictures of the relevant pages in the documents where Athena's recorded statements clearly provide her implied consent for you to be made aware of her medical history, treatments, and prognosis. I hold the legal status as Athena's personal representative, so that gives me the right to hear everything said about her."

Nodding in agreement, Hayden said, "I wonder how difficult it will be to schedule a meeting with her. She seemed anxious to share information with me when she first called, and she sent the documents as promised, but I have to question why she has been ghosting me since then."

"We'll find out when Lana gets in contact with her tomorrow," Minerva assured him. "There is one thing that we need to be prepared for, however."

"What's that?"

"She might be reluctant to discuss Athena with both of us at the same time. There may be things about the relationship between you and Athena that Dr. Vinson might feel are none of my business."

Hayden had to consider this. The mutual interest that he and Minerva had been sharing about her sister had been rather academic to this point. They both wanted to know if Athena had lied about who the father or her unborn child was, and why. The documents had convinced them both that Athena had lied, but the reasoning was still confusing for them. If his relationship with Athena had been as influential in her behaviors, how would that information affect Minerva? Would she place even partial blame for her sister's mental challenges on him?

He asked, "You and your parents weren't aware of the problems mentioned in the documents, right?"

"No," Minerva emphatically replied. "Sure, Athena would sometimes be in a funk when we saw her at holidays and such, but we accepted her excuses about her being under a lot of stress over her heavy course load. Also, like I said, we all were pretty self-absorbed with things in our own lives and we obviously didn't focus enough on Athena and what symptoms we did notice to do anything about them."

Hayden nodded, "I only got to spend a couple of months with her each year, and the majority of our time together was in a professional work setting. I did notice things about her behavior, such as her shyness around large groups of people compared to her confidence when it was just her and me together. But that was the only way that I had ever known her to be, so it didn't raise any red flags for me or anything. She always sounded the same when we spoke on the phone, her e-mails were consistent and generally upbeat, and she gave me no reason to suspect that there was this darkness in her life."

"I assumed from the pain that you experienced when you thought that she had betrayed you," Minerva said consolingly, "that you were completely unaware of Athena's problems. At least you had an excuse for your lack of insight into her behavioral challenges. Her family has none. We should have been more aware, or at least given Athena the confidence to share her problems with us. We failed her, you didn't."

"I'm not convinced that is true in either case," Hayden countered. "Regardless, if this Dr. Vinson objects to you and me getting our answers together, will you help me to overcome her objections? I think that we need to try and achieve closure together and can support each other to realize that goal."

Squeezing Hayden's hand, Minerva asked, "Can I ask you something about you and Athena? About your relationship I mean?"

"I guess so."

Minerva considered her words before speaking, "Athena was never a very affectionate person from what I remember. My mom said that she didn't even like being held much as an infant. My question is, how was she with you? I mean, you two obviously had some intimate physical contact for her to get pregnant, but how was she otherwise?"

Raising their joined hands to illustrate his statement, Hayden said, "This is one of the contrasts between you and Athena that I was referring to earlier. She was always reluctant to show any physical affection between us in public, yet you seem to encourage it."

"So, Athena was fine showing affection in private, but not in public?" Minerva asked.

"Not initially," Hayden tried to clarify. "When we met and started getting to know each other, it was always in a work-related environment, so professional decorum dictated our physical contact, or lack thereof. When we started getting more serious and actually spending time between just the two of us, Athena began to accept things like a brief hug or us holding hands while sitting together. That sort of thing. She didn't like going out in public much, and when we did, she refused to hold my hand or show any signs that would give people the impression that we were a couple. Even as we became more physically intimate in our relationship, she was always very guarded about us in public."

"Was she ashamed about your relationship or something?"

Sighing, Hayden said, "Looking back on things, I now realize that what I perceived as Athena's shy and introverted personality went deeper than I had thought. She never seemed to have a very high regard for herself and her value as a person. I was always trying to reassure her of her beauty, intelligence, and my pride in her, but I now question whether my efforts had any effect. It was almost as if she thought that me being with her would make people think less of me."

Nodding, Minerva said, "I picked up on some statements of hers in the documents that sort of reinforce that. My sister definitely lacked self-confidence, but there were also comments that lead me to believe that she felt better about herself when she was with you. Does that make sense?"

"Not really, but I have no frame of reference for how she behaved when she wasn't with me. I'm hoping that this Dr. Vinson can help me see how Athena behaved when with me wasn't just an illusion on my part."

"Me too," Minerva said.

She then removed her hand from his and placed her arm around his waist.

"Just so you know, I don't care if being seen with me is bad for your image or not. I am proud to be seen with you, and that's good enough for me."

Hayden placed his arm around her shoulders and pulled her against his side.

"I am perfectly fine with people viewing us as a couple but you should be more concerned about what that image could do to your reputation rather than mine."

Hayden noticed Minerva had stopped walking, so he paused as well. She removed her hand from his waist and stepped around in front of him, facing him with a serious expression evident.

"Confession time," she said, taking both of his hands into hers.

"About what?"

Taking a deep breath, Minerva steeled herself before speaking, "I like you, Hayden. I mean, I really like you. I don't know how anyone couldn't like you, and I can see clearly why my sister fell so hopelessly in love with you."

"I really like you too, Minnie. We've established that already."

"I know, and making 'progress' in our relationship is something that I am truly looking forward to. But you need to know that I have never done the 'couple' thing before..."

"How do you mean?" Hayden asked in confusion. This woman was far too beautiful and confident to not have had relationships before. Wasn't she?

Minerva explained, "I have never been in an actual relationship with anyone. Sure, I've dated guys, but no one ever made me feel the slightest bit connected to them. You know, like someone that I would want to get to know better, learn to trust, and want to share things with..."

"Make progress with?" Hayden interrupted.

"Exactly!" Minerva exclaimed. She placed her arms around Hayden's neck as she said, "I want to make progress with you, I really do. Being with you makes me excited to find out what happens next. I just need you to realize that I am in unfamiliar territory..."

He whispered to her, "The beach is getting more crowded in this direction. Let's head back toward the house."

His response, and the silence between them on the walk back to Hayden's house didn't concern Minerva. With his strong arm draped around her shoulders as they walked side-by-side, she remained confident that he was merely contemplating what they had discussed and was not bothered by it.

Chapter Twenty-Six

"See, I told you it wasn't far."

"I believed you," Minerva replied. "I'm just surprised how fast the trip was. The wait at the guard booth was the longest point in the trip."

Minerva had been surprised when Lana had been unable to track down Dr. Vinson through her office in Greenville on Monday. They had learned that Dr. Vinson had closed her practice and transferred all of her patients to other psychiatrists. Hayden put Tasha on the case and it had taken her and her team less than two hours to determine that Dr. Vinson and her husband had retired to their second home in Myrtle Beach and were now making it their primary residence.

Providing that information to Lana had allowed her to make the arrangements that now had Minerva and Hayden sitting in Hayden's Bentley, which was parked in the drive leading to the palatial home of Dr. Denisa Vinson. Lana had explained that Dr. Vinson had abruptly ceased seeing patients in the middle of April when her husband had suffered a stroke.

After Lana had explained what Minerva had told her about the implied consent that Athena had clearly provided during her sessions with Dr. Vinson, the psychiatrist had been enthusiastically willing to see Hayden and Minerva as long as they could come to her house for their meeting. While her husband was recovering well from his stroke, Dr. Vinson preferred to remain home in case he needed anything.

"Stick with me," Hayden teased. "I'll teach you all the shortcuts around this town."

Minerva said, "Maybe I'll just let you chauffer me around once I relocate here. I think I look pretty good being driven around in this car."

"And humble too," Hayden laughed. "Don't forget humble."

She smacked him playfully.

While she had explained to Hayden that she wanted to personally manage the growth of her law practice in the Myrtle Beach area, leaving TJ and Lana to manage the more established operations in Greenville, Minerva didn't delude herself into believing that her desire to be closer to Hayden hadn't played a major role in her decision.

Hayden patted the large three-inch ring binder that he and Minerva had placed the documents into so that they could add dividers and tabs for the sections that they had the greatest interest in discussing with Athena's former psychiatrist. "Are you ready to see what the good doctor can tell us?"

Squeezing Hayden's hand, Minerva replied, "I certainly hope that she can squelch her sesquipedalian tendencies exhibited in the case notes."

Hayden gently returned Minerva's squeeze and said, "Don't you find it ironic that you, as a lawyer, someone whose profession promulgates the use of words that only they understand, are criticizing someone else for using big words?"

"There is no comparison," Minerva insisted. "Latin allows usus paucioribus verba facere punctum."

"Very funny. What does that mean?"

Minerva grinned as she opened her car door. She glanced back over her shoulder while exiting the car and said, "Latin allows the use of fewer words to make a point. In English, that sentence has eleven words. In Latin, it only has seven."

Hayden joined her at the front of the Bentley, "Yeah, seven words that only another lawyer would understand."

Minerva simply shrugged and took Hayden's hand as they started for the house. Glancing to the right, they could see a few boats on the Intercoastal Waterway just a few yards away. The sound of a golf ball being hit on the course that the house backed up to could be heard in the distance. The house didn't appear to be as spacious as Hayden's, and the view of the Intercoastal couldn't compare with his view of the Atlantic Ocean, but it was still an impressive residence.

When they rounded the corner leading to the entry of the house, they saw a woman standing in the open doorway watching them approach. Her hand went to her mouth as she watched Minerva walking towards her. She lowered it as she stepped out of the house and pulled Minerva into a friendly embrace.

"I forgot how much you and Athena looked alike," Dr. Vinson said. The hint of tears was just forming in the corners of her eyes. "I am so sorry for the loss of your sister, and even sorrier that it has taken so long for me to express that to you. Please come in."

Following the two ladies into the house and closing the door behind them, Hayden said, "Dr. Vinson, I'm Hayden Justice. We spoke on the phone ..."

Pausing in the foyer, Dr. Vinson turned to face Hyden and said, "No need for an introduction, Mr. Justice. I always felt confident that I would be able to pick you out of a crowd from the descriptions that Athena always shared during our sessions. I do want to apologize for sending you the documents and not being able to follow up with you afterward. My husband's sudden illness turned our world on end for several weeks."

"How is Mr. Vinson?" Minerva asked.

"His last name isn't Vinson. I use my maiden name professionally but my legal name is hyphenated with his. To answer your question, he is doing remarkably well. There are very few residual effects evident from his stroke and those are expected to improve within the next few months through his therapies. Our friends, Dru and Randy McLean have taken him to lunch so that we three would have the house free for our discussion. Please follow me. We'll use his office."

She led them through a set of double doors into a large office that looked like it was a converted living room space due to its size and location within the house. There was an L-shaped desk with a computer monitor, keyboard, and mouse on its surface. Along the wall, under a large picture window was a sitting area comprised of a large leather sofa with a coffee table between it and two over-stuffed leather chairs. The walls were adorned with framed pictures of a handsome man standing beside Dr. Vinson.

Stepping to one of the pictures, Minerva studied it and said, "It has to have been close to twenty years since I sat in your office but you don't seem to have aged a day in that time. You're still so beautiful. Is this your husband?"

Hayden hadn't met Dr. Vinson before today, but after quickly examining the pictures on the walls and comparing them to the woman before them, he had to agree with Minerva's assessment. This woman looked at least twenty years younger than what her current age must be.

Dr. Vinson snorted softly and said, "I've already agreed to talk with you both about Athena. You don't need to try to flatter me with falsehoods. Can I get either of you something to drink before we start? I have some freshly made lemonade if you're interested."

Hayden glanced at Minerva and shrugged. She nodded and said, "That would be nice. Can I be of any assistance... help you carry things maybe?"

"No, no, just make yourselves at home. I already have everything on a tray in the kitchen and it won't take me but a second to bring everything in here. I'll be right back."

Hayden set the binder on the coffee table and strolled around to examine more of the framed pictures on the walls. His attention was no longer on the beauty that was Dr. Denisa Vinson, but rather on the man standing beside her in most of the pictures. There was something familiar about him that Hayden couldn't immediately identify.

Minerva was examining pictures on the wall adjacent to Hayden's and was the first to achieve recognition of the man. "Hayden, do you know who this is?"

Pointing to the framed pictures that he had just noticed, he replied, "I do now. Look, these are all the book covers from his best sellers. I thought he looked familiar. You didn't know?"

"I had no idea," Minerva confessed. "Are you a fan of his books too?"

Moving between each of the framed book covers on the wall, Hayden studied each carefully to see if there were any covers for books by this award-winning author that he hadn't yet read. "I have all of these books at home. I've read each of them at least a dozen times over the years. You?"

Nodding, Minerva said, "'His Daddy's Car' has to be one of my favorite books of all time. 'Heavy Traffic on a Dirt Road' runs a close second though."

Hearing Dr. Vinson rejoining them, Minerva turned to her and asked, "Your husband wrote all of these books?"

"Yes, he hopes to get back to his ninth novel in a few months if the physical therapy keeps progressing as well as it has so far. His greatest fear was that the stroke impacted his cognitive abilities or memory to the point that it would affect his ability to continue writing. We don't need the income, you understand, but I don't know what he would do if he no longer had an outlet for his imagination. Please, have a seat and help yourselves."

"Well, please tell him that we are both huge fans of his work," Hayden said as he took a seat in one of the chairs across from the sofa.

"Why don't you join me over here on the sofa," Minerva suggested as she stepped around the coffee table and began pouring a glass of lemonade from the pitcher.

Hayden quickly stood and moved over to the sofa. Minerva waited for Dr. Vinson to take a seat in one of the chairs before handing her one of the glasses filled with lemonade. She handed another to Hayden before sitting beside him with her own glass on the table in front of her.

"Once the remaining weakness in his right hand abates, I'll make certain that you each get autographed copies of his books," Dr. Vinson assured them both. Then, pointing to the binder, she asked Hayden, "Are those the documents that I send you?"

When Hayden nodded, she continued, "When the young woman called to request this meeting, she mentioned that you both had been reviewing the documents together and that you both had questions. Is that right?"

Answering for them both, Minerva said, "That's correct. When Hayden and I met, it didn't take us long to learn that we both had a lot of questions and not a small amount of lingering guilt related to my sister. We have been trying to discover what motivated her behaviors, especially during her pregnancy, and this is what led us here today. Can you help us? Help us understand Athena?"

Dr. Vinson studied the couple sitting across from her for several seconds before responding, "First, tell me about you two. What is the extent of your relationship?"

"Why does that matter?" Hayden asked, strictly out of curiosity.

Watching Minerva reach over and take Hayden's hand in hers answered much of Dr. Vinson's question, but she added, "It's important for me, when meeting with a couple at the same time, to understand how what I tell them might affect the dynamics of their relationship. You two obviously have an individual interest in the knowledge contained within those documents and what they will reveal about Athena's condition. What I need to understand is what shared interests might exist. Will my revealing certain aspects of Athena's condition affect you as a couple?"

Before Hayden could respond, Minerva said, "Hayden and I are making progress toward becoming a couple. Athena broke Hayden's heart, and although we have been able to determine from the documents that she lied when she did that, knowing the 'why' is important for him, and for us to continue making progress. My misunderstanding of what transpired between Athena and Hayden left me with not only guilt, but also a soul-burning desire for retribution. Retribution against a man that I now believe was as much a victim of Athena's illness as she was. I need to understand why my sister did what she did and if her ghost will always haunt any relationship that Hayden and I have."

"What about Alex?" Hayden interrupted. "He's a shared interest for us too."

"Oh, God yes," Minerva agreed. "Thanks for reminding me. We need to know if whatever plagued Athena is something that we need to be concerned about with her son, Alexander."

Dr. Vinson nodded in understanding, "I can say with extreme confidence that the medical issues that affected Athena are not hereditary and her son stands very little risk of experiencing the same symptoms."

"How can you be so certain?" Hayden asked.

Smiling, Dr. Vinson replied, "Because he is your son."

Before either Hayden or Minerva could interrupt, she continued, "He is your SON, which means he is a boy. He doesn't have ovaries."

Minerva and Hayden shared a puzzled exchange of glances before she said, "Now might be a good time for you to explain to us exactly what was wrong with Athena from a medical perspective. We have been able to discern from the documents that she had serious emotional issues, but we don't understand the underlying physical issues that seem to have contributed to those."

"I promised Athena that I would make certain that HO understood her actions and her condition," Dr. Vinson told them.

Addressing Minerva, she said, "I don't know if what I share with him will address all of your concerns, particularly where any future relationship between the two of you is concerned. Hopefully, it will, but I can't make any promises to either of you."

Sharing another glance between each other, Minerva said. "We understand."

"Fine then," Dr. Vinson began. "Let me start by explaining that Athena's underlying physical issues, as you phrased it, were not merely contributing factors to her emotional issues, they were entirely the cause of them."

"She paused a beat before continuing, addressing Minerva once more, "You are aware of the behavioral issues that Athena experienced as a child which first brought her to my office. Do you remember how I explained her challenges to you back then?"

Nodding, Minerva said, "I remember you comparing Athena's behavioral problems to what happens to people when they eat certain foods. Examples you gave me were those of someone becoming stimulated after eating too much sugar or growing tired after Thanksgiving dinner."

"That was part of it," Dr. Vinson agreed. "I explained that the human body relies upon various chemicals for a multitude of processes within the body and that different people tolerated the oversaturation or undersaturation of some chemicals better than others."

"I remember us all changing our diets several times," Minerva said. "My mom explained that we were trying to find out which foods bothered Athena the most."

"For over a year," Dr. Vinson confirmed. "In pediatric psychiatry, we always try to find natural ways to bring a body into balance before resorting to pharmacological alternatives. When it became clear that diet alone wouldn't resolve Athena's issues, I prescribed Ritalin for her. It made a marked improvement in her behavior and allowed her to proceed through her school years with above-average grades."

"But she only took the medication on school days," Minerva reminisced. "She still had trouble settling down or concentrating on weekends, holidays, and during vacation."

"I remember," Dr. Vinson said. "That's one of the reasons that you and I would meet from time to time. You started growing resentful of Athena because her behaviors prevented you from having friends over to your house for slumber parties and other events and your parents frequently denied you the opportunity to go to parties or other weekend activities that they couldn't allow your sister to go to as well."

"Right. And we established that it wasn't Athena's fault, and that my resentment was not towards her, but at the situations. I learned to find things for her and me to do together, like going to the movies or to the park together. I understood her antsy or distracted behaviors and made allowances for her that others wouldn't. My parents and I were under the impression that Athena eventually outgrew her problems. I know that she stopped taking the Ritalin when she was in high school and seemed to do fine without it."

"Yes," Dr. Vinson said, "Changes in her physiology as she grew older did result in her body achieving a chemical balance that temporarily allowed her to function without any medication. That changed once she started college."

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Hayden remained silent, allowing Minerva to discuss her sister's past with Dr. Vinson. Then Minerva asked, "Why? What happened in college to, I assume, throw her body out of balance again?"

"HO happened," Dr. Vinson replied. "In the simplest of terms, Athena fell in love with Mr. Justice and her body's reaction to that had profound and life-altering effects on Athena beyond the romantic aspects of their relationship."

Seeing dropped jaws and gaping mouths as the reaction to her statement, Dr. Vinson continued, "Avoiding all the medical terminology that you can read in the case reports that I sent you, the essence of Athena's problem was that she became a chemical train wreck when her body reacted to her falling in love."

Confirming that she still had their full attention, she explained, "Athena's endocrine system was extremely hyperactive from the age of around seven. You were two years younger than your sister, but do you remember her starting her period right after she turned ten?"

"Vaguely," Minerva admitted. "I do remember my mom discussing the possibility that my period could start early also, but it didn't. I was actually later than most of the girls I knew, almost thirteen when my first period came. How did getting her period early cause Athena problems?"

"It didn't. It was just one of the first visible signs that her body's endocrine system might be abnormal. It wasn't until she came back to see me at the age of eighteen that we started looking into other, less obvious signs of a systemic issue."

"Like what?" Hayden asked, finally joining the conversation.

"Athena met you during the summer between her freshman and sophomore years at Clemson. With a carefully maintained diet, exercise, and plenty of rest, her body had stabilized and she was functioning normally without the need for any regular medication. When she returned to school the following fall, she suddenly had trouble sleeping and experienced bouts of depression that caused her to miss several classes. These episodes would be replaced by episodes of euphoria for a brief period after speaking to you on the phone. Her feelings for you had triggered something within her system that once more threw her body out of balance. Your interactions with her had a calming effect on her system for some reason, but any prolonged periods away from seeing or at least talking to you were dark times for her emotionally."

"I never knew," Hayden said, more to Minerva than to the doctor. It was important to him that Minerva know that he wasn't aware of the challenges that his relationship with Athena might have caused.

"Athena was very guarded about her condition," Dr. Vinson explained. "When she was with you, her body reacted to her emotional state in a few interesting ways that we never understood entirely. Much of what I described in her case notes were hypothetical beliefs derived from lab test results and Athena's descriptions of how she felt, both physically and emotionally when around you. I can tell you, Mr. Justice, Athena Hart loved you with all four letters."

Minerva understood the reference to a "total" love; one that exists in its purest and most natural form, unconditional, unapologetic, and undying. The kind of love frequently associated with soul mates or mythological beings. The kind of love that she herself had been waiting for her whole life.

"If I might," Minerva said, "You're saying that Athena's love for Hayden caused her body to come into balance, and being away from him sent her out of balance. Is that right?"

Nodding, Dr. Vinson said, "In the simplest terms possible, yes, that is exactly what I am saying happened with your sister. I had suspicions as to why this occurred and had intended to conduct more tests after the birth of her child to confirm these, but her death put an end to my research."

"What were your suspicions?" Minerva asked.

"It goes back to what I said earlier about her having ovaries and her son not," Dr. Vinson replied. "I suspect that the hormonal feedback from her ovaries to her hypothalamus gland was the root of her problems. You see, the hypothalamus and the anterior pituitary are two out of the three endocrine glands that are important in cell signaling. They are both part of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal, or HPA axis which is known to play a role in cell signaling in the human nervous system. To be blunt, Athena's body became sexually aroused when she was around Mr. Justice and this led to increased secretion of certain hormones, including estrogen, which traveled to her brain and acted as a sort of support system to the signaling synapses that drive our thoughts, feelings, and emotions as human beings. Without the arousal-driven hormones, her synapses once more became erratic and unpredictable."

"Let's back up a second," Hayden said. "If Athena was fine when she was with me and, for lack of a better term, 'bonkers' when we were apart, why would she lie to me about her pregnancy? Why would she purposely drive me away if being with me was what made her okay?"

Sighing, Dr. Vinson said, "It would be easy for me to simply say something like, 'Sometimes we push away the one we need the most,' but with Athena, it was more than that. I mentioned that she was very guarded about her condition, and she was. However, in the case of your relationship, she was convinced that she had to keep her condition from you to protect you from it."

"Protect me from what?"

"I was the first doctor to confirm Athena's pregnancy after she had come to me with the results of her home pregnancy test. Once I had the lab results confirming it, we discussed how to handle the pregnancy. You see, I had prescribed a few different medications to help Athena cope with her erratic emotions since returning to school from Myrtle Beach and her time with HO. Athena was concerned about possible side effects from any of these medications might have on the fetus, so she insisted on stopping all of them, immediately."

"Did you agree with her decision?" Minerva asked.

"Frankly, yes, I did, for two reasons. First, the potential for any of these drugs to harm an unborn child was quite real. The second reason was that I simply didn't know how being pregnant would influence the same hormonal-neurotransmitter dysfunction that Athena had been experiencing prior to becoming pregnant."

The doctor continued, "You both need to understand that Athena was very ill. While her illness was systemic from a physical perspective, it affected her mentally and emotionally. Her illness could be viewed similarly to a brain tumor which has been known to affect a person's cognitive abilities or their judgment. Her illness affected her reasoning and judgment where her pregnancy and her relationship with others were concerned."

Pausing once more, Dr. Vinson allowed Hayden and Minerva to consider what they were being told. "As her pregnancy progressed, my sessions with Athena became more frequent. I was very concerned about her mental state several times, but I recognized a strong maternal instinct was also developing within her and this is why I didn't seek her legal confinement. As erratic as her emotions were at times, I never believed that Athena was a threat to herself, her baby, or anyone else. I had no argument from her when I suggested that she use an OB/GYN located in the same building as my practice and that she schedule her prenatal visits to coincide with our sessions. This was my way of ensuring that she received the attention to her pregnancy that she might otherwise have neglected."

"But they didn't recognize her risk for HELLP syndrome," Minerva said.

For his part, Hayden was getting frustrated that Dr. Vinson seemed to be skirting around the answers that he was seeking from her. Minerva heard him take a deep breath and sensed the need to move the conversation in the direction that Hayden desired.

Minerva interjected before Dr. Vinson could respond to her previous comment, "We can discuss that later. Go back to why Athena lied to Hayden."

Focusing all of her attention on Hayden, the doctor said, "As Athena described her time with you, it was the most enjoyable and fulfilling time of her entire life up to that point. Even though the two of you spend the majority of your time together in professional settings, I believe that she viewed her summers in Myrtle Beach almost like honeymoons that the two of you shared. It was a vacation from her school responsibilities and required no major decisions by either of you. Is that the way that you saw your times with her?"

Hayden considered the question for several seconds before responding, "I suppose it was a carefree time for both of us. Decisions at work were sometimes challenging, but we always had someone there to backstop us to prevent any major mistakes. Other than that, our toughest decisions as a couple were deciding what we wanted to eat together."

"That's how Athena saw it too," Dr. Vinson said. "Without the experience of conflict or even disagreement between the two of you, Athena had doubts about whether your relationship would withstand you learning of her illness. Right or wrong, in her mind, she saw the best chance of you accepting her fully into your life and supporting her was for her to have the baby first, and then divulge her condition to you. Her exact words were, "Hayden might not want a crazy girlfriend, but I know in my heart that he would want a crazy mother for his child."

"That doesn't make any sense," Hayden groaned. "Why lie to me about not being the father of her child if she wanted me to accept her as the mother of my child?"

Dr. Vinson nodded in understanding and said, "It goes back to what I mentioned earlier related to her going off all of her medications and our uncertainty over what her pregnancy would mean to her body's chemical balance. Athena believed that if you saw the worst of her potential behaviors if they occurred before the baby was born, she would lose any chance of you accepting her, baby or not. I realize that her reasoning might not sound rational but it is that type of irrational reasoning that compelled her to hide the truth from you until after her baby was born."

Placing her hand on Hayden's forearm, Minerva said, "From what I remember reading in the documents, Athena and you had discussed her eventually explaining things to Hayden and she wanted your help to gain his understanding of her condition."

"Yes, we discussed that in some detail over multiple sessions. As her pregnancy progressed and her moods became darker, more erratic, and more depressed, I would frequently raise the subject of the three of us meeting as a means to stimulate her natural dopamine secretions. Hope can overcome despair, and even though it is too late to achieve the reconciliation that Athena had hoped for, I felt that I owed it to her to at least present the facts that she had always intended to share."

Hearing noises from beyond the closed doors to the office, Dr. Vinson stood and said, "Excuse me a minute."

When the door closed, Minerva asked, "What do you think?"

Hayden considered her question before answering, "A lot of what the doctor has told us makes some things that Athena used to say make sense..."

"Like what?"

"Like when I would ask her if she wanted to go someplace or do something with me, she would get contemplatively silent for a long time before saying to herself something like, 'What would a normal person do?' I didn't consider her words anything more than her insecurity and her way of trying to convince herself to possibly take a risk outside her comfort zone."

Nodding, Minerva asked, "What about the reasoning that Dr. Vinson gave for why Athena lied to you? You don't believe that she was sort of playing the martyr?"

Hayden looked askance at Minerva. It wasn't an expression that she ever wanted to see aimed at her again.

"I'm sorry... it's just I want so much for you to come away from this meeting with closure, or as close to closure over what Athena did to you as possible. I'll be more careful with my words."

His expression calmed, and he asked, "What about you? How do you feel about Athena's actions as you're hearing about them?"

"I still have a couple of questions," Minerva said. "I certainly understand her medical problems better, but I remain confused over several of her actions. I guess that I'm hoping for some validation of my belief that Athena would approve of my wanting to bring you and Alex together as father and son. I think I may have misinterpreted her wishes for years, and I'm hoping that Dr. Vinson has some information that will confirm that for me."

"For us..."

Leaning over to kiss Hayden on the cheek, Minerva caught movement outside the window in her peripheral vision. "Who's that?"

Turning on the sofa to glance out the window behind it, Hayden saw two men on the back patio, getting situated in chairs under the pergola. He recognized one of them as the man in the pictures on the wall of the office, so Hayden naturally assumed that he was Dr. Vinson's husband.

"Dr. Vinson's husband and their friends must have returned," Hayden explained. "That's why she excused herself. Since they're out on the patio, she'll probably be back here soon."

His words were prophetic as the office door opened at that moment and Dr. Vinson quickly returned to her seat across from them.

"I'm sorry, but we're going to have to cut this short. My husband is feeling worn out from his brief sojourn and needs to take a nap. I'll need to go out and keep our friends, Dru and Randy, company while he gets some rest."

"We understand," Minerva said. "Can I ask you just a couple of other quick questions?"

"Certainly, as long as they're not too involved, I can answer a couple of questions."

Minerva nodded before asking, "I think we understand Athena's reasoning for lying to Hayden, but why didn't she want me or our parents to know about either her medical issues or even about her being pregnant?"

"I need to remind both of you," Dr. Vinson said, "That I practiced as a pediatric psychiatrist. I dealt with medical issues affecting children's behavioral and cognitive challenges. I am not, and never was, a psychologist. I agreed to continue treating Athena's condition only because I had an established history with her."

"Okay," Hayden said, "So?"

"There are three primary influencers of human behavior," Dr. Vinson explained. "Environmental, which refers to factors such as external stimuli from one's surroundings; drugs, chemicals, allergens, and even things such as sound and light can stimulate or depress a person. Next is physical, which is what I specialized in. The ways that imbalances in the human body or damage to the brain can contribute to the behavior of an individual. The third influencer is emotional, which is where psychology reigns. From childhood abuse to traumas that lead to post-traumatic stress syndrome, there is a myriad of reasons why something affecting a person's emotions can influence their behavior. I believe Athena's behaviors toward Mr. Justice were influenced entirely by the physical factors discussed earlier. It would have taken extensive psychotherapy with an experienced psychologist to understand why Athena's behaviors towards her family were what they were. I can share with you that it is my opinion that Athena was simply so focused on her attempts to remain a functional person during her pregnancy that she didn't assign any priority to communicating with her family. Don't perceive it as anything malicious on her part. After all, she did leave everything to you in her will, including her son."

"Here, I would like you both to read something called 'Surfing the Emotional Wave'."

She handed them each a copy of an article with a heading indicating that it had been reprinted from some psychology journal.

They each read: "Emotional experiences can feel so overwhelming. So much so that they can make us convinced that they are insurmountable, like a large wave coming over you as you stand in the shallow waters. It turns out that this is a very fitting metaphor for emotional spikes.

Just as one can be overtaken and overwhelmed by a large wave, so too can one learn the skills needed to read the onset of the wave, position themselves effectively with it, and surf the wave which allows one to experience emotions with mastery and confidence. Additionally, because we experience emotions everyday of our lives, learning to surf your emotional waves can be practiced every day.

This starts with seeing your feelings as a wave; strong, influential, and temporary... yes... temporary. Many cognitive patterns that lead to mental health disorders are habits that take single-emotion events and reinforce them again and again until they feel chronic. The emotion typically only lasted a few seconds or a few minutes at most and any secondary or lingering feelings are being upheld by what your thoughts, beliefs, and responses create.

With this understanding, one can experience the emotional wave effectively in the moment before allowing that wave to return to the ocean never to come back in that exact form ever again."

Setting the page aside, Minerva looked at Dr. Vinson and said, "Athena kept getting surprised by her waves, didn't she?"

Nodding, "Yes. When she didn't have the emotional stability provided by the love she had shared with Mr. Justice, she was as helpless against the waves as a jellyfish is in the ocean."

"Thank you," Minerva said. Turning to Hayden, she asked, "Do you have any more questions?"

"I don't think so," Hayden said as he stood. "I do think that you and I have a lot more to discuss, though."

Standing to join him, Minerva said, "Definitely."

Dr. Vinson also stood and asked, "Would you two mind waiting here for just a few more minutes while I get my husband situated, and then I'll show you out?"

"Of course," Minerva said. "Take your time."

After the doctor left, Minerva was just about to speak when they both caught motion on the patio outside. Turning to look out the window once more, they watched as Dr. Vinson strode over to the spot where her husband and the other man were sitting. Hayden and Minerva couldn't hear what was being said, but it appeared from the body language of the participants in the conversation that Dr. Vinson and her husband were not in agreement on something.

Watching from the office, and taking in the full scene out the window rather than just the conversation between Dr. Vinson and her husband, Hayden chuckled and pointed for Minerva to see what he had seen,

'That must be the female half of the other couple, Dru McLean."

He was pointing to the sunbathing swimsuit model who was lying on a towel next to the pool in a shiny black string bikini. It appeared to be made of soft leather. Very little soft leather.

Giggling, Minerva said, "It looks like the guys out there got busted enjoying the view too much. She certainly is beautiful and definitely knows how to rock a bikini."

Hayden nodded and said, "How much do you want to bet that Dr. Vinson is trying to get her husband to come in for his nap, but he doesn't want to be seen walking with a limp?"

"You think the stroke affected his gait?" Minerva asked.

Pulling her into an embrace, Hayden stifled his laugh and said, "Stroking would probably help his limp, but it has nothing to do with his stroke."

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Setting her cell phone on the table beside her, Minerva gazed out at the dark and tranquil Atlantic Ocean as she recalled her early studies of mythology. The Gods believed that when a man truly loved a woman, she becomes his weakness. When a woman truly loved a man, he becomes her strength. Athena had certainly become Hayden's weakness. After their discussion with Dr. Vinson, it had been made obvious that he had been her sister's strength. It had been her love for him that had elevated her moods while they were together and depressed her so much when they we apart.

Some believed that a broken heart could love more deeply and stronger than before. Would knowing and accepting why Athena had acted as she did allow Hayden to live and love again, not just exist? Could his heart find a new home with her?

Being with Hayden made Minerva excited to find out what happens next, but she didn't trust her heart when she was with him. She wanted Hayden to be confident that her heart would be open to him, but she struggled with how vulnerable she felt while doing so.

"Are you finished with your call?"

Turning and looking over her shoulder at Hayden, she said, "Yes. Are you done with your e-mails?"

Taking the seat beside Minerva, Hayden chuckled and said, "No, I just took care of the ones that had attachments. The rest I can review easily enough on my phone tomorrow morning during the drive. Speaking of which, shouldn't you be heading home to get some rest?"

Minerva's parents had agreed to drive Alexander back from Greenville to Myrtle Beach tomorrow, but she had insisted that they at least let her meet them halfway. Otherwise, the four-hour trip to Myrtle Beach would turn into eight hours of driving for them. By meeting in Columbia, both she and her parents would split the trip in half.

When he had learned of her plans, Hayden had suggested that he accompany her on the trip so that they could spend the time together explaining things to Alexander. Minerva wanted to explain to her nephew that they would be relocating to Myrtle Beach and all the reasons why. The explanation about growing her law practice in this area would be easy. Having Hayden with her would place some of the burden of explaining that new relationship on him.

As much as she wanted to look into his eyes to gauge his reaction to her words, she couldn't bring herself to look anywhere other than skyward. She saw the stars but didn't focus on them when she softly said, "From the first moment that I saw you in the pub, I had a sense that you and I would not be quick. It's funny when I look back on it, because you got so pissed at me that night that I should have thought that I would never see you again, but deep inside, I knew that I would. I don't know how; I just knew."

"You were a surprise for me," Hayden smiled. "I'm sorry about reacting the way that I did. What do you mean by 'quick'?"

Finally turning to look at him, Minerva asked, "Can I borrow a t-shirt from you?"

Seeing the confused expression on Hayden's face as he stood, she said, "It makes more sense for me to stay here tonight so that we can get an early start in the morning. It will also allow us to discuss our progress since the meeting with Dr. Vinson."

Hayden's confusion wasn't related to Minerva's request to borrow a t-shirt. Minerva had brought her suitcase from the condo with her when she arrived that morning. She had explained that it was so she would be prepared to leave for Greenville after their meeting. The arrangements with her parents to meet halfway changed those plans, but Hayden was still curious.

He ventured a guess, "Have you considered which room Alexander will sleep in?

Minerva rose and stood before Hayden. Without hesitation, she said, "I have. He can have my room. Now, have you given any consideration to which room I will sleep in?"

Her response made Hayden laugh. Minerva had been using the guest bedroom next to his room each time she needed to change clothes or shower after spending time on the beach. He liked her boldness in claiming it as "hers". The same boldness that apparently had her deciding she and Alex would be living with him, at least for a while.

He took her hand and led her back into the house and closed the patio door before asking, "You didn't pack anything to sleep in?"

She responded over her shoulder while heading for the stairs, "I don't have anything. I usually sleep naked and just keep a robe nearby in case I need to check on Alex or anything during the night."

Following her ascent, Hayden said, "Well, as long as you have your robe, then you won't need anything to sleep here either."

"Even if I'm sleeping in your bed?"

"Especially if you're sleeping in 'our' bed.

His choice of words was clear to Minerva. She led him to his bedroom. She stood at the foot of his bed and gazed up at him with a mixture of apprehension, innocence, and seductive allure. Hayden drank it all in as he moved to stand in front of her.

Minerva whispered, "If you were to tell me that you wanted me, for the first time in my life I would believe it."

Leaning down to place the tip of his nose against hers, Hayden softly said, "I want you more than words can describe, but I so don't want to screw this up."

Putting her hands on the small of Hayden's back, Minerva pulled his body against hers, "I appreciate your concern. I really do. I have no frame of reference for how you make me feel. I just know that you taste like stability and that's new to me. It feels safe to continue progressing with you. I'm not saying that we should throw caution to the wind, but you need to know that I have complete trust in you - in us."

Hayden lowering his head slightly allowed their lips to meet. The intensity of Minerva's kiss surprised Hayden but it certainly didn't disappoint him. He would provide any needed guidance to her eagerly growing passion, but Hayden wouldn't do anything to discourage Minerva's desires, or his own, from now on.

~~~

"How did we go to sleep at the beach and wake up at a farm?" a groggy Minerva softly moaned.

Hayden's chuckling caused the slumbering head on his chest to bounce slightly.

"You have a problem with 'Roosters of the Sea'? You better get used to it. The gulls always get noisy and take flight to celebrate sunrise."

"Used to it, schmoosed to it," Minerva said as she extricated herself from Hayden. "I need to go powder my nose."

"I heard the coffee maker signaling the brewing had stopped. Would you like me to get us some coffee while you powder your nose?"

"No, I'll wait until we're on the road for mine," Minerva said over her shoulder. "You go ahead though if you want some."

Admiring her beautifully bare backside, Hayden replied, "I think I'll wait too. I'm going to head into another bathroom though."

When he returned to his room, he found Minerva propped up with pillows against the headboard of the bed. Her smile melted his heart and convinced Hayden that this was the picture that he wanted to see every morning for the rest of his life. He crawled onto the bed beside her and that is when he heard her softly humming some tune. After he was situated, Minerva cuddled up against him and continued humming.

"That sounds familiar," he said. "What are you humming?"

"Oh, it's an old classic that popped into my head while I was brushing my teeth."

She sang the verse currently in her mind, "Across my dreams with nets of wonder, I chase the bright elusive butterfly of love."

"Bob Lind," Hayden said. "From 1966. That is a classic. Did you ever read Yeats?"

"William Butler Yeats?" Minerva asked.

When Hayden nodded, she said, "I read a few of his poems in college."

"Was one of them 'The Song of Wandering Aengus'?"

"That doesn't sound familiar. Why?"

"It's about an old fisherman who catches a glimmering fish," Hayden explained. "The fish turns into a beautiful girl who runs away and old Aengus spends the rest of his life searching for her. Lind claimed that this Yeats poem was the inspiration for that song."

Stretching up to nibble along Hayden's jawline, Minerva said, "I'll check it out sometime, but I have finally caught my elusive butterfly, so some glimmering fish girl isn't a priority for me."

Hayden kissed the top of Minerva's head and asked, "Are you feeling all right this morning? You were pretty exhausted last night."

Minerva shifted until her body was laying entirely on top of Hayden's. She ran her fingers through his hair and said, "Your concern over me giving you my maidenhood is appreciated, but if you must know, I feel wonderful. Not as wonderful as you made me feel last night, but that could be easily remedied."

Without her admonition, Hayden never would have guessed at Minerva's lack of sexual experience. She had an instinctive way of responding to his actions in ways that no other woman ever had. He had taken the lead in pleasuring her but as her confidence and arousal grew, her attention to their joint pleasure increased dramatically.

Her energy and enthusiasm for exploration nearly wore Hayden out. It was only Minerva's own fatigue that allowed her zest to wane after more than four hours of passionate lovemaking.

"The essence of love is concern," Hayden said. "My concern for you will always be one of the ways that I demonstrate my love for you. That and letting you drive the Bentley."

"Well, I don't have a fancy car for you to drive to demonstrate my love for you, so I guess you'll have to settle for my undying concern for you and copious amounts of carnal pleasure. That's it! I can drive your Bentley and you get to drive me wild like you did last night."

Laughing, Hayden said, "That sounds like a win-win. We better get up and start getting ready if we intend to meet your parents on time."

Minerva didn't move her body from on top of Hayden as she reached over to the nightstand and retrieved her cell phone.

"What are you doing?" Hayden asked.

"I'm texting my mom to let her know to meet us an hour later than we had planned."

"Why? Traffic shouldn't be a problem for any of us on a Saturday morning."

Finishing her text and returning the cell phone to the table, Minerva smiled down and said, "You haven't taken any of my hints, so I'll just have to make my intentions perfectly clear, my love. I intend to verify a suspicion that I have had since waking next to you..."

"What suspicion is that?"

"I suspect that I am really going to enjoy making love to you first thing in the morning!"

~~~

"I'm not saying that they are going to love you like I do, but they certainly won't hate you anymore."

"Really?" Hayden scoffed. "So, they know that I shared a bed with their daughter last night?"

Minerva giggled, "No, but I'm sure that when my mom sees my radiant glow, she will suspect something like that."

She patted his left hand with her right as she drove the Bentley.

"Don't worry. Your willing acknowledgment that you are the father of their only grandchild and promising a future with him and I will keep the shotguns at bay. I did promise my mom that we would share the documents from Dr. Vinson with her and my dad. Explaining what we were told in our meeting yesterday was helpful, but they think that they need to read the documents to put everything into perspective and context, and I think that they're right."

"I'll ask Sierra to get copies made and sent to them on Monday," Hayden assured her. "Unless you want to do it at your office?"

"No, with Lana working with TJ in Greenville, I will be flying solo in Myrtle Beach while I search for a new paralegal and probably an assistant. We could get it done faster if you assigned it to someone at Coastline. Plus, I need to spend a couple of days getting Alex established in some sort of summer camp or daycare facility..."

Hayden interrupted, "I've got that covered if you're okay with my plan. I was thinking that I could take him to work with me each day and he could hang out in the employee family daycare facility until I get off work. It's not just for children since some employees have elderly parents with dementia or other needs that require them to have assistance available while the employee works. Alex would be able to either play with other kids or spend time keeping some of the elderly participants company. If he likes to play checkers, he will be an instant hit."

Minerva frowned, "I know that it's your company and all, but I don't want to take advantage of your position to get Alex free daycare."

"Uh," Hayden said, removing his hand from beneath Minerva's. "Did you miss the part where I said that the daycare facility was for employees' families? As my son, I'm pretty sure that Alexander would qualify."

Her now free hand slapped her forehead. "I blame my cognitive impairment on you. New rule; you can only ravage me on days when I don't require the ability to think afterward."

Hayden laughed and asked, "And what days might those be?"

Shrugging, Minerva said, "You're right. See, my brain is now mush. I guess I'll just have to live the rest of my life as a blathering idiot. A very well-sated blathering idiot though. I could live with that."

"Well, as a lawyer, you should be used to that lifestyle." Hayden teased.

"Not the 'well-sated' part," Minerva countered with a giggle. "That is a totally new aspect of this lawyer's life, thanks to you."

"Going back to Alex's situation," Hayden said, "The school bus picks up and drops off right in front of the facility so it will work for him even once the school year starts. On days when he doesn't have a sport or other after-school activity, I will set up a quiet space for him in my office where I can help him with his homework and stuff."

"You've given this some thought," Minerva said admiringly. "I'm impressed."

"I take care of those I love. You can count on that."

Minerva let his comments linger on her mind for a few minutes as she saw the next rest stop approaching. It wasn't the most romantic setting in the world, but it would provide her with a place to ask Hayden the question that she needed to be answered before they reached Columbia.

Hayden didn't question Minerva exiting the freeway into the rest area, assuming that she needed to use the facilities there. He wouldn't mind having an opportunity to stretch his legs for a few minutes before continuing their trip.

Pulling into a parking space away from the vehicles near the restrooms, Minerva quickly turned off the car, unlatched her seatbelt, and turned to face Hayden in the passenger seat.

She didn't waste any time as she locked her eyes onto his, "Hayden Justice, you are the love that I have waited my whole life to find. You complete me and I love you with every ounce of my being. Will you marry me?"

Chapter Twenty-Nine

"Hey, Coach, where's the Judge? She isn't going to miss the final game of the season, is she?"

Hayden glanced up into the stands to see who had spoken to him and recognized their good friend, Patricia Yost sitting next to her husband, Jim.

Walking over to the chain link fence that protected spectators from foul balls, Hayden stood in front of the stands and replied, "She's with our daughter over at Savannah's Playground. Athena gets bored watching the teams warm up but Minerva will have them both here before the game starts."

Glancing over at the parking lot next to the Crabtree Gym, Hayden didn't yet see Minerva and his mother heading back from the playground with their four-year-old daughter, but he did see Minerva's parents pulling their car into the lot. Minerva must have told her parents where she and Athena were because as soon as their car had parked, Pandora Hart began walking toward the playground while Ulysses Hart headed in the opposite direction toward where Hayden stood at the ball fields.

Hayden and Minerva always parked in the Crabtree Gym lot because it was ideally situated between the athletic fields where Alex played one of his many sports and the playground where their rambunctious daughter could burn off some of her energy. It was also just a short walk from the parking lot, across the pedestrian bridge over Grand Lake to the Market Common District where they could eat at one of the several restaurants or shop at the seasonal farmers market.

Hayden watched the members of his team playing catch in the outfield while their opposing team for today warmed up on the infield.

This final game of the season would be Alex's last in Little League. He still had several "All-Star" games that he had been selected to play in before the playoffs began. With the team having had an undefeated season, they were expected to go far into the regional playoffs so Hayden hadn't lamented over his coaching career with his son ending. Alex would be starting at Hayden's alma mater, Myrtle Beach High School in the fall, and he would remain his son's biggest fan and supporter.

"Hi, Son," Ulysses Hart said as he walked up to Hayden. "How many innings do you think this game will go?"

Hayden shook his father-in-law's hand and said, "Well, it has to go at least three and a half for it to be an official game, and since the skies are clear with no chance of rain, I would guess that it will go long enough to be official."

Ulysses smirked and said, "Save your politically correct replies for the parents."

Hayden simply shrugged. He knew that his father-in-law wanted a prediction that their team would outscore their opponent by enough runs in the first three and a half innings that the coach of the other team would be forced by league rules to concede the game. The "run rule" had ended eight of his team's games this season with Alex consistently contributing the most RBIs in these blow-outs.

Seeing that the stands were filling as the start of the game approached, Ulysses headed toward them to grab and save seats for the rest of the family that would be watching the game while Hayden headed for the outfield to call his team into their dugout. At six feet, Alex stood a good head taller than any other player on the team. He looked like an adult being followed by children when the rest of the team fell in behind him as he led them to the dugout.

Alex's team would be the visiting team for today's game, so Hayden explained the planned batting order to the players before taking his lineup card out to the umpire at home plate. He saw that Minerva, Athena, his mother, and mother-in-law had all joined Ulysses in the stands. He heard his daughter squeal when she saw him and paused to wave to her. Athena looked as much like a junior version of her mother as Alex did his father.

There was never any question about what the name of their first child together would be if it was a girl. Hayden knew that he and Minerva had been fortunate that her refusal to use any birth control before they were married didn't result in Athena's conception before their wedding night. That event had waited until they had been married almost four months. The timing of Athena's conception ended up making her the perfect first anniversary present for her parents.

As had been the trend all season, Alex and his teammates batted around their first at-bat with Alex hitting a grand slam in his role as the clean-up hitter. The opposing team was down by a score of 6-0 before they even had a chance to pick up a bat. The score was 10-0 by the bottom of the second inning and it was becoming obvious to everyone watching the game that it was unlikely to go beyond four innings.

By the time the opposing coach conceded the game with the score 19-0, Alex had hit three home runs, two of which were grand slams, and personally accounted for more than half of the RBIs during the game.

The team had voted not to have an end-of-season celebration at the culmination of the regular season, deciding instead to wait until the playoffs were complete and their entire season was over. This decision now allowed Alex and Hayden to join the rest of their family in the Crabtree Gym parking lot to decide where everyone was going to go after the game.

"Go ahead and change out of your cleats, Son," Hayden suggested to Alex once they had reached his truck. "I'm going to discuss lunch plans with your mom while you do that."

Athena was tugging on Minerva's hand, trying to get free. Once Minerva was certain that there was no chance that a car could get to her daughter before Hayden could, she released her to run to him. She was sitting high and proud on her father's shoulders within seconds.

"I want to ride home with you and Alex," Athena announced to Hayden.

"I think that we can arrange that," he told her.

He reached Minerva at her car, the Bentley, just as Alex joined them with his tennis shoes still untied. He bent to tie them as his parents and grandparents chatted.

"Athena insists that she is riding home with Alex and me," Hayden told the group. "Mom, do you want to ride back to the house with Minerva?"

"Anything not to have to put up with your driving," Corrine Justice teased. "You drive like an old woman."

Minerva and her parents laughed. They knew that Hayden was a wonderful driver. He was just always especially attentive and cautious when he had any of his children in a vehicle with him. Then, there was also the fact that it probably wouldn't look good for the husband of the Magistrate Court's traffic court judge to get any citations while driving.

"We're going to walk through the farmers market before coming over," Pandora announced. "There is a vendor that is supposed to be there today who sells custom-designed kites and we want to see what they have. Don't hold lunch for us though."

Minerva stepped in front of Hayden and looked up at her daughter, "I'm going to kiss Daddy. You know what to do."

Athena giggled and placed her hands over both of Hayden's ears. She kept giggling as he leaned down to accept a passionate kiss from his wife. When Minerva stepped back, Athena quickly removed her hands and began clapping. Hayden wiggled his ears and emitted a sigh of relief.

"Thanks, baby. We never know when one of your mom's kisses is going to be so strong that it makes my ears fly right off my head, but that one felt close. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have you to help hold them on for me."

Alex had finished moving Athena's car seat from the Bentley to the back seat of the truck and was laughing at his father's and mother's antics with his little sister. He walked up behind Hayden and plucked Athena off of his shoulders.

"Come on, Wonder Girl, let's get you buckled up."

"I'll see you at home," Minerva said as she planted a much more chaste kiss on Hayden's lips. "Don't dawdle. You're supervising Alex on the grill. Remember?"

"Yes, your Honor," Hayden teased. "I'll make certain that neither child arrives home before me."

Minerva laughed, "Okay, Smart ass. Just get you and your progeny home safely. I love you."

Minerva had recognized several benefits to being the wife of Hayden Justice. Their love life was certainly high on the top of that list, but close behind that was her taking his last name. Within weeks of their marriage and her updating of her name with the South Carolina Bar Association, interest was expressed by several state assembly members to nominate her for a judgeship. Minerva had turned down every position offered to her until a Magistrate Court position in Horry County became available that she felt would not conflict with either her family obligations or her private law practice.

Hayden waited for Minerva to pull out of her parking space before he pulled out to follow her. He knew that she would turn left on Farrow Parkway and head towards Highway 17 since the speed limit on that road would better suit the way that she liked to drive the Bentley. He, on the other hand, would turn right on Farrow Parkway and take it to where it became Ocean Boulevard. He would then take that road all the way home.

Corrine waited until Hayden was no longer behind them before asking Minerva, "When are you planning on making the announcement?"

Minerva glanced at her mother-in-law and instinctively knew which announcement she was referring to. She didn't know how Corrine had figured things out, but she wasn't surprised that she had.

"I'll tell Hayden tonight but I would like to hold off telling everyone else until I'm a little farther along. Can you keep it a secret until then?"

"Of course, and I completely understand," Corrine assured her. "I think you were wise to put a few years between Athena and another baby though. When do you think you'll be due?"

"I'll see the doctor next week to confirm everything, but I imagine that sometime around Valentine's Day would be about right."

"Wonderful, just don't go naming my next grandson 'Cupid', or 'Eros'."

~~~

"My God, that was intense," Minerva panted. "What were you trying to do, give us twins?"

Hayden laughed and pulled his wife down to lay flat against his body where he could whisper into her ears as he gently kissed around them.

"That's what you get for giving us a night alone after wearing your bikini around me all afternoon. You Vixens need to learn that you reap what you sew."

Moaning softly as Hayden continued to kiss around her neck and face while caressing her back with his hands, Minerva whispered back, "I happen to like that you sowing your wild oats reaped another child for us to raise and share. You are the most wonderful father imaginable."

"You made me the luckiest man alive simply by walking into my life."

"You didn't appear to feel lucky that first night that we met. And then the hell that I put you through with the trial. God, I can't believe you would want anything to do with me after that."

"I don't know," Hayden said. "Maybe it's like the stories you hear about a soldier being wounded. He spends so much time under the care of a particular nurse that he starts to depend on her for more than his physical care. I'm not certain exactly when it was, but it was clear to me before we ever started learning about Athena's problems that I needed you in my life. I loved you for how you healed my heart. I still love you for that and so much more. You are my everything. Well, you and the kids."

Minerva shifted enough to bring her lips to Hayden's. Her soft, tender, and loving kiss lasted for several minutes before it erupted into something more passionate and she could sense the growing arousal within both of them. As had been her ritual from the first time that they had made love, she responded to Hayden's verbal expressions of his love for her with all the physical affection that she could muster. When words failed her, desire had always come to her rescue.

She had told Hayden that she loved him with every ounce of her being. Minerva had never held an ounce of her being in reserve where demonstrating her love for this man was concerned. She wouldn't do so now.

~~~

"Excuse me, Madison," Sierra said when she opened the door to Hayden's office. "You wanted me to remind you about your meeting."

Being promoted to the Director of Finance for Coastline Multimedia hadn't dissuaded Madison Reese from continuing to personally provide the weekly financial reports to Hayden. Everyone knew that her true motivation for continuing to provide the reports herself was the weekly tea parties that she got to have with his daughter, Athena after the reports were complete.

"Would you be kind enough to finish my cookies for me, Wonder Girl?" Madison asked Athena. "I have to go to a meeting with some boring grown-ups."

Athena grabbed the two Oreo cookies off the napkin in front of Madison and stood. "My Daddy will finish them. I can't have them or they'll spoil my supper. Right, Daddy?"

Hayden sat behind his desk chuckling. He said, "Maybe Sierra should finish them. We don't want them to ruin my supper either."

Sierra and Madison passed each other coming and going within Hayden's office. "Is that okay with you, Wonder Girl? Can I join your tea party in place of Madison?"

In response, Athena held out her hand to Sierra, offering her the two cookies. As Sierra settled into the chair across the small table from his daughter, Hayden returned his attention to his computer. He glanced at the time displayed on the screen and saw that it was almost 4:00 pm.

Minerva's OB/GYN appointment that day had been at 2:30 and she had told Hayden that she would be heading home directly after that and she would call him while on the way. He remembered from her pregnancy with Athena that these appointments could sometimes get delayed due to the doctor needing to go tend to a delivery or other emergency so Minerva being late today in calling him wasn't that much of a concern for him.

When 4:30 rolled around, Hayden decided to call Minerva to get an update. If she was going to be delayed much longer, he would need to relieve her from preparing dinner for the family this evening. He dialed her cell phone from his and was surprised when she answered so quickly.

"Don't speak to me!" Minerva growled.

Hayden smiled. He knew his wife well enough to recognize that she wasn't truly mad at him, so he played along, "What did I do now?"

"We discussed this," Minerva exclaimed. "I was going to get my tubes tied after this baby and we would be a happy family with three kids."

"I remember. So?"

"Oh, but the wonderful HO Justice had to be such a freaking overachiever, didn't he?"

Hayden suppressed a laugh and asked again, "What did I do?"

"What did you do, you ask?! What did you do? I'll tell you what you did; you got me pregnant. TWICE!"

Now he was confused and thankful that he hadn't put this call on speaker. He replied calmly, "Yes, once with Athena and now with this baby..."

"No, Brainiac, twice this time! I'm carrying twins, and I love you for it."

"Twins?" Really? You saw them on the ultrasound today?"

"Yes. And, to stroke your ego even more, they're fraternal twins. That means that two of your super-hero swimmers hit their mark."

"Well, if I remember my biology correctly, two of your Roman Goddess eggs had to be ready, willing, and able for my swimmers to find them."

"Oh, no. This is entirely your fault," Minerva laughed. "You need to man up and take responsibility for it. Maybe later tonight we can try for triplets?"

"You are just dead set on being a miracle of modern medicine, aren't you? Hayden replied. "When do you expect to be home?"

"I've been home for over an hour," Minerva informed him. "I've been sitting on the patio talking on the phone with Claire."

Hayden tried not to sound annoyed when he asked, "Your priority was to tell your boss, the Chief Magistrate about us having twins before telling me?"

Minerva sighed and said, "I didn't tell Claire about us having twins. I haven't told anyone but you, since you are, and have always been my priority. I was discussing with her my plans to resign as soon as a replacement can be elected by the State Assembly."

"You don't want to be a judge anymore?" Hayden asked.

"Nope," Minerva proclaimed. "After the twins are born our family will be complete. I will have gotten more 'Justice' in my life than any woman deserves."