Cheat [MxM] (Carter Brothers Book 1)

Chapter 9

It didn't take me long to shower and get dressed in yesterday's clothes. When I finally left Jae's apartment, he was passed out and I'm sure he didn't hear the front door open and close. I made my way home, mentally going through the checklist of things I needed to do today.

When I made it home, the house was quiet but I knew Renee was around. Her heels where kicked off by the front door along with her keys and jacket. Not that she really had anywhere to go so early in the morning. I prayed I wouldn't bump into her and managed to make it into my room and change into my suit without any problems.

I popped my head around Ollie's nursery door and found him sleeping soundly in his crib. Satisfied that he was alright, I finally gathered my things and left for work, drinking coffee would do me until lunch.

The morning was hectic, as usual. I saw clients, attended meetings, filled in paperwork, answered and sent emails. After checking in briefly with Evan to make sure he was okay on his end and didn't need anything extra from me, I finally left in search of food before heading for the law firm.

Stopping off at a sandwich bar, I got myself a stuffed baguette with ham, cheese, mustard and salad along with some much needed water after all of the coffee I drank. Then I headed for the firm.

It was around half an hour away and from the reviews Evan sent me, the lawyers were expensive but had a high success rate. The lawyer I was there to meet with was called Gina Porter and I'd already given her a brief explanation of my goals over the phone.

But the truth was that I was very nervous to hear what she had to say about it all. It was also going to be tough to hear a stranger recall all the mistakes I'd made with Renee and Ollie right back at my face. For a second, I wished Evan or Jae were with me for moral support, but this was my battle. It was my responsibility to fix this, not theirs.

I made it to the grand looking building and headed inside five minutes before our meeting. The lady behind the reception desk had smiled after I gave her my details and I followed her down a corridor that lead to the individual lawyer's offices. I fought the urge to tug at my tie and swallowed uncomfortably, my nerves getting the better of me. I'd never done anything like this before. 

Of course I had to deal with the law at work with insurance and other issues that sometimes came up in such a large firm within a dangerous industry such as construction. But corporate law was a lot less personal and raw than family law. I was out of my elements and feeling a little apprehensive. Despite that, I tired my best to console myself.

It's going to be fine. She's a professional, she'll be able to help.

I did have a very, very bad back up plan that was a desperate last resort. I wasn't afraid to kidnap my own baby and make a runner if all else was lost. But... I repeatedly tried to convince myself that things wouldn't come down to that.

When I entered the last office at the end of the corridor, the receptionist left and closed the door behind me. The room was bright and airy, with wide glass windows and a large oak desk placed in the middle, with two leather chairs in front of it. A person stood behind the desk, already waiting for me to enter. Gina Porter was an older woman, maybe just edging towards her fifties. She gave me a friendly smile, standing to firmly shake my hand.

She wore square  glasses, too large for her face, green eyes intense behind them. A splatter of freckles covered her nose and her hair was a bright red, turning silver at the roots. It was hard to get a firm read on her, she seemed both serious, yet somehow kind. That was a little bit reassuring. 

"Good afternoon Mister Carter, its nice to finally meet you. Let's hope we make some progress today and work well together," she spoke, pointing to a chair in front of her desk and I sat with a nod and a friendly smile of my own.