Twinkle of Love - Completed

Chapter 14

"I knew there was something about you when we first met. I am glad I still have what it takes to spot a sparkle amongst the rough." Barry offered her a wide grin. The grin a shark offered its prey, no doubt scenting the hidden millions to her name.

Lucy rolled her eyes and shrugged her shoulders. "Save the flattery, Barry. I need your smarts on this."

They folded their frames onto their seats and then Lucy poured it all out, revealing everything under attorney-client privilege. It felt as good as a confession, only better. The solutions Barry could offer would far surpass the limitations of the average man of the cloth. Barry and Lucy conferred together for over the allotted hour but finally came to an understanding.

"This going to push a lot of buttons the hell out of joint," murmured Barry, shaking his head ruefully.

Lucy could only nod her head. She felt it already, the butterflies in her stomach unnerving her into indecision. But this was the only way.

"Do we wait?" Barry asked next. "For when your sister returns home? Or proceed from now?"

"My sister will come home, Barry," said Lucy confidently. Now that she was thinking rationally once more, and no longer overwhelmed by the news of Cat's kidnapping, she could see things for what they were. Cat returning home was the one truth she was sure of at the moment. Not because of the assurance she received from Knyte, Jace, and Richard over the motions they have in place for finding her and returning her home. It was not even from knowing that her parents had gone after her sister. But because she knew Cat. Catherine Little would never willingly play the victim over anything and she always found a way to get what she wanted. And the one thing all the Little's knew Cat wanted was to be a doctor. That was her only ambition; everything else fell short to that. Cat would be back no matter what. She would pursue her dreams. Nothing would get in her way. Not a kidnapping. Not an underaged pregnancy, and certainly not Sadiq. No matter what attraction they shared.

Ambition and the brains to carry it through, that was what would see Cat return home to them.

"I think we should set things in motion. Better to strike now while everyone's attention is focused elsewhere." Buried in everything to do with Cat to be precise.

Barry rose to his feet to pace restlessly towards the wall-to-wall windows and then wandered aimlessly back as he thought matters over. "Alright, I will set things in motion from my end, but I want you to start work with me tomorrow. You're going to work off my time cost with your internship and then some. I am using this to lock you to my firm."

"Wouldn't it be simply easier to just accept the payment?" Lucy questioned Barry, stunned at this unexpected turn.

"Oh, it would be easier for certain. But I didn't get to where I am today, Lucy by taking the shortcut out. You're going to graduate as a lawyer one day but the only firm that's going to snap up the Starr name is mine."

Lucy gaped at him then shook her head, not sure how she liked having all her hard work and efforts reduced to a mere name. One she didn't even use. But she could see his point. "Okay. That's only fair." Lucy stood up, accepting his proffered hand.

Then a firm handshake later, Lucy headed back home. She spent the rest of the day organising class schedules and arranging for Emily to stay over at her friends for the week. Em packed, and Lucy dropped her off at Mark's, frowning at the house as she threw the car into park.

"You're only here because I know for a fact Mark's back at campus, Em. Don't go forgetting that," said Lucy, still glaring at Mark's house. If Em had not been best friends with his sister, there was no way she would have been dropping her off at his house, whether he was in or not. But she knew just how much Em was hurting right now and having Blaise alone to keep her company would not be enough, especially when he kept busy by hotfooting it from one bed to the next.