Chapter 4

Kevin kissed Ryan before leaving the day care center to head to work. He knew that Avery told him he would be fired if he came back before the week was up. He also knew that Avery was bluffing. Avery would never fire him. He'd probably get a lecture about returning to work early and how he needed to take it easy and then he could go back to working himself to death to make partner. Work helped him forget the pain of Melissa and now it would help him forget the pain of Stacia.

Stacia had left him the night before without even saying so much as a goodbye. She wasn't returning his calls. He even thought about going back over to her house, but thought it might not be a good idea just yet.

Kevin did his best not to cry on the way to work. Soon his sorrows would be drowned by contracts and meetings. His only regret was that it was Thursday and that he would have little time to get enough work together so that he would have to work through the weekend. Maybe he could convince Avery that it was time to work on the Wilson deal he left behind earlier in the week.

Kevin parked his car in his assigned spot in the parking garage and walked in to take the short elevator ride to the twentieth floor and his office. As he was waiting for the elevator, however, he spotted a familiar face. It took Kevin a few minutes to place who she was, but then it hit him. It was the girl that Stacia was with the night that he had met her. He just couldn't quite remember the name. Still, he had to take a chance and talk to this girl. Maybe she was a friend of Stacia. Maybe she could talk some sense into Stacia. Maybe there was some hope after all.

"Hi," said Kevin as he approached the girl. "Becky, right?"

"Becca," said the girl. "Who are you?" She had a look of faint recognition in her eyes.

"Kevin Nash. I met up with you and Stacia at Sharkey's on Tuesday."

The girl had a startled look on her face. "Oh, God, you're Kevin? Oh yeah, I remember now."

"Did Stacia say something about me?" asked Kevin.

"I really can't say," said Becca, now nervous.

The elevator doors opened and Becca and Kevin stepped in along with a horde of other people.

"You've got to tell me what she said," said Kevin.

"I... I... can't..." said Becca.

"Please, come with me and talk to me for a minute," pleaded Kevin.

"I'm already late for work," said Becca.

"Where do you work? I'll call them."

"I work at Davis, Peters, and Lyndon. They won't like it if I'm late."

"You work for Davis, Peters, and Lyndon? How come I don't know you? How come you don't know me?"

"You said Nash? Kevin Nash?" asked Becca.

Kevin nodded.

"Oh, Jesus. I'm so sorry I didn't recognize your name at first."

"Who do you work for?"

"Ms. Garcia," said Becca.

Linda Garcia was one of the newer attorneys who worked under Blain Peters. She still hadn't worked up much clout within the firm. It would be easy for Kevin, who was at the cusp of partnership, to bully her into borrowing Becca for an hour or two.

"I'll call Linda the minute we get to my office."

Kevin practically dragged Becca off the elevator when it got to his floor. He was glad that Linda Garcia's office was on the next floor, because then Becca wouldn't have had a chance to ditch him on a different floor. Kevin got a few strange looks as he dragged Becca through the office. The truth was that most of them probably weren't expecting to see him in the office.

"Mr. Nash!" exclaimed his secretary, Rose, as he walked into his section of the office. "I didn't expect you in.

"Rose, please make sure I'm not interrupted for the next hour or so," said Kevin as he slipped into his office with Becca.

"Please have a seat," said Kevin, gesturing to his guest chairs in front of his desk. Kevin then picked up his phone and dialed Rose.

"Rose, can you put me through to Ms. Garcia?"

A few seconds later the phone was ringing.

"Linda Garcia."

"Linda, this is Kevin Nash."

"Hi, Kevin," said Linda cheerfully. Kevin knew that Linda often idolized his meteoric rise in the firm. Several attorneys did. They all kissed his ass, knowing that he would soon be a partner and in command of their futures.

"Linda, I've got one of your paralegals here, a Becca..."

"Kowalski," offered Becca.

"Kowalski. I need to borrow her for an hour or two. You have any problem with that?"

Linda paused for a moment. Kevin knew that it was a problem but Linda was going to cave anyways because she wanted to look good in front of Kevin.

"Not a problem, Kevin."

"Thanks, Linda," said Kevin. "I promise not to work her to death over here so you can still get a productive day out of her."

Linda chuckled politely. "Really, it's not a problem."

Kevin hung up the phone and stared at Becca.

"You can kidnap me all you want, but I'm not going to tell you anything," said Becca defiantly.

"I can understand your loyalties, Ms. Kowalski, but I plead to you to tell me something. I really think Stacia's making a huge mistake."

"What kind of mistake is that?" asked Becca. "Getting out of the situation before she really gets hurt? That's all you men do."

"All us men do?" asked Kevin, trying to remain calm.

"Yeah. With all due respect, Mr. Nash, men are pigs."

"Thank you for the outright damnation, Ms. Kowalski," said Kevin evenly. "I take it that you, too, had an experience similar to Stacia and Bobby?"

Becca didn't say anything but her quick look away, out the window, was a dead giveaway.

"Did Stacia bother to tell you my story? Did she bother to tell you that it isn't just men who leave women for seemingly no reason? Did she tell you that I'm living proof that it works the other way around, too?"

"She didn't say anything, no," conceded Becca.

"This really isn't any of your business, Ms. Kowalski, but I feel I need to tell you in the interests of helping you see why I'm the right thing for Stacia. I was married to what I thought was a wonderful woman. I treated her like a queen. Things went downhill shortly after my son, Ryan was born. She realized that raising a child was work. The problem was that all she wanted to do was live off my money and shop all day. Taking care of Ryan was too much work for her. One day she just disappeared. After worrying a few days that she was abducted or something like that, she called and informed me that she was never coming back. It took me several months working with skip tracers to find out where she went so I could serve her the divorce papers. The real tragedy is Ryan doesn't even remember her."

"Shit," said Becca quietly.

"See, Ms. Kowalski, it's not just men that shit on women. It works both ways. But let me tell you something else. I think there are people out there that won't shit on anyone. I firmly believe that if Stacia could get past her fears that she would be one of those people. I know I could be one of those people for Stacia."

"She was so upset last night," said Becca somberly. "She kept crying and asking how she could fall in love with you. I was so mad at you because she was hurting so bad."

"Are you still mad at me, Ms. Kowalski?" asked Kevin.

"I don't know," said Becca. "I just know what happened to her and how much it tore my heart out seeing it happen to her."

"You were in college with her?"

"Friends since high school. Both of us followed our high school sweethearts to college and both got dumped."

"Ms. Kowalski, I promise you that all guys aren't like Bobby or the guy you were with. I'm not like that. Look at all the hell that Stacia has put me through and I still want to be with her."

"She told me that leaving you last night was the hardest thing she's ever had to do," said Becca softly.

"I know she loves me," said Kevin. "She just needs to learn that I'm not going to screw her over."

"How can you promise that?" asked Becca.

"I can't promise that we won't always be together," said Kevin solemnly. "Things happen sometimes between two people. I do know that I would never do anything to purposely hurt her."

"You really love her?"

Kevin nodded and smiled.

Becca shook her head. "You're either a really good con-artist or you're telling the truth because I think I believe you."

"Tell me how I can get her back," said Kevin.

Becca sighed deeply and seemed to contemplate her next words.

"Her and I are going out tonight to pick up guys at Shooter's," said Becca. She hung her head like she was defeated.

"What time?" asked Kevin.

"Probably around nine," said Becca. "Just make me one promise, though?"

Kevin's entire demeanor softened. "Becca, I promise never to hurt Stacia. I'll be honest with you, I see myself marrying that girl if she'll just let me."

"If you make her happy, I'll be eternally grateful to you," said Becca. "Then I might ask you for DNA so I can clone you."

Kevin chuckled at Becca's remark, but was then startled as the door to his office was burst open.

"I thought I told you not to come in here this week," said Avery, his face red with anger.

"That'll be all, Ms. Kowalski," said Kevin formally.

Becca smiled at Kevin and then got up and left. Avery watched as the young blonde walked out.

"Why are you here, Kevin?" asked Avery as soon as the door closed.

"Just here to catch up on a few things," lied Kevin. Truth was, he had planned on working out his frustrations. Now that there was hope again, he was perfectly fine with going home.

"Do I need to call security?" asked Avery.

"Fine," said Kevin holding up his hands in mock surrender.

"Kevin, the partnership's in the bag. I already talked with Blain and Steven and they are all in agreement that you become a full partner. It's just a matter of making it official. They also both agreed that you work much too hard and that you're burning out the other lawyers here with them trying to follow your example."

"How long we looking at?" asked Kevin.

"Couple of months at the most. We need to change all the letterhead, business cards, and other business stock, not to mention our advertising. We'll need to do a press release, of course, and then throw you a party of epic proportions. I'm hoping you'll have a date for that party?"

"Let's just say that isn't in the bag yet," said Kevin.

"Well, then, I don't expect you back here until it is in the bag," said Avery. "I don't care if it takes all two months. You having someone in your life is definitely in the firm's interest."

Avery slapped Kevin's back and then embraced him in a tight hug.

"You get that girl," said Avery. "I know you can do it."

The two men hugged again and then Avery escorted Kevin to his car and sent him home.

"It's so busy tonight," said Stacia as her and Becca walked into Shooter's. "It should be really easy to score tonight."

"Just take it easy tonight, Stacia," said Becca. "I really don't think you should do anything tonight."

Stacia turned and faced Becca and grabbed her arm. "Who are you and what did you do with my best friend?"

"I just think you should be careful. You're pretty vulnerable right now."

"Whatever," said Stacia. She let go of Becca and then disappeared into the crowd.

Stacia quickly pawed her way through the crowd and sidled in at the bar next to a tall, thin gentleman wearing a tan cowboy hat, tight black jeans, and a silk cowboy shirt that was half unbuttoned. He wasn't the most handsome man in the world, but he was clean.

"Hiya, handsome," said Stacia seductively.

"Hi," said the cowboy.

"Has anyone told you that you've got a nice ass?" asked Stacia.

The cowboy's eyes widened and then narrowed with interest. "Can I buy you a drink?"

"Screwdriver," said Stacia automatically.

"You're a very sexy young thing, yourself," said the cowboy.

"My name is Stacia."

"Stacia, I need to talk to you," interrupted an out of breath Becca.

"Not now," hissed Stacia.

"Who's your friend?" asked the cowboy.

"She was just leaving," said Stacia tersely.

"Stacia?" said a familiar voice from behind her. It was Kevin. She refused to turn around and acknowledge him.

"Hi, Mr. Nash," said Becca as Kevin joined the small group.

"Call me Kevin. We're not at work."

"You work with him?" asked Stacia.

Becca nodded. "Listen, Stacia, I think you should hear Kevin out."

Stacia glared at Kevin. "How did you know I was coming here?"

"Excuse me, but who the fuck are you?" asked the cowboy to Kevin.

"Who are you?" asked Kevin.

"I was with her already so you can scram," said the cowboy.

"I think you have things backwards," said Kevin. "I'm her boyfriend so you can take a hike before things get out of hand."

"You're my what?" spat Stacia.

"I'd advise you to leave before I kick your ass," said the cowboy.

"I don't think that'd be a good idea," interjected Becca. "He's a pretty good attorney."

"A fucking lawyer? Even more reason to kick your ass."

"I think you should listen to the young lady," said Kevin.

"Why, are you gonna sue me?" mocked the cowboy.

"No, because I'm gonna mess you up," said Kevin confidently.

"Knock it off! Both of you!" screamed Stacia. She was on the verge of tears.

"You mess me up? Hah!"

"I think it's just best that you walk away," said Kevin evenly.

"Pussy!" shouted the cowboy as he took a swing at Kevin. Kevin easily dodged the blow and grabbed his arm. Using the arm as leverage, he flipped the cowboy over his back and onto the floor, but not without hitting a few people on the way down. The people he hit turned and looked at Kevin with drunken rage.

Stacia was now extremely scared, not for her own safety, but for Kevin's. She knew he was a strong man who frequently worked out, but all the muscle in the world wasn't going to keep back the entire bar. She was now regretting even coming to Shooter's. She was regretting leaving Kevin's house in the first place.

One of the new attackers lunged at Kevin and Kevin easily dodged him and landed a blow right into the assailant's solar plexus. The assailant doubled over and spent the next ten minutes trying to get his breath back. Another two attackers took his place and tried to rush Kevin. Kevin managed to sidestep one of them but the other caught him right in the gut with his fist. Stacia winced as Kevin doubled over. Then they were all over him like a swarm of flies. Several people, including the cowboy that had since got up from the initial blow were pounding on him.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" screamed Stacia. She was relieved to see several bouncers coming through the crowd. Instantly, the attackers backed off, leaving Kevin, bloody and beaten, by the bar.

Stacia tried to rush to Kevin's side but one of the bouncers blocked her path.

"We're keeping him there until the police arrive," said the bouncer.

"He didn't do anything," said Stacia.

"I saw him start a fight. So did the other bouncers."

It was the good-old-boy's network in action. All the rednecks in the bar were going to throw the non-redneck to the wolves.

The police came and questioned several people. Even after trying to get to the cops for questioning, neither Stacia nor Becca were questioned. Stacia was sobbing as they lead Kevin, barely coherent and still bleeding, to their squad car. She felt Becca grab her and drag her out to the parking lot.

"It's gonna get ugly for us if we don't go," whispered Becca urgently.

Stacia didn't care. They just took the love of her life to jail for something that was her fault.

Kevin woke up to a shooting pain through his head. He shifted his body on the steel bench that he was sleeping on. He looked around and realized he was in a holding cell at the county jail. There were a couple of other people in the cell that looked disinterested in him. Kevin managed to swing his legs to the floor and sit up, causing pain to shoot from his head to the rest of his body.

The previous night was starting to come back to him. There was the fight at Shooter's, being dragged off by the cops and taken to the hospital to get stitched up, and then the humiliating process of being booked into the jail on the charges of disorderly conduct and two counts of misdemeanor battery. He knew he'd beat both charges with Blain Peters doing the case as Blain was an expert criminal lawyer. A few cops would probably be brought up on charges, especially for failing to give him his one phone call.