Chapter 3

Things were going well at the office, but it seemed like every other week they had a case that was going to trial. Rick knew it was a good business practice to attend at least some portion of these trials to see how they were progressing. He made it a point to change from his suit into his casual golf type clothes when he attended these trials so as to not give the jury the impression that the defendant was insured. The jury might have suspected that the defendant was insured it but they couldn’t be told there was insurance, because it would be grounds for a mistrial if they were.

One thing Rick did when he attended the trials was to study the body language of the members of the jury. He couldn’t read all of them but he was able to read a few of them and this told him how the trial was going and if he should increase the settlement offer if there was one on the table. The attorneys trying the case were usually too occupied to be able to study the jurors.

During a recess at one trial, Rick told John Wells that judging by her body language, a lady on the jury was in love with him. John asked who that was and Rick told him it was the lady third from the right in the first row. John thought about it for a few seconds and told Rick that was Carol Stallings, Appellate Judge Bill Stallings’ wife. John said he used to double date with them when they were younger. Rick remembered it was a not guilty verdict that the jury came back with on that trial.

Rick had changed into his casual clothes one morning and was getting ready to leave for a trial that was going on when his phone rang. It was John Wells calling and Rick told him he was getting ready to go and watch the trial that was going on. John told Rick to wait till after lunch to attend the trial. John said Diane was trying the case and it could become very interesting this afternoon.

Rick was seated in the courtroom along with six other people when the judge entered and asked that the jury be shown in. The plaintiff was a man about forty years of age who had testified this morning and it was now Diane’s turn to cross-examine him. Two years ago the plaintiff had been rear ended by Rick’s insured. It was a sizeable impact and the plaintiff was alleging permanent neck and back injuries. Rick thought Diane was looking good in the dark blue business suit and white blouse she was wearing.

Diane took the plaintiff through what he had said in the morning about the permanent pain and stiffness from the accident he suffers from and how it has affected his life. The plaintiff said he can no longer do things he once did. In looking at him, Rick thought the plaintiff was believable because it seemed like he was in pain. He appeared not to be able to turn his head without turning his whole body and he had walked to the witness stand rather gingerly.

Diane touched on these activities he said he could no longer do, such as golfing and playing tennis. Diane just touched on golfing but went more in-depth on playing tennis. She said she played a little tennis and asked the plaintiff if this was how he would serve the ball and demonstrated by tossing up an imaginary ball above her head and arched her back in preparation to hit the ball. He said that is how it is done and again confirmed that he could no longer do these actions.

When Diane demonstrated the serve and arched her back, her suit jacket came open and the jury, as well as Rick and the judge, saw that her two fine breasts were straining against her white blouse, threatening to pop a few buttons.

She then went on to demonstrate the forehand return and the backhand return as well as charging the net. Rick had to admit her demonstration was exaggerating these moves and he wondered where she was going in doing this. He didn’t need to wait long to find out because Diane then went to her table and pulled out some papers and asked the judge for them to be admitted into evidence. The papers she was asking to be admitted were the Glen Creek Country Club’s June newsletter which had a picture of the plaintiff holding the trophy which was presented to him for being the club’s men single tennis champion this year. There was turmoil among the jurors when she mentioned this. Diane further put some salt in the wound when she asked and was given permission to read the article which accompanied the picture.

Diane then said that’s all she had for the witness and the judge called for a recess. Rick was leaving the courtroom but he quietly said to Diane that the settlement offer was reduced. She told him she had already done that.

Diane later phoned him to tell him that the verdict was for the amount of the emergency room bill, plus one dollar. He congratulated her on a great result. She told him that her girlfriend’s boyfriend had advised her of this tennis activity when she had mentioned the plaintiff’s name.

About two months later, Rick was talking to John Wells on a file and asked him on how things were going. John said for him things are going good, but Diane is in somewhat of a tizzy. He explained that Diane’s mother is on a committee for this year’s hospital fundraising dinner dance. One of the fundraising activities is to have an auction. The mother wanted to auction off a date with Diane, but Diane would have none of that. After considerable cajoling by the mother, Diane finally agreed to the auction but said she would not be paraded in a cattle call at the live auction but would agree only to do it in a silent auction. Now John said, Diane was worried as to the amount that would be bid for a date with her because she would be embarrassed if there was no bid or it was very low.

After a little thought about this situation, Rick said he wasn’t attending this event but asked John to enter a bid of one thousand dollars on his behalf for the date with Diane. John thanked Rick and said he would place the bid but he wouldn’t say anything to Diane.

Rick’s office opened at eight in the morning. On the day after the auction took place his phone rang at five after eight. When he answered it he remembers hearing, “You didn’t need to do that.”

He recognized her voice and responded, “Diane, are you telling me I was the high bidder at the auction?”

“Yes you were and you didn’t need to do that.”

“Well, it’s for a good cause and how else could I get a date with a beautiful up and coming litigator?”

There was a pause on the other end of the phone and then in a quiet voice he heard her say with some hesitancy, “You..., you could just ask.”

They talked some more and plans were made for the date. Diane suggested Saturday at the country club which had a good restaurant and a band playing. Rick agreed and firmed up when he would pick her up.

Rick was in for a pleasant surprise when Diane opened her door for the date. She was in a dress instead of her normal business suit and she was wearing her hair down instead of the ponytail he usually would see her wearing. She had on a little makeup, not that she needed more. She quite frankly was a very beautiful lady. Rick complimented her on her appearance which caused her to blush.

Rick had a very pleasant date with Diane. She was an interesting lady and could carry on a conversation on a number of subjects. She did have some strong opinions but that was to be expected based on her profession. After dinner the band started playing and he danced a number of different tempo dances with Diane. Rick really enjoyed the date and he told her it was the best thousand dollars he had ever spent.