1 *Chapter One: Burnt Orange

Chapter One

I pack up the last document on my table and shoveled them into the file cabinet. My office was on the fourth floor of the third tallest skyscraper in Manhattan New York City. Macks and Jerome law firm, M&J.

On the wall behind me was a big china luxurious office cabinet that I personally asked to be painted burnt orange, my best friend Charity refers to the wall cabinet as 'Aaliyah wall of fame'.

The cabinet lid was transparent while the part nailed to the wall was painted burnt orange.

I sat on my seat to mentally go through the court case I have tomorrow. My client wanted me to settle out of court and amicably, to take the plea bargain the assistant district attorney offered.

It was the last thing I wanted, amicably wasn't how Aaliyah Macks became one of Manhattan best criminal attorney.

I look out of the window to the view that I enjoy looking at. Part of the Brooklyn Bridge could be seen from my office and I paid a huge sum of money to be able to have a glance at my favorite bridge.

I heard a knock on the door and before I could say come in, my best friend and partner Charity Jerome pushed her way into my office.

She was dressed in black below the-knee body fitted gown with a pair of crimson red heels. She was elegant with a slender athlete body and oval face. Charity had green eyes, small lips and the perfect body. She was a natural blonde too. She was gorgeous and she knew it, even took advantage of it.

Most Attorneys she had gone up against, always takes a look at her and decides she wasn't brilliant enough to win a case. Blondes aren't supposed to be smart or brilliant criminal attorney.

Charity loves playing the dumb blonde until it was time to tear apart your case bits by bits until you have nothing to hold on to.

It was how we met, the first case I ever lost was to Charity Jerome and that was six years ago.

"Ally…great, you are looking at your favorite bridge. I need you to take over the McMara case for me"

Charity sat down and crossed her legs. She was looking intensely at me.

"Sorry Char, I can't. I have the Andrew case to prep"

"I thought Mr. Andrew wants to take the plea bargain. I thought it was awfully nice of the ADA to plead him from murder to criminally negligent homicide with a three years sentence" Charity said to me.

"How about I get him zero prison time… Mr. Andrew is a dummy but he is a rich dummy that I have to defend and he is going to walk on a technicality thanks to the incompetence of the NYPD" I said and turned to take another glance at my bridge.

"Like I said, it was awfully nice of the ADA….but…Aaliyah; doesn't it bother you that Mr. Andrew is guilty of the horrible crime that he was charged with?" Charity asked

I looked at my friend and I wasn't surprised. The Charity Jerome I knew and loved wasn't the Charity Jerome that was sitting in my office…Stupid motherhood hormone and stuffs.

"You've never had a problem with having a client walk on a technicality…you are the queen of technicality. You seem different, Charity"

"I just don't… I mean…I have a daughter now Aaliyah, the world is scary and I don't want murderers like Andrew a free man in the same world as my child"

I look at my best friend and she really was different. Two years ago, she was anti-marriage and anti-children just like me. Everything changed when she met and fell in love with Tyler, her handsome neighbor next door who just happened to be the son of well known Manhattan CEO.

"Everybody has the right to a vigorous defense. You were a force to be reckoned with Charity Jerome! Do not get soft on me"

My face was distorted in anger and I rubbed my cheek with my fingers, I do that when I am angry.

"Mia is the cutest and most lovable person I know…you should see the way her cute little lip twist when she wants to smile…I swear, she has the most adorable smile I have ever known and Tyler is the best husband and father…"

I wanted to puke. It was decided, I am never going to be a mother or a wife to anyone. Aaliyah Macks will not turn soft for nobody.

I try to keep the nauseating feeling to a minimum and try to do right by my love-struck best friend.

I was happy that charity was happy but it was really sad she now sounds like a crazy person.

The first time Charity told me I was going to be a godmother to her child, I was really happy. Okay, maybe not that happy but I wanted to be happy for her but then she made me see her in labor screaming on top of her voice for her dead Nana....and once again I was sure I made the smart choice.

Mia Jerome-Avery was born and boom, I became a godmother and a possible legal guardian if by some cosmic mistake, Charity and Tyler dies before me.

I stand up from my chair and opened my mini bar and brought out a bottle of brandy and poured two glasses. I downed one glass and offered one to Charity.

"You do remember I am still breastfeeding your goddaughter...it will be a shame if she gets fetal alcohol syndrome because her Auntie Aaliyah wants mommy to have a drink" Charity pushed the drink away.

"Isn't fetal alcohol syndrome supposed to occur while she was in your womb? Fine, I will take the drink"

I picked the brandy and took it in a gulp and took a deep breath.

"You are no fun at all, Char. So, tell me why you want me to take over the McMara's case?" I asked as I placed back the brandy bottle inside the mini bar.

"Because I can't do it… I can't in good conscience defend the spoilt brat" Charity stood up and started pacing.

Her crimson red heel made a click-click sound as she paced. Even after giving birth to a baby few months earlier, her body was in perfect shape.

"The smirk on his face and the way he looks over people like they are nothing is incredibly annoying. I don't think he cares that his actions caused a little boy his legs, Aaliyah"

"I thought the evidence that he was the one that actually ran the boy over was purely circumstantial at best. The video quality of the tape the cops found was too poor to clearly see the perpetrator's face and they only got a partial plate number from the night janitor who had poor eyesight…. It is an open and shut case. A public defender can close the case in an hour and you are Charity freaking Jerome. You are a law goddess"

I look at the clock on the wall and it is a minute pass six in the evening. On the clock was an inscription 'this is to remind you that the only way is... forward, love Mason'

The inscription always brings a smile to my face.

"But he did run over that poor boy, Aaliyah"

"What happened to innocent until proven guilty? The McMara boy has a right to a vigorous defense just like Mr. Andrew, Char."

I saw that my best friend was distressed and it touched my heart but I have worked myself to the ground to be where I am. There was no way in heaven; I was ever going to allow Charity's new found love for humanity to destroy the career we worked so hard to build.

The only option was to find a balance. A side project to sooth Charity's new found conscience while we continue making money.

"Okay Charity Jerome...how about you pick a case from the innocent project? which I feel an undeniable urge to tell it is pro bono. The good reverend has been here severally, begging the firm to take the case of the girl, his niece that he believes was wrongly accused of robbery and will be facing a significant prison term if found guilty....so far, he says the public defender has been doing a piss poor job defending the poor girl...I was going to assign the case to one of the junior associates but if you rather...."

I saw Charity's face beam with smiles showing a perfect dentition.

"Oh you are the best Ally..."

"Not so fast young lady...I have a condition for giving you the innocent project and taking over McMara's defense....you and Tyler can't ever think of dying until Mia is seventeen, I can't stand babies but I can hang with a teenager and talk about boys and shoes or hair. I will be the cool aunt Ally that visit her in a boarding school, buys girlie stuff and teach her how to be independent....so deal or no deal?" I asked my best friend as my eyes narrowed and I pouted.