Page 13 of Exposed

“No, then I’d be smiling.” Bennie went around the desk and sat down, while Sam took a seat opposite her, crossing his slim legs.

“Then is it because of the skirt?”

“What skirt? You mean my jeans skirt?”

“Marshall told me.” Sam laughed wickedly. “Honey, please. So what, she bought your skirt. You should be ashamed that you owned a skirt like that in the first place.”

“I was young.”

“Were you also high? I mean, constantly? Or at least when you bought the thing?”

“I made it.”

“Then you were temporarily insane.” Sam chuckled at his own joke. “Anyway, I’m surprised it bothers you. You know you’re old. I know I’m old. We’re old now.”

“We’re in our forties.”

“Like I said. I may be forty-five, but that’s ninety-two in gay years. It’s like dog years. Who cares anyway?” Sam waved her off. “The day I didn’t want to go to clubs anymore, I knew it was over. Now I sit happily at home with Paul. We put on our jammies and watch British crime shows on Netflix. You and Declan never go out either, do you?”

“We don’t get to see each other that much, so no.” Bennie was crazy about Declan Mitchell, a lawyer she’d met on a recent case, but they had a long-distance relationship, since he had a home and a general practice law firm in York. They took turns driving, and Declan was the kind of man worth driving three hours for. She’d never been so happy in her life, but the Mary thing was still bugging her. “Pop quiz. Can Mary DiNunzio represent a sub of a client of mine and sue my parent?”

“Possible,” Sam answered without hesitation.

“What are you talking about? We’re partners. I represent the parent and she wants to sue the sub.”

“But the new rules say it depends on the circumstances.”

“How do you know that?” Bennie didn’t understand how everybody in the world knew this and she didn’t.

“I deal with that issue all the time. The world is changing, girl. The more consolidation, the more headaches. We’re crazy with the parents and subs, constantly running pre-conflicts checks and conflicts checks.” Sam rolled his eyes. “Nobody wants to turn down work. We all parse the circumstances to keep the client. In your case, who’s the parent and sub?”

“The parent is Dumbarton. The sub is OpenSpace.”

“Dumbarton?” Sam’s eyebrows flew upward behind his cool glasses. “Big-time. Nate’s company.”

“Right.” Bennie, Sam, and Nate were all in the same class at Penn Law.

“So you have to deal with Richie Rich.”

“Yes.” Bennie smiled at Sam’s old nickname for Nate. “Don’t hate. He came from nothing. He did it all himself.”

“I know. He’s a self-made asshole.”

Bennie let it go. “Anyway, I think Mary is conflicted out of the representation.”

“Not necessarily. It could go either way, but in this case, it’s okay.”

“What? Why?”

“You want me to tell you she can’t take the case.”

“Of course I do. You’re my friend.”

“You’re shameless.”

“I’m loyal.”

“You’re too loyal.” Sam leaned over, warming to his topic. “Dumbarton is a 143-million-dollar company with twenty-six subsidiaries. I only know because Nate reminds me at every frigging reunion. Size matters to those who don’t know better.”