Dara Girard - Perfect Match

“The salmon salad looks delicious,” Dana said.

Natasha shook her head. “No, I think I’ll have the chicken primavera.”

“What about you, Hannah?”

“Oh, I’ll just have tea and um...”

“The risotto.”

“No, I—”

“You’ll love it,” Natasha said. “Trust me. I had it here before,” she said with a quick flick of her wrist, the light catching her large diamond wedding ring.

Hannah only smiled, imagining twenty bucks she was going to use to pay an overdue bill bursting into flames.

The food arrived and the three friends discussed different topics, including Natasha’s recent visit to Russia, Dana’s work woes and Hannah’s family troubles, although she didn’t reveal too much.

“Oh,” Dana said. “You won’t believe what news has been circulating in the legal gossip chain. Some crazy playboy is in an estate battle with the Wild Walkers.”

“An estate battle?” Hannah asked.

“Yes, but here’s the kicker. He doesn’t have a lawyer and he’s been going around town offering a boatload of money for anyone to take his case.”

“And no one will?” Hannah asked with interest. The new contractor the stranger from the park had referred had given her a lower estimate for fixing her parents’ house. Unfortunately, it was still too much for their budget, even with what little she could help them with.

“Not if you want to have a career in law. The Walkers are brutal.”

“Yes,” Natasha said. “Remember the case The Walkers versus Baldano Flooring Company? They put them out of business.”

“What’s the guy’s name?” Hannah asked.

Natasha grabbed her friend’s arm. “You’re not thinking of—”

Dana shook her head. “Hannah, I know you want a juicy case, but this isn’t the one to start with.”

“Just tell me his name,” Hannah said.

Dana looked at Natasha, who shrugged. “She’d find out anyway,” she said.

“It’s Amal Harper.”

“Amal Harper. That name sounds vaguely familiar.”

“It should be more than familiar. He’s the owner of The Eye of Jade, the classy art company that has extravagant art shows and sells unique art pieces from around the world.”

“So he has a lot of money.”

“For now. Once the Walkers are finished with him, he may have to move out of state just to get a job working in a fast-food chain.”

“Don’t do it,” Natasha said.

“I didn’t say I would,” Hannah replied. “I’m just curious.”

“Said the cat on the last day of her nine lives,” Dana said in a grim tone.

* * *

Usually Hector didn’t like surprises, but that Thursday afternoon was an exception. He stared at the phone, picking it up and putting it down twice just to make sure it was real and that he wasn’t dreaming. He felt like dancing around the room. But he knew he couldn’t get too happy because he had to find out more about Hannah Olaniyi before he told Amal. She was interested in handling his case. What if she wasn’t up to the task? Or what if she was just in it for the money? Then it would be a wasted effort. But at least this was a start.

“Who is it?”

He spun around and stared at Amal, who’d come into the office carrying a large brown folder. “What?” he said, feigning innocence.

A grin tugged on Amal’s mouth. “Don’t try to hide it. You’re happy about something.” He pointed the folder at him as a thought came to mind. “You found someone.”

“I may have,” Hector said, determined to temper his joy with caution.

Amal sat on the edge of the desk. “You did. Who?”

“I got a call from the assistant to Hannah Olaniyi. She’s interested in helping you with the estate battle. I was going to tell you, but I thought I should find out more about her first. She wasn’t on my list, and few people know about her.”

“Which means she is new and hungry.”

“Or new and naive,” Hector corrected, not wanting Amal to get ahead of himself. “Or better yet, doesn’t have the skill we need to win. First let me—”

“Did you say yes?”

“I thought we should meet with her first and—”

Amal lifted the receiver and handed it to him. “Call back and accept.”

Hector set it back down. “But—”

“There are three things I already like about her. She heard about the case and called us about it. She offered her services without you trying to persuade her.”

“And three?”

“She’s a woman.” He grinned. “I like to work with women.”

Hector groaned. “You told your mother you were staying away from women to focus on the case.”

“You’ve been talking to my mother?”

“She wants me to keep an eye on you.”

“And?”

“And what?”

He waited.

Hector sighed. “All right. We have a little wager that you’ll be involved with a woman within two weeks maximum.”

“Nice to know you have such faith in me.”

“I said three, but I know you.”

Amal held up his hands and wiggled his fingers. “I’ll be able to look but not touch.”

“Right,” Hector said, hoping Ms. Olaniyi wasn’t Amal’s type, or he’d be out a hundred dollars.

* * *

“He said he’d get back to us,” Bonnie said as Hannah paced the room.

“Are you sure you sold me enough?”

“Yes.”

“Did you tell him I was called the barracuda on my debate team and that—”

“I said all the right things. I think he sounded really excited but tried to hide it. I’m sure he’ll call back tomorrow, but he doesn’t want to seem too eager.”

Hannah chewed her lower lip. “Yes, I’m sure that’s it.”

The phone rang. They stared at each other and then Bonnie picked up.

“Yes? Okay. Okay. That’s fine. Thank you. Goodbye.” She hung up.

Hannah stared at her with her heart pounding. “Well?”

Bonnie jumped out of her chair. “You’ve got the case. They want to meet Monday and discuss the details.” The two women screamed and hugged each other and then Hannah sobered.

“Hmm...shouldn’t we have scheduled the meeting?”

“He says his boss likes to be in charge.”

“Fine. As long as his checks don’t bounce he can schedule to his heart’s content. This is great. This gives me time to find out more about him and the Walkers.”

Finding out about the Walkers wasn’t hard. They were from old money and had lived in the area for over one hundred years. Their money had been earned through the banking industry and investment in real estate, including the ownership of several high-rise buildings in the middle of downtown Raleigh. They were the cornerstone of the establishment and were known for their philanthropic activities, including donating to the development of a new wing at the local children’s hospital and the new Ronald McDonald house for parents of children being treated with life-threatening illnesses. The annual Walker golf championship, held in the spring, was an event Hannah and all of the citizens in the community were aware of. The event brought together a variety of dignitaries and stars and raised several million dollars for not-for-profit organizations in the area. Hannah exhausted herself poring over the unlimited news articles and pictures she found online.

“He’s a real good-looking guy,” Bonnie said, staring at the computer screen. “Come and look.”

Hannah brushed the comment away with a wave of her hand. “I don’t care what he looks like. Just give me the facts.”

Bonnie did. He liked the nightlife and the company of beautiful women. Attended charity events, but whether out of philanthropy or to be seen wasn’t clear. He’d never married and clearly didn’t seem ready to march down the aisle anytime soon.