"There you are," she said and got into the car beside me, leaning over for an air kiss. "Let's go and slay some dragons, shall we? Put all this bullshit behind you."
"Sounds like a plan."
We made small talk on the way to the courthouse, for I'd gone over the questions with her several times and felt I was ready for the prosecutor and cross examination.
I told her about Michael's offer for me to go to Southampton to set up a pediatric robotic neurosurgery unit at the children's hospital.
"Drake, that sounds like a fantastic opportunity for you. Right up your alley."
"I know," I said with a heavy sigh.
"What's the sigh about?"
I glanced away, feeling bad. "Kate. She just got back to Manhattan, back into her studio, with Ethan nearby. I doubt she'll want to move to England."
"You haven't told her? But she has to understand..."
I shrugged. "I know she won't like it. I have to understand as well that Kate's very close to her father. She loves Manhattan."
"You love doing robotic surgery, and the chance to set up a new unit at a children's hospital... That sounds like heaven for you. Surely she would realize it would be crazy of you to turn it down."
"I want Kate happy, Lara. I almost lost her. I don't want to do anything that makes her unhappy."
"I'm sure she feels the same way."
I rubbed my forehead. "I'm going to talk to her about it soon. We'll see how things go with the trial."
"Don't put it off," Lara said. "Honesty and openness is the best policy."
"I won't. After this weekend. I don't want to ruin it."
When we arrived, the steps to the courthouse were crowded with reporters and film crews, hoping to catch a glimpse of witnesses. I was certain to be top of their lists.
"Let me lead the way. I'll fend off any reporters," Lara said as she got out. I followed her out of the car and adjusted my coat while the John closed the door. Then, he stood beside me and I noticed that another bodyguard whose name I didn't know stood a few feet away. It gave me a momentary sense of unreality that my life had come to this -- two bodyguards, the paparazzi approaching with their microphones held out, their cameras rolling.
"Do you have anything to say, Dr. Morgan? Do you deny that the video is of you hitting the woman you're with?"
Lara grabbed my arm and pulled me forward.
"Dr. Morgan will issue a brief statement after he's finished giving his testimony. Until then, he has nothing to say. Thank you," she said, her voice firm, giving the reporters the evil eye.
Together, her arm through mine, we walked up the steps to the door and went through security.
"You're damn good at this," I said while we checked our personal items and went through the scanner.
"That's why you pay me the big bucks," she said with a laugh.
I did pay Lara big bucks to be my lawyer and previously, to be my matchmaker. We were friends on top of it and it was her unwavering support of me as a human being that I truly appreciated. She had my back. We'd been friends for years and I knew I could rely on her advice. It was never wrong.
We went inside and checked in with the clerk, who would alert the prosecutor that I was there and would be waiting for my turn to testify. Then, we sat in the long hallway outside the courtroom and waited for me to be called.
While we spoke in quiet voices, a woman came out of the courtroom and walked past us. She glared at me on her way by and I frowned, trying to place her, but I didn't recognize her. She walked down the hallway to the washroom and I turned to Lara.
"Do you know who that is? She gave me a really nasty look."
"No idea," Lara said with a shrug. "Probably just some audience member who thinks you're the devil incarnate."
"Probably."