The Empire State Cat’s Christmas Gift

He looked at the cat. “You hungry, kitty?” It meowed.

Ariel headed out the door. “I’ve got some cans of tuna in the break room. And milk for coffee. I’ll go get it.”

Spencer sat down and put the cat on his lap, then started to stroke its soft fur. He was rewarded with a purr. “Y’know, an office cat is not a bad idea. So who do you belong to?”

Ariel returned with some food for the cat, putting a saucer of milk and some tuna in a dish on the floor. “See if she’ll eat something.”

Spencer put the cat near the food. It ate about half of the tuna, drank a little milk, then took off behind the bookcase. “Well, that was a quick visit. So much for trying to find her owner.”

“She must know her way around.”

“Maybe so. Guess I’ll pick up some cat food in case she drops by again.”

Ariel shook her head as she shot him a smile. “You crack me up.”

“What?”

“I know what you’re thinking.”

“You do, huh?”

“Now you want an office cat, don’t you?”

“Not terribly practical for a law firm, but if that one likes to hang out here I won’t complain. We always had cats when I was a kid, and to be honest I’ve been meaning to get a pet.”

“Well, don’t spoil her. You can’t get a reputation as the lawyer who stole someone’s cat. There are laws against that, you know.”

“What laws?”

“Catnapping.”

CHAPTER TWO

Tish saw that her three closest friends had already arrived at the restaurant. Normally they went out on the weekend, but in light of the situation with her house, Rory, A.J. and Madison insisted they get together for moral support on Tuesday evening. Tish couldn’t help but agree; being literally driven from her home in the middle of the night was beyond stressful. Even though no one had been hurt, living in Madison’s guest room on weekends for a few months and a Manhattan hotel during the week while her home was being repaired would be disorienting. Her home had been a second office with everything impeccably organized; now it was a water and smoke-damaged disaster. If she hadn’t had a hanging bag of a few outfits she’d just bought in her car, she would have had nothing to wear.

Of course, Tish had no choice but to count her blessings. She had adopted a cat who had literally saved her life.

Everyone got up to hug her as she arrived. “Thanks, guys. Really appreciate all your help.”

Madison, the tall redheaded network television reporter who had given her Socks, patted her on the shoulder as they all sat. “You’re good to go in our guest room. Nick’s got everything squared away. He took your clothes that survived to the cleaners and hopefully they can get the smoke out of them. I’ve got some outfits for you in my car, enough to get you through the rest of the week. Y’know, since the insurance company is going to buy you some clothes, you might consider jazzing up your wardrobe a bit.”

“Nice try. Anyway, your fiancé is a saint. I’m jealous. But I hate that I’m cramping your style moving into your love nest on weekends for a few months.”

“You’ll get used to Madison screaming,” said Rory, Madison’s best friend who lived across the street and worked at home as a copywriter. The slim brunette flashed a wicked grin.

“Yeah,” said A.J., the petite New York Italian gal who ran the family delicatessen. “So much for keeping the windows closed during sex to keep it a secret.”

Madison started to blush. “Stop it. Anyway, Tish, my network wants you and Socks sometime this weekend, probably on the Saturday morning show.”

“What for?”

“Cat saves owner’s life, film at eleven. It’s an incredible tale. Or tail, as the case may be. And you know the story of my litter of orphaned kittens refuses to die. The dominoes of their effect on people continue to tumble. They’re a bunch of furry good luck charms.”

“No argument here.”

“Besides, you can throw in a plug for the local shelter and talk about pets that need adopting.”

“Sure, I’ll do it.”

A.J. handed Tish a business card. “My cousin Angelo says he should have you back in your house around Christmas. He pulled some of his guys off another job and got the insurance company out there already. He said everything is covered and you get replacement value. Don’t worry, they won’t cut corners. Your house will actually be better than new. He’ll be getting in touch with you to pick out paint colors, flooring and that sort of stuff.”

“Thank God you’re related to a contractor. This means a lot, A.J. Thank you so much for getting him over so fast.”

Madison leaned back as she studied a menu. “So how’s the furry little lifesaver doing in her new weekday home?”

“Socks seemed to really like being in the office instead of at home by herself during the day. And my law intern is keeping her company in the evening. She already sleeps at night. You sure I can bring her home on the weekends?”

“Of course. You can’t leave her in the office and she’ll love playing with Bumper again. And my cat will be thrilled. You sure you don’t want to leave her with me full time?”

“She’d miss me too much.”

Rory rolled her eyes. “Wait for it…”

“Fine,” said Tish. “And I’d miss her too much.”

A young brunette waitress arrived at the table with a water jug and filled their glasses. She pulled an order pad from her apron. “Good evening, ladies. Can I start you off with something from the bar?”

Tish nodded. “Big bottle of bourbon. No glass.”

The waitress laughed. “I’m sorry, but we don’t allow drinking right from the bottle. Though I could wrap it in a brown paper bag and you could go out back.”

“Then a nice chilled bottle of Pinot Grigio with four glasses please.”

“Sure.” She wrote down the order. “Let me tell you about our specials this evening. Tonight our chef has prepared—”

“Hey! Waitress!” The man at a table in the middle of the room interrupted her, waving frantically while looking angry. He pointed at her. “You! Right now!”

The waitress turned and her face dropped. “Excuse me a minute. We have a problem customer at one of my tables and I need to deal with him.”

Spencer and Ariel stopped eating as the portly middle-aged bald guy at the next table was making a scene chewing out the young waitress. The eating in the entire restaurant had stopped, as everyone was watching the man.

“I ordered the steak well done, and it was medium! Can’t you people get anything right?”

The waitress was shaking a bit. “Sir, if you’d told me that when I brought it to you, I could have sent it back to the chef—”

“You should have checked it before you brought it out, you stupid bitch!”

Spencer threw down his napkin. “Okay, that’s it.” He stood up and approached the guy. “Hey, buddy, that’s enough.”

The man turned to him. “Why don’t you mind your own business. It’s my problem.”

“You just made it everyone’s business with your big mouth and rude behavior.” He pointed to the man’s empty plate. “And if you had such an issue with your steak, why did you wait till you ate the whole thing before complaining?”

“What difference does it make? It tasted awful. She couldn’t even take a simple order!”

“Obviously you just want a free meal.”

“I want what I ordered!”

“That doesn’t give you an excuse to talk to the young lady like that. You owe her an apology.”

“Like hell.”

Spencer turned to the waitress who now had her arms wrapped around her waist. She was pale and trembling. “How much is his check?”

“Thirty-eight dollars.”

Spencer pulled out his wallet and handed her a one-hundred dollar bill. “Keep the change.” He turned back to the man. “Now, since you got your free dinner, why don’t you get the hell out and let the rest of us eat in peace? And do everyone a favor. Don’t come back. Next time go buy a hot dog at Coney Island.” He tossed two dollars at the man. “Here, it’s on me.”

The man got up and stormed out to a round of applause.

The waitress put her hand over her chest and exhaled as Spencer sat down. “Sir, thank you so much for sticking up for me. And picking up the check. That was incredibly nice of you.”

“Not a problem.”

“You sure you don’t want change?”

“I think you earned a big tip for dealing with that idiot.”

“Well, thank you again. If you need anything, let me know.”

Ariel reached over and patted his hand as the waitress headed back to work. “My partner, legal shark by day, Boy Scout by night.”

“Just doing the right thing. He had no right to talk to her that way.”

“I know, I was giving you a compliment. While every woman wants to be treated like an equal, every woman wants a man who will stand up for her. I’m proud to have an old fashioned guy like you as a partner. And a friend.”

Tish wore a dreamy look as she stared at the man who had rescued the waitress. “Damn, that was some old fashioned chivalry over there. And he’s awfully cute.”

Madison nodded as she sipped her water. “Yeah. Too bad he’s sitting with some babe.”

Rory turned back to the menu. “And now we know the reason some babe is sitting with him. White knights are hard to find.”

A.J. shook her head. “Yep. The good ones are always taken.”

Madison playfully slapped her arm. “Hey, Nick wasn’t taken when I snagged him.”

Tish patted her hand. “He snagged you, sweetie. You swallowed the hook and practically jumped into the boat.”

“Okay, no argument here. But come to think of it, we don’t know if that woman is his girlfriend.”

The waitress returned with their wine. “Sorry about that, everyone. Our manager says drinks are on the house tonight.”

“Hey, not your fault,” said Tish. “You okay?”

“Just shaken up a bit. I think I’m the one who needs the big bottle of bourbon. Thank goodness for Mr. Capshaw taking charge of the situation.”

Madison cocked her head at the man. “You know the guy?”

“He’s one of our regulars. Very nice guy and really good tipper. And of course he just saved me from a jerk and getting stuck with the check, which I really couldn’t afford.”

Rory looked at the pretty brunette sitting across from the man. “Do you happen to know if the woman sitting with him is his wife or girlfriend?”

The waitress shrugged. “No clue. But if she isn’t, take a number. What woman wouldn’t want a guy like that?”

*

After a supportive dinner with her friends, Tish had a spring in her step the next morning as she headed into the office, but it vanished when she saw the worried look on her assistant’s face. “What’s wrong? Oh my God, is Socks okay?”

“She’s fine. And I already fed her.”

“Then why do you look like you just ate the cat food?”

Shelley handed her a newspaper. “Because we just lost our biggest and nicest client.”

Tish’s eyes grew wide as she saw the headline. “Oh my God! His company went belly up?”

“Apparently some of his employees embezzled a ton of money while driving the company into the ground. Dammit, I hate that it happened to such a good guy.”

“I know. But that was part of his problem. He was too damn trusting.” Tish scanned the article. “I told him he couldn’t be such an absentee owner. But he said he had good people running things. What a shame.”

“Anything we can do?”

“I’ll give him a call right now. Maybe I can get my friend in the DA’s office to help him recover the embezzled funds. Not sure what I can do about the company shutting down.”

“Damn, this has been the week from hell. First your house and now this.”

“Yeah, and with this new development my house is now on the back burner. I gotta make some rain, Shelley. He was responsible for more than fifty percent of our revenue. We’re gonna need some new clients.”

“Speaking of new clients, you’ve got one coming in shortly.”

“I know, but that’s a contingency. We have to win to get paid.”

“You usually win, Tish. Hell, you’re way over ninety percent.”

“Yeah, but right now we need some definite income. And that case is going to take a ton of time. Plus, it’s a David and Goliath case and I’m going to need a big friggin’ slingshot to win or even get a settlement. Damn, now I almost wish I hadn’t taken it.”

“You took it because you’ve got a good heart. You could always refer her—”

“I said almost. The poor woman was turned down by lawyers all over town and she’s really in a bind. I can’t do that to her. But if the case doesn’t pan out, well…”

“Don’t worry, we’ll be fine. You have too good of a reputation. Meanwhile, there’s something on your desk that demands your immediate attention.”

“What, we heard back from the judge on the Carson case?”

“No. Your cat is waiting for you.”

Tish headed into her office, finding Socks sitting on the corner of her desk. “I see you have permanently claimed that spot.” She reached out to pet the cat and was rewarded with a lick on her hand. Then she sat behind the desk and Socks immediately climbed in her lap. She picked up the phone as the cat looked up at her. “Okay, kitty, gotta find some clients to keep you in that high end cat food.”

*

“Do you think we have a chance? I mean, really? No one else wanted this case.” Tish noted the woman’s eyes were sad and desperate.

She had almost considered Shelley’s suggestion to refer the client to another law firm with which she had a great relationship, one that could handle a loss of both considerable time and money. But the moment the woman entered her office, shook hands and locked eyes, she knew she couldn’t abandon her.

Especially when the new client told her why time was of the essence.

She was dying.

A big settlement would get her the medical care to save her life.

If Tish lost the case, well…

Her friend Madison hadn’t abandoned helpless orphaned kittens, and that was how she’d ended up with a wonderful cat like Socks.

In much the same way, she couldn’t in good conscience abandon this client who was basically an orphan seeking a lawyer. Who would die without her help.

And right now, Tish needed to give the woman an injection of confidence because she couldn’t possibly look this defeated in a courtroom. The woman was forty but the stress she’d gone through made her look ten years older. Face drawn, eyes drooping, dark brown hair a ragged mess. Tish knew she’d be very attractive with a little attention and a smile. She leaned forward and nodded. “Cynthia, I think we have an excellent chance. And I want you to focus on that when we come face to face with the defendant. If you look defeated, you give them an advantage. Hold your head up high and always look like you’ve got the upper hand. Confidence is key.”

“I’ll do my best, Miss McKenna.”

“Tish, please.”

“Okay. Tish. I can’t thank you enough for taking me on a contingency. I’d been through six law firms and everyone wanted a huge retainer. I’m broke or I’d give you something. Maybe later this year—”

Tish smiled and waved it away. “Don’t worry about it. I didn’t become a lawyer just to make money. Sometimes you have to do the right thing, and in this case that means representing you. What was done to you was unconscionable.”

“You’re a good person, Miss McKenna. I could tell the minute I met you. And people say you’re an incredible lawyer. When I heard your nickname I was expecting…well…”

Tish laughed. “Well, that’s my name in the courtroom. I’m pretty much a softie when I’m off the clock. Anyway, I want you to stop worrying. You’re in good hands. And I have an excellent assistant to work on this case. Even my law intern is helping out.”

The woman finally smiled a bit. “Thank you. I can tell you really care. How long do you think this will take?”

“Well, that depends on the other side and who they hire. If they get the right attorney who doesn’t play games, we could be done by the holidays. And hopefully have something in your Christmas stocking.”

“That sounds good. I don’t want one of those cases that lingers on for years and years.”

“Don’t worry, this one’s pretty cut and dried. We might not even have to go to court if I can get a decent settlement offer. Would that interest you?”

“Depends on the offer, but I’ll listen to anything. And of course, defer to your advice.”

“Well, remember, I work for you. I can offer advice but any final decision will be yours. If something doesn’t feel right, tell me. Anyway, I’ll get things filed shortly and then we’ll see who we’re up against.”

“I know who we’re up against, and he has deep pockets.”

“I meant the lawyer. But I’m gonna pick the defendant’s pockets.”

*

Spencer’s eyes narrowed as tossed his pen on the stack of papers. “I can’t wait to get this guy on the stand and rip his throat out.”

Ariel reached across the desk and patted his hand. “Someone’s inner shark gets cranky when he doesn’t eat.”

“Sorry, I will not lose this case. But you’re right, I’m starving. You wanna go get some dinner or order in?”

Ariel pulled out her cell phone. “I’ll order some Chinese. If we go out to a restaurant we’ll get too relaxed and then we won’t get home till midnight. It’ll set us back two hours.”

“Then again if you get Chinese I’ll want a nap. Get something from the Italian place.” He reached under his desk, grabbed a bag, got up and moved to the bookcase, then pulled a bag of cat treats from the bag and shook it.

“What have you got there, cat food? What are you doing?”

“Playing Pavlov and the cat. Seeing if our furry friend wants to come visit.”

Ariel laughed. “You are too funny. Six hundred dollar an hour attorney trying to lure someone else’s cat through an air vent. I should take a picture of this and write it up for the law review.”

“The cat’s owner might sue us if you make it public.”

“For?”

“As you said, catnapping.” He shook the bag again, then stopped to listen. “I think I hear something.”

“Yeah, but it might be a rat.”

“If it is a rat, the cat will get it.”

Ariel looked up and sure enough, the tuxedo cat emerged from behind the bookcase. “No one would believe this.”

Spencer shook some treats into his hand and held it out. The cat quickly gobbled them up, then nuzzled his arm. “Hey there kitty, how was your day? You want a few more?”

“Y’know, that cat is going to get fat enjoying the smorgasbord between you and her owner, who has no idea someone else is feeding her.”

“I’m just giving her a few treats, that’s all.”

“Right, that’s how it starts.” She noted the pure joy in his face as he fed the cat. “And I cannot believe you’re actually sacrificing part of a billable hour to spend time with a cat.”

“It’s just a little while.”

Ariel looked at the clock and leaned back in her chair. “Spence, speaking of time, what the hell are we doing here still working after nine o’clock?”

“We’ve got a lot to do.”

“Not what I meant. We don’t need to kill ourselves anymore. And frankly, I’m sick of eating dinner out of a Styrofoam container or a pizza box at my desk. Listen to me for a minute. Look, you left the District Attorney’s office and I quit the pro bono world of Legal Aid to start this firm so you could make enough to take care of your father. But you got him the expensive medical care, he’s cured, you even bought him a house, he’s retired and happy… I mean, we make a ton of money working normal hours. Why are you still in that mindset that we have to take every client who walks in the door and need every dollar we can possibly make?”

“Because it could happen again.”

“Your dad is fine and you got him the best health insurance money could buy. And the doctor told you his illness was a one-in-ten-million thing.”

“One of us could get sick.”

“And we’re both covered by the same insurance. Besides, I’d always take care of you and you’d do the same for me.” She sat back and looked at him. “Have you forgotten why you wanted to be a lawyer and why we took the first jobs that we did?”

He slowly nodded but didn’t respond as he kept petting the cat.

“Y’know, Spence, that cat makes you look like your old self.”

“Huh?”

“Relaxed and happy. You’ve got that same look you used to have when you helped the good guys win at the DA’s office. Can you honestly say the people we’re representing in this case are the good guys? Would you even want to be in the same room with them if they weren’t clients?”

“Not really. To be honest, I can’t stand them personally.”

“Hell, I feel like I need a shower every time they come by. Spence, this kind of work is making us a lot of money, but we’re not really making the world a better place. And I know that’s why you became a lawyer.”

He looked back at the cat. “I guess I’ve kinda gotten away from what I used to believe.”

“You still believe it. Money, and the people you help with it, is just clouding your memory.” She pointed at the cat. “While your furry friend there is a perfect example of what makes you happy. Yesterday you said you’ve been meaning to get a pet. That means taking the time to be with it. Time away from this office. You can’t just get a cat and leave it alone in your apartment all day. When you adopt a pet you make a commitment to be part of its life. It’s not an accessory. It’s a living creature that needs love and attention. And if we don’t slow down you won’t have the time. But if we do then you’ll be able to enjoy the unconditional love of a cat.”

He turned to look at her. “I’m sorry, Ariel, but once you go through something like my dad’s situation—”

“I know and I understand. You’re terrified it could happen again. But you can’t go through life worried about what might lie ahead. Take some time to smell the roses. Or play with a cat. You make a lot of money, so it’s time you started enjoying it. Even your dad says you work too hard. Hell, you haven’t taken a vacation in three years.”

He exhaled and nodded a bit as he scratched the cat’s head. “I guess we could…scale things back.”

“Good. Let’s start by not taking any more clients and that will take things off our plate by attrition.”

“Sure. No new clients.”

“And even better…let’s send a few clients to some other firms and add a few pro bono cases to replace them. You know that helping desperate people is what makes you happiest, so let’s get back to that a little.”

“You’re right, Ariel.”

“Meanwhile, the hell with ordering in. Let’s go to dinner, relax, have some wine, and then actually go home. Maybe once we clear some of these cases we might be able to eat dinner before the sun goes down instead of like a bunch of vampires.” She pointed at the cat. “Meanwhile, you gonna call the little furball Kitty?”

“Well, there’s no name on her collar. I’ll come up with something. I guess we need to find out if it’s a boy cat or a girl cat. Do you know how to tell?”

Ariel folded her arms. “Do I look like a veterinarian to you?”

Spencer moved back to his laptop and did a search. “Hang on a minute. Okay, here we go. How to sex a cat.”

“I hope you don’t get arrested. If the Feds look at your search history and see that, God knows what they’ll think.”

Spencer chuckled and continued reading. “It says to look directly under the tail. If it looks like a colon, it’s a boy. Upside down exclamation point, it’s a girl.”

“Well, I’m not doing this punctuation search of a cat’s nether regions. Knock yourself out.”

He picked up the cat and took a look. “Our guest is a young lady.”

“Well, you do need a nice girl on your lap.”

“Very funny.”

“Speaking of which, you want me to track down the name of that lawyer with the great eyes who turned your head? I mean, if you think you can sacrifice the billable hours in order to actually go on a date with her and have a social life.”

He offered a slight smile. “Okay, okay, you’ve made your point. But yeah, it would definitely be worth it.”