Lauren, Seven

Lauren

Seven

Who ever picked the spot for the Firm's picnic was a genius; a large grassy area with plenty of tables, shaded from the late summer sun by large trees yet open to breezes off the bay.

Parking was at a premium and we ended up walking hundreds of yards to the gathering. With staff, family, and friends there must have been several hundred people milling about. We mingled through the crowd, Lauren making sure our arms remained linked.

Maybe she feared I'd be snagged by one of the good looking interns. Not to worry, I was quite happy with current company.

I do have to say Essex and Whitehouse did the whole picnic thing quite well; this wasn't a pot luck affair. Grills were professionally manned and there were choices of dogs, burgers, or chicken. Then there were the sides; a constant flow of fresh fries, tubs of potato salad or cole slaw, and one lady churning out huge corn cobs - diet seemed to be a dirty word here.

Every now and then we ran into someone Lauren knew and I was introduced, always with a note of pride in her voice. Not that I minded, if I'd met someone I knew I would be just as proud in presenting her.

Eventually we joined a line passing the grills, plates in hand. I had thought of just going for a burger, when the smell of barbecues hit. I knew instantly who was responsible for that! Jonah Williams, BBQ Master.

"Mr. Teasdale! What a pleasure seeing you here. What can I get you?"

"Jonah, I'll take anything you offer and be happy to take it. But you knew that. Listen, I'd like you to meet Lauren Wilcox. Lauren, Noah here is the best barbecue cook in the northwest. And that's not just me talking, he was voted best five, no six times in a row."

"How do you do Mr. Williams." Lauren said as she offered a hand.

"No ma'am, you call me Jonah, just like Mr. Teasdale."

"Then why don't you call him John?"

"Wouldn't be proper, after all he's done for me and my family."

At this point I just knew I was in for more questions than I wanted to answer, at least while we held up the line. "Jonah, if you can, come join us for a while. But if not, I'll come by the shop next week."

We found a table and dug in. Lauren didn't hold back she went after the chicken with gusto. No one can eat BBQ chicken and keep clean hands, and Jonah's chicken just can not be put down. Maybe you free one hand for fries or pop, but the other is locked on.

After working her way through half a bird, fries, 'slaw, and pop Lauren looked up at me. "God, you must think I have no manners ..."

"Nope, that's Jonah's cooking. I've never seen anyone use 'manners' on his cooking. Wait 'til you have his ribs."

"Speaking of Jonah ..."

"Lauren! There you are!"

Saved by the bell.

It was Lauren's friend Maggie. I wouldn't say she was obese, but she was big. Like the prototypical Hausfrau you see in ads and such. She stood at least six feet and probably dressed out at two twenty. I would not argue anything she told me. Seriously.

Beside her stood a gray haired gentleman of about five foot six, with shoulders at least as broad. He had a big grin and twinkling eyes. He stuck a huge paw out and introduced himself; "Sean's me name, Margaret's husband."

Fearing the worst I shook his hand. He knew exactly how much pressure to use. "John, John Teasdale. I'm here with Lauren."

"Ah, so this be Lauren. Herself tells me our little prank worked fine. How you be now?"

"Sean, cut out that BS accent, the only Irish about you is your name. And I think you lied about that."

"Ahhh Maggie, I'm just havin' fun."

She looked over at me, maybe I should say she looked me over. "So, you're the fella I've been hearing about. Well at least you dress nicer than the last one."

"Maggie! Stop that. You'll scare him off before I can get my hooks in him!"

Great, I'm in with a herd of clowns.

At least I hope they - she - are kidding.

We sat and I got to know Maggie and her husband. He let her do most of the talking, but I never got the impression she bossed him, rather they had established a balanced relationship.

Maggie had been married to Sean for twenty five years, with the firm eighteen, and had taken Lauren under her wing from day one. I got the sense Maggie knew everything going on in Lauren's life, something I definitely felt uneasy about.

Sean, when he could squeeze a word in explained a back injury on the job - stevedore - and thanks to a good union contract a steady pension since.

"So what do you do to fill time? you don't look like a couch potato?"

"Mostly bike and swim, they're good for my back. I do some gardening, but have to be careful of my back. And snoops."

"Snoops?"

"Yeah, insurance people trying to prove my back is good enough that I can go back to work. Then they can stop my pension and insurance."

"Is it? Good enough to work?"

"No. I see my doctor. I should say I must see my doctor every six months for evals. Usually he says I'm lucky to still be walking. He figures the exercise is keeping me going."

"Do you enjoy it?"


"The bike yeah, I can ride all over, see different things. The swimming no. I'm just doin' laps. Lookin' at the bottom of the pool. I hate that fuckin' pool."

"So why go?"

"There aren't many other ways to keep my back goin'"

"Damn. I feel for you."

"Could be worse. My back blows out, I don't have a good contract, I don't have Maggie. If you find a good woman, keep her. And treat her right."

"Oh Sean, he's already treating me right."

Damn, another red alert went off in my head. Somebody was laying ground work. And I wasn't sure how I felt about it.

~~~

"Margaret, Sean, so nice to see you here today? Oh, hello John. And who is this young lady?"

Maggie smiled and stepped up; "Good afternoon Mr Whitehouse, This is Lauren Wilcox, she's in our Family Law section."

"Humph, I thought I knew all our attorneys."


"No sir, I'm a Para-legal."

"Ah,well, nice meeting you. John, good to see you again. We should get together sometime."

That rudeness pissed me off. No one dismisses the woman I'm with. "Bill, how about Tuesday morning? I'm sure there's some things we can go over."

Everyone was quiet for a few minutes after Whitehouse left, but then the conversation picked up with Sean regaling us with stories - not only working longshore but when he was a kid on a farm and later kicking around the country for a few years. "Ah, the women I met laddy boy, but that's for another time maybe," He said catching the side eye from Maggie. "But none as good, or as beautiful as you dear."

Lauren had been giving me a bit of side eye since Bill had recognized me, but she held off on the questions. Maggie looked between us a couple times - she knew something was up - but she too let it go.

Just as well, I wasn't ready for a complete explanation to anyone just yet.

~~~~