Chapter 23
Sharla
More than a week had passed since Sharla kicked Marcel out of her house for the second time. Ever since his nutcase ex-girlfriend vandalized her backyard, Sharla’s nerves were rattling around like coins in a tin can.
What she hated most about the whole ordeal was no longer feeling safe in her own home. She hadn’t been able to sleep and was constantly hearing noises. She loved Leimert Park and considered it a great neighborhood. With a crazy woman terrorizing her, no place would feel safe.
“You ready?” Isabel peeked her head into the room.
Sharla glanced at the clock on her desk and realized it was twelve minutes after ten. This wasn’t like her. She consistently took the bench promptly at ten.
“Yes. I’ll be right out.”
Her cell phone buzzed and she didn’t have to check the screen to know that it was Marcel. He’d been constantly calling and texting, begging to see her. Sharla didn’t trust herself in his presence. The attraction between them was too overpowering. No matter how fantastic the sex was, her gut was warning her to stay away from Marcel Dennard. And this time, she was listening.
She hadn’t heard back from the police yet but hoped Camille Taylor was sitting in a jail cell right now. Sharla, however, was the one paying the price. Not having Marcel Dennard in her bed was like serving a sentence of her own.
When Sharla finally climbed onto the bench, she found the courtroom unusually crowded. She even noticed a reporter from Business Weekly. Today’s case was of significant interest to the business community.
Kress Pharmaceuticals, the maker of a drug for stroke victims, filed a motion to dismiss a product liability class action. The drug maker’s motion contended that California courts could not hear cases filed by alleged victims who lived outside the state. The company argued that allowing the cases to proceed would encourage court shopping and result in a flood of class actions being filed in California, where juries typically awarded much larger verdicts.
After the attorneys made their appearances, Sharla asked the moving party to commence his argument.
“Your Honor,” counsel for Kress Pharmaceuticals began, “what’s involved here is a straight-forward jurisdictional issue in which the case law is very clear.”
Sharla was only half listening. Her mind recalled having Marcel in her bed. She loved his gentleness when he tried to ease his thick manhood inside her. She’d bravely taken in his entire shaft and longed for even more of him.
She missed the man so much. Maybe she should—
“Your Honor?”
Everyone in the courtroom was staring at her. She’d zoned out for at least a couple of minutes, but she knew how to play it off. She pressed a finger to her chin and nodded as if she was in deep thought, contemplating what had just been argued.
“Okay, counselor, let’s hear what the other side has to say about that.”
The opposing counsel stood and rattled on about the fact that Kress Pharmaceuticals sold and marketed its allegedly defective drug in California and, therefore, should be sued here, even by non-residents.
Sharla let him speak for a couple of minutes, then peppered him with questions she knew he couldn’t answer with a straight face. This wasn’t a close call.
She allowed both sides to go at it a little while longer, then gently banged her gavel. “That’s it, gentlemen, I’ve heard enough. Based on binding precedent, California has no specific jurisdiction over the non-resident plaintiffs because they suffered no harm here. They weren’t prescribed the drug here, they didn’t buy it here nor did they ingest it in California. The plaintiffs are free to sue Kress Pharmaceuticals in their home states, as well as New York, where the company is headquartered, and Delaware, where they’re incorporated. Accordingly, defendant’s motion to dismiss is granted with prejudice.”
The defendant’s attorney happily collected his papers from the table. Just across from him, the plaintiff’s attorney cupped his forehead.
Sharla returned to her chambers and debated calling Marcel. Staring at the spot where he had fucked her against the wall, she could almost smell the scent of their sex. If he got his ex-girlfriend under control, maybe she would hook up with him again. She couldn’t really blame Camille. The thrills Marcel delivered in bed made him difficult to give up.
Just as she was about to call him, her cell phone rang.
“I’m just checking on you,” Reese said. “You haven’t gotten weak and crawled back into bed with that chocolate hunk, have you?”
How in the hell did she know?
“To be honest, I was just thinking about him.”
“No way,” Reese bellowed. “You’re a judge, Sharla. Stay the hell away from that man. You have way too much to lose.”
“You’re right. I have the worst luck. I finally meet a man I’m completely happy having a sexual relationship with and he comes with nothing but drama.”
“Your prince is out there, girl. Just hang in there.”
Sharla hung up the phone and decided to leave early. Although she had a pile of briefs to read, she didn’t bother to take them home. She would get to work early the next morning and tackle them then.
The only thing she was going to do tonight was take a long, hot bath then fall asleep dreaming of Marcel Dennard’s warm tongue between her legs.