Barely Legal

2

Stone Barrington and Dino Bacchetti were having dinner at Patroon, one of their usual haunts since Elaine’s had closed. Their entrées had just arrived when Dino looked over Stone’s shoulder and his eyes widened. “Uh-oh.”

“What?”

“Look who’s here.”

Stone was contentedly inspecting his steak. “I’m busy. Who is it?”

“Herbie Fisher.”

“Oh, great.”

“Not necessarily.”

“Oh?”

Stone turned and looked. The young man approaching their table was indeed Herbie Fisher. He was impeccably dressed in a suit and tie. He looked like a corporate lawyer, which indeed he was.

Herbie Fisher, the youngest lawyer ever to make senior partner at Woodman & Weld, was a shining star, as adept at attracting clients as he was at handling their legal problems. It was hard to believe he had once been Stone’s client, and not in the most savory of cases. Were it not for Stone’s legal gymnastics, Herbie probably would have been in jail.

Stone had taken Herbie under his wing, and the young man had flourished under his mentorship. Not only had he straightened out his life, but Stone had taught him where to buy the right suits, where to get the right haircut — in short, how to be a respectable member of high society.

Since turning his life around, Herbie had never caused Stone a moment’s concern. On the contrary, he was the attorney to whom Stone was most likely to refer important clients.

At the moment Herbie was grinning from ear to ear, and the cause was undoubtedly the young woman with him. Her beauty was enough to turn any man’s head. Though as conservatively dressed as any third-grade schoolteacher, her radiant smile exuded more than a hint of mischief.

Herbie ushered her up to the table.

“Herbie,” Stone said.

Herbie shot him a look. Since joining the law firm of Woodman & Weld he had adopted a less juvenile appellation.

Stone quickly corrected himself. “Herb. And who is this charming young lady?”

Herbie positively beamed. “Yvette, these are the men I’ve been telling you about. Allow me to introduce Stone Barrington and Dino Bacchetti. Gentlemen, this is Yvette Walker, my fiancée.”

The young couple exchanged glances.

So did Stone and Dino. It was momentary, however. Then they were greeting Yvette enthusiastically, congratulating young Herbie, and hoping the two would be happy together.

Dino took the lead. “Yvette, I’m so happy for you. How did you meet? Are you a lawyer, too?”

She smiled. “Heaven forbid. I have nothing against lawyers, I just don’t want to be one.”

“What do you do?”

“I’m an actress.”

“Really? What have I seen you in?”

“You probably haven’t. I’m just getting started.”

“You acted in college?”

“Yes.”

“Where did you go?”

“Yale drama school.”

Dino smiled. “Well, that’s a coincidence. Our sons went to Yale. Ben Bacchetti and Peter Barrington. Perhaps you knew them.”

“It’s a big school.”

“They were in the theater department. Peter got a play produced while he was still in school.”

“I know of them. Award-winning Hollywood director and the head of Centurion Studios. They were way before my time.”

“Not necessarily. Our kids started young.”

Yvette’s eyes twinkled. “If you think I’m going to tell you my age in front of my fiancée, you can forget it. I’ve told him just as much as he needs to know, no more, no less. If you prove I’m older than I said I was and he dumps me, I’ll sue you for damages.”

“And I’d handle the case,” Herbie said with a smile. “But that’s not going to happen. We’re very happy.”

“Would you care to join us?” Stone said.

Yvette and Herbie looked at each other. They clearly wished to be alone.

Yvette politely declined. “Thanks, but we’ve got a lot to talk about. Come on, Herbie.”

The happy couple chose a table for two in the back and out of earshot.

“I notice she can call him Herbie,” Dino said.

“Was that nice?” Stone said.

“Was what nice?”

“You were vetting her.”

“Was I?”

“You know you were.”

Dino shrugged. “Force of habit.”

“No, it wasn’t. You’re suspicious of her.”

“Well, can you blame me?”

“What do you mean?”

“Are you kidding me? Ten years ago Herbie was a total fuckup, couldn’t tie his shoe. He’d make the worst choices, often endangering his life.”

“So?”

“That was nothing compared to his taste in women. He was always showing up with some hooker or other he was madly in love with, despite the fact that he had just met her.”

Stone conceded the point. “He even went so far as to marry one.”

Herbie’s ex-wife had run off to Aruba with her brother, not to mention a few million dollars of company assets, leaving Herbie holding the bag.

“I remember it well. So, here he is, popping up again with a new fiancée. If that’s not déjà vu, I don’t know what is.”

“At least this one isn’t a hooker. She looks like a very nice young girl.”

“I hope so,” Dino said.

“You’re really concerned.”

“Well, I’d hate to see Herbie get his heart broken. Is that bad?”

“It’s kind of sweet,” Stone said.

Dino threw a napkin at him.