Mistletoe Over Manhattan

What he couldn't tell Mallory was that Bill had his own idea about settling the case, that Carter take Phoebe up on one of her none-too-subtle suggestions that they have dinner, catch a show, watch a television special. At her place.

That second week of depositions, she intensified her pursuit. All Mallory had to do was take a break to powder her nose between sessions with the witnesses and Phoebe was on his case in a flash.

'Just because we're professional opponents,' she usually ended up saying, 'doesn't mean we can't be personal friends.'

He pled busyness, prior engagements, tiredness, which was the truth. Because he lived for the nights, when he and Mallory could drop their cool daytime exteriors and give in to the consuming heat of their love-making.

Friday night, after another long week of deposing witnesses, Mallory produced a copy of the court reporter's transcript and suggested they start weeding through it for clues to the special desires of the witnesses.

Carter had other ideas as to how they might spend their time, which he freely shared with her.

'We can work in bed,' she said, fluttering her eyelashes at him.

'Oh, okay,' he said, giving in.

He brushed his teeth, did a touch-up shave and went to her room, where she'd begun setting things up for the job they were going to do. He found her wearing a Santa Claus hat. Just a Santa Claus hat, he was pretty sure, although she'd drawn the covers up modestly beneath her chin.

'Ho, ho, ho,' he said, and climbed into the other side. He'd hoped his flipping up the covers would answer his question about what she was or was not wearing, but was foiled by the computer on her lap and the stacks of papers that surrounded her.

'I thought we'd get into the spirit,' she said, and smashed an identical hat down on his head. 'I'm calling this the All-I-Want-for-Christmas project.'

'I feel like an idiot,' Carter muttered.

'You look like one, too,' Mallory said, 'but those of us on the inside track know you're not.' She turned to face him directly, and she smiled. 'You are masterful at interrogating those witnesses. You're pleasant and polite, but you don't give an inch. And you always seem to have the right question at your fingertips. I am so impressed. It's a special talent.'

The words sang in his ears. This was what he'd wanted most to hear from her. It made everything all right where Mallory was concerned. He still had to convince Bill, but Mallory's opinion was the only one that really mattered. His heart zinging with joy, he scaled the stack of printout and the laptop and gave her a thorough kiss.

'There, we got that out of the way,' he said after he was able to talk himself into letting her go. 'Now I can return to my favorite activity, which is working on Friday night. Straighten your hat,' he ordered her. 'It looks too sexy tilted like that.'

'Yes, dear.' She tugged the hat down over her hair. He loved the breathless sound of her voice.

But she buckled right down to work. Methodically they read through the transcript and highlighted the responses from the witnesses that might indicate their deepest wishes. On the laptop, Mallory listed the witness's name, the page on which the response appeared and a brief summary of the response.

'Do you have to be so organized?' he complained.

'Yes,' she said.

'Okay.' He shrugged. Whatever it took to make her happy, he felt he could handle it. He went back to work with his green highlighter.

An hour later, they'd already assembled this much information:

Kevin Knightson: One good part in a production, stage or screen.

Tammy Sue Teezer: I want to be in a commercial and make tons of money and buy a house in the country and a great big dog.

McGregor Ross: I want everybody in the world to know I have the most beautiful baby ever born. Trent: I'm sure she is. Compton: I'm sure she is.

McGregor Ross: And I want her to win the Wiggles Diapers Poster Baby contest. Compton: (Inaudible) Trent: (Inaudible)

'You didn't have to type the whole conversation,' Carter said, complaining again, because he really felt like moving on to Phases Two, Three, Four and perhaps Five of the evening.

'It was too funny not to,' Mallory said, pursing her pretty pink lips.

They worked awhile longer. 'There's a strong showbiz theme here, Carter,' she observed.

'And it's a pretty logical assumption,' Carter said. 'People who dye their hair this carroty-red color, or try to,' he added with a wince, 'are making a statement.'

'Trying to get noticed,' Mallory agreed.

'Doing something so different that it catches the eye.'

Mallory sighed. 'Sounds like we're going to have to put on a show in daddy's barn.'

'What are you talking about?'

She turned to him. 'Didn't you ever watch those old black-and-white movies with Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney?'

'You mean the ones about putting on a show?'

'Uh-huh.'

'Judy and Mickey were going to put on a show to raise money for the school or the band or a field trip?'

'Yes, those.'

'No, I never watched them.'

She punched him gently in the arm. He caught her fist and brought it to his lips, unclenched it, put her index finger in his mouth and circled it with his tongue.

'Let's sleep on it,' she said in a dreamy voice.

'Or not.' He zeroed in on her. 'Will you puh-leez get rid of that laptop?'

'Will you puh-leez get rid of that hat,' she said.

'Delighted to.' He tossed it off. 'Do you keep a shopping list?'

'Of course.' She was folding her hat, laying it out on the nightstand.

'Put condoms on it.'

12

Carter stalked into Maybelle's office Tuesday night and caught her going through what appeared to be a college catalog and wearing a speculative expression.

'Hey, Jack,' she said, hastily stuffing the catalog into a drawer.

He glanced at the array of diplomas, took a second to wonder if she could possibly be thinking of an additional educational experience, then sat down and started talking. The first thing he talked about was Mallory's idea to determine what each plaintiff wanted and try to get it for them as a way of settling the case.

'She does sound like a real bright woman,' Maybelle said.

She had that odd look on her face he'd noticed several times before. He'd given up trying to figure out what it meant. 'She is,' he said. 'And I think she's starting to think I'm pretty bright, too.' He ducked his head.

'What'd she say?' Maybelle sounded thrilled.

Carter paraphrased the compliment Mallory had given him about handling the witnesses well. He didn't want to sound like he was bragging.

'Hooray!' Maybelle shrieked when he'd finished. 'Y'all wanted to make that little shift in your image and you jes' did it!' A relieved look crossed her face. 'You don't need me no more.'

'Actually, I still do.'

Her face fell. Were his problems that boring? He frowned at her.

'My boss is still a problem.' From the first, he'd been careful not to mention names. 'He as much as asked me to cozy up to our opponent if I wanted to settle this case.'