Touchdown by Garnet Hart Read Free Book Online Page B

mean, isn’t it?”
    “If that’s how you understand it.”
    Logan slapped Troy’s shoulder. “What the fuck are you saying, dickhead?” he scolded. “If you have nothing nice to say to a lady, shut your fucking mouth.”
    Jeremy made a sound of throat before the situation worsened. Instantly, they all kept quiet.
    “You did not bring your lawyer with you?” Jeremy asked.
    She shook her head. “I don’t need a lawyer. I just…” She paused and pulled the receipts from her purse. She laid them all on the table, in front of Troy. “…Came to show you these.”
    Troy picked up one receipt and read it for two seconds before dropping it back on the table. “Give me your bank account number. I’ll tell my accountant to wire it to you.”
    She reached for one receipt and wrote down her name and her bank account number. “When will I expect it?”
    “This afternoon. She’s not available this morning.”
    “Alright,” she sighed and turned around to look for her crutches. “Where the hell are my crutches?”
    “You’re not leaving so soon, are you Miss Graham?” Logan asked.
    “Unless you have other things to say.”
    The three men glanced at each other. “You know that this meeting is scheduled for an out of court settlement, don’t you?” Jeremy asked.
    “I know that,” she nodded.
    “Then you might want to listen to what we have to say?”
    She sighed and leaned backward on her chair. “Fine. Go ahead. But don’t expect me to change my mind.”
    “Are you sure you don’t need a lawyer for this?”
    “I’m sure.”
    “Alright, let’s start,” Jeremy said and opened the envelope in front of him. He pulled out several pieces of papers that she was not interested to see. “I heard you lost your job.”
    She raised an eyebrow. “You know about that?”
    The lawyer smiled but didn’t say as to how he got the information. “And how much did the company pay you?”
    “I’m sorry, but that’s personal.”
    “Somewhere around ten, or fifteen thousand, I guess.”
    She pursed her lips. How the hell did he know? “What’s that have to do with this?”
    “Well, Miss Graham, you have a child under your care, and if you can’t find a job soon, you’ll lose her. In your present condition, I don’t think anybody will hire you.”
    She pressed her lips tight. She was just planning to polish her resume after this meeting, but now this lawyer had slapped her with the reality. “I’ll start my therapy tomorrow. I should be able to walk in a couple of months.”
    “That’s not certain.”
    She took a deep breath and switched her gaze to Troy. “Since you’re responsible for making my life a hell, you might have a job for me?”
    “If I do, that would be part of the settlement,” Troy replied.
    She rolled her eyes. “You’re the finest son of a bitch I’ve ever met.” She turned back to Jeremy. “So what are the contents of those papers?”
    Jeremy picked up the papers which are grouped into three. “We’ve prepared three agreements here. You choose one.”
    “What are they?”
    “The first one is a monetary offer. You might want to consider this. Right now, you’re in a difficult situation.”
    “I know. So how much?”
    “Two million dollars. This should be enough to compensate you for the damages the accident has caused you. You won’t earn this much money in your lifetime.”
    She was quiet. Two million dollars worth a lot of money. She wouldn’t have to work her whole life if she had that much. But what about her dignity? Her pride?
    “No.” She shook her head. “I have to turn that down.”
    “Double it,” Troy said.
    She looked at him.
    “Make that four million,” he continued.
    She forced herself to laugh. “That’s just your salary in one month, if I’m not mistaken. Do you think your offense is worth just one month of work, or shall we say, play?”
    “So how much do you want?”
    “Not money. As I said, I’ll let the court decide how much you should