The Ten Year Affair (12 page)

Alex caught Ian’s eye when she walked into the courthouse. He tried to
answer the questions presented to him by reporters but had a hard time blocking
Alex out of his mind. How was she feeling? Was she still having such terrible
sickness? She looked tired and worn out. She hadn’t been sleeping well he could
tell. She was beautiful.

Foster you idiot! You would know all this if you hadn’t been such a
chicken and called her...seen her. How was the baby? His baby. The child he’d
created with the woman he loved. He was a selfish fool who would set things
right with Alex once this damn trial was over. There was no reason he couldn’t
be a family man and cut back on his workload and still be County Prosecutor. John Marshall had done it hadn’t he? But Marshall had been County prosecutor now for
twenty-five years and never was considered even once for a judgeship. Ian was
set to announce his candidacy for head prosecutor at the completion of this
trial. He really needed a victory in the Jacobs case to boost support for his
campaign. But Ian hated the thought of gaining an advantage at the expense of
Coach Jacobs. Everyone still called Principal Jacobs ‘Coach’ even though he
hadn’t coached now in ten years. Ian, like everyone else in town, admired and
respected Coach Jacobs but circumstancial evidence did appear to show that
Jacobs had had sex with the girl, one week shy of her turning eighteen and
becoming a legal, consenting adult.

The student claimed that she had gone to Jacobs’s house, at his
invitation, to discuss the detention he ordered for her skipping school. She
was hoping to make him reconsider because she was afraid of the repercussions
at home. She claimed that Jacobs was drunk and while she was a willing
participant at first Jacobs began to force her into sexual acts she did not
want to do. She accused Jacobs of forcing her to perform oral sex on him and
sodomizing her. It was not the sexual experience she had hoped for and she
decided she couldn’t allow him to do this to any other girls at Jefferson, even if it meant that she had to tell what he had done to her and that she had
initially wanted the sexual attention from him.

In Ian’s opinion Coach Jacobs was sixty years old but was still very
virile and physically fit and considered a very attractive man for his age. 
According to many of the staff at Jefferson, some of the more daring female
students were often seen flirting with him. Many staff members recall that word
around school had been that this particular student had thrown herself at
Jacobs and he had rebuffed her advances and she had told several of her
classmates that he would be sorry. The staff members also claim that it was
always Jacobs’ policy never to have a student in his home for fear that in this
day and age; he might be accused of such unscrupulous behavior.

Ian really didn’t know what to believe and while there was no DNA
evidence to prove that Jacobs had had sexual relations with the girl, the
girl’s physical exam two days after she reported the alleged incident had
proven that she had recently been sodomized. The student’s best friend said
that her friend had arrived at her house immediately after the incident in
tears from the pain of the acts Jacobs allegedly performed on her. The girls’
stories were that they both decided it would be worthless to turn him in since
no one would believe them. There would be testimony from several of the girl’s
friends who stated that she had confided in them about what had occurred at
Jacobs home and how she had been surprised at the violent side of Coach.

Jacobs admitted that the student had appeared at his house on that day
and that he was a bit tipsy from drinking beer. He’d had a fight with his wife
and she had left town to visit their daughter for a few days and he was upset.
He denied that he invited the girl to his house and claimed that he had sent
her home the minute she had arrived at his door.

The defense really had nothing to prove Jacobs’s innocence. They were
relying on a barrage of character witnesses and Jacobs’ until now, unblemished
reputation. Ian had felt that there really wasn’t enough evidence to take this
case to trial but it hadn’t been his call. It would basically be a he said-she
said kind of case with no hard convincing evidence. Ian had argued that by
charging Coach without hard evidence, they were tarnishing the reputation of a
man that even if he was found innocent, would ruin his career and possibly the
rest of his life and his family’s lives. Unfortunately, Marshall had disagreed
and assigned Ian to the case. And of course there had been no question about
who would be the attorney for the defense.

The reporters had spotted Alex now and made a beeline straight for her.
He had hoped to get a chance to speak to her privately before the jury
selection began but it didn’t look as though he’d get that chance.
“Well, if
you’d really wanted to talk to her you would have by now you idiot,”
Ian
berated himself.
“You’ve had every opportunity in the world to speak to her
but chose not to. If she never talks to you again you deserve it.”

Ian watched Alex enter the courtroom and sheepishly smiled her way. Alex
simply nodded at him. She was cold as ice. He’d have a hard time melting the
shield she had up.

***

Three hours later the jury had been chosen and news cameras jumped both
Ian and Alex again as they left the courthouse. Ian had not gotten the chance
to speak to Alex and it was killing him. Watching her work as a team with Peter
had been a nightmare. Peter leaning close to her, putting his arm around her
and whispering in her ear as they conferred on what to ask the potential
jurors. Grainger had been hot after Alex ever since he’d moved to town during
high school and the son-of-a-bitch still hadn’t given up. Would he give up once
he knew about the baby? Maybe he did already know and it didn’t matter to him.
Well, it damn well mattered to Ian. He was not going to let his child be raised
by Peter Grainger. So what was he going to do about it?

Alex and Peter returned to the office after the jury selection and
Alexandra McKinney Morgan was madder than hell. Peter tried to soothe her yet
it was kind of hard to do when he really didn’t know what she was so furious
about.

“Alex, would you please tell me what has you in such a mood?” Peter
pleaded.

“Oh, those damn reporters!” Alex shouted. “Did they or did they not ask
the most idiotic questions? For gods sake I can’t wait to have this trial over.
I am so ready to be lying on the beach in the sun with no reporters in my face,
no pitiful clients, and no damn egotistical prosecutors!”

Peter winced. He’d hate to see her ever this angry with him. But it was
obvious it wasn’t the reporters that really had stirred up Alex’s ire.

“Lex honey. I’m not stupid. I know you as well as anyone possibly could
and I would like you to tell me what is really bothering you.”

Alex saw the genuine concern on Peter’s face. Well this was as good a
time as any. He had given her the opening. She desperately needed to breathe
again so she would be showing up to work tomorrow in maternity clothes. She
took a deep breath, which was not an easy thing to do, and broke the news to
Peter.

“Peter, I’m pregnant.”

Alex watched Peter’s face but it didn’t show surprise. He actually
looked...relieved...not surprised.

“You already knew didn’t you? How did you know Peter?”

“You just confirmed what I’d already suspected Alex. You’ve come into
work every morning for a while now looking pale and worn out. And of course
there was the time you fainted. You’ve been kind of grumpy for the past few
weeks and then this morning,” he nodded his head towards her belly, “for the
first time I noticed the little pooch you’re carrying now. I didn’t ask because
I wanted you to tell me when you were ready. So tell me, what now?”

“Oh, Peter. I wish I knew what now!” Alex sat behind her desk and buried
her face in her hands. Peter sat next to Alex on the corner of her desk and
placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. It was killing him to see her so
miserable and he knew damn well who was responsible once again. God how he
wished that he was her baby’s father.

“It’ll be okay Lex. Don’t worry. Everything will be okay,” he said softly
as she raised her head to gaze up at him.

“You’re not alone honey. You’re not alone. Have you told Ian?”

“Yes. I told him. I told him and I thought things were going to be fine.
He seemed very happy and we even went shopping together for baby things.”

“So, that’s what you were really up to when Don saw you at Babies ‘R Us.
I had my suspicions then.”

“I haven’t seen or talked to him in over a week Peter. Does that sound
like a man who’s thrilled he’s going to be a father? I don’t think so. That
sounds to me like a man who is sorry he knocked up his girlfriend and he spends
his free time trying to figure out how he’s going to get out of this one. Or
maybe he’s thrilled about the baby but isn’t too keen on the mother that comes
with it. I just don’t know what to think. And then today when we finally see
each other for the first time since I made the big announcement to him and he
doesn’t even try to talk to me.”

“Alex you know I’m no fan of Ian’s but you can’t keep speculating why
he’s acting like an ass. You’ve got to talk to him and find out. I’m not
telling you what to do but I know that all this guessing will drive you crazy
and Lex, there’s no way that Ian isn’t thrilled about the mother who comes with
his baby.  He may be a bastard sometimes but he’s not stupid either. He knows what
a wonderful woman you are. Think about it Alex. Did he really have the
opportunity to talk to you today? I am so damn envious of him right now. I wish
you were carrying my baby Alex. I’d be the happiest man in the world and you’d
have no doubt about it.”

“Oh Peter! I just don’t deserve your friendship and your loyalty. I truly
wish things could be different between us but you deserve someone truly devoted
to you. Ian would always be there between us.”

“Regardless of what happens with you and Ian Alex you will not go through
this alone. Call me old-fashioned Alex but your baby needs a father and if Ian
isn’t man enough to take on that responsibility I will. I’ll marry you Alex. It
won’t be any hardship on my part Alex because it’s what I’ve wanted for years
now. And I’m not too proud to have you as my wife any way that I can get you.”

Alex stood up and wrapped her arms around Peter and hugged him tight. What
a dear man. He was right. She needed to find out where she stood with Ian and
if he was going to continue to avoid her then she needed to badger him until
she found out what she needed to know. She had a wonderful man who was willing
to take on the huge responsibility of raising a child that wasn’t his and be
tied to a woman who quite possibly would never learn to love him. But could she
ask Peter to make such a sacrifice for her? She knew for a fact that the very
attractive deputy prosecutor Angela Harrison had been very interested in Peter
for quite some time. Alex had had lunch with Angela several months ago to
discuss one of their upcoming cases together and she had barraged Alex with
questions about Peter. Alex smiled as she remembered how she had felt she was
being interrogated on the witness stand. She had told Peter about that lunch
but he hadn’t seemed to be interested in pursuing the gorgeous red head. No,
she couldn’t ask Peter to give up a chance at real happiness for her. Single
mothers with careers were making it on their own fine nowadays. First things
first. She needed to get inside Ian Foster’s head and find out what he was
thinking before she could plan her future.

Alex woke up the next morning refreshed and ready to take on whatever Ian
threw her way. She had made up her mind last night that she would show up at
his office and demand that he speak to her so she could make plans and get on
with the rest of her life, with or without him. She hated to do this at his
office instead of at one of their apartments but she felt a neutral place would
be best so that the likelihood of them ending up in bed instead of talking
would not be as great. But Ian had never been shy about initiating sex, no
matter where they were. She smiled and laughed to herself as she remembered how
crazy they’d been over the last ten years and some of the interesting places
they’d made love. She only wished she had realized sooner that she was crazy in
love. Then maybe she would have been over him years ago.

Alex got off the elevator at the 4th floor of the County-City building
where the prosecutor’s offices were located. She was a little leery of what
their reaction to her would be when they noticed the maternity attire she was
wearing from her purchases last night. And would they put two and two together
when she asked to see Ian? In all the years Ian and her had been on opposing
sides of a case she had never had a reason to see him at his office. The
tongues would be wagging when she showed up there today but she just didn’t
care. She needed peace of mind. All her worrying and tears couldn’t be good for
the baby.

When Alex opened the door to the prosecutor’s office she was astonished
at the atmosphere of frivolity she encountered and Ian Foster was in the middle
of it all. As she tried to back her way out without being noticed John
Marshall, the head prosecutor looked her way and spoke.

“Alexandra! Come on in. Take a moment to congratulate the next County
Prosecutor!”

Everyone was smiling and slapping Ian on the back. John walked over to
her and showed her the headline of the morning paper. ‘
Marshall Reign as Prosecutor
to End; Ian Foster Likely Candidate to Replace
’.

John was obviously very pleased.

“The news came out a little sooner than we’d planned but we are all very
excited for Ian and me and the missus can’t wait to retire to our warm condo in
Phoenix!”