First Street

Chapter 6

Pleasure Seekers United

Elyssa Friedland & Kermit Roosevelt

 

Audrey heard the crack in her back as she settled into the elevator’s triangular seat for the morning, the start of a ten-hour shift.

It was a chilly fall day, and the cold weather always made her back stiffer. She hoped for an easy day at work. Not too many overcrowded elevators, and hopefully no rides with the flatulent mailroom runner. Just a calm, day with only her favorite clerks passing through. That was all she wanted. Wayne, the security guard stationed near her elevator, had given her a friendly wave when she arrived.

“I’m gonna win that bet,” he said, throwing a naughty wink in her direction.

“We’ll see about that,” she said. “I’ll be the first to know.”

“You sure will.” Wayne saluted her as the elevator door slid open and she took up her post.

Audrey was the first to know about a lot of things. Sometimes they were of critical importance—like which way a Justice was leaning on an important matter—and other times, it was which clerks were feuding. She knew that Justice Rourke splashed whiskey into his morning coffee (and his mid-morning and afternoon coffee) and that Justices Harris and Gold had once done more together than debate a death penalty case well into the night.

And she knew Justice Russo’s alarm hadn’t simply failed a few weeks ago. She didn’t know why her favorite justice was late to the Flaherty hearing, but it wasn’t that bogus excuse being circulated.

When it came to the serious things, she kept her lips sealed. But on other matters, like her bet with Wayne, she liked to have some fun. It was her twenty-fifth year attending the library-side elevator at One First Street, and it was important to keep things interesting.

Every year she and Wayne bet on who would be the first two clerks to sleep together. Last year Wayne had won, much to her chagrin. He’d noticed the glances between Ben Pressman and George O’Donnell, two of Russo’s clerks, well before she did. It had cost her a steak dinner at the Capital Grille. This year she was determined to win. Her money was on Odessa and Jack.

When their clerkships started back in July, she rarely saw Jack. The golden boy—son of that pompous Senator who never said please or thank you when he rode in her elevator—was a committed stair-climber. He liked to take the steps in the grand circular staircase two at a time, his mop of hair flopping in his eyes. Audrey sometimes watched him, recalling a time when she had that kind of energy.

Many of the clerks favored the stairs—it could be faster and they were arguably more attractive than the vertical cube in which Audrey worked. Sometimes she only saw the clerks when they were weighed down with files or books, just slices of forehead visible above the stacks they were carrying.

Odessa, however, never took the stairs. Whenever Audrey saw Odessa, she wanted to pat her on the back and whisper, “You go, girl!” There were plenty of brown faces at One First Street, only most of them—like Audrey’s—belonged to support staff.

Odessa was one of Audrey’s most faithful customers, no matter how crowded the elevator. Even when a tour of obnoxious middle school kids filled the space, Odessa would patiently slide in next to them. In the past few weeks, Audrey had noticed that Jack had started accompanying Odessa to the third floor, where their offices were located. It was hard to miss the sparks between those two. Audrey practically expected to see sparks each time she pressed the elevator button when they were in there together.

Wayne’s money was on Charlotte, who loved to spout Supreme Court trivia whenever there was a silent moment on the ride, and Robert, a clerk who rarely spoke because his head was always bent over his phone while he played some word game. Wayne said he’d seen them eating lunch together a few days in a row and he was feeling pretty cocky about his prediction.

As if Audrey had willed her presence, the elevator door snapped open and Odessa got on, wearing an uncharacteristically goofy grin. She was normally so poised and serious. Kind and friendly, but always composed. Audrey gave herself an imaginary pat on the back. She could practically taste the sirloin and twice-baked potato.

“Morning, Audrey,” Odessa said. “How’s your back today?” This time she was without Jack, but the day was just getting started.

“Stiff as a board, but I shouldn’t complain. What’s on the docket today, young lady?”

Speaking about official court business was forbidden outside of chambers, but often a nugget would seep out. Some clerks and court staffers were chattier than others. By December, Audrey knew exactly who to get the scoop from. Odessa was prudent, though.

“Oh, the usual. Abortion, death penalty, and voting rights. Just another day at the office. Actually, today’s case is a bit different. A class action about ‘personal pleasure devices’ that’s not typical court business. There’s been a lot of giggling, that’s all I know.”

The doors slid open on the third floor.

“Have a nice day,” Odessa said, and Audrey saw it again. An unmistakable twinkle in that young lady’s eye. Wayne was going down.

“Hold the elevator, please,” came Gabriel’s voice. “Hey, Audrey,” he said, sticking his hand between the closing doors to keep them open. “I’m running across the street to get a Red Bull. Want anything?”

“You most certainly are not leaving this building in forty-degree weather without even your suit jacket.” These kids worked so hard they often forgot to look after themselves. Her own three children were grown and had kids of their own. Audrey liked having a new crop of clerks to nurture each year.

“C’mon, Audrey. I’ll run. And I’ll get you a package of those Ferrero Rocher your doctor says you’re only supposed to have once a month.”

Damn her diabetes. It didn’t mix well with her chocolate addiction.

“All right, fine. But the next time I catch you without a coat, I’ll be demanding two packages.”

#

Gabriel wasn’t headed out for a Red Bull. For the past hour, he’d been reviewing his spreadsheet and running numbers on his desktop, and things weren’t looking right. Based on what he’d seen in the office, he was ranked sixteenth out of the thirty-six clerks in terms of making recommendations about what cases the court should take and who should win. He’d never been below the top five percent in anything in his life. When he was in ROTC, his running times and GPA were legendary, his name carved onto plaques hung in his supervising officer’s office. But now, he was a disgrace.

He didn’t know who Fatima Abou was, other than a clerk in Justice Thompson’s office and the mother of a baby girl. How the hell was a mother of an infant in first place? And what about Conor Prell, a clerk in Justice Ring’s office who seemed far more concerned with getting a clerks’ softball team off the ground than any real legal work? And yet he was in second place.

Nothing made sense, which was why he was stepping outside to call Andrew Rodriguez. The former clerk—he of the “Gold Star”—had told Gabriel to call him if he ever needed something. Gabriel hadn’t ever planned to take Andrew up on it, but he was feeling low right now and in need of some friendly advice. What was he doing wrong? Why wasn’t he winning at the game he’d invented? The wind whipped at his face as he dialed Andrew’s number. Voicemail. Damn it. He didn’t bother leaving a message.

Gabriel popped into CVS to get Audrey the package of Ferrero Rochers and sprinted back to the office. Wayne was at his post, wiping his thick-framed, seventies-style reading glasses on his shirt.

“Nice game last night,” Gabriel said, putting up his fist for Wayne to bump. Wayne was a die-hard Warriors fan, like Gabriel.

“That buzzer beater nearly gave me a heart attack,” Wayne said.

Gabriel nodded but wasn’t able to fully engage with the security guard, though he hated to be rude. Luckily the elevator came quickly, and he gave Wayne a friendly salute.

“You got my chocolates, son?” Audrey asked.

Gabriel pulled them out of his bag. It was a three-pack.

“You can’t eat them all in one day,” he warned. “I don’t want to get in trouble with your doctor.”

“Promise,” Audrey said, already unwrapping the gold foil. “You already downed that Red Bull? You’re going to be flying soon.”

“Huh?” Gabriel said, but quickly recovered. “Yep, I was thirsty. I’ll catch you at lunchtime.”

Even though it would be way better for his FitBit stats to take the stairs, Audrey’s nagging him about wearing a jacket and getting enough sleep reminded him of Aunt Rosa’s ways, and he found a familiar comfort in seeing her face several times a day.

A few minutes later, Gabriel was settled back at his desk, scanning the latest posts in Under Their Robes. Dana had been really prodding him about Russo even though he’d told her he didn’t know anything, and he’d been checking her stories daily. Fortunately, all he saw was an article about Big Law salaries. First-year associates at the major law firms were now earning close to $200,000, compared to his $90,000. It was worth it, though. Nothing could replace the prestige of a Supreme Court clerkship. Next year, he’d be raking it in big time. Firms were known to give clerks massive signing bonuses, more than enough money to live without roommates.

After he was satisfied that Dana hadn’t posted anything about Russo, he returned to his spreadsheet. He’d even pulled out an old-fashioned calculator to double-check the Excel calculations.

“I love calculators!” came a high-pitched squeal. “I wanna use it, I wanna use it.”

Gabriel looked up to find a little girl with blond braids peering at him. She was maybe eight. Or younger. Gabriel really had no idea—he wasn’t good with that sort of thing.

“Me too,” came another young voice, this one a boy’s. He was wearing a Washington Nationals jersey. “I get it first.”

“Olivia, Tommy, let Mr. Martinez breathe,” boomed the Chief’s voice. “Morning, Gabriel.”

“Good morning, Chief,” Gabriel said, trying to appear unflustered by the two kids rifling through the papers on his desk.

“These are my grandkids, Olivia Rose and Thomas. Tommy, for short. I’m on babysitting duty today. My wife is visiting her sister in Florida and my daughter had to fly to a medical conference out west. Which leaves Granddad in charge, right, guys?”

The two little ones barely looked up. They were now taking turns inserting pencils into the sharpener on Gabriel’s desk. He worried one of them would lose a finger and it would be his fault. It was difficult to hear the Chief over the sound of grinding graphite.

“You’re a baseball fan?” Gabriel asked Tommy, trying to make some headway with the kids in front of the Chief.

“Yeah! Whenever we go to the games, we get to sit in the owner’s box because he’s my Granddad’s friend,” Tommy said. Gabriel tried his best to hide a disdainful sneer. He went to his first professional sporting event when he was already in college and, even then, he sat in the nosebleeds.

“Odessa not in yet?” Maxwell asked, looking over to her empty desk.

She’s probably fooling around with Jack, Gabriel thought, but knew better than to say so.

“She was here a few minutes ago. Can I help with something?” Gabriel asked, already dreading what he knew was coming.

“Actually, yes. I’m due to speak at Georgetown in an hour and I need to keep these two noisemakers here while I go. You mind keeping an eye on them?”

Like he had a choice. Now Gabriel wished he had in fact downed a Red Bull.

“Of course not,” he said, hoping he sounded convincing.

“Good man. Olivia, Tommy, let’s get some hot cocoa in the cafeteria before I have to go. And that wasn’t nice of you to ask Audrey for her chocolate. I expect more politeness this time when you get into the elevator,” Maxwell said. Looking at Gabriel, he added, “Be back soon.”

Gabriel hoped the Chief couldn’t hear his groan from down the hallway. Watching bratty kids when he needed to be working? This, plus the spreadsheet upset, was not making the day look promising.

“You all right, man?”

He looked up to find Jack standing in the doorway.

“I’m fine. All good. Can I help you with something?” First the rug rats, now Jack. And he wasn’t even with Odessa, who Gabriel was really hoping would return before the kids came back. He could text her, but Gabriel hated to seem incompetent.

“Yeah. Just wondering what the deal is with your girl Dana over at Under Their Robes. I know she’s humping your leg for information, but you gotta be more careful, dude.”

Gabriel felt his entire body tense. What had he missed?

“What are you talking about?”

“A blind item on Twitter. Came out last night. It said, GUESS WHICH JUSTICE WENT AWOL RECENTLY? And then hinted it was Russo without officially saying so. Not cool.”

Gabriel cursed himself silently for missing it. Was something wrong with his brain? “I don’t need to be lectured by you. I would never tell Dana any sensitive info. Besides, you guys said Russo’s alarm failed. What’s the big deal about that? Or is there something to hide?” Gabriel rose from his desk, hoping the few inches he had on Jack were enough to wipe the smirk from his face.

“You’re a real jerk sometimes, Gabriel, you know that?” He turned to leave. “I’ve got to get back to the vibrator case.”

“Wha—” Vibrators? Now he was behind even on court business. “Good luck with that,” he said smoothly. “By the way, any idea where Odessa is?”

Jack raised an eyebrow slickly. “And why would I know that any better than you?”

#

“Can you please stop saying ‘dildo’?” Charlotte begged Jack.

Since starting her clerkship and moving into the shared house, Charlotte felt she had made tremendous strides in her comfort level around other people. She and Odessa were definitely friends, Jack was turning into a pesky brother, but in a good way, and she’d even bonded with Gabriel over the tiny herb garden she had planted on the windowsill. She was his sole cilantro supplier. And then, of course, there was Robert. Her first real boyfriend, if that’s what he was. Nobody had pulled out the label maker yet. But now Jack was waving a rubber penis around the office, saying “dildo” over and over, and it was more than she could handle.

“It’s case research, Charlotte,” Jack said. “I would think a serious student of the law like yourself would understand that. Besides, it’s perfectly natural. I’m sure you’ve used one of these before.” Jack started twirling the vibrator in his hand like a baton.

Charlotte’s cheeks burned. The truth was that she was familiar with the vibrator—in fact, the very model that Jack was holding.

Robert had given it to her as a gift. They hadn’t even slept together yet. But a week earlier they’d gone bowling and Robert hit three strikes in a row. Clearly feeling confident, and lubricated by two beers, he’d brought up the Personal Satisfaction case and asked her what she thought. She’d tried to stick to the legal issue, which was whether the plaintiff had standing to bring the class action considering she’d knowingly bought the device to file suit. The case could’ve been about cigarettes or cell phone batteries and the legal question would be the same.

“I think it’s clear that the plaintiff, Julia Enten, fails the typicality requirement. In Carlson v. Verizon—”

“Not exactly what I mean. I meant, what do you think of those devices. Ever use one? Would you?” Unintentionally—or not—Robert slipped his fingers into the bowling ball holes.

“Shhh,” she’d said, pulling Robert to sit behind the bowling monitor so at least they could speak more privately. “I’ve never used one, no.”

“We should try it out,” he said.

“Um …” A million thoughts raced through her head. How would Odessa respond if she was in this position? Or her sisters, always popular with boys when they were growing up? They’d probably have the confidence to say what they really wanted. “Sure. I would.”

“I’ll order it!” Robert said. “Assuming you don’t care if the Personal Satisfaction company knows whether you prefer the Tide or the Thunder setting.”

“You seem to know a lot about this device,” she’d said, taken aback by Robert’s boldness.

“I take my clerkship very seriously.”

Two days later, a box arrived via interoffice mail marked “private” with her name on it. Robert had texted her that morning: Might want to open your “package” in private. By the way, it’s already charged and paired with my phone.

She’d waited until she was alone in chambers, ripped open the box, and buried the “gift” in the back of her desk drawer. Maybe they’d use it, maybe not. This was more than Charlotte could handle at the moment. She needed to focus her energies on getting Russo help. Trying out a sex toy with her maybe-boyfriend would have to wait.

“Catch,” Jack said, tossing the vibrator to her.

Charlotte caught it mid-air and scrunched up her nose in disgust. “You can be very childish, Jack.”

“Is that right?” Odessa asked, Robert trailing behind her.

“Hi Charlotte. Hi Jack,” Robert said, throwing a quizzical look at her.

“It’s a court sample,” she said, dropping the vibrator abruptly. It thudded clumsily against the neat stack of papers on her desk.

“We’re here to pick up the Personal Satisfaction lower court record,” Robert said. “The Chief wanted a look at the certification colloquy. But it looks like we’ve interrupted a game of vibrator toss.”

“Not at all,” Charlotte said. “I have those files right here.”

She motioned for Robert to come over to her desk, where she had an accordion folder packed with everything the Chief needed. As Robert approached, she felt a shiver down her spine. The sexual tension between them was mounting to such a ridiculous degree they’d started Boggling until the middle of the night, often playing eight or nine games at a time.

“Hey, what’s that buzzing?” Jack asked. He was right. There was a loud audible buzz that wasn’t there before.

“I think that’s my phone,” Robert said, reaching into his pocket.

“Do you want to connect to Charlotte Maine’s personal pleasure device?” asked a robotic voice, clearly emanating from Robert’s iPhone. He fumbled desperately to shut it down.

“Charlotte Maine’s personal pleasure device is within Bluetooth range. Do you wish to activate now?” came the robotic voice again.

“Hey, Charlotte, something’s beeping inside your desk,” Jack said. Before she could throw herself on top of it, Jack opened her top drawer. Odessa, Robert, Jack, and Charlotte all stared inside at the hot pink vibrator with a blinking blue light at the tip.

“Well, well, Ms. Maine. Perhaps you should’ve been the one to write the bench memo on this case,” Jack said, sending Odessa into a fit of hysterical laughter.

“Take this,” Charlotte said, handing over both the court’s sample and the vibrator that Robert had bought her. “I want them both out of my office.”

“Good thing I brought my handbag,” Odessa said, opening it up. “Drop ‘em in, kids.”

#

“Justice Russo?” Charlotte poked her head around the door. She was still nervous entering the justice’s office, but now the unease had a new source. Russo would be happy to see her, she knew—the justice had been warmer since that morning—but which Russo would it be?

“Yes, Charlotte. Come in, please.” At the sound of her name, Charlotte felt her hands relax. She hadn’t realized how tightly she’d been holding the folder. Her fingers hurt.

“You’re here for Enten,” Russo continued. She was paging through the briefs, one volume of the Supreme Court Reporter open on her desk. She looked like she had the first time Charlotte saw her. She still made it into chambers before anyone else. But sometimes … “What do you have there?”

“A couple of cases I thought were important,” Charlotte said, taking a seat across from Russo. “I went through the record, but the Chief wanted to take a look at the certification colloquy, so that’s in his chambers now.”

“Along with the sample product they provided?”

Charlotte felt her cheeks grow warm. “I don’t know. I mean, I think so. Odessa took them.”

“Them?”

“The record, too,” Charlotte stammered. “All of it. Do you want me to get it back?”

Russo laughed, the most reassuring sound Charlotte had heard all day. “That won’t be necessary. I don’t know why they thought we’d need visual assistance. Maybe they were relying on Jacobellis.”

“Justice Stewart’s definition of obscenity,” Charlotte said. “I know it when I see it.”

“It didn’t work very well,” Russo said. “It meant the justices had to watch every movie that was the basis for an obscenity charge. They had a screening room set up in the basement.”

“Oh.” Charlotte could imagine nothing more awkward than watching pornography with Supreme Court justices. “So, about Enten.”

“But by that time, Justice Harlan was mostly blind, and he had to ask Justice Marshall to describe what was happening, and then Justice White would complain that Marshall was distracting him.” Justice Russo allowed herself a chuckle. “One of those things that might have been different if it hadn’t been nine old men. But yes, Enten.”

“It seems pretty straightforward to me,” Charlotte said. “Julia Enten is clearly an atypical plaintiff, since she knew about the data collection before she bought and used the … device.”

“And what about the conflict of interest?” Russo asked.

“That’s not as clear, but may be more interesting. Since she has a relationship with the lawyer, it might give the Court an opportunity to say something about settlements that benefit the lawyers rather than the plaintiffs.”

“We’ve never really explained what the standards for adequacy of representation are.”

Charlotte smiled. “I know it when I see it.”

Russo nodded appreciatively. “Justice Stewart’s definition of obscenity from Jacobellis. It didn’t work very well.” Charlotte went cold. She could feel the smile drain from her face. “It meant they had to actually see the movies the censors thought were obscene. They set up a screening room in the basement of the Court.” She paused, looking at Charlotte’s expression. “Most people think that’s a funny story.”

“I … I’ve heard it before.”

“Well, what you probably don’t know is that Justice Harlan was mostly blind by then, and he would ask Justice Marshall to describe what was going on, and then Justice White … what is it?”

“I’ve heard that too, Justice,” Charlotte was surprised how small her voice sounded.

“You have? You certainly know a lot of Court history. Where did you pick that up?”

“From you.”

“When?”

“Just a minute ago.”

Russo blinked. “Really. Well, we were talking about adequacy of representation. Perhaps we should limit ourselves to typicality.”

Charlotte looked down at the cases she’d brought. Carlson v. Verizon had already answered the typicality question, she’d decided. That’s why she’d thought it was worth printing out and bringing, even though it was a Russo opinion. “The Court left this issue open in Carlson, saying it would have to be resolved in a later case.”

“Yes, we did. And you think this is a proper case?”

Charlotte closed her eyes. “That’s not what Carlson said, Justice. It explicitly did decide the issue. You wrote the opinion.”

There was a moment of silence. Charlotte opened her eyes to see Russo looking at her intently, lips tight.

“Well, I don’t think I’ve ever had a clerk test me on one of my own opinions before.”

“I understand this is a sensitive topic. It’s hard to talk about.”

“That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t address it squarely. There’s no reason to be embarrassed about the body. Are we ashamed of our humanity?”

Charlotte nodded, relieved. “I was thinking that maybe you should talk to someone who knows more about this than I do.”

“An expert?”

“Yes.”

“You think I need to consult with a specialist—”

“Yes.”

“—in sex toys?”

“Yes,” Charlotte said. “No. What? I mean a doctor, Justice Russo.”

“What could a doctor tell me?”

“What’s happening with you.”

“I see.” Justice Russo was quiet for a long moment, her face blank and immobile. Charlotte was about to say something more when the Justice spoke. “I will take it under advisement. In the meantime, my job is to decide cases and yours is to assist me.”

“I’m trying to help.”

Russo turned her eyes down to the case reporter on her desk, which was open, Charlotte saw, to Carlson. “Thank you, Charlotte. You may go now.”

#

Odessa stepped into Maxwell’s chambers, rubbing hand sanitizer on her hands. She liked Charlotte a lot, but that was a degree of intimacy she wasn’t looking for with anyone.

She cast her eyes around the room, seeing no one. Where was Gabriel? He hadn’t been there when she’d stopped by minutes before, dumping the contents of her handbag on her desk without touching them and running out for the sanitizer. Speaking of which, how was she going to clean the bag?

A rustling noise interrupted her thoughts. It was coming from under Gabriel’s desk. Odessa wrinkled her nose in concern. She hoped it wasn’t a mouse. This was an old building; there were bound to be rodents running around. Gabriel would be useful for that. He’d probably have a whole military plan to deal with them, complete with code names. She smiled at the thought. Then something darted out at her from under the desk. Odessa screamed.

There was a loud thump from Gabriel’s desk, followed by a cry of pain and a giggle. Odessa looked down. A Matchbox car had come to a stop on the rug a few feet from her.

Gabriel stood up from behind the desk, rubbing his head. “Way to say hi, Odessa. You startled me. What happened?”

“I thought I heard a mouse. What are you doing?”

“Racing cars,” said Gabriel. His voice suggested a distinct lack of enthusiasm for the activity.

“You’re racing cars?”

Another head appeared next to Gabriel, a girl. “I won.”

A boy followed her. “I got second.” The boy looked at Gabriel. “He’s really bad at it.”

Gabriel touched his head again. “I’m glad you’re here. These are the Chief’s grandkids, Tommy and Olivia. Kids, this is Odessa. She loves to play with children.”

“Um,” Odessa said.

“In fact,” Gabriel went on, “I bet she has great toys in her desk. Or candy. Why don’t you check it out?”

Odessa’s eyes widened. “No, I don’t. Gabriel!”

He didn’t understand, and it was too late anyway. At the word “candy” the kids were in motion, dashing across the room.

“What’s this?” Tommy asked.

Odessa squeezed her eyes shut and opened them again. Yes, Tommy was lifting a vibrator. Charlotte’s, she thought. Olivia joined him. “There are two! I call pink!”

“Odessa!” Gabriel looked shocked.

“It’s Enten,” she said. “They sent a sample.”

“So why are there two?” Gabriel asked.

“Maybe you’d know if you were following the cases instead of racing cars.”

“The Chief asked me to look after them. Asked us. Or he would have if you’d been here.”

“I was working. Are you going to do something?”

“Put those down!” Gabriel said loudly. The kids froze and looked over at him. “See,” he said to Odessa. “You have to project authority.”

“Make me,” Tommy said, sticking out his tongue.

“I think it’s a sword,” said Oliva thoughtfully. “But it’s got two pointy parts.”

“That’s it,” said Gabriel. He walked over to Odessa’s desk. “Give me those now.”

Olivia moved toward him. But Tommy got there first, poking Gabriel in the ribs and darting back. Gabriel reached out to grab him and evidently thought better of it. He froze with his hand in the air.

“You’re mean.” Tommy turned to Odessa. “I’m going to play with her.”

Odessa raised her hands defensively. “No, please don’t. Really, keep that away from me.”

“Mine lights up,” Olivia announced.

“Mine shakes.” Tommy took another step towards Odessa. “It’s an electric sword. En garde!”

Odessa backed toward the door. She had a startlingly clear vision of herself running down the corridors of the Supreme Court, pursued by a seven-year-old waving a pulsating vibrator. The security guards wouldn’t know who to tackle first. Surely this was not the moment her life had been building to.

She sensed that someone was behind her before she felt Jack’s hands on her back. A quick flash like an electric current passed through her. Then he was at her side in the doorway.

“Hail, young warrior,” Jack said as Tommy lunged toward him, Jack grasped him around the waist and turned him a full rotation in the air before setting him down in the middle of the room. Tommy beamed. “So, I don’t want to interrupt, but this looks like too much fun to miss.”

“I’m trying to impose some order here,” Gabriel said.

“That’s your mistake. I think I know my buddy here. He’s going to do what he wants.” He reached his fist out to Tommy, who bumped it with a grin. Jack turned to Odessa. “So, you have to make him want what you want. Now, what have we got here?”

“We think it’s a sword,” Tommy said.

“But with two points,” added Olivia.

Jack nodded. “Yes. Interesting design choice.” He held out his hand and Tommy put the vibrator in it. “Maybe more of a harpoon.” He jabbed at the air. “‘From Hell’s heart I stab at thee.’”

Odessa frowned. “Jack?”

“Moby Dick. Some classical education for the kids. Although maybe not quite the right choice of title.”

“Jack!”

“Okay.” He tossed the vibrator to Gabriel, who caught it by instinct and looked down uncomfortably at his hands. “Let’s put these away now.”

“But I want to swordfight with Grandpa,” Tommy whined.

“I know,” Jack said. “But it’s not a sword. Do you want to know what these really are?”

Tommy nodded. Odessa shook her head violently.

“They’re back massagers. For when the clerks have to work late. That’s why there are two of them.” He paused. “Gabriel’s is the pink one.”

“I want to give Grandpa a back massage,” Olivia shouted with glee.

Jack suppressed a laugh. “That’s a great idea. But I don’t know if he’s a two points kind of guy. I think hands are better.”

“Really?”

“If it’s someone you love, sure. Why, I’ve seen massagers with four points.” He winked at Odessa. “Or even five. But none of them can compare to the hands of … actually, forget I said that. The point is your grandpa would appreciate it more if you did it yourself.”

“Okay,” Tommy said. He sounded dubious.

“Or I could teach you a trick for him.” Tommy brightened. “Watch this.” Jack took out his wallet. “Here I have an ordinary dollar bill. I’ll need a sheet of paper and a pen …”

“I want to see, too.” Olivia handed her vibrator to Gabriel and walked to Jack.

Gabriel sat down at his desk and put the vibrators behind Black’s Law Dictionary, out of everyone’s sight. He shook his head at her. But as Odessa watched Jack crouch down on the floor, bringing his head level with the children’s, she couldn’t stop a smile from spreading over her face. And when Chief Justice Maxwell stepped through the door five minutes later and asked how things were going, five voices answered: “Great!”

#

Charlotte rearranged the pickles on her plate. First, she lined them up in ascending height order, then descending. Now she’d fashioned them into a letter H. The tuna sandwich alongside her pickle art was still untouched. She had zero appetite after the embarrassment of the vibrator being discovered in her desk and the agony of having to force Russo into that difficult discussion. But she had to do the right thing. And Justice Russo would do the right thing, too. At least, she thought she would….

She’d spotted Odessa, Jack, Robert, and some of the other clerks sitting in the clerks’ dining room when she’d paid for her sandwich, but Charlotte didn’t feel like joining them. She hoped her reticence was a temporary blip—that she wasn’t reverting back to her old ways, when she shied away from social interaction. But no, it couldn’t be. She’d been caught red-handed with a sex toy in her drawer, and everyone knew it was paired with Robert’s phone. Not wanting to eat lunch with the gang was more than understandable. She could use the quiet time anyway to get some work done.

The Flaherty case was on her mind a lot lately. It bothered her the way the pro-lifers were framing the issue as being about the best interests of the child when there obviously was no child. Really it was about Patricia Dunbar’s ability to control her own life—her reproductive materials and her reproductive choices. Surely there was some case law on this point that she could dig up.

Charlotte marveled at the range of cases the Justices heard in a given term. Cases like Patricia Dunbar’s, and the death penalty cases, were of monumental importance. Even the sex toy case touched on critical matters of privacy rights and mass litigation. But a week earlier, the Court had decided to hear a case about whether a potato chip manufacturer had misled the public by calling its product organic when it had trace amounts of a genetically modified ingredient in the seasoning.

The Court’s resources were so scarce—it heard fewer than 100 cases per year—and yet sometimes the most obscure cases squeaked onto the docket. It didn’t seem right. Maybe that was something she could write about when her clerkship ended.

Charlotte had started to think academia was going to be her next landing spot. But, in order to secure a teaching position at a top law school, she would need a stellar recommendation from Justice Russo. Would her boss even have the faculties to write a letter for her by the time she needed it? Charlotte didn’t know what was wrong with Russo, but it didn’t seem minor, or temporary. And what would happen to the balance of the Court if she had to retire? Several of the Justices who’d seemed moderate when appointed continued to drift to the right, and the Chief was a wild card. She eyed her sandwich again, lifting it off the plate slowly.

“It’s not going to bite you,” Robert said from the doorway.

“I know. I just … I’m not super hungry,” Charlotte said. She put the sandwich back down on the plate for the third time.

“I thought I’d see you at lunch,” Robert said. “I’m really sorry about what happened this morning. Obviously, I never intended to embarrass you. You’re not mad, are you? I see you haven’t moved in Boggle all day.”

“No, I’m not mad. I mean, it was really embarrassing. And I don’t see Jack ever letting me live this down. But it’s not your fault.”

Robert looked visibly relieved.

“I’m so glad. So, what are you working on?” he asked.

Charlotte lifted up her notes on the Flaherty case.

“Embryos. I was going to go up to the library now, actually. Come along?”

“Sure,” Robert said, and they headed out of chambers toward the elevators.

“Hey, kids,” Audrey said when they entered. “How was your morning?”

“Good, fine, okay,” Charlotte stammered while Robert peered intently at his cell phone.

“There’s been a lot of buzzing in my elevator cab today. Thought you two might know what it’s about, but guess not!”

Audrey’s obvious attempts to stifle a laugh made it plain she knew exactly what had transpired. Was nothing a secret in these hallowed halls? Was it too much to expect the revelation of a hidden vibrator to remain under wraps?

“Have a good day, you two,” Audrey said when the elevator reached the library level. Before Charlotte and Robert were even fully out of the elevator, Audrey started singing: “You’re giving me good vibrations …”

“I think you and I are going to need to go into hiding,” Robert said, wide-eyed. “Maybe we spend the rest of the day in the stacks?”

“Come with me.” Charlotte took Robert’s hand. She led him to the rare document section of the library. It was a quiet spot Charlotte had discovered by studying the library map, full of original prints of the Federalist Papers and empty of people. It had become her favorite place to go for deep concentration. But now she was heading there for another reason entirely.

“Where are we going? You know that basically everything is available online, right? And that the librarian will send whatever books you need down to your chambers if you’re nice to her and remember to ask about her cats?”

“You’ll see.” Blood coursed through Charlotte’s veins. She was about to do something completely out of character, and it was thrilling. When they reached the abandoned part of the library and were safely out of view, Charlotte pressed her lips to Robert’s. Hard. She put his hand on her blouse and nudged him to undo the buttons.

He pulled back abruptly.

“Charlotte, I want to do this more than anything. But not here. I want to do this right. Let me take you to Tosca tonight, if you’re free. It’s where Barack and Michelle used to go for date nights. And then after, we can—”

Charlotte took a deep breath. She wasn’t being rebuffed. Quite the opposite, really.

“That sounds perfect.”

#

“Hey,” Jack said. “Got a minute?”

Odessa looked up. She didn’t, not really, not with the cert memos she had to finish for tomorrow. At least not if she planned on leaving in time to get dinner at home. But that was unlikely now. At a certain point, your day tilted over the edge. You were going to be at the Court all night. And then the frantic sprint turned into more of a leisurely jog.

“Sure.”

Jack led her to Audrey’s elevator. “Library, please.”

Audrey nodded suggestively. “Mmm-hmmm.”

Robert and Charlotte were leaving the library as Jack and Odessa entered. Odessa opened her mouth to greet them—she had a question she knew Charlotte could answer off the top of her head—but neither made eye contact. They seemed in a hurry. She looked after them curiously, but Jack took her hand and pulled her along.

“What is it?” she asked.

“I know it’s been kind of a stressful day.” Jack fished into his suit pocket as he led her into the stacks. “And I know you’re probably going to be here all night.” He produced a handful of mini bottles. “I thought you might enjoy a break.”

“Where did you get those?”

“Rourke has a stash. Several, in fact.”

“You stole them from his chambers?”

“No, no.” Jack shook his head. “His clerks are trying to keep him sober this afternoon. They’re giving them away. You like Scotch?”

Odessa took a bottle. “Macallan. That’s not bad.”

“Too good for Rourke’s coffee.” He twisted off the tops, one for each of them. “To equal justice under law.” He downed it.

“You should be sipping that,” Odessa said.

Jack screwed up his face and cleared his throat. “Too late. I’ll try with the next one.”

Odessa took a careful sip. “You’re an interesting guy, Jack Kerridge.”

“I try to please.” He seemed to catch himself, reconsidering. “I mean, I’m glad you think so. If that’s a good thing.”

“It might be,” Odessa said. “How were you so smooth with the Chief’s grandkids? Gabriel and I were helpless. Twenty years of education …”

“Means nothing to a seven-year-old with a sex toy,” Jack finished. He took a drink from his second bottle, a smaller one this time. “I spent a lot of time with kids.”

“When?”

“Summers. My parents didn’t have much use for me when I was younger. Sent me off to a sleepaway camp in Maine. I kind of fell in love with the place, ended up being a counselor when I was old enough.”

Odessa smiled. “Well, you were great with them. How did you do that trick with the dollar?”

“There’s a hole the pen slips through. You have to have it ready in advance.”

“You mean you carry a trick dollar around in your wallet?”

Jack shrugged. “It’s good to be prepared.”

Odessa could feel the warmth of the whiskey spreading through her body.

“But sometimes it’s nice when something takes you by surprise,” Jack said, tracing the edge of Odessa’s cheek with his thumb.

She took a step closer. “We could have gotten drunk in chambers.” His clothes were touching hers now and she was imagining the body within them. “Why did you bring me here, Jack?”

“To see the original Federalist Papers?” He raised a single eyebrow, and Odessa felt her body melting.

“Funny,” she said.

“I also thought it might be nice to show you that my hands are better than a four-point back massager.” He traced the inside of her arm lightly with his finger.

“It occurs to me that I know a magic trick,” she said.

“Oh? I’d love to learn.”

Odessa reached back and unhooked her bra clasp. “This isn’t one you can do.” She shrugged her arms out of the straps. “Unless you’re dressed differently than I think you are.” She reached an arm into her sleeve and pulled the bra out. “Presto!”

“Nice,” Jack said. She dropped the bra into his hands. “What do I do with this?”

“Nothing with that.” Odessa undid one button on her blouse. “Try looking over here.”

Jack raised his eyes, dropped the bra, and began to pull madly at his tie. Odessa slipped another button loose. “You’re way behind me, Kerridge.”

Jack gave up trying to undo the tie and pulled it over his head. His jacket sleeves turned inside out as he yanked his arms free. Odessa winked at him and shrugged her shoulders. The blouse fell to the floor.

Jack was motionless for a second, then in her arms, moving so fast she didn’t notice him crossing the distance between them. He pressed against her, his hands moving over her back. The tingle she’d felt when he touched her in the doorway of Maxwell’s chambers spread through her whole body and she leaned into him.

“Promise me one thing,” she said.

Jack nodded, bending his mouth to hers. “Of course. What?”

“After this, you’re going to show me the original Federalist Papers.”

#

Audrey was alone in the elevator for the first time in at least thirty minutes. So much for a quiet day at the office. Thankfully, it was almost quitting time. She had two Jeopardy episodes on the DVR and a half-bottle of Chianti waiting at home.

At least the day hadn’t been boring. Most of the clerks looked like textbook nerds, but she knew that behind the glasses and underneath the conservative suits, at least half of them had something more interesting going on. Charlotte Maine, though. That probably would’ve been her last guess as to who would have a vibrator in her desk.

On the third floor, a large group of clerks and support staff filed in, including Charlotte and Robert. She noticed they stood at opposite sides of the elevator and avoided her gaze. Tomorrow she’d offer them some of her homemade monkey bread, and hopefully they could all move on from the embarrassment.

She rode the group down to the lobby, watching the exhaustion on everyone’s faces. Justice was tiring work, whether you were writing opinions, answering calls, delivering packages to the justices, or, like her, delivering people to where they needed to go.

Wayne poked his head into the cab a little while later.

“Saw my couple earlier talking about hitting some fancy dinner tonight,” he said, flexing his wrists. “I’m feeling good, Audrey.”

“We’ll see,” she said. “The chatter will hit me first, like always.”

She saw the elevator button light up.

“Duty calls,” she said, heading up to the library level.

When the doors open and she saw Odessa and Jack together, it took all the willpower Audrey possessed to keep a straight face. Odessa’s lipstick was smeared, Jack’s shirt was misbuttoned, and both of them were coated in a glistening layer of sweat. Oh Lordy. She didn’t realize what a great day this would be when she woke up and her lower back was on fire. First the sex toy and now this. Victory!

“Hey, Audrey,” Jack said, clearly trying to suppress a grin of satisfaction. Odessa stared down at her shoes so intently that Audrey was tempted to ask if her neck was okay.

“Hi, Jack. Odessa,” she said, giving her girl a wink. “Did ya’ll have a good day?”

Mumbles of “yeah, sure, uh-huh, yep,” came tumbling from their mouths simultaneously. This was too much fun. She wished the library was on a higher floor so this ride could be prolonged.

When they reached the lobby and the doors opened, Wayne was putting his newspaper into his worn-in tote and preparing to leave his post for the day. Thank goodness that man was still there to witness this. She caught his eye and motioned for him to watch the two clerks exiting.

When they were out of earshot, Wayne turned to her with a resigned smile.

“Fine, fine. You win. But no surf and turf, please. Remember, I’m on a government salary.