Free Feel The Fire (Unforgettable Series) by Adrianne Byrd Page A

us?” Marcel and Solomon thundered at their attorney, Brian Olson, and then shot glances as Jonas and his attorney.
    “For what?” Solomon added, though he had a sinking suspicion.
    “Sexual harassment,” Patsy filled in. “She’s claiming that T&B Entertainment natures a hostile environment for women and that she felt objectified on a daily basis.”
    “What?” Marcel continued, outraged. “Who is she accusing of objectifying her?”
    Olson glanced down and squinted through his reading glasses. “A William Bassett.” He looked up at Solomon. “Any relation?”
    Solomon groaned and slid deep into his chair.
    “What?” Jonas asked suspiciously.
    “He’s my uncle.”
    Marcel just groaned.
    Patsy straightened in her chair. “Are you telling me that her claims may be valid?”
    “Hell, no,” Solomon thundered. “Uncle Willy doesn’t even work here.”
    “Not to mention, Nora and Willy were in a relationship a couple of years ago. She’s suing us because it didn’t work out? Hell, I thought all that was settled when she gave him a black eye here in the office. You remember that, don’t you, Sol?
    “How can I ever forget it?”
    Olson picked up his pen and started scribbling. “Oh, this is good stuff. So you’re saying this Willy character never harassed her here at the office?”
    Marcel and Solomon looked at each other.
    Jonas caught the shared look. “What?”
    “Well, we didn’t say that-exactly,” Marcel corrected, and then looked to his partner for help.
    “My, um, uncle is sort of a...colorful character when it comes to women.”
    Olson stopped writing. “How so?”
    “Well.” Solomon loosened his tie. “He’s sort of an um...”
    “Yes?” Patsy probed.
    “He loves women,” Solomon finally settled on saying. “All women.”
    “However, the crazier, the better,” Marcel tossed in for good measure.
    “Uh-huh.” Olson set down his pen and leaned back.
    Solomon continued to struggle. “He may have, from time to time, made a sexual reference to some of the employees. But he never means anything by it.”
    “Unless they’re willing to take him up on it,” Marcel commentated from the sidelines.
    Solomon jerked his chair toward his friend. “You’re supposed to be helping.”
    “Sorry.”
    Olson tossed up his hands. “Look, gentlemen. Maybe you should consider settling out of court. A jury could easily sympathize with the plaintiff on this. Employee or not, William Bassett is a relative of one of the owners and it could be construed that he’s, in fact, an extension of yourself. If you allowed his...colorful behavior in the office unchecked, then...”
    “You’re supposed to be helping, too,” Solomon reminded the lawyer.
    “I’m not in the habit of settling,” Jonas said, shifting in his chair.
    “I just call it like I see it.” Olson shrugged.
    “I hate to admit it,” Patsy chimed in. “It’s no different than employees seeing your wives or significant others as someone with power within the office hierarchy. Ms. Gibson could come off as a sympathetic character.”
    “Words I never thought would be used in the same sentence,” Marcel said.
    “Ms. Gibson is asking for one million. I can try to talk her down to half. But that’s a big if. She has a good lawyer.”
    “You know him?”
    “Her,” Jonas and Olson corrected. Everyone’s gaze shifted to Jonas. “Ms. Wright and I met briefly,” he answered.
    The army of gazes then flew to Olson.
    “Toni Wright,” Olson agreed, nodding. “She’s very good. She used to work at our firm...and we used to date.”
    Jonas’s head snapped up. Damn, the woman got around.
 
     
     
     
     

Chapter 11
     
    “Is something wrong, Jonas?” Patsy asked once they returned to the limousine. “You look as though you could chew nails.”
    Pulling his gaze from the side window, Jonas attempted to smile, but only one side of his mouth curled. “Everything is fine.”
    The look she gave said she didn’t buy his answer.