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secretswiftymarvelfan · 3 years

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Wildest Dreams - Andy Barber x Reader

Summary: You and Andy escape Newton to get some time along

Word Count: 5.9k

Warnings: Bit of Angst! Fluff! Cheating (Not on the reader)! SMUT! 18+ ONLY! Unprotected Sex (Wrap it before you tap it)! Slight Power Dynamic! Talk Of Divorce!

Dividers by @firefly-graphics

Masterlist

You never planned to work in Law, but you needed the money and there was an assistant position available. You had told yourself that it would only be until you found something you loved doing, your dream job.

However you didn’t expect to fall in love with your job. To fall in love with the one and only Assistant District Attorney, Andy Barber. He was something you loved doing though, so technically you didn’t break that rule.

So here you were sat in the courtroom watching as Andy perused the floor. Making his argument, winning over the jury as he dismantled the defence. Doing that little smirk whenever he managed to poke a hole in their story.

It wasn’t long until the defence lawyer was complaining to the judge as the defendant floundered. But Andy was good at his job, nothing he said was leading or could be dismissed. The defence lawyers groaning in annoyance when the defendant panicked and admitted everything.

Andy turned away from the defendant, giving the Jury a subtle shrug as he walked back to his desk. As he does so his eyes meet you and even across the room you could see the mischievous twinkle as he winks at you. Heat flushing to your cheek as you dipped your head.

A verdict was reached and sentence given in record time. Everyone filing out of the courthouse grateful for an early finish. You and Andy however made your way back to the office, the celebration scheduled for later.

As the hours went on as you sat at your desk, scheduling meetings for later on in the week. Keeping a mental tally of everyone left in the office. Keeping guard of Andy’s office, telling everyone that he wasn’t to be disturbed while he worked on the post courtroom paper work.

“Hey you still here? I thought you’d be long gone by now?” Kellie, one of the paralegals, said as she walked over.

You shrug your shoulders glancing over to Andy’s office “can’t go until he goes, or dismisses me” you say looking back up at Kellie.

“God what a hard ass, he should be out celebrating, not causing you misery by working late” Kellie scoffs shaking her head.

“He likes to be thorough, it’s not that bad” you defend, casually shrugging your shoulders.

“I’m just glad I’m not his wife, poor Laurie, I bet she barely sees him during cases” Kellie comments shaking her head.

“Yeah… poor Laurie” you hum, dropping your gaze.

“Anyway I’m going to head home, there’s a bottle of Chardonnay calling for me, hope you aren’t here much longer” Kellie smirked making you chuckle gently.

“I probably won’t be” you smile knowing she was the last to leave the office.

“See you on Monday” She chimed as she made her way out of the office.

“See you Monday” you mutter watching as she goes, waiting until the door closed.

Poor Laurie. That’s what everyone thought. But no one really knew that Andy’s marriage was dead in the water years ago. He tried his best, going the extra mile when he could, but Laurie barely gave him an inch. So, to you it was poor Andy. But then again if everyone knew what you two did, the poor Laurie’s would still be the loudest.

Once she was gone you pushed yourself up from your desk. Walking through the dim office towards the windows that looked out to the street below. You stood to the side, remaining out of sight as you watched Kellie’s car pull away.

Smirking to yourself you make your way back to your desk. Leaning over your desk you shut everything down, turning the lamp on the side of your desk off. The only light on in the entire building being the one filtering out from Andy’s office.

You walk the short distance, gently rapping your knuckles against the door. Hearing Andy’s voice call out, beckoning you in. You opened the door leaning against the frame, hip jutted out to the side. Andy sat reclined in his chair, hands rested behind his head. A lopsided grin growing on his face as he saw you.

“Always first to arrive and last to leave” you comment as you walk in, closing the door behind you, heading straight to the cabinet that held his scotch.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way, sweetheart” Andy smirks pushing himself up from his chair, closing the distance between you as you poured out two healthy measures of scotch.

“And now that they’re finally all gone, we can celebrate your victory today” you say passing him a glass of scotch, picking up your own “congratulations Mr Barber” tapping your glass against his.

“Is this the only way we’ll be celebrating?” Andy asks, smirking as he takes a sip of scotch.

“I didn’t stay late for nothing” you smirk, biting your lower lip.

“C’mere, it’s been a long day, we deserve to relax” Andy says, hand reaching out to take yours, leading you over to the small couch.

He sits down before guiding you down to sit side ways across his lap. One arm wrapped securely around your back, hand resting on your hip. The other hand, held onto his tumbler of scotch, resting it on top of your thigh. Your arm rested over his shoulders, fingers gently stroking the back of his neck, periodically running up into his hair.

He sighed deeply, resting his forehead against your, eyes closing “best decision I ever made hiring you” he muttered, the faint smell of scotch on his breath.

You smiled, eyes fluttering shut as you nudged your nose against his. He knows exactly what you want, closing the small gap, capturing your lips in his in a languid kiss.

Your hand moved to cup his jaw, thumb brushing over his chin. Fingers scratching at his beard making him mumble a moan. The hand on your hip gripping it possessively.

“I was thinking” Andy mutters, pulling away just enough to speak, his nose still brushing against yours.

“That’s a dangerous game” you smirk, earning a huff of a laugh from him.

“You’ll like where this is going, I promise” Andy says pecking your lips.

“Okay, I’m listening” you say, hand resting on the crook of his neck, thumb gently brushing over his skin.

“Let’s get out of this town, just drive and get away from the crowds” Andy suggests making you pull back to get a better look at his face, unsure as to what exactly he meant.

He must have seen the confusion on your face as he answered before the question was even asked.

“While I was waiting for everyone to leave, I found myself a new case, some of the information I need is in Rhode Island, so we can get away for a bit under the impression that we’re there for research” Andy explains handing running up and down your side.

“Really?” You breath out in surprise.

“Yeah, I want to spend a whole weekend with you, no waiting until everyone’s gone, no interruptions, just you, and me” Andy smiles leaning forward punctuating his words by pressing kisses across your jawline and neck, sending shivers down your body.

“So what do you say?” Andy asks as you lean in pressing your forehead against his, hand cupping his cheek once more.

“Sound amazing” you breath out nodding gently.

Andy grins kissing you quickly before gulping down the rest of his scotch before taking your glass and putting to the side. His hand free he ran his hand over your thigh as he kissed you deeply. You sighed into the kiss, hand gripping his tie. You other hand runs over his beard and to the nap of his neck, fingers running up to his hair tugging at the short strands, pulling a groan from his lips.

The grip on your thigh tightens as he shifts. Moving you on his lap so you now faced him, straddling him. His hands moving up and down your sides, cupping your breasts through the thin fabric of your silk blouse. His large hands massaging them, your back arching up into his touch as you moaned.

You pull at his tie, pulling it loose before throwing across the room. You grabbed his shirt untucking it from his trousers, deftly unbuttoning it pushing it from his shoulders, fingers scratching down his chest. Andy dips his head to press kisses across your collarbone, lips smirks as he heard you sigh his name.

“Andy please” you whimper rolling your hips against him.

“C’mon then sweetheart, stand up” Andy tells you nudging your nose with his, kissing you.

You grin standing up, standing between his legs, hands resting on his shoulders.

“Everything off” Andy instructs as his hand moves to his belt buckle pulling it loose.

You do as you told, grabbing the bottom of your blouse, which was completely creased thanks to Andy’s dexterous hands. You pull it up over your head, reaching behind to unhook your bra, your eyes watching as Andy’s gaze dipped to your chest.

Andy had unzipped his trousers pushing them down enough to free his erection. Tongue poking out to wet his lips as he palmed his cock. He watched intently as you kicked off your heels, pushing down your skirt, Andy groaning when he saw you wore nothing underneath.

“Have you been like that all day” Andy mutters reaching out to run his hands over the back of your thighs.

“Yep, I knew we’d either be celebrating or that I’d need to cheer you up” you smirk resting your hand on his shoulders.

“Fuck, you’re amazing” Andy groans leaning forward to press a kiss below your naval.

“Now let’s celebrate” you smirk moving to straddle his hips.

He grins hands moving to rest on your back pulling you closer so there was barely any space between you “can’t wait sweetheart” he smirks pressing his lips to yours in a bruising kiss.

Without breaking the kiss you lifted yourself, hand reaching between your bodies. Your fingers wrap around his erection, lining him up before sinking down. The both of you groaning at the sensation of him filling you up to the point it was almost painful.

Andy’s forehead rested against yours, breaths mingling in the minute space between you. He nudges you lips to his, cupping your jaw possessively, his hips thrust up into you gently.

Your hands move to rest on his shoulders, steadying yourself as you rolled your hips. Andy groaning, hands moving to grip your hips tightly as you rode him. Andy presses wet kisses to your collarbone and chest, tongue swirling around your nipple making you gasp and throw your head back.

Andy snaps his hips up to meet your making you moan as he hit that sweet spot within you. The tip of his cock brushing over it repeatedly. Shock waves coursing through your body towards your core.

“Yes Andy right there” you moan as he presses a wet kiss to your sternum.

“Let go sweetheart I’ve got you” Andy murmurs against your skin.

Your nails dug into his skin as you rolled your hips a couple more times. Crying out as your orgasm ripped through your body. Your walls clenching around Andy making him hiss as he rode you through your orgasm.

Your body went limp in his arms as he continued to thrust up into you. Chasing his own orgasm until he finally shot his load into you, coating your walls with his spend. His forehead dropping to rest on your shoulder, pressing a gentle kiss to your skin.

You remained in his hold as you basked in the afterglow. Andy leant back against the back of the couch, arms wrapped around you securely as his hand ran up and down your back in a rhythmically soothing fashion.

You shifted to rest your head against his shoulders, fingers tracing over his chest. You mind wandering in the moment of silence. Telling you to savour this moment while it lasted, because you didn’t know how long you had left in this game you and Andy played. It couldn’t go on for forever, even with his invitation to get away, it had to end at some point.

No matter how dead his relationship with Laurie was, he was a dedicated father to his son. You couldn’t see him leaving until Jacob was at least 18. You also couldn’t see how this arrangement could carry on for multiple years without arising suspicions.

“Hey” Andy says softly brushing some hair behind your ear “what’s wrong?”

You lift your head to see him gazing down at you. His brilliantly blue eyes scanning your face as he tried to read your mind.

You give him a small smile, shaking your head “nothing… just thinking” you whisper.

“What about?” He presses gently, hand cupping your cheek, thumb running over your cheek bone.

“What to pack for Rhode Island” you lie, giving him a smile.

“Well I only have one request” Andy says making you tilt your head in question “that you bring your birthday suit” he smirks.

You chuckle nodding your head “already got it on the list” you smirk pressing a sweet kiss to your lips.

It was early in the morning as Andy packed the last of his stuff into his weekend bag. He knew he didn’t need to rush to leave, but he wanted to run a couple errands before picking you up. He also wanted to try and get out the house before Laurie got home from her run.

Grabbing his bag he started making his way down the stairs. He paused outside of Jacob’s room, poking his head in to see Jacob still fast asleep. Only the very top of his head visible.

“Hey pal” Andy called out, getting a small groan in response.

“I’m heading out, I’ll see you Monday” Andy tells him.

“Okay” Jacob groans half asleep, pulling the covers up further.

“Have a good weekend” Andy says.

“Whatever” Jacob huffs letting out a loud yawn before going back to sleep.

Andy sighs shaking his head before carrying on his journey down the stairs. His foot had only just touched the bottom step when he heard the front door opening. Letting out a quiet sigh of annoyance as Laurie walked in.

“You’re leaving early” she comments as she walks in.

“Want to get there a couple hours before lunch” Andy states walking past her to grab his jacket.

“I don’t get why they’re making you go during the weekend” Laurie huffs shaking her head.

“I told you, the office is extremely busy at the moment so this was the only time we could make the trip down” Andy states grabbing his bag.

Laurie huffs turning on her heels towards the kitchen. Andy scoffs rolling his eyes and shaking his head.

“Bye then” he calls out, hearing nothing in response as he leaves the house, front door slamming behind him.

He throws his bag into the boot of his car before climbing in. His hands resting on the steering wheel as he took a calming breath. In a way he should be pleased that Laurie was unhappy that he was going away, it meant that she cared, or at least seemingly did. But Andy knew that there would be no difference if he stayed or not, they wouldn’t do anything together. Just relax separately and apart from each other.

Taking another deep breath he reminded himself why he’d gotten up so early on a Saturday morning. He was seeing you, and not just at work where you had to be careful and wait for everyone to leave before you could let your guard down. He was spending the entire weekend with you, where nobody knew who you were or what your situation was. It was just you and him with nothing holding you back.

After stopping off at a nearby café he pulled up outside your house. He’d barely put the car into park when he saw you appear on your front porch. His smiled widened as soon as he laid eyes on you. Normally he only saw you in office wear, something he did appreciate because you always looked great in your tight little pencil skirts. But seeing you in a camel coloured sweater dress and leggings made his heart skip a beat, because even though it was simple and comfort orientated. You looked like a million dollars.

He smiled as you climb into the passengers seat “I brought breakfast” he smiles passing you a pastry and coffee, before pulling away from your house down the street.

Your smile widens as you take the food from him, breathing in the delicious aroma’s “oh thank you, you really didn’t have to” you smile over at him.

He shrugs his shoulder, a lopsided grin on his face as he spoke “well its early and I know how hangry you can get”

You give him a loud gasp of fake shock and horror “oh! low blow Mr Barber!” you laugh.

He grins over at you, resisting the urge to reach over and rest his hand on your thigh “regretting coming along on this ‘research trip’?” Andy smirks.

“never in a million years” you smile shaking your head.

As Andy drove through the streets of Newton, he kept his eyes on the road, while you sat scrolling on your phone. So to anyone who saw you while at a stop sign or red light wouldn’t suspect a thing. However, once the streets of Newton were left behind the act was dropped and you and Andy relaxed. His hand reaching over the take yours, lifting the back of your hand to his lips for a sweet kiss. The both of you smiling and laughing especially when Andy sang along with you.

A couple later Andy pulled up outside the beach house that you two would be staying in over the weekend. Andy took your hand in his as he led you inside, glancing over at you to see the wide smile on your face as you took it all in. The entire house was covered in white panelling, cream and blue furnishing to match. Nautical and seaside decorated in every nook and cranny, that to some would seem cliché but Andy liked it and loved that you did too.

“oh Andy this place is beautiful” you mutter running your hands over the marble work surface in the kitchen.

“I’m glad you liked it, I found it a few years ago but never had the reason to visit” Andy smiles moving to stand behind you, his arms wrapped around your waist, chin resting on your shoulder.

You hum leaning back into his touch, arms resting on top of his. You didn’t need to say anything to know that the real reason was Laurie, she wouldn’t want to stay somewhere this rustic. Andy had tried and fail to suggest it multiple times, before completely giving up. Resigning himself to the fact he’d never visit, that was until he met you.

“so” he starts pressing a kiss to you shoulder “what do you want to do first?” he asks.

You turn in his arms, arms wrapping around his shoulders. One hand resting on the nape of his neck, fingers nails scratching at his skin running up into his hair. His hands move to rest on your hips, thumb brushing over your sweater dress wishing there was nothing in his way. “we’ve been sat down for a while, so why don’t we go have a walk on the beach” you suggest looking up at him through your lashes, a pleading expression on your face.

The corner of Andy’s lips twitched upwards as he looked down at you. There was no need for your pleading expression, Andy would go to the end of the earth for you. If you told him to jump of a cliff, he’d do it in a heartbeat. Even if you didn’t know it, you had him wrapped around your little finger.

Andy’s hand moved to cup your cheek, guiding your lips up to his, stopping just short “of course sweetheart” he whispers before finally capturing your lips in his.

You breath out a sigh of context as he pulled you closer. Your hands moving from his shoulder down to his chest, gripping at the edges of his zip up hoodie he wore. You whined quietly when he pulled out of the kiss, his forehead resting against yours as he quietly chuckled.

“don’t worry sweetheart we have all weekend” he reminds you, nudging his nose against yours.

“good” you breath out, your eyes opening looking up into his “because I didn’t pack my birthday suit for nothing” you smirk.

Andy laughs throwing his head back remembering the one request he made when he invited you on this trip “thank god, I was worried I’d be the only one” he smirks before pecking your lips once more.

You and Andy spent the rest of the day on the secluded beach by your beach house. Walking along the shore hand in hand as you talked and laughed. Stopping to get some ice creams, sitting down on the dunes to eat them. You sat between Andy’s legs, laughing when he smushed the tip of ice cream against your nose, only to prompt lick it off making you giggle and squirm in his arms.

That evening while you showered washing all the sand from your skin, Andy set about making dinner. Cooking up a simple sweet and sour stir fry for the both of you, chuckling to himself as he thought back to the way he was before he met you. Sour being an apt name to call him, but now with you in his life, sweetening him up, sour was a far cry.

“Honey!” Andy called out once he started plated up “Dinner’s ready”

Once the plates were full of food, he moved to the fridge grabbing the bottle of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc that he picked out specifically. He poured the wine into the glasses, he went to call out to you again but when he looked up he saw you stood in the doorway watching him.

“what?” he chuckled as you stood there a small warm smile on your lips.

“Just appreciating the view” you smile remaining exactly where you stood. “The domesticity of it all, you cooking us dinner, it’s so simple yet…” you explain shaking your head as you sigh unable to think of a way to explain it fully.

Andy understood what you meant though, he couldn’t remember the last time he and Laurie ate together. He either picked something up on his way from the office, or reheated some leftovers. He missed doing this sort of thing, but not doing it with Laurie, he wanted you.

“I know” Andy says as he walks over to you, his hand reaching out to your “now c’mon before it gets cold” he smiles leading you over to the counter where the food was laid out.

Once you’d sat down, Andy moved his stool closer to yours before sitting down. One arm outstretched behind you, his hand resting on the small of your back. you turned your head smiling over at him as you picked up your wine glass.

“To our little getaway” you smile.

“Our little getaway” he grins picking up his own wine glass tapping it against yours, keeping his eyes on you as he took a small sip.

The two of you ate in relative silence, the only noise being the sound of waves crashing against the shore, the windchimes out on the back porch. Once you had finished eating you cleared up the plates before Andy got a chance to protest. He watched sipping on his wine as you washed up all the plates, smiling when his eyes landed on the cotton shorts you wore.

Standing up from his stool, he silently walked over. His arms snaked around your waist making you jump slightly, something he quickly soothed by kissing your shoulders. A sigh escaping you lips, head tilting to give him better access.

“I might smash a plate if you’re not careful” you mutter turning your head to look at him.

He gives you a lopsided grin, his hands moving to yours removing the plate from your grip and setting it down “then let’s leave this for now, and do something a little bit more fun” Andy suggests, his voice deep as he pressed a kiss to your lips.

“what do you suggest Mr Barber?” you smirk glancing over at him.

“I have a few ideas” he grins turning you around, dipping his head to capture your lips in his.

You sigh into the kiss, arms wrapping around his neck and he tilted you backward gently. He bends down, hands hooking behind your thighs lifting you up and wrapping your legs around his waist. His large hands rested on your hip and back keeping you steady as he walked you into the bedroom, your hand cupping his cheek as you kissed him, tongue delving inside, deepening the kiss.

Walking into the bedroom, Andy kicked the door shut behind him. He gently set you down at the foot of the bed, laying you down. You gripped onto his shoulder at his lips dipped from yours, across your jawline and down your neck. Nipping at you skin making you gasp tilting your head to give him better access.

His hands travelled down your side and to your thigh, thumb brushing over your silky smooth skin. Your breath hitched when his hand moved closer to your covered core, hips rolling towards his touch. He smirked against your shoulder as he pulled his hand away making you whine quietly.

“you’re not appropriately dressed” he reminds you gently, fingers wrapping under the hem of your vest lifting it up over you head, his mouth going dry when he saw you weren’t wearing a bra.

“I was halfway there” you smirk up at him “just wanted a little assistance”

He grins down at you before dipping his head, pressing a languid kiss to your lips. His lips moved further south until they found their target, wrapping around your nipple, swirling his tongue around it. A long breathy moan falling from yours lips as your back arched, your fingers gripping at the short hair on the back of his head.

He then moved down even further, glancing up at you through this long lashes. His fingers sliding underneath the waistband of your shorts pulling them down and off, discarding them on the floor. His tongue poked out to wet his lips as he set his sights on your glistening core.

He slowly reached out, finger running upwards through your folds collecting your slick “all this just for me” he mutters, finger swirling around your clit.

“mh-hum” you groan, biting into your lower lip to hold back a moan.

“don’t you dare hold back sweetheart, I want to hear everything” Andy tells you as he presses a kiss to you core, a loud gasp escaping your lips.

Your hips buck as he licks a long stripe up your slit, flicking the tip of his tongue against your clit. Your moans filling the room as he tongue swirled around the sensitive bud, sucking it. He felt you fingers grip his hair tighter whenever his tongue pressed against your entrance. When he delved inside you like a man starved he knew you were growing closer and closer to your peak. Your essence flooding his mouth when you came undone, your thighs shaking as he worked you through your orgasm.

He moved to look down at your blissed out state, one hand up resting up near your head, the other across your abdomen. Eyes shut as your chest heaved, catching your breath. He could feel his erection pressing uncomfortable against his shorts as he looked down at your naked form. His hand moving to adjust his shorts to try and make it more bearable.

“you should do something about that Mr Barber” you smirk moving up onto your elbows nodding to the tent in his shorts. “and what do you suggest?” he smirks leaning closer, hands pressed into the mattress either side of you.

You sit up some more, fingers moving to the buttons of his cotton shirt. Slowly undoing them, until it hung open exposing his toned chest. You looked up at him through your lashes as your fingers traced over his muscles.

“whatever the hell you want” you whisper pressing a kiss to your chest.

“fuck” Andy groans shaking his head.

“yeah something along those lines” you smirk making him laugh, his hand running through your hair as he kisses you deeply.

You push his shirt off his shoulders as he lays you back down. Your hands then moving down to palm his erection through his shorts making him groan. His hands moving to meet yours as you push down his shorts and boxers, your fingers wrapping around his cock making him hiss, forehead pressed against your shoulder.

His hand grabs your wrist removing your hand from his cock, lifting both your hands above your head. Pinning them down around your wrists with his large hand. His free hand then grabs his cock running it up and down your folds, coating himself before sliding home. His forehead resting against yours, pressing swift kisses to your lips as he felt the comforting feeling of your walls pulsating around him.

He pulls almost the entire way back out before slamming back into you, making you cry out and moan. He continues to thrust into you as fulfilling every request from you to go harder and faster. Your arms straining against his hand that kept them bound, your hips moving to meet his with every thrust.

“Fuck Andy, right there” you gasp throwing your head back into the mattress, your back arching.

Andy dips his head to nips at your feverish skin, soothing each nip with a wet open mouthed kiss. Before you even got the chance to tell him you were close, your walls clenched around him your arousal covering him as you came undone with a loud cry of his name.

He continued to thrust into you, working your through your orgasm while chasing his own. His thrusts only faltering as he found his end, shooting his load deep inside you. his chest heaving as he came down from his high. The hand he held around your wrists dropped as he moved to brush your hair out of your face, pressing kisses to your forehead and cheeks making you giggle underneath him.

As he looked down at you, watching as you smiled up at him, he felt a feeling stir within that he thought was long dead. Stamped and trampled on by Laurie. Except this time the feeling was much stronger than it ever was before, making him question whether he’d ever even felt it with Laurie.

“what?” you ask hand running over his shoulder, thumb brushing over the crook of his neck.

In any situation he would just come out and say it, but this wasn’t an ordinary situation. This was an illicit affair. But he knew with all his heart that he loved you, more than anything else in the world. He wanted to say it, be he needed to figure out what to do with his marriage first.

“nothing… just you’re amazing” Andy mutters shaking his head gently.

You smile up at him bashfully, cupping his cheek and bringing his lips back down to yours.

Sunday evening you stood out on the back porch, the maxi dress you wore fluttering in the wind as you stared out at the sunset. You sighed wrapping your arms around your waist not wanting this weekend to end. You didn’t want to go back to hiding away, pretending there was nothing between you and Andy. That sadness filling you when you remember that this wouldn’t last.

You heard the patio door open behind you, the sounds of Andy’s footsteps approaching you until he stood behind you. His hands resting on your hips as he kissed you shoulder. You eyes closing as you held back your tears.

“Andy…” you breath out, your voice shaking as you kept your eyes on the horizon.

You feel Andy’s hands tense on your hips when he heard the tone of your voice.

“what’s wrong?” he asks brows furrowed in concern.

“can you promise me something?” you ask quietly.

“yes anything” Andy tells you looking at your over your shoulder trying to get you to look at him.

“say that you’ll remember me? that when this is all over you’ll still see me, even if its just in your wildest dreams?” you whisper, swallowing the lump of emotion in your throat.

“sweetheart, where is all this coming from?” Andy mutters confused getting you to finally look over your shoulder at him.

“Andy this weekend has been perfect, its all I’ve ever dreamt of, but it’s just reminded me that we won’t get this for years, because you’re too good of a father to leave Laurie until Jacob is at least 18, and that’s so far away… how can we carry this on for that long…” you admit looking down at the floor.

“sweetheart look at me” Andy says turning you to face him, his hand cupping your cheeks tilting your head back so you were looking straight at him “it won’t be that long, there is no way I can stay with Laurie for that long, not even for Jacob, I couldn’t cope not when I know that you’re out there because fuck sweetheart I love you so much it hurts”

Your jaw falls slightly at his admission, in complete shock that he felt the same way as you. Going as much as to admit it when you were too scared to.

“yes when I leave Laurie it will be difficult for Jacob and I want to do it in a way that doesn’t hurt him, but staying longer for his sake will only make this worse, there’s a point when you know you’ve got to go” he continues before taking a deep breath “and it’s time to go”

“you’re- you’re…” you stutter unable to process what he said quick enough to respond coherently.

“when we get back to Newton I’m gonna find the best divorce lawyer and leave Laurie for good, then we can start our future together, have weekends like this for the rest of our lives” Andy finishes for you, tears welling up in your eyes.

You instantly grab his cheek, crashing his lips down on to yours in a passionate kiss. You feel him smile into the kiss as he wraps his arms around your waist tightly, pulling you closer until no space remained between you. you nearly get lost into the kiss when you realise with a start that you hadn’t told him that you loved him too.

You quickly pull out of the kiss, startling Andy who looked down at you shocked and confused “I love you too” you admit breathily.

A grin grows on Andy’s face as he chuckles, cupping your cheek guiding your lips back up to his for a sweet kiss. All the emotion and love you felt for each other filtering through.

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tharros-auris-black-asimi · 3 years

Text

Treat you better

Pairing: Andy Barber x Female Reader

Summary: After the death of your parents, you and your younger sister Kaia moved to Newtown, Massachusetts. Life is okay. You're getting through it. Day by day, the pain slowly loosens. You and your younger sister are slowly entering a new chapter. With the divorced Andy Barber and his son Jacob in your lives, the light at the end of the tunnel might be shining just a bit brighter now.

Warnings: This story takes place in an alternate universe where the events of Defending Jacob never happened. In this AU, Andy and Laurie are divorced. Content warnings for past minor character deaths. Some angst/hurt/comfort too.

Word Count: 8,279

“You know, if you keep on scowling like that, you’re never going to get your vocab test done.”

It was morning.

You had just gotten back from your run.

Along the way, you had bumped into Laurie. The ex-wife of your boss, Andy Barber. And the mother of your younger sister’s best friend, Jacob. The two of you had chatted, caught up. She asked how Kaia was doing with school. You had replied that she was doing just fine. She went to school, did her homework, and studied. When she asked you about work, you had replied to her again, saying that it was fine.

You had never really thought about how much you had said that phrase.

I’m fine.

You said it so much that it practically was second nature for you. Whenever your family that didn’t live near you would ask how you had been dealing after the death of your parents. You’d say that you were fine, that you were hanging in there. That slowly, that fog that surrounded you, made you feel that heavy pang in your chest whenever you stumbled upon a box that you’d keep in the basement while spring cleaning that it would go away eventually.

Now, now you were slowly coming to the conclusion that you weren’t quite there. Not yet. The fog hadn’t lifted. The heavy pang in your chest hadn’t loosened.

You could still feel the fog. Feel the pang in your chest. Not every day. On days where you wouldn’t expect it. Like when you would see little kids with their parents, or when you’d FaceTime your friends and see their parents come through the screen too.

It was why you and your younger sister had packed up all of your things and moved all the way from your hometown to Newton, Massachusetts. A suburban town. Your younger sister had said that she would’ve liked to live with a picket fence. She was always into those types of things. And, with your new job with the district attorney firm downtown, you could pay for the house and bills just fine.

Your life was slowly moving forward.

Kaia let out a snort.

“Yeah, and you need to stop making googly eyes at Mr. Barber, sis.”

You choked on your scrambled eggs. You tried to gasp for air, to regain your breath. Kaia snickered behind her bowl of cereal. Her snickering became full-blown laughter as she saw the look of your flushed cheeks.

“C’mon! Tell him, tell him! Tell him that you like him! That way I can stop looking at pictures of yourself for Tinder. Really sis, after that one Grabby-Hands-Guy, do you really think anybody’s gonna match up to Mr. Barber? Really?”

The idea was laughable. Completely and utterly laughable. You might’ve even laughed if you weren’t feeling so embarrassed and your cheeks were as red as tomatoes.

Spluttering, you exclaimed.

“Shut up!”

Kaia was howling with laughter now.

“Oh, that’s sooo hilarious,” your sister clapped back as she wiped away the tears from her eyes as she giggled in the hilarity of it all. You scowled deeply.

“It’s nice to know my pain is funny to you, Kaia.”

Kaia just giggled. Eating some more of her cereal.

“I’ll have to find another job. I can’t look at him in the eyes if I do that. Have you ever seen him?” you were making gestures with your hands. Kaia just rolled her eyes. “I have seen him, sis. He looks like sex on legs. Totally a DILF.”

You were so restricting her phone time now. Hell, you might’ve even thought about pulling the Internet plug.

But, your sister had a point. Andy Barber was a total DILF. Most definitely.

You couldn’t do it though.

Andy was a friend. You treasured his friendship. When you had been first moving into your little neighborhood and getting settled in, Kaia had met Jacob and the two of them had basically kicked it off. They were as close as Fred and George Weasley from Harry Potter. Having been put in the same class together, the two of them had spent the last year watching you and Jacob’s dad pin after each other like a bunch of teenagers.

“Like come on,” Kaia continued, “You have his number. Like, text him. Call him. You work with him. Just ask him out for coffee during lunch or something. Something, sissy. Cause if you don’t, you’re gonna regret not doing it. You’re gonna regret even not experiencing how it is sleeping with him.”

To which you began to protest.

“Woah… woah, woah, woah. Hold up. Since, uh, when?” You made some weird hand gestures that made Kaia a little bit confused, but she just continued, unbothered. “Since what? We all know you wanna sleep with him. He’s probably really good in bed. Why don’t you just go for it? He makes you happy. I haven’t seen you that happy since Mom and Dad passed. Not since the funeral either.”

The funeral had been hard for you. Hell, your parent’s death had taken a huge toll on you. You had just graduated from law school. You had been beginning to start job hunting.

And then the worst thing in your life that could’ve happened, happened.

It had been one of those nights that you had left your parent’s house, bidding them goodbye and a shout that you’d be home in the morning because you had been on your way to go see a movie with a few of your close friends. Kaia had been at a friend’s house for a sleepover.

A break-in, they said. Apparently, the person who had broken into your parent’s home had been planning this attack for a long time. They had been after a precious heirloom that had been from your mom’s side of the family. They had broken in, and when your mom had declined, no, shouted that she wouldn’t be handing the only thing that connected her to your dead grandmother, she had been shot. Your dad had fought the intruder and had gotten shot in the shuffle. Your next-door neighbor had called the cops. By the time your parents had been rushed to the hospital, it was too late. They had passed. Died on the way there. The shots had been fatal.

After that, everything had crashed down on you. Like the rug had been pulled from right under your feet. The wool had been pulled from your eyes, making you, forcing you to face the cruel, harsh world that was now your reality.

So many people had come to your parent’s funeral. People's faces you didn’t know or recognize. Some, you did. Others, you did not. When your parents had been buried at the burial site, you had broken down. Had a breakdown right then and there. Collapsing your knees, screaming and sobbing, desperately clawing from your uncle’s tight grip.

Too much. It had been too much. Eventually, you couldn’t bear staying in the house. Too many memories of your parents, of your childhood, had been in that exact home. It was tainted now, with the grim thought that someone had attacked your home and ruined it. The perpetrator had been brought to justice. That at least calmed you just the slightest bit.

You couldn’t take it anymore. So, you and your sister had packed up your entire lives and moved. It was what had to be done. It was a new fresh start for the two of you.

Which led you to now. To in your kitchen this morning, having choked on your scrambled eggs and looking at your younger sister with the most horrified look on your face.

No. No, no, no.

You couldn’t date Andy.

Not with your baggage.

Uh-uh.

Absolutely not.

But Andy… Andy made you happy. Andy made you laugh. Andy made life just the slightest bit more bearable. With Andy… you could feel the fog lifting. The heavy pang in your heart slowly loosening. Life looked okay with him and Jacob.

And that terrified you.

It downright terrified you.

You didn’t know how to deal with or process this information.

You couldn’t allow him in. You couldn’t date him. Or even fuck him. You knew you had feelings for him. Pretty strong feelings too. But you couldn’t act on them, because how could you? Andy was your friend. You didn’t want to ruin this friendship that had been born of trust and getting to know each other.

“… Come on sis, just go for it. What’s the worst that could happen?”

You didn’t want to answer that.

Not now.

Not ever.

With Andy and Jacob that same morning…

Andrew Stephen Barber grabbed the eggs from the fridge. Gently putting the eggs in the bowl, he closed the fridge and took all the eggs out, and began to crack them in the same bowl. It was around this time that he heard his son Jacob begin to come downstairs, a yawn being expressed.

“Morning dad,” Jacob yawned. He even stretched a little. Andy turned around, a small smile on his face. Beard freshly ruffed up and groomed with his beard oil, his blue eyes shined at the sight of his still half-asleep son.

“Morning Jake. Sleep well?”

Jacob shuffled to plop himself down at the little kitchen island. “Somewhat. Kaia and I were working on our PowerPoint presentation about Soviet Russia yesterday. We were going through the notes of the Stalin movie too. The one with Robert Duvall? You know, that one?”

Andy wasn’t quite sure which movie Jacob was talking about.

“Dad… you know, the one on HBO?”

Oh.

Ohhhh.

Now he got it.

Nods came from Andy.

“Uh-huh. Understood bud. Got it, buddy.” His gaze turned back to the eggs as he began to scramble them.

“Okay. Can you test me on this vocab test? Real quick?” Jacob asked him as he hopped off of the kitchen island, giving his dad a piece of paper that said with bold letters VOCAB TEST on it. Andy nodded. Taking the paper away from Jacob, he began to read out loud.

“Vexing.”

“Annoyed or irritated. Hey, we still have milk, right?” asked Jacob as the teen began to rummage through the refrigerator.

“On your right near the door.”

“Ah-hah! Here we go. Thanks, dad. Go on.” The fridge door was closed as Jacob put it on the counter and opened the cupboards to get a glass. Mission having succeeded, he opened the milk gallon and began to pour it into his glass as his dad started to go down the list.

“Communism.”

“Government owns most of your property and economic resources,” Jacob answered as he capped the gallon of milk and put it back in the fridge. Andy slid over a plate of eggs and toast. The sounds of Jacob rummaging through the drawers for a fork were heard as Andy continued down the list.

“Soviet Union.”

“The name Russia took after the Russian Revolution. The entire country changed to a Communist government. Was ruled by Vladimir Lenin and then Josef Stalin. F for Russian, ph for American. Spelling, I mean.” Jacob clarified the last part. “That’s not gonna bring my grade down on this vocab quiz, right?” He questioned.

Andy let out a chuckle.

“Not unless Mrs. Correra likes you to be punctual,” was his reply. Jacob took a bite of his toast.

“Joseph Stalin.”

“Dictator of the Soviet Union from 1927 to 1953.”

“Bolsheviks.”

“Revolutionary socialist political party. Created by Vladimir Lenin and seized power of Russia after the fall of the Romanovs and the Russian Revolution in 1917.” Jacob ate his toast and finished his eggs just as his phone on the counter pinged loudly. Rushing over to check it, he grinned.

“Who texted ya?” Andy asked him.

The look on Jacob’s face made Andy chuckle. He knew who it was now.

Kaia.

“Kaia. She just texted me saying her sister’s taking us to school today.”

Kaia’s sister.

You.

You were his friend. You made him laugh. You made him happy. After the divorce from Laurie a year before, Andy had felt a little lost. Even though the divorce had been on mutual terms, and considering he and Laurie still talked from time to time, Andy felt like something was missing. Sure, he had loved Laurie for a long time. But with some marriages, it just didn’t work anymore. They hadn’t fought. They had just grown apart over time. And that was okay. Their divorce had been for the best. They were much happier people now.

It wasn’t until Jacob had come home one day, saying that he had made a new friend. One that who recently moved to town, and that was getting settled in. Andy had suggested that they help out, make Jacob’s new friend’s family feel welcome. After Jacob had asked Kaia for her address, the two of them had met you.

It hadn’t been love at first sight, the day he had met you.

No.

It had been a normal thing. Andy had said hello and introduced himself to you. Told you his job occupation, where he worked, that he was Jacob’s father. You didn’t look more than in your mid-to-late twenties. Dressed in a casual getup of a t-shirt and jeans, with your hair tied up so it wouldn’t get in your face, you had hesitantly shook his hand. Introduced yourself, and that you had gone to law school. For the next couple of weeks, the Barber family would visit to help the two of you get settled in and feel welcomed.

Andy had helped you get a job as his district attorney assistant. You had protested though. Saying that he had done enough to help you and Kaia to get settled in. But he said there was no pressure. He was just offering his help. But in the end, you had accepted. You liked Andy. He was nice. Warm and welcoming. Now you worked downtown with him. Helped him on cases whenever he needed help. All sorts of things in between.

“They just left the house,” Jacob continued, “and they’re on their way here now.” He looked up from his phone as soon as he sent an “ok” text to Kaia.

“Okay. You don’t need to pick me to pick you up later today? Are you going to be walking home after school? Or are you taking the bus home?” Andy inquired. “Walking home,” Jacob replied as he slipped his phone in his back pocket, grabbing his plate and putting it in the sink. Finishing his glass of milk, he put that in the sink too, beginning to wash them. Putting them on the dish rack to dry as he headed upstairs.

With that, Andy pondered. Thought. Schemed.

What would he say to you this morning? Would he greet you, like always?

Probably. Most definitely.

By the time Jacob had come downstairs again with his backpack slung over his shoulders, there was a car honk from outside. Jacob’s phone pinged again in his hand from where he snagged it from the kitchen island.

“Oh, they’re here. You wanna walk me out, dad? Say hi to Kaia and her sister?” Jacob suggested. Andy gave him a nod. Together, they walked out the front door to greet their guests. Kaia hopped out of the car from where she was sitting at the front seat. The shotgun door opened, she clamored out of the car and was immediately engulfed in a hug from Jacob.

“You ready for the vocab test?” Kaia smirked at Jacob. He groaned. “Don’t remind me,” replied Jacob bitterly, “I’ve been dreading it since we started the frigging unit. Kill me now. I swear, we’re going to that ice cream parlor down the street. We deserve it after the quiz.” Kaia let out a snicker. The driver’s door was open and closed as you made your way around to greet Andy.

“Morning Andy.”

He had never seen a more beautiful sight. You were all dressed in your normal blouse, jeans, and flats. You only saved heels or pumps in the courtroom. Or for special occasions, like birthdays or holidays. Your makeup was put on flawlessly. Not a smear or smudge in sight. Lips painted in your signature dark red, all cleaned up with concealer over it. Andy had gotten so used to you wearing red lipstick to the point where he even had an impulse to buy the exact shade when he and Jacob had been at the store, just to see why you liked it so much. To look good and to look professional, you had told him. You had wanted to make a statement. And dark red lipstick seemed to do it for you. Fiery and bold, just like you.

Ignoring the way his cock hardened in his jeans, Andy offered you a smile.

“Mornin.”

You couldn’t stop the smile that spread over your lips.

Really. You couldn’t.

How could you?

Looking at him now, dressed in a button-down white shirt with his slacks. Still wearing his slippers, because he hadn’t found the right pair of shoes to put on yet before he started the day at the office. The dark hair. The magnificent beard had been trimmed and kept in place with his usual beard oil.

He looked so put together. Always. Like he had his life on track. Not like you. Even though you might’ve looked like you had your life together, you always felt like a person who was seeing a speeding train coming towards them, ready to crash right into them. Not having any chance to escape. It was suffocating almost in a way. Like you couldn’t stop it.

You were a certified mess.

“… Um… so… I’m taking Jacob and Kaia to school.”

You sounded like a total idiot. You were always a mess around Andy. Just the sight of the man made your body feel like goo. Your vagina wet and throbbing with need. You felt like you were your old self again before the accident. Like you were in college again and trying to date. Being all giggly.

You could almost feel like you were your old self once more. You were happy and whole again around him. Like the puzzle pieces weren’t hard anymore. That they fit perfectly.

Andy smiled at you. A full smile.

“Jake told me. He said he’s walking home today after school. I’m guessin' Kaia’s doin' the same?” He asked. You gave him a nod. “Yup. They’re planning to go to the ice cream parlor after all,” you sighed. Kaia had been on her wit's end with the PowerPoint presentation, and now, this vocab quiz she was going to take in her fifth period with Jacob.

“After that, they’re going to a friend’s house. His name’s Jose or something like that? They’re gonna be playing video games. Call of Duty probably.” you shrugged. You heard the backseat doors close. Signaling to you that Kaia and Jacob had finally gotten in your car.

“Come have dinner with me.”

It hadn’t been the first time he had asked you. To go to dinner with him. For the past few months, Andy had asked you out for coffee. After that, it had become dinner. You knew he wanted a relationship. Something stable. He had made his interest in you clear. But every time, you declined. You didn’t want to do it.

So when you looked at him, gazed into those blue eyes that were full of nothing but softness and promise, it shocked you when you had replied with a soft, “Okay.”

You didn’t know what possessed you to say yes. Maybe it was Kaia’s influence. Or maybe it was that little voice inside you, that little part of you that was finally done with your shit. That had gotten fed up with you. And rightfully so.

Surprise showed on Andy’s face.

“U-Um… okay. You wanna just have dinner at my house?” he suggested. You gave him a short nod. You had been to his house. You had visited his house before. It would be okay. You were safe at his house.

“Yeah. Dinner here sounds okay. You can cook whatever you want, I’m not really allergic to anything. M’ not picky either,” you informed him. A nod came from Andy. You whipped out your phone.

7:15.

Shit. If traffic was getting worse, the kids would possibly be late.

“Gotta go,” you said to him. Andy just nodded again in understanding. “See you at work,” was all he said. You gave him one last, final nod before getting back in your car. The car door slammed shut.

Both Kaia and Jacob snickered.

“Oh shut up you two.”

The two teenagers just snickered louder.

Around lunchtime…

You were about to have it.

You were going to throw your hands in the air.

You were beginning to be fed up.

Sitting at your desk that was right next to Andy’s, you stared down at the piece of paper like it was a nuisance.

This was an open and shut case. This one. You had no idea why Joanna said to drag this case out. You were beginning to question her at this point.

Done.

You were sooo done. Done with a capital D.O.N.E.

Finished.

Sighing deeply and mentally counting to ten, you rested your face on the palms of your hands. Even gripped your hair to try and calm yourself.

The next time you saw Joanna, you were going to give her a piece of your mind.

You know, once she came back from her little vaca with her partner.

You heard footsteps.

Familiar ones.

You knew who was coming, walking towards your office at this time of day.

Andy.

He always visited you during your lunch break. Your doorknob twisted open and revealed Andy on the other side. The older man looked at you, holding bags of take-out in his hands. You noticed it was Thai today. Yesterday it had been Italian.

“Is it curry today? Or fried chicken?” You asked him with a grin on your face. Getting up, you took the offered bag. Plopping yourself happily at your desk, you began to take the take-out box out.

“Curry, rice, and Thai fried chicken,” Andy replied to you. You cocked an eyebrow. “You got me the spicy curry, right?”

“Mhmmm,” Andy said, focused on opening his own take-out, sitting at the chair in front of your desk. You smiled behind your plastic spoon. You hummed as you plugged your Bluetooth device into your phone, hearing your Spotify playlist play.

“So, dinner.” You looked up.

Andy was looking at you. His gaze nearly made you wet. It was hot, almost like his eyes were burning into your soul. Taking you apart, piece by piece.

You almost squirmed in your rolling chair. Instead, you ate some more curry, trying to ease off the burning sensation that was now in between your legs. “Uh-huh…” you were nodding, “So for dinner, I was thinking steak… steak and potatoes? Does that sound good?” He said. You were looking thoughtful. “Only if they’re smashed garlic potatoes. With garlic butter.”

Andy nodded.

“So we got a deal?” You smirked. You looked at the bearded man who was sitting in front of your desk. For a moment, you thought he was looking at you like you were something he’d want to eat. The thought made you want to shudder in anticipation.

Not that you’d ever tell him that.

Never.

Later that day…

“I’m going to vomit. I’m going to vomit and Andy’s not going to be able to look at me in the face, and then I’ll have to change jobs. It’s going to be so embarrassing.”

Kaia rolled her eyes.

From where she was, in your room, sitting on your bed, she was really wondering why she had made that quick pit-stop home before going with Jacob to their friend’s house.

Because this?

This?

Having to hear you panic and run around your room like a teenage girl going on her first date?

That shit was reserved for her, not you. You were the adult here. She was the teenager. With her, at least it was reasonable. But you?

No.

Absolutely not.

Never.

Nu-uh.

It made her want to smack her head against the wall in frustration.

“… You look fine,” was what she told you, as she watched you look at yourself in the big mirror next to your door. Your hands went to your hair, desperately trying to smooth it down.

The sun was beginning to slowly go down. Kaia could hear one of your neighbors on the other side of the street, standing at her sink. Hands deep in soapy water as she gossiped with her friend.

As always.

Nothing was unusual anymore.

For the first time in her life since the death of her parents and moving here to Newton, Kaia could safely admit to herself that at least for her, life was looking up. Sure, it had been hard, saying goodbye to her old friends back home. But she had Instagram. Twitter. Their phone numbers. Cause nobody used Snapchat anymore. Everybody knew that app was dead. You only used Snapchat if you wanted to find a partner. Which was the stupidest thing she had ever heard in her life.

So keeping in touch with her old friends back home wasn’t a problem. Nor was it hard. Did she miss them sometimes? Absolutely. But it was okay. It wasn’t like they were totally gone from her life.

And besides, now, Kaia had new friends. Friends that she genuinely hung out with, that she liked hanging out with. She liked her teachers and her classes. She was beginning to participate in extra-curricular stuff. Joining clubs. Hell, she was even talking with Jacob, trying to convince him to audition with her school’s production of Into The Woods. At this point, she didn’t care if she played a damn tree, like how she had done when she was six.

Or maybe Red Riding Hood.

Maybe she’d play her.

Not a stepsister though.

She didn’t want to cut off her heel, or her toes.

Kidding.

She was kidding.

Jacob was her best friend. She liked his dad. She liked her life here.

So why couldn’t you? Maybe it was her mind still being in her teenage years, developing too much. Maybe it was because she was still a teenager, still trying to figure out where she fit in the world. She didn’t even know if she wanted to go to college yet. Life was still moving along, and she was still in it for the ride.

Maybe she just didn’t get it. Not yet.

But she knew she loved you. You were her older sister, her only living family member she could actually call family. All she had was you now. You did so much. You paid the rent. You paid the bills. You made sure to remind her before she slept if she was going to stay in the living room late, that the back door would be locked before she went to bed. You helped her with schoolwork. Or any math she didn’t get. What could she say? She didn’t want to learn Geometry! It wasn’t like she was going to use Geometry in her life too much anyway.

You deserved to be happy. You liked Andy, she could see it. She knew how you felt about the idea though. Especially from this morning. But you out of all people at least deserved to be happy. To have a boyfriend. And besides, if you started dating Andy, then that meant she didn’t have to scroll through your camera roll for good pictures that you could post on your Tinder.

You were a frigging grown adult. Kaia couldn’t understand that part at all.

She let out a groan and flopped back into your bed, announcing to the ceiling.

“You aren’t gonna vomit!” she exclaimed, “even if ya do, Andy will help you! Hell, he’ll probably even give you a change of clothes! He’s a nice guy! Besides, it’s just dinner! Are you gonna sleep with him? Cause I wouldn’t blame you if you did. Oh my god, if I was you, I would totally do it too.”

A slightly alarming noise came from you.

“Kaia!” you exclaimed in horror. Kaia didn’t look swayed. She was practically unbothered as she got up from your bed, getting off and walking over to you with the smudgiest look on her face. “What?” She replied, unbothered. “It’s not a lie. He’s a total DILF. Even Martha thinks so. Pamela too. Sides’, if you date him, then that means I get to see Jacob more. Everybody’s happy. Everybody wins, sis. It doesn’t hurt to try and be happy again. You deserve to be happy after everything. Don’t be hard on yourself. Have fun.”

A smile stretched over her face when she was engulfed in a bone-crushing hug. She almost didn’t mind.

“Thank you.” your voice was muffled, tight. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too.”

There was a beat of silence before she spoke again.

“Kay… you gotta let go, sis. You’re crushing me. And I gotta go to Jose’s house with Jacob. Call of Duty and pizza isn’t gonna wait for anyone.”

Your nerves were still kicking in when you pulled up to the Barber residence.

Because okay, sure, you had been here like a million times.

But you weren’t going to dinner with Andy when you came here.

When you came here, it was to work on cases.

Or to bring Kaia over to hang out.

Not dinner.

Not this fancy stuff that people would do if they were dating.

Oh yeah, and you and Andy weren’t dating.

So there was that too.

You might’ve stayed in your car for a few seconds. To try and compose yourself, to keep your nerves in check. Cause it was just Andy. Andy. Andy was your friend. This was just dinner. After this, life would go completely back to normal. Everything would be fine after this.

Right?

Right.

Getting out of your car, the door shut as you pressed a button, hearing the car beep. But you did it again, just to make sure it was locked properly. Satisfied, you slipped your car keys into your pocket and made your way to the front door.

A ring of the doorbell.

A knock following.

The door swung open.

You died right then and there.

Well, no. That was a lie.

But you definitely stopped in your tracks.

Andy had changed out of his button-down shirt and slacks. Now he was just wearing a regular t-shirt and sweats. He looked almost comfy. His hair was a little bit on the messier side now. Running around the house, you suspected. Or extra work he had been doing, even after work. To say that Andy was sorta a workaholic was an understatement. Whenever you saw him, he looked like he was always working. But you suspected, after the divorce, that he had more free time to hang out with Jacob. You knew he was having joint custody of Jacob with Laurie. Jacob would go to Laurie’s house on the weekends.

“Um… hi.”

You were ready to smack yourself right on the head.

Hi? That was the best you could come up with? Hi? Were you freaking serious?

Embarrassing.

It was so embarrassing for you.

“Hi.”

He was smiling at you. Inviting you in, you were welcomed with the familiar look of the Barber house.

It hadn’t changed a lot. The pictures were still hung on the walls. The kitchen island was still there in its spot. The living room, the couch, the TV- they were all the same. Hadn’t changed a bit. Old pictures of Laurie, Jacob, and Andy before the divorce were still hung up on the walls leading upstairs. The kitchen was brightly lit, smelling like potatoes and steak.

“Say Andy… do you reverse sear your steak?” You asked him when you took off your shoes, leaving them at the door.

As the two of you walked into the kitchen, Andy looked at you.

“Nah,” he replied, “I just use a cast-iron skillet. Is it good that way?” He asked you. You gave a soft hum as you slipped into the kitchen island. Taking a seat. “Depends. You might need a meat thermometer to check the temperature. Cooking it in the oven at a lower temperature for a while makes it really tender. Then all ya gotta do is sear it. Come to think of it, I’ve never had basted steak before.” You looked thoughtful. Andy nearly dropped his tongs in surprise.

“What?”

Had he heard you wrong?

You never had basted steak before in your life? Just what the hell had you been doing in your life that you had never basted your steak before?

“Yeah,” you were nodding, “never had it before. My parents never did it before when they were still alive, I guess. They never basted our steaks in the past. Just cooked it in the pan on the stove. The steak juices were enough. I put them on my fried rice all the time as a kid. More flavor.”

Andy knew how hard it was when you brought up your parents. Talking about them just now… you were beginning to lose yourself in old memories. Happier ones. Ones that you remembered as a kid, running around in the kitchen, helping your dad cook. Or helping your mom cook rice in the rice cooker. Or even chasing Kaia around the house.

Even now, he could see a thoughtful look on your face. You looked less stressed out. You almost looked younger. Happier. For a moment, he wondered, what this what you looked like before the accident? Younger, more youthful? Fewer responsibilities on your shoulders? Like you were enjoying life before everything had blown up in your face?

It made him wonder.

He knew he liked you. More than a friend. Cause you were more than just a friend to him. You were someone close to him. He didn’t like you because he felt bad for you. Your situation.

No.

You made him laugh.

You made him happy.

Happier than Laurie had ever made him.

Because yes, he still held a soft spot for his ex-wife. She would always be important to him. They had started as friends before they started dating and had Jacob together. They worked better as friends, not husband and wife. And he was fine with that.

But you?

He knew his feelings towards you ran deeper than friendship.

He always envisioned being with you. Being at your home. His home. Holding your hand. Taking you out on dates, like two people dating would. He wanted all of those things. All of it. The entire package.

But you had told him politely that you weren’t looking to date.

And he got that. He understood. But it didn’t mean that it didn’t hurt sometimes when he’d be in his room, late at night, deep in thought.

“So it’d be a first for you, huh?”

That snapped you right out of your thoughts. Brought you back down to earth. To reality. Your reality. The wistful, young look in your eyes was gone. Back was your look of holding everything in, bottling up all of your feelings because you needed to stay strong. For your sister. To make sure everything was okay. Andy almost missed that look.

“Yeah,” your voice was gentle, almost thoughtful, “it’s definitely a first.”

Andy smiled at you. You caught it. You couldn’t help yourself. A smile crept over your lips, betraying your current mood. Because how could you not? With this man in front of you?

“Well, I’ll make sure the first time is amazing.” He shot you a wink.

For the first time in what seemed like forever, you giggled. Feeling like your old self again.

Dinner was good.

Really good.

The steak had been like heaven-sent. You didn’t know why you hadn’t baked it before, and then put it in the pan. And the butter basting?

Yes.

Everything. Yes.

You would never cook steak like how you used to. Ever again.

A true life-changer, really.

“… I’m telling you, Andrew, she should’ve not had grabbed that knife to stab Carrie. She already knows about her telekinesis powers.”

You and Andy were now watching Carrie. The older one. 1976 one.

“Yeah, but her mom was overly religious.” Andy pointed out as Carrie raised her mother in the air, before stopping her heart. You pursed your lips together.

“Mmm… you’ve got a point there.”

The rest of the movie played out. Carrie’s mom died, Carrie died in Sue’s arms, and then the scene of Sue having a nightmare. After that, the movie was over. You chewed on your last bits of popcorn. You got up, walking over to the trash can so you could dump out the unpopped kernels and leftover uneaten popcorn.

All of a sudden, your phone that had been on the coffee table pinged. Andy, who had been still on the couch, picked up your phone. It was a notification from Tinder, saying that you had gotten a Match.

“Since when do you have Tinder?”

You nearly dropped your now-empty bowl in shock.

Spluttering.

That was all Andy got in response from you. You were even stammering, at a loss for words when he turned his gaze to look at you. Then he was getting up, your phone in his hands as you let out a squeak when his body pressed over yours, cementing you, pushing up against you, trapping you against the kitchen counter. Unable to move.

“What is this?” Andy was demanding you, “huh? What is this?” Shoving your phone screen in your face, making, no, forcing you to look at the little pop-up on your screen. You were still stammering, your eyes wide.

“I-I…”

You kept looking at your phone screen. Seeing that Tinder notification still on your screen. Your brain was still rebooting. You were still trying to gather your wits.

“Tell me!”

His hands might’ve gripped at your shoulders. He might’ve even shaken you to answer him. Your phone had been tossed onto the kitchen counter with a thunking noise.

Like a light bulb being turned on, you managed to gather your wits. Your hands went to Andy’s shoulders, yanking him back away from you. He was so shocked that he couldn’t fight back. You pushed yourself off of the kitchen counter, shouting. “It’s just Tinder, Andy! My god! I’m allowed to be on Tinder!”

Andy couldn’t believe it.

At all.

“You told me you weren’t interested when I asked you out the first time.” Andy pointed out to you. You were seething through your teeth.

“I told you. I wasn’t ready to be in a relationship yet. That didn’t mean- that didn’t mean… I wasn’t interested.”

Disbelief.

Andy was in disbelief.

“How long? How long were you interested?” He was asking you now, switching tactics. You began to shake your head.

No.

No, no, no.

Nooo.

This was not what you wanted.

At all.

“Tell me! Tell me when you got interested in me!” He was beginning to shout.

“Stop! Just stop!”

Andy was breathing heavily. His cheeks were flushed due to his anger. You were shaking. Anxiety rolling off of you in waves.

He felt bad.

Immediately.

Never had Andy yelled at you before. Ever. He was always gentle with you. Smiling at you. You had never gotten him this angry, this enraged, this furious before.

He couldn’t almost comprehend it.

What you did to him.

You drove him crazy.

Like right now.

“Just stop…” you had begun to sniff. Horror showed on his face. His arms came around you, gently holding you. “I’m sorry,” his voice was hoarse, “I shouldn’t have yelled at you. I’m sorry. Please don’t cry.”

Another sniff came from you.

“… The park.”

“What?”

Now he was confused. Pulling away so he could look at you. You were looking at him.

“Do you remember? When we were at the park? We took the Rail Transportation, remember? It was really early in the morning. On a Saturday.”

He remembered. He remembered what you were talking about. Jacob and Kaia had been planning a day at the park, just to get some air. And to go and feed the ducks with the stale bread that Jacob had been pleading with Andy not to throw out. It had been a cold morning. But it had been worth it. Cause he had gotten to see you.

“No… no, I remember.” He said. “You looked so… you made me feel so… so good. Like… like I was myself again. Before the accident. I got Tinder cause… cause I didn’t think you’d want me.”

Outrageous.

It sounded simply outrageous.

And then he was kissing you. Like, kissing you kissing you. His hands had risen up to cup your face and pushed, nearly shoved you back into the kitchen cabinets. Your back smacking against the kitchen cabinets with a thud. Your hands grasped the hem of his shirt, managing to tug at it, before you pulled it up and over his face, tossing it to the floor. Revealing his broad chest. Good god, this was way better than your fantasies about the man.

“Yeah? You think about us a lot?”

Had you just said that out loud?

By the pure animalistic look on Andy’s face, yes, yes, you had said that out loud.

“Yeah,” you breathed out, your voice raspy. “Thought bout it a lot. Never thought it could happen though.”

Your back smacked against the kitchen cabinets again. Andy kissed you again, harder this time. This kiss was a deeper one. Hungrier. Like he was going to eat you alive.

And you didn’t mind.

Not one bit.

Andy’s hands came down from your face, down to your shirt. Tugging it, pulling it up, until he could pull it over your head and tossed it to the kitchen floor. You gasped when his hands came to your bra, ripping it in half. The remains of your bra were tossed carelessly to the floor too, forgotten and not cared about. A hoarse cry erupted from you when he took a nipple into his mouth, sucking harshly, his tongue swirling around the hardened bud until it hurt. His beard scratched against your breast. Then he moved onto the other one, giving it the same treatment.

Your hands went to your jeans.

Pop.

That was the button of your jeans. You were sure that those were the button of your jeans. Getting impatient, Andy helped you unzip the zipper of your jeans, pulling, shoving your jeans down. You kicked off a favorite pair of jeans. It was around that time that Andy had kicked off his sweatpants.

You nearly almost fucking died and ascended again.

Jesus fucking Christ on a stick, he was huge. When Andy pushed back his foreskin, it revealed a huge erection. Your legs parted for him, all spread out for him. You practically looked like a feast for him, the way your body was all spread out for him. A treat in his reach that he could actually have now.

At the first thrust, he was inside of you, four, five inches in at the most. It made you gasp. Briefly, you acknowledged that he hadn’t prepared you for his dick at all. He was going in dry. It hurt. It really did. The pain erupted, spread all through you. It made your vaginal walls clench tightly around his erection. Another thrust in you, and he was completely in you. Filling you up. You had never felt so damn stuffed in your life. But the pain. Oh, the pain. Your eyes watered.

“Have you ever…” he trailed off. You gave him a nod. “Yeah. Don’t worry, m’ not a virgin. It’s just been a while and… well… you’re not… average.” A nod from Andy confirmed that he understood. His hands came to cup your face again. Except for this time, it wasn’t rough or harsh. It was gentler now. He was looking at you directly in the eyes. His blue eyes filled with nothing but warmth.

“I love you.”

You let out a choked sob. For a moment, Andy thought he must have done something wrong to elicit a response like that from you.

“I love you too,” you sobbed.

Then he started moving. In and out. Thrusting in and out of your pussy that was just getting wetter and wetter by the second. All you could do was grip his shoulders tightly and just take it. Take all he gave you. Every thrust made your eyes roll into the back of your head as you cried out.

Your back continuously smacked against the kitchen cabinets. You were pretty sure you’d be having marks, maybe even bruises tomorrow when you woke up. But it was okay. It would be all worth it. Totally worth it.

You came screaming. Your walls clamped down on his cock like a vice. Trapping him. It made Andy swear out loud. You could've sworn you heard his accent slip in. The thought made your cunt throb.

Pump. Squish. Pump. Squish.

His balls slapped against your clit the further he pounded in you, despite your orgasm. Your second orgasm piggybacked off of the first one, cause then you were cumming again. Andy was holding onto your hips, so tight you thought that he was going to leave marks there too. But he continued to plow into you, into the warm, slippery center that was you.

He was cumming. Andy was cumming hard. Harder than he ever thought he would’ve ever in his life. His balls tightened, coming in you with a shout. Sweat ran down his face. There might’ve been a neck vein that looked close to throbbing.

Andy took you. Again and again on the kitchen counter, making you cum every time, until your body went slack. Until you were out of it and couldn’t come no more. Every orgasm left you gasping and like someone had knocked you right off of your feet. Finally, Andy came for the last time, spilling everything he had in you with a grunt.

He was gasping. Both of your bodies were slick with sweat. For what seemed like an entire, the two of you stayed like that. Him still buried balls deep in you.

“I mean it, you know. I wanna do it.”

You looked at him.

Not that you hadn’t been looking at him before.

“W-What…”

“I wanna take you out on dates. Hold your hand. All that shit that couples do.” He said to you. Still trying to regain your breath, it took you a little bit to respond. “You… you actually want to…”

“Yes.”

His answer was firm. It reminded you of when you’d accompany him to the courthouse and watch in the audience as he did his work. The look in his eyes was absolute.

If there was one thing you knew about Andy Barber was that he never backed down from a fight. And whatever he wanted, he got.

“I love you. You love me. We’re fully grown adults. Hell, we’ve got our lives sorted out somewhat. Are we going to have disagreements? Hell yeah, we are. Our relationship isn’t going to be all sunshine and frigging rainbows. But I want to give us a try. Only if you want to. You deserve to be happy. You don’t deserve looking for love. You shouldn’t keep denying yourself love either. You don’t need to be carryin’ this whole entire weight on your shoulders. Just allow yourself to be happy. Cause you deserve it.”

Jesus frigging Christ. If Andy had never become a district attorney, he would’ve made a shit ton of money as a poet or something. Cause the stuff he was spewing was making you cry again.

You were sniffing. Tears rolling down your face. His thumbs came to your cheeks to wipe them away.

“It’s okay. We can figure it out. One step at a time, okay?” His voice was gentle. Soothing you.

“Okay. We can… we can go on dates and stuff, right? I mean technically we’ve passed the fucking-on-the-first-date rule.” It made Andy chuckle.

“Yeah. We can go on dates and stuff. We can go to the park tomorrow. Just you an me. That sound okay?” he asked you. You began to nod until you remembered Jacob and Kaia.

“Shit! What about Jacob and Kaia?” You looked very worried now. Andy just chuckled, again. It made you look at him in pure horror. Did he just not care about his own son right now? Why was he laughing?

“Hey, hey, hey. It’s okay. Jacob and Kaia can work on their PowerPoint presentation tomorrow. It’ll be okay.” he assured you. Beginning to pick you up bridal style, carrying you up the stairs to his room. He put you in bed, pulling the sheets over the two of you.

“So the park’s a go?”

Andy didn’t even bother hiding his smile.

“Yeah. And our next date. And the next one. And the-”

“I get it.”

His laughter was all you heard as he brought you close. Holding you. Allowing you to feel how warm and homey he felt.

“We’re going to be okay?” Your voice came out a little timid.

“We’re going to be okay. We’re going to be just fine.”

And really, how could you doubt that?

Things were going to be just fine from here on out.

Taglist: @greeneyedblondie44, @bxnnywriting

#andy barber x reader #chris evans fanfiction #andy barber fanfiction #defending jacob

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the-record-newspaper · 5 years

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The killing of Rhonda Hinson Part 36

Editor’s note: This is the continuation of a series about the Dec. 23, 1981, murder of Rhonda Hinson.

By LARRY J. GRIFFIN

Special Investigative Reporter

For The Record

Stanley [Nelson]…did it because he couldn’t bear the spiritual imbalance created in his hometown—and in America—by murder victims being abandoned by the justice system, and by their families being condemned to perpetual pain and grief. –Author Greg Iles commenting upon the Civil Rights cold case investigative reporting of Stanley Nelson, Editor of the Concordia Sentinel in Ferriday, Louisiana.

“I talked with Mark Turner today by phone. He informed me Greg McDowell accepted his invitation and will come on Friday, January 26, 1996, around 6:00 PM,” Detective James “Flash” Pruett noted in his synopsis of activities, dated Monday, Jan. 22, 1996.

Immediately, Flash called the SBI office in Hickory to speak with Roy Brown relative to executing the plan to record the home visit of Greg and Jane McDowell with Mark and Faith Turner. “Roy had given me the date of January 27, 1996, as the date he could do the covert recording. Roy said he would be out of town and unable to do the recording. He said he would ask Don Riechard to assist me,” the detective recorded in his case file notes.

But before the plan could even “get off the ground,” it hit a snag. Later in the day, Detective Pruett received a phone call from Roy Brown requesting that he come to the Hickory SBI Office for a conference. Flash wrote of the meeting:

“I arrived around 1:00 PM. He sat with me in the conference room and told me he had called the Attorney General’s office about my plans to record the suspect’s voice. Roy said the AG was extremely upset and told him to immediately stop. Roy quoted the AG as saying the information gained would be illegal and would not be admissible in a court of law. Roy quoted the AG, saying it would be ‘fruits from the poisoned tree.’ The AG further instructed Roy to call me to his office and do a written memo to the effect the SBI is no longer part of this covert recording.”

[Note: In 1996, former N.C. Governor Mike Easley was the state’s Attorney General. Ostensibly, Roy Brown did not speak directly with Easley; instead, he spoke with and was quoting the reaction of Assistant Attorney General John Waters.]

Detective Pruett left the SBI Office and immediately phoned District Attorney David Flaherty at his office in Newton. He was informed that Flaherty was in his Lenoir office; but when he called that location, the DA was out for lunch. At length, Flash succeeded in reaching Flaherty who invited him to Lenoir to discuss the plan. The detective arrived at 3 p.m. He summarized the consultation in his daily notes:

“I met with him in length and brought him up to date on the investigation. My main objective was for him to call the AG’s office and ask about the recording issue. Flaherty said he did not see any problems….He said it was not ‘fruits of the poison tree.’ He could not see any illegal actions in my plans. He called the assistant Attorney General, John Waters…John was busy and said he would call back. Approximately thirty minutes later he called.”

Curiously, Mr. Waters denied saying any of the plans were illegal or ‘fruits of the poison tree.’ He averred that Detective Pruett’s strategy was ‘clever and completely legal,’ albeit simultaneously devious. Moreover, he indicated that if the suspect was convicted solely on the strength of information garnered from the recording, a Court of Appeals may overturn the conviction.

It was clear to the Burke County detective that Assistant Attorney General Waters’ main focus was to distance himself from any involvement in the execution of the surreptitious sound recording. He maintained that the ‘Agent’ [Roy Brown of the SBI] should not have contacted him in the first place; his doing so made the assistant attorney general a part of the investigation. Though officers have immunity from civil litigation stemming from an investigation, Waters affirmed, he himself did not—that fact prompted his official vehement reaction against the plan earlier that day.

David Flaherty concurred, saying that he could not become part of the investigation either; however, he pledged to continue to assist Flash in his efforts. The DA recommended that those initiating and executing the plan should contact the county’s attorney relative to the civil liabilities of the case.

Clearly, when Detective Pruett left the DA’s Lenoir office, he was prepared to proceed in an effort to extract some admission that would either implicate Greg or his father, Charles.

Upon his return to the Burke County Sheriff’s Department, Flash informed Lt. Calloway that the SBI would no longer support the plan to record the McDowell’s evening visitation with the Turners. The lieutenant suggested that they contact Buddy Noles of Western Piedmont Community College (WPCC) for assistance, while stipulating that the plan should move forward.

The following day, Tuesday, Jan. 23, 1996, Detective Pruett traveled to the Raleigh area to interview the William Clements family. After arriving in the Capital City, he consulted the phonebook to obtain a phone number for the Clements. Upon securing both a number and an address, he drove to White Oak Road in Garner and located the small brick home of Ruby and William Clements.

The Clements knew the McDowell family; Charles was their pastor at New Bethel Baptist Church in Garner before he took the pastorate at Wilkies Grove Baptist Church. Their son, William “Billy,” married Charlene McDowell but was divorced from her at the time of Flash’s interview, though the estranged couple shared two children.

Most importantly, however, was the fact that Greg McDowell lived with the Clements Family in Garner in 1981 during his first semester at North Carolina State University.

Flash knocked on the kitchen door, and Ruby Clements greeted and invited him inside. Of the interview, the detective wrote:

“I tried to make friends with her before I asked about Greg. She was very guarded and very supportive of Greg McDowell. In fact, she said, ‘Are you the detective that harassed Greg all those years?’ I told her no, but she continued to resist the interview. She said she didn’t know anything and couldn’t help me. The husband was also interviewed in the master bedroom with Ruby. He is suffering from several strokes and has a memory problem.”

During the hour-long interview, the Clementses offered little information other than confirming that the young McDowell roomed with them during his first college semester and averring that they never saw him with a gun. In fact, the session was so unremarkable that Flash decided not to file a formal interview detailing the scant information gleaned.

From the Clementses’ residence, the detective drove to Raleigh’s SBI Lab. He noted in summary:

“I met with Gene Bishop, Chief Firearms Examiner, in the break room of the firearms section. Gene brought a file with him, but I did not see the contents. He said the old file was in archives and I would need John Suttle to be with me before I could view them. I wanted to resubmit the negatives for 8 X 10s of all the contact prints. Not all negatives were used for enlargements and I wanted larger pictures to look at different parts of the crime scene.”

Flash requested that he be allowed to view the bullet recovered from Rhonda’s body during the autopsy. Mr. Bishop excused himself, walked back into a secure section, and returned carrying a small brown envelop. The Chief Firearms Examiner emptied the contents into the detective’s palm—the projectile used in the killing of Rhonda Hinson. Flash noted that it was, “a long bullet with a mushroomed point. It is remarkably intact with numerous identifiable points….”

Though he was scheduled to be out of the office on Thursday, Jan. 25, 1996, Detective Pruett busied himself with preparations to record the McDowell/Turner social event the following evening. He met with Buddy Noles of WPCC to request that he do the recording before meeting Mark Turner at his Valdese residence at 2:30 p.m. Mr. Noles identified the best location in the residence to install the equipment. Wireless transmitters would be hidden in the curtains of “the room adjoining the living room….” The actual recording equipment was to be ensconced in the crawl space. All agreed that the installation would take place the following day before the evening assignation.

“I talked with Mark for some time in the living room of the home,” Flash noted in his case file records. “He was unsure if he should assist in recording his best friend’s voice. I told him it was completely voluntary. He agreed to go ahead with the recording. He said he wanted, ‘to do the right thing.’”

On Friday, Jan. 26, 1996, at 2:30 p.m.—three and one half hours before Greg and Jane McDowell were to arrive at the Turner’s Bouchard Avenue address—Pruett and Buddy Noles met with Mark to install the surveillance equipment per their plan. While Turner signed the consent-to-record form in the basement, Noles installed the equipment in the crawlspace. The trio of men then climbed the stairs to the target room where wireless transmitters were placed on the window-side of the curtains. Once the installation was completed, Buddy Noles left—Flash stayed behind and talked with Mark and Faith Turner “for some time.” He wrote of their interactions:

“They were worried I thought Mark was the shooter because of his having possession of the sweatjacket. I explained Mark didn’t have the other items apparently left in the victim’s car. My statements seemed to ease their minds and they soon began talking more freely. They both felt Greg was the shooter, just from reflecting on their December 1981 memories.”

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freelancesumandas · 6 years

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Texas Divorce Morality Clause: Be Careful What You Ask For

Spring Divorce Lawyer: Many clients I have represented in a divorce ask about obtaining a “morality clause,” either while their divorce is ongoing or for after their divorce is finalized. In this section, we will discuss what a morality clause is and what it means in practice.

WHAT IS A MORALITY CLAUSE?

At its most basic level, a “morality clause” prohibits a parent from allowing anyone with whom they have a dating or romantic relationship to spend the night when they have the children.

WHAT IS THE INTENT OF A MORALITY CLAUSE?

The intent of a morality clause is to prevent a parent from exposing their children to a “revolving door” of new boyfriends or girlfriends. However, parents often complain they find it burdensome and say it creates problems in forming new relationships.

STANDING ORDER AND THE MORALITY CLAUSE

Some counties in Texas have a standing order in place that puts an automatic “morality clause” in place while you are going through a divorce. The counties include:

1. Bexar County 2. Bell County 3. Brazos County 4. Collin County 5. Denton County 6, Erath County 7. Fannin County 8. Hutchinson County 9. Jasper County 10. Kaufman County 11. Montgomery County 12. Newton County 13. Sabine County 14. San Augustine County 15. Stephens County 16. Wise County 17. Young County

AN EXAMPLE OF THE MORALITY CLAUSE IN PRACTICE

As you will notice above, Collin County has a standing order with a morality clause. In 2013, Judge Roach Jr. attracted some media attention for enforcing a morality clause against a lesbian couple. The ex-husband took his wife back to court to enforce the morality provision in their divorce decree.

Judge Roach Jr. enforced the provision and gave the ex-wife’s lover 30 days to move out of the house.

IS A MORALITY CLAUSE IN YOUR FINAL DIVORCE DECREE RIGHT FOR YOU?

The Woodlands Divorce Attorney: Over the years, I have had many clients, or their ex, insist on putting a morality clause in their divorce judgment. The reason always boils down to some variation of: “it’s in the children’s best interest... Continue Reading

#divorce #divorce attorney #texas divorce #divorce houston #divorce law #Texas #texas attorneys #attorney texas #family law texas #family law attorney texas #houston texas #family #family law #family law in houston #family law attorney #houston family law #austin family law

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papermoonloveslucy · 6 years

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BOB HOPE’S WORLD OF COMEDY

October 30, 1976

Produced and Directed by Jack Haley Jr.

Written by: Charles Lee with Gig Henry, Jeffrey Barron, Katherine Green, and Jack Haley Jr.

Bob Hope (Himself, Host) was born Lesley Townes Hope in England in 1903. During his extensive career in virtually all forms of media he received five honorary Academy Awards. In 1945 Desi Arnaz was the orchestra leader on Bob Hope’s radio show. Ball and Hope did four films together. He appeared as himself on the season 6 opener of “I Love Lucy.” He did a brief cameo in a 1964 episode of “The Lucy Show.” When Lucille Ball moved to NBC in 1980, Hope appeared on her welcome special. He died in 2003 at age 100.

Lucille Ball (Herself) was born on August 6, 1911 in Jamestown, New York. She began her screen career in 1933 and was known in Hollywood as ‘Queen of the B’s’ due to her many appearances in ‘B’ movies. With Richard Denning, she starred in a radio program titled “My Favorite Husband” which eventually led to the creation of “I Love Lucy,” a television situation comedy in which she co-starred with her real-life husband, Latin bandleader Desi Arnaz. The program was phenomenally successful, allowing the couple to purchase what was once RKO Studios, re-naming it Desilu. When the show ended in 1960 (in an hour-long format known as “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour”) so did Lucy and Desi’s marriage. In 1962, hoping to keep Desilu financially solvent, Lucy returned to the sitcom format with “The Lucy Show,” which lasted six seasons. She followed that with a similar sitcom “Here’s Lucy” co-starring with her real-life children, Lucie and Desi Jr., as well as Gale Gordon, who had joined the cast of “The Lucy Show” during season two. Before her death in April 1989, Lucy made one more attempt at a sitcom with “Life With Lucy,” also with Gordon, which was not a success and was canceled after just 13 episodes.

Neil Simon (Himself) is a playwright and screenwriter responsible for more than 30 plays, most of which were seen on Broadway and adapted into films. At the time, one of his most enduring plays The Odd Couple was being done on television. In 1983 became the only living playwright to have a New York theatre named in his honor. In 1960, when it was still called the Alvin Theatre, Lucille Ball appeared there in the musical Wildcat.

Don Rickles (Himself) worked as a stand-up comic in nightclubs for nearly 20 years before making his film debut in 1958. Rickles was known as an insult comic and became a staple of Hollywood roasts. In “Lucy the Fight Manager” (TLS S5;E20) he made his first and last acting appearance with Lucille Ball, but would be seen with her on variety shows and specials through 1988. Rickles was the voice of Mr. Potato Head in the animated Toy Story franchise. He died in April 2017 at age 90.

Norman Lear (Himself) is a television writer and producer responsible for such hits as “All in the Family,” “Maude,” “One Day at a Time,” “The Jeffersons,” and many others. He received three Emmy Awards for his work on “All in the Family.”

Caroll Spinney (Big Bird) started playing Big Bird on “Sesame Street” in 1969. In 2000, Big Bird was named a Living Legend by the United States Library of Congress. Created by Jim Henson, Big Bird is one of two Muppets to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Spinney has been honored with four Daytime Emmy Awards for his portrayals on the series and two Grammy Awards for his related recordings. Two recordings of Spinney's voice have earned Gold Record status.

As with many Bob Hope specials, the show is sponsored by Texaco.

Bob Hope's opening monologue talks mainly about the Presidential Election, which would take place in two weeks. Incumbent president Gerald Ford ran against Jimmy Carter. He also touches on the World Series, the Swine Flu epidemic, Zsa Zsa Gabor's multiple marriages, and the CB radio craze.

Bob's first guest is Big Bird from “Sesame Street” (Caroll Spinney). Big Bird does an ad-lib impersonation of Jack Benny that makes Hope laugh. This kicks off a montage of clips about animals.

A pet shop staffed by Bob Newhart

Jackie Gleason playing golf with Mildred, a chimp in How To Commit Marriage (1969)

Roy Rogers and Trigger “the wonder horse”

Julie London with puppies who prove not to be housebroken

Dan Rowan with a horse and Dick Martin with a camel

Hope with his dog in a vet's waiting room and Betty Grable there with a race horse

Hope and Greer Garson in divorce court fighting over their dog, Mr. Smith

Lassie as the subject of “This is Your Life” in a spoof from “The Bob Hope Show”

Next Hope introduces a montage of clips featuring international stars.

Maurice Chevalier (France)

Eva Gabor (Hungary)

Zsa Zsa Gabor (Hungary) with Angie Dickinson

Ingrid Bergman (Sweden)

Anita Ekberg (Sweden) with William Holden and Robert Strauss

Olivia Newton John (Australia)

Rex Harrison (England) and Lilli Palmer (Poland) with Janis Paige

David Niven (England) with Marilyn Maxwell

After a Texaco commercial, Bob introduces Lucy Ricardo aka Lucy Carmichael aka “the bionic woman of comedy” - Lucille Ball.

Lucy reminisces with Bob, which leads to a black and white clip of a sketch from “The Bob Hope Show” (September 24, 1962). In it, Lucy plays a District Attorney and Bob a gangster named Bugsy Hope.

Back on stage, Bob asks Lucy the secret to her show's endearing success. She says that it has to do with the realatable domestic situations created by the writers. Bob add that the physical comedy gives her comedy world-wide appeal. Lucy says that as of last count her shows were seen in 79 countries. Lucy says she's heard herself dubbed in Japanese, and that in South America it is HER who as the accent. Asked about being a legend, Lucy says it is “kind of like an obituary” but she's very grateful.

After another Texaco break, Bob talks about slapstick and introduces a montage of clips.

Ernie Kovacs trying to sell his house during an earthquake

Bob as Bobby Riggs playing against Billie Jean King (Ann-Margret)

Hope and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. as astronauts walking in space

Jack Benny using hidden cameras in his home to avoid paying Hope a guest-star fee

The second hour of the special kicks off with Hope introducing playwright Neil Simon. They talk about writing, the difference between drama and comedy, and ethnic humor, which is the cue for the next montage of clips about vaudeville.

Hope and Crosby do a routine

Hope, Crosby, Steve Allen, and Jack Paar are child actors competing for the same job

Danny Thomas as a candy seller interrupting Hope's act by stealing all his punchlines

Donald O'Connor as Wingo the Magnificent, a knife thrower, with Hope as Courageous Targo, his human target

Hope introduces Don Rickles, who promotes his new show “CPO Sharkey” which he compares to Phil Silvers in “Sergeant Bilko.” Hope says he's been the victim of insult comedy, which begins a montage of clips where Bob is insulted by:

Milton Berle

Tony Randall

Redd Foxx

Glenn Campbell

Gina Lollobridgida

Jerry Colonna

Dorothy Lamour

Tony Bennett

Fred MacMurray

Joan Crawford

George Sanders

Frank Sinatra

Troy Donahue

Hedda Hopper

John Wayne

Dyan Cannon

Debbie Reynolds (with Jack Benny)

Juliet Prowse

Bob Hope introduces Norman Lear, who mentions he has no shows on NBC. They talk about “Mary Hartman Mary Hartman,” the 'Family Hour,' his flops like “Hot L Baltimore,” and Archie Bunker. The next batch of clips is about satire.

Johnny Carson as a playboy movie star Rock Carson appearing on a talk show

Hope, Burt Reynolds and Dyan Canon spoof the TV series “Paper Moon”

A sketch called “Bananaz” (“Bonanza”) starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Juliet Prowse

A “Batman” spoof starring Martha Rae as Bat Girl and Bob Hope as the villain Lobsterman

Medical dramas are poked fun at by Hope, Barbara Eden, and Lee Marvin

After a commercial, the montages are about dancing. Some of Hope's choreographed clips:

Dancing with Raquel Welch

Doing Eddie Foy's famous sand dance

Soft shoe with Pearl Bailey

A trio with Jeanne Crain and Betty Hutton

A challenge dance with George Burns

Rare footage of Dean Martin dancing alongside Hope

Polly Bergen, Jimmy Durante and Hope dance as babies while on their knees (above photo)

A partner dance with Ginger Rogers

Hoofing with Hope and Jimmy Cagney

Modern dance with Ann-Margret

Hat and cane steps with Sammy Davis Jr.

Hope wraps up the special with a look at some of the comedians of the past.

Budd Abbott and Lou Costello (above photo)

Fred Allen

Gracie Allen

Cliff Arquette aka Charlie Weaver

Mischa Auer

Robert Benchley

Jack Benny

Willy Best

Fanny Brice, the original 'Funny Girl'

Joe E. Brown

Billy Burke

Eddie Cantor

Jack Carson

Charles Correll, Amos of “Amos 'n' Andy”

Wally Cox

Joan Davis

Marie Dressler

Leon Errol

W.C. Fields

Billy Gilbert, the greatest sneeze in show business

Ted Healy and the Three Stooges

Hugh Herbert

Judy Holliday

Edward Everett Horton

Buster Keaton

Edgar 'Slow Burn' Kennedy

Ernie Kovacs

Burt Lahr

Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy

Harold Lloyd

Carol Lombard

Harpo and Chico Marx

Donald Meek

Victor Moore

Jack Norton, the perennial drunk

Franklin Pangborn

Joe Penner

Will Rodgers

Irene Ryan, Granny of “The Beverly Hillbillies”

Charlie Ruggles

S.Z. 'Cuddles' Sakall

Max Sennett, king of the Keystone Cops

Arthur Treacher

Burt Wheeler and Robert Wolsey

Ed Wynn

This Day in Lucy History – October 29th

“The Diet” (ILL S1;E3) – October 29, 1951

"Visitor from Italy" (ILL S6;E5) – October 29, 1956

"Lucy Buys a Sheep" (TLS S1;E5) – October 29, 1961

"Lucy and Andy Griffith" (HL S6;E8) – October 29, 1973

#Bob Hope's World of Comedy #Bob Hope #Lucille Ball #Neil Simon #Norman Lear #BIg Bird #Caroll Spinney #1976 #TV #NBC #Jack Haley Jr.#Don Rickles #Texaco

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tabloidtoc · 3 years

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Us, April 5

You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: All Eyes on Duchess Kate

Page 2: Red Carpet -- Hollywood is in full bloom with the perfect inspo to put a little spring in your step -- Elle Fanning, Kate Middleton, Cate Blanchett, Jennifer Lopez, Lupita Nyong'o

Page 3: Mindy Kaling, Kathryn Newton, Gabrielle Union, Caitriona Balfe, Penelope Cruz

Page 4: Who Wore It Best? Scarlett Johansson vs. Delilah Belle Hamlin vs. Ingrid Andress in Tom Ford

Page 6: Loose Talk -- Jennifer Garner on finally getting her ears pierced at age 48, Cardi B's thoughts on Selena Gomez possibly stepping away from music, Michelle Obama on living with messy daughters Malia and Sasha, Soleil Moon Frye recalling her first consensual sexual experience with Charlie Sheen, Kim Kardashian West on how much her voice has changed over 20 seasons of Keeping Up With the Kardashians

Page 8: Contents

Page 10: Hot Pics -- ahead of the Miami Open Venus Williams took a break from practice to play with her dog Harold

Page 11: Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo were attached at the hip during an outing in Montecito, Paul McCartney enjoyed a beach day while on vacation in St. Barts, sporting a massive diamond ring Bethenny Frankel was at the beach in Miami

Page 12: Paris Hilton's Lanvin dress paired perfectly with her bubblegum-hued Bentley, Jared Leto looked unrecognizable while filming House of Gucci in Italy and meanwhile Lady Gaga and Adam Driver continued shooting scenes the following day

Page 13: Britney Spears looked to be in good spirits while out with boyfriend Sam Asghari in L.A., Robin Roberts hammed it up for the camera on the set of Good Morning America, Kourtney Kardashian couldn't keep her hands off new beau Travis Barker after enjoying a dinner date in L.A.

Page 14: Baby on Board -- Selling Sunset's Christine Quinn, Gal Gadot, Lauren Burnham with husband Arie Luyendyk Jr., Christina Milian showed off her growing belly in a floral lingerie set by Savage x Fenty

Page 16: Flex Zone -- with warmer days ahead, stars push their bodies harder -- Nicole Scherzinger and Thom Evans, Kate Hudson added three pound dumbbells to her fitness routine, Eva Longoria works out with a trampoline, Cara Delevingne does yoga, Kevin Hart was joined by son Hendrix for a sweat sesh, Gabrielle Union working out

Page 18: Stars They're Just Like Us -- Jax Taylor took out the trash and recycling bins in L.A., Ally Brooke put on sunscreen she bought at CVS in L.A., after food shopping Ariel Winter packed her car with goodies in L.A.

Page 20: Love Lives -- Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom sparked marriage rumors after she was seen wearing a gold band on that finger while in Hawaii

Page 21: They've quietly been together for over three years but Keanu Reeves and Alexandra Grant who were spotted together during a rare date night in Beverly Hills are in no rush to wed and they've both been in serious relationships before so they're content just being with each other but that doesn't mean marriage is off the table

* For Brooklyn Decker, the silver lining of the pandemic has spending more time with Andy Roddick -- she said it has strengthened their relationship

* The secret to Nick and Vanessa Lachey's successful marriage of nearly 10 years? Spontaneous intimacy, according to Vanessa

Page 22: Hot Hollywood -- Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani won't be sending save the date cards anytime soon because the duo is struggling to agree on a wedding day -- Gwen is pushing hard for their first ceremony on Blake's Oklahoma ranch to take place in early fall (the two are planning a second affair in L.A.), but Blake, who has been vocal about his impatience, wants to wed this summer but there's a problem: tornado season and the chapel he had constructed on his property for Gwen, a devout Catholic, isn't built to withstand even a minor wind event -- no matter what though, the pair (who are also trying for a baby via surrogate) still plan to exchange their vows before the end of the year and won't let these hiccups affect their big day

Page 23: Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez denied reports that they ended their engagement and were spotted packing on the PDA in the Dominican Republic -- J.Lo started to question A-Rod after rumors began to swirl that he had an affair with Southern Charm star Madison LeCroy but Alex has been on his best behavior of late

* A Britney Spears comeback could be on the horizon as she is dropping hints about singing again even though her attorney previously said she will not perform as long as her father in charge, but if the judge rules in her favor to make her care manager, Jodi Montgomery, her conservator, Britney will follow through and promise to perform again

* Keeping Up With Us -- Kobe Bryant's widow Vanessa Bryant has named the four deputies who allegedly shared graphic photos from the helicopter crash that killed her husband and daughter Gianna and seven others, despite sharing a selfie of herself wearing a half-heart necklace that she rocked while dating Ben Affleck his ex Ana de Armas denied that the two were back together, Armie Hammer is being investigated by L.A. police after a woman came forth and accused the actor of raping her in 2017 but Armie's attorney maintains their relations were completely consensual, CBS has extended The Talk's hiatus after claims of racism and toxicity were made against cohost Sharon Osbourne, just days after Tiger Woods returned home from the hospital following his near-fatal car crash new details from the investigation revealed that the golf pro didn't take his foot off the accelerator leading up to the accident

Page 24: A Day in My Life -- Maria Sharapova

Page 25: Kanye West's personal life might be in shambles, but his finances were thriving -- according to a new report, the rapper's net worth has climbed to $6.6 billion amid his ongoing divorce from Kim Kardashian -- he has really thrown himself into his work -- Kanye was first declared a billionaire last April largely in part to his fashion line, Yeezy, which is valued between $3.2 and $4.7 billion -- Kanye actually learned a lot from Kim's family about business decisions and he used to throw so much of his own money into his projects, but he's learned that doesn't have to be the case and it's clearly paying off big

* These hip-hop stars also made a large sum of their money away from the mic -- 50 Cent, Diddy, Jay-Z, Dr. Dre

Page 26: Cover Story -- Duchess Kate carries on -- the resilient royal is stepping in to save the crown

Page 28: Angelina Jolie vs. Brad Pitt: a new low -- as Brad and Angelina's nasty custody battle rages on, their kids are put in the middle

Page 30: Makeovers of the Year -- behold the style evolution of Hollywood's latest luminaries -- Andra Day, Halsey

Page 31: Tiffany Haddish, Lily Collins, Awkwafina

Page 32: Major Transformations -- Adrienne Bailon, Rebel Wilson

Page 34: Ayesha Curry, Kelly Osbourne, Adele

Page 36: Spring Makeup Bag Update -- whisper-light formulas in soft, pretty hues that will freshen up your look fast

Page 38: Laura Harrier tells how she makes her peepers pop

Page 40: Let It Grow! Kristen Stewart's mane man Adir Abergel shares hacks to help a haircut in flux look luxe

Page 42: Entertainment -- Mark Long on The Challenge: All Stars

Page 43: Take Five with Sway Bhatia

Page 46: Fashion Police -- when bad clothes happen to good people -- Noah Cyrus, Machine Gun Kelly, Amber Rose

Page 47: Bella Hadid, Harry Styles

Page 48: 25 Things You Don't Know About Me -- Kevin O'Leary

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westernmanews · 4 years

Link

The following attorneys were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2021:

Jeffrey Roberts, managing partner, practices corporate and business counseling and estate planning, and was named in the practice areas of Corporate Law and Trusts and Estates. He has received the Best Lawyers recognition for 29 consecutive years.

James Martin, partner, was listed in the practice areas of Franchise Law and Real Estate Law. He concentrates his practice on corporate and business counseling, litigation and commercial real estate law, and is a member of Robinson Donovan’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Group. He has received the Best Lawyers recognition for 21 consecutive years.

Nancy Frankel Pelletier, partner, was listed in the practice area of Personal Injury Litigation-Defendants. A member of Robinson Donovan’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Group, she concentrates her practice in the areas of litigation and alternative dispute resolution. She has received the Best Lawyers recognition for 16 consecutive years.

Patricia Rapinchuk, partner, was listed in the fields of Employment Law-Management and Litigation-Labor and Employment. She was also named “Lawyer of the Year” in the field of Employment Law-Management. She practices employment law and litigation. She has received the Best Lawyers recognition for 12 consecutive years.

Carla Newton, partner, was named in the field of Family Law. She focuses her practice on divorce and family law, litigation, corporate and business counseling, and commercial real estate, and is a member of Robinson Donovan’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Group. She has received the Best Lawyers recognition for 9 consecutive years.

Richard Gaberman was named in the fields of Corporate Law, Real Estate Law, Tax Law, and Trusts and Estates. He focuses his practice on corporate and business counseling, commercial real estate, and estate and tax planning law. He has received the Best Lawyers recognition for 29 consecutive years.

The post Six Attorneys from Robinson Donovan, P.C. honored by Best Lawyers® appeared first on BusinessWest.

#Western MA news #westernmanews

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deniscollins · 6 years

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Jeff Bezos Accuses National Enquirer of ‘Extortion and Blackmail’

If you were Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon and the owner of The Washington Post, what would you do if the National Enquirer threatened to publish graphic photographs of Mr. Bezos, including a “below-the-belt selfie,” if he did not publicly affirm that The Enquirer’s reporting on his affair was not motivated by political concerns: (1) admit that it was not politically motivated, (2) report the threat to your employees and the media, (3) initiate your own investigation on how the National Enquirer obtain the material, and/or (4) something else (if so, what?)? Why? What are the ethics underlying your decision?

The richest man on earth accused the nation’s leading supermarket tabloid publisher of “extortion and blackmail” on Thursday, laying out a theory that brought together international intrigue, White House politics, nude photos and amorous text messages.

Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon and the owner of The Washington Post, made his accusations against American Media Inc., the company behind The National Enquirer, in a lengthy post on the online platform Medium. Last month, The Enquirer published an exposé of Mr. Bezos’ extramarital affair with Lauren Sanchez, a former host of the Fox show “So You Think You Can Dance.”

The headline of Mr. Bezos’ post — “No thank you, Mr. Pecker” — targeted David J. Pecker, the head of the tabloid company. In the sometimes digressive text that followed, he accused American Media of threatening to publish graphic photographs of Mr. Bezos, including a “below-the-belt selfie,” if he did not publicly affirm that The Enquirer’s reporting on his affair was not motivated by political concerns.

“Well, that got my attention,” Mr. Bezos wrote of the threat. “But not in the way they likely hoped.”

The inciting event in this battle of American titans was the Jan. 28 edition of The Enquirer, which hit supermarket racks on Jan. 10, one day after Mr. Bezos and his wife of 25 years, MacKenzie, announced that they would be getting a divorce. The tabloid devoted 11 pages to the story of Mr. Bezos’ affair with Ms. Sanchez, calling it “the biggest investigation in Enquirer history!”

The Enquirer boasted that it had tracked the couple “across five states and 40,000 miles,” furtively observing them as they boarded private jets, rode in limousines and repaired to “five-star hotel hideaways.” The article was illustrated with paparazzi shots of the unwitting couple as they stepped onto a tarmac and arrived together at what the tabloid called “their beachfront love nest in Santa Monica.”

The tabloid also published amorous text messages that Mr. Bezos had sent to Ms. Sanchez. “I am crazy about you,” he wrote, according to The Enquirer. “All of you.”

Tech executives are not the usual subjects of Enquirer covers, and the story set off speculation in Washington and New York media circles that the tabloid’s aggressive coverage of Mr. Bezos was tied to the closeness of Mr. Pecker, The Enquirer’s chief, and the White House. That alliance came fully to light last year in the legal drama involving hush payments to women alleging affairs with Mr. Trump.

Mr. Trump and Mr. Pecker were longtime friends — but the relationship between the two was said to be frayed in recent months, when American Media’s leadership entered into a deal with federal prosecutors looking into the company’s role in the hush payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign. Mr. Pecker and his associates had helped orchestrate the deals involving two women who alleged past affairs with Mr. Trump in “catch and kill” deals: the former Playboy model Karen McDougal and the porn star Stormy Daniels.

After The Enquirer made his private life public, giving Twitter wags and late-night hosts the chance to weigh in on his high-flown texting style, Mr. Bezos sprang into action, starting his own investigation of the tabloid’s motives and how it had come to possess his texts to Ms. Sanchez.

The Amazon founder, who at last count was worth $136 billion, suggested that he would spare no expense in taking the fight to the tabloid publisher. Leading the investigation was Gavin de Becker, Mr. Bezos’ longtime security chief, whom Mr. Bezos said he had instructed “to proceed with whatever budget he needed to pursue the facts in this matter.”

It was a bold move for someone who has often tried to evade the spotlight, even amid the frequent insults hurled his way by Mr. Trump, who has labeled the newspaper that Mr. Bezos purchased in 2013 as “The Amazon Post” and recently called him “Jeff Bozo” in a tweet.

Mr. de Becker confirmed to The Daily Beast on Jan. 31 that he was leading the investigation into the matter of how the Enquirer had obtained the text messages. Not long afterward, The Post prepared an article exploring competing theories about the motivation behind the publication of the tawdry tale.

American Media made the next move, offering Mr. Bezos an offer that it wrongly assumed he could not refuse. And if he did say no? A future issue of The Enquirer would make him very unhappy, with the selfies and more of the steamy texts it had apparently obtained.

“Of course I don’t want personal photos published, but I also won’t participate in their well-known practice of blackmail, political favors, political attacks and corruption,” Mr. Bezos wrote. “I prefer to stand up, roll this log over and see what crawls out.”

Amazon declined to comment.

Mr. Bezos’ allegations placed new pressure on American Media, which narrowly emerged from the campaign finance prosecution without being charged.

On Friday morning, the company said in a statement that although it stood by its actions, for now, its board was starting an investigation into the matter.

“American Media believes fervently that it acted lawfully in the reporting of the story of Mr. Bezos,” the statement said. “Nonetheless, in light of the nature of the allegations published by Mr. Bezos, the Board has convened and determined that it should promptly and thoroughly investigate the claims. Upon completion of that investigation, the Board will take whatever appropriate action is necessary.”

The statement was certain to intensify speculation around the future of Mr. Pecker and his top news executive, Dylan Howard.

But American Media is privately held, and its board has been steadfast in its loyalty to Mr. Pecker through the most tumultuous year of his tenure with the company. The board made no statements and took no action to investigate American Media’s role in acting as an arm of Mr. Trump’s campaign, even after the company signed a non-prosecution agreement with the authorities.

The board consists of two partners from Chatham Asset Management, a financial backer of the company, and David R. Hughes, the former chief financial officer of Trump Entertainment Resorts.

By using Medium to reveal The Enquirer’s backstage maneuvers, Mr. Bezos — one of the world’s most powerful tech titans and the owner of one of the country’s most influential newspapers — showed the best means of communications can be a simple blog post.

Sometimes rambling — while also showing the occasional flair of tabloid columnists of yore — the Bezos post pulled together random strands of the yearlong legal drama involving the president, American Media and the allegedly illegal payments to women.

That federal inquiry resulted in a guilty plea from Mr. Trump’s former attorney and fixer, Michael D. Cohen, who said he had paid Ms. Daniels $130,000 and asked American Media to pay Ms. McDougal $150,000 at the president’s direction, to protect his election prospects.

Federal prosecutors with the Southern District of New York determined that the American Media payment was an illegal corporate contribution. Because the company cooperated with prosecutors, the authorities did not bring charges. But they made American Media sign onto a non-prosecution agreement, in which it affirmed that it had made the payment to “influence the election.”

That agreement, signed in September, stipulated that A.M.I. “shall commit no crimes whatsoever” for three years, and that if it did, “A.M.I. shall thereafter be subject to prosecution for any federal criminal violation of which this office has knowledge.”

If American Media’s threat to publish the personal photos of Mr. Bezos is determined to have been criminal, it would find its deal with federal prosecutors in jeopardy.

“One thing we can be certain of is these allegations will be looked at hard by the federal prosecutors,” said Jeff Tsai, a former federal prosecutor. “The nature of that non-prosecution agreement — to not commit any crimes — was to give A.M.I. the opportunity to really think hard about the nature of its practices.”

He added, “You can sometimes get a pass from federal prosecutors; it’s much harder to get two passes.”

The agreement put American Media, Mr. Pecker and Mr. Howard at odds with Mr. Trump, which served to tamp down speculation that the Enquirer had somehow pursued the Bezos story in alliance with the president and his allies.

On Feb. 5, though, that possibility surfaced in The Post. Mr. de Becker told the paper that the Enquirer story had begun with a “politically motivated’’ leak. Mr. de Becker has served as a protector to Olivia Newton-John, Michael J. Fox and friends and family of Ronald Reagan. He declined to comment.

American Media appeared to warn Mr. Bezos away from raising any political speculation in an email to Mr. de Becker’s attorney, which he shared on Medium. In the letter, which he quoted in full, a lawyer for the company, Jon Fine, demanded that Mr. Bezos state publicly that he had “no knowledge or basis for suggesting that” American Media’s “coverage was politically motivated or influenced by political forces.” Mr. Fine has worked as a lawyer at Amazon.

In his post Mr. Bezos also appeared to imply that the tabloid company was doing the bidding of Saudi Arabia, quoting from a New York Times report last year: “After Mr. Trump became president, he rewarded Mr. Pecker’s loyalty with a White House dinner to which the media executive brought a guest with important ties to the royals in Saudi Arabia. At the time, Mr. Pecker was pursuing business there while also hunting for financing for acquisitions.”

The Post has been reporting determinedly on intelligence assessments that the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, ordered the grisly murder of the Saudi dissident — and Post global opinion contributor — Jamal Khashoggi.

#jeff bezos #national enquirer

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