Mina sat on one of the benches outside the courtroom. Her head was still spinning from everything that had happened. Somehow her lawyering skills had improved so much that she had triggered a triple meltdown from her client, a witness-turned-suspect and the prosection's client. And to top it all off, Blind Justice was no longer going to be facing her in the courtroom. Ashley's smug face and poofy lion mane of hair was going to be a massive downgrade in the looks department when she had an objective.
But to complete a triad of shocks, the mysterious haze that surrounded Ariel when Mina had used her EAP. That wasn't there before was it? Did Ariel Headly possess some sinister aura, in addition to being an evil mastermind and a highly intelligent blonde?
"Oh, it's all too much!" Mina exclaimed, throwing up her hands. "Why did I get involved in this business ...it's whole mess of stress!"
"I think," a female voice said. "You got involved with the law...to help people like me. And change their lives for the better!"
Mina looked up. Victoria was standing there, Taco happily peeping out of purse with a puppy smile on his Chihuahua face. Victoria was smiling too...oddly enough.
"Waitaminute," Mina exclaimed. "Victoria...Electra...You're smiling?"
"Surprised?" Victoria said, and Taco added a happy bark.
"Do you need medical attention?!" Mina demanded, nodding frantically. "Blink twice if your face is stuck like that!"
"I'm fine," Victoria said. "More than fine actually. I didn't know you had it in you, pinky. You really are an ace attorney!"
"Well, I..." Mina said, catching a glint from one of Taco's shiny marble like eyes. "When a cutie like that is in jeopardy, I spring into action. His puppy butt would never survive in the pound."
Victoria's happy smile turned to a regretful frown. "So you didn't do it for me?"
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"Well...uh...to be frank," Mina said. "Whoever Frank is, we were never friends, Vicki. You've always been a real mean girl to me."
"Ah..." Victoria said, her gaze turning towards the window.
"I mean," Mina began. "Ever since Chad and I started dating and he left you. You've been on the war path! I couldn't even cough without you casting a big shady tree of shade!"
Victoria ran her hand through her thick head of blonde hair. For once, she had no sassy retort. Instead, came a very candid remark. "If I am to be truthful," she said at last. "The reason I was such a mean girl to you...was I knew Chad was much happier with you than with me. I just didn't want to admit it. Surely if there's a reason to be petty, that's the reason."
"There's no reason to be petty," Mina said bluntly. "None at all..."
"I uh...I..." Victoria froze and looked like she was ready to ugly cry. "I ..."
"I forgive you," Mina answered at last. "I may not forgive you for all the mean things you've done, but I can forgive you for being so heartbroken over Chad leaving you. I did take him away with me."
Ugly tears seeped from Vicki's eyes, turning her cheeks more blotchy than a poison ivy rash. "You really forgive me for that?"
"Yep," Mina nodded. "You just lost your best friend in the courtroom too. And I can only imagine how much that stung."
Victoria also nodded and sniffed obnoxiously as her tears rolled on.
"Knowing how you blonde mean girls work," Mina said, "Ariel was probably your deepest confidant. And she turned out to be a fraud of the highest order. It's for that reason, I can't be that mad at you."
"You know me, Mina!" Victoria wailed extremely loud, causing her poor puppy to flinch. "You know me too weeeeeell!"
"You betcha!" Mina said, offering a thumbs up and a wink. "Happy to be of legal service to you!"
"Thank you," Vicki said, and she raised Taco's paws. "Taco thanks you too!"
"Of course," Mina said, and her eyes glinted with a smirk. "Now about my legal fees..."
"Oh yes," Victoria said, and she quickly whipped out her check book.
Mina's heart pounded quicker and quicker as she watched Vicki scrawl on one of the bank notes. She tried to guess the number of zeroes the rich girl would write for her. But when Victoria bashfully thrust the note forward, it simply had a phone number on it.
"Ummm..." Mina said, scratching her head. "I don't know if going on a date with you is going to repay my student loans...even if you pay for my dinner."
"This is my mom's phone number, silly!" Victoria smiled bashfully. "She's still in charge of all my finances! You'll have to take it up with her."
Mina's jaw nearly hit the floor, learning she had just helped out a trust fund baby.