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been, though. Whenever he did, he felt the urge to tear apart the person responsible for his misfortune. He would gladly throw James's body parts for the rats under the subway tracks to feast on. It'd serve that bastard right for screwing up Roman's life.
    He closed the email from his mom and opened one from his work partner, Sergio Acosta. He had sent it to him and copied Alan Chadwick, the third partner in their law firm. The subject line took Roman by surprise. Pro bono cases waiting for approval was something they usually discussed during their bi-weekly meetings with the partner in charge of that department. That Sergio wanted to address something privately could only mean there was a problem.
    Roman clicked on the attachment. His eyes opened as big as saucers when he read the name Sergio had highlighted on the document.  
    Child Molestation, submitted by Derrick Swain, Esquire.
    Roman was out of his chair and walking down the hall faster than he'd moved since turning thirty, and that was over ten years ago. He was livid. How could his friend do this to him when he knew Roman couldn't have anything to do with Derrick?
    He was so intent on strangling Sergio that he didn't notice Alan coming out of his own office.
    "Hey, buddy," Alan greeted, falling in step with Roman. "I was about to stop by your office."
    "You're never so cheery this early in the morning." Roman glanced at Alan, but he didn't stop walking. "And you haven't called me buddy since we graduated from law school. You're in on it, aren't you?"
    "What are you talking about?" Alan flashed a mischievous smile and followed him to Sergio's office. "I only wanted to ask how it went last night."
    Roman stopped dead in his tracks and turned to look at Alan. "Dani hates me, doesn't she?"  
    His friend burst out laughing. "It wasn't that bad… was it?"
    "You know I love her, but she needs to stop fixing me up." Roman shook his head and started walking. "I can't let her keep doing this to me. I mean it, Alan."
    "She didn't try to fix you up with whatever his name was from last night." Alan followed him, ready to defend Dani's actions, per usual. Alan was crazy about his wife. She could do no wrong in his eyes. "She just asked you to please escort one of her business associates to the opera."
    "Opera Illiterate should be his name," Roman quipped. "And she asked twenty times when I went to your place on Saturday, emailed me about it on Monday, and called me three more times from London after I'd told her that I wasn't interested."
    "So she was a little insistent, but you know Dani." Alan smiled fondly. "She's stubborn and determined."
    "This is the fourth time she's set me up with a man I'd never touch," Roman growled. "He wasn't even my type."  
    "But of course he wasn't," Alan mocked. "Not all men can look like Derrick Swain, you know?"
    Roman took a deep breath and asked the heavens for patience.
    "Dani wants to see you happy," Alan said. "We all do."
    Roman was perfectly aware they worried about what they considered to be unnecessary withdrawal from life and confinement on his part. They wanted to see him have fun and enjoy himself with someone that wasn't a family member or one of his best friends, and Roman really appreciated them all for it. But this was an instance in which he needed them to back off. As supportive as they were, as understanding, they had yet to accept that Roman's life would never be the same.  
    "I know that, Alan," he said softly. "But going on dates won't change a thing. I tried, it didn't work. It's time to let it go."
    "But—"
    "Also, Dani's business associate ruined Don Giovanni for me."
    "Uh oh," Sergio said from his position behind his desk when Roman and Alan entered his office. "Dani's in trouble. She should know better than to mess with Roman's enjoyment of that particular production."
    "And you two should know better than to try to manipulate me to go anywhere near Derrick."
    "Why should we do that?" Sergio got up and walked