could run out of air.
“Seth?”
Lars's voice calmed Seth somewhat, and he inched forward. Lars shone the more powerful
flashlight into the hole and caught sight of movement and white hair. Seth aimed for the dog,
whose tail waved frantically. Doctor Mister panted, eyes wild and wide in fear. His collar was
caught on a water pipe, and the poor dog was nearly strangling himself trying to get free.
“Silly thing. What were you doing down here?” Seth whispered. “I found him!” he shouted
up to Lars. When he didn't get an answer, he shouted again.
Still no response.
“Lars? Are you out there?” he said, annoyed. He suddenly had the thought that his aunt
and uncle were down here in the crawl space.
“Lars!” Seth shouted.
74
Astrid Amara
“I'm here, baby. Stay cool.” The voice was very close. Seth heard rustling and turned his
flashlight. Lars was crawling under the house with him.
“What are you doing?” Seth asked.
“Coming to rescue you,” Lars said. He shone his flashlight into his own face and grinned.
“You sounded panicked.”
“I wasn't panicked,” Seth said defensively. “I was just…not in the mood to be left alone.”
Seth scowled at Lars. Somehow, despite having just crawled under a house, Lars's clothes
remained spotless. He looked like a rosy-cheeked and cheerful model on an L.L. Bean catalog,
not an attorney under a house.
Lars kissed him. Seth couldn't think of a less romantic place to be kissed than in the spider-
filled, rat-shit-infested crawl space under a house, but Lars had a weird concept of romance.
“Feel better?” Lars whispered, breaking their kiss.
Seth felt cold, stunned, and in love, actually.
“Strangely, yeah,” Seth said with a little laugh. He shook his head. “But I never thought
spending a week with you would be so trying.”
“Think of it as intensive trial by fire.”
Seth rested his forehead against Lars's.
“Let's get the little bastard and get out of here.”
Carol of the Bellskis
75
Chapter Seven
“So what do you think about filing a petition for deferred prosecution in the Webster
case?” Lars asked.
He and Seth sat at Judi's kitchen table, hiding from the other guests and the tremendous
mess in the dining room. It was a sunny day, below freezing but clear, and everyone had eaten
quickly and rushed outside to enjoy the spectacular views. Lars had gone for a run and now
finally had a chance to eat his own breakfast. Seth sat with him, drinking his coffee, still amazed
that Lars was even here. It had been two days since Lars had answered his phone or checked his
e-mail, and it had been six days since he had last stepped foot in the Finch and Varga Law
Offices. Surely people had to have figured out what was going on by now?
Seth smiled at Lars's question, surprised and flattered that Lars would ask for his input.
“Well, let's see. The benefit is that he can get the company cleaned up and avoid prosecution,
assuming they can reform in time. And they can stay in operation.”
“Yeah.” Lars looked out the window, thinking.
“But he's admitting wrongdoing,” Seth added. “And they have to waive attorney-client
privilege, which leaves them vulnerable. So I wouldn't in this case.” Seth sipped his coffee. “If it
were up to me, that is.”
Lars's silent, studious profile made Seth uncomfortable. “Of course, I could be completely
off, but—”
“That's what I planned on telling him,” Lars said suddenly. “I'm glad we agree.”
“That's what you pay me the big bucks for, right?” Seth laughed, but Lars frowned.
“I'm just kidding, Lars.”
“Well, I'm not. I've been thinking about it.” Lars sipped his coffee and stared out Judi's
window at the frozen landscape. “I don't think I want you as our general office paralegal
anymore.”
76
Astrid Amara
Seth felt instantly cold. Holy shit. Was Lars going to fire him?
Fury rushed through him, flushed his face red. Lars looked at him
“Seth?”
Lars's voice calmed Seth somewhat, and he inched forward. Lars shone the more powerful
flashlight into the hole and caught sight of movement and white hair. Seth aimed for the dog,
whose tail waved frantically. Doctor Mister panted, eyes wild and wide in fear. His collar was
caught on a water pipe, and the poor dog was nearly strangling himself trying to get free.
“Silly thing. What were you doing down here?” Seth whispered. “I found him!” he shouted
up to Lars. When he didn't get an answer, he shouted again.
Still no response.
“Lars? Are you out there?” he said, annoyed. He suddenly had the thought that his aunt
and uncle were down here in the crawl space.
“Lars!” Seth shouted.
74
Astrid Amara
“I'm here, baby. Stay cool.” The voice was very close. Seth heard rustling and turned his
flashlight. Lars was crawling under the house with him.
“What are you doing?” Seth asked.
“Coming to rescue you,” Lars said. He shone his flashlight into his own face and grinned.
“You sounded panicked.”
“I wasn't panicked,” Seth said defensively. “I was just…not in the mood to be left alone.”
Seth scowled at Lars. Somehow, despite having just crawled under a house, Lars's clothes
remained spotless. He looked like a rosy-cheeked and cheerful model on an L.L. Bean catalog,
not an attorney under a house.
Lars kissed him. Seth couldn't think of a less romantic place to be kissed than in the spider-
filled, rat-shit-infested crawl space under a house, but Lars had a weird concept of romance.
“Feel better?” Lars whispered, breaking their kiss.
Seth felt cold, stunned, and in love, actually.
“Strangely, yeah,” Seth said with a little laugh. He shook his head. “But I never thought
spending a week with you would be so trying.”
“Think of it as intensive trial by fire.”
Seth rested his forehead against Lars's.
“Let's get the little bastard and get out of here.”
Carol of the Bellskis
75
Chapter Seven
“So what do you think about filing a petition for deferred prosecution in the Webster
case?” Lars asked.
He and Seth sat at Judi's kitchen table, hiding from the other guests and the tremendous
mess in the dining room. It was a sunny day, below freezing but clear, and everyone had eaten
quickly and rushed outside to enjoy the spectacular views. Lars had gone for a run and now
finally had a chance to eat his own breakfast. Seth sat with him, drinking his coffee, still amazed
that Lars was even here. It had been two days since Lars had answered his phone or checked his
e-mail, and it had been six days since he had last stepped foot in the Finch and Varga Law
Offices. Surely people had to have figured out what was going on by now?
Seth smiled at Lars's question, surprised and flattered that Lars would ask for his input.
“Well, let's see. The benefit is that he can get the company cleaned up and avoid prosecution,
assuming they can reform in time. And they can stay in operation.”
“Yeah.” Lars looked out the window, thinking.
“But he's admitting wrongdoing,” Seth added. “And they have to waive attorney-client
privilege, which leaves them vulnerable. So I wouldn't in this case.” Seth sipped his coffee. “If it
were up to me, that is.”
Lars's silent, studious profile made Seth uncomfortable. “Of course, I could be completely
off, but—”
“That's what I planned on telling him,” Lars said suddenly. “I'm glad we agree.”
“That's what you pay me the big bucks for, right?” Seth laughed, but Lars frowned.
“I'm just kidding, Lars.”
“Well, I'm not. I've been thinking about it.” Lars sipped his coffee and stared out Judi's
window at the frozen landscape. “I don't think I want you as our general office paralegal
anymore.”
76
Astrid Amara
Seth felt instantly cold. Holy shit. Was Lars going to fire him?
Fury rushed through him, flushed his face red. Lars looked at him
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