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“You didn’t bring one?”
“Everything we didn’t sell went to the winery in Sonoma.”
She cut Al an exaggerated frown. “Well, that was poor planning.”
“Not gonna argue.”
Chuckling, CC opened her web browser and the tab with the online order she’d already started. “I’ll add another menorah to my cart to go with the one for the conference room. I can tell you where to find the rest if you give me a list.”
“Or you could show me.”
“Al—”
“As a friend and colleague.” She leaned forward and braced her forearms on her crossed knees. “And as someone you might trust with more in the future.”
The idea had merit. While they’d agreed to no sex until the deal closed, their agreement didn’t prevent them from spending time together, from getting to know each other better outside of work. Even if nothing more developed postdeal, she’d make a friend, which was hard to do as an adult, especially one who worked as much as CC. A friend who worked just as hard and who would understand if she needed to cancel on a dime. And if something more did develop postclosing, if it included the kind of sex CC needed, she would need that trust to be there with Al.
“All right, I’m in,” she said. “But when are we going to have time for this shopping spree?”
“Tomorrow night, assuming we get medium and hard taken care of.”
“And a draft APA out to our clients.”
Al righted herself in the chair and scooted closer. “Deal.”
Chapter Eight
“Hard’s done.” CC slapped a piece of paper down on top of the title commitment Al was reviewing. “Or as much of it as I can do.”
Al scanned the notice of public hearing for her client’s expanded liquor license. December 19, preclosing. “That’ll work.” She grabbed her phone and fired off a calendar invite to the Dotson folks who would need to attend.
As she typed, CC spun out the adjacent conference room chair and plopped into it, still graceful despite her way-past-quitting-time slouch. “Have you been through these hearings before?”
“Not here.” Al removed her reading glasses, tossed them onto the table, and rubbed her tired eyes. The past week of squinting over ancient documents was catching up with her. She’d happily take a break from title hell to prepare for a zoning hearing. “I’ve handled plenty of others, though, and we had to get a variance for the winery last year.”
“You’re barred in California too?”
“Hell no. Couldn’t waive into that one.” She drew a knee up, propping the heel of her bare foot on the edge of her seat. “I had a local counsel assist, a specialist from the firm my daughter-in-law, Sloan, works at in San Francisco.”
“But you handled the rest of the transaction?”
Al nodded. She had an idea where this line of questioning was headed. The inevitable place it went with most folks who were new to her circle of familial chaos.
“And it works? For real?” CC asked. “You still being best friends and business partners with your ex?”
Exactly where Al had anticipated. “You’re skeptical,” she said with a chuckle.
“I had to leave California because of mine.”
Al’s laughter died. “I’m sorry, I didn’t—”
CC waved off her apology. “Ancient news.”
Except Al didn’t think that it was. She suspected that history—whatever it was—probably had something to do with CC being slow to trust now. Al would have to earn more of her trust before she’d get the whole story. Al’s story, on the other hand, was an open book. “Ezra and I met at a frat party freshman year, and then we met at a different kind of party. The sort my parents had disowned me for. The kind of trust Ezra and I built over three decades doesn’t just go away, not when neither of us did anything to violate the other’s. I want what’s best for him, he wants what’s best for me, and for both of us that was to go our separate ways romantically. But in other aspects of our lives, he’s still my partner, and we both want what’s best for our kids and grandkids.”
CC remained quiet for several long seconds, the squeaking swivel of her chair the only sound in the room. Then, seeming to reach acceptance, she smiled the soft shy grin that made Al’s heart race. “Like Hanukkah all together here?”
“I’m not sure that’s what’s best for any of the adults, but there you have it.” Al spread her fingers wide, a gravy reminder, and CC laughed, full-throated and enticing.
