“Actually, there is something you can do for me,” she said.
“Anything.”
She grinned slyly. “Are you sure about that? Because it’s a big ask.”
A knot formed in my stomach. “Why do I feel like I need a glass of wine for this conversation?”
“You might,” she confessed, waving the waitress over and ordering a round of drinks. “As you know, I belong to several organizations.”
I nodded. “Of course.”
“Most of them don’t matter, but one of them does. Color of Law is looking for someone, a young woman we can groom.”
Color of Law was a group of amazing African American women who worked behind the scenes to encourage and increase the number of black women in the field. Its membership consisted of some of the nation’s top legal minds, scholars, judges, and politicians. The moment I’d passed the bar, I’d signed on as an associate member and had attended several annual conferences over the years. But I’d been so focused on my own career, my own business, that I hadn’t been able to do as much as I’d hoped.
“I immediately thought of you,” she continued. “I want you to take a leadership role in the organization, learn the ropes, and eventually run for office.”
My mouth fell open. Shocked wasn’t even the right word. Floored was more like it. “What?”
“As you know, the political climate is horrendous. In order to make effective change, we need more black women on the bench or in positions of power in the community.”
“I…” I blew out a harsh breath. “This is not what I expected.”
“Of course not, dear. But I think you have what it takes.”
Honestly, running for office was always a far-off kind of thing. I figured it’d be something I’d check off on my list after I turned fifty or something. But now that she’d essentially planted the seed, I couldn’t help but wonder if I could make this work sooner than later.
Maya squeezed my hand. “You don’t have to make a decision now. But I would like you to come and meet the board of our Michigan chapter.”
“Sounds fair,” I said. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Certainly.”
“Why me?”
She smiled. “You’re intelligent, capable, strong. You have a brilliant mind. You avoid scandal. And you’re not about that bullshit. You remind me of myself at your age. Good reputation, fearless, determined, willing to do whatever it takes to get to where you want to be.”
On any other day, I would’ve agreed with her. I was all of those things. To hear my mentor confirm it… I swallowed past a hard lump in my throat. Crying was not an option, but I damn sure wanted to. Because I’d worked my ass off to set myself apart from everyone else.
When Demi and I entered the field, we’d wanted to become giants. She helped women regain their dignity in the courtroom, and I negotiated mutually beneficial mergers between people who needed to marry for whatever reason. My siblings called me The Marriage Broker.
“That means a lot to me, especially coming from you,” I told Maya. “Thank you.”
“It’s the truth. You know I wouldn’t lie.”
I chuckled. “I know.”
“Dallas, I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t think you could do this.”
“It’s a lot of pressure,” I admitted. “Definitely something I have to think about.”
“I would expect nothing less.”
We spent the next hour eating, drinking, and enjoying each other’s company. By the end of our meal, I felt better about everything. As we walked to our cars, I thought about her confidence in me. “Thanks for dinner. And thanks for believing in me.”
She turned to me, squeezing my arms the way she’d always done. “Always. I’ll be in touch about meeting the board. I’ve assured them you’re it, but they want to get to know you for themselves.”
I nodded. “Just let me know when. I’ll be there.”
