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“Think?” Anna stepped next to her. “By the look on your face, I can tell it went very well.”
“Hello, ladies.” Henry Underwood, her next-door neighbor, stood outside his apartment, smoking a cigarette. He was a very close family friend of Nicole Coleman, one of the county’s deputy sheriffs. Henry was a retired Chicago police officer and had been Nicole’s mentor.
Anna waved at him.
“Hi, Henry,” Ashley said. “How are you doing?”
“Doing great. I hope you girls are doing good, too.” He put out his cigarette and walked back into his apartment.
Anna turned back to her. “How about I grab a bottle of wine I have at my place and I come over to yours and we talk about it? I want more details.”
“I wish I could, but I really need to study.”
“The bar exam. Right. Another time.”
“Absolutely.”
Anna nodded and turned down the path that led to building F, which sat at the back of the property, where Anna’s apartment was located.
Ashley unlocked the door to her apartment. Once inside, she kicked off her stilettos and started unzipping her dress as she walked to her bedroom. Stripping out of her bra and thong, she put on her most comfy pajamas. She wanted to get in at least three or four hours of studying before calling it a nig
ht. Since she didn’t have to go into the office, it wasn’t going to be an issue if she slept in.
She grabbed the study guide with the practice questions, stepped into her kitchen, and put on a pot of coffee. Returning to her sofa, she placed her feet on the footstool and opened the book, but instead of reading, she just stared at the words. Her thoughts wouldn’t let go of replaying the night’s events.
She smiled and took a sip of coffee. “No matter how much fun I had with Nic and Sylas, I have to get down to business.”
She’d worked too hard to blow the bar. Phoebe was counting on her, and she wasn’t about to let her down. With her mind put in check, she dove into her studies.
Thirty minutes later, Ashley heard a knock on her door.
Anna? The woman could be pushy at times.
Ashley went to the door and looked out the peephole. The person she saw wasn’t Anna. It was Nic.
She opened the door. “Hi. What are you doing here?”
How did he get past the security gate? Probably just followed another tenant inside the property.
He no longer wore a suit and tie but was dressed in jeans and a black T-shirt, still looking so mouth-watering good.
“I couldn’t sleep. Thought you might like a study partner.”
“But that would be so boring for you, Nic.”
“Not at all. I love the law and a good lawyer never stops refreshing his mind—or her mind.”
“How can I turn down a Harvard grad’s offer like that?” She smiled. “Come in. Please. I just put on a fresh pot of coffee.” As if on cue, she heard the maker beep. “In fact, it just finished brewing. Would you like a cup?”
“Since this is likely going to be an all-nighter, I most definitely would like a cup.”
All-nighter? Did Nic plan on staying until the morning? The idea that he might want to made her a little nervous and excited at the same time. Stop it, Ashley. He only wants to help you study.
Sitting on the sofa, sipping their coffee, Nic took the book and started quizzing her.
Jittery at first because of how knowledgeable he was, she still answered every question correctly.
An hour later, Nic closed the book and grabbed her hands. “Sweetheart, you are more than ready for the exam. I have little doubt that you will ace it.”
