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“Oh, sorry, no.” Austin shook his head as his pocket vibrated. Pulling out his phone, Casey’s name lit up the screen. He tapped her message and smiled at her remarkable timing.Hope you made it back to L.A. safely. I’m sorry for sobbing like a fool earlier, and I’m even sorrier for ordering us Old Style last night.
Snorting, he replied.Don’t apologize. You can cry on my shoulder any time. But next time I get to order our drinks, okay?
She sent back an emoji of a face blowing a heart kiss. Austin stifled a laugh, grinning at his lack of emoji knowledge. He tapped a few icons and surveyed the unfamiliar menu. With a snicker, he selected a winking face and clickedsend.
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Austin’s chair squeakedas he swiveled, each circular rotation offering a different view of the Los Angeles skyline from his thirteenth-floor office at Boyd & Bernstein at Law. He stared at the mountains in the distance and frowned, the images of the magnificent Chicago skyscrapers settling in his mind. A week had passed since he returned to California, but even time couldn’t shake the memory and pull of the Windy City.
With a sigh, he straightened the files on his desk and wrinkled his nose as the intercom broke the silence.
“Mr. Templeton?”
Tapping the button, he rolled his eyes. “What’s up, Bernice?”
“You’re wanted in conference room B.”
“On my way, thanks.” Snapping his laptop shut, he yanked the power cord from the outlet and stood.Now what do they need?
As he stepped toward the door, the vibration in his pocket tickled his leg. Casey’s name returned to his phone screen, causing his stomach to dip and a welcomed grin to tug at his lips. Opening her text, Austin dropped back in his seat with a smile and read her latest note.All right, California boy, POL 101 is on my summer schedule. You better not have been lying when you said you’d help me!The same winking face emoji followed her words.
He snorted and tappedreply, the flutter of his heartbeat egging his response on.
“Mr. Templeton! Conference room B!” Bernice’s voice bit into his flirtatious musings through the intercom.
“Oh! Shit,” he stammered, pocketing his phone and snagging his laptop. His hand gripped the doorknob, and he bolted down the hallway, the silly grin on his face faltering at the door of conference room B. He peeked through the window, greeted by the intimidating gazes of both Steven Boyd and Rodger Bernstein. The pitter-patter of his heart waned as a wave of intimidation and nerves blanked his body.
What do they want with me... alone?
He gulped and knocked, sticking his head in through the ajar door.
“Templeton! There you are, kid! What kept you?” Steven Boyd, the senior-most partner at the firm, leaned back in his seat and plunked his thick feet on the conference room table. Rodger Bernstein eyed him as Austin sat and tucked his flyaway gray hair behind his ears while adjusting the pair of bifocals on his long nose.
“So sorry, Mr. Boyd, Mr. Bernstein. I umm, got distracted. My fault. It won’t happen again.”
Steven waved his apology off, tapping the arm of his chair with enthusiasm as Austin opened his laptop.
He pointed. “You can close that, Templeton. Pack your bags instead.”
Austin gulped. A lump formed in his throat as the beat of his heart stilled in his chest.Are they firing me?“I’m sorry, sir, what?” He blinked, lifting his gaze to meet the dark-brown penetrating stare of Steven Boyd.
Rodger closed a blue folder and sent it flying across the table.
With shaking fingers, Austin’s palm flattened it to the surface as the air in his lungs escaped in a single breath.
“It’s all there. Go ahead, take a look.”
He opened the folder, and his eyes grazed over the numbers and graphs on the first page.Profit per partner... client satisfaction ratings... case win percentage.The words glared back from the page, and Austin forced his brain to process the information amidst the increasing panic in his heart.
“You’re it, my boy. You’ve earned it.” Steven smacked his thigh and grinned, a manic gleam in his eyes appearing.
“Earned it...” Austin repeated, still skimming the papers. The lump in his throat cleared with a swallow as slow understanding seeped into his brain. His name appeared at the top of every metric.
Steven snorted. “Let me break it down for you, Templeton. You’re young. You’re smart. And you’repromising as fuck. Just look at that track record!” He pointed to the folder on the table. “There’s no better man for this job.”
“This job...” Austin repeated.
With a roll of his eyes, Rodger stretched his arms in the air and tilted his seat backward. “Steven, let’s get Smith in here instead and offer it to her. I thought he was smarter than this.” He toyed with his mustache, the hairs curling around his index finger.
