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Both glance at each other and erupt into laughter that leaves them both in tears. I’m afraid to ask.
I shake my head and chuckle. “All right, I have to get to work. I don’t want to be too late and make my new boss mad. He’s a real sour pickle as it is.”
“Bye, love,” Harry calls, and Evelyn waves distractedly, preoccupied with Pancake.
I get back to Tootsie, and it takes a few minutes to get her going. I’ve really got to get her in for a tune-up, but I’m afraid of whatever else they’ll find wrong with her. I can’t afford any big repairs right now. I mentally add the tune-up to my ever-growing list of things to do and head over to Preston’s office.
I’m nervous. Ugh. Why am I nervous? I put on “Gold Dust Woman” by Fleetwood Mac and try to calm down as I make the drive across town.
I park, noticing Preston’s black Jeep already parked down a few spaces.Here goes nothing, I think to myself as I grab my purse and head in.
I step inside, and the door shuts behind me. I freeze as I take in the chaos. My jaw drops. Every surface of this front room, which looks like it’s supposed to be a reception area, is covered in boxes, piles of papers, and bags of who knows what else.Whoa.A chair in the corner is also piled high with papers. Good lord. In this digital age, how does one even acquire so much paper? Piles of unopened mail cover the desk in stacks, and random office supplies are stacked in piles on the floor, because apparently, there’s no more room on the desk.
“Oh, I see you finally decided to come to work,” he calls from what must be his office at the end of the hall. “You’re late,” he snaps as he approaches, a coffee cup in one hand.
I stare at him with a serious look. “Do you want me to leave?”
A brief look of panic crosses his face, and I get my answer. “No. I have court in twenty minutes. I probably won’t be back until late this afternoon. Can you help me with all of this and keep an eye on Theo?” He motions to the front area that looks quite literally like it belongs on an episode of the showHoarders.
Just as I thought. He needs me. This isn’t a pity job. It practically killed me to be late today. I am usually on time, and being late is a pet peeve of mine. I’ll explain to him about Harry sometime. Maybe. I just don’t want to tell him too much right now.
Having worked so many types of jobs means that I have a lot of experience and I can work with just about anyone. I’m confident that Preston and I will manage. But I don’t plan to go easy on him. He’s too fun to tease.
He disappears back into his office without waiting for an answer and then comes back, buttoning his cuffs and sliding on a suit jacket. Hot, hot, hot. Damn, he looks good. In a very businessman, I’ll be your dirty secretary kind of way. Nope, be quiet, brain. Damn it, be quiet.I look away quickly, take a deep breath, and try to distract myself by mentally preparing a list of what to tackle first. Because this is a gigantic mess. This is going to require mega coffee and carbs. And Fleetwood Mac.
I’m honestly at a loss for words, which is pretty rare for me. But it’s awful here. I thought he’d only been in this building for a few weeks. How did it even get like this? Good thing I’m good with messes. I know I can fix this. It’s just going to cost him. He’s hot and nice to look at, but he’s still a little jerk. I might as well have some fun giving him hell before I leave to open my bookstore. He has no problem giving me grief. I’ll give it right back.
“Sure thing,boss.” I say this in my sweetest voice, though I make sure it’s dripping with disdain all the same. He glares at me as he heads out the door, messenger bag over his shoulder and wearing aviator sunglasses that make him look even hotter. Those dress pants he wears are perfectly fitted to his butt and are doing him favors. He shakes his head and mutters as he leaves.
Theo appears in the doorway and wags his tail. “Well, aren’t you the bonus man of the law office? I get to work withyou? You handsome fella, you,” I say, scratching behind his ears as he leans in, and I kiss his forehead. “Where do we even begin with this mess, Theo?”
5. preston
Gold Dust Woman
I hada few back-to-back cases in court today, which is a lot for Freedom Valley. But when the judge loads up his docket, I roll with it. When I moved here, I wanted to escape from the eighteen-hour never-ending seven-day-a-week grind that left me exhausted and miserable. I was so miserable.
The past four generations of Steeles have been lawyers in Boston in a cutthroat multi-law firm, specializing in just about everything. Mergers, family law, litigation, you name it. It’s a huge firm, and my greedy father has never gotten enough success, money, or power to satisfy him. My specialty was family law and I’ve seen enough of that to last me a lifetime.
My phone buzzes, and I glance down. “Speak of the literal devil,” I murmur to myself as I push the button to ignore the call. It immediately rings again, and the wordMotherflashes across the screen. She’s not much of a mother to me. Pretty much in title only. And I’m not going to ruin a perfectly good day by answering her call. I decline it again, then silence my phone and stuff it into my pocket.
I reach out to shake hands with Mr. Nguyen, who I just successfully represented in a lawsuit against an out-of-town business that tried to sue him when he wouldn’t sell his family restaurant. They assumed my client would sell and not be able to afford an attorney. They thought wrong. I represented him for a small fee, and we won. Working with clients like him makes me feel fired up about practicing law again. Something I haven’t felt for a long time. I want to make a difference here, and I’m doing it.
When I walked away from the toxic family business to open my own small office, my family was livid. They tried every tactic they had to persuade me to come back and continue working for them. My father cut me off and refused to help me, not that I ever asked for anything. For years, I had saved up as much money as I could on my measly junior salary. I lived on a shoestring because I knew the day would come when I would leave. When cutting me off didn’t work, my mother tried to shame me and embarrass me into coming back. That didn’t work either.
For my whole life, I’ve known that my value to my family is based on how productive I am to them and what assets I can bring to the family business and name. When I left, I felt nothing but relief. I may just be starting out, but I’m making a difference. That’s what matters to me.
So, not allowing that woman to ruin my day, I head outside and walk to my Jeep. I take in the sun shining and the vibrant colored flowers all around the Freedom Valley courthouse. I love living here. It feels like Mayberry. I finally feel like I can breathe. I have normal workdays; I have Theo, and I have my new friends. I have a good life here. And I won’t let my mother bring me down with whatever bullshit she’s probably calling to tell me.
No doubt it has to do with my older brother, Blake, who never should have been made partner before me. It was always a carrot dangled in front of me. Work harder, Preston, and you can have the chance to make partner.The chance.Those were the key words there. There was no concrete opportunity. They just worked me into the ground, and whatever my brother wanted, he got, like he usually does. But why should I be surprised? He could do no wrong as the golden child. Me? I’m the black sheep of my transactional family. My mother only cares about what people think, and word getting out that I opened a small office in another state and left the family firm doesn’t look good for them. That’s what they’re worried about. It’s all about perception.
When I get back to my office, I see all the lights are off and discover everything’s locked up. There’s no sign of anyone. I unlock the door and freeze in the doorway. Is this even my office? I run my fingers through my hair and drop my messenger bag. I scan the room and notice it’s neatly organized. There’s not a box or piece of trash in sight. Mail has been opened and filed in a tray on the desk. The chair is neatly pushed behind the desk. There isn’t an odd loose piece of paper in sight. There’s even a coffee bar set up in the corner and a bowl filled with colorful candy. Hungry since I missed lunch, I swipe a handful and pop it in my mouth. I gag as I reach over to spit it out into the trash. She mixed Skittles and M&M’s. What kind of psychopath does that?
I swipe a bottle of water from the mini fridge she also unboxed and set up and take a swig to get the disgusting taste out of my mouth. What is wrong with this woman?
Scratching my head, I look around. It does look great in here. I pause when I see a rainbow color of sticky notes below her computer monitor, and I lean forward to read them.
Reasons I need to work here:
