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“When I first joined, I didn’t realize how hard it was to be a corporate lawyer and to make partner. I assumed if you stuck around long enough, you would be promoted. Of course I didn’t realize. No one in my family is a lawyer. In fact, my parents were the first people in their families to go to college.” Andrew didn’t respond, didn’t interrupt, just nodded. “I always felt out of place in the beginning. I think I told you that, but maybe not the full extent of it.” I hesitated.
He gave another nod, his eyes warm. “I remember the first time the firm organized a dinner, I thought I would have to pay. God, I was so naive. I panicked because we hadn’t gotten our first paycheck yet and I didn’t have a credit card. And the next day, I had my first client meeting and this guy who was like, a multi-millionaire, shook my hand when I came into the room, just like he did for the senior associate and the partner. Even though I was a nobody. And he asked me if I had any questions. Me! I had four days of experience, but because I was a lawyer, all of a sudden my opinion mattered. I think that’s when I knew I wanted to make partner. I could erase the past if I wanted to and become someone important, instead of just a wide-eyed country girl in the big city.”
Andrew winced at my use of his nickname but nodded solemnly. “I understand that. I always hoped my parents would take me seriously if I paved my own way.” He snorted. “Fat chance of that. Anyways, I agree with your changes.”
I wanted to press but his expression said he didn’t want to talk about it. “Alright, I have nothing on page 2.”
“The definition of affiliate needs to be revised.” He frowned. “This doesn’t pick up controlled subsidiaries, only wholly-owned. We need to fix that.”
I raised a brow.
“Alright, alright. What do you want? I’ll accept dares as well.” He gave me a broad grin that said he would prefer a dare to a truth. I was not letting him off that easy.
“What’s wrong with the girls your mom keeps setting you up with?” The question popped out and I wanted to smack myself.Way to be cool. I did want to know, though.
He smirked. “Besides the fact that they’ve each been far too young for me?”
“Besides that. Although, ew.” I scrunched up my face.
“I know. Honestly, it’s hard to put my finger on why. I think, and this is going to sound bad, they’re just socompliant. They agree to meet with me because their parents tell them to and they aren’t even mad about it. And I can tell they feel intimidated by my very presence. I’ve seen my mother kowtow to my father almost every day of my life.” The look on his face was bleak. “There’s no way in hell I would ever be satisfied with that. I want someone who challenges me, who has seen things. A woman with experience, who will spar with me and also support me.” He sounded wistful, as if such a person had never existed. I thought back to how I had needled him about marrying a younger woman and felt a twinge of guilt. How wrong I had been. Andrew Markman yearned for love and I was an ass. I grimaced.
“What? You think that’s bad?”
“No, I think I owe you an apology.” I reddened. “I told you that you wanted someone meek, remember. Not my finest moment.”
He had the grace to look a little embarrassed. “Not my finest either,” he said, spearing a hand through his hair. “I recall a made a tasteless comment about getting you fired as well. Sorry.”
“So a woman who challenges you, eh? If that’s the main criteria, I should be at the top of the list,” I joked, but I saw his expression change. And suddenly, I desperately wanted him to agree with me.But he just smirked and noted the edit he had requested on paper.
Flustered, I cleared my throat. “Ah, ok page 3 nothing, page 4 nothing. My next comment is actually on page 10. I cross-checked the term sheet and we’re missing the real property they own. I think we need a new schedule for that too. It’s more substantial than I expected for a bio-tech company.”
He gave me a challenging look. “Truth? Remember you can pick dare too.”
“I think truth is safer, don’t you?”
He grinned, showing me his teeth. “Safe is boring.”
Boring felt like a good thing with him. And safe had a lot to recommend it. I raised a brow and tapped my pen on the table for him to continue.
He huffed a laugh and asked, “When was the first time you wanted to kiss me?” His face said he didn’t think I would answer but his gaze was hungry.
“Who says I want to kiss you?” I affected a casual tone, even though I craved another taste of him. His eyes dipped to my lips and his tongue snuck out to dip against the corner of his lip. My eyes snagged on it and heated bloomed in my belly. I met his knowing gaze and reddened.
“Fine.It was that night at the piano bar.” He stiffened. That night had been his secret as well. “When you pulled me against you, and your eyes dropped to my lips, I wondered, just for a minute, what it would be like if you kissed me.” I sighed. His expression was stormy.
“What?”
“I was just thinking I should have kissed you. I should have taken you home with me. I should have never let you go.” He lounged in the chair, but eyes were intent on mine and his tone was dark. I shivered.If only.
I dropped my eyes back to the draft and cleared my throat. “Ok, page 11, nothing. Next comment I have is page 15.”
“Go for it.”
“The list of excluded assets is way too long. I mean, look at this.” I slid the schedule over to him. “I did some searching and it looks like every single lab is on this list.”
He frowned and ran a finger down the page. “So we’re just getting the IP? That’s not right. Let me check the term sheet.”
“The term sheet doesn’t cover excluded assets. This is what we get for letting Gerald do the drafting.”
