Page 88 of Catfish

“Did you want to talk about anything else?”

I suck the excitement right off her face, and she frowns. "I wanted to remind you that Chase is coming this afternoon to talk to you about a case."

Ah, yes, the case.

“Very good,” I allude. “I’ll be in my office if you need me.” I turn back and stride for my office, feeling her sad eyes on me.

Geezus fuck.

“I’ll let you know if I hear from her, Em.”

“Thank you!” The elation is back in her tone.

Happy assistant, happy life.

—

“Does Em know about all of this?” Chase asks me on the other side of my desk, munching on his fries.

“No.” She doesn’t need to, not right now at least. Not until I know that I can cut ties with everyone I need to when I go into office.

“Your father is going to be pissed, man,” my best friend offers. “I mean, like, pissed pissed. You know how he feels about Demi, Lucas, and your moth—”

“My siblings will be fine,” I cut in. “My parents will make sure their addictions to prescription pills and sex are still well concealed from the press.”

Chase tilts his head to the side. “What do you want me to do? You can’t cut them out completely and not expect it to go viral everywhere. Henry will never allow it, he’ll talk your brother and sister out of everything you’re asking me to do.”

“I’ll worry about them,” I reply as I'm chewing a piece of my burger that I just shoved in my mouth. “They love to see me.”

“They’ll want money, something out of the deal.”

I toss my sliced tomato onto his carryout box. “Then that’s what they’ll get.”

“Wade…” Chase warns. “Your image will suffer for this.”

“I’m not like everyone else.”

“This will be filed with the court system, public record with—”

I shake my head. “No, it won’t. This won’t see the light of day except for when everyone signs it, then it’ll be locked up in my hands.”

“What about—I don’t know, when you win the presidency? You’ll need the image of them all standing behind you.”

“And they will,” I confide. “Until they’re all shipped out of the country for whatever bullshit I decide to come up with. They do more harm than good, they’ll fuck up along the way if I let them stay here.”

Chase shakes his head, still not sold on the idea. “This is...insane. It’ll never work.”

“I know my family—” I point a fry at him. “—they’ll see dollar signs and ask where to sign.”

“You’re buying your family off.”

“You’re a good lawyer, Chase. You’re catching on.” He scoffs at me then chews on another bite of his cheeseburger.

I lost my appetite hours ago when my conscience bore into me about hiring Reagan.

Again, worst fucking idea I’ve had in a long time. And those decisions changed the course of my life forever.

My cell phone on my desk has been nagging at me to text her, feel her out, as Chase, of course. I'm having a hard time fathoming the thought now of her not accepting the position and not having some sort of role in my life.

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