Page 81 of Eternal Hoptimist

I couldn’t believe how much my life had changed in the past two months and how my priorities had shifted. My mom had even stopped bugging me about working too hard. Instead, she gushed about running into Ethan at the grocery store and the sweet things he said. How he brought them a free charcuterie board loaded with an extra helping of the Havarti she loved when they popped into the brewery for a beer the other night.

I wanted that. Wanted to go grocery shopping with Ethan and run into my parents. I wanted to attend town festivals and beam with pride while people stood in line at the Tap That tent and gushed over their beer. I wanted more nights hanging out with Ethan and his friends before falling asleep in his arms.

We were together, so Ididhave that, but it wasn’t enough. I knew—knew—my job would get in the way eventually.

Another senior partner passed with her husband and nodded knowingly at me. After she walked by, I spotted someone promoted to partner two years ago with an unfamiliar woman on his arm. She appeared to be significantly younger than him. It didn’t matter, but last I knew, he was married with children in high school. The woman was young but not high school age.

“Do you know who that is?” I whispered to Hector. He knew all the gossip.

“You haven’t heard? Where the hell have you been? He got divorced. His assistant said his wife left because he’d missed one too many birthdays. She dumped his ass at work since she said that was the only place he could be found.” He snorted. “Good for her.”

I swallowed thickly. I’d thought they were one couple that would make it. They’d seemed so happy.This fucking job.

“That could be me.” When Hector squeezed my arm, I realized I’d said the words aloud. A cold pulse raced through me.

“Not if you don’t let it,” Hector said in a serious tone he rarely used with me.

My skin choked me. I tugged on my bow tie, but it didn’t help.I can’t do this.I didn’t want to be another firm partner who put work above the people who mattered to me. Didn’t want to risk losing what I had with Ethan. No job was worth risking the best thing that had ever happened to me. I would throw all my achievements and trophies away if it meant I could be happy with Ethan. I doubted I would get many more chances to find someone like him. Someone who understood me, someone I cared about more than my job, someone who would never ask me to stop doing what I loved. Ethan would never ask me to decide between him and my career, as I would never do to him. It was up to me to make the change.

I loved being a lawyer, but I didn’t likehowI practiced law. There had to be a better way. Even if it was a lower-paying job but with manageable hours. Something to give me the flexibility to spend more time with Ethan. I’d gotten offers over the years and had enough connections that I knew I could find something else.

I spotted my boss chatting with another of the senior partners. It took seconds to decide. The choking sensation disappeared instantly.

“I’m sorry to say, but you might get snatched by a senior partner after all.”

Hector gaped at me. “What the fuck? Just because you get made partner means I get stuck with someone else?”

I grinned. “Because I’m about to quit.”

A slow smile overtook his face. “Yeah, you fucking are! People are going to be talking about this formonths.” He turned me toward my boss and gave me a none-too-gentle shove.

As I strode toward Glen, I nearly floated away. Everything clicked into place the moment I decided. It was the right call. My head, heart, and gut were all on Team Get the Fuck Out of There. Quitting without something lined up held risk, but I had the privilege of a savings account to buy me time to figure out my next move.

I reached my boss. “Excuse me, sir, do you have a few minutes to talk before the program begins?”

CHAPTER 33

ETHAN

By the time I made it to the venue, elaborately landscaped gardens on the east side of Portland, I was frazzled, harried, stressed, and about a dozen other thesaurus rejects. I’d sweated through my dress shirt while panicking about the accident on Highway 26 that made me nearly an hour late. The traffic through Portland had been a slog. I would never forgive myself if I missed his big moment because of my freak-out earlier.

I followed where the parking attendant guided me and grabbed my umbrella before climbing out of my car. At least I could blame the rain for my disheveled state. I didn’t pause to admire the lights around the garden paths and the soft glow from the building because I was on a mission to find Parker. When I reached the large event hall, I searched for Parker among a sea of mingling people. There were tall blond men in tuxedos everywhere.But not my tall blond man.

I spotted Hector first, thanks to his royal-blue tux with black lapels. The person he spoke to had their back to me, but I’d know that ass anywhere. The way he filled out his tuxedo pants should’ve been illegal. They stood close, talking to each other. Parker tilted his head back and laughed at something Hector said. He was captivating.

I noticed something different about him when I worked through the crowd to get to him. He seemed more carefree in the way he held himself. He leaned in and hugged Hector, then Hector pretended to wipe away tears.Why are they hugging?

My heart skipped. I’d missed the announcement. I was so late that I’d missed his big moment. Fuck. My stomach heaved. If I hadn’t freaked out earlier, I would have been there for him and joined Hector in cheering him on. I refused to miss any more of Parker’s big moments.

Hector spotted me over Parker’s shoulders, and his smile grew wide. He said something in Parker’s ear, then Parker dropped him like a hot potato and turned to me, absolutely beaming.

Parker’s attention never faltered as he strode toward me. “You came.”

I stood on my toes and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. “I’m sorry. For being late, for overreacting, for shutting you out, for other things I’ll probably wake up thinking about in the middle of the night. Thank you for everything you did for Rosie.”

Parker’s expression softened as he grabbed my hand. “You’re welcome, but you don’t need to apologize. I should apologize to you, and I am—I’m so sorry, Ethan. I feel terrible for not telling you. I probably should have? I don’t know. I understand why you were upset, and you have every right to be.” He brought my hand to his mouth and kissed my knuckles.

I glanced around and noticed a few people watching us, but most talked in small groups. “You were in an impossible situation. I can’t say that I wouldn’t do the same if the roles were reversed. Seriously, I can’t thank you enough for what you did for her. Forme.”

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