Page 7 of Booked on a Feeling

They were seated at one of the coveted tables by the floor-to-ceiling windows. The air quality was actually decent today, so they were able to see all the way to the Hollywood sign. The expansive view was a welcome change after spending days in a windowless courtroom. Lizzy felt some of the tension from the trial draining out of her.

“Lizzy.” Peter walked up to their table with his arms opened wide. She stood to receive his hug. “Fantastic job on the trial. Congratulations.”

“Thank you,” she said with a wide smile.

“And great job to you, too, Katie.” He folded her into a quick hug as well.

Once all the hugs were meted out, he took a seat and signaled for a server. “Let’s get the champagne flowing.”

Other than the milk she’d added to her tea, Lizzy hadn’t consumed anything with calories all day. So when the toasts were made and the champagne imbibed, the alcohol shot straight to her head. Before she could get tipsy, she put down her glass and bit into a bruschetta. The bright flavors of the fresh tomatoes and ribbons of basil burst in her mouth, making her realize how hungry she was. She reached eagerly for some fried calamari next. The salty, savory goodness drew a sigh out of her.

“Is it me, or does champagne make everything taste better?” she asked, piling her plate with more food.

“I think that’s sweet victory you’re tasting,” Peter teased. “Are you ready for your walk of glory?”

News of their win had probably reached the entire law firm by now, so she and Katie would be showered with congratulations and praise when they returned to the office. Some of it might even be genuine. Lizzy intended to be gracious and appreciative, but she mostly wanted to get it out of the way. Other than the moment she’d had with Jack over text messages, an odd heaviness had hung over her since the verdict.

“I can follow you from behind, throwing confetti in the air,” Katie chimed in, her cheeks rosy from the champagne.

“Not a chance,” Lizzy scoffed, bringing her thoughts back to the celebration at hand. “You’re walking right next to me. You deserve as muchgloryas I do.”

The younger attorney’s eyes widened when she saw that Lizzy was dead serious. Not many attorneys went out of their way to share the credit for a job well done. That wasn’t how they made partner. The all-consuming climb toward partnership wasn’t something Lizzy took lightly, but she also refused to be a glory hog. She wanted to retain at least a part of her soul in her quest for success.

Peter graciously paid the check, congratulating them once more, and told them to take their time going back to the office. Lizzy refrained from rolling her eyes. Just barely. When an equity partner hurried back to work, lowly associates didn’t linger over finger foods. As they left the restaurant together, he placed a hand on her arm and let Katie walk a little ahead of them.

“This win certainly is a step in the right direction, but you need to be a rainmaker to be seriously considered for apartnership,” he said in a low voice. “I want you to convince Jubilee Toy Company to sign a retainer with us. Since they are no doubt happy with the results of the case, you should be able to seal the deal with some savvy persuasion.”

“Of course.” Rainmakers brought in the clients—and the clients brought in the money. The muscles that had finally started relaxing on her shoulders bunched right back up. “Thank you so much for the advice.”

“You know I’m on your side. I’m rooting for you to make partner. I just need you to go the extra mile to stack up the odds in your favor.”

“I understand.” Peter was a good mentor. She should take his advice to heart. But the past five years had been all about going the extra mile for her. What if she was like a car that puttered out when the mileage got too high?

The three of them rode the elevator down together, but Peter didn’t get off at the main floor with her and Katie. “I’m going straight to my office. This is your moment.”

“Thank you for celebrating with us,” Lizzy said as the elevator doors closed.

“Congratulations,” her assistant shouted from across the hallway. Maria wasn’t purely motivated by excitement. She was announcing to everyone on the floor that the victors have returned.

“Woo-hoo!” Their receptionist shook her fists high above her head.

Attorneys and staff soon crowded the reception area to congratulate them on their win. Lizzy was already a bit light-headed from the champagne, and thanking and hugging all the well-wishers left her head swimming. Despite the overwhelming fanfare, she couldn’t help noticing Ashley’s conspicuous absence, and the sense of wrongness shadowing her grew darker.

When the crowd finally dispersed, she headed to her office, looking forward to some quiet after a whirlwind of a day. She was tempted to close her office door, but she didn’t want to seem antisocial or snooty on the day of their win. Sinking into her chair, Lizzy leaned her head back and swiveled to face the window. She would eventually have to go through the hundreds of unread emails and play catch-up on all the other cases she’d had to neglect—just thinking about it made breathing a touch more difficult—but not yet. She’d earned a brief reprieve.

“Lizzy.”

She spun her chair around at the sound of Ashley’s voice coming from the doorway. Her heart fell seeing that the bright smile on her friend’s face didn’t quite reach her eyes.

“Congratulations. Not only did you try your first case but you won. What an accomplishment. The partners are sure to take notice.”

“Thank you, Ashley,” she said warily. She hated that they had to be this way. “It’s only a matter of time before I’m congratulating you on the same.”

She huffed a laugh that was jagged with bitterness. “Only if I’m as lucky as you are.”

The not-so-subtle belittling of her hard work asluckstiffened Lizzy’s spine. She hadn’t realized Ashley had a mean streak in her. “What are you talking about?”

“This case would’ve been mine if I hadn’t gone on leave for appendicitis.” Ashley took a few more steps into her office and lowered her voice to a bristling whisper. “I would’ve gotten to work with Peter, who actually wants to support your career. Tracy is so preoccupied with her divorce that she couldn’t care less about whether I made partner or not.”

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