Page 174 of White Raven
Her face implied that she wasn’t sure if she should takethatas a compliment or worry that he was going to try and argue her place at this firm, and go back on their agreement. “Thanks.” They stared at each other for a second, and then he laughed through his nose. “What can I do for you?
A lone manila folder was tucked beneath his arm, and he glanced down at his watch, and then at the elevators. “Is the other party here yet?”
“They’re not. What’s this all about?”
“I’ll be happy to explain everything in the conference room,” he smirked, walking past her and down the hallway where his old office used to be. It seemed like just a short time ago that there was a banner over the door, welcoming him back. There was another poor sod in there now, with a suit two sizes too small, and a plant on his desk that desperately needed water. The glass door closed in the conference room, and he took a seat while C. J. continued to stare him down in astonishment. “Is it that crazy to see me in a pair of jeans, and a t-shirt?”
C.J. rested a thigh on the edge of the long table and crossed her arms with a slight smile. “It’s like you’re a completely different person, Brent.”
“I am.”
She narrowed her eyes, apparently trying to search him for the man she used to know, but it was obvious shecouldn’t find him. “Clearly,” she smiled softly. “You know…Arya Brenwick’s no walk in the park. You must have really made an impression on her. She came at us like a lioness after that stunt you pulled.”
“You know better than that, Cece. I never sicked her on you. For whatever reason, she found me worthy of her representation. I can’t speak for whatever else she did. And you seem like you made out just fine.”
“Better than fine, thanks to you.” The change in her voice suggested gratitude, and not condemnation. They shared a shallow smile. Finally, Brent’s limbs relaxed as Annie and her parents were escorted into the conference room. C.J.’s brows knitted together, but she welcomed them inside.
“Hey!” Annie grinned, rushing towards him. He stood, catching her and picking her up off the floor briefly. She wasn’t wearing her beanie anymore, and her hair was a few inches long now and cut in a cute pixie with purple strands peeking out, here and there. She looked so grown up. So healthy and happy. Her starry eyes looked him over, and she grimaced at his outfit. “You start shopping in the dumpsters on Finley Ave.?”
C.J. tried to contain her snort as she sat Annie’s parents down.
“Solid dig, kid.” Brent ruffled her hair, and she took her seat, criss-crossing her legs, and looking around the room in awe.
“This is so cool,” she smiled. “This is where you work?”
His old colleague peered over at him from the other side of the table, and carefully studied the little girl. Brent pretended not to notice. “Not anymore. But you can, one day. That’s why I called you out here.” Annie looked at him, surprised.
“What do you mean? You quit?” When he didn’t respond, her eyes softened in disappointment, and he’d be lying if he said it didn’t sting. “Brent…why?”
It didn’t seem appropriate, even with Annie’s intelligence, to tell her the real reason he’d left the firm. Instead, he told her a different truth. “I’m…I’m moving.” Vanessa frowned at his admission, but it didn’t hold a candle to Annie’s sudden intrusion of heartbreak.
“Where?” she asked, her small voice shuddering.
Brent steeled himself. “To Denver. With my…um…girlfriend.”
Annie smiled through her welling tears. “The ginger one from the papers?” He smiled, nodding proudly. “Well…can’t say I blame her for not being able to resist your tight bod.” C.J. chuckled under her breath. “So? You brought me all the way up here to tell me that? Why not just call?”
Brent slid the manila folder across the table towards her, and she stared at him for a moment before she reached down and flipped it open. “This is my promise to always have your back, Annie. The way you’ve got mine.”
Annie read over the paper, sliding a white envelope out of the folder. She glanced up at him in shock. “This saves me a spot at this firm.”
“What?!” C.J. yelped, reaching for the document.
“Open the envelope,” Brent urged, gesturing with his hand as Vanessa and her husband both gasped and leaned in to read over C.J.’s shoulder. Annie hesitated, but peeled it open, and pulled out a signed check. Her small fingers slid over her mouth, and her shoulders shuddered as she silently cried. “That should cover your tuition for law school. When you kick ass at Harvard…you’ll have a place here. I can’t wait to see what you do, Annie DeVord.”
“You slick bastard,” C.J. smirked, shaking her head. “You’re blackmailing me. You know I can fight this.”
Brent smiled up at her, knowingly. “You knew I was a good lawyer before you backed me into a corner, Cece. You won’t fight it. You know why?”
“Enlighten me,” she smiled, crossing her arms. He pointed at Annie, who was now being comforted by her parents.
“Because when she’s old enough, and every firm on the east coast is dying to have her…you’ll already be holding the door open, and a spot ready on that wall.”
“Well-played, Stratford.”
Brent shrugged and beamed at her as he clicked the end of a pen and extended it to his former colleague. “I promise it’ll be the easiest win for you yet.” She jerked it from his hand and leaned down to scratch her signature on the top line. They both looked at Annie then, and her eyes wouldn’t stop leaking as C.J. slid the paper over.
“You understand that if you want your name on that wall, then it’s something you have to earn, right?” C.J. asked, as Annie eyed her warily. “I’ll promise you an associate’s position, but it’ll be up to you to do the work. Corner offices aren’t handed out like golden tickets, sweetie.”
