Page 54 of Partner Pursuit
“That’s terrible.” In more ways than one.So close.Jake handed in the ticket for their helmets, and they went out the door. The warm evening air hit Audrey like an embrace. It would have been such a perfect night to bike home and invite Jake over. Audrey clipped on her helmet. They thanked Lenny for watching their bikes.
“Should I come with you?” she asked. “I can help with thelaundry.”
“Ha! That’d serve Fiona right—if she met you again in her current state,” he said. “But I don’t think she’d ever forgive me. And this might be contagious. Now that’d be a ploy fromPride and Prejudice. Doesn’t Mrs. Bennett send Elizabeth over in the rain so she gets sick and has to stay at Bingley’s house?”
“Ha, but not a stomach bug. That’s a little hard to work with if you’re trying to seducesomeone.”
Jake stilled, but then smiled at her. “Especially in front of your sister.”
They unlocked their bikes. Jake looked over at her and shookhishead.
“Here, let me check your helmet, since we’re biking home at night.” He adjusted the helmet on her head and then tightened the straps, his fingers lightly touching her face. It looked as if he might lean down and kiss her. Suddenly the door opened from Bob’s Place, light spilling out onto the sidewalk, and a chatty crowd descended the brownstone steps.
Jake smiled wryly, and his handslefther.
“Let’s go down the St. Nicholas bike path. That’s probably the safest route.”
She noddedyes.
As he turned on his bike light, he glanced at her and said, “You didn’t check your work phone once today.”
“No,” Audrey said. “I’m trying.”
Jake looked like he wanted to say something, but then he nodded and startedpedaling.
Chapter Twenty-Four
It was back to work on Sunday—back to reality after Saturday night’s enchantment. Audrey felt like she’d dreamt it—until the end. The end was in line with her usual luck in dating. Something seemed about to happen, but thendisaster.
An email from Genevieve reported that Mrs. Rothman was obsessed with the articles showing Pierre and his wife no longer attending social events together. Mrs. Rothman had reached out to another friend in common. That friend had just been in Paris on vacation and inadvertently bumped into Pierre’s wife, Laila. Laila looked healthy and was just about to leave for the south of France with the grandchildren. Laila had asked after Mrs. Rothman, seeming to indicate she was sorry for her husband suingJohn.
It seemed as if there was no issue other than money. Colette was right. She should stop chasing false premises and focus solely on the legalarguments.
Winnie knocked on her door and entered, shutting the door behindher.
“Did you hear about our firm’s failed pitch to Peters Securities to defend their money laundering litigation?” Winnie asked. “White & Gilman won it—and Tim worked on it.”
“I heard. I can’t believe White & Gilman beat us,” Audrey said, her tone serious. “I’m sure the partnership was counting on that business. Peters Securities was one of our main clients. We’ve been their outside litigation firm for years. And now we’re not. It’s bad.” The atmosphere on the litigation floors of the firm had felt tense as the news had filtereddown.
“Is Tim upset?” Winnie asked.
“Hard to tell with Tim. Stiff upper lip andallthat.”
“You should be careful what you tell Tim. I don’t trust those two. I see him and Colette together alotnow.”
Audrey nodded. She had noticed that too, but her concern was more their allying against her for partnership than the loss of Tim as a romantic prospect—especially given her zingy flirtationwithJake.
Audrey mused, “Maybe they get the best of Tim and me if they make Colette apartner.”
“Colette’s not the best of both of you. They just get a smart woman. And she doesn’t care about mentoring young associates. Nor does Tim. They should’ve pushed Colette to next year for partnership. I understand that she was a star during her clerkship, but still, next year, she would’ve been ashoo-in.”
“She wouldn’t have come here if they hadn’t agreed that she was still on the same partner track timeline. She’s good at negotiating, you’ve got to giveherthat.”
“They get the best of Tim and Colette if they make you a partner. They get a smart woman who’s also collegial like Tim. You should think of it like that,” Winniesaid.
Audrey smiled wryly, warmed by Winnie’s support. “I’ll try. Thanks.”
“Anyway, I’m heading home now. Jae and I have a cooking class tonight,” Winniesaid.
