Page 4 of Something Borrowed

“You’re lucky he lets you do anything at all. Either you’re incredibly competent or your colleague is incompetent.” The older woman waved a hand, as if the answer was irrelevant. “By the way, I met your young man. Coughlin’s younger brother, isn’t he?”

Bewildered by the sudden change in topic and not sure if she should have been offended, Brigid said the only thing that came to mind. “Yes, he’s Matthew’s younger brother. We’ve been friends for several years.”

“Interesting choice of partners, Ms. Anderson.” Elizabeth picked up a plate and walked over to a tall table on the side, leaving Brigid no choice but to follow.

“How so, Ms. Wardwell?” Again, with the neutral responses. They were safer, especially when she wasn’t sure where the partner was going with her questions.

The woman studied her intently, as if weighing a decision. “Our life is difficult as women in a male-dominated world. We’re either bitches or bedmates. I don’t see you as a bedmate, so that leaves one option. If you want to get ahead, you’ll have to accept being called a bitch. Can you handle that?”

“What does this have to do with my choice of partners?” Brigid asked.

“With men, it’s easier. Traditionally, they marry a woman who is the perfect hostess, knows how to work the room at parties, and deal with the everyday life. With women, our challenge is finding a man willing to be that person for us, willing to support our careers without feeling threatened or intimidated by our success. Now, if both parties are career minded, you have a different problem. Who will back down if you decide to have a family? One party always has to give in. Or you take two different paths, and one day you wake up and find out that you have nothing in common. Or maybe you find out he’s been doing his assistant at lunch and your marriage is over. Do you understand?”

“Not really.” She decided on honesty. Supposedly, it was always the best policy, although in this case, she wasn’t so sure. She didn’t know why the partner had decided to unload on her right now and she was worried this was a trap. Experience had taught her that advice was never free and everyone always had an agenda. What was Betty’s?

“Can your young man handle the long hours, the stress, and the demands of your job?” She arched her eyebrow and tapped a finger on the tabletop.

“Well, first off, he’s not my young man. He’s just a friend. Second, he’s a contractor, so he has his own business to think about.” Uncomfortable with the questions raised by the woman, Brigid deflected. “To be honest, I haven’t really thought about this much at all.”

“I like you, Ms. Anderson. No need to look so terrified. I know what the junior lawyers call me. Barracuda Betty. I’m proud of that name. I see a lot of me in you, and I think you could be an excellent lawyer. But you have some personal decisions to make. Are you prepared to do that? Do you know what you want?”

Brigid was stunned by the compliment paid by the partner, both the comparison to herself and the part about being an excellent lawyer someday. She almost missed the question posed. Sensing it was not a rhetorical question, especially as the silence dragged on and people milled about them, giving them a wide berth, Brigid weighed her words. Finally, she said, “I haven’t thought about the future beyond making partner.”

Elizabeth stood, wiping her hands on her napkin carefully. “You’d better consider it. The law makes a very cold bed partner, and you should make your decisions now while you have a choice. Your partner will be in a position to help you or hurt you. Your promotion relies not only on your work but on your connections and on the cases you can bring into the firm, cases coming from your contacts. A contractor might not be a position to help you in your future here at the firm. He’s a nice young man and has done well for himself, owning his own business and carving a niche out for himself. But ask yourself this. What can he offer you for your future?”

She turned to walk away, and Brigid held up her hand to stop her. “Ms. Wardwell? Do you ever regret your choices?”

Elizabeth turned around, a guarded look on her face. “Of course not.”

Why didn’t Brigid believe her?

ChapterTwo

Grady shook hands with yet another partner at the firm and avoided the openly curious looks from the wife. He’d already been asked for three business cards and questioned about his extra services, beyond his contracting skills. He hid the shudder behind a bland smile and explained that he had run out of business cards. He could have gotten some substantial business at this party, but the potential complications for Brigid and for Matthew just weren’t worth it. Besides, he had enough business for the next couple of seasons and a waiting list for work into the next year. The predatory gleam in a couple of these women’s eyes confirmed the decision for him.

After making polite, exiting remarks, Matthew steered Grady toward the bar and gestured for a couple of drinks. He leaned against the high bar and scanned the room.

“Thanks for coming tonight. I know how busy you’ve been and taking next week off is difficult for you,” Matthew said.

Grady shrugged. “How often does your brother get married? Twice, three times?” He flashed a quick grin at the sour look his brother shot him. “Seriously, my crew can handle the jobs here, and I have the one to finish on Whitby, anyway. You sure Caroline doesn’t mind me working while I’m out there?”

Matthew’s lips tightened. “She asked the entire wedding party out before the wedding as a reunion for all of us. We haven’t seen each other in four, maybe five years. I know you weren’t part of our group back then, but she wants you included, wants to bring you into the family. So, you can escape for a while, but not long. Even I can’t bring work with me.”

Brigid strode into view, headed for the buffet table, and Grady’s eyes tracked her.

Matthew studied him for a long moment. “So, you’re here with Brigid? How long has that been going on?”

The words were casual and nonthreatening, but Grady sensed an underlying tone that he couldn’t quite place. Caroline had introduced them four years ago, while Brigid was in law school. Grady sensed Caroline was looking for another couple to hang out with, especially when Matthew was so busy building his law career. Matthew was trying to reconnect with the brother he hadn’t seen in more than a decade thanks to the clusterfuck that was their parents’ divorce and their mother’s abandonment of her younger son, Grady. He and Brigid hadn’t really warmed up to each other, being too focused on their own businesses and not seeing much in common with each other, but fate and a matchmaking friend kept throwing them together and one night, alcohol and repressed sexual tension combined to create an explosion of lust and desire that both realized they had something in common. And so, a friends-with-benefits relationship was born.

He didn’t really date, even though they never had an exclusive relationship. He didn’t know if Brigid did. Knowing how many hours she worked, including weekends, he wondered if she had time for it. So, the relationship, such as it was, worked for them. Only now, with his business settled, and Brigid heading into her third year at the firm, he was starting to think long term. Could they have a future together?

“Grady?”

Brigid had been cornered by an older woman and her face had gone carefully blank. Her work face, he often called it. The mask she put on when she had to be scrupulously professional and not let anyone see the woman inside.

“Who is that woman with Brigid?”

Matthew let out a soft laugh. “Damn. Ol’ Barracuda Betty. Elizabeth Wardwell, one of the partners here.”

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