Chapter 19
nineteen
. . .
Presley
I’d hurried home to catch a shower and change as quickly as I could for my meeting. This was a big one, and I hadn’t slept a whole lot, but I didn’t care. Normally before a meeting of this magnitude, I would have gone to bed early and laid out my clothes the night before.
But none of that seemed all that important in the grand scheme of things.
Gracie had had a nightmare, and she’d wanted me to comfort her.
Had anything ever felt that damn good before?
Being needed by that little angel kind of trumped everything. What I wore to this meeting seemed less important this morning, but maybe it was because I hadn’t slept much.
I pulled out my cream business suit and chuckled when I thought of what Lola said.
I normally would choose my black suit, but that just felt boring this morning.
I slipped on the cream silk shell before pulling up the skirt and pushing my arms through the sleeves of my blazer.
I’d usually wear heels, even though no one could see my feet, just because it made me feel more put together.
But today, I slipped on my scuffed-up cowboy booties, which were far more comfortable and gave me a different kind of confidence.
I wore my hair in loose waves and applied my makeup, keeping things light and natural, before setting up my laptop at the little nook table. I set my coffee mug and a large glass of water on the table so they’d be there if needed.
I yawned a few times as I looked over my notes and saw the text from Phillip come through.
Phillip
Good morning. I’m going to be on the call, but I won’t be speaking unless you need me to. This is your meeting. You’re about to be an official partner at this firm. Take the reins and work your magic and close this deal.
I blew out a long breath and shook off the nerves.
Don’t worry one bit. I’ve got this.
Phillip
I don’t have a doubt in the world. See you soon.
I cleared my throat and used the camera as a mirror to make sure my hair and makeup were okay before joining the meeting room.
One by one, different faces came into view as they introduced themselves. Phillip was there, and I was actually relieved that Grant and Ben weren’t attending, as they would just be looking for areas to criticize me.
Dan Walker, the president of A.R.C. Network, was in his mid-fifties, with silver hair and a friendly smile. Margo Linsworth was the vice president of the company, and there were two other men, John Windsor and Pete Harlow, who were members of the board.
“Thank you all for being here. I’d like to tell you a bit about our firm and share all the reasons why we’d be your best choice for your legal representation,” I said.
Margo was the first to speak. “I recently read the article in New York Law magazine about you becoming the first female partner of the firm. That was quite a spread they did on you. Happy to see it. You’ve got one impressive résumé.”
“Thank you,” I said, grateful that they’d done their research. “I’ve worked at Harper, Wallace, and Beezley since I graduated from law school, and actually even before that, as I interned for Phillip Harper while I was still a student.”
“May I just add that she graduated from Harvard Law School at the top of her class? She’s a bit humble, if you haven’t noticed. I think Presley is one of the great legal minds of our future.”
They all smiled and nodded, and I felt my cheeks heat at the compliment. Phillip was a very well-known and respected attorney, and getting praise from him was as good as it gets.
“Thank you for the kind words. So, let’s get down to business, shall we?
” I reached for my coffee, acting like I was completely at ease when inside, my heart was racing so fast that I feared they would hear it.
“If you’re looking for a firm that will make you their priority and always be one step ahead of any fires coming your way, then you’ve come to the right place.
And let me tell you why,” I said, as I started my PowerPoint presentation.
I shared our background, several cases we’d won, different examples of situations that had been handled with the utmost discretion, and our track record for being the best in the business.
It was an easy case to plead because I truly believed it was true.
I wouldn’t want to be a partner at a firm I didn’t believe in.
We went back and forth for the next hour, with them asking questions that were easy to answer. Phillip never had to interject even once. I didn’t miss the smile on his face every time I glanced at him.
And it felt damn good.
I’d proven that I was more than ready for this next step.
“Well, I’ve got to tell you, this was impressive, Presley.
We’ve met with three other firms, and none of them made me feel certain that they were the right fit.
You’ve managed to do that today. I think I speak for everyone when I say that you can go ahead and send over the contracts,” Dan Walker said, and his team nodded in agreement.
“What he’s basically saying is that he makes the final decision, so he doesn’t really care what we think,” Margo said as they all erupted in laughter.
“But lucky for Dan, I think we’re all on board.
Very impressive presentation. I know everyone is making a big deal about you being the first female partner at the firm, but I’m here to say that I think they’re the lucky ones. ”
“I couldn’t agree more. I pride myself on recognizing talent. I’m guessing we have that in common, Dan.” Phillip folded his hands and smiled.
“Agreed. You’ve got to surround yourself with the best, and that’s always been the key to my success. We look forward to working with the best, and we’re happy to have you join the A.R.C. family.”
My hands were shaking as I smiled at the camera. I hadn’t expected a decision today, but to say this had gone better than I’d imagined was a massive understatement.
Grant and Ben were going to shit themselves when they heard that we’d signed them. Maybe now they’d get on board with my name being on the outside of the building along with theirs.
We said our goodbyes, and Phillip and I stayed on the call while he gushed about how well it all went.
“Proud of you. It was your first major test, and you killed it just as I expected you would.”
“Thank you. That means a lot,” I said, reaching for my coffee, in desperate need of a caffeine boost.
“So, you think two weeks is enough? We’re ready to have you back, but I don’t want to rush you.”
I cleared my throat, as thoughts of leaving had my chest feeling heavy. My dad was making a miraculous recovery, and I was thrilled about it, but I wasn’t quite ready to go back to the madness of my life.
“Do you think you can give me three weeks? I’d like to make sure Dad is settled after the nurses leave and keep an eye on him.
” I knew that wasn’t the reason I was asking for the extension.
My father was doing so well that the nurses were planning to leave earlier than expected.
He’d have more than enough time to adjust to the change with the date we’d planned for.
But here I was, buying a little more time.
It didn’t mean anything. I was enjoying myself. It was just like extending a vacation that you were enjoying. There was no shame in that. Then you return to your regular life, and you forget about the vacation because you’re back to doing what you love.
“I can absolutely work with that. I’ve got to say, small-town life agrees with you. You seem more relaxed and lighter. I thought being there and dealing with all of this was going to be stressful for you.”
“Well, don’t get too excited. Barbie’s coming home this week. Let the stress begin.” I chuckled.
“You’ll be fine. I could only hope Brianna would want to be there for me if I were in this situation, but I think we both know that won’t be happening.
You might need to be the one that comes and takes care of me when I’m too old to take care of myself.
” He chuckled, but there was a sadness there.
Phillip had traded his relationship with his daughter for his relationship with the firm.
He’d been married three times, and I hoped that Veronica would be the one to stay.
She didn’t love the hours he worked, but I knew she loved him.
I’d always put him on a pedestal for his work ethic, but for the first time, I wondered if Phillip had missed out.
Thinking about the concern I’d seen on Cage’s face when Gracie stumbled into the kitchen last night.
He was an amazing father. Phillip hadn’t had that presence in his daughter’s life.
He’d dedicated his time and energy to the firm.
And was there anything better in life than his little girl clinging to him the way she did?
If you’d asked me a few weeks ago, I’d have said that Phillip’s legal accolades were the greatest gift one could ever receive.
But today, I was looking at life a little differently.
“You know I’d be there in a heartbeat. But you’re not quite that old just yet,” I teased.
“Damn straight. I’ve got another decade to conquer the world. I’ll keep you posted on the contract, and I’ll see you at the team Zoom meeting tomorrow. I think you’ll be seeing a different side of Ben and Grant after this meeting.” He smirked.
“One can hope. I’ll see you tomorrow,” I said before waving goodbye and ending the call.
I spent the rest of the day at the house with my father. He was fully walking on his own now, no more wheelchair. Carol had been relieved, and only Lexi was on duty now, and the night nurses were no longer necessary.
My mother would be thrilled that he was going to be back to business as usual. She hated when people struggled or were anything less than perfect.
We were having dinner in the dining room together, and he finished chewing. “Mom will be back at the end of the week.”
“Yes. That’s what she said. She’ll be happy to see your progress.” I popped a bite of pasta into my mouth.