Quietly Yours (Love in the District #3)

1. Gordon Gekko and Other Visions of the Past

CHAPTER 1

GORDON GEKKO AND OTHER VISIONS OF THE PAST

A ddison stared out the windowed conference room on the top floor of her law firm, wishing she could be anywhere but here.

“We should bring in a surprise witness or, like, a big poster board photo of him in a compromising position.”

Suppressing a sigh, she glanced at Kyle. “I understand your thinking behind that argument, but I know we can win if we go with what the team has already been working on. It makes a much stronger case.”

“Look, Allison?—”

“Addison.”

“Whatever. The point is that this argument needs a sexier element. Something shocking. Something that adds gas to the fire,” Kyle stressed, gesturing wildly like a hype man’s intern.

One of the firm’s partners had hired his son, Kyle—a Gordon-Gekko-dressing blowhard from a cut-rate law school—and now he was Addison’s problem. She was supposed to be mentoring him, but he was under the impression that he was the new hotshot who would rise quickly through the ranks. He probably would . Those kinds of guys always did .

Kyle was still going on about “show-stopping” ideas for their defense of a typical D.C. politico who'd committed a financial crime. These defendants were the firm’s bread and butter, so there was no need for Kyle’s special brand of out-of-the-box thinking. Since this was the kind of case many in their firm could handle in their sleep, the other attorneys in the room had checked out long ago and were on their phones or staring into space.

This meeting was supposed to be a brief strategy session where Addison showcased the defense she had spent many long nights in the office crafting. While the defendant and his alleged crimes were standard fare, this case was her opportunity to show the partners that she had the potential to be lead counsel sooner rather than later, despite her young age. However, she hadn’t planned on the Kyle effect.

This one-layered lasagna of a person is not going to stand in my way of winning this case.

She forced herself to speak calmly, “Kyle, we all appreciate your enthusiasm, but this case is a pretty typical example of what we handle all the time. We’re going to stick with the plan. In court, you’ll see how it works out, and it’ll all be clearer for you.”

“Why are you so mad? Are you on the rag or something?” he asked with a smug expression.

Her patience snapped. Addison stood abruptly and gathered her things. “And on that note, I think we’re finished here,” she said, causing the others to look up at her, finally paying attention.

Derek, the senior associate in charge of the case, cleared his throat. “Yes, I think we have enough to go on. I’ll email later to coordinate.” Nice of you to finally do something.

Once back in her office, Addison closed the door to stave off the office talkers—and Kyle. Her work multiplied every time she returned to her desk. The firm was equally into digital and paper files, so she had to wade through both at the end of each day to set herself up for the next morning.

Addison was well on her way to a senior associate position in the next year. All she needed was one more big win on a case, even better if she was the lead, which she might be on the next case if Kyle stayed out of her way on this one. Her coworkers constantly praised her work ethic and cool demeanor, but that lifestyle was starting to wear her out. Putting in the work was exhausting but satisfying. Staying detached and cool wasn’t.

It hadn't always been this way. As a shy little girl, she realized in late elementary school that she wouldn’t survive in the cutthroat girl world without changing how she approached her social life. In sixth grade, she reluctantly put away the latest book she was reading and gossiped with the other girls during break time. In middle school, that transitioned into mean pranks on the quiet girls, which broke her heart to take part in. It terrified her that one of the poor girls being pranked would remind Addison’s new group that she was more like the victim than the prankers. Years of practice toughened her up and made her into what she now regretfully realized was a mean girl, even in college when she should have grown out of that social crutch.

Every day that she put on that tough, get-them-before-they-get-me persona, it fit a little better until she couldn’t take it off at night as easily. Fortunately, she had found more mature ways to show strength, like not showing emotion and being resilient. But that wasn’t necessarily who she wanted to be, even if it got her ahead in her career. Addison’s family and closest friend, Lexi, saw through it, but she wasn't confident that others would be willing to break through her hard outer shell. Few others in her past had. What if this protective act backfired in the future?

She sometimes missed that shy little girl who was sensitive and open with her feelings. Addison often thought she would have been disappointed in her grown-up self, fighting for the bad guys more often than not. But Addison left that girl back in her small town long ago. She wouldn’t survive Addison’s current lifestyle.

At least the McMaster case was in good shape. She had met with Derek, Kyle, and the rest of the team about it, and it was well-handled. She could afford to step back a little bit. If she didn’t, she’d become a full-time Kyle wrangler. I can’t think of anything more unappealing. The late-afternoon meeting had killed off her remaining give-a-damn, so Addison packed up and headed home.

As she walked out of the office, the weight of the day pressed heavily on her shoulders. The city lights began to flicker on, casting a warm glow on the streets—a stark contrast to the cold, sterile environment she’d just left behind.

At least once she was home, it was getting easier for her to transform from her tough, no-nonsense lawyer persona. She had gotten so used to “faking it until she made it” that she had become that shark full time. It was what had eventually ended her engagement a few years ago to Jake, who she had thought was the love of her life, but she now understood wasn’t. He was good for her, with his easygoing, happy personality. He was the counterbalance to her blind ambition and cool exterior. She hadn’t found the next guy yet, but who had time for that?

The real Addison, as she liked to think of it, was wearing a costume—albeit an expensive, designer, tailored costume. She wondered if the world would still accept and praise her if she showed them her sweet and sensitive side. At least she had Lexi, and her hedgehog knew the real Addison. After shedding her work outfit and stilettos, Addison opened Prickles’ cage door and pulled him out for playtime.

“You like me, right?” she asked. Prickles looked at her with love in those beady little black eyes. “I thought so.”

She left Prickles to toddle around on the rug while she made the two of them an evening snack: a big broccoli floret for him and veggies and hummus for her. She sat on the floor with the hedgehog and told him about her day. Prickles seemed sympathetic about her Kyle stories. Even a hedgehog has more sense than Kyle.

I should do something tonight. It had been ages since Addison had gone out and done anything fun. She wondered if Lexi was up for a last-minute hangout.

Addison Kennedy: You around?

Lexi Perez: Yessssss. Are you actually wanting to hang out?

Addison: You read my mind.

Lexi: I usually do! What are you thinking?

Addison hadn’t gotten that far. Something easy. Something where they could hear each other. I’m so old. Who thinks that?

Addison: Waterfront? Maybe Sequoia’s patio?

Lexi: That place is so overpriced and played out.

She can be so difficult sometimes. Addison brushed off her annoyance. Lexi was her best friend, and she knew the woman meant no harm.

Addison: Kafe Leopold? I know you love going over to Cady’s Alley.

Lexi: I do! It’s like a little secret.

Addison: That everyone knows about.

Lexi: Whatever. 20 minutes?

Addison: Deal.

Addison was glad she hadn’t completely undone her look for the day. She ran a brush through her long, icy blonde hair and dabbed a Q-tip under her lower lashes to catch any stray mascara. Jeans, sleeveless top, out the door.

The walk to the cafe would be about ten minutes, and Addison was looking forward to it. It was one of those evenings where one felt hope for the coming fall—still very warm, but not the swampy torture of August.

Waiting to cross the street, Addison saw a sight that made her gasp. Jake, her ex-fiancé, with his new girlfriend, Laura. They looked lost in each other, like they were the only two people in the world. They waited on the opposite corner to cross the same street as Addison, huddled in an embrace while Jake watched for the walk signal to change.

Addison prided herself on being strong, but no one was tough enough to see their former love—whom they still hadn’t replaced—happy in front of their eyes. She turned abruptly, letting her hair fall to hide her face from the side facing them, and hightailed it to the next block to cross. Inconvenience be damned. She wasn’t going to have another encounter with those two. Her jealousy had already gotten the best of her when she met Laura by chance last summer. Addison would give anything to take back that night. She had thrown herself at Jake in front of Laura—and half the restaurant—and had been condescending and downright mean to the other woman as well. I’m not that person and never will be , Addison had thought that night when she left the restaurant.

The relationship with Jake was over. When they had broken their engagement, they had done so mutually. Growing apart, especially in their twenties, was natural, and they had grown out of that relationship and each other. Addison wasn't at the point where she wanted to see him happy in front of her, but she did want him to live his life and move on.

When Addison arrived at Kafe Leopold, Lexi was already seated at a prime patio table. Of course. She’s the only person more anal about being on time than I am.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Lexi observed.

“Kinda. I saw Jake with his new girl,” Addison said, settling into her seat.

“No,” Lexi breathed. “What’s she like?”

Addison had conveniently forgotten to tell Lexi about the first time she saw Laura. Even best friends have boundaries when it comes to something so humiliating.

"She’s pretty. Our age. Brown hair," Addison replied, picking up her menu.

“Please, continue to give me nothing, Addie,” Lexi smirked, pulling her dark curly hair into a messy bun.

“Well, it’s not like I got up close and personal.” This time.

“Whatever. How did Jake look?”

“In love,” Addison said a little sadly.

“Oh.”

They glanced through their menus—ones they had memorized after countless visits—but it was better than continuing that conversation. It’s not like I want to be engaged to Jake again or that I don’t want him to be happy. I just don’t want to know about it. Oh, this sounds selfish even in my own head. Addison needed a moment to come up with a natural-sounding subject change.

She'd been caught off guard by seeing Jake and Laura, and while she knew she shouldn't be so affected, there was always that chance in Georgetown. But... No, I have nothing. I’m not going to try to analyze this.

Luckily, Lexi tended to be a little self-absorbed. She lived in the moment and focused on what was around her and what was percolating in her own head. Lexi was an artist outside of her day job, and that was part of her process. They had been close for years, ever since meeting near the end of college in a roommate-switching debacle. Oddly matched, but they balanced each other out. Addison loved her best friend like a sister, but this had always been true.

Their friendship deepened during Addison’s law school years, as Lexi was dating Jake’s best friend, Tim, at the time. Both couples had reached the point of moving into what they presumed would be their first of many homes together, but things deteriorated quickly in Lexi and Tim’s relationship when Addison and Jake broke off their engagement, leading the women to move back in together.

I wonder if Lexi dwells on her relationship with Tim. It seemed unlikely. Things hadn’t been great between Lexi and Tim for a while. Lexi had been so eager to end things with Tim out of "solidarity" with Addison. She had said it was unfeminist to stay with Tim when Addison was no longer part of the group. That worked out for Addison, and she hadn’t stopped the breakup. I still feel bad about letting her do that. I just wanted her to myself, so we could be fun roommates again. However, Tim had been the driving force in their relationship moving to the next level and toward marriage, not Lexi. Lexi hadn’t pushed back as much as she should have, and if Addison hadn’t been as self-absorbed at the time as she accused Lexi of being now, she would have intervened.

“You good, Addie?” Lexi asked, snapping Addison out of her thoughts.

Ugh, enough about the past. "Yep, just thinking about work," she said.

"That’s usually true, but I know you’re lying now."

Damn.

“Fine, I was thinking about back in the days when we were a foursome. Don’t you ever miss Tim?” Addison asked.

“Tim? Hm. I think about him occasionally, but I don’t sit around wishing we were still together,” Lexi answered, seeming more interested in flagging down their server than discussing the past.

Lexi was incredibly fun and always the life of the party—qualities that had clashed with Tim, who, like Addison, gravitated more toward quieter conversations. Addison and Tim had been pretty good friends, once upon a time. He was Jake’s loyal best friend from childhood, and he tended to see through people who put on a front. Like me. Addison thought back to many double dates that involved Jake and Lexi singing a karaoke duet while Tim and Addison cheered them on. She remembered a night back in the last weeks of law school when everything was about to change. Tim had looked at her and said, "I know you’re not the tough girl you pretend to be. What are you hiding?"

She hadn’t considered herself to be hiding anything among her friends, but Tim was right. She was hiding that she was sensitive and cared a lot about what people thought of her. Jake, Lexi, and her family were the only ones who saw through her cool and confident act. She had liked that the others in her life accepted her at face value, so she didn’t need to expose herself to potential hurt. But it could be exhausting being Addison Kennedy: hot chick who doesn’t care what you think. At that moment, she realized she had to add Tim to that list.

Tim had figured her out in weeks. He was observant like that. He was always the one looking for the person who felt out of place, pulling them into a conversation to make them feel seen. Addison had always liked that quality, and it had been her saving grace when she and Jake started dating. Tim had a way of anchoring her while Jake's frat brothers, who lived nearby during law school, dragged him away.

Addison had hated those guys. I wonder what Laura thinks of those buffoons. They weren’t particularly nice—especially to Tim—and they tended to bring out the worst in Jake and everyone around them.

Tim was good for Lexi, but Lexi wasn't necessarily good for him. She needed excitement and drama. While Tim never walked away from a good story or tidbit of gossip, he actively diffused dramatic situations. Addison knew her friend needed a sparring partner, and Tim hadn’t been that for Lexi.

Enough. Time to leave the past in the past. Addison turned her focus back to Lexi and the story she was telling, doing her best to enjoy the long September evening. She was with her bestie, she was about to show her firm she was worthy of a promotion, and everything else was nice and boringly stable in her life.