4. Once Again, it’s Addie with the Assist
CHAPTER 4
ONCE AGAIN, IT’S ADDIE WITH THE ASSIST
I t had been a long and unpleasant day. Addison suffered a rare loss in court that left her reeling. She’d been added to the case at the last minute and had to play catchup, something she wasn’t so used to doing. Losing was unfamiliar territory for her. However, her client was truly reprehensible. Not many people on a jury find a billionaire who exploits child labor—allegedly, of course—sympathetic. At least the McMaster case went well. Hopefully, this one doesn’t mess up my promotion to lead counsel. She wished she was more of a drinker; this would have been the perfect time for her dad’s patented “Control-Alt-Delete”: two fingers of bourbon and a Xanax.
Addison’s phone buzzed with an incoming call. Tim? Why is he calling me? She and Tim had remained on friendly terms since the group break up, but not exactly “talk-on-the-phone ” friendly. Given how her day had gone, she almost sent him to voicemail, but curiosity got the best of her.
I almost feel like I summoned him by asking Lexi if she thought about him.
Before the final ring, Addison answered. “Tim?” she asked instead of greeting him properly.
He cleared his throat. “Hey, Addie. I know this is weird, but you’re really the only person who will understand this.”
Understand what? She remained silent, prompting Tim to continue.
“You see, Jake and his girlfriend Laura?—”
“What does this have to do with me?” Addison cut him off sharply.
“Let me back up. You know Jake has been like a brother to me since we were kids.”
“I’m aware. But again, what does this have to do with me?” She tried to rein in her irritation. Tone it down. Tim didn’t cause your bad day.
He sighed deeply. “We are two of the people who know Jake best. I assume you still care about his happiness, right?”
“Sure, but more of in a conceptual way than in a way where I want to get particularly involved.”
“Yeah, I get that. Please, just hear me out. He’s been seeing this great woman, Laura, for a while. They are made for each other. It’s ridiculous how perfect they are together.”
The psycho who showed up at the St. Regis Bar? I beg to differ.
“You’re not exactly selling this, Tim,” Addison warned.
“Anyway, they had a huge breakup.”
No kidding.
“Tim, get to the point.”
“Just let me get this out. You know I’m not versed in making arguments and convincing people like you and Jake are.”
He had a point.
“The thing is their breakup is a huge mistake for both of them. I need your help to get them to fix things. Jake won’t listen to me, but I know he will listen to you.”
“I’m not sure why you’d think that.”
“Because you can be the calm, collected voice of reason. If you endorse Laura, that sends a big message.”
“What do you need me to do?” Addison asked with a sigh.
“Wait. Really? You’re still awesome, Addie. I’ve never thought anything else.”
Uh huh. Sure.
“Are you up for a meeting to strategize? I can come to your place tomorrow after work. I’ll bring shawarma. I’m betting that’s still your favorite.”
Damn. It is.
“See you tomorrow evening. I’m not letting you in without shawarma,” she replied.
Addison couldn’t believe that she was being asked to advocate for Laura. What did see in that woman that she didn’t?
The next evening, Addison had barely settled in when Tim knocked on her door. Right on time, she thought, as she walked to the door. the door.
“What’s the password?” she asked, peering through the peephole at Tim, who was shifting nervously from foot to foot, running a hand through his thick, dark hair.
“Shawarma.”
“Exactly.” She opened the front door.
As he walked past, she couldn't help but notice how good he looked in his work clothes. Tim had always been handsome in a boy-next-door sort of way, but tonight his slim cut dress shirt and pants highlighted a body that had clearly seen the inside of a gym. Being tall didn’t hurt either. I must be lonely if I’m checking out Tim , she thought, pulling her attention back to the moment.
She led Tim into the living room and left him to unpack the food while she went to the kitchen for drinks and a bowl of lettuce for Prickles.
“You still have Prickles!” Tim called from the living room. “I love this guy. He’s basically you in animal form.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Addison set two cans of Coke on the coffee table and took a seat next to him. She reached over to Prickles’ cage and put his lettuce inside.
“Aw, Addie, I know you play tough, but you’re a sweetie on the inside.”
“You flirt,” she said with a snort.
“Also, you both eat with your mouths open,” he teased, eyeing Prickles, who was trying to stuff an entire leaf of lettuce into his mouth, then back at her.
“Well, this is a business dinner,” she said, hiding her food with her hand while speaking. “Let’s get down to it.”
“It’s a little business and a lot of gossip. Let’s be real. You and I have always appreciated gossip more than Lexi or Jake.”
We did spend plenty of evenings catching up on dirt , she thought. I always liked that about you.
“I’ll try to be brief, but it’s juicy,” Tim said. “I need to start at the beginning, and I you have to promise not to judge Laura for any of it. Promise?”
This must be some good stuff , Addison thought. “I solemnly swear,” she replied with mock seriousness.
“When they first met, Jake kept finding that Laura liked the same things as him. Paddleboarding, music, food. You name it. It was like they were the male and female versions of each other.”
Addison nodded, barely suppressing an eye roll. When’s this going to go wrong, Tim? Get to it.
“I liked Laura. It was great seeing Jake so happy, but something felt off about her. I’m a little cynical sometimes, but I just didn’t buy that she that perfect for him. I mean, I don't even have that much in common with the guy, and we’ve been tight since childhood.”
Addison stayed quiet, waiting for him to continue.
“I said something to him about it, trying to be a good friend, and he just got pissed. Said some things—stuff that would ruin other friendships. I understand why he took her side, but I was just looking out for him.”
“That’s what friends do,” Addison said. “You did the right thing by talking to him if you were concerned.”
“I thought so. Anyway, things eventually blew over, but Laura was a touchy topic for a while. And then, turns out I was right. She was unrealistically perfect. You’re going to love this: the whole time they were together, she was actually his maid’s sister, helping out with cleaning.”
“That’s it? That’s the bombshell? She’s a maid?”
Tim’s leg shook, as he leaned forward, looking anxious to get to the point.
“Hardly. She’s a journalist. She was just helping her sister temporarily. But that’s not the punchline, Addie. She was snooping the whole time, creating this persona that she thought Jake would fall for!”
Addison gasped. “No way. So why do you want to get them back together?”
“I see why you’d wonder that,” he admitted. “She and I have talked one-on-one since the breakup. She’s a mess. He’s a mess. They’re genuinely in love. All her attempts to be “female Jake” were unnecessary. Jake doesn’t want or need someone just like him. I mean, look at you two. You were great together way back then, and you’re nothing alike. But, seriously, Addie. He’s making a huge mistake—throwing out the baby with the bathwater level mistake.”
Addison had to laugh. “What century are you from?”
“My grandma always said that, so it’s ingrained in me. But you see what I mean? He’s being stubborn when he doesn’t need to be.”
“I’m still not clear on what I have to do with this,” Addison said, frowning.
Tim sighed, running a hand through his hair “Since I was already critical of her, Jake doesn’t trust my judgment on this anymore. Now that I’m saying Laura deserves another chance, he thinks I’m flip-flopping or just trying to cover my own tracks. But you?—"
Me? Addison thought, a mix of surprise and dread washing over her.
“He respects your opinion,” Tim continued, “and he doesn’t know you were ever even skeptical of her. Would you just talk to him?”
Addison hesitated, crossing her arms. The idea of talking to Jake about Laura made her stomach twist. Did she really want to wade into that mess? They had finally found a professional rhythm after all this time. Did she want to risk that?
“Eh…I don't know, Tim. Jake and I have a good thing going now professionally.”
Tim nodded, silently urging her to continue. His hopeful expressions chipped away at her defenses. The fight went right out of her. If she was going to be of real help, she needed to tell him the truth about her encounters with Laura. Maybe he would change his mind about involving her after he knew.
“I need to admit something to you since we’re opening up the Jake can of worms,” she began cautiously.
“I can’t say ‘throw the baby out with the bath water,’ but you can say ‘can of worms?’” Tim laughed.
This guy. We should have stayed better friends after everything went down.
“Fair. So, I’ve met Laura. Twice.”
Tim raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to finish.
“Tim, this is so embarrassing. I can’t.”
“You’ve already started, and you know our old rule about being required to finish good gossip once we start.”
Addison blushed. “I’m not usually the subject of our gossip, but a rule is a rule. I was out at a restaurant one night with some coworkers, and I was a little tipsy. I don’t drink much, so I’m not great at handling my liquor.”
“Oh, I remember that fondly. You get sassy, and your southwestern Virginia accent comes out.”
“Indeed. This time, it was beyond sass—I was a legit bitch. I saw them at a table, looking cozy. She was so beautiful, and he looked so into her. Something came over me. I flirted shamelessly with him and treated her like garbage. It was like I couldn't stop the words from coming out of my mouth. I called him ‘Jakey,’ Tim.”
Tim grimaced. “Ick.”
“There’s no way Jake will listen to my opinions on his relationship.” He didn’t even want to hear Laura’s the other night.
“That was way out of character. I’m sure Jake knows that. You might owe Laura an apology and need to beg for a second chance with her, but Jake’s definitely over anything you did.” He reached for her hand and gave it a comforting pat. “Hey, come on. Yeah, it was bad. But it’s not like you’re some crazy ex who’s out to make him miserable. We all know that. Maybe not Laura. Yet. But she will.”
Addison took a deep breath. I feel a little better after confessing. Maybe I will help. We’ve been having a good time working together. I owe Jake after that scene. And certainly Laura. Ugh. What a mess.
“I’ll do it. But you’ll need to be more specific about what exactly ‘it’ entails.”
Tim’s face lit up like he’d won a championship. “Nice! It’s not like I have a genius plan. All I want is for you to talk to him on your own. He’ll know I’m behind this but try to downplay that. He’s a little sensitive about plots being orchestrated behind his back these days, if you know what I mean.”
Poor Jake. Poor Laura. Poor me for getting into this.
Addison stood outside Jake’s condo, taking a deep breath before knocking. It was the first time she’d been here in years. She glanced at the familiar building, a place they had once chosen together as their first jointly-owned home. They’d imagined a life here before things fell apart. Since Jake had put the money down for the condo, it made sense for him to keep it after the breakup. She’d never lived in it.
I thought this would feel weirder. Like I’d be sadder or longing for old times. Yet, as she stood there now, she felt surprisingly detached. Her only concern was convincing Jake to take Laura back and live happily ever after—right here.
She was on a mission. Few people in the city were better than her at negotiating and getting their way. Unfortunately, Jake was one of them.
“Hey,” Jake said, opening the door with a curious smile. “I can’t say I had ‘Addie wanting to come over for a social call’ on my Bingo card.”
He looks miserable. Poor guy.
“You can thank Tim for this,” Addison said, giving him a brief hug as she stepped inside the condo.
“Sit,” Jake said, gesturing toward his leather sofa.
I remember the day we picked that out.
“I’ll get to the point,” she began, her tone turning business-like. Tim told me what happened with Laura, which puts the whole St. Regis situation into perspective. I know I seem like an unlikely Laura advocate, but I think you’re making a mistake by not hearing her out.” .
“’Unlikely’ would be a mild way of putting it,” Jake replied with a smirk. “But I know you like to dabble in fighting for the little guy on the rare occasion.”
Addison softened at the reminder of how she used to be. “That happens less and less,” she admitted with a sigh. “Criminal defense might be what I’m good at, but I did enjoy our externship back in school where we did pro bono work for non-profits and women in bad situations.”
“You old softie,” Jake said, giving her a kind look.
Addison looked down at her lap, feeling the familiar tightness of shame in her chest. “Jake, I’m so sorry for how I acted at the restaurant when I first saw you two together. I was totally out of line. With you with how and especially with Laura. That had nothing to do with my hope for your happiness. I was drunk and stupid. Can you forgive me for that?”
I feel like such an idiot. I’m not that person.
“You know I can. I’ve had the rare drunk Addie sighting in my time, so I knew it wasn’t a big deal. Laura took it hard, but you don’t need to worry about that. You’re the least of her worries these days,” he said sadly.
“I noticed,” she said quickly, hoping to steer the conversation away from the bar incident. I don’t want that scene at the forefront of his mind if I’m going to talk him into getting back with her.
“That’s what I’m here to discuss. I know she made a big mistake. I also know that trust is a hot-button issue for you. But, Jake, can we look at things from her perspective?” Addison paused.
After a long silence, Jake nodded reluctantly.
“Good,” she continued. “Something Laura and I have in common is that we see you for who you are: the dream guy. Can you blame the poor woman for doing everything in her power to make sure you were her dream guy and she was your dream girl?”
“She completely violated my trust and went behind my back to manipulate me,” he responded hotly.
Uh oh, diffuse his anger quickly.
“I can see why you’d think that.” Addison watched as Jake thinned his lips, clearly holding back. “Tim told me that he was a little concerned about how ‘perfect’ Laura was at first, but he was able to see over time that she didn’t have to fake it to as much as she thought. The first time I saw you two together at that restaurant, I saw the ‘Jake in Love’ face. Tim said that everything she might have faked was surface-level stuff, not the deeper connection.”
Jake turned pensive.
I think I’m getting to him.
“How can I trust someone who would snoop around my place like that? She played me, Addie. That’s not something I can easily forgive.”
“Not easily, no. But you can forgive her. You’re not a grudge-holder.” Addison looked studied him closely. “I know you’re a mess emotionally right now. You might be able to hide it behind your disgustingly good looks and tailored suits, but you can’t live without her. Tim saw it, and now I see it. You’re a wreck without your other half.”
“You still think I’m hot,” Jake said, grinning and wiggling his eyebrows.
“Focus, Tanner! Get over yourself and get Laura back. Tim has talked to her and she’s miserable. She wants you back. She knows she made a huge mistake.”
“I want her back, too,” he said quietly.
“Then what’s the issue?” Addison pressed.
“Ease up, counselor. I’m getting there.”
“Look,” Addison said, rising from the sofa. “I’m going to let you stew on this for a bit. Let’s meet up tomorrow at five to strategize.”
“You think you’ve already won this one, huh?” he teased.
“You know my record. I have this in the bag. You’ll come around.”
On her walk back to the condo, Addison put in her earbuds and called Tim.
“I have a brilliant idea,” she said the moment he picked up.
“That could go in any direction, knowing you. Is it for good or evil?” he replied, his voice coming through the speakerphone.
“Good.”
“Disappointing. But I’m listening.” Tim laid on the horn. “Sorry about that. I hate cyclists so much.”
“Don’t commit a crime before I tell you this. Jake’s open to fixing things with Laura.”
“Why didn’t you start with that?” Tim honked his horn again. “Do you have a plan? You’re famous for your plans, so I don’t want to be disappointed, Addie.”
“Of course I have a plan.”
She filled him in on her idea for a grand romantic gesture to bring Jake and Laura back together. It would take some work on Laura’s part, which seemed like fair penance for her snooping.
Tim loved the idea.
“Man, you’re a romantic deep down in there. I always thought you would be,” he said. “You’re going to save them with your plan.”
Addison arrived at The Alex, a little speakeasy in the Graham hotel to secure a spot. She’d gotten into the habit of being early as a power move for work, but it had become second nature. She had barely settled in when Jake waved to her and made his way over.
“You snagged one of the best spots,” he noted happily, sinking into one of the coveted sofas.
“I want you comfortable for this,” Addison said cryptically.
“This conversation is starting to give me some serious back sweat already.”
Addison couldn’t hold back her grin. Jake always had a way with words.
“I did a little digging on your Laura. I found out that she’s a lifestyle writer and that she’s written a ton about attractions around town. That got me thinking?—”
“That’s never good,” Jake said.
“Oh, stop,” she said, playfully slapping his arm. “I think you can get her back with a tiny side of sweet revenge.”
“What?”
“Stay with me. I was thinking we could find a way to send her on assignment around town to all of the places where you two had dates or cute moments. It would be an article about romantic spots in D.C. I’m not sure about the logistics, but I think you can probably take it from there.”
“You’re a genius. No, really. A certified genius. I know exactly who to talk to about this—her boss and buddy, Jada.” Jake's eyes lit up, and his voice grew animated. “She’ll know how to make this look real.”
His energy was contagious, and Addison couldn't help but smile. This was how things used to be between them—working together seamlessly, bouncing ideas off each other. It stirred something in her, a warmth she hadn’t felt in a long time.
It felt so good to reconnect with Jake and possibly rebuild their friendship. Add in her chance to become better friends with Tim with their shared mission, and it almost felt like the old gang was back together again.