11. Chapter Eleven | Theo
Chapter eleven
Pulling into my reserved spot at the law firm, I quickly send a message to my assistant to let him know I’m walking over to grab coffee at Java Jive and see if I can bring anything back for him.
A younger version of me would never have thought too much about having the right people on my team—I’m the lawyer, I’m who the people need to see.
And while that statement is true, I can only be a great attorney if I have a great team around me.
I’ve unfortunately experienced what it’s like to have the wrong people on my team, so I will do whatever I can to take care of someone when they are a good fit for how I like to run things and also fit in well with the firm overall.
Cian has been my assistant since I started running the office in Forrest Falls, and if I have my way, he will be my assistant until the day I retire.
I first met him over twenty years ago when he was a young kid watching our weekend rugby games when I lived in Ireland.
His older brother Cormac was one of my best friends and his family took me under their wing while I studied abroad at Trinity College Dublin through my undergraduate at Harvard.
I still consider Cormac one of my closest friends, so when he told me that Cian wanted to come to the States after college to work, I had a meeting with Cian and offered him a position with my firm before the video call was over.
I pay him ridiculously well and he puts up with my—at times—ridiculous demands and requests.
Cian
Large black would be grand, mate.
Me
You got it. Did Pippa say anything about the Callahan-Williams vs. Williams filing this morning?
Cian
She did not, but I don’t think she’s left the office. Her mood would indicate it must not have been the judge she wanted. I would go ask but I like my eyebrows.
I chuckle at his comment. One time in court, Pippa unleashed on this egotistical asshole that was making things personal, and she viscerally ripped him apart.
In his rage, he called my darling sister a fire-breathing dragon, expecting it to be an insult, but Pippa has claimed the moniker with pride.
If she is in a mood, one knows to avoid her unless they want to face her wrath—and fire.
Our brother Van thought the story was so funny that he had a custom gold broach made for her that Christmas.
Me
I’ll check in with the dragon when I get in, let me know if you learn anything else.
Cian knows me well enough to know what I’m really saying is that I want him to find out what happened, and I suspect he will have at least some of the details, if not the full story, by the time I arrive with our coffees.
Cian is an expert at gathering information and people think his Irish accent is charming, which he absolutely uses to his advantage.
Pippa mentioned she intended to file a motion to overturn Shane’s bullshit freeze of assets, but that is entirely dependent on which judge approved the motion. If Pippa’s inner dragon is on the loose, then I suspect things didn’t go her way.
If I were on the other side of the aisle, I would be rightfully terrified of a fire-breathing dragon paired with a fierce kitten with claws like Savannah seems to have.
The visual of a little kitten riding on the back of a dragon makes me laugh out loud as I walk around the corner and down the block to Java Jive.
One thing I love about Forrest Falls is that once you’re downtown, almost everything is within walking distance.
It has all the amenities I could want in a town, but also just an hour or so away from Nashville, which has everything I could possibly want or need, and plenty of things I do not want to deal with on a daily basis.
Growing up in the suburbs of Nashville was great, but I wanted more of a community feel for my daughter’s childhood.
Our parents still have a home in Nashville but have been spending more time in Europe lately, specifically London, where my brother Van lives.
I understand as a parent wanting to be near your children. Although even when Gigi is grown and spreading her wings, I suspect Forrest Falls will always be my home base. Unless she flies too far away, then I’ll have a second home wherever she lands.
Our family owns properties in multiple cities, and I have a few of my own as well, but our mid-century style suburban home is the only place I want to spend an extended period of time.
It’s home.
Walking into Java Jive, I’m greeted with another perk of living in a small town when I see the little kitten with claws that has been on my mind, sitting at a table in the back corner, talking on her phone with a laptop and notebook spread across the table.
I wait my turn in line and a cheerful barista welcomes me to Java Jive as I step up to the counter.
The barista has deep auburn hair with subtle dark purple streaks and bright green eyes, creating quite the contrast with her hair.
She seems familiar, and I’m good with faces but I can’t place if I know her .
“Hey, good morning! What can I get you?” She smiles as everything about her oozes Zen, peace, and joy. I glance for a nametag but they don’t usually wear them at Java Jive, likely because everyone knows everyone here.
“Good morning, can I please get a large black dark roast, and a large salted caramel cream latte, two cinnamon rolls to go, and also…” I lean over and nod toward where Savannah is sitting.
“Can I also get another of whatever the lady has back there and one cinnamon roll for here, please?” I don’t know Savannah’s thoughts about Java Jive’s cinnamon rolls, but I’m guessing she loves them like everyone else in Forrest Falls.
The barista looks over her shoulder to Savannah and briefly pauses before her smile returns to her face. “Absolutely, sir. I’ll have that right up. The cinnamon rolls will be ready in just a few minutes. I can run them out to you. Can I get a name for the order?”
“Theo. And I usually know the baristas but I don’t think we’ve met, so I apologize for not knowing your name.”
She extends her hand to me. “Hello, Theo. My name’s Cami. It’s nice to meet you.”
I shake her hand and smile in return before tapping my phone to pay the total. “The pleasure is mine, Cami. Are you new to Forrest Falls?”
She turns to start making the drinks before replying, “I am actually. I just moved here last month. It’s been great so far.”
That explains why I haven’t met her yet. “Where did you move from?”
She tips her head side to side as she answers, “Here and there. I’ve kind of lived everywhere.
Seattle, Houston, Miami, but most recently was Denver, and I was so over their winters.
I mean, some people love it, but I wanted the ability to do yoga outdoors year round and that just wasn’t feasible in a blizzard. ”
Cami is young, maybe early twenties, but there’s a storm that has flashed in her eyes a few times, even in this brief conversation.
There’s more to her story but she isn’t a client that I need to interrogate, and there’s an actual client I want to check in on.
We talk about the weather and upcoming town events as she puts my drinks in a carrier with a smile.
“Have an awesome day, Theo!” Her enthusiasm feels genuine as she fiddles with a purple crystal on a dainty necklace and leans against the counter.
“Thanks, and welcome to Forrest Falls, Cami.” I nod in her direction before turning to walk to the back of the shop. Savannah is on her phone and taking notes as she talks.
“Yes, I understand. I apologize for the confusion. That card will work moving forward … Thank you for your time, I appreciate it … Yes, you too. Goodbye.” She hangs up and finishes whatever notes she was taking.
While she is clearly frustrated by whatever phone call she was just on, she still conducts herself with such poise and grace, as though Savannah is a skilled ballerina and the world is her stage.
“Good morning, Mr. Smith-Harrington. How are you?”
“Hello, Savannah, and it’s Theo, please. I was just popping in to grab some coffee for my assistant and me.”
She scrunches her eyebrows slightly in confusion. “Shouldn’t your assistant be getting you the coffee? I mean, that’s nice, but I doubt Shane would even know if his assistant drinks coffee.”
“Well, add it to the list, the very, very long list, of ways I am different from Shane Williams. But no, not backwards. Cian is my assistant but he is an essential member of my team. I like to stretch my legs a bit before I get stuck behind a desk with too many meetings.” I nod to the vacant seat across from her, and she nods in response before I take a seat and set the drink carrier on the table.
I pull the drink out for her out and slide it across the table as I take a drink of my own.
“Thought you might want a refill. I have a cinnamon roll coming for you too, but they were making a fresh batch.”
“Ooo yum. I love their cinnamon rolls.” Savannah looks over her shoulder and back to me. “Have you met that barista before?” She nods to the front counter .
“Cami? I actually just met her. She just moved here from Colorado.” Savannah looks inquisitively at the bohemian barista. “Why do you ask?”
“Oh, it’s probably nothing, but she seems familiar.
Vivian thought the same thing but neither of us can figure out why.
And maybe I’m being paranoid, but it kind of feels like whenever I go to order, if she’s working, she suddenly disappears.
The other day, she barely rang up my order before having another barista take over.
I almost wonder if I did something to make a bad impression on her or something. ”
“Well, let’s fix that right now.” I wiggle my eyebrows at her as Cami walks up carrying a plate loaded with an oversized cinnamon roll and a Java Jive box holding the two cinnamon rolls to go.