26. Sloane
Sloane
I cannot be late again. And this Uber driver is far more cautious than any I’ve ever encountered. If he doesn’t pick up the pace, I’ll be better off hopping out and walking the ten blocks to the courthouse.
“Think it’d be faster to take a side street?” I ask him, eyeing the gridlock all around us.
The man shrugs, keeping both hands on the steering wheel. “If we can get to one.”
Slumping back against the seat, I close my eyes. Dammit. There’s no way I’ll make it to the mediation on time. I set my shoulders and type out a quick text to Will, letting him know I’ll be there as soon as I can.
My phone rings almost immediately, and when I see my boss’s name, I take a deep breath and answer. “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s fine, seriously. Take your time. I’ve got this.”
I had a glucose test this morning, which I warned Will about weeks ago.
While I’m thankful that he isn’t berating me for being late, the way he’s so quick to handle it without me stings.
As if my presence during this mediation is completely unnecessary.
He’s assigned me to help with just about every one of his cases, yet he doesn’t seem to need me on any of them.
“How did the appointment go?”
Shrugging as if he can see me, I sink farther into my seat, closing my eyes. “I’ll have the results in a week or so.”
“Don’t stress. Go back to the office. I can fill you in on the mediation over dinner.”
My eyes fly open. “Over what ?”
“Dinner,” he says firmly. “The judge is walking in, so I have to go. I’ll be back by four thirty. We can go then.”
“Um…” My chest tightens. Dinner tonight? I can’t. My husband and I have a date night planned. One I was really excited about, too, because it included three hours with him. Naked. In our penthouse, without any of our roommates or our son.
But I can’t very well tell my boss that. And I can’t weasel my way out of it after I’ve blown off mediation today. Shoot.
I swallow back my disappointment and say, “Sure, sounds great. See you then.”
After I’ve ended the call, I drop my head against the seat again. Sully is going to be so disappointed.
My phone rings in my hand, and I sit upright, assuming it’s Will again.
But when I see my mother’s name on the screen, I silence it.
I’ve successfully avoided her calls for months, and I’ve dodged invitations to get together because I’m not ready to let her know about the pregnancy.
She didn’t react well when I told her about the divorce, so there’s no way this won’t really bring out her judgmental side.
When the screen goes dark, I unlock the device and call Sully. I might as well break the news now. He’s not going to be happy that I’m canceling, but what else can I do?
A woman should know when she’s being taken on a date.
In my opinion, that’s a prerequisite. If a man wants to take a woman out and show her a good time, he’d better make his interest obvious.
He’d better reserve the table in the corner of a dimly lit restaurant.
He’d better look at her in a way that makes it clear he’s interested.
But none of that should happen when said woman is out to dinner with her boss.
A boss she isn’t dating, at least. I’ve dated the boss before. I married the boss, and I enjoyed the hell out of it for a few years.
But I did not consent to a date with my current boss, and there’s no denying this is a date.
“Do you like the soup?” Will brushes his hand against mine like he’s trying to get my attention.
Newsflash: we’re the only two people in this corner. Who the hell else would I think he’s talking to?
I pull back at his touch and pick up my water. As I sip, I run through what the hell is happening and what to do about it. “It’s fine. I actually wanted to talk to you about a new case.”
Will smiles. “Tomorrow. Tonight, let’s focus on us.”
My stomach rolls.
Us?
Shit, shit, shit.
See? I knew this was a damn date.
I examine Will, trying to remind myself that he’s my friend. That when my life was spiraling, he offered me a lifeline, a job. At the time, it was what I needed more than anything.
But focusing on that doesn’t temper the annoyance flaring to life inside me. How dare he put me in this awkward position? The audacity of this man.
Or am I the one to blame here? Have I led him on?
I’ve truly never even been attracted to Will.
He’s nice enough, and he’s not bad-looking, but no one held a candle to Sully in law school, and to this day, no man has ever caught my attention the way Sully has.
Truth be told, my husband has owned me, whether we were together or not, for almost twenty years, and I can’t imagine that ever changing.
Each and every day, he works to be better for me and for T.J.
He’s putting in the effort. Because of that, every day it’s harder to remember why we separated in the first place.
“Us?” I say, finally finding my words.
Will grasps my free hand. His palm is slightly moist and the sensation makes my stomach roll. “Yes, us, Sloane. We’ve had no time together since Christmas, and I’d really like to change that. We went almost seven years without contact. It’s been too long.”
The man is delusional. Clearly. I pull back my hand. “Because I had a child and was working mostly on trusts. Of course we didn’t see each other. I was never in court.”
Will leans back in his chair, acting as if he’s readjusting himself rather than recovering after I pulled away. “I know. And I missed you. I’m really glad you’re back in my life.”
A sense of utter bafflement consumes me. “You know I’m pregnant, right?”
After his question about my glucose test, there’s no doubt he does. But with the way this conversation is going, I worry he’s had a personality transplant, so maybe this new version of him isn’t aware.
Will nods. “Yes, and I also know you were unhappy in your marriage, which is why you’re getting divorced.”
The boldness of his statement nearly knocks the wind out of me. “It’s not that simple.”
He frowns, like he’s grappling with what I’m saying. Good. It feels like this is the first time tonight he’s actually listened to me.
When he speaks again, his tone is sincere, once again throwing me for a loop.
“I know, but the feelings I had for you during law school and for years after are back with a vengeance. I tried, Sloane. I tried to forget how I felt when you chose Sully back then, but fuck, you have no idea how goddamn irresistible you are. Do you know how many times I saw you in court and wished things were different?” He straightens his jacket and leans forward, his voice going soft.
“Sully is an idiot. He fumbled. He fucked up his chance with you. Now you’re here with me, and I’m not going to let the opportunity pass me by.
So I’m just asking”—he shakes his head—“no, I’m begging. Please give me a shot.”
I gape at him, my mind spinning, my lungs starved for oxygen. Is this man seriously pleading with me?
All those years ago, I knew he felt some sort of way about me, but I figured it had more to do with fucking over Sully than fawning over me. I never meant to lead him on, and if I did? Shit, I feel terrible. Also, Sully is going to lose his mind. This is so, so bad.
“I don’t know what to say,” I whisper.
He shrugs. “I don’t need an answer right now. I know this is a lot. I just—” He glances down at the table and then looks back at me. “You have a decision to make. You need to decide whether you’re with Murphy and Machon or if you’re ready to become a true member of the Higgins firm.”
A wave of unease makes my stomach flip. “Is this about choosing between you and Sully, or choosing between your firm and his?”
“Aren’t they one and the same?” he asks, his tone flippant.
I bristle, straightening in my seat. “Is that why you hired me? Because you wanted to date me?”
Will sighs, as if he’s annoyed by the question.
Or maybe because he thinks the answer is obvious.
Too bad, because I’m not getting it. “Yes.” He huffs, lacing his fingers on the table.
“You’re a forty-year-old associate, Sloane.
People our age are partners by now. Even your husband didn’t make you a partner. ”
I wince, that one hurts.
Will doesn’t seem to notice, or if he does he doesn’t care, he just prattles on with my list of deficiencies.
“You haven’t practiced in years, and you come in covered in coffee stains and late for every appointment.
You haven’t made it to one court appearance on time since you started.
Any other associate would be gone by now. ”
My heart plummets, my mouth too dry to respond.
As if he wants to soften the blow, he puts his hand on mine again.
“But I want to be your partner, your teammate. If it’s you and me, I’ve got you.
But if it’s not me, I can only cover for you for so long.
” His eyes harden, and suddenly, I understand why Sully always describes them as beady.
“So you have a decision to make. Are we giving this a shot, or are you going back to your husband?”
Shocked, I disentangle myself from his hold. Is he telling me I won’t have a job if I don’t date him?