15. Reed
“Well, we’ve come to our final briefing of the summer. Take it away.”
Al leaned back in his desk chair and folded his hands across his belly, looking more like someone about to settle in for an afternoon nap in the warm, summer sun streaming through his office window instead of a case briefing. There was no agenda set for this meeting and he had no pen in hand to take notes. They must have earned his trust over the past couple of months.
“Two weeks ago, a cease and desist letter was sent to Prescott Family Plumbing, Prescott Family Enterprises, and Freddy Prescott Junior and Senior just to cover all the bases,” Reed started. “We didn’t hear anything back from them until just this week. They’ve given notice that they’re seeking damages for lost wages and emotional distress in addition to the criminal charges in the battery case against Johnson. They sent over some records from senior’s personal doctor to support the claim,” he said as he offered up copies of said documents.
“Of course they did.” Al motioned for Reed to set them on the desk. “It’s the only leg they have to stand on in this case, and they’re going to use it for all it’s worth.”
“We also got a call from opposing counsel the other day,” Maya added. “He floated the idea that the tool actually belonged to his client since it was created on premises with parts they had supplied to Johnson. He said he was extending a professional courtesy by giving us the head’s up.”
The bite in her voice when she said professional courtesy made Reed and their boss snicker.
“And what do you make of his ever so courteous phone call?” Al asked.
“I think it’s a bluff,” she answered without hesitation. “We have depositions from Johnson and the entire plumbing crew stating that he fabricated the tool off site, and I got the ledger from the local hardware store showing that he purchased every single part that he used.” A twisted grin formed on her lips as she listed the insurmountable evidence she had supporting her client. It felt damn good to be on the winning side, especially with her on the team. “If he ever wants to level that charge formally, I’ll be happy to respond.”
In fact, Reed almost wished he would, because he would take great pleasure in seeing Maya respond.
“This lawyer knows he doesn’t have a case, so he’s going to drag his feet in hopes that he wears you down,” Al said.
“That’s not going to happen,” Maya said firmly.
Reed glanced at her. She was looking at Al, but her words felt like both a warning and call to action directed at him. Just because it was her last day on the job, she was not giving up, and he better not either.
“It’s good that you broke this case,” Al continued. “That you’ve spent time with this man and have seen the wrong he’s sustained firsthand. Don’t ever lose sight of what you’re fighting for, especially during this part of the case when you’re bogged down in paperwork and going back and forth with lawyers.”
“I won’t,” Reed swore.
Maya watched him and nodded, affirming his statement.
“And Reed’s almost ready to file the patent application for Mr. Johnson,” she pointed out. “He’s done an amazing job.”
“Well, I don’t know about that. It’s complicated,” he added, humbled by the endless forms and legalese he’d been trudging through over the past month.
“It is,” Al agreed, “but that’s the kind of service I was speaking about. You two are smart and driven, but what matters most is that you have heart. That makes the difference between a good lawyer and a great one. You’ve exceeded my expectations. Truly. It’s been an absolute pleasure having you this summer. My future interns have a lot to live up to.”
Reed looked to Maya to see if she had anything else to add before they formally ended their meeting, but she had grown quiet, looking down at her hands where they lay folded in her lap, so he spoke up. “Thank you, sir, for giving us this opportunity.”
“Yes,” Maya echoed. “Thank you.”
“I can see everyone’s waiting on us,” Al said as he gazed past them through the glass doors of his office. “Are we all set?”
Reed glanced at Maya again, then nodded on their behalf.
“Excellent!” Al popped up from his chair and grabbed his suit jacket off the back. He looked excited, and not just for the food and drink that awaited them in the conference room. It was no secret that the man loved a celebration, but he loved speaking in front of an audience, big or small, even more.
Reed and Maya stood from their chairs and followed him out.
“Sir?” she said as he placed his hand on the door. “Sorry. Al?”
He looked over his shoulder. “Yes?”
“No big speeches, please.”
“But you deserve one!”
She just shook her head.
“As you wish, Ms. Hendricks.”
Reed stayed back, ushering Maya out of the office in front of him and noticing how subdued she’d become. He took his place beside her in front of their coworkers and looked to Al to start the festivities.
“Everyone, gather around! As you know, today is the last day for our summer associates,” he stated as he gestured toward them. “Now I know that goodbyes can be hard, so I have some good news to share first that should make it a little easier. I’m happy to say that I’ve managed to convince Reed to stay on part-time to continue his work on the Johnson case.”
The office responded with a few cheers and clapping, and Reed nodded his appreciation. Maya glanced up and caught his eye, then brought her hands together to join in the applause.
“I would love to say more, but a certain someone,” Al continued as he pointedly side-eyed Maya, “has made me promise not to do so. So with that, please join me in seeing them off and wishing them well in their final year of law school.”
Without hesitation, their coworkers began filing into the conference room leaving the guests of honor behind and showing their true priorities. Reed moved to take his place in the back of the line, but after a few steps he looked back, realizing that Maya wasn’t by his side.
“You coming?”
“I’m gonna go pack up first,” she said motioning toward their office. “You go ahead.”
He watched her closely, realizing that her sudden change in demeanor was not just in his head. He gave her the space to do what she needed to do, even though he wanted to spend every last minute with her.
* * *
After downing a glass of champagne, eating a small plate full of appetizers and desserts that looked more like tiny sculptures than food, and engaging in more than his fill of small talk for the month, if not the year, Reed found himself looking around the room for Maya, but she still hadn’t resurfaced from their office yet. He glanced down at his watch. Thirty minutes. She didn’t have that much to pack. He and the entire office were being stood up.
He snagged one of the small bottles of champagne and made his way down the corridor to their office. When he arrived, he found her standing in front of the large window, her beautifully curved silhouette framed by the city skyline. His eyes moved from her to her desk, still topped with the few personal effects she kept in the office and an empty cardboard box sitting on the floor in front of it.
“Doesn’t look like you got much done,” he said softly, trying not to startle her as he stepped into the office.
“I always forget how big this city is,” she answered as she kept her eyes fixed on the view.
“It’s your hometown. You’ll always see it differently than everyone else does.”
He stepped beside her and looked out upon the cluster of high-rises that surrounded them, thinking it funny how what wasn’t enough for her was too much for him. This summer, he had developed not an appreciation for the city, but more of a tolerance and understanding of it, and it was all because of her.
“I’m not ready to go back.”
He figured that was the reason for her change in mood and disappearing act, but he was surprised that she gave voice to it. And even more so that she stood beside him, forehead creased and eyes wide, looking for some kind of comfort. He placed his hand between her shoulder blades and rubbed her back.
“Yeah, but we’re in the homestretch now,” he said, trying to find some kind of silver lining for her sake. “The sooner we go back, the sooner we’ll be done and then you’ll really be on your way.”
She cracked a small but sad smile as she cast her eyes to the ground.
“What?” he asked.
“It’s like when you’re a kid and your parents tell you that the sooner you go to sleep, the sooner it’ll be Christmas morning or your birthday or whatever it is you’re looking forward to.”
“Some things don’t change, I guess. Hold this?” He handed her his empty glass so that he could pop open the bottle in his hand, then filled the glass to the brim, and traded her for the half full bottle which made her laugh and shake her head at him.
“Classy.” She raised the small bottle and gently tapped it against his glass, careful not to spill his drink. “Cheers.”
“Cheers.” Even if it was at his expense, he was relieved to see her smiling again.
“I’m glad that you decided to stay on. You’ll get to see our case through,” she said after taking a sip.
“Yeah,” he said with a heavy sigh. “It won’t be the same without you, though. I’m gonna be lonely in this office all by myself.”
“You really think you’ll be lonely? I’m sure you’ll have visitors once I’m gone. There’s at least one I can think of.”
He groaned and averted his eyes to focus on that view again. She was never going to let him live down his workplace admirer, and she just had to get one last dig in before they parted ways. He always protested, but the unwanted attention from Lauren had resulted in attention from Maya that he discovered he very much wanted.
He took a sip of his champagne and thought back to all of the mornings they’d spent drinking coffee at their back-to-back desks, first in awkward silence, then in each other’s company while talking about the case, and eventually while talking about nothing work-related at all. Those were his favorite moments, actually, just hanging out together like they were now.
“This is nice,” he said, glancing down at her.
She paused for a moment before facing him. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“For leaving.”
“What?” It was laughable to him because there was no expectation of her to stay. She literally couldn’t with school starting again in a few weeks. “You have nothing to apologize for.”
They grew quiet again, finishing their drinks while enjoying their fancy corner office and view one last time. In just a few minutes, it was all over. He glanced down at Maya to see if she was ready to return to the party, but her eyes were brimming with tears as she looked out over the city.
“Maya.” Her name came out low and ragged.
“Shit,” she said under her breath. She wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand. “I’m not crying.”
“I know,” he lied.
Seeing tears roll down her cheeks made his heart seize up and ache in his chest. She had gotten under his skin and worked her way into his heart this summer, and this rare glimpse of vulnerability from her meant that maybe he had worked his way into hers, as well. That was not something he took lightly coming from Maya Hendricks. Beyond staying to finish up their case, there wasn’t anything he could do to make this situation better. He could only try to make her feel better about it.
“Come here,” he whispered, opening his arms and taking a step toward her.
She kept her head down, but willingly walked into his embrace. He gathered her into his arms and pulled her against him. Her cheek rested against his chest, and he dropped his chin to the top of her head. They fit so perfectly together. If only he could hold on to her for a little while longer. Tell her about the feelings he’d started to have for her. But she wasn’t meant to be in his life beyond this summer, so there was no sense in complicating things between them.
“I’m really going to miss this,” she said quietly, again putting words to her emotions.
“I know,” he whispered. “Me too. You’re the best partner I’ve ever had, Hendricks.”
“Really?” Her voice had a hopeful lilt.
“Really. I think you know enough about me to know that I’ve worked with my share of difficult people. Some downright unlikable, dishonest people, actually. We didn’t have the best start, sure, but it didn’t take long to see how intelligent and driven you are. And how much you care about what you do. How you value fairness and integrity above all else. And how much fun we’d have working together once you finally loosened up a little. I knew it was only a matter of time before you’d crack,” he added with a grin.
“No, you didn’t,” she pushed back. He could hear the smile in her voice.
“I did. The second day you came into the office with your music playing, head bopping.” He smiled as she buried her face deeper into his chest to avoid being seen. He understood. It was easier to share these new feelings and truths without being face to face. “Turns out you weren’t so tough. You’re actually an undercover softie, Hendricks.”
“Yeah? If I’m soft, you’re totally squishy, Stanton.”
“Maybe I am.” Turns out, he definitely was for her. Now he understood why she didn’t let just anyone in on this side of her. It was rare and special. Something worth protecting. “So do we get to be friends after this, or do I have to lose your number?”
“You better not lose it,” she warned. “You’ve gotta keep me updated on the case, and, you know, everything else.”
He laughed. “I can do that.”
He felt a small laugh rumble through her body. “And Stanton?”
“Yeah?”
“You’re the first partner I’ve ever had, but you set the bar really high.”
The ache had disappeared and now warmth filled his chest and spread up to his cheeks. “I’ll take it. It means the world coming from you.”
He squeezed her tighter and they stayed that way for a few moments before he lifted his chin from her head and pulled away, letting his hands slide down her arms while he looked her over. The tears had stopped. He allowed his eyes to linger on her pretty face for a moment, appreciating the way it lit up when she smiled.
“You okay?”
She nodded and wiped away the dampness under her eyes. “Yeah.”
“Come on,” he said, giving her arms an encouraging squeeze. “You’ve got a bunch of people who want to send you off. You can’t go out like this.”
She nodded, agreeing to rejoin the party. He let his hands trace down her arms and was about to turn for the door when she caught his hand in hers.
“Thank you.”
He gave her a tight grin and squeezed her hand in return then pulled her along with him.
“You know, they have these things out there that look too pretty to eat,” he shared, trying to lighten the mood as they walked towards the door of their office.
She tilted her head curiously. “Too pretty to eat?”
“Yeah, I was looking all over for you earlier so you could tell me what the hell they were.”
She started to giggle at him, and briefly rested her head against his arm as she sighed at his discomfort with all things fancy and overly complicated. “We’ll make that our first stop then. I’ll do my best to figure it out.”
Their hands fell away from each other as they crossed the threshold and walked out to the party to celebrate the end of their summer together.