41. Maya
“The space next door opened up about a month ago, so I took out a five-year lease on it,” Al said, gesturing toward the wall that divided the two offices. “We’ll extend the office out so we finally have the room to bring on a few more attorneys and support staff. The demand for work has always been enough to justify a small expansion, but the timing was never right,” he explained as he motioned for her to follow him through the office she already knew quite well. “We’ve started doing some renovations on this side. This might look familiar to you.”
She smiled as they stopped at the door to the office she had shared with Reed over the summer. The two mismatched Formica desks that sat opposite each other had been replaced by one very grand oak desk that was now positioned in front of the floor to ceiling glass windows that overlooked downtown. The white walls had been painted a warm taupe, framed paintings now hung on the walls, and an ornate Persian rug laid in front of the desk with two upholstered guest chairs arranged on it.
“This is the space we’ve set aside for our new associate,” he said proudly.
“It’s very nice.”
“Things are happening slowly but surely.”
“I can see that,” she said as she looked up at him. “This must be an exciting time for everyone.”
“It is,” he agreed. “And humbling and even a little frightening which is not something I should probably tell an interviewee,” he confessed with a self-conscious air that she had rarely, if ever, seen from him.
“No, I completely understand,” she assured him with a faint, knowing grin because she was out in uncertain territory, as well.
“But I suppose if it didn’t stir those feelings, it wouldn’t be worth doing, would it? Let’s go back to my office, so we can talk.”
She followed him back to his office, taking a seat in the spot she had occupied countless times before as he settled in behind his desk.
“I reviewed your resume, but I already know your credentials well, and your work ethic and ability even better.” He put her application down on his desk and folded his hands over the file. “There’s no point in being coy. You have a place here if you want it, Maya, but that’s the caveat. If you want it. So if it’s alright with you, I’d like to skip the formalities and use this time to tell you more about what I see for the future of this firm.”
She sat up straighter in her chair. “Yes, I’d like that.”
“What I need, short term, is someone who can help me keep up with the current caseload. What I want, long term, is a partner. Someone as invested in the work and this firm as I am,” he explained as he gestured out toward the office and people who filled it. “This expansion isn’t about becoming the next big firm, it’s about extending our service and expertise to more of the individuals and small businesses we’ve always represented. I like having faces and names attached to the cases. It matters to me, and I never want to lose sight of that.”
She still wasn’t giving him much, just nodding along with her poker face intact, but the most unexpected feeling came over her. The backs of her eyes started to sting. His words stirred up a well of emotion that lay just beneath the surface. One that held all of her hopes and dreams and fears surrounding this question of what she was going to do with her life.
“This is a partner track position. A named partner. And depending on how things go, there’s always the possibility of being a founding partner for a second location. New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami…it’s not a given, and it won’t happen right away,” he qualified, “but I promise that your service and dedication would be rewarded in time.”
He reached for a portfolio on the side of his desk and placed it in front of her. “This is the prospectus for the next ten years and an offer letter. I’d like you to review it and consider it. When and if you’re ready to proceed, we can meet again to go over it so that I can answer any questions or address any concerns you may have. Does that sound fair?”
She leaned forward to reach for the portfolio, consenting to at least further consideration by taking it. “More than fair. Yes, sir. I mean, Al.”
“Great.” He watched her with a smile as she took the folder in her hands. “There’s one thing that’s not included on the offer letter, though. We’ll call it the Stanton clause. If you’re ever successful at recruiting him, I’ll throw in a to-be-determined bonus.”
Just hearing Reed’s name brought a smile out of her. “I’m not sure I have that kind of pull.”
“I think you might,” he said, prolonging the light-hearted moment just a little longer before growing serious again. “I’m happy you came down and gave us a chance, Maya.”
“Thank you for having me.”
“Of course.” He reached for the phone. “I’ll have Patti call for a car to take you back to the hotel.”
“Actually, I think I’d like to walk instead.” She needed space to think, and she needed to spend some time alone with the city. They had a lot of catching up to do.
“Well, I hope you have a good evening then.”
“Thank you. You, too,” she said before turning to head out of his office. “I’ll be in touch.”
* * *
March 18, 6:32 PM
Maya: Hey. What are you up to?
Reed: hey. just got home from class. you?
Maya: I’m home. I was hoping I could see you tonight.
Reed: you’re in atlanta?
Maya: Yeah.
Reed: where?
Maya: The Omni Hotel downtown.
Reed: yeah, of course. could be there around 8.
Maya: Perfect. Room 1307.
* * *
Maya opened the door to Reed standing there in a gray t-shirt and jeans, not quite filling them out the way he had the last time she’d seen him. His face had lost the light golden tone from last summer that had continued glowing long into the fall months. His curls were long enough now that he could tuck them behind his ears, and the scruff on his face was uneven and untrimmed, framing his smileless lips. Her chest ached the same way it had the last time she saw his face that early January morning. This time the hurt coming from being confronted with the toll their nearly three-month separation must have taken on him.
She took a step toward him and slid her hands over his shoulders, hesitant to move any closer until she felt his hands on her waist. She pressed her body into his and rose onto her toes, squeezing her arms around his back. His head dropped into the crook of her neck and he inhaled as he embraced her. Having him close and returning her embrace felt like pure relief until space formed between their bodies again as his hands moved down to her hips and gently, but certainly, pushed her away.
He looked down at the ground for a moment, focusing on her bare feet before his eyes traveled up her legs to her gray skirt and partially untucked light blue button-down shirt. It was the same outfit she wore the first day they met. Between her attire and the hotel, she didn’t need to tell him why she was here. He had to know.
“When did you get in?” he asked, his voice tentative and gravelly.
“Last night.” He flinched ever so slightly. “I wanted to tell you, but…”
She hoped he knew that, as well. He finally stepped in and closed the door behind him then followed her into the suite, but stopped in the center of the room while she made her way to the desk that sat against the far wall. She turned to face him and placed one hand on the desk to steady herself.
“I went to my fifth interview today,” she said finally, sparing them both the small talk. “Got another offer.”
“Five for five, huh?” he asked, sounding more like he was talking baseball than job interviews.
“Yeah.”
“I can’t say I’m surprised.” A small grin tugged at one side of his lips. “But I am proud of you.”
“Thank you,” she said quietly as she dipped her head before looking back up at him, feeling heartened by the warmth returning between them. “How about you?”
“Uh…” He looked down and ran his hand through his hair. “I’m in a bit of a slump compared to you.”
“Reed, I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant it took me that many before I finally found the right fit.”
He waved her off. “I know you didn’t…so you made a decision?”
She nodded and reached for the folder on the desk then walked toward him and handed it over. He took it with both hands, his eyes went to the embossed name on the letterhead: King and Associates. He glanced up, his brow furrowed like he wasn’t sure if this was some sort of cruel joke. She nodded for him to keep going. He continued reading the rest of the letter, the very generous offer letter that was addressed to her. Once it was clear to him, he dropped the folder to his side and placed his attention solely on her.
“Maya,” he breathed out.
“Do you remember that first night I was home over the break, and you told me the big firms wouldn’t be good enough for me?”
He nodded quietly.
“I think I had started to realize that already,” she admitted, “but I had that vision for myself for so long, and I was still trying to cling to it because it was all I knew…until I worked with Al. And you,” she said, her voice faltering because he was standing here in front of her.
His eyes began to fill with tears, and it simultaneously cracked her heart and mended it at the same time because none of this was in her head. What she felt for him was real and true, and he felt it too.
“If I didn’t know any different, maybe that would have been the path for me or maybe I would have come to the realization that it wasn’t the right choice after a few years, but that’s not the way things happened. You were right. I had to see it for myself. And I finally did.”
“Are you sure this is what you want?” he asked quietly, seriously. He stepped in closer to her and leaned down to meet her eyes.
“I am. Today was different. It finally felt right.”
She held a breath in her chest as she blinked back the tears that welled in her eyes. She desperately needed his reaction, but he stood there staring back at her for what seemed like an eternity.
“Well, congratulations,” he said finally. A small grin formed on his lips.
Her eyes blurred with tears as her mouth moved into a smile so wide it caused her full cheeks to make her eyes squint nearly shut. She let out a breath, something between a laugh and cry as he gathered her into his arms and pulled her tightly against him. She buried her face in his chest, knowing but not caring that there would likely be smudges of her mascara on his t-shirt whenever they finally let go.
She never imagined that she, of all people, would meet the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with at twenty-four years old. It had always seemed too soon. How could she make a commitment to someone else when she barely knew herself? The answer was that she found someone who truly wanted the best for her. Someone who shared her values. Someone she could continue to grow with for years to come. Someone she trusted and believed in with all of her heart. She had found her partner.
“Welcome home,” he murmured into the tear-streaked skin of her cheek.