5. Cassandra Walker #2
Unlike me, I don’t think Nolan had to fight for a single thing he had in his life.
Most of his success had been inherited, and his father was a successful lawyer for a firm in New York.
I suspected he got this job because his father and Edmund Sinclair were friends from when they’d gone to Princeton together.
Despite all the nepotism, Nolan was a good lawyer. Even if he hadn’t earned this job the same way I had, he’d earned my respect in that regard.
Outside of being competent, he was also hot… but he was hot in an arrogant, egotistical, self-absorbed sort of way, which, honestly, is what made him an excellent lawyer.
I knew that I was also hot, arrogant, and egotistical.
But again, you kind of had to be to be successful in this industry.
Law was not a place for morals or self-doubt.
To be the best, you had to believe you were the best, and you had to be willing to step on others to prove it.
I was all of those things.
And I felt zero remorse over it.
I would always do what had to be done to survive, and I wouldn’t apologize for it.
“What do you want, Nolan?” I sighed, strolling past him and dumping my Chanel bag on my desk so I could unload my laptop.
He chuckled as I settled into my desk, and I watched warily as he leaned back to toss his arms over the back of my couch.
“I came to congratulate you on the Steele case. You did an excellent job, Cassandra. You should be really proud.”
I narrowed my eyes.
“I’m aware.”
His boyish grin widened.
“I’m trying to pay you a compliment, Cassandra. Most people say ‘thank you’ when their peers compliment them.”
I snorted.
“You’re not complimenting me, Nolan. You’re being condescending. I don’t need you to validate my work.”
Only Edmund Sinclair and Vivian Morrissy’s opinions mattered.
They were the only two people who could give me what I wanted.
And what I wanted was what Nolan wanted.
We’d both been competing for partner for the last three years, and he knew I’d just pulled into the lead by winning the Steele case.
Nolan’s eyes flashed, and his smirk widened.
“You’re so hot when you’re being a bitch.”
I narrowed my eyes on him. “I’m here to win, Nolan. I’m not here to make friends. If you want someone to be nice to you, go find one of your little girlfriends that can’t seem to get enough of eating out your asshole.”
He let out a surprised laugh, his eyes shining.
“This is why all the juniors call you cuntzilla behind your back, you know.” He grinned, and I rolled my eyes.
It wasn’t a secret that I wasn’t well-liked by most of the members of the firm, but again, it wasn’t like I was lying awake at night worrying about what Kathy from freaking billing thought of me. I’d been through so much worse than the damn gossip mill at Sinclair and Morrissy LLP.
None of those bitches would have survived a day in my life, so what did I care what they thought?
Besides, if I were a man, no one would give me a hard time about the way I handled myself. When Nolan put his foot down, he was assertive. When I did it, I was aggressive.
It didn’t matter that we were essentially the same person.
I was fine with being cuntzilla. Once I had my name on the wall, none of it would matter, anyway.
“Why are you in my office, Nolan? I have a shit-ton of work to do. I don’t have time to sit here and entertain your bullshit ego.”
“Well, maybe we’d have more time for banter if you’d been here earlier.”
“I told you, my espresso machine wasn’t working. Did you really want me to come in here uncaffeinated? You would have been castrated by now.”
He laughed again, and as irritating as he was, I knew he was just teasing me. I was usually here around seven, and on those days, he gave me shit for being such a workaholic.
I couldn’t win with this guy.
“Ain’t that the truth,” he muttered before leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees.
“I actually am here for a reason. I wanted to give you a heads up so you have time to get your temper under control before the event later.”
This caused me to pause. Glancing up from my overflowing inbox, I frowned at him.
“What do you mean?”
“I’m sure, much like I did, you assumed Ed and Viv were going to announce you as partner at your dinner tonight.”
My blood went cold, and suddenly, he had my full attention.
“I’m assuming you’re here to tell me they’re not?”
A rare, sincere look of… something crossed his face. I couldn’t work out what it was, but it wasn’t hostile or competitive, so I held my tongue.
“I’ve heard whispers that we have a new celebrity case coming in, and I think they’re going to ask us to work it together before making a final decision.
Some bigwig evangelist. You know those dudes that run those megachurches?
This guy’s apparently the head of a really popular one.
He has a successful YouTube channel with over a million subs.
There have been a few allegations against him for sexual misconduct, and he’s shopping for representation.
The partners have invited him to your dinner so they can brag about how successful you are and hopefully sign him. ”
‘Mm. He talks far too much. Can we kill this one?’ my monster asked, sounding mildly hopeful.
‘I thought we agreed you were going to be quiet?’
‘You know what’s really quiet?’ my monster mused, and I resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of my nose.
‘Dead men.’
Turning my attention back to Nolan, I sighed.
“I don’t know what that has to do with them withholding partner from me.”
He held up both hands in a ‘don’t shoot the messenger’ motion.
“Look, I’m just telling you what I’ve heard through the grapevine.
Something about them wanting to make sure you can play well with others before making a final decision.
You refused to partner with me on the Steele case, remember?
Apparently, they don’t love the idea of tying themselves to a glory hound for the rest of their careers. ”
He said that last part with a teasing smirk, but I still wanted to punch him in the face.
This was so bullshit.
I’d earned my name on that wall. They should be happy I didn’t need help to solve cases.
This felt like an excuse.
Nolan was frowning now, his blue eyes taking in my steely expression as I fought back the urge to take out all my boiling rage on him.
“Listen, I’m not trying to be a dick here,” he said, getting up from the couch and ambling over to my desk.
He leaned over it and reached out, tenderly tucking my hair back behind my ear. The action was so unexpected, I jerked away from him in surprise, which only made his frown deepen.
He straightened and slid his hand into the pocket of his perfectly pressed pants and pursed his lips.
“I know we’re competing for partner, but I assumed you would be the one to get it after the work you did on that case.
I don’t think it’s fair for them to put you through another test either.
I’m not here trying to gloat or rub your face in it.
I’m just warning you. I know it’s going to piss you off when they don’t announce it at Chez, but a potential client will be there watching our every move, so if you really do want this, you need to fix that pretty face of yours. ”
My heart was pounding, and I was glad I’d already finished my coffee because I would have crushed it to death if I’d still been holding it.
“Get out of my office, Nolan,” I growled, and he nodded, shrugging.
“I’ll meet you at the elevator block after work. I’ve ordered us a car.”
“I’ll drive myself, thanks,” I grumbled. He’d been right. I was going to need time to cool down, and putting myself in a confined space with someone as easy to bully as Nolan was not a good idea right now.
Though I suspected he liked it when I bullied him.
Why else would he keep coming around?
Nolan just chuckled, shaking his head as he let himself out of my office as quietly as he’d let himself in.
When he was safely out of earshot, I calmly stood up from my desk and sat down on the couch he’d just vacated. I grabbed the closest throw pillow, buried my face in it, and screamed.