by Julie Cannon
“Seriously.” Mia drained the last of her lemon drop martini. “You need a game plan.”
Elisa ran a hand through her hair. “I’m going to do my job and not let her get under my skin.”
Laura tapped a finger to her lips, then pointed at Elisa. “But what about under your skirt?”
Elisa swatted Laura, but not hard. “You’re terrible.”
“I just think you need to be prepared for all eventualities.”
Both Sam and Mia nodded in agreement. “Yeah.”
“She’s not going to get under or on top of me in any way, shape, or form. I’m really good at keeping boundaries around my work. This won’t be any different.” Elisa spoke with more conviction than she felt, but she embraced the idea like a mantra. “It’s going to be fine.”
“Famous last words.” Laura raised her glass. “I’ll drink to your resolve.”
“Great. Can we talk about something else now?”
“Don’t look at me.” Laura set down her glass. “The most exciting thing at my house is the school supply list.”
“Already?” Sam looked horrified. “It’s only July.”
“They go back mid-August.”
“Right.”
Elisa smiled. “And they’ve been on vacation since the second week of May.”
Sam nodded. “Okay, that’s better, then.”
“How’s the house?” Elisa asked Sam. Sam and her girlfriend had recently bought a house, but it needed a lot of work.
“Good. I think we’ll be able to move in by September. We put Tess’s place on the market this week.”
“How did that go?” Laura, whose husband was in Tess’s band, looked worried.
“Really well. I’m sure she’ll have moments of feeling sentimental, but she’s excited enough about the new place that I think it will all work out.”
Elisa had been to the new house before they bought it and once since the renovations had started. “If I was moving into a place as gorgeous as the one y’all found, I’d be excited, too.”
“I still need to come and see it. Let me know next time you’re there for a stretch,” Mia said.
“Will do.” Sam slid a credit card to the waiter before he could set the check on the table, then lifted her hand before anyone could protest. “Sid Packett’s prerogative.”
Elisa smiled. She still forgot that her cousin was a best-selling mystery writer. Other than slyly picking up checks whenever she could get away with it, Sam didn’t give much indication of her fame, or her wealth. “Thank you.”
Mia and Laura echoed the thanks. While they waited for the bill to be brought back, Elisa turned to Mia. “What about you? You’ve been sort of quiet tonight.”
Mia offered a playful shrug. “I’m good. I’ve got a date after this.”
Exclamations and a push for details revealed nothing. Mia promised to elaborate if it went anywhere. They left the bar and Laura headed home to her family. Sam said her goodbyes quickly as well. She was off for a cooking lesson with a woman who owned a Cuban restaurant. “I’m hoping to surprise Tess before we move.”
It was sweet, especially given Sam’s complete lack of skill in the kitchen. Elisa sent her on her way and walked slowly in the direction of her house. She wondered if Parker would still be in the office. Then she couldn’t decide what annoyed her more—that Parker might still be working or that she was thinking about Parker in the first place.
* * *
By quarter after six, Parker felt like the last person working on the entire floor. It was a far cry from Manhattan, when her workday often extended to seven or later. Although she appreciated the quiet—and might be tempted to use the time to get ahead on things—tonight she had plans. She shut down her computer and tucked her laptop into her briefcase. Her walk to the elevator confirmed that she was, in fact, the last one there.
She passed an older woman emptying trash cans into a large custodial cart. Parker smiled at her and extended a hand. “Hi, I’m Parker. I’m new.”
The woman seemed alarmed at first, but when she met Parker’s eyes, she smiled. “Good evening, Miss Parker.”
The woman didn’t give her name, but Parker noticed a name tag pinned to her shirt. “Good evening to you, Miss Ava.”
Parker took the elevator down to the garage, located the spot she’d been assigned. The navy sedan screamed company car, but she didn’t mind. She didn’t plan to spend much time in it. She pressed the key fob that had been dropped off that afternoon and, sure enough, the lights flashed and the locks clicked.
On the drive to her mother’s house, Parker thought about how different her life would be had her father not fallen for her mother, who’d been working as a waitress when they met. Well, maybe not her life, since she’d never have been born. But her mother, who’d barely graduated from high school when golden boy Edwin Jones had set his sights on her. She shook her head. New Orleans loved a rags-to-riches story, just as long as enough people stayed in rags to get things done.
Even with traffic, the drive only took fifteen minutes. Parker pulled into the driveway and took a deep breath. Her brother’s car in front of hers told her he’d accepted the invitation after all. Parker said a silent prayer that his wife and kids were with him. That would at least diffuse the situation.
Before she’d even climbed out of the car, the front door swung open and Molly and Macy came running toward her. “Aunt Parker!”
Parker bent to give them hugs. They wore matching sundresses and white sandals, along with big white bows in their hair. Unlike Parker at that age, they didn’t seem to mind the bows. She stood to find Eddie and Kim standing on the porch. Kim held a squirming toddler on her hip and Parker realized she’d not seen them since Chase was baptized. “He sure got big fast.”
Kim grinned. “And Chase has grown a lot, too.”
Eddie gave his wife an exasperated look and Parker laughed. She’d always liked Kim. At first, she worried that Eddie might try to tame her, but she gave as good as she got and held her own. At this rate, Parker might actually start to like her brother.
Kim and Eddie stepped to the side. Behind them, Stella stepped onto the porch, wiping her hands on a dish towel. Parker smiled but found her eyes stinging with the threat of tears. She blinked quickly. Now was not the time to be emotional. “Hey, Mama.”
“Parker.” She opened her arms.
Parker climbed the porch steps and let herself be enveloped. As always, the softness of her mother’s body belied the strength of her hugs. Parker took in the scent of her, a mixture of baby powder and magnolias. She stayed there for a good minute, letting herself be glad to be home. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too, baby girl.” For most of her life, Parker had bristled at the term of endearment. She no longer minded it. “Come on in out of the heat and stay a while.”
Stella led the way back into the house. Parker took in the smell of lemon oil and gardenias. She’d been home once since her father’s funeral, but that had been close to six months ago. Little had changed in the house and she had her usual reaction—a mixture of familiarity and nostalgia, laced with unease. She’d hoped the unease would subside after her father’s death. Maybe it still would, in time.
“Supper’s just about ready if y’all want to head into the dining room,” Stella said.
“What can I do to help?” Parker hated her mother’s tendency to treat her like a guest to be served.
“Not a thing. You worked all day and I lazed around. The least I can do is put supper on the table.”
Parker knew better than to argue. Like the foyer, the dining room remained unchanged. Floral wallpaper and white wainscoting, a huge mahogany table and chairs. Although she’d had many of her childhood meals in the less formal kitchen, Stella had decided about ten years prior that saving the dining room for guests and special occasions was nonsense. They’d used it, at least for supper, ever since.
The table was already set, including a big pitcher of iced tea. Stella bustled
in and out of the kitchen, and the next thing Parker knew, the table was filled with food—shrimp creole, rice, stewed okra, squash casserole, and a big basket of French bread. Parker sighed, a mixture of contentment and worry. She’d missed her Mama’s cooking, but it was going to be hard not to gain twenty pounds making up for lost time.
“Sit, sit.” Stella waved a hand over the table. “Y’all dig in.”
Parker talked a little about her job and the executive apartment the firm had arranged. She’d yet to see it, but she’d been sent pictures, and the location was ideal. Mostly, she asked questions. It was a relief to know that her mother had kept up volunteering and seemed to be going out with friends. As imperfect as her parents’ relationship had been, so much of Stella’s identity had been wrapped up in her husband. Parker took solace in knowing she was getting on with life.
She noticed a change in Eddie, too. His tone was easier; he was attentive to his kids. Whether that had more to do with Edwin’s death or Kim’s influence, she didn’t know. But it made her happy to watch.
After the meal, Stella brought out a pan of bread pudding. Parker indulged in a huge piece, promising herself she’d make up for it at the gym in the morning. By the time she hugged everyone goodbye and made promises to return for Sunday dinner, it was after nine. She drove to her apartment, which was exactly as promised. After unpacking her clothes, she took a long cool shower and crawled into bed naked. It felt strange to think she’d been in her bed, in Brooklyn, not twenty-four hours prior. She smiled into the darkness. Not bad for her first day home.
Chapter Four
Elisa eyed Parker across the table. In just over a week, they’d done initial discovery, filed motions, and generated a list of names for depositions. Without coming across as a taskmaster, Parker kept them focused and moving forward. Although she remained adamant she didn’t want the role of lead counsel, Elisa admired her methods. If she ever did have to run things, she hoped she could do it with the same level of focus and style.
Today was the final prep day before taking depositions. The hope was that this would generate a strong enough case to warrant a motion for summary judgment. Or, perhaps more likely, strong enough to convince the team from Blackman they had no chance of winning. Parker ran through the list and assigned depositions across the team.
Parker, of course, planned to attend all of them. Elisa listened as Parker booked herself for no less than thirty hours of depositions. Part of her wanted to be exasperated by the control freak tendency, the other part knew she’d do the exact same thing. Not that she needed to control everything, but being in charge meant being responsible, including knowing every intricacy of the case.
Not wanting to get caught staring, Elisa shifted her focus to the other members of their team. Kyle looked bored out of his mind—not a good look for someone who’d already been caught with his head up his ass more than once. Drake looked attentive and perfectly polished, as always. And Alie was typing furiously, trying to capture everything being said. She was technically a paralegal but was one of the smartest people in the firm, and Elisa held out hope she’d take the leap and go back to school.
Parker talked with a brisk efficiency that still took Elisa by surprise. One of the things Parker had clearly lost in her ten years out of Louisiana was the lazy drawl Elisa had once found charming. The fact that she missed it irritated Elisa no end. As did the many and various fantasies her mind seemed to spin every time she let her guard down. There was the one where she went into Parker’s office after hours, when no one else was around to see or hear them. There was the one where the two of them got stuck in the elevator. And her personal favorite, the one where Parker shoved all the files to the floor and took her on the conference room table.
“Elisa?”
Shit. She’d just been judging Kyle for not paying attention and now she’d been caught doing the same. “Sorry. I was strategizing. Got a little ahead of myself.”
Parker nodded and Elisa couldn’t figure out if she got away with the lie or not. “Okay. It looks like we’re going to have to double up a couple of days this week. Since I can’t be two places at once, I’m going to have Elisa and Kyle take,” she glanced down at the file, “Bishop while Drake and I do Covington. Does that work for everyone?”
Elisa glanced at Kyle. He didn’t seem too perturbed. Perhaps he considered her a preferable partner to Parker. “Who takes lead?” he asked.
Elisa resisted rolling her eyes. Parker didn’t even look up. “Elisa.”
“But—” Kyle was her senior at the firm by just over a year, a point he was, no doubt, about to point out.
Parker lifted a hand. “She handled the original discovery on him. Let’s not make this a game of whose is bigger, shall we?”
She looked from Kyle to Elisa, then back to Kyle. He nodded. Elisa did, too. Elisa appreciated the call, even if it would make Kyle unbearable in the meantime. To avoid any pretense of gloating, she looked at Kyle. “I’ve got an hour this afternoon if you want to prep. I can come to your office.”
He glowered, but didn’t protest. “Sure.”
“Great. I’ve got a meeting with Don. Let’s regroup at four,” Parker said.
There were mumbles of assent as everyone filed out of the conference room. Elisa started back toward her office. Kyle followed. He hovered in her doorway as she walked to her desk. “Are you sleeping with her?”
“What?” Elisa looked past him, certain for a moment he wasn’t speaking to her. There was no one behind him.
“Jones. Are you sleeping with her?”
Elisa resisted the urge to hurl a stapler at his head. “Are you out of your mind?”
“I didn’t know if it was a chicks helping chicks thing or if it was more personal.”
How this man functioned in society was a mystery. “It’s neither. I did all the research on Bishop. I practically know what he’s going to say before we even sit down.”
Kyle shrugged dismissively. “Whatever. Senior counsel takes the lead. That’s how it’s always worked around here.”
She would not get sucked into an argument with him. “If you’ve got a problem, I suggest you take it up with Don.”
He sulked away without a reply. Elisa sat down and blew out a breath. Was he being his usual asinine self or had she allowed herself, her attraction, to become transparent? It had to be the former. She’d not done or said anything even remotely improper. And no reasonable person could argue that Parker had given her anything close to preferential treatment. No, Kyle was being petulant about playing second fiddle, to a woman no less. The insinuation was nothing more than his attempt to get under her skin. She wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction.
* * *
Parker sat at her desk and closed her eyes. Only a masochist would spend seven hours listening to financial professionals talk about their management structure and internal controls. Well, a masochist or a perfectionist. As miserable as she was at the moment, her team had accomplished more in the last two days than some tackled in a week, or more.
That was part of her strategy. By keeping an aggressive pace, she made sure the defendants remained on their toes. Without a protracted discovery phase, she could hold a certain advantage in the filing of motions and other procedural matters. It wouldn’t determine the outcome of the case, but it might improve her chances of getting a settlement before the trial even began.
Parker leaned back to stretch out her neck and shoulders. She chuckled to herself. If anyone had told her in law school that one of her top professional goals would be staying out of court, she’d have laughed. But in the world of civil litigation, efficiency mattered. Settling a case in less time and with a lower cost was the single most effective way to drum up new business. It was why she’d been chosen for the partnership with Blanchard & Breaux, and she planned to deliver.
She glanced at the clock on her desk. Although technically still business hours, only a tool asked the support staff for anything at 4:45. She did her best not
to be a tool. Which meant she wasn’t above making copies or getting her own coffee. She grabbed the stack of files and decided to hit the break room first. She walked out of her office and right into Elisa, nearly dropping the folders and everything in them. “Sorry.”
Elisa smiled at her. “Don’t be. I was in a hurry and not looking where I was going.”
Parker raised a brow. “Hot date?”
Elisa smirked. “If you count my yoga mat as a hot date, sure.”
Parker laughed. “Right, you’re the yoga queen.”
“Let’s just say I need an hour of Zen after a day of depositions.”
“You’re telling me.” Parker planned on spending some quality time with the treadmill in the gym of her apartment building later. That was her version of Zen.
“You don’t have to put in crazy hours here, you know?”
Parker, whose mind had drifted to the soothing repetition of putting one foot in front of the other over and over again, looked at Elisa. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”
“I said you don’t have to work crazy hours. Your reputation as the big shot is secure and Don’s falling all over himself to talk about what a great job you’re doing to anyone who’ll listen.”
“I like the work.”
“You can like the work and still have a life.”
The insinuation bristled. “I have a life.”
Elisa lifted both hands. “I’m not saying you don’t. And I’m certainly not telling you what to do.”
Great, now she was acting defensive. “I appreciate the sentiment, and the compliment. Don’t let me keep you.”
Something flashed in Elisa’s eyes. It looked like it might be regret. “Yeah, I should go.”
Elisa walked briskly in the direction of the elevators, leaving Parker standing in the hallway with her empty coffee cup and stack of files. Suddenly, it seemed like a depressing way to spend her evening. She thought about Elisa’s comment, the one about not working crazy hours. Then she thought about her reputation as a big shot. Elisa’s tone hadn’t made it sound like an insult, but Parker couldn’t help but sense an undercurrent of judgment. And not the competitive kind she was used to, the kind that was more about jealousy than anything else. Elisa seemed to maybe feel bad for her.