by Erin Lyon
She cut me off by waving her hands in the air. “I get that. All of that. But, Kate, I don’t need him. Or his money. I never did. And if I don’t need the money, then what am I fighting for? Revenge? Justice? I don’t need those things, either. Neither will add anything to my life.”
My turn to sigh. “If you don’t mind my saying, you are remarkable.”
She smiled at me. “Thank you. I could say the same about you.”
I returned her smile, gratefully. “So. I’m guessing then you are fine accepting the offer of settling on the mutual termination provision?”
“Precisely.” She smiled, looking so content and certain with her decision.
I nodded once in agreement. “I’ll call Ty’s attorney today.”
Luann stood and shook my hand again. “Thank you so much, Kate.”
“I’ll be in touch.”
I watched Luann leave, admiring her even more today than I did after our first meeting. I realize she’s younger than me, but I kind of want to be like her when I grow up.
I headed back to my office, and Mags was standing up, with her phone in her hand. “Greg Unger,” she said.
I shrugged. “Good timing. I was just going to call him.”
She put the call through to my office and I picked up.
“This is Kate.”
“Kate. Greg Unger. So, I’ve talked a little more to my client, and he seems to think there may be some evidentiary issues he hadn’t considered.” No shit. “Anyway, he has authorized me to make a settlement offer of a one-time payment to your client of twenty-five thousand dollars, in exchange for a full release.”
My eyes opened wide. “Um. Let me call you right back.”
I hung up and ran from my office toward the elevator, trying to catch Luann. I stopped at Rita’s desk. “Luann?”
“Sorry, Kate. She just got in the elevator.”
I sighed, slipped off my heels, and ran for the stairwell. Ten floors. I can do that, right? Well, I mean, going down I can do that. I wasn’t about to hoof it back up the same ten flights. I just wanted to catch her before she left the lobby.
I reached the bottom, giving myself kudos for only breathing a little heavy, since I’d been keeping up with my running. I burst through the door into the lobby and scanned the area while awkwardly slipping my shoes back on. I saw Luann’s shiny brown ponytail just about to walk out the door.
“Luann!” I called. She turned, along with the few other people who happened to be in the lobby just then.
She turned to me with wide eyes and hurried back to where I was standing.
“Kate, what is it?” She put a hand against my upper arm, steadying me. Okay. So maybe I was breathing more than a little heavy.
“Sorry. Everything is fine. I just wanted to catch you before you left.”
She looked behind me to the door to the stairwell. “So you came down the stairs?”
I tilted my head back and forth, neither confirming nor denying.
She smiled. “Well, what is it?”
“Ty’s attorney called right as you were leaving. Ty realized he was going to get caught in his lie and offered twenty-five thousand dollars to settle.”
Luann’s face registered her shock. “Oh,” she said.
“I know what you said, but—”
She smirked at me and cut me off. “Well, yeah, but I’m not a moron. I’ll take it,” she said, smiling.
I laughed. Then bent over a little at the waist, taking a few deep breaths.
“You know,” she added, “you could have called me at the office, so you didn’t have to race down multiple flights of stairs.”
I shook my head. “Where would be the fun in that? And also, I don’t want to give him a chance to change his mind.”
Luann laughed and gave me a hug. “You’re the best, Kate.”
“Okay. Can I assume you don’t want me to haggle for anything higher?”
“Nope. From where we were five minutes ago, it’s found money. I’ll take it as good karma.”
I smiled. “Okay. I’ll go accept the offer and I’ll call you when it’s settled.”
“Great. I have to get to the lab.”
I waved as she walked away and I pushed the button for the elevator.
When I stepped out of the elevator, Mags was standing at Rita’s desk, and the look on their faces when they saw me was priceless.
Rita looked at my feet. “Glad to see you put your superhero shoes back on.”
I gave them the ninety-second version of why I was running through the building like a lunatic, then headed back to my office to call Unger back.
“Greg Unger.”
“Greg. Kate Shaw, again. Sorry about that. I was actually meeting with my client when you called, so I figured I could relay your offer to her before she left.”
“Super. And?”
“And, since she would prefer not to waste time litigating the matter, she accepts the settlement proposal.”
Unger sighed, I think louder than he meant to. “Great to hear. I really think this is the best solution for all involved.” Meaning your client is getting off easy.
Taking a page from Luann’s Zen handbook, I replied, “I agree. This allows them to put it behind them.”
“I’ll draft the release and have it over for your review by the end of the day.”
“That would be great. Thanks, Greg.”
I hung up with him and laughed. To myself. Alone in my office. I love it when my client’s good karma comes with a twenty-five-thousand-dollar pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
CHAPTER 17
Friday night, Logek and I were curled up on my sofa, sharing a bottle of wine.
“So, give me all the Jared details,” I said.
Logek smiled, pushing her hair back from her face with one hand. Her eyes danced a little. Ruh-roh.
“I told you we’ve been talking.”
“Yes, and that is completely lacking in details! So spill it.”
“The day you gave him my number, I kept waiting for a text. But, instead, he actually called that night. And we talked.”
I nodded.
“For two hours.”
My mouth dropped open.
“Exactly,” she said. “I felt like I was in high school. We were suddenly talking about jobs, books, family. Everything. I can’t remember the last time I’ve just talked on the phone. Who does that anymore?”
“You, apparently. Then?”
“Then we texted on and off throughout the day yesterday and today, and we’re going out tomorrow night.” Logek finished brightly, with wide eyes.
“Oh my god! That’s awesome. And I knew it would never take you six months to wrangle a date with a man.”
“Well, it was a pretty slow start.”
“Worried at all about him being a workaholic?”
Logek waved a hand at me. “A workaholic is just a person in need of a distraction.” She shrugged. “I can be a hell of a distraction.”
I laughed.
She raised her eyebrows playfully. “So, what’s new with you?”
“Hm. I’ve got about twenty-four hours to figure out what to do about Jonathan.”
“You have plans?”
“We’re having dinner tomorrow night.”
“Well, he’s the love of your life, right? What are you trying to figure out?”
“The love of my life who dumped me.”
“True. But he came to his senses quickly.”
“I know. I’m having trouble putting a finger on exactly what is keeping me from just taking him back.”
“Maybe it’s not a what. Maybe it’s a who.”
“Kind of tragic to pass on Jonathan for a platonic relationship with Adam.”
Logek threaded her fingers through her hair again, propping her elbow on the back of the sofa. “Yeah, but if your feelings for Adam made you realize that you don’t feel enough for Jonathan anymore, then it’s more a matter of whether you’re settling for less than
you deserve.”
“I can’t grasp the thought that Jonathan would ever be settling. He’s amazing.”
“It’s not about whether he’s great. It’s about whether he’s the match that lights your fire. If he’s not, then taking him back would be settling. End of story.”
“But I love him. I know I do.”
“But maybe you’re not—”
“Don’t say it. It’s too cliché.”
“Tough shit. Cliché or not, maybe you aren’t in love with him anymore.”
“Clichés are stupid.”
“And they’re clichés for a reason. Because, usually, they’re true.”
“Adam and I are friends. He shouldn’t be a factor in this decision.”
“I agree,” Logek said with a nod. “Right now, it’s Jonathan or no one.”
I focused on her. “Are you saying I should get back with him because he’s the only option?”
Logek frowned. “Of course not. You know me better than that. I’m saying the opposite. I’m saying if he isn’t your everything, then I think you should be on your own and wait for the person who is.”
I rubbed my hand across my forehead. “He was always my everything. Maybe he still is and I’m just hurt over getting dumped.”
“It’s possible.”
“But you don’t think so.”
She shrugged. “That’s the million-dollar question, Kitty Kat.”
* * *
I got up in the morning and ran a few miles through midtown. Running is definitely easier when you’re preoccupied by thoughts of trying to decide on the course of your entire future. By the time I finished my loop and was running up my walkway, I was astonished that I’d been running for forty minutes.
I went upstairs to shower. After I was under the water and thoroughly drenched, I heard my phone vibrating on the bathroom counter. I peeked around the shower curtain at the phone. It was ringing, but I couldn’t see the number. I had a brief internal debate over whether it might be an important phone call, before making a quick dive for the bath towel and practically falling on my face scrambling out of the shower and reaching for my phone.
Damn. Scarlett. Sigh. If I don’t answer, she’ll just keep calling.
“Hi, Scarlett.”
“Kate. I know I’m not supposed to call your cell, but I just wanted to give you the good news.”
Uh-oh.
“We’re signing again!”
“Um. Really?”
“Yeah, really! He was just using that girl to make me jealous. He’s here right now,” she said.
“Hi, Kate,” I heard from a masculine voice near the phone.
Wow. “Well … congratulations.” I really didn’t know how to muster up any enthusiasm that the dysfunction twins were going in for their sixth contract. Seventh? I forget.
“Be happy, Kate. I know we were angry, but it’s all better now.”
Yep. That’s why you have been through so many contracts with him. Who knew all you crazy lovebirds needed were dueling restraining orders and some surveillance cameras to rekindle your true love?
When I didn’t answer, Scarlett continued. “Okay, have a good weekend. We’ll call Monday to go over the particulars of our new contract!”
Can’t wait. “Talk to you Monday.”
We disconnected and I started drying up the water I’d dripped all over the floor trying to catch the phone call. I don’t really draft contracts—Frank does that. I suppose I could. What am I saying? It’s only Saturday. I give it fifty-fifty odds that the contract is off again by Monday.
* * *
That evening, I was dressed for my date with Jonathan and was just waiting for him to pick me up.
Jonathan pulled up to the curb in front of my car. I opened the front door as he got out of his car and came up the walkway toward me. He stepped in and wrapped me in a hug. Mm. Jonathan. It’s funny how the fit and feel of someone’s arms can be so familiar, so comfortable.
“Come in,” I said, stepping aside. When he did, I closed the door behind him.
He stood in the living room, looking around it once again. “This place is great. It fits you.”
I nodded. It did. But there was a weird finality about our split, having him standing in my apartment. “Are you going to keep the house?”
He shook his head. “I don’t think so. It’s too big.” He turned from looking out my front window to give me a meaningful look. “And it’s haunted.”
“Haunted?”
“Yeah. By the ghost of my ex-partner. No matter where I am, she’s there.”
Oh. That’s sweet. And sad. And I had no response.
“Shall we go?” he asked.
“Yep,” I said, grabbing my purse and keys from the entry table. I followed him out the door and locked up behind me.
He opened his car door for me, like he always did.
We drove quietly for a minute before either of us spoke.
“So, how’s the new business?” I asked.
“It’s great. I can’t believe how much I’m enjoying it. I think about my old job: too many hours, no proper work–life balance with that job.”
“Yeah. It never seemed like the right fit. I’m so happy for you.”
“Maybe if I’d figured that out sooner, it would have made a difference.”
“How so?”
“Because. I was restless. Dissatisfied. I don’t think you had anything to do with that, but I didn’t realize it at the time.”
“Oh.”
He sighed. “I don’t know. I’m just trying to figure stuff out.”
“Me, too.”
“How’s that going?”
I shrugged. “I sort of feel like a sellout, doing signing law. Makes me wish I hadn’t spent four years telling everyone who asked what kind of law I planned to do, ‘Anything but signing law.’”
He laughed. “Tough job market, Kate. People get that.”
“Right. But that doesn’t make me feel like less of a sellout, unfortunately.”
“I guess I see your point. But maybe there is more to signing law than you thought when you used to bad-mouth it?”
“Maybe a little. I do have some clients I like working with.”
“The crazy one on the phone?”
I laughed. “No, not her. Although she certainly has entertainment value.”
He pulled up to our favorite little Italian café and we got out of the car.
“I haven’t been here in months,” I told him.
“I should hope not. This is our spot. It’s off-limits if you’re not with me.” And he winked at me.
By the time we’d finished eating (and a bottle of wine), I’d recapped nearly every case I’d worked on at the firm to date.
“I hate to say it, but you sound like you’re having fun there,” he said.
I wobbled my head and smiled. “People are nuts. That certainly keeps it interesting.”
“So. You mentioned that you aren’t seeing that one guy anymore. Are you seeing anyone else?”
And here I was worried that the elephant in the room would just keep minding its own damn business in the corner. Since our lunch the other day, when Adam came up, I figured he must be on Jonathan’s mind as a possible roadblock to us getting back together.
“Not really,” I said, with a shake of my head. “I forgot what a pain in the ass it is being single.”
He laughed. “I do have a solution for that, you know.”
I smiled. He was trying to keep it light, but, inside, it was bringing me down. Because I didn’t know what to do about it. I loved him. I knew that for certain. But I had feelings for Adam that seemed to make me question what I had with Jonathan at this point in our relationship.
I looked down at the table and played with my fork. When I looked back up, Jonathan was watching me. I swear, for all my subtlety, I may as well just think aloud. It’s not as though it doesn’t all show clear as day on my face, anyway.
The waiter slid the bill onto the t
able and Jonathan tossed a credit card into it and slid it back over to the edge. “Yeah, I’m definitely going to sell the house. It’s silly to wait any longer,” he said.
“Well, you have to do what’s best for you,” I said quietly.
“You were what was best for me.” He signed the charge slip the waiter brought back and stood. “Shall we go?”
I nodded.
We drove to my place in silence. When he pulled up to the curb in front of the house, he turned off the car and reached over and grasped my hand.
“I don’t blame you, Kate. I know it was me that got us here.”
“I’ve been trying to make a decision. I don’t mean to string you along. I’m just so confused over you,” I said, looking into his face, which was partially illuminated by the streetlight.
He frowned. “Well, what are you confused about?”
“I love you so much,” I said, putting fingertips to my heart without thinking about it. “So, if I love you, why can’t I just decide to get back together?”
He looked at me quietly for a minute through the filtered light. “Because you love me, but something has changed,” he finally said.
When he said the words, some dam broke inside me and tears started spilling down my cheeks. I nodded. “I don’t know when it happened.”
He pressed his lips together and his chin showed signs that he was struggling with his own emotions. He continued stroking my hand between both of his. He made a loud sigh and blew out a ragged breath, all the while focused on our hands rather than looking me in the eye.
“I love you, Katie,” he said, with a cracking voice.
Tears were now pouring down my face. “I’m so sorry, Jonathan.”
He looked up now, a few tears trailing down his cheeks. “Don’t. Don’t be sorry. I was so stupid. So fucking stupid. I let you down first. Things only changed for you because of my mistake.”
“I love you, Jonathan,” I said. I leaned toward him, verging on an actual ugly cry. “I’m so sorry that I’m hurting you.”
He started brushing tears from my face, which was useless, given that I had plenty more where those came from.
“I’m so confused,” I said, shaking my head. “I love you so much. You’re one of my best friends. I don’t understand why…”