Practice Makes Perfect

by Carsen Taite

  “I hear you.”

  Wynne let out a breath, relieved that Campbell hadn’t pushed her away, but then Campbell kept talking.

  “But you had a choice to make and you chose your security, your job, over me. I’m not asking for special treatment because I’m attracted to you, or because we slept together, but I did expect that you would treat me with respect. Today was my chance to shine, but you were in the spotlight. And you are brilliant and smart and you deserve to be in the spotlight. But not at my expense.”

  Wynne nodded. Everything Campbell said was true. “Can I make it up to you?”

  “I don’t see how.”

  Campbell looked down at their still joined hands and eased her fingers loose. Wynne watched their connection break and felt her heart breaking as well.

  Chapter Twenty

  Campbell set her tray down and slid into the seat across from Justin. “Thanks for meeting me all the way out here.”

  “You said the two magic phrases. Mighty Fine Burgers and you’re buying. I gotta say though, you’re kind of overdressed for a burger joint.”

  Campbell looked down at her suit. It was her favorite, the one she’d worn for the Leaderboard pitch, and the white jacket probably wasn’t the best choice to wear when chowing down on a juicy burger. But it had brought her luck before, and she was counting on it still having some magic left. It had been almost a week since she’d walked away from Wynne and the Leaderboard case. Well, technically she was still on the Leaderboard case, but relegated to spectator status, since Wynne and Worth Ingram were now officially lead counsel. Thankfully, there had been no reason for her to have to interact with anyone from Worth Ingram since she’d last seen Wynne.

  She’d come clean to Grace and Abby about everything. How she’d let her relationship with Wynne become personal, how she’d gotten tricked out of taking the lead on Rhea’s deposition and consequently, the whole case. After a big lecture from Grace, and some gentle advice from Abby about impulsivity and not letting sex cloud her judgment, they’d both said they forgave her, but she still felt like she needed to get back out there and find a big, new client if for no other reason than to avoid their disappointed looks around the office. Hence the suit. “I’m headed to a networking function this afternoon. I need some new clients. I blew it with Leaderboard. Over a girl.”

  Justin chased a big bite of burger with a swig from his Coke bottle. “If I had to count the number of times I messed up because of a girl, well, let’s just say I’m glad I don’t have to. Was she worth it?”

  “Yes. No. I mean, I thought so at the time, but it turns out I was wrong. We were competing and she beat me, but she cheated. Actually, her boss cheated, and she went along.” She stopped talking as she realized that unless she told him every detail, nothing she was saying would make any sense. And she had no desire to rehash the entire episode. “The bottom line is it’s over.”

  “Sure it is.”

  She grew defensive at his sarcastic tone. “It is.”

  “Yep, it sounds like you’re completely over her.”

  “I didn’t say I was over her. I said it was over.”

  “Quit speaking lawyer to me. I get the difference, but if you’re not over her, then it’s not really over. Trust me. I’m older and wiser.”

  “Said the bachelor.”

  He reached over and stole a fry. “I don’t have to be married to know about relationships. It’s a matter of pros and cons. Do you like her more than you don’t? Is this thing that came between you enough to tip the balance in the other direction? Is it unforgivable? You and I both know that life’s too short to let temporary hurt feelings get in the way of long-term happiness.”

  She resisted pointing out that getting marginalized on a big case and losing any chance at future business from the client she’d worked so hard to win was more than a temporary hurt feeling, but she knew there was some truth in his words. Wynne had been caught in a hard spot, and she’d made a snap decision. Campbell didn’t think she’d do the same, but what if it had been Grace or Abby who’d asked her to choose between the business and her feelings for Wynne? “I don’t know what to do.”

  “Then don’t do anything.” He laughed when she stuck out her tongue. “I get how hard it is for you to just let things be, but you could do with a little chill time. You can’t always make things work. Sometimes you have to let life happen.”

  “When did you get to be so wise?”

  “I’ve always been wise. You’re just getting smart enough to notice,” he said with a grin, while holding up his arm to block her punch.

  A half hour later, Campbell reflected on his words on the way to her function. She’d taken a big leap of faith by quitting her job and hadn’t once regretted her decision despite the uncertainty. Yes, she had a generous nest egg, but she also had two friends whose futures relied on their firm’s success. But when it came to her heart, she preferred rock solid certainty that she was entrusting her feelings to someone she could count on. A week ago, she would’ve trusted Wynne to be that person. She’d even started to think that Wynne might be the one. Had one action completely decimated that trust or was she asking too much?

  Justin’s advice might be solid after all. She should just let it be. Whatever she’d had with Wynne was over. Mourn the loss and move on. That last part was easier said than done.

  * * *

  Wynne saw Seth out of the corner of her eye and motioned for him to hang on while she finished typing the last sentence of her notes. When she looked up from her computer, he leaned back in one of the chairs across from her desk and put his feet up. “To what do I owe this visit?”

  “Just seeing if you are alive. You’ve been ignoring my texts.”

  “I have not.”

  “Replying with single emoticons is essentially the same as ignoring me,” he said.

  “Has anyone ever told you that you are attention starved?”

  “Yes. You have told me this many times. Want to know the best cure for my condition?”

  “Not really.”

  “More attention,” he said, smacking the arm of the chair for emphasis.

  “Seth, I’m busy.”

  “We’ve had this conversation. You’re always busy, but lately you’re busy and sad. I have a solution and it’s called happy hour. Meet me after work? Patent section is buying again.”

  At the mention of the patent section, Wynne felt her jaw clench. “No thanks.”

  Seth narrowed his eyes. “What just happened?”

  “Nothing. I’m not interested.”

  “Come on, Wynne. I can tell when you’re mad. Have I done something to upset you?”

  She looked into his eyes and saw genuine concern. “It’s not you. I found out that your pal Lane was the one who sent the pictures of me and Campbell to Stoltz. What kind of bitch do you have to be to do something like that?”

  “Holy shit, for real?”

  “Jennifer saw the email and overheard Lane gossiping about it with one of the other patent attorneys. Apparently, Lane had just met with a client at Winebelly and came back because she’d left her credit card. She saw us and decided Stoltz needed photographic evidence of my indiscretion. But if you repeat that, I will never ever go to happy hour with you again. Needless to say, I have no desire to run into Lane again.”

  “Nor do I. Not even to let her and her brainiac friends buy me drinks. Hashtag solidarity.”

  “You need to quit saying the word hashtag. It’s kind of nerdy.”

  “So, hashtag nerds unite would not be appropriate in this situation?”

  She tossed a paperclip at him. “Seriously. Stop.”

  “Okay, but this is even more reason why you need a happy hour in your future.”

  “I don’t want to drink. I want…” She didn’t finish her sentence because what was the point? Campbell had walked out, making it crystal clear that there was no future for them outside of this case, and judging by the fact Campbell hadn’t contacted her about the cas
e either, she wasn’t sure they had any relationship at all.

  “You want Campbell,” Seth said, his words echoing her loss.

  “Yes, but I can’t have her.”

  “Can’t is for quitters.”

  “She walked away.”

  “And you let her. Seriously, it’s like I have to spell everything out for you. You screwed her over, and she still stepped up for you with your dad, who I would have left to rot in jail, by the way.” She started to interrupt, but he held up a hand to stop her. “That’s a subject for another day. Back to Campbell. The ball’s in your court now. How did you leave things?”

  “Badly.” At his frown, she searched her memory, but she didn’t have to look hard, as their final words to each other were burned in her brain. “I asked her how I could make it up to her and she said she didn’t see how.”

  “Bingo.” Seth slapped the arm of the chair again. “She doesn’t see how because it’s up to you. This is a grand gesture moment if I’ve ever seen one.” He waved his arms in the air. “You have to do something big to win her back.”

  “Like what?”

  “Nuh-uh, this is where my assistance ends.” He pointed to his chest. “Whatever you do has to come from your heart.”

  “Lovely. We both know how good I am with feelings.”

  “Don’t try so hard. Relax and the right thing will come to you.” He stood. “Once you come up with your grand idea, let me know if you need help with the execution. In the meantime, my work here is done.”

  The room felt very empty when he left, and Wynne’s mind buzzed with plenty of recrimination, but no tangible solutions to win Campbell back. Seth’s words echoed, and she closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair to relax. It took a while, but finally her brain stopped spinning and she experienced a gentle wave of calm followed by a moment of intense clarity that revealed the grand idea she knew would give her the best chance at a second chance with Campbell. The only question was whether she had the courage to take the leap.

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Campbell walked into the lobby and nodded to Graham who was on the phone. He hung up as she passed his desk and said, “Good morning, Ms. Clark.”

  “Good morning, Graham. And you can call me Campbell.”

  “Will do, Ms. Clark.”

  Campbell smiled. He was beginning to grow on her, and she should really stop fighting his strong desire to be formal. She should stop other things too, like succumbing to this persistent sadness that followed her around like a black cloud. It had only been a day since she’d been trying to follow Justin’s advice to just let things be, but she still couldn’t shake the desire to do something about her lingering feelings for Wynne, and her mood was affecting her relationship with Grace and Abby as well.

  That was something she could fix. “Graham, please alert Ms. Keane and Ms. Maldonado, and request their presence in the conference room. Posthaste.”

  “Absolutely. Your wish is my command.”

  Campbell saluted him, because it seemed like the thing to do, and strode to the conference room to wait for her partners.

  “What’s up?” Grace said as she walked into the room with Abby close behind. “Did you buy another cool appliance for the office or maybe a company car?”

  “I’m hoping she brought baked goods,” Abby said, looking around at the empty table. “Seriously, no pastries?”

  Campbell raised her hands. “You’re both very funny. I come bearing no gifts, food or otherwise.” She motioned for them to have a seat. “I want to apologize.”

  Abby waved her off. “Done and done. We’ve forgiven you.”

  “Yes, you have, for the whole Leaderboard thing, but I know it’s bigger than that. I have a tendency to make decisions based on emotion without considering the big picture. Not just the Leaderboard thing, but this conference table, and the Coke machine, and well, you get the idea. I just wanted to let you know that I’m going to work on being less impulsive and focus on making decisions based on what makes sense for all of us, not just my personal gut feelings.” She folded her hands on the table and watched for their reactions. Both of them looked like they were about to burst, but neither said anything. “Well?”

  Like a flip had been switched, they both started laughing uncontrollably with no sign of stopping.

  “What’s going on?” Campbell asked, unsure if they could hear her through their gales of laughter.

  Abby held up a hand until her chuckling was under control. “You can’t change.”

  “I can too. And I’m going to. I promise.”

  “No,” Abby said, shaking her head. “We don’t want you to. If you weren’t impulsive we’d all still be working for assholes like Jerry Stoltz. It may take us a while to make a go of this, but at least we’re in charge. Right, Grace?”

  “Right. Campbell, you frustrate the hell out of me sometimes, but I wouldn’t change your Big Idea brain for anything. Besides, Abby and I have become very attached to our new drink dispenser.”

  “And don’t forget the espresso maker,” Abby said.

  “I wonder what’s next?” Grace asked, sending the three of them into a giggling fit.

  They were still giggling when Graham entered the room. “Ladies, you have guests.”

  Campbell struggled to contain herself, but she just couldn’t. “Pray tell, announce them to us.”

  Graham nodded and waved his arm in a flourish. “I shall fetch Mr. Keith and Ms. Garrity.”

  Instantly, the room sobered. “What are they doing here?” Campbell asked, but Graham was already gone, presumably to “fetch” Brax and Wynne.

  Abby stood. “You stay here. We got this. Grace, are you with me?”

  “On it.”

  “No, wait.” Campbell stood too. “Let me.” The uncontrollable bout of laughter had left her feeling free. She’d cleared the air with Abby and Grace. Now it was time to do the same with Wynne. “I need to see her.”

  With her friends on her heels, Campbell strode into the lobby. Wynne was pacing in front of Graham’s desk, and Brax was asking her what they were doing here. Wynne started to answer him, but stopped and locked eyes with Campbell. For a few seconds, the world stopped and it was just the two of them, standing a few feet apart, as they had been the last time Campbell had seen her, but the hurt had fallen away and Campbell could only see the passionate, beautiful woman she’d made love to.

  “I still don’t know why we’re here,” Brax said before following Wynne’s gaze. “Hi, Campbell. Are we here to meet with you about the case?”

  “Yes,” Wynne said before Campbell could answer. “But not really about the case. More like about your future, Brax. Can I get you all to step outside for a minute?”

  She started walking toward the door without waiting for a response. Abby and Grace looked at Campbell who nodded, and the three of them followed Wynne and Brax out to the parking lot where Kate’s donut truck was pulling into the parking lot. As if on cue, the truck came to a stop, and Kate opened the window and waved at her brother and then at Campbell who smiled and waved back. She had no idea what was happening, but if it involved donuts, it had to be good.

  Wynne stepped in front of the truck. “Brax, I asked Kate to bring her truck here for two reasons. First, I did some research, and found out that you have Kate’s truck on your corporate campus because having your sister there serving her homemade donuts makes it feel like home. I thought it only appropriate then, that Kate be here for this announcement. Clark, Keane, and Maldonado should be your new home base for all your legal needs. I’m smart and I’ve always worked hard for you, but Campbell Clark is the whole package. She’s got a brilliant mind, charisma, and she’s quick on her feet.

  “I handled Rhea’s deposition last week using Campbell’s meticulous outline, and the motions we’ve filed were all written by her. You thought Campbell wasn’t there for you, and I let you believe that because I had a boss that insisted I do whatever it takes to win, even if that meant screwing over a colleagu
e. I no longer work for Worth Ingram, so if you elect to go with them, Jerry Stoltz will be handling all your work. Just let that sink in for a minute, and I think you know the choice is clear.

  “Now, if you all don’t mind, I’d like to get a word alone with Campbell, but if you all want to step up to the window, the donuts are on me.”

  Campbell stood frozen in place as she digested Wynne’s words. Had she really quit her job?

  “Are you okay?” Abby whispered in her ear.

  “I think so.”

  “You better work it out real quick because she’s on her way over here, and she doesn’t look like she’s going to take no for an answer.”

  Campbell nodded, her eyes trained on Wynne as she approached and the rest of the world fell away. “Donuts. Smooth move. What was your second reason for having Kate here?”

  “To win you over, of course,” Wynne said. “Some might say I’m trying to exploit your weakness.”

  Campbell grinned. “I’m learning that I have a lot of weakness when it comes to you.”

  “I’m truly sorry for taking advantage.”

  “You were protecting yourself. I get it. I really do.” Campbell couldn’t stand to see the pained look on Wynne’s face, so she changed the subject. “Did you really quit your job?”

  “Best thing I ever did. I’m going to take some time and figure out what to do, but I’m never going to work for an asshole again. Just one more thing I learned from you.”

  “Oh, really, what else have you learned?”

  “To pay attention to my feelings, to go after what I want, even if it means taking a risk.” Wynne stepped closer, her eyes dark and her gaze intense. “I want you, Campbell Clark. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and I hope I’m not too late to tell you I’m falling in love with you. Will you give us another chance?”