Page 86 of Bad Influence
“Keep this with you,” I tell her. “Use it generously if you feel even slightly afraid.”
“You’re sending me out there with a weapon?” Caroline asks, amused.
“It’s a can of pepper spray, not a letter opener.”
Laughing, she pokes her tongue at me.
“Save your obscene gestures for later, baby.”
Taking her hand, I lead her out of the apartment and down to Eve and Lilith’s apartment. The two of them are dressed similarly to Caroline and the three of them gush over each other's outfits. This is why I’m not being a neurotic beast and seducing her into staying in.
Caroline needs female friends, the good kind who are going to stick with her through thick and thin. I know for certain she’s never allowed herself to relax enough to trust someone.
“Surprised you’re letting Caroline go out without a curfew,” Lilith says to me.
“I’m not that bad,” I say, slightly offended. “She’s never been on her own before, especially not in a city like New York.”
“She’s from San Francisco,” Lilith says. “The last time I checked, it wasn’t exactly utopia.”
“No, but she was driven to and from work by her family’s driver. Her social events revolved around her family. Like I said, Caroline has never been on her own before. I want to make sure she knows how to swim before I throw her in the deep end.”
Lilith assesses me carefully before looking back at Caroline, who’s admiring Eve’s bracelet.
“Does she know how crazy you are about her?” Lilith asks in a low voice.
Thank fuck Caroline is far enough away that she can’t hear Lilith ask that question.
“Aren’t you getting late?” I ask.
She smirks knowingly and I look away, back at Caroline. She knows I want her, and that’s enough for now.
CHAPTER 24
Caroline
Life feels a little surreal lately.So much so that I have to constantly pinch myself to remember that this isn’t a dream. I’m not going to wake up back in my pink bedroom with the white canopy bed that’s stayed the same since I was a teenager.
Walking into Blackwood, Pierce & Caldwell made me realize again that doing things which make me happy isn’t wrong. I shouldn’t have to feel guilty because I’m choosing something I want over what was chosen for me. I know I impressed Aiden, which just goes to show that I’m a good lawyer and there’s no reason to feel inadequate because I had a job waiting for me after law school.
At my family’s firm, all the good cases went to my brother and other lawyers. They got to meet the clients and offer support while I was left to do the paperwork.
I’m confident enough to say that if the same thing happens with Aiden Fairchild treating me like a pretty little lawyer Barbie (derogatory) I’ll find a new job.
“How did you like Aiden?” Lilith asks, leaning in close so I can hear her over the sound of the music.
We’re sitting at a corner booth of a club the name which Idon’t remember now. It’s loud and I can barely hear myself think. If it weren’t for all the people pressed together like sardines in a can, it would almost be meditative.
We were lucky to find somewhere to sit so Eve told us to stay while she gets our drinks.
“He was surprisingly nice for a lawyer,” I tell her.
Lilith laughs but I don’t hear the sound. “Yeah, he gets that a lot.”
“I think I’ll like working for him. He was easy to chat with and didn’t act like I was just a woman pretending to be a lawyer until I can settle down.”
“Yikes. Had a lot of bad experiences?”
“So many.”
