Page 86 of The Irresistible One
Me
That’s not what I’m telling you at all.
For the first time in several days, I could breathe. That wasn’t to say there weren’t knots in my throat the size of boulders, controlling how much air I was intaking and releasing. But the weight was gone—from the mounting pressure ofwalking into the conference room of my law firm and presenting my case to the board, to the anticipation of their varied reactions.
When I had become partner, that had come with a certain responsibility, but that was only one of the reasons I had taken action. The other was because it was necessary.
Now that the meeting was over and I was sitting at my desk, staring at my email, I should feel this immense relief.
Except I didn’t.
And the knock on my door only made that feeling worse. I wanted to ignore it. I wanted whoever was outside to assume I’d left for the day. The problem was, there were glass panels next to each side of my door, so a quick peek would tell them I was present.
“Come in,” I called out.
Bob poked his head through the opening, not moving farther than the entrance. With the top of his arm pressed against the molding, his suit jacket buckled in the shoulders. He was one of the older partners at my firm and had been a mentor since my first day of hire, which was why I had stopped by his office yesterday to discuss the topic of today’s meeting.
He offered a small smile. “I’m just checking to see if you’re all right.”
Unexpected consoling was sometimes the best kind. I hadn’t received any during the meeting—nor had I expected to. Bob’s pop-in was needed more than I was willing to admit.
I swallowed hard and moved my keyboard back to lock my fingers together on top of my desk. “I’m fine.”
“I’ve been married for almost forty years, Sophie. Whenever my wife saysfine, it’s never a good thing.”
I attempted a laugh. “Sounds like you know women well.”
“Don’t give me that much credit.” He waited a moment,pushing his glasses higher. “What you just accomplished wasn’t easy.”
“I wouldn’t say I accomplished anything.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. You shared your truth. Not many people would have done that. I want you to know I’m proud of you.”
I put all the weight on my arms, flexing my back, causing my head to drop. “I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself, Bob.” My admission came out as a whisper. “Regardless of what happens, it’s not right.”
I refused to let the emotion take hold of me. There was no crying when it came to law. I wouldn’t break that rule just because my future at this firm was in jeopardy.
“Has the letter been sent?” he inquired.
“Through email about an hour ago.” I took a quick breath. “And a certified letter went out right after it.”
Now that the door was fully open, he crossed his arms instead of holding it. “Everything is going to be all right.”
“For the record,all rightis just about as painful as fine.”
He chuckled. “I’ll have to remember that when it comes to my wife.” He shifted his stance. “If you need anything, you know where to find me.”
As he turned around to leave, I said, “Hey, Bob.” I waited for his stare to reach mine. “You could have steered me in a much different direction. I appreciate that you didn’t.”
“I had a law professor once tell me that there are attorneys, and then there are good attorneys. Attorneys complete the task. Good attorneys bring a level of heart into their practice.” He nodded toward me. “You’re a good attorney, Sophie. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”
There were plenty of people who would disagree with his statement. The entire Weston family would be leading that group.
I thanked him, and he closed my door.
Now that I was hit with a room full of silence and a set of restless hands, I took my phone off my desk and scrolled through my Contacts until I found Colson. The timing of this call wasn’t random; I had purposely waited for this moment.
I pressed the button to phone him and didn’t hear a single ring before his voicemail picked up. I tried again with the same result, so instead of leaving a voicemail, I texted him.
