Page 6 of Shades of Grey & Gold

“I’ll be back in a bit, Deb.” I walk as fast as I can toward the front door, but not fast enough.

“Oh, Max, if you’re headed out can you grab a light lunch for the three of us? Or even Benny’s if you both prefer, it’s on me.” I hear Carla’s voice carry through the hallway upstairs and down to my ears.

I roll my eyes but oblige, heading out of the office.

I peek in the window of Gabby’s as I walk by, seeing the line has let up since the morning’s rush, and my stomach grumbles for a coffee and a pastry but I walk over to Benny’s to grab Carla and Deb lunch.

As I cross the street, I glance down the block. Box trucks are parked outside the big building at the end of Main—must be the one Deb was saying sold. A few guys in expensive suits stand out front.

The girl behind the counter at Benny’s takes my order and says dreamily, “Did you see the new tenants at the end of the block? So many expensive suits.”

I smile back at her. “I saw! Really weird that a real estate agent would want to move onto Main.”

“Oh, that’s not what I heard, I thought it was another—” She’s interrupted by the bell being rung by someone in the kitchen and the sandwiches passed to her from behind the counter.

I thank her and make my way back across to the office.

I hand off lunch to Deb and walk home to get my car to head to Target.

A bright glare catches my eye, coming from the sun glinting off of a new sign being hung down the block at the new real estate offices. I squint trying to make out the name, but all I can seeis gold.

Chapter Three

Max

Atthestoreonetown over, I find the office supplies aisle and grab a box of black pens, then a pretty planner for Becca for our planning activities later tonight.

I’m staring at the shelves as I walk out of the aisle, considering a new calendar for my desk when someone shrieks and arms are wrapped around me and I feel frozen.

“Maxine!” The someone screeches again, except this time in my ear.

The girl pulls away and looks at my faceand I blink.

“Oh! Jenni!” I pick up my arms and hug her back, a genuine smile sweeping across my face.

Jenni was one of the attorneys at Patrick’s father’s law firm, Ellison & Parker—and one of the few people who made that office feel less like Patrick’s world. Her hair is shorter than it was years ago and darker than I remember, but the volume of her voice hasn’t changed.

The memories of her carry a bittersweet twinge, because those late nights I spent with Jenni were also nights Patrick spent with Brenda or random interns he was screwing.

“How are you? I miss you at the firm!” She looks sideways and tilts her head. “But I get why you left, fucking scumbag, dude.” She rolls her eyes and shakes her head. “Where are you working now? We must catch up!”

“I’m good, I’m good, I’m at a small firm in Abbott and just kinda living life,” I chuckle and she loops her arm around mine.

She fills me in on the last three years in thirty seconds flat—new haircut, new fiancé, same loud voice.

“Wow! That’s amazing! I wish I would’ve been better at keeping in touch.” I give her a squeeze as we make it to the counter, and I set down my items. “What are you doing all the way out here, though? Are you leaving Ellison?”

Ellison & Parker is in Boston. Forty-five minutes in the other direction, which had never felt like enough distance from Patrick but any distance is good distance. Becca was in Abbott, and after the breakup, distance plus Becca was the closest thing I had to a survival plan.

“Oh, no way, I’m hoping to eventually make junior partner. Richard downsized the office; he’s slowing down and we moved here last year. But he’s decided to downsize again so he bought a whole building nearby.”

I pay the man behind the counter and think to myself that I’m surprised Richard, Patrick’s father, is downsizing. He was slowing down even when I was there almost three years ago, but it never seemed to stop him from continuing to be one of the best lawyers on the East Coast. Then again, Patrick was always trying to convince him he needed to retire, more so for Patrick’s benefit.

I mouth a ‘thank you’ and grab the bag of supplies. “A building nearby?” I ask Jenni as I turn to face her. “So still in Wilmington?”

“Actually, it’s a bit down the road! Oh, maybe you know it, it’s on one of the main roads in—” Jenni looks over my shoulder and starts walking away. “Ahcrap, I gotta go. They’re waiting for me.” She starts walking backwards. “We came for cleaning supplies because apparently, with this downsize, it’s our job to clean the offices until Richard hires someone local. Very glamorous. Very lawyerly.”

We both laugh and she continues, “And you know the guys will absolutely leave here without me, which is probably what I get for being only one of two women in this office now.” She starts walking backwards, keeping eye contact with me. “You still have the same number, right? I’m going to text you as soon as I get to the car so we can make plans to get coffee like, ASAP, like tomorrow!”