Chapter 10: The Pecking OrderMaggie walked away from Michael's office feeling like a first-class idiot. What in the world possessed me to be so flippant? she wondered miserably. At least he hadn't seemed bothered. She thought about his words. We're both alone in the world. She knew exactly what he meant. When her father died, she felt completely alone. She'd thrown herself into her undergraduate studies to distract herself from those thoughts. Law school had somehow been better. She'd bonded with her group of friends. She thought of Casey and knew they'd be close for the rest of their lives, the same with Ben. They were her family. Graduation had been a reminder that they wouldn't be together forever, but she hadn't allowed herself to dwell on the notion. She sighed and busied herself with the lunch order.Everything went smoothly until she got to John Hemphill's office. He was meeting with Ellen Standifer when she knocked on the open door. "Knock, knock," she said bri
Chapter 11: Office PoliticsMichael leaned back in the cab and watched as they passed Maggie walking down the street on her way to the subway. He thought back on the day, smiling as he recalled her passionate argument on the virtues of patronizing local business. She must have aced her litigation classes, he thought, shaking his head.After Maggie left his office that morning to order lunch, he'd gotten busy returning calls and going over notes he had for tomorrow's case, a former child actress who'd been caught shoplifting expensive silk lingerie at Bergdorf Goodman. He figured he'd be in court most of the day, taking Hodges and Standifer with him.In the back of the cab, he smiled to himself once again. At least Ellen Standifer would be out of Maggie's way for the day. What was it about women? He had never understood why women could never seem to get along with each other.His thoughts drifted to the moment an apoplectic Ellen had come storming through his door about half an ho
Chapter 12: Comparing NotesMaggie wasn't sure why she hadn't mentioned to Michael that she was meeting the other new hires for drinks at Doc Watson's. She supposed she didn't want him to wonder if she was talking about him. Nate had texted her shortly after five to say that he and the others were heading out. She'd replied that she planned to keep working until she was finished and to let her know if they left the bar. She'd also texted Ben to see if he'd meet her there. His new office was only a few blocks away.As she reached the black awning in front of the pub, she heard someone calling her name. "Hey Flynn, wait up!" Ben grinned as he strode up to her and gave her a peck on the cheek. "So how's tricks?" he asked her."Not too shabby, how about you?" she asked as they made their way inside.He grimaced, running a hand through his thick brown waves. "Well, I made it through the first day without any major fuck-ups. I hope I'm not bored to tears by real estate law."Inside
Chapter 13: Time OffIt was a Thursday afternoon. Michael was on the phone talking with his new client, a former NFL quarterback who'd been arrested recently on charges of domestic violence. His version of the truth was that he was in the middle of a messy divorce and the soon-to-be ex-wife was trying to squeeze more money out of him for alimony and child support. The fact was that Michael didn't care about the actual truth. His job was to provide the best defense for his client that money could buy.Maggie knocked lightly on his door and popped her head in, but seeing that he was on the phone, she whispered an apology and started to back away. Michael held up a finger and motioned for her to come in. She crossed to the black leather chairs opposite his desk and sat waiting for him to finish."No, I understand, man, she's just busting your balls," he said into the phone, rolling his eyes for Maggie's benefit. "Okay, we'll make sure that all of that comes out at trial, but I'm t
Chapter 14: A Wedding on Martha's VinyardMaggie settled back in her seat beside Ben as the plane reached altitude. The flight to Martha's Vineyard would be barely over an hour. When the flight attendant came by, she ordered a chardonnay. Ben ordered tequila. He'd seemed moody since they shared a cab to the airport."So what gives?" she asked him. "What's going on?"He stared at the untouched drink on his tray table. "I think Alex is seeing someone else." His voice was barely audible.Maggie placed her hand over his and squeezed reassuringly. "Oh, please, don't be silly. What makes you say that?" If she was honest, she'd thought it odd that Alex had dropped out of the trip for the wedding at the last minute, but he'd said he had a big project at work."All the sudden he's working this weekend?" Ben asked bitterly. "He gets texts and leaves the room to answer them. He was late coming home from work three days this week. I think he's seeing someone he met at the gym.""Oh, s
Chapter 15: Return to New YorkMichael considered turning off the ball game when they entered the top of the ninth inning with his Yankees down five runs to one. At least Beaulieu didn't get a perfect game. There was that.His phone buzzed and he glanced down at the screen. Shit! He'd forgotten that he'd sent that message to Maggie. He clicked her name and jumped as bass-driven club music shattered the quiet of his apartment. There was Maggie dressed in a skimpy purple dress. He could see people dancing behind her as she sassed him from Martha's Vineyard. He grinned at her cheeky tone. Video, eh?He held out his phone and pressed record. "I know it's video, Mags. So how's the wedding? Is this better?" he smirked, and then pressed the send button again.Two minutes later he had her reply. "The wedding was beautiful. The party's great." She smiled wryly. "What are you up to this fine evening?"He sent another video. "I'm watching the Texas Rangers beat my Yankees. It's
Chapter 16: Off the ClockMichael stepped out of the elevator into the dim reception area. The files he needed were on his desk, but he looked down the hall in the opposite direction from his office. Maggie's door was open and golden afternoon light filtered into the hallway from her window. He heard the sounds of movement coming from the open doorway of the library and he headed there.A mountain of books covered the table, and a few had even slid to the floor. It was as though someone had gone out of their way to leave a mess for Maggie to deal with when she returned. No way could anyone possibly use that many books in one day. Standifer and Hemphill, he guessed. He knew they always tried to give her a hard time.From deep within the rows of shelves, he heard her humming. He recognized the song immediately. Maggie appeared from around the corner, her back to him as she pulled a cart piled high with heavy leather volumes. The cord to her earbuds snaked up from the back pocke
Chapter 17: Charity EventOn Monday, Michael was in court all day, but an envelope mysteriously appeared on Maggie's desk at some point. It held two invitations and a note from Michael. Here are the tickets, Mags. It should be fun. Glad you're coming. See you tomorrow. M.Maggie called Ben. "You have to do me this favor."She'd called him right after the new phone was delivered and they'd talked for hours. Ben had arrived home to find that Alex had moved out of their apartment. He'd been devastated, and Maggie had listened compassionately as he told her everything they'd gone through over the last few weeks, the lies he'd caught Alex telling, the hang-ups on their landline when Ben answered the phone, the late nights and special projects Alex had been assigned lately. Maggie had tried to keep her opinion of Alex to herself but finally, she couldn't resist, "At least now you can move forward."Now on the phone, Ben was unenthusiastic. "What favor, Flynn?""You and I have in