“Yeah, I came home early so we could celebrate.” She nodded toward the kitchen counter.
I walked to the kitchen to check out the large plastic bag of fried chicken on the counter.
Maddison swooped in, and snatched the bucket from me before I could reach in. “Wash your hands.”
“Sorry, Mom,” I teased.
She stuck her tongue out at me. I Laughed. We were acting like eight-year-olds again. She got two plates and put the chicken in the microwave. “So, did you find clothes you like?”
“I think so. Compared to my old work wardrobe, what I got looks much more appropriate for New York,” I replied, scrubbing my hands and then drying them with a kitchen towel.
“Let’s dig in.” She took the food from the microwave and handed me a plate.
We sat down at the tiny kitchen table.
While we ate, I told her how the interview went, from the quiet lobby filled with the other applicants to the serious pre-screening to the interview itself.
“The boss did the final interview,” I concluded.
She scrunched up her nose. “What boss has the time to conduct interviews? He must be a control freak. Probably grumpy, too.”
“I don’t know about the grumpiness, but he does all the lawyers’ final interviews himself. HR does the shortlisting.” I hesitated before continuing, “I actually met him yesterday at the bookstore.”
Maddison raised an eyebrow. “Wait! What?”
I nodded.
“And you didn’t tell me?”
“I didn’t know who he was, let alone that he was a hotshot lawyer. We just talked about a novel I picked.”
And then, I made a fool of myself.
But I conveniently left that part out.
I mused on how his expression was more guarded than it had been last night. No more dazzling smiles or contagious laughter. I doubted he would ever smile at me like that again. Starting tomorrow, it will be strictly business. Part of me wished it didn’t have to be that way, wished he had at least tried to get my number. But maybe it was for the best. It would’ve made things awkward at the office.
“Did he recognize you?” Maddison asked.
I nodded. “He did, but I don’t think it means anything. He was as professional as could be. It’ll be interesting to have him as a boss.” I took a bite of my chicken, savoring the spicy Cajun flavor.
Maddison raised a suspicious eyebrow, giving me a knowing smile. “What’s that supposed to mean? I can tell when you think someone is hot, Celia.”
“I don’t think he’s hot!” I exclaimed. It was a lie, of course. He was very handsome, even more so in that smart, sleek business suit. And those moss-green eyes....I shook my head to clear my thoughts. “Okay, maybe an opinion I voiced yesterday worked in my favor.”
Maddison’s eyes immediately narrowed with intrigue. “Do tell. Maybe I’ll use that opinion at my next audition.”
I laughed. “It's nothing like that. We had a little disagreement yesterday, but he said he liked my point of view. Not in those exact words, but something along those lines.” I paused when I saw Maddison’s eyes dance with a naughty expression. “What?”
“Why are you talking as if you have a crush on him?” She didn’t give me a chance to reply. “Well, you have good taste,liking the CEO of a big law firm. If luck goes your way, you could snatch him up and settle down. Won’t even have to be a lawyer.”
Settle down? As if I came all the way to just settle down. Anton was intriguing, sure, but I didn’t uproot my life for romance. I came here to prove myself, to build something on my own terms. Maddy didn’t get it yet. I wasn’t the same girl who dreamed of a white picket fence.
“The whole reason I moved here is to practice law, Maddy. I want to rise to the top.”
“Wow, Celia. So different from a few years ago when you talked about having a husband and a big family someday. Do you think your husband will want you working?”
“I can find a man who wants me for my brain as well as my body, can’t I?” I said, taking a drumstick.
