Page 72 of Escape Girl
I hated that he needed to ask, but I sure as hell understood why he did. When I spoke again, it was in my lawyer voice, clear and definitive, no room for misinterpretation. “Listen close,Bobby, because I have the answer to this escape room: I want you, and I want us. Please, let’s try again.”
I caught just a glimpse of his fierce, joyful smile before he crushed his lips to mine.
*
Hello, 3:00 a.m.
With a resigned sigh, I flipped on my back and scooched up until I was sitting, propped by pillows against the headboard. Even though my body felt delicious and relaxed, my brain was primed for action. Not too surprising, as in the morning I would go with Bella to face off against Taggert and Hill. This would be it: the culmination of everything I’d been working on since the day Bella first walked into my New York office. Nothing typical about this face-to-face interaction either. It was going to be more of a performance than a meeting. I needed to take our few facts, mix them together with my legal expertise, and serve it all to them with no small amount of drama.
A small smirk twisted my lips. This tap dance would include the talents of both Sven and Tru Saturn. I honestly couldn’t wait to bring both the ice and the heat.
“You should make that exact face at those idiots tomorrow,” Bobby said sleepily. “It’s terrifying.”
“Noted,” I said with a snort-laugh. “I’m sorry if I woke you.”
He reached over and tugged me down until we were spooning. Behind me, his body was very warm and very naked. “I’m never sorry to wake to you,” he whispered in my ear, and I squirmed, half ticklish and half aroused. “Although you are a very fidgety spoon.”
I giggled and flexed my toes, relishing this perfect feeling. The one that told me I was exactly where I belonged. “Bobby,” Isaid, slightly more serious. “Should we stay here? In Chicago? Is this where you want to live?”
He raised himself on one elbow, gathering me closer with an arm around my hips. “I wouldn’t mind trying it out. I think Jo would be fine with me working remotely from anywhere, but I do like it here. I like working in person with the team, and I love seeing Jamie as much as I do. He goes back and forth between here and San Francisco though, so if you wanted us to move back there, I’d still see him. What do you want to do?”
I honestly didn’t know. “A new city feels like a good place for a fresh start,” I admitted. Illinois had bar reciprocity with New York, so I was allowed to practice here. “If tomorrow goes well, I could picture setting up an office here,” I said slowly. Something like Jo’s loft space, with an air of efficiency and warmth. Somewhere my clients would feel comfortable. Maybe I’d even try to poach Rosie from my old firm. I could offer her a hefty pay raise.
“Tomorrowwillgo well. I know it,” Bobby said. “But even if it doesn’t, that’s OK. Take it from an extreme late starter.” He laughed. “There are more second chances in life than you expect.”
“I’m lying in bed with my ex-husband, planning a future together,” I said dryly, elbowing him in the ribs. “I’m learning all about second chances.”
Bobby cupped a hand over his ear and wiggled his eyebrows in fake confusion. “I’m sorry, did you say you want seconds?” With remarkable finesse, he rolled me on my stomach and began to kiss his way down my neck and back.
God, I loved 3:00 a.m.
Chapter Twenty-Four
In the lobbyof the skyscraper where Bird & Dreyer’s offices were located, I slid my expensive suit jacket from my shoulders and folded it over my arm. Without it, my outfit looked unimpressive. Tailored navy pants, simple white blouse, Mary Jane flats. My hair was in a fluffy ponytail at the nape of my neck, and I’d spent time on my makeup this morning, so my eyes looked extra round and my skin was fresh and pink.
Bella arrived five minutes before our scheduled appointment time, pushing slowly through the revolving doors. When she saw me, she stopped short. “Emily, you look so…young.”
I gave her a wolfish smile. “Inexperienced. Fresh out of law school is the look we’re going for here.” Today, I wanted to be underestimated. Taggert and Hill didn’t know I was coming at all. Bella had called Hill to ask for the appointment. She’d feigned confusion on the entire situation, saying that Taggert must have made a mistake. That she didn’t understand the cease and desist. I was sure the men couldn’t wait to explain it to her.
“Gotcha.” She nodded. She was a bundle of nerves, twitching in her sweater and jeans, pale behind her glasses.
I looked up at her pretty face and guided her toward the elevator. “It’ll all be over soon. One way or the other.”
She nodded quickly. “Good. I’m gonna go back home for the month of December, I think. There are things from my grandmother’s estate I need to settle.” Her mouth turned down at the corners. “A lot of things I need to settle, actually.”
With any luck today, I’d make sure that trip home was less painful for her, at least financially.
We checked in with the receptionist in Bird & Dreyer’s lobby, and she showed us to an enormous conference room that overlooked the turn of Wacker Drive and the Chicago River. Bella ignored the tray of bagels in favor of the view. I poured us both a glass of water and myself a cup of coffee. I didn’t need the caffeine since I was wired high on adrenaline, but it gave me something to do with my hands while we waited.
They let us sit in the conference room fifteen minutes past our scheduled appointment time, but it was such a transparent power move that it didn’t bother me. When they finally deigned to appear, I stood up from my seat and made a show out of smoothing my pants and widening my eyes.
Taggert was dressed casually in a lavender golf shirt and dark jeans. Hill wore a gray suit and another red tie. They were both relaxed-looking and unusually tan for November, as though they’d just come back from a vacation in Cabo.
“H-hi,” Bella stammered. Both men gave her a thorough up-and-down before dismissing her by flicking their eyes away.
“Nice to see you again, Bella,” Taggert said smoothly. “Although, I’m not sure what there is to talk about.” His gaze landed on me, and his voice tipped just a bit chilly. “Who did you bring with you? I hadn’t realized you’d engaged counsel.”
Bella shifted her weight from foot to foot. “This is my friend Emily. She’s a lawyer, so I asked her to come.” Perfect. Taggert’s lips quirked as he dismissed me as well.
