Total pages in book: 179
Estimated words: 173733 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 869(@200wpm)___ 695(@250wpm)___ 579(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 173733 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 869(@200wpm)___ 695(@250wpm)___ 579(@300wpm)
“I don’t curse you in Spanish.”
I arch a brow.
“How do you know I curse you in Spanish?”
“You just admitted it.”
She smirks. “You do know that Christmas is only two months away, right?”
“Yes. So I suggest you have restraint.”
“I always have restraint,” she claims, setting the bag in front of me. “You’re proposing to Cat,” she says, knowing Cat well now since she’s been to my office any number of times.
“That’s between me and Cat.”
Her eyes light. “You are.” She claps. “Can I see?”
“No. You cannot see. Leave and shut the door.”
She grimaces but does as I ordered. I open the bag and pull out the blue box inside. I inhale and think about Cat opening it as I open it, staring down at the ring that I had sized after sneaking one of her rings. It’s stunning like Cat and I pull out a card from the store clerk that reads: The Tiffany Nova Princess Cut ring was a perfect choice. She will love it. Congratulations. It was perfect and expensive, but Cat is worth every dime and a million more.
This is my Christmas gift to her and her gift to me will be agreeing to marry me.
Cat
Liz and I sit at a fancy restaurant she’d insisted on taking me to, giggling over champagne. “I don’t know why I let you talk me into this,” I say. “I can’t drink. It’s doesn’t make for a good me.”
“You signed a huge book deal, fell in love with a gorgeous man and—”
“Wow. I never told you I love him.”
“Oh please. You love him and you’re so much more relaxed with this man. Look at you. You’re in a pink fluffy sweater.”
“It’s just a pink sweater and I paired it with a very conservative pink shirt,” I say. “And what does pink have to do with anything anyway?”
“You lived in black before Reese. You’re different. I can’t explain it. Softer maybe.”
“I lived in black in the courtroom,” I say. “And why are we talking about sweaters? Pink sweaters.”
She downs her champagne. “Because, bitch, we’re too drunk to talk about anything else.”
I laugh. “Okay, bitch.”
We both laugh and I’m reminded how well we connect. I can’t believe I fired her. I can’t believe she made me. “Seriously, though,” Liz says. “You know I love you right?”
“Most of the time. Except that time you tried to get me to work with Dan.”
“I told you. That was a complicated political mess. And you just sobered me up. Thank you for that. I was protecting you.”
“Yeah yeah. I don’t want details. Just don’t try to get me to do something you know breaks my moral codes again.”
“When it’s half a million dollars, I’m obligated to present the option.”
“But not obligated to push me or leave out details.”
“You would have freaked if you knew Dan had a relative at the publishing house. And you would have thought that you couldn’t decline. You had to take the meeting. You didn’t have to accept. That was the freedom I gave you.”
“You pushed me.”
“It was a lot of money. Hell yeah I pushed you. I can’t apologize for that. I won’t. That amount of money is kind to me but you get most of it. After one big deal like that you start having freedoms and opportunities you didn’t otherwise have open to you.”
“Okay. Yeah. I get it. Stop being sober. I don’t like it.” My cellphone rings and I glance at the number. “My brother.” I down my champagne. “I have to yell at him over something personal. Pretend you’re not here.” I answer the call. “Finally, you call?”
“What the hell, Cat?” Reid demands.
“What the hell yourself. What does that mean?”
“I saw the press release,” he says. “You’re writing a book with Reese Summer. The man is suing me, Dad, and Uncle Rudolf and he set the Feds’ sights on us.”
“What?”
“You don’t know. Well at least there is that. That man is trying to destroy us.”
“Reese is a criminal attorney,” I say. “He wouldn’t be suing you.”
“His firm is, and he’s damn sure involved in this. He’s representing the man they sued on behalf of.”
And now I know why Gabe asked about Reese. “What’s the client’s name?”
“Casey Allen.”
I know the name. I know all of Reese’s cases. “What did you do, Reid?” I demand, despite knowing more than I want him to know I know.
“I have to be in the wrong? Is that it?”
“What are you accused of doing?”
“Securities fraud,” he says.
“Please tell me you didn’t do it.”
“Fuck you, Cat.” He hangs up.
I look at Liz. “I have to go.”
“You’ve been drinking. I’ll get you where you need to go.”
“Believe me,” I say. “I’ve never been so sober in my life.”
I grab my coat and pull it on, and then snap up my briefcase and purse and rush for the door. Reese is now involved in a lawsuit against my family that could ruin them. It doesn’t matter that he didn’t do it intentionally which he didn’t. I know he didn’t but it’s a problem both personally and legally for both of us. It might even be the end of us.