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“Understood. I’ll talk to him. I’ll get him to sign a release saying he won’t sue me. We’ll be apart a few days at most.”
“He might not sign it.”
“I’m convincing.”
“What about the press? My family won’t go there but what about Dan or any other enemy you have to have made over your legal career? He hates you. A law suit is a public filing. He knows we’re together. He could leak this. We are dangerous right now to your long-term career. And you are not losing your career over me.” She grabs her bags. “We can’t talk. We can’t communicate. Not until this is over.”
She’s right. I know she’s right and at this moment, I can’t think us out of this.
“I have to back out of the book deal,” she adds.
“No,” I say, rejecting that idea immediately. “You do not. I’ll call the publisher and handle this with them. You have a contract. This conflict will not last and it will not be repeated. You will not lose this over me. This is a two-sided coin. We protect each other. Say it, Cat”
She starts backing toward the door and I’m around the desk in front of her by the time she’s there. I press her against the door, my hand at her hip, under her coat. “Say it. We protect each other.”
“We protect each other.”
“Do not back out of the book deal. Promise me.”
“Yes. I promise.”
“Keep working on the book. You know my side of the story. I’ll have Liz call you with the update on the contract, but I will handle it. I’ll fix all of this.”
“Do it right, not fast,” she says.
“I have no choice if I’m going to fix this. Cat, I’m going to have to fix this with your family or it will affect us.”
“It won’t,” she says. “You didn’t make them commit a crime and they did. I heard it in Reid’s voice.”
“It will affect us, if I don’t fully fix this. I’m going to and I’m telling you this so you know I may be communicating with your family. I’ll come to you the minute it’s done.” She nods and my hands find her face. “I love you. This isn’t how I wanted to tell you, but I need you to know.”
“I love you, too.”
I kiss her, lingering inside that kiss, for what I wish could be eternal moments, before I press my forehead to hers. “I’ll find a way to get us out of this,” I promise.
She grabs my tie. “I hate this but I’d better go. I’ll be gone when you get home.” She twists away from me and it kills me to let her. I back up and she exits the office and I shut the door, walking to my desk and calling Lauren, who answers on the first ring.
“I need you to listen because Cat is going to come to you and I need you to be armed with facts when she gets there. And then I need to set that aside and talk as legal peers.”
“I’m listening.”
I tell her everything and end with, “Now that you’ve heard the story. What do you think?”
She follows with every conclusion Cat and I have already made with one cutting addition. “Her family is vicious and they have no loyalty to you. But she’s personal to them and you’ve made it personal by that connection to her. They won’t go to the press but they will find nasty ways to come at you, now and later.”
“In other words, I need to find some semblance of peace with them.”
“That’s my thought, but how do you even feel about that?”
“I will do anything for Cat.” I laugh without humor. “But she’s afraid I’ll compromise my morals and it will ultimately affect us.”
“She could be right.”
“No. She didn’t do this. Her family did and I love her enough to know that.”
“You love her.”
“Holy fuck yes. I bought a ring to propose at Christmas.”
