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She sits up too. “I can’t tell.”
“Cat!”
She laughs, and the front door opens. “That’s Reese.” She pushes to her feet and I join her.
“What’s going on?” I ask.
She glances over at me. “You’ll see.”
Reese appears in front of us, in his tailored suit, and glances down at the chocolate. “I take it you two don’t want to order pizza?”
“Pizza sounds good,” Cat says. “Or champagne. Show her.”
“Show me what?!” I demand.
He hands me an envelope. I quickly open it and blink at what I see. “This says I am awarded the full scholarship available by the program, with monthly installments.” I look between them. “This just means I make it to the next round, right? This is what I would get if I am actually awarded. Monthly installments instead of a lump sum, which is fine, of course. It’s an amazing opportunity.”
“You were awarded,” Reese says. “With the merger of my firm with the Texas firm, we joined the consortium. It was in the works even before I brought this up to you, but it’s why I brought it up to you. We’re in line for first pick for the next candidate, and I told them I want you.”
I don’t let myself get excited. “I—thank you, but—I have so many questions. It takes six months, right? So, you requested me, but I have to finish the process?”
“We fast-tracked you. The entire panel believed you are a talent that needs to see her rising star now, not later.”
Excitement starts to build. “I’m awarded? I’m accepted?”
“Yes,” Reese confirms. “You are indeed accepted and awarded.”
I look at Cat. “What about your books?”
“Lori,” she says. “These books and my column are my career. It’s time for you to have your career.”
Now I look at Reese. “This can’t be a favor. This has to be because—”
“Every firm they have on board wanted you,” he says. “The judge had them fighting for you. We’d just made a donation to the consortium as part of our membership, which gave us first pick. I could have passed. I didn’t.”
I start to tear up. “When do I start?”
“I was going to say next week,” Reese says. “But my new co-managing partner starts tomorrow. He’s going to put together his team and I want you to have a shot to be on that team. Human Resources will coordinate your school, income, and scholarship funding tomorrow morning. Welcome to the newly minted Summer & Brooks partnership.”
Chapter seventeen
Cole
Ienter the recently expanded offices of Summer & Brooks, the official new name of the firm. The receptionist, Julia, a thirty-something blonde with a pixie cut is on the phone, but glances up from behind her mahogany desk and gives me a big smile. By the time that I’ve crossed through the seating area lined with high back chairs and stepped in front of her, Reese has sniffed me out.
“Finally, he arrives,” he bellows, offering me his hand, which I accept. “And so, it begins,” he says.
“And so, it begins,” I say. “We’re really doing this.”
“We already did it,” he says, motioning to the wall behind Julia and the imprinted logo that reads “Summer & Brooks, Attorneys at Law.”
“It should have been Brooks & Summer,” I say, “alphabetical and all.”
“I was in New York first,” he says. “And this is the new corporate office.”
“In other words, the wall in Houston should say Brooks & Summer, since I was there first.”
“Whoever gets the first win under the new company,” he says, “gets the first name spot.”
