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“Ms. Levine, how are you doing?” she asked.
Scrunching my nose up, I responded, “I’m doing okay…”
“Well, let me make this quick, Ms. Levine. I saw what happened with the court case,” she started.
It must have been all over the news just like when my life was being scandalized in public, but I honestly hadn’t paid much attention to any of it. My focus was on my men, the people who cared about me, and my well-being. After reuniting with my men in a way that made me feel secure in us again, I was living on cloud nine, not allowing any of the bad feelings to take me over.
Last night, I spent a few hours getting drinks and celebrating with my very busy friends before Mario surprised me with the key back to my apartment and the deed Chris signed, which awaited my signature. I hadn’t signed it until this morning even with my mixed feelings. Truth be told, a part of me didn’t even feel as if I deserved to have the apartment. Maybe that’s why I wanted to throw it back into his face; it was a reminder of my insecurities over not being able to purchase an apartment for myself. Having to take a gift that had been stained with bad blood from the giver who once held it over my head.
A part of me wanted to be stubborn. His money bought the apartment, not mine, so maybe he should keep it. It was his right. It would be best to get my own. But I didn’t want to be dependent on Mario. I had no job, and my accounts were still frozen since they needed permission from my parents to release that money to me. My mother was still bitter, unfortunately. So, unless there was a lottery win in my near future, I wouldn’t be getting my own anytime soon.
It would’ve been stupid to choose to be homeless and spite myself or stay in the apartment Mario let me live in, preventing him from making money from it. Since I wasn’t a stupid person and could put aside my ego, I signed the deed, accepting Chris’ “gift” so that it was legally mine and decided to choose gratitude. Knowing he wouldn’t be able to take it away from me again did make the decision a lot easier to digest.
But that was where my head had been for the past few days, trying to choose gratitude and avoid unnecessary stress. It certainly was not focused on what other people thought about the court case. My tone reflected the same in my response to Ms. Saunders.
“Oh, okay,” I said in boredom and confusion over the call. “Well, thanks for calling, Ms. Saunders. But I’m kind of in the middle of something…” I started.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” she said with a light laugh. “Let me be quick then. It’s clear we’ve made a terrible mistake letting you go. It wasn’t a great judgment call, and I want to apologize to you.” She paused as if she was waiting for me to say something. Maybe she wanted me to be overly grateful for the call? But well, I wasn’t too bothered about trying to make a good impression on her anymore.
“That’s not necessary, Ms. Saunders. I understand that you did what you had to do. Thanks for...” I responded.
“Ms. Levine,” she sighed. “I’d like to know if you’re interested in returning to your position as an associate at our law firm. To make it up to you, we’ll double your pay?” she said.
“Why?” That was the first thing that flew out of my mouth as she was beginning to sound desperate.
“Well, because you’re brilliant, Tiffany. It was hard letting you go, and now that everything’s been cleared up, it’s a no brainer inviting you back. That’s of course if another firm hasn’t already snatched you right up,” she responded.
No. Another firm hadn’t snatched me right up because they had all been trying to save their asses and didn’t want to be associated with my ‘drama.’ Her offer was tempting since I was jobless, and she was offering double the pay I was getting before. Not that it was anything to brag about, but it was an income, and it would be double that. All I’d need it for was utilities, food, personal care, and travel.
My closet was filled with expensive and classic clothes and shoes if I needed to sell them but, in the meantime, they were good quality and would last me a long time for any event: work, formal, or casual wear. So, I shouldn’t need to replace those anytime soon. It would give me a sense of independence to pay for my own shit again, however small. Most importantly, my law dreams wouldn’t die an awful death. I didn’t see any other law firms lining up to call me but if this call were any indication, maybe there would be more offers coming my way?
Although, now that she had made this offer, it got me thinking about how well Jared, Mario, and I worked in court together during what would probably be the most stressful, pressure-filled court setting I’d ever find myself in. It made my reason for leaving Crawford & Beam pale in comparison. What was it again? To not mix business with pleasure? To avoid being in the same environment as my men that I couldn’t resist, so I could focus on my work? Oh, please. That was my greatest dilemma? This past experience caused me to grow up so much in just two weeks, I wasn’t the same person I used to be.
The only reason I went to work for Ms. Saunders at Bronkers & Associates was to avoid Jared and to regain my focus, to remember who I was. But shit, this experience taught me that I might spend many years trying to ‘find myself.’ And at the end of it, maybe I would end up finding out who I was, or maybe I would’ve wasted many years trying to find myself when I could’ve spent it cultivating or creating myself. It lit another fire in me, fueling an already deep passion for law but this time with a focus on what was important and what wasn’t. It made me want to practice law, not just because it was something I was good at, or it was the only thing I knew how to do, but I wanted to create change.
It taught me that despite how false, cunning, and unfair the law could be at times, it could also allow space for the truth to take center stage. I wanted to help other people state their truths and give their truths the chance to win. Maybe that was a lot to hope for being a lawyer and all, but it would be what lay beneath all my actions and decisions going forward in my clients’ cases. And whether or not Jared, Anthony, Mario, and I couldn’t keep our hands off each other wasn’t the worst problem I could have.
“I’ll think about it,” I responded to Ms. Saunders.
Before confirming anything with Ms. Saunders, I needed to know if my men felt the same way and if there was a place for me at Crawford & Beam. If they liked the working environment without me there as a distraction, we could keep it that way. But if we could all be grownups who knew how to get the job done and not let our roaring passion for each other get in the way of our work, then perhaps we could try that again. It was up to them, really. I enjoyed working with them during this, but I wouldn’t want to impose. This time, I’d make sure to get Jared’s confirmation first.
Chapter 43
Jared
“What’sgotyouinsuch a good mood?” Melissa looked at me horrified as I spun around in glee before rapping a quick beat on top of her desk with my fingers.
The look of shock on her face made me laugh aloud; she had never seen me this happy before.I’dnever seenmyselfthis happy before. There were times I’d be happy about a deal with a client, but it never had me spinning like Mary Poppins or some shit. The weirdest thing about it was that I didn’t even feel weird doing it.
“Business is picking up, Melissa.” I grinned.
“Yeah, I know. That’s good news. But good enough to make you that happy? I doubt it,” she said.
“Aww, come on. I didn’t know there was a crime in smiling,” I responded.
“It’s a crime when you do it. You might give some of us heart attacks,” she said.
My phone chimed with a Tiffany-specific tune. My smile grew even wider as I pulled it from my trouser pockets.
