And so began Molly’s evening of networking.
The elevator bounced to a stop. Molly never swayed.
She had on her favorite black heels, the same ones she’d worn to win one of her largest cases against a popular Fortune 500 corporation. She’d accepted an award for being named one of the top thirty up-and-coming lawyers in California in the same pair of heels, and when she’d mingled at her former firm’s holiday gala. And she hadn’t lost her balance one time.
She didn’t intend to lose her footing tonight either.
If she had to trade time with her daughter to rebuild her career outside of normal business hours, she would make sure their time apart was spent productively. As for that whisper of guilt over leaving Hazel, she followed William’s advice and accepted it. Tonight was about starting a new life for Hazel and herself.
The elevator opened into an opulent ballroom. The atmosphere was intimate and inviting and at odds with the formality of such a grand space. The fancy-dressed guests were anything but standoffish and reserved.
Nancy linked her arm around Molly’s and guided her expertly through the crowd. Molly quickly learned Mayor Harrington’s rhythm. A quick exchange of names only was a courtesy introduction. Disclosing full names, job titles and place of business was an invitation to further network later. And lastly, there was a handful of special guests. The ones the mayor presented to Molly as her dear friends who stepped in and promptly continued Molly’s introductions to even more attendees.
Sometime between her introduction to the organizer of a prominent charity group and a large business owner, Drew disappeared. Later, as Molly spoke to the mayor’s dear friends, Jaqueline Landry and Lewis Malone, Molly spotted Drew slipping outside to the extensive patio. Between one conversation and the next, Molly scanned the ballroom for Drew. He never returned.
An hour passed and Drew’s dad, William, excused himself to find drinks for Nancy and himself. Two of the gala event planners captured Nancy for last-minute instructions regarding her award acceptance speech. And Molly decided it was past time to find Drew. There was a conversation they’d put off long enough.
Molly wiggled her toes inside her lucky black heels and pinched her shoulder blades together, drawing everything inside her straighter, allowing no room for doubt or uncertainty. The same as she did before every court appearance. Every interaction with a judge. And every conversation with the opposing prosecution team.
Drew wasn’t the opposing counsel. And the outdoor patio wasn’t a courtroom, she reminded herself.
Yet Drew was her client who hadn’t officially accepted her services.
He was the key to establishing her legal prowess in the city and growing her practice as fast as possible.
He was also her friend.
Lawyers tended to reject representing family and friends. Too often the lines blurred, and emotions often lessened a lawyer’s impartiality and clear mindedness.
But Drew and Molly had not discussed the law, their past cases or the weather in years. Their friendship was more former than current. And Molly knew all too well the fallout from crossing boundaries.
She had been at Loft and Concord Law Group since she’d graduated from law school. Had worked tirelessly to become one of the top producing attorneys for the firm. There she’d built her reputation and staked her future: both professional and personal.
That had been her mistake—blending the two. Derrick, her ex, had been her peer and her colleague at the law firm. She’d believed in love and discovered too late it had only ever been one-sided. Derrick had confessed he’d only ever loved the image of the powerful attorney couple they’d presented, not Molly herself. She’d vowed never to fall for someone she worked with. Or let love blind her again.
Besides, falling in love would only give her a broken heart, not a practice for herself or a home for Hazel. Work had to be her focus.
She could represent Drew and remain objective and neutral about his case. He would remain simply her client.
Now, she just had to convince Drew to let her be his legal counsel.
She plucked two champagne flutes from the tray of a passing waiter and walked out onto the rooftop balcony. She located Drew in the farthest corner, stretched out on a plump sofa, surrounded by darkness and solitude. His feet rested on a coffee table, his tuxedo jacket was draped over the armrest and his phone was propped against a tasseled throw pillow.
The tap of her heels on the tiled patio gave her away.
Drew stacked his hands behind his head and watched her approach. The shadows concealed his gaze, but not the indifference in his voice. “Shouldn’t you be inside meeting folks and making connections?”
“I needed a moment.” In fact, I wanted to check on you. She lifted one shoulder in a small shrug, knocking against Drew’s reticence. And her own rebellious thoughts. Drew was strictly a client to her. He didn’t need her looking after him. “Your mom wanted me to tell you that only the guilty hide.”
“I’m not guilty.” He sat up. His feet thudded against the floor. “I’m also not hiding.”
The raw frustration in his gaze made her breath catch. “Then what are you doing?”
“Same as you.” The irritation eased from his face, tempering his words. He stretched his arm over the back of the couch, slow and casual. “Taking a moment.”
Molly set the champagne glasses on the table and sat beside him. “You’ve been out here since we arrived.”
“What can I say? Some moments take longer than others.” He brushed his hand behind his head as if resetting himself. Then he tipped his chin and his one-sided grin toward his phone. “And it’s the seventh inning of the Bay Area Angels’ game. Tied at six. Bases loaded. Nobody out.”
“You’ve been out here watching a baseball game?” Molly adjusted her gown around her heels. Drew’s ability to swiftly and seamlessly shield his true emotions knocked her off-balance.
“I’ve been a fan since I was a
