CHAPTER 4- The First Meeting

 

Her intercom buzzed again.

"Ms. Richardson? Emma Parker is here to see you."

Alex's hands dropped. "What?"

"Ms. Parker. She says you asked her to stop by?"

Alex hadn't asked Emma to stop by. Morrison must have sent her.

"Send her in."

Alex stood, smoothing down her jacket. She could do this. She could be professional. She could-

The door opened.

Emma walked in, and Alex's carefully constructed composure cracked.

Emma had changed out of her suit jacket. Her hair was still in that severe bun, but a few strands had escaped, framing her face. She carried a leather portfolio and her laptop, and her expression was carefully, deliberately blank.

"Ms. Richardson." Emma's voice was ice. "Morrison said you wanted to discuss the case."

"I.. yes. Please, sit."

Emma remained standing. "I'd prefer to stand."

"Emma…"

"Ms. Parker."

"Ms. Parker," Alex corrected herself. "I think we should address…"

"There's nothing to address. You're the senior partner. I'm the junior associate. We have a case to win. That's all this is."

"You don't actually believe that."

Emma's jaw tightened. "What I believe is irrelevant. What matters is the Bennett case. Fifty million dollars. Eight weeks to trial. High-stakes IP litigation." She pulled a document from her portfolio. "I've started preliminary research. Genovex Corp has filed fourteen similar suits in the past five years. Their win record is poor. Their expert witness is Dr. Harold Anthony, who folds under cross-examination."

She slid the document across the desk.

Alex picked it up, scanned it. The research was thorough, the analysis sharp. Emma had done in a few hours what would take most associates days.

"This is excellent work."

"I know."

The coldness in Emma's voice was a knife between Alex's ribs.

"Ms. Parker, I think we should…"

"Should what?" Emma's control cracked slightly. "Talk about it? Acknowledge that we have history? Pretend that seeing you again doesn't make me want to…" She stopped herself. "This is my career, Ms. Richardson. The career I built after you left. I'm not letting anything jeopardize it. So we're going to work together. Professionally. And when this case is over, we'll go back to never seeing each other again."

"Emma…"

"Don't." Emma's voice shook. "Don't say my name like that. Don't look at me like, like you care. You made your choice eight years ago. You chose your career over…" Again, she stopped. "It doesn't matter. What matters is winning this case."

She turned toward the door.

"Wait," Alex said desperately. "Can we at least—"

"Tomorrow. Nine AM. We present to Morrison." Emma didn't turn around. "I'll prepare the case summary. You can present the legal strategy. Keep it professional, keep it brief, and keep it focused on the work."

"Okay."

"Okay." Emma reached for the door handle, then paused. Her shoulders tensed. "Just answer me one question."

"Anything."

"Did you know?" Emma's voice was barely a whisper. "When you took this job, did you know I worked here?"

"No." Alex's throat was tight. "I swear, Emma. I had no idea."

Emma nodded once, a jerky movement. "Good. Because if you'd done this on purpose…" She didn't finish. Just opened the door and walked out.

Alex stared at the closed door, Emma's research document still in her hands.

This was going to be impossible.

Eight weeks of working closely with Emma. Eight weeks of pretending her heart wasn't breaking every time Emma looked at her with those cold, guarded eyes.

Eight weeks of living with the consequences of the worst decision she'd ever made.

Alex's phone buzzed again.

Morrison: Emma confirmed tomorrow's presentation at 9 AM. I expect you two to be a united front. First impressions matter.

A united front. Right.

Alex looked down at Emma's research. Even in her anger, even hurt and defensive, Emma had done exceptional work.

She'd always been exceptional.

And Alex had thrown that away.

The office suddenly felt too small, too confining. Alex grabbed her coat and headed for the door. She needed air. Needed space. Needed anything but the memory of Emma's voice saying “You made your choice eight years ago.”

In the elevator, alone this time, Alex let her head drop back against the wall.

She'd come to San Francisco for a fresh start.

Instead, she was facing the past she'd spent eight years running from.

And tomorrow morning, she'd have to stand next to Emma in front of Morrison and the partners and pretend everything was fine.

She wasn't sure she could do it.

The elevator doors opened on the ground floor. Alex walked out into the lobby, past attorneys and staff who greeted her, welcomed her to the firm.

She smiled and nodded, playing the part of the confident new senior partner.

But inside, she was twenty-one again. Standing in her dorm room. Looking at eighteen-year-old Emma with tears streaming down her face, asking "Why? Just tell me why?"

And Alex, terrified and closeted and convinced she was doing the right thing, saying the words that had haunted her ever since:

"This was just college, Emma. We both need to move on."

The biggest lie she'd ever told.