Page 4 of Never In My Wildest Dreams

“No, you can’t.” A wicked grin cracked his friend’s features. “This is it.”

“What?”

“We always talked about going out on our own. Remember that ethical agency we formed in our law school focus group?”

“Yeah, but we’re not ready. Neither of us has made partner yet. We’re too green.”

“You just landed a ninety-million-dollar deal.” George smiled. “No one’s thinking you’re green.”

“Landed it—and then advised against it.”

“Which is how we’ll stand out. How many players have gotten screwed over because of their agencies? Because of greed? Your clients are loyal to you because you care about them.”

“Maybe, but I still think I should make partner first.” And he did have a standing offer from a firm in LA, so he could make his name there.

“Anywhere you go, it’s just going to be the same thing. Come on, Booker. Let’s take our shot.”

“I’ll think about it.” He had a lot to consider.

“Don’t sit on this too long. We’ve got to act fast. If you get fired, you’ll get a severance package, and then you’ll have to abide by the non-compete. If you quit, you can take Ginty with you wherever you go.Andyou can sign the Detroit kid before Marcus wins him over with his bullshit campaign.”

“You make good points, but I need time.” Marcus had hired him right out of law school. He’d taught him everything he knew about this business.I wouldn’t have a quarter of the success if it hadn’t been for him.

“Okay, but just listen to me,” George said. “Right now, you have the advantage. It wouldn’t cross Marcus’s mind that you’d leave him. And not just because he keeps dangling that partnership, but because he’s made himself out to be your mentor.”

The back of Booker’s neck prickled.Made him out to be?“What do you mean?”

“He does it with everyone. It’s part of his schtick.”

Booker’s chest tightened. As far as he knew, no one else from the agency spent the weekend with his family on Martha’s Vineyard. No one else had visited Marcus’s wife in the hospital last summer.

“Like any good agent, he’s got the ability to read us, to figure out our weaknesses. And then, he takes advantage of it.”

Marcus had hired him months after his dad had passed. Not long after he’d learned the truth of his paternity. He couldn’t have been more vulnerable.

Fuck.He’d fallen for that shit, hadn’t he?

“Look, Christmas is in two days,” George said. “Take some time off, think about it, and I’ll call you on the twenty-sixth.”

“You do realize, if I leave, the partnership goes to you.”

“See, that’s all bullshit. He says it’s a meritocracy, but it’s a cult. You do what he wants, you get rewarded. You go against your conscience and get Ginty’s signature, you get the corner office. Marcus thrives off power.”

“How do you see him so clearly?”And why don’t I?He didn’t like that he could be so easily manipulated.

George smiled. “The first client he stole from me, I bought his line about needing a seasoned vet to handle someone that big. The second client…it didn’t sit right. The third sent me into a tailspin. But I wasn’t about to leave the top agency in the world, so I had to adjust my attitude. I don’t want to do that anymore.”

“He never took any of my clients.”Until now.

“We have different vulnerabilities. He knows how to play me. Also…” George grinned. “Don’t forget Caleb and Andreas went out on their own last year. They’ve got the office space, the LLC. They’ve even got the printers, for God’s sake. All we have to do is walk in and arrange the plants on our desks. And most importantly, we can take our top clients with us right away. Four of us are stronger than two.”

“You’re very convincing.”

“I know.” George laughed. “Happy holidays.”

“Yeah, same.” Booker continued across the lobby toward the revolving doors. He felt sick to his stomach. George had peeled off the veneer of mentor and father figure, exposing an ugly truth. He didn’t like that his boss had so easily figured out his vulnerabilities, but he liked even less that he’d fallen for it. It made him feel weak.

So, maybe George is right?

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