Page 20 of The Sweet Life

“I’m so sorry. I forgot,” his assistant said, carefully rearranging the cookies to his specifications.

Robert pursed his lips. “No, that won’t do. Take them away and bring me a new plate and fresh cookies.”

Sage glanced at Nina from human resources, who’d accompanied her to the meeting. Robert didn’t seem to care that Sage was to meet with a new client in fifteen minutes, something she’d told Emilia when she’d tried rescheduling until later in the day. But Robert’s assistant had seemed personallyaffronted that Sage didn’t immediately clear her schedule for the man now taking a delicate sip of his tea with his pinkie raised.

Returning the teacup carefully to the saucer, Robert folded his hands on his chest and peered at Sage over the top of his glasses. Apart from the bifocals, he reminded her of Mr. Burns fromThe Simpsons.

“As you know, Ms. Rosetti, we at Forbes, Poole, and Russell were deeply saddened to learn of Ms. Espinoza’s passing. We’re also aware of your personal relationship with Ms. Espinoza and are sympathetic to your loss. But as sympathetic as we are, the cat must go.”

Sage had seen no signs of the founding partners’ sadness or sympathy for her loss. She wasn’t surprised or offended by their lack of empathy or understanding, but she didn’t appreciate Robert lying about it to her face.

“Max is a support cat, Mr. Forbes,” she said, repeating what Nina had told her to say, including quoting the clause in her contract that could be massaged to fit the situation.

Robert’s lips folded inward, looking at Nina as if he blamed her for the addition of the clause in the contract. Nina didn’t bat an eyelash. As intimidating as the man could be—and he was, even at eighty-three—he didn’t intimidate Nina. Probably because she was his third wife’s daughter and knew where the skeletons were buried.

Nina leaned forward to place a file on Robert’s desk, pushing it toward him with the tip of her finger. “This is the supporting documentation for Sage’s request that Max, as a working support animal, be allowed to remain with her in her office. I’ve also included a petition signed by eighty-fivepercent of the employees at Forbes, Poole, and Russell requesting that Max be allowed to continue in his role as support cat at the firm.”

Everyone, other than the founding partners, loved Max. Sage’s colleagues regularly stopped by to pet him and pour out their troubles into his nonjudgmental ears. They spoiled him with toys and treats. So much so that her office felt more like Max’s space than hers. Cat climbing shelves now decorated the wall across from her desk, a cat castle sat in a corner, and a cat lounge chair took up the other corner.

If Sage was being honest, she’d admit she found her new office décor almost as annoying as she found her revolving office door. She didn’t have time to socialize with her colleagues. Before Max, she knew less than one percent of their names. In her defense, it was a big firm. Now, not only did she know eighty-five percent of her colleagues’ names, but she also knew their romantic and childhood histories.

Robert flicked through the file before returning it to his desk with a loudthwack. It was the most animated Sage had seen him in years. “We’ll allow the cat to remain with the option to revisit the situation three weeks from now,” he said, turning his attention to the plate of fresh cookies Emilia had placed on his desk.

“Great, thank you,” Sage said, coming to her feet.

“I didn’t give you permission to leave, Ms. Rosetti.” He pointed his cookie at the chair she’d just vacated.

She widened her eyes at Nina, indicating the time on her phone with her chin. Nina knew about her meeting. She was a big fan of Sage’s new client, who would no longer be her client if Sage was late for their meeting.

“Mr. Forbes, Sage has a meeting with a rather important client that she can’t be late for.”

His milky-blue eyes narrowed behind his bifocals. “Are you insinuating that Ms. Rosetti’s meeting with her client is more important than her meeting with me, Nina?”

“Of course not. I—”

“I thought not.” He took another delicate sip from his teacup and wrinkled his nose, calling for Emilia to warm it up.

Placing her phone at thigh level, Sage texted Brenda, letting her know she’d be late, only to discover her client had already arrived, and said client was allergic to cats. Sage asked Brenda to check if any of the conference rooms were available. They were all booked. She then asked Brenda to arrange for her to switch offices with one of her colleagues.

“Am I keeping you from something, Ms. Rosetti?”

“Sorry.” She stuffed her phone in the pocket of her blazer. “What can I do for you, Mr. Forbes?”

“Stay out of the news, for one.” This time his pursed-lipped attention was directed at her. “Our clients choose Forbes, Poole, and Russell because of our high moral and ethical standards, Ms. Rosetti. They also choose us because they know that their affairs will be handled with the utmost care and privacy.”

“Mr. Forbes, my client and I had nothing to do with the media circus her ex-husband orchestrated. He was angry the judge awarded full custody of their son to his wife and supervised visitation until a court-appointed psychologist deems otherwise.” Something Sage doubted would happen anytime soon.

“The same man whom you refused to represent in his divorceproceedings, even when we requested you do so for the good of the firm.”

It had been a risky move. The ink had barely dried on her diploma. But she’d crossed paths with Chad a time or two, and she refused to represent a misogynistic narcissist. If not for the senior partner who’d hired Sage backing her decision, she probably would have been fired. The Winthrops were among the elite of Boston’s elite.

“Yes, and I stand by my refusal to represent him in the divorce proceedings against his first wife. Monica is his second wife,” she added in case Robert had misremembered the details of the case.

“I’m aware, just as I’m aware that this is not the first time one of your cases has shined an unflattering spotlight on this firm, Ms. Rosetti. Attention seeking is not a trait we at Forbes, Poole, and Russell approve of in our employees.”

She didn’t understand how winning her cases shined an unflattering light on the firm… unless you counted the fact that one or more of the founding partners typically had a connection to her clients’ high-profile soon-to-be exes.

“Good thing I’m not an attention seeker then. But Chad Winthrop is, so if you want the firm out of the spotlight, I suggest you call your best friend the congressman and tell him to rein his son in.” Sage rose from the chair. “And while you’re at it, tell him that if Junior sends me any more threatening emails, I’m going to the police.” Robert’s upraised voice and Nina’s placating one followed Sage out of the office. She closed the door behind her.

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