Page 70 of If the Stars Align
“Yeah. I’m getting help. Like I promised I would.”
I sigh. “Good. I’m relieved to hear that. And…I’m always here for you, no matter what. I hope you know that.”
“I do. Same here.”
“Okay,” I say softly. “Thank you.”
“Are you back in Indiana?”
“Yeah. I start classes on Monday. I can’t believe it’s my last semester.”
“Good luck. I know you’ll knock ’em dead.”
“Thanks, Dex.”
For a moment, we’re quiet. I close my eyes and revel in it. Just me and him, breathing.
“Thanks for calling, Sunny.”
It’s a less dramatic goodbye than the one we had in Paris.
But I still have trouble falling asleep.
Islide into our usual booth in the back of the bar.
“Sorry I’m late. The new partner walked into my office at five o’clock and asked me to do somequickresearch for him,” I say, using air quotes. “An hour tops, he promised me. It ended up taking three.”
I pull off my knit hat and unwrap the blanket scarf I layer over my wool coat—which I decide to keep on since I’m chilled to the bone. I then unwind the thinner cashmere scarf I wear when the windchill hits below zero, and stuff all my winter accessories into my work tote. “Also, IhateChicago in January. Why do we live here?”
Sitting across from me, Jeremy barely looks up from his legal pad as he’s writing. “Because we graduated at the top of our class, and now we’re litigation associates at the two best firms in the city, making six-figure salaries.”
I roll my eyes. “I still can’t believe I chose to be a litigator. Every research assignment I get has to be doneright away, forsome emergency motion the partner wants in his back pocket, but probably won’t end up filing. Yet I have to drop everything to get it done, regardless.”
“Litigation is a high-stakes game,” he says, looking over his notes with a furrowed brow. “That’s what makes it fun.” Finally, he clicks his retractable pen and sets it down, then pushes a basket of French fries toward me. “Here—I ordered you some food. I know you get hangry when you work late. And your vodka soda is on its way.”
I smile wide as I grab a fistful of fries. “You know me so well. Thanks, Jeremy.”
“That’s what friends are for,” he says, putting his pen and pad into his briefcase.
“Are you going to sing to me now?” I tease before I happily bite into a fry.
He smirks.
“So how wasyourday? I ask.
“Pretty good, actually. Dave—you know?—”
“Head of litigation?”
Jeremy nods. “Yeah. He asked me to be second chair for this trial he has coming up in a few weeks.”
My eyes go wide. “No way! You’re a first-year associate! You’ve only been at the firm, like, six months!”
“I know,” he says after taking a sip of his beer. “I’ll be working my ass off to prep for this thing. Dave said if I play my cards right, he might even let me do a cross-examination.”
“Wow,” I say, stunned. “Meanwhile, Istillhaven’t set foot inside a courtroom. Not that I mind. I’d much rather do legalresearch and writing all day.”
“That’s what you excel at. We all have our strengths.”
