Page 59 of Entwined Hearts
I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter. What matters is that his father is a managing partner at my firm back in Dallas. And since I ended things with Stewart, that probably won’t do me any favors with moving up in the firm.”
His lips went into a thin line, and he nodded once, getting it without me needing to explain the inner workings of a patriarchal firm that would punish me because I wounded a fragile ego. He sat down in the chair across from me. “What was your position with the firm?”
“I’d just been promoted to senior associate right before my mom died.”
“Are you serious?” I nodded, fiddling with my highlighter. “And you’re twenty-nine?”
“Yeah.” It was a feat within itself that I moved up so fast, especially in a firm as large as Kessler, Trammel, and Maddox. I gave up my twenties for that firm, worked my ass for it, had no life because of it. And to think I’d have nothing to show for all of that was honestly…devastating.
But I wasn’t sure I wanted to go back to that life either. One with no work-life balance, hollow conversations, having toalways beon, not knowing who was real and trustworthy. I didn’t have to worry about any of that here.
“And one of the partners asked me when I’m coming back from bereavement leave, and I didn’t know what to say, so I said nothing, which is even worse.”
“Because of this suit or…”
Or Weston. He didn’t need to say it.
“Both?” I leaned back in my chair, staring at the ceiling. “I don’t know. I told myself and Claire that I’d stay and help with the merger. But I didn’t know it’d turn intothis,” I said, waving a hand at the stacks of paper on my desk. Just looking at it filled me with dread. “Your family seriously sucks, Levi.”
He let out a scoff. “You’re telling me. I had to grow up with them.”
I slumped in my chair, resting my hands on my stomach. “I just feel kind of lost, I guess. And Weston doesn’t know what he’s doing either, so it’s not really helping. I don’t function well without a plan, without some kind of structure.”
“Here’s some structure,” Levi said, leaning forward. “How would you like to be a partner? Here?” My breath hitched in the back of my throat, my eyes darting to him. He glanced around my office. “I know it’s not much, especially not by BigLaw in Dallas standards, but it’d be yours.” He met my stare. “With me, that is.”
“Are you…” I straightened. “Are you serious?”
“Yes.” He chuckled. “Name on the door and everything. You’re a fantastic lawyer, Savannah, and I’d be stupid not to extend the offer at least. You wouldn’t be making the same obviously, but you’d have?—”
“I accept,” I blurted. Then I slapped my hand over my mouth, my eyes wide. I’d never made a rash decision. Never. But this? It felt like taking charge of my life. It felt like doing whatfeltright instead of whatsoundedright.
Levi froze. “You…you accept?”
I blinked, my heart racing. I nodded, lowering my hand from my mouth.
“Yes,” I whispered, grinning.
A startled laugh left him. “Okay, then.” He licked his lips, eyes darting all over the floor in disbelief. He seemed just as shocked as I was. “I’ll uh…I’ll draw up the paperwork.”
I was shaking. “Great.” I stared around at the four walls that had just become my office inmylaw firm. It felt surreal. A dream come true. And absolutely fucking insane.
“Not that you asked, but some advice?”
“Sure.”
“The stuff with Weston,” he started. “I’ve found that focusing on work helps. Don’t avoid it, obviously, but also don’t let it consume you, either. If he’s figuring stuff out, give him the space to do it.”
“Sounds like you’re speaking from experience,” I said, arching a brow. “I saw you with my sister, you know. At the Bull Pen.”
I could’ve sworn every muscle in his body went rigid. “She’s my client.”
“You dance at the bar with all your clients? WCL must really embrace theinterestpart of conflict of interest.” Because that’s exactly what it was, if anything were to actually happen between them: a conflict of interest.
He looked down at his lap. “No. I don’t,” he said, quieter. An admission if I’d ever heard one. And I had…lots of them. “It’s complicated. For obvious reasons.”
“I bet.” Levi could be disbarred. Tess and Luke’s case could be in jeopardy. It was about as messy as it could get.
“Has she said anything to you?” I didn’t miss the slight hint of hope in his voice.
