Page 86 of That Moment
She smiles, closing the door behind her. “Drake insisted on coming to check in with Trent. I swear, that man will never fully retire. I figured I’d tag along and see how you’re doing. It sounds like you do little more than work these days. I can relate.” She shakes her head at the memory of her time running this placewith her husband, Drake. “Figured you wouldn’t mind a little break and chat with your Aunt.”
A laugh escapes me, the tension from my call with Aiden easing. “God knows I need it.”
“Then make us some tea, darling,” she says, settling gracefully into the chair across from my desk.
I move to the small credenza in my office and turn on the electric kettle. While I wait for the water to boil, I ready our mugs with tea bags. My pulse finally slows. For the first time all day, I feel myself breathe.
“Chaos aside,” Celeste says, crossing her long legs, “you’re glowing. Being overworked and busy seems to suit you.”
I roll my eyes as I carry her tea over. “Busy is the only thing keeping me sane with this anniversary looming. Aiden just called,” I sigh, sinking down into the chair next to her. “Things are pretty chaotic down in Texas, so it’s looking like he won’t be able to make it home for the party.”
“Oh, sweetheart, that's unfortunate. Is there anything I can do to help? You know I can make a single call and have the best party planner on the West Coast out here in a day.”
“Oh gosh no, but thank you.” I reach out and squeeze her hand. She’s always gone above and beyond in any way she can for all of us. “I’m keeping it small.”
“Small?” She crooks a brow, “with this family?”
“Small for a Slade function,” I laugh. “No big LA caterers or flying in Willie Nelson for a surprise performance of ‘Happy Birthday.’”
“That was one time,” Celeste quips, “besides, Willie is a friend of Drake’s, you know that.”
“I know,” I laugh, handing her the tea. “But I promise, I’ll figure it all out and keep my sanity at the same time.”
She takes the mug. “Then let’s drink to sanity.”
Celeste takes a slow sip of her tea, eyes thoughtful, then sets the cup down. She rises, crosses to the door to make sure it’s fully closed, and pushes it shut with a quiet click. She returns to her chair, crossing one elegant leg over the other, her gaze steady on mine. “Adrienne, there’s something I need to say, and I want it to stay between us for now.”
I swallow, straightening in my chair. “Okay…”
She smooths the cuff of her blazer, stalling for a beat, then meets my eyes. “You remember my old firm in LA?”
“Of course. I lived on caffeine and adrenaline the semester I interned there during law school. It was brutal… but I loved every second of it. Why?” I can’t hide the confusion in my voice.
“You thrived there, Adrienne. You were sharp, fearless. You lit up in a way I haven’t really seen from you, outside of the times you were away from here.”
I smile at the memories, but they start to fade.Why is she bringing this up?
“Well,” she continues, her tone more serious now, “since I left, the firm has grown into one of the top in the city, you know that, you experienced it. My colleague Catherine is the managing partner now, and she’s been pressing me for months for recommendations. She needs someone with corporate law and contract negotiation expertise. She needs someone hungry, eager. Someone who isn’t afraid of being busy and run ragged, frankly, by the demands. Preferably someone who thrives in that kind of environment.”
I grip my mug tighter, heat seeping into my palms. My stomach flips.
Celeste’s eyes soften, but she doesn’t look away. “I’ve never mentioned your name to her before. Not because I didn’t believe in you. God knows, Adrienne, I believe in you more than anyone, but I wanted you to carve out your own path here. I don't feel likeI nudged you into mine.” She leans forward, her hand brushing over mine. “But this time… I thought of you.”
My breath catches. “Me? As what, an associate?”
Her smile is proud. “Junior partner.”
“Junior partner?” I repeat back to her, unsure I heard her correctly. “In LA?”
“Yes.” Her voice is calm. “It’s not something you have to want. But it’s an extraordinary offer. The kind that doesn’t come around often. Catherine is willing to talk the moment you’re ready. And Slade… Slade will always be here. Whether you try LA for ten years, or one, or not at all.”
I stare at her, my throat tightening. My aunt has always been the gold standard, the mentor I measured myself against. To hear her say this… it feels like both validation and upheaval.
Celeste tilts her head. “Adrienne, you’ve spent your whole life living up to this family name. You’ve done it brilliantly. But I remember you in Boston during Harvard, alive with the thrill of outsmarting every professor. I remember you in Chicago at Northwestern, debating with a fire that left whole rooms breathless. You love the challenge. You shine when the stakes are high. You walked across both of those stages at graduation with the highest honors.”
My stomach sours, memories of the conversation I had with Scotty just a week or so ago coming back to me. The way I confessed secrets to him about the standards I’ve built around myself like a cage that I’ve never said aloud to anyone, not even myself. This is an amazing opportunity, and the Adrienne that I’ve created would kill for this chance, but something inside me continues to gnaw at me.
What if none of this is what I want?
