Page 107 of Making It Burn
Polite applause rippled through the room.
“Second,” Patsy said, holding up a stack of envelopes, “bonuses.You’ll each receive a card with our thanks and a little something extra to show our appreciation.Don’t spend it all in one place.”
Laughter.More applause.
“And third,” Carter continued, his expression warm, “I want to give special recognition to a few people who’ve gone above and beyond this year.Lisa Morales, for her incredible work on the Riverside Development case.Marcus Webb, for bringing in three new corporate clients.And—” He paused, his gaze landing on Beau.“Beau Thatcher.”
Beau tensed beside me.
“Beau joined us just a few weeks ago,” Carter said, “leaving a successful practice in San Francisco to take a chance on us here in Richmond.And in that short time, he’s proven himself to be not just an exceptional attorney, but an invaluable member of this team.The MediCorp case, Henderson Technologies—these were victories that wouldn’t have happened without Beau’s skill, dedication, and frankly, his brilliance.”
More applause, genuine this time.I saw Lisa clapping enthusiastically, with several associates nodding in agreement.
“So thank you, Beau,” Carter finished.“We’re lucky to have you.”
Beau’s face had gone slightly red.“Thank you, sir.I appreciate that.”
“Though I have to say,” Paul Cramer’s voice cut through the room, loud and pointed, “it doesn’t hurt when you’re sleeping with the managing partner’s golden boy, does it?”
The room went silent.
Every head turned toward Paul, who stood near the window with his arms crossed and a smirk on his face that made my blood boil.
“Excuse me?”Carter’s voice was ice.
“Come on.”Paul gestured at Beau, then at me.“We all know what’s going on here.Beau gets the best cases, the best assignments, all the credit—and it’s pretty convenient that he and Mason are practically joined at the hip.Makes you wonder if his ‘brilliance’ is really about his legal skills or his skills in other areas.”
Beau had gone white.I felt rage—pure, incandescent rage—flood through my veins.
“Paul—” Patsy started, her voice sharp.
But I was already moving.
I stepped forward, positioning myself between Paul and Beau, my hands clenched at my sides.When I spoke, my voice was deadly calm.
“You want to talk about what’s convenient, Paul?Let’s talk about it.”
“Mason, don’t—” Beau said quietly behind me.
I didn’t take my eyes off Paul.“He wants to air this out in front of everyone, so let’s air it out.”
Paul’s smirk faltered slightly.
“Yes, Beau and I are together,” I said, loud enough for everyone to hear.“We’re in a relationship.And you know what?That has absolutely nothing to do with his work, his cases, or his success.”
The room was so quiet I could hear my heartbeat.
“Beau Thatcher is the best attorney I’ve ever worked with,” I continued, my voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through me.“He’s brilliant, dedicated, and works his ass off.Every one of his victories—every single one—was earned through his skill and his effort.”
“Mason—” Carter tried to interject.
“I’m not finished.”I took a step closer to Paul, who actually backed up slightly.“You want to know what’s really going on here, Paul?Pure, spiteful jealousy.You’re bitter because Beau is everything you’re not—talented, hardworking, respected.And instead of dealing with your own inadequacy, you’re trying to tear him down with baseless insinuations and homophobic bullshit.”
Paul’s face had gone red.“I didn’t—”
“Yes, you did.”My voice rose.“You stood there in front of our entire firm and suggested that Beau slept his way to success.Also, you implied that his achievements aren’t legitimate.You tried to humiliate Beau because you can’t stand that he’s a better lawyer than you.”
“That’s not—”
