There was a quiet knock on the door.
Frank stopped talking, his eyes lighting up. “Ah, right on time. Speaking of opportunity, there’s the man of the hour.” He gestured. “Perdie, you know Carter Leplan.”
Perdie froze in her chair. “Carter Leplan?” she asked, craning her head to look towards the doorway.
Frank waved him in. “Well, time to be out with the good news. Carter has agreed to come on as a partner at Joy and Schulz. Signed his offer over the weekend. Took some convincing, but we won him in the end.”
Perdie’s eyes went wide. She couldn’t believe the way Carter strode into the office as if it were the most normal thing in the world. She closed her jaw before it could drop, her teeth clacking together. “That’s...that’s great. Great for the firm.” Her words stumbled.
And her gaze climbed up his body despite herself: leather Prada loafers, fitted gray pants, and a thin black cashmere sweater stretched over that perfectly sculpted chest.
Dammit, Carter Leplan.
“Frank.” Carter inclined his head, “Ms. Stone.” He sat in the chair next to her, long legs spread wide, one arm relaxed over the top of the chair.
Frank looked pleased with himself. “He even agreed to join the securities group.” Her practice group.
Perdie’s stomach flipped. “I don’t mean to be glib, Frank, but how exactly is that good news—” she glanced at Carter “—for me specifically?”
Frank tilted his head and huffed. “The Fletcher Group has agreed to sign with Joy and Schulz because of Carter. That’s a heavy hitter of a client, Perdie, and a step in the way of diversification. I thought this would be a chance for you to learn from the best, hone your skill. You told me last month that you were ready for new opportunities. You said you’d do whatever it takes, or did I misunderstand your commitment to this firm?” He leveled his gaze on her.
Carter cleared his throat. “I know from personal experience, I have plenty to learn from Ms. Stone, as well.” He pressed his lips together, catching her eye. “She was more than a worthy opponent a few weeks ago. A force to be reckoned with.”
Perdie failed to smile.
“Yes, our Perdie has been a great help to us,” Frank said. “A feisty one.”
Perdie tucked her hair behind her ear and forced the words from her lips. “You’re right, Frank. I look forward to this...new...opportunity.”
Frank rubbed his palms together. “That’s the kind of team spirit I like to see out of you. We’ll announce Carter’s hire tomorrow at the attorneys’ meeting, so try not to let the cat out of the bag before then. I wanted to let you in on some insider information.” He winked at her. “But you know how the girls love to gossip around here.”
Perdie braced her hands against the armrests of her chair. “Thanks for prioritizing me in regards to such important news. My lips are sealed. If you don’t mind...”
“Oh yes, please.” Frank waved his hand towards the door. “Free to go. Enjoy your evening. Great news, right?”
“Great news.” She grimaced as she walked to the door, the sharp points of her heels digging into flat carpet.
Behind her she could hear Frank’s voice. “So, I’ll be seeing you on the golf course? Better bring your A-game, I’ve been taking lessons on my swing...”
The passing hallway became a blur as her eyes threatened to spill, but she sniffed away the burn. Perdie Stone did not fucking cry at work. And Perdie Stone would not be defeated by that traitorous, pompous, conceited, privileged-ass motherfu—
The soft thud of footsteps followed behind her, “Perdie, stop.” Carter’s voice was quiet. “Perdie.”
She spun on her heel, “You have got some fucking nerve.”
He halted in the hallway, shoving his hands in his pocket. “I know how it looks. I get it. Can we go somewhere to talk?”
But Perdie was having none of it. “This, this is what you couldn’t tell me?” she whisper-yelled. “No wonder you didn’t want to come inside the other day. You stole my chance. You knew I’d be fucking my own fucking boss.”
Carter looked in disbelief. “Stole your chance? What? Perdie, no. You don’t understand. They weren’t ever planning on giving you a chance.”
Perdie’s face dropped, hands clenched. “What?”
Carter glanced behind himself, making sure no one else was around before opening the door to an empty conference room at the end of the hall and motioning for her to enter.
She glared before stomping into the room, the snick of the door sounding behind her.
She jabbed her index finger towards his chest. “How could you possibly know that they weren’t considering me?”
“Look, after our...” he stabbed his hands through his hair, tousling it “...night together, I couldn’t get you out of my head. You’re so talented and smart and funny. I felt like it was a real injustice that you weren’t being taken seriously. Our conversation...it stuck with me. I know you told me not to, but I rang up my friend Ferris Joy. And he told me they were looking to fill a partnership position, but your name wasn’t even on the short list. He said they wanted someone with established clients to bring with them; they were trying to poach a guy out in New York. I know the guy. He’s a real piece of shit, sexual harassment lawsuits out the ass. I thought, wouldn’t it be better if it were me instead of him? I would go to bat for you, Perdie. I could help you.”
“Yes, how brave of you to volunteer as tribute. The lesser of two evils still means you’re evil. You know how fucking paternalistic you sound right now?”
Carter shook his head. “I didn’t volunteer. He asked me if I was interested. I had to make a choice.”
Perdie fumed, her breath coming fast. “It’s absolutely stalker behavior to join this firm because of me.”
“They offered me double what I was making.”
Her jaw dropped. “You’ve got to be shitting me. I’m still paying off my student loans.” Sure, she could buy expensive things now and again, it was all part and parcel of the role she played as an attorney, having to look the part, but she still had a fat student loan bill due at the start of every month. Joy and Schulz associate bonuses and salaries were good, but they weren’t partner good.
He looked at his feet, rubbing the nape of his neck. “It’s not entirely that either. I’ve been following the safe path my whole life. Yale, Harvard, then a respectable defense firm in a big city. A part of me wanted to do something impulsive. Shake things up. Move across the country. Learn something new. They gave me an offer I couldn’t refuse. Would you turn down double the money?”
She squeezed her eyes shut before answering. “It doesn’t help when you keep saying that.”
Chapter Eight
Carter scrubbed his big hand down his face, the motion catching Perdie’s eye. He looked frustrated and kind of sad. Still she had to clamp down a shivering memory of that very hand tugging the vee of her T-shirt on her front doorstep. Careful, P.
