“Marti.” Bella looks up at her grandma as she places the dishes of steaming hot pasta in front of us. “I thought you were bringing ravioli.”
“Surprise, my Bella.” She laughs. “This is delicious. You’ll thank me later.”
I laugh as I dive a fork into the cheesy goodness. “I’ll thank you now, Marti.”
“You’re welcome.” She leans down to press a kiss to my forehead. “You enjoy every last bite.”
When she walks away, Bella circles the fork in her hand in front of my face. “You have a pink lipstick imprint front and center on your forehead.”
“Good.” I laugh, reaching for my phone to snap a selfie. “It’s a perfect reminder of how incredible your grandma is.”
“Take the picture and then eat.” Bella points at my pasta. “After lunch, we’re going to connect you with Chloe, so you have the best of the best on your side when you negotiate with Case.”
I don’t want to negotiate with him. I want us to be on the same page.
Working with Case in California is what I want more than anything, but I don’t want a lawyer to help me get that. I want the offer to come straight from Case’s heart.
CHAPTER SIXTY
Case
As I sitat Drake’s desk, I read Emma’s contract over for the third time.
“Is it correct, Case?” Maureen Townsend, the lead counsel for Cabbott Mobile, taps her pen against her palm. “You’ve been staring at it for thirty minutes.”
That’s because I’m taking a leap of faith.
I feel like I’m about to attempt a jump over the Grand Canyon without a running start and no safety net.
I read the paragraph about the location of the position again.
It’s the address for Cabbott Mobile in San Francisco.
Emma’s office will be next to mine.
I want her next to me in bed when I wake up every morning.
“The salary is generous,” Maureen says.
She wants to fill the silence. It’s the same thing she did after Pol died. She talked and talked about nothing when I asked her to come to my office a week after he died.
I needed her to work her magic to cancel my purchase of the apartment on Madison Avenue. Before she could do that, Drake worked his magic, and I agreed to move in.
I’m thankful for that now.
It brought Emma into my life. There’s no way in hell Drake would have tried to pass the two-bedroom walkup on the Lower East Side off as his own.
“It’s fine,” I finally say. “I need to order pizza and pick up some cupcakes.”
Her thin lips perk up in a grin. “Cupcakes? Don’t you detest sweet things?”
I laugh. “I’ve changed, Maureen.”
She takes a step forward. “You should thank whoever is responsible for that.”
Pushing back from my desk, I stand so I can give her a hug.
“What was that for?” She smiles.
