Lizzie smiled as she was shown to a deep off-white chair that would have held both her and Cosmo. She watched as the president sat down across from her and kicked off her shoes. Lizzie did the same thing, and they giggled like two schoolgirls.

“There are no words to tell you how happy I am, Marti. I wish I could say the same for you. You look like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders.”

Martine Connor forced a smile she was far from feeling. “I do have the weight of the world on my shoulders. See how bowed they are. And before you can ask, the world slowed down for some reason this week to allow me time for this luncheon.”

“You want to talk about it, or is it all NTK? Your approval ratings are in the seventy percent range, so you must be doing something right.”

Martine shrugged. “I had a hard time getting used to having every second of my time budgeted. Sometimes bathroom breaks are a luxury. There’s always a crisis that has to be dealt with brewing somewhere. You know me. I’m cool under fire. It’s when I get up here that I lose it.”

Lizzie blinked. “This was what you wanted, Marti.”

Martine brushed at the soft bangs falling over her forehead. “Yes, and if it weren’t for you…and…your friends, I wouldn’t be here. I know that, Lizzie. It’s with me every second of every day. That’s why you’re here, isn’t it? That’s why you accepted my job offer, right? You’re here to spell it out to me. Again.”

Lizzie stared at her old friend. She gave a slight nod. “Six months. Pro bono. I walk away unless the job proves to be something beyond my expectations. I have to admit, I was surprised you agreed to my terms.”