He thinks for a moment. “No.”

Bree scoffs and grabs her rum and Diet Coke before she turns to watch another intern and Helen from accounting duke it out in the final round of trivia.

“Please be careful,” Emanuel says.

“With what?”

“Yourself,” he says. “I’d hate to see you get hurt because you trusted the wrong person. You’re a good girl, Liv. People will take advantage of that.”

My phone buzzes, but I don’t look down at it.

“Thank you for looking out for me,” I say. “But I promise I know what I’m doing.”

He takes a deep breath through his nose. He doesn’t believe me, but he doesn’t push it, for which I’m grateful.

“You wanna share an Uber?”

“Yeah,” I say. “I’ll meet you outside.”

I wait until Emanuel walks out the door before reading the message.

Asher

My lawyer says you have no case.

Olivia

Your lawyer clearly didn’t pass the bar.

Asher

My lawyer says your Legally Blonde version of law isn’t admissible in court.

Olivia

I’m offended that your lawyer thinks Elle Woods, a Harvard graduate, isn’t a legitimate lawyer.

She owes me a box of milk chocolate sea salt caramels for all this pain and suffering.

Asher

And what do I get for all my pain and suffering?

Olivia

A collection of holiday decorative pillows and a robotic vacuum that chases you around the house.

You also get me as a fake girlfriend.

Which is a gift in and of itself.

Asher

I want a refund.

Olivia

I’m nonrefundable.

* * *

There’s a box of milk chocolate sea salt caramels on my desk.

I eat three before I see the note, and then I almost choke when I read it.

For all your pain and suffering.

He probably laced them with arsenic.

I pop another into my mouth and decide that death by expensive poisoned chocolate is a noble way to go.

“Oh, what are we eating?” Emanuel peeks over my shoulder and snatches one before I can tell him they might be deadly. “Who sent you a box of eighty dollar caramels?”

“A client.” This lying thing is getting really easy.

“They must really like you.”

“Honestly,” I laugh. “I’m pretty sure they don’t.”

“Damn, I wish more clients didn’t like me.”