As much as the kiss on her cheek moved her, a kiss on the cheek might mean that they were just friends. Maybe she wasn’t flirting enough or giving signals that she was interested in more? That was what the Starbucks lady had said to her: you need to flirt more. But their conversation had been flirtatious. The hushed air in the garden gave her no clues. She was sometimes surprised by how quiet it could be in New York, the silence only periodically broken by the wail of an ambulance siren in the distance. She was so frustrated. She should have kissed him. At least then she’d have an answer. No, the current status quo was still filled with possibility. She would value these nights of slowly learning more about each other. She had to have faith in herself.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Six

As Audrey exited Malaburn’s office, she ran into Whitaker.

“Are you working for Lawrence?” Whitaker asked.

“Yes,” she said after a pause; she was so used to referring to him by his last name that she’d forgotten Malaburn’s first name was Lawrence. They walked down the hallway together.

“That’s unfortunate. He’s a wet drip.”

She looked at him, surprised at his openness. “Yes, we mutually dislike each other.”

“But he chose to work with you?” he asked.

“Apparently he needs to confirm I have what it takes to make partner.”

Whitaker harrumphed as they reached his office. He motioned for her to join him inside. The office was filled with packing boxes. Framed pictures in bubble wrap leaned against the walls. “I didn’t think he had what it took to be a partner. He’s not a thoroughbred. We shared a secretary, and he was borderline verbally abusive to her, so I reported his behavior. If he’s not behaving with you, let me know. I’d be happy to hoist him up again.” He rubbed his hands together, looking like he relished the thought of the conflict.

I’m a litigator who doesn’t relish conflict.

“What’s your case about?” he asked, pulling out a chair for her to sit at his conference table.

She described the case and outlined her legal arguments, including the one argument that she thought was pivotal but that Malaburn had dismissed as too risky. Whitaker nodded as she spoke.

“That’s clever. It reminds me of an argument I once made and won. Let me find my files and see if you can buttress it,” he said. The two of them flipped through the cases in his file and discussed various ideas.

“I’ll miss this,” he said. “The brainstorming and satisfying, chills-down-your-spine moment when you realize you’ve got the winning argument.”

She nodded. She loved this part too, and it was even more satisfying working as a team.

“You should propose it to the client and let them decide,” he said.