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Chapters (68)
  1. Partner Pursuit
  2. Copyright
  3. Dedication
  4. Contents
  5. Chapter One
  6. Chapter Two
  7. Chapter Three
  8. Chapter Four
  9. Chapter Five
  10. Chapter Six
  11. Chapter Seven
  12. Re: Whitaker retirement party
  13. Chapter Nine
  14. Chapter Ten
  15. Chapter Eleven
  16. Chapter Twelve
  17. Chapter Thirteen
  18. Chapter Fourteen
  19. Chapter Fifteen
  20. Chapter Sixteen
  21. Chapter Seventeen
  22. Chapter Eighteen
  23. Chapter Nineteen
  24. Chapter Twenty
  25. Friday, New York City
  26. Chapter Twenty-Two
  27. Chapter Twenty-Three
  28. Chapter Twenty-Four
  29. Chapter Twenty-Five
  30. Chapter Twenty-Six
  31. Chapter Twenty-Seven
  32. Chapter Twenty-Eight
  33. Chapter Twenty-Nine
  34. Chapter Thirty
  35. Chapter Thirty-One
  36. Chapter Thirty-Two
  37. Chapter Thirty-Three
  38. Chapter Thirty-Four
  39. Chapter Thirty-Five
  40. Chapter Thirty-Six
  41. Subject: Deposition of Plaintiff in James case
  42. Chapter Thirty-Eight
  43. Chapter Thirty-Nine
  44. Subject: Mentors Found
  45. Chapter Forty-One
  46. Chapter Forty-Two
  47. Chapter Forty-Three
  48. Chapter Forty-Four
  49. Jake: While you’re stuck at work, think about this: I thought you might want to do a yoga session while I’m surfing in Santa Teresa. Should I book?
  50. Chapter Forty-Six
  51. Chapter Forty-Seven
  52. Chapter Forty-Eight
  53. Chapter Forty-Nine
  54. Chapter Fifty
  55. Chapter Fifty-One
  56. Chapter Fifty-Two
  57. Chapter Fifty-Three
  58. Chapter Fifty-Four
  59. Chapter Fifty-Five
  60. Chapter Fifty-Six
  61. Chapter Fifty-Seven
  62. Chapter Fifty-Eight
  63. Chapter Fifty-Nine
  64. Chapter Sixty
  65. Chapter Sixty-One
  66. About the Author
  67. Acknowledgements
  68. On any top-ten list of best Sunday plans, today’s brunch with my former crush and his new girlfriend would rank number eleven … hundred. Times five. But I couldn’t say no. We’re still friends.

“It’ll get better once you’re a partner. You’ll have more control over your schedule …” Max said.

“Unless I’m even more at the beck and call of clients,” Audrey said.

“Or on trial. You always disappear completely when you’re involved in a trial.” Eve frowned.

“I’m about to go on trial,” Audrey said.

Eve rubbed her back. “Maybe he’ll have to travel again, and he won’t notice.”

“Before you disappear, let’s plan your party.” Max rubbed his hands together. “I can check out if either is interested.” As the waiter cleared their brunch plates, they asked for the check.

“I want to see you with them too, but I’ll probably be too busy with the food. Maybe at the end, I can get a sense,” Eve said.

“Well, don’t make it obvious, you two.”

Both of them protested that they were very subtle. Audrey raised her eyebrows in disbelief.

“I’m excited to see your subtlety at work—especially you, Max.” Audrey turned to Eve. “And you still want to cook for it, right?”

“Yes, definitely.”

“And you said that you have off the second Saturday in October?” Audrey asked.

“Yes, that’d be perfect timing for me,” Eve said, adding that she was excited to plan the menu.

“Two weeks works for me,” Max pulled on his coat.

“All right, let’s do it. Let’s invite everybody.”

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Eight

As Audrey tried to squeeze by two guys to check on Eve in the kitchen and re-stock the ice, the tall dark-haired one, a little plump, clearly tipsy, wrapped his arm around her shoulders and told her to pass his compliments to the chef. She inhaled the smell of beer mixed with cologne.

“Is that big fellow in the kitchen the chef’s boyfriend? I don’t want to propose if he is, but otherwise I’m really thinking about it,” he said, his speech just slightly slurred.

“He is indeed.” As she conveyed that sad news, he sagged against her, and she staggered slightly.

“Roland, you’re going to squash her,” the friend said, who was quite cute, winking at her. “Buck up. You can always ask the chef if she has any friends who cook.”

“Do you cook?” Roland asked her.

“Not well.”

“Lost art, I tell you. Lost art.” Roland shook his head forlornly. “I like to cook myself, but want to share the art.”

“Okay, let’s release the nice lady—she looks like she’s trying to get more ice—and go console ourselves with more canapes.” The friend tried to pull Roland away.

“A lot of cooks are here because Eve—that’s the name of the chef—invited friends in the business,” she said.

“See there, canapes and cooks, let’s go back to the dining table and see who we can meet. By the way, I’m Oliver. Great party.”

“Audrey. Thanks. Nice to meet you.”