Page 129 of By Invitation Only

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Booker

My first full day as partner was going to be brilliant.

First thing first was telling Mitch about Peyton and me. I knocked on his door, and after he told me to enter, I did. “Got a second?” I asked.

“Everything all right?” he asked, setting his pen down.

“I think so. Ihopeso,” I responded, closing the door. I sat in the chair before his desk.

“What’s on your mind?”

I took a deep breath, crossing my leg over my knee. “After you made me partner yesterday, Clint threatened me.”

“He what?” Mitch snapped.

“Not physically, though I was tempted to make it physical.”

“What did he say?”

“I’m no snitch, and I wouldn’t tell you if I didn’t have to because it’s not something you need to get involved in.”

“Spit it out, Booker.”

“Right, so I’ve started dating Peyton Winters.”

“From Chandler and Patterson?”

I nodded. “Yeah.”

“Okay. And how is Clint involved?”

“He’s bitter he didn’t make partner and wants to get me fired. He said he reported us to the bar.”

Mitch closed his eyes briefly as though he was trying to process the drama.

“But you said you just started dating her. How recent is this, and when did he report you?”

“We started dating over Christmas break. He said he saw me at her place cause he lives in the same building.” I was only half lying to my boss. “But I’ve decided to withdraw from the cases I have against her, give them to Randy, and also tell the judges on the cases. Then, if the bar investigates us, there’s nothing to investigate.”

“By doing this, you know you can’teverspeak ofanyof the cases we have against her or her firm?”

I nodded. “I do, and it won’t be a problem.”

“Well, we can’t tell you who you can and can’t date, and I trust you’ll do the right thing. You’ve been with this firm far too long to jeopardize your career over some woman.”

I bit my tongue. Peyton wasn’t some woman. I loved her. I wanted to tell Mitch that, but since I was pretending we just started dating like a week ago, I kept my mouth shut and only nodded my agreement.

He nodded in return. “Thank you for coming to me. I’ll deal with Clint, and you do the Sub of Attorneys for Randy to sign plus the letters to the judges.”

“Actually…” I’d just remembered Randy couldn’t take the cases either because of Lorelei, and I briefly wondered if he withdrew from the cases he was on against Peyton. “Randy shouldn’t have the cases either. He’s dating Peyton’s assistant.”

Mitch threw his head back, looking at the ceiling and sighed. “I don’t want to know. Just handle it.”

“Already in the works.”

Over the next few months, everything was perfect. Clint was put on probation, I withdrew from the cases against Peyton, and we never talked about them. The bar never came knocking on our door so maybe somehow they got wind that we took all the steps needed before they’d opened an investigation. Whatever it was, I was happy. Being able to go out in public with Peyton was the best feeling in the world. For Valentine’s Day, we went to Malibu, had dinner at a restaurant that overlooked the ocean, and enjoyed being a normal couple.