Page 39 of Dial L for Lawyer (Curves & Capital #2)

Serena

" Y ou're glowing," Layla announces, sliding into the booth across from me at The Velvet Spoon. "Like, actually glowing. It's disgusting."

"I am not glowing." I hide behind my menu even though I already know what I'm ordering. Their french toast is legendary and I deserve carbs after this week.

"You're definitely glowing," Audrey confirms, pulling a notebook from her purse.

"Why do you have a notebook?"

"To track the progression of your relationship.

Between you and Layla, I might be able to collect enough data to figure out how long it'll take for Logan to make his move.

" She clicks her pen. "Now, tell us everything.

Start from when you left Bennett's office after finding out Maya was the backstabbing bitch I always thought she was. "

"This isn't a science experiment, Audrey. It's my life."

"All life is a science experiment," she retorts, not looking up from her page. "Hypothesis: sustained exposure to emotionally available alpha male leads to increased serotonin levels, evidenced by dermal radiance."

Layla sips her mimosa. "She means the glow."

"OK, fine," I concede, because there's no point arguing when they're in interrogation mode. "We left Bennett's office, and then Caleb had to go babysit his niece, so I went with him."

Layla's eyebrows shoot into her hairline. "He introduced you to family? Already? This man is serious. "

"It was a nanny emergency," I clarify, trying to make it sound less significant than it felt. "And she's seven. It's not like I met his parents."

Audrey scribbles furiously. "Note: male subject is integrating female subject into familial unit. Acceleration of bonding confirmed."

I take a large gulp of my mimosa. "He also asked me to move in."

Layla chokes on her water. "Excuse me?"

"It's just a key and two drawers," I protest. "He says it's about security while the press is camping my apartment. But we both know it's because he wants to keep tabs on me. He's probably worried I'm going to ghost him again."

Audrey makes a note, eyebrows up. "Interesting. And?"

I shrug, trying to look casual. "And—yeah. Maybe I like it. The key. The whole—" I gesture vaguely. "Being wanted thing. It's a trip."

"A trip? Oh, honey—it's about damn time," Layla says, her expression softening. "You deserve to be wanted, Serena. After everything you’ve been through, you deserve this ."

Once again, I try to shrug it off, but the backs of my eyes burn. At least until Audrey starts talking into the end of her pen like it’s a recording device.

"Observation: subject displays decreased cynicism and increased tolerance for romantic gestures." Audrey smiles wide. "This is groundbreaking."

I roll my eyes, but I can't stop the smile that spreads across my face.

"So what did you say?" Layla leans forward. "When he asked you to move in, did you say yes?"

"I said it was too soon. But I put my shit in those drawers and his keycard lives in the back of my phone case." I mumble the last part into my mimosa.

"Serena Morgan!" Layla gasps, mock-horrified. "You did not."

Audrey scribbles another note. "Subject employs avoidance tactics when confronted with direct emotional commitment. Classic."

"What? It feels good to have someone making space for me,” I defend myself. What I don’t add is that it also feels terrifying. Like if I settle in too comfortably, the universe will notice and yank it all away. My cheeks flame. "We've been 'together' for what? A week? I know this is insane."

"It's actually really romantic," Layla counters, her eyes sparkling. "And about damn time someone was insane about you."

“We’re rushing, though. Right? This is all way too soon.”

Audrey sets her pen down, finally giving up the gag. “If you met him for the first time a week ago, then yeah, I’d say, ‘whoa there, girl.’ But this is Caleb. You’ve been circling each other for months.”

“Circling is a good word for it,” I say, taking another sip of mimosa. “Like sharks.”

“Exactly!” Layla says, pointing her fork at me. “You’ve been doing this weird hate-flirting dance for ages. This isn’t a sprint. You’re already halfway through the marathon.”

The waiter arrives with our food, saving me from having to respond. He sets down my French toast—a glorious tower of brioche, berries, and cream—and I feel a wave of pure, uncomplicated joy.

"Let’s forget boys for a bit,” Audrey says, pouring syrup on her waffles. “I want to hear all about this Maya takedown. Logan put his hacking skills to the test, right?"

“He did.” I take a deep breath and drop my voice. "And you will love this," I say, looking at Audrey. "When we finally caught the actual mole—it was Maya's IT boy-toy the whole time—it took Logan, like, thirty seconds of interrogation to crack him."

Audrey's eyes go wide. "Logan did it?"

"I'm not joking. He went full alpha—used his full height and this low, menacing voice that was really fucking scary and kinda hot. He was so confident. I had to squeeze my eyes shut to make sure that what I was seeing was real."

She sputters her mimosa, then nearly screams. "I knew he had it in him! God, why wasn't I there to see it!?"

I laugh a little into my drink. "Honestly, Audrey. If you were there, he would not have gone there. You make him too nervous."

Audrey groans. "Why?! It's not like I'm some sexy bombshell walking around the office with my tits out and curves everywhere!

I'm a short and dumpy lab tech with more frizz than curls and a very obvious crush on Mercer Capital's tech genius.

Logan's a literal human computer. He's so freaking hot and he barely even knows it.

I'd let him wire me up for… actually, never mind.

" She wiggles her fingers in a clear NOPE motion, then pushes her glasses up her nose and jots something down.

"Layla, please talk about your recent trip to Portugal so I can be less of a trainwreck. "

Layla waves a dismissive hand. "Portugal was fine.

Bennett proposed, I said yes, we drank too much, spent most of our time in bed.

End of story. We're talking about you." She levels her fork at me.

"Monday morning, the board clears your name.

Then what? Do you waltz back into Luminous like nothing happened? "

"I don't know," I admit, the thought suddenly exhausting. "I always thought getting my job back was the end goal. Now... I'm not so sure I want it."

"Good," Layla says immediately. "You're too good for them anyway."

"Hypothesis supported," Audrey murmurs. "Subject is evolving beyond previous environmental constraints."

"To new beginnings," Layla says, raising her mimosa.

We clink glasses. "And listen," she adds, leaning in conspiratorially.

"Wear your best seduction underwear to that board meeting on Monday.

Something that says 'I'm about to be vindicated, and then I'm going to get railed into next week by my hot billionaire lawyer boyfriend. '"

We're still laughing when a perfectly put-together woman in a sleek black dress and heels approaches the table.

"Jenna?" Layla blinks, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Early lunch meeting," she says, glancing around the restaurant with her usual efficient assessment. "My date isn't here yet, and I saw you three from across the room. Mind if I sit for a moment?"

"Of course!" Layla scoots over to make room. "Jenna, meet Serena—Serena, this is Jenna, Bennett's assistant and the person who actually runs Mercer Capital."

"Nice to meet you," I say, shaking her hand across the table.

“Serena is the reason Caleb has been so broody of late,” Layla adds.

Jenna’s brow quirks. “I’m guessing you’re also the reason he’s been in such a good mood this past week. In fact, he started perking up when he took on a new case—Luminous. That’s you?”

"Guilty as charged," I say, feeling my face heat up.

"Good for you," Jenna says with a small smile that transforms her serious face. "It's about time someone cracked through that man's walls. He's been insufferable for months."

"Speaking of insufferable," Audrey says, "did you hear about Logan going full intimidation mode on Maya's IT accomplice?"

Jenna's eyebrows rise slightly—the equivalent of shock for someone so composed. "Logan? Our Logan? The one who apologizes to the coffee machine when he bumps into it?"

"The very same," I confirm. "Saw it with my own eyes. The man he has a scary-hot side."

"I'll have to reassess my threat assessment rankings," Jenna says, pulling out her phone to make a note. "I had him listed as 'harmless unless discussing cryptocurrency.'"

Layla laughs. "You have threat assessment rankings?"

"For everyone who enters Bennett's office. It's prudent." She glances at her phone as it buzzes. Her expression doesn't change, but something shifts in her posture. "Well, it seems my lunch meeting has been cancelled. Last minute emergency, apparently."

"On a Saturday?" Audrey asks. "That's rude."

"It's fine. I have reports to review anyway." Jenna starts to stand.

"Dominic would lose his mind if he knew some guy cancelled on you,” Layla says. “He's already convinced you're his perfect woman."

Jenna's expression cools by several degrees. "Dominic Cruz thinks anything in a skirt that won't sleep with him is his perfect something or other. The man has the emotional depth of a puddle and the attention span of a caffeinated squirrel."

"Tell us how you really feel," I say, amused.

"I feel that he's exactly the type of man who peaked in college and now mistakes money for personality." She smooths her already perfect dress. "And on that note, I should go. The office won't organize itself, even on weekends."

"You work too much," Layla says.

"So does your fiancé, and yet here we are." Jenna's smile is sharp but not unkind. "It was nice meeting you, Serena. Good luck with the board on Monday. And remember—they need you more than you need them."

She walks away, her heels clicking.

"I didn’t even tell her about the meeting," I say admiringly. “She's terrifying.”

"She's amazing," Layla corrects. "Bennett would be lost without her. She basically runs his life, knows everything about everyone in that building. She probably knew exactly who you were but was too polite to say so."

“OK. She’s amazing then.”

"And Dominic really has a thing for her?" Audrey asks.

"Big time. Keeps finding excuses to drop by Bennett's office just to talk to her. There’s a big project coming up that they have to work on together and he’s already driving her insane about it.

Bennett says he's already booked three pre-project strategy meetings that are just an excuse to get her in a room alone. "

"She's going to eat him alive," Audrey says with a certain amount of glee.

"And he'll probably thank her for it," I add, taking another bite of French toast.

"I aspire to that level of composed disdain," Audrey sighs, looking down at her notebook. "If I could just channel one-tenth of her energy, maybe I could get Logan to upgrade me to fuckable."

"You don't need to be anyone else, Aud," Layla says gently. "Logan's just... uniquely dense."

"Ugh. It's hard to tell." Audrey shrugs. "Anyway, back to Serena. We need to discuss Monday strategy. Hair up or down?"

"Down," Layla says immediately. "More approachable."

"Up," Audrey counters. "More professional."

They start debating while I zone out, thinking about Jenna's parting words. They need you more than you need them.

Maybe she's right. Maybe for one rare moment in time, I hold all the cards.

"Earth to Serena," Layla says, waving a hand in front of my face. "Where'd you go?"

"Just thinking about Monday."

"Monday will take care of itself,” she says. “Today is for mimosas and gossip.”

“And planning Layla’s wedding," Audrey adds.

"Speaking of which," Layla says, brightening. "I need to tell you about the Poseidon ice sculpture Bennett insists on having..."

The conversation shifts to wedding planning, and I let their chatter wash over me.

For the first time since I was a kid, I don’t have this pick of anxiety inside of me.

I have my name cleared, I have my friends, I have Caleb, and apparently, I have Jenna and her threat assessment rankings on my side.

Life could definitely be worse.