Page 3 of Perfect Assumption

I stride in her direction and haul her into my arms.

“We’ll get through this, Ward. We have to.”

“Yeah, we will.”

Though I have no idea how.

One

Angela

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— Eva Henn, Fashion Blogger

This wasn’t the future I had planned for myself.

For just a moment, I let my mind wander away from calendars and phones. I tap my fingers against my desk agitatedly, hating I’m ruled by mandates of other people’s schedules. I had such amazing plans. I was going to explore every nook and corner of the world until I couldn’t absorb any more knowledge. Then, I’d figure out what I wanted to do with that knowledge.

Now, I’m too terrified to do more but trudge through each and every day.

“Angie? Did you arrange for the cake to be delivered?” My boss, Carys Burke, pops her head out of the inner sanctum of LLF, LLC, her entertainment law firm, to ask.

I plaster a smile on my face before turning around to face her. “I did. It should be here in about an hour.”

“Fantastic. If you could bring it back when it gets here, I’d appreciate it. You know I hate to use you for things like this.” Carys steps fully out of the office.

I wave off her concern. “It’s what some assistants do for their bosses.”

“It’s not what my legal assistant does,” she stresses. “And I want to let you know I appreciate it.”

“I know you do. You take care of all of the people who work for you.” Just as the words finish coming from my mouth, the frosted glass doors fly open with such force, I’m surprised they don’t shatter.

The wonder boy has arrived.

“Good morning, Ward.”

“Angie.” He nods

“Ward!” Carys beams up at her younger brother. Then again, if it’s a member of the LLF family, Carys always beams at them in greeting. My lips twitch. Definitely different than the early days when I worked for her.

“Not now, Carys. Do you know what your friend Beckett managed to get himself into this time?” He grabs her under the elbow and drags her away from my desk without a word to me, muttering under his breath.

Carys’s smile fades. “Oh, the hell he did!”

Ward’s grim “Exactly” is the last thing I hear before the heavy wood door closes on their conversation.

I’m not surprised by the siblings’ behavior, nor am I put off by Ward’s lack of greeting. Before Ward worked here, he would come to visit his sister, and his eyes would land upon me with something else that had nothing to do with business. He was effusive and sweet until one day he wasn’t. And so began the arctic freeze.

I never imagined someone like Ward would ever be interested in a person with my reputation, but it was nice just having someone to talk to for a few minutes who treated me with gentlemanly courtesy. His charm reminded me of the stories my grandmother would tell me about the way my grandfather wooed her. A brief smile flits across my lips. “Anyway, it was a nice time.”

I’m startled when the phone rings. “LLF, this is Angela. How may I direct your call?”

“Nowhere, you goose. Don’t you ever leave your cell phone on?” my best friend exclaims.

“Rarely, and only when I know you’re calling. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Angie,” Sula chides me.