Page 7 of The Bargain (Dalton Family #2)
Chapter Seven
Sofia
I don’t go home.
I sit in my office and read the contract.
Again.
I want to sign it, and as if she senses what’s in my head, Harper lights up my phone. I answer this time and do so without hesitation. “Hi,” I say awkwardly.
“What are you doing, Sofia?”
She says this as if she’s known me forever and has a deep understanding of how fucked in the head I am right now. “I wish with all my heart and my mental facilities that I knew how to answer that.”
“Then let’s dissect this, shall we? I’m emailing you the contract, which I marked up.”
Warning bells go off. “I thought you said it was a good deal for me to sign?”
“I always do my thing and add protections, but they’re common. Moore’s isn’t going to push back on my standard add-ins, but I can expedite those changes through Ethan to ensure you make the seven-day deadline.”
“You know about the seven days?”
“I know. I’m emailing you now. Look over the changes. If you like what I did, we’ll hit Ethan up in the morning and get this done.”
“Is it a lot?”
“A decent amount, but again, they expected a good attorney would want these revisions. I’m your attorney, not theirs. Not Ethan’s, not on this. Remember that.”
“Okay. Thank you.” I pull up my email and download the document. “Can I ask questions now?”
“Go for it.”
“It’s a mentorship contract, right?”
“Yes and no. Because they’re paying for this, and offering you money upfront, therefore, they’ve claimed certain rights and those terms have to be settled.
We’re keeping them as vague as possible, to allow further negotiations after you impress them in Paris.
I also inserted some stern exit clauses, should you want out.
I can’t promise we’ll get my exact language, but I start way south, expecting to end almost north. ”
We spend fifteen minutes talking through each change before I ask, “This is a good deal for me?” I ask again. “You’re sure?”
“This is a dream, Sofia. Don’t fuck it up because you got personal with Ethan.”
“About that—”
“He can’t stand that bitch. She showed up to talk about his brother, who’s a fucktard of epic proportions.
But of course, she regrets letting go of her golden goose in Ethan, but he doesn’t regret leaving her behind.
And I saw the spark between you two. I get you not wanting to pursue it while in the middle of a business deal, and he should feel the same, which I told him, but, and this is a big but, don’t shut the door. Not over that bitch.”
My heart is thundering, and somehow, I’m standing. “They aren’t—”
“No. Not at all. Never again. He really dodged a bullet, and he thanks God frequently for saving him.”
I sit back down. “I see.”
“I hope you do. You both have a lot going on in your heads, so I’m going to tell you what I told him.
Get this deal done. That’s the professional thing to do.
That’s what needs to come first. I’m sending him our changes.
I’ll go back and forth with him. It might need to go to the board, and I have court tomorrow, so this is going to be tight, but we’ll make it happen.
And Sofia, I like you. If you need to talk, call me.
It’s not on the clock. It’s called friendship. ”
“That would be weird. You’re his friend.”
“I don’t think it’s weird at all. I think it’s kind of special. Get some rest. You have a big adventure coming up. On second thought, don’t rest. Get to making plans. You have a lot of travel ahead of you.”
She disconnects, and I set my phone down.
Ethan didn’t do what I thought he did, and I’m such a bitch for judging him without first asking questions.
I pick up my phone to call him and set it back down.
No . He has a meeting to attend. And Harper said we need to get the deal done before all else.
It’s the professional thing to do. That means not interrupting his professional life.
That means delivering on my promise to sign the contract.
Harper told me to leave personal out of things right now, and for all I know that message came directly from Ethan through her.
I’m bound to silence and the vow to sign that contract, but after the deal is inked, I’m texting him.
Just one last text.