Best Practice

by Carsen Taite

  Perry nodded. “I know you’re right. And I get that having too much money is a silly thing to complain about. It’s just that sometimes when I see all the things, it brings up why we have the money in the first place.”

  “What will you…” Grace stopped before she could finish, but Perry motioned for her to continue. “What will you do when you come into your trust?”

  “I hate to admit I’ve already thought about it, but I’ve kicked around a couple of ideas. One is to fund my own team with Lawyers for Change.”

  “How would that work?”

  “I’d still have to go through headquarters for project approval, but I’d have a lot more say in how we’d do the work and how long we’d stay at any one job. My money will only go so far, but I’ve been researching how to set up a foundation. I’d use the trust as seed money to convince others to donate. Plus, I could apply for grants to fund specific projects.”

  Grace was impressed. “Sounds like you really know a lot about what’s involved.”

  “I’m sure there’s a lot more to know, but I have a good handle on it. One of my professors does a lot of work with nonprofit foundations, and she offered to help me out when the time comes. To be honest, I started talking to her about it because I had a crush on her, but she’s the real deal.”

  The mention of a crush gave Grace a slight twinge of discomfort, but she couldn’t pinpoint why so she brushed past it. “Your parents would be proud.”

  “Tell that to Campbell. She thinks I’m wasting my life, not to mention my education. But,” Perry pointed at the espresso maker, “In some of the places I’ve been, a family of four could live for six months off the price of that machine. I know I keep repeating these analogies, but it keeps things in perspective for me.”

  Grace started to tell Perry she had a similar machine at her house, but decided defensiveness was not the tack to take. “I hear you, but everyone fills the void in their own way.” She watched Perry take a deep breath and nod.

  “Makes sense. I never really thought about Campbell having her own weirdness about the money and gifting it to absolve some of the guilt. She’s always seemed so put together, it’s hard to imagine her feeling insecure about anything.”

  “You two should talk sometime.”

  Perry laughed. “Now you’re going too far.” Her expression sobered. “We do talk, just not about anything important, unless she’s trying to get me to be her version of responsible. It’s been weird for me having a sister and a brother that feel more like parents. Really fucks with the dynamic.”

  “I’m sure,” Grace said, but truthfully, she wasn’t sure at all how Campbell, Justin, and Perry had managed to work out the balance of family without their parents. Campbell had been devastated when her parents died, but she didn’t show it to anyone besides Grace and her brother, insisting she had to hold it together for Perry’s sake. The funny thing was Perry did seem to have it together. Yes, she’d lost her passport, but that was because she’d had to make a quick getaway in the middle of the night, not due to being an irresponsible tourist unable to keep up with her belongings. Perry’s work with Lawyers for Change wasn’t conventional law practice, sure, but it was definitely more substantive than the work most law school graduates were doing within several years of getting their JD, and definitely meatier than the work Grace was having her do now.

  They walked back to the war room and Grace pointed at the computer. “Find anything interesting?”

  “Do you really want to know?”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Perry handed her a legal pad. “I made a list of questions I would ask Hadley, you know, if I were in charge of this litigation.”

  Grace skimmed the list. When did you realize the internal regulations and policies you have in place regarding the disposal of waste were deficient? Why don’t you have internal controls to ensure you are complying with state and federal guidelines regarding the disposal of construction materials? The others were in a similar vein. Perry’s questions were pointed and provocatively worded, but clearly designed to prepare her client for a heated interrogation from the other side. “Do you already know the answers to these?”

  “Most of them.” Perry gestured toward the boxes of documents. “And if opposing counsel has read the discovery, then they do too. The question is whether your client knows what was really going on at his company.”

  Grace scanned the list again and made a snap decision. “Let’s find out together. I’ll schedule a meeting for next week. Does that work for you?”

  “You want me there?”

  “It’s your list. I want to talk a little about tone first. We don’t have to be the adversary to prepare him to deal with one. The goal is to get the client to confide in us, and to do that, we have to get them to trust us first. Bringing out the hammer is for the other side. Make sense?”

  “I guess so.”

  “I’ll show you when we meet with Hadley. But in the meantime, I think we should call it a day.”

  “You have a date or something?”

  Grace rolled her eyes. Danika still hadn’t texted back. She’d convinced herself she didn’t care and right now she didn’t. She was, however, enjoying Perry’s company and wasn’t eager for their newfound closeness to end so abruptly. “I do have a date. With my parents. Want to come with? I could really use a buffer.”

  “Buffer, huh? Your parents are great.”

  “That’s what everyone says who doesn’t have to live under the constant scrutiny of political life.” Grace warmed up to her own idea and was convinced having Perry along would be the perfect way to have a smooth dinner with her parents, especially since Perry’s ideals were more closely aligned with her father’s. “Seriously, we’re going to a nice dinner and they’re paying. You’d be doing me a big favor.”

  “Well, when you put it like that, how can I possibly resist?”

  “Great. Let’s bug out of here. I’m headed home to change and I’ll pick you up at Campbell’s at six. It’s not super fancy, but—”

  “But you want to make sure I’m wearing something other than jeans and a T-shirt. Got it.”

  “Thanks.”

  A few minutes later as they walked out of the building together, Grace felt lighter and happier than she had all day.

  Chapter Eleven

  Perry came downstairs to find Campbell and Wynne in the kitchen fixing dinner. Once again, she noticed the way they maneuvered around each other, sharing the space with ease.

  “Where are you going looking all spiffy?” Campbell asked.

  “Dear Campbell, words like spiffy make you sound geriatric.”

  Campbell laughed. “Sometimes I feel that way. I heard everything the wedding planner said today, but I’m still trying to process how much we have to do before the big day. Thank goodness Roxanne is helping us out.”

  “I want to hear all about it, but I have dinner plans. How about I make brunch in the morning and you two lovebirds can tell me all about it?”

  “Dinner plans? Moving pretty fast, aren’t you?”

  “It’s Grace.” Perry laughed nervously when she caught the odd expression on Campbell’s face. “We’re meeting her parents.” Realizing she was digging a hole, she filled in more unnecessary detail. “I think it’s a ruse for her to get me to work off the clock. I ran into her at the office earlier today, and we were talking about the case and she invited me to join them tonight. Didn’t I mention I was going to work today?” Perry stopped talking, conscious of her own rambling. “What? You think it’s weird, don’t you?”

  Before Campbell could answer, the doorbell rang and they all looked in the direction of the door. Wynne stood. “I think I’ll get this while you two sort out…whatever.”

  Wynne had barely cleared the room, before Perry felt Campbell’s hand on her arm, pulling her farther back into the house. She shoved Campbell away. “Seriously, what’s your problem?”

  “You don’t think it’s a little strange that
you’re headed out to dinner with the woman who is basically your boss?”

  Campbell’s authoritarian tone rubbed Perry the wrong way. “I wasn’t aware that you had to approve Grace’s social calendar. And she’s not really my boss. I mean, I guess she is technically, but we both know this job is you trying to keep me busy while I’m stuck here. Maybe you can tell me what to do at work, but we’re not at the office.”

  “I don’t know. It seems a little weird.”

  “I thought you were all one big happy family. Besides, it’s Grace.” Perry wanted to admit it felt weird to her too, but not in the way Campbell meant. She’d felt weird since the moment Grace had asked her on whatever this was, but in a tingly, excited kind of way. The kind that made her spend an extra half hour to get her hair to sweep up to the side just right and had her standing in front of her closet way too long in search of exactly the right outfit to wear from her sparse collection of clothes. She’d settled on light tan chinos, a navy linen blazer, and a sky-blue shirt with a cowgirl pattern—an old favorite that had been in the bag of clothes Justin had brought over. She was pretty confident she looked okay for most people, but what if Grace preferred a more traditional look? Maybe she should’ve gone shopping for a suit? Dammit. It wasn’t like her to second-guess so much, and maybe Campbell was right, but for the wrong reasons.

  Hell no. She’d spent her youth dreaming of an evening out with Grace—and a lot more. Maybe a pseudo business dinner with the parents was the closest she was going to get, but she wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity because Campbell couldn’t release the reins.

  “Here’s the deal,” she said. “It’s not weird. You sent Grace to England to bring me home and we bonded over the experience. Just because she’s your friend, doesn’t mean she can’t be my friend too. I’ve known her as long as you have, and I’ve met her parents before. The only one who is making this weird is you, and I think it’s because you’re jealous.”

  “I’m not jealous. Why would I be jealous?” Campbell said, looking genuinely surprised at the assessment.

  “I dunno. We haven’t spent much time together since I’ve been back,” Perry said, feeling a twinge of guilt for effectively changing the subject, but plowing forward anyway. “You’ve been busy with your case and the wedding prep. I guess I should stick around and we can catch up.”

  Campbell glanced back toward the front door and then faced her with a contrite expression. “No, you should go. I don’t know what I was thinking. Forgive your controlling sister and have a great time.”

  Perry started back toward the front of the house but stopped to hug Campbell. “I do appreciate everything you’ve done for me. You know that, right?”

  “Of course.” Campbell squeezed her tightly and whispered. “Be careful or you’ll start to like it here.”

  Perry laughed and eased out of Campbell’s embrace. “You just like my breakfast concoctions,” she said in an attempt to add levity to what could quickly turn into an awkward conversation about her future plans. “Let’s schedule some cooking lessons. I’ll teach you everything I know.”

  Campbell’s expression dimmed for a quick second, but she said, “Yeah, sure. I’m up for that.” She jerked her chin toward the front of the house. “Shouldn’t you be getting out of here?”

  Perry led the way, the confidence in her step belying the bundle of nerves bunching up her insides. Okay, so this wasn’t a date, but she’d fantasized so many times about what a date with Grace would be like, she couldn’t help but go there. In her fantasy, though, she’d be the one pulling up to Grace’s house, taking her hand, walking her to the car, and holding open the door. And then, after a fantastic dinner, which they’d abandon half eaten, they’d go back to Grace’s place, and…Her dream date skidded to a stop at the very real image of Grace standing in the foyer wearing a scarlet dress, more flowy and definitely shorter than anything she’d seen her wear before. Perry’s thoughts tumbled out of control. She was about to go out with this smart, accomplished, gorgeous woman, and, fantasy or not, she was determined to make the most of their time together.

  Once they were in the car, Grace drove down the street ostensibly avoiding meeting her eyes.

  “Is something wrong?” Perry asked, praying there wasn’t.

  “Campbell seemed like she had something on her mind. Is there something up with her?”

  “Uh, no. I don’t think so,” Perry said. “She and Wynne met with Roxanne and the wedding planner today. Maybe it’s stress about all the planning.”

  “I guess. Weddings are a big production.”

  “Too big if you ask me.” Perry caught her eye. “Please don’t tell Campbell I said that.”

  “Not the marrying kind, are you?”

  “No. I mean, I don’t know. Maybe.”

  “Well, I see you’ve given it a lot of thought.”

  “I’m not necessarily opposed to marriage, although its roots are steeped in patriarchy. Especially all the wedding rituals. The father giving the bride away, the dowry, the honeymoon was originally designed to be a time for the husband to impregnate his new wife so they could start making babies as quickly as possible so she could fulfill her other role as breeder.”

  “Wow, you’re full of flowers and romance, aren’t you?”

  Perry grimaced, realizing she’d come on pretty strong. “Sorry.”

  “Don’t be. If you don’t want to get married, no one’s making you.” Grace’s voice had a definite edge. “I mean, it’s not for everyone. No judgment here.”

  “I’m not saying I wouldn’t ever get married, but it would look a lot different from the traditional marriage. Equal roles and support for each other’s dreams, even if that meant we didn’t live in the same place, do the same things.”

  “You have given this some thought.”

  “I’m not immune to the allure of romance.” Perry laughed at Grace’s dubious expression. “Okay, I realize that made me sound like I was on the set of Pride and Prejudice. Seriously, though, I’m not a total brute. I may not have found anyone I want to spend the rest of my life with, but I’m open to it as long as they’re open to something untraditional.”

  “That sounds suspiciously like someone who wants to have someone at home and another on the side.”

  Perry laughed. “Who has time for that? I have a lot I want to do with my life, and none of it involves staying at home.”

  “Okay.” Grace stared straight ahead, ostensibly watching the road, but Perry could feel a slight chill settle into the air between them. Definitely not the atmosphere she wanted to cultivate. Eager to warm things back up, she shifted the focus back to Grace. “What about you?” she asked.

  “Are you asking if I want a white picket fence and two children?”

  “Sure.”

  “Not in the way you mean, but I do want security and stability and someone to share it with.”

  “Now who’s the romantic one?”

  “I’m plenty romantic, but I’m practical first. No sense getting all mushy about someone who isn’t right for you.”

  Perry wanted to jab at Grace’s functional view of love, tease her about talking about romance like it was a business venture, but she didn’t really have any room to talk since her approach wasn’t that much different. They both wanted very specific things when it came to the subject of love, romance be damned. She wanted a relationship that flouted tradition and Grace wanted contractually assured happiness. Their interests could not be more divergent, and the revelation took a bit of the thrill out of this date. Maybe it wasn’t a date after all.

  * * *

  Grace handed the keys to the valet and stepped out of the car, craning her head to see if she could spot her parents. She probably should’ve let them know she was bringing Perry along. She doubted they’d care—her dad loved to talk to anyone who’d listen, but if they did have something personal they wanted to discuss, then the addition of a guest would be a signal to hold off until after dinner. Hopefully, this dinner was
simply a chance to catch up.

  Her ruminating begged the question of why she’d invited Perry in the first place. She knew she wasn’t the only one surprised at the move. Campbell had acted off about it when she’d showed up on her doorstep, and she could hardly blame her. In all the time she’d known them both, she’d never spent any alone time with Perry.

  She wanted to believe the spontaneous invitation was a way to keep dinner light, but she knew it was more than that. She’d formed a bond with Perry while they were in London, and it had carried over when they returned home. Perry was fun and smart and cute. She watched her climb down from the SUV and reassessed. Perry wasn’t cute. She was striking and full of youthful confidence. Who wouldn’t be attracted to all that?

  Shoving away her thoughts to examine later, Grace circled the car and joined Perry at the door to the restaurant.

  “Any tips for tonight?” Perry asked.

  “Yes. When in doubt, agree with my father. It’s easier than listening to a filibuster on whatever.”

  “We got this.” Perry hooked her by the arm. Grace’s first thought was she should pull away, but it was quickly replaced by the comfort of the embrace. What was going on here? Was Perry simply being friendly or was there some shifting undercurrent between them? Was Perry feeling it too or was she oblivious to whatever was brewing beneath the surface of their friendship?

  Grace didn’t want to pull away, but she knew she should, and definitely before they encountered her parents who were nosy and would definitely get the wrong idea. “I’ll check to see if they’re here yet.” She patted Perry on the arm and slipped out of her embrace, instantly missing the warmth of her closeness while relieved she didn’t have time to analyze her reaction to it.