(Cole)
By the time I ended the call with Lena, I was smiling in the middle of my own office like a man with poor judgment.
I set the phone down and looked at the stack of files waiting on my desk. Two client matters needed review before three. One settlement draft needed edits. Gerald's latest request for a hearing delay sat on top of the pile in a folder I had every intention of rejecting.
Instead, I thought about Lena saying she was in a meeting.
Calm voice, irritated tone, no hesitation. She had answered anyway.
That mattered more than it should have.
A knock came at the door before I could waste any more time thinking about it.
Ryan stepped in with a legal pad and a folder.
"Gerald's office sent revised language," he said. "Also, your three o'clock is here early."
"Which probl
