“Well, we’re wondering if we have the grounds to sue. You know, for stealing our work. And we’re wondering if we can get the other marketing company in some trouble too, because they must have known something was off when the client came to them with a full campaign presentation ready, right?”
“I would think so,” I agree, furrowing my brow. “Although I don’t know enough about it to be sure. The kind of work I normally deal with is more along the lines of personal injury, that kind of stuff. But I’m sure I can do some research for you and help figure it out.”
“You’re the best!” says Maddox, his posture becoming more relaxed. “And, of course, I’ll pay you for your time.”
“Oh, I couldn’t accept that,” I say quickly. “I’m only a student, not a real lawyer or anything. And anyway, I work for a pro bono office, so even if I use their resources, we wouldn’t need to charge you anything.”
“Yeah, but don’t you get a fee if you take on the lawsuit and win?” he points out.
“In some cases, yes, that’s the agreement. But we mostly deal with very low–income clients, so we only occasionally take a very small percentage,” I explain. “And honestly, for this type of case you’ll probably want to go with a larger law firm.”
“So, it really is mostly completely pro bono? Wow, you are truly a saint,” he laughs, and I blush.
“Well, it’s never really been about the money for me,” I say quietly.
“But I can’t stand the thought of you doing all that work for us for free. I know how hard you work and that you’ll do a wonderful job. Plus, I don’t want to take you away from your studies for nothing! So, how about you keep track of the hours you spend working on the contract and researching the potential for a lawsuit and…” he reaches over and takes the pen out of my hand, scribbling a number on the legal pad in front of me. “How does that sound?”
I gasp at the high number in front of me. “Total?” I ask incredulously.
“No, of course not,” says Maddox. “Per hour.”
I can’t even believe what he’s offering. It’s insanely high, even if I were a fully qualified, practicing lawyer.
“Maddox, there’s no way I can accept that!” I say, laughing and pushing the pad away from me.
“Sure, you can,” says Maddox easily, shrugging. “If I weren’t paying you, I’d just have to pay somebody else to do it. Besides, it’s really the company paying you, not me. Plus, I know I can trust you, so it’s worth it to have you do it.”
“And how do you know that?” I tease.
“Because you’re a good person, Madison,” he says seriously, staring intently into my eyes. “You always have been, ever since I’ve known you. And that’s a long time.”
The air between us is thick with tension. Our eyes are still locked on each other, and for a moment, I think he’s going to kiss me.
Instead, he stands up and moves toward the fridge again.
“I’m sorry, but do you mind if I eat dinner while you’re here? I got home not long before you got here and only had time to shower…”
“No, of course not, go right ahead,” I say, just as my stomach decides to growl loudly. There’s no way he didn’t hear it—how embarrassing.
“Sounds like you haven’t had dinner yet either,” Maddox laughs. “Want some?” He pulls containers of leftover takeout pasta from the night before, and the smells of garlic and pesto have me drooling again. “There’s still plenty left, and it won’t be good for much longer.”
“Well, okay,” I agree. “But I need to study a little bit, is that okay?”
“Of course,” he says. “Mind if I put on some background music, or is that too distracting?”
“Not at all.”
I try to pay attention to the words on the screen in front of me, but keep looking over the top of my laptop to watch Maddox move confidently around the kitchen. I like that he reheats the pasta on the stovetop rather than in the microwave the way most guys would (the way I would, to be perfectly honest). He presses a button on a small device in the corner of the kitchen counter, and bossa nova music pours softly out of the invisible sound system.
Maddox hums along to the music while stirring the pasta, adding a few ingredients: a dash of olive oil, a sprinkling of sea salt, a pinch of some seasoning I don’t recognize. Finally, he plates the food and turns to set a dish in front of me. I quickly turn my eyes back to my screen, hoping he didn’t notice I was watching him.
“I think I’ll switch to wine now to go with dinner,” he says cheerfully. “Can I tempt you with a glass, now that we’ve got some of the business talk out of the way?”
I hesitate. A glass of wine does sound good now, but I really need to prepare for this quiz.
“Well…okay. But just one, though. Thanks,” I say.
“White or red?” he asks.
“Um…red,” I say, surprising myself. I really prefer white wine, but red wine with dinner seems more sophisticated. And in this beautiful house, with this gorgeous, slightly older man, I want to feel sophisticated enough to match my surroundings.
“Red it is.” He leaves the kitchen and returns a moment later with a bottle of wine in hand. “I keep a wine fridge in the basement,” he explains before expertly removing the cork. He pours a generous amount into two large wine glasses, nearly emptying the bottle between them. He sets one in front of me and then sits back down on the stool beside me, clinking my glass.
“Cheers!” I say.
“To a new business partnership!” says Maddox. “And…to friendship,” he says, peering at me over the top of his glass.
Friendship. That’s all I said I wanted, right? So why am I feeling so confused?
“Yes…friendship,” I agree reluctantly, and Maddox gives me a look.
Luckily, he doesn’t press the issue. “So, what are you studying for?”
I roll my eyes. “Ugh, I have a quiz first thing tomorrow morning and I’m really unprepared.”
“Somehow I doubt that,” Maddox teases.
“Well, okay, not as prepared as I’d like to be,” I admit.
“Here,” Maddox says, sliding my laptop across the counter to rest in front of him. He then quickly stabs a bite of food and sticks it in his mouth. “Do you have a study guide or anything on here? I can quiz you if you want.”
“Yeah, actually, that would be great,” I say gratefully.
Now it really is like a study group. Except way better, because of Maddox. And the red wine, which is going straight to my head.
While we eat, he asks me questions from the study guide, gently correcting me when I make a mistake and helping me come up with mnemonic devices to memorize everything.
He’s really intelligent, and very helpful. I don’t know why I find this so surprising. Of course, he’d have to be smart to start a successful business the way he has. It’s just that I’ve never really seen this side of him… And I like what I see.
After a while, he pours us both another glass of wine, finishing the bottle. The laptop and legal pad lay abandoned on the marble island while we talk.