Forever Right Now

Why not ask her out?

It seemed like such a simple thing, but I was on the verge of losing my clerkship. Aside from studying and classes, I was going to have to devote even more time to Judge Miller’s final assignment to ensure I gave him what he wanted.

The tiredness fell over me like a heavy coat.

I have nothing to offer her.

Darlene removed the tray from Olivia’s highchair, and set her down on the floor where my daughter made a bee-line for the wooden blocks scattered on the carpet by my desk.

“We were making towers,” Darlene said. “I’ll clean those up.”

“No, it’s fine. Here.” I held out the twenty. “I don’t know what your going rate is but…”

She was already shaking her head. “Nope. I owe you from the other night. I was so pushy, and I still feel bad about it.”

“What? No. Take it.”

Darlene ignored my money and knelt beside Olivia. “Bye-bye, sweet pea.”

“Bye-bye,” Olivia said. She stacked a wooden block with letters on each side on top of another that was covered in numbers.

“So smart, this girl.” Darlene popped back up with a breathy exhilaration. Her eyes were impossibly blue. “I should go.”

“Darlene…”

Her phone chimed a text. She fished it out of her bag. “Oh, that’s Max. He’s a frien

d. I told him I’d meet him later, so yeah.” She shouldered her bag and headed for the door.

Max. Okay.

I followed Darlene to the door to open it.

Max is the guy who’s going to ask her out if he hasn’t already because you won’t.

“Such a gentleman,” Darlene said as I held the door for her.

“You should take the money,” I said stiffly. Almost harshly. “You saved my ass today so…”

I held out the cash again but Darlene pushed my hand away and held on for a moment. Her fingers were soft and warm on mine.

“Your money’s no good here. We’re even.”

A short silence fell, and my mind—so full of every goddamn thing I’d ever seen and read—had no words.

“Goodbye, Sawyer the Lawyer.”

She let go of my hand, her smile softer now, and turned to go. Half a second later, she stopped and spun back around.

“I changed my mind. I know how you can pay me for today.”

A small laugh erupted out of me, despite myself. God, this girl.

“How?”

“Last Friday, at the grocery store? You said that I was a…” She held her hands out.

I blinked. “A what?”