Always the Last to Know(100)

“Darling, I’m British. Free expression of emotion is forbidden by the Crown.” He looked down. “I just assumed you knew.”

“I love you.”

“Thank God, because I’m nothing without you, Juliet Frost.”

They were in each other’s arms then, holding on tight, kissing with relief and love and blessed familiarity. His darling bald spot and strong arms, the smell of his soap, how they were the perfect height for each other.

“They’re kissing,” came Sloane’s voice.

“Gross,” said Brianna, and Juliet smiled against her husband’s mouth.

What a joy, what a blessing to know that after all this time, love could grow and flourish like the lilacs below, growing stronger and intertwining, becoming more beautiful with each passing year.



* * *



— —

The next day, almost purring from the lack of sleep and an abundance of sex, Juliet went into DJK and buckled down to work. A phone conference with a client, design tweaks on the senator’s house, a long meeting with Brett on an airport addition. Nothing bothered her. Work was finally as it used to be.

To her surprise, Arwen stopped in her office around five. “Would you like to have a drink after work?” she said.

“Oh! Sure. Where did you have in mind?”

“Barcelona at six?”

“Sounds good.”

And so, at six on the dot, she opened the heavy wooden door of the restaurant and went in. Arwen was already there at a high top. “Just a Perrier for me,” Juliet said to the server.

“Same,” Arwen said. “And privacy, please.” She smiled at the server to soften the words. “How was your time off, Juliet?”

One day off. One day. “Lovely,” Juliet said. “My mom and I went to Boston.”

“Fun.”

“Are you close with your mother?”

“Sure. Of course.” She offered no further details, and Juliet realized she really didn’t know Arwen at all.

The server brought their water and slipped away. “What’s up?” Juliet asked.

“I’ll get right to it. I’m leaving DJK and starting my own firm.”

“My goodness.” That was fast. Not entirely unexpected, and not terribly unwelcome news. “Are you sure you’re ready?”

“Positive. It’ll be called Arwen Alexander Architecture.”

“Triple A.”

“Exactly. I’ve already had a logo designed.”

Juliet opted not to point out the car association. “Why are you telling me this?”

“I want you to be part of it.”

Okay, now that was surprising. “That’s very flattering. Thank you.”

“You know I’ve gotten a lot of attention recently, and it’d be foolish not to seize on it and make a move now.”

Smart woman. “There will be the usual noncompete issues, of course.”

“Of course. I’m not worried. Are you interested?”

“What’s the offer? I assume I’d be a partner.”

Arwen sipped her water, maintaining steady eye contact, then set her glass down. “Actually, no. I’d like you to come on as senior associate.”

The nerve. Eleven years her junior, and she wanted Juliet to be subordinate. “Who are the partners, then?”

“Just myself and Kathy.”

Kathy? That was . . . wow. Kathy. “Well, good luck.” DJK would go back to the way it was. No more It Girl, no more fawning over the shiny new thing. Good.

“Juliet,” Arwen said, “please think about it. You’re very reliable, you multitask well, and you’re . . . well, steady.”

“Gosh golly. Thank you so much, Arwen.”

Arwen twisted her straw into a knot. “DJK just offered me a partnership. So you might be thinking it’ll be nice not to have me around, but you’ll still know that I leapfrogged over you. If—if they offer you a partnership—and I think it’s odd they haven’t yet—you’ll have to live with the fact that you’re their second choice. After you put in more than fifteen years with them, they offered it to me.”

Well, shit. She was right. Juliet straightened her cocktail napkin. “Can I share something with you, Arwen?”

“Of course.”

“I was you. Ten years ago, I was pretty much exactly where you are.”

“Were you, though?”

“No, you’re right. You’ve gotten much more attention than I ever did. But I got my fair share. I also listened to architects who were better than I was. I put in the work and the time, and I became a better architect, because I knew I had to, and I wanted to.”

“So is this the ‘I paved the way for you’ speech?”

“No. It’s me telling you you’re not as good as you think you are. But you could be great. Someday. And you won’t be great if you believe all the buzz around you. If your name had been Lorna Kapinski and you weren’t quite so photogenic, I doubt you’d be getting all this attention. I, on the other hand, picked you for your potential as an architect. Nothing more, nothing less.”

“I’m taking this as a no,” Arwen said. “Thank you for your time, Juliet.”