Anything You Can Do(68)
Other thoughts dogged her, too, thoughts that involved running with Austin. And she had been, she realized, running with him. Until today, their competition had been a form of togetherness, a closeness. At least, it had been for her. Apparently the same wasn't true for the creep.
After only a mile, she headed back home in exhaustion.
"All right," she gasped, almost falling in the door, ''I'm ready for wine now."
As she slumped on the sofa, Paula shoved a glass in her hand. Samantha climbed to her shoulder and licked her sweaty face.
"To my friends," Bailey declared, laughing and raising her glass of wine. "Even though one of them has her head screwed on crooked." Bailey took a big gulp and was glad she had done so when Paula spoke again.
"I've got it all figured out. By now Austin's probably feeling as rotten as you are, so you need to just pick up the phone and call him and explain."
Bailey pulled herself upright. "Is it your hearing or your comprehension that's defective? If I saw that man coming down the street, I'd go ten blocks out of my way to avoid him. Unless, of course, it had been raining and he was walking close to the street in a white linen suit and a car was headed for a huge puddle two feet away from him. Then I might stop to watch."
"Okay," Paula agreed. "You're hurt. We'll leave it alone for right now."
"I am not hurt, but I would appreciate leaving it alone."
The three of them sat silently on the sofa while Bailey cast about for something to say. Her whole mind seemed to be filled with thoughts of Austin the Arrogant Creep. The only other thing she could dredge up was her visit to Stafford's office. And if she lost her partnership by losing her temper, she could lay that at Austin's door too. Because of his tantrum, her temper had been a lot more volatile than normal.
But at least she'd come up with a new topic for discussion. "I suppose, since you seem to know everything else, that you've heard about the new partner," she ventured cautiously.
"I thought you'd never tell me!" Paula exclaimed, smiling broadly and refilling both glasses. "Let's drink to that. Congratulations." She raised her glass in a toast.
Bailey grinned, a small ray of happiness shining through her gloom. "I wanted you to find out at the fiscal-year-end party. I wanted to march up there in some gorgeous dress I don't own yet and look back to see you watching. Gordon already knows too. But you both have to promise to act surprised and excited!" She leaned back on the sofa and sipped her wine. "I don't know why they make such a big deal out of keeping everything secret."
Paula shrugged. "It's like little kids when they have a club with lots of club secrets that aren't really secret and don't really matter anyway, but the kids get off on the secrecy idea."
Bailey burst into laughter. A good friend and a little wine after a run when one's heart was pumping furiously could effect marvelous mood changes, she decided. "You have a way of putting things into perspective. Stafford would be lost without you," she said.
"I know that, but he doesn't."
"Well, he will. I'll tell him. Just as soon as I'm officially a partner. You deserve recognition for your efforts." A sudden thought struck her. "Does Stafford pay you enough? I don't see you going on any spending sprees. "
"Do they pay you enough? Does anybody ever get paid enough?"
"Sometimes." Bailey watched her friend's face closely.
Paula refilled their glasses again and drained half of hers. "That may well be, but I doubt that any of those sometimes ever happen in a legal secretary's life. And let me explain something else to you while we're on the subject of our different stations in life. In case it's escaped your attention after all these years, secretaries don't attend parties with attorneys."
Why was Paula suddenly so defensive about her job? Bailey had never considered that they had different stations in life.
"What are you saying?" she asked.
"Wake up, Bailey. Your little scenario where I get to see you made partner isn't going to happen."
Bailey set her wineglass on the table. Her mouth went suddenly dry. "You won't be there because you're a secretary? You also happen to be my best friend, and this will be my moment of glory. You and Gordon will both be there."
Paula stood. "I'm going to bed now. You'd better do the same and try to sober up."