that she was in her first year out of law school. Even though she was only a few years older than me, that degree set us in different worlds. She was on a career path, and I wasn’t.
“I have to take a fifty-eight minute lunch today.” Brenda would be watching me like a hawk.
Rachel laughed. “I think we can manage to be back by then.”
“All right, sounds good.” I wasn’t really in the mood for small talk, but I wasn’t going to say no to one of the attorneys, especially not Rachel.
I grabbed my stuff and met her in the lobby before we headed outside.
“Want to go over to Slightly North of Broad?”
“Sure, sounds great.” I usually packed lunch, but since I had nothing in the house I’d have had to go out anyway. At least if I was splurging, it was going to be good food.
We waited a few minutes for a table, and I tried to resist looking at my watch too often. I didn’t want to seem rude.
“Relax. You won’t get fired for taking a long lunch.”
“You want to bet?” I glanced at the crowded restaurant.
“Who? Brenda? She’s all talk. Besides, I’ll say you were helping me if she complains at all.”
“Thanks.” I still didn’t understand why Rachel was being so friendly. Hopefully this wasn’t some excuse to talk to me about something I messed up.
“No problem, I’ve been meaning to ask you out to lunch since you started, but work’s been busy.”
I’d only been working there a few months, but it felt like years. “Oh, thanks. Was there a particular reason? ” I asked nervously.
“You seem nice.” She smiled.
Our table was ready so we followed the hostess to a small table by the window looking out onto Bay Street.
“Oh thanks. You seem nice too.” I slid into my seat. I sounded beyond lame.
She picked up her menu. “Have you been here before?”
“Once on a date my junior year.” It was with the same guy who’d broken my heart into a million pieces my senior year.
“So you went to college around here?”
“Yeah, Harrison.”
“Cool. I went to Emory, but I grew up in Charleston.”
“You majored in Political Science.” The words slipped out, and I looked down at my menu. I probably sounded like a stalker. “Sorry, I know from your bio.”
She laughed. “Glad you do your research.”
“You probably do too. I mean since you’re a lawyer and all.”
“I do when it comes to my job.”
The waiter came by to take our order. We fell into some office talk while we waited for our salads to be brought out. The second they arrived, I dug in.
The food seemed to signify a change, and Rachel moved the conversation away from work politics. “Do you live with college friends, or on your own?”
“I live alone. I’m house sitting down on the battery right now.”
“Oh yeah? I had a friend in high school who lived down there. Gorgeous house that looked right out on the water.”
“This one does too. It’s a huge house, and I still can’t believe I’m living there for free.”
She smiled. “Living anywhere free is a good deal.”
“It is, although it comes with caveats.”
“And my guess is this is where the story gets interesting.” She took a bite of her chicken salad.
“So last night after my friend tried to set me up on a horrible blind date—”
“Ugh, I hate those.” Rachel sipped her water through a straw.
“Me too, so you’ll understand when I say I was in a bad mood.” I hesitated, wondering if it was a mistake to tell her more.
“What happened?”
“Now it sounds stupid.” I sounded ridiculous. Why had I even let him stay at all?
“Try me. You’ve got my attention. You can’t leave me hanging.”
“A guy showed up in my house.” I looked down at my salad. Was I really admitting this?
“Showed up how?” She set aside her fork.
“He climbed in the balcony door in my room.”
She leaned forward with a terrified expression on her face. “Did you call the cops?”
“No.” Now it got worse.
“Why not?”
“Because he knew the kids who used to live there. He was even in some of their pictures.”
“But that doesn’t mean he’s allowed to break in.” She was in attorney mode. I’d seen her during a deposition before. Her whole face and mannerisms changed.
“I kicked him out eventually…” After I’d talked to him and shared way too many details about my life.
“Eventually?” She raised an eyebrow.
“Yes.”
“So in other words, the guy was really hot.”
At least she understood. “Extremely. Does that somehow