A Very HERO Wedding - Chapter 2

Here's the unedited version of A Very Hero Wedding - Chapter 2.

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Harri stomped back into her office and slammed the door. Why the hell didn’t Aisha get the fact their fledgling law firm was too new for a partner to take a year off? Because no matter what she said about remote working from Paris while Rey attended culinary school, they couldn’t take the chance of Mitch developing his powers around some French au pair.

Which meant Aisha would need to be a full-time mother. Plus, there was the time difference between the western United States and France. There was simply no way for her to continue practicing law full-time.

Harri threw herself in her office chair and stared at the pile of paperwork sitting in her to-do box. The firm had too much business as it was. They had been turning away potential clients for the last couple of months after they successfully defended Ultramegaperson on charges of mass murder in the Golden Gate Bridge collapse. While she’d spent most of her professional life in the city legal department, she was all too aware of what happened to any type of business that grew too fast.

She’d thrown every last cent she had into starting up this firm. Worse, she knew she couldn’t do this without Aisha.

Sure, Susan was a decent IP attorney, but Aisha’s knowledge and expertise of superhero law outstripped both Harri and Susan put together. Not to mention the endorsements of Aisha’s superhero persona gave her a secondary income stream. Something Harri didn’t have.

Was that the real problem? Was she jealous that Aisha earned more money than she did? But Aisha had always earned more since they graduated from law school because she’d gone into the private sector. If it didn’t matter before, why did it matter now?

A slight knock on the office door intruded on Harri’s pouting fit. She took a deep breath before she called out, “Come in!”

The aroma of fresh-brewed coffee entered before Patty with a steaming cup. She closed the office door before she strode over to Harri’s desk and replaced the empty mug on the coaster with the fresh cup.

Harri looked inside the cup. It wasn’t her usual straight black. The liquid had a creamy brown appearance. She took a suspicious sniff. Cinnamon blended with the java. She eyed Patty.

Her assistant shrugged. “I’ve noticed someone else has been using the cinnamon-flavored creamer besides me. Given everybody else’s tastes, it had to be you.”

Damn. Harri rolled her eyes. She tried something new a couple of times, and now, Patty believed it’s what she wanted all the time. However, she couldn’t take her pissy mood out on the younger woman. She needed Patty’s skills even more than she needed Aisha’s.

“Thank you,” Harri said as she picked up the mug. “But next time, ask me first please. Did you need something in particular?”

“I thought you might want to talk.” Patty sat in one of the visitor chairs, her fingers clenched around the empty cup. “That was a pretty bad argument among you guys this morning. Not a good sign when all three partners are yelling at each other like that.”

“I know.” Harri sighed and sipped her cinnamon coffee. It was definitely a flavor that could become an addiction, though right now, she’d prefer a shot of whiskey in her mug. “I’m really sorry about that.”

Patty cocked her head. “Is this a serious problem, or is it your abandonment issues rearing their head again?”

Harri swallowed her defensive streak and considered the situation. Everyone in the building had called her on her emotional issues at one time or another, but only Patty had lost her parents at a young age like Harri had, and Patty was the most likely to listen instead of judge.

“It’s probably a little of both, but definitely serious if we lose a partner,” Harri admitted.

Patty cocked her head. “So why are you doing you damnedest to chase Aisha away?”

Harri paused in mid-sip. “I’m not trying to chase her away. I’m pointing out why this Paris thing isn’t a good idea.”

“You also promised to hire an associate this year, and it’s the beginning of September.” Patty crossed her arms. “Instead, you’ve been trying to push me to go to law school. You’ve dumped a ton of work on Steve, who’s not even a second-year law student yet. Not to mention, Aisha’s been pulling more than her fair share of the load while being a new mother and a superhero.”

Guilt poked at Harri’s conscience. Was that the problem? Aisha did everything perfectly. Sweet kid. Gorgeous husband. Awesome double career.

All while Harri could barely keep it together with one career and a boyfriend. It had been different when they were both freshly divorced, no kids, and no one else to lean on besides each other and Jeremy.

Then there was reality.

“Our firm isn’t at the point where a partner can take a year’s sabbatical,” Harri protested. “Our doors have only been open for a little over a year.”

Patty shook her head. “Will we ever be at a point were one of us could take some time off?”

“Probably not,” Harri reluctantly admitted.

“And that’s your personal insecurity talking.” Patty leaned her elbows on Harri’s desk. “What are you going to do when Arthur and I need time off for our wedding and honeymoon?”

“Did he pop the question?” The news yanked Harri out of her funk. Their IT guru was madly in love with Patty and adored Patty’s daughter Grace. He may be a genius, but his self-esteem when it came to personal relationships could be precarious at best.

“Not yet, and don’t you dare say a word to him.” Patty narrowed her eyes. “He’ll ask me when he’s ready. Not before. And that’s the point. I’m not letting my insecurities about abandonment run rampant when it comes to our relationship. Arthur loves me, and he shows me in a million ways Cade never could.” Harri took another sip of coffee to keep from reacting to her assistant’s statement. Patty’s ex-boyfriend, Cade Wilson AKA Black Death, had escaped from prison earlier this year. It was the first time Patty had even mentioned him since he killed Arthur last year. Only Baby Grace had saved Arthur, and none of their immediate circle understood why or how Grace’s powers had manifested that one time to bring Arthur back to life.

Even more worrisome was if Harri’s goddaughter could kill like her father could as well as heal. But if she brought up the subject, Patty would accuse her of deflecting from the more pertinent issue.

“Anything else you need to lecture me about this morning?” Harri asked.

“Yes, apologize to both Aisha and Susan before they quit, and find that associate you promised you would hire.” Patty rose to her feet. “Now, Aisha and have our own interviewing to do.”

“Molly offered to watch the kids—” Harri started. And Molly Reinhold AKA Nix had been rather put out when Aisha insisted the girl go back to college and earn her degree instead of babysitting Mitch.

“She needs her own life,” Patty snapped. “She’s only twenty-three.”

“So were you when Grace was born,” Harri shot back.

“I am not having this argument with you.” Patty pivoted on her sensible flats and marched out of Harri’s office. Surprisingly, she closed the door gently behind her.

Harri sipped more her coffee. What the hell was going on with everyone in the Law Office of Winters and Franklin? Did they expect her to be a figurehead? She was only looking for the most reasonable solutions to their problems, but everyone reacted like she was a tyrant.

She reached for the case file on the top of her inbox. Maybe the best way to deal with her irritation was to get some work done.