“Okay.”
Isaac stood, dropped his robe and then retrieved his own plate and coffee before crawling into bed beside her. “Now, out with it. Tell me what you want from your job.”
“A career” was her immediate answer.
“Lay it out for me.”
She crossed her legs tailor-style and twisted just enough to face him. “I’ve been a junior attorney for years. Longer, in fact, than every man that was hiredbythe firm the same year I was. If they survived the grueling hours, they were promotedby year five. Not me. There was always some reason I was passed over.” She paused, took a sip of coffee and hummed in appreciation. “That’s good stuff.”
“Agreed. Now, go on.”
“Are you always this bossy so early in the day?”
“I’m an early riserbynature. I’d have been in the office at least—” he glanced at the clock “—three hoursby now.”
“I’d have been there two.”
He tipped his head in acknowledgment. “Two workaholics sitting here lounging in Dublin. Who’d have thought?”
She huffed. “Not me.”
“Me, either, but I’m glad we’re here.”
“Me, too.”
“What do you want, Rachel? From your career, I mean.” He clarified quickly, maybe too quickly, afraid that her answer might be more than he wanted to hear just then.
She continued as if his abrupt clarification meant nothing. “I want to make junior partner this year. There’s an opening...” She swirled her coffee in her cup, eyes glued to the muddy-looking drink. Then she looked at him, her gaze fierce. “I want it, Isaac. I’veearnedit, probably ten times over. There’s another attorney who has thrown his name in the hat for consideration, but I’ve been there two years longer than he has. I have more experience, more hours in court with twice the recorded wins that he has. I’veearnedthat position.”
“What would it mean for you to get that job?”
She looked over his shoulder, her eyes softening. “No more worrying about having to give up my one-bedroom apartment to get a roommate. No more eating ramen for dinner to be able to pay my student-loan payments. No more scrabbling to make ends meet when I need to cover business expenses or manage to pay for an actual vacation.”
She looked so fierce sitting there, hair hanging in waves around her bare shoulders, eyes bright with ambition, mouth thin with determination. Isaac knew she’d get what she was after, come hell or high water. She wasn’t the type to settle for less than what she deserved. He recognized the same trait in himself and knew just how far he would go to achieve the next pinnacle of success, particularly when it was so clearly within reach.
“You’ll get there,” he said softly, offering her a bite of bagel covered in cream cheese.
“I have to, Isaac. If I don’t?” She took the proffered bite and chewed slowly. Swallowed. “I can’t let this position go to someone who hasn’t put in the time. I’ll do whatever I have to do to get the partners to see me.”
A sudden thought crossed his mind, made his stomach perform an unwelcome flip-flop. “Did this trip affect your chances?”
“No,” she answered quickly. “I wanted to do this, Isaac. Wanted to do this with you. It’s been the reminder I needed that, sometimes, you have to let your hair down and live a little. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy and Jill a dull girl, after all.”
“Truth.” He raised his coffee cup and clinked it to hers.
“Truth,” she repeated. “What do you see happening with Power Match after Jonathan’s test run?”
“I’m not entirely sure.” He rolled his head from side to side and popped his neck.
“I can tell you whatIthink needs to happen,” she said as she forked up a breakfast sausage.
Test-subject insight would be invaluable, so he waved her on.
“You need to find the glitch in the software that seems to pair opposites versus like-minded individuals.”
“Don’t tell me you think we’re a bad match,” he said, voice laden with ironic disbelief.
“Not a bad match,” she affirmed. “Just not a match I’d have ever sought out on my own.”