Beautifully Cruel

Chapter 43

JENNIE

"You're gonna do great."

"I'm not. I'm totally going to fail this effing test. Yesterday was a nightmare. Today will be worse. I'm going to fail."

"You won't."

"I will."

"You will if you keep thinking like that. Have some self-confidence. You've studied your arse off. You're ready."

"Remind me again why I'm bothering with this ridiculous two-day-long, twelve-hour test when my law degree has already been accredited by the University of Argentina, I've registered with the Colegio de Abogados, and I don't need anything else to practice law in Buenos Aires? Including a passing grade on the Massachusetts bar exam?"

Over the phone line, Taehyung's tone is firm. "Because it's a goal you've worked toward for years, you don't want to give up on that goal simply because you're living in another country now, and—most importantly—you promised your mother you would."

"Oh. That."

"Aye, that. I don't want to start off my relationship with her on the wrong foot."

Standing outside the meeting room door at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston where I'm scheduled to begin day two of the bar exam—like, right now—I lean against the wall and smile, picturing Taehyung meeting my parents. We're going to Texas in a few months for a visit.

For Thanksgiving, of all things.

It's a situation I once thought impossible, but I'm living in alternate reality land now. All kinds of impossible things have come to pass.

"Oh, crap, they're closing the doors. I gotta go in."

"Good luck. Call me as soon as it's over."

"You know I will, bossy boss man."

Taehyung growls, "You better, or I'll take you over my knee when you get home."

"Promises, promises. I'll see you tomorrow."

I make a kissing noise and hang up before he can make any more sexy threats. The last thing I need right now is to be distracted by the thought of him spanking my—

Too late.

I go inside, get a locking security case for my cell phone from the lady standing at the door, then take my assigned seat, forcing the thought of my gorgeous wolf and all the things he does to my body out of my mind.

Along with my now unusable phone, I've got a clear plastic storage bag holding a bottle of water, a sandwich for lunch, signed examinee agreement, and several number two pencils that I'll use to take today's part of the exam, which consists of a billion or so multiple-choice questions covering contracts, torts, criminal law, constitutional law, evidence, and real property.

Also inside the bag is my photo ID. The real one.

Because although Mrs. Ruby Diamond is a lovely name, she never applied to take the Massachusetts bar exam, so she's shit out of luck.

Everyone else in the room looks as nervous as I feel.

Six hours later, we all look nauseated. Brain dead, to boot.

I'm sure I failed, but at least I kept my promise to my mother.

I get my phone unlocked and drop the secure case into the bin on a desk near the door, then head out of the meeting room. I turn left toward the elevators that will take me to the parking garage, but stop dead in my tracks when I spot a man leaning against a nearby wall.