Second Chances

Struggles In Reality

I woke up, back in my big apartment. The feeling of her lips on mine was still there as I sat up. I ran my fingers through my hair as I thought about my date with Abby. My thoughts then drifted to Abigail and me eating Chinese food late at work the other night.

It was clear that I was starting to have feelings towards Abby and when I was with Abigail, I felt the same. My worry is that I'm falling for Abby and projecting my feelings onto Abigail.

I rubbed my face in frustration as my head started to spin. This was getting too confusing.

I got out of bed and started getting ready for work. As my Uber driver picked me up, my thoughts drifted to the deal. If I hadn't made that deal, I wouldn't be confused about my feelings for Abigail.

But if I hadn't made that deal, I also wouldn't have remembered her.

I guess it's what you call a double-edged sword.

* * * * *

I was going through my court notes when I heard a laugh that made my heart jump into my throat. I looked up and smiled when I saw Abigail and Lily walking into the office together. I watched as she made her way to her desk, greeting almost everyone she passed.

She put her bag away and turned on her computer. I fixed my shirt and ran my fingers through my hair when she grabbed her notes and my schedule.

"Good morning, Zac."

"Hey!" I cheered jokingly. "You finally stopped calling me, Mr. Efron."

"And it felt wrong," Abigail laughed. "I don't know many lawyers who willingly allow their assistants to call them by their first names."

"We talked about this," I chuckled. "Mr. Efron is a corporate asshole who doesn't remember anyone other than himself. Zac is trying to be someone trying not to be a corporate asshole who does. . ."

"Does remember his elementary school bestie," she finished for me. "And we talked about this. We're both adults. That happened ages ago."

"Even if it happened ages ago, the guilt is still there."

She looked at me, her eyes softening. She sighed as she walked over and sat down across from my desk.

"Do you know why I took this job?"

I opened my mouth to respond but decided to shrug. "The second I walked into your office for my interview, I recognized you. It instantly became clear that you didn't recognize me so I acted like we didn't know each other. When you offered me the job, I debated. I knew this would be a great opportunity, but I didn't know if I could work with someone I used to know better than the back of my hand who didn't remember me now."

"Then why did you accept the job?"

"Jeff Westin."

My eyes widened when I recognized that name. It only took me a few seconds to remember where from.

"Wait," I said slowly. "Jeff Westin. . . He was in a custody battle with his wife."

"My dad has worked with Jeff Westin for as long as I can remember," Abigail said with a small smile on her face. "I remember his wife. She was horrible. She never took care of the kids. She was always off with friends. She drank way too much. She was a horrible mother. But Jeff? He loved those kids with every fiber of his being. He tried his best to protect them. It came to the point where the only thing he could do to give the kids a good life was to leave her."

Abigail sighed as she pulled the bottom of her skirt down. "She fought back and was ruthless. 90% of the things she was saying were lies. He was losing the case and she knew it. All she was doing was dragging it out and torturing him and their kids. Until you took him on as a client."

I looked over my shoulder at the picture Jeff sent me of him and his kids in their new house. They had moved to California and he got settled in a job for a startup company. He was a lot happier now than he was during the court case.

"His case is the only pro bono case I've taken," I said mostly to myself. "When he came to me and asked for my help, he just asked for a recommendation for a lawyer who was good but cheap. Hearing his story, hearing him talk about his kids. . . I offered to help."

"I told my parents about the job offer to work for you," she continued, making me look at her. "My mom continued to give you the benefit of the doubt and my father smiled knowingly. He told me that he'd be proud if I started working for you. He also told me he was the one who suggested you to Jeff."

"Wait, what?" I stuttered.

"Jeff came to my father when he started losing the case," she explained. "He told my father how much he didn't want to lose his kids and it killed my dad. They've known each other for a long time. Suddenly, my dad remembered that you went into law. He couldn't remember what specifically you studied, but he figured you'd know someone that could help him."

"Jeff was really surprised when I told him I'd help him pro bono," I said, finally understand why Jeff kept thinking I was going to send him to someone else."

"It meant a lot to my dad all the work you did for Jeff," she said as she looked down at her hands, avoiding my gaze again. "So, when I told them that you had offered me a job, they both encouraged me to take it." 

"Despite me not remembering you?"

"Despite that," Abigail chuckled. 

I smiled as Abigail stood up, smoothing out her skirt. "As I said, Zac," she said, putting emphasis on my name, "I've never held the fact that you didn't remember me against you. You've done great things here and it's been a pleasure working for you."