As Victoria nodded slowly and fumbled around the table for her chopsticks, Professor No-Boundaries and his student left.

  Victoria drained her sake. “Jesus,” she snarled. “I wanted to strangle that jerk.”

  Genevieve stared at her like she’d never seen her before.

  “What?” Victoria’s pitch rose. “What’d I do?”

  “Tori, do you realize that you showed more emotion just now than you did all last night during our argument? Honestly, it’s like I don’t even know you. You have this impenetrable public persona, and it’s like steel, and no one ever breaks through, not even me sometimes. And then some stupid idiot totally unnerves you, and you, like, almost lose it. After all this time, I have no idea what makes you tick.”

  “That’s ridiculous. You know me better than anyone.”

  “That probably says more sad things about you than good things about our relationship. You hold everyone at a distance, and I’m not sure I’ve ever actually been inside.”

  Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, Victoria tried to find a way to convince Genevieve that she really wasn’t such an enigma, that Genevieve had broken through her walls that first time they’d met at Harvard Law, and she’d never successfully been able to keep Genevieve out. When she opened her eyes again, Genevieve was shaking her head.

  “Look,” Genevieve said, her voice warmer than it had been in days, “I can see that your public persona, your walls—they cost you something. Whether you know it or not.” She ran her hand through her hair. “I’m sorry I dragged us out here. You were right—we would have had a better time at home.”

  Victoria gave a shaky laugh. “But then we would have never known that undergraduates are going to spend an entire class discussing our relationship. And that they might even get graded on how well they debate our love life. Hell, we could be the topic for a term paper: Fornier, Willoughby, and the Romanticization of the US Legal System. Maybe there’ll even be a book.”

  “God, I could have died happy never thinking about any of this.”

  Their eyes met, and some of the frost between them melted. Victoria swallowed, reached out, and took Genevieve’s hand.

  “Genevieve, I don’t know what the hell we’re doing. You know I’m not used to making accommodations for someone in my personal life. I understand—apart from the legal complications of our relationship, I’m just difficult to be with.”

  “What an understatement,” Genevieve said, but there was enough affection in her voice to take the sting out.

  “Hey, I’m trying here. Can you meet me halfway?”

  Genevieve squeezed her hand. “You’re right. I do appreciate that. And I know this isn’t your fault. I committed to this relationship just as much as you did, even knowing that something like this might happen.”

  The tension that had tightened Genevieve’s entire body relaxed, and only then was Victoria aware of how taut Genevieve had been for the past week. Exhaling and leaning back in her chair, she smiled tentatively. “So, we’re okay?”

  “We’re okay.”

  They left the restaurant holding hands, another first for Victoria. She tried to relax into Genevieve’s touch and not to glance this way and that to see who was watching them, but it wasn’t easy. Genevieve’s hand felt stiff, and Victoria wondered if they had actually solved anything between them at all.

  Chapter 11

  Saturday morning, Will called Victoria and announced that he and Diane had hired a babysitter for that evening and were going out to dinner. He invited her and Genevieve on a double date, which seemed the perfect opportunity to make progress on her ongoing project to prove to Genevieve that she wasn’t afraid to be seen in public with her.

  On a stool at her kitchen island, Victoria dialed Genevieve’s cell phone, because she was at the office. On a Saturday. And people thought Victoria was a workaholic.

  “Tori, hi, just a moment.”

  Victoria could hear her talking about depositions in Michigan to someone, presumably on her office phone. “Thanks, Frank—once you’ve got flight options, please send them to me. Bye for now.” She cleared her throat. “Thanks, babe—sorry about that.”

  “Flying to Michigan again?” Tori asked.

  “Next week. Final depositions on Thursday.”

  Victoria nodded, even though Genevieve couldn’t see her. It was great that Genevieve had been more available since hiring an executive director, but there were certain parts of her job that simply required travel, and Victoria would probably always be missing her.

  “Well, since you’re actually in town tonight, Will and Diane invited us to dinner. Go on a double date with me?”

  “Oh, I’d love to, Tori, but I promised Bethany we could go to a Labyrinth sing-along. It’s playing at a theater downtown, and evidently they give you bags of bubbles, balloons, and whoopee cushions. She’s been looking forward to this all week.”

  Victoria glanced at the recipe for herb-encrusted halibut that she was going to make them for dinner before Will called, and almost asked her when she had been planning to tell her about Bethany. “I didn’t realize you had plans,” she said.

  “Sorry, Tor—didn’t know I needed to run my social schedule by you.” The edge in her voice belied her breezy tone.

  “You don’t—that’s not what I mean. I just… It would be nice if we could find a way to coordinate schedules.”

  “What, like synching calendars or something?”

  “Sure, why not? When you were traveling so much for work, our default was time apart. Now that you’re here more, it seems like we should spend more time together—isn’t that what you want?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  Victoria waited for her to say something more but was met with silence. “Look, I don’t want you to feel tied down or anything,” she said, though that wasn’t exactly true.

  There was another pause, and then Genevieve said hurriedly, “Tori, I’m sorry—I just got an e-mail that my client in Michigan is sick, and there’s some question about whether she will be classified as male or female for a hospital trip. I have to go.”

  “Genevieve, are you checking e-mail while we’re on the—” Click.

  Well. She would be going to dinner without Genevieve, and that was that.

  At eight that evening, she drove over to Legislative Lobster, an upscale seafood restaurant. Will and Diane were seated at a conspicuous circular table in the center of the room, and with this crowd, Victoria didn’t have much hope that the presence of a Supreme Court justice would go unnoticed. As she joined her brother and sister-in-law at their table, she tried not to feel like a third wheel.

  After they got caught up on mundane life events and ordered drinks, Diane turned to Victoria and grabbed her hands. “Darling, it’s been weeks! We’ve been worried that Genevieve kidnapped you and whisked you away to some tropical destination.”

  “I’ve been working,” Victoria said. Let’s not talk about my love life, please.

  “What’s on the docket this fall? Anything I need to really care about?” Will asked.

  Victoria had long ago given up on convincing Will that all cases—even the unsexy ones about taxes—were worth caring about.

  “We’re hearing an important case on voting rights this fall, and it’s going to be contentious, particularly considering the Court issued a controversial ruling on this topic just three years ago.”

  “Voting rights? I guess I should know this stuff, huh?”

  “Only if you think enfranchisement is a fundamental part of the American democratic system.”

  “My darling sister, are you picking up Genevieve’s flair for the dramatic?” Will asked.

  Victoria started at the sound of Genevieve’s name, but Will and Diane didn’t seem to notice. Their food arrived, and they began a complicated process of passing plates around and sharing. Her heart had been set on halibut since she’d picked out a recipe for dinner, and Victoria decided she couldn’t have made it any better at home. Will’s salmon was delicious, but Diane’s bouillabaisse was to die for.

  Diane leaned back in her chair and patted her tummy when she was done. “Yep. I definitely feel guilty for this dinner. I ate way too much.”

  “When was the last time you two went out for dinner without the kids?” Victoria asked.

  “Was it…last month? Honey, you couldn’t have even combed your hair?” Diane returned a lock of hair sticking up on the back of his head to its proper place.

  He batted her hand away. “What month is it now? October? I think we went out in August.”

  “Oh yeah. That new Asian fusion place where you got the sushi burrito. It was awful.”

  “Let me get this straight.” Victoria cocked her head. “The last time you two went out for dinner was two months ago, and you didn’t like the food? I think you can hold off on the guilt right now.”

  Will pushed his plate away and sighed. “That salmon was so good. Almost as good as my wife makes, and we don’t even have to clean up after it.” He leaned over and kissed Diane’s cheek.

  “And by ‘clean up,’ he means ‘pull chunks of it out of Rebecca’s hair,’” Diane said.

  “Don’t forget fishing it out of the rug under the table,” Will added.

  “Fishing it?” Victoria poked him in the ribs. “Like, fish? Like salmon? Get it?”

  “Oh God,” Will groaned. “That one wasn’t even intentional.”

  “You two. How did your parents put up with you?” Diane asked.

  “I’ve got to say, Tori, it’s really nice to spend an evening talking about something other than Power Rangers. I feel very adult all of a sudden,” Will said.

  “Then why are you dressed like a teenager?” Victoria asked. “Diane and I are wearing dresses and jewelry, and you’re in what amounts to a T-shirt and jeans.”

  He rubbed the back of his neck. “Um, let’s talk about that voting rights thing again.”

  Victoria laughed. “And I was just going to ask if we could talk about Ninja Turtles.”

  Will waved his hand in the general direction of the server. “Check, please!”

  “Oh, Tori, by the way, when’s Genevieve’s birthday?” Diane pulled out her phone. “I was updating my calendar the other day, and I don’t have hers.”

  “July 6. She turns fifty this year.”

  “Oh shit, that’s huge!” Will said. “You need to start planning now!”

  “It’s only October,” Victoria said. “A lot could happen between now and then.”

  Why did I just say that? She could kick herself.

  “What, like, you two break up? Jesus, Tor, have a little faith.” Will stared at her, and Victoria fidgeted. His eyes narrowed. “Unless you’re planning on walking away again.”

  “Me? No. I won’t make that mistake again.”

  “Well, then, how are things with Genevieve?” Diane asked, bringing the conversation in the exact direction Victoria didn’t want it to go.

  “Good. Our jobs are, well, messy right now. But we’re working through it.”

  “Are you being a jerk again?” Will asked. “Because you were a jerk in law school, so I’d suggest being nice this time.”

  Diane rolled her eyes. “I think we’ve all moved past that one, Will.”

  “I’m not sure, actually,” Victoria said softly. “Genevieve brought it up again last night.”

  “Ouch,” Will said.

  “You know,” Diane cut in, “I’ve seen the way Genevieve looks at you. I sincerely doubt she’ll make that mistake either. So let’s assume you two are still together for her birthday. What do you think she wants for her fiftieth? A stripper?”

  It was an awful time to have just taken a drink. Victoria coughed and tried not to spray vodka all over the table. Her eyes watering, she sputtered, “No strippers. I honestly haven’t thought much about it, but I’ll come up with something.”

  The waiter, having taken Will’s earlier gesture seriously, arrived with the bill, which Victoria claimed before her dinner companions could. When Will started to protest, she cut him off. “You had to pay a babysitter so you could come out tonight. I’ve got this.”

  As they hugged good-bye on the sidewalk outside the restaurant, Diane whispered in her ear, “Let me know if you want to talk about Genevieve. I can’t imagine navigating a relationship with all the scrutiny you two are under.”

  “Thanks, Diane. We’ll be fine, I’m sure. Just some bumps in the road.”

  After she climbed into her car, Victoria checked her phone and discovered a notification:

  Genevieve Fornier would like to merge calendars.

  She tapped accept, and her calendar app populated with fundraising events, hearings, depositions, and conference calls. The only event listed for that day was a phone interview with The Advocate; the calendar didn’t say anything about going to a movie with Bethany. Had she forgotten to put it on the calendar, or had she just made it up as some ridiculous power play so Victoria would stop scheduling things for her?

  She hated that she even entertained such doubts.

  Chapter 12

  A week later, Genevieve surveyed her living room one last time before she headed to the airport, and sighed.

  Trying to convince herself that her anger was directed at Archie Dalton for appealing the case wasn’t working. The idea that someone else would argue a case she had worked up from scratch, almost single-handedly, made her skin crawl.

  Well, it wasn’t her personal frustration that mattered right now. Heather and Crystal were on their way, and they would look to her for strength and optimism, which she vowed to give them, regardless of whatever emotions were swirling around inside her.

  When she had called them to say that the Supreme Court would be hearing their case, she had been vague about why they needed to meet in person to discuss what came next. Her friends were devoted parents who didn’t spend a lot of time following gossip in the legal field. And she hadn’t exactly kept them posted on her romantic situation.

  In her defense, every time she called to talk, Crystal interrupted her twice a sentence to call out things to her children like “put the dirty diaper back in the pail” and “stop biting your brother.”

  The phone call last week hadn’t been much different. In between “get back in bed” and “you just had a glass of water—you don’t need another one,” she had said to Genevieve, “Well, the kids have never seen DC before. I’ll look into flights.”

  So Genevieve had done what she could to childproof the house for Jackie and Jasper, one of whom was probably two. Or four. She mentally added, come up with a graceful way to ask the kids’ ages to her to-do list.

  When all of her breakable items were either elevated to higher shelves or stashed in the closet, and a new game of Connect Four was on the coffee table for the older child, she grabbed her car keys and headed to the airport. Heather had promised that three adults and two kids could fit in Genevieve’s BMW and had hinted that there was something pretty hot about the way Crystal, who was in no way butch, installed the gear her kids needed to ride in a car.

  Everything from the moment they first hugged outside the airport to the moment both kids were asleep in her home office on an air mattress felt like chaos. Before Heather had closed the office door and Crystal had taken off her earrings, Genevieve was pouring wine.

  The three of them got settled in the living room, and Genevieve studied her friends while they nursed their drinks. Crystal’s hair was in a messy ponytail, and she looked like a single glass of wine might knock her out at any moment. Heather had dark shadows under her eyes.

  When they had recovered enough of their energy to talk, Crystal offered her a weak smile. “Well, on the plus side, we made it here in once piece.”

  “Congratulations,” Genevieve offered.

  “Genevieve, you look great,” Heather said.

  Crystal turned to her and smirked. “Really? I was about to say she looks awful.”

  “You’re one to talk. Is that yogurt on your sweater?” Genevieve asked.

  “Mashed-up Cheerios, I think,” Crystal said.

  “Do you want to treat it and put it in the washer?”

  Crystal just laughed. “If I worried about washing my clothes every time the kids covered them with food, I’d probably give up clothing altogether.”

  “I have no problem with this,” Heather announced, and Crystal swatted her shoulder.

  Their glasses were nearing empty, so Genevieve headed into the kitchen to fetch the bottle. It was surreal, she thought as she poured refills: Crystal was in many ways the same girl she had played dodge ball with in gym class, but their lives felt so different now. Genevieve hadn’t ever stopped to think about whether she wanted kids, and Crystal had started talking about names long before Heather had become pregnant.

  When she had settled back into her corner of the couch, Heather turned to her. “Well, we’re headed to the Supreme Court. Who would have thought?”

  “Do you think we’ll win?”

  The hope in Crystal’s eyes sent a wave of guilt through Genevieve. She suppressed a sigh as she stood and paced around the room. “Do you want the good news or the bad?”

  At the same time that Heather said, “There’s bad news?” Crystal said promptly, “Good news, please.”

  “I’m seeing someone, and it’s kind of serious.”

  Crystal squealed a bit and hopped over to pull her into a tight hug. “About time!”

  Over Crystal’s shoulder, she could see Heather raise her wine glass in salute. “What’s she like?”

  “She’s great,” Genevieve admitted, producing more squeals and hugs from Crystal. “Brilliant, funny, beautiful. And total pain in the ass too.”

  Heather laughed at her wry tone. “Good. Sounds like you’ve found someone who can keep up with you.”

  “Some days, I’m not sure I can keep up with her.”

  Crystal held her hand, solemnly. “If she feels the same way about you, that’s the foundation for a good partnership.”