“He was very impressed with your abilities as a lawyer and was sad to lose you. He mentioned that he offered you a substantial promotion if you would consider staying,” Mrs. Vogel said, fishing for more information.

Sabrina felt herself relax by a fraction. “Yes, that’s correct, but for personal reasons, I decided to follow through with my decision to move to New York.”

“Personal reasons?” Mrs. Vogel asked.

Sabrina swallowed. It appeared there was no way around this now. “Yes, a relationship. A long distance relationship I’ve been having for quite a while,” she lied, “developed into something more serious, and it was time to take the next step.”

The female partner nodded. “Good. It’s refreshing to see somebody taking a risk.”

Surprised at her response, Sabrina smiled. “Yes, some relationships are worth taking a risk.”

The three of them smiled at her, and then Mr. Yellin said, “Excellent. Excellent. As you know, this firm focuses primarily on acquisitions. Are you familiar with the laws of New York that pertain to this?”

“Yes, sir.” Sabrina nodded. “As a matter of fact, I’ve been brushing up on New York law and getting ready to sit the bar exam so that I can be licensed here.”

“Did you apply for the bar exam in time? The deadline was in April if you want to sit the July exam.”

“Uhm.” Sabrina shifted nervously. She knew she’d missed the deadline, but had hoped to sit the exam in February, since she hadn’t counted on getting an interview this quickly and figured it would take several months anyway, before she’d start with the interview process.

“Well,” Mrs. Vogel continued, “I have some personal connections there. Maybe they can squeeze your application in for the July exam, so that you won’t have to wait until Spring. That is, if you’re ready for the exam.”

“Absolutely. That would be wonderful. I would really appreciate it.”

Ready for the exam in less than a month? She’d have to cram day and night.

“Fine then.”

“Then let’s talk a little more about your experience,” Mr. Winslow said and launched into a case, then asked her what she would do under the circumstances, which laws applied and how she would handle the different aspects of the case.

Before she knew it, two hours had passed. It was the longest—and best—interview she’d ever had.

“Well—” Mrs. Vogel tapped her pen on the table. “—I believe we’re done here.” She stood and extended her hand. “Thank you for coming in, Ms. Palmer. We’ll be in touch soon.”

When Sabrina stepped out into the hustle and bustle of the streets of Manhattan, she inhaled a deep breath of air. Things were looking up.

By the time she arrived at home, she’d received a voicemail from the secretary of the law offices, inviting her to a second interview a few days later. Jumping up and down, Sabrina pumped her fist in the air.

“Yes!”

12

Daniel looked up at the sound of his office door being flung open. Who the hell had the audacity to barge into his office like that? Especially since he’d given his secretary explicit instructions that he didn’t want to be interrupted.

His frown turned into a smile when he saw Sabrina breezing in, a vibrant smile on her face and a twinkle in her eyes, looking as beautiful as ever.

“Sabrina, what are you doing here?” he asked as he stood and made his way toward her.

“I just had my second interview.” Her words were rushed and her voice was full of excitement. He loved seeing her like this. “Oh my God, Daniel it was the best interview ever.”

He smiled. “That’s great.”

This was only the second time Sabrina had come to his office. The first time he’d shown her around and introduced her to Frances, making it clear to her that Sabrina would always be allowed to come into his office, no matter how busy he was.

He had to admit, he liked it that she now surprised him with a visit. It broke up the monotony of his day and gave him a boost of energy.

“Yes! In fact, it went so well, they made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.” She squealed with delight and bounced up and down, clapping her hands, reminding him of a child on Christmas morning. “I got the job!”

Laughing, he said, “That’s fantastic news, Sabrina!”

Daniel picked her up, spun her around, and planted a kiss on her lips before setting her back on her feet. “Congratulations, baby. I’m so happy for you.”