Harley nodded her head slightly, and an admiring look dawned across her face. “Humble, hard worker … and ambitious, according to Philip, who heard that from your boss, I think,” she observed with a smile.

Rian shrugged. “Your own card doesn’t scream out your own advanced degrees in the legal field, by the way.”

“So I guess it takes one to know one.”

Harley smirked and then faced forward again when the cars in front of them started edging ahead. They fell quiet as the traffic flow began to ease up, and the redhead focused on maneuvering through nearby lanes to be able to advance as quickly as they could, under the present traffic conditions. But when they joined the Santa Monica freeway, traffic congestion slowed them down again. Soon they crawled to a stop.

Harley blew another impatient breath out and frowned. She flashed Rian a rueful grin and shrugged. “I’m normally not this impatient while driving. I’m just anxious this morning.”

Rian waved her hand to indicate she understood.

Harley slipped the gear to “park.” “I should have brought you some coffee or water or something. Sorry about that …”

Rian shook her head from side to side and reached out again to rub Harley’s forearm quickly. “Hey, don’t worry yourself, ok? We can grab some coffee or lunch or something after this meeting …”

Harley nodded, but was still biting down on her lower lip. Rian withdrew her hand and observed the anxious redhead beside her. The crisp strategy discussion she’d had with Philip indicated to Rian that this young lawyer was sharp as a tack. Harley had led the discussion, basically, and all Philip did was agree to most of what she’d said, choosing to correct her on a few minor points, gently guiding her forward. Rian could tell that the confidence in Philip’s voice meant he wasn’t sweating the fact that an associate of his firm was handling an important meeting on behalf of a group of powerful people. And yet Harley was beginning to get jumpy again. Hmmm… this did seem like a big deal for her.

Rian was about to say something when Harley suddenly swiveled to face her. A nervous smile crossed her face. “I normally try to keep my experts cool and collected before any big discussion or grilling, so ….”