Free Not Your Match by Lindzee Armstrong

tell him?
    There was a knock at the door, and Holly stepped inside. “You’re not going to believe who I just got off the phone with.”
    Andi raised an eyebrow. “Who?”
    “Mr. Bearded Dragon.”
    Andi groaned, slumping over her keyboard.
    Holly sank into a chair. “He’s decided he wants the pet. He wants to re-negotiate.”
    “They already signed the contracts.”
    “I know. He says he won’t go through with the wedding on those conditions.”
    Andi rubbed her hands over her face. “Then maybe he should call the wedding off. This couple is doomed.”
    “I told him to take a couple of days to think about it, and if he still felt that way on Monday, we’d make a counteroffer to Deborah.”
    At least Andi wouldn’t have to worry about it for the next two days. “Thanks for saving my weekend.”
    “Hey, I got your back. We women have to stick together. Law is still a man’s world.”
    Andi picked up a pen and clicked the end. “Sometimes I think it shouldn’t be my world.”
    “You don’t mean that.”
    Andi shrugged. “I always wanted to do family law, but I thought I’d be helping children in unstable situations or abused spouses or couples who were adopting. Not watching couples who professed to love each other until death rip each other apart.”
    “Sometimes couples get vicious. But I take that as proof they’re better off alone.”
    “Why do you love it so much? I’m losing all faith in humanity and their ability to love unselfishly.”
    Holly shrugged. “My parents had a horrible, messy divorce that left my mom with almost nothing. I like making sure my clients don’t end up the same way. Unless they deserve it, of course.”
    Andi’s phone rang, interrupting the conversation. The number didn’t look familiar, but in her line of work, she couldn’t afford to ignore calls.
    Holly rose, mouthing a “bye.” Andi nodded and waved, then pressed the phone to her ear. “This is Andi Harmon.”
    “Andi, it’s Elle.”
    Andi’s stomach flipped. She hadn’t thought Elle would actually call.
    “Hey,” Andi said.
    “Sorry to bug you. Are you busy?”
    Andi looked around her office, at the bookcase she needed to straighten, the pile of cases calling her name. The box of Mark’s stuff she still hadn’t taken to the post office. She should drop it off on his parents’ doorstep and save herself the postage, since he was in town. “I’ve got a few minutes. What can I do for you?”
    “I’m in a bind. I’m calling to persuade you to teach at Footsteps for Change.”
    Andi chewed on her lip. She really shouldn’t. But after the day she’d had, she was desperate to do something that had only ever brought her happiness. “I probably shouldn’t. I’m putting in a lot of hours at the office right now. But it’s a tempting offer. I do miss it.”
    “If there’s any way you can make it happen, I’d be so grateful. I’m desperate. The instructors for our January class came down with mono and the doctor has put them under strict instructions to rest. None of my other instructors can take on an additional class, and I don’t know anyone else qualified. The kids will be so disappointed if we have to cancel.”
    “When is it?”
    “Every Tuesday for twelve weeks from six to eight, starting next week. All teenage students, and all beginners.”
    Dancing. Not only dancing, but teaching. Andi glanced again at the pile of cases. Couples fighting over bearded dragons, Mexican shawls, custody. So much hate. Andi saw her clients at their worst.
    She needed this. She needed to do something that made her feel like herself again. That reminded her not everything in the world was awful. She needed to help people for a change.
    “I’ll do it,” Andi said.
    Elle let out a happy squeal. “You’re a lifesaver. Is there any chance you know a guy who can come as your partner? If not, that’s fine. It just helps to have an experienced partner when teaching.”
    It would definitely be worth two hours