On the Dotted Line: Suddenly Us, #0.5

By Lauren Brown

Jemma Brooks
The day I've been waiting for is finally here. In a few short hours, the board will announce the candidates with a chance at being promoted to partner. My mentor has promised me I'm on the shortlist to fill one of the three spots and become the youngest partner in the law firm's history. I'm not worried about the competition. At least until the announcement is made and the rules are changed. Now I'm fighting to win a single spot, and only one associate has the skills to beat me. Brandon Stick-up-his-ass Roberts.

Brandon Roberts
Anyone else would be nervous heading into work today, but I'm not just anyone. There's no question I'll be promoted to partner this year, and today's announcement is just the first step. But my perfectly mapped-out plan is thrown out the window when I find out there will only be one new partner this year. I won't let my reaction to the news crack my well-honed corporate exterior. Inside, however, I'm prepping for a fight with the human tornado with the desk across from mine. If she's somehow gotten it in her head that she can beat me, Lawyer Barbie better prepare to be disappointed.

On the Dotted Line is the prequel to the Suddenly Us series of interconnected standalones. Each book can be read independently, but the series is best read in order to understand each character's full story.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ink & Imagination
• Release date: Sep 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201575649

Lauren Brown

Lauren Brown is a writer and journalist from Billingham, Teesside in north east England. She studied English at Cambridge and now lives in London with her partner. She’s written for publications including the Guardian, the Independent, Index on Censorship, Vice, and Women’s Health UK. She can be found on Twitter as @Laurenrbrown95

Book preview

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Copyright © 2022 by Lauren Brown

Cover design by Jillian Liota of Blue Moon Creative Studio.

Scene break, and playlist graphic created using elements from Vecteezy.com.

All rights reserved.

No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

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Contents

1. Jemma

2. Brandon

3. Jemma

4. Brandon

5. Jemma

6. Brandon

7. Brandon

8. Jemma

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Jemma

♫ Little Girl by Kira Isabella ♫

The day I’ve been waiting five years for is finally here. The sun is shining bright as I walk to work and I feel like I could take on the world. I step up to one of the many doors across the front of our office’s building and reach out for the handle. Before I can grab hold of it, the door pushes open from the inside, jostling me and sending my iced coffee down the front of me. I jolt back and stifle a squeal as the cold liquid seeps through my clothes to my skin.

After taking a moment for one calming breath, I look up to see who had exited the building and assure them all is well. But I don’t hear the expected apology or even find someone standing nearby waiting for me to look up. I turn and spot the only person walking directly away from my building. I can’t tell which of the black suit-clad corporate clones it is but it doesn’t really matter. Today is my day and I will not let a little hiccup throw me off.

I button my coat to cover the spreading stain, step over the puddle of coffee at my feet, and head inside toward the elevator. I look around the building’s imposing lobby as I wait to go through security. There’s something about the buzz of activity that energizes me. That’s when I spot him flirting with the receptionist. Brandon Roberts has been a pain in my ass since the day I met him during my first semester of law school. Whenever we worked together or ended up in the same study group, he would point out any possible mistake or deviation from a rule or guideline, no matter how small. Nothing was good enough for him. It’s what makes him such an annoyingly good attorney, but it also drives me crazy. I look down to make sure all evidence of the coffee mishap is hidden. I know I shouldn’t care what he thinks but I don’t want to give Mr. Stick-Up-His-Ass any opening to get inside my head today.

Even with the interruption, I’m a few minutes early arriving at my desk. I stow my purse and briefcase beneath it and pull out the key for my bottom desk drawer. Most people use their locking drawers for snacks or more salacious refreshments they don’t want stolen. Me? That’s where I keep a complete change of clothes so I never have to walk through the office looking anything less than perfect for longer than it takes me to reach the restroom. Is locking up my clothes a bit excessive? Perhaps, but when I say it’s a complete change of clothes, I mean it. And there are just