Chapter 14 #3
“Ah, there’s the irritation. You held out longer than I would’ve given you credit for.
” He paused. “I need people around me. Especially women. I enjoy them. You always made fun of me for that. Actually, no, correction, you never spoke enough to insult me. Just gave me that famous cold-eyed sneer that is so effective in a courtroom.”
I put my phone on speaker and set it on the side table so I could lean forward and drop my head into my hands. My tie tightened around my throat so I dragged it off and let an article of clothing drop to the floor for the first time in my life.
Fuck Ralph Lauren.
Just fuck all of it.
“I didn’t want any of this,” I said when I could speak again. “I wanted to go to LA and live on the beach and represent drunken rockstars against their tyrannical record companies.”
“I suppose that sounds wild to you, but you know, most people want to be a rockstar, not their attorney of record.”
I had to laugh as I loosened the top few buttons on my shirt. The air against my still too hot skin made me think about kissing Ryan, wishing she’d seen more of me—and that I’d definitely seen more of her. I was wishing entirely too much tonight.
“You know, Pres, you can have that. You can just quit tomorrow. Get a place out there. Start a new firm and hang out your shingle, if that’s really what you want.
Live, man. You only get one life, but you get a hundred chances to do it over.
” He exhaled. “As for Dad, just fuck him. He never gave you the option. Repay the favor. It’s his fucking firm.
Not yours. You don’t owe him shit. And if you ever did, you paid off that debt years ago. ”
“I don’t want that old dream anymore. I don’t,” I repeated when he made a derisive sound.
“But I do want something else. I need it.” I pinched the bridge of my nose.
“My buddy Jared from college needed help with a paternity case last year. He found out he had a little girl with a woman he’d had a fling with, and now she’s his legally. A happy ending, you know?”
“Yeah, I get it.”
“But in my line of work, I hold a blowtorch for people to raze everything around them.”
“Still could make for a happy ending,” Dex argued. “Staying in a bad marriage is worse than walking away.”
“It is. Not every divorce I help litigate is worthy of a reality TV show. But far too many are. I need to walk. Especially now that Dad is having a fucking affair.”
Once the words were out, I braced my hand against my forehead. My brother had gone deathly silent.
“I’m sorry,” I said finally. “I didn’t mean to spring that on you.”
“You didn’t. I knew.”
“You knew?” The question exploded out of me as I glanced at the carrier. I didn’t see anything. Either Smoky was still Velcro-ed to the back or he’d slunk away when I wasn’t looking.
The food dish was empty though. Hmm. Well, hopefully, he would find his way to the litter box on his own.
Cats didn’t make a habit of going to the bathroom just anywhere. I hoped.
Dex sighed. “It’s not the first. Mom knows. She’s known for a while.”
“I don’t believe that.”
“You should. I confronted him about it over a year ago, and he was unrepentant. He told me to go ahead and tell Mom, that she’d just tell me to mind my business.”
“I don’t believe it,” I said again. “He could’ve been bluffing. How did you find out? And why didn’t you tell me?”
“Why would I tell you? How often do we talk?” He let out a bitter laugh. “Imagine if we didn’t work in the same damn office? I wouldn’t have a clue what was going on with you. Hell, I barely do now. And you barely know what’s going on with anything beyond your briefs.”
“Hey—”
“Legal, son. Not the ones you wear. If you focused more on those, you’d probably be a hell of a lot happier. But then again, that’s what has you all messed up, huh? She’s a fucking knockout.”
“She’s my assist—” I swore and cut myself off. “If you breathe a word about this to anyone, I will carve your nuts off and feed them to my new cat. Not that he’d want them.”
“Whoa, new pussy? You?” I could hear the smirk in his tone. “New pussy on a couple fronts, I’m guessing.”
“Watch it. And no. We haven’t slept together. You’re my fucking brother. Isn’t there like an honorary oath that you have to be the keeper of my confidences?”
“No, and you’ve told me nothing in confidence.”
“Getting there.” I rubbed my jaw. “Tell me it’s not wrong to do this.”
“I can only surmise what ‘this’ is, but she’s not going to be your assistant for much longer. And hey, if you quit, two birds, one stone.”
I knew he was kidding. Of course he was. Ryan was supposed to work for me for just two more days and then April would be back. If we broke any rules now, they wouldn’t matter in the span of a weekend.
Besides, a lot of these so-called rules were artificial constructs. Outside her very limited time engagement at the law firm, I knew our relationship wouldn’t influence her employment. Other than the fact she was already proving herself to be indispensable to me—both in and out of the office.
But then I started to smile. No, I started to fucking grin.
“You know what? You’re right. Thank you. I’m sorry I ever called you a manwhore.”
“You didn’t. At least to my face. Wait,” he said when I would’ve clicked off to go find my cat. “What the hell are you doing, Pres?”
I took a deep breath. “Making a choice.”