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“Who are they?”
“It doesn’t matter. You can’t just show up like this, Nick. I have work to do – other clients. You’re acting like you were trying to be helpful but you’re – you’re—”
“Flirting with you?” I may as well acknowledge it.
She sits down slowly, eyes narrowing. There’s a coldness about her. I get the impression that it’s what makes her a good lawyer.
“We had an agreement. What happened between us never comes up again.”
I nod. “Wasn’t planning on bringing it up.”
“And it won’t happen again,” she snaps. “I mean it. I could lose my job if Ben finds out. I could—”
She goes on a rant, her eyes widening and color slowly draining from her face. Guilt flashes through me.
“You’re really concerned that this would be a problem, huh?”
“Of course, I am. Not all of us are going to inherit generational wealth, Nick.”
It comes out with a bite. Now it’s my turn to be offended. I sit up and lean toward her, with only the desk between us. “I work for what I have, Blair. Trust me. I’m not just a name. I run it all, day to day. And I don’t appreciate the insinuation.”
Her eyes glitter with anger. “That’s nice. But you can’t just come in here and destroy other people’s careers. I’ve worked hard to get where I am.”
I glance at the Harvard degree hanging over her desk. “Yeah. Must be tough, getting into a school known for favoritism.”
Her entire body stiffens at the offensive words. My heart pounds for a moment. I rarely rub people the wrong way. But Blair just brings out something in me. Ever since that night taking shots at each other in the bar, all I want is to rile her up.
“I got in on a full ride,” she deadpans. “Like I said, not all of us inherit wealth. I didn’t inherit anything. My dad died in prison of a heart attack and my mom OD’d when I was in high school. It was just me from junior year on.”
Another rush of guilt, this time much stronger, floods through me. I resist the urge to stand and go to her, and apologize profusely. Instead, I sit back, my expression serious.
“I’m sorry. I made a really stupid assumption,” I run my fingers through my hair and shake my head.
There’s a long stretch of silence between us before I say, “I assure you I won’t do anything to jeopardize your position here.”
She mutters something that sounds like “it’s not just that,” but turns away, digging her purse out from under the massive stack of paperwork instead. “It’s fine. Just… don’t even joke about it. Please. Client-lawyer relationships are forbidden here, and they won’t think twice before firing me.”
I nod, but my brows twist in amusement. “You really think it’s never happened…?”
The look on her face tells me that she knows for a fact it has happened. “That’s not the point. I have a lot going on here, Nick, and I need to stay focused.”
She stands and explains that she actually has to take a break now. She looks exhausted, and I feel horrible that I’ve caused her to feel this way.
“Maybe a snack would help,” I tell her, holding her office door open.
A fresh round of snickers goes through the group of people sitting to the right. My gaze snaps to them, direct and unflinching.
The snickers die down, but one woman with a short blonde pixie cut makes a comment to Blair. “You two look awfully close, Blair. Might want to watch out.”
She turns her attention to me with an openly interested look, giving me a once-over and smiling. To make it clear that I’m not interested in the slightest, I take a step closer to Blair. I’m now right behind her, my hips almost grazing her body.
For a moment she almost leans back into me for support. But then she steps away, head down, mouth pursed.
I follow her out to the elevator lobby where we’re alone. As we wait, frustration builds in me at the short interaction.
“Why do you want to work in a place like this? Where coworkers taunt you?”
“It’s just office politics. I try not to pay any attention to it,” she attempts to explain it away, but I take her wrist and tug so she’s facing me.
