Page 74 of Contention

Having returned to her seat, Gale gives Kara an apologetic look, “Sorry, I know we meant for this to be a ladies lunch. Dieter and I were finishing up some business. It always takes longer than anticipated.” To the man in question, Gale says airily, “I kept her quite busy with many of my other clients while I was at Benson & Clarke.”

A look of false offense crosses his features and Kara pegs him to be in his mid-thirties, likely younger than Nick. He’s in a clean-cut white button down that shows off his gentle tan, his blue suit coat hanging on the back of his chair, somehow casual and powerful elegance rolled into one. There’s an expensive looking timepiece on his left wrist, but he’s wearing a few gunmetal rings, absent a wedding band. The rings give him more of a ‘tough guy in the back-alley’ sort of aura, like he forgot to take them off after being at a heavy metal concert the night before. Kara finds this intriguing. He has sleek, athletic hands, not bulky in any fashion. His voice is smooth, precise. “Oh? I thought I was your crown jewel? Isn’t it all hands-on-deck where I’m concerned?”

“Oh indeed. It’s all hands-on-deck with you for different reasons. Mostly because-” Gale pauses here, snapping up a goat cheese curd, dipping it in jalapeno jelly before popping it in her mouth with a thin smile. “You’re intolerable- and nothing but drama. But you’ve got ninety-nine problems and all of them cost glorious sums of money.”

Well. Tell us how you really feel, Gale,Kara thinks in amused surprise.

The birds chirp and the honking of horns resound through the city, bouncing off the tall buildings around them. Oh, it’s getting hot sitting in the sun. Kara worries that she’s going to start sweating through her blazer.

She hopes her coverup doesn’t sweat away, exposing the marks on her wrists.

“You’re an icy witch, Gale.” Dietrich says this casually, like it’s a song and dance they’ve played out a thousand times. “What a pair we make.” His eyes cut back over to Kara. “So, you’re her coffee bitch, hm?”

Gale glares at him menacingly, but Kara forces a sarcastic grin on her lips as she replies thinly, “I must have missed that particular job title when I got hired. Coffee Bitch. Lovely ring to it. Right next to Junior Associate. Kara Hayes, Junior Associate, Coffee Bitch on the side. Ultra-skilled.”

He smirks at her, his nose wrinkling attractively as he cocks his head. Fuck, Kara hates when he does that. “I’ve always found it pays to be a person of many skills.”

Gale hums skeptically in a somehow ladylike fashion, looking sophisticated and poised with her perfect hair, not a frizzy piece to be seen. How she manages that in this weather eludes Kara. Absently, Kara runs a few fingers self-consciously through her own hair; her soft waves eat up humidity with a passion and the frizz only adds volume like it’s being paid to do it.

The waitress comes by and barely glances at Kara as she asks her what she’s drinking. Kara tells her a water is fine, quickly noticing that the waitress has her eyes caught on Dietrich. Oh,of course. Not a single soul is immune to the bastard, it appears. In a completely flirtatious tone, the woman asks him, “Would you like another refill, sir? An Arnold Palmer, was it?”

The woman nearly melts into the fucking ground when Dietrich smiles pleasantly at her, his eyes going bright and inviting. Any woman would find it difficult to not fall into those pure peridot pools and this woman clearly has no qualms about showing her blatant adoration.

Jeez, Kara gets he’s goddamn lovely, but can’t a bitch have some shame? Her eyes nearly roll out of her skull at the scene unfolding in front of her.

His body language screams sex for the sake of sex as he says politely, “Yes, please. Could you also add a shot of vodka to it this time? A double? Yeah? You’rethe best, sweetie.”

With a well-placed wink, the waitress nearly falls into the next life. Dear God…

For a horrid moment, Kara almost wishes all of that potent sexual power was being thrown her way before she recalls why she shouldn’t. Gale places a hand on her arm, jerking her out of her thoughts. “You should order some food. Dieter’s treat.”

“Course it is,” he says, tone becoming dry. “You’d just bill me for it later otherwise.”

Gale gives him an incredulous look. “Oh, please. Not for lunch. You act like I’m a penny-pinching old hag.”

Kara orders a lobster roll, having instantly wanted it upon seeing it on the lunch menu. She knows she’s going to still be hungry after eating it, somehow lobster rolls are never filling; she always wants a second one immediately after.

But, they’re so good,Kara thinks wistfully as the waitress leaves them in peace.

The man next to her is cracking his neck.Loudly. “I’m just joking. But, you know, I’m pretty sure I paid for your new lake house after our last suit.” His nose wrinkles a bit again as he gives Gale a sly grin. “Not going to be using that with the hubby any time soon, are you, now? Tsk, tsk, Gale. Maybe you can hire Benson as your divorce lawyer. What a rodeo that would be…”

Kara feels her eyes widen as she glances over at Gale in surprise.She’s getting divorced? I thought the whole point of her leaving the firm was so that her husband wouldn’t leave her?Her stomach drops and she worries that her perfect idol isn’t feeling as perfect as she appears.

“That’s in bad taste.” A red flush suffuses Gale’s face and her blue eyes take on a miserable hue. “You are beingratherhorrid today.”

“When am I not?”

“When you put your scheming brain to it, Dieter.”

His phone rings loudly and Dietrich answers it, expression going scarily flat, “Speak, I’m at lunch.” He listens to someone on the other end, eyes going half-lidded, that empty look in them. “That’s what I’ve hired you for. If you can’t get that done without me telling you the play by play, I’m not sure why you still have a job. Get it done or pack up.”

Dietrich hangs up and puts his phone on the table, rolling his eyes. He looks at Kara with a sideways glance. “So, what’s your work ethic like, chickadee? Do you get the job done or do you hmm and haw every five minutes looking for someone to spoon feed you the process? Do you look up at the ceiling and think, ‘Oh, God,whycan’t you just give mea sign?’”

Kara can’t help but snicker. She sips her water, eyes flashing with excitement as their food arrives, being set before them. “I grew up having to take care of myself and others; I never had the luxury of having someone tell me how to get things done. Straight into the fire with me, that’s my work ethic style.”

He’s looking at her with an unreadable expression. Almost calculating, like she’s said something of interest. She reminds herself that Nick implied something rather unpleasant about Dietrich Bittinger, but now she can’t recall. Not to mention she got the distinct impression that they are the sort of friends that are always trying to test each other. Friends that really aren’t friends at all.

There had been a few uncomfortable moments in that limo ride, after all…

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