Page 26 of Legal Attraction

His face did not change expression. But she got the sense he was tense, unhappy with something. “Did you know each other before this event?”

“Not at all.”

“Did you contact each other after?”

She shook her head, suddenly grateful they hadn’t. “No. I didn’t have his phone number.”

“And he not yours.”

“I assume not. Or maybe he just didn’t call. I wasn’t expecting a call.”

“You won’t get in trouble. We don’t have rules about dating here.”

She found that supremely odd especially in situations where a partner and new associate were involved. “I’m not concerned about being in trouble.”

He nodded. “Excellent. And he found his way into your office, how?”

“I’m not certain. I would have told him not to attempt it.” For some reason she hid the fact that she’d texted him. Perhaps that was a mistake. Perhaps he already knew because he monitored all the partners’ phones. If that were the case, it would be healthy for him to know he couldn’t know everything just because he asked.

The door opened and Rand rushed out. He held up his phone. “The police are here and have questions asking specifically for you.”

Mr. Goldstein nodded. “Thank you. Could you stay with Ms. Anastas until she has her breath back and then escort her back to the room for her interview?”

“Of course.”

ChapterTwelve

Rand waited until the door shut behind partner name. “I’m not sure why you’re up here.”

“I needed a little air. Turns out I’m a prisoner.”

Rand gritted his teeth. “Not a prisoner certainly.” But he knew she was correct. He nodded. And it was likely they could be heard.

“Mr. Goldstein was kind enough to show me how I could find some fresh air. I was starting to panic a little bit when I realized I cannot leave.”

He nodded.

She motioned him to come stand beside her and she lifted her phone. Then she showed him while she deleted their texting conversation.

He nodded and did the same. So she had hid the fact that they knew each other. That was probably for the best. He tapped his ear and she nodded.

So he began the most benign conversation he thought he’d ever have with Coral. But she played along and after a moment, it was a game to see how it would be possible to talk about the most boring things alive. “And so I really think it might be useful to harvest more slugs. They might seem a pest to most plants.”

“And incredibly ugly.”

“Yes, that. And also possibly useless in general. But surely this world should have more of them.”

“It’s a cause I’m happy you can get behind.”

“Have you ever considered the amount of time it takes for a windshield wiper to need to be replaced?”

“You know, I never have. I can’t believe it, but it’s true.”

“You must consider usage naturally not just passage of time. It comes down to how many wipes.”

“And is it perhaps related to speed of wiping? And frequency?” She let her hand run down his arm with the barest touch. He caught her fingers when they passed his and snatched them up for a squeeze before letting them go.

“It must be. I’m certain. I think these statistics should be published. It very well could influence my decision to buy a car.”

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