Page 27 of Legal Attraction

“I can see why. No one wants to be without a fully functional wiper in the middle of a rain storm.”

“Exactly.” Rand nodded and then checked his watch.

Coral nodded. “So, I think I’m feeling much better. Should we go down for some of those scones you purchased?”

“Yes. They really are my favorite local faire.”

“Then I can’t wait to try them.”

He led the way and then held open the door for her. As she passed, he rested a hand on her hip.

She looked like she wished to turn to him for another hug, but kept walking instead.

When they entered the conference room again, many of the attorneys were already gone. But those present eyed the two of them with interest. Rand would need to stifle those interested thoughts. Neither of them wanted to deal with complications that they could easily avoid. And if Coral had denied any closeness to him, that added something further to be aware of. His law firm in the course of a couple hours had become more than just something he was frustrated by in their stifling of his assisting certain clients. They were now something that he hesitated to fully trust. Or at least he now felt inclined to hide things from them. One did not easily hide things from a law firm, particularly not Goldstein and Smithson. But Coral had set him on this path, not even Coral, the circumstance they found themselves and the odd manner in which it had been handled had set him on a path to at least get some answers before he made solid decisions about his law firm.

And he could not forget, Coral had details about Muskanza. Details he had already wanted to try and discover and now she alluded to the fact that they might be related to the situation.

He and Coral were both interviewed by security. In Rand’s case, they were very interested to know why he had made his way down to Coral’s office. Hopefully she would continue to deny knowledge of why he had gone there. He told them that he had heard the shots being fired from that direction, which is absolutely true and had headed that way. He ducked inside an office when he wasn’t sure he would be undetected. And he was happy he did because she was in need of comfort, all by herself. He told them that he had seen first-hand how the royals’ security details protected them and that this was probably the first time Coral had been in danger without specific assistance. He was glad he had found her.

They seemed to be inclined to believe him. It was all true. So they should. He had just left out the part about her finding his number and texting him. Because she had. But even that detail could have been included. She’d overcomplicated things. Perhaps.

He declined an emotional support therapy session though Coral had not been given the option to decline.

So he found himself back in his office after a very long and strange day. With piles of work still to do, he grabbed an extra laptop and some of his files. He could work from home, or Coral’s home. Had she moved in yet? Perhaps he should have been inviting her to his home.

He stalled as long as he could, hoping to run into Coral, but she had not yet exited out of the conference room. So he found his way to his car as slowly as possible. It felt like a desertion to leave her in there. But at least the doors were open. She could leave. And perhaps the therapy would be good for her.

His car started up, and he was about to look behind him to back up when Coral hurried out into the parking garage. She looked flustered and unhappy and was searching the garage. He rolled down a window and lifted a hand.

She waved back but ignored him. Then a black sedan pulled up, the kind used by foreign diplomats. He was about to leap from his car and run to shield her. Because those kinds of cars were also used by many other types of people.

But she waved and smiled inside the car, hopped in and they drove off without another look in his direction.

He frowned. And then he pulled out his phone. “Everything alright?” The text he sent might have seemed innocuous to most, even to Coral, but he was partially panicked while waiting for her response. Where was she going? Was she leaving? Heading back home? Were her parents forcing her? Did she need him? Too many thoughts raced through his mind and he had to speed out of the garage before he started to drive himself crazy.

He went home, worked out, changed, collected his things, and still no contact or response from Coral. He had no idea where she lived, no plan or ability to see her tonight unless she responded. It was getting late, approaching half past eight. He ordered the takeout he was planning to bring, had it delivered to his house and then opened up his laptop, prepared to at least get some work done.

Forty minutes later, the food was arriving and he at last got a text.

“I’m on a new phone. Dinner? Meet me here. Last month was magical. Last night even better.”

Then she texted a shark emoji with an address.

He looked it up. A home in a safe neighborhood. He was pretty sure this was Coral and either way, he’d go. “I’ll be there with Thai.”

“Mm. You read my mind.”

He drove slower than he wanted to. He’d suddenly become super paranoid and wondered if people following him would think something was odd if he raced over to a woman’s house. It would be good for Rand to get back to work, in his normal office, doing his typical clients. At least without the high-profile ones, there was very little drama in his daily interactions.

But as he pulled up to the house and the security detail in front was obvious as well as cars around back, he suspected his life wouldn’t be any degree of normal any time soon, at least not that evening.

Two huge muscular men in street clothes answered the door, looked him over and waited. He handed them his ID. “I’m here to see Coral.”

One looked at him twice comparing to his license and then let him in.

Coral called from a front room. “I’m in here.”

The house was charming. It had a foreign feel but was clearly decorated from American stores. Everything about it screamed safe house to Rand. He’d spent enough time in them overseas. Though he’d never seen one in America.

---