“Does that mean what I think it means?” Monica points to the ring on her left hand and wiggles it.
“No.” Kennedy shakes her head. “I don’t think we’re quite there yet. We’ve only been dating a few months.”
“Mm-hmm,” Monica hums, taking a sip of her drink. “Carson and I were dating a week. If you can call it that.”
“Twenty-two years and a week,” I correct her, but she waves me off.
Monica and Carson grew up together. They met in kindergarten, but she still likes to think of their reunion as a whirlwind romance.
Romantics.
“You don’t get to talk.” Monica waves her hands at me. “Ms. I’m Never Getting Married.”
“I’m not.” I shrug, but they both dismiss me with their expressions.
“All right then, future Mrs. Monica Calloway,” Kennedy says. “How’s the wedding planning coming along?”
“Messy.” Monica’s shoulders deflate. “Carson is still in the process of getting rid of his place in LA so he can move up here full time. And with my sister dropping out of college to follow some band around the country, my parents are a little preoccupied at the moment.”
“She what?” I say.
Monica shrugs. “Apparently she’s touring with a band—something Muses.”
“Enemy Muse?” Kennedy’s whole face lights up.
Monica nods. “That’s it.”
“Okay, now that makes sense,” I say, laughing. “Have you seen them? What twenty-one-year-old girl would pick college over touring with those hot pieces of man candy?”
“Says the woman who won’t take a vacation if her life depended on it?” Monica narrows her eyes at me, and I shrug.
I guess she’s right. They may be the hottest band on the planet, but my career is my life. What other job lets you argue with other people and get paid for it?
“Anyway, their tour runs through Seattle in three weeks, and she’s getting me tickets, so let’s plan on going.”
I nod. “Send me the dates. Wouldn’t mind banging a rock star.”
“If you aren’t banging Jesse first,” Kennedy teases.
But I ignore her. Jesse is a no-go no matter how I look at it. Not only can I not stand to spend more than five minutes around him, but I don’t need the reputation of banging a managing partner. Sex with him would send the rumor mills running with speculation that I slept my way to the top, and I’ve worked too hard to let that happen
My phone vibrates again, and it’s another email from Jesse. A list of affidavits we need to read through.
At nearly eleven o’clock at night.
No thank you.
If what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, maybe I can finally off him and get away with it.
4
Jesse
Luceisoneofthose annoying morning people. Cheery even, which I didn’t think was possible. But here she sits, a smile on her face as she digs through case paperwork, sipping her coffee, crossing and uncrossing her ankles every other minute. Dragging my attention again and again to those sheer nylons painting her legs.
Whether it’s on purpose or not, it’s a form of torture, and she’s perfected it.
The tapping of her pen stops as she spots me frowning from the corner of her eye.