Page 84 of Who's Your Daddy
I cross my arms and glare. “Who is Cal taking to dinner?”
“How the hell would I know?” He tosses his hands in the air and leans back, making the leather chair crack. “He goes out with a different girl every night. He can’t even recall the woman who birthed his child.”
The wind leaves my sails and my stomach crashes through the floor. He’s right. None of this is new information.
How the hell did I letCalget me so twisted up in knots?
He goes and acts like a sweet human to his son for a few weeks and I simply forget who he was before Murphy showed up, but it’s not like Cal had a personality transplant. Eventually, he was going to go back to his old ways. Dammit.
As anger and irritation and hurt battle for the top spot inside me, I zero in on the sweat that’s formed on the mostly full drink on Brian’s desk. One bead of moisture breaks free and rolls down the plastic, picking up speed until it collides with the coaster beneath it. It was inevitable. Destined. Just like Cal will inevitably go out with another woman. Many nameless, faceless women.
This is exactly whythat nightwas supposed to be justa night.
Cal was always going to move on. And I refuse to let myself get hurt.
“Lo.” The single word is a low rumble as Brian pushes to his feet and splays his hands on the top of his ultra-organized desk, his knuckles going white. “Whyare Cal’s dinner plans upsettingyou?”
Eyes narrowed, he glances over my head like he’s searching out Cal. Expecting him to pop in any second.
I choke back my emotions. This is work. I am a professional.
And Brian is a stickler for rules. Thefirm has always had a no-fraternization policy, so he wouldn’t be thrilled if he discovered that Cal and I hooked up.
On top of that, he’s always been protective of me. When I started working for him, I was only twenty-two, and from day one, he made sure the staff knew that anyone who messed with me, messed with him.
It dawns on me now that the sentiment still stands, and Cal is included in theanyone.
I shake my head. “It’s nothing. He told me to make a reservation and mentioned that the person he’s meeting with is difficult as hell to deal with. So I was hoping for some insight before I dive into that fight.”
Brian runs his tongue over his teeth, amber eyes hardening.
Shit.
“He called it a business meeting,” I toss out, evening out my tone.
Finally, his muscles relax and he drops back into his chair. “Oh, that kind of dinner.” He smooths the front of his shirt. “Probably Jerry Atshire. He’s a blowhard. In his mind, it’s absurd for the wife in the Wooden case to be imputed to a full-time income. Even though the assets are 50/50, he thinks the debt should be all Cal’s guys’ problem.”
That eases the unwanted jealousy that’s bubbled up inside me. “That sounds like Jerry. Though if he were representing the husband, he’d be singing a different tune.”
“I despise attorneys like that.” Brian shakes his head.
“Me too.” My blood pressure levels out as I take a step back. “But you know me, I'm great at wrangling that guy.”
Brian’s eyes are on his computer again, but he gives me a hint of a smile. “Just one of the reasons we love you.”
“Right.” With one more backward step, I’m in the hallway. Then I’m striding to the conference room.
Amy is tapping away at her computer, but Cal is kicked back in a chair, his feet up on the large table, tossing his bright orange basketballup over and over. He doesn't even glance my way when I slip past him.
“I don’t understand legal research,” Amy whines. “Shouldn’t like…the judges know what they say and the rules they make?”
Although both were silent as I walked in, this seems to be a continuation of a conversation.
“Like why do we have to tell them about it?” She frowns at Cal, twirling a lock of her dark hair absently.
I lose all hope for mankind every time I remember that this woman is in law school. Good god.
But Cal, ever patient with her nonsense, shrugs, his focus still fixed on the ball he tosses up again. “There are thousands of judges in this country. They can’t be aware of every word every one of them has ever said. So we remind them.”
