Page 119 of A Legal Affair
They were silent for a few minutes, staring out into the night. A light mist fell from the overcast skies, the muggy heat ofthe day lingering. Floodlights lit up the manicured yard below, reflecting in the surface of a large pool with a rock waterfall.
Evander finally broke the silence. “You’re missing a great party.”
Caleb grunted noncommittally, twisted the cap off his bottle and took a deep swig of beer.
It was Saturday night. Evander and Robinette were hosting their end-of-summer party at their sprawling house in the suburbs. The rain had driven everyone indoors, which proved fortuitous for Caleb, who’d snuck out to the patio to avoid mindless socializing.
He’d almost skipped the party this year. He’d wanted to stay home instead, brooding and drowning his sorrows in whiskey. He’d tried to back out, citing tight deadlines and piles of work. But Robinette wasn’t having it, and he’d never been able to say no to her.
Evander leaned on the railing beside him, his beer bottle dangling from his fingers. “Nette sent me to find you. She’s worried about you.”
“No need,” Caleb muttered. “I’m fine.”
Evander snorted. “Bullshit.”
Caleb ignored him. He wasn’t in the mood for Evander’s well-meaning but annoying dissection of his emotional state. He’d had more than his fill of pep talks and lectures over the past three weeks.
Evander hitched his chin toward Caleb’s pocketed phone, the screen still warm against his thigh. “How many times have you read that woman’s text since you got it?”
More times than I’ll ever admit, Caleb thought bitterly.
“You should block her number.” Anger and impatience edged Evander’s voice. “Why keep torturing yourself? Nothing she has to say will change what she did.”
“Obviously.”
“I mean, she wasn’t some little gold digger looking for a payday. She was a professional, a goddamn mercenary. She lied to you, manipulated you.” Evander let out a derisive snort. “Texting an apology won’t absolve her of her sins.”
“I know that,” Caleb bit out.
“Do you?”
“Fuck off, man. I don’t need this shit right now.”
The two friends glared at each other in the diffuse yellow overhead light.
Evander relented first, blowing out a deep breath and shaking his head. “My bad, bro. I don’t mean to keep rubbing salt in the wound. I just hate seeing you like this. Pisses me the hell off.”
“Welcome to my world.” Caleb lifted his beer bottle and took a long hard swig.
“You know I’m a Philly boy. My people can be hot-headed, and we definitely hold grudges.” Evander chuckled. “My wife, on the other hand, doesn’t have a violent bone in her lovely body. But when she found out what went down with Daniela, she was ready to snatch off her earrings and throw hands. You know Nette don’t play about you.”
“I know,” Caleb murmured, smiling faintly. Robinette had always been fiercely protective of him. She was the sister he’d never had, or rather, the sister he’d been privileged to have in his life.
“You need a distraction,” Evander said. “Seriously, bruh. You need to get laid, clap some cheeks, whatever it takes to get your mind off that scheming little succubus.”
Caleb knew he was probably right. He had a healthy libido, and jerking off was no substitute for the luscious wet heat of a woman’s body. He’d have to get back out there at some point, and fortunately, he’d never suffered a shortage of willing partners eager to satisfy his needs. But the thought of hookingup with anyone but Daniela held about as much appeal as shoving his dick in a meat grinder.
“You don’t even have to go far to find your next distraction,” Evander said slyly. “You’ve got a houseful of beautiful women right at your disposal. You think I haven’t peeped all the ladies throwing themselves at you tonight? You can literally have your pick, bruh.” He nodded toward the back door, and Caleb reluctantly followed his gaze.
Through the glass, they could see the party in full swing. There were dozens of people laughing, dancing, munching canapés, drinking and clinking glasses. Robinette was a blur of motion in her sky-blue cocktail dress, sister locs bouncing as she flitted from group to group, effortlessly mingling with her guests.
Caleb watched as she linked arms with a curvy, caramel-toned woman in a clingy red dress that showed off some serious cleavage. Robinette met Karina through the book club she’d joined as part of her goal to achieve a better work-life balance. The two women had become besties overnight.
As if sensing Caleb’s gaze through the glass door, Karina looked over and caught his eye. She smiled, shyly at first then more boldly, licking her red lips and fluttering her fingers in a wave. Robinette gave her a playful nudge, wiggling her eyebrows. As the two women dissolved into giggles and whispers, Caleb turned away and swigged more beer.
Evander grinned, bumping his shoulder. “In case it wasn’t obvious, Karina’s really into you. Ever since you guys met, she’s been begging Nette to hook her up. How much you wanna bet she wore that little red dress just for you?”
“Doesn’t matter,” Caleb muttered. “I’m not interested.”
