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“You’ll have to forgive me for wanting to spend timealonewith my girlfriend. You said it yourself—she’s the whole package.”

Seriously, what the actual fuck was going on with his friend?

“Impressive reading material you have these days,” Jack remarked, turning back to him with a smile on his face that bordered on cynical.

Nate grunted a humorless laugh. “Yeah, well, I don’t base my selection on the desire to impress.”

“Do you know that since you came back from France, we haven’t gotten together once? I call you to go out and you’re always busy. The only time I see you is at the office, and the only thing we talk about is work and the lawsuit. I thought we were friends.”

Aww shit.Sighing, Nate ran a hand through his hair. “We are. We are. But you know how it is when you start dating someone.”

“No, how is it?” Jack asked wryly. “I haven’t dated anyone seriously in a while, so I’m kinda rusty when it comes to blowing off my friends.”

This coming from the same guy who’d had to check with his ex-fiancée if he wanted to take a leak.

“You’re such an ass. Just tell me when we can put the damn lawsuit behind us.”

“I don’t have a specific answer tothatquestion,butNeil says Markham’s finally willing to talk settlement. So, I’d say within a month.”

At one time Nate thought those words would make him happy, but today the only thing rushing through him was relief.

“Let’s just hope he doesn’t change his mind. People like Markham—men with political aspirations—have a habit of playing both sides against the middle to further their personal agendas,” Jack warned.

“No, if he’s ready to talk settlement, they’re ready to settle.” Nate knew how this went. The only variable now was the amount. “What about the classes? Do we have a final tally? Has everyone taken them?”

It had been six weeks since he’d given the first edict to all his managers. Every employee in the building would have to attend their annual sexual discrimination and diversity training class within sixty days. No one was exempt, and that included all of senior management.

“There’s a couple of stragglers who’ve been out on leave, but everyone else has taken them.”

Nate gave a grunt of approval. “What about HR and the résumé workshop? How did they do with that?”

Jack grimaced and ruefully acknowledged, “That one didn’t go so well. We may need to use the screening service.”

Nate had had a feeling that recruiting using the screening service would produce more equitable results. “You know that was Kennedy’s idea, right? She told me it would remove some subconscious biases most people don’t realize they have. Even the most well-meaning of us.”

“I thought it had something to do with her. Her instincts are good.”

“She’s damn good at what she does,” Nate stated proudly. “I was thinking of hiring the agency to design a few of our classes.”

Jack crossed his arms. “You don’t think that might be a conflict of interest? You are, after all, sleeping with the woman.”

Nate dismissed his concern. “It isn’t as if she would be working for me. The agency would be dealing directly with HR. It’s contract work. Once it’s finished and handed over, that’s it,” he said, swiping his palms together.

“I’m just saying, you may want to think twice before you go mixing business with pleasure.”

“What the hell are you talking about? Your brother-in-law works at the North Carolina office and your cousin worked here for three years until he moved to Texas. Please tell me what I’m missing.”

A flicker of annoyance appeared on Jack’s face. “Dude, you’re comparing apples to oranges. It isn’t as if my brother-in-law and cousin weren’t qualified for the positions. They were, or I wouldn’t have recommended them. And the chances that my relationship with them goes south and causes problems for the company are slim to none. On the other hand, hiring the person you’re fu—sleeping with—” he shook his head “—is asking for trouble.”

Asking for trouble?

“Are you saying that nepotism where you’re concerned is fine but contracting my girlfriend for a job is a bridge too far?” Seriously, fuck that.

“As long as the person is qualified, I don’t see anything wrong with a little nepotism. Family businesses are built on it.”

“I didn’t say I had a problem with nepotism. What I’m having a problem with is the pushback I’m getting from you about hiring an agency that ismore than qualifiedto do the work the company needs done.”

Jack blew out a long breath. “Just think it over is all I’m saying. The woman you start dating isn’t the same woman you break up with. It’s the same thing they say about marriage and divorce.”

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