Page 4 of Knocked Up by Mr. Grump Lawyer

She crossed her arms in front of her chest and glared at me openly. “What do you mean by that?” she demanded.

I felt something stirring from deep within me. I was easily attracted to bold, feisty women who challenged me.

“Nothing bad,” I said, shrugging and chuckling. “Just that. What I said exactly.”

She was still glowering. It appeared like she wanted to say something more, but she was holding back. I’m guessing she didn’t want to cause a scene on her first day on the job.

I wanted to grin, but I didn’t. Instead, I scoffed. “Atty. Arthur Brown can really pull some strings,” I muttered, shaking my head and moving away.

I didn’t think she heard me, but she did. I never kept my opinions to myself, not caring what others would think or how they would react. But hey! I tried to keep my voice down, at least.

“Excuse me!” she exclaimed, grabbing my arm and forcing me to turn around and face her. I was greatly surprised.

“You don’t get to speak like that about my father or insult me either,” she said matter-of-factly, trying to maintain her composure. “Who do you think you are?”

My pride took over, even though I realized I might have been wrong. Naturally, I did not apologize or back down. We had a staring contest for a few seconds that felt like minutes.

“I don’t have time for this,” I finally answered irritatedly.

But before I could walk away, she did it first. Maybe she wanted that satisfaction of being the first to turn around. So be it. I didn’t give a damn. I had better things to attend to.

Sandy had witnessed the exchange. She motioned for me to come over, signaling like she was feeling hot, fanning her face with her hand and laughing. “I could feel the tension and the heat all the way here,” she said, grinning. “But you two would make such an interesting couple.”

That made me laugh. I had not dated in a long time, much less considered being part of a couple.

“Didn’t she just get in because of her dad?” I whispered with curiosity.

“Oh, no, no…” Sandy said. Then leaning closer, she told me about Kayla’s credentials.

I was both astonished and impressed. I would never have thought someone who looked like that could have such credentials. Maybe I was judgemental, but I’d never met anyone so beautiful who also had the brain to match her appearance. Anyway, this woman had yet to prove herself in the industry, in a real setting. It was going to be a rather entertaining show to watch.

“Definitely takes after the dad,” Sandy added. Then snickering, she whispered, “But not the fashion sense. Good for her.”

I laughed again. She was one of the few people I felt very comfortable with and who could make me laugh.

“With that kind of attitude, she might actually be half as good as I am,” I murmured with a smirk.

Chapter 3

KAYLA

Aftermymeetingwiththe owners of the law firm, I was in high spirits again. I vowed to just avoid that arrogant lawyer as much as I could. He was just one person, anyway. Everyone else gave me positive vibes.

That afternoon, I was getting a cup of coffee in the pantry when he came in.Robert Jefferson, the asshole lawyer who looked like he came from old money and acted as if he owned the world.

I rolled my eyes and was about to leave the room when Drew came in and began chatting me up. He was definitely engaging, so I found myself listening closely and responding to the conversation. I felt like we clicked well, even though he was much older than me.

“We should check out that artist one of these days,” he said, talking about this visual artist who was holding an exhibit in one of the nearby cafes soon.

Of course, I knew that he was asking me out somehow. He had a way with words to make it sound natural, but I was on to him. He’d been flirting with me since our encounter in the elevator.

“I’ll have to check my schedule,” I replied, feeling unsure. I wasn’t ready to date anyone because I was focused on building my career.

I heard a snort in the background. I immediately knew that it was Robert.What was he thinking?

A group of men entered the pantry. Two of them began chatting me up too, and Drew sort of fell into the background. He eventually said goodbye, muttering about a client he needed to call. I smiled and drank my coffee while I listened to the chatter, not directly participating in the conversation this time.

I was very much conscious of Robert’s presence in the room. I could sense him observing with amusement. From the corner of my eye, I could see him reacting when one of the men would openly give me a compliment or say something that alluded to a date. Of course, I also had my discreet way of turning down their invitations.

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