I stare at him, waiting for details, but he doesn’t offer anything. Instead, his eyes lock on my bandaged hand again. His frown turns into a deep scowl that makes lines crease on his forehead.
And then, to my surprise, he reaches out and touches my wrist.
“What happened to your hand?” He turns my hand over, inspecting the bandage.
I can feel the warmth of his fingers through the fabric. It's the first time John has ever touched me and a jolt of electricity shoots up my arm.
“It’s nothing.” I pull my hand away and hide it behind the files I’m carrying so he’ll stop looking at it. “I’m fine.”
The last thing I need is for him to drill me about what happened. The partners will not be happy if he manages to learn about his surprise party before tonight.
His eyes meet mine, and I see how he wins his cases. Who could withstand the pressure of his stare?
“I didn't ask if you were fine. I asked what happened.”
“It’s just a little cut, but I couldn’t find a bandaid before the meeting. It’s really nothing.”
“It doesn’t look like nothing.”
“I promise I’m okay.”
He’s quiet for a few minutes before he peels his eyes away from my hand. “If you got hurt on the clock, you should report it to Human Resources.”
That makes more sense. Maybe he’s not so much worried about me as he wants to make sure everything is handled by the book if this is a workplace injury. He’s just being his usual lawyer self.
Just as John is about to say something else, Melissa steps in between us, her arms folded across her chest.
"I hope you don't have too much more work planned for Lisa, John," she quips, her tone laced with a hint of sarcasm. "She's about to go on vacation."
John's gaze snaps from me to Melissa, his eyebrows raised in surprise. "Vacation?" he asks, his eyes darting back to meet mine. "You never go on vacation."
I clear my throat nervously. "You approved it weeks ago."
Melissa chuckles, the sound echoing lightly throughout the quiet room. "Believe it or not, John," she says, giving him a friendly nudge with her elbow, "people actuallydogo on vacation." Her eyes twinkle with amusement as she delivers the gentle reminder, the corners of her mouth curving into a knowing smile.
John's eyes narrow, his gaze studying me closely. "Are you going by yourself?" he asks, his tone almost unreadable as he waits for my response.
His words are innocent enough, but the way he’s looking at me and the cutting tone of his voice makes me feel like I’m being interrogated. I’m probably overthinking it. He’s a lawyer, after all. It’s just how he’s used to asking questions. He’s probably still in a mood after whatever got under his skin at the meeting he had earlier today.
"I mean, I'm going to see my friend. But yes, I'm going by myself."
I half expect him to ask me where I'm going but he doesn't. He just stares at me. The sharp cut of his jaw ticks like he’s holding back something he wants to say, which isn’t like him. John usually doesn’t hold anything back.
It can’t be more than a few seconds, but it feels like forever. Then he turns away from me, grabs his laptop, and turns for the door. Without looking back, he says, “Have Ethan’s brief on my desk by five p.m.”
His abrupt departure leaves me standing there, my heart pounding in my chest. With a last lingering look at the door John had disappeared through, I turn and make my way back to my desk.
CHAPTER3
John
I have never been more distractedduring a meeting than I was today.
Lisa sitting across from me with that bandage wrapped around her hand was almost too much for me to handle.
As I walk back to my office, I can't help but mull over the questions bubbling up within me.
Did she hurt herself or did someone hurt her? Has she seen a doctor? And why is she keeping it a secret?