“Are you fucking crazy?”
Unfortunately, at that moment there was a lull in conversation, so the entire room heard me go off. Heads swiveled to gape at me, but I brushed them off with a shake of my head. “Nothing to see here, folks. Just two friends having a bit of fun.” Waiting for everyone to return to their conversations, I leaned over and hissed, “I meant that, by the way. What the hell are you talking about, ‘something going on’?”
Grady merely smirked. “I said what I said. You know what the words mean. And I’m not only talking about today. There’ve been times since he joined the firm when I’ve seen you watching him.”
“Yeah, hoping he didn’t screw up.” A blatant lie, as Brenner was as sharp an attorney as they came.
“Yeah, okay, West.” Grady cackled. “That’s the most bullshit thing you’ve said all day.”
“I am not into him,” I gritted out. “I like women.”
His smile beamed bright. “If you say so.”
“You’re just being a dick. You think you’re funny.”
Grady popped a cookie into his mouth. “I am?”
It was true—I liked women. And over the past year since Brenner and I’d had our…encounter, I hadn’t had a single sexual thought of another man. It must’ve been a deadly combination of pent-up sexual frustration and too much alcohol that had twisted my libido for that one night. If I really was into guys, I’d want to have sex with other men, not only Brenner.
Not that I wanted to have sex with Brenner. One drunken hand job didn’t make me bisexual. Neither did constantly thinking about it a year later…did it?Dammit. I was confusing myself.
Trying to remain calm, I blew out a frustrated breath. “Fleming means nothing to me. He’s a pain in the ass, is all. Do you know what he did? He read a text on my phone.”
Grady’s brows shot up. “What? That doesn’t sound like him. How did that happen?”
“Well, I, uh…I left my phone on the table earlier when we were doing the exercises, and the screen lit up with a message. But he shouldn’t have read it.”
“I agree, but if the same thing happened and it was sitting right in front of me, I doubt I’d have been able to ignore it.” Eyes narrowed, Grady peered at me. “You’re upset, and I don’t think it has anything to do with Brenner reading your text. I think it’s the text itself.”
Heat rose to my face. “It’s nothing,” I mumbled. “I’m fine. How’s that adoption case going?”
“Don’t make me use that psych degree on you, man. What’s wrong? You haven’t been yourself all day.”
“No? Who have I been?”
This was Grady I was talking to, not some first-year associate who wouldn’t challenge me. Plus, that psych degree meant it was almost impossible to bullshit the man.
“West, come on. I thought we were friends. I confided in you when I got shot down by Miranda.” His lips twitched. “Did I tell you that the day after they announced the new partners, she came by my office to say she’d like to take me out for a celebratory drink?”
“Not surprised in the least. She’s only interested in seeing whoever can help her up the ladder.”
“Yeah, you were right. And man, it was painful to have to say no. She wore a tight little dress…damn. I didn’t know I had that much willpower.”
“Your restraint is admirable.” I snickered. “I know how she can be when she wants something.”
Twin brows shot high. “I’m all for an ambitious woman, don’t get me wrong, ’cause confidence is sexy as hell, but they have to like something about me other than my partnership in the firm.”
“Are you looking for a girlfriend?” While Grady and I were pretty friendly, we’d never delved much into our personal lives, preferring to take in ball games or go clubbing, where one or both of us would inevitably leave with a lady. I had no intention to let him into the fucked-up dynamics of the Lively family. This, however, was the first time he’d ever mentioned wanting a relationship, and I wondered what had changed.
“I might be. I feel like I’m too old for the scene, and to tell you the truth, I’m tired by the end of the day. Who wants to be ‘on’ all day at the office and then have to stand around and be impressive all night? Maybe it’s clichéd, but I’m thinking it’s not so bad to come home to someone who actually cares about me. Someone I want to know better and be with all the time. Being in foster care meant never knowing if a home was your forever place or one where you’d pack up and leave. I want a family. Permanence.”
“Wow.” I guess it had never occurred to me to put myself in his shoes, but what Grady said made sense. What I didn’t tell him was that you could have that home, have everything you could want, and still be the loneliest person in the world.
But I didn’t need anyone’s pity.
“So what is it? Something’s bothering you.”
I drummed my fingers on the tabletop. “Maybe…I don’t…” It made no sense to deny it. Grady was my friend. “It’s my father.”
