Page 17 of Trials of a One Night Stand
I dump my purse on the desk I’ve been assigned while I’m there and make my way to the coffee. My body needs caffeine, even if it would rather have Nathaniel go down on me again. That man has a magical tongue and fingers.
I pour myself a cup, add flavored creamer, and take a sip. The liquid is hot and strong, exactly how I like it. I can almost feel the caffeine hit my blood system and myself perk up, even if I know that’s not possible.
Jason enters the break room. He’s dressed in golf clothes. From what I hear, if he’s not working, then he’s at the country club. No wonder he’s on his third wife. “You made it.”
“Of course.” I mean, who would turn down this opportunity? Not me. “What do I need to know?”
“You’re the first to make it in this morning.” That means Jason started the coffee pot, which is unusual. “We’re meeting in the conference room in fifteen minutes. Just waiting for a few more people to arrive.”
I’m pleased I could show him I’m up for the challenge, but I wonder who else will work with me on the case. I’ve only been in Seattle for two weeks. The people I know are ones I’ve met over the years, either having worked with them at the Spokane office, like Gavin, or on other projects. “I’ll be there.”
I return to my desk, which is devoid of personal effects. One of the downsides of having my life boxed up in a storage facility on the other side of the state. The upside to being sent to the various offices is that my accommodations are covered by the firm, which means my living expenses—well, minus the storage fee—consist of only food and my car insurance. Although living in corporate apartments and extended-stay hotels gets old after a while. Maybe I’m just lonely because I wouldn’t mind being back in that room with…
Stop thinking about him.
With a legal pad, two pens, my tablet, and coffee, I head to the conference room. Not surprising, I’m the first one there. I take a seat in the middle on the far side of the table. That way I can see each person who comes in without glancing over my shoulder or turning my head.
I bide my time by staring at everything in the room, from the large table to the leather upholstered chairs. A high-tech whiteboard covers one wall, and two TVs hang on the opposite wall. The last thing I want to do is be caught scrolling on my phone, which is in my pocket on mute.
A man walks in—Gavin, Ali’s fiancé. When he sees me, he does a double take. “They dragged you in here after last night?”
“I called it a night at the bar.”
“I had to carry Ali in from her rideshare.” He rubs his eyes and laughs. “Not that I was exactly sober myself, but I had to do something until she got home.”
I laugh, though I don’t see anything funny about sitting at home and drinking alone while your future spouse is out drinking and cavorting with male strippers. I don’t even want to know what happened when they got to the private space, though I’m sure Lottie will tell me all about it later. I’m assuming no incriminating evidence like videos and photos will surface. At least, I hope not.
“Have you had your bachelor party yet?” I ask.
“Last weekend in Vegas.”
I’m sure my ex was there, but I don’t talk about Colton at work even though most people here have heard the sad tale of the way he used and discarded me. Although his version might be a little different. I haven’t asked nor do I plan to. “Did you win any money?”
“No, but we had fun, and my name didn’t wind up being called out on social media so I’m calling it a win.”
I shake my head. Just the thought of Gavin and another woman… “You’d never do that to Ali.”
“I wouldn’t.” He laughs again. “But I had Ali’s two brothers with me to make sure none of my friends, especially my fraternity brothers, got any stupid ideas like pulling a prank or hiring strippers.”
“Sounds like a smart decision.” Gavin was a decent guy, though drinking seemed to be a favorite pastime of lawyers at this particular office. Not that the ones in Spokane or Vancouver weren’t known to imbibe, but only Portland seemed to have the same level of social drinking as this office.
“So was he hot?”
The air rushes from my lungs. Did he know about my one-night stand with Nathaniel? He shouldn’t. No one knew. I mean, Lottie saw me leave with him… I take a breath. No need to plead guilty with no evidence. “Who?”
“The stripper.”
Oh, right. I’d forgotten about him already and am relieved to know I made the right decision to leave with Nathaniel. Still, Gavin’s waiting for an answer, so I shrug. “He was attractive but not my type.”
Gavin chuckles. “That’s what Ali said, but she was wasted.”
“Wasted or not, it’s the truth.”
He takes a seat across from me. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Have you heard from Colton?”
