The local papers had already run the story so it wasn’t a matter of maintaining confidentiality. Her reaction, however, made him hesitate. He shook it off. What difference could it possibly make? “Harrison Manning Junior.”
“Ah.” She relaxed back in her chair. “I read something about him in the newspaper. He’ll never see the inside of a courtroom.”
“Not if I do my job,” he said, confused at the flash of anger in her eyes. “Do you know him?”
“He’s in the Journal a lot. This isn’t the first time he’s gotten himself in a mess.”
That was news to him. “Really?” Cody picked up his drink and took a sip while studying her over the rim, his curiosity piqued. This was supposed to be a slam dunk case.
She blushed a pretty pink, then shook her head. “I don’t really know. It’s just gossip.”
He decided he didn’t want to talk about Harrison Manning Junior. “What have you been doing?” he asked. “Since you got back.”
She looked down at her hands, then back at him. “Still temping.”
That surprised and annoyed him. She was too talented to still be drifting. “Dakota tells me you’ve taken some law classes…”
She nodded and then picked up one of the menus the hostess had left. “Have you had a look at this, yet?”
“She also told me that you’d caught a couple of significant errors in—”
She looked up, clearly flustered. “Are you trying to recruit me?”
“I thought I was making small talk.”
Sighing, she sank back. “Sorry. I had a bad day. Traffic. You know…”
“Well, since you brought it up, how would you like to assist me while I’m here? Thirty percent over whatever we paid you in New York.”
Her gaze met his, her blue eyes narrowing in alarm. Her lips, pink and glistening from a slow swipe of her tongue, parted slightly. “I already have a job this week.”
“Hey, that’s fine. That’s good. Just thought I’d…” He picked up his menu and pretended to read it. He had to stop staring at Sara before he said or did something stupid again. What if she’d accepted his ridiculous offer? Where had that come from, anyway? He’d always kept his social and professional life separate.
That was the problem. He didn’t know what he wanted from Sara. His whole attraction to her was weird. Sure she was gorgeous, but they basically had nothing in common. It wasn’t like college, where he felt free to pursue any woman at any time. Besides the fact that he wasn’t a kid anymore, his career was too important for him to not be discriminating.
“Cody, what are you really doing here?” she asked, breaking into his thoughts, her tone bordering on accusing, as if she’d read his mind.
He reluctantly looked up from the menu. “Excuse me?”
“Come on. Tell me.”
The challenge in her eyes made him smile. “I have a client—”
She tilted her head to the side. “I know why you’re here. I just don’t understand it.”
“Don’t understand what?”
“You barely gave me the time of day when I was in New York.”
“That’s not true.”
“And then that last night—” She briefly looked away, and then stared back with determination, leaning closer, the undersides of her breasts grazing the table. In a low voice, she asked, “What was that about?”
He felt his face flush in embarrassment. He turned to his menu and prayed for a waitress.
“Don’t be defensive. Please. I just don’t understand why you didn’t ask me out months ago.”
He looked up at the change in her tone. There was no accusation, just curiosity, and that he understood. “You were working for the firm.”
She looked him straight in the eyes. “Was that the only reason?”
He shook his head. “Man, I should’ve gone to a Braves’ game.”
“I assume that means I’m not going to get any more out of you, right? Well, that’s okay. I shouldn’t have put you on the spot. As for the Braves, they’re out of town, playing the Cubs. But they’ll be back on Wednesday.”
“You like baseball?”
Her eyes widened. “Doesn’t everyone?”
“Uh, no. You go to the games?”
“Most of them. Are you a Mets’fan by any chance?”
Amazing. She was the only woman he knew who liked baseball. “Hell, yes.”
“I bet you have great season tickets.”
“I don’t have time to go to the games. I try to catch the scores on ESPN.”
“That’s sad,” she said earnestly. “The fun part of baseball is sitting in the stadium with all the noise and eating hot dogs and popcorn. Oh, and I love those big pretzels.”
He smiled at the rapture on her face, at the flash of memory from his college days. Before law school. Before life had gotten so damn complicated. “Don’t forget a tall frosty beer.”
She wrinkled her nose. “I can do without that.”
“Normally, I’d agree. But there’s something about a ball park dog and a cold beer that can’t be beat.”
Her lips curved in a mysterious smile before she obstructed it by taking a sip of her margarita.
The odd smile and her silence made his eyes narrow. “You know something I don’t?”
“Probably a lot of things.” Salt from the rim of the glass clung to her lower lip and she used the tip of her tongue to remove the small chunk. Slowly, as if she knew the act was driving him crazy.
He silently cleared his throat. “Is that right?”
She nodded, and then she went real still, staring at him as if she’d just now realized he was at the table. To say the look was unnerving was an understatement.
“What are you doing tomorrow night for dinner?” she asked.
The way she asked matched the gleam in her eyes, and he wasn’t sure if he should be thrilled or head back to New York on the next flight. “Why?”
“Here’s the thing.” She placed her clasped hands on the table and leaned forward with no hint of a smile. “This is my territory.”
“Meaning?”
“If you want to see me, it’ll be on my terms.”
Cody snorted. Who did she think she was talking to? He could have a date every night of the week if he wanted. With attractive Manhattan socialites. Prominent career women. Sara was a damn temp worker, and she thought she could dictate terms to him?
He drained his scotch. “What?” he asked, as he realized with a jolt that her terms might be very, very interesting. “What are your terms?”
“First, we’ll only—”
“Shelby?” A tall, balding man, wearing a well-tailored suit, approached the table. “I thought you were still in Europe.”
She blinked and her face paled. “Robert?” She shot out of her chair, glanced at Cody and said, “Would you excuse me?” before taking the man’s arm and steering him toward the front of the restaurant.
Cody watched until he couldn’t see her anymore, and then stared at the amber liquid at the bottom