Love Proof (Laws of Attraction) - By Elizabeth Ruston Page 0,16
ahead,” she told Chapman. “I’ll see you later.”
He lumbered off toward an enormous black SUV that looked almost new.
Sarah forced back the bitterness in her mouth.
Then she saw Joe, walking at the opposite side of her row, clicking the remote for his shiny silver Audi and throwing his luggage and briefcase in the back.
He must have slept in his own bed the night before, too, Sarah thought. The driver who met him at the airport had taken him home, then Joe drove to the deposition that morning just like she did.
She wondered where he lived. Someplace expensive, no doubt, from the look of his car. He always had more money than she did. His parents were a lot better off than hers.
Joe looked up just then and saw her watching him. Sarah quickly pretended to search for her keys. Lunch with him had been all right, but she wasn’t in the mood for any more interaction. Especially since now she needed him to drive away before he saw the twenty-year-old Saturn she was about to climb into.
She moved against the concrete wall of the garage and waited for him to swing past her. When he did, he gave her a nod of acknowledgment.
It wasn’t fair, Sarah thought, none of it was fair.
But she knew she could tell herself that as much as she wanted, and it wouldn’t change a thing. Better to swallow whatever last little bit of pride she still had, and be grateful she had a car at all. Be grateful she had work. Be grateful Mickey had recommended her for the job.
Although she couldn’t help wondering now if the fact that Burke was on the other side of it might have been the reason why Mickey had suggested her in the first place. Did he think that would make Sarah more effective, more aggressive?
Or was it just one more move in the long-running game the three of them had been playing since that night in Illinois?
Eight
Mickey Hughes had sought her out.
He made no attempt to hide why.
“I want you on my team. You’re beautiful and you smell good, and you know we’ll kick their asses. Which one do you want to go to?”
The Moot Court meeting had only just ended, and Sarah was looking over the list of national competitions taking place that fall. There were ones all over the country, each focusing on different areas of the law. The one that caught her eye was a patient confidentiality issue in a health law case. The competition would take place at Southern Illinois University School of Law at the beginning of November.
“That’s the one I’m doing,” she said, pointing to the description.
Mickey gave it a quick read. “Fine. Great. Whatever. Let’s go grab a beer.”
Sarah glanced around the room at the other potential partners she might have asked to work with her. She knew Mickey from their first year Torts class, and had been in Trial Prep with him their second year, so she had seen enough to know he wasn’t stupid. Maybe not the best choice out of everyone in the room, but not an awful one, either.
“You sure you’re up for it?” Sarah asked him. “I’m not just doing this for the credit—I’m doing it to win.”
Mickey flashed her a smile. “Counting on it, Henley. Why do you think I picked you?”
While Mickey bought their beers, Sarah looked over the paperwork she picked up at the meeting. It included a longer description of what the case was about.
She passed it across to Mickey and took a sip of pale ale. “Which side do you want to take?” she asked him. “Petitioner or respondent?”
He didn’t bother reading the sheet. “Whatever you say. I’m just your dog, Sarah. Tell me what to do and I’ll do it.”
“Huh-uh,” she said, setting down her glass. “First of all, I hate group work, because someone—me—always ends up doing most of it. Second, you need to decide right now if you’re willing to work as hard as I am. Because if you’re not, let’s just enjoy our beer and part friends. No harm, no foul, we’ll just go find other partners.”
“Don’t be so touchy,” he said, smiling. “Of course I’m going to work. I just meant I’m not going to fight you on anything. I know how good you are at this, and I’m not one of those guys who can’t take their woman showing them up every now and then.”
“Their woman?” Sarah repeated, her voice thick with sarcasm.