Love Proof (Laws of Attraction) - By Elizabeth Ruston Page 0,7

now, no longer slouching with that easy-going gait. Like the difference between a loose-jointed puppy and a full-grown dog.

And his hair looked good cropped close like that. Not unruly the way she remembered. Everything about him looked better, unfortunately.

Sarah closed her eyes and leaned back.

“Here on business?” the man next to her asked.

“Mm,” she answered, hoping to discourage any conversation.

“What are you, one of those women stockbrokers?” he asked.

Good guess, Sarah thought, for a guy obviously using it as a line. He must think a woman would appreciate being taken for a stockbroker instead of someone’s assistant or a salesgirl or whatever else he really thought she was.

Sarah turned and opened her eyes just a slit. “Surgeon,” she said. “I took out a brain today. I’m really exhausted. So if you don’t mind . . . ” She closed her eyes and leaned back again.

“Surgeon?” the man said loudly enough that when Sarah opened her eyes again she could see Joe looking back at her with a smile playing on his lips.

“Yep,” she answered just as loudly. “Today brains, tomorrow intestines. We do it all.”

“Are you shittin’ me?” the man asked.

“No, I am not shitting you,” she said with perfect enunciation. “Now if you don’t want me to kill my next patient in the morning, you’d better let me get some sleep.”

“You’re shittin’ me,” the guy muttered.

Sarah risked one more quick check on Joe. He’d obviously been waiting for her to meet his eye, because as soon as she did, he turned his fingers into scissors and cut at a downward angle.

“Big vasectomy tomorrow afternoon,” Sarah added. “Wouldn’t want me to make a mistake there, would you?”

Joe nodded, satisfied. Then he turned back around.

And Sarah immediately regretted what she had done.

Why was she playing with Burke? They weren’t friends. They weren’t anything. If she could take back that last statement, she would.

“Now I know you’re shittin’ me,” the man said with renewed confidence. “Nobody does all that.”

Sarah shrugged. “I’m the best. And we’re done here, sport. No more talking.” She popped in her ear buds, even though she wouldn’t be able to turn on her music until the plane leveled off.

She wished she had never let herself get drawn into the conversation. She could tell herself it was because she couldn’t resist making her seatmate look like a fool, but she knew the real reason: she was showing off for Burke. As soon as she knew he was listening, she just had to remind him how clever and smart-mouthed she could be.

Why? she scolded herself. Why do you have to prove anything to that man?

Because, she answered honestly, it would be worse to think he forgot.

Five

As soon as the plane landed at LAX, Sarah prepared to make a fast exit. Joe’s row emptied before hers, so there was nothing she could do about that, but she could certainly beat Paul Chapman out of the airport before he felt compelled to ask for or offer her a ride.

Sarah had the feeling he didn’t understand the boundaries of co-defense attorneys who worked for different clients. Yes, Chapman was technically on her same side against all of Joe’s plaintiffs, but Chapman’s client was the main manufacturer, whereas Sarah’s was just the subcontractor. If she had any chance at all to heap all the blame on Chapman’s client and get hers released from the case entirely, she would take that victory any day. There was no chumminess on the defense side of the table as far as she was concerned.

She also had the feeling Chapman undervalued her because of her looks. And, no doubt, her age. It wasn’t so much any particular thing he had said, but just this overall demeanor toward her of All right there, little lady, you go ahead, but try not to hurt yourself asking all your big girl questions.

Maybe it was her imagination, but she didn’t think so. She could usually smell a jerk.

Too bad she had missed the scent on Joe.

Although he never seemed to underestimate her intelligence, so maybe that wasn’t a fair comparison. If she was worried about being fair.

She saw him up ahead, reading his phone while he made his way toward the baggage area and ground transportation. She had no idea where he lived, but assumed it had to be somewhere in the Los Angeles area, since he worked in the city. Her place was in Culver City, close enough to tomorrow’s deposition in Pasadena that she decided not to stay at the hotel,