The crowd chuckled, while Nathan and I turned and raised an eyebrow at one another. We always had mounting piles; it would be a blessing to have the stack some of the other attorney’s had awaiting them. Oh, wait, we did. The difference being we had a bit of everyone’s work. It came with the territory, and I was happy to have it, instead of going to a court room any day like many in our office.
“As you’re all aware, we’ve been down a team member since Stephen’s departure late last year. Well, it’s been over six months, and I think we’ve finally have found the right man for the job,” Jack announced. “Some of you may remember the man to my right, he was once an intern here, and I would like your help in welcoming Andrew Carter to our ranks.”
The crowd erupted in applause and the Boob-Squad already seemed to have Andrew in their sights.
“Andrew’s first day will be tomorrow, and he’ll need everyone’s help getting reacquainted with Holloway and Holloway.”
Andrew caught my gaze, and I stood, frozen. A huge grin spread on his face: he looked like such a cute, innocent kid when he did that.
“Hey, Lila!” Andrew called out, interrupting Jack.
My face heated up in embarrassment as everyone turned to see who he was looking at.
“Hi, Drew.” I waved my hand, trying to move the room back to the topic at hand.
Nathan tensed beside me, but my eyes remained on Andrew, and I watched his flicker beside me to Nathan. His gaze hardened, but he kept the smile plastered on his face.
“Well, now that everyone knows Andrew and Delilah are acquainted…” Jack chuckled. “Let’s get back to work.”
With a clap of his hands, the mass dispersed to their separate sections of the office.
Just as I was making my way through the doorway, a hand grabbed my wrist and pulled me back. The sudden halt caused Nathan to crash into me. Andrew’s strong arms wrapped around me and lifted me into the air, then back down for a hug. My eyes widened before I began laughing.
Nathan shot us an icy glare before continuing down the hall, and for some reason I found the sight hysterical. It made me laugh more, but everyone thought it was due to Andrew’s antics. The exchange had been so quick; I figured no one had picked up on the cold undercurrent.
“Something about that guy rubs me the wrong way,” Andrew said out of nowhere.
“He’s harmless,” I assured him. “By the way…what the hell are you doing here, and why didn’t you tell me?”
A sheepish grin spread on his face. “I wanted it to be a surprise.”
“Well, it worked.”
“I hope you don’t mind.”
I gave him a knowing look. “Andrew, I know you loved working at Holloway and Holloway as much as Caroline and I did when we all interned together. You just chose the dark side.”
“Well, I came back to become a real Jedi.”
“Welcome back, Anakin,” I said with a smile. “Well, I have a mountain and a half waiting for me.”
I turned to head out the door when his voice stopped me.
“What was the name of that bar by your place? Skips? Tips?”
“Nipps,” I responded.
“Later, Lila.”
I waved back and headed in the direction of my office. Once there, the tension was rolling off Nathan, permeating our space. He didn’t say anything for over an hour, and I could no longer stand the tension. I sent him a text hoping it would cure his foul mood.
So, what was that about punishment? I’d like to hear more about that.
He smirked at the message, and his shoulders dropped and relaxed.
The remainder of the day went off without a hitch as did the next day. Andrew was nowhere to be seen on Friday, his first official day, and I was thankful.
CHAPTER 12
“What’s this?” Nathan asked as I handed him the jagged piece of metal.
“It’s a key to my condo.”
“I don’t want it.” He thrust his hand back toward me.
“Take the damn key,” I said. We stood at a standstill, neither backing down. “Look, my neighbor is getting annoyed at the late night knocking, and we haven’t spent a night apart in three weeks.”
He contemplated my words for a moment, the warring indecision etched onto his features before he conceded. “Fine.” Pulling his keys from his pocket he twisted the metal piece on to the key ring.
“Here,” he said, holding his hand out to me.