“You two seem to have a certain chemistry, may I say,” he continued.
I didn’t know how to respond. I had only ever been polite to Alexander in public. We hadn’t been flirting and no one would have seen his hand on my leg. I would hate for people to start talking and for it to get back to whoever Darcy’s contact was.
“If anyone ever convinces Alex to come to one of these events, he rarely says a word to any of us. He was positively chatty this evening.”
“Well, I imagine all that extra money I’m making him has cheered him up.”
Charlie guffawed. “I’m pretty sure he’s richer than the Queen. All that family money.”
“He’s from a wealthy family?” I asked. I would have guessed the opposite. I would have thought the way he worked, he’d known what it was like to have no money at all. More contradictions from him. Whenever I thought I had him pegged he surprised me again.
“Well, his dad was Alexander the Great,” he said, as if I should know who that was.
“I’m pretty sure you don’t mean the ancient Greek king,” I responded.
Charlie laughed again. It was infectious and so loud that people at the next table glanced around. “No. But the greatest barrister ever to have been at the bar.” He paused. “So they say.”
“So he has a lot to live up to,” I said, half to myself. Was that why he was so driven?
“With that lineage he doesn’t have to try. All the judges love him because of his father. He gets away with murder in chambers—I mean, who else has a full-time assistant and his own office?”
Alexander was arrogant, yes, and moody and difficult, but I was surprised at the picture Charlie painted. Alexander wasn’t some kind of shirker who was riding his father’s coattails. He was the most hard-working person I’d ever come across. I admired his drive and his focus.
Before I got to ask Charlie more questions, the award we’d all be waiting for came around. Alexander was still nowhere to be seen. Where had he gone?
The nominees were read out and our table cheered at the mention of our chambers. The ballroom hushed as the gold envelope was opened. It was like the lawyer’s version of the Oscars.
Despite only working at chambers a few weeks, a weird sense of loyalty I’d never felt before rose in my body. I wanted us to win. There were some fantastic people working in chambers, even if some of them were a little eccentric. I liked the place.
When the name of our chambers was read out, I jumped up and began clapping just as Charlie did beside me. Where was Alexander? Surely, even he’d get a kick out of this. Someone should call him or something.
Lance and Craig made their way up to the stage to accept the award. Of course, everyone was far too British to give speeches, and after photographs, they came back to the table. We were all beaming and took our turns inspecting the acrylic, miniature glacier of an award marked Chambers of the Year.
As the evening wore down, and people began to grow restless, the winners of the raffle were announced. Charlie was whispering to me, telling me bits of gossip that were travelling around chambers.
“Violet!” Lance boomed across the table. “You won!”
“Congratulations,” said the young woman who approached me. “I really wanted this one.” She handed me an envelope and turned away.
I didn’t even know what I’d won.
“Charlie, you shouldn’t have been distracting her. She won the second prize,” Lance said. “We’re a table of winners here tonight.”
“Always,” Charlie said, raising his glass, then downed his drink and excused himself.
I turned the envelope around and flipped open the back. I never won anything. Even if it was a balloon and a party hat, I’d be delighted. I pulled out a thick white card with gold writing on it.
Fortescue Hall Hotel and Spa.
Holy crap. A spa break? There was no way I could accept this. Alexander had paid for my ticket. I had to give it to him. I glanced around, hoping I’d spot him somewhere so I could tell him, but all I saw was Jimmy coming toward me.
He sat down in the seat Knightley had started the evening in and Charlie had just left. It was like musical chairs.
“Congratulations,” he said.
“Thanks.” I pushed the card back in the envelope and slid it into my bag.
“So given this table is on a winning streak . . .” Jimmy said.
My heart sank. Like a juggernaut bearing down on me, I knew what was coming.
“I wanted to know if I could take you for a drink. Or dinner. Whatever you’d like.”
I took a breath before I responded. “A drink would be great—I don’t have many friends in London.” I emphasized the word friends.
“Friends?” he winced. “I’m not going to lie, I’m a little heartbroken.” He smiled, defeated, and I was relieved he’d clearly got the message. “But I’ll settle for friends.”
I nodded. “I’m glad. I’m not in London for long,” I said. “And I’m a way better friend than date.”
It wasn’t that I didn’t like Jimmy—I did. He was attractive, thoughtful, and good-natured. And had this been a month ago in New York, I would have said yes. But I didn’t have that urge to punch him in the face and kiss him at the same time. And after Knightley, anything less seemed like a compromise I shouldn’t have to make. Anyway, dating Jimmy, however casually, seemed a bit wrong when I’d fucked Knightley. I didn’t usually worry about shit like that, but there was something about what had passed between Knightley and me that deserved more. And if there was the slightest chance it might embarrass Alexander, I wouldn’t risk it.
He deserved more.
Fifteen
Alexander
I often got told I was in a bad mood when I wasn’t—I was simply focused or busy or both. But today there was no doubt that my mood was black. I stared at my laptop, though I wasn’t absorbing anything on screen. I couldn’t see through my rage.
I was angry at myself for making a pass at Violet last night. We’d both agreed to put a stop to whatever was between us. I wasn’t sure what had happened last night to make me double back. Of course she’d looked stunning. But that was hardly a surprise—she was a beautiful girl. Having her close had been a temptation. But I was always able to resist temptation. Why was I so fixated on her?
Seeing her with Jimmy had been the final straw. As much as I didn’t want anything from her, I couldn’t think about the fact that someone else might have her. I wasn’t sure that another man would appreciate her in the way that I did. She wasn’t just some administrator with a pretty face and a phenomenal body.
Nothing about my reaction to Violet King made sense, but I knew one thing for sure—I never liked feeling as if I was giving anyone else power over my actions. So last night I’d left. “Come in,” I barked at a knock on my office door. I clamped my jaw tight. I didn’t need any interruptions today.
In my peripheral vision, Violet slipped inside and closed the door. Fuck. Why couldn’t she stay away?
“You left last night,” she said, walking toward my desk.