‘Oh, okay.’ Veronica gave her an enigmatic smile as she retreated to answer the ringing phone on her desk. ‘Well, enjoy your work thing and don’t forget your shoes this time.’
Ruby groaned. She hadn’t fooled Veronica one bit. She closed her laptop and slipped on her heels, a small smile tilting her lips. Probably she should feel a bit more worried about that. And maybe she would if her body wasn’t still buzzing from that kiss.
* * *
By the time they reconnected in the car that whisked them to the Star Burger building, Ruby was glad to have Grant along for the ride. She was a bag of nerves and she knew that was only because Sam was with them. Usually, she felt completely in charge by this stage of the proceedings, knowing that her preparation was rock-solid in the cases she worked on. Now, though, there was so much at stake and part of that was impressing Sam, which should not have been uppermost in her mind.
Pulling herself together, she flipped the switch on her emotions and focused on what she had to accomplish as the three of them strode into Carter Jones’s palatial suite of offices. After they were left cooling their heels for ten minutes Sam quietly informed the snooty receptionist that he would walk out and terminate all future negotiations with the restaurant giant if they were left to wait a second longer.
Miraculously, Carter’s personal assistant arrived—a woman who looked as if she’d stepped from the pages of Glamour magazine—and escorted them to a richly designed conference room.
Two minutes later Carter Jones, a large, balding man with bulging eyes strode in, flanked by Tom Roberts, his head lawyer, and six minions. Ruby knew of Tom’s reputation as a corporate shark and had little time for the man, who was as unscrupulous as he was smart. She didn’t bother to return his superior smile and nor did Sam or Grant.
Carter didn’t smile at all, glaring across the table at her and saying nothing, while Tom shuffled papers and started his opening pitch. Which was basically ‘we won’t pay and you don’t have a case’.
‘Please tell me you didn’t call us all the way down here just to go over old ground, Tom,’ Ruby said pleasantly. Having had him blustering on the phone to her on more than one occasion last week, she really wanted to close this case, not drag it out.
Tom’s mouth turned down at the corners. ‘We know you’re wanting to get local MP Tessa Miles involved to support your evidence—or lack thereof—but she won’t go on the stand, Ruby. You’re following a dead dodo with that one.’
Ruby gave him a cool look. ‘I’d recheck my information if I were you, Tom. Not only will Ms Miles go on the stand, but she’s already provided us with her written testimony. And yes, it is signed.’
That got Tom’s attention, and while he conversed with one of his minions Carter Jones stared down his nose at her, dismissing her out of hand before eyeballing Sam. ‘Who’s running this dud outfit, Ventura? You or your subordinate?’
‘Don’t mind me,’ Sam said, ‘I’m just window-dressing on this one.’
Carter tossed a mint into his mouth and chewed noisily. ‘You can’t win this case, Ms Clarkson. Those little videos you’re so proud of will be deemed inadmissible in court.’
‘Quite possibly,’ Ruby agreed, ‘but, with Ms Miles’s testimony and more potential clients contacting our office because of the recent media storm, we don’t need them.’
‘What other potential clients?’ Tom asked, choking on his water.
‘Didn’t you get my memo, Tom? You might want to check with your staff. We should be up to fifty by the time we get back to the office.’
Unsure whether to believe her or not, Tom stood up, sprouting reams of legal precedents and inadequate documentation until Carter snarled at him. ‘Sit the hell down and shut the hell up. You’ve been completely useless on this case from day one, Roberts.’
Tom turned crimson under the weight of Carter’s frog-like glare, his fellow lawyers shifting uneasily in their seats. Ruby almost felt sorry for the man. Almost.
‘All right, how much do those hungry little bloodsuckers want from me?’ Carter all but spat at her.